September 2020 • Volume 15, Issue 1
www.The1851Chronicle.org
The 1851 Chronicle
KATIE PETERS, CLAIRE CRITTENDON & MEGHAN CARROLL editors-in-chief
& news editor
agement major Peyton Young said, “The cost just didn’t make it seem worth it. As much as I wanted to be on campus my senior year, I needed to look at the reality of the situation.” Young continued, “I hope I can go back for my last semester, I miss my friends and the campus atmosphere. No one knows where we are going to be in the next couple of months.” Residential sophomore student Therese Brady decided to come back to Auburndale this fall to take advantage of the academic resources on campus. With
September 5-8 saw the return of 720 resident and 263 commuter students to residential halls and academic buildings, according to the Regprepped campus. An additional 443 students are studying remotely online. On June 17, President Michael Alexander announced in an email the plan to partially reopen campus for the fall semester. Students had until July 23 to decide which option they would prefer - to live on campus with a mix of online and in-person classes, commute to campus for some in-person classes or complete the semester online. Students returning physically have new guidelines to adhere to, such as wearing face coverings outside of their dorm rooms, maintaining a physical distance of at least six feet from others, limiting access to shared spac- times weekly depending on how often they visit campus. “We all need to remember how we’re adaptable. Faculty es, and agreeing not to host visitors, are adaptable, students are adaptable, but we’re still the same among others. Senior Amanda Sullivan chose people,” said Interim Dean of School of Communication and to commute this semester. “I was the Arts Meryl Perlson.
planning on living on campus but I personally felt being at my house was the best for my mental health, especially since now you can’t hang with others... It’s more about my education so commuting seemed like the best choice,” Sullivan said. Health Services is providing dent Center. Everyone who visits campus is required to get tested one-to-two
On July 16, Lasell decided NCAA competition would not be possible for fall sports. Fall athletes who planned on returning to play were given an additional week beyond the general student deadline to decide whether or not to return to campus. Days later, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) canceled all fall sports, additionally limiting the winter sports crossover for October through December. According to Athletic Director Kristy Walter, it was not an easy decision. “It’s heartbreaking to me, it was really a tough decision for us to come to,” said Walters. “We’ve worked with the
PHOTOS BY MIKE MARUK
she says she likes the mix. “It feels like you only have class once a week and the Zooms aren’t bad because you’re in the comfort of your room,” she says.
Brady describes campus’s social climate this semester as dry. Since social gatherings are limited, campus is not as lively as years’ past. “Unless you’re going out for classes, there’s no real reason to go out,” she says. According to Director of Student Activities and Orientation (OSAO) Jenny Granger, “turnout has been pretty good with what we have had so far,” she said. “It is just up to the students to participate.” Updates from OSAO can be found on their Instagram (@ Student who chose to study remotely, tuition was LUActivities) or twitter (@LU_Activities). differing experience, according to an email from President ter goes as well as keep a close eye on Alexander on June 17. Online students are not able to participate in athletic programs or most on-campus activities. about how the second semester will look. In retrospect, many students say they chose the online option because of the cost. Senior sports manthe hurdles just became too much in terms of making sure everybody can stay safe.” It was also heartbreaking for athletes. Senior Alysha Rentas of the women’s volleyball team says, “It was honestly super disappointing. No matter how much they tried to prepare us for the possibility of the season being canceled, they couldn’t prepare us for the emotions we ball team, like other fall sports, just began practicing this
Black Lives Matter here and everywhere
KATIE PETERS, CLAIRE CRITTENDON & MEGHAN CARROLL editors-in-chief
& news editor
In an email to the community on June 1, President Michael Alexander said, “This moment begs us not only to reflect on broader societal inequalities, but also to examine the ways in which inequalities exist within our own community. Lasell University is not immune to these problems.” According to Director of the Donahue Institute for Ethics, Diversity and Inclusion Jesse Tauriac, “there have been some changes at a variety of levels” as a result of the protests this summer. “We worked with a group of equity in which the university can operate in a more equitable and just manner.” Senior IC3 student worker Alanis Perez was one of many Lasell students to attend protests for Black lives this summer. “I went to a lot of protests in the Hartford area …. We ended up at Hartford police for one of On protest etiquette, Perez said, “We [am-
PHOTO BY KATIE PETERS
A Black Lives Matter sign sits in an Auburn-
On May 25, the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd at the hands of then-police officer Derek Chauvin set off nationwide protests, bringing to light racial injustice and police brutality that Black Americans face. Black Lives Matter (BLM) was established in 2013 following the deaths of two Black men killed by police, Michael Brown and Eric Garner. The turmoil did not escape the Lasell University community.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
that’s not something you explain to everyone when you see them. So you have to do your part as a white or white-passing person and just be that be that amplifying voice.” In her role as an IC3 worker, Perez works closely with Tauriac. She said, “I know that Jesse and I were working on events and things and creating videos, but ... it still kind of felt like a silence and it shouldn’t be Tauriac watched the protests unfold this summer. “I think it was a very powerful moment that we collectively as a nation were shaken out of our comfort zone,” he says. “As a Black man, Black father and a Black husband, there are ways that this hit very personally for me.”
Do your part, wear a mask PAGE 2
He mentioned the variety of reasons people took to the streets in protest this summer. Though BLM was the organization that got the most attention, it was not the only group to organize and attend these massive protests. An article published in Time about a study by The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) was brought up protests associated with BLM did not result in violence or property destruction. Many individuals throughout the university have made strides to be more conscious of equality differences throughout the community, according to Tauriac. Despite that, “we absolutely have a far way to go before we can say that we’re living up to the values that we espouse,” he says. When asked how she thought Lasell could do better, before answering the initial question, senior Hannah Richards said, “First off, let me be clear where I am coming from. I am a white woman, and I recognize that I have privilege. Secondly, I am by no means speaking for the experiences of Black people and people of color.” She then went on to say, “Lasell must go further than performative social media engagement and make monetary contributions, education investments and internal investigation in faculty, security staff and student misdemeanors.” “Lasell should invest in racial injustice education and social workers to handle many student emergency/disciplinary events which the campus police usually handle,” Richards continued. “Lasell also needs to listen to and take criticism from the Black people and people of color on campus.” On September 30, Tauriac will start hosting weekly Diversity, Equity and Inclu-
Eric Turner settles in as new Provost PAGE 3
PHOTO BY KATIE PETERS
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sion forums. There will be several Real Talk on Race discussions which will begin on Friday, October 2. The Donahue Institute is also planning many virtual programs focusing on race and diversity. For more information, you can contact student activities at studentactivities@lasell.edu.
GNAC comes to a halt due to pandemic PAGE 4
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September 2020
CORNER
Stay safe Lasers
Opinion & Editorial
The 1851 Chronicle
Do your part, wear a mask RUTH KEHINDE digitial editor
of cases continue to rise everyday in the United States. One of the ways to keep yourself and others safe is to wear a mask. A mask should be worn in public areas or when surrounded by people. Wearing a mask is a potent tool that should be mandatory, it can restrict the spread of the virus that has already infected more than 6 million Americans. As said previously, the reason for wearing a mask is to keep not only yourself but everyone around you safe. Regardless if you’re buying a mask or making homemade ones, its main reason is to prevent the spread of the disease if one were to symptoms indicative of the virus, in many cases, individuals can have the virus and not experience any symptoms. However, even if one is asymptomatic, they are still able to spread it unknowingly if they’re not practicing social distancing or donning a mask. Although wearing a mask is essential, it does come with its disadvantages. It’s sometimes hard to wear it for many hours
at a time, as it can get really stuffy. In some cases, it can add on to getting unwanted acne. With individuals refusing to wear a mask, it’s an act of selfishness, making it clear who they care about. Although a threat, wearing a mask while staying six feet apart is proven to slow the spread of the virus down, as displayed in many other countries. It all starts with an individual and whether or not they’re willing to take the initiative. ILLUSTRATION BY ROBBY ROWE
PHOTO BY RUTH KEHINDE
KATIE PETERS & CLAIRE CRITTENDON editors-in-chief
Boston College, Harvard and Boston University: what do all these schools have in common? These universities in the Boston area all have started the school year
Will my vote really matter?
full fall semester can be a reality. That will only happen if every student, professor, faculty, staff and community member safety guidelines. While the guidelines can be constricting, they don’t eliminate the possibility of a fulfilling year. Socializing looks different, yes, but it isn’t anywhere near impossible. The Campus Activities Board and other organizations are still holding socially distanced and virtual activities. Constant cleaning and hand washing is a bit of a chore but it’s an essential precaution to prevent the spread of ing six feet from others and continuously getting tested, these precautions must be abided by to keep cases low on campus. We’re walking a very fine line in regards to maintaining our in-person education and residential housing. As was made clear last March, many students rely on Lasell for internet access, safe housing, campus labs, Adobe suites and so much more. These guidelines not only help keep classmates and professors safe, they help our whole community. Just down the street from Arnow Campus Center is a Our actions impact them just as much as our actions impact others that interact with our campus daily. Everyone on campus has a responsibility to uphold these rules to ensure everyone’s safety and chances of getting a face-to-face education. The rules are meant to protect, not punish. Let’s be a success story. With only four cases thus far, completion of a full, partially in-person semester seems within reach. Maintaining access to education and resources should be the goal, not partying during a pandemic.
1844 commonwealth avenue newton ma, 02466
digitial editor
The short answer to whether your vote will matter this election is no. For a majority of the national population who reside in states that lean heavily toward a certain political party, the individual vote will have no lasting effect on the outcome of the election. Because Mass follows a winner-takes-all system with the electoral college, if the majority of the delegates vote blue, the entire state is blue. No matter which candidate I vote for, history tells me that the majority of electoral delegates will cast their vote in favor of Biden. With this in mind, voting as a Mass citizen is more of a formality and means that my vote has no meaning in the election. This is a common theme throughout much of America. Even if the polls are showing support for Biden when historically they’ve been republican, odds are the state will still be red at the end of the election. On the other hand, if I lived in a swing state like N. H., or one of the two states that decides electoral votes based on district pop-
ular votes (Maine and Neb.), the fate of the election is not yet decided. As of right now, the popular and electoral votes are relatively unpredictable, meaning in these state elections, each vote, including mine, would count.
However, the only other state where my vote could possibly be heard is Texas. Historically, Texas has been a reliable supporter of the Republican party. Surprisingly, a New York Times poll taken on Sept. 24 shows Texas to be a split state. Because Texas is also a winner-takes-all system, whichever candidate wins 20 electoral votes wins all 38. This one state could be the deciding factor in the 2020 election. Which leads me to believe that the individual votes of citizens in every US state but Texas have relatively little meaning in the election. This includes swing states as well. Unless I decide to move to Texas, I should prepare myself for the harsh reality: my vote will not matter.
Is Mulan worth the money? CLAIRE CRITTENDON & ABI BROWN co-editor-in-chief
1851Chronicle lasell university
BAILEY KLINGAMAN
According to the New York Times as of Sept 25, BC currently has 86 cases, Harvard has 43 cases and BU has 83 cases. We are fortunate to be on a campus like this. With our small student body residing on campus, a suburban location
The
co-editors-in-chief
Claire Crittendon Katie Peters art director
Mike Maruk Mitchell Bolton
news editor
Meghan Carroll featured editor
Kaie Quigley sports editor
Taylor Viles opinion editor
Holly Feola arts editor
Abi Brown copy editor
Rachel Shepard 1851 staff
Josh Wolmer
& arts editor
Disney’s 2020 live-action version of Mulan features Mulan’s harrowing journey of hiding her identity to fight in the war, rather than having the army draft her sick father. In this new version, Disney swapped the fun songs for a more dramatic and life-like movie. They used an all Asian cast, with more accurate cultural context. While these changes seem enticing, they come at too step a price. The live action version of Mulan is currently only streaming as an add-on premier access for Disney+. One must pay for a Disney+ membership, and then spend even more for premier access. Hiding the film behind multiple pay walls is stifling what had the potential to be a wonder bout of nostalgia and family-friendly fun There was a bit of a buzz around this decision to only share the film on Disney+ versus releasing it in theatres. From Disney’s standpoint, this is a smart marketing tactic.
Mulan has engaged audiences young and old for over 20 years now. Disney+ launched in ers according to Gamespot.com. Given the immediate success of Disney+, it makes sense to keep it an incentive for Disney+ members Releasing a live-action movie such as Mulan potentially brings new customers to the Disney franchise. By giving access to Disney movies only on Disney+, fans all over the globe are willing to sign up for accounts and premier access. On the other hand, you have people like me who love Disney, but aren’t willing to pay the subscription fee every month, and the additional cost for premier access. Because of this, not as many people are going to be able to view the movie. I am fortunate enough to have my roommate’s account to stream Disney + movies, but not everyone will be.
digital editors
Ruth Kehinde Bailey Klingaman photographer
Mike Maruk illustrator
Robby Rowe
faculty advisor
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The 1851 Chronicle
News Briefs
September 2020
Features
3
Eric Turner settles in as new Provost RUTH KEHINDE
Todd Montana resigns after eight years In late August, the Athletic Department announced on its website women’s basketball head coach Todd Montana was stepping down. He held three roles with athInformation Director in 2012, progressing to the role of Head Coach in 2014. On top of his basketball duties, he held the position of assistant athletic director. Montana was the longest-serving head coach for women’s basketball. During his tenure, he racked 48 overall wins making him the winningest coach of the program. Patriots 5th Quarter man, Bob Lobel On Sept. 17, Bob Lobel joined Carrie Berger’s COM231: Sports Communicaon sports. Lobel is the host of weekly programs, Sports Final and Patriots 5th Quarter. During the class discussion, Lobel discussed the industry and some of his favorite moments from his long career. He didn’t begin his career in broadcasting until he was 26-years-old, giving hope to aspiring broadcasters in college because of the head start they already have on Lobel. The talk eventually opened up to questions from the class where Lobel made sure to emphasize the fun he had in the job. He said to never be too serious and enjoy yourself. Campus events to address racism The Donahue Institute is hosting many events this semester that focus on diversity and inclusion. Starting September 30, Director of The Donahue Institute Jesse Tauriac will be hosting monthly Diversity, Equity and Inclusion forums for community members to speak about their experiences with diversity, equity and inclusion. Participants will collaborate to create programs and initiatives that help make the community more inclusive. Other events include Latinx Heritage Month celebrations, Indegenous People’s Day and other events focusing on diversity and inclusion. For more information, contact Jesse Tauriac at jtauriac@lasell.edu or Anne Mullaney at amullaney@lasell.edu. Friends, Family and Alumni Weekend postponed On September 17, Director of Student Activities and Orientation Jenny Granger emailed the community to state the beloved Friends, Family and Alumni Weekend will not be happening this year. Due this event has been postponed until further notices. Student Activities is planning alternative digital programs and has hope to proceed in the Spring if possible. Updates will be delivered as necessary. Spring semester decision deadline announced On September 25, President Michael Alexander sent an email to undergraduate students regarding their options of attendance for the spring semester. The only students able to study online for the spring will be those already studying online this fall. A limited number of online and commuter students may be able to move back to campus, given campus remains safe for students to reside. Space will still be reserved for quarantine and isolation. Students who are currently studying remotely or commuting that wish to change their option for spring have undential Life (residentiallife@lasell.edu) to request the change. KATIE PETERS, CLAIRE CRITTENDON, TAYLOR VILES & JOSH WOLMER
digital editior
A: I don’t have any major changes planned. At this point, my number one goal is to listen. I think that we have some very smart, accomplished and experienced people in our faculty and staff. They know more about what they do more than I do.
It’s been two months since Professor of Business Eric Turner was named the new Provost of Lasell. As students begin the fall semester, questions about what to expect in unfamiliar times may arise. Here are eight questions our digital editor Ruth Kehinde asked the Provost about how Lasell will look down the road. Q: What are the responsibilities and expectations of your new position? A: The responsibilities and expectations of the Provost are to achieve academic altar of the university. That entails, in Lasell’s organization, managing the Academic and Student Affairs organizations. It includes supporting students, faculty and staff, student services and Residential Life...all of this support is to benefit the student experience. I hope for the student experience to be very much the same as … in the non-pandemic times. The reason that we put Academic Affairs and Student Affairs together, organizationally, is to try to make sure that the curricular and the co-curricular are merged as much as possible. Students learn not only in the classroom, but they learn in so many ways outside of the classroom during their academic experience. It’s important for us to look at the students and the student experience as a whole and to make both of them as rich as possible...Lasell’s Connected Learning Philosophy is a big part of the community, classroom, curricular and co-curricular activities. Internships and our Career Development Center integrate more of how career activities are a big part of this … Part of my role as Provost is to teach. I think once I get my feet under me and get through the transition, I will do some form of teaching in my role as a co-teach. Q: What are some benefits of being the new Provost, and how are you going to use those benefits to enhance the academic priorities for students, especially within a pandemic? A: In really successful organizations, new ideas don’t take long to get considered, evaluated and tried and we’ve been really good about that. In the recent history of Lasell, 20-30 years, that’s how ideas such as going co-ed, going four-year, startthose are all ideas that got considered very quickly… We’ve done a pretty good job of that at Lasell over the years and I would like to continue that. The best thing about a good idea that may not get implemented is that it leads to some version of that idea still happening. Q: Being at Lasell for the last three years, what route do you see us headed down in the near-future, socially and academically? A: Academically, I think it goes back to some of what I described before, of seeing more integration of Career Services and career-oriented ideas and activities in the curriculum itself. I think that’s going to be a big part of our continued evolution of connected learning philosophy. Socially, one of the things I’ve talked to the faculty about is that we have Connected Learning. I want us to focus a lot more on what I call: ‘learned connecting.’ By that, I mean...we have to spend a lot more time understanding … each other such as, what others on our campus do and what we’re about and like... That’s everything from faculty and staff understanding their specific roles and responsibilities... make sure that students aren’t isolated… make sure students don’t confine themselves to knowing people just in their house, or dorm, or in their majors...make sure that we get a lot more integration of
PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY ANDERSON
PHOTO BY RUTH KEHINDE
Ruth Kehinde interviews new Provost Eric
students in terms of their perspective, and their ideas, and their interactions. I think there’s a lot of ways that we can spend time learning and knowing more about each other. Q: With what’s happening in the world today; specifically, protests revolving around issues of racial justice, what are things you think Lasell can do to support and help students impacted by this issue? A: Part of Lasell’s mission is social responsibility and making sure that we as a community are supporting individuals in this pursuit. Part of our culture is that we care about all members of our community, especially our students – … This is part of our institutional DNA. I think there are a number of things that Lasell has done and can do. Q: What do you hope to learn from this job? A: Like our students and faculty, I consider myself a life-long learner, and so I expect to learn so much from this position … I expect to learn more from our students because what they are doing and what they aspire to is changing and evolving day-to-day. I expect to learn from our faculty. They’re doing wonderful research, fabulous teaching and there’s so much of teaching that’s a two-way street. Our faculty is learning every day that they’re teaching because... students are providing new, different and rich experiences … I love being part of this mixture of this pool of academics. I can’t tell you what I expect to learn. I have high expectations for learning a lot about what we’re doing and obviously contributing what I can and what I have in my background and experiences to that pool of general knowledge. In every job that I ever had, I was able to surprise myself… I’m certainly getting to know more about the disciplines I don’t spend a lot of time with. So there will always be surprises in a position like this. It’s the nature of the beast … The fact that it’s full of surprises is no surprise to me. Q: What are your major goals for the foreseeable future? Planning any bigger changes?
understanding the things they have to say. It’s up to me to help to develop an environment that allows what they’re saying, recommending and deciding to be put all together for the benefit of Lasell... I certainly also want us to continue to evolve what we’re doing in connecting learning. That’s who we are. It’s the main reason most of us are here... to have connected learning, be fresh, and productive for our students … We have had suggestions on living and learning communities at Lasell, and that’s something we have to look at … I don’t know what type of specific things we can do, but with their suggestions, I’ll like to investigate over time. We have to continue to grow and have to help everyone in every corner. To help people within minority groups, increase their participation and their involvement … The Lasell Works program is doing well...I would like to have that continue to grow and continue to support that. We have a number of partnerships with external entities... We want to continue looking into that with a number of other partnerships with businesses and entities doing a number of things … Academic partnerships that’ll generate internship opportunities for our students...to teach and provide for students...there’s different types of partnerships that I would like to continue and grow. Q: Starting a new position can be exciting but sometimes, a bit nerve-racking. Do you have any concerns going into this new position? A: I don’t think I have any concerns. We have a great leadership team. Our five school deans are all accomplished academics and good leaders for the school, and they’re experienced. We have two associate deans of Curricular Integration, Professor Dennis Frey and Professor Michelle Niestepski are again, very accomplished in … not only in their academic areas but in what they do. David Henof Student Affairs, has been a Student Affairs professional for over 20 years, so he knows that area very well … We have a dynamite faculty. My challenge is to make sure that their voices get heard. They have knowledge and background experience. There’s going to be some fabulous ideas that they’ll generate. I want to make sure we’re in a position where we can organize appropriately to act on those ideas for the benefit of the students and institution. Q: Why do you want to be Lasell’s Provost? How will you continue to lead us through this pandemic? A: My main reasons for doing this are, I’ve been involved with Lasell for almost 30 years, and it’s a place that I love and I’m passionate about. I spent time as a trustee, as an overseer and I’ve been inme, it’s an institution that I believe very strongly in. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have been associated with it for this long, and I certainly wouldn’t have come to work here three-and-a-half years ago. The idea for me is that I can be helpful, and I can serve the institution further and bring whatever background and experience that can be helpful. Those are the reasons why I’m doing this. I think that I can be helpful to what we do and what we do is that we educate students and we educate all along the life curve so the idea of life-long learning is real... I want us to continue to do that and do that effectively.
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The 1851 Chronicle
Sports
September 2020
GNAC comes to a halt due to pandemic
TAYLOR VILES sports editor
On March 13, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opted to cancel the remainder of its spring season. The decision was made to protect student-athletes, fans and other athletic personnel. As professional sports leagues also postponed their seasons, questions began to arise regarding when sports in America would be played again. Those questions have been answered on the professional level and certain highly-competitive collegiate leagues, but for the GNAC, they are still relevant.
Canceling the fall season seemed unthinkable in March, but GNAC Commissioner Joe Walsh had begun to think about the possibility during that time. “What is in my control is to be prepared and to have alternate plans,” Walsh said in an interview with The 1851 Chronicle in April. Those alternate plans became apparent in late July, when the conference canceled the fall season following conversations with the President’s Council. The council is made up of the President of every GNAC school. President Michael Alexander, along with the Lasell’s athletic staff, decided four days prior to not partake in the season, regardless of GNAC’s decision. Division I leagues such as the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Big 10 have already begun playing games and the question has become, “why not the GNAC?” The simple answer is money. But, certain National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sanctioned recommendations also played a role in the lack of GNAC sports this semester. play this fall unless you could do ‘X, Y and Z,’” Commissioner Walsh explained. “The bottimes a week.” According to Walsh, this would cost $1.5 million for each school over the year. “If you who stands to make $50- $75 million, they can afford that,” he said. A school like Lasell that doesn’t charge for game admittance would be hassle and expense of competing in fall sports. Commissioner Walsh said the NCAA couldn’t dictate how leagues wanted to proceed, but what they recommended was importif they ignored the NCAA guidelines.
cumstances, the NCAA decided to alter a sec-
PHOTO BY TAYLOR VILES
tion of its bylaws. They allowed teams 114 days during the school year to use for athletic want,” said Walsh. teams a certain amount of weeks for “non-traditional seasons.” According to Lasell Baseball head coach Bill Uberti, the switch from weeks to days hasn’t been noticeable in scheduling yet. “We’re not allowed to start until October 3, because other sports are going right now,” said Uberti. He explained the team plans to use around 16 days this fall, on par with Lasell’s other traditional spring sports. According to Athletic Director Kristy Walter, fall sports have already begun their practices and will continue until late October or early November. They will practice three days a week
over that time. In early October, the President’s Council will reconvene to discuss the likelihood of sports beginning during the spring semester. If the council decides to proceed with athletics, the date planned is January 30 and basketball give time for each conference basketball team to play each other once, resulting in 11 regular-season games. Conversations have been started by the league to lengthen the end of the basketball season but nothing is certain yet. If basketball is able to restart, it would likely propel spring sports to begin on schedule.
The prospect of both fall and spring sports playing during the same season is also possible. According to Walsh, the league
could support it. Walter acknowledges the idea but knows it won’t be easy. “We would have to be very creative and work out the best that we can with our facilities and the strengths that we have,” she said. Even with early talks of these potentials, nothing can be set in stone or otherwise promised while the state of the Northeast in 2021 is still unknown. “One of the reasons we were concerned about playing this fall was because other states weren’t testing like we were,” said Walter. “I think if that is the case in the second semester... we may not want to play them.” The constant changes of the last few months go to show it’s impossible to predict what comes next and leaves one only to guess.
MEGHAN CARROLL & TAYLOR VILES news editor
& sports editor
Sports play an important role in life joyment of sports was abruptly taken away. Athletes were affected by the guidelines and restrictions of the virus. The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) canceled its 2020 spring season due to the spike in cases, not thinking the same precautions would continue into the following semester.
school for her.
athletes? Looking at schools in the spring be-
Francesca. He said he was pleasantly surprised when she decided she wanted to look into Lasell instead of going with her original choice. He also realized once he met her, she would be an asset to his team. “Right off the bat we knew she had special skill.” said La Francesca. “Her attitude is amazing… She has the foot skills and she’s intelli-
for the future despite the circumstances. First-year athlete Sarah Milne is an Event Management major from Tewksbury. As a soccer recruit and new member of the women’s basketball team, she shared her experience of the recruiting process. “During quarantine, I was in touch with the coach the whole time. We had Zoom calls and I also had Zoom calls with some of the professors which was helpful because I was able to learn more about my major.” Milne competed in the same two sports at Innovation Academy Charter School in Tyngsboro. She received an honorable mention at the end of her senior soccer season in high school. She also made the Lowell Sun’s All-Star second team at the end of her senior basketball season after leading her team in points. By her sophomore year of high school, Milne had verbally committed to rival GNAC school Johnson & Wales but once she came to Newton, it became clear this was the right @1851chronicle
the soccer season was on the line. Ultimately, it was canceled weeks leading up to her arrival on campus for pre-season. “I was sad, I wasn’t really surprised but we didn’t really know if we could practice, but we’re able to now which is great.” The Athletic Department and coaches reached out to all athletes, making sure to extend a special welcome
campus,” she said. During her
met with coaches and professors including her future soccer head
students. “[Athletic Director Kristy
was going to be an amazing player.” After that visit, Milne committed, but
to me personally,” said Milne. “I was in touch with her already because we were making my PHOTO BY TAYLOR VILES schedule for soccer and...basketball. Everyone was very helpful and made it known they were there for me if I needed anything.” Milne made the decision to stay on
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campus despite the cancelation. “I want the freshman experience, even though with said. “I still get to be part of the experience of living in a dorm and being part of the soccer team. Even though we met last week, we get along so well.” Although this is not the way athletes would like to spend their season - strictly practicing with many restrictions - it gives teams a chance to work on their chemistry and train harder for next season. Milne explained even though her team can’t bond under normal circumstances, meeting virtually has helped to bring the team together. “I think once we...met on campus, we were able to talk to each other and introduce ourselves. We’re already like family.” La Francesca is happy their soccer famiduring her college career. “She is going to be an impact player for us, especially on the defensive side,” said the Head Coach. “She is going to be one of our outstanding players.” Milne has goals she is striving toward. “I want to make it to GNACs and win the championship for sure. I want to be a leader and step up my game.” With her athletic history, Lasell fans should be excited to see what
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