November / December 2019

www.The1851Chronicle.org

November/December 2019 • Volume 14, Issue 3

The 1851 Chronicle

Survivors of abuse take back their stories LIV P. FERNANDES & KATIE PETERS 1851 staff & arts editor

Content Warning: domestic and sexual violence Take Back the Night was held on Nov. 15 in de Witt hall by Assistant Professor of Justice Studies Karin Raye, and her CJ303: Domestic Violence Advocacy course. Campus Police, Peer Health Educators and Lasell Athletics also lent themselves to the cause. Men’s baseball, lacrosse and rugby helped with set up and takedown. Counselors from Voices Against Violence and REACH Beyond Domestic Violence were present and hosted a room upstairs after the event. Survivors of abuse were given the opportunity to share their story and the community was invited to listen and learn.

This event was centered around survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

It’s “designed to honor and amplify voices,” said Raye. It is a “student-driven, student-centered and student-motivated” gathering of supportive and compassionate individuals.

“It is an opportunity for us to create a safe space to share stories of trauma and send a strong and cohesive message that we, as a caring community, see, hear and support the survivors on our campus,” said Raye.

An outpouring of attendees, both sitting and standing, filled the room before doors were set to open. The theme of the event was to “listen, connect and support” to the survivors and participants, according to Raye. An awareness video started the event, compiled by the spring 2019 CJ335: Sexual Violence Advocacy course. Students both past and present, along with many of our Division III athletes were featured, with the message that “...anyone can be a survivor. It’s on us.” The video included the message in multiple languages.

It can be difficult to find safe spaces to tell their stories because some survivors do not want to or feel they can’t report their experience. This event was not subjected to Title IX mandated reporting, making it easier for students to share their stories without risk of repercussions. However, there was an inclusion of knowing the availability of our Title IX Coordinator Jennifer O’Keef-

fe, and other off-campus resources.

“You’re not alone but half the time, more than half the time, it can be truly difficult to tell anyone you’re a survivor,” one survivor who shared their story said to The 1851 Chronicle, “Survivor spaces are yours to utilize whether you’ve told your story or not, you don’t owe anyone your history.”

In support of the speakers, Raye asked that clapping be replaced with snapping, and for the audience to be present with the survivors. Recording or photographing the event was prohibited. Sticky notes lined the walls nearby, allowing guests to write messages of support for the speakers, the audience or for others in the room. “It [was] an opportunity for us to create a safe space to share stories of trauma and send a strong and cohesive message that we, as a caring community, see, hear and support the survivors on our campus,” said Raye.

In addition to written support, CJ303 students led self-care activities throughout the night during intermissions to help the

audience process and adjust to the heavy atmosphere of the room. Exercises consisted of naming two things that made one happy and naming two places that made one feel safe to nearby attendees.

During a longer break, soothing live jazz music was played by Q and Band.

These self-care activities were helpful to both speakers and audience members, reducing the risk of vicarious trauma, or experiencing someone else’s trauma as one’s own after hearing about it. The night was concluded with a performance by senior Emmy Jean-Louis.

From the crowd, senior Krista Roman said the event “brings awareness and gives people affected by [sexual and domestic violence] to say it. When you get it off your chest, it makes a world of difference.”

Senior Rosa Gomez said, “it shows how common these issues are and how many community members and students are all reminded of dealing with something. We all have our traumas and stories.”

PHOTOS BY KATIE PETERS

Earlier in November, Professor Raye, alongside men’s baseball, Title IX interns and PRIDE, assembled a display on the hill outside of Winslow. This display was reflective of abuse survivor statistics on American college campuses.

Are all of Lasell’s marginalized voices heard?

KATIE PETERS, EMILY LONG & CLAIRE CRITTENDON arts, digital & features editors

As the 2020 election draws closer, Lasell’s political climate is attracting more and more attention. From conversations between peers to heated classroom discussions, it is hard to avoid the political divide, but should we be avoiding it in the first place?

Many conservative students on campus feel their voices and opinions are unwelcomed in a classroom setting. Junior Noah Roberts-Yarnevich said when conservative students speak up about their views in class, they risk being labeled as racist or sexist for their political viewpoint.

“I’m a [resident assistant], I’m involved in things on campus. I judge a person based on their character and how they treat me,” said Roberts-Yarnevich.

“Just because I identify as republican or conservative, that doesn’t mean I’m one hundred percent ride or die for every-

INSIDE THE ISSUE

thing on that side. There are things I disagree with.”

Students can generally point to one of two sources for their discomfort speaking up in class: their professors or their peers. In some cases, professors may not leave political ideologies at home when they teach. Other students feel attacked or targeted by their peers when they share unpopular viewpoints.

Senior Hannah Wolfe is comfortable expressing her political opinions in the classroom, however, she has run into situations where professors were not neutral during political topics in class.

Wolfe is a registered democrat who identifies her political leanings as, “very liberal, very progressive. I’m on the left side of the aisle, there’s really no two ways about it with me.” Even as a liberal

student, she has run into situations where professors do not take a neutral stance during discussions and instead seem to instigate arguments.

“If you have a political question, you should ask it in a way that is neutral if you can. Because then, you open up the doors for healthy conversation. You should not take a side in the classroom. Classrooms are neutral spaces,” said Wolfe.

When Assistant Director of the Center for Community Based Learning Byrd Hughes and Library Director Anna Sarneso went to undergraduate courses to discuss voting and politics, they did not observe the same tension some feel during those types of conversations. The purpose of their visits, mostly to first-year classes, was to promote an initiative to get Lasell students to the polls. Part of their presen-

tation was a class discussion on the news of politics, something that has the potential to be polarizing.

Their observations indicated students feel most comfortable discussing the news of politics with close friends from home rather than peers on campus. Other students don’t discuss it at all. Hughes and Sarneso cited three reasons for this: lack of knowledge, avoiding conflict and general disinterest. Some students didn’t want to make a statement without being able to back it up with facts, while others didn’t want to get into arguments because of the “wide divide of where people stand in politics,” said Hughes.

“I think voice is really important and I hope students always feel like they can Continued on page 4

Founder’s Day reflects on university traditions

Disney+ brings nostalgia to the streaming world

Ortiz hoists women’s basketball into history

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November/December 2019

EDITOR’S CORNER

Appreciate everyone

CASEY DIBARI opinion editor

In our lives, we meet a multitude of people. Admittedly, some are going to be amazing; they’ll be your best friends, your teammates, your mentors. On the other hand, they may be someone you feel is too negative-minded, mostly caring for themselves. However, no matter how you view them, everyone in our lives is there to help us grow in one way or another.

The friends I made in high school helped bring me out of my shell. I started my freshman year as a shy kid and was nervous about everything I did. It left me with little to no friends. But that silly, loud girl I was holding back is what my friends that I have now love me for; it’s the girl they helped me learn to love.

It took being a part of my high school’s newspaper to allow me to establish my love for writing and it’s what made me realize that journalism is what I wanted to do.

Lasell helped that little girl grow into a young woman who, while still loud and silly, feels much more mature than she was, even at 18. It was my friends here who gave me more confidence to stand up for myself, to not be afraid to speak my mind. It’s the 1851 Chronicle and the editors who challenge me to improve my writing and editing every month. It’s my professors here who, just through their lessons, have given me an idea of what life after school will be like.

There are people I’ve had to cut myself off from for my own happiness, but even they taught me it is okay to let those people go. Sometimes what they need and what I need in life don’t go together. That’s okay.

We can still fondly look back on times with people like that.

We meet so many people in our lives, they teach us and help us in so many ways, they’re people we need to be thankful for.

Digital digital editors

Ruth Kehinde Emily Long staff

Liv P. Fernandes Robby Rowe Krista Roman Mike Maruk

Contributions also made by Professor Franklin’s FYS103: Media Storytelling class make sure to check out exclusive digital content on our website

www. the1851chronicle.org

The 1851 Chronicle

Opinion & Editorial

Can we cancel “Cancel Culture?”

KATIE PETERS & MADISON RAFFONE arts editor & copy editor

The term “cancel culture” has been popularized over the past year, referring to negative online comments when a public figure is called out on unfavorable actions. Whether it’s from their past or present, canceling a person can have harmful results. However, helping them grow and learn from the mistakes they have made could help.

A toxic result of canceling someone is the cyberbullying a person faces. This happened to YouTube star James Charles over the summer after his dispute with fellow Youtuber Tati Westbrook over a brand deal. Internet personality Jeffree Star sided with Westbrook by publicly calling him out, resulting in Charles’ account being inactive for weeks.

Another unfavorable result of canceling is how it can discourage people from improving. After being called out and bullied online, Charles could have shut down his social media platforms. This would have brought his career to a halt, leaving his audience without content and being unable to address the issue at hand.

ILLUSTRATION BY ROBBY ROWE Cancel culture could be favorable, with a positive outcome when celebIn 2018, allegations arose against rities are confronted for their actions. They’re “Guardians of the Galaxy” Director James forced to deal with the situation at hand and Gunn after old tweets resurfaced. The tweets act accordingly. Canceling someone, whoever included jokes about rape, pedophilia, the it may be, can impact each person differentHolocaust, and more. Gunn claims he’s not ly and cause either positive or negative outthe same man he used to be, possibly after comes. the negative results of cancel culture.

The ‘T’ on the shuttle

The

1851Chronicle

EMILY LONG digital editor

A reason why many students choose to enroll at Lasell is our proximity to Boston. You can get on the Riverside MBTA stop and be in the city in under an hour.

Students can work, intern and explore during the semester.

Coming back to campus is a different story. After getting off at Riverside, depending on the time, students walk through Lasell Village with friends or wait for the shuttle. But what happens when they come back late at night and alone?

Students who return to campus late have no choice but to make the nerve-wracking walk back in the dark and cold. The shuttle hours are extremely limited, only running until 10 p.m. during the weekdays and 5 p.m. on weekends.

If a student feels uncomfortable, they

can call Campus Police for a ride back to campus. However, there is a rumor on campus that this is not true. According to Chief of Police Bobby Shea, “in terms of the escorts, we never stopped them, but it has to be for safety reasons.”

We need a solution that will allow students to get back to their residence halls at night, safely and comfortably.

One solution would be to extend the hours of the shuttle to run later. Another solution could utilize the Lasell vans and student drivers during the hours that the shuttle isn’t in service.

If Lasell continues to promote going into Boston on the T, they need to find a better transportation solution for students to get back to campus.

lasell university

1844 commonwealth avenue newton, ma 02466 editor-in-chief

Avery Stankus art director

Mitchell Bolton copy editors

Avery Stankus

Madison Raffone news editor opinion editor

Holly Feola Casey DiBari arts editor features editor

Katie Peters Claire Crittendon

advertising manager sports editor

Act against the SATs

staff

Taylor Viles Kaie Quigley

CLAIRE CRITTENDON features editor

Across America, over 70 percent of colleges and universities require prospective students to submit their scores from either the SAT or the ACT. In the fall of 2017, Lasell made the choice to ditch this policy and became test-optional. This means students who wish to submit their test scores for consideration may do so. However, applications are still considered complete without.

It’s been proven time and time again there is no consistent correlation between test scores and overall college performance, according to a multitude of studies, including the 2019 ABC News article, “Do SAT Scores Really Predict Success?”

But, let’s say there was a proven correlation between test scores and academic success. With students going to great lengths to find test questions ahead of time to parents shelling out thousands to fake their children’s success, who’s to say

Mitchell Bolton Adam Hallenbeck

how legitimate anyone’s test scores are?

We haven’t forgotten the Varsity Blues scandal already, have we?

Additionally, these tests aren’t cheap.

SATs are $80 an attempt and an additional $44 for each subject test. At $58.50, the ACTs aren’t much cheaper. These baseline costs also don’t account for tutoring, multiple attempts, study guides, or practice tests.

It’s incredibly classist to assume everyone is getting the same options for preparation and a number of chances to re-take.

I understand college admissions counselors are often overworked and looking at these test scores may aid them in processing their tens of thousands of applications, but is this a fair way to do so? Definitely not. I believe all colleges and universities should follow in Lasell’s footsteps and stop requiring test scores.

Liv P. Fernandes Sean Chase

Bailey Klingaman

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The 1851 Chronicle

November/December 2019

News

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Founder’s Day reflects on university traditions MADISON RAFFONE copy editor

Founder’s Day took place in the STC on Wednesday, Nov. 13 from 2 to 3 p.m. The event celebrated the founding of Lasell and its 168th year as a college and recently, a university. There were artifacts, food, film, and a speech from President Michael Alexander.

The event was held on the main floor of the STC and included snacks, apple cider and free Lasell t-shirts, provided by the Student Alumni Association (SAA) and the Student Government Association (SGA).

SAA played a role in Founder’s Day by providing a survey with trivia questions about Lasell. The randomly chosen winner would win free school merch. Junior Briana Muller and first-year Spencer Fulone managed the table and assisted with the survey.

“This will definitely be something students learn years from now, the first year

PHOTO BY MADISON RAFFONE

President Michael Alexander speaks to attendees about the founding of Lasell.

here founded as a university and the transfer from college to university. The institution’s making history every year so it’s important that we keep the history going,” said Fulone.

Alongside SAA was SGA, where they had a table to hand out free t-shirts and provide information about the event itself. Senior public relations major Jimmy

Kappatos helped promote the experience.

“The fact that we’re a university now just goes to show that we’re standing here today and we’ll continue to stand for years to come,” said Kappatos.

The Archives Librarian, Adam Schutzman, had a table with over a dozen artifacts from the years at school. Schutzman hand-picked which artifacts he thought best displayed the qualities of Lasell. One of the items included a time capsule from previous years and a new one to commemorate traditions and memories that belong to this school.

President Alexander made an appearance at the event and socialized before he made his speech to those in attendance, many surveys were filled out and food went quickly. Founder’s Day reminds Lasell of how far the community has come.

Studio 1851 pop-up gets permanent location

HOLLY FEOLA & BAILEY KLINGAMAN news editor & 1851 staff

PHOTO BY BAILEY KLINGAMAN

The Studio 1851 presented their Holiday Student Showcase and Sales event in Spector classroom. The invite-only event took place on Thursday, Nov. 21 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Senior Management Team, Board of Trustees, Faculty and Studio 1851 alums were in attendance to browse the holiday collection designed by Professor Wilkin and her students. Professor Carey was in attendance presenting artifacts from the Fashion Collection archives. Associate Professor of Art and Graphic Design Kenneth Calhoun had his book, “Black Moon,” on display. The official grand opening will be at symposium on Dec. 10.

Open house, open doors, Old equipment, new life open arms, open minds TAYLOR VILES 1851 staff

CLAIRE CRITTENDON features editor

On Sunday, Nov. 3, faculty, staff and students joined together to host this year’s undergraduate open house. Running from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., this event gave prospective students a glance into our university.

Among the attendees were 232 recorded prospective students, up from 166 in 2018, according to Director of Admission Yavuz Kiremit.

The excitement in the Athletic Center prior to President Michael Alexander’s welcoming remarks was palpable.

Registration proved to be a smooth process, credited to the Office of Admissions student ambassadors and faculty alike. Light refreshments, tea, coffee, cider, and more helped bring a welcoming atmosphere over the morning. The athletic center was barely recognizable, heavily made-over to accommodate the event.

One bump in the road was the shuttle services. Due to Lasell’s limited parking, many guests were asked to park at Riverside Station, just under a mile from campus. While shuttles were provided, they did delay the start of the event.

After everyone had arrived and settled, President Alexander addressed the crowd. He thanked everyone for being in attendance, then dove into

a deeper explanation of our university and what it offers. He laid a heavy emphasis on our approach to connected learning, and how that translates into both Lasell Works and internship requirements.

Following, attendees broke into groups relative to their prospective majors. In these groups, they had the option to tour different parts of campus and learn more about Lasell’s financial aid and merit scholarships as well as hear about different majors, concentrations and clubs from current students and faculty.

Guests were welcomed back into the transformed athletic center around noon for lunch.

There was an abundance of food options, such as mac and cheese and a variety of soups. Tables were set up all across the floor for families to utilize.

Around the perimeter, representatives for different clubs were tabling, eager to share their knowledge with students whose shoes they once filled.

Senior Joe Ratta was representing the Sport Management Association. Ratta said, “it was so nice to see so many people interested in the program, and in Lasell in general. Every student has a different path, a different story to how they got to today, and a different goal they have for themselves in the future.”

From Nov. 16 to Nov. 23, the Sports Management Association (SMA) was collecting sports equipment to donate to multiple locations in Waltham in need of athletic gear.

The equipment drive was intended to “help those who don’t have the money to have their own equipment,” said senior sports management major and SMA President Evan Andrews.

For anyone who doesn’t know, “[SMA] is a great tool [for] network[ing]” said Andrews. They host multiple events throughout the year including panels with professionals. “Last year, when we did these panels, I was able to get myself an internship...with one of the people that I networked with,” said Andrews. He explained how this internship has blossomed into more opportunities.

“We need to get more people to go to the panels,” said SMA Vice President sophomore Raymond Bruno. “[It’s] very valuable to… get experience even if you’re not in that field,” he said.

This equipment drive was a new event for the club. Earlier in the year, the faculty advisor for SMA, Dr. Daniel Sargeant, and Andrews sat down to think about ways to raise money. “At first we were thinking about a book drive,” said Andrews, “but I wanted to do something that’s more sports-related.” Once they decided on the plan, Andrews’ goal was to keep it local to benefit those less fortunate in the area.

Three locations were provided to drop off equipment: the Veterans Memorial Ice Rink in

Waltham, City of Waltham Recreation Department and the Glow Lounge in Winslow at Lasell. This was available only on the opening Saturday.

The largest contribution came from Associate Dean of Curricular Integration Dennis Frey. “I donated a ton of lovingly used hockey equipment, from skates and sticks to elbow pads and shin guards,” said Frey. “There were also a few lacrosse items as well.” Frey made his contribution to the Veterans Memorial Ice Rink location. “It felt really good to help Evan kickstart this drive,” he said.

“I always jump at the chance to work with [him] because he is the perfect embodiment of how connected learning should work.”

The ice rink was where the bulk of the donations were made as it is a hub for hockey players with hundreds of people walking through every day. Both new and old equipment was accepted as many hockey players have old equipment that is just collecting dust at home. “I think it went well… we got a lot of donations right away,” said Bruno.

The hockey equipment donated will be given to the Veterans Memorial Ice Rink. “During free skate, they’ll let people who don’t have the money to have their own equipment, borrow their equipment,” said Andrews. Anything else they receive that’s not hockey related will be given to the Waltham Boys and Girls Club and to Waltham Parks and Recreation Director Nick Abruzzi.

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November/December 2019

Features

The 1851 Chronicle

Are all of Lasell’s marginalized voices heard?

KATIE PETERS, EMILY LONG & CLAIRE CRITTENDON arts, digtial & features editor

Continued from page 1

have a voice in my classes,” said Associate Professor of Communication Doctor Erin Vicente. She wants students to know there is strength in their opinions.

Associate Professor of Phycology and Director of the Donahue Instatute for Ethics, Diversity and Inclusion Jesse Tauriac see political viewpoint diversity as vital to any students’ education. “If we don’t have the opportunity to learn about varied perspectives, viewpoints and opinions, it significantly undermines our ability to provide a robust and

meaningful education,” said Tauriac As the Director of the Donahue Institute, Tauriac has a responsibility to ensure all students’ viewpoints are respected within reason. He encourages all students and faculty to be a part of the diversity and inclusion conversation so they can “recognize the kinds of experiences that students and employees have [and] raise important questions about educational experiences that we offer and being able to have very thoughtful and nuanced conversations about multiple sides of issues.”

Associate Professorof Communica-

tion Doctor Luis Lopez-Preciado has experience leading neutral discussions in his course COM103: Human Communication through the process of deliberative dialogue.

Brought to Lasell by Associate Professor of Humanities Sharyn Lowenstein, deliberative dialogue is a structured conversation that allows students to discuss complex issues such as economic inequality, in a way that helps find common ground and solutions. Lopez-Preciado does this exercise as a method to not only foster discussion but open students’ minds to thinking about different viewpoints. He believes college students should engage in

opinions other than their own.

“People their age can and should form opinions. They can have disagreements of opinion and it doesn’t mean the other person is an enemy or an adversary to the threat of our country. I believe with our current political polarization, many people have gotten to the belief of not only do I disagree with you politically, but you’re a threat to my country and I think that’s dangerous,” said Lopez-Predicado.

How have you been approaching political conversations?

US Attorney Lelling speaks to Prof. DeBole’s class TAYLOR VILES 1851 staff

in our society has caused more and more people to grow impatient with the rule of law,” said Lelling, encouraging everyone present to vote if they want to change laws.

He brought focus to what his role entails because of the common misinterpretation. “I am entrusted with enforcing federal law in Massachusetts,” PHOTO BY TAYLOR VILES said Lelling, “I decide where the U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling speaking to Professor DeBole’s line is.” He overPOLS101: American Government class. sees an office of United States Attorney Andrew Lelling 125 prosecutors. joined Assistant Professor of Political SciSince 2009, Professor DeBole has ence Paul DeBole’s POLS101: American been ‘putting a face’ to federal law enGovernment class on Friday, Nov. 22 to forcement by having someone with a high discuss his occupation and political faclevel of respect speak with his class. “My tors he faces. first semester here, I figured out that…

“The level of political polarization some of our kids were way too bright

and way too talented to be sitting on the [Mass] Pike looking for someone doing 72 in a 65,” said DeBole. The people who have spoken often enjoy, “passing the torch to the next generation of law enforcement,” said Debole.

This U.S. Attorney relates. “I like talking to college students,” said Lelling.

“What I find is with that stage of education, you can still impact people’s views.”

Lelling began his career in 2001. He was hired to assist the Civil Rights division of the Justice Department. He was immediately thrown into high-stress environments, dealing with the repercussions of the events of 9/11.

After years in that profession, he decided it was time for a change and began the process of becoming a U.S. Attorney. Multiple interviews were conducted, including one with sitting Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Lelling stressed the importance that U.S. attorneys are not elected but appointed. “You can’t decide what cases you bring based on whether you’re going to get backlash,” said Lelling. “Someone is going to hate you no matter what you do.” He said if elected, U.S. attorney’s decision-making could be swayed to please voters.

An issue frequenting Lelling’s doorstep is Massachusetts’s opioid epidemic.

As a U.S. Attorney, he’s tasked with deciding which cases his office should take on versus which cases are small enough to return to the state. As marijuana is still federally illegal, he is supposed to crack down on the drug, but, “2,000 people a year in Massachusetts don’t die from overdosing on pot, they die from overdosing on opioids,” said Lelling.

After his tenure as U.S. Attorney is up, which could be as soon as Jan. 2021, Lelling says he’ll likely leave public service and transition back to a law firm. He explained once one holds his position, they can’t go back to just a state prosecutor.

Nonetheless, he hopes to leave his mark. “One of the things you have to do is do the job without fear. That’s what I want to leave the office with,” said Lelling, “I want the prosecutors to think to themselves, ‘my job is to do what’s right despite what’s in the public interest and [I must] do that despite the fact that it will piss somebody off.’ I want my office to have the right feel and the right attitude toward what it does.”

Dr. Eason advocates for Mass. athletic training

TAYLOR VILES 1851 staff

It’s not often in people’s lives they get the chance to make a real difference in our profession. They try, but often come up short or lack the motivation to begin in the first place. Assistant Professor of Athletic Training and Doctor Christianne Eason is not one of these people.

Doctor Eason is one of a few Massachusetts athletic trainers heading up a bill to make their profession more accessible.

“Athletic trainers are healthcare professionals,” said Eason. “We have to operate under our scope of practice. Each state gets to dictate what that means.”

For Massachusetts, the athletic training laws restrict the ability of athletic trainers. “We are trying to change [the] language… Instead of saying ‘athlete,’ [we want it to say] ‘patient.’ [We also want to] to get rid of the affiliation,” said Eason.

The affiliation refers to the institution, whether that be a school or a sports team. Right now, the law states after an athlete leaves an institution, the athletic trainer who was working with that athlete can no longer work with them. “Nationally, workplaces for athletic trainers include hospitals, industrial, military, performing arts, and public safety,” said Dean of Health Sciences Cristina Haverty. “In Massachusetts, athletic trainers are restricted to working with patients only

associated with teams.”

Eason explained the language used in the laws doesn’t allow professionals enough variety in their practice. “If this language isn’t changed, it potentially limits [students’] job opportunities when they graduate,” she said.

One student who this could affect is junior athletic training major Lillian Delaney. “I eventually want to be an athletic trainer for the military,” said Delaney.

“Right now, if I wanted to do that, I’d have to move somewhere else.” Eason echoed these thoughts, stressing the threat of students moving out of state to pursue better opportunities elsewhere could be enough for lawmakers to jump into action.

In 2016, Eason was hired as a fulltime faculty member and has since worked her way up to graduate coordinator of health sciences. She first became involved with the bill when a former colleague, Dominique Ross, asked her.

She wasn’t too familiar with the topic but quickly became intrigued. After Ross left Lasell, Eason became Lasell’s head spokesperson for the bill.

“Professor Eason is an exceptional representative for this bill,” said Haverty. “[She] has expertise in the field of athletic training as a clinician, educator and researcher… Lasell is lucky to have such a tremendous asset.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTIANNE EASON

Professor Eason presenting at the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) last year.

Unfortunately for Eason and her colleagues, it has been tabled multiple times because other “more important” bills have surpassed it. “It’s been this vicious circle,” said Eason.

Recently, Eason, along with seven other athletic trainers from around Massachusetts, went to the State House to testify on behalf of the bill. They are hopeful this will be the year of success.

The 1851 Chronicle

November/December 2019

Features

5

Students bring creative outlet to IC3

MADISON RAFFONE copy editor

Dubem Oakfar addressing Glitter’s crowd.

On Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. in the IC3, Glitter’s energy overtook the space, with students nearly overflowing the room. Similar to an open mic, students were able to come

PHOTO COURTESY OF DUBEM OKAFOR

and enjoy or perform anything they’d like on stage. Junior Dubem Okafor started Glitter in his first year at Lasell.

“Glitter is an open mic space where

all you need to do is come and do something on the microphone, or if you’re an audience member, you need to be able to give energy and respect to whoever decides to be on the microphone. It’s a very back and forth process that doesn’t work if people aren’t giving each other energy,” said Okafor.

Alongside Okafor is junior Ashaad Tillman, the DJ for the events, Jesse Tauriac of the IC3 and junior Evelyn King, who coordinates sign-ups. Students flock to the IC3 on the last Wednesday of every month when Glitter is put on. They can sign up beforehand or during the performance as well.

Junior Robby Rowe was the featured artist for the night of Oct. 30. and sang a few of his own pieces along with senior Ryan Lysak and junior Adam Hallenbeck.

There were all sorts of performances that night, from original songs to playing the

saxophone to slam poetry. Glitter had no shortage of creativity and passion.

That night, junior Duffy Martin attended their first Glitter showcase and was a supportive audience member, encouraging their friends on stage. “It was a really supportive community event that allowed a lot of people to showcase their talents and feelings that otherwise you wouldn’t really know about them if you were just in class next to them,” said Martin.

“It’s a conversation,” said Okafor when describing the connection between the audience member and the performer. It’s one of the reasons why Glitter stands out, it requires respect and energy from both sides.

The turnout has become more and more exciting as students on campus hear about the event and decide to go.

Student alum event personally thanks many professors

RUTH KEHINDE & MADISON RAFFONE digital editor & copy editor

On Nov. 19, Student Alumni Association (SAA) hosted “Thank-a-Professor” in the STC lobby. The purpose was for students to fill out Thanksgiving-themed postcards, addressed to their favorite professor.

“Thank-a-Professor” was created by senior Vice President of Campus Engagement and SAA member Alexa Madeiros. “We didn’t really have a way to verbalize, without going up to professors, why we’re thankful for them and why we appreciate them. I thought in the spirit of the season, it would be nice to make a postcard we could let students fill out and show their appreciation. It’s just an act of kindness to the professors that educate and guide us,” Madeiros said.

With this being Madeiros’s first semes-

ter in a leadership position, she trusts she wouldn’t have been able to do this without the help of SAA’s board members and committee. As a senior, Madeiros hopes this tradition will continue after she graduates.

“Students [liked] the fact they can send something to the professors that are a little bit more personal, rather than just sending an email,” Madeiros said.

Hot apple cider was used as a way to further lure students as they stopped by for a few minutes to fill out a postcard. These postcards were designed by Campus Engagement, with a $20 budget.

“The end of last semester, the alumni office was doing a campaign where they were trying to get alumni to donate to the

Lasell Fund in honor of one of their favorite professors that they had during their time, and it sparked the idea. Since we didn’t have a lot of SAA events going on, this was a fun little pop-up. As much as students get burnt [out] this time of year, I’ve noticed that my professors can get burnt out too because being a teacher can be a very thankless job,” senior SAA President Katie Jones said.

All 140 postcards were filled out and ready to be sent. SAA members delivered these postcards to professors’ offices as a pre-Thanksgiving break surprise.

“Lasell has a lot of professors that really care about their students, to make sure they are prepared for the future, so it was a little hard to find [just] one professor to write to

but it’s just the spirit of giving back... It’s going the extra mile to say a simple thank you,” senior Kyle Mullen said.

Because of its success, SAA is certain they’ll host another professor appreciation-inspired event in the future.

“As a senior, I’ve definitely made some really close connections with a lot of my professors, so it’s nice to show appreciation.

They really shaped my college career so far and I want to let them know that I do think about them, especially outside of the classroom. The connections I made with them are going to hold true upon leaving the Lasell community,” Allison Garriepy said.

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November/December 2019

Arts & Entertainment

The 1851 Chronicle

“Children of Eden:” a musical journey through “Genesis” CASEY DIBARI, MADISON RAFFONE & TAYLOR VILES opinion editor, copy editor & 1851 staff

PHOTOS BY TAYLOR VILES

The cast of “The Children of Eden,” with co-leads Jimmy Kappatos and Mackenzie Maron, performing at Regis’s Eleanor Welsch Casey Theatre on opening night, Nov. 20.

The Lasell Drama Club alongside The Regis College Theatre Club opened their fall musical, “Children of Eden” on Wednesday, Nov. 20. The musical, which closed on Saturday, Nov. 23, centered around the Story of Creation during the first act and transitioned into the story of Noah’s Ark in the second act. Connecting the two acts was the theme of the “Mark of Cain,” introduced at the end of the first act.

Last year, the two schools began collaborating with the popular musical, “Footloose,” directed by Lasell’s Lori L’Italian. Some familiar faces from last year included junior Mackenzie Maron as “Mama Noah,” Regis senior Nicholas Antonellis as “Father” and Lasell junior Laura Gunning as “Snake.”

Tim O’Brien (Regis ‘22) was originally cast as an understudy for the role of Cain, but ended up taking on the role for

the entirety of the run.

When comparing the two productions, Maron, who starred in last year’s show said, “I feel that we’ve grown a lot…

‘Footloose’ was very good but I feel this show is more mature.”

Taking up the lead in this year’s show was Lasell senior Jimmy Kappatos, who found himself on stage for the first time since the Fall of 2017’s “Shrek the Musical.” Kappatos played the roles of Adam and Noah. “I feel like opening night went great, especially with all the work everyone put in...and all the hours...we spent to create a show,” he said.

First-time Lasell Director Jamie Nicole Imperato said, “it’s a much bigger undertaking. As a script, it’s much more in-depth than Footloose was...[also] all of the costumes were handmade.”

Jaime Fortier (Lasell ‘15) was tasked

with designing the costumes for the show.

The cast made use of the entire auditorium, with animals roaming up and down the aisles and characters making dramatic entrances and exits. The animal costumes seemed whimsical yet realistic.

Being her first show as director, Imperato did a fair amount of learning on the job. “The biggest learning curve [I faced] was that my initial vision might not be my ending vision,” she said. “I had a lot of stuff in my head… As time went on [I realized] that, in my head, it looked much better than it does [currently] on stage.”

While the acting and singing were the highlights of the show, the story took a while to get going. However, once the second act began, the chemistry between characters, as well as the on-stage chemistry between the actors began to evolve.

The story itself is an acquired taste as it

was somewhat hard to follow. The script was filled with 41 songs including reprises, which allowed for very little spoken word and extended the musical into a two-and-a-half-hour long show.

One of the biggest standout performances from the evening came from Maron during her solo in “Ain’t it Good?” Her breathtaking rendition caused the audience to rise for a standing ovation and brought the energy of the show back to life.

Opening night can make or break how the rest of the performances are received, so having a memorable opening is crucial.

“Children of Eden,” though not without its flaws, shined, thanks to the hard work of the cast, crew and directors, leading to another successful collaboration for Lasell and Regis.

From trash to treasures: Disney+ brings nostalgia Lasers go thrift shopping to the streaming world RUTH KEHINDE & MADISON RAFFONE

HOLLY FEOLA & CASEY DIBARI

digital editor & copy editor

news editor & opinion editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF MADISON PALOSKI

Students look through racks of clothes at the Vintage Clothing Sale held in Arnow on Nov. 5, sponsored by the Fashion Styling and Photography Club.

On Nov. 5, the Fashion Styling and Photography Club held a Vintage Clothing Sale in the Arnow Campus Center, where second-hand clothing worn in the clubs’ October photoshoot was up for grabs.

This occasion was overseen by Fashion Styling President senior Madison Paloski, senior Vice President Sara Nahoun and senior Treasurer Brianna Serio.

Paloski, a fashion communication major, created the Fashion Styling Club on campus in the spring of 2019. It now has over 150 members.

“We are a club on campus that puts on monthly photoshoots and send [the photos] off to publications and magazines. It just gives an excuse for students to use their work for portfolio pieces. So far we’ve been published in Cape Cod Magazine, Online Italian Vogue and Vulkan Magazine,” said Paloski.

Since all of the Fashion Styling Club’s clothes are from Savers, “After editorial, we wanted to be able to repurpose the clothes and not throw them away because fashion is such a waste. So, we wanted to resell

them and make money for our club to keep putting on the editorials that get published in magazines and allow job opportunities for students at Lasell,” said Paloski.

Before the members of the club had finished setting up for the event, there was already a line of people eager to get their hands on the clothes that the club had on sale. Some things students were able to buy were clothes and some donated vintage jewelry with pieces Professor Catharine Weiss generously put in the clothing sale.

Some of the clothing that was displayed for sale included jackets, shoes, shirts, and pants with brands such as Ralph Lauren and J. Crew. The club researched the clothing and its brands, styles and saleability to determine accurate pricing for the pieces.

The Fashion Styling Club only has clothing sales after its monthly photoshoots. Providing various types of clothing, Lasell students are able to make each piece fit into their own style.

On Nov. 12, Disney released its new stream- ing services. This doesn’t allow the audience ing service, Disney+, which can be downloaded to binge the shows but instead to wait in anticas an app. The service was created as another ipation for the next episode. avenue for Disney to share new content while Disney+ also offers “Gordon Ramsay: Unproviding nostalgic movies and shows. charted” in the National Geographic section, Disney+ has a free seven-day trial. After where the famous chef travels around the world that’s complete, meeting with difusers pay $6.99 a ferent groups and month. If a user learning about chooses to get Distheir culture and ney+, ESPN+ and food. It is someHulu (not premithing any Ramsay um) altogether, they fan would enjoy pay $12.99. While watching. this may seem pricThe Marvel ey, this is equal to section is great Netflix’s standard for fans who plan, where for $13 prefer hero cara month, you can toons from older stream Netflix on series to newer PHOTO COURTESY OF DIGITALTRENDS.COM two devices in HD. ones.

While With Disney+, The logo for Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+. the application you get three does include services and can several of the stream on four devices. action-adventure hero films of the franchise, The Disney+ application is easy to use and not all of the movies are on there. the ability to access it through phone or laptop In addition to its more known TV series and makes it very convenient. The streaming ser- movies, the section includes a series called “Marvice homepage separates its five categories of vel Hero Project.” This show spotlights kids that content: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and are actual heroes in society today. Marvel Studios National Geographic. It’s well organized into has made announcements there will be new semany different subcategories such as ‘Trending,’ ries added to Disney+ in the future.

‘Inspired by True Stories’ and ‘Throwbacks.’

Considering Disney is known for its conFor its Disney section, the streaming ser- tent for children, it may be hard for Disney+ vice not only offers the majority of its classic to appeal to mature audiences. However, since Disney films but also offers Disney Channel Disney acquired 21st Century Fox, it allowed Original Movies and TV shows dating back to Disney to add content like “The Simpsons” to the 1990s. While not every movie or show is Disney+, which will help gain appeal outside listed right now, it seems they plan to add more their typical demographics. content as time goes on.

The fair prices, diverse compatibility across There is also the original content of the ser- many devices and more streaming offerings are vice, such as the High School Musical spin-off, enough to add it to your list of streaming ser“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” vices, whether you choose to keep Netflix or not. the Kristen Bell-lead reality show “Encore” and So whether you’re into old-school Disney, you’re the soon-to-come “Lizzie McGuire” spin-off. a die-hard Marvel fan or looking to rewatch the With some of it’s new series, Disney+ is Star Wars series before the newest movie, Disonly releasing one episode a week instead of ney+ has something for everyone. the entire season at a time like other stream-

The 1851 Chronicle

Sports

November/December 2019

7

Ortiz hoists women’s basketball into history TAYLOR VILES 1851 staff

PHOTOS BY KATIE PETERS

Amanda Ortiz (left), recently named Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Player of the Week on Nov. 25, pulls up for a jump shot in the 93-70 loss against non-conference opponent Framingham State University. Precious Montgomery (right) takes a foul shot while players around her brace for the potential rebound.

The women’s basketball team hasn’t finished above sixth place since they joined the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) in 2007. In fact, these Lasers haven’t enjoyed a winning season during those 12 years, but something about this current team is different.

Lasell began the season 4-0 for the first time in the history of the women’s basketball program. The victories they’ve been handing opponents have been lopsided, with the closest scoring margin being 16 points in a game against Northern-Vermont Johnson on Nov. 16. They rank third in the GNAC with 72 points per game. Their first loss came on Nov. 23 against UMaine-Farmington.

“We have really good leadership and...a large group of upperclassmen,”

said veteran head coach Todd Montana on the hot start. “This group is connected…

They listen and work and buy into the things we need to do. But more importantly, they care about each other.”

Senior guard Amanda Ortiz has been a force early on. The second-year Laser is averaging 21 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 3.3 steals per game. These stats have her ranked in the top six for their respective categories in the GNAC. The senior guard is doing what was expected of her this season after outstanding play just a year ago, but her stats thus far blow last year’s out of the water. During a recent tournament, Ortiz was awarded an “all-tournament player” which is given to the best players who participate. She was also awarded well deserved GNAC “Player of the Week” honors.

“This offseason I tried to implement something new into my game,” said Ortiz.

“I worked to improve [my three-point percentage]...which was one of my weaknesses… now I’m more confident in that.”

Although Ortiz is one of the reasons for the team’s early success, she’s not doing it alone, as players like senior D’Asia Allen help reinforce the offense. Allen has only started a couple of games during her two-year Lasell basketball career but manages to make a huge impact off the bench.

The guard is third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.3 points.

“One of the things I love about [Allen] is, [she] doesn’t get caught up in whether or not her name is announced at the beginning of the game,” said Montana. “She gets caught up in whether or not she’s

helping our team win… She really helps our rotations click by accepting that she’s going to be our ‘sixth man.’”

Not only have the Laser’s started out strong, they have done so completely on the road. “It’s been a nice character reveal,” said Montana. “They sat on a bus for four hours on Saturday [Nov. 16]. You have to mentally put yourself in the right mind frame to do that.” Their first home game came six games into the season against Framingham State on Nov. 26.

Lasell is looking to continue their winning ways as the season rolls on. “I want our team to do really well and continue to compete and have great energy,” said Ortiz. “[I just want us to] have fun with it.”

Men’s basketball skids with rough start to season

ADAM HALLENBECK sports editor

After a disappointing loss in the quarterfinals of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship tournament last year, the 2019-2020 men’s basketball team is looking to bounce into a strong new year with a team mixed with experiences and backgrounds.

“We’re looking good, a lot of new guys trying to come together chemistry-wise, but exciting because it is a lot more talent than last year,” said Stefan Masciarelli, a senior member of the team’s leadership council.

The GNAC preseason poll had the men’s team set to finish eighth in the league with 61 votes, just making the playoff bracket this year. This bracket is constructed by coaches and league officials’ votes for the strongest teams this year. Albertus Magnus was voted to finish as the top team in the rankings with 139 votes.

This season has not started on a strong foot for the Lasers. The team has yet to win a game so far, going 0-7 overall over the last few weeks, their most recent loss coming from the hands of Brandeis University in overtime 84-81. They have only played one conference matchup so far, losing to Suffolk University on Nov. 16.

Although they haven’t performed well, the team has faced a difficult schedule in the first two weeks of action. During the course of their season, the men’s squad will face six teams that received votes for the Top 25 preseason poll for Division III teams in the country, according to D3Hoops.com. Head Coach Aaron Galletta’s team has faced two of the top teams in the Northeast already, as #4 Amherst and

Babson have traveled to the Lasell athletic center for matchups against the Lasers.

This season, Head Coach Aaron Galletta takes a different approach to player leadership. Instead of electing captains, the team now has a leadership council.

“When it started off, there were three captains. There was me from last year and then [Galletta] named Kevin Nunez and Kevin Vanderhorst captains. About a month or so in, he wanted to do the whole leadership council to feel like there were representatives from every age group,” said Masciarelli.

The members of the leadership council are senior guards Masciarelli and Nunez, senior forward Vanderhorst, first-year guard Jake Dable, and junior forward Dylan Murray.

The leadership council has done more than help the team mentally and emotionally but has physically contributed as well. Masciarelli (16 ppg), Vanderhorst (14.1 ppg), and Nunez (13 ppg) lead the Lasers in scoring.

With the recent closing of Newbury College and the not-so-recent closing of Mount Ida College, Lasell now hosts a very diverse unit on the court. “We have two kids from Newbury, we got a kid from Rivier, a kid from Salve Regina and then obviously all the Ida kids that came last year...it’s completely different,” said Masciarelli. “I was looking at [the roster] the other day, I think there were three kids that came in with me on that original team, it’s a different look.”

The newly mixed team looks to break their winless streak with a game against Wheaton College on Dec. 5.

PHOTO BY ADAM HALLENBECK

Kevin Nunez (left) locks down on defense against Brandeis’ Sam Nassar (right) as he looks to attack the basket.

8

November/December 2019

Sports

First berth in four years

Coach’s Corner: Jeff Vautrin

KAIE QUIGLEY 1851 staff

SEAN CHASE 1851 staff

After four long years, the Lasers are once again a playoff team, making the quarterfinals of the Greater Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tournament.

The men’s soccer team has not been in the conference playoffs since 2015, but after closing out the season with winning five conference games in a row, the Lasers are finally back. A record of five wins and six losses in-conference play saw the team travel to first-seed, Johnson & Wales University (JWU), in the GNAC quarterfinals. An upset was almost in the cards with a final score of 1-1, but JWU edged out the Lasers 4-2 on penalties to take the win and advance to the semifinals.

Forcing JWU, the number-one seed and now GNAC champions, to penalties was a measure of the Lasers turnaround this season. The team started off the season losing six of their games against GNAC opponents, and with only five conference games left, the Lasers believed if they won their remaining games, they’d be in the playoffs. And that they did. Their overall season record ended 6-14-1.

Senior captain and goalkeeper Jackson Burhans thinks out of the four years he’s been on the team, this is the most positive atmosphere the team has seen and has helped them all come together to produce the most victories since 2014.

Sophomore midfielder Edson DaSilva believes senior Andrew McKenna’s team pep talk also contributed, as the Lasers fully believed they could win out the rest of the season. “[McKenna] pointed out there were five

The 1851 Chronicle

remaining games left in the season that were all winnable if we put our minds to it,” said DaSilva. “It truly inspired the team and created a difference in our team dynamic.”

The Lasers went on to beat Emmanuel College, Anna Maria College and Rivier University in overtime, as well as Regis College and Suffolk University. Finding the back of the net with ease, scoring at least two goals in each game over their winning streak, the Lasers defense also came together, allowing only six goals in their five wins. Heading into next season, DaSilva says the improvement on both ends of the field can take them even further.

“Our goal is to now win the GNAC title,” said DaSilva. “Heading into next season, we believe we can win the championship.”

Although the Lasers will be losing five seniors next year, they’ll be poised to make a deeper run in the GNAC playoffs.

Coach Michael Haynes provided valuable collegiate experience to the younger classes by giving them opportunities to start in important games, which will only prepare the team for future success, and hopefully capturing Haynes’ ultimate goal.

“My goal is to build a soccer program sustained by outstanding student-athletes that are driven to succeed,” said Haynes.

“The ultimate goal is to capture a national championship and make Lasell University an institution that students across the country are desirous to attend.”

A familiar face has filled the vacant role of head coaching the men’s volleyball program this year, as Lasell alumni Jeff Vautrin (‘17) is stepping into his first head coaching role for the upcoming 2020 season.

As a member of the Lasers for three seasons, he racked up 1,064 kills, ranking him second all-time in program history. He played a large role in capturing a GNAC championship for the Lasers in 2015. A few short years later, he is back at his alma-mater ready to pick up where he left off.

It all started when he decided to stop playing baseball in high school and pick up volleyball as a spring sport instead.

Kaie Quigley: When did your passion for volleyball start?

Jeff Vautrin: “The [Chicopee Comprehensive High School] volleyball team was winning Western Mass championships and going to the state finals every year. So, I pretty much just chose to play with my brother. I think that’s where I fell in love with volleyball. It was super fun, way more fun than any other sport I’d played in the past.”

KQ: Have you always wanted to be a head coach?

JV: “New England is a very close-knit volleyball community, so people already knew of me through playing at Lasell, playing in adult leagues... and I got offered an assistant coaching job at Brookline High School. Then I got offered an assistant coaching job at Acton-Boxborough High School, where I coached with them for three years on the girls’ and boys’ side.”

KQ: How do you think your experience with coaching high school, Spike and Serve of Hawaii, and Smash Volleyball of MA prepared you for your role at Lasell?

JV: “When I go recruiting... and tell them that I’ve coached for those types of clubs, you get a little bit more respect, especially as a young coach.”

KQ: How does coaching in those settings com-

PHOTO COURTESY OF LASELL ATHLETICS

Jeff Vautrin (‘17) prepares for his first season as head coach.

pare to coaching at Lasell?

JV: “New England volleyball; the highest level was really good, and I was really happy to be a part of it... then going to a whole other realm in Hawaii where I was coaching Division I athletes consistently... it was really cool having the opportunity to teach the basic level stuff but also the super high-level stuff.”

KQ: What role do you think your age plays in your coaching?

JV: “Talking to the kids, they relate to me very well. I can see where their coming from, I can talk about transitioning. They don’t look at me as an authority figure, they look at me as an older teammate or a leader.”

KQ: You won a GNAC championship as a player in 2015. What are your expectations for the team this year?

JV: “I think we have a very high ceiling. I think we are only going up from here. I would say conference finals is realistic this year.”

Bright lady Lasers rake in postseason GNAC awards

Mindy Esposito GNAC Defensive Player of the Year & All-GNAC First Team

Sam Taylor

Brooke Landry Field Hockey All-GNAC First Team

Field Hockey All-GNAC First Team

Grace Duguay Field Hockey All-GNAC Second Team

Korynne Provenzano

Bobbi O’Guin

Caitlin Rotonnelli

Kiana Perez Diaz

Women’s Soccer All-GNAC First Team

Women’s Soccer All-GNAC Second Team

Women’s Soccer All-GNAC Third Team

Women’s Volleyball All-GNAC Second Team PHOTOS COURTESY OF LASELL ATHLETICS

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