COMMTRACKS 2018 by allipichette

COMMTRACKS A Publication of the Department of Communications at Simmons College

C:\> CommTogether\ 201

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Welcome

This edition of CommTracks is a bit different than past issues. This edition is personal and emotional. It serves to celebrate and commemorate the seniors, as well as emphasize and embrace the community that is the Communications Department. In light of everything happening in the world, we wanted to highlight the importance of community & belonging. We wanted to put focus on the students, their paths, life lessons learned and how this COMMunity has both impacted and shaped them as individuals. We’ve been taught for years that the community, or the people, with whom you surround yourself inevitably shape you, and at Simmons, we’ve found that just three rooms, the COMMlab, design studio and computer lab have shaped us more than we could have ever imagined. The cover of this magazine, an ode to the Communications Lab, is quite literally the hub of this community. It is where we spend long nights & countless hours. It’s where we learn who each one of us is as individuals, outside of class, projects and clubs. It’s home. To exemplify this, each story takes a different stance and tells a unique story. Just like the students, no two are the same. With topics ranging from fashion blogging, wedding band singing, soccer playing, and dancing, the gratefulness for the Comm Department remains constant among them all. We fully acknowledge that every student has had their own experience, their path that they have followed while in the Communications Department. However, in the end, we are all bound by this all-encompassing sense of belonging, this community that we have created. In many institutions, it’s standard to become, “just a number.” At Simmons, in the Comm Department, it’s wholly impossible. It’s important, especially these days, to support one another and to recognize all that you have in common. This edition, if nothing else, serves to highlight our different paths in life and how we have all inevitably, COMMtogether, in the Communications Department.

Editorial Director Emily Papp Creative Director Liz Donovan Copy Editor Colette Parry Designers Alli Pichette Lindsey Ribeiro Illustrations Liz Donovan Alli Pichette Julie Tran Photographer Madison Florence Department Chair Ellen Grabiner Consulting Advisors Briana Martino Andy Porter COMMTRACKS Magazine 2018 Issue 13: Layout in Adobe InDesign CC; set in Avenir by Linotype, on 80# Cougar by Kirkwood Printing All Rights Reserved © 2018

Letter From The Chair Written by Dr. Ellen Grabiner

Each year around this time, when winter seems as if it will never end and yet another snowstorm is on the way, I am approached by the editorial and design team of the Communications Department’s senior publication, CommTracks, and reminded that I have the chair’s letter to pen.

theme, my worry abated. Instead, I found I was touched. How have I had the great good fortune to become the chair of a department in which the students wanted to underscore the nature of the Community in which they learn and to which they—and my faculty colleagues–– have made unique and diverse contributions?

Contemplating the publication of yet another award-winning magazine always lightens my mood. The 2017 edition of CommTracks won highest honors from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for the seventh year in a row, and I have no doubt this year’s team will be recognized as well. And the fact that CommTracks is always released in the spring also lifts my spirits. If I am writing my chair’s letter, spring is not far away.

When I read that the 2018 edition of CommTracks was going to be themed “CommTogether,” my mind flew right to The Beatles. As a child of the ‘60s, where else would it go but to the song of the same name? My intuition told me that I would find a gem of wisdom embedded in John Lennon’s lyrics to help focus my remarks about what kind of a Community we are in the COMM Department and how we arrived at a place where students not only value their sense of belonging, but want to write about it. Want to communicate about it. Want to investigate that feeling and publish their findings.

And yet, each year around this time, as I sit down to craft this letter, I fear that I have already said it all. The well has run dry. I have

And because we know one another, we feel a strong sense of belonging. used and overused all the easily accessible superlatives to describe our amazing students, and I worry that my words will ring hollow. This is the plight of the writer, a plight that every comm student will recognize; they, too, have sat and faced their own blank screens. But this year, when editor Emily Papp approached me with CommTracks’ unique

So, off I went to Google the lyrics to “Come Together”, excited and inspired. To my dismay, what I found was, in Lennon’s own words, gobblydegook. I found “ju ju eyeballs” and “monkey finger” and “feet down below his knees.” While these are wonderful images that the artist in me delights in, nothing in the lyrics spoke to me nor elucidated Lennon’s injunction to come together. Disheartened, I was about to

abandon my efforts when one small line jumped out at me: “He say, ‘I know you, you know me…’” And there it was. The heart of what makes us a Community. We know one another. And because we know one another, we feel a strong sense of belonging. Simmons’ undergraduate population is relatively small, as universities go. And while that means we have a campus so small you can throw a stone across it, and perhaps we don’t have the kind of facilities one might expect at a large university, we do have something equally precious in their stead. We are, like in the theme song of the Bostonbased show Cheers, a place where “Everybody knows your name!” Small enough that each faculty member knows each student. And each student knows that they can approach any faculty member in the department and be warmly welcomed. We have come to know one another in this way because we write together, we read together, we brainstorm together. We tell each other our stories and help each other to make them better. We give each other feedback on our draft designs, our websites, and our PR campaigns. We listen expectantly to each other’s words, and we look thoughtfully at each other’s images. We celebrate together when we are nominated by the Intercollegiate Broadcast System’s awards for Station of the Year and Best General

Manager. We travel together to New York and network together with employees at the Omnicom Media Group, the world’s largest network of marketing, PR and advertising agencies. We study abroad together in Kenya, where we engage with Kenyan students and the staff of our host partner, Kenya Connect; visit local artisans, markets, and wildlife refuges; conduct interviews; record day-to-day experiences; and produce media projects. We share information, resumes, and business cards with alumnae over a delicious annual networking dinner. We learn together in the COMMlab, and we serve as mentors to the students who are coming up behind us. We Commtogether on Wireless Wednesdays and Media-Free Mondays to sit in Commfortable Commpanionship, building with Legos, filling in flower petals in coloring books, and modeling fragrant bits of PlayDoh in our hands. In this way, we Communally de-stress and support each other’s ability to succeed at Simmons. We have learned to Communicate in such a way that we have contributed to a shared understanding and knowledge of who we are, and who we are becoming, as a Community. Gobbledygook notwithstanding, in 1969 Lennon exhorted a generation of young people to Come Together in the service of making the world a better place. We are being called once again, to step up, to care, to make a

difference, to take a stand. Eighteen months ago, we collectively mourned the death of award-winning journalist Gwen Ifill, who graduated from Simmons with a Bachelor of Arts in communications in 1977. This past fall, Provost Katie Conboy shared with the larger Simmons community some wonderfully exciting

the Communal spirit of our Community, and to continue to Commtogether in a thoughtful, inclusive, engaged, and curious way that would do Gwen Ifill proud. We know that as the communications majors of the Class of 2018 leave the Commfort of

We have learned to Communicate in such a way that we have contributed to a shared understanding and knowledge of who we are, and who we are becoming, as a community. news. As a result of the academic restructuring that Simmons has been undergoing, the Communications Department will soon be part of a new institution: the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities. Ifill’s accomplishments are legend and her barrier-breaking life story an inspiration. An alumna whose picture graces our department’s Wall of Honor, Ifill stands as an example of what this Community has contributed to the world, and what our current students can realistically aspire to become.

the nest, they will go forth to create their own communities wherever they go and that they will make us equally proud. We look forward to expanding the Community outward through their efforts, and to keeping the connections alive and well by welcoming them back to the Alumnae Networking Dinner next year, where they will step into the role of mentor and role model when we once again CommTogether.

As the Communications Department prepares to move to the Main Campus Building with the rest of the Ifill College’s departments, we hope to infuse our newly renovated space with

Singing A New Tune Written by Julia Taliesin

Though I currently front a successful Boston-area wedding band, it’s been a journey getting here. I’ve never been afraid of the spotlight. From kindergarten through high school, I performed in plays alongside my friends. I joined choirs and a cappella groups. I co-founded an original band. When it came to telling someone else’s story, I was completely comfortable. If you gave me lines or lyrics, I would deliver them confidently in front of a thousand people. But when it came to telling my own story or being authentically myself, the confidence faded. I was undeclared when I came to Simmons, but my love for storytelling in all its incarnations and the warmth and wisdom of the professors in the Communications Department made it clear that this was the right place for me. Initially, I was scared to speak up in class. I

didn’t advocate for myself in jobs or personal relationships. I had difficulty blogging because I didn’t believe my voice, or my story, really mattered to anyone. Participating in the Simmons COMMunity changed this. It was the lessons from the late Len Mailloux in using my voice, to introduce myself to someone I’ve admired or to advocate for myself in times of struggle. It was the lessons from Rachel Gans-Boriskin in learning, as fast as possible, to not care what people think of me and to just put it out there. It was the lessons from Luke Romanak in hard work and dedication to detail even when that work goes largely unrecognized. It was the lessons from Andy Porter in selfpresentation and networking that boosted my

confidence when I interacted with possible wedding clients. It was the lessons from Erica Moura in chasing after what you love, no matter what it takes, that mean I will move forward a tenacious, observant and compassionate journalist. As I conclude my studies at Simmons and ramp up my activity in the wedding band, I still love the drama and glamour of performing. I get to slip into the skin of a dozen different people every night, singing the experience of Pink, 4 Non-Blondes, or Haley Williams. The difference, now, is that it doesn’t end there. I speak up when I see something is missing, and with that confidence I now play an important role in the

Photo By Murray Hill Talent

development of my band’s brand. I work hard at several part-time jobs and keep a meticulous budget so I can make my dreams of traveling the world a reality. I do what makes me happy and comfortable because life is just too short not to be myself. I write constantly about my experiences and the people and places around me, no longer timid but excited to share my story with the world. In the immortal words of Len Mailloux: “Always tell your story. You never know who may need to hear it.” In learning to tell other people’s stories, I realized the importance of my own. I owe it to the Simmons COMMunity for giving me this

confidence, and I will carry this gift with me throughout my life and career.

Taliesin, originally from Marblehead, MA, is pursuing a degree in journalism. When she’s not busy performing with her wedding band, Tallesin can be found either writing for The Simmons Voice, where she is the co-web and international news editor, or reading a good book. In March, Tallesin traveled to Kenya with her Globalization and Intercultural Communication class, where they worked in partnership with Kenya Connect to develop independent media projects. Currently, she is a research and editorial intern at Political Research Associates.

Photo By Colette Parry

Communications and Commun Written by Colette Parry

I grew up singing in Irish, dancing at ceili, listening to poems and myths and legends. It all happened in Portland, Oregon, almost as far away from Ireland as it is physically possible to be without leaving the planet, but that seemed beside the point. I’m totally ready for this, I said to myself, coming off the plane at Dublin Airport last semester. Totally. I was not.

Ireland was simultaneously the smallest and the biggest place I’ve ever been; for reference, it’s about the size of Ohio. Standing on the hill of Tara (not exactly the Rockies), you can see east to the sea at Dublin and west to the sea at Galway. But I was immersed in UI Maynooth, a school five times the size of Simmons, and 40 minutes by bus away from bustling downtown Dublin. Only international students lived on campus; everyone went out to the pub or club to do their socializing. I’m not exactly the clubbing type.

For a month, I was adrift. I missed the crisp Boston autumn, the Common Grounds double chocolate muffins, the late nights in the CommLab. I missed Simmons. And then, as if by magic, a fairy godfather appeared. An old family friend was in the country and took me along to a singing session in Dublin. In upstairs rooms at pubs all over Ireland, people congregate for these sessions: part performance, part social gathering, part masterclass. There’s almost no formal structure.

The only rule is to listen. So every Friday night, I hopped the 66 into town and came to the Club na Múinteoirí, and I listened. Retirees came with marching tunes; middle-aged folks came with sean-nós songs in Irish; 20-somethings came with ballads in English. Sometimes I sang, but almost never the song I came intending to sing. A war lament would remind me of An Eala Bhán; a love song would put me in mind of The Galway Shawl. One evening, we had a whole string of songs with birds in it. Funny or sad, angry or joyful, written in the previous decade or the previous millennium, each song was a precious connection to the past, a love letter from the ancestors. In this little community, history spoke to us through our songs. Things got better on campus, too. Anna from Austria, with whom I did aikido (an amusing alliterative alignment) invited me to a regular Thursday dinner group. Three Germans, two Austrians, and one American; after the second or third drink, we usually ended up cheerfully arguing about World War II.

fallen, the rain has bucketed down, and I’ve even seen a few flurries of snow over Grafton Street. Our professor has taught us how to joke and swear and sing Christmas carols in the Irish language. It’s a homesick kind of language; to say you live there, you say “I am in my forever in Ireland.” There’s a great history of loving that country and leaving it, so I suppose crying in the airport on my last day was appropriate. Of course, you can take the person out of Ireland, but you can’t take the Ireland out of the person. At a Christmas party in Oregon, I showed off my new language skills with an Irish introduction to a sean-nós Christmas song. In the applause, I heard shouts of “Maith thú!”; later, an older man came up to me and complimented my Irish. He grew up in Donegal, speaking Gaeilge as his first language.

Parry, originally from Portland, OR is majoring in media arts with a minor in English. While at Simmons, Parry has been active in several clubs and organizations. Her interests in English drew her to contributing for Sidelines Literary Magazine, whereas her passion for music led her to join the Emmanuel Chapel Choir. Currently, Parry is a marketing design intern for the Harvard Education Publishing Group.

Boston is a long way from home, and Ireland farther still. But as I’ve found myself saying over and over, the farther you go, the smaller the world gets.

Fast forward to December. The leaves have

nity in Ireland

ceili: Lit. “party” or “celebration”, from the Irish céile, meaning “together”. An Irish social dance gathering. Also refers to the dance style, related to contra and English country dance. sean-nós: Lit. “old style”, a type of Irish song characterized by heavy ornamentation, loose rhythm, and no vibrato. Maith thú: Lit. “Good you!”, an Irish commendation similar to the English “Well done!” or “Good job!” Gaeilge: The Irish language.

Helping Puerto Rico Recover Written by Sofia Rivera

The tables were crowded with flutes of coquito and dishes of arroz con gondules, staples of a traditional Puerto Rican Christmas dinner, in the warmly lit dining room of Union Square’s Casa B, on December 14. Simmons communications students and professors were among the guests gathered in support of Simmons alumna Carmen Baez’s Fund for Puerto Rico, PRxPR. “In Puerto Rico, we eat food just like this all month,” said Baez to a table of Simmons students, gesturing to the wooden boards of tasty tapas. “We celebrate until Three Kings’ Day,” she smiled. A native of San Juan, her voice rang with affection for her home. Baez first moved from the island to Boston in 1976, to attend Simmons College, where she studied marketing communications and government. Though the change meant acquainting herself with a new city, language, and culture, she says the “small, nurturing community within a big city” that Simmons provided was integral to her successful transition. She remembers feeling a sense of security every time she walked through the gates onto the quad of the residential campus. Baez, a former member of the Simmons College Board of Trustees, says she always has time for Simmons. She refers to the community of fellow Shark alumnae as “the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.” “We need to help each other. We need to pay it forward,” she said.

For seniors on the cusp of entering the “Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” she offers four words of advice: “Live within your means.” Not only in the traditional, financial sense, but professionally as well. “Be in an organization where you stretch, but you don’t freak out about the stretch all the time. Where you’re learning, but you also teach. Where you enjoy your job, but it’s a job that lets you have a personal life, too,” she suggested. “It doesn’t mean you don’t stretch, it doesn’t mean you’re not ambitious. God knows I was ambitious and I stretched, but don’t do it out of pretentiousness or blind ambition. Do it within fulfillment and happiness.”

In Spanish, to say someone is educated, you say she is culta, meaning she is scholarly, but also cultured. The false cognate educada actually has less to do with the number of degrees a person has and more to do with the degree to which she cares about others. Baez believes in striving for both. She says the motto, “live within your means” also translates into virtue. “It goes hand in hand with being humble. It doesn’t matter how successful you become; be yourself, be authentic, and be humble.”

Diversified Agency Services (DAS) Latin America division of Omnicom, the largest global marketing communications and advertising company. She retired a few years ago. Now, Baez is in the midst of a new stage. She was at her home in New York on September 20 when she heard the news of Hurricane Maria’s arrival in Puerto Rico. Throughout the day, she learned more of its devastating effects and knew the island would need help. Deciding that “the easiest currency for help was money,” she created a GoFundMe.

Be in an organization where you stretch, but you don’t freak out about the stretch all the time. Where you’re learning, but you also teach. When she graduated from Simmons, Baez leaned heavily on her marketing communications major, eventually working her way up to serve as president of the

She began to make calls to fellow Puerto Rican executives in her network. Within the day, she had assembled a team and they conceived of, branded, and launched PRxPR. The fund is unique in that there is zero overhead; the founders are volunteers, and they cover any costs. “I want every dollar that people donate to go to Puerto Rico,” said Baez. Those dollars added up quickly: within a week, PRxPR had raised $300,000 in donations, and five months later it has raised more than $1 million. The funds go directly to help the affected communities in Puerto Rico. Many relief efforts are helping people meet basic needs, such as buying water filters so that they can have potable water, or buying beds for a village that lost its furniture, leaving its residents sleeping on the floor.

Photo by Rob Hill

Some projects provide immediate relief as well as long-term rebuilding, such as solar power grids that are being installed in central community sites. Since the island is experiencing the longest power outage in American history–a third of the island is still in the dark at this writing–generating electricity access points is vital. These solar panel centers will allow people to charge their phones, plug in electric water purifiers, or refrigerate their insulin, “And that’s a great thing,” said Baez,

“Because that helps people short term, but that is a system that will stay in the community for years to come.” While the aid sent through PRxPR is impactful to the communities, Baez knows that there is still much work to do. “People ought to be aware of the fact that the devastation in Puerto Rico has caused a humanitarian crisis,” she said. “I would like people to not forget Puerto Rico.” PRxPR is centered around its slogan: “Donate, activate, advocate.” Those who want to help can easily donate through the website, prxpr.org, share information about Puerto Rico on social media, and lobby for governmental aid. The name PRxPR stands for Puerto Rico por Puerto Rico, meaning mainland Puerto Ricans and friends of Puerto Rico for island Puerto Ricans. “We are up here in the states in the diaspora, and we are desperate to help our country,” said Baez. “It’s still home.” Baez is a testament to the power of community. It is not a physical connection, but one that can span oceans. Just as her love for Puerto Rico did not wane when she moved to Boston, her ties to Simmons did not end when she walked off of the quad for the last time as an undergraduate.

Rivera, originally from Devens, MA, is majoring in journalism with a minor in Spanish. As an undergraduate, Rivera spent her time in a variety of ways. For the duration of her sophomore year, she studied abroad in Madrid where she was fully immersed in Spanish culture and academics. While at Simmons, however, Rivera has participated in the Undergraduate Symposium and held several major-related internships. Rivera has been an editorial intern at the Boston Magazine.

1971

1986

Bob White Professor

2007

James Corcoran Associate Professor

2014

Andrew Porter Associate Professor of Practice

2017

*Year in top left indicates when individual started working at Simmons

Judith Aronson Professor

2014

Luke Romanak Administrative Assistant Interim Lab Manager

2018

Ivy Kirkman Deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fellow

1998

Elizabeth Glowaki Adjunct Professor

Jo Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor Senior Lecturer

2000

2016

Rachel Gans-Borskin Lecturer

Dane Groves Lab Systems Administrator, Adjunct Professor

Briana Martino Senior Lecturer

Ellen Grabiner Department Chair

2015

2004

2017

Kris Erikson Senior Lecturer

Erica Moura Lecturer

Faculty & Staff Gallery The faculty in the communications department have a variety of experience in all of the comm disciplines. Individually, they have many years of experience in both the professional world, as well as academia. To see what the comm professors have accomplished thus far, use the key below. Bachelors Degree

Diploma/Certificate

Masters Degree

Degree in progress

Doctorate Degree

Simmons Alum

Alice Gottesman PR/MarComm

Alli Pichette Graphic Design

Alyssa Marceau PR/MarComm

Gisela Alvarez Nutrition, Journalism

Janelle Anderson Journalism

Julia Taliesin Journalism

Senior Gallery Madison Florence PR/MarComm, Graphic Design Want to know more about the communications students? Where they might be when they aren’t pulling all-nighters in the COMMlab? Check out what they’re up to using the key below to navigate.

Dix Scholar Students enrolled in program designed for applicants 24 years or older or students pursuing a second bachelors

Departmental Extracirricular Members of The Simmons Voice Newspaper or the Simmons College Radio

Transfer Student Students that have transferred from a prior school

College Extracirriculars Includes members of a sports team, affinity group, The Simmons College Dance Company, The COF Dance Project, Sidelines, The Emmanuel Chapel Choir and more

Academic Achievements Represents students involved in Lambda Pi Eta, Academy, Undergraduate Symposium or those on the Dean’s List Employment/Volunteer Represents jobs students hold both on and off campus, internships or volunteer work

Minors Includes Biology, English, Graphic Design, Nutrition, Philosophy, Photography, Psychology, Radio and Spanish

Angelica Coleman Biology, Spanish

Colette Parry Media Arts

Emily Papp PR/MarComm

Julie Tran Graphic Design

Kallie Gregg Journalism

Kaydee Donohoo Media Arts, Journalism

Lindsey Ribeiro Graphic Design

Liz Donovan Web Design & Development, Graphic Design

Kelly Shwing Journalism

Nicole Allen PR/MarComm

Phoebe Knox PR/MarComm

Sofia Rivera Journalism

Not Pictured: Tiffany Tan Media Arts,Web Design & Development, Florencia Rodi Journalism

Passion For Fashion Written by Florencia Rodi

Fashion has always been an interest of mine. I grew up reading magazines like Teen Vogue and Nylon to keep up with the industry. When I reached high school, I discovered the varying online communities of style influencers on Polyvore, Instagram and Tumblr. At first, I would only repost content from other pages, but eventually I decided to post my own photos and ideas too. The best part of participating in online fashion blogging has been the ability to connect with other like-minded people across the world. The Bostonian way of dressing never completely appealed to me, so having access to the ideas of influencers in other cities has changed the way I view fashion and given me a lot of inspiration.

In my freshman year, I was lucky enough to be chosen by Polyvore to attend New York Fashion Week and cover the shows to their online audience. This consisted of sharing the key trends and pieces in a collage I created using their online design tool. It was a rewarding experience that I will never forget. I still use Polyvore to this day; it is a user-friendly platform for anyone looking to get into personal styling. Over the last couple of years, I have made some great friends in Boston through Instagram and the ever-expanding fashion and personal style blogger community. Although Boston is not a hub of fashion like New York or Paris, there are many of stylish people with a passion for social media here who have their own take on personal style. I used to think I would eventually move to a more fashion-focused city in order to pursue more opportunities, but the number of Boston-based brands that emerge every year constantly surprises me. When it comes to working in collaboration with brands, I like to prioritize local companies and really get to know the people behind them. Living in Boston is one of my defining characteristics and my photos reflect that. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exciting to feature designers who have a similar background. I am majoring in journalism with a minor in marketing, and plan to use what I learn from my courses in a career somewhere in the fashion industry. Classes like Journalism and Media Writing have helped me understand the importance of communicating in a concise and clear way, and my marketing courses taught me a great deal about the consumer perspective. Whether I choose to work for myself or for a company, I know these skills I learned exclusively at Simmons will help me achieve my goals and I am extremely grateful for that.

Photo by Jackie Parkes

Rodi, originally from Belmont, MA, is pursuing a major in journalism with a minor in marketing. Rodi, popular for her fashion/ lifestyle blogs, has just over 15,000 followers on Instagram alone. Most recently, Rodi has collaborated with famous brands like Calvin Klein and LancĂ´me on both her Instagram and blog website. For more, you can follow her endeavors in fashion at florenciarodi.com.

extend beyond the pitch, into the classroom and our social lives. We lift each other up. I am so thankful that soccer has been such a positive influence on my college experience.

Photo By Alex Melangrano

Simmons Has Been A Kick Written By Alyssa Marceau

I knew that I wanted to attend Simmons from the moment I stepped onto campus and was able to meet with Professors Andy Porter and Len Mailloux, as well as soccer coach Erica Schuling. From the moment I met them, I knew that these were people I wanted to surround myself with. Coming from North Adams, a small city in western Massachusetts, I knew that the move to Boston would bring ample opportunity to not only play soccer but also to pursue public relations and marketing. Many colleges spoke about the opportunities I would receive upon attending. However, I felt that Simmons was the most genuine. I knew that there would be plenty of internships available and that my professors would be able to assist and support me in reaching my goals in the classroom as well as the professional world.

Hearing the success stories of Simmons grads was compelling. I think they were some of the main reasons I chose to attend. Location and opportunity were two other huge factors in my choice, and when I received my acceptance letter December of my senior year, I was immediately in contact with Erica. She was one of the first people I met at Simmons, and her passion for coaching was apparent. I knew that a Division III program was the perfect combination of competition and coursework.

Many of my teammates are nursing or physical therapy majors. We all work incredibly hard to maintain high GPAs and balance our time wisely. When I’m not with my teammates, I’m almost always with my COMM-unity in the lab. This space allowed me to establish friendships with people in my classes and major that I didn’t get to do with people on my team. The Communications program is encompassing and overlapping and having a shared space allows for even more collaboration among the diverse people that make up the program. This environment allowed me to extend my circle beyond soccer and bond with the people I’m with day-to-day in classes and in my workspace. My Simmons experience has been a positive one, and my choice to play soccer and major in Public Relations and Marketing Communications has allowed me to find opportunity and success on the field, in the classroom, and in the professional world. I’ve created many memories with the people I’ve met from these varying worlds and this overlap has made me a more well-rounded individual.

Marceau, originally from North Adams, MA, is pursuing a joint major in PR/Marcom with a minor in graphic design. A member of the Simmons College soccer team, Marceau spends the majority of time either on the field or in the COMMlab, where she works as a lab agent. Currently, she is a communications fellow working on the Setti Warren for Governor of Massachusetts campaign.

Entering college is a big adjustment for most students, but being a student athlete gave me an instant friend group. My teammates who are also graduating this year are all my best friends. The ability to grow and compete together allowed us all to create lasting relationships that

A Big Apple Convert Written by Janelle Anderson

Communication is a skill that everyone needs. However, not everyone has it. In some ways, it is a kind of buzzword. “We need to improve our communication,” “We aren’t communicating well,” “We need to communicate,” etc. It is the go-to statement to let others know you are thinking about communicating, but do not really know what to do beyond that point. As a communications major, I wanted to go to that point. I wanted to question it, critique it, understand it, and maybe even create it. Communication is a web of never-ending conversations, ideas, and information. If you’re not paying attention, you could miss something. At home in New York City, so much was happening around me, and I did not want to miss any of any of it. That’s what made me want to be a journalist. The field allows me to surround myself with conversations and communicate them to others. I already knew before enrolling at Simmons that I was going to major in journalism, but the experience was more challenging than I expected. It was difficult to engage in the world of communication when I had a challenge finding my place in the department that embraced it. I chose to attend Simmons because it was in Boston. As New York City kid, a city environment was a must. In freshman year, the Communications Department, like the entire campus, was a new place with new people. It was scary. I did not do much to get involved. My everyday habits did not help me engage in the usual first-year experiences. I did not go to Red Sox games or scavenger hunts or first-years’ parties. I was only going to be in the program for two and a half years, so I questioned if I could build connections and memories that others would have more time to develop. The college was predominantly white, I incorrectly enrolled in intro courses, and I felt a little out of place. I knew I was missing out

on something, but at the same time I did not want to do anything about it. I overestimated how being in Boston would make me feel like I was back at home in New York City. It was not even close. I missed hearing noise outside my bedroom window. I missed commuting on trains for two hours to school and people-watching. I missed the energy of home. I missed the feeling of not wanting to miss a thing. In my second year, however, there was a shift. I was taking more communications classes. I was talking to peers regularly outside of the classroom. I was spending time in the COMMlab-- the center of the department. It started out with an hour or so a day. It turned into hours. Some days, it was the only place you could find me. There was something about the energy. The typing, the traffic of students, the humming of computers, the laughs, the people, and their conversations. Conversations that I participated in. Conversations where we disagreed about politics. Conversations where we critiqued a poster design or troubleshot a Mac issue. Conversations where we self-loathed, paused, commented on the misogynistic patriarchal system that encouraged our loathing, and then continued loathing. There was an energy that made me feel at home. It was this kind energy that made me feel like I had a place where I thought there wasn’t one for me. Once I found the COMMlab — at the center of the department — I found the wonder that drew me to journalism and the communications field in the first place. I did not want to miss a thing.

Anderson, originally from Brooklyn, graduated early in December 2017 with a major in journalism and a minor in photography. At Simmons, Anderson hosted a radio talk show called Just the Marshmallows, where she discussed pop culture and politics. She also interned at Cambridge Public Television. Currently, she resides in New York, where she hosts her podcast called &Politics.

21 Photo by Alex Melangrano 19

Dancing to Career Success Written by Madison Florence

I came to Simmons with a plan: to graduate from the 4+1 elementary education program with my master’s, hold an undergraduate degree in graphic design, and go teach kindergarten or first grade. After I took my first education course in my second semester, I

even need to intern? Unfortunately for me, I was third in the rotation, and by the time I thought of that, it was my turn to share. I explained that I was studying elementary education and graphic design but I wasn’t sure where I would like to intern. My professor just nodded and

Department had won me over and I dropped my education major to become a graphic design and public relations/marketing communications double major. It was in that internship that I started to integrate my love of dance with my areas of study. I applied my knowledge of dance to my internship, where I learned to talk specifically about the style of movement, recruit college students to look into the student subscription package and promote the drop-in classes we held each week. While my love of dance was evident, my supervisor later told me that it was my application of what I learned in the classroom that made me a valuable team member, because I could explain material that was challenging to comprehend. After interning at Boston Ballet for a semester, my supervisor suggested I apply for an internship at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival the following summer.

learned a lot about development and teaching tactics, but I also learned I did not want to pursue this as a career. Fortunately, I was also taking one of the core communications courses, Media Convergence. On the first day of this class, we sat around a table and the professor asked us to say our names, what we are studying, and where we would like to intern. Now, I knew what I was studying but I had never thought about where I would intern. I was going to be a teacher. Did I

told me to think of something I liked to do. Immediately, I said I love to dance. Someone in the class spoke up and shared that there are internships with the Boston Ballet, and a few students had interned there before. At the end of class, I got the students’ names and reached out to learn more.  Fast forward two years later, and I landed a fall internship with the Boston Ballet as a marketing intern. At that point, the Communications

I sent in my application, and soon received an email asking me to interview for the Patron Services and Marketing internship. Over the course of two weeks, I completed two interviews, the second of which only lasted 10 minutes. I was certain I had not done well. Yet soon after, I received confirmation that I had earned the position.  That summer, I worked in the box office selling tickets, generated content for social media, and worked backstage to transition the theaters from one week’s show to the next. I worked 12-hour days for six days a week, but I loved every minute. I got free tickets to see each show so I could better recommend performances

Florence, originally from Tolland, CT, is pursuing a double major in PR/Marcomm and graphic design. Florence, an active member of the Simmons community, is involved in both the Simmons College Dance Company, as well as the COF Dance Project, among many other institutions. Currently, she is a communications intern at the Center of Excellence in Women’s Health at Boston Medical Center, a position she landed through her work with them in Studio 5.

Photo By Brooke Trisolini

to the patrons and even took classes with the visiting artists.

attending rehearsals for companies from around the world.

I found that even the more work-heavy tasks

I particularly liked one group, Roy Assaf Dance

I worked 12-hour days for six days a week, but I loved every minute. were incredible experiences. Generating content for social media led to some amazing opportunities for me, like being the first to be inside the new studio, sitting down for a meal with new artists and students, and

from Israel, whose members did not speak English as their first language. I loved that my only means of communicating with them was through dance. After capturing footage of their rehearsal, they asked to see the videos; they particularly liked the Boomerangs I

made for the Instagram story that day. Being able to share those behind-the-scenes moments and pass these experiences on to the followers and fans of Jacob’s Pillow was an incredible feeling. One of the biggest reasons I think I enjoyed my experience was because of my work in the Communications Department. While I am at school, I am always doing work, learning new ways of doing things, and keeping busy with outside activities. This internship in particular was completely removed from my normal busy life and really allowed me to apply what I had been learning in the classroom. I was not just treated as an intern, but rather as a team member who was not just able, but encouraged to contribute. As a result of my involvement, I saw my visions come to life. I 21 know I could not have done that without the encouragement of my professors and peers

A Transfer Student Finds A Home Written by Kallie Gregg

Photo By Alex Melangrano

At times, being a transfer student left me feeling robbed of a traditional college experience. My memories of first year dorm living, dining halls, and writing seminars all belong to another institution, unaligned with my peers. But most of the time I was grateful to be a transfer student, because every moment at Simmons felt remarkable and full of purpose. Having attended a different college made me keenly aware of how much I loved Simmons, how perfectly I had found my niche. In the COMMlab at 3 a.m. I would sometimes tell myself, in bouts of relentless optimism, “Do you know how wonderful it is that you want to be here? That you love your education? You’ve been through the opposite and you came out the other side!” The COMMunity is imbued with a sense of collaboration. I won’t pretend that I always loved being assigned group projects or peer edits, but I know my work and my relationships with my classmates are both stronger for it. Every news article, podcast, and video — all of

the output I created at Simmons — benefited from the perspective of my friends and peers. The turns of phrase, video transitions, and audio effects I’m most proud of were born from the support and suggestions of my friends. And these friends became friends because our academic environment was grounded in trust and respect. I lost my fear of being vulnerable and asking for feedback on my work because in every course, the person sitting next to me was someone I knew and whose opinion I valued. I think this environment of trust and respect is in large part due to the relationships faculty cultivate with students. My skills as a journalist and a writer flourished under the direction of my professors, but I’m equally grateful for the sense of self and determination that arose during office hours with Erica Moura, frantic last-minute preparations in the COMMab under Luke Romanek’s watchful eye, and cover letter format recommendations from Andy Porter. I didn’t know myself well enough at 17 to pick a school where I would be happy, let alone thrive. But luckily I did at 19 when I confirmed my

enrollment at Simmons. My time at Simmons left me incredibly prepared to enter the workforce, yet part of me wishes I could hang around for just a couple more months, for one more set of classes. It’s hard to willingly step away from a space where you felt so at home. I cannot say in strong enough terms how much I’m going to miss the Communications Department and everyone in it. With respect to Dickens, for me, it was really much simpler than he described in A Tale of Two Cities. It was just the best of times.

Gregg, originally from Davis, CA, graduated early in December 2017 with a major in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Originally a transfer student, Gregg became quite involved on campus, participating in the Undergraduate Symposium, contributing to The Voice and interning as a writer for Dana Farber. Currently, Gregg resides in Boston and is the Internal Communications Specialist for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

The Communications Department is also the site of several events during the year. Here is a sample of a few from the past year:

Department PRxPR Dinner

Hosted by Carmen Baez, the purpose of this dinner was to spread awareness for her recently launched non-profit organization, PRxPR. This private, non-partisan, no overhead fund, was created to help Puerto Rico in the aftermath of two deeply devastating and unprecedented hurricanes. Baez, originally from Puerto Rico, has made it her mission to give back in any way she can, and so far, PRxPR has donated over $1 million to those in need. (Alli Pichette, Liz Donovan, James Corcoran, Carmen Baez, Catelyn Kimball, Maya Valentine, Madison Florence, Juliet Bernini)

IBS Conference

In the fall, Simmons Radio hosted the East Coast Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) conference on campus, attracting more than 50 attendees from various colleges. The radio station also participated in the IBS national conference in New York, where they were up for two prestigious awardsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Station of the Year, and General Manager of the Year. (Isabella Amparan, Ella Gambino, Caroline Mahoney, Erica Moura, Janelle Anderson, Maura Coughlin, Kelly Schwing)

OmniComm

The Omnicom trip started 18 years ago by Carmen Baez, a Simmons alumni who went on to have great career success. For many years she worked at Omnicom as the President of DAS Latin America. The annual New York City trip allows more than 20 students to learn key industry skills in the heart of the world’s marketing center on Madison Avenue, and find possible future employers. (Maya Valentine, Kelly, Schwing, Valarie Frost, Phoebe Knox, Nasyria Taylor, Jo O’Connor, Kelsey Klaczyk, Rebecca Bourque, Hailey McCaffrey, Eileen Moynihan, August Hochstein-Morran, Alex Bader, Julia Stevens, Kenna McCarthy, Taylor Nappi, Andrew Porter, Hope Lehnick, Alice Gottesman, Catelyn Kimball, Coletter Parry, Emily Papp, Sierra McCaffrey, Katelyn Kalliel)

News Wrap Up Alumnae Networking

Started four years ago, the annual Alumnae Networking dinner is a chance for undergraduate PR/Marcom students to mingle and network with successful local Simmons alumnae, working in either PR or related fields. At this dinner, students have the opportunity to build their connections and work on their networking/pitching skills in an informal, relaxed setting. More than a dozen alumnae also love coming back to Simmons to talk to students. (Kelsey Klacyk, Emily Papp, Kendall Bauer, Jo O’Connor, Alyssa Marceau, Julie Nickerson, Phoebe Knox, Chloe Meck, Rebecca Reusch)

Kenya

During 2018 spring break, 15 students from the Globalization and Intercultural Communication class visited Kenya, working in partnership with Kenya Connect staff to develop independent media projects, focusing on everything from girls’ education in Kenya and Kenyan food security to Kenyan dance and arts. Depending on their individual projects, students often took footage and/or conducted interviews to ultimately create final projects shown at the end of the semester. (Maya Valentine, Haley Sattler, Emily Cole, Angelica Coleman, Madison Florence, Valarie Frost, Kris Erikson, Mercie Mercill, Esther Muinde, Nasyria Taylor, Aisha Diallo, Primma Rahma, Patrick Munguti, Julia Taliesin, Alex Bader, Alice Gottesman, Virginia Mason)

Combining Science and Communications Written by Angelica Coleman

I entered the Communications Department at Simmons with one goal in mind: to be able to effectively communicate scientific information to the general public.

broadcast television. My duties include reviewing films for potential acquisition, fact-checking and participating in editorial meetings with senior staff. I am able to work on small assignments for many films in various stages of production, so I get a broad overview of what goes into producing a NOVA film. Additionally, I am allowed and encouraged to schedule informational interviews with any member of the staff in order to gain the most from my placement. My supervisors have given me the opportunity to work long-term with a particular team on a specific film, which allows me to contribute in more substantial ways. For example, I am able to give my input on the animations and scientific content of the film. It also means I get to directly assist an award-winning producer whom I highly admire. The environment at NOVA aligns perfectly with both my interests and career goals, and the networking opportunities I have can dramatically impact my future career. As a woman interested in a career related to film and television production, it can feel discouraging to think about job prospects. However, I believe that the experience gained through this internship will put me in the best possible position to enter the professional world.

Photo By Lindsey Chou

As a broadcast research intern at NOVA, an award-winning prime time science series airing on PBS stations across the country, I feel I am on my way to achieving that goal. At NOVA, I am learning what it takes to be a member of a production team, all the while gaining skills in research and development for

At Simmons, I am majoring in biology and Spanish, with a minor in cinema and media studies. As a student with many different areas of study, I spent my early years of college concerned that I did not fit into any one particular career niche. But I knew that I was passionate about all these areas of study, and I remained hopeful that I would find opportunities that merged my interests. Professor Andy Porter was instrumental in

helping me explore the practical opportunities that aligned with my blossoming enthusiasm for both science and communications. He showed me that there were endless opportunities in my field of interest, especially in the Boston area. He also helped guide me to an internship position as a writer in the communications office of Brigham and Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital, and to my current position at NOVA. In the communications internship classes, I have learned valuable information about interview etiquette, networking, productivity, and performance in the work environment. I appreciate that the Communications Department encourages students to pursue more than one internship experience, because it gives us an edge over other college graduates with less experience. I have always viewed myself as somewhat of an outsider to the Communications Department, because I am only pursuing a minor. Yet in every communications class I have encountered both professors and students who are more than happy to help me. To put it simply, the Communications Department at Simmons has instilled in me the confidence, skills, and experience necessary to keep pursuing my dream career.

Department of Communications Simmons College 300 The Fenway Boston, MA 02115