december 2008•Volume 3, Issue 3 Contact us: [email protected] The18 51 Chronicle LaseLL CoLLege’s student newspaper Home for the holidays Let winter break begin By Sara Brown and Sabra Stepanian 1851 STAFF / NEWS EDITOR On every campus in every state, at just about the middle of the year and just as the weather becomes ‘a little too cold,’ students are rushed with a feeling of excitement. The middle of the school year signifies two things: the end of first semester and the start of winter break. The long awaited break from mid-De- cember to mid-January is cherished among students from all over. The anticipation of see- ing family, old friends, and most of all, the time they don’t have to spend studying, is a thrill in and of itself. While some students have to travel very far to the place they call home, others are right around the corner. Jimmy Curtis, a junior, is especially eager to go home for the holidays. Unfortunately Curtis has to travel four hours to his home in upstate New York. “I like the journey home with my parents. It gives us ample time to reflect upon Christmases past and a chance to relish in all the festive glory while still imagin- ing the sweet taste of Figgie pudding on a cold winter’s day. It is a time when we can look for- ward to Christmas Eve at the Curtis residence with yuletide joy,” he said. When asked what his favorite part of break is, Curtis said, “Drinking hot cocoa while watching Christmas classics by the fireplace.” He went on to say, “I love watching the ornate- ly decorated Christmas tree twinkle with the promise of a bountiful new year.” PHOTO BY EMELY DELSANTO Continued on Page 6 Senior Maggie Mathews waits with a duffel bag as winter break - and the prospect of going home - quickly approaches. Lasell becomes a College stands up PowerCAMPUS to hard-hitting By Sabra Stepanian NEWS EDITOR economy By Shannon Thomas In an effort to improve campus tech- ent. In addition to services that help align 1851 STAFF nology, Lasell has decided to implement the people, process, and technology with insti- SunGard Higher Education PowerCAM- On October 24th, the Boston Globe re- Over 80 percent of Lasell students receive tutional strategy, it also helps with IT man- ported that “The Massachusetts economy is some form of financial assistance provided by PUS system. SunGard PowerCAMPUS was agement, strategy, services, and support. chosen because of its reputation for be- either already in recession or will be within the College, according to The Financial Aid SunGard Higher Education is capable the next six months.” Lasell has responded to website. ing successful at over 100 other campuses of working with different levels of opera- worldwide. Their mission statement is: “To these economical changes with optimism. “Most of the families at Lasell are not improve individual achievement, enhance tion including the individual level, the in- “At Lasell, we have been monitoring financing their child’s education through institutional performance, and foster edu- stitutional level, and the community level. the situation, and I can assure you that over- stocks and bonds, so no major issues have cation communities worldwide.” As a client at the institutional level, Lasell all, we remain in a sound financial condition occurred,” said Michele Kosboth, Director SunGard prides itself on its ability to is proud to be a part of the SunGard High- both at the College and at the Village,” says of Student Financial Planning. er Education PowerCAMPUS. President Michael Alexander. Unfortunately, the changes in the econ- help the performance of their clients im- Michael Hoyle, Vice President of Busi- omy have affected students’ eligibility to re- prove considerably. In order to measurably Chief Information Officer of the IT Department, Deborah Gelch says the new ness and Finance, says that even though the apply for previous loans. “The difficulty has improve performance, SunGard includes College’s endowment has suffered, “the im- been with lenders,” Kosboth says. “Some software and services to create a unified system is going to improve Lasell’s com- portant point is that the College’s Board of chose to go out of business or got stricter digital campus to fit the needs and per- munity. Trustees has an investment policy and they with their credit reviews, which hurt some formance objectives of each individual cli- Continued on Page 3 follow this investment policy…no budget students’ chances of getting a loan.” cuts are being considered.” Laundry Break Activities Jump Start How much is too much to spend? Ten things to do B-ball opens with two major wins Page 2 Page 5 Page 8 2 December 2008 The 1851 Chronicle The 1851 Chronicle December 2008 3 OPINI O N NEWS Associate Director of Undergraduate Admis- mon fund’s Short Term Fund. Recession more in institutional financial aid than we spent sion, says “We have yet to see a dramatic differ- “The turmoil in the financial markets Free laundry: last year. Based on our planning model, we ex- ence in student interest in [the College].” did create some operational challenges,” said pect that next year our investment in institution- This is excellent news for Lasell: 86 percent President Alexander, “including the temporary impact al financial aid will go up another 14 percent,” of the College’s revenue comes from tuition, fees, inability to access some of the College’s operat- I wish Continued from Page 1 he says. “These increases mean that, while our room and board, according to President Alexan- ing cash and the disruption of the work of the published tuition, room and board fees may rise, der. Business Office.” By Kayleigh Robertson President Alexander understands that some the net tuition and fees that our students actually The purchase of Wachovia Bank by Cit- Hoyle says, “This set off a chain of events… 1851 STAFF families are worried about their ability to afford pay is going up considerably less.” ibank on September 29, affected Lasell only [we] had to order checks, reconfigure the new Lasell. “We are sensitive to these concerns…this In regards to whether the economy is af- temporarily. The College faced an unforeseen software system, move all direct deposit infor- I have never been one to enjoy do- the dryers. This number adds up every year our budget calls for us to spend 21 percent fecting student enrollment, Christine Scafidi, shut down of its operating account, the com- mation…and monitor outstanding checks.” ing chores or more specifically, laun- week I do laundry. Within a month of dry. I’ve always been the procrastina- using the laundry machines on campus, tor in getting laundry done while I am I have spent a total of $26 to clean my be exhibited during the presentation session at school. After staring at my over- clothes. I feel bad for the athletes who in Rosen Auditorium starting at 10:00 am. flowing basket of dirty clothes, I final- have to wash their own practice gear. Students prepare for symposium Wrapping up their final fall semester, ly decide it needs to get done, but then Other schools have found ways By Emely DelSanto seniors in the graphic design program par- I always hit a major snag in my plans. around the change fiasco. Bigger col- Layout edItor ticipate in the Symposium by hosting a special event open to the entire Lasell community. I’m a couple quarters short of having leges and universities have gone to a The semester is almost over. As the ing business plans and websites for. can only use reclaimed fabric. Working with Called the Graphic Design Senior Portfolio enough to dry my clothes. debit card system in which a student’s calendar draws nearer final exam week, stu- Although the companies are fictitious, a budget of only $10, they have to resort to Show, the event gives graphic design seniors Not only is this an issue for me, but ID card is just not a piece of plastic dents are anticipating the end of the Fall 2008 the work the students are doing is quite re- using old clothes from thrift stores or their the opportunity to showcase their best designs for other students around the campus with a dreadful photo. Machines are semseter and the beginning of winter break. alistic. “…they put together an e-business own closets as materials from over the years. Students in Professor as well. Instead of instigating students placed around popular areas on cam- But not so fast – there’s still one more plan…including a marketing plan, critical is- Professor Farrell was inspired to assign Stephen Fischer’s Senior Portfolio Develop- to rig the laundry machines in order pus where a student just simply puts major event before we say good-bye to the sues analysis, pro forma financials, etc,” said this project when she discovered that there is ment class have worked all semester with this to get their clothes cleaned, I feel that their ID card into the machine (like textbooks and computer labs until January. Corcoran. Though some of these terms might nowhere in Massachusetts that will recycle old event in mind, not only constructing physical our laundry system should change to an ATM) and add ones, fives, tens, It’s the Connected Learning Symposium, sound foreign to most students, the eight stu- fabric scraps. All old clothes, extra scrap fabric, portfolios, but also designing and building on- the day-long exhibition on Tuesday, Decem- dents in E-Commerce are very familiar with and other discarded textiles are instead left to line portfolios.