Memories from media clubs
- CAITLIN ORSINO
- Apr 26
- 6 min read
At an institution with students as unique, creative, and talent-diverse as Lasell University’s, countless stories are simply waiting to be told. The various student-run media organizations often highlight the ideas and abilities of community members, while those who create the stories themselves are busy behind the scenes.
As they near the end of their time on campus, the seniors responsible for some of Lasell’s most recognizable content-producing clubs reflect on their unforgettable experiences and favorite memories, whether they were on-air, on-screen, or on the page.
Fashion design and production major Maddie Young has served as POLISHED Magazine’s creative director for three semesters. In her role, Young selects the magazine’s overarching theme and oversees the publication’s styling, writing, graphics, and social media teams. Having started as a writer and quickly becoming an associate stylist before joining the executive board, Young has collected a wide range of experiences within the magazine and has grown personally.
“Being in a leadership role has made me more confident,” Young said. “It makes me feel more adequate to lead a team and to put my ideas out there and feel confident about that.”
Young continued to explain how not only her abilities as a leader grew while working with POLISHED, but also her confidence and belief in her professional skills.
“I think I’ve gained a lot of confidence in myself and my choices, especially in that creative director role,” said Young. “You really have to be confident in yourself and feel good about what you’re putting out there.”
Young looks forward to continuing into the world of fashion after graduating, and has applied to various theaters for costume design, hoping to bring her established confidence and creative ideas into her future projects.
Looking back on her time at Lasell, Young noted that she came to the school partly because of the magazine she now directs. She remembered collecting a copy during her first campus visit, and was instantly invested in the club.
“I came to Lasell for POLISHED—it was one of the big reasons why,” said Young. “Just thinking about when I first visited and I got a copy of the magazine, thinking about that is... It’s crazy.”
Graphic design major Erin Tilley has found herself in a similar scenario to Young, as she also was
drawn to Lasell by the publication she has now directed for two years. Tilley has served as the art director for TARNISHED Magazine, Lasell’s visual and written arts-focused publication, since her sophomore year, and describes the experience as a “whirlwind.”
Remembering her first experiences with TARNISHED, Tilley admitted that she was not always sure of her abilities, despite now having helped the magazine’s staff earn two consecutive Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown awards.
“I was hesitant to get involved,” said Tilley “I was like, ‘Oh, I’m not qualified. I don’t know the programs as well as I should,’ but I would tell myself to go for it. You know, there’s people there to help you. You can do it. You can step out of your comfort zone. You can step up to the plate, it’s okay to try new things.”
Despite her initial hesitation to get involved on campus, Tilley has consistently utilized her skills in graphic design to benefit the Lasell community. She was recently recognized at the 2025 Student Leadership Awards Banquet with the Commitment to Service Award. Her designs and overall support for Lasell Votes were invoked in the introduction for Tilley’s honor.
Continuing to look back on her favorite moments with TARNISHED, Tilley high- lighted her love for working with her team, calling the magazine itself “a huge collaboration.”
“I think my favorite—as much as they are chaotic and stressful—are the late nights when we put everything together right before the magazine is printed,” said Tilley. “It’s always a bonding experience to sit down with your fellow e-board and students and illustrators and writers and designers, and put our brains down and work.”
Working as a team toward a final product that is meant to be shared with others creates a unique bond for all students involved in the process. This sentiment resonates with Emily Cerasani, entertainment media major and program director for Lasell Community Television (LCTV).
The campus video production group’s rebrand to “Lasell Community TV” following the institution’s accreditation and switch from college to university directly reflects the community that Cerasani found when she joined not only the club, but also its executive board in the same semester.
“There are people I would have never interacted with if it weren’t for LCTV,” said Cerasani. “Collaborating with these individuals has given me new perspectives that have changed how I view teamwork.”
Cerasani’s passion for film and TV led her to join LCTV, and she now finds herself organizing meetings, scheduling shoots, writing scripts, operating the camera, and overseeing the group’s YouTube channel, where every series made by the club is posted.
One of the high points from Cerasani’s journey with LCTV came in the form of helping others across the community, which goes beyond the usual task of creating content within the club.
“Production and getting to film is fun, but I love when other people take interest in our club and ask for our services,” Cerasani said. “We have a professor asking us to help his class learn about our studio once every semester, and sometimes we get people from outside of Lasell asking for assistance from us. It’s very rewarding when we’re the first ones people think of when it comes to media-related projects.”
Similarly, sports communication major and program director of WLAS Elliot Pototsky explains that his favorite part of being involved with the radio station is sharing it with others.
“Sometimes teachers will ask to bring their students into the main studio, and it will be our job to help them learn the art of radio broadcasting,” Pototsky said. “Working with students is the most exciting part of the job.”
Pototsky began his journey with WLAS as a first-year after calling a men’s soccer game. He quickly joined the sports broadcasting program and the larger club soon after. As he moved up through the ranks of DJ, sports director, promotions director, and ultimately program director, Pototsky found friends in other students who shared common goals and skills.
“Looking back, I am so grateful for all the Lasell graduates who took me under their wing and gave me the confidence I needed to get through these past four years,” said Pototsky. “Now, all I want is to see those same people again and celebrate my accomplishments.”
Pototsky will be continuing his education with a master’s degree in broadcast and digital journalism at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, and confirms that his time spent with WLAS will only help him in this venture.
“I believe the experience I have gained with WLAS will absolutely benefit me during my time at grad school,” Pototsky said. “Becoming a better leader was a goal I set for myself before my senior year, and I can confidently say that I accomplished that goal one year later.”
As his time as program director culminates with winning a Lasell Bowl for his dedication to WLAS, Pototsky thinks back to the time before he was the leader he is today. When asked what he’d tell his younger self about his work with WLAS, he made note of how he interacts with the success that comes from his own hard work.
“Appreciate the accomplishments coming your way,” Pototsky said. “It is so easy to feel overwhelmed and take for granted how much work you put into your daily life.”
When at the helm of any organization, the responsibilities of a lead role often fight for balance with the rewards of the group’s work. Fashion design and production major and president of Fashion Styling and Photography Club Melanie Vrabel explains the personal and professional takeaways she’s received from her time with the club.
“I have learned to be more on-top of a lot of my things,” Vrabel said. “I feel like I’ve learned to be a leader as well.”
Vrabel originally joined the group with a goal based on personal expression, but soon realized that the group’s work was bigger than her own ideas.
The overarching meaning and weight of her involvement with the club is reflected in their most recent photoshoot called “Unfolded,” which was themed in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Denim Day, a campaign to bring awareness to sexual violence. The theme was chosen by the club’s executive board, who wanted to end their time with the club by conducting a final shoot that meant more, both to them personally and to the campus community.
With the future quickly approaching, Vrabel is preparing to give the Styling Club a heartfelt goodbye. Having met many close friends and expressing herself deeply while working with the group, she is preparing to bring everything she’s learned with her after graduation. While reflecting on her experiences, Vrabel imagined what she might explain to her younger self about the club she loves—a bond she equated to it being “her child” and an experience she’ll cherish forever.
“I’ll tell her that she’s in for a fun ride. She’s going to meet the best people,” Vrabel said. “I’ll tell her to never— try not to get overwhelmed, and know, at the end of the day, that it’s a place to express yourself. That by the end of it, she’ll have so much more to show than she thought she would even have."
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