As Charlotte Berman reaches the anniversary of the beginning of her time at Lasell, she reflected upon her first year. As the Coordinator of Student Activities and Orientation, Berman oversees the 40 active clubs on campus.
“Get involved,” was Berman’s advice for incoming first-year students. “[Clubs are] the best way to meet so many people.”
With all these active clubs, Berman hopes students come forward with more performing arts and music-based clubs; students have tried in the past, but they were unable to form a group.
With an average of five new clubs every semester, there is always a place for everyone. To make a new club, she explained, all it takes is four willing students and a faculty coordinator.
“I’ve never been the impetus for starting a new club,” she said.
As long as no state rules, restrictions, or Lasell policies are broken, any club would be welcome. Berman said she has never denied a club.
She said she is very excited for the new Latinx club to start. For September club activities, Berman voiced her excitement for the slime-making event (Sept. 14), as well as the airbrush fanny pack event (Sept. 22).
Two of the most active clubs are the Black Student Association and the Fashion, Styling, and Photography club. In the Fashion, Styling, and Photography club, more than 100 members are currently active. In the fall, the Black Student Association hosted its annual gala, and in the spring it held its annual block party.
The total annual budget for all Lasell clubs is $20,000, with $10,000 per semester. This money is available to clubs at their own request.
Due to the large number of active clubs on campus and the limited activities budget, Berman encourages clubs to fundraise for extra money.
Berman, who grew up in Whitman, went to Whitman-Hanson High School and then Wheaton College, where she was a history and religion double major and led various clubs and activities. She graduated in 2023.
Berman’s dream job as a child was to be a writer or anything “artsy.” Coming from Wheaton, she was attracted to Lasell because of the different culture compared with Wheaton’s, as well as her interest in helping with clubs.
Over the summer, Berman completed what she considers her most significant accomplishment thus far, revamping the club handbook to provide clarity on rules and regulations. Her next project is to clean up the club re-registration process.
During the summer, she managed three orientation sessions for new students, with each orientation session including around 100 new students, as well as twelve student leaders. Her role was to work with Thomas Morgan, former director of Student Activities and Orientation, and former assistant director Emma Roney, to organize everything and anything the new students did.
Berman’s office is located on the second floor of Arnow Campus Center, at the top of the stairs. The office is staffed from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. during weekdays. She invites students to visit the office, which is right next to the recently fixed pool table.
“It’s finally fixed, so we invite you to stop by and see us, and play some pool, too,” Berman said.
(Story was reported and written by Abigail Fortin, Ava Moussalem, Brooklyn Northcutt, Caitlin Orsino, Casey Davis, Cecilia Teixeira, Ciro Zanetti, Colleen Newcomb, Emma Harbec-Gavry, Evan Terry, Jeremy Josue Perez, Jeremy Wacker, Liliana Luksch, Meghan Clair, Mikala Marshall, Victoria Kepler, Will Caron, and Zane Jacobs)
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