Alyse Cordelli is finishing up her fifth and final year at UMB as a social-psychology major. She is a Connecticut native who ventured to the city of Boston in the fall of 1999 in hopes of livening up her surroundings. Why UMB? “It was in the city, it was in Boston. And it was cheaper than Northeastern,” she says. Alyse values the varying age groups and opinions at UMass. She likes the fact that she can take one class with a woman who works and raises a family, or she can take a class with a kid right out of high school. Alyse wanted to live in apartment, not a dorm. “That way I wouldn’t have to deal with RNs and shit…is that what you call them? I meant RAs,” Alyse says with a laugh.
Alyses’s favorite professor is Chris Bobel, assistant professor in the Women’s Studies department. “She challenges students to think on their own and she doesn’t just sit there and lecture you, she forces you to look around and reevaluate what’s going on,” says Alyse.
Ironically, Alyse’s favorite year at UMB was the year she took some time off from school while living in Dorchester. She recalled that many of her friends were employed at The Mass Media, enabling her to drink for free on Friday nights. Alyse remembers, “That year was so good, it resulted in taking a semester off.”
Alyse is very active this fall semester. She has been spending lots of her spare time at play practice, where she will be performing a scene from A Street Car Named Desire directed by UMB student, Caleb Stone. She will be playing the role of Stella. She took this opportunity to impersonate “Elaine” from Seinfeld: “STEEELLLAAA!” There is no question that Alyse is an avid fan of Seinfeld. “It’s just brilliant comedy. I just think Larry David’s a genius.”
In light of the American League series between the Red Sox and Yankees, Alyse says she is Red Sox fan. She inherited her love for the Red Sox from her dad. The series is stressing her out, but she is hopeful and says she “believes in Kevin Millar.”
Alyse receives many questions about her plans after graduation. “Everyone wants to know if you’re going to get a real job. No I’m not going to,” says Alyse. Right now she enjoys her job as a nanny because she likes kids. She says if she could go back and relive her UMass experience, she would do it quicker by going to summer school. “I think other students should know that summer school is worthwhile,” advises Alyse. She plans on staying in Boston after she graduates. She loves driving into city and seeing the skyline. She reflects, “Yeah, this is where I live, you know. It’s my home.”