We want to do our best to have as many folks as possible feel at home. Here is a transcription of the episode if you don’t get the chance to listen.

In this episode, we dive deeper into the announcement that Simmons made to offer all courses online for the Spring 2021 semester, and hear from the president of the Class of ‘21, Lauren Wagner about what plans may look like for current seniors. 

In preparation for the spookiest day of the year, we discuss how to safely celebrate Halloween during a pandemic, and throw it back with some snippets of an interview that Haley Rosenthal ‘20 and Kaylin Wu ‘20 did with the infamous Russ McKamey – the owner of what may be the scariest haunted house in the world.

Maddy Horn shares some words of encouragement as we prepare for the other spookiest day of the year… election day. We begin our coverage of Simmons students living in swing states with Kylie Collins, an Ohio native, and second-year student. Sarah Carlon shares her experience with mail-in voting. 

Check out simmonsvoice.com for full stories, and a transcription of this episode.

Listen to Haley and Kaylin’s full interview with Russ McKamey here.

Keep the conversation going on Twitter and Instagram – @thesimmonsvoice & @radiosimmons – or by email at voice@simmons.edu & simmonsradio@gmail.com

LINK SPOTIFY EPISODE HERE!!!

INTRODUCTION MUSIC BEGINS TO PLAY

ANNOUNCER – Welcome Home. From Simmons Radio: The Shark and The Simmons Voice, this is Welcome Home. A show about news, culture, and stories that impact Simmons University. No matter where you are we’ll keep you updated on what’s happening at home.

INTRODUCTION MUSIC FADES OUT

INDELICATO, IZ – Welcome back to Welcome Home. Introductions. Iz. They/she. Reese’s.

VERVAEKE, ABBY- Abby. She/her. Swedish Fish.

COLE, KATIE – Katie. She/her/hers. Kit Kat bars.

CARLON, SARAH – Sarah Carlon. She/hers. Gummy worms.

INDELICATO, IZ – While we’re on the topic of Halloween candy, Sarah why don’t you tell us about how to have fun on Halloween during a pandemic, during this already very terrifying and spooky year.

CARLON, SARAH- Definitely, so I know that Halloween is a favorite holiday for many folks, especially college kids. 

Carlon laughs.

CARLON, SARAH- I’m seeing a no from Abby on this one being a favorite holiday. It’s a favorite holiday for some, not all. But you know, it’s very fun, a little lighthearted. But this year I think we are all concerned about not being able to dress up for Halloween and hang out with our friends so I did a little research and I have brought you some tips and tricks now to have a fun, safe, Halloween during a pandemic. Check it out.

CARLON, SARAH prerecorded –

Sound Effect of a wolf howling

Halloween: it’s the only time of year when a girl can dress like a total…………….you know what, nevermind.

Upbeat, eerie music begins to play in the background

We’re just days away from Halloween, and the usual celebrations of costume parties and bobbing for apples just cannot happen this year– but that doesn’t mean a safe, healthy, and socially distant Halloween isn’t possible! Here are five ideas on how to celebrate the spookiest day of the year while also respecting pandemic guidelines.

1. Have a Zoom costume party: Ok, I know everyone is sick of Zoom at this point, but hear me out: throw on your best Chewbacca mask and have a costume party over video chat with your friends! Everyone can send in two or three pics of their costumes beforehand and you all vote on who’s costume is best. 
2. Remote scary movie night: Horror buffs like myself, this ones for you. If you and your friends are separated on Halloween, consider holding a scary movie night over video chat. Services like Netflix party, Scener, Disney Plus Party, and Watch Together can create a space where you and your friends can watch the same movie in real-time. 
3. Virtual haunted house tour: Yes, these are a thing! Gather your friends and book a virtual tour of haunted spots like the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California; the Paris Catacombs, the Salem Witch Museum, or Ghost Stories of Tacoma. All of these places offer completely virtual tours, and some even give you the history of the place as well!
4. Arrange a trick-or-treat drop-off: There is no such thing as being too old to trick-or-treat. Head on over to CVS and grab a party pack of candy, and make Halloween goody bags for your friends. It’ll bring a smile to their face, and hey, if you eat half the candy in the value pack, they’ll never know!
5. Virtual pumpkin carving: Gather your friends for a night of pumpkin carving over Zoom! This is not only a holiday-appropriate activity but who doesn’t love carving pumpkins?

We know that it’s difficult to be apart during this time, but there is still a risk for transmission at any in-person get-together. If you are going to have a distanced get together, however, the CDC recommends that everyone stay at least six feet away from each other, wear masks at all times, don’t share food, utensils, or any other items, and ideally stay outside. Have a safe and spooky Halloween!

TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYS

COLE, KATIE  – So speaking of adjustments, Simmons has been doing  a little bit of adjusting on their own. So we didn’t intend to do this but we got my segment really easily so I’m going to talk a little bit about Simmons’ recent announcement.

TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYS

COLE, KATIE–  At the beginning of last week, we were all set to publish our episode for the week of October 19th and then Simmons emailed all students with an announcement about next semester. We gave a little breaking news clip at the beginning of last week’s episode, but let’s dive into that announcement a little bit more. 

On October 19th, Simmons announced all classes will be offered online for next semester. This doesn’t mean all classes will be completely online, in the email interim Provost Russell Pinizzotto and vice president of university real estate and facilities management Laura Brink Pisinski stressed that there’s still the opportunity for Simmons to offer some in person classes, but all classes will be offered online. 

They also noted that there is still a possibility that more students could live on campus next semester. There are currently a handful of students living on campus, whether for academic reasons like nursing students doing clinical rotations, or personal reasons – say if students did not have a home or a safe or suitable place to live this semester. 

There are a number of factors that play into whether Simmons will offer in person classes or allow more students back next semester, including the rate of community transmission, hospitalizations and test availability.

The announcement comes as case numbers in Massachusetts continue to rise. According to data published by the Massachusetts Department of Health on October 24th, there are now over 106 thousand positive cases in the state. And the United States just hit a single day record for new positive COVID cases on October 23, where 84,218 people tested positive in one day. That beat the previous record of over 77 thousand set back in July.

On the day of the announcement, we put up a poll on our Instagram to ask how students are feeling about the announcement. We got a ton of responses back. A lot of students responded saying they were sad about the announcement but glad Simmons is prioritizing safety of students. One student said  “I know it’s not the university’s fault, but I’m disappointed I might have to spend my whole first year at home.” Another said “I’m annoyed because I was looking forward to move in on campus” which they followed up with “I’m considering to transfer to a different institution.”

Even though there is still a chance students could be allowed to live back on campus, it seems like most students aren’t too hopeful that people will be allowed back. 

I just want to ask you all how you are feeling. Sarah, you are a senior and you might not be allowed back on campus for your senior year. Abby, you are graduating this semester, and Iz you are graduating 2 semesters from now. Can you guys give me a little bit of your thoughts about how you’re feeling about the possible change in Simmons?

VERVAEKE, ABBY-  I guess for me personally I’m not surprised. I was a bit of a Negative Nancy from the start last spring, which is why I took two courses at other institutions this summer so that I could opt to graduate in december because I didn’t want to do another semester of online learning. I think that speaks to my outlook on how I think the spring was always going to go. I know that’s not everyone’s experience and what they were picturing for the spring of 2021.

CARLON, SARAH – Yeah, I mean I’m definitely disappointed. I think that a lot of what made the spring bearable was the idea that we would be able to return to campus at some point, however I do appreciate Simmons’ response in that I feel like other colleges have not been as strict or as decisive as Simons has, which is a danger to not only the students who go there, but professors, faculty, staff, and he communities that they are apart of. So in that regard I definitely feel grateful that I go to a school like Simmons that made this decision. However it doesn’t make it hurt any less, right? It still is really, really hard. I personally have a really hard time with online school however I’m just trying to do my best to basically power through and to graduate, essentially. That’s all I’ve been focused on.

INDELICATO, IZ – For me, as much as it stinks that we aren’t going to be on campus, I definitely think that it’s the right decision to be making. Being someone who is immunosuppressed, even if we could be back on campus, I know I wouldn’t feel safe doing that. Something that has kind of gotten me through this whole pandemic is that there are so many people who are in the same boat. I think it’s definitely a responsible decision for people who are able-bodied and also for people who are in my situation or similar situations or happen to be passing by in the grocery store and it is a bumper. I’m not sure if I’d be feeling differently if I were graduating this spring – I’m not sure how much taking an extra semester has an impact on my feelings about this, because maybe there is a chance that I will get to be back on campus. As I said, knowing that everyone in the world is in the same boat helps to ease my mind  a bit.

COLE, KATIE – And on that note, let’s get to Abby’s piece on how seniors are feeling right now.

TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYS

VERVAEKE, ABBY prerecorded – After the announcement about spring courses being online last week, there was a lot of talk about what this means for the Class of 2021. Part of their junior year was online and now it is looking like their senior year could be online too, pending a decision on who will be allowed on campus in the spring. 

For seniors, being online means more than just adapting to virtual classes. The big events like senior faculty toast, commencement ball, those final games for athletes and overall time to tie up loose ends won’t be the same. To learn more about what Simmons is doing for Seniors in this virtual space, I talked to Lauren Wagner, president of the class of 2021. 

VERVAKE, ABBY & WAGNER, LAUREN  prerecorded- 

Abby: Thank you for taking the time, I appreciate it

Lauren: Of course

A: So what is class council planning for seniors?

L: Um, because with the spring, like we are, like, we obviously want to continue all of our Simmons traditions because like, that’s something that’s like important to everyone. And it would be really sad to go a year without them, even if we are virtual. That being said, like, we are mostly focusing our efforts on just trying to make like senior week virtual instead of just doing like a lot of random events through the semester, we think that that’s more important to kind of put all of our efforts towards instead of like, just kind of doing whatever and then having like, virtual bingo, just because that doesn’t really seem to be what especially seniors are interested in. At the moment Corey did tell us to plan for an in person senior week. I mean, like, this was like, a month ago, we haven’t really spoken sense. Um, so we just had some tentative plans for like, trying to think about like, where there could be venues where like, everyone could still be outside and social distance. But I think now with classes being virtual, we really are shifting gears, to think about a fully virtual senior week. And honestly, like, we don’t know what that’s gonna look like. Hopefully, we can figure something out that will still, like celebrate the seniors and still give everyone a good sense of community and kind of finality to the college experience, while still making sure that everyone you know, stays safe and stays healthy.

A: What do you think the class of 2021? Like? What’s the biggest thing that they’ve lost? And is it like, how does that compare to the experiences of other classes and whatnot?

L: I think like, in my opinion, and from what I feel like I’ve gotten from a lot of people, I feel like, honestly, the biggest thing, it’s like, not necessarily like, you know, one specific event or anything like that, but just like getting to still like, I don’t know, get like the full experience of the Simmons community. Like obviously, like, I know, like, people are trying to do a good job of like having virtual events and like really, like, I don’t know, I feel like I talk to people in my classes so much more than I have before. But like, I really find that the biggest things that I’m missing and that like when I talk to my friends, if they’re missing is like, being able to like sit in common grounds and like talk to some people that like you had an in class like two semesters ago that there wouldn’t really be a reason for me to reach out to them now, but it’s like if I ran into them casually Like, I’d love to talk to them. And I think just like having that experience of just being within this larger Simmons community, and like, I don’t know, like all the socialization and connections that come from that, like, I think that’s really what we’re missing and a while, obviously, like, commencement and senior week, and all these things like are important, and we might miss, but like that the class of 2020 certainly did. But it’s like, they still got at least three and a majority of a fourth year, still being on campus and being around everyone, and like, really still having that experience

VERVAEKE, ABBY prerecorded – When I asked Lauren what Simmons could do better for seniors, she told me she wished there was more communication and that last week’s email had clarified who the administration was considering allowing back on campus. Julianna Hager, a senior political science student, echoed that sentiment and told me she wished Simmons explained how they made their decision and what the “potential face to fact programs” they mentioned would be. 

But, no matter what decision Simmons makes for in-person activities in the spring, this will not be a traditional senior year for the class of 2021. 

TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYS

INDELICATO, IZ – Up next we have a fantastic segment that will hopefully put you in a peaceful state of mind. I know that it’s really important to just take a few minutes as often as possible, hopefully every day just to be with yourself and settle down. To be gentle with yourself, so we are going to go ahead and play that segment. And also it’s probably something that’s good to listen to before we get into our piece a little bit later about McKamey Manor. And if you don’t know about it, you will. Iz sings a cryptic, off key “dun dun duhhhh.”

TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYS

HORN, MADDY prerecorded – Hello y’all. Maddy Horn here, just hopping on the pod to share some words of affirmation. We could all use them at this point in the semester.

First take a deep breath in… and out…

We are halfway through this semester, which might sound scary. You ought not to fear though. Look how far you’ve come! You might not have even realized until I said something! That’s how strong you’re moving along.

Two months… eight weeks… fifty six days… three thousand three hundred and sixty minutes… two hundred and one thousand, six hundred seconds. More or less, that is all of the time that has flown by since the start of this semester. 

We’re all in this together… even if we’re apart while we’re taking one step at a time this fall and into next spring. when so much is uncertain, at least we know we can count on each other to take care of one another in our community. 

The other day, a GoFundMe was started for a woman that works in the dining hall at Simmons. Practically triple the amount of money that was originally requested was raised for her. That happened in less than 24 hours. 

Remember to reach out. Remember to continue to show up for each other. Remember that you’re not alone. You go to Simmons. You won’t find our college experience anywhere else. Our student support system is so strong it might scare the administration at any other school. 

If you’re not buying what I said about just how connected we are at this institution…  know that even though there are plenty of Sharks that would be more than willing and happy to be a friend… I promise I am one of them. It’s not hard to find me on social media, or any of us really… and seeing as how that’s pretty much the only way for us to interact right now… consider this to be my way of inviting you, into my circle at least. Everyone is welcome. 

I wanted to share an uplifting message and I don’t care if I sounded like a cornball. I would give you a hug right now if I could too.

Let’s finish this semester together while we’re apart. You’ve got this, even if the ball drops here and there… You can pick it back up. I believe in you. Hang in there. 

TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYS

INDELICATO, IZ – Thank you so much, Maddy. And now… in a british accent… McKamey Manor. 

We have talked about this a bit – Abby, Sarah, Kate and I have talked about this while we haven’t been recording… But with spooky season, we might as well get into it. Sarah, can you tell us a little bit about what we know about McKamey Manor?

CARLON, SARAH – Iz, I am so glad you asked. I feel like this is a very fitting topic of conversation as we are heading into Halloween. And I truly know way too much about McKamey Manor because it is one of my hyper-fixations, so let’s get into it.

INDELICATO, IZ voice over – Please be aware that the next few minutes of this episode might be graphic for some listeners.

CARLON, SARAH – So McKamey Manor is self-described as a non-profit haunted house, but in my humble opinion its essentially hours of legal torture. It was created by a man named Russ McKamey, and it was originally literally in his house. 

INDELICATO, IZ – It actually started as a normal Halloween decoration spooky thing that your normal neighbor might do, and it just really escalated and got to the place that it is now.

CARLON, SARAH – Essentially what happens is that you sign a waiver you have to meet at this rendez-vous place, and you have to be wearing a onesie. Like a pajama onesie. and you get kidnapped. I mean you consented to this in the waiver. And you get kidnapped and brought to McKamey Manor where you undergo hours, and hours, and hours – I think the longest one was about 12 hours long – of  psychological, emotional and even physical harassment. So that is  McKamey Manor… I went into a real deep-dive in it in high school with my best fiend Maeve, but we are going to listen to an interview that Haley Rosenthal and Kaylin Wu did with Russ. Get ready to have your pants spooked off because this is a little shocking.

SPOOKY ORGAN TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYS

INDELICATO, IZ prerecorded – And now to throw it back to two years ago. Haley Rosenthal and Kaylin Wu had an on-air interview with Russ McKamey, head of McKamey Manor. And now we are going to play some clips for you. Here goes nothing.

SPOOKY ORGAN TRANSITION MUSIC FADES OUT

ROSENTHAL, HALEY & WU, KAYLIN  prerecorded- 

Haley: So it just started out as a normal, basic haunted house, but each year he noticed that people we’re like, “hey, we need it scarier next year,” and he’d do it around Halloween obviously. And it just kept getting more and more scary. And then it just escalated and somehow it turned into what it is today.

Some background on Russ, he was in the military for 23 years, so I feel like that has some – I’m – I’m gonna… but…  He is also a wedding singer on the side, which is probably necessary because getting into the manor is free. All you have to do is donate 2 cans of dog food. That’s all you need, because he just donates it to a greyhound rescue. He’s very fond of greyhounds, apparently. And then you get in! You can donate if you want, but he does spend a lot of his own money on creating this haunt.

So it’s brutal to say the least. And when he first started, I’d say for a few years there was no safe word.

Kaylin: Yeah, that was like the thing about it.

H: I understand, if you’re into this, that’s your prerogative. But I think in situations like that, there needs to be a safeword.

K: And that’s where this one’s so extreme. There are other sorts of, what you call “extreme haunts” but this one was, for a while, really different because there was no safe word which is pretty scary.

H: When there wasn’t a safe word people were like “so when do people leave?”  because some of these experiences would last like 6 hours. How do you decide when someone has had enough and they have to stop? And Russ is very involved in all of these and sort of the sadism of it all.

K: To me… What I’m really interested by is how he has the money to do these operations and how he hasn’t been like… sued to oblivion.

SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYS

H: So you have to be 21 and above, so we couldn’t do it.

K: Oh, okay.

H: No, actually, we could. You can be 18 to 20 with your parents approval… If our parents were like “sure” but I don’t think they would.

K: No… my parents would be like, “Kaylin…”

H: Absolutely not. And you have to complete a sports physical, and get a doctor’s letter saying that you are physically and mentally cleared… I’d probably not pass that. You have to pass a background check by McKamey Manor, like a legal background check, and be screened via. FaceTime with Russ. You also have to show proof of medical insurance, pass a drug test on the day of the show, and now I’m going to talk about the 40-page waiver.

K: It’s a 40-page waiver?!?

H: Yes. so, yes.

K: Wow.

H: So supposedly the waiver ceremony – ~waiver ceremony~ – as they call it…

K: laughing, the ~waiver ceremony~

H: It takes FIVE hours.

K: It takes FIVE hours??

H: Yeah, it’s part of the beginning of the experience because you’re just sitting there reading what’s about to happen to you and it’s already starting to mess with your mind. 

K: Ohhh. Yeah…

H: Like it’s part of it. Already I don’t know if I could handle that.

K: Oh, I wouldn’t be able to handle that.

H: Not at all. With that, we are going to talk to the man himself

Dial tone rings

H: laughing What if he doesn’t pick up

Phone picks up

Russ McKamey: McKamey Manor, this is Russ

H: Hi Russ, this is Haley, I’m just calling for our interview.

Russ: Yuuuppp.

SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYS

R: You’re gonna start the show at about 10 in the morning and this is a way for us to evaluate who you are, what you can do mentally and physically, and it gives me a good idea about how to fine-tune your particular show. Because every show is different. There’s not one. Its always different and its based upon a person’s fears and phobias and also what I find out about them during the say time portion of the show which is all fun and games and silly and goofy – but there is a reason I do all of that silly goofiness, because when the sun goes down, it gets serious real fast. And I have to know what these people are capable of because I don’t want to hurt them, I don’t want to put them in a situation where they won’t succeed. I want to give them every opportunity. 

You’re gonna go over it line by line, you’re gonna know everything that’s involved with the show. There’s nothing hidden from you. You can never come back and say “Oh I didn’t know you were gonna pull out my tooth without novocaine.” It’s like, yeah, you did because it says, written, number 135, we are gonna take your tooth out without novocaine. They are signing off on that. So they know everything that’s at play.

SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYS

R: It’s pretty pointless because nobody can even get past the first stunt when the sun goes down because they’re so scared at that point and I’m so in their head at that point… if I use hypnosis on them, which they don’t even know I’m doing when I do that – although it’s in the contract – but you don’t know I’m hypnotizing you, but that’s what I do during the day without you realizing it. So I guess you could say that it’s really kind of unfair in a way, but it’s not because they know what I’m doing. Say, I could sit you in a little kiddie pool full of three inches of water and tell you there’s a great white shark in there and you’re gonna freak out, and that’s what happens. That’s why I have total control of their mind when they’re inside, and that’s really hard to fight against. The old shows, where people are screaming and yelling, that’s not difficult. Like okay someone is yelling at you, goody goody – you’re yelling at me, you’re pushing me. Ohhh okay – what’s the big deal – but when you’ve got somebody in your head as deep as I get in your head, then that’s truly a frightening thing. And that’s why with the new shows I don’t need anybody. I don’t need anyone else. It’s only Russ. You’re just dealing with me. You have one person on a one-on-one level and that’s just so crazy… How can one person possibly be scary. That’s just insane. But that’s just how you do it and I’m real good at what I do.

SPOOKY OUTRO MUSIC BEGINS TO PLAY

R: And that’s why we have the success rate that I have. So how’s that for a long answer?

Russ McKamey chuckles

Haley Rosenthal laughs

INDELICATO, IZ prerecorded – Well, I’m not sure I’d ever have the guts to do an interview like that, so a huge thank you to Haley and Kaylin. If you want to listen to the rest of thiet interview with Russ McKamey, you can head to their SoundCloud. The link will be in the episode description.

SPOOKY OUTRO MUSIC FADES OUT

TRANSITION  MUSIC PLAYS

VERVAEKE, ABBY voice over – At the time of this recording we’re a little over a week from election day. Katie talked to one student that is voting in a swing state. Katie, take it away.

COLE, KATE – Right, so as part of our election coverage I’ve been speaking to swing state students. This week I sat down with Kylie Collins. She’s a second year student in the Political Science and Public Policy 3 + 1 program. She’s from Ohio, a battleground state that is quite contentious in this election. Polls from the state keep going back and forth about who is predicted to win the states 18 electoral college votes. So let’s hear a little bit of my conversation with Kylie.

TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYS

KATIE SWING STATE COVERAGE

COLE, KATIE prerecorded – There’s a saying about Ohio. 

TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYS

COLE, KATIE prerecorded – Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me and for giving a little bit of your experience as a swing state voter. I appreciate it.

COLLINS, KILEY prerecorded – Thanks for reaching out!

VERVAKE, ABBY Prerecorded – Katie, thank you so much for sharing that conversation with us. It’s really interesting to hear that student’s perspective. And now we’re gonna hear a little bit about Sarah’s experience voting by mail in this upcoming election.

TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYS

CARLON, SARAH prerecorded –  Car door opening , keys jangling, turing ignition, door open sound 

The very first thing I did on my 18th birthday was register to vote. I turned 18 in August of 2018, and, like many my age, the 2016 presidential election was a rude wake-up call. It seemed more important then than ever to make sure my voice was heard through my vote, and I eagerly hopped on my laptop, (after a birthday coffee, of course,) to register to vote.

I filled out the paperwork requesting my mail-in ballot in August, and although I requested my ballot to be sent to my address here in Shutesbury, my ballot was sent to my parents house. Luckily, my dad was able to mail it out as soon as they got it, and last week, I opened my mailbox to my first ever presidential ballot. I wish I could say I was more excited to vote, but I think this is a year full of concessions, and I was just happy that my ballot made it out here.

I voted in my first presidential election at my kitchen table after my schoolwork was done for the day. Thrilling stuff, right?  

The very next day, after my Monday 10 a.m. class, I drove to Shutesbury’s teeny post office to deliver my ballot into the mailbox myself. 

Standing in front of the mailbox, I hesitated. This year has damn near sucked my enthusiasm dry, but there is something to be said for voting. I’m working on an exhibit with my advisor this year about Simmons’ place in the suffrage movement, because it’s the centennial anniversary of women getting the vote. I thought of suffragists like Ida B Wells, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Alice Stone Blackwell, Mary Church Terrell, and the countless other women who fought for their voices to be heard. I thought of the Simmons students and even the first dean of Simmons, Sarah Louise Arnold, who, despite pushback from their peers, professors, families, and a big chunk of the nation writ large, fought for their right to vote. We are so removed from the suffrage movement that checking boxes on a ballot has turned into a chore instead of a revolutionary act.

I put my envelope into the slot and said a prayer that it would reach the Barnstable town clerk’s office as soon as possible.

And look: I’m not here to shame people who aren’t voting, and I’m not here to laude the suffrage movement like it was without its faults. History is messy, and political action is nuanced. Voter disenfranchisement is something that is still alive and well in the US, and for those who have had generation after generation experience it, I completely understand why they maybe wouldn’t vote.

I am a very different person than when I turned 18. I have lost a lot of faith in our political systems, and the ability for my vote/elections to bring about change. However, I have also seen the strength that a community can bring, and how to look out for those who need it most. Voting is not and should not be the end-all-be-all of one’s political engagement, but it is certainly a great place to start.

Keys jangle 

TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYS

CARLON, SARAH – Now I want to pose a question to the group… What’s your favorite Halloween costume that you’ve ever worn? Abby, let’s start with you.

VERVAEKE, ABBY – I think mine was when I was in 6th grade. I dressed up as an old woman. I put curlers in my hair, I had little reading glasses, bathrobe, a nightgown, slippers, and I think it really finally made me feel like my look matched the age of my soul, so it really worked out for me. 

Vervake laughs

COLE, KATIE- That’s really funny abby because knowing you now, you do have glasses and curlers. I’m assuming you probably have a bathrobe as well. I don’t know the intimates of your bathroom experience, but I like how you little bit predicted the future that you were going to have.

VERVAEKE, ABBY – Exactly.

COLE, KATIE- The best Halloween costume I’ve ever done – I can say this with my full chest and full certainty, it’s when me and my elementary school best friend, Naomi dressed up as salt and pepper shakers. We didn’t buy the costumes, we made it. We got these giant slabs of cardboard and spray painted them and wrote an ‘S’ and ‘P’ on them and then we had these dome heads with punched out – it was like covered in foil and had punched out little holes as the little shakers on top and it was the best Halloween costume I have ever done. Ever in my whole life and I’ll never top it. It was just such a good costume.

INDELICATO, IZ – I absolutely love that. My favorite Halloween costume was… 2 years ago now? Wow, time flies. I was the Wicked Witch of the Northeast… so we all know the Wizard of Oz, Wicked Witch of the East – Got hit by the house, we saw her striped legs and ruby red slippers. I wanted to make it New England so I got a huge Patriots jersey form my dad that fit like a dress, and I put on those- I got some striped leggings, I got some ruby red slippers, got a Red Sox cap and a Dunkin iced coffee, and I was the wicked…. Iz speaks in a bad, over-exaggerated Boston accent –The Wicked Witch of the Northeast. Iz speaks normally – I can’t do that accent, Sarah, will you do it for me?

CARLON, SARAH – Sarah speaks in a thick Boston accent –Two years ago for Halloween, Iz was the Wicked Witch of the Northeast. They had a medium iced regular regular from Dunkins and a cruller.

COLE, KATIE-  I love that because ‘wicked’ is also such a colloquial term from our region.

INDELICATO, IZ – you picked it up. You picked it up baby.

CARLON, SARAH – My favorite Halloween costume I’ve ever done – My freshman year of high school I was the second president of the United States, John Adams. Because I was obsessed with him at that point in my life and I really needed to evoke him in my costume, so I was John Adams for Halloween. And I went around talking about the Constitutional Convention and all of that. And now I’m majoring in American History… to absolutely no one’s surprise.

INDELICATO, IZ – Love to hear it, love to hear it. We want to hear about what you’re dressing up as for Halloween. Whether it be this year, or what your favorite costume is in the past, so send us your photos on Instagram. Either send them to @radiosimmons or @thesimmonsvoice on Instagram or Twitter, and we’ll do something with it. I’m not sure exactly what yet but we want to see, we want to show them off to all of our followers. I think that’s all for today, right?

CARLON, SARAH – I think that’s it.

COLE, KATIE-  The next episode we are going to be putting out will be after Halloween on November 2nd, the Monday before election day, so expect some great election coverage from us, and we are so excited to talk with you next week. Bye yall, we’ll catch you next week.

VERVAEKE, ABBY-  Should we say “Happy Halloween” on three?

CARLON, COLE, INDELICATO – Yes! 

COLE, KATIE- Okay, ready?

CARLON, VERVAEKE, COLE, INDELICATO – One, two, three, Happy Halloween!

Carlon, Vervake, Cole, and Indelicato laugh.

INDELICATO, IZ- That was so bad.

CARLON, SARAH – Brutal.

VERVAEKE, ABBY-  Yikes.

COLE, KATIE-  Oof, oof.

OUTRO MUSIC BEGINS PLAYING 

ANNOUNCER – Welcome Home was created and produced by Iz Indelicato, Katie Cole, Abby Vervake, and Sarah Carlon. Our editors are Iz Indelicato and Katie Cole. The theme music for this podcast was created by Matthew Harrison, aka Matty Sun. The cover art for this podcast was made by Carly Dickler.  Special thanks to everyone who contributed in the making of this podcast through writing articles, conducting interviews, creating segments, and so much more. This has been a production of Simmons Radio: The Shark, and The Simmons Voice.