Sarah Connell Sanders
Correspondent
I met Curtis Kariuki at a pretentious art party in August of 2016. He was introduced to me as a promising local videographer set to embark on a national hip-hop tour in the fall. We bonded over our shared alma mater.
“I was class of ‘05,” I told him. “What about you?”
He laughed and said, “Class of 2016.”
I nearly spit out my mouthful of overpriced pinot grigio. “Are you even old enough to be here?” I asked. The truth was, he belonged in the art scene more than anyone else.
Within a year of high school graduation, Kariuki had been featured on Hypebeast for his “Lil Yachty Scrapbook,” a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a teen rap sensation. On the cover, a shirtless Lil Yachty makes googly eyes at the camera while devouring a slice of pizza, his childlike demeanor forming a sharp contrast with the shimmering diamonds around his neck and a chest full of stark tattoos. The moment I saw the photo, I was reminded of how
Sarah Connell Sanders
Correspondent
In our last issue, I wrote a column about the mysterious new pizza shop, I Love Frankie’s, which popped up on Providence Street overnight and drew huge crowds in its first few weeks. I wanted to know more about the enigmatic owner and his giant slices. It turned out he was as baffled as everyone else by his swift and unexpected rise.
What’s your story, Frankie?
It’s my daughter. It’s all about my daughter. I have a 6-year-old who I’ve been trying to move closer to for years. I got into a bad car accident, to no fault of my own, that delayed my move and kept me in Denver. I have been flying to Massachusetts every six weeks for six years. Halloween 2019, I had flown in to take her trick-or-treating. I came across Family Pizza Express right down the road from the new stadium. I asked for an application and told the owner I planned to relocate to the area to be closer to my daughter and my dad who lives on Long Island he’s still kicki
Sarah Connell Sanders
Correspondent
A friend chimed in on the group text this week with a surprising confession. Her employer had offered her the COVID-19 vaccine, and she wasn’t sure what to do. “I feel terribly guilty,” she wrote, “to be vaccinated before so many elders who need it.”
My initial reaction was confusion. From my perspective, the more inoculated Worcesterites, the sooner I could get back to throwing elaborate theme parties, having leisurely meetings in coffee shops, and teaching real, live human children my definitive philosophy on the potato hierarchy I mean, teaching them how to read.
(French fries>chips>mashed potatoes>tater tots. Obviously.)
Sarah Connell Sanders
Correspondent
In November, the Worcester Public Library named Jason Homer as executive director. Homer will oversee seven library branches, two mobile libraries, all library staff, and a collection numbering in the millions. He brings 12 years of experience and a reputation for spearheading forward-thinking initiatives. The Worcester Public Library is currently undergoing a $12.7 million renovation.
Where did you grow up and how did you find your way to Worcester?
I am originally from Brockton, Massachusetts, and that s where I grew up. Brockton is a pretty diverse city and when I left, I realized how much I missed it. I went to Stonehill College, which was just a stone s throw away from Brockton, but it felt like a different world. That experience helped me realize how much I missed city life and being part of a really vibrant community. While at Stonehill, I fell in love with libraries. For the first part of my graduate studies at Simmons, I thought that I
Last Call with Bryan Feliz, Slate Chocolate Milk Marketing Intern
Sarah Connell Sanders
Correspondent
Last year, I attended one of Professor Lawrence Norman’s “Marketing to You” classes at Clark University where I was immersed in a deluge of pop culture, hype and impressive guest speakers. Norman is a Clark alumnus who spent two decades of his career strengthening the Adidas brand. He also built an impressive professional network along the way, which he happily extends to the members of his class. Almost all of Norman’s students leave the popular class dead set on landing a marketing internship.
I have had the pleasure of checking in with a couple of Norman’s former students over the last few months to learn how they fared. This week, I spoke with Bryan Feliz who is on track to complete Clark’s Accelerated Master’s Program this spring. As a result of his determination in Norman’s class, Feliz secured a marketing internship with Slate Chocolate Milk a new heal