The “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign has been all over social media, and has moved to Lasell’s campus. The campaign’s mission is geared towards ending the nonchalant use of the word “retarded”. Most use the word as an insult, which is an insult to people who are actually mentally challenged.
Talia Gabriel, a junior at Lasell, brought this program to campus. As part of her capstone project, Gabriel and Denise Archetto are trying to make Lasell a Special Olympics college. In order to do so, the college has to host a Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, have a club on campus, and host an event.
The Spread the Word to End the Word campaign was held on March 5 and many Lasers took the pledge. This was put on by the Barry Price Club, and they are putting on the next event: Laser for a Day. Gabriel said, “We will be hosting Laser for a Day which is a unified event for persons with disabilities in the Newton community and the Lasell community. The athletes will wear Lasell uniforms during the games.” The games will take place on April 26th from 10am-2pm.
These events are an important part in ending the stigma that comes with being mentally challenged, and creates a unification that hasn’t been before. With Gabriel’s initiative and the support of her fellow Lasers, Lasell is becoming a more well-rounded and all around better campus.
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