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Published on January 09, 2025
Christine Guarnieri ’03 is on a mission to promote history and to serve the Willimantic community. Her medium? Eastern’s on-campus radio station and the legacy of old-time radio.
A former Barnard scholar at Eastern and the current office manager for the university’s AAUP faculty union, Guarnieri is entering her 25th year as a radio personality on WECS 90.1 FM. Her show, “Chatterbox Old Time Radio,” features archival recordings of vintage radio programs from what is known as radio’s “golden age.” Notably, she hosts special marathon programs on holidays.
Guarnieri plays these broadcasts “in their entirety with commercials because of the historic value of the show,” she said. In addition, she showcases the talent of local musicians and actors live in studio, from Willimantic residents to her own family members. She gives shoutouts to local businesses and hosts Eastern faculty and staff to give live readings.
Guarnieri’s program, specifically the music she broadcasts, is enhanced by her background. As a child, she experienced some of the country’s finest musical talent firsthand; her father, Johnny Guarnieri, was a renowned jazz and stride pianist, performing with jazz giants such as Benny Goodman and the Dorsey Brothers.
“I do it all for the community,” she said. “I believe we have a responsibility to be filled with joy and pass it on.”
Guarnieri has learned, through lived experience, the importance of maintaining joy through hardship. She first fell in love with Willimantic and Eastern in 1978, when helping a relative of a close friend move into Eastern. Upon seeing the campus and the surrounding town, she thought to herself, “I could live here.”
Two decades later, Guarnieri became a victim of domestic violence and spent two years at St. Francis House, a shelter in New London. Seeking a fresh start, she commuted to Eastern for two years from the shelter. There, she laid the groundwork for her current projects. She moved to Willimantic her final year at Eastern.
Guarnieri has taken the initiative to bring the joy of live entertainment to others who may be struggling to find it elsewhere. Beyond her community radio broadcasts, she conducts a program at nursing homes playing music for the residents.
“It brings them to life,” she said, describing how music from familiar parts of the residents’ lives lights them up and transports them to those experiences. “That gives me more impetus to be on (the radio).”
Guarnieri’s service to the community extends beyond live music. In addition to her role with Eastern’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, she also serves as a prayer chaplain at the Eastern Connecticut Veterans Community Center, she was on the road with National Theatre of the Deaf for two years and was formerly the theater director at Ledyard High School.
One common goal drives Guarnieri through her service to each of these roles: to best serve Willimantic and the surrounding communities.
Written by Noel Teter