The women’s lacrosse team looks to build off the 10-8 record that sent them to their 13th Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament in the last 16 years.
Despite that run, the Colonels were tabbed 7th in the Conference’s preseason poll which Head Coach Caitlin Roberts knows means little.
“I don’t pay attention much to preseason polls, if that’s how we’re looked at by the conference, then I enjoy being the underdog,” said Roberts, entering her 17th season at the helm.
The 2017 version of the Colonels has seven seniors, five of whom have played consistently for their four years here. Coach Roberts will be looking to these seniors to provide leadership and success to the team. The graduating members are also tasked with being role models to the inexperienced crop of freshmen new to the campus.
“This [freshman] group reminds me of our current senior class…they are both extremely hard workers,” Roberts said, regarding her new additions. “We have sixnew girls, and they all bring something different to the table.”
All 18 women on the roster have a chance to play in coach’s eyes this season just from the way they continuously make each other better. “They are all one team, they push each other to be better players, and work extremely hard as a team, not as individuals,” said Roberts.
That fusion of players is a key component to winning games and if everyone is on the same page, Coach Roberts sees good things happening. She noted that it’s “the hard work, the dedication, the understanding of peoples’ roles, buying into the philosophy, and playing as a family” that ultimately brings championships.
But before they can get too far, the Colonels need to open the season on Tuesday. Roberts displayed her excitement for seeing how the units gel together in real game action and not against their own teammates in practice.
That start can’t come soon enough to Roberts and her staff who noted that the expectation is a top-four finish in the conference order to host a playoff game which they haven’t done in seven years.
The obvious main goal for the team is to win the championship, but Coach Roberts knows not to get too ahead of herself, one step at a time. That first step comes Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. as Salem State makes the voyage for the non-conference battle.
At the end of the day, Roberts feels her girls (along with all the other sports teams) deserve “as many people as possible to come out and support this team.”
Whaddya say, Curry?
BY CHRISTIANNA CASALETTO AND RYAN HATHAWAY // Nov. 8, 2015 //
UPDATE: Nov. 8, 2015 10:00 a.m.
A Curry College student has been arrested after a search of his dorm room in Lombard Hall revealed a gun, ammunition and a several types of illegal drugs.
Darius Boodoosingh, 18, was taken into custody by Milton Police late Friday, according to a statement released to the press by Milton Police Deputy Chief John King. Boodoosingh remains in police custody at this time, prior to his arraignment sometime next week.
He faces charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, carrying a firearm on school grounds, three counts of possession of a class B drug with intent to distribute, and one count apiece of possession of a class C, D, and E drug with intent to distribute.
Darius Boodoosingh, 18, was arrested after Public Safety found a firearm in his Lombard dorm room // PHOTO BY MILTON POLICE
An email from Dean Maryellen Kiley informed the Curry community that the student had been placed on interim suspension. The community notification sent out by the college stated that campus security searched a residence hall Friday evening in relation to recent thefts across campus.
At this time, Boodoosingh has not been charged with burglary, larceny, or possession of stolen property.
The Milton Police Department was contacted by Public Safety and Boodoosingh was arrested. The charges against Boodoosingh indicate that he planned to sell the drugs. The charges also confirm that he did not have a license for the gun. It is against state law to possess a gun on campus.
Boodoosingh was a star running back at Boston English High School. He was not listed on the Curry football team’s roster for the 2015 season.
Curry students were taken aback by the presence of a gun on their campus. “I was very surprised,” said sophomore Sam Lyman. “To be truthful, I was a little nervous when I originally saw it.”
Senior Jillian DeSousa echoed Lyman’s thoughts. “I knew there were thefts but I never would have thought a kid could get away with having a gun and ammunition on campus,” she said. “I just wonder how he got it, how he [was able to sneak] it onto the campus. It’s actually really scary.”
DeSousa also added that she was disappointed this had flown under the radar with public safety. In the community notification from Dean Kiley, she noted that the discovery of the weapon by Public Safety was a direct result of information shared by students related to the string of thefts that have been occurring.
“You’d think after the sexual assaults that happened last year [and this semester] that they’d beef up security.” She also said she thought it seemed like they did for a little while but that it didn’t last.
Seniors Dakota Caron and Steven Marino said it was eye-opening that someone could have a gun on campus at Curry. “You see all those stories about it, but on such a small campus you would never think you would have that kind of problem here,” Marino said.
“Granted it’s a small school and everybody knows each other, but I mean Public Safety kind of lets anyone onto campus,” Caron said, in reference to the gate at the school’s entrance. “If you don’t have a sticker they give you a hard time, but it’s sort of like anyone can get onto campus.”
Both Marino and Caron did say that they still felt safe at Curry, but that they would like it a little bit more secure. “I feel like Curry did a good job of maintaining the situation and taking care of it,” Marino said. “But you really have to be alert to your surroundings.”
Lyman said because this is the first time he has heard of anything like this, that it makes him feel safe. “I know some other things have happened, but this is the first time I’ve heard of anything like this,” he said. “It doesn’t sound like a huge issue that’s going to continually happen.”
College officials say they don’t believe there’s any threat to the campus community. In a statement, Director of Communication Fran Jackson stated, “At this time, no immediate or ongoing threat to our community has been deemed present.”
Original Story Follows: Nov. 7, 2015 4:00 p.m.
A Curry College student has been arrested after a firearm and ammunition were found in a campus dorm room.
Darius Boodoosingh, 18, was taken into custody by Milton Police late Friday. Dean Maryellen Kiley sent out an email at the time to inform the students he had been placed on interim suspension.
The community notification sent out by the college states campus security searched a residence hall Friday evening in relation to recent thefts across campus. During the search, a gun, ammunition and a variety of drugs were found.
The Milton Police Department was contacted by Public Safety and the student was arrested. According to Milton Police, Boodoosingh had planned to sell the drugs.
According to WFXT-25, Milton Police have confirmed Boodoosingh did not have a license for the gun. It is against campus policy and state law to possess a gun on campus.
College officials say they don’t believe there’s any threat to the campus community.
Running is one of the simplest ways to exercise, but it also has a very social aspect. On campus, there are always groups of two or three people running together. When there are so many others running together, it can be awkward running on your own.
That’s exactly why Matt Crone and Jack Conca started the running club.
The idea was sparked last year, before Crone and Conca left for the summer. Both are avid runners and realized that running is always much more fun with a buddy. The goal of the running club is to get all of those buddies up and running together – the perfect mix of fitness and friendship.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN S. CAMPBELL, CREATIVE COMMONS.
Chief Brian Greeley of Public Safety has taken on the job as the running club’s faculty advisor. Greeley leads a motivational run every Friday morning. If excited chanting on Friday mornings has ever woken you up, it’s probably Greeley and his runners. Greeley’s passion for running and aptitude for motivating students is exactly why Crone and Conca approached him to be their advisor.
With enough members on board and Greeley as their advisor, the club is just awaiting Student Government’s approval. Without everything finalized, there is still schedule flexibility.
“We plan on meeting once during the week and once on the weekend. Most likely on Saturday afternoons, but the exact time has not yet been finalized.” said Crone.
Once the club gains SGA’s approval, Crone plans on starting runs right away. The club will begin with runs on-campus, but there are many opportunities for off-campus runs and even running in charity races.
Crone is hoping to start running at 2 p.m. Most runs will be in the three to six mile range, however there is always room to expand the runs. Crone said there is a possibility of runs in the seven to nine mile range.
He thinks one of the most powerful experiences is when individuals work together as a team to achieve one goal. Crone explained, “The philosophy of this club is to promote the community that group running brings. We would stay together at all times.”
For an amateur runner, a three to six mile run may seem unachievable. However, Crone stressed that the club is for runners of all abilities and that everyone will be working as a team.
For Crone, it’s all about how running as a group will benefit each member. Crone and Conca want to build a family of runners.
If you’re interested in joining the running club, please contact Matt Crone at mcrone2014@curry.edu.
If you plan on voting in the November election, it’s a good idea to be well versed in the candidates’ positions. Whoever you end up voting for, your decision should be based on what matters most to you.
Is college debt an issue in the front of your mind? Probably.
Are you concerned about the Second Amendment and your “right to bear arms?” Possibly.
Does President Barack Obama’s healthcare law keep you up at night? Probably not. But it does affect you, whether you realize it or not.
President Barack Obama’s healthcare plan has been a heavily debated topic.
The “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” better known as Obamacare was signed into law in March 2010. It hasn’t fully gone into effect, yet opponents and advocates of the law have since been arguing over its full costs and value.
Conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh called the law “the greatest encroachment on individual liberty ever. That’s why it has to be repealed, and that’s what this election is all about.” Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has said he will lead that charge if elected.
But what exactly is Obamacare? And how does it impact you, today’s college student?
Because of the law, family policies can now include children under the age of 26. Approximately 3 million people who previously had no health insurance now own coverage thanks to this part of the law.
Also, insurance agencies used to decline coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions. The new law prohibits that. Insurers can no longer turn down someone with a pre-existing condition, such as ADD or ADHD, for example, which are increasingly common medical disorders among our generation.
Obamacare also allows people who can’t afford health insurance to receive some governmental financial support to buy it, and it mandates that insurance policies cover FDA-approved contraception for women.
Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, signed a similar healthcare plan into law in the state back in 2006. Now, he opposes the framework of the very law he once championed, saying it is far too costly for the federal government.
Obamacare may not be the perfect solution to the nation’s healthcare and financial challenges. It has its good and bad, just like any other law. But it does help young people, and that’s worth thinking about when considering whom to vote for this November.
“Wait, we have a duck over here,” said Jason Margeson.
The 24-year-old, with arms the size of an ordinary man’s thigh, rose from a small blue chair that was built for a toddler. He then reached under a table to turn off a toy that someone had left on.
Just another day at the office.
“I would have never thought I would work with children,” said Margeson, who graduated from Curry in 2010 with a degree in psychology and a minor in education. He is now a full-time licensed teacher at the Curry Early Childhood Center (CECC).
Though he sometimes gets the “Kindergarden Cop” comparison from others, Jason Margeson destroys the stereotype of what it means to be a macho man. // PHOTO BY ANDREW BLOM
The CECC, founded in 1981, is a daycare and preschool on campus that tends to 55 children, from infancy to age 4. The Center employs certified teachers, such as Margeson, as well as Curry work-study students who assist teachers in providing the children a safe and fun learning environment.
As a student, Margeson was a member of the football team from 2007 to 2009. He played running back, cornerback and outside linebacker. As a teacher, he’s still playing, although his new “team” is filled with approximately nine 2- and 3-year-olds. Margeson is also the CECC’s lone full-time male employee, which makes the muscle-bound Brockton, Mass., native stand out a bit from his colleagues.
“Sometimes you don’t really have anyone to talk sports with,” said Margeson on the disadvantages of being the only male teacher. “Well, some of the girls do, but it dies out pretty quick.”
Other than that, Margeson said being the only guy has its advantages. “The women help me out a lot” on the job, he said. “That female influence makes it easy to talk to them about any problems I might have with the children and they have helped me grow as a teacher. They help me calm down.”
Margeson began working at the Center his sophomore year, needing a job—any job—to earn his work-study aid. He said his former teammates would often jokingly tease him about the one he got, but Margeson enjoyed the work and found that he was good at it, too.
“On the field, I was very physical and [my teammates] wouldn’t think I could calm down that much to work with children,” he said.
Margeson has used his love of sports to connect with many of the children, whether through baseball, soccer or any other sport. He said he once attempted to teach the kids flag football, but “that didn’t go too well. But we tried, and it was fun.”
Margeson said his primary responsibility is ensuring that each child is safe and that they have fun throughout the day. Prior to becoming the teacher for toddlers ages 2 and 3, he spent his first year on staff in the infant room, where his main responsibilities included giving the babies bottles and changing diapers. Among the infants Margeson cared for was then-6-month- old Owen MacDougall, son of Curry Communication Professor Robert MacDougall.
“He’s fantastic with kids,” said MacDougall, who first met Margeson when his older son attended CECC as well. “He fits the Hollywood stereotype for masculinity, but he’s nice, gentle and patient, and blows this stereotype away, which bodes well for these kids.”
Compared to playing college football, Margeson described working at the daycare as going from “one extreme to another.” Whereas he used to be intense and physical, his current responsibilities require him to be calm, mellow and patient. Yet, in some ways, Margeson said he takes inspiration from many of his former youth sports coaches. He often views his work at the CECC as simply a different avenue to “make a big impact on a child.”
Although Margeson said his job can be frustrating at times, he quickly remembers how young the children are and simply tries to find solutions that are unique to each child’s personality.
“Their interested in everything that we take for granted,” said Margeson. “They see everything in such a different way. They haven’t seen the negative things in the world.
“You can be yourself and they are not going to judge you,” he added. “You can be as silly and as goofy as you want, and they’ll just join in with you.”
