The Enterprise of Brockton, May 27, 2008, Page 1
http://www.enterprisenews.com/business/x1880508429/Gas-prices-putting-the-brakes-on-young-adultsRising-gas-prices-mean-less-time-behind-the-wheel-for-young-adults-on-limited-budgets-Many-teens-are-spending-a-good-portion-of-their-paychecks-just-on-gas
By Matthew D’Amore
SPECIAL TO THE ENTERPRISE
EASTON — Marissa Kimball used to go out with her friends and shop all the time.
But rising gas prices are changing that for Kimball and other teens and young adults as buying gas takes a big chunk out of their limited incomes.
“I really don’t go shopping with my friends anymore. I hang out with them, but I just can’t buy anything because most of my money goes to gas these days,” said Kimball, 18, a student at UMass-Dartmouth.
A May 2008 poll from Junior Achievement shows that rising prices at the pump have caught up with teens.
Gas is now the top item teens buy with credit cards, surpassing clothes. From shorter shopping excursions to fewer trips home for college students to carpooling with other teens to get to work, young adults are looking for ways to economize on travel expenses.
“I can’t even take my girlfriend out on a date too much anymore because gas is so expensive,” said Dave Cutler, a sophomore at Bridgewater State College.
With gas prices heading toward $4 a gallon in Massachusetts, the cost of driving a car is a challenge that high school seniors looking ahead to college will face in the coming months.
Many young adults are spending a good portion of their paychecks just on gas.
If they earn the Massachusetts minimum wage of $8 an hour, they are spending close to half of that hour’s wage for one gallon of gas.
“Usually, I spend somewhere around $50 to $70 dollars sometimes a week on gas,” said Natalie Hughes, a student at Bridgewater State. “That basically is more than half of my paycheck sometimes.”
Jeff Crehan, who attends Stonehill College in Easton, said most of his money goes to gas.
“Gas is basically what I spend most of my money on. It cost so much just to fill up a whole tank, and I live in Connecticut, so I do that often when I go home,” Crehan said.
As gas prices keep rising, young adults are among the many motorists who predict that gas prices may drop a little but not back to the days of $2 a gallon.
“I think gas will go back down, but never be back to what it used to be,” said Mary Sullivan, 19.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Coffee keeps the college students running
Published May 12, 2008
Taunton Daily Gazette, Education section cover story
http://www.tauntongazette.com/
By Kristen Masley
EASTON — It is 2 o’clock in the morning at Stonehill College and Christine Stewart wakes up to a quiet campus.
She lies in bed for a few minutes, then gets up. Her body, she says later, is awake. Her brain is not.
She pulls out a bowl of cereal and milk. She makes a couple comments to the room, although her roommate is asleep. After her late-night snack, Stewart climbs back into bed and listens to her iPod. She eventually falls back asleep.
This is Christine Stewart’s life as a coffee junkie. She loves the taste of coffee. She consumes about four cups of coffee a day; three in the morning and one in the afternoon.
“I look forward to having that first cup of coffee when I wake up,” says Stewart, “It is what gets me through my day.”
Despite her love of coffee, Stewart worries over the quality and quantity of sleep she gets at night.
More than once Stewart wakes up in the middle of the night, usually in a subconscious awakened state.
The amount of caffeine Stewart consumes from coffee is about 500 milligrams per day. In each cup of coffee, there is roughly around 135 milligrams of caffeine, according to MedicineNet. She also drinks different kinds of coffee during the day, which varies the caffeine dose that she consumes.
The different levels that the coffee bean is roasted and brewed can affect the caffeine level, according to James Hayes-Bohanan a geography professor at Bridgewater State College that specializes in the study of coffee and geography.
All that can translates into sleep problems The varied and long-term usage of caffeine can cause losses of sleep, according to the John Hopkins Medical Center.
Caffeine is used to stimulate the central nervous system of the body. It gives the human a body an extra boost of adrenaline and allows a person to focus and be more alert according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Although caffeine can be used to give someone an extra use of energy, studies show that caffeine has a direct effect on sleeping.
According to Sanford Bolton, Ph.D. and Gary Null, M.S caffeine seems to inhibit deeper stages of sleep as opposed to disturbances of the REM stage.
The times that Stewart wakes up in the middle of the night can be attributed to the amount of caffeine she consumes throughout the day. The National Sleep Foundation says caffeine blocks sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain. An excessive amount of caffeine can prevent a person from quality sleep.
But caffeine is not the only factor that can cause a loss of sleep.
“I have at least four cups of coffee (a day),” says BSC’s Hayes-Bohanan “And I sleep perfectly fine.” So what else could be hurting Stewart’s sleep?She says that she has a heightened anxiety throughout the day that keeps her mind running even when she’s sleeping.
Every morning when she wakes up, the first thoughts that race to her mind are “What do I have to get done today?”
“I worry about the next day and what happened the day before,” says Stewart. “I think about school, my internship, family, and conflicts with friends.”
Don’t rule out coffee just yet, one study found. The John Hopkins Medical Center found in a study that people who have a caffeine intake of 200 milligrams or more have increased anxiety ratings.
Caffeine has been known to increase stress and anxiety, making Stewart the perfect candidate for a lack of sleep.
Stewart says she wants to start trying to cut down on the amount of caffeine she has in her diet.
Studies by the Psychiatric Association on caffeine withdrawal symptoms show that there is evidence of physical dependence. Stewart may have a harder time cutting down on caffeine because she uses it not only because she likes the taste but because it gives her an extra boost to complete her day.
Besides attending school, Stewart is a tour guide for the school, exercises for about an hour every day, and was a peer mentor. She needs caffeine in her life in order to have the energy to do all of these activities.
“I feel like I can’t function without it,” says Stewart.
Limiting the consumption of caffeine will come with side effects including excessive sleepiness, lack of concentration, and muscle cramps, according to Pegasus NLP.
The most common side effect is a dramatic drop in blood pressure, due to the body becoming over-sensitive to adenosine that cause more blood to gather in the head producing a migraine-like headache. Although it may be difficult for awhile, Stewart said it may better to limit how much coffee she drinks today and hope for better sleep for her nights.
Taunton Daily Gazette, Education section cover story
http://www.tauntongazette.com/
By Kristen Masley
EASTON — It is 2 o’clock in the morning at Stonehill College and Christine Stewart wakes up to a quiet campus.
She lies in bed for a few minutes, then gets up. Her body, she says later, is awake. Her brain is not.
She pulls out a bowl of cereal and milk. She makes a couple comments to the room, although her roommate is asleep. After her late-night snack, Stewart climbs back into bed and listens to her iPod. She eventually falls back asleep.
This is Christine Stewart’s life as a coffee junkie. She loves the taste of coffee. She consumes about four cups of coffee a day; three in the morning and one in the afternoon.
“I look forward to having that first cup of coffee when I wake up,” says Stewart, “It is what gets me through my day.”
Despite her love of coffee, Stewart worries over the quality and quantity of sleep she gets at night.
More than once Stewart wakes up in the middle of the night, usually in a subconscious awakened state.
The amount of caffeine Stewart consumes from coffee is about 500 milligrams per day. In each cup of coffee, there is roughly around 135 milligrams of caffeine, according to MedicineNet. She also drinks different kinds of coffee during the day, which varies the caffeine dose that she consumes.
The different levels that the coffee bean is roasted and brewed can affect the caffeine level, according to James Hayes-Bohanan a geography professor at Bridgewater State College that specializes in the study of coffee and geography.
All that can translates into sleep problems The varied and long-term usage of caffeine can cause losses of sleep, according to the John Hopkins Medical Center.
Caffeine is used to stimulate the central nervous system of the body. It gives the human a body an extra boost of adrenaline and allows a person to focus and be more alert according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Although caffeine can be used to give someone an extra use of energy, studies show that caffeine has a direct effect on sleeping.
According to Sanford Bolton, Ph.D. and Gary Null, M.S caffeine seems to inhibit deeper stages of sleep as opposed to disturbances of the REM stage.
The times that Stewart wakes up in the middle of the night can be attributed to the amount of caffeine she consumes throughout the day. The National Sleep Foundation says caffeine blocks sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain. An excessive amount of caffeine can prevent a person from quality sleep.
But caffeine is not the only factor that can cause a loss of sleep.
“I have at least four cups of coffee (a day),” says BSC’s Hayes-Bohanan “And I sleep perfectly fine.” So what else could be hurting Stewart’s sleep?She says that she has a heightened anxiety throughout the day that keeps her mind running even when she’s sleeping.
Every morning when she wakes up, the first thoughts that race to her mind are “What do I have to get done today?”
“I worry about the next day and what happened the day before,” says Stewart. “I think about school, my internship, family, and conflicts with friends.”
Don’t rule out coffee just yet, one study found. The John Hopkins Medical Center found in a study that people who have a caffeine intake of 200 milligrams or more have increased anxiety ratings.
Caffeine has been known to increase stress and anxiety, making Stewart the perfect candidate for a lack of sleep.
Stewart says she wants to start trying to cut down on the amount of caffeine she has in her diet.
Studies by the Psychiatric Association on caffeine withdrawal symptoms show that there is evidence of physical dependence. Stewart may have a harder time cutting down on caffeine because she uses it not only because she likes the taste but because it gives her an extra boost to complete her day.
Besides attending school, Stewart is a tour guide for the school, exercises for about an hour every day, and was a peer mentor. She needs caffeine in her life in order to have the energy to do all of these activities.
“I feel like I can’t function without it,” says Stewart.
Limiting the consumption of caffeine will come with side effects including excessive sleepiness, lack of concentration, and muscle cramps, according to Pegasus NLP.
The most common side effect is a dramatic drop in blood pressure, due to the body becoming over-sensitive to adenosine that cause more blood to gather in the head producing a migraine-like headache. Although it may be difficult for awhile, Stewart said it may better to limit how much coffee she drinks today and hope for better sleep for her nights.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Stoughton art center weathers the years
Published May 8, 2008
The Enterprise of Brockton
http://www.enterprisenews.com/homepage/x356878760/Stoughton-art-center-weathers-the-years
By Amanda Breen
SPECIAL TO THE ENTERPRISE
STOUGHTON — They stopped making raincoats at the one-story building on Park Street years ago, but that hasn’t stopped customers from stopping by — even though it’s now an art center.
Elaine Felos Ostrander — owner and artist at the Felos Memorial Art Center and FMAC Gallery, open now for more than 10 years — said people still wander into the 720 Park St. building looking for the raincoats that her father, Anthony Felos, made there for 50 years.
“People walk in, look around and ask ‘Where are the raincoats?’” Ostrander said recently, with a laugh.
One day, an elderly man walked into the art center, a raincoat in his hands.
He had bought it years ago, before the Twin-Kee raincoat factory closed, and it had lost a button. He wanted to have it fixed. Ostrander checked the storage area and sewed it back on for him.
This sense of community is what inspired Ostrander to open the art center after years of involvement in the local art community.
In the 1970s, when Ostrander established the Stoughton Art Association, she knew local artists were always looking for more studio space. That’s when the idea for the art center was born.
After the raincoat business was officially closed in 1997, the Felos Memorial Art Center and Gallery opened to great success.
“People were literally camping out here to mark off their spaces,” Ostrander said about the center when it opened.
Rooms that once held steam presses and sewing machines used to make raincoats are now studios for more than 20 artists.
Now, everything from painting to weaving can be found at the art center, including a recording studio.
“It’s a good atmosphere,” said Janet Landry-Borden, a painter with a studio at the art center. “Everyone looks out for each other, and it’s very conducive to creativity.”
Each artist has a separate studio, which can be closed off for privacy or left with the door open to encourage visitors.
“People are very welcoming and happy to show you around,” Landry-Borden said.
Artists have access to the building 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so they can work any time they want.
On any given day, the studios might be filled or just a few people are working.At lunchtime, many of the artists meet and discuss their work to get feedback, advice or inspiration.
“There is the privacy when you want it and the community when you want it,” said Beverly Rippel, who has her studio there. “It’s kind of a family up here now.”
Rippel, of Easton, also teaches painting classes at the center. Students in her classes range in age from high school to 91. Many of the high school students are working to build portfolios to apply to art schools.
“I think everyone can do something creative. Sometimes you just have to push yourself a little,” Rippel said.
Rosemonde Reilly-Spinelli, who teaches weaving, was one of the first to open a studio at the center.
“I’ve always enjoyed weaving,” Reilly-Spinelli said. “It was my release.”
The center offers a wide range of classes during the day and evenings that appeal to everyone. Taking a class can lead to new opportunities and new friendships, too.
“People will realize that there is art in their own backyard,” Landry-Borden said.
abreen@student.stonehill.edu
The Enterprise of Brockton
http://www.enterprisenews.com/homepage/x356878760/Stoughton-art-center-weathers-the-years
By Amanda Breen
SPECIAL TO THE ENTERPRISE
STOUGHTON — They stopped making raincoats at the one-story building on Park Street years ago, but that hasn’t stopped customers from stopping by — even though it’s now an art center.
Elaine Felos Ostrander — owner and artist at the Felos Memorial Art Center and FMAC Gallery, open now for more than 10 years — said people still wander into the 720 Park St. building looking for the raincoats that her father, Anthony Felos, made there for 50 years.
“People walk in, look around and ask ‘Where are the raincoats?’” Ostrander said recently, with a laugh.
One day, an elderly man walked into the art center, a raincoat in his hands.
He had bought it years ago, before the Twin-Kee raincoat factory closed, and it had lost a button. He wanted to have it fixed. Ostrander checked the storage area and sewed it back on for him.
This sense of community is what inspired Ostrander to open the art center after years of involvement in the local art community.
In the 1970s, when Ostrander established the Stoughton Art Association, she knew local artists were always looking for more studio space. That’s when the idea for the art center was born.
After the raincoat business was officially closed in 1997, the Felos Memorial Art Center and Gallery opened to great success.
“People were literally camping out here to mark off their spaces,” Ostrander said about the center when it opened.
Rooms that once held steam presses and sewing machines used to make raincoats are now studios for more than 20 artists.
Now, everything from painting to weaving can be found at the art center, including a recording studio.
“It’s a good atmosphere,” said Janet Landry-Borden, a painter with a studio at the art center. “Everyone looks out for each other, and it’s very conducive to creativity.”
Each artist has a separate studio, which can be closed off for privacy or left with the door open to encourage visitors.
“People are very welcoming and happy to show you around,” Landry-Borden said.
Artists have access to the building 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so they can work any time they want.
On any given day, the studios might be filled or just a few people are working.At lunchtime, many of the artists meet and discuss their work to get feedback, advice or inspiration.
“There is the privacy when you want it and the community when you want it,” said Beverly Rippel, who has her studio there. “It’s kind of a family up here now.”
Rippel, of Easton, also teaches painting classes at the center. Students in her classes range in age from high school to 91. Many of the high school students are working to build portfolios to apply to art schools.
“I think everyone can do something creative. Sometimes you just have to push yourself a little,” Rippel said.
Rosemonde Reilly-Spinelli, who teaches weaving, was one of the first to open a studio at the center.
“I’ve always enjoyed weaving,” Reilly-Spinelli said. “It was my release.”
The center offers a wide range of classes during the day and evenings that appeal to everyone. Taking a class can lead to new opportunities and new friendships, too.
“People will realize that there is art in their own backyard,” Landry-Borden said.
abreen@student.stonehill.edu
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Nature's classroom
Published May 6, 2008, The Enterprise of Brockton, Mass.
http://www.enterprisenews.com/homepage/x295983759/Kids-learn-nature-at-Sheep-Pasture
By Jenny Gardynski
SPECIAL TO THE ENTERPRISE
EASTON — Fifteen kindergartners at the Moreau Hall Elementary School sat attentively on a multicolored rug as the two teachers began the program.
Monique Melcher asked the class if they knew what Sheep Pasture was.
“I love that place!” one boy shouted.The teachers at Sheep Pasture, a nature camp and program run through the nonprofit Natural Resources Trust of Easton, are busy all year teaching Easton students and students from surrounding communities about local ecology, such as habitats, farm products, geology and local watersheds.
Recently, the teachers were at Moreau Hall Elementary School to teach four kindergarten classes about butterflies.
Melcher put on her butterfly wings, feet and eyes to help explain the senses of the butterfly.
“This is a little silly, but a butterfly can actually feel noise!” Melcher said.
The class giggled and shouted in response.
“Is everyone ready to turn into a butterfly?” she asked as she detailed how a butterfly grows. T
he children then acted out the process of growing into a butterfly, using a party horn for their proboscis (mouth), a flower to eat their nectar, and a large laminated leaf to sit on.
“Take some nice sips of nectar from your flower,” Stephanie McNamara, another teacher in the Sheep Pasture program, instructed. T
he class was one of several Sheep Pasture offerings, ranging from in-school programs, field trips to the Sheep Pasture, Scout programs, preschool classes and a nature camp.
Moreau Hall Principal Robert Smith said the school has been participating in the programs for nearly two decades.
He said each class has one in-class program and the opportunity for a field trip to Sheep Pasture once a year.
“They are very knowledgeable and really relate to the kids,” he said of the teachers.
Melcher said the Natural Resources Trust has a contract with Easton schools to provide field trips for grades K-6.
“We personalize our programs for each grade level,” she said.
The “in-school” programs are for kindergarten through thrid grade during the months of January and February.
There is a butterfly program, for kindergarten students; first grade students are involved in either an egg incubation or a mammal program, second graders are involved in either a whale or animal adaptation program, and third graders are involved in an owl program.
“All of the programs focus on ecology, habitats, and anything dealing with the natural sciences,” Melcher said.
The programs are typically one to 1 ½ hours long and cost $5 to $6 per child.
One problem the teachers say they have is getting the students there.
“It’s hard for schools to get transportation. We are looking into getting grant money to offset the costs of people getting transportation,” Melcher said.
Similar organizations elsewhere look to conserve and acquire land and do not have the staff or buildings for education programs, Melcher said.
“What we have for an area is unique,” she said. “We have 154 acres to use, and we use it.”
Melcher, who grew up in Easton and went through the programs at Sheep Pasture as a child, is in her fifth year teaching at the NRT. McNamara, formerly of Seekonk, is a first-year teacher at the NRT.
“I did student teaching. This is so much different and I really like it. This is an ideal first job for me,” McNamara said.
http://www.enterprisenews.com/homepage/x295983759/Kids-learn-nature-at-Sheep-Pasture
By Jenny Gardynski
SPECIAL TO THE ENTERPRISE
EASTON — Fifteen kindergartners at the Moreau Hall Elementary School sat attentively on a multicolored rug as the two teachers began the program.
Monique Melcher asked the class if they knew what Sheep Pasture was.
“I love that place!” one boy shouted.The teachers at Sheep Pasture, a nature camp and program run through the nonprofit Natural Resources Trust of Easton, are busy all year teaching Easton students and students from surrounding communities about local ecology, such as habitats, farm products, geology and local watersheds.
Recently, the teachers were at Moreau Hall Elementary School to teach four kindergarten classes about butterflies.
Melcher put on her butterfly wings, feet and eyes to help explain the senses of the butterfly.
“This is a little silly, but a butterfly can actually feel noise!” Melcher said.
The class giggled and shouted in response.
“Is everyone ready to turn into a butterfly?” she asked as she detailed how a butterfly grows. T
he children then acted out the process of growing into a butterfly, using a party horn for their proboscis (mouth), a flower to eat their nectar, and a large laminated leaf to sit on.
“Take some nice sips of nectar from your flower,” Stephanie McNamara, another teacher in the Sheep Pasture program, instructed. T
he class was one of several Sheep Pasture offerings, ranging from in-school programs, field trips to the Sheep Pasture, Scout programs, preschool classes and a nature camp.
Moreau Hall Principal Robert Smith said the school has been participating in the programs for nearly two decades.
He said each class has one in-class program and the opportunity for a field trip to Sheep Pasture once a year.
“They are very knowledgeable and really relate to the kids,” he said of the teachers.
Melcher said the Natural Resources Trust has a contract with Easton schools to provide field trips for grades K-6.
“We personalize our programs for each grade level,” she said.
The “in-school” programs are for kindergarten through thrid grade during the months of January and February.
There is a butterfly program, for kindergarten students; first grade students are involved in either an egg incubation or a mammal program, second graders are involved in either a whale or animal adaptation program, and third graders are involved in an owl program.
“All of the programs focus on ecology, habitats, and anything dealing with the natural sciences,” Melcher said.
The programs are typically one to 1 ½ hours long and cost $5 to $6 per child.
One problem the teachers say they have is getting the students there.
“It’s hard for schools to get transportation. We are looking into getting grant money to offset the costs of people getting transportation,” Melcher said.
Similar organizations elsewhere look to conserve and acquire land and do not have the staff or buildings for education programs, Melcher said.
“What we have for an area is unique,” she said. “We have 154 acres to use, and we use it.”
Melcher, who grew up in Easton and went through the programs at Sheep Pasture as a child, is in her fifth year teaching at the NRT. McNamara, formerly of Seekonk, is a first-year teacher at the NRT.
“I did student teaching. This is so much different and I really like it. This is an ideal first job for me,” McNamara said.
Friday, May 2, 2008
'Juicing' a problem in some college sports
by Joe Ryan
BRIDGEWATER — Athletes at Bridgewater State College are being anonymously drug tested this year as part of a pilot program designed to curb steroid use in Division III athletics.
The testing program at Bridgewater State College is part of a two year pilot program by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA.
“We do not have a specific policy for steroids; it is a drug policy that student athletes do not take drugs. This year we are part of the NCAA pilot program in which the NCAA goes to schools and administers a random anonymous drug test,” Sue Crosby Tangen, the associate director of athletics at Bridgewater, said.
The NCAA currently conducts drug testing in Division I and II and screens athletes at national championships.
After the pilot program, this testing could be done in throughout the Division III.
Bridgewater will also use a computer program next year to educate student athletes on steroids. Athletes will have to complete the program before their season starts.
“There will be education of student athletes on the risks of steroids. We are purchasing a computer program that can be used from student’s rooms,” Tangen said.
Members of the athletic departments from Bridgewater and Stonehill College say that testing and education is important because steroid use in college athletics is widespread.
“Steroids are up there, they are pretty prevalent,” Barry Darling, the associate athletic trainer at Stonehill College, said.
Sue Crosby-Tangen said that the problem has to do with supplements.
“Steroids are rampant…especially because of the accessibility of supplements,” Tangen said.
Stonehill College, as a Division II school, complies with NCAA regulations and random drug testing.
“Our policy mimics the NCAA, don’t do steroids, they are banned because of health dangers, the advantage they give, and the long term effect,” Darling said.
Cindy MacDonald, the senior associate director of athletics at Stonehill, says that the student athletes who are tested are chosen at random.
“Four students from one randomly selected sport and 12 from football are tested. This can be done once or twice a year…The punishment if caught is a one year loss of eligibility,” MacDonald said.
Critics say the NCAA does not do enough to prevent steroid use.
Only four percent of student-athletes each year are tested.
Both Darling and Tangen say more could be done at their own schools to prevent steroid use.
“The NCAA only tests once a year. The athletic department could have in house testing for steroids and street drugs…currently we don’t do that but it is a good idea,” Darling said.
Cindy MacDonald said that Stonehill discusses random testing each year.
“Every year we talk about random testing. At this point we don’t think we need to…but every year we have talked about it…If prevalence was found on campus that would prompt us to do something more drastic,” MacDonald said.
Random testing at Bridgewater State would be difficult because of budgetary restraints.
“I would love to random test but we don’t do it because we do not have the money…I think steroids are a problem and I think street drugs are a definite problem,” Tangen said.T
angen said that next year’s computer program will help educate students on the dangers of steroids and drugs.
Cindy MacDonald said that education is important but does not think it will stop those who want to use steroids.
“Education would be a plus but if it is their mindset to take steroids there might not be enough education to stop that process…If they want to take it they will take it and try their luck with random checks,” MacDonald said.
The NCAA has been able to curb steroid use with the random checks.
In 2001, there were 93 positive tests while in 2005 there were only 49. The NCAA has also started administering random tests during the summer.
“The NCAA does summer testing now…This is a step in the right direction because the summer is when a lot of kids are going to do it,” Darling said.
Jryan340@yahoo.com
BRIDGEWATER — Athletes at Bridgewater State College are being anonymously drug tested this year as part of a pilot program designed to curb steroid use in Division III athletics.
The testing program at Bridgewater State College is part of a two year pilot program by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA.
“We do not have a specific policy for steroids; it is a drug policy that student athletes do not take drugs. This year we are part of the NCAA pilot program in which the NCAA goes to schools and administers a random anonymous drug test,” Sue Crosby Tangen, the associate director of athletics at Bridgewater, said.
The NCAA currently conducts drug testing in Division I and II and screens athletes at national championships.
After the pilot program, this testing could be done in throughout the Division III.
Bridgewater will also use a computer program next year to educate student athletes on steroids. Athletes will have to complete the program before their season starts.
“There will be education of student athletes on the risks of steroids. We are purchasing a computer program that can be used from student’s rooms,” Tangen said.
Members of the athletic departments from Bridgewater and Stonehill College say that testing and education is important because steroid use in college athletics is widespread.
“Steroids are up there, they are pretty prevalent,” Barry Darling, the associate athletic trainer at Stonehill College, said.
Sue Crosby-Tangen said that the problem has to do with supplements.
“Steroids are rampant…especially because of the accessibility of supplements,” Tangen said.
Stonehill College, as a Division II school, complies with NCAA regulations and random drug testing.
“Our policy mimics the NCAA, don’t do steroids, they are banned because of health dangers, the advantage they give, and the long term effect,” Darling said.
Cindy MacDonald, the senior associate director of athletics at Stonehill, says that the student athletes who are tested are chosen at random.
“Four students from one randomly selected sport and 12 from football are tested. This can be done once or twice a year…The punishment if caught is a one year loss of eligibility,” MacDonald said.
Critics say the NCAA does not do enough to prevent steroid use.
Only four percent of student-athletes each year are tested.
Both Darling and Tangen say more could be done at their own schools to prevent steroid use.
“The NCAA only tests once a year. The athletic department could have in house testing for steroids and street drugs…currently we don’t do that but it is a good idea,” Darling said.
Cindy MacDonald said that Stonehill discusses random testing each year.
“Every year we talk about random testing. At this point we don’t think we need to…but every year we have talked about it…If prevalence was found on campus that would prompt us to do something more drastic,” MacDonald said.
Random testing at Bridgewater State would be difficult because of budgetary restraints.
“I would love to random test but we don’t do it because we do not have the money…I think steroids are a problem and I think street drugs are a definite problem,” Tangen said.T
angen said that next year’s computer program will help educate students on the dangers of steroids and drugs.
Cindy MacDonald said that education is important but does not think it will stop those who want to use steroids.
“Education would be a plus but if it is their mindset to take steroids there might not be enough education to stop that process…If they want to take it they will take it and try their luck with random checks,” MacDonald said.
The NCAA has been able to curb steroid use with the random checks.
In 2001, there were 93 positive tests while in 2005 there were only 49. The NCAA has also started administering random tests during the summer.
“The NCAA does summer testing now…This is a step in the right direction because the summer is when a lot of kids are going to do it,” Darling said.
Jryan340@yahoo.com
"Anything Goes" for Stonehill theatre club
Published April 24, 2008, The Enterprise of Brockton, Mass.
http://www.enterprisenews.com/
By Kristen O’Neil
SPECIAL TO THE ENTERPRISE
EASTON — The belly laughs can be heard as soon as you step foot in the building.
One person does a jig in the middle of a group, sending the people into hysterics. Actors, with scripts open, pace the floor memorizing lines.
The quiet chatter turns into a dull roar, as people watch the rehearsal.
“Guys, please be quiet and listen or we’re going to be here all night,” the director, Kathleen Comber, says patiently to her cast.
More than two dozen students in the Stonehill Musical Theatre Club have been rehearsing Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes,” a musical about a group of comedic characters’ journey on a ship traveling from New York to England.
The performances are set for tonight and Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. in Stonehill College’s Hemingway Theatre.
“We’ve been doing a lot of popular shows like ‘The Wiz’ and ‘Grease,’” said Ryan Dejak, the group’s president and one of the leads in the show. “This year we wanted to do a show that appealed to a broader audience."
The club originated from Stonehill College’s Greasepaint Players and has produced various shows including “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Into the Woods,” and most recently, “Songs for a New World.”
“This play is more difficult than any we’ve done before because Cole Porter is a classical artist,” Comber said. “It’s a staple Broadway show, outdated in the way it is written, with difficult harmonies and a great deal of dancing.”
This is the first performance since the spring of 2006 that the club has been able to use the college’s Hemingway Theatre as its stage.
Unlike the Stonehill Theatre Company, SMTC does not have its own theater space to rehearse, forcing the troupe to practice scenes in a classroom.
“It is very challenging working with unconventional spaces,” Dejak said. “Because of the lack of available spaces on campus, we are forced to share minimal time slots with other groups.”
In addition to Comber, the club hired musical director Steve Shannon, whom it found through a local theater company.
"Steve has helped with many of our previous shows, and he’s great,” said Sarah Deloury, a senior, and lead in this semester’s show. “He’s so talented, and just knows how to interact with students in a fun way while still getting work done.”
Comber also relies on her two stage managers, senior Aleka Dimos and sophomore Dana Treglia, for assistance.
“They’re both so helpful and vital to everything we need to get done for this show,” Comber said. “They’re just awesome."
“Laura Shea, our senior choreographer, makes the excessive dancing accessible to even the simplest of dancers,” she said. “She’s fun, fresh, exciting, a huge pleasure to work with, and infinitely patient with everyone, including myself.”
There are about 50 to 60 people involved in “Anything Goes,” including about 15 crew and club members, a 10-person pit orchestra and 23 cast members.
“It’s one of the biggest shows we have ever done in regards to cast size,” Dejak said. “It also has the most challenging dancing, and it’s the first show that we’ve decided to fully take on the costumes and set in a specific period, the 1930s.”
Comber admitted it can be a bit daunting.
“This is my first time directing and it can be scary to see 25 people all staring at you looking for direction,” Comber, a long-time performer, said. “The exciting part is that I’m able to see individual talent and this is such a wonderful cast, that they’ve made it much easier on me.”
This year’s cast is filled with veterans and newcomers. Francesca Perrone, the vice president of the group, has been in one other show and previously directed the Movie Musicals Cabaret while Marissa Ranalli, a freshman, is making her debut this semester.“
"I was too scared to audition for ‘Songs for a New World.’ I was in ‘Anything Goes’ in high school so it made me less nervous,” Ranalli said.
http://www.enterprisenews.com/
By Kristen O’Neil
SPECIAL TO THE ENTERPRISE
EASTON — The belly laughs can be heard as soon as you step foot in the building.
One person does a jig in the middle of a group, sending the people into hysterics. Actors, with scripts open, pace the floor memorizing lines.
The quiet chatter turns into a dull roar, as people watch the rehearsal.
“Guys, please be quiet and listen or we’re going to be here all night,” the director, Kathleen Comber, says patiently to her cast.
More than two dozen students in the Stonehill Musical Theatre Club have been rehearsing Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes,” a musical about a group of comedic characters’ journey on a ship traveling from New York to England.
The performances are set for tonight and Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. in Stonehill College’s Hemingway Theatre.
“We’ve been doing a lot of popular shows like ‘The Wiz’ and ‘Grease,’” said Ryan Dejak, the group’s president and one of the leads in the show. “This year we wanted to do a show that appealed to a broader audience."
The club originated from Stonehill College’s Greasepaint Players and has produced various shows including “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Into the Woods,” and most recently, “Songs for a New World.”
“This play is more difficult than any we’ve done before because Cole Porter is a classical artist,” Comber said. “It’s a staple Broadway show, outdated in the way it is written, with difficult harmonies and a great deal of dancing.”
This is the first performance since the spring of 2006 that the club has been able to use the college’s Hemingway Theatre as its stage.
Unlike the Stonehill Theatre Company, SMTC does not have its own theater space to rehearse, forcing the troupe to practice scenes in a classroom.
“It is very challenging working with unconventional spaces,” Dejak said. “Because of the lack of available spaces on campus, we are forced to share minimal time slots with other groups.”
In addition to Comber, the club hired musical director Steve Shannon, whom it found through a local theater company.
"Steve has helped with many of our previous shows, and he’s great,” said Sarah Deloury, a senior, and lead in this semester’s show. “He’s so talented, and just knows how to interact with students in a fun way while still getting work done.”
Comber also relies on her two stage managers, senior Aleka Dimos and sophomore Dana Treglia, for assistance.
“They’re both so helpful and vital to everything we need to get done for this show,” Comber said. “They’re just awesome."
“Laura Shea, our senior choreographer, makes the excessive dancing accessible to even the simplest of dancers,” she said. “She’s fun, fresh, exciting, a huge pleasure to work with, and infinitely patient with everyone, including myself.”
There are about 50 to 60 people involved in “Anything Goes,” including about 15 crew and club members, a 10-person pit orchestra and 23 cast members.
“It’s one of the biggest shows we have ever done in regards to cast size,” Dejak said. “It also has the most challenging dancing, and it’s the first show that we’ve decided to fully take on the costumes and set in a specific period, the 1930s.”
Comber admitted it can be a bit daunting.
“This is my first time directing and it can be scary to see 25 people all staring at you looking for direction,” Comber, a long-time performer, said. “The exciting part is that I’m able to see individual talent and this is such a wonderful cast, that they’ve made it much easier on me.”
This year’s cast is filled with veterans and newcomers. Francesca Perrone, the vice president of the group, has been in one other show and previously directed the Movie Musicals Cabaret while Marissa Ranalli, a freshman, is making her debut this semester.“
"I was too scared to audition for ‘Songs for a New World.’ I was in ‘Anything Goes’ in high school so it made me less nervous,” Ranalli said.
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