College Announces Off Campus Housing in Andover

Merrimack's 150 Student Off Campus Housing, St. Francis

 Stephen Tullgren, Standards Editor

Class of 2014, the big question has been answered. Merrimack College is in negotiations with the Franciscan proprietors of St. Francis Hall in Andover to ensure housing for the rising junior class.

Dean of Campus Life Donna Swartwout said the Franciscan friars “are very excited to work with us. We have signed a letter of intent and are working towards a contract.”

After hearing feedback from the students, the college believed that it was vital for the students to have one single common residence area, Swartwout said.

“I feel like this really will keep the community feel of the Class of 2014 and friend groups together while living off campus,” she said. “I also think the parents will find the location and facility very safe.”

Approximately 150 students will be living in St. Francis Hall, which is nine miles away — a 15-minute bus ride — with a focus on familiar residence hall living. The price of room and board will be the same and the living style will be similar to that of a double in the Deegans.  Laundry services will be familiar because it is the same as for on-campus students.

The college is working with Sodexo to provide a continental breakfast every day at St. Francis, for a more convenient option than having to arrive on campus before class.  A Mack Card relationship similar to the ones Merrimack College has with Bertucci’s and Fuddruckers is being sought with the local eateries in St. Francis Hall’s area. These include the 99, Cracker Barrel and Longhorn Steakhouse.

Transportation between campus and St. Francis Hall will be available around the clock, as will Merrimack College Police Services patrol. The exact hours for the shuttle bus service will be announced later in the year.

Parking at the new building is readily available, Swartwout said. “There is ample parking for the residents of the building,” she said. “The detail of the parking policy is still being worked on by Police Services and SGA. We will provide further information about parking later in the semester.”

St. Francis will operate just like an on-campus residence hall, with a resident director, five resident advisors, and campus police patrolling the area. Swipe card access will be in effect just as at campus residence halls.

As the goal will be for many friends to live together in a community, the RAs will be vital in the student’s acclimation to the area through programs and optimal uses of the various activity options at St. Francis.

These amenities include lounges, study areas, meeting rooms, grass perfect for sunbathing in the late spring weather, picnic tables, and the possibility of a volleyball area, Swartwout said. The lounges will provide the cable TV access for the residence hall, as the school had to choose between wireless internet and cable TV access for the rooms in the former seminary. The school chose wireless over cable because a vast amount of programming is available online, and that is an oft-preferred method of viewing anyway, Swartwout explained.

The onus is now on students to utilize the Office of Residence Life to explore the various opportunities now at their disposal. Residence Life is looking for groups of students who want to live together and serve as the catalyst for a Merrimack experience off campus.

Director of Residence Life Sara Hicks spoke to this initiative: “A group as big as 50 would work. We can make it happen.”

Residence Life is open to possibilities such as six males and six females who want to live in the same area together. The rooms would be separated by gender, with only the same sex living together, but a group of friends could live within a handful of doors proximity to each other.

For students not interested in housing provided by Merrimack, an off-campus housing coordinator has been hired to address their needs.  This position starts April 2, and will focus on guiding students through leasing options, with the Merrimack experience in mind.

On April 10, some student leaders are invited to tour the property and share their feedback with the rest of the college community.

Any questions or comments can be addressed to the dean of the campus life and Residence Life office, which is located on the third floor of the Sakowich Center.   Please check your Merrimack email tomorrow for more information.

Hopey Announces Two Million Dollar Gift, Affirms Division I Plans

Patrick Lawlor, Associate Editor in Chief

Today at 11:58 am, President Christopher E. Hopey announced to the Merrimack College Community in an emailed statement that Richard and Susanna Gallant have provided an unrestricted gift of two million dollars to the college. The statement said the gift would support the Agenda for Distinction, the colleges multi-year strategic plan. What aspect of the Agenda of Distinction the gift would benefit was not released in the statement.

Richard Gallant is a member of the President’s Advisory Board and President of the Middlesex Islanders Youth Hockey Team. The Islanders is one of the College’s partners in the Volpe Expansion Project, which is now slated to begin in the summer, according to the statement.

The Volpe Expansion project will add a second ice rink to the facilities. According to video rendered by the architect, the logo of the Middlesex Islanders is at center ice.

“The facility will also provide space for a new bookstore, a new lobby, a new athletics hall of fame, an enhanced student athlete facility for our move to Division 1, as well as provides a second practice ice rink for the College and a home for the Middlesex Islanders,” said President Hopey in the statement.

This will be the second major project in the Volpe Center in just two years. The Lawler Completion project created a new ice bed, chair-back seating and a student section.

“This is an exciting time at Merrimack College and I would like to thank you all for your continued dedication and support. This gift is a fundamental investment in the College’s future and will assist us in our efforts to become a highly ranked, internationally respected, selective masters comprehensive Catholic college,” said Hopey.

Hotel: MC Student Residence Not Likely

Kristina Williamson, ’14, Staff Writer

Already, Merrimack has managed to attract 5,000 applicants for the freshman class entering in the fall of 2012. President Christopher Hopey said the current enrollment of 2,100 will rise to 2,300 — meaning at least 200 more freshmen will be on campus.

Because freshmen and sophomores will be guaranteed on-campus housing, the president has said Merrimack will acquire off-campus housing for upperclassmen.

The Holiday Inn Express on Route 114, near Interstate 495 in Lawrence confirmed to the Beacon that college officials approached the hotel to discuss renting rooms.

However, hotel manager Victor Abramson informed the Beacon that he doesn’t see the hotel being taken over by Merrimack students. “It would potentially make our company look good, but our future finances would be at risk,” he said.

The hotel has not been without problems. On May 15, 2006, the hotel suffered a flood. It rained for a couple of days straight, causing the Shawsheen River, adjacent to the hotel, to overflow into the building. As a result, the whole first floor was completely covered in water, affecting 10 to 14 rooms, Abramson said.

Asked if that could happen again, putting potential residents in danger, he said, “It is very prone to happen again, but hopefully I won’t be working here by then.”
Aside from flooding threat, transportation is another negative issue amongst the student body if this plan were to follow through. The lot that the building is set on is shared with a Friendly’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Lee Chen, a Chinese restaurant. It is a very busy parking lot that isn’t even an acre wide, sharing one entrance and exit for all three buildings.

“It takes me at least 10 minutes just to turn left out of that parking lot from Dunkin’ Donuts to get back to school,” said Rachel Sullivan, a Merrimack sophomore.

“It would create a great image for our hotel, but in the long run we would lose money if we allowed our hotel rooms to turn into dorm rooms,” Mr Jacobson, the assistant manager, answered, when asked if he thought the hotel management would approve of housing plans for next year.

“If anything, we could maybe give up 15 to 20 two- to four-person rooms, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to actually happen,” Jacobson said.

A Place of Her Own: Sparky Still Shines in Fourth Decade at MC

Laura Bakopolus, ’13,  Staff Writer

Her real name is Cynthia Ouellette. About 25 years ago, when she worked in the Warrior’s Den (which, she explains, used to be in the basement — you get a gold medal if you already knew that), her manager made up a nickname for her that, as she describes, “just stuck.”

Even after all these years, we still call her Sparky.

What’s in a name? This particular nickname carries with it a lot of love and respect, to say the least. Sparky loves her nickname and is delighted that the name caught on: “There is a worker in the Den whose name is Cindy, so when they would say Cynthia, we would sometimes get confused because the names are so close. But when they say ‘Sparky,’ everyone knows who they’re talking about!”

It’s true — everyone knows and loves Sparky for her friendly disposition, her willingness to help all the students, and her smile that can brighten up anyone’s day.

Coworker Gina Silva affirmed that Sparky “makes everyone smile, always wants to help everyone, and absolutely loves her job.”

Even the mention of Sparky’s name brought a smile to Silva’s face. “She’s an angel,” Silva added as an afterthought, a statement with which the entire student body would have to agree.

And they do. Junior Kayla Hennigan stated, “Sparky’s always happy, which puts everyone around her in a good mood. She’s such a hard worker, and seeing her walking around the cafe talking to everyone always makes me smile.”

Fellow Junior Brian Lundstrom concurred: “Sparky always asks you how you’re doing, which makes you feel important. She’s always interested in the students and tries to make sure that we’re all happy and content. She’s just so cheerful – it’s contagious.”

Yet another student was in agreement; junior Kala Coleman raved, “Sparky is so genuine and sweet. It’s impossible not to like her!”

Sparky is now 53 years old and as sprightly as ever. She will be turning 54 on April 29, so be sure to say happy birthday when you go to eat at the cafeteria that day.

She has been a member of Merrimack’s Dining Services staff for 33 years, meaning she was a mere 20 years old when she started working here. Imagine applying to work at Sparky’s Place tomorrow — and staying for the next 33 years.

If you felt the same way Sparky does, you would be thrilled.

Sparky explained that she originally trained at Lawrence Rehabilitation, and when she interviewed to work at Merrimack, she was pleased to recall that “they begged me to start working here the next day.”

It is easy to see why her boss wanted her to be a part of the Dining Services team right away. Sparky’s mother works with her here as well, but is currently on a leave of absence since she had developed cancer. Luckily, her cancer is “all gone now,” and she is building up the strength to come back.

Sparky grew up in Lawrence, right near Central Catholic High School.

She knows Central Athletic Director Peter Paladino, since he used to be the assistant director of athletics at Merrimack from 1988 to 1997 after graduating from here in 1986. She also was eager to say that she knows Central’s girls varsity basketball coach Sue Downer, another Merrimack graduate.

It would be safe to say that Sparky is very personable and keeps a close relationship with all those who pass through her life. Two people with whom she also keeps a close relationship are her brothers, ages 58 and 43. They had a wonderful childhood together and even into their adult lives, their bonds remain unbreakable, she noted.

These relationships are what keep Sparky so engaged with life. Her favorite part of working at Merrimack is “the customer relations and the Sodexo people as a team,” since she is good friends with her coworkers and loves to make friends with all of Merrimack’s students.

She declared: “The customers are my favorite part of my job — totally. I love coming in here and doing customer communications.”

And her great human relations skills have motivated her bosses to consider her the “middle man,” since the students feel comfortable talking with her. She then relays students’ feelings to her superiors, who implement her suggestions as best they can. For example, she once heard that customers like plain chicken patties, so she told the chefs and within a few weeks, they were on the menu.

You might wonder what Sparky does for fun. She loves watching Boston Red Sox games, which was an easy topic to discuss since she was interviewed the day the Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster came to visit Merrimack. Sparky was all decked out in a Red Sox jersey and navy Red Sox cap, and was overjoyed to be so close to her favorite mascot. Sparky also loves the Bruins, who she got to see live last year, an experience she could only describe as “awesome.”

Her new hobby is Facebook, which she likes because of the great “communication with friends.” One of her good friends got her an iPad for Christmas, so she enjoys going on Facebook to relax and talk with friends after a long day at work. She likes listening to rap and rock music, and since a fellow Sodexo worker has been out sick for a while, Sparky has taken over radio duty, keeping the station tuned into 106.3 Frank FM, since she likes this type of music but also knows that the customers enjoy hearing the music in the background.

You can catch Sparky working Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., but eight and a half hours a day is not enough for her — she always comes in early. She explained, “I come early to help out and see what’s going on for the day, and if I need to take care of business, I take care of business.”

She added, “Once I’m on the clock, I’m all Sodexo.”

Sparky’s love for her job was obvious when she exclaimed, “I can’t wait to come into work every day.”

Clini Out-Steps Competition to Take Mr. Merrimack Title

Sara Davies, ’13, Staff Writer

They came out in Speedos, did their turn in front of the judges, then disappeared backstage. When they reemerged, one wore a hula skirt; the next sported a cowboy hat, and a third suspenders—all showing a whole lot of skin.

This year’s Mr. Merrimack put the swag on display, as five of the school’s finest gentlemen—seniors Mike Troy, Sam Brown, Ryan Pinette, and Nick Clini, and sophomore Ben Knox – vied for the coveted crown, competing in the traditional battlefields of swimsuit, talent, evening dress, and questions and answers. Hosted by students Matthew Kirkham and Yagul Ganendran, the Rogers Center for the Arts certainly drew a great and enthusiastic crowd. The panel of five judges placed three of the five contestants, with the crown going to Nick Clini.

The talent portion included a Whitney Huston memorial sung by Ryan Pinette accompanied by his acoustic guitar and Mackapella toward the end. Sam Brown wowed the audience with his freestyle rap, while Mike Troy followed with a rap and dance act to Will Smith’s “Wild, Wild West.” Ben Knox taught the audience basic self defense methods that put Sandra Bullock to shame. Last but certainly not least was Clini’s performance with friends Derek Kane and Ryan Kurtz. The trio put on a dance act with white, faceless masks and matching attire that dazzled the audience with swift moves and coordination.

As the end neared, the gentlemen came out in their finest evening garb accompanied by their escort of choice, girlfriend or mom. They were each asked one question ranging from their greatest role model to what they would do with $1 million.
As the tension and nerves started to rise, the judges made their decision and the crowning began. In third place winning a $25 gift card, was Sam Brown, in second place winning a $50 gift card was Ryan Pinette, and finally Clini, taking home a $75 gift card, vintage bicycle, sash, and the crown the new Mr. Merrimack said, “I had a great time with Mr. Merrimack and wanted to go into it having fun. My favorite part was our dance routine we came up with. We worked really hard on it.”

His hard work certainly showed as many people, including the judges, said the dance routine was the most impressive part of the contest. Clini aspires to take his dancing talent to the next level and be on the hit reality television series America’s Best Dance Crew. All contestants did a phenomenal job and certainly had the audience cheering and laughing all the way through. There was fun had by all including the audience, judges, and above all the contestants. Be sure to come to next year’s Mr. Merrimack 2013 for even more laughs and enjoyment.

Valley Voice

Patrick Lawlor

Conservative Group Angry About Gay Marriage on Locally Created Comic

HAVERHILL — According to a report by the Eagle-Tribune, a conservative group has lashed out against the popular “Archie” comic. “Archie” was created by Bob Montana, a Haverhill native, and his fictional “Riverdale High” was based on Haverhill High School. The group OneMillionMoms has pleaded with Toys R Us, the popular toy store, to ban “Life with Archie Number 16” from its shelves because the comic brings a gay character to Riverdale High to engage in a gay marriage. “Unfortunately, children are now being exposed to same-sex marriage in a toy store, said OneMillionMom’s website. “This is the last place a parent would expect to be confronted with questions from their children on topics that are too complicated for them to understand,” the statement read.

Lawrence School Receiver Appoints Key Administrators

LAWRENCE — The state-appointed superintendent of schools in Lawrence, Jeffrey C. Riley has named three new administrators to his staff, two hailing from Boston schools and one, a Lawrence High graduate, according to the Eagle-Tribune. Dale Libkin, who has served as director of performance management in Boston Public Schools will start this week as assistant superintendent for teacher effectiveness. Marilese Rodriguez-Garcia, a senior project manager for Boston Public Schools will become Riley’s chief of staff, and a non-profit leader Shalimar Quiles will become the school system’s reengagement director.

Riley was appointed by the state to revamp the Lawrence schools after years of mis-management and underperformance. Before Riley’s appointment the school system was being run on an interim basis by an assistant superintendent of schools. The former superintendent, Wilfredo Laboy was indicted and is facing charges related to the mis-management of the school system and using school property and resources to his personal benefit. The city of Lawrence’s school system is nearly entirely funded by the state. When Mayor William Lantigua took office in 2010, he was also a state representative, a post he was hoping to keep even after being elected. The Massachusetts legislature would only fund Lawrence schools of he left the Beacon Hill post.

Grand Jury Investigation Continues as Key City Employees are Subpoenaed

LAWRENCE — An Essex County grand jury investigating Lawrence Mayor William Lantigua handed down another subpoena yesterday to Lawrence’s deputy police chief, Max Bonilla. Bonilla was served the subpoena by a member of the state police and an FBI agent at police headquarters yesterday. Bonilla was Lantigua’s campaign manager, and a sergeant on the Lawrence police during Lantigua’s campaign. After Lantigua was elected he appointed Bonilla to the high-ranking post of deputy chief. Leonard Degnan, Lantigua’s former chief of staff was also served a subpoena. He also testified in Boston this summer after his abrupt May resignation. Personnel Director Frank Bonet, and License Commission Chairman Richard Fielding were also served subpoenas for the Essex County investigation. The case against Lantigua and his administration apparently involves charges against narcotics, weapons, bid rigging, and suspicious out of state travel.

Romney Takes Mass., Merrimack Valley

Former Massachusetts Governor and presidential hopeful Mitt Romney came back to his home state to claim a primary victory. Romney took the Bay State with a landslide victory of 72 percent good for 265,100 votes. The closest contender was Rick Santorum only claiming only 12 percent of Massachusetts, good for only 44,255 votes.

North Andover’s eight precincts gave Romney 2,434 votes, with Santorum taking 253 votes, and Ron Paul in a close third with 240. Andover’s eleven precincts were good for 2,538 to their former governor and Paul took 250, and Santorum with 237.

Romney also took Arkansas, Idaho, Ohio, Vermont and Virginia. Newt Gingrich took his home state of Georigia, his only victory on Super Tuesday. Santorum took North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

It takes 1,144 delegates to tip the nomination for the Republicans. Currently Romney is leading with 415, Santorum in second with 176, Gingrich in third with 105, and Paul in fourth with 47 delegate votes.

Run for the Troops 5k: Building Homes for Injured Veterans

Kayla Morong

Kayla Morong, ’12, Sports Editor

On July 8,2009 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, Marine Sgt. Joshua Bouchard was in a vehicle that drove over a pressure-plated improvised explosive device (IED). Bouchard, a Granby, Mass., native, was traveling with four other Marines; two on his team did not survive. When he hit the ground his back immediately broke and he suffered a traumatic brain injury.

He was treated at a military hospital in Germany and then airlifted to Bethesda, Maryland, where he spent two weeks at Bethesda Medical Center. After his recovery period, he began intensive rehabilitation at McGuire Virginia Medical Center.  He stayed at the center for 11 months doing intensive therapy. Now Bouchard is hospitalized at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

The organization Home for Our Troops is providing injured military men and women like Bouchard a home, helping them rebuild their lives. A non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 2004, the foundation strives to help troops disabled by war have a place to live, honoring their dedication to the country. The homes that are built feature a single-level open floor plan with roll-in showers, roll-under cooktops and sinks, as well as other accessible options.

Bill Pennington of Andover decided to raise awareness of Homes for Our Troops throughout his community. He is now helping to raise money for the construction of Bouchard’s home.

It is Pennington’s second year of promoting Homes for our Troops in the area. So far, he has raised $110,000 at a big gala event, which was held in October.  Now, he has scheduled a road race called Run/Walk for the Troops 5K, which will kick off at 9 a.m. April 1 in downtown Andover. Pennington hopes to reach his goal of $350,000 with the support of runners and walkers who decide to contribute.

“Troops go under great stress every day, so days like this help lift their spirits. Everyone who comes to this event will feel that they have helped the people who keep our freedoms and will feel great about that,” said Pennington.

Last year, 1,200 people participated in the event. This year, Pennington hopes to see 2,000 people donate to the organization. When racers cross the finish line they will receive a medal for their support and honor. Also, the first to sign up before March 23 will receive a free long-sleeved T-shirt.

With the race around the corner, registration is open online at www.RunForTheTroops5k.com. If you register by March 24, the entry fee will only cost $20. Those who chose to register after the date will have to pay $25. On the eve of the race, there will be a fundraising dinner on March 31 for those participating. Dinner tickets can also be bought online.

Once the goal of $350,000 is met, Bouchard will have the chance to live in a home that allows him to do the things he loves. Looking toward the future, he hopes to learn how to walk again, further his education and spend time with his family.

Bouchard is thankful for what Home for Our Troops has done to help injured veterans throughout the nation. He said,“Receiving this home from Homes for Our Troops will give me a sense of freedom and take away the worry about where I will live and whether my home is accessible to me.”

Getting Around the Valley

Dana Hildner, ’13, Staff Writer

Merrimack has displayed some major changes in ways for students to get around locally. With a majority of underclassman unable to have cars on campus it has become crippling for underclassmen to go grocery shopping or run simple errands without access to a car or any form of transportation. The college is trying to push students to utilize the Merrimack Valley Regional Transportation Authority—a public bus transportation system operating throughout the Merrimack Valley. The bus system has lines to points of interest in Lawrence, North Andover, Andover and Methuen.

To make things a little easier for students who strictly want to do quick errands around town Merrimack has a second plan in place which is in fact school operated.

“This program is intended as a service for students to help them get around doing routine type things—grocery shopping or general shopping in the area,” said John Gallagher, director of student involvement.

“The way the system will work is we will have two nights per week during which students meet the Merrimack van, driven by students, to request travel to any destination within a 20 minute drive of campus,” said Gallagher.

“This can help students get into the reaches of Salem, throughout Andover and North Andover, to numerous shopping centers, banks, restaurants and other shops.  The van will drop students off at the location, and then provide a number to call in order to request a pick-up,” he said.

This service will be free, and operate between the hours of 4-10 P.M. It will work similarly to a taxi service, vans will be in front of Cascia Hall, and run frequently. The start of this service has not been provided by college officials. “I do have my car on campus as a freshman. However, I do believe this would be extremely useful for freshman without the opportunity to have a car as well as upperclassman without a car, said Freshman Sam Gurrier.

Unfortunately, Merrimack will not be running shuttles to or from Boston. It is for students to organize on their own, by using public transportation.

Stories From Abroad: Adjusting to Europe

Joan Corcoran, ’12, Editor from Abroad

Time flies. I still pinch myself every once in a while because it’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that I live in Rome.

I have been here for about four weeks now and it still seems surreal.  I have started adjusting to the full swing of things at school, and actually started to cook my own meals.  It is definitely a bit of a struggle with the gas stove and my lack of experience in the kitchen.

I’ve been enjoying my Italian diet of Nutella, tons of carbs, mounds of mozzarella and tons of Prosciutto. There are still some American things that we all miss.

Last week Robbie Carbone ’13, Chris Indrisano ’13, Brianna Trabucco ’13, and Anastasia Gallardo ’13 came over with a few of our new study abroad friends to my apartment where I live with Agata Adamczuk, ’13 (Beacon photo editor), we had “Taco Tuesday.” Bri, Robbie, and Chris all brought along the ingredients and we began cooking.  I have never made tacos before, which actually is not that hard, but was very pleased with the outcome.

Throughout the past few weeks we’ve all been going through such a huge life change and it’s nice to have some sense of home — whether it’s ‘Taco Tuesday’ or just a few of us talking about funny memories from school.

While still adjusting and adapting to the Italian culture, I decided to take a trip.  Where did I decide to go for my first European excursion? Well, no other place then Prague!  Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and is also one of the coldest places I have ever been to in my entire life.  Though the cold was anything but enjoyable the city itself was beautiful.  It feels as if you have been placed back into medieval times.

Also, it was interesting to see how this “Central European” society functions compared to Italy.  Their meals have three main components — meat, potatoes, and beer.  Every meal on every menu is described as “hearty” and the variety of beer that is offered stems from levels of bitterness to levels of fruitiness.

The currency is also very strange, because their bills start at 100 crown and can go up to 1,000 crown.  You feel as if you are carrying around insane amounts of money when you are actually only carrying 50 American dollars.

After spending three days in this extremely cold country I was looking forward to the 35-degree weather that was awaiting me in Rome. For our next trip out of Italy Agata and I will be heading to Budapest, Hungary, to explore a new culture and to further engulf ourselves in our surroundings.

Arrivederce, Merrimack!