Maggie Penza's Beachside Summer

 Summer is finally here! It's reaching a steamy 95 degrees today in Boston, as it is seems to be in most of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, but I'm not complaining. It's nice to have some heat after the rainy, cloudy mess we've been having. As long as it only stays for a few days...luckily this weekend it's supposed to drop back down to a lovely 80 or so, just in time for more recruiting! 


I had the pleasure of hearing from ever entertaining Junior Maggie Penza this week.  Life seems pretty rough for her out on the Cape...

You are living the dream this summer on the Cape. Give us an idea of what your typical day is like:
Maggie: My typical day starts with some kind of exercise or workout followed by a trip to the beach so that I can maintain the summer glow that my friends down here have come to expect from me. After the beach, I come home to feast on my specialty, peanut butter and jelly with bananas, before I get ready for work. Then, I head to my restaurant to waitress and charm the hearts and minds of my customers. Finally, if my shift ends early, I go back to the beach to watch the sunset. It's a tough life, but someone has to do it.

What is your restaurant like and how are you enjoying working there?
Maggie: I work at Oliver's Restaurant in Yarmouthport during the Summer. It's a family restaurant that has everything from burritos to broiled seafood platters. On the weekends we have bands come in to play for those of our customers that can stay awake past 10 pm as well as karaoke, which I have yet to try my hand at despite constant requests from my co-workers who have heard of my legendary vocal stylings. I almost always have fun at work, and I get some excellent stories out of it so I can't complain.

Any funny/strange waitressing encounters yet?
Maggie: Nothing too crazy has happened yet because it is still early, but I did convince some people the other night that I was a magician. I didn't have to do any tricks, they were just really gullible.

Who are you living with?
Maggie: I live with my friend Kate in her grandmother's Cape house free of charge all summer. We occasionally get a visit from her family, but for the most part we're just living the dream.

What kind of fun summer activities/hobbies do you have when you're not working?
Maggie: Most of my free time is spent at the beach, but there are a lot of day trips that we have planned as well for the coming months. We are going to spend a day or two in Provincetown, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. We also plan to go kayaking, sailing (as soon as we can make friends with someone that has a boat), and whale watching because whales are cool. As far as hobbies go, I have been teaching myself how to cook so that we do not die of starvation. So far my best dish is lemon pepper chicken with broccoli.. I'm thinking of signing up for Top Chef next season.

Any plans to visit some other EC Laxers or are any of them coming out to visit you?
Maggie: Alex Corrado comes down for a couple of days every couple of weeks to have mini vacations, but I have yet to see anyone else so far. I am positively certain that will not be the case for long, though.

Have you been keeping up with your notorious tweets out there?
Maggie: Of course! It's hard to keep up with the constant demand from my fans, but I have to give the people what they want. I don't tweet as frequently because there is not a lot of service at the beach, but I like to think that it's the quality rather than the quantity that counts.

What do you miss most about Boston and what are you most looking forward to when you get back?
Maggie: I realized the other day that I really miss Boloco, so that is definitely up there on the list. Along with that I also miss being able to walk everywhere. I'm a pretty terrible driver so I can't wait to get back to only needing my legs and the T system to get around.

Camp Counselor Marissa Nobile

Finally some nice weather in Boston this weekend! I enjoyed my little cousin's club lax all-star game  and some pool time in the suburbs.   This coming weekend kicks off a long trail of recruiting at the Champions Cup in Downingtown, PA.  It will be nice to see some coaching friends and hopefully Junior Kanika Misra who is working for DeBeer this summer. 

This week's check-in is with sophomomore defender and Women's Basketball player Marissa Nobile who has a very full and fun summer ahead!

Where will you be spending most of your summer?

Marissa: Most of my summer will be spent at Camp Hazen YMCA in Chester, CT where I will be working as an overnight camp counselor and lifeguard/water sports instructor. Other than that I will be at the beach and in Boston as much as possible!

 Can you give a little background on the camp and your connection to it?

Marissa: The camp I work at is about 35 minutes away from my house and I will be living there in a cabin with the campers I am in charge of. This is my first summer working there but my 10^th summer overall. I started going to this camp when I was younger and decided it was where I wanted to work once I was old enough. You guys can check it out at camphazenymca.org 

What are the perks of being a lifeguard? What are the not so great parts of it?

Marissa: The biggest perk of being a lifeguard is the TAN and being able to spend most of my summer on the water swimming and boating. The not so great parts are the one-piece tan lines, having to be at the beach even when it’s cold, and grumpy campers. 

What are you most looking forward to this summer? Any travel plans?

Marissa: I am looking forward to spending a lot of time outdoors, on the water, cheering on the Celtics and with friends at concerts. I have already been back to Boston once, where I lived with Sophia for two weeks! I also spent a week in Virginia with my family, which was a lot of fun. Other than that I plan on taking a few day trips to Boston, Newport, etc.

What's your favorite summer activity when you're not working?

Marissa: When I am not working my favorite summer activities would have to be summer concerts, the Waterford Speedbowl, and bonfires (the one below is over 6 stories high). Both activities are really popular in my town and it’s a great way to stay connected with old friends while enjoying the summer atmosphere. Oh and of course sending videos to and visiting Macy Day! 

Where/who are you living with when you get back to campus?

Marissa: When I get back to campus I have the pleasure of rooming with our very own Marlee! We will be in a double in a suite in colonial along with Naomi. 

What was your favorite thing about your freshman year at Emerson? What was your least favorite?

Marissa: My favorite thing about freshman year was being given the opportunity to play two sports and making amazing friends along the way. I loved getting to know everyone in Athletics, including our amazing Athletic Trainers Miss Mandy, Steph, Laura, and the BU students. My least favorite part of the year was my knee issue throughout both seasons, which just wasn’t fun.

What do you miss most about Boston?

Marissa: I miss everything about Boston, especially my teammates.

Sophomore Marlee Galper's California Lifestyle

I hope everyone was able to enjoy Memorial Day weekend!  I traveled down to Maryland for the weekend and saw a lot of family and friends.  My younger sister graduated from Dickinson College the weekend prior and had her graduation party this past Saturday.  Both trips were quick but a lot of fun. Things are pretty quiet around here, so it's great hearing from all of you about what you're up to.

This week I caught up with Marlee on how she's living the chill life in Cali - it's tough not to be jealous! 

Where are you spending your summer break?
Marlee:  I'll be at home for most of my break. In August, I'm going to Laguna Beach to see art shows. My family goes every year. And since I've been home I've been cheering on my LA Kings who are playing in the Stanley Cup Final!! And I'm going to Game Three on Monday.

Are you working or interning anywhere?
Marlee: I'm volunteering at a local elementary school and working with the speech teacher there. I'm also coaching some little league lacrosse throughout the summer.


What's your favorite California summer activity?
Marlee: My favorite California activity is lounging on the beach


What are the biggest differences between Boston and Cali? 
Marlee: The biggest differences are of course the weather, and I have to drive everywhere and get stuck in ridiculous LA traffic.

Any celebrity sightings this summer?
Marlee: I haven't seen any celebs recently.


I heard that Kanika will be visiting you before she heads to New
Zealand. What kind of adventures do you have planned while she's there?
Marlee: When Kanika visits we are going to hang out at the beach, go to my favorite restaurants, and chill.


What are you most excited for when you get back to Emerson?
 Marlee: I really miss the Q..........