Volume 134 No. 6

The Springfield Student Est. 1910

October 17, 2019

[scstudentmedia.com]

Contact us: springfieldstudent@springfield.edu

Volume 134 No. 6

Spirit, mind, and body Adaptive athlete and motivational speaker Wesley Hamilton shares his inspiring story with the Springfield College campus community.

SEE PAGE 4 Wesley Hamilton (right) poses for a photo with Springfield College student Luie Michael (left) following his talk. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Marketing & Communnications)

Campus News A preview of guest speakers Fabien and cEline cousteau - Page 3

See page 2 to learn about changes coming to The Student’s first-person storytelling series, “For the Record.”

An update on the construction in front of the learning commons - Page 6

Opinion

Detore: Who’s next?

“For the Record” is bigger than just senior athletes -- it’s for anyone with a purpose who wants to share their story.

By Daniela Detore @DanielaDetore

By this point, if you know me, you know sports are my thing. I can get down with just about any sport.

Sports have been woven into the deepest parts of the fabric of my being and have turned into my lifeline. I’m sure if I broke it down it would be much less intense of a connection than I make it out to be, but my progress through life to becoming a young adult can be pinpointed to certain events and these events always lead me right back to sports.

It was moments like watching Derek Jeter’s last game at Fenway -mind you, I am a Yankee through and through -- and while so out of place, getting beer poured down the back of my shirt and trash-talked by some die-hard Red Sox fans, I realized I loved every moment of it and I love telling this story.

Jeter was having an off day at the plate -- struck out once, soft

ground-balls, spray chart not looking too good, but hope was never lost; he was a playmaker, and he always pulled through.

Long story short, he cleared the Green Monster on a MOONSHOT and the whole park went bananas. Looking back, it could have been all the Yankee fans in attendance chanting “Jeter…

Jeter… Jeter,” after, but there was one thing I know for sure -- there were no boo’s.

And there I was, amidst one of the greatest rivalries in sports history in a city I’m not familiar with -- visiting for the first time -- and I am blown away that this foreign place can just melt over the aura that Jeter gave off over such a storied career.

And the thing that stuck with me most is that people felt that moment, Jeter’s last time at Fenway. I mean, Jeter meant so much to New York. He was “Mr. November”, “#2”, our captain, and these crazy sports fanatics with strong accents,

spilling beer down my back, were in awe at that moment too.

Other moments impacted me too. Wearing The Jersey and going to the Sweet 16 on an at-large bid in 2016, or watching the Birthplace boys play in the NCAA D-III Final Four back in 2017-2018 on my phone from a hotel room in Manhattan the night before St. Patrick’s day.

Now that was really special because they weren’t even supposed to win the conference that year, and there they were, and there I was, huddled around an iPhone 6 on the edge of my seat as if that were the NBA finals.

Moral of the story is that sports are really special, not just to me, but in general. Miracles happen all the time, and nowadays sports are just something to believe in.

So that’s why I’m here.

“For the Record” was originally created as a spin off of a Players Tribune article I read, written by this one basketball player.

PAGE 2 Sam Leventhal/The Student

October 17, 2019

“For the Record” creator Daniela Detore.

Now, before I get into who it was let me explain to you why it stuck with me, because as soon as I name drop you’ll think, “Duh, anyone with a sense of humor and an interest in basketball would have liked the piece too.”

This guy was a STUD. Rookie of the Year, NBA All-Star, NBA MVP, etc., the accolades don’t stop.

He just let it rip in this article.

I mean, it was all over the place. He was talking about his Bentley as if it was a 2000 Honda Civic and after, he just let it be known that he loves to draw and he watches movies in a manner that a movie critique would.

He drafted an all time starting-five and debated on the controversy around LeBron and it just kept on going on a vicious loop of nonsense.

But, it was a cool read because it felt like I was really getting to know him -- Allen Iverson that is.

I heard his voice, he didn’t try too hard to sound professional or

something that he wasn’t and I’d like to think I closed that tab after reading it, better.

So, I created “For The Record” because I thoroughly thought that student-athletes here at Springfield -- although no AI -- were about to feel this on any level that they want to be related at.

“For the Record” started small, but with a large cause. We heard from only seniors after they hung up their jerseys here at Springfield for good. For the most part, they reflected on their careers, the moments they wanted to quit… the moments they actually did and just untiring relentlessness.

It was awesome.

So, I did it again.

And the results were better than I could have ever expected opening up a whole new world to the side of athletes and the genuine relatable struggle that is paired with athletics.

So, it made me think See Detore on Page 8

October 17, 2019

News

PAGE 3

(Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

Focused on the environment

The Arts & Humanities speaker series returns next week at Springfield College.

By Ty Coney @tconey_

Climate change has become a topic of concern that’s fueling more and more conversations.

On September 23, teen environmental activist Greta Thurnberg delivered an emotional speech at the United Nations Climate Action Summit.

However, these conversations haven’t only been at the global level.

They’re on Alden Street, too.

Springfield College participated in the Global Climate Strike on September 20 with its own Climate Change Action.

And next Thursday, the conversation will continue.

On October 16, Springfield College will host deep ocean explorer and environmentalist Fabien Cousteau, along with explorer and filmmaker Céline Cousteau for an evening entitled: “One Ocean, One People: The Cousteau Legacy and a Call for Environmental Action.”

Fabien and Céline are the grandchildren of legendary explorer Jacque-Yves Cousteau.

Jacque-Yves Cousteau was known for his versatility; not only was he a legendary explorer,

but he was also a renowned conservationist, filmmaker, scientist, author and researcher who studied the sea and all of its inhabitants. He also served in the military in his home country of France as a French Naval officer and was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985 by Ronald Reagan.

His grandchildren now center their own lives around fulfilling their family’s legacy and protecting the seas, just as their late grandfather did.

During this talk, Fabien will stress the importance of bold and

innovative thinking to progress conservation efforts worldwide because of the onslaught of threats, such as climate change and pollutants, that the ocean now faces.

He also will encourage audience members to actively take part in trying to find a solution or utilize methods that can help with developing regional and global environmental challenges.

Céline, however, will take a different approach as she will use her worldly voyages to show the relationships between the environment and populations around the world. She

feels acknowledging this relationship can help everyone worldwide.

Céline also uses her history of filmmaking to extend her family legacy through “The Céline Cousteau Film Fellowship.” In this film, Céline empowers young activists and filmmakers to inspire change through the art of filmmaking.

The event is a part of the sixth annual Arts and Humanities Speaker Series at Springfield College. It will be hosted inside the Field House, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public.

October 17, 2019

News

PAGE 4

Wesley Hamilton’s talk had a profound impact on those in attendance. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Marketing & Communications)

Inspiring the students

Wesley Hamilton gives a powerful presentation at Springfield College.

By Collin Atwood catwood@springfield.edu

Everyone was on their feet, clapping and completely mesmerized at what they had just witnessed in the Cleveland E. and Phyllis B. Dodge Room. The crowd had just heard a story that kept them at the edge of their seats.

Wesley Hamilton, an adaptive athlete, motivational speaker, and founder of Disabled But Not Really, came to Springfield College to tell the community about his inspiring journey from walking on two feet and hating himself, to being put in a wheelchair and learning self-love.

Hamilton was born and raised in the east side of Kansas City where he “lacked opportunity” growing up. He had never witnessed anyone from his community be successful, so he had no reason to believe in himself. Hamilton said, “I became a product of my environment.”

On top of being in a community that is low in success rates, Hamilton struggled with obesity and the need to fit in when he was younger. All of these factors contributed to the negativity in Hamilton’s life.

“I could say that I was a negative person… I hated life, I hated myself,” he said. “I chose the negative route and that just led to a lot of bad choices and a lot of bad decisions.”

In Hamilton’s mind and everyone else’s around him, he was not going to make it to 21. That was his reality, so that is how he lived his life. Once he turned 21, Hamilton said, “I celebrated 21 like I never celebrated any birthday before… I celebrated on another level.”

“By the time I hit 22 my life changed forever… My life changed to make me perceive things differently,” he added.

At age 22, he became a father.

His daughter really set the stage for him to turn his life around. When everything in life seemed to be against him, his daughter was going to be his way to an improved life. He wanted to do better for her and wanted to be the best father he could be.

That is exactly what he did. He got a job and was thinking about doing right by his daughter. He tried to give her a better life than he had.

“I was doing everything right,” Hamilton said. “I was developing into this gentleman.”

Unfortunately, thinking about doing better is not enough.

Changes still needed to occur and Hamilton was not changing the way he thought he was going to.

“I still had the mindset of the streets,” he said.

No matter how hard Hamilton tried to move on to a better life, the darkness from his past would always make its way back to him.

“A week after my 24th birthday I was shot multiple times to my abdomen which left me paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of my life,” he stated.

Audience members knew he was paralyzed because he was in a wheelchair right in front of them, but silence still filled the air. For 10 seconds, one could hear a pin drop.

Hamilton was so close to changing his life -- the birth of his daughter was supposed to change everything.

Instead, his past came back to stop whatever progress was being made. His struggles with obesity and health continued, as well as his efforts to fit in. Adding being paralyzed to that list marked an all-time low for Hamilton. His whole life seemed to be going in a downward spiral right before his eyes. “I’m defeated,” he said.

“Every day that I woke up I just wanted to die as if I wasn’t already dead… I was running around in a heartbeat, but I was dead inside,” Hamilton added.

Hamilton really struggled with his image. He was concerned about how the world saw him, even before the accident. Being paralyzed only added on to that.

Hamilton didn’t want people to look at him as someone different, because he thought that all he had in life was fitting in. With that mindset, being in a wheelchair meant he had nothing.

The one person who never saw Hamilton any differently was his own daughter.

“My little girl didn’t see a problem… she called my chair a Superman chair,” Hamilton said.

Once he realized he did not need anyone else’s opinions to be happy, he reached out to his doctor for ways to be healthier for his daughter.

The doctor told Hamilton that his eating habits needed to improve. After Hamilton realized that he needed to change his life on his own and that no one was going to do it for him, he enrolled in a local community college and took a dietitian course.

That dietitian course is what changed Hamilton’s life.

“That moment I opened that book up, on nutrition, I fell in love

News

with it… I never loved food as much as I do now because I know what’s in it,” he said. “The science of it changed my life.

One might not think the negativity surrounding him could be destroyed by a simple nutrition book, but it was. This love for food and nutrition flipped Hamilton’s life around.

A life he never thought possible was manifesting itself right in front of him.

He was finally taking control of his life.

In less than a year, Hamilton lost 100 pounds. That meant everything to him. Hamilton was ecstatic when talking about his weight loss, because he was proud of himself.

The accomplishment of being healthy and losing weight proved to Hamilton that he could do anything if he puts his mind to it. He shouted, “Believe in yourself and it can happen!”

Hamilton’s new and healthy lifestyle completely diminished his depression.

“I wasn’t depressed no more… I wasn’t anything but happy,” he said.

“I never smiled until I was in a wheelchair.”

Hamilton screamed at the crowd, “I was never even happy until this point!”

His improved mindset changed his life dramatically. Hamilton had a whole new list of accolades. On top of starting his own organization, he became an

PAGE 5

.. .

October 17, 2019

“

I went years telling people that that man gave me life when he was trying to take my life. It was time for me to let him know that too,” -.Wesley

.. .

Hamilton

award winning adaptive athlete, and he was featured on a Netflix series called Queer Eye. Disabled But Not Really is an organization that gives equal opportunities to the disabled community through programs focusing on fitness, wellness and mental health.

But beyond all those achievements, there is another one that speaks more volumes than the rest.

It did not make him money and it didn’t help anyone but himself.

“I literally faced the man that shot me and told him thank you,” Hamilton said.

Suddenly it felt as if the whole crowd was looking up to the shortest one in the room. He had done something that most people could not even fathom.

A lot of people can’t even thank someone for holding the door or forgive someone who accidentally bumps into them.

He forgave the man who took away his ability to walk.

“I went years telling people that that man gave me life when he was trying to take my life. It was time for me to let him know that too,” said Hamilton.

He believes he was nothing until he was in a wheelchair, so he thought that his shooter should know he did him a favor.

Hamilton, who was once a dead man walking, depressed, unhealthy and had no hope of becoming anything, is now unbelievably fit, confident and above all else, happy. Hamilton is the true embodiment of the spirit, mind and body.

News

PAGE 6

Danny Priest/The Student

October 17, 2019

The main entrance to the Learning Commons will be blocked for the foreseeable future.

Construction ahead

The front of the Learning Commons will be under construction for the majority of the fall semester.

By Irene Rotondo @irenerrotondo

Since October 7, construction on the sidewalk in front of the Springfield College Learning Commons has been ongoing during the day. However, the reason for the construction was not made clear, nor was the official timeline of the project.

According to the Facilities Management team at Springfield, the construction is actually to ensure that the Learning Commons will not flood during heavy rains.

The building was built below the level of the road making it easy for water to come through the doors and effectively flood the lower levels. By installing larger drains, the Learning Commons will be able to efficiently divert the water away instead of ruining the expensive technology that is strewn throughout the building.

Though there was a school-wide email sent to the students of Springfield College and those who take advantage of the features in the Learning Commons, the conclusive timeline originally announced has changed.

Instead of being finished in six weeks, the contractors will actually be finished by December 15, 2019.

Some may be wondering: Why now? Why not complete this project, which takes up almost the entire entrance to the Learning Commons, over the summer when there are hardly any people on campus?

“All parties tried to accommodate a schedule that would allow work to happen this summer; for various reasons, it did not happen,” said the Springfield College Facilities team of the project.

Fortunately for students, it appears the construction has not done much to deter them from their regular schedules.

Gabrielle Ward, a second-year Marketing Major who often finds herself in the Learning Commons in between her classes to finish up work, said, “I like to go to the library to work on spreadsheets for class… so far, the construction hasn’t really been a problem for me.

I can still do all of my homework and it’s not that loud.”

News

October 17, 2019

PAGE 7

Speaking on experience The newly created Literature, Writing, and Journalism Department hosts colloquium to showcase its students’ work.

Various students presented on their past experiences during Wednesday’s colloquium. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Marketing & Communications)

By Kevin Saxe @ksaxe98

On Wednesday afternoon, the newly created Department of Language, Writing, and Journalism (LWJ) hosted a student colloquium in the forum on the second floor of the Learning Commons. Students at the colloquium spoke on their experiences at internships, conferences, and various other activities in the fields of journalism and English.

LWJ Professor of English and Honors Program Director Becky Lartigue feels it’s important to recognize students’ experiences.

“We really value the work that students do and we’re really proud of it. We wanted to have an opportunity to showcase it not just to faculty and administrators, but to underclassmen so they can see the opportunities open for them,” she said.

The first of the

five groups that presented included senior Gabby Guerard (Editor in Chief of The Springfield Student) and Jack Margaros (Sports Editor for The Springfield Student). Guerard, Margaros and other members of The Student editorial staff went to an annual journalism convention that was held in La Jolla, California last year.

They were able to see the other ways colleges do things with their student newspapers and bring some of those ideas back to Springfield.

While at the conference, they attended workshops on breaking news coverage, feature writing, layout tips, and much more.

“It was a really beneficial experience that I know I learned a lot from and I got a lot of perspectives that we ordinarily don’t get on this campus,” Guerard said.

The second group to present was the internship group. This group featured Guerard and Margaros, as well as Springfield College senior Cam Smith and juniors Danny Priest and Kris Rhim. The students in the group talked about their experiences and big takeaways from their various internships.

The group also spoke on how they would encourage underclassmen to pursue internships and gain valuable experience from them.

The third group included Rhim and senior Nick Perenick talking about their experience on the St. Augustine, Florida trip that occured last year over spring break. The focus of the trip was civil justice, in part how Dr. Martin Luther King was jailed in St. Augustine in 1964 just days before he was set to give the

commencement here at Springfield. Both Rhim and Perenick talked about the interesting past of St. Augustine as well as how some of the people in St. Augustine still twist the history of the city. They talked about the different locations they went to, as well as the people they met including Janie Price, a 93-year-old retired nurse who once housed Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964.

“I think with this experience, you kind of learn the importance of speaking up. All of

these things fuel me to speak about my passions and be passionate about something,” Rhim said.

The fourth group to speak included senior Emily Van Horn and recent graduate Lakeisha Reed. Reed and Van Horn talked about their experience attending the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) in Pittsburgh, PA. One takeaway for both Reed and Van Horn was being able to share their work and be around like-minded people in...

To see the full story go to: scstudentmedia.com

October 17, 2019

Opinion

PAGE 8

Detore continued from Page 2

to myself how many stories are out there and how the cause may still be large, but the search needs to be larger.

That’s why I’m deciding to open up the search for the next candidates of “For the Record.”

The sidelines, as we have recently learned, hold so much insight to the game and to life. And

I know this to be true because I have walked up-and-down every sideline that Springfield has to offer. I have been in the locker rooms, I have been in the weight room with your teams. I know how hard you work, I know how you communicate with each other and I know what you talk about in pregame

meetings.

I know how you look at one another when in the trenches.

I’ve been there.

I’ve also been to every Vagina Monologues performance since I first arrived on campus and I’ve been to a majority of the Acapella concerts, both winter and spring.

I’ve heard you too.

But, not close enough.

I’m calling on those who contribute to Vagina Monologues, Acapella, Take Back the Night, Denim Day, Black History Month, Strength and Conditioning, Rugby etc., I want to hear from you.

As of today, “For the Record” will be accepting nominations/anon-

ymous nominations for anyone with a purpose who wants to share their story.

So, I ask Who’s next?

October 17, 2019

Sports

PAGE 9

Angela “Chickie” Poisson played field hockey for Constance Applebee, who helped bring the sport to the United States. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

240 years of experience Three field hockey icons gathered to speak to the Springfield field hockey players.

By Tyler Browne @T_Browne1124

At 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon of October 7, with a heavy rain falling down outside, three women gathered in a Springfield College classroom, surrounded by the members of the school’s field hockey team. These women are three of the most accomplished field hockey players and coaches in the United States, and they came together to teach the team about the history of the game that they all play.

The event was put together by Dr. Craig Poisson, Springfield’s Execu-

tive Director of Athletics.

Poisson’s mother, Angela “Chickie” Poisson, was one of the speakers, and the event also included Dorothy “Dottie” Zenaty (Springfield’s former coach) and Angela “Tammy” Tamaro, who was the longtime holder of the alltime wins record for high school coaches.

“The reason we’re here today is my mom has a drug, and her drug is field hockey. And she hasn’t had her drug in a while,” Poisson said with a smile.

When Chickie approached her son about speaking to the field hockey team, he immedi-

ately had the idea to invite Zenaty. Zenaty coached at Springfield for over 30 years, and was replaced by current coach Melissa Sharpe in 2003. But, it didn’t end there.

“Years from now, one of you might be invited somewhere, and you’re gonna tell your friend that you were invited somewhere, and that friend’s gonna say, ‘you want a ride?’” explained Dr. Poisson.

That friend was Tamaro, known by her players as “Coach Tammy.” And with her background in the sport, it only made sense to invite her to speak as

well.

Between them, there was over 240 years of field hockey experience in the room. Chickie not only played and coached, but also officiated games, and eventually became the sport’s National Rules Interpreter at the high school and collegiate levels. Zenaty, who graduated from Springfield in 1965, spent over 30 years as a coach at the collegiate level, while Tamaro spent just as long coaching high school.

As Dr. Poisson began to read off a list of his mother’s many accomplishments within the game, he

got choked up and had to stop himself.

“When I say [the game]’s in my heart, I mean it,” remarked Poisson, before finishing the list.

Once Poisson was done informing the team of the incredible feats of the women standing in front of them, it was time for his mother to take over the spotlight.

Over the course of the next half hour, Chickie taught the current team about the history of their game, both in the United States and around the world.

“As sad as it is...that field

October 17, 2019

hockey goes relatively unnoticed in our country, it should be known that the USA does hold its own in international competition,” said Chickie, before discussing how field hockey, or at least the ancestors of it, were played as far back as in Ancient Greece.

Chickie also took the time to talk about her time playing for Constance Applebee. Applebee helped bring the game of field hockey to the United States, and Dr. Poisson believes that his mother is one of the few living people who can say they learned the game from her.

In 1973, Applebee celebrated her 100th birthday, and received hundreds of messages from around the world “I remember getting my three boys to sit down and sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Ms. Applebee on the tape,” recalled Chickie, before asking her son if he remembered doing so.

Chickie went on to discuss the difficulties that female field hockey players had to go through in order to participate in the Olympics, and talked at length about her experiences playing in such places as South Africa and London, where she played a match in the famous Wembley Stadium.

After Chickie sat down, Zenaty took her place.

Rather than talking about the game as a whole, Zenaty focused on the history of field hockey at Springfield College.

She told the team about the early years of women’s sports at the school, and of the primitive equipment used in those

Sports

PAGE 10

Dorothy “Dottie” Zenaty coached at Springfield College for over 30 years until 2003, when current head coach Melissa Sharpe took over. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

days. She went into detail about the struggles that the school’s women’s teams went through to become sanctioned, as the NCAA initially wouldn’t accept female teams.

She also talked at length about her coaching career, and of the days of a tournament known as the Olympic Sports Festival.

“It was as close to the Olympics as most young people are going to get.

Every sport that would compete in the summer olympics...selected four teams.”

Zenaty coached a field hockey team in this festival many times during her career, and many of her Springfield players were selected for teams.

One of the most emotional moments of the evening came at the end

of Zenaty’s presentation, as she recalled her final season as the Springfield coach.

“My last [European training] trip was in 2004, Melissa [Sharpe] was going to be the coach in the fall...and I had lost my husband in 2002.”

At this point, Zenaty was overcome with emotion at the memory of losing her husband, and told her audience of how she dedicated her final year to bringing awareness to the campus of Alzheimers, the disease which took her husband from her.

“It was an incredible, yearlong procedure...Then I got to take my last team to Holland. And I said to Melissa, ‘I only want to do one thing...when we get there. I only want to coach one practice.’”

Zenaty coached the first practice in Holland. Then she turned the team over to Sharpe, who has been in charge ever since.

The final speaker of the evening was Tamaro, who spoke about the history of the game at the high school level.

“I was bitten by the field hockey bug when I was in ninth grade,” began Tamaro.

Interestingly, Tamaro was coached by Chickie at one point in her youth, and Poisson helped her become the first female graduate assistant at the University of Bridgeport.

From college, she was hired by Greenwich, which she preferred to a job at a public school.

“In those days, the public schools [didn’t offer much] in terms of

field hockey...The private schools [in that area of Connecticut] played games against each other, and that’s really what I wanted to do. I wanted to coach.”

During her time at Greenwich, she saw the number of sports at the school rise from three to 17.

After all three women had spoken, Sharpe took the time to thank them, especially her former coach, Zenaty.

“Things were harder [when I was a player], and she’s the reason why it was harder. She made things very challenging for us as players in order to make us get better.

That’s what I think we’ve tried to hammer home with you.”

October 17, 2019

Sports

By Joe Arruda @joearruda9

Springfield College golf head coach Joe Eodie recently won his second consecutive Coach of the Year award. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

‘We like being the underdog’ How Joe Eodie’s hands-off coaching style has helped develop a competitive, tight-knit team.

The six of them sit in a Springfield College white Toyota Sienna minivan.

With head coach Joe Eodie at the wheel, five Pride golfers accompany him in the back of the van. Donning their gray “MASCAC Champions” T-shirts, they head back to Alden Street.

While the van cruises in the left lane, the persistent vexatious click of the left blinker is audible in the ears of the golfers, but Eodie doesn’t seem to notice.

“Coach, your blinker is on,” one of them will say, some 15 minutes later.

Eodie flicks his blinker off, cracks a joke, and continues driving.

They have that relationship.

Players are not worried about his reaction, they just wait for his next joke.

And that relationship translates to the course.

“Whenever I’m playing bad, I always try to look for him, which is kind of weird, to just pick me up and just joke around with him because me and him have that relationship,” senior Mike Strong said.

“I can go to him and roast him and he’ll give it back to me a little bit and I kind of like that. I look at him as a coach and a role model, but to have that relationship where we can be friendly, and not him looking down on me, it’s like an equal playing field.”

Corey Roya, a sophomore, added, “He’s been big this year, and at the

PAGE 11

end of last year, at just making outrageous statements in the van rides that just make people laugh.”

Eodie, a Fenway professional and a coach in his 27th season, has not lost his sense of humor or his golf abilities.

Strong said, “He beat me with my own clubs one time and I still shot like two under, he shot three under. So he’s a pretty good golfer. And that’s kind of been the joke around. He’s been running away from me ever since he beat me that time, he’s kind of soft.”

Being born in Negril Beach, Jamaica, golf was not the future that Eodie expected to have.

“Jamaica was known for cricket, soccer, and track and field. That’s what we do, and that was it. We never played a ‘golf,’” he said. “I was invested at Springfield for 27, probably invested in golf for 35 years maybe.”

After losing his father to cancer when he was just 3 years old, Eodie and his three siblings moved to Springfield with his single mother when he was just a young teenager.

“My mom was a disciplinarian, a mother and a father in the same shot,” he said. “I figured it out really fast, Mom was very big on having manners.

She was very big on making sure thank you, please, and knowing how to act.

I think she did a pretty good job.”

His players would agree.

His laid back, hands-off, coaching style is one that

October 17, 2019 sits well with the young golfers whom he passes along his knowledge and experience.

“He’s hands-off in a good way. I’m the type of player where nobody knows my swing better than my swing,” Strong said. “I don’t like a lot of people getting in my head when it comes to that. I might ask for advice and stuff like that, but he is very hands-off and knows when to talk to you at the right time.”

Roya added, “He’ll only help you if you want it.

He is not the type of coach that’ll be in your face and try to change every single thing that you’re doing. He’ll tell you that if you want the help or if you need something, go to him. He is not going to be in your face and get in your head and do all that kind of stuff just because golf is 90 percent mental. He doesn’t want to mess with that part of it.”

“When you do go to him, he does everything he can, and it’s perfect.”

And Eodie sees the results years down the line.

Investing several hours each day, for weeks at a time, into young adults, teaching them not only the sport aspect, but also forging them into young men the Springfield College way, the rewards come later. Those rewards keep coaches going.

“In the past 10 years being here, watching and hearing my graduating seniors have gone on and one or two years later I

get a call from some high school or college looking to hire those kids. Them using me as a reference, and my word counts to watching those kids end up getting a job, that is big to me. That’s telling me that it’s trickling down the line, that is big,” Eodie said.

After 27 years, he has seen several athletes move on from the program, but what remains with them is the person he is and the intelligent and playful guidance he provides.

“I thought it was gonna be like a couple years of (coaching), and then I would be done,” he said.

“But, I found a lot of gratitude in helping kids, I love being around kids.

I like to see the growth in people, I like seeing the growth in kids. It’s fun, I was giving back to the game that I love.”

He was awarded with New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Coach of the Year twice, in 2008 and 2018, and after the program switched into the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) this fall, he was named the conference Coach of the Year.

But, Eodie doesn’t go far accepting praise without accrediting the people who keep him going.

“It’s a label that’s been given to me, as a coach, but there’s bigger components than I am to these pieces. There’s Dr. P. (Craig Poisson), the Athletic Director, who played a big part in my success here. They give me what-

Sports

PAGE 12

Eodie (left) is from Negril Beach, Jamaica and has been involved with golf for 35 years.

(Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

ever I want to get the job done. Travis Price, played for me for four years, he is now a grad student in his final year. He has played a great part in the recruiting of these kids. So, having the tools around me really helps. Most programs struggle because they don’t have support, I have tremendous support,” he said.

Though Eodie has that support from behind the scenes, the golf program itself has taken a backseat in the athletic community that the College provides.

Being the only NCAA accredited sport offered by Springfield that plays and practices off campus, the popularity of the program doesn’t receive as much following as the school’s

most watched sports like basketball, football, and volleyball.

“We’re not basketball, we’re not football, we’re not baseball, we’re not volleyball, all of the big name sports here at Springfield. But we love the back door success.

When no one is paying attention to us, that’s good.

We like that, we like being the underdog. We drive a mini van with five kids, we don’t have a lot of followers. Great thing. I mean if we do mess up nobody will know,” Eodie said.

Strong added, “It’s kind of nice that we’re away from campus and in our own little world. I made it a point to everyone this year that we are just as important as every other

team. We deserve to get the same coverage and the attention even though it’s golf and no one really cares that much about golf compared to sports like basketball. But, if we handle it we can play to our potential and be the best we can be, we should be able to get the same coverage whether they want to give it to us or not.”

The football team prides itself on a “Brotherhood” mentality, and for golf, it is not much different.

“When we start the season we have a period where it’s five weekends in a row where we’re all together and it’s kind of like a comradery thing. We’re all staying in hotel rooms for the weekend and it’s

October 17, 2019

Sports

PAGE 13

Week 7 Fantasy Football Advice

By Jacob Johnson @JacobJ_7

Love: Dak Prescott

David Johnson

The Dallas Cowboys are in a freefall now, and have a huge matchup this Sunday with the Philadelphia Eagles. Luckily for Prescott, the Eagles have one of the worst secondary units in the league; they’re giving up and average 280 YPG and last week got torched by Kirk Cousins for four touchdowns and 300+ yards. Prescott is currently the 6th ranked fantasy QB, and in a seemingly must win game for the Cowboys expect their game plan to air it out.

like you have no one else to talk to, so you kind of have to bond. And in that five week stretch it’s just a grind,” Strong said.

“You really have no time to do anything else.”

Competing against their own teammates for spots in the minivan for each tournament, their relationships do not quiver.

Instead, they grow stronger and each member of the team gets better along with it.

Hate: Alvin Kamara

David Johnson has enjoyed an excellent bounce back year with Kyler Murray after a disappointing 2018-19 campaign.

Last week against the Falcons, Johnson racked up a touchdown on the ground and through the air, and had 68 yards receiving with 34 yards rushing. He’s been a dynamic player for the Cardinals and I expect that to continue this week against a suspect Giants defense that’s slightly better than the Atlanta defense he just faced. The Giants are giving up on average well over 100 yards rushing per game and come in as the second worst pass defense in the league.

I fully expect Johnson to put up RB1 numbers this week.

“We do qualifying week in and week out, which is something that not many coaches will do. So basically during the week we’re competing against ourselves as a team for who goes and plays in these tournaments,” Roya said.

“That’s something that gives all of us a little extra grit when we’re playing. It’s not to beat each other up and then act like we’re still not a team, but it gives us a little ex-

Jimmy Graham

It may be due to Drew Brees’ absence, but Kamara is not putting up the same mind blowing numbers that he has put up in his previous two years in the league.

While the numbers haven’t been terrible, the Saints as a team have a tough task ahead of them this week: the Chicago Bears and that scary run defense of theirs. The Bears are allowing the fifth least rushing yards per game (83 YPG) and are giving up an average of 13.8 PPG to opposing offenses.

I wouldn’t go as far as benching Kamara due to his undeniable playmaking ability, but expect the Bears to come into Sunday’s game with a game plan for stopping Kamara on the run. Put him in your flex if you have RB depth.

tra effort, that we’re still playing for a spot.”

In other sports, there is a “first string” and a “second string” player for almost every position. It is the playing time hierarchy that often discourages players constantly playing behind a star, waiting on them to get tired or injured for their time to shine.

And that could be the same in golf.

Instead, every player has

As a Packers fan, I’ve finally given up on Graham after these last two weeks with Davante Adams out. He simply looks worn out and tired. It’s not his fault but he simply isn’t the same player he used to be. He’s not fast enough to get open in Matt LaFleur’s play action heavy offense, and hasn’t been anywhere close to the red zone threat that people expected him to be coming into Green Bay two years ago. Not only do I hate Graham this week, I hate him for the rest of the season. I’ve already dropped him in my league and I wouldn’t blame you if you did the same.

a genuine opportunity to earn his spot.

While it is a fair way to generate a starting lineup, it provides a unique way of bonding for the players and furthers the comradery that they so love.

“That inner team competition is what makes us better. I know like every day at practice I want to beat Jake and Corey. I’m a competitor, that’s just the way I work, and when you get that kind of mindset,

when everyone wants to beat each other everyone is going to get better,” Strong said.

Despite playing away from campus, the golf program has developed into one of the most successful hidden treasures of Springfield College athletics.

And after 27 years, that blinker is still going.

October 17, 2019

Sports

PAGE 14

The Springfield College women’s club ice hockey team is enjoying its first season this winter, participating in the Independent Women’s Club Hockey League.

(Jacob Johnson/The Student)

Incremental Growth

In its inaugural season, the College Springfield women’s club ice hockey team is not solely focused on results.

By Jacob Johnson @JacobJ_7

It was a normal, late, brisk October evening at Smead Arena. Sounds of pucks rocketing against the boards, and the echo of ice skates carving ice boomed throughout the rink, the Springfield College club hockey team was readying themselves on the cusp of their season.

But, this year was dif-

ferent; the walls of this rink had never seen two separate squads from Alden Street.

For the first time in school history, Springfield will have two squads on the ice this winter, as the club women’s ice hockey team will play in their inaugural season.

After getting through a year’s worth of research and proposals, the team is now hard at work at Smead Arena preparing

for the season ahead.

“It was a long process.

We started last fall and we had to put in a proposal, but you really have to have numbers,” said Thomas Verrico, the current head coach of the women’s hockey team as well as assistant director of intramural and club sports at Springfield College.

Verrico has been around the sport of hockey for most of his life. He

played juniors hockey growing up and played on his high school hockey team.

One of the bigger obstacles for the club was simply getting enough recruitment to field a team after some initial skates in the spring to get a feel for roster numbers, which to this point has been a success.

“We did two skates in the spring just to see how our numbers were

and now we’re really getting going,” Verrico said.

“We had interest, about 25 girls showed interest to play hockey before the first year students came on campus. The students did most of the work putting the proposal and research together, then coming to me to put it all together.”

Verrico is no stranger to starting up clubs at colleges. When he was the Intramural sports coor-

October 17, 2019

Sports

There is an array of experience levels within the women’s club ice hockey team, from some who have played their whole life to those who have never skated. (Jacob Johnson/The Student)

dinator at Curry College, he played an integral role in establishing the women’s ice hockey team three years ago, where he was also the head coach.

He coached the program for its first three years before taking his current job at Springfield College.

“I think this is a great opportunity for the school,” said Verrico.

“Great for retention, and the students want it.”

As a new club sport, the women’s hockey team is looking to establish a fun, energetic culture this year that’s built to last for a long time.

“A couple wins would be nice” said team pres-

ident and captain Sam Foulkrod, as fellow captains Ashley Pilling and Julia Rodrigues laughed.

“We’re just trying to get

the program situated, get more people to play.

Those are our goals for now. Get a good atmosphere.”

Some players have their eyes set on a bigger goal.

When first year student Reese Earle was asked about team goals for this season, two words echoed: “‘Yoffs (Playoffs) baby!”

Currently, the team has a 15 person roster, with three women who are currently playing field hockey and cannot practice until the end of their season in November.

The team has varying levels of experience.

Many players have been skating since they were kids, while some players had never skated until this spring’s first team workouts. Many of the women on the team played in recreational and competitive summer leagues to prepare for this upcoming season.

“I played all through high school and have played in summer leagues, so it’s really cool to be back out here playing,” Foulkrod said.

Even team captain and treasurer Julia Rodrigues has never played hockey before. But, that’s not stopping her from enjoying her time on the ice.

“It feels weird considering I’ve never played hockey before,” said Rodrigues. “I’ve always wanted to play so it’s cool to be out on the ice.”

Now that the team is hitting the ice, players that have played for the majority of their lives are ecstatic to be able to continue to play the

PAGE 15

sport they love competitively.

“The women’s team organizing this year was perfect timing,” said Reese Earle. “I didn’t know if we were going to have a women’s team or if I was going to have to try out with the men’s.

So this is a real blessing.

Springfield was one of my top colleges without having the women’s team here, so it’s obviously just great to have this here this year.”

It should be an exciting year for the women on ice this year. Currently, the team is practicing twice a week at Smead Arena and are working on getting team gym times established. With the men’s team is looking to win their third straight Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association Colonial title, the women’s team is hoping to feed off of their energy and make some noise.

The women’s team will participate in the Independent Women’s Club Hockey League (IWCHL), and are a part of the seven team Adirondack Division West, with at least 14 scheduled games for this season. They will face Curry College in their season opener at Smead Arena on October 25 at 8 p.m., following the men’s hockey game at 5 p.m.

(Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Golden Girls The Springfield field hockey team welcomed three prominent figures in the history of the sport.

[See inside]

S

VOL. 134 NO. 6 OCTOBER 17, 2019