Volume 137 No. 10

(Photo Courtesy of Andrew Ryback)

Learning Commons turns five

This fall marks the fifth birthday of the new and improved Learning Commons, which offers an upgraded student experience in a variety of ways.

__ By Tucker PaqueTTe @tpaquette17

This fall marks the fifth birthday of the new and improved Learning Commons at Springfield College, an occasion that reflects a thorough renovation geared toward helping students feel more comfortable academically while on campus.

While the building is an impressive one right now, that wasn’t always the case – at least in the eyes of some members of the Springfield College community.

The current foundation for the Learning Com mons building was made in 1972, but by the time President Mary-Beth Coo per arrived in 2013, it was clear that a renovation was something this school had its eyes on.

As such, in the spring of 2016, staff left the building as it went down to concrete.

“It looked like a big parking garage,” Spring field College Director of Library Services Andrea Taupier said of the state of the building at the out set of the renovation.

Everyone was let back into the enhanced building in the fall of 2017.

If that sounds like a quick project, that’s because it is. Taupier be lieves that the turnaround was so speedy because the project was simply a

renovation, as opposed to an entire new building project.

In terms of the goals that were top of mind when redesigning the Learning Commons, by far and away the school’s biggest objective was to improve the student expe rience from an academic standpoint.

This plan has come to fruition, as the new library has what Taupier calls an “academic support hub” with library services, the IT department help desk, and the Academic Success Center (located on the third floor of the build

ing).

What’s more, Taupier mentions another added benefit is how everything that is meant to fulfill stu dents’ needs is located in the same place. This was not the case before, and Taupier is of the belief that these tools being in one central location is a convenience to students on campus.

Taupier is also a fan of the environment that is present inside the new building. For this reason, as well as the aforemen tioned plethora of helpful resources, the Learning Commons is a hot spot at

Springfield College.

“[The building] is light and bright and welcoming,” Taupier said. “We know that students are using [the Learning Commons] a lot more than they used to.”

In addition to the academic services offered throughout the Learning Commons, there are also ample resources aimed at improving the studying experience for students.

Taupier says how fac ulty and students had the opportunity to share some of the things that they wanted the new library to contain, and study-re

lated items were popular requests.

As a result of the feedback received from the campus community, a 24-hour study space was added, as was a quiet study floor and group study rooms. Whiteboards are also popular amongst students who use the Learning Commons.

Taupier believes these additions serve students well.

“Students get the services they need, but the building is [also] meet ing their study needs, and that’s really important,” Taupier said.

The revamped Learning Commons was created in the fall of 2017. (Photos Courtesy of Springfield College)

‘Gender is something I bring everywhere with me’

women’s sports team, but not identifying as a female. Each spoke about the pressures they face conforming to one binary.

“I am on the wom en’s soccer team here, which is great, and I love all of my team mates very much, it’s just kind of funky to occupy a space as a gender-queer athlete on a team meant for women,” said Harper. “I am on the women’s soccer team, but I am not a woman.”

“Gender is some thing I bring every where with me, even the little things, like going to the bath room,” added Gould.

and specifically for those who want to go on hormones, it is very barring and put ting you into a box,” said Gould. “What I have been saying to myself lately is that if I was not an NCAA athlete, I would ex plore for myself hor monal therapy.”

“I think it is im portant to recognize that just because someone is forced into a box, it does not mean they want to stay there,” Dzindolet said.

Pride is intertwined with almost every part of campus – af ter all, Springfield’s mascot is referred to as “The Pride.” To some, this shows the importance of repre sentation regarding the LGBTQIA+ com munity at Springfield College. Four stu dents explained what

___ By Carley Crain ___ @carley_crain12

Pride means to them as queer athletes in a panel titled, “Under standing the queer Athlete Experience.”

Lily/Leo Gould, Grace Dzindolet, Dai-Quan Thomas, and A. Harper an swered questions from Title IX coordinator Erin Leeper as well as shared their personal

experiences for about one hour in front of a packed audience, many of them fellow Springfield College student-athletes.

Binary and gender were two of the main focal points of the presentation, as Gould and Harper especially spoke about the re alities of being on a

The panelists ex plained that for gen der queer individuals, coming out is a con tinuous process and one that can be very emotionally draining. A step in the right direction was made, they noted, when Springfield added pronouns to rosters, so athletes like them selves can have their identities respected in commentary, game write-ups and more.

Gould also men tioned how systems of power, like bod ies of legislation in sports including the NCAA, have con trolled their decision to explore hormonal therapy.

“Reading all the NCAA guidelines for transgender people

Toward the end of the presentation, panelists suggested a few ways that the Springfield commu nity can show up for the queer communi ty on campus: using gender-neutral lan guage in practices, asking for pronouns, having allies of the LGBTQIA+ com munity step up and demand equality, cre ating a gender-neutral locker room that is offered as an option for students and more. While the panel ists expressed the progress Springfield College has made for queer students over the years, each shared that there is room for improvement on cam pus and beyond.

Left to Right: Leeper, Dzindolet, Gould, Harper, Thomas. (Photo Courtesy Springfield College)

Lily/Leo Gould, Grace Dzindolet, Dai-Quan Thomas and A. Harper answered questions from Title IX coordinator Erin Leeper during last week’s SEAT at the Table event.

SEAT event examines CRT

Speakers Justine Dymond, Ashley S. McNeill

and Amanda Simpson shared how Critical Race Theory comes into play in various areas of study.

__ By Tucker PaqueTTe __ @tpaquette17

Three members of the Springfield College com munity gathered in Dodge A&B on Friday, November 11th to explain how criti cal race theory (common ly referred to as CRT) impacts their respective fields of interest.

Justine Dymond, a Professor of English at Springfield College, and Ashley S. McNeill, a Pro fessor of Chemistry, were the two faculty presenters. They were joined by soph omore Amanda Simpson, a student in Springfield’s Art Therapy program.

Simpson had lots of in formation on not only the background of Critical Race Theory, but also on how this topic intersects with art therapy.

Critical Race Theory is usually taught in high er-education, according to Simpson, who added that an important element of CRT is how systemic rac ism is present in society in the United States, and how racism is rooted in various laws, institutions and policies.

“The goal of Critical Race Theory is to learn and unveil the systemic racism in America,” Simp son said.

Furthermore, Simpson came up with a definition of art therapy, saying how

it is the process of making art that serves people in a therapeutic manner.

Connecting the dots between CRT and art therapy, Simpson ex plained how mental health research used to be funded by white people and done on other white people, and because of this, minority groups were adversely im pacted by the white-per son centered approach to research.

In fact, according to information relayed by Simpson from the U.S. De partment of Health and Human Services, ethnic minority groups aren’t as likely to seek mental health help compared to white people.

“It’s really beneficial if we view art therapy through the lens of criti cal race theory, because it can help us to create more diversity in the field in the future, and also to expand [a therapist’s] knowledge base,” Simpson said.

Switching gears to how Critical Race Theo ry’s effects can be seen in literature, Dymond shared some background on Native peoples, and how race-related issues have impacted them.

To illustrate the power of the aforementioned race-driven aggressions, Dymond shared a portion of “Whereas,” a poetry collection by Layli Long Soldier.

“Whereas” is a re sponse to a Joint Res olution from the U.S. Congress issued in 2009 that was intended to serve as an apology to Native peoples.

Dymond emphasized how the poetry in this collection pushes back against the apology.

“There is a challenge to the very integrity of the apology through the poem,” Dymond said.

Moving along, McNeill focused her presentation on the ways in which objects can be racist, and she went on to share a few examples of this dynamic.

To begin her talk, Mc Neill detailed how a pulse oximeter can be racist, as

the device can be inaccu rate at times, specifically for people who have dark er-colored skin.

McNeill explained that people get a reading off of the oximeter, and if the reading is wrong, then they may not go to the hospital when they need to. This obviously is a significant, potentially life-threatening problem.

For another case study of sorts, McNeill shared something she heard from a science podcast about EEG’s (a test of brain activity that requires electrodes to touch one’s scalp).

When discussing how certain hairstyles (mainly those more often associ ated with Black people) make it harder for EEG’s to touch the scalp and thus be effective, McNeill outlined how the tests can be considered racist because the test doesn’t work as well on these hairstyles.

Luckily, according to McNeill’s resharing of the podcast story, a Black doc tor was able to come up with an effective solution to the problem facing the patient with braided hair.

“This is why we need diversity,” McNeill said. “As a white person,... I couldn’t have been some one who would’ve come up with this solution, because I just don’t know about it.”

(Photo Courtesy of Dakota News Now)

Horsin’ Around

After a tremendous first year on the equestrian team a season ago, Kaitlyn Kupiec is on pace to repeat her successes in 2023.

___ By Cait Kemp ___ @caitlinkemp09

To get to the Inter collegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Nationals, competitors must place in the top two in Regionals and move on and place top two in Zones. If that is accomplished, com petitors will get the opportunity to compete at Nationals, where they will face off against the best from across the country.

This process is an extremely difficult one, proving that only the best of the best make it to that point. Kaitlyn Kupiec of the Spring field College club eques trian team succeeded in that process, and did so as just a first-year student.

The equestrian team at Springfield College is one of the lesser-known and smaller club teams on campus. Currently only two students show in competitions. Two others joined as begin ners and are hoping

to show in the spring. Kupiec is a leader on the team, showing in Open, which is the highest class at compe titions, and showing off her skills through her success throughout the season.

Kupiec joined the team last season as a fresh man and was a force on the team from the start. In horse shows, compet itors can place individ ually or as a team. With only two team members, it is almost impossible for Springfield to place as a team so it is up to the members’ individu al scores to determine if they move on to the postseason competitions in the spring.

An accumulative score of 28 is needed to go to Regionals, and after the fall season, Kupiec is al ready only seven points away in the jumping category and three away in the flat category. She still has the entirety of the spring regular

season to qualify.

The most impressive part of Kupiec’s trip to Nationals is that she competed against Division I university’s equestrian teams. The IHSA is not a part of the NCAA, so schools could have a small, club team like the one at Springfield or large, established teams with the top athletes. She is competing against other riders of all different skill levels, and placed second in both Region als and Zones before finishing 13th at Na tionals.

Kupiec came to Spring field College not ex pecting to ride anymore. She began the sport at just five years old and competed through mid dle and high school. Not knowing there was a team at Springfield, she had been ready to give up the sport she did for 15 years.

“My godmother got me into it when I was

four or five, and no one in my family was ever into this and somehow it just took off and I started doing it every day of the week after school,” Kupiec said. “I came here not expecting to do it, I didn’t even know they had a team.”

She discovered there was a team after seeing an Instagram post from the club’s account. She messaged them and went to the information meeting they were hold ing for anyone interest ed in joining the team.

“I went to the meeting, and obviously I was like, ‘Yes, I’m going to join,’ I didn’t even need to hear anything,” Kupiec said.

Kupiec still goes back to her home barn of Harmony Hill Farm, located in Great Bar rington, Mass., to work with her trainer. It is the place she learned everything she knows about horseback riding, so she likes to give back and help the next gen

eration.

“It’s cool because now that I’m older, I get to help my trainer train the horses,” she said.

She has been able to take her expertise from riding at the colle giate level and make a full-circle journey back at her barn at home. It shows her grace and willingness to help others, and how much she truly loves the sport that she had thought she would have to give up.

Kupiec’s journey in riding has been a long and impressive one, and continues to be as she concludes the fall season of her sophomore year. Going into the spring, she is looking once again to qualify for Na tionals and place better than she did last year. With her high scores already this school year, it surely won’t be far out of reach.

Kupiec at the IHSA Nationals at Mount Hoyloke College. (Photo Courtesy of Kaitlyn Kupiec)

‘Democracy is not a spectator sport’

The Springfield Student staff asked students and faculty members what the 2022 midterm election results mean to them and the importance of exercising their right to vote.

In perhaps the most important midterm election in recent history, the Democratic party fended off a Republican take over in the Senate while the GOP held onto a small majority in the House. In what was forecasted to

be a “red wave,” the results of the midterm elections surprised many when the polls proved to be incorrect as Republicans lost many key Senate races in states like Pennsylvania and Nevada.

In the battle

ground state of Georgia, Demo cratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker will go to a runoff election on Dec. 6 as neither can didate was able to secure the re quired majority

of the votes, the third Georgia senate runoff in just two years. The dominant issues that mattered to voters were inflation, abortion rights, and cracking down on crime. Members of the Springfield Stu

dent staff want ed to gauge the opinions of the Springfield stu dents and faculty, so we asked several people on campus if they voted and if they did, why it was signif icant for them.

(Photo Courtesy of WBUR News)

(Photo Courtesy of WGBH News)

“In recent years, voting has become more important to me than ever. Roe vs. Wade was overturned; the federal government no longer protects women’s bodies from con trolling legislation. I am married to a wom an, and there are efforts to overturn mar riage equality. Of course a central tenet of feminism has always been that the personal is political, but right now, politics feel incredibly personal.” -Anne Wheeler, professor, Massachusetts

“It’s important to participate in voting in making our democracy work in the Unit ed States of America. Not voting and ‘not being a political person’ is also a political stance -- people don’t realize that. So I take the stance that voting matters, as it’s one of the few ways we can democratically let gov ernments know what we stand for. So that’s why I voted!” - Fadia Nordtveit, professor, Massachusetts

“I voted in this past election because I believe it is important to exercise your voice. It is your right to have a say about what happens in our country.” -Paige Alexander, first-year, Virginia

“Democracy is not a spectator sport. As imperfect and fragile as our democracy is, it still functions best when citizens participate. Young people, in particular, are needed to help us find a better future – that ‘more perfect union.’”- Marty Dobrow, professor, Massachusetts

“I voted because it is so important to have your voice heard, whether it be in your community, or within the world. Voting for what you believe in could change the world, and or community, making it a better place. Every vote counts whether you believe it or not.” -Jake Polites, first-year, Connecticut

“I voted because I feel it is important to express your opinion through elections, especially when there are drastic changes to be made by politicians. You never know when the results come down to a handful of votes.” -Reese Merritt, sophomore, Maine

Left to Right: Fadia Nordtveit, Marty Dobrow, Anne Wheeler. (Photos Courtesy of Springfield College)

Elizabeth Fraser

Elizabeth Fraser won a close race for the Springfield Student Women’s Athlete of the Week with 34.7 per cent of the vote. The senior swimmer came in first place in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:22.24, and had two third-place finishes in the 200 indi vidual medley and 200 freestyle in the Pride’s tri-meet on Saturday. Right behind her was Sam Houri han with 30.7 percent in the poll. The senior forward for the women’s bas ketball team combined for 54 points, 27 rebounds, six blocks, and five steals throughout the week, including 23 points and 10 rebounds in the Pride’s 58-53 win over Rowan on Saturday.

Josiah Evely

Josiah Evely won the Springfield Student Men’s Athlete of the Week with 44.8 percent of the vote. The first-year forward for the men’s bas ketball team went 7-for-10 from the field to gather 20 points in the Pride’s 76-72 win over Lehman on Saturday.

The second vote-getter was Tyler Pohlman, who had 29.9 percent in the poll. The sophomore defensive back for the football team combined for seven tackles and had a 42-yard interception return for a touchdown to help Springfield win 35-21 over Catholic on Saturday.

The man in third place in the poll came from the pool with Sean An

drews getting 14.9 percent of the vote. The graduate diver finished in first place in the one-meter and three-meter dives at Springfield’s tri-meet against Keene State and Wheaton.

Joseph Cannizzaro rounded out the vote after a great day on the ground. The senior running back for the football team ran for a season-high 89 yards along with two touchdowns to help Springfield capture the NEWMAC title against Catholic.

Be sure to follow @TheSpfldStu dent on Twitter to vote in the next poll!

Angela Czeremcha finished in third place with 24.8 percent of the vote. The sophomore forward for the women’s basketball team com bined for 24 points, 23 rebounds, three blocks, and three steals. This included 10 points and 12 rebounds against No. 9 Amherst on Friday.

Rounding out the vote was Brenna Lachapelle after a solid race. The senior runner for the women’s cross country team cut her time from her previous race by over a minute on Saturday, and helped lift the Pride to 13th in the Division III North east Regional Championships.

Josiah Evely. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Elizabeth Fraser. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Q & A with Branwen Smith-King

How the Springfield College pioneer’s determination and fearlessness led to the creation of the first women’s track team at Springfield College.

__ By Luke Whitehouse @Lwhitehouse12

As a student, Branwen Smith-King ‘78, G ‘79 was involved in the fight for gender equity at Spring field College. In fact, she helped start the first women’s Track and Field team here. The inequities that existed at Springfield College when she arrived from Bermuda in the mid-1970s, even though Title IX had been passed several years earlier, were glaring. Smith-King talked with The Student about how she and her team went about changing the course of women’s sports and how Title IX still has far to go.

Whitehouse: When you came to SC, there was no women’s track team. What was your reaction when you first stepped on cam pus and learned that?

Smith-King: It was like, “Well, we can sit around and feel sorry for ourselves. But we want the opportuni ty to compete and be athletes.” That was our driving force. We just wanted to compete, we wanted to train. Grow ing up in Bermuda, I was used to having a coach, having a fitness gym to go to. I asked,

“Where’s the weight room?” They [looked at me] like I had 20 heads. I said, “I have been lift ing weights since I was 15 – Olympic lifting.” This is in the early ‘70s, maybe ‘74, ‘75. Women did not go to the weight room [in the United States] then. There were a lot of cultural changes for me, learn ing how women were treated. But on the flip side, we had professors like Dr. [Diane] Potter. It was a real contrast because they were awe some leaders, awesome coaches and teachers. They were so influential to our generation of student-athletes, that we just said, “Okay, well, they didn’t teach us about Title IX, but we kind of learned about it.”

Whitehouse: And how did you go about starting the team? How did the school receive it?

Smith-King: We were more insistent on competing and training and we did things like hold bake sales in the beverage center. And that really kind of set a tone. We thought of ourselves as a team, even though we didn’t have the label. Brian Cox was the men’s coach at the time. He is

a wonderful person. And he coached for many, many years and he was somewhat supportive of us. We were able to go on a track with the guys, so that was huge, you know, in the early ‘70s for him to do that. But when we saw the buses or vans going out [for a meet] and we weren’t part of that, it [left] a sour taste. We mentioned it to the administration. The athletic director was not really that receptive, but they listened.

Junior year I think was the most disap pointing season, as we had several of us that qualified for nationals. I was ranked third in the nation or something like that. We were all ranked in the top 10 in the country. And Spring field did not enter me in the event. Everybody was ticked off. Then, in my senior year, we became a varsity team. I guess part of it was just persistence. We never got discouraged. We just wanted to support each other.

Whitehouse: Title IX has come so far, but what do you think it could still do?

Smith-King: Yes, we’ve come a long way. I think one of my realiza tions as a coach, before

I started coaching, was that this generation of young women are the daughters of my friends, right? So they don’t might not know about Title IX. I made a [point] to explain it to my student-athletes. We didn’t have locker rooms, we didn’t have uniforms, explain to them what Title IX was so that when they graduate and move into the real world they give back in some way. They’ll be real role models for future generations of girls and women in sport and to fight for any inequities that they see in sport.

Whitehouse: How do you think we can inform people about Title IX?

Smith-King: Well, it starts in schools and teaching young people. I had two daughters, so they kind of know my story. They grew up in the United States. So they can grow up play ing sports, they can do anything, but I remind ed them it’s education. If it’s educators or high school coaches, parents, communities, they all can teach about Title IX.

(Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

‘There is one wonderful thing that unites us’

Assistant Sports Editor Braedan Shea explains why pickup basketball has been an outlet away from the stress of college life.

soul, and pushing past that is not an easy task.

So as you could imag ine, my first “real day” on campus, the one after all the orientation had ended, was scary. I didn’t know what to do, but knew that I wasn’t going to spend the entire day alone in my dorm. So I went to do the one thing that felt most comfortable: hoop.

tually gather enough confidence to enter.

Little did I know, it was the best decision I had ever made.

For as long as I can remember, basketball has always been there for me.

Through the good days, the bad days, and the really bad days, I could always count on hoops to help me work through what I needed to. Whether I am trying to get my mind off of an ever-stressful life, or

___ By Braedan Shea @braedan_shea

simply just fill up some free time, it’s really a safe space for me – a healthy coping mecha nism, if you will.

And without it, I have no idea where I would be today. I do know, however, that a basket ball-less me would be a lot more depressed, lonely and bored. Let me explain.

For those of you that don’t know who I am, first off, hello! But secondly, I am a very anxious person. It takes a lot out of me to enter foreign situations, es pecially when I have no idea what the outcome of said situation will be.

I get this terrible, un easy fear that brews in the deepest part of my

I grabbed my ball and shoes, and made the walk over to the field house. I intended on just shooting around by myself, but as I made my way down the tunnel, just short of the field house entrance, I heard a sound that got my stomach churning – other people playing pickup.

I peered inside one of the windows on the entrance doors, and saw not one, but two full courts of five-on-five action. I just stared for a minute, heavily contem plating what I should do. My mind was telling me to go in, but every thing else about me dis agreed. And although it took longer than it should have, I did even

Shortly after walking toward the sideline of the second court, some one asked me if I want ed to join them; playing in the next game. I hesitated for a second, but did accept the offer. As the prior game ended, my new team mates and I made our way to the court. Imme diately, I was met with a couple of people who introduced themselves, and asked who I was –something that I had never experienced, at least before a game had started.

Throughout the pickup run, I got into a groove, and was becoming more comfortable with those around me. And as time progressed, with game after game going by, that comfort only grew. We were joking around and having fun, but still staying competitive –again, something that I hadn’t really experi enced – that line be tween competitiveness and humor is very fine.

Shea dribbling down the court. (Photo by Garrett Cote/The Student)

Once the runs had winded down, as most people made their way out of the gym, I de cided to follow along. But as I sat next to my bag, taking my shoes off, I was approached by another player. I assumed he was just saying goodbye, which wasn’t fully wrong, but not really why he came over.

Instead, he asked me if I wanted to join a Snapchat group chat, comically named Wan naBHoopers. It was full of almost 70 people who were just like me – people who loved bas ketball. After accepting, my life at Springfield got so much better. Almost every weekday, at either 4 or 6 p.m., I got an opportunity to do the thing I love most. And what I came to learn was really just how important this was, and still is, to me. Not only was I getting away from the reality of life some days, but I also grew closer with the members of the group chat over time.

These guys are some of the funniest, nicest, most caring individuals I have ever come across, and I am beyond grate ful to be able to call them my friends. With out them, I know for sure that I wouldn’t be nearly the same person that I am today; and I am not the only person

that feels this way.

Kenny Bui, a Spring field alumnus who came all the way from Viet nam, explained to me in an interview earlier this year how important pickup basketball was for him.

“Basketball just helped me trade off relation ships and friendships,” Bui said. “I actually didn’t know anyone until I played (pickup) basketball at Springfield – it was the first way that I found my friends there.”

Those relationships he built from playing bas ketball not only helped him become integrated into the campus com munity, but also allowed him to live a higher quality of life.

Because he was so far from home, he was un able to travel back and forth during holidays and campus breaks. So instead of staying iso lated in his dorm room, he had the opportunity to stay with his new friends, at their houses.

While the impact of pickup isn’t quite as dramatic in my case, that same basic princi ple remains one and the same.

Another student who shares Bui’s and my ex perience is sophomore Dominic Velazquez.

Velazquez, a commuter from Springfield, ex pressed just how im

portant pickup was to him as well.

“They’re really im portant to me, because socially, it’s an outlet for me to get away — at least from school espe cially — since I don’t play a sport,” Velazquez said. “It’s also another way for me to make friends.”

I think it is quite clear just how important pickup basketball is to not only me, but the

many others who play as well. Although we all have different stories and backgrounds, there is one wonderful thing that unites us.

For anyone who has come to play pickup here at Springfield, even if you just played once, I want to send the most sincere thank you. You have played a part in helping me, and many others, get through our day, allowing us to be

who we want to be.

And to those of you who are regulars in the groupchat, thank you so much for being there for me, even if you didn’t know you were. I am truly appreciative of all of you, and hope that you all have the same experience as I have.

You are the ones that make me proud to call myself a WannaBHoop er.

Amarion “AJ” Brooks at a pickup game. (Photo by Garrett Cote/The Student)

National recognition

Springfield women’s basketball player Sam Hourihan has built an amazing resumé with the Pride, and earned All-America preseason honors for the 2022-23 season.

___ By Sean Savage @SeanSav13

As the final seconds of the second round of the 2022 NCAA Divi sion III Women’s Bas ketball Championship Tournament dwindled down in Ben Light Sta dium, the ball found the hands of Sam Hourihan.

Springfield was tied with Ithaca College 71-71 in overtime, and the Posse had a chance to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2005.

“I just shot it and got hit, so I fell to the floor… The next thing

I know is I am being jumped on by my entire team,” Hourihan said.

She had just sank the most memorable shot in Pride basketball history.

“It was an amazing shot,” Pride head coach Naomi Graves said. “She is an outstanding player for the program… one of the best that’s worn the uniform.”

Hourihan’s talents weren’t only recognized by Graves. In addition, she was also selected to the 2022-23 Third Team

Preseason All-Amer icans, attesting to her generational talents and genuine persona.

However, this was not the first of Houri han’s glory. She had a preview of her undis puted talent at a young age.

“I have been playing basketball my entire life,” Hourihan said.

She credits her defen sive abilities to both her dad and her brother.

“I learned how to block shots and shoot

over defenders because of the heights of my dad and brother,” she said.

Additionally, her dad coached her up until high school through Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) hoops. But it was not until the collegiate level where she dug up her work ethic.

“Once I got to col lege, I was pushed hard er than I ever have been before,” Hourihan said.

According to Graves, acclimating to the next level was not too bur densome of a task for Hourihan.

“Oh my god… I have seen her grow tremen dously. I have seen a high level of maturity,” Graves said.

Her work ethic led her to shine and play a vital role in the Posse’s success.

“I firmly believe Sam is bringing our team to new heights with her leadership skills,” Graves said.

She has grown to be a great leader for the Pride, and the numbers she puts up only helps to solidify her greatness.

Hourihan consis tently performs at a high level, and makes an impact in multiple categories.

“To be recognized at the All-American level, you have to have the numbers, and she has them all,” Graves said.

The best part is, the numbers Hourihan puts up is a byproduct of the leader she has come to be. She leads not only

with her voice, but by example on the court.

“She brings her bas ketball skills, her expe rience, and I just really feel her commitment to the student-athletes and the staff. She is just bought in, and that is really special,” Graves said.

One of the things that standout the most is her selflessness in receiving All-American honors.

“She is not driven by any awards but rather the team’s success, and that speaks volumes about her,” Graves said.

Similarly, Hourihan does not think this award would be possible without those around her.

“The biggest contrib uting factor was hands down the team’s success last year. I would not have gotten the recog nition that I have gotten if it were not for the teammates and coaches,” she said.

Hourihan continued her praise for Graves as well.

“My coach is one of the most amazing women I have ever met. She is tough and strong while also being equal ly compassionate and caring. She cares for her players and wants us to be our best on and off the court. She expects a lot from me, but I am grateful,” Hourihan said.

She concluded with: “This is a special place, and I am so thankful that this is the school that I chose to go to.”

Hourihan collected a combined 54 points and 27 rebounds in the first three games of the 2022-23 season. (Photo by Danielle Schmeling)

In the history books

Springfield women’s soccer player Kaleigh Dale set the Pride’s career points record on Nov. 5 to go with her career and single-season goals record.

___ By Luke Whitehouse @Lwhitehouse12

When Kaleigh Dale first stepped on the campus of Springfield College, she was ex pecting to star on the basketball team while also playing soccer. Five years later, she’s become a legend on the pitch, breaking both the goals scored record and total points record.

As soon as former Pride women’s soccer head coach John Gibson saw Dale, he knew she was going to be great.

“She was so impres sive when she first got here,” Gibson said. “Within days you could see she was special.”

That first season Dale scored 20 goals and broke Angel Scho field’s record of 19 goals, a record that had

stood since 1992.

That set her career in motion as she became one of the best soccer players in Pride history as a first-year.

That success was only the beginning, as Dale continued to score double-digit goals in each of the next three seasons. She also devel oped her game beyond just scoring; getting involved on defense and refining her offensive game.

And Gibson, who coached her first four seasons, had a front row seat to this.

“She’s [become] more of a complete player now,” Gibson said. “She wants to be involved on both ends.”

As her final season

began, it was going to start without a familiar face. Coach Gibson had announced his retire ment.

New coach Kristin Cannon had scouted the previous team and she too knew had something special.

“I knew not only was she a phenomenal player,” Cannon said. “But a team player and a wonderful person too.”

Going into a season where you could poten tially break multiple re cords, one would think that it would be con stantly thought about.

But for Dale, that wasn’t the case.

“Throughout the whole season I tried really hard not to think about stats,” Dale said.

“But as I got closer within reach, it became something I really wanted to hit.”

Cannon was not surprised by this at all, as she credits Dale’s mindset.

“She just wants to win,” Cannon said. “She just played how she usu ally plays [all season.]

On the final regular season game of the season, Dale needed one goal to break Schofield’s record once again, but this time, for career goals scored.

That Saturday, al though losing to Emer son, ending the season for the Pride, Dale did it. She scored her 52nd goal, upending the pre vious record of 51.

In the first round of

the playoffs, Springfield fell to Clark, ending their season.

But then, as the Ivy League championship was canceled, Spring field scheduled one more game against the league leading Brown Bears.

Despite the 7-2 loss, Dale scored two goals, and etched her name beside another record, this time in total points scored.

“It means a lot,” Dale said. “I put a lot of effort and work into soccer… being able to hit [the records] was a really great feeling.”

Dale finished her career holding three records: 20 goals in a season, 54 total goals and 128 total points.

Dale being embraced by her teammates. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Mind over matter

Springfield sophomore Jamie Albrecht is spreading a positive message on mental health with her new clothing brand.

__ By Chris Gionta @Chris_Gionta

Springfield College first-year Jamie Al brecht was in – what she described as – a “hole.” It began with a hardship that was occurring within her family.

“My aunt ended up getting COVID really bad,” Albrecht said. “She was in the ICU –it was just not a really good time for me and my family.”

It was happening in the dead of win ter of 2021-22, with the daylight ending at its earliest and the temperatures at their coldest. Albrecht was also in between fall and spring seasons with the women’s volleyball team, which got her out of the routine of regularly being with her teammates.

She was not in a good mental place, and things started to spiral. “My grades started slipping. I wasn’t in

spring season yet, so that was very diffi cult. The weather was terrible,” Albrecht said. “It was just a domino effect and it felt like I couldn’t get back out of where I was.”

Luckily, she had people by her side to provide moral support.

“My mom– I would talk to almost every day [saying] ‘I can’t do this, I want to come home,’” Albrecht said.

“And she would help me reset my mind and be like ‘It’s okay, just take it day-by-day.’”

She was also able to go to someone import ant to her on campus who serves as a symbol

of leadership.

“[Someone who helped me was] my volleyball coach Moira Long here,” Albrecht said. “I would go to her office almost every oth er day during spring semester just crying and asking her what I should do, and seeing what she can do to help me.”

As her spring season arrived and the weath er got better, so did Albrecht.

“I got to see my teammates more often, we went to lift more often,” Albrecht said. “So, I was finally forced to get out of my room and forced to do things with people.”

She ended her first year on a higher note, spending more time with her team as well as improving the grades that were once slipping.

Heading into the summer break, Al brecht determined she wanted to spread

Albrecht is a right side hitter for the women’s volleyball team. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

a positive message across campus. She felt a responsibility to help people who may have been going through similar struggles.

“When I got home for summer break, I was like, ‘Well, maybe I could do something with this –put my feel ings out and let peo ple know they’re not alone,” Albrecht said.

The next step was deciding the type of platform her idea would purvey itself.

“I started just brain storming what I could do – if it was making posters with positive words on it or brace lets,” Albrecht said.

Finally, she figured that her message was not going to be hard to miss.

“I finally came to the [realization] – I love wearing sweatshirts and I know everyone else loves wearing sweatshirts and comfy clothes,” she said.

Additionally, her fa ther’s best friend’s wife owns an embroidery shop, which made the process for producing sweatshirts easier. As Albrecht worked with the shop, she was cre ating designs for what she wanted.

Ultimately, she de cided to sell the sweat shirts in multiple

colors: tan, pink, and dark green. The front of each shirt displays the word “mind” with a horizontal line below it and the word “matter” under that – the mes sage being “mind over matter.” The back of the sweatshirt says — with one word on top of the other – “happy mind happy life.”

In the process of cre ating the brand, there was an important per son by her side helping the process.

“My dad really helped me get it on track, fig uring out what I want ed to do, what colors, and what I wanted to name it,” Albrecht said.

Once the sweatshirts were made, they were distributed quickly.

“I got them two weeks before I got back for preseason, and with the mass order, I was completely sold out from my team and some of my friends from college,” Albrecht said.

This semester, stu dents sporting shirts with a positive message for mental health have been a common sight across campus. Howev er, Albrecht went into the creative process knowing there was no guarantee that her idea would show such immediate impact.

“I never thought I would be able to make it on campus with this,” Albrecht said. “I thought it was just going to be a sum mer thing, an idea, a dream.”

Witnessing her mes sage be conveyed by so many on Alden Street is something she does not take lightly.

“Seeing my stuff [on campus] — there’s no greater feeling — it’s a lot, and it’s wonderful,” Albrecht said.

For more information on her brand, go to @ mind_over_matter_of ficial on Instagram.

Albrecht packages and mails her sweatshirts out. (Photo courtesy of the Mind Over Matter Instagram)

The Mind Over Matter design (Photo courtesy of Mind Over Matter Instagram).

WannaBHoopers

(Photo by of Garrett Cote/The Student)

Springfield Student Assistant Sports Editor Braedan Shea talks about the impact that pickup basketball on campus has had on his and other people’s lives.