Volume 137 No. 11

(Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

Cruisin’ for a cause

The event, held pre viously on Nov. 17 and more recently on Nov. 29, is open to all Springfield College students, faculty and staff, in which they are given the opportunity to bring in a toy. The toy gets placed in a patrol ve hicle, and is then brought to the Shriners Children’s New England Hospital.

Students should also know that if they bring a toy with them to donate this week, their name is automatically entered into a raffle for a “Park Any where” pass. This parking pass grants access to park in any lot on campus until the end of the Spring 2023 semester. This excludes person-specific spots, parking for people with disabilities, or spe cially-reserved areas, but is an enticing incentive. For seniors, they have the chance to win a campus bookstore gift card.

prosthetics, occupational therapy, physical therapy, child life, care coordina tion, family services and nutrition.

The goal of the event is to bring toys and joy to these children, who will be unable to be at home for the upcoming holiday season.

The Stuff a Cruiser idea on Alden Street start ed last year, when former officer Richard Spaulding proposed it. It was some thing that he had done in the past elsewhere, and wanted to continue the tradition here.

But with Spaulding gone, a pair of Public Safety sisters have stepped up to hopefully turn this into an annual event.

It appeared to be just another chilly, late-Au tumn day on the campus of Springfield College.

Students were making their way to early after noon classes, and a light breeze was shaking loose the auburn-colored leaves – reminiscent of classic Springfield maroon – off the trees in the heart of

___ By Braedan Shea ___ @braedan_shea

campus. The whole scene displayed and captivated a perfect sense of com fortability and quietness.

But located just outside of the Campus Union main entrance, a Public Safety patrol vehicle was parked on the sidewalk with its blue-and-white lights blazing – scream ing for attention. While

the connotations of this may be assumed to be something bad happening, in fact, it was quite the opposite.

Because for the second year in a row, the Gradu ate Student Organization (GSO) has teamed up with the Department of Public Safety to host the “Stuff a Cruiser” event.

Shriners Children’s New England, located in Springfield, Mass., sets out to provide special ized pediatric orthopedic, urology, rheumatology and cleft lip and palate care using the latest inno vations in diagnosis and treatment. Their list of services include inpatient rehabilitation, fracture care and sports health and medicine.

The facility is designed exclusively for children, and by offering a full range of inpatient and outpatient services under one roof, children have the chance to receive care and treatment in one build ing, usually on the same day. Some of the onsite services at the hospital include outpatient visits, inpatient and outpatient surgery, orthotics and

“We had such a good turnout last year, we decided to have it again this year,” officer Shannon Trybus said. “Because [Spaulding] is gone, I messaged GSO, and tried to get everyone involved.”

Trybus and her sister Bethany deeply care about the impact they can be having on the children at the hospital.

“I think that’s great,” Shannon said. “These are for kids that are stuck in a hospital and can’t really do anything. Giving them gifts is one of the best things you could give them around Christmas time.”

For those who are interested in donating, the window has not passed yet. GSO and DPS plan to host one more Stuff a Cruiser event this Friday, Dec. 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. outside of the Campus Union.

Students lined outside of the Student Union to stuff a cruiser. (Photo by Braedan Shea)

For the second consecutive year, the Springfield College Public Safety and the Graduate Student Organization teamed up to host ‘Stuff a Cruiser’ for Shriners Children’s New England Hospital.

Tuition increase announced for next year

Although Springfield College raised its tuition for the fall of 2023, it remains lower than some of the other schools in Western Massachusetts.

___ By Carley Crain ___ @carley_crain12

In an email sent out to the student body on Nov. 1, the Division of Finance and Administration an nounced that the board of trustees approved a 3.5% increase to tuition, meal plans and housing for the 2023-2024 academic year, as well as implementing a new facility infrastructure fee that would increase tuition another 1 percent, making the total 4.5%.

The price of tuition has stayed the same since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, as this will be the first increase in more than two years. Springfield College is unique in this choice, as most surrounding universities raised tuition costs throughout the pan demic.

Even though Spring field is nearing a price tag of $60,000 a year, it still remains lower than com peting colleges in the area. For example, Smith College in Northampton, Mass., is over $20,000 more expen sive than Springfield, as its yearly rate is $81,992. Am herst College is also over $80,000 a year, as its annual cost is $80,250.

In the mass email, the Administration explained that its decision to raise tuition was made based on many factors, such as inflation and the increase in prices of goods and services. Offering financial aid is a top priority, how ever. “The College remains committed to providing an affordable education for all our students. The cost of attending Springfield College remains the lowest among our competitors and

peers and we will continue to provide robust finan cial aid packages,” said the email

This year the average financial aid package for Springfield College stu dents was $28,000. One hundred percent of stu dents receive some type of financial aid at Springfield College, whether that be through Merit scholarships, grants, need-based funds, or from the federal govern ment.

Students may also receive assistance through President Joe Biden’s stu dent loan relief forgiveness plan if the program be comes unblocked from legal battles and lawsuits. If the program becomes legal, students who make under $125,000 yearly would be forgiven $10,000, and those who received a federal Pell Grant in college would re ceive $20,000 if they meet the same income require ments.

Federal student loan payments are also on hold until June of 2023, or when the federal relief program is accepted by the courts.

With the cost of atten dance at Springfield rising, many students are curious: Where is all the money from tuition going?

The Student Govern ment Association (SGA) recently held a meeting where students were able to ask questions like this about the increase, as well as talk with financial aid counsel ors regarding aid.

Addressing aging infra structure and maintenance to dorms is a top priority for the college, and money

from tuition is used to help these projects, as well as updated cybersecurity, a new firewall, updated class room equipment, new secu rity cameras, renovations to Dodge, a new computer lab, Learning Commons data generator, wifi updates and IT maintenance.

“We have had a tendency to put bandaids on things and not actually fix them,” said Doug Wydom, presi dent of SGA.

Wydom explained to The Student that the new health science center is not being funded directly from tuition, which is a common misconception among stu dents. The college received a $106 million, tax-exempt bond from MassDevelop ment to pursue construc tion on the new building. In fact, according to WWLP. com, just about $45 million is being used to construct

the new Health Science Center, and the remainder of the funds will be used on other projects, like upgrad ing walking/running paths, building a campus pavilion, renovating the existing health science center and more.

A top concern regarding the increase is affordability? for students and a large portion of the financial aid given to students at Spring field is through merit schol arships. Around 30% of Springfield’s entire budget is set aside for financial aid, according to Wydom, and just about $50 million is through merit scholarships alone. Additionally, more than 300 donors donate $1.7 million through gen eral funds, which typically go toward helping students, according to Wydom.

“It’s almost unheard of when you think about other

schools, ‘’Wydom said. “They are giving a third of their money back to students.”

The college also no longer requires students to submit SAT scores with their application, which can be helpful for those who are not great test-takers but have good GPAs. The highest merit scholarship at Springfield College is the Trustee scholarship, which is $12,500 a semester and totals $100,000 for four years.

Springfield is committed to helping students receive an affordable education, and will continue to serve students in the best way possible, according to the mass email, “We look for ward to continuing to pro vide you with a world-class education and an incredible student experience,” the email read.

Springfield’s $60k a year tuition is still lower than competing schools in the area. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

‘Rookie’ of the year

Springfield’s new comfort dog, Rookie, has taken the campus by storm as Alden Street’s resident emotional support animal.

__ By Luke Whitehouse __ @Lwhitehouse12

For many college students, mental health is an uphill battle and something that can affect a person every single day. Whether it’s going through the stress of a rigorous school year, or even personal problems, it’s all too common for students to keep these things to themselves.

Over the past few years, a lot has been done both on the Springfield College campus and in health care systems to assist in the betterment of mental health for all – creating a healthy environment where reaching out is encour aged. But sometimes just talking to someone isn’t enough. In some situations, a calming presence can be very heartening.

Throughout the last handful of months, the Springfield College Police department, in conjunction with MiraVista, a behavioral health provider in Holy oke, Mass., had begun the search for a comfort dog to assist students here on campus.

“Dogs are natural comforters,” said Lieu

tenant Jack Vanasse, who vouched heavily to bring a dog to campus. “When I came here and I heard a whisper of a comfort dog I said I’m in.”

MiraVista’s goal is to help improve the mental wellness for people of all ages – which is why they were very eager to help.

“When [Lieutenant Vanasse] began to have conversations about the dog it was an absolutely easy thing for MiraVis ta to do,” Kim Lee, who spoke on behalf of MiraVista, said. “We know the challenge that

exists among college campuses across the country when it comes to mental wellness… And so we were hon ored to be able to play a role in bringing a dog to Springfield College.”

On Tuesday, a little Australian labradoo dle was introduced to students and staff in the Dodge room, located upstairs in the Student Union.

One problem facing the department was a name for the dog. To solve that prob lem, there was a cam pus-wide poll put out to students to vote on a

name.

The decision? Rook ie.

As the newly named Rookie made his way into a jam-packed room, so did some of his friends.

Many dogs and handlers from other colleges and law en forcement agencies made the trip to Spring field for this wonderful event. The colleges that were represented included Bridgewater State, Brown, Yale, Harvard and Western New England as well as the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department

and the Groton (Conn.) Police Department.

“Within comfort dog law enforcement there is a tight kinship,” Vanasse said. “And so I want to thank you all for com ing.”

Rookie will go through 36 weeks of training as he learns basic obedience, social izing skills and ad vanced manner classes. Officer Steven Martel will be Rookies handler. Rookie will be available during the second and third shift – running from 3 p.m till 7 a.m –for students that may be going through any mental health struggles, as well as anyone who may need some comfort at a particularly stress ful time.

Rookie was donated from Green Mountain Labradoodles in Essex Junction, Vt. and officer Martel made sure to thank them.

“Without them this probably wouldn’t have been possible,” he said. “Their generosity is greatly appreciated.”

Lieutenant Vanasse thanked both President Mary-Beth Cooper and Chief-of-Police Joseph Tiraboschi for support ing this project and allowing this to come

President Mary-Beth Cooper holding Rookie, Springfield College’s new comfort dog. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

Best of Broadway returns

As The last show at 7 p.m. on the Saturday be fore Thanksgiving break came to a close, the Best of Broadway wrapped up its fall performance.

Best of Broadway, which is a student-run musical theater club at Springfield College, just celebrated its 50th anni versary as a club as it was also the same celebration for the club performing at The Fuller Arts Center.

The group puts togeth er two shows every year, one in the fall and another in the spring semester. The fall semester show was a “Broadway review,”

where they collected about 20 different songs from various musicals and put together full cast numbers, duets and more. Some of the songs from the Broad way review were featured in movies such as Hair spray, Newsies and Beauty and the Beast, which Best of Broadway will perform as a full show next semes ter.

While there’s a whole other semester for the Best of Broadway club, some have decided to end their Best of Broad way career, as they ride off into the sunset. This directly applied to senior

___ By RiveR Mitchell ___ @rivermitchell27

Daniel Curren.

“It was definitely very bittersweet,” Curren said. “I’d say that this is the best way I could’ve gone out.”

For Curren, he also got to go out in style, as he was able to perform his fa vorite number of all time.

“I got a very loud ap plause from the audience so I was very happy that I got to go out on that note,” Curren said. ‘It defi nitely is emotional because I love performing more than anything else and just saying goodbye to the stage was really hard.”

Curren, who is a

Communications/Sports Journalism major, decided to do Best of Broadway his first year on a whim. It turned out to be one of the best decisions that he’s ever made.

“You’re always a family in theater,” Curren said. “It’s really a time for all of us to come together and just show a lot of appre ciation for one another. I made a lot of memories and I met some incredible people who I otherwise would probably have never talked to.”

Curren was not a stranger to performing before this, as he per

formed in plays a lot during his childhood too.

“I started doing theater in elementary school, con tinuing through middle school, on a whim decided to continue doing it in high school, and I really truly fell in love with per forming then,” he said.

Best of Broadway has been an integral part of Curren’s time at Spring field College. This whole entire journey was a spe cial one for the senior.

“It showed me that I still had a passion for per forming,” Curren said.

The first of two shows scheduled for the 2022-23 academic school year took place the weekend before Thanksgiving break.

(Photos Courtesy of Springfield College)

A dope job

Sport Management grad Chris Quetant’s career has led him to a prominent

position in the Anti-Doping and Sanctions department for USA Track and Field.

___ By Patrick Fergus ___ @Fergus5Fergus

Almost every career path includes many unplanned twists and turns. Chris Quetant had numerous oppor tunities when he grad uated from Springfield College in 2011. The fact that he has landed in a full-time position in the Anti-Doping and Sanctions department for USA Track and Field came as a sur prise for Quetant, who always saw himself competing in athletics. His work at USATF

and as a member of the U.S. Olympic Commit tee has culminated in a very rewarding career, even if it’s not what he originally wanted.

Growing up in Mil ford, Conn., Quetant always knew he wanted to be a star athlete. Sports took up most of his time as a child, in cluding a great deal of long road trips for soc cer tournaments and all-day track events. An impassioned track and field athlete through

out high school, he was determined to contin ue his success on the rubber at Springfield College.

Quetant’s old er brother, Oswald, played a major role in his decision to choose Springfield. Oswald graduated in 2005 with a degree in Busi ness Administration, and raved about the atmosphere and com mitment of the faculty and staff. Following several visits, Chris felt

the warm reception that his brother had so fondly talked about.

“Obviously there was some bias there with having a relative attend the school, but I really did fall in love with Springfield ear ly on into my college recruitment phase,” Quetant said.

When it came to choosing a major, Sports Management seemed like the obvi ous choice, as he hoped to work within sports

in some capacity after graduation. While he continued to run track, Quetant really threw himself into the major — never letting any internship opportunity slide by, and jumping at any prospect of im proving his standing.

Becoming an ac tive member of the professional space is important in any area, but in a major like Sports Management, it is essential. A certain level of conviction in

U.S.A. Track and Field atheltes posing with American flags after competing in a relay event. (Photo Courtesy of Team USA)

your experience and ability are tools needed to successfully oversee the countless aspects of athletic programs.

“Being able to show initiative and take advantage of various opportunities allowed me to gain little expe riences that built my confidence not only in sport but just being in the workforce in general,” Quetant said. “It was a great way to know if I was good at it, and if it was what I really wanted to do.”

Ironically, the actual track experience he had gathered through out his college career didn’t pay any divi dends in getting a foot into the door of the Olympic movement.

Instead, Quetant used networking events such as the F.L.A.M.E program, which was organized by the U.S. Olympic Committee, to get his name out there and create a brand for himself.

“That experience provided me with some of the most beneficial

networking experienc es, which ultimately assisted in me attaining my first internship in the organization in the summer before my senior year,” Quetant said.

Quetant Impressed many during the internship, and par layed that into his first job out of college. It was there, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y., where he built the stepping stones for fu ture job opportunities.

With an official title of operations coordina tor, Quetant’s job was to manage the logistics of teams that resided at the training center. His role allowed him to work with various sports such as bobsled, skeleton, and luge, among many others. It was definitely a new sector of the profes sion for Quetant, who didn’t have a lot of ex perience with Winter Olympic sports.

“I really loved working with teams and players in different

sports, it allowed me to learn how to deal with separate situations,” Quetant said.

Even while working a full-time job, Quetant still found time to give back to his community, serving on the board of the Shipman Youth Center in Lake Placid. The SYC is a commu nity organization that provides services to the youth of the area.

In 2015, he was also one of few selected to serve as a member of the of the U.S. Olym pic Committee delega tion at the for the Pan American games in Toronto, another big step in his career.

It was only after a move to Indianapolis that Quetant was able to take advantage of another exciting op portunity, returning to the track, this time to work with Olympic athletes. He started with the sanctions le gal department of the USATF. It was purely by circumstance that he ended up in An ti-Doping.

“It was kind of just luck that I fell into the anti-doping space,” he said. “There was an opening to join their team and get a new experience, while also filling a void within the organization.”

Quetant and his team regularly serve as liaisons and resources by informing athletes of anti-doping rules and regulations, as well keeping a clean and level playing field for their athletes.

Although he is not where he expected to end up, the Springfield alum has thrived in his current role, and is enthusiastic about the future.

“I am most excited for what new initiatives we have in the sport of track and field and our organization,” Quetant said.

(Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

Quetant in Lima (above) and Scotland (below). (Photos Courtesy of Chris Quetant/Instagram

Elizabeth Athanas

The Springfield Student Women’s Athlete of the Week poll for the week of Nov. 14-20 was taken by Elizabeth Athanas with 44.9 percent of the vote. This was after the junior swimmer was the runner-up in the 100 yard breaststroke with a time of 1:09.44 in the Pride’s meet with Williams on Nov. 18.

Rachel Vinton took second place in the poll with 26.3 percent of the vote. The senior guard for the women’s bas ketball team combined for 23 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists, and six steals in Springfield’s two wins that week.

Arsen Shtefan

Arsen Shtefan took the Springfield Student Men’s Athlete of the Week poll for the week of Nov. 14-20 with 37.5 percent of the vote. The junior running back for the football team ran for 156 yards, 6.8 yards per carry, and a touchdown in the Pride’s 17-14 win over Endicott in the NCAA Tourna ment on Nov. 19.

Jacob Deguire was within one percent of the leader, as he had 36.7 percent of the vote. The sophomore wrestler won four matches to take third place in the 157-pound weight class at the Doug Parker Invitational on Nov. 19.

In third place was Will McK ay with 16.7 percent of the vote. The sophomore linebacker for the football team gathered seven total tackles and two sacks in the Pride’s tournament win over Endicott.

Rounding out the vote was John Paulino after a solid performance on the court. The first-year guard for the men’s basketball team scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds in Springfield’s game against Eastern Connecticut State on Nov. 16.

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

Her teammate Stefany Padula was right behind her with 20.3 percent of the vote. The first-year guard for the women’s basketball team went 5-for-6 on three-pointers to get a team-leading 15 points in the Pride’s 68-57 win over Gordon on Nov. 19.

Lefteri Roba rounded out the vote after a successful performance in the pool. The senior swimmer put up Springfield’s best times in the 1000 yard freestyle and the 200 yard breaststroke at the Pride’s meet with Williams on Nov. 18.

Arsen Shtefan. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Elizabeth Athanas. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

‘Equality should never be an inconvenience’

Springfield College women’s lacrosse player Danielle Malpica on why gender inequality is still an issue in high school sports - and why she wishes she had spoken up sooner.

ger priority for men’s sports than female sports when it came to funding, field time, food and support.

Q: How did this impact you as a female athlete in high school?

now? Or is it still struggling with gen der Inequality?

to practice, and all the teams are treated and funded fairly.

__ By Emily ZamBarano __ Contributor

This year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX, 37 words that changed history – and wom en’s sports – for the better. Emily Zamba rano sat down with Danielle Malpica, a second-year student and women’s lacrosse player at Springfield College, to hear how Title IX has impacted her life, if she has ever faced gender inequal ity on the playing field and what advice she would give girls who feel like their

sports are not getting enough support.

Q: What does Title IX mean to you?

Malpica: To me, Ti tle IX means equality for everyone in every aspect of school –whether it’s in educa tion, sports or clubs.

Q: Have you ever faced gender inequal ity?

Malpica: At my high school (Long Island Lutheran in Glen Head, N.Y.), it was very easy to tell that there was a big

Malpica: This impacted me because whenever I was in a sport we got lower priority when it came to field space, so we always had half-prac tices. which kept our women’s team from having progress. And we almost had no sup port from the school during games. It was really hard, watching everyone show up to the men’s sports and never having any school spirit on our sideline.

Q: Do you feel your high school is better

Malpica: Sadly, my school is still where it was when I was there. The men’s teams get new gear every year, half paid for already, while women’s teams are wearing jerseys that are five- to-10 years old. They get less attention when looking for coaches and still are fighting for field space.

Q: Do you feel the positive impact of Title IX at Springfield College?

Malpica: Yes, the struggles I faced with women’s vs. men’s teams in high school aren’t even relevant here. [At Springfield College] I know that I always have a place

Q: If you had to give a young girl who was facing gender inequality a piece of advice, what would it be?

Malpica: Be confi dent. Speak out when something doesn’t feel right. Go to those head coaches, go to the athletic directors. I didn’t start to stand up for my team until I was a senior because I was nervous of backlash that I might face. My advice: Start sooner. I wished I did. Equality should never be an inconvenience.

Malpica (right) with Sam Andresen (left) during the team’s media day. (Photos Courtesy of Springfield Athletics)

(Photos Courtesy of Danielle Malpica)

‘This team means so much to each of us’

The Springfield College football team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 16 years.

to the next level, and I think we did that. We never really wavered. There was never like a bad day no matter what we did.”

A 49-7 blowout win over Husson put the Pride in the right direc tion heading into con ference play. They kept up the pace with a 49-6 victory at Coast Guard, then won by their larg est deficit when they defeated Norwich 69-20.

It was the most points Springfield scored in a game in 20 years.

go-ahead field goal was a career-long 46 yards, and Joe Maurer nabbed two interceptions in the second half, which helped lift the Pride to a 16-14 win.

Yet, the Pride’s most difficult conference test, Catholic, was still ahead of them. The Cardinals were also undefeated in the NEWMAC, and with their matchup being both teams’ final regular season games, it was a clash for the conference title.

The Springfield Col lege football team knew what it was capable of in 2022, which is why it stung when the Pride suffered back-to-back losses to Rowan and Union in their second and third games of the season.

“We looked back on the games against Rowan and Union and that kind

___ By Chris Gionta @Chris_Gionta

of fueled us, because those were two tough losses that we should have won,” said offen sive lineman Lou Co cozza.

What followed were three consecutive victories decided by 40 or more points, then a 38-point win. Ultimate ly, Springfield racked up eight wins in a row en

route to its first ap pearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 2006. “After we lost that game to Union, we told ourselves, ‘we want to be a better team — we want to be a great team,’” said linebacker Billy Carr. “The best way to do that was just to take our practices

After a 45-7 victory against WPI, the con ference schedule became tougher. Springfield went on the road to Merchant Marine, who had a 3-1 conference record heading into the matchup. There, the Pride trailed for the first time in five games. However, they broke away in the fourth quarter and won by the score of 27-13.

The next week, MIT was threatening an up set at Stagg Field when the Engineers took a lead into a third quarter. Yet, Springfield execut ed in the important mo ments. Christian Hutra’s

It was a back-and-forth battle, and Catholic was driving while trailing 28-21 in the middle of the fourth quarter. At Springfield’s 22 yardline, the Cardinals’ quarterback lobbed a fade down the sideline, but Maurer cut off the route and intercepted it.

“One of my favorite on-the-field memories was when Joe Maur er picked off that ball against Catholic,” Carr said. “You know that feeling when a big play happens and you can just feel the air get sucked out of that [op posing] team.”

On Catholic’s last chance to tie it, Tyler

Noah Wagnblas jumping to catch a ball against Ithaca. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Pohlman grabbed an interception and ran 42 yards for a touchdown. With the 35-21 victory, the Pride were back-toback NEWMAC Cham pions.

A conversation on the long bus ride back from Washington, D.C. sparked a new style for the Brotherhood.

“It just kind of got spread around on the bus ride home, and it was like ‘Oh — playoff mustaches,’” Cocozza said. “Then everyone started sending pictures to the team chat [and saying] ‘Who’s next? Who else is doing it?’”

The freshly-musta chioed men traveled to Endicott for the first round of the NCAA Tournament and pro vided a stout defensive effort, shutting the Gulls out in the first half en route to a 17-14 win.

“We played our best game that game defen sively I think,” Carr said. “We were threeand-out after three-andout after three-andout… Will [McKay] stepped up big that game — he had two sacks — he played his tail off, and I think him and the whole defense as a unit was playing lights out.”

The win accomplished a year-long objec tive that had not been reached in 16 years.

“Our goal since last year when we made it to

the first round and then lost to Cortland was to make it to Thanksgiv ing and have Thanks giving at Cheney,” said linebacker DJ Brown. “It meant a lot to get to that point this year.”

For a team to go unde feated in its conference and win a playoff game, a lot of things have to come together. Much of what made the Pride successful was their mentality.

“Everyone on this team bought into [head coach Mike Cerasuolo’s] culture,” Cocozza said. “And then we took it from there — 1-0 each day.”

Nine Springfield players — Cocozza, Carr, Brown, Arsen Shtefan, Chris Eichler, Bryan Feliciano, Terrell Jacobs-Baston, Chris tian Hutra, and David Wells were selected as First-Team All-NEW MAC after spectacular seasons. Maurer, Dante Vasquez, and Quinn Sweeney received Sec ond-Team All-NEW MAC honors.

Cocozza, Shtefan, and Hutra were also recog nized regionally when they were selected to the 2022 New England Football Writers Asso ciation All-New En gland team.

Shtefan led the ground-heavy offense in rushing yards with 863, and reached the end zone eight times. The junior running back was

also crucial down the stretch with 137 and 156 rushing yards re spectively in the Pride’s wins over Catholic and Endicott.

Hutra was spectacular on special teams, going 13-for-14 on field goal attempts, with the lone miss coming from 45 yards out — one yard from his current ca reer-long. Along with that, he was perfect on the 50 extra-point attempts that came his way. He also stepped in at the punter posi tion when Springfield’s starter suffered an injury, and averaged 38.9 yards per punt. He placed eight of them within the opponent’s 20 yard-line, and only one ended up a touch

back.

Cocozza — along with Chris Eichler — held firm on the left side of the offensive line in every game this season. They were both key reasons why the Pride averaged 424.2 total yards per game.

“We had a lot of guys with potential that played extremely well,” said head coach Mike Cerasuolo. “We had a lot of great senior leader ship and underclassman leadership as well. We have a lot of talented football players, and they performed week-in and week-out.”

Despite a year full of success, much of what the Brotherhood will remember was what happened away from the

spotlight.

“I think it’s more off-the-field stuff, less on-the-field stuff that I’ll probably remember when I’m done here,” Shtefan said.

The impact the season has had on each individ ual has a deeper mean ing than touchdowns, tackles, and intercep tions.

“We talked about it at Thanksgiving when we had a Cheney meal — never take a moment for granted as far as being able to be around people that mean so much to you, and this team means so much to each of us — players, coach es, strength coaches, and just everybody,” Cera suolo said.

Quinn Sweeney celebreating a play against Endicott. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

At the start line

Standouts included Luke Chastain (400-me ter dash), Colby Wilson (long jump), Joe Wong (1,000-meter run and distance relay) and John DeRosa (3,000-meter and 5,000-meter), who are all returning this season, and are looking to build off their past success.

Rece Gobel also qualified and competed at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 800-meter run.

“We are returning some great champion ship-level athletes this year and have brought in first-years that are going to make an im pact,” Miller said. “We are excited to see what we can do.”

son for the sprinters and throwers, everyone is looking forward to qual ifying for the postseason meets and cutting down on their personal bests,” Cote said.

The women’s team also has several key athletes that had suc cessful seasons this past year. Christa Carr placed seventh in the weight throw in the New England Divi sion III Championship. Other top perform ers included Madelyn Vianney (long jump), Kate Bonanno (mile), and Emily Racana (pole vault). In the spring, the team went on to finish third at the NEWMAC Championship.

This weekend, the indoor track and field teams will make their season debut in their home opener inside the field house. Building off a strong spring season, both the men and wom en’s teams are looking to have another compet itive year, starting first

___ By Cait Kemp @caitlinkemp09

in the winter.

“The team has been working hard to build the base for a champi onship run at the end of the season. We start with the basics and build from there. We are looking for great performances at the end of the season, not one

hit wonders,” said head coach Mike Miller.

The men’s indoor track team finished ninth, tied with WPI, in the New England Division III Champion ship last February, with seven athletes finishing in the top ten in their events.

Junior Bradyn Cote was a part of the dis tance relay along with Wong, Aidan Harmer and Russell Allen that produced a 12th place finish at the region al championships last spring. He participates in cross country as well, and is coming off a strong season helping the Pride to make the top ten in the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Champion ships.

“The team is looking really good this season. Coming off a good cross-country season for the distance guys, as well as a healthy off-sea

“The goal for us is to see individual improve ments over the year and see our team high up in the D-III New England regional meet,” Miller said. “We want to see improvements whether it is a small personal record or a returning qualifying for a national championship.”

With many skilled returners and talent ed first-years making up the rosters of both the men’s and women’s teams, the Pride will look to make a name for themselves this season, hoping to compete at the championship level once again.

The indoor track season starts on Dec. 4 with the Springfield College Season Opener, and both Pride teams are bringing back many regional and national qualifiers.

The Springfield track and field teams have seven regular season events this season. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Building the program

another undefeated regular season, the Springfield club men’s rugby team battled through a tough playoff loss against Hofstra.

___ By Sean Savage @SeanSav13

Two minutes to go. The Pride men’s rugby team has a shot in its first-round nationals matchup once again. Hofstra University sends a kickoff, and Springfield has a chance to take the lead after trailing for the first 78 minutes.

“It was the most elec tric feeling I ever had,” head coach Luke Sals said. “I realized this is it.”

However, the Pride did not capitalize on that chance.

“Although we did not win, I am proud of the guys. Hofstra scored once, then again, and most teams would have given up. But, the guys never gave up; they real ized they have to try and bounce back,” Sals said.

After two back-toback undefeated fall reg ular seasons, the Pride have shown no signs of slowing down.

Senior Brandon Chu attested to the promise that lies ahead for the team.

“This program has a bright future ahead. The amount of growth we have made as a team since I started is tremen dous, and I foresee that trend continuing with our younger guys,” he said.

Chu joined the team as a sophomore and has had nothing but posi tive experiences. He was initially intrigued by the team’s culture.

“We have maintained the same welcoming and cohesive environment as when I first started, but each year we im proved our technical play, recruitment, culture, and commitment,” Chu said.

He climbed the pro verbial ladder quickly, taking a lead role on the team this season in being

president of the club.

“Being a leader on the team has been very ful filling and enjoyable. The enthusiasm and commit ment shared by the guys on the team made it easy to work with everyone,” he said.

Chu had the role of taking care of the logistics behind the team. Mainly, he had to make sure everyone was on the same path regarding attitude, culture, and standards.

Sophomore Ajae Olsen noticed the ripple effect Chu had on the team.

“Brandon is an allaround great guy. There was no point he was ever negative. He would al ways try to get everyone to play their best.” Olsen continued, “Even though he technically was not a captain, everyone looked to him as one.”

Olsen and the rest of the team know “Chu has that dog in him.”

Furthermore, Olsen joined the team late as well, but due to the clubs’s dynamics accli mating was no problem.

“I came in with no knowledge of the game, and I only knew one guy. But, upon my first practice, everyone was very helpful. They helped me get situated with the game and team,” he said.

Sals commented on the team’s future, men tioning how each player had a vital role in their success. The Pride are looking to get in the gym and work on things during their spring sea son. Therefore, they can return even stronger for their 2022-23 season.

“The whole team knows that they need to keep themselves account able to improve,” Olsen

said. Having this men tality is an opportunity to further differentiate themselves from compe titions in coming seasons. They want to keep building on what they have made and eventually strive to compete in a better division.

Already, the team has improved, learning how to function on the pitch as a cohesive unit.

“They work well together. I sometimes give advice, but I know they probably can not even hear me,” Sals said jokingly.

Sals was most im pressed by the team’s work ethic and determi nation.

“I can not predict who will step up, but everyone had glimpses of success this season,” Sals said. “We are really becoming scientists of the game.”

After

Springfield in its postseason game against Hofstra. (Photo courtesy of Springfield Club Men’s Rugby Instagram)

A long way to Alden Street

Springfield graduate student Xingrui Liu’s basketball journey has brought her from China to the Birthplace.

__ By Nick PaNtages @nick_pantages22

As the final whistle echoed through Blake Arena on the last day of tryouts, graduate forward Xingrui Liu was elated to hear from head coach Naomi Graves that she had made the women’s basketball team for the 2022-23 season.

Known on the team as Q, Liu’s journey from Fangchenggang High School in the Gangk ou District of China to Springfield College was defined by her love of basketball.

“I was pretty sure this is my place when I knew Springfield was the birthplace of bas ketball,” Liu said.

Growing up in Chi na, Liu’s mother, Yiru, was a professional basketball player. This started her love for the sport, as she was constantly surrounded by it. China as a nation has a soft spot for bas ketball, as many follow

the Chinese Basket ball Association very closely.

As Yiru played pro fessionally and as Xingrui stayed close by, she started to play more and more. Even

tually, when she got older, she began to teach many kids of all ages how to play the game. This was enjoyable for her, but nothing was better than when Liu had the

opportunity to hone her craft.

“Training with my trainer was my favorite part, I learned a lot of advanced basketball skills from them. I could train twice a day

with an hour of high intensity training,” Liu said.

After those train ing sessions as both a teacher and a learner, Liu played for Wuhan Sport University, in Wuhan, China.

Liu played basketball at the Academy, but described how differ ent playing the game was in China compared to her new home in America.

“I still remember when I missed threepoint shots, my team mates and coach were trying to kill me, they were like: get your ass inside, grab your rebounds, forget the three-point shot.”

While in Wuhan at the Academy, Liu was well-versed in sports training, and her love for basketball drove her to the Exercise and Science program on Alden Street.

Liu knew she wanted to play here, and after making the team as a

Xingrui Liu. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

walk on, she developed some close bonds. One of these players was junior Riley Robinson.

Liu described that following the initial feeling of joy after making the team, Rob inson was one of the first players to embrace Liu, telling her, “Let’s go pick out your own locker.”

Another player that was very inviting of Liu was first-year Car rie Hess.

“I like to check in on her and make sure she is doing well by send ing her a quick text, asking how her day went, or simply asking if she is okay after a hard day.” Hess said.

Adjusting to a new culture is never easy, but teammates like Robinson and Hess help make it easier.

“It is obviously a chal lenge to develop a new sense of lifestyle and social norms when you travel to a new commu nity, never mind a new continent,’’ Robinson said. “I have just tried to be as welcoming and approachable as possi ble.”

The feeling of com fort that Liu’s team mates give her is definitely noticed.

“This is the place where I think my comfort zone is. I am becoming more outgo

ing on this team,” Liu said.

As she is learning En glish, having to speak it in front of groups of people is challeng ing. But her teammates have made that transi tion no issue at all.

“On this team, I don’t really have to care about my grammar and word mistakes,” Liu said.

The way her team mates treat her defi nitely helps her adjust to her time with them, but also helps her adjust on the court as well.

Liu said, “If I miss [a three], they wouldn’t complain about that, just encourage me to shoot the next one when I was super open.”

Although she is yet to appear in a game, Liu makes her real impact off the court. Her positive attitude and leadership make her an essential part of the team.

“She is the first per son to high-five her teammates and tell them how well they are doing,” Hess said. This uplighting na ture provided a calm ing sense to the team.

“She goes out of her way to bring positive energy to practices and games,” Robinson said.

Liu’s ability to con stantly boost the morale of the team made her a popular fig ure, and many of her teammates see her as a leader. Hess summed it up best by saying, “I aspire to be as great of a teammate as she is.”

Liu also attempts to make sure her peers are well prepared at practice, constantly pushing them to do all the little things that will make them a better team in the long run.

“She always tries to make the starters better by focusing on small details, like rebounding,” Robinson said.

Liu’s dedication to practice and prepa ration has led her to always be ready when her name is called.

Hess said, “Before practices and games, you will find Q on her iPad studying the plays …she shoots extra shots before and after practices.”

With this, the struggles of being an international stu dent-athlete are very challenging due to how hard it is to immerse yourself within a new culture. But Xingrui (Q) Liu is using her love of basketball as a tool to make the tran sition easier – and her teammates’ support is only helping her even more.

Liu playing in China. (Photo courtesy of Xingrui Liu)

A Year to Remember

The Springfield football team won its second consecutive NEWMAC title and had its longest postseason run since 2006.

(Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)