Volume 137 No. 24

The Springfield Student

Winners/Finalists for five Society of Professional Journalist (SPJ) awards in 2021

Mangano’s Message

Distinguished Springfield Professor of Humanics Kathy Mangano capped off her year-long project on Title IX with a lecture about the law.

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INSIDE

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Junior Mason Preble to become mext President of SGA

Hostile goose poses threat to first-year dorm residents

Sophomores Kushal Bhandari and Aavash Sopkata’s journey to Springfield

(Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

President Preble

The Springfield College Student Government Association elected rising senior Mason Preble as the club’s next leader.

___ By Nick PaNtages @nick_pantages22

Mason Preble has been elected president of the Student Government Association for the 2023-2024 school year.

Preble’s main job as president of SGA is to moderate relations between students and staff in all capacities, and also to help the various groups of clubs and organizations on campus.

“We are here for the students,” Preble said. “Any student concerns, whether it be ResLife, Cheney, events or student life, anything that can impact [students] we are here for.”

Preble joined SGA in the fall of 2022, and his fit into the club has been seamless. Just a couple of months in, current president Doug Wydom mentioned to Preble about running for the position of Vice President of Student Affairs, which would essentially be the right hand man of the President of SGA.

However, after realizing that no current

member of SGA was running for president of the club, and after a chat with advisor Annie Warchol, Preble figured that he should give running for president a shot.

“The thought just popped into my head, and I was like, ‘Why not? I’ll just go for it,’” Preble said.

Warchol has been extremely helpful for Preble through this process. Warchol, the Assistant Dean for Student Engagement, is the person

whoPreble credits the most when guiding him to this position.

“She’s honestly the best person to know on campus,” Preble said.

Warchol also helped Preble develop his leadership skills during this process.

“I came in as a strong leader,” Preble said. “I was a leader at my high school, but she just pushed me to go for stuff, and I can’t thank her enough.”

Preble credits some of his leadership qualities to his upbringing in

rural Rhode Island.

“Something that sets me apart from other leaders is my drive and my ability to do the dirty work. I grew up on a farm, I’m down to do the dirty work,” Preble said.

Now that Preble has been elected as president, he has some personal goals set for next year. His main task will be to develop SGA as not only a big organization on campus, but also off campus. Whether it is helping people with their struggles on

campus or cleaning up the yard of a veteran off campus, lending a helping hand is a consistent theme in Preble’s mission.

“I want to let people know that Springfield College is here for them on and off campus,” Preble said.

With all of his goals established, Preble is ready to maximize his time as president of SGA.

“I’m excited for next year, and I’m excited to be president,” he said.

Springfield junior Mason Preble takes oath of becoming the President of SGA. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

The goose is loose

Area behind first-year dorm Gulick Hall taped off from hostile, nesting mother goose.

___ By Liam ReiLLy @Liampreilly852

When Gulick Hall residents went home for Easter weekend, their dorm had looked fine. However, when they arrived back on Sunday, April 9, the back of their dorm was covered by yellow police tape. The residents were left confused, as there seemingly was no explanation for what was going on.

As days went by, students wondered why they couldn’t access the basketball court. It turns out that the back of Gulick had been claimed by a mother goose looking for an area to nest. During mating seasons of geese, the mother goose can be protective of her eggs and territory, which leads to people who get too close getting attacked.

Chief of Public Safety Joseph Tiraboschi says it’s common behavior of mother geese to act hostile towards anyone in the area. “Geese can be very aggressive when you get near their eggs or little ones. It’s

a natural reaction,” said Tiraboschi. Public Safety first got word of the goose from a Student Affairs report that students were seen mingling around the goose.

Danny Brady, a first year student at Springfield College, was one of a couple students who ran into the goose. Him and his friends were playing basketball on the Gulick court when the goose started walking over to them. “We tried to scare him away,” said Brady. “He stayed where he was”. The group went back to playing basketball until the goose charged and hissed at them. This incident is unrelated to the report by Student Affairs.

This isn’t the first time a goose has claimed territory at Springfield College.

Geese have been nesting behind Abbey Appleton Hall, Gulick, and Massasoit Hall. To handle this issue, Public Safety has put up police tape surrounding Gulick so

that people would know to stay away. They also reached out to the Environmental Police Department of Massachusetts for advice, who said the best thing they can do is give the goose its peace.

The goose is predicted to be in the area until graduation or after. This isn’t a big concern for Public Safety, as most of the school will have gone home in the first week of May. Tiraboschi spoke on how student safety is the most important matter. “Nice weather is coming, we all want to be outside and enjoying the sun. I love seeing our students having fun by playing catch or sunbathing, but we want them to stay clear of that area so they don’t get hurt.”

Tiraboschi also offered his advice on how to handle an encounter with the goose. “If you see it, just go in the opposite direction. It’ll try to look bigger as a way to tell you don’t get near me or this area. If

it starts coming towards you or if it’s in an attacking position, try to get out of there as fast as possible.”

If you have an encounter with the goose, let Public Safety know by contacting them at 413-748-3516.

The

to

goose for a comment, but it hissed and flew away.

The goose is expected to stay behind Gulick Hall until next semester

(Photo by Nick Pantages/The Student)

Springfield Student reached out

the

Finding their way

Kushal Bhandari and Aavash

Sapkota came to Springfield from Nepal, and have cemented themselves as campus leaders.

Meet Kushal Bhandari: a sparkling campus leader on Alden Street, and next year’s Student-Trustee Elect. The prestigious title is given to only one student on a campus of more than 4,000 undergraduates and graduates. This gives him a role in making major decisions to shape how the college is run alongside the Board of Trustees and President Mary Beth Cooper.

Outside of this, he is a Business Management and Computer Information Sciences double-major, the Business Club president and an Administrative Director of the Y-Club.

But the list does not end there for the young stud.

He is also a Resident Assistant in Alumni Hall, where he helps students weave through the challenges of college – making for a welcoming environ-

ment.

Now, meet Aavash Sapkota: Sapkota is a very calm, cool and collected individual. Sapkota too has his fair share of accomplishments under his belt, and is another individual who has shined as a campus leader.

Outside of studying Computer Information Sciences, he is a chief board member of the Y-Club and the vice president of the Business Club.

Similar to Bhandari, Sapkota will also be a Resident Assistant next year.

They are doing this all while being over 7,000 miles from their home in Nepal. They each came to Springfield after leaving home for the first time ever.

But it was not always like this.

Step back in time two years ago, and nobody would ever

foresee this coming. Bhandari and Sapkota would find themselves trying to find a light for seemingly dark days on repeat.

“Even if I tried to find happiness, it was physically impossible,” Bhandari said.

Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia bordered by China and India. It is located in the Himalayas and contains eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks.

For the first 18 years of their lives, this was home for them. Stepping into the ambiance of Nepal’s

capital, Kathmandu, one might be “a little bit scared” due to the “hustling and bustling world,” according to Sapkota.

Walking the crowded streets are amicable, kind and welcoming people. However, for the two youngsters, they never felt the warmth of other citizens.

In Bhandari’s case, he found pressure on how others viewed him. “I have this anxiety of how people will treat me or how they will take my opinion,” Bhandari said.

On the other hand,

he was not afraid to speak out against anything he did not like, and others were not fond of that trait. “That led to an isolation, leaving me with only one or two friends,” Bhandari said. Usually, Bhandari would voice his opinion trying to derail gender stereotypes. “If anyone had a different sexual identity, [classmates] would not even let them express that because that would not be a typical person’s capabilities,” Bhandari said.

The extent to which Bhandari’s classmates

___ By Sean Savage ___ @SeanSav13

SophomorescBhandari and Sapkota presenting about Toxic Masculinity at a Title IX event. (Photo Courtesy of Kushal Bhandari)

went to bully those who are different from them stretched beyond that as well. Passing on sexist comments, making fun of people with physical disabilities and making racist remarks were common in the classroom.

Bhandari received many verbal threats from classmates at a young age, but he would not let the fear engulf him.

Sapkota found himself on a similar road. “I was not heavily bullied there, but I was taunted,” Sapkota said. “I am a person who likes to have my own space, but others thought I was just too shy.”

However, the reality was that Sapkota needed time to figure out who he was, an arduous task for any adolescent.

Although these were not the driving factors to leave Nepal, they still weighed in the decision. What caused the leap of faith to the States was leadership opportunities, the education system, extracurriculars and college life – essentially, the “American Dream.”

“Everyone [in the States] has their own platform. They get a huge platform to present their ideas, which gives them a lot of opportunities and the

chance to interact with other people,” Sapkota said.

Hearing about the States helped them persevere through high school, where the two met, and from there, they started applying to schools.

So this was it, a lifeline to propel them into future success.

“America was like a beacon of hope for me,” Bhandari said.

But there was a problem: getting a visa during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the time, the U.S. embassy in Nepal closed and had minimal visa slots, so they would have to go to India for their visa.

Paint the picture, and the canvas becomes a mess. Firstly, traveling to India pushed mental and physical barriers –entailing a 20-minute walk in the scorching sun and gusty winds, a 15-hour drive to the border, and then a three-hour plane ride to arrive in Delhi.

Secondly, India was a foreign country for them. “It seemed to be kinda scary,” Sapkota said. “I have never been to such a crowded place.”

By the time they both landed, it was 11 p.m., and they had to take an Uber to the hotel where they were

staying. But, Sapkota and Bhandari were with many other people with the same goal.

“It was very hard for us to find the hotel. People were trying to frantically scramble to get into their hotels; it was pretty tough for us,” Sapkota said.

That would be an understatement. By the time the two got to the hotel, it was 3 a.m., and the room had not even been cleaned.

Not long after, chills were sent down their spine – it was time for the interview. A mere five-minute conversation would decide the fate of their futures.

“I just remember the emotions flowing inside of me so quickly – I do not even know how to explain it,” Sapkota said. “I just reminded myself of my dreams and what I was going to do.”

Everything was moving so fast that there was not much time immediately beforehand to prepare for the interview. Additionally, people had been rejected from getting their visas right before Sapkota and Bhandari went, which threw them off any path of complete confidence.

“I saw other people getting rejected, which was really triggering for me,” Sapkota said.

“It was kind of like a do-or-die situation.” Their last pieces of hope blended with nerves and the fear of rejection.

One after another, the two-headed in, now face-to-face with the people who held their future in their hands.

And then it happened. They were approved.

“That was the biggest relief of my life,” Bhandari said. “The first thing I did was call my parents.”

Through the peak of COVID and every other obstacle, they persevered. “It was like finding a gem in the forest,” Bhandari said.

However, there was not much time to

celebrate – they had 20 days before they would be off to the U.S..

They applied to schools together as they could not do so before getting a visa.

After applying to different schools they eventually found Springfield College, and it offered the best scholarship. They were set to head to Alden Street.

On Aug. 31, 2021, the flight date into a new realm of life, with better opportunities.

Leading up to the days, Sapkota and Bhandari relished every last moment with their families as they would not know when the

See Nepal

Bhandari took over the Buisness Club President position in 2022. (Photo Courtesy of Kushal Bhandari)

Nepal continued from Page 5

next time they would get to see them.

“We only had so much time before we were going to start a new life in a new land we have never seen before,” Bhandari said.

In Sapkota’s case, he only got around three days with his mom, who had COVID.

Before they knew it, the 20 days were up, and they found themselves sitting in the plane that would take them to the States.

Although there was much uncertainty about what would unfold, there was also a sense of excitement to discover a whole new world.

That excitement would be washed away as soon as the plane landed at Bradley Airport.

A dark, stormy night took Sapkota and Bhandari by surprise.

What is this? They wondered.

Soon, they arrived and realized the light they had been searching for in the U.S. was nowhere to be found.

They were alone.

“We were really scared,” Sapkota said. “We had nobody to talk to; it felt like we were thrown inside a jail or something.”

The two arrived on campus late at night

and were placed into a dark room in the Lakeside basement. Stepping into the dark abyss of a room, there was no bedding on the mattress, and all they had to eat was ramen noodles without a microwave and an apple.

“I could not sleep the whole night,” Sapkota said. “I was not sure if I was even in the right place; I was really confused.”

Even after the first day, challenges would loom as they moved into Reed Hall as roommates – they knew they were in for a difficult year of transition. It was hard to connect with people on campus.

“Nobody wanted to be friends with me,” Bhandari said. “Because of this, I could not make any memories.”

Family weekend was an especially hard time for them. As other students rejoiced with families and newfound friends, their own families were 7,000 miles away.

“It was so sad; every other freshman in Reed [Hall] was having so much fun,” Bhandari said. “It was hard to go through the night hearing loud noises of them going out and coming back.”

While some people treated them kindly, others were less than welcoming.

“They were constantly banging our doors,” Sapkota said. “They would smear ketchup packets against our doors too. It was so triggering and frustrating that I could not even do homework in my room.”

make a strong contribution on the campus.

Fast forward to 2023 – sophomore year – where they seem to be soaring.

In the back of Bhandari’s head, he knew: “I did not come this far to be an average student,” he said. “There was fear of the expectations of my parents and myself, but I did not let those get the better of me.”

Their friend, sophomore Rishi Lamichhane, finally realized the severity of what the two had to endure.

“The way I describe it now is they were living in their own bubble,” he said. “They were lost for their first two semesters.”

The American Dream was slipping away, and all hope was just about lost.

“At least I had someone to share my sufferings with,” Bhandari said. “It was helpful to have someone next to you who was experiencing similar feelings.”

But in time, their vibrant personalities would shine through – and people began to recognize that these were two bright, creative and talented young men who could

The Director of the International Center, Heather St. Germaine, has been impressed by both of the young men from Nepal.

“They are very friendly and warm people,” she said. “Kushal and Aavash take the friendliness and warmth to another level.”

Lamichhane took note of the exponential growth he had seen within a year. “They have absolutely skyrocketed,” he said. “It is so great to see them be so involved.”

Lamichhane also commented on their genuine personas.

“They have this ability of instantly making someone’s mood,” he said. “I do not know what it is about them – I call it a healing property. It is like a superpower to heal people.”

Bhandari and Sapkota traveled to Montgomery, Ala. on Springfield College’s social justice alternative spring break trip. (Photo Courtesy of Kushal Bhandari)

Max-imizing his talent

Max Berkowitz, after holding positions at MIT and FDU-Florham, takes over as Assistant Athletic Director for Communications at Springfield College.

Dickinson-Florham as the Sports Information Director and at MIT as the Sports Information Assistant.

Berkowitz’s love for his field started back in his sophomore year at Lasell College when he was studying Sport Management.

Berkowitz.

“From there I grew into where I am now,” Berkowitz said. “I’ve talked to a few people who said ‘If you didn’t go to MIT, you wouldn’t be in the position you are today.’ So I’m thankful for that opportunity.”

When Springfield College Athletics Coordinator of Media Relations and alumnus Brandon Eckles ‘18 announced he was leaving to take another job in December of 2022, it left a vacancy for a much-needed position.

Eckles, who had held the position since September of 2019, was the primary communications contact for the men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s track & field, women’s basketball, women’s gymnastics, baseball, softball and women’s lacrosse

___ By Braedan Shea @braedan_shea

programs.

Brian Magoffin, the Director of Strategic Athletic Communications/Coordinator of College Media Relations – and Eckle’s boss – was tasked with taking over all of Eckles’ responsibilities – on top of all of the prior responsibilities he already had. Needless to say, it would be no easy task.

By the end of March 2023, however, Springfield announced that the open position had been filled. And the person that took over couldn’t have been a better fit.

Max Berkowitz was officially named the Assistant Athletic Director for Communications on April 3, 2023. It was a position that Berkowitz was surprised was still open.

“I just happened to stumble across it, to be honest,” Berkowitz said. “In this profession, people are always kind of looking around to see what’s next. And when I saw Springfield, I immediately said, ‘This is what I want.’”

Prior to Springfield, Berkowitz held positions at Fairleigh

“I was looking for a job on campus,” Berkowitz said. “One of my good friends told me to come work for athletics. I was like, ‘I don’t know what I really want to do.’ I hadn’t really thought about it that much. The first game was the men’s soccer conference championship at Boston University, and I was a ball shagger. From there, I realized I wanted to do stats instead, and do more with the Athletics Department.”

After graduating in 2015, Berkowitz immediately started at MIT.

“The job at MIT opened right out of school for me, and I was there for six years,” Berkowitz said. “I couldn’t be more thankful for those six years, because it put me in a place of success and learning. I was thrown into a fire at MIT my first year. The men’s soccer team made the Sweet 16, and I was like, ‘I have no idea what I’m doing.’”

But the experience was well worth it for

Although Berkowitz has only been at Springfield for just over four weeks, he is already adapting quite well to the new environment.

“Every school you go to is gonna be different,” Berkowitz said. “Coming from a place like MIT, the kids are different. What I’ve really enjoyed about my time here so far is all of the students and student-athletes here are very welcoming. You walk by them, and they say ‘Hey, how are you? How’s it going today?’ It’s a very different kind of student and it’s been a very welcoming four weeks.”

As Berkowitz’s time at Springfield progresses, he hopes to continue being involved in the campus community, as well as bring some hardware to the athletic teams.

“I’m really looking forward to getting to know the students and student-athletes,” Berkowitz said. “And hoping to bring some championships here and cover some championship teams.”

Berkowitz was named as the Assistant Athletic Director for Communications on April 3, 2023. (Photo Courtesy Springfield College Athletics)

The Springfield Student newspaper needs you!

The Springfield Student newspaper is looking for people to join next year’s staff. We are seeking writers, editors, photographers, graphic designers, social media managers and more – no prerequisites are required and non-Journalism majors are welcome. The Student is a terrific opportunity to obtain real-world experience in a relaxing and fun environment. Each Monday at 12 p.m. and Wednesday at 1:15 p.m., The Student meets in Weiser Hall room 007 – Monday to discuss story ideas and catch up on campus activities, and Wednesday to put together each week’s issue. We are led by Assistant Professor Aimee Crawford, who worked as a senior editor at ESPN and Sports Illustrated for nearly two decades. If you want to learn more, reach out to Crawford at acrawford3@springfieldcollege.edu. Come contribute to the voice of Springfield College!

Title IX Mastermind

Kathy Mangano wrapped up her Distinguished Springfield Professor of Humanics project, Title IX at 50: Educate and Advocate.

___ By Cait Kemp ___ @caitlinkemp09

On Tuesday, April 18, Kathy Mangano stood in front of an audience of students, faculty, family and past Distinguished Professors of Humanics to give her final lecture to close out the year. Around this time last year, Mangano was named the 2022-23 Distinguished Professor of Humanics and began what would be a year-long Title IX initiative.

The 50th anniversary of Title IX fell in June of 2022, so Mangano made it her mission to bring awareness of the landmark legislation to the Springfield College campus and not only celebrate its presence, but inform the community about what it is and what still needs to be done.

As the crowd gave Mangano a standing ovation following her presentation, she beamed with pride. Her efforts all year long did not go unnoticed, and the many different factors that went into the events had paid off.

Mangano’s hour-long presentation focused on several different aspects of the Humanics Professor’s responsibilities as well as the events that happened on campus for her own project. Provost

and Vice President of Academic Affairs Mary Ann Coughlin kicked off the lecture by speaking about Humanics and its importance at Springfield and President Mary-Beth Cooper gave an introduction for Mangano.

“It’s really the core of Humanics,” Cooper said of Mangano’s efforts throughout the process of her initiative.

When Mangano began her lecture, she discussed the honor of being the Distinguished Professor of Humanics and talked about those who held the position before her.

“Mimi Murray, my mentor, my role model and my dear friend, said in her 2008 Humanics lecture entitled, Our Great Adventure in Education: The Whole Story, that ‘the Humanics philosophy is built on the belief that any endeavor if it facilitates positive change is worth the effort,’” Mangano said.

Murray, who was in attendance, was a guide to Mangano and helped her to understand the scope of how important it was for her to advocate for Title IX. Murray was a pioneer for Title IX at not only Springfield College

but nationally, as she stood in front of Congress in Washington, D.C., to fight for Title IX.

“Today I am going to take you on a journey,” Mangano said. “A journey of my lived Title IX experiences.”

Mangano is familiar with Title IX herself, as she filed a Title IX complaint while she was the softball coach at Springfield College. After playing at Springfield as a student, it was clear that the softball team often got old equipment, practiced on a field that was in bad condition and had other struggles relating to fairness in comparison to male teams. When she became a tenured faculty member, Mangano filed a Title IX complaint and was able to get the softball field redone.

“In college, at Springfield College as a player, the softball field was definitely the worst athletic facility on campus,” Mangano said. “As the head softball coach here, I regularly submitted requests for a facility upgrade with repeated unfavorable responses.”

When her requests were finally granted, it was a great triumph for

the women on the softball team and female athletes at Springfield College. However, it was clear that the team’s facilities should have been improved much sooner than that and Mangano only had the opportunity to speak up due to her position.

She know that change was still imperative.

Through the Title IX at 50: Educate and Advocate year-long initiative, Mangano was able to push for that change. The community became aware of the remaining issues within women’s sports as well as the general workplace environment through the many events that Mangano organized throughout the year.

Panels with successful women athletes, National Girls and Women in Sports Day clinics, lectures across the curriculum that incorporated Title IX themes, the reading trails informing about the law itself and the Advocacy in Action

presentation are just some of the events that Mangano organized in order to get the campus involved. Students had ample opportunity to participate in events and it was clear many took the chance to do just that. Players from the women’s basketball team, men’s lacrosse team and softball team were all in attendance at the lecture. Many other teams and groups participated throughout the year, representing the student body and its commitment to the Humanics philosophy.

The lecture concluded with the presentation of student awards and scholarships and the announcement of the 2023-24

Distinguished Professor of Humanics. Taking over for Mangano for next school year will be Miguel Arce. Arce is a Professor of Social Work and was praised for his community service and kindness to the communities he is part of.

Mangano’s hour-long presentation recapped all that she has done this year regarding Title IX. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

Samantha Andresen

Samantha Andresen was the winner of this edition’s Springfield Student Women’s Athlete of the Week with 42.6 percent of the vote after excellent play on the field. The sophomore midfielder for the women’s lacrosse team combined for four goals, an assist, and 10 caused turnovers in Springfield’s two games this past week.

Trailing behind closely was Mackenzie Doyle with 33.3 percent in the poll, after being an on-base machine throughout the week. The senior

Alek Turi

The winner of this edition’s Springfield Student Men’s Athlete of the Week is Alek Turi with 58.9 percent of the vote. The senior attacker for the men’s lacrosse team scored five goals and picked up four ground balls in the Pride’s 17-3 victory over Coast Guard on Saturday.

Joe Traversa earned second in the poll with 25.3 percent of the vote. The senior infielder for the baseball team went 7-for-17 with two triples, a double, and four runs batted in in Springfield’s four games this past week.

In third place was Jarrett Anderson with 10.8 percent in the poll. The senior right-side hitter for the men’s volleyball team put together 23 kills in the Pride’s five-set match with Southern Virginia in the NCAA Tournament.

Evan Weber rounded out the vote after a career showing on the track. The junior sprinter for the men’s track and field team finished first and set a personal best with a time of 10.74 seconds at the Trinity Invitational on Saturday.

outfielder for the softball team went 8-for-17 with seven walks, 10 runs scored, and three stolen bases in the Pride’s six games this past week.

Sydney Fackrell was the third vote-getter with 20.4 percent in the poll because of her quick work on the track. The graduate sprinter for the women’s track and field team finished first and set a personal best in the 100-meter with a time of 12.45 seconds at the Trinity Invitational on Saturday.

Alek Turi. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Samantha Andresen. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Best of the best

Among notable heavyweight programs, such as Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma and more, the Springfield College men’s gymnastics team didn’t shy away from the spotlight at the NCAA National Collegiate Championships last Friday evening. Their second consecutive appearance was another historic achievement for the Pride to return to the national stage and was a momentous night for a certain first-year gymnast.

Owen Carney, a Business Management major from Sterling, Massachusetts, had a natural mixture of nervousness and excitement stepping onto the mats.

“It’s definitely a little intimidating, but you got to have confidence

in yourself and believe that you can achieve something,” Carney said.

Carney’s events include the floor exercise, vault, parallel bars and high bars. During his high school career, Carney, like most gymnasts, did all six traditional events, but the rings and balance bar didn’t click and were removed from his arsenal.

“I feel like above all, I really prosper and shine in the vault and the uneven bars,” Carney said.

Shine he did, as Carney became the first student-athlete in program history to reach the finals of the championships in multiple different events – the vault and the horizontal bar. In fact, Carney became just the sixth Division III student-athlete in the last nine years to

reach the finals in any events.

“The funny thing is that the vault that I competed with on day one of the championships was actually the very first time I tried it in competition,” Carney said. “It had been part of my training all season, and Coach Davis and I decided there was no better time to attempt it.”

Taking eighth in vault with a score of 14.466 and 12th on the horizontal bar with a score of 13.233, Carney certainly left his impact on the national stage, but also credits his teammates’ support and camaraderie for his

success.

“The energy they bring really impacts the team and how we do, and I truly believe it is crucial that we have that support, because it gives us the confidence to get through the meeting no matter what happens,” Carney said. “I could feel the difference on the second day when it was just me, I really missed the team.”

Springfield also had other standout performances, such as from Dominic Ramalho, who scored a 76.432 in all-around competition to finish seventh as an individual. The duo of Felix Kriedemann and Jaden Laubstein did

very well, with each scoring 12.433, good enough for top-25 finishes.

Following a great first season, Carney and the team look ahead to next season with a good deal of anticipation and excitement.

“I plan on doing some big upgrades to my routines, and just setting higher goals for myself and the team as a whole,” Carney said.

With an impressive incoming first-year class and rising stars already in the ranks, the men’s gymnastics team certainly has a lot to look forward to.

Men’s gymnast Owen Carney competed in the national final in the vault and horizontal bar.

Carney at the NCAA Champtionship. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

___ By Patrick Fergus @Fergus5Fergus

Rediscovering love for her sport

The official makes a mark on her clipboard, flips to the next page, and nods. “Emily is up.”

Springfield College senior Emily Racana is up to compete at the outdoor track and field team’s senior day; but not at her main event of pole vault, where she is one of the top athletes for the program. Racana is instead staring down the high jump mat, an event that she’s never competed in her career.

Racana is significantly shorter than the other high jumpers competing, and of the starting marks on the track, hers is by far the closest to the mat, but this event is just for fun. Her whole season is, really.

Racana runs her short approach, turning her body as she jumps off her left foot. She uses her arms to propel herself upwards and over the bar–which stays perfectly in place on the standards. Nearly a doz-

en teammates standing next to the high jump area immediately leave their feet and burst into cheers, letting Racana know she had cleared

the height before she even hit the mat on the other side.

She stood on the high jump mat with a look of pure surprise on her

face, accompanied by a wide smile.

These are exactly the kind of moments that Racana is after. As a senior, competing in her

last track and field season, she wants to leave the Springfield program with no regrets.

“I’m not righting the wrongs, but trying to have good experiences through every meet at least, because last season came with a lot of negativity,” said Racana. “Being able to go and have some type of positive memory, whether I perform well or not, is kind of what I’m going for.”

Racana’s journey with track and field has been anything but linear. She first started her athletic career in gymnastics, and after a few years of competing, one of her teammates suggested she try her hand at a different kind of vaulting.

“They say gymnastics and diving translate really well to pole vault. I didn’t believe it until the fear factor didn’t really play much of a role for me,” Racana said. “I just always liked doing sports, so it was something else to try.”

After competing

Senior pole vaulter Emily Racana has faced struggles with burnout in her sport, but has re-found her purpose.

Racana was all smiles competing in high jump for the first time. (Photo courtesy of Trent Donohue)

__ By Samantha Paul Contributor

as a dual-sport athlete during seventh and eighth grade, Racana focused her attention solely on track and field during high school. Clearing eleven feet, she placed second in Mohonasen High School’s all-time pole vault records. Her success caught the attention of the Springfield College track and field coaches as well.

“We had a Section 2 meet here in high school. [Springfield’s] GA at the time reached out to me after I pole vaulted… Coach Miller was very open to being honest about the program and just answering any questions I had,” Racana recalled about her recruiting experience.

Loving both the track and field and physical therapy programs at Springfield, Racana found herself on Alden Street in the fall of 2019. She had come off of a great final senior season that spring and was ready to challenge herself at the collegiate level.

Even with a new coach, a new atmosphere, and new teammates, Racana was able to continue her momentum in pole vault coming out of high school, which is not an easy feat for any college athlete. She was growing in confidence, coming

in at higher heights each meet, and qualified for the D3 New England Regional Meet during her first indoor track season.

However, as a freshman during the 20192020 school year, her college experience quickly changed when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March. Spring sports were canceled, students were sent home, and no one was sure what was to come next.

Everything about socializing and schooling looked different, but Racana took those struggles in stride.

“Sophomore year… we had an outdoor season, but it was all Covid. Very small, there were no spectators, so it almost felt like practice every day, which for me, ended up working out great. I took it as very low stakes, pressure-wise,” she said.

After sitting in a dorm room all day, with limited human contact and learning solely through a screen, the escape to an afternoon track and field practice made Racana appreciate the program so much more. Seeing her teammates and coaches and being able to continue an event that she was passionate about became a highlight in her routine.

“[Track] was some-

thing that was a little bit of an outlet… I had always just done it to do it, then I was like, ‘Oh. I enjoy this,’” she admitted.

Meets were even more rewarding as well, transitioning from small practice “pods”, where athletes were only able to practice with about five other teammates, to finally being around the full squad and competing in what was as close

to a true meet environment as possible.

It was at one of these meets during her sophomore year that Racana cleared 3.40 meters and entered the Springfield College record books as the outdoor pole vault record holder.

Having a lifetime personal best and smashing the school record, Racana was on top of the world. However, it was her third

year at Springfield College when she realized she was hitting a wall. Between both the indoor and outdoor seasons, track and field athletes typically practice and compete from about the end of October until the end of May. Captains’ practices usually start even earlier in the school year.

Racana’s personal best in the pole vault is 3.39 meters. (Photo courtesy of Trent Donohue)

See Racana continued on Page 14

son, year after year, compounded with the pandemic drastically changing Racana’s plans for her junior year, track and field was increasingly becoming less enjoyable and more of a stressor.

Racana, thinking back on competing last year, said, “I just could not find joy in it. I think it’s just because I was burnt out.”

After making plans to study abroad in Italy

for her spring semester junior year, Racana’s trip was canceled due to rising Covid-19 cases. The only thing to do was return to pole vaulting, which meant another back-to-back indoor and outdoor track season.

According to the NCAA, burnout is considered the final stage of a long breakdown process that occurs when athletes continue practicing and competing without sufficient recovery. Burnout is

son competing alongside Racana and knows how much outside factors were impacting her season. “Last year she was supposed to go abroad and so she wasn’t even going to be here for indoor and outdoor. She was really only going to be there for the first meet, and I think she just wasn’t in the mindset to be there. It just became a tougher season overall too.”

Racana felt mentally unprepared to jump back into track and field, which ultimately contributed to her lack of wanting to be in the track environment. However, stepping into a larger leadership role her senior year, she began to realize that she needed to make the most of her time here and change her outlook on the sport.

back to competing at the high level she’s used to, and the pole vault squad is closer than ever.

“I think she does have a tougher exterior,” Scott added. “Last year coming in, obviously being a freshman and her being a couple of years older, that was already a little scarier, but I think this year, her being more in the mindset of having fun with track and not putting on a lot of pressure on it, I feel like I’ve been able to get to know her more.”

“I feel like this year she definitely likes track a lot more, just really trying to savor her last season,” fellow pole-vaulter Ella Smith seconded. “I feel like it’s been day and night since last year.”

characterized by “the absence of motivation as well as complete mental and physical exhaustion.”

In a sport with such long seasons, and one so demanding of one’s body—whether that be mental or physical, running, jumping, or throwing—it is unfortunately quite common for track athletes to struggle with motivation.

Sophomore teammate Jillian Scott remembers her first sea-

“Coming back this year knowing that’s kind of where I was, I took on a new light of looking at everything kind of differently,” Racana said. “Finding small little victories helps with the burnout and kind of realizing it’s my choice to do this, no one’s forcing me to do it.”

To her teammates and coaches that have been with her in past years, it’s evident that there’s been a change in Racana’s attitude this season. In turn, she’s

Racana will be walking away from the program this spring, having learned a lot about herself, her potential, and her own definition of success.

“I think there’s been a few hiccups and I didn’t always look at it that way. As I’ve matured as a person and an adult… yes I have been successful. I realized it’s not all about numbers and it’s more about all the little things that come along with it.”

Racana clearing the bar. (Photo courtesy of Trent Donohue)

Racana continued from Page 14

Making history

ridiculous,” junior Carlo Frunzio said. “A lot of it comes down to him. As far as understanding how rugby works from the player’s perspective, he 100 percent gets it.”

Heading into qualifiers, Salls told his team, “Leave nothing left. If we don’t win, we don’t play,” he said. “That is the most intense and true statement I could have ever made.”

Sophomore Ajae Olsen attested to the level of skill that the team has exhibited throughout the season.

“We played awesome rugby,” Olsen said. “It is 100 percent a testament to both our work ethic and coach. Everyone is ecstatic that our efforts have led to the opportunity to compete on the national level.”

Heading into this weekend’s national championship tournament, the Pride enter as underdogs – a team that snuck in under the radar to many.

__ By Sean Savage __ @SeanSav13

While the sun beamed down on Stagg Field on April 16, the Springfield College men’s rugby team had one game left to qualify for nationals.

As time ticked away, holding onto a 33-12 lead against Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), the final whistle blew.

And then the season-long goal became reality. For the second time in program history, the Pride are headed to

nationals for sevens – a variant spring season where seven players are playing, opposed to the usual 15. The organization has been around since 1892, but has skyrocketed to success in recent years.

“It was the greatest coaching moment of my career so far,” said head coach Luke Salls.

After the tournament, junior captain Owen Coderre hoisted the trophy while saying, “It’s too easy.”

He meant it, as the Pride went 5-0 on the day while Coderre was named “Man Of The Tourney.”

Salls, a former high school All-American and Division I recruit, has taken the program under his wing over the last two years. He has translated his love and comprehension for playing the game at Springfield himself to the coaching position.

“His knowledge base, as far as rugby goes, is

For the Pride, they will try to remain unphased by any rankings or names of big teams.

“We all know we deserve to be here,” Olsen said. “We can compete against any team we face – it does not matter who we play.”

Adding to the equation, the Pride have five first-years rostered of the 13 players going. For some, this season is their first time ever playing the game.

“It is crazy how far the boys are picking up,” Frunzio said. “We have some real athletes.”

One first-year, Aidan Gallagher, debuted in the NEWCRC Nor’easter Tournament on April 8, where he walked away being named “Man Of The Tourney.” Any spectator would think he was a veteran with solid tackling and field command.

“I think we are going to turn some heads,” Salls said. “I think they will be surprised with the changes we make, and athletically, we are there.”

The Pride will be matched up against nationally-ranked teams they have not seen before, with most of their rosters containing all upperclassmen – and maybe the occasional first-year.

“We have been watching film,” Frunzio said. “A lot of it coming into this weekend is just recovery.”

With the tournament weekend around the corner, Salls wants the team to hold true to its core values.

“We really just have to remember what we know and what works,” he said. “The players already know they are capable of becoming national champions.”

Setting all nerves aside on such a big stage, the Pride know they have a chance to make some noise.

“This is where moments of greatness will happen,” Salls said. “This is where we will show up.”

The Springfield College club men’s rugby team earned a spot at spring nationals for the second time in the program’s existence.

Springfield closing in on an opposing player. (Photo courtesy of Springfield Men’s Rugby)

Vaulting back

Senior pole vaulter Emily Racana has faced struggles with burnout in her sport, but has re-found her purpose.

[See page 12]

(Photos Courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)