Volume 137 No. 14

(Photo Courtesy of Springfield Athletics)

SGA seeks transparency, new opportunities

Student Government Association has made strides in getting ‘a voice at the table with administration.’

___ By Cait Kemp @caitlinkemp09

The Springfield College Student Government Association (SGA) works closely with the administration to create relationships and form bonds between students and faculty. According to SGA President Doug Wydom, the organization’s goals are to make student life as fulfilling as possible, and its perspective helps to show the school what the students’ needs are to make the experience the best it can be.

Wydom and his team of representatives and student government members accomplished many tasks this past semester. The past several years, COVID-19 had been the major issue that SGA and other College groups had to face. Now, with less of a focus on the pandemic, SGA is able to look at different issues facing the student body.

The theme of the past semester has been transparency. Wydom’s goal this school year was to inform more students about what SGA does and how it is affecting them. He implemented open meetings, where any student can attend to listen in, share their thoughts and get

a sense of what SGA is doing on campus.

“We’ve done a lot to try to provide more transparency and trying to get student voices represented more toward not just the administration but toward the trustees,” Wydom said.

Wydom also attended the Board of Trustees meeting as SGA president, the first time that a student in that position has been invited. In the past, a student trustee attended the Board meetings, but now with Wydom’s presence, more student perspectives will be available to the board, giving a direct point of view of campus life to the decisions being made about the school.

“We have two student opinions to talk to the trustees, so I think it shows the school is looking for a way to allow students to voice their opinions a little more where it really matters,” Wydom said.

SGA has seen success in other areas as well, especially campus involvement. It helped welcome five new clubs at the beginning of the school year, making for 42 active clubs on

campus.

Moving forward, SGA hopes to have more student involvement in their open meetings and with elections coming up for next year. This semester, Wydom created the initiative to have each of the representatives host or collaborate on an event with their group. For example, the student representative for commuters will plan an event inviting commuters to hang out and have a fun environment to go to. This will allow for support and recogni-

tion of the groups that the student government represents, creating a tight-knit community on Alden Street.

Other involvement includes opportunities to give back to the community, with the Pride Pantry and the Dance Marathon. SGA is sure to make an effort to contribute to both of these things to show their support to other clubs and organizations as well as the greater community.

Wydom also sits on the committee for the 10-year campus plan,

where he gets an opportunity to voice his opinions on what needs improvement from a student perspective.

“It’s really exciting because we’re trying to have President Cooper come in and talk to SGA about some of the things that are already agreed upon that will be happening in the next five to 10 years,” Wydom said. “It’s really just exciting to have a voice at the table with administration and vice presidents and faculty senate, all those people.”

(Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Student Government Association)

Healthy mind, healthy life

In partnership with the Health Promotion office, the Advocates for Wellness club is running events and activities to promote a better lifestyle for college students.

“It’s important to keep people informed about safe habits when it comes to sex and drinking, or even stress,” Vessicchio said.

The club has led the charge in conveying messages about safe sex, through its cleverly-worded posters around campus. Specifically, one that advertises the free and anonymous delivery of condoms with a simple completion of a form. The club also plans to lead conversations about STIs, and an event this March called “Sex in the Dark” where students will be able to ask questions to a panel of experts.

The condom delivery service was a product of COVID and the many challenges that the isolation presented for the students on campus. As students are still recovering from the global pandemic, mental health has become a fundamental issue for the club.

Vessicchio praised the Pride Cares program, which essentially trains students in the needs of people struggling with mental health problems.

an expansive education about treating your body well, but others didn’t, and we are here to give them the information they need,” said Vessicchio, whose passion for health promotion was sparked by a simple classroom presentation explaining the keys to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

These kinds of demonstrations and learning opportunities are not only useful for a student’s everyday well-being but serve as educational tools for people who have been deprived of proper guidance in the past.

The club is always looking for new members who care about promoting accurate health facts and practices, with many different roles available. Students can contact the Health Promotion Office about joining and see the many different ways to get involved.

College students often struggle to maintain their physical and mental health because of a demanding schedule. Anyone who attends or visits Springfield College can immediately recognize the importance and emphasis of health and wellness around campus. That includes access to nu-

merous resources led by both students and faculty.

The Health Promotion Office is a newly-created program that strives to help students develop a healthy lifestyle through community-oriented initiatives. A branch of the office is the Student Advocates for Wellness club, con-

sisting of students who want to promote the importance of wellness, and have led residence hall programs, classroom presentations and outreach activities.

Arianna Vessicchio, a senior health promotion minor, is the head supervisor of the club and oversees its events and activities.

“We kind of talk about the topics that people don’t want to talk about, but they need to be talked about,” she said.

These students serve as trusted peers to confide in and can be easily identified by the green tags that hang from their backpacks.

Health education is very important to Vessicchio and the club as a whole.

“Some people had

“It’s not like you have to be the person that stands up and has to talk about the hard topics, there’s a role for anyone who wants to get involved,” Vessicchio said. “It’s very rewarding.”

Whether it be tackling mental health issues, safe sex practices, or the path to several healthy lifestyle choices, the Student Advocates for Wellness is always trying new solutions, programs, and events to keep students on top of their game.

(Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Advocates for Wellness Club)

___ By Patrick Fergus ___ @Fergus5Fergus

Education and celebration

The Springfield College office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has a full slate of plans to celebrate Black History during the month of February and beyond.

__ By Luke Whitehouse @Lwhitehouse12

In 1976, United States President Gerald Ford officially recognized February as Black History Month. He was quoted saying we have to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.’’ Since then, the country has celebrated Black History every February, which includes the education on the history and culture in the Black culture inside the United States.

At Springfield College, Black History Month has been recognized over the past several years. The College works diligently to plan events that both serve to educate and celebrate the diversity of African American heritage.

During COVID, many of these events were held on Zoom,

which made campus engagement much more difficult.

This year, with a newly appointed staff, the office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) will look to make the month of February special while using a different approach.

“I wanted to just hear the students’ voices,” Rose Del Val-

le, who works as an Administrative Associate within the DEI office, said. “I wanted to know how they wanted to be celebrated. So, as a team, we made sure we talked to different clubs, and figured out what direction they wanted Black History Month to go in.”

In the past, the College has focused

mostly on the education aspect, which has included guest speakers. Some of those speakers were former alumni who shared their experiences and educated the campus on Black history.

While the education of Black history is very important and will be a piece of this year’s month-long commemoration, the

celebration of Black culture will also be at the forefront of the festivities.

“Black History Month, like the other affinity months, such as Indigenous People’s Month or Hispanic Heritage Month, is to highlight the impact these specific communities have on regular society,” Director of the Office of DEI, Deja Ware, said. “Black history is part of American history… and so we know there’s a need to say, ‘Hey there are these great parts of history and great leaders that are doing great work in communities. And there are these businesses that exist that might be overshadowed that deserve to be celebrated.’”

Ware says that during the month of February, the office plans to have pop-up vendors of Blackowned businesses

(Luke Whitehouse/The Student)

within the area come to campus and provide an opportunity for staff and students to learn more about them. Some other events include a “For The Culture” fashion show held inside Judd Gymnasia on Feb. 17, and an event where multiple local Black musicians will come and perform inside the Student Union on Feb. 22. There will be flyers posted throughout the campus, and via email, that detail upcoming events during Black History Month.

Beyond Black History Month, the Office of DEI aims to impact the campus in positive ways going forward.

Ware, Del Valle and the rest of the staff are in their first year of the newly formed DEI office, formerly known as the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

“Being an alumni, it’s a great opportunity for me to come back and hear what the current student experience is like,” Ware said. “I want to create a community that feels familiar for them, and to create a sense of belonging no matter the background they come from. So, I think that being student-focused and student-led, and learning how to best assist the students, is simply by listening

to them; what they’re saying they need.”

The office has a goal to help other identities of diversity, outside of just race, assisting students with any varying disabilities.

Ware says that the fact that Springfield welcomes this education is a positive thing.

“I think as an institution, it’s important that diversity, equity and inclusion are supported at every level,” Ware said. “And having the backing and support of the College is very important. I think that understanding the work that DEI does needs to be in each part of

a student’s experience to create true holistic experience.”

The plan is to make DEI a part of classrooms, not just office visits, and show that there is an intentional effort to expand the knowledge of DEI for professors and students.

“It’s about making sure that they’re understanding correct pronoun usage, and acknowledging a student’s differences as a part of their academic experience,” Ware said. “Making sure that we’re providing assistive learning technology for students who need to utilize them. It’s more than just about doing the work, we all have

to be on board. So, to know that institutionally, we are all seeing that DEI is at the forefront of us being successful, is very heartwarming.”

The DEI office includes Ware, Del Valle, student success coach Arlene Ramos-Ortiz as well as two graduate assistants, Grayson Stevens and Rhea Bhatia. The DEI office can be found upstairs in the Student Union, and is open to anyone.

(Luke Whitehouse/The Student)

(Luke Whitehouse/The Student)

Alden Street sports round-up

down. Also having just one scoring meet so far, the Pride finished second of seven teams with 130 total points behind a strong performance from the sprint team. In the 60 and 200 meter dashes, Springfield had 10 top-eight finishers, five in each race. In the team’s most recent performance at the Massasoit Classic, the Pride had a similar dominance shared by their female counterparts, totaling five first-place finishes.

Wrestling

start – by his terms – to the season, and was announced to the NEWA Duals All-Tournament Team.

Men’s Swim and Dive

Women’s Basketball

On Jan. 21, Springfield College’s senior forward Sam Hourihan added yet another accolade to her ever growing list. With just 2:49 left in the fourth quarter of the Pride’s matchup against Wellesley College, and sitting on 999 career collegiate points, Hourihan drove hard to the basket, and released a layup at the apex of her jump. As the ball kissed the backboard and began falling through the net, Hourihan had successfully notched her 1000th career point. Springfield later defeated the Blue 64-38. But, even for as well as Hourihan has been playing, it has not been translating to wins as of late. The Posse is just 3-4 since winter break, including a threegame skid for the first time since the 2019-2020 season – a stark contrast from the 9-1 record they carried into the intermission.

Men’s Basketball

Leading up until the winter break, it was clear that the Springfield College

___ By Braedan Shea @braedan_shea

men’s basketball program was still searching for its identity. With new coach Mike McClendon at the helm, and a roster primarily made up of underclassmen, the Pride started the season flat – sporting a 2-8 record. But since the break, Springfield looks as if they have begun to find themselves a bit. The Pride have more than doubled their wins in the last eight games, including back-to-back victories over Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Coast Guard, their first time winning consecutive games this season. The Pride are led by fifth-year senior Daryl Costa (10.9 points, 2.2 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per game) and first-year John Paulino (8.8 points, 3.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 29.1 minutes per game).

Women’s Track and Field

Although having just one actual scoring meet under its belt, the Springfield College women’s track and

field team is geared up for a very successful season. In their first return to action on Jan. 14, the Pride held their own, totaling 142 total points and finishing second overall amongst a field of seven teams – despite having just one first place finisher. More recently, in a non-scoring meet against Westfield State, Lasell, Trinity and American International, Springfield dominated. Names of the Pride littered the top of every event, including nine first-place finishers. Senior jumper Matlyn Gross has been on a tear lately, nabbing three first place victories in the long and triple jumps in the two meets; the latter of which she achieved a personal best of 11.81 meters – good for third in the country.

Men’s Track and Field

Much like the women’s program, the Springfield College men’s track and field team has gotten off to a fast start in 2023, and shows no signs of slowing

In what is generally considered the hardest point of the year for the Springfield College wrestling team, as it has to get back into strict diets and strenuous training regimes following a short break, the journey of the season has become a bit bumpy. After ending the first half of the season undefeated in duals, and grabbing four-straight third place or better finishes in tournaments, the Pride have started the second half of the season not quite as strong. In the nine duals since the break, Springfield is 5-4. But that stretch hasn’t been entirely grim. On Jan. 22, the Pride demolished Norwich 50-0 in the NEWA Dual Championship on their way to a fourthplace (out of 16) finish, the second time this season Springfield has beaten an opponent by 50. Another bright spot on the team has been the resurgence of Gianni Manginelli, who bounced back from a slow

It appears that the mid-season break has helped the Springfield men’s swimming and diving team a lot. After getting off to an undesirable start, with just a 2-4 record in team matches and a fourth-place finish out of nine teams in the Gompei Invitational, there has been quite the turnaround. To begin the second half, the Pride came out on fire, winning all four of their matches. The most impressive of the performances came as they powered past Union and Hartwick for a tri-meet sweep on Jan. 11. The Pride bested Union, 180-111, and eased past Hartwick, 211-89. Springfield is led by the two record-breaking brothers, James and Jonathan Chan.

Women’s Swim and Dive

For as hot as the Springfield College men’s swimming and diving team has come out to start the second half, the women’s team has a leg-up. After also getting out to an unfavorable 1-6 start in team matches and a similar fourth-place finish out of a nine-team field, the Pride have been on a tear.

Over the course of the past three Saturday’s, Springfield has won six straight matches, getting back over the .500 mark at 7-6.

Myles Leonard prior to pinning an opponent at the NEWA duals. (Garrett Cote/The Student)

Sam Hourihan scored her 1,000th point last weekend. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield Athletics)

A strong return

The Springfield College women’s gymnastics team’s veteran presence is leading the Pride to early-season success.

__ By Carley Crain @carley_crain12

Heading into the winter season, due to several changes within the program, it was up in the air how the Springfield College women’s gymnastics team would perform. After losing head coach Jenn Najuch somewhat unexpectedly – opening a nationwide search for a replacement – and losing key seniors, the team’s immediate future was unknown.

However, after naming former assistant coach Emily Bellin as interim head coach for this season, the team’s spirit was restored. Springfield knew this year could be special, and keeping the head coaching position to someone they know very well added a helpful element.

“It’s definitely been an adjustment, as it is for any team, to switch head coaches,” senior

Devon Rosier said. “But as a team, we have had a consistently good ‘adapt and overcome’ mindset, and approaching this situation in that same way has allowed for a really great transition.”

It didn’t take long for the Pride to make noise instantly. In the first meet of the season against its Division III rivals Rhode Island College and Bridgeport, Springfield won with its highest-scoring season-opening total in program history – kicking off the year with 186.875 points.

“We are super excited and have such great team energy so the start of our season has already been so fun,” Rosier said. “We are really focused on our confidence and using each success to build on that throughout the season.”

The bars seem to be

the Pride’s strongest event so far, with reigning national champion on bars Winter Osborne coming back to finish off her NCAA eligibility, alongside senior Tori Sipes, who has been a key athlete for the Pride on the bars during her

time on Alden Street.

On vault, Springfield has incredible depth. Graduate student MacKenzie MacLeod, who originally contemplated coming back for a fifth year, has been consistently strong in the event throughout

her time at Springfield. Sophomore Annie Kiley placed third in the region last year. Fellow sophomore Delaney LaViolette also is a strong contender on the vault. LaViolette scored

See Women’s Gym

Winter Osbourne on the uneven bars. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

‘You hope you’ve had some small ripple effect on the world’

Shannon Miller is the most successful female ice hockey coach of all time. She led the Canadian national women’s hockey team to a silver medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics and followed that up by winning five national championships in 16 seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth before she was abruptly fired from her position, without cause, in December 2014. Miller filed a Title IX suit against the university’s Board of Regents, alleging discrimination. In 2018, a federal jury found UMD officially liable for sex discrimination and Title IX retaliation.

As part of her project Title IX at 50: Educate &

Advocate, Distinguished Professor of Humanics Kathy Mangano interviewed Miller about her career and what led her to file the lawsuit. A webcast of the full interview can be viewed at springfield. edu/TitleIXat50. An edited excerpt of their conversation follows.

Mangano: Help me understand this: You were the winningest coach in college ice hockey history. How does an institution let someone with your success go?

Miller: A new chancellor and a new athletic director came to the university. They cut our budget drastically and showed no respect for women’s hockey, no respect for Title IX,

no respect for the history or our program whatsoever. During the discovery phase of the federal lawsuit that we launched against the university, an email was discovered. The new athletic director had emailed HR and said, “I want to get rid of these six women. How do I do it?” The six women he had identified were the six openly-gay women in the athletic department. Nobody else. That tells you what his intention was. No matter how successful we were, how well-loved we were by the community, he was getting rid of these six openly-gay women, and that set the table for the rest of the story.

Mangano: Through-

out your career you dealt with gender inequities and violations of Title IX. What were some of those inequities?

Miller: The head coach of the men’s team was there for the same period of time I was. My teams advanced to the Frozen Four seven times and out of those seven times, we won five national championships. There are maybe three or four programs in all sports that could say that.

Even though we were so much more successful than the men’s team, they were not in compliance with Title IX. For example, the men’s program would get anywhere from $55,000 to $75,000

a year to recruit. Our women’s program averaged $26,000 to $35,000. So we were getting half of what the men were getting, and significantly lower than most Division

I programs. But we still did well. Another inequity was publicity and promotion. We hear all the time that the reason men get paid more than the women is because they get so many more fans at their games. [The UMD men’s hockey coach] was given 15 opportunities a year to go on radio or television.

I was given five opportunities a year. The athletic department spun it as, “He gets paid more because he has to do so much more media.” Well, I would like

Distinguished Professor of Humanics Kathy Mangano interviewed former Olympic hockey coach Shannon Miller about her Title IX lawsuit.

Miller led the University of Minnesota-Duluth women’s hockey team to five natonal championships. (Photos Courtesy of Shannon Miller’s Facebook)

to do it 15 times. So they were out there promoting the men’s team at least three times more than they were promoting our program. Those inequities, they just piled up.

Mangano: What was the reaction when you spoke up and said, “This is wrong?”

Miller: Obviously you start with a gentle approach. Almost every female coach has a story. You start gently knocking on the door and explain what Title IX is and [point out] the inequities. And you imagine how much better an atmosphere you can create for your female student-athletes if they were to be treated equal to the men. And how much more success you could have academically, athletically.

The response was always, “Why do you need more? You’re winning anyway.” I was thoughtful, professional and factual when I presented the inequities. I did try to educate and advocate peopel. I really just tried to move the needle. I said, “We can keep winning for you, but you have to help us out here.” The truth is, I got nothing but backlash. The minute I started to speak up and gently push to create a better and more equal environment for my female student-athletes, it got ignorant.

One day, I came into work and someone had taken my name tag off my door and put a sticky note on my door that said “dyke.” On three or four other occasions, I got hate

mail that said, “Go home, dyke.” It was an environment of hate toward successful women, strong women and certainly openly-gay women. I don’t regret the federal lawsuit and the fight that I had to go through, as difficult and draining as it was. I don’t regret fighting, because we have to speak up or there won’t be change.

Mangano: What was the result of the lawsuit?

Miller: It was a federal civil rights trial. Title IX was the biggest component at that trial. We had remarkable witnesses. We had so much evidence.

[Former Women’s Sports Foundation CEO] Donna Lopiano, our Title IX expert, said the amount of evidence we had was overwhelming. After a twoweek trial, it only took the 12 jurors only three-anda-half hours to come back and say, “We believe Shannon and her witnesses.”

The jury awarded me $4.2 million. The judge agreed with the verdict but the case sat on his desk for a year and a half. He decided that it was too much money for Minnesota. He was ok with the men’s coach getting the big salary, but he cut my financial reward to just under $2 million. I went through this for seven years, didn’t have a coaching job. But we won. It was a necessary fight, and I hope that not only did I help myself, but also female athletes at UMD. Things are much better for them now. You can only hope that you’ve had some small ripple effect on the world.

There’s still time to sign up to create a Title IX Advocacy Project to help educate, secure and/or strengthen Title IX. Email Kathy Mangano (kmangano@springfield.edu) for details and the registration form. Projects can be completed individually, in small groups, as a class assignment, as an athletic team or by organizations/clubs. All who register a project will receive a Title IX t-shirt. In addition, eligible students can earn Wellness Passports stamps. The deadline is Jan. 31.

Miller won a silver medal as coach of Team Canada. (Photo Courtesy of Shannon Miller)

Emma Savoie

Emma Savoie took this week’s Springfield Student Women’s Athlete of the Week with an overwhelming 60.3 percent of the vote. The firstyear swimmer took first place in both the 1000 free and 500 free with times of 10:55.00 and 5:21.73 respectively in the Pride’s meet against Smith and Wellesley on Saturday.

The second vote-getter was Sam Hourihan with 22.3 percent of the vote. The senior forward for the women’s basketball team had a team-leading 17 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in the Pride’s win over Wellesley on Saturday. She also scored her 1,000th career point.

Thomas Czerwinski

Thomas Czerwinski won this week’s Springfield Student Men’s Athlete of the Week with 53.1 percent of the vote. The senior sprinter finished first in the 400-meter with a time of 51.70 seconds, and came in second in the 200-meter with a time of 23.19 seconds at the Massasoit Classic on Saturday.

Getting the second-most votes was Daryl Costa with 21.2 percent in the poll. The graduate guard for the men’s basketball team combined for 40 points and seven steals this week, including 23 points in the Pride’s win over Coast Guard on Wednesday. Gianni Manginelli came in third

place in the poll after receiving 13.3 percent of the vote. The senior wrestler won four matches at the NEWA Duals Championship on Sunday and was named to the NEWA Duals All-Tournament Team.

Jarrett Anderson rounded out the vote with a respectable 12.4 percent. The senior right side hitter for the men’s volleyball team gathered 22 kills in the Pride’s win over St. Joseph’s (L.I.)

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

Tori Sipes came in third place in the poll after receiving 10.9 percent of the vote. The senior gymnast was the runner-up in the uneven bars with a score of 9.725, and also registered a 9.325 on the balance beam in the Pride’s meet against Southern Connecticut State and Rhode Island College on Saturday. Rounding out the vote was Brenna Lachapelle after a great performance on the track. The senior mid-distance runner set a personal record and finished in first place in the 800-meter with a time of 2:24.32 at the Massasoit Classic on Saturday.

Thomas Czerwinski. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

(No available pictures of Emma Savoie)

Young and hungry

___ By Chris Gionta @Chris_Gionta

The 2022 Springfield men’s volleyball team came painfully close to the program’s 12th national title. After the Pride won 39 consecutive sets en route to the national championship game against Carthage, they dropped the match 3-1.

Getting back to that final game is already a challenge in itself, but the talent Springfield lost from a year ago will make it even more difficult. Brennen Brandow, Liam York, Chris Parker, Nate Reynolds, Matt Lilley and Johjan Mussa Robles all departed after last season, but the Pride remain strong.

“It’s a young team,” Springfield head coach Charlie Sullivan said. “There’s going to be a lot of learning, but we got a good group of

guys.”

Springfield came into the 2023 season ranked No. 2 in the country by the NVA/AVCA polls despite the major roster turnover.

With the losses of Brandow, York, Parker, Reynolds, Lilley and Mussa Robles, Springfield is saying goodbye to four of its top five leaders in kills, its leader in assists and top two leaders in digs from the 2022 season. Brandow, Lilley and Mussa Robles were also honored as AVCA All-Americans.

“We’re looking for candidates all the time – those are hard roles to step into,” Sullivan said.

However, the Pride still have the AVCA Division III National Player of the Year in Jarrett Anderson. He was second on the team

in kills,led the country in aces per set and also led Springfield in points. The Pride will look to him to lead the young squad.

“I think Jarrett [Anderson’s] leadership is probably going to be pivotal to our success,” Sullivan said.

In the Pride’s three contests thus far, Anderson has combined for a team-leading 36 kills, which included 22 in their 3-1 win over St. Joseph’s (L.I.). Behind him in kills is first-year Evan Costley, who also had double-digits in that column in the four-set

win.

Springfield’s leader in digs so far is also a firstyear in Braden Gonzales, as he looks to fill the hole Mussa Robles — a six-year leader of the program — left after last year.

Along with youth, the 2023 team comes in with an encouraging mindset that is necessary for the long season.

“We had a good freshman class come in,” Sullivan said. “Where we have most of our strength is our culture, and the attitudes of the guys are really positive. We’ve already seen a

significant amount of growth.”

The Pride have won all three of the matches they have played so far, and have only dropped one of 10 total sets played. However, they have potentially their toughest test next on the schedule, when they face No. 3 Stevens on the road on Jan. 28. For a team largely made up of underclassmen, it will be an introduction to the extreme high level of volleyball that Springfield once again intends to play late in the year.

After losing a lot of talent, the men’s volleyball team is ranked No. 2 in the country following a 3-0 start.

Springfield celebrating in the huddle. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

‘We are determined’

___ By Sean Savage @SeanSav13

“We are determined,” Springfield College men’s gymnastics head coach Matt Davis said. “There is always that stigma that Division III schools cannot hang with the so-called big dogs, but we proved last year that we can. This year, we have the talent to even take it a step further.”

The second semester on Alden Street is off and running – both in and out of the classroom. The story is no different for the 2022-23 men’s gymnastics team, picking up right where it left off.

Over the last six years, Davis has been at the helm and cultivated a lot that has contributed to the team’s success.

His coaching-style can often be demanding, but as he described, he is “not a yeller and screamer.” Instead, he is more up-front about what needs to be better rather than getting angry.

“I am as concerned about building up the right kind of person as I am building up an athlete,” Davis said. “I teach them things that

they can apply to be a better person once they leave Springfield College.”

Additionally, the team has an “open door

policy.” Anything that the athletes have or need beyond gymnastics, Davis will be there for them.

“We have a very

close, family-orientated team,” Davis said. “We are always looking to grow as athletes and individuals.”

At the start of each season, each member of the Pride jots down both team and individual goals and reads them to each other.

“They have them posted where they can see them every day,” Davis said.

If an athlete can meet their respective individual goals, it will push the team toward reaching its collective group goals.

As for the season itself, it opened on Jan. 13 at the West Point Open. The Pride traveled two and a half hours to match up against other Division I programs.

“We started off with a big competition, and the guys reacted really well,” Davis said.

The success in their meet was in large part due to not letting any mental blocks get in the way. However, arguably more importantly, the Pride only let other teams catch a small

The Springfield men’s gymnastics team will once again compete with top Division I schools, and is up to the tough challenge.

The Pride competed against West Point on Jan. 13. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

glimpse of what is to come.

“Early on, we were very smart with routine construction. We might not throw everything that we can do yet; we are building as we go,” Davis said.

The simplicity of their first meet also meant first-year students could step up, and older guys could help mentor them.

Following this, the Pride had another competition heading down to the Navy Open last weekend – which was six hours away in Maryland. It was the team’s first extensive travel of many. For newcomers,

that is a challenging acclimation.

Although the meet did not go in the Pride’s favor, Davis liked what he saw out of his group.

“There were a lot of good and positive things to take away,” he said. “Some guys reacted really well, and others just needed a few small, easy things that we will work on in practice.”

Traveling is a significant aspect of the sport, and Davis wants his team to stay ahead of the academic curve.

“We are going to be looking for the guys to be very organized academically. Most of our travels are overnight

stays, so it is a great experience for the guys, but not without staying organized,” he said.

Looking ahead, the Pride are hosting their home-opener on Jan. 29, expecting a more favorable result on their home court.

“A big mental factor is staying determined and being focused on what we need to do,” Davis said.

Springfield will be sure to refer back to the goals it has written down as a source of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as the season progresses.

a 9.550 at regionals a year ago.

The beam is another event that Springfield has a long history of success in. The Pride have arguably the most depth in the region on the beam heading into the 2023 season.

Springfield is returning all of its big names on the beam – MacLeod, Sipes and Rosier. MacLeod broke the school record on the balance beam last year and was the regional champion as well. Sipes and Rosier followed right behind her, as they swept the podium at regionals in 2022.

Each time a Springfield gymnast hops up on the beam, it’s always an event to look out for.

The floor exercise is known for its high energy and entertaining qualities. Although it is typically competed in last during meets, it’s certainly not on the bottom of Springfield’s list. MacLeod, once again, was the regional champion in the event last year and has a career-high score of 9.800. Rosier and junior Rae Anna Schutz also scored at regionals on the floor in 2022, and will both be names to keep an eye on this season.

Springfield is ready

Tori Sipes celebrating after a routine. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Dominic Ramalho on the rings. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Women’s Gymnastics continued from Page 7

Coming ‘round the mountain

After having no competitions the past two years, the Springfield Ski and Snowboard Club is off to a strong start this season.

subsequently shut down for the following two years.

But come the winter of 2022, it started back up. With about 15 members, the team put up some solid results in their first season, but this year they have taken off.

“We probably had about 12-15 serious competitors last season, and we now have a team of 35 members,” Reetz said.

With this new squad, the Pride have taken part in two competitions this season, both at Middlebury College in Vermont.

to her college career, with a second-place finish in the giant slalom, and a third-place finish in the slalom. Fellow first-year Bethany Herr racked up a couple of top-seven finishes, finishing fourth in the giant slalom and seventh in the slalom.

The Springfield College Skiing and Snowboarding club is back on the slopes this winter for its second season of action.

Although the club has been on and off over the past few years, Jack Reetz, a graduate student pursuing his

__ By Nick PaNtages @nick_pantages22

MBA, campaigned hard to get the club started again.

Since then, the club has taken off from there.

“Skiing has been something I have done my whole life and I was very much interested in restarting the club,”

Reetz said. “So that started when I was a freshman.”

After recruiting enough people to join the club, they planned to start competing in Reetz’s sophomore year, COVID struck right before the first competition. The club was

On the skiing side, Reetz has racked up two top-10 finishes in both the slalom and giant slalom, and sophomore Bridget Mooney has a top-10 finish in the giant slalom as well.

“Skiing is very competitive, anything top 10 is an incredible performance,” Reetz said.

For snowboarding on the women’s side, firstyear Jessica Schuth is off to a sensational start

The men have also had a lot of success snowboarding, with Steven Pisano owning a top-two finish in the giant slalom, as well as a pair of third-place finishes in the slalom. Dante Digiovanni earned a fourth-place finish in the giant slalom, as well as sixthplace in the slalom.

Reetz has loved all the success he has seen, especially because it has been from a majority of underclassmen, especially the women’s squad.

“It’s like the most heartwarming thing for me, it’s like everything I wanted to see,” Reetz said.

A bright spot for the Pride is that they have been doing this without one of their

Ski and Snowboard club members pose for a group picture at the base of the Green Mountains in Vermont. (Photo courtesy of the Ski and Snowboard Instagram)

biggest leaders, junior snowboarder Hunter Bernard.

“Hunter has been a certified coach for numerous years, and his advice across the board is what helped our club take off last year,” Reetz said.

Due to this coaching experience, Bernard is very comfortable with the leadership roles he is tasked with.

“I love being in a leadership role, and I have so much knowledge because I have been in this field a very long time,” Bernard said. “It’s really rewarding for me to pass on my knowledge to these

younger skiers and snowboarders.”

While not only being a great leader for the younger snowboarders on the team, Bernard is a very talented snowboarder himself.

He got an incredible opportunity to represent the United States and compete at the 2023 FISU World University Games in Lake Placid, New York. Bernard competed frequently in Europe, but this was his first opportunity to wear the red, white, and blue.

“I’ve traveled and competed a lot before but this is the first time where I had a Team

USA liaison at the hotel and got apparel,” Bernard said.

Bernard started snowboarding around the time he was seven years old. It started as only fun weekends out with his family, but as his older brother started to compete, Bernard found himself competing as well.

Bernard got the chance to take part in the games through previous competitions before college, whether in Europe or on the North American Cup circuit. By accumulating enough points in these events, Bernard was invited to compete in

the games.

The FISU games are the largest global competition for college students, or as Bernard described it, “The Olympics for college students.”

To really give the event the feel of the Olympics, the athletes are housed in a village, just like the way the Olympics are run. Bernard said, “We had to stay in an athlete’s village, we couldn’t leave the campus, we had to use their transportation, so everyone kind of stuck together.”

Twenty-six different countries competed in snowboarding, with 46 countries competing in various events at the games. This led to plenty of interaction for Bernard with a wide variety of people he would not usually get to talk to.

“It was a really good opportunity to meet new people and interact with people you really wouldn’t know.”

More than that though for Bernard, it was also an experience he could learn from other snowboarders.

“Being with riders that are on their country’s national team, and guys that have World Cup starts, it was a really cool opportunity to

be with these guys.”

While competing at the events, Bernard finished 18th in the slalom and 26th in the giant slalom. However, his experience at the games was not just about results, but more of loving his time there.

Although he hit the slopes of Gore Mountain, which is an hour’s drive from Lake Placid, Bernard still got to feel the history of the city.

“I got to go to the opening ceremony of the event which was a super cool experience to walk along the ice rink where the Miracle on Ice happened,” he said.

Now that the games have concluded, Bernard is back to contributing to the club, but he will always carry the experience of going to the games with him. “It’s definitely cool to just rep the gear and apparel,” he said.

The Pride gets back in action this weekend on Jan. 28 at Magic Mountain in Vermont, where they will take on nine other schools from around the Northeast. They will be joined by Bernard, who is competing with his school for the first time this season.

Hunter Bernard at the Gore Mountain Ski Resort. (Photo courtesy of the Ski and Snowboard Instagram)

(Photo by of Springfield Ski/Snowboard Instagram)