Volume 137 No. 2

Springfieldbest-keptCollege’ssecret

The Leadership Training Conference has a unique mission, and its participants aren’t allowed to know what exactly they’re getting into until they experience it for themselves.

_ By Cait Kemp @caitlinkemp09

Once a whattingthemselvesstudentsuniqueopportunity.vealedthatBreak.beforetypicallydentstakesConferenceLeadershipSpringfieldyear,College’sTraining(LTC)agroupofstuawayonatrip,theweekendThanksgivingForthemostpart,isallthat’sreabouttheLTCisaexperiencefortoimmerseinasetwithoutknowingtheyareget

ting themselves into. That can be a scary concept, but many students apply each year in hopes of being chosen for this once in a lifetime experience.

LTC is described by its E-Board members as “an peopleItineonethoughtsconversationsticipateexperienceintrospectivetoparinactivities,andthatsomemayneverimagthemselvesdoing.”issomewherethatgotofindtheir

true selves. It’s an inclusive, loving space where students will get out as much as they put in.

There are no words to describe it, accord ing to E-Board mem ber Maggie Donahue, and most everyone who has participat ed says that it has changed their life.

LTC can be diffi cult to take the step to do something that is so unknown. It can be intimidating and vulnerable, but that’s the point – being vulnerable and true to yourself..“Everyone gets so many things out of [LTC] for so many different reasons,” said E-Board member Tyler Olds. “The only thing we want them

to get out of it, is what they end up get ting out of it. There is no expected or desired result, it’s just howev er they receive it and walk out with it.”

The facts that are known about LTC are that it is led by Angela Veatch – who is Springfield’s Asso ciate Director of East Campus and Outdoor Programs – as well as a group of student E-Board members. The E-Board consists of Olds, Donahue, Emma Raccaro, Ally Toppa, Kyle Johnson, Nathanael Tejeda and Simon Hauser. These students have all experienced LTC as participants, and loved the program so much that they wanted to be a part of creating that

feeling for others. During her fresh man year, Raccaro had different peers within the community tell her that she should apply to LTC based on her personality and interests shown on campus. That was the first time she was introduced to LTC and that it could po tentially be of interest to “It’sher.

say,whatit,’maybebepus,great‘there’stotheseknown,intointimidatingdefinitelywalkingsomethingunbecauseallpeoplecomeupyouandarelikethisreallythingoncamIthinkitwouldgreatforyou,youshouldtryandyougo,‘okayisit,’andthey‘ohIcan’ttell

LTC participants on a retreat last year. (Photos Courtesy of Emma Racarro)

Campus News

you,’” Raccaro said.

“These people that I care about and look up to are telling me that this is something that is good for me. I just have to learn to trust them, even though I don’t necessarily know everything that is to mainspeopletimethoughreturners.itwhoparticipants,forwithcandidaginganonymous,plicationandaspectsreflectstudentstionsdifferentforThecome.”applicationLTCcontainsasetofqueseachyearwhereareaskedtoondifferentofthemselvestheirlife.Theapiscompletelyencourstudentstobeandgenuinetheiranswers.Studentscanapplythefirsttimeasandthosehaveexperiencedbeforecanapplyas“Eachyear,evenwehave[first-andreturning]thatgo,itreasecretbeyond

just that year, because we want everyone to have the same firsttime experience go ing,” Raccaro said. “If someone were to spoil it and you knew what was coming ahead of time, it wouldn’t really do the same. That is why we real ly only allow people to talk about how it made them feel. They can speak on personal growth rather than exactly what stuff we do LTCthere.”is not just about training,leadershipdespite the name. It conversationsinvolvesthat dig deeper than the ones that are typical around campus, allowing in dividuals to talk about aspects of life that they otherwise might keep to themselves.

“I feel like Leader ship Training Con ference is kind of a deceptive name,” Olds said. “Yes, people

have their own ideas of what leadership should be… but it revolves around the fact that you can’t be a leader until you know yourself better. You can lean into your own strengths and in spire others that way.”

The main purpose of LTC is to go into it with an open mind. It is very customizable to each individual, and leaves many things up to interpretation. LTC functions through the students’ willingness to create an environ

ment where they are able to connect with themselves and each other at a level that may not be possible without the culture of the“Anotherconference.thing that we like to say is that as facilitators we don’t create the conference, we just create the space. The partici pants themselves, they are the ones that are making the confer ence,” Donahue said.

LTC hosted an information meeting Wednesday evening

to hand out applica tions. If you missed the meeting and want to apply, pick up an application at the Student Activities Office in the Union. Applications can also be dropped off at the office, and are due Oct. 6.

LTC participants on a retreat last year. (Photos Courtesy of Emma Racarro)

Cultivating culture and community

Historically, America has been a melting pot of all different cultures in pursuit of the Amer ican Dream. Thomas Jefferson once wrote: “All men are created equal and have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

How can the Spring field College community carry out what is set in stone?The mission for Springfield College is to educate the whole per son in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to others. This means making for an inclusive environment where everyone feels like themselves, and at home.Through this week, the Springfield College community took an other step in the right direction.Thecommunity came together this week to commemorate, honor and celebrate Latinx Heritage Month under the theme of belonging.

“People should try to understand that [Lat

___ By Sean Savage @SeanSav13

inx Heritage Month] is more than just one culture,” said Latinx Student

personal experience as a Latina.“The goal is not try ing to belong. The goal is to try to find a com munity because you can create a community that helps shield you and helps bring you along,” López said. “Find a community where you can be yourself even if it is a form of escap ism.”Events such as themed trivia, film festivals, and “Lunch and Learn” helped bring the community clos er. Additionally, these events helped educate and inform on various ethnic and noticeSpringfieldhome.”“SpringfieldRelatingonetogether,willAtogether,”achievedday,backgrounds.cultural“AttheendoftheeverythingisbycomingLópezadded.strongercommunitybebuiltbycomingandeverywillfeelathome.tothemotto:CollegeisTheweekhereathelpsbringtowhateveryone

offers when building a sense of environment,”sivemaketraditions.culturestudentsthemthemebeingtherebetoasbecomedoingporaryadditionalzonespartforethnicpeoplebuildbringrecognizeofCoheringcommunity.inaplethoraeventshelpspeoplewhatothersbutalsohelpsasafespaceforwithdifferentbackgrounds.Theweekismeantindividualstodefromtheircomfortandacceptsomebuttemdiscomfort.Inso,peoplewillmoreconfidentitopensthegatewayrealizingotherscouldsosympathetic.“Throughthisweek,arealotofeventsheld.AcommonbetweenallofistoeducatetheaboutourandsomeofourThishelpsforamoreincluandwelcomingValentin

said.“If you ever feel unincluded or as if it is a constant battle, just know it will not break you,” López said. “God has a plan on where you are going to go.”

“If other people can do it [finding a sense of belonging] tell yourself I can as well. Think about how you are setting up future gener ations,” López added.

Laitnx Heritage Month celebrations impact not only the cur rent students, but future generations to come at Springfield College as well. Everything that is being done now will ensure a campus cul ture that supports each other.

Latinx Student Organization E-Board members. (Photo Courtesy of Sean Savage/The Student)

National Hispanic Heritage Month kicked off with an event about building a safe space for people with different ethnic backgrounds.

Celebrating 100 years of Weiser

2022 marks the 100th anniversary of Weiser Hall, a former infirmary that has a unique history.

___ By Patrick Fergus @Fergus5Fergus

One of the smallest buildings on campus is celebrating a big milestone this year, as 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of Weiser Hall. Home today to the department of Litera ture, Writing, and Jour nalism, Weiser was once a state-of-the-art infir mary. Its story begins in 1920, when Springfield College partnered with Hampden Hospital after recognizing that its ath letes needed a way of recovering and receiv ing $180,000.wouldofbuthandedfundtowherestoodstructplanhospital,administratorWaltertheworkedandboththewhoCliftontreatment.A.Crocker,wasamemberofExecutiveBoardofSpringfieldCollegeHampdenHospital,togetherwithbuilding’snamesake,R.Weiser,theofthetogoovertheofhowtoconit.Theonlythingthatinthewaywastheyweregoinggetthemoneytoit.HampdenHospitalover$40,000,theexpectedcostthenewinfirmarylikelybearoundTheSpringfieldcommunityandstudentsleaptintoaction,withmanystudentshelpingclearthebuildingsite

and raise money over the summer of 1921. The cornerstone, which can still be seen today near the entrance, was laid on September 27, 1922, with the building officially opening in January of the follow ingInyear.the earliest years of Weiser Hall, pro fessor Stacy Betzler and his staff pioneered work in the field of physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Under the direction of Bet zler, the Department of Physiotherapy corrected thousands of afflictions ranging from inflam mations to chronic pain.

The department also worked with new treat ment methods for the time like Electrotherapy and asaroundalsoeducationalrecovery.floorroomsfacilities,impressive1938,aroundforpracticesprogressivehadMonseau,anfieldAccordingHydrotherapy.toSpringCollegehistoriandarchivist,JeffWeiserHallbecomeexceedinglyinmedicalandimportantstudentsandathletesthecampus.ByWeiserincludedtherapeuticfouroperatingandanentirecommittedtoThebuilding’strademarkstartedtodevelopthesametime,thebasementwas

equipped with labs and classrooms for Dr. Peter Karpovich, who just so happened to be one of the best exercise phys iologists in the country at the Overtime.the next three decades, the staff of Weiser Hall contin ued to excel in medical practices and teachings. However in October of 1972, the decision was made to move the infir mary out of the place that had shaped it. The Towne Student Health Center was seen as a modern improvement to Weiser, with a brand new physical therapy laboratory in addition to newly constructed ther apeutic facilities. This met a “critical need” for student-athletes and professors, according to President Wilbert E. Locklin.With the future un certain for Weiser Hall, the building served as offices for many faculty and staff from depart ments such as Arts and Sciences to Education and Physical Education. After being refurbished, it was also briefly used as the center for the Hu manities Department.

For years, Wesier was unutilized, and many ideas, spanning from tourist attractions to storage, were pro posed for the former infirmary.Finally, Weiser saw massive improvements in its classrooms and

technology, with its official finishingrenovationinMarch of 2006. Weiser had at last found a new purpose: to teach the budding journalists and future writers the intricacies of the field. As the de partment adapted to the media world, they added a brand new television studio in 2006 – the fu ture home of SCTV3.

“We are hopeful to one day have a media center housing TV, ra dio, and the newspaper,” said Marty Dobrow, longtime Professor of Communications whose office has long been located in Weiser.

As for today, Weiser Hall has been the home of Literature, Writing and Journalism for 16 years. Marty Dobrow has been a staple in the journalism department since its Weiserinception.Hallhas seen

the highs of trailblazing medical care and ther apeutic techniques and the lows of an uncertain future with no true plan of use, but through it all, has remained a cru cial part of not only the campus, but the Spring field College identity.

“It’s a tiny speck on campus, but it’s our speck,” Dobrow said.

Weiser Hall standing tall in June of 1931. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

The gift that keeps on growing

Springfield College senior Chase Kupinsky’s grant-writing project to give the youth of Springfield new sports equipment has expanded to a $10,000 reward.

Chase Kupinsky’s already immense smile grew just a bit big ger when Springfield mayor Domenic Sarno handed him a large check worth $10,000 on Thursday, Sept. 15. Kupinsky, a Spring field College senior, received the check while he was helping present new sports equipment to the stu dents at Alice B. Beal Elementary School in Springfield. Kupin sky and Sarno were joined by the city’s C3 police unit, repre sentatives from Dick’s Sporting Goods, and

several members of Springfield Together, a non-profit organi zation dedicated to providing opportuni ties for the youth to achieve success. They bounced around five different elementary schools, surprising children with basket ball hoops, sneakers and tons of other out.sky’sfor$10,000ey$3,000hadequipment.WhatoriginallystartedoutasingrantmonquicklyturnedintoasarewardhowwellKupinprojectturned

“Because every thing went success fully, (Dick’s) upped it to $10,000,” Kupinsky said. “Now we have $7,000 more dollars. The day of the event they gave us this big oversized check that had 10K on it. We were stunned. That’s more than triple our original amount. We did so much with $3,000, now we can continue with a lot more.”InMay of 2021, Kupinsky, an English major and environ mental studies mi nor, was alerted to a summer giveawaysummer,outscheduledeventsworkingfieldcolleaguesMass.,forwasn’t–Kupinskynalism.Writing,mentChairbySpringfieldopportunityinternshipwithTogetherAnneWheeler,theoftheDepartofLiterature,andJourImmediately,wasallinandthecommuteeveranissuetheBelchertown,native.KupinskyandhisatSpringTogetherbeganondifferentthatcouldbethroughthecourseoftheincludingaoftoysand

games for local chil dren to kick things off.While with Spring field Together during the summer of 2021, Kupinsky met an alum of Springfield Col lege, Maame Dufie Kyei (‘19), who was teaching a grant writ ing class he was tak ing. From there the two took Kupinksy’s plan and put it into action.“Itook the grant class, and I slowly started to learn the basics of it,” he said. “Eventually I had to come up with my

Dick’s Sporting Goods representatives hand out drawstring bags to kids of Alice B. Beal Elementary School. (Photo Courtesy of Dick’s Sporting Goods

_ By Garrett Cote @garrett_cote

Campus News

own event. I chose a sporting

chapterthereceivedofitandworkingmermajorityKupinskyitcertainlytotremelyGoods.”togrant,differentmyself.somethinggiveaway.equipmentThatwasIdesignedIwrotethepartsoftheandsentitoffDick’sSportingGrantsareexhardworkdraft,andthereisnoguaranteewillgetaccepted.spenttheofthesumwithDufieKyeionthisgrant,finallysubmittedinthefallof2021.Itwasn’tuntilMay2022whenheanemailfromWestSpringfieldofDick’s.

“It started with $1,000 — the West Springfield store gave us that,” Kupinsky said. “The Hadley and Enfield (Conn.) stores teamed up and gave us $1,000 more each, so it turned into $3,000. We then started talking with [Com munity heyearperfect.skyfullect.”goingonLaBreck],SportingManagerMarketingofDick’sGoodsDanandhewasboard,sowekeptwiththeprojThemomentwascircleforKupin–almosttooTherewasexactlyainbetweenwhenfirstgotwordof

the Springfield To gether internship from Wheeler to when he received the first email accepting his grant request.

But there was no time to be complacent. The real work had only just begun.

“After a lot of planning and coordi nating the next steps, we worked with City Connects,” Kupinsky said. “They work with the students, teachers and parents to develop the relationships be tween all three parties. They help identify the needs of the schools, and we wanted to try to replenish equip ment for

droppet,rolledDick’stodelivercomenizationsthethenschoolsthegotprogramsafterschoolandrecess.”The$3,000thensplitupbetweenfiveelementaryinSpringfield.Sept.15,2022wasappointedtobedaythatallorgaandpartiestogethertotheequipmenttheschools.ThemarketingteamoutagreencarsetupabigbackwiththeDick’s

Sporting Goods logo and decorated the scene with hundreds of green and white balloons.Noneof the kids knew they were re ceiving new equip ment. It came as a complete surprise.

For Kupinsky, that was his favorite part of the entire process.

“One of the best things was just being able to see their faces, see their reactions,” he said. “To understand that the equipment was for them and the school to keep, that it was permanent stuff they can enjoy for years and years. That was really special. They showed up on a regular day of school, and they had no idea.”

Springfield Togeth er now has $7,000 left over. Neil Philips, owner of Dunn and Phillips Law Office in Springfield and a founding member of Springfield Together, is in charge of the spending. Consider ing how long it takes to put an action plan together, and because

Kupinsky is now resuming his duties as a full-time college student, he acknowl edges that it’s unlikely he will be a part of the next project(s) before he embarks on his next journey –fulfilling his plans of attending graduate school.“Atleast the mon ey is in good hands,” Kupinsky said. “There are people who are capable of putting together plans and spending the money. I’m not quite sure how involved I’ll be. If I’m living across the coun try, I won’t be as in clined (to watch) over every little decision. My availability will change for sure in the next eight Whethermonths.”Kupinsky is involved in the next steps Springfield To gether plans on taking or not, he is forever embedded in this in credible act of service, and he, beyond any doubt, represents the Springfield College mantra of putting Humanics in action.

Children of Alice B. Beal Elementary School play with their new equipment, then pose for a picture. (Photos Courtesy of DSG and Chase Kupinsky)

Kaleigh Dale

Kaleigh Dale overwhelmingly won this week’s Springfield Student Women’s Athlete of the Week with 79.3% of the vote. This came after the senior midfielder for the wom en’s soccer team scored a goal in each of the Pride’s victories this past week.Coming in at second in the poll is Kate Bonanno with 11.3% of the vote. The junior runner for the women’s cross country team set a personal best at the UMass Dart mouth Invitational by 57.1 seconds with a time of 18:38.2 to finish first for Springfield on Saturday.

Kaitlyn Suller was tied for third in the vote after a stellar game last Saturday. The first-year midfield er for the women’s soccer team scored two goals and provided an assist in the Pride’s 6-0 victory over Mount Holyoke.

Also tied for third was Ally Townsend. The graduate libero for the women’s volleyball team combined for 35 digs this past week to help Springfield win both of its games.

David Wells

Leading the poll for the Springfield Student Men’s Athlete of the Week with 36% of the vote was David Wells. The graduate quarterback for the football team ran for 122 yards on 18 carries on Saturday against Union.

The second vote-getter was Chris Vayda with 28%. The junior runner for the men’s cross country team came within 0.1 seconds of a personal best at the UMass Dartmouth Invita tional on Saturday. He ran a time of 24:52.5 to finish first for Springfield.

Coming in at third was Nick DeMaio with 20% of the vote. The senior for the golf team shot 3 over par to

lead the way for Springfield at the Williams Invitational. He was tied for ninth out of 89 competitors at theTerrellevent.Jacobs-Baston rounded out the vote, getting 16% in the poll. The senior defensive tackle for the football team combined for four tackles and forced a fumble in Union’s territory that was re covered by the Pride in the fourth quarter.Besure to follow The Student on Twitter @TheSpfldStudent to vote in the next poll!

David Wells. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Kaliegh Dale. (Joe Arruda/The Student)

Does Title IX protect the LGBTQ+ community?

___ By Carley Crain @carley_crain12

According to the offi cial definition of Title IX, the federal civil rights law that was enacted as part of the Education Amend ments of 1972, “No per son in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from partic ipation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

But who does this real ly include and impact? In what ways does Title IX help or hurt the LGBTQ+ community?President Joe Biden an nounced changes to Title IX federal regulations on the 50th Anniversary of the bill in June. Among the biggest changes made to the bill, the definition of “sex discrimination” was expanded to include gender identity and sexual orientation.Thenew announce ment also states that “schools cannot prevent a student from participating in a [school’s] educa tion program or activity consistent with their gender identity.” While these changes are consid ered a massive victory for LGBTQIA+ students, one looming question remains: What about transgender individuals and their par tipation in setts,thetheirindentsbannedEighteenathletics?stateshavetransgenderstufromparticipatingsportsthatalignwithgenderidentity.InstateofMassachuhowever,transgen

der athletes are allowed to compete on the team that makes them feel the most comfortable in accordance with their gender identi ty, regardless of medical interventions.Whenitcomes to dif ferent governing bodies in sport, rules

fewer head coach positions in 2022 than they did pre-Title IX. According to NBC Sports; “Before Title IX was passed in 1972, 90% of women’s collegiate teams were coached by women. These days, that number is closer to 41%.”

As a student who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, Gould feels like that despite their potential interest in ex ploring hormonal therapy, they must wait until after graduation to start that journey. The rigorous process and demands from the NCAA and others has halted Gould’s choice to explore hormonal therapy.

Gould did however help implement pronouns on athletic rosters at Springfield to help make everyone feel comfortable.

“I definitely do not look the same as I did freshman year, ‘’ Gould said. “I came here as a Cis woman play ing a women’s sport, and now I am not a woman. I identify as trans-mas culine playing a women’s sport.”

To them, Title IX is bigger than just a “wom en’s issue.” The law is intended to protect ev eryone equally no matter who they are, but has historically been framed as primarily a women’s problem.“Being Queer, rights were never written in for us, unless it was marriage equality,” Gould said. “But specfically for me, not be ing a Cis person, we have women’s rights, but they aren’t always inclusive of everyone who has a vagi na. With Title IX there is definitely an equity part of it but there is also a lens of it anyoneintimidatealloweduniversitiesevidence.”“cleardeemedgateonlyInweresexualCis-normativity.”encouragingNewprotectionsforassaultsurviorsincludedaswell.thepast,schoolswererequiredtoinvesticomplaintsthattheycrediblethroughandconvincingSchoolsandarenownottothreatenorsurvivorsorwhomakesafor mal forTitledeemedandlawovermadetoapproachatially,formethodidence”themalspaceschildbirth,withpregnantindividualsablehaveIX.themorebersemployees,Pregnantcomplaint.students,orstaffmemarealsonowgrantedprotectionsundernewadditionstoTitleSchoolsandemployerstoprovidereasonmodificationsforwhoeitherareorthosedealingsymptomsrelatedtowhichincludesforlactating.WhenitcomestoforTitleIXcomplaints,“preponderanceofevstandardofproofisnowmandatoryalluniversities.Essenthismeanstaking“morelikelythannot”whenlisteningsurvivors.WhileTitleIXhassignificantprogressthepast50years,thecontinuestoevolveindividualswhoarebeneficiariesofIXcontinuetofightequalrights.

Recent changes to the federal civil rights law expand its scope to include gender identity and sexual orientation.

Lily Gould. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

Homecoming

Springfield women’s lacrosse alum Jenn Thomas takes over as the head coach of the women’s lacrosse team, which is coming off a NEWMAC title.

___ By Braedan Shea @braedan_shea

When Johnson & Wales head women’s lacrosse coach Jenn Thomas got a phone call from her former college head coach, Kristen Mullady, on July 10, it wasn’t a surprise. The two had remained good friends and stayed in touch over the years.

“I’m thinking that she’s just wishing me a

happy belated birthday,” Thomas said. But when Thomas answered the phone, she sensed that something was“Ioff.could tell her tone of voice was very odd,” Thomas said. Instead of being her normal cheerful self, Mullady was more reserved, as if she had something big

to get off her chest.

She then dropped a bomb.After 13 storied seasons leading the Springfield College women’s lacrosse team, Mullady explained to Thomas that she was stepping away from the position to be closer to her family. Thomas was one of the first people

to find Initially,out. the news shocked Thomas. She thought back to her years as a player just a decade prior, and how it was the end of an era at Springfield. But Mullady had other plans. Throughout the hour-long conversation, it became clear why she had called Thomas, specifically.“Shestarted drop ping hints like, ‘Well, it’s gonna be open soon,’” Thomas said. “I was just like, ‘Okay,’ but I didn’t really pick up on it because I was so fo cused on her and every thing she accomplished; telling her thank you, etc. Then towards the end, she was like, ‘Well, if you want to apply for [the job], I think you’d be great there.’”

At first, Thomas was hesitant, considering things were going well at Johnson & Wales. In her two-year stint there, she was named the Great Northeast Ath letic Conference Coach of the Year in 2022 and

led the Wildcats to an appearance in the 2021 NCAA Division III Championship Tourna ment after winning the 2021 GNAC Champi onship. Also under her leadership, the Wild cats earned the Team Sportsmanship Award in 2022.Butafter putting fur ther thought into it, and with more persuasion from Mullady, Thomas decided to take the job as Springfield College head women’s lacrosse coach.Growing up in Wa terford, Conn., Thomas played basketball and soccer, and didn’t pick up lacrosse until later in her high school career. When she did eventu ally pick up the sport, however, she became a star; and it may date back to her first try out for her high school team, Waterford High.

“I show up and the coach goes, ‘What are you doing, Jenn? That’s a boy’s stick. You can’t try out with a mens stick,’” Thomas said.

Jenn Thomas on Stagg Field (Springfield College Atheltics).

“I was like, ‘There’s a difference?’”Thecoach told Thomas she had 30 minutes to find a stick, so she called her mom and begged her to take her to Dick’s Sporting Goods. They bought the only option they found and raced back just in time.“I joke around now and I say that I got really strong stick skills because I was playing with a tennis racket,” Thomas said. “It had no pocket, it was a $29 stick and I played with that the first year. But I fell in love with the game. It was so addict ing.”After high school, Thomas was recruited to play at the collegiate level at American Inter national College (AIC), where she played for two years on an athletic scholarship. But while she was there, she knew something didn’t feel quite right.

“I knew in the back of my mind I probably wanted to end up at Springfield, but because [AIC] was offering an athletic scholarship, it was pretty hard to turn it down,” Thomas said. “I really realized though, after proba bly my second or first semester of sophomore year, that I was going to come to Springfield.”

Once she arrived on Alden Street, Thom as immediately made an impact on the field.

In her three years of playing for the Pride, she was a two-time captain, and won two NEWMAC champion ships, the first one also being Mullady’s first as a coach, in 2012.

After graduating in 2014 from Springfield, Thomas stayed in the lacrosse realm, but this time she stayed on the sidelines as a coach at Mount Holyoke College. After one season, she left to become a gradu ate assistant at Mercy hurstAfterUniversity.atwo-year stint

at Mercyhurst, Thomas was offered the head coach position at West ern Connecticut, which she ended up taking thanks to a little push from her biggest men tor: Coach Mullady.

“When I got the offer from WCU I flew to Bradley and I drove right up here, and I sat in this office that we’re in right now,” Thomas said. “I asked [Mulla dy] ’What do I do? I’m almost done with my masters, or do I take this job?’ She responded with, ‘Are you dumb? You take the job.’”

After taking over the reins at appearanceandtowhenseasonpowerhouse,intoly-regardedturnedConnecticut,WesternThomastheoncelowWolvesahighlyrespectedherbestcomingin2019,sheledtheteama14-5overallrecordasecond-roundintheLEC

tournament.Thenthe pandemic hit.“We didn’t have a season in 2020 and then going into the fall of 2021 was really tough,” Thomas said. “We had so many restrictions, and we weren’t sure if we were gonna play in the spring… I re member the Johnson & Wales position opened up and I had been home now for almost 10 to 11 months at that point.

My family, and being close to home, was important to me, and decided that this could be a good opportunity. I’m ready to start some thing fresh. So I applied

and I got it.”

After two great years, the Springfield position opened, and here we are I’mhugedoesn’tsotowouldintomendation,toThomas“ForfieldreturnedbigbiggestpositionthatAlthoughtoday.shenotestakingovertheofoneofhermentorsisatask,ThomashastoSpringwithopenarms.one,it’sanhonor,”said.“Notjusthaveherrecombuttostepthisoffice,whereIcomeinandtalkherasaplayer—it’sfullcircle.Itstillfeelreal.It’sshoestofill…Butreallyexcited.”Thomasexpects

great things for her future at Springfield College, and credits most of that to the work done by coaches of the past.

“I truly think that Springfield has such a good canseecess,tothinkjustfoundation,here,befoundationat,otherThomasfoundation,”said.“AlltheschoolsthatIwasitwascreatingtheandthatcansohard…Cominginthere’salreadyasoit’sreallybuildinguponit.Ithatwe’regoingcontinuetohavesucandI’mexcitedtohowmuchmorewebring.”

The Springfield women’s lacrosse team won the NEWMAC Championship in 2022. (Photo cour tesy of Springfield College Athletics).

Stepping into action

___ By Luke Whitehouse @lwhitehouse12

Both the men’s and the women’s cross country teams are coming off strong 2021 finishes and hope that success continues into this season. The men’s team finished 4th in the NEWMAC confer ence, while the women finished 7th. Many runners compete yearround, and feel confi dent that the hard days of training will pay off once again.

“I feel like [there were] a lot of really good summers that just gave us confidence to jump right into presea son training and now into the season,” junior runner Kate Bonnano said.This hard work has not gone our“Bouncingunnoticed.offoftrackseason[in the

spring], we had a lot of people make huge improvements,” head coach Anna Steinman said. “It’s been really exciting.”Eachteam is expect ed to improve upon last year’s results, although that may be in different ways.For the women, it’s a healthy mix of veteran runners and fresh faces.

Senior Brenna Lacha pelle and junior Kate Bonanno look to use their experience to their advantage while a new group led by sophomore transfer Maddie Shea, and first-year runners Meghan Conway and Meghan Sullivan look to make their mark on the Pride this fall.

“[They are] not afraid to get out there and compete with other

top women,” Steinman said.Focus and dedication have been of impor tance to this year’s team. One thing that has been started is the “weekly theme.” Each team gets together at the beginning of the week to set a new “theme of the week.”

“I think that will help us stay focused so you won’t forget why you do what you do,” Lacha pelleOnsaid.the men’s side, a top three finish was at their fingertips in 2021. This season, that’s the expectation.“Thisyear, we’ve been talking about clos ing up the packs with some of our top run ners,” Steinman said.

Seniors Aidan Harm er and John DeRosa

hope to make their final season a good one, while junior Chris Vayda aims to build off his past success. Harmer, a talented runner who has battled injuries in years past, is already turning heads in his first official collegiate cross-country season.“He’s already making an immediate impact,” Steinman said.. Vayda has been on fire; finishing first in both races for Spring field, and leading them to a first place finish in the first meet. Sopho more Joe Wong hopes his success seasongralWongcountrytranslatesmid-distancerunningintracktothecrosscourses.SteinmanbelieveswillbeanintepartinhissecondwiththePride.

“[Joe] is definitely someone to watch out for moving up within the team,” Steinman said.Although the team is coming off an admira ble 4th place finish, and the NEWMAC confer ence tournament is over 40 days away, the focus is still very important.

“You have to do the right things now, you have to see the big picture,” DeRosa said, referring to the tourna ment.The Pride have had two good meets so far with the first at High land Park, and this past weekend at come.is12th,finishedmenDartmouth.UMassBoththeandwomenhaven’tanylowerthanandtheyhopethisasignofthingsto

The Springfield men’s and women’s cross country teams bring a mix of upperclass leadership and new talent.

Springfield men’s and women’s cross country head coach Anna Steinman at practice (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics).

‘I consider gymnasticsSpringfieldtobelikeafamily’

After former women’s gymnastics head coach Jenn Najuch announced she was not returning to coaching, Emily Bellin has filled the role of interim head coach.

__ By Carley Crain @carley_crain12

When the women’s gymnastics team found out that former head coach Jenn Najuch would not be returning to Springfield College, the entire team was shocked. Nobody was expecting Najuch to leave after only seven years of coaching for the Pride, however last year she had her first child and her husband got a new job in New

York.Itwas time for Na juch to move on from Springfield College. When Najuch was on maternity leave during the preseason, assis tant coach Emily Bel lin stepped in as head coach last fall. Bellin helped the team reach the NCGA 5firstChampionshipsNationalforthetimeasateaminyears.WinterOs

borne, an Art Therapy graduate student, was additionally crowned as the D-III Uneven Bars National Champion this pastNajuch’sseason. departure left Emily Bellin ques tioning her stance on the team. The title of head coach seemed ap pealing, but Bellin loves her job as a teacher in the Springfield School District. She didn’t want

to leave her kids behind, but Bellin also felt the same way about gym nastics at Springfield College.Since Najuch’s de parture was somewhat unexpected, the nation wide search for a new coach was difficult. Dr. Poisson offered Bellin a position that satisfied both desires: she could still teach full-time while taking on the ropes as head coach of the Springfield women’s gymnastics team.

As interim head coach, Bellin will con tinue to work full-time as a teacher during the day, and come to campus later in the afternoon to coach and plan for the gymnastics season. Bellin will not be re quired to teach physical Education classes like the rest of the full-time head

Lastcoaches.year’s trio of graduate assistants, SiSi Ponder, Lou Knapp, and Keara Loughlin, will all be returning to Alden Street this season, and bring experience both about the sport as a whole and within Springfield College’s unique tradi tions. All three will help Bellin transition into her new role.

“It’s been really nice to work with the grad uate assistants again since they kind of know the expectations of the girls and the program,” said Bellin on having a strong group of female graduate assistants.

Bellin made a name

for herself within collegiate gymnastics last season, as she was awarded the NCGA Assistant Coach of the Year. She has also been a key part of the women’s gymnastics team here at Springfield since her undergraduate years.

“We really want to just have a fun season and be able to enjoy gymnastics,” said Bellin. “Gymnastics is kind of a weird sport in the sense that you do it your whole life, and you can kind of go through phases of loving it and hatingFindingit. the love of the sport again for the girls and making sure they enjoy their time here is the most im portant. After all, they are student-athletes so we want to make sure they are academicallysucceedingaswell as athletically. We want to make sure they feel con fident in their own skin. I consider gymnasticsSpringfieldtobelike a family.”Both the men’s and women’s gymnastics teams kick off their seasons with the annual Home Show, which will take place next week end, on Friday, Sept. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.For more informa tion and to buy tickets, check out their trationtics-homeshow-regispages/events/gymnasspringfieldcollege.edu/https://advancing.website:

Giving strength

On Aug. 31, Pat Tuohy, a Springfield graduate student and thw punter for the football team, donated STEM cells to help to save the life of a 60-year-old man with leukemia.

__ By Chris Gionta @Chris_Gionta

involved in potentially donating to others who need“Weit.walk all over cam pus, and we’re trying to bring people in and have them sign up and take a

DNA kit,” Tuohy said. People who participate in the donor drive have their DNA sent into a program and get put on a registry. Then, when patients need a

donation, those on the registry have their DNA samples tested to see if they are matches to the people who need it.

In May of this year, Tuohy was notified that

there was a strong pos sibility he was one of these matches. He was set up to do preliminary bloodwork, and in July, he was informed he was a strong match and that the hospital wanted to move forward with the process of donating.

The hospital deter mined they would need a donation from Tuohy within a few weeks of them finding out how good of a match he was. He would have to miss some practices in order to get this done, but it was in full support of the coaching staff.

“My coaches were completely fine with it because they started it. They were the reason we got on this,” Tuohy said.The week prior to the donation, he went to the Dana Farber Cancer In stitute in Boston to get blood work done and understand the process in which he was taking part. Then, he started

Tuohy on the sideline (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics).

to receive injections into his skin to boost his STEM cell production. Finally, the day of donation arrived. He walked into the hospital early on Aug. 31, 2022 and let the doctors do their“Therework.was a needle in both of my arms. They drew the blood out from my left arm. It went into this big machine which stirred it up, pulled the STEM cells out, and put the STEM cells in a bag and then returned the blood into my other arm. So, I was never losing blood — I was completely fine the entire time,” Tuohy said.The experience was

gratifying for the business management major for a multitude of reasons.“Obviously, I was a little nervous going into it, but I would do it again if I was given this great opportunity,” Tu ohy said. “It’s definitely a really great experience because you can tell just how grateful people are. It’s not just the people I’m donating the STEM cells to, but everyone else — all the nurs es and everyone else around were just really grateful and really hap py… it felt really good forAfterme.”Tuohy was finished with the opera tion, he was told to “lay

low” for about 48 hours. Not much more than 48 hours after he was told this, it was game time.

His donation was com pleted around 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 31, and Spring field was playing its season opener against Western New England at 7 p.m. on Sept. 2.

The Pride scored six touchdowns in their season opener, so Tu ohy’s time on the field was limited. He sent one punt for 34 yards in the 42-14 victory. However, his number was called more in the team’s next game, and he delivered on every opportunity.

In the first quarter against Rowan, the Pride had a fourth-

and-26 situation at Rowan’s 38 yard-line. Tuohy booted one high in the air toward the right sideline. It initially bounced inside the 10 yard-line, then rolled out of bounds just be fore the end zone at the one yard-line. He was called on three more times, and on all of those opportunities, he pinned Rowan inside its own 15 yard-line.

As a result of his suc cess, Tuohy was chosen to week.hemaySpringfield’sWeek.NationalD3football.com’sTeamoftheHisfirstpuntofnextgamehaveoutdonewhatdidthepreviousOnfourthdown

with Springfield at its own 16, Tuohy was lined up near the Pride’s goal line. He took the snap and sent the ball flying 54 yards. Union’s punt returner had to run back to get the ball and did not catch the punt cleanly nor gain positive yardage on the return.Hecame off the field to much embracement from his teammates. In between high-fives, he flexed his right bicep. In that moment, he expressed strength for himself. Less than three weeks prior, he provided strength to a stranger who needed it most.

Tuohy giving the donation (Photo courtesy of Pat Tuohy).