Volume 135 No. 7

The Springfield Student Est. 1910

October 15, 2020

Volume 135 No. 7

scstudentmedia.com // @TheSpfldStudent

Full bloom (sort of) Complete details regarding Springfield College’s plans for the spring semester.

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The removal of spring break from the academic calendar is among the neccessary changes to have a spring semester at Springfield College amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

On the Inside Students and fellow faculty members hold onto fond memories of Javier Venturi’s passion for his work.

Alumni Hall is out of quarantine, take an inside look at what the last two weeks stuck inside were like.

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October 15, 2020

COVID

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Wear a mask

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Spring Semester

October 15, 2020

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Spring is in A full plan for the spring semester is in place, but a number of factors could alter it as Springfield College plans for an uncertain future.

Alternative spring break trips, such as the one pictured above from 2019, will be a sorely missed aspect of the 2020 spring semester. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

By Danny Priest @dpriest3

W

hile the fall semester has just reached its halfway mark and Springfield College has managed to contain Covid-19 and keep students on campus, plans for the spring are already in motion.

The College has been working diligently to lay out a plan for the spring semester that keeps students on-campus and virus free.

The decision has been made that barring any unforeseen spikes of the Coronavirus during winter break, the spring semester will begin on Monday, Jan. 25.

This return date is a week later than the typical time students would return to campus following the time off.

The semester is slated to end on Wednesday, May 5. This would allow for the traditional end of semester schedule to

remain the same.

Thursday, May 6 would be a reading day.

Friday, May 7, Monday, May 10, and Tuesday, May 11 would all be exam days. Wednesday, May 12, would be the make-up exam day and the final day of the semester.

Similar to the fall, students would return in a staggered move-in process, they would be tested upon arrival and the first week of classes would be conducted remotely to isolate any Covid-19 cases.

Pushing back the start of the semester allows for adaptation if things change and also allows students a little more time to recuperate after a fall semester with few breaks.

The biggest change that will occur with the spring semester is the removal of spring break.

“What we have agreed to is we have

removed spring break week. We are concerned from a public health standpoint about having student’s go-away for spring break, going into areas that could be hot-spots, and we had lots of discussions about the value and the need for breaks along the way, because that’s a long stretch of 15-weeks to start and end the semester without any break,” said Mary Ann Coughlin, the Senior Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.

In an attempt to offset the removal of spring break, the school is creating ‘Wellness Days’ which will be an effort to have a day completely removed from academics to give students a break over the course of the 15-week semester.

No classes will be held on those days and the hope is that no major exams, papers or as-

signments will be due or scheduled for the day right after.

Wednesday, February 24 and Wednesday, March 10 have been identified as the two wellness days in the spring semester. Additionally, Friday, April 2 will be a day off to create a long weekend that coincides with the Easter holiday and Passover.

“We really want to have the breaks be true breaks,” said Coughlin.

“We try not to schedule classes, we’ve had discussions about trying to make them true breaks so that there isn’t a killer exam right after. Of course, that’s all individual scheduling up to faculty, but we’ve had that discussion.”

Ted France is the Faculty Senate President, Co-Chair of the Department of Physical Education and Health Education and a Profes-

sor of Physical Education on campus. He echoed Coughlin’s sentiment that the ‘Wellness Days’ should be true days off.

“We don’t want to be booking on a Thursday, that then forces students to use that day off in an academic way. I think every department and every faculty member is going to have to look at their schedule throughout the semester,” France said.

“That’s going to be the tough part because it’s a new schedule and most of us have our schedules laid out academically to progress a certain way, so we got to get back in there and look at how we’re using that time,” he added.

The decisions for the spring have been driven primarily by Public Health guidance and will See Spring semester on Page 9

October 15, 2020

Rest in Peace

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Remembering Javier Venturi

Though he was only at Springfield College for a short time, Javier Venturi leaves a memory of passion and dedication.

By Cait Kemp @caitlinkemp09

O

n Sept. 25, the Division of Academic Affairs sent out an email to the campus informing that adjunct professor of Spanish, Javier Venturi, had recently died. He began teaching classes last spring in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department.

Although he was only at Springfield College for a short period of time, he was still an impactful member of the community and showed a lot of passion for what he did.

Professor Venturi was born in Peru, grew up in Italy and lived the latter 20 years of his life in the United States. He adopted this country as his own and served in its National Guard for seven years, according to his obituary in the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

He was an adjunct professor at American

Venturi was with Springfield College since last spring. A lover of arts, music, and film; he had a tremendous passion for teaching his students. (Photo Courtesy of NEPM Media Lab YouTube video)

International College and Springfield College, and previously taught at Elms College in Chicopee, MA. He made an impact on everyone he crossed

paths with. The people he came across while working as a professor only had positive and memorable things to say about him after hearing of his passing.

“I myself was one of the lucky ones to be placed in his class after the administration decided to welcome him to the Spanish department.

Memories from Spring

2020 beam throughout my mind as this major loss sinks in,” student Oksana Kagan said.

“This man cared for everyone’s well-being, giving out life advice, sometimes we grinned at, but today I reflect on every word he said,” Kagan added.

Several of his past students and coworkers commented on the online obituary post, all with kind words to share. One coworker said, “Javier was a pure gentleman, a man who had a special charisma which was appreciated by all lovers of learning.

Rest in peace.”

Another student, Audrye Alejandro wrote, “I will never forget you Professor Venturi. Fuiste un excelente profesor al cual aprecio mucho. Gracias por tu dedicación y por todas las enseñanzas que me brindastes. Descansa en Paz Profesor Venturi.”

In English, that translates to: “You were an excellent professor

October 15, 2020

Javier Venturi

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JAVIER LOVED THE ARTS, “SOMeONE COULD MENTION ANY FILM AND HE WOULD SPIT BACK AN ENTIRE REVIEW, IT WAS HIS PASSION. HIS WAY OF STARTING CLASS WITH SPANISH MUSIC VIDEOS LIVENED THE CLASSROOM AND MADE THAT 50-MINUTE TIME FRAME FEEL LIKE FIVE.”

- OKSANA KAGAN that I appreciate a lot.

Thank you for your dedication and all of your teachings that you offered me. Rest in peace, Professor Venturi.”

Venturi was a lover of art, music, and film.

He used his short time here at Springfield to help share cultural experiences with students.

“Javier Venturi was only at the college for a short time, so many people don’t know about his background in cinema or his involvement in Film Studies internationally. To give a quick example, he served as the 2018 President of the International Jury for the 69th Montecatini International Short Film

Festival in Italy,” Professor Joseph Brockway said.

“Now, as I think about my first interactions with Javier, during his interview last fall, it was then when he first expressed an interest in organizing activities on campus to spotlight Spanish language and culture through film.

You could hear the excitement in his voice when he talked about those subjects. That was the passion for Spanish and film that Professor Venturi brought to his classes and to the college,” Brockway said.

Kagan recognized his love for the arts as well, and appreciated how he

took the time to introduce it in class.

“Javi loved the arts, someone could mention any film and he would spit back an entire review, it was his passion. His way of starting class with Spanish music videos livened the classroom and made that 50-minute time frame feel like five,” she said.

“In fact, because of his enthusiasm and initiative, last semester we organized our first Spanish-language movie night and had plans to make it a monthly event,” Brockway said.

“Of course, we had to put a temporary pause on our endeavor because of the pandemic. Sadly,

we could have never imagined that Professor Venturi’s first Springfield College Movie Night would be his only one. His absence is felt throughout campus, and he will be missed greatly.”

Kagan shared her final words about Professor Venturi’s impact on her life and what that means to her. “For those of you who were unable to meet Javi, I would like to leave two video clips that Javi shared with me in our final messages: The Never Ending Story- ‘Atreyu Faces G’Mork’ and the Blade Runner’s final scene.

“These meaningful clips are something he

had embraced in his heart for the last 30 years and something I will remember in his honor. Unlike Blade Runner, my memories of Javi will not be lost in time like tears in rain.

Javi is now in paradise enjoying his favorite mojitos. Farewell to not only a great professor, but a friend,” Kagan said.

Professor Javier Venturi was a light on the Springfield College campus, and his passing is an immense loss within the community. May he rest in peace and his family and friends find comfort in this difficult time.

October 15, 2020

Climate Change

No time to spare

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Climate change is a major talking point ahead of the Presidential election.

By Jack Margaros @JackMargaros

O

n Sept. 20, the Metronome’s 62-footwide digital clock was reprogrammed.

Traditionally, it had been used to tell time in a unique way -- counting hours, seconds and minutes as the days flew by in downtown Manhattan. Although on that September Saturday evening, the clock went dark.

Then messages began to show, those including “The Earth has a deadline.”

After that, it was clear the Metronome was no longer an ordinary clock.

It was now measuring what two artists, Gan Golan and Andrew Boyd (based on calculations by the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change), believe is a vital window for action before irreversible effects of global warming start to occur.

Numbers -7:103:15:40:07 -- followed the messages. Seven years, 103 days, 15 hours, 40 minutes and seven seconds.

The Climate Clock is still ticking.

It wasn’t a publicity stunt or temporary fad, and neither is climate change.

There is loads of data to support the notion that planet Earth is in trouble, and humans are mostly to

blame.

It took President Donald Trump a while to admit as much in the first presidential debate. After dodging Chris Wallace’s first two attempts, the moderator asked a third time, “You believe that human pollution, gas, greenhouse gas emissions contributes to the global warming of this planet?”

“I think a lot of things do, but I think to an extent, yes,” responded the President.

These comments came just two weeks after Trump appeared in Sacramento in a briefing with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state and federal officials over the recent wildfires in California.

Climate change is one of the leading factors of these seemingly yearly wildfires, and Wade Crowfoot, state Natural Resources Agency Secretary, urged Mr. Trump to acknowledge that.

“If we ignore that science and sort of put our head in the sand and think it’s all about vegetation management, we’re not going to succeed together protecting Californians,” Crowfoot said.

“It will start getting cooler, just you watch,” Trump responded.

“I wish science agreed with you,” Crowfoot pushed back.

“I don’t think science knows, actually,” President Trump said, smiling.

During the Vice Presidential debate on Oct. 7, Vice President Mike Pence lauded the Trump administration for its pro-science approach to combat climate change, albeit admitting that the problem itself is existential.

These comments contrast what the Trump administration has been doing these last four years, which includes cuts to federal funding for research projects, and an overall reduction in the role science plays in policymaking. Also, President Trump has cut nearly 80 regulations that would reduce emissions and limit pollution.

In truth, the Trump administration has been unsure of its stance regarding climate change and the legitimacy of it. It seems the administration’s actions have not mirrored its recent public statements.

Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden, on the other hand, referred to climate change as “the greatest threat to our security” in a 2018 campaign rally. He laid out his plan to address the problem in 2019, entitled “The Green New Deal.”

The plan includes direct spending on clean energy as part of a nationwide initiative to reduce carbon emissions. Also, it promises to become a part of the 2015 Paris climate agreement again -- which President Trump backed

The climate change clock on its first day on display. (Photo Courtesy of The Washington Post) out of in 2017, citing the economic and financial burdens it puts on the American people.

In theory, the Green New Deal sounds promising, committing to net-zero emissions by 2050. Although, massive amounts of money would be needed to execute such a plan -money that a country $23 trillion in debt likely does not have.

Initially, Biden pledged $1.7 trillion in direct spending to combat climate change in 2019. In July 2020, he revised the plan, upping his pledge to over $2 trillion. President Trump called the plan “a socialist nightmare.”

The plan also lacks detail, raising concerns and speculation, according to experts. The Congregational Budget Office was not able to provide a cost estimate because of this.

Essentially, the argument is that the plan would be too expensive and put the economy in more

turmoil, especially since it is still recovering from the downturn it took as a result of COVID-19.

A middle ground for both parties could be the CLEAN Future Act, introduced in late January

by Democrats in the House of Representatives. Mainly, 100 percent of electricity would come from clean sources such as wind, solar, nuclear power, etc. by 2050 and seems to be more cost effective.

Global warming will start to have legitimate and irreversible effects on the environment sooner than later. As each candidate fights for Presidency until Nov. 3, combating climate change should be at the top of their list of priorities for whomever is elected.

The Climate Clock won’t stop until there’s action.

Seven years, 78 days, 18 hours, 22 minutes, 30 seconds.

October 15, 2020

By Cait Kemp @caitlinkemp09

N

ov. 3 has come to be one of the most talked about days of the year, and it hasn’t even happened yet. The 2020 election is approaching quickly, and the importance of voting is serious.

The importance has been emphasized with the option of mail-in ballots, which seems like a new option in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, but is a practice that has been implemented other times in history.

The 1864 election was the first time that citizens were offered a mail-in voting option, as the country was in the middle of the Civil War. Many northern states changed a law that required in-person voting so that soldiers who were out on the battlefields were still granted their right to vote, as stated by NationalGeographic.com.

During World War II, absentee voting became prevalent again where both presidential nominees encouraged military voting.

According to History.com, a law was put in place, the Soldier Voting Act of 1942, to allow all military members to send their votes from overseas.

In the ‘70s, states began to offer mail-in voting to all citizens without an excuse such as illness, and Oregon became the first exclusively mail-in ballot state in 2000. Over 150

Mail-In

Vote any way you can Mail-in ballots are more prevelant than ever ahead of the 2020 election.

Mail-in voting is an especially prevelant option for college students who are away from home. (Photo Courtesy of GCN.com) years since the first mail-in ballot, the importance of voting is still being recognized.

Now, in 2020, the struggle to get to the polls is just as relevant, but it is a challenge because of a different type of war - the pandemic. Anywhere and everywhere, mail-in voting is being advertised and information is displayed for people to see.

On Instagram, a banner at the top of the page

advertises voting, and gives information about how to register to vote and how to request a ballot in the mail.

Mail-in ballots are a major option this election year because many people are unable or feel uncomfortable going out to the busy polls with Covid-19 still looming. Without them, many would probably not end up voting, due to the difficulty to either face the virus in person, or go through the process of

switching to an absentee ballot.

Voting by mail is as easy as a quick sign up online, and it will be mailed directly for individuals to fill out and send back before Nov. 3.

This election season, there are multiple options that people can choose from to vote. The in-person voting option still remains in many states and cities.

There is early voting in some states, where resi-

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dents can go to their local voting location to vote on a date that is before Nov. 3, making it easier and accessible to more people.

Next are the options that do not require people to congregate in a public location. Absentee ballots are an option that must be registered for by someone who will not be in their city and able to vote in person.

This is normally seen among people who travel, students away at school, someone who may have a disability or illness, or anyone who is away from home for another reason for a period of time.

Mail-in voting is the option that we are newly seeing this election, that allows for anybody to mail in their ballot. With all of these options, it is the hope that as many people as possible will cast their vote for the president of the United States.

This election feels monumental. The many events occurring in the country surrounding the presidential campaign have surged the urgency to vote.

Whether red or blue, both sides are pushing for citizens to cast their votes in order to make change within the nation. With the multitude of options available, the decision to vote should be a no-brainer.

October 15, 2020

Quarantine

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Quarantine Rene News Editor Irene Rotondo spent the last two weeks in quarantine as a resident of Alumni Hall.

She shares her experience first-hand.

Irene Rotondo. (Photo Courtesy of Jack Margaros/The Student)

By Irene Rotondo @irenerrotondo

9

:00 p.m. on a Tuesday night is not when you receive important emails from your college. That sort of thing is saved for an 8:00 a.m., Monday morning type of setting, when you have the rest of the day to process, and to plan.

Unfortunately, keeping in tandem with the disordered state of affairs that is 2020, all norms of everyday life have gone out the window. Alumni residents were told on a massive Zoom call with President Mary-Beth Cooper and the PLT that we would be quarantined for the next two weeks, starting the very next day, on Sept. 30.

My friends around me, all of our attention suddenly taken away from the enrapturing first presidential debate,

began discussing their plans and almost immediately decided to return home. Even my roommate, an Arizona native, flew home the very next day to begin her quarantine.

I chose to stay. Personally, I was intrigued to see what Springfield’s accommodations for the students staying on campus would be like.

Not only that, but as a junior in college, I think it’s sad I can say that I’ve only actually been on campus for just one full school year. My undergraduate years will only last for so long; I want to experience as much of them on-campus as I can.

Hearing my friends say, “See you in two weeks!” as they locked their doors and carried away duffel bags brought back the same dreadful feelings I had the last time we were sent off

to quarantine in March.

What if it wasn’t going to be just two weeks again? What if that was the last time I saw my friends until Jan. 2021?

The worries subsided after the first few days, especially since I was lucky my boyfriend (who already lives in Alumni) decided he wanted to stay too.

I was never completely alone; he was just two floors away from me, and we were allowed to go outside to walk around campus, do homework, and eat meals together anytime we wanted.

The rules applying to the 50 or so of us remaining in Alumni were harsh. No entrance to other buildings, and that included the Union and other dorms.

This also meant we took all of our classes remotely. Though it was difficult to complete some of my class work

due to the quarantine, professors were extremely understanding and helped all of us make it work.

I would meet on Zoom at my regularly scheduled class time, instead of attending in-person, with the rest of the students on Zoom for the day, and I was able to keep up with lectures and assignments this way.

A regular day in quarantine looked a little something like this: since I didn’t have to actually be in-person for any of my early-morning classes, I could wake up a couple minutes before class was scheduled to start to just brush my teeth and toss on some clothes.

After my first course of the day, I would clean my room and get myself ready for the rest of my classes. Lunch was always ready in the lobby

around noon, so my boyfriend and I would grab it to sit outside since the weather (thankfully) was mostly nice.

After that, we’d head back to our rooms and finish up our classes for the day, catch up on ALL the homework we could, and watch endless amounts of Netflix.

Dinner was always exciting because they’d order us special meals, like Domino’s, or have a themed night. We would take our food outside again and afterwards, walk around the outdoor parts of campus we hadn’t had the time to explore before.

We had to rely on the amazing staff at Harvest Table for these past two weeks to get our meals, and though eating Cheney food in a to-go box that’s already been See Quarantine on Page 12

October 15, 2020

Spring Semester

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Spring semester continued from Page 3

be subject to change up until the day students arrive on campus.

“We’ve been trying to listen very closely to our Public Health faculty who are giving us the best guidance they can have right now, and of course everything changes on a dime with Covid,” Coughlin said.

“These are just the best plans that we can make right now based upon where we’re at right now. So, if Public Health changes, our plans to start could change and how we might start could change,” she added.

As for how campus life will look come the spring, those determinations have yet to be made. Any decisions regarding athletic seasons, guest policies on campus

and large gatherings will have to coincide with decisions made by the state government.

Classes will continue to function in a hybrid format. However, this time around, the college is more prepared for this design, so the hope is students will find picking a schedule to be an easier task.

“What we’re working on right now is clearer descriptions for students about the formats of courses that will be laid out and sent to students prior to registering for classes,” Coughlin said.

“So, students can see the format that their classes are going to be in and it can help to shape the schedule that they want. That doesn’t mean that every student is going to be able to get

Ted France is the President of the Faculty Senate and has been heavily involved in the planning process for the spring semester. (Photo Courtesy of @PJHSMercury on Twitter)

If I have learned “anything through our pandemic planning together, it has been that things shift and change on a dime and we have to be able to do that.”

Mary Ann Coughlin

100 percent online or 100 percent all face-toface because that depends upon their major and how the courses are structured,” she added.

With a semester of hybrid learning already under their belts, both students and faculty can look forward to being more properly prepared and ready for how the spring semester will look.

The bottom line is none of these decisions or plans are final, and the College will have to remain ready to adapt as

it has for the past seven months now.

“If I have learned anything through our pandemic planning together, it has been that things shift and change on a dime and we have to be able to do that,” Coughlin said.

“I think we have a pretty good campus to call audibles. That’s probably why we’re doing as well as we have,” France said of how things have gone so far.

“That, and when you think about our mission, we’ve been focused on

caring for people since the inception of the institution. Every decision that’s being made is being made with that lense.

How are we taking care of our student’s, our faculty, our college community and the community around us,” he added.

While getting through the fall will continue to be priority number one, a steady plan for the spring is something everyone on campus can look forward to moving forward.

October 15, 2020

Esports

Virtual connection A

PAGE 10

By Ryan Vermette Contributor

In just a few months, the Springfield College Esports club has become one of the most popular on campus.

The club Instagram page can be found @springfieldcollegeesports

new club has arrived on Alden Street.

Students who share a common interest in gaming can now join the Springfield College Esports club to play and connect with other gamers across campus.

A club that originally started as an idea for a class project, has now turned into one of the biggest clubs on campus in a short period of time.

“Originally over the summer, Luke Salls and I thought about creating an Esports club specifically to provide opportunity to people on campus who are enthusiastic about Esports and online competition,” said graduate student and founding member of the club, Kadin DeRuijter.

DeRuijter, a health promotions student, set out to expand the club and start a health promotion program once he realized how much interest the club would draw from the college population.

“Upon realizing that the Esports community intrigues most individuals to a certain degree, Luke and I agreed we should expand the club to as large of a platform as possible. When none of the Health Promo-

tions students (Me, Luke, and Steve Cone) could find internships, we decided along with our advisor to create and implement a health promotion program into our very own club,” said DeRuijter.

In just one month, the club has expanded to 78 members and includes a wide variety of games, as well as players with varying skill sets.

As the club continues to expand, so is the selection of games that can be played.

If a student has an interest in a certain video game, the club will notify other members to see if they are interested and will create a team or group specific to that video game. Games currently available to the club range from “League of Legends” to “Rocket League.”

The Esports Team became official on Sept.

25 and are now considered a part of the athletic community at Springfield College.

The team has access to Athletic Training, as well as many of the privileges that other athletic teams receive on campus. For those that want to play competitively, members can choose a game to compete in with other

October 15, 2020

members of the club and would take part in intercollegiate play.

With the club still developing, the team hopes to participate in competitive seasons starting next semester and will compete in a number of practice matches against other collegiate Esports programs this fall and winter.

While many of the club’s members are involved in competitive gaming, the club welcomes all players and has multiple casual gaming groups set up for those that want to simply play for fun with other members.

“There is zero pressure, that’s one of the things that we’ve been advertising to people who join, there’s zero pressure to play competitively,” said club member James Harron, who plays on the clubs “Valorant” team. The club has a number of games set up for recreational play, such as “Minecraft” and “Among Us.” While providing a hub for Springfield College gamers to play their favorite games, the club also seeks to focus and bring light to mental health and the stigma associated around Esports and video gamers.

“We believe that Esports currently is an unregulated community and people associate ‘gamers’ with a negative stereotype. Someone cooped up in the basement, bent over playing

Esports

PAGE 11

for hours on end and is physically un-athletic.

Our goal is to create a health program that could challenge this stereotype and promote healthy behavior,” said DeRuijter.

The club is also a great way for students to get connected with each other and meet people that they would not have otherwise, especially during the pandemic, The club has a Twitch channel (SpringfieldCollegeEsports) in which they live stream game where it’s hard to get play for anyone to view. (Photo Courtesy of Twitch - SpringfieldCollegeEsports page) together with people in person.

“It’s a safe way to stay connected,” said graduate student Tyler Hansen, who is also a member of the Track and Field team at Springfield.

DeRuijter and other members of the club know the importance of making connections virtually during these times. “The conventional college lifestyle has been put on hold for many individuals. Building the Esports club gave students another outlet to foster new relationships and develop new connec- “Among Us” is among the many games that are offered as part of the ESports club.

(Photo Courtesy of Steam) tions,” said DeRuijter.

Many of the members, like James Harron, are meeting new peoStudents who are in- on PC and other mobile collegeesports. For more ple and making friends terested and want to join devices. information, students through online gaming. the club can do so by The link to the teams can message the teams “This is super interestjoining the Springfield Esports discord server Instagram account or go ing because I get to play College Esports Discord can be found on their In- to the FAQ page locatwith new people, I’ve stagram Page @springed in the clubs’ discord made friends with people server.

Discord is an app defieldcollegeesports server. who are freshman and signed for large groups The club will also be sophomores, and I would of gamers to voice chat streaming their comhave never talked to and message each other petitive matches on the them otherwise, being a while playing video teams Twitch account senior living off camgames and can be used at twitchtv/springfieldpus,” said Harron.

October 15, 2020 Quarantine continued from Page 8

walked across campus, sitting in a warmer on wheels, might not be the ideal meal for everyone, the effort and love that was put into taking care of us who stayed in Alumni was very, very appreciated.

Countless groups on campus put together goody bags with special snacks and activities we could do while in our rooms to let us know we were being thought of by the whole campus community.

In all honesty, those little presents were what really helped lift all of our spirits; I know of few other colleges that have expressed as much compassion to their quarantined students as Springfield did.

As I mentioned before, the rules on building entrance and restrictions were the real killer for those of us who chose to stay. Not only was almost every floor of the dorm empty, but we weren’t even allowed to see our other friends who were still on campus. Just knowing they were so close, yet so far, was the worst part.

I think the lowest point of quarantine was about five days in. That’s when it really started to hit me; I had nine more days of this shit, had already done almost a full week, and I was pretty much all alone.

Watching other students stroll around

campus from my fourthfloor window felt like I was stuck in a mini time-warp; all the other Springfield College kids were continuing on with their lives, attending classes and all, while I legitimately watched from afar.

A moment of clarity came a few days later, though. Was I really missing out on anything? Was I really so alone? Most of my friends were home, doing the exact same things I was doing but in their own rooms.

I wasn’t alone, really; there were about 249 other kids going through it too. Not only that, but Springfield College is a community.

The quarantine was for the greater good of the community to keep us all safe, and following the rules, knowing I was helping my community, felt good.

Quarantine has officially ended as of Wednesday, Oct. 14.

While I was stuck in my 160-square-foot single, I wasn’t just missing my friends and classmates; I was missing getting to walk past people on the sidewalk, walking into the Union and hearing students’ voices downstairs, holding the door open for others on my way into Locklin Hall.

I don’t speak for all of the Alumni students who were in quarantine, but I can say for sure we are so glad to be back.

Quarantine

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Alumni was far emptier than normal over the two-week quaratine period. (Photos Courtesy of Irene Rotondo/The Student)

BLM Protest

PAGE 13 (Graphic Courtesy of Sabrina Williams)

October 15, 2020

The Student will have full-coverage of the March For Action including photos, video, live stream and written stories. All content can be found on scstudentmedia.com and in next week’s edition of the newspaper.

October 15, 2020

Meet ‘Daisy’

Sports

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Adaeze Alaeze-Dinma was named Coordinator of Student-Athlete Leadership Development and Sports Communications Assistant this past summer. ______

By Joe Arruda ______ @joearruda9

As she sat in her Baltimore Public School classroom, Adaeze Alaeze-Dinma was among the gifted and talented students.

With fighting and chaos commencing in the halls, the daughter of two Nigerian immigrants was set to separate herself from the rest. Not knowing it at the time, her way out that eventually landed her in the Springfield College Athletics Communications office - wasn’t too far out of reach.

An AAU teammate’s mother approached her asking if she had any plans to continue basketball after high school. At this time, Alaeze didn’t recognize the importance of schooling in regards to advancing in sport.

“Just watching me play they were like, ‘If you really want a shot at going to college and going to the next level, you have to have better schooling’ and stuff like that. So they put in a good word and they

were just like, ‘This will be the school that’ll help set you up,’” Alaeze said.

“Athletically I was blessed, but it definitely helped get me on my path academically to be able to go to whatever school wanted me.”

The gifted seventh grader soon noticed academic development that she wouldn’t have gone through otherwise in the public school system.

When she enrolled in Roland Park Country School, the transition was more than a simple change of scenery. The teachers seemed to care more and the same went for the students.

However, as with many private schools, the makeup of the student body is drastically different than that of public schools.

“I grew up in a predominantly black area, so I wasn’t really exposed to quite as many white people as I was when I got to my private school. I think

Alaeze played basketball at VCU as an undergrad. (Photo Courtesy of Adaeze Alaeze)

I really noticed the difference when I got there and would hear comments like, ‘Oh, your hair is different’ or ‘Wow, you changed your hair again’ or something in that nature and it’s just those smaller remarks that you’re just not used to hearing because it didn’t matter,” Alaeze said.

“Just hearing that change in narrative back in middle school it was odd, it kind of gives you this self-conscious feel because growing up around black people it was like, ‘Oh, your hair looks good!’ and then when you get there it’s just like, ‘Oh you changed it again? You change your hair so much.’ Even those slight little words, in those subtle moments, is when I started to feel like I was in a different world.”

Being a part of the minority at Roland Park, Alaeze became a sort of “token” black person.

She received comments along the lines of, “‘Oh, Daisy, you talk white,’” or “‘Oh, can you relay this message to your black community as a whole?’”

People saw her as someone who they felt comfortable talking about issues with.

“I look at it as a good and a bad thing. I am happy that people are comfortable with talking to me, but then at the same time it’s just like you should be able to feel comfortable to talk to anybody about any type of issue that you’re having. It can be an exhausting role too, where it’s like people putting the pressure on you to be the example or set the quota for people and it’s just like, we’re all people, we’re all individuals, we all have different stories, we all have different paths – being that token, I see it as a good and a bad thing,”

she said.

Though ignorant comments like the aforementioned were often directed her way, Alaeze is appreciative of those - black and white - who supported her along her journey.

She said, “Even in the midst of everything going on, there are still black people who are on the more blessed side of things. I don’t think I was judged as much as the next person might have been. I don’t think that I was perceived in a negative light as much as the next person might have been, and I do think that’s because of the opportunities that I’ve had and that I was presented with.”

Those opportunities brought her journey around the world.

She played Division I basketball at Virginia Commonwealth Univer-

October 15, 2020

(Photo Courtesy of Adaeze Alaeze)

sity (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia, and then went on to play professionally overseas and with the Nigerian national basketball team.

While her parents immigrated to the United States, landing at the University of Texas where they received their first degrees, the rest of her extended family remained in Nigeria. Around the age of five, Alaeze was able to visit her family in Nigeria, but it wasn’t until the opportunity with the

national team arose when she was able to visit again.

“Because of that experience (at training camp in Nigeria), it was the second time meeting my family.

That was the best part of it all,” she said.

“In America, it’s only me, my mom, my dad, and my two brothers, and so the national team allowed me to go back home and see other people in this world who look like me that I didn’t get to grow up with. I always envy those people who get to

Sports

grow up with grandmas and grandpas and uncles and cousins and all of that because that wasn’t a part of my experience.”

She continued to express how the experience provided her with a genuine sense of happiness, filling a void that the WhatsApp calls could not.

Communication was something important to her. Alaeze’s outgoing and outspoken personality makes her a natural fit for the field which eventually landed her at Springfield College.

After finishing up an internship at Indiana University, she was named the Coordinator of Student-Athlete Leadership Development and Sports Communications Assistant with Springfield Athletics.

And her presence has already made an impact.

In a sportsless semester, the Athletics Communications office has still found a way to generate content focused on the athletes.

After a summer that amplified the call for social

Alaeze was able to visit with her family during training camp in Nigeria. (Photo Courtesy of Adaeze Alaeze)

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Alaeze while playing at VCU. (Photo Courtesy of Adaeze Alaeze)

justice and turned heads toward the oppression and inequalities that face black Americans on a daily basis, Alaeze introduced the “My Story, My truth” initiative.

Every week, the video series highlights the experience of black student-athletes at Springfield College.

“The ability to tell a story, I think, is the most captivating thing that someone can do. People are moved by your experiences, all you have to do is have the platform to actually get it out there,” she said.

“I just felt like this would be a great opportunity for them to just be at the forefront of using their voice and getting more of who they are out there instead of just them in regards to their sport or their degree or where they come from.

I’m more than a Baltimore native, I’m more than a first generation Nigerian, I’m more than a basketball player. All of those smaller stories in between really ties it together to be like, ‘This is who I am.

This is my truth, this is my story.”

Alaeze believes that an important step along the road to acceptance is

listening and learning to the variety of different backgrounds that people have grown up in.

At the end of the day, Springfield College student-athletes are Springfield College student-athletes, regardless of the color of their skin, the amount of money they were raised around or where they came from.

The opportunities that Alaeze has been able to take advantage of have had a significant impact on who she is today. Her role now is solely focused on those who she is able to return the favor.

She said, “I just want to give back. One of my favorite quotes - and I say it all the time - is, ‘Be the blessing you once received.’”

I have been so blessed and fortunate in my life that it would be so selfish of me not to be that to somebody else. All you need sometimes is that one person to care, and that makes a world of a difference. I definitely think I was put on this earth to give back and to help those that might need help just to be a good aid, a good resource, a good vibe for whoever needs it.”

SPORTS The Springfield Student

Her Story, Her Truth Meet the new addition to the Athletic Communications office.

[See inside]

VOL. 135 NO. 7 (Photo Courtesy of Adaeze Alaeze)

OCTOBER 15, 2020