Volume 136 No. 24

The Springfield Student Est. 1910

scstudentmedia.com // @TheSpfldStudent

Volume 136 No. 24

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

Jeans for Justice Denim Day returned to Springfield College once again to raise awareness for sexual assault.

See page 5

inside Springfield College’s new Dean of Arts, Page 2 “Out of the Darkness” walk for suicide awareness, Page 4 What to expect in the new Health Sciences Center, Page 7 And more...

Student dressed in jeans for Denim Day (Irene Rotondo/TheStudent)

April 28, 2022

Campus News

April 28, 2022

PAGE 2

A warm welcome Rachel Rubinstein is Springfield College’s new Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, and has made an immediate impact by giving students a voice in the community. _ By Cait Kemp _ @caitlinkemp09

New coworkers, a new boss, and an unknown environment can cause one to feel nervous and make for an awkward encounter.

Springfield College has welcomed several new faculty members this year, all of whom have shown their Pride since the start. Dean Rachel Rubinstein is no exception to this display of togetherness that is shown through the Springfield College community.

Rubinstein is in her first year as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Springfield.

She has been involved in college administration prior to her time on Alden Street; while at Hampshire College as a literature professor, she had the opportunity to become a Dean of Academic Support and Advising.

For many years, Rubinstein was able to teach while also helping

students in the advising office. This was the stepping stone for her career trajectory in college administration.

“What I discovered was that I really enjoy administrative work and it was very student-focused which was fun, but I also got a chance to work with faculty across [Hampshire] College,” Rubinstein said.

After six years, Rubinstein moved 30 minutes south to Holyoke Community College where she was a fulltime administrator in student and academic affairs. She continued her approach of student-focused work, which helped to shape her ideals that she would later bring to Springfield College.

“When you work in advising you’re also working with student affairs a lot, and really thinking about supporting students in a holistic

(Photo Courtesy of ingeveb.org)

way,” she added.

To add to her well-rounded resumé of experience, Rubinstein worked with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (MDHE). Through this, Rubinstein worked in policy making, seeing the behind-the-scenes of how decisions were being made for students.

“Thinking about the whole system of higher education, and thinking about student success and eliminating barriers…issues of access, all of those things I was really invested in,” Rubinstein said.

Rubinstein’s time at MDHE made her want to get back into a campus environment to use what she was learning and discussing to help improve an institution.

She heard about the opportunity at Springfield College and was instantly drawn to the mission of service to

others that Springfield lives by. It worked well with what she wanted to bring to a school and seemed to be a perfect match.

“I was really intrigued by the Arts and Sciences in general because it includes things like business and education and also things like writing and journalism and sciences, so it just felt like a very diverse area,” she said.

“And I was interested in the opportunity to work with [faculty]... thinking about how to support student success by really supporting faculty.”

Upon becoming the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Rubinstein has already begun to implement ideas that will benefit the College. Since she doesn’t have the interaction with the student body that she wanted through this position, she created a student

advisory committee so she can meet face-toface and receive feedback about the College, the school of Arts and Sciences, and anything going on that they want to share. She has created a positive energy in the community that allows for students to feel as though they have a voice.

Another new idea that Rubinstein is working on implementing is co-curricular maps.

“It’s a wonderful way of showing students their various pathways through their degree that is really clear, and collects all the information they need, and also encourages them to make connections between their coursework and everything that happens outside of class,” Rubinstein said.

Through these maps, students can see laid out in front of them a sequence through their years of opportunities

Campus News

April 28, 2022 that are available to them on campus other than courses. They can see clubs that may be related to their interests or classes, events going on, and other ways to get involved and make the connections that are here for them on campus.

“We have a lot of great support systems for students…there’s

a lot of resources for students but they are not necessarily collected under one place,” she said.

With a co-curricular map, it will be easy to locate the options students have and hopefully increase the use of these resources that are available.

Rubinstein’s focus since coming to Spring-

field College has been celebration. After the two year COVID-19 hiatus, she wants to recognize the projects that both students and faculty are doing on top of their everyday school work. Being creative is encouraged and appreciated to better the minds of the community.

To help acknowledge the work people are

PAGE 3 doing, she wants to establish a faculty appreciation program to share the impressive feats that are going on outside the classroom. Rubinstein has no lack of care and compassion for her fellow Springfield College community members, and she has made it her mission to support them as much as she can.

Whether that is one-

on-one meetings with every professor in the Arts and Sciences department, a faculty innovation group to help brainstorm ideas for their lessons, or potentially teaching a seminar class next year to get back into the classroom, Rubinstein is committed to her students and faculty.

The shining star of Starbucks

Ceil, a barista in the Learning Commons, has become a community favorite.

Ceil serving coffee to a Springfield College student. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

___ By Jacques St. Jean___ @jacsaintj

Bright rays of sunshine perpetually decorate the first floor of the Learning Commons, rain or shine -- and they don’t come from outside the library’s massive glass windows.

Those seated in the small Starbucks cafe area can feel the warmth from behind the counter, where a petite, brunette woman serves drinks. She spins around the squared space like a ballet dancer, deftly grabbing coffee-making materials like a majestic wizard casting a new spell.

Though she more recently wears a mask, her smile still shines through, paired with the twinkle in her deep bronze eyes behind her glasses.

This woman is Ceil, a barista at the Commons Cafe. She has worked for Springfield College for 32 years, and is no stranger to anyone who gets Starbucks coffee on campus -- or at least, she doesn’t act like one.

“It doesn’t feel like I’ve been here that long,” Ceil said with a laugh. “My feeling is I’ve got to love it or I’m doing something wrong.”

Ceil was born in Portugal and came to the United States when she was just 7 years old. Long before her existence, Ceil’s grandparents came to the U.S. in 1916 and worked at the industrial mills in New England.

After working for several years, her grandparents were provided housing by their employers. There, they had a son: Ceil’s father. He went to Portugal and returned to the U.S. in 1959 with Ceil.

With her predecessors helping to pave the way, Ceil has known since she arrived in the States that her family helped her get to where she is today.

“One thing I learned, even at that young age, is the fact that you can make it…” Ceil said.

“I saw [my parents’] struggles, my grandparents had their struggles, but with each of the struggles, it’s a little easier for every next generation.”

Ceil would go on to attend Ludlow High School in Ludlow, Mass., and became the first person in her family to graduate high school. After graduating, Ceil eventually got married and moved to Springfield.

In the fall of 1989, Ceil started working in food service at Springfield College, and stuck around even after Aramark took over in 2001. Although she has held a variety of positions within Springfield College Dining, she is the most popular proprietor of Starbucks drinks and products.

“Starbucks has been here for about eight years,” Ceil said. “I really like the culture because it reminds me of European

[culture].”

While students come in and out of the Commons Cafe, grabbing caffeinated beverages to fuel their daily learning, Ceil hopes they have also learned something new from her every time she serves them a drink.

“I hope they learn to be kind,” Ceil said, “because especially with the pandemic we really need that.

If anything is going to pull us through, it’s just to be kinder, gentler people.”

Serving drinks to college students may not sound like a lot, but for Ceil, it is the highlight of her day. She takes pride in her craft as a barista, and makes a tremendous impact on those that she serves. Ceil has seen probably hundreds of thousands of students come and go, and loves to see them grow and mature over their four years on Alden Street.

“My greatest thing

is when [the students] come in as freshmen,” Ceil explained. “They just need someone to say a kind word, be a smile, you know? In my case I’m making drinks, but I’ve always loved that. Then by the time they graduate it’s a different world. You’ve seen them grow up, you’ve seen them mature. To me, that’s all worth it.”

Ceil has two daughters of her own who went to college elsewhere. Though they are all grown up today, Ceil still puts her motherly instincts to work in the Learning Commons, making orders with nothing but love and care every day for those whom she serves.

“It’s almost like being a mom away from home,” Ceil said. “Years ago someone asked me how many kids I had, and I said ‘Two thousand!’”

April 28, 2022

Campus News

Into the light

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The“Out of the Darkness” walk at Springfield College raised suicide awareness for students across the country. ____ By Carley Crain ____ @carley_crain12

Kristina Krull had a contagious energy to her. Curious, determined, and hardworking, Krull established herself as an exceptional student-athlete on both the women’s lacrosse and field hockey teams at Springfield.

But two years after graduation, Krull was gone.

“We heard a personal story of a teammate of a former women’s lacrosse player for Springfield College who took her own life a few years after graduating,” said Minds in Motion president Aly Coyle. “It was very empowering to hear this story and I think it is important to spread messages about this. It’s okay to not be okay, and even the most ‘successful’ people can be struggling.”

Suicide amongst college students has plagued communities across the country hard– this year especially. Name after name, headlines of suicides cram the news and social media. Springfield College isn’t excluded from these numbers.

Phillip M. White, an 18-year-old at the time, passed away in 2011 from self-inflicted injuries and was found unconscious by his roommate in Massasoit Hall. His death was sudden, and cast a long-lasting somber sentiment across campus.

A tribute to Springfield College alum Kristina Krull. (Carley Crain/The Student)

In recent national news, suicides amongst student-athletes have been on the apparent rise; NEWMAC opponent Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), for example, has had an alarming amount of student deaths on campus since July. According to Boston.com, seven deaths have been reported, five of them being either confirmed or apparent suicides.

WPI students have noted that the immense academic pressure and the science-focused

environment has pushed many to their breaking points.

The Springfield College Counseling Center is aware of the impact suicide has on college-aged students.

For the first time in three years, the counseling center hosted its annual “Out of the Darkness Walk” in Blake Arena.

When students walked into the gymnasium, they were invited to take a colored bead of their choice that best represents their connection to suicide.

Nine colors were offered: white (loss of a child), red (loss of a spouse or partner), gold (loss of a parent), orange (loss of a sibling), purple (loss of a relative or friend), silver (loss of a first responder/military), green (a personal struggle or attempt), blue (supporting suicide prevention), and teal (a friend or family member of someone who struggles or has attempted).

To begin the evening, community members read poems and small posters about how

suicide has affected the Springfield College community. Photographs of Krull were displayed.

Staff members additionally spoke after about the subject matter, before asking the crowd to take a silent walk around the perimeter of the gymnasium.

Stations were set up as well that was a representation of each colored bead. Staff members encouraged the crowd to speak up about their experiences with each color if they felt comfortable doing so.

“Walking around to the different tables with beads representing different losses one has experienced with suicide was indeed emotional,” said Coyle. “Suicide has affected far too many people, but it was very important that people were willing to step up and take ahead as this helps reduce the stigma.”

The counseling center hopes that with continued awareness and events on campus, lives can be saved. Even just one life makes all the difference.

If you are in need of help, the Springfield College Counseling Center can be reached at (413) 748-3345. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number is 800-273-8255.

Campus News

April 28, 2022

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A true fashion statement On Wednesday, April 27, Springfield College students wore jeans to stand with survivors of sexual assault as part of an ongoing tradition on the last Wednesday of April every calendar year. ___ By Jacques St. Jean___ @jacsaintj

The average Springfield College student does not wake up for class in the morning and put on a pair of denim jeans. They usually stick to the sweatpants and t-shirt combo, a comfortable “uniform” for the athletic atmosphere of the school.

But on Wednesday, April 27, denim jeans were purposefully worn by students across campus.

Denim Day occurs on the last Wednesday of April every year to recognize and stand with survivors of sexual assault.

The history of this day can be traced back to the year 1998 in Italy, where an 18-year-old girl was raped by her 45-year-old driving instructor. One year after the incident, the verdict of the case was overturned. The perpetrator had appealed their case, and the jury deemed that the sexual contact with the girl was consensual because her jeans were so tight she needed help taking them off.

The following day, hundreds of Italian women showed up to their respective jobs wearing jeans as a form of silent protest for the nonsensical decision to

overturn the case.

Senior Nora Fitzgerald helped organize the festivities held in the Campus Union. As the sexual and gender-based misconduct educator in the Title IX office, Fitzgerald believes the annual day of protest is an important one for the Springfield College community.

“Denim Day is a protest against the idea of rape culture and things that promote rape culture like victim blaming,” she stated. “It’s a day to support victims or survivors, and really try to make some preventative efforts in the future too.”

Since her arrival on Alden Street in 2018, Fitzgerald has immensely enjoyed the overall aspect and empowering aura of Denim Day. “I’ve always really enjoyed Denim Day here,” she expressed. “It’s a very serious topic, but I think that it’s really nice to see people interacting with it in such a positive way.

“I really like that we get so many people involved with it, because it’s so important, honestly, to talk about, especially on a college campus. I think

that more people should be aware of the resources they have and be aware of what we can do at Springfield to support students,” Fitzgerald said.

Denim Day at SC was a collaborative effort between over 10 organizations and clubs on campus, such as Public Safety, Art Club, Athlete Ally, BirthPlace Studios, BSU, CAB, NSSLHA, OneLove, SGA, SSBD, Student Advocates for Wellness and the Y-Club.

Vice President of the Art Club, Nikki Connello, was present with a variety of denim patches, paint, and a hot glue gun. Students were offered to paint an empowering message or a symbol on a denim patch, and glue it to a pair of denim jeans to be on display for all members of the Springfield College community, as a way to stand in solidarity with the unspoken survivors of sexual assault on our campus.

“I think Denim Day is a good opportunity to break the stigma that a lot of people go through in having to talk about [sexual assault] and bring it up,” Connello shared.

A pair of jeans being decorated with meassages for Denim Day. (Carley Crain/The Student)

“Oftentimes, a lot of these cases can be dismissed, and this is kind of a day where we’re fighting back and saying, ‘Your voice matters.’”

Denim Day is certainly a day that can give a voice to those who feel voiceless, or even a lending ear to those who feel unheard.

One student -- a survivor, who wishes to remain anonymous -- was assisting Connello at the table, and felt a true sense of empowerment and love from the students who shared their support.

“As someone who has experienced sexual assault, it’s really hard,”

the student said. “It’s nice to see a group of people coming together to show their awareness of this… it’s really nice to see everyone showing support.”

If you or someone you know at Springfield has experienced any form of gender-based misconduct, head to pridenet.springfield.edu/ICS/Offices/ Concerned_About_a_Student/ to fill out a Title IX report, or springfield. edu/titleix/get-help to see what Springfield College can do to help.

Campus News

April 28, 2022

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The experience of a lifetime A group of 10 members from the YMCA Club will head to South Dakota this May. __ By Collin Atwood __ @collinatwood17

The mission at Springfield College – which is represented by a maroon upside down triangle – is valued in a number of the campus organizations. The Alternative Break Club, Best Buddies and Habitat for Humanity are just a few of the many clubs that take the College’s values into action by serving others.

The YMCA Club is another organization on campus that helps the surrounding community.

This year alone, the club made appreciation bags for the workers at the Forest Park Zoo, hosted a meeting to explore gender identity and expression and collaborated with other groups on campus to host a Treat Fest for kids in the surrounding area.

Although the school year ends on May 10, the mission for the YMCA Club continues. This summer, members of the organization will be helping others outside of the Springfield community. From May 22-29, seven Springfield College students will join the YMCA Alumni

National Service Project in Dupree, S.D. The goal during that time is to partner with the Sioux YMCA and build a tiny home for local members of the community.

“I’ve always been passionate about serving in different communities,” Kyla Boyns ‘21 said.

Before Boyns graduated with her bachelor’s degree in sociology, she served as the Co-President of the YMCA Club with Springfield College senior Allie Pisano-Stratton. Boyns is now working on her masters degree at Springfield in industrial organizational psychology.

During Boyns’ time in high school, she volunteered with Habitat for Humanity on a few day builds, therefore bringing a little bit of home building experience with her. But, this is her first time going on a weeklong trip where the main focus is to build a house everyday.

“I’ve never been on one of these trips before, so I’m super excited,” Boyns said.

The YMCA Club’s

partnership with the YMCA Alumni at the end of the school year is a common one. Their typical location is usually in the Dominican Republic, where they build multiple houses in a week’s time for a small village in Don Gregorio.

In fact, Boyns planned to go on that trip in 2020, but COVID-19 canceled the trip and international travel with the College hasn’t happened since. The last time the YMCA Club on campus took a group of students overseas was in 2019.

A huge advantage of going to the Dominican Republic was learning about a different culture.

Thankfully, that aspect will not be ignored when the group travels to South Dakota.

The trip will allow these students to immerse themselves in the customs of the Lakota Tribe, a group of Native Americans who currently live in North and South Dakota.

“We have a whole cultural aspect of it, which I think is incredibly important whenever

The YMCA Club will be building these tiny homes during their trip to South Dakota. (Photo Courtesy of the SC YMCA Club)

you go serve anywhere,” Boyns said. “Making sure you pair service with that cultural aspect is what I’m most looking forward to.”

This trip is a week long, but the YMCA Alumni will be continuing the work even when the student-volunteers return home. This tiny home project in Dupree will take years to complete and the College’s partnership with the Sioux YMCA is one that will hopefully last for the foreseeable future.

“The point of service isn’t just to go in and say, ‘we’re helping you for a week and we’re leaving, bye,’ it’s also learning about the people that you’re going to serve, learning how you can help the people and then continuing that on after you come back,” Boyns said.

While most of the trip is focused on building the Tiny Homes, the students will get a day to

explore the area. They will get the chance to hike at Badlands National Park, explore the Needles Highway at Custer State Park and get up close to the faces at the Mt. Rushmore National Monument.

“It’s pretty much just going to be a tour of the area which I’m also really looking forward to,” Boyns said.

The students will be joined by Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper, Vice President for Inclusion and Community Engagement, Calvin Hill and Assistant Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and YMCA Relations, Ben Morales.

The 10 members of the Springfield College community heading toward South Dakota this May are going to have the experience of a lifetime.

Campus News

April 28, 2022

A new beginning The Health Sciences Center is set to open in the fall of 2023 with plenty of new features for the community to enjoy.

A current look at the progress of the Health Sciences Center. (Garrett Cote/The Student) ___ By Garrett Cote ___ @garrett_cote

With the new Health Science Center now under construction, students have begun to ponder what the building is going to entail and when it will be open to the public.

Due to the outdated current Health Science Center – located at an inconvenient spot all the way down toward the beginning of campus on Alden Street – and the fact that the Health Science major at Springfield continues to be a popular one, a new building was necessary.

“In health sciences right now, we have a lot of outdated facilities and we’re all over campus,” said Dean of Health Sciences, Brooke Hallowell. “We have people in Locklin, departments in Blake and I’m currently in the old building. [The old building] is not conducive to interprofessional education and clinical engagement. Being in one building is going to enhance the aspects of what we do.”

Directly across Alden Street from Locklin Hall is a long stretch of red

fencing that runs down the road and surrounds 76,000 square feet of emptiness – for now. It will soon be a four-floor, state of the art Health Sciences Center. Due to the Springfield College community being unable to see over the red fence, the beginning stages of the construction process of the Health Sciences Center is somewhat a secret.

Although there isn’t an exact date set for the new building to be finished by, the College expects it will be com-

PAGE 7 pleted by the fall of 2023. Director of Facilities, Kevin Roy, is leading the construction and is pleased with the progress thus far.

“Concrete is underway for the structure, and steel will be happening soon after that. Those are kind of the first few steps,” he said. “You can’t really see it because it’s inside the red fence, but it’s almost like two projects in one. When students come back at the end of the summer, there will be a new parking lot.”

The parking lot will have 486 spots on six acres of land for students to park in while the building continues to be constructed during the next academic year.

Included in that lot will be 20 Evie electric car charging stations to accommodate students who may have electric cars.

The building itself will entail several classrooms for all majors – not just Health Science majors. Though the building is home of the School of Health Sciences, multiple areas of study will find use for its facilities.

On top of the new classrooms, the Health Science Center will have plenty of new features for students to enjoy.

That includes, but is not limited to: a brand new anatomy lab, high-tech clinical simulations, a conferencing center and a state-of-the-art makerspace which helps with the development of devices, adaptive toys and other things that can be used in homes to enhance independence and health

(i.e. casts, splints, prosthetics).

Considering students are going to be the main beneficiaries of the new Health Sciences Center, Hallowell, Roy and company wanted to ask them for their inputs of what to include.

“Students have been involved in the design all along,” Hallowell said.

“We’ve had a lot of students’ input on features of the building that they would like, what they think is missing, things they’ve noticed in other programs. There’s a lot of attention to the student experience with the design of the building.”

With summer right around the corner, even more progress will be made by the time students are welcomed back on campus next fall.

“You obviously have the building itself, but to the east of the building, toward Judd, that’s going to be all green space in there. So you’ll have a good look coming from that side of campus with shrubs and trees and the whole visual aspect of what things will transpire.”

The construction of the Health Science Center is well underway and the building is well on track to become one of the main attractions on the campus of Springfield College.

For more information regarding the Health Science Center, including its path to completion, visit https://springfield.edu/ academics/health-science-center.

Campus News

April 28, 2022

PAGE 8

Q&A with Lauren Lemay _ By Cait Kemp _ @caitlinkemp09

Lauren Lemay, a sophomore at Springfield College, will perform in her first dance concert this weekend. After competing in dance throughout her childhood she recently joined the dance club at Springfield to pursue her passion once again. The Springfield Student spoke with Lemay to hear her thoughts on the event, why dance is an important art, and what she has gotten out of the experience.

Kemp: How has it been preparing for the Spring Dance Concert?

Lemay: I almost have no words to describe what an experience this has been and how rewarding it is going to feel this weekend. Everybody has been willing to put in the time and effort to put on a great show for one another and the SC community. This is a busy time of year…Some members have sports like myself, other clubs, and school. Some people are finishing graduate programs. Even with all these things going on every single member has put in countless hours of their time for rehearsals and behind the scenes work.

Kemp: What is the dance community like at Springfield College?

Lemay: The members of the dance club are some of the most incredible and genuine human beings I have ever met.

Being a new member to the group I have felt nothing but endless support and encouragement throughout these past few months. Everybody’s passion and love for dance shines through and it is contagious. These people and this opportunity to perform again are the reasons why I fell in love with dance all over again. The family dynamic that I have experienced from being a part of this club is truly something special.

Kemp: As a new addition to the dance team, how have you seen dance as a positive experience for your life?

Lemay: Being a part of teams and things bigger than myself has always been something that has interested me.

Coming to Springfield I originally had no intention of ever dancing again. After a semester in an Intro to Dance class I reached out to Sarah Zehnder (advisor of the dance club) and Angelina Cohen (president of the dance club) and I knew I had to get back into it. My field hockey teammates have also been nothing but supportive and I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world to be able to do both of the things I love.

Lemay is also a member of the Springfield College field hockey team. (Photo Courtesy of Lauren Lemay)

Kemp: What is it about dance and this performance that is important, and why should people attend?

Lemay: The Spring Concert has all pieces choreographed by members of the SC Dance Club. These choreographers have put so much time and energy into these pieces and it is such a beautiful xperience seeing them all performed live.

After seeing all of the pieces already it is so inspiring to see all of these amazing individuals create something so personal and vulnerable. That is the amazing thing about dance, it makes you feel a certain way without actually telling you with words. With the help of Sarah Zehnder, Sabrina Hamilton, and the members of the SC Dance Club this show is going to be a memorable experience for everyone who attends.

April 28, 2022

Sports

PAGE 9

Sophie Curcio

Sophie Curcio. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Sophie Curcio claimed the top spot for the Springfield Student Women’s Athlete of the Week poll with 53.9%. This was after the sophomore mid-distance runner ran an 8-second personal best with a time of 4:52.60 in the 1500-meter at the Trinity College Invitational. Curcio’s successful race was a contributor to the Pride’s first place finish at the event.

Right behind her in the poll was Katie Martel with 34.2% of the vote.

The senior midfielder for the women’s lacrosse team combined for 10 goals this past week, including a career-high of seven in the team’s 20-4 victory over Wheaton on Saturday. Martel’s

goal-soring this season has helped Springfield go 7-1 in conference, which is tied for first in the NEWMAC. Gillian Kane came in third place with 10.5% of the vote. The senior pitcher had a particularly remarkable performance in a 1-0 win over Coast Guard on Friday, where she threw a two-hit shutout with no walks.

Rounding out the vote was Gabriella Heaney-Secord. The junior women’s tennis player won her doubles and singles matches in the Pride’s 9-0 victory over Wheaton.

Jack Cooney In a competitive poll, Jack Cooney took first place in the Springfield Student Men’s Athlete of the Week with 35.8% of the vote. The graduate outfielder went 9-for-16 with two home runs and nine RBI along with two walks. This was highlighted by a 4-for-5 performance with two doubles and four RBI in an 11-9 victory over Clark.

Right behind him in the poll was his teammate Cadin Maynard with 31.3% of the vote. The junior catcher went 11-for-21 with two home runs and nine RBI throughout the Pride’s successful week of baseball. The highlight of his week was a go-ahead 3-run home run in the 8th inning against Clark to help lift Springfield to an 11-9 win.

The man in third place was Johjan Mussa Robles with 20.9% of the vote. The graduate libero for the men’s volleyball team provided excellent back row defense by compiling 36 digs in the Pride’s national semifinal and championship games.

Evan Weber also received consideration with 11.9% of the vote for his performance this past week. The first-year sprinter posted his quickest Jack Cooney. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics) time of his career in the 100-meter race at the Trinity College Invitational with a time of 10.89. This was good enough to finish second in the event.

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

April 28, 2022

Sports

has seen from the 2022 team has certainly stood out to him.

“I’ve had some good offensive clubs over the years, but this is definitely a solid one,” Simeone said.

The Springfield offense has scored 264 runs in 33 games — good for an astounding average of eight per game. The team batting average (AVG) is .317 with an on-base percentage (OBP) of .411 and a slugging percentage (SLG) of .458. It has also Cadin Maynard swinging at a pitch against Western New England. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics) slugged for 20 home runs.

The archives for Springfield baseball’s team batting statistics go back to 2011, and since they have been tracked, a Pride offense has not had a higher batting average, slugging percentage nor home run total than they currently have in 2022. The only season in which they had a higher on-base percentage was in 2020, which was a season in ___ By Chris Gionta___ which only five games @Chris_Gionta were played.

Leading the way Looking up and many other NEWMAC Mark Simeone. “So I for the Pride is graddown the Springfield lineups. think offensively we’re uate first baseman College baseball team’s “We’ve got guys that always going to put Noah Bleakley. He is lineup, not one weakcan stroke the ball up pressure on defenses.” hitting .357 with a ness can be identified. and down the lineup, Simeone is in his Players at the bottom and we’ve got guys 26th year as head coach 1.057 on-base-plusslugging (OPS) in 147 of the Pride’s order that can run, too,” said of the Pride, and the would be at the top of Springfield head coach offensive production he plate appearances. He has 19 extra-base hits,

The Swingin’ Pride

The Springfield baseball team has had a particularly excellent offensive year, as they have scored eight runs per game and sport a .317 batting average.

PAGE 10

which include six home runs. As far back as the statistical archives go, there has not been an individual at Springfield to hit more home runs in a season than Bleakley has this year.

He also has driven in almost a run per game, with 31 runs batted in in 32 games. Bleakley leads the team in runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, and RBI. Right behind him in hits is a fellow graduate student — coming from the opposite side of the diamond — third baseman Jack Simonetty. He is hitting .333 with an .890 OPS in 131 plate appearances, has stroked three home runs and has driven in 25 runs.

“Jack Simonetty is having a career year to this point in time,” Simeone said.

After an unideal start to his season, graduate outfielder Jack Cooney has returned to form as one of the Pride’s offensive stars. In his last 13 games, he has hit .444 with a .576 OBP, alongside 16 RBI. The catcher position has seen some unparalleled production from the batter’s box.

Ryan Sorgi and Cadin Maynard have shared time behind the plate,

April 28, 2022

with one usually being assigned the designated hitter role while the other is catching. Sorgi is hitting .367 with a .997 OPS, and his nine doubles on the year tie Bleakley for the team lead. His 29 RBI also rank second for Springfield.

“Sorgi is having a great year as a sophomore,” Simeone said. “[He] didn’t play a lot last year as a freshman.

I think he’s been more of a surprise offensively. I knew he was a good, solid receiver and catcher.”

Maynard, meanwhile, has a .346 AVG

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with a .910 OPS, three home runs and 24 RBI. He proved key against Clark on Saturday in the second game of the Pride’s doubleheader.

Springfield was down 9-7 in the 8th inning with two men on, and Maynard hit a home run to take the lead.

No matter where you look in the lineup, there is an important producer. Joe Traversa has been vital with his .342 AVG and .897 OPS, and Noah Diamond has come up clutch in high-leverage situations with 24 RBI — fourth-most on the Noah Bleakley waiting for a pitch against Elms. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Jack Simonetty takes a swing against Western New England. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

team.

“Noah Diamond has been really solid and a guy who was a parttime player last year,” Simeone said. “[He] has driven in a lot of runs — getting big hits in big spots.”

Joe Penkala has been a spark plug at points for the offense, and that was emphasized in an April 22 game where his bunt single sparked a rally that put the Pride ahead in the game.

Even players not regularly starting have stood out in their limited time in the batter’s box. First-year players

Cole Zalegowski and Luke DiMauro both have 40 or more plate appearances and an onbase percentage of at least .500. Zalegowski is also hitting above .400.

The Pride’s offense has been the heart and soul of the team, and is a large reason they are 9-4 in conference play to put them in third place in the NEWMAC. They wrap up their regular season with conference matchups against Emerson and Coast Guard, with the Pride facing the Bears three times.

April 28, 2022

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Springfield superstitions Springfield athletes discuss their pregame rituals and what goes through their mind before competition. __ By Jacques St. Jean & Conor McTigue __

Ashley Pugliese does a small hop at the end of her motion. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Traditions and rituals – from the common postseason beards to the All Black’s Haka dance – have always been a common sight in sports. Springfield College athletes and teams are no different.

The Springfield Student asked some Pride players to share their go-to pregame, in-game and postgame routines.

Junior wrestler Jared Swartz stays calm, cool and collected before he steps on the mat to scrap. When there’s only two or three bouts ahead of him, Swartz will put on his headphones, and head to his assigned mat with nothing but his phone, his headgear, and a standard 16oz water bottle. As he waits his turn, Swartz will begin to sip on his water, timing it so it’s all gone right before he steps on the mat. “I’ll wipe off my shoes, slap my arms a few times, and then I’m ready to go,” Swartz

explained.

Lily Gould, a junior on the track and field team, prefers to start off their meet days with a breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs and bacon, and a Dunkin iced coffee (oat milk and caramel) to drink. Participating in the field side of track and field, Gould is a member of the self-proclaimed “Bomb Squad” which consists of all the throwers on the team.

“The name Bomb Squad came from a past thrower,” Gould explained.

After referring to a teammate’s throw as “a bomb”, the name Bomb Squad was born.

“It keeps us accountable to throw our best every day, no matter the case,” spoke Gould.

The Clifton Park native also repeats a mantra in their head before competitions: Go out there and do your business.

“You’re not competing against everybody,”

April 28, 2022 Gould stated. “You’re competing against yourself… no one else is stopping you from doing [what you want] but you and your own body.”

With the rest of the #BombSquad, Gould and their teammates keep hold of each other’s goals on note cards, and also communicate with each other how they’d prefer to be cheered at when they go out to throw. For Gould, they prefer hearing their teammate’s encouragement loud and clear, and their team’s throwing cues as little reminders before launching their throwing object out onto the field.

“I am very much in my head when I enter the circle,” Gould shared, “so hearing my cues again like ‘back, kick’ or ‘glutes activated’ [helps].”

The men’s volleyball team’s most consistent tradition is winning, but this year’s squad has introduced a few new in-game rituals that reflect the diverse makeup of the team.

“A lot of our celebrations are in Spanish,” said junior Liam York, a native of Hawaii, “because a lot of our guys are Puerto Rican.”

When opponents hit a ball out of bounds, York and his teammates yell “Y fuera!,” which

means “and out.” Other celebrations are simply fun. When a Springfield player gets an ace or a kill, players on the side will yell “ka-ka-boom” in unison, along with throwing first-year libero Nico Meija, the lightest player on the Pride, into the air.

First-year football player Amir Preston has several personal pregame superstitions. He puts on his footwear in a specific order before every game: “Right sock, left sock, right cleat, left cleat, tie right cleat, tie left cleat,” said Preston, who noted it is something that he’s been doing as long as he can remember.

He said that many of his teammates read an inspirational quote right before they put on their helmets and take the field. After a win, the Pride players celebrate by playing “Take Me Home Tonight” by Eddie Money in the locker room.

Like many pitchers, sophomore softball player Ashley Pugliese always brings a bag of rosin with her when she enters the circle in order to get a better grip on the ball. After she releases each pitch, Pugliese also does a small hop as a part of her natural motion.

“It just happens,” Pugliese said with a

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Jared Swartz wipes off his shoes and slaps his arms a few times to get mentally ready for a wrestling match. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

laugh. “After I release [the ball] I land and then I hop. I don’t know why; it’s just a little thing.”

Pugliese and her teammates get together in a circle before they take the field and start quietly chanting the phrase “Pride get ready to roll” – then follow it up with three claps.

They repeat this three times and then huddle up close to each other and say their team tag-

line – “All In” -- on the count of three.

Gianna Niman is a freshman on the women’s track and field team. She is a physical education major from West Hartford, CT and participates in the 60-meter and the 200-meter races.

A superstition and or pre-meet ritual she has is braiding her hair before every meet. She said it’s something she did throughout high

school and makes her feel faster and lighter on her feet. The team has a routine of a walkthrough type practice the day before the meet, where they all envision their events.

“For example, if I’m running the 100m, I think about needing a strong block start, high knees, and to push through.”

April 28, 2022

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Perpetual victory Springfield senior women’s tennis player Rielly Malz has transitioned from one of the best high school players in Connecticut to a great Pride contributor. __ By Braedan Shea__ Staff Writer

Following the 19971998 collegiate year, the New England Women’s 8 Conference (NEW 8) voted to begin sponsoring conference play and championships for men, establishing itself as the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). During this time, the conference expanded its membership to include two more colleges – the United States Coast Guard Academy and Springfield College.

But since becoming a part of the NEWMAC in 1998, the Springfield College women’s tennis team has struggled to advance in the conference tournament – only ever getting as far as the quarterfinals eight times, most recently in 2019. How-

with it,” Malz said.

She didn’t just stick with it – she became a star. Playing for her hometown high school of Glastonbury High, Malz and her team won the Class L state singles championship during her junior year, taking down women’s tennis juggernaut Staples; who had beaten Glastonbury in the previous two state championships.

Following another great season in her senior year, during which she got all the way back to the state championship before falling once again to Staples, Malz knew that she wanted to play at the collegiate level.

But, academics were her main priority, more Malz running to hit the ball. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics) specifically going into ever, this could change Malz found the passion most. “My parents just the field of medicine. It just so happened that this season, thanks to for the sport at a young put me and my sisters one very impressive age. After trying many in a bunch of different Springfield College could offer both. senior: Rielly Malz. different athletics as a sports when we were “I knew that I wanted Growing up in South child, tennis was the little, including tennis, Glastonbury, Conn., one that stood out the and I just kind of stuck to keep playing tennis

April 28, 2022

Sports

Malz during the 2021 season. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

in college if it was possible,” Malz said.

“But I was looking at academics first, and I knew that I wanted to go to the medical field. I talked to a lot of my family and friends and shadowed

a bunch of PAs, which is what eventually got my heart set on that. I was looking at schools with PA programs that I could also play tennis at, and when I came to campus, I just fell in love with it. I felt at

home. It was awesome.

I knew I wanted to come here.”

Even though she was very fond of the school, actually deciding to come was a little difficult at first.

Malz believed that

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she wanted to branch out and have a school of her own – the one thing that Springfield couldn’t offer; as her mother, Kimberly, is an alumna.

“I was trying to be stubborn and say I wouldn’t go to the same school as her,” Malz said. “I was determined to hate it.

But I just couldn’t find something to hate.”

Being an athlete while also in the PA program is easier said than done. Finding the time to balance both is not something many can do. Although she acknowledges that doing both is a challenge, Malz generally finds it quite helpful.

“Some days it’s hard,” Malz said. “But overall, I think it really helps me with time management. I know that I have practice or lift at a certain time, so I have to get my assignments done before then, or I know that I’m going to be busy on the weekend. It forces me to do more work during the week. Some days it’s definitely challenging, but usually it’s kind of helpful.”

While the work in the classroom may be challenging, outside of it is a different story. This season’s women’s tennis team raced to a 7-0

start. It appeared as if this could be the year they finally bring home a NEWMAC championship, something that Malz admits she wants to accomplish.

“This is definitely the best team I’ve been a part of in my four years here – mobility-wise and just attitude-wise. Everyone’s really upbeat and happy and working hard every single day,” she said. “We’ve come a long way this season, and we definitely have a better shot than we’ve had in all my years here.”

After its strong start, the team eventually hit a rough patch in the middle of the season, tying once and dropping four. But the Pride have completely turned back around, winning four of their last five.

Malz has been great, sporting a 10-2 overall singles record.

The NEWMAC women’s tennis championship tournament begins on May 3.

Springfield (4-3-0 in conference with one dual match remaining) is currently seeded fourth and will likely face No. 5 seed Smith.

Previously, Springfield edged out Smith at home, 5-4, on April 16.

Sports The Springfield Student

APRIL 28, 2022

(Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

VOL. 136 NO. 24

Serving the Team Well Springfield senior women’s tennis player Rielly Malz has been a key contributor to the Pride’s successful season, providing a 10-2 singles record.

[See page 14]