Volume 136 No. 8

The Springfield Student Est. 1910 scstudentmedia.com // @TheSpfldStudent

October 28, 2021

Volume 136 No. 8

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

A Dream Come True How Mike Guzman built his own business from the ground up.

See page 3 (Photo courtesy of Mike Guzman)

inside Page 2

Page 4

Page 9

Clarifying concerns of possible mold in International Hall

A deep dive into the nature of sexual assault on college campuses

A look into Queer Culture in Athletics from SEAT at the Table

And more...

Campus News

October 28, 2021

PAGE 2

Mold?

Springfield College investigated concerns of possible mold in International Hall last week, checking dorm rooms and bathrooms as well as air quality on each floor.

A suspicious mildew circulated a Springfield College Facebook group for parents, sparking an email to college administrators. (Irene Rotondo/The Student)

__ By Irene Rotondo __ @irenerrotondo

An email from a concerned Springfield College parent graced the inboxes of College administrators and student leaders at 6:13 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 17. The subject line screamed, “Mold Infestation at International Hall,” and parent Robin Sherman went on to describe in her message what she called, “a severe mold problem,” with worries over the building residents’ and her own daughter’s health.

Sherman, a native of Newton, Mass., and parent to a sophomore, had heard about the issue through a Springfield College parents Facebook group. Another parent had shared images of what appeared to be a black substance on the frame of a window in

their child’s room, and stated that this had been an unaddressed, ongoing issue for students in the hall.

Sherman did not expect to hear back from the school about her email quickly, if ever.

After all, it was a Sunday night and Sherman had only hoped to send out the email before she went to bed that evening.

However, Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Slandie Dieujuste did not take Sherman’s statement of a health hazard lightly.

“I sent the email because I had time to send it Sunday night, not because it was so urgent that I needed to send it Sunday night… I heard back from her Sunday night,” said Sherman. “[Diejuste’s response]

basically said that she wasn’t fully aware of the situation, but she’d be on top of it in the morning and be back in touch with me. I’m not entirely sure that’s the kind of response that you’d hear from people in administration at other schools, so I really thought that was pretty remarkable.”

Dieujuste was, indeed, on top of it in the morning. By the next day, Dieujuste had informed Director of Facilities Kevin Roy that there needed to be a full sweep of International Hall, down to every common area and bathroom. The administration formulated a plan of action to inspect and clean every room and bring in a remediation contractor from TRC Companies to scrutinize the areas

before and after cleaning on Tuesday, Oct. 19.

Dieujuste also scheduled an open forum for Tuesday night to discuss their findings, answer any questions the community might have and give an update on the overall situation. She stated at the beginning of the forum, “As soon as we hear ‘mold,’ we spring into action, because the health and safety of your student is very important to us.”

During the forum, Roy went over the timeline of the perceived mold-related events from the last month. He stated the original report of “mold on pipe insulation” in a student’s room came as a work order on Oct. 5. The facilities team entered the room just two hours after the order

was filed, and deemed the “mold” to be discoloration on the soft liner.

They cleaned and removed the affected parts, closing the work order.

Just three days later, the same student filed a different order – this time, the student claimed to have mold growing in the corner of their windows. Facilities once again responded rapidly, cleaning and inspecting the substance.

“What we looked at on those windows didn’t seem suspicious at all; it was dust and dirt, some moisture, nothing alarming that would have raised any red flags from a facilities aspect,” said Roy of the second work order.

See Mold continued on Page 6

Campus News

October 28, 2021

PAGE 3

House of Fitteds celebrated its grand opening of the storefront on Oct. 2, 2021 with a ribbon cutting. (Photo Courtesy of Mike Guzman)

From Fades to Fitteds

Springfield College senior Mike Guzman has been an entrepreneur in every sense of the word, from cutting hair to selling hats and more – now he has his own storefront. ___ By Garrett Cote ___ @garrett_cote

It all started with a vision for Mike Guzman. An idea. A plan.

Tuning out those who told him it wasn’t the right time to start a business, and using those who doubted him as fuel to the fire burning inside him, only Guzman truly understood and believed that he had the blueprint to a successful business -- and he didn’t care how he got there. By any means necessary.

“One thing about Mike; he is going to find a way to get paid,” said friend and House of Fitteds employee Nigel West. “He’s had an entrepreneurial mindset since we were kids. Even wanting to cut hair [when we were younger] while the rest of us were too busy just being kids. I think it comes from how he was raised; his parents are very hard-working individuals who’ve always had more than one hustle, so business

and money has always come easy to Mike.”

Guzman, now a senior at Springfield College, founded a business called “House of Fitteds,” which is based in New Britain, Conn.

House of Fitteds features a plethora of products (after starting with just selling hats), since Guzman decided it was a smart idea to expand the variety of what he can offer to consumers.

“I started this up because I was a collector myself. I was big into hats, so that’s where I got the name ‘House of Fitteds,’” said Guzman.

“The store doesn’t just have hats. Yes, we do have all types of fitteds, snapbacks and dad hats, but we also have urban streetwear.

There’s all types of big brands like VLONE, Bape, Supreme and stuff like that.

And we also have all the popular shoes like Jordans and Yeezys.”

House of Fitteds started as an online-only store in November of 2020, but after a surge in sales forced Guzman, his cousin Arnold and his mother, Nancy, to stay up late in the basement packaging hundreds of boxes filled with products, it was time to find a location to rent out for a store.

“We opened to the public on Oct. 2 this year,” Guzman said. “All that time from last November I was in my basement doing online orders. My mom and my cousin were my main helpers; they would pretty much do everything. There would be nights where we would have 300 boxes to pack and I would still have homework to do, it was a lot for the first eight months.

Then the ninth month came and I got the lease for the store.”

After getting the lease, step No. 1 for Guzman was to find willing and

trustworthy employees. He tracked down four of his buddies who were prepared to bear the weight of the business when Guzman had school duties to fulfill.

“I now have four people working for me. One of them does the online orders, two people are in the front working customer service and the fourth person is always around whenever I need the extra help,” said Guzman.

West, one of those employees, admits he may have been hesitant before accepting his position at House of Fitteds. After a deep conversation with Guzman, however, he was hooked and has not once looked over his shoulder regretting his decision.

“No one that we know personally has done what we are doing with hats at our level, so it definitely was hard to imagine at first,” West said. “But

when we sat down and Mike [Guzman] really laid out a plan and goal to sell first locally, then make a website, to now buying his first store front, I then saw and bought into the vision immediately. To be where we’re at now just feels like it was destined.”

Guzman and West became close friends during the latter portion of their high school years at Bristol Central High School, and West quickly appreciated Guzman’s inclination to help his friends whenever they needed a favor. In return, West now attempts to do a little bit of everything around the store.

“Me and Mike played on the same football team when I transferred to his high school our junior year. We grew a relationship through football, and See Guzman continued on Page 7

Campus News

October 28, 2021

PAGE 4

Approaching the ‘Red Zone’ Colleges across the country are facing increasing sexual assault cases, and it is important that students understand where to go for help. _ By Carley Crain _ @carley_crain12

“The sad truth is, a lot of people don’t know what sexual assault is ‘til it happens to them,” said a Springfield student. The student, who prefers to remain anonymous, says she has felt forced to have sex and to please her partners.

According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), women ages 18-24 who are college students are at elevated risk of sexual violence. They are three times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence. Among undergraduate students, 26.4 percent of females and 6.8 percent of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.

In August, Springfield College instituted a new Interim Sexual and Gender-based Misconduct Policy. The policy prohibits acts of sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and retaliation as well as discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation in all College programs and activities.

The new policy was implemented to ensure that the College is compliant with federal and state law.

Springfield College decided to make it an interim policy, since Federal and State policies continue to evolve as the Department of Education has indicated that it

will be issuing new regulations to comply with Title IX in Spring of 2022.

The most notable changes to the policy at Springfield include the implementation of a live hearing, gender harassment being categorized as a prohibited behavior, and the addition of a confidential resource officer.

The number of reported rapes at Springfield College decreased from eight in 2018 to four in 2019 to two in 2020, and reported dating violence cases decreased from three in 2018 to two in 2019 to zero in 2020 (per Springfield College’s annual security and fire safety report) but that might be due in part to the fact that social gatherings and on-campus interactions were limited last year because of COVID restrictions. Now that Springfield College and other institutions are back to in-person classes, sexual assaults are expected to increase at the college level.

Erin Leeper, the Director of Non-Discrimination Initiatives and Title IX Administrator at Springfield College, said that there are several possible reasons why the number of assaults reported were lower in 2020.

“For most of 2020, many folks were home throughout the spring semester and home for the summer,” said Leeper.

“Then in the fall, we were not letting folks gather in groups, so I do think

that the way folks socialize and the different types of events resulted in less sexual assaults occurring.

When alcohol and drugs get involved that can create more risky situations, and we did not have as much of that in the fall of 2020. I think that played a part in the low numbers.”

Now, colleges across the country are in what is known as the “red zone,” which is is a period of time that typically occurs during the start of the fall semester through Thanksgiving break, when a majority of sexual assault occurs on college campuses, according to John Hopkins University. More than 50 percent of college sexual assaults occur in either August, September, October, or November. Leeper said that the “red zone” could last longer this year because of COVID. Reports of sexual assaults have led to protests on at least eight U.S. college campuses so far this school year, including at UMass Amherst, according to ABC News.

Springfield College employs seven Public Safety officers who are certified to deal with sexual assault.

Students who have experienced sexual violence can either file a complaint with the college’s Title IX office or report it to law enforcement. The Title IX office focuses on investigations that do not involve criminal charges, while Public Safety can help students pursue

(Photo Courtesy of Boston University)

legal action if the survivor chooses to do so.

Accoring to RAINN, college-age women who experience sexual violence often do not report to law enforcement. Only 20 percent of female students who experience sexual violence report it to law enforcement.

Public Safety officers know that many sexual assault survivors are unlikely to report what has happened to them, so they aim to create a close relationship with the survivor, where they can feel safe and heard. Each report is also kept private and confidential, as only officers who are certified in sexual assault can contribue to the investigation.

“We keep in close contact with the survivor and we are always making sure that they know what is next in the process so nothing is ever a blind spot to them,” said Springfield College Public Safety Officer Richard Spaulding.

Spaulding also empha-

sized the importance of language when it comes to sexual assault. The term “survivor” is more empowering than “victim” for those who have experienced a sexual assault, as it implies they are in the healing process and have been able to get through it.

Springfield College educates students about sexual assault through mandatory first-year student orientations each fall as well as mandatory video trainings.

But nationwide, education around sexual assault is complex, as sex education in the United States varies greatly depending on where you live. Sexual assault is often categorized and labeled only as rape, when in reality it can take many different forms.

Assault also isn’t always violent and physical.

Non-physical forms of assault, like sexual coercion (unwanted sexual activity that happens when you are pressured, tricked, threatened, or forced in a nonphysical way), are also

Campus News

October 28, 2021

forms of abuse.

The culture and social atmosphere of college can provide easy opportunities for abusers, as partying and drinking can result in many students being taken advantage of, along with the factor of peer pressure.

Universities that have fraternities or sororities are at an even greater risk, as rape culture can become normalized in these types of environments. The Guardian reports that men who join fraternities are three times more likely to rape and that women in sororities are 74 percent more likely to experience rape than other college women.

“College campuses are one of the more prominent places where we talk about sexual assault and violence,” explained Nora Fitzgerald, an intern for the Title IX office at Springfield College. “I think a lot of it has to do with the party culture and environment, as it leaves a lot of opportunities for things to go out of hand or for things to go wrong.”

Stealthing is another type of assault that is one of the most dangerous and unreported in college.

Health.com defines stealthing as “the act of non-consensual condom removal.”

The power and control a partner has in this situation can be life-altering, resulting in unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Stealthing can be very traumatizing, psychologically, to survivors, as it breaks a bond of trust and security. U.S. law currently does not recognize steathling as sexual assault.

However, a core issue of sexual assault at the college level is consent.

This is even more common within relationships, where there is an assumption that saying “yes” once means “yes all the time.”

Consent isn’t just a simple, one-time permission slip.

Consent is an ongoing form of communication that isn’t about tone but about what is said. Consent is not about convincing or persuading a partner, as if they are something to be “chased.”

If it is not a yes, then it’s not consent.

TV and movies commonly portray violent “stranger rapes” in narratives of sexual violence.

But, according to the BBC, research shows that 90 percent of assault survivors knew their attacker. “[Sexual assault] is not like it is in the movie scenes,’’ said Spaulding.

“It’s definitely more in the intimate relationships that wind up in betraying trust.”

Many college-aged students also simply aren’t educated on the depths of consent, which can lead to sexual assault. According to trysustain.com, only eight states require consent to be a topic in sex education classes.

Fear-based tactics are embedded into sex education, trysustain.com reports. Abstinence is preached, even when it’s simply not realistic for many college-aged students. This results in students being uneducated on topics like STDs, abortion, birth control and sexual assault.

There is also the societal stigma and shame that comes when human sexuality is spoken about, which makes many students feel like they have to hide their experiences.

“Society teaches you to be afraid of sex and that there is only one solution -abstinence,” said the anonymous Springfield student.

Since sexual assault is such a “taboo” topic many survivors don’t even realize they have been assaulted if their experiences were non-violent or non-physi-

cal. Especially at the college level, many students find themselves in situations where they can’t get out of easily.

Women specifically feel the pressure to please their partner due to remorse and guilt that is associated with saying no. The male gaze, defined as a way of portraying and looking at women that empowers men while sexualizing and diminishing women, unconsciously factors into heterosexual relationships.

Toxic masculinity can contribute to a man’s behavior toward sex. This can come in forms of entitlement and assumption of control, which has created an idea that men are supposed to be the sexual purser, while women are expected to be submissive.

“You feel like you owe them something,” said the student. “When it got to the point when it was not consensual, I did not know how to address it. I did not know what to do because it is so ingrained.”

Sexual assault does not just occur in heterosexual relationships. In fact, members of the LGBTQ+ community are at a much higher risk for sexual assault. Hrc.org reports that “44 percent of lesbians and 61 percent of bisexual women experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, compared to 35 percent of straight women as well as 40 percent of gay men and 47 percent of bisexual men have experienced sexual violence other than rape, compared to 21 percent of straight men.”

Transgender individuals and bisexual women are also targeted by abusers. In fact, almost half of transgender people will experience a sexual assault in their lifetime, according to a study by Boston University.

This extra risk for members of the LGBTQ+ community could cost them their lives.

Race also plays a role in sexual assault, including in the form of stereotypes about ethnicity. Asian women, for example, are often hypersexualized in media and popular culture, and because of this widespread idea, many abusers capitalize on it. According to Nnedv.org, between 40 and 60 percent of Asian women are assaulted during their lifetime.

So what can be done on college campuses to limit sexual assault? Changing the approach to training and education about sex would be a game-changer.

Online training, like the ones Springfield College mandates, aren’t as effective as face-to-face, in person training.

“I feel like the stakes aren’t high enough. Are we talking about it? Yes. But it is going in one ear and out the other,” said the student, when asked about what Springfield can do better regarding sexual assault.

“Schools are scared to say that sexual assault has happened on their campuses, and they cover their backs by doing trainings or saying that they have resources.”

More effective trainings, with interpersonal, faceto-face elements, are much more productive.

Expanding knowledge and resources surrounding sexual assault will help students understand more fully the depths of the issue as well as feeling more comfortable reporting alleged assaults.

“All the school talks about is condoms. They don’t talk about how to initiate an appointment with the gynecologist on campus to get [other forms of] birth control,” said the student. “We have STD

PAGE 5

screenings, and no one should feel embarrassed to go and do that. If we only talk about the worst scenarios, people are going to overlook the symptoms that they have.”

Taking an issue like sexual assault, distigmatizing it and making it relatable to students has proven to be more successful, according to Insidehighered.com, which used pizza as an example to show the concept of consent.

“The presenter compares consent to a pizza and uses it as a metaphor for personal agency, reminding students that just because a person orders a pizza once, she may not want to order it again, or may not want the same toppings.

But under no circumstances should anyone ever be forced to eat the pizza,” explained Insidehighered. com.

There is also a focus on drugs and alcohol in mandated trainings, which culminates into victim-blaming, instead of focusing on the core issue at hand: sexual assault.

The problem with sexual assault can not change without challenging the narrative that society has created around sex, women, the LGBTQ+ community and toxic masculinity.

“We do have a campus where we have a lot of resources in that way but even I can’t sit here right now and tell you what to do [if you’re sexually assaulted],” continued the student.

“Are you supposed to sit on your computer after an emotionally traumatizing event and look up what you need to do to let someone know what happened?”

To report a sexual assault at Springfield College, call the Public Safety office at (413) 748-5555 or the Title IX office at (413) 7483922.

Campus News

October 28, 2021

PAGE 6

Mold continued from Page 2

However, concern began to mount across the dormitory as students developed coughs and other respiratory illnesses. An RA filed a work order for perceived mold on the ceiling of a third floor bathroom on Oct. 12. Facilities arrived three hours after the order was filed and discovered patches of mildew on the ceilings of the showers and determined that the air exhaust system in that bathroom had failed.

“We used a product that we have that cleans and kills most things, we applied the product, we wiped it off and it came off very easily, and we closed that work order,” said Roy. Facilities fixed the air exhaust and chalked up the mildew to excessive condensation that had built up because of the faulty system.

Yet, it was not enough to put the rumors and concerns of “black mold” in International Hall to rest. Oct. 18 marked the fourth complaint of mold in the dorm in another student’s room.

Conversations circulated amongst students and parents over the weekend, some accusing the College of “covering up” the mildew in the showers with paint, while others suspected the students were getting sick from an infestation.

Kathleen Hogan-Soltys, director of the Health Center, was adamant during Tuesday’s forum that the students in International Hall are not experiencing

more respiratory illness symptoms than students in other dorms. Each time a student visits The Health Center, the Center tracks where the student lives, ensuring the College has a strong idea of where illnesses perpetrate.

“We’ve been seeing a lot of upper respiratory illnesses, we’ve been seeing more cases of mono this semester, strep, and upper respiratory symptoms that aren’t anything,” said Hogan-Soltys during the forum.

“Because of COVID, one of the questions that is asked of students on a regular basis is, ‘Where do you live on campus?’ so I can say with quite certainty that there wasn’t any higher amount in Inty that piqued my concern.

Unfortunately, it is just across campus,” she added.

After receiving Sherman’s email on Oct. 17 and fulfilling the work order on Oct. 18 with the plans of a forum already in place, facilities mobilized over 30 people on Oct. 19 at the request of Dieujuste with the remediation and testing contractors by their side.

The testing consultant advised facilities to follow proper cleaning procedures according to the CDC, OSHA and EPA to remove the dark substance from students’ windows. They used bleach, soap, and water, which effectively removed the perceived mold from surfaces.

After a long day of

International Hall was checked deeply for signs of mold in students’ dorm rooms on Oct. 19 after several work orders were submitted. (Irene Rotondo/The Student)

thorough cleaning and inspection, facilities and the remediation company concluded that the black and brown spots could not be mold; rather they were deemed to be a collection of moisture, dust, and dirt that built up due to the window being an external and internal access point. The remediation contractor also brought up the fact that UV light kills mold, making it impossible to grow on the specific area of the window, and that mold does not generally grow on non-porous surfaces.

Dieujuste and her team expressed all of their findings during the forum, and heard from parents and students on their opinions of the situation. After much discussion, the team decided to meet internally and create a plan of action to fully wipe out concerns.

In an email sent to the residents of International Hall on Oct. 20, the day after the forum, Dieujuste stated that though “mold was

not found in Inty in the places students were concerned about,” the College would still test the air quality for mold on Oct. 26 on all floors.

They contracted with an independent environmental consulting firm to randomly select a sample of rooms on each floor to test.

Dieujuste also stated that all bathrooms will be re-inspected, and at the recommendation of the remediation company, the third-floor bathroom ceiling with the mildew will be scraped and repainted.

All shower curtains in the dorm were changed, appeasing students and parents.

Sophomore resident Alyssa Konspore said she feels the College should have been more proactive in their efforts, but is happy with the measures they have taken thus far.

“I just think overall they should have done more than what they did; even though they wiped down the windows, it’s not going to prevent whatever it is from com-

ing back,” said Konspore.

“I hope they really deep clean and that the air quality testing can help them figure out what’s actually going on.”

Sherman, on the other hand, was elated at the response she received from the school.

“I’m not happy there’s a possible mold situation on campus, but I have to say: Dieujuste’s approach to getting rid of it? I’m not sure I want to be the mold in that instance, because she has been incredibly responsive,” said Sherman. “She put together the forum, and I thought the forum was really informative. And I thought her approach was really terrific.”

The results of the air quality testing are still to come, but Dieujuste and her team have assured students that they take their concerns very seriously. They have encouraged students to continue submitting work orders when necessary, and pledged to continue monitoring the issue closely.

October 28, 2021

News Campus

PAGE 7

Guzman continued from Page 3

he’s done everything from giving me landscaping jobs, to being my barber and now working with him at House of Fitteds,” West said.

“Now, I try to be a Swiss Army knife and help Mike and the business in any way I can.”

Because Guzman is still a full-time Springfield College student majoring in business management, juggling spending time at his store in New Britain while also scrambling back up to Alden Street for classes has been burdensome.

His teachers, however, have been flexible and understanding of his business, which eases Guzman’s stress level.

“I tried to schedule my classes so that I’m at Springfield Tuesdays and Thursdays for my 8 a.m. class, and then I’m back over at the store all day,” said Guzman. “Monday, Wednesday and Friday I’m also at school from 1:003:30 p.m. My teachers have been very supportive. They understand I have a lot going on, so they’ve done the most to accommodate me and extend deadlines when I need it.”

House of Fitteds’ Instagram account has more than 60,000 followers, and plays a sizable role in the business’ success. In a world where social media is king, Guzman credits his ability to run a clean, effective account as the reason why his products are flying off the shelves -- electronically and physically.

“Social media is everything, honestly, and it makes a huge difference in sales,” said Guzman. “In the hat community, there are a lot of people trying to do what I’m doing. But when I look at their social media, they aren’t posting the right type of thing. Some hats, I’ll

Mike Guzman (right) and his House of Fitteds team inside the brand new storefront. (Photo Courtesy of Mike Guzman)

promote a lot and take some really dope pictures of them, and those will sell out in 30 seconds online.”

The impact Guzman’s parents, Freddy and Nancy, have had on him is unquestioned. They moved to the United States from Ecuador in 1955, in hopes of finding work to acquire enough income to support a family, which was challenging for them. Seeing how they were able to overcome and conquer that obstacle motivated Guzman at a young age.

“With everything I do I’m inspired by my parents,” he said. “They didn’t particularly inspire me to do this business, per se, but I look at them, coming from a different country they have always had to work hard to get what they have. I have always been driven by my parents no matter what it is I do.”

Freddy Guzman works for Classic Coil Co., a manufacturing company in Bristol, Conn. He oversees the company as the site supervisor, where he directs the making of tank and airplane parts with micro-

scopes. Mike used to do landscaping work with his father, picking up on Freddy’s adequate work habits.

Nancy Matute, director of operations at the very same manufacturing company where her husband works, also helps oversee the company. Nancy helps Classic Coil Co. support the Medical, U.S. Military, Aerospace and Industrial Solenoid markets through her position as director of operations.

“I always think about my parents,” Guzman said.

“Whether it was back when I was doing landscaping, or back when I was cutting hair, and even now with House of Fitteds. I think about them and how they’ve worked to be in the position they are in, so I try to do the same thing.”

At 21 years of age, exhaustion doesn’t seem to be in the realm of possibility for Guzman. It is common to endure a burntout feeling with the heavy workload he has taken upon himself. Nevertheless, since clientele with hefty reputations have begun to trickle

their way toward House of Fitteds, Guzman senses he has started something significant.

“I had a TikTok that blew up and that’s what got me the first 8,000 followers on my Instagram. I made a few more TikToks and I got up to 15-20,000, and that was my initial blow up.

After that, people started reaching out to me. I had NFL players and other people of high status reaching out and promoting me, and I think that’s what kept me going. It’s a great feeling knowing I’m on the right track,” Guzman said.

Across the globe, there are handfuls of aspiring young entrepreneurs in the same shoes that Guzman was about a year ago. One aspect of starting up a budding business that Guzman really enjoys is acting as a role model for those wishful adolescents, sprinkling pieces of advice to the next generation of business owners.

“I remember people telling me not to do this, telling me it’s too soon and I need to finish school,”

Guzman said. “Honestly, just take the chance. Take the risk. It’s worth it. The closest people to me told me I wasn’t ready to do this. I learned to block all of that out, because I just feel like with the right mindset and plan you can go achieve your dream.”

House of Fitteds has an ambition to expand and continue to grow, with Guzman leading the charge.

“Mike has the resources, makes the opportunities and asks the right people the right questions. This has allowed him to be as successful as he is,” said West.

“This is the start of something big. More locations are coming soon, events

by House of Fitteds are coming and more merchandise and hats are coming. So just be on the lookout for all things House of Fitteds.”

Mike Guzman trusted his gut, bet on himself and took a leap of faith into the business world. There is simply no other way to put it; it has undoubtedly paid off.

Campus News

October 28, 2021

PAGE 8

Analyzing Critical Race Theory As part of Springfield College’s SEAT at the Table series, two Springfield College professors shared their experiences with CRT and reflected on the importance of teaching the theory in schools. __ By Carley Crain __ @carley_crain12

SEAT at the Table hosted another powerful and thought provoking conversation on Thursday Oct. 21 over Zoom that focused on learning about Critical Race Theory (CRT). Dr. Stephanie Logan and English professor Justine Dymond co-hosted the event as they shared their experiences with CRT while they were in school and emphasized the importance of the theory in the education system today.

The Zoom lecture started with an interactive presentation that got the audience thinking about what they know regarding CRT. Many had heard of it through the news, social media, or talked about it briefly in schools, but still many questioned what CRT actually means.

CRT was created by legal scholars and is the practice of integrating the role of race and racism in modern society. CRT looks at racism from a larger

perspective as it focuses on systematic and structural racism, which are forms of hate that are the most deep-rooted in society.

“In many ways, racism is normal in American society. It has been baked into laws, policies, and procedures,” explained Logan. “In many ways, that has impacted institutions all the way to individuals and how they govern themselves.”

The speakers then got into the problems that some schools have with CRT. They spoke about how many people don’t want to teach their children about racism because they don’t want to see America as a bad place, and how it can be somewhat damaging to White people’s egos since many refuse to learn about what CRT actually is.

In fact, eight states in the country have passed legislation banning CRT, according to the World Population Review. Idaho, Oklahoma,

Dr. Stephanie Logan (pictured above) and Professor Justine Dymond presented at SEAT at the Table’s event on the Critical Race Theory. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College)

Tennessee, Texas, Iowa, New Hampshire, Arizona and South Carolina have passed laws banning the theory. Instead, the mission of CRT is a type of education that informs students on how to improve America, not tearing it down.

Beginning as early as six-months old, children can start to recognize the differences between each race, which shows how young people are when they start to form opinions about different races. Logan and Dy-

mond explained how the history we are taught in schools doesn’t include modern day racism, as the system sees race as a thing of the past.

“I kept seeking out the truth about U.S history which sadly is still not taught thoroughly and fully in our schools,”said Dymond.

The lecture’s main theme was how CRT is important to learn and that it should be mandatory to be taught in schools.

The session ended

with a question and answer session between the audience and the commentators, where discussions blossomed quickly. While SEAT at the Table has concluded for this year, the Office of Multicultural Affairs has plenty of other events planned for the remainder of the school year. More information will be available on its Instagram page, @ omaspringfieldcollege.

October 28, 2021

Sports

PAGE 9

Redefining Queer Culture in Athletics

Springfield student-athletes and advocates Lily Gould and Grace Dzindolet presented on issues facing LGBTQ+ individuals in sport.

Grace Dzindolet (left) and Lily Gould (right) have been advocates for the LGBTQ+ community since being on campus. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College) __ By Braedan Shea __ bshea2@springfield.edu

Athletics are typically broken down into two categories -- women’s sports and men’s sports.

The women’s team consists of “women,” and the men’s team consists of “men.” But according to Springfield College student-athletes Lily Gould and Grace Dzindolet, this is far from accurate. They believe there is a large group of people who are being unrepresented: The entire LGBTQ+ community.

On Wednesday, Oct. 20, in front of an overcrowded room in the basement of the Physical Education Complex on campus, the two tackled the subject

with full force in their SEAT at the Table presentation. The very subject that is so near and dear to their hearts.

Dzindolet is a senior guard on the women’s basketball team, Gould is a junior thrower on the women’s track and field team. One thing they have in common: they are both part of the LGBTQ+ community. Dzindolet identifies as a lesbian woman, whereas Gould identifies as a non-binary lesbian.

Their goal on Wednesday was to open people’s eyes about LGBTQ+ culture in athletics in their presentation: Queer

Culture in Athletics. Their message clearly resonated with their audience.

“I felt like I learned a lot,” explained first-year student Lindsey Laughlan.

“I’ve felt like I have become more mindful of the community as a whole.”

The pair gave an engaging presentation.

Through the use of striking visuals and statistics, they informed the audience effectively, while also leaving attendees with much to think about.

Once they got through their first segment, they quickly pivoted into a video that showed athletes coming out. It was the perfect way to introduce

the audience to the topic, giving insight about those who have gone through the process. They then followed with a little bit more information about the LGBTQ+ community, breaking down and defining terms, in hopes of building an understanding.

Next, in an incredibly moving segment on the mental health challenges faced by queer youth, they shared some of the hardships and struggles that those who are part of the community often endure. It included some chilling statistics. Dzindolet and Gould cited a national survey that found 42 percent of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.

Furthermore, they explained, 12 percent of white youth attempted suicide, compared to 31 percent of Native/Indigenous youth, 21 percent of Black youth, 21 percent of multiracial youth, 18 percent of Latinx youth and 12 percent of Asian/ Pacific Islander youth.

The pair highlighted the struggles even further when they discussed how transgender people

are treated in public. As a visual, they wrote down every single anti-transgender bill that has been proposed across the country, dating back to last May. There were at least 25 laws, filling up a total of four slides. Every time a slide passed, the collective audience’s feeling of pain grew deeper and deeper.

After laying the foundation of what being queer is like, Dzindolet and Gould translated that information into what it is like being a queer athlete.

One of the biggest things that LGBTQ+ athletes encounter, they explained, are microaggressions.

The presentation wrapped up with how the audience can help battle those microaggressions, and how they can help fight alongside the community as a whole. When they finished, the audience erupted in overwhelming support for the bravery they witnessed.

“It was incredible,” stated first year student Samantha Andresen.

“I learned so much. It opened my eyes to what [the LGBTQ+ community] has to go through, and how that translates to the sports world.”

October 14, 2021

Sports

PAGE 10

Kaleigh Dale

Kaleigh Dale became the second Springfield women’s soccer student-athlete to eclipse the 100 point milestone in a 4-4 tie on Oct. 20. (Gillian Dube/The Student)

It was a mad rush to the polls for this week’s Springfield Student Athlete of the Week honor, and senior Kaleigh Dale came out on top – barely – for the second time this year. The active Springfield College women’s soccer legend beat out Olympian Mikaili Charlemagne by the narrowest of margins – 38.6 percent to 38.2 percent.

Dale continued to pile on the accolades when she recorded the sixth hat-trick of her career in the team’s 4-4 tie to Wheaton on Wednesday. Recording her 100th career point, Dale became just the second student-athlete in program history to do so.

Sitting at 101 career points as of Wednesday, Dale is second all-time behind Angel Schofield who recorded 127 in her career from 1989-92. Dale eclipsed the milestone in just her 58th game played after missing the entirety of her junior season due to the pandemic. The star senior is just nine goals away from Schofield’s career goals record and just eight away from the assists record.

Charlemagne, who competed for her native country of Saint Lucia in the 2020

Tokyo Summer Olympics, created a buzz on Twitter but came up just short in the poll that received almost 500 votes.

In the last week, Charlemagne competed in the women’s swim team’s first meet of the year. She was part of the 200 medley relay group that finished in 1:53.20 on Saturday. Charlemagne also took third in the 50 free (25.20) and fifth in the 100 free at 55.66.

Charlemagne, the only current Springfield College student-athlete to have her own Wikipedia page, finished in the top 50 amongst the world’s top 50 meter freestyle competitors and second in her heat.

Field hockey’s Emma Robinson gathered 19.8 percent of the vote, enough for third place in the poll. The sophomore scored her third goal of the season and recorded an assist in two losses in the week.

Rounding out the nominees on the women’s side was perennial nominee, Camryn Bancroft. The women’s volleyball graduate student had yet another impressive week as she tallied 39 kills, nine block assists and two solo blocks in three matches.

David Wells In a very different result from the women’s poll, quarterback David Wells ran away with the votes this week. He did so with the football as well during the team’s 46-17 win over NEWMAC foe WPI on Saturday.

Wells ran for a game-high 192 yards, shattering his previous career-high of 62. The senior also found the endzone twice for the Pride on the ground – his third time doing so this season. Wells also passed for 44 yards in the win.

Springfield football improved to 3-0 in conference play and will host NEWMAC-leading 4-0 Merchant Marine on Saturday at Stagg Field.

James Chan, a star on the men’s swim team, finished second in the polls after an impressive performance in the team’s first competition of the year.

The junior standout from Hong Kong finished first in the 100 freestyle (48.28) and second in the 1000 free (9:52.23) and the 500

free (4:46.47). Chan was also part of the 400 free relay team that came in first place with a time of 3:14.33.

Men’s golf standout Nicholas DeMaio piled up the accolades, including All-New England honors after he tied for fifth place in the NEIGA Championship last weekend.

DeMaio led the Pride to their best finish at the two-day event in program history as the team finished third overall.

Back in the pool, junior diving standout Luca Brashear rounded out the men’s nominees. Leading the men’s team to a sweep of the podium on both the one-meter and three-meter boards, Brashear finished first in both events. On one-meter, Brashear posted a 285.83, along with scoring a 273.75 on three-meter.

Be sure to follow The Student on Twitter @TheSpfldStudent so you don’t miss out on next week’s poll!

David Wells (2) running the classic Springfield College triple-option offense. (Photo courtesy of Springfield Athletics)

Sports

October 28, 2021

PAGE 11

Back on the ice

The Springfield College club men’s ice hockey team has become more successful and continues to grow as a program with NCAA aspirations. __ By Collin Atwood __ @collinatwood17

Springfield College is the home to many athletes who participate in all sorts of sports. Out of the 2,100 students that attend the College, 34 percent are student-athletes. However, that only includes the athletes that play for one of the 26 varsity Division III teams that Springfield offers, not the students who are involved in the 13 different club sports.

Springfield’s club sport program is the perfect middle ground between intramurals and varsity sports. Most of the teams have a coach, but the students do a majority of the organizing.

The main difference between varsity and club sports is that club sports are not a part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

However, some club sports do compete in national competitions and tournaments.

One of the more popular club sports at Springfield is the men’s ice hockey team, which has had great success in recent years. They were the Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association (NECHA) Colonial

(Photo Courtesy of Gillian Dube)

Conference Champions in 2017 and in 2018.

The team is coached by George Johnson ‘12 who played hockey during his time at Springfield. Johnson played in 44 games and recorded 10 goals and 12 assists.

After graduating with a sports management degree, Johnson found himself back on Alden

Street in 2014 where he became the head coach.

The hockey team has changed significantly since Johnson’s playing days, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

“It’s pretty much night and day from when I was there. That was more of a fun atmosphere where we kind of treated it like a club sport,” Johnson said.

Johnson went from playing on the team to hangout with his friends, to competing for playoff spots and championships.

“Now it’s definitely like a varsity sport and we get a lot more recognition.

We’ve been able to go to national tournaments, I’ve been lucky enough to coach some all-star teams...things have gone

really well for us,” he added.

The progression of this team isn’t just paying off in collegiate tournaments, but also in people’s personal hockey careers.

Nate Farrington ‘17 and Marc Steele ‘19 are now players in the professional hockey league known as The Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL).

For a club sport, Springfield’s hockey team has shown exactly what they are capable of. Earning banners, competing in national tournaments and sending players to the pros sounds exactly like what a varsity team would do. The only thing stopping this team from being an official Div. III sport at Springfield is their future success.

The first step in becoming a varsity sport was overcoming obstacles, such as restrictions from Title IX stating that colleges and universities must offer a sport for both sexes if there is enough interest.

That issue was taken care of in 2019 when the women’s ice hockey team was created.

Johnson has had discussions with SpringSee Men’s Hockey continued on Page 13

October 28, 2021

Sports

PAGE 12

Flippin’ his way into the Hall Mike Shaw ‘06 G’08, will be inducted into the Springfield College Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 30, 2021 after a career of accomplishments in diving. __ By Chris Gionta __ @ChrisGionta2

For a lot of athletes, their careers start with their parents having them join a team and start practicing. For 2020 Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Mike Shaw, it started while messing around on a diving board with his friends.

“To be honest with you, what was really the catalyst for me to start diving was during sophomore year of high school, when we had a swim section of physical education class,” said Shaw. “At the end of the swim lesson, we were allowed to jump off the diving board -- you know, just kind of mess around a little bit -- and my physical educator was also the swim coach. And so he saw me flip and was like ‘What?’ Then he en-

couraged me to join the swim team to dive.”

Not long after Shaw began diving, he made a connection to Springfield College. One of his high school teammates was already involved in a club sport that was coached by legendary Springfield diving coach Pete Avdoulos.

“Through Pete’s club team, I obviously built a great rapport with him,” Shaw said. “I wanted to be either a PT or a PA, and Springfield College had both, so it just kind of naturally rolled into me going to Springfield.”

As Shaw was still relatively new to the sport heading into his collegiate career, his diving expectations were rather low.

“I had no idea,” said Shaw, referring to how he initially thought his

college athletic career would pan out. “I knew I would be in good hands with Pete. I knew that much.”

It turns out that he was in good hands with Avdoulos and Springfield College. He lept into success as soon as 2004, where he won the Division III national title in the three-meter dive. He followed that up in 2005 by claiming both the one-meter and three-meter titles.

All of his national titles are something that Shaw will never forget, for various reasons. Every champion reflects on their first one differently. Shaw does because of who he saw in the stands.

“There are moments that are highlighted in my mind as far as my diving career goes,” Shaw said. “Winning

Mike Shaw won three national titles at Springfield College.

(Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

nationals for the first time -- it was surreal.

And looking up and seeing my parents’ faces after I won for that first time my sophomore year, that’s something I’ll never forget.”

Another special moment for Shaw was shared with a teammate the very next year, when the duo finished first and second at the national championships.

“Another highlight would certainly be my junior year, going first and second with Ben Casavant, my teammate,” Shaw said.

“We went number one and number two on three-meter when I was

a junior.”

Even when Shaw did not finish in first place, he was awfully close to it. Along with three national titles, he was also national runner-up three times.

However, for Shaw, his experience at Springfield College was about much more than just his accomplishments in the sport of diving. In fact, his career at the pool is not the first thing he thinks of when thinking about Springfield.

“I reflect more on the relationships that I had,” said Shaw. “I met my best, best friends in the whole world on that team. And so when

October 28, 2021 I think about diving — and I know I did really well, and I have a nice record — but I really reflect more so on hanging out with the people on the swim team, my comradery with them, and just the moments shared going through college than I did specifically thinking about ‘diving’ as the specific act of diving.”

Shaw is joining five other inductees in the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 -- Mike Delong, Nikki Hay, Howard Hinds, Donna Masterson and Cathie Ann Schweitzer.

Shaw currently resides in California, where he works as a physical therapist, so he has not

Sports

PAGE 13

reflected on his career at Springfield College for a long time. But, 14 years after his career concluded, he was notified that his alma mater was awarding its ultimate honor to him.

“I got a call from the athletic department saying, ‘We want to let you know you have this great honor of being inducted,’” Shaw said. “It’s an honor and I really feel so grateful.”

The induction ceremony for all the honorees will take place at the Cleveland E. Phyllis B. Dodge Room at Flynn Campus Union at 7 p.m. on Oct. 30, 2021.

In 2005, Shaw clamied the one-meter and three-meter NCAA title. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

Men’s Hockey continued from Page 11

(Photo Courtesy of Gillian Dube)

field College’s President Mary-Beth Cooper and the Athletic Department about getting the hockey team into the NCAA. Due to the recent success, conversations about becoming a varsity team were heating up right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

After their shortened season last year, the men’s ice hockey team is ready to prove that they belong in the NCAA. “As long as we continue to excel at this level, I don’t see any reason why we couldn’t make the jump,” Johnson said.

Casey Cormier, a junior

on the hockey team, sees that as a possibility as well.

“We try to run it like we are a real NCAA team.

That’s one thing we’re kind of working towards,” Cormier said.

At this point, the future of the team relies on the outcome of each season.

Although becoming a varsity team is a goal they have, Johnson and the team are more focused on the season ahead of them.

The team played its first two games over the weekend and came out with one win and one loss.

The team’s three main focuses right now are to win the division, conference and the NECHA

tournament.

“We would like to win the NECHA tournament which would give us an automatic bid towards nationals,” Johnson said.

The aspirations for this team have grown dramatically ever since Johnson only joined to play hockey with his friends. Despite the seriousness and intensity the team now brings, the purpose of playing goes all the way back to Johnson’s days: just have fun.

“I think we all have really good relationships with each other and we have a lot of fun and that’s what it’s all about,” Cormier said.

October 28, 2021

Sports

PAGE 14

Making history one goal at a time

Springfield College senior Kaleigh Dale became the second student-athlete to record 100 career points in program history.

(Photo Courtesy of Danielle Schmelling)

___ By Hayden Choate ___ @choatehayden

With her team down one with 20 minutes left on the road against NEWMAC opponent Wheaton, Kaleigh Dale scored her third goal of the game on a penalty kick to tie the game and notch her sixth career hat-trick.

The goal would be the last one of the game that ended in a 4-4 tie. What Dale did not know until

she got on the bus and saw an instagram post from Springfield College Athletics was that the third goal of the day accounted for her 100th career point.

“It feels obviously really good,” Dale said.

“It was something that I actually didn’t know I was close to so to find out about and to be congratulated on it was a very

cool feeling, kind of feels unreal.”

The game against Wheaton was the senior’s 58th of her career in just her third season after her junior campaign was shut down by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Honestly surprised that I hit that already,” Dale said.

“What an achieve-

ment,” Springfield College women’s soccer coach John Gibson said. “She’s a ‘senior’ but by no metric is she a senior, other than the class she started with is all seniors, so she’s done it in three years.”

When an opposing team has to play against a special player like Dale they hope to keep them off the scoresheet and hope it will be the last time they face them, this was not the case when Dale completed her hattrick.

“Actually to his credit, the Wheaton coach said after the game what a great game it was, said ‘Has Kaleigh got another year?’ I said, “Yeah, he said ‘I love watching her play,’ that was very nice of him,” Gibson said.

Not only is she just the second player in program history to score 100 points, but she is second in career goals and career points. Angel Schofield is No. 1 on both lists with 127 points and 51 goals.

Dale plans on returning next year and still has two regular season games and playoffs this season.

“Yeah it’s amazing, she’s a great player and she’s hit the crossbar six

times as well, so she could be even further along,” Gibson said. “Angel [Schofield] always says, ‘Yeah but Herb used to take me out when we were three up’ and the answer to that is, ‘Yeah, but we play a lot of better teams, so we haven’t ran the score up with her, a hattrick in a 4-4 tie – that’s a real hat trick. Such a good player and such a hard worker, she’s a great person to have here.”

Dale added on the records she’s approaching, “Obviously that would be really cool and I hope [I reach that mark] – I would rather win the conference. I’m much more of a team player, I mean obviously if I do that’s really cool but I wouldn’t say that’s my focus, my focus is do as much as I can for the team and hopefully do well in our last few weeks in the season.”

Dale never thought she would achieve something like this, even after breaking the single-goal record in program history with 20 her first season.

“Honestly I had no idea, I’ve never been someone whose focus has been on stats, my focus is always on trying to play

October 28, 2021 good for the team, trying to win for the team,” Dale said. “It was just a very big surprise, after my first year I obviously knew that I had done really well but the thought never really crossed my mind about getting 100 points and to do it in my third year is a really good feeling.”

Gibson remembers very well when Dale first came into the program as a first-year, three years ago.

“I remember being out here, we’re in the fitness test in preseason and we’re saying, ‘She runs funny and she’s on her heels, ah god that can’t be right she looks slow but she’s beating everybody’ so we got used to that, it’s great to watch,” Gibson said.

The hat-trick goal was only Dale’s eighth of the

year but her 42nd in her 59-game career at Springfield College. Scoring has been something Dale has worked on for a long time.

“That also feels really good, that feels like hard work paying off,” Dale said. “I work a lot on shooting and finishing so it feels really good to kind of have that all paying off and it feels good to be able to do it in a program that historically has been very good.”

Part of Dale’s ability to be a dominant player and constant scoring threat is not only her confidence in both her left and her right foot, but being able to switch feet quickly.

“Ever since I first started playing, something I tried to work on was my left foot as much as my right,” Dale said. “At this point in my playing ability

Sports

my left foot is just as good as my right I think that’s very important I don’t think many people focus on that, so I think having the versatility of being able to switch to my left if I’m being shaded on my right I just think its helped a lot growing up working on both feet.

“I would say sometimes my left foot shooting is almost more accurate than my right just because of how much time I’ve put into it, when I was younger trying to get it just as good as my right.”

With a year and some change left in her collegiate career, Dale is honored to have already made her mark in Springfield College women’s soccer history.

“It feels awesome honestly, this school I feel like it’s a very well-known

PAGE 15

(Photo Courtesy of Danielle Schmelling)

school and the athletics here I kind of feel like is the main focus of the school so to have my name there and people always congratulating me and coming up and saying good job is just a really

cool feeling,” Dale said.

“It’s cool that when I do leave I still would have left my mark. That’s a really cool feeling especially in this type of program.”

SPORTS The Springfield Student

VOL. 136 NO. 8

(Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

OCTOBER 28, 2021

Dale Hits Triple Digits [See Page 14]

Mike Shaw’s road to the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame

A brief history on the Springfield club men’s ice hockey team