Vol. 136 No. 11

The Springfield Student Est. 1910

November 18, 2021

scstudentmedia.com // @TheSpfldStudent

Volume 136 No. 11

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

Amplifying Justice

Luther Wade has developed his voice into one with power on campus.

See page 4

(Joe Arruda/The Student)

inside The History of Thanksgiving, Page 3 SGA Influences Change of COVID Policy, Page 2 Recap Phyllis Lerner’s Lecture, Page 6 Public Safety Collecting Toys For Shriners Children’s Hospital, Page 7 And more...

Campus News

November 18, 2021

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Guests allowed in dorms

The Springfield College Student Government Association collected the opinion of the student body, and influenced a change in the College’s COVID policy. __ By Cait Kemp __ @caitlinkemp09

Tuesday afternoon, Springfield College administration sent out an email regarding a new update to the guest policy on campus. Beginning on Thursday, Nov. 18, Springfield College will allow students to have guests in the residence halls.

Last week, a survey was sent by the Student Government Association (SGA) to students about their comfort level of allowing non-Springfield College students in the residence halls. The survey had an overwhelming response by students, reaching almost 900 students, who the majority were for the rescission of the current no-guest policy.

“We’ve been hearing about the guest policy and people wanting it to change since the very beginning,” said Ari Susi, President of the SGA. “Nora Fitzgerald (Vice President of SGA) and I brought it to Dr. Slan-

die… she was like, ‘alright let’s work on this,’ so we spent the last two weeks meeting with her multiple times.”

After the results of the survey, administration of the school including President Mary-Beth Cooper and Dr. Slandie Dieujuste met to discuss what actions, if any, would be taken.

“I met with the President and a few of the members of the PLT (President’s Leadership Team) and I said, ‘let’s just review this sooner than later,’” said Dieujuste. “We also did some research and found that there are a few institutions around us that are allowing guests on campus, so everybody’s testing the waters.”

The school administration ultimately decided to change the guest policy to allow guests once again on campus because of the low COVID-19 numbers that students have worked diligently to maintain, and due to the students’ voice

being acknowledged.

“We’ll watch the numbers closely to see if there are any jumps or rise, and a lot of it is going to depend on how responsible our students are,” she said.

The email stated, “The change in the COVID-Restricted Residence Hall Guest/Visitor Policy provides us an opportunity to carefully move toward a more familiar residential student experience. It is our hope that the opportunity for students to have friends and families visit will contribute to their mental wellbeing.”

It continued, “The student voice is important to us. We appreciate your engagement and encourage you to be responsible in your decision making so we continue to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

For Susi and Fitzgerald, the change in the guest policy is a personal accomplishment. After campaigning their ideas of “building the bridge” from the student popu-

lation to the faculty and administration, they were determined and eager to listen to peers and implement ideas that they recognized as popular among many as well as important to the campus.

This was a big change they were able to see through from the beginning, and it proves the impact of student government and leaders within the community.

“My biggest goal for this year was to create a community where the student voices were heard, like when students wanted to see change happen they could come to SGA and we’d advocate for it,” said Susi. “Now seeing that change actually happen is so surreal because that’s what this whole “Build the Bridge” has been all about.”

The change to the policy is an exciting thing for students, but it’s bigger than simply the change itself. The idea that students brought something

to leaders to share with school faculty and truly implement something that mattered to them is what is important.

“I’m proud of Ari for taking initiative and being a voice for everybody at Springfield, for all of the students…I just feel like actions speak louder than words and she went into action and is making it happen,” said junior Christina Syryla.

With the new adjusted guest policy, any guest that a Springfield College student brings on campus is required to wear a mask in common areas of the residence halls.

Students must register their guests, who are also required to provide proof of vaccination. Students are only allowed one guest at a time, and are responsible for the behavior of that person, whether its COVID-19 regulations or other general rules of the College.

Campus News

November 18, 2021

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History of Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving just a week away, The Student takes a look at how this foodfilled family holiday came about.

The original Thanksgiving proclamation was published in The Massachusetts Centinel on Oct. 14, 1789. (Photo courtesy of mountvernon.org) ___ By Garrett Cote ___ @garrett_cote

The beloved holiday of Thanksgiving -- a day of tradition and four ‘F’s’: family, friends, food and fun -- returns again on the final Thursday of November, as it always does. But this year, while peering down at a plate full of turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes covered in a thick coat of gravy, try to urge a thought back to the events that unraveled to allow such a wonderful annual practice.

Long ago, in November of 1621, a group of 53 pilgrims gathered for a feast. Four men were dispatched to hunt and kill as much fowl and deer as feasible to satisfy this group for an entire week.

The only known recollection of this event, now considered the first-ever Thanksgiving, was registered and inscribed in writings by two primary sources: Edward Winslow in Mourt’s Relation and William Bradford in Of Plymouth Plantation.

More than 150 years later, United States President George Washington

issued a document, known as the Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789.

It’s unclear if the House of Congress knew of the original gathering in 1621 (it was not mentioned in the proclamation) when it urged Washington to distribute this letter to the American people -- recognizing the protective care of God as a spiritual power.

Washington wrote, “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer…”

“Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious

Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be…”

Washington’s vision of a day dedicated to Thanksgiving was sparked because of the Revolutionary War, and he claimed the importance of this day came from God’s care of Americans prior to this Revolution, helping them strive for their goal of reaching independence.

The day, in essence, was a way to come together with family and friends to appreciate the simplicities of life during troubled times.

Years after Washington’s proclamation, President Abraham Lincoln revisited the first POTUS’s Thanksgiving order in 1863 -- in the middle of the Civil War. Lincoln sought a way to heal a divided country, thus generating a second pact of Thanksgiving.

This would set aside the last Thursday of November “as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise,” according to one of Lincoln’s secretaries.

“Each state celebrated Thanksgiving on a different day prior to Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation,” said Springfield College history professor Thomas Carty. “Acting

during the Civil War, Lincoln hoped that a uniform national holiday would help unite the country in troubled times.

He made a proclamation saying that we’re going to commemorate this day. He was looking for a way to unify the country after the internal killing, tensions and bitterness of the Civil War.” Lincoln’s proclamation had a wave of energy behind it, and with that came great success. The country desperately desired some form of light in a dark time, and the American people bought in. For good.

Because 1863 was north of a century and a half ago, Thanksgiving has evolved and expanded with time. What started as an American-only holiday has ventured off into an abundance of different cultures, consequently, giving rise to many different approaches to celebration.

“Thanksgiving is a unique American holiday, and we associate it with unique American sports like football games,” said Carty. “But like a lot of U.S. holidays, it has grown so much. In some ways due to marketing and globalization, and in some

ways due to consumer culture. Now many different cultures celebrate it in a variety of ways.”

On Thanksgiving, it’s important to understand and address the Native American peoples who were dismissed from this very land in the most gruesome of ways.

“Thanksgiving should remind us to recognize the sacrifices of many Native American peoples who suffered disease, exploitation, and removal during these centuries following English arrival,” said Carty.

In 2021, after a long two-year hiatus from normal Thanksgiving glee (considering the majority of states heavily advised against large gatherings), this year has an eerily similar feeling to what Lincoln mentioned in his proclamation. After an unimaginably long bout with the COVID-19 pandemic (while it is still far from over) and the burdensome task of switching back to in-person courses this semester, this many families will finally resume treasured rituals, and Thanksgiving will once again provide a much needed sense of togetherness as it has in centuries past.

Campus News

November 18, 2021

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Newfound passion for change Springfield College senior Luther Wade plans to implement his new passion for social justice in his future career as an educator to help change the perspective on Black people in America.

Luther Wade helped organize the first protest on Alden Street since 1970. (Joe Arruda/The Student) _ By Collin Atwood _ @collinatwood17

On June 14, 2020, the small suburban town of Waterford, Connecticut was the home to a protest where 600 people marched in the names of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and the

many others who are subjected to the harsh injustices of this country.

The crowd marched for two miles on the roads of Clark Lane, Boston Post Road and Rope Cherry Road which is where the

town’s high school is located. The protestors even received help from the local police department as they blocked off roads so that this march could take place.

None of it would have

been possible if it weren’t for Luther Wade, a senior at Springfield College studying physical education.

Wade attended Waterford High and throughout his four years there he never thought about anything other than sports.

As a three-sport athlete, his time was mostly consumed with practice and working out. There wasn’t enough time in his schedule for other extracurricular activities.

It wasn’t until Wade arrived on Alden Street that his mindset would change from focusing on sports to social justice.

Wade came to Springfield with an interest in pursuing a career in athletic training, but that passion quickly diminished. He didn’t love the responsibilities of an athletic trainer enough to let it take up that much of his time.

“I was kind of falling out of love with it,” Wade explained, “I wasn’t as good at it as I thought I was going to be and adjusting and learning in

the classes and just being in the environment just wasn’t something that I wanted to do anymore.”

Wade decided to switch his major to physical education and that gave him more time to join clubs on campus. The first club he joined was Men of Excellence which is a club that empowers men to be the best versions of themselves.

When Wade first found out about Men of Excellence he was scared to attend a meeting after being invited by Marcel Diaz, former secretary of Men of Excellence.

“I didn’t necessarily want to go at first. I was scared and I didn’t really want to be there by myself and put myself out there,” Wade said. After being convinced by his roommate, he decided to get involved in the meetings.

Ever since that point, Wade has been a part of many important and even historical events on campus pertaining to social justice. In Oct. of 2020, Wade hosted a SEAT at

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November 18, 2021

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Wade led the March for Action with organized chants and a walk around campus.

(Joe Arruda/The Student)

The Table event where he talked about the use of the N-word. Shortly before that, he and other student leaders organized The March on Alden Street which was the first protest on campus since 1970.

His leadership abilities and commitment to changing the campus climate got him voted as the President of Men of Excellence, something he never envisioned happening.

“Once I joined and went to the first meeting I knew I was going to go for the rest of the time that I was at school,” he said. “But I didn’t necessarily picture myself leading the club because when I first came I didn’t see myself as a leader.”

He obtained a lot of leadership skills by learning from the members of Men of Excellence and attending meetings and events.

“Being in that space and learning from so

many people that look like me and experienced the same difficulties was cool and it was empowering because I never got that and that’s kind of what I was looking for,” Wade said.

These are the skills he plans on using, along with his physical education degree, to educate and coach high school students after graduation.

One of the other reasons Wade switched majors was because he realized it was important to him to be a service to other people and to help change the perspective of Black men in America.

“It just became prevalent to me that people should be treated the way they should be treated because they’re a person and we’re all people,” Wade said.

As a Black man who grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood, Wade understands what it’s like to be judged and

perceived as something different than who he actually is. “I’ve been held to prejudices and I’ve been racially profiled by the police,” Wade said.

He thought that it was possible to implement change through athletic training, but believes teaching will make it easier to leave an impact on students.

“I realized that through teaching and being in the classroom with these students and having that allotted time where you have their attention and they’re supposed to be learning from something that you planned, I feel like that’s where I can do the most and change the most,” Wade said.

In Wade’s high school there was only one Black faculty member and he wasn’t an educator. Wade refers to Kevin Blackburn, his high school security guard, as his “safe haven.”

“He cared about me and looked out for me...I was

in the suburbs so he was legit the only one,” Wade said.

That high school on Rope Cherry Road is exactly where Wade returned to for the walk he led back in June of 2020.

It was time for Wade to share his newfound passion with his hometown.

Wade, with help from his hometown friends, was able to organize a walk, speeches and demands for the education system in Waterford.

“It was good for our community to hear what was said at the walk...we just talked and shared our experiences with what we had in the town and how those problems are relevant and premilent in our town.”

Some of the demands included hiring more staff of color and making

students take an African American history class, demands that are similar to the ones made at Springfield College just months later.

“It was a good day and I think only good outcomes are going to come from that.”

Just four years ago, Wade wasn’t even thinking about being a leader on campus or in his community. Years later, he found himself leading crowds of people through his old community and new, chanting through his megaphone as hundreds of people repeated.

The people of Alden Street and Rope Cherry Road have reaped the benefits of Wade and his leadership. Only time will tell what community, or street, will be next.

Campus News

November 18, 2021

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Spreading expertise overseas Springfield College alum Phyllis Lerner returned to her alma mater to share about her experience immersing herself into the culture of Rwanda through a social justice lens. __ By Jac St. Jean __ @jacsaintj

On Friday, Nov. 12, past and present Springfield College students filed into the Dodge Room in the Campus Union to listen to master teacher, education volunteer, and Fulbright specialist Phyllis Lerner -- or, as others would call her in Rwanda, Auntie Phyllis.

Lerner was introduced to the small crowd by Dr. Calvin Hill. The Vice President of Inclusion and Community Engagement was “super excited that Phyllis Lerner, Class of 1971, has come back to campus.” Both Lerner and Hill have a strong passion for social justice and inclusion and cultured a bond over the last few years.

“One of the things you’re going to hear today,” Hill explained to the crowd, “is Phyllis is going to speak about what she gained, in terms of awareness, while she was here at Springfield College. But we also talk about social justice as action, and that’s, ‘What am I going

to do with my newfound knowledge?’”

Right off the bat, Lerner asked the crowd for a moment of silence as she presented a slide to honor the Native American nations in the New England region and across North America.

“We affirm, honor, and respect the sovereignty of these and hundreds of other Native American nations across North America, today and for all time forward,” Lerner expressed.

Lerner then went into detail about her upbringing in high school, recounting the unfairness in her high school as a woman. In her senior year of high school, she was awarded the Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year. The Outstanding Male Athlete, the same year, was given a large trophy, while she received only a small pin.

Later on, after college, Lerner would be recommended to be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame of

her high school, but wouldn’t meet the criteria because she had not been on a varsity team.

However, there were no varsity teams for women during her time in high school.

Lerner headed to Springfield College to study physical education, and embraced the Humanics philosophy that reminded her of a previously-learned philosophy growing up in a Jewish community in Bethesda, Maryland.

“As someone who grew up in a somewhat active Jewish community,” Lerner explained, “and had heard the word tikkun olam: to heal the world, I felt responsible for these phrases: spirit, mind, and body, and paying it, or in my case, playing it forward.”

Lerner highlighted a series of cultural events that impacted her time at Springfield, including the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Feminist Movement. She and many of her classmates were involved in these events,

Phyllis Lerner. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College)

and faced “co-curriculum challenges.”

Dr. Hill highlighted some of the challenges that students faced today, including the political divide strickening our country, the COVID pandemic, the LGBTQ+ movement, and the BLM movement.

The presentation then led to Lerner’s journey to Rwanda.

Lerner acknowledged that her experience at Springfield and in life does not represent the experiences of everyone from her time, nor the experiences of students today.

After graduating from Springfield in 1971 and teaching at a Quaker school in Philadelphia for a number of years, Lerner got a master’s degree while on a “semester at sea”, traveling to Taiwan, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, and the Burmese refugee camps in Thailand.

Decades later, Lerner was awarded the 2013 Distinguished Alumna Award at Springfield College. Despite being in her 60s, Lerner was not done with pursuing See Rwanda continued on Page 8

November 18, 2021

News Campus

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The season of giving is here Springfield College’s Public Safety officers are collecting toys to donate to the Shriners Hospital in Springfield. ___ By Irene Rotondo ___ @irenerrotondo

With Thanksgiving approaching and numerous religious holidays to follow, the season of gift-giving and showing love to one another is completely underway. Springfield College’s Public Safety officers are spreading the joy through “Stuff a Cruiser,” a toy drive for children at Shriners Hospital in downtown Springfield.

Ofc. Richard Spaulding and Director of Operations for the Graduate Student Organization, Laura Cafaro, are heading the initiative to literally “stuff ” a Public Safety officer’s police car with toys to donate. Tuesday, Nov. 16, kicked off the donation drive with Cafaro and Spaulding standing next to a parked cruiser in the walkway outside the Student Union building.

“The goal is to get as many toys inside the car as possible. Once the event is over, we’ll take the cruiser down to the Shriners Hospital in downtown Springfield and drop them off to the kids,” he added.

The Shriners Hospital, located on Carew St., specializes in pediatric care with a team of experienced professionals spanning multiple units.

“Any child can begin care with them at any age… and once you start care with them, they pretty much take care of you for as long as they can,” said Spaulding.

“I know they have a burn hospital, so they specialize with kids who have severe burns, or they help with disfigured limbs and prosthetics… they’re really an amazing orga-

Springfield College Public Safety officer, Richard Spaulding, collects toys from students in front of the Campus Union. (Irene Rotondo/The Student)

nization, and it’s just all about kids,” continued Spaulding.

Donations for “Stuff A Cruiser” are being accepted from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 16 and 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18. However, Spaulding says that he and the officers will not be going down to donate the toys until late December, and his office will be accepting toy donations until then.

Students should also know that if they bring a toy with them to donate this week, their name is automatically entered into a raffle for a “Park Anywhere” pass. This parking pass, designed to look

like temporarily-issued Public Safety passes, will allow the holder to park their car in any lot on campus until the end of the Spring 2022 semester. This excludes person-specific spots, parking for people with disabilities, or specially-reserved areas, but is an enticing incentive.

In his previous position with Western New England University, Spaulding led a similar “Stuff A Cruiser” drive that also benefited the Shriners Hospital.

“I like that we’re keeping it local versus some of the national donation drives… Everybody kind of donates to the same drive, or group, which is great, but I like that it’s more

intimate keeping it in the community that we’re a part of.

“We’re going to go down, and we’re actually going to get to see the kids… It was a great event when I was at Western New England, and I’m so happy that we’re bringing it down here,” said Spaulding.

If any individuals have questions or would like to donate to the “Stuff A Cruiser” drive, please contact Ofc. Richard Spaulding at rspaulding@springfieldcollege.edu or Laura Cafaro at lcafaro@ springfieldcollege.edu.

Campus News

November 18, 2021 Rowanda continued from Page 6

and practicing the Humanics philosophy that she learned at her alma mater. She got a call from an old friend, Jane Gutman, who persuaded and invited Lerner out to a community school in Rwanda, the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV).

In 2016, Lerner first arrived in Rwanda, which was still recovering from the genocide that occured over two decades ago. The ASYV was founded by Anne Heyman, a woman from South Africa who traveled to attend college in the United States.

When Heyman discovered that there were millions of orphans in Rwanda left alone after the genocide, she traveled there and founded the ASYV, creating it based off of the late 1940s post-Holocaust Israeli villages that cared for orphaned children.

In her first visit, Lerner walked cautiously in the ASYV. The school was separated into families, with “mamas” as the head of the families. The mamas in the ASYV were mothers who lost their children in the genocide. Lerner took this sort of apprentice role as an “auntie” since she was not a

native of the country.

During the presentation, Lerner showed pictures of the classrooms and curriculum at the ASYV, including a lesson on prepositional phrases that she assisted in, using some small objects in her backpack to demonstrate how to speak the English language.

A video showing a handful of alumni of the ASYV performing a touching cover of “Lean On Me” was played after. Lerner expressed that through this deep presentation of her experience, she hopes Springfield College will one day provide and offer an opportunity to

a Springfield College graduate to travel to Rwanda on a fellowship, and Springfield College will connect with the ASYV, and create a relationship through the power of Humanics.

“We hope you had an opportunity to see what your Springfield College education, or what you do as employees of Springfield College,” Hill said, “can do to engage, and motivate our students.”

Hill added to close the lecture that “Phyllis is a prime example of committing herself to action.”

The event ended in a Q&A with the attendees, and brought hope to the

PAGE 8

potential relationship between Springfield College and the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village. Lerner has been in conversation with the Office of Development at Springfield, and is hopeful that Springfield will continue the spread of the Humanics philosophy in Rwanda, and around the world.

November 18, 2021

Sports

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Grace Moore

Grace Moore during her 2018-19 first-year season. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield Athletics)

Grace Moore dominated the latest Springfield Student Women’s Athlete of the Week poll as the senior swimmer earned over 50% of the vote. Moore was nominated after finishing in first-place in the 200 fly with a time of 2:15.97, and being part of the second-place 400 medley relay team that finished in 4:02.53.

Moore has picked up several individual wins this season that have led the Pride to a 4-4 start.

Rachel Vinton, a point guard for the women’s basketball team, finished second with almost 28% of the vote. Vinton has helped the Pride to an impressive 4-0 start and the team hasn’t given up more than 45 points in a game yet this season.

Vinton’s defense was just part of the reason she was nominated, though she came up with a pesky 10 steals over two games last week. The junior also scored 37 points on 15-21 shooting during that

two-game stretch to complement her 11 rebounds and eight assists.

A pair of women’s volleyball teammates rounded out the four nominees as the Pride competed in the NCAA tournament last week. Camryn Bancroft, a graduate student on the team, edged Sara Labadorf, a senior, 14% to 7%.

Bancroft led the way as the team defeated Rowan in five-sets to advance past the first round. The middle blocker compiled a team-high 16 kills to go along with two solo blocks and six block assists.

Labadorf, the setter, dished 46 assists, received 20 digs, and hit four aces in that first-round win over Rowan. Springfield later fell to Johns Hopkins in its next match, but finished out the season with a strong 23-8 overall record.

Be sure to follow The Student on Twitter (@TheSpfldStudent) to vote in next week’s polls!

Mark Montano The Springfield College football team reflected it’s in-conference success with a dominant showing in The Student’s Men’s Athlete of the Week poll. The Pride had two student-athletes nominated after defeating Catholic, 28-14, on Saturday.

That win clinched the NEWMAC Championship for the Pride, who went undefeated in conference play, and earned them an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. The selection show on Sunday revealed that the Pride will head to Cortland for it’s first-round game on Saturday, Nov. 20 at noon.

Mark Montano earned 46% of the vote to take home the honor. Montano, a senior defensive back, made a key diving interception in the win.

Catholic’s quarterback looked left and fired a ball in Montano’s direction, forcing the senior to make a diving attempt to his right. Once he caught it, the packed crowd at Stagg Field erupted. Montano also had a key pass breakup and seven tackles to contribute to an impressive defensive performance.

Aiden Lewin, a sophomore linebacker, led the

defensive effort with 12 total tackles, including five solo, and finished with nearly 25% of the vote. Lewin also tipped a ball into the air in coverage and snagged it before picking up 21 yards after the interception. His first half interception built necessary momentum for the team which faced a tough test in Catholic’s offense.

Third in the polls, James Chan from the men’s swim team earned almost 16% of the vote.

Chan had an impressive first-year season before Covid denied the chance for his sophomore performance. Nonetheless, he has come out strong again as a junior.

In the team’s meet on Saturday against Whea- Mark Montano (6) celebrates during an impressive defensive performance against Catholic. (Photo corton and Keene State, Chan found himself in tesy of Chris Evans/Springfield Athletics) first-place on four different occasions. He won in the 100 free (47.84) and the 500 free (4:55.50) and was part of the 400 medley relay team (3:34.25) and the 200 free relay group (1:28.26).

Men’s basketball’s Collin Lindsay earned nearly 14% of the vote as he scored 19 points shooting 80% from the field in the team’s loss to Roger Williams on Friday. Lindsay added 10 rebounds.

November 18, 2021

Sports

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Tournament bound Springfield College’s football team will head to SUNY Cortland on Nov. 20 for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. ____ By Joe Arruda ____ @joearruda9

After earning an automatic bid into the 32-team NCAA Tournament field following its NEWMAC Championship-clinching victory on Saturday, the Springfield College football team sat together to watch the NCAA selection show on Sunday, Nov. 14.

Players dressed comfortably and waited with a lessened sense of anxiety, knowing that their team’s name would be called at any moment. The last time Springfield earned an NCAA bid followed its undefeated 2017 season, before the NEWMAC was one of the 27 conferences holding rights to an automatic entry.

Near the end of the show, the Pride found out that they would be heading to SUNY Cortland for a first-round game on Nov. 20. The game is set to kickoff at noon on Saturday, Nov. 20.

Last weekend, though, was time for the Pride to lock it up. Following a 1-3 start, Springfield ran through the NEWMAC. The Pride purposely scheduled tough, non-conference games on the road to start the season. In doing so, the Pride not only were prepared for the competition ahead of them, but built up their strength-of-schedule resumé.

Any tie-breakers in

the conference standings would lead to a mathematical solution that calculates strength-of-schedule.

In order to avoid a tie-breaker, Springfield simply needed to defeat Catholic in its final game of the regular season last weekend. The team came out fast, with the offense running up the score in the first half, and the defense consistently returning them the ball.

But the second half was all defense and special teams.

The Pride led 28-7 heading into halftime, following touchdowns from typical scorers in quarterback David Wells, running back Ryan Deguire and fullbacks Tim Callahan and Pat Ladas.

The defense forced three Catholic turnovers in the second half as both offenses struggled. It was a key diving interception by senior defensive back Mark Montano that returned the ball to the teeth of Springfield’s triple-option offense with just over six minutes remaining and a 14-point lead.

The second-half struggle with the ball snapped it back to Pat Touhy, the punter, after a quick threeand-out. Touhy blasted the ball 46 yards down the field, giving Catholic the ball at its own 31 yard

Aiden Lewin. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

line. Three plays later, Springfield defensive back Ronald Beard leaped at the goal line and made a clutch interception that allowed Callahan to run the clock out.

The bleachers at Stagg Field, filled with students, families and fans, erupted as the celebration began on the turf. Springfield College President MaryBeth Cooper delivered the NEWMAC trophy to the team as players posed for a picture. “The Brotherhood” erupted in song, scream-singing Eddie Money.

“Take me home tonight, I don’t want to let you go ‘til you see the light,” the huddle echoed as it jumped around with the trophy.

It was a celebration

of the team’s hard work throughout the course of the season -- and the past two years, since the 2020 season was cancelled because of Covid.

“The time that they put in over the course of the last whatever it’s been and just committed to each other, and the program, and the school has just been amazing,” Springfield head coach Mike Cerasuolo said after the game. “Obviously it was challenging for everybody, and really challenging for athletes because they got something taken away from them that they loved and to be able to come back and where we were four or five weeks ago to where we are now – they committed to each other and they made it a mission

to get to this moment and they did.”

The regular season was surely something to be celebrated, but the time is now for the NCAA Tournament. In 2017, the Pride came up just two points short in the first round to Husson University – a team that they fell to earlier this season by a score of 26-21.

Cortland (10-0) earned an automatic bid into the playoffs after winning the Empire 8 conference title and was ranked No. 13 in the country in the most recent D3football.com poll.

Springfield will face a challenge in getting past undefeated Cortland in the first round on Saturday, but the Pride are fired up.

Sports

November 18, 2021

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‘I’m just going to think about all the fun we had’ Springfield’s women’s volleyball team had a season full of highlights the athletes will not forget. __ By Chris Gionta __ @Chris_Gionta

After ending their 2019 campaign with five of six original starters injured and losing six consecutive games, along with not having a season of competition in 2020, the 2021 Springfield College women’s volleyball team knew nothing was guaranteed. Thus, they made sure to compete well and have fun doing it.

“It was just so fun,” said graduate student, middle blocker, and team leader in kills, Camryn Bancroft.

“When I think about this season, I’m just going to think about all the fun we had, like the bus rides, the locker room…”

Part of what made the season especially enjoyable was that it was a

return to competition after a long time away.

“I think I talked a lot about just the pure joy of having volleyball again,” said Springfield head coach Moira Long. “Our players just brought a lot of joy into our lives because we all absolutely love volleyball and we’re just so excited to be back on the court.”

There was reason to be joyous as a member of the Springfield women’s volleyball team in 2021 for a variety of reasons. It started with the Springfield College Invitational in Sept., where the Pride won all four games. They began the season with 11 consecutive victories which included their first victory against Babson

The Pride’s women’s volleyball huddles after a point. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

since 2016, and after a four-game rough patch, they won seven more in a row.

They earned their way into the NEWMAC tournament, but had to take a difficult route to advance. They came in as a No. 5 seed in the seven-team tournament, so their journey in the tournament began and evidently stayed on the road.

Springfield went to Emerson and defeated them in four sets, and in doing so, avenged their first loss of the season.

“I think when we went into Emerson, that match was really big because it was a little bit of redemption,” said Long.

Then, it was on to the No. 1 seeded Babson, whom they had beaten at home in the regular season. Springfield’s NEWMAC tournament performance against the Beavers was a season-defining match, with the Pride winning in a five-set affair after three of the frames were decided by three or fewer points. It also sent them to the NEWMAC final.

“We just wanted it so bad,” Bancroft said, reflecting on the team’s second victory over Babson. “Like that game was so much hype. We were just so happy.

With it being five sets, it was a battle from the first point.”

The performance in the conference tournament was a large reason why they were able to get into the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The Pride received a proper sendoff from the campus of Springfield College, then went to Baltimore to compete in the tournament.

When they got there, they won another competitive five-set match; this time against Rowan University. It eventually took the undefeated Johns Hopkins University to knock the Pride out of the bracket.

The 2021 season saw many great performances from a variety of See WVB continued on Page 15

November 18, 2021

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PAGE 12

Hitting the slopes

Students Meghan Driscoll and Jack Reetz revamped the Springfield College Ski and Snowboard Club after years of vacancy. __ By Braedan Shea __ @bshea@springfield.edu

It’s that time of year again: classes are ending for breaks, holidays are beginning, and snow is accumulating.

This year, Springfield College students can add another positive to the winter list, as the Springfield College Ski and Snowboard Club will finally be back in full swing.

After a few years of vacancy, Co-Club Presidents Meghan Driscoll and Jack Reetz have revived the club.

When Reetz was touring here at Springfield College, he noticed that there was something missing from the campus - a skiing and snowboarding club.

This was something that as an avid skier, he found egregious.

In order to fix the problem, Reetz and Driscoll met with Club Sports Director Tom Verrico, in hopes to continue skiing in college himself and bring it to others.

Verrico encouraged the pair to revive the club, and they did just that.

“It’s kind of been my baby,” said Reetz.

Reetz also stressed the importance of having the

club available to all. “We want the club to be open to anybody interested in snow sports whatsoever. It would help if you’ve skied or snowboarded before, prior to joining the club, but we want to open this up to anyone who’s interested.”

“This year was easier for us, because we had put so much work in in the past two years,” said Driscoll.

“We luckily got a bunch of involvement in the club fair and a lot of kids are excited; I think a lot of people are just ready to get back to normal as best as they can… we’re starting lifts this week, we’re having all sorts of students from people who have competed in high school to people who have never skied before, and we’re just ready to start getting in shape and getting ready for our season,” Driscoll added.

The return of the club will be starting up the first weekend of the spring semester, where members can expect the season to last about 10 weeks.

“We go up on Saturday’s and Sunday’s for pretty

much the first ten weekends of the spring semester,” explained Reetz.

The club competes for the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) under the McBrine division, which includes all of the colleges on the East Coast.

Competitions can run for about an hour, depending on which competition the member has signed up for, and the rest of the day is free for skiing.

The presidents have worked hard to make the club as financially viable as possible and offered different “brackets” for students to fall into based on their experience and what they personally want from the club.

“The pass that will allow you to ski two weekends will be about $200, and it goes in increments of two, so you could ski two, four, six, or eight weekends. The most you’ll pay is a little bit over $500, and that’s including a ski jacket,” said Driscoll.

For those not really into competition, though, there is no need to worry.

“The rest of the days, on Saturdays and Sundays,

Co-President Jack Reetz. (Photo courtesy of @SC_skiandsnowboard on Instagram)

are for free skiing and snowboarding,” assured Reetz.

A terrain park will be offered for students to try out their jumps and tricks on their skis and snowboards, and Driscoll said the club plans on visiting mountains like Okemo, Mt. Snow, and Whiteface Mountain.

Things will be run differently than times of the past, however, thanks in part to the ever-lasting COVID-19 pandemic which has kept the team from competing the past two years. Members are expected to follow guidelines that the USCSA has put in place in order to keep the community safe.

The required guidelines can be found on the USCSA website, underneath the “COVID-19 Information” tab.

“Masks are required everywhere - that means in lodge, on mountain, while you’re racing, et cetera,” said Reetz.

“Luckily, though, skiing

and snowboarding are the kind of sports where you can socially distance, so you don’t have to worry about being near other people when you’re out there,” added Driscoll.

The best way to get involved is through their Instagram page @sc_skiandsnowboard, where students can find all the information and updates on the team. A sign-up form is also located in the account bio, making it easy for students to join.

The students’ excitement of restarting the club is only escalated by their happiness to get back out on the slopes, especially with new members.

“We are so excited to return. We’ve been slowly getting to this stage for years,” emphasized Reetz.

For more information, Jack Reetz and Meghan Driscoll can be reached through email at jreetz@ springfieldcollege.edu and mdriscoll3@springfieldcollege.edu.

November 18, 2021

The end of an era Melissa Sharpe calls it a career after 18 years as the field hockey coach at Springfield College

Melissa Sharpe played at Springfield before becoming a coach in 2004. (Photo courtesy of Springfield Athletics) __ By Carley Crain __ @carley_crain12

The final game of the 2021 fall season for the Springfield women’s field hockey team marked the end of an era for head coach Melissa Sharpe. A tough 6-0 loss to city rival Western New England was the final game for Sharpe, as tears rolled down her cheeks, reflecting on her time

coaching for the Pride.

While Sharpe’s announcement of her resignation came a few days after the season ended, she knew that was it for her. It was the last time she would ever coach for the Pride on Stagg Field.

After 18 years of leading the women’s field hockey team, Sharpe is

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choosing her family — as she has missed out on time with her kids over the years because of the commitment it takes to be a college head coach.

Sharpe explained to the Athletics department how difficult it is to step away from coaching.

“This has been the absolute hardest decision of my life but it is what is right for my family.

Having the opportunity to be at my kids’ sporting events and activities is something I have missed out on the last several years, and now it’s time to focus on my family,” explained Sharpe.

Sharpe first stepped foot on Alden Street as a student-athlete herself in 1998. During her time playing on Stagg, she lit up the field and cemented herself as one of the best field hockey players Springfield College has ever seen.

With 128 points (59 goals and 10 assists), Sharpe is still the second all time scoring leader in program history, and was also named as an NFHCA/STX First-Team All-American during her undergraduate years.

After a successful career playing for the Pride, Sharpe became head coach after her stint as a graduate assistant for the team. While she could have gone anywhere and coached field hockey, Sharpe felt

that Springfield was home. It was where she was meant to be.

Springfield College Director of Athletics Craig Poisson enjoyed his time working alongside Sharpe, and has seen her grow not only as a coach, but as a person. He explained to the Athletics department about her lasting impact on the field hockey program.

“From her time as a student-athlete to a teacher coach on Alden Street, Melissa has left a lasting mark at Springfield College. For nearly two decades, she was a role model and leader to all those involved with our field hockey program and helped our young women grow and develop on and off the field,” Poisson said in a statement released by the Athletics department.

In 2004 Sharpe was announced as the head coach for the Pride, as the team then traveled and competed in the NCAA Elite Eight Championship in both 2005 and 2007. Those two seasons were some of the most memorable for the program, as Sharpe played a huge role in the team’s success during this era. In fact, both years resulted in 21-win seasons, the most in single-season program history for Springfield.

Sharpe is also an assistant professor in

PAGE 13 physical education, and is planning on teaching for the remainder of the school year.

Success for the Pride continued throughout the years both on and off the field. In 2018, the team averaged a 4.29 goal-scoring margin, which was the sixth highest across all collegiate divisions in the country. The 2018 season also marked the most successful era in the classroom for the team, as the combined team GPA was a 3.78, which was the best in the country at the time.

This past fall season was tough for the women’s field hockey team, as they had many away games, long days of traveling, and matched up against some nationally ranked teams. For Sharpe, however, this year will always stick with her.

“I have been blessed to have my dream job for the last 18 years, to coach amazing young women at Springfield College and to work with incredible and supportive coaches and our Director of Athletics, Dr. Craig Poisson,” Sharpe explained in a statement released by the Athletics Department.

A national search is now being conducted to replace Sharpe, but her legacy and contributions to Springfield College will never be forgotten.

November 18, 2021

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PAGE 14

A long road to Springfield Springfield graduate student Sidney Wentland played basketball in Division I and Division II programs before joining the Pride this year. ___ By Hayden Choate ___ @ChoateHayden

When Sidney Wentland made a layup to get her first points as a member of the Springfield College women’s basketball team, the lively Blake Arena crowd gave her an enthusiastic welcome.

The Birthplace is the third stop in Wentland’s college basketball career, playing for all three different NCAA divisions. Her first stop was at the University of Denver in the 2017-18 season.

“I committed with a different coaching staff then the one that was brought on at Denver so my senior year of high school they got let go and I stayed committed and once I got there, it wasn’t what I wanted,” Wentland said.

A year later, Wentland transferred to Div. II Concordia University at St. Paul, which is located 30 minutes away from her hometown.

“My parents got to come to like every game, it was awesome,” Wentland said.

Wentland played three years there in-

cluding last year where unlike Springfield, Concordia was able to have a full season.

Even though she played all 17 games last season and was named to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference All-Academic Team of Excellence, she still received an extra year of eligibility when the NCAA announced that the year could be made up due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wentland wanted to go to graduate school for sports psychology so she applied to a few different schools around the country and looked into playing one more year of basketball.

“Last year I was debating what to do and they (Concordia) didn’t have the grad program that I wanted so I got accepted here, got into the grad program here and I reached out to Coach Graves,” Wentland said.

Although she has a lot of experience playing at the collegiate level, Wentland wasn’t sure if Graves would let

Sidney Wentland being introduced for her first game with the Pride. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

her play.

“When I met Sid, I was pretty direct with her,” Graves said. “Why should I invest in you for one year? That’s me, that’s who I am but I’m so glad I did, I have no regrets.”

Wentland wasn’t sure what to expect as a graduate transfer only having one year left of eligibility. She sent Graves some film of her and Graves gave her the chance to try out for the team.

Not only did Wentland make the team,

but has been a major contributing factor. She scored 17 points in her first game, which earned her the NEWMAC Women’s Basketball Offensive Athlete of the Week honor. Wentland was also selected to the New England Women’s Basketball Association honor roll after scoring 23 points in last week’s win over Maine Maritime.

“It was surprising, I was not expecting that at all,” Wentland said on being NEWMAC Athlete of the Week. “Then

Coach Graves came up to me and was like, ‘Do you even know what that means?’ And I’m like ‘I don’t know,’ then she explained it to me. I was very honored, very surprised and thought it was awesome.”

Wentland and fellow graduate student Summer Matlack are each playing in their fifth years, but are just like the first-years on the team, in that they are new to Springfield College basketball.

“I don’t usually take a lot of transfers, and

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November 18, 2021 part of why I really looked at her was first of all, she’s talented, but second of all, she was really receptive to doing the paperwork, getting everything set, trying to get to know us and our program early on,” Graves said. “I’m just really grateful to have her in our program, she fits perfectly, her dedication, her enthusiasm there’s no separation between her and the rest of the team, her and Summer.”

“I think there are a lot of different ages but I trust everyone, we’re all very reliable on the court,” Wentland said.

“On my past teams, it’s

been like people will sub in and the game will kind of change a bit when you go away from the starters but here we’re very level, we’re very consistent and that’s very awesome to have in the young players.”

When putting her journey as a college basketball player into perspective, Wentland has gone through a lot of ups and downs but feels that right now with this Springfield team is certainly an “up”.

“My senior year [of high school] was very peak. It was awesome.

We went undefeated, won state, like the best

possible season you could have,” Wentland said. “Then I went in at Denver and had the lowest of the lows, barely played.”

“I started gaining my confidence back and my coach at Concordia helped a lot so just getting my confidence back and love for the game – each year it’s elevated again, hopefully I reach that peak again this year.”

Wentland’s personality helps her fit into the team’s culture seamlessly.

“She’s never put herself above anybody, she’s never put anyone down because she was at

Outside hitter Natalie Billet became the second Springfield women’s volleyball player to earn AVCA Region II FirstYear of the Year. She led Springfield in points with 417.5, which were earned through 354 kills, 45 serving aces, and 35 total blocks. Billet also provided quality back-row defense with 280 digs.

The player who received the most praise was Bancroft, who earned AVCA Region II Player of the Year honors. She not only led

the team in kills, but did it in an extremely efficient manner. Bancroft’s .357 hitting percentage ranked in the top 30 in the nation.

Springfield is destined for continued success, as their roster this year was comprised of 10 underclassmen on a team of 17 players.

“I know what their talent is,” said Bancroft.

“And I just can’t wait to see them get better every year.”

a higher level program,” Graves said. “She’s never given anyone the idea that she’s older, wiser, whatever, she’s just met the criteria of being a good teammate, it’s fascinating to me, it’s wonderful.”

Wentland is excited for what the rest of the season has in store for the team.

“It’s been really special for me to be able to come in and feel so welcomed,” Wentland said “Everyone’s been really willing to help me if I don’t know where a class is or something all the girls are like ‘I got you’, and I’m just happy that I have been able to

PAGE 15 help the team as well in anyway I can. I was so nervous coming in not knowing anyone, but this is the best possible group I can come into.”

The women’s basketball team is 4-0 for the first time since 1998-99 entering Wednesday’s home game against Endicott on Nov. 17.

WVB continued from Page 11

individuals. Sara Labadorf collected honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Region II as part of the AVCA All-Region Team. The senior setter was an elite passer, as she got over 1000 assists in a season for the second time in her career. Her 1,070 assists this year ranked in the top 25 in the nation.

Two of the main student-athletes Labadorf was passing to ended up being honored among the region’s best as well.

Springfield women’s volleyball during their NEWMAC semifinal win over Babson. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

SPORTS The Springfield Student

VOL. 136 NO. 11

(Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

Making All The Stops [See Page 14]

Melissa Sharpe leaves Springfield field hockey after legendary career

A reflection on the Springfield women’s volleyball season