The Springfield Student Est. 1910
December 16, 2021
scstudentmedia.com // @TheSpfldStudent
Volume 136 No. 13
Winners/Finalists for five Society of Professional Journalist (SPJ) awards in 2021
Happy Finals Week! Why is the semester ending so late? See page 6
(Joe Arruda/The Student)
inside Positive COVID Tests On Campus, Page 2 Justin Compton’s Committment To Nature, Page 4 How To Reduce Personal Food Waste, Page 7 Column From The Co-Editor-In-Chief, Page 3 And more...
Campus News
December 16, 2021
PAGE 2
COVID Update After a surge of new positive COVID cases following Thanksgiving break, the numbers aren’t unexpected.
___ By Carley Crain ___ @carley_crain12
With the winter months approaching, the cold temperatures are playing a role in students getting sick. In the past 30 days, Springfield College has seen an increase in the number of both COVID and flu cases, but this change was somewhat expected by the college. “Our numbers aren’t unexpected given the rise in COVID cases not only here in Hampden county but across the state and throughout the country. There is nothing too alarming at this time,” said Director of the Health Center, Kathleen Hogan. With the new Omicron variant and the
holiday season approaching, COVID cases across the country and in Massachusetts are rising. For those who are fully vaccinated, the risk of hospitalization or having serious symptoms are unlikely, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). “Our biggest surges have come after periods of time where students went home, like with Thanksgiving. Many students might have had direct contact with family members who were positive,” said Hogan. Students are now eligible for COVID booster shots, which the College highly encourages students to get and is
likely to mandate. A large population of the school being vaccinated, Hogan explained, will help keep cases low on campus. Most students who have tested positive that are vaccinated on campus have only dealt with mild symptoms this semester. The college has also observed that students who do test positive have chosen to go home and quarantine, since many family members of theirs are vaccinated and are at low risk of contracting the virus. “Overall our students or anyone that is testing positive is having very mild symptoms and are fully recovering during that 10-day isolation
period,” said Hogan. Hogan also mentioned that close contacts of positive cases have remained negative this semester, which is a sign that the high rates of vaccinations are working on campus. “Last semester we had more clusters and larger groups that tested positive for COVID all at the same time,” explained Hogan. “I can only assume that this is due to our high rates of COVID vaccinations.” Students testing positive for Influenza A has also been trending upward, as many of these students did not receive their flu shot. Even though the college
has not mandated the flu vaccine for students and staff, Hogan highly encourages everyone to get vaccinated. The health center currently has weekly testing available for all students, regardless of vaccination status. After winter break, all residential students are required to get tested in order to move into the dorms. Any change to current policies, like having off campus guests and visitors, will be evaluated at the beginning of the winter semester once the college is aware of the current landscape of COVID on campus.
Campus News
December 16, 2021
PAGE 3
Rotondo: The beginning of the end Co-Editor-in-Chief Irene Rotondo reflects on senior year and the future of her fellow Springfield College students. __ By Irene Rotondo __ @irenerrotondo
The energy of this campus has changed. I can feel it, and I think the other seniors can feel it too. It’s not the same as before, when we all stepped out as a unified group of unaware 18-year-olds in August 2018. We secured a maroon-and-white beanie atop our heads with one hand while we wrapped a brand-new lanyard from the bookstore (crisp new ID dangling) around our necks, excited and beautifully naive to what our college experience would be. In my memory, it was different here before COVID, before the EEE mosquito virus. Before the deaths of first-year students during both my freshman and sophomore years. Before someone drove their car through President Mary-Beth Cooper’s front gates, before everyone got their catalytic converters stolen, and before the ‘I wonder why…’ community art wall went
up, which detailed sexual violence and racial disparities experienced by students on campus, Springfield College was a different place. And despite these tragedies -- some close to home for us on Alden Street, some felt by the world -- Springfield College has maintained its Humanics philosophy, continued construction on buildings, inducted alumni into the various Halls of Fame, and graduated students from its campus. Classes have been held, games have been hosted, facilities workers have kept cleaning, and Cheney is still open from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. The College has kept moving, a well-oiled machine designed for higher education to form students into leaders, all for “the future of our country.” And this is not to say that Springfield College does not still hold the bravado and glamour it did for me when I first
arrived. Students still clap when someone drops their plate in Cheney, they still hold doors open for people yards away, and they still transform the dirt backyards of the Townhouses into a haven for extroverts every Saturday night. But, even as I begin to close my senior year, with just 4.5 credits and the spring semester to go, I’m not thinking about my own future right now. I’m thinking about the future for my colleagues graduating from here who still have two, three, or four years to go. What will they take away from their experience? Did they even have what one could feasibly call, “the college experience?” I still recount our freshman year memories with my friends I’ve been with since Dirty Gu; we still look at videos from our comically-tiny rooms of the shenanigans we’d partake in, at least 10 of us crammed in at once to enjoy each other’s presence. I feel lucky enough to have these memories. I am extremely grateful for the time I have been blessed
enough to have; I know the classes below mine were only able to experience a semester, at most, before COVID ruined it all. So, for my final semester at the College, I’ve decided the tragedies we’ve all experienced aren’t going to plague me anymore. I’m not going to think about the “whatifs:” what if COVID never happened, or what if Jake hadn’t died? Those are circumstances out of my control, and because, as a collective human race, we’ve had so much taken from us, I will be taking this semester as an opportunity, not as a chance to mourn what could have been. I’m thrilled for Senior Week, for Sti-Yu-Ka, for the lacrosse games and for the daytime parties fueled by warm weather and fewer responsibilities. I’m excited that my last required class I need to get my diploma will be taught by my beloved mentor, Marty Dobrow, who has guided me each step I’ve taken through young adult life at the College. I can’t wait to soak up every
minute I’ll have with my six roommates, most of whom have been with me from the beginning (and the others quickly becoming my sisters too) before we all have to leave our microcosm of a Townhouse. And lastly, I’m confident that the energy my class felt our first year here will return. I’ve seen the inner workings of the College by now, the way unseen heroes go the extra mile to keep those around them happy. There are survivors who remember the way it used to be, and those who do not know can still feel the way it should be. I believe the energy of Springfield College was magical before, and even through the darkness that was the last few years, the College has continued to shine as a beacon of light for students trying to find themselves. Springfield College has never stopped moving, and I believe that the fortitude of this institution will spark the original Spirit for the Pride once again.
Campus News
December 16, 2021
PAGE 4
Father Nature Justin Compton, a professor at Springfield College, uses his childhood love for nature to educate students and enhance the College’s environmental science program.
Professor Compton takes his students to Costa Rica for his International Tropical Field Research class. (Photo courtesy of Justin Compton) _ By Chris Gionta _ @ChrisGionta2
Many people agree they would aspire to work professionally with something that has interested them for a very long time. Springfield College Associate Professor of Environmental Biology and Environmental Science
program director, Justin Compton, has done this with his aspirations. Compton took his childhood interests and developed them into a successful career in the ecological field. It came together even more for him when he was
elected to serve on The Ecological Society of America Board of Professional Certification. “I guess it starts, honestly, when I was a kid,” said Compton about his initial interest in ecology. “I grew up in Central California, and
so, I always remember being outside as a kid. I was always interested, whether it was being in the ocean or climbing mountains and stuff like that, I just really enjoyed being outside. I really enjoyed trying to catch different animals, whether it’s snakes or lizards or you name it when I was a kid. So, I think that’s where it started, and I was able to foster it as I continued to grow up.” He followed his interests into higher education, where he set his own path and made family history. “I’m a first-generation college graduate — college student — in my family,” said Compton. “So I really honestly didn’t know much about college when I was growing up.” Compton’s journey into the world of ecology continued into University of California – Davis, where he realized the possibilities of what he could do in
the world of science. He went in as a biology major, then, within his first year, he switched to being a major in Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology. This would be what he got his college degree in, which was a launching pad for his career. Compton continued his experience in the field all the way to Springfield College, where he began teaching in 2014. He is currently in the Biology and Chemistry Department and teaches a wide range of courses. “I teach things like ecology,” Compton said. “I teach a class called New England Flora and Fauna, I teach a class where we take students to Costa Rica over the winter break, I teach sustainability, and I also teach general bio.” Despite the variety of classes he teaches at the school, it only scratches the surface of what Compton does. Along with his work in
Campus News
December 16, 2021 the classroom, he also contributes to research. “My research is really focused on wildlife and really how wildlife can utilize different types of environments or habitats,” he said. “So I primarily use things like trail cameras.” Trail cameras, as Compton described, are remote cameras that can be found in commercial stores and are used by many people to see what happens in their backyard. He also uses them to observe, but with more of a professional influence. “I kind of use those, and I use them in different parts of southern New England, and just try to see what’s out there, and see if I can document different populations of certain species, and then how those species change depending on where I put the cameras and those sorts of things,” said Compton regarding trail cameras. His findings in wildlife using this technology have led to accomplishments for him in the educational world. “I’ve been doing [the trail cams] for quite a while,” said Compton. “And it’s gained some traction, kind of over the past three or four years. I’ve gotten a few papers published from it, so I’m just kind of cranking away on that.”
PAGE 5
Justin Compton takes his class outisde for environmental experiments. (Photo courtesy of Justin Comptonw)
He is also currently building the environmental science program at Springfield College. It is still a relatively new program, with the upcoming graduating class being its third such class. He hopes to not only help students find their desire in the environmental field, but help create leaders for the benefit of our world. “The idea is that the environment obviously is really important,” said Compton. “And kind of the whole mantra of Springfield College — that spirit, body, mind — we’re trying to create a new set of environmental leaders that can usher us into the
21st century and really tackle some important problems that we’re facing.” Throughout his time in the field, Compton has been a member of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) for 18 years. His experience with the organization and his experience is wildlife and ecology earned him a high position within the ESA. Recently, he was elected to serve on their Board of Professional Certification. “So, I was nominated for that board position,” said Compton. “And the president of the ESA reached out to me, asked me if I was interested in running for that posi-
tion.” He followed through on running for it along with three other nominees within the ESA. All of them answered questions on their experience, what they would bring to the board, and more. Eventually, it got out to a vote for ESA members, of which there are thousands. Compton ended up being elected through the vote, and he will be serving a three-year term starting in January 2022. Going into the term, Compton knows what he is there to do and bring to the table. “The idea behind it is that in a lot of different fields, you have to get
some form of certification,” he said. “So, the ESA tries to document a certain level of expertise and knowledge.” Compton has made himself decorated in the world of wildlife and ecology, and his election to this position exemplifies that. Springfield College certainly is privileged to have someone this prominent in their field teaching and doing research for them.
Campus News
December 16, 2021
PAGE 6
Home for the holidays? Due to an academic calendar quirk the semester will end on Dec. 23 causing extra stress the Springfield College community. __ By Garrett Cote __ @garrett_cote
For the first time since the fall of 2019, a complete 15-week, in-person semester has unraveled here on Alden Street. The burdensome shift back to classroom learning and how Springfield College students have responded to it is nothing short of remarkable, especially given the late semester end date of December 23. Oddly enough, it just so happens that every six or seven years, there is a late semester end date. In 2015, residence halls also closed on Dec. 23. Seven years before that, in 2008, they closed on Dec. 22. Due to Springfield’s consistent choice to begin the fall semester after Labor Day, this trend will continue to happen every handful of years, according to Senior Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Mary Ann Coughlin. “Just before COVID, we looked at the academic calendar to try to look at specific things like when we start and stop each semester,” Coughlin said. “We have
pretty much built the calendar around classes starting after Labor Day.” “It’s part of our strategy to engage students right from the get go, and keep them engaged throughout the semester. As a result, every six or so years we get into this tough window where we back up almost right to Christmas.” When the final week of each semester approaches, students will typically check out and begin dialing in on the much needed winter break, excited to enjoy holiday time with their family and friends. This year, more than others, it’s a grind to the finish line to submit all assignments and wrap up exams just two days before Christmas. Because some students live internationally, and some students participate in winter athletics (or a combination of both), this late date has a trickling effect in many aspects. A few international students have already had to scurry their way
back home, finishing the semester online to leave them with time to settle in before their families begin holiday tradition. “I think there definitely have been some international students who may have had issues with traveling,” Coughlin said. “But this happens every so often, and usually they will work something out with their professors where they will take their final exam early so they can fly home in time. Because of the travel restrictions in relation to COVID, it’s probably accentuated this situation a little bit more.” On top of that, winter student athletes are going to witness very quick intercession periods this year. The men’s basketball team, for example, will have just four short days of break before returning to campus to continue their in-season training. A toll will certainly be taken on the Pride, including senior Daryl Costa. “I feel like the late semester has affected me
For the first time since 2015, residence halls aren’t closing until Dec. 23. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College)
mentally,” he said. “From going mostly online to back to normal with in-class learning wasn’t the easiest transition, and to top it off we are ending later than usual which makes our break shorter. It’s almost like we are jumping directly from one semester to the next without that mental relaxation to refresh.” Coughlin appreciates the patience of the Springfield College community for adapting to the late semester end date, and emphasized she always keeps the students in her mind when mapping out the calendar each year. “From my perspective, trying to put the academic calendar
together is a tough balancing act,” she said. “I try to look at what’s in the best interest of the students, but with that comes the best interest of the academic experience. We are bound by federal regulations that we have to have 15 weeks of classes including final exam week, so that’s why people are able to see the pattern that exists with the late end date every so often.” Now with only one week remaining before the page is turned on yet another successful semester, Springfield students can gladly say they won’t encounter another tight deadline like this one for at least several more years.
December 16, 2021
News Campus
PAGE 7
What’s on your plate? Springfield College professor Justine Dymond hosts an event to encourage students to be aware of the amount of food they are wasting. __ By Cait Kemp __ @caitlinkemp09
Thousands of students flock in and out of dining halls all day long, while employees serve up breakfast, lunch and dinner, with multiple options at each meal. The amount of food needed to serve a college campus is astronomical, but what is more important is how much of that food goes to waste at the end of the day. On Monday, Springfield College English professor Justine Dymond and her Native American Literature class hosted an event titled “What’s On Your Plate?” – a food waste campaign to encourage students to be more mindful of what they eat and, moreso, the leftovers they throw out. “The course is a part of the social justice domain for the gen-ed program… during one of our discussions in class about The Earth Charter, which is by Chief Jake Swamp, in which it’s sort of a manifesto about how to take care of the earth,” Dymond said. “In that conversation we started talking about hunger, food insecurity and then onto the conversation of food
waste.” Junior Erin Duffy, a student in Dymond’s Native American Literature class, had a part in the organization of the event. After the discussion in class, the students became more interested in the topic and how to spread awareness to their peers. “One Friday, we were discussing food availability and food waste,” Duffy said. “One of my classmates, Alejandra Ladines, who works in Cheney, shed some light about food waste on our campus.” Her classmate continued to share that at the end of the night, there is often an abundance of leftover food in the dining hall, but staff workers are not allowed to take any of it. Hearing this gave Duffy and the rest of the class the idea to work food waste into their final project to spread awareness about food waste and share how it affects the community. “There is a lot of food waste in Cheney, it’s an all-you-can-eat situation… that gets just dumped in the trash,” said Dymond. “One of the questions is,
there’s how to prevent it, but then there’s also going to always be leftover food, so how can that be distributed in a safe way to those who may be suffering food insecurity in the very community that we live in?” To reach students across campus, the class created a survey to see how many people knew about food waste at Springfield College. They received over 100 responses. The survey asked students about food waste at school compared to at home, how much they think they put on their plate, and whether or not they eat most of it or end up throwing it out. Through the event, the planning committee started a chapter with the Food Recovery Network, “which unites students on college campuses to fight food waste and hunger,” Duffy said. The Food Recovery Network collaborates with college campuses to fight waste and feed people. There are local chapters at UMass Amherst, Worcester State University and Hampshire College, among others.
Justine Dymond’s Native American Literature class hosted the “What’s On Your Plate?” wwevent.(Photo courtesy of Springfield College)
There are programs on over 180 campuses across the nation, and together, they have recovered and donated over 5 million pounds of food, according to their website. “Think globally, act locally,” Dymond said, the phrase acting as their mantra for the project. The event was showcased in Cheney Dining Hall and the Union Cafe this past Monday and included a raffle, where students could try to guess the amount of candy in a jar representing the pounds of food an average college student wastes per year. They also gave out the survey link and additional information regarding food waste. “My table was in the Union, and I had a couple of people stop by the table in passing and fill out the survey in addition to making guesses towards the jar, which is great,” Duffy said. “The topic is important to me in particular because
if we have so much leftover food at the end of the night in Cheney, why can’t employees take home some of this food?” she continued. “It applies to our class because Native Americans have a higher food insecurity rate.” The plan to continue the campaign is in the works, but Dymond is hopeful that the students will continue this passion and want to share it with more people and really make a change in the community. “Hopefully the chapter, we’re going to keep it going. During our final exam we’re going to do a debrief discussion…like how do we keep the ball rolling,” said Dymond. Next time you grab a plate in line at Cheney, think about what you really will eat, and don’t overfill your serving. Being mindful about food waste and informing yourself is the first step in becoming educated and making a change in the community.
Campus News
December 16, 2021
PAGE 8
Letter to the editor: Has the SAT expired? An anonymous author expresses their feelings about the SAT being a requirement for the collegiate level.
In 1926, a test from the pits of Hell was resurrected. It lives in high school students’ nightmares, and can humble even the most academically successful people. The SAT. Despite the negative connotation around the SAT, there are attributes of the test that make it nearly flawless. From the incredibly in-depth reviewing process that scrutinizes every imaginable aspect of the 154 questions on the test, to the objectivity and comparability of scores, the SAT is arguably the best standardized test that has ever been created. Because of this, the SAT should be required for college admission. College admissions offices have utilized the SAT for decades. However, many colleges are challenging this long-standing precedent. With school dynamics shifting, some people believe that the SAT is not a good representation of individual academic abilities. Some colleges are answering criticism with policies such as “test-optional” and “test blind.” What these colleges have effectively done is overlook all of the benefits that come with requiring the SAT for
admission. Standardized tests are advantageous when evaluating a students’ academic abilities. The SAT is incredibly objective because all of the tests feature similar questions, similar test-taking environments, and are graded by a machine. In addition, the SAT has a multi-step process for creating test questions. For example, there are test development committees that are composed of experienced educators that decide which topics should be tested. The next phase consists of reviewing questions for their fairness. A committee of high school and college professors examine every question to ensure that it falls within a certain criterion, according to College Board. In fact, at least 12 professional test developers review each question, resulting in a test that’s fair to ALL students. Despite the SAT’s objectivity, people argue that the SAT is unnecessary for the academic evaluation of students. They argue that high school grade point averages (GPAs) are sufficient for the analysis of college applications, Aaron Chur-
chill wrote in an article for the Fordham Institute. While high GPAs are a good indicator of academic success, it’s hard to determine if grades have been subject to inflation as a result of lenient teacher grading. As a result, it’s almost impossible to compare students from across America. A viable solution to this predicament is the SAT, a test that allows college admissions to compare applicants free of bias because the test is objective. Others think college admissions will use the SAT as the main indication as to whether or not to accept students. Instead, college admissions takes a holistic approach when reviewing applications. They look at grades, test scores, extracurricular activities and application essays. Because of this, the score that students get on the SAT does not make/break their chances of getting into college. A prime example of this is a student who scored 1570 on their SAT, was ranked 3/1000 in their high school and took 12 AP classes. Despite all of these near-perfect accolades, the student was denied admission from
Emory University, Jeffrey Selingo wrote in an article for The Atlantic. A counter to why SATs should be required for college admission is that there are test prep and financial inequities. To counteract this problem, there are programs such as Khan Academy’s free personalized SAT prep. However, families with money have the financial resources to send their children to professional SAT tutors that can improve their test scores. On the flip side, students who are not wealthy cannot afford tutors for the SAT. There will always still be insecurities in test-taking because there are most likely better tutors out there than Sal from Khan Academy. While this truth is not ideal, it is not a reason to trash the SAT. A successful test that the SAT can be compared to is the New York State Regents Examinations. To prepare, I devoted six hours every weekend during the months of May and June to study for the Regents Exams. Eventually, I started to see patterns in the questions being asked. What I mean by this is
that students can expect certain test questions (repeat questions) on every Regents Exam. Naturally, I capitalized on this and did more practice exams until I was almost getting 100% on my practice tests. The reason why I was able to prepare in this fashion for the Regents Exams is because they are standardized. Since the SAT is a standardized test as well, it allows both students who are naturally smart and students who are academically motivated to score well. The SAT should be required for college admission. It is a standardized test that pulls questions straight from what high school students are learning in classrooms. Even though test equity is a problem, there are solutions out there that help level the playing field. In addition, the SAT allows naturally smart and academically motivated students to score well. While the SAT may hold a negative connotation in many people’s hearts, it doesn’t mean that it should be outright banned from colleges.
December 16, 2021
Sports
PAGE 9
Leading with Grace
Grace Dzindolet. (Joe Arruda/The Student)
A senior guard on the women’s basketball team, Grace Dzindolet has used basketball as a tool for her own self-acceptance, motivating her to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. __ By Braeden Shea __ Contributor
Senior guard Grace Dzindolet listened intently to her very serious head coach, Naomi Graves, earlier this year during a November practice that took place in Blake Arena from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Graves stood at half court, explaining what the next drill would be. The team would be separating into two sides, guards on one half, while forwards and centers would retreat to the other. Right after they
she delivered a SEAT at the Table presentation broke apart, Dzindolet entitled Queer Culture started heading toward in Athletics alongside her side. junior Lily Gould. The She took about three annual SEAT at the steps, stopped, and to Table event, which ran much of the amazement from Oct. 17 until the of her teammates, threw 24, is a week-long event herself into a full cartof panels and discuswheel. After sticking the sions aimed to educate landing perfectly, remiand provide depth and niscent of a gold medal valuable viewpoints gymnast, Dzindolet toward social justice calmly walked over to issues and strive for eqthe corner of the three uity and accountability. point line as if nothing In front of an overhad happened. crowded room located Just a few weeks in the basement of the prior, on October 20, Physical Education
Complex on campus, where students were forced to sit on the floor due to a lack of seating, Dzindolet shared what life is like as a lesbian athlete. While she didn’t throw herself into any cartwheels, her perspective was still so captivating and intriguing that even in that small, crammed room of people, all you could hear was silence, beside her words, of course. To even the most keen of eyes, it would appear that Dzindolet is comfortable inside her
own skin. She has an understanding of who she is and what her role is in life. But just a few years prior, you would see a completely different, more foreign, more lost character than you do today. She grew up just about an hour and a half away from campus, in the small town of Holliston, Massachusetts, accompanied by her parents and brother, Anthony, a junior See Dzindolet continued on Page 14
December 16, 2021
Sports
The true malice of the mat
of wrestling that not a lot of people understand is the everyday practice struggle,” Chase Parrott, a junior in the 149-pound weight class, said. “Almost every other sport goes into practice and genuinely has fun. You go to soccer practice and it’s fun playing soccer with the guys. You go to lacrosse and you run up and down the field throwing the ball with your teammates. “I’m not necessarily saying that their sports are easy, but when it comes to wrestling practice it’s really just a grind. It’s a fight to see how hard you can hit each other and pick each other up, how many times you can get slammed and get back up. Everyday practice is so grueling on your Two wrestlers locked up at a dual meet against Roger Williams on Dec. 10. (Lucy Hamilton/ body, both mentally and The Student) physically.” Following 30 min__ By Garrett Cote __ utes of warm up, Pride @garrett_cote head coach Jason Holder meanders his way tax on a wrestler’s body. through the double participate in practice Lined with solid begin their warm ups, a Nevertheless, regardless doors adjacent to his maroon-and-white of those nagging injucombination of elegant colors and “SPRINGoffice -- which holds ries tugging on their plyometric work that FIELD” plastered in trophies, calendars with mental toughness, each displays their flexibilblock lettering along important dates and member of the Pride ity with an array of each wall -- a white the depth chart of this wrestling team walks cartwheels and flips, punching bag hanging year’s roster -- and into in the back right corner coupled with stretching. through the red doors the wrestling room. and onto the two maof the room as it always Injured athletes sit off He captivates the room roon mats laid out in the with his booming voice, to the side on exercise does -- the Doug Parkbikes gradually intensi- room at least five days er Wrestling Room is which bounces off the primed and ready for yet fying their speed to stay a week for five consecu- walls as his team listens tive months. It requires intently. Aside from warm and loose. another arduous evea commitment like no The daily build up ning practice. teaching them skills, other. of soreness, aches and The wrestlers who Holder also sprinkles in “The toughest aspect pains can leave quite the are healthy and able to
The Springfield College wrestling team goes through an everyday grind that is hard to compare to anything else.
PAGE 10
life lessons during his practice sessions. “We try to teach them how to be resilient and disciplined with their training,” Holder said. “When they become consistent with that, you can rely on them and they begin to rely on each other. They then develop leadership qualities that become helpful later on when they leave the program, and that’s sort of the goal. My job is to teach positive life lessons through the sport of wrestling that are going to carry over to their careers.” For the next hour and a half, the labor-intensive practice plays out under Holder’s command. An hour and a half of nonstop moving, nonstop slamming between partners seeking to work out kinks before the tournament, nonstop fullspeed drills designed to make the athletes lose as much sweat as possible. It’s a race to see who can sweat the most, who can lose the most weight. The reward is the ability to replenish their bodies with a sufficient amount of nutrition succeeding their intense practices. The more they sweat, the more they can eat. Managing weight is a struggle. Typically wrestlers will walk around roughly
Sports
November 18, 2021
A match at the Doug Parker Invitational Tournament. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athleics)
10 pounds above their weight class at the beginning of the week, having to shed that before the time comes to step on the scale for tournament weigh-in just hours before their first match. For Parrott, mental toughness is the key to remaining disciplined when managing his weight. It sounds simple, but it’s not. “The whole lifestyle of wrestling is really draining on your health. Mentally, emotionally and physically,” Parrott said. “You’re constantly working out and practicing every day. And when you’re not, you’re still thinking about it. You’re not eating as much because you’re trying to get the weight off all while maintaining good grades and staying level-headed in the classroom. It’s tough to juggle, but you
have to have a lot of willpower and learn to be mentally tough. It’s instilled in wrestlers at a young age.” At Westhill High School in Stamford, Conn., Parrott saw plenty of success on the mat. He was a two-time state finalist (junior year in the 120 weight class, senior year at 132) and received a great deal of attention from collegiate coaches at the Division III level. Cutting weight, however, wasn’t a priority at the time, as high school coaches focus more on developing skill than they do managing their wrestlers’ weights. “During high school, weight cutting is not a big factor at all,” Parrott said. “As you get into collegiate wrestling, kids cut 10-15 pounds per week. It really begins to have a toll on their mental health and
stress.” In his second season as an assistant coach for Springfield College, 26year old Pankil Chander adds a spark and boost of energy to the team as a young coach who has experience both on the mat and as a leader. After coaching stints with Bloomsburg University and Gettysburg College, Chander found his way to Alden Street in pursuit of his Master’s degree in athletic administration. He was a NWCA Scholar All-American and four year starter at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. Because he too struggled with weight management throughout college, Chander can relate to the challenges his wrestlers face. “[Those struggles] were a lifestyle shift for me,” he said. “There was a point where I just
started struggling with school, going through the days and everything else. I was just hungry all the time, and it began affecting my mood. I figured out a system and applied it, and in some respects, I feel like it was life-changing. Even how I make decisions now with how I train and what I eat is much better because of those weight cuts.” Considering Chander has experienced difficult encounters, he now appreciates and understands the process in a healthier form, and advises his wrestlers proper techniques to go about “cutting weight” throughout each week. “Physiologically, there are things that managing weight and a caloric deficit does to your mind and body that are hard to get around,” Chander said. “No matter how well you manage your weight, there are some points where you have to suck it up. We have systems in place that try to eradicate those things and make it easy for them, and there is always a learning curve in the process with each athlete. We try to manage each athlete differently depending on their weight cutting routines.” Now in his 11th season, Holder once again has the Pride off to a red-hot start, winning each of their first three dual meets by at
PAGE 11 least nine points. Since Holder took control of the program in 2011, his teams have sustained great success, posting a winning dual meet record in all but one of his seasons at the helm. He was named the Division III Northeast co-Coach of the Year after ushering his team to a successful 17-5 record in 2020, a season where the Pride also had the sixth best overall team grade point average in the entire country. Holder, now 43, was a three-time New Hampshire state champion at Timberlane High School. He went on to earn a starting spot at Division I Boston University for four consecutive years, and understands the rugged, relentless nature of the sport -- and the rewards that come with it both on and off the mat. “You’re going to be sore. You’re going to have some aches and pains,” Holder said. “Once you get a good, solid warmup, you try to forget about it. You have to block the soreness out, and it’s easier said than done. In wrestling, you’re almost training to do that. You force your body to push through some pretty tough situations. If it’s an important match, guys push through it. It’s an important part of life, pushing through.”
December 16, 2021
Sports
PAGE 12
Climbing on up
Springfield College women’s basketball heads into the winter break ranked nationally for the first time in 16 years, improving from No. 24 to 18 in the latest WBCA poll.
Coach Naomi Graves and her team huddle during a stoppage of play. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)
___ By Hayden Choate ___ @ChoateHayden
For the first time in 16 years, the Springfield College women’s basketball team is nationally ranked in Division III. The Pride came in at No. 24 in the rankings last week but after two victories over Worcester State and Connecticut College, giving them a 10-0 record, they are now No. 18. “I’m excited for our players,” Springfield head coach Naomi Graves said. “I mean, obviously from the coaching perspective you want to be
ranked at the end of the season not the beginning but I’m really happy for our team and our players because they’ve worked really hard and they get another reward of saying we’re on the right track.” This is the first time Springfield has appeared in the rankings since the 2005 season when the team went 22-7 and made an appearance in the NCAA tournament. Graves remembers her team that year being similar to the group she has this year.
“Yeah, it was a similar team in terms of chemistry and cohesion, a group of kids that worked really hard and played well together,” Graves said. Although being recognized is always a good accomplishment, Graves wants to make sure that her team builds off of it. “I’m excited for our team and I’m excited personally,” Graves said. “I think we have to be very careful in how we perceive it but it’s certainly nice to have that recognition, to know that your hard work is paying off and someone’s noticing. Senior Grace Dzindolet is in agreement with Graves and knows that the season is a long one and there is still a lot of hard work ahead. “I think our team agrees that it’s nice to be recognized for our accomplishment,” Dzindolet said. “But we also try not to pay attention to it right now ‘cause we’re still early in the season and hoping to continue to grow as a team. We don’t want to be cocky when it comes to preseason wins. The team is focused on coming back stronger in January and continuing to prove ourselves.”
The Pride do not play again until Jan. 1, and there are only two more out-of-conference games before NEWMAC competition begins. “Being undefeated going into the break isn’t anything we ever talked about or thought about,” Dzindolet said. “We went into every game just wanting to win and to work hard so it’s kind of surprising, but also a great feeling knowing that we still have room for improvement and are still nationally ranked. The girls are excited to see their family and rest up before we’re back for intercession and a lot more challenging games are coming in January so we’re just ready to prepare and start thinking about NEWMAC play starting soon.” Dzindolet is just one of three seniors on the team in addition to two juniors and two graduate students. The team has seven sophomores and first-years and Graves hopes they will work toward this accomplishment beyond this season. “I’m just excited that they’re part of the ride,” Graves said. “They’re the ones taking over in the future and they’re gonna
understand the big picture, and they’re going to understand what did it take our team to do this, how does it get us where we need to be and I think having a younger group, a coalition of younger players they get it they see it, they’re experiencing it and they may want to say to themselves I want to get it again.” The recognition feels even better especially coming off a year where Springfield practiced all year long but played in one game last April. “I think what makes it even sweeter for me and this team is last year we practiced the fifty someodd days with the hope of playing a game and now we’re in the position where we’re playing multiple games, so the part of the gift of this team is they’re just really grateful they can be on the court in Blake Arena, so there’s this understanding that this is a special moment. We didn’t have this last year.” The Pride begin NEWMAC play on January 8 at home against Smith, who is 8-1 so far this season.
December 16, 2021
Sports
PAGE 13
Three years and counting The Springfield College women’s hockey team has shown progression in its three years of existence. __ By Collin Atwood __ @collinatwood17
Up until three years ago, only the men on the campus of Springfield College were able to compete on the ice at Smead Arena. The women joined them with the creation of their own team in 2019 and it has been a journey to get where they are today. The first step for Tom Verrico, the head coach of the women’s hockey team and Assistant Director of Intramurals and Club Sports, was to survey the campus for interest in the sport. If there were no players, then there would be no team. Verrico has experience in starting a club sport on a college campus and specifically a women’s hockey team. He helped start the women’s hockey team at Curry College during his time as their Intamurals Coordinator. His involvement there made it easy for him to evaluate the talent at Springfield and see if there was a chance that they could compete in the
Independent Women’s Club Hockey League. “We had a decent amount of talented interest here which would make us competitive in the league,” Verrico said, “I had some past experience being in the same league we’re in now when I was at Curry so I knew where the level of play would be.” Along with his coaching experience, Verrico also played youth hockey and still competes in a men’s league to this day. That’s exactly what he told Sam Foulkrod, senior at Springfield and member of the hockey team, when she helped start this club sport three years ago. “I told her that I used to coach and that I believe I know a decent amount about coaching,” Verrico said. Verrico made it clear that if anyone deserves credit for starting this team, it was Foulkrod. She played a major role in recruiting players by handing out flyers and reaching out to
Rachael Curtis, a senior at Springfield College, joined the women’s hockey team after thinking she would never get the chance to play again.(Photo courtesy of SGPhotonet).
people. “Sam was definitely the brunt and start of this program,” Verrico said. Foulkrod and the other teammates that helped start this team are still on the team today and they are a huge reason why this team has progressed over the years. “Our first season we went a game over .500 and now we’re sitting in first place at 5-2 and I think that’s just a great accomplishment for a brand new program,” Verrico said. This season, the women’s hockey team has made multiple comebacks including an overtime win against Bates College, which is their only loss of the season. “This season is very special to me because I have found that our team is super resilient,” Verrico said. Although club sports are about less time commitment and less competition, the women’s hockey team competes just as hard as any other team would.
“You don’t need to be highly competitive, even though we are,” Verrcio said. Club sports at a college are a great way for student-athletes to compete while still having time to focus on their classes. The level of competition is fairly similar, but practices are usually three or four days out of the week. “It’s my belief that club sports is the new trend because students want more time to focus on their academics at Division III institutions,” Verrico said. Rachael Curtis, a senior on the women’s hockey team, agreed that the main difference between an NCAA team and a club sport is that it takes less time out of your schedule. She has experience playing for the field hockey and lacrosse teams at Springfield before joining the hockey team. “It’s not as time consuming as an NCAA team,” Curtis said. As someone who played
hockey throughout her childhood and high school career, Curtis was excited to get the chance to hit the ice again. “When I heard they were making a team I thought it was awesome and I definitely wanted to join,” Curtis said. The original group of students who started this program are preparing to graduate this year, but the future remains bright for this new and improving team. “I think that’s our goal; to continue to grow the program every year and to keep recruiting numbers to get them up so that we are super competitive within the league,” Verrico said. For more information about the team and to learn when upcoming games are scheduled, visit @scwomenshockey on Instagram.
December 16, 2021
Dzindolet continued from Page 9
who is also attending Springfield College. She spent most of her time as a child involved in sports as she was an avid soccer player until her freshman year of high school and played Little League baseball, until switching over to softball in high school. But the sport that she connected the most with was basketball. She played on travel teams, in rec leagues, and eventually AAU and high school. Not only was it something she found enjoyable, but in times of need it became almost therapeutic. Whenever there was free time, Dzindolet could be found getting up shots on a neighborhood hoop, or at the colorful blueand-green local outdoor court at Goodwill Park. She would be working on her game and forgetting about the outside world - something that she needed to do quite often. In some ways, Dzindolet was noticeably different from the majority of teenage girls. “I was playing baseball, I went to every football practice just to hang out with the boys. That’s just how it was,” she said. When reminiscing about what she wanted to wear, she would tell her parents, “I don’t want a skirt, I want the shorts you just
got Anthony.” Although appearing and acting differently than most girls her age, she didn’t realize until just before her eighth grade school year started that she felt different as well. She felt lost, explaining it as “One of those things I knew, but didn’t really know what it was, or how to put it into words.” Soon, however, Dzindolet found someone just like her. Someone she connected with and felt comfortable with. This was a comfort that she hid for two full years. “It was two years of me just trying to figure out what I wanted, what made me happy, and who made me happy,” she stated. Even though she had found someone she could be comfortable with, someone who made her happy, her partner was not as comfortable as her. The entire time they were together, her girlfriend never came out. So Dzindolet didn’t either. But sophomore year of high school, tired of hiding who she really was, Dzindolet finally came out to her parents in person, with her girlfriend on a FaceTime call. She remembered, “I was facetiming one of my friends, and I was like ‘Mom, I have something to tell you.’ She
Sports
PAGE 14
Grace Dzindolet takes a 3-point shot against Endicott. (Joe Arruda/The Student)
came into my room, and my friend was still on facetime, and I was like, ‘This is my girlfriend, just so you know.’ She was like ‘I love you, it’s okay,’ and then my dad, from the other room, was like ‘do you want to talk about it?’ and I was like, ‘No dad, I’m going to bed.’ And that was it.” ‘Coming out’ is when someone tells another person about their sexual orientation or gender identity. It is usually an ongoing process for a lesbian, gay, or bisexual person, rather than a one-off event because of how hard of an event it is. For Dzindolet, however, coming out wasn’t that hard. “Coming out wasn’t bad. It was never an issue, it was kind of just awkward. You just have to get over the
awkwardness of it. I don’t think I was very accepting of myself at the time, either. I just did it because I knew I had to do it to be with someone,” she said. The hard part was that her father’s side of the family did not know, and didn’t know until she “literally just told them a couple months ago.” Immediately following coming out, her mother notified her side of the family through a mass text. Her father, on the other hand, said nothing about her “lifestyle choice,” as he calls it. It led to her having to be a different person around that side of the family. “I would go to my mom’s side family parties and bring my girlfriend around and it would be fine. Then my dad’s side was like, ‘this
is my friend,’” she said. “Sometimes that conversation is so uncomfortable, and so you just avoid it for so long. It wasn’t like they weren’t going to be like ‘Love you, Grace,’ but it was just...weird,” she added. “You just get used to being asked ‘How’s your boyfriend?’ and it’s like, “Okay, I’ll just shut up.” Although delivering the line lightheartedly, her words carried more weight than a cargo ship. While dealing with this huge identity issue off the court, on it, she knew exactly who she was. In her four years of playing varsity hoops at Holliston High School, she built herself quite the resume and topped it off with the most coveted milestone in high school basketball 1,000 career points. By
Sports
December 16, 2021
Dzindolet goes in for a contested layup against Endicott. (Joe Arruda/The Student)
the time her high school career was wrapping up, the high level of play she produced caught the eye of some Division III coaches, including Graves of Springfield College. After finally choosing to attend Springfield, she quickly fell in love with the atmosphere. “Once I got here, it was awesome. It was exactly what I thought it would be. I really enjoy it,” she said. That love for the campus eventually turned into love for herself. The time spent at Springfield has allowed for her to finally come to a sense of who she is. “She has found who she is over the past four years that I’ve known her. She’s a big person-
ality. With basketball she’s found her place and you can tell that she is very mature... Everyone knows her on campus, and she’s a really awesome person,” said Stephanie Lyons, a senior on the team who has grown incredibly close to Dzindolet over their four years together. Graves says that her play on the court has increased thanks, in part, to her off the court strides. “Her basketball game is three times better this year, and honestly, I think it’s because she found herself,” Graves said. One of the things I like about using Grace as an example right now is that all along she was
passionate, but she was like this raw piece of clay. Now, she’s matured. She has an understanding, to some level, of the bigger picture.” Now that she has had the opportunity to find herself, Dzindolet is using that for the betterment of others. Her main goal now is to help those around her, in any way that she can. “I have found what I am more passionate about. I always knew I liked helping people, but I didn’t know how I could do that,” she said. Dzindolet has found that the best way to channel her desire for helping others is on the court. “It started in high school, because I was a freshman on varsity
with all of these older people,” she said. “I had such good mentors and people who helped me along the way, so I always feel like if I looked up to these women in sports, I want to be the person that someone else can look up to.” For Angela Czeremcha, a first-year student from West Springfield, Mass., Dzindolet has done exactly what she set out to do. “I would say Grace is one of my biggest role models, especially on and off the court. She is always there and is kind of a ray of sunshine. She is amazing,” said a starstruck Czeremcha. “She is always checking in on me, always making sure I’m in the right headspace. Always making sure I am confident and collected and I know that I can talk to her about anything.” Czeremcha is not the only teammate Dzindolet has made an impact on. In 2018, when Dzindolet and Lyons were in their first year on campus, Lyons was struggling with being at Springfield College. She wanted to transfer, but Dzindolet talked her out of it. “Now she has kind of led me through life, she’s helped me a lot. Freshman year I struggled and she got me through it,” said Lyons. Her drive to help others doesn’t go unnoticed, either. Graves appointed her as one of
PAGE 15 the captains (or “team leaders,” as she prefers), along with Lyons and Amanda “Sis” Carr. “I’ve always seen the fact that people will follow her,” said Graves. It’s easy to see why. On the court she doesn’t just help and support her teammates, but has fun in doing so. She is very loud and vocal, from playing tough defense to hyping up teammates after a good play. She constantly looks for high-fives and situations to pick up others’ heads. For herself, she doesn’t hone in on mistakes, rather just laughs them off and pushes through. This season the women’s basketball team is looking better than ever before, thanks in large part to Dzindolet. Her attitude, along with her 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game have helped the team get off to one of its best starts ever. With a perfect 10-0 record, the team has jumped out to its best record in over 40 years, and is currently ranked No. 18 in the latest Women’s Basketball Coaches Association D-III Poll. Whether it is using her quick hands to nab a steal and launch an outlet pass to a streaking teammate, or performing her signature pregame euro-step handshake; being a leader is Dzindolet’s lifestyle choice.
SPORTS The Springfield Student
VOL. 136 NO. 13
(Joe Arruda/The Student)
DECEMBER 16, 2021
No. 18
The Springfield College women’s basketball team is climbing the WBCA national rankings. [See Page 12]
An in-depth look at the grind of Springfield College wrestling.
How Grace Dzindolet has developed into a leader on and off the court.
Women’s ice hockey emerging as popular club sport on campus.
