27 minute read
The history of the College’s first all-female dorm
Abbey Hall: The College’s first all-female dorm
When women stepped foot on the campus of Springfield College in 1951, Abbey-Appleton Hall was the foundation for female involvement and still allows cultural growth today.
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Abbey Hall, circa 1951-65. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Archives)
Abbey-Appleton Hall stands practically in the middle of campus, spotlighted by its popular green in the front and a unique one-way lane.
Abbey Hall, as it was originally called, became the first all-female dormitory upon the implementation of a womens’ undergraduate program in 1950. Springfield College had been an all-male institution since its start in 1885, but it was recognized that they needed a program and dormitory for women
__ By Cait Kemp __ @caitlinkemp09
to grow the College.
According to the Springfield College archives, the dorm gets its name from Emily F. Abbey Gill who gave the funds for the new building. Later, in 1953, there was an addition called “West Hall” that was built due to the influx of female students being accepted and attending the new program.
It was known as West Hall until the name changed in 1965. Leirion H. Appleton, the wife of former President of the Corporation of Springfield Edward A. Appleton, was a major benefactor to the College, but remained anonymous in her donations for many years. Finally, she decided to come forth as the source of donation so that the Hall could be named after her husband. Thus, Abbey-Appleton emerged.
Former Springfield College President (19461952) Paul Limbert said, “The campus has a new look, I refer partly, of course, to the presence of skirts and bobby socks, to young men and young women eating together and sharing laboratory equipment, but our new women’s dormitory emerged from the chrysalis of construction as a building of architectural beauty with an enviable location.”
As written in the May 1952 issue of The Springfield Student, the College hosted a dedication of the new dorm and invited high school girls and their parents to attend to become familiarized with the campus. They participated in a “play day,” and saw swimming skills and tennis talent performed in front of them.
The spectacle kicked off the new idea of women being welcomed into a traditionally athletic institution, a characteristic that was viewed as stereotypically-male at the time. Women were breaking the norms at Springfield College just by stepping onto campus.
With the arrival of a class of women to campus, Springfield College created a list of rules titled “Dress and Appearance.” This list states that women on campus should be, “well-groomed and appropriately dressed at all times on and off campus, as they are representing the College.” They could wear pants, but only on specific occasions.
It was a new era for Springfield College, and the introduction of Abbey-Appleton Hall was proof.
Abbey-Appleton, nicknamed “Abbey” for short by students, is all that President Limbert stated it to be. Still today, students often choose to live at Abbey-Appleton because of its “enviable location.” It’s central on campus -- not too far from Blake Arena and the Wellness Center, evenly distanced to Lockin and Cheney, and conveniently right next door to the Student Union. The lush green out front is a gathering spot for residents in the warmer months to play frisbee, do homework, and partake in intense Spike Ball battles.
Now, with co-ed floors, it seems miles away from the building it was when first erected. Abbey-Appleton Hall was the foundation for women to be involved in the campus, and now it allows cultural growth on campus today.
New kids on the block
Transfer students from different areas and backgrounds settle in for the spring semester feeling right at home at Springfield College.
__ By Nico Fiscella __ @Nico_Fiscella
For most students, the move-in process this semester was nothing out of the ordinary. They returned to their home away from home without the hassle of unpacking a car filled to the brim, decorating their living space and connecting with those around them. But for transfer students who decided to call Springfield College their new home over winter break, the move-in jitters were in full effect as they could not wait to begin their journey as members of the Pride.
Emily Zambarano settled into Gulick Hall and it did not take long for the Springfield community to welcome her with open arms.
“I knew on my tour that this is where I was going to come,” she said.
Zambarano made herself at home quickly, as her outgoing personality has already exposed her to friendships that will continue to grow as her time on campus increases. Traveling from South Hero, Vermont, Zambarano is a first-year business major who intends on excelling in both the classroom and on the athletic field with the women’s lacrosse team. “Once I stepped on campus, I could feel that everyone was super welcoming here,” Zambarano said. Zambarano was immediately assimilated into the atmosphere on campus. Surprised by how uplifting the student body has been, and how a door is always opened by those in front of her, the brief time spent at Springfield was the exact environment Zambarano wanted to be a part of. With big aspirations already established, she could not be more enraptured for what the future holds. “When I’m a senior I want to look back and be proud of the work I’ve done, and the person I’m becoming as I enter into the real world,” she said. Tatianna Skarzynski also joined the class of 2025 this semester, and the transition to Springfield has only made her more excited
Springfield College students played roles as supervisors, liasons and volunteers during the five day 2022 Spalding Hoophall Classic. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College)
for the remainder of the year. Similar to Zambarano, the community on campus has already made Springfield feel like home.
Despite a busy schedule crowded with classes and track and field practices, Skarzynski is preparing for a career as a forensic scientist.
“Springfield does a good job of engaging with the students to enjoy their college experience,” Skarzynski said.
After being able to attend the interactive events held on campus, she was surprised with the many amusing activities Springfield has to offer weekly.
With two weeks already in the past, Brennan Hughes was not able to be on campus for the beginning of the semester but has adjusted into Alumni Hall early this week. Hughes previously attended Sacred Heart University, where he and his twin Nathan roomed together during his first two years of college. For the first time in his life, Hughes is no longer sharing a room with his brother, and the unusual privacy was something he was not accustomed to.
“It’s a different anxiety you have,” he said.
While Hughes is currently a business major, he envisions himself working in the world of sports. Whether it is on the field, or up in the broadcast booth, Hughes is looking forward to turning his hobby into a career.
Just like Zambarano and Skarzynski, Hughes will also be active on the turf. Hughes played center back for Sacred Heart, and he looks to continue to be a defensive anchor for the Pride. Hughes connected with first-year soccer player Timmy Arnold, and it did not take long for Hughes to switch his red jersey for a maroon.
Although Hughes, Zambarano, and Skarzynski all traveled on different roads, they have now crossed paths and found their home on Alden Street.
Hope Maher. (Springfield College Athletics)
Hope Maher
Voting was tight for The Student’s Athlete of the Week honor for the week of Jan. 23-29, resulting in a close finish on the women’s side and a tie for first on the men’s. It was Hope Maher of the track and field team who came out on top in the women’s poll. Maher received 42.5% of the vote after the sophomore led the Springfield track team in its meet on Friday at the John Thomas Terrier Classic hosted by Boston University. Maher finished seventh in the 60 meter dash with a time of 8.223, and earned a season-best time of 27.01 in the 200 meter dash. That meet, one that didn’t result in a final team score, was the fourth of the season for Springfield which has a packed schedule through May. Carolyn Blenk, a sophomore on the women’s swim team, took second in the polls receiving 34.9% of the vote. Blenk was strong in the backstroke competitions in the team’s loss to Trinity on Friday. She finished first in the 50 with a time of 29.05, and second in the 100 with a time of 1:01.91. A pair of women’s basketball players rounded out the polls as sophomore Rachel Vinton edged classmate Sam Hourihan. Vinton, playing the week’s games as she sported a pair of rec-specs, shot 78% from the field and 2-2 from deep to register 18 points in the team’s loss to MIT. The speedy guard added three rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block in the losing effort. Hourihan, on the other hand, scored a team-high 22 points in that game as she shot 50% from the field and 2-3 from three, while also grabbing 12 rebounds. The Posse, after beginning the season 16-0, has dropped its last two games (as of Tuesday, Feb. 1). Now, with just six games remaining on its schedule, the Pride looks to finish conference-play strong.
James Chan and Nate Reynolds
Men’s volleyball’s Nate Reynolds and swimming standout James Chan tied for the top spot in the men’s poll, each receiving 29.5% of the vote. Reynolds helped the top-ranked men’s volleyball team to a five-set victory over No. 5 NYU last Wednesday with a dominant match at the net. The middle blocker recorded a strong nine block assists while adding three kills, two aces and a dig. Chan collected wins in the 1,000 free (9:49.82) and the 100 free (48.46) in the swim team’s meet at Trinity on Friday. Chan also finished second in the 50 fly with a time of 23.51 and was on the first-place 400 free relay team that finished in 3:14.41. Liam York wasn’t too far behind his teammate Reynolds and Chan as he recorded 25.3% of the vote. Coming off of the best match of his career, a standout performance against NYU, York received AVCA D-III National Player of the Week honors and was recognized on the FrogJump National Team of the Week. The high-flying junior tallied an astronomical 29 kills on an impressive .451 hitting clip to lead an undermanned Pride attack. York also added an ace, six digs, a solo block and three block assists to his stat line in the win. Rounding out the men’s vote was sophomore guard, Zeke Blauner. Blauner came off the bench for the men’s basketball team in a loss to Emerson on Wednesday, Jan. 26, but scored 18 points in 32 minutes as he shot 7-12 from the field. A playmaker, Blauner tallied seven rebounds, five assists and two steals in the contest. The ‘Birthplace Boys’ are 5-12 as of Tuesday, Feb. 1, and hope to continue their recent success finishing out the season. Men’s volleyball, on the other hand, is ranked No. 1 in the country and has rolled to a 4-0 record out of the gates. Be sure to follow The Student on Twitter (@TheSpfldStudent) to vote in next week’s polls!
Nate Reynolds (right) and James Chan (left). (Springfield College Athletics)
John Gibson observing his team ahead of a game. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)
End of an era
Longtime Springfield College women’s soccer head coach John Gibson led his team to eight NCAA tournament appearances and seven NEWMAC championships, and now has announced his retirement.
In 2000, John Gibson, formerly the head men’s soccer coach at Marshall University, was hired to head the Springfield College women’s soccer team.
Eight appearances in the NCAA tournament, seven NEWMAC championships, six NEWMAC coach of the year awards and 22 years later, Gibson has announced he will retire from coaching and teaching at the end of the academic year.
“I’ve been lucky and I’m grateful for that,” Gibson said about his career at Springfield.
In his 22 years as head coach for the Pride, Gibson put together an impressive record of 268-183-46. His team played for the NEWMAC title 11 times in the last 14 seasons.
Gibson, who will be 66 at the end of this month, says a lot of factors went into making this decision.
“If you think back when COVID hit and we were supposed to be going to Spain and that fall was supposed to be the 40th anniversary celebration and those two things got whacked,” Gibson said “Then I was stranded in Wales for four months which was fine, but then the weird year we had last year and then this season I found it really hard work.”
Contemplating whether to stay another season, the element of
__ By Hayden CHoate __ @ChoateHayden
family was a big deciding factor.
Although it wasn’t an easy decision, Gibson felt like now was the right time.
Gibson had been thinking about the idea of retirement for about a year before coming to the decision last week.
In addition to coaching, Gibson has been a professor of physical
John Gibson’s team’s played for the NEWMAC title 11 times in the last 14 seasons. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)
education at Springfield College for all 22 years. For the past several years, he has taught a single graduate-level class which people who are now coaches, staff and general members of the Springfield College community have taken.
“This is the slack time for me. I’m just teaching my class,” Gibson said.
This time of year really being the ‘off-season,’ as there is not much high school recruiting and still a few weeks before the team’s spring season, which Gibson will coach until the end of the year.
When looking back on his career there is a lot that Gibson will miss.
“The players, the games, miss watching them play,” Gibson said. “Day-to-day, fixing things for the next game, things that went wrong from the previous one or working on something different for the next game because of the opponent – I like that, I don’t like the training just to train like the COVID year, it was awful.”
For Gibson, it is hard to pick a favorite memory of his 22-year career as there have been so many good ones.
“It’s been very rewarding,” Gibson said. “Winning the conference four years in a row was fun, that year we won the quarters, the semi and the final off penalty kicks that was fun because of the way it turned out, it was stressful at the time, and some of the great goals we scored. 22 years is a long time, there’s a lot of things, the first time we won the NEWMAC that was great. I’ve really enjoyed it.”
When Gibson announced his retirement last week he was surprised by how many people reached out to him.
“I’ve been quite humbled by the amount of praise and things from colleagues within the NEWMAC and former players and colleagues around the college, that’s nice,” Gibson said.
Before arriving at Springfield, Gibson’s career had many stops including the University College of St. Mark and St. John in Plymouth, England, The University of Dayton, The Ohio State University and Marshall University. Gibson was the men’s soccer coach at Marshall University for five seasons, his overall collegiate career record was 301-180-58.
Sitting in his office, where the walls are covered in team photos, championship plaques and framed All-American and All-Region names, Gibson looks back on his coaching career and still has a souvenir from his first season as a head coach.
Kept in his desk, Gibson has the only copy of the media guide from his first game as Marshall’s head coach in 1989.
In terms of plans once he has retired, Gibson intends to eventually head back to Wales to spend time with his mother and other friends and family.
In Gibson’s final season, the Pride put together a 7-9-3 record but made it to the NEWMAC championship after winning at home in penalty kicks in the semi-finals – Gibson’s last game at Brock-Affleck Field.
Although there are still about three months until he has officially retired, Gibson is grateful for everything Springfield College and the game of soccer have given him.
The College has not yet named the next head women’s soccer coach.
Curren: The Springfield men’s gymnastics team deserves your respect
As one of only 15 college men’s gymnastics programs in the country, the Pride face many challenges, including travel and level of competition.
Dominic Ramalho on the rings. (Gillian Dube/The Student)
___ By Daniel Curren ___ @daniel_curren
Everyone who attends Springfield College knows how much the school takes pride in its athletics. The college has 24 teams that compete at the Division III level, but most of them don’t have any experience like the men’s gymnastics team. To start, the team is filled with student-athletes from all over the country. This year’s roster features athletes from 15 different states, and even one gymnast from Germany. Some have come from as far as California, Nebraska, Colorado, and Florida to name a few.
If you’re wondering why the Springfield men’s gymnastics team attracts athletes from all over, a lot of it has to do with the status of the sport itself. While the NCAA sponsors 62 women’s gymnastics teams, men’s teams don’t get nearly as much upcoming road trips for the upcoming season include bus rides to West Point, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. For head coach Matt Davis, this extended travel serves as an opportunity for his team to form a closer bond.
“It’s an awesome experience.” Davis says. “You get to know the team pretty well, it’s good memories that we have travelling. We do go by bus but sometimes we do fly so some of those trips are really good experiences.”
Gymnastics has a rich history at Springfield College. The annual Home Show has been running for over a decade, and it’s one of the longest-standing sports the college has. Although the college doesn’t offer gymnasts an athletic scholarship like Division I scholarships can, there are other things like that which can make up for it.
The team is enduring the end of an era. After this year, it will no longer be on a different playing field as the rest of its competition. The Pride have been playing as underdogs with house money for years and they deserve your respect.
support with only 15 teams around the country. Among those 15 teams, three of them are military schools. So for high school gymnasts looking to compete in college, but not looking to go into military service, there are only 12 schools across the country to pick from.
Although it may seem easy for Springfield College to attract recruits with the limited competition, there is one factor that leaves the Pride back at a major disadvantage. Until next season, Springfield will have the only Division III men’s gymnastics program in the nation. This means, unlike any other men’s gymnastics program, the Pride can not offer athletic scholarships. However, they still only compete against schools who can offer their athletes scholarships. The upcoming season will be the last where this is the case, as Simpson College in Iowa and Greenville University in Illinois will be added into Division III.
Luke Dinneen is a junior in the Rehabilitation and Disability Studies program who traveled 1,400 miles to Springfield College in the fall of 2019. Dinneen, who had trained at the Nebraska School of Gymnastics in Lincoln, continued a tradition of athletes from the Cornhusker state making their way to Alden Street. Nick Cramer came from Nebraska to compete on the Springfield men’s gymnastics team, and graduated in the class of 2020.
Dinneen and Cramer had been competing together since their days in Nebraska, and Luke first learned about Springfield through Nick. Luke took Nick up on all his advice and was recruited to Springfield through him. The tradition has since continued as Nick’s younger brother Dane also went to Springfield and is currently a sophomore.
One of the most grueling aspects of being one of 15 teams in existence across the country is the travel. Springfield is the only men’s gymnastics team in New England, and one of just three teams in the Northeast. The closest other team is Army in West Point, which is still two-and-a-half hours from Alden Street, longer than many of the road trips taken by other teams on campus taking on NEWMAC opponents.
Some of Springfield’s
Familiar connections
Junior Colby Wilson and President Mary-Beth Cooper travelled to Indiana to advocate for Division III sports and accept an award for Springfield’s work to create a safe and inclusive environment.
By Garrett Cote @garrett_cote
As Colby Wilson strolled through the Indianapolis, Indiana JW Marriott’s doors and into the hotel lobby, he was met with a wide array of colors as people from different institutions, proudly representing their colleges, migrated to the ‘Crossroads of America’ on Jan. 19 for the NCAA Student Immersion Program. “It was awesome to have my own hotel room, it was probably the nicest hotel I’ve ever seen,” Wilson said. “Right when I walked in I saw a ton of athletic directors and administrators from D-I, D-II and D-III. It was cool to see all the different college gear too when I walked in.” The Springfield College junior and Tewksbury, Mass. native had never seen a setup like the one in the Marriott’s ballroom and convention center, as the entire inside was reconstructed to host a convention for 40 student-athletes from ethnic or minority backgrounds who have interest in working in college athletics in their future. “There were banners just everywhere,” Wilson said. “There was a tunnel from the hotel to the convention center, which is where all the awards stuff was. Another tunnel led to the ballrooms, which is where we had our business meetings and meals. It was basically like six huge buildings connected, and the hotel itself was something around 24 floors. The place was huge. I had never seen anything like that.” The three-and-a-half day trip was jam-packed with events and meetings — causing Wilson to get up at 6:00 a.m. each morning. A motivational speaker kickstarted the days to keep everyone up and fill them with good spirit bright-and-early. That Friday, Jan. 21, Wilson and Springfield College president Mary-Beth Cooper accepted an award recognizing Springfield as the NCAA DIII LGBTQ Atheltics Department of the Year for its efforts in creating a safe and inclusive environment. Jan. 20 and 22 President Cooper, who is a member of the NCAA DIII President’s Council, was tasked with advocating for Division III schools who have a Division I sport but aren’t allowed to give out full-ride athletic scholarships. After nailing her speech on both days, she returned to her seat and was awarded with a fist-bump from Wilson – knowing the rule would change to allow those schools the ability to offer athletic scholarships, thanks to her persuasive speeches. “When she got back and sat down I gave her a fist-bump after,” Wilson recalled. “She knew she killed it. She was like, ‘We got it, we’re good to go,’ and then we got up and left and went to the airport.” Just having a large group of people who identify as the same race and share a common goal of one day working in athletics was something Wilson was appreciative of, especially considering he ended up building lifelong connections with lots of them. “To see 40 like-minded people there – people who look like me and people who also want to work in sports – was pretty dope. It’s people I will stay in touch with, it was just good connections to make,” Wilson said. “The most important thing now is just following up with the administrators I met. I met athletic directors from universities near my hometown, so I just need to stay connected with them and be sure to follow up after that weekend ends.” Because the world has spent so much time adapting to COVID-19 by sending the majority of its events online, finally being able to go out and build a network for himself and get a strong sense of what the ‘real-world’ brings was thrilling for Wilson. “Definitely a good experience to have,” he said. “Travelling on my own, spending time with (President Cooper) and just learning how to network on my own – face-to-face and in person – was really nice since we’ve been online for so long.” With the Coronavirus granting student-athletes an extra year of eligibility, Wilson may decide to go to a two-year graduate school program at a Division I institution following graduation in May 2023 – with the goal of using the first year to compete in track while pursuing coaching in that second year. Another option would be to stay right on Alden Street and work in the athletic department, or as a graduate assistant coach for the track and field team. The connections from the Student Immersion Program will likely come into play with whatever option he may choose. “I have some options, that’s for sure. We’ll just have to see how the next couple of months go,” Wilson said. “I’m glad I now have these connections to help me in the future.” Regardless of his choice, Colby Wilson’s impact will be felt wherever he goes – just as it has for his two years and counting here at Springfield College.
Springfield College student Colby Wilson represented the Pride at the NCAA Student Immersion Program in Indiana. (Photo courtesy of Colby Wilson)
Arriving from down under
With college basketball not as prominent in Australia, Springfield forward Jack Meagher decided to play in the United States.
__ By Chris Gionta __ @Chris_Gionta
An average seventh grader does not know exactly where they want to go to college. Springfield College first-year men’s basketball player Jack Meagher did not know exactly where he wanted to go either at that age, but he did know he wanted his school to be on the opposite side of the world.
“It was always what I wanted to do. It was in grade seven,” said Meagher. “I always wanted to play college basketball.”
For Meagher, who grew up in Sydney, Australia, college basketball in his home country is scarce and underdeveloped.
“Basketball has become more popular in Australia,” said Meagher. “But the university teams are just getting going now. They’re nowhere near the level of American teams, American colleges.”
Like many, Meagher grew up with several athletic interests, and ultimately, the hardwood was his calling.
“I always had a ball in my hand,” Meagher said. “Whether it was a rugby ball or a basketball. I tried everything — I played cricket, rugby — but basketball kind of stuck with me. I loved it as soon as I started playing, and I started pretty young. I think I was like nine or 10.”
Although he grew up in a country not as enveloped in basketball culture as the United States, the Springfield forward had the luxury of growing up in an area of the country where the sport was very relevant. He followed the National Basketball League in Australia, and grew up 15 minutes away from the Sydney Entertainment Centre, which was the home of the Sydney Kings of the NBL until 2015.
“I was always going to the Sydney Kings games, which is the pro team in Sydney, where I’m from,” said Meagher. “So I was always going to those games and looking up to those players.”
He was able to come to the United States before enrollment at Springfield College was in consideration for him. Whether it was for a family vacation or a basketball tournament, his experience in America ensured him it was a country he felt comfortable going to college in.
“I always really liked America,” Meagher said. “The times I went on
Jack Meagher (33) grew up playing cricket and rugby, but basketball was his calling. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics).
vacation or trips with my family, I always loved it. I was pretty fortunate — I got to go play in an AAU tournament in my sophomore or junior year of high school. And we went to California and Las Vegas, and it helped me realize how good the level of basketball is in America.”
A Division III program recruiting a player who is an ocean away during a pandemic did not come without its difficulties. There was certainly no way for Springfield coaches to see the Australian play in person during the recruiting process, nor was there a way for Meagher to visit campus. Therefore, the Springfield College men’s basketball coaching staff needed to rely on video footage, phone calls, and virtual meetings to see what the 6-foot-5 forward was like.
“I was on a recruiting platform called NCSA,” said Meagher. “And my dad and I would send out emails to all different schools. And I ended up talking to Springfield and having email correspondence with the coaches.”
The Pride had a unique challenge in recruiting him. Not only was there no way to see him in person before ever putting him on the roster, but location was certainly not as much of a factor for Meagher as it usually is for an incoming player.
The rest of the Springfield roster is within a 3-hour drive of the Birthplace of Basketball, meanwhile the man wearing No. 33 for them has to spend 20 hours in a plane to reach his home. His options were not as limited, given the fact that he would not be close to home no matter where he chose to play.
Thus, Springfield was required to make a good pitch.
“I think the coaching staff really drew me to Springfield College,” said Meagher. “I was always a fan of Coach Brock and his successful career coaching at Springfield. I really thought he was a great coach, and could be great for me as a player and a person. I also really liked the graduate assistant that was here that I was in touch with a lot (...) Coach (Sean) Martin, Coach (Chris) King, and Coach (Ben) Kistner have all been huge in why I chose Springfield College as well.”
Along with the attraction of the coaching staff and the game’s history at the school, he was also drawn educationally.
“I also chose Springfield College because of the great sport management program,” Meagher added.
Now residing in a new country, he is undergoing a shift in culture.
“My teammates still laugh at my accent and some of the words I say in the locker room or at a practice — they’ll always have a bit of a giggle,” said Meagher, breaking out into a smile. “But yeah, it’s a completely different world.”
Despite the people and surroundings being different for him in Springfield, one culture remains mostly the same for the Aussie.
“Basketball is basketball,” he said. “Everywhere you go, it’s still putting a ball in a hoop.”
Meagher is one of seven first-year players on the Pride’s 15-man roster, and has already made some contributions in his opening season. His standout performance was in a 77-71 victory over Wheaton on Jan. 12 when he shot 6-for-8 from the field and gathered 13 points.
He plans to have a successful college basketball career in the land opposite from his home, along with getting quality experience and a degree in the sport management program.
Meagher playing for his high school team in Australia. (Photo courtesy of Jack Meagher)
