Volume 135 No. 18

The Springfield Student Est. 1910

March 25, 2021

Volume 135 No. 18

scstudentmedia.com // @TheSpfldStudent

A Day to Confront Racism Thursday, March 25 is a “Day to Confront Racism” and it shapes up to be an important, first of its kind day in Springfield College history. From webinars to Ibram Kendi speaking, it’s a day for educating, reflecting and improving.

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(Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

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On the Inside

CampusNews

Ernest Owen’s to headline the initial installment of the Courageous Conversations series on campus.

All of the latest on 2021 commencement.

Including the facts for the plan in place and a column regarding them.

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March 25, 2021

COVID-19

PAGE 2

Finishing the semester strong

By Brady Cote bcote2@springfield.edu

A

s Springfield College starts to make its way to the middle of the semester, the campus is making strides and progressing much better than previously in the fall.

The difference between this semester and the last is the current weekly testing, versus the biweekly testing in the fall. Christine Johnston, Assistant Director of Alcohol and Other Drug Education and Health Promotion says that weekly testing has been reassuring and a success.

“Weekly testing for

everyone has been a huge asset, I know it’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of work on our health center, staff, our testing centers staff. It’s a commitment from all the students, along with all of us, who are in the testing pool to actually get over there every single week and get tested.

It’s just a huge asset to know that everyone has been tested every single week.”

Recently, there have been seven positive cases from March 9-17 on the Springfield College campus. Although these cases are new, the campus is still in great shape, for a few of them have been caught, and stopped in

quarantine.

“I think we’re doing great. A couple of those cases have been from those in quarantine, which is not unexpected.

That’s what quarantine is, it stops the spread right there at that person because those folks typically don’t have any contacts whatsoever. Just giving the numbers in Massachusetts, I think we’re doing really, really well.”

With three companies dispersing the COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson) the day for students to receive their dose or doses are coming soon.

“I’m going to encour-

age every student who is eligible, and when they are eligible to get the vaccine. I’ve had the vaccine because I’m working in the Health Center, it gives you such peace of mind. We still have to follow all of the important precautions like wearing our masks, washing our hands and keeping our distance.

I think the vaccine is a very important asset to us being able to get back to a more normal life.

As Springfield College continues to work its way through the spring, it is important to remember to keep following the safety guidelines of keeping a social distance, washing your

hands and wearing a face mask, for it is up to each individual to keep this campus safe.

“That’s part of the mission of Springfield College, that’s why people come to Springfield and so that’s why I think it’s a part of why we’re doing so well is that all we’re asking folks to do is just live the submission that they sign up for.”

As long as the campus community is willing to be optimistic, Springfield College will continue to persevere and come back stronger, for it is not up to a sole person or department, it is up to the Pride.

March 25, 2021

A Day to Confront Racism

The first of its kind

A Day to Confront Racism may be a brand new event at Springfield College, but it’s part of the larger mission to continue to make campus a more inclusive, aware and welcoming place.

By Carley Crain @carley_crain12

A

March 25 marks a special and historic day for the Springfield College community as this year it is the first annual “Day to Confront Racism.”

The day was put together in collaboration with the Legacy Alumni of Color group and includes various workshops to speak about the issues of race, privilege and power. March 25 also is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade which helped inspire the creation of a “Day to Confront Racism.”

The day starts off with four webinars fea-

turing numerous professionals and students of the Springfield College community.

The first workshop is entitled “The Past is Present: How the historical legacies revealed by the 1619 project impact our professions and communities.” The workshop is presented by panelists Keisha Green, Samantha Hill and Kareem White, who all have successful careers in the fields of healthcare, journalism and education.

Their main focus will be hosting a discussion on the impact of white supremacy and how that correlates to all aspects of life, while promoting the work that the

1619 Project does.

This workshop will kick off at 9:25 a.m. and will end at 10:40 a.m., after a question and answer session with the panelists.

The next workshop is “John Brown: The city of Springfield Connection to this Abolitionist and Accomplice” featuring William Nash, Daryl Moss and Joseph Carvalho III. Each of the panelists focus either on community outreach, research or journalism. The workshop will run from 10:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. and will discuss issues of diversity in the city of Springfield.

The third workshop, a moderated dialogue with members

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Ibram X. Kendi is a renowned Antiracism activist who will headline the Arts & Humanities speaker series. (Photo Courtesy of Piitsburgh Post-Gazette)

of the Legacy Alumni of Color group, starts at 12:15 p.m. and finishes up at 1:05 p.m. Panelists include: Donald Brown (’69), Richard Griffin (‘73), and Teresa Burr (‘70) where they will share their experiences as students at Springfield College and what can be improved on in regard to diversity.

The last workshop of the day is centered around current student life and is a moderated conversation with the Director of Multicultural Affairs Felicia Lundquist, eight students, and Stephanie Logan, EdD, Associate Professor of Education and Chair of the Department of Education. Topics

of discussion include racial injustice on campus, how to deal with Zoom fatigue when having conversations about race and more.

“Some of the workshops we are learning from students then some alumni and I think it will allow people to realize what some other people have gone through and it will help for the future,” said junior Brianna D’Haiti.

“Like yeah, we are working on things now, but is it really going to stay like this or in a couple of years is it going to go away?

I am hoping people will realize that this stuff is happening See Confront Racism on Page 10

March 25, 2021

Fit for the role

Ernest Owens, an awardwinning journalist, is the perfect speaker to start off the Courageous Conversations series which will debut next month.

In 2018, Owens won the Rad Guy of the Year award. Rad Girls, a Philadelphia based organization, is a celebration of spirited women who achieve, innovate, and inspire. Rad awards have been given out annually since 2014. (Photo Courtesy of @MrErnestOwens/Twitter)

Ernest Owens

PAGE 4

By Collin Atwood @collinatwood17

On April 14, Springfield College will introduce its Courageous Conversations program. The idea of this program is to have brave people who have overcome obstacles share their stories with the Springfield College community.

“We want to have people that have done remarkable, courageous things come to our community and share with us,” said Dr. Calvin Hill, Vice President for Inclusion and Community Engagement.

It all started over the summer when students expressed their feelings about wanting to hear inspiring stories from guest speakers.

This prompted the college and the Division of Inclusion and Community Engagement to start this new lecture series.

The first speaker in this series will be award-winning journalist, Ernest Owens. As a Black and gay man in the media industry, Owens has overcome many obstacles to be the success that he is today.

“He will be able to speak to us about being Black in a very white dominated field, as well as being a Black, gay male in the industry,” Hill said.

Being the CEO at Ernest Media Empire, LLC and the first openly gay President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists are just a few of Owens accolades. He was also the Editor at Large for The Philadelphia Magazine and contributed to large media outlets such as NBC News, USA Today, CNN and MTV. Owens has used his platform to talk about LGBTQ+ and social justice issues. His work has earned many awards, such as being on the 2020 Forbes 30 under 30 list, being the 2017 Emerging Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists, winning the 2018 Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists and many more.

The title of this event is “From Awareness to Action: How to Make Social Impact After Getting Woke.” Owens will talk to the campus community about how to take action when it comes to inclusion and diversity.

Having Owens speak at this lecture will shed some light on the community when it comes to the unfortunate events over the last few years that have led to a larger and more productive fight for social justice.

“I think we’ve been spending a lot of time talking about issues of intersexuality, looking at race, class, orientation, etc. over the last two or three years,” Hill said.

Dr. Hill believes that Owens is the best speaker to have for the first Courageous Conversations series. His youth gives him the ability to connect with the student body and his position in journalism keeps him informed on social justice issues around the country.

“This entire year has really allowed us to have many courageous conversations and this, by no means is the end,” Hill said.

The first Courageous Conversations event will be on April 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

March 25, 2021

COVID-19

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Maintaining the mandates COVID rates on campus remain low, but do not expect to see any changes in policy as the final six weeks of the semester unfold.

By Garrett Cote @garrett_cote

I

f there is one feeling that is mutual between each and every person involved in the Springfield College community, it is the emphasis on finishing the spring 2021 semester here on Alden Street. It has been almost two full trips around the sun since a spring semester has been fully completed in-person at Springfield College.

With a little more than a month and a half until the second week of May, marking the end of this incomparable and dissimilar school year, resident assistants and other faculty members are applauding at the student’s determination to make it through this semester with no major setbacks.

Robert Yanez, Director of Housing and Residence Life at Springfield College, understands the difficulties that students are facing, and appre-

ciates the patience and willingness to abide and obey the current policies.

“I would like to express my gratitude to all of our students for their continued support in following our policies,” Yanez said. “I believe that the vast majority of our students care for their community and continue to follow (the SC COVID-19 guidelines) so we can remain on campus for the full 15-weeks of the spring semester together.”

Considering the continuous trend of decreasing positive tests (there was only one student residing on campus to test positive last week), and considering the weather warming up as the calendar flips to April, there has been much speculation on whether or not certain guidelines would be modified to provide more leeway for students on campus.

Lakeside has been designated a quarantine dorm this semester to accomodate the need for isolation housing on campus. (Photo Courtesy of Danny Priest/The Student)

“Our Springfield College leadership closely monitors both CDC and state guidelines,” Yanez began. “Any changes made will be at the direction of the President’s Leadership Team (PLT). If the PLT moves to change regulations, we will work with Community Standards and inform students of any changes.”

It seems unlikely that any changes will

be made to the guidelines, due to the fact that what is currently in place has been working tremendously over the last few weeks.

Townhouse resident assistant Jacques St. Jean and his fellow RA’s ran into a recent issue, as there was a large gathering in one of the townhouses two weekends ago. St. Jean admitted it was an extremely difficult situation, as some of

his close friends and fellow student-athletes were a part of the gathering.

“There was an incident (two weekends ago) where there were 18 people written up for a large party gathering,” said St. Jean.

“I was on duty that night, and had to write each person up, along with my fellow RA and (Community DiSee Covid Regulations on Page 9

March 25, 2021

Graduation News

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Preliminary plans for 2021 commencement Initial plans for commencemnt include eight seperate cermonies, no families allowed in attendance and negative tests will be required for students to attend.

By Cait Kemp @caitlinkemp09

C

OVID-19 has caused cancellations, postponement and alterations to countless milestones in people’s lives. With the regulations on large gatherings, many events that students eagerly anticipate are forced to be held differently than normal.

Springfield College has put into action a planning committee to decide what to do with the 2021 Commencement Ceremony, a huge event in seniors’ academic careers.

Recently, the senior class received an email regarding the plan as of now for the 2021 Commencement Ceremony that has had to be altered due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The Commencement Steering Committee has been meeting to discuss the potential options for the ceremony that coincide with the Massachu-

(Photo Courtesy of Jack Margaros/The Student)

setts guidelines for large gatherings.

The committee is continuing to meet to finalize the details and make clear what they can and cannot do, but the plan is to have a commencement ceremony on campus this spring. The celebration will begin with a virtual ceremony on Friday, May 14 and be followed by several in-person ceremonies on Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16.

This plan is an attempt to create an

atmosphere that gives students a chance to be in the moment with their peers, as opposed to solely behind a screen.

Although not ideal, it is still an opportunity to feel a sense of normalcy during such an important time in the lives of these seniors.

There will be no guests allowed at the in-person ceremonies with the current regulations. However, if rules on the number of people at outdoor gatherings change, this decision will

be revisited to consider the possibility of family and friends having the opportunity to attend.

The schedule for the ceremony will be divided by programs throughout the two days, with a morning and afternoon session each day. To be able to attend the in-person programs, students must have proof of a negative COVID test within the past 72-hours of the day of their ceremony.

Saturday morning is the Health Sciences

ceremony, with Arts and Sciences in the afternoon. Sunday hosts the Physical Education, Performance and Sport Leadership ceremony in the morning and the Social Work and Behavioral Sciences later that day. Each ceremony will be for both undergrad and graduate students in the programs.

All ceremonies will be live streamed for community members, students and loved ones to be able to watch the important celebration.

This is yet another event that has to be changed, but Springfield College is working hard to give students the best possible experience with the given situation. An outdoor in-person ceremony is a piece of normalcy that will hopefully help the seniors celebrate their graduation in a more fun and fulfilling way. As details continue to be sorted out, a more finalized plan will be on its way in the coming weeks.

March 25, 2021

Op-Ed

Priest: Is this really our only option for graduation?

Co-Editor-In-Chief Danny Priest pens a column questioning the plans for the 2021 Commencement ceremony.

By Danny Priest @dpriest3

Last week, the update came that graduation was going to be happening come May. More specifically, there will be virtual programming on Friday, May 14, followed by eight separate in-person commencements over the weekend.

It seems to me that a big emphasis was made on allowing us students the chance to put on the cap and gown, walk across the stage (or whatever the set-up is) and grab that diploma.

What isn’t going to be happening (unless Massachusetts significantly raises capacity limits) is family members be allowed to attend the proceedings.

Maybe this changes and we get two family members, but right now it wouldn’t happen.

Now, I understand this is where we are at with COVID. I know Springfield College’s hands are tied by the capacity limits, this isn’t how anyone wants to do things and no matter what, it’s never going to feel normal.

But, I still have to ask: Is this really our only option?

A graduation without ANY family members in attendance?

In a year of many tough decisions, that one is a lot to take in.

Back in 2017, my sister graduated from Worcester State. The day was May 13, to be exact.

I remember a few things from that day. We were in the DCU center in downtown Worcester and I was bored beyond belief.

Worcester State is not a big school. Bigger than Springfield, but still small in terms of student population. That graduation ceremony took FOREVER. I remember one speaker, Joe Andruzzi, a former offensive lineman with the Patriots who has done some incredible charity related work following his retirement from football.

He was great and that’s all I remember from the speakers and thousands of other students who received their diplomas that day.

I have no recollection of the college President talking, other speakers or other moments that may have unfolded that day.

Of course, I remember when my sister’s name was called and she crossed that stage. My parents were so happy and Continue reading on the Next Page (Page 8)

PAGE 7

March 25, 2021 Continued from Page 7

proud. My grandparents were there too, as well as some other family members.

Everyone was overjoyed. Like, one of the happiest, proudest moments I have seen from my own family.

They were so proud of her, so happy to be there and just had a general excitement and energy to them that was great.

That always stuck with me.

Graduation really, really matters to families.

That day in the DCU center, every name that got called a different section of the crowd would jump up and cheer as they watched their loved one go across that stage.

It’s not just like a casual cheer either, these families were yelling like their child just hit a March Madness buzzer beater. The excitement is just part of the day because it’s special.

After it ended and we poured outside, people were so happy to take pictures with their diplomas surrounded by family and friends.

I guess this year, we’re not going to have that chance.

I think the toughest part is to think that we are going to have to test negative, just to walk across a stage to grab a piece of paper and then trail off and not have any family there with us to enjoy the moment.

They’ll be watching

behind a Zoom screen and I’m sure they will be proud, but to not actually be there is not even close to the same.

I think collectively the class of 2021 has gotten hit pretty hard in terms of their college experience, but that really hurts.

I don’t know what the answer is or if there even is one. If parents/ guardians are fully vaccinated or willing to test negative, why can’t they be allowed to come to campus to watch their loved one walk the stage?

Limit the number to two family members per person. Keep everything outdoors. Maybe family members have to stay in their cars and watch everything via Zoom, but when their loved one’s turn is up, they can come out and watch it themselves?

It’s not a perfect system, but I’m sure there is a way to make that happen. We have plenty of space on campus to filter family members in and out over that weekend.

That decision is way beyond me, but I know it would mean a ton to students’ families. It’ll never be my call to make, but I wish there were a way to reconsider things.

Sure, Springfield College surveyed us on what mattered the most in terms of a graduation, but even then, it feels like this was going to be the outcome all along.

Perhaps they could have created a few

Op-Ed

PAGE 8

“

I appreciate the effort, I just think the focus of what graduation is meant to be was put in the wrong place in this instance. The cap and gown are cool, walking across the stage is nice, but what does it mean without family there?

- Danny Priest -

versions for ceremonies and put that to a vote?

Instead, this was the hand we were dealt and it seems like we will just have to go forward with it.

I know for me, I’d rather walk in front of no crowd or a crowd of just a few family members, rather than in front of over 100 art and sciences graduates who I may or may not know.

It’s nothing against anyone else. I just know years from now when we look back at our graduation, you’re always going to remember the cheers from your loved ones when your name was called over the hundreds of other names that get called on that day.

We’re losing that with this plan in place.

I appreciate the effort, I just think the focus of what graduation is meant to be was put in the wrong place in this instance. The cap and gown are cool, walking across the stage is nice, but what does it mean without family there?

Four years of education and commitments, a lot of work and an unprecedented amount of added pandemic stress just for everyone to have their day unfold this way is tough.

Like I said, I won’t forget that day in Worcester. Genuinely, it’s one of the happiest moments I’ve seen for my family and a lot of

other families in attendance.

Whether a graduate’s family ran 20 people deep or one person there, everyone shared that collective joy and appreciation of the moment.

The videos, pictures, hugs, laughs and happy tears from everyone showed me that graduation is meant to be a family oriented event.

COVID has forced the school to send us a number of difficult emails, but this one hit the worst for me.

I never could have pictured a graduation with zero family in attendance.

COVID-19

March 25, 2021

PAGE 9

Residents in buildings such as the townhouses have had to be extra cognizant of COVID rules in order to ensure the safety of everyone on campus this semester. (Photo Courtesy of Danny Priest/The Student) Covid Regulations continued from Page 5

rector) who were also on duty. It was really unfortunate and put me in a tough situation because they were my residents and people that I know.”

The consequences for something as serious as this incident can include loss of housing, removal from co-curricular activities for two weeks, a reflection paper, a fine and/ or a suspension from Springfield College.

Senior resident assistant in International Hall, Willow Mennone, reiterated what the exact expectations are for students, so consequences like

these will not have to come into play.

“The ultimate goal is to maintain social distancing while wearing a mask at all times,” Mennone stated. “Everyone is to continue following the guest policy, continue to get tested weekly when their test time is and limit their off-campus interactions so we can keep the Springfield College bubble safe.”

For a senior like Mennone, spending her last semester on campus is a must, as this is her last chance to walk through the

Springfield College campus. Mennone understands that at the end of the day, the COVID-19 pandemic can still work its way through the campus, even with students following the guidelines closely.

She simply wants all members of the Springfield community to do everything in their power to prevent that, for the sake of her and her graduating class.

Resident assistants not only ensure the safety and well-being of the members of their floor, they also are there to build a

strong connection with each other, and provide a sense of reassurance for their residents when needed. Due to the unconventional nature of this year, it has been rather difficult to do so, according to Gulick Hall resident assistant Kevin Velazquez-Rivera.

“I think it’s been a really tough year for every RA,” declared Velazquez-Rivera.

“A lot of freshmen residents and RAs don’t have the strong communication and relationship that they should have, because they think we are just

out to get them in trouble all the time.”

Although it has been a burden for students to obey each policy, and although it may be about that time where following these rules are seemingly not in students’ best interest, it is adamant that the Springfield College community perseveres through the challenges this year has provided. Students have pushed to make it to week nine, and it is now time to buckle down and surge through the last six weeks both safely and healthily.

March 25, 2021

A Day to Confront Racism

Confront Racism continued from Page 3

now, but it also happened in 1969 and it could happen again in another 40 or 60 years.

The point of us doing this now is so it won’t happen again.”

After the workshops conclude the night ends with No. 1 New York best-selling author Ibram X. Kendi’s presentation. He is the keynote speaker of the annual Arts and Humanities Speaker Series.

Kendi is most notably known for his book “How to be an Anti-racist” and “Be Antiracist: A Journal for Awareness, Reflection, and Action.” He has won numerous awards for his books about social justice, such as the W.E.B. Du Bois Book Prize and the National Book Award for Nonfiction.

On top of this, he is also a professor in the humanities department at Boston University, as well as being involved in the fields of history and journalism.

Getting Kendi on campus has been a work in progress for almost a year and the hope is for the campus community to learn more about how to be an ally, and what it

Kendi’s book: “How to be an Antiracist,” climbed the charts to become a New York Times best seller. (Photo Courtesy of Amazon)

Coverage Plans Recaps of all four webinars will be published on our website (scstudentmedia.com) on Thursday and Friday. Full coverage of the Arts & Humanities speaker series, including Ibram Kendi’s discussion, will be available on our website and in next’s weeks edition of the newspaper. Follow our social media accounts to stay up to date on all the latest news and information.

@TheSpfldStudent @thespfldstudent

PAGE 10 truly means to be an antiracist.

Kendi’s work specifically focuses on actively being an antiracist, instead of just saying the phrase “I am not racist.”

He pushes others to educate themselves on issues of diversity, inclusion and equality while prioritizing actions over just words.

Having Kendi on campus is a step in the right direction. His experiences and knowledge will help spark important conversations and changes on campus.

“My favorite thing is that they are not only asking students to talk, but actually talking about previous issues and it is not being swept under the rug. There are a lot more issues that could be talked about, but this is a good one and a good start,” D’Haiti said.

Kendi’s presentation starts at 7 p.m. and is followed by a question and answer session that is limited to a certain number of participants.

March 25 is an important day for Springfield College and their mission in regard to creating a more inclusive campus environment all starting with informative workshops.

March 25, 2021

Sports

Springfield College teams took advantage of the beautiful weather and hosted three in-person intercollegiate events this weekend in addition to the men’s gymnastics virtual regular season finale.

(Photos courtesy of Joe Arruda, Heidi Schuman and Danielle Schmelling)

PAGE 11

March 25, 2021

Sports

PAGE 12

Volleying with the Virus Despite shorthanded rosters, the men’s and women’s tennis teams look forward to an opportunity to compete.

__ By Ian Snowdeal __ @IanSnowdeal

The Springfield College men’s and women’s tennis teams hope to kick off the 2021 season in April after a year and a half of no scheduled competition.

On March 12, 2020 the men and women’s tennis team received the news that they would no longer be taking the annual spring break trip to Florida to compete against out-of-conference opponents prior to a scheduled NEWMAC season.

Nearly a year later, the team received the news that there was a chance that a season could possibly be played. It was great news for thirdyear head coach Mike Louis.

“I think the response was just relief, excitement and practices have been different in the sense that there is more purpose now,” Louis said after receiving the news.

Both the men and women’s teams will be playing with shorthanded rosters due to players taking leave of absences and participating in their studies remotely this semester.

This isn’t stopping or

(Jack Margaros/The Student)

hindering the team from being able to compete in matches this season as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) has set formats in place to account for different challenges teams may

be facing.

The men’s roster will be fielding five active players, two juniors, two sophomores and one first year, while the women will be fielding seven active players,

three juniors, two first years, one senior and one sophomore. A normal match will consist of three doubles matches and six singles, but with the shorthanded rosters, the matches will

be condensed for the teams to compete.

The pandemic has given Louis time to reflect and adapt to the challenges of coaching during this shortened season.

“Your priorities change, our first priority is to create a safe environment, still maintaining the cultural fundamentals, but the driving force is to create a space for the players to get together, get away from the computer screen, and just play the sport that we all love, said Louis, “I’m excited to see how these circumstances affect their growth and maturity individually and as a team this season.”

For the men’s team, Lucas Van Deventer is a player that can have a big impact on this year’s team. Van Deventer has improved every year on the court and has become a vocal leader for this year’s team.

“Lucas is a big part of this team,” said Louis.

“He has been bringing that level of intensity at practice that we need.”

Van Deventer started his freshman year as the final singles player on the roster and consistently improved his

March 25, 2021

game throughout the season, competing as high as fourth singles on an impressive 20182019 squad. He finished the season with an 8-5 singles record and 2-1 doubles record.

He was looking to have a major impact on the team last season prior to the cancellation of the spring season. Since the cancellation, it has been hard for Van Deventer to play tennis regularly.

“A lot of the tennis facilities have been closed, so I didn’t have a lot of access to work on my game,” said Van Deventer. “Whenever I can, I’m always working on something to improve my game, whether

that’s going outside for a run or working out.”

In addition to Van Deventer, James Foley – another junior – is set to fill a vacant leadership position on the team after it lost Freddie Moffa to graduation in the spring. Fabian Jensen, a junior from Norway, is also a bright spot on the short roster who is expected to occupy the No. 1 singles spot.

On the women’s side, there is no single player to watch.

Louis said, “Honestly my spotlight is the team itself, we have veterans that have been through a lot and newcomers that are just hungry to play. I’m excited for the

Sports

whole team and see how these next matches go.

I’m excited to see them embrace it and just run with it.”

The team has seen a lot of turnover from last year’s squad and is just excited to have the opportunity to play competitively again.

Junior Juliette Piazza said, “We are excited that we have the opportunity to compete again.”

Hailey Higgins, the lone senior on the roster, Rielly Malz and Heidi Schuman - in addition to Piazza - are expected to put up consistent effort on their side of the net, leading the young group.

The women’s team is currently tentatively scheduled to compete in five matches this season while the men are scheduled for just three.

The women’s team will be competing against Clark University, Wheaton College, and Babson while the men will have matches against Coast Guard, Clark University, Babson, and Wheaton College.

In the 2019-2020 season the men’s team finished its fall season with a 4-2-1 record and the women finished with a 3-1 record.

This season however isn’t about wins or losses for the Pride, but improving on their

PAGE 13

game and taking every opportunity that is given to them.

“The mindset I want from them is to own this, own the moment.

We will have the opportunity in April to shine and have those moments. I don’t want them to have any regrets, I want them to compete with a full heart,” said Louis.

This team is grateful for the opportunity to compete again and will be looking forward to the upcoming matches beginning with a match on April 3 at Clark University for the women’s team and at Coast Guard for the men.

March 25, 2021

Sports

PAGE 14

(Jack Margaros/The Student)

Spiking back up

The Springfield track and field teams look forward to finally returning to competition after missing out on cross country and indoor. _____ By Carley Crain _____ @carley_crain12

March 12, 2020.

The day before the world was put into lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the date the NCAA indoor track and field championships were cancelled.

A group of athletes and coaches boarded the plane to North Carolina on March 10, hopeful for their upcoming races and the chance to compete on the national stage.

For some, it was the

chance to defend their All-American status, and for others it was their first National Championship appearance. However, after shortly arriving and getting settled in, the competition was canceled -- and nobody was expecting the pandemic to last as long as it has.

It has been over a year since the track team has been able to compete, and after a devastating end to last year,

athletes are hungry to lace up their spikes again. After watching other big Div. I and Div II schools compete this winter and not being able to run indoor track, it has heightened the athletes’ desire to compete again and wear THE jersey.

“We were so grateful just for practice and to do what we love with the people we love doing it with. Looking forward we have a lot of potential on the

team, from what I can see there is a great environment every single time we are touching the track at practice,” said head coach Mike Miller. “We really have the opportunity to knock down the door at NEWMAC’s and become the championship team we have always wanted.”

“I think our team is really strong at supporting each other, being there for each other, and raising each

other up. If someone is struggling or having a bad day, there are always people here for you that support you through everything.

Through workouts and runs, we feed off of each other and we can just have a positive workout when we are together,” said first year Kate Bonanno.

The time away from competition made the team focus on other aspects of the sport more, such as mental

March 25, 2021

health and virtual team bonding.

“We dove into the development of people.

We went into mental health, mental preparation, mental toughness, what it means to be on this team, developed standards, language, and what it means to work hard,” said Miller.

This spring, the Pride will finally have the chance to race again versus NEWMAC opponents in a shortened season. While the exact details are still being figured out for the upcoming season, the Pride will have three dual meets against numerous conference opponents as well as the NEWMAC Championships at the end of the season. NCAA DIII Nationals recently have been confirmed and the first meet of the season will be at home on April 10th.

“The second we were able to start practicing a lot of momentum started to build,” said Miller. “Just having practice you can see a lot more motivation, having the talks from intersession about taking care of yourself created a little more character development which created more development in motivation.”

All-Americans Caroline Hitchcock, Emily LaPlante, Chole Dewhurst, Tyler Hanson and Josh Silvester are all returning this year, and will continue to be huge assets for the Pride. For both men and women the sprint, distance, jumping and

throwing groups continue to improve due to long training cycles.

Despite being a smaller group of athletes, the throwing group (“Bomb Squad” as they are commonly referred to) has a versatile group of underclassman throwers that specialize in numerous events.

Sophomore Jamie Coca is coming off a strong indoor campaign, where he placed high at Div. III New Englands and at ECACs. Sophomore Christa Carr also had a solid indoor season, where she placed in the top five at both ECACs and at Div. III New Englands. Emily Racana, another sophomore who specializes in the pole vault, has been a consistent and strong asset to the jumps squad, and has proven to be a contender in the New England region.

On the sprints side, Junior Sydney Fackrell is a strong competitor who has great range.

Last year, Fackrell won the 60-meter dash at ECACs as well as placing second in the 200. On the men’s side, senior Cormac Tolan also has great range, and can be seen doing sprinting events or distance. Last indoor season he broke the indoor school record for the 600, and is looking forward to closing off his time at Springfield with one last chance to compete for the Pride.

Distance (the “D-Squad”) has a strong group of first-years and upperclassmen that will

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(Jack Margaros/The Student)

help lead the Pride to a strong NEWMAC finish. First-year’s Kate Bonanno and Kailyn Belanki are coming into the season both as Connecticut first team All-State runners, with great versatility in the longer and middle distance events.

“I think this long training block has given us time to really enjoy the process and work on ourselves mentally,” said Bonanno. “During pre-Covid sessions, it is sometimes hard to hold onto your purpose and stay strong through all the races. This long block has made me more grateful for every opportunity I get and to take each day we spend

working hard together as an opportunity we are all so lucky to have.”

Senior’s Rachel Wentick and Abigail Murdock are other distance runners to look out for, as Wentnick specializes in the 10k and is looking to better her seventh place NEWMAC finish from 2019. Murdock is best at the 800, where she is looking to improve her sixth place NEWMAC 2019 finish.

On the men’s side for distance, for many it will be their first-ever outdoor season competing for Springfield.

With a mix of middle and longer distance specialists, the men’s distance team is excited for what they can do

this year after months of hard training.

Sophomore Rece Gobbel and junior Russell Allen are two of the strongest middle distance runners for the Pride. Senior Ryan Vermette is another runner to watch out for as he specializes in the longer events and is coming off a stellar junior indoor season.

The ability to compete this season after a whole year off has the track team more excited than ever to race and wear THE jersey again.

Their first dual meet of the year will take place on April 10th at Blake Field, with no spectators allowed.

SPORTS The Springfield Student

VOL. 135 NO. 18 (Photos Courtesy of Jack Margaros)

MARCH 25, 2021