Volume 136 No. 20

The Springfield Student Est. 1910

March 31, 2022

scstudentmedia.com // @TheSpfldStudent

Volume 136 No. 20

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

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Women’s History Month

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March 31, 2022

Women’s History Month

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50 years toward gender equality This June marks 50 years since Title IX legislation was passed, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex.

___ By Carley Crain ___ @carley_crain12

Almost 50 years ago, on June 23, 1972, a monumental piece of legislation was passed that forever changed women’s sports and educational opportunities. Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or other educational program that receives funding from the federal government.

Before Title IX passed, there were roughly 310,000 women and girls playing sports in high school or colleges. Now, there are more than 3 million female athletes. Before the passing of Title IX, it was rare for athletic scholarships to be awarded to women; in 2022, there are more than 10,000 scholarships given yearly to female athletes across the country. Title IX has been instrumental for women in the changing landscape of athletics.

At Springfield College, women’s sports are dom-

inated by female coaches, with seven of 11 teams being female-headed. On the men’s side, the opposite is true – men’s sports at Springfield are almost exclusively coached by males, with only one woman, Anna Steinman, leading the charge as head coach of the men’s cross country team.

Coaching diversity has shifted significantly since the passing of Title IX, and not necessarily in the way some would expect.

Two years after Title IX passed, over 90% of coaches were women.

A few decades later, in 2013, only 40% of coaches were female. Title IX was the start of a crucial movement, but even 50 years since the start of the law, equality in sports and education continues to be a topic of debate.

“There should be no barrier for any person to receive equal opportunity

on their college campus, which is why Title IX is so important here and everywhere,” said Sue Nowlan, Springfield’s Dean of Students and Deputy Title IX Coordinator.

Springfield College was an all-male institution until 1951, when the college made the executive decision to become a co-ed campus and allow women to apply as fulltime students. However, it wasn’t until over a decade later that women’s sports arrived on campus. In the 1963-64 school year, four teams started women’s varsity athletics on Alden Street – field hockey, basketball, softball and tennis.

While a big part of Title IX is athletics, there is much more to the law.

At Springfield, the Title IX office has options for students to file sexual and gender misconduct reports, either through an

online form or by calling the office.

Springfield’s Title IX staff is made up of five coordinators that work with specific areas of the college such as employees, athletics, and the different regional campuses.

“When I first came to work at Springfield College, we did not have a position dedicated to a Title IX Coordinator,” Nowlan said. “We have had someone in athletics who was a compliance officer for Title IX, but to have a Title IX coordinator for the entire campus to ensure equity and access across the board for all of our activities and programs was a big step for Springfield College just six years ago.

“We now have someone in place who makes sure that we provide the right education and that we have the right policies in place and that we are addressing violations, so that is fairly new.”

The college’s website states that coordinators “are trained to assist faculty, staff, and students with understanding their rights, resources, and

options for filing a complaint. While not bound by confidentiality, these individuals will nevertheless maintain the privacy of an individual’s information within the limited number of those involved in the Title IX resolution process.”

The Title IX office at Springfield is also involved with other clubs and organizations on campus, such as the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) and Students Against Violence Everywhere (S.A.V.E.).

Springfield College announced that this year’s commencement speaker is Billie Jean King in celebration of Title IX’s 50th anniversary. King is recognized as one of the best women’s tennis players of all time. Off the court, she deeply cared about social justice issues as well as leveling the playing field for women in sports.

As King’s website states, “Title IX remains the only law that grants women any kind of equality in America.”

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Women’s History Month

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Get to know Sue Guyer ___ By Garrett Cote___ @garrett_cote

Sue Guyer, Springfield College’s Dean of Physical Education, Performance and Sport Leadership, is remarkably decorated and accomplished. After spending time at several different institutions, Guyer has called Alden Street her home for the past 23 years. She continues to be an inspiration for young women aspiring to be involved in her line of work, and sat down with The Student’s Garrett Cote to talk about her journey, inspirations and biggest achievements over the course of her illustrious career in physical education and athletic training.

Cote: Where are you from?

Guyer: I’m originally from upstate New York, a little town called Burnt Hills. It’s near Albany, a small little rural town. Then I went to college in Vermont at Castleton State College. Then I basically went all the way down the east coast. I went to Old Dominion University in Virginia for my Master’s. I worked down in Florida for about 10 years at a small private school called Stetson University, and then found myself back here. I was only going to be here for a year. Well, 23 years later, here I am.

Cote: What was the reason you chose to stay at SC?

Guyer: The students. That’s everybody’s answer because it’s true. When you’ve worked at multiple different places, you realize there’s something special about this place, there’s something special about the students here.

Cote: Considering the lack of women in sports, what did it mean to you to work in an athletic-based occupation?

Guyer: Well, when I first started out, it was much different. I think only 20% of athletic trainers were women. So we were definitely overcoming some biases sometimes, especially when I would work with men’s teams. And looking back now 30 years later, 52% of athletic trainers are women, and 48 are men. So we have made that shift. Because women, I think we’re good care providers, we truly are nurturing. We give good care, we’re holistic in our care.

Dean of Physical Education, Performance and Sport Leadership, Sue Guyer. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

Cote: What are some accolades you are most proud of ?

Guyer: The Excellence in Teaching Award. And the reason I’m really proud of that one is it was an award that was solely given through students. So the students voted, it wasn’t the committee. It wasn’t something I knew about. It wasn’t something I was vying for. I just got a call from the Senate one day and they said congratulations, you’ve been nominated for the Excellence in Teaching Award.”

Cote: When did you realize you wanted athletic training to be a part of your future?

Guyer: When I was in ninth grade, I sustained a pretty significant injury. I had a severe contusion to my kidney. I was a [soccer] goalie and I kind of leaned sideways, and someone came in and kicked me up underneath the ribcage and contused my kidney. I was bleeding internally and I was laying on the field. Long story short, I got out of the hospital and I came back to practice and talked to my coach. ‘There’s got to be someone who is there for athletes when they get hurt on the field.’

And he said ‘Yeah, they’re called athletic trainers.’

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Women’s History Month

Cote: Who is your biggest inspiration?

Guyer: My mom. She is no longer on this earth, but she is in my heart and in my head every single day. She was a woman before her time. She was the head of the household, she was the center of the wheel and my best friend. She was tough as nails yet as soft as a pillow.

Cote: This year is the 50th anniversary of Title IX. How important has the law been to women as a whole?

Guyer: It gave women equal access to education, and to sport. So if you were federally funded, you had to give equal opportunity – in the classroom and also on the playing field. I mean, just how far women’s athletics have come in 50 years is mind-blowing.

Cote: What was your reaction when you found out that Billie Jean King would be giving this year’s commencement speech?

Guyer: Oh, gosh. Well, we had a little inside scoop that she might be our commencement speaker, but I don’t think any of us really thought it would come to fruition.

Luckily, we have Board of Trustee members who know her and were able to talk to her. And then President Cooper sealed the deal. So I’m very excited. And I’ll be up there [on stage with King], because as a Dean, we have to be up there. Just being in her presence is going to be a little nerve-wracking. I’m in awe of everything she has done.

Cote: As a professor of Humanics, what does the Humanics philosophy mean to you?

Guyer: The Humanics philosophy means to me that you treat everybody with respect and dignity, from the moment you meet them to eternity. If we’re just kind to people all the time, I think that’s really, really important.

And I would love to see a lot more of that nowadays.

Cote: If you could change the maroon and white colors of Springfield College, what would you choose instead?

Guyer: I’m going to say red. And the reason I’m going to go with red is because people who are here believe in it with their whole heart. So when you think about heart, I think about blood. And I don’t want to see people bleed for this place, But I think everyone who’s here is here for a common mission. So I’m going to say the color red.

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Cote: As a woman, how hard was it for you to find your way into your field of work? Were there times where you felt mistreated?

Guyer: Because I had such strong female role models throughout my entire career, and a father who never thought anything was beyond my abilities, I was lucky in that way. But it was difficult, because sometimes you’re the only female in the room. And especially on road trips, you’re with a men’s team, men’s coaches, and you’re the only female and you’re taking care of 35 guys. But I feel blessed because I was always treated with respect. Part of that, I think, is being confident enough to demand respect.

Cote: What is your favorite thing to do outside of work?

Guyer: I love anything outside. So kayak, hike, and be on the water. I absolutely love being on the water. I find water very peaceful. And just if I’m stressed, and I’m near a body of water, I can just center myself.

Cote: What is your favorite course to teach at Springfield College?

Guyer: I loved teaching prevention of athletic injuries. And the reason I did is because it was all first-year students. And with the first-year students, you kind of set the stage, you’re getting to know them, they’re getting to know you, they’re getting to know the college experience. Plus, prevention is one of those things that is the cornerstone of athletic training.

Cote: What is your favorite tradition at Springfield College?

Guyer: I like the beanies. Because I get to see the end result, I get to see some of the alumni faculty who are still wearing them. Some of them have bills that were leather, and they’re all cracking because we still have it.

So it’s a uniting factor between the new students, all of our alumni and then some of the teachers who are still here from their undergrad.

Cote: End the debate – is Spirit the Lion a male or female?

Guyer: It’s a non-binary mascot. Yeah, we’re gonna call it androgynous – which is perfect.

Women’s History Month

March 31, 2022

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The drive to give Springfield student Tetyana Shvyryd is leading an effort to help people in her native country of Ukraine. _ By Cait Kemp _ @caitlinkemp09

Ukraine continues to be destroyed by Russian invasion. The nation has been upturned and Ukrainian citizens’ lives have been changed forever. It is half a world away from Springfield, but the devastation is evident, even from afar.

And one student with a personal connection to Ukraine is working hard to help from a distance..

For Springfield College student Tetyana Shvyryd, this cause hits extremely close to home. She was born in Ukraine, and moved to South Dakota when she was 6 years old. In 2012, her family moved to Westfield, Mass., and she has lived in Massachusetts ever since.

Although her immediate family, her parents and brother, are here with her in the States, many of Shvyryd’s friends and other family members

Shvyryd’s donation drive is located at Full Gospel Church in Westfield, Mass. (Photo Courtesy of Tetyana Shvyryd)

still live in Ukraine.To say she fears for their safety is an understatement. War is horrifying, and people she once lived close to are experiencing intense fear each and every day.

“I talked to some of my friends there and one thing they said was, ‘What we are seeing feels like a movie, looks like a movie,

but it is real life,’’ said Shvyryd. “I just can’t imagine that. Knowing what is happening to them is tough.”

Shvyryd traveled to Ukraine as recently as January as well as in August. Along with a group of volunteers from New York and Ohio, she assisted at children’s camps over the summer, and brought Christmas joy

for the winter.

Now, just a mere three months later, the Ukraine she once knew has become a battleground. She felt so close to the people, yet so far away from what was happening.

She knew she had to do something. She began a donation drive for supplies and funds with the help of her church, Full Gospel

Church in Westfield.

The groups she traveled abroad with had already started drives in their towns, so she knew she could do it too.

“I decided for myself. I said, ‘We have to do something. You know you can’t just sit back and do nothing,’” said Shvyryd. “So we will do it, combine our efforts.”

From the beginning, the drive has been very successful. Shvyryd was overcome with joy and appreciation at how many people in the community contributed.

“Everybody has been reaching out, asking to donate, asking what they can bring in, asking to volunteer, even. It’s a humbling experience to know that so many people are willing to show up,” Shvyryd said.

Beyond the people in Westfield, Shvyryd’s drive has only continued to grow. After her

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History Month Women’s

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“We’re not going to impact and stop the war but whatever it i... to know that that could impact and help somebody has been helpful to me.” (Photo Courtesy of Don Treeger/The Republican)

local news station aired an interview with her, more and more people began to see what she was doing. Her Canva-created flyer and Instagram post was now getting more views than she ever thought possible, and the drive was receiving an overwhelming response of support.

Due to the publicity the drive gained, it began to get attention from across the state.

People from Boston, Cape Cod, and other parts of Massachusetts reached out wanting to give donations and volunteer.

“The community is no longer just my church,” Shvyryd said.

“The word community has gotten so much bigger to me.”

With the generosity of her growing community, Shvyryd’s drive has been able to ship five containers of supplies to Poland, filled with over 3,000 boxes. Once the shipment arrived in Poland, a nonprofit organization called Good Samaritan took over to distribute and relocate the donations.

Good Samaritan acts as a hub for Ukrainian refugees. Workers brought supplies out in trucks to areas in need, then brought people back to their space to help them and give them a safe place.

Shvyryd’s father and brother wanted to do even more, and flew to Poland last week. Their mission is to use funds and buy supplies while

over there, and bring it directly to people in need.

The drive has provided so much, but is not an immediate process. By going themselves, Shvyryd’s father and brother are expediting the time it takes for the boxes to be filled, enough supplies to be collected to fill them, to then be shipped off. They are going first into a war, selflessly to give back to the community they derive from.

Although Shvyryd herself did not go to Poland, she already has plans to go later on and do what she can to help.

“When the war is over, we plan to go there and God willingly we want to be there

and help people on the ground whether that’s rebuilding or visiting and providing food, whatever that may be.”

Her heart yearns to help at orphanages, churches and shelters for refugees. Anywhere her help is wanted and welcomed, she is determined to go.

In the meantime, Shvyryd will continue to encourage support and donate to her homeland. With such a successful drive, she has the means to make

a difference and keep it going.

“It’s not that big, you know, we’re not going to impact and stop the war but whatever it is, if this box of food is somebody’s answered prayer, to know that that could impact and help somebody has been helpful [to me],” Shvyryd said.

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Women’s History Month

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The first female graduate of SC Dorothea Poulin Woodside graduated from Springfield College in 1939. ___ By Collin Atwood___ @collinatwood17

1951.

The first year women were allowed to enroll as full-time students at Springfield College.

For the most part, this is true. From Springfield College’s opening in 1885 to 1951, no women were allowed to take the required number of credits to be considered a fulltime student.

However, that 66-year gap involves a small glitch in time where this rule did not apply. In 1935, 11 women were admitted as Springfield College students. Most were parttime, but just one of these students found her way to being the first female four-year undergraduate student in the school’s history.

That student was Dorothea Poulin Woodside.

Woodside was from Pittsfield, Mass. and like most Springfield College students, she came to Alden Street to pursue athletics. As an adolescent, Woodside dipped her toe in a multitude of activities like girl scouts and piano lessons. But the one sport she tried, and loved, was swimming.

Once she got to high school, she decided to pursue swimming and dropped everything else.

“Swimming was definitely for me,” Woodside

wrote in her autobiography.

Woodside had her first taste of Springfield College as a freshman in high school. Although she already intended to put everything she had into the sport, it was her visit at the College that inspired her to take swimming more seriously.

Woodside’s coach brought her to Springfield to train with the coaches and test her abilities at the school’s facilities.

She learned new training techniques and received valuable feedback from the coaches at Springfield.

That experience was very important in her progression as a swimmer.

She writes that she was “truly inspired in my swimming from then on.”

That inspiration led to her having success in the pool during high school.

According to her autobiography, she won the New England 100-yard breaststroke and came just short of reaching nationals during her senior year.

Woodside graduated high school in January of 1935, earlier than most of her classmates. She was eager to go to college, but money was always a problem. She received offers from multiple schools, but none of them proved to be affordable.

She hadn’t thought about going to Springfield until that summer.

She worked at an aquatics school in South Hanson, Mass. and while she was there she met a man who informed her about Springfield College.

At the time, the college was thinking about going co-ed. According to Woodisde’s autobiography, “they wanted to start with a few co-eds to break in gradually.” This was looked at as an experiment.

Eventually, Woodisde started trading letters with Springfield College which led to a man going to her home in Pittsfield to interview her. By the end of it, she was offered multiple scholarships for her membership at her high school’s YMCA club, her academics and athletics.

It was impossible for her to go college without these scholarships.

Once Woodside made her visit to the campus she was sold. She’d been there before, but only to see the swimming facilities.

“My first sight of the campus was exhilarating,” she wrote. “I thought it was so large and beautiful.”

This was at a time when the campus was

Woodside, Springfield College’s first female undergraduate student. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

very bare. Buildings like Abbey-Appleton Hall, Lakeside Hall, Cheney Hall and many more wouldn’t be built for years to come.

Not very long after she returned from her visit, Woodside would be accepted as a full-time student at Springfield College, majoring in physical education. “I knew where I was going and that was such a good feeling,” she wrote.

Just like she did as a child, Woodside put herself out there and got involved with many activities and clubs. According to volume No. 87 of the Triangle Magazine, Woodside was a member of the swim team, an associate editor of the Massasoit, a reporter for the Springfield Student and a member of co-curricular programs.

Woodside valued her time at Springfield College and she was always grateful for the way she was treated there.

“My mom paid no tuition to Springfield College and always felt indebted to them.,” Woodside’s son, Frank, told the Triangle

Magazine.

Frank and his siblings knew how much love Woodside had for Springfield, so they decided to start the Dorothea L. Poulin Woodside Scholarship. This scholarship is for a female who is from Wwestern Mass. and is majoring in physical education. The recipient also needs to show that she is in need of financial support.

After she graduated from Springfield, swimming would still be a part of Woodside’s life. She went on to win a national breaststroke championship…at age 70.

According to Melanie Smeltzer of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Woodside was a member of the Southwest Ohio Masters Team and competed in her age group at a national swim meet in Houston.

“Woodside captured two first-place ribbons and one second-place award,” Smeltzer wrote.

Cincinnati is where Woodside resided until she died on April 22, 2005.

Her legacy at Springfield will never be forgotten.

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History Month Women’s

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Planting the seed Along with being the first coach in Springfield’s softball and women’s gymnastics programs, Diane Potter consistently advocated for women’s sports in her long tenure on Alden Street. ___ By Chris Gionta___ @Chris_Gionta

The head coaching role for the Springfield College softball team comes with its own prestigious title that is unlike any other at the school. Everyone in the position since 2015 and beyond has been and will be referred to as the Diane L. Potter ‘57 head softball coach.

The title carries extreme weight with it, especially with Potter’s name at the front of the moniker. It represents several decades of growing women’s sports not only on campus, but also throughout the country. The beginning of the title has the best representation of what the school truly values.

“I think she is Springfield College,” said Kate

Bowen, the current Diane L. Potter ‘57 head softball coach.

Only a legend of the school could have their name involved in a head coaching title, and the term “legend” is an understatement in regards to Potter.

Her contributions to women’s collegiate sports, especially on Alden Street, made a heavy impact early on in her days at the school, and is still felt today. “[Potter and other pioneers in women’s collegiate sports] were able to inspire and instill in the women the importance of participation, doing your best, competing, goal-setting, and all those things that are a part of athletics,” said former Springfield

Potter surrounded by members of the 2016 Springfield softball team. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

College Vice President of Student Affairs and former assistant coach of Potter, Dr. Gretchen Brockmeyer.

“They were able to show that there was no reason women shouldn’t be supported in the same way as men were supported in sport.”

Potter was the first softball coach, the first women’s gymnastics coach and the first woman to serve as Assistant Athletic Director at Springfield.

Her role with the women’s gymnastics team started in the academic year of 1963-64. Before that, she “became one of the primary forces in establishing the Springfield College Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Program,” according to the Springfield College archives.

Women’s athletics at Springfield, like many

was one of the people women’s programs in the earliest stages, expe- who was instrumental in making it a formidarienced growing pains. ble organization that ad“We bought kilts bevanced women’s athletcause field hockey was ics, along with it being the first sport in the a precursor to National fall,” Potter said. “So, Collegiate Association we bought kilts, and Athletics (NCAA) womthe kids had their own en’s programs. shirts for field hockey.

“It was actually a Basketball wore the group of women from gray cotton tunics that the women wore for the New England — one of physical education activ- whom was Dr. Potter — who developed this ities, and we dressed that up by getting a wo- organization to provide for women athletes the ven maroon and white opportunity to play in belt. Tennis wore their tournaments, and to own whites — white actually play women’s shirts, white shorts — sports in a way similar they had to provide them on their own. And to what the men were,” Brockmeyer said on the softball played in kilts.”

AIAW. Her contributions to Potter’s coaching women’s sports did not career did not come end at Springfield – in fact, they merely started without monumental successes. She led the there.

She was a leader in the women’s gymnastics team for four years and Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for See Potter Women (AIAW). Potter continued on Page 10

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Women’s History Month

Photo of the 1969 Springfield softball team. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Archives) Potter continued from Page 11

guided the team to a 12-2 record. She was also the head coach for Kathy Corrigan Ekas, who was an Olympian before she arrived on Alden Street.

Gymnastics was certainly not Potter’s primary expertise.

“Frank Wolcott came to me, who was a coach at the time, and wanted to include women in the [gymnastics] exhibition team (...) And I said, ‘Frank, I’m a softball coach. I’m not a gymnast. I don’t really know a whole lot about gymnastics,’” Potter said as she laughed.

“And he said, ‘Well, I’ll help you. We just want to get the program started.’”

She spent most of her coaching career in the dugout and base coach’s

box. During her 21 years as head softball coach, she accumulated a record of 227-123 and had four undefeated seasons. She also won two Northeast 8 championships, an EAIAW Championship, an ECAC Division II Championship and received recognition as Northeast 8 Coach of the Year twice.

In over two decades of coaching the program, she molded an abundance of college softball players to be their best.

Kathleen Mangano, who earned All-American honors in Potter’s final year of coaching the team and ended up being the head coach for Springfield softball for 20 years, took significant influence from Potter.

“She helped me adjust to a different level of

play from high school to college,” Mangano said.

“We had some amazing teams, and she really helped me get acclimated to this level.”

Potter’s retirement from coaching in 1985 did not keep her from remaining involved with the softball program. “[After she retired], Potter was always there as a resource when I needed her,” said Mangano, who took the head coaching job in 1989.

“If I wanted to talk to her about X’s and O’s, or even what she thought was best for the program.”

To this day, at the age of 87, she joins the Springfield softball team for their spring break trip which is not far from where she currently resides in Florida.

“She’s there the whole

week, and she’s in every huddle after the game,” Bowen said. “She comes to every game, and she is just so intelligent about the game and strategies. It’s awesome for me just to talk with her about what happened during the games.

And she’s just such a great mentor for me, too, which has just been unbelievable.”

During her days as a coach, Potter also made progress with Springfield women’s athletics as what was known at the time as the “Women’s Coordinator of Athletics,” and what is now known as the Assistant Athletic Director. She took on the position in 1976.

“She also worked very hard — probably not so everyone could see her — but, more behind the scenes to encourage and push for equity in athletics for the women,” Brockmeyer said.

Potter was a large proponent of creating a level playing field for women in the most literal sense. For a long time, both basketball programs at the school practiced and played at the old fieldhouse, but the women were unable to practice there when the men were.

“The men had the prime time. The women had to practice either at night or very early in the morning,” Potter added.

Because of the imbalance of prioritization at

PAGE 10 the time, it was necessary for her to advocate for the women’s basketball team’s ability to practice where they played.

“I said, ‘Look, we need to have access to the floor that we play on for practice,’” Potter said.

“I think it was when Ed Bilik was the Athletic Director when that changed, and we did actually get to practice on the floor that we played on.”

It is not difficult to see the influence of Potter at Springfield College today. The softball field has been officially named Potter Field for 36 years, and her name has been involved in the Pride’s softball head coaching title for several years. Potter’s name is in the title due to an endowed fund in her honor called the Potter Softball Coaching Fund, which is an endowment to support the head softball coaching salary.

Thus far, $891,000 has been committed to this fund.

When it was announced in 2015, it was the first endowed fund for a coaching position at Springfield College, and there could not have been a more appropriate person to be honored this way.

“She’s just really a pioneer for women’s athletics, but also, I think she really jump-started [physical education] here, and just the Humanics philosophy

March 31, 2022

— the spirit, mind and body — I think she truly lives that every day, and lives out the mission, and we really talk about that in our program, too, because she is someone who has done so much here to build what Springfield College is,” Bowen said.

Her latest public appearance on campus was on Oct. 2, 2021 when she cut the ribbon for the Pride’s newly renovated turf field. At first, she was hesitant to express her approval of the renovations, but a key explanation from Bowen gave her a change of heart.

“I was originally not

Women’s History Month in favor of turf infield,” Potter said. “And one day I was talking to Kate [Bowen], and this was before the final decisions were made. And she said ‘Coach, I got to tell you, we walk out to our field — and the men are on the baseball field — and they’re practicing, and we can’t practice on ours because it’s muddy.’

“And, that was it for me. Talk about ‘making things equal.’ In order for them to have the same opportunity that baseball had, it had to be a turf infield.”

The representation of equality that she saw when she stepped onto

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Pottter being carried by her team after a victory in the 1977 EAIAW Regional Championship. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

Potter Field on that momentous day, brought out a significant and appropriate emotional response.

“When she stepped on the field, she just started crying,” Bowen said.

“And she just started talking about, ‘this is for

women’s sports.’”

“It was a Class A facility for Springfield College and for the students,” Potter added.

Her softball team played in kilts, the women’s basketball team played in their P.E. uniforms and couldn’t

practice on their own court. But during that fall afternoon, Potter arrived onto a field that garnered equal attention. This recognition could not come without her advocacy at the very beginning of it all.

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Women’s History Month

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Play like a girl

Taylor Pichel and Sam Hourihan have shown amazing athletic prowess in their time at Springfield, and are just two among many female student-athletes to make their mark on campus. __ By Cait Kemp__ @caitkemp09

These women are strong athletes. Competing at the Div. III level at a school that values the importance of athletics, they have had to learn to take on the role of being a leader. Throughout their time on Alden Street, they have made a difference in their sport. What has their journey been, and what will they leave behind?

Taylor Pichel, Women’s Lacrosse Taylor Pichel is a fifth-year Athletic Training student on the women’s lacrosse team. After transferring at the beginning of her sophomore year to Springfield, she had to come in as a freshman in order to be in the AT program. With COVID-19, she gained an extra year of eligibility and is playing her last season right now.

In 2019 – her debut

Taylor Pichel looking to advance the ball past the Babson defense. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

season with the Pride – she scored 43 goals to get herself on the all-time record list for scoring. She also had 11 assists to total 54 points for the season.

This season, she already has 22 goals, and scored a career-high six in a showdown against Babson.

However, statistics aren’t everything.

Pichel came into Springfield as the new kid on the team. It’s a situation that can be scary, not knowing anyone and feeling like an outsider. Instant-

ly, though, Pichel felt the connection to her teammates and coach. “[The team] is just so amazing bringing everyone in and being so welcoming. I instantly felt supported and it definitely made my transition easier,” said Pichel.

After developing this strong connection with her team despite being new, she was able to become a key player. Since then, she has become a leader and wants to show the younger players the tradition and culture of the team.

“I want to leave a good legacy behind of being a good team player and hard worker.

I think that is one of our main things within our team,” said Pichel.

“We always have the Show Up award from Coach Bugbee, and just that means so much to our team. You don’t always have to produce, but being a hard worker I think that’s the biggest thing.”

March 31, 2022

Women’s History Month

Coach Graves.

“She really pushes us. She wants us to be the best basketball players but she tells us all the time she wants us to be strong women, get involved whenever we can and do well in the classroom,” said Hourihan.

This connection helped to create a strong bond between the team, especially seen this season with their historic run.

As Women’s History Month comes to a close and the anniversary of Title IX comes up this summer, Hourihan reflected on the opportunities that are present

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at Springfield College for women, especially being such an athletics-oriented school.

“Our run really expanded the following for our team…we got so much support,” she said. “We never felt undervalued as a women’s team which I think is really important and doesn’t happen everywhere.”

Hourihan’s goal is to bring the same team chemistry to next season. Despite losing three key seniors who made a difference on and off the court, she strives to keep their energy going as a leader on the team.

Sam Hourihan (24) celebrating with teammate Grace Dzindolet. (Joe Arruda/The Student)

Sam Hourihan, Women’s Basketball Since she stepped onto the campus back in 2019, Sam Hourihan has been a standout on the court. Earning a long list of accolades her freshman season including D3Hoops. com Northeast Region Rookie of the Year, NEWMAC Women’s

Basketball Co-Rookie of the Year, and NEWMAC First Team All-Conference (to name a few), to draining a clutch buzzer beater to send her team to the Sweet Sixteen this year, she has had an exciting ride.

It all started when she was young, inspired by her dad and brother to take up the

sport of basketball.

After becoming more serious about it in high school, playing both for her school and for an AAU team, she knew she wanted to play in college. She looked at a variety of schools, but fell in love with Springfield for basketball, academics, and life in general.

She was also drawn to

Sam Hourihan as a very young basketball player. (Photo courtesy of Sam Hourihan)

March 31, 2022

Women’s History Month

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Keeping her head in the game Michele Lee Scecina serves as Springfield College’s Assistant Athletic Director after an illustrious basketball playing and coaching career. __ By Braedan Shea __ Contributor

Scecina is the only Springfield player ever with 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

As the game clock inside Springfield College’s Blake Arena expired on March 27, it brought a conclusion to another successful New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA) Senior All Star Game Classic.

A multitude of excited players and spectators alike made their way toward center court.

Amidst the sea of people and the colorful arrange of jerseys, the arena was buzzing. The energy was high and joyous, while everyone involved connected with each other – including the players, who, despite being opponents for the past four years, were enjoying the time with those familiar faces for what could be the last time.

It was beautiful – a powerful and poetic way to end a strong collegiate career.

And none of it would have been possible without the extraordinary leadership of one very influential person:

Michelle Lee Scecina.

Scecina has seemingly always been a leader, first showcased when she was a student at Springfield in the mid-90s. As a member of the women’s basketball team, she cemented herself as one of the greatest players in the College’s history; being the only Springfield player ever to end her career amassing both 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. She was named to the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) All-Region Team as a junior in 1995-96, and to the NEWBA Senior AllStar Team the following year.

After graduating in 1997, Scecina decided she wanted to take her leadership skills and apply them to something else – teaching Physical Education.

After a two-year stint as an elementary school P.E. teacher in the City of Springfield, she learned that it just wasn’t for her. She was looking for something

March 31, 2022 more. So she decided to return to Springfield College as a graduate student where she could get into coaching, serving as a Graduate Assistant coach alongside women’s basketball head coach Naomi Graves.

During her time on the sidelines she helped the Pride win a pair of NEWMAC Championships, including a record-setting 2002 campaign where Springfield established the program’s most wins in a season with 25, and reached the NCAA Division III Championship Regional Semifinals.

Scecina graduated again in 2001 and went back into teaching – this time at Minnechaug High School – while also staying on as Graves’ assistant.

Although enjoying teaching at the high school level more than elementary, she realized that what she really wanted was to become a women’s basketball head coach at the collegiate level. In 2004, she finally got the opportunity she was looking for.

“I was assistant coach for one more year after G.A., and then I had the opportunity to work at Mount Holyoke College with the coach that was there at the time, who I met at a camp,” said Scecina. “Two years later, she left, and I got to be the head coach there.”

Once becoming head coach at Mount Holyoke, Scecina found

Women’s History Month

immediate success. In her first year at the helm, she led the team to a NEWMAC regular season title in 2004-05.

Following that season, in 2005-06, she guided the Lions to a victory over perennial powerhouse Emmanuel College in the ECAC Div. III New England Championship, while also establishing a new program record for wins in a season with 23.

She topped that by being named NEWMAC Coach of the Year the very next season, after leading the Lyons to their first ever NEWMAC Championship.

With their 51-46 triumph over WPI in the league title game, they also secured a spot in the NCAA Division III National Tournament for the first time in program history.

But the great success was not the only thing she got out of coaching.

It helped her blossom into who she is today.

“It was a great learning experience for me, I grew up in a suburb of Boston and then came to Springfield, which is predominantly white, and just hadn’t had any type of diversity in my life at that point,” she said. “At Mount Holyoke I was able to experience a lot, learn a lot, hopefully educate a lot of folks on all aspects of life, whether it was mentoring my student-athletes on my team or working with

other colleagues and different departments, I grew a lot during that time. I learned a lot from that experience at a liberal arts all-women college.”

It was also during this time that she, along with longtime friend Nicole Chaszar, became the co-presidents of the NEWBA organization.

“The NEWBA game happened my first few years,” she said. “I had sent a couple of my senior players to it, but then one year we just didn’t get any info about it. I asked one of my friends who coached at Western New England, ‘Have you seen anything about the NEWBA all star game? What about the seniors? I have one that I would like to nominate,’ and we found out that the person who was running it just didn’t have time anymore. They said, ‘We’re not going to have the game this year, but if you want to take it over, feel free.’ So I said ‘Well, I guess we are going to take it over.’”

The two are still running the organization 15 years later. They have made it better since taking over the reins, adding weekly awards such as Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week, so that players can get the recognition they deserve.

Scecina remained head coach of Mount Holyoke until the winter of 2018, when she final-

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Michelle Lee Scecina. (Springfield College)

ly passed the torch to Jackie Ward. Following that final season, Scecina came back to the place she knows best: Springfield College. “(It’s) hard to put into words, but if you were going to put it into one thing, it’s the people. It’s the students, the colleagues, the alums, the faculty and staff it’s the people that we interact with everyday,” she said.

Her return came in 2018 when she was appointed as the Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Enhancement, later assuming a new role of compliance in the Fall of 2020. Her main role is to make sure that student-athletes know the NCAA institutional policies and procedures and roles, as well as making sure that the teams are following all of them.

She also deals with roster management and eligibility, just to name a few aspects of her job.

Scecina accredits her leadership due to her aspirations, as well as her past experiences, and wants to make sure that she can use her life experiences to help anybody who needs it.

“I like the idea of being able to help young people, whether it is in their field or sport, and being able to contribute to their experience. My leadership comes from learning so much from my mentors - people who were in positions to be able to help me (...)

Even the prior Athletic Director here, Cathie Schweitzer – seeing a female Athletic Director and thinking I could do that. Being able to give back, too. I had such a great experience and I really care about our students and student-athletes,” Scecina said.

“People have this energy, and seeing that drives me to want to help them.”

Diane Potter was a leader in building the foundations of women’s athletics at Springfield, and she continues to make an impact on the College’s women’s programs to this day.

[See Page 9]

(Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics

An Athletic Pioneer