Volume 135 No. 19

The Springfield Student Est. 1910

April 1, 2021

Volume 135 No. 19

scstudentmedia.com // @TheSpfldStudent

Practice Being Antiracist Among a number of important lessons learned during last week’s “Day to Confront Racism,” Ibram Kendi emphasized the importance of actively being antiracist. That and much more was learned during a crucial day for the college.

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(Photo Courtesy of Ibram X. Kendi)

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On the Inside

Information on the surging number of positive COVID-19 cases occurring on campus.

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CampusNews

How Felicia Lundquist found her way to Springfield College’s Multicultural Affairs office

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April 1, 2021

COVID-19

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Controlling the surge

With COVID numbers on campus rising, following guidelines and rules in the home stretch of the semester takes on an extra level of importance.

By Garrett Cote @garrett_cote

A

fter a rather discouraging and disheartening week in termstesting of positive coronavirus outputs, the Springfield College COVID-19 testing team would not be surprised to see another week of double digit positive tests.

According to an email from Patrick Love to the campus community, last week saw 10 positive tests on Monday, 17 on Tuesday, 7 on Wednesday, and 5 on Thursday. By Friday morning, 80 students were in supported isolation or quarantine housing, which accounts for 38 percent of the school’s capacity to house people.

Christine Johnston, Assistant Director of Campus Recreation, Alcohol and Drug Education and Health Promotion at Springfield College, can confirm that the warm and sunny Saint Patrick’s Day weekend played a role in the recent COVID-19 spike on campus.

Considering those who were contact traced the week after Saint Patrick’s Day weekend are still in quarantine, Johnston shares that she expects some of them will test positive during testing this week.

“It’s really hard to say [if positive cases will increase or decrease this week],” Johnston offered.

“Our testing from last Monday and Tuesday really presented a lot of cases.

We know a lot of folks in quarantine are coming to get tested Monday the 29th, so we could see a spike in cases when we get those test results back.”

Johnston also stated that there have not necessarily been wrongdoings within those who are testing positive.

“The spike doesn’t necessarily say that we’re doing anything wrong; it is what quarantine is for after all. For students who have been identified as close contacts and have to quarantine, we’re just asking them to make sure they follow the rules, so if they do end up converting to positive tests, they don’t spread the virus and give it to someone else.”

One other idea that Johnston asks the Springfield College community to ponder is limiting off campus travel. Unless there is a valid reason for leaving the campus - jobs, internships or other personal responsibilities - she would like students to really limit things such as going to restaurants, bars, traveling

to other institutions, etc.

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should,” began Johnston.

“Just because the state has opened up indoor dining and allowed some leeway for other activities, doesn’t mean that we should do it.

We are in the home stretch, it’s the start of April this week, we are almost there.

We just have to hold it together for another five or six weeks.”

Johnston also brought up that this coming weekend hosts two important holidays, and that a handful of students will likely be heading home to spend it with family. Although that is completely fine and understandable, Johnston emphasized the importance of keeping circles tight when travelling home for the weekend.

“Students need to be really thoughtful about who they are spending time with over the weekend.

If they’re going home to celebrate Easter or Passover, we encourage them to spend time with family, as opposed to friends who may go to other institutions. They can do that in six weeks [when they’re home for the summer],” Johnston said.

Yes, it is hard to isolate and meet each and every guideline. However, Johnston is certain that if there is one institution that can do just that, if there is one institution that can persevere and make it to May, it’s Springfield College.

“I know it’s hard work and frustrating [following the guidelines and regulations], but if there is one community that can come

together and do it, it’s the Springfield College community,” lauded Johnston.

One particular group of people within the Springfield College community that gets overlooked for their hard work and determination are those who are working behind the scenes to ensure the necessities of those in supported isolation/quarantine are being met.

Johnston shed light on how much the students and staff on campus appreciate those who are dropping off food, checking in with students, as well as those who clean and prepare the rooms for people who are placed in quarantine.

April 1, 2021

Felicia Lundquist

PAGE 3

Giving back to others

From the time she began graduate school, Felicia Lundquist knew she wanted to help others, and now she’s doing just that at Springfield College.

By Nora Fitzgerald nfitzgerald2@springfield.edu

F

rom a young age, Felicia Lundquist learned the value in advocating for yourself when there is no one there to advocate for you. Even as a teenager, she embodied what it means to be a resilient, capable, hard-working woman.

During her senior year at Mahar Regional High School in Orange, Mass., Lundquist took it upon herself to navigate the college application process as a first-generation college student.

While her high school

guidance counselor attempted to steer her more towards the community college route, she leaned on people who really cared about her for assistance and ended up applying to three, four-year institutions.

Ultimately, Lundquist chose to attend UMass-Amherst and was rewarded a substantial scholarship by the Worcester Community Foundation because of her local activism. She would eventually return to UMass and earn her Master’s in Education.

As a graduate student, Lundquist reflected on her own college experience in

Lundquist has played a key role in several diversity events on campus this year and in years past. (Photo Courtesy of The Springfield Student)

order to understand how she can improve the experience for others.

“When I went back to grad school, it was more like, ‘Okay, what worked for me? What can I give back to others, and how can I do that?’” Lundquist said.

This translates directly into her work here at Springfield as the Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Lundquist’s career at Springfield College may have only begun six years ago, but she already has plenty to show for it.

Within the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Lundquist has led many projects and initiatives that contribute to building a more equitable student experience.

During the fall semester, Springfield College hosted a week-long “SEAT at the Table” event that consisted of many different speakers and discussions focused on combating racism. This program is now being nationally recognized by the IMPACT Conference as Advocacy Program of the Year.

Lundquist has also been instrumental in getting two proposals accepted to be presented at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) and the National IMPACT

Conference. These platforms have seen presentations from big names including Kimberly Crenshaw and Tim Wise, two highly respected scholars in the field of social justice education.

“The fact that our proposal got accepted this year was super exciting for me,” Lundquist said. “You could even call it a life dream.”

In addition to her role as an administrator, Lundquist also teaches multicultural education classes.

The best part of her job, she says: “Learning about students and learning from students.”

She believes that it is important to have empathy for others, and that there is always something to learn from other people’s perspectives.

Lundquist often reflects back on what her mentors did for her, and tries to model her leadership after them. One of whom she met while working during her undergraduate degree at UMass. Ximena Zuniga is a leader in the world of social justice education, and Lundquist feels lucky to have worked with such an inspiring individual.

“I know the importance of having someone in your life who cares, and who looks like you, who’s able to provide some founda-

tion and tools to be able to guide you,” Lundquist said.

It is her hope that she can help students find their path, the same way her mentors helped her find hers.

This sense of compassion and action-oriented attitude is something that Lundquist models after her late mother. When Lundquist was growing up, her mother struggled with addiction and alcoholism.

Five years after getting clean, Lundquist’s mother was diagnosed with HIV. While some might see this as a reason to give up, Lundquist’s mother used her experience to advocate for those impacted by HIV and AIDS by lobbying in Washington D.C. “I thought she was kickass, and did all this stuff in Washington on the front lines protesting,” she said.

It is no surprise that Lundquist lives her life with the same empathy and drive that her mother showed in her own life.

“There’s power in your narrative,” says Lundquist.

“We all hold power, even coming from marginalized groups. As a woman of color, I still have power.”

Lundquist intends to continue using her power to create an equitable, inclusive environment here at Springfield College.

April 1, 2021

Pushing the action

Ibram X. Kendi talked about all of the issues plaguing racial inequity to the Springfield College community. Now, it’s on the College and members of the community to take action against these problems.

Kendi’s book, “How to be an Antiracist,” was a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. (Photo Courtesy of Amazon)

Ibram X. Kendi

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By Carley Crain @carley_crain12

What does it truly mean to be an antiracist?

Why should the phrase “I am not a racist” be eliminated from individual’s vocabularies?

On Thursday evening, over 1,000 members of the Springfield College community gathered virtually on Zoom to learn answers to these questions and others from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi.

Kendi is best known for his book “How to be an Antiracist,” which pushes readers to engage in active advocacy, instead of just saying the phrase “I am not a racist.”

He emphasizes how there is a huge difference between saying “I am not a racist” and “I am an antiracist.” As he mentioned in his lecture, many people are not willing to put in the work because they believe racism ended hundreds of years ago, the problems we face in society today are not related to race, or they do want to be seen as a bad person when their actions are called racist when they are not explicitly showing hate.

“To do nothing in the face of any status quo is to allow that status quo to persist, which is why I urge people to actively be antiracist because if we are not being actively antiracist, then we are being racist,” said Kendi.

Kendi was the keynote speaker for the annual Arts and Humanities Speaker Series, as well as being a part of the first “Day to Confront Racism.”

The lecture was a moderated conversation between Kendi and President Mary-Beth Cooper. James O’Brien, the School of Arts and Sciences Interim Dean, and Student Trustee-Elect Sabrina Williams introduced Kendi at the beginning of his 45-minute lecture.

Kendi’s presentation was then followed by a question and answer session that was limited to a small group of students.

“We were honored to have Professor Kendi as our featured speaker for this year’s Arts & Humanities Speaker Series,” said Cooper. “Springfield College is committed to social justice for all, and Professor Kendi has shaped and changed the conversation around actively fighting racism.”

“I really enjoyed Ibram Kendi’s lecture. I definitely learned a lot about what it truly means to be an antiracist. His experiences as a Black man in America really opened my eyes to what the world is really like. I think it is great that the college keeps putting events like this on and I am happy that the school is putting a lot of effort towards creating a more inclusive and diverse campus environment,” said Springfield student Kenna Delong.

President Cooper and Kendi dove into several topics, ranging from Kendi’s childhood experiences to how the recent shootings in Boulder and Atlanta relate to white supremacy.

A central theme of his presentation was speaking about how

Ibram X. Kendi

April 1, 2021 race plays a role in current events that are happening in society today, as well as how people’s actions can make a change.

The way individuals are socialized from a young age shapes their opinions and views about race, which contributes to implicit bias. Kendi spoke about how many people are unaware or unwilling to learn about their implicit biases, which makes the conversations surrounding race rather difficult.

“In many ways, the American people are taught to fear the wrong things and to fear the wrong people,” said Kendi.

Kendi additionally took a deep dive into the systematic racism that is engrained and normalized in American society today. He spoke about his own personal experiences in the education system and the effects this had on his own mental health.

The pressure that he had to deal with, as do many BIPOC to be “extraordinary” and to never make any mistakes took a toll on his mental wellbeing from a very young age.

Intersectionality was another topic that Kendi was asked about and he expressed to

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conditions, which makes COVID-19 more of a threat for BIPOC. Even the areas that To do nothing in the face of any status BIPOC live in are targeted, and Kendi emquo is to allow that status quo to persist, phasizes how we have which is why I urge people to actively be a say in how these antiracist because if we are not being disparities can change by becoming an active actively antiracist, then we are being antiracist. racist.”

“Rather you are talking about health disparities, justice disparities, or educational disparities, there are racial disparities in our society today, ‘’ said Kendi. “The question for us is actually quite similar to the question that every generation of every Americans has which is why do these disparities exist?”

Having Ibram X Kendi speak at Springfield once again showed the school’s commitment to sparking conversations (Photo Courtesy of The Boston Globe) about race, but the real question is how will the audience why the the path to equality. pandemic has affected these conversations term is so important “The more I was each and every person lead to activism and to understand. able to confront difin some type of way, community members He connected inter- ferent types of ideas, but disproportionately becoming true antiracsectionality to implicit the more I felt I was BIPOC are catching ists? bases that forms in becoming fully huthe virus more and Conversations and early years, as well as man,’’ said Kendi. “I dying from it at highlectures are a step in how each and every felt a connection to er rates compared to the right direction, but person has privilege human beings because their white counterthere is much more in some kind of way. what happened is the parts. work to be done, as the Being able to conmore I saw myself in Kendi spoke about hope is Kendi’s presennect different peoples others as equal to me, how the environments tation will soon spark struggles and underthe more I wanted to BIPOC live in often some campus wide stand how this affects listen to them and hear face more environmen- action. their life chances is their stories.” tal problems that concrucial when paving The COVID-19 tribute to pre-existing

“

- Ibram X. Kendi -

April 1, 2021

Day to Confront Racism

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The past is the present (Graphic Courtesy of Jack Margaros/The Student)

The first of four workshops on last Thursday’s “Day to Confront Racism” brought forth some important lessons and information to the community.

By Robert Dickey @Robert_Dickey11

S

pringfield College has taken serious action in the fight against systemic racism on campus. On Thursday March 25, Springfield College hosted a series of workshops and virtual seminars focused on expanding the knowledge of students and faculty on the topic of racial injustice, including an event called “The Past is the Present.”

This online workshop focused on how historical legacies revealed by the 1619 project impact our professions and communities and was hosted by a trio of insightful panelists, including Keisha Green, Samantha Hamilton and Kareem White.

Each panelist

brought their own area of expertise to the table, and talked about how it has related to systemic racism both in the past and in the present. Green focused on education, Hamilton dialed in on healthcare and climate change and White talked about the field of journalism.

In her presentation on racism in education, Green informed the audience how education has been “influenced by the legacies of slavery.”

As a resident of Springfield herself, Green has seen first-hand how racism still surrounds education in her community, and believes action needs to be taken.

“Schools should not feel like places where you have to take off your identity,” she proclaimed.

“I think the historical legacies from the 1619 project can also inform our futures.”

During the presentation by Green, the members of the audience were shown short clips, including one from author Toni Morrison, on how education needs to become a place of liberation and transformation.

Green also went into detail regarding the five areas of impact, which she explained were racial equity, critical teacher education, community engagement, youth leadership and fugitively and abolition.

After Green wrapped up the education side of the workshop, Samantha Hamilton took over explaining about healthcare and climate change,

and the relationship they have to systemic racism.

Hamilton explained that climate change is not a well-known area when it comes to this issue, but it is a massive problem that needs to be addressed.

Part of the solution to helping those in Springfield struggling with healthcare or climate change related issues is the organization “Live Well Springfield,” which Hamilton went into depth explaining to the audience.

“Live Well Springfield brings together over 30 organizations working together to build and sustain a culture of health in Springfield that includes the broadest definition of health, including: health eating, active living, the built environment,

economic opportunity, housing and education,” she explained.

The meeting with Springfield College students and faculty was not the first time that Hamilton has brought this issue to an event.

Recently, she hosted a climate change and racial justice workshop to bring the connection between climate change and racial justice further to light.

Named after a basketball legend, Karem Abdul-Jaber White closed out the workshop by helping students and faculty understand the relationship between journalism and systemic racism.

White used the See Past is the Present on Page 8

April 1, 2021

Day to Confront Racism

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The John Brown Connection (Graphic Courtesy of Jack Margaros/The Student)

John Brown is best known for being the abolitionist who led the raid of Harper’s Ferry, but he also had a close connection with the city of Springfield.

By Cait Kemp @caitlinkemp09

A

s part of the Day To Confront Racism series that took place on Thursday, March 25, Springfield College hosted a panel discussion titled, “John Brown: The City of Springfield Connection to this Abolitionist and Accomplice.”

The workshop panelists included Joseph Carvalho III, Daryll Moss and William Nash and was moderated by Assistant Professor of History, Ian Delahanty.

March 25 is also International Day Of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

The goal was to not let this important day go by without conversation, so the Day to Confront

Racism was created in order to acknowledge the important stories dealing with racism that involve Springfield College and the surrounding area.

Guest speakers of all different perspectives and experiences were brought together to discuss these topics for students and faculty to listen in and learn.

Panelist Joseph Carvalho III is the co-editor of the Springfield Republican newspaper Heritage Book Series, and was the former president and executive director of the Springfield Museums. He also authored and edited multiple books in the Heritage Book Series.

The next panelist was William Nash, Professor of American Studies and

English and American Literatures at Middlebury College. He is also the author of multiple books and the recipient of three grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Lastly was Daryll Moss who rounded out the trio of panelists for the midday workshop.

Moss is the Executive Director of Afro Renaissance Arts Society in Springfield, and was previously the director of Constituent Services, also in Springfield.

The workshop focused on the significance of abolitionist John Brown and his involvement with the city of Springfield. John Brown is probably most wellknown for his raid of Harpers Ferry and seizure of the federal army

and arsenal there.

With just several supporters he rallied to join him, Brown strove to acquire weapons to distribute to slaves and freedom fighters, and spark similar movements throughout the country.

Unfortunately, his intentions did not go exactly as planned and Brown and his supporters were soon taken back over by the U.S. Marines and Robert E. Lee. For his valiant efforts to support slaves and the African American population, he was put on trial and sentenced to death.

What many might not know about Brown is his affiliation with Springfield and the work he did not just for the community, but in conjunction with them.

Brown was in Springfield from 1846 to 1849, and came back periodically throughout the years after that.

He came to Springfield because of the established black community that already existed, which included the Old Yankee African American population, as well as groups that came from the mid-atlantic states and some of the south Atlantic states.

It was this wave of a new group who created the first African American church in Springfield, which was thriving with the arrival of Brown.

The unique thing that many might overlook is Continue reading on the top of Next Page (Page 8)

April 1, 2021

Day to Confront Racism

PAGE 8

John Brown continued from Page 7

the fact that Brown did not build this community by himself, but became a part of it because of its already established leadership. Brown was able to help this community become even more successful than it already was through his devout efforts of abolition, and his “radical empathy,” as Nash described it during the workshop.

“We can think about radical empathy as being more than just the idea of putting yourself in someone else’s place, or walking in someone else’s shoes, and taking actions that will not only help that person, but will also ultimately change and improve our society,” said Nash. “For me

when I think about John Brown in Springfield…

I think about the enactment of those ideas.”

Brown was an abolitionist through and through. A lot of times in history we see people who believed in the abolition of slavery, yet still had racist tendencies or believed African Americans were beneath whites in some way.

However, Brown truly believed that African Americans should be as free as he is, and he fought for that cause for much of his life.

Frederick Douglass, the famed escaped slave who became a leading abolitionist in the north, visited the church in Springfield and met

Brown who really influenced his thinking on the end of slavery.

Brown told him that the only way out of slavery was violence and war, and showed him his plan to create a corridor into the South for slaves to come and have the ability to defend themselves.

Reflecting on his meeting with Brown, Douglass wrote, “Though a white gentleman, he is in sympathy with the black man and is deeply interested in our cause, as though his own soul had been pierced with the iron of slavery.”

“I think perhaps his intensity of advocacy against evil, and when

Past is the Present continued from Page 6

recent example of current Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash getting the job that he currently has. Nash had no head coaching experience, and was up against prominent and experienced black coaches for the job opening.

Nash has done a fine job as the Nets head coach this season, but as White explained, this is just another example of a problem called “skipping the line.”

White explained how this is an underrated issue in terms of systemic

racism, saying, “It’s one of the secret areas of systemic racism that you don’t see and that you may not recognize until you look a little bit below the surface.”

Skipping the line, as White told the audience, is when a white person gets pushed ahead of people with color, not having to go up the same ladder of difficulty that their competition did to get to the exact same point. White explained that this is a common theme in the world of journalism and especial-

ly in the world of sports journalism.

For more information regarding this workshop or any of the other events put on by Springfield College, go to the official Springfield College website.

we confront evil society it’s going to take people to commit to a great deal to fight it, and [Brown] is an example of it,” said Carvalho on the takeaway of Brown’s abolition work.

Moss proposed the comparison of Brown’s ideals and the American racial climate we live in today, making audience members consider the similarities and differences of racism in the 1800s versus now.

Even today, Brown comes up a lot in conversations in discussing ally ship with the black community, and what that should look like in order to create effective movements and relationships.

“A real ally is one who’s willing to put blood, life, family on the line to ensure that his neighbor is just as free as he is,” said Moss.

The panel provided an important discussion about empathy, being an ally, and understanding the impact that both of these things can have on the issues with racism that is still so prevalent in the world today.

Insight from many different perspectives was provided, and it was an engaging way to learn more about racism for students, faculty and members of the Springfield College community.

Full recaps of the other two “Day to Confront Racism” workshops can be found on our website: scstudentmedia.com

@TheSpfldStudent

@thespfldstudent

April 1, 2021

Sports

PAGE 9

Origins of SC Gymnastics __ By Collin Atwood __ @collinatwood17

The origins of gymnastics at Springfield College trace all the way back to 1891 when an informal team of students and staff traveled to New York City for an exhibition meet.

Notable staff members on this team were Amos Alonzo Stagg, James Naismith, Luther Gulick and Frank Seerley. When this team competed it would be the first competitive team to represent the college.

Springfield College has now had a steady competitive gymnastics program for 57 years, but the road to competition wasn’t so smooth.

Springfield College didn’t have an organized team until 1904. That team was only an exhibition team and was not competing in any league. In 1907 the team scheduled a competitive event against Amherst College and that would be the only one until 1931.

Leslie Judd was the coach of the gymnastics team when they were able to compete from 1931 to 1933. The team was a part of the Eastern League until Springfield College’s first full-time President, Laurence Doggett, pulled the team from competition.

It wasn’t until 1964 that there was a full competitive and exhibition team at Springfield College.

The coach that helped

build this team was Frank Wolcott.

Wolcott graduated from Springfield College in 1952 and was a member of the gymnastics team under coach Judd.

Wolcott served two years in the Korean War before he was named the head coach of the gymnastics team in 1955.

“At the end of my graduate year the athletic director and the Dean of the college came to me and said coach Judd is leaving this year and we want him to be replaced with a special person and we’ve selected you,” Wolcott said.

Coach Wolcott led the men’s gymnastics team to the first National Championship in Springfield College history in 1977.

He also won two Eastern Intercollegiate Gymnastics League titles and five New England titles. None of that would have been possible without a competitive gymnastics team.

When Wolcott was first hired he pushed for the gymnastics team to be back in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC). The new athletic director at the time was not the biggest fan of the idea. Eventually, Wolcott was able to sway him the other way.

“The men on the team needed more than ex-

(Courtesy of Springfield College Archives and Special Collections)

hibition. They needed a competitive experience,” Wolcott said. Originally only two competitive events were added to the schedule and as time went on he finally got his full competition schedule. “We worked very hard and started from scratch,” he added.

Not only did Wolcott help start the competitive team at Springfield College, but he was also a key piece in getting the women’s gymnastics team started.

Females weren’t accepted as full-time students at Springfield College until 1951. In 1963, the college decided it was time to have a women’s gymnastics team. The first coach would be Diane Potter who also served as the college’s softball coach.

The college wanted Wolcott to help out with the women’s team while he was coaching the men’s competitive and exhibition teams.

“They made me the director of the co-ed gymnastics exhibition team,” Wolcott said.

From then on the women’s gymnastics team was a regular part of performances at Springfield College and abroad.

During Wolcott’s time as head coach, the gymnastics program performed at a variety of locations.

They appeared in the United States Pavilion at the 1965 World’s Fair in New York City and on that same trip they stopped at Shea Stadium to perform in front of 50,000 fans.

“I took the team to Bermuda, Puerto Rico, to the World’s Fair, I did all sorts of things,” Wolcott said. The team flew out to Puerto Rico for a nine day tour in 1968 and to Bermuda in 1973 which was the first time gymnastics was brought to the island.

Wolcott’s involvement with the women’s team led to one of his more brilliant ideas. He was trying to figure out a safe way to incorporate the women in pyramid building.

“We’re not going to put women in pyramids on parallel bars. I have to figure out something else,” Wolcott said.

This led him to develop a large parachute made of silk that would be used when making pyramids.

This is the very same parachute that is used in elementary schools across the country.

“I invented the elemen-

tary school parachute and most schools in the country have two or three,” Wolcott said.

Wolcott’s list of accomplishments goes on and on. He co-founded the New England Gymnastics Clinic, was named National Coach of The Year in 1977 and was named Eastern Coach of The Year in 1965, ‘67 and ‘70. It’s safe to say he has earned his spot in the National Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

To this day Wolcott has the highest winning percentage in Springfield College gymnastics history. After retiring from coaching in 1982, Wolcott became the Assistant Director of Athletics at Springfield College until 1996.

Wolcott has woven himself into Springfield College for years to come.

Many of the tableaux designs that he and Judd created are still used today.

Wolcott is also a member of the Springfield College Hall of Fame, but not just for his outstanding statistics coaching and competing in gymnastics.

He earned that spot by changing gymnastics at Springfield College and across the nation.

April 1, 2021

Sports

PAGE 10

Springfield women’s basketball senior day 2020. (Joe Arruda/The Student)

Protecting the Posse

With just one game scheduled for 2021 and seven first-years on the roster, the Springfield women’s basketball team is just excited to be back on the court. ___ By Cait Kemp ___ @caitlinkemp09

Springfield College, the birthplace of basketball, has gone over a year without hosting a basketball game.

Only practices in Blake Arena and lifts down in the P.E. Complex have been on the schedule for the teams, waiting to see if they will really be able to play.

The women’s basketball team ended last season with a heartbreaking, five-point loss in the semifinals of the NEWMAC Tournament to Smith College. After beating them earlier that season, the Pride, nicknamed “Posse,”

couldn’t keep up with Smith’s unexpected surge of intensity that was presented that night. That was the last game of their season; soon the postseason was cancelled and the college was sent home due to the COVID-19 threat.

Returning for the Pride are several sophomores and juniors who were key components last year. Juniors Grace Dzindolet, Steph Lyons, and Amanda Carr represent the core of the team, with sophomores Sam Hourihan and Rachel Vinton rounding out

the bunch.

Hourihan stepped up as a freshman last season and became a real powerhouse for the Posse. She finished the season with some impressive stats and recognitions: D3hoops. com’s Northeast Region Rookie of the Year and Northeast All-Region Fourth Team, NEWMAC Women’s Basketball Co-Rookie of the Year, NEWMAC First Team All-Conference, NEWBA All-Rookie First Team, and she led the NEWMAC in total defensive rebounds and blocks.

Coming back this year, the Posse was

unsure if it would get to play or not. Games scheduled for February and March continued to get postponed or cancelled, and soon they were left with a two game schedule for this spring.

One of those has already been cancelled.

“It’s been a struggle to get that competition because this particular week Roger Williams was supposed to come here and they had an outbreak of COVID on their team,” said head coach Naomi Graves.

Graves took on a roster of 15 student-athletes, seven of those being first-years.

Being a young team

with only one senior, they were able to focus on skill building and scrimmaging to create a strong team dynamic, inviting the freshmen right into the experience.

“I’m pretty excited about these freshmen, they’re the future and they bring a lot to our program and our team -- their skills, their personality,” said Graves.

“It is going to be a big change for them, I’m not sure that this one game that we have now with Wheaton College is going to define how they are going to play as athletes just because there’s going to be a lot of uncertainty in

April 1, 2021

general.”

That one scheduled game will serve as the final game for lone senior, Maddy Fay. After not having her senior season, this will be her swansong wearing the maroon and white – a bittersweet ending to a successful career. Fay played in 25 games in the 2019-2020 season and put up a career-high 11 rebounds against Albertus Magnus.

“The person that we’re really excited about playing this game for is Maddy...I think for senior athletes on the teams... this is a really defining moment in their lives, right, because it’s not what they ever were expecting their senior year to be…we want to make this next opportunity at Wheaton be the best it can be because it’s formally the last day she’ll be wearing the uniform,” Graves said.

With the lack of a true season, the team has had a lot of time to focus on things off the court. Juniors Grace Dzindolet and Steph Lyons have taken a bigger role on campus with diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Dzindolet was just recently elected the new LGBTQ+ Representative for the Student Government Association, and previously joined the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion subcommittee of the Student Athlete Leadership Team. She was

able to share her story of coming out through the True Colors series. Lyons has shown the importance of being an ally and has worked with Dzindolet through these different actions.

“I think the beauty of Steph and Grace right now is that they’re coming into their own, you can kind of see it,” said Graves.

Through their work on campus they have been able to bring that energy of leadership to the team. This past year with the lack of competition, they have worked to help their team learn more about topics like diversity and inclusion to create a better atmosphere for everyone to be in.

“We stayed connected, we did a lot of leadership Zooms… we got to know the freshmen a good amount, so it was more of a time where we could build relationships off the court, and we kind of prepared for the spring because now we’ve been practicing for three months, everyday” said Dzindolet.

Now, in preparation to face off against Wheaton, the team is anxious to get back on the court for real competition. It will be the first time the seven first-years get to play a collegiate game, and the first time this team as a collective will compete together.

Junior Amanda Carr said, “It’s going to kind of give us a little

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Grace Dzindolet in the 2020 season. (Joe Arruda/The Student)

sneak peak of what our season next year could be...it’s nice that we do actually have the opportunity to play with Maddy for her senior game because not a lot of other teams get that chance.”

They are looking forward to showing their skills and determination that carried them through months of practicing without ever knowing when they would play. Coming back to campus early in expectations with a normal winter season, they have been busy on the court since January.

“I think with this game we can really show the freshmen what “Posse” means, and that true meaning of on and off the court

sisterhood,” said Lyons.

Reflecting back on the unique season that the team has encountered, Graves is hopeful that it has brought lessons and mental toughness that will carry over to next season that will give them an edge.

“I think, you know, it’s been a grind, but these kids have really learned a lot of things about life issues and what you can control and not, and their resiliency and their positivity, their encouragement with everything and everything we do has been a testament to the kind of people they are,” she said.

Sophomore Sam Hourihan echoes this notion.

“It’s a grind and

sometimes it’s really hard and sometimes you don’t want to be there, but now I appreciate every moment that we have together because it could be the last for the semester.”

Scheduled for Wednesday April 7, at 7p.m., the Posse will take the floor for the first time this year in hopes of using the momentum of a productive season on and off the court to propel them to a victory.

It is not the season anyone wanted or expected, but the one game will give them a chance to show off what they have been working for and will be the end to a hectic year.

April 1, 2021

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Building the Birthplace Boys The Jake Ross and Heath Post era has come to an end and the Springfield men’s basketball team is excited to compete with a new look. __ By Danny Priest __ @dpriest3

The last time the Springfield College men’s basketball team stood on the hardwood inside of Blake Arena for live game action, their hearts were broken.

Hobart’s Dan Masino hit a driving layup in the closing seconds of the round of 32 matchup to send the Pride and a fully packed crowd home disappointed.

It was the end of the Jake Ross and Heath Post era for Springfield – one marked with excellence, broken records and a ton of on-court success. While the Pride knew a transition was coming, no one foresaw the entire 2020-2021 season being upended due to Coronavirus.

The season itself may not have occurred, but Springfield does plan to get back onto the court in April for at least a few games. The team had been scheduled to play at Roger Williams University on April 2, but that game has been cancelled due to COVID complications.

Barring unforeseen issues, the Pride still have three games slated to happen. They hope

Daryl Costa (25) guarded by first-year Cam Garber (32). (Jack Margaros/The Student)

to play April 7 at home against Wheaton; April 10 on the road at Trinity; and back home on April 14 to face Elms College.

Things will look different. A lot differ-

ent. However, it’s still a chance to go out and compete as a team. A welcomed opportunity after everything that’s unfolded since last March.

“Just playing together,

competing together and going to battle together, there’s nothing like it,” said senior Harper Niven.

Niven is the lone senior on what’s just a nine-man roster for the

Pride this season. He holds down the big man rotation with freshman Cam Garber.

The Pride have firstyears Zeke Blauner and Nick Bray in their backcourt, along with juniors Daryl Costa and Casey Lane. The wing rotation consists of sophomore Pete Kapanides and juniors Collin Lindsay and Joe Fontanella.

With Ross and Post gone, the Pride are going to need to replace a ton of production in their lineup. Costa, Niven and Lindsay all saw time in the starting lineup last season and will need to fill increased workloads going forward.

For Costa, he spent his summer working on his individual game.

His first two years saw a lot of spot up shooting due to the attention Ross and Post received, now that’ll be changing to see more ball handling and shot creating responsibilities.

“I’ve been playing a lot of point (guard) and I think it’s helped my game a lot,” Costa said.

“I think just the mental aspect of it and reading the game, reading and reacting, I’m excited for

April 1, 2021

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Casey Lane (24) defended by first-year Nick Bray (15). (Jack Margaros/The Student)

this opportunity to have the ball in my hands a lot more. I think I’m ready for it.”

Last season, Costa shot at a 36.3 percent clip from three-point range on nearly four attempts per game. That, like nearly all other aspects of his game, were up from the marks he recorded as a freshman and is a trend his team hopes to see continue.

A unique element to a now guard-heavy Pride team is that Costa’s backcourt mates will be two first-year students and a junior in Casey Lane, who has not played since the 20182019 season.

Lane was out all of last season due to injury and has looked strong upon his return to the court.

“Casey’s really been playing great and he’s fought back from a serious knee injury and has

looked great,” said head coach Charlie Brock.

“He brings a little bit of an interesting twist because we can swing him from guard to wing and have a three-guard group on the floor at the same time.”

On the inside, Niven is looking to fill a void on the defensive end that Post had held down for the better part of the past four seasons.

“Something that Heath did super well that you wouldn’t see in a box score is he talked super well defensively,” Niven said. “He was kind of like our quarterback on defense, if you will. We lost that obviously with him being a senior, so I feel like I need to step up and take that role defensively.”

Niven’s energy and activity is a nice change of pace from the skill set Garber brings to the table behind him.

At six-foot-eight and 235 pounds, Garber provides some shooting range and passing ability that will make the Pride offense a bit more unpredictable.

“Cam and Harper, completely different guys basketball wise, but each brings a little something to the table.

It’s going to be interesting to see how we take advantage of what they bring to the table in their skillset,” Brock said of his big men.

“Cam is a little bit bigger, not quite as fleet of foot, but has excellent vision of the floor and can pass the ball. I foresee him as kind of a point forward, point center in the future.

That really is a great thing and he can knock down threes from up top,” Brock said of the first-year big.

The roster is a unique mix of young guys

and players who have been through it before, but the excitement to compete is shared by everyone.

The amount of games Springfield actually plays remains to be seen, but the chance to just get onto the floor in general is something everyone is looking forward to.

Winning matters, but so too does learning more about the roster that exists now.

“We don’t ever go on the floor when there’s a score kept and not make every attempt to be successful. Whether or not that’s winning, I wouldn’t call it as much winning as just doing things successfully, functioning successfully, sharing the ball, looking for options, taking advantage of each of their individual talents and putting to use what we’ve been practicing

for the last couple of months,” Brock said.

No matter how much time has passed, the memory of last March still holds as a motivating factor for guys to keep improving.

“At least for me, being in the game that last possession, I always think about it....I still, to this day, I see that last floater going in,” Costa said.

“I wouldn’t say it traumatized me, but I think that’s the thing that motivates me. It was a very tough loss, that’s what pushes me every day.

I’ll think back to that and I’m like ‘Damn, we should have won that game,” he added.

It may only be three games, but it’s still a chance to play. Plus, the last time Springfield had nine active bodies on their roster, they got to a final four.

April 1, 2021

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Fantastic First-Years

With the ECAC Championships approaching, Pride men’s gymnastics has relied on the performances of first-year student-athletes in an unusual season. _____ By Carley Crain _____ @carley_crain12

While the men’s gymnastics team faced a very unique season with all of their meets being held virtually, this year’s class of first year athletes proved themselves as being a group of strong assets for the Pride. For all of the first-year’s, Alden street is over seven hours away from home, but despite being far from their families, Springfield has quickly become their home away from home.

The group of nine mostly already knew of each other before they got to Springfield, either through Junior Olympics, Nationals, similar competitions and more. Some were even good friends before they got to Springfield, and when they got on campus these relationships grew even closer. They were no longer former competitors from all over the country, they now all wear ‘THE jersey’.

With little preparation and gym time heading into this year’s season, the Pride was unsure of who

would be able to step up this year. Due to different COVID state guidelines, some freshmen were able to get a lot of practice time back home, while others could not even get into the gym at all.

COVID scares were also an issue for some of the first-year’s, due to Gulick hall being shut down in late October. Being a first year college student is a large transitional period, even without a global pandemic, but for this year’s first-year class, many soon became regulars in the starting lineup.

“I would say the biggest thing I have noticed is that it does not seem virtual.

The team is so much bigger than high school,” said first-year David Handron.

Charlie Kramer, Colton O’Brien, Juan Gomez, Dane Cramer and Handron quickly emerged as strong and competitive starters for the Pride.

Most of this year’s firstyear class are labeled as all-around specialists, but only focused on a few

events this winter season.

Kramer specifically focused on the floor exercise, vault, parallel bars and the high bar, where many times this year he led the Pride in scoring for those events.

This season O’Brien became one of the best gymnasts in the ECAC for the pommel horse, as he earned ECAC Specialist of the Week honors three weeks in a row. O’Brien will play a big role in the postseason, starting with ECAC’s next weekend. As of March 9, O’Brien was ranked first in the ECAC and 24th in the nation for the pommel horse.

Gomez has also been a consistent starter for the Pride. While he is labeled as an all-around specialist, he competed only in the pommel horse and still rings this virtual season. Gomez was able to close off the regular season with a season best of 12.900 on the pommel horse, earning him ECAC Rookie of the Week honors.

Handron has also become a familiar face in the lineup, where he competed

(Jack Margaros/The Student)

in numerous events, including the floor exercise, rings, high bar and parallel bar. Handron emerged as one of the strongest ring and parallel bar specialists for the Pride.

Cramer was able to produce season-bests of 12.000 in both the high bar and pommel horse.

Ingraining oneself into the college atmosphere of being a full time student-athlete is difficult, but for this year’s firstyear class, the transition was rather smooth due to the team’s positive and encouraging atmosphere.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, most sports teams on campus, including the men’s gymnastics team, were forced to split into pods where the entire team is not able to practice together consistently.

Most of the first-year’s were paired with seniors in these pods, which helped create a more welcoming and inclusive team environment.

“Once I got here at Springfield it was super inclusive,” said Handron.

“The upperclassman really went out of their

way to get the first-years involved with the team in a year where it is kind of hard to do that. It’s definitely a great group of guys.”

For many of the firstyears, coming to Springfield was the first time they ever had a big team, which helped grow their love for the sport even more.

“In a handstand at the end of a routine and when you are ready to do a dismount all you hear is just endless screaming, ‘’ said Handron. “I used to not like competing at all and then last year I kind of figured out how to not dislike it but this is the first time I have enjoyed competing.”

With the regular season concluded, the Pride will move on to the postseason, starting with ECAC’s this upcoming weekend in-person at Army. This meet will mark the first in person competition for the men’s gymnastics team in over a year. After ECAC’s, the NCAA championships will be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

April 1, 2021

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Playing with purpose Since losing multiple former coaches in tragedies, Springfield College catcher Nick Fazio is motivated by their absence. ___ By Chris Gionta ___ @Chris_Gionta

One July afternoon in 2019 sits with Springfield College catcher Nick Fazio particularly.

“I remember the day very vividly,” said Fazio.

“I was at my cousin’s house - we all live in the same town - it was a July afternoon, and she comes running down - we’re in the pool having a barbecue - and she says ‘Nick, Coach McDermott just passed.’”

Michael McDermott was someone who made a positive impact on a lot of people growing up in Kings Park, New York. He was a physical education teacher for Fazio when he was in first grade, and was an influence for many others.

He eventually taught at Kings Park High School, and he and Fazio collaborated again when Fazio tried out for the junior varsity baseball team at the high school.

On July 14, 2019, while jogging, McDermott was struck by a Nissan, sending him approximately 100 feet from the point of impact. The driver fled, and was allegedly on fentanyl at the time of

the incident. Eventually, he was tracked down.

When Fazio heard the initial news, he had to find out what happened.

“I drop everything, I run up the street to my best friend, Jacob - and I’m a very respectful guy; my parents always taught me to knock on doors before you enter,” said Fazio.

“For the first time ever, I busted through the door, went straight downstairs to his room and I found my best friend crying on his bed. And I’m like, ‘What’s going on? What’s going on?’ and he showed me pictures of the car accident.”

When it was time to select numbers for Fazio’s junior year, which was the season following the untimely death, his former coach was in his thoughts.

Fazio had worn No. 15 in his first year of high school under McDermott’s coaching, but played with a variety of numbers after that.

“I was later on in the group of juniors,” said Fazio, regarding his number selection for the 2020 season. “Number 15 and number 2 were available,

and Coach was number 2 and by that time he had already passed. ‘2’ was taken by Ryan Smith and I saw ‘15’ was still there and I was like, ‘I haven’t actually worn ‘15’ since I had Coach McDermott when I was in my first year of high school.’ It was really in that moment where I was like, ‘Wow, this is really coming full circle now.’”

The representation of McDermott’s memory did not stop there. The catcher makes sure to keep him in mind for every game he plays.

“I pray before every game,” said Fazio. “I take some time for myself - I’ll go out and I’ll do some extra stretches in left field and probably just go into a crouch or a lunge - and everyone thinks in stretch and I’m really trying to talk to someone that I really need to talk to.”

McDermott is not the only person no longer with us that Fazio thinks about on the field.

“There’s a whole bunch of people back home that really resonate with me different life lessons,” said

Fazio before Springfield’s double-header against WPI on March 21. (Joe Arruda/The Student)

Fazio. “Whether it was Coach McDermott, Coach Peter Thompson, who lost his life to colon cancer my freshman year - I write the letters ‘PT’ in the ground before every first at-bat.”

Clearly, these are tragedies that no one wishes would happen. But, as they have already happened, Fazio looks to make something positive out of these unfortunate situations.

“It’s a motivational factor,” said Fazio. “Because if you’re not playing with a sense of purpose, there’s no sense in playing at all.”

It is possible that there is a correlation with Fazio’s purpose of playing and his performance.

In 2020, he went 4-for-10 with a walk, but that was just the start.

In his first plate appearance of 2021, he took a letter-high fastball and smoked it over Archie

Allen Field’s tall left field fence. Two plate appearances later, with runners on the corners, he drove in a run on a single to right field. The at-bat after, he hit a ball very similarly to his home run, but this one hit the wall, and he strolled into second base with a double.

For the first game of the season, Fazio ended up a triple away from the cycle with two runs batted in. In the second half of the doubleheader, as the designated hitter, he went 1-for-2 with a walk.

As a result, he was one of six student-athletes selected to the NEWMAC Baseball Weekly Honor Roll.

There is no sure answer as to whether playing with a purpose has made Fazio a better player. But, as of now, he would likely agree that he is reaping the benefits of playing for more than himself and his team.

SPORTS The Springfield Student

Frank Wolcott invented the gym class parachute and brought competitive gymnastics to SC.

VOL. 135 NO. 19

Nick Fazio's high school coach passed in a tragic accident in 2019, now he is an inspiration for the SC catcher.

(Joe Arruda/The Student)

APRIL 1, 2021

Men’s and Women’s Basketball Previews