Volume 136 No. 25

The Springfield Student Est. 1910

scstudentmedia.com // @TheSpfldStudent

Volume 136 No. 25

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

(Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

May 5, 2022

‘The Epitome Of Humanics’ Senior Jacques St. Jean delves into who John Cena was as a Springfield College student-athlete.

See page 6

May 5, 2022

Farewell

PAGE 2

Arruda: Mission accomplished Co-Editor-in-Chief Joe Arruda says goodbye to The Springfield Student after four amazing years on staff. _ By Joe Arruda _ @joearruda9

Every day since I began writing I asked myself, “Why do I do this?” None of the cliche answers ever fit. So I thought, and I continued thinking until last Thursday night.

I sat in my room, alone in the dark, the TV was off – just silence. My friends were out having fun at the bar, doing what nonsick drinking-aged college kids do. I had a fever – just as I thought I was getting over the flu, it came back to destroy me out of nowhere.

All I could do was think. I didn’t even think about the question – “Why do I do this?”

But my mind began to wander, as it often does, and circled back to my dad – as it often does. I thought about what I know about him.

Who was he? I only had about three years of memories that were clouded by the fact that my brain wasn’t fully developed for most of the time I knew him.

Almost everything

I know about him has been told to me. Every so often some stranger will come up to me, “Is your dad Bill Arruda?”

They’ll proceed to tell me some bland story about how great he was.

Those never did it for me. But what really got me, the ones that really made me feel like I knew my dad, were the stories that painted a full picture. They showed me who he was, told me what he would do and allowed me to imagine what it would be like if he were still alive.

That’s what I love.

And that’s why I fell in love with this whole journalism thing – those are the stories I want to tell.

When I made that conclusion, just over two weeks before commencement, I sunk into my bed with a smile.

This is what college is for, right? To learn and study and get good grades, but also to learn who you are. It took me a while, but I am satisfied.

I always felt pressure to make him proud, to make my mom, my grandparents and the rest of my family proud, but all along it was an internal battle.

Regardless of my GPA, how many awards I got, how many people aren’t my biggest fan – it’s okay. I’ve figured it out, and that’s all I needed.

I see journalism as a way of not only “drafting history” (- Marty Dobrow), but a way of preserving memories.

Full memories. No fluff – nothing but the truth. *** My time at Springfield wasn’t all life-altering epiphanies, however. I had my fair share of fun, “normal people” times, and so many tremendous opportunities were presented to me.

There were the two California trips to the Associated Collegiate Press conference, two Hoophall Classics, hundreds of stories and thousands of photos – and, my favorite of them all, the 2022 Pride

Arruda covering the MIAA Football State Championship at Gillette Satdium in Foxborough, Mass. (Meredith Perri/ MassLive)

Sports Journal magazine. Joining The Student was an opportunity of a lifetime – a gift that never stopped giving.

Last spring, when Marty Dobrow told former Editors-in-Chief Jack Margaros and Danny Priest, Irene Rotondo and myself that he wouldn’t be advising the paper this year, my jaw dropped and my Zoom screen froze. Not only is Marty the reason I got involved when I did, but he has been a tremendous mentor and advisor for me over the last four years. I didn’t think anyone would be able to fill his shoes.

And then Aimee Crawford came along.

We knew she’d worked at places like ESPN and Sports Illustrated throughout her tremendous journalism career, but the transition was going to be weird, hectic at times and extremely stressful. As it turns out, all of that was false.

Sure, there was stress.

Sure, it was weird at times. But no one could have done a better job than Aimee. I never took one of her classes, but what she’s taught me has been priceless – and she found me a job after graduation.

To the San Fran Six: Gabby Guerard, Evan Wheaton, Danny Priest, Jack Margaros and Irene Rotondo.

Thank you. This group not only made me fall in love with journalism, but it helped me find myself on this campus.

I was quiet, mute at times, before I became comfortable with this group, and the rest was history. The memories we’ve made and will continue to make have been major highlights of this journey.

Evan falling off a Lime and sending his daily comedic text-essays, Jack’s visit in Long See Arruda continued on Page 9

May 5, 2022

Farewell

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Rotondo: The parade always marches on

Co-Editor-in-Chief Irene Rotondo bids farewell to The Student and recalls some of her best memories on Alden Street. ___ By Irene Rotondo ___ @irenerrotondo

The parade always marches on.

Bright-eyed firstyears become seasoned sophomores, and the juniors who thought their time would never come are now looking forward to enjoying all the perks of being the new top dogs on campus.

So, it’s only natural -it’s a cliche, even -- that I’ve reached this point in my own life, that I’m sitting in our newspaper office right now and writing my own farewell column at the end of my senior year.

I remember the first time I walked into this office (with some kind hearted coercion from Marty Dobrow) for the first newspaper meeting of the year in the fall of 2018. I had no intentions of even pursuing journalism at that point; I had declared Communications/Sports Journalism as my major simply because I knew communications was a broad topic, and I didn’t want to be undeclared.

And still, even after that first meeting, even after I had written my first story about Bow-Tie Wednesday and had it on the front

page, I was not completely sold. I didn’t want to come down to the office to spend that much time with people I didn’t know, or that didn’t live in my dorm. I didn’t know that I liked writing so much that I wanted a career out of it.

But I kept with it, much to Marty’s delight. I wrote for the paper almost every week as a staff writer, and after what was (almost) the most ideal freshman year any student could ask for, I moved into an assistant news editor position my sophomore year.

And in October 2019 came the week from hell. It was the week first-year student Connor Neshe unexpectedly died in his sleep. A Springfield civilian crashed their car through President Cooper’s front gates and was chased on foot by police through campus, and the ‘I Wonder Why…?’ community art project wall was set up in the Union, with students writing statements like ‘I wonder why racists are allowed on campus,’ and ‘I won-

der why mental health isn’t taken seriously.’

In that week and in the weeks following, there were also strings of suicide attempts. And I recall, under the amazing leadership of Gabby Guerard and alongside Evan Wheaton, Danny Priest, Jack Margaros, and Joe Arruda, feeling a sense during it all of why it was important for me to pursue journalism.

The stories I tell aren’t always terrible or sad, but that week showed me the importance of giving people a place to turn to when they’re unsure and need facts, where they can feel comfortable sharing their truths. I watched as upperclassmen Gabby, Evan, Jack and Dan and my counterpart, Joe Arruda, fearlessly reported on all of those hard truths as accurately, quickly and empathetically as possible.

So when COVID came to extinguish the end of my sophomore year and loom over the entirety of my junior year, I didn’t feel overwhelmed in my new position as news editor -- I had been emboldened

Rotondo interviewed Billie Jean King ahead of Commencement. (Irene Rotondo/The Student)

by those around me to pursue journalism, and to use it as a tool to help those around me.

This year has been the best of my college career -- academically, socially, and within my pursuit of journalism.

As co-Editor-in-Chief alongside Joe, I have loved leading the paper with someone I also now call my best friend, and will cherish every minute of what it’s brought me: absolute respect for the truth, deepened empathy for every human life, and a sense of purpose in my own life.

I only have those around me who have supported me to thank.

Gabby, Evan, Jack and

Dan -- we will forever be the San Fran Six. I am eternally grateful for the laughs we’ve shared and the knowledge you’ve imparted unto me, and seeing you all go so far after graduation gives me peace that I will do the same. Individually, you’re revolutionary and collectively, you’re unstoppable.

To Joe Arruda, the most unlikely best friend and co-leader, I thank you for never ceasing to pick me up when I need it the most.

You understand me better than I understand myself at times, and your incredible journalistic skills coupled with See Rotondo continued on Page 9

May 5, 2022

Campus News

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Atwood and Choate: On to the next adventure The Student’s Special Project Editors Collin Atwood and Hayden Choate recap their four years at Springfield College and look ahead to what’s in store. __ By Collin Atwood __ @collinatwood17

Atwood with his girlfriend at a wedding.

(Collin Atwood/The Student)

I’ll never forget my first time going down to the newspaper office.

It was the beginning of the 2019 fall semester – a time when people associated the word “Corona” with alcohol instead of a worldwide spread virus.

It was my sophomore year and I had just declared for the communications/sports journalism major. I heard that The Springfield Student was holding a meeting for newcomers from the great Marty Dobrow and luckily, I built up enough

courage to head down to the office. To this day, I have never seen that room so full.

When I finally made it down the stairs and into a seat, my nerves hit a peak.

I was instantly intimidated by my fellow classmates, Joe Arruda and Irene Rotondo, for how they handled the room, especially as underclassmen. While I compiled all of the reasons why I felt I didn’t belong in that office, these two were taking control of the room as Assistant Sports and News Editors.

That’s when I knew I had a lot of catching up to do.

During the meeting I was approached by Marty and the enthusiastic Gabby Guerard, The Student’s Editor-in-Chief at the time. All they did was ask me if I had any story ideas and my nerves allowed me to feel attacked and overwhelmed.

The truth is I did have a story idea – a rarity to say the least – but there was no way I was going to share what it was. It was my first time in the office

and I hadn’t even finished my intro to journalism class. But, of course, neither of them took no for an answer.

I eventually pitched my idea and it ended up being the first article I had ever written – not just for The Student, but in my life.

The feeling that took over my whole body when I saw my story on the front page was a feeling I never wanted to lose. That’s when I knew I wanted to continue to be involved with The Springfield Student.

As I look back at my best memories from college, they all come from that office and the dedicated and talented journalists that can be found there.

To my fellow staff members – Joe, Irene, Hayden Choate, Garrett Cote, Caitlin Kemp, Chris Gionta and Carley Crain – and my COSJ professors – Marty, Kyle Belanger, Laura Dubowski and Aimee Crawford – thank you for an unforgettable four years.

__ By Hayden Choate __ @Choate_Hayden

It was about this time of year three years ago, the end of my first year in college. I went up to then-junior Evan Wheaton and told him I wanted to write for the newspaper on campus, The Springfield Student.

When I said that to him I had never written an actual article before. Only assignments for class in the two semesters I had in the COSJ program. In high school, I was only able to do broadcasting class because newspaper and broadcast were at the same time. When I got to Springfield I joined

SCTV3. Feeling confident on the TV side of things, I wanted to become a better writer.

I remember the first time I went down to the newspaper office. My first impression was a basement where everyone sits on their laptops and cracks jokes while simultaneously getting work done to provide content for the campus. I loved it.

Now here we are three years later at the end of the road. The memories that I have made in the newspaper office are countless and ones that I will never forget. I am so

grateful for all the people that have made the last three years special. Especially my fellow seniors, Irene Rotondo, Joe Arruda and Collin Atwood thank you for everything you’ve done, you are all incredible human beings.

When I first became a part of the newspaper I wanted to cover sports on campus and I’ve been fortunate to do that. I’ve been the beat writer for many teams like women’s soccer, women’s basketball, women’s lacrosse and men’s lacrosse. Along with being able to cover other news events on campus it’s truly

Choate was also involved with the SCTV3 club. (Hayden Choate/The Student)

been a great three years.

To our incredible faculty advisors, Marty Dobrow and Aimee Crawford you are the best, thank you so much for everything you have done for us, we cannot thank you enough.

To my fellow staff

members Irene, Joe, Collin, Garrett Cote, Caitlin Kemp, Carley Crain and Chris Gionta you all are a very talented group of people and I cannot wait to see where you go.

I guess that’s it, all I have left to say is, thank you.

May 5, 2022

Campus News

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Susi: Thank you Springfield Class of 2022 and SGA President, Ari Susi, reflects on her time on campus and what she was able to achieve in her plethora of leadership roles. ___ By Ari Susi___

My dad had waved me over as I was trying to unload his pickup truck while he does what he does best– talk.

“Ari. Ari. Meet Stephen and Bobby, they’re the sophomore and junior class presidents, you’ll be with them and they’ll take care of you.” At the time my only focus was how I was going to unpack my entire life into that tiny Gulick room and just nodded and agreed. What I didn’t know was he was right.

Four years have gone by and now it’s time to pack up that same

(Photos Courtesy of Ari Susi)

pickup truck one last time, but this time with hundreds of memories and leaving behind a piece of my heart on Alden Street.

Springfield College is the home I never knew I needed. From being the SGA President, Class of 2022 President, Women’s Basketball Manager, and an NSO leader, immersing myself in the culture of this campus has made my experience unforgettable.

I’ve met the most amazing friends and mentors, and would be remiss if I didn’t say thank you

Annie Warchol, Coach Graves, and Chris Hakala for absolutely everything, you’ve helped shape me into the leader and person I am today.

I’m a strong believer in gratitude so along with those thank yous, I have a few more. Thank you to the Posse for bringing me in with open arms and your unconditional love. Thank you to my NSO family for being the most supportive and friendly humans I’ve ever known.

Thank you to SGA and the student body for letting me serve as

the SGA President and running with my “Build the Bridge’’ idea. And, thank you to the Class of 2022 for allowing me to be your president.

As I reflect back on my time here at Springfield, the opportunities and culture is what separates us from every other institution. I hope you all take every opportunity that Springfield College (or wher-

ever else in the world) has to offer you and you run with it. Take chances, get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and keep holding the door for the person behind you.

Thank you Springfield College for the ride in the little red wagon.

Prez, signing off.

May 5, 2022

Campus News

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Before you couldn’t see him John Cena’s time spent on Alden Street was enriching for him and those he met, ultimately kickstarting his pro wrestling and acting careers. __ By Jacques St. Jean __ @jacsaintj

There is no Springfield College alumni more notable than John Cena.

His long list of accomplishments include being a New York Times best selling author, a five-time WWE United States Champion, a record-tying 16-time WWE World Champion, and granting over 650 wishes with the MakeA-Wish foundation, the most in the organization’s history.

Today, he is well known all over the world for his illustrious acting career, starring in F9: The Fast Saga, the Transformers spin-off film Bumblebee, and more recently in last year’s Suicide Squad, which eventually led to Cena starring in the television show Peacemaker streaming on HBO Max. As a childhood fan of professional wrestling, John Cena was my hero.

Despite the insurmountable odds he was up against, like the seven-foot giant Big Show at WrestleMania XX, or returning months early from an injury at the Royal Rumble in 2008, Cena would find a way to win and come out on top. His “Never Give Up” mantra inspired millions of fans, and the three words that he lives by

Cena (left) was a member of the Springfield College football team during his time on Alden Street. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

and wore proudly on his merchandise – “Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect” – are an easy summary of his character.

Cena’s legacy at Springfield is a key selling point for the College. His rare visits and interactions with faculty, staff and students have become legend on Alden Street. Today, there are very few people on campus who were around during Cena’s time as a student-athlete from 1995 to 1999. One of these few is Professor of Theater Arts Martin Shell, who taught Cena in one of his final courses at Springfield – ironically in an introduction to acting class.

Shell began teaching at the College in August of 1993, and Cena enrolled in his acting class in the spring of 1999.

“I don’t think I had heard about John before he came to [my] acting class,” Shell noted. “He makes a first impression, partly because of his physique… which is in part intimidating, but at the same moment kind of fun because he immediately exudes a very charming and warm presence.”

Despite being such a physical specimen and having a dominating presence on the gridiron, Cena was a pleasure in the classroom, according to Shell, and had tremen-

dous natural acting skills.

In one specific acting exercise, Shell was amazed at how easily Cena was able to pick up the lesson that was being taught.

“Status work has to do with territorial behavior and when someone is being very dominant or when they’re being more submissive,” Shell said.

“I [was] really curious to see how John would respond to that exercise because he seems to be such a dominating persona, but he took to it very quickly and was very easily able to play the ‘submissive’ part of status [work]... and to flip gears. That’s the skill we’re trying to learn in an acting class…

and he was very good at that exercise.”

Cena’s semester in Shell’s acting class could be credited as the very beginning of what would be an amazing professional wrestling career, and a highly successful acting career that we are seeing play out today.

A year or so after Cena graduated from Springfield, Shell ran into him visiting campus.

While they briefly caught up, Cena explained to Shell that he had begun training in professional wrestling, and it was “just like acting.”

“I’m sure what he meant was there’s a certain amount of status, dominance, and submission, and a certain performative element to wrestling that made sense to him from what we were doing in acting class,” Shell described.

Although he was technically Cena’s first acting teacher, Shell does not take all of the credit for teaching him what would be the foundation that built the rest of his future. “[I will take] no more credit than any other teacher that he had in his life,” Shell said. “He’s the kind of guy that I’m sure was learning a lot from all kinds of people.

May 5, 2022

(Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

I’ll be willing to take the credit that he enjoyed the acting class, enough to realize and recognize the fun of wrestling…

I can’t say I’m responsible for his success as an actor now, that’s all John, obviously.”

It’s a no-brainer that Cena’s own work ethic and commitment to his own future led him to having such a prolific wrestling career. His dedication in the classroom and on Stagg Field were unmatched. One witness to his amazing athletic ability and work ethic was Damon Villnave, a graduate from the class of 1998 who was not only Cena’s teammate on the football team for three seasons, but also his neighbor across the hall in Alumni Hall, and coworker at a local bar in Springfield.

“I’ve known John since 1995,” Villnave stated.

“I was a sophomore at

Springfield College, he was a freshman. I was fortunate enough to play next to him my senior year, his junior year. He was the center, I was the right guard. We played together, we lifted together, we ate together, we lived together. I’ve known John forever, as long as forever can be!”

Before they played side by side on the offensive line, Cena and Villnave played face to face on opposite sides of the ball in practice.

“My first interaction [with John] was going up against him on the football field,” Villnave expressed. “[He was] an incredibly strong individual. That’s where the first interaction happened. My last two years at Springfield I moved over to the offensive line, and that’s when our relationship became pretty tight.”

To this day, Villnave

Campus News and Cena still talk a few times a week. Though they are hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles apart, they stay in touch by texting each other back and forth.

Villnave graduated in ‘98 from Springfield with a degree in Business Administration. A year later, Cena graduated with a degree in Exercise Physiology.

Today, Villnave works as an assistant principal at Paul V. Moore High School in Central Square, New York. Despite being a lot more static than Cena in terms of a career and lifestyle, they maintain their over 25-yearlong friendship that began on Alden Street.

Villnave believes that Cena’s greatest attribute is his loyalty to those around him. “[John] is very loyal to people that were loyal to him,” Villnave stated.

“Obviously where John was and where John is, are just completely two different worlds. Where John is now you can kind of get people into your life that come and go and are looking for different things. I’ve been on the ride with John the entire time, and I’m not looking for anything, nor have I ever looked for anything or ever wanted anything from him; just friends.”

Villnave continued, “He loves my kids. He’s always been tremendously giving to me and my kids. Again, not that I’ve ever asked for anything, but that’s just who John is, [he’s] just a great human being… a true human being [who] understands where he came from and where he is, and nothing has really ever swayed him from who he

PAGE 7

is.”

Another person who was able to know Cena on a close level is former head football coach Mike DeLong, who had the privilege of coaching Cena for all of his four seasons. “[John] was ahead of his time,” DeLong emphasized. “He knew what he was doing in the weight room, [with a] scientific approach… he was a good kid. [He had] good work ethic, a positive teammate, positive in the locker room, a good leader…and plus he was a good player. Some guys have all of those characteristics, and that’s great, but they’re maybe not the best of players, but he could back it up.”

Cena’s character was well-rounded on the field and in the classroom, and his qualities were the kind that lit up others and rubbed off on those around him. “[John] came in as a freshman, and as a freshman they’re worried about ‘how am I doing’ and then as he progressed it became more of ‘how are we doing’ and that’s a positive piece of growth. He made other people around him better because of that tremendous work ethic that he showed. He didn’t have any complaints; even if it was raining, he would always find something positive being an offensive lineman on a rainy day in the mud.”

Similar to Villnave, DeLong attested to Cena’s loyalty to his former teammates and friends that he met at Springfield, as well as his generous and outgoing personality. The last time Cena visited Alden Street

was 2013, where DeLong was just a few seasons away from his eventual retirement.

“I was here the last time that he was on campus,” DeLong added.

“Anybody who wanted to, he stopped and took a picture with them, he said hello to everybody…

President Cooper came down and said hello… he was not a standoffish guy when he was on campus, not at all.”

It has been almost a decade since Cena’s last appearance at the Birthplace. In my four years here, I have heard many rumors about why Cena has yet to pay a visit here, whether it was the administration asking him for money, or Cena himself being denied from donating money specifically to the football program that he played for.

Regardless of what might have happened, people on campus believe there is a rift between Springfield College and John Cena. From DeLong’s perspective, he believes that Cena is just simply too busy. “[Whenever] he was in town, he wanted to come on campus,” DeLong said, “but I don’t know of any rift. I think sometimes in people’s careers they just get busy, and his career is pretty busy.”

While I was unlucky during my time at Springfield College to cross paths with my childhood hero, I hope that some time in the near future, the Champ will eventually return to Springfield, Mass. and finally be seen back on campus.

May 5, 2022

Campus News

Resolution for CRT to provide more freedom for professors

PAGE 8

Justine Dymond (left) and Stephanie Logan (right) were driving factors in the College’s decision to pass the resolution on Critical Race Theory and the accurate teachings of history. _ By Garrett Cote _ @garrett_cote

Last summer, Dr. Stephanie Logan (Chair of the Department of Education) and Justine Dymond (Associate Professor of English) took part in a weeklong summer experience sponsored by the African American Policy Forum (AAPF). It was open to faculty, community organizers, lawyers and a variety of other people who are policy makers or impacted by policy, all of whom were interested in learning about Critical Race Theory.

After taking what they learned from the experience, Logan and Dymond then hosted and facilitated a program on what Critical Race Theory is. The pair maintained connections with the various working

groups that came out of their summer school experience, one of them being the Education Working Group.

At the higher education level, several things under the umbrella of Critical Race Theory are being discussed. An important topic is the support of higher education professors who are in states that have banned the teaching of Critical Race Theory.

In response, faculty in higher education across the country have put forth resolutions to allow Critical Race Theory to be taught – to be a uniting voice.

“This is the expectation, we deserve academic freedom,” Logan said.

“These forces should not interfere with faculty

teaching the truth. This is bigger than Critical Race Theory in some ways.”

And with that, Dymond took the resolution that the Springfield College Racial and Ethnic Issues Working Group drafted up and was the leading voice in a faculty senate meeting on March 7. The resolution read: “BE IT RESOLVED that the Faculty Senate resolutely rejects restrictions on faculty related to teaching about racial inequality and injustice, and will stand firm against encroachment on faculty autonomy and expertise.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Faculty Senate stands with our PK-12 and higher education col-

leagues throughout the country who may be affected by pernicious directives, policies, and legislation when they seek to teach the truth in U.S. history and social science education.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Faculty Senate calls upon President Mary-Beth Cooper, Interim Provost Mary Ann Coughlin, and other members of the leadership team, in the spirit of shared governance, to affirm in writing that they reject restrictions on faculty related to teaching about racial inequality and injustice, and will stand firm against encroachment on faculty autonomy and expertise.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Faculty Senate affirms the Joint

Statement on Efforts to Restrict Education about Racism, authored by the AAUP, PEN America, the American Historical Association, and the Association of American Colleges & Universities, endorsed by over seventy organizations, and issued on June 16, 2021.”

The resolution was passed, which pleased Logan, Dymond and the other members of the Racial and Ethnic Issues Working Group.

“Faculty should not be stifled from having critical conversations with students or teaching well-rounded history that shares the good, the bad and the ugly,” Logan said.

May 5, 2022

Arruda continued from Page 2

Beach, Danny inspecting the Airbnb and getting us involved with Hoophall, “the San Francisco of the East Coast,” Gabby’s edits on my first-ever feature – all of it.

Irene, you get your own little part for keeping me – somewhat – sane this year (even though you were the

reason for my insanity at times). We started out in competition, you won, but we’ve quickly developed into great friends over the last few years. We got into this together, and I am extremely proud to leave with you as well – I cannot wait to see where you end up.

To this year’s staff; thank you for sticking

Farewell

PAGE 9

it out and making our fi- joke was that I’d be nale successful. We have transferring to Syramade plenty of memcuse, I am extremely ories and I am excited grateful for the countto see what is in store less experiences and for all of you. To our opportunities I’ve had other seniors, Hayden through The Student and Collin, you guys are and at Springfield Collegends and have great lege. things ahead of you – *** thank you for actually Thank you to evkeeping me as sane as eryone who I failed to possible. mention above that has Though the running made an impact on me

as a journalist and as a person (I’m already way over word count). I didn’t know if Springfield College was where I was meant to be until that night last week when everything came full circle. My mind was wandering, my body was in pain, but my spirit found its place – and after that, everything was good.

Rotondo and Arruda covering the 2022 Hoophall Classic. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College)

Rotondo continued from Page 3

that compassion is the true recipe for success in your career. I’m so excited you’ll be in Connecticut with me this summer, and I cannot wait to watch you excel with the Courant and beyond. Working and being by your side these past four years, whether it was in competition or in tandem, has been an extraordinary experience and I cannot thank you enough for it all.

To Marty, my mentor and advisor, but also my friend: I genuinely would not be in the po-

sition I am in now without you. I don’t know that I would have realized my potential without you seeing it first. I have a specific memory of sitting in your office my freshman year, listening to you praise me for 10 minutes straight on what was probably a not-so-good article I’d written for your Intro to Journalism class, and feeling for the first time that I might have a real talent at something.

Thank you for giving me every opportunity to grow you could, and thank you for picking me out on day one. I am

forever indebted to you for everything.

For Aimee Crawford, our new advisor for the paper this year, it has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you and work alongside you. You’ve been a voice of reason amidst all of the noise, and your determination for accuracy and truth has taught me so much in such a short time. I know the newspaper is safe in your incredibly capable hands, and I am thrilled to watch it evolve under your leadership.

To Cait, Chris, Carley, Garrett, Hayden,

and Collin: seeing you all go from nervous freshmen to outstanding juniors and seniors has been the pleasure of a lifetime. You each are so special to me for very unique reasons, and the newspaper would never run without all of your guys’ personal strengths and skills.

Thank you for believing in me as your leader and believing in the power of the paper. I sincerely believe that each of you will go so far, and I am so sad to leave you all.

Lastly, thank you to all of my friends, professors, and community

members inside and outside of COSJ, and thank you to my mom, dad, and brother. You have all helped me every step of the way through college, big or small, and I’m so thankful to have such an amazing support system.

So that’s it. There’s the cliche farewell everyone knew I’d write.

I really just can’t say thank you enough, and I am so looking forward to watching everyone else’s parades march on too.

Deuces!

May 5, 2022

Sports

The Springfield men’s lacrosse team defeated Western New England, 17-12. (Michael Hoyt/The Student)

Running it back The Springfield men’s lacrosse team went 4-2 in conference play to earn a chance at its 14th NEWMAC championship. ___ By Hayden Choate___ @ChoateHayden

As the calendar turns to May, the Springfield College men’s lacrosse team has finished its regular season and now look ahead to the NEWMAC tournament.

The team finished the season with a 7-8 record with big wins over Nazareth, Amherst, and

Babson. However, losses to Endicott and Stevens in overtime, and conference losses to MIT and Coast Guard made it a season of ups and down.

Despite the two losses, Springfield won all their other conference games including the Babson win.

Although they didn’t finish with the record they had hoped for, Springfield head coach Keith Bugbee is excited to be back in the mix of the NEWMAC tournament after a two-year hiatus.

“End of a long season, we’ve had some

great games, but we’re kind of where we’re supposed to be. We’re in our league tournament.

This is great,” Bugbee said.

A 4-2 conference record, which finished off with a 26-9 win over Clark on Saturday, helped the Pride secure the No. 3 seed in the NEWMAC tournament.

The team will travel to No. 2 seed Coast Guard on Wednesday night for the NEWMAC semifinals in New London, Conn.

Coast Guard finished its season with a 9-7 record and an identical 4-2 conference record.

The Bears lost to MIT, like Springfield, but they dropped their final game of the regular season, 14-13 to Emerson on Saturday. Even with that loss, Coast Guard’s win over the Springfield a few weeks ago gave them the No. 2 seed.

The winner of the Springfield and Coast Guard game will advance to the NEWMAC Championship this Saturday. They will play the winner of the other semifinal, which is between No. 1 MIT and No. 4 Babson.

Babson finished with a 3-3 record in NEWMAC play and advanced to the semifinal with a 15-11 win over Emerson on Monday night.

MIT locked up the No. 1 seed with a 6-0 conference record. The Engineers have been undefeated all season as well.

On April 23, Coast Guard and Springfield matched up at Coast

PAGE 10 Guard. Fueled by a big second half for the Bears, Coast Guard won 13-9. In the end, this was the difference in Coast Guard getting the No. 2 seed and Springfield with the No. 3 “They’re a good team — we didn’t play very well last week. It almost seemed like the offense was waiting for the defense to do their job, and the defense was waiting for the offense to do their job,” Bugbee said.

The Bears came out to a 3-1 start, but a bounce-back second half gave the Pride the lead headed into the half. It was all Coast Guard in the second half, as they limited Springfield to two goals in both the fourth and the third quarter, outscoring them 9-4 in the second act of the game.

With a rematch on the horizon for the Pride, this time with elimination on the table, Bugbee believes his team will be ready.

“It’s hard to win on the road. You have to be tougher and deliberate and more intense so now we’re going to get to practice winning a road game, so that’ll toughen the guys up a little more because if we win there, that will definitely prepare us for Saturday,” Bugbee said.

As the Pride hit the road for a rematch, they are ready to make up for the loss on April 23 and be back in the NEWMAC tournament for the first time since they won the 2019 conference title.

May 5, 2022

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Top of the heap After going 8-1 in conference play, the Springfield women’s lacrosse team earned home-field advantage throughout the NEWMAC tournament.

Jade O’Connor. (Joe Arruda/The Student) ___ By Braedan Shea___ Staff Writer

In its final regular season game of the season, and with just seconds remaining, the Springfield College women’s lacrosse team held on to a one-point lead over Coast Guard. The Bears offense was heating up, scoring two clutch goals down the stretch to give them some life.

Coast Guard’s Gillian Cascio won the ensuing draw, giving her team a chance to tie the game.

Springfield applied instant pressure, forcing Coast Guard to keep the ball moving and make some tough passes. The ball eventually found its way back to Cascio, and in an attempt to make up

time and get down the field quickly, she threw a bomb intended for Katherine Pittman – but it never found the mark.

Instead, Springfield midfielder Katie Campbell read the play perfectly, intercepting the pass with an impressive leaping one-handed snag, which turned out to be the nail in the coffin for the Bears.

This final victory topped off a great season for the Pride, who finished regular season play with a 12-5 overall record, and a strong 8-1 conference record – their only loss coming to conference foe Massachusetts Institute of Tech-

nology (MIT) at home back on Apr. 16.

That dominance in the NEWMAC conference didn’t go unnoticed, as after the win, Springfield earned themselves as the top seed in the NEWMAC conference tournament – beating out MIT and Babson respectively.

“It feels pretty good, considering all the hard work we put in,” firstyear midfielder Samatha Andresen said. “It wasn’t easy getting to where we are.”

Although all three teams had the same conference record of 8-1, Springfield nabbed the top spot because of how the losses went. Spring-

field defeated Babson 1510 at home on Mar. 19, and Babson beat MIT in a 17-16 overtime thriller on Mar. 26, therefore meaning that Springfield’s loss to MIT later on didn’t affect them losing the top seed.

The Pride come into the tournament on a tear, led by a rock solid defense. In its past 11 games, Springfield is 9-2.

In that span it has allowed 10 or more points just twice – even holding an opponent scoreless for the first time in Springfield head coach Kristen Mullady’s career, when they crushed Wellesley 24-0 on Apr. 20.

Because of how strong the defense has been, the focal point for Springfield in the tournament has shifted to the offensive side of things, at least according to Andresen. “We focus more on offense because our defense is such a solid unit,” she said. “Our defense always knows what they are doing.”

Getting the top seed in the NEWMACconference is also a sigh of relief for the Pride, as they will retain home field advantage for the entire tournament – a place where they play their best. When playing on Stagg Field, Springfield is better on both sides of the ball – averaging

15.22 goals per game (GPG) and 8.33 goals against (GA) at home as opposed to 13.63 GPG and 10.2 GA on the road.

The team also holds a home record of 7-2.

With the home field advantage, Springfield got a first round bye, along with two-seeded Babson. The Pride earned themselves a rematch against Coast Guard on Wednesday afternoon in the conference semifinals, as the No.4 seeded Bears prevailed over No.5 seed Wheaton in the quarterfinals on Apr. 30. On the opposite side of the bracket, No.3 MIT made quick work of No.6 Smith, defeating them 25-4. That set up a Babson-MIT rematch in the semifinal.

The winner of the semifinal games will meet on Saturday in the NEWMAC finals.

Before Springfield can look ahead at the championship, they need to focus on the game at hand. The best way to accomplish this is by sticking to what coach Mullady draws up.

“Following the game plan is a big one for us,” Andresen said. “Offensively and defensively following what we need to do is important to get us where we need to be.”

May 5, 2022

A fresh start

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The Springfield softball team is excited to play in the postseason, where they are seeded No. 4 in the NEWMAC tournament. ___ By Chris Gionta___ @Chris_Gionta

After getting out to its best 30-game start in program history, the Springfield College softball team has had to face some challenges. The Pride have lost their last seven games, but because of their amazing stretch to begin the season, they are playing in the NEWMAC tournament.

The team feels refreshed to start a new stage of the season.

“This week is a new week, and a brand new season, and everyone is 0-0,” said Springfield head coach Kate Bowen.

Despite the seven-game slide, there is optimism to take away from those losses. The Pride have been able to pack the bases effective-

ly, and only need to be better at getting those runners in.

“We have had so many runners on, and then not get the timely hit,” Bowen said. “So, I think focusing this week on that pressure situation to believe in yourself and get the job done, and if it’s not going to be you, it’s going to be the person behind you… This week, we’re going to get the timely hit.”

The NEWMAC softball tournament is made up of six teams, with the top two seeds getting a bye. It is a double elimination tournament, and the Pride’s first game is on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. against No. 5 Coast Guard at

Emily Gell came into Wednesday with a 1.47 ERA in 52.1 innings pitched. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Babson College. With a victory, Springfield’s next opponent would be No. 1 Babson, and with a loss, its next opponent would be determined through the results of a couple of different games in the bracket.

The other five opponents in the tournament — Babson, WPI, MIT, Coast Guard, and Wheaton — happen to be the last five opponents they faced in the regular season. Springfield has seen each team in action in the last two and a half weeks, which is something the team looks to use to its advantage.

“It’s actually great

we’ve seen most of the teams recently because we have seen their pitchers recently,” Bowen said. “And I think, too, in those games against them, we have left runners on, and we didn’t get the timely hits. We were right there in those games.”

There is a lot of motivation riding with the Pride heading into the week, as they know the implications of both the continuing of their season and the end of their season.

“This last week going into playoffs, especially for our seniors, this is what you work for,” Bowen said. “For us

right now, going into this week, [it’s about] just playing as hard as you can, because this is potentially our last week — we don’t want it to be — but I think [it’s about] just playing every game like it’s your last.”

After playing 38 games in 49 days while winning 26 of them, Springfield is excited that their efforts in the regular season have allowed them an opportunity to win the NEWMAC title.

“You work so hard all season for playoffs,” Bowen said. “This is where you want to be.”

May 5, 2022

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‘We are growing and only getting better’ The Springfield men’s and women’s track and field teams impressed at the NEWMAC Championships with multiple athletes finishing first at their events. __ By Carley Crain __ @carley_crain12

Bright red ribbons tied up in braids or ponytails, a small temporary tattoo ‘S’ on their cheeks, and repping ‘The Jersey’ for a meet they have been waiting for all season long: the NEWMAC Championships. This past weekend at Smith College, the men’s and women’s track teams placed third overall in a highly competitive field.

The women’s team scored a total of 89 points and on the men’s side, the team tallied 167 points.

“To prepare for NEWMACs, the team focused on mental preparation,” explained junior sprinter Thomas Czerwinski. “We knew that we physically had the talent and ability to perform at a high level.

It was the execution of what we had worked for all year. Our goal was simple: win your heat/flight.”

Both squads had a spectacular showing amongst the field events, which has been their strong suit all season long.

Springfield swept the podium in both the long jump and the 100-meter dash. Josh Silvester led the Pride on the triple jump with his mark of 48’2’’, followed by Kevin Lee and Colby Wilson.

Madelyn Vianney starting her jump. (Springfield College Athletics)

Wilson also finished second overall in the long jump, as he soared to a distance of 43’8.50’’.

The trio of Michael Scott, Evan Weber, and Anik Dole took control of the 100-meter dash and contributed a solid amount of points to the team total. Scott also was crowned the NEWMAC champion in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.11 seconds.

For the distance events, juniors Aidan Harmer and

John DeRosa placed fifth and sixth in the 1500 and the 10k respectively.

Both the 4x100 and the 4x400 relays showed up when it counted the most for the Pride. The men’s 4x100 relay team of Scott, Weber, Dole, and Tyler Hansen earned a first-place finish, while the 4x400 relay squad of Bradyn Cote, Luke Chastain, Sam Polley, and Czerwinski ran to a second-place finish.

Polley also ran a fast

400-meter hurdles race, where he received a bronze medal with a time of 57.75 seconds.

In the other field events, junior Jamie Cocca became the NEWMAC champion in the discus, as did teammate Daniel Crisco, who defended his NEWMAC title in the javelin throw by about 13 feet. Travis Brown finished closely behind, throwing 163’1’’ to take third overall in the event.

The women had a

plethora of NEWMAC top finishes in an array of events. Senior Chloe Dewhurst became the third high jump student-athlete in conference history to win three titles in the event since 1994. Teammate Shea Bisner-Boulay finished close behind in third.

Sophomore Allison Ritchie ran to a second-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:07. Junior Matlyn Gross also earned runner-up honors in her main event, which was the triple jump.

The Pride continued to impress in the field events, as junior Christa Carr placed third overall in the shot put.

The women had a strong showing in both relays and were headlined by the 4x100 relay team finishing third overall, which featured Sydney Fackrell, Stephanie Brown, Gwen Anderson, and Sabria Merrifield.

The Pride will travel next to D-III New England’s this upcoming weekend which will be hosted by Williams College.

“We are growing and only getting better. The next few years are going to be very special,” said Czerwinski.

May 5, 2022

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PAGE 14

Making a racket The Springfield women’s tennis team earned the highest seed they ever have in the NEWMAC tournament. __ By Collin Atwood__ @collinatwood17

Veronica Fulgieri preparing to return a serve. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

With an already historic regular season completed, the Springfield College women’s tennis team hosted its first ever NEWMAC tournament match this past Tuesday – only adding to their impressive year on the court.

The women’s regular season ended on April 27 with a 7-2 victory against Mount Holyoke. That match marked their 12th win of the season which is tied for the Pride’s most wins in Division III program history.

“The key to any success is just kind of enjoying what you do on a daily basis,” said Springfield men’s and women’s tennis head coach Mike Louis.

“There’s been a lot of joy at practice and competitions.”

Regular season play has concluded, but with a 12-5-1 record, the women earned

the No. 4 seed in this year’s NEWMAC Championship. This is the highest seeding the women’s team has ever earned in the tournament.

The captivating season continued when the Pride beat Wheaton College 5-1 on Tuesday, May 3 in the NEWMAC Quarterfinals, which was their 13th win of the season – the most in the Pride’s Division III program history.

Louis is hoping that they can go as far as possible for the women’s only senior this season, Rielly Malz.

The Pride will travel to MIT on Saturday, May 7 for the NEWMAC Semifinals.

“Hopefully we can keep squeezing out a couple more matches this season for her,” Louis said. “She’s definitely a special player we’ve had through the program. She has been

May 5, 2022

the leader of this team and she’s a very big part of any and all of the success we’ve had and really a foundation for building for the future.”

The team is looking to carry this year’s momentum into the next season. With only one student-athlete graduating, the Pride will have many of the key pieces of this season’s success returning in the fall.

“The goal for them is to maintain those relationships and foster the new ones with their incoming girls,” Louis said. “It’s really important to build on what we had this season.”

Although the men’s team (3-12) didn’t pose a record as impressive as the women’s team, its success came from what they learned and how they battled through adversity.

“Outside of the results, it was a pretty successful season given the sense that they’re getting grittier and they’re understanding what it takes to compete for an entire season,” Louis said. “With each match, the guys got a lot better.”

The men’s team has five upperclassmen, but their class doesn’t

show how experienced they are. There are some players on the team who have only played three collegiate matches despite the fact that they are juniors. The effects of shortened seasons due to the Coronavirus really impacted this year’s team.

“I think that type of adversity really paved the way for a lot more development and a different mindset for this group this season,” Louis said.

There have definitely been low points this season, but a high point for the men’s team came in March when both teams traveled to Florida to kickstart their seasons.

The women’s team won all four of its matches and the men won three out of the four.

“Getting on a court outside for the first time in a bunch of months, the guys, to be able to flip it around and compete the way they did for the last three matches down there was awesome,” Louis said.

“We had a lot of really good high moments in the season.”

The men’s team has three seniors on a roster of 10 players.

The goal for the rest

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The Springfield men’s tennis team won three out of four matches on its Florida trip. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

of the team is to practice over the summer so that its success can show up on the scoresheet.

“Maturity-wise, I think the guys grew up, collectively, a good amount in the last

couple of weeks,” Louis said. “Looking into the next season, that’s going to be really valuable for us.”

Louis thinks that this year’s men’s and women’s teams are the closest any team has ever been. They

all enjoyed the season together through the ups and downs.

“If we’re competing well and we’re competing together, we’re in a good spot,” said Louis.

Sports The Springfield Student

MAY 5, 2022

A Place for Playoffs The Springfield baseball, softball, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, and women’s tennis teams all earned a spot in their respective NEWMAC tournaments.

(Photos courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

VOL. 136 NO. 25