Volume 136 No. 2

The Springfield Student September 16, 2021

Est. 1910 scstudentmedia.com // @TheSpfldStudent

Volume 136 No. 2

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

20 Years Remembering 9/11

See page 4 (Photo Courtesy of Volkan Furuncu/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images, FILE Getty Images)

inside Page 6

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Meet Annie Warchol, the one who brings the fun

Mask guidelines adjusted after City mandate

What you missed at the all college meeting

And more...

September 16, 2021

Updated mask guidelines How the new City mask mandate affects Springfield College __ By Irene Rotondo __ @irenerrotondo

The Department of Health and Human Services in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, alongside the City of Springfield, announced they will be implementing a citywide mask mandate, regardless of vaccination status, for all indoor venues and outdoor public spaces where six feet of social distancing can not be maintained.

Sports were also included in the update, with the expectation that masks will be worn by players during high and moderate risk athletics.

This order is expected to go into effect on Monday, Sept. 13 and to remain in effect until Nov. 1.

In an email sent to the student body on Friday around 2:00 p.m., Vice

Campus News President of Student Affairs Dr. Slandie Dieujuste announced that masks will now be required outside when six feet of social distancing cannot be maintained.

Diejuste stated in the email, “To comply with the city mandate, face coverings will now be required outdoors on campus when a social distance of six-feet or more is not possible.

This new mandate will go into effect on Monday, September 13 and we expect that members of the Springfield College community will self-monitor and mask up outside when you cannot maintain social distancing.”

The new order for Springfield College will go into effect Monday, Sept.

13.

“We felt that we really needed to be as minimal

as possible; we trust our students, we know that they will be able to make good decisions and self-monitor,” Dieujuste said.

Townhouse backyards will still be open and operating; however, students will need to wear masks when in the backyards due to the high volume of students that generally populate the area.

“The students in the backyards will need to be masked because they will not be able to socially distance… if a student is drinking or eating, they can certainly have their mask off, but when holding on to a drink and not actively drinking, students should have a mask on,” stated Dieujuste.

If a student is walking to class with a friend less than six feet away from them, the pair would need

PAGE 2 to be masked. However, community members do not need to wear a mask when walking alone on campus.

Students will need to be masked at all outdoor activities and events when social distancing is not possible.

Spectators for sporting events will still be allowed on campus, but are now required to be masked on the sidelines and in stands.

No decision has been made towards whether or not athletes will need to wear masks during practices and games outdoors.

Dieujuste stressed that personal responsibility will be pivotal in following these new guidelines; students need to ensure they are personally following the rules, and hold their friends and others accountable for wearing masks when needed.

Updates to the SC dining experience __ By Cait Kemp __ @caitlinkemp09

Knowing how many dining dollars are in your account and figuring out what Cheney is offering for dinner on a given night are some things that Springfield College students consider quite often.

Dining is a huge part of campus life at college, and Springfield offers ease to this factor with the GET app.

It ‘get’s a bit complicated, though, when technology fails and the app ceases to function.

Luckily for this year, the rules on COVID restrictions are more lenient and the Union is open to order in-person at the restaurants offered. Or-

dering ahead may be more convenient, but the dining is still operating with the hardworking staff stationed at La Sabrosa, Subway, Sushi with Gusto, Dunkin Donuts and Roasted.

Through the GET app (when it is up and running), students have the chance to see their dining dollar balance, the hours of operation of the restaurants, and even have the option to order online so their food is ready to pick up when they get there. It is a convenient way to stay up to date on their account information and gives a quick and easy

way to grab food for busy students on the go.

One of these partnerships, a recent one with Babylon Farms, has brought a hydroponic display of fresh produce into Cheney Dining Hall, showing the commitment to health and wellness being brought to the community.

Along with new partnerships, Springfield College dining has also revamped the meal plans, and introduced a new meal exchange program.

The meal exchange is a new feature this year that offers students a chance to use meal exchange swipes as opposed to dining dol-

Students check out Harvest Table’s new microgarden inside Cheney Dining Hall. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College).

lars to get a set option at the different restaurants.

For example, this could be a choice of a sub, bag of chips and fountain drink from Subway. Each restaurant has these different choices of customizable combinations, offering a great variety of dining options for students.

Through feedback from students and ob-

servations on the dining experience over the years, the Springfield College dining team has been able to recognize the issues and improve upon them in order to make students’ experiences the best they can be on campus. Follow @springfielddining on Instagram for more information and updates.

Campus News

September 16, 2021

PAGE 3

A promising perception of normalcy President Mary-Beth Cooper hosted the annual All College Meeting on Tuesday where she touched on topics ranging from COVID to the budget. __ By Garrett Cote __ @garrett_cote

Students, faculty, and staff began trickling into the Fuller Arts Center early Tuesday afternoon to find a seat in the packed auditorium for Springfield College’s All College Meeting held by President Mary-Beth Cooper.

During the meeting, there was a promising perception of normalcy as the annual get together finally took place in person, face-to-face, for the first time since 2019.

The first item on Cooper’s agenda, which happened to be the most anticipated topic, was discussing the school’s policies and guidelines to limit the ongoing threat of the coronavirus disease. In compliance with Springfield’s city-wide mandate that was put into effect on Monday, masks must continue to be worn inside by everyone - regardless of vaccination status - and must also be worn outside when social distancing of six feet or more is unable

to be maintained.

“COVID-19 remains frontline, and our teams are working hard to remain one step ahead of the virus as much as we can,” offered Cooper.

“As of last week, 91% of our students and 95% of our employees are fully vaccinated. Our masking policy was modified in response to the mandate by the city of Springfield. It’s not ideal and it feels like a step back, but staying in compliance with the city mandate is essential and reflects the service to others aspect of our mission.”

President Cooper then brought forth Bridget Belgiovine (Vice Chair, Springfield College Board of Trustees), Eileen Cyr (President, Faculty Senate), Paige Moran (Co-chair, Staff Council), and Arianna Susi (President, Student Government Association) to give their perspectives on the start of the academic year and what they each have in

Dr. Mary-Beth Cooper, President of Springfield College, poses with 2021 Cheney Award recipient, Genevieve Szulc. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College).

store for students.

Cyr shared some special thoughts with the audience about how to push through the 15week gauntlet that classes tend to be, saying, “Don’t worry about falling down.

Fall down, get back up, and make sure we’re all helping each other [get back up as well]. We’re going to keep moving forward, and we’re going to keep learning from every moment that we experience. I’m really excited about this year, and I hope everybody else is too.”

Dr. Calvin Hill (Vice President, Inclusion and Community Engagement) was the last of five speakers, not including Cooper, to take the podium. Dr. Hill spoke with great passion about the continuous push for the inclusion and integration of BIPOC students on Alden Street.

“We are stronger as a campus community when all individuals here feel safe and secure,” Hill asserted. “I believe we must

celebrate and acknowledge our many differences. We need to be a campus where our first perspectives are accepted, valued, and indeed embedded in all we do.”

Cooper followed Dr. Hill’s strong segment with quite the surprise.

She announced the launching of a campaign that has been unraveling sneakily behind the scenes over the course of the past few years.

“This is the big secret, I’m going to launch it right here,” Cooper began.

“Since 2018, Springfield College has been in a silent phase of our first large scale fundraising campaign in more than a dozen years. This fall, we will launch that campaign publicly, having raised to date more than 33 million dollars of a 50 million dollar goal.”

Cooper went on to publicize that there are four priorities of the campaign, all designed to support the school’s core needs and

new ventures.

“The annual fund (1), which provides critical operational support, scholarships and endowments support to ensure access to affordable Springfield College education (2), programs and services that create bridging experiences for students, faculty and staff (3), and finally, the feature capitol project, our new health sciences center (4),” stated Cooper.

The meeting came to a close after the annual R. William Cheney Award was presented, by President Cooper herself, to Genevieve Szulc. Szulc received - along with the award - a standing ovation and an overwhelming flurry of cheers from the Fuller Arts Center crowd as she walked down the aisle to accept her award.

It was yet another successful All College Meeting for president Cooper and company, acting as the signalling for the official kickoff of the 2021-2022 school year.

September 16, 2021

_ By Cait Kemp _ @caitlinkemp09

20 years later.

20 years full of memorials, church services, parades, moments of silence.

Two decades of raw photos burned into memories, and the audio of voices crying to loved ones telling them to stay strong without them, that they love them so dearly.

Social media posts flood the internet throughout the day with photos of the New York City skyline, and the common refrain: “Never Forget.”

20 years later, the United States is still numb – still tender to the topic. It hurts, and the hurt has no sign of stopping.

Sept. 11, 2001, has become a date that American children learn from a young age each year when it creeps up in early fall. In preschool and kindergarten, they may learn the bare minimum, but as they grow, they see the videos and photos, watch the news broadcasts, read articles, and begin to learn how devastatingly significant the event was.

Everyone who was old enough when it happened remembers 9/11, from the clothes they were wearing that day, where

Remembering 9/11

NEVER

Logan Large pays his respects to the lives lost as a result of the terrorist attacks on Sept.

11, 2001. (Photo courtesy of Logan Large).

they were in the moment they first heard of the attacks, and – quite commonly stated – that the sky was noticeably blue that day, with not a cloud to be seen.

Logan Large, graduate associate for Veterans and Military Services at Springfield College, remembers being 9 years old and in the third grade when he found out about the terrorist attacks during his English

class. His step-dad was soon at the school to pick him up, as his mother worked in downtown Washington, D.C., just a couple blocks away from the Pentagon.

Although young and naive to what was really going on, he remembers being so worried about his mom, and just wanted to know she was okay.

“We were going back to the house to get ready in case we had to go to

Mount Weather, Mount Weather is a government facility… it’s a facility where high profile government officials go when there’s some type of crisis,” Large said.

“We figured that going anywhere close to there would be the safest place to be.”

Large was lucky enough to not have to evacuate to the government facility, and his mom came home safe

PAGE 4

that night. The intensity of that day shows, though, even remembered by someone that was so young at the time, barely understanding what was happening.

Robert Hopkins, former Assistant Professor of Emergency Medical Services for Springfield, was thrown directly into the destruction when his Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) was called to ground zero to assist in helping victims.

“I, like the rest of America, sat there dumbfounded watching this surreal event that looked like ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’, or some other horror movie,” said Hopkins. “My boss says to me, ‘you better pack your stuff, I’m sure you’re going to go.’”

Five DMAT teams from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey and New York were the only ones available to assist. With the airports shut down, help was limited to only those who were able to drive to New York City, so duty called Hopkins to the scene.

They were assigned to set up treatment areas around ‘the pit,’ which is what Ground Zero was nicknamed.

“We had a mission because there was nobody to treat [initially].

Normally we would go

Remembering 9/11

FORGET

September 16, 2021

and remove people from areas and treat them and send them on their way,” he recalled.

“There was nobody alive to treat.”

Once emergency services began to enter and attempt rescue missions, though, there were plenty of people for Hopkins and his team to help.

They treated hundreds of people, including firemen, policemen, and other emergency workers with dust-filled lungs.

The immense amounts of dust that these people were inhaling ended up being the cause of death for many of them, succumbing to “9/11 cancer,” as Hopkins called it.

Ryan McCormick, an Emergency Service Management major at Springfield College during the time Hopkins was teaching, was a stu-

dent that joined Hopkins on this mission to assist victims at Ground Zero.

He was one that lost his life several years later to the Hodgkins cancer that was caused by the dust inhalation from being on scene. He died a hero, and should be remembered as that forever.

“Truly just a regular, sparky Springfield College student, and he gave his life for this country, a little undersung hero,” Hopkins said.

After experiencing first-hand arguably one of the most tragic days in American history, Hopkins is still able to recognize the national pride that was exhibited in the wake of tragedy.

“One of my bosses said, ‘I hated 9/11 but I loved 9/12.’ The day after, there was total unity between political dis-

agreements. If you’re republican or democrat, left wing, right wing, Arab, Jew, Christian, atheist, agnostic, it didn’t matter.

Everybody was united in their feelings for this country,” Hopkins said.

The political climate has changed drastically since that day in 2001, juxtaposing the sense of unity that was shown while the country was experiencing trauma.

Yet the memory of the destruction continues to bring Americans together to honor the red, white and blue, despite the differences that tear the country apart any other day.

As the U.S. and the world reflect on this tragic event 20 years later, the United States has just pulled the military out of Afghanistan, seeming to create an eerie full circle of events.

Large is a U.S. Army veteran, who served four years as an infantryman before medically retiring due to an injury he suffered while in Afghanistan. After serving in the Middle East for that period of time and being just one of thousands of U.S. veterans who fought for two decades Group of the DMAT team Robert Hopkins was a part of that was overseas, it’s difficult called to assist at Ground Zero. (Photo courtesy of Robert Hopkins). to comprehend the

PAGE 5

Robert Hopkins in uniform. (Photo courtesy of Robert Hopkins).

recent pull from Afghanistan of U.S. troops.

“Now that we’ve pulled out of Afghanistan, we’re no longer there, there’s a lot of mixed feelings even for myself as a veteran…

When I went into the military it was all about doing the job, doing what I had to do and there was very little questioning my belief in the matter and now, I would say this is very common for most veterans who served, now you’re asking yourself, ‘why?’ and ‘what was the past 20 years for?’,” Large reflected.

He added, “I think up until now there’s been a lot of support for veterans in regards to the conflict and now I feel like it’s veterans not

really knowing what to support. It’s just kind of weird to think about it.”

Sept. 11, 2001 is and will continue to be a date Americans will remember and honor. As years pass, there are more and more generations who were not alive for 9/11.

It is as important as ever to commemorate the lives lost, recognize the unity brought by it, and strive to be an America that loves and respects each other as much as we did in the wake of that tragedy.

20 years have gone by, but the memory remains fresh. This just might be a wound that never heals.

Campus News

September 16, 2021

PAGE 6

Annie Warchol: Making it happen Since coming to Springfield College in 2008, Annie Warchol, Director of Student Activities has had to problem solve and make things work, but COVID has been a whole new beast. __ By Collin Atwood __ @collinatwood17

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown challenges at anybody and everyone since its original outbreak. No matter the occupation or situation, the virus has found a way to make life just a little bit harder.

Annie Warchol, Director of Student Activities and Campus Union at Springfield College, had a huge obstacle to overcome when COVID-19 forced Springfield College to put limitations and restrictions on most of the campus activities.

While students were worrying about how to enjoy their school year during a pandemic, Warchol was doing everything in her power to make sure it would be a year to remember.

Thankfully for us, Warchol is well adapted to facing challenges as she has been since she was hired in 2008.

When Warchol was hired she started off as

the Assistant Director of Student Activities and she started making improvements to the department right away. Due to the lack of events that were actually happening each semester, only five or six kids would show up to an event on a Saturday night.

“At that time the office had only done, which was shocking to me, five events a semester,” Warchol said.

In her first semester here, the college went from five events to 25 events a semester.

While that is a great improvement, it wasn’t the biggest obstacle.

The real problem was getting students to attend these events rather than partying all weekend.

Part of her strategy was to find respected students on campus and get them to come out to the events she was organizing. Once they

Annie Warchol (left) loves to take selfies, this one with new Vice President for Student Affiars, Dr. Slandie Dieujuste. (Photo courtesy of SC Activities on Instagram).

were there, Warchol had to make sure that the event was entertaining enough to get them to come back.

“In order for anything to be successful, in terms of marketing and programming, you have to do the things that students actually want to do,” Warchol said.

Reaching out to students and attending conferences and meetings was how Warchol was able to keep up with the trends that college students were interested in.

One event that really showed the potential for how large campus activities could get was

bingo night. “I brought bingo here… That was my first big event, we had like 100 people there,” Warchol said.

Bingo on campus is still a favorite for many students to this day.

After she was able to completely turn the department around as the assistant, she

September 16, 2021

was then promoted to director in 2014, but the transition was anything but smooth. Her predecessor had left the job before Warchol was promoted so she was short on staff.

“I was doing three office jobs at the time I was applying for the position… It was challenging in the sense of not having enough resources,” Warchol said.

She relied on herself and graduate students to maintain satisfactory standards for the students until she was able to hire help.

The adversity Warchol faced early on in her career at Springfield College doesn’t compare to the troubles that came along with COVID-19.

“I was really shocked by the lack of guidance

that was provided for people in my position.”

One of the hardest parts of the first couple of semesters with COVID for Warchol was the capacity limits. As a result of this, Warchol was forced to implement pre-registration for events and activities.

“We would do the same event a couple of times so people could enjoy it, but we would be capped by that capacity number,” Warchol said.

The pandemic also caused some campus-famous events to be held virtually. Sti-Yu-Ka, family weekend and bingo were all held online last school year which doesn’t exactly draw students in, but Warchol’s efforts made the pandemic year better

News Campus

PAGE 7

Annie Warchol (back row standing, second from right) with a group of students at Humanics in Action Day. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College).

than most expected.

Now that things are finally inching their way towards normal, Warchol and the Student Activities office can get back to hosting in-per-

“

I have been here 13 years now and this NSO program was the greatest energy I have ever been apart of.”

- Annie Warchol -

son events without capacity limits.

The few events that have happened so far this year have been a huge hit.

“I’ve been here 13 years now and this New Student Orientation program this year was the greatest energy I have ever been a part of,” Warchol said.

Students are excited to get back to a closer version of normal.

This is just the very beginning of the academic year and the Student Activities staff has much more planned for the future. Warchol brought something new to the campus about a decade ago and plans on rebooting it this year.

“Something that my office is actually putting together is called an I Lead Series,” she said.

She wants to revive this series because of the lack of leadership retreats and conferences that were able to happen last year. This series will include workshops for anyone who is trying to work on their leadership skills. The workshops will venture out to many topics such as social justice, personal growth, communication styles and much more.

Activities that will be returning this year include family weekend, Big E trips and the ice skating rink. To stay up to date with the Student Activities Office and when events will be happening follow their Instagram account: @ scactivities.

September 16, 2021

Arts

PAGE 8

William Simpson Fine Arts Series is back The series will begin with the William Blizzard Gallery presenting ‘All-In’ from Sept. 20 until Oct. 29. __ By Jac St. Jean __ @jacsaintj

The 2020-2021 COVID year at Springfield College put a huge damper on many aspects within the hub of the Springfield College community. Yet, the single aspect that appears to be immune to all viruses, illnesses, natural disasters and calamity that weathered the storm that was last year was the arts.

Despite all setbacks, the William Simpson Fine Arts Series lived to see another year at Springfield College and it’s coming back again this semester.

Unfortunately, William Simpson Fine Arts Series’ committee member Martin Shell is on sabbatical this semester, so there will not be any live, in-person, theater this fall. However, the rest of the series is sure to make the Springfield College community ecstatic and intrigued with its events. Here’s what’s in store for ‘The Birthplace’ this fall: From September 20 to October 29, the Wil-

liam Blizard Gallery will present All-In, advertised as “an all-inclusive art exhibit of 10x10-inch artwork.”

This exhibit will be accepting artwork from members of the Springfield College community that’s 10x10 inches, and can be hung on a wall. Not only that, but this exhibit will also be accepting art throughout its duration, and there is even a part of the gallery that invites its viewers to create their own piece.

The closing reception for All-In will take place on Oct. 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. For information on how to submit artwork, contact Dr. Jessica Poser, gallery director, at jposer@springfield.edu.

Associate English Professor and award-winning fiction writer Justine Dymond will be reading from her collection of short stories The Emigrant and Other Stories on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m.

The Arts Series highlights Springfield College’s creative side while also bringing in guests in the arts. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College).

The event will take place at The Forum in the Harold C. Smith Learning Commons. Dymond’s acclaimed and award-winning anthology ranges broadly in setting and era, from France in World War II, to 18th century Maine and modern Tennessee.

The event will also include a question and answer session with the author and professor.

Another reading is happening in the Learning Commons on Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m..

Haudenosaunee writer, professor, adventurer, and storyteller Angelique Stevens will be visiting Springfield to read passages from her award-winning creative nonfiction essays.

Some of Stevens’ work includes details of her experience growing up in upstate New York as Six Nations Native American, and even dealing with her sister’s addiction and suicide. There will be a question and answer session with Stevens following the event.

On Nov. 4, at 7 p.m,

Judd Gymnasia will host “Kalos”, a trio music group consisting of Ryan McKasson playing fiddle, Eric McDonald on guitar and Jeremiah Lane playing accordion. Kalos is a Celtic-roots music group which plays on tradition, but also stretches their perception of it. Carving their own musical path, Kalos is sure to be an event to see this fall.

The William Blizard Gallery will present their Student Art Exhibit from Nov. 15 to Dec. 17, with the reception happening on Thursday, Nov. 18 from 4 to 6 p.m.. Gallery one will present art from graduating master’s students in the art therapy program. Gallery two will showcase the artwork made from students in the visual and performing arts studio courses, including drawing, painting, ceramics, photography and more.

Springfield College Dancers and guest artists will be featured in the CommUnity Dance Concert, taking place Friday, Dec. 10 and Saturday, Dec.

11 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 12 at 3 p.m.

The concert will include guest artist work from the likes of Darrell Grand Moultrie, Tatiana Desardouin and Alan Franco. A question and answer session with the choreographers and dancers will be held after Saturday evening’s concert.

Last but not least, the annual Winter Concert and Student Showcase will conclude the fall 2021 William Simpson Fine Arts Series on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Marsh Memorial Chapel.

This event will feature the Springfield College Community Chorus, the Springfield College Band and a few soloists. This annual concert is always a hit, especially in-person, so it is exciting that the plan, as of now, is to hold it in Marsh.

For more information and updates on the fall 2021 William Simpson Fine Arts Series, head to www.springfield.edu/ simpson.

September 16, 2021

Sports

PAGE 9

High expectations After finishing first in their conference the last two years, the Springfield golf team is looking forward to another great season.

--- By Brady Cote ---

As the fall semester has begun, the Springfield College golf team already has their season underway. After finishing first in their conference the past two years, the team has high expectations as they continue to play.

With the bar set so high, the team aspires to win their conference for a third straight season.

Senior on the team, Corey Roya reflects on this past season and how the team placed.

“We had a really good team, we won the conference back to back actually so that was the second time in a row that we won the conference so that was a pretty big accomplishment,” said Roya. “We finished in the top ten of a couple of other tournaments which were pretty big, so we had a pretty good season overall.”

Since then, the team has graduated a few of their athletes, leaving

Roya as the only senior left on the team. Winning the conference for the third straight year is not the only thing at stake for the team.

If the team is able to successfully pull off the three-peat, they will be qualified to go to nationals. Although it is a tall order, Roya says the team is looking forward to the challenge.

“I think in the poll we’re ranked 2nd right now,” Roya said. “Westfield State is 1st, they didn’t graduate many guys so they got a similar squad. We got a pretty young team overall, but we’re going to do great.”

Prior to the season, the team has been putting in the work to reach the bar they have set for themselves.

“Everybody has practiced a bunch over the summer to get ready for the season, and I know a few guys on the team have personal swing coaches, I have one as well so we get to work with some professional guys who will give us

some tips to get ready,” Roya said. Obviously, we have Coach Eadie as well to help us out and get in good form for our tournaments.”

Coach Joe Eadie is no stranger to the Springfield College golf team, as he is entering his 29th season of being the head coach. The team is in good hands with such a decorated coach who is able to help his team while playing 9 holes, or even swing the clubs at the driving range.

The team is not losing sight of their goal to win the conference to get to nationals, as they focus on the task at hand. Each day of practice is crucial to getting better, whether it is on the course or the driving range.

“We take it day by day, sometimes we’ll play nine holes at either Wilberham or Westover, and other days we’ll go to Fenway Golf to hit balls, and coach will work with us and help us out with stuff we need to work on,” said

Sophomore Jack Shane watches his putt on the green. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield Athletics).

Roya.

This week, the team has the opportunity to visit the conference course and use it to their advantage, as they get familiar with all 18 holes.

“It’s a newer course than the ones we’ve played so hopefully that practice round will help us out a lot,” said Roya.

This past weekend the team traveled to the Ralph Myhre Golf Course at Middlebury College where they would place 12th out of 23 teams. Springfield was consistent

in the first round on Saturday, however, the team steadily improved as each of their final scores was lower on Sunday.

The five men who traveled this weekend to play in the tournament were junior, Aidan McBride, junior, Nicholas DeMaio, senior, Corey Roya, sophomore, Jack Shane, and sophomore, Damon Monks. Each individually faired off better in the second round of See Golf continued on Page 14

September 16, 2021

Sports

PAGE 10

The Pride is back on the pitch The Springfield College men’s soccer team has gotten off to a hot start with impressive returners and a slew of strong underclassmen.

__ By Garrett Cote __ @garrett_cote

While the Springfield College men’s soccer team may have had an unbearably long layoff, the combination of savvy veterans and capable underclassmen has vaulted them to have the potential of reaching new heights.

All they have to do is create an unbreakable bond, as claimed by Pride head coach Tommy Crabill.

“We have a lot of new players on this year’s team,” Crabill began. “Not only new as in first year players, but also graduate level players and transfers.

We really want to build strong relationships with each other going into October and November, and hopefully build on strong performances at that point in the season as well.”

The notion of togetherness is No. 1 on Crabill’s agenda for this season, as he emphasized that the output of games directly correlates to how much each member of the club is willing to put in.

“It’s going to be really important for us to play our best, but to play our best doesn’t have nearly as much to do with skill, talent, or athleticism as it does with communication, trust, and relationships on the field,” Crabill added.

One helping hand that will be in the Pride’s corner all season long - that has unfortunately been unable to make an impact since 2019 - is the return of fans. Crabill expects

Jack Rosenburg is one of four seniors on the Pride mens soccer team. (Photo courtesy of Springfield Athletics).

high energy to be injected into his team during every match now that the Alden Street faithful are amped and ready to roar in the stands.

“It’s awesome,” Crabill offered as he gathered his thoughts. “It’s absolutely thrilling, really. I know the guys feed off on it by having their friends and families there. Sunday was awesome to look across and see and hear so many people. We have such a supportive college and athletic community, so we love seeing people out there because they give us tons of strength and energy in the tough moments of matches.”

Although there has not been a maskless match (prior to this season) since 2019, Crabill senses no signs of rust within the team, and appoints to the freedom on the pitch being the reason why.

“Everyone is just so happy and excited and joyful to be playing again.

It’s like our own little space where we don’t have to be anxious or worried about what’s going on in the world, we can play and enjoy being around each other. It’s hard to point out any specific moments [where the team has had lapses],” Crabill said.

The strong suit of the 2021 Pride men’s soccer

team is not actual on-field strength. According to Crabill, it happens to be a common determination and drive from all players to maximize their potential this season.

“It has to be our passion and desire from all of us to reach the level of performance that we want,” uttered Crabill about his team’s biggest strength.

“I don’t know if that will come with results, but our continued passion during practice sessions, and our continued passion during game day throughout the entire roster will elevate us to where we want to get by the end of the season.”

As for players to watch, Crabill has high expectations for every member of the team who steps on the pitch, no matter if they start or not, regardless of their class.

“For the game of soccer, you really have to have a strong spine of the team.

All the players that play through the middle, from goalkeepers, to center defenders, to center midfielders, to center forwards are extremely important.

At the same time, the way we play the game is so reliant on wide players. Athletic and technical, fast, wide players that bring the game to life and make it fun and entertaining. It takes all 11 players to put together a great game.”

Seniors Chayne Bruneau, Jack Rosenberg, Andrew Ma, Timothy Brereton, and Jack Costa, along with graduate students Ian Macala and Derick Arhin look to not only have strong final campaigns on the field, they look to also act as the “old guys,” by providing some wise assistance for the flurry of young talent coach Crabill’s club consists of.

The team certainly has a boatload of skilled players, some with tons of experience. All they have to do now is buy in to each other, continue to come into games and practices ready to go, and they will be in for a season to remember.

September 16, 2021

Sports

Young group ready to compete in tough NEWMAC Just nine players on the Springfield women’s soccer team had played a college game before entering the season.

Senior Maddy Bonavita is part of the group looking to fill leadership roles on the womens soccer team. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield Athletics).

PAGE 11

___ By Hayden Choate ___ @ChoateHayden

At the conclusion of after the first game that an evening practice in only nine of the squad the warm September of 31 had ever played sun, Springfield Cola college game before,” lege women’s soccer Gibson said. coach John Gibson Senior Heather Jennato walks around his team’s knows it’s on the sepost-practice stretch niors and few graduate circle giving each students to help lead by member of the team a example for the younger high-five, something he players. couldn’t do a year ago.

“It’s very important Gibson and the womespecially this year to be en’s soccer team return a leader and role model this fall after not having for the younger players a season in 2020. This is because they haven’t his 21st season as head experienced a real seacoach and admits last son so far,” Jennato said. year was a long year “It’s very important for with no outside compe- us upperclassmen to set tition. high expectations and “Not having a season be nothing but good was a long year,” Gibson examples.” said. “We did a lot of 15 members of the training, what I like is team are sophomores working on what went who came in last year, wrong in the previous but like the first-years, game and what you need they did not play their to do in the next game first game until the whereas we just had season opener. Giba year of training for son and his staff were training sake, which is expecting some of last okay.” year’s graduating class The Pride opened up to return, but due to the season with a tough different circumstances, 1-0 loss at Endicott on that did not happen.

Aug. 31st. They then “We lost some expewent on to beat Umarience there but everyss-Dartmouth, 7-1 beone is in the same boat fore losing to Western and teams that maybe New England 2-1. weren’t so strong two The team has six years ago have changed seniors and two grada lot,” Gibson said. uate students but are a Two years ago, the relatively younger team Pride went 14-7-3 inthis season.

See WSOC “It was great to be continued on Page 14 back but we realized

September 16, 2021

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PAGE 12

Eyes set wide

Entering the season at No. 3 in the preseason NEWMAC rankings, the Springfield field hockey team looks to climb. ___ By Carley Crain ___ @carley_crain12

The Springfield College field hockey team has been patiently waiting to get back to action, as many players on this year’s roster have yet to play a collegiate game or even have a fall season.

The NEWMAC currently has Springfield ranked No. 3 in the conference, but the team has confidence that they will end up higher in the rankings by the end of the year and go far in the playoffs. They aren’t going to settle for the semi-finals, a spot they are too familiar with.

“I think a big goal for us game-wise is to always come out strong and to score first because we don’t want to let the other team score right away,” explained senior back Gabby Inkel. “We want to set the tone of the game. In the past few years, we have also always made it to the semi-finals, but haven’t made it further than that.

We want to change that this year.”

This fall, the Pride opened the season with two wins against non-conference opponents, Keene State and Fitchburg State. A solid preseason during the last two weeks of August helped the team work well cohesively as one unit. With their first season back since the pandemic hit, the team is focusing on maintaining a positive mindset while actively working more on mindfulness.

“Preseason went so well.

We are all just so positive and really excited to be here and play. I definitely think this is the group where we will go far. We have a ton of potential on the team and skilled players.”

One lesson that many people learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is to never take anything for granted. This forced not only the field hockey team but many athletes to view their sport from a broader perspective, which is exactly what

the Pride aims to do this season on Stagg Field.

“We lost a year and we are just so grateful for this opportunity to have a full season. I think we are all ready to get back on the field.”

The Pride will be hitting the road for most of their games this fall, which has been hard to transition back too, especially for the underclassmen. The long bus rides and multiple games a week after classes have not been routine for most of the roster for a long time because of the pandemic.

The NEWMAC this year has some fierce competition, and the Pride is keeping its eyes on Babson and MIT, both historically dominant teams in the conference.

One of the biggest goals the Pride has this year is to beat Babson, as they have not defeated them for over two years.

“We are ready for it.

Conference play is what we always look forward

Senior Gabby Inkel looks to split two defenders. (Photo courtesy of Springfield Athletics).

to the most,” said head coach Melissa Sharpe.

“It’s interesting because we really have not played a conference opponent in two years, so it feels weird in a way. We don’t really know what teams look like until we start conference play. That’s a goal for us, to be at the top of the NEWMAC, as it is always competitive.”

The trio of juniors Carly Torrance (midfield), Audrey Bresicano (forward), and Grace Levansavich (forward) are three key offensive players for the Pride this year, and have already put up some solid numbers this season. Torrance is currently ranked third in the NEWMAC for assists with three, fifth in points scored with seven, and fourth in shots (15). Teammate Audrey Bresicano is additional-

ly ranked fourth in the conference with her three goals.

With speed and topnotch stick skills, the Pride has a strong offensive front that will be hard to stop.

On the defensive side, Sydney Harris and Inkel have both strength and experience. As seniors, they will be the main leaders on the back half of the field.

The Pride will continue the hunt for a NEWMAC championship with the start of conference play on Saturday, Sept. 18 at WPI.

September 16, 2021

Sports

Everybody wins

PAGE 13

The Springfield men’s and women’s cross country teams look to build the positive energy and momentum as they look for others on the team to succeed. __ By Carley Crain __ @carley_crain12

The Springfield men and women’s cross country teams will get back on the trails this fall after a two-year hiatus. The men are currently ranked third in the NEWMAC behind nationally-ranked powerhouses MIT and WPI. The women are seeded at No. 8, right behind Wheaton, who have always been a close competitor for the Pride.

This will be the first cross country season for Springfield since 2019, and they are more than ready for it.

With a solid two-week pre-season, both the men and women have worked hard on becoming one unit. Despite running being fairly individualized, cross country is very team-orientated, which is a fundamental part of the sport.

“This preseason was amazing. It was definitely something the team missed last year as it helped a lot of the bonding with the new freshman and the team in general,” explained junior Josh Ladd. “It was also a great experience to train as a large team all together for the first time

in a while. It definitely has helped form a great team dynamic of positivity and high energy.”

Depth and development are two of the main focuses for the squad this season. Not only do they want a solid scoring top five, but developing a strong group of eight is what will help them be at their best shape once the postseason rolls around.

“Our main strength this year is probably going to be how much we want others on the team to succeed,” said Ladd. “Everyone is pushing each other to be better and we are all competing for spots, but the big thing this year is we aren’t trying to compete against each other and are rather just trying our best to get the best out of our training partners.”

The Pride opened their season at Keene State, where the men won and the women placed second. The trio of junior John Derosa, senior Russell Allen, and sophomore Christopher Vayda will call eyes all season.

Derosa was already honored as NEWMAC runner of the week as

The women’s cross country team huddles up before a race. (Photo courtesy of Springfield Athletics).

well as being named to Maroon Club. Opening his season with a 15:43 5k, it is just the beginning for Derosa.

Seniors Liam Murphy and JT McMillen bring both experience and leadership to the men’s squad this season that will be beneficial once the post season arrives.

On the women’s side, training partners Heather Fontaine and Kate Bonanno have led the Pride for the past year, and are aiming to be in the top 25 at the conference championship meet.

Senior Marissa Paolangeli and junior Brenna LaChapelle have also been in the mix, contributing both experience and speed on the trails.

Other Springfield women who are working towards a top-five scoring spot include sophomore Sophie Curcio and first-year Shae Gallagher, who both had solid finishes at Keene State, each finishing the 2-mile course in 12:06 and 12:29 respectively.

MIT and Mount Holyoke are two of the most dominant women’s teams

in the NEWMAC conference and will be hard to beat. It will be important for Springfield to develop a strong, close-knit pack that can feed off of each other.

The Pride competes next at the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational on Saturday the 18th, featuring both Division II and III colleges, which will be a great opportunity for these competitors to run some fast times.

September 16, 2021 Golf continued from Page 9

the tournament, as they all lowered their strokes.

“We played a lot better today [Sunday] than we did yesterday so it was good that the whole team improved from the scores in the first round,” Roya added.

Reflecting on the tournament this weekend, Roya expressed how it felt good to get back out there and compete.

“It felt good to be back in competition, it’s been a couple of years so it was good to kinda be under the gun and hit some shots under pressure which was nice,” said Roya. “I hit a bunch of good shots so it was a good weekend overall.”

The team is in great shape as they look to three-peat their conference, and head to nationals. All of the hard

Sports

work the men are putting in over the summer and at practice is going to translate into a great season.

Next on the agenda for Springfield is the MASCAC Preview on Tuesday which will take place at the Berkshire Hills Country Club.

The team plans to take each competition and lower their strokes as they inch closer to the conference meet.

WSOC continued from Page 11

Kaleigh Dale, now a senior, broke Springfield’s school record for goals in a season as a first-year when she scored 20 goals in 2018. (Photo courtesy of Springfield Athletics).

cluding 6-3-1 in NEWMAC conference play before eventually losing to MIT in the conference semifinals.

MIT went on to win its third consecutive NEWMAC title and comes into this season not only as the reigning champions but the preseason favorite as well.

“MIT is very strong again,” Gibson said.

“Clark has been looking good, WPI is good, hopefully we’ll be good but MIT was rightfully the preseason favorites.”

Springfield begins their NEWMAC play on Sept. 18th at Mount.

Holyoke.

“The competitiveness of the NEWMAC conference makes every game exciting, so it always keeps us on our toes and I know the team looks forward to every NEWMAC

PAGE 14

Corey Roya, the team’s lone senior, will carry a heavy load this season. (Photo courtesy of Springfield Athletics).

game,” Jennato said.

In addition to conference play, the Pride have non-conference matchups with Williams, Castleton and Brandeis ahead on the schedule.

Although the team is 1-2 this year against non-NEWMAC teams Gibson believes they are learning experiences.

“The main thing is they give you a quality opponent and prepare you for playing the best conference teams, I don’t think there’s much point in playing a load of weak opponents, you don’t really learn a lot from that.”

The Pride do return some key seniors at each position that include Kaleigh Dale at midfield, Maddy Bonavita at forward, Heather Jennato at defense, and the duo of Caitlin Normoyle and Bridget O’Connor in net.

Having some senior

leadership will be a key factor for the Pride this year.

“It’s been pretty crucial that all the seniors have stepped up and been leaders on and off the field for each and every one of our teammates,” Jennato said.

Jennato believes that although the team is young, being close as a team will lead them to success.

“I think our team this year is really close knit,” Jennato said. “Which will be an advantage we’ll have over other teams in the long run.”

As the season moves Gibson is excited for what’s to come and having a season once again.

“I like the way we play and I like the way we train, I like the players,” Gibson said. “They’re a great group to work with.”

September 16, 2021

Sports

Setting her team up for success

nament, but then, it got better enough so that I could play the rest of sophomore season, and then I had surgery in December of sophomore year.”

Following her surgery was time in a long cast for two weeks, then a Coming back from an injury, senior setter Sara La- brace for six-to-eight However, that badorf has already collected a NEWMAC Women’s weeks. was only the beginning of the recovery process.

Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week honor.

“And then I started OT (occupational therapy),” said Labadorf. “Which was a much longer process than they told me it was going to be.”

After getting the surgery in December of 2019, it was not until the fall season of 2020 where Labadorf ’s wrist began to feel normal again.

“It was probably that fall season that I was finally getting back,” said Labadorf. “That’s when I started finally getting volleyball reps. Strength had kind of gotten back since last fall, then I had to get used to volleyball again.”

At the Springfield Sara Labadorf has rebuilt her strength after having surgery and compiled a large number of Invitational tournament assists to start the season. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield Women’s Volleyball on Instagram). that opened up the year for the Pride, Labadorf ___ By Chris Gionta ___ @Chris_Gionta was finally able to showcase her skills in interdedicated to recovery Springfield College who after a long path collegiate competition for Labadorf. Her injury women’s volleyball to recovering from that while fully healthy. She was sustained on Ocdid not finish their injury, received NEWdid not disappoint in the tober 18th, 2019 in a 2019 season in an ideal MAC Women’s Volleyopening tournament, as game against Tufts. manner. After a promball Offensive Player of her first game featured “I dove, and later to ising 16-6 start, a slew the Week in the team’s 29 assists in just three find out, tore the subof injuries to the team first weekend back in sets. The senior setter sheath over the extensor caused a 6-game losing competition. continued her domicarpi ulnaris tendon,” streak to end the year.

Despite almost two nance in her next two said Labadorf, pointing One of those injuries years without competigames, where she had to her wrist area. “So I happened to sophomore tion, much of the time 35 assists in each match. was off for that toursetter Sara Labadorf, spent away from it was

PAGE 15 Her successful string of games earned her NEWMAC Women’s Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Labadorf enjoys the setup of the current Springfield team, as she attributed some of her success in the opening weekend to how versatile they are.

“This year kind of reminds me of my freshman year,” said Labadorf. “I have pin hitters, I have my middles, and it’s just so diverse. And there’s so much depth that I can just kind of play and do whatever, and it works out really well.”

Her best performance in this young season still came after she earned the weekly award. This past weekend at the Union Invitational, she dolled out 56 assists in a hard-fought, five-set win over Skidmore.

Labadorf is surely one of the main contributors of the strong start that the Springfield women’s volleyball team has gotten off to. With 12 of the 19 players on the Pride’s roster being first-years or sophomores without prior collegiate competition experience, Labadorf is someone who will be looked at as an example for these younger players. She has put in a lot of effort getting back to the player she is capable of being, and it is all coming to fruition now.

SPORTS The Springfield Student

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Fall Sports Previews

VOL. 136 NO. 2