Volume 135 No 1

The Springfield Student Est. 1910

August 31, 2020

Volume 135 No. 1

scstudentmedia.com // @TheSpfldStudent

WELCOME

BACK

LEARNING THE NEW

NORMAL President Cooper urges students to cooperate with safety protocols

Everything we know for sure about the Coronavirus as it affects the college

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Students react to returning to campus for the 2020 fall semester

Black Lives Matter is as important now as it’s ever been before

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wear your mask.

As James Naismith demonstrates, wearing a mask will be critical to remaning on campus for the duration of the fall semester. (Danny Priest/The Student)

August 31, 2020

News

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It is up to you...

President Cooper needs the cooperation of the campus community to keep students here for in-person learning.

President Cooper sporting her mask.. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Instagram)

Dear Students, We are quickly coming to the beginning of the semester and I couldn’t be more excited. I know many of you are anxious to get back to campus and be together. We value that in-person educational experience is a key component of the unique Springfield College experience. The question on everyone’s mind is, can we create a safe environment to be together on Alden Street. I believe the answer is yes.

But, ultimately, it is up to you.

IT IS UP TO YOU. I want to remind you of your community commitment and shared responsibility to be considerate of others and comply with health and safety requirements. I believe Springfield College is small enough that we can create a system for arrival and maintenance of study that is even more conservative.

We need to be deeply conservative in reopening. If we follow the guidelines we have set up – wearing a mask at all times, washing your hands frequently, social distancing, and staying home when you are sick – we can make this work.

If we do not do these things, our community members’ health will be at risk.

If we do not do these things, we will be forced to return to remote learning and will ask our residential students to return home.

We know you want to participate and enjoy many of the great events, traditional and unique to Springfield College – whether you are a returning student, first year student, or graduate student. We are looking forward to the on-campus activities and events we so cherish here on Alden Street - practices with our athletics teams, club experiences, dance recitals, theater productions – even though they surely will look and feel different. I have been getting a lot of questions this summer about whether your organization or club will be able to hold your event this fall. The answer, every time, is that it is up to you. You will determine if we will be able to hold these events safely and whether you will get to experience them.

Some critics are saying we are being unrealistic in our plans to reopen. A number of colleges are walking back their plans to reopen in the fall by either reversing or altering them. Just yesterday, we all learned that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sent their students home after one brief week. A few colleges here in Massachusetts have changed their plans or delayed bringing students back to their campus by a month or longer. We know it won’t be easy. We know there will be tough times ahead.

Your actions will significantly impact every single person and community member at Springfield College. I am proud to serve as the president of a college where students are interested in learning and continuing their education. One of your biggest concerns that you are sharing with me is how to care for each other. Every person you come in contact with on campus is counting on you to diligently work to prevent the spread of this virus.

We are Springfield Strong. #MaskUpSC Dr. Mary-Beth Cooper Springfield College President

Welcome Back

August 31, 2020

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More important than ever before The staff this year for the The Student has a critical three months ahead.

By Danny Priest @dpriest3

W

hen I first stepped foot on the campus of Springfield College four years ago, I was a wide-eyed freshman in the communications/ sports journalism major.

Back then I only thought of writing about sports. It didn’t take long for both my mentality and attitude to change. Journalism is storytelling, and it’s uncovering truths that matter in real time.

Now, I am lucky enough to share the role of Editor-in-Chief for the 2020-2021 school year with my talented friend Jack Margaros.

Jack and I are fortunate to have a tremendously dedicated staff around us who are committed to telling excellent stories and producing honest, important journalism to serve the Springfield College campus community.

However, this column is a lot bigger than me, Jack or anyone else on the staff.

As you read this right now, I can probably guess where you are. If you are a Springfield College student, you should be isolated

in your dorm room enjoying the company of your friends and them only.

If you are a faculty or staff member, alum, or parent then you are either staying home reading this, or out in public (wearing a mask, I trust) and checking it out on your phone.

The truth is: we are about to live through an unprecedented next three months. Nobody at Springfield College has ever gone to school during a pandemic. Teachers haven’t taught like this before. No one can be sure what’s next or ever feel completely safe.

However, I believe that’s where we come in.

The Springfield Student has always been important, but this year I believe it’s more important than ever before.

We have so much going on right now. First and foremost, our duty is to report on the state of coronavirus as it affects our campus. You as our readers deserve that, and I can guarantee that is our biggest priority this year.

That is not the only issue, however. For one, our country is at a breaking point for social injustice, and it is our duty to report on the Black Lives Matter movement here on campus.

Systemic racism has

been embedded into our nation’s mentality for too long, and it’s time that we all become a part of change.

If that’s not enough, we also have one of the most important presidential elections in American history coming up in November.

For the next three months, that’s a lot. It’s why I think we’ve never had a more important year for The Student.

With all that said, here’s what I am telling you: this paper is for you.

It’s for the members of the Springfield College community to stay up to date on important information and to learn about what is happening around them.

Have an important story you think needs to be told? Let us know.

See something happening on campus that you think needs more investigating? Let us know.

All of our contact information can be found on our website (scstudentmedia. com) or on the back page of this newspaper if you are reading a physical copy.

No story idea is a bad one, and we’re always going to be here to provide the necessary coverage for the campus community.

We have a lot planned already, but I would love it even more if our content was driven by the students and staff who spend every day on this campus.

For over 100 years, this paper has unified our campus and kept everyone informed. We intend to do that to the best of our ability at this critically important time.

Our advisor, Marty Dobrow, likes to tell us that journalism is the first draft of history. Over these next three months, I think we’re going to see a lot of history unfold.

So, let’s get to work.

We’re here for you.

Danny Priest (above) will serve as Co-Editor in Chief for the 2020-2021 yeaar along with Jack Margaros. (Photo Courtesy of Danny Priest)

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August 31, 2020

News

What we know for sure

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The Coronavirus is still surrounded by uncertainty, but we do know some facts about the plan to contain it and what it’s done to other campuses.

By Danny Priest @dpriest3

A

s Springfield College opens its doors for in-person learning this fall semester, uncertainty looms large over the campus community.

Across the world, there are over 23 million cases of the virus. In America alone there are more than 5 million cases and over 181,000 Americans have lost their lives as of Aug. 25.

That’s more lives lost

than in the 9/11 attacks, the Vietnam War and World War I. In fact, if 9/11 occurred for 60 straight days, the death toll still would not exceed the amount of lives coronavirus has claimed.

If that wasn’t enough, this is still ongoing right now. More people are contracting the virus and more people are losing their lives every day.

Colleges across the country are proceeding into an unknown world.

Trying to contain the virus on a college campus seems like a near impossible task.

New signage has been placed to promote mask wearing on campus. (Photo Courtesy of Danny Priest)

Some of the bigger schools across the country have already opened their doors and they’ve been met with uneasy results.

While right now there may still be many questions and anxieties about returning to campus for both students and their families, Springfield College has gone a long way to ensure safety for those returning to campus this fall.

“I have not faced a challenge of this magnitude during my time as President,” said Mary-Beth Cooper. “The long-term impact of this pandemic is still not realized, but will be with us for years to come.”

Above all else, safety on campus is the main focus. “My greatest concern is the safety of our faculty, staff and students. Faculty and Staff spent countless hours this summer preparing plans to repopulate the campus. We leaned heavily on the prevailing guidance of the CDC and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, now it’s time to execute those plans,” Cooper said.

“My greatest hope is that the Springfield community will comply with the guidelines and be committed to the safety of others. My goal is to provide the best possible learning environment, both inside and outside the classroom to our students.

They deserve the unique Springfield College experience,” she added.

Here are some key facts about how our campus will function this fall in the context of the coronavirus: Testing Springfield College ordered that students traveling to the college from states other than Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey and Vermont had to fill out the Massachusetts travel form and either quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test that has been given 72 hours prior to arriving in this state.

All undergraduate and graduate students were tested upon their arrival to campus. Springfield College is working in conjunction with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard to provide and gather results of COVID-19 testing.

It is also known that each week between 10-20 percent of the student population will be selected at random and tested to identify positive cases among asymptomatic individuals.

Students who express symptoms of COVID-19 or come into contact with another individual who has COVID will be tested by the Health Center and the results will be analyzed by BayState Reference Lab. Any student who is

COVID positive will either go home or remain on campus in supported isolation housing. Students must remain off campus or in isolation until they are fever free for 24 hours without the aid of medicine, symptoms have improved and 10 days have passed since the onset of symptoms.

The school also has a trained campus contact tracing team working in partnership with the Springfield Department of Public Health and the Health Center to identify anyone who has had direct exposure to someone with COVID-19.

Academics This semester’s academic calendar for Springfield College will include in-person learning from Monday, Aug. 31 through Friday, Nov. 20. The lone exception to that schedule is that the first week of classes will be held entirely online to allow for results of initial COVID testing to come back.

Classes, as well as final exams, will be held remotely from Monday, Nov. 30 to Wednesday, Dec. 16.

Both classrooms and labs have been altered to make social distancing possible.

Roughly half of classes will be in the face-to-face format and the other half remotely.

Classroom capacity has been reduced, ventilation

August 31, 2020 systems have been tested, air filters replaced and air ducts cleaned among other changes to ensure safety in class at all times.

Life on campus All residence halls on campus now have designated entrances and exits complete with directional signs. Plexiglas barriers have been installed at the reception desks and hand sanitizer stations are at every entrance.

Elevator capacity in the halls are restricted to a lower number of people than in the past. No guests from outside of Springfield College (family included) will be allowed in the residence halls at any time.

Students are permitted to have one Springfield College visitor (a fellow classmate) at a time in their residence hall.

Bathrooms are receiving enhanced cleaning, lounges have reduced capacity, water fountains are not in service, residence hall kitchens are closed, communal games removed, and laundry usage is scheduled at a limited capacity.

Dining on campus will also look different for the fall 2020 semester. Harvest Table, the new dining partner for the college, will be training staff on new rules and expectations.

Internal traffic flow in Cheney dining hall will be controlled, the buffet style dining of the past has been eliminated, “grab and go” meals will be available and the capacity of the dining hall has been reduced and altered for social distancing.

Students may use the Wellness & Recreation complex on campus, but they must follow rules to do so. Face masks must be worn at all times in the building and cover the area from under the chin to above the nose.

The Wellness Center will be open at 40 percent

capacity. If that number is reached, the area will be closed until one person leaves and another is allowed to enter.

Equipment has been altered to allow for social distancing and machines marked with an orange cone are unavailable for use.

Those in the Wellness Center must clean machines and equipment before and after use with disinfectant. Lockers will not be available for use.

Locker rooms are open with a mask requirement, water fountains are not in use and equipment is unable to be checked out.

Athletics No intercollegiate athletic competitions will take place during the fall 2020 semester at Springfield College.

Teams and student-athletes will be afforded the opportunity to practice together, take part in strength and conditioning workouts and use resources such as athletic counseling and sports psychology.

“The difficult decision was made with President Cooper and in concert with our primary conference affiliation (NEWMAC) with the safety of our student-athletes and the greater campus community in mind,” Director of Athletics Craig Poisson said of the decision to cancel the fall season.

“We are grateful that the opportunity to train and practice remains, as we plan to continue to actively engage with all of our student-athletes this term following all proper protocols,” he added.

The National Picture Springfield College will not be the first school to open their campus back to students. Numerous schools across the country have done so and some are already sending students back home for the semester.

Welcome Back

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The campus will be quieter than ever for at least this semester. Anyone walking on campus will be required to wear a mask. (Photo Courtesy of Danny Priest)

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill began its semester on Monday, Aug. 10. Per the University’s website, the school is home to roughly 19,000 undergrads and close to 4,000 faculty members.

Within a week, the school had 130 confirmed COVID infections among their students and five infections among faculty.

According to an article by the school’s newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel, parties that were held over the opening weekend are at least part of the cause for the outbreaks. As a result, just one week into their semester, students had to make arrangements to travel home.

UNC isn’t alone either.

Oklahoma State University saw 23 sorority members in an off-campus house test positive for the virus. The University of Tennessee returned and immediately

had 28 active cases and more than 150 individuals isolated in quarantine.

Dr. James Phillips, a physician and assistant professor at George Washington University Hospital was asked by CNN whether colleges should be opening right now. This was his response: “Are colleges safe in general to open up right now? I would say probably not.”

This issue isn’t just affecting the large state schools either. Locally, many schools have had to adjust as well. Smith College in Northampton, MA originally planned to bring back the student population at half capacity for the fall.

Smith reversed their plan and is now holding the fall semester in a fully online capacity, citing the continued rising infection rate in the country and the trouble other colleges have had opening their campus-

es.

The risk of re-opening college campuses is real and prevalent. It takes commitment from all sides involved to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Off-campus partying, hanging out in bars and acting as if a worldwide pandemic is not going on will not allow people to stay on campus for the full semester.

No one knows what these next three months have in store, but Springfield College has put a dedicated plan into place; now it is on the members of the campus community to follow it and keep one another safe.

All information obtained was courtesy of the Springfield College COVID-19 Information page, Yahoo! and CNN.

August 31, 2020

Fear, excitement, or both?

Direct thoughts from Springfield College students on the campus reopening for the fall.

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“

I hope the majority of the students on campus stay responsible and keep away from partying as much as possible,’’

Mackenzie Cayer

By Irene Rotondo @irenerrotondo

C

ollege students are in agreement that they do

not wish to be at home any longer; everyone is ready to be back on campus and taking their classes in-person this semester.

However, not all students have made the decision to return to campus housing, and those who will be are experiencing a multitude of emotions and expectations for how life will be.

When asked, “How do you think Springfield College has handled the pandemic?” the majority of student responses were positive.

“Considering Springfield College is a fairly small campus, I do feel that the ‘going back’ de-

cision was a good one,” stated junior Olivia Cyr. “I feel as if Springfield staff really made a great choice with advocating for their students and hearing all of our needs and concerns in order to make sure we all feel comfortable at school.”

Sophomore Abigail Wright stated that not only did Springfield College keep their students informed, they actually did a lot better than other colleges in doing so.

“I am impressed with how Springfield College has handled the pandemic; I have an older sister who goes to a college not much bigger than Springfield, and it has become easy to see how Springfield sets itself apart from other institutions and why it has such a great reputation,”

said Wright.

“Obviously, no one has lived through a pandemic, and certainly no one could have planned for this, and I feel like as a student it has become vital to keep that in mind. I think the Springfield community has gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from what we have all gone through, and with that comes a certain bond,” Wright added.

However, not all students are entirely keen on the idea of so many people in such close contact over long periods of time. Senior Olivia Johnson says that she hopes Springfield College is taking the pandemic as seriously as they say.

“Ultimately, I think that the safest option for the students, faculty

and their family is to stay home during this pandemic… Compared to other schools I would say Springfield College was a little behind on telling their students information about scheduling and fall semester,” said Johnson.

“It is difficult for students to make decisions about coming back to school when we don’t have all the necessary information. The decision making process of allowing students to come back to school for all schools must have been difficult, but I hope that Springfield College doesn’t regret having its students back on campus,” Johnson continued.

Besides watching their school handle a pandemic, students are also questioning if they

should be returning to campus at all.

Senior Kyle Niehr made the hard choice this semester. “Unfortunately, I have made the decision to take the year off of school with the plan to return to Springfield College in Fall 2021,” Niehr said.

“It was a very difficult decision for me to make, but it is the best option for me because I am concerned about the safety of my family and I.” As for junior Isaiah Cashwell-Doe (as well as hundreds of students), coming back to campus is sure to be a major stressor under the current conditions.

“My personal plans for coming back to school are trying to maintain a steady balance with school and

Welcome Back

August 31, 2020 sports while keeping my mental wellness strong,” said Cashwell-Doe, a member of the Pride football team.

“Being a student who struggles with depression and anxiety, the quarantine life hit me extremely hard, being away from my peers for so long. Therefore, [I will do] the best I can do for myself and really put my effort into school and football because that is where I am at my highest potential I feel.”

Coming back to in-person classes will be a reimagined experience for most students as well. Unsure what to expect, students are feeling apprehensive. Junior Mackenzie Cayer said, “I think classes online are very different and at times more difficult because the professors tend to give more assignments.”

That sentiment expressed by Cayer seems to be the agreed notion across the student body.

Junior Connor Moniz

also voiced concerns about the hybrid model of classes, stating, “I think classes are going to be difficult being online… when we went online for the end of last semester, it felt more difficult than in-person.”

As far as athletic seasons go, it is a known fact that all are cancelled until further notice.

Though a controversial decision, Springfield College athletes are wholeheartedly playing the cards they were dealt to keep the love for their own sport alive.

Football players Niehr and Cashwell-Doe each were crushed to hear their cancellations, but are hoping to come out as an even stronger team.

“I am truly upset that the football season is cancelled and in all honesty that is part of the reason I have decided to take the year off from school,” said Niehr.

“I have worked my entire life leading up to my senior year at

Springfield College and I definitely want to have my last season wearing THE jersey. For my teammates going back, I believe the school, faculty, and our coaches will do everything they can to keep the team together and get better while staying safe as possible. The restrictions for practicing and lifting will be difficult to adapt, but we will get through it as a team,” he said.

Cashwell-Doe stated, “...everything happens for a reason. This is a time for the football team to become better brothers. A time to really perfect our craft, so when a game comes, we can be unstoppable. That being said, it is still very frustrating, but, the only thing we can do is adapt and overcome.”

Wright, a member of the women’s volleyball team, said, “Since processing that news [cancelled season], and learning that practicing and training is still an option that we can

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have this fall, we have all come to appreciate and value the positives.

Learning to turn extra times like this into something positive by growing as a team and getting more time to train hard will prove itself to be crucial when we are given the opportunity to compete again (hopefully soon).”

Finally, it is a wellknown fact that Springfield College students are highly social beings while on campus. However, a pandemic is sure to change who they are actually allowed to socialize with, and many students are saying that they will not be attending any off-campus parties, nor large social events.

Cayer agreed with those sentiments, saying, “There will always be those people who want to party regardless of what’s going on in the world. Those people may throw their parties, but I hope that the majority of the students on

campus stay responsible and keep away from the partying as much as possible.”

Johnson echoed some of her statements, saying that she personally would not be participating in any kind of party either. “I hope that students are smart about people they hang out with. Considering there are a couple houses off campus this year, I would assume parties will be there and not at Springfield’s secure location. I know personally I will keep my distance from the crowds.”

Overall, campus life for Springfield College is sure to be different as far as students are concerned. Many are nervous and many are excited, but the one thing most can agree on is what Wright said in a statement: “I am just so excited to be back HOME!”

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Athletics will be a sorely missed portion of the 2020 fall semester, especially for student-athletes on campus. (Photo Courtesy of Jack Margaros) SCStudentmedia

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August 31, 2020

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What about everyone else?

The plan for students this semester is clear, but how will everyone else on campus be expected to handle things?

By Jack Margaros @JackMargaros

J

ust a week after returning to campus, the University of

North Carolina at Chapel Hill reported several “clusters” of COVID-19 cases across campus.

Seeing an unprecedented opportunity, The Daily Tar Heel, UNC’s student-run media outlet, ran a bold headline in its August 17 issue shortly after learning about what had unfolded.

It read: “UNC has a clusterf--k on its hands.”

This is precisely what Springfield College will try to avoid as it opens up campus this week.

It is why administrators have been consulting Massachusetts public health professionals -- even a group of them within the campus community -- throughout the summer in order to reopen campus in the safest way possible and contain the virus.

“This planning started back in March,” Dr. Megan Harvey, Assistant Professor of Health

Science, said. “We have been meeting consistently every week...We have gone through, I think, every detail.”

In addition to Dr. Harvey, administration worked with Dr. Sofija Zagarins, Assistant Professor of Public Health and Pamela Higgins, Associate Professor of Health Science to get an abundance of information leading up to the final decision.

“I’ve heard that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health says that we are better prepared than most colleges in our area,” Dr. Zagarins said. “I feel that the College did a really good job in trying hard to include a lot of people in these conversations.”

It will certainly be an abnormal fall semester, especially for the College’s faculty and staff.

Springfield College stressed the importance of choice -- students choosing whether or not to live on campus, and instructors choosing whether or not to con-

duct in-person classes.

Everyone has a different level of risk associated with the virus. The College, by revealing its elaborate reopening plan, is trying to create the safest environment possible.

“We’ve been able to study the virus all summer,” Higgins said.

“Each decision that a student or faculty makes

is going to impact a lot of people.”

That’s not to say the virus will disappear.

“There’s going to be cases. Period. It’s just going to happen,” Dr. Harvey said. “One case isn’t the end of everything. An uncontrolled outbreak is the end of everything.”

With that in mind, there are professors who

will continue to operate with online instruction.

Others -- whether it be out of necessity or preference -- will conduct in-person classes or a hybrid format. For majors such as physical therapy, hands-on instruction is essential. To accomplish that, while still heeding to safety protocols, the College has purchased enhanced

A large tent has been installed on campus to allow for class to be held outdoors and promote social distancing. (Photo Courtesy of Danny Priest)

Welcome Back

August 31, 2020

PAGE 9

PPE and purchased a large tent to allow for outdoor classes.

“We’re going to look like we’re in space suits a lot of the time,” Angela Campbell, Professor of Physical Therapy, said.

Each building’s ventilation system has been evaluated, and those that do not meet current standards have been eliminated as locations for class. The facilities management team is increasing its cleaning and disinfection practices, and has partnered with a commercial cleaning company that specializes in Electrostatic Cleaning Service (ESS).

ESS is a special type of sprayer that produces very small, electrically charged droplets. The droplets repel each other, which promotes even distribution of the cleaning agent and coverage of hidden spots that manual cleaning misses. That, along with UV lights, will be used as needed this fall.

The front page of The Daily Tar Heel following a rash of COVID cases on the UNC “Facilities Management is ready to step up to campus. (Photo Courtesy of Democratic Underground) help keep the campus safe,” Kevin Roy, Director of Facilities, said.

All of these cleaning enhancements and safety measures are meant to ease the reluctance to return to campus. Still, there is a certain level of concern admitting the congregation of over 2,000 people on a campus that is just under 200 acres.

“We know we cannot eliminate this, so we can do whatever we can to reduce the risk,” Higgins said.

Every student is tested when they come to campus in addition to surveillance testing throughout the semester. Faculty have the ability to opt in to this same system, but will have to pay for the test “if we technically don’t need it,” according to Zagarins -- meaning that in order to get a test free of charge, there needs to be symptoms present or contact with someone who was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Zagarins, Harvey and Higgins are optimistic that students will not be sent home before Thanksgiving break. Campbell believes the success of this plan is dependent on the student’s compliance.

“I think this is going to test our motto to the fullest,” she said. “If we can keep that at the forefront and we can have students be responsible for their own actions.”

A plan that took nearly half the year to formulate is set to take shape this week. New information surfaces seemingly by the hour.

The college community’s ability to be flexible and adapt to an ever changing environment will determine how long it stays physically intact.

“The really positive news is that advances are being made all the time,” Zagarins said. “I’m hopeful in the grand scheme of things.”

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August 31, 2020

By Jack Margaros @JackMargaros

S

pringfield College’s plan for returning to campus for the fall 2020 semester was announced in late July, with area schools following shortly after with their own plans.

The majority of colleges in Western Massachusetts have cancelled fall sports, while others have announced that they will not welcome any students back to campus and move forward remotely.

The overwhelming theme with local reopening plans is the requirement of face masks/coverings.

Institutions have made this a major point of emphasis across campus communities, as science proves that masks will reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

As the fall semester kicks off with students back at campus on Alden Street, The Springfield Student looked into four surrounding schools and how their plans compare to what is happening here.

Western New England University Springfield, MA Western New England students will begin classes on campus on Aug. 31 and end their semester on Dec. 4. There will be classes on scheduled breaks such as Labor Day and Fall Break. After Thanksgiving, classes will transition to an online format through the end of the semester.

Students are required to wear a mask or face covering while on campus.

Cloth masks will be provided to all students, faculty and staff; face shields are available if needed.

While on campus, a “small number” of classes will be offered in an online or hybrid format, while the “vast majority” of classes

News

A look around the 413 A quick glance into how schools around Springfield College are handling the 2020 Fall semester.

Smith College was one of the first schools to reverse on their original plan to bring students back to campus. (Photo Courtesy of Smith College) will be in-person, according to a letter written by President Anthony Caprio to the campus community.

Outdoor seating and more to-go meals will be offered at the dining hall.

The University’s dining partner, Aramark, is working to develop an app where students can place food orders to decrease wait times.

As of now, WNE is planning to move forward with fall sports as planned, but with significant protocols in place. The University has also created the Golden Bear COVID-19 Helpdesk to help answer questions throughout the semester.

American International College - Springfield, MA

American International College students will begin classes on Aug. 24 and end the semester on Dec. 11.

The “majority” of classes will be offered remotely, while certain health science courses that require it will be in-person. After Thanksgiving, all classes will be online. Students are required to wear a face mask while on campus.

The dining hall will be serving pre-packaged or to-go meals, and tables will be spaced out to promote physical distancing.

Fall sports have been cancelled, and the College is exploring shifting its fall sports to the spring season. Teams are still able to practice and train while following the correct

health and safety protocols.

Visitors have been vastly limited to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Professional and AIC-related travel has been postponed until further notice and large in-person events have been postponed until further notice.

Smith College Northampton, MA Smith College’s plan for return, titled “A Culture of Care,” details an entirely remote fall 2020 semester. President Kathleen McCartney wrote a letter on Aug. 5 to the campus community, stating that she will not be welcoming students back to campus for the fall semester.

She cited factors such as infectious disease specialists warning of

PAGE 10 a “troubling new phase” of COVID-19, increased transmission rates, potential for rapid asymptomatic transmission and failed school reopenings.

The fall athletic season has been cancelled. The College is still planning to offer an “outstanding remote academic experience” which includes hosting a multitude of virtual events.

“I remain optimistic that, with improved treatment and prevention protocols, we will be able to return to life together, in person, in this remarkable community,” wrote McCartney. “In the meantime, we will focus on what Smith does best, teaching and learning, supporting and caring for one another, and continuing to do good work in and for the world.”

University of Massachusetts Amherst - Amherst, MA On Aug. 6, UMass revised its fall plan and announced that it’s only admitting students on campus who are “enrolled in essential face-to-face classes, including laboratory, studio and capstone courses, which have been designated in SPIRE,” wrote Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy.

The rest of the student body will conduct online classes from home. International students, regardless of their class format, will be accommodated. The University is also implementing a routine asymptomatic testing system to mitigate the virus.

UMass announced the creation of a COVID-19 Dashboard that will track all tests administered and report positive results.

Officially, the football team has cancelled its 2020 season. Most other fall sports on umassathletics. com do not have a fall schedule, so it’s safe to assume that there will be no sports at UMass this fall.

August 31, 2020

How can I stay safe on campus?

Welcome Back

PAGE 11

There are a number of precautions that can be useful for students this fall.

By Irene Rotondo @irenerrotondo

A

s life floods back to the Springfield College

campus, there is no denying that everyone is thinking about the extra steps they need to take to ensure their own health and safety due to COVID-19.

Proper measures have already been taken by the school, such as deep cleaning buildings and creating zero-tolerance policies, but students are left wondering what they can do to make sure they get to stay on campus for the entirety of the semester.

Christine Johnston, Assistant Director of Campus Recreation, Alcohol & Other Drug Education and Health Promotion at Springfield recommended a few essentials that students may want to have in their dorm rooms.

“We’re asking all students to bring a supply of face coverings and masks… you’re going to be wearing one all day, every day, and personally I recommend a week’s supply of masks,” said Johnston.

“Students should be prepared to bring a thermometer to campus this year to really tell if they have a temperature… I personally think it’s a good idea to bring a few extra cleaning supplies this year for your personal space and to wipe down things like your phone, doorknob, and things like that on a regular basis,” she added.

Besides what to bring to campus, the real question bearing down on all students’ minds is when will they be able to see their friends or even how making new friends will change.

Springfield College,

A look at the COVID testing set-up at the Health Center on campus. (Photo Courtesy of Danny Priest)

The Health Center is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. by APPOINTMENT ONLY. Contact the Health Center at: (1)-413-748-3175 as stated in emails sent to the campus community, will not be allowing students to have more than one guest from campus in their dorms at a time in order to maintain six-feet-apart social distancing protocol.

We’re going to encourage socializing outdoors, spending as much time outdoors as we possibly can, especially while the weather is nice, to really just reduce risk,” stated Johnston. “Being outside is a much safer environment than putting a bunch of people in a tiny little dorm room.”

Though students will be allowed to leave campus for everyday essentials, such as going to the grocery store or a trip to the gas station, they are expected to follow Springfield College’s guidelines on and off campus.

This especially means no large off campus parties in order to ensure everyone can actually stay on campus this semester.

The Springfield College community is composed of people who all share similar mentalities, interests, and in this case, a common goal: getting through it.

This pandemic knows no race, religion, age, or otherwise, and everyone who has made the decision to return to campus needs to do their part in keeping themselves and their peers safe.

August 31, 2020

News

PAGE 12

Black Lives (still) Matter Amid the pandemic, the fight for social justice should still be front and center on everyone’s minds.

By Joe Arruda @jarruda9

O

n March 25, then-Minneapolis police

officer Derek Chauvin ruthlessly kneeled on the neck of George Floyd for eight minutes and 46 seconds.

The public execution was caught on video which circulated and sparked a national cry for justice. The fight, already hundreds of years old, was reinvigorated by technology.

The news turned quickly from the murder of Ahmaud Arbery as he went for a jog, to the police being used as a threat against Christian Cooper as he was bird-watching in Central Park, to the video of George Floyd’s life fleeing his body and the nationwide call for justice for Breonna Taylor, months after she was murdered while asleep in her own bed.

The knee on Floyd’s neck represents the restraint of black and brown people for hundreds of years. Juxtaposed to this was the explosion of built-up

anger from injustice by people from all communities that followed.

Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper sent an email – signed by herself, Kris Rhim, Calvin Hill, Felicia Lundquist, Brian Krylowicz and David McMahon – to the entire Springfield College community on June 1 with the subject “Silence is Not the Answer.” The email included an invite to the College’s first Zoom conversation on race, hosted by President Cooper and Student Trustee, Kris Rhim.

“A call to action is needed, and we want to include your voice as we move forward,” the email read. “Racism, bigotry, and violence have no place at Springfield College. We may not be able to eradicate hatred, bigotry, and injustice, but we cannot stay silent and not act. Our mission directs us to lead in service to others. All others.”

In that Zoom meet-

ing, hundreds of Springfield College students, faculty, trustees and staff joined where some voiced their experiences, their reactions and their concerns and many others listened.

The meeting sparked the creation of a series by the Office of Inclusion and Community Engagement titled “Conversations on Race” which ran throughout the months of June and July.

The conversations began shifting into specific requests for change.

In meetings with deans and administrators, ideas started to flow. Student groups came up with a list of changes they would like to see on campus in order for the response from the College to not only be compassionate, but effective.

According to statistics provided by the Springfield College Office of Inclusion and Community Engagement for the 2019 academic year, 72.9 percent of the traditional undergraduate student body and 81.7 percent of the faculty at

Springfield College student Luther Wade (center, holding megaphone) protested in Waterford, Conn. over the summer. (Photo Courtesy of Luther Wade)

Welcome Back

August 31, 2020 the college is white. As a result of these numbers, students of color have expressed that they do not always feel fully comfortable in the classroom.

“I just want teachers to be able to understand that when you say turn and pick a partner, that’s like the worst thing I have to hear in class because most of the time I’m one of a few – if not the only – person of color in the class and no one wants to be my partner,” Student-Trustee Elect Sabrina Williams said.

This experience was shared in meetings with alumni of color that took place over the course of the summer.

In those meetings, alumni have expressed that they didn’t feel a part of the community while they were on campus, and have only grown apart since their commencement.

Calvin Hill, Springfield College Vice President For Inclusion and Community Engagement, said, “We know like some of our students today, they walked out of campus without having faculty that mirrored their experiences, without having a lot of administrators that mirrored their experiences and they didn’t build the relationships.

They also know that the relationships they had, the stronger relationships, were with their fellow black and brown students – they weren’t

Graphic Courtesy of Danny Priest

with the campus as a whole.”

While diversifying both the student body and the faculty and staff is high on the list of priorities, it is understood that it is something that will change over time.

For now, the faculty has been asked to include anti-racist teaching into their curriculum.

There is no handbook for this, however, and it will take learning on both sides.

“For me, I am obviously a person of color, I’m a political scientist and I attended a historically black college in D.C. for my PhD,” Hill said. “It is very easy for me to bring about issues of race in my lectures because I call upon my lived experience.

“It is more complicated for someone else who doesn’t have my lived experience to be able to incorporate diversity and inclusion. They have to do a different level of

work to be able to speak.

Very similar to a woman in a classroom – I have the academic knowledge, but I can’t speak to women’s issues as well as they would.”

This year’s faculty institute will focus on cultural humility and what faculty members can incorporate or should know about in their classrooms.

It is to be expected that the College will be promoting the fight for racial justice on signage and through the creation of a “Black Reads” section in the Learning Commons.

President Cooper announced the formation of the Committee on Public Safety Policies, Practices, and Training which will examine the policies, practices and current training requirements of the Department of Public Safety.

“This committee,

which includes students, faculty, staff and trustees, is charged with identifying areas of improvement and recommending changes that promote greater equality and safety for our students, faculty, and staff,” according to an email from the President.

Williams, a junior and a member of this committee, said, “I think the craziest thing that we heard – which is why we decided to form this committee – is the fact that if you had an issue or an altercation with Public Safety, you have to report it to Public Safety. It just doesn’t make any sense, that just seems like the biggest conflict of interest. Let’s say you have an altercation with your teacher, the only person you can report to is your teacher…”

She stated that she has not had any personal issues with Springfield College public safety

PAGE 13 officers, but sees room for necessary change.

She, along with current Student Trustee, Kris Rhim, have pushed the importance of supporting clubs on campus such as Men of Excellence (MOE), Student Society for Bridging Diversity (SSBD), Women of Power, Scientists Embracing Equality and Diversity (SEED) and the Office of Multicultural Affairs in order to hear differing perspectives on not only social justice issues, but life in general.

“Just support our events, come to our events, educate yourself outside of the classroom, get to meet other people of color and question what it is you know or think you know about other people,” Williams said.

Being a primarily white institution, it is important for white students to understand what it means to be an “ally.” Rhim and Hill have both emphasized that it is important for white people to use their voice in lifting the voices of others, to stand in the background in solidarity and support for black and brown people.

“The most important thing is calling out your peers,” Williams said.

“If you’re an ally and you know something is wrong, you should call it out. I think that’s the most important thing – accountability and holding yourself accountable.”

August 31, 2020

A long way from home

For some Springfield College students, the risky trip to campus this fall comes with extra travel barriers.

By Cait Kemp @caitlinkemp09

A

s the wake of the pandemic roars on, some colleges and universities have made the decision to welcome students back on campus, using a combination of in-person and remote learning opportunities. Springfield College students are lucky to be some of the few with a somewhat normal back to school schedule. Despite the normalcy that going back to school may allow, this offers challenges for many students.

Springfield College is home to students from all over the world. This causes complications when the topic of staying at school for the whole semester is in question. Traveling to and from campus during a world-wide pandemic is a major issue. It is something that many students are going to have to deal with, but they take that risk in order to be back at their home away from home on Alden Street.

The chance that the virus

worsens will loom large over the fall semester, continuing to put the chance of getting sent home in question. Sophomore Liam York, who will be making the trip to Springfield from Kailua, Hawaii is someone who would be greatly affected if students were to be sent home early.

“It is tough, but for my own sanity I just kind of can’t worry about things that are out of my control,” he said.

Fellow classmate Abby Wright of Manhattan Beach, Calif. will also have a long commute and shares the same concern over leaving early and making the long trip home. “That’s a fear that it’ll happen because it’s just so unknown,” Wright said. “But I’m definitely so ready to be back on campus.”

The theme of eagerness is common for many students at SC, especially for incoming freshmen.

“I’m excited to get out of the disaster here (Sloatsburg, N.Y.), I really do hope we stay for a while because at least in Massa-

News

PAGE 14

The CDC has up-to-date information on which states in the U.S. are being hit the hardest

by COVID. (Photo Courtesy of CDC) chusetts it’s more open. Here you can’t really do anything,” said incoming freshman and field hockey recruit Gillian Dube. For these freshmen, getting a full first year of college is far from guaranteed.

“For our class, we were hit really hard with Corona. I am a spring sport athlete too, so our spring sports got taken away… out of nowhere we were getting so much false hope,” Dube said. “Of course it is a little nerve racking seeing how many people were affected around us, but I really do hope we get some part of our freshman year.”

With many students returning to Alden Street, there are a number of guidelines and regulations that are new to everyone on campus. “I’m not so worried about the adjustments because I feel like it’s pretty clear,” Wright stated. “Everything is going to be different from how it was before obviously, I’m just so excited to be able to be back.”

New rules will be challenging to become accustomed to and will only be effective if all students commit to following them. “I’m just hoping that everyone stays safe, as much as it’s hard... I just hope we can come together and realize if we want to stay on campus we really need to practice social distancing and wearing a mask,” York said. “I’d rather do that and be able to stay on campus and have in-person classes.”

Although students will physically be on campus, they will still take a combination of online and in-person classes.

Remote learning is another obstacle that the Springfield community will have to overcome and adapt to. “I know it’s something we’ll all have to adjust to, so I hope it’s something we can all adjust to pretty easily,” Dube said.

For some, online classes are not so intimidating. “Honestly, I really like the idea of having my bigger lectures online because that works so much better for me than sitting in a classroom with 60 other kids trying to learn,” Wright said. Of course, online class is much more enjoyable on-campus than thousands of miles away at home.

Besides academics, athletics is a huge part of many Springfield students’ lives.

Both York and Wright travel far to play for the Pride volleyball teams, while Dube was recruited this year for field hockey.

“We put so much time and effort overall... we really built all year long, so it is tough to train so hard and then have it taken away from you,” York said about the 2020 season being cancelled this past spring.

The threat of cancellation for the 2021 spring season still looms ahead, while for fall athletes, they’ve already been given their bad news. “It’s horrible for any athlete, especially I feel so bad for the seniors... but at least we get to practice,” Dube expressed. “At this point, I feel like you just have to find the positives in the situation, because there’s so much negative around us.”

Not knowing what could happen is the most challenging thing to grasp, but students are willing to encounter that.

“Best case scenario everything is fine and we stay until November. That’s what I have my fingers crossed for,” Wright said. Crossed fingers will remain, as the Springfield College community will work together in order to endure this pandemic as one.

For these students, scrambling to book flights for the long trip home is a scenario they hope to not have to face until the scheduled move out date in November.

Welcome Back

August 31, 2020

Priest: Please, wear your mask

PAGE 15

The simplest step that you can take during this pandemic will go the longest way.

By Danny Priest @dpriest3

L quickly.

et me run you through a couple of hypothetical situations

You walk through a door and see someone else coming in behind you, do you hold the door or let it shut on them?

You see an elderly person struggling with some sort of task. Maybe it’s working with technology, carrying groceries or something else. Do you help them out or just let them handle things on their own?

You go out to eat and the check comes and there’s the option to tip the server, do you tip them for their work or just leave no money?

I’m going to go ahead and guess that the majority of people reading this picked the first response in each of those situations.

Why? Because it’s human decency. Most people typically treat others well, have respect for their peers and try to be good.

So, let me ask another question.

If you were living through an unprecedented pandemic featuring a new, highly contagious virus that has killed 181,000

Americans and counting, but doctors urged people that wearing a mask could limit the spread of the virus, would you do so?

I sincerely hope your answer to that question is yes. Wearing a mask is the least we can do to be decent people.

Now, let me stop and address people who are going to throw excuses at me.

Here are some common ones: the virus is a hoax, it’s not dangerous to young people, a mask makes it hard to breath, I’m sure we’ve heard them all.

Well, here’s what I say.

According to the World Health Organization, we’re up to 23,806,794 cases worldwide (as of Aug. 24). That’s a number so big that the majority of you reading this probably didn’t try to figure out what it actually read.

Over 800,000 people have lost their lives to the virus and in America that number is over 181,000 casualties.

People are losing loved ones, families are suffering and our country as a whole is living through its worst year in a long time.

All of that is very real and scary.

For the past five months, living in a pandemic has felt pretty hopeless, but there has really

only been one way we can fight back.

It’s to wear a mask.

It’s not to party, it’s not to ignore social distancing guidelines because you missed your friends, it’s to put that mask on for the protection of yourself and those around you.

It helps. Maybe it does not always feel like it, but it does.

At Springfield College, we pride ourselves on leadership and service to others. We help those in need, we hold those doors open and we treat one another kindly.

Now, with everything 2020 has thrown our way, the best way to help this semester is to please wear your mask.

That simple action can quite literally save lives. Please, be good to one another and wear your mask, our time spent on this campus depends on it.

Graphic Courtesy of Danny Priest

August 31, 2020

scstudentmedia.com // @TheSpfldStudent

Volume 135 No. 1

Sports are woven into the fabric and identity of springfield college and its students. we will miss them greatly this fall. Through patience, following health guidleines, and fighting through this pandemic together, students will be back to wearing the jersey soon.

Photo Courtesy of Joe Arruda

Graphic Courtesy of Jack Margaros