MASSASOIT MONTHLY
News from Springfield College
February 2007

2007 NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP COMES TO SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE, THE BIRTHPLACE OF BASKETBALL  Join in the excitement as the 2007 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship comes to Springfield College, the Birthplace of Basketball, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Blake Arena on the campus of Springfield College will be the site of the national championship on the weekend of Friday, March 16, and Saturday, March 17, as the top four women's teams in the nation battle for Division III supremacy. Hope College of Holland, Michigan, is the defending NCAA Champion. Read more.

TRANSFORMATION: SCHOO SCIENCE CENTER OPENS A renovated Schoo Hall, now the Schoo Science Center, opened in January to students. The renovation is a part of Leadership for the 21^st Century: The Campaign for Springfield College.    Read more.

GIFT FUNDS SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR Y STUDIES Triangle2 Partners located in Palatine, Illinois, has pledged $60,000 to Springfield College to fund the Triangle2 Partners Scholarship Fund, which will support students with a demonstrated financial need.  Read more.

ACTIVIST LINDA PANETTA SPEAKS Linda Panetta, photojournalist, social activist spoke about her work in Central America and the Middle East in a presentation entitled "Social Justice and Contemporary Society" on Monday, Feb. 12, in Marsh Memorial Chapel. Read more.

GIBBS' GAME-WINNING SHOT LIFTS SC OVER WHEATON, 71-69; PIZZO SETS NEW CAREER ASSIST RECORD SC junior guard Jamaal Gibbs capped a career-high 21-point performance by banking in a jumper with 3.3 ticks left in regulation to lift the men's basketball team over Wheaton College on Saturday (Feb. 10), 71-69; senior co-captain Anthony Pizzo became the all-time leader in Springfield College men's basketball history in assists (509), passing former Pride great Ramses Kelly ('91). Read more.

FIFTH-RANKED MEN'S VOLLEYBALL UPSETS UCSD, 3-0; FALLS TO DIVISION I BALL STATE, 3-0, IN HALL OF FAME MORGAN CLASSIC On Friday evening (Feb. 9), the fifth-ranked men's volleyball team upset Division II University of California, San Diego, 3-0, in the first round of the Volleyball Hall of Fame Morgan Classic hosted by SC behind 10 kills and a match-high five service aces from junior All-American Eric Palumbo; on Saturday night (Feb. 10), the Pride fell to Division I Ball State University, 3-0, in the championship match; despite the loss, Palumbo and freshman outside hitter AJ Nally each garnered spots on the All-Tournament Team. Read more. 

MCCARTHY SCORES HER 1,000TH POINT IN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL 66-55 WIN AT SMITH In a 66-55 win at Smith College (Feb. 10), junior guard Tara McCarthy became just the 11th player in Springfield College women's basketball history to reach the 1,000-point plateau; in scoring 20 points, McCarthy moved into 10th all-time with 1,009 career points; also in the victory, sophomore forward Liz Brosseau came off the bench to score 11 points. Read more.

DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS SCHWEITZER HONORED AT HALFTIME OF MEN'S BASKETBALL GAME As a part of the National Girls and Women in Sports week, Springfield College Director of Athletics Dr. Cathie Schweitzer was honored at halftime of the SC-MIT men's basketball contest (Feb. 7) for her achievements while serving as the College's first female athletics director. Read more.

TARA MCCARTHY NAMED NEWMAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK Springfield College junior guard Tara McCarthy has been named the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's basketball co-player of the week after averaging 15.7 points per game and 5.7 assists per game, while shooting 45.9 percent from the floor and 44.4 percent from three-point range in a 2-1 week for the Pride. Read more.

NO. 4 WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS EDGES NO. 5 ITHACA COLLEGE, 184.500-183.850 Springfield College freshman Audrey Lastra set a new school record in the all-around competition with a score of 37.575 as the fourth-ranked Pride defeated No. 5 Ithaca College to improve to an impressive 5-1 on the season; freshman Alexandra Ploenes captured the balance beam competition (9.475) and sophomore Jacqueline Mazzola won the vault competition (9.550). Read more.

WRESTLING ENDS DUAL-MEET SEASON WITH 26-13 LOSS TO BOSTON UNIVERSITY Springfield College winners include senior Mike Gaeta at 141 pounds, junior Jake Tyler at 165 pounds, junior Elliot Smith, ranked first in New England at 184 pounds, and senior Phillip McGeough at 285 pounds. Read more.

SC ALUMS GABOURY, KALMAN TO BE INDUCTED IN NECCWA WRESTLING HALL OF FAME Joe Gaboury '97 and Ryan Kalman '96, former All-Americans at Springfield College, will be inducted in the 2007 Hall of Fame ceremonies at the New England College Conference Wrestling Association (NECCWA) Championships at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I., on Sunday, February 18th. Read more.

For athletics information, click here or call the Sports Information Hotline at 413-748-3987.

February 15, San Diego, Calif., Campus Join Richard D. Davila, Ph.D., Professor of Human Services and 2006-2007 Distinguished Springfield Professor of Humanics in honoring 40 Years of the Springfield College Tradition: The Springfield Professor of Humanics.  Special guest is Dottie Potter Zenaty '65, professor of physical education emeritus, field hockey coach for 34 years, and Distinguished Springfield Professor of Humanics from 2003-2004.

February 16, Boston, Mass. Social hosted by Professor David Miller at the American Physical Therapy Association CSM 2007 Convention at the Sheraton Boston, from 6-8 p.m.

February 17, Bradenton, Fla. The Suncoast Alumni Association Annual Meeting and Luncheon at the Rosedale Golf and Country Club in Bradenton, Fla., with guest speaker Springfield College President Richard B. Flynn.

March 4, Ft. Myers, Fla. Annual Twins vs. Red Sox spring training game and pre-game picnic at Hammond Stadium. Special guest is Springfield College President Richard B. Flynn.

March 8, Milwaukee, Wis., Campus Join Richard D. Davila, Ph.D., Professor of Human Services and 2006-2007 Distinguished Springfield Professor of Humanics, in honoring 40 Years of the Springfield College Tradition: The Springfield Professor of Humanics. Dr. Ed Sims '51, Distinguished Springfield Professor of Humanics Emeritus and Professor of English Emeritus, will be a special guest.  

March 11, Jupiter, Fla. World Champion St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves at Roger Dean Stadium.  Event sponsored by the Florida East Coast Alumni Association, with special guests Springfield College President Richard B. Flynn and Cardinals Head Trainer Barry Weinberg '73.

March 15, Baltimore, Md. AAHPERD Convention Social for SC alumni from 7-9 p.m. at the Renaissance Inner Harbor Hotel.  The social is sponsored by the Baltimore/Washington Alumni Association, and hosted by Dr. William J. Considine, dean of the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.

March 22, Hyannis, Mass. The Massachusetts Secondary Schools Athletic Directors Association convention reception, at Sheraton Four Points Resort, at noon.

For information, contact the Springfield College Office of Alumni Relations at 413-748-3161 or via e-mail. For the full schedule, click here.

DOCUMENTARY ON AFRICAN-AMERICANS' WWII SERVICE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Filmmaker and educator William H. Smith will screen his documentary film "The Invisible Soldiers: Unheard Voices," about the service of African-Americans in World War II, on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m., at Appleton Auditorium, Fuller Arts Center. Read more.

For the events calendar, click here.