Cait Kemp
@caitlinkemp09
Springfield College’s Humanics philosophy is something that everybody on campus is familiar with. It is in the mission statement of the college, and is represented with the image of the triangle – the balance of spirit, mind and body in service to others.
The Humanics philosophy, as stated on the Springfield College website, comes from the ancient Greek ideals that a person’s emotional, intellectual and physical lives are connected, hence the focus on the balance of the individual.
Through this philosophy, Springfield has aimed to have multifaceted students that understand the importance of being kind and compassionate while helping others.
The philosophy seems to be a lot of talk, but SC students prove these morals through their everyday actions in the classroom, during athletics and simply around campus. A major impact of the Humanics philosophy can be seen through the Humanics In Action club, which takes the ideals directly into the community.
Current president, senior Margaux Atkins, and VP and President elect sophomore, Lily Foster, embody this mission and lead the club and student body by creating opportunities for service on campus, even in the time of a pandemic.
“The Humanics in Action club has a mission of creating service opportunities on campus, connecting Springfield College students with the Springfield community,” said Atkins.
Their innovative way to continue service during COVID-19 was to host “Sip n’ Serve” nights that allow students to come and participate in making different care packages that would benefit children, shelter and other charitable organizations. During the events, they can try a fun drink like root beer floats or punch.
“We’ve done everything from creating attendance incentive kits to making sun catchers to go to a nursing home, as well as fire safety kits that went to an elementary school,” said Atkins. “We’ve collaborated with other clubs as well, we’ve collaborated to make self-care kits for the women at the YMCA with the Y-club, and this past Friday we worked with CAB and created calm-down kits for an elementary school.”
Both Atkins and Foster have had a love for service to others throughout their life and joined the Humanics in Action club early in their experiences at Springfield College.
They were both introduced to the club by peers on campus and were able to jump into the club very quickly and soon became members of the E-board.
“It’s been amazing because, like when I started, the club was pretty much three people, and now we have a good member base, we have more applications for our E-board than we could even take, so it was pretty incredible to see the growth.” said Atkins.
Although created to coincide with COVID regulations, the Sip n’ Serve program has proved to be very successful and they plan to keep it in place even when restrictions are lifted. However, they are looking forward to having the opportunity to do more within the community, a beloved aspect of the club pre-pandemic.
“Hopefully with COVID restrictions lifting we can do more with that, allow more people to come and actually go into the community,” said Foster. “Something that we used to do before is go to homeless shelters and serve lunches or dinners, or something like that, but we weren’t able to do that so we’re hoping to get back into that.”
Atkins and Foster not only provide service events for students, but cherish the opportunity that they get themselves being a part of the club and planning the programs for causes they see fit. It has allowed them to share something they are passionate for, which has given them a place to grow and flourish on campus.
“To me, I think the club really has helped me create a community on campus and it has helped me feel a part of Springfield College, and living the Humanics philosophy – that’s the club,” said Atkins.
She emphasizes the impact that the club has with the morals that Springfield is all about, as it gives students an obtainable opportunity to help people in need.
“For me, it kind of aligns with my major and what I want to do… this club has really shown me how you can work with a community and figure out the needs of the community and then go from there, and how you can put someone’s particular interests into motion,” said Foster.
As a recreation management major, Foster has had the chance to organize these community outreach programs and take into account activities that the campus is interested in participating in to then benefit the community.
Atkins, a therapeutic recreation major, also has involved herself in the opportunities through the Humanics In Action club to further her knowledge in creating unique experiences for a given community.
Humanics is a huge part of Springfield College, and this club gives the direct opportunity to demonstrate that.
Whether you join the club to become involved with the planning and organizing of the events, or just want to participate in some programs when you can, the Humanics In Action club is the perfect way to be a part of the Pride.
Photo Courtesy Margaux Atkins