It started with four…
Pat Kenney.
Logan Mullen.
Marshall Hastings.
Drew Broffman.
These four people began my career here at The Student in the fall of 2015. What became a four- year journey all started in the James Bond room (Weiser 007). My experiences here began with profiles. Now, it’s ending with my first “column” ever (if you could even call this a column).
To all of you who don’t know me or haven’t read anything that I’ve written, I’m Sam — the guy that’s usually behind the camera or graphics. However, I didn’t start behind the lens. I actually began deep in the realm of print. All of the names aforementioned, those are the guys that got me started at The Springfield Student.
Drew was the photo editor during my freshman year and the one who got me started in photography. I already had a camera, but I had no idea how to use it. Drew was the one who taught me and helped me evolve into the photographer that I am currently.
Pat, Logan, and Marshall were the three print editors that I looked up to as a freshman. When I walked into the newspaper office on a Wednesday afternoon, I could always count on them to pop their heads out of their cubicles to answer my questions — and there were a lot of them.
During my first week as a Springfield College student, I was assigned to write profiles on the athletes of the week and eventually I started writing for men’s volleyball.
Up to this point, the only real writing that I had done were these small, 250-word blurbs and maybe one soccer recap. As a rookie in the game of journalism, I still hadn’t reached the tip of the iceberg in reporting. Often times you could find me reporting on a game from the bleachers by writing in the Notes app on my iPhone 5. I had no clue what the rules of the volleyball were, who was playing what position, what anybody’s name was, or even any journalism etiquette.
That all changed in 2016. Daniela Detore, a current editor and former women’s volleyball player, transferred into our journalism program and joined me as a co-men’s volleyball beat reporter. She taught me pretty much everything that I know about volleyball and how to write about it. As a result, I got to share the highlight of my journalism career with someone who helped me peak my interest in print journalism — writing at an NCAA National Championship.
During that 2016 season, I gained confidence in all aspects of my life that I never had prior. It was a direct result from the work I produced, because it was important to those around me. Last year’s Editor-in-Chief, Shawn McFarland, gave me that confidence to continue in my work and motivated me to improve.
To all of the people above, thank you for playing paramount roles in my collegiate career. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to produce any of the content or learn any of the skills that I have thus far.
While The Springfield Student has been a large part of my time at Springfield College, it hasn’t been the only program that has fueled my motivations.
Thank you to all of my professors who have helped put me into positions to succeed.
Thank you Springfield College Ultimate for giving me my first family at Springfield College.
Thank you Dina Pitsas, Amanda Crane, Ben Morales, and David Zaldivar for being the E-Board that selected me to join NSO.
Thank you Hailey and Ryan Yelle, Shannon Barsevich, Kate Sprague, Kevin Pereira, Zach Varnauskas, Mackenzie Marsters, Jackie Davis, and Angela Veatch for the the best experience of my life at LTC.
Thank you Cam Labelle, Matt McBride, and Mikey Marcojohn for being some of the best friends that I could have asked for.
Thank you everyone who I have met during my time in Springfield. You have all, in some variety, played a factor into creating the person that I am today.
To my 2018-19 Springfield Student Crew (Gabby Guerard, Danny Priest, Evan Wheaton, Jack Margaros, Jill Campbell, Vin Gallo, and Gage Nutter):
We have done some incredible work this year. I couldn’t be more proud to be around a group of passionate individuals. Thank you for continuing to teach me more about myself each and every day. I am truly excited to see what the future brings all of you, because it is shining bright.
To Jill, Gage, and Vin: It’s been a wild ride since 2015. I couldn’t be happier that you were the three who I spent long Wednesday nights with sending out weekly newspapers. We have gained unforgettable memories and printed our legacy in Springfield College history.
When we walked into the office as freshmen, we started with four senior editors.
Now, it ends with four…
Gage Nutter.
Jill Campbell.
Vin Gallo.
Sam Leventhal, signing off.