Joe Brown
Editor in Chief
As the weeks remaining in the school year seem to disappear, a question nags at me – have I left a legacy at Springfield College? I remember back to my freshman year, when I first arrived at college and attended Pre-Camp as a wide-eyed kid. By the time NSO came to an end, I had vowed to leave my mark on my new home on Alden Street.
The funny thing is, sometimes you don’t discover the truth until the very end of the journey. It was not until just recently that I discovered my naivety about leaving an unforgettable, personal legacy. Yes, I believe that I have made an impact at Springfield, just as every member of the class of 2014 has in one way or another. However, the legacy of the class of 2014 could only be possible because of those that came before us. We were not here to create our own legacies, but to add to the existing legacy of Springfield College by ultimately leaving this place and becoming true leaders in service to humanity.
The last few weeks while working in the Springfield College Archives and Special Collections office for my on-campus job, I had the privilege of discovering various facets of Springfield’s history. Since I had the privilege of serving as Editor-in-Chief of The Springfield Student for this past school year, one of the most intriguing finds to me was the history of The Student.
The Springfield Student began in 1910 as a monthly publication from October to June. It cost 15 cents per issue or $1 per year (fancy that, they made people pay!) and was headed by L.P. Washburn (class of 1911).
On Oct. 15, 1910, The Student became a separate student publication. Now in its 103rd year, it has certainly gone through numerous changes and evolved into a multi-platform production with its own website (scstudentmedia.com), Facebook, Twitter and more.
Yet, the purpose of the publication still remains. The students of 1910 who ran the paper wanted independence to improve their craft and “adequately represent the school.” I believe that through coverage of human feature stories, sports, school and club events, and sometimes controversial topics, we have succeeded in meeting that goal.
Writing and participating in the production of The Student has enveloped all four of my years on campus. From my first article about the bookstore’s new book rental program, to an article about the Springfield College Confessions Twitter, to the ARAMARK workers’ fight for their union this past year, I have had the privilege of covering a variety of topics on campus. Each story reaffirmed my feeling that I was doing my part to make the campus a more interconnected and informed place.
This success was not mine alone – nearly all of the credit belongs elsewhere. There are far too many people to thank, but allow me to name a few. First and foremost, there is Kristen, my fiancée at college back home in Pennsylvania, who with saintly patience endured long lapses in communication every Wednesday night during paste-up. Then there is my family, who encouraged me to follow my passion for writing. I would like to thank the professors in the Humanities Department who always pushed me to improve my work – especially the newspaper’s advisor, Marty Dobrow. It was Marty who was always there for me when I needed advice, pushing me to make the tough decisions and improve my own writing skills. Without Marty, I would have never attended Springfield College.
I am proud to say that for the first time in the editorial board’s history of travelling to the ACP National College Journalism Convention, we placed as the sixth-best website in the small college category. Sixth place means that there are five colleges that are still better than us, and hence improvements to make. I am confident that next year’s crew, headed by Andrew Gutman and Pat Kenney, will more than rise to the occasion.
Along with Brian Silva, my layout editor extraordinaire, and Jon Santer, my indispensable and incredibly talented right-hand man, these four made up my core editorial board. There wouldn’t have been a paper if not for the dedication and countless hours this group put in.
Last but certainly not least, I have my predecessors to thank. Those I know and am thankful to have gotten the chance to work with – Gabby DeMarchi, Alison Dombroski, Jimmy Kelley, Terrence Payne, Justin Felisko and more – and those that I never got the chance to meet, such as L.P. Washburn.
It is predecessors similar to these that paved the way for not only me, but for the entire class of 2014 to add our own element to Springfield College. Although what we are leaving behind is important, it was never our purpose for being here.
The true reason for attending college is to become prepared to head out into the world better equipped than how you started. A good college experience will provide you with direction as you go on your way. I know that I am not alone in saying that Springfield College has succeeded in that mission.
In an article in the first-ever independent issue of The Student, titled, “The Value and Prospects of Normal Work,” an anonymous author talked about the importance of using the Springfield College education to its fullest. In his summary, he wrote:
There is a chance to win support for our dear alma mater. Works speak for themselves. The world must know we exist and shall judge of our work by its fruits.
It was never about my personal legacy. The reason I came to Springfield College – like so many of my classmates – was because the spirit of the school attracted me. I’m not sure if I have left a personal legacy at Springfield College, but quite frankly, that’s not important. I know that this college has left its legacy on me, and I can only hope to repay my soon-to-be alma mater by adding to Springfield’s legacy with the fruits that I go out into the world to reap.