By River Mitchell
@rivermitchell27
Damon Markiewicz is the Communications Manager at Springfield College. He is the person who documents the footage that makes the campus look alive. The Student sat down with Markiewicz to learn more about the man behind the camera – including his favorite spot on campus, the best part of his job and what makes him smile.
The Student: Why did you choose Springfield College?
Markiewicz: For me it was career growth overall. I was working here in the city for the minor league hockey team [Springfield Thunderbirds] and was just looking for that next step in Communications/Marketing. I kind of hit my ceiling in where I was, and I had a connection here at the college working with interns from my previous job, so I had a built in connection there. I was here meeting with faculty on internships I had organized, and saw the position [had] opened up. Because I was looking for career growth, higher ed seemed to be an area where there’s no shortage of communications ceilings to go into. I wanted to stay in Western Mass, I had spent most of my time working in the city of Springfield already. It was kind of like the perfect storm.
The Student: What is your favorite part about your job?
Markiewicz: No two days are the same. Overall, it’s being able to get out on campus, be active and capture all the great things that are going [on]. Whether it’s writing, whether it’s video, whether it’s taking photos, the great thing [about] the Communications role here for me is that it’s all those things wrapped into one. I’m able to get out and see what’s going on and capture it, and kind of be part of student life here. It’s a [great] way to feel like you’re a part of the community and feel the excitement of everything going on and not be stuck behind a desk.
The Student: What do you think is the most underrated part of campus?
Markiewicz: All of the great things going on. I say this all the time. You could be here every night – whether it’s going to a lecture, going to watch bingo or [any] other student event. Whether it’s athletics [or] non athletics, [Springfield College] is filled with a lot of great events. I think it’s tough to know everything that’s going on, and it’s tough to be a part of everything, but I think just being part of all the different events that we have to offer here. I think it’s pretty underrated because you can go to a lecture and almost get educated on different topics without even knowing it. There’s something almost every night for everybody.
The Student: Where is your favorite part to relax on campus?
Markiewicz: East Campus. Just because I like the outdoors and it’s quiet. It’s away from the hustle and bustle of the main campus. On the main campus, I would say Rally Hill, looking out over the lake. Many times at lunch, especially when the weather is nice, [I’ll be] sitting on that bench and just looking out and just kind of resetting for a little bit.
The Student: What are some items on your bucket list?
One would be to travel to Portugal. I have a lot of family there and I’ve never been [there]. My kids are getting big enough where I would love to take that family trip and kind of see the roots of [my] family. I’ve heard great things about it. The other one would probably be to sit at center court at the U.S. Open. I’d love to just spend one of those sessions and just sit there for hours and watch.
The Student: What do you do in your spare time?
Markiewicz: My kids take up a lot of that. They keep me busy with different things. whether it’s playing sports or doing just family stuff. Other than that, I’m a big sports fan as a whole. Especially hockey. I just love watching the game. I’m a big Bruins fan and go to Thunderbirds games here in Springfield. I can watch games, especially hockey games, and to me that’s almost as good as reading. Don’t get me wrong, I get caught up in the wins and losses of my favorite team. Those two things would probably make up the most of that spare time.
The Student: What makes you smile without fail?
Markiewicz: This is going to sound a little cliche, as a parent, but just almost every day especially the ages [16 and 10] my kids are at. They’re doing things that I can’t take any credit for – just being good human beings. I’m not saying it as a brag thing because they’re doing it on their own, but whether it’s progress reports or report cards they will get little comments on just how good of individuals they’re being. That honestly just makes you perk up. That’s all you want your kids to do is to be good humans.
Photo courtesy of Springfield College