Springfield Students Run With Love

By Irene Rotondo The brisk air cuts through the layers of sweatshirts, leggings, and jogger pants runners don every Thursday morning, as they congregate by the beloved Naismith Statue in the center of Springfield College’s campus. It is here that Springfield students and faculty meet for a three mile run every week. The location of this statue at the “heart” of the campus is quite appropriate, as the coordinator of this run is Dr. Patrick Love. Love is one of the newest faculty members at Springfield College, taking over the roles of Vice President of Student Affairs and Program Director of the Student Personnel Administration Program. Before taking over his current position at Springfield College, Love worked under the same title at The New York Institute of Technology. It was there he got the inspiration to start the weekly “Run With Love” event. “A colleague of mine at New York Institute of Technology did a weekly run with his medical students,” said Love. “I knew when I moved here, I wanted to do this.” A six-time marathon runner himself, Love said that he thought that this run was a really good way to become closer to the student body, especially because he is doing something that he likes to do. In doing so, he has been able to get to know many different people that he might not have otherwise, and on a different level, since it’s not just a passing conversation in Cheney or on the way to class. The course of this run is lengthy, though it takes those who participate on a beautifully scenic route throughout campus. “We do a three mile run. We start at the Dr. Jim statue, head down Alden to Roosevelt and make a right, cross the bridge and continue until we make a right on Allen. We continue until we take another right turn on Hickory, come back to campus near Inty and around on Wilbraham, turn right at Alden, and finish at the [Naismith] Statue.” “It’s open to anyone: students, teachers, and staff,” said Nichole Maisto, a recent participant of Run With Love. “It was his way of getting to know students and their views on things, because it’s his first year this year… he wanted to get to know the student body on a more personal level, doing something he enjoys.” Maroon t-shirts emblazoned with “Run With Love” are available to all who participate. If anyone wants to join, the last run of this year will take place on November 29th. Runs will resume again on February 14th, 2019 – just in time for Valentine’s Day. Photo courtesy of Patrick Love