By Braedan Shea
@braedan_shea
This past Friday, the campus of Springfield College was alive – a sea of faces, returning and new, boasted wide smiles and the joyous conversations blended together to have Alden Street buzzing like a street lamp. The time of year could mean only one thing for the college: Family Weekend.
The weekend kicked off in the mid-afternoon on Friday. Following family registration and an on-campus dinner option at Cheney Hall spanning from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the most anticipated game of the Springfield football program’s season took place on Stagg Field. Facing Union College, the Pride showed out for the fans, taking down the Garnet Chargers 37-20 – marking the first time since 2017 Springfield has won the matchup and staying unbeaten this season at 3-0.
“Obviously I’m a little biased but the football game Friday night had to be my favorite part of the weekend,” said Judge Martin, a first-year student on the football team from Williamstown, Mass.. “It was awesome seeing the team get the win against Union but most importantly seeing everyone able to celebrate with their families after.”
Consequently, an hour after the football game kicked off, the Campus Activities Board and the Office of Student Activities hosted another of the campus’s most sought after events: bingo. With a fitting name of “Family Frenzied Bingo,” the occasion rivaled that of the stout Springfield football run game in terms of energy.
Instead of halfback Dante Vasquez or fullback Arsen Shtefan exploding in celebration for one of their combined four rushing touchdowns, it was students and families going berserk when their letter and number were called. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day, and an impressive way to introduce families to the campus culture.
“I only went to the game, but I loved the large crowd, the supportive atmosphere and the high energy,” said Colleen Martin, mother to first-year Judge.
On Saturday, a full slate of events was on tap. Starting at 11:30 a.m., a barbecue and DJ were out on the Admin Green. By noon, the green was filled with areas dedicated to stations for photo magnets making, caricature drawings, airbrush trucker hats & pennants, cornhole, inflatables and more for the “Family Fun on the Lawn” portion.
When the clock struck 1 p.m., campus was at its peak, as live music and Maureen’s Sweet Shop and an Ice Cream Truck also filled the Admin Green. At the same time,both women’s soccer and field hockey took on Salve Regina at home, and the games continued into the mid-afternoon as three rounds of family trivia were being held.
To bookend the weekend, comedian, magician and balloon artist John Cassidy performed in the Richard B. Flynn Campus Union. Cassidy, who holds several Guinness World Records® for balloon sculpting speed – including Most Balloon Sculptures Completed in One Hour and Most Balloon Sculptures completed in One Minute – is a frequent performer aboard Disney Cruise Lines and has been honored to perform at the White House five times.
He has also performed at large venues including The Magic Castle in Hollywood, Calif., Foxwoods Casino, the Golden Nugget Las Vegas, the Flamingo Las Vegas and The Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, Calif.
By the time Sunday rolled around, the consensus was clear – Family Weekend was an overwhelming success.
“Family Weekend was awesome on campus,” said Martin. “It was nice seeing all the families come together at Springfield College and all of the activities that took place. Overall, Family Weekend was a very good weekend, not just for myself and my family to see each other, but for everyone’s family to be on campus and give the campus a fun eventful weekend.”
Photo by Luis Rodriguez