By Emma Bynes
@emma_bynes4
Over the weekend, Springfield College and the Student Society for Bridging Diversity (SSBD) hosted its ninth annual Legacy Ball.
The event honors the hard work and dedication of John M. Wilson, who was a long-time advisor of the SSBD and the founding director of the Multicultural Affairs office. Wilson worked on campus for more than 30 years and was a companion and outlet for many students across the Springfield College community.
Hassan Robinson, a member of the school’s alumni committee and long-time friend of Wilson, spoke about Wilson’s impact on the community and how far the school has come since his days there.
Robinson, who played baseball and basketball at Springfield College from 1991-1995, said, “It was a place to gather and a place to have conversations with each other or a safe space; his office was that place. Whenever we needed to go somewhere to hang out or to just have someone to vent to or just to have a conversation, Mr. Wilson was that person.”
Robinson felt that Wilson’s work was imperative to the school because “sometimes it felt like you were by yourself, so having the department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is important because you need representation and you also need different perspectives in order to make a school like Springfield, a private school, function appropriately.”
Robinson has seen the steps the college has taken firsthand. His daughter graduated from Springfield College a year ago, and his son, Xander, plays on the basketball team now.
“It’s important to see representation at different levels,” Robinson added. “You want coaches who relate to you, you want to see professors in the classroom, you want to see people on campus that look like you and can relate to you and have that perspective that you have.”
Wilson has a familiar lounge named after him in the Campus Union, where the event was hosted. The ball’s fundraising efforts also raise money for the scholarship in Wilson’s name. The scholarship goes to full-time students entering their sophomore, junior or senior year of study. Donations were encouraged at the door, but not required.
The ceremony itself included a cocktail reception, catered dinner from Harvest Table and a presentation by members of the SSBD. Awards were presented, such as Club Member of the Year, the Imprint Award and the Legacy Award.
This year, the theme of the Legacy Ball was “Enchanted Forest,” and guests walked into the black-tie event dazzled in green and yellow. Guest, Ajanay Hill, said that her favorite part of the event was “the a cappella performance.”
Advisor to the club, David McMahon, spoke about why honoring Mr. Wilson’s work is important – especially after his passing. During his speech, he told an anecdote about how Wilson introduced students to McMahon, who was new to the college at the time, by explaining intimate details about them – making it clear that Wilson got to know every student and person he met at Springfield College.
McMahon emphasized that although many students attending the event did not even know Wilson, they carried on his mission by simply being members of the club or caring about other people.
McMahon thought Dr. Wilson embodied Springfield’s humanics lifestyle – “We as an institution, driven by humanics, are here to serve all humanity in its many colors, stripes and faiths.”
Photo Courtesy of Springfield College