Athletics Kickoff opens new turf, highlights student-athlete organizations

Courtesy of Sophia Anderson ’22.
From left to right: Phoebe Aaronson ’23, Mollee Malboeuf ’23, Caroline Thompson ’24, Hannah Bisson ’25 and Lucy Sternberg ’23 perform the ribbon cutting ceremony, officially opening the new turf.

By Lauren Leese ’23

Staff Writer

Mount Holyoke Athletics hosted an Athletics Kickoff and Track & Turf Ribbon Cutting Ceremony event on Thursday, Sept. 8. The kickoff officially opened the new outdoor track and turf. The ceremony highlighted student-athlete organizations, with two student representatives speaking on behalf of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Athlete Empowerment Coalition.

The event began with an address from Director of Athletics and Chair of Physical Education Jodi Canfield. Following a land acknowledgement, Canfield discussed Mount Holyoke Athletics’ successes. She highlighted the student-athletes’ overall cumulative GPA of 3.6 and the 89 students who were recognized by the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference for All-Academic Conference Team status last year. Carrying on the theme of student-athlete academic achievement, Canfield noted that both of the Mount Holyoke students who have been named Rhodes Scholars were also student-athletes, most recently Elena Frogameni ’22 of the squash team.

Canfield described the new turf as a “recruiting magnet and one that our student-athletes will look fondly upon in their remembrance of their playing days.” To her, the field is a concrete example of Mount Holyoke’s commitment to the Athletics Department. “Continued investment in our facilities signals … our alignment with the mission and the goals of the College,” Canfield said.

Following Canfield’s address, student speaker Anais Magner ’23, the chair of the SAAC, introduced the members of the SAAC Executive Board: Vice Chair Caroline Thompson ’24, Secretary Emily Mock ’24, Treasurer Piper LaPointe ’23 and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Representative Janiqua Davis ’23. Canfield then described a selection of the SAAC’s achievements from the past year and its ongoing plans to improve student-athlete experiences.

In Fall 2021, the SAAC worked with Mount Holyoke Dining Services to convert the Blanchard Hall Grab ’n Go station into a student-athlete Grab ’n Go stocked with a wide selection of food for away games. Currently, the SAAC is focused on creating a Mount Holyoke chapter of Athlete Ally, “an organization focused on creating an inclusive and supportive environment within athletics across the country, as well as advocating for the LGBTQ+ cause,” Magner said.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to interact with such an active organization pushing for change in an area so important to us as Mount Holyoke students,” Magner continued. 

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to interact with such an active organization pushing for change in an area so important to us as Mount Holyoke students.”

— Anais Magner ’23

Finally, Magner detailed the Game of the Week initiative — a SAAC initiative that allows varsity teams to pick a home game to highlight each season. During GOTW, the selected team is paired with a buddy team which cheers them on alongside other Mount Holyoke students.

“I enjoy being part of SAAC because it allows me to be involved in the decision-making process. As a member of SAAC, my voice gets heard when I raise concerns about my team or my identity … as an international student-athlete,” Magner said. She closed by encouraging students interested in getting involved with SAAC to speak to her, their team SAAC reps or any of the SAAC E-Board members.

The second student speaker, Soccer Team Captain and President of the AEC Lo Jean-Jacques ’23, spoke about what the AEC offers students at Mount Holyoke.

“We’re here to create a safe space for … both club and varsity athletes on campus. We believe that certain groups of athletes on campus need safe spaces, [and] also need [their] voices to be heard,” Jean-Jacques said. Members of these groups — student-athletes of color and first-generation student-athletes — are “often the only student-athlete of color or first generation student-athlete on their team,” as noted on the AEC’s Embark page.

Students outside of these groups can also contribute to the AEC’s mission.

“We need allies,” Jean-Jacques said. Students looking to get involved are invited to contact Jean-Jacques, Head Squash Coach Erin Robson or Head Volleyball Coach Iris Carpio for more information.

The evening concluded with the ribbon cutting, performed by five student-athletes who will be using the turf: Phoebe Aaronson ’23 and Mollee Malboeuf ’23 of Field Hockey, Caroline Thompson ’24 of Field Hockey and Lacrosse, Hannah Bisson ’24 of Lacrosse and Lucy Sternberg ’23 of Track and Field. Each athlete used their own pair of scissors in unison to complete the ceremony, officially opening the new facility.