Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) News

Little East Conference hosts SAAC meeting in Providence

12/12/2007



Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) members from the eight Little East Conference schools met for the first time this year at the Marriott in Providence, RI.  The SAAC members reviewed pending legislation to be considered by the NCAA Convention in 2008 and reviewed other athletic-related issues within the LEC. Representing UMass Dartmouth at the LEC SAAC meeting were President Connie Jones, Vice President Kyle Fossey, Treasurer Morgan Bozarth and SAAC member Jackie Erbafina.

Little East Conference swimmers aid UMass Dartmouth SAAC with canned food drive

12/11/2007

Helping out the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at UMass Dartmouth with their canned food drive recently were women swimmers and divers from the Little East Conference.  Adding to the collection of canned foods in the Tripp Center lobby at UMass Dartmouth were (left to right) Maureen Cop (ECSU), Elizabeth Kane (Keene State), Francesca Testa (WCSU), Christina DiGiacomo (Plymouth State), Carly Paine (ECSU), Merediith Homza (Keene State) and Kerrie Clifford (UMass Dartmouth).  The student-athletes were at UMass Dartmouth to compete in the LEC Women's Swimming and Diving Championships on Dec. 1. (photo by Andrew Adams)

(Dartmouth, MA) -- Student-athletes from the five Little East Conference women's swimming and diving teams competing at the recent LEC Championships lent their support to the  UMass Dartmouth Student-Athlete Advisory Committee's canned food drive with donations coming from every team.

Swimmers and divers from Plymouth State University, Keene State College, Western Connecticut Staet University and Eastern Connecticut State University responded to a request from UMass Dartmouth swimming and diving coach Cathy Motta to assist her athletic department's SAAC-sponsored holiday canned food drive.  

"Our SAAC is brand new and it was a great idea to ask the other schools coming to the LEC Championships at UMass Dartmouth to help out," said Motta.  "I can't say enough about the support we received from the other coaches and teams. They all brought bags and boxes of canned foods and helped us fill an entire storage bin for our SAAC's first community service project."

The reestablishment of the SAAC at UMass Dartmouth was one of the early priorities of new Athletic Director Ian Day.

"I think a well-run SAAC can be an important part of the athletic experience for our student-athletes," said Day, who took over at UMass Dartmouth in September.  "It is important for them to learn the values of student leadership and to gain experience in these types of community service projects."

Four UMass Dartmouth SAAC members attended the Little East Conference SAAC meeting in Providence, RI over the weekend and are planning additional community service projects during the Spring 2008 semester. 

UMass Dartmouth Ice Hockey Team Partners with Habitat for Humanity

11/29/2007

(Dartmouth, MA) --The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's hockey team did something interesting just prior to their Thanksgiving holiday.

The Corsairs spent a day volunteering for the Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity.

UMass Dartmouth's hockey team spent the day helping build two duplexes in Wareham, MA.

Nancy Rolli, the wife of Corsair Head Coach John Rolli and a member of the Board of Directors of the Buzzards Bay Area chapter of Habitat for Humanity, helped coordinate the matchup. "The project was supposed to have begun in September, but was delayed due to a permitting issue," said Coach Rolli. "With the winter approaching, the call went out for volunteers. Our team was more than willing to give up a day, even if it meant the day after a game."

According to their coach, the Corsairs were surprisingly adept. "Much to my surprise, most of them knew how to handle a hammer," said Rolli. "A few even knew how to use a saw."

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit housing ministry that provides homes for families, and whose purpose is to make decent shelter available to as many families as possible. Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity has been affiliated with Habitat for Humanity International since 1996.

Newly-Created SAAC Sets Canned Food Drive as First Project

11/14/2007

(Dartmouth, MA) -- The newly created Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at UMass Dartmouth will sponsor a Canned Food Drive during the months of November and December.  Food collected at a selection of home games between now and the end of the Fall semester will be donated to a local food pantry.

"This is a wonderful project for the student leaders to become involved with as their first community service project," said UMass Dartmouth Athletic Director Ian Day.  "We have put together a great group of student-athletes to serve on our SAAC and we look forward to getting them involved in the community with projects like these."

The SAAC members will kick off the Canned Food Drive at the 9th annual Hampton Inn Basketball Classic, a two-day men's basketball tournament at the Tripp Center being held Friday, Nov. 16 and Saturday, Nov. 17.   UMass Dartmouth will open its season by hosting Albertus Magnus in the second game of the tournament's opening night with Wentworth and Husson playing in the opening game.  The consolation round game is Saturday, Nov. 17 at 1 pm and the championship game set for 3 pm.

The public will be invited to donate canned goods and receive $1 off their admission for each can they donate at the basketball and swimming events.  Adult tickets for the basketball and the Little East Conference Championship Meet on Dec. 1 are $5 for adults and $3 for non-students.  UMass Dartmouth students with a UMass Pass get free admission to home basketball games.

Following is the schedule of home games where SAAC members will collect canned goods:

Date: Event Location
Friday, Nov. 16 Men's basketball at 6 pm Tripp Center
Saturday, Nov. 17 Men's basketball at 12:30 pm Tripp Center
Tuesday, Nov. 20 Ice hockey at 7 pm Hetland Arena
Saturday, Dec. 1 Women's Swimming Hosting Tripp Center Pool
Little East Conference Championships
Wednesday, Dec. 12 Men's/Women's Basketball 5 pm Tripp Center

At the SAAC's organizational meeting held earlier this month, elections were held to fill officer positions. Connie Jones (Lacrosse) was elected president, senior Kyle Fossey (Soccer) is vice president, Kerrie Clifford (Swimming and Diving) is secretary and Morgan Bozarth (Equestrian) is treasurer.

"I'm so excited to get our first project up and running.  This organization will be such a positive addition to the UMass Dartmouth community and I see so much potential from our group of athletes." said Connie Jones, President of the UMass Dartmouth SAAC.

 A complete list of the UMass Dartmouth SAAC members appears below:
Joe Accardi (Golf), Andrew Adams (Men's Swimming), Vicki Andruszkiewicz (Softball), Michael Boucher (Track), Jess Carpenter (Track), Ashley Chard (Basketball), Allison DeAngelis (Tennis), Seth Doucette (Football), Jackie Erbafina (Women's Soccer), Ali Feldman (Cheerleading), Andrew Foster (Lacrosse), Dan Holbrook (Basketball), Dave McGuire (Baseball), Nick Paquin (Ice Hockey), Ingrid Parena (Volleyball), Ken Sims (Tennis) and Rebecca Stephens (Field Hockey).

For more information about the UMass Dartmouth SAAC's Canned Food Drive contact SAAC Advisor Jim Mullins at (508) 910-6930.