SPURS (Students Providing Understanding ResourceS)
Feature Article - SPURS 5K (by Sheila Headspeth)
"SPURS" is a facet of the Hood College Athletics program. It is a peer-mentoring program that connects first-year athletes with a select group of upper-class athletes who will help the new student to adjust to his or her new surroundings here at Hood.
Coming into a college athletic program can be intimidating. The purpose of this program is threefold: To provide the incoming student-athletes with their own personal mentor to help them get settled in as soon as they arrive on campus; to help them adjust to both the athletic and academic expectations associated with being an in-season student-athlete; and to connect them with other students and resources that will make their time at Hood memorable, particularly in their first semester.
SPURS mentors are Hood student-athletes who have been recommended by their professors, or academic advisors, and coaches because of their abilities to handle the expectations of being both a student and a varsity athlete. They all have the knowledge of proper time management skills and have gone through training to be able to assist the incoming student-athletes assimilate into both the academic and athletic programs. The SPURS mentors help student-athletes get comfortable here in their new home, Hood College.
Women's basketball head coach Jack Mehl and graduate assistant Jen Moxley serve as the advisors for SPURS. The SPURS program will continue to grow and is a permanent presence in the Hood College Athletic program.
Contact Jack Mehl: (301) 696-3468 or mehl@hood.edu
Contact Jen Moxley: moxley@hood.edu
Members
Name,
Sport
Maddie Birmingham, Field Hockey
Justin Bowens, Men's Basketball
Kristen Byers, Women's Soccer
Patrick Cairo, Men's Golf
Megan Cahill, Field Hockey/Women's Track & Field
Chris Catalfamo, Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
Domenic Cetrone, Men's Lacrosse
Justin Cifuentes, Men's Track & Field
Lacey Creelman, Women's Swimming
Lindsay Cronin, Women's Swimming
Eric Diehl, Men's Soccer
Matthew Dyjack, Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
Sandra Dziadas, Women's Tennis
Connor Eliff, Men's Swimming
Mark Filuta, Men's Lacrosse
Amy Hagerdon, Volleyball/Softball
Drake Halpern, Men's Swimming
Mike Higgs, Men's Lacrosse
Amanda Hutzell, Women's Soccer
Dan Jacobs, Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
Kelsey Knippenberg, Women's Basketball/Lacrosse
Megan Kowalewski, Women's Soccer
Will Lane, Men's Soccer/Lacrosse
David Langan, Men's Soccer
Brittany Lethbridge, Volleyball
Chad Love, Men's Tennis
Brandon McCormick, Men's Lacrosse
Dorrie Mercer, Women's Basketball
Daniela Mittelkamp, Women's Swimming
Sam Norris, Women's Soccer
Alyssa Peterson, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
Jennifer Rutherford, Softball
Brett Shelley, Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
Aimee Smith, Women's Soccer
Justin Stone, Men's Basketball
Miriah Stone, Field Hockey
Jackie Wenzel, Softball
SPURS Operating Code
Preamble: We, the members of Students Providing Understanding Resources, do hereby establish this Operating Code so that our purpose can be realized to its fullest extent.
Article I: Students Providing Understanding Resources
This organization shall be known informally as SPURS.
Article II: Purpose
The purpose of SPURS shall be to provide the incoming student-athletes with their own personal mentor to help them get settled in as soon as they arrive on campus; to help them adjust to both the athletic and academic expectations associated with being an student-athlete; and to connect them with other students and resources that will make their time at Hood memorable, particularly in their first semester.
Article III: Membership
SPURS mentors are Hood student-athletes who have been nominated by their professors, or academic advisors, and coaches because of their abilities to handle the expectations of being both a student and a varsity athlete. Each potential SPUR shall go through an application process at the beginning of the second semester. Once the application is submitted, the executive board of SPURS will review them before beginning an interview process. Each returning SPURS member will fill out an intent to return form at the beginning of the second semester. All applications shall be returned to the designated advisor.
Article IV: Officers and Executive Board
The executive board of this organization shall be as follows:
President: The President shall preside at meeting, present all motions, maintain the power to appoint committee chairpersons, and act as official spokesperson of the organization. The President shall make sure to come up with the agenda for the upcoming meetings.
Vice President: The Vice President shall discharge the duties of the President at all meetings and functions, which the President cannot attend. The Vice President shall send out information about the meetings prior to meeting time. The Vice President must be a junior.
Secretary: The Secretary shall compile and maintain the minutes of meetings and the records of the organization. The Secretary shall also record all attendance at every meeting. The Secretary shall keep a record book of the minutes at every meeting. The Secretary shall also have a full list of the SPURS and Pony (Ponies) contact information.
Activity Committee Chairperson: The Activity Committee Chairperson shall come up with events for SPURS and their Ponies to participate in once a month. The Activity Committee Chairperson shall also organize all campus wide activities sponsored by SPURS and oversee all advertising of campus events.
Correspondent Chairperson: The Induction Ceremony Chairperson shall be the correspondent between SPURS, coaches, and faculty for potential SPURS, oversee the induction committee, and arrange all details of the induction ceremony.
Leadership Development Chairperson: The Leadership Development Chairperson is in charge of any professional development programs set up for the SPURs members and possibly ponies as well. Making the SPURs the best leaders possible by teaching life-skills such as balancing a checkbook and completing a resume is a very important part of the organization. This chairperson can also work with the Activity Committee Chairperson to plan personal/professional development speakers for the SPURs.
The executive board consists of President, Vice President, Secretary, Activity Committee Chairperson, Correspondent Chairperson, and Leadership Development Chairperson that have already been elected. The officers are those who have been elected to the positions during the second semester. The officers will shadow the members of the executive board and take over the duties at the end of the school year starting with the assignment of Pony (Ponies) to each SPURS member.
Article V: Elections
The executive board shall be elected by simple majority at a designated meeting of the general membership to be held in early spring of each year in order to shadow current officers. Each executive board member will serve for a one-year term. At least two weeks notice shall be given before the election meeting.
If an executive board member fails to meet job duties of his/her position, the executive board members, other than the one in question, will vote to remove the executive board member in question by an eighty percent (4/5) majority vote. The executive board member in question can have a mediation with the executive board prior to removal.
If an officer position becomes vacant in the fall semester or within the first two months of the spring semester a formal election procedure will be held for the vacant position. If the position becomes vacant within a month of spring elections the executive board may appoint an organization member to fill the role until formal spring elections.
Article VI: Advisor
The SPURS organization shall have an advisor who will come to all executive board meetings and SPURS sponsored events. The advisor shall inform SPURS members of known incoming Pony (Ponies) by the end of July via email. The advisor will act as a resource for all SPURS members and Pony (Ponies).
Article VII: Notice of Meetings
The times for regularly scheduled general membership meetings shall be at least once a month or as needed, determined by the executive board.
At least one week shall be given for each regular general membership meeting.
The times for regularly scheduled executive board meetings shall be twice a month or as needed, determined by executive board.
The meetings shall include an order of business and disposition of the minutes distributed by the Vice President prior to the scheduled meeting time.
Article VIII: Responsibilities of SPUR Members
SPURS members shall:
- Contact Pony (Ponies) a minimum of three weeks prior to move in day.
- Contact Pony (Ponies) once the school year has started once a week to check in and offer help and support as needed.
- Alert Pony (Ponies) of upcoming SPURS sponsored events.
- Make sure that Pony (Ponies) is aware of study hall hours
- Attend every meeting unless an emergency should arise. The executive board shall review each SPURS member should he/she miss more than two meetings without an acceptable excuse or fail to carry out the responsibilities. The executive board has the power to suspend a SPURS member and reassign the Pony (Ponies).
- Must be active in the committee he/she is assigned to.
Article VIII
The Operating Code will be reviewed on an annual basis each fall semester and submitted to the designated SPURS advisor.
