With restrictions easing, Athletics makes long-awaited return for Fall 2021 semester
With restrictions easing, Athletics makes long-awaited return for Fall 2021 semester
July 19, 2021
The long wait for the Community College of Rhode Island’s student athletes finally
ends this fall as collegiate sports returns for the first time in more than a year
since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Team meetings and practices resume August 1, followed by live game action beginning
later in the month. CCRI’s Fall 2021 season includes men’s and women’s soccer, men’s
and women’s cross country, and women’s volleyball.
The season officially opens August 27 with the men’s soccer team traveling to UMass-Dartmouth,
which will be CCRI’s first game in any sport since March 12, 2020 – a span of 533
days – when the men’s basketball team closed out its season in the National Junior
College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III Tournament with a 109-93 loss to
Columbus State.
“After a year and more with our student athletes unable to compete, I am eagerly looking
forward to seeing them on the fields and courts this fall,” said CCRI Dean of Students
Michael Cunningham. “Our student athletes work and train hard and I am excited that
they will have the opportunity to display their skills again this year. I hope our
students, faculty, and staff show up in strength at our home events this fall to welcome
the Knights back to play and lend them our full support.”
Interim Director of Athletics Kevin Salisbury, said relaunching sports in the fall,
even with coaches and student athletes committed to their roles, will resemble “starting
a program from scratch.” Win-loss records and results won’t matter as much as reestablishing
the protocols and policies the college adhered to before the start of the pandemic.
“This will very much be a work in progress,” Salisbury said, “but it’s a welcome return
to normalcy for both the college and our student athletes.”
On the same day as CCRI’s last game played, the NJCAA – the governing body for all
two-year colleges – announced it was canceling its DI and DII men’s and women’s basketball
tournaments; the DIII tournament, which CCRI competed in, was already underway, so
those schools were allowed to finish until a champion was crowned. Four days later,
the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) followed suit by canceling its
DI men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in addition to all remaining winter and
spring NCAA championships.
With the 2020-21 academic year rapidly approaching, the NJCAA announced in June of
2020 a plan of action for its fall and winter sports seasons, allowing individual
member institutions to decide whether or not to resume athletics based on their ability
to follow safety protocols.
Salisbury explored the idea of CCRI returning to the field for the Fall 2020 semester,
but the biggest challenge, he said, was coming up with a plan that satisfied state
and NJCAA COVID guidelines. Even if a plan had been approved, Salisbury said, it would
have been difficult to find opponents to compete against since a large number of CCRI’s
regional rivals decided to forego athletics for the entire 2020-21 academic year.
CCRI found itself in the same boat this past year as many others: Waiting on the proverbial
sideline until the pandemic allowed for a more realistic return to action.
Some programs were hit harder than others; softball, baseball, and outdoor track and
field each lost two full seasons due to the pandemic. Student athletes in those sports
who were freshmen during the 2019-20 academic year never got the opportunity to suit
up.
When the time came to submit a new plan to both CCRI administration and the R.I. Department
of Health, Salisbury made sure all bases were covered in terms of player, staff, and
fan safety.
The recently-established vaccine mandate for all students attending in-person classes
this fall should also help expedite the process and ensure student-athlete safety
once play resumes.
“I look forward to coaching again, and I look forward to bringing runners to meets
again,” said Gregg Cornell, who has been the college’s cross country and track and
field coach since 1989 and the indoor track coach since 2002. “The biggest challenge
will be getting athletes back in person after 15 months of remote instruction, but
we’re thankful to be back in action and we’re hoping for the best.”
Michael Marrapodi has joined CCRI as the new Executive Director of Online Learning. He has been involved with education since teaching music at a private school during his senior year of college in 1976 and is now an innovative leader in the online learning sector.
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The Community College of Rhode Island's (CCRI) student-run theatre group, the CCRI Players, proudly marks half a century of participation in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Region 1, held this year at Central Connecticut State University. Over the five-day event, the Players distinguished themselves by securing 10 awards across various disciplines, including acting and properties design.
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Michael Marrapodi has joined CCRI as the new Executive Director of Online Learning. He has been involved with education since teaching music at a private school during his senior year of college in 1976 and is now an innovative leader in the online learning sector.
Second-year Biology student, PTK scholar helps feed the homeless one sandwich at a time
November 26, 2024
Eighteen-year-old Rhode Island Promise scholar and Warwick, RI, resident Lucas Johnson revived an old family tradition this past summer with Sandwich Party Sundays – a unique opportunity to spread joy and good cheer to Providence's homeless population each weekend at Kennedy Plaza.
A Providence, RI, native, and Community College of Rhode Island Class of 2011 alumna, Flavia A. Albert, M.A., is on the verge of releasing her first children's book next month to combine her passion for behavioral health and early childhood development with her love for storytelling.
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March 31, 2025
The CCRI Dental Hygiene Clinic’s upcoming Sealant and Fluoride Community Day on Friday, April 25, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Lincoln Campus will provide free dental sealants and fluoride treatments for children and teens ages 6 to 17. The event will be led by CCRI’s dental hygiene students, who will provide preventative care under the supervision of licensed professionals.
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Warwick, RI- Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) student and Warwick resident, Lucas Johnson, has been named a 2025 New Century Transfer Scholar and will receive a $2,250 scholarship.
Governor McKee, CCRI Announces Launch of Associate Degree in Culinary Craftsmanship
March 07, 2025
NEWPORT, RI – Governor Dan McKee and the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) today announced the launch of an associate in arts degree in Culinary Craftsmanship on CCRI’s Newport Campus in fall 2025. To support this initiative, Governor McKee is proposing $850,000 to create a Culinary and Hospitality hub at CCRI’s Newport Campus. The hub will serve as a state-of-the-art learning environment designed to meet the growing demand for skilled culinary professionals in Rhode Island’s workforce.
CCRI Metallica Scholars: Forging Paths to Success in Healthcare
March 05, 2025
For students like Esther Duran, of Providence, Wanda Wrobleski, of Cumberland, and Richard Garcia, of Providence, the journey to a fulfilling career in healthcare has been transformed thanks to the Community College of Rhode Island and the Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI). Funded by a $75,000 grant from the legendary rock band’s foundation, All Within My Hands, this initiative provides financial support to students enrolled in CCRI’s Medical Assistant and Patient Support Specialist workforce training programs—helping to alleviate financial burdens and empower students to focus on their education and career goals.
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March 05, 2025
Warwick, RI- The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) Women’s Basketball teamshowcased their dominance once again in the NJCAA Region XXI Conference, securing the regional title for the fourth year in a row and, punching their ticket to the National Tournament.
WARWICK, RI – The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) Players continue their 2024–25 season with a bold and thought-provoking production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Assassins, running March 6–9 at the Bobby Hackett Theatre on CCRI's Knight Campus.
The Community College of Rhode Island's (CCRI) student-run theatre group, the CCRI Players, proudly marks half a century of participation in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Region 1, held this year at Central Connecticut State University. Over the five-day event, the Players distinguished themselves by securing 10 awards across various disciplines, including acting and properties design.
February marks Black History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of Black Americans in this country; a time to acknowledge the lasting achievements of the people of the African diaspora who have shaped American history; and a time to walk alongside today’s Black leaders as they lead the work to create a truly anti-racist, inclusive community for all.
The Community College of Rhode Island announces its Fall 2024 Dean's List. Students enrolled in a degree program who have completed 12 credits with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher this semester with no grade lower than “C” are eligible for this scholastic honor.
World Languages student and Rhode Island native wins fifth Emmy Award for film-editing technology
December 13, 2024
Cranston, RI, native Thomas Ohanian, a World Languages & Cultures student completing his independent study, recently won his fifth Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Award for co-inventing the Avid Multicamera System, a technology that has revolutionized the film-making and editing industry.
College's Division of Workforce Partnerships earns 2024 PACE-RI Academic Partnership Award
December 12, 2024
The Community College of Rhode Island’s Division of Workforce Partnerships has won the 2024 PACE-RI Academic Partnership Award for its work in developing free training programs to help upskill more than 50 employees through online trainings and in-person courses at PACE’s East Providence, RI, headquarters and CCRI’s Providence Campus.
CCRI Players tackle themes of doubt and uncertainty with final production of fall semester
December 12, 2024
Beginning today, the CCRI Players launch a four-day run of John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt: A Parable, produced by CCRI Performing Arts Professor Luke Sutherland and scheduled for five performances at the college’s Providence Campus Auditorium. Showtimes are 7:30 pm Thursday through Saturday with 2 pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday.
Michael Marrapodi has joined CCRI as the new Executive Director of Online Learning. He has been involved with education since teaching music at a private school during his senior year of college in 1976 and is now an innovative leader in the online learning sector.
Second-year Biology student, PTK scholar helps feed the homeless one sandwich at a time
November 26, 2024
Eighteen-year-old Rhode Island Promise scholar and Warwick, RI, resident Lucas Johnson revived an old family tradition this past summer with Sandwich Party Sundays – a unique opportunity to spread joy and good cheer to Providence's homeless population each weekend at Kennedy Plaza.
A Providence, RI, native, and Community College of Rhode Island Class of 2011 alumna, Flavia A. Albert, M.A., is on the verge of releasing her first children's book next month to combine her passion for behavioral health and early childhood development with her love for storytelling.
