The Men’s Lacrosse coach is requiring players to spend up to four hours a week in a study hall this semester.

“The decision was mine,” Men’s Lacrosse coach Joe Stanilaus said. “We needed something to help us improve our GPA from last year.”

Study halls run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and are supervised by Stanilaus. Athletes who have low grades in their classes or past-due school work are required to attend. Others spend the time working out in the gym with the rest of the team.

Along with goals that coaches set for their teams on the field of play, Stanilaus has set academic goals, he said. “My goal every year for my team is to have a 3.0 team GPA,” Stanilaus said. “Study hall is definitely going to help our guys achieve that and also help in the long run.”

Stanilaus said the team “fell short” of the 3.0 GPA goal last semester.

Second-year criminal justice student James Dipietro Jr, who plays midfield for Men’s Lacrosse, called study hall “beneficial. … It gives mandatory time for players to get their work done so they can be eligible come spring.”

Dipietro’s teammate Rahsaan Johnson, who plays attack, agreed. “It’s like a family matter,” said Johnson, a second-year transfer studies student. “When a teammate is struggling with work or having a hard time understanding something, they can look to a teammate to help them out.”

“Coach is very big on grades,” said Dipietro. “[Coach] not only helps us stay eligible, but helps us have good grades as a unit.”

Johnson said study halls help build chemistry before the season even starts. “That’s where the team chemistry starts,” said Johnson. “So yes, I would say study hall is very beneficial to me and my teammates.”