21 minute read
WHATEVER IT TAKES
In a Landscape Transformed by COVID-19, Manhattan Shines Through
In the spring of 2021, as the world entered the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that public health-related restrictions and limitations would be in place for an indefinite time. Yet, there were also reasons for hope. Chief among them, the widening availability of several vaccines, which opened up greater possibilities for much-missed in-person interactions. At Manhattan College, that meant fuller classrooms, busier and more numerous events, and new opportunities to connect with prospective students. Inperson classes fully resumed for the fall 2021 semester. For Jaspers, it was a welcome return to the Manhattan that so many know and love.
BY CECILIA DONOHOE
(This page) The campus was feeling a bit more “normal” during the start of the fall semester this past August. (Opposite page) The Admissions team was able to offer in-person campus tours starting in summer 2020. According to Nick Marter, associate director of undergraduate admissions, many larger universities weren’t able to do so. “It took a lot of reimagining and really careful, thoughtful planning,” he says. In-person Accepted Students Days returned this spring. Ben Boivin ’09, ’15 (M.S.), director of undergraduate admissions, notes: “A student I met commented how unscripted and authentic everyone was. People just care about each other on this campus.”
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT: MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE
While the numbers of vaccinated students, faculty and staff steadily increased during the spring and summer of 2021, state and city restrictions, as well as public health concerns, meant that large events typically held on campus were still prohibited. College divisions reimagined offerings as scaled-down, hybrid and remote events. The Admissions office, in particular, deployed inventive strategies as they reconfigured new student recruitment.
“We’ve been able to reach out to more people through technologies like Zoom and Google Meet,” says Ben Boivin ’09, ’15 (M.S.), director of undergraduate admissions. “Now we have the opportunity to talk to people around the world like we’ve never had before. A lot of preliminary meetings take place on an iPad. So it’s keeping our staff safe, and it’s keeping families safe.”
The Admissions team hosted three virtual Accepted Students Days in April 2021, featuring academic breakout sessions, student life panels and remote campus tours. More than 500 high school students and their families participated. Giving prospective students a warm Jasper welcome in the virtual space required the participation of colleagues from across the College, from professors and deans to Marketing and Communication and Information Technology Services.
Admissions counselors, often the first personal point of contact during the college search process, also had to rethink ways to connect with prospective students.
“In the pre-COVID world, I normally do about 200 in-person events,” says Nick Marter, associate director of undergraduate admissions, whose territory encompasses Long Island, New York. “Last year, I was at two. Everything else was virtual.” With recruitment at high schools no longer an option, he got creative, setting up an “office” at a Panera Bread and offering appointments to families within a 10-mile radius.
“Over three sessions, I had 40 students and families take advantage,” he says. “They were anxious to meet in person and wanted that human experience. Other counselors did something similar in their territories.”
Despite the success of virtual events and off-campus meetings, the Admissions team was determined to bring prospective students to Riverdale.
“Our campus is a distinguishing factor that separates us from so many schools that students are considering,” Marter says. “We have a green, physical college campus, and we also have New York City. Plenty of schools sell one or the other. Very, very few have both. We just tried to get as many people on campus as possible, within our constraints.”
To make sure everyone who wanted to visit campus could do so, the Admissions office went all out. Campus tour groups were capped in size and increased in frequency, with proof of vaccination required for all visitors. Information sessions were presented in large rooms to allow for social distancing, and even outdoors on the O’Malley Library terrace. Those who couldn’t make it to campus for a tour received Manhattan-branded gear in the mail. An interactive, 360-degree virtual tour is available on the College’s website, “So students can see what they want, when they want,” Boivin says.
Recognizing the myriad constraints placed upon high school students during the pandemic, the College continued its suspension of the application requirement to submit standardized test scores like the SAT or ACT.
“It does provide more equity among everyone going through the application process,” Marter explains, “whether it be financial concerns with sending scores or just a lack of test prep available to certain communities. It definitely allowed for more people to consider Manhattan College, giving us an even more diverse applicant pool than in the past.”
By last fall, with a vaccination requirement in effect for all faculty, staff, students and guests, in-person classes had fully resumed. The time was deemed right to once again host an in-person, on-campus fall Open House. Admissions staff worked with the One Manhattan office to ensure that all health and safety protocols were followed for the more than 1,000 guests who came to campus. Welcome sessions were staggered to allow for socially distanced seating in Smith Auditorium and the Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers; presentations on academics and clubs were held in the expansive space of Draddy Gymnasium; and refreshments were provided outdoors, as were entertainment and campus tours.
The day’s success exemplified the kind of collective effort that sets Manhattan apart, and holds such appeal for prospective students and their families.
“Guests commented on the talented singers and jazz musicians, the knowledgeable faculty and current students, the friendly support of our essential staff and registration team, the well-organized food and refreshments, and the overall messaging of our commitment to students,” Boivin noted in a thank-you message to the College. “I have never seen such an engaged group of prospective students and families. The beautiful weather didn’t hurt our efforts, but it was the community that made all the difference.”
This spring held even more promise for the future, as the College rolled out the carpet for the future class of 2026 at three Accepted Students Days. Hosted on campus for the first time in two years, the events offered 1,900 students and their families the complete Manhattan experience: They toured the Riverdale campus, met with Athletics representatives, attended an interdisciplinary panel discussion, learned about clubs and activities from Student Life staff and, of course, discussed academic programs with faculty members and deans. Visitors appreciated the warm Jasper welcome they received.
“One of my favorite comments came from a mother who said they went to another accepted student event and didn’t get to speak with a faculty member,” Boivin says. “At Manhattan College, they met with the dean of the school.”
STUDENT LIFE REBOUNDS
With the return of fully in-person classes and activities in fall 2021, students took advantage of the chance to socialize, share their talents and give back. (From top to bottom) Movies on the Quad, sponsored by Student Engagement, offered something for a range of cinematic tastes, from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery to Godzilla vs. Kong. The Manhattan College Singers performed two a cappella numbers, I’ll Be Home for Christmas and We Believe, as a prelude to the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall in November. Members of the kinesiology honor society Phi Epsilon Kappa wrapped presents collected through their Christmas toy drive. (Opposite page, from left to right): Students enjoy Manhattan Madness in October. The Draddy Gymnasium bleachers were full, with 2,330 attendees showing their Jasper spirit. The campus community continued to follow One Manhattan health and safety protocols, including filling out a daily symptom tracker to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some of the fondest memories that are made at Manhattan happen outside the classroom. Whether cheering for the Jaspers at Gaelic Park, playing intramural volleyball, taking a Lasallian Outreach Volunteer Experience (L.O.V.E.) social justice immersion service trip, or holding down an internship, students enjoy myriad opportunities to enrich their college experience and foster personal growth. The loosening of restrictions on in-person interactions last fall resulted in a surge of participation in student activities back to pre-pandemic levels, reports John Bennett ’03, assistant vice president for student life.
“We brought back Movies on the Quad to start the semester, with food and music to add to the social aspect,” he says. “Students performed in our performing arts ensembles and spirit squads, and were active members of our clubs and student government.”
With limitations on the size of gatherings still in effect in New York City, it sometimes proved challenging to find events suitable for large groups. Nevertheless, the office of Student Engagement was able to bring hundreds of students to ticketed events, from Wicked on Broadway to Jets, Knicks, Rangers and Yankees games. The Singers even performed on stage at Radio City Music Hall. Popular on-campus events like LatinX Fest and Manhattan Madness required extra layers of planning and precautions. “The students did a great job with following procedures,” Bennett says. “From wearing masks to checking green passes and vaccinations, their attitude was great. There was never any pushback; everybody understood. There was a camaraderie about it.” Although most campus events are now back fully in person, Student Engagement staff plans to continue offering a virtual option for viewing guest lectures and concerts, which proved popular with students and allowed the College to bring in big-name guests who ordinarily might not be able to visit campus. Participation in remote Q&A sessions with speakers like Hamilton’s Leslie Odom Jr. and women’s soccer standout Abby Wambach was a high. “I’ve never seen a chat box like it,” Bennett says of the conversation with Odom Jr. “It was blowing up with hundreds of messages … it was amazing to see so many students interacting and how fast it was happening.” For underclassmen still acclimating to college life, intramural sports leagues, clubs and activities helped students form new friendships. Roommates Domenick Campisi ’24 and Liam Rayder ’24 joined in the fun, taking part in a neighborhood scavenger hunt and a pumpkin painting event, attending a Yankees game, and joining Green Club nature walks.
“I was surprised at how many student engagement events were going on,” Rayder says. “You get to meet people who are into the same kind of thing. Even going to one or two events helped me meet a lot of people.”
Jaspers also seized opportunities to help make a difference, relishing the chance to perform hands-on service once again. As president of the kinesiology honor society Phi Epsilon Kappa, Peter Calicchia ’22 helped organize a toy drive in partnership with St. Simon Stock – St. Joseph Catholic Church in the Bronx.
“We gathered 150 activity-based toys, such as a basketball, skateboard, bicycle helmet — anything that promotes movement — and brought them to the church for distribution to the local community,” he says.
Economics major Alana Pons ’22 returned to her work-study job in the office of Campus Ministry and Social Action, where she’s helping restart the L.O.V.E. program after a two-year hiatus.
John Bennett ’03, assistant vice president for student life
“A lot of underclassmen don’t know about the program, so we’re spreading the word on how they can get involved,” she says. “That’s one of the top priorities for the social action team right now. I’m really eager to make sure that after I graduate, the program [which is heading to Flint, Michigan, this summer] will stay as well-organized as it is today.”
For staff at the Center for Career Development, flexibility has been key to helping students connect with potential employers. They adapted to the various ways that companies are recruiting, such as recorded video and remote interviews. For example, quiet office spaces were set aside for students who needed to interview; thus avoiding untimely interruptions by roommates.
“There are some fields that are in-person, but we have to recognize that employers are still doing business in a very specific way,” explains Rachel Cirelli, director of career development. “The challenge has been to honor the in-person experience we want for the students but serve the employers, too. We’re finding a balance.”
Through the center’s W.I.S.E. (Women Inspiring Successful Enterprise) program, Pons pursued a remote internship with Christian Brothers Investment Services last summer.
“They are a company based in Chicago that’s working at the intersection of faith and finance,” she explains. “I wouldn’t have had that opportunity to work there had it been in person. I was able to connect with people in Chicago and other places around the U.S.”
Cirelli shares that it was especially rewarding to host a hybrid Spring Career Fair this past February, after almost two years of virtual career fairs. Forty-eight employers participated in person and 20 joined virtually, with more than 360 students participating across both formats.
“This one felt quite different because people were so happy to be in person,” she says. “The students have been asking for this. The employers appreciated it, and many sent alumni to campus. By facilitating good in-person events, it’s going to give our students an advantage because employers have met them.”
For students like Pons, the behind-the-scenes effort by Career Development staff is paying off.
“My internship was very crucial in my next career steps after college,” she says. “Now that I’m applying to jobs, I feel more confident. I’m very grateful because I do feel as though Manhattan College made a great effort for students to not feel set back in any way.”
ACADEMICS: ADAPTING AND THRIVING
When classes resumed fully in-person for the fall 2021 semester, “it was such a joy,” recalls Michael Grabowski, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of communication. “Everyone was just elated. It felt like a reunion of sorts. I met some students for the first time in person who I’ve been working with for the past year, and saw students reunited with each other. It was just such a pleasure to get back together in the same space.”
That said, getting back to a fully in-person environment required some adjustments.
“There was a lot of review, testing and startup that took extra time,” he says. “Our facilities were basically sitting quiet for a year. We had to make sure equipment was working and replace equipment that fell out of date while we were remote. Students were relearning tasks on new gear.”
Kelly Daggett-Nemesh ’04, director of chemistry labs, had a similar experience. As an instructor for mostly freshman-level courses, “It was different for everyone to get back into the groove of, ‘We’re not sitting in front of a computer anymore,’” she says. “They seemed a little further behind in their skills than they would normally be. It’s been a learning curve of getting everyone caught up.”
Remote teaching gave Daggett-Nemesh tools that she now uses for in-person instruction. For instance, she uses videos that she recorded for conducting remote labs as a demonstration tool.
“I think being remote made us rethink how we were approaching things and redesign some aspects of the course that we can utilize,” she says. “There were some benefits that came out of what we had to do.”
That takeaway applies to students, as well. After taking the spring semester off, communication major Samantha Gaddy ’22 returned to a busy fall, producing a short film, Seen, as an assignment for Grabowski’s field and post-production class.
“It was interesting because, with COVID, how do you film something?” she says. “How do you have production when you can’t film indoors? You want everyone to be safe, but you also don’t want masks in the film if they don’t pertain to the story.” Despite the restrictions, the budding filmmaker received encouraging feedback: Seen won the audience choice award at a film festival, the Lift-Off First-Time Filmmaker Session.
Students also welcomed the chance to be in the same classrooms with their peers. Campisi, an engineering major, says he is happy with the change from his freshman year, which consisted of a mix of inperson and remote classes.
“While online, it’s easier to get distracted,” he says. “I’m more of a hands-on person, so if I’m not physically in class taking notes, it’s a little bit hard for me to completely understand the material. Now it definitely feels more connected. We’re able to do group work. It’s a lot better.”
Jeffrey Cherubini, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology, prefers that approach, too. “From the beginning, as a department, we taught the majority of our classes hybrid,” he says. “For the learning and
(Opposite page) Kelly Daggett-Nemesh ’04, director of chemistry labs, supervises Ananda Burgos ’25 and Cynthia Dreps ’25 as they analyze synthesized salt for oxalate content during a lesson in oxidation-reduction reactions in lab 4.09 in the Higgins Engineering and Science Center. (This page, clockwise from top left) Masking was required in all classrooms during the fall 2021 semester and continued through most of the spring semester. A production still from Seen, a short film shot by sports media production major Samantha Gaddy ’22. She held an internship at CBS Sports and has been offered a studio coordinator position with the network. Winston Peters ’02 leads the kickoff to the O’Malley School of Business Innovation Challenge, an annual competition that encourages students to generate ideas for products or services. Matthew Toscanini ’24 uses volumetric glassware for Daggett-Nemesh’s General Chemistry II class.
Peter Calicchia ’22
the atmosphere, it was very important to me to have the in-person element. We set up all the classrooms and made the mini gym [in Alumni Hall] into an additional classroom to provide more space.”
Hands-on instruction was a consideration. “That was challenging, but we adapted and came up with different plans in order to accomplish the same goals,” Cherubini says. “We made short videos when needed for labs. Students filmed themselves doing different types of movements, as well as taping or rehabilitation.”
Calicchia, a kinesiology major, took all of his classes remotely in spring 2021. He missed seeing his classmates in person, but says they still managed to hold each other accountable, “even if it meant staying on Google Meet after class just to talk and say, ‘What’s up?’ Those five minutes mean a lot. Once we were back in person, that was just a rejuvenation of all the friendships we had.”
Grabowski acknowledges that the trials of the past two years have affected everyone to varying degrees.
“I have to recognize the burden that all of the faculty in my department have been under,” he says. “I want to find ways of making sure that either students or faculty don’t burn out, that they can get through this. It already has gotten so much better than last year. We are not 100% there, but we’re on the way.”
Reflecting on his experiences as a college student during the pandemic, Calicchia is philosophical.
“One of the things you gain is adaptability,” he says. “You can’t change the situation. You still have to go to school and make it work. I always have a mindset oriented to the long-term. If something else gets thrown at me in the future, I know I can adapt to it and thrive.”
Years from now, Gaddy thinks she’ll look back at her time at Manhattan with no regrets.
“I feel very secure in the fact that I chose to go to this school in particular,” she says. “Despite COVID, despite all the fear that it brought, I think I went to a school that handled it very well and kept me safe. So I can only say that I’m grateful.”
(Left) The mini gym in Alumni Hall was reconfigured as a classroom to accommodate social distancing. Here, kinesiology students build towers out of marshmallows and sticks as a leadership awareness activity. Each group is composed of in-person and virtual students (via laptop). While teaching hybrid classes, Jeffrey Cherubini, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology recalls, “I was always making eye contact with the remote students while also paying attention to the students in the classroom.” (Right) With health and safety protocols in place on campus, there were greater opportunities for in-person socializing. The Kelly Commons lounge is again one of the most popular spots to meet up and hang out on campus.
Alumni and Donor Relations: A “Pay-It-Forward Model”
“EDUCATION IS NOT PREPARATION FOR LIFE; EDUCATION IS
LIFE ITSELF.” American philosopher and educator John Dewey wrote those words more than a century ago. Today, despite the hardships and uncertainties wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Jaspers are proving the truth of Dewey’s words. By showing up for alma mater in countless ways, alumni and friends underscore the power and promise of a Manhattan College education.
“If you look at the last 169 years of Manhattan’s existence, there have definitely been tough times in society,” says Kevin Courtney, director of the capital campaign. “But because the College learned how to be successful in lean times, we’ve also learned how to be successful when times are not lean.”
During the first year of the pandemic, the College’s Advancement division remained in touch with alumni and friends through virtual meetings and events.
“We were conducting a lot of outreach just to see how everyone was doing,” Courtney says. “I think it did essentially reflect our values, our culture.”
Virtual offerings hosted by the office of Alumni Relations included an alumni author speaker series, themed receptions from engineering to bourbon tasting, and presentations on timely topics like Navigating the Post-COVID Job Market. A virtual presidential tour gave President Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., the opportunity to connect with alumni from different time zones across the country, as well as Europe. Outdoor events like the Jasper Open golf outing, the Jaspers Sporting Clays Classic and the Construction Industry Golf Tournament were able to continue, and plans for an on-campus, in-person 2022 Reunion Weekend were well underway.
“I am grateful to the Alumni Relations team and my colleagues for their dedication and commitment to ensuring that our alumni stayed connected with the College during a very challenging time,” says Louis Calvelli, director of alumni relations. “While virtual offerings are not a substitute for inperson events, we learned that they provide opportunities to bring together individuals who may not be able to travel to Riverdale. We look forward to hosting a full schedule of events that continue to engage and inform our alumni.”
In recent months, the return of in-person gatherings meant that Jaspers could join in beloved, long-standing events that had been postponed or canceled the previous year. Celebrations held in the fall of 2021 included the President’s Dinner at the Rainbow Room in New York City; the Benefactor Appreciation Reception at Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York; and the De La Salle Medal Dinner honoring Lynn Martin ’98, then-president of fixed income and data services at Intercontinental Exchange Inc., at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. (Read more about the 2021 dinner on page 44.) The 2022 De La Salle Medal Dinner in honor of John Desmarais ’85, J.D., founding partner of Desmarais LLP, was held on April 20.
“To have two successful De La Salle Medal Dinners within a six-month period was pretty incredible,” says Stephen White, assistant vice president for college advancement. “This was an extremely difficult time, and yet we have prospered as far as fundraising dollars.”
To drive this point home, one need only look at the numbers for the current capital campaign, Invest in the Vision: the Campaign for Manhattan. In March 2020, $131 million had been raised. By May 2022, that figure had grown to $193 million — and counting. Support for scholarships has been especially strong.
“Our alumni are really incredible because they haven’t forgotten,” Courtney says. “They believe in the importance of investing in excellence with young men and women who have great potential but without the financial means. It’s really a ‘pay-it-forward model’ with people who, although the years have gone by, have never forgotten what Manhattan means to them.”
White notes that, as families experienced financial fallout from the pandemic, the number of smaller donations to the College was impacted. However, those numbers are now rebounding.
“Our alumni, parents and friends — really all our supporters — have been consistent in their support,” White says. “Some weren’t able to donate at the start, but then returned. Overall, something that I’ve seen over my 15 years here, is that our alumni always stick with us. When they evaluate their giving profile, Manhattan is still a priority.”
