Issue 8, Spring 2017 - The Quadrangle

THE Volume 95, Issue 8

Q

UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924

March 7, 2017

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Composting Comes to Hungry? We’ve got the details on local Campus eats.

PAGE 5 Students Weigh in on “Study Drugs” PAGE 6

Meet M.C.’s Health Inside Personal Services and Training Programs at Counseling Directors the Fitness Center opinion

Dr. Shawn Ladda on Staying Healthy while at Students Grapple with School Demands of Diabetes PAGE 3 PAGE 12

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The

opinions & editorials

Quadrangle www.mcquad.org

Vol. 95 Issue 8 March 7, 2017

Stephen Zubrycky Editor-in-Chief Jack Melanson News Editor Haley Burnside Joseph Liggio Asst. News Editors Ally Hutzler Features Editor Managing Editor Megan Dreher Asst. Features Editor Taylor Brethauer Arts & Entertainment Editor Managing Editor Rose Brennan Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor RikkiLynn Shields Sports Editor Charles Lippolis Asst. Sports Editor Tara Marin Social Media Editor Catherine Goodyear Asst. Social Media Editor Victoria Hernández Multimedia Editor Aaron Mayorga Photography Editor Anja Pollozi Asst. Photography Editor Alyssa Velazquez Production Editor Abbi Kirollos Asst. Production Editor Daniel Molina August Kissel Web Editors Tom Callahan Faculty Adviser A tradition since 1924, The Quadrangle is a news organization run by the students of Manhattan College. We strive to cover news around campus and the greater community, publishing weekly in print and daily online. Our goal is always accuracy, relevancy and professionalism.

The staff of The Quadrangle meets every Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. in room 412 of the Student Commons.

Contact The Quadrangle at thequad@manhattan.edu The opinions expressed in The Quadrangle are those of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the College or the student body.

Letter from The Editor Dear Reader,

March 7, 2017

As I wrote in this space last week, it’s easy to lose sight of some important things in the heat of a busy semester at college. Whether it’s mental, physical or spiritual health, I think all of us can agree that there have been times when we’ve “let ourselves go” too far.

That’s what this special issue is all about- an inside look at health in college through the Jasper-green lens of life in our leafy corner of the greatest city on Earth.

For me, as a Roman Catholic, this issue comes at an important time of the year, Lent. This Lent, I am resolivng to make a better effort to stay in shape, and to put a greater focus on the health of my body, mind, spirit and interpersonal relationships.

We could all be a little healthier- and that’s what these pages are dedicated to.

Enjoy the break Stephen Zubrycky Editor in Chief

Letter to The Editor

Dear Editor, Thank you for allowing us the space in this issue in order to introduce ourselves and the work and message that we are trying to promote here on campus. Especially with the issue this month focusing on Health & Wellness it is now a pertinent time for everyone on campus to understand our mission as the student led Green Dot Action Committee. We want to not only promote the idea of health in a physical sense but also on a mental and emotion level. This is what we hope to instill with the students here at Manhattan College.

GreenDot is a bystander intervention program that believes on the two pillars that 1) any act of power based violence is not permitted here on campus and 2) everyone has a part to do when they do see acts of power based violence here on our campus. These acts of violence can be expressed in various ways not just in physical harm.

Power based violence can also be seen through stalking, intimidation, and coercion. This is a strategy used at campuses across the nation to measurably reduce violence, and with your help we can continue to make Manhattan College safer every day.

The GreenDot Action Committee will be holding monthly events and meetings for those interested to join us in spreading awareness and learning more about this program. If anyone would like to be put on the list for these meetings you can e-mail us at greendot@ manhattan.edu so that we can add you onto our list of members. We also have a Twitter and Instagram account at @GreenDotMC that students can follow in order to keep up with our events and monthly giveaways that we put on. Stay healthy and help to spread those Green Dots!

Sincerely, Manhattan College GreenDot Action Committee

Opinions & Editorials

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Got Health?

Dr. Shawn Ladda Guest Writer

The following is the opinion of a guest writer, and does not reflect the stance of The Quadrangle, its editorial board or Manhattan College.

I always think of my own college experience as a wonderful time of growth and excitement. It is a time that usually allows one to continue to impact all the dimensions of overall wellness including the physical, interpersonal/social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, intellectual, and occupational.

But some of these areas can be challenged with student’s adjustment to college, developing more independence from family, and trying to find a career path. And this can be overlaid with navigating the social scene, wanting to fit in, and dealing with peer pressure. The Centers for Disease Control identifies more specific challenges such as social and sexual pressures, temptation of readily available alcohol, drugs, and unhealthy food, challenge of getting enough sleep, and stress from trying to balance classes, friends, homework, jobs, athletics, and leadership positions (.https://www.cdc. gov/family/college/) With all of these possible challenges,

it is understandable the statistics according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (www.nami.org), NAMI reports that one in four students have a diagnosable illness, 40 percent do not seek help, 80 percent feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities, and 50 percent have been so anxious they struggled in school.

In order to maximize the college experience, what can college students do to stay healthy so that this growth and excitement permeates the college years?

Well, from the statistics about college student challenges and my own experience teaching at Manhattan College, I would offer the following suggestions: Mental health. Managing stress and anxiety in healthy ways is so important.

Most stressors are cognitive in nature or in other words the way we think about this stress can be problematic. Using cognitive techniques are useful and some examples include developing conflict resolution skills, disputing negative selftalk and assertiveness training, becoming more inner directed/less peer driven, and developing more confidence in self. Realize that we all have stress and anxiety and healthy levels for one isn’t all bad as it can motivate us into action. But if your levels are impacting your daily functioning, one should seek help. We have a great counseling center that offers many

services so I would encourage students to use this resource.

Sleep. Are you getting eight hours of sleep? If not, this can have a real impact on many areas of your college experience.

Nutrition. How do you eat? Following the principles of variety, moderation, and balance with our food choices can help boost your immune system and help in reducing sickness and increase overall functioning.

Substance abuse/alcohol and other drugs. Binge drinking is a big problem on college campuses. It can impact students in many negative ways. Can you be in a social situation without getting drunk? If not, maybe one needs to self-reflect why and to seek support in changing this behavior.

Avoiding sickness/infectious diseases.

Are you one who gets sick a lot? Proper nutrition, regular exercise, and adequate sleep can all contribute to prevention of sickness. Do you regularly wash your hands? Did you get a flu shot?

Exercise! Exercise! Exercise! Exercise boost our immune system functioning, elevates mood state, and increases academic performance. Set a goal to get at least 10,000 steps a day. There are many opportunities on campus to be active whether it is in the fitness center or taking part in a group exercise class in Alumni Hall, or

walking one of our natural stair masters on campus.

Lastly I would say, your college years go by quickly and you want to be able to avail yourself to all it can be. Being healthy will help you do just that. One can’t underestimate how surrounding yourself with positive and healthy people can be infectious. Get involved and volunteer for some community service, be a part of learning outside the classroom through student government, and/or study abroad.

Get Health!!!

Shawn Ladda, Ed.D.

Manhattan College/ Courtesy Shawn Ladda, Ed.D., is a professor of kinesiology at Manhattan College. She holds an Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University and joined the faculty at Manhattan College in 1994.

What Health Means to Me: A Health Major’s Perspective

Chelsey Zane Guest Writer

The following is the opinion of a guest writer, and does not reflect the stance of The Quadrangle, its editorial board or Manhattan College.

Through my studies in Dr. Cherubini’s Kinesiology and Public Health course, I am continually inspired to become more physically active. Furthermore, as one of the requirements for the course, I am required to support and encourage community-wide physical activity.

I have to admit, when I first heard that this is one of our requirements, I had no idea what direction I wanted to go towards.

I thought, thought and thought some more until it hit me. I would volunteer for the Special Olympics of New York. I contacted them and am very excited to announce that I will soon become a part of their incredible team of volunteers.

I will be working on the Games Man-

agement System database and taking inventory of sports equipment in stock (actuals). I also will be organizing equipment bins for competition and making phone calls to stakeholders. In addition to contributing to the Regional Report, I look forward to explaining to stakeholders the process of becoming an athlete, coach and volunteer for the amazing cause.

By being a student in Dr. Cherubini’s course this semester, students such as myself are provided with the confidence and tools to become an outstanding addition to a most meaningful cause.

Earlier in the semester, I greatly enjoyed learning about the World Health Organization Principles of Health Promotion which include: empowerment and inclusion, intersectoral collaboration, multidimensional initiatives, participatory programs and advocacy.

I believe that as being a Manhattan College student, it is part of my responsibility to empower those with disabilities and make sure that they are included in the Special Olympics as well as recognized for their outstanding athletic abilities. In

regards to intersectional collaboration, one of the things that I love about the Special Olympics of New York is that is lends itself to individuals with and without intellectual disabilities working together towards a common cause. It goes without saying that the very nature of Special Olympics of New York is multidimensional in how many facets are involved in their everyday work in order to promote positive health.

What’s unique about Special Olympics of New York are the athletes, they are the stars of the show and it couldn’t be done without the advocacy of those in the greater community.

To wrap up my piece, how does this relate to my perspective of physical activity on campus? Simple question. By definition, “physical activity is any bodily movement that results in energy expenditure.” This may sound a bit trivial but with every step that I walk to my courses here on campus, I know that I will be learning from the very best and brightest. The study of kinesiology has always fascinated me and being able to share my knowledge with others and make a difference to the lives of

the most deserving is something that is extremely rewarding. I feel very blessed to be a part of the Manhattan College community and I am excited to continue my daily physical activity on campus by walking to and from my courses taught by Dr. Cherubini and other outstanding professors.

Chelsey Zane

Chelsey Zane/ Courtesy Chelsey Zane is a junior allied health major, originally from Potomac, Md. She is the vice president of Alpha Epsilon Delta, Manhattan College’s honor society.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. Letters and opinions emailed to thequad@manhattan.edu will be considered for publication. No letters with profanity, hatespeech or vulgarity will be published.

Please see mcquad.org/contact for additional policies, procedures and information.

News

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Alcohol Abuse and the Silent Toll on Students Rose Brennan & Alyssa Velazquez

Assistant Editor & Editor Drinking culture is considered a prominent part of almost any college student’s social life, and Manhattan College is no exception. But serious consequences can occur when students do not drink responsibly.

In the year 2015, the college reported 163 liquor violations on campus. 161 of these incidents occurred in residence halls.

These numbers show a decrease in incidents in 2014, which showed 251 total reported liquor violations.

While violations of liquor laws are slowly decreasing at the college, incidents involving alcohol are still persisting on campus. The two most common problems are underage drinking and binge drinking.

According to a study done by the Journal of Studies on Alcohol, full-time college students aged 18-20 are significantly more likely to have used alcohol in the past month or to have binged compared to their peers not enrolled full time.

New York state law prohibits people under the age of 21 to consume alcohol.

“Individuals under 21 years of age may not possess or consume alcoholic beverages, nor may individuals over 21 years of age furnish alcoholic beverages to those less than 21 years of age,” the law says.

The college operates in compliance with these standards, as illustrated in the Student Code of Conduct.

Standard college policy states that first-time offenders will receive a fine and parental notification, among other consequences if deemed necessary. However, consequences prove more severe if repeat offenses occur.

According to Andrew Weingarten, Director of Residence Life, such consequences are aimed toward rehabilitation as opposed to punishment.

“A lot of it is geared toward education: supporting students learning and realizing the fact that college students might make mistakes now and then,” said Weingarten.

“The whole process in our work here serves to help educate them around that.”

Even after upperclassmen turn 21 and

March 7, 2017

“Moonlight” Crowned Amid Oscar Confusion; Trump Speaks Before Joint Session WORLD WEEKLY Daniel Molina Editor

Confusion at the Oscars After the producers, directors and actors of “La La Land took” the stage to accept the award for Best Picture, an unprecedented confusion took stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif., when they realized that they had mistakenly announced the winner, as “Moonlight” was the correct recipient of the award (the most prestigious recognition of the night).

Discraded beer cans in the planting bed outside Overlook Manor.

Stephen Zubrycky/The Quadrangle are allowed to legally consume alcohol, problems surrounding drinking can still arise. Of-age students can be at risk for high-risk practices such as binge drinking.

According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, “binge drinking” is defined as five or more drinks over the course of a few hours for males and four or more drinks for females.

Furthermore, excessive alcohol use is linked to health issues such as cancer, birth defects, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and unplanned pregnancies.

“Excessive intoxication is not good for you. It’s risky. A lot of bad things can come from it. So I’m just as much concerned about someone over 21 drinking excessively or misusing alcohol as I am about someone under 21 even using alcohol,” said Weingarten.

Binge-drinking is often considered a way of socializing in college, as alcohol consumption is highest among students active in Greek life according to the National

FACTS OF THE MATTER • 49 percent of Bronx County adults report any alcohol use in the past month. Out of those who drink, 36 percent report binge drinking.

• “Binge” drinking is described as five or more drinks over the course of a few hours for a male and four or more drinks for females.

• Excessive alcohol use is linked to many health issues including cancer, birth defects, STIs, and unplanned pregnancies.

• Over half of Bronx youth usually consume liquor.

• About 1 in 4 college students report academic consequences from drinking, including missing class, falling behind in class, doing poorly on exams or papers, and receiving lower grades overall.

• About 20 percent of college students meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, but there can be underlying issues that lead to students abusing alcohol.

According to Shawn Ladda, Ph.D., a kinesiology professor at the college, drinking is often practiced so that a student can fit in.

“In college it might be that somebody is trying to fit in because that is what their peers are doing, so they want to fit in. They might be experiencing anxiety related to doing well in academics, time management, and they seek out alcohol as a coping mechanism,” she said.

Drinking alcohol is often perceived as a way to relieve the academic and social pressures of college, but it is not the most effective way due to consequences or patterns that can develop later in life. Students will be more vulnerable to becoming dependent on alcohol after they graduate from college through participating in activities such as binge-drinking while still in school.

As an effort to combat binge-drinking on campus, the college community has seen an increase in extracurricular activities and events that allow the students to socialize without the need to consume alcohol.

Though these extracurricular activities are proving to be successful, Weingarten maintains his belief that the most important aspect of college is getting an education.

“You’re here for a reason; you’re paying good money for it. And to be drinking under 21 or to be misusing alcohol at any age is going to result in problems,” he said.

For students who continue to struggle with alcohol use disorders (AUDs), there are many support networks available, including counseling, health services and even a chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous, which meets on campus once a week.

“This is a college where a lot of good support and help is in place if you think you have a problem with it,” Weingarten said.

Any students who feel they may be experiencing alcohol-related problems are urged to contact any of the several student resource centers on campus.

Trump Proposes Defense Spending Boost, $54 Billion in Cuts to ‘Most Federal Agencies’ President Donald J. Trump’s first budget proposal will look to increase defense and security spending by $54 billion and cut roughly the same amount from nondefense programs. The budget blueprint would increase defense spending to $603 billion and decrease non-defense discretionary spending to $462 billion, said Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney.

Source: CNN Politics President Trump Addresses Congress President Trump, in his first address to a joint session of Congress said he was eager to reach across party lines and put aside, “trivial fights” to help Americans.

He called on Congress to work with him on health care, changing the tax code and rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure and military. He also raised questions about his policy priorities and how he plans to achieve them, especially on immigration.

Source: The New York Times Investigators Probed Jeff Sessions’ Contacts with Russian Officials U.S. investigators examined contacts Attorney General Jeff Sessions had with Russian officials during the time he was advising Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, according to people familiar with the matter. During his confirmation hearing for attorney general in January, Mr. Sessions testified under oath that he had no contact with Russian officials as a campaign surrogate and never discussed the 2016 election with Russian officials.

Source: The Wall Street Journal Snap Inc. IPO Price Rose 44 percent from the Price Set. Snap had a resounding debut on the NYSE this past Thursday, with its share price rising 44 percent to $24.48 from the IPO price set at $17. The company raised $3.4 billion in the process. Even though it is still profitable, Snap is valued at close to $28 billion. In February, eMarketer projected that 70.4 million Americans would use Snapchat in 2017, driven by users in the 45-54 years’ age group.

News

Keeping Waste from Going to Waste: Composting on Campus

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Tara Marin Editor

If you live in the United States, it’s likely that you do some sort of recycling on a regular basis; you separate your paper from your plastic from your glass, metal, or cardboard, and so on, and sort everything into the right place. We often assume that this alone is helping our environment, but is it enough?

Americans seem to be wasteful in their nature. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, up to 40 percent of food in the U.S. goes uneaten everyday. In New York City alone, organic waste makes up one-third of all waste generated by businesses.

Most of this uneaten food ends up in landfills. However, some of it is composted. Thanks to some Gourmet Dining staff and student organizers, Manhattan College will likely begin composting organic leftovers from Locke’s Loft Dining Hall.

Spearheading this program is senior biology major and president of the Green Club, Thérèse Kelly. This change has been a long time coming for her and the rest of the club.

Last year, she and her co-president at the time met with administration and staff to propose and explore the possibility of composting, which was approved.

“I have been working on making the program become a reality, by volunteering at compost sites throughout the city to learn more about the process, learning about the necessary components for a successful compost initiative in a college setting, and most importantly, incorporating discussions about campus composting into our regular Green Club meetings,” Kelly said.

Within the Green Club is the Compost Crew, who are at the forefront of this project. They’ve recently finished writing up their plan of action for the compost program.

Kelly, a member of the club since freshman year, has a significant amount of knowledge about and experience with composting under her belt. To her, composting doesn’t feel like a chore.

“I enjoy volunteering with local environmentally oriented organizations, espe-

Students in the Green Club in the garden outside of Lee Hall. Therese Kelly/Courtesy cially Friends of Van Cortlandt Park. Over winter break I volunteered at a couple of Bronx compost sites run by the NYC Compost Project in order to gain hands on familiarity with the compost process. Members of the Green Club also volunteered at the site in VCP in the early fall,” she said.

NYC as a whole has recently begun to crack down on food waste; last July, big businesses that generate a large amount of food waste will have to separate out their organic waste for composting or other approved processing. This includes hotels, stadiums, food manufacturers and wholesalers.

The Compost Crew is hoping to begin the project this semester, but a lot of preparation is required to make it possible.

“We’ve spent the last six weeks of the semester discussing and writing up our proposal, so that we have our plan of action to follow and carry out. We have to first determine the amount of organic waste we want to divert in our pilot project, which will allow us to select the correct compost unit as well as determine the other appropriate materials we will need to compost that specific amount of organics,” Kelly said.

Kelly sees both an “environmental benefit and educational value” in this movement.

“It would reduce the amount of organic waste occupying landfill space and create a nutrient-rich soil supplement that could be used on the campus landscape. This would be the ultimate sustainable practice, because it would repurpose food waste at the college as a natural fertilizer for the grounds at the college,” she said.

Kelly also points out that it would provide learning opportunities for students interested in abiotic and biotic components of composting.

“As a biology major, I think it would be amazing if science students could study the microorganisms that are responsible for the decomposition of the organic matter,” she said.

The compost site will be located in the Lee Hall Garden, and the Compost Crew will be collecting pre-consumer food scraps, such as fruit and vegetable peels that are rendered during food preparation in Locke’s. Post-consumer food waste, which is what’s left on student plates, will not be used in the program.

from left to right: Thomas Oakes, Daniel Aguirre (Vice President), Daniel Sultana, Thérèse Kelly (President), Anthony Morfea (Treasurer), Dan Derocher prep the Lee Hall Garden to be the campus composting site. Therese Kelly/Courtesy

This past weekend, Green Club members raked, weeded, and collected trash around the garden in order to prep it for composting. Kelly also credits campus faculty for their support in making it all come together.

“Our collection of organics for composting will be through Gourmet Dining, and so we are working closely with Mr. Brian Weinstein to coordinate a plan by which the Compost Crew can pick up the food scraps on a regular schedule. We have also been working closely with Mr. Andy Ryan (VP of Facilities), who has supported the idea of a compost program from the beginning and who always offers his time and assistance with the progression of the program. Physical Plant staff have also been wonderful in supplying and transporting tools and materials for our work projects,” Kelly said.

Weinstein, General Manager of Gourmet Dining, voiced his encouragement for the compost program to The Quad as well.

“Gourmet Dining supports the MC compost crew in organic waste needs and any support needed. [We] always take an environmentally friendly approach on the day to day basis. This is a very positive practice on campus. I am all for it,” Weinstein said.

Jennifer Senecal, the dietitian nutritionist for Gourmet Dining, was also thrilled to hear about the initiative.

“It makes so much sense when you have a large dining facility with a lot of food waste-to repurpose as much as possible. Composting is a great way to do so.

Gourmet Dining, as a company, is always working to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly - which I love,” Senecal said.

Senecal’s background in nutrition involves the study of policies that govern our food sources.

“From this perspective, we, as a nation, have a lot of work to do in cleaning up our food system. Much of that work will inevitably need to happen from a grassroots level. We are happy to partner with environmentally focused groups on campus to help that cause locally,” she said. “I think it’s fantastic that the students at MC have the desire to make their campus more ecologically functional and are actively working at it.”

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News

March 7, 2017

Health Services Grapples with Demand and Catholic Morality Catherine Goodyear Assistant Editor

Manhattan College Health Services provides care for sick or injured students, faculty, and staff on a daily basis. Students are given access to this basic health care as a part of their health services fee.

Students that suffer from your average common cold to students with broken bones or collapsed lungs are all welcomed to visit the Health Service Center.

Nurse Practitioner Amy Dall is the sole provider for 3,500 undergraduate students, 1000 graduate students and any faculty or staff who needs immediate assistance.

“There are days where we hit a maximum,” said Dall. “We try to hit 18 max in a day but we often go over. For the first three weeks of the fall semester I could be seeing up to 30 students in one day.”

Walk in appointments are allowed, but due to the high influx of students, health services is not always able to accommodate everyone, which is why they attempt to schedule students throughout the day.

The appointment system was implemented three to four years ago to eliminate

some of the anxiety of a long wait time.

A sign hanging up in the waiting room says: “The nature of our practice is to give our patients the utmost in care and service.

Please excuse any delays! We will give you this same careful attention as soon as possible.”

“We triage who’s coming in to be seen and we see who is more serious and sometimes we triage people out and see if they would like to come back the next day or be referred to a different doctor or urgent care facility,” said Dall. “We will also help them with what their insurance is and who they can go to and how to get there. But when you are in the room with me you are my whole world. We don’t want barriers here and want students to feel comfortable and see us for any health issues they have.”

The college provides these health services and does not bill students to use them, other than the fee that is part of their tuition. The health services fee is for accident insurance if a student gets injured on campus.

Billing occurs when you are picking up medication, receiving blood work, or any care that is not covered by your insurance.

“I had a cough and cold that lasted a

while so after a week of coughing I went to health services. The people who work there are nice and I didn’t have health insurance so sometimes getting the medication was a little tough so it took me awhile to get better but they were helpful and I was able to see them,” said sophomore Christopher Hoffman.

Health services avoids doing too much primary care but instead provides many routine services.

“Assume the person sitting next to you has mono and they don’t even know they have it. Things like mono, the flu and the stomach bug were around this year which put a lot of people out of class. Any kind of medical condition is seen here and either treated or referred to someone else if they need a higher level of care,” said Dall.

“It’s really good if everyone can be seen here because that way my hand is on the pulse of everything that is going on here on campus.”

The most common reasons for students going to health services are for treatment of upper respiratory problems and mononucleosis, but students can also receive treatments for UTIs, kidney infections, and even STDs.

Health services is consistent with the Catholic Church’s practices.

Manhattan College does not allow contraception, prescribed birth control or to have condoms given out to students unlike a public or state college.

Among exclusions is also sex education.

“We do STD testing and treatment here and I encourage students to come get checked. I want people to understand even though we can’t do contraceptives we can still treat STDs and I can refer students out to places for family planning,” said Dall.

Sophomore Monika Simikic discussed her views on visiting the Department of Health Services for reasons involving sex.

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable going to health services for any sexual health reasons because premarital sex is against the school’s code of conduct and I know there’s confidentiality but it deters me,” said sophomore Monika Simikic. “[With that said] I do know people who have gone for those reasons and received treatment.”

The Department Health Services is open Monday through Friday 9am-4:30pm.

The “Study Drug” Situation Joseph Liggio Assistant Editor

In the midst of midterm season, it’s easy to see why the proposition is a tempting one.

Spending a few dollars on a prescription pill that can help turn out an essay put off until the last minute, cram for tomorrow’s test or knock out a pile of homework in little time is an ever-present option for college students should they so choose to take it.

If necessity is the mother of invention, procrastination seems to be the father of the so-called “study drug” abuse running rampant on American college campuses, a situation that hasn’t spared Manhattan College by any means.

According to a survey conducted by the Medicine Abuse Project, between 4.1 percent and 10.8 percent of college students “reported using prescription stimulants non-medically” in a given year, a rate that has been on the rise as of late.

Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin and Focalin are just a few of the numerous drugs prescribed to treat Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and are also some of the most highly abused by students.

They are all classified as Schedule II Drugs by the Drug Enforcement Administration, meaning that they are considered to have “a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence.”

With numerous students on campus having prescriptions, access to someone willing to sell off some of their medication isn’t hard to find. Going prices for a pill average around five to ten dollars, a small price to pay in the eyes of many turning to the option.

Buying or using these medications without a prescription is illegal in New York State, as is selling one’s own prescription to others. In addition to expul-

sion from the college, those found selling are likely to face criminal charges as well.

According to Manhattan College’s Code of Conduct, “the unauthorized selling, purchasing, possession or distribution of drugs and other illegal substances” is in violation of the law and College policy, adding that the school “is not a sanctuary from civil authorities” and that “the use of prescription drugs without a prescription or inconsistent with the prescribed dosage is prohibited.”

In addition to the legal repercussions comes the obvious risks associated with taking medication not prescribed to oneself.

As these pills come in a variety of different sizes, dosages and release forms, students inexperienced with these drugs often don’t know how they will be affected when taking them for the first time.

Drugs like Adderall work to compensate for deficits in brain activity, not to increase it in those without such deficit.

According to the Federal Drug Administration, Adderall, a combination of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine, is prescribed to deal with symptoms of ADHD including “difficulty focusing, controlling actions, and remaining still or quiet.”

Known as a “central nervous system stimulant”, the drug works by altering the levels of particular natural substances in the brain. Side effects include difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, restlessness and loss of appetite.

Freshman Billy Sinnott, currently prescribed 40mg Vyvanse and 10mg Adderall for ADHD, offered some insight into his own daily use of the medication.

“Vyvanse is [taken] once in the morning because the effects last as long as 12 hours and you really should not be taking that past mid-afternoon. Adderall you can be more lenient with, again you should only use one or two depending on your doctor, and they only last for about six hours” said Sinnott, who had previously been prescribed Focalin in high school prior to his

Adderall is usually prescribed for ADD or ADHD. Joseph Liggio/The Quadrangle arrival at Manhattan.

“The Adderall kicks in rather quickly [...] of course it’s a stimulant so you feel more confident in your abilities, you get kinda euphoric and you’re able to sit down and really power through some work. Vyvanse is like that but much stronger and it lasts for a very long time.”

Sinnott added that he has been propositioned by students to purchase the drugs, typically Adderall, but he has always turned down the offer.

“It comes with [having] the prescription, obviously, in college.” said Sinnott.

“Usually they just ask if I’m prescribed meds and I say ‘Yeah, Adderall and Vyvanse,’ and if they ask for either or I just say no.”

For Sinnott, reasoning for not selling is simple enough.

“It says it’s a federal offense on the bottle,” said Sinnott.

Students seeking advice or help for

prescription drug abuse can receive attention without concern for potential repercussions on campus.

According to the Manhattan College Counseling Center’s web page, “The counselors follow professional counseling guidelines regarding privacy. All student information is held in the strictest confidence within the Counseling Center. Other college offices do not have any access to Counseling Center records [...] No information is released without [a student’s] written permission,” should they choose to seek assistance there.

Likewise, the Manhattan College Health Services web page states,“All information received and maintained by Health Services is confidential. No information will be given to anyone other than Health Services personnel without permission from the patient (except under emergency situations involving danger to oneself or others).”

News

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Addressing Abortion and Contraceptives on a Catholic Campus Tara Marin Editor

Each year, 50 percent of all pregnancies that occur in the United States are not planned, according to a Brookings Institution report. This is nearly 2.8 million women, a number far higher than that of other developed countries. Half of these unintended pregnancies are a result of not using contraception, while some are a result of the improper use of it, and thousands more are related to rape.

The debate surrounding abortion asks whether it is morally right to terminate a pregnancy. Members of various branches of religion see it as undeniably wrong. For example, the Catechism of the Catholic Church has affirmed the “moral evil” of every procured abortion since the first century.

The traditional Jewish view on abortion strays from this, in that it neither bans abortion completely nor does it allow indiscriminate abortion. When considering abortion in Hinduism, their approach is to choose the action that will do the least harm to all involved; Hindus, like Christians, are traditionally opposed to abortion except where it is necessary to save the mother’s life. In Islam, abortion is forbidden.

Junior Bridget McEvoy voices her worries about women’s ability to gain access to reproductive health.

“I think that abortion and birth control should both be very accessible to women.

I think that birth control right now is in a lot of danger because of the current administration. People don’t realize that keeping women from proper access to health services, is violence against women. There really isn’t any other way to put that,” she said.

McEvoy touches on a relevant issue.

In January, President Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy, also known as the global gag rule, which prohibits access to reproductive health on an international level. Nongovernmental organizations that offer family planning, even the ones that do not offer abortion-related services, will lose funding. This means that around 27 million women will lose access to contraceptives across the world. Republicans in the House have also taken the first steps to defund Planned Parenthood.

Religious arguments have pervaded the international political atmosphere, especially in the U.S., a country which prides itself on the separation of church and state.

While the topic is divisive, many facets of both religion and politics have signaled progression.

Last year, Pope Francis, who has consistently expressed his vision of a more lenient and inclusive church, made a permanent policy that extended priests’ ability to forgive abortion. Not long before this, human rights experts at the United Nations called on States across the world to repeal restrictive abortion laws and policies, as well as all discriminatory barriers to access to safe reproductive health services. Their argument was cogent: unsafe abortions kill nearly 50,000 women each year across the world.

Perhaps approaching this issue of abortion and birth control, especially on a Catholic campus, calls for a different lens than that of the traditional. If the true religious effort is to prevent abortions from happening, it is crucial to look at the facts: When access to birth control is high, the abortion

rate slumps dramatically.

A study by Washington University reports that providing birth control to women at no cost substantially reduced unplanned pregnancies and cut abortion rates by a range of 62-78 percent compared to the national rate.

When President Obama signed The Affordable Care Act into law in 2010, private health insurance plans began to offer birth control and other preventive services, without copays or deductibles. Today, the abortion rate is lower than it has been since Roe vs. Wade, which was 44 years ago.

In a poll conducted by Gallup, 54 percent of women identify as pro-choice. This support for abortion access rises in younger women of reproductive age, as 62 percent of them are currently using birth control.

McEvoy states that abortion is something so life-changing that some women will take any measure in order to keep themselves from having to be mothers, which often results in mortality.

“It doesn’t take a lot of research to find out what happens to women when they don’t have abortion access. They don’t just not have an abortion. They do, and they can die or get serious infections,” McEvoy said. “I get that people see it [a fetus] as a life, but at a certain point you have to realize that women are living beings too. Nobody takes that into account. If you’re going to be pro-life, what about the life that’s already living?”

McEvoy, like many other women, is concerned with men writing policy and making life-altering decisions about what women can do with their bodies. Planned Parenthood reported that their requests for Intrauterine Devices (IUDs), which are the longest lasting form of contraception, went up by 900 percent after President Trump was elected in November.

One of the most controversial aspects of President Trump’s reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy was that he signed it in the Oval Office surrounded by men. A photo of the moment circulated the internet, and a tweet by Guardian Editor Martin Belam went viral: “As long as you live, you’ll never see a photograph of seven women signing legislation about what men can do with their reproductive organs.”

“People’s religious beliefs shouldn’t be involved in people’s personal choice. If women were the ones making the decisions, this wouldn’t be a debate if women had the power in government that men have,” McEvoy said.

When men debate a woman’s right to choose what happens to her body, “ it’s just commodifying women, it’s asking, ‘should she be able to get this abortion or should she not?’ She’s a person, and it’s not a topic of discussion - it’s somebody’s life,” McEvoy said.

McEvoy explains that most women she knows are or have been on birth control, and she thinks it’s controversial because of economic reasons.

“The birth control argument is not as much ethical as it is monetary. I think that people have a problem with tax dollars going towards access to contraception. People have this whole perception that you’re infringing on the rights of private companies if you’re forcing them to cover birth control for their employees, which is sad” she said.

McEvoy also touches on the importance of education in preventing unintended pregnancies and subsequent abortions.

“I think access to abortion should go along with comprehensive sex education for women. If you talk to women about their health and sexuality, these things are a lot

The issue of abortion and birth control at a Catholic campus, calls for a different lens.

James O’Connor/The Quadrangle less likely to happen. In countries where they have good sex-ed programs, as well as accessible abortion, there’s still very low rates of abortion compared to the U.S. We don’t have a mandatory sex-ed curriculum in this country,” she said.

Senior Jessica Risolo, the founding member of Take Back The Night, a campus organization that honors those who have survived sexual assault and works to combat sexual violence on and off campus, voiced her opinions about the topic as well.

“I would argue that in all faiths, respect for human dignity is paramount. I believe that at its core, respect for human dignity asks us to honor people’s ability and right to make decisions about what they do with their bodies, regardless of whether it interferes with our personal beliefs,” Risolo said. “As a Catholic, I am vehemently pro-choice because I believe in a God that values the safety and autonomy of women everywhere.”

She also points out the ways in which abortion access impacts different demographics of women.

“I know that the women most negatively affected by anti-choice policies are the most marginalized; poor women, women of color, women in rural areas, etc., that religions with a dedication to social justice would actually want to help,” Risolo said.

Lois Harr, director of campus ministry and social action, is also concerned with this issue, especially when it comes to who is making these decisions.

“I don’t know why we can’t all be in charge, or at least in charge of our respective lives. But somehow or other, men got to have the say, and it’s still where women are not fully the normative human being.

So that’s the frustrating thing. Before you talk about whether it’s right or wrong, my first question is, who should be talking about it?” she said.

In the U.S., the conservative Christian argument against birth control is often that it can allow for sex to become less sacred and monogamous.

“It goes to the idea that you’re going to have sex without consequences. I think that’s the ethical thing. People are worried about sexuality running rampant,” Harr said.

It is also argued that birth control is not natural and goes against God’s divine will, but recently, women, both in government and not, are making the argument that if this is how birth control is going to be perceived, then this is how viagra should be perceived too. Harr supports this.

“If we’re supposed to go along with the natural occurences of things, than men, after a certain age I guess, need viagra. Well, that’s their natural development, so no, they can’t get it because it’s unnatural,” she said.

She continues, “If women were in charge, if they had started things, if they had organized things, everything would be different… We would build the system around our bodies and our needs.

Men designed the world we’re living in at the moment.”

Harr also discussed the controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood and congress.

“It’s been true for a long time that you can’t use federal money for abortions in this country. So if you’re opposed to Planned Parenthood, what are you actually opposed to? Everything else they do,” she said.

What falls into “everything else they do” is this: cancer screening and prevention, access to contraceptives, testing and treatment for STDs, and general health services such as high blood pressure screenings, cholesterol screenings, diabetes screenings, physical exams, flu vaccines, help with quitting smoking, tetanus vaccines, and thyroid screenings - just to name a few.

Harr concludes: “Let women make decisions for women. They do, and they will make good decisions if they have the resources that they need.”

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Arts & Entertainment

Best Places to Get Active in New York City Rose Brennan Assistant Editor

Let’s face it: the Manhattan College Fitness Center can lose a bit of its sparkle after some time. But if you’re on the lookout for ways to spice up your fitness routine with a little something different, you’re in luck!

Manhattan College is situated right in the greatest city in the world, which is full of new and exciting places to get active and break a sweat. Here’s a peek of some great places to do just that!

Van Cortlandt Park The third-largest public park in New York City is packed with fields and activities galore. Even better, it’s right across the street from main campus! Van Cortlandt is home to six baseball fields, five soccer fields, four football fields, a Gaelic football field, one Olympic-sized public swimming pool, one golf course, a cross-country track and five hiking trails of various difficulties and lengths. In addition to various recreational sites, the park also houses many historical landmarks such as the Van Cortlandt House, which is the oldest building in the Bronx. Even if you decide not to engage in any baseball games or hiking, the park is 1,146 acres, so even a simple stroll would be quite the workout.

Central Park Pay a visit to one of Manhattan’s most beloved city haunts, whether to go skating in the winter or go on a run during the summer. You can even take a leisurely stroll through one of the many gardens or take a look at the unique statues throughout the park. This breathtakingly gorgeous park stretches from the Upper Manhattan’s 110th Street to right next to Columbus Circle’s 59th Street. Central Park is home to castles, walking trails, two skating ponds, running tracks, playgrounds, and gardens

galore. And when you eventually get tired of the great outdoors, there are four museums directly adjacent to the park: The Museum of Natural History on Central Park West and the Guggenheim, Museum of the City and Metropolitan Museum of Art on Central Park East. Just try not to let any of the omnipresent food carts lurking in all corners of the park tempt you.

Chelsea Piers This self-proclaimed “most inspiring gym in New York City” offers a variety of classes, training programs, team-building events and more. The gym houses a number of recreational sports leagues, including boxing, swimming, Pilates, rock climbing and yoga. The Piers are also home to a salon and spa, so you can cool down and relax following an intense workout.

Brooklyn Bridge Constructed in 1883, the image of the Brooklyn Bridge is synonymous with the name of New York City. It connects the island of Manhattan to mainland Brooklyn over the course of 1.1 miles across the East River. Between the north and southbound areas of the bridge allotted for cars, there is a walkway for pedestrians and bicyclists, whether headed for Brooklyn or Manhattan. The bridge is a great way to get active and get an amazing look at the city from up above. And as a bonus, the bridge is adjacent to Brooklyn Bridge Park, which is noted for its unparalleled view of the New York City skyline at sunset.

The City Itself New York has been described as “a walking city” on countless occasions. So on your next adventure, throw on the Nikes, swear off the subway, and explore a new neighborhood on nothing but your own two feet. The possibilities this city can offer you are endless.

Arts & Entertainment

March 7, 2017

The south entrance of the park on W. 238th Street. Rose Brennan/The Quadrangle

Sandwich Calorie Count from Local Delis

Jessica Quinn Contributor

Jasper’s Deli, Best Deli, and Gourmet Market and Bagel are only a few of the many delis offering great sandwiches, burgers, and wraps around Manhattan College’s campus. But what many students do not know is the calorie count for their favorite guilty-pleasures and midnight snacks.

The Benson is one of the most purchased wraps at Best Deli. The wrap consists of spicy chicken cutlet, turkey, fried egg, pepper jack cheese, and chipotle mayo on a spinach wrap. This popular food choice is approximately seven hundred calories.

The Spicy Ali is a recent addition to Best Deli’s menu. This delicious creation is filled with chicken cutlet, hash browns, bacon, jalapenos, chipotle mayo, pepper jack cheese, and mozzarella sticks. With all of these ingredients combined into one, the calorie count is over one thousand.

“The Spicy Ali has so many good things inside of it and it’s named after me.

There’s nothing not to like about it,” said Ali, the creator behind the popular sandwich at Best Deli.

Best Deli also has healthier options on their menu, like the Veggie Wrap. This particular wrap has avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and sprouts with around four hundred calories in total.

“A lot of kids come in asking for our Veggie Wrap. It’s a pretty popular item on the menu,” said Ali. Gourmet Market and Bagel has recently become popular after opening at the end of last semester. The deli’s Italian Burger is a common order for Manhattan College students. The burger has beef, fresh mozzarella, and marinara sauce.

“There’s a lot of calories in the Italian Burger, but it’s great. It’s definitely over one thousand calories,” said Zak, a worker at Gourmet Market and Bagel.

The Texas Burger is similar to the Italian Burger and has bacon, pepper jack cheese, barbeque sauce, and onions. They both exceed the one thousand calorie mark.

For those looking for an order with less calories, the salad sandwich portion of the menu has great options like the Vegetable Tuna, Chunk Chicken, Italian Chicken Salad, and the Egg Salad. All of these items allow customers to choose if they want it on a sandwich or hero. This section of the menu ranges from approximately four hundred to five hundred calories, depending on what you order.

Gourmet Market and Bagel also has a variety of avocado sandwiches. Some different options in this section of the menu include the Cajun Chicken, the Pesto Chicken, the Chicken Cutlet Avocado Sandwich, and the Vegetarian Burger Avocado Sandwich. These orders are in the five hundred to seven hundred calorie range.

“The avocado sandwiches are extremely popular. Everyone loves avocados,” said Zak. Manhattan College students also love the Tom Kelly. The Tom Kelly is also over one thousand calories. This sandwich has chicken cutlets, bacon, mozzarella, ranch, and hot sauce.

“The Tom Kelly is my favorite. It’s one of our most popular sandwiches,” said Jay. “The Fat Bitch”, the popular sandwich made famous by its humorous name, is a sandwich created by Jasper’s Deli which contains chicken tenders, French fries, mozzarella sticks, and marinara sauce on a hero. An approximate count of the calories in this sandwich is easily over fifteen thousand.

“The Fat Bitch definitely has the most calories. It has a lot,” said Jay, a worker at Jasper’s Deli.

While many local eateries provide healthier options as opposed to student’s favorites, the student body still enjoys getting food after a long day of studying or before heading out for the weekend.

The workers at the delis are fans of their respective popular menu items, although many don’t know the specific calorie counts, sodium counts and amount of fat found within the food.

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There are many running paths and bike lanes open to public use at Central Park.

Rose Brennan/The Quadrangle

Below one of the many arches of the famed bridge. Rose Brennan/The Quadrangle

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The All-American Rejects

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Jasper Deli most famously known for their sandwich, “The Fat Bitch” Stephen Zubrycky/The Quadrangle

Best Deli is a popular deli among students, located on Broadway Stephen Zubrycky/The Quadrangle

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Find out in the Quad on Mar. 21!

Arts & Entertainment

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March 7, 2017

Silver Linings Playbook: Addressing Mental Health Issues Through a Humorous Lens THE BOOK NOOK Taylor Brethauer Editor

Before it was the Academy Awardnominated film, “Silver Linings Playbook”

by Matthew Quick was a novel full of raw emotion, mental illness awareness and a hilarious yet non-reliable narrator named Pat Peoples.

In the novel, it is never confirmed nor denied that Pat suffers from a brain injury or gets diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

But it is through the support of his older mother that he is able to return home after his time in a mental hospital in Baltimore and figure his life back on track. Pat’s father, however, is slow in coming to terms with what has happened to Pat. To say this did not shake up the Peoples family is an understatement. Pat takes up a constant exercise routine that includes running around his small town neighborhood. This is when he meets Tiffany, a local neighbor who is grieving the loss of her husband. Pat, who is unsure of the location and well-being of his wife, sympathizes with Tiffany.

The two connect through their shared interest in a dance competition, while they go to their scheduled therapy appointments. Pat works his way to getting better, strengthening his relationship with his father and trying to find out when his wife will return to him.

It isn’t until the dance competition draws near that Pat’s questions are answered, only to lead to a possible relapse for him. More questions pile on about Tif-

fany, about Pat’s mother, about how much time he spent in the hospital and how the Philadelphia Eagles will do in the upcoming football season.

This book does an excellent job with depicting mental health through the use of Pat’s narration skills. We see the world how he sees it and understand what he’s going through first-hand. With this, we get caught off-guard with the changes in Pat’s environment at the same time as Pat does.

It helps the reader understand first-hand what goes on in the mind of those with mental illnesses.

Pat meets with his therapist, Dr. Patel, both inside the therapy office and outside.

The two characters have a connection unlike Pat’s other relationships within the novel. While we are unsure of the intentions of Tiffany and his parents, we know where Dr. Patel stands in regards to Pat. He’s one of his truest friends.

I thought the movie adaptation fit along with the plot from the book very well. Perhaps the most important thing about the book-to-movie transition was it kept its important message about mental health, all while keeping up with the book’s original comedic timing and random moments of drama.

This book is certainly one I recommend, as it allows a view into the life of someone living in a world that thinks he’s a threat to society or just plain weird.

Mental health is something we can’t just take lightly and “Silver Linings Playbook” gives a great, funny start to creating legitimacy for those with bipolar disorder.

grisscorner.wordpress.com /Courtesy

Top Five Films for Health Awareness CINEMA’S TOP FIVE

Daniel Molina Editor

Sports - Concussion (2015) Director: Peter Landesman The movie is based on a true story, portraying the life of Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian-American neuropathologist, who was the first physicist to discover and publish findings of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in football players. Will Smith’s performance as Dr. Omalu is the highlight of the film, as he shows the uphill battle he faced in bringing the information to the public despite the efforts of the NFL to deny it.

Nutrition – Super-Size Me (2004) Director: Morgan Spurlock This documentary shows how Morgan

Spurlock, an average middle-aged American, personally explored the consequences on his health of a diet of solely McDonald’s food for one month. This is not only a critic to the fast-food restaurant chains and their deliberate attempt to profit out of consumer’s poor health choices, but also on the carelessness by the fast-food consumer on the lack of attention to what he or she is eating. The movie won as best documentary in the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated in the same category for an Academy Award.

Insomnia – The Machinist (2004) Director: Brad Anderson A thriller about an industrial worker who has not slept in a year, developing a serious case of insomnia that wears down his brain and his body. He suddenly starts to find strange notes in his apartment and see

people that apparently aren’t there, making impossible to distinguish between reality and imaginary. This is not a very dynamic film but is definitely worth to invest some time analyzing it and, most importantly, enjoying it. This outstanding and dark performance by Christian Bale required him to lose 63 pounds for this particular role.

Sexuality - Juno (2007) Director: Jason Reitman A 16-year-old high-school junior is faced with an unexpected pregnancy and all the barriers that she might encounter in this process. Supported unconditionally by her parents and her best friend, she will have to discover that one bad decision can have consequences that last for a lifetime.

The movie gained some controversy because of the main character’s somewhat insensitive tone with regards to this deli-

cate matter. The movie won the Academy Award and the BAFTA for best original screenplay.

Depression - Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) Director: Stephen Chbosky Based on the homonymous book written Stephen Chbosky, it recounts the story of a 15-year-old dealing with his first year of high-school, the suicide of his best middle-school friend, and the death of his favorite aunt. While he is trying to find a group of people with whom he belongs, he encounters two eccentric friends who welcome him to the real world, making him live experiences that take him out of his comfort zone. The visuals are paired with some really good late 80s and early 90s music, films and TV show references.

Features

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Counseling and Health Services Answer Call to Help Stephen Zubrycky Editor-in-Chief

When Manhattan College students get sick, they have a place to go – Health Services. Located on the first floor of Alumni Hall, the health services department prides itself on being students’ best option for speedy, efficient, confidential care that’s free of charge.

The health services office works closely with another critical office on Manhattan’s campus, the counseling center on the fifth floor of Miguel Hall.

While Health Services specializes more in the physical health of student’s bodies, the counseling center handles the mental side of things.

“Our offices have overlap in many ways,” Jennifer McArdle, director of counseling and health services, said. McArdle works out of Miguel Hall’s counseling center. “I refer a lot of students to Amy [Dall] for prescriptions.”

Amy Dall, FNP-BC, is the assistant director of health services, handling the more physical side of student illnesses. She operates out of the office in Alumni Hall.

“Going to college is a big leap. Everybody is doing everything for themselves for the first time,” Dall said. Dall keeps this in mind when she sees students for medical issues.

Dall arrived at Manhattan in 2010 after leaving a position at New York Medical College in Westchester. She holds a bachelor’s degree from The College at Brockport, State University of New York; a masters degree in clinical psychology from Long Island University; and a third graduate degree in nursing from Pace University.

Dall is a licensed nurse practitioner in New York State, granting her the authority to prescribe medication. Dall also works in Westchester at Westmed Medical Group and Open Door Family Medical Centers.

The cases that Dall receives at Manhattan College vary from the severe to the banal – including the flu and common cold, all the way up to appendicitis. Dall said that usually at least one student per year comes to her needing an appendectomy.

Most of the cases that the counseling side of the department deal with involve issues of anxiety and depression.

The counseling center has been especially busy these last two weeks, according to McArdle. During her time here, McArdle has noted patterns in the number of students who come to the center, and one of the spikes usually aligns with midterm exam week.

“Midterms and finals can be very anxiety provoking,” McArdle said. “Right now it’s very hectic because of that.”

Schoolwork is not the only major stressor for students on campus, however.

Romance, breakups, parent pressure, financial burden and the transition from home life to college life are all psychological strains placed on Manhattan College students at one time or another, McArdle commented.

Both McArdle and Dall acknowledge the limitations on what they can do for students. Both offices are open only during the week, and both offices can only do so much for students.

“Triage is so important,” McArdle said. “[We need to] help those who need it the most.”

The offices can be especially busy during times of health crises, such as the H1N1 “swine flu” pandemic that struck in

Health Services specializes more in the physical health of student’s bodies.

Manhattan College/Courtesy “Reach out to your RA or RD or pub2009. In cases like these, it’s important for lic safety,” Dall said. “When in doubt, hit Health Services to be able to communicate 911.” readily with students.

It is also important that students be “We work with the administration to active bystanders, McArdle said, discusscommunicate and prevent hysteria,” Dall ing a hypothetical case of a student who is said. “We had meningitis here a few years threatening to hurt themselves. ago […] We brought in outside help.”

“If someone is a threat to themselves Health Services is regularly sends stuor others, we have to intervene,” McArdle dents to get additional care off campus at said.

“It’s really a psychiatric emergency.” local hospitals. Usually, students will be The department trains resident assistransported by public safety to New Yorktants each semester to be active bystandPresbyterian Allen Hospital in Inwood, Manhattan, or to St. Joseph’s Medical Cen- ers in situations like these. Both Dall and McArdle agree that Manhattan College ter in Downtown Yonkers.

“Our public safety is amazing,” Dall students can be and usually are active bysaid. “If I am even the slightest bit con- standers who support the community.

“We have a bunch of good kids on cerned, they are in my office so fast.” this campus – people who care about each During off hours when both offices are other, with good heads on their shoulders,” closed, Dall and McArdle say to go first to Dall said. your resident assistant, resident director or to public safety.

Eat, Sleep, Study… Repeat

How MC Students Cope with the Stresses of College Michevi Dufflart & Alyssa Velazquez Contributor & Editor

Wake up, eat, attend class, study, participate in clubs and/or athletics, possibly go to the gym, socialize and sleep. This paints the image of the ideal student that many at Manhattan College aspire to become.

After reality sets in though, it is evident that students cannot meet these expectations without experiencing some stress along the way. However that does not mean that some students are not up for the challenge. Mike Martello, a civil engineering major, is one example of a student who does their best to fulfill these expectations.

Serving as the governance lead of the Manhattan College chapter of American Society of Civil Engineers, an athlete on the track team up until last semester, the structural analysis and hull design lead of the annual Concrete Canoe project, the civil engineering liaison and tutor for Tau Beta Pi and a resident assistant; it is clear that Martello has a busy schedule.

In addition to actively participating in all of these extracurriculars Martello also manages his academics and dedicates time to being with others.

“I make it a point to have coffee with my roommate every morning, and then I would have lunch with a friend usually… and typically get dinner with one of my friends,” Martello said.

Despite the need to sometimes plan out his busy days by the hour, Martello stresses the importance of socialization and how it plays a major role in being a college student. “Some days if I don’t feel like doing work, I hang out, talk to people, because at the end of the day you can only do so much work before you get sick of it and you’ve got to talk to somebody,” he said.

Many students can relate to Martello because after all, it is college. There is usually a desire from students to be involved in the community through academics, extracurriculars and socialization.

Such heavy involvement can lead to stress as the day comes to an end, which is why Martello also emphasizes the importance of sleep for college students. “One of the things that really helps me with my schedule is not procrastinating going to bed,” he said.

For Martello, sleep is one of the most crucial factors in being able to get through the busiest of his days. Sleeping for the suggested amount of hours can help in completing tasks for the next day and also reduce the amount of stress a student may experience.

Though Martello is able to manage the stresses of his academics and extracurriculars, there are students who will find difficulty in balancing all of these tasks and obligations while still maintaining the social life of a college student.

Nuwan Jayawickreme, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology, said that,

“some students are able to bear the load, while some students struggle with it...there are a certain portion of students who are at risk for anxiety and depression and I think for those kids who have that kind of vulnerability, some additional stress can increase those symptoms.”

However, students who experience high levels of stress and are susceptible to symptoms of anxiety and depression should not feel discouraged from becoming the ideal student.

“If you want to do something, do it.

Push yourself... push the boundaries,” Jayawickreme said.

He also advises students to seek support when needed and urges them to be aware that that there are people available to speak with struggling students such as guidance counselors, professors and even peers.

Jayawickreme emphasizes the importance of “spreading the message that seeking out help is not a bad thing and that enough successful people do it.”

In today’s society, successful people are often displayed through the media as faultless figures. At times it can be difficult to realize that they are human too. However, they do in fact have stress just like everyone else and as a result may seek help through different services such as counseling.

Jennifer McArdle, director of counseling and health services, recognizes the idea of stress being placed on students, writing in an email that “if people overdo any-

Mike Martello (left) suggests sleep to help reduce stress for college students.

Mike Martello/Courtesy thing, there can be pressure. Trying to keep things balanced is important for a student’s emotional health.”

With the support provided from faculty, staff and fellow peers, Manhattan College provides an environment where students can challenge themselves. And Jayawickreme advises students to take advantage of the opportunity that college provides them.

“What I would say to students in general is push yourselves, college is a time to do that, but also know yourself and seek out help when you feel as though something is getting in the way of you being able to be successful or you being happy,” Jayawickreme said.

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features

March 7, 2017

Insulin and Education:

Living With Diabetes in College Haley Burnside Assistant Editor

College life is challenging for students for a number of reasons. When students make the transition from high school to college they see changes in their diets, sleep schedules, exercise habits, stress levels, and overall health. These alterations can be detrimental to anyone, but certain students experience these issues on top of a difficult disease: diabetes.

Diabetes, a chronic illness, affects 29 million Americans according to the American Diabetes Association. Approximately 3 million of these affected individuals have type 1 diabetes, meaning that the majority live with type 2. As the seventh most common cause of death in America, diabetes is a major issue.

While 18 to 22-year-old’s can be affected by either type, type 1 is the more common form among college-aged Americans.

Living with type 1 diabetes requires constant monitoring of blood glucose levels, intake of carbohydrates, and insulin levels in the body.

Monitoring and maintaining healthy levels is a cumbersome task that is made harder by the specific stresses of college life.

Freshman Steven Sikorsky, a type 1 diabetic, finds that the dining hall presents the greatest challenge with his diabetes.

“It’s hard because in Locke’s you can’t measure food out into servings with measuring cups or scales,” said Sikorsky. “They serve a lot of carbs, too.”

The task of counting carbs, which is essential to diabetics, is difficult without the right tools. Counting carbs is important in determining the amount of insulin to be injected into the body following a meal.

Sikorsky notices the issues with the dining hall, but he is appreciative of some of the strengths.

“They don’t have sugar-free syrup in the mornings which is annoying, but they do a good job of serving things like meat and fish at dinner time so it’s not all carbs,” Sikorsky said.

There are a number of specific issues

that diabetics deal with on a day to day basis, ranging from inconvenient to downright dangerous.

“I have to worry about it when I go into the city,” said Sikorsky. “I have to double check to see if I have enough insulin in my pump.”

Junior Conor Darby balances the stresses of type 1 diabetes and athletics.

“The most difficult part of college for me has been balancing my diabetes with a division 1 sport,” said Darby. “Lacrosse is a fast tempo game but there are also times where the game slows down and becomes more mental. There’s also adrenaline running through my body which can cause a spike in my blood sugars too.”

Darby, a recently diagnosed student, is still discovering the challenges of the disease.

“I’d say it’s harder to deal with at college than at home,” said Darby. “It can get really tricky and tedious.”

Sophomore Isabelle Battin, a type 1 diabetic for the past twelve years, cites a different complication as her biggest difficulty.

“The hardest part is definitely having stress affect my levels,” said Battin.

Stress can often cause increase in blood sugar levels, requiring an insulin correction and careful monitoring. Certain points in the semester, like midterms and finals, can be especially troublesome for a diabetic attempting to maintain healthy levels.

Medical studies have shown that having a blood sugar level below or above target affects how a person’s brain functions.

Diabetes, other than being a meticulous disease, is a financial burden. According to the Center for Disease Control website, diabetics spend double the amount of money on healthcare than non-diabetics on average.

Other issues include storage space and organization. An insulin pump requires a significant amount of supplies that can be difficult to keep organized in a small dorm room. Insulin needs to be refrigerated, which means diabetic students need to give up the money and space for a refrigerator.

Perhaps the most significant danger of

diabetes in college: it does not mix well with alcohol.

Alcohol will immediately raise blood sugar levels at consumption. Then, over a span of a few hours, the blood sugar levels can plummet. On top of these effects, alcohol makes a person less aware of the feelings in their body. An intoxicated individual might experience a low blood sugar without being aware of it, which is incredibly dangerous.

If the blood sugar goes too low and remains untreated, the individual will pass out. In a party or bar, this can easily be mistaken for the effects of drinking too much and go unnoticed.

“Drinking with diabetes can be very difficult. My diabetes educator told me never to cover my drinking with insulin because drinking over time will lower your blood sugar,” said Darby.

Research on the effects of alcohol on blood sugar is relatively new, so the evidence may vary from the reality. Darby, who is 21, finds that his situation is different from the expected result.

“I personally had found the opposite, typically the day after drinking I wake up with a perfect blood sugar in the morning.”

Though Battin is not of legal drinking age yet, she has already been warned of the dangers of drinking as a diabetic.

“I’ve been told to be definitely to be careful and that it affects a diabetics’ levels more than a person would think,” said Battin. “I’ve also been told that it would even affect their levels even the day after a person has been drinking.”

Sikorsky had similar warnings from educators and doctors.

“I’ve just heard it can be dangerous, so I don’t plan to drink,” said Sikorsky. “If your blood sugar gets messed up you don’t want to pass out at a party or something.”

For this reason, diabetics are encouraged to wear a medical I.D. bracelet or necklace like the one Sikorsky keeps around his neck. Even with an I.D., an individual may live in close quarters with others and never reveal that they are diabetic.

“My roommate is my friend from high school, so I’ve kind of told him the basics.

Other than that I don’t really tell people I’m diabetic,” said Sikorsky.

Battin also shared information about her disease with her roommates.

“All of my roommates know [I am diabetic] because we are all very good friends,” said Battin. She expressed that she does not go out of her way to tell other people she is diabetic. “I don’t see the need to.”

She cites her experience as a reason for being less forthcoming with her diagnosis.

“I’ve had diabetes for twelve years and an insulin pump for four years,” said Battin. “I’ve always been pretty independent with it.”

Darby, who was diagnosed less than two years ago, has made his professors and teammates aware of his condition.

“Typically, I always tell my teachers that I am a diabetic so if there is ever an emergency they know or if I’m sitting in class crushing large amounts of food- they understand why,” said Darby. “All of my friends and teammates know as well and they know what to do in case of an emergency.”

Darby, like Battin, does not usually go out of his way to tell people he is diabetic, but he also takes measures to make people aware in case of an emergency.

“I don’t tell strangers really because there isn’t necessarily a reason for them to know. I have a medical alert tattoo and carry around a card that says I am a Type 1 Diabetic so if I’m acting a little strange, people understand and can assist in getting me the necessary help,” Darby said.

It is important, especially on a college campus, to be aware of the symptoms of a low blood sugar. Diabetic and non-diabetic individuals will appear confused, unbalanced, dizzy, and unfocused. If a known diabetic individual displays these symptoms, call for help and keep them awake in the meantime.

According to medical studies, the amount of people living with undiagnosed diabetes is on the rise. Many college-aged people exhibit symptoms of prediabetes without knowing it.

To better understand diabetes, its symptoms, its causes, and its treatments, visit the American Diabetes Association website.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR HALEY BURNSIDE Assistant News Editor

Misconceptions about diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) are prevalent in our society. Often, diabetes is the punchline for a joke about eating sugary foods or opting out of exercise. In reality, diabetes is a rapidly growing serious issue in the world.

It needs to be a priority to educate Americans about this disease. Diabetes is a rapidly growing issue in our world and by perpetuating stereotypes and misinformation we do not create progress through awareness. As someone who has been living with type 1 diabetes for the past 15 years, and as an older sister of a recently diagnosed diabetic high schooler, I hope that our society can treat this disease with the legitimacy it deserves and hopefully discover a cure in the future.

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Eating Healthy While Training All Year?: How Lisa Fajardo Does It! RikkiLynn Shields Editor

Sophomore Lisa Fajardo of the Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field team plays a key roll in the success of the team, along with many of the other talented jaspers. Fajardo placed 15th overall at ECAC’s this past weekend, clocking in her 5k at 17:13.79. However, Fajardo does not attribute all of her success to her vigorous training– she also has her eye for healthy foods to thank.

Fajardo, who is an in-season athlete all year round, began running distance the summer before her freshman year of high school. Next to running and school, one of Fajardo’s main priorities is to make sure she is constantly taking in the correct amount of carbs, portions, and fats, to maintain a healthy diet. Going from Cross Country, to Indoor Track, to Outdoor Track, constant training means constant awareness of what foods your body needs to be properly fueled– and eating healthy, for Fajardo, is super important.

“Training all year round can be rough at times, especially as a distance runner.

We have to run a lot of mileage, and that is exhausting mentally and physically. Our practice consists of running ALL the time.

With the right training plan however, it tends to pay off. To me, eating healthy is super important! Based off of personal experience, I believe that a good diet is crucial for an athlete to excel– I have faced the consequences of poor eating habits before.” Fajardo says.

With everyone’s tastes being different, each individual athlete tends to have their on specific meal plan that they try to fol-

low throughout the year. Although some stick to a specific diet more than others, the best they can do is try. For Fajardo, her breakfast and lunch meals tend to remain the same everyday, while dinner tends to vary depending on the day.

“Breakfast and lunch almost always stay the same. For breakfast I either have an egg white omelette with ham and mozzarella, and whole wheat toast with butter, or I eat a whole wheat bagel with butter and a small serving of breakfast potatoes.

Lunch is a bit small - I have a double chocolate chunk quest bar and a chocolate chip granola bar. Dinner could be anything, but lately it has been grilled chicken with a few bowls of chicken noodle soup, and then a spinach salad with oil and vinegar.

However, my favorite healthy food is by far broccoli rabe sautéed in oil and garlic.

It tastes amazing with whole grain pasta!”

While she is in season all year round and often, it’s hard to splurge when she is racing very often, Fajardo finds herself indulging a bit more when she is given a week or two off in between the seasons.

“My eating habits really don’t change at any point during the year since we are in season pretty much all year, but when we get a week or two off, I will splurge a little more. My favorite ‘junk’ food is ice cream, specifically chocolate ice cream... with brownies... and cookie dough... and chocolate. syrup.”

Before a race however, carbs are the most important thing for a runner to properly fuel their body. Although too many carbs will do you no good, running the distances that Fajardo does at practice each week and at races, carbs can be her best friend.

“On race day I eat much less because

Lisa Fajardo is able to balance healthy eating while training. GoJaspers/Courtesy racing with a heavy stomach is awful when you have to race a 3k or 5k. However, I do eat a bit extra the day before a race to compensate. The day before a race I have to have pasta and chicken. Preferably spaghetti and chicken parmesan!”

With her love for pasta and chocolate, Fajardo tries her best to remain aware of what she is putting into her body. Instead of having a chocolate bar, Fajardo compensates by having a protein bar with chocolate in it– a small change that makes all of

the difference!

“I try not to drink my calories, so I avoid sugary drinks like soda and iced tea.

As much as I love any form of chocolate, I try to only consume it in the form of protein/granola bars. Double cheese burgers are another weakness of mine that I have to avoid for the most part.”

Fajardo’s outstanding dedication to her sport, on and off the track, always seems to pay off in the end. For a dedicated distance runner like herself, her eye for healthy foods helps her keep her eye on the prize.

Student Resources There are a number of services available for all Manhattan College students. The Quadrangle urges all students to take advantage of all the resources available. You are not alone!

Public Safety Counseling Center Residence Life Student Health Services Campus Ministry & Social Action Student Engagement

718-862-7500 718-862-7394 718-862-7438 718-862-7217 718-862-7972 718-862-7247

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March 7, 2017

Paul Genners On Healthy Eating JASPERS TALK Charles Lippolis Assistant Editor

The Quadrangle: When did you start playing baseball?

Paul Genners: Around 5 years old.

TQ: Growing up did you play other sports? If so, what made Baseball special for you?

PG: Other than baseball, I played football, basketball, and soccer. Baseball was special to me because I would watch my older brothers’ games every weekend.

They have always been my role models, so I wanted to be just like them.

TQ: You’ve played a few of the outfield positions over your three years. Which is your favorite?

PG: I played centerfield for most of my life, but I’m happy wherever I can help out the team.

TQ: What kind of food do you eat on a regular basis to feel healthy?

PG: My diet consists of a ton of protein and carbs. Eggs, chicken, steak and brown rice is probably the main core of it. I try to throw in healthy fats like avocado as well.

TQ: Are all of these options offered by the school? If not, what do you find yourself buying independently?

PG: For the most part, yes. But I can

only get in the dining hall four times a week so I find myself buying all of it.

TQ: How has your exercise program evolved over the years? What are you doing now?

PG: My exercise program has become more efficient. Freshman year, I used to make up my own workouts and we all had to lift on our own. Now we are fortunate to be under Coach Pat and Coach Mike, which I think has been extremely beneficial not only us, but all the athletes at Manahattan.

TQ: Do you feel your eating/exercise routine keep you prepared to play your sport?

PG: Absolutely. We were in the weight room four days a week in the fall which has us feeling strong and healthy now for the spring. A lot of people underestimate the impact that your diet has on not only your performance, but daily life in general.

TQ: Whats the most important thing you do to stay healthy?

PG: The two most important things I’ve learned is to listen to my body and to communicate. For example, if you roll your ankle at practice in the morning, its probably not a great idea to max out on squat that afternoon. There is a difference between working through soreness and pushing through an injury. All of my coaches respect us and recognize that we

NAME:

PAUL GENNERS SPORT:

BASEBALL YEAR:

JUNIOR HOMETOWN:

JACKSONVILLE, FLA. Paul Genners prepares for the 2017 season. GoJaspers/Courtesy are aware of this. If we communicate with them about something, they know that it’s in the best interest of our health and the team’s.

TQ: What is the hardest part about managing your workouts/practices with your school work?

PG: The hardest part is getting a decent amount of sleep.

TQ: How do you feel two weeks into your season and what do you expect from this team?

PG: We are feeling really good as a team. We have a lot of talent with a great coaching staff and as long as we continue to stick together I think we have what it takes to still be playing well into the summer.

A Key to Athletic Success:

The John “Doc” Johnson Athletic Training Sean Sonneman Senior Writer

When fans come to watch a Manhattan College sporting event, they watch student-athletes do what they do best for a few hours. What the fans don’t see however, is the preparation that goes into those few hours. Not only do athletes have to practice beforehand, but they have to be aware of their health. One way that Manhattan College student-athletes help themselves stay or get healthy is by taking advantage of the Draddy Gymnasium training center.

The training center, properly known as the John “Doc” Johnson Athletic Training Center, was dedicated to John Johnson upon his retirement after the 2002-2003 school year. Johnson was a trainer for the New York Giants in addition to contributing 56 years with Manhattan College.

The center is open to student-athletes on Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM for general treatments and evaluations. It’s also typically open before and after those hours for games, practices, and other events.

It has been a room that student-athletes have put it to good use. A vast majority of them visit the room each day whether it’s to get tape, to get treatment, grab a bag of ice, grab a band-aid, or check-in with the staff, among other reasons.

“This room is extremely important to them,” said Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine and Athletic Performance Doug Straley. “I’d probably say if there’s a couple of places on campus that

get the most flow through their facilities per square-footage, [they] would probably be the cafeteria, the library, and this room right here.”

Straley is in his 14th year with Manhattan College. He came to Riverdale for the 2003-2004 school year as the Director of Sports Medicine. In August of 2009 he became the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine. He was later promoted to his current position in June 2016.

In addition to Straley, the training center has a staff of three full-time athletic trainers and two graduate assistants. David Bueti is the Assistant Director of Sports Medicine and is in his second year with the college. Samantha Gigante and Jaclyn Rettig are the other athletic trainers and they are in their second and first year, respectively. Clementine Guinet and Tyler Hetzel are the two graduate assistants and are both in their first year.

Together the staff works to provide the best prevention care, treatments, evaluation, rehabilitation, etc. for all of 19 Division I teams. The services they provide range from simpler things like taping and stretching to more complex treatments such as electrical stimulation therapy and the Graston Technique. Electrical stimulation is a therapeutic treatment that helps treat muscle spasms and pain. The Graston Technique is tissue mobilization that is conducted with tools.

Everything done by the sports medicine staff is done for a reason. Lots of research goes into each newly implemented program. The staff takes courses to both hone

their skills and learn new skills such as the aforementioned Graston Technique.

“Everything I do is what we call ‘evidence-based practice’”, said Straley. “I’m not going to do something unless there is research out there that shows that it works.”

The whole staff works under direct supervision of the four team physicians.

Anthony Maddalo, M.D., is an alumnus of Manhattan College and serves as the Chief Medical Officer and team physician. Nicole Solomos, D.O. and Gregg Cavaliere, M.D., are both also team physicians while Brighid Scesny, PA-C, is a team physician’s assistant. The physicians, who are apart of the Hudson Valley Bone and Joint Surgeons, are a great group according to Straley.

“An athletic training staff is really only as good as their team physicians are,” said Straley. “And we have excellent team physicians that work with us.”

Straley also had high praise for many others in the college administration for their interest in the well-being of the student athletes.

“Our administration,” said Straley.

“From Dr. [Richard] Satterlee to Marianne Reilly the AD, is really dedicated to student-athlete welfare and to making sure that we can provide the best possible services to our student-athletes to make sure they’re well taken care of.”

Straley has been a constant in the sports medicine department of Manhattan College athletics for a while. The mission of the college and Catholic education have

Doug Straley is in his 14th year with Manhattan.

GoJaspers/Courtesy been important factors to him and ones that he takes seriously.

“I’ve been here a long time and people have asked me what’s kept me here so long,” said Straley. “[And] for me it’s the mission of the college. I believe in the mission of the college and Catholic education.”

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JasperFit Personal Training Program Provides Guidance in the Fitness Center Sean Sonneman Senior Writer

The JasperFit personal training program is a growing option for members of the Manhattan College community looking for a boost to their workout program.

Open to students, faculty, administration, staff, and even alumni who may hold gym memberships to the Kelly Commons Fitness Center, the program features student certified personal trainers who can offer professional expertise in the gym.

“The goal of our program is to really provide some guidance and motivation to the Manhattan College community to get healthy and get fit,” Chris Policastro, director of the fitness center, said.

Whether it is weight loss, strength training, or simply to look and feel better, the aspirations of previous participants in the program have varied. A personal trainer may be an appealing option especially for those who are hesitant to head to the gym due to lack of knowledge or previous failures in maintaining a routine workout plan.

“Having a set time to actually have to meet with someone is definitely better than trying to do it on your own, especially if you’ve struggled to keep a schedule in the past,” Policastro said.

“That and obviously the motivational piece—having someone there pushing you, it creates a social support network— to have someone you can reach out to, even on non-training days to keep up with how things are going.”

All of the students who work as JasperFit personal trainers are certified by either the American College of Sports Medicine or the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Obtaining the Certified Personal Training credential is a perquisite to getting the job.

However, Policastro works with students who may be interested in coming onboard as trainers, often holding workshops and educating them on how to receive one

of the certifications.

Currently, he has four personal trainers on staff for the program that began a year ago and is looking to add more as interest increases. A majority of those trainers are students in the college’s kinesiology department and therefore benefit directly from the relevant work experience beyond the classroom.

JasperFit personal trainer Braily Bernaber also has a dual role in serving as the graduate assistant for the college’s fitness center.

Assisting clients with their workouts provides him an opportunity to work directly with people and see different perspectives in fitness.

“The first thing you need to know is that everyone is different. You get to know them a little better in each session that you train them,” Bernaber said.

“Once you get to known them a little more, you got a connection not only in the fitness aspect but also in the emotional aspect—a body and mind connection.”

In order to help the trainers forge this connection with their clients, each personal training package includes a free consultation and assessment that consists of biometric screenings and strength, cardio and flexibility tests.

The assessment allows the trainer and client to set individual goals for the program and tailor exercises to meet those needs.

Choosing realistic objectives can sometimes be one of the hardest tasks for trainers to accomplish with their clients.

“A lot of times people don’t know how much effort is required to achieve their goal. And we’re not here to do quick fixes—we’re trying to teach healthy lifestyles,” Policastro said. “We want to set people up for their life. That can take some time for clients to grasp that concept.”

Each one-on-one session with a personal trainer lasts an hour long and is scheduled for a time mutually agreeable to the client and trainer. A full list of packages is available on the Fitness Center’s website

JasperFit is a growing option for members of the college. Chris Policastro/Courtesy and ranges from three sessions for a total of $63 to 20 sessions for $340.

According to Pollicastro these costs are competitive and set with student budgets in mind. Many private sessions with personal trainers at other gyms can easily be in excess of $100 for just one session.

For Kevin Gschwend, the college’s assistant director of study abroad, working with JasperFit personal trainer Yusuf Mons paid off.

“Yusuf was really great. I had a won-

derful experience overall. He really made an effort to give me a program that would help me build strength while at the same time taking my previous injuries into consideration,” Gschwend said.

“I feel stronger and my pain level has gone down, which is a big deal for me.

Yusuf is very professional and was flexible when it came to scheduling. Overall, just a great trainer and friendly person, I would definitely recommend him to anyone.”

The program features student certified personal trainers who can offer professional expertise in the gym. Alyssa Velazquez/The Quadrangle

The Health Issue

16

voices on the quad health at manhattan college

Pamela Miceus Freshman Mechanical Engineering “Food wise, we have chicken tenders and fries available at any time of day, I feel like you’re gonna be eating them, especially when [Locke’s has] their off hours, where there is nothing but chicken tenders and fries to eat.”

Rocco Pascel Graduate Student Applied Mathematics “I try and eat as healthy as I can eat, smaller meals I guess.”

Anthony Chaves Sophomore Finance “I commute, so it’s kind of different, but I bring food from home if anything.”

Darwin Bosco Freshman International Studies “Yeah just because I’m a vegetarian and Locke’s options are very limited.

I just focus on more of like raw food, fruits and vegetables and stuff.”

Anna Curran Freshman Chemical Engineering

Keeley Hogan Sophomore Psychology

“I try to eat some balanced meals at Locke’s. I usually have a piece of grilled chicken and I take some of the side dishes from the vegan section. I go to the gym in the morning. I try to go for like Cheerios, the less sugary breakfast cereals.”

“I’m on the track the cross country team at school so I run everyday here. [The biggest health problem on campus] I guess [is] exercise, probably just getting into a routine, it’s sometimes hard”