Issue 8, Spring 2015 - The Quadrangle

THE Volume 91, Issue 8

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UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924

March 10, 2015

What’s a Jasper?

A CHAMPION Manhattan Beats Iona in MAAC Championship for Second Straight Year

Full Coverage on Pages 10-12

www.mcquad.org

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The

Opinions & editorials

Quadrangle www.mcquad.org

Vol. 91 Issue 8 March 10, 2015

Sean Sonnemann Editor-in-Chief Michelle DePinho Managing Editor/News Editor

The Editor

Letter to

Dear Editor:

March 10, 2015

Last week the Cuomo administration announced that it would seek to redesign how electricity is distributed in New York (i.e., Reforming Energy Vision), part of an ongoing effort to modernize our electrical system.

Anthony Capote Asst. News Editor

While the Governor has supported several reforms to further the development of renewable energy, such efforts fall way short of the investments needed to protect the state and its residents from the threats posed by climate change. The Governor proposes spending $5 billion over ten years to support the transition to renewable energy when probably 20 times as much money is needed.

Kieran Rock Managing Editor/Features Editor

Global warming driven by carbon and greenhouse gas emissions is driving increasingly severe weather.

The increased heat provides more energy and power, pushing the weather pendulum further in every direction. Storms of the century now occur every five or ten years.

Ally Hutzler Asst. Features Editor Lauren Carr Arts & Entertainment Editor Lindsey Burns Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor Jonathan Reyes Sports Editor Jaclyn Marr Asst. Sports Editor

Winters can be much colder in some places like the northeast while bears end their hibernation weeks early in the West because spring arrives prematurely. Heat waves during the summer last longer with higher temperatures, which are especially deadly for children and seniors. Historic floods and droughts become commonplace. Insects and their attacks on our food system spread. And deadly diseases such as malaria, dengue and Ebola spread as well. Access to food and water will become more difficult.

We can't stop climate change at this point, but we can reduce how devastating and expensive it will be.

We can reduce the number of people who will die from it. A report by 20 nations estimated that 100 million people worldwide will die from climate change by 2030 if we continue on the present path. Most of the predictions by climate scientists so far have underestimated how fast climate change is occurring.

Scientists say to avoid the worst of climate change we have to ensure that 80% of the existing fossil fuel reserves must remain in the ground. Yet the fossil fuel industry is spending hundreds of billions of dollars in ever more extreme extraction efforts that will bankrupt them and our economy, especially if oil prices fail to rebound to much higher levels.

Daniel Ynfante Asst. Sports Editor

Investing in clean energy will benefit virtually everyone - other than the coal, oil and gas CEOs, with their enormous profits. The debate is not over whether we go to a carbon-neutral energy system but when. The political will, not technology, is the problem. And while NYS has made some small reforms on electricity, it has done little on transportation and agriculture.

Sean McIntyre Social Media Editor

Getting to 100% clean energy by 2030 will create an enormous number of jobs along the way. It will reduce health problems and deaths from air pollution. It will substantially lower energy costs.

Victoria Hernรกndez Kristie Killen Asst. Social Media Editors

The technology to go to 100% clean renewable energy and energy conservation already exists - and steadily becoming cheaper and more efficient. However, we still provide enormous tax subsidies to promote the use of fossil fuels because campaign contributions derived from fossil fuel profits buy our elected officials.

Kevin Fuhrmann Photography Editor

The time is now for state officials to set a goal of 100% clean energy by 2030. All New Yorkers would be acting in their self-interest by urging Cuomo and other elected officials to do so.

Christian Roodal Asst. Photography Editor

Sincerely, Mark A. Dunlea Green Education and Legal Fund

Kelly Burns Luke Hartman Natalie Heinitz Production Editors Daniel Molina Distribution Manager 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.

Sam Martin/The Quadrangle

news

From Class to Minor to Major, How Majors Come to Be

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Cara Ledwidge Senior Staff Writer

During an 8:00 a.m. class, students usually wonder why they decided to sign up for it. But how did that class come to be in the first place?

The process of turning an idea into a class is one that is almost entirely controlled by the faculty.

“Students often don’t know how curricular change happens, and I think it’s important to know,” chair of the English department Ashley Cross, Ph.D., said.

As the environmental studies minor prepares to transition into a full major program, the steps in this process have become increasingly important to the professors and director involved in the program.

When faculty members get an idea that either came to them organically or was suggested to them by a group of students, that professor creates a potential syllabus and then brings this proposal up to their department for approval by the chair.

If this course is approved within the department, it then needs the “okay” from the dean of the school and the curriculum committee. If it gains the approval of both the dean and the committee, the class can then be taught during the semester that the professor is available to teach it.

“You want to make sure you don’t have courses listed that you can’t offer,” Cross said.

But not every professor can always teach their specialty each semester.

“It’s hard at a small school because all faculty get to teach within their specialty, but they also have to teach some of the core classes because all of these things have to get covered,” Cross said.

This usually means that professors decide to make it so that students “ideally have at least two chances to take a specific class within the four years,” Cross said.

Creating a minor takes more coordination because several faculty have to agree to work on it together.

This suggestion is incredibly difficult to turn into a reality if the need for new faculty members becomes apparent, something senior Alyssa O’Braskin said she “never really thought about. It’s incredible how much work goes into deciding whether or not a class should be a class or a minor or a

major. I’m really interested to know more about how this process works and I would love to see students get more involved.”

The environmental studies minor, which recently was approved as a major program, began when professors who felt passionately about the subject of environmental studies decided to create the minor together.

“About a dozen or so years ago, Dr. Chasek thought an environmental studies cluster would be a good idea, and then about half a dozen years ago, it was approved as a minor,” Jeffrey Myers, Ph.D. and professor of English, said.

In order for classes to turn into a minor, not only does the proposed minor need to be approved by the department, the dean, and the curriculum committee of the school the classes are contained in, but it also needs to be approved by the college itself. The Provost, Vice President for Fi-

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nance and the State Education Department also play a role in approving the major.

Myers, the environmental studies program director, has played an integral role in the minor’s journey to becoming a major.

From start to finish, the process of environmental studies becoming a major “took about a year,” Myers said.

“We started working on it in the fall of 2013 and then by the fall of 2014 it was in the process of getting approved by the state,” which this minor received late in 2014.

This major will stretch across the Schools of Engineering, Science, and Arts.

Students in the School of Arts will be able to major in environmental studies, but for students in the other two schools, they can only either make environmental studies their second major.

The major will allow students to take courses in a variety of topics: biology, Eng-

Lindsey Burns/The Quadrangle lish, chemical engineering, government, history and religion are just a few.

“Environmental issues are going to be some of the most important issues in the coming years, and to be able to prepare students for leadership positions in this field is extremely important,” Myers said.

“If we could build it up to between 15 to 20 students, that would be our goal.

We’ve already had success in getting our minors jobs at non-profit organizations or into graduate programs in the environmental studies field, so we have a pretty good post-graduate trajectory at this point,” Myers said.

“So many students while minoring have said to me, ‘I really wish I could be a major,’” Myers said.

Now, thanks to his help, they finally can.

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News

March 10, 2015

College’s Reallocation Plans Will Address Empty Spaces on Campus Claire Leaden Senior Staff Writer

With the opening of the commons, it’s hard not to notice the volume of empty space left around campus. Dante’s is joked about as being a “ghost town,” and there just aren’t as many engineering students doing homework in the Leo basement with the cafeteria closed. Administrators say that by June, most of this unused space will be accounted for with the completion of the college’s master plan.

“About six months before the commons opened, we put together a ‘space planning taskforce’ and that group was charged with identifying the spaces that became available as part of the commons opening and then soliciting space needs from the college community,” Vice President for Facilities Andy Ryan said.

Ryan said that to “solicit the space needs” the taskforce asked for requests from all of the different departments and

offices on campus that were in need of more space. That resulted in a pile of about 30 requests that now sit on his desk.

Ryan said that the campus master plan, which the campus space allocations are a part of, is about 80 percent complete and should be finalized by the end of June. By that time there will be a preliminary idea of what the empty spaces will be used for.

Some of the received requests were “fairly low-impact,” Ryan said, where there was a clear place where the requesters could move to that probably wouldn’t be utilized as well by anyone else. An example Ryan gave was the Office of Residence Life’s move to the old Student Activities suite in Thomas Hall. The space was move-in ready and essentially the department only had to “pick up their boxes and bring them down the hall.”

Most of the other requests involve construction renovations in some way.

For instance, an overhaul is already planned for the Dante’s space. Ryan said that in general terms it will be a “student engagement suite.” The Center for Academic Success and the Center for Career Development are some of the departments that will be housed there.

Many variables are taken into account when the Space Allocation Committee and Master Plan Advisory Committee work to

Leo Cafeteria is just one of the few spots on campus that now see less use after the completion of the Kelly Commons.

Christian Roodal/The Quadrangle decide how each requesting department’s needs will be met. They try to find ways to keep departments and offices together while also taking into account the size of the space requested.

Size plays a huge factor in the space in the Leo Engineering Building.

“There were three big footprints that became available as part of the commons,” Ryan said “Dante’s—which we’ve addressed—Leo cafeteria, and the bookstore.”

Ryan said that right now the cafeteria is currently functioning the same way it was before, that engineering students will “grab a sandwich and start doing their homework.”

“Then at some point in time a decision will be made if that space will stay the way it is or get repurposed,” he said. “There’s any number of potential needs down there, some of which are School of Engineering related, only because they’re probably the biggest tenant in that particular building.”

Tim Ward, dean of the School of Engineering, sits on the Master Plan Advisory Committee and helps makes decisions related to campus space issues. He echoed Ryan’s observations on the Leo building space and shared some of the ideas the

committee has discussed for the space, most of which are engineering-related.

“The Leo Cafeteria and the bookstore are two spaces of interest in this building.

So, what can we do with that space? Well there are different things we’re looking at,” he said. “The Leo Café right now is still being used by students to study and to eat their lunch and essentially be a place they can sit down.”

“It’s kind of a relaxing place. I think it’s important to have that in this building.

I’d like to keep some quiet space down here but I don’t know if that’s going to happen.”

In regards to the old bookstore, Ward said the new department chair of electrical and computer engineering needs some space to do his research, so a part of the area could potentially be carved out for him.

“We’re considering putting in another computer lab—a multiple use computer lab,” he said. “This is one that Dr. Gencarelli [chair of the communication department, also located in Leo] and I pitched this as a joint venture because we think we need something like the library, where students can go and do their word-processing and printing.”

A computer lab is an idea that appeals to some students who spend a lot of time in Leo. Cliff Keeling, a senior mechanical engineering major, mentioned the thought when asked what he’d like to see done with the space.

“Would it be possible to turn the cafeteria into small computer lab?” he said.

“That way when RLC gets packed, we can go there. Or they could put a Starbucks down there and make it more like the second floor of Kelly Commons.”

Still, as Ryan and Ward said, definite plans depend on decisions reached by the committees based on in-depth evaluations of the needs of different departments on campus.

“Some people in here have big chunks of space that they need,” Ryan said, pointing to the request pile. “They’re both [cafeteria and bookstore] below grade, so there are certain functions that wouldn’t go well down there. On the other side, some functions would fit really well down there—like science labs, engineering labs. And engineering has the longest list [of requests].”

In Support of New York LGBT Community, De Blasio to Boycott St. Patrick’s Day Parade Anthony Capote Assistant Editor

New York Mayor Bill De Blasio’s brief tenure as mayor has been filled with unorthodoxy— even when it comes to an almost 250-year-old event.

De Blasio announced at a press conference on March 4 that he would continue his now two-year long boycott of the St. Patrick’s Day parade.

He cites the parade organizers’ reluctance to allow LGBTQ groups to march in the parade as the cause of his absence from the event.

“I’ve made very clear that there needs to be more progress for me to march in the

parade,” De Blasio said at a recent press conference, “so unless something changes, I’m not marching.”

De Blasio is the first mayor in over two decades to miss the parade and is one of the few city dignitaries who will not be present, causing backlash from the city’s longstanding Irish heritage.

“I’ve marched in the parade since I was eight years old,” MC junior Patrick Roniger said. “It just sucks when your mayor doesn’t support a 300-year-old tradition.”

Roniger, who is the assistant to the lead piper in Manhattan College’s Pipes and Drums Club, will be marching with the band and the MC Gaelic Society in the Manhattan parade as they have for several years.

De Blasio’s boycott, however, has not had the impact he hoped it would. The Manhattan parade will still, undoubtedly, be the largest of the year.

“I think that it has really good intentions but there needs to be something more,” senior Anthony Fischetti said. “He’s boycotting the parade, but the parade is bigger.”

Fischetti, who is openly gay, also said that the parade is full of people who just want to enjoy the day and that De Blasio should instead put pressure on the major groups that are actually excluding LGBTQ groups from the parade.

“He has to take another step or else no other change will come about it,” he said.

“I recently went to Ireland and there are plenty of gay people there and they are

all accepted,” Roniger said. “It’s just weird to see that Irish Americans are so different from Irish people.”

Despite the continued importance and popularity of the parade, De Blasio’s effort has not been entirely in vain.

In response to De Blasio’s boycott, NBCUniversal has allowed a group of LGBTQ employees to march in the parade this year but the mayor says that is simply not enough.

“I certainly applaud the progress this year compared to last, but because it is one narrow delegation, I don’t think it responds to the core concern,” De Blasio said in a statement on March 4. “I think a lot of other leaders feel the same way we do.”

News

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Professors, Students Discuss Future of Same-Sex Marriage Jenna Bloomer Staff Writer

In just over a decade, the U.S. has legalized same-sex marriage in 37 states. While this progress for the LGBT community has been long in the works, this summer the Supreme Court will rule on whether or not same-sex couples can marry regardless of the state they live in.

This announcement has stirred up debate and discussion throughout the U.S. and on campus about the importance of this ruling.

“It has been nearly overnight where you have gone from ramped homophobia and attacks, to all of the sudden everybody going ‘what’s the big deal’,” Cory Blad, Ph.D and professor of sociology, said.

“Part of that is strongly generational.”

Blad said that the current push for allowing same-sex marriage is in part due to acceptance from the younger generation.

“Culture doesn’t usually change so quickly,” he said. “I think the kids have

convinced their parents that it’s not something to be concerned about.”

This progress is well overdue in the eyes of supporters of LGBT rights. Ivan Rios, student president of the LGBTQ Friends and Allies club at Manhattan College, said that that the fact that 37 out of 50 states legalized same-sex marriage is “phenomenal.”

“It is great to know that people are becoming more open to the idea of same sex marriage, but at the same time it is frustrating because marriage is something that shouldn’t have to be fought for,” Rios said.

Now that the Supreme Court’s ruling reintroduces the possibility of a same-sex marriage ban in all states, Rios said the future for the LGBT community is uncertain.

“It is going to be very difficult for them to criminalize marriage in 37 states again,” he said.

But marriage laws aren’t the only concern.

Arkansas has recently passed a law that

prevents the enforcement of laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

“In other words, pro-LGBT laws cannot be enforced,” Rios said. “This is the second state that has done this. Tennessee [is] the first. Sometimes it feels like people in the LGBT community are second class citizens.”

Philip Francis, Ph.D. and professor of religious studies, said that as the voting patterns in more politically conservative religious groups change, additional progress may be made for LGBT rights.

“I have witnessed huge progress in the past decade,” Francis said. “American Evangelicals, who account for roughly one third of the population, are still the largest voting block with an anti-gay rights agenda. But over the last decade, things have been moving in the right direction.

“If this trend continues over the next decade, it is not an exaggeration to say that the largest obstacle to gay rights in the U.S. will have dissolved,” Francis said.

Blad said recent polls have shown that

same-sex marriage is more widely accepted in the U.S. than before.

“If you look at general polling data, this is not a controversial topic,” Blad said.

“More people in the United States, including those states where it’s still illegal, are in support of gay marriage. That is representative progress.”

At the college, Rios called awareness of these issues “fluctuating. Some faculty seem to be aware and even supportive of the LGBT community on campus, but there are other faculty that make it seem like the LGBT community is nonexistent,” he said.

“Some students could care less, other are supportive, and another portion of students are not supportive.”

Francis said that acceptance remains a challenge.

“Even when this is achieved there will still be so much work to be done in educating the population about the equal humanity, dignity, and value of LGBTQ persons,” Francis said.

Interested in The Quadrangle?

Go to our website: www.mcquad.org

Follow us on Twitter @mcquad Like us on Facebook: The Quadrangle Follow us on Tumblr: ManhattanQuadrangle.tumblr.com Want to join in on the action?

Tuesdays. 4:30 PM. Room 412 in the Commons.

Be there.

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Arts & Entertainment

Arts & Entertainment

March 10, 2015

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Musical to Music Video First Coffee House is a Hit

Freshman Engineer Has High Hopes for Singing Claire Leaden

Staff Writer

In the cozy atmosphere of Jasper Hall’s lounge, a crowd silently enjoyed covers and original songs from their peers. From indie to rock every singer showed his talent in this open space for artists to share with the rest of the community what music is all about: feelings.

“I really like Coffee House because it provides a way for a lot of members of the Manhattan College community to express themselves throughout the music,” said Robert Joseph Liberto, one of the organizers of the event.

Students from all years and majors performed, proving that passion can be found among any type of person, no matter what he or she likes. The participation is usually between 10 and 15 singers, poem readers and performers of various instruments.

“I was glad to see a lot of new faces this time,” sophomore George Schlinck, one of the performers of the night, said.

“We got a bunch of new people, which was fantastic.”

They also talked about expanding the event and how more participants would attract more spectators; and be more of a benefit for the community.

The event is done through Manhattan Magazine, the publication where artistic work of students (poetry, short stories, songs and drawings) can be submitted and

Senior Staff Writer

Though Caitlin Hall, a freshman mechanical engineering major, didn’t start performing until high school, a music video for her first original song “Silhouette Lies” just went up on YouTube two weeks ago.

“I always liked singing, but I never really knew if I was good at it,” Hall said. “I did a solo for my eighth grade Christmas concert, but other than that there wasn’t really anything that I did.”

That all changed when her high school, Paramus Catholic in New Jersey, put on its first ever talent show “Paladin Palooza.”

Caitlin decided to perform “Oh! Darling”

by The Beatles with a friend, and they ended up winning first place.

“It was the first time I had performed for a contest,” Hall said. “I got pretty comfortable up there. I honestly get really nervous when I’m by myself; when I have a partner signing with me I’m not that bad.”

Hall performed again the next year, her junior year, with a band and they got third place. Senior year she decided to try singing by herself, and won first place again.

Throughout high school Hall said she didn’t have a lot of free time to invest in music. She joined the drama club but wasn’t able to participate in the musicals because her parents didn’t want her to quit softball, which interfered. She also joined the choir but “ended up having to quit because sports got in the way again.”

The talent shows helped her try her hand at singing in public, and her senior year she did push to make time for the school musical.

Though she didn’t get to sing by herself in the show, her participation in it definitely left an impact. This past summer, the summer after her senior year, she was contacted by someone who saw her in the musical and told her about a singing contest she could join.

“I joined it, and I didn’t know anyone in it at all,” Hall said. “The winner got $100, a photo shoot, a song-writing session, a song that gets published, and a music video for that song.”

Well, you can guess what happened.

Hall did win the contest—first place with all of the prizes.

“This was the first time they ever had it [the contest] so I was kind of the ‘Kelly Clarkson,’” she said. “They just had their second one, and I’ll be performing for the finals of it on the thirteenth.”

The contest—called “The Key Element,” put on by entertainment company LOA Entertainment—was done in the style of the TV show “The Voice,” with each judge choosing a contestant they want to mentor. When Hall won first place she wrote “Silhouette Lies” with her judge aReJay Ella.

“That was the first time [writing with someone]—I’m not really a ‘lyrical genius,’” Hall said, laughing. “What I do is I write in general. If I get really mad or upset I write it out and will feel better.

“My writing basically just consists of rants, and I try to form that into a song/ poem type of thing. But it has to be in the moment. It’s the same thing with drawing.

I can’t just draw on the spot, it’s more of like a ‘if I feel it, I do it.’”

Hall said that journaling helps her sort through emotions, something that came in

Daniel Molina

Freshman Caitlin Hall balances a passion for singing with her studies as a mechanical engineering student.

Caitlin Hall/Courtesy handy when she was writing her song with Ella. Though she said it was a frustrating process because she’s a “corny person” and “tends to be on the cheesy side,” she and her mentor had mutual consent on all aspects of the track, from instrumentals to lyrics.

“The song is about insecurities,” she explained. “In high school I had a rough patch, I just wasn’t happy with myself, so I wrote the song about that.”

Once the song was complete it was time for the music video. It has been up on YouTube for two weeks now, with about 400 views, and she filmed it in the Bronx a month beforehand.

Most of it was actually filmed at MC’s

neighbor’s campus, Lehman College. Other parts also take place on the 1 train and Van Cortlandt Park.

“The part where I had to do ballet was the most challenging part to me because I just don’t dance like that and I was just trying not to look stupid,” Hall said with a grin. “I was so afraid I was going to look weird on camera because I’ve never seen myself on camera before.”

Despite these concerns, Hall said she likes how it turned out and admits “it’s pretty cool” to have a video produced and online.

As for future plans, Hall said she’s “more of a go-with-the-flow person.” For example, a few weeks ago she decided to

do the “open mic night” on campus, so she said if there are any similar open opportunities she’ll gladly take them. She even tried auditioning for “The Voice” once.

She maintained a close relationship with her judge, who is more a mentor now, so she plans on writing another song with him in the near future.

“I don’t want to call it a hobby because I think it’s more than a hobby right now,” Hall said. “It is a passion but I don’t see it being something that can support me later on, which is why I’m doing mechanical engineering. All artists have a backup career, so this is mine.”

published.

Coffee House has been around campus for a few years now, and the organizers and attendants seem to understand that the ambiance is relaxed. If a lyric is forgotten or a note is missed, the performers still get the same amount of applause from the crowd.

Students like Sam Corby, Mike Battista, Gavin Sass, Chris Lake and Sam Feeney were part of the two hour set, singing with the help of acoustic and electric guitars.

The Coffee House serves as a platform for student performers to get a head start with playing music and helps generate an audience. That is the story of one of the student bands called Potpourri.

“There is a band called Potpourri that just released an album under their own label, and two of the guys, Vincent Harris, the lead singer, and Rocco Pascale, the guitarist, used to play just those two as Potpourri and then the band expanded,” Liberto explained to us.

The rain or snow did not stop the students from grabbing some warm coffee and snacks provided by the organizers. And, as warmer weather is expected in the next few days, the next Coffee House may be held in green grass of the Quad.

With these types of events, Manhattan College proves that artistic talent can be found in an education major or an engineering student. What matters is simply the dedication and love each puts into his or her performance.

Students sing and perform at last week’s Coffee House.

Daniel Molina/The Quadrangle

Arts & Entertainment

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March 10, 2015

MC’s “Her Campus” Finds Its Community Lauren Carr Editor

When the Manhattan College chapter of Her Campus debuted two years ago there was only a handful of girls contributing to the popular college website. In just two years, MC Her Campus grew to have a strong staff of writers and an online presence in the Manhattan community. While the website is making strides with the girls on campus, others might still be asking what exactly it is.

Her Campus is a website geared toward college-aged girls. It showcases different articles about issues that may be affecting girls of that age, as well as profiling different students and their achievements on campus. From dating, school, spring break essentials to any other issue that surrounds the everyday college girl, Her Campus has it covered.

“Its like the girl version of Buzzfeed,” sophomore writer Abby Welte said.

There are 12 girls that currently write and every week new articles ranging in different categories are broken up between them all. Features, Blog, Campus Cutie and Campus Celebrity are the categories that the girls can write for. In order for the articles to take off, the girls share them on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages and that is where the clicks start to add up.

“I really blew up social media with articles because that is the only thing people really look at,” senior and current campus correspondent of MC Her Campus Alyssa Maccarrone said.

One way to generate traffic to the website is profiling students on campus that people know. The Campus Cutie and Campus Celebrity sections showcase a student, male or female, on campus that are doing interesting things on and off campus.

“I love the Campus Cutie/Celeb articles because if someone on Facebook sees the article and it’s someone they know they are going to be interested and they’re going to want to click on it. It’s all about catering to your audience,” Maccarrone said.

Each week new faces and articles are brought to the website and so far the MC Her Campus is pulling about 4,000 hits per week and the numbers are continuing to rise. Each of the girls writes one or two articles a week and they choose whatever they want to write about.

“I like that you can write about whatever you want. It’s very free,” junior Lauren Sciarrotto said. “I also like how you can relate it to girls our age.”

“You get to brag about your favorite things about Manhattan,” Welte said. “I recently did a Campus Cutie on one of my friends and he got so many views which is really cool. It’s fun because you get to write about the things you want to write and read about.”

In just two years Her Campus has gone from a website that no one knew about to something that pops up each week on everyone’s news feed. However, they are not an official club on campus which is something that Maccarrone hopes will change after she graduates this spring.

“I want to leave Her Campus on the track that it will definitely become a school club that way we can do more cool events,”

Maccarrone said. “I would love to continue to get followers on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook up and to keep going up.”

Even though Her Campus is not seen as an official club on campus, they have recently been taken on by the Public Relations club on campus, PRSSA. The club will be helping Her Campus with publicity and events throughout the school year.

If you want to report and write about what is happening on campus and in the everyday life of a “colliegiette” email Alyssa Maccarrone at manhattan@hercampus.com to get started.

The Magic of Prada’s Spring 2015 Line Abi Kloosterman Staff Writer

Miuccia Prada. The name just rolls right of the tongue doesn’t it? Well, maybe not. However, whether or not you can pronounce the name of one of the most influential fashion houses in the entire world, Prada represents the true form of art that is high fashion and what goes into a simple piece of clothing.

In early February and at the beginning of New York Fashion week, Prada Broadway unleashed The Iconoclasts, a creation from the minds of designers Michael Wilkinson and Tim Martin. The exhibit was shown throughout February and kicked off with an opening party, attracting the best of the best and the most elite of the New York fashion scene. Some may say this exhibit was another excuse for a Fashion Week soirée, bubbling over with champagne and celebrities, but through the crowds and camera flashes lies a mystifying world of glamour that puts “American Hustle” to shame.

Through the gigantic doors of Prada Broadway lies a world where art meets fashion in the most unique way. The bubble-gum pink, cobalt blue and deep brown handbags uniformly line the walls while a greeter says, “Welcome to Prada” as if you have entered some other world. The Iconoclasts, mannequins trimmed with Prada Spring 2015 garments, had taken over the store.

Each mannequin sports a large wig in

Abi Kloosterman/The Quadrangle a bouffant shape, a type of flowery fur and bold eyes made of broken glass pieces and shiny stones that glimmer under the industrial lighting. These intricately made glass eyes are truly the window to the soul of Prada. Each mannequin seems to speak to one another, one turned toward the other as if sharing a secret. Another is perched on the perfume counter as if observing the party from beyond, just as a visitor of the store does. Each mannequin has been well

thought out, as not one is identical to another.

Not only does each garment represent a piece of art originally drawn on paper that came to life, but each character created represents the genius of Prada’s Spring 2015 line.

The moment your foot hits the pavement on Broadway the party does indeed vanish. There is a Gatsby-esque feeling of not really knowing what exactly you just

stepped out of but really recognizing it was an enchanting moment. Not to mention the fabulous clothes take on a life of their own.

Prada has successfully taken art and mixed it with fashion, furthering the ability for fashion to truly be recognized as art. The beautiful party of 1979 may not be on display any longer, but the sound of glamour and of pure joy resonates throughout the hearts and minds of fashion and art lovers across New York City.

Features

9

the sabbatical A Research Experience for the College Professor John Abbatangelo Staff Writer

One of the most beneficial and exciting experiences for college professors is that they are able to pursue their own research and studies for their respective disciplines.

They may pursue these studies outside of the classroom and common work schedule, too. The fascinating opportunity that awaits such professors is known as sabbatical.

Sabbatical is time spent away from teaching, where a professor candidate applies and, if granted, can go on a paid leave to research, study and create some interesting work that relates to their field in one way or another.

There are two main criteria a professor at Manhattan College must possess to be considered for sabbatical leave. Firstly, the candidate must have tenure, and secondly they must have been employed at Manhattan College for at least seven full years.

According to the Manhattan College Faculty Handbook, the purpose of sabbatical leave is “to provide the faculty members with an opportunity to devote themselves more intensively to faculty development and thereby enrich their teaching at Manhattan College.”

The candidate applies via a proposal submission. The proposal is overlooked in the fall semester by a committee, known as the Committee of Sabbatical Leave, and the “applicant...should be prepared, if necessary to appear before the [Committee] to explain or clarify the precise nature of the proposals or any parts thereof,” according to the handbook.

The process is rigorous, since a professor applying must have a concrete plan to better improve both themselves and their teaching ability. What is important is that a professor has a goal before proposing sabbatical.

Ashley Cross, chair of the English department, refers to sabbatical leave as a

“privilege.”

“It is competitive even amongst [different] schools [at Manhattan College],” Cross said.

One professor who was fortunate enough to receive a sabbatical leave for the 2015-16 school year is Margaret Toth, associate professor of English at MC. Toth, who also directs the film studies program and moderates the MC Film Society, applied last year—her first year tenured.

“I’m very excited about having time to devote to my scholarship,” Toth said.

“While I love being in the classroom, it is tricky to balance out teaching and research responsibilities and nearly impossible to immerse yourself in writing a book-length project.”

“I will have a full year to devote to my research and writing, which is a gift. At the same time, I know I will have to develop strategies to lend structure to my days,” she said. Most of the research and exploration Toth will be engaged in on her leave is gauged toward the development of her book that she is writing, on author Edith Wharton.

“The timing [of my sabbatical] was perfect, since I will use my sabbatical to work on my book project, ‘Spirituality, Nostalgia, and Material Culture in Edith Wharton’s Fiction,’” Toth said.

Gathering materials for a project like a book does require some moving around.

She plans on doing a good deal of travel over her break from the classroom, inluding local trips to New York Public Library and farther journeys to Europe.

“Luckily for me, many of the materials I need for my research are housed right here in New York City at the New York Public Library. I also plan to visit relatively local archives, such as The Mount in Lenox, MA, Wharton’s former home, and the Beinecke Library at Yale, which contains Wharton’s papers,” Toth said.

“My most exciting prospect is to stay in Florence, Italy for a month. Wharton

Margaret Toth, associate professor of English, will be going on sabbatical next year.

John Abbatangelo/The Quadrangle spent a lot of time in Europe, and many of her works are inspired by her experiences in Italy. And if I’m really lucky, I’ll also be spending some time in the Borrego Desert, CA—a quiet retreat that’s perfect for writing.”

Toth’s book explores both 19th Century American Literature and visual content. It will merge the two ideas, as well as material culture from the time. “Professor Toth’s book is a global context that hasn’t been done on Edith before… [it explores] ghost fiction and Wharton’s critique of spirituality,” Cross said.

Sabbatical is an opportunity for professors to step away from the class room and focus on their research, but according to Cross, the experience makes their teaching better.

“It is a really great thing to do for the love of teaching. Two reasons it is good is because [a professor] can recharge in their own space and they can also focus on their own work without dealing with the other demands of being a college professor. A teacher will come back with excitement.”

As for Dr. Toth’s project, “it’s totally exciting,” Cross said.

The Lemkin Summit

The Next Generation of Human Rights Defenders Marylise Uwabideli Guest Writer

Next month, April 6 will mark the 21st anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide where over 800,000 men, women and children of the Tutsi ethnic group were slaughtered in only 100 days.

Being from Rwanda, having to go into hiding during the Rwandan Genocide and watching as people in my family, including my own father, were killed during the atrocity, genocide prevention is something that I have always strived to stand for.

Which is why I chose to apply to attend the Lemkin Summit: a national gathering of the next generation of human rights defenders in Washington D.C. The summit was named after Raphael Lemkin who was an immigrant to the United States from Poland during the start of World War II. He was the first person to use the term “genocide” to denote the killing of a specific race, religion or ethnic group.

It is because of Lemkin and his persis-

Marylise Uwabideli/Courtesy tence for justice and action that many institutions were formed to try to stop more mass killings from happening.

“Without him, we would not have the international criminal court to hold people at fault for what they have done, he is a

hero who was persistent and wrote documents after documents as to why we need to take action,” Mehnaz Afridi, director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education center here at Manhattan College, said.

I was able to meet many different students from all across the country and from different universities who like myself wanted to stand up for those who did not have a voice.

“I think it is so important as a student activist to be a part of conferences like this.

Not only do you learn a great deal from the speakers, but you are reminded that you are a part of a movement and that you have the power to make a difference,” Emily Collinson from American University said.

We spent the three days learning more about mass killings that are still happening today in countries such as Sudan, Syria and The Central African Republic. I had the honor of listening to many guest speakers from all different backgrounds.

These included genocide survivors and former ambassadors who worked in coun-

tries that had gone through these types of atrocities such as Larry Wohlers, former ambassador for the Central African Republic.

The most influential part of the weekend was when we were able to Skype with Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations and also the author of “A Problem from Hell.”

Ambassador Power along with all of these speakers gave us great insight on why these things continue to happen even today and what our generation can do to prevent them from going on. The final day of the summit was spent visiting with members of congress such as Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Yvette Clarke, Rep. Sean Patrick, and Rep. John Lewis. They were be able to hear our concerns and what we want to happen so that more lives will not have to be taken.

I encourage everyone to go to conferences such as these so we can all be aware and know how to take action to defend human rights around the world.

10

Sports

March 10, 2015

The Travelling Sixth Borough

Kevin Fuhrmann/The Quadrangle

Anthony Capote Assistant Editor

ALBANY, N.Y.—It’s no secret at Manhattan College—especially if you live in Lee Hall—just how loud The Sixth Borough can be inside Draddy Gymnasium.

Draddy has always been just small enough that the home crowd can make a visiting team feel overwhelmed, often giving the Jaspers a powerful home court advantage.

However, on March 9 as the Jaspers battled The Iona Gaels in the MAAC conference championship at the Times Union Center, which holds 15,500 more people than Draddy, it was pretty clear that The Sixth Borough can travel.

“I think we always drown out the opposing side,” junior Rachel Harrison said.

“But in this game, everyone is here to cheer on the boys, even the players are standing up and getting people to cheer them on.”

Harrison attended all three games last weekend and said she was proud to be a part of the historic win, which gave the Jaspers back-to-back MAAC titles.

“Being from a small school you want to make your name known,” she said.

“Coming here, supporting [the Jaspers] is a great feeling making Manhattan College known.”

The electricity in the air was tangible.

Even though the building was only half full, the combined power of the Sixth Borough and the Pep Band easily overpowered Iona’s student section.

The crowd was ready to erupt from

start to finish.

Every field goal, foul and turnover the Jaspers earned was met with intense response from The Sixth Borough and band.

The Iona student section, which had done its best to make its presence known for the duration of the tournament, was drowned out by Jasper Nation.

The Jaspers, in their away uniforms and a full two-hours drive from their home court, took advantage of their apparent home-court crowd, taking care to egg on the group when they could.

After a double technical foul in the first half, that allowed junior Shane Richards to knock down two free throws, the Jaspers’ wing player put up his hands in the shape of a triangle towards his classmates, giving them something else to clap at.

MC students came prepared to rattle the rafters of a gym that holds more people than Manhattan has undergraduates.

Clad in gear that ranged from plain Manhattan College sweaters to shirts commemorating last year’s trip to the NCAA tournament, the fans were out in full force and full Jasper style. Perhaps the most bizarre outfit, though, was that of freshman Ian Chalmers, who wore an oversized green head and Hulk gloves.

“One of the upperclassmen told me it was at the 2003-2004 and last year’s tournament and I thought I was cool so I wanted to put it on,” he said.

Chalmers attended three other home games this season and said he felt honored, as a Bronx native, to have been a part of the evening.

“Growing up, I always knew Iona and Manhattan,” Chalmers said, “Manhattan

College is home now and I love it.”

As the game wore on, and Manhattan continued to display its dominance, the Iona’s section seemed to fall further out of earshot; meanwhile, The Sixth Borough let everyone know of its presence.

“We have a lot of people here today,” Chalmers said, “It looks like we have a good effect on the game.”

Sophomore Shaquille Cole-Cephus, a regular attendee at every Jasper home game, brought a sign that told every opponent the Jaspers faced exactly who had arrived. It read, “Albany, the champs have arrived!”

And arrive they did.

“It means a lot to the players, especially because of the support we’ve given them over the last two or three years,” he said.

“Especially after all that has happened since last year.”

When Head Coach Steve Masiello was in the process of securing a new job at the University of South Florida, it was later discovered that he lost the offer because of his failure to complete his bachelor’s degree.

In the time immediately after, Masiello received intense criticism for his actions, but was ultimately welcomed back to the school upon the condition that he complete his degree.

As he led the Jaspers to their second consecutive MAAC championship, though, no one would have guessed that some students had booed him early in the season.

The crowd chanted his name as the clock wound down, letting him know that he won back their hearts and their respect.

Masiello would later thank The Sixth

Borough for their support all season long.

Arguably, the most important—and certainly most audible—section of The Sixth Borough is the Manhattan College Pep Band, which also travelled to Albany for the tournament.

The band created as much noise as possible, from the start of the trip to the very end. As soon as they mounted the bus at 8 a.m. Saturday morning, they were in the zone, knowing almost from the start that the Jaspers would face their biggest inconference rivals in the championship, and for the second year in a row.

They played songs at every time out, all without any sheet-music in front of them, and also heckled opponents all game long.

Senior Mitchell Potempa is the band’s lead trombonist and de facto head heckler.

“Most of the time it’s just stuff that comes to my head,” he said. “I love basketball and I love yelling stuff.”

As a senior, Potempa said he felt as though the tournament was his last goaround, much like the team’s seniors.

“I’ve been here for four years and every year that we play, the team deserves every ounce of passion that I have,” Mitchell said. “You deserve a fan base that’s behind a team that puts that kind of energy on the floor.”

While it may have been Potempa’s last MAAC tournament, with a Jasper victory he still has the chance to support his team once more.

The team is faced to enter the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.

You can bet that no matter where they play, The Sixth Borough will be behind them.

sports

Inside the Numbers:

11

Jaspers Win Back-to-Back MAAC Championships

Daniel Ynfante Assistant Editor

ALBANY, N.Y.—For months, this column has dedicated itself to highlighting eye-popping statistics and remarkable numbers, but whom are we kidding. The only number that matters this season is two.

2

For the second year in a row, the Manhattan College Jaspers are the MAAC champions.

It was a season of ups and downs, but it culminated in the ultimate high: a MAAC title.

The Jaspers defeated the Iona Gaels 7969 and will make a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

“It feels amazing,” RaShawn Stores said about becoming a two-time champion. “A lot of people don’t see it. The media don’t really see what we go through.

Day in and day out, 6 a.m.’s, the navy seal workouts, Emmy Andujar and Carlton Allen losing people. We all lose people every day and we just fight for them. Twenty-two strong, that’s all that matters.”

Two is the number of the year for the Jaspers but for the sake of this column, here are some major highlights from the game.

23

The Jaspers held the 3-point machine Iona Gaels to a measly 23 percent from the 3-point line.

Just a day after the Gaels set a tournament record with 19 made 3-pointers, the Jaspers’ defense limited them to a woeful 5-22 mark.

“If you take away A and B and make them go to C and D, it’s always going to be rough,” Stores said. “We just knew. Just ball pressure, ball pressure. Keep trying to get to their legs. Keep trying to get to their legs. They’re a jump-shooting team. If you don’t have no legs you can’t really shoot the ball too well.”

For the entire night, it was apparent how much Iona’s missed threes influenced the game. The trio of A.J. English, Isaiah Williams and Schadrac Casimir could never find their rhythm and with their crucial misses from long range, Iona blew huge opportunities several times to build comfortable leads.

4

In an arena full of lethal 3-point shooters in English, Casimir, Williams, Shane Richards and Stores, absolutely no one would have guessed that the best 3-point shooter of the night would be Donovan Kates.

Kates had been two for his last 22 from downtown, but had the game of his life

against Iona, hitting four of his six 3-point attempts.

The senior saved his best scoring output for the most important game of the season, scoring a season-high 13 points.

“Just my teammates having confidence in me,” Kates said about his performance.

“The coaching staff, everybody just told me to stay with it and keep shooting. That was just a big thing. Everybody kept confidence in me, so I kept confidence in myself. When you can look around and the guys around you have confidence in you, how can you not have confidence in yourself?”

1

One serves a double role here.

First, Ashton Pankey was named the number one player of the tournament, earning MAAC Tournament MVP. Second, the Jaspers are number one in the conference once again.

In three tournament games, Pankey averaged 15.6 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, on 52 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line.

“All year I wanted to establish myself as an inside presence,” Pankey said. “I think that was key for us, especially in a game like this.”

Pankey came up huge in the championship game, with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds. Not on the box score were the double teams he drew every

Kevin Fuhrmann/The Quadrangle time he touched the ball.

Pankey played the double teams perfectly, kicking it out to the open man on many occasions and either assisting on the play or getting a hockey assist.

He was a big reason why Manhattan is number one for the second year in a row, but was not the only reason.

Throughout the entire weekend, the Jaspers received contributions from several members of the team. One night it was Richards, the next night it was Emmy Andujar. Zane Waterman had a terrific game off the bench in the semifinals scoring 10 points.

The depth of this Jaspers team was in full display in Albany and one can only wonder how far that can take them in the NCAA Tournament.

The Jaspers, who finished with a much better record last season, were a 13 seed in last year’s dance. They will not know their fate until Selection Sunday on March 15, but until then, head coach Steve Masiello is just happy with his latest victory.

“Not at all,” Masiello said about whether or not he has given any thought to where the team might be seeded this season. “We’re just very happy and humble to continue to play basketball this time of the year. We’ll be excited to be a part of it, like anyone. Like we always do. We understand that it’s going to be a tough draw no matter who it is, but we’re just enjoying this now.”

sports

12

Steve Masiello On Top of the World Again

Chris Cirillo

Senior Staff Writer ALBANY, N.Y. -- Steve Masiello has another achievement to add on his resume.

This time, the whole country saw firsthand that it’s not false. He’s a champion… for the second time in a row.

Masiello! Masiello! Masiello!

Masiello is king again after being dethroned last season when the University of South Florida rescinded its job offer to the head coach, finding that he had never graduated college despite claiming to on his resume. After leaving Manhattan and then coming back, Masiello has proved – degree scandal or no degree scandal – that he is one of the best coaches in the nation.

“It’s the greatest feeling in my life,” Masiello said. “It’s been probably the hardest year of my life. I say this not about me but about my players: cream rises. This program rose above a lot of things, a lot of things.”

Cream rose when Masiello went back to the University of Kentucky, finished his

undergraduate degree and returned as head coach.

Masiello! Masiello! Masiello!

Cream rose when Emmy Andujar went to court this past December to testify for the prosecution of the three men charged with murdering his older brother, and Masiello went with him, according to the New York Daily News.

Masiello! Masiello! Masiello!

And cream rose last night, when Masiello’s squad knocked off one-seed Iona, despite losing to them twice during the regular season.

Masiello! Masiello! Masiello!

The fans were chanting his name.

His player’s couldn’t stop hugging him.

Masiello couldn’t stop showing gratitude to the player’s around him.

“The media don’t really see what we go through day-in and day-out…” senior RaShawn Stores said. “The main goal, as the leader of this team, was to keep everybody level headed and we know we all we got – 22 strong. I learned that from coach through the years. He led the way. I just try to follow him as much as possible.”

Masiello came to Manhattan in 2011 and has brought success since day one. In his first year as head coach, he turned a team with just six wins the previous year into a third-place regular season finish. It went down as the largest win turnaround in Division I basketball that year.

In his second year, he brought his team to the MAAC championship despite being without its leading scorer in George Beamon. The Jaspers lost, but it marked a turning point for the program.

In his third year, he won the coveted MAAC championship and nearly knocked off the defending NCAA champions, Louisville, in the NCAA Tournament.

This time, he did it again and won another MAAC title. He’s improved every year as head coach, so who knows what’s next.

But basketball is just half of the story with Masiello, who has helped his players grow off the court as much as on it.

“The main thing with coach Mas [Masiello] is he made us into men,” Stores said after the team’s final home game of the season. “I came here [Manhattan] as

Kevin Fuhrmann/The Quadrangle a young man, a teenage boy. Coach Mas made me into a man. He leaves all of us out here as men: Rhamel [Brown], Mike [Alvarado], Kidani [Brutus], the list goes on.

“That’s the big thing about Coach Mas, our brotherhood makes us even better players,” junior Ashton Pankey said. “I give coach all the praise. I love him so much.”

There is a saying in the sports world that “winning cures everything.” If the degree scandal placed any doubts on the head coach, another championship should be the cure.

But while the players point the finger at Masiello, Masiello points it right back at them.

“I got three phenomenal seniors who understand winning,” he said. “Ashton Pankey, Donovan Kates, Emmy [Andujar], RaShawn [Stores] are a coach’s dream.

They might not be recognized by the casual fan but these guys have taken this program into a whole new atmosphere. I couldn’t be prouder of these young men.

“It’s more than basketball to us and they’re the reason I’m here.”