THE Volume 94, Issue 6
Q
UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924
October 4, 2016
Bravest Loses Life Responding to Explosion Blocks Away from Campus
www.mcquad.org
Manhattan College Celebrates an Important Fair Trade Month Stephen Zubrycky Editor
RikkiLynn Shields Asst. Editor
A New York City fire chief died while responding to an explosion of a house that was allegedly being used to grow marijuana on West 234th Street on Sept. 27, according to police. Batallion Chief Michael Fahy, 44, died after he was hit by falling debris while directing his team in how to respond to the emergency. The father of three was pronounced dead at New York Presbyterian later that day. At around 6:20 a.m., a neighbor reported smelling what they had thought to be a gas leak from a house only about four blocks from Manhattan College’s engineering building, Leo. A loud whistle-like noise was also heard on the property, leading the fire fighters to believe that there had been a break in the gas line. However, when the firefighters entered the house, they found what seemed to be a small operation drug lab, and immediately called for the help of police. The NYPD came to the scene, and while waiting for Con Edison to arrive after everyone evacuated the home, at around 7:30 a.m., the private home located at 300 W. 234th St., suddenly exploded. The explosion caused all windows to be blown out, and a large piece of the roof flying in the air. Unfortunately, Fahy’s life as a father and a firefighter disappeared after the explosion of this marijuana grow-house on the corner of Tibbett Avenue. Not only was 44-year-old Fahy, of Battalion 19, a 17year member of the FDNY, he was also a father of three and a trained lawyer. The neighbors surrounding the exploding house were startled by the loud noise that most of them woke up to. Manhattan College freshman Joseph Liggio was at
On Sept. 27, a house explosion occurred just blocks from campus on West 234th Street. More photos can be seen on page 3. Joseph Liggio/Courtesy the scene around 11:30 a.m., and spoke warned of the dangers of marijuana grow to some residents to hear their reactions. houses, explaining how they use highly Cindy O’Connor, a nearby resident said explosives, such as propane, for the CO2 at around 7:30 a.m., she heard a loud bang converter to increase the production in the and felt her house shake. so-called lab. These highly explosive maShe reported exiting her house imme- terials are a threat to first responders. diately after, and noted that the resultant The owners of the home, Violeta and fire didn’t last long. O’Connor also stated Onesimo Guerrero, were said to have that she never noticed many people going owned multiple properties in the area, in or out of the house, and it often looked which police also inspected on Tuesday. uninhabited. She also took notice to the Police and investigators are still strugbackyard and patio area, where she said it gling to determine exactly how much marwas usually covered up in some way. ijuana was growing in the house, but reMatthew Chrisphonte and Nicholas ported that it was teeming with the plant. Chrisphonte, nearby residents and brothers Prior to the explosion however, police were both sleeping at the time of the explo- reported that they were investigating the sion, but were said to be awoken by a big house as a possible grow house weeks earboom and the shaking of their house. They lier. However, police are still investigating heard yelling and screaming, and watched whether or not the cause of this explosion children being led outside and away from could be traced back to marijuana butane the nearby daycare facility. The brothers hash oil, otherwise known as “dabbing.” noted that their parents had reported smellThis homemade fix involves butane ing gas at around 6:30 a.m. Matthew and vapors that could explode unexpectedly at Nicholas observed the high traffic in the any given moment. “Dabbing” is said to past at the house, however said it has been be method of altering marijuana with burelatively quiet over the past few months. tane to make it look like wax, otherwise Later that day, police arrested the man known as a recipe for disaster. The wax is who’s name was on the lease of the house, said to have higher contents of THC, giv34-year-old Julio Salcedo Contrer. Contrer, ing the user a stronger high. Investigators who was found in Cliffside Park, New Jer- are still looking into the cause of it all, but sey after a brief manhunt, was caught by are sure that the gas odor came from the the Regional Fugitive Task Force, which is scene before the explosion occurred, almade up of New York Police Department though it was said to be gone 30 minutes detectives and United States marshals. Af- before the explosion. ter capturing Contrer, police brought in a Not only did this explosion take the second man for questioning; who police life of Fahy, it also injured 20 other peosay had a connection to the explosion. ple, including some Con Edison workers. The second man who was brought in The investigation is still ongoing, and infor questioning by police, in connection vestigators are still looking into the overall to the explosion of this grow-house, was cause. Whether it was electrical related, or arrested on Wednesday, September 28th. caused by the attempt to make marijuana 32-year-old Garivaldi Castillo of Washing- butane hash oil, the loss of Chief Michael ton Heights was brought into police cus- Fahy is being mourned by friends, family, tody and is currently facing two counts of and officers everywhere. The FDNY has criminal possession of marijuana. posthumously promoted him to deputy A few months prior to the explosion, chief, the highest civil service promotion the Drug Enforcement Administration available in his department.
Just four colleges in New York State have fair trade resolutions on the books: Fordham University, Hartwick College, Siena College, and Manhattan College. Manhattan has the distinction of being the first school in New York City ever to pass the resolution, the second school in the state (behind Siena), and one of the first five in the nation. The fair trade designation is much more than just a piece of paper with words on it. According to Lois Harr, director of campus ministry and social action (C.M.S.A.), each campus retail outlet must commit to selling at least two fair trade items in order for the college to maintain its designation. October is fair trade month for C.M.S.A.--and this year it comes just a few months before the college celebrates the fifth anniversary of its fair trade designation in February. Manhattan earned the designation in 2012, marking the culmination of a fiveyear march in that direction. In 2007, as C.M.S.A.’s Lasallian Outreach Volunteer Experience (L.O.V.E.) program took shape on an immersion trip to Rostro de Cristo in Ecuador, Harr and her student travelers were taken under the wing of a volunteer from Catholic Relief Services, who told them the horrors of the sweatshop lifestyle common in the Global South. Harr returned to campus and C.M.S.A. began to drum up fair trade awareness, starting with a single tabling event in formerly Dante’s Den, which now provides a variety of administrative office space on the third floor of Thomas Hall. “So, we sat there and tabled, and we gave away fair trade chocolate and asked people to sign comment cards,” Harr said. On the cards were requests from students, faculty, and administration that Sodexo, the company which ran the on-campus dining services at the time, offer fair trade coffee in college food service venues. Nearly one hundred of those cards were collected. “Sure enough, first day of school in the fall of that year, 2007, and you go in the cafeteria and there’s fair trade coffee,” Harr recalled. In 2011, when dining operations were re-contracted to a new company, Gourmet Dining, L.L.C., the college ensured that the principles of fair trade would be a part of the agreement with the new food service contractor. Eventually, Harr and C.M.S.A. were able to bring other parties into the fold, including the campus bookstore. Follett Corporation, who managed the store at the time was in contact with several fair trade vendors, and before long the store began selling Alta Gracia-brand fair trade clothing. Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc., which has since assumed the operations of the bookstore, also has a number of fair trade vendors. The store now sells Divinebrand fair trade chocolate, as well as a few other fair trade snacks in addition to the Alta Gracia clothing. Continued on page 3