Issue 10, Spring 2016 - The Quadrangle

THE Volume 93, Issue 10

Q

UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924

April 12, 2016

www.mcquad.org

Chapel of De La Salle And His Brothers

Becomes Home To New Stained GlasS Windows

The windows were unvelied on April 7, 2016, the anniversary of Saint John Baptist de La Salle’s death.

Kevin Furhmann/The Quadrangle

Ally Hutzler & Daniel Molina Editor-in-Chief & Editor

Thursday, April 7, members of the Manhattan College community entered Smith Auditorium on a rainy day to celebrate the addition of new stained glass windows in the Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers.

Following a morning mass, the ceremony began with a welcome address from Thomas Mauriello, vice president for college advancement, an invocation

by Brother Dennis Malloy, visitor of the District of Eastern North America (DENA) and opening remarks by President Brennan O’Donnell.

“These beautiful works of art … are not only powerful symbols of our Lasallian heritage; they are also from today forward an important part of our continuing work in fostering the mission of Manhattan College as a Lasallian institution,” O’Donnell said in his address.

The De La Salle windows were created

in the early 20th century by French artisans L. Mazuet et fils of Bayeux. They were originally installed at the Christian Brothers’ Novitiate in Pocantico Hills, N.Y. in 1909 and were later moved to their chapel in Barrytown, N.Y. in 1930.

When the Barrytown property was sold in 1974, the windows were sold along with it and were left relatively unseen until their reacquisition by Manhattan College in 2015.

From the start, the process of reclaiming and restoring these works of art was estimated to cost about $1.2 million. The money was raised entirely through combined fundraising efforts from Manhattan College and DENA. “We showed people the windows and we said that this is what we wanted to do and people just lined up. We finished our part of the fundraising very quickly,” O’Donnell said. “The windows sold themselves.”

The 12-piece collection depicts key moments in the life and work of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, from his childhood to his death and glorification in heaven.

“It is a wonderful opportunity because the faculty can use them in teaching,” Brother Jack Curran said. “We can tell the story, we can see ourselves in them and be reminded and inspired to continue on with the sacred and difficult mission of educating young people for the future.”

James Casey and John Hannaway, cochairmen of the DENA De La Salle Windows campaign committee, presented the windows as they were unveiled one-by-one to the audience.

“The old windows of the chapel were not much to look at,” O’Donnell said. “This stained glass is the perfect stained glass for that chapel. It makes the space much more of a destination for people who want to experience something beautiful.”

Complementing the celebration of the college’s Lasallian heritage, an honorary degree was conferred to Brother Gustavo Ramirez Barba.

“I feel very satisfied about this award,” Barba said. “But I’m also very conscious that we [those who had received the award] represent something bigger, and that means a lot to a lot of people.”

This honor was given as recognition to a lifelong career serving the Lasallian institution on an international level.

Barba started as a teacher in the classrooms of a school in Guadalajara and passed through all types of jobs.

He served as president of Universidad La Salle in Ciudad Obregon, executive secretary for the Lasallian Latin American Region, and is now a delegate in the 45th General Chapter in Rome.

Barba is the first general councilor to have a focus in higher education.

“Brother Gustavo is a very humble man, and a very sweet man. He exudes goodness and greatness,” Brother Dennis Malloy said.

Nich Weyland, student body president, previously met Barba at a conference last summer.

“I think it’s remarkable that someone from the General Chapter in Rome was able to attend,” Weyland said. “It shows how much it means to the Lasallian community that these stained-glass windows are in Manhattan College.”

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The

Notes from

opinions & editorials

Quadrangle www.mcquad.org

Vol. 93 Issue 10 April 12, 2016

Ally Hutzler Editor-in-Chief Sean Sonnemann Managing Editor Anthony Capote News Editor Kyleigh Panetta Jack Melanson Asst. News Editors Kieran Rock Features Editor/Managing Editor Tara Marin Asst. Features Editor Lindsey Burns Arts & Entertainment Editor Victoria Hernández Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor Daniel Ynfante Sports Editor RikkiLynn Shields Asst. Sports Editor

April 12, 2016

The Editor

The Quadrangle always welcomes comments and feedback from members of the college community through “Letters to the Editor.” If you would like to have your opinion heard, share information with your peers or offer remarks about our reporting and writing, we encourage you to contact us.

The requirements for letters are as follows: - All letters should be approximately 350-400 words. Those who wish to write a longer guest column may contact The Quadrangle for more details.

- Letters must include the first and last name of the writer and his/her contact information. We will not publish the piece if it is not signed. Contact information will not be published, but may be used for verification purposes by The Quadrangle staff.

- If possible, the writer should include their affiliation to Manhattan College (professor, student, alumni, etc.)

- No vulgarity, profanity or hate speech is allowed in letters. If you’re letter includes such language, it will not be published.

Letters can be emailed to “thequad@manhattan.edu” or through our Contact page on mcquad.org. If you have any questions or concerns about the requirements listed above, please contact us.

Kristie Killen Social Media Editor

Sincerely,

Taylor Brethauer Asst. Social Media Editor

Ally Hutzler

Vanessa Sanchez Photography Editor Leony Anne McKeown Asst. Photography Editor Kelly Burns Melissa Gallardo Abbi Kirollos Production Editors Daniel Molina Stephen Zubrycky 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.

Samuel Martin/The Quadrangle

News

As Primaries Near, Presidential Candidates Flood into New York Steve Zubrycky Asst. Editor

Hundreds packed into the Arthur Avenue Market in the Belmont section of the Bronx last Thursday, seeking to meet Republican presidential longshot John R. Kasich, the sitting Governor of Ohio.

“Here in New York we’re now running in second,” Kasich told the press at the event. “We’re going to pick up delegates in Pennsylvania and all over the Northeast, and down in Maryland, and we’re going to go to a convention.”

Kasich is just one of the five remaining major presidential candidates to be campaigning in New York ahead of the state’s presidential primary on April 19, which could prove to be a crucial pivot point in both primary races. Both the frontrunners in each contest reside here – and both are looking to seal the deal on their nominations.

In the past week, all five candidates have come to the state to campaign – four of them venturing here, into the Bronx, to hunt for votes. Conservative firebrand Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, former secretary of state and Democratic frontrunner Hillary Rodham Clinton, and her opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont have all visited the Bronx, in addition to Kasich.

The lone exception is Republican frontrunner Donald J. Trump – a New York native – who is confident he can win here, and has only held two New York events:

one in Bethpage, Long Island, and another in Rochester.

Kasich and Cruz are looking to deny Trump delegates wherever they can. Delegates in New York’s Republican primary are split by congressional district, with each district awarding three.

Cruz is targeting more conservative parts of the state, including areas Upstate, and parts of Brooklyn with high populations of conservative Jews. Last Thursday, he visited a matzo bakery in Brighton Beach.

But Cruz is having trouble gaining traction in the city after he critiqued Trump in a February debate for his “New York values.”

On Wednesday, he made a campaign appearance in Eastchester, the Bronx that was attended by fewer than 100 supporters.

The event also drew rowdy protestors, who objected to Cruz’s hardline stand on illegal immigration.

Meanwhile, Kasich is campaigning heavily Upstate and in suburbs on Long Island and in Westchester, and has spent time in heavily Democratic majority-minority districts in the city – where only a handful of Republican voters will decide the fate of the district’s three delegates.

Clinton is looking to recover momentum after a bruising string of losses to Sanders. Sanders has won 7 of the last 8 contests, including a particularly important 13-percentage-point in Wisconsin last Tuesday. Since March 22, Sanders has closed Clinton’s delegate lead by more

than 60 pledged delegates.

Last week, Clinton held events in Purchase, Brooklyn and Manhattan. She also made an appearance in the Bronx – where she rode with commuters on the No. 4 subway line from Yankee Stadium, trying to play up her New York roots. But many New Yorkers reject the notion of Mrs. Clinton – who was born in Illinois, and has since lived in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., and Arkansas – as a New Yorker.

“The closest she’s ever been to being a New Yorker is going to Donald Trump’s wedding,” sophomore Jamie Paton said.

“She’s not a New Yorker.”

Paton, a registered Democrat from New York, has not been convinced by either candidate yet, and she isn’t sure if she likes either one.

“I don’t know if I’m voting in the primary at this point,” Paton said. “I really like Bernie’s ideas […] but I want more indepth about it.”

Paton plans to attend a Sanders event before the primary, and hopes to make up her mind by then.

Sanders is putting up a massive effort in New York. He launched his campaign two weeks ago with a rally at St. Mary’s Park in the South Bronx, drawing nearly 20,000 supporters, including sophomore Samantha Roth, a registered Democrat, who was in the overflow crowd at the event.

“The overflow crowd had to go to a projector screen on the other side of the park, and he wound up coming to our side first

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just to speak because he wanted us to have the same experience as everyone else,” Roth said. Roth supports Sanders because of his progressive policies and promotion of equality for marginalized groups.

Since the Bronx event, Sanders has been making the rounds on talk shows and rallying supporters in across the city.

For the Democratic primary, every vote from every part of the state counts equally since the delegates are awarded proportionally to the statewide vote. Delegates are, of course, the only things that really matter – and that’s one of the reasons why New York will be so crucial. A whopping 95 Republican delegates and 291 Democratic delegates will be awarded by New Yorkers next Tuesday, making it one of the biggest prizes of the primary calendar.

A big win here could go a long way to putting Clinton and Trump over the top.

And most polls point to just that. A poll conducted by Monomuth University released last week showed Trump with 52 percent support, far ahead of Kasich and Cruz, who pulled 25 percent and 17 percent, respectively. A YouGov News Poll gave Clinton a ten point margin over Sanders, 53 percent to 43 percent.

The Democrats will debate live from Brooklyn on CNN Thursday night at 9 p.m., while the Republicans have no debates scheduled for the rest of the primary season.

New York’s polls open at 6 a.m. Tuesday and will close at 9 p.m.

Steve Zubrycky/The Quadrangle

MC Heads to CREATE Symposium Cheyenne Ubiera Contributer

For the second year in a row, Manhattan College will be participating in the CREATE Symposium hosted by the New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc. (NYSID).

The symposium, held on April 12, in the Legislative Office Building in Albany, N.Y., showcases inventions designed to increase productivity and improve the livelihoods of New Yorkers with developmental disabilities. Engineering students at Manhattan College developed an inventory system called Project Brightlife which

was overseen by Assistant Professor, Dr. Yi Wang.

“The project started near the end of October. I asked the students to propose an idea of what to build.” said Wang. “It was particularly challenging this year due to the timing. We didn’t receive our funding until late February which only left us two months to build our prototype.”

Manhattan College will be one of four schools participating in the event.

“The symposium will be a good opportunity for students to exchange ideas with students from different schools.” said Wang. “It will be a good forum for advice and other suggestions to develop future projects.”

Cathryn Callahan, a senior majoring in electrical engineering and Project Brightlife member, said that working on the project had been a culmination of her four years at Manhattan College.

“We were able to use the theory and practices we learned in class and apply it to actual design and implementation.” said Callahan. “It has been very exciting to start a project as at team from scratch and watch it develop over the year into the final deliverable products.”

According to Callahan, the end goal of Project Brightlife is to provide a way for persons who are developmentally impaired to have a meaningful job with a steady income.

“At the CREATE Symposium we hope to prove that our ideas, design, and implementation are able to work on a large warehouse scale level and that they have the ability to help people in the local Bronx community.” said Callahan.

Two members of Project Brightlife along with Dr. Wang will be representing Manhattan College. The team will be presenting a demo of their invention while also seeing projects from the four other schools attending and will be able to get feedback from each other.

“From the beginning we all wanted to chose a project that would have a lasting impact on others.” said Callahan.

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news

Introducing this Year’s Student Body Presidential Candidates

April 12, 2016

Also On Campus Jack Melanson Asst. Editor

Intramural Softball

Weyland (left) is defending his title against Dorian Persuad (right).

Nich Weyland & Dorian Persaud/Courtesy

Anthony Capote & Jack Melanson Editor & Asst. Editor

As the 2016 Student government elections go under way, Dorian Persaud is challenging the incumbent Nich Weyland for student body president.

Both candidates sat with The Quadrangle this week for this week’s Quadcast.

Among many other plans for the coming year, Weyland said that he wants to continue his work expanding student government’s social media presence with the completion and release of a smart phone app for Moodle, the online student software.

“One of the platforms I ran on last year was this idea of getting clubs to interact with each other better, and better communication, sponsoring each other, all that jazz,” he said. “It is going to be on Moodle, which students are already using…so now students can access these clubs wherever they are.”

Weyland’s party is named The Quad Squad while Persaud’s party is named Quadline Bling.

Persaud, who has never been involved with student government, said that his experience as a resident assistant and club activist have informed and inspired his bid for student body president.

“My main stance is for diversity on campus,” he said. “There’s a lot of, not only minorities on campus but even the majority here, they don’t get to celebrate diversity on campus.”

Persuad, who used to be a commuter before becoming a resident and then and RA, noted that many of Manhattan College Black and Latino students are commuters and that special steps must be taken to make them feel welcome.

“I initially wanted to transfer out of Manhattan, for that reason, I felt out of place and it wasn’t until I became a residential student that I felt more accepted by the community,” he said. “A big idea that I had was giving a meal plan to commuters.”

Persaud cited a U.S. News and World Report study that said that 45 percent of Manhattan college students are commuters although according to the college’s website, 24 percent of freshmen are commuters.

Weyland and Persaud have different perspectives when it comes to student government’s relationship with the student population.

Persaud on numerous occasions proposed ideas to improve this relationship, most of which Weyland argued are already implemented by student government.

“We need to actually interact with the students,” said Persaud. “Not only with office hours, but directly going out of our

way to interact with students.”

Weyland, running for his second term, argued that they are already going out of their way to interact with students. One of the ways they have done so was at a luncheon that was recently hosted by student government.

“We already do it, actually, in the student government,” said Weyland. “We were out talking to every student [that attended the luncheon], we had lines, we had surveys. We got a lot of feedback, we had 298… 299 survey results.”

The two continue to disagree when discussing the relationship between Manhattan College students and the surrounding community of Riverdale.

Persaud reflected on his experience performing at a open mic at An Beal Bocht Cafe earlier last week.

“You can see pretty much a schism between the older residents there and the students.” said Persaud, who added that student government needs to do more to fix that relationship.

Weyland denied a poor relationship.

“People are proud to be in the community of Manhattan College,” said Weyland.

“You can have a great conversation with them about being a Jasper.”

To listen to the full interview go online to mcquad.org for weekly updates on the student government elections on the Quadcast.

Manhattan College reception coordinator Kyle deManicor sent an email to intramural softball participants this in an effort to curb drinking at games.

According to the email, students have reportedly been drinking beer and other alcoholic beverages to Gaelic Park during softball games.

“This is unacceptable and needs to stop now,” said deManincor in his email. “If I see anyone drinking, not only will I have you removed from the league and have a meeting in my office in regards to further discipline, but public safety will be called and it become a larger issue.” deManincor ended his statement expressing the danger that drinking alcohol can bring to softball games, and also that he would like to consider this issue closed.

ASCE Steel Bridge Competition Over the weekend, Manhattan College Engineers competed in the ASCE Steel Bridge Competition. It was held at City College.

The competition is a chance for students to practice skills of design and construction while building a steel bridge.

Over 15 schools competed in the competition. Of those schools, Manhattan secured 4th place.

Freshman Pat Maurer reflected on his teams efforts.

“Last year we got disqualified, and our goal was the max weight 2500 pounds which we reached.” said Maurer, adding, “Our goal for build time was 25 minutes but we got around 32 to 35 minutes.”

Mechanical Engineering Day On Thurs. Apr. 14. Kelly Student Commons will be hosting the annual Mechanical Engineering day. The event will last from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The event will include a lunch and poster session, guest speakers, activities and competitions, and a graduate panel.

The Manhattan College campus largely consists of Engineering students, as they can all come together to discuss their future careers on this day.

Green Dot and JustPeace Partner to Bring Awareness to Sexual Assault Jaclyn Marr & Brigid Shea Senior Writer & Contributor

The Green Dot Program at Manhattan College is making a huge impact on our community with Green Dot Training, a way for students to learn how to help others in any type of dangerous situation.

Last week, they teamed up with JustPeace in an effort to bring assault awareness to the Manhattan campus.

Green Dot is a program that promotes safety in various communities through training programs for residence of those

communities. These training programs go different activities and scenarios that teach those in attendance the safe and proper ways to interfere if someone is in a dangerous situation.

Jo-Ann Mullooly, a student advocate for Green Dot, leads the training programs along with Tiffany French, the Green Dot staff advisor. The goal of Green Dot training is to try and turn everyone into more than an innocent bystander.

“What would you say to someone that saw your loved one in a dangerous situation and didn’t say or do something?” Mullooly asked. “Now what would you say to someone who did say or do something?”

Green Dot training is a building block of the push to end the violent culture that the world currently has. Mullooly used the example of Facebook creating a culture change to how Green Dot training can make a difference in the world “When Facebook was first started, it was cool because you could take two minutes and make a profile and it created a huge culture change,” Mullooly said.

“Imagine if we take two minutes to intervene in a dangerous situation to create an even bigger culture change.”

Green Dot focuses on the “Three D’s” when it comes to interfering in a dangerous situation: Direct, delegate and distract.

These three options for helping provide different ways for people to help depending on the situation.

“This way everyone has a way to help,” French said. “If you’re shy or uncomfortable directly approaching the situation, you can always ask another person or create a distraction to defuse it.”

At Manhattan College, Green Dot has teamed up with many on campus clubs and groups, such as athletic teams, Greek life and JustPeace. In a partnership with Green Dot, JustPeace showed the documentary “The Hunting Ground” on campus on Tuesday and then Green Dot held a training session to follow up on Wednesday.

Features

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Study Abroad Scholarship Honors Late Manhattan Alum and Veteran Kristie Killen Editor

A graduate of the class of 2000, Major John H. Mark Jr., United States Army JAG attorney and honoree of the distinguished Bronze Star Medal, is the namesake for the recently created Major John H. Mark Jr. Manhattan College Study Abroad Scholarship Fund.

The young and awe-inspiring Queens native passed away suddenly on Sept. 4, 2015.

While at Manhattan, Mark was fully involved on campus participating in many Manhattan College Players productions, being a member of the honor society Phi Beta Kappa, as well as being awarded the Manhattan College Gunn Award. After graduation, Major Mark returned to Manhattan as the Director of Residence Life for two years.

Following his time as Director of Residence Life, Major Mark attended St. John’s University School of Law for his law degree in 2003. It was after his time at St. John’s that he decided he wanted to give back to his country and join the United States Army.

Major Mark progressed in the Army by becoming a JAG attorney at Fort Huachuca, Arizona and then to a trial defense counsel in Kuwait and Afghanistan and later at The Pentagon working in Knowledge Management.

Following his death, his parents John Sr. and Angela both Manhattan Alumni, decided they wanted to give back to the Manhattan community and honor their son.

They created the Major John H. Mark, Jr. Manhattan College Study Abroad Scholarship Fund “to honor John’s extraordinary spirit of adventure by encouraging productive exploration among young scholars,” John Sr. said.

John and Angela felt passionate about creating their scholarship because of Major Mark’s time studying abroad at Oxford University where he rowed on the crew team, played rugby and belonged to the Oxford Union, the debating society of the university.

“He really benefited from the study abroad and enjoyed the experience even though he lived on Roman Noodles while there. We thought it was an appropriate way to keep his spirit and memory alive at a place that he loved,” John Sr. said of his son’s time at Oxford.

The first awardee of the scholarship, Junior Paulina Ochoa-Figueroa is currently spending her spring semester in Madrid, Spain and said, “I am truly blessed and

The Major John H. Mark, Jr. scholarship will help students study abroad.

John H. Mark Sr./Courtesy happy for the opportunity that they are giv- courages other students to study abroad.” ing me, and I am also grateful that I can A benefit to raise money for the scholarcontinue with the legacy of John H. Mark ship will be held on April 17 titled, “Broadin this way.” way Comes to Woodside” at the Corpus Kevin Gschwend, Coordinator of Christi Church in Woodside, Queens that Study Abroad said, “(The Mark’s) felt the will feature seven Broadway performers. same way about how study abroad impacts As for the future of the scholarship, students and what a transformative experi- John H. Mark Sr. said, “we hope it beence it can be, so they felt the best way comes the most prestigious scholarship at to celebrate his life and commemorate it , the school.” was to do it through a scholarship that en-

Engineering Students Compete for a $75,000 EPA Grant

Kyleigh Panetta Asst. Editor

A team of Manhattan College engineering students will travel to Washington, D.C., in one week to compete for a $75,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Manhattan College’s team hopes to win this grant with their proposal for sustainable concrete.

The EPA’s program is called P3 and stands for people, prosperity and the planet with the goal of designing solutions for a sustainable future.

According to the competition’s website, P3 offers students a, “quality hands-on experience that brings their classroom learning to life.”

Umar Miah, civil engineer major, said that he began exploring the possibilities

for this research project in the fall 2015 semester.

“At first, I was skeptical about my potential to have an impact on such a research so I started off slow,” Miah said.

Miah was introduced to this opportunity

by Goli Nossoni, Ph.D who also recruited Feksi Basha and Daniel Hussey, two other MC students.

“I began shadowing my partner, Feksi, as he introduced me to the research, its objectives and how we were going about accomplishing them.”

Miah said that he started to contribute to the research log after he familiarized himself with the team’s goals.

The group, led by Nossoni, proposed the use of, “hazardous byproduct of mining industry as a corrosion inhibitor.”

Miah said that Nossoni helped with every step of the research and application

process.

“Dr. Nossoni has provided just about everything for the project from the methods by which we gather data to how we should go about moving forward with the project,” Miah said. “[Nossoni] is an incredible leader with much knowledge and experience in the lab.”

According to the proposal, this concrete aims to, “improve the health and welfare of people, especially in the three states of Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.”

Miah said the beginning of the process involved finding a source for the hazardous waste byproduct and correctly combining the byproduct with the concrete.

The team then tested the corrosion rate of steel reinforcements with the new concrete mixture.

According to the proposal, this new material, “has the potential to result in cor-

rosion resistant infrastructure that can save up to $5.2 billion annually in the cost of maintaining our ageing infrastructure.”

The team applied for the first phase of the P3 grant and was recently awarded $15,000 to continue research for phase two of the process.

Miah and his colleagues will travel to Washington, D.C., to present their idea to professionals with the goal of being awarded the top prize of $75,000, which will help them move their product to the marketplace.

Hussey is a graduate student who helped with the initial research for the project and said that he is most excited to present his team’s work to professional in the industry.

“It means a lot to be part of a project that in working to provide an environmentally friendly solution to real problems,” Hussey said.

Features

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April 12, 2016

SENIOR SPOT LIGHTS As graduation nears, senior students share their worries and expectations about leaving Manhattan College while reflecting on some of their favorite memories.

Name: Nicholas Adamo Major: Civil Engineering RikkiLynn Shields Asst. Editor

Nicholas Adamo, Manhattan College Senior and Civil Engineering major, knew early on in his senior year of high school that he would eventually take his talent to MC to study Civil Engineering.

Coming from Franklin Square on Long Island, Manhattan College wasn’t too much of a trip for him. However, he knew this was the best place he could study. This May, Nick will be graduating from MC with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a concentration in Environmental Engineering.

Growing up, Nick always enjoyed taking math and science classes. When he began excelling in the two subjects, he began to have an idea spark in his head that maybe engineering would be a good career choice.

Nick kept that idea in the back of his head throughout high school. Finally, during his senior year physics class, everything clicked.

“For one of our projects, we had to build a bridge out of balsa wood, which is extremely light. The bridge would have to be able to hold loads, such as textbooks, without failing or breaking apart. This project really sparked my interest, and from then on I knew that this was what I wanted to do.” Adamo said.

Not only did Nick know what he wanted to study in college by his senior year of high school, he knew exactly where he wanted to take his talents. He geared his college search towards schools that historically have had great engineer-

ing programs.

“After being accepted to all of my schools and narrowing down my choices, I came to accepted students day here at Manhattan. I will always remember one of the first conversations I had here with Dr. Hourani, the chair of the Civil Engineering Department. He told me about the program and the success rate for the students who are able to complete it. The way that he talked so highly of the program made it seem, to me, that it was very family-oriented. He talked as if he cared about each and every one of his students, and he most certainly did.” Nick said.

“The civil department here is definitely something that cannot be replicated at any other institution. Because of the long conversation I had with Dr. Hourani, I came to the decision that I would attend Manhattan College, and up to this point, it is the best decision I have ever made.”

Although Nick enjoyed a lot of his engineering classes, he pointed out that his favorite class was Solid Mechanics with Dr. Hochstein.

“Solid Mechanics is pretty much a basis class for all types of engineering. It encompasses the understanding of a lot of properties of different materials that are used in construction, such as wood, steel, iron, etc.

The class involved a lot of math, and a lot of thinking, both of which I enjoy doing.

Along with that, Dr. Hochstein is hands down one of my favorite professors here at Manhattan. He makes the classes he teach fun, while at the same time very interesting.”

Not only was Nick dedicated to his studies, but he was also devoted to Manhattan’s Cross Country and Track and Field

team for three years. “My overall experience at Manhattan was great. I would not have changed my academic or athletic experience for anything. As I mentioned, the civil department here at Manhattan is one of a kind. There may have been a lot of work throughout my four years here, but I know it was all worth it, and it will continue to prove it’s worth moving forward into the future,” he said.

Nick also mentioned, along with the hard work he put into his athletics and academics, he also had a great experience with an internship he took on last summer.

“Last year, I was given the prestigious honor to intern for Skanska, USA Civil, which is one of the leading engineering firms not just in the United States, but in the entire world. I had one of the best experiences of my life working here, and I learned so many things. At Skanska, I supported and assisted project engineers, the project manager, and the superintendent on assigned projects. I also worked under direct supervision, preformed routine daily activities, and gathered and distributed information. Along with that, I also had the opportunity to be placed in a rotation program where I learned a lot about the different types of work you could do as an engineer.” Adamo said.

“The rotations included five departments: estimating/bidding of projects, safety, contract/risk assessment, operations and cost analysis. Throughout my operations rotation, I was placed on the New York Wheel project in Staten Island.

This is a huge project within New York, and it involves the erection of a large Ferris Wheel that replicates the London Eye. The plan is that it will overlook downtown

Manhattan and the Freedom Tower. This was my favorite part of my internship, and I really learned a lot about what I wanted to do as a career from this. Also, throughout my internship, I received a bunch of certifications such as OSHA 10, MTA, LIRR, and AMTRAK certifications,” he said.

As for a piece of advice for other students studying engineering, Adamo said, “I would have to tell other students entering the engineering field to work hard. Getting through the past four years of engineering, I know how rigorous and strenuous the work itself is, but if you put your mind to it, it can be done. I would also tell students, from personal experience, that it is much better to get your work done sooner rather than later. Time management is an excellent skill, especially in college. With engineering, the work piles up extremely fast, but if you budget your time wisely, it will be a much better experience rather than waiting till the last minute.”

After graduation in May, Adamo will begin his job with STV Inc., a very large, well known, and well-respected engineering firm located in downtown Manhattan.

Nick accepted the position of a project engineer. Nick has plans to attend graduate school, however he is going into the workforce first to gain firsthand experience as an engineer.

“I cannot be more excited about this opportunity and, I cannot wait to get started with my career after graduation. I am very happy with my experience here at Manhattan College, and I am very excited about the opportunities that I am going to experience in the near future.”

Features

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Name: Dave Merlino Major: Mechanical Engineering The spring semester is an exciting time as students strip their winter layers and emerge from their dorm rooms back onto the Quad. However if you are a senior, it is Meredith Bryant Contributor sometimes a stressful and unsettling semester.

Dave Merlino, a Brooklyn native, is a senior mechanical engineering major here at MC. He will be graduating this May. “Coming into college, I went into engineering because my mom kind of pushed me towards it and I figured, why the heck not? I just kept going with it and I saw that the degree could open many doors for me whether I wanted to do engineering or not,” he said.

Although Merlino will be graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, his plan is to attend law school. His application process has already begun with his main priority of Brooklyn Law School.

“I’ve always wanted to go into law. I just never pursued it because I thought it was just too much more money to roll out after four years at Manhattan College. But then I decided that this is something I want to do so I went forth with it,” he said.

After pursuing a degree for four years and deciding to go into somewhat of a different field, Merlino discussed how the law field and mechanical engineering field were connected.

“It is vey strongly advised for you to have a technical background when you to go into patent law so mechanical engineering works well with it,” he said.

As Merlino awaits his application responses, he had words of advice for up and coming mechanical engineers.

“A lot of coffee, a lot of patience, and become friends with the upperclassmen - they will help you out in regards for what to expect in future classes,” he said.

Name: Vincent Terrone Major: Civil Engineering A big part of senior year is worrying what to do after graduation, but civil engiTaylor Brethauer neering major Vincent Terrone has it all unAsst. Editor der control. He plans on moving to Houston after graduation to start a full-time job with major corporation Exxon Mobile, working for their global real estate and facilities division.

Terrone has been working nonstop since first arriving at Manhattan College four years ago. He started interning his freshman year and has been involved in all things engineering within the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

“What I found was working your way to a certain spot requires setting up your stepping stones to get there. I interned my freshman year with Central Hudson Gas and Electric, my sophomore year I was with Turner Construction and this past summer I was in Houston,” said Terrone.

But now that it is his senior year, he’s ready to start his full-time job with the knowledge he’s received here at MC. He is thankful for the number of leadership opportunities and unique experiences that have been offered to him and urges others to take advantage of them.

“Leadership on campus is really important. Find something you love and take it as far as you can,” Terrone advises. “Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.”

Another resource Terrone is thankful for is the Mentor Program, which he believes has helped him get his foot in the door. He encourages all of the incoming students that being able to connect with students, alumni and professors is something that helped him get his full-time job at Exxon Mobile.

Soon enough, Terrone will be packing up and leaving NYC for sunny Houston, Texas to begin his brand new career with some really great memories.

“I’m excited for the change; it’ll be a very different pace from the New York pace but the culture down there is great. The people down there are really friendly and it’ll be a lot of fun,” said Terrone.

Arts & Entertainment

8

April 12, 2016

The Book Nook Title: Me Before You Author: Jojo Moyes Genre: Fiction

Madeleine Schwartz Senior Writer

In “Me Before You,” Jojo Moyes writes an emotional story about adventure and sacrifice. We follow a journey of finding love among incredible loss and learn what it truly means to put others before yourself.

The novel’s protagonist is 35-yearold Will Traynor. For more than a decade Traynor was an adventurer of the world.

He climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, explored the peaks and valleys of Yosemite and traveled to far away places that some can only dream of. He would have been happy doing this for the rest of his life.

At the age of 33, Traynor was hit by a motorcycle as he was getting into a taxi.

This accident left him as a quadriplegic and angry against everyone and everything. His life, once filled with excitement and thrill, is now confined to a wheelchair. To make matters even worse, Trayner is forced to move back in with his parents, as he is incapable of living on his own.

After two years of doctors and physiotherapy, Traynor has no intention of coming to terms with what his life now looks like. All he knows is that he has lost control of it. He can no longer dress, feed or bathe himself. Traveling is out of the question unless it is wheelchair friendly and even if it is, he isn’t capable of going anywhere on his own.

It is at this time that Traynor makes the decision to contact the Dignitas in Switzerland and end his own life. When his parents learn of his plan, they strike a deal with him. In exchange for a trip to Switzerland, they ask for six more months with him.

Once this deal is set in place, Louisa Clark enters the novel. Employed by Traynor’s parents as a secondary home health aid, Clark’s job is to change their son’s mind in the last six months of his life. The only hiccup in their plan is that they keep it a secret from her.

Louisa Clark is a 26-year-old girl who is energetic, full of positivity and resilient; three things that Will Traynor has lost after his accident. She is untouched by Will’s newfound sense of bitterness and anger.

More importantly, she is able to bring out hope and happiness that is buried deep in

Will that his parents cannot.

As Louisa and Will spend time together, they form a bond a friendship and eventually affection. They share laughs and make memories that neither one can forget. However, as the six month mark approaches, Will struggles to make his decision. Although his life is considerably more enjoyable than it was half a year ago, he has to choose if it is a life worth living.

The reasons why I chose to read this book and why I love it are two different answers. I chose to read “Me Before You” because a few of my family members strongly recommended it. However, I love this book because it objectively addresses a very difficult subject matter. I haven’t read another book that talks about a topic as dense as self-assisted suicide without imparting some sense of bias.

I also love this book because it pushes boundaries. Moyes writes about a controversial matter in an in-depth way while redefining the term sacrifice. She looks at this idea from the perspective of Traynor’s parents, Clark, and of course, Will Traynor himself. Moyes goes farther than classic phrase “If you love them, you’ll let them go” by taking people’s emotions into play.

She recognizes that some things are easier said than done which especially applies to her story.

“Me Before You” is a novel unlike any other out on the shelves today. It makes you think about what really matters in life and forces you to think about all the hard choices life throws at you. Also, if this review doesn’t persuade you to read Moyes’ book, maybe knowing that it is coming to the theaters this year will.

Arts & Entertainment

9

Review: Fusion Juice Bar and Grill RikkiLynn Shields Asst. Editor

Right up the road by the infamous Jasper’s Deli, a brand new spot for food opened up. It’s called Fusion Juice Bar and Grill and it offers a wide variety of Mexican and Mediterranean food.

Fusion Juice Bar and Grill has a very modern design to it, making it a very appealing scene as soon as you walk through the doors. Walking in, the bright green walls go great with the healthy vibe that the restaurant is trying to give off. There are a wide variety of fruits and vegetables places behind the glass counter, always available for fruit bowls, fruit smoothies, crepes and so much more. Although they do have a set menu of freshly made smoothies and juices, you are able to take control and decide what goes in your smoothie or juice.

Whether it is fruit, protein or anything else you want to try, Fusion Juice Bar and Grill will accommodate you and assist you in making the best smoothie possible.

However, Fusion Juice Bar and Grill makes much more than healthy smoothies and juices. Looking up at the menu above the counter, you will notice the wide variety of food choices, as well.

Just when you thought this would be another restaurant pushing the “healthy choices” on you, serving only juices and sandwiches, you thought wrong. Fusion Juice Bar and Grill also makes Mexican and Mediterranean food as well. The menu choices vary from halal food to build your own burritos.

Many students at Manhattan College are thrilled about the opening of Fusion Juice Bar and Grill. “Eating the falafel at the Fusion Juice Bar and Grill made me think it couldn’t get any better, “ Alex Constantine, a freshman, said. “I’ve tried many different Mediterranean restaurants all over New York City with my friends, and I didn’t expect the food here to be the best I’ve ever had. The prices were just in my range, and with it being right near school, I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing for my health, and my bank account.”

Fusion Juice Bar and Grill opened on W. 238th Street.

RikkiLynn Shields/ The Quadrangle Many deli’s and restaurants around campus try to push healthy eating. However, walking into Fusion Juice Bar and Grill, it seems almost impossible to go the wrong route. The Mexican and Mediterranean food is outstanding, however, it seems almost impractical to walk in and leave without a freshly pressed juice or smoothie, when all of the beautiful, colorful, fresh fruit is sitting right in front of you.

Although I’m only a freshman, I feel like I am running out of places to eat around campus. When I go to the deli, or anywhere on Broadway to eat, I end up

eating something I regret later,” Eva Pugliese, a freshman, said. “Having a healthy option available is very convenient. I’m not saying that the burrito’s weren’t good, but when I need a quick pick me up, or just something to munch on, having the option to get a fresh fruit bowl or pressed juice sounds so much better to me than drinking something from Starbucks that wont even fill me up.”

Fusion Juice Bar and Grill is reasonably priced, and very clean. For students trying to save money, they also have $1 any size coffee. All of the workers at the Fusion Juice Bar and Grill are friendly and invit-

ing. Eating healthy has been made easy.

The temptation to go for Mediterranean or Mexican is there, but the healthy options are just as available as well, and they are very appealing to the eye. If you’re looking for an eclectic eatery with healthy options, Fusion Juice Bar and Grill is the place to go.

“I think the opening of the Fusion Juice Bar and Grill will do a lot of students around campus justice. There are alternative options at other places around campus, but this place has a new refreshing amount of healthy options,” Pugliese said.

Sports

10

April 12, 2016

From the St. Louis Cardinals to Manhattan College, Meet Jonathan Larson John Jackson Staff Writer

At the beginning of the fall 2015 semester, Manhattan College welcomed Jonathan Larson to its sports staff. Larson filled a newly created position as Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Performance.

Larson’s interest in strength and conditioning originated from his own sports experience. He went to a military academy in Pennsylvania where he caught all four years on the high school varsity baseball team.

He wasn’t a highly recruited ballplayer but loved baseball. With a mixture of his physical training background from attending the military academy along with his own power lifting career, he decided to turn his passion into a career and help athletes who have the talent to play at the collegiate level.

“I wanted to apply my passion to my career.” Larson says. “To take my passion for training and pushing the body to its mental and physical capacity and carry that over and … better someone else that is athletic, that does have the tools to play at this level.”

Larson already has a multitude of experience in his brief career. He first volunteered at Hofstra University when he attended there as an undergraduate. His volunteering there included helping with the baseball and wrestling teams.

He then moved on to the Professional Athletic Performance Center where he helped out with the Nassau Community College baseball team. While there, he also shadowed and assisted with the training of professional baseball players Jose Reyes, whom at the time was on the move from the Miami Marlins to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Larson next moved on to West Point to shadow and volunteer as a coach. A mentor of his there introduced him to a strength coach from Alabama who was looking for a graduate assistant. Larson accepted the position at Alabama where he worked with the softball and football teams.

He was in the midst of finishing his master’s degree at Alabama when one day he got a phone call from the St. Louis Cardinals.

“When you’re 24, 25 years old and you’re getting a phone call from one of the most historic franchises in all of American sports to come be a strength coach on their staff,” says Larson, “the thought of ‘No I’m just going to sit here, go to class and finish my Master’s degree and not take that opportunity on’ is kind of naïve especially for a person in my career path. So I ventured not to finish my Masters and I took the job with the St. Louis Cardinals.”

Larson worked with the big league club in spring training. He was then assigned to their High-A affiliate, the Palm Beach Cardinals to finish off the season. At the conclusion of the season, Manhattan College offered Larson a job in the brand new department for sports performance and the athletes are happy with that decision.

“It’s been great working with him,” says Amani Tatum, a guard on Manhattan’s women’s basketball team “He brings a lot of energy to the school, to the program, to all the sports teams. He builds relationships with us so we can trust what he’s doing and how he’s going to develop our bodies.”

Larson says that he has different approaches for different points in the season.

For the baseball team, which is now in season, Larson works to maintain the structural integrity of the players’ joints to keep them as healthy as possible throughout the season.

As for a team in its offseason such

Jonathan Larson is in his first year as Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Performance.

Go Jaspers/ Courtesy as the men’s basketball team, he looks to build up muscles to keep it healthy for next season.

“So basically for men’s basketball my main goal is to put as much soft tissue on their lower extremities as possible,” says Larson. “Strengthen their core, strengthen their hamstrings, get glute development, things like that to help protect them structurally. So that way going into next season, playing [Coach Masiello’s] style, their bodies can last and we can get a little more depth off the bench.”

Track and field athlete, Maddie Arndt touts Larson’s newly implemented programs especially the Olympic weight lifting.

“He taught me originally how to Olympic weight lift,” says Arndt. “That’s be-

come a big part of my program as a track and field athlete. He taught me the basics and it’s only helped me in the long run.”

What Larson likes most about Manhattan College is the close-knit community where relationships are built.

“What I would say I like most about Manhattan is the kids,” says Larson. “The student athletes; the young men and women I get to interact with and work with on a daily basis.”

The students appreciate Larson as well and all that he has done for them.

“He is a great additive to the program,” says Arndt. “When he came in a lot of changes came in with the quality of the weight room, the quality of the lifting programs of the athletes, and everything has gotten a lot better since he got here.”

Jaspers Talk: Kathy Cadet

Kathy Cadet was named MAAC performer of the week for her performance at the USF Bulls Invitational. Cadet ran a 1:02.81, a time that qualified her for the ECAC Championships in just her first meet of the season. A junior and two-year captain of the Women’s Track and Field team, Cadet’s outdoor prospects look bright for the Jaspers this season. Coming off a tough indoor track season Cadet was unsure of how the outdoor season would play out, but her run in the opening meet of the season positions her well for the rest of the year. Cadet, whose main event is the 400 hurdles, also runs the 200 and 400 as well as the 4x1 and 4x4 relays for the team.

Quadrangle: Why did you choose Manhattan College?

Kathy Cadet: I chose Manhattan College because it was kind of far from home. I’m from Upstate New York, Binghamton, and I wanted to be closer to the city because I have family around the city. It’s perfect, because it’s three hours away, so it wasn’t too close and it wasn’t too far.

Q: “Were you recruited in high school by a Manhattan coach?”

KC: “Yes, I was recruited by Coach Ryan. My main event is 400 hurdles, and I actually filled out a questionnaire to a bunch of schools around the city and he answered me and said he was interested in recruiting me.

Q: “You were MAAC performer of the week?”

KC: “Yes and that was my first time getting MAAC performer of the week so I was really excited. That happened during our meet over spring break in Florida. I also qualified for ECAC in my first time running this year, I was really shocked. I didn’t even know I qualified and I asked my coach and he said ‘Oh yeah, you qualified’.”

Q: “What do you attribute this accomplishment to?”

KC: “I had a pretty rough indoor season. I didn’t PR, I didn’t qualify, which I I did last year, so indoor was pretty rough. I thought maybe my training was messed up, but then I qualified in my first outdoor meet so I started to think maybe I’m ok.”

Q: “What are your goals for this season?”

KC: “My first goal was to qualify for ECAC which I did. And my second goal is to break the school for the 400 hurdles.”

Q: “Do you have a specific moment in your track career that stands out to you?”

Go Jaspers/ Courtesy KC: “I think with Track and Field, it’s such a mental sport that if you overthink something it can actually ruin your race. The best times I’ve ever run are the times I’ve gone into the race not stressing about it. For the 400 hundred indoor, for me, it was a big deal to break into 56 seconds. We were doing the 4x4 and my coach was giving me my split and he said I broke 56 and it was so weird because I didn’t put a ton of effort into thinking about it. Since then I’ve felt like if you want to do really well you have to just not stress about it and just race.”

Q: “What was it like running in high school versus running in college?”

KC: “In high school it was a lot easier and a lot less stressful, because it was easier to win honestly. You can ask anyone on our team, everyone was really good in high school and then you come to college and everyone is either just like you or better than you. The competition is so much more intense. That’s one of the main things that freshman need to get used to transitioning from high school to college: you’re not going to be the best and you have to work very very hard to get where you want to be.”

Q: “If you could give advice to a high school student trying to run at a Division I school, or any college, what would you say?”

KC: “I would probably tell them not to give up and not to beat down on themselves. I know, for me, coming from high school its very hard to get used to, but once you get over it and get comfortable, it’s not that bad.”

Q: “Do you have plans to continue running after college?”

KC: “I don’t know. It depends on how the rest of this year goes and how the rest of my senior year goes. Track is a double season, so it takes up the whole school year. A lot of times you get sick of it, but then once track ends and the summer starts I’m like ‘I wish I could compete again.’ So it depends.”

Sports

Sunrise to Sunset:

11

A Day in the Life of a Student Athlete Angela Quadrini Staff Writer

It’s 4:45 a.m. when Christian Santisteban, a senior on the Manhattan College baseball team hears his alarm sounding, alerting him to get out of bed and start his day.

Like most students at Manhattan College, his days are filled with long classes, extra curricular activities, and endless mountains of course load. But Santisteban is not only a full time engineering student, he’s also a Division 1 athlete.

Balancing both, a typical day in Santisteban’s life as student athlete looks something like this: 4:45 a.m.: Alarm sounds after getting less than four hours of sleep.

5:15 a.m.: Heads to gym to get ready for practice.

5:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.: Practice.

8:35 a.m. - 8:50 a.m.: Quick breakfast before class.

9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.: Engineering class.

11:10 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.: Spends time in the weight room.

1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.: Engineering class.

3:10 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.: Switches between doing homework and baseball practice.

5:40 p.m. - 6:20 p.m.: Dinnertime and if lucky, a quick shower.

6:30 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.: Engineering class.

9:20 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.: Switches between practicing in the cages or doing homework in the library.

11:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.: Typically library time to do school work.

12:45 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.: Goes back to dorm to shower and prepare for tomorrow.

1:00 a.m.: Finally bedtime, bringing his day full circle, ready to start all over tomorrow.

The outfielder uses his time management skills to juggle the sport he loves with the engineering degree he’s working

Christian Santisteban is currently a senior on the baseball team.

Go Jaspers/ Courtesy towards.

“It’s all about time management,” Santisteban said. “There are times where you’ll have to pick and choose. I’d love to be able to get into the batting cages every day, but sometimes its not doable because I’m too busy with schoolwork. We practice three to four hours, six days a week not including games and workouts. That’s time where I could be doing schoolwork but instead I have baseball. I have to make up those hours in the library to do my work.”

While it might seem glamorous, being a student athlete isn’t all fun and games.

If you ask an athlete, the only privilege they get is being able to play the sport they love everyday. They still attend classes like everyone else and have to do the same amount, while still trying to find time to have a social life like other students.

Their time is even more limited than the average student due to practices, games and workouts.

Santisteban recalls a time two years

ago when he was stuck in Arizona after a game and couldn’t turn in his homework.

“I emailed my professor and explained the situation, but he wasn’t having it,” Santisteban said. “He said I needed a hard copy or else he wouldn’t accept it. There have been times when I’ve had makeup tests that were harder because professors thought I would cheat and ask other students the answers.”

Comments made from other students about athletes “having it easy” and “being privileged” never seems to bother Santisteban.

“If other students want to take my course load while playing baseball, they can go right ahead and be my guest,” he said. “I think I do a pretty good job of balancing them both, but if they think they can do better, try joining a D1 sport.”

Even with everything on his plate, Santisteban wouldn’t trade his situation for a more relaxed college experience. He continues to excel in both school and baseball

while staying humble and grounded thanks to his family and coaches.

“Don’t get too high, don’t get too low, keep a steady medium,” Santisteban said is his mantra when dealing with the pressure.

Before going up to bat, he draws a smile in the sand to remember to stay positive.

Life for student athletes can be a balancing act, but ever since he was little Santisteban’s love for baseball made his decision to be a D1 athlete a no brainer. With his senior season upon him, Santisteban believes all his hard work and sacrifice was well worth the experiences he has had.

“If God forbid baseball doesn’t work out, I have a great back up plan with engineering, and I’ve learned a lot academically with a major I really enjoy,” Santisteban said. “The friends and bonds I’ve made on and off the field have been great. If I had to start college over tomorrow, I would do it all again, over and over every time.”

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Sports

12

April 12, 2016

Female Athletic Directors Often Overlooked but Succeeding

Marianne Reilly is the first female athletic director in Manhattan College history.

Kevin Furhmann/ The Quadrangle

Daniel Ynfante Editor

When Marianne Reilly began her collegiate basketball career at Manhattan College in 1978, Title IX, the act implemented in colleges across the United States with the intention of providing equal opportunity for men and women to participate in sports had been in effect for just six years.

Title IX’s inception was responsible for the transition of the women’s basketball program at Manhattan from a club to a Division 1 sport, and it is a big reason why on March 31, 2016, Reilly was introduced as the first female athletic director in Manhattan College history.

But not many women have had the opportunity Reilly has.

Forty-four years since Title IX, the act has significantly increased involvement in athletics for women on the playing field, where more than 200,000 women participate. But in the athletic offices, the progress has been deliberate. And where it is most apparent is in the athletic director position, where few women have received an opportunity.

“I’m really proud of Manhattan that they were progressive and they thought out of the box,” Reilly said, “and that they weren’t afraid to go with a female, which is a very small percentage of athletic directors.”

According to NCAA data from the 2014-2015 academic year, of the 1,139 athletic directors in the NCAA, just 229 were women.

“I do think in general, what we’re seeing in athletics mirrors what’s going on in our society, in corporate America, in all subsets, and that’s just that there’s not enough women advancing in these posi-

tions of leadership,” Patti Phillips, chief executive officer of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators said in a recent phone interview.

“I think it’s a long-term societal issue that is slowly changing.”

Numbers are even more staggering at the highest level, in Division 1, where only 33 of the 353 athletic directors were women.

“Division 1, it’s disappointing,” Phillips said. “It’s really, really disappointing.

We have super talented women that are competing for these jobs.”

While the progress has been gradual, there have been signs of improvement.

The hires of Deborah Yow as athletic director at North Carolina State in 2010, Julie Hermann—who has since been fired— at Rutgers in 2013, and Sandy Barbour at Penn State in 2014 have placed women at top schools in Division 1.

In 2013, Heather Lyke was hired as athletic director at Eastern Michigan University, and since taking over, has produced 46 individual conference champions across 21 sports, as well as breaking the highest GPA and graduation rate in Eastern Michigan history.

“Because they’ve had success and they’ve been able to sustain their jobs or perform at a very high level, that helps,” Lyke said in a recent phone interview about how other female athletic directors’ success can help in the hiring process for women. “Doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, what color skin you have, that you can be a good leader, and I think that having successful female leaders and role models out there is what’s going to help change the perception.”

For Phillips, women like Barbour and Yow have served as trailblazers for a position whose pool is in desperate need of more women.

“Our pipeline is getting stronger, but there haven’t been many women that have had that kind of experience at the Division 1 level,” Phillips said. “Especially at the big business of athletics, which is what it has become.”

As leader of NAACWA, an organization which advances women into positions of influence, Phillips has worked with women to encourage them to focus on the business aspect of sports.

“Now it’s more than just student services and student athlete welfare,” Phillips said about what it takes to run a sports program. “It’s running a big business, so a lot of the hirers are hiring people that have more of that type of track record. We have some women that have that track record, but not all, so that’s a trend we’re trying to change by educating our women.”

Among Phillips’ other initiatives are working with college presidents to encourage them to be part of the solution, since they are the ones who ultimately make the hires, and with search firms to diversify them.

Many search committees are comprised of men, putting women at a disadvantage when competing for the athletic director position.

However, Lyke and Reilly place some of the responsibility on women as well.

“Women themselves taking the initiative to build great relationships with the people that they work for,” Lyke said is one of the things that can be done to improve the situation. “Advocate for themselves, work for people who invest in your own professional development and understand that you have aspirations to grow and be challenged. It takes one at a time.”

“I think there are many people that are very content and very happy being the number two or number three,” Reilly said.

“Maybe they’re not being as aggressive in

trying to take on that role. I think sometimes maybe selections go with what people feel comfortable with and what they’re comfortable with is usually selecting a qualified male. If there are more qualified females at the table in the final candidate pool, that’ll increase the chances.

While the number of women in athletic director positions has steadily gone up, it hasn’t come without it’s share of criticism.

The hires of Barbour and Hermann came after controversial points in Penn State’s and Rutgers’ histories.

To some, it is a negative trend that is a slight towards women, who are sought to bring back life to scandalous programs.

For Phillips, the situation at Penn State and Rutgers were coincidences, and just proved that “great leaders come in all shapes and sizes.”

Hermann was fired by Rutgers in Nov. 2015, but her dismissal is not something that Phillips believes will affect women looking to become athletic directors.

“I will say in Julie’s [Hermann] case unfortunately, she went in under very extreme circumstances and because she was a woman, underwent unfair scrutiny, which made it even harder,” Phillips said. “But she did some amazing work there.”

The rise in female athletic directors will be hard to come by and will take some time, but with women like Barbour, Lyke, Reilly and Yow already in place and succeeding, women have a foundation set.

“Having the younger women see women as role models and aspire to be in those positions is huge,” Phillips said. “It just kind of helps it become not such a rarity and just a normal part of life when you see more women as leaders. It shouldn’t be that it’s so different. It shouldn’t be that it’s the first woman AD at Penn State. It should be that it’s just another great leader at Penn State.”