THE Volume 93, Issue 3
Q
UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924
Feb. 9, 2016
Students Denied from Knicks Game After Online Ticket Fiasco
Duplicate tickets kept 15 students from entering the Knicks game on January 31. Jared Boyles/ Courtesy
Anthony Capote Editor
On Jan. 23, the New York Knicks were handed a crushing 95-116 loss at the hands of the now 46-4 Golden State Warriors. What didn’t make the headlines, though, were the roughly 15 or so Manhattan College students who were denied entrance for having voided tickets, purchased through the Student Activities office. “We had 100 tickets to the game, that I bought a year ago,” John Bennet, vice president for student activities said. “I went in [to the office] the next day with Michael Steele to look at the list of students [who bought tickets] and there was no list.” Upon calling IT Services, Bennet found out that they had failed to set a limit on the number of tickets sold on PayPal to students, and that students were still buying tickets online, eventually selling 297 tickets, almost 200 more than the original number. “[ITS’] answer to this was to email the students who bought extra and refund them and just tell them it was a technical glitch,” Bennett said. “Honestly I said ‘no way, we’re not doing that.’” Instead, Student Activities received permission to purchase the extra tickets on StubHub, so that every student who paid could attend the game. “The students didn’t do anything wrong, they innocently went online to buy tickets
to a game that they’re excited about,” he said. “I didn’t think it was right or fair to punish students for doing that…I spent all last week with multiple credit cards—from the Dean’s office, the VP for student life, the multicultural center—buying tickets on StubHub to buy 170 tickets, we spent $50,000 over our budget to try to take care of students.” When students arrived at the game, however, they found that some of those tickets from StubHub were fraud and, therefore weren’t allowed entry to the game. Senior Jared Boyles was one of those students and he emailed The Quadrangle his story. “We got to MSG and went through security fine, and got in line to enter the arena. My girlfriend, whose ticket I had purchased, came up as having already been used to enter the stadium when she gave it to the attendant,” he said in the email. “We went to the ticket window and when the guy asked where we’d purchased the ticket, we told him Manhattan College. He said he expected that, and that apparently numerous tickets from MC were being sent to him as duplicated.” Boyles said he saw other groups of students also leaving the arena, like Louis Lippolis a junior, who said he and four of his six friends had been denied entrance. “I asked if he could try the ticket again, then I asked the people at MSG if they could do anything, they couldn’t do any-
thing,” Lippolis said. “A couple of us tried to email Student Activities, but I just went in on Monday.” Bennett said he was furious when he found out about the mix up. “I would be so angry as well, [students] didn’t do anything wrong, to think you bought tickets to the game, I would be devastated,” he said. “If you didn’t get in, come in, you’ll get a full refund for the money that you spent, we’ll also refund the subway, and we will also get you two tickets to a game for you, plus a guest for free.” Bennet also said that he was trying to reach StubHub to find out what the problem was or which batch of tickets were duplicates. He also told The Quadrangle the Student Activities would suspend all online ticket sales until further notice. “We were just trying to help, and we didn’t think the correct answer was to refund students,” he said. “I just feel bad because we ended up looking bad for something that wasn’t our fault.” Students, though, say they are pleased with the work Student Activities has done since the mishap and understand that the office was not at fault. “It is disappointing that we won’t be able to see the 2016 Warriors play, which was a huge reason for wanting to see that game in particular,” Boyles said. “Student Activities did a great job of handling what might have been a PR nightmare. I can’t complain with how they responded.”
www.mcquad.org
President’s Report Michelle DePinho Senior Writer
Manhattan College no longer publishes a yearbook, but it issues a President’s Report, and that’s pretty close. This year’s President’s Report conveys the institution’s progress on its strategic plan and total assets and expenditures, making it the most comprehensive public report on the status of the college. The report confirms that the college is in good financial standing, with $315 million in assets and $130.4 million in annual revenue. “We are growing,” President Brennan O’Donnell said. “We’re growing strategically, and that’s a good place to be particularly in the current environment where a lot of places are cutting back.” This growth, especially in enrollment, has sparked numerous initiatives on campus that are highlighted in the report and are each tied back to one of the key goals of the college: learning heritage, learning environment and learning dynamic. The range of the work of community members in the report is wide. Some of the year’s highlights are the racial justice teach-in held on campus, a lecture from the president of Albania, diversified study abroad opportunities and NSF grants for engineering education research. The report pairs this narrative with the numbers and gives real meaning to the campus’s strategic direction. Last year 900 freshmen began their studies at the college, which according to the report is 20 percent bigger than the previous freshmen class. The college also grew its part time graduate student body by over 100 students in the last year, for a total of 453 graduate students enrolled in either full or part time programs. More students means more expenditures to keep the college running. The report states that this fiscal year’s budget was 9 percent higher than the previous year’s, but revenue consequently also increased by 6 percent this year. Roughly two-thirds of the college’s revenue -$79 million- comes directly from student tuition and fees. The rest is a combination of auxiliary enterprises, contributions, investment income from the college’s endowment and other sources. “We are just under $80 million in our total endowment,” CFO Matthew McManness said. He said that the revenue from the endowment typically funds scholarships for students. Even with an increase in the spending budget, various campus initiatives and physical plant upgrades can put a strain on finances at the college. “It’s the constant pressure on institutions like Manhattan College is how are you going to….to be able to fund everything that you want to fund,” O’Donnell said. “Because when you have this kind of excitement about the project in the community, people have good ideas, and you want to be able to say yes go and let’s do that.” But the financial information provided in the document is not total. It categorizes college spending into six overarching groups, offering a broad overview of its finances rather than a detailed breakout of
Continued on Page 3
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The
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opinions & editorials
Quadrangle www.mcquad.org
The Editor
Vol. 93 Issue 3 Feb. 9, 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 HernĂĄndez Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor Daniel Ynfante Sports Editor RikkiLynn Shields Asst. Sports Editor Kristie Killen Social Media Editor Taylor Brethauer Asst. Social Media Editor Vanessa Sanchez Photography Editor Leony Anne McKeown Asst. Photography Editor
Feb. 9, 2016
I am happy to announce that The Quadrangle is currently working on a special issue that will highlight the issue of gender here at Manhattan College. The issue, which is to be released in March during Women’s History Month, will celebrate the achievements made in gender equality by the college so far and spark discussion on the changes that still need to be made. Far too often, the topic of gender is associated exclusively with women. While the issues surrounding women in higher education are significant, men are also subject to stereotypes and discrimination. Once we all begin to perceive gender on a spectrum, not as two opposing sets of ideals, discussion and progress can follow. But in order to truly depict the issue of gender on campus, we also need to incorporate your views, opinions and stories. Any strong, meaningful piece of journalism has a variety of different voices present, and we want this issue to showcase those expressions. We encourage anyone interested in contributing to come to one of our Tuesday meetings at 4 p.m. in the Kelly Commons, or to contact us at thequad@manhattan.edu. Our objective in creating this special issue is to highlight and examine the nature of gender on our campus and our larger community. This means going beyond surface level demographics to give you the most useful information to inspire conversation and change. We are eager to see what we discover. Sincerely,
Ally Hutzler
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.
John Abbatangelo/The Quadrangle
News
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After First Caucus, Students React Stephen Zubrycky Editor
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas upset businessman Donald Trump, 28 to 24 percent, in the Iowa Republican caucuses last Monday. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida finished in a strong third with 23 percent, while no other candidate managed to get above 10 percent, according to data from The New York Times. In the Democratic caucuses, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont received 49.6 percent, nearly toppling the frontrunner, former Secy. of State Hillary Clinton, who finished with 49.9 percent, according to The New York Times. As the presidential race begins in earnest, the debate is intensifying here at Manhattan College. According to Margaret Groarke, Ph.D., an associate professor of government, there is no clear ideological tilt on campus. In her estimation, Jaspers are evenly divided between liberal, conservative and unsure. “I don’t know what the political breakdown on campus is. Conservative students always tell me that they’re one of the few conservatives on a largely liberal campus and liberal students tell me that they’re one of the few liberals on a largely conservative campus,” Groarke said. Hence, there’s a multiplicity of political views on campus. Freshman finance major Pete Murphy, who can be seen donning a red hat reading “Make America Great Again,” supports Trump’s candidacy. “I’m a supporter of Donald Trump because I think he is going to make America great again,” Murphy said. Murphy said he supports Trump because of his stances on hot-button issues, including immigration and economics. “I feel like the [immigrants] that come illegally… they shouldn’t be here” Murphy said. “If they’re going to come, they should come legally.” On economics, Murphy favors Republican policies, arguing that Democrats have failed to deliver. “I feel like it’s important to have Donald Trump, who’s a Republican, come in because we’ve had these Democrats […] and they’re not doing too much.” One Donald Trump supporter, a junior, spoke to The Quadrangle only under the condition of anonymity. “I have a lot of friends who would probably not want to be my friend after hearing my opinion,” the anonymous junior said. This student allies with Trump because he projects an image of toughness, which is perceived as lacking in the two Democratic contenders. “I love their policies and stuff, but I
The 2016 election is in full swing after the Iowa Caucus. Creative Commons/Courtesy just feel like they’re not tough enough at all,” the junior said. However, Trump doesn’t quite check all the boxes for this supporter. “I don’t like his immigrant policies and a lot of other things,” the junior said. Trump’s support on campus is far from unanimous. In a straw poll conducted by the Government and Politics Club last November, Bernie Sanders finished first, taking 39 percent of the vote. Clinton and Trump (who led all his Republican opponents) were the only others to break into double digits in the poll, taking 18 and 12 percent, respectively. According to Groarke, Trump and Sanders both appeal to similar frustrations, especially wage stagnation and job loss. “In some ways if we look at Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, you’ve got two people who are tapping into that in different ways,” Groarke said. Freshman radiation therapy major Tyleah Brumsey supports Sanders. “I like how [Sanders is] for the black community more. That’s why I’m hoping he’ll become president, to help improve the
situation in our communities,” Brumsey said. “I don’t really think Hillary Clinton cares too much. She’s more about the votes of the blacks, rather than actually helping,” Brumsey stated. Clinton has struggled among younger voters, taking just 14 percent of caucusgoers under age 29 in Iowa, according to New York Times entrance poll data. MC Students are having trouble trusting Clinton, who last year became embroiled in a scandal over her use of a private email server. Sophomore communication major Jamie Paton, an undecided Democraticleaner, said “I don’t tend to be a big Hillary Clinton fan, just because her whole situation with the emails really unnerved me.” Some are even calling for Clinton to be criminally charged. “Those emails, they’re top-secret information. She was sketchy about it,” Murphy said. “I think she should be charged.” Bernie Sanders’ main obstacle appears to be his electability. In the entrance poll, Iowa Democrats concerned most with winning in November backed Clinton 4-to-1.
“I like Bernie Sanders. I like his ideas. But I don’t know if he can win,” Paton said. After his strong showing in Iowa, Marco Rubio is emerging as a contender for many students – including Murphy and Paton, who are considering him as a possible second choice. “I feel like [Rubio isn’t] very polarizing and I feel like a lot of people like him,” Paton said. Groarke sees momentum building for Rubio, saying “He’s attracting more attention from what people sometimes call the Republican establishment: the party leaders who want a good Republican to win.” For many, including the anonymous junior, the general sentiment thus far can be summed up in four simple words: “No candidate is perfect.” New Hampshire, the second state to hold its nominating contest, conducts primaries today. All polls will be closed in the state by 8 p.m. As of Friday, Trump and Sanders led their respective races in the state by double digits in most polls.
President’s Report Continued from Page 1 what each spending category specifically encompasses. The spending category with the highest expenditures last year was instruction, with $41 million. McManness said this category includes faculty salaries, the cost of equipment and the cost of support for instruction. The student services, institutional support and residence life categories each had $22 million in expenditures. For religious studies professor Robert Geraci, the college’s decision to publish
this financial information was an important step in the right direction, but he would like to see more detailed disclosure on how money at the college is allocated. “This is another change for the better that we’re seeing more. I think all of us would like to see more transparency especially when it kind of comes down to the nitty gritty of how money gets spent,” Geraci said. “I don’t know quite how everything fits in the various pieces of the pie and-frankly-I’d like to…A pie chart only tells me so much.”
Prior to the President’s Report (which is only in its second year), the college did not present this kind of detailed financial information to the broader community at all. The decision to do so is a shift from previous administration. “It was not part of the culture of the place that [...] we put this thing out,” O’Donnell said. “Everybody deserves to be able to see how the money is being spent. So it’s just a matter of openness to those constituencies. Why not just let everybody see what’s going on?”
That involvement of student tuitionpayers is what Geraci believes is missing from the dialogue. “You should have a stake in how money is being spent because you’re the one paying for it,” Geraci said. “That doesn’t mean students should be included in every single conversation about how money should be spent…but you should at least get to know how [it’s being spent].”
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news
Issues With Neighbors Persist Jack Melanson Asst. Editor
This past September the Student Government at Manhattan College came face to face with upset Riverdale residents who were voicing their concerns about certain student misbehaviors. More specifically, the residents shared a bill of rights that they constructed, which in short, said that neighbors of the college should receive a higher level of respect when students decide to enjoy themselves recreationally. The bill of rights had 150 signatures from residents of Riverdale. Some of the issues that the residents were having included loud profanity, public urination, physical confrontation, and other things of that nature. All of which were occurring at late or very early hours in the day, multiple days a week. In response to the neighborhood concerns, a sub committee titled the “Student Neighborhood Relations Committee” was formed that would focus it’s efforts to deter these actions. Now in February after a long semester break, the committee announces it’s pioneering attempt to restore the good relationship that Manhattan College promises to have with the community. To begin stitching the relationship back together, President of Student Government, Nich Weyland, shared that Student Government will be sponsoring a luncheon on Friday, Feb. 26. at 12 p.m. on the fifth floor of kelly commons. One can RSVP by emailing “studentactivites@manhattan. edu”. Students and faculty, along with the community are all welcome to attend. “We are taking the initiative to fix the
problem,” said Weyland, “ We are trying to bridge the gap between the neighbors and Manhattan College.” In Weyland’s eyes however, the gap is not monumental. “The neighbors are well aware that Manhattan College has a lot of great stuff going on,” said Weyland, “They know that the issue is not every student.” Weyland also added that the task to stop the students actions is not an easy one. “What we can do is spread awareness that there is people around us that we need to respect,” said Weyland, “students need to realize that it is a problem.” One of the most involved Manhattan College neighbors is Jean Rincon, who has lived in Riverdale for 15 years and attended a Student Government meeting for this issue in September. “The students need to see us as people, not as a back drop.” shared Rincon, which is something that student government is attempting to fix with the planned luncheon. Jean also discussed her concerns while offering her own solutions to the problem. “The students are an untapped resource that could be very instrumental in helping make the situation better for everyone.” said Rincon, “ Put something in place where student peers can have a discussion with these kids.” Policing the misconduct, Jean adds, could be more easily done at the student level. “Kids need to blow off steam, I know they do, but they need some kind of formal mentoring,” Rincon said, “For an upperclassman to say “I’ll be watching you” is worth 20 administrators!” The Student Government is continuing the discussions of the matter and plans
to keep the ball moving and make progress with the neighbors following the luncheon. “The conversations are being had,” said Weyland, “We just have to be adaptable to all situations.” Rincon and Weyland both agree that neighbor and student arguments are not the route to solving the issue. “I’ve heard a lot of ignorant comments from students like, ‘Well, they live on a college campus what do they expect,’ That’s not going to solve anything.” said Weyland, “Bickering back and forth won’t bridge the gap.” Rincon also said “I don't want to start a war, I just want it to stop.” Rincon further questions the Manhattan College administrative team for what she believes to be very little effort on their part. “Manhattan College… Hello! Why are these students getting a pass?” Rincon said, “The Administration needs to understand that it’s important too.” Manhattan College however stands by their code of conduct which is given to every student and is available to view online. The code of conduct also explains that, “Being in a state of intoxication is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct.” Which would include profanity, public urination, etc. Weyland further supports Manhattan College’s efforts to police alcohol use when saying, “Manhattan College knows that a very small percentage of students are the problem.” “It’s just a matter of respect,” said Weyland, “All we can do is spread awareness and eventually we hope to bridge the gap.”
As a result, anyone with an open bench warrant is subject to arrest if and when they next come across a police officer. Historically, Mr. Cohen said, these kinds of laws have been unfair and even discriminatory to minority groups and in over policed neighborhoods. “I do believe that these summonses are being issued in a disparaged and uneven way; that some neighborhoods are being flooded with summonses and some are not,” he said. “I haven’t quite made up my mind on what I’m going to [vote] yet, I don’t know if there are going to be tweaks to the legislation after a lengthy hearing we had [on Jan. 25].” According to the New York Times both Mayor Bill de Blasio and Commissioner Bill Bratton have publicly supported the reforms that would reduce many of the offenses that would constitute at criminal summonses to civil summonses, like parking and traffic tickets. “I guess they could be civil-type penalties,” Captain Terence O’Toole of the 50th Precinct said. “Once upon a time we used to have to carry four different summonses and then to do away with that, there was
one type if summons that we used all the time … so now it becomes a little harder for the officer.” Cpt. O’Toole said that he expects, if the laws pass, a learning curve for police to transition into not only carrying but issuing a different type of summons than they have for many years. “Anytime we stop somebody for committing a violation, they are subject to arrest a summons is given in lieu of arrest,” he said. “With a civil summons, that becomes challenged,” While many quality of life crimes are not a major issue in Riverdale, nor is it an over policed area, policing tactics might not change very much for the 50th Precinct, with the possible exception of college students. Jean Rincon, the founder of a Twitter account called Sleepless in Riverdale, said she thinks the change form criminal summonses to civil summonses would be better for stopping rambunctious students from making noise late at night. “There’s been almost zero enforcement anyway, as far as the noise issues or the open container or the underage drink-
Feb. 9, 2016
ALSO ON CAMPUS Jack Melanson Asst. Editor
Blood Drive On behalf of the New York Blood Center, Account Manager Sean Doyley is very pleased with the community at Manhattan College. The good feelings are after a blood drive that was held on Wed. Feb. 3. and was located in the Leo Engineering building. “We were thinking we’d get close to 70 [pints of blood] today, and it looks like we’re gonna get that today.” said Doyley. “Not only are the students coming out in full force to donate, but they are also coming to help out,” said Doyley, “We’ve had so many students in the past help out. I’m really proud of the students here, they show how it’s supposed to be done in my eyes.” Super Bowl 50 The Manhattan College Twitter page polled the students this past week, asking “Who do you think is going to win the Super Bowl?” The game is being played between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos. Before kickoff this past Sunday, students overwhelming decided that the Carolina Panthers were likely to hold the Lombardi Trophy for the NFL’s 50th anniversary season. A large majority, 63 percent of students, chose Carolina, while the remaining participators elected that the Denver Broncos would be victorious. Jasper students were all welcomed to Cafe 1853 on campus on Super Bowl Sunday to watch the two teams battle while enjoying food and beverages.
New York City Criminal Justice Reform Anthony Capote Editor
A series of new bills in New York City Council could pose tremendous changes to the way that “quality of life” crimes are policed and enforced. The bills, collectively called the Criminal Justice Reform Act, have been proposed and sponsored by Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito are designed to change the way that minor offenses, such as public urination, open-containers of alcohol in public and noise violation are policed and penalized. When police stop someone for committing quality of life crimes, the defendant is handed a criminal summons, or c-summons for which he or she will have to appear in court and pay the fine. “What’s happening is people are not paying their fines or not answering their summonses in court and then ultimately there is a warrant being issued for their arrest,” City Councilman Andrew Cohen said, “We have I think 1.5 Million open warrants in the City of New York.”
ing,” she said. “The problem is that [police] aren’t treating theses offenses like anything, I mean they are done by middle class, white kids that are ‘nice,’ and the cops themselves have said they’re not criminals and ‘we don’t want to ruin their permanent record.’” Ms. Rincon said that she hopes the new reforms might actually encourage officers to make more of an effort to stop noise and drinking issues, with the knowledge that they wouldn’t be criminalizing students. “If some kids of color come in from an another neighborhood and do it—bam— they’re on them like that,” she said. “[Police] should be disciplining, maybe not putting them in jail, I think if they take away these strong sentences the cops might be more willing to hand out summonses because they won’t be ruining the kids’ futures.”
arts & entertainment
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Students to Paint New Mural Under Founder’s Bridge Sean Sonnemann Editor
The dull, rust-stained wall underneath Founder’s Bridge will soon transform into a concrete canvas. This semester a group of students will paint a mural there that will also serve as the first permanent, student-created, public art installation on campus. “There is nothing on campus that displays the students’ own perspective of the college,” Mark Pottinger, P.h.D. and chair of Manhattan College’s Visual and Performing Arts Department, said. “Students wanted to have some element, some legacy on campus that speaks directly to them.” Some of those students include members of the college’s Performing Arts and Visual Culture common interest community—one of the several new themed housing communities that Residence Life began this fall. Senior R.J. Liberto serves as one of the resident advisors for the community and is excited for the project to begin later this month. “For the visual and performing arts community, the mural is a chance for the members to express themselves and add to the campus’s beauty,” he said. However, the creation of a student mural on campus is a project that has long been in the works and called for by several different individuals. According to Pottinger, the space underneath the bridge to O’Malley Library was originally designed to have some kind of mural or artwork installed after construction. Yet frequent discussions among faculty and administration over the years never came to fruition—until now. Jean Manning, senior physics major, also had the idea for painting a mural under the bridge when she first pursued the creation of a student art club her freshman year on campus. While the club did not actually form until this year, her idea for a mural did not go away. When Pottinger began the formal organization process for the mural last year, he reached out to Manning to see if she was
still interested in being involved. “I just had this idea, and now it turned into this huge thing. It’s cool that this one idea I had freshman year—that I never thought was actually going to happen—all of a sudden just blew up,” Manning said. “It’s definitely very exciting.” Last semester, Manning and Pottinger met with Creative Art Works, an organization of professional teaching artists that has worked with several schools and communities to develop murals throughout New York City. The group will be providing training and materials to the Manhattan College students working on the mural. This will ensure a professional and high quality final product, even though many of those involved may not have had prior experience with mural painting. The selection process for those students is still underway. One of the challenges is finding a common time for a group of 15 to 20 core students to meet every week to work on the project. According to Pottinger, more than 40
students have already expressed interest in being a part of the planning and execution process. Anyone who is interested can also fill out a survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/ r/9BXYQVT. Once the group of students is selected by the end of February, they will begin brainstorming a subject for the work of art. The exact image is still undecided, but it will consist of some interpretation of the college’s broader mission. “We want to have a high standard, not cartoonish or graffiti-like, an artwork that people can be proud of and one that can speak to as many people as possible,” Pottinger said. After planning the design, painting will begin and continue until the mural is completed. As of now, it is expected to be ready for a formal reveal in time for graduation weekend. Additionally, before painting the wall must be cleaned and properly prepared. However, the option also exists
The location of the soon-to-be mural. Sean Sonnemann/The Quadrangle to try and incorporate the existing rust stains into the final mural design. Pottinger feels this would make the mural a stronger image of inclusivity and in many ways method of celebrating natural flaws and imperfections. Either way, the mural will be an improvement on the existing appearance of one of the college’s key entrances into main campus. “It’s one of the first things that people see when they come up those stairs from Manhattan College Parkway,” Pottinger said. “It’s a great opportunity for people coming into campus to see a clear image, a welcoming image, of what Manhattan College is about.” There has already been discussion of the possibility of creating future murals on the side of Draddy Gymnasium and the ground floor of Thomas Hall near the area where dumpsters are currently stored. But first, this pioneering project must be completed successfully—a burden that Pottinger and the students involved both recognize and are eager to accept.
Common Interest Living Community Brings Performing Arts Home Taylor Brethauer Asst. Editor
Last year, Residence Life introduced the brand new Common-Interest Living Communities to accompany the popular Arches program. There are four different communities students can choose from: Nuestra Casa, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Issues & Sustainability and the minds behind last semester’s flash mob, Visual and Performing Arts Culture. Resident Assistants Carlos Perez and RJ Liberto expressed interest in the community early on. “When I heard about the common interest community, in my interview I made it excessively clear that if I were to get the job again I would definitely be interested in the community,” Liberto said. “I was involved with Players for a few years, I’m a part of Scatterbomb and I run the Coffeehouse Open Mic night. I’ve always loved the performing arts and I really wanted to foster a community where that can really
grow.” With a community that has such a shared interest in the arts, there are many opportunities for the group to participate in. Having Perez and Liberto as RAs also proves to be convenient, since the two are very involved on campus with the popular performing arts groups. “We try to do activities centered around the community. Currently we’re working with Dr. Pottinger, who is our faculty advisor, to get our residents involved with the new mural [underneath Founder’s Bridge],” Perez said. “But we mostly focused on trying to get the students involved with the visual and performing arts community on campus, so we talked up Coffeehouse, Players, Singers, Orchestra, etc. We were able to set them up with contacts since we know pretty much everyone involved with performing arts on campus.” Since the program is brand new to Manhattan College, it’s a small group. But starting out, the two RAs love the size of
the group so they can figure out what works and what doesn’t when it comes to programs to hold. “It’s a smaller community, just starting out. We have ten students, eight of which are freshmen. We try to work with whatever they want to do and do events they’ll be interested in. Right now, we’re trying to organize a workshop for everyone,” Liberto said. “Last semester, the residents organized the flash mob and we helped them out by getting it going and executing it. But they did the choreography, they were really great about it.” Manhattan College is lucky enough to have many clubs and groups for the students to join and show off their talents. It’s a great way to meet those with similar interests and the commoninterest communities allow you to live with the people you make those connections with. “Some of our residents performed in the Players’ Cabaret, some come
perform at Coffeehouse. I feel like they chose those since we are their RAs it’s more comfortable knowing we run them. Getting involved at the school is probably one of the best things that’s happened to me, especially participating in clubs and meeting people who come to shows with similar interests,” Liberto said. Although both RAs are graduating in just a few months, they are glad they got to participate in the inaugural year of the program and are excited to see it grow. Residents in the program have shown interest in staying within the community and eventually moving up to the RA position, themselves. But it all depends on how future classes respond to this new way of living. “I feel like the community is underrated,” Perez said. “It was such a great idea to have a visual and performing arts community and I feel like when they start to bring it up to the new freshmen, it could gain more notoriety.”
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arts & entertainment The Internship Series: Reflecting on Past Internship Experience
Feb. 9, 2016
Abi Kloosterman Staff Writer
“The Devil Wears Prada” means nothing to Manhattan College senior, Jacquelyn Beaulieu. In May of 2015, Jacquelyn landed an internship with Marie Claire Magazine, one of Hearst’s largest fashion publications in the world. The world of fashion can be cold, crawling with Miranda Priestlys, competitive and somewhat terrifying, however, Beaulieu knows the major keys to success in the fashion industry. From networking to photoshoots, every detail of the process has amazing value in future opportunities. “Stay focused and be compassionate to everyone you work with, you may not stay at every job you have forever, but your reputation you build for yourself at every establishment will stay with you forever,” Beaulieu said. Her success started with an internship at Tom Ford. With a major in marketing, she was able to secure her spot as a PR Intern with the world famous designer. She became closer with her boss and once the internship ended was referred to many interviews at Hearst. After interviewing for many different magazines, Beaulieu decided on Marie Claire. “I interviewed and was offered internships at Cosmopolitan
and Harpers Bazaar Magazine, however the feeling I had at Marie Claire with the people and atmosphere was the reason I chose to accept the offer at Marie Claire,” she said. Internships not only provide amazing experience and learning opportunities, but also once-in-a-lifetime experiences. At Marie Claire, Beaulieu had the opportunity to be the subject of a photoshoot to represent the interns in an online piece, something that she describes as “one of the best days of my life.” Similar to many students at Manhattan College, Beaulieu attributes much of her success to the education that the school provides. Small classes and caring professors matter just as much as personal attributes and experience. “The small classes allow the student-teacher connection to grow and face time with teachers has allowed me to really understand what it takes to have a successful and positive professional relationship with higher ups,” Beaulieu said. Decoding the intimidating world of fashion is extremely important, but enjoying what you do might be the most important aspect of an internship. Beaulieu not only worked hard for what she accomplished, she also loved every moment of it. Because her passion led her every step of the way, she was able to stand out to her bosses and build a great reputation for her-
7 arts & entertainment THE GIFT Of JASPER DANCING AND THE JASPER DANCERS Adanna Carter Contributor
Jacquelyn Beaulieu at her internship with Marie Claire in May of 2015. Jacquelyn Beaulieu/Courtesy self at Hearst. though my hours were crazy, sometimes “Every single day, going to work made getting to the office by 8:00a.m. and leavme excited,” Beaulieu said. “I absolutely ing around 11:00p.m. It was the most fun I loved working every single day even have ever had.”
The ability, dedication and the opportunity to dance are beautiful escapes to a world of creativity, positivity, unity and possibility. Dancers are a gift of entertainment; they move with a motion of excitement and influence our emotions with their power of rhythm. The beat can be slow, fast, mellow, calm or smooth. Manhattan College’s Jasper Dancers are energetic and enthusiastic, they like to get the crowd pumping, hollering and cheering. From basketball game performances to professional dances, these dancers are the light, smile and excitement of the school. These ladies are hardworking and work diligently to perform trendy, sassy and animated dances. Not only do they pump up the crowd, spice up the room and send the beat running through the congregation, they also encourage an environment of joy and life skills. The Jasper Dancers express that they love to represent the school, show off school spirit, perform at basketball games, be around people with similar passions and bond with one another. “My favorite part about being a Jasper Dancer is being able to do what I love with people who share the same passion,” Lauren Davison, a junior dancer, said. “We have practice three days a week, there are times when we goof around because we are all friends. There are also times during those practices where we put in a lot of work to better ourselves in a dance or skill or we are working towards bettering ourselves as a team. I absolutely love sharing similar goals with my teammates and working towards them together.” The dancers have mastered the art of time management, enforced the craft of
The Jasper Dancers performing at Manhattan Madness. Kevin Fuhrmann/The Quadrangle confidence and nurtured the quality of school spirit. “Being a Jasper dancer has taught me how to balance everything in my life. It has also taught me that the work you put in will show in the end. Hard work is always worth it,” Madison Swenton, a junior dancer, said. “Being a Jasper dancer has influenced me so positively, even though at times I can become overwhelmed with work, school and practice it really helps me with time management and I feel it has taught me a skill I can apply in the future,” Tina Fernandez, a senior co-captain, said. The dancers’ intense practice schedule is not just for the basketball games, however. “On top of performing at basketball games, the dance team also competes at Nationals in April. We perform a Pom and hip hop dance,” Gabriella Marinaro, a senior
co-captain said. “We have very long exhausting practices that can get difficult and frustrating but as a team we always pull together as one and get through it.” The dancers not only have a bond on stage, but off stage as well. “The team is like our own little family. We have a lot of practice and we spend a lot of time together,” Marinaro said. “We like to share our individual and team goals with each other. We all are extremely close and love helping each other whether it’s in dance or outside of it.” “We actually have bonding events each year, we call them retreats and usually we get together at the captains’ apartment and all order pizza and hang out and just try to get to know each other more, especially the freshman so they feel more
comfortable as they adjust to the huge transition of college,” Fernandez said. Ultimately, our Jasper Dancers exemplify team spirit, relationship building, unity and conscientiousness. “My goal for the dance team is to end this year on a high note. Even if we don’t leave Nationals as champions, leaving knowing we did our best and all our hard work was worth it. But making Finals would be awesome,” Marinaro said. “We are putting in a lot of work this year for nationals and are super excited.” “Being a Jasper Dancer has really made me love Manhattan College so much more. I love seeing all the school spirit at the games and being able to participate in it,” Marinaro said.
The Title: Book Nook “The Circle” Author: Dave Eggers Genre: Science Fiction
Madeleine Schwartz Senior Writer
Technology is everywhere. There is no point in denying it. Problems that were once impossible to overcome are now solved and feats that were unimaginable have now been accomplished. Author Dave Eggers takes a futuristic look at the power technology wields in his latest book. “The Circle,” written in 2013, is very much influenced by what is currently happening in society as we evolve in the digital age. Right now, there is an emphasis on smartphones and digital health trackers and especially communication via social networks. Dave Eggers takes this information to help him create a futuristic world ruled by technology. The novel starts by introducing its main character, Mae Holland, as she starts work at one of the world’s most powerful Internet companies, aptly named The Circle. The reader follows her on her first day at the office and can feel her excitement and awe as she reaches campus. The Circle headquarters are located in sunny California and is a mix between a college campus and the offices of Facebook and Twitter on steroids. There is an open floor plan, glass buildings, dining facilities, sports arenas, dorm buildings, and even an
aquarium. World-renowned musicians and artists are brought in during the day and also at night to give expeditions and entertain employees. As Holland gets settled into her job at The Circle, the reader learns more about the company as a whole and its influence on society. The business model of The Circle is focused on bringing transparency to the digital age by giving user’s a singular online identity. Its technology links emails, social media, banking, and online purchasing together in one account. Eggers also introduces the reader to the leaders of The Circle. The Three Wise Men, or CEO’s of the company, are the masterminds behind all new technological advances. All with different personalities and purposes, these men are at the very top. Under them but still with substantial power, is the Gang of 40. These are the top 40 people working at the Circle. Everyone wants to be apart of this elite group and only the most dedicated can get in. Everyone that Holland meets at The Circle praises its inventions and thrives in the close-knit community. For the first half of the book, there isn’t a single person, including the reader, who doubts the intentions of The Circle or its leaders. However, this changes when Holland meets a man named Kalden in Book 2. Kalden opens the reader’s eyes to the
dangers The Circle and its inventions pose. One particular technology that he is opposed to is called See Change. It allows cameras the size of golf balls to be put anywhere in the world and be checked by anyone. At a beach, on a park bench and even within a home. The Circle goes further and uses this technology to allow people to “go transparent” by wearing a camera 24/7. By the time Kalden’s warnings are sent, the reader has realized that The Cirlce’s intentions of creating transparency in a digital age are not pure. Eggers brings up questions about the right to privacy and anonymity. He also brings up ideas of transparency in the government and positions of leadership. The reader is shown scenes that make them rethink the importance of knowing everything there is to know. I chose to read “The Circle” because I can see where Eggers drew his inspiration from. The clear connection between today’s technology obsession and that seen in his writing is fascinating. I also enjoyed reading this novel because of the twists and turns throughout it. In particular, there are a few massive surprises at the end, which completely took me off guard and in the end, made me love the book even more.
Madeleine Schwartz/The Quadrangle
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features
Feb. 9, 2016
It’s a Beautifiul Day in the Neighborhood: East Village Stephen Zubrycky Editor
Tompkins Square Park is an inexplicably quiet place – save for the squeals of children on one of the playgrounds, or the bark of a dog. Surrounded by brick buildings of no more then ten or so stories, sits this open urban green space – an idyllic three-square-block getaway from the rush of the city which surrounds it. Located between Aves. A and B and 7th and 10th Sts., Tompkins Square Park serves as the heart of Alphabet City – the aptly named blocks of lettered avenues (as opposed to numbered avenues) east of 1st Ave. in the heart of the East Village – Greenwich Village’s trendier neighbor to the east. The East Village has changed a lot in recent decades. A quick google search of “Tompkins Square Park riot” on your computer will produce search suggestions of three separate incidents of unrest in the park, in 1874, 1988, and 1991. The late 1980’s were a particularly tumultuous time in the neighborhood’s history, when it was plagued by homelessness and drug abuse. In the bitter cold before Christmas in 1989, in the dying days of the Ed Koch administration, the NYPD, FDNY, and Parks Department expelled dozens of homeless people residing in Tompkins Square Park in a makeshift tent city, according to a 1989 New York Times article. The raid was met with resistance by the tent city residents, who burned their tents in defiance. The article described an “acrid smoke” hanging over the park after the raid, which was sparked by community residents who grew weary of the tent city – which had become a hotbed of drug use and prostitution. Tompkins Square Park is much tamer today. Fresh produce is now being sold where hard drugs once were (there’s a weekend farmer’s market in the southwest corner). The homeless population is diminished, children frolic and play on several playgrounds in the park, and wellgroomed, leashed dogs abound. Across Avenue B from Tompkins Square is St. Brigid’s Church, a grand, imposing structure with two thick steeples piercing the sky. 9th St., just west of the park, is lined on
Street art in the neighborhood. Stephen Zubrycky/The Quadrangle either side with artisan boutiques, coffee shops, cafes, and restaurants. The East Village has, in recent years, become a mecca of community gardening. La Plaza Cultural, which is located at the corner of Ave. C and 9th St., is one of several gardens in the area. Fenced in by a tall, rusted chain-link fence adorned by beer and soda cans cut into flower shapes, La Plaza Cultural has a homey yet urban charm. The snow remains unshoveled, the patio furniture is flimsy and cheap, and the decorations are homemade and full of heart. Le Petit Versailles, another garden located in the south end of the neighborhood at 2nd St. and Ave. C, is especially cramped, sandwiched in a narrow alley between two brick buildings. Along the East Village’s boundary with the Lower East Side on Houston St., the traffic is loud and the calm of the heart of the East Village is no more. The new World Trade Center, Williamsburg and Manhattan Bridges bounce in and out of the line of sight between the buildings. There are several New York classics along Houston St., including Katz’s Delicatessen, and Russ & Daughters Appetizers. The western side of the East Village is far more commercial. Near Cooper Union,
the prestigious art and engineering college, is a huge K-mart, several bodegas and chain stores. The western side of the East Village is also home to some outposts of New York University’s far-flung campus, and the area has a commercial, yet academic feel. Just east of Cooper Square, on 7th St., is McSorley’s Old Ale House, a time capsule tavern dating back to 1854. McSorley’s claims for itself (though not without dispute) the title of oldest bar in the five boroughs, according to a New York Post article. McSorley’s has certainly had its fair share of notable patrons. Legend has it that after delivering a rousing anti-slavery speech at Cooper Union in 1860 (which is just a stone’s throw from the pub), soon-tobe-elected President Abraham Lincoln unwound with an ale at McSorley’s, according to Examiner.com. South on the Bowery from Cooper, NYU, and McSorley’s, between 1st and 2nd Sts., is John Varvatos, a high-end clothing store located at 315 Bowery – the space vacated in 2006 by CBGB. CBGB was a famed rock and roll club that operated from 1973 to 2006 and was influential in the punk rock movement, according to a Daily News article. In 1974, CBGB hosted the eminent punk-rock group the Ramones, in their first
of 2,263 performances worldwide during their 22 year touring period, according to the article. The evolution of the space at 315 Bowery mirrors the transition of the neighborhood at large. Once a rough-and-tumble area popularly characterized by sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll, the East Village now stands as a neighborhood populated by artisans and families. Vestiges of the East Village of yesterday still remain still remain in the East Village of today however, even if only in tribute. Across from CBGB, next to an upscale café down Bleecker St., is a giant mural commemorating legendary rock-and-roller Joey Ramone of the Ramones, which was painted just last fall, according to the Daily News article. Perhaps a more fitting tribute – a street sign – hangs a half-block north on the Bowery, at the corner of 2nd St. Twisted, bent, slightly rusted, and hanging on a postercovered lamppost above a high-end Italian restaurant, it reads “JOEY RAMONE PLACE.”
Librarians: More than Dealing With Books Daniel Molina Editor
When a student or a faculty member walks into the O’Malley Library, they take for granted that books are going to be ordered, printers and computers that are fast and ready to be used, and the person waiting to help them in case their research paper is due in three hours. But all these logistics are not that easily managed, and there are people behind the curtains who work to make the day-to-day of this 85,000 square feet building run as smoothly as possible. The person in charge of over 250,000 books and 100 computers is Dr. William Walters, executive director of the Mary Alice & Tom O’Malley Library. He has been a librarian for over 20 years, working in places such as Cornell University and St. Lawrence University,
and finally, because of its proximity to his family and what he calls the perfect balance between size and resources, he has been at Manhattan College for over a year and a half. “Students see librarians at the reference desk, and in few other places, but a lot of what we do is behind the scenes,” Dr. Walter said. “A whole lot of effort goes into building collections that meet student needs. Then, making those materials accessible, maintaining the library catalogued, maintaining research guys…” and the list goes on and on. Although he is surrounded by pieces of printed-paper at work, he affirms that his entire life revolves around media. “I read books, I watch TV, I listen to music, I surf the web… that’s my life, and that’s what I enjoy doing,” says Dr. Walter. “Not all librarians are like that, but I think most of us are.” But he is not the only one around the
five floors and fours subfloors of Manhattan College’s Library. Valerie Jimenez, library information assistant, is in charge of refilling the printers if they run out of paper or ink, checking in and checking out books, assisting students to locate a certain item and, in previous years, to be in charge of the controversial study rooms. She admits, as MC alumni, that she would have loved knowing that librarians were there for helping her when she was doing her research papers and thesis. “I didn’t really use the resources as I should have. […] You don’t really use databases as you should, and they [librarians] just help you out to make everything easier.” Today, what she loves about the job she acquired when she had just finished school is interacting with students from different backgrounds, states, and even nationalities. “I like meeting new people and helping them out,” Jimenez says. “I was in your
shoes once, and when I see those kids during midterms and finals week, with their worried faces, I just want to tell them: everything will be fine.” In the future, Dr. Walter would like staff, students, and faculty to be able to see the library in broader terms. Today, he says, some Jaspers see the library only as the provider of reserved readings for certain classes when the reality is that librarians serve as a connection to external information that is not necessarily available in the library’s collection. “Today, students seem very reluctant to ask for that kind of stuff: statistics, data… but we can help with that,” Dr. Walter says. “My second goal is to improve the reliability in day-to-day little things: make sure that the printers work, that computers work, can you log-on quickly… the details to make sure that those things are reliable.”
features
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Meet MC’s New Area Coordinator, Ryan Bunts Ally Hutzler Editor-In-Chief
With the start of any new semester there are always many fresh faces on campus. That new guy you see working out at the gym or playing video games, however, is not just another student. Ryan Bunts has recently taken up residence here at Manhattan College as the new area coordinator of Horan Hall. But at the age of 25, he is often mistaken for an undergraduate. “When I tell people about my job they ask me ‘What year are you?’” Bunts said. “I take it as a compliment.” As he should. Since graduating from the State University of New York at Albany, Bunts has also served as a residence director and health and wellness project coordinator at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. Being promoted so quickly is something Bunts never expected, especially because he majored and received a bachelor’s degree in business administration. “I was working in finance for a very short time and I absolutely hated it,” Bunts said. Then, during a conversation with a friend who was a residence director, Bunts reminisced about his time as a residence assistant in college. “I remember telling him that I wish I could do that for a living but that’s not a real thing,” Bunts said, “And he just looked at me and asked ‘What do you think I do for a living?’” That’s when Bunts decided to return to SUNY Albany, where he earned a master’s degree in education administration. For the next two years Bunts worked as a residence director at Union College. He had known little of Manhattan College until he was at a conference for housing
software where our own director of residence life, Andrew Weingarten, was in attendance. “The position for area coordinator was open and Ryan applied. We went through a lengthy interview process with a lot of different candidates, and he emerged as the one we thought was the best,” Weingarten said. “He just gets it.” Maybe that is because of Bunts experience as an RA in college, which, ironically, he never wanted to do in the first place. “As a high school athlete I was always very structured, so I really appreciated my independence in college and I wasn’t going to give it up,” Bunts said. But when his roommate freshman year wanted to go to an RA info session, Bunts harmlessly tagged along. After the meeting, he wasn’t any more convinced but decided to apply anyway. A few weeks later he was offered the position. “I still didn’t want to do it,” Bunts said. “I called my mom and she said, ‘Well now that you’re getting free room and board you’re going to do this.’” He then discovered that being an RA provided him the opportunity to get to know a very diverse population of people. Having grown up in Binghamton, N.Y. and going to a majority white, heteronormative high school, Bunts enjoyed experiencing all of those cultures and making friends from different backgrounds. “I am a huge extrovert, and I got into this field because I just love doing it. I like having conversations with students and I am their biggest advocate,” Bunts said. As an area coordinator, Bunts is tasked with addressing student concerns, making sure the building is maintained and overseeing the four residents directors. Bunts is faced with no small feat. Horan Hall is an eleven-story building that houses over 700 students. “It’s intimidat-
Ryan Bunts joins Residence Life as the new Area Coordinator for Horan Hall. Ryan Bunts/Courtesy ing to walk into such a big building and realize that I am now responsible for all of this,” he said. According to Siobhan Connor, one of 16 RAs in Horan Hall, Bunts fits right in. “He is very personable, very open and has this big laugh that is very comforting and casual,” she said. It is not all fun and games, however, as Bunts has also taken on a large role in the judicial policies that govern student behavior. He is currently working towards unifying the sanctioning process, so that a student will receive the same punishment for the same violation no matter where it happens on campus. “I am not looking to get students in
trouble. I am looking to, if you are getting in trouble, getting you on that path towards making good decisions,” Bunts said. The work of anyone involved in residence life is that of long hours and many roles to perform. It isn’t for everyone, Weingarten stated, but it seems to be the perfect match for Ryan Bunts. “To have those students come to you years later and say that they made this decision in their career because of a conversation we had, I love that. That is so much more meaningful to me than a giant paycheck,” Bunts said.
From MC Student to MC Professor: Ann Marie Flynn Jessica Quinn Staff Writer
Ann Marie Flynn is a prominent professor here at Manhattan College. A valued member to the Chemical Engineering faculty, Dr. Flynn is an important asset to the Manhattan College community. Although, what most people do not know, is that Dr. Flynn used to be a Manhattan College student herself. She began her journey at the school in the fall of 1977, where she declared her major in Chemical Engineering. Dr. Flynn first decided to attend Manhattan when she first visited the school, “I was standing on the steps by Smith and it just felt like home”. Dr. Flynn was a prime participant in clubs like the Gaelic Society, the women’s crew team and AICHE. She also worked every weekend at the restaurant Rosie O’ Grady’s in the city. Prior to attending Manhattan College, she studied at a boarding school in Ireland during her high school career. Before deciding upon Manhattan, she thought that Syracuse University was where she would study. Although, during her visit to the campus she changed her mind. She explained, “I went in to the admissions building, I applied, and by the
time I walked out that day, I had been accepted into Manhattan College. It was bizarre.” During the earlier years at Manhattan, it was predominately a male school. The college converted to being co-ed right before her acceptance, making her one of the few females at both a male dominated major and school. There were eight girls in her graduating class in 1981. Although Dr. Flynn was part of the minority gender wise, she never considered her status as a female to affect her negatively whatsoever. She excelled, so she never considered gender to be an issue, “If you’re good at what you do, who cares? Male or female. I was always aware of that so I never cared,” she said. She explained how “excellence is a great equalizer” and never thought twice about her gender affecting her career as an engineer at Manhattan College. She was a good student who dominated in her field, making her an ideal role model for any student at Manhattan College. “I was aware that when I came back to teach, I wanted to be a role model for the girls. I wanted to dress like an executive female would dress. That you can be smart, an engineer, and still look like a woman,” Flynn said. She was a resident of Overlook Manor for all of the four years she attended MC.
Dr.Ann Marie Flynn graduated from Manhattan College class of 1981 and returned to the college to teach in the chemical engineering department in 1991. Ann Marie Flynn/Courtesy She reminisced about the keg parties that used to be allowed on each floor, due to the drinking age being eighteen during that time. Students used to attend bars like The Terminal, Pinewood, and Green Leaf. Dr. Flynn explained how “Manhattan College was known to have a very healthy nightlife. It was well recognized for its ability to enjoy itself.” During her time at MC, Dr. Flynn ad-
mired the presence of the brothers and their effect on the campus environment, “It was kind of like the feeling you get when you’re in church. Sometimes when you’re in church, there’s a safety that you feel when you’re in church. The truth is the church is just another building, but when you walk into a church there’s this safety that encompasses you. The presence of the brothers brought that sense of safety to the school.”
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sports
This Week in Sports
Feb. 9, 2016
Three Jaspers earned Performers of the Meet after their victory over St. Francis. Kevin Fuhrmann/The Quadrangle
Women’s Swimming
After a 121-84 victory over St. Francis on Jan. 31, the Manhattan College women’s swimming team notched their first winning season in seven years with a 7-6 record. Kathryn Voitik, Alexandra Hutzler and Sara Buckley helped lead the way for the Jaspers and they were all recognized as Manhattan’s Performers of the Meet. Hutzler won the 200-individual medley in 2:18.98 and the 100-breaststroke in 1:11.79. She was also a part of the 200-medley relay that won with a time of 2:04.88. Voitik won the 200-freestyle in 2:02.48 and was a part of the 200-freestyle relay, which took second place with a time of 1:47.98. Buckley won the 50-freestyle with a time of 26.58 and took second place in the 100-freestyle with 58.15. She took part in the victorious 200-medley relay with Hutzler, Patricia Colton and Megan Pagano, who also won the 100-backstroke in 1:04.75. The team will compete next at the MAAC Championships on Feb. 10-13.
Track and Field
The men and women’s indoor track and field teams started the Metropolitan Championships on Feb. 4. Charlene Pohl won the women’s pentathlon and secured 10 points for the team. Stefan Hoeller took third place after the first four events of the men’s heptathlon. Competition concluded on Feb. 5 with the men’s and women’s teams taking second and third place respectively. Will Stallings and Tom Diliberto both qualified for the IC4A Championships. Stallings earned the qualifier in the 200 and 400 meters after taking second in the 200 with 22.11 and third in the 400 with 48.62, as well as earning the qualifier in the 4x400 meter relay with a second-place winning time of 3:18.82. Diliberto qualified with his winning time of 4:14.28 in the mile.
The team finished second with a total of 145.5 points, behind Rutgers’ 183.5. Manhattan has earned a top-three placing 13 straight times.
For the women’s team, Lisa Fajardo ran a personal-best 10:03.04 in the 3000 meters. Alexa Roda qualified for the ECAC Championships in the 1000 with her fourth-place finish of 2:55.31. Lorraine Brancale earned second-place in the 5000 meters with an 18:02.95 time and Erin Spadaccini posted a 5:04.73 timing in her first career mile, earning third place. The team placed third with 90 points, their highest showing since 2011.
Women’s Basketball
The Jaspers have won four of their last five games. They stand at 10-11 on the season and 7-5 in the MAAC. On Feb. 5, they earned a 77-55 victory over Canisius.
The team was strong on both ends of the court. Shayna Ericksen notched 17 points and nine rebounds in the win. Amani Tatum posted 15 points and Taylor Williams had 13 points with five rebounds off the bench. Crystal Ross posted a career-high 16 boards along with nine points and four blocks. Nyasha Irizarry had eight points and three assists. Blake Underhill added eight points, nine assists and four steals. Kayla Grimme recorded her 100th career block in the game, becoming the fourth player in team history to earn that achievement. The Jaspers outrebounded Canisius 50-39 and shot 41.5 percent from the field as a team. Manhattan went 7-for-19 from three-point range and 16-for-32 at the foul line. The team improved to 8-1 this season when leading at halftime and 6-1 when scoring at least 70 points. They also collected 50 rebounds as a team for the third time this season.
sports
Take a look at us now
Jon Reyes Senior Writer
Talent, scoring ability, athleticism, dangerous, a combination of perimeter and inside players. That’s the way Jenny Palmateer, Monmouth women’s head basketball coach, talked about Manhattan College. Clichés are always a no-no whenever writing journalism, but this one in particular perfectly describes the last year for the Manhattan Jaspers: “What a difference a year makes…” No, really. For the entire 30 game schedule in the 2014-2015 season, the Jaspers only managed to come away with three wins. Three wins. “Last year, we were a very young and inexperienced basketball team,” John Olenowski, Manhattan’s head women’s basketball coach, said. Fast-forward to ’15-’16, and it has tripled its win total to 10, and recently went on a three-game win streak, beating Iona— No. 1 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, 63-56; Saint Peter’s, 64-47; and Rider, 74-70.
“This year we’ve got tremendous depth with our team,” Olenowski said. “We’re experienced and everybody has raised their game up a level. We’re playing really solid, good basketball.” “I mean, last year we only had three wins overall,” Kayla Grimme, Manhattan sophomore center, said. “So to have a three-game winning streak was a nice wake-up call to show what we can actually do and what we’re capable of later on.” What has been the difference this season compared to last for Grimme and Manhattan’s leading scorer, Nyasha Irizarry are Olenowski’s stress on defense; better team chemistry; and the additions of James Madison University transfers
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The Womens Basketball team is 10-11, tripling its win total from last season. Kevin Fuhrmann/ The Quadrangle Amani Tatum—sophomore guard—and ment kind of game against Canisius, it was Crystal Ross—senior center. a 22-point victory of dominance on both “In some games, there have been mo- ends of the court, 77-55. And overall on the ments where our talent and everyone is season, Manhattan is right in the middle of playing at their full potential,” Grimme the every other team, sitting fifth in the said, “and I’ve taken a couple of steps back MAAC at 10-11. and said, ‘Wow, we can be really good.’ If “Any team can beat anybody on any we can all hone that potential all at once given day,” Palmateer said. “That makes and all of us playing whenever it matters for some really, really great games. You as it winds down until the MAAC tourna- have to bring you’re A-game every game: ment, we can be really good.” be a team that can limit mistakes, be solid “We do things games sometimes that and be consistent because it doesn’t take we thought we couldn’t really do,” Irizarry much to wind up on the wrong end of the said. “When it comes out we say, ‘We got win-loss column. That makes it really fun. to keep this going.’” You can throw seedings out the window. In its last five games, Manhattan has a It’s been a great challenge.” 4-1 record. The last win came in a state-
Sports
Great Expectations for Jasper Softball
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The Jaspers were tabbed to finished third in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll, and Elena Bowman was chosen as the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year. Kevin Fuhrmann/ The Quadrangle
Charles Lippolis Contributor
In the past six seasons under head coach Tom Pardalis, Jasper softball has developed from a mere .500 team to a formidable title contender. Pardalis credits this success to the tight-knit groups he has been able to coach during his years at Manhattan College. “Chemistry over the past two years has been phenomenal,” said Pardalis, who has been a part of several distinct teams during his 40-year coaching career, including the 2006 MAAC champion Marist Red Foxes. Pardalis specifically holds his seniors of past and present in high regard, recognizing how they have paved the way for a tradition of winning. One of those seniors this season is reigning MAAC Player of the Year Elena Bowman. Heading into her fourth year, hailing from San Mateo, Calif., Bowman also ended last season with 1st Team Captial One Academic All-American and All-District Honors, as well as All-Northeast Region
2nd Team Honors. Nonetheless, the 2016 Preseason All-MAAC catcher and recent addition to the USA Softball Top 50 Watch List is not yet satisfied with her career, and her desire for a championship is motivating her in her final season. “The expectation is to win,” said Bowman, who has been a part of teams that have flirted with championship births her whole career. The 2014 Jaspers fell short in the title game against rival Iona, and last season’s playoff run was cut shorter than that, as the team fell in the elimination round, just two games shy of the title game. “There were glimpses of who we could be,” recalled Bowman, which is what she explained has been a key motivator for the 2016 Jaspers to go out and actualize their potential this season. However, this is far from a one-woman show, as the team exhibits exceptional chemistry support, and energy with one another. This behavior has been cemented in Pardalis’ system, with Preseason AllMAAC selections Briana Matazinsky and Jenn Vazquez doing their part to uphold this standard. 1st Team All-MAAC hon-
oree, Vazquez—in her third year—has become a significant leader on the team with her gritty play and ability to stay healthy; and has used her leadership to inspire the freshman this year to step up. “Once you’re on this campus you are no longer a freshman,” Vazquez explained, as she expects the winning tradition to carry over into this season, with the help of any player whose number is called. When asked about the end of the 2015 campaign, Vazquez demonstrated a forward-thinking mentality.“You can’t look back,” Vasquez said, with an affirmation of the team’s agenda to make this year count. Embodying the mature underclassmen persona more than any other play on the roster is Briana Matazinsky, who was a significant role player for the Jaspers in her freshman year. While tossing 96.2 innings and sporting a 3.91 ERA in her rookie season, Matazinsky was also able to contribute a .276 batting average while playing out of right field, numbers that earned her a place on the 2015 All-MAAC rookie team. Matazinsky was able to tran-
sition well on the mound, meshing with her teammates through the trust she gained in the fielders around her. “I have a good team behind me,” affirmed Matazinsky, who started 17 games in 2015. She and Vazquez also seemed to be on the same page about 2015, as Matazinsky has focused on learning from her own mistakes, while leaving them in the past in anticipation of upping her game in 2016. For Pardalis, he recognizes the passion his team has and how little external motivation they need to make the most of their opportunity. “On the field we keep it simple,” explained Pardalis, as his practice routine focuses on getting his team reps and letting them find their form. As far as off-the-field development, Pardalis enjoys being along for the ride, and relishing both development and maturation of his players as athletes and as people. Jasper Softball has established its dominance in the MAAC, and with a wellrounded squad that clicks on and off the field, the team seems poised to continue its success in 2016.