THE Volume 91, Issue 1
Q
UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924
Jan. 20, 2015
www.mcquad.org
MC’s “Dirty Little Secret” The All-American Rejects To Headline Spring Concert Sean Sonnemann Editor-in-Chief
It seems that Manhattan College students can’t get enough of middle schoolera music nostalgia. Following the acoustic performance by members of Boys Like Girls for this past fall’s Quadstock, alternative rock band The All-American Rejects is set to take the stage for this semester’s spring concert. After receiving over 40 percent of the vote in an online survey for the concert’s artist, the group was secured to perform by the office of student activities. “They were voted number one by the students,” John Bennett, director of student activities, said.
While the two bands share a similar musical style, and have even toured together in the past, the fact that both will have played at the college by the end of this academic year was not planned. “It’s a total coincidence,” Bennett said. The All-American Rejects are best known for their hit singles “Swing, Swing,” “Dirty Little Secret” and “Gives You Hell.” In total, they have produced four studio albums since their formation in 1999. In addition to The All-American Rejects, the survey administered in the fall offered a diverse group of possible artists available to perform for the concert. Rounding out the top five vote-getters were Matt and Kim, 3OH!3, Neon Trees and B.o.B. Country artists Kellie Pickler, Craig Campbell and Brynn Marie performed in
The All-American Rejects will be performing at this year’s spring concert. The All-American Rejects/Courtesy Draddy Gymnasium for last year’s spring Bennett said. concert, part of the events collectively The All-American Rejects are set to known as Jasper Days. The 2014 week- play around 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 25. end also included a stand-up performance In addition to the concert, a barbeque has by comedian Brooks Wheelan and student once again been confirmed for students tickets for a New York Yankees game. after being absent from the schedule last The annual weekend of festivities cele- year. “That’s something the students really brating warm weather and the end of class- enjoyed,” Bennett said. es had undergone a name change last year As previously reported by The Quadafter previously being called SpringFest. rangle, the total cost of the spring concert Numerous incidents related to drug and and its related activities will be $120,000. alcohol use surrounding the performance “The budget has remained the same since by DJ Alesso for SpringFest 2013 led the last year,” Bennett said. college’s administration to reformat and Of that sum, $55,000 will be used to rebrand the events. pay the band, according to Bennett. The As of now, the formal name for this rest of the funds will go towards items such year’s spring concert and its related activi- as lighting, security, the stage and related ties is still being decided by the office of events surrounding the concert including student activities. “It’s up for discussion,” the barbeque.
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The
Opinions & editorials
Quadrangle www.mcquad.org
Vol. 91 Issue 1 Jan. 20, 2015
Sean Sonnemann Editor-in-Chief Michelle DePinho Managing Editor/News Editor Anthony Capote Asst. News Editor Kieran Rock Managing Editor/Features Editor Ally Hutzler Asst. Features Editor Lauren Carr Arts & Entertainment Editor Lindsey Burns Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor Jonathan Reyes Sports Editor Jaclyn Marr Asst. Sports Editor Daniel Ynfante Asst. Sports Editor Sean McIntyre Social Media Editor Victoria Hernandez Kristie Killen Asst. Social Media Editors Kevin Fuhrmann Photography Editor
Jan. 20, 2015
Notes From The Editor Welcome back! I hope our readers enjoyed a relaxing and restful winter break. As we begin a new semester and calendar year, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as The Quadrangle’s new Editor-in-Chief, as well as detail some of our plans for the coming months. A civil engineering student in my second year at Manhattan College, I have been involved with The Quadrangle since my first semester on campus. I have served as both a staff writer and the web editor, taking the lead in creating and managing our new website while writing and reporting across the different sections of the paper. This year, our staff looks to build on the successful launch of mcquad.org and continue to make the most of the opportunities that an interactive website provides us. It has already allowed us to expand our use of digital multimedia through work such as videos and photography slideshows. Additionally, a live website working in tandem with our various social media accounts has allowed us to further our coverage. We have started to use these platforms to provide timely news that in the past may have fallen out the scope of our weekly print cycle. However, even in today’s ever-evolving media industry, we still feel strongly about the importance of maintaining a quality print product. Therefore, you will notice a few changes in this issue. First, the opinions and editorials section is now limited and shifted to page two. This space will be reserved for notes from myself and other formal editorials from The Quadrangle staff, as well as for publishing letters to the editor and longer guest pieces. Any opinion pieces that are written by individual members of The Quadrangle staff and contributing writers can be found online at http://mcquad.org/category/opinions-editorials/. This is by no means an effort to restrict the valuable opinions and voices of the college’s students, but rather to continue to make the best use of the our paper product’s format. Additionally, this will hopefully more clearly delineate the views of The Quadrangle editorial board from our individual writers, while also providing greater opportunity for news coverage. Second, our sports section, led by Jonathan Reyes, will be making an effort to publish strict game coverage for all of our 19 Division 1 teams online as speedily as possible following their matches and meets. The print space for the sports section will be used primarily for athletics-related news, columns, analysis and profiles of our athletes, coaches and fans. These small changes, along with any future ones, are all made with the hopes of providing you the reader with the best possible product, both online and in print. Our goal is not to increase either the number of page views on our site or how quickly our newspapers are taken off the racks. Rather, we continue to strive to serve as the newspaper of record for Manhattan College. Even though the title “student” may be in front our name, our aim is always professionalism in both the quality and content of all of the sections of our paper, in whatever format they may be published. Sean Sonnemann Editor-in-Chief
Kelly Burns Luke Hartman Natalie Heinitz Production Editors Daniel Molina Distribution Manager Tom Callahan Faculty Adviser A tradition since 1924, The Quadrangle is a news organization run by the students of Manhattan College. We strive to cover news around campus and the greater community, publishing weekly in print and daily online. Our goal is always accuracy, relevancy and professionalism. The staff of The Quadrangle meets every Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. in room 412 of the Student Commons. Contact The Quadrangle at thequad@manhattan.edu The opinions expressed in The Quadrangle are those of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the College or the student body.
John Abbatangelo/The Quadrangle
news
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MC Offers Education to Former Inmates At College’s Discretion Sean McIntyre Editor
The New York Times estimated that 70 million Americans who have criminal records face challenges when applying to colleges. Some college applications, including the one for Manhattan College, include questions that surround criminal convictions that can possibly hinder a student’s acceptance during this year’s admissions cycle “A persons’ past mistakes are discussed on a case-by-case basis. Before all else, our priority is the safety of our students, staff and administration,” Troy Cogburn, director of transfer admissions, said. “If there are no concerns with that, then we will move forward with reviewing the application for admission.” Dana Rose, director of admissions, said that both the Common Application and the Manhattan College application require applicants to disclose whether or not they have been adjudicated guilty or convicted of a misdemeanor, felony or other crime. The applications additionally require applicants to provide any disciplinary violations while in high school. “We would never admit a student who could jeopardize the welfare of our community,” Rose said. The safety for the Manhattan College community is the utmost importance, but the Lasallian principles also include, “respect for human dignity, an emphasis on ethical conduct, and commitment to social justice.” Associate Professor of Sociology Cory Blad, Ph.D., believes that individuals with criminal records should be able to attend MC. “If we said no then the whole point of
Andrew Skotnicki, Ph.D, pictured right, teaches a class at Rikers Island that offers inmates an opportunity at a college education. Creative Commons Flickr (left)/Courtesy, Manhattan College (right)/Courtesy life after incarceration would be relatively something to correct the tilt in the national develop a better understanding of the realmeaningless,” Blad said. “The theory of ethos that poor people of color, especially ity of the situation.” incarceration is paying for crime, and part those with a criminal record, are, as one Even with the relationship between MC of the problem with the U.S. justice system sociologist termed it, ‘unmeltable’ in the and Rikers Island, Rose said the inmates is that it’s morphed into a lifetime punish- great melting pot of American society,” within the course do not impact the adment, and removal of opportunities wheth- Skotnicki said. missions committee decisions concerning er it is a mistake or case by case.” Skotnicki wrote in his article that MC criminal offenses. In America Magazine, Professor An- students had life-changing experiences af“The students in the program are not drew Skotnicki published an article de- ter taking his course. matriculated and a stipulation of the proscribing his course at Rikers Island called “We are kept so far away from the pris- gram is that they are non-violent offenders,” Engaging, Educating, Empowering Means on system that we have even fictionalized Rose said. “This program does not change Change. Students from MC travel to Rik- the system to a point that we do not know the admissions office’s role or perspective ers Island where they take a class with an what it really is,” Blad said. “The course when determining and offering acceptance equal number of inmates, who they call in- allows students to meet people who are for matriculated status.” side brothers and sisters. “We wanted to do working incredibly hard for their future and
World News Briefs Collected from The New York Times, CNN and The Huffington Post Syed Shabab Staff Writer
Attacks on Charlie Hebdo: Paris, France French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo’s Paris offices were attacked by Islamist extremists last week in a shooting that killed 12 journalists. The attack is believed to be retaliation for the magazine’s publishing of the image of the Prophet Muhammad. The initial attack was the beginning of a string of police standoffs and hostage situations throughout France that resulted in additional casualties. The events also sparked a heightened alert throughout major cities across the globe as governments fear the growing threat of Islamic extremists and other similar groups. In the wake of the attacks, Charlie Hebdo published a new issue once again featuring the Prophet Muhammad on its cover. This time, however, he held a sign reading “Je Suis Charlie,” the phrase that became a global rallying cry and symbol of support for the victims and freedom of speech. Attacks on Boko Haram: Northern Nigeria, Africa On Jan. 3rd, 2015, residents of Boko Haram, a town located in northern Nigeria were woken up by the sounds of gunfire, and grenades. Desperate residents either fled or attempted to take refuge but were eventually killed. Officials, according to CNN, state the death toll as over 2,000 people. CNN reported that satellite images show areas reached by attackers include the neighboring village of Doron Baga, which was “nearly wiped off the map.” According to Amnesty International, the Boko Haram assaults were “the largest and most destructive yet.” AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Found: Jakarta, Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501, traveling from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore lost connection with air traffic controllers on Dec. 27, 2014. For quite a long time, officials were having a hard time detecting the location of the plane due to weather conditions. All 162 passengers, including the flight crew, went missing. Recently, the blackbox of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 along with several bodies and shipwreck have all been discovered in the Java Sea. Remaining parts of the aircraft and other victims are slowly being recovered. Peshawar School Recovery: Peshawar, Pakistan Amir Khan, one of the world’s famous boxers visited Peshawar, Pakistan on Dec. 24, 2014 to help rebuild a school that was the victim of one of the most devastating terror attacks in the country. During the attack, the Taliban killed 132 children. Khan plans on setting up boxing academies and intends on spending $45,000 to rebuild the school that was destroyed during the attacks. “The Interview,” United States of America After threats that the “US will face consequences” for releasing the movie, “The Interview,” which deliberately mocks North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and his administration, was pulled from theatres. The movie was released for rent and purchase on websites such as YouTube and Google Play. “The Interview” starred popular actors Seth Rogen, James Franco and Randall Park, who played Kim Jong Un.
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news
College Nears Kelly Commons Fundraising Goal Sean McIntyre Editor
Three months after the official dedication ceremony on Oct. 15, 2014, the Raymond Kelly ’63 Student Commons is approximately $1.9 million dollars away from its $45 million dollar goal. Manhattan College has raised an additional approximation of $400,000 dollars since October of 2014. “We are getting smaller gifts now in the $5,000 to $25,000 range, so obviously it takes more gifts and more meetings with alumni to move the bottom line,” Thomas Mauriello, vice president for college advancement, said. “Nevertheless we are still getting many gifts.” Since the fundraising campaign has been ongoing for several years, the college is no longer receiving six figure gifts towards the Kelly Commons. “Large, major gifts typically come at the beginning of campaigns, and toward the end you rely on smaller contributions,” Mauriello said. “All of the donors will be recognized in the final version of the donor plaque at the entrance of the building at the
conclusion of the campaign.” Fundraising events, like the De La Salle Dinner, used to raise funds for financial aide and scholarships, will not be held to collect the remaining capital needed for the Kelly Commons. “As we have done up to this point, we will continue to directly solicit individuals for the remainder of campaign,” Stephen White, director of development, said. Mauriello said that MC should still reach its $45 million dollar goal for the Kelly Commons by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2015. While fundraising is still underway, President Brennan O’Donnell has noticed the positive impact the building has made upon the MC community. “All of the response I’ve heard from students, faculty, alumni and donors has been enthusiastically positive,” O’Donnell said. “I’m especially happy with student comments to the effect that they feel that the building is theirs, that is, that it was programmed and built with their needs at the center and that they feel at home in the building.” If all goes according to plan, in less than six months, MC should reach its goal of $45 million towards the Kelly Commons.
Scenes from the new student commons. James O’Connor/The Quadrangle
James O’Connor/The Quadrangle
. . . t u o s u k c e ch 0 . 2 d a Qumcquad.org
Jan. 20, 2015
Michelle DePinho/The Quadrangle
features
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At MC, Smaller Majors Pack a Punch Michelle DePinho Editor
Manhattan College lists its most popular majors as civil engineering, communications, management, childhood education and biology. But what about the other few thousand students on campus? Students enrolled in smaller major programs on campus find that they are having very different experiences than their peers who have declared a major with a higher enrollment. But with each smaller program comes its own unique strengths, offerings to students and struggles to make a presence on a campus where big name programs can sometimes dominate the conversation. Physics major Dylan Gray said that his time in the physics department has been very positive and attributes it to the level of student-teacher interaction that he gets as a member of one of the smallest majors on campus. “It makes for such a better experience because it honestly makes things easier,” he wrote in an email. “That communication in education is very important.” Gray is one of just 12 physics majors at the college, making it one of the smallest majors available to students. Religious studies and communications double major Jessica Frost, who graduated just this winter, said that having two majors showed her just how different a smaller major program like religious studies is. “It’s a very individualized experience in a smaller major,” she said. “In communications, it’s very structured.” Frost said that religious studies faculty helped tailor her major to her interests, especially the intersection between sociology, communications and religion which she investigated in her honors thesis on spirituality in the hit TV series Grey’s Anatomy. “They kind of let you do what you want with it,” she said. She also said the faculty members were there to guide and shape her course of study. “The religion department are like powerhouse researchers. They’re always there and trying to see what you’re interested in.” Despite some students’ highly-reviewed experiences as majors in these smaller or lesser-known programs, these majors still maintain relatively low enrollments year after year. Department of Radiological and Health Professions director Laurence Hough said that low enrollment may not be a reflection of the program itself, but of the size of the field. Hough oversees the nuclear medicine, radiation therapy and radiation technology majors which graduate roughly 10 students per major each year. “These types of programs are always small because they are very small fields,” Hough said. “I would say there are probably more accountant jobs in the island of Manhattan than there are radiation therapy jobs in the entire nation.” For smaller majors in the School of Arts, the problem can sometimes be just the opposite. Students who can’t link a specific job or career path with a major may be less likely to major in it at all. “The challenge of increasing our majors is that many students are unaware, not through their own fault of course, of what they can do with a religious studies major,” Michele Saracino, Ph.D. and religious studies major director wrote in an email. “We find that students love our courses and respect our professors but are not sure what a religious studies major might lead to, and in today’s day and age that is a very important question.” Timothy Ward, Ph.D and dean of the School of Engineering said that the engi-
neering program has grown in recent years. He said that he believes the strong job prospects for engineering graduates have contributed to the program’s growth. The School of Engineering now contains the biggest major on campus, civil engineering. Students who come to the college with those kinds of specific career goals or preprofessional tracks in mind may overlook the smaller liberal arts programs as a route to a career. Mitchell Aboulafia, Ph.D and director of the philosophy major, said that students at the college are typically not exposed to philosophy or know what it really is until they take a philosophy class, which may be in their junior or senior year and be too late to declare a major. He also said students are not aware that philosophy is excellent preparation for a variety of careers. “A lot of majors in philosophy go into law school,” Aboulafia said. “Philosophy students have some of the highest test scores. The problem we face is that students come to college and they don’t really know about philosophy. Most kinds don’t think about it.” Director of Career Development Rachel Cirelli said that these smaller liberal arts and science programs can help develop skills in students that can then be transferrable to a variety of jobs. “Major does not dictate what you’re going to do when you graduate,” Cirelli said. “Leadership qualities, general writing skills, general presentation skills, organization skills, program management, and things like that you are really going to need when you graduate.” She said that extracurricular involvement, doing well academically and internships will help secure a job after graduation. “They’re really looking for the mark you made on campus and what you did outside of the classroom,” Cirelli said. In other more specialized fields of study, program directors say it is difficult to build up interest in these majors because of how technical or focused they are. Physics and radiological and health professions are two departments whose sizes are dictated by the small, focused groups of students they attract. “Physics is not a large major at most institutions,” Liby wrote in an email. “It is a very difficult discipline that does not appeal to everyone. People don’t understand what physicists do. I think if more students appreciated the creativity, vision and intelligence required to be successful they might be more interested.” Liby also wrote that, “typically students know they want to be majors before they come to Manhattan. We don’t get many students transferring from other departments.” Hough said that students who declare radiological and health professions majors are career-oriented and are there because they are interested. “When I have my nuclear medicine students in class, it’s a pleasure,” Hough said. “Because they’re all very focused and very interested in becoming a technologist.” What unites some of the smaller major programs on campus is their lack of exposure to the wider campus community that could lead to attracting more majors. In response, some program directors are engaged in outreach and publicity initiatives to draw in curious students to learn more about these majors. Peace Studies program director Thomas Ferguson wrote that the Peace Studies major has a strong relationship with Just Peace, a student-run activism organization on campus. In conjunction with other cam-
Physics and religious studies are just two of the underrepresented majors at MC. Kevin Fuhrmann/The Quadrangle pus departments and groups, Peace Week is held every year on campus to bring the community lectures and events on current issues. “Peace week also serves to highlight the major, as does its sponsorship of related events throughout the school year,” Furguson wrote in an email. The philosophy department, which most students are not exposed to until they possibly take a philosophy course as a humanities elective as upperclassmen, is looking to increase its class offerings for underclassmen with the hope of drawing in both more majors and minors. “I think philosophy would have a lot more appeal if they were exposed to it,” Aboulafia said. “Philosophy is trying very concretely now to offer more classes directly to freshman so that hopefully more people take a couple of classes.” He also said that the department is trying to persuade the college to add an ethics or philosophy requirement to the core curriculum. Local schools such as Iona College, Fordham University and Columbia University all require at least one philosophy course as part of their core curriculums. While philosophy isn’t yet a core requirement, religious studies is. Every Manhattan College student must take three courses in religion to graduate, so the department finds that exposure or even low class enrollments aren’t the problem. Convincing students to pursue the major is. “As a result over the past few years our faculty has become more intentional about communicating the paths one can take with [religious studies],” Saracino wrote in an email. “We attempt to show that a student of religious studies will learn how to think more critically about local and global concerns, write more persuasively, and lead more effectively than their counterparts in other disciplines.” Saracino wrote that the department is focusing on organizing socials and colloquims to help students better understand
opportunities with religious studies. With the launch of the Religion Matters program, the department will also be rolling out a series of events that will serve the same purpose and show the effects of religion on everyday life. While these programs are looking to Manhattan College students to spread the word, the physics major is conducting outreach to high school students interested in physics. With outreach programs for high school students conducted throughout the year by Veronique Lankar, Ph.D, the department looks to increase interest in physics among potential future physics majors. “The faculty in general are usually available for any high school student who is interested,” Liby wrote in an email. Just as these smaller major faculty are getting involved on and off campus to promote their major, they said their small major classes help them get more involved in the guidance and learning of their students. “The upper level classes are not large. There’s a lot of ability to spend time with professors, a lot of personalized attention,” Aboulafia said. “The biggest advantage is probably the connection between the faculty and the student.” He also said that each philosophy student is assigned an advisor in the department to help tailor their program of study to their interests. “It’s a very personal interaction,” Hough said of his nuclear medicine classes. “It’s a very enjoyable experience for everybody.” This connection makes these small classes places of both academic challenge and support. “This allows us to challenge the students in a supportive atmosphere. We always have time for our majors,” Liby said. Physics student Gray agrees. “I know that if I am having trouble I can see the professor and even get a little leeway on due dates,” Gray wrote in an email. “There is a lot of care coming from the department. They want you to do well.”
features
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Jan. 20, 2015
features
Coast to Coast for Cancer
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John Hunt will run coast to coast to support the Ulman Cancer Fund. John Hunt/Courtesy Sophomore George Schlinck shows off his many talents on campus. Christian Roodal and Kevin Fuhrmann/The Quadrangle
MC’s Most Influential: George Schlinck Sean Sonnemann Editor-in-Chief
Editor’s Note: MC’s Most Influential will be a series of articles highlighting members of the Manhattan College community who are an influential part of the campus culture. The stereotype of an engineer is often a nerdy geek who spends days and nights hunched over a computer—tapping away at a keyboard and scribbling formulas in nearly illegible handwriting. Society often pictures these masters of math and science as socially awkward beings far more comfortable working with a calculator than holding a conversation with another human. Chemical engineering student George Schlinck is anything but this common (albeit cartoonish) portrayal of a collegiate engineering student. The outgoing sophomore not only
had the onstage role of a cancer stricken father in the Manhattan College Players’ fall production of “The Shadow Box,” he also helped compose the score for the drama. That is in addition to his work as a performing member of both the Pep Band and Manhattan College Singers, finding the time to serve as an orientation leader, and his regular involvement with the student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. “The way I look at it, the time kind of finds me,” Schlinck said. He admits that it sometimes can get overwhelming to manage that many extracurricular activities on top of his busy academic work. Yet when it comes to figuring out how to get everything done, he seems to borrow a page from a popular swooshmarked athletic company’s advertising campaign. “I don’t really have a problem just sitting down to get through what I got to do,”
he said. Perhaps another reason Schlinck is able to balance his schoolwork with the time and preparation required for performing is that he has had a good bit of practice. Schlinck began playing the trombone way back in the fifth grade. “That’s where everything music for me really started,” he said. From there, he eventually became a member of his high school’s pit orchestra, then going on to add acting and singing to his repertoire. His passion for being on stage did not wane when he made the transition to life at college, earning him the respect of his peers. “George adds a lot to Players,” fellow sophomore and member Katelyn Rose Conroy said. “He has so much talent and creativity and gives his all to whatever he is doing.” In addition to his more formal involvement with the performing arts groups at
MC, Schlinck has also been a regular at the Coffee Houses, strumming his guitar in front of yet another crowd. Students might also have seen him open for Boys Like Girls at Quadstock, playing with the student band John and The Engineers. He is also adding one more performance role this spring semester as he plans to become involved with the college’s Music Ministry that serves at weekly liturgies. Yet for Schlinck, each of these different on-campus opportunities to either sing, act or play music offers its own respective benefit—and all of them worthy of the time commitment. “The amount of work I put in is equal to the reward I get out,” he said. He also claims that he is not that much of an anomaly at the college, rather the typical typecasting of engineers is off the mark. “Especially at Manhattan, that stereotype is not valid at all.”
Ally Hutzler
Assistant Editor Four thousand miles, forty-nine days and one duffel bag. This is what John Hunt, a junior at NYU and a member of the Manhattan College Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, will face when he runs across the country for cancer during the summer of 2015. Before becoming an avid athlete, training anywhere from 18 to 30 hours a week, Hunt was a semi-professional jazz musician. “It was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done, but I couldn’t escape the fact that it was, at the deepest level, only for me,” Hunt said. Hunt attended high school at the Duke Wellington School of the Arts in Washington D.C. where he studied jazz guitar and classical training for three years. During this time he was able to perform with successful artists Earth, Wind, and Fire, Smokey Robinson and John Legend. “At that point in my life, I was holding a guitar in my hands for upwards of ten hours a day, and even more if I could swing it,” Hunt said. During his senior year, Hunt applied to many music schools and created audition videos in a professional studio. It was during that time that Hunt started to realize that
he was becoming very discouraged with the idea of being a professional musician. The experience had been an enlightening and fulfilling one for Hunt, but ended with graduation. “Even then, I had a feeling that those pieces [in the studio] were the best music I would ever produce. It turns out I was right,” Hunt said. Hunt then decided to spend his future helping others, attending NYU to study theoretical physics and becoming a member of the Manhattan College AFROTC. After four years he will graduate and enter the Air Force. A few years into college, Hunt also found another way to help people through the Ulman Cancer Fund. UCF is an organization working at the local and national level to raise money for and awareness of cancer in young adults, the leading disease killer for 20-to 39-year-olds. Along with 29 other college-age people, Hunt will be running the distance of four thousand miles starting in San Francisco and ending in Central Park. The Ulman Cancer Fund, because of the rigor of the journey, has an intense application and interview process for the event. According to Maeve Koch, the program coordinator of 4K for Cancer, the reason for this process is to “determine a potential participants mental and physical
toughness as well as their determination to succeed, their commitment to our cause, and their ability to adapt in unfamiliar situations.” This is exactly where John Hunt stood out the most. As one of the first people to be interviewed and accepted onto the 2015 team, Hunt was also appointed the role of director after impressing Koch with his application. “His experience in the AFROTC highlights his ability to both follow orders and lead effectively when situations are difficult,” Koch said. Members of the AFROTC have a government required fitness level and grade point average. However, Hunt explained there is another reason why he became a part of the UCF and also the role of director: music. “When I was playing guitar I always had a penchant for punishing myself. Some part of me told me to sit down and play until I was blue in the face… that just transferred over to what I became interested in, physically,” said Hunt. Slowly, instead of playing guitar ten hours a day Hunt began running. Then he began powerlifting. Now he is training about 70 miles per week and lifting four times per week. “I’ve always been a bit of a masochist when it comes to my training,” Hunt added. The goal is to reach 130 miles
per week before entering his recovery period. Through a group on Facebook, nearly all 29 teammates have been able to communicate with each other. Although they meet as strangers in June, after less than 50 days they are like family. Lala Grau, a junior at Johns Hopkins University and a co-director of the event, who participated in the run last year, said that all of her team members became family. “Everyone has a story, a motivating factor that inspired them to run. I know this summer I’ll be running alongside 29 inspiring people who will make sure that we get to New York together,” Grau said. Koch, who has been involved with UCF since 2011, agrees that the runners become very close during their short time together. “Usually, the hardest part is when it ends,” she said. The team, to date, has already raised almost $350,000 and it is barely 2015. While some of the participants can find corporate sponsors, most money comes from individual sources. Hunt’s largest sponsor is Chesapeake Surgical, Ltd. The goal of the event is to raise money and awareness of cancer in young adults, but for Hunt, it is much more than that. “Nearly everyone knows about cancer,” Hunt said, “what I want is for those people to act.”
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arts & entertainment
The Book Nook
Jan. 20, 2015
Title: “Ellen Foster” Author: Kaye Gibbons Genre: Fiction
Madeleine Schwartz Staff Writer
The Book Nook is a bi-weekly column that reviews many different genres of literature in hopes of inspiring at least one student to read something other than their monotonous Twitter feed or boxed Mac and Cheese cooking instructions. I know the first question I will be asked by my fellow peers regarding this column is why, just plain why? This is an obvious question that, in my mind, can be expanded into: why on earth do you want to write one book review, let alone many? Even more so, what makes you think anyone will read them? While this is a good question, I believe that I have an even better response: everyone can appreciate a good book. You don’t need to be an English major or even an avid reader to fall in love with a character or have a desire to be written into a story. A great book can make you lose track of time and transport the reader decades within seconds of cracking its spine. The Book Nook gives every student a chance to have more of these thrilling, out-of-body experiences. If you slightly smiled, slowly nodded or faintly agreed with any of the previous statements or even desperately want to prove me wrong, read on. The book “Ellen Foster” written by Kaye Gibbons is narrated by an elevenyear-old Caucasian girl living in the South during the 1970s. The reader follows Ellen, the heroine, through a short few months of her life and all the challenges
that she faces. We learn of Ellen’s tumultuous childhood that revolves around her bouncing from one incompetent family member to the next. With no stable role model, Ellen has no one to rely on but herself and is forced to face things that no eleven year old should. Furthermore, incidents involving illegal substances, abuse and a sheer lack of love leaves an obvious mark on her story. Although Ellen’s childhood is anything but nurturing, she is a brave and extremely intelligent girl. In times of hardship, Ellen only sees the positive side of a situation. She believes in her heart of hearts that there is a better life heading her way through all her troubles and to the reader’s disbelief, there actually is. The reason this book has caught my attention is because it offers an inspiring vision of hope and strength that readers can use as they start the new year and semester. Regardless of where you were in your life as the 2015 year started, Ellen’s story makes you feel grateful for what you have. She makes once important goals and worries minuscule in comparison to what she has faced. At the same time, this story can shed light on things that were once taken for granted. Although no one would wish for Ellen’s life, her determinedness and fortitude is inspiring. The seemingly endless exams and assignments facing Manhattan’s students can make them forget how much they are capable of. “Ellen Foster” is a much needed reminder of the strength and commitment inside each of us and I would highly recommend it.
“Ellen Foster” was once featured on Oprah’s Book Club. Madeleine Schwartz/The Quadrangle
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arts & entertainment
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Senior Kayhan Barateli was featured on the popular photo blog Humans of New York in early January. Humans of New York/Courtesy
MC Student Featured on
Humans of New York Lauren Carr Editor
Any New Yorker, whether they want to admit it or not, wants to be featured on the popular photo blog Humans of New York. The photo blog reaches over 11 million people and features city residents while showcasing things that are unique about them. Certain stories that HONY founder Brandon Stanton is able to get out of them will bring a tear to your eye or joy in your heart. One student at Manhattan College had the opportunity to be featured on the popular photo blog and the response to his photo came back in huge numbers. It once again showed that a picture can say a thousand words. Anyone living in New York knows that there are an endless amounts of musicians in the subway. However, in the sea of musicians, one caught Stanton’s eye. Senior Kayhan Barateli is an engineering student who has a strong passion for music. He was in the middle of a subway per-
formance with his guitar and a small amp when Stanton approached him and asked to take his picture. “I’m used to people regularly asking to take my picture,” Barateli said. “It’s usually on a smartphone. This man came up to me and asked if he can take my picture. He had a nice camera around his neck. From experience, I know this is a staple for photographers and journalists alike. Most of which I encounter are usually doing projects for neighboring colleges (NYU, Columbia, Brooklyn College, Pace, Hunter).” Barateli treated this like any other encounter and then the photographer told him who he actually was and that is when things changed. “He then told me he was the founder of HONY. I was a combination of surprised and star-struck,” Barateli said. For anyone who is familiar with the photo blog, it is a staple of Stanton to ask the people in the picture questions and sometimes they are often darker than uplifting.
“He asked me questions along the lines of ‘What was the saddest moment of your life or what was the scariest moment of your life?’” Barateli said. “Personally, I found them a little depressing. It put me in a reflective state during the interview. Granted I’ve dealt with my hardships in life as best as I could, I wanted my answers to be more about constructively moving forward instead of overemphasizing the turmoil itself.” However, one line in the interview struck Stanton and that was the one quote he used to attach the picture in the blog. “My name’s Kayhan, but I go by ‘Lefty.’” “The quote he took was at the end of the interview as we parted ways. He was laughing as he went his way,” Barateli said. Fans of HONY know that the response on the photos come in huge numbers and with 11 million sets of eyes seeing the photo it is bound to strike a chord with certain followers. And for some subway musicians, like Barateli, it gives them a huge
platform for exposure. “Only five minutes later, my phone explodes with messages from friends and family that I made the page,” Barateli said. “I’m honored to be featured in Stanton’s work. I’ve been a fan since I heard of him when I was age 16. I’ve been getting awesome feedback.” The photo has close to 145,000 likes on Facebook and over 2,500 comments. On the HONY website the photo has over 2,200 notes and on Instagram the photo reached over 100,000 likes. With graduation quickly approaching for the senior, Barateli plans to incorporate engineering with his love for music. “Computer engineering is a flexible major, so I would have many doors open when I get my masters degree,” Barateli said. “My future plans include designing sound gear and concert lighting. I figure I can have my love of music and engineering accent each other that way.”
sports From a Brush with Death to Top Assistant Coach: Rasheen Davis’ Journey
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Jan. 20, 2015
Daniel Ynfante Assistant Editor
Amid the hectic environment during a practice in late November 2014 at Draddy Gymnasium, Rasheen Davis, associate head coach of the men’s basketball team at Manhattan College, stood calm. The squeaking of sneakers, the thud of the basketball as it hit the hardwood floor and the chatter among players were often dwarfed by the rambunctious yelling from head coach Steve Masiello and his assistant coaches as they relayed instructions to their players. But Davis stood there, quietly. He only occasionally broke out of his Zen-like state to either calmly give players commands or modestly clap for those who followed directions. Then, all of a sudden, Davis, seeing that the players were not running a three-on-three drill correctly, burst into a fit of rage. “Block out! Block out! Block out!” Davis shouted. This mini-tantrum, much like the reason for Davis becoming a coach, was a random occurrence. Davis entered the coaching ranks as a graduate assistant at his alma mater after a torn MCL in his right knee ended his playing career in his senior season at St. Thomas Aquinas College. Despite the randomness of the injury, Davis has taken full advantage of it and has turned it into a blessing in disguise. Davis has gone on to make a name for himself as an elite recruiter and top-notch assistant coach, something he might not have had a chance to accomplish had he kept playing basketball. “I’ve been fortunate,” Davis said. “I’ve been spoiled. I’ve worked for Rick Pitino, who’s pretty good. Jamie Dixon, who’s pretty good. Chris Mack, who’s pretty good and Steve Masiello who’s pretty good.” The fortune Davis referred to has been a constant theme for him. It not only played a part in his career as a coach, but also played a pivotal role in a dark time in his life. Born with brain arteriovenous malformation, an irregular link between arteries and veins that caused Davis to struggle through migraine headaches as a child, Davis had a near death experience during his sophomore year of college. After being hit with an unexpected screen during practice, which caused severe migraine headaches and a fever, Davis had a seizure for the first time in his life. Doctors eventually diagnosed Davis with a brain hemorrhage that was potentially terminal, but underwent surgery to save him. Davis considers himself lucky just to be alive. “I value every day I wake up,” Davis said. “No matter how bad or how good things are going. Just the fact that I woke up, I don’t take that for granted and I don’t take that lightly.” There are many things Davis feels fortunate about, but what is not a matter of fortune is the reputation Davis has earned as a coach and elite recruiter. That is just a matter of hard work. Davis was not handed anything. He had to start as a graduate assistant at St. Thomas Aquinas College, where he coached from 2002-2005. He went on to step down, albeit to a national powerhouse in Rice High School from 2005-2007. He took a job at Louisville as a pro-
Rasheen Davis (bottom center) has served an integral part of the men’s basketball team’s success the past two seasons. Kevin Fuhrmann/The Quadrangle gram assistant during the 2007-2008 season, where he had to live in a dorm. He was only a video coordinator at Pittsburgh from 2008-2010 and it was finally at Xavier from 2010-2012 where he got his big breakthrough as an assistant coach. At Xavier, Davis served a key role in the recruiting process. Nabbing players who helped the school reach the NCAA Tournament in Davis’ two seasons. “Rasheen does a tremendous job recruiting,” Xavier’s head coach Mack Chris said through an email. “The players know he really cares about them.” After a Sweet Sixteen appearance with Xavier in 2012, Davis made the decision to accept an offer from Steve Masiello to become an assistant at Manhattan College. “I thought it was something he [Davis] could be a major part of: the rebuilding process,” Masiello said. “I thought he was someone that could come back home to the New York City area where he was from, have a chance to be around a lot of the people he knew and be a key component to a successful program.” In his almost three years at Manhattan College, Davis has been that key component Masiello was expecting. As an ace-recruiter, a tag Davis carried with him even before coming to Manhattan, Davis has helped land numerous New York City based players. Samson Usilo, Samson Akilo, Rich Williams and Tyler Wilson were all recruited to come to Manhattan by Davis. Others like Emmy Andujar and Shane Richards, although they were technically not recruited by Davis since he was not in Manhattan when they were recruited, were
suggestions Davis made to Masiello. The names Davis has landed throughout his career did not commit to their respective schools by accident. Davis, just like many other elite recruiters, has his techniques that help him win over recruits. “My method is very different,” Davis said. “I’m brutally honest. That’s my gift and that’s my curse. At the end of the day, there’s no parent. There’s no coach. There’s no young man that can ever say, ‘well coach Davis didn’t tell me when you come to Manhattan we’re going to be on your you know what every step of the way.’” Masiello, a top-notch recruiter himself, has reaped the rewards of Davis’ recruiting in just two full seasons at Manhattan, winning a NCAA Tournament berth last season and just missing out on one the year before. “Recruiting is all about relationships,” Masiello said. “It’s all about the ability to relate to people, trust people, having trust in you and believing what you say. Rasheen [Davis] does a great job of really developing relationships and not having an agenda in the relationships, but always being honest upfront.” Davis’ recruiting acumen perhaps was never tested as much as it was during the past offseason, as he was faced with the task of convincing Jermaine Lawrence, a five-star recruit coming out of high school who had struggled in his freshman season at Cincinnati, to transfer to Manhattan. Lawrence had Iona and Hofstra after him as well, but ultimately, the relationship with Davis played a key role in convincing him to transfer to Manhattan. “He [Davis] was just keeping it real with me, telling me what I needed to do
and how to get to the next level,” Lawrence said. “He was just like a real dude. He just knows how to talk to you for real and he understands.” The two knew each other since Davis was at Xavier, where he initially recruited Lawrence as a sophomore, which only helped during the latest recruiting process. “I got to know him [Davis] pretty well,” Lawrence said. “My family got to know him pretty well, so that just carried on when we got to Manhattan.” Players like Lawrence have only bolstered the long list of Davis’ recruits and in turn, have boosted Davis’ coaching resume. The more recruits Davis lands the higher the chances are that one day some program will give him a call and offer him a head coaching position. “That’s what I want to happen for him [Davis],” Masiello said. “That’s what it’s all about, making people around you better and hopefully he gets the opportunity, and he’ll be a terrific head coach one day.” Davis, who is as humble as can be, so much so that he didn’t even notice he had been promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach over the summer until he was notified by Manhattan’s director of athletics communications some time afterward, chooses to focus on the present instead. “I firmly believe that you can’t really worry about the next job because I haven’t mastered this current job,” Davis said. “My school of thought is worry about the job you do have and if you do that right that next job will come.”
sports
Between the Base Paths:
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Returning and New Captains Named
Chris Kalousdian at the plate waiting for a pitch to be thrown. Chris Kalousdian/Courtesy
Jonathan Reyes Editor
The Manhattan Jaspers won their last four games of the 2014 season to be a part of the MAAC Championships, a place they have appeared in 11 out of the last 12 years and won it the in ’11 and ’12. In ’14, they came close but fell to No. 5 Monmouth Hawks 8-7 in 15 innings before they were given the chance to try again. According to Manhattan’s overall record (17-33, MAAC 11-13), it was another lost season two years removed from the program’s last title. “It certainly [was] a rebuilding season,” Manhattan Jaspers head coach Jim Duffy said late last season. “We’re retooling for the immediate future.” When a team is in a rebuilding situation it can go one of two ways: 1. Start over with new personnel and tank. 2. Trust in the people already in place and hope for the best from in house talent. Duffy and his Jaspers decided on No. 2. For half the season, the Jaspers were a mess. Some of the freshmen did not fit in just yet. Outgoing seniors were not playing at the levels expected and not every player had a defined role. Both the offensive and defensive part of the game was played too inconsistent to compete in the MAAC. Then, everything started to turn around in early April. Lefty slugger, Christian Santisteban, and power arm, Joey Rocchietti, showed the way forward for a team that seemed to have no identity for a time. Heading into the 2015 season, they have more talent and, more importantly, more leadership than in ’14. Last year, Duffy named two captains: all-around outfielder Chris Kalousdian and
reliever Mike Scarinci. Both of who are returning to the same role. Scarinci is not only returning to the role, he’s also making a comeback from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent on June 12, 2013. “[That was] my first season ever of missing anything,” he said at the start of the ’14 season. Planning to join Kalousdian and Scarinci as captains are the spark plug Jose Carrera, fifth year veteran pitcher Scott McClennan and Santisteban. The idea behind naming five captains is that each player is planned to lead at their respective positions: Kalousdian (outfielders), McClennan and Scarinci (pitchers) and Carrera and Santisteban (infielders). The interesting choice of the three new captains is Carrera, who has taken to his new role on the team. “I was honored. As soon as I heard the news I got excited,” he said. “I was like ‘wow, this is going to be an amazing year.’ I was pumped up and ready. I was coming ready no matter what and then as soon as I heard I was captain I said, ‘That’s even better. Even more hopes up for me to succeed.’ I put too much pressure on myself for the better of the team, and I know that’s bad in a way but I prefer the pressure on me and hopefully they play relaxed. And I just go out there and have fun with them.” Duffy thinks Carrera has most the ability to kick start the offense. He said that this step up is going to help further his on field play. “He’s kind of a catalyst, a spark plug. If he goes, we go type of thing,” Duffy said. “We have a lot of other good players around him, but the one thing that I thought would really help ‘Cheeky’ [Carrera] is by me naming him captain I’m demanding that he leads now not hoping that he does
because I think he has those qualities.” Scott McClennan in his stride toward home plate. Photo courtesy of Joe McClennan. If Carrera as captain is interesting, then McClennan is nothing short of an inspirational pick. On April 7 2013, he threw a 91 pitch complete game shutout against the Marist Red Foxes. After the game he was out for the remainder of the season with a blood clot in his right arm. It did not get any better for him the following year when working toward his return he tore up his left knee and later underwent micro-fracture knee surgery sidelining him again for the whole season. “It means a lot knowing that coach has trust in me to lead this team.” McClennan said. “It’s been a while. It’s been a long time coming for me. I’ve been hurt over the past two years, so for him to put the team in my spot it feels pretty good. It’s basically learning to throw again. I had to learn to walk again, pitch again. But with time it will come back naturally. It’s just a long process.” Duffy sees him as needed experience to feed off of for the young pitchers and also his fellow captain pitcher Scarinci. “I think he’s going to be one of the better pitchers in the league,” Duffy said. “Now everything has to fall into place because it’s tough. He hasn’t pitched in a year and a half. But he has worked so hard off the field, away from the spotlight and from where people are watching. And what he has done for this program already and then his work ethic leading up. It takes a little pressure off of Scarinci. And he is such a veteran presence. He knows the program. He knows what our goals are. So I want him to lead the pitching staff. Those younger pitchers, they’re talented. [Matt]
Simonetti. Rocchietti. [Tom] Cosgrove as a freshman. There’s some young, talented pitchers in that group and I want them to follow what Scott McClennan is doing.” The final new addition to captaincy is Santisteban. What’s not to like about him? “When we recruit players or even our players that we have, whether they are pitchers or position players, he [Santisteban] is the example we want our guys to be like,” Duffy said. “He’s a good student off the field. He works really hard off the field and away from the coaches. On his own in the weight room and working extra on his skills if he needs to outside of practice. He’s a very respectful kid and he does good job on the field. He’s probably our best hitter.” Duffy is pleased with his selections of Kalousdian, Scarinci, Carrera, McClennan and Santisteban because he knows what he is going to get from each of them regardless of the title. “They’re just really awesome leaders. But I don’t expect anything different then if I didn’t name any captains. I think they would act the same,” Duffy said. “It gives them a little extra notoriety I guess and a little bit of an extra title which all five of them deserve. And I do expect them to kind of be up in the front, act as an example for the other guys in their own ways. Those guys just have to do what they do and make people around them play better. What they do naturally the result was the head coach naming them captain.” “With everyone together, leading each position, I think the coaches really don’t even have to do anything,” McClennan said, “because they know we have it under control.”
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Women’s Basketball Winter Break Recap
The Jaspers completed an eight-game home stand over winter break, the longest in team history. Kevin Fuhrmann/The Quadrangle
Jaclyn Marr Assistant Editor
While most college students stayed home over the winter break. Many athletes remained on campus for practices and games. Draddy Gymnasium continued to be filled with Jaspers, whether they were members of the basketball, swimming or track and field teams. The women’s basketball team was in the midst of an eight-game home stand. The swim team competed in Hawaii. And the track and field team concluded the semester with the Brother Jasper Invitational before competing at the Gotham Cup to start the New Year. On Dec. 13, at the invitational the women’s track and field team competed strongly. The team only appeared in five events but came up big with two first-place and two second-place finishes. Marisa Robbins won first in the pole
vault for the second time with her best performance at 3.60 m. Paige Chapman had a solid time of 7.82 seconds winning her the 60. Lydia Wehrli and Katharina Klien also had strong showings for the Jaspers. Wehrli finished second in the weight throw with her 16.66 m toss and Klien earned second in the shot put at 12.28 m. The track and field team returns to action on Jan. 23 for the Metro Team Challenge. On Jan. 9, in Honolulu, Hawaii, the women’s swim team lost a tough meet to Colorado College despite a strong showing by the Jaspers. Madison Brown, Sarah Buckley and Alexandra Hutzler were named Manhattan Performers of the Meet. All three earning first-place in their respective events. Brown had a time of 30.50 in the 50 back earning first by 1.28 seconds. Buckley posted a 27.19 in the 50 free taking the lead by .09 seconds. Hutzler earned a top finish in the 100 individual medley with
1:05.97. The Jaspers return home for Senior Night against Baruch on Jan. 19 and host Hunter on Jan. 23. The women’s basketball team (2-13, 1-5 MAAC) was busy with its longest home stand in team history. It concluded an eight game stretch at Draddy with a matchup against the Monmouth Hawks (6-9, 2-4 MAAC) on Jan. 16. The home stand was a tough one for the Jaspers, who finished with a 1-7 record. Their only victory came against the Rider Broncs on Jan. 4. The team overcame a 12-point deficit to tally a 55-52 win that marked its first win at home over Rider in three years and snapped a 10-game losing streak against it. It was also Manhattan’s first home win since Feb. 4, 2014. The Jaspers’ next game was against the defending MAAC Champion Marist Red Foxes. The Jaspers had solid individual performances, but it was not enough as they were defeated 67-45.
Shayna Ericksen led the Jaspers with 10 rebounds, eight on the offensive glass. Kayla Grimme had nine points and a career-high five blocks. Taylor Williams tallied six rebounds and Manhattan shot 83.3 percent at the free throw line. There to witness the loss were 850 students from five elementary schools in the area. It was the fifth consecutive year the Jaspers hosted Kid’s Day Out. In the final game of its home stand, Manhattan was not able to contain the Monmouth Hawks. The Jaspers put up a strong fight by coming back from a 47-33 deficit at the half to get to within two points with just under two minutes left in the game. However, Monmouth converted on its opportunities and staved off the Jaspers for a 73-69 victory. Next on Manhattan’s schedule is a trip to Albany where it will face the Siena Saints.