THE Volume 94, Issue 7
Q
UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924
October 11, 2016
www.mcquad.org
James Nicole Dennis-Benn Back at Patterson Manhattan for MARS Reading Scholarship Recipients Announced Catherine Goodyear Staff Writer
See page 4
Former professor Nicole Dennis-Benn was the second speaker for the annual Major Author Reading Series. MARS Facebook/Courtesy
Clowns on Campus: No Laughing Matter Haley Burnside Staff Writer
This summer a scary new trend started sweeping the nation, and finally the creepy clowns have come to Riverdale. On Oct. 3, Manhattan College public safety officers were alerted of a “creepy clown” sighting near West 238th Street and Greystone Avenue. David Erosa, the assistant director of public safety, says that a commuter student called to report the unarmed clown. Shortly after, Public Safety sent an email to students. While the email warned students to be vigilant of these thrill-seekers, it emphasized that the threat of danger is no cause for panic. Juan Cerezo, the director of public safety, stated that the college has a protocol to follow in the event that a clown is spotted on campus. Cerezo explained that even without weapons or direct verbal threats, these creepy clowns are breaking the law. “The [New York State] Penal has laws against individuals disguising themselves thereby concealing their faces,” Cerezo said. For the most part the police are not concerned. Officer Lumsden from the 50th Precinct does not feel the clowns are a threat.
“We’ll just treat them like people in costumes,” said Lumsden. “For me it’s like that’s New York. You see weird [stuff] like that every day.” For several months, people throughout the United States have recently dressed up as “creepy clowns” and lurked in areas such as cemeteries, parking lots, and wooded areas. In August, two people dressed as clowns were spotted alongside a stretch of woods in North Carolina. Upon investigation police found that the clowns were attempting to lure children into the woods. The story of “creepy clowns” spread in the news and inspired imitators to dress up and walk around public places. Some of these clowns carry weapons to further the effect of the scare tactic. Others play the role of pranksters, aiming to cause panic without posing any threat of real harm. The creepy clowns have been especially common on college campuses during the past two weeks. Pennsylvania State, Belmont, Kent State, University of Iowa, and York College have all had recent clownrelated incidents. The Penn State clown caused hysteria on its campus. The alert of the sighting was sent out to Penn State students. Despite no reports of students actually seeing the clown, riot of 500 undergraduates stomped around campus shouting obscene counterthreats toward the unseen clown. The riot
made national headlines overnight. Several other colleges across the nation have responded to clown sightings by going on lockdown or staging “clown hunts.” The excitement surrounding these riots and hunts may be motivating others to dress up and walk around public as clowns. In the past month the term “creepy clown” has steadily trended on social media. Clown sighting twitter accounts show several videos, staged and unstaged, of clowns chasing people. The hype is making the clowns seem like a much bigger threat than they are. For the most part the campus clowns are unarmed. Of those that do carry weapons, none have actually used them. While some students enjoy the idea of clown hunts and the excitement of riots, most locals share similar attitudes with Lumsden toward the clown epidemic. “We’re New Yorkers,” says freshman Katharine Scheid. “Creepy clowns aren’t a big deal to us.” New Yorkers may feel immune to creepy clowns, but Public Safety stresses that these pranksters are to be reported and properly addressed. Also students are discouraged from dressing up as clowns for Halloween. Until this trend ends, people should avoid wearing anything that resembles clown attire on a college campus.
For the fifth year applications for the James Patterson Scholarship have opened for select junior and senior students. “The James Patterson Scholarship recognizes and rewards the academic achievement and leadership potential of Manhattan College students,” according to Manhattan College’s website. “Especially those who are interested in a career in education. The scholarship is based on merit, need and involvement in activities related to the College’s mission.” “These students show exceptional potential for their future in educating others and making a difference in their communities,” said Christopher Hoey, one of the scholarship recipients. “I earned the scholarship through the application process. A little over 100 sophomores applied at the same time that I did, but they base everything off of your written application. Once you receive the scholarship, however, you must expand upon your mini essay and refine it so that James Patterson himself could read it,” Hoey said. Students who are eligible for the scholarship received an email from President O’Donnell’s office at the end of their sophomore or junior year with an application attached. $5,000 was awarded to each of the 20 recipients. Seniors are also eligible to apply to receive one of four additional $2,500 awards based on essay submissions. “This scholarship is so much more than money to help me pay for my education, it solidifies to me that I am being rewarded for my hard work academically, and of my potential for great things in my future,” said Lorraine Bishop, another recipient. “As a student that not only persistently works hard academically, I also constantly try to improve my own community’s quality of life by doing volunteer work. A significant part of my character is devoted to caring for other people and contributing to their wellbeing which is part of the prerequisite for this scholarship.” Scholarship recipients come from all different types of backgrounds and their majors do not play a roll in their selection. The scholarship encourages students to use what they have learned from their major and apply it to communities. It is a motivational tool for today’s youth to reward them for giving back to the world. “I believe the qualities and experiences that helped secure my selection was all of the volunteer work I have done since high school,” said Mia Bertoli. According to Patterson’s website, each year, The Patterson Family Foundation awards scholarships to students at 22 different colleges and universities around the country. His foundation also funds James Patterson Teacher Education Scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students that are studying education and are committed to teaching careers. Continued on page 3
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The
opinions & editorials
Quadrangle www.mcquad.org
Vol. 94 Issue 7 October 11, 2016
Ally Hutzler Editor-in-Chief Sean Sonnemann Managing Editor Anthony Capote News Editor Kyleigh Panetta Jack Melanson Asst. News Editors Kieran Rock Features Editor/Managing Editor Tara Marin Asst. Features Editor Lindsey Burns Arts & Entertainment Editor Victoria Hernández Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor Daniel Ynfante Sports Editor RikkiLynn Shields Asst. Sports Editor Kristie Killen Social Media Editor
Notes from
The Editor
October 11, 2016
The Quadrangle is excited to announce that we are hard at work putting together a special issue that will be dedicated to highlighting how money is used and divided here at Manhattan College. Following the success of “The Diversity Issue,” “The Food Issue,” and last semester’s “The Gender Issue” this newspaper will examine the topic of money on our campus, and how it affects students, faculty and administration. This issue will be released in the upcoming weeks. In order to truly depict the issue of money at Manhattan we need to hear your views, opinions and experiences. We encourage anyone interested in contributing to this special edition to attend one of our weekly Tuesday meetings at 4 p.m. in the Kelly Commons, or to contact us at thequad@manhattan.edu. Those interested can write “Letters to the Editor” or arrangements may be made for guest writers/columnists. Our objective in creating this special issue is to spark conversation and change in our community. We are eager to see what we discover. Sincerely,
Ally Hutzler The Quadrangle October Crossword Puzzle
Taylor Brethauer Asst. Social Media Editor Vanessa Sanchez Photography Editor Leony Anne McKeown Asst. Photography Editor Kelly Burns 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.
Across 1. Second most populated major department 2. First Movie on the Quad of the year was “Finding _____” 3. Built in 2008 and is home to the Arches Communities 4. What religious tradition is our school founded upon 5. Street where the school was founded back in 1853
Down 1. Name of infamous Brother who created the 7th inning stretch 2. Home of 100 Freshmen and the eldest residence hall on campus 3. Most popular and meme-ed about flavor of coffee at Starbucks during the current season 4. Fall Campus Concert 5. Open Mondays through Fridays before 8pm, alternate and most favored station in Locke’s Loft 6. Built in 1990 and houses the highest number of students athletes on campus 7. Was the site of the famous “I Love Lucy” Chocolate Factory Scene 8. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Tex Mex are known as _______ Tuesdays/Thursday Patrick Estanbouli/The Quadrangle
News
Stephen Zubrycky Editor
Manhattan Caucus is a column in the news section, which will run weekly until Election Day, offering students a voice in the ongoing presidential elections. The Washington Post released a from 2005 on Friday evening in which Trump recounts an instance where he made sexual advances on a married woman, and describes his impulsive physical attraction toward women. Senior Erika Finan was outraged at the video. “He doesn’t treat people as equals no matter their gender or race. Other students shrugged, and treated it as just another bump in the road to 2016. “Although it is locker room talk, I’ve been on job sites in our field and guys have said very brutal things,” said senior civil engineering major Kevin Welsh. But Welsh is not willing to give Trump a free pass. “I think he was a little over the top. That was definitely not presidential,” he added. “I wish that I was surprised, but I’m not surprised at all,” said sophomore Samantha K. Wilson. “People think that they’re jokes, but if you really think about it… it’s not a joke.” “I’d be surprised if people are surprised about this,” Wilson added A copy of Republican nominee Donald J. Trump’s 1995 tax return was obtained and released by The New York Times last Saturday night. The returns show that Trump lost $916 million that year, and The New York Times report said that the shortfall may have allowed him to dodge federal income taxes for eighteen years. “There’s loopholes there for a reason,” said freshman Ryan Kwiecinski, a reg-
istered Republican who plans to vote for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. “It is technically a business to use it, method and Trump has used it before.” But Kwiecinski favors the closing of these loopholes. “I think it needs to be simplified,” he said. He also believes that Trump is a better candidate than Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on tax reform. “You can’t take this issue by itself,” freshman Emily Zielechowski said. “If I’m gonna think of a wrong that Donald Trump has done, I’m going to think of a wrong that Hillary Clinton has done, especially since I’m really torn between who I’m going to vote for.” Zielechowski finds more fault with Clinton’s use of a private email server than does with Trump’s possible tax evasion. The Vice Presidential nominees, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, traded barbs Tuesday night at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia, for the only televised vice presidential debate. In the debate, Kaine challenged Pence to defend what he called Trump’s “insult driven” campaign, but Pence fired back, calling the Clinton campaign a “an avalanche of insults.” Most students think that both men were right in this instance, and wish that the campaigns would focus more on issues. “Both of them are equally doing the same things. All their T.V. ads are just insult on insult on insult,” junior Ellie Siwicki said. “Both campaigns have kind of been centered around insults. And it just… showed up in both debates,” Kwiecinski said. Kwiecinski, like most students interviewed, is weary of the contentious and personal tone of the campaign, wishing that the candidates focus more on foreign
affairs. Kwiecinski believes that both major candidates are too hawkish, which is one reason why he instead plans to vote for Johnson. Kaine and Pence clashed over immigration. Pence said that “Donald Trump is committed to restoring the borders of this nation.” “I think if [Trump] does become President, he might try to implement something, but I don’t think it will be as extreme as he says it’s going to be,” Siwicki said. Kwiecinski believes that Trump’s immigration proposals are not robust enough to address the problem. “You could build a five-foot wall, but people are just going to get six foot ladders,” Kwiecinski said, referring to the border wall, which Trump has billed as the focal point of his immigration policy. Ultimately, the debate will not matter much, according to Margaret Groarke, Ph.D., assistant professor of government. She has found little to no correlation between V.P. debate performance and election results. In fact, according to Groarke, even the candidates themselves do not matter very much. “It has a rather marginal effect on the outcome, I think, in most cases,” Groarke said. New York’s voter registration deadline is this Friday, Oct. 14. A few on-campus clubs have held voter registration drives. Just Peace, a campus ministry and social action club, held a voter registration drive on the Founder’s Bridge last Wednesday. “We were concerned with the amount of non-voters and people who aren’t registered to vote, or don’t know that they need absentee ballots,” said club co-president Sarah Kissane. She said she believes this election is more important than elections past.
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“I think because it is so divided right now, currently between Trump and Hillary. And I think a lot of people are just choosing not to vote because they’re just angry with what’s their option for President,” Kissane said of the stakes in this election. The Government & Politics Club held its drive Thursday afternoon in the McGrath Lounge in Kelly Commons as part of the non-partisan All-In Challenge, a voter registration competition involving nearly 200 college campuses in 38 states. “There’s a thing going around the country on all college campuses where there’s a competition to see which campus can get the most students registered to vote for this election,” said Government and Politics Club president Kaitlin Greiner. “It’s not about getting people to vote for Trump and Clinton, or anybody else, it’s just about increasing the numbers of college students who participate in the election,” Groarke said. According to Groarke, about 45 percent of 18- to 29- year olds participated in the 2012 election, but turnout at Manhattan was lower, at just 35 percent. Groarke’s mission, and the mission of the Government & Politics Club (for which she is the faculty advisor) is to defeat political apathy on campus. Greiner shares this mission and, as president of the club, is trying to make Manhattan a more politically inclusive and tolerant campus. “I think we need to be more mindful of those students who have different political beliefs that’s not maybe the majority on campus,” Greiner said. “I feel like often times their speech is limited.” Clinton and Trump debated last night at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Student reaction to this debate will be covered in the next issue of Manhattan Caucus.
James Patterson Scholarship Recipients Announced Continued from page 1
There is no surprise that he would continue to give back to his alma mater. “I believe it may have been my involvement in tutoring, volunteering, and the church that’s given me an advantage. I have such a wide variety of interests that I get involved in so many different clubs and organizations,” said Cathleen Giordano. “I met plenty of lovely people with grateful hearts and it keeps me positive when life’s hard. I really want to thank James Patterson and the school for their recognition and
generosity. I am blessed.” The scholarship gives students a leg up before graduation and alleviates some of the financial weight they will carry with them post-graduation. “His scholarship is all about how you envision your future, not so much what you’ve done with your past. So really, I’d say anyone ambitious enough and that shows enough interest is a great candidate,” Hoey said.
For the fifth consecutive year, James Patterson awarded scholarships to 20 Manhattan College students. Manhattan College/Courtesy
Features
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October 11, 2016
Former Professor Nicole Dennis-Benn Back at Manhattan for MARS Reading Natalie Tousignant Guest Writer
Author and former Manhattan College professor Nicole Dennis-Benn returned to campus Oct. 6th as the second author of this semester’s Major Author Reading Series hosted by the English Department. Her novel “Here Comes the Sun” was published this summer and has been widely received with critical acclaim, becoming a New York Times Editors’ Choice and earning her a spot on the shortlist for the 2016 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Dennis-Benn was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, but moved to the United States for college. She later returned to Jamaica to visit her family and journaled as she re-experienced her island, this time in a new way. Her journal became the foundation of the book, a complicated fiction about the underbelly of Jamaica which non-natives see as a beachy paradise. “It’s not a paradise,” Dennis- Benn told the room of listeners. She explained that she wants her readers and listeners to see Jamaica in a more authentic way, to “see the real side of Jamaica, see the working class.” Through the main characters in the novel, Margot and her sister Thandi and their mother, Delores, Dennis- Benn demonstrates just how Jamaicans construct a paradise of their island to present to tourists. She uses that inauthenticity to create a dichotomy between the illusion Jamaicans have created for tourism and the real, and rather harsh, way Jamaicans see their home island and thus, how they see themselves. The first scene Dennis-Benn read to the audience was a perfect depiction of the selfhatred she described as prevalent among the Jamaican people. In the scene, Thandi, the younger sister, is going through the painful process of having her skin bleached so she can appear less black. “This goes deeper than vanity,” Dennis-Benn said. “Thandi seeing ugliness in her blackness is something that’s prevalent in Jamaica.” It is a direct response to the inadequacy many Jamaicans feel because
of their skin color. Thandi says to Dolores in the book, “I don’t want to be black any longer…I am the darkest at school. People either make fun of me or they ignore me.” This resistance to blackness has a history behind it. The character of Dolores tells her daughter, “Nobody love a black girl. Not even harself.” Dennis-Benn says this is an example of “post-colonial scars talking.” English professor Adam Koehler PHD, noted the prevalence of that same theme throughout the novel, saying that the two main characters, “show us the realities and repercussions of what it means to live in the wake of colonial forces.” Dennis-Benn shows us the effects of these colonial forces in many ways. The work that Margot, the older sister, is forced to do—both as an ineffectual member of a hotel staff and as a sex worker—demonstrates the exploitation she as a Jamaican woman must endure to survive and reveals a history of menial and degrading work Jamaicans have been forced into by the economic effects of colonial power. “Margot uses what she knows and does what she has to do to survive. This is a story of survival” Dennis-Benn said. “[The novel] is a brave story at the heart of which is the relationship between two sisters, one of whom makes great sacrifices for the other” Koehler said. Margot and Thandi, Dennis-Benn says, are “voices for issues in Jamaica.” Citing the sexualization of young girls and the silencing of sexual violence, DennisBenn told the audience that Jamaica’s attitude toward sexuality is problematic. For example, she said, while a homosexual person may be harassed on the island, a pedophile is likely not to be. Through Margot, Dennis-Benn creates a character who offers a narrative from the perspective of both a gay Jamaican woman and of a sex worker. She presents readers with the argument that perhaps homosexuality is not the most pressing issue on the island, or even the most important issue related to sex. Though Dennis-Benn does not pull any punches in writing about Jamaica, she calls this book a “love letter to Jamaica.” She said she wrote this book “out of love” and that even though she has always embraced
Features
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DKE Hosts Dance-a-thon “The dance a thon was a fun event where people could come out and compete and dance away. Last year we did not have as many on campus events as we would have hoped so this was just an opportunity for students to come out and do something fun and casual while meeting the brothers. We did not want to make students pay to dance so the fundraising idea was scratched although we are always accepting donations,” said Kevin Welsh. Reporting from Catherine Goodyear
Dennis-Benn returns to MC to speak at the annual Major Autor Reading Series. Aaron Mayorga/The Quadrangle Jamaica as her country, [she] never felt Jamaica claimed [her] back.” She said that Jamaica itself is a character in the novel who, like the other protagonists, “depicts her beauty and her ugliness.” And in all of the characters, Dennis-Benn told the audience, she “wanted to create rounded, complex characters instead of caricatures” which female protagonists can often turn into in novels. Junior Kat Daly was especially excited to hear about Jamaica from Dennis-Benn’s perspective since she visited the island last year. “I went to Jamaica last year through our school’s LOVE program and I’m going back this winter,” Daly said. “It meant a lot to her hear story.”
Junior Leeza Rivkin was overjoyed to see Dennis-Benn again after being in her one of her writing classes at Manhattan College two years ago. “She deserves all the success that she’s accomplished so far,” Rivkin said. “She was the coolest professor ever, so inspirational and such a talented writer.” “We were lucky to have her teaching for us and we’re lucky to be able to have her read tonight” Koehler said on the night of her reading. “It truly is an honor to have Nicole make herself and her work available for us.”
Students participated in DKE’s dance-a-thon this past week. Anja Pollozi/The Quadrangle
Career Fairs Provide Unique Learning Experience for Students Alyssa Velazquez Staff Writer
Business attire, resumes and students discussing their elevator pitches can only mean one thing at Manhattan College around this time of the semester: the annual STEM and Business career fair. For students majoring in the STEM and business fields, last Tuesday was a day to seek out opportunities for when their college journey has come to an end. However, these annual career fairs have proven to be worth more than earning a job after col-
lege. When entering the career fair, rows of booths manned by representatives of companies, such as Turner and Barnum Financial Group, can be seen; a sight that’s usually intimidating to students. For sophomore Fahima Rafiqi, a chemical engineer major, this was her second time attending a career fair. When asked about her overall experience of the fairs at the college thus far, Rafiqi’s main takeaway was to take advantage of the opportunities. “It’s great networking. I highly recommend going your freshman year because, in sophomore year when you need to get an internship, you’ll have practice from your
freshman year” Rafiqi said. Freshman Alexandre Rodrigues, a civil engineer major, did just that for his first career fair. “I’m learning for the future and starting to get my name out there so I can have job opportunities and better myself for the future” he said. Rodrigues hopes to utilize the college’s career fairs as an opportunity to improve his interview skills and become more confident when approaching major companies. “I was a bit nervous at first but I’m starting to get more comfortable now, now I know what to expect” he said. Though this is only Rodrigues’ first career fair, he is already following the advice
that Rafiqi believes is important for all underclassmen no matter their major. “If you mess up on your pitch or whatever it is, it’s not really going to hurt you because next year you can come back and really sell yourself, so that’s why I really recommend coming every year as much as you can just so you can get comfortable” he said. In total, there are four career fairs, which provides plenty of opportunities for all students to go out there and take advantage of this unique experience that the college provides. The next two career fairs will be taking place in the Spring Semester.
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Arts & Entertainment
October 11, 2016
The Book Nook Title: Where’d You Go, Bernadette? Author: Maria Semple Genre: Fiction
that. Then there is Bee, who thinks the world of her mother, but is also focusing on having to move across country to a brand new boarding school. Except that proves easier said than done as she is soon forced to move back home. The worry of her mother being missing and Elgie not doing more to bring her home makes her become distant and drop out of the school. Only, as she’s at this faraway school, she receives a package in the mail of every correspondence her mother had been having with anyone within the past few months plus images into a past she left behind in San Francisco. As she pieces the information together, she also demands Elgie still takes her on the cruise to Antarctica. Antarctica, a reoccurring mention throughout the novel, is the perfect setting for the resolution of our story. It is elusive and odd, much like Bernadette. Bee, depressed and moody by her recent life events, tries to imagine her mother in the obscure continent. In order to not give anything away, Bee finds Bernadette in the best Bernadette fashion. It’s a heartwarming reunion between mother and daughter that’ll make you want to call up your mom and tell her you love her. I enjoyed this book a lot and I am considering rereading it. Semple does a fantastic job creating a somewhat broken family that is realistic yet funny. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in a charming book that is enjoyable to read. It was a great read during the summer and with the way the weather has been lately, it’s the perfect book to read while relaxing on the Quad.
Taylor Brethauer Asst. Editor
A funny adventure from start to finish, “Where’d You Go, Bernadette,” should be your next read. Told through letters, emails, diary entries and more, the book is the perfect combination of all formats. Author Maria Semple, who has written for shows like “Arrested Development” and “Ellen,” introduces us to the Fox Family, one we will never forget. Bernadette Fox is a mother, albeit a sheltered and introverted one. Her daughter Bee thinks she knows all about her, but that is not the case. Her husband, Elgie, works for Microsoft in the rainy city of Seattle, much to Bernadette’s unhappiness. To the mothers at Bee’s private school, she’s a total joke. It isn’t a surprise that Bernadette disappears during the climax of the book. Many events occur before Bernadette’s mysterious departure. Bee requests a cruise to Antarctica, Elgie gains a new assistant who happens to be a mom at the private school and their dreadful neighbor wages an all-out war on Bernadette’s “differences.” Once the FBI gets involved and the stress for the Antarctica voyage gets too much is when Bee comes home to a missing mother. Although it seems like a dramatic novel, it is actually quite the opposite. Semple has written for many comedy shows, so this novel has a satirical tone to it. Fights between the private school moms and Bernadette play out like “Real Housewives” battles. Bernadette speaks her mind in the most hilarious way, against Elgie’s assistant who seems to become more than just
#QuadByYou Taylor Brethauer/The Quadrangle
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Sports
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This Week in Sports Volleyball Volleyball (5-16) went 0-2 in their annual trip to Buffalo. The Jaspers lost in five sets to Canisius on Saturday and lost in four sets to Niagra on Sunday.
Women’s Soccer
The women’s soccer team (5-8) split its two games on the week. The Jaspers lost a home game to Quinnipiac 1-0 on Oct. 5, but bounced back with a 2-1 road win over Saint Peter’s on Saturday. In the win over Saint Peter’s, Dylan Burns and Megan O’Connor picked up their first goal on the season. The Jaspers are 3-3 in the MAAC this year. On Oct. 7, senior defender Jenny Bitzer was named one of 30 candidates for the 2016 Women’s Soccer Senior CLASS Award. The award is given to a student-athlete who excels in the field, classroom, community and in character.
Men’s
Manhattan men’s soccer team won for the first time this season on Saturday against Saint Peter’s. Soccer Aaron Mayorga/The Quadrangle
The men’s soccer team (1-9-1) got on the win column for the first time this season. After suffering its worst defeat of the season, 4-0 on the road against Quinnipiac on Oct. 5, the Jaspers recovered with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Saint Peter’s on Saturday. The Jaspers trailed 1-0 at halftime, but tied the game in the 64th minute off a 15-foot half volley from Tarek Beckles. Troy Carrington delivered the game-winning goal in the 79th minute to give Manhattan its first win this year.
Cross Country Last Friday afternoon was a historic day for the cross country program. For the first time since 2001, the men’s team won the team title in the annual Metropolitan Championships. The women’s team also had its best outing in 15 years, finishing in second place.
Swimming & Diving The men’s and women’s swimming team began their season by splitting a dual meet against Mount St. Mary’s and VMI at Mount St. Mary’s pool. The best finish for the men was from Neil Perry, who set a pool record with a 24.74-second finish in the 50 meter freestyle. For the women, Alexandra Hutzler won the 100 meter breaststroke with a finish of 1:18.51. Compiled By Daniel Ynfante, Sports Editor
Jaspers Talk: John Lovett RikkiLynn Shields Asst. Editor
On Sept. 21, Manhattan College announced that John Lovett, one of the greatest athletes in the school’s history was returning to serve as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams. Lovett is a five-time All-American, 1997 Jasper Hall of Fame inductee and part of Manhattan’s world-record setting team at the 1973 NCAA Indoor Championships. The Quadrangle: How does it feel to be named the assistant coach of track and field/cross country at the college you attended, and also hold a spot in the Hall of Fame? John Lovett: It is an honor to be part of the great track tradition at Manhattan College and to follow in the footsteps of some of the greatest track coaches in our sport such as Fred Dwyer, Frank Gagliano, George Eastment. I am fortunate to have been chosen to be assistant coach alongside Kerri Gallagher who has brought her wealth of knowledge and experience to our young track athletes at Manhattan. TQ: What was your experience like at Manhattan College? JL: The highlight of my Manhattan College experience has been meeting all of
the wonderful people at the school on and off the track. The Brothers, teachers, classmates and teammates all had an influence on who I am today. I had the opportunity to receive a great education and be part of the best track team in the country. TQ: What events did you run while in college? JL: I competed in the 220 yards, 440 yards, 600 yards, 880 yards, mile and cross country. I was a two-time IC4A half mile champion. I finished third in the NCAA Indoor half mile, and also was part of the distance medley relay team that won the NCAA Indoor championship and set a new world record. I was named an All-American for each of my four years at Manhattan. TQ: How does it feel being part of the Hall of Fame here at MC? JL: First and foremost, it is a tremendous honor to have been chosen as a member of our prestigious hall of fame. When I glance up at the banners in Draddy Gym, I am in awe of the company that I am in and very grateful for this honor. I realized all of the hard work and dedication the coaches and teammates made in giving me the opportunity to succeed. As I walk across the track, I look at all of the Hall of Famers listed and it reminds me of how lucky I am. TQ: What does it mean to you to be back at Manhattan?
Lovett returns to Manhattan as an assitant coach for cross country and track and field. Go Jaspers/Courtesy JL: When I was a student-athlete at ence with the team. Manhattan college my dream was to run TQ: What are your thoughts on the and attend class without having to do team so far? homework. Forty years later my dream JL: I am very excited about the track has come true. I have returned to the team’s spirit. Kerri [Gallagher] brings entrack team and no homework is required. thusiasm and a winning attitude from our Dreams do come true. practice sessions to the starting line. TQ: How does it feel being a coach TQ: Do you have any plans/goals for instead of an athlete? this up and coming track and field season? JL: I feel that I am in a very fortuJL: My plans are to assist Kerri [Galnate position to come back as an assistant lagher] in any way that I can to help the coach to the school that shaped me as an reach the goals she has mapped out for this athlete. It feels great to have the opportu- upcoming track season. nity to share my knowledge and experi-
Sports
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October 11, 2016
Women’s Basketball Begins Practices Under New Head Coach
The women’s basketball team has begun to practice under new head coach Heather Vulin. Vulin was hired in April. RikkiLynn Shields/The Quadrangle
Asst. Editor
ferent style but I think who we have on our team is a good fit and we’ll be able to maximize the talent by playing this way.”
In late April of last year, Heather Vulin, former assistant coach at Virginia Tech was announced as the head coach of Manhattan College’s women’s basketball team. With the 2016 season set to get underway, Vulin is training her team to prove everyone wrong this season. After losing five seniors from last year, the women’s basketball team feared a rough season. However, Vulin has brought hope to the team in the first set of practices. “I’ve really been impressed with the way the team has been working,” Vulin says, “so what we’re working on now is not just working hard, but working with a sense of purpose and a sense of urgency as you’re working. It’s a really good group, they’re really motivated to really prove people wrong. Because we lost five seniors last year, people are thinking that we’re going to take a step back but we definitely want to take a step forward.” As head coach, Vulin is making the best changes possible to the team. She calls herself a motion coach, and believes there are other ways to coach a team rather then just teaching them plays. “I believe that in the past there were more set plays and set offenses. I like freedom of movement, freedom of play,” Vulin says. “I want to teach my kids how to play basketball not plays. I want them to know how to play. So I also think the intensity level has definitely upped and they’ve really responded. It’s just going to take a little bit of time because they’re used to a dif-
New Captains Vulin has made her first set of changes to the team, selecting three captains. Vulin chose juniors Amani Tatum and Mikki Guiton, and senior Maeve Parahus. Vulin had the opportunity to spend a couple of weeks with the team after she first got the job in the beginning of May, just before they went home for summer break. Then, she had all summer sessions to really watch the team, and see who emerged as a leader. “I really believe that people don’t follow titles– they follow leaders,” Vulin says. “I feel that all three really stood out. [Tatum] was a captain last year, and you can just tell that she was comfortable, vocal and good at holding people accountable. [Parahus] is a senior who has really just been one of our most positive influences on the team in terms of her energy level and commitment to being a great teammate. And [Guiton] has really emerged as someone who I think is going to have a breakout year from her sophomore campaign. She’s just high energy and high intensity. All three girls really stood out to me, and I’m very pleased with the captains we have this year.” Guiton believes that practice has been going well so far this season. “We have a new set of coaches and we’re very excited for this season,” Guiton says. “We started working with them this summer, lifting and having court time, and since then we’ve learned many new things. I believe that we’ve all been
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working really hard and we’re ready for the season to approach. As a team, the goal this year isn’t just to win the championship, but also to grow together.” Male Practice Players Vulin has also taken advantage of something that is very common among colleges—male practice players. Vulin spoke to the head of intramurals, and got the word out that they were looking for men to practice with the women two or three days per week. After holding tryouts, Vulin picked eight men based on a combination of talent, but also flexibility in their schedule. “I know Manhattan hasn’t really had them here in the past, but I find that they’re very useful,” Vulin said about the male practice players. “We only have 14 bodies, and usually we have to worry about class schedules, some girls coming late, or even injuries. It’s just nice to have another group that we can use for scouting purposes. … I also think it’s a great opportunity for other students here at Manhattan College to be a part of a team.” Not only is it convenient for the coaches and the team to have a few more bodies at practice, it also helps up the team’s training intensity. The male practice players bring a different level of speed and a different energy to every practice. “I think too sometimes that since they’re not on the team, our kids will play more physical against them,” Vulin said. “So there’s a lot of advantages of it. You can ask all of our girls, they like having them because it also gives them a little brief second of a break. At practice, it’s go, go, go. I usually only get two to three hours of practice
in a day and it just goes so fast.” 2016-2017 Expectations Before thinking about winning any championships this year, Vulin has set more realistic goals for the team. “My No.1 goal is to get our culture as strong as possible,” Vulin said. “Before you can even start talking about championships, you have to make sure that your foundation is strong. When I say culture, I don’t just mean on the court, but also in the classroom and in the community, make sure we’re acting like champions in every aspect. We expect to set the tone and be champions wherever we’re at. “Second, I think as a motion coach it will take a little bit of time for them to have the natural reactions that they need, but by conference play, I am very confident that we will be ready. If we can do that, I’d like to be among the top-five in the league this year, and maybe make a run in the MAAC tournament to compete for a MAAC championship this year as well.” Vulin says to keep an eye out for Tatum and Gabby Cajou this year. “Although many people already know [Tatum], I think she has made significant improvement over the summer with her offensive skills,” Vulin said. “I think what people are going to be very pleased with is freshman, Gabby Cajou, whose speed is really at the top tier of the conference. With us wanting to play up-tempo, I think she’s going to be able to really get us in the direction that we need to go. … I expect at the end of the year, when we look at the stat sheets from the year before to this year, that everyone’s going to have improvements with their stats.”