THE Volume 93, Issue 4
Q
UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924
Feb. 16, 2016
www.mcquad.org
Spring CAreer Fair Attracts Students and employers
Amy Cardoza Staff Writer
The 2016 Spring Career Fair was held this past Tuesday, Feb. 9, and showcased companies from different industries seeking potential future interns and entry-level employees. The fair drew 350 students to both the Kelly Commons’ Great Room and the Smith Auditorium. Students say they felt the 87 companies presented an abundance of opportunities. This past October, the School for Science and Engineering held the STEM Career Fair and the Business School held the Business Expo. The School of Education plans to host its career fair on March 9. The 2016 Spring Career fair is the only opportunity on campus for students in the School of Arts to network themselves. Anna Champagne, a senior broadcast journalism major, expressed her frustration that every other school within Manhattan College has a career fair tailored for them. “As a communication major, I have never felt that my major, one of the largest at Manhattan College, was equally represented at the career fair,” Champagne said. However, Nicole Padron, a sophomore business major, said there were a lot more opportunities than she expected there to
The 2016 Spring Career Fair brought over 80 companies to campus and attracted over 300 students. Manhattan College/ Courtesy be.
Padron said she enjoyed the representation of non profit companies at the career fair. “It reiterates everything we embody as Lasallians, to use our knowledge and experience to give back to others,” Padron said. According to MC’s website, civil engineering is the college’s largest major, followed by communication. Chris Hoey, a junior electrical engineering major, felt the fair was a way for anyone to at least practice interview skills and professional development. “I felt as if everyone had somewhere they could’ve gone to gain some professional experience,” Hoey said. “Our school does a great job in portraying career fairs exactly as they should be: an opportunity. The experiences you have are entirely what you make of it,” Hoey said. Champagne, however, said the College’s previous career fairs did not help her find her previous internships with the Dr. Oz Show and Seventeen Magazine. “It is disheartening, as a senior looking for a job after graduation, to not be able to attend a career fair that was structured for people looking for the same thing as I was,” Champagne said.
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The
Letters to
opinions & editorials
Quadrangle www.mcquad.org
Vol. 93 Issue 4 Feb. 16, 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 Taylor Brethauer Asst. Social Media Editor Vanessa Sanchez Photography Editor Leony Anne McKeown Asst. Photography Editor Kelly Burns Melissa Gallardo Abbi Kirollos Production Editors Daniel Molina Stephen Zubrycky Web Editors
Dear Editor,
The Editor
Feb. 16, 2016
In what might prove surprising to the writers of the Quadrangle, the recent article “Students Denied From Knicks Game After Online Ticket Fiasco” unleashed a tidal wave of concern among faculty and administrators. The reasons for this concern are multiple; but I principally write to you regarding only one: the general attitude expressed by the article. It may seem like a small number against the size of Manhattan College’s budget, but $50,000 is an enormous sum of money; that the actual cost is somewhat less than the originally quoted number does little to alleviate this problem. To use that money solely so that a few students can attend a basketball game puts considerable strain upon the College’s annual resources. The decision to purchase additional tickets is not, therefore, a cause for celebration. The decision, which took resources from multiple offices (the Multicultural Center, for example), put the needs of a few students over the needs of the entire campus community. Sometimes, mistakes—such as overselling the available tickets—are made. Accepting them, apologizing, and moving on is the appropriate response, especially when “rectifying” them would require inflicting hardship on others. Refunding students and apologizing would have been the right thing to do. I encourage you to consider what now cannot be done as a result of a bad decision made in haste. Each office of the College has resources assigned to it every year, and only in rare circumstances are these offices permitted to go over budget. As such, various offices in Student Life, and perhaps elsewhere on campus, now have fewer resources to do the work they do on behalf of the entire student body. We all regret when students are disappointed (and especially sympathize with those who ended up with fraudulent tickets, which wouldn’t have happened if the right decision had been made in the first place). But sometimes we must be disappointed in life. The higher administration is rightly looking into how the decision to buy additional tickets was made; and the faculty appreciates that in the future another decision of this nature is unlikely (to say the least). Purchasing the additional tickets was a mistake, and it impacts the entire campus. As a result, we see no cause for celebration in the loss of valuable resources and instead seek allies in deciding how best we can evaluate our resources and use them to provide a wonderful learning environment for all of our community. Sincerely, Robert M Geraci Professor of Religious Studies Chair, Council of Faculty Affairs
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.
Sam Martin/The Quadrangle
Letters to
opinions & Editorials The Editor
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Dear Manhattan College Colleagues and Students, I am writing to address some very legitimate concerns regarding the recent student program to attend the New York Knick game. As reported in the Quadrangle, a glitch in our on-line ticket-sales system resulted in a situation in which 176 more students than we could accommodate were allowed, as far as they were aware, to purchase discounted tickets. When the mistake was discovered, we had a decision to make: to refund those students or to try to accommodate all of the students who believed they had purchased tickets. We decided to accommodate the students. In hindsight, given the expense of that decision, we would have decided differently. That said, I’d like to clarify some aspects of this situation. I do this not to defend the decision, but to provide some context for what was an unfortunate and anomalous occurrence. Each year, the Office of Student Activities, working closely with the SGA leadership, with group and club advisors, the Dean of Students Office, and ultimately the Office of the Controller, develops the programming and budgets for the year. It is important to note that the funding for all of these activities comes directly from Student Activities fees, which are collected just for these purposes. Students are regularly involved in decisions about programming and funding, and we are always careful to build in contingencies for potential budgetary needs or oversights during the school year. And so it is important to correct the statement in the article that this event put us “$50,000 over budget.” The original purchase of 100 tickets was made back in July before the Knick schedule was announced. Following policy, we purchased a block at the most inexpensive rate available and at the earliest date possible to keep cost down. If all had gone according to the usual process, students would have paid $40 of the $104 per ticket price, with $64 coming from student fees; a price comparable with some student sponsored Broadway plays. This somewhat expensive pricing is also the reason we sponsor only one Knick game per year. When we discovered that the on-line distribution system had allowed nearly 300 students to buy tickets, we made the decision to accommodate them. We did not make this decision lightly. We had a discussion about budgetary issues, any potential impacts on other programming, and overall impact on our students of attempting a refund on these particular tickets. I ultimately gave the go ahead to purchase the tickets. Our plan was to purchase the most inexpensive remaining tickets. Unfortunately, the desirability of the matchup—the Golden State Warriors, the NBA’s best team—and the proximity to the date of the game redefined “inexpensive” as roughly $200 per ticket, of which students paid $40 out of pocket. In addition, we regret that some of the tickets were not honored at Madison Square Garden. We are in the process of trying to recoup the money paid for those 10 tickets. The same vendor was used for all additional tickets. In the end, we all agree that this was not the way to address the situation, and that we should have provided refunds to students who were not among the first 100 to request tickets. All of this said, it is important to note that, while the decision did put a burden on contingency funds, the overall funds dedicated to Student Activities for the year remain the same, and we will accommodate the remainder of our schedule of activities for the academic year. We have suspended use of the on-line distribution model until we can be sure that it is working correctly. Thank you for the opportunity to provide this context. Sincerely, Michael Carey Michael Carey, M.B.A., Psy.D. Assistant Vice President for Student Life/ Dean of Students
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news
Feb. 16, 2016
Manhattan College Makes Preparations for Winter Weather
Blizzard Jonas left W. 238th Street covered with snow and ice, making the walk to campus hazardous for students. Kevin Fuhrmann/ The Quadrangle
Meredith Bryant Contributor
Keeping Manhattan College’s campus accessible during the winter months is essential to ensuring the safety of students, faculty and staff. This becomes of the most concern when a winter snowstorm occurs. It is no easy task for MC’s 35 physical plant workers to get the 22-acre campus shoveled and salted after a storm. The importance of having a plan in place before the winter season even begins is critical. “The process starts long before the
snowstorm,” Victor Schneider, Assistant Director of the Physical Plant, said. “Ultimately, we secure the resources and make sure we have scheduled personnel covered, which may be staggered,” Schneider said. According to Schneider, one of the most important resources is the College’s instant alert system. This system is designed to keep communication open between the students and MC regarding school closures and safety. Students agree that the workers who clean up all of the stairs, sidewalks and parking lots on campus after a snowstorm
are extremely efficient. “I have early classes in the morning, and sometimes if there is a snowstorm overnight I usually anticipate a class getting cancelled but wake up, and everything seems to be cleared. So I think they do a great job,” said senior, Nick Scanga. Kelsey Thomas, junior at MC, said she thinks the stairs into Alumni Hall are among the most troublesome areas on campus. Thomas also said that the sidewalk on the way down from the Overlook Manor dorms was not completely cleared after this past snowstorm. The preparations for winter weather
on campus are a result of collaboration between the physical plant, public safety, the Provost and the marketing and branding departments of the College. Without constant communication, weather forecast checks and preparation, MC’s campus would not be safe after a snowstorm. “It’s a communal effort,” Schneider said.
Study Abroad Extends to Ghana Kyleigh Panetta Asst. Editor
For the first time this summer, Manhattan College students will be traveling to Ghana through a new study abroad program. From June 7 to 20, students will travel to Ghana and earn credit for a 300 level religion class. The class is titled “African Christianity - The Christian Experience in Ghana” and was proposed by Jawanza Clark, Ph.D. and professor of religious studies. “There’s a lot of misconceptions about Africa,” Clark said. “We sort of have a vision of what Africa is, what it means and who Africans are but sometimes that’s disconnected from fact and reality.” Clark hopes that by bringing students to the actual area that they will be learning about, students will be able to understand African cultures and religions more easily. About 17 students attended the first informational meeting for the Ghana program last Wednesday, Feb. 3, but Clark says an additional four others emailed him to express interest. Kevin Gschwend, the study abroad coordinator, said that he was pleased with the turnout for the first meeting because starting a study abroad program from scratch can be challenging. “Gauging the students’ interest is hard because you don’t know what the turnouts are going to be like,” Gschwend said. In order for the program to run, Gschwend said he aims to have between eight and 12 students sign up. Allie Vaccaro, sophomore and elementary education major, attended the meeting and plans on going to Ghana in June. “Going to Africa has always been a dream of mine, so as soon as I saw the flyer I knew I just had to go,” Vaccaro said. “I’m very eager to dive into the culture and explore a dream destination of mine.” During the two weeks, students will visit important sites in Africa like a slave castle, the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, the W.E.B. Dubois center and even attend a funeral. “Funerals and death are viewed differently there. It’s actually very festive,” Clark said. “That will give us the opportunity to talk about what death means there versus how we talk about death in the West.” Students will also have the opportunity to visit beaches in Ghana, the national park, and see a Ghanaian dance troupe performance. Clark said that he hopes this program will allow students to see Africa in a new light. “Anything that is unfamiliar, there tends to be a lot of concerns. I just want to disabuse the stereotypes,” Clark said. The Ghana program will cost about $4400 and includes transportation, most meals and tuition. “You have to get students interested in something they’ve never done,” Gschwend said. “I think the way I’ve tried to market that is that there are a lot of opportunities to travel to Europe for vacations. But not a lot of people take the opportunity to go to Africa, so why not now?”
news
College Celebrates Black History Month Jenna Bloomer Staff Writer
In years past, Manhattan College’s events for Black History Month were made widely known across campus. This year, things seem different. Until recently, the limited number of events for Black History Month were not listed on the College’s events calendar or advertised on flyers throughout campus. John Bennett, the director of Student Activities, said it is clear that there is a diminishing popularity for cultural events, like those usually scheduled for black history. “I do think there has been a decrease in student interest and that’s very sad,” Bennett said. According to Bennett, when he started working at Manhattan seven years ago, the National Society of Black Engineers was
one of MC’s most popular clubs. Today, however, this club no longer exists. A number of students have noticed the lack of black history month events being held on campus this year. “There are no residence hall events, nor have I seen a poster mentioning Black History Month,” Brianna DelSanto, sophomore, said. Recently, racism has been a major topic of discussion. Between the strides made with anti-racism groups and the issues surrounding police brutality, Black History Month is extremely pertinent. According to the Washington Post, schools are more segregated today than in they were in the 1980’s. Dorian Persaud, senior at MC, believes that the College is not emphasizing the importance of this month. “We are becoming apathetic to social issues in general today, not addressing
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the fact that there is an issue,” Persaud said. Hayden Greene, director of Multicultural Affairs, said that timing of the College’s winter break and Black History Month could be a reason for the lack of events on campus. “As a result, Black History Month programming abuts the anxiety and pressure of getting the semester started and settling in. For many people the latter two take priority,” Greene said. Starting this week there are lectures, performances and various other activities to acknowledge this important month. In a society that is still struggling with race, it is crucial to commemorate black history. Both Bennett and Greene agreed that their goal for upcoming years is to increase popularity for these events, and that starts with increasing the interest among students.
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Features
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Feb. 16, 2016
Our Jasper Nation: Daisuke Kuroshima Marissa Piazza Staff Writer
Daisuke Kuroshima, sophomore biochemistry major, was born in sunny California but remembers a childhood spent on the other side of the world. “Until I was five, I was living in California” Kuroshima said, “But I went to Japan and grew up in Yokohama.” Even though Kuroshima was born in the United States, Japanese was his first language, and it wasn’t until after high school that Kuroshima learned to speak English. Yokohama, located just thirty minutes outside of Tokyo, “is one of the biggest port cities in Japan” Kuroshima said, “and we have the American navy in Yokohama.” The presence of the United States Navy is something special for natives of Yokohama. “We have pride” Kuroshima said, “it’s kind of like New York… people who live in New York say ‘I live in New York,’ you know!” While most people in Japan use prefectures, the forty-seven subdivisions that make up Japan, to describe where they live. In Yokohama, people say the city’s name instead of the prefecture’s name,” said Kuroshima, because of that pride they have in the city. Although Yokohama is considered a city, compared to New York City, Yokohama is smaller and quainter. “It’s very different… in New York City, they have so many buildings but in Yokohama, especially in my town, we don’t have so many” said Kuroshima, equating Yokohama to a more suburban place, “it’s more like Upstate New York.” Though Yokohama may be different than New York City, “we have many fun things to do…we have an amusement park… and we have karaoke bars, we have a lot, yes” said Kuroshima. Yokohama is also home to one of the largest Chinatowns in Japan. When he does return home, the first thing Kuroshima usually does is share a meal with his family, likely eating Japanese sushi. While Kuroshima does enjoy Japanese sushi, “If you go to Yokohama, you should eat ramen and Chinese food because [Yokohama Chinatown is] the biggest in Japan” Kuroshima said. Though he notes that it might seem strange to travel to Japan for Chinese food - “If you’re planning to go to Japan and want to do something – Yokohama – yes, go eat Chinese food” Kuroshima said. Other sights to add to a trip itinerary would include Rainbow Bridge and the famous Landmark Tower. For Kuroshima, a perfect day at home includes sleeping in, meeting with friends that live near his home, having lunch, bowling and ending the night with Karaoke. Karaoke in Japan is a main event. “We have whole night programs in karaoke… we have karaoke from 11pm to 5 am!” Although Kuroshima has enjoyed the entertainment offerings in Yokohama, the place he remembers most fondly is his high school, Iku Bukan. Since his middle school is also located there, it is where so many of his memories and friendships formed. The school also had a host of activities Kuroshima took part in during his time there. “I played Japanese archery, named Kyudo, and I was a member of student council” said Kuroshima “I also played Judo as well,” which is a form of martial arts. Coming to school in the United States had both significant and subtle differences
that Kuroshima noticed. “In American high school you have a king and queen, like in a prom, and it’s a serious thing for them… I didn’t know” Kuroshima said with a laugh, “we don’t have prom!” Though Kuroshima did not take part in such an event, Japan does have it’s own coming-of-age celebration. The year Kuroshima turned 20, which happened to be in 2015, he was invited to take part in a celebration on the second Monday of January of this year. “I went to a very big stadium and the mayor and governor did a speech to us” Kuroshima said. Fortunately, Kuroshima was able to reconnect with many former classmates at this event, and he was lucky to be back in Japan to take part in it. According to Kuroshima, the event “is very crazy [and] many people join it.” The event is special because all of the attendees are twenty-year-olds from Yokohama. “In Japan we start school [in] April, so this time, people born from April 1995 to next March can go to the celebration.” Turning twenty is a significant event in Japan, because it marks the day that a Japanese youth is legally seen as an adult. Newly turned twenty-year-olds are legally able to drink, smoke, and vote and are seen as self-reliant in Japanese culture. A part of the New York culture that Kuroshima has really enjoyed though, is the arts and entertainment scene. “I like to see musicals and Broadway shows are wonderful” said Kuroshima, explaining that the musicals and shows in Japan often do not compare. A smaller and less striking difference that Kuroshima has noticed is that Americans often wear shoes indoors. “We don’t wear shoes in the house or room… like for example dormitories, we don’t wear [shoes]” Kuroshima said “some people use [slippers], but most of the people use socks, just socks.” Another difference is the size of living spaces. “The Japanese house is very small… and I don’t know why but usually in America, they have a basement but in Japan we don’t... we should [have] it… I don’t know why but [we] don’t” Kuroshima said. Though he was born in the United States, it was many years before Kuroshima found his way back. After graduating high school, Kuroshima attended a program at Harvard University in Boston to improve his English. “My high school finished in March and I had free time un-
Daisuke Kuroshima is from Japan and hopes to be a doctor one day. Daisuke Kuroshima/ Courtesy til June or July” Kuroshima said “[I] went to Boston, and [then] came here.” The year that Kuroshima attended Harvard University’s summer program was the last time it was offered, “so I was very lucky” Kuroshima said. Kuroshima found his way to Manhattan College specifically by following a legacy. “My father graduated from this school… in 1986…he was school of business” Kuroshima said, adding, “and the funny thing is I have a roommate, named David, and his mother also graduated ‘86” but they didn’t know each other.” Kuroshima’s philosophy professor, Dr. Hashimoto, also taught his father as well. Though he’s only about halfway through his undergraduate education, Kuroshima already has plans to attend graduate school in New York City. Ultimately, Kuroshima
hopes to become a doctor. “I want to stay here [for] ten years or something, but I want to go back after that, maybe live here but I’m not sure. But I want to work here at first,” Kuroshima said. While spending more time in the big apple seems to be Kuroshima’s future, he admittedly misses his friends and family in Japan. Another thing Kuroshima misses is Manga – Japanese comics. Though Kuroshima could probably start a new Manga collection here “I cannot... it’s too big” Kuroshima said, “if I buy one I want to buy the next one… so I couldn’t buy it here.” If he had the space, and room in his luggage for that matter, “I would want to bring every [Manga].” Kuroshima said. Time will tell where Kuroshima ultimately ends up – but one thing is for sure – his future is bright.
Daisuke with his friends back home in Japan.
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Jasper Chat: Paul Senica Leah Cordova Staff Writer
Paul Senica is an undergraduate civil engineering major. On one of his favorite days of the year (a snowy day) we got to chat about his love for snowboarding. Have you gone snowboarding yet this year? I’m going this weekend! Tomorrow and Friday, I’ll be at Mountain Creek. It’s like 15 minutes away. Is this the first trip of 2016? I actually went last Saturday for a competition. When did you realize this was something you wanted to dedicate your time to? So I started snowboarding when I was around 6 or 7, but of course skiing came first because that’s what everyone did. I had to beg my mom to let me try snowboarding. When I did, I was hooked. I wasn’t great at first but started to improve after a trip I went on with some family friends. They invited me out west to Utah and all I had to pay for was airfare. That was probably the biggest trip I had ever been on. Utah is pretty cool, did you ever go back? I planned to go there for college, but then got to thinking about school and realized I wouldn’t really focus there. When I came back to New York after the trip, snowboarding wasn’t the same. So I got really into park - basically jumps and rails and stuff. Up here is known as the ‘ice coast,’ so it’s all ice and not as fun to just simply ride. What was the first advanced trick you learned? And what is your favorite one? I landed a backflip for the first time in Oregon. I found out about a snowboarding camp there about 5 years ago and was very set on going. It was my birthday / Christmas present and I went the summer of my junior year in high school. Before going, they asked me what tricks I wanted to learn and placed us into groups according to what we said. I also think rainbow rails are fun and practicing tricks on my trampoline.
Dream place to visit for snowboarding? Lake Tahoe, California. But California is the perfect place to go for any sport: snowboard up north, wakeboard on the lakes in the summer, surf, you can do anything over there. It’s been a pleasure to work with Paul in the admissions office since 2014. He will graduate this Spring, and will continue his studies as a Jasper grad student next fall.
Student Spotlight: Britt Franza
Catherine Goodyear Staff Writer
Being a full time student is hard as it is. There is homework, essays, quizzes and tests, balancing it all out is a job. When you add having a social life, a career, and a title to all of that, it is almost impossible to balance everything and still get enough sleep to properly function throughout the day. Britt Franza is a business finance major is already taking a big step to jump start his career. Franza works in the Wall street area as a financial services representative. Being licensed in life insurance, Franza meets with clients and consults about different plans and guides them to personalize their budget plan based on their specific needs and earnings. Not only does he advise people on life insurance, he explains the ins and outs
of how money works, how they can save money, earn more money, get out of debt, and get protected financially. To improve himself, Franza is currently working towards his securities licenses series 6, 63, and 65 for investing. “I started doing this because my friend Julio Garcia recruited me and I took the course, a state run proctored exam, and got my license. He is now my partner,” Franza said. “We work with major companies like Lincoln Financial, Leg Mason, MetLife, and others. I have not done any work with the annuity or investment companies yet because I need to get my license first but I have done work with the life insurance companies such as Nation Benefit Life which is our main source of life insurance” he said. Franza meets with clients anywhere from their homes, at Starbucks, or any-
where they feel comfortable. When clients are uncomfortable about his young age, he overcomes that by showing his maturity and professionalism. On top of working in the financial world, Franza is an information operations officer in the Military. He works with civil affairs and psychological operations. “My work with the military is a high intelligence demanding job. In the near future I would like to become a helicopter pilot but that might be after I get my degree. This is a temporary position. I work one weekend out of the month with the military but over the summer I spend two weeks away doing straight training” he said. Being part of an artillery section, Franza gets the opportunity to work with high-ranking personnel ranking from lieutenant to full bird colonel. He works
in a headquarters company and is also involved in dropping leaflets or working with psychological operations to see how the enemy operates. “I got into the military because I used to be at Valley Forge Military College in Pennsylvania before I transferred to here but at my previous school I was a part of the ECP, Early Commissioning Program. The ECP is a form in ROTC but it only takes two years to get your commission instead of four but you have to get your bachelor’s degree to keep it otherwise you are removed from the program, you enlist, and pay back all your money. You have to keep a certain standard to qualify.” Studying, working, and maintaining a job is difficult but not impossible. Franza proves if you have the determination and will power, you can accomplish it all.
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features
Feb. 16, 2016
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The Summer Literacy Institute: Where Academia Meets Altruism
Literacy Institute/ Courtesy
Tara Marin Asst. Editor
This summer, a group of high school students from the Bronx were given the opportunity to come to Manhattan College and spend a week here on campus as a part of a college immersion program. They were able to live in the dorms, see what college courses and professors are like, learn more about college admissions and financial aid, and ultimately leave with a college application essay. Through this program, the Summer Literacy Institute (SLI), the students became more likely to attend college and left high school feeling more prepared for it as well. Senior tutor Dorian Persaud is a student who came to MC from the Bronx. Since he didn’t receive this kind of guidance when he was in high school, it was particularly special for him to be able to guide these students through what is usually a difficult and stressful time for all kids who want to attend college, let alone those who don’t know where to start. “In the beginning half of the week, it’s having them brainstorm and get their ideas together. The second half of the week is having them writing it and helping to put it together. Being able to give back to them is the best feeling, because in high school I didn’t have that. Having someone helping you write your essay and having a literal support system is important,” Persaud said.
He also recalls the story of one of the students who experienced success because of the SLI. “There was a girl in my group named Kristen. She was so worried about her college essay and worried that she wouldn’t get into any schools. Her dream school was University of New Hampshire. We were constantly telling her to relax and saying, ‘you got this!’ and we found out that she did end up getting into UNH and to a few other schools too,” Persaud said. Krystal Diaz, a senior philosophy major and tutor for the writing center, participated in the SLI this summer too. Like Persaud, she is also from the Bronx and remembers when she was in the same shoes as these high schoolers. “I feel what they’re going through. I see myself in them, so I think it’s super cool that they’re getting to where they want to be,” she said. This process would have been much more challenging for these kids had it not been for the SLI, because some schools don’t provide college application assistance or inform students about college financing. “Some have a little help, but some have no help at all. I had a sponsor in high school who kind of fulfilled the role for me, but I didn’t know about the actual cost of college. I didn’t even realize that I could take out loans like I am now,” Diaz said. Throughout the educational help, Diaz also notes that the tutors developed fast friendships with the students. They all
went to see a Broadway show, and most of the high schoolers were perplexed because they had never seen one. “The college application essays were the main focus of the week, but we also had subsets of what college is like, so they could ask us whatever they wanted. We even had fun activities where we could bond with them. They posted on Facebook that it was the best week ever,” she said. Christopher Hoey, another student tutor, had similar things to say about the program, which he felt was very eye opening for himself as well as the students he was helping. “As a first generation college student, I know it can be hard to find the right resources that can help when applying for college and making it a reality. Therefore, I strived to be more than just a writing mentor, but a resource to them. I think we all did, and that made all the difference. I can confidently say that they left SLI much more confident for post-secondary education, and having followed up with a few of them, they’re acceptances to various colleges are making them and us extremely happy with the work we did over summer!” Hoey said. Taylor Purcell, a senior marketing major at MC who participated in the program, admits she wasn’t sure what to expect when she went into it, but came out the other side feeling rewarded. What inspired her most was seeing how determined the students were. “The kids really wanted help and advice. They were so driven but just needed a
bit of direction, and were definitely willing to accept any form of advice. They were just really sweet in general - really great kids who were super smart and creative. One girl even did her college essay as a poem, so it was cool to see the different takes that they had because they weren’t producing generic work,” Purcell said. She was also surprised by how excited the students were by the field trips they did in the city during the week. “One day we took them to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and most of them had never been to a museum. Seeing the way they responded to it would be surprising for most of us, because we don’t think like that, we go on trips like that all the time,” Purcell said. Tutor Amanda Fernandes refers to the week as a “remarkable journey” since she was able to help motivate the students to further their education and move forward in a world that constantly tends to hold them back. “They started off their college essays with a few struggling sentences. By the end of the week, not only did their essays develop into attention grabbing stories, but the students also changed, and us mentors were incredibly moved,” Fernandes said. On top of this fulfillment, there was a unique personal growth in it for her as well. “Their extraordinary life stories truly inspired me, made me want to work much harder, and helped me appreciate the life I am fortunate to have,” Fernandes said. Fernandes touches on what may be the
most heart-warming aspect of the SLI: both the MC tutors and the Bronx high schoolers seem to leave the program as better people than they were when they came into it. This whole program actually began about six years ago, when Manhattan College partnered with Kingsbridge Heights Community Center (KHCC) and was awarded a grant through the Teagle Foundation. The grant was designed to provide college access and awareness for Bronx high school students who may not have the leverage to apply and be accepted to college. The grant was only issued for five years. After the five years was up, there was no opportunity for Teagle to reinstate the grant. However, part of the college’s original commitment was that it would continue to run the program even after the grant ended. This was the first year that MC ran the program independently, which was voluntarily pioneered by Marisa Passafiume, Assistant Vice President of The Center for Academic Success (CAS). “The summer piece worked so well, and it was such an amazing thing for the community that we decided to do it on our own,” Passafiume said. She and her staff proposed it to the administration, asking for funds to run a weeklong summer program, and it was accepted. Since recruiting had been completely left up to KHCC during their partnership, Passafiume was worried that they would have trouble getting the word out and encouraging young people to apply. What happened was very much the oppo-
site. “It was the first year we had over 100 applications. They flooded in, and we only had 30 spots. We just spread it by word of mouth, and it was the very first year we had a full 30 students in the program,” she said. Passafiume reviewed the applications along with her partner on the project, Dr. David Bollert from the philosophy department, who also taught a course in the program. As for selecting the applicants, they didn’t necessarily look for the overachievers who are already bound to go to college. “We want the student who, if given the chance, can do something great. This is an opportunity program, so we want to give a kid who maybe has never been on a college campus, maybe doesn’t know how to go about the college process, or doesn’t really think they could ever do it. Maybe they have decent grades, maybe they don’t - but we see their potential to do well, and if we just give them that little nudge, they’ll fall to our side of the fence. That’s what we’re trying to do here,” Passafiume said. CAS also does programming for these students throughout the year, which doesn’t cost the school anything because of everyone on campus who volunteers. The student tutors would help them after school, and professors facilitated SAT prep three times per week on campus. Some of the professors who were a part of the SAT prep and the SLI were Dr. Cory Blad from the sociology department, Dr. Heidi Laudien from the English department, Dr. Stephen Kaplan from the
religious studies department, and Dr. Michael Judge from the biology department, among others. “We ran massive SAT prep, and then we took them to a basketball game at Fordham. We used it as a time for them to see a college campus. I bought them tickets, told them to take the train and meet us there, and we all watched the game together. They were blown away because they lived so close to Fordham but had never seen it. We walked around and peeked into buildings - it was awesome,” Passafiume said. The high schoolers also developed a familiarity with the MC campus as well. One night when Passafiume was walking out of De La Salle, she spotted a group of them on the Quad, and when she asked them what they were doing there, they responded, “we just wanted to come hangout!” Even after the program wrapped up, Passafiume stayed in touch with the students by sending periodic emails so they didn’t miss a step in the application process that could potentially hinder their chances of acceptance. She explains that most of their questions are simple, for instance: “what does this mean on my FAFSA?”, and “what is a supplemental application?”, and “how do I know if this went through?” Those barriers, despite how minor, could prevent someone from sending in something important and not being accepted. “We have lost a few kids in the past or just never heard back from them. It’s
because these kids, they move a lot, they have hard lives,” Passafiume said. However, the success rate of this program has been beyond belief, and she is especially heartened by the dedication of the tutors. “These MC students that are doing this, they’re first generation too. These kids know what it’s like to maybe be told that they can’t really do the college thing, so they’re coming at it with a different perspective. They’re really giving back. They put their all into it. I don’t tell them to be friends with the kids and keep in touch and follow up with them, that just happened,” she said. There’s no money to pay an administrator to facilitate the program, but Passafiume does it anyway. One of the students participating in the SLI had asked her what she gets out of it - a question that she just shrugged off. By the end of the week, she had an answer for him. “At the end, we have a banquet for them, and they each get up and read a passage from their college essay. There were tears! We have them invite their families and everything, it’s a beautiful, beautiful night,” she said. “That is what we get out of it. One day, they’ll give it back too.” CAS is currently seeking funds that will help the SLI to continue in the future. Hopefully this can be achieved and this remarkable program can be carried on in the years to come. What makes it remarkable is that it allows young students to create a clearer vision for their future, to discover their passions, and to realize that despite what the world has told them, their hopes and dreams are real and possible.
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arts & entertainment
Feb. 16, 2016
MC Broadcasting Studio Upgrades to 4K
RikkiLynn Shields Asst. Editor
In 2008, Manhattan College opened the doors of its broadcasting studio, as well as the doors to many broadcasting students’ futures. Built by the Systems Group of Hoboken, New Jersey, the studio is spread between two levels in Leo Hall, and is equipped with state-of-the-art video cameras, editing equipment and so much more. The first floor of the studio is a multimedia lab that focuses mainly on web design and digital print design. Each computer in the lab is fully equipped with all of the latest web tools, including industrystandard Pro Tools multi-track digital nonlinear software and the full Adobe Creative Suite. The second floor of the studio focuses on studio television production, field and post-production, cooperate video and advanced television production. On this floor there are also video-editing labs which include multiple workstations that are networked into the TV studio. Recently, Manhattan installed three Blackmagic Studio 4K cameras into the studio, making this the first huge upgrade since the studio was first built. Blackmagic Design is a rapidly growing company that has quickly become one of the world’s leading innovators and distributors of creative video technology. “Blackmagic Design is dedicated to allowing the highest quality video to be affordable to everyone, so the post production and television industry can become a truly creative industry,” he CEO of Blackmagic Design, Grant Petty said, on Blackmagic’s website. 4K cameras mean that they are able to film four times the resolution of high definition quality, similar to 4K quality televisions that are also starting to pop up in stores. The studio also purchased a pedestal for each of the new cameras. Pedestals are much more expensive than the tripods that were previously used in the studio, however, they are required standard equipment for the studio now, and will last for many years to come. In addition to the three new cameras installed, Manhattan also installed a Blackmagic 4K 2-M/E video switcher, which will allow students to learn more modern filming techniques. This will also better prepare them for eventually working in a professional television studio. The last thing purchased by Manhattan for the broadcasting studio was a Blackmagic Hyperdrive digital disk record, which allows the user to record and playback the videos taken on the 4K cameras in 4K-resolution right in the studio. “We are right now the only institution of higher education in the greater New York metropolitan area to have such a facility. Not that other colleges and universities won’t eventually catch up with us. Surely they will within the next few years at least,” Thom Gencarelli, Ph.D., the Communication Department Chair, said. “However, because of the great work - and I’ll even say genius - of our consultant and engineer Jeff Anderson, who was part of the team that originally built the studio back in 2008, we’ve pretty much pulled off a miracle.” “We are very excited to be the first col-
Manhattan College has installed 4K cameras into the studio, making it the first college in the New York City area to have a 4K studio. Lindsey Burns/ The Quadrangle lege in the New York City area to have a 4K studio for our students to produce their projects,” associate professor Michael Grabowski, Ph.D. said. “Currently, there is only one professional city in Manhattan that advertises a 4K studio, Digital Arts NY, with many more about to upgrade this year. Many feature film and television productions are shooting work in 4K already in the field, so our students will be well prepared to work in that resolution, and they will have an edge over students at other colleges when they graduate and seek work in this competitive industry.” This all sounds like an expensive upgrade, however, Grabowski was pleased with the expenses. “I’m really happy to say that the move to 4K did not cost us any more money than it would have cost us to upgrade to HD,” Grabowski said. “Because of our timing, we now have the most current technology for less money than it would have cost two years ago.” This upgrade to MC’s broadcasting studio does not just benefit the college and its faculty. It also benefits the students. Originally, broadcasting students were at a disadvantage because the studio was never upgraded to HD. “I am energized by this upgrade, and so happy for my students to be able to work in this environment,” Grabowski said. “Since I arrived in 2010, our students were producing work in the old standard, while other college had upgraded to HD. Our students were disadvantaged by the lower resolution, and I was not able to attract professional clients to work with
our students in the space.” However, because of the money saved and funds received last year, the Communication Department realized they had enough money to skip upgrading the studio to HD and upgrade directly to 4K. “Our HD problem became a blessing in disguise, because we were able to leapfrog over HD and go directly to 4K, when other colleges had already spent their money a few years ago upgrading their studios to HD,” Grabowski said. The recent installation of these new cameras in the studio is going to be a major selling point for the school when potential students tour the school. “Another ‘pro’ is that our students will be able to go out into the industry with this system and its equipment, and their experience with it, listed at the bottom of their resumes,” Gencarelli said. “In fact, some students who graduate this spring will go out to work in professional shops that haven’t even attained what we have. Our program is, and has always been about trying to prepare our students for an industry of the future, not the industry of today.” With the installation of these new cameras, there is also the possibility of opening up the studio to outside broadcasting companies to use. “We will now be able to attract outside clients to come to us and use our facility and its equipment,” Gencarelli said. However, there are some conditions these companies will have to follow, such as hiring students as members of their professional production crew, offering intern-
ship positions for their productions, only using the facility at times when classes are not using it as well and paying a facilities fee. “I arrived at Manhattan College with a plan to create a sort of apprentice system for our production students. You can learn only so much in the classroom or making projects, but the only real way to understand how a professional production operates is to be a part of one,” Grabowski said. “This is a way to jump-start our students’ careers.” Grabowski is now encouraging his students to shoot more productions in the studio than ever before. “I encourage any students interested in working in production to become a part of MCTV and gain valuable experience in our studio,” he said. Not only will these cameras benefit the college, bringing in more money from outside companies, it will also benefit students exponentially. “I’m really excited about the upgrade. I love learning how to use new equipment,” Hugh Geraghty, a junior broadcasting student, said. “This studio will definitely benefit students, because we will be able to record better quality footage, so we can have professional looking projects.” Having the ability to work with technology that most major companies in the New York City area have yet to get ahold of gives the broadcasting students here at Manhattan College a great advantage in the professional world.
arts & entertainment
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Review: “Chicago” Taylor Brethauer Asst. Editor
Broadway marquees aren’t hard to miss, but the “Chicago” marquee above the Ambassador Theatre catches your eye as soon as you turn down 49th Street. This also says a lot about the show, with its catchy jazz tunes and excellent choreography, and how the musical has been a Broadway staple for so long. The show was the first musical of 2016 offered by Student Activities at a discount for only $20. It was an opportunity that many students couldn’t pass up. The Vaudeville-style musical has its fair share of announcing songs with “ladies and gentlemen” and flourishing dance moves as the audience is taken to 1920s Chicago. Roxie Hart is sent to jail after she murders her lover and joins famous murderess Velma Kelly in jail. She gets Chicago’s best lawyer Billy Flynn, played by NFL star Eddie George, to get her out of being found guilty and executed. Roxie’s time in jail and her trial are told through brilliant jazz numbers with eccentric dancing. “All That Jazz” and “Cell Block Tango” stole the show for the first act, as two of the most popular songs from the show. Act I was used as a set-up for Act II as tensions continue to rise as Roxie’s trial date looms nearer. Although she is loving the publicity, Billy Flynn tries to work with her to come up with a good alibi so she is able to acquitted. The show ends with a spectacular routine with Velma and Roxie getting past their differences and finally dancing together. A very minimalistic set, with the orchestra pit taking up most of the stage in an innovative way allows the performance to be the center of attention. Lighting techniques and the use of ladders and chairs make the audience use their imagination. This isn’t
very hard, since the dancers tell the stories through their high kicks and of course the ever-important jazz hands. When it comes to a classic Broadway show like “Chicago,” you can expect a show you’ll never forget with dance moves you only wish you could do. It captured the essence of the stereotypical 1920s in a creative and fun way that will leave you laughing at the sass and devious-ness of these burlesque stars. If you enjoy a classic Broadway show that showcases talent in a grand way, “Chicago” is your show. Just don’t tell people you’re going to “Chicago” without mentioning that it’s a musical first.
Student Activities sold tickets to the Broadway musical, “Chicago.” Taylor Brethauer/ The Quadrangle
MC Players Fight Violence Against Women Tori James Staff Writer
This past Saturday night, as a Valentine’s Day weekend tradition, the Manhattan College Players presented their annual “V-Day” performance with selections from A Memory, a Monologue, a Rant and a Prayer. The performance included 20 members of the MC Players ranging from freshman to senior status. The show itself included several readings, all in relation to the prevention of violence against women - the central theme of V-Day. “V-Day is a global activist movement that strives to bring an end to violence against women every February,” states the V-Day mission statement. “Groups around the world put on productions of different feminist works to raise money and awareness for the cause.” Eve Ensler, author of the Vagina Monologues, started the V-Day movement in 1998. A Memory, a Monologue, a Rant and a Prayer is an anthology of writings from several famous authors such as Howard Zinn, Maya Angelou and Abiola Adams, and is co-edited by Ensler herself. “V-Day’s message is so important because even though it is said it is never really felt all the time,” Liz Corrigan, director of the production and senior performer, said. “If even one person can make the change and help stop violence against women, then the movement is doing its job.” Donations were taken after the perfor-
The Manhattan College Players performed their annual “V-Day” performance this past Saturday night. Tori James/ The Quadrangle mance to raise money for Day One, an organization partnered with youth to end dating abuse and domestic violence through community education, supportive services, legal advocacy, and leadership development. Along with donations, attendees of the
show were also encouraged to sign the HeForShe pledge, ultimately making the commitment to stand in unity in order to work towards creating a gender equal world. “These are the piece’s people are afraid to talk about,” Angela Benevenia, a sophomore performer, said. “People don’t un-
derstand the severity of violence against women and girls around the world.” Today, there are over 5,800 V-Day events that take place every year to help spread the word to end violence towards women and work towards a world of gender equality.
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Arts & Entertainment
Feb. 16, 2016
Met Exhibit Showcases “The Art of Style” Abi Kloosterman Staff Writer
Stepping back into a time of big band music, glamorous gowns and classic old Hollywood, museumgoers fawn over bright pink ensembles and black satin dresses in The Costume Institute at The Met. The latest installation of high fashion, The Art of Style, is dedicated to Jacqueline de Ribes, a designer, philanthropist and one of the best-dressed women of all time. The Costume Institute at The Met is always dimly lit, from staircase to the main floor. The black and white portraits of de Ribes pop off the black backdrop as if the icon herself was present. Soft ballroom music plays, setting the classic tone of the entire exhibition. The ensembles are one intricately made garment after the other. Two black dresses fall over metallic mannequins and are paired with a bright pink gown, adorned with huge ruffles in the sleeves and down the back. To the right is a separate room. Three ensembles are perched atop their own pedestal. These are the crown jewels, the most prized possessions. One is an orange dress, draped in pearls and splattered with rhinestones along the bust. Across sits a gaudy gown of pink and dark green ombre complete with sparkles, jewels and a large pink feather headpiece. Just adjacent
lies the most inspired piece, a long bright pink dress with gold accents and a large headpiece, once that only de Ribes herself could truly work. The exhibit is far from over. Venturing further into the story of de Ribes’ fashionable life, more personalized designs grace mannequins. Bright pink, magenta, red, orange and periwinkle are spotted throughout the rest of the exhibit. Two beautiful blue hued dresses, separated by an orange gown, stand out among the warm colors. De Ribes’ collection is one of unique color and class. Further, watercolors make way for the end of the exhibit. Bright oranges and greens throw themselves together in one flowing kimono-esque dress, standing out from all the others. A neutral pearl colored and rhinestoned dress stands tall against the bright colors. The very last look is a neutral tweed dress with a matching cape and large fur thrown across the shoulders and flowing down the bodice. Fashion truly becomes art in The Met’s latest exhibit. Jacqueline de Ribes collection is a carefully chosen team of perfect pieces. Although each is unique and wholly different from the other, the garments are cohesive and true to style. The Met has taken an icon of fashion and made it a wonderfully colorful story of a woman whose life is just as colorful as her gowns.
A collection of ensembles at The Costume Institute at The Met. Abi Kloosterman/ The Quadrangle
Top 5 Reasons Dark Chocolate Made Our Superfood of the Month Alexa McDonald Guest Writer
Editor’s Note: Alexa McDonald, Manhattan College’s dietician, will be occasionally contributing articles centered round healthy eating in college. Now that winter is in full swing, it’s time to relax in the warmth of your dorm and enjoy a little end of the day sweetness. Whether it’s in hot chocolate, a chocolate bar or baked into a cake, you’ll be happy to know that one of your favorite sweets can be good for you: chocolate. But, not just any
type of chocolate, only dark chocolate has enough benefits to outweigh less redeeming characteristics, like excess calories and sugar. Here are our top 5 reasons Dark Chocolate is our February superfood: 1.) Essential Nutrients! One ounce of 60% cacao dark chocolate provides 2.3 grams of fiber, 15% of your daily magnesium intake, and 3.5 grams of healthy fats for 160 calories. 2.) Brain Power! Packed with antioxidants and flavonoids that stimulate blood flow to the brain, dark chocolate can actually help improve memory and concentration. Its fatty acids and caffeine
content also stimulate brain function. 3.) Heart Health! Cacao is rich in flavonoids, which can help lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and reduce risk factors for heart disease and stroke. To get the most flavonoids, look for dark chocolate without alkali or that has not been “dutched. 4.) Antioxidants! These diseasefighting components come from the cacao beans and are most prevalent in dark chocolate. Dark chocolate typically contains about 50-60% cocoa by weight and as the percentage increases, so do the benefits! As a general rule: the more bitter the taste, the healthier the piece!
5.) It’s versatile! Dark chocolate can be eaten by itself or used to add an extra punch of nutrition to your snack! Melt on low in the microwave and drizzle over trail mix, lightly salted popcorn or mixed nuts, or mixed berries. For added sweetness, stir an ounce into oatmeal or top low-fat yogurt with a few dark chocolate chips. Stick with a 1-ounce portion (the size of a package of dental floss) a few times a week. Look for versions with no sugary add-ins (like caramel, marshmallows, etc) and “unsweetened chocolate” as the first ingredient to reap benefits without unnecessary calories and sugar. Enjoy!
Arts & Entertainent
First Coffeehouse of Semester Garners Large Crowd Natalie Craig Contributer
Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the intimate space of the Jasper Hall lounge, students gathered for a night of the arts. A full house was present to watch friends and fellow students perform and show their creativity. Coffeehouse is run and operated by two students, RJ Liberto and George Schlink. Both Liberto, a senior history major, and Schlink, a junior chemical engineering major, hosted and performed a few songs of their own during the event. It is their last semester organizing the event together and plan on passing the baton to other students. The legacy they leave behind is one that has expanded and encouraged the variation of different types of performances. “Something that we’ve been promoting within Coffeehouse is more variety in the acts,”
Schlink said. “More poetry, more stand up, we even had one kid play the bagpipes.” Diversity was not lacking in Coffeehouse’s almost 3-hour long event. Ersan Mamudoski, a freshman clarinet player, was joined by Chris Lake on guitar for a jam duet of acoustic chords with a jazz flair. Ersan, a first time performer, later played a solo Turkish clarinet piece. “It’s amazing. It’s one of the best things to do on campus, I encourage every student to participate in the gathering of Coffeehouse,” Lake, a sophomore Computer Engineering major and seasoned veteran of the performances, said. Ukuleles, guitars, clarinet, keyboards and beat boxing were amongst the mediums used in the musical performances. However, musical acts were not the only thing brought to the table. Many students that participate in Manhattan College’s resident improv group
Scatterbomb brought some laughs to the event. Junior Will Lamparelli and sophomore Angela Benevenia performed original standup routines. Senior Carolyn Egan started off the night with her representation of “Lady Macbeth Doing Laundry,” a comedic monologue about scrubbing her king husband’s “soiled pantaloons.” Original poems that were recited reflected student’s perspectives of life in college, and life in general. These poems about good times, loss and growth were straight from the hearts of the students here at Manhattan College. Junior Olivia Smith zealously recited a piece expressing how she really felt about college food.
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Coffeehouse is a celebrated tradition at Manhattan College that occurs multiple times a semester. It encourages students of all interests and majors to use whatever medium they like to perform at the open mic event. “Coffeehouse reminds me of why I love Manhattan College,” Erica Rebussini, a junior in the audience supporting her friends, said. Although coffee and snacks were unfortunately unable to be provided during the event, the turnout reflected that people were not just there for the free cookies. The atmosphere was as warm and welcoming as a hot cup of joe anyway.
Students recited original poems and performed music at last week’s Coffeehouse. Natalie Craig/ Courtesy
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sports
Feb. 16, 2016
Once a Jasper, Always a Jasper
gram.” Bricketto said that she knew about Jaclyn Marr her promotion for a month but it was anSenior Writer nounced two weeks ago. She called her job a learning experience so far and looks Caitlin Bricketto, former captain of the forward to working with the athletes and Manhattan College women’s tennis team coaches. and a 2015 graduate, has been named the “My day-to-day work as operations operations manager of Manhattan’s De- manager is working directly with the partment of Intercollegiate Athletics. coaches,” Bricketto explained. “So far, Bricketto was a four-year letter-win- I’ve been setting up meetings with coaches ner for the tennis team and received the and finding out ways we can solicit donors Jasper Tennis Award for the highest cumu- and get money for their programs. I’m lative grade point average by a graduate also working hand-in-hand to be the liaion the team. For two years, she served as son between athletics and advancements. president of the Student Athlete Advisory We are really trying to make sure that they Committee (SAAC), receiving their Com- have everything they need from an athletmunity Service Award. ics standpoint and we have everything we “It’s really exciting,” Bricketto said need from a donor-list standpoint.” about working at her alma mater. “I think Bricketto explained her position furthat in my position now, it has made things ther, noting that advancements handle really smooth. There was no transition; I alumni. When previously asked, advanceknew what I was walking into. In terms ments would not know what teams needed of a new person coming into my role that to help their programs. With her position didn’t go to undergrad here, it wouldn’t as operations manager, Bricketto said she have been as easy as it has been for me to wants to work hand-in-hand and bridge hit the ground running.” that gap between athletics and advance So far, one of her major accomplish- ments. ments includes overseeing the raising of “I want to be able to give the coaches more than $8,000 for multiple community the resources that they need for their proservice initiatives last semester. With that, grams to be successful,” Bricketto said, the athletics program ranked second na- “and that would be through raising money tionally in the NCAA’s Helper Helper Di- for the things that will make their programs vision 1 Community Service Competition. better.” Her job as operations manager involves two key parts. Primarily, she works with the Jasper Club, Manhattan’s booster club for athletics. She deals with everything that has to do with raising money for the athletics program, from fundraising and mailings to getting in contact with alumni and donors. Another aspect of her job is working with the SAAC. This includes working directly with the athletes and getting any of their questions or concerns alleviated. “I learned how important the athletes are to the culture,” Bricketto said about her time in the program as an athlete. “We are here; we are working as administrators to make the athletes’ lives easier. “I know that is very dear to my heart because of the things I went through with the tennis team,” Bricketto continued. “When we wanted to go on trips or when we wanted new sweats, we needed to raise money. There were concerns we had that we needed to have a voice with. Being a tennis player here exposed me to what the athletes need. I am able to pay attention to that as an administrator and make sure that those things get handled.” Before her promotion, Bricketto worked as a graduate assistant for marketing under former director of intercollegiate athletics Noah LeFevre. She is currently enrolled in the college’s MBA program and was awarded a postgraduate scholarathlete scholarship from the MAAC in August 2015. “Caitlin represents everything that is great about our student-athletes,” LeFevre said when Bricketto received the scholarship. “She had a tremendous career at the college and really integrated herself into the fabric of the community. We are very fortunate to have her continue with the pro-
Former tennis captain Caitlin Bricketto has been promoted to operations manager of Manhattan’s athletic department. Go Jaspers/ Courtesy
Go Jaspers/ Courtesy
sports
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Jaspers Talk: Tom O’Connor RikkiLynn Shields Asst. Editor
On Jan. 11, Tom O’Connor was named Manhattan College’s interim athletic director, replacing Noah LeFevre. O’Connor comes in with 40 years of experience, having served as the former athletic director at George Mason University, Loyola University in Maryland, Santa Clara University and St. Bonaventure University, as well as the former chair of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship committee, and president of Athletic Solutions Consulting. The Quadrangle: Where are you from? Tom O’Connor: I grew up in Union City, N.J. TQ: What high school did you attend? TOC: I attended St. Michael’s High School in Union City, N.J. TQ: Did you do any sports in high school? TOC: I played four sports in high school. I played football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. I was also fortunate enough to get a basketball scholarship to Assumption College. TQ: What did you study in college? TOC: I graduated with a degree in history with a minor in sociology. I planned to be a teacher and a high school coach. I was fortune enough to have done so and I was very pleased. One day, a good friend of mine who happened to grow up in the next town told me there was an opening at Dartmouth College. I applied for the job and was lucky enough to get it. TQ: What did you do after college? TOC: After attending Assumption College, I went on and became a teacher and a coach at Clinton High School in Massachusetts. From there I became the assistant basketball coach at Dartmouth College, and then the head basketball coach at Dartmouth. After a couple of years there I went to Loyola as the head basketball coach, then took over as director of athletics and I was there for 10 years. After that I went to Santa Clara University as the director of athletics from 1986 to 1982. I then came back east and became the director of athletics at St Bonaventure University for basically two years. My last stop was George Mason University where I was the assistant vice president and director of athletics. TQ: A lot of people constantly ask, what exactly does an athletic director do? TOC: We do a lot, quite frankly. You manage a department of people. It ranges anywhere from budget to fundraising to infrastructure issues to organizational charts to the most important, dealing with student athletes. You’re a person for all seasons and all encompassing. It’s never one day that’s the same, you always have something that’s different. You try to have an agenda for the day but that may go sideways on any particular
@mcquad The Quadrangle
Tom O’Connor replaced Noah LeFevre as Athletic Direction. Go Jaspers/Courtesy day. However, you have to have goals and objectives and a plan. It’s mostly managing people and managing issues and ideas. TQ: Do you like your position here at Manhattan College so far? TOC: I think it’s fabulous. I’ve been very impressed with the people at the college and the administration, starting with the president. I’ve met a number of administrators on campus and they’re very welcoming and professional. The staff here, I’ve been extremely pleased with. The coaches have certainly been terrific as well. What really has impressed me is the student athletes and the student body as a whole. Even my wife has mentioned to me that Manhattan is just a really nice place to be. I feel it is very nurturing. The campus is beautiful but what makes a campus beautiful is the people, and if you’re walking around this campus talking to people you just get a good feeling that it’s a great place, which it is. Manhattan has exceeded my expectations. I had some thoughts about coming to the school, and I have been at a number of catholic colleges, and attended one, so I had some pre conceived notions of what being at a catholic school should be. As I said, it exceeded my expectations. TQ: While you’re here, what are some things you think you can work on as the athletic director? TOC: The first thing I had to do was get to know people, and that has been terrific. The second thing is just creating an infrastructure, and some policies and procedures, nothing too heavy, but just trying to get things in order and streamline some of the issues we have. I’m trying to create a systematic way of doing things and it has been very fruitful. My whole thrust has been the experience of the student athlete. That is the most important thing to me. We want to make sure that the student athlete has basic human needs; love, food, clothing, shelter, to make sure they feel comfortable physically, emotionally, and spiritually. All of the issues I talked about earlier, infrastructure, organizational charts or things like that still have to be referred to the student athlete because they are the most important part of the athletic program. TQ: Any last words for the readers? TOC: My door is always open. I know it’s a cliche, but it really is. I promise all the student athletes if they come in, I’ll get up from my desk and talk to them, whatever they want to talk about. Whether it be the weather, or something going on around here, we can close the door and talk. When you make a decision, don’t go in alone. Make sure you talk it out with people. The biggest thing I’m also trying to get across to the student athletes is the term “Respect for self. Respect for others.” When dealing with other people, you have to show respect. Certainly, you have to respect yourself first.
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Sports
Personality Makes Talent Stand Out That Much More: Thomas Capuano
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Thomas Capuano has had an impressive freshman campaign for the Jaspers. Kevin Fuhrmann/ The Quadrangle
Jon Reyes Senior Writer
When Thomas Capuano was a kid, his passion for basketball was quite obvious to his mom, Janet. “Anything you’re worried about, any stress in your life, it’s just gone,” Thomas said when asked about how basketball makes him feel. “You just have to focus on one goal and you use your teammates to achieve that.” He was always in the gym. He’d attend every practice he had to go to and then rush to any practices other teams held. Any opportunity he had to be around the game, he’d take it, even if it was sitting in on other teams’ practices. There was no limit. He just wanted to do it. All of it, Janet recalled. “It was that discipline that is a big part to getting to where he is today,” she said. “No one has seen Tom play more than I have since the third grade,” she continued. “I understand it’s biased coming from his mom but I’ve always known what he’s capable of and believed in him 1,000 percent that he could play at [the Division I] level and succeed at that level. … He has always had to prove himself, he was the underdog a lot of the way, just in terms of his height -- [ 5 feet 11 inches].” From AAU through college, almost ev-
eryone who knows Capuano well describes him as tough; a grinder; determined; a hard-worker; hard-nosed; blue-collar. The list can go on. If someone told him he had to work on his strength, for example, he’d do pushups and sit-up before bed without fail. And if he forgot to do them one night, he would get up when he remembered. When he has a goal he goes for it, his mom remembered. “He’s the toughest mentally, physically that I’ve ever had as a coach,” Chris Ward, Capuano’s Amateur Athletic Union Spartans head coach, said, “and I’ve been coaching for 28 years. … He’s got a special quality, charisma.” What Capuano’s mom and his former AAU coach, Ward, said about him was on full display when Steve Masiello, his current coach at Manhattan College, said he saw in Capuano when recruiting him. And in a season when player injuries seem to continuously find themselves trying to be a bit of a road block for the team’s aspirations of a third consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title, Capuano has already proven his worth to Masiello. As a freshman no less. “He’s a lot like [senior guard] RaShawn [Stores] in his demeanor of how hard he plays,” Masiello said. “He plays with a great edge to him, chip on his shoulder,
however you want to word it. [What] helps him so much as a freshman is his ability to shoot the basketball, most freshman struggle shooting the basketball, but he has done a nice job of coming in shooting the basketball at a high clip, making his job a little easier and that makes his role easier.” Injuries and team defections have forced Capuano into the spotlight, and the freshman has taken advantage of every opportunity. The 5-foot-11 guard averages 26.6 minutes per game, and ranks sixth in the MAAC in three point percentage with a .418 clip, and tied for third in steals with 1.5 per game. “I’m excited about the next three years of him,” Masiello said. “He’s going to have so much experience. He has already probably played, I bet, as many minutes as guys halfway through their sophomore year, never mind freshman year. This is a great foundation for him to get better, have a great offseason, work hard and do the things he needs to become an elite player in this league.” Remaining ‘modest’ and ‘defensiveminded’ In the summer of Capuano’s senior year at Iona Preparatory High School, his AAU team, the Spartans, were set to face the Expressions Elite in the first round of a hoop group event, a team it was expected to lose to by 50 points, Ward recalled.
He said in that game he remembers Capuano scoring 41 points on 19-of-22 shooting, which included nine 3-pointers. Ward added that without Capuano’s performance, it would never have been a fourpoint game with nine minutes to play until its eventual 14 point loss, 68-54. Ward said as he watched Capuano play, that’s when he knew he had a DI player on his team for the first time ever. Capuano still visits Iona Prep when he’s home. He’ll sit on the bench and watch kids play where he used to, and when his former teammates see him they look at him with respect, not necessarily for his ability to play basketball either. “He’s so modest. He’s a team kid,” Ward said. “He never got preferential treatment. He didn’t look for it, ask for it. That helps in his efficiency in college.” “Pretty much all the coaches I’ve played for are defensive-minded,” Capuano said when told about all of the high-praise from his mom and coaches. “You can’t take a play, drill off; practices are hard—it led me to here, it all prepared me for this. It was kind of just like a ladder. Built me up, built me up, and now I’m here.” Just in the way he responded, from his parents, Joseph and Janet; his brothers, Nick and Jake; Ward; Vic Quirillo, his coach at Iona Prep; and now Masiello. They all deserve a tip of the Cap’.