Issue 9, Fall 2016 - The Quadrangle by Manhattan College Quadrangle

THE Volume 94, Issue 9

UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924

October 25, 2016

www.mcquad.org

Local Kids Come to Campus for Safe Halloween

See page 2 MC students decorated classrooms and created activities for this years’ Safe Halloween, an event that invites local children to trick-or-treat around campus. Catherine Goodyear/The Quadrangle

South Campus Residence Hall Coming Fall 2019, New STEM Building September 2020 Sean Sonnemann Editor

Redesigning South Campus In a few short years, Manhattan College’s South Campus (the area near Leo Hall and RLC) will look very different to the college community. A series of ongoing projects are well underway that have already and will continue to impact the appearance and operations of not just that area, but the entire campus. The first stage of the plan is already complete, with the new Center for Student Success opening in the renovated Thomas Hall this past September. It combines a wide range of student resources on campus including tutoring, graduate school admissions and career development. The ensuing phases of the plan will then culminate with the opening of a new 30,000 square foot STEM building addition to Leo Hall, a 300-bed apartment style residence hall on the site of the current Mahan Physical Plant Complex and a quadrangle-like south campus green space joining the two. “It’s probably a little bit of a painful process but the end result will be very, very positive,” Andrew Ryan, Vice President for

Facilities, said. “We have to go through some steps in order to get there but the end result will be very positive.” With the STEM building scheduled to open by September 2020 and the residence hall by Fall 2019, several of those steps are already in motion. “We are actually in design right now,” Ryan said. “We’re in what’s called the ‘programmatic development phase’ on it.” Last spring, Ryan worked closely with the deans of the engineering and science schools as well as their relevant department heads to complete a STEM study addressing what needs the new building had to meet. With that information and continued input from faculty members, architecture firm Mitchell Giurgola went to work designing the new building. The firm is a specialist in higher education science and research facilities. The current programmatic development involves figuring out how many benches, hoods, gas lines, electrical outlets and other resources the new laboratories will need. The design will transition into detailed design and construction drawings that are set to be finished by October 2017—just a year away. Ryan expects renderings of the STEM Building to be ready for release

with the public in the near future. A New Residence Hall and South Campus Quad Concurrently, other stages in the South Campus Master plan are also in progress in order to furnish the new residence hall and nearby green space. The residence hall is also already in the design phase, with architecture firm Cube 3 undertaking the project. Fittingly, they are known for their work on collegiate residence hall facilities. The new building will be an apartment-style facility geared towards upperclassmen and is expected to house approximately 300 beds. For comparison, apartment-style Overlook Manor currently houses between 375 and 400 students. “A couple of the goals are to decant a little out of Overlook, decant a little bit out of Horan, and to have more attractive, affordable, apartment-style housing so that we can retain more students on campus,” Ryan said. Of course, in order to construct the new residence hall, the Mahan Complex will need to be demolished. Physical Plant will be relocated to the college’s parking facility, where designs for their new space in the garage have already been complet-

ed.

A construction contract for the Physical Plant parking garage space is ready to be awarded by the college, according to Ryan. Construction for that should be completed towards the end of the first quarter of 2017. Soon after, demolition of the old Mahan building will begin with the erection of the residence hall on that site to follow. Joining the new residence hall and STEM building will be an open and inviting green space to be built on the site of the Riverdale Auto Body Shop, now owned by the college. The college also currently owns the green garage space located just behind it along Tibbet Avenue. Why a New STEM Building? The new STEM building will be fully connected to the existing structure of Leo Hall, tying-in to the current engineering building on its south side. During construction, the façade on the west side of Leo will also be removed and rebuilt to ensure a seamless look for the new, expanded facility. However, the new combined space will not just be for engineering students. The new extension will exclusively house laboratories for The School of Science’s chemContinued on page 3

The

Quadrangle www.mcquad.org

Vol. 94 Issue 9 Oct. 25, 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

News

Oct. 25, 2016

Local Kids Come to Campus for Safe Halloween Catherine Goodyear Staff Writer

Children from all around the northwest Bronx got to attend Kappa Delta Pi’s annual Safe Halloween celebration on Friday, where they could go from room to room to get candy and participate in activities from an array of Manhattan College clubs and students. Brigid Phelan, president of Kappa Delta Pi, said the education honors society tries to keep MC involved in the community but hosting an array of events for local students. “Because a lot of our members work in or student teach at the local schools, we like to get involved. For example, we do book drives, Dr. Seuss day, Safe Halloween, and other fun activities that also educate the students at the same time. I love being involved with Safe Halloween because the kids get to come in costume and get excited about the activities on Campus,” said Phelan. A lot of planning and preparation goes into the event by the Kappa Delta Pi presidents and committees. Each committee has a specific job like fundraising candy donations, or working on campus and community events that publicize both on and off

campus. The presidents also help book the rooms and campus organizations who get involved. Deborah Greenblatt assistant professor of education of education and faculty advisor or Kappa Delta Pi said, “All of our members are involved in one way or another. We have members who bring flyers to the local schools and hand them out to the kids and talk to the principles in order to have the kids come here. This event is the way it is because we wanted to be a part of Manhattan College’s identity so we could match our mission with the school’s mission and we could follow Lasallian values while giving back to the community.” Organizations from all backgrounds on campus get involved allowing Safe Halloween to run smoothly. Without the participation from the clubs and sports teams here on campus, Safe Halloween would not be as successful as it is. “Safe Halloween reminds of the Lasallian value of having an inclusive community. We are all very lucky to call Riverdale our shared home,” said Siobhan Noon of Singers. “This is a special way of giving back to this community by providing a safe and fun environment for kids and parents to get into the spirit of Halloween. Manhattan College Singers proudly participates in Safe Halloween every year.”

Each organization has a theme for their assigned room. This year Kappa Delta Pi’s theme was super heroes because they wanted the kids to see that teachers are super heroes too and not all heroes wear capes. Some clubs use Safe Halloween to promote their mission by incorporating it in the activities they set up for the kids. Christopher Dusovic, president of Engineering Ambassadors said, “Engineering Ambassadors has a cool demonstration with oobleck material, which is basically corn starch and water, for the kids to play with. It is a good introduction to science for little kids, especially at their age because we want to spark some interest to pursue science while they are in school and be opened to engineering.” Other clubs use Safe Halloween to promote awareness about important topics and issues in a child-friendly way. Having the children talk about important issues from a young age could help shape their future. “This year Green Club wanted to raise awareness about Bumble bees because it is becoming more and more prevalent that they are on the verge of extinction. We have the kids making Bumble Bee arts and crafts out of recycled materials and at the same time we are adding facts on the bumble bees for the kids to know,” said Daniel Aguirre vice president of Green Club.

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 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.

The men’s lacrosse team during Safe Halloween. Catherine Goodyear/The Quadrangle

news

South Campus Residence Hall Coming Fall 2019, New STEM Building September 2020 Continued from page 1 istry, biology and physics departments, in addition to The School of Engineering’s mechanical, chemical, civil and environmental engineering departments. The School of Engineering’s department of electrical and computer engineering will not have laboratory space in the new STEM building. “The new building is going to be dedicated more to laboratories from the standpoint of wet labs, dirty labs, construction labs and those types of things,” Tim Ward, dean of The School of Engineering, said. “Whereas electrical labs are a lot cleaner and they can be built in different places for a lot less money than what this building is going to go up for.” According to Ward, the new engineering labs will be of benefit to both students and faculty, in terms of both instruction and research. He is not looking to use the building to expand the size of the undergraduate program (1,147 as of this fall’s college census) and lose the small-class sizes and

personal connections between students and the professors. However, the new facilities may help grow the graduate side of the engineering school by offering more attractive and modern research space. On a purely practical level, it makes sense for the schools of engineering and science to share space due to the significant number of school of science course requirements for underclassmen engineering students. However, both deans agree the new shared space will bring more than just logistical benefits. “If we are going to have a strong engineering program and a strong science program, we need both of those here, then we are going to have to do something to try and improve our spaces,” Ward said. Dean of the School of Science Constantine Theodosiou is excited at the prospect of collaboration between the two schools. “This is an ideal situation where you can share facilities, you can share expertise, share instruments [for research],”

he said. “It goes beyond the introductory labs.” “Your degree does not prescribe and preclude what you can do and what you cannot do—not anymore. Today, everything is interdisciplinary. You cannot afford to be narrowly focused.” Further Plans

given a passport and an identity and they had to move through the most basic examples of the immigration process seen from the perspective of people from all around the world pertaining to different socioeconomic backgrounds and countries. “Especially with the Syrian refugee crisis, people think that Syrian refugees will come into the county by the hundreds of thousands, and that’s just not the way that it is,” McTague said. “We want people to walk out of here having had a very small experience with it and maybe understand the next time they see something in the news or the next time they hear someone talking about it, that they feel like now we’ve started a dialogue; that people want to ask questions and to know what questions to ask.” But a very concise question has been raised during the past few months and had to be clarified before starting the event: was the conversation going to turn around the broad concept of immigration as a whole or was it going to be narrowed down to the more concise speech about illegal immigration carried by some politicians during the campaign period? “The idea of someone being illegal is a very flaw thing to say, people do illegal

things,” Alannah Boyle, junior student and CRS student ambassador, said. “People that cross here illegally they do an illegal thing to get into this country but that doesn’t mean that they are an illegal person, and that is a very important distinction to make if we’re going to talk about human beings.” According to Boyle, everyone has a story, a family, and a reason to leave where they come from to look for a better life, and each story of each person who came to the United States is different based on the situation they were born to: the color of their skin, their religion or their socioeconomic status. “I think that this is the kind of confusion that is really felt when people are sitting in immigration offices and they are not speaking the same languages or not really understanding paperwork, sometimes I can’t understand paperwork in English,” Micaela Bishop, a third year student, said. “I think that really brings into effect the feeling of being in the same kind of situation.” The group of student ambassadors was pleased with the result of the evening and the conclusions that people deducted from the exercises performed.

While the new STEM building and residence hall will be a significant accomplishment for the college once complete, the new space will also provide flexibility to renovate existing facilities around campus. First on the list are RLC, Leo and Hayden Hall. While specific post-construction plans and details are not yet finalized, it is likely that the ROTC program and the School of Liberal Arts Communications Department (both currently housed in Leo) would be moved into Hayden Hall. As many know, there are still empty spaces in the basement of Leo Hall that arose with the construction of the Kelly

Commons, namely the former site of the college bookstore and Leo Cafeteria. It is possible that those spaces might be used as temporary classroom locations for those that will be affected by the work on the Leo façade and other related construction impacts and noise. While the various construction projects will bring challenges and adjustments for the college community, the end goal is for a unified South Campus that combines the college’s science, engineering, technology and mathematics programs in a modern space. As of press time, the college was not ready to release specific details regarding financing and costs of the various projects on South Campus. “We conducted an extensive feasibility study using outside counsel which had a positive result and we are moving forward with our fundraising efforts,” Thomas Mauriello, vice president for college advancement said through e-mail to The Quadrangle.

CRS Program Highlights Difficulties of Emigration

Daniel Molina & August Kissel Editor & Staff Writer

As part of the efforts to create conscience about the real information behind the negative rhetoric used by the media and some other public figures during this electoral year, the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Student Ambassadors created “Crossing Borders,” a simulation of what difficulties immigrants have to face when coming into the United States. The point of the activity was not only presenting the information about this hot topic but also humanizing something that is seen so generically within a macroeconomic context: for numbers to become each individual as a person. “What we want to do is to open people’s eyes a little bit and show them that we are not really different than these immigrants,” Kayli McTague, senior student and ambassador for the CRS, said. “We are all kind of immigrants in these country no matter when or from where our ancestors came from.” During the simulation, people were

“I feel like that even though this is such a complex and multifaceted issue, I think that there are a lot of people who knew very little if nothing at all about the immigration process in this country and about how immigration works and I do think that for some people were able to sort of start that dialogue and I hope that they will continue that dialogue as they leave here today and I also think that maybe putting some names and stories and faces to the issue humanizes it in a way that the next time this issue comes up people don’t just change the channel or start talking about something else that they feel is more important. They now feel a little bit responsible for the topic,” Boyle said. “As a citizen of this country you have the right to go talk to your representatives and you have the right to petition for things, and write letters and the power is on our hands. So we are all part of the problem but we are also all able to be part of the solution and I hope that people leave here today knowing that.” For more information about this topic and other ones such as Fair Trade, water, or sanitation, visit the CRS University page.

#QuadByYou

• Have a comment on an article or piece of news? • Want to share your picture of an event on campus? • Got a news tip or story idea? LET US KNOW! Get our attention. Get it trending.

News

Oct. 25, 2016

Also On Campus Jack Melanson Asst. Editor

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. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald J. Trump debated for the third and final time Wednesday night in Las Vegas, Nevada. The debate was the most substantive of the three – but still featured some heated and personal clashes between the candidates. The debate opened with the topic of the Supreme Court. Trump stressed that the justices he would appoint would be pro-life and pro-gun rights, while Clinton focused on L.G.B.T. issues and electoral issues like Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission. On the abortion issue, the students interviewed by the Quadrangle are mostly pro-choice, and would prefer pro-choice Supreme Court justices. “It’s no one’s business but the mother’s, because she’s the one who’s going to have to live with that decision for the rest of her life,” said student Ellissa Rosado, a Democrat who supported Bernie Sanders in the primary. But Rosado doesn’t think Trump’s stances are all that genuine. “I think [Trump’s] going to say whatever he needs to say to get votes,” Rosado said. “He knows the kind of people he attracts, he’s going to say whatever he needs to say to attract those people.” “If you get your girlfriend pregnant, you’re not in the right place to say, ‘Oh you have to get that aborted,’ or, ‘Oh, you have to keep it,” freshman Jack Consolini said. “It’s their body. It’s their choice.” Amanda Nunez views abortion as a public health issue. “People who want or are adamant on getting abortions are going to do it regardless, and I feel like if you make it illegal, and you make it harder for women to get the resources to get abortions, you’re just putting them in danger of risky stuff,” Nunez said. Responding to a question on immigration, Trump said, “We stop the drugs. We shore up the border. One of my first acts will be to get all the drug lords, all the bad ones – we have some bad, bad people in this country that have to go out.” He later added, “But we have some bad ‘hombres’ here and we’re going to get them out.” Sophomore Justin Zank, a Trump supporter, agrees with Trump’s stance on immigration. “People are here illegally – and they shouldn’t be here. It’s as simple as that,” Zank said. “Obviously Donald Trump isn’t going to deport 11 million – however many people are here illegally. But if he can get out some of the people who are really causing issues, I think that’s great.” Zank thinks that ideally, all illegal immigrants would be deported, but he acknowledges the challenges associated with

such an operation. “It’s unrealistic to make that happen and the consequences that it could have on our economy is – who knows what it could do. I’d say – focus on deporting those who are committing crime.” Freshman Seane Sakunanathan agrees that illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes should be deported, but disagrees with the deportation of non-violent illegal immigrants. “We shouldn’t be putting them in a jail cell if they’re not here legally, because we are paying for them,” Sakunanthan said of violent illegal alien criminals. But Sakunanathan took objection with Trump’s choice of the word “hombre.” “You can’t just stereotype… it’s like racism,” Sakunanathan said. Phoebe Torsilieri disagrees with Trump, saying, “There needs to be an easy path to citizenship. We need to do it.” Torsilieri also took exception with Trump’s word choice, calling it “unacceptable.” She plans to vote for Clinton. WikiLeaks leaked part of a transcript of a private speech Clinton gave to a Brazilian bank in which she said, “My dream is a hemispheric common market with open trade and open borders.” But in the debate, Clinton said, “We will not have open borders,” and since launching her campaign has adopted more protectionist views, including taking a stance against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (T.P.P.). “Hillary, at the end of the day, is a politician, and politicians at the end of the day say things that they don’t really mean,” Torsilieri explained. Torsilieri says that she preferred Sanders in the primary. “I don’t really trust her, but, I don’t know, I’m really conflicted,” Torsilieri said. “Is she telling the truth? Is she lying,” sophomore John Quinn asked. Quinn, a self-described independent, finds it hard to believe what Clinton says, and is leaning towards Trump. “You can’t really take what she says as fact,” Zank said. When asked if Zank believes what Clinton says, he responded, “Not at all. Not a word.” Trump addressed the allegations of sexual assault that have been swirling around him, saying, “those stories have been largely debunked.” He added, “These women, the woman on the plane, the – I think they either want fame or [Clinton’s] campaign did it.” Torsilieri and Nunez believe the accusations, even if they don’t see much proof. “I feel like there’s no definite proof… but I wouldn’t be surprised, after hearing what he said,” Nunez said, referencing a lewd video from 2005 leaked by the Washington Post in which Trump bragged about how he can kiss and grope women without consequence because of his stardom. But Nunez also added, “You need to take the woman’s word for it.” Zank remains skeptical of the charges, saying that the timing is suspicious. “I think it’s very ironic that now in October, when Donald Trump never had these issues before, now all of a sudden these women are coming out. I think it’s

very ironic,” Zank said. “If this was true, it would’ve come out a while ago.” Torsilieri believes that the women now have a safe space to make their voices heard, drawing comparisons between Trump’s accusers and the multiple women who accused comedian Bill Cosby, Jr. of sexual assault in 2014 and 2015. “One woman spoke out and then a bunch of women felt comfortable enough to say, ‘Hey, this happened to me, too,” Torsilieri said. “I think that we shouldn’t be debating the timing of it because at the end of the day this is what somebody said happened and we should be taking that seriously.” Trump did not indicate either way if he would accept the results of the election, saying, “I will look at it at the time,” arguing that the results may be tainted by voter fraud. Clinton called Trump’s refusal to unequivocally accept the result “horrifying.” In Ohio on Thursday, Trump said, “I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election, if I win.” “He’s being asked this question because he has in so many different ways, tried to delegitimize the outcome,” said Margaret Groarke, Ph.D., associate professor of government. “He can say whatever he wants, just like Clinton can say whatever she wants to say,” Zank said. “It’s tough with this election because the media has been so biased, and it’s been so difficult – especially on Donald.” Zank also fears that “there is a massive amount of voter fraud.” But Groarke argues that charges of widespread voter fraud are trumped up. “We have almost no voter fraud in the United States, so this is a fairly false charge that is being brought up for partisan reasons, in order to support more restrictive voting laws,” Groarke said. Clinton took a jab at Trump, saying, “My Social Security payroll contribution will go up, as will Donald’s, assuming he can’t figure out how to get out if it.” Trump interjected, “Such a nasty woman.” Trump’s statement has drawn criticism from Clinton supporters. But Zank argues that this is Trump being Trump, and finds no fault with the personal tone of the comment. “The whole political correctness thing – I think we need to stop worrying so much about what can we say – what can’t we say,” Zank said. “If he wants to say that that’s fine, that’s Donald’s style. He’s not a politician.” Quinn disagreed, saying, “I think it is a little beneath a presidential candidate to say in a presidential debate.” But Quinn said that the wacky nature of 2016, including the controversy over Clinton’s use of a private email server while Secretary of State, makes the comment more acceptable in perspective. “He shouldn’t have said it, but people were expecting it to happen,” Sakunanthan said. “They’ve been acting like this the entire debate, just bickering at each other.”

Student Athlete Advisory Committee The Student Athlete Advisory Committee at Manhattan College earned some national recognition this past September. The crew united to log more than 2,000 hours of community service. When compared to other NCAA Division I programs, last fall Manhattan College ranked second in logged hours, this time around the college ranks first. Some of these community service hours included running in the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Memorial Run, which honors a New York City firefighter that lost his life on September 11, 2001. Other hours were spent at the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides for a Cure” 5K walk in Central Park. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has multiple community service events coming up in the future and plans to continue giving back to the surrounding community. Lambda Nu Inductees Four seniors have recently been inducted in Lambda Nu. The prestigious society honors excellent students for Radiological and Imaging Sciences. Kaitlyn Von Runnen, student at Manhattan College, provided the following information in regards to the new inductees. “We would all like to congratulate our four seniors that are being inducted into Lambda Nu - The National Honor Society for the Radiological and Imaging Sciences!” The newly inducted seniors are Kevin Kim - RTT, Maksim Pikus - NMT, Ramesh Ramcharran - NMT and Kayla Smith NMT. “We would also like to congratulate Mr. Kenneth Martinucci - RTX as a Faculty member,” provided Von Runnen. Registration for Second Semester The office of registrar sent out an email this past week that provided helpful hints to students who will be registering for courses for the upcoming semester. The office suggests that students should login to Self-Service well before registration begins at 7 a.m. and that students should review their accounts prior to registration periods to check for academic holds which can occur throughout the semester. Registration is set to begin on the first of November for seniors and athletes.

News

Printers to be Added in Student Commons Meghan Dreher & August Kissel Staff Writers

Each day, students rush to class, always leaving with enough travel time to arrive to class in a timely manner. A typical pit stop along the way is the library. Upon entering, a common sight is to find a mass of students either waiting to use or using the computers, hoping to quickly print out their assignment and be on their way. This clogged chaos can become a problem if a student has to walk to a building far away, or that the library is out of their way. Now, though, students will have one more place to congregate and print things out for school in the Raymond Kelly Student Commons, thanks to an effort by student government and the office of student Engagement. “We’ve heard rumblings about it for a while and student government brought it up as one of their initiatives, they wanted to look into the possibility of it,” said John Bennett, director of Student Engagement, whose office has already placed the order for the first printer and plan on installing it and opening it up to the student body within the next few weeks.

The accessibility of the library printers has been a common concern with commuter students. Some have found it to be inconvenient to walk to the library to print, when it is out of their way. Commuter student Jaime Avila said he does not always have time to walk to the main part of campus to print. “It’s especially hard if you’re someone who has a majority of your classes in Leo and RLC, or just because you don’t have enough time in between classes.” said Avila. The new printer will also benefit those that live in Overlook Manor. Sharilyn Uyehara is a junior that lives in Overlook and finds the distance between Overlook and the library to cause a time constraint when heading to class. “It’s such a hassle, especially when I need to print for my next class and I’m running late. A printer in Kelly would at least be on the way.” she said. Alexa Iaquinto added a printer in Kelly would be safer for Overlook residents to access. “If I finish a paper late at night and I need to print it, it’s not really safe to walk to the library and back to OV,” she said The technology at the printing station will be made up of computers student government already has, according to Bennett. He said this was because the printing sta-

tion is primarily a student government initiative. “The intention is not to be a work station, where you type your midterm paper. So we will put up signage...we want it to be something nice but also something that says please be respectful of other student’s time and that this a printer station and not a work station.” Bennett said. The printer will be located in the club room, room 4-12, on the fourth floor of the Kelly Commons, mainly because it is a room that is always open for student use. “It’s never locked...whenever the building is open, the door is open.” said Bennett. Together, Student Engagement and student government are hopeful for this project to take off and that many students will find this added printing station to be beneficial. “If enough interest is shown, we will pursue having the printers being moved to a lower floor of the Commons,” Student Body President Dorian Persaud said. “In the future, we are also interested in having a printing station in Overlook Manor.” The launch of the printer station will be announced on MC Announcements and the MC social media accounts within the next couple of weeks.

mean together. I think that’s fun, more useful and less painful.” Groarke also said that young people play an important role in the world of politics and that most of the students that attended the event will be voting for the first time ever this election. “We’re working on an effort to get more people to vote this year. Recognizing that in the last presidential election 35 percent of Manhattan College students voted,” Groarke said. “Issues of young people are not a big concern on the national stage because young people do not vote in the numbers that make politicians pay attention to them and I think raising that number increases that generation’s power.” Hayley Herker is a member of the Government Club and would like to see people her age to be more involved in politics. “I think it’s really important to keep students informed. The mission of our club is to defeat political apathy on campus.” “I think [events like these] bring people together because we are all in the room watching it together and you can hear other people’s reactions…it’s where you can start the conversation,” Herkert said. Herkert also said that millennials need to know that their vote does matter. “The first presidential election you vote in is something you are always going to remember and our generation has the

potential to determine who our next president will be.” Some students that attended the event did not have as much of an appreciation for the atmosphere. Jalah Jarvis, MC student, said that joining students with opposing views while watching the debate has the potential to create a divided space. “Watching the debate with other people, especially with a different political view than your own, can make students rowdy. We start to pick on the candidates more,” Jarvis said. “For a lot of students, this election has become more of a joke and people are not taking it as seriously as the past election cycles even though every election matters.” Despite select criticisms, the Government Club said the viewing of the debate was a success. At the end of the debate, those who attended were asked to fill out their opinions on the results of the debate. Twenty people were surveyed and the results consisted of an overall vote of 85 percent saying that Hillary Clinton won the debate while 10 percent said Donald Trump won. This debate, if nothing else, has proven that the fate of our country is in the hands of the voters, which can only be determined on November 8.

MC Gathers to Watch the Last Presidential Debate Meghan Sackman Staff Writer

On Wednesday Nov. 19, the third and final presidential debate for the 2016 election took place in Las Vegas. While hundreds of Republicans and Democrats gathered in Nevada to watch the high stakes debate, the rest of America sat at the edge of their seats to see what would happen in this highly anticipated event. Among these Americans were the students of the Government and Politics club along with many other interested Manhattan College students who gathered in the Kelly Commons to watch the historical event ensue. The Office of Student Engagement worked with members of the Government Club to set up a space for students to communally experience the televised event. The set up included a large screen for the debate to be displayed, rows of chairs, as well as refreshments such as pizza and beverages. Margaret Groarke, faculty advisor of MC’s Government and Politics Club, explained why it is important for students to experience such a controversial event together in communal setting. “I think it’s a lot better to watch these things with other people and to be able to talk about them and think about what they

Students Say Public Safety Dropped Ball RikkiLynn Shields Asst. Editor

A group students said they were disappointed in Manhattan College’s Public Safety office on Oct. 15, when they used an on-campus blue light to call for help while being followed at almost midnight. “My friends and I were walking home from McDonald’s on Broadway to one of our friend’s apartments on [West] 236th Street. On our way, we noticed a man in a black hoodie walking rapidly behind us. He followed us to the apartment. We quickly entered the apartment building,” Samantha Monfils said. “After approximately an hour and a half passed, we left the apartment to walk back to our dormitory on campus. The same man was on the other side of the street, and started to follow us again. Terrified for our safety, we ran to the Kelly Commons Building and pressed the button at the blue light to get help.” Monfils said one of the most traumatic parts of the ordeal was the reaction of public safety officers when they arrived on scene. Monfils said the officers that appeared after they rang the bell seemed more frustrated than concerned for her and her friends. “I am astonished at how poorly Public Safety addressed the situation. When we called for help, the person on the line was helpful; rightfully so, they asked for our location and stayed on the line with us until someone came and got us. Here, it took approximately five minutes for someone to arrive,” she said. “Upon arrival, Public Safety personnel proceeded to engage in what felt like an interrogation. They asked for our names, ID numbers, what we were doing, and what the man looked like. While asking such questions is part of the process to assess threat and safety, not once were we asked whether we were okay or not. We simply wanted to get out of the area and be taken back to our dorm room safely.” Monfils said one of the public safety officers went to look for the man who was following the students, to no avail. When he came back though, Monfils said he started asking her and her friends about why they were out so late. “When the second Public Safety officer returned, he reported to not have seen anyone. It was here that we were then asked about whether or not we were coming back from the frat house,” she said. “Frankly, we were made to feel as if we were the ones who caused the situation we were in by being out late at night, i.e. victim-blaming, and that we were being an inconvenience to the Public Safety officers.” Another student involved, Lauren Alexander, said the interaction with Public Safety made them feel like they were at fault for being followed. After an almost 20-minute investigation by the officers, the students were allowed to get in a Public Safety and were taken back to their residence halls. “It was almost inhuman, like they were reading from a script. I felt like it was my fault or like I made a mistake by calling them,” she said. “We were all hesitant to hit the blue light and we shouldn’t have been. This should be a reliable option for anyone who feels uncomfortable.” The Public Safety office has not responded to a request for comment.

Features

Oct. 25, 2016

Alumna Katie Kerbstat Wins Emmy Award Kyleigh Panetta Asst. Editor

Less than a decade ago Katie Kerbstat was still writing for The Quadrangle. About one month ago Kerbstat accepted an Emmy for her work with CBS’ “60 Minutes”. She helped produce “A Crime Against Humanity”, which aired in April 2016 and told the story of a 2013 sarin gas attack in Syria. Kerbstat credits Manhattan College for helping her find and pursue her career in journalism. “After high school I had no idea what I wanted to major in in college, let alone do with my life,” Kerbstat said. “Luckily upon admission to MC, I got one of those Quad scholarships to write for the newspaper and I liked it so I majored in communications with a concentration in print journalism.” Kerbstat was a member of the first graduating class of MC’s Communication program. Thom Gencarelli, Ph.D., is the founding Chair of the Communication program and said he immediately knew that Kerbstat was a promising student. “She went on and did tremendously and graduated with honors. With being a

volleyball player and being the editor in chief of the Quadrangle, we might say she was an overachiever,” Gencarelli said. Kerbstat said that some of her professors at MC had real experience as journalists which allowed them to show her what the industry was like from the inside. “I was captivated by classes taught by adjunct professors like Marek Fuchs who worked at the New York Times and Joe

While she was a student, Kerbstat interned at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, CBS 2 News and CBS’ “60 Minutes”. Gencarelli said that Kerbstat found her internships on her own and she was so capable and driven that she didn’t need his help. However, after Kerbstat graduated she was able to help a MC student get an internship at CBS.

about but I responded to her and hit send,” Gencarelli said. “Then I typed, ‘By the way, I have a really capable student who is looking for an internship for the spring. Do you guys still have any openings for anything?” He said that within a couple of minutes, Kerbstat replied and said she would do her best to help. “Low and behold, that person is now

“I think MC also gives students a certain underdog mentality too, which helped in a competitive, post-recession work world. We’re a small school but just like our sports programs, we’re use to uphill battles,” Kerbstat said. Lauria who covered the UN beat for the Wall Street Journal,” she said. “I knew I was hooked on news after a day following Lauria around the [United Nations]. I was in awe of his access to interview ambassadors, humanitarians and world leaders face to face.”

Gencarelli said that he had a student who was in her senior year and she sent out seven resumes but did not get an interview for a single internship position. “I went to check my Facebook and there was an instant message from Katie Kerbstat. I don’t remember what it was

an associate producer for CBS,” Gencarelli said. He said that Kerbstat was responsible for helping this MC student get to where she is now. Gencarelli said that it’s not always easy to connect students with alumni because

the Communication program only has five graduated classes so far. “We want to take over the world and Jaspers will look out for Jaspers. And because we only have five years of Jaspers looking out for Jaspers, people have to work their way up the ladder in order to be in positions to help others,” Gencarelli said. Kerbstat said that the small size of MC’s Communication program alumni has not hindered her ability to achieve success. “I think MC also gives students a certain underdog mentality too, which helped in a competitive, post-recession work world. We’re a small school but just like our sports programs, we’re use to uphill battles,” Kerbstat said. Kerbstat continues to face uphill battles in journalism with every story that she tells. But the stories are worth it whether she wins an Emmy or not. “It was nice for the story to get the attention I think it deserves,” Kerbstat said about her recent Emmy win. “Working for months on this tragic story wasn’t easy on our team’s and interviewees’ hearts. We were so honored that our interviewees trusted us to tell their stories. The [Emmy] gives us the motivation to keep at this kind of work.” Kerbsat won an Emmy Award for her work on 60 Minutes. Manhattan College/Courtesy

60 Minutes in South Sudan on the White Nile.

Kerbstat with her mother at MC graduation in 2011.

The photo above was taken during a 60 Minutes shoot in Mozambique.

Kerbstat during a 60 Minutes shoot in Rome with President Obama. Katie Kerbstat/Courtesy

Arts & Entertainment

Oct. 25, 2016

Wafels and Dinges Food Truck Comes to MC Alyssa Velazquez Staff Writer

Some students may have noticed a food truck outside of Kelly Commons. Anyone who just walked by the commons must have seen this bright yellow truck, which is known for dishing out the “Best Belgian Waffle in NYC.” For the past two Wednesdays, Manhattan College students had easy access to waffles that have been featured on Food Network’s “Best Thing I Ever Ate.” The Wafels & Dinges food truck is known for serving the best waffle in all of NYC and offering a variety of toppings, or as they call it dinges, allows customers to personalize their waffle to their liking. From savory toppings like bacon and pulled pork to toppings that will conquer any sweet tooth, Wafel & Dinges has something to offer for everyone. With no way of being let down, I decided it was time to see what makes this Belgian waffle the best in the city. When walking to the food truck, you immediately start smelling the sweet waffles being cooked as students and faculty ordered them, none of the waffles were under a heating lamp waiting to be topped, all were freshly made. Looking at the menu was at first intimidating because of the endless options one could choose from. Should I get a savory waffle or a sweet one? Should I get de elvis? Should I go with the classic de world’s fair? Maybe just a waffle with syrup and bacon, maybe? Finally after much necessary decision making I chose the WMD. Otherwise known as the Wafel of Massive Deliciousness, which consists of strawberries, bananas, chocolate fudge, whipped cream and powdered sugar.

When it came time to pay, the price threw me off a bit, $10 to $13 for a waffle that is half the size of a standard waffle, topped with ingredients one can easily get from the store. Freshmen Nicole Murphy and Rachel White were also questioning the price of these waffles. “They were a bit much, for college kids on a budget,” Murphy said. [The prices] could have been lower,” White said. However, the prices didn’t stop crowds of students from coming and going, leaving with waffles in their hands, which made the treat even more appealing. Finally, after paying and finding a seat in the Commons, it was time to see if this waffle lives up to its title of being the best Belgian waffle in New York City. To be completely honest, I was surprised. I’m typically a pancake type of person, but Wafel & Dinges has successfully made me favor waffles more. The waffle itself was lightly crisped allowing it to maintain its fluffiness and it was not too sweet where one would be overwhelmed by the amount of sugar that was added to the batter. All of the toppings were fresh, from the fresh chopped strawberries to the light whip cream. One of my fears was that this waffle would be to overwhelming between the sugary waffle and then the extra sugar I decided to add on but believe it or not, everything worked together perfectly. White and Murphy both agreed that they would “buy them again,” despite the prices and I completely agree. Granted, I won’t make the trek down to Manhattan to have another one of these waffles every week or month, however, having one of Wafel & Dinges waffles once in a blue moon, seems reasonable. Though Wafel & Dinges will not be

The Wafels and Dinges food truck was parked outside of the Kelly Commons last week. Michevi Dufflart/Courtesy making an appearance on campus anytime soon, that doesn’t mean you should miss out on this delicious experience. One quick trip down the one train line is all you need

to find a Wafel & Dinges store or kiosk and be able to dine on the waffle of your dreams.

MC Film Society Screens “Lost in Translation” Haley Burnside Staff Writer

On Friday night the Manhattan College Film Society screened the Sofia Coppola film, “Lost in Translation” in Hayden 100. The 2003 film depicts the adventures of Bob Harris and Charlotte, played by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson respectively. These two lonely characters cross paths in Tokyo, Japan and discover that they share a profound level of similarity despite their obvious age and career differences. The Film Society selected this particular picture because it fits with this year’s theme: alienation. Several students showed up to view the film and discuss the cinematography, themes and symbolism. Most were there to watch it for the first time.

Leah Cordova, an officer for the Film Society, led the screening. She introduced the film by sharing some information about Coppola as well as the two main characters. “They seem to be unable to communicate with everyone even though Tokyo is so dense,” Cordova said. “You would think that they would meet people to connect with, but as you’ll see it doesn’t really work out.” Cordova went on to explain that this recurring struggle to communicate gives the film its name, and creates a meaningful message for viewers. “I think that the film reminds us about how beautiful human connection can be,” she said. Following the hour and 40 minute film, students engaged in a brief open discussion led by Cordova. A key discussion point revolved

around the significance of the relationship between the two main characters. Students reflected on whether they viewed the relationship as a platonic, intimate or even inappropriate. Most voiced an expression of approval of their interactions with each other and a simultaneous distaste for the interactions the characters had with others. The conversation also fixated on the cinematography utilized by Coppola. Margaret Toth, Ph.D. and a film studies professor at Manhattan College added her insight to the conversation on the use of film devices such as cross cutting and wide shots. Opinions about the film overall seemed conclusive. Senior George Tsamparlis expressed a positive take away from the screening. “It was the first time I watched the movie fully. I liked it a lot,” he said. He also en-

joyed the discussion afterward. “I came here today because I wanted to meet new people and watch a good movie with them,” Tsamparlis said. “It was fun.” Patrick Journick, a freshman, enjoyed the film as well. “I came because I’m actually apart of the Film Society, but I dragged my friends with me,” Journick said. “They really ended up liking it though! My friend Julianna even wants to sign up to be a member of the film society now.” The Film Society is open to all students who want to come and engage in a comprehensive viewing and discussion of a range of different films fitting the theme of the year. The Film Society will be screening the 1976 film “Taxi Driver” next, and around the week of Halloween they will show a horror film titled “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.”

Arts & Entertainment

The Book Nook

Title: The Opposite of Loneliness Author: Marina Keegan Genre: Essays and Short Stories / Nonfiction and Fiction Taylor Brethauer Asst. Editor

Marina Keegan is a New York Times bestselling author- posthumously. Keegan was excelling in college at Yale University and life when it was tragically cut short. But thankfully, she had compiled many essays and short stories throughout her college years before graduating. Her writing style is well before her time, making this book one you just cannot put down. The book begins with an introduction from Anne Fadiman, Keegan’s writing professor at Yale, who remarks on the way the young author presented herself in class and in her writings. She mentions the night she had found out Keegan had died in a car accident and the moving memorial service held soon after, attended by many griefstricken students. Soon after, her essay about graduating, The Opposite of Loneliness, began gaining popularity again. Keegan reiterates again and again how young the graduating class is and what life has in store for all of them. Fadiman comments that although this star student is gone, we still have her writing so she lives on. After the introduction by Fadiman, readers get to experience Keegan’s notable speech after which the book was named. Short stories of all genres follow the speech, taking readers to different places and people. There are stories with sympathetic characters like Reading Aloud, where an old woman reads to a young blind man and feels accepted in his presence. Or a story like Winter Break, where she perfectly captures feelings any college student has about coming home. Or switching fo-

Taylor Brethauer/The Quadrangle cus completely to read emails from a man stuck in a submarine in Challenger Deep. Each has their own heartbreak, their own

story but told in a short number of pages that leaves you wanting more. The book shifts over to essays halfway

through, after the nine previous short stories. Again, Keegan has a variety of topics and style, even in her essays. In Stability in Motion, she explains the relationship with her old beat-up car. She starts off Against the Grain with a list of all the foods she’ll eat before she dies, since her celiac disease prevented her from eating her favorite foods like Krispy Kreme donuts and Big Macs. Or instead, we read a profile on a day in the life of an exterminator in I Kill for Money. These essays feel like short stories in themselves, but feature Keegan’s voice most prominently. She ends the last essay in her book, Song for the Special, with the line, “I read somewhere that radio waves just keep traveling outwards, flying into the universe with eternal vibrations. Sometime before I die I think I’ll find a microphone and climb to the top of a radio tower. I’ll take a deep breath and close my eyes because it will start to rain right when I reach the top. Hello, I’ll say to outer space, this is my card.” I have never been a fan of non-fiction stories or essays. But through the elegant prose of Keegan, I had a new-found love of essays. Her short stories were fantastic and it was incredible how quickly the stories would pull you in. Non-fiction may be daunting to read for fun but you won’t get bored with this novel at all. Some critics wonder how well the book had done if its author hadn’t died so tragically. I believe it still would have been well-received. I want to read more of Keegan’s work but with “The Opposite of Loneliness,” you learn you have to take what you can get ¬– this book will have to do.

Cub Scout Engineering Awareness Day

Volunteer students and faculty members from the School of Engineering gave laboratory tours and demonstrations to Cub Scouts from Pack 6 Troop 1 on Saturday to promote engineering awareness. The Scouts learned about lasers, material science, fluid mechanics, chemical engineering, steel bridge construction, wind tunnels and created an arch bridge from old issues of The Quadrangle (seen above). ASCE/Courtesy

sports

Oct. 25, 2016

Jaspers Picked Sixth in Preseason Poll

Rich Williams was voted onto the All-MAAC Second Team. Kevin Fuhrmann/The Quadrangle

Daniel Ynfante Editor

The Manhattan College Jaspers enter the 2016-2017 college basketball season with tame expectations. At least that’s what the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference coaches think. On Oct. 18, the Jaspers were chosen by the 11 head coaches to finish sixth in the MAAC Preseason Poll. But while the Jaspers seem to be an afterthought in the MAAC, head coach Steve Masiello has his sights set on the big picture: the MAAC title. “For us, all we care about—we want to do well all the time—but what it comes down to is that conference tournament,”

Masiello said during the MAAC Preseason show. “That’s what we worry about. That’s when we want to be playing our best basketball for.” Key to Manhattan’s success this season will be senior Rich Williams, who was voted onto the All-MAAC Second Team. The athletic wing averaged a career-best 14.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game last season. Williams has won two titles in three seasons at Manhattan, and will be looking to add a third this year. “[Williams] now, playing in two NCAA’s, he wants to get to a third badly,” Masiello said, “and that’s something we want to rely on.” Williams will be expected to take on a more significant leadership role this season, as he is one of two seniors on the

team. Over the last three seasons, Manhattan has counted on strong leaders like Michael Alvarado, Emmy Andujar, Ashton Pankey and RaShawn Stores, who imposed their style of play on the opponents. “I thought RaShawn Stores did such a phenomenal job for us over the years of just putting his will on games, and that’s something that we’re going to look for from [Williams], Masiello said. “He’s a Brooklyn guy. We want him to act that way. We want him to come on the court with a certain confidence to him, and we want the team to follow that.” Ahead of Manhattan in the standings were Fairfield in fifth, Saint Peter’s in fourth, Iona in third, Siena in second and Monmouth in first. Monmouth, the favorites in the MAAC, return the same core of players who led the Hawks to a regular

season title and a runner-up finish in the championship game. The Siena Saints also return the same group of players who ended Manhattan’s season in the MAAC quarterfinals. The defending champs, the Iona Gaels, will see much turnover on the team, but bring in several transfers and newcomers like Jon Severe and Sam Cassell Jr. It will be a tough task for the Jaspers to win their third title in four years in a competitive MAAC this year. “I think the league is extremely competitive,” Masiello said. “I think obviously MAAC basketball is very underrated. You look at the success the league has had over the years and how many good teams we’ve had.”

sports

Jaspers Talk: Rich Llewellyn John Jackson Staff Writer

Rich Llewellyn is a senior on the men’s swimming and diving team for Manhattan College. Recently, he had two first place finishes, a second place finish and swam on a winning medley-relay team in a meet against Fairfield. Llewellyn was named Manhattan’s ATAX Student-Athlete of the Week for his performance on October 10-17, which included the Fairfield meet. Llewellyn has found success during his swimming career at Manhattan as he has broken the school record in the 200 yard fly in his freshman year and proceeded to break that same record two more times in his sophomore and junior years respectively. The Quadrangle: You got a couple of first-place finishes against Fairfield. This has been something you have done over and over again here at Manhattan. As a senior, what can you say about your time on the swimming team? Rich Llewellyn: It’s been a long road. I’ve been swimming since I was 11 or 10, so I’ve been really loving this sport so far. I’ve been trying to do my best, do the best I can ever do for my teammates and all that. Just trying to get the win. TQ: You’re also a mechanical engineer major. How do you balance a difficult sub-

ject like that along with swimming? RL: I mean it’s hard. It’s really all about time management I feel. You have to know when you got to study. Obviously when you’re in the pool and when you’re lifting you have to worry about school. So you have to worry about swimming, but I mean I think it’s really time management. You just have to set aside a few hours in the day just to study and get yourself together. TQ: When you’re swimming in an event, what is more important: getting the first place finish or doing a good time in the event? RL: Well it depends which meets we are talking about. For dual meets it’s all about placing. Our best times when we’re in-season is called ‘swimming tired’ so we’re not really as rested or we’re not feeling as good as we normally would say if we’re at a championship meet. So for a dual meet it’s all about the placing, but if I’m at a championship meet, then obviously placing is still important don’t get me wrong, but it’s more about, in my opinion, the times. TQ: Do you have a favorite Olympic swimmer or professional swimmer? RL: I guess everybody probably answers this question as Michael Phelps. He’s good. I also like Nathan Adrian. He’s

Rich Llewellyn holds the school record in the 200 yard fly. GoJaspers/Courtesy cool. He’s a sprint freestyler. TQ: What’s one thing you’d like to see happen here during your last year on the swimming team? RL: This is my last year of course, and it’s been a long road and I’m not obviously giving up, but I’m trying to finish strong and all that. I just want to be able to look back at this year and these four years and

just be happy with what I put into this program. TQ: What’s one of your favorite memories over the course of the years? RL: I think my best memory swimming-wise on this team is when I broke the 200 fly record my freshman year.

This Week in Sports Volleyball The Jaspers went 2-1 on the week, defeating Saint Peter’s on Oct. 19, Quinnipiac on Saturday and losing to Fairfield on Sunday. Manhattan is 9-18 and 5-8 in the MAAC. Women’s Soccer The women’s soccer team (5-10-1) went 0-2 this week and were eliminated from MAAC Tournament contention. The Jaspers suffered a 3-0 loss against Marist at home on senior night on Oct. 19. With a chance to keep their season alive against Siena on Saturday with a win, the Jaspers had their worst loss of the season, 4-0. Men’s Soccer The men’s soccer team (1-11-2) also went 0-2 on the week. Manhattan had its worst loss of the year, a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Marist, then lost 1-0 to Siena on Saturday. Women’s Basketball The Jaspers were voted to finish in a tie for seventh place in the MAAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Junior Amani Tatum was named to the AllMAAC First Team after averaging 11.9 points per game and 3.3 steals per game in 2015-2016, a mark good enough for fifth in the NCAA. The women’s soccer team was eliminated from MAAC Tournament contention this week. Anja Pollozi/The Quadrangle

Men’s Basketball Manhattan was picked to finish sixth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Senior Rich Williams was voted onto the All-MAAC Second Team coming off an impressive 2015-2016 campaign where he averaged 14.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Swimming The Jaspers defeated Marywood University this past Saturday. The women won by a score of 94-81 and the men’s squad won 97-70. The Jaspers next meet is Satuday at home against Saint Peter’s University. Golf Manhattan finished play at the Lehigh Invitational in 12th place out of 12 teams. Compiled by Daniel Ynfante, Sports Editor

sports

Oct. 25, 2016

Dennis Eriksson Finds Identity Through Track and Field

Dennis Eriksson, a jumper and team captain of the track and field team, came to Manhattan from Sweden. GoJaspers/Courtesy

Jeffrey Cool Guest Writer

Dennis Eriksson’s passion for track and field grew in a practice field in Sweden, thousands of miles away from Riverdale. The jumper for Manhattan College’s track and field team is from Sundsvall, Sweden, where he fell in love with the sport when he was six years old after one of his friends took him to a practice. “Track and field is who I am,” said Eriksson. Around the ages of 14 and 15, Eriksson started to feel that he had to take himself to the next level if he wanted to go somewhere in track and field. “I wanted to put all of my energy into the sport and when I was 16, I moved to a specialized track and field school,” Eriksson said. Eriksson attended Lugnetgymnasiet, a school that was not that close to Eriksson’s family. Eriksson did not let that faze him, because he was focused on pushing himself in the sport of track and field and taking himself to that next level. After graduation, Eriksson had to figure out what he wanted to do. Trying to com-

bine school and sports back home was not something that was as manageable as it could have been in the United States, so Erikson was forced with a decision. “In Sweden, many kids drop out because they cannot manage both school and sports at the same time,” said Eriksson. Eriksson started to apply to schools in the United States in 2013, and he was accepted to Manhattan College in 2014.

have a tough time doing it again. Even though he misses them, he wants to be in the U.S., and his family supports him very much so. The only real problem that Eriksson faced was English not being his first language. “I had such a hard time the first three months,” said Eriksson. “I had straight A’s in high school except for English.” Eriksson did not let this affect him

“Hard worker, good athlete, team leader are the things that come to mind right away when I think of Dennis and that is why he is the team captain,” said Mecca. Eriksson was very interested in Manhattan due to the conference that it plays in, which he thought would offer much competition. He also loves New York City, so when he was accepted, it was a no brainer that he was coming. Having already moved away from his family in high school, Eriksson did not

though, and turned things around after those first three months. He admits he hates being bad at things, so he focused on learning English and improving. In the track field, Eriksson shares the same mentality. It is one of the reasons why he is the team captain. “He is always positive,” said Lina

Bengtson, a thrower for the women’s track and field team. “He will put the music on at practice and just always brings a good vibe to the team. He’s just a good, happy person. If anyone needs something, they will always go to him.” Eriksson is highly praised by many people, including his teammates and coaching staff, who say that Eriksson’s best asset is his leadership. But his personality was also a big part of why Dan Mecca, head coach of the track and field program wanted him to be a part of the team. “Hard worker, good athlete, team leader are the things that come to mind right away when I think of Dennis and that is why he is the team captain,” said Mecca. “After talking to Dennis, I felt that he would be a great fit for our team because of his work ethic and how he wants to succeed both academically and in track and field.” Eriksson backs up these claims with being selected to the MAAC All-Academic Team and is usually towards the top when it comes to the results at the track meets. All of this he does while also being a resident assistant at Manhattan. Eriksson will look to continue to lead in his final year here at Manhattan.

Features

Oct. 25, 2016

Alumna Katie Kerbstat Wins Emmy Award Kyleigh Panetta Asst. Editor

60 Minutes in South Sudan on the White Nile.

Kerbstat with her mother at MC graduation in 2011.

The photo above was taken during a 60 Minutes shoot in Mozambique.

Kerbstat during a 60 Minutes shoot in Rome with President Obama. Katie Kerbstat/Courtesy