THE Volume 95, Issue 13
Q
UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924
April 25, 2017
Shaggy’s Soggy Springfest Full coverage on page 6
www.mcquad.org
SENIORS SURPRISED BY FEE Nicole Connell Contributor
Grammy-winning reggae singer Shaggy performs in Draddy Gymnasium Saturday. Patrick Faccas/Courtesy
Excelsior Scholarship Become Law Alyssa Velazquez Editor
College tuition has always been a concern for those attending, but New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Sen. Bernie Sanders, Independent of Vermont, believe they have finally found the solution for families who live in New York State: The Excelsior Scholarship. The idea of college tuition being free for students had always been an idea that didn’t seem achievable, however since Senator Sanders presidential campaign, this idea has finally become a reality. Cuomo had reached out to Senator Sanders shortly after the end of Sander’s campaign in hopes of creating a plan that would alleviate the financial burden of college costs that many middle-class families are facing in New York. Thus, the introduction of the Excelsior Scholarship earlier this year. Starting in the fall of 2017, families whose annual income is below $100,000 are eligible for their children to receive free college tuition at any SUNY or CUNY school. After the fall of 2017, the income requirements will be raised each year up until 2019 where the final income requirement would be $125,000. By 2019, families in New York State will be eligible for free college tuition to attend SUNY or CUNY schools. According to the governor of New York State’s website, “New York’s tuitionfree degree program, the Excelsior Scholarship, is the first-of-its-kind in the nation and will enable thousands of bright, young students to realize their dream of higher education.” Although The Excelsior Scholarship
has already been passed by the state legislature in Albany, there are questions regarding the details of how a revolutionary plan such as this one will work; what are the underlying requirements of the program, will the SUNY or CUNY schools reach over capacity and how will private institutions be effected? Despite the fact that The Excelsior Scholarship is supposed to alleviate the financial burden for many New York State families, there are still requirements that students have to commit to if they are accepted into the program. According to the New York State Higher Education Corporation, students must “enroll in at least 12 credits per term and complete 30 credits per year,” otherwise their scholarship will either be lost or turned into a loan. It is difficult for a student to fully commit to this aspect of the scholarship due to the fact that they don’t know what factors may prevent them from continuing to be a full time student. However, this is not the only requirement that has raised concerns for students and their families. Another factor is the commitment to remain in New York State after the student receives their degree. The NYS Higher Education Corporation’s writes, “you must live in New York State for the number of years equal to awards you received. For example, if you received four Excelsior Scholarship awards while getting your bachelor’s degree, you must live in New York State for four years after college.” In addition to this requirement, graduates of the program must also work in New York State for the same number of years. If the college graduate cannot make this commitment then the money that was originally given as a scholarship to them, will
be turned into a loan. These requirements are crucial to the decision making process. But they are not publicized when people first hear about this scholarship. With the scholarship being put into action by next semester, private institutions like Manhattan College have been keeping a close eye on the effect it may have on their annual enrollment. Vice President for Enrollment Management at Manhattan College, William Bisset, Ph.D. has been been watching the progress of the scholarship and keeping in mind the potential effects it may have on enrollment at the college. Bisset states how many of the students at the college can qualify for The Excelsior Scholarship. “Those are our students, right there, the majority of students at Manhattan College currently enrolled here fall into… especially freshmen and potentially sophomores that could consider transferring for better financial aid offers with SUNY,” Bisset said. Although the proposal has already been passed by legislature, the application to apply for the Excelsior Scholarship will not be made available to students and their families until late May, when students have already made their college decision. With this idea in mind Bisset states, “Yeah [The Excelsior Scholarship is] out there but people think they are so close to that final stage of the decision making process that it’s not going to have a huge impact on where they ultimately end up.” In the future, however, the scholarship program will be looked at by staff members of the college such as Bisset who states that, “maybe we will see [the scholarship] more as a focus of conversation with the fall 2018 group that is coming in as freshmen.”
Earlier this month Manhattan College’s graduating seniors were charged a $375 graduation fee via Self Service. Students graduating this May received an email in early April requesting the fee to be paid by late April, approximately a month before this semester’s graduation ceremony, which will take place on Friday, May 19 in Draddy Gymnasium. William Clyde, MC’s Provost and Executive Vice President, described the charge as a one-time fee that the school has always had. “Some fees are there just when you hit that thing, like an application fee at the very beginning or a deposit as a freshman, and then you don’t have it again after that,” Clyde said. “But this is one that is there just at the end to cover the cost of commencement and all of the processes around that.” According to Clyde, the fee was not charged earlier because a confirmed list of graduates was not completed until late March. This list is formed only after all MC graduating seniors fill out an ‘intent to graduate’ form. These students’ academic records are then checked to make sure that they are candidates for graduation. The fee covers the expenses of, in large part, the graduation itself, along with the processes of confirming students’ grades, certification to the state, reconfirming all of the courses, and ordering the diplomas. “The commencement and all of the processes around it is an expensive thing,” Clyde said. Clyde also added that many other colleges often have a graduation fee as well, though it may be called something else, such as a ‘general fee’ instead. “Not only have we always had something like this, but if you look at any other school, they always have this, but sometimes they call it something else that sounds more innocuous so it doesn’t raise red flags,” he said. Despite the prevalence of this charge, some students are not happy about the extra expense on an already high tuition. “I wasn’t thrilled when I paid it. A lot of times it feels like that money disappears and tuition is already so much. For instance, I know that it simplifies their process, but it would be nice to give the cap and gown back rather than pay for an outfit I can only wear once,” said Daniel Weiss, a senior. Fellow senior Tom Power was also not pleased with the fee. “MC already asks for enough money from each student as it is. The cost should be built into the ‘fees’ section of student billing to avoid students and families feeling as if MC is trying to money gouge,” he said. On the school’s decision not to embed graduation costs in the tuition, Clyde said, “Then you’d be having freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, some of whom may not end up graduating, paying for it.” For seniors who fail to pay the $375 charge, the result would be a hold on the student’s account and he or she would be unable to get a copy of their diploma.
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The
opinions & editorials
Quadrangle www.mcquad.org
Vol. 95 Issue 13 April 25, 2017
Letter from
Stephen Zubrycky Editor-in-Chief Jack Melanson News Editor Haley Burnside Joseph Liggio Asst. News Editors Ally Hutzler Features Editor Managing Editor Megan Dreher Asst. Features Editor Taylor Brethauer Arts & Entertainment Editor Managing Editor Rose Brennan Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor RikkiLynn Shields Sports Editor Charles Lippolis Asst. Sports Editor Tara Marin Social Media Editor Catherine Goodyear Asst. Social Media Editor Victoria Hernández Multimedia Editor Aaron Mayorga Photography Editor Anja Pollozi Asst. Photography Editor Alyssa Velazquez Production Editor Abbi Kirollos Asst. Production Editor Daniel Molina August Kissel 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.
Apri1 25, 2017
Dear Reader:
The Editor
It’s getting hot outside. And while that feels nice, there’s something always hits me around this time of the year, and this year hit me extra hard. A few weeks back, I had to send emails to our senior staffKelly Burns, Lindsey Burns, Kristie Killen, Kieran Rock, Sean Sonnemann and Daniel Ynfante- asking them for their senior farewells. These folks are the ones who were leading the paper when I arrived here at Manhattan, and I consider them all to be important mentors to me, as I’ve grown into my role on The Quadrangle. They’re a talented young group, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of great things from them in the years to come. These folks were constants in my life at Manhattan and on the Quad. And I can only hope to inspire the next generation of Quaddies in the way that these people have inspired me. Goodbyes are often bittersweet- but they’re an essential part of life’s adventure. Two weeks to go. We can do this.
Stephen Zubrycky Editor in Chief
SUBMIT YOUR OWN LET T ER Letters emailed to thequad@manhattan.edu will be considered for publication. No letters with profanity, hatespeech or vulgarity will be published. Please see mcquad.org/contact for additional policies, procedures and information.
News
Manhattan Continues Campus Upgrades with New Civil Lab
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Jessica Quinn Staff Writer
Manhattan College is in the process of renovating a new civil and environmental engineering lab as a means to accommodate the increase in student enrollment within the last few years. The civil and environmental departments need more room for students in the juniorspecific soil mechanics class. The new lab is also needed due to the gradual increase of students enrolling in both the undergraduate and graduate levels at MC. The construction of the new lab was made possible through a donation by the Construction Industry Golf Tournament. The funds for the new geotechnical engineering laboratory were provided by sources entirely outside of the college. Anirban De, Chairman of the civil and environmental departments, assisted the plans for the construction of the new lab. He plans on giving tours of the lab in order to impress prospective students and parents of Manhattan College. “I am letting the experience sink in, going to the lab whenever I have some time to arrange things. I am also looking forward to giving tours of this lab to prospective students and their parents,” said De. “I am sure this lab will impress them about the quality of hands-on engineering learning that students get in our College.” The equipment in the old lab has been outdated for quite some time and was due for renovation. The testing equipment is brand new in the lab and allows for students to make precise measurements of soil properties, which is very important in civil engineering projects. “We have hundreds of thousands of dollars of analytical equipment in our labs and some of it is quite old. We’ve spent a lot of money and time maintaining it. So, that’ll
be replaced with newer, less maintenance intensive systems,” said Robert Sharp, a professor in the civil and environmental department. The new lab will also help in regards to research projects administered by the staff and students of the college. “It will give the opportunity for some of the younger faculty to give them additional space and resources to build their research program. It will help undergraduates and graduates do more research, as well,” said Sharp.
New labs will be created to accomodate increase in student enrollment. Michelle DePinho/The Quadrangle Many of the research being developed form here,” said De. at Manhattan College is funded by exterAfter the finalization of the new lab nal forces like the National Science Foun- the civil and environmental department is dation, the National Institute of Civil and awaiting the new engineering and science Environmental Science and private firms. complex on south campus, which is exTherefore, it’s important that the faculty pected to be complete by the year 2020. has an updated facility to record their find“It will help as a resource for the stuings. dents to have a dedicated lab with the prop“In the old lab, students were depressed er software and hardware installed to help about their learning environment and felt with scholastic learning,” said Kyaw Sithu, that their needs were being overlooked. a senior civil engineering student. “It will The new equipment will increase student also help to cultivate a better learning eninterest in the experiments they will per- vironment.”
Bettye Perkins and Robert Moran To Serve as 2017 Commencement Keynote Speakers Sean Sonnemann Senior Writer
This past week Manhattan College announced the keynote speakers for the 2017 spring commencement ceremonies. On Thursday, May 19, Bettye Perkins, founder and chief executive officer of Today’s Students Tomorrow’s Teachers (TSTT) will address students from the college’s graduate programs as well as the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. The following day, Thomas J. Moran, chairman of the board of Mutual of America Life Insurance Company will speak at the college’s undergraduate commencement ceremonies. Moran is an alumnus of the college, a mathematics major from the class of 1974. “For Thursday’s commencement--master’s degrees in Engineering, Science, and Education, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies--we usually try to honor someone whose career exemplifies excellence in one of the professional areas related to those schools,” Brennan O’Donnell, president of Manhattan College, said in an email
to The Quadrangle. Today’s Students Tomorrow’s Teachers is an organization that was founded by Perkins in 1994 that works to recruit minority and economically-challenged high school students to join the teaching profession. Students who become part of the program receive mentoring and career development help throughout high school and college, as well as possible financial assistance through the organization’s partner universities. “Dr. Perkins’s work in encouraging and supporting young men and women of color to become teachers has obvious connections with our mission and its emphasis on providing opportunity to all through education,” O’Donnell said. Perkins will be receiving an honorary degree in pedagogy at the ceremony. Her work with TSTT has helped place over 100 graduates as teachers in schools and communities throughout the northeast. The college’s undergraduate commencement speaker has also worked to improve communities, although at a more international level.
Thomas J. Moran ‘74, Manhattan’s 2019 Spring Undergraduate Commencement Speaker, is curretly the chairman of the board at Mutual of America. “Mr. Moran, who will speak at the undergraduate ceremony, is one of our most distinguished alumni and a tremendous example of someone who has used his gifts to serve his fellow human beings,” O’Donnell said. “In addition to being a longtime and great benefactor to the College and its students, he is a major contributor to humanitarian efforts around the world, most notably through his tireless work on behalf of Concern Worldwide.” According to their website, Concern
Worldwide is an organization whose mission “is to help people living in extreme poverty achieve major improvements in their lives that last and spread without ongoing support from Concern.” The organization was founded in Ireland in 1968 to work to address the severe famine in Biafra, a former secessionist state that is now again part of Nigeria. Today, Concern Worldwide has programs in 29 countries that reach approximately 7.4 million people around the world. Moran has served as chairman of the charitable organization for over a decade. He also has worked as a member of Manhattan College’s own board of trustees from 1995 to 2003. He began his career with Mutual of America in 1975 and eventually went on to serve as company’s president from 1994 to 2015. Moran retired as chief executive officer of the insurance company in 2016. Last year’s undergraduate commencement ceremonies featured Brother Robert Schieler, FSC, as the keynote speaker. Schiler is the current Superior General of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
news
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MC Students Participate in National Model United Nations Conference in New York John Jackson Staff Writer
From Sunday Apr. 9 to Thursday Apr. 13, a group of Manhattan College students got the opportunity to simulate a series of everyday tasks performed by United Nations delegates. They did this at the National Model United Nations Conference which is held in New York. The Manhattan students who attended currently take Dr. Pamela Chasek’s Model United Nations class which is offered at the college in the spring. The program is also offered in the fall, but as an extracurricular activity rather than a credited course. “The Model UN class prepares students for the National Model United Nations New York Conference,” said Dr. Chasek. “During the course of the semester, the students learn about the country they are representing.” This year the students represented Turkey on 10 different committees. Some of these committees were the General Assembly First Committee, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Programme and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Two students also represented the United States on a security council simulation as well. Sophomore Kirk Rotger was on the International Atomic Energy Agency. This was his first time participating in a Model UN Conference. “This was my first time doing Model UN and really what I got out of it was learning how different people will approach the same problem differently,” said Rotger. During the semester, the students have to do an ample amount of research to learn about their country and the country’s position on three specific topics regarding their committee. “We wanted to cover nuclear-weaponsfree zone in the Middle East and safeguards in the Middle East whereas most countries thought that didn’t really applied to them,” said Rotger. Junior Jamie Paton was on the same committee as Rodger. She also participated in the Washington D.C. conference held in the fall. The differences in both confer-
ences was notable for her. “This is my second conference,” said Paton. “So I thought it was very interesting to see the differences between the D.C. conference that we do as an extracurricular activity in the fall versus the New York conference which is offered as a class in the spring.” Both conferences have granted her insight about the United Nations deliberation process. “It was impactful to me because you realize just how important people’s personalities are when dealing with issues,” said Paton. “I feel like today a lot of people get stressed out about the establishment, quote on quote, but you don’t realize that it’s not one big force working against you. It’s a bunch of personalities that are having trouble coming together to work for you.” Jaycie Cooper, a sophomore, represented Turkey on the United Nations Development Programme. She views Model UN as an invaluable experience. “MUN is a wonderful program because
for Distinguished Delegation (given to 36 schools), and one for Honorable Mention Delegation (given to 51 schools). Manhattan College was rewarded for their efforts with a Distinguished Delegation award for representing Turkey. “Your delegation is only as strong as your weakest member,” said Dr. Chasek. “They had to speak, they had to negotiate, they had to help bring people together, they had to create compromises, they had to be present. And as a result we were rewarded for that.” While the events took place in the Hilton and Sheraton hotels in Midtown, the closing ceremonies were held in the General Assembly Hall at the UN. In the morning the students on the three general assembly committees got to go to the UN and vote on the electronic voting system. They were also able to speak from the designated Turkey seat. In the afternoon everyone was able to join them. Dr. Chasek was able to speak on the floor of the historic hall during the closing ceremonies. She did so after Peter Thomson, a Fijian diplomat who is currently the president of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Cooper praised the whole program and
“They had to speak, they had to negotiate, they had to help bring people together, they had to create compromises, they had to be present. And as a result we were rewarded for that.” it teaches you how to come to a group consensus with a range from either 20 to 300 people,” said Cooper. “And that’s a simulation experience you’re gonna get with no other program.” There were three types of overall delegation awards given out to the participating schools. There was one for Outstanding Delegation (given to 24 schools), one
recommends it to her fellow students at Manhattan College. “The fact that the school offers it is such as great opportunity that should really be taken advantage of through any international student or government student,” said Cooper. “But it’s also great that the school also allows any major who is interested to become apart of the program.”
Connect with the Quad. @mcquad @the_quadrangle
April 25, 2017
Le Pen, Macron Advance to Runoff; Trump Sets Sights on ISIS in Afghanistan WORLD WEEKLY Stephen Zubrycky Editor-in-Chief
Le Pen, Macron Projected to Advance to French Presidential Runoff Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate of the National Front, will advance to a runoff, along with Emmanuel Macron, of centrist of the En Marche! Party. Macron and Le Pen finished first and second in Sunday’s first round of French voting, beating back late surges from conservative Republican Francois Fillon and the far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon. Macron is favored to defeat Le Pen in the runoff on May 7. Source: The Guardian Cleveland Killer Slays Elderly Man, Broadcasts Murder on Facebook Police in Erie County, Pa., just a few hours east of Cleveland, found alleged Facebook murder Steve Stephens, who shot himself during a traffic stop. Stevens posted a video of himself murdering Robert Godwin, Sr., 74, to his Facebook page. Source: The Los Angeles Times Trump Bombs Afghanistan President Donald J. Trump dropped the largest non-nuclear weapon ever used by the United States Apr. 13. The weapondubbed the “Mother of all Bombs” was dropped on ISIS caves in Afghanistan. Trump’s decision came just a week after the U.S. dropped 59 Tomahawk missiles on an air base in Syria. Source: The New York Times Fox News, Bill O’Reilly Split Up Just a few weeks after Fox News’ toprated personality, Bill O’Reilly, came under fire for sexual assault allegations, the network released him, giving him a $25 million payout. O’Reilly’s exit follows that of Roger Ailes, the network’s former chairman, who was forced out with a $40 million payout last year after sexual assault allegations against him became public. Source: The New York Times Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel Head to June Runoff The first round of the high-profile U.S. House Election in Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District took place last Tuesday. The top two vote getters from that “jungle primary,” Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel will go head-to head in a runoff on June 20. Ossoff received 48 percent of the vote and Handel got 20 percent, with several other candidates finishing farther down the order. Polls indicate that the runoff will be a tight, hotly-contested race. Source: FiveThirtyEight
arts & entertainment
Can’t Stop the Beat: Spring Performing Arts Concert Taylor Brethauer Editor
The Manhattan College chapel was full of music this past Sunday, Apr. 23, as the annual Spring Performing Arts Concert took place. Beginning at 4:30 pm, parents and classmates alike gathered in the pews to enjoy the music from students who’ve been preparing for this concert since Lessons and Carols last semester. As more people entered the chapel, the sounds of strings warming up from the orchestra sitting at the front of the room echoed between the stained glass windows of Saint John Baptiste de la Salle. Andrew Bauer, the director of music and coordinator of performing arts, welcomed everyone to the concert and the Manhattones took to the stage. Starting off their set, the Manhattones sang the popular hit song “Take Me to Church” by Hozier. Phoebe Torsilieri sang the first verse along with Erin Keating, who brought up the harmonies. Anna Occhino sang the second verse with Samantha Cunningham providing the harmonies. A new addition to Manhattones this semester is Dorian Persaud, who brought in his beatboxing talents during the chorus. Tommy Leo was the final soloist, singing the bridge with gusto. For their second and final song, the Manhattones performed “Hallelujah” writ-
ten by recently deceased songwriter Leonard Cohen. Persaud beatboxed again during the chorus. The harmonies sung by the sopranos echoed beautifully throughout the chapel. Occhino conducted the choir from the front of the chorus stands. As she signaled for the end of the song, thunderous applause broke out from the audience. After a quick switch, the Manhattan College Orchestra began their set. Under the direction of Gwendolyn Toth, Ph.D., the ensemble went through their set of symphonies and suites. The word “orchestra” might conjure up the idea of solely violins and cellos but the entire performance group consists of violins, violas, cellos, one double bass, flutes, oboes, clarinets, one bassoon and French horns. The Clarinet Ensemble played the second song in the set, an almost Harry Potter-sounding tune from the opera Carmen titled “Les tringles des sistres tintaient”. The show-stopper here was the orchestra’s performance of “The City” from Sunrise Mass which sounded as though it came directly from a movie. This was then followed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Symphony no. 40 in G minor” which contains four movements. All attention was on the orchestra as it played familiar themes from Mozart’s career at an attention-grabbing volume that filled the chapel. This symphony began at 4:56pm and ended at 5:34pm , each movement earning its own applause after completion.
Singers performs Psalm 42 with the Manhattan College Orchestra. Timothy Hamling/The Quadrangle
Manhattones perform for a crowded chapel during the Spring Performing Arts concert. Timothy Hamling/The Quadrangle Then, the orchestra teamed up with ley of songs from the hit Broadway musithe Manhattan College Singers in a per- cal “Hairspray” featuring soloists Tara Ann formance of Psalm 42 with the Singers Connor, Rachel Gundlach, Gabriella Herperforming the chorus titled “As the Hart rera, Erica Rebussini, Robert Smith and Pants”. The two performing groups typical- Allison Terranova. Students and parents danced along in ly pair up for at least one song for a moving their pews, bobbing back and forth with combination of instruments and voices. smiles on their faces. Each soloist played The Singers soon had the stage to themdifferent characters from the musical, passselves. This was their first performance ing around the microphone to show off since being onstage down at Walt Disney their singing talents. World in Orlando, Florida during spring The medley finished with the grand fibreak back in Mar. of this year. nale of the musical, “You Can’t Stop the Dressed in their official green Singers Beat”, which is a fast-paced, extravagant polo, the choir sang songs they have been medley that the Singers smashed out of the preparing for all semester out of their black park. Parents and students alike were singsongbooks. They began with “The Seal ing along throughout. Lullaby” which is a song with lyrics by auAs the concert drew to a close, memthor Rudyard Kipling. bers of Singers, the Orchestra and ManAn incredibly moving song made popuhattones greeted their friends and family. lar by the band Queen and written by FredThe consensus was that the show had been die Mercury, “Somebody to Love” featured a hit. Bauer thanked everyone for coming, soloists Occhino and Leo, who do doubleinviting them back in December for their duty in both Manhattones and Singers. Lesson and Carols show, a special tradition Members of the Pep Band provided music of the college. on drums, guitar and keyboard. This song “We had a great year [in the performwas one from the set performed in Disney. ing arts department]. We did a lot of things, As a sneak preview into the upcoming most recently a terrific musical, Legally Abbey Road concert, the students within Blonde, which was a great success. Singthe class gave a hint into what the course ers recently completed a very success has been focusing on with a performance trip to Florida and did a concert in Disof “Because” by the Beatles. The Abbey ney Springs—they did a great job there. I Road concert is being held next weekend. wanted to mention how grateful I am that To wrap up the performance, the Singyou’ve allowed your children to work with ers showcased the other two songs in their me, it’s been a great and fulfilling experiset from Disney, the first of which is an adaptation of the Lord’s Prayer in Swahili ti- ence. In particular to the seniors that are tled “Baba Yetu” featuring soloists Siobhan graduating, it’s hard to see them go but I know they’re going to be very successful Noonan, David Cartolano and Occhino. Finally, the Singers performed a med- after this,” said Bauer, addressing the concert crowd.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
April 25, 2017
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
It Was Him: Shaggy Headlines Springfest 2017
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RikkiLynn Shields Editor
This past Saturday, Orville Richard Burrell, otherwise known as Shaggy, headlined Manhattan College’s 2017 Springfest. Born in Jamaica and raised in New York City, Shaggy is a Jamaican-American reggae fusion artist. Shaggy’s best known for his singles, “Angel,” “Boombastic,” and “It Wasn’t Me,” and when he appeared on the stage at Springfest, he most certainly delivered these hits. When asked what made him get into making music, Shaggy was worried he wouldn’t remember that far back, and jokingly laughed. “[Music] is a hobby that became lucrative for me, and I am blessed to say that I have that hobby I actually get paid for. I began making music because it was a kind of way to get attention. I did music because, frankly, it could get me attention from a lot of beautiful women,” Shaggy said. “I don’t have any kind of deep story. There’s times where I didn’t get paid for shows, but I got into a club for free, drank for free, and I spit the mic and I walked out with a beautiful girl– and for years, that was my payment. At that point, you start to build your brand, and the next thing you know they’re giving you millions of dollars.” Growing up, Shaggy said his favorite musicians were very unlikely people. “I like Mahalia Jackson who’s a massive gospel singer” Shaggy said, “I used to like Toots and the Maytals, which is a ska and reggae. Of course Bob Marley, I’m a big fan of Jimmy Cliff, there’s another guy by the name of Super Cat. A lot of reggae music, but I’m also a big Bill Withers fan, a big Billy Joel fan, a big Simon and Garfunkel fan, a big Ray Charles fan– a lot of big song writers where the songs are actually about something people can relate to, and that’s the great thing about songwriting. You could write nursery rhymes and sing them but when you talk about things that people can actually relate to, because it’s relatable that’s when it becomes really beautiful.” When Shaggy’s not making music, he confessed that he loves watching movies. “I really like watching movies, and one of my favorite movie is The Shawshank Redemption. I’m also kind of trying to get into reading right now, but I think I have ADD or something like that, I can’t even go past a few pages, I get bored really quick…yeah I really need to get that checked out.” When I informed him that I am an English Major, he responded quickly saying, “I’m fighting just to get through a book! It’s rough, and if you’re just not made for that [...] it’s almost like a talent.” Other than watching movies and picking up a book every now and then, Shaggy admitted that he’s been listening to a lot of Slick Rick and Cranium lately. Following the interview, Shaggy stepped on stage after his three opening acts attempted to hype up the growing MC crowd. Starting out, the DJ continously switched through popular songs from the
LEFT: Friends gather around to cheer each other on at the mechnical bull, which was slippery due to the rain (an added level of difficulty and fun). BELOW LEFT: Inflatables on the quad still drew kids out to the carnival despite the weather. BELOW RIGHT: Students still enjoyed elements of the carnival such as the cotton candy. PATRICK FACCAS/ COURTESY
ABOVE: Shaggy performed some of his hit songs such as “It Wasn’t Me”, “Boombastic” and “Angel” to an excited Springfest crowd. His music provided a good mix of reggae, pop and rap. Patrick Faccas/COURTESY past few years telling the crowd, “sing it, Manhattan College!” One of the opening acts was an up and coming R&B artist from Brooklyn by the name of Amber who got the crowd to sing along to Alessia Cara’s “Scars to Beautiful”. The two rappers/reggae artists that came on stage afterwards didn’t get much of a response because the crowd was eager
to see Shaggy. Freshman Rachel Bianculli couldn’t wait for Springfest, saying, “I’m just excited because it’s my first Springfest, and I’m able to spend time with my friends and not stress about homework until tomorrow.” After sophomore Erin Spadaccini’s second Springfest, she said, “Although I am not a devoted Shaggy fan, I enjoyed the
concert experience with my friends.” Even though the weather outside was rainy and cold, the atmosphere inside was exciting and rowdy. There was good music, classic throwback songs and a fun break before finals week comes around. “Overall I had a good time at Springfest. Shaggy wasn’t the best performer, but I thought the DJ was great. It was nice to
hang out with friends and forget about school work for a day,” said freshman Carl Ranieri. After Shaggy played his hit-song that was popular with most students, “It Wasn’t Me”, people began leaving Draddy Gymnasium even though the performer wasn’t finished with his set. He did two more songs for a thinned-out crowd until exiting the stage and the DJ took over again, playing more songs until Draddy was full of stragglers attempting to meet Shaggy before he left. Students stepped out into the cold, rainy Saturday afternoon weather which felt like a relief compared to the hot temperature from inside of the gymnasium. Residents of Horan and Lee Hall sang
“It Wasn’t Me” at the top of their lungs as they walked into the bridges of the two buildings, which were heavily monitored by public safety officers, resident directors and the lucky resident assistants on duty at the time. Elsewhere on campus, the outdoor carnival on the Quad was made lackluster by Saturday’s milky weather. Last year’s was held when the weather was sunny and warm. But that didn’t stop students from riding the inflatable, mechanical bull or chomping down on free cotton candy. A large barbeque originally planned to be held on the quad had to be moved inside to Locke’s Loft. “It looks like the barbecue will be in
Locke’s,” tweeted out Student Engagement as the concert began. Burgers and hot dogs grilled out on the quad were moved into the dining hall, which was at maximum capacity as the concert ended. Instead of the typical Locke’s set up, every flat surface was covered in platters of brownies, watermelon slices and potato salad. Despite the campus having a larger presence of public safety officers and officers from the NYPD 50th Precinct, the fest went off without a hitch. Safety restrictions were put into place to protect students and public safety began monitoring the campus much earlier into the week than in the past. A neighborhood cleanup followed
Springfest on Sunday, with members of Student Government, SAAC and Greek Life cleaning up around campus and the surrounding neighborhood, as a way to give back to Riverdale neighbors. Springfest 2017 has come and gone, but many will have memories of a fun Saturday despite the weather. Shaggy seemed to be a hit or miss for many students, but the concert was always meant to be a time spent with friends and fellow classmates. At the end of his interview, Shaggy gave one piece of advice to the students at MC: “Live it up. You’re young, […] Just make sure you don’t screw up and waste your parents college money.” Taylor Brethauer contributed to reporting.
Arts & Entertainment
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April 25, 2017
Lotus Magazine Student Models: The Visual Component of Journalism Rose Brennan Assistant Editor
Magazine journalism is unique in that it is much more visually based than other print media; it is dependent on visual aids, and one of these visual aids is modelling. Manhattan College’s own Lotus Magazine has several students who serve as models for more visually-based articles such as makeup tutorials. One of these women is junior Caitlin Hall, who joined the magazine staff quite unexpectedly. “Initially I only joined the magazine because my friend was supposed to be a model but she couldn’t do it so she recommended me to be her replacement,” Hall said. “Although, when I learned more about the purpose of the Magazine, I became more enthusiastic and passionate about my role.” The goal of Lotus Magazine is to empower women, something that especially spoke to Hall, who is currently pursuing a career in mechanical engineering. “As a woman engineer, I am in a male dominated field and have to compete with stigmas and stereotypes all the time,” said Hall. “It’s important to remember that being a woman doesn’t mean that I am less, but that I am equal. I deserve equal opportunities, pay and respect.” Prior to joining Lotus, Hall had only done one photoshoot for the cover of a single she wrote while she was in high school. However another model, sophomore Tsegeroman “Roman” Doumbia, had a bit more outside experience. “I had done some modeling when I was
Roman Doumbia (left) gets her makeup done by Lauren Davison Lotus Magazine /Courtesy a child but I haven’t modeled for anything since then,” said Doumbia. “When they first put out the call for people who might be interested in working on this magazine I really wanted to be a part of it. But due to my busy schedule and work I didn’t have any extra time. So when Olivia [Lotus’ editor-in-chief] reached out to me to take part in the shoot I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it.” Both Doumbia and Hall had signed onto the magazine as models. However, sophomore Jamila Thompson both co-wrote an article about DIY jean jackets with patches and served as a model. Thompson was also impressed with the mission statement of the magazine, as well as what it stood for. “I thought it was an amazing concept and I love how it primarily focuses on
Hall is one of the Lotus Magazine models for their first issue. Caitlin Hall /Courtesy women empowerment,” said Thompson. Doumbia and Hall, however, participated in a photoshoot for an article written by Lauren Davison, which attempts to illustrate the artistic component of makeup. “Lauren [Davison] had a specific vision for each of the models and watching her create them was really amazing. Not to mention the end result was so beautiful,” Doumbia said. “I tend to be really conservative with my makeup so it was really cool to see what I looked like with a more bold look.” “She wanted to show that makeup is an art form and isn’t exclusive to standard idea of beauty seen in society today,” Hall said. Working with hair, make-up, wardrobe and photography direction can be absolutely overwhelming. But the three women had quite positive experiences with the pro-
cess, particularly with Anna Maria Calma, the magazine’s photography editor. “It was so easy to follow her direction and every photograph she took came out absolutely stunning,” Doumbia said. “I barely recognized myself in some of them they were so lovely.” All three models plan to contribute to upcoming issues of the magazine, whose inaugural issue will be distributed during finals week. “I would love to participate again next semester, as a model hopefully since it was so much fun. But if I have some extra time on my hands, I would love to work with them in other mediums as well,” Doumbia said. “I would definitely do this again,” Hall said. “I am open to any medium, so as long as I can empower women.”
Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley Kieran Rock Senior Writer
You might know Patricia Highsmith, even if you’ve never read one of her many novels. Highsmith’s work has been adapted again and again by filmmakers. From Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 Strangers on a Train to the 2015 film Carol starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Highsmith’s work has served as the basis for a number of diverse film adaptations and it is not hard to see why. Highsmith’s work is worth the read. It is instantly apparent why so many directors are interested in adapting her novels: Highsmith’s writing is intense, suspenseful, and complex. The Talented Mr. Ripley, the first novel in a series of routinely adapted films, is a great introduction to Highsmith and her world of crime, murder, and malice. The Talented Mr. Ripley, a mysterycrime novel brimming with suspense and action, follows Tom Ripley. A quiet and down on his luck American, Tom Ripley’s life of apartment hopping, check fraud, and drinking is quickly replaced by a European adventure when Mr. Greenleaf, a wealthy business man, hires Tom to travel to Italy and bring his son Dickie home to America. The little lies and crimes that Tom
Ripley commits at the beginning of the novel are nothing compared to what unfolds throughout the book. Crime, evasion, love, deception, and murder are all complexly present in Highsmith’s work. Characters are murdered, on the run from the police, in disguise, committing forgery, and all around lying. Throughout, we are constantly left wondering whether what we are hearing is true, who’s to blame, and ultimately why things happen the way they happen. Highsmith’s novel is the type of book that the phrase “page-turner” was invented for. There is so much riding on the next line of the next chapter that it will be nearly impossible to stop reading. Still, the book is so much more than just a best-seller beach read. Highsmith is immensely critical of the culture the characters exist in. She seems to ask throughout: how many of the problems that her characters create could have been solved had her characters lived in a different time. An intense look at gender, sexuality, humanity, crime and punishment, and identity, The Talented Mr. Ripley is the type of book that leaves you simultaneously satisfied and craving more. Luckily for those readers who want to spend more time aching over the fate and future of Tom Ripley, Highsmith wrote four more novels about Ripley, collectively called “The Ripliad.”
THE BOOK NOOK
Kieran Rock /The Quadrangle
Features
9
Student’s Short Video Focuses on the Beauty in Daily Life Victoria Hernandez Editor
Senior English major Leah Cordova turns everyday life into video art. Even though her field of study is mainly composed of writing, Cordova is interested in film and has had the opportunity of weaving her writing skills into storytelling techniques for video art. Her short video “Look At Me” presents a simple idea. Inspired by Christian Marclay’s work, Cordova decided to focus on one thing within a frame. That thing became a mirror, or the act of looking in a mirror. For other sources of inspiration, Cordova often looked at her favorite photographers or filmmakers as well as “pretty mundane things like doing laundry, eating cereal, brushing teeth, stuff like that,” Cordova said. “There’s a funny beauty to the way daily life is portrayed in photography or on film and I wanted to explore how that was done,” Cordova said. “Look at Me” mainly focuses on a simple prop, in this case a mirror. How someone interacts with a mirror on a daily basis sheds light onto their character and personality. Cordova hopes this video encourages movie lovers to think about layers of looking, and all of its implications, not just within a film’s world, but within our experience as viewers too. As a film minor, Cordova has learned about many filmmakers and how their work can impact society or simply start a conversation about a often overlooked topic. “Some of my favorite filmmakers are Richard Linklater, Noah Baumbach, Sofia Coppola, the Coen Brothers, Alfred Hitchcock, and Wes Anderson. Illustrators and animators like Jean Jullien and Liana Finck are also sources of inspiration,” Cordova said. Her first step to create the “Look At
Leah Cordova working on “Look at Me.” Victoria Hernandez /The Quadrangle Me” project was scanning through lots of movies she had previously watched, mainly via Netflix and Amazon Prime, but sometimes on YouTube. “I used iShowU HD to record footage I wanted before uploading it to Final Cut Pro. During editing, making lists was really helpful. I categorized scenes by the mood I wanted them to portray, how a subject was positioned within the frame, and whether or not I wanted to keep its original sound,” Leah said. Even though the video was just short of three minutes long, Cordova spend several hours acquiring footage, narrowing down
her original idea, organizing her vision for the video and finally editing the piece. For this video particularly, she turned to filmmakers of the French New Wave for inspiration. But the creative process not only entails becoming extremely inspired without first encountering any setbacks. “I definitely worried about this video being boring or too long. After scanning through possible films, I ended up with more than 25 possible scenes. Too much footage. And every scene seemed essential,” Cordova said. One of her main obstacles was cutting unnecessary bits. She ended up spending
the majority of her time doing this. Another challenge for her was finding notable scenes with female protagonists or kids. For Cordova, this is only her first video art project, yet she found the creative independence to transition and idea into a final piece that speaks beautifully and results in questioning ourselves about such a mundane and daily action in our lives like looking at a mirror. The video will be linked along with the article on our website, mcquad.org
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Features
April 25, 2017
The Night Shift at MC Haley Burnside Assistant Editor
In the city that never sleeps, there need to be people who stay awake through the night to keep it running. At Manhattan College, a whole team of employees are responsible for just that. Whether it’s the first floor of Horan or the front desk at O’Malley library, a diligent worker can be found at all hours of the night. Raquel Centeno, who works in the Thomas Hall C-Store long after most of the staff at MC clock out and return home, says it is not difficult for her to work at night. “It’s not too bad. I’ve been doing night shifts for like a year now. I’m here from 3 to 1 in the morning, so it’s usually pretty
calm,” said Centeno. When asked how she keeps herself awake during a long night shift, she laughed. “I don’t even know sometimes. I just keep snacking if I start to zone out,” said Centeno. “That, and I try not to sit down for too long. Some nights we get lots of students in here, so you get to talk to people. That really helps.” In the quiet library, staying awake and alert throughout the night is a little more challenging. Debra Green, who has only worked the night shift a few times, notes that certain times of year can be more exciting at night. “It is usually quiet except during finals and midterms. In those weeks there are plenty of people coming and going that it doesn’t really feel late,” said Green.
She did not find it difficult to stay awake during night shifts. “I talk to students or get on the computer,” said Green “It’s easier than you would think to stay awake, especially if you get plenty of rest during the day.” Public Safety officials all have some experience working security during the night shift hours from midnight to eight in the morning. Some, like Public Safety employee Denzel Francois, prefer the late hours. “[Working at night] is quite the opposite of rough,” said Francois as he sat at the desk at the first floor of Lee Hall. “When you’re working in the nighttime, you get sufficient rest in the daytime. Plus it gives me more time with my daughter during the day. It’s a perfect schedule for me.” As an experienced night shift employ-
ee, Francois had some immediate strategies on hand for staying awake through the night. “People may look at it as ‘wow, you’re staying up all night, how do you sleep?’ But you do get sleep. I have a regimen at home for balancing sleep and being with my family,” said Francois. “It’s just a matter of proper scheduling and proper eating. The diet is definitely important.” Like the other employees, he attributed interacting with students to helping keeping him awake as well. “It definitely helps to have students come through and talk to you. Usually during exam weeks there’s a lot of people coming back from the library late at night. Talking to them keeps you from getting bored.”
on the matter. He writes: “one of the great difficulties in this country, and one which is correctly appreciated by the military experts, is the fact that we chiefly lack two things: one is a sufficient number of trained officers to be utilized in case of war, and the other is a system by which large numbers of young men may receive preliminary military training.” Fitzgerald closes his speech by citing the questions that the U.S. will face about the military going forward. “It is not a partisan question. It is one that affects every man, woman, and child in the country; and I know of no class of men more competent to participate in the discussion of this great question, and to contribute much to the solution of the problem, than the men who have been sent out into the world by our alma mater, Manhattan College.” In the October edition one of the editors wrote an article titled “Physical Training in the Schools” which argued for the very type of military preparation that Fitzgerald mentioned in his speech. The editor, who signed the article C. S. P., writes that “to say this program would in the remotest way engender or foster militarism in the young is absurd. While far removed from things military, it would, nevertheless, in time of national peril be of inestimable benefit in that it would furnish the country with a youth physically fit to endure the hardships
of war.” In January 1917 the death of one of Manhattan’s most famous brothers, Brother Chrysostom, dominated the pages of the Quarterly. One article, however, reminds us that the war raged on in Europe. In an article by Arthur J. McConnell Jr. class of 1917 titled “Peace Note,” the author writes that President Wilson had been the recipient of a peace proposal from the German alliance. McConnell writes: ‘it is hoped that peace negotiations will not end with the rejection of this note, but will continue until a truce, based on equity and justice is established.” After the U.S. entered the war in April of 1917, reporting on the war remained in the various campus publications. In the October 1917 edition of The Manhattan College News-letter, the editors write that: “studies were resumed on Wednesday, September 12, 1917. Contrary to expectations, the attendance was fully abreast of previous years. And this not-withstanding the fact that some twenty-five of the upper class men have been called to the colors.” The next month, the News-letter reported that then president of Manhattan College, Brother Edward, represented the college at the University of the State of New York convocation in Albany. “The general theme was ‘The Schools and the War.’”
Manhattan College and The Great War, 100 Years Later Kieran Rock Senior Writer
No newspaper was published on the Manhattan College campus in the days of WWI. Still from 1914 to 1918 various literary magazines, newsletters and other publications reflected the life on campus during the years of the war. “The Manhattan Quarterly” was the literary magazine of the time which published “subjects of interest to the general public” and was meant to “serve as a link between former students of Manhattan and their Alma Mater,” according to the April 1916 edition of the publication.. In the October 1916 edition of the Quarterly, Francis Sweeney class of 1916 wrote: “the twentieth century, with its wonderful inventions, discoveries, its learning culture and improved conditions in every phase of life, is deemed a gold age, and age of perfection. But there is a blot on its escutcheon, a disgrace to civilization and culture, a scourge to mankind, a devastator of the land and a destroyer of peace. It is the present world war, in which nearly every European nation is engaged in the dreadful conflict.” Many of the articles published in the Quarterly in those years touch on topics and debates that surrounded WWI. In one piece
written by Thomas J. Quinlan in the April 1916 edition titled “Europe and America,” the author debates the importance of European opinion of the United States, noting that the U.S. had not officially entered WWI in 1916. Quinlan writes: “what Europe thinks of the United States is of dwindling importance every succeeding day of the war. But what the United States thinks of Europe is all-important.” The piece shows a divisive line of thinking as he condemns Americans who challenge the president’s opinion of U.S. neutrality in the war as well as the European opinion of Americans. In that same issue, the editors republished a speech given by John J. Fitzgerald class of 1891. Fitzgerald, a member of the House of Representatives, noted in his speech that he was not given a subject matter to address and so he felt “free to present a few views upon one of the very important matters that to-day are engaging the attention of the people of the United States.” Fitzgerald’s speech went on to engage the call for an increase in the U.S. naval forces and coastline defense. Fitzgerald called the two opposing arguments for and against “extreme” and took a neutral line
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sports
11
Softball Looks Ahead to MAAC Tourney Ariel Pacheco Staff Writer
As the softball season nears its end, the team hopes to carry its strong showing throughout the season into the MAAC tournament. To this point, the team has an overall record of 24-12 with an 8-2 record in conference play. That puts the Jaspers in first place in the MAAC conference. “We’re doing a great job, we’re getting better each game,” said Briana Matazinsky, a junior who has both pitched and played infield for the team this season. “Every person is contributing, all twenty of us have in some way or another and we’re gelling really well.” That’s been the key to the team’s success this season. Contributions from all over the field have led to wins whether that be from the offense, defense, or the pitching. “We have solid defense, great pitching, and timely hitting,” said Jenn Vazquez, a senior who’s played both catcher and first base. “Every game is not the same story. It’s good that we’ve had success from all different perspectives.” Even with the success the team has had up to this point, they have remained motivated and have avoided becoming complacent. There is a team-wide mindset that they can continue to win if they take everything one game at a time and continue to focus on
what they can accomplish as a team. “Our mentality is in the way we play,” head coach Tom Pardalis said. “If we take care of our business we’ll win.” Coach Pardalis is now in his eighth season as head coach. Assistant Coach Cat Clifford shares the same view. “We do us. We don’t worry about other people, we worry about us and what we do.” Expectations before the season within the team were high. There is a nice mix of players who returned with new ones. Still, the expectations have not affected them on the field and they don’t plan on letting it. “We always want to make it into the MAAC tournament and host it and think we’re on our way to doing that,” said Briana Matazinsky. If they are able to hold on to first place in the MAAC conference, Manhattan College will be the host of the tournament. The atmosphere around the team has been a positive one. It’s a team first mentality that has made the season not only a successful one, but an enjoyable one as well. “The players are great, they’re the best,” Clifford said. “They love being here which makes our job easy because we love
Sophomoe Kat Prevo holds up an inspirational quote in the dugout. Aaron Mayorga/ The Quadrangle being with them.” Senior Day is on Apr. 22 and the three seniors on the team: Jenn Vazquez, Stephanie Reinhardt, and Danielle Gabriel, will be honored by the Jaspers in between the day’s scheduled doubleheader. Their entire careers at Manhattan will culminate into a celebration that will thank them for what they’ve done for the team and community. “I’m going to enjoy it to the fullest,” said Jenn Vazquez. “It’s been an amazing time.” The season has had a lot of great mo-
ments like Jaspers heading down to Florida to compete in a tournament that helped to prepare them for conference play. The competition helped to catapult the team into it’s current success. The season also saw the first no-hitter in Manhattan College softball program history by freshman Nicole Williams against Saint Peter’s. With just a few weeks left before the end of the season, the team hopes to continue to win and carry the momentum of the season into the MAAC tournament and possibly a MAAC championship.
WHAT’S UP THIS WEEK SPRING 2017 BASEBALL APRIL 25TH BASEBALL VS. NYIT @ WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY 4:00 PM APRIL 25TH BASEBALL VS. NYIT @ WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY 6:30 PM
SOFTBALL APRIL 26TH SOFTBALL VS. COLUMBIA @ RIVERDALE, NY 3:00 PM
Womens lax APRIL 26TH W LACROSSE VS. FAIRFIELD @ FAIRFIELD, CT 3:00 PM
mens lax APRIL 28TH M LACROSSE VS. MONMOUTH @ WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ 4:00 PM
APRIL 26TH SOFTBALL VS. COLUMBIA @ RIVERDALE, NY 5:00 PM
DESIGNED BY RIKKILYNN SHIELDS
THE QUADRANGLE • mcquad.org • @MCQUAD
sports
12
April 25, 2017
Start Strong, Finish Stronger: Dance Team Takes 5th in Nationals
Taylor Brethauer Editor
The Manhattan College Jasper Dancers traveled to Nationals during the first weekend of April three weeks ago. and after moving onto the final round, placed fifth in the Division 1 Hip Hop category. This is the Dancers highest placement at Nationals in the team’s history. The Jasper Dancers have been an integral part of the spirit squads that are found on the sidelines during the basketball season, along with the Manhattan Cheerleaders and Pep Band. The Dancers compete annually at the National Dance Association Collegiate competition. Coached by Kaitlyn Marquette, the team of twelve grew together throughout the season under the leadership of captains junior Alexa Iaquinto and junior Sydney Furboter. The team welcomed eight new members this season, adding to the group dynamic from last year. First-year students came in strong with six dancers from the class of 2020 joining the squad. “Eight of the twelve dancers were rookies; six freshman, one sophomore and one junior, all new to the program. They brought a freshness and passion that was needed in order for this team to succeed […] This particular group of women worked very well together and became a fast family. Their personalities meshed and you could see it on and off stage. I believe that is what makes a successful team: One that is bonded and supportive of one another,” said Coach Kaitlyn Marquette. Bonding was certainly a strong suit for the team, who would post the passing of a team spirit stick or birthday wishes to teammates on their social media throughout the season. Practicing for many hours also allows the team to grow closer. The focus at the beginning of the season is mostly on game and sideline routines. As Nationals looms closer, the team begins to choreograph their routines that they will perform in competition. Once the basketball season ends, it’s a constant attention on National routines. The Dancers are visible at the basketball games, where they dance along to the Pep Band’s songs or perform on the court during breaks. By doing these tiny dances so many times, it becomes a part of their muscle memory. Once their competition dances are added into their repertoire, it’s a matter of getting into the mindset of either games or competition. Technical skills for Pom and Hip Hop, the types of dances the team performs at competition, are practiced starting at the very beginning of the season. The team doesn’t learn the dances until October, when Marquette begins choreographing the Pom dance using the music mix created specifically for the team. Marquette’s friend, David Maczkiewicz of Hofstra University’s dance team, choreographed the Hip Hop routine on the spot during a ten-hour practice in the fall semester. That routine would land the team fifth place a few months after. “Our goal is to have both dances finished before winter break. Once the team learns the entire dance, we drill the routine in small sections, sometimes spending two hours on just ten seconds of movement. The dance is broken down count by count, and each detail is refined and perfected over and over again until it is ingrained in their mus-
The Jasper Dancers pose with their 5th place trophy on Daytona Beach in Florida. Jasper Dancers Twitter/Courtesy cle memory. Practices can range from two to five hours, three to five days a week,” said Marquette. The goal after learning the routines and perfecting them is for the team to do their best. A main goal for the team has always been to move onto the finals, after the preliminary round. Many teams only get the chance to dance at the preliminary round but once a team moves onto finals, they have the opportunity to take home a trophy. “It’s been a goal throughout our three years on the team. This year we had more potential in the team as a whole and that was in the back of our minds. Once we got down there with the team and everybody saw the competition, it was something everyone wanted so much more,” said Furboter. The NDA Collegiate competition has been held at Daytona Beach in Daytona, Florida for many years and welcomes dance teams from all around the country. The National Cheerleading Association also has their competition during the same weekend, so it is a charged atmosphere with every team eyeing the same prize. “Everyone is on the same page. Everyone is down there for the same reason: to do well and to do better than they did last year. Teams are practicing anywhere they can, like on the side of the street. There’s always music playing and there’s people screaming and running around. There’s glitter everywhere—it’s exactly what you’d think when you think ‘dance competition’,” said Iaquinto. “The atmosphere at Nationals is insane. We say it all the time, kind of like a joke but it’s basically like the Bring It On
movies and those competition movies. But [competition’s] not a joke, you get down there and see colleges everywhere, cheerleaders and dancers are practicing all over the place. Everyone is so supportive down there,” said Furboter. Although the Pom routine didn’t move onto finals, the girls on the team had a good feeling about their Hip Hop routine. Dressed in black sweatpants, white t-shirts with the Jasper logo, Kelly green varsity jackets, brown boots and their hair pulled back tight in a high braid, the dancers looked their best as they performed their best. Finals is a chance to perform for a larger crowd at the infamous bandshell on Daytona Beach. As team after team performed, it soon became time for the Jasper Dancers chance. Their confidence and excitement was raising as they took to the mat and gave it their all. “I couldn’t have been more proud. There was nothing I would’ve changed. Like, at all. We did good for ourselves. We set our goal, reached our goal and eventually surpassed it. I don’t think anyone could’ve done anything differently, everyone on the team pushed themselves and had a positive attitude. We were all encouraging each other… Walking off of the mat, I knew I didn’t have to ask anyone ‘how’d it go?’ because I knew everyone’s energy was positive and we were so excited,” said Iaquinto. Weber State University from Ogden, Utah received first place in the Division 1 Hip Hop competition. Only four spots after them were the Jasper Dancers, placing the highest in the team’s history. The team received an official NDA trophy that they
all took pictures with on Daytona Beach, hugging and smiling with their teammates they have spent practicing with for almost an entire year. Now that the team is nationally ranked, Marquette spoke of their future goals, stating that no much will change, as long as they have the continuous support of the school. The coach said, “there is no measurable goal for us. We want to be the best versions of ourselves, to be better than we were last season, a month ago, a week ago. That’s our goal. We are not out to beat other teams, we simply want to start strong, finish stronger. This year was the start […] Having the support and resources of our Student Engagement department to compete nationally set the foundation for our team to succeed, and we are very thankful for all that they do for us.” The captains also expressed how much their team loves their coach and all the effort and love she gives to each and every girl. One thing is clear: the Jasper Dancers are a group full of support and teamwork. Their season will start back up in the fall, welcoming brand new members to the team and work towards their goals yet again in the new year. “National recognition proves that this team is worth the time, funds, and respect not only within the dance team community but in the Manhattan College community. High school dancers around the country will add Manhattan College to their prospect list as a school that allows them to excel academically and continue to dance competitively, elevating our talent and the future of this program and our school spirit community,” said Marquette.