THE Volume 95, Issue 7
Q
UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924
February 28, 2017
www.mcquad.org
Resident Assistant Hiring Process Gets Underway
Residence Life has begun the process of hiring new resident assistants. Stephen Zubrycky/The Quadrangle
Rikkilynn Shields Editor
The process for selecting new Resident Assistants is underway, and this year 115 students were eligible to be considered for the position. Resident Assistants are undergraduate students who live on campus, and are responsible for assisting students and ensuring that students are following the Student Code of Conduct. The RA position allows students who are accepted to put their leadership skills to the test, and develop even more skills along the way. RAs plan activities, events, and are responsible for the duties that are assigned to them in the residence hall in which they reside in. Committing to becoming an RA lasts for one year, and after that is up, the position is renewable by the Director of Residence Life. The RA position is available for rising juniors and seniors, and along with all of the responsibilities it includes, free room and board is what makes this one of the most competitive jobs on campus. To apply to be an RA, along with meeting the GPA, credit, and other important requirements, students must go through the basic application process; submitting an application, resume, and essay, plus two letters of recommendation. AJ Goodman, the Associate Director of Residence Life for 3 of our 5 residence halls told the Quadrangle all about this years candidates and how the overall interview process has been going.
“The group interviews were this past Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so they are complete. Group interviews are one of my favorite times of the year as its a great chance to get to know students who are interested in taking on leadership and helping their peers have a better experience living in the residence halls. I always appreciate meeting students who are interested in taking on such an important role,” Goodman said. “Next, the selected applicants were invited to participate in the individual interviews. The sign-up for those took place this past Friday, Feb. 24. Individual interviews are scheduled from Monday, February 27 to WednesA.J. Goodman day, Mar. 8. Aaron Mayorga/ This is where The Quadrangle candidates meet with a member of the Residence Life senior staff and a current Resident Assistant,” Goodman said. With the diverse group of students applying, Residence Life has their eye out for certain students this year, as they do every year. After all, the RAs represent the Manhattan College residents and community. “We have eight core competencies that
serve to guide the selection process and training events– communication, community building, conflict resolution, counseling, diversity, leadership and team building, problem solving and critical thinking and most importantly professionalism. Beyond those categories, I am really looking for students who present themselves honestly and are trainable. The RA position requires a lot of different skills so we need to have students who will be able to learn those skills through training.” Goodman said. Every year, the RA position attracts a variety of different students– students from different schools, commuters and on-campus residents, and of course students with different interests and different backgrounds. Every year, residence life notices some of these differences. “We have had a growing focus on attracting commuters to apply for the RA position over the past few years. I believe we have record numbers in that category this year. The creation of the Leadership Development Program has also made an impact on our candidate pool. About one third of our candidates have participated in at least one session of LDP this year. Its been helpful as three of us in Residence Life are presenters, so we get to meet candidates long before the application process.” Goodman said. Junior Tim Hamling is one of the 115 students applying to be an RA this year, and who recently received the email that he is one of the students who will be moving on to an individual interview within
the next few weeks. “The interview process has been good so far, I applied last year so going into it with some prior experience has definitely made me more confident and less nervous.” Since this is Tim’s second time applying for the RA position, his outlook on the process is a little bit different than most. “I wanted to apply to be an RA because I like to help people and make sure that everyone is having fun, and I believe that by being an RA, I can help residents accomplish this. I also applied because I know that it will improve my abilities as a leader, and the things I will learn from it can help me in the future.” Hamling said Sophomore Victoria Cruz is applying to be an RA for the first time this year, and is another one of the students who will be moving on to a solo interview. “The interview process has been going well. Although it is nerve-wracking, it is exciting to say the least. Becoming an RA is something that I am really hoping to achieve. My RAs have showed me that although it is a lot of responsibility and dedication, in the end it is very worthwhile. I am excited to see what happens next!” AJ Goodman and the rest of the Residence Life staff are overall excited about the application pool this year, and all of the applicants they have met. “I am encouraged by what I have seen through the Group Process thus far. My colleagues in Residence Life and I are looking forward to getting to know the candidates more through the individual interviews over the next two weeks.”
2
The
opinions & editorials
Quadrangle www.mcquad.org
Vol. 95 Issue 7 February 28, 2017
Letter from
The Editor
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.
February 28, 2017
Dear Reader, Congrats, we’ve officially made it halfway through the spring semester! For sophomores and juniors like myself, it can be easy to lose perspective while working through mountains of assignments semester after semester. But making it this far at college is no easy task, and we all have something to be proud of. Here at the Quad, we’re kicking it further into high gear as we head towards the home stretch. We’ve got a bunch of exciting new projects coming up, and I thought I’d share some of them with you. Next week, we’ll be publishing our special issue for this semester, the Health Issue. Health is an important topic for students, and it can be easy to let it fall by the wayside in the middle of the semester. We’re going to be looking at this issue and how it affects our campus from multiple perspectives. Also, we’re getting close to launching a new section to the Quad called Multimedia. A team of editors are working on developing original video content for our website, mcquad.org, and we’re hoping to get some content up on the web by the semester’s end. We’re working extremely hard here at the Quad to deliver engaging, original and informative content to the student body, and we’re constantly aiming to improve. If you have any suggestions on how we can make the Quad better, or if you’d like to find out how you can join, give us a holler! Thanks, and good luck on those midterms--
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.
CORRECT IONS In “Horan Hall Elevator Problems Continue,” published in last week’s issue, Ryan Bunts, who is the area coordinator of Horan Hall, was misidentified as a resident director.
News
MC Students File Taxes for Locals Kelly Burns & Kieran Rock Senior Writers
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, also known as VITA, is a tax volunteer program run by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). According to the IRS website, VITA volunteers “receive training to provide free tax help for low-to-moderate income families who need assistance preparing their tax returns.” The MC chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, an international honor organization for financial information students, participates in the VITA tax program right here in the Bronx. Gino Giglio, a graduate student and the president of Beta Alpha Psi has been involved in the program since he was a junior. “I have been the coordinator of Manhattan’s participation in the program for the past two years,” Giglio said in an email. As a junior, Giglio became certified and volunteered for the program before taking over coordination as a senior. “Coordinating involves being in charge of all the logistical aspects of participation ensuring students are trained, working with students to make sure they participate, planning transportation and liaising with UNHP whenever necessary,” Giglio said. This year, Giglio took over the certification course and passed the coordination of the program on to John Fiore, Beta Alpha Psi’s director of community outreach. “As the Director of Community Outreach for Beta Alpha Psi, I help coordinate the involvement of Beta Alpha Psi’s members in this program. I register volunteers on the University Neighborhood Housing Program’s (UNHP) website to volunteer every Wednesday and Saturday during tax season,” Fiore said. According to the UNHP website, the organization is a nonprofit “working to create and preserve affordable housing and bring resources to the Northwest Bronx.” Fiore believes the VITA program is central to the mission of Beta Alpha Psi. “Community service is one of the central components of membership in this historic honor society,” he said. “We saw VITA as a great way to give back to the local community right here in the Bronx. Furthermore, since the majority of students in Beta Alpha Psi are accounting majors, they are familiar with tax preparation already. This is a great way to utilize the talents of our members to serve others.”
According to Giglio, the process of volunteering is extensive. “First, volunteers must participate in a two-hour basic tax law training course offered by Manhattan College,” he said. This course was previously taught by professors in the School of Business, but this year Giglio has taken over the administration of the course. “The course teaches students some of the fundamentals of tax law, including filing statuses, deductions, credits…as well as some of the tax issues specifically relevant to the low-income taxpayers they will serve, including the earned income credit and taxability of social security benefits,” Giglio said. After students complete the course they must pass three IRS certification exams. “Once volunteers obtain this initial certification, they attend a six-hour on-
site training session provided by UNHP, where students are introduced to the logistics of the program and are trained on the tax software,” said Giglio. Jacob Fishkin, a member of Beta Alpha Psi, thinks the VITA program is an important way of reaching out beyond the MC community. “Although this is one of the requirements for Beta Alpha Psi, I believe it is important as a student to not only reach out to the internal community, but the external community as well,” Fishkin said. “We are part of the Northwest Bronx community and it’s great to give back whenever we can.” Giglio continued to share that volunteering for the program is very applicable to his career aspirations. “As someone who is going to be working in tax after graduation, I saw this as an opportunity to gain a base level of tax
3
knowledge,” said Giglio. In addition to his career goals, Giglio went on to discuss how interesting and rewarding this line of work is to him. “Volunteering for VITA is incredibly rewarding work. As a volunteer, you get to provide a service for people in desperate need of it,” said Giglio. “Tax preparation is an expensive service that nearly all of the people we serve cannot afford. Being able to put our skills and training to use to help someone obtain something they could not have without your help is extremely gratifying.” Giglio also thinks that the student volunteers who participate in the VITA program are contributing to the Lasallian values of the school. “Participating with VITA is in complete alignment with the Lasallian Catholic mission of service to others,” he said.
A student helps a local man file taxes last year. The program has become a tradition for Manhattan’s accounting majors. Manhattan College/Courtesy
CHECK US OUT ONLINE
Use our new Snapcode!
mcquad.org
news
4
College Opens Up to Neighbors for Luncheon Catherine Goodyear Assistant Editor
The Student Neighborhood Relations Committee held the second annual community luncheon last Friday, Feb. 17 as a way of opening a positive line of communication between the Riverdale residents and Manhattan College. The luncheon started out with an invocation from John Bennett, director of Student Engagement and ended with a question and answer session facilitated by Richard Satterlee, vice president for Student Life. The college has been working with the residents of Riverdale to address their concerns and reach common ground. Dorian Persaud, Student Body President, gave a speech touching on the topic what Manhattan College means to him and what the goal of this luncheon was. “What does it mean to be a Lasallian you may ask? There are five core values that are essential to our character: concern for the poor, quality education, an inclusive community, respect for all persons, and faith in the presence of God… Our goal and hope for this luncheon is to start and continue a dialog with members of our community as we think the feedback is crucial in the development of our relationship,” said Persaud. Ryan Quattromani, the founder and chairman of the Neighborhood Relations Committee, followed Persaud with a speech explaining why the committee was assembled and promoted a relationship between the college and the community. “I know there are a few students whose negligence may cause frustration in our community but I personally do not want these students to reflect Manhattan College, nor our image, values, or in general of who we are. Certainly, as everyone in this room knows, Manhattan College is comprised of good hearted, caring people and these
are the people who should be representing Manhattan College,” said Quattromani. The question and answer portion of the luncheon was opened and the neighbors who spoke seemed to have a consensus that in the fall semester the noise level of the students had died down to a tolerable level but after the winter intercession, the problem returned. The residents also seemed to have a concern for the safety of the students themselves. They were worried about alcohol abuse being the underlying cause of the
“I think it is very important that our neighbors have an opportunity to interact directly with our student leaders.” -RICHARD SATTERLEE V.P. FOR STUDENT LIFE
noise and disruptive behavior. Riverdale resident for almost 20 years, Jean Rincon, said “I am very encouraged by the fact that the students are taking initiative and I strongly believe that the students can be the most powerful component of any effort. They don’t have to be accusing their fellow students, turning them in or shaming them, all they have to do it let them know that it is unacceptable that they would affect the reputation of the college and the image of all the other students.” Pamela Judd moved around the corner of Manhattan College in the year 2000 and has been an active member since. “I really appreciate the beauty of the campus and the energy of the students but it has been in the recent past a chal-
lenge with the noise at night and also concern about the safety of the students. They could be very vulnerable and it has gotten so much better since the college, the community, and the police has gotten together to collaborate and try to solve this problem, it has really opened so many doors just for the ability to sleep at night. It’s really been a big, big change and it is exciting to see the students take the initiative and leadership to make this happen. I am appreciative of this opportunity and look forward to getting involved and offering ideas or support as a member of the community.” Closing the question and answer portion of the luncheon, Satterlee briefly spoke about actions the college is taking to ensure the safety of the students as well as a plan to better the quality of life for the residents. “I think it is very important that our neighbors have an opportunity to interact directly with our student leaders. It is especially important that students know that we take their conduct in the community seriously as an administration but I think that face to face contact between students and community members goes a long way toward creating respectful and meaningful dialogue,” said Satterlee. There is an upcoming SGA neighborhood relations meeting with the community on Monday, Feb. 27, in the Kelly Commons fourth floor to discuss other ways to accomplish a safer, quieter community. “There are a lot of things that students and neighbors alike agree upon so getting both sides in the room would be good because a lot of the time both sides of our community are on the same side. The next plan of action is at the end of this month there will be another meeting but in the evening because we received a lot of feedback from the neighbors who appreciated the invitation but could not attend because it was on a weekday in the middle of the day and they had work. We anticipate many more neighbors at that meeting,” said Bennett.
February 28, 2017
Trump Taps McMaster for N.S.C.; Major News Outlets Shut out of White House Press Briefing WORLD WEEKLY Daniel Molina Editor
McMaster Named Trump’s National Security Adviser President Donald Trump chose an active-duty Army general as his new national security adviser on Monday. Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster is taking the job at a time when high-stakes foreign-policy challenges are under review by the new administration, including North Korea, Russia, Syria and Iran. Source: The Wall Street Journal Seven Earth-Sized Planets Found Orbiting Nearby Star A huddle of seven worlds, all close in size to Earth, and perhaps warm enough for water, has been spotted around a small star named Trappist-1 in the constellation Aquarius. It is the first time that so many Earth-sized planets have been found in orbit around the same star, which at 39 light years away makes the system a prime candidate to search for signs of life. Source: The Guardian Trump Rescinds Rules on Bathrooms for Transgender Students Last Wednesday, President Trump rescinded protections for transgender students that had allowed then to use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity, overruling his own education secretary, Betsy DeVos, who was uncomfortable because of the potential harm that this could cause transgender students. Source: The New York Times John Kelly Contradict Trump on Immigration Policies in Visit to Mexico Seeking to tamp down growing unease in Latin America, John Kelly, Homeland Security Secretary, pledged last Thursday in a statement delivered in Mexico City that the United States will not enlist its military to enforce immigration laws and that there will be no “mass deportations.” Source: Time White House Blocks News Organizations from Press Briefing The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Politico, BuzzFeed, the BBC, The Guardian and CNN were among some of the news outlets that were blocked last Friday from attending an off-camera White House press briefing where other reporters were hand-picked to attend. This raised concern among media organizations and First Amendment defendants. Source: CNN Media
Students and local residents gathered in the Kelly Commons for the community luncheon. Aaron Mayorga/The Quadrangle
Features
A Look Back at Black History at Manhattan College
5
Megan Dreher & August Kissel Assistant Editor & Editor
Junius Kellogg Our story begins with Junius Kellogg, a Manhattan College student athlete, and who started his career at Manhattan in 1949 as a sophomore. He was the first African American athlete to receive a scholarship, and also held the record at that time for being the tallest basketball player on the team. In his senior year, Kellogg was approached by former co-captain Hank Pope. Pope asked Kellogg to purposely shave points and miss passes in an effort to win a bet. Kellogg, who did not want to risk his scholarship, reported the incident to his coach who in return reported it to the administration. The police were then involved. Kellogg cooperated with authorities and played terribly in the January 16 game against Depaul, having only scored four points the entire game. Pope was arrested. After this scandal with Manhattan, other schools were suddenly being caught in the act of point shaving. This became known as the Point Shaving Scandal of 1951. Thanks to Kellogg’s honesty one of the largest scandals in college basketball’s history was exposed. An editorial in a 1997-98 Men’s Basketball Magazine stated: “Following Kellogg’s act of courage, a scholarship was established to assist worthy AfricanAmerican candidates who wished to attend Manhattan College. Manhattan thus became one of the first college in the east to offer scholarships exclusively for AfricanAmerican students.”
With Black History Month coming to a close, The Quadrangle examines the contributions of African-American Jaspers and those who fought for civil rights onThe Quadrangle’s Response to the Murder of Emmett Till and off- campus. Emmett Till was a young African American boy who was brutally murdered on Aug. 28, 1955 for reportedly flirting with a white woman. Till’s death and open casket funeral drew attention to a form of injustice that they nation was at the time enduring. On Oct. 19 1955 the Quadrangle published an anonymous letter as a reaction piece to his death. “But he was just a boy and he is dead now, and he was my brother and your brother too. And you didn’t kill him- but you let him die. You let him die, and now you’re forgetting him, just as you’ll forget others like him. You let him die when you didn’t fight to save him, not FROM death but IN life; when you didn’t save him from his slums and when you didn’t give him an education like your own. When you made him take the poorest seats in your buses and wouldn’t let him live in your neighborhood, when you made him a second-class citizen man. Now you’re willing to give him justice, but you were never willing to give him love,” The Quadrangle wrote. This chilling reaction published in The Quadrangle speaks volumes about how the college reacted as well as how they sympathized with those who were facing unjust treatment around the country.
MC Students Create an African American Publication “Brown Soap” In 1969, a group of Manhattan College students came together to publish an African American publication. “We propose. Let us speak to each other, define and examine our purpose, and where we find needs and possibilities respond with our convictions and creative energies. We are responsible for our education, we are responsible for the life that surrounds us, and especially responsible for this moment in history. It is this responsibility that compels us to articulate our feelings and thoughts and to act in whatever ways are available or must be made available. We celebrate the printed word trusting that it too will be made into Flesh. For the sake of giving birth and reality to an idea, a hope, and a plan (triplets) we must cooperate and assists each other. We can agree and disagree, we must act. Creation, life sign, Brown Soap.” Brown Soap came together for only one publication. Though their presence on campus was defining in the fact that students felt that they had something they needed to share and that they were given a forum to do so on.
MC Faculty Hosts “Professional Career Opportunities Day for Blacks and Hispanics” In 1982, the faculty of Manhattan College came together to host a “Professional Career Opportunities Day for Blacks and Hispanics.” This day was a panel discussion for local high school juniors and seniors and professionals, so that the students can become more comfortable with the idea of going to college. After the discussion the students went to lunch in the dining hall and then went to a basketball game so that they could have a true college experience. “Believed to be the first of it’s kind offered by higher education. These graduates’ familiarity with Manhattan College’s programs and campus life will give the students a distinctive advantage in planning their academic and career goals, ” said Brother William Batt, the director of admissions at the time.
An excerpt from an essay submitted anonymously to The Quadrangle after the 1955 murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi. ABOVE:
MEGAN DREHER/THE QUADRANGLE
Junius Kellogg, who in 1949 became the first African-American to attend Manhattan College on an athletic scholarship. LEFT:
MANHATTAN COLLEGE/COURTESY
Features
6
Features
February 28, 2017
7
Ben Santer, Acclaimed Climatologist, Delivers Lecture on Climate Change Aaron Mayorga Editor
An unseasonably warm February evening – the unfortunately fitting backdrop for noted climatologist Ben Santer’s lecture on the evidence supporting the scientific consensus regarding human-caused climate change, which took place on Feb. 20 before a packed crowd in the Rodriguez Room in Miguel Hall. The talk was arranged by Dennis Kalob, Ph.D., an associate professor of sociology, and Yelda Hangun-Balkir, Ph.D., an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry. According to Kalob, he first encountered Santer while at the New York University Faculty Resource Network’s Winter 2017 seminar which took place in early January in Athens, Greece. The seminar, which dealt with climate change, was led by Santer. “I got to know him and he mentioned to us that he had been invited to go on Late Night with Seth Meyers [during the week of the lecture – editor’s note: the episode aired on Feb. 22, 2017],” Kalob said. “I said to him, ‘Ben, if you’re going to be in New York, could you come here?’” “This is the kind of issue that should be studied in all Catholic schools in some systematic ways,” Kalob explained as his rationale for inviting Santer to speak at Manhattan. “When people are not properly informed, they can be susceptible to any kind of information that’s out there. And bad information is often worse than no information.” Despite his busy schedule and much to Kalob’s surprise, Santer accepted the opportunity to discuss climate change at the college. Without an empty seat in sight, the mildmannered and soft-spoken climatologist laid out a brief yet expansive crash-course on the scientific evidence that has, in many ways, become his life’s work; however, Santer explained that his love-affair with climate science and statistical analysis was, ironically, the result of “pure chance.” “I was working in Germany for an aerospace company in the early 1980s,” Santer recalled. “They had a contract with the German government entitled ‘The Socioeconomic Impacts of Climate Change.’” Having studied environmental science as an undergraduate student, Santer was assigned to work on the contract and was tasked with utilizing climate computer models in order to evaluate the impact that climate change would have on crop yields
Ben Santer, Ph.D., of California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, discussed the ‘human fingerprints’ behind global climate change at Manhattan College last Monday night. Thirty years after earning his Ph.D. at University of Anglia in the U.K., Santer is now at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Aaron Mayorga/The Quadrangle in Europe. “I was fascinated,” Santer said of the initial experience. “The idea that people would and could try to capture, in numerical form, the complexity of the climate system was fascinating and I knew that’s what I wanted to do.” In response, Santer sought to enter into a Ph.D. program in climatology; in 1987, he succeeded in achieving that goal when he received his Ph.D. from the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, U.K. 30 years later, Santer now finds himself travelling across the country and across the world, delivering roughly “25 to 30” lectures per year to a myriad of different audiences of differing viewpoints on the issue of climate change. “One of the things I’ve tried hard to do is not just preach to the choir, not just speak to my peers but speak to people who are skeptical about me and everything my colleagues and I do and have learned, the climatologist said. Santer continued by saying, “I spoke in Southern California to the Pacific Club, a very [politically] conservative organization, the Jonathan Club – the most exclusive club in Los Angeles, Bohemian Grove – which is referred to as ‘summer camp for billionaires.’” Although he may have found himself in sometimes precarious positions while speaking to individuals who may be potentially dismissive about the implications of his work, Santer considers such
Unseasonably warm weather last week provided a fitting backdrop for Monday night’s talk. Students, pictured at right, took to the Quad on Friday to enjoy the sunny, May-like weather. Aaron Mayorga/The Quadrangle
talks to be invaluable opportunities “to give people pause for thought…[about] the consequences for everything you hold dear of being on the wrong side of the science.” During his lecture in the Rodriguez Room, Santer gave the same type of talk as he did the members of Bohemian Grove. In it, Santer stressed that climate science is more than just an “either/or proposition” and that Earth’s climate has been affected by both natural causes – such as solar and volcanic activity – and human-made causes like deforestation and increased carbon emissions emanating from widespread industrialization. However, he made it clear that human activity has put Earth’s climate in a perilous position, citing the fact that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have reached the 400 parts per million milestone for the first time in four million years and that it appears unlikely for those levels to decrease below this historic threshold in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, the climate scientist also dedicated some of his lecture to debunking some of the arguments commonly employed by climate change skeptics and denialists. Chief among them was the assertion that climate change can be attributed solely to increased solar activity; Santer explained to the audience that, if this were the case, the upper atmosphere would have experienced significant amounts of warming, according to climate models. Yet the data indicate that the opposite is occurring while the oceans, land surface and lower at-
mosphere have all experienced significant average temperature increases. While his Jasper audience appeared receptive to his arguments, for Santer, this wasn’t always the case. In 1995, Santer served as the lead convening author of the climate change attribution chapter of the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Second Assessment Report. It was here, in this report, that the international scientific community recognized the connection between human activity and climate change for the first time when it concluded that “the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate.” That, now seemingly innocuous and, in Santer’s words, “infamous,” twelve-word phrase became the subject of controversy around the time of the report’s publishing. Prior to the report’s publishing in 1996, the Global Climate Coalition, a pro-business lobbyist group that advocated against reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, circulated a report of their own entitled “The IPCC: Institutionalized Scientific Cleansing.” Distributed to members of Congress and to prominent media organizations, the report accused Santer and his co-authors of “suppressing evidence that would support those skeptical of the greenhouse theory.” These allegations were echoed by Frederick Seitz, a prominent climate change skeptic and former president of the U.S.
National Academy of Sciences, who asserted in a June 12, 1996 op-ed for the Wall Street Journal that he had “never witnessed a more disturbing corruption of the peer review process.” In response, both the American Meteorological Society and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research came to Santer and his colleagues’ defense stating in a July 15, 1996 joint-letter that said that “there appears to be a concerted and systematic effort by some individuals to undermine and discredit… scientific results with which they disagree.” Despite the attempts to undermine the report’s credibility, the 1995 report’s findings were ultimately accepted at the United Nation’s 1996 Climate Change conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Pamela Chasek, Ph.D., government department chairperson and co-founder of the “Earth Negotiations Bulletin” which tracks international environmental policy, remembered that “delegates were citing the [1995] report as the impetus to push towards…what became the Kyoto Protocol the following year.” More than 21 years after the fact, Santer maintains that the push-back against the IPCC’s Second Assessment Report was to be expected, saying that the report’s conclusion was “way too far for some of the folks who wanted to embrace uncertainty for as long as they could.” “Regardless of how carefully folks tried to couch that ’95 conclusion… irrespective of who had been involved, how carefully people had worked on that report, very, very powerful forces would not have liked that finding and would have done everything in their power to discredit the finding, the process, and the people involved,” Santer added. “It was kind of inevitable, looking backwards, that this would happen.” In the long run, Santer was the one who’s work was validated. In 1998, he was one of the recipients of the MacArthur Fellowship – also commonly referred to as the “Genius Grant” – for his work in climate science while the Global Climate Coalition dissolved in 2001 as it became evident that the link between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change was irrefutable. Looking forward, Santer expressed some excitement about making his latenight television debut on Meyers’ program although he did find himself taking suggestion from the audience on how he should interact with the Saturday Night Live alum. Although he doesn’t typify the traditional late-night television guest, Santer
surmised that his invitation to appear on Late Night may be connected to a claim made by Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, on the show regarding satellite data. “Senator Cruz made a specific claim that satellite data showed no significant warming over the last 18 years, and my colleagues and I did the research to address that claim and showed that it was wrong and showed why it was wrong, so I suspect that this is an attempt by Seth Meyers to set the record straight,” Santer contended, connecting it to a greater trend he sees in media where news outlets are attempting to “represent the true consensus in our field better.” Amidst fears that the Trump administration may potentially end U.S. involvement in the landmark Paris Climate Agreement – which aims to keep global average temperature increases below two degrees Celsius through ambitious carbon emission reductions, Santer remains optimistic about the future although he is fiercely opposed to the possibility of an American withdrawal from Paris, which entered into force in October 2016. “I think it would be an epic fail, to use my son’s language, if we decided to tell the rest of the world you’re on your own,” Santer opined. “And historically, we are responsible for the lion’s share of emis-
sions so it would be a complete abdication of our historical responsibility of the problem… [and there exists] a moral and ethical imperative to protect the environment.” Kalob struck a similar tone when speaking about not just American responsibility but also Catholic responsibility in tackling climate change saying, “In the Catholic Church, we have Laudato Si [Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment] which is very clear. We’ve got to care about God’s creation. That’s our responsibility… and we have to address it from our individual actions to political decision-making.” Adam Grippo, a third-year environmental science student, disagreed with the optimism expressed by Kalob and Santer. “I don’t think we are ever going to fix this. I think we can mitigate the damage as much as possible…[but] I think the real [climate] refugees are coming.” Although Grippo qualified his statement by saying that he lacks the expertise on the subject as an undergraduate student, the fear of there being an influx of climate refugees on the horizon is a genuine one. Estimates have ranged wildly from anywhere between 25 million and 1 billion climate refugees, while the most-commonly cited statistic has
been 200 million climate refugees by 2050, a metric that is courtesy of the International Organization for Migration. Ultimately, Santer believes that there are two paths for humanity to go down: a “business-as-usual” path where carbon emissions continue on their upward trajectory – an outcome which may result in an average temperature rise of four degrees Celsius by 2100 – or an “enlightened humanity” path wherein atmospheric carbon dioxide levels stabilize at around 500 parts per million and global average temperature increases are kept beneath two degrees Celsius. For Santer, the key to ensuring that society goes down the “enlightened humanity” path: informing oneself. “I think what we need in the United States is respectful dialogue… In my opinion, we all lose if, as my wife would say, we are in the ditches. We’ve dug ourselves so deep in the ditches on either side of the road that you can’t see each other anymore. That’s not a way of solving problems and I don’t want to be in the ditches.” Leaving the audience with a parting thought, Santer concluded his lecture by saying: “In the real world, there is no control run. We only have one planet and one shot.”
Santer made it clear that human activity has put Earth’s climate in a perilous position Aaron Mayorga/The Quadrangle
• 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. #QuadByYou.
8
Arts & Entertainment
February 28, 2017
Students Give Thumbs Up to “Selma” After Screening Lauren Schuster Staff Writer
On Wednesday evening in the Rodriguez Room of Miguel Hall, students gathered to attend a screening of the 2014 film “Selma”, which was organized by the government department. The film chronicles the historic movement to allow black Americans to vote without restrictions that began in Selma, Alabama. This movement was led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and it was successful in pressuring President Lyndon B. Johnson into signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In the film, the reality of the hard work and dedication that it took to be a part of the Civil Rights Movement is highlighted in a truly inspiring way. The film brings a particularly important message of nonviolence and persistence to a new genera-
tion of political activists who are just now finding their voices. Dr. Margaret Groarke, the government professor who organized the event, had the idea to have the screening after she was informed by many of her students from previous semesters that they had not seen the film. “I think it’s a really powerful movie and a really powerful example of political action, so I wanted students to be able to see it,” Groarke said. “I think it also does, in a subtle way, mostly towards the end, an interesting job of connecting it to the civil rights issues of the moment and the Black Lives Matter movement, so there are some parallels drawn in the closing song that I think are good for us to think about too.” Events like this on campus help to educate the student body and give them opportunities to learn more about what exactly the Civil Rights Movement en-
tailed. Groarke explained that the Civil Rights Movement is not something that we can disconnect ourselves from, and in fact, it has a huge impact on politics today. “It’s a transformational event in American history, so I don’t think we can understand our country at all without looking at the Civil Rights Movement,” Groarke said. “It’s an excellent example of effective citizen action. Many of the strategies that we use today in political action are things that, for many of us, we learned from the civil rights movement.” John Balsamo, a freshman majoring in government, gave his thoughts on the film and its importance after the screening. “I thought it was excellent, and I think a lot of times people can forget about the history behind Selma, the civil rights movement, the voting rights movement, and things like that. I think for our generation to be able to see that on the big screen and really see what went on and the history be-
hind it is a really enlightening experience,” said Balsamo. Andrew Gauzza, also a government major, explained why he feels that events like this are important to have on campus. “I think it’s very important for the educational aspect, and also the historical aspect, because if you forget history you’re destined to repeat it,” Gauzza said. “I think that it’s really good in that respect, and I think that it’s always fun to show a good movie.” Balsamo also expressed that he feels that the movie is especially relevant today, adding, “Given this current time period that we’re in, politically and socially, it’s good to look back upon and see the struggle, how it was fought, and how it was won, so that we don’t go back to that time period. I think that the school should definitely show more movies that have a historical viewpoint to them so that we can continue to learn more.”
Java in Jasper Hall Lounge: Coffee House a Smash Hit
Rose Brennan Assistant Editor
Taylor Swift mashups. Original raps about Italian delicacies. Beatbox battles. Sorcery by a man simply known as “Magic Joe”. All of these and more are the norm at the Jasper Lounge Coffee House. The most recent Coffee House took place this past Thursday, Feb. 23 at 8:30 p.m. Erin Plitt was one of the two organizers of the event. “We basically set it up, are responsible for advertising, getting the food, stuff like that,” she said. Coffee House started as an event sponsored by Manhattan Magazine to serve as a platform for the works of unpublished poets. “It was originally designed for people who wanted to get poetry published but weren’t able to, so that they could come and kind of still express their art here,” said Plitt. “We run it, but it’s Manhattan Magazine’s thing. Little by little, Coffee House expanded beyond poets and flourished, growing into the creative platform it is now known for. Throughout the evening Manhattan College students relaxed, sipped coffee, did homework and listened to their talented peers perform in Jasper Hall lounge. Despite the encouraging atmosphere, not everyone remained optimistic about their performance abilities. Freshman Patrick Journick, a guitarist and Coffee House rookie, was less than self-assured. “This will be a disaster. Let’s not celebrate too early now, folks,” said Journick, moments before his performance. Journick’s low expectations were unmet, as he brought down the house with his cover of “I Will Follow You into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie. Especially moving was junior David Cartolano’s guitar performance which he dedicated to a friend of his that recently passed away. Cartolano ultimately decided to perform a cover of the classic Leonard
Students packed into the Jasper 1st floor lounge for Coffee House. Aaron Mayorga/The Quadrangle Cohen’s ballad “Hallelujah”. Some students performed acts involving Diversity of talent is always encour“I picked that song because it’s got a stand-up comedy, magic tricks and slam aged in the Jasper Hall lounge, and no matlittle bit of a religious tone within a secupoetry that parodied slam poetry. ter the creative outlet, anyone is welcome lar connotation, so hopefully he’s hearing In rare cases, musical and non-mu- to take the mic at any time. it somewhere,” he said. sical performances will combine, which “I enjoy the whole thing, like allowing Cartolano also provided backup vowas prevalent in a surprise visit and per- people to have kind of an outlet, and like cals for a few other performers, includformance from members of the college’s the community that kind of forms around ing a preview of an Abbey Road concert improv group, Scatterbomb. One of the it, because there’s a lot of the same people scheduled for later this spring. members, Will Lamparelli, also performed that come and we definitely want to expand But Coffee House is not just for the some original comedy later in the eve- it,” Plitt said. “I like giving people that musically or poetically inclined student. ning. kind of outlet.”
Arts & Entertainment
9
In Third Novel, Donna Tartt Tackles Youth and Love in New York City THE BOOK NOOK Gabriel Gamarra Contributor
How far are you willing to go to save an item that was the last memory you ever had with a loved one? Are you willing to risk love, safety, friendships and happiness just to hold on to something that you only have seen a handful of times? Donna Tartt’s third novel entitled “The Goldfinch” is a Pulitzer Prize winning work of fiction that tackles these questions head on. Tartt’s third novel after an elevenyear absence, “The Goldfinch” is her most captivating novel to date, pulling on every heartstring as you follow the rollercoaster of a young man’s life from his youth till his older years. Tartt starts each chapter with a quote that completely captures the feeling of that chapter. After finishing the first chapter, you can go back to read the quote that it started off with and see how it connected perfectly with the overall emotion of each chapter. Tartt’s imagery pull you into the story perfectly making you see and feel what is going on in the minds of the people present at certain times. This story revolves around the life of Theo Decker, a young boy from New York City whose life changed on a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. An accident happened as he walked through the hallways examining the art on the walls. This accident caused him to lose the only true person he felt love for at a young age. But just before, he locked eyes with a young red haired girl that would change his life
after he survived the incident. A young boy lost in New York City, he walked home in pain and stunned over what happened. In his hands was a famous painting crafted by Carel Fabritius in 1654 which portrayed a goldfinch chained to a railing that surrounds his home. Theo did not understand how he was still alive and how the painting made it out without a scratch but he knew that there was something about it that reflected his life. Forced to struggle as a self-dependent child in the hands of new parents, he lost a connection to everything he knew before he was forced to move to Las Vegas with what was left of his father. There he met an older boy named Boris who was his only close friend. They both faced similar problems with family and those in their age group. Theo made sure to take the painting with him and before he knew it, he would be chasing the painting itself. In his older years, his journey took him back to New York where he found that red headed girl named Pippa again. Their forbidden love makes him recall the feeling he felt after the accident. Eventually, his journey to unite with the painting leads him to Amsterdam where he must risk his life and his one childhood friend Boris’ for the only memory he has left of his lost loved one. The 800 page masterpiece penned by Donna Tartt blurs the lines between art, love and family. The 2014 Pulitzer prize winner is one of those novels that make you fall in love with those who grace its pages.
Gabriel Gamarra /The Quadrangle
Five Fantasy Films for the Adventurous at Heart CINEMA’S TOP FIVE
Justin Meinken Contributor
#5: “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (1971) Director: Mel Stuart The screenplay of this theatrical version of Roald Dahl’s book, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” was actually written by Roald himself under the direction of Mel Stuart during the films construction. Complete with impressive set designs and expertly crafted songs, they created this children’s classic as well as Gene Wilder’s most iconic role. Willy Wonka (played by Gene Wilder) is the famous owner of the world’s largest and most innovative chocolate factory. As Wonka begins to realize his own mortality, he plants five golden tickets in his candy bars to be sold. The five children that find the tickets can earn a chance to become Wonka’s successor and inherit all of his wealth as well as the keys to the factory. #4: “The Princess Bride” (1987) Director: Rob Reiner Similarly to Roald Dahl, William Gold-
man, the author of the novel of the same name wrote the screenplay. With Goldman’s help, Rob Reiner directs a swashbuckling satire of many classic fairytale stories. This is film is difficult to place into a specific genre because it is both a comedy and a fantasy. The film begins with a young boy (played by Fred Savage) who becomes sick and has to stay home from school. His Grandfather (played by Peter Falk) stops by to check on the boy and decides to read the story of “The Princess Bride” in an effort cheer him up. With many humorous narrations by Peter Falk, he begins the romantic adventure of Princess Buttercup (played by Robin Wright) and Wesley (played by Cary Elwes). #3: “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) Director: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Mervyn LeRoy, Norman Taurog, and King Vidor “The Wizard of Oz” is the beloved 1939 classic that many critics list as the greatest film of all time. The world the film creates has spawned countless spinoffs and even inspired the hit Broadway musical “Wicked”.
“The Wizard of Oz” opens with a small glimpse into Dorothy’s (played by Judy Garland) complicated life in Kansas. When a rogue tornado hits, Dorothy and her dog Toto are sucked in and land in the magical world of Oz. While she is there, she discovers a colorful cast of characters including the Wicked Witch of the West (played by Margaret Hamilton), who Dorothy must now face over the death of the Witch’s sister. #2: “The Harry Potter Series” (20012011) Directed by Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, and David Yates The faithful adaption of the beloved J.K. Rowling 1998 book series, “The Harry Potter Film Series” is easily the largest film franchise on this list. This seven book and eight film series gained so much popularity over its run time to where it is difficult to find anyone that has not at least heard of the series. It even inspired a recent spinoff series entitled, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” released in theaters this past November in 2016, and more films are well on the way. This is one of the few series where each film not only builds on the last
film, but improves upon each. #1: “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy” (2001-2003) Director: Peter Jackson Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1954 book classic, “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy” was the first live action adaptation of the beloved trilogy. Though other versions of the series exist, Peter Jackson used the world J.R.R. Tolkien had created to produce one of the greatest film epics ever made. The trilogy won an astonishing seventeen Academy Awards and the final film, “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” even won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The series begins with Frodo Baggins (played by Elijah Wood) beginning tasked with destroying The One Ring. As Humanity’s last hope, Frodo and his friends must travel to Mordor in a desperate effort to defeat the dark lord Sauron and his unstoppable armies. Perfect casting, seamlessly blended computer animation, breath-taking action sequences, awe inspiring cinematography and an incredible original score come together to form the greatest fantasy film series of all time.
The
SPORTS
10
February 28, 2017
Life Of An International Athlete: Ellinor Persson STUDENT-ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT Nicole Connell Contributor
Ellinor Persson, a sophomore on the Track and Field team at Manhattan College, took second in long jump, third in triple jump and eighth in 60 meter hurdles in the MAAC Championships last weekend. Persson is originally from a suburb just outside of Stockholm, Sweden. She heard about Manhattan College as a freshman in high school through girls in her training camp, and was immediately attracted to the school. “I thought, maybe if I do well I can actually go to America– it could be a really cool experience. So I worked really hard in track for the next few years so I could get a scholarship to come here.” said Persson. Persson enjoys MC’s small, close-knit campus and student body, as well as the close proximity to Manhattan. As a civil engineering major, she hopes to get an internship with a top firm in New York City. Being a part of the track and field team also adds to her Manhattan College experience. “There’s way more school spirit here than at home,” Persson said, “Back home everything is very individual, everyone is by themselves. But here we’re actually a team and I like that.” Persson was honored as the MAAC Women’s Field Performer of the Week on Jan. 17, 2017. She also appreciates that her dedication to MC’s track and field team doesn’t go unnoticed. “If you do something good here, you get acknowledged for it. At home, you’re by yourself so you have to motivate yourself a lot. Here, it’s really fun to get recognized for your hard work.” Persson said. Persson, who was constantly running and jumping around as a child, was encouraged to begin running track by her grandfather at age 11. At age 13, she committed to the sport and began focusing her career on the long jump and hurdles, which are still her main events. Since there are no school sports teams in Sweden, few kids tried track and field, and even fewer continued to compete in high school and college. After finding she had a talent for the sport, Persson was in this minority. She played for club teams in
Ellinor Persson, a sophomore civil engineering major, originally hails from Sweden. She is pictured here participating in the long jump event.
Mike McLaughlin/Courtesy
Sweden until joining MC’s track and field team in 2015. Unfortunately, Persson suffered a stress fracture to her foot which prevented her from practicing this fall. Unable to run or jump, Persson relied on biking, aqua jogging in the pool, lifting and core and upper body workouts to stay in shape. In her first meet back since her injury, Persson qualified for the ECAC championship in the long jump. “That was actually one of the best mo-
ments in track for me. It felt good after fighting all fall with my injury and really trying to keep in shape.” Persson said. This comeback represents Persson’s favorite thing about track and field. “I love running and jumping, but I also like having a goal to strive towards. It’s nice to know you can work hard and achieve a goal,” she said. Although she loves going to school and being on the track and field team at MC, Persson does get homesick for Sweden.
The things she misses most are her sister, 18-year-old Viktoria, and homemade Swedish food. Overall, Persson’s experience as an international athlete at Manhattan College has been a positive one. “It’s been a great adventure. I would suggest any international students that get the chance to try it out, because America really is special.” said Persson.
THE QUAD WANTS YOU
INTERESTED IN JOIN THE QUAD WRITING? GRAPHIC DESIGN? PHOTOGRAPHY?
TUESDAYS, 4 PM KELLY COMMONS ROOM 412
sports
11
New Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Arrives PUTTING IN THE HOURS John Jackson Staff Writer
Strength and conditioning has become an important part of the routines of many athletes. However, it is fairly new to Manhattan College as Jonathan Larson was hired as the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance for the 2015-2016 school year. While Larson has left, the staff grew when Patrick Dolan and Mike Olave were named the Head and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coaches, respectively for the Fall 2016 semester. The staff was able to expand further this past January when Bennett Reed was added as an additional assistant coach. Reed, a 2016 graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee had an interest in fitness as he started playing sports from a young age. “I started playing basketball when I was five and then I progressed to little league,” said Reed. “When I was in high
school I was big into volleyball, basketball, and track.” While he always liked sports, he began college as a business major. During that time he realized business was not what he wanted to do. That’s when he switched his major to telecommunications. It was when he was a camp counselor that he realized he liked interacting with others. However, when he went into teaching the following semester, he knew the classroom setting was not for him. Over the summer he reflected, learned about strength and conditioning, and then decided to major in Kinesiology. “I bounced around in different degrees and I realized how much I missed sports,” said Reed. “Being a strength coach kind of gave me the opportunity to be more involved.” In 2015 he interned at Wisconsin-Milwaukee and it was an eye-opener for him. He had an idea of the amount of teams that schools have and he was able to learn how things are run. He interned again in the Summer of 2016, but this time at Santa Clara Univer-
sity for Dolan. At Santa Clara he had more of an opportunity to coach, interact with athletes, and develop a coach’s voice. “When I moved to Santa Clara,” said Reed. “I had a better opportunity of actually being on the floor and coaching. And you definitely develop, first, your coaching voice and how you interact with athletes because not every athlete is the same. You have to approach it in different ways.” After completing his summer internship, Reed moved back home, but not for long. A few months later is when Dolan asked him if he wanted to come out to New York and be an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Manhattan College. Reed accepted the position and currently oversees women’s rowing and volleyball. Reed is big on communicating with his student-athletes. He wants them to know why they are doing the workouts and how to do them so they can effectively work out during the times when he doesn’t have them. “It’s just making sure, at least for me, that I’m effectively communicating with athletes,” said Reed. “Because if they don’t
understand why we’re doing something, for me that’s a problem.” For sophomore volleyball player Sandra Lozanova, he does an effective job communicating. “He is pushing us harder, said Sandra Lozanova. “But also he is teaching us and he’s always explaining.” Communication is also important to Reed as he could have freshman who are coming into the weight room for the first time or seniors coming in with years of experience with a personal trainer. “But I expect everyone to give full effort and communicate,” said Reed. “That’s my biggest thing because in every single sport you have to communicate very well to be a successful team.” Lozanova credits her workouts with Reed to feeling faster and being able to jump higher. The workouts have helped her develop more power overall and in a way where she doesn’t feel too heavy or sore. “What I like the most is that we’re building,” said Lozanova. “It’s not like we started too hard...we are still working hard but there was a progression.”
what’s up this week
sports
12
February 28, 2017
Litzell Etching His Name into Manhattan’s Record Books
Love Litzell, a native of Sweden, won the MAAC indoor title with a throw of 20.11 meters. GoJaspers/Courtesy
Daniel Ynfante Senior Writer
Love Litzell promised himself it would not happen again. Not after all he had been through: His struggles in the weight throw his freshman year. The excruciating second place finish by one centimeter in the MAAC Indoor Championships in his sophomore season. And especially not after being stripped of a chance to avenge himself last year, when he missed the entire season with an injury. So as Litzell headed into his final weight throw at the 2017 MAAC Indoor Championships on Feb. 19, he could only think of one thing. “I had just one shot left to bring it home and I was just like, ‘there’s no way I’m going to lose this again,’” Litzell said. “This is my year now.” Litzell did just that, unleashing a throw of 20.11 meters to win the first MAAC Indoor title of his career. The win is the latest feat in a remarkable career that has already placed Litzell among the greatest throwers in the Manhattan College program. Litzell currently ranks fourth all time in school history in the hammer throw, his strongest competition, where he has twice won the IC4A Outdoor Championships and twice qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary
Round. After gaining an extra year of eligibility because of a foot injury last season, Litzell has a chance to cement his legacy even further. “With the hammer, I think in the long run, he has a good chance of breaking the school record as a fifth year senior next year,” Dan Mecca, Manhattan College track and field coach said. But if Litzell continues his progression in the weight throw, he might just find a place in the record book there as well. This season, Litzell has won five competitions and finished in third place in another. Litzell has struggled in the past in the weight throw, making this year’s victories that much more satisfying. “My first year I was terrible,” Litzell said. “I’d end up dead last in every meet and I hated it.” Litzell’s struggles during his freshman campaign were due mostly because of the novelty of the event. Litzell had never participated in the weight throw back home in Sweden, so it took some training by Mecca to master the competition. “Freshman year he did well … but the 35-pound weight was something he had never seen, never mind thrown before,” Mecca said. “So I think that was a huge transition for him.” The results in 2017 show that Litzell
has made that transition. And yet this season wasn’t even supposed to go this way Litzell believes. Coming off of an injury that cost him all of 2016, Litzell just wanted to prove that he could still perform at a high level, so that come time for the 2017 Outdoor season, he could pick up where he left off in the hammer throw. “This year was more of like trying to get back into it and I think I’ve gotten that and then some already,” Litzell said. But Litzell has exceeded his expectations. “I’m not surprised at all,” Mecca said about what Liztell has been able to accomplish a year after his injury. “His work ethic is amazing. His goals are very high. … Actually, the biggest surprise I have is how quickly he’s come back.” Litzell got out of a walking boot in March 2016, and less than a year later, he has dominated the weight throw competition. Litzell has a chance to add to his collection of hardware on the weekend of Mar. 3, as he will look to win his first IC4A Indoor championship. A win would give him his sixth victory in seven competitions this season. And as Litzell racks up victories, he continues to bare one thing in mind: This isn’t even his strongest competition. The hammer throw, where he’s made a name
for himself, starts in less than a month. “I can walk into most places now with a really strong confidence in myself, knowing that I beat all these guys in the weight and I know that I’m better at the hammer than I am at the weight,” Litzell said. “That just fuels my confidence going into outdoor season because that’s where I want to do some really big things this year.”
GoJaspers/Courtesy