Grishma Shah, Ph.D, Director of Global Business Studies and Professor of Management and Marketing at Manhattan University, released her new novel, Anagram Destiny. MANHATTAN.EDU / COURTESY
Angelina Persaud & Angelina Perez Managing Editor & Arts & Entertainment Editor
Michele Saracino, Ph.D., was the former chair of the religious studies department and has now been appointed the associate dean for Kakos School of Arts and Sciences.
Saracino established the Religion Matters speaker series to introduce students to a variety of religious and spiritual concepts during her time as chair. Now, she brings 22 years of tenured experience to the role, where she will facilitate the development of curriculum programs as well as assist with various department articulation agreements and
Insights from Tuesday’s Presidential Debate pg. 6
accreditations.
Per a press release from Manhattan University, in her new role, Saracino will, “assist with initiatives coming from the dean’s office including, developing curriculum and programs, assisting with program updates and assessment to guarantee rigor and relevance, and assisting the education department with its accreditation process. Also, she will collaborate with leadership on internal and external articulation agreements, support student enrollment and retention activities throughout the school, and guarantee adherence to College, school, and external (state, accrediting agency) regulations and procedures.”
One of her main goals is to bring forth a sense of unity to Kakos amidst the integration
MU Greek Life is Back! pg. 8
of both science and liberal arts into one school.
“I’m hoping to build on our already strong community, since we’re restructuring to integrate the schools, make us more of a tight knit community and forward in a positive way and develop more opportunities for students,” Saracino said.
Saracino is also the liaison for the newly established honors program within Kakos. The program will allow both incoming and current students to join the honor society based on various academic requirements. Currently, Kakos is running honors courses where eligible students are allowed to take for credit towards their degrees.
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Angelina Persaud & Angelina Perez
Managing Editor & Arts & Entertainment Editor
Richard Carbonaro, Ph.D., P.E., has been announced as the new associate dean for Manhattan University’s School of Engineering (SoE).
Carbonaro is a graduate of MU where he received his bachelor of science and master of engineering degrees in 1977 and 1999 respectively. He later went on to receive his doctorate at Johns Hopkins University in 2004. Afterward, he began teaching at MU in the civil and environmental engineering department for 12 years, and the chemical engineering department for another eight.
Within his new role, Carbonaro has high hopes for the future of the SoE and says he plans to continue his role in providing students with a quality education. He spoke about the transition being especially rewarding since his previous role in the chemical engineering department.
Men’s Soccer takes down Columbia University pg. 11 “We
Carbonaro is currently teaching one class this semester, Intro to Engineering, with plans to teach at least one more chemical engineering class in the future. In his 21 years at MU, he says his students have motivated him to continue teaching and leading.
“Definitely the most rewarding thing for me as a professor is seeing my students go on to do great things in their career,” Carbonaro said. “That’s what motivates me to do what I do. I want my students to go on and do far greater things than I’ll ever accomplish in my professional career. I’ve seen a lot, and I’ve heard from a lot of different folks. I’m hopeful that those experiences will help me transition into this new role…it’s helped me become a better listener and a better communicator.”
Sasidhar Varanasi, Ph.D., chair of the chemical engineering department, spoke on Carbonaro’s contributions to the department.
“The main responsibility of the associate dean is to help serve as the right hand of the dean in promoting outreach to improve enrollment in the School of Engineering, as well as get involved in a variety of activities, like a workshop
“I’m really excited about being able to connect with our students in a way that I haven’t been able to yet in my academic career,” Carbonaro said. “I’m going to have the ability to interact with essentially the entire student body within the School of Engineering. And that’s new for me, because I was in the chemical engineering department, one of the smaller departments.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Volume CX, Issue 3
SEPTEMBER 17, 2024
The Editorial Board
Grace Cardinal Editor-in-Chief
Angelina Persaud Managing Editor
Leyla Mercado Asst. News Editor
Mary Haley Asst. Features Editor
Jill Tuthill Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor
Emmanouel Sofillas Asst. Sports Editor
Mary Haley Marketing Chair
Molly Callahan Video Editor
Angelina Persaud News Editor
Mack Olmsted Features Editor
Angelina Perez Arts & Entertainment Editor
Andrew Mannion Sports Editor
Ivy Jaep Production Editor
Barbara Vasquez Asst. Production Editor
Elizabeth Kalaj Web Editor
Thom Gencarelli Faculty Advisor
About The Quadrangle
A tradition since 1924, The Quadrangle is a news organization run by the students of Manhattan University. 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 opinions expressed in The Quadrangle are those of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the University or the student body.
Join The Quadrangle
The Quadrangle’s staff holds weekly open meetings on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. in Kelly Commons Room 412. All are welcome to come and join the club.
Dear Readers,
Welcome to issue three! The last week was jam-packed with activity on campus and in our community.
In our issue this week, you may notice that we have reintroduced our long-running political column, Manhattan Caucus. After last week’s debate brought up even more to discuss regarding November’s presidential election, our team found it important to bring back our rundown of all things politics to keep our readers informed. We pride ourself on bringing you factual, unbiased information always, but especially in this time of turmoil. If you missed Tuesday’s debate, or want some help debriefing the event, be sure to check it out!
For the rest of this week’s issue, we have no shortage of content. In news, we continue to introduce the campus community to its new faculty and administrators, this week focusing on the new associate deans of the School of Engineering and the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences. In features, we chatted with the biology club on campus and cover greek life rush week. For A&E, we sat down with Players to talk all things fall cabaret and their recently announced mainstage production. Lastly, in sports, we cover the men’s soccer game against Columbia, the university’s athletic director earning a pretigious appointment, and the dance and cheer teams’ kick-off for their seasons. Give it all a read!
New York City had beautiful weather this week. No matter where you’re reading from, I encourage you all to take a moment to reconnect with nature on these final warm sunny days before fall turns the corner and cooler weather comes our way. I myself took a few walks around the Bronx this weekend and felt refreshed after letting the sun hit my face while I listened to my favorite music. Self care is health care!
As I mentioned last week, we have changed some of our social media handles to represent the institution’s transition from a college into a university. You can now find us @mu_quad on Instagram and X. I also encourage you all to follow us on TikTok, @muquad_. We have brand new content coming your way very soon!
Until next time,
Editor-in-Chief
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
for the high school guidance counselors to inform them about STEM and engineering in particular,” Varanasi said.
Varanasi also noted the downsizing that has affected the department during the last round of faculty layoffs. With Carbonaro no longer teaching full-time, the department had to make adjustments.
“The department stands
to lose quite a bit because Carbonaro is a very excellent instructor, and he was always ready to help the department with whatever we needed,” Varanasi said. “Unfortunately, the department lost two young faculty members last academic year due to some downsizing, so the department is somewhat short-staffed. Dr. Carbonaro has been willing to take overload and cover any classes needed for the department. He is extremely considerate regarding the
chemical engineering program and his new responsibilities. No doubt that the department really misses him, because he is one of the principal architects of reestablishing this department.”
Associate professor in the chemical engineering department and graduate director J. Patrick Abulencia, Ph.D., spoke to The Quadrangle about Carbonaro’s active outreach to students on and off campus, including setting up a summer camp for high school students in the department.
“Although we are happy for Dr. Carbonaro in his new role and how this positively impacts his career, the department will have to find a way to replace the void he will be leaving in the classroom,” Abulencia said. “Nevertheless, Dr. Carbonaro still positively contributes to the department sharing ideas during our faculty meetings, actively fundraising for scholarships, and engaging high school students for our outreach efforts.”
Abulencia reflected on his time with Carbonaro, recalling fond memories of sharing materials and advice as Abulencia began to take on a new position as graduate program director of chemical engineering.
“I have known Dr.
Carbonaro for a long time, and he has been a very good colleague throughout,” Abulencia said. “He was very generous in sharing materials and instruments from his lab during one of my early research projects here [at MU], for which I am grateful. More recently, he has been a great sounding board for a wide range of things, such as handling difficult situations and helping prepare me for the role of graduate program director.”
Carbonaro shared a sentiment that he’s seen firsthand in the MU
community: perseverance. His advice to students throughout the various changes in administration to the university is to try and see the positive through the challenges.
“Try to stay positive,” Carbonaro said. “There’s going to be challenges in life, and we have to find a way to persevere through them. The Manhattan community, though, is so strong. There’s so many people that you can lean on, both faculty, alumni, administration, we’re all here for you.”
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
In addition, there is also the option for honors contracts where eligible students can matriculate into a regular class and work their way towards the honors program over the course of the semester.
“It’s the new program at Manhattan University,” Saracino said. “We invited first year students across the whole university into it who had certain academic qualifications. And then we’re inviting some other students as time goes on.
So I’m excited about this new program. I think it’ll strengthen the already strong curriculum and courses.”
Currently, Saracino is teaching two courses, The Nature and Experience of Religion and Hinduism, but says that the connection she has with students in her new role was a smoother transition
due to her teaching history.
She highlighted a particular moment in her career where she collaborated with the math department.
“Years back, my colleague and I, Dr. Helene Tyler, ran the honors enrichment program together, and we did some exciting, cross-disciplinary projects and work for our students,” Saracino said. “That was a highlight to work with someone in math. We did some really engaging, exciting things, so we had a lot of fun with that, and we did a lot of great work for the students.”
Marcy Kelly, Ph.D., dean of Kakos School of Arts and Sciences, spoke about the hopes she has for Saracino in her new role as well as the work she’s done so far.
“Right now, her biggest project is getting the honors program up and running for the entire school, in consultation with the Associate
Dean in Engineering, Dr. Carbonaro and Dr. Natalia Boliari in business,” Kelly said. “She’s been meeting with the first year students and rising sophomores who are eligible for the program. She’s doing an amazing job with it.”
Kelly also spoke about the collaboration between herself and Saracino, even noting that Saracino has been instrumental in helping her manage both the liberal arts and STEM combination within Kakos.
“She has been an amazing sounding board for me and support for me,” Kelly said. “She has helped to pick up some of the slack that I can’t get to in a timely manner. When I started here, my focus was really on the science and mathematics faculty and students, so I needed a partner to teach me about the culture and the norms in liberal arts, and then we’re both learning about Education and Health
because they’re also part of our school. She’s been really supportive in helping me to understand all of those things.”
With all the current changes to faculty and administration, Kelly offered consolation to students by emphasizing that students are at the core of her mission as dean. Her partnership with Saracino is meant to bring forth unity and opportunities in Kakos.
“I’m a very studentcentered person,” Kelly said. “All of my motivations are to support student success. When I took over the larger school, the first thing we did was create a vision for the new school, and the vision talks about building a community of scholars. So I really want to be able to provide as much stability as I can in our school. [I] can’t control all of the other things that are happening at the institution, but I want to be able to provide some stability [whether it’s]
providing funding to support student-faculty mentored experiences, whether that be through summer scholars and research experiences or through study abroad.”
Saracino spoke about the resilience of the MU students and as well as the support system the faculty tries to provide them.
“I think for students who have been here for a couple of years, they’re feeling the transitions a little more strongly, and I think we’re just all going to work together to move forward and in a positive way,” Saracino said. “The students at Manhattan have been and always will be great. They’re resourceful, they’re smart, they’re engaging, and they are going to succeed in their programs. And the administration, the faculty and the staff are all here to help them, and I think we have a good foundation set now.”
Mack Olmsted Features Editor
By Fall
2027, Manhattan University could be welcoming a new cohort of chemical engineering students from Catholic institution St. Francis College.
Due to St. Francis College not offering engineering programs, the college’s provost and interim vice president of academic affairs, John Edwards, Ph.D, has led the charge on the articulation agreement from start to finish.
“Access to education and to a larger extent, a professional degree in fields that are in high demand cannot be limited to the four walls or even the sprawling acres of a campus,” Edwards stated in an email to The Quadrangle. “Higher Ed must go beyond its traditional models to provide access to the vast pool of talent available as we compete with the rest of the world by affording opportunities to those who deserve it but until now have been limited by geographic and demographic barriers. St. Francis College is grateful and our students are fortunate to have a partner in Manhattan University to help them make their dreams come true in an authentic college environment. We hope this is the first of other opportunities for our institutions.”
Students who plan on using the articulation program will complete all the general education requirements of math, chemistry, physics, statistics, and religion classes during their two years at St. Francis. After that, students will submit their application in their second year to transfer to Manhattan University, and take one course to help bridge their transition in a summer semester.
Manhattan University is also working to set up articulation programs with different community colleges. As of now, the university has articulation agreements set up with Rockland County Community College and Orange County Community College, and is currently in the process of setting up another with Westchester Community College.
The interim dean of the School of Engineering at MU, Anirban De spoke to The Quadrangle about how he believes the articulation agreement can be beneficial for both institutions.
“We obviously are a well rounded liberal arts university,”
De said. “We have a strong school of engineering with strong engineering programs. So we are always looking for qualified students to join our programs. By making this articulation pathway work, they are able to accept those students and tell them we have a four
Manhattan University and St. Francis College agreeing to the articulation. MANHATTAN.EDU / COURTESY
year partnership. They have extremely strong enrollment outreach to different parts of the country, international and so forth, from where they think they would be able to bring up a number of students that would be interested, and therefore it works out very well for us.”
The university’s chair of chemical engineering, Sasidhar Varanasi has high hopes for a successful outcome of the articulation, and is excited
about the opportunities that it can bring to Manhattan University.
“This is a very good arrangement, in my opinion, because we can really strike a similar articulation with other universities like Fordham and Pace, where they have a bachelor’s in chemistry, if they are willing to enter into an agreement like this,” Varanasi said. “We can also rearrange
their curriculum for the first two years, so that their own chemistry students can also transfer for junior and senior years at Manhattan University. This can also benefit students in financial aspects, there’s a lot that can come out of this [articulation].”
Julia Ciampa Staff Writer
On Sept. 1, Manhattan University’s professors of finance Kudret Topyan, Ph.D., and Chia-Jane Wang, Ph.D., were appointed as guest academic editors for The Journal of Risk and Financial Management, a renowned finance journal.
Both professor’s expertise within the field of finance, specifically credit markets, pushed the journal founders to invite them to become guest academic editors for the new edition. This will be Topyan’s second year as a guest academic editor for the journal.
“I would not be able to do it alone and asked Dr. Wang’s help since she is an excellent researcher and more experienced on the topic,” Topyan said.
Both professors were appointed as academic editors for a special issue titled “Credit Markets and Credit Risk Management” because they were active participants in the finance world as reviewers and publishers on the topic.
Upon invitation, Wang was thrilled about this new opportunity at hand and was excited to contribute her financial literacy skills and expertise to the journal’s newest edition.
“You can probably recall that last year, there were several bankruptcies across the world,” Wang said. “So when we started this special issue and the managing editor initially proposed a broader idea about risk management within credit risk and credit risk management, we thought it was vital to write about it. In the post-COVID environment we are in, and the trend of rising inflation, several bank collapses, and sovereign debt crises, we thought that this topic would be an important issue to cover, relevant to the financial situation we are in today.”
Topyan agrees that the relevance of this article should be considered vital to educate one another on, especially in the current economy. As professors in the O’Malley
announced the exciting news of Topyan and Wang on social media. @OMALLEYBUSINESS_MU / INSTAGRAM
School, both hope that students will view this news as a beneficial contribution to their education and will spark conversations around the article’s context.
“I hope that others can appreciate the quality of the authors of this paper,” Topyan said. “I think a high-quality academic journal like ours serves as a platform to allow scholars to communicate their latest research while shaping the future direction of new knowledge development. I hope that it can serve as a key resource for scholars, peers, and even industry professionals.”
Additionally, Topyan stressed the importance of peer review work.
“At least two, maybe three, external reviewers who are the experts in the field will read the paper and write the feedback and provide suggestions for movement or rejections,” Topyan said.
As both balance their responsibilities of being professors as well as guest academic editors for the journal, Wang believes that this opportunity will only enhance
her teaching skills. She states that the levels of her student’s exposure to real-life financial research, predictions and findings will broaden their knowledge of financial affairs.
“That entire process as an academic editor is integrated into our academic life with the students, our life within the research role, and our entire life as a teacher,” Wang said.
“Through what I have learned
from another professor of finance, Professor Altman from NYU, I have been using it in my own teaching plans.”
Word of the professors’ accomplishment spread throughout the university, creating excitement among the students of the O’Malley School of Business. Nick Howell, a senior finance major at Manhattan University, was unsurprised when he first
heard about the appointment.
“I wasn’t surprised to learn that two of Manhattan University’s professors have been named guest academic editors,” Howell said.
“The AACSB accreditation awarded to the O’Malley School of Business is a strong endorsement of the quality education we have, and our faculty plays a pivotal role in maintaining that standard.”
their editorial work.
Elaina Batista Contributor
PHILADELPHIA, PA-- The two candidates running for the 47th president of the United States met for the first time on Sept. 10 on national television at their first debate. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris had a primetime duel on ABC News. With the election only two short months away, the race for the Oval Office has been a nail-biting experience for the people of America. This debate was a pivotal night for both candidate’s campaigns. This debate however, wasn’t Trump’s first debate while running for office. Trump and President Joe Biden faced
each other on stage in June before Biden dropped out of the race for the presidency on July 21. After dropping out, Biden quickly announced that he was endorsing Harris as the Democratic candidate for president.
Before Biden dropped out, Trump announced his pick for vice president, Sen. J.D. Vance from Ohio. According to NPR, he announced J.D. Vance as his running mate at the Republican National Convention on Monday, July 15. As a result, Harris was under pressure to declare her choice for vice president. Harris announced Tim Walz as her vice presidential candidate in early August. Both Walz and Vance have been vocal in terms of pushing their respective candidates’ message across, whether on the campaign trail
or during interviews with news outlets.
During the debate on Sept. 10, there was a specific set of rules in place to ensure that the debate was as fair as possible. There was no live audience, no opening statements and candidates had two minutes to answer questions. Additionally, they had a minute for follow-ups or clarifications. Candidates were not allowed any prewritten notes on stage nor were they given the questions ahead of time. When one candidate was speaking, the other’s microphone was muted, allowing both candidates to get their message across.
Both were questioned about everything from race and racial identity to the economy. When asked about the economy and the cost of living, Harris stated that she had a plan for
an “opportunity economy”. She stated that she plans to make a $6,000 tax cut for middle/lowerincome families, along with a $50,000 tax cut to start up small businesses. When Trump was then given time to answer the question, he proposed his plan of placing tariffs on other countries; he suggested they will “pay us back for all that we’ve done for the world.”
Following his response to the economic question, Trump weighed in on immigration, stating that immigrants are pouring into the country and “taking jobs that are occupied right now by African Americans and Hispanics and also unions,” per the official ABC News transcript of the debate. The candidates responded to the question from two different angles, both attempting to grab the attention of undecided
voters.
Polling after the debate did not change as much as the American people had predicted. Harris and Trump are still neck and neck, making America’s swing states more crucial than ever within this election. According to FiveThirtyEight Polls at the time of publication, Harris is leading with 48.1% and Trump at 45.3%.
In an interview on Sept. 12 with Telemundo Arizona, Trump confirmed that he will not hold another debate against Harris, stating to the outlet, “We just don’t think it’s necessary. We had the two.”
The vice presidential candidates will face off in their debate on Oct. 1 in New York City, hosted by CBS.
Laili Shahrestani Contributor
Manhattan University’s Biology Club welcomed both new and returning members to the organization by holding their first meeting of the fall semester in the Multicultural Center of Kelly Commons, which involved pizza for students as well as a brief overview of the club’s upcoming plans for the year ahead.
The Biology Club is committed to developing a social network, where members are able to engage with others who share similar interests and participate in group events both on and off campus. The club is dedicated to providing an inclusive environment for all students who have a passion for science and a desire to learn.
The Quadrangle spoke with Lara Celik, a senior and the treasurer of the MU Biology Club, about the social events planned this year. She provided insight into a number of events that the club hopes to host in
the upcoming semester.
“We have so many activities planned for the year, starting from going to the Natural History Museum, to hikes in Van Cortlandt Park, to watching ‘Wall-E’ all together,” Celik said. “We are aiming for events that bring people together, rather than just lecturing about biology.”
The Biology Club has traditionally been viewed as an academic group, but this year the board has implemented ways to redefine themselves as a vibrant community for individuals who are interested in plants, animals and science as a whole.
Senior Sophia Rosellon, president of the Biology Club, spoke to The Quadrangle regarding the overall mission of the organization.
“The Biology Club has been very inactive due to our presidency in recent years. My goal as president is to revamp and make this a social club, rather than have people think that all we speak about is biology and math,” Rosellon said. “I love animals, this is why I’m here. We want students to know that this
club is a non-academic club, specifically geared to people who love exploring new things, socializing, going to events with one another and just learning something new.”
Although biology is a part of STEM, the Biology Club is open to students from all different departments and majors.
The Quadrangle spoke with Kristen Vazquez, a junior and the vice president of the Biology Club, about what type of audience the organization is aimed towards.
“There are no requirements, anyone can join,” Vazquez said. “Communication majors, philosophy majors, physics majors, engineering majors and anyone else are welcome. There are no requirements at all.”
The Biology Club enables a multitude of students to develop long-lasting connections with one another. When speaking with The Quadrangle, Celik spoke about how the motive of the club is to foster an environment for its members who share a love for our planet.
“The goal of this club would
be outreach and to connect everybody who shares the passion of nature altogether. Let’s celebrate nature!” Celik said.
At the first meeting of the MU Biology Club, students mentioned how they were eager to be a part of a group that aligns with their interests.
Ece Yilmaz, a freshman and an international student from Turkey, spoke with The Quadrangle about her excitement about being a member of this organization. She is looking forward to being surrounded by like-minded students who will be able to support her throughout her academic career.
“I am a biology major, and am planning to go to medical school,” Yilmaz said. “Here, I will be able to meet new friends who may be on the same path as me. I can create deep connections, and gain good network opportunities here.”
have a league of our own, like a girl baseball team.”
APP’s approach allowed all members to connect through various activities while looking their best in unique baseball gear.
Manhattan University’s Greek life organizations are back with an all-new rush this fall semester. The university’s two sororities and fraternities, Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (DKE), Sigma Delta Tau sorority (SDT), Alpha Phi Delta fraternity (APD) and Alpha Pi Phi sorority (APP) are recruiting potential students in diverse ways.
Each organization discussed vital parts of their planning processes for rush alongside what’s to come for this semester. Bartu Balci, APD’s secretary, elaborated on how sudden changes have allowed the fraternity to evolve in ways that’ll make it worthwhile for potential new members.
“It takes a few months to plan and plus a lot of our guys are pretty busy,” Balci said. “The school had to cut back on our budget a lot. Last year our rush process was much longer, it was almost a month. We decided to cut it down to just over two weeks. Instead of having several events, we have less events but we make sure to try to get more people there. We feel that’d be more effective.”
APP’s efforts to maximize their impact for rush this semester is meant to bring in new potential members. Planning for rush includes theme creation, which APP decided on by aligning with the ideals of inclusivity.
Siena DeMarco, president of APP, explained the organization’s theme and the process leading up to the main events.
“Our theme is baseball! We chose it because we did a charity softball game last semester and a lot of the girls had fun so we wanted to keep that consistent as a theme,” DeMarco said. “It’s nice for our current members as we just
This year, SDT took its theme to the next level, connecting it back to female empowerment - a concept that is essential within their organization.
Anna Schmidt, director of sisterhood, touched on what the theme means to SDT.
“We actually launched a new configuration of our brand as our slogan used to be ‘empower women’, we’re doing more of an all encompassing, ‘shine as one’ as our brand new logo,” Schmidt said. “The ‘shine as one’ is that when one individual member shines, we all shine. So, we’re empowering women and being an organization that uplifts.”
SDT uses their community to foster sisterhood, especially during rush in order to initiate a positive and uplifting environment amongst all women on campus.
With rush serving as a critical component of each organization’s recruitment, the building of relationships is inevitable as it sets the tone for what’s to come.
DKE highlights the significance of established brotherhood while maintaining its core values and longstanding ideals and objectives.
Jake Steinweiss, president of DKE, discussed what values truly matter to the fraternity.
“Specifically, over the last four years that I’ve been here, I’ve heard from all the guys that I’ve met that the bonds that we’ve created get stronger every single year,” Steinwiess said. “We’ve been in 30, 40 [person] groups and I’ve never seen a large group so close… I think that bond makes us so unique.”
Barbara Vasquez
Asst. Production Editor
Manhattan University’s Players channeled their inner magic as they announced the enchanting news that this year’s cabaret theme will be centered around Disney classics.
Olivia Bailey, director of this year’s fall cabaret and producer for Players, shared that the theme was picked after
deliberation within the group. Ultimately, the theme was chosen due to many Players’ desire to perform Disney songs, as well as the popularity that Disney holds.
“We had a lot of Disney cabarets pitched this year, so it was obviously something people wanted to do,” Bailey said. “As a board, we want to recruit more people, not only to be in the club but to see our productions, and this theme will help with that.”
The assistant directors for
this year’s cabaret, sophomores Marissa Goodwin and Malcolm Naughton, shared their excitement for being chosen to help put this performance together.
“Being in Players last year I got to work with a bunch of really fun and nice people,” Naughton said. “By being assistant director, I’m basically just getting another chance to work with those people, but I get to be a little more creative in what I’m doing. It’s not a huge difference, but it’s something
I’m really looking forward to, especially since my dad was my director throughout high school. I’m trying to do what he did.”
For Goodwin, being a part of Players has allowed her to understand a part of her life after her eventual graduation from MU.
“I enjoy theater so much to the point where I do want to continue it at some point in my life,” Goodwin said. “I feel like [the cabaret] is going to be so good because we have so many talented people, and everyone’s just so amazing, nice and fun. It’s definitely going to be a good experience for me directing and whatnot, but also being around people I love all day.”
Bailey hopes that this theme especially will work to draw in some new faces and talent to the club.
“We want freshmen; we want them to start early so they stay in the club, and we want to see people succeed,” Bailey said. “I think the cabaret is such an icebreaker for people, since it’s a lot of people’s first show.”
Coincidentally, both of the assistant directors’ first experiences were with the Players’ “Phineas and Ferb” cabaret from last year, after which they acted together in the spring 2024 musical, DogFight.
“Last year I made so many friends, specifically during cabaret,” Goodwin said. “When Dogfight started, it was easier since I had those friends. Everything kind of transferred over.”
The Disney theme is building up to take a more mature turn compared to last year’s fall cabaret theme of Phineas and Ferb. Bailey, who was an assistant director for Phineas and Ferb, compared the two in regards to what her directing style is going to be.
“Now that I’m in a higher position, and Phineas and Ferb was more of a fun thing to do–
we weren’t necessarily looking to get more people,” Bailey said. “[This year] I’m going to be a bit more strict about the vision. Disney is such an easy thing to mess up if you do it wrong, and we’re doing an ‘old Hollywood’ theme, which is very glamorous. We have loads of talent, and I’m going to expect a lot from people.”
Continuing with the changes from last year’s performance, there will seemingly be more non-vocal performances included in this year’s show, including dancing which was listed as an audition option on the Players Instagram.
“I think it’s important to also have the visual aspect along with the singing, because cabaret is one of the things we do that has no acting,” Bailey said. “People want to be entertained, they want to have something to look at, so I would like to have some big tap number or some jazz number.”
While a lower budget may make it harder to buy certain scripts or create certain sets, the Players’ year has started on a high note and they’re hoping to continue running with it.
“We have the people anyways,” Naughton said. “You can’t buy the talent at Manhattan [University]. They’re here to perform, and they’re good enough to do that– what does it matter if it’s with a big set or small set?”
Mack Olmsted Features Editor
Coming later this semester, Manhattan University Players will set the stage for the theatrical production of Agatha Christie’s mystery novel, And Then There Were None. The play was pitched to the Players executive board by their historian, Kevin Cullen.
Cullen described this production as starring 10 characters at a party, who realize the host isn’t anywhere to be seen. A mysterious voice reveals that each person has killed someone in the past, and has gotten away with it. To find out how the story unravels, Players encourages the Manhattan University community to watch the performance later this semester.
“I think And Then There Were None provides a really good challenge for Players in multiple ways,” Cullen said. “It’s got strong characters for the actors to experiment with. It’s got a couple of things that will be challenging for tech with how to make the set work and certain theater aspects involved. And it also has the extra challenge of being a murder mystery. So it
challenges us to sort of frame that mystery in a way that we can keep the surprise hidden from the audience until the time comes to reveal it.”
“It was kind of a no brainer to pick this one,” Olivia Bailey, current Producer of MU Players, said. “We just wanted something that would be a little bit more dynamic for this year, and something that people would want to come see. And people love true crime and murder mysteries and stuff like that, so we thought about this, and how it is one of the most famous novels as well. I’ve had people coming up to me saying how excited they are to see it.”
Costume assistant for And Then There Were None Grace Coutu, was a part of last year’s executive board that picked the show and was intrigued to help put it on this fall. She didn’t want to give too much away, but said the costumes will have a specific look to convey the setting of the story.
“I thought the story was probably one of the best choices that we could go with out of all the pitches that there were,” Coutu said. “Not only is [Cullen] very excited, he’s very passionate about this show. So I knew that if he had anything to do with the pitch, it would be really good.”
After a year of budget setbacks, Bailey is thankful to be able to put on this production with the help of student engagement.
“We’re so fortunate enough this year to be able to do something that we want to do,” Bailey said. “Things are getting better here for Players when compared to last year, so I don’t think the budget cuts from last year have carried over to us as much. Student engagement has been doing a really, really good job in prioritizing our needs as a theater group, because it does take a lot.”
Junior finance and global business major, Cara Loganadham, is a fan of Manhattan University Players’ productions and is looking forward to the upcoming performance later this semester.
“I’m excited to see this play,” Loganadham said. “I was excited once I heard it was announced. I read this book in high school, and I really liked it. And I like murder mysteries with twists. I also think Players always put on a really good production. So I’m definitely really excited to see it.”
To find out more information and updates about Manhattan University Players’ And Then There Were None, follow @ playersmu on Instagram.
Owen McWalters Contributor
With the Jaspers going winless in their past 12 matches against Columbia University, there was only one thought on their mind going into Wednesday night’s matchup.
The Manhattan University men’s soccer team played a fastpaced, physical game against their Big Apple rival, Columbia, on Wednesday. However, it would end much differently on alumni night as MU would be on the other side of the scorecard, as they defeated the Lions by a score of 1-0.
After a successful outing, head coach of the Jaspers, Jorden Scott, was happy about his team’s performance. He spoke on how the alumni motivated the team going into a tough matchup, and how it helped the Jaspers win against tough competition.
“It was an interesting game, there was a lot going on,” Scott said. “A great start and really motivated to represent our alumni tonight and show them what we’ve been doing with their support. We’re able to build such an incredible program and the environment is just fantastic. It’s happy, it’s successful and we wanted to do it for them.”
The Jaspers wasted no time and ambushed the Lions early, scoring on the first shot of the game. The goal came off the foot of Sebastiano Musu from 20 yards out and only 55 seconds into the contest. The strike came as a result of four quick, yet controlled passes and a beautiful drop off pass from Ziv Dahan as well.
“Against Seton Hall, I had a chance within the first
seven minutes and I missed it and that could’ve changed the game,” Musu, the game’s lone goal scorer, said. “Today, I took it and it changed the game for us. Going 1-0 up after one minute is a very good start and it changed the game. We controlled the ball very well and that’s why we won.”
A one-goal game at halftime turned into an even more difficult task for Columbia in the fifty-ninth minute. With
MU’s Ziv Dahan sprinting down the field, Jackson ten Oever slid in to tackle the ball away, but took out Dahan in the process. The referee deemed the challenge too aggressive and issued ten Oever a red card, which dropped the Lions to 10 men for the final 31 minutes.
Nassim Akki, the 2022 MAAC defensive player of the year, returned from injury and played a vital role in the win as well. Not only was he a force to
be reckoned with on defense, he also helped create a number of scoring opportunities for the Jaspers on offense as well.
The Quadrangle talked with Akki about what it feels like to be back on the pitch and contributing.
“It feels very good. It has been nine months since I have played soccer,” Akki said. “I can only be happy to be back with the team. It was a great feeling tonight. The feeling of
a win at home was amazing.”
The Jaspers look to continue their winning ways against their crosstown rival and 18th nationally ranked opponent, Fordham, on Sept. 16.
*Editor’s Note: Mary Haley contributed to reporting.
Grace Cardinal Editor-in-Chief
Manhattan University’s athletic director (AD) Irma Garcia has dribbled her way into a prestigious appointment with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Men’s Basketball Committee, beginning immediately.
Garcia will be the seventh woman ever appointed to the committee and the first administrator from the MAAC to work on the committee. Her position with the organization will span five years, ending on Aug. 31, 2029.
“What happens is that the conference puts a nomination in, and this is the highest level of any committee, and so you apply for the committee,” Garcia said. “When I came on, I had just gotten off one NCAA committee, I didn’t think I could get on another that quickly, but they nominated me and they have to vote. I was just as surprised as most people and very grateful. If you want to be on any committee, this is the one you want to be on. And anybody who knows me, if there’s a basketball game
or a movie, I choose basketball. So it was perfect for me.”
Garcia’s position is not easy to come by. Out of 370 DI teams in the country, few AD’s are chosen.
“There’s 370 Division I teams, there’s ADs all over the country,” John Gallagher, head coach of the MU men’s basketball team said. “There’s conferences all over the country, and for our institution to be represented in this forum is unheralded and speaks to the nature of Irma’s pedigree in basketball, and it speaks to how people view her in both administration and our sport. I think you can’t get a higher appointment in our sport, because the crown jewel is the NCAA tournament. It’s really kudos to Irma and what a spectacular career she’s had and is continuing to have.”
Anthony Kurtin, the deputy director of athletics for Manhattan University, has worked with Garcia since he was 17 years old.
“For Irma to be part of that committee that decides those teams is a huge honor,” Kurtin said. “It’s no surprise to me, and she’s been nominated and been part of so many big committees through the NCAA. She’s just so modest, you don’t even know
the people that she knows, the respect that she has within the NCAA. But this is a huge honor for not only Irma but also for Manhattan University to be acknowledged, our administration and our leader to get this prestigious honor and be part of this committee.”
While Garcia’s appointment may not have a direct impact on MU’s own Division I basketball teams, the appointment legitimizes the athletics program in a way that may attract prospective studentathletes.
“Just the fact that the university can get an appointment like this, it brings us great credibility,” Gallagher said. “For me personally, it doesn’t do anything for our team, but what it does is it gives people out there understanding that we’re headed in the right direction.”
Garcia is fairly new to the MU community, starting her position with the university back in 2023. Before she joined the Jaspers, she coached the women’s Division I team at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, of which she is an alumna. Now, just one year after starting at the institution, she is recognized as
an integral part of Manhattan University athletics.
“Every time I represent the NCAA, it’s going to say Irma Garcia, Manhattan University,” Garcia said. “That’s pretty cool, and everybody knows this is the hardest committee you can get on. I see a huge benefit for the university, marketing-wise. I went to Paris, and I had my Jasper athletics shirt on, just to go get coffee, and I heard somebody say ‘Go Jaspers’ and it makes me smile, how highly they think of the university and what they’ve done.”
In a press release published by the university in July 2024, President Milo Riverso, Ph.D., discussed the campus’ pride in Garcia.
“This is an extraordinary achievement for Irma,” Riverso said in the statement. “Everyday she demonstrates what it means to be an exceptional leader through her commitment, her drive, her compassion and competitive spirit. I am excited for Irma and our entire Manhattan University community of Jaspers.”
In the position, Garcia will study conferences, team metrics and will make critical
decisions regarding teams across the association.
“A lot of it has to do with metrics and ways of looking at teams and what they do, the pluses and the minuses,” Garcia said. “So every person gets a few teams and a few conferences, and then you go from there. I’m just learning it right now, and I’m going to get good at it. I love metrics, so it works out for me just to learn how it’s calculated and what goes into it. But I think the most important thing is watching games. You can’t make decisions unless you watch games. I think that’s the end result, is to watch as many games as you can, so you can make a concrete and positive decision.”
As for what she’s most excited about?
“The ability to have my voice heard,” Garcia said. “When those 64 teams are mentioned this year, I’m gonna have a hand in that. I think that’s the coolest thing in the world. I love basketball. It’s my first heart. So to be able to contribute and let my voice be heard and have it be impactful for the NCAA, I just can’t wait for March when it happens.”
Elizabeth Kalaj Web Editor
The Manhattan University Cheer team and the Jasper Dancers are gearing up for this year’s season and hosting tryout sessions - all under new leadership.
Both teams are following up on a breakthrough year. The Jasper Dancers participated in their twelfth consecutive National Dance Alliance (NDA) competition and placed third in the DI hip-hop category. The Cheerleading team also competed at the national level in the spring, but for the first time.
The Quadrangle spoke with Victoria Aulov, a senior sociology student and team manager of the Manhattan University cheerleading team, about upgrades the team is making and expectations for the upcoming season.
“We will have our official team by September 20,” Aulov said. “This year, we have two teams: a game day team and a competition team. This decision was made after a
lot of people have expressed that competition is a large commitment, especially while being a student balancing many things. This way, people can still cheer at games and be a part of the family that we have created within the cheerleading program.”
Both of the cheerleading teams will be practicing with each other at least once a week, as well as cheer at games and events. Students have a choice to be on solely the gameday team or both teams. The cheerleading team plans to return to nationals this year, using the skills they have learned from their past season.
“Being able to compete last year was a very big learning experience,” Aulov said. “Now that we have score sheets and more information on what judges look for, we can really utilize it this season to put out an even better performance this year and really manipulate the way that we perform so we can score and rank higher.”
The Quadrangle also spoke with cheerleading head coach Caroline Oliver about her transition from being assistant coach and why she decided to
step forward for the team.
“Honestly, I love the group of girls and I intend on staying with this program no matter what,” Oliver said. “I wanted to be here and bring girls through this year because we went to Nationals for the first time last year and I want to be here to grow the program and see it do better. It’s kind of like starting from the beginning and building it up.”
Oliver believes that Manhattan University offers unique opportunities to girls interested in cheerleading who have never been on a team before, which makes the program so attractive.
“Maybe cheerleading was something that they have wanted to do forever but never had the opportunity to,” Oliver said. “You think when you get to college you are not going to have that chance, but here we are. We are giving you that chance. And once somebody gets in the door, the team has created a really good mindset of family and friendship with each other.”
The Quadrangle spoke to Christina Irvolino, senior psychology and criminology
major, and hip-hop captain of the Jasper Dancers. Irvolino is excited for the upcoming season and the new, positive faces on the team.
“We are looking forward to creating a positive outlook for the entire community to feel super welcome, especially with a lot of new and bright members on our team who are super eager to get out there,” Irvolino said. “For this year, we are really trying for both of our categories [hip-hop and jazz] to be successful in terms of what we have prepared.”
The Jasper Dancers have new assistant coaches and a new head coach for the team this year. The new head coach, Madeline Donahue, is a Jasper Dancer alumna who competed in their first-place winning season in 2019. The team is excited to have her and has welcomed her with open arms.
“She [Madeline] has always been the most active part of our organization,” Irvolino said. “She is not only involved in the alumni classes we hold annually, but she has set time aside in her busy schedule to be there for us throughout the years and when this career
opportunity came about, she immediately jumped on the bandwagon. With her as coach, she is pushing boundaries every single day and her legacy will forever live on throughout the Jasper Dancers, regardless of what the rank is.”
Irvolino shared some frustration regarding the challenges that come with being on the dance team at Manhattan University.
“Something that every single member of the team, alumni and coaches are passionate about is giving us the opportunity to compete at the highest level that the prestigious schools in our category also have,” Irvolino said. “It is not fair that we are constantly coming in as underdogs because other schools have budgets and facilities we do not have access to because our school does not see us as athletes. They see us as a club. And I hope now that we are a university that those boundaries can be pushed a bit. Every season, we have to fight for every single thing we have down to the socks we wear through fundraising and paying out of pocket.”
The Quadrangle also spoke with Brylee Watkins ‘24, who has stepped up to be assistant coach of the Jasper Dancers.
“I’ve been dancing my whole life and I always knew I wanted to coach at some point,” Watkins said. “When the opportunity arose to do it with a team I already adore with another incredible alumna, I jumped at the opportunity to apply.”
Irvolino had some final words about why these athletes continue doing their sport, no matter the seasons that pass or the changes that occur.
“Each person’s reason is completely unique to them,” Irvolino said. “But I would say the majority of us come back every single day because we truly love the art of the sport and the unity and family we have created within the organization.”