ManhattanUniversityAnnouncesDr. FrederickBonato asNewInterim
President
Read all about Milo Riverso stepping down in News.
Lt.WilliamCookand StephenJ.Pugliese,Ph.D TakeOverCriticalRolesat ManhattanUniversity
Andrew Mannion Sports Editor
Over the summer, Manhattan University made two major hires, including the new Director of Public Safety, William “Bill” Cook, and Chief of Staff Stephen J. Pugliese, Ph.D.
On July 1, Manhattan University released a statement announcing Pugliese as the new chief of staff. His role includes reporting directly to President Milo Riverso, Ph.D, and leading important projects with the executive staff of the college.
Being in this role requires much experience, which Pugliese has plenty of. He has an extensive resume in higher education, serving in senior roles for the Middle States Commission, as well as in multiple roles at Mount Aloysius College, Immaculata University, St. Bonaventure University and Marywood University.
Throughout his time on campus so far, Pugliese mentioned how much he has enjoyed Manhattan University and specifically, his colleagues.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with President Riverso, my fellow Cabinet members, faculty, staff and students,” Pugliese wrote in
an email to The Quadrangle.
“Since arriving in July, I have had the opportunity to work on several key institutional priorities such as the transition from college to university, as well as the transition of our dining services partners. I have not encountered any ‘surprises’, and my perspective on surprises and/or challenges is that they become learning opportunities to strengthen us and make us better in decision making.”
The other major hire was the addition of Bill Cook, the new director of public safety. The announcement came
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MiloRiverso, Ph.D.,Steps DownFrom Presidency
Grace Cardinal & Jill Tuthill
Editor-in-Chief & Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor
Just one year after beginning his tenure at Manhattan University, Milo Riverso, Ph.D., is stepping down from his position as president. The announcement was made to the campus community via an email from the Board of Trustees on Sept. 9.
According to the email, Riverso approached the Board of Trustees over the summer about his desire to return to retirement and transition out of his current role due to health reasons. Riverso will continue his involvement with MU through a role as a senior advisor to the Board of Trustees.
“Ever since Milo Riverso arrived on campus as a student in 1977, he has been finding new and impactful ways to give back to the Manhattan University community,” chairman of the Board of Trustees Stephen Squeri said in the email. “On behalf of the Board, I thank him for guiding Manhattan University as President through a challenging period; he is leaving our institution stronger as a result. With the worst of the pandemic’s effects behind us, we have a bright future ahead.”
Riverso began his term as the 21st president of the university on July 1, 2023.
In his time at the institution, Riverso faced criticism from the campus community for laying off over 25% of faculty, consolidating the university’s original six schools into three, raising the minimum class size and merging multiple departments, among other changes.
Riverso is leaving the institution with the belief that no further cuts should be made.
“I don’t believe there’s any more cutting that should be done to this university,” Riverso told The Quadrangle. “We did the cutting that was necessary to try to bring financial stability. We instituted a lot of budgeting reforms and things necessary. Although I can’t declare 100% victory, I believe the university is on the path of sustainability, where hopefully the budget will not grow unless the student enrollment grows with it to support it. That was a Herculean task alone for the administration, for the faculty and to the degree that students were affected.”
In a follow-up statement from Squeri, he too acknowledged the university’s previous financial struggles and cuts made under Riverso’s administration.
“We have taken decisive
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Cross Country Take Home Win at Fordham Fiasco
Volume CX, Issue 4
SEPTEMBER 24, 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
Barbara Vasquez Asst. Production Editor
Elizabeth Kalaj Web Editor
Angelina Persaud News Editor
Mack Olmsted Features Editor
Angelina Perez Arts & Entertainment Editor
Andrew Mannion Sports Editor
Ivy Jaep Production Editor
Mary Haley Marketing Chair
Molly Callahan Video 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.
Connect with The Quadrangle mcquad.org
LETTER from the EDITOR
Dear Readers,
Hello, and welcome to issue 4! I hope you’ve all stayed safe and healthy since the last time we checked in.
This week came with news of a new interim president, Frederick Bonato, Ph.D. He will begin his position on Oct. 15, taking over for President Riverso. While I am sure most of you have read the statement sent to the campus community, you can find out more about Bonato’s appointment here. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more information on this transition, and join me in welcoming him to our campus community!
As I always say, we have a packed issue for you this week. In news, we feature President Riverso’s transition out of office and highlight his time at the university. We also introduce the new director of Public Safety, William Cook, alongside MU’s new Chief of Staff Stephen Pugliese. In features, we cover the recent Voter Power Festival on campus and a talk on the importance of interreligious dialogue. In A&E, we chat with the MU Player’s new director, as well as Scatterbomb’s record number of participants. Lastly, in sports, we talk all things Fordham Fiasco and the highlights from this week’s games.
This weekend, we look forward to welcoming Jasper families to campus for Student Engagement’s family weekend. We hope you all enjoy your time visiting with loved ones and take a moment to relax and reset while participating in one (or all!) of the activities that are planned. We always love to see your smiling faces, so if you’re interested in a chance to be featured in our upcoming issue, send your photos from this weekend’s events our way! You can DM them to us @mu_quad on Instagram, or via email at thequad@manhattan.edu.
Until next week,
Editor-in-Chief
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action in response to the major changes across the postpandemic higher education landscape so that we can respond more effectively to shifting student needs and expectations,” Squeri wrote. “We have made changes to our structure and offerings –changes that are admittedly never easy – and as a result we are well positioned to deliver on our mission in the years ahead.”
Associate Provost Bridget Chalk, Ph.D., has worked closely with Riverso on a number of different projects, including crafting articulation agreements with other institutions, revamping MU’s education program and the installment of an AI Task Force.
Chalk attributes the necessity of the cuts under Riverso’s administration to a national decline in college enrollment, particularly in the humanities, which led to a surplus of faculty per student than what MU could afford.
According to Chalk, the changes have helped solidify the future of the school.
“The cuts, as painful as they were, did need to happen,” Chalk said. “And we’re all still reeling from that, but at the
same time, it’s put us on stable ground. We are now at a place where we can respond to social realities in the changing face of higher education.”
While it’s no secret that the university suffered financially, some students on campus still disagree with how changes were implemented.
“When he [Riverso] came in, he made a lot of promises,”
Sammer Abaddi, a senior civil engineering major, said. “After he fired a bunch of people, took away a lot of programs and all these budget cuts, he promised a lot. It’s very strange that he left immediately after. So it’s leaving a lot of us unsure of what’s going to happen next, and kind of untrusting of the institution.”
Riverso explained that the “business model” his administration created is more nimble than those previous, so it’s able to react quickly to socioeconomic changes in the ever-evolving higher education landscape.
“My first day at work, I went around the room and asked them, ‘Are you in the education business? Or are you in business to educate?’,” Riverso said. “The right answer for people in the administration should be that we’re in the education
business, and the answer for the entire faculty should be, ‘We’re in business to educate’.” And the two can’t survive without each other. If we don’t run a business with financial stability, with strategically planning how to move forward, how to adapt to the socioeconomic changes…we won’t be around to employ the teachers, the professors, the doctors that are teaching our students. We want them to concentrate on new techniques, on teaching students, on new technologies, on what the education industry is demanding, that people need to be successful in their work life, in their private life, in their business.”
As for transitioning into a new presidency, Riverso believes the process will be seamless for students. Due to recent improvements made by the institution, Chalk agrees.
“I know that some students felt disruption and confusion, and I think that’s in the past,” Chalk said. “We’ve all worked really, really hard over the past six months to make sure that now everything is in place, and ultimately, this is all for the improvement of the institution.”
Riverso is leaving his alma mater with a sense of positivity for the future.
“I see nothing but bright futures for all of our students
coming out of college,” Riverso said. “We took some lumps in the press when we did the downsizing of the university, but once that recovers, everything will go very smoothly forward. I’ll miss my alma mater, coming to work every day, but I’ll be doing some physical therapy and trying to rehabilitatesomething that I should have probably done in February and didn’t. I postponed it because we were in the midst of a lot of changes.”
Chalk concluded with a comment about the resilience
of the university. “You have to be stable in order to adapt,” Chalk said. “Otherwise, it’s just desperation.”
Riverso will be succeeded by Interim President Frederick Bonato, Ph.D., who will begin his position on Oct. 15.
*Editor’s Note: Angelina Persaud contributed to reporting.
Lt.WilliamCookandStephenJ.Pugliese,Ph.D TakeOverCriticalRolesatManhattanUniversity
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from the university on Aug. 5, with ample security being a major concern for students and families.
One student, Fransico Quellet, has spoken highly of the job that Cook and the public safety team is doing at Manhattan University.
“I feel very safe here at Manhattan University,” Quellet said. “Especially on campus, I feel there’s always a high number of security guards. I don’t think there’s been a moment where I’ve ever felt unsafe, and that’s a really good thing.”
Cook shared similar feelings regarding his decision to come to MU and his time at the university. He mentioned his excitement in the new role and his plans for it.
“I’ve been working in higher education for almost six years now after a twenty-five year career with the NYPD,” Cook said. “Working on a college campus and interacting with the diverse community is exciting and rewarding. After visiting the Manhattan campus, I felt the sense of community and knew that I could fit in and make a difference. The beautiful campus and the Riverdale neighborhood are also quite appealing.”
As he mentioned, Cook comes to MU with plenty of experience from Fordham University, where he spent six years as their director of public safety. Cook saw MU as a great fit for his expertise, especially in addition to his 25 years in the NYPD. He has been able to tailor his plans for the university and knows what he
wants to accomplish in his role.
“My goal is to provide safety and support for the entire Manhattan community by being transparent and having an open line of communication,” Cook said. “I plan to meet with different groups in the community to discuss issues affecting community members and how my department can be helpful and provide support. We are laser-focused on taking excellent care of our students and really elevating the experience for all.”
President Riverso speaking at the De La Salle Medal Dinner in May. MANHATTAN PHOTOSHELTER / COURTESY
NYPD Lieutenant William Cook took over the Director of Public Safety role in August 2024. MANHATTAN.EDU / COURTESY
TheJasperCareerNetwork: AVirtualGatewaytothe FutureforMUStudents
Manhattan University has made it a mission to make sure students get the most out of networking and career opportunities during their time at MU through the addition of the virtual Jasper Career Network.
The Center for Career Development (CCD) launched the Jasper Career Network as a more convenient and accessible way for students to go on job searches, explore internship opportunities and further the search into their future career paths.
Students who utilize the network are able to gain career guidance from specialists in various fields as part of this platform. It’s designed to connect students with mentors, enhancing their networking abilities. Students are able to look into opportunities posted through the Jasper Career Network, which are sourced from Handshake, another online platform for students to find resources relating to jobs sourced from a wide spectrum of certified employer recruitment partners.
Leony Anne McKeown, associate director of employer relations at the CCD, touched on what ignited the creation of this new virtual feature that is meant to support the student body.
“[It’s] the desire and goal to grow the Manhattan Mentor Program and increase Mentor Program visibility on campus,” McKeown said. “This vibrant program is made possible by Manhattan’s loyal network of alumni professionals/ mentor volunteers. Alumni are reconnecting with familiar faces and meeting Jaspers they have not met before, including Jasper colleagues who work at the same company as them … All community members on this platform share the desire to connect and help each other. Many alumni mentors on the Jasper Career Network were once student mentees.”
McKeown went on to further discuss the intent behind the new network.
“The Jasper Career Network allows students and alumni in the Mentor Program to engage with fellow mentors and mentees more easily between in-person program events,” McKeown said.
“The purpose of the Jasper Career Network is to increase awareness of mentoring opportunities on campus, expand the long-running Manhattan [University] Mentor Program, and improve the student mentee and alumni mentor experience.”
A sense of community is embedded within the program, as it involves Jasper students and alumni alike.
According to an article on manhattan.edu, president Milo Riverso, Ph.D., is also one of the founders of the Jasper
Jasper Career Network allows mentors and mentees to connect. MANHATTAN.EDU / COURTESY
Career Network.
Riverso, an MU alum, spoke on the benefits provided by the program for future generations of Manhattan University students.
“By providing a supportive online environment and valuable resources, we want to empower our students and alumni to increase their connections and contribute to our institution’s goal of helping to launch and grow the careers of all Manhattan College graduates,” Riverso said in the article.
Lois Boateng, a sophomore political science major, further elaborated on what the new program means to her and how it can help to jumpstart her future.
“What excites me about the Jasper Career Network program is being able to connect with Jasper alumni who are currently working in the career field that I plan on working in,” Boateng said.
“It provides opportunities for internships, jobs, and mentorship, making it easier to
succeed after graduation. For future generations, it creates a lasting support system, where each new group of students can benefit from the connections and advice of those who came before them. This cycle of support helps everyone grow and succeed.”
The Jasper Career Network virtual feature is now live and available for all students to make an account and begin connecting with alumni from their respective industries.
Leyla Mercado
Asst. News Editor
Manhattan Caucus: Assassination Attempt Two Made On Former President Donald Trump
On Sept. 15, as Trump was playing golf at his West Palm Beach, Florida club, there was a second attempt made on his life. The FBI identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, who camped outside the golf course for 12 hours with food and a rifle, according to NBC News. Secret Service agents spotted Routh’s firearm poking through a bush approximately 400 to 500 yards away from where Trump was playing while they were walking the perimeter, as reported by ABC News. A member of the secret service assigned to Trump’s detail opened fire upon noticing Routh. The suspect managed to escape, but was later apprehended in a nearby county. Acting Director of the Secret Service Ron Rowe Jr. confirmed that the suspect did not open fire and that Trump’s location had not been made available to the public. As of now, Routh is being held on gun-related charges and has not been charged with trying to kill the former president, per NBC.
The White House was
briefed about the situation at hand, and according to the ABC News article, both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were relieved to hear that Trump was safe. Later that day, Trump stated that he was “SAFE AND WELL!” in a fundraiser email, as reported by the Economist Harris quickly took to X, tweeting “I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”
The motives of the potential shooter are still unclear and according to the Economist, most of the suspect’s activity on social media reflected partisan views.
This attempt comes just nine weeks after the first on Trump’s life, which occurred at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. According to a press release from the FBI, two people were injured and one was killed in the incident.
The deceased individual was identified as 50-year-old state policeman Corey Compertore, according to CNN. The FBI identified Thomas Matthew Crooks as the shooter. Crooks fired eight rounds from a warehouse roof less than 500 feet away from where Trump
was standing, according to the New York Times, including one that hit the former president in the ear before a Secret Service sniper killed him.
Following Donald Trump’s first assassination attempt came the resignation of the director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle. Cheatle tendered her resignation after coming under
scrutiny for the lack of security at the rally in Pennsylvania. As stated by CNN, she wrote in her resignation letter that “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director.”
As for the most recent polls, Harris and Trump remain neck-and-neck, as shown by RealClear Politics. As of Thursday, Sept. 19, the national New York Times/Siena poll has Trump and Harris tied, both with 47% and Fox News has Harris leading by two points, with the VP polling at 50% and Trump at 48%.
Elaina Batista Contributor
Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump. BRENDAN MCDERMID, REUTERS / COURTESY
Features
MUWelcomes JasperCentral
Isaiah Rosario Staff Writer
After the opening of Jasper Central in the spring, the office finally concluded their search for a new executive director after finding Michael Mulrooney.
Mulrooney’s past involves working in enrollment management, financial aid operations and education. He most recently served as the director of enrollment management analytics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida.
At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical, Mulrooney played a vital role in creating ‘One Stop’, a concept similar to Jasper Central. When he saw that MU was going in the direction of combining multiple sectors of services, he thought it was a no-brainer to apply for the open position. The reputation of Manhattan University and the fact that he grew up in New Jersey also played a monumental role in the decision to join the Jasper community.
Despite Mulrooney only being on campus a few months, he is already looking ahead to the future of Jasper Central. He hopes to create a great student
experience for those who stop in.
“I think the goal is to be a central location for student services,” Mulrooney said. “We want to be able to provide a better student experience, not having them move across campus to help in as many ways as possible. When a student has an issue, and if we don’t know the answer, within Jasper Central, we’re able to find the answer and help the student along their journey, so they can focus on being a student.”
While being with the university for only a short period, Mulrooney has already impacted faculty and staff.
Senior Assistant Director of Financial Aid Operations Werner Habermann spoke positively of Mulrooney and his work.
“It’s been going pretty well,” Habermann said. “He started a couple of months ago… he’s in charge of merging all those departments, so that’s the registrar, bursars and financial aid. He’s been helping us with making that seamless process.”
The positivity of Mulrooney and his work can be attributed back to all the people that he works with daily. Mulrooney reiterated that the culture and the people he works with at the university have been
tremendous, and it is a pleasure working with them to continue making Jasper Central more successful.
The creation of Jasper Central started with the Cabinet of the university as they decided to combine the three service offices. The registrar’s office was located in Memorial Hall, the bursar’s office was located in Miguel Hall and financial aid was located in Thomas Hall.
Senior Associate Director at Student Accounts and Bursar Services Christina Cardinale stated that when she first started in 2001, there were combined student financial services offices, which she found very helpful. Since then, with the offices separated, she found it difficult for students as they would need to hop around to different offices in order to get questions answered and problems fixed.
“If a student needed to complete a task that required all three departments, the student would have to ping pong back and forth between the three offices,” Cardinale said. “It’s more of a service issue to try to please our students so that they’re not walking around back and forth and feeling like they’re being passed from department to department. The idea of Jasper Central is a onestop shop where you’re going
to come in and you’re going to be able to get the different levels of service that you need
from the different divisions. Now we all are cross-trained to do some of the same work.”
The new Executive Director of Jasper Central is Michael Mulrooney. MANHATTAN.EDU / COURTESY
Voter Power Festival Encourages Student to Have Their Voices Heard
Asst. Production Editor
The Quadrangle was alive with music, food and voting information this past Tuesday for the Voter Power Festival, headed by the Jaspers Vote campaign.
An array of organizations both on and off campus were featured at this festival, including We Are College Music (WRCM), the Women and Gender Resource Center (WGRC) and representatives from Eleanor’s Legacy, a prochoice organization. The festival’s main focus was on spreading voting information, and these clubs showed out to help the cause.
“We do have a few different clubs set up at some tables, like a table handing
out free constitutions for Constitution Day, but it’s [the Voter Power Festival] mostly to get people more engaged in voting, and spreading more voter information,” Samantha Pavlick, a student tabling for the Jasper Votes organization, said.
Member of the WGRC, Justin Atwater, tabled for the organization while offering students the chance to make bracelets.
“As a member of the Women and Gender Resource Center, we wanted to make sure our campus is active in the vote of this upcoming election and having their voices heard,” Atwater said. “We want to advocate for women’s rights and gender specific rights, and share reasons as to why voting in this election may be more important than previous ones.”
Eleanor’s Legacy, a group
that advocates for women’s bodily autonomy, shared pamphlets advocating for the importance of Prop 1 and encouraged students to flip over their ballots in November and vote for more than just the presidential candidates.
“Prop 1 is an amendment to the New York Constitution that protects our [female] rights and reproductive freedom,” Abigail Martin, the district leader in the 81st district and the political director for Eleanor’s Legacy, said. “Essentially, it makes abortion lock solid and it makes it illegal for the government to discriminate against New Yorkers based on sex, gender, pregnancy status, age and ability.”
Student intern at Eleanor’s Legacy, Elle Feneide, had hope that this festival would help distribute more awareness for this cause.
“I think that stuff like this [the Voter Power Festival] is better for that [spreading awareness], just in the fact that you’re actually interacting with people,” Feneide said. “Face to face interactions with people really helps move the information along better. This idea was great, and it’s a really good way to spread information.”
Cassidy Recio, another student with the WGRC table, shared similar thoughts on the effectiveness of the festival.
“We [Manhattan University] do have to do a better job in encouraging political literacy,” Recio said.
“But it starts with events like this, so people can be informed and people can be a part of it.”
Margaret Groarke, Ph.D, is head of the Jaspers Vote Campaign, and was a main advocate for the Voter Power Festival. She shared her thoughts on why spreading voter awareness is important, especially to the students at Manhattan University.
“I think it’s very important
for young people’s voices to be heard in politics,” Groarke said.
“Young people have different concerns and different issues than older people, and those issues and concerns are going to be forgotten if young people aren’t seen as a big voting block.”
The Jaspers Vote campaign has had a history of success in encouraging student voting.
According to a campus report done on MU back in 2021, the school had increased student participation in the presidential elections by 18 points, from 41.3% of students voting in the 2016 presidential election to 59.6% of students voting in the 2020 election.
“I always think we can do more and improve, and we’re trying to encourage that,” Groarke said. “I’m a big believer that everybody should try to make their voice heard. This is a totally nonpartisan effort. We’re not trying to tell anybody who to vote for, but we want everybody to think about what they want their life to be like over the next four years, and what they want the country be like over the next four years, and to vote for the people they think are most likely to help make that happen.”
Barbara Vasquez
Elle Feneide (left) and Abigail Martin (right) representing Eleanor’s Legacy.
BARBARA VASQUEZ / THE QUADRANGLE
WGRC members Justin Atwater (left) and Genevieve Keelen (right) at their table for the Voter Power Festival, sharing bracelet making supplies.
BARBARA VASQUEZ / THE QUADRANGL:E
The MU Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center Emphasizes the Importance of Interreligious Dialogue
Laili Shahrestani
Contributor
Manhattan University’s Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center (HGI) held a conference in Alumni Hall on Sept. 18, with the objective to encourage students to partake in interreligious dialogue.
The HGI promotes building relationships between people who come from different religious backgrounds in order to prove that humanity is able to live amongst one another harmoniously in spite of our differences.
Keynote speakers during the conference included highly educated representatives from the Muslim, Jewish and Catholic communities. They all stressed the need for interreligious conversations, especially in a time at which the world is experiencing conflicts over religion.
Rita George-Tvrtkovic, Ph.D., a consultant for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, suggested how having dialogue provides society with certain skill sets that foster communication and understanding within the United States, a country of high diversity.
“The skills of interreligious
dialogue are transferable,” George-Tvrtkovic said. “We could all benefit from these transferable skills in 2024, here in the United States, applying them to interpolitical, intercultural and interracial dialogue as well.”
While Manhattan University is labeled as a Lasallian Catholic institution, it is still home to students of various faiths and religious backgrounds. The conference highlighted the importance of embracing diversity, and encouraged students to find appreciation in the differences of their peers.
Mehnaz Afridi, Ph.D., the director of HGI, expressed the importance of having empathy during interreligious dialogue. She emphasized the idea that validating the pain of others is crucial, even when one’s own agony may feel overbearing.
“To acknowledge and engage in dialogue, while the world is falling apart around you, is to listen to the pain that the other religious person feels,” Afridi said. “It is acknowledging that that’s not your pain, and you may be feeling like you are suffering way more than that person, but just acknowledge it, and empathize with it.”
The director of the Jewish Publication Society, Malka Z. Simkovich, Ph.D., brought awareness to the topic of
acceptance. She spoke about how it is crucial to not only empathize with others, but to also wholeheartedly accept people as they are, with no desire to change them or their beliefs.
“We are obligated to love a person without trying to change who they are, accepting them as they are in the moment of encounter and acknowledging them in their fullness according to their self-definition,” Simkovich said. “It involves saying that we love someone as they are, not because we want them to be someone else that aligns with us, but because we love them as individuals who do not
mirror us. This is the mandate of loving the stranger.”
When it comes to participating in interreligious dialogue, representatives of the HGI encouraged students to practice attentive listening in addition to empathy and acceptance. Attentive listening was mentioned to be the gateway for having successful conversations.
“The most important skill is to really listen,” GeorgeTvrtkovic said. “Not just listen, but incline, hearken. To hearken means to move your whole body.”
Representatives of the HGI motivated students to have
dialogue with individuals of different faiths in order to learn something new. It was emphasized throughout the conference that one does not have to set aside their own pre-existing religious beliefs in order to have interfaith dialogue.
“You have to be open to listening and learning about the other, but you have to stay faithful to your own tradition at the same time,” GeorgeTvrtkovic said. “I encourage you all to talk to different people and gain different perspectives. Get comfortable with differences.”
(From Left to Right) Rita George-Tvrtkovic, Ph.D., Malka Z. Simkovich, Ph.D., and Moderator, Jovita Geraci, Ph.D., prepare to carry out their conference on
Manhattan Players Gives A Warm Welcome Back To Martin Marchitto
Grace Cardinal Editor-in-Chief
Manhattan University
Players has welcomed back Martin Marchitto as its newest director. Marchitto previously held the position with the group but left in 2018 to pursue other opportunities.
“He worked here before and that was one of the best things,” Olivia Bailey, producer of Players said. “The last time he worked here was 2018, so much has changed since then…But he has so much experience, and he was more seasoned than anyone else, because he has been working in theater for 30 plus years. He has set design experience. He knows how all of our lighting systems work. He knows where everything is, and he had organization plans for those spaces, so he was more prepared coming in.”
Bailey was one of the students from Players who was a part of the interviewing process for the candidates. Director of performing arts Andy Bauer said the decision was made to include students in the process as another way to show students that their voices matter in the department.
“One thing I’m not going to do ever is force upon the students a particular individual that they have massive reservations about,” Bauer said. “Our performing arts organization here at the university is largely inspired by the students’ input and their say on what the repertoire is…A lot of colleges don’t have that opportunity for students to have such a strong voice in selecting the direction of the group.”
Marchitto echoes the sentiment that working closely with students is essential to the success of Players as a whole.
“I really like the collaborative part of working with students,” Marchitto said. “I can have a vision, but for that vision to come to life, we all need to work together. One of the things that will be a little different this time around is in the past, I would hire a professional costume designer and a professional lighting designer and yet, what I liked the most was when a student would step up and say, ‘I really would like to be the costume designer’, … I love that kind of collaboration, where I’m working with students who are just getting started and learning the process.”
While Marchitto has experience in all aspects of theater, his specialty is set design, for which he has won several awards.
“His productions were always beautiful,” Bauer told The Quadrangle. “Well done, always so well organized, well casted, well directed. I would say that if he had to point to anything in theater that he is strongest at, it’s his set designing abilities. That’s what he really does well, and he works throughout the tristate area as a set designer for theatrical productions.”
When Marchitto departed the university after five years, he left to pursue freelance work and eventually accepted a position at a community theater away from NYC in Connecticut.
“The only reason he left before is because he was offered a full time position at a community theater in Connecticut, so it was a big step forward for him,” Bauer said.
“Unfortunately, COVID came along shortly after he took the position, and the theater went out of business like so many other artistic organizations. So he was lost without his job and had no contact at Manhattan because his replacement, J.R. Caldwell, was working out
great. But then J.R. moved on, and we had another director for the past couple years. I called Marty and I said, ‘Hey, do you know anyone who might be interested in this job?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, me!’ So that’s how that all transpired.”
Marchitto told The Quadrangle that his position at MU was always one of his favorites, and that he regretted leaving the position. He credits this in part to the faculty that he worked with at the time, including Mark Pottinger, chair of the communication, sound and media arts department, and John Bennett, associate vice president of student life.
“I’ll tell you, it was one of my favorite jobs,” Marchitto said. “I loved it. I loved working there [at MU], and I’ve taught at other colleges. I taught at Allegheny College for seven years. I taught at Iowa Western for four years. So teaching is something that was in my blood. I left those positions because of my freelance work in theater, but I always enjoy teaching…I loved working with the students.”
In addition to implementing new forms of organization within Players, Marchitto will teach more performing classes as soon as the spring semester.
“Primarily, it looks like next semester, it’s possible I’ll be teaching an acting class as well as maybe an intro to theater class, considering those classes were not offered recently,” Marchitto said.
“I’ve talked to Dr. Pottinger, and he’s excited about offering these classes, and so we just need to work out the schedule and so on…I have a wide range of classes I can teach, and so I’m looking forward to being able to offer those classes to our students.”
The students in Players and Marchitto alike are ready to hit the ground running for fall.
“My focus right now is to get us back to where we were when I left in terms of
Martin Marchitto is once again returning to the role of director for the MU Players after leaving in 2018. MARTIN MARCHITTO / THREADS
organization, and from there, my goal is to continue to produce really great shows and to work with students to help students to realize their full potential, whether that’s in set design or acting or dramaturgy,” Marchitto said. Bailey mentioned Marchitto’s compatibility for working with students.
“I just think he’s great to work with,” Bailey said. “There are a lot of expectations, but he works you up to those things, and he is super encouraging along the way. So I’m hoping that his presence makes people less nervous to audition, and you’re more comfortable to even come see shows as well.”
As for Marchitto, he feels like he’s finally returned home.
“I’m just excited to be back,” Marchitto said. “I was walking up the stairs to the quad, and I just thought to myself, ‘I really feel like I’m home’…Manhattan University is a special place, and I think it’s a really unique place. I’m just glad to be able to come back and be a part of it again.”
New Faces, New Laughs: The Improv Club Scatterbomb Expands at Manhattan University!
Maria Castano & Angelina Persaud
Contributor & Managing Editor/ News Editor
Manhattan University’s improv club, Scatterbomb, welcomed an unexpected number of new faces this fall during their auditions, from having only four people on stage four years ago to needing to reject auditions as to not surplus the club this year.
The tryouts lasted three days and were full of games and activities designed to showcase the new members’ theatrical skills and sense of humor, and introduce them to the club’s atmosphere and overall dynamic.
Scatterbomb is committed to
giving all Manhattan University students opportunities to have a creative and fun outlet from college life. The club helps its performers build their stage presence while providing an inclusive environment for students interested in the performing arts or who just want a hobby entirely unrelated to their major.
The Quadrangle spoke with the president of Scatterbomb, Chayse Martino, to get some insight on how the club has grown over the years and what they plan on doing to not only secure this new wave of interest but to keep expanding it all over campus.
“I honestly feel like Scatterbomb is gonna get a lot more support this semester and this year in general because we’ve been building our core group of people that
come to our shows,” Martino said. “We are hoping that with all the new members and all the new freshmen not really knowing what [Scatterbomb] is, hopefully, they’ll see that there’s a comedy show on campus and want to check it out.”
Martino has faith in the power of word of mouth as publicity, but this isn’t their only method to get more people interested in their shows.
“We are testing out some new ideas with a rotating cast,” Martino said. “Angie [Perez, the co-president of the club] and I are possibly thinking of expanding the types of shows we put on.”
With the sudden rise of members in the club, they believe a rotating cast can be a fresh addition as well as a way to spotlight the different skills
of all their new members.
Only three weeks into the semester, Scatterbomb has already started to find ways to make this experience memorable for its participants, not only by making it a fun experience but also one where students can gain confidence as performers.
Improv allows the performers to have the liberty of being creative and witty; however, this amiable atmosphere has brought some difficulties to the presidents of the club.
“In the next few years I hope it continues to grow and we gain more support and funding because we have no budget,” Martino said. “I’m hoping that we get more people involved in improv because it’s so fun and I just want everyone to try it out once and see if they like it.”
So far they have succeeded in their task of getting people hooked on improv, like Robin Somma, a freshman criminology major who recently joined, but already has high hopes for her future in Scatterbomb.
“I haven’t been in [the club] for very long but it’s very special to me,” Somma said. “I think it’s super fun. I think everybody in it is great and I think I’m gonna make some good friends here.”
Nicholas Tomczyk, a freshman civil engineering major who is doing improv for the first time, talked about his experience with the art.
“I kind of make jokes all at once but improv is different from that because you have to work on a scene and work with others,” Tomczyk said. “You can’t just jump in there and start doing whatever, you have to work around other people… it’s pretty fun.”
To make improv work, teamwork is unavoidable, as well as paying attention to social cues and small details in the dialogue that could carry a scene.
Freshman mechanical engineer Kristine Bopp, and new member of Scatterbomb, shared with The Quadrangle what it means to her to find that outlet during a stressful school week.
“I wanna have fun, mechanical engineering is gonna be stressful, so I wanna be able to give myself a positive outlet,” Bopp said. “I’m gonna be stressed out and I’m gonna have hard days, but I want to be able to look at Scatterbomb and look at what I do and be like ‘this is fun, this is great, this is the people I wanna be around’.”
sports
Men and Women’s Cross Country Take Home Win at Fordham Fiasco
The Manhattan University cross country team ran in the Fordham Fiasco on Sept. 6 in Van Cortlandt Park, where the women and men secured first place with a team score of 32 for the women and 29 for the men. They were followed by Fordham University in second place and Columbia University in third.
Director of cross country Kerri Inman spoke with The Quadrangle to express her admiration for the runners’ abilities and for the sport of cross country as a whole.
“Pack running is a big part of the success in cross country,” Inman said. “Many consider our sport to be pretty individual, but cross country is a great example of how an individual sport really relies on team cohesiveness for success. The teams that we’ve had that have been more successful are the ones that have committed to that. We will be honing in on that principle and trying to work it on runs, workouts, and then bring that into our races to keep moving forward.”
At Fordham, Inman was a two year captain of the cross country and track teams, setting six school records and winning four Atlantic 10 titles. She still holds the Atlantic 10 meet records in the indoor 1000 meter, mile and the outdoor 800 meter.
“It’s always fun to beat Fordham,” Inman said with a laugh. “I have great memories there, and the head coach, Brian Horowitz, was a teammate of mine and is a wonderful person who does a great job with the program.”
Fordham and MU compete in different athletic conferences for cross country, with Fordham in the Atlantic 10 Conference and Manhattan
in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). As a result, the two teams only meet at invitationals, never in regular competition.
“[Fordham University] is not in our conference, so it’s one of those good and fun rivalries,” Inman said. “We’ve had many years we’ve lost to them and them to us. They’re a competitive team, which is a good benchmark for us. I appreciate the opportunity to take what I learned at Fordham and my many years of running after and bring it here to [MU] and add to the legacy. I’m proud to be a part of it, and my time at Fordham certainly influenced me, but at this point, I’m a Jasper through and through.”
Jax Newton, a junior on the team, set the standard for MU at the meet, clocking in at 28:04 to take second place in the men’s 8k. He spoke with The Quadrangle about how he and the men’s cross country team has prepared for races, such as Fordham Fiasco, since the end of last season.
“As a cross country athlete, you’re preparing all summer, and then when that race day comes, you have to have the mindset of, ‘I’ve been working all summer. There’s no reason that I shouldn’t be able to perform today’,” Newton said.
Newton expressed how the cross country team is honing in on their team attitudes and willingness to succeed. Newton also mentioned how he plans on contributing to the team with two more seasons as a Jasper.
“I think it’s unique, because we come from all sorts of different backgrounds on the cross country team and the extended track team as well,” Newton said. “I would describe the environment as very optimistic and exponentially getting better every year I’ve been here, and I’m just doing what I can to support that.”
Freshman Mikaella Martin won the women’s 5k with a time of 19:22, with a Fordham athlete
14 seconds behind her. She spoke to The Quadrangle about her high school experience running alone compared to now running in a pack with her fellow teammates.
“When I was in high school, it was a really small team, and there weren’t a lot of people,” Martin said. “I know it’s still a small team here, but it’s really nice working and running with the girls. It makes the run go faster, and they’re really encouraging. Even though I’ve known them for three weeks, it feels like I’ve known them for a long time, and we get along really well together.”
Martin had advice for fellow
athletes who are transitioning from high school to college level sports. She encouraged them to slow down and enjoy the sport in high school while they’re still there.
“Don’t go too fast into the transition,” Martin said. “I did not do a lot of mileage in high school and now in college, I am. Try not to go too fast in the transition, because you could get injured or discouraged, if you feel like it’s too much, trust yourself.”
Angelina Perez Arts & Entertianment Editor
Freshman runner Mikaela Martin wins the Women’s 5k race at the Fordham Fiasco meet.
VINCENT DUSOVIC / COURTESY
sports
Jasper Games of the Week
Andrew Mannion Sports Editor
Mens Soccer
Men’s soccer played two games this week. The first was against the #18 ranked Fordham University, with whom they tied 2-2. The Jaspers got off to a red hot start, as they netted the first goal of the game 13 minutes in. Ziv Dahan was able to beat the Rams keeper, off an assist from Tony Yeboah. They were then able to extend their lead with another goal from Ronan O’Brien, who scored his first goal for MU, and put the Jaspers up 2-0 going into halftime.
Fordham rallied back, as Jed Dixon found the back of the net in the 51st minute and Luke Pompiano netted the equalizer in the 65th minute. Pompiano’s net would end up being the final goal of the game, resulting in a 2-2 tie as the final score. Head coach Jorden Scott spoke very highly of the Jasper’s performance against the tough teams that they have
recently been playing against.
“The team is doing really well every game we play or right now,” Scott said in an interview with Director of Strategic Communication and Digital Media Pete Janny.
“You think FDU came a little early for us, but I think of all the other games and we’re competing at this level. For Manhattan University to be competing on the road against these programs tells you how far we’ve come. I think we should be proud of that… We’re on the road to some of the best programs in the region, and we’re performing like this. We should feel really proud of it, where we are as a program”
The second game was Saturday evening against #11 ranked University of Pennsylvania. The Jaspers fell to Penn 1-0 in a close defensive match. The game’s lone goal would come off the right foot of Penn’s Jack-Ryan Jeremiah.
Ludvig Malberg and the rest of the Jasper’s defense put up a good game, as Malberg tallied up five saves throughout the night. Manhattan’s offense fired off a total of 10 shots, none of which found the back
netting.
The Jaspers’ next game will be their first of MAAC play, as they take on Canisius at Gaelic Park next Saturday, Sept. 28.
Women’s Soccer
The women’s soccer team had a matchup against Sacred Heart University on a sunny Saturday afternoon. They ended in a 1-1 tie and secured their first point in MAAC play.
Senior Maddie Feller netted the Jaspers goal, as she
headed the corner cross from Sami Derrico. SHU responded quickly, as in the 65th minute, Shea Kelleher tied the game for the SHU Pioneers.
The game was an incredibly physical one. The teams combined received three yellow cards, but the penalties halted much offensive momentum for either side.
The Jasper’s next game will be in Poughkeepsie, as they take on Marist College. The game will kick off at 7:00 p.m. next Saturday, Sept. 28.
The Jaspers faced off against Fordham, ending in a tie. VINCENT DUSOVIC / COURTESY
Women’s soccer scored their first point in MAAC play. VINCENT DUSOVIC / COURTESY