Issue 11, Fall 2017 - The Quadrangle by Manhattan College Quadrangle

the Quadrangle THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MANHATTAN COLLEGE | SINCE 1924

Volume XCVI, Issue 11

www.mcquad.org

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

THE

FAITH ISSUE

Quadrangle special pages

IN NEWS:

CMSA, MSA partner to host Interfaith Prayer on p. 7

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IN FEATURES: Two roommates share their Hindu faith and culture on p. 12

edit ion

IN A&E:

Students share the meaning of their tattoos on p. 8

IN SPORTS:

Inside the softball team’s pre-game rituals on p. 13

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Opinions & Editorials

ISSUE

the Quadrangle Volume XCVI, Issue 11 NOVEMBER 7, 2017

The Editorial Board

Stephen Zubrycky Editor in Chief Jack Melanson News Editor

Haley Burnside Joseph Liggio Asst. News Editors

Ally Hutzler Features Editor Managing Editor

Megan Dreher Asst. Features Editor

Taylor Brethauer Arts & Entertainment Editor Managing Editor

Rose Brennan Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor

RikkiLynn Shields Sports Editor

Charles Lippolis Asst. Sports Editor

Tara Marin Social Media Editor

Catherine Goodyear Asst. Social Media Editor

Aaron Mayorga Photography Editor

Anja Pollozi Asst. Photography Editor

Alyssa Velazquez Production Editor

Abbi Kirollos Asst. Production Editor

Victoria Hernandez Morales Multimedia Editor August Kissel Daniel Molina Web Editors Thomas Callahan Faculty Advisor About The Quadrangle A tradition since 1924, The Quadrangle is a news or ganization run by the students of Manhattan College. We strive to cover news around campus and the greater community, publishing weekly in print and daily online. Our goal is always accuracy, relevancy and professionalism. The opinions expressed in The Quadrangle are those of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the College or the student body.

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

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LETTERS TO The Editor

RABEA ALI writes: To The Editor: My name is Rabea Ali, current President of the Muslim Student Association, and I am writing to you today to give the Muslim students on our campus a voice. Manhattan College has a percentage of Muslim students who deserve to have a space for prayers and worships that accommodates our needs. I was pleased to hear the Quadrangle was running a faith-based issue as faith plays a huge role in our daily lives. Thus, I am writing to inquire about there being a designated space in the new STEM building for a prayer room or Mediation Room. While there is one in Horan Hall, that is much too far for the students on the other side of campus to go to in between classes. Thus, the MSA set about finding a space and was offered LEO 259 for our needs. However, this space is not a designated prayer space as it also moonlights as a student lounge. Thus we would like to be considered when the new STEM building is built in regards to having a space solely dedicated for anyone’s prayer/worship needs regardless of their religion. Many are concerned that students’ voices are not being heard in this incredibly difficult time with the political and social ramifications that come with one’s religion/race/etc. I encourage the Manhattan College community to keep in mind our long-standing Lasallian values including peace & love for all, regardless of their faith. In order to promote this, the MSA held an interfaith solidarity prayer on Nov 3rd and will be hosting other solidarity & interfaith events in the upcoming semester to prove that this campus is full of loving people who support the community. I would like to conclude by inviting others to join the MSA, whether they be Muslim or of another faith, as we are open and eager for other members who are non-Muslim as well. The stigma placed on Muslims and our faith has made it difficult for some students to openly express their identity. As a result, we have to make it a priority for MSA to be all inclusive. We want students to know they will not be judged in our organization. If anyone is interested in reaching out to the MSA they may contact us at muslimclub@manhattan.edu or email me directly at rali01@manhattan.edu . We can also be found on Instagram and Facebook as Manhattan MSA on both platforms. Sincerely, Rabea Ali & The Muslim Student Association LOIS HARR writes: Becoming a Lasallian over the past 19 plus years, I think I’ve grown to understand and believe what Br. John Johnston shared a few years before he died: “Lasallians engaged in higher education are uniquely situated to help young people liberate themselves from all that holds them back from being the persons God wants them to be, to help them develop their God-given talents, to help them become persons—whatever their religious faith—committed to building a world where people can live as sons and daughters of God and as brothers and sisters.” Br. John Johnston, FSC Former Superior General of the Brothers from 1986 - 2000. Brother John’s words have resonated deeply for me through the years I’ve been a campus minister - seeing our students grow and develop through service projects, retreats, classes, sacramental preparation, social action, LOVE trips -and more great conversations than I can count. I find great inspiration and comfort in this verse from the letter to the Hebrews: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Just the other day in class we were discussing faith and how if we were absolutely positively beyond a shadow of a doubt sure of something, that might not really be faith. It would be more like science, like physics or gravity and such. Years ago, Mehnaz Afridi invited me to go on a Jewish/Christian/Muslim interfaith retreat. In our final reflection, one of the leaders, an observant Jewish man, shared that he had gladly lived his life as such. But he was perfectly content to stand before God and find out that he had been wrong. I was overwhelmed because I identified so intensely with his words. That to me was an ultimate expression of faith - believing that there is a good and beneficent God who, in the end, will accept our faithful, faith-filled effort.

SUBMIT YOUR OWN LETTER Letters to the Editor may be submitted to thequad@manhattan.edu by Saturday at noon to be considered for publication.

News

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

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A Movement Towards Inclusion:

Manhattan College and the LGBTQ Community

RikkiLynn Shields Editor

For decades, public and private universities all over have struggled with correctly supporting and recognizing LGBTQ students. Religious schools, such as Catholic institutions of higher learning, have also had to deal with the challenge of upholding certain religious teachings, while creating a safe space for all students, including those of the LGBTQ community and those that don’t identify as LGBTQ alike. Manhattan College is an independent Lasallian Catholic college, with a rich tradition of faith and eduction embedded in its roots. The college is proud to stand by its mission statement: “[Manhattan College] embraces qualified men and women of all faiths, cultures and traditions.” While many Catholic colleges offer LGBTQ clubs, Catholic ministry for LGBTQ students, and a variety of other services offered, it’s easy for an individual who identifies as part of the LGBTQ community to feel left out being at a Catholic institution, due to the history of the Catholic teachings and common misconceptions that go along with these teachings. Whether one attends a Lasallian college or not, many people are not familiar with the five points of the Lasallian star, or the five core values that the Manhattan College faculty and staff are committed to, that were set forth by John Baptist de La Salle: (1) Respect for all people. (2) Quality Education. (3) Inclusive Community. (4) Concern for the Poor and Social Justice. (5) Faith in the Presence of God. The five points of the star exemplify Manhattan’s utmost acceptance and respect towards everyone, whether they follow the Catholic tradition or not. Along with the five points, many people, even Catholics, lack proper knowledge of the Catholic Church’s true feelings towards the LGBTQ+ community. In 1992, the Vatican under Pope John Paul II published the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which stated, among many other things, that “homosexual tendencies” are “objectively disordered.” About two decades later, Pope Francis has been turning the tables for the better. In 2013, when Pope Francis was asked about gay priests, he famously replied, “Who am I to judge?” Since then, he has continued to work for the Catholic Church to treat LGBTQ people with dignity and respect, and he continues to work to fight discrimination against sexual minorities.

Manhattan College’s LGBTQ adopted its current name in 2015. Its earliest iteration was formed in 1985. MC_LGBTQ INSTAGRAM / COURTESY This forward-thinking mindset is exactly what is helping the Catholic church transition from a position of tolerance to inclusion. Another way that LGBTQ students are finding visible support and acceptance on Catholic college campuses, specifically Manhattan, is creating student groups and clubs. Manhattan College’s first club recognizing the LGBTQ community was formed in the early 1980s for “friends and allies” of the community to join, as well. However, the current leaders of the LGBTQ Student Group on campus have been going above and beyond to raise awareness, gain involvement, and make themselves known. Roi Mase, a junior government and international studies double-major from Sparta, N.J., is president of the LGBTQ Club, and considers himself “a proud, out, and loud Gay Rights activist and feminist!” While the club has been around on campus for many years, like any other club, it has gone through its ups and downs. However, as president of the club, Mase plans to keep the club stable and flourishing for his last two years here, and many years to come. “After last year when the club fell apart, Chris Nuzzo (the secretary) and I were given control of the club by student engagement and from there we wanted to revamp its presence on campus. I pretty much do anything from creating posters to requesting event spaces, but I’m primarily there to make sure that

there is a designated LGBTQ space on campus,” Mase said. The most recent name of the club that we are aware of is “LGBT Friends and Allies,” which the club was named in 2015. However, the name of the club was changed this past year, to “LGBTQ Student Group.” “This year we changed the group name [to LGBTQ Student Group] specifically for the purpose of having a designated LGBTQ group and space on campus, but allies of course are more than welcome to attend,” Mase said. While an assumption is often made that the faculty, staff, and/or student body of a Catholic college may be comprised of individuals perceived as homophobic and stereotypically heteronormative, Margaret Groarke, Ph.D., the club’s faculty advisor, along with the club leaders and members, can justify that their experiences being part of the LGBTQ Club on Manhattan’s campus has not reinforced this convention. “There’s an inherent contradiction in these teachings, and I’m afraid it leads to some awful things -- people who were taught that gay sex is sinful, felt empowered to crucify Matthew Shepard in Laramie in 1998. I think this is an area where the church needs to think harder about what we are called to do as a people of God,” said Groarke. Groarke became the faculty advisor for the club this year. Continually, she once mentioned to Mase that she worked up for “Act Up,” a group of individuals committed to ending

the AIDS crisis, in the 1990s. Hearing this, Mase felt as if she would be perfect for the position. “I thought since she was an active member of the community that she would be perfect. She joined this year and has been tremendously helpful in organizing events and such,” Mase said. Sophomore Chris Nuzzo, secretary of the LGBTQ Club, works with the club’s social media accounts, makes posters and flyers and also works alongside all members of the executive board to collaboratively plan events and activities. “The LGBTQ Student Group likes to focus on both bringing awareness to LGBTQ rights and injustices, as well as having a strong social presence with our members and the Manhattan College community. 42 percent of LGBTQ youth feel that the community in which they are living is not accepting of who they are,” said Nuzzo. “We strive to be a community to those in the community who need somewhere to turn, or people who just want to hang out and chat.” While the goals of the club are primarily to spread awareness of the LGBTQ community on campus, especially a Catholic campus that might not be familiar with our issues, the club is creating an inclusive community by educating the students, faculty, and staff, whether they are aware of it or not. “Having an LGBTQ group on campus to me means that there is a sense of community in my school. Sometimes

it is very difficult for LGBTQ people to meet each other, let alone hang out in public spaces like everyone else. This club not only serves as a body to plan fun events, but also can serve as a tool for people of all backgrounds to find confidence and enjoy themselves as people,” Mase said. As of now, the club meets every other Wednesday in Cornerstone in Miguel at 4:00 p.m. Next semester, however, the club hopes to hold more events, along with their biweekly meetings. The club is more than happy to welcome everyone to the events they host on campus, whether they be part of the club or not. “Many of the people on MC’s campus have grown up in Catholic schools where they are lead to believe that people of the LGBTQ community don’t deserve the same rights as everyone else. The club is a way for people to recognize that we as a community are the same as each and every person on campus. We are working to make our voices heard and make sure that the members of the community on campus are well taken care of,” Nuzzo said. This delicate attempt to balance a history of religious beliefs alongside recognizing and accepting the LGBTQ community, while i often seems to put students in a conflicted state of acceptance, at Manhattan College, the LGBTQ community is not only represented– but also accepted. On Thursday, Nov. 9. at 6:00 p.m., the LGBTQ Club is having an event in Hayden 100 titled “Vogue, Drag, & Family.” This event will feature a movie on the house culture of drag queens who compete in the ball circuit. The guest speaker, Hector Xtravaganza, is the head of the House of Xtravaganza, and will be discussing the movie which he is featured in. Whether you are a member of the club or not, you are more than welcome to attend. “I think having a LGBTQ club on campus is not only important for a Catholic college, but essential for the social health of a modern student body. One of the main principles in the Gay Liberation movement of the 1960s was to be visible; to show the general public that we are people just like everyone else. I think that same mentality can apply to our group at Manhattan College– to show our student body that we are like everyone else– Jaspers,” Mase said. Editor’s Note: Christopher Nuzzo is a staff writer for The Quadrangle.

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THE QUADRANGLE

The Evolution of the Religious Studies Curriculum John Jackson Staff Writer

The religious studies department at Manhattan College has had its share of changes in terms of curriculum and courses offered over the years. In the last half century, there have been a few notable changes to the curriculum overall. Before the 1970s, when the school was not yet officially a coeducational institution, students took 16 credits in what was then considered the ‘theology department.’

Br. Robert Berger began his studies at Manhattan College, and graduated in 1973.

Br. Robert Berger/ Courtesy

When Brother Robert Berger, ’73, began his studies at Manhattan College, the students took two-credit religion courses each semester taught by a Christian Brother whose field of expertise didn’t necessarily lie in religion. “When they were teaching two-credit courses in the ’60’s, any brother would be able to teach a religion course and it was out of the field of his expertise,” said Berger. “So you could have a brother who was teaching chemical engineering and would also be teaching a religion course.” The courses taught in those times focused on the Catholic religion. However, in 1970, the theology Department sat down together and decided that their current curriculum was not what was in the best interest of the students. They felt the students needed an education in religious studies rather than the specific education in Catholic theology. So they revamped the curriculum and students started taking three three-credit courses which weren’t limited to just Catholic teaching. This is when the college’s current Nature and Experience of Religion course was originally created. The other two requirements included courses on religious traditions and religion and culture. “That was a radical shift and they were really thinking ahead of the game,” said Robert Geraci, Ph.D., the current chair of

the religious studies department. “Because that really not only is a better match to our more diverse student body that we have now, but it’s a better match for what you might actually have use for when you go out into the working world.” A couple of years before Brennan O’Donnell took over as Manhattan College’s president in 2009, the religious studies department changed its curriculum again. The department discussed different ways to construct the curriculum and talked to the administration about it. “Several years back, we were encouraged how to give the students the right balance,” said Religious Studies Professor Michele Saracino, Ph.D, in regards to the religious studies curriculum. The department as a whole felt it was important to the school’s heritage for its students to take a class in Catholicism. The Catholic studies 200-level courses came out of this discussion and students are currently required to take one of those courses. “Just to honor that this is a Christian Brother school and that Christian theology is one of the issues we value,” said Saracino. A current student at Manhattan College begins his or her religious studies education with the Nature and Experience of Religion course which was introduced in the 1970s. The

course has stayed pretty static over the years, but teachers are allowed to teach a different number and variety of religions in the course as long as they teach at least three, with one being an Eastern religion. “I love teaching it because I get to teach religions that are not my specialty,” said Saracino regarding the Nature and Experience of Religion class. “I didn’t go to graduate school for Buddhism, I didn’t go to graduate school for Taoism. My graduate degree is in Christianity. My Ph.D. is in Christian theology. So to learn those religions and to collaborate with colleagues on them to figure out how to teach them effectively has been great.” MC students continue their religious studies education with one of the aforementioned Catholic 200-level classes. In the Spring 2018 semester, there will be nine 200-level courses in addition to multiple special topics. Special topics classes are not currently a permanent part of the Religious Studies curriculum. The four different topics offered in the spring are Labor Studies Colloquium, Monasticism and the Arts, Introduction to Peace Studies, and Catholic Mass and its Music. Students then finish off their Religious Studies requirement with a third class which encompasses either another religious tradition or a study between religion and culture. For the upcoming Spring 2018

semester, there will be 12 of these 300-level courses as well as two special topics. One of the topics is Women and Islam while the other one is Religion, Conflict and War. “[The 300-level courses] sort of enables students to still think about the wider global issues that religion is pertinent to,” said Geraci. “To emphasize that it’s not just about our intellectual heritage, but also the world in which all of us are thrust.” Like many departments at the college, the religious studies department has truly evolved over the years. It went from Christian Brothers teaching the courses to doctoral professors teaching it. It went from an extreme focus on Catholicism, to not requiring Catholicism, to now having a balance of Catholicism and other religions. However, one thing that hasn’t changed is the religious studies department’s commitment to staying student-centered. “But today we have people who have doctorates in their field and they’ve continued the tradition of being student-centered,” said Berger. “It’s people who are aware of what’s going on in the world in the 21st century and they’re able to articulate the dilemmas of these things and challenge students to think about it.”

MC Opines on Pope Francis Abby Crowell Staff Writer

Pope Francis was elected in 2013 and is proving to be the most liberal pope that the Vatican has seen. As a Catholic school, Manhattan College may be impacted by what Pope Francis changes. Pope Francis is responsible to take action on hot button issues that will affect those around the world, no matter which religion people claim. Since Pope Francis has become the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, he has spoken out about his true beliefs without fearing the consequences. The pope has been referred to as, “the people’s Pope” due to his passion to start conversations about topics that are usu-

ally taboo for the church. One of these issues is global warming. “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience,” Pope Francis states in his encyclical. Going beyond global warming, Pope Francis has outwardly criticized the church for its locus stance on the in demand topics of abortion, same-sex marriage and divorce. Pope Francis offers a new outlook on the out of bounds topic within the religious communities. Students at MC share a variety of opinions regarding the pope’s liberal standing. Sophomore Miles Preiss attended a Catholic high school and is enthusiastic about Pope

Francis and his modern methods to change the Catholic Church. “First off, Pope Francis even looks friendlier compared to the prior popes. It is refreshing for the pope to be an optimist and is not too strict about the normal religious standards. I also like how he is trying to expand the church’s views on gay rights,” he said. Preiss believes it would be very beneficial if MC started to make radical changes like the Pope is doing, but realizes it is easier said than done. “I feel like the Pope is allowed to be more radical than the school,” he said. “ Catholic schools move more gradually, especially since a lot of students are conservative and therefore a lot of compromise would be needed to make radical changes at MC.”

One of MC’s students, Billy Simmons, attends church every Sunday and is quite pleased with the lifestyle Pope Francis has chosen. “I like how humble the Pope is. He is constantly proving that he is not the Pope for the benefit of fame or fortunes that usually come with his career. He tackles the issues that people do not usually confront when talking about the Catholic Church,” Simmons said. Stephanie Powell, Ph.D., a religion professor at MC, possesses a positive perception of the Pope. “One of the things that most impresses me about Pope Francis is his desire to forge relationships of compassion and justice across religious differences.” Powell believes the Pope is making a positive difference

through his actions. Pope Francis washed the feet of Syrian refugees on Maundy Thursday. This is significant, because it is the same day in the Gospel of John that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. “I feel like in that moment, Pope Francis brought the gospel alive in a new context, reminding us all that all of the vitriol aimed at religious and racial minorities in our present political climate runs counters to Jesus’s message,” Powell stated. Although Powell is a Protestant, Pope Francis has truly inspired her to be the hands and feet of the living God.

News

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

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Alienation and Animation Among Muslim Students

Stephen Zubrycky Editor-in-Chief

In the era of Donald J. Trump’s presidency, Muslim students at Manhattan College are feeling alienated and politically engaged. Trump has thrice ordered travel bans from several majority-Muslim countries since ascending to the Presidency in January. While running for the Republican nomination for President on Dec. 15, 2015, Trump called for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” “The rhetoric has emboldened people more. People who, you know, may have been quieter,” junior biology major Haris Ali said. “The whole, divisive nature of the way people speak and interact – it can be disgusting.” Haris Ali, 21, is from Yonkers, and is vice president of the Muslim Student Association (MSA). “I would say after the election of Trump, it’s become more unsafe,” said junior marketing major and MSA member Donya Quhshi. “It’s become more acceptable to be Islamophobic.” Quhshi, 19, was born in Yemen and emigrated to the United States in 2007. Since then, she and her immediate family has lived in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx. “Now people are just outward and open about [Islamophobia],” sophomore Rabea Ali said. Rabea Ali is the MSA’s president. She grew up in the Kensington section of Brooklyn, which has a large Muslim population, but currently lives in Nanuet, N.Y., in Rockland County. Rabea Ali said she was twice forced to leave her N.J. Transit train due to harassment on Nov.

9, 2016, the day after Trump was elected President. “One, I stepped off of and the other a man physically picked me up and took me off the train,” Rabea Ali said. Rabea Ali said she was again harassed – this time by an MC student – while walking back to campus from Riverdale Diner on Kingsbridge Avenue. “As we were walking up to Kelly, a student passes by and says something along the lines of, like, a slur. And calls me a terrorist,” Rabea Ali said. “And all I could think was, ‘Is this the world that we’ve come to?” “I’ve never faced discrimination in this college thus far. So, I’ve always felt safe [...] until I heard her story, and I thought, ‘Okay, if they can do it on campus, then they’re not scared,” Quhshi said. The incidents experienced by Rabea Ali prompted her to go to some of the campus’ resource spaces. “That very day, the next place I went was the Multicultural Center or places like Campus Ministry, that openly say they stand with Muslims,” Rabea Ali said. Quhshi and Rabea Ali, who both wear hijabs, have grappled with discrimination for most of their life – with much of it centered on the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which were carried out by Al Qaeda, an Islamist militant terror group. “All my life I would hear, ‘Muslims are terrorists. Muslims did 9/11,” Rabea Ali said. “When people discuss 9/11 in class, everyone just looks at me,” Quhshi said. “What am I supposed to say?” Much of Quhshi’s extended family is still in Yemen, and though they want to emigrate

Donya Quhshi (left) and Rabea Ali (right) are members of the Muslim Student Association. STEPHEN ZUBRYCKY / THE QUADRANGLE to the U.S., the rhetoric coming from Trump is disheartening to them. “After the election, I have family, who - they don’t want to come here,” Quhshi said. “They don’t want to be sent back. They think it’s pointless.” “Yemen right now is in a war zone. And my family is trying to escape that. My cousin’s school was bombed. They can’t even go to school,” Quhshi said. “They want to come, but [...] they think they’re just going to be sent back. That it’s going to be a hard time.” Last Tuesday, eight people were killed in Lower Manhattan when Sayfullo Saipov, 29, allegedly drove a pickup truck down the Hudson River Bikeway in what Mayor Bill de Blasio dubbed “an act of terror.” Witnesses on the scene told CNN that the suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar,” Arabic for “Allah is great,” after exiting the vehicle. The MSA members who spoke to The Quadrangle em-

phasized that the attack is not representative of their faith. “The first thing that [goes through my mind] is ‘please don’t identify as a Muslim. Please, please don’t identify as a Muslim,” Haris Ali said. “It just hurts the community,” Haris Ali said. “People expect me to answer for that. People expect other Muslims to […] answer for that. Otherwise they think we’re being complacent.” Haris Ali asked, “How many times do we have to say, ‘Nope, this isn’t us,’ or, ‘No, this isn’t Islam?” “People expect us to condemn these attacks. Obviously we condemn them,” Rabea Ali said. “I shouldn’t have to go out of my way to be like, ‘This isn’t Islam.” In Haris Ali’s experience, the Trump phenomenon has emboldened American Muslims to speak out and become more engaged in the civic process.

“If anything, the best thing that Donald Trump has done is… he’s awoken people,” Haris Ali said. “[Muslims] are a lot less inhibited by fear and a they’re being a lot more proactive now because they’re saying, ‘if not now, then never.” Under Rabea Ali’s leadership, the MSA is currently looking to nail down a designated prayer space in the new extension Leo Hall. The MSA also hosts events to increase the Muslim voice on MC’s campus. On Friday, the MSA hosted an interfaith prayer. Next semester, Rabea Ali plans to hold an entire week of events entitled “Islam Awareness Week.” “There’s so many people that go to this campus that haven’t even met a Muslim or had a conversation with a Muslim. So just getting to know people and creating a safe community where everyone knows they’re getting attacked… physically or verbally.”

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THE QUADRANGLE

College Discusses Geraci Takes Religious Practices Over Religious Studies Dept. Shannon Glebba Staff Writer

Though many Manhattan College students identify as Catholic, not all of them practice regularly. STEPHEN ZUBRYCKY / THE QUADRANGLE

Gabriella DePinho Staff Writer

As an institution, Manhattan College is proud to bear a Lasallian Catholic identity, but the student body does not necessarily share this same religious identity. The religious identity of the student body can be broken down by two factors: whether the students identify as Catholic or not and whether those who identify as Catholic are practicing. While the first set of categories can easily be separated out, the second set is harder to identify. Senior Kylie McTague identified this issue of creating categories within the Catholic identity of the students. “I think it’s difficult to distinguish between practicing Catholic or Catholic in name because to be Catholic means something very different to me than it does to anyone else who considers themselves Catholic.” In order to understand the religious identity of the school, students who partake in other religions, such as Judaism and Islam, must not be ignored. These students are given access to the proper religious services they need and are still invited to partake in retreats, L.O.V.E. trips, L.O.C.O service and other campus ministry supported events on campus. The College seeks to embrace such diversity because one of the five points of Lasallian teaching is, “inclusive community”, so by building such, the College continues to live out their Lasallian identity. Sophomore Kerry Cavanagh, a self-identified practicing Catholic, believes that regardless of where the stu-

dents stand personally, the Lasallian identity of the school is an identity any individual can embrace. “If we look at the five points on the star: respect for all persons, quality education, concern for the poor and social justice, faith in the presence of God and inclusive community, they’re all points that I think each person tries to live out in his or her daily lives,” said Cavanagh However, even if the individual students are taking the Lasallian values into account, some students feel that the college may be falling short in creating the diverse and inclusive community that it promises to build. “While I think that our mission seeks to be inclusive of students of all religious backgrounds, I do not feel that Manhattan College is adequately or equitably lifting up the voices and experiences of students from all religious backgrounds,” said McTague. She continued. “Regardless of how well we think we are doing committing ourselves to the mission of our school on an individual level as students, institutionally, and as part of the greater Manhattan College community, the task of keeping our Lasallian heritage at the heart of everything we do as Jasper’s is one we must continue to ask ourselves.” Junior Tim Gress, a sacristan for the school’s masses sees MC’s religious life being influenced by larger culture. “A lot of people in 2017, they just don’t practice,” said Gress, “They’ll say they are but not really. A lot of people are trying to figure out what they want to believe in, especially now from 18 - 22.” Gress and freshman gov-

ernment major Alan Swieca both pointed to Sunday Mass attendance as support of their belief that most students who identify as Catholic do so only in name. However, neither consider the smaller attendance to be a bad thing. Gress identified it as an opportunity to grow closer to others who also actively practice their stated religion. Sweica sees the available Sunday mass as an invitation for anyone to start practicing. “Even though most of those people wouldn’t go to church weekly or even monthly but they put down on paper that they’re Catholic, they can always come back in.” Freshman Camryn Holly does not identify as Catholic but attributes MC to helping her explore her possible religious beliefs. Being a non-observer of Catholicism, Holly feels that the identity of the students, which was largely shaped by their families before college, is now in each student’s hands. “I think in general, a lot of religious people are religious because of their family but since now they’re living on their own, so if they’re practicing on their own, going to Mass, getting involved with faith things on campus, it’s their decision,” said Holly. While the college continues to strive for a student body that welcomes all religious or non religious backgrounds, the religious identity of the student body is ultimately up to each individual. “I think [differences in beliefs is] what makes school interesting. Being surrounded by like minded people isn’t always beneficial. It’s important to be exposed to different ideologies,” said Cavanagh.

Manhattan College’s Religious Studies department has undergone a change in leadership as Robert Geraci, Ph.D., took over the position as department chair. The position opened up after Professor Michele Saracino, Ph.D., finished her term as chair last year. The process of deciding on a new chairperson is fairly simple, and Geraci explained that the entire religious studies department was involved in the decision. “The way it works is that the dean is supposed to come with a name and put the name in front of the department and then you have a secret ballot,” said Geraci. “But it’s a ratification- yes or no. Then if the department says no, then another name [is brought up]. It wasn’t controversial; mine was the only name that was put up.” While Saracino’s term as chair may have ended, she has fond memories of holding the position and thinks Geraci will be able to bring the department continual success. “I enjoyed being chair very much. It gave me the chance to work closely with our fine students and develop our Religion Matters program. The department is very lucky to have someone as committed as Dr. Geraci as the new chair; and I look forward to all the good work and important initiatives he undoubtedly will develop in the upcoming years,” said Saracino. Geraci hopes to continue to carry out the aspects of the department which make it unique, but also hopes to make some changes, including the hiring of two new professors. “We are hiring two people next semester. […] So, we are hiring a womanist ethicist, we hope. And then we are hiring a visiting person, for like a threeyear gig in East and Southeast Asia,” said Geraci. “Those will be big changes to the department, we’re excited about bringing new colleagues in.” In an email statement, Religious Studies associate professor, David Shefferman, Ph.D., also commented on what changes he is expecting from the shift in leadership within the religious studies department. “I suspect that the main changes primarily will be matters of style. Dr. Geraci is organized and tech-savvy, so he’s already streamlined ways in which the department shares

information internally as well as our outreach (e.g. our online “news site”).” Shefferman continued, “[Geraci] also has been a thoughtful and tireless advocate on broad issues like fair compensation and support of adjunct and contingent faculty, so I’m sure that Religious Studies, with Dr. Geraci as our main representative to those outside the department, will remain a visible and vocal advocate not only for thoughtful study of religion but also for under-recognized members of the campus community and beyond.” While Geraci has been teaching at Manhattan College since 2005, becoming chair presents a new set of responsibilities. When asked what is expected of the department chair, Geraci was able to clearly outline his role in the position. “It means signing forms for students who are hoping to add or drop classes. It means advising for majors and minors if they need to talk about their schedules. To some extent it means career counseling and advising when people want to come up and talk about graduate school or what kinds of career planning they might do in college. [..],” said Geraci. “There are a lot of meetings and other forms of paperwork.” Shefferman also has a deep understanding of the relationship between the department chairperson and their fellow professors. “All that’s to say that the chair does not really affect when, what, or how I teach. Those issues come out of ongoing, department-wide discussions that the chair coordinates (more than decides),” said Shefferman. “That means that, in a larger department full of diverse personalities and interests like religious studies, the chair must feel like the ringmaster of a three-ring circus a lot of the time!” Overall, Geraci encourages students of the religious studies department to present their concerns and thoughts of the department, so he can facilitate meaningful adjustments. “I would like to reiterate that if students have, not just concerns, but interests in what they would like, not just in terms of our classes, but our programming,” said Geraci. If students have interests in what programming they might engage in, then I would love to hear from them, so we can meet their needs as best as possible,” said Geraci.

News

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

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A Time For Peace and Dialogue:

MSA and CMSA Hold Interfaith Prayer Session Taylor Brethauer & RikkiLynn Shields Editor

The word animosity is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “ill will or resentment tending toward active hostility.” In today’s day and age, we often find it hard to put aside our animosities, due to the fact that we harbor ignorance regarding the “other”– people that don’t look like us, people that don’t eat what we eat, or people that don’t say the same prayers we do. Manhattan College’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) and Campus Ministry & Social Action (CMSA) held an interfaith prayer session on Nov. 3 at 1 p.m. in the Horan Hall Meditation Room, to take action after a variety of recent events that have been going on locally, along with globally. The overriding question of this prayer session, as stated by Rabea Ali, president of MSA goes as follows: “what can we do to make Manhattan College, Riverdale, New York City and beyond a safe place for Muslims and nonMuslim students alike?” Manhattan College’s Catholic Chaplain, Father Thomas Franks, and Manhattan College’s Muslim Chaplain Sheikh Samer Alraey notice that there is a common fear within many individuals– we fear that by participating in a prayer that doesn’t directly come from our own faith, we are lessening the value of our faith. However, the most important thought that we should carry with us throughout our everyday lives is to stand together as people of different faiths, to reject any animosity.

“Coming together doesn’t mean to let go of who we are,” Franks said. “We are here to support each other. We must recognize that we share a heritage, and all come together for God. We come together for what we believe, who we believe, and how we believe it.” The flyers hung around campus donned the “coexist” logo and encouraged students from all faith backgrounds to attend at the event in the Horan Hall Meditation Room. Students began gathering at 1 p.m. and discussions were held over donuts and coffee as Alraey waited for the students who regularly come to Jummah prayers before getting started. He encouraged people to eat food before or after the prayer but not during, stating, “Feed your soul during the prayer, feed your bodies afterwards.” Alraey welcomed in the familiar students who attend the regularly scheduled Jummah Prayer as they began to set out the ornate rugs the group use to pray on every week. He encouraged all who were not participating in the Jummah prayer to stay seated and reflect in whatever way they wanted to. The prayer began at 1:39 p.m. with a sermon. In his sermon, Alraey spoke about the names and attributes of God, such as “the compassionate one” as someone to follow in everyone’s day to day lives. “Beauty, youth, energy, all of the gifts God gives us, we should send out into the world [...] God wants us to help as many people as we can. We

Students prepared the Meditation Room in Horan Hall by putting down prayer rugs. TAYLOR BRETHAUER / THE QUADRANGLE don’t have to help all people, but the more we help one another, the better,” said Alraey during his sermon. 14 students participated in the prayer with 22 students overall in attendance to participate in the interfaith discussion held after. By 1:55 p.m., Alraey invited Father Tom to speak with the students and their connection in faith. “It’s important that we find time to gather and pray [...and] important that we recognize past oppression between religions,” said Father Tom. He began to tell a story of a friar who wanted to conjoin Islamic prayer practices with Catholic prayer practices, as a metaphor for what the students were doing then. “We gather together in the name of one God, together our

The discussion was led by Father Thomas Franks, a Catholic priest, and Sheikh Samer Alraey, a Muslim imam. TAYLOR BRETHAUER / THE QUADRANGLE

religions leading all the way back to Abraham,” said Father Tom. The discussion then turned to the attack in downtown Manhattan this past Tuesday. The attack, carried out by 29-year-old Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, killed eight people and injured eleven after he drove a rented truck into the bike lane. “[Talking about the Tuesday attack and President Donald J. Trump’s reaction in pushing for the Muslim ban], you cannot take one out of millions [...] We must spread a message of love, peace, working together. Politicians want to divide and cultivate fear in gender, religion and pride and that is not what is right,” said Alraey. Ali commented that although the event was aimed more towards discussing the Muslim ban, it was obvious that what had happened on Tuesday was much more opportune. As the MSA is a group of inclusion, the timely discussion was a place for students and faculty to voice concerns on how the religion is viewed in relation to terrorist attacks, how President Donald J. Trump is perpetuating islamophobia and the importance of a welcoming and trusting community. Alraey also mentioned that it is best if students made the most of New York City during their college years because it is a place known to be so open and welcome, especially during a time like this. To him, he saw it as a call to action. “We are here to support each other. Although we are different faiths, we are not too different. We all have a lot of love, a lot of understanding. We want to spread the message of love and peace not only to Manhattan College or locally but also globally,” said Alraey. In attendance, there were people representing Project Nur, CMSA and the MSA.

From the School of Business, first-year management professor Jolie Terrazas joined in on the conversation to show her appreciation for the event. Terrazas says she encourages her students to come to these kinds of events in order to “broaden their horizons”, something she had always done in balancing her interest in social justice and business studies. Students also showed their appreciation for Jummah Prayer and discussions like these, sharing with the group, “to have this space is so important and it allows us to come outside of our comfort zone.” Alraey then brought up a saying that goes, “No matter how big you are, you can’t cover the sun with your shadow.” The group discussed this in great length, eventually touching upon the idea of immigration, to which Alraey said, “we’re all immigrants if you look back far enough.” The group then went around the room, sharing their heritage to prove the diversity of even the smallest group of students. Almost every nationality and continent was mentioned in the group of 17 that had remained for the discussion. The leaders of MSA mentioned after the success of this interfaith session that they were interested in planning new discussions for the future. The event ended in a prayer from Franks, joining the two religions together as planned. The feeling of solidarity was present as students from all different majors, years, heritage and faiths bowed their heads. On a final note, as students grabbed more donuts and hot chocolate, shared well wishes and chatted, Alraey said, “leave with the blessing of God for the rest of the day.”

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The Meaning Behind the Ink Alexa Schmidt Staff Writer

Tattoos have turned people’s skin into works of art. Within the ink, however, lies a story. In today’s society, tattoos can often be seen as a way to declare one’s interests. But to some, it provides a window into one’s own faith as well. As junior Kelsey Quartulli (interviewed below) puts it, “wanting your body to be a canvas for other people’s work, is spiritual in itself, because it’s a big element of having to trust someone enough to put their work on you. Having that constant reminder of looking at something and getting something different out of it every time you look at it is a peace of mind kind of thing.”

Shannon Raczynski Sophomore Peace Studies and Philosophy Major What are your tattoos? I got a shamrock when I was 16, and a lot of people don’t really know what it means, but I grew up in a super Irish Catholic household and it symbolizes the trinity, and Saint Patrick used to teach people about Catholicism. I also have a dove which means a lot of different things too. It shows up in the Bible a lot, like at Jesus’s baptism; it means the Holy Spirit and it also means peace. I have an olive branch which symbolizes peace and that shows up after Noah’s Ark. A dove actually shows up carrying an olive branch. When did you get them? I got the shamrock at 16, I got the dove last Christmas, and I got the olive branch a week and a half ago. Why did you get them? I’m a peace studies major so the dove and olive branch both mean peace, but I was also always that kid who wrote down things on my hands so I wouldn’t forget, and so when I got old enough to get tattoos, I loved them. The one on my wrist, which is a dove, I got that one there specifically so that if I look down I’ll remember.

Christopher Mulford Freshman Mechanical Engineering Major What’s your tattoo? My tattoo is a cross of my dad who passed away when I was two years old. It’s a form of tombstone cross with a crack down the middle with a halo around it, and a banner with his name on it that says “in loving memory” on it. Why did you get it? He passed away when I was very young and I always wanted to do something for him like in a way that only I could. He’s my dad and I wanted to show that I had a really strong connection with him. I mean, I have a lot of family members with tattoos, and I have a bunch of friends with tattoos, so I thought about the idea a little bit and so I thought it was worth doing. It shows that I care, and to me it’s kind of like the ultimate way because it’s painful to get done and you’re willing to go through so much pain for someone. When did you get it? I got it a couple weeks after I turned 18.

Kelsey Quartulli Junior Peace Studies and Art History Major History Minor What are your tattoos? I have five. The first one says “you cannot live a positive life with a negative mind.” I got it right before I graduated high school, like the day or two before, and this one speaks for itself. I feel like a lot of people struggle with mental health issues like consistently, and especially young people, and so I feel like it was kind of just a mantra to just keep your head up. Just look at things in a different way to gain a different perspective before you act and react to it. Just get your bearing and figure yourself out a little. My most recent one is the flowers. It’s indicative of different chakras. The dahlia I got because my best friend and I had nicknames for each other and mine was dahlia and it was based on our obsession with this brand called wildfox. They released this promotional story kind of, about these three little fairies and witches, and one of them was named Dahlia. I have three best friends back home and we each were that persona and it was just very fitting. And it stuck and seven years later we still call each other those names.

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

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New York City’s Most Sacred Sites

Rose Brennan & Alyssa Velazquez Asst. Editor & Editor

New York City is home to 8.5 million people, and they all believe in something, even if that “something” is nothing at all. However, for the more religious New Yorkers, the city is home to several sites of spiritual significance. The sites are as diverse as the city to which they belong, and they are all merely a subway ride away to any who are willing to take the trip. Cathedral of Saint Patrick 51st Street and Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. Manhattan is home to many Catholic churches and holy sites, but the Cathedral of Saint Patrick is by far the largest and grandest. But it is also a destination to people of many faiths, as an estimated five million people visit the cathedral every year. The cathedral has several different altars which serve different purposes, including a baptistery, a sanctuary, shrines for specific Catholic saints (including Saint John Baptist de la Salle) and the Lady Chapel. Candles are scattered throughout the cathedral, which add to the cathedral’s stately yet inviting ambience, making it a place of welcome for people of all religions How to get there: take the 1 downtown to 50 St Hillsong Church 311 W. 34 St., New York, NY Upon entering the Hammerstein Ballroom, one might confuse the stage, lights, and crowd for what is about to be a concert. In reality, the ballroom is home to another worship group. Hillsong Church is a Christian music, praise, and worship group that originated in Sydney, Australia in 1983. The group now has locations across the country and around the world, providing services

that have a primary focus on worship and praise. The church is known for their music, hence the concert-like atmosphere, and begins and ends every service with a set list led by a group of singers and instrumentalists. The group even has a documentary on their services called “Hillsong: Let Hope Rise.” Straying from traditional forms of worship, Hillsong Church provides uplifting services for anyone interested, no matter their religion. How to get there: take the 1 downtown to 34 St/Penn Station Eldridge Street Synagogue (at the Museum at Eldridge Street) 12 Eldridge St., New York, N.Y. Chinatown in downtown Manhattan would be the last place one would expect to find a synagogue, but that is right where the Museum at Eldridge Street is located. Before the influx of Chinese-American immigrants came to Lower Manhattan and made the area what it is today, the area actually had a large Jewish population. The Museum at Eldridge Street is a National Historic Landmark and serves as a testament to the Jewish population of New York City. The Museum also doubles as a synagogue, and its religious center is truly breathtaking. The Museum at Eldridge Street is a sight to behold as both a center for education and worship. How to get there: Take the 1 downtown to 59 St/Columbus Circle, transfer to a downtown B or D and get off at Grand St The New York Mosque (at the Islamic Cultural Center) 1711 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. The Islamic Cultural Center was built in the 1960s and is a major site for New York Muslims and Muslims from around the world. The mosque is not

the only component of the center either; its facilities include a school, a library, a museum, a lecture hall and residence for the Center’s imams. The New York Mosque is actually an offset of the original New York City Islamic Cultural Center on West 72nd Street. The Center actually has a tie to Manhattan College: Samer Alraey, the college’s Muslim chaplain, once served as an imam at this Upper East Side mosque. However, it is a place of worship and beauty for all of New York City, not just people from Manhattan College. How to get there: Take the 1 downtown to Times Sq/42 St, transfer to an uptown Q and get off at 96 St

Mahayana Buddhist Temple 133 Canal St., New York, N.Y. The dimly lit temple, evoking a sense of comfort, welcomes both tourists and worshippers alike. Home to one of the largest Buddha statues sitting on a lotus flower, scaling up to 16 feet in height, the Mahayana Buddhist Temple is one of the most well-known Buddhist temples in New York City. Although the temple is a place of worship for many, it wasn’t known for its sacredness until after 1996. Prior, the location of the temple was known as a theater for adult films. Within the temple guarded by two Chinese lions, sits the statue of the Buddha surrounded by candles, incense, and offerings such as apples and peaches. Along the south wall are pictures depicting the journey of Prince Siddhartha and how he became known as the founder of the Buddhist teachings. Regardless of one’s beliefs, the temple offers the tranquility one may need to escape the rush of the city and just reflect. How to get there: Take the 1 downtown to 59 St/Columbus Circle, transfer to a downtown B or D and get off at Grand Street

The Eldridge Street Synagogue is a hidden religious gem in Lower Manhattan, just blocks from City Hall. ROSE BRENNAN / THE QUADRANGLE

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, located across Fifth Avenue from Rockefeller Center, was recently restored. TAYLOR BRETHAUER / THE QUADRANGLE

Monasticism and the Arts: A Course for All Interests Megan Haugh Contributor

Monasticism and the Arts is a 200-level religious studies and fine arts course that focuses on the artistic achievements of monks and monastic communities from 300 AD – 1400 AD. Maria Lucca, the course instructor, has been teaching the class for three semesters so far and describes the class as, “looking at Monasticism through the lenses of art objects, architecture, and paintings.” By placing an emphasis on these forms of expression, Lucca opens a new doorway to studying monasticism as opposed to how a pure religion class may approach the subject.

During the semester, the course moves from studying early Monasticism in the east to later forms in the west. Starting with Constantine the Great’s founding of Constantinople, the lessons focus on the rise of the Christian church and the basic premise of monasticism, which is to follow the life of Christ and live similarly to him. For example, Christ went into the desert and fasted for forty days, so the early monks went into the desert, fasted for many days and subjected themselves to self-punishment in order to feel the pain of what Christ went through. They aimed to be crucified on earth as Christ was; they were mirroring his life. Although these monks went into the desert alone, they

eventually wound up with a following of individuals who also wished to follow in the life of Christ. From this, two strains of monasticism were developed: Eremitic monasticism, monks who lived by themselves, and Cenobitic monasticism, monastic communities. The course then reroutes towards Benedictine monasticism. Started by the rule of Saint Benedict of Nursia, the rules of Benedictine monasticism parallel the development of monasteries and architecture. The way Saint Benedict wanted the monks to live was the way monasteries were built: cloisters for gathering, refectories for eating, and dorms for living. Here, monks made richly decorated and illustrated manuscripts, Bibles, choir books, and psalms.

Finally ending with the different European architecture of monasticism, the class goes on to study relics that were housed at monasteries and monks as artists. From these teachings, Lucca wants her students to gain an appreciation for the art and architecture that the monks were responsible for. The monks sacrificed their lives, but also made a large contribution to the arts; without them we would not have a lot of ancient texts. Additionally, Lucca also wants her students to grasp the meaning of devotion. The course studies relics because people still go on pilgrimages today to visit monasteries and see these relics. The beauty of these places and objects came out of the devotion of the religious men and wom-

en who dedicated their lives to following the life of Christ. During the semester, students work together in groups to discuss the materials covered in class and create presentations. Some topics that students have to do research on include a trip to The Met Cloisters and the archives in Manhattan College’s O’Malley Library. The class ties up at the end of the semester with a final presentation, where students speaks individually in front of their peers. Monasticism and the Arts will be offered on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday schedule from 10-10:50 a.m. in the spring semester. The class is a good option if anyone is interested in an artistic spin on a religion class.

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Freshman Gaia Fakhoury Connects to Culture Through Music performer profile Samantha Walla Staff Writer

Gaia Fakhoury is no stranger to performing arts. After singing for fourteen years, the freshman biochemistry major and Spanish minor is involved in both Music Ministry and Manhattan Singers, which perform at many functions on campus. After being accepted to Manhattan College, Fakhoury applied and auditioned for the Performing Arts Scholarship as a vocalist, enabling her to continue her passion while receiving an education. Fakhoury brings much more than a gifted voice to the program, as she sang the communion hymn at Manhattan College’s 7:30 p.m. Mass on Sunday, Oct. 22. The communion hymn Fakhoury chose was titled “The Spirit of God,” which she sang in Arabic. For Fakhoury, this song was more than a refreshing addition to Music Ministry’s program. “I sang a song about the spirit of Jesus and how he’s go-

ing to protect us: pray for us, pray for our hearts, pray for our faith. It was nice to pray in my language and not only English. I like this song because it’s very emotional, and I used to sing it at my old church.” To say Fakhoury’s old church is off-campus is an understatement. Originally from Lebanon, Fakhoury moved to the United States only three years ago. Andy Bauer, director of Music Ministry and Singers, was thrilled to work with Fakhoury in diversifying the program’s selections. “I was delighted when Gaia approached me about singing a Christian song in Arabic. Not only did her selection meld musically with our contemporary stylistic vision for the Manhattan College Music Ministry, but it was a lovely artistic celebration of our diversity as God’s people. Gaia is one of our Performing Arts Scholarship recipients, and she also sings with the Manhattan College Singers. I very much look forward working with her over the next four years, and anticipate that she will add much to our

music program here at the college.” Fakhoury’s introduction to music was through her faith, making her involvement in Music Ministry all the more special. “My parents are very religious, they go to church every Sunday, and I started singing there. I used to sing back in my country, so when we came here, we found a Lebanese church so I continued singing here.” Fakhoury’s emotional rendition of the song touched not only parishioners, but her family. “My family was so excited and proud. It was a very affectionate song for them because it reminded them when I sang the same song back in Lebanon. They also liked that I had the chance to sing it in the United States. I’m so lucky!” Although Fakhoury’s main concern is concentrating on biochemistry, singing is her favorite way to spend her free time, as it gives her a break from her studies. Despite being unsure whether her biochemistry major will bring her to medical school or work in labs,

Fakhoury performed a hymn in Arabic at Mass on Oct. 22. GAIA FAKHOURY / COURTESY Fakhoury knows that singing will always be a part of her life. “I love singing so much and I would love to continue. It’s my passion.” Fakhoury aims to continue developing this passion through singing at church. She is not stopping at Arabic, as she hopes to sing her next hymn in French, her second language.

Ultimately, Fakhoury’s singing not only enhances mass for churchgoers, but it brings her closer to her faith and homeland. “It meant a lot to me when I sang in Arabic, it reminded me of Lebanon, and it made me feel so happy that I had the opportunity to sing it at Manhattan College. I felt so proud.”

“The Band’s Visit” Brings You to Beit Hatikva THEATER & THE CITY Theater and the City is a column of student-written reviews in the ENGL 400 class taught by Deirdre O’Leary Cunningham. This week’s entry is by Antigone Thanasias. The most beautiful and memorable moments occur when nothing happens. It’s the silence found when waiting for an overdue phone call. The sweat of your palms when pining to speak to a crush. A feeling of warmth lingering when speaking to a stranger about the greatest joys in the life. These quiet pauses and casual sharings of words somehow become the most cherished, because for a moment, you are just being. There really is something about nothing, and the new musical “The Band’s Visit”, totally gets it. Taking the simple lives of individuals born to venerable cultures, a run down Israeli town becomes the pages of an unfinished journal, awaiting the entry of a new voice to the narrative. Originally an Israeli film released in 2007, and later established a successful run off-Broadway at the Atlantic Theatre Company, “The Band’s Visit” has finally arrived on

the Broadway stage. It all revolves around the slip a single letter. An Egyptian police band ventures to Israel for a performance at an Arab cultural center. The long journey comes to a halt as the band descends from their bus, learning from a local cafe owner, Dina (Katrina Lenk), that they are not in the city of Petah Tikva, but Beit Hatikva. Both names sounding confoundedly alike when said allowed. At first sight, the grey, distressed cement walls of the uniform apartments (realistically captured by Scott Pask) and absence of any bustle occurring clearly reads this is a town of desolace. This communal “deadness” is confirmed by Dina and two locals as they sing the comical song of salutation called “Welcome to Nowhere”. With no buses running for the rest of the day, the sun slowly begins to spill like melted gold with hints of a warm cobalt blue along the tired architecture (masterfully chosen by Tyler Micoleau). The conductor, Tewfiq (Tony Shaloub), and his band are left with no choice but to spend the night in this bare city, offered with shelter by

Dina and other locals. Between the two cultures coming together during this unexpected crossing of paths, initially there is an awkward attempt in trying to communicate. Exchanging dialogue in broken english, there is almost a romantic element to these strangers trying to understand each other. Through incomplete sentences being strung together, and relying on basic hand gestures to strike up a conversation, one sees the beauty of tolerance come together. This is best seen when an adolescent Israeli named Papi (Etai Benson) gains the suave member of the band, Haled (Ari’el Stachel), as a helpful wingman at the city’s roller derby. Laughter infects the audience as Stachel’s character teaches the inexperienced teen how to “not break the ice, but melt the ice” under the glimmering disco ball light. As the story proceeds, touching upon various lives that occupy this fictional place of Beit Hatikva, it slowly peels back to it no longer being a place of bleakness. At the center of the stage is the installation of

a rotating platform, bringing us a merry go round of lifestyles; merriment of singing a popular song at dinner, a boy waiting by the telephone booth for the call of a loved one, and the drag of cigarette after a marital dispute. Mainly, we are brought under the wing of Dina, as she gives a tour of the streets to her new companion Tewfiq. Topics of conversation range from the dark haired woman’s love for the iconic Omar Sharif, and Tewfiq’s contentment that lies with fishing. Both briefly disclose personal heartaches they have experienced in their lives, but have a mutual therapeutic relationship for music. This is an artistic element that is so frequent within the show that it becomes a character itself (carefully composed by David Yazbek). Scene by scene a band member remains nestled in the roof tops of the buildings, and pocketed at the stoops of a door to create the symphonic grace of middle eastern sounds. With the repetitious mention of the sea throughout the musical’s dialogue, this imagery becomes more and more synonymous with the music.

Forget the pomp and circumstance, this show’s success (under the direction of David Cromer) comes from how little it offers to the audience. You cannot expect a sudden death, a forbidden love, or even the betrayal of a friend. Plots such as this derive from such an extreme place, they become unrelatable, or desirable to the mind of fantasy. For “The Band’s Visit”, each character functions like a blank canvas, limitedly revealing a depth about themselves to allow the audience to slip into their shoes. Surely each character faces a different period in their lives as we look upon their evenings in Beit Hatikva, but we all come to this moment of “me, too”. Mostly we find our natural instinct to long for more, and place it upon these given characters to fulfill it. The rejection from a romantic advancement, or the release of a cry from a never ending day, it seems Beit Hatikva is a mirage of self reflection. Everything is at it seems within this musical, honestly sharing that this is as good as it gets, and it very much is. Proving that having nothing real does build character, and a perfect story.

Features

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

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We Are Losing Our Religion

Study Shows Millennials May Be Least Religious Population Yet Ally Hutzler Editor

According to a 2016 Pew Research Center study, millennials are much less likely than older Americans to pray or attend church regularly, or even to consider religion an important aspect of their lives. And that number is growing, quickly. The religiously unaffiliated now account for nearly a quarter of the adult population, up from 16 percent in 2007. Michael Hout, a professor of sociology at New York University, responded to this study stating that a large reason behind millennials losing their religion is that they are being raised by Baby Boomers who have expressed the importance of individuality and finding your own moral compass - a cultural idea that sometimes is directly at odds with organizations, like churches, who have a tradition of teaching and obedience. Jessica Saio, a junior at Manhattan College and a practicing Catholic, agrees with Hout’s assessment of growing up in an era where self-identity and liberal thinking was extremely

valued - a childhood that might be vastly different than our parents or grandparents. “I think that we grew up differently and not in a conservative or traditional sense like older Americans,” she said. “Our country and the people in it are becoming more progressive and open minded to other views and opinions.” Carolyn Crocker, a sophomore, also believes that we are being raised in a different way than our parents when it comes to religious matters. “I feel that our generation is less religious because adults of the older generation forced it more. For at least my parents, going to church was just something you did, and you never questioned it. You just got up Sunday morning, put on nice clothes, and went to mass. I feel that our generation is more outspoken, and may start to question religion in general, leading them not to believe in it at all,” she said. Crocker, a practicing Catholic, doesn’t always get the chance to attend services at Manhattan but when she returns home she goes to mass with her family every Sunday. She attributes the busy lives

and time demands that college students face as one of the reasons they may not be able to attend mass or services regularly. Senior Max Whitwell has not taken part in a religious services since attending a Southern Baptist high school in North Carolina, but he has spent time engaging with both Catholicism and Islam while at MC. Yet, he doesn’t particularly view himself as religious. “I’m very concerned with matters of spirituality and have borrowed or stolen enough useful things from a whole gamut of religions and spiritual or mystical practices to create a cosmic framework that gives me quietude,” he said. However, Whitwell does not think the American public have left behind the needs that an institution like religion fulfills. He also believes that there is a possibility that we may get more religious as we age. He does attribute the lack of religious interest or commitment among our generation to growing up in the age of information. “Thanks to the Internet, it’s so easy to ask questions and find out new things. I mean,

kids having been asking ‘why’ about the religious ideas for years, but we’re the first generation that could get a whole world’s worth of information on everything, so it’s just easier to not get married to a given set of concrete ideals,” he said. Each of these students, like all of their classmates who will get their degree from Manhattan College, have to take three religion courses during their four years at our Lasallian, Catholic institution. Crocker has only taken one religion class so far, and enjoyed it primarily because it “didn’t seem like they were shoving the school’s Catholic beliefs down our throats.” While we did learn about [Catholicism], we also learned about different religions and their similarities and differences, and I found it interesting to see that all of these different religions, with all of their different Gods aren’t as different as we make them out to be,” she said. Saio agrees, stating that she’s never felt the religion courses she has taken were “too religious” and that they “seemed to incorporate other cultural ideas and historical

events.” In the spring 2018 semester, the religious studies department is offering courses like “Death is a Fact of Life” and “Religion and Popular Culture.” The department is also offering a class titled “Sexuality and the Sacred,” which according to it’s course catalog description will “examine the religious roots of our own cultural attitudes toward sexuality and sex roles.” While the college does require these courses to be taken, Crocker believes Manhattan’s religiosity runs much deeper. She noted that many of our clubs and organizations both on and off campus are devoted to many different faiths and religions like the Muslim Student Association and Catholic Relief Services Student Ambassadors. “Being that it is a Catholic college, all students have to take religion classes, but besides that, I feel that they offer a lot of different activities and events involving religion that can appeal to anyone.”

A Woman, A Mother and a Catholic: Meet Natalia Imperatori-Lee Lauren Schuster Staff Writer

NataliaImperatori-Lee, Ph.D., an associate professor in the religious studies department at Manhattan College, is a person who embraces her many identities. As a Latina woman, a mother and a Catholic, she is able to offer a unique and refreshing perspective to the study of religion through the courses that she teaches. Some of these courses include “The Nature and Experience of Religion,” “U.S. Latino/a Catholicism,” “Vatican II,” “Contemporary Catholicism” and “Sexuality and the Sacred.” After her husband got a job in New York City and they had been living there for about two years, Imperatori-Lee said that she was “lucky enough” to be hired by Manhattan College in the religious studies department. “The best part about [the job] is that I really like Manhattan College. I really like the students, I really like the ethos and I really like the Lasallian ideas and the Lasallian vision,” Imperatori-Lee said. Imperatori-Lee focused on

ecclesiology and feminist theology while getting her doctorate degree at the University of Notre Dame, so teaching about the Catholic Church and feminist issues within it is both her main area of interest and main area of expertise. While Imperatori-Lee enjoys focusing her classes on Catholicism specifically, lately she has been expanding the list of classes that she teaches to include those which look at religion in general. “More recently, I’ve branched into teaching the Sexuality and the Sacred course, and I do that every spring now. It’s not a Catholicism course, it’s just a course that sort of looks at how religion deals with sexuality, and I actually really deeply love teaching that class now, because it allows us to talk about really important things that affect the students every day and people get really into it and are very invested in it. So, it’s a really fun class to teach,” Imperatori-Lee said. “I also do a lot of Hispanic stuff, [like classes about] the Hispanic church.” Although Latino and Hispanic religious studies were not originally an area of focus for

Imperatori-Lee, over time she began to feel more connected with her own identity as a Latina and began to notice the way in which people with certain identities have to work harder to have their voices heard. This caused Latino and Hispanic topics to become a bigger focus of her career as an educator. “I was convinced, in part by having so many students who are Hispanic here at Manhattan, that it’s really important for students to see themselves reflected in the person in the front of the room, and that it’s really important for people to read things that are not from sort of a dominant or mainstream perspective, or at least the perspective that you always hear on Catholicism,” she said. Imperatori-Lee went on to explain that it is important to her to bring the unique perspectives of her multiple identities into the classroom in order to complicate students’ thinking about the topics they cover in class, especially in classes that are Catholicism-focused. “Part of that [unique perspective] is the Latina perspective, which I think is really important. Part of that is the feminist perspective, which

doesn’t get heard too much in Catholicism. Part of that is just the perspective of a lay woman. I used to be super ashamed of talking about my kids. I thought it was a little bit unprofessional, you know, you should keep your kids to yourself, nobody talks about that, but in reality that’s not true. If it’s part of your life, people want to hear about it,” Imperatori-Lee said. One of her main goals is to make sure that underrepresented identities have their voices heard. “It’s in part a response to injustice, I guess, and to silencing, especially. Ever since I was very little I’ve hated the idea of being left out. I would color with all of the crayons, even the ones that I hated, so that none of them would feel bad. So, I don’t like the idea of people being silenced, or their memories erased or their histories erased, so I hope that some of the work that I do works towards that,” Imperatori-Lee said. In addition to teaching classes at Manhattan College, Imperatori-Lee has been researching for and working on writing both books and articles in her field. The book she has recently been working on is

set to be released in the early months of 2018 and is about Hispanic ecclesiology. “[The book is] using storytelling as a way of getting at how people feel about the Church and how people really think about God using narratives like stories, fiction, demographics and histories as resources for how we think about the Church, and there are voices [in the book], again, that don’t normally get included in the conversation,” ImperatoriLee said. “I’m also working with a smaller group of theologians on Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, which is about marriage and the family, so I have an article coming out on that that I’m actually just finishing this week. That came from a conference that some theologians and bishops were at together, which is very rare.” Looking beyond these publications that are to be released soon, Imperatori-Lee is also looking forward to beginning research for her own college textbook, which will focus on women and the Church. Research for the textbook will be in full force during the upcoming spring semester.

FAITH

Features

ISSUE

Gujarati Girls

THE QUADRANGLE

A Pair of Hindu Roommates Keep Faith and Culture Alive at MC Stephen Zubrycky Editor-in-Chief

You never know what - or who - you are going to find on Facebook. For Roma Parikh, it was Shivani Patel. It was 2014, and Parikh had just decided to enroll in Manhattan College as a civil engineering major. “My mom was like, ‘Roma, see if there’s any Indian people at your school,” Parikh recalled. “So I typed in exactly that. I went on the Class of 2018 page and I typed in the typical Shah, Patel, Parikh, Desai last names [...] and [Shivani Patel] popped up.” Parikh, 21, grew up in a Hindu family in Old Bridge, N.J. Both of her parents were born in India. The two did not make contact until later at an admissions event. Parikh, searching for the right time to introduce herself, struck up conversation with Patel on a bus-ride to visit the engineering facilities in Leo Hall. Parikh recalled asking Patel, “Are you Gujarati?” Patel responded in the affirmative, and the rest, as Parikh told it, is history. Gujarat is the westernmost state in India, straddling the Arabian Sea between Mumbai to the south and the Pakistani border to the northwest. The word “Gujarati” refers to the language spoken there. The pair hit it off instantly. “We bonded over One Direction and that’s where our friendship ignited,” Patel said. The two would have more in common than they initially thought. “Later, I found out that [Patel’s] mom saw us walk in and was like, ‘Shivani, go talk to them, they’re Indian,” Parikh said. Patel, 21, also had a religious Hindu upbringing in Cornwall, N.Y., and her parents are also from Gujarat. Parikh and Patel decided to room together their freshman year in Chrysostom Hall. They made the move to Jasper Hall in their sophomore year and have occupied the same room ever since. Now seniors, Parikh and Patel are prominent figures on campus. Parikh is the president of the college’s chapter of the American Society of Civil En-

Seniors Shivani Patel (left) and Roma Parikh (right) became roommates freshman year and have lived together ever since. STEPHEN ZUBRYCKY / THE QUADRANGLE gineers. Patel is vice president. Patel is also president of MC’s chapter of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), while Parikh is heavily involved in campus ministry as a student employee and retreat organizer. For Parikh and Patel, food has been central to their Hindu upbringing. “Food is a big thing, like, a big aspect,” Patel said. A typical Gujarati meal is composed of five components: roti, ghee, dal, bhat and shak. Roti is a thin circular flatbread, similar to naan bread or a tortilla. It is rolled out into a thin pancake using a rolling pin and then pressed with oil. The roti is typically served with ghee - a heavily reduced butter. Dal is a thin soup of tomato, lentils and Indian herbs and spices. Bhat is a rice. Shak is a vegetable dish with multiple variations. The most common variation is sauteed okra. “Everything’s eaten by hand,” Patel said. “Nothing is with forks and knives, spoons, none of that stuff.” “They’ll take the roti, then they’ll put it in the bhat, and then they’ll take it with the dal and then they’ll put it in the shak,” Patel said. The dishes are served with lemon, bay leaves and onion to

enhance the flavor. “If you’re not eating it with onions, you’re not getting the full flavor,” Parikh said. Despite its large importance in Gujarati culture, the dishes, according to Parikh, do not have a large following in the United States outside of ethnic Gujaratis. “Our parents love Gujurati food, but the kids never grew up liking Gujurati food,” Parikh said. “The food that you find in restaurants and stuff like that, when you want to go out to an Indian restaurant, it’s Punjabi food. It’s another region of India.” As children, both Parikh and Patel learned Hindu prayers and fasted. “It’s a certain week during the summer time, and you fast. I fasted with all of my cousins. We would go to the temple early in the morning, we would pray, like, to this plant,” Parikh explained. “My mom would sit and help me with it.” During this fast, Parikh was only allowed one meal per day. During the day, she was allowed only to snack on fruits. Parikh did this fast for one week over five consecutive years, starting when she was three years old. Parikh described Hinduism as a faith centered on peace and prayer. “A lot of our teachings go into prayer,” Parikh said. Small

temples for prayer are found in most Hindu homes, including where Parikh grew up. Parikh recalled how her father would say nightly prayers with her and her sister. “It stopped as I got older, and a part of me wishes it didn’t,” Parikh said. “When I was younger, we had big family parties, potlucks, dress-up, big Indian parties for Diwali, which is like our New Years,” Patel said. Diwali, which fell on Tuesday, Oct. 17 this year, is the Hindu New Year’s celebration, and is, for the Hindu faithful, the most joyous time of year. Even though Parikh and Patel were not able to celebrate the holiday with their families, they still observed the new year once the clock struck midnight. “That night, it hit twelve o’clock, and I said, like, ‘Sal Mubarak,’ Happy New Year, to Shiv,” Parikh said. “And we hugged, and it was cute.” For Parikh and Patel, two members of a small Hindu community at Manhattan College, this is how many religious obligations come and go. “Being at a Catholic school, I feel like it’s harder for people like us to celebrate. There’s not many Indians who go here. I think the percentage is very low,” Patel said. “Not many people around here are Hindu or Gujarati, and

so it’s… difficult. I feel like I miss that part of my culture,” Parikh said. Early in her college experience, Parikh said she began to separate from her faith. But her experience in the Kairos retreat in her freshman year brought her back into the faith. “I recognized that I was ignoring [my faith.] I recognized that I was trying not to answer certain questions that I had because of answers that I didn’t want to find, or because I didn’t want to cave, in a way, to my parents,” Parikh said. “I was afraid that I gave a little, they’d take a lot.” “I go back home more often and I specifically tell my dad like, ‘hey, dad, let’s go to the temple,” Parikh said. “And for me, that was a big deal [...] and it was a big deal for my dad.” Parikh hopes to someday visit her extended family in India. Patel has been to India several times, and travels there about once a year. Parikh and Patel are not sure of what their next steps will be after graduation. Both are currently evaluating several alternatives, deciding between where or if to go to graduate school, where to live and where to work. But, for these two, one thing is for certain - no amount of miles will keep these friends apart.

Sports

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

FAITH

ISSUE

Keeping the Faith in a Sports-Obsessed Culture C. Garrett Keidel Staff Writer

When it comes to the topics of faith and religion, there exists an interesting relationship, one that can be different for each and every single person. The growing trend of secularism in the United States coincides with the ever growing popularity of major league sports. But, this does not mean that there is a negative or inverse relationship between the two. In the Catholic Church, faith is the basis for absolutely everything in life. Pope Francis commented in 2015 regarding Church and sports. He reminded the Christian world that practice and competition are never valid excuses to miss Mass. He also said though that sports offer, especially children, the ability to learn important lessons like “self-control, sacrifice and loyalty toward others.” Manhattan College even un-

derstands that there are times when students have to choose between religion and sports. When it comes to events like Superbowl Sunday, the Mass schedule is changed to earlier in the day, as a way to allow students to participate in both religious activities and sports gatherings. “There can be a moment of decision where people decide to practice their faith, engage in Mass services or taking on another activity. So there can be an apparent tension at times, if folks make their own decision as to where they choose to spend their time. I think the blessing can be in finding a way to integrate God into all of our activities, in this case sports... On campus, I think there is the opportunity to integrate, so that they don’t have to be in opposition but finding a place to work together,” said Chaplain of Manhattan College, Father Thomas Franks. For many athletes, the belief

that their talents are God-given runs true. Every time they step on the field, court or course, it is an physical expression of their relationship with God. A relationship that is often recognized in positive moments. Fr. Thomas Franks, had this to say about religious gestures in sports, “Most often in celebratory moments, there’s a custom of people making a religious gesture. Going back to one of my fundamental principles, if it’s an expression for them of their relationship with God, then that is a powerful moment for that individual and hopefully for the community for that faith that they have.” Junior Cody Delasho had a similar opinion, “To those who believe in Christ, making the sign of the cross and group prayer help them stay connected to him even in sports. When they are hoping for guidance and something to go right, they look to religion for support.” It a very well known fact

that NFL Football has become a dominant force in weekend activities, most importantly Sundays, the day of the week Christians hold as a day of observance for God. It’s also another well known fact that there is a trend of secularization throughout the country. The question is, how was the NFL able to take advantage of secularization in order to grow even larger? Professor Nicole Mussender says, “I think the NFL and religion are so closely associated with one another and yet so far apart inso many different aspects. Some may say our relationships with sports and religion are the same. Some worship teams and players, and they worship God and Jesus Christ. Some cheer loudly for their teams, and praise Jesus with the same fervor. They are very alike in that way.” Religion in the league itself has different roles and relationships depending on the level

you’re looking at. The difference comes with the level of the individual teams and the league as a whole. Individual teams have clergy for athletes who believe in a particular faith and wish to practice it, while the actual league itself takes more of a laissez-faire approach. “The league takes more of a back seat approach...they don’t want to rock the boat,” said Mussender. The relationship between religion and sports cannot be denied. They are intertwined by the athletes, spectators, and general similarities shared by each other. The ability to balance both is a topic of conversation popular in the world today. Pope Francis in a speech in 2015 brought up the importance in finding a balance between the two saying, “Concordia parvae res crescunt, discordia maximae dilabuntur,” translating to “with harmony, small things grow; with discord, great things decay.”

Pre-Game Faith Rituals Strengthen Jaspers’ Softball Michevi Dufflart Staff Writer

Among the many students at MC who practice certain rituals, student athletes are some of the most faithful to them. Rituals, which can be described as any regularly performed behaviors in a set manner, can often be seen on many of our own courts and fields. These rituals serve several purposes and are at the heart of many teams. One such team is Women’s Softball. Before games, this team can usually be found partaking in rituals involving music, specials bats and lists, and pelican pens. During their warm up period prior to the game, the team always listens to a playlist that is collectively put together before the season begins. Dominique Palagruto, a junior on the team says, “We think that music is something that we all connect to and gets us extremely excited to start playing.” Additionally, Palagruto notes that the team plays some of its best games after letting loose and mixing fun into the pregame routine. Another ritual the team has, involves a special bat. The bat, which has been a staple since Palagruto’s freshman year, is used by head coach, Tom Pardalis during warmups. Each year, Pardalis designates one player responsible

Before each game the Jaspers’ women’s softball team engages in several rituals, incuding listening to a special pre-game playlist and warming up with Dominique Palagruto’s special bat. AARON MAYORGA / THE QUADRANGLE to carry the bat and won’t start warm ups without it. Palagruto says, “You’ll hear coach yell for his bat and you know it go time. Get your glove and get ready to warm up.” Sophomore Nicole Williams, also mentions another tradition involving the starting line up. “We have this thing where if someone reads the line up and we win the game they will continue to read it because they are “on a roll” until we lose.” Williams says she believes the ritual of the line up

helps them settle into the game gets them pumped as they clap along when the names are read. While the rituals mentioned above seem typical for a softball team, this next one stands out among the rest. The ritual of using a pelican pen to write the starting line up was something Head Coach Padalis did last season. The pelican pen, as described by Palagruto, is a “pen shaped like a wood beam with a pelican sitting on top of it.”

Similar to having the the same person read the lineup if they were on a roll, the pen kept being used because every time Padalis wrote the lineup with it they would be on a roll. Palagruto says, “The pelican is the weirdest and funniest ritual we have ever done… I guess you can say we had more laughs about it then anything.” The laughs and fun the team has in doing these rituals strengthens them as a whole. Williams says, “I think these rituals do strengthen our team

as a whole because [they] bring us together…” As for any old rituals, Palagruto notes that the team usually keeps the same ones and passes them down to the underclassmen, except in the case of the pelican pen, where they’ve only done that for one season. While most of these rituals may seem usual, there is no doubt that this team has strengthened their bond by sharing in these moments, and having fun in the process of playing the game they love.

FAITH

ISSUE

Sports

Sports Fandom:

THE QUADRANGLE

A Religion All its Own?

Students gather to support Manhattan College’s basketball teams at Manhattan Madness in 2016. AARON MAYORGA / THE QUADRANGLE

Charles Lippolis & RikkiLynn Shields Asst. Editor & Editor

If you were raised in the Bronx during the mid-90’s there were two cathedrals that you likely found yourself in: St. Patrick’s in Manhattan, and Yankee Stadium on E 161st Street. River Avenue was (and still is) a pantheon of sorts; memorializing the icons who wore pinstripes from DiMaggio to Jeter, and with street art that is deeply rooted in the culture of New York. In every corner of the sports world, one could come across values that are held dearly in both sport and religion. This leads to their association, even though sports are often considered more of a controlled environment than religion. Michael Plugh, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication, has taught classes for Temple University’s Tokyo campus on the history of American sports and leisure, and find the ritualization of sport is how it most directly correlates with the idea of religion. “Sport [are] where we ritualize aspects of the sacred,” Plugh said, “Derek Jeter was never the best player in his generation, but few players have ever been revered because he represented something clean

in an era that was dirty.” Honesty, heroism, and fair play are just some of the traits in sports that can be held as sacred. What turns the way we ritualize sacred beliefs into a religious entity is when a group or community aligns its sacred beliefs. Senior Tim Bibaud from Worcester, Mass. grew up in Roman-Catholic family that was also a group of passionate Patriots fan. His Sunday’s became a routine; mass, meal and football with some friends down the street, a process that Bibaud said symbolized his love for the team “It was the community of it, more so, the Patriots games for me,” Bibaud said. Whether it was the Patriots, Celtics, or Red Sox, the early part of Bibaud’s life presented tons of adversity towards the fan community. Watching failure year after year is tough, but according to Plugh, it is a process of fandom that is imperative to emphasize when comparing it with religion. “Fans of teams like the Indians are learning how to stay loyal to their community even though they have experience a long period of failure,” Plugh said, “patience is a virtue, that comes from religious tradition.” For Plugh, a life-long Knicks fan, he has first-hand experience when it comes to

team failure. The Knicks are a well-respected NBA franchise, but they have not won a championship since 1973, and Plugh has observed the faith that has inspired Knicks fans. “You find those around you that are willing to endure and be patient, that’s what religion did for us… You sit around with failure in the belief a savior will come.” Though Plugh has not had his salvation yet, Tim Bibaud has experienced winning ways lead by legends like David Ortiz, Paul Pierce, and Tom Brady. “Paul Pierce was around for the darkest times, like the worst Celtics teams of all time…with guys like that, no matter how many times they let you down, you know they’re on your side,” Bibaud said, “… you can put into words the relationship 17-to-25 year olds have with Tom Brady, he really is a biblical type character.” Senior Andrew McKee was raised as a Roman-Catholic in Long Island, and attended Catholic school throughout his entire life. Growing up, church was, and still is, a very important part of him and his family’s life– and sports didn’t fall too short of his faith. McKee was exposed not only to his faith, but also to sports from his family while he was growing up. For him, watching the game, whether it

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“It’s just something that really brought my family together,” senior Andrew McKee said about watching the New York Yankees on television. be the Yankees, the Rangers, or the Jets, meant coming together. “The earliest I can remember is watching the Yankees on Saturday’s with my grandpa and uncle. It’s just something that really brought my family together was to watch the Yankees every night together over time.” McKee said. The idea of “coming together” is something that McKee finds value in, and an utmost priority for someone who is both a person passionate about their religion, but also just as passionate about a sport. “I’ve heard over time people referring to being part of ‘the church of baseball’ and things like that. That’s something I very much agree with. Being from New York, we are incredibly passionate about our sports teams, and I definitely identify myself with that. It’s about being so passionate for something you love; you can

treat it like a religion,” McKee said. As Americans, however, we often criticize, or find others criticizing those who we think put other things before their faith. While the term “faith” seems to be most commonly associated with our religious beliefs, and is deeply rooted in religion, being passionate about something, and having faith can be just as powerful if it is associated with things that aren’t always deemed as “faithrelated” or even religious oriented. “I think there’s definitely a divide in today’s world, where we may be at a point where there are a lot of people that don’t really care about their faith as much as they used to. It’s not so much prioritizing sports, but church and religion just don’t seem to have the same grasp it had even 10 years ago,” McKee said. Balance is key, and the idea that sports fandom can be looked at as a religion should not be degrading to any religion in particular, or any sport alike. “If you’re going to believe in a faith, you’re going to believe in your faith. If you’re going watch sports and be a huge fan, you’re going be a huge fan. You can be Catholic, and still watch football on Sundays,” McKee said.

News

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

Warring Posters Debate Assembly O.K.s Cultural Appropriation New Clubs, Wage Proposal Rose Brennan & Joseph Liggio Asst. Editors

On the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 31, Manhattan College students found a very interesting image posted in buildings around campus. The image depicted a woman wearing a “sexy” cat costume, with an actual cat next to it with the words, “I’m a cat, not a costume. This is not who I am and this is not okay.” The timing of the postings struck some as odd, as the Multicultural Center was set to host a discussion on cultural appropriation found in Halloween costumes the very same day. While it is unknown whether or not the flyer was posted in regards to the discussion, Hayden Greene, the college’s director of multicultural affairs and leader of Tuesday’s conversation, did believe that the origins of the image was an important aspect of the conversation. “I don’t know what was going through that person’s mind when they printed that out. It could be, ‘Oh, I saw this on Facebook or online and I want to be funny and poke fun at the multicultural center,’ or maybe they think that we’re being too sensitive and spoiling people’s fun,” said Greene. This discussion was part of the multicultural center’s “Spook-tacular” event, which included a costume contest, face painting and trivia events along with the more serious discussion of culturally appropriative Halloween costumes. “I get it, it’s not a conversation that everyone wants to have, it’s a conversation that rubs certain people the wrong way, but I think that there are real people who are really hurt by some of these costumes that are out there,” said Greene. “There are some times where people are just seriously oversensitive about what it is that they are doing, or oversensitive about the way people get offended by stuff, I get that. But there are some times that are spot on, [...] and we have to give that credence.” Student reactions to the images varied. Some students in the Kelly Student Commons laughed at them, while others tore the posters down. The image itself parodies the widely-known “We’re a Culture, Not a Costume” poster campaign launched in 2011 by the Students Teaching About Racism in Society (STARS) organization of Ohio University. According to the group’s website, STARS is intended to “facilitate discussion about diversity and all -isms (sexism, classism, heterosexism, ethno-

Stephen Zubrycky Editor-in-Chief

The poster reading “I’m a cat, not a costume,” was posted on the door to Leo Hall. ROSE BRENNAN / THE QUADRANGLE centrism etc.) with an emphasis on racial issues.” The initiative is intended to make people reconsider before donning a Halloween costume that may poke fun at or reinforce racial stereotypes. Their most well-known examples feature a student holding up an image of a costume intended to portray their respective ethnicity, typically in an over-exaggerated or offensive matter. While the posters have grown increasingly popular since their debut, they have also been the subject of parody, the flyer posted around campus being one such example. Like Greene’s initiative at the multicultural center, many other colleges across the country are taking action to address the issue of culturally appropriative costumes on their campuses. According to an article published by Teen Vogue titled “Cultural Appropriation on Halloween: How Colleges are Responding”, the University of Utah distributed a newsletter which listed a number of attributes which might indicate a racially, ethnically or culturally insensitive costume. The newsletter said, “Think to yourself: Does the actual name on the costume packaging say ‘tribal,’ or ‘traditional’? Does the costume include race-related hair or accessories (dreads/locs, afros, cornrows, a headdress)? Does the costume play into racial stereotypes? Does this costume represent a culture that is not my own? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should rethink the costume and try again.” Greene believes that there is a difference between cultural immersion, which reinforces a positive view and respect for a particular way of life, and blatant cultural appropriation in

choosing a costume. “There’s a real clear distinction from just seeing something on T.V. and saying ‘Oh, I’m gonna’ imitate that’ or ‘Oh, I‘m gonna’ mock that,’ and taking the time and making an effort to learn where that came from, what it means, what are the implications for doing it... I think that’s really important and that’s cultural appreciation,” said Greene. It is evident that the fliers themselves were put up without approval for posting by MC’s Office of Student Engagement. Regardless of their intent, Director of Student Development John Bennett found no humor in them. “These parody posters are not funny at all,” Bennett said in an email statement to the Quadrangle. “In fact, they can be pretty dangerous in having people make light of the original posters, and making our students feel uncomfortable or unwelcome on campus.” The Office of Student Engagement has a specific policy regarding the distribution and posting of fliers, as Bennett explained. “Our office specifically only approves and stamps flyers for our clubs, [...] we fact check, making sure the date, time and locations are correct, and that the message is appropriate,” he said. As of present, it seems that a review of procedure for postings on campus may be in the works. “Just last month my office, and specifically Sharon Ortega, actually attempted to start a conversation with all the offices that work in the student commons to talk about the flyers and posting policy within the Commons. We felt it was an important conversation a month ago, and feel it’s an even more important conversation that needs to happen now.”

This article was originally published on mcquad.org on Nov. 2, the day after the Assembly met. This is its first appearance in The Quadrangle’s print edition. The Manhattan College Student Government Assembly approved a resolution to raise the college’s minimum wage for student employees Wednesday. The Assembly, which met at noon in Kelly 5C, cast 19 votes in favor of the proposal and one vote against. The proposal, which was written by student government members Ryan Quattromani, Micaela Bishop, Phillip Mourikes, Liam Moran, Margaret Flores, Michael Hackett, John Wood and Patrick Estanbouli, will next be submitted the Manhattan College Senate. The Senate will then vote on the proposal and it will be sent to the desk of College President Brennan O’Donnell. “Regardless of what the Senate decides […], we still have the right to forward it to [O’Donnell],” Quattromani said. “We are a recommended body, just like the Senate.” Currently, the minimum wage on campus is $9 per hour. Should the college adopt the proposal, Manhattan would abide by New York State’s minimum wage standard for large employers in New York City. That standard is set at $11 per hour for the rest of 2017. In the new year, it will rise to $13, and it will reach its maximum at $15 on Dec. 31, 2018. The state’s plan for minimum wage increases was signed into law last year by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat. Even though the college is not legally required to abide by these standards, the proposal argues it should. The proposal lists some of Manhattan College’s nearby competitors, including Columbia University, New York University, The State University of New York and The City University of New York, as schools that abide by

the standards. Quattromani argued that, in dollars, such a change would be cash-neutral for the college and for student employees. “With work study presently, you’re capped at $1,500. That money’s allocated, all right? That’s not going to change,” Quattromani said. “This implies that you’re working less hours up to that compensation.” President Bishop argued that raising the wage would attract more students to on-campus job and increase the level of community at the college. “We’re trying to keep students on campus as well,” Bishop said. “To keep students as part of our community. It would be important that we stay competitive against other employers.” The Assembly voted on several other matters as well. A proposal for a new club centered around Greek culture, the Hellenic Club, passed by a vote of 19-2. The Assembly also unanimously approved the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) as a club and the Women in Stem club, by a vote of 21-1. “What we want to do is help anyone, not just computer science or computer engineers, to reach out to anyone and help with coding,” said ACM’s chapter president, senior computer science major Steven Romero. Manhattan’s chapter of the American Institute of Aerospace and Astronautics’ (AIAA’s) petition for conference funding was approved by a vote of 19-2. Nine AIAA members will travel to Wichita, Ks., in April to compete. The Assembly approved the maximum amount of funding, $2,000, for the club’s $6,700 venture. The Assembly also approved $1,200 of funding for The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers’ (SHPE’s) ongoing conference in Missouri. The body will next meet on Nov. 15 at noon in the Jasper Hall first floor lounge.

The Assembly voted on several matters, approving the minimum wage proposal 19-1. STEPHEN ZUBRYCKY / THE QUADRANGLE

Sports

THE QUADRANGLE

BASKETBALL BEGINS Come for the Dunks, Stay for the Dogs MANHATTAN MADNESS RECAP

Taylor Brethauer Editor

Manhattan College’s annual Manhattan Madness pep rally took place this past Thursday in Draddy Gymnasium. It was a night of fun, celebration and Jasper spirit as students packed the bleachers and welcomed the start of basketball season. Students began lining up outside of Draddy Gym almost two hours before the doors would open at 8:45 p.m. Those that entered early would be guaranteed a free T-shirt. Over the summer, the court had undergone a facelift, replacing the previous all-green floor for a more classic-looking hardwood floor. The gymnasium as a whole had also been constructing brand-new bleachers. The main court had also been rid of the “Slamdunk 3000” hoops used in last year’s games. These changes didn’t faze students, who were decked out in Jasper green. Others opted for Halloween costumes to celebrate the recent holiday. Students were taking pictures in front of the official Jasper backdrop, chanting Steve Masiello’s name into “Manhattan” megaphones and singing along to the music with their friends. Soon enough, the lights shut off. The band continued playing as a smoke machine was turned on and the emcee approached the student crowd to hype them up. The band performed the National Anthem and students sang along. As soon as it was over, a “Let’s Go Jaspers” chant began and everyone joined in. Then came the dogs. Much to the surprise of the student body, Student Engagement had booked a dog performer, something they had not done in the past. As the dog leapt into the air to make a near-impossible catch of a frisbee, students went wild. The MC cheerleaders took to the floor next. It was a strong and confident performance as their music played along to their back tuck basket tosses, two-tier pyramids, jumping, tumbling and end dance. The spirit squads kept coming as the Jasper Dancers, fresh off of their fifth place finish at the National Dance Association Collegiate Competition in Florida, took to the floor. Their new uniforms are tailored to their hip hop routine. The crowd went wild as the dance team started up their routine. Notorious for using popular songs and dance moves, the girls

Jaspers Split Double Header Charles Lippolis Asst. Editor

Senior Zane Waterman makes his entrance Thursday night. STEPHEN ZUBRYCKY / THE QUADRANGLE began moving to the hit song “Bodak Yellow” by Cardi B. Students were on their feet as the spirit squads lined up to welcome the women’s team. Last year’s team went 4-16 in MAAC play and 8-22 overall, losing in the first round of the MAAC Championship. As custom, each member of the team and coaching staff entered to their own song, sometimes with a dance or sometimes with a simple wave or fist bump. The new freshman team members made their way onto the court: guard Lynette Taitt, guard Sini Makela, guard Lizahya Morgan, guard/ forward Nyala Pendergrass and center Courtney Warley. Redshirt junior forward Tuuli Menna was also welcomed. The senior class was met with the most cheers and applause, as fan favorites walked down the path of dancers and cheerleaders for the last time: guard Taylor Williams, guard Amani Tatum, center Mikki Guiton, guard Nyasha Irizarry and center Kayla Grimme. The coaching staff was introduced one by one, ending with head coach Heather Vulin, who is in her second year of coaching the women’s team. She thanked the crowd for their support and their never-ending “Jasper spirit.” She also gave a shout-out to her husband and thanked him for his support. While the women’s team had been walking on, the men’s team had snuck up to the top of the side bleachers for their special entrance. Last year’s team went 5-15 in MAAC play and 10-22 overall, losing to Rider in the first round of the MAAC Championship. The new freshmen climbed down the stairs of the bleachers to applause: forward Warren Williams, guard George

Strzala, guard Nehemiah Mack, forward Ebube Ebube and forward Kevin Salis. After Aaron Walker Jr. was the only returning freshman, the team looked to recruiting more members including sophomore forward Pauly Paulicap and graduate student guard David Varoli. Also new to the team is sophomore guard Jesse Boyce, who entered with his younger brother. Finally, it was time for the seniors to make their entrances for the last time in their careers: guard Zavier Turner, forward Zane Waterman, forward Calvin Crawford and guard Rich Williams. This year’s senior class is the biggest of the previous two years. Just like in years past, head coach Steve Masiello began shouting “Jasper nation… where are you?” He told the crowd that they were coming back for the championship. Masiello then explained to the crowd a new incentive for the men’s basketball games entitled “Fan of the Game.” Every game, one fan in the stands will be chosen as the “fan of the game” and win 50 percent off Under Armour merchandise for the rest of the season. As if that wasn’t enough, Masiello began saying Manhattan would win on any court, at any school and “on any block.” He then invited out rapper 2 Milly to perform his song “Milly Rock” with the lyrics, “we milly rock on any block.” Fans rushed onto the court to crowd the rapper as the pep rally came to a close. Fans exited the gymnasium into the night with new t-shirts in their hands and an excitement for the basketball season which is just around the corner.

Friday at Draddy Gym, the men’s and women’s basketball teams split their charity exhibition double header. 100 percent of the proceeds from the games were donated to the American Red Cross to support their hurricane relief efforts in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. The women’s match-up with Dominican, which was the first game of the day, was a hardfought win. After losing senior guard Taylor Williams to injury in the first half, Manhattan was able to stay in control of the game with production of the bench. Women’s head coach Heather Vulin called a timeout with 4:23 left in the third quarter a tie game; a move that seemingly sparked the team’s offense. The team responded with three consecutive three-point scores out of the hands of freshman Lynette Tait, senior Amani Tatum, and sophomore Julie Høier as the team surged ahead. Dominican was not finished, with 6:41 left to play, the Chargers brought the game back to just a 4 point differential, but the Jaspers had a final surge in them. On back-to-back plays, sophomore guard Gabby Cajou and senior guard Amani Tatum intercepted passes and returned them to the rack for 2, helping Manhattan stretch their lead to fourteen with just under a minute left. Manhattan would go on to win the game with a final score of 87-71. Before the men’s afternoon leg of the double header, freshman forward Ebube Ebube (San Juan, Puerto Rico) took the mic at center court and addressed the crowd. “This is near and dear to my heart, I want to thank you for coming out to support [the hurricane relief],” Ebube said. On the floor, the men’s team came out sharp, but proved to still be working out offensive kinks in the early stages of the season in their 81-71 loss to the Sacred Heart Pioneers Senior guard Rich Williams made his return, and along with scoring the first basket, added eight points to the team’ effort. While Williams was excited to be back out on the floor with his teammates, the result of

the game had the senior from Brooklyn locked in on getting back out on the floor. “It was a good opportunity to get back out with the guys,” Williams said, “we didn’t get the result, personally, that we were looking, so I’m not that happy about it.” After the game, head coach Steve Masiello acknowledged women’s basketball

Dominican 71 Manhattan 87

men’s basketball

Sacred Heart 81 Manhattan 71 that the team was not firing on all cylinders, but also saw the game as great opportunity to see his team in action as they prepare to move forward. “I saw a lot of things I really liked, I saw a lot of things I really didn’t like. But it was a great opportunity for us and I’m really excited,” Masiello said, “I saw a lot of good things from the style of play standpoint, were not very good at it right now… but when we get good at it, it’s going to be a tough thing to play against.” Masiello’s team came out with the aggressive and passionate style that has become synonymous with Manhattan Basketball. In the first half alone, senior forward Zane Waterman drew three offensive fouls from the Pioneers; while senior guard Zavier Turner and sophomore guard Aaron Walker were seen on the deck often, fighting for the ball. Junior guard Thomas Capuano was a benefactor of these hustle plays, as he delivered 19 points on 50 percent from three-point-range. Capuano baited Sacred Heart in two offensive fouls himself, as he bought in and capitalized on the team’s unselfish play. “By playing unselfishly we get each other better looks, high percentage looks. So, I think my teammates really helped me get the ball where I like it,” Capuano said. While the team was not satisfied with their performance, the opportunity to get on the hardwood for an important caused resonated with Masiello. The team heads back into action Wednesday, when they face off with the NYIT Bears in Draddy Gym.