THE
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Vol. LXXXXIII Issue 2
UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924
Sept. 2, 2014
@mcquad
Boys Like Girls Bring Teen Nostalgia to Campus
Continued on Pages 6 & 7
Off-Campus Jasper Dollars Suspended Until End of September or Early October Kieran Rock
Asst. Features Editor The use of Jasper dollars at off-campus restaurants will be temporarily suspended during contract negotiations with a new digital card processing vendor. These changes come after the addition of new dining options in the Kelly Commons, the closure of Dante’s Den and a major change with the contract allowing MC students to purchase off-campus. Kenneth Waldhof, director of business services, said that the vendor MC partnered with to organize off-campus Jasper dollar usage went out of business. “So we have been scrambling over the summer with the card office, myself, and others [including] the IT department, we have identified another vendor,” he said. “They are in the process of recruiting former and new merchants locally to be a part of the program, and we have signed a contract with that vendor. As of today they have signed five of the former merchants,” Waldhof said. According to Waldhof, these merchants include Dunkin Donuts, Jasper Deli, and Broadway Joe’s. A Goodfella’s Pizza employee confirmed that the restaurant has signed a contract with the new company. An employee from Jasper Deli also confirmed that students would soon be able to resume use of Jasper dollars, and a manager from Broadway Joe’s could not be reached for comment. Currently the Jasper dollars included
in a student meal plan can only be used on campus, but Waldhof expects the program to be up and running with the new vendor by late September or early October. “Again, the delay is the fact that the technology involved with supporting the new company has to be reset and reestablished with the new company,” Waldhof said. The new company, according to Waldhof, is DishOut, a New York based IT company. Currently, DishOut does not specifically list Manhattan College as one of its clients on its website, but does mention that it serves over 125 college campuses. Other changes have been made to the meal plans this year. There are still two options for student meal plans: The unlimited plan and the Overlook plan. With the Overlook plan, students receive 4 meal swipes in Locke’s, 640 dining dollars and 160 Jasper dollars. With the unlimited plan, students receive unlimited swipes in Locke’s, 50 dining dollars and 25 Jasper dollars. The dining dollars are the new name for the “A La Carte Dollars” or ACDs that students formerly had. New this year are incentive programs for purchasing additional dining dollars as well as Jasper dollars. When students purchase more than 100 dollars of additional dining dollars, they will receive an extra 10 percent of the dining dollars, which can only be spent at on campus dining options, come with another new incentive. “When you use your dining dollars on any on campus location, you will receive a discount at the register of 10 percent,”
Johanna Petruski buying food at the new Student Commons. Photo by James O’Connor Waldhof said. This discount will be provided by Gourmet Dining Services. Some students have noted that despite the changes there are still very few options for meal plans on campus. “I think I would have gotten the unlimited plan anyway, because I eat a good amount of food, but I think more options would be beneficial to the school,” Lucas Gilbride, MC sophomore, said. Commuter students and faculty also have the option of purchasing dining dollars. Waldhof also explained that they are expanding the meal plan usage. They are currently in the process of making Jasper dollars available for use at the bookstore. When students purchase additional Jasper dollars they will receive bonus “Bookstore
Dollars” which will then only be available for use at the new bookstore. For now students will continue to be offered the unlimited plan and the Overlook plan, with the option of purchasing more Jasper Dollars and dining dollars throughout the year. The new vendor organizing the off campus dining options is working hard to recruit new members and resign the old businesses that MC students have become used to buying from. As Waldhof mentioned the Jasper dollars are intended to be useable by the end of September or the beginning of October.
News
2
Sept. 2, 2014
Meal Plan Confusion Surrounds Opening of Student Commons Dining Michelle DePinho News Editor
Students who tried to utilize meal swipes in the Student Commons early last week faced some confusion as the facilities’ systems for accepting meal swipes were not straightened out until last Thursday. This service hiccup came as staff, administration and students all transitioned to the new dining options and as students became more informed of the specifics of their meal plans. “We apologize certainly,” Kenneth Waldhof, director of business services, said. “We were all excited about all these new programs, and obviously with everything happening, a lot of them requiring technology, it was really the resources that we have here to get this all done in time. We’ve all scrambled, worked together.” Waldhof also said that the staff was not fully informed of the details of the meal swipe system for the commons and that technical difficulties, like adding a new button for commons meal swipes onto the cash registers, contributed to this confusion. “I feel like it’s taking a little bit of time to get into things,” student Danielle Valachovic said. On its first day in service to the student body, the dining facilities in the commons experienced technical difficulties in accept-
ing meal swipes. This created confusion among the student body, who thought the school that revoked the part of the unlimited meal plan that offers one meal swipe per day in the commons if students have class in Leo Hall before 2 p.m. “The one thing that’s a little odd is that the engineers are supposed to get free meal swipes here if they have class and that’s not set up yet,” freshman Matt Bacchi said last week. Other students were not as informed on these new meal swipe options at all. “I have no idea what I can and cannot use it [meal swipes] for,” Valachovic said. “No one’s given us any real information on it.” Administrators involved in the development of the new dining options in the student commons held an open meeting for the student body last semester. During the meeting, they revealed specific details of the new plans. New signage in the commons will also inform students as to what they can get for a meal swipe in the commons. “At each station, there’s a small four by six or so sign that tells the student what is included in that meal swipe option,” Waldhof said. These additions to the basic unlimited meal plan include the possibility for the lunchtime meal swipe in the student commons, a 10 percent discount at the Star-
Students with class in Leo Hall can use a meal swipe before 2 pm in the Commons. Photo by James O’Connor. bucks and Marketplace in the commons, She said she wishes all students could use $50 of dining dollars for on-campus pur- a meal swipe in the commons because it is chases and $25 of Jasper dollars for off- a convenient option. campus purchases from select restaurants. “I just bought a wrap and a Gatorade There are also no time spacing restrictions and it was nine bucks,” commuter Melaon when students can use student com- nie Marzan said. Marzan also said she and mons meal swipes in relation to their other other commuters could find better prices meal swipes. elsewhere in the neighborhood, making the “So literally you can eat in Kelly and student commons a less competitive option run to Locke’s and eat some more,” Wald- for them. hof said. Students’ overall optimistic response Despite the generally positive response poses a good outlook for dining in the stuto food in the commons, commuters not on dent commons despite the confusion in the the meal plan and students that do not have first week. class in Leo Hall find the prices high. “It’s getting better,” Brianna Larious “I’m not an engineer so I don’t get said. swipes in here,” junior Tori Heilweil said.
Administration Solicits Ideas for the Future of Vacant Campus Space Kyleigh Panetta Staff Writer
The new student commons is an exciting addition to Manhattan College, but its completion left approximately 30,000 square feet of empty space that needs to be assigned a different function. Mr. Andrew Ryan, Vice President for Facilities, and Dr. Richard Satterlee, Vice President for Student Life, are just two of the many committee members responsible for soliciting ideas for space reallocation at MC. Satterlee said that the committee received many suggestions and will be prioritizing projects regarding the unused spaces created around campus due to the student commons. “Re-purposing of any of the 30,000 square feet of space made available by the various units moving to the Commons is dependent of the relative costs associated with the proposal and the available funding in the budget,” Satterlee said. According to Satterlee, Meghan Dinegar and Aedan McDunough are two stu-
dents who were also representatives to the process and the new master plan for facilities. As of right now, some of the spaces that are not being used to their previous full potential include Dante’s Café and Leo Café. Currently, Dante’s is a vacant space that serves as an eyesore to tour groups, faculty and current students. The small market that Dante’s previously contained was recently relocated to Café 1853. At the same time, the hot food section that was in Dante’s was relocated to the Kelly Commons. Satterlee said that the planning process in regards to Dante’s unused space will soon be started by the faculty on the committee for space allocation and MC’s Student Government Association. The Leo Cafe’s previous food options were replaced by new vending machines and according to Sattlerlee, the rest of the space is, “available as an informal space for students to meet.” According to Satterlee, he has received mostly positive comments on the spaces in the new commons and believes that it serves as a great link between north and
south campus. “Early use of the building shows just how important these spaces, located primarily on the first and second floor of the building, are to the life of the campus,” Satterlee said. Grace Servera, a senior psychology major, agrees that the commons are a nice link between campuses but the layout of the space could be improved. “The commons are really helpful if you want to go from main campus to Leo but I feel like it’s a little too cramped. There isn’t much privacy,” Servera said. Nadira Shaid, a senior management major, said that she likes the commons but thinks it needs to be a little more secure. “ I can see a lot of people walking in and out of it that don’t belong here,” she said. Shaid is also part of the Muslim Student Association at Manhattan College and expressed interest in specific space for her club. “I see offices in the commons that aren’t for clubs or some of the meeting rooms that don’t even seem like they are taken,” Shaid said. As Satterlee said, the commons does
provide, “significant student ‘hang out’ space” but many students have said the space feels too crowded. Lenisa Patterson, a senior international studies major, said, “I do like the space, my thing is I think everything is a little bit too cramped. I think they could probably spread it out a little bit more so that we are not all basically on top of one another.” “I wish they would reopen Dante’s because it was a lot of people’s chill spot,” Erica Hernandez, a senior psychology major, said. As the traffic in the commons becomes more regular and the building becomes more familiar to MC’s campus, students should know that they can propose ideas for the use of now empty spaces. “The solicitation of ideas for reallocation of space started last year but the committee will take proposals at any time. At this point, persons interested in submitting a space proposal should contact Andy Ryan at x7429 or andrew.ryan@manhattan.edu for a form and instructions,” Satterlee said.
it must have less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten in it. This slight change in the definition of gluten-free has caused a complete shift in the way we eat in any of the dining halls on campus. The idea of falsely advertising that a product is gluten free has made Gourmet Dining Services, the food service at MC, rethink how they serve our food. In compliance with this new law, the gourmet dining staff including the campus nutritionist, Alexa McDonald, said they decided not to display any of the food ingredients in any dining facility on campus. “With so many students in the dining hall at once, the possibility of cross contamination is too high to be able to label any food as strictly free of all sources of gluten,” McDonald said. Sophomore Fiona Dunn follows a gluten-free diet and spoke positively of the
new change. “I was worried initially when I was told that they wouldn’t be labeling for allergens,” Dunn said. “Now, I think it will turn into a positive thing because our dining services carries even more certified gluten-free foods that have not been cross contaminated.” The non-labeling procedure affects not only the gluten-free students but also anyone else with a food allergy such as having a lactose intolerance or a nut allergy. The food service staff no longer has the ability to label an item as 100 percent gluten free, and therefore, there are no labels warning students of the presence of dairy or nuts either. Junior Paige Hughes is allergic to tree nuts and said that she understands the new system, but that she will have to take ex-
tra precautions when eating in the dining halls. “Because of my allergy, I've always been extra careful about what I eat,” she said. “The change stinks but I think everyone who has an allergy, including myself, would much rather be limited on food choices than eat something and risk an allergic reaction.” The Gourmet Dining Staff shared that sentiment. “As a team we decided that with a general concern for the student body, it would safest for everyone that we took away the labeling due to the high risk of cross contamination,” McDonald said.
New FDA Law Ends Food Labeling On Campus Madeleine Schwartz Staff Writer
For students at Manhattan College with food allergies, it has become a bit harder to eat on campus with a sense of complete confidence after a new act from the Food and Drug Administration has been put into effect. All food vendors and providers had to comply to a labeling law issued by the FDA that specifically targets gluten-free products by August 5 of this year. According to the FDA, the term “gluten-free” is defined as something that either is “inherently gluten free or does not contain an ingredient that contains gluten”. While this is a straightforward definition, the FDA has recently added to it by stating that if a product is labeled “gluten-free”
manhattanquadrangle.tumblr.com
Notes
Notes from
the Editor
This week The Quadrangle is excited for the official launch of its new website, mcquad.org. While we have seen success with our online Tumblr page and Twitter account @mcquad, this new interactive website will bring the Manhattan College campus many benefits. For one, a live website allows us to deliver news to the community as it happens. While our print edition will remain just as important, no longer are we tied down to our weekly print cycle. Now, we can report the news as it happens in a timelier manner. Additionally, the new website will serve as a forum for communication and dialogue between all members of campus. Readers can comment on articles and stories, as well as respond to online polls. Of course, by also having a digital edition of The Quadrangle, we can also utilize multimedia such as video, sound, infographics and social media tools. Creating this website was an effort by our entire staff and took the course of several months. We are proud to take this next step in better serving the Manhattan College community.
The
Quadrangle manhattanquadrangle.tumblr.com
Vol. LXXXXIII Issue 2 September 2nd, 2014
Natalie E. Sullivan Editor-in-Chief Michelle DePinho Managing Editor/News Editor Michael Peyko Asst. News Editor Claire Leaden Managing Editor/Features Editor Kieran Rock Asst. Features Editor Natalie Heinitz Op/Ed Editor/Production Editor Maya Astabie Asst. Op/Ed Editor Lauren Carr Arts & Entertainment Editor Kelly Burns Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor/Production Editor Chris Cirillo Sports Editor Jonathan Reyes Asst. Sports Editor Jaclyn Marr Asst. Sports Editor
Natalie E. Sullivan Editor-in-Chief
Sean McIntyre Social Media Editor James O’Connor Photography Editor Sean Sonnemann Web Editor John Abbatangelo Sam Martin Editorial Cartoonists Dr. Joe Cutbirth Faculty Adviser The Quadrangle is a community newspaper established in 1924 and published on a weekly basis by the students of Manhattan College. The staff of The Quadrangle meets every Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in Miguel Hall, Room 201. 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.
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Opinions & Editorials Greater Transparency and Communication Still Needed From MC Administration
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Sept. 2, 2014
Sean Sonnemann Web Editor
As Manhattan College students arrived back on campus last week and began their first week of classes, they were in for several surprises. In the midst of carrying the first load of boxes and bins from their cars, many were told that their room assignments had been changed to different floors. In some cases, students were even switched to a different residence hall altogether. After settling in to their new unexpected living arrangements, students then checked their schedules to find that some of the classes they had registered for months earlier no longer would be taught by the same professors. These are just two revealing examples of an unfortunate lack of communication between the college and its students, especially when it comes to individualized is-
sues and concerns. The school administration routinely withholds information until the last possible moment or neglects to notify students at all about matters that directly impact them. It is unclear why this is a common practice. Perhaps it is done with the hopes of somehow avoiding complaints about unwelcome news such as schedule and housing changes. If this is the case, it is a misguided tactic. In most cases, students are willing to understand that unforeseen changes and problems occur. But when information is sprung upon them at the last possible moment, it only worsens the blow and quite frankly is disrespectful. Other recent instances include no official word from the school administration about the ongoing processing problems with Jasper Dollars at local off-campus establishments. Incoming freshmen are not told ahead of move-in that they will be living in the 10-man suites in Horan Hall. At last year’s Jasper Days events,
students were only informed the very morning of activities that outside guests would in fact be permitted to attend select events. Currently, there is confusion among the student body about who exactly is allowed to use the existing fitness and weight room facilities located inside Draddy Gymnasium—part of ongoing questions about how campus space will be utilized with the opening of the Kelly Commons. Clearly, the school has the capability to rapidly deliver information to the student body and campus community. Daily announcements emails routinely highlight upcoming events and guest lectures. During the last year, a majority of the departments on campus have made their own Twitter accounts to interact with students through social media. The “Welcome Back” fliers distributed around campus with lists of improvements and updates were helpful in explaining the many changes made to life around the col-
lege over the summer. These channels of communication need to be used with greater frequency to deliver all information pertinent to students. The recent announcement about the upcoming work on Horan Hall is a perfect example of keeping students in the loop about changes and news that affect their schedule, even if it’s undesirable. Now is an exciting moment to be a member of the Manhattan College community. The school is clearly growing and genuine efforts are being made to offer more services that better the student experience. But this time of change makes it even more necessary to keep students updated and apprised of things that directly affect their day-to-day activities and life on campus. Currently, the one message that school officials do seem to be sending loud and clear is their lack of concern for consistently keeping students informed.
Confessions of a Millennial Undergraduate Gabriela Remache Guest Writer
Quick, can you list at least three current events? To be more specific, can you list three events that are not so exhausted by the media and do not fall under the category of entertainment news? If so, give yourself a pat on the shoulder. You are a diligent student, a self-starter, an avid reader and just the kind to take political elections seriously. You are also in the minority. In an era where information and news updates are easily made accessible, very few take advantage of news websites, apps, radio or even the free print editions of The New York Times in Cafe 1853 to aqcuire daily global and local news. The majority of college undergraduate students are fully capable of exercising technological savviness so as to share personal opinions but from whence do these opinions originate? Several students admit to solely scanning their Facebook news feed under “trending now” to view the most popular news updates and allow Facebook to decide which news is important enough to read. After several brief conversations, students of either a philosophy, psychology, business management and even communications background have confessed that they do not regularly keep up with serious daily news and for some, their news sources are the AOL or Yahoomail newsfeed. Nevertheless, all share a sense of guilt for not being more aware of current events in the local and global communities and they attribute this to the lack of time to sit down and critically analyze every news update. Yet, in another conversation, a couple of students majoring in government and psychology made it clear that not all students depend solely on Yahoomail updates, but take a further initiative to better understand the social dialogue that envelops them everyday by applying their technological savviness to downloading news apps and following reporters or reliable news sources on Facebook and Twitter. Everyday in the classroom students are expected to openly express their opinions, challenge the status quo, incite debate, and maintain a stimulating conversation. However, if for the most part students are using their social media outlets to share their
Students are more frequently using social media to get their news. How do you get your news? Photo courtesy of Creative Commons. latest selfie or ALS ice bucket challenge video, are the millennial students taking full advantage of the digital era for educational purposes? Granted, some are required by their majors to keep themselves updated, but those that benefit more are the students that read the news daily for personal knowledge. If you are anything like I was, a current international studies and government major, I confess it took sporadic current events quizzes to get me to subscribe and down-
load news apps so that I would frantically scroll through the most important events right before a global issues class. Yet, following reliable news sources is critical to the average undergraduate student as we change and update softwares, constitutions, infrastructure, trade agreements, markets, policies, and solutions to once incurable diseases. Think about it. How did you first find out about the recent happenings in Ferguson, MI? How familiar are you with the
details of the current event? Will your interest fade when the media ceases to cover the occurrences in Ferguson? After confessing, measure your passivity and do not allow the decisions and activities of the international studies, economic, government, communications majors to create the world you live in, for as Howard Zinn plainly states, “You can’t be neutral on a moving train.”
Opinions & Editorials
5 Things You Will Learn Freshman Year
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College Is Tough. Take It From A Senior; You’re Going To Be Okay. Joseph V. Cusmano Senior Writer
1. Your Interests Will Change And So Will Your Friends. Relationships, especially friendships, are supposed to be natural. Leaving old friends at home and making new ones at Manhattan is nothing to be fearsome of. Exploring majors and interests that you may not have even known about will expose you to new ideas and new people. Even in the midst of senior year, I’ve found that I’ve met a whole bunch of people that I wish I had met earlier. I’ve even lost contact with some friends from freshman year. It’s nothing to stress about. Whether you’re a college student, working full-time or figuring it all out, making a friend in your late teens/early twenties is no easy task. There is a ton of social pressure, especially on a collegiate campus to ‘fit in,’ be social and (arguably) most importantly make genuine, lasting friendships. Regardless, interests and friends will come and go but memories will always remain. 2. You Will [Hopefully] Learn The Value Of A Dollar. Nothing makes you grow up like living in New York City. At some point in your college career you may realize that you’ve spent more money on beer than textbooks, and your pockets are a little tight. To say the least, almost every college student at some point can recall a time when their wallets were light, or at least while they waited
for Mom and Dad to throw some money in their account. Do yourself a favor and don’t be too indulgent, because once spring semester’s here, you’re going to wish you had saved. But there’s more than learning you can’t buy the 12 pack of beer or the $4 slice of pizza you craved. Daily activities such as riding the subway and walking around the street, one learns pretty quickly that even when eating ramen, somebody, somewhere is always struggling much worse than you are during that long weekend when you were short on cash. 3. Your Family Will Automatically Become More Important. For most of us, we spent 18 years or so learning and living with the same people everyday. Despite the frequency of familial visits, you’re not under ‘their roof’ anymore. So when you return home, even if your room is slowly turning into storage (thanks, Mom…), you’ll realize at some point during your Freshman year just how much your family means to you. 3A. Visits. Each visit becomes a little more exciting. When you see somebody almost everyday for your entire life… you can imagine how exciting it is to see him or her after a month or two has passed by. When your family’s in town, you’ll drop everything you’re doing. There’s nothing better than a free meal, (because they’re going to take you for dinner, right?), and catching up on the latest from home. 3B. Holidays This one’s tricky. Holiday’s are great.
Trust me, there’s nothing like winter break. An ample amount of time to have a well deserved break from academics, seeing old friends from home and catching up on their semesters, parties, classes, etc. It’s a blast. But holidays with family are a whole different ballgame. While I cannot get into grave details, I can say that holidays and holiday parties spent with family will include but are not limited to: -The can I or can I not drink in front of my parent’s debate. -Questions from relatives usually about [the absence of, for most of us…] a boyfriend or girlfriend. -Sentimental beats materialistic every time. (I’m talking gifts here, people!) At the end of the day, there is nothing more important than your family- and sometimes it takes being away from the people you love to realize just how much you love them. 4. There Is Nothing Stronger Than A Roommate Bond. Whether you’re at each other’s throats, eating in the dining hall, or simply hanging out it in the room, there is nothing stronger than a bond between roommates. Like most, I, too, was placed with a random roommate freshman year, and it could not have worked out better. We roomed together for a total of three years and I can easily say my roommate is one of my best friends. If it’s not your roommate, if may be a suitemate, somebody down the hall or maybe a friend from a class. Nonetheless, some of the most important and longest lasting relationships that you will have
in your life can be and will be found and formed during your freshman year. 5. You [willingly] will step out of your comfort zone; Again and again and again Academically, socially, physically, etc. - you will most definitely leave your comfort zone a number of times during freshman year. There’s nothing wrong with being pushed to the limits and challenging yourself, if it’s for the right reasons. Keep your long-term best interests at mind as you try and navigate freshman year. Something may seem like it’s not your cup of tea but a lot of times you’re going to have to do things that you may not want to. Whether it’s a research paper that you never thought could be written, traveling on the subway for the first time alone, joining a club or even going to the gym, college is full of social situations that could potentially ask you to leave your comfort zone. If there is one thing I’m sure of it’s this- once you’ve been pushed a few times by others you’ll soon enough begin to do it on your own. At the collegiate level, when you work hard to achieve something and you meet a major goal that you had set for yourself; it’s these moments of growth, maturity, realization and accomplishment, all meshed together in one, that students pay tens of thousands of dollars a year to experience. Hint: The more you push yourself, the more bang you’ll get for your buck.
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Arts & Entertainment
Sept. 2, 2014
Boys Like Girls Brings Teen Nostalgia
Lauren Carr, Victoria Hernandez & Daniel Molina
Arts & Entertainment 7 ‘Movies on the Quad’ To Campus Has new Name, New Location
A&E Editor/Staff Writer/Staff Writer
Their voices may have been the soundtrack of your summer or maybe even your ringtone in the late 2000’s. The punk rock band, Boys Like Girls, hit it big in 2007 and had songs that anyone from this generation can sing from memory. That was proven on Aug. 30 when the band headlined Quadstock and took to the steps of the quad to perform their biggest hits. Martin Johnson, the lead singer, and Paul DiGiovanni, the lead guitarist, where the only two from the band that performed at the afternoon acoustic set. This was the second concert that the band has put on in the past year and a half. “We’ve been just hanging and chilling in LA for the past few years,” Johnson said. “Everyone has been working on writing or producing and working with other artists. There really has not been a lot of touring the past few years so we are really excited to be playing here.” While the band has been a part of big tours such as Warped Tour and have toured with artists such as Good Charlotte, Cobra Starship, Avril Lavigne and Metro Station, they are currently flying solo and taking new opportunities as they come. Not touring and performing regularly showed during their set because in the middle of one of their songs Johnson forgot the words and had to ask the crowd to help him out. He then openly confessed that his memory is a little dim. “I had three words to sing,” Johnson said during their set. “I messed up two of them.” That was not the only time he seemed to forget the words to songs that made them famous. Again in the middle of a song Johnson looked out to the crowd and confessed, “I forgot how to play this part
Boys Like Girls performs the hits that made their group famous. Photos by James O’Connor lets just skip it.” The band seemed anything but completely polished and prepared, but that did not bother the crowd of students that have listened to them since their early days. ”I’ve been a fan of Boys Like Girls since the 8th grade so I really enjoyed the concert,” senior Marco Zefi said. “The show was really nice,” senior Marylise Uwabideli said. “It was a really relaxed vibe and it was so nice to be out with my friends. It was a lot better than Jasper Days.” During their 11 song set, the two also played famous songs such as “The Great Escape,” “Love Drunk,” and “Hero/Heroine.” The band used the small venue to really talk and connect with the audience that had
1iota members saw Magic! perform as part of the Fashion Rocks event. Photo by Luke Hartman.
gathered on the quad. During one of their songs, “Two Is Better Than One,” Johnson called on a lucky freshmen named Antigone Thanasias to come up on stage and sing Taylor Swift’s part of the song after she was screaming to get their attention in the crowd. “When I was younger that was one of my favorite songs,” Thanasias said. “So when I heard they were coming I knew that I just wanted to see them somehow. I just wanted a picture or something. I just had this impulse to scream out and it worked. The show was unreal.” Student reactions showed just how successful this years Quadstock was. It allowed for them to have more interaction with the band and for the band to talk back to them as if they were a couple of friends
hanging out on a sunny afternoon. “The thing I love about college shows is that you get treated good,” Johnson said. “People are super psyched that you’re there and people put a lot of effort into your set. When it comes to a club or a venue you get some salty old dude rather than people who have a personality and have a passion for the projects that you put together.” Fans of Boys Like Girls have nothing to look forward to in the future however. The band has no plans of a new album or going on tour. For now they will continue to, “hang” and “chill” in LA and hopefully brush up on some songs. Until further notice, you can listen to all of their songs on iTunes or Spotify to relive the glory days that were your youth.
Antigone Thanasias singing “Two is Better Than One” with lead singer Martin Johnson. Photo by James O’Connor
The Magic! of 1iota
1iota provides free opportunities that city dwellers would not come across othLuke Hartman & Natalie erwise. Participating in the Fashion Rocks Heinitz 2014 summer ending event is just one of Staff Writer/Op/ed Editor & Production the many events that 1iota members have Editor access to. Fashion Rocks 2014 is a live, two-hour Oh, how conflicting is the life of a New show that takes place Sept. 9 on CBS and York City college student. By nature we aims to combine the summer’s fashion and are lazy, magnetically drawn to Netflix and music trends into one extravaganza. Part our beds when in reality, we have a ramof the show, however, will include pre-rebunctious city at our fingertips. corded concerts from a few of their music As students at Manhattan College, we guests. are told to take advantage of the city. SomeMagic!, the pop-reggae band that times, it’s hard to figure out how exactly to claimed fame this summer through their hit do that. One method is through 1iota, an song, “Rude,” performed Aug. 29 at Irving online ticketing service that opens doors Plaza for this exact reason. The short confor people looking to interact better with cert was recorded for television, to be aired this town. during the live Fashion Rocks event. 1iota is a great resource that offers free 1iota members gathered to fill the cozy tickets to unique events such as talk shows, venue, sporting the trendy and chic dress sporting events and awards programs. It is code that was asked of the Irving Plaza a perfect resource for really unique opporguests. While the workday was hardly over tunities you only get by living in NYC. Go for most, the atmosphere held a Labor Day and watch your favorite talk shows such as weekend buzz. The Chew, The View or Live with Kelly Attending taped events, which 1iota and Michael. opportunities mainly consist of, has a wildIt also works both on a profiling and ly different feel from a live one. Before first come first serve basis, meaning you Magic! began their performance, Fashion can either request tickets or be contacted Rocks staff reminded the audience to conif you fit a profile that a show is looking stantly show movement by clapping above for in their audience. It is also based on attheir heads instead of below and showing tendance. If you sign up for more shows, enthusiasm throughout the concert. and attend those shows you will be granted As cameras circled just feet above the access to better and more frequent events. heads of the audience, Magic! performed a
1iota is a great tool for students who want to experience the city. Photo by Natalie Heinitz. half hour worth of songs. The concert itself limbs into the big city but just don’t know was enjoyable and lively, but knowing that how, 1iota is an eye-opening tool. So sign it served another purpose as a feature of up for as many events as you can, build Fashion Rocks allowed the 1iota members up your profile and take advantage of our proximity to the concrete jungle. in attendance an enhanced opportunity. For any student looking to stretch their
Spiderman 2 will be the second movie shown on Cinemas in the Commons. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons. because of the movie selection this year. On Aug. 30, there was a showing of the Lindsey Burns popular comedy “Neighbors,” starring Zac Staff Writer Efron and Seth Rogan and the next showOne of Manhattan College’s most well- ing will be “The Amazing Spiderman 2” on known traditions has been given a new name Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. “We only select movies that are curand a new location. The popular “Movies rent releases that are not out on DVD yet on the Quad” has officially been moved to because once something is out on DVD or the new Student Commons building for the Netflix or something like that, why would Fall 2014 semester. somebody leave their futon, their bed, their Given the new name “Cinemas in the dorm rooms, to come out and watch it?” Commons,” this classic MC event will still Bennett said. “So we make sure to get a list essentially be the same, as the only changes and we check to make sure that the movie are the new name and new location. is not out on DVD yet. We also try to stay “It is the same as ‘Movies on the Quad,’ away from, obviously, inappropriate movbut we just felt that for the beginning of the ies,” he said. school year we really wanted to drive trafStudent Activities hopes to make “Cinfic to the new building,” said John Bennett, emas in the Commons” a year-long event, Director of Student Activities. if all goes well with the already scheduled Students will still be able to view popuscreenings. lar and current movies while munching on “We would love it to be yearlong. I free snacks provided by Student Activities think that would be great if students knew in the Great Room in the Student Comthat every Friday night they had that as an mons. option,” Bennett said. “It is a beautiful room, but the only thing What most students don’t realize is how is we need some reclining seats! I will admit much it costs to screen each movie. that it is a little awkward because you will “We need the support of the student be sitting up, unless you bring a blanket and body to make that happen because it does sit on the carpeted floor,” Bennett said. “It is cost about $1,000 per movie. You know more comfortable on the Quad, so that is the how you always hear the FBI Warning? only negative about the move,” he said. Some MC students agree with Ben- We’re the ones paying that to actually show nett, and think the event should have just it,” Bennett said. “We pay a company and they give us remained on the Quad. the list of possible movies. Movies that are “I feel like the Commons is too far, like already on TV are cheaper than the ones we’re lazy, we’re in college. We’d rather that have not been released on DVD. New be outside and enjoying the great weather,” releases you pay about $1,000. And we’ll sophomore Peter Kuzniewski said. “You show the movie on Friday and then we’ll get to lie down, it’s all just free. But in the send it back on Monday,” he said. Commons we’re going to be in chairs and If “Cinemas in the Commons” continnot as relaxed or comfortable.” ues to be a popular Friday night event that “If we wanted to watch a movie inside students look forward to going to, then Stuwe would just do it in our dorm,” sophomore Kim Pusey said. “I also feel like the Quad is dent Activities will be able to show more central compared to the Commons, so peo- and more movies as the year goes on. “In our perspective, it is such an easy ple would just walk by and see it, whereas and fun thing to do,” Bennett said. “Everyin the Commons people might not know it’s one loves movies. It’s social, it’s approprihappening and then they won’t go.” ate, it’s free for students to go. We just need While the Quad provided more comfort students to buy in,” he said. while viewing the movies, as students could Hopefully “Cinemas in the Commons” spread out blankets and lounge around will be a way to connect students through while watching the movie, the Great Room popular movies that everyone will enjoy. also bestows some comfort since students “I can guarantee that every Friday night will not have to deal with the outdoor eleon campus there are hundreds of students ments. in their individual rooms watching movies. Student Activities does plan on moving Some are homesick, some are just watching the event back to the Quad come next fall, with one friend, some are texting the whole so the move is not permanent. time. There’s no reason we can’t get them “We are definitely going to have ‘Movall together in one room,” Bennett said. ies on the Quad’ again, actually on the Quad, “Movies on the Quad” was not the only but for this semester we felt that we should event moved to the Student Commons, as start the year in the building,” Bennett said. basically everything that was originally “We just thought these first few weeks we wanted the students to get used to coming held on campus will now be located in the new building. here to the new Commons.” “Just about every event is going to be The Great Room will then serve as the moved to the Commons,” Bennett said. rain site once the event moves back to the This includes Family Weekend, ScatterQuad next fall. bomb shows, the Third Annual Lecture SeBennett hopes the popularity of “Cineries, and all club meetings. mas in the Commons” will further increase
8
The Freshman Files
Features
Sept. 2, 2014
F is for Freshman Ally Hutzler Staff Writer
Opening the door to my first class Monday morning two thoughts went through my mind: am I in the right building, and if I am, is it too late to turn and run? Then my greatest fear came true; heads swiveled and stared at me, and in that moment they already knew: I was a freshman. With the start of classes this week, you may feel as if you’re wearing a giant Jasper-green “F” on your chest. Everywhere we turn, whether it’s walking to Leo or navigating our way through Locke’s, we are automatically identified as the newbies of MC. Do we give off some sort of aura or do upper classmen have a “freshman radar” we don’t know about? Either way, we should channel our inner Hester Prynne in this situation – keep our heads held high and wear our new label with pride. The obvious question here is: how? How do we make a positive first impression with such a negative denomination attached to us? Trust me if Hester could do it so can we - plus she did something a lot worse than just being new. We have to start embracing it. Revel in the awkwardness of the situation so others can too. No one is going to think being a “froshie” is awesome if you don’t believe it yourself. You’re probably thinking, yeah right. There is no way anyone is going to think being a freshman is fun or cool. We are at the bottom of the food chain. We sit in the first row in class with our student ID wrapped around our necks. We still don’t know where exactly Hayden is or the right way to “quad.” But, as a newbie, we hold a lot more cards than we think we do. Believe it or not, we are in pretty high demand. Everyone wants us to join their club, attend their meetings, try out for their dance team or sign up for co-ed intramurals. It’s much easier to get involved at the start of our college careers than when we are washed-up sophomores or juniors. We also have something that no upper classman has: four more years of college. Let’s try to take advantage of it. We have time to try new things before being forced into choosing a major. Take a variety of classes, get to know what you like and don’t like. It might be the last time in our lives we get to be this picky. So go join the Accounting Society or rush Alpha Upsilon Pi. Take advantage of our unlimited meal plan and remember that Tex Mex closes at eight. Don’t be afraid to speak up or introduce yourself. Then before you know it that “F” on your chest will stand for something else, like “fabulous” or “familiar.” Soon other people will start to realize they don’t care all that much about our freshman status and neither will we.
Bob Coleman is the Coordinator of Media Technology in the Communication Department. Photo by Claire Leaden.
Professor Chat: Bob Coleman This week’s “Professor Chat” is with Bob Coleman, Coordinator of Media Technology and adjunct professor in the Communication Department. Coleman is a big Anne Rice fan and can be found teaching Digital Print Design or helping out with any technological issues in the Communication Department office this semester. Read on to find out a little more about your professor.
MC? A: Oh it would have to be the students of course. The students are a lot of very unique individuals. Manhattan College is also very nice to us—the faculty, the staff, the administrators. We’re appreciated and recognized as professionals, rather than just some sort of employee. But really the nice part about working here is that you teach students for four years, then they move on and graduate, and then you keep in touch with them and see them get jobs and develop in their lives, and it’s actually extremely rewarding.
Q: Why are you a professor in the subject you are? A: I’ve been pretty much in communication/production education for my whole life. I’ve been doing this for over 30 years—I went to college to study broadcast and telecommunications, then I went to graduate school for education. When you put those two together you get education and creative television, and voila—you get this. That’s aside from the fact that I really enjoy doing it. If you ask me really why I do it, it’s because I like doing it.
Q: What is your biggest student pet peeve (if you have one)? A: I do, particularly in the teaching part of my job. I think I try to make my classes an enjoyable learning experience. I don’t think I’m very demanding but I expect quality work and original work. And, I expect students to make an effort to come to class and come on time. So my biggest pet peeve is students who stroll in late, which I find extremely disrespectful. Some don’t realize that it is their responsibility to come to class each week.
Q: What is your favorite part about
Q: Where can you be found on the
Claire Leaden Features Editor
weekends? A: Well these days—since June—you can find me at Lifetime Fitness, swimming. I always knew how to swim but I took lessons in June because I needed to do some form of exercise, and swimming is the best exercise. So I took lessons for a month and then started swimming laps every week. So you can find me hanging out by the pool, swimming laps. Q: What is your favorite thing to read (book, newspaper, magazine, etc.)? A: As far as books go, like my taste in movies also, I like horror flicks, science fiction. For easy reading, I think I’ve read every Stephen King book there is. I also read The New York Times and USA Today online on my iPad every day. I read some food blogs—now I’m really into reading all of the food blogs from “Spoon University” because I’m the new faculty advisor for the new club on campus. And anyone who knows me knows I love cooking and I have, no joke, probably 500 cookbooks at home. Not that I’ve cooked everything in them but I love to read them and flip through them. I don’t know if “cookbooks” is actually a genre of reading, but I do love reading them.
Features
Remembering Arty
9
Shanell Garcia Guest Writer
Editor’s Note: In honor of the Jasper barber, Arty Urrutia, who passed away this week, The Quadrangle honors his time at Manhattan with this profile which was written at the end of the spring 2014 semester, including interviews with Arty, his family, and those who knew him. Hidden behind a tree on the west end of Jasper Hall is a window with Artie’s Barbershop painted across it, and a red, white and blue barber’s pole beside it. Inside lies a traditional ‘60s barbershop that’s been housed at Manhattan College since 1962. The mirror in the shop is lined with team photos of various sports including the rowing team of 2000, the men’s baseball team of 1999 and the men’s soccer team of 1998, all signed as memorabilia by Jasper customers throughout the years. Next to them is a patch from the police department of Yonkers, N.Y. and one from the New York State Courts, both gifts from graduates of the college. On a shelf there are stacks of old records previously owned by a student who is now a surgeon. On the counter sits a small gray TV and VCR combo playing Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Arty Urrutia, 82, stands in the center of the small room, comb and scissors in hand as he cuts the hair of a Manhattan College retiree who worked in the campus mailroom for roughly 20 years. “As a matter of fact, the three customers I had this morning were all alumni,” Urrutia said. Co-owner of the NFL Giants, the late Wellington Mara and son Tim Mara were among some of his old customers. Today Urrutia is visited by many successful alumni and retirees who often take him and his wife out to dinner. “You know when you’ve got a good doctor or dentist or hairdresser, you don’t go bouncing around,” Urrutia said. Urrutia was invited by the brothers of the college to run the barbershop that had been housed in Thomas Hall. Before then the brothers used to frequent his shop, The Cutting Class, which was located at 492 W 238th St., two doors down from Salvadore’s Pizza. “You know this is such a nice place to work in because of the brothers,” Urrutia said. “You probably don’t have classes with them because there are so few of them anymore, but when I first started here there were 80 brothers.” Brother Robert Berger has been getting haircuts at Arty’s Barbershop since he was a mathematics undergrad at the college in 1969. Berger strayed to different colleges after his graduation and returned in 1988. He’s been meeting Arty regularly, once a month, since then. “Arty is the man,” Berger said. “He’s the best. He’s been very loyal to Manhattan College and many people are part of the Arty fan club.” Arty learned to give haircuts in his two family house in north New Jersey with his grandparents and three aunts. The bottom floor was a barbershop that belonged to his grandfather. “When I was about six or seven I was always around the barbershop after school on Saturdays sweeping the floor,” Urrutia said. “But by the time I was 15 or 16 I always used to help grandpa. On Saturdays I used to cut hair.” A strong supporter of the fan club is his wife Sheilah Urrutia, who worked at Man-
Arty Urrutia, the campus barber at MC for over 35 years, passed away last week. Photo courtesy of Manhattan College Facebook. hattan College for 35 years in the placement office and the physical education department. Urrutia and his wife met when he first moved to New York. She asked him out on their first date to a water show in Jones Beach and five years later she proposed to him. “I said, ‘Well let’s get married. Let’s do it in October some time,’” she said. “He never said yes, all he did was show up to the wedding in his white jacket.” The couple had three daughters: Norah Fernandez, who lives in Cape Cod; Noelle Urrutia, an accountant who lives in Ireland; and the late Audrey Urrutia, who passed away in February of 1994 from a weak heart during the birth of her baby boy. When Arty’s shop was located in the first floor of Thomas Hall, his daughters worked at the bookstore right next to the shop, Fernandez said. “It was like a family business within the confines of a beautiful Catholic college,” she added. “They used to come in here do their homework pick up the broom and sweep up. It was really nice,” Urrutia said. In 1986 Urrutia had his first heart at-
tack at the barbershop. He fell in and out of consciousness and spent a month at the hospital. “It was terrible,” Urrutia said. “The only good thing is that I was having breakfast in bed. You gotta think of the good part, ya know? I never had breakfast in bed.” After a fire in Thomas Hall forced him out of business for two months the school asked Urrutia to relocate to a much smaller shop in Jasper Hall right next to the security offices. Urrutia had his second heart attack at the shop in March 2013. He was coming down the west side stairwell that leads directly into the shop. “I was feeling kinda funny so I just got into barbershop and bingo, I passed out the next thing I knew I was on the bench,” he said. “It’s funny that the two times I get a heart attack both times I was trying to get a glass of water.” Urrutia spent ten days at the hospital where he got sick with pneumonia. He also cut down on his hours to working three days a week instead of five. Urrutia said he never planned on retiring. He was informed that after he leaves the barbershop will become an extension
of the security office. “If I have another heart attack to take me out, when I get better I’m coming back,” he said. Last spring biochemistry major Matthew Popp stopped by the shop for his final haircut as an undergrad at Artie’s Barbershop. When he got into Urrutia’s chair the two talked about his PhD program, pizza, his future and hair among other things. “I lived in Jasper for four years,” Popp said. “Coming down the stair to get my hair cut, it’s a nice deal.” After Urrutia set him up for the senior formal, Popp promised to keep coming back. “I’m so glad you stopped over, I’m gonna miss you, try and stop in,” Urrutia said. “Definitely, I’ll be in Manhattan—just the 1 train away,” Popp said. The two hugged each other goodbye. “Isn’t it interesting being in the barbershop?” Arty said.
10
Sports
Sept. 2, 2014
Jasper Golf 2014-2015 Tee-Off Jonathan Reyes Asst. Sports Editor
Entering the 2014-15 season, the Manhattan College men’s golf team should feel good about themselves. They came within just a few strokes short of capturing its first ever Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title last season, and hope to carry the momentum to this season. That’s not to say this team is a lock to win or even compete for this year’s MAAC. Something that cannot be overlooked is the loss of three seniors from last season’s team, three of its best players: Chris Calabro, Jonathan Feuer and Paul Toohey.
Looking Toward the Future The Jaspers filled in the void left behind with four new freshmen recruits. These incoming players arrive with tournament experience and will have mentors in Clark Gavin, the newly hired asistant head coach, plus the handful of upperclassmen already on the team to help ease their way in to college play. There is not any level of concern coming from Manhattan head coach Jerry Wood about the forthcoming spotlight and pressure that is going to be placed on the freshmen. He sees the six fall tournaments as a time of acclimation because “they’ve all done it.” “Over the course of these six tournaments,” Wood said, “and the spring will give me a sense of who can really handle the pressure and who really can play.” So the focus of the fall half of the Jaspers’ season is to not only learn and improve as a team who had high expectations of themselves going into last year’s MAAC championship, but also to realize they need to take the time to make sure the freshmen are comfortable, said junior Mike Giannico. “We’re a new team,” said Giannico. “We’re a building team.”
Better Than Last Year? The 2013-14 Jaspers were experienced and formidable from top to bottom. Despite losing Calabro, Feuer and Toohey, current junior Jasper Ross Ketner believes the 2014-15 team is 100 percent better than last season. Calabro agreed with Ketner, who said
James Edgeworth will be a mentor to the younger players on the golf team this fall as they prepare for the spring. Photo courtesy of Chris Calabro.
from the top down there is a set of skills and attitude the Jaspers did not have when he played. “I believe this team has an excellent chance; an even better chance than we did in winning this thing,” Calabro said. “It’s not about the talent, it’s about the heart that these guys have.”
Looking Good but Not So Fast Although the Jaspers are a strong young team, a dangerous conference opponent that must not be forgotten are the
defending MAAC champion Saint Peter’s Peacocks, who can easily repeat because they have their entire team returning. Saint Peter’s head coach Peter Falloon understandably considers his team the favorite, but he views the Jaspers as a threat due to the fact that much like the Peacocks, both are in need of a “solid five guy” to help the counted four scores in tournaments. He said teams are going to want to work out the kinks and show what they can do as soon as possible. A tournament he said to look out for this season is the Rutgers tournament because most MAAC
teams are there to participate. “Any team that goes to Rutgers,” said Falloon, “and that may be a very early measuring stick, wants to beat the other MAAC teams, wants to finish higher than them.” He thinks the early tournaments could mean nothing because this is the most open conference he has coached in, but regards the Jaspers as a force. “I think Manhattan fits in the top tier,” said Falloon.
This Week In Sports On August 29th, the volleyball team won its season opener at La Salle 3-0. The women’s soccer team won at Binghamton 2-1, but the men’s soccer team lost in Pennsylvania to Lehigh, 1-2. On August 30th, the volleyball team started right where they left off. They defeated NJIT 3-0 and then beat Coppin State 3-2 later in the day. The volleyball team is now 3-0 to start the season, all against non-conference opponents. The women’s soccer team is 2-2 and the men’s soccer team is 0-1 to start the season, all against non-conference opponents.
Players of the Week
Allie Yamashiro: She played a big role in the volleyball’s team 3-0 start, averaging a team-high 18 digs through the first three games. Malia McGuinness: She also led the team this weekend to victory, averaging 10.6 kills per game.
Sports
11
The women’s basketball team ended their Canadian exhibition tour with a 3-1 record. Photo courtesy of GoJaspers.com.
Women’s Basketball Finishes Canadian Trip 3-1 Jaclyn Marr
Asst. Sports Editor The Manhattan College women’s basketball team completed a tour of Canada in the cities of Montreal and Ottawa on a winning note. The six-day trip resulted in a 3-1 finish for the Lady Jaspers. With different game rules, such as wider lanes and a 24-second shot clock, there were some changes to get used to. This called for a fast paced game and strong offense. “It was a great experience,” Coach John Olenowski said. “We played against really good teams with talented athletes. We adapted very well and played solid team basketball.” In their first game, the Jaspers played strong defensively and earned a 65-58 victory against the University of Ottawa. They
had a 31-16 lead at the half, which increased to 52-36 by the end of the third. The Lady Jaspers’ defense was sharp as they forced 22 turnovers. Offensively, five players had contributed at least seven points. Their next win was earned with great team effort and chemistry. As scoring kept going back and forth, players stepped up when it was needed and helped win the game. After being tied at 26 by the end of the half, the Jaspers outscored their opponent 25-10 in the fourth quarter. “When a game is close down the stretch,” Olenowski said, “it takes players to reach down and give it their best effort. We had a lot of players who did that in the close games.” Whether it was a key steal or rebound, the team worked together to earn the victory. Three players had over 10 points, with Taylor Williams scoring 15 points and Jacqui Thompson finishing with 14. Shayna
Ericksen also stepped up with 12 points and seven rebounds. Despite their third game ending in a loss, there were some valuable lessons that came out of it. Their opponent was McGill University, a nationally ranked team who were the 2013 Quebec provincial champions. “They were definitely a good team,” Ericksen said. “It helped us prepare for the season.” Finishing off their trip, the Jaspers earned their third victory against the University of Quebec at Montreal. After being down in the first quarter, Blake Underhill’s three-pointer gave Manhattan the extra motivation they needed. They led scoring in the second to come within two points at the half. Taking the lead again in the third, the Jaspers went on an 18-13 run to get the win. Once again, Manhattan’s defense was
strong and helped the team earn the victory. They forced 39 turnovers against UQAM. “Defense is our trademark,” Olenowski said. “We know how important it is for us to be successful. The fact that we caused a lot of turnovers is a very positive sign for our team. It was very good defensive pressure and steals at key moments.” Overall, the team had a great experience that will help them continue to play strongly when their regular season begins. Players learned each other’s strengths and weaknesses and will use what they experienced in Canada to prepare for the season. “We’re a young team,” Ericksen said. “We learned how to work together and get things going.” “It was huge for our program,” Olenowski said. “It gave us a chance to see different lineups and rotations. We developed strong team chemistry. I think it made us better overall as a program.”
Sports
12
Jaspers Failure to Capitalize on Goal Chances in Loss
Jorden Scott, left, Gary Adair, center, and Dean O’Leary, right, can only watch as Lehigh barely beats Manhattan. Photo taken by Jonathan Reyes.
Jonathan Reyes Asst. Sports Editor
Bethlehem, Pa. – The start of the 20142015 men’s soccer season began on a sour note for the Manhattan Jaspers, losing 1-2 to the Lehigh Mountainhawks.
What Went Wrong Despite the loss, the Jaspers showed fast pace, formability, heart and relentlessness. Goalie Alex Coates McDowall recorded 11 saves and Eugene Heerschap scored the Jaspers’ lone goal in the sixth minute of the game. Early energy ignited from Heerschap’s quick score was seen as a “defensive breakdown” by Dean Koski, the Mountainhawks head coach, who said he and his team was never comfortable because they thought the Jaspers could find the goal at any time. It turned out to be the exact opposite.
The Mountainhawks were the ones to find the back of the net not once, but twice. Even then , he thought it was not enough to hold off the Jaspers. “We wanted to make sure that we tried to find that third goal,” said Koski. “We didn’t due to Manhattan’s defending and our inability to finish. It was a game that could have gone either way.” Little did he know, there would be no more goals for the rest of the game once his team took the lead going into the second half. Both sides had many chances to score. Each team looked slow to the ball and neither could finish near the goal. As for Manhattan head coach Jorden Scott and his Jaspers, they never played with the same energy a quarter of the way into the game. He thought in the second half of the game down 2-1 they could “compose ourselves, make a few changes…come out and try and take the game.” “There was a period in the game where
we lost our way,” said Scott. “… We just didn’t handle the situation well for 20 minutes and it cost us a game, sadly.”
Learning While Forgetting In the first game of the season, both the coaches and players thought there was a lot to improve on from the loss. Some of the uncontrollable parts were opening night, under the lights and nerves. Besides those game changers that should dissipate with time, two big factors toward the loss that can be helped was playing on wet grass, as opposed to the familiar Gaelic Park turf, and the Mountainhawks’ constant use of substitutions. “I felt we were a little bit rusty on the grass field,” said McDowall, “and weren’t as prepared maybe as Lehigh were in terms of fitness. They made a lot more substitutes than we did as well.” Lehigh’s subs brought fresh legs onto the field and a consistent level of pressure
that never let up, which does not help a team like the Jaspers who rely on possession which needs the game to slow down, said Scott. Scott also said the Jaspers didn’t do a good enough job of alleviating the Mountainhawks’ pressure by passing it to the furthest player forward in turn players try “… so hard that technically they let themselves down… .” “For our younger boys, they have never seen this before. They have never seen this,” said Scott. “This is something completely out of the blue for them.” If someone who knew nothing about soccer watched this game between the Jaspers and the Mountainhawks, they would probably say it was pretty even. “I thought we deserved at least a tie of the game,” said Scott. “I thought we could have taken it to overtime but that’s soccer. … It’s the smallest things and that post tonight really was the difference.”