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Volume CIX, Issue 2
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NEW YORK, JANUARY 30, 2024
Alleged Gunman in Lee Hall Prompts a Campus-Wide Lockdown Brooke DellaRocco News Editor
NYPD Called to Campus after Campus-Wide Lockdown. THE QUADRANGLE/COURTESY
20 Majors and Minors Eliminated Following Sweeping Faculty Layoffs Grace Cardinal Editor-in-Chief
On Jan. 19, Manhattan College announced the elimination of 20 majors and minors without consulting the curriculum committees or faculty chairs. The elimination of these programs was announced on Jan. 21 by the organizer of the “Help Defend Tenure at Manhattan College” GoFundMe, a page dedicated to raising legal fees for faculty. The update on the page read: “On January 19 they also announced the elimination of 20 majors and minors, including Religious Studies, Ethics, Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies, Women and Gender Studies, Urban Studies, and all languages except Spanish and
IN NEWS:
Faculty Grapple with Layoffs on pg. 4
English, without consultation with anyone, not the curriculum committees, not the faculty chairs.” When asked for a statement on why these particular programs were cut, the Office of the President referred The Quadrangle to an email sent out to students on Jan. 16. In the email, the president addressed the cuts, saying “To better align our resources with these efforts, we have made the decision to eliminate a limited number of programs with low enrollments. All students currently enrolled in an affected program will be supported to graduate on-time.” Per New York State law, all current students with declared majors and minors can finish
out their desired program, leaving these cuts to be implemented for the incoming fall class. The cuts immediately followed the slew of layoffs of 23 more faculty at the college, 19 of whom were tenured professors. These layoffs brought the total number of axed faculty up to 63 individuals, more than 25% of the college’s total faculty. Sources have confirmed to The Quadrangle that among those laid off include Jonathan Keller, Ph.D., and Jordan Pascoe, Ph.D., leaving it unclear who will take over the pre-law program at this time. Faculty have also indicated to The Quadrangle that the advisors for Women and Gen__________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
A reported gun sighting in Manhattan College’s Lee residence hall produced a campus-wide lockdown, prompting the NYPD to respond. The individual involved was taken into custody, but no weapons were retrieved from the scene. Immediate panic ensued the night of Thursday, Jan. 25, when an MC JASPER911 alert was sent to students, parents and faculty. The notification contained no information about the gunman’s description but advised temporary safety measures stating, “possible person with a gun in Lee Hall. stay away or lockdown.” Both dormitory halls, at almost full capacity, were thrown into immediate lockdown, with students breaking into chaos, calling parents and loved ones, informing them of the events taking place. A freshman student, who requested to stay anonymous, lives on the tenth floor of Lee Hall and expressed their immediate fear of the situation when they were alone in their room during the campus shutdown. “I never really thought something like this would happen,” they said. “I called my mom and she was also freaking out. It was just immediately scary. I turned off the game that I was playing and I just listened.” Updates were provided every 15 to 30 minutes, instruct-
ing students to stay locked down and not leave their location, as well as providing limited information about an ongoing NYPD investigation. A little over an hour after the incident, an alert was sent out stating, “incident over. Lockdown is ended. No weapons observed or recovered. NYPD still investigating.” Although this came as a relief to many, there was still tension in the air as students made their way back to their dorms. “I feel like the updates that we got were super vague,” the anonymous student said. “I was so confused when it ended and they said, ‘no weapon obtained’. I thought, ‘how am I supposed to leave my room and feel safe?’.” Keira Rheinheimer, a freshman student who lives in Lee Hall, mentioned her similar distaste for the updates provided. She was in Draddy Gymnasium at the time of the incident and was put into lockdown along with the pep band, dance team and cheer team. “I didn’t know what was going on,” Rheinheimer said. “They were trying to tell us stuff but I didn’t feel like they were telling us the truth. They were not giving us enough information for me to know [what was happening].” Almost two hours after the incident, an email was sent from President Milo Riverso, Ph.D., indicating that Manhattan College responded quickly and effectively to the situation. “The campus immediate__________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
IN FEATURES:
IN A&E:
IN SPORTS:
Jasper L.O.V.E. Trip on pg. 6
WRCM Spring Semester on pg. 8
Jasper Games of the Week on pg. 11
News
JANUARY 30, 2024
Volume CIX, Issue 2 JANUARY 30, 2024
The Editorial Board
Grace Cardinal Editor-in-Chief Angelina Persaud Managing Editor
Angelina Perez Engagment Editor
Brooke DellaRocco News Editor
Angelina Persaud Asst. News Editor
Mack Olmstead Features Editor
Mary Haley Asst. Features Editor
Angelina Perez Arts & Entertainment Editor
Maizy Swift & Jill Tuthill Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editors
Isaiah Rosaario Sports Editor
Andrew Mannion Emmanouel Sofillas Asst. Sports Editors
Maizy Swift & Ivy Jaep Production Editors
Barbra Vasquez Asst. Production Editor
Mary Haley Social Media Editor Nicholas Gilewicz Faculty Advisor
Elizabeth Kalaj Web Editor
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.
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LETTER from the EDITOR Dear Readers,
On the heels of a challenging week, I hope you all have made time for yourselves and prioritized your mental health. While we can all be grateful that the situation that took place on Thursday night didn’t end worse, I encourage you all to take the time to process the rollercoaster of emotions that follows an event like this. The counseling center on campus is a great resource, located in the 5th floor of Miguel Hall. You can reach them via email @ jegan01@manhattan.edu or by phone at 718-862-7394 to set up an appointment. Hopefully, this week’s issue will be able to provide you all with some clarification about recent events and will let you know that your voice is being heard. As always, if you would like to contact us about a story, you can email us at thequad@manhattan.edu. We are a student newspaper, and we exist to help amplify your voice. Our wonderful team has yet again put together an excellent issue for you all. This may only be our second issue of the semester, but our writers and editors have been working around the clock to bring you the most relevant stories on campus. In news, I want to highlight a web exclusive published this past Wednesday by one of our senior writers, Kyla Guilfoil. This piece highlights the most recent faculty layoffs, and provides a lot of valuable information about the current issues our faculty face. Also in news is a story I wrote covering the recent program cuts, which will hopefully answer some of the most frequently asked questions I’ve heard around campus. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to follow us on social media to stay up to date, @mcquad on Instagram and X. We also publish stories nearly every day of the week on our website, @ mcquad.org. Staying informed is staying educated, and I implore you all to stay up to date about what’s going on, this semester especially. As always, we appreciate your support and love hearing any feedback you have to give. With love,
Connect with The Quadrangle mcquad.org @mcquad @mcquad mcquad
Grace Cardinal
Editor-in-Chief
News
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THE QUADRANGLE
Alleged Gunman in Lee Hall Prompts a Campus-Wide Lockdown __________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ly went into lockdown mode, and NYPD was on-site within minutes,” Riverso wrote. “The individual in question was identified and is in discussions with the police. No weapon of any kind was found, and all members of the community are safe.” The college’s community, however, was not left settled by this information and wished to know more. “I thought, ‘why are we getting this email?’,” the anonymous student said. “This short little paragraph, when the nativity animals were stolen, it was an essay. I just felt like he didn’t really care as much as he should have.” The following morning, another email surfaced from the Office of the Provost canceling
classes for the day. “The safety and well-being of our community are our top priorities, and I understand that an event such as this can be distressing,” the email stated. The email went on to explain that campus security and the NYPD “responded quickly,” and that the best interest of the community was immediately taken into consideration, offering counseling services to students during the aftermath. While both the president and provost indicated the timely response and effectiveness of the college’s steps taken, students felt differently, mentioning how they were completely left in the dark. Questions soon arose about campus security protocols and the efficacy of emergency response measures. Student body president, Jazi Riley, provided a statement on
the MC student government Instagram account, @mcstudgov, expressing her condolences and offering resources to the student community. Riley also mentioned how she did not agree with how the college responded. “I know last night was extremely frightening, and the disorganized reaction and protocol added to the chaos of the event,” Riley wrote. “We have started expressing our dissatisfaction and rage, which we know many of us are experiencing.” Public Safety declined to comment on the matter. When the NYPD was contacted in search of an incident report, they refused to provide it on the terms that The Quadrangle Student Newspaper wasn’t “directly involved.” Despite this violating the Freedom of Information Act, Quadrangle
staff were nevertheless unable to get a report. At around 5 p.m. on Jan. 26, Riverso reached out to the student body once again to clarify any misinformation and address the miscommunication on the administration’s end. His email explained that there had been a rumor of a weapon on campus and that the campus was put on lockdown to investigate. Although the NYPD and Public Safety office did not find a weapon of any kind, Riverso assured the public that he has heard their complaints. “We have received several suggestions of where we may improve our response,” Riverso wrote. “Although we had just recently updated our emergency response protocols, we are bringing in a consultant to review the suggestions and revise if any further modifica-
tions are required. Given this incident, we also understand the importance of communicating clearly with the campus community.” With actions being taken to strengthen the college’s future responses, students are varied on whether they feel truly safe on campus. Many took the day off to reflect on their thoughts and cope with their emotions. “All you can do is wait,” Rheinheimer said. “Something I am disappointed by with the school is how they communicate with us, because we deserve better than what they did.” (DASH), cost the college no athat students enroll in… What’s interesting is that these programs are free to run, but there will be a cost to cutting them.
20 Majors and Minors Eliminated Following Sweeping Faculty Layoffs __________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
der Studies, Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies and Urban Studies have been laid off. As advisors are responsible for organizing which courses from other departments will fulfill their programs, students majoring and minoring in these programs may lack the correct guidance to complete their coursework. As of Jan. 26, the list of programs up for elimination include: Undergraduate Majors: art history, Camino, E3MC, environmental studies, French, labor studies, nuclear medicine technology, philosophy, religious studies, urban studies. Undergraduate Minors/ Concentrations: Arabic, theater, Chinese, critical race and ethnicity studies, cultural anthropology, digital arts and humanities, film studies, Italian, Japanese, medieval studies, social services, women and gender studies, ethics. Graduate Programs: mathematics and data analytics, school building leadership, accounting.
The cuts disproportionately affect programs associated with the previous School of Liberal Arts. Many of the programs included in the cut, such as the digital arts and humanities minor (DASH), cost the college no additional fees to run. “There’s no money put into those programs that could be put somewhere else,” Maeve Adams, English professor at the college and director of DASH, said. “So there is a question about why close [these] programs in the context of an argument about financial efficiency, when these programs are free. We’re not actually improving financial efficiency by closing these minor programs that students enroll in…What’s interesting is that these programs are free to run, but there will be a cost to cutting them. Other major programs, such as philosophy, not only were continuously growing in size before they were cut but were part of a core curriculum for all liberal arts students. “Philosophy is one of the strongest, fastest-growing programs at Manhattan College,” an anonymous faculty member confirmed. “Students seek out Catholic colleges for their training in religion, philosophy, and ethics. Even as the college as
a whole has lower enrollment, we have over 20% more students taking philosophy classes this year than last year. We are one of the only programs to have zero low-enrolled courses and to have met every class size metric.” Philosophy is yet another program that will not save the college money to take off of the roster. “Closing the philosophy major and minor does not save any money,” the faculty member wrote in an email. “We teach so many required classes, like Roots, Ethics, Logic, Critical Thinking, and Faith and Reason. Enough classes will still run for there to be a major or minor - students will just be banned from having that degree on their diploma and résumé and the benefits that come from an official program, such as membership in the national honor society.” Adams concluded by expressing her frustration at how the cuts are being handled by the administration. “It feels potentially short-sighted,” Adams said. “And it’s concerning that the president is not interested in consulting the very people who are far more likely to know about their programs and whether or not those pro-
grams, despite actually costing nothing, might impact the value added to the college.” Editor’s Note: some report-
ing was contributed by Kyla Guilfoil.
The GoFundMe to defend tenured professors has already raised $27,000 or its $35,000 goal. GRACE CARDINAL/COURTESY
News
JANUARY 30, 2024
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Faculty Grapple with Shocking Layoffs Kyla Guilfoil Senior Writer
Faculty at Manhattan College remain in shock and anger following the layoffs of 19 tenured and four untenured professors earlier this month, prompting a sense of betrayal and mistrust among faculty against the college administration. The January layoffs came after administration had told faculty in the fall that cuts would come on a “last in, first out” basis, meaning the faculty most recently hired within departments would be the first to be let go. When 19 tenured professors, many having served at the college for several years, were targeted in the new layoffs, faculty were left in complete shock. Jeff Horn, Ph.D., a history professor who has taught at the college for over two decades, was one of the tenured professors to receive an unexpected termination notice on Jan. 12. “This was completely unexpected,” Horn said. “We were aware that further cuts to the faculty were going to take place, the administration had made that crystal clear beginning in October, but they had at least publicly articulated a policy of last in, first out,” Horn said. Horn told The Quadrangle that the uncommunicated change in how administration decided to lay off faculty left both he and his colleagues in a difficult position--especially since they never were told why
they were selected. “I’m not interested at all in saying, ‘don’t fire me, fire somebody else’,” Horn said. “What I am interested in is this administration being honest, being transparent and ensuring that those who remain understand the rules of the game.” Beyond the lack of clarity behind the metric used to determine the layoffs, faculty members told The Quadrangle they are also deeply concerned about the fashion through which tenured professors were fired. According to Manhattan College’s faculty handbook, professors who have taught at the college for more than two years must be notified of non-appointment by Sept. 1. The handbook states that the same rule applies to those who are tenured. However, these 23 professors were fired on Jan. 12, with only the four untenured professors having contracts that will last until June 2025. For the 19 tenured professors, their contracts will end in June 2024. As academic job openings occur from September to early October, the layoffs this month put the tenured faculty in a particularly damaging position. “The decision to lay people off Jan. 12, and to lay them off as of 15 June, I read as a violation of the handbook,” Horn said. “I read as a violation of the 1940 AAUP guidelines that the college adhered to, and I think it was done that way, because the administration believes that tenure and the faculty handbook are not important.” Horn said the decision to lay off tenured faculty on Jan. 12 and give them even shorter
Maeve Adams, Ph.D. MANHATTAN.EDU/COURTESY
Jeff Horn, Ph.D., a tenured history professor who received a termination notice. MANHATTAN.EDU/COURTESY contracts than those who were untenured on the same date has also put tenured faculty in a position of possibly losing their whole careers. “It means that the likelihood that I could get another academic job is nearly zero,” Horn said. “That’s a problem for the ethics of an institution that claims that its goal is to believe in community and to support the whole person. We have dedicated, collectively the 23 of us, centuries of time to that goal.” Maeve Adams, Ph.D., a tenured English professor at the college, was not fired in this month’s layoffs, but told The Quadrangle she is concerned what these layoffs mean for both the faculty who will be forced to leave the college, and those who will remain. “What does this mean for their career prospects going forward? And the lack of evidence of compassion for those people and the careers that they have committed their whole lives to?” Adams said. “It’s sad to me and deeply concerning with respect to what the future holds for the rest of us.” Jordan Pascoe, Ph.D., a tenured professor of philosophy who has been teaching at the college since 2012, was also laid off this month. Pascoe said that these layoffs essentially tell Manhattan College faculty that becoming tenured actually means you lose employment protections, not gain them.
“If you’re a faculty member employed at Manhattan College, you should not go up for tenure, because as things currently stand, getting tenure means you actually lose employment protections,” Pascoe said. “It’s nonsensical to say that what happens when you get tenure is that you have fewer employment protections and therefore can be fired more easily than someone who is untenured.” Adams echoed Horn and Pascoe’s concerns about what this month’s layoffs will mean for continuing faculty. “If you give untenured faculty more than you give tenured faculty, you are suggesting that earning tenure is not an honor but a demerit,” Adams said. “Which aside from seeming unreasonable and illogical, is just a violation of the definition of the word and there are laws about how contracts are written.” Adams emphasized that the college’s faculty handbook uses the same framework and wording for tenure as the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), so to stray from both of those definitions of tenure protections is essentially a breach of contract. “They have committed in the handbook to the definition of tenure that says that by earning tenure, we earn protection, we earn benefits, and yet they are acting and firing faculty on the grounds that that definition of tenure doesn’t exist. That’s absurd.” Adams said.
Pascoe added that the decision to lay off tenured faculty in January, and without a full year’s notice, is “an egregious misinterpretation of our handbook, as well as of the AAUP’s definition of tenure, as well as of the common sense definition of tenure.” Adams told The Quadrangle that the layoffs this month place her and her colleagues in a worrisome state whilst continuing on at the college. “It makes it very hard to have faith that the college is going to adhere to any of the commitments that they have made in the handbook or anything that they say about what their objectives are and the plans for the college’s future,” Adams said. “If they are going to refuse to use language in ways that conforms to conventional usage, it makes it very hard to even know what we are doing right now.” Horn told The Quadrangle that he hopes students, parents and alumni voice their concerns and speak up for the legacy of the college and its Lasallian mission. “I’ve devoted 23 years of my life to this place,” Horn said. “I’ve given everything I had to give and I don’t want to see it move in a direction that does not reflect the Lasallian legacy, that does not reflect what this place has meant to so many people.”
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News
THE QUADRANGLE
Budget Reductions Blindside Student Clubs ing, that’s what student engagement has been told by the administration, but nothing ofAsst. Production Editor ficial has come out about [completely] cutting club budgets. People still have their budgets, With the start of the new technically, but you just have to semester came a harsh blow go over it with student engageto student clubs and organiza- ment.” tions with a reduction in budAlthough some student orgets. ganizations do still have fundDuring winter break, some ing to work with, major cuts clubs were hastily informed of made to their budgets have even bigger budget cuts, while forced some clubs to forfeit imothers didn’t get much of a portant events and honors. warning at all. Brylee Watkins, chapter When asked if he was giv- president of MC’s Public Relaen much notification about the tions Student Society of Ameribudget reductions, Jake Stein- ca (PRSSA), told The Quadranweiss, president of Manhattan gle that the club had to give up College’s fraternity, Delta Kap- both their attendance at leaderpa Epsilon (DKE), told The ship development conferences Quadrangle that the budget and their ability to vote on the cuts weren’t expected at all. national board for PRSSA in the “We actually made a pur- coming year. chase expecting it to be reimShe also shared her opinion bursed, and then we were told on how taking away these opthat they just couldn’t help us portunities might impact future out on that one.” Steinweiss membership of the chapter. said. “For PRSSA specifically, I DKE participated in the Buddy Walk earlier this year, raising money in support of The office of student en- think as you take away those the National Down Syndrome Society. @DKEMANHATTAN / COURTESY gagement is facing heavy crit- opportunities there’s less inicism surrounding these cir- centive for people to join,” Watcumstances, but the office has kins said. “Now there aren’t those opportunities for people sate for this lack of funding. for people,” Nicasio said. “And no tangible action they can take those networking opportuni- who really care and want to be “We have to be careful also Senior Formal. So I think a concerning club financing and ties, there aren’t those develop- there [leadership conferences] with how much we’re spend- majority of the spending is gomerely acts as a messenger be- ment opportunities, etc.” ing because we don’t want to ing to those activities that are is really frustrating.” tween the student population take that money from what we going to be school wide and for As an organization focused Watkins also gave some and the MC administration. raised [for charities],” Stein- the students.” thoughts on how these cuts on philanthropy, DKE has reMontserrat Nicasio, the could affect current members lied on the school’s funding in weiss said. “We want to cover The financial stress on MC vice president of club adminis- in the long run. it ourselves because that’s the as a whole has left clubs asking order to organize events that tration in student government, whole point of philanthropy. We for support from the rest of the “It does affect your pro- can raise money and awareness shared her knowledge of the fessional career because, as for a multitude of causes. can’t do too many events where student population. situation. we have to pay now, we have to Now, Steinweiss has shared Steinweiss believes that we know, networking is so im“Officially there aren’t any portant in the PR industry- and some compromises that DKE try and do things that are low helping different clubs out cuts,” Nicasio said. “There has in any industry in general,” has started to make to compencost, but high reward.” when you have the ability is just been a minimization of spend- Watkins said. “So ripping away While many clubs on cam- one way to unite the communipus are dealing with these bud- ty and show support to fellow get reductions, it’s important to Jaspers. know why these reductions are “I know we’re all college happening in the first place. students and it can be hard fiNicasio explained the situ- nancially, but when you see a ation based on communication small organization – or even a from administration with stu- big organization – on campus dent engagement. raising money for a charity, it’s “They’re trying to get the always nice to just help each college back into a state where other out, if you have that extra it used to be,” Nicasio said. “It’s $5 to give,” Steinweiss said. just been so many years comWatkins biggest suggestion ing now that it’s kind of explod- is to use your voice and express ed, so the basis of it is just they your feelings on the current sitwant to get [MC] financially uations at MC. healthy again.” “Definitely making your The majority of the allocat- voice heard to not only student ed funds are being used for the engagement, but past student benefit of students still. Nica- engagement, to their higher sio told The Quadrangle some ups.” Watkins said. “They [stuplans that student engagement dent engagement] can only had for the money that was be- work with what they’re given, ing reduced for the clubs. and I think something that has “The priority of spending to change at the school is with for student engagement is go- students being heard, whether ing into things that are really that is for clubs or just like acaimportant to us, like Spring demics in general.” Past students in Manhattan College’s PRSSA chapter. Fest, which is a carnival that’s MANHATTAN.EDU/COURTESY going to be a good fun activity
Barbara Vasquez
Features
JANUARY 30, 2024
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Jaspers Spread L.O.V.E. With Lasallian Social Justice Immersion Trips Adrianne Hutto Senior Writer
Manhattan College students traveled to Pachuca, Mexico this month in conjunction with CMSA and the L.O.V.E. program for an immersion trip and the opportunity to learn about Catholic social teaching and justice issues in the community. Lasallian Outreach Volunteer Experience (L.O.V.E.) hosts several trips a semester, open to all students interested in engaging in service and advocacy in marginalized communities. In March, the program is hosting a trip to El Cercado in the Dominican Republic and a trip to Chicago in May. Jubilee Aguilar, Manhattan College’s campus minister and CMSA officer, explains that in past years the L.O.V.E. program has been successful at MC in taking students on trips all around the world. For the trip to Mexico in January, the students traveled to a Lasallian affiliated university in Pachuca. There, they spent time getting to know the culture in the area. From there, the group went to a migrant house in Pachuca which is used as a waypoint for immigrants traveling on “The Beast,” a train that runs from Southern Mexico all the way to the border. As people migrate they will attempt to hop on the train, as it is harder for large families to walk the route. This journey can last from five to seven months. The shelter is positioned in a spot where the train slows down, therefore
it is a popular area for migrants to hop on and off the train, giving them a safe space to eat, change, bathe and rest. Michelle Bell, director of the masters in family therapy program at MC and a volunteer of the NGO committee on migration at the United Nations, attended the trip along with the students in the L.O.V.E. program. “It most certainly was very humbling,” Bell said. “It is a strong reminder of the blessings and the luxuries that we have here and the things that we take for granted and being grateful for what we have and being empathetic when dealing with others and the importance of understanding everybody’s journey is different.” Litzy Rincon Robles is a senior psychology major with a double minor in women and gender studies and peace studies. Rincon Robles is a CMSA intern and the student leader for the L.O.V.E. trip to Pachuca. Last semester, she attended a trip to El Paso, which centered on the topic of immigration. “This trip was sort of to piggyback off of that trip, due to them both talking about immigration, but just in different countries,” Rincon Robles said. “Learning about immigration in Mexico, how it differs from the United States and to get a firsthand account of why certain people emigrate.” Rincon Robles explains that she was given the opportunity to walk the tracks of the people who were traveling along them. “We got to hear different stories, learn more about im-
MC Students and their professor in Pachuca in January. JUBILEE AGUILAR/COURTESY. migration through their end– those who were willing to talk to us or wanted to share their story,” Rincon Robles said. An important aspect of the L.O.V.E. trip is listening to the stories of the marginalized community and coming back to the college to share these stories with others. This helps to spread awareness and knowledge about the conditions and experiences of these individuals. Aguilar reflects on the trip in the Spring to El Paso, where attendees were able to touch the border fence in Nevada. The people near the other side of the border in Mexico live in huts made of rundown buildings and garbage.
L.O.V.E. trip participants in El Paso in the Spring of 2023. JUBILEE AGUILAR/COURTESY.
Aguilar spoke about how their contacts would bring diapers and juice boxes for the children when they visited this community and were able to translate so the students were able to hear their stories. “There were a lot of different stories,” Aguilar said. “And I was like, ‘Wow. I can’t imagine living in those conditions’. It made me think about how grateful I am to have grown up on a different side. But also, ‘how can we help those people?’.” Rincon Robles recalls one morning of the trip when she and the others were cleaning and she had gone outside to check who needed breakfast.
“Seeing that they all left to go on ‘The Beast’ and [I saw] a teddy bear of one of the kids on the ground,” Rincon Robles said. “Because when you’re going on ‘The Beast,’ you have to be able to hold on to it. So seeing that teddy bear on the ground and the little piece of home left behind at the shelter was impactful for me.” Reflecting back on her experience with the trip to Pachuca, Bell’s belief in the importance of service in education is reinforced. “I would wish every student to have the opportunity to travel and serve and to understand or have an experience where they can try to learn to understand the perspective of another,” Bell said. “I think being able to see through the eyes of someone else is a wonderful gift and I think the importance of being able to understand the perspective of others is a really important part of education.” Once students return to campus, CMSA and the L.O.V.E. program hosts a “Slice of Social Justice” event, which gives students the opportunity to talk about social justice topics and share their experiences and what they learned on the L.O.V.E. trip. While students who participate in the trips are not required to be Catholic, Aguilar notes the benefit of leaning on the Lasallian faith for guidance. “One of the pillars of the Lasallian faith is respect for all people, inclusivity and diversity,” Aguilar said. “So I try to tell my students when they go on each trip to see it as humility for all people and respect for all people. I see that person and they have a little piece of God in them.”
Features
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What’s Fizzin’ at MC Mack Olmsted Features Editor
The social media app Fizz launched at Manhattan College two weeks ago on Jan. 16, and proved to be a popular addition among MC students’ homescreens, prompting many to get creative with their posts. Fizz is a private discussion and news feed app for college campuses. The app has features such as being able to send direct messages, post polls, memes and images and allows users the ability to upvote or down-vote posts, similar to liking and disliking. The exclusivity and privacy of Fizz’s college community is managed through the requirement of a valid university email address. Every MC student must log in with their manhattan.edu address to create an account. Within the app, users have the option to be anonymous, share secret confessions and ask questions without anyone knowing who they are. The app has been described as being similar to the social media platform YikYak - the difference being that Fizz is exclusive to college students. “My favorite part about it honestly is just seeing how creative people are,” senior Liam Rayder said. “The first day when I opened it, it was crazy seeing the jokes and memes people were posting. Some were having about 1000 likes.” While the app is moderated, like any social media app, there’s potential for inappropriate content to be posted. This is where Fizz’s paid modera-
Caption: Fizz Ambassadors Morgan Schuyler and Liam Rayder handing out donuts on launch day. LIAM RAYDER/COURTESY tors come in and clean up the content, censoring and taking down anything that may be of-
Fizz Logo. THE QUADRANGLE/COURTESY
fensive or harmful. According to Fizz’s website, they moderate all feeds and chats for anything containing “hate speech”, “self harm” or “bullying”. Before launch day, Fizz hired student ambassadors to hand out hats and donuts to MC students who joined the app. Their goal was to get 450 downloads on day one, a goal that they surpassed, with downloads being upwards of 500. Launch day ambassador for Fizz, sophomore Elizabeth Provda, explained what the goal of Fizz is and how it can positively impact the MC community. “It is a kind of social community at our school where I feel like there’s no room for
judgment,” Provda said. “It’s a great source for communication with college students to reach each other. It is just cool to have a social media platform that is only for Manhattan College students. The goal is pretty much just to connect people with their peers, and build communities with schools online.” Since launch day, many students seem to express gratitude toward the app, enjoying the platform with all of its features. Even students who are not on Fizz see what’s going on in the app. Morgan Schuyler, a senior, thinks Fizz is interesting but has mixed feelings on the idea of the app.
“I don’t have Fizz, but I think it’s hilarious and I think there is potential for it to go a little cuckoo banana pants,” Schuyler said. “I guess I haven’t really seen much academic use of it. I think it’s just people being silly. There’s nothing too harmful though… It is just cool that all of the memes on there are Manhattan College tailored.” MC students are actively enjoying everything Fizz has to offer. From joking with each other to posting announcements around campus, the app has much to offer to the college community.
JANUARY 30, 2024
Arts & Entertainment
8
What WRCM Is Spinning For Spring Mary Haley
Asst. Features Editor/Social Media Editor WRCM (We Are College Music) is excited to welcome back DJs, old and new, for a semester full of music and events. With success from events like the WRCM Bash and other live music shows that feature student bands from Manhattan College, WRCM has been able to collect enough funds to pay for a semester’s worth of spotify premium. The club is excited to do more events and get back to their regular scheduled programming of many different radio shows operated in the college’s Research and Learning Center (RLC). The welcome back meeting consisted of a quick review of how to sign up for a show and an introduction from the executive board of the group. They also announced the dates of tech training which all DJs must attend in order to get equipped with the RLC studio. “Training is basically going in and learning what everything means, like the computer and the little board and the [sound] board…really, it’s not hard,” Annie Brennan, WRCM’s general manager said. “The whole point of WRCM is that it’s really not that hard, it’s very laid back.” Brennan, and two other executive board members, Gavin Dryden and Ian Pruiksma, all spoke with The Quadrangle about how the club’s main fundraising goal is to get Spotify premium, a tool necessary for WRCM operations. Through their WRCM Bash events hosted once a semester, the club has been able to get enough funding to stay up and running with Spotify, while simultaneously hosting one of the most highly anticipated events for WRCM DJs and listeners. Amidst the school-wide budget cuts for clubs, WRCM feels prepared to navigate the cuts for the rest of the spring semester with new ideas to see
Members and listeners of WRCM gathered in the Leo Basement to support student bands for last spring’s WRCM bash. @WRCM.ROCKS / COURTESY more success in their turnout and donations. “The way we do it is that bash is free pizza and free live music, and then we’re going to do a merch table this year,” Dryden said. “So it’s like, ‘free food, free music, free stuff, please give us money so we can have spotify premium.’” The voices of “Strange Women Playing Even Stranger Music,” Ella Richmond and Danica Mason, spoke with The Quadrangle about the opportunities WRCM gave them in their first semester this past fall, and what they plan to do with their radio show for the spring.
“We try to do a broad theme that doesn’t really have a genre,” Mason said. “Sometimes it will have a genre and that will be the theme, like sometimes we will do all girl bands, or all female artists.” In the fall, their show aired from 10 pm to 11 pm on Thursdays. This semester, they hope they can get an earlier time in the day so they can host guests and acquire more listeners. Richmond and Mason have found the physical space of the WRCM studio and the club community to be a relaxed place to go to to hang out with friends and get involved with the school without being over-
whelmed with responsibilities that other clubs on campus often have. “The [studio] we do the show in makes me feel like I am actually on a radio show, it’s pretty awesome,” Richmond said. “It’s just a fun way to hang out with your friends while still contributing to the school. If you’re someone on campus that feels like you’re not doing enough extracurriculars, it’s a really easy way to get involved.”
Arts & Entertainment
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THE QUADRANGLE
Checking In With The Cast And Crew Of “Check, Please” Anna Segota Staff Writer
This year’s student slot performance has been announced as “Check, Please” continuing Manhattan College’s yearly theater showcase. The student slot is a yearly theater production run and performed by students at the college, with everyone from the actors and director to stage crew being current undergraduate students. It is a staple of the performing arts program, allowing participants to get hands-on experience on and behind the stage. This year’s show, “Check, Please” is a one-act play by Johnathan Rand and features a series of comedic vignettes about a cast of wacky characters going on first dates with a couple who decided to part ways. It is being directed by senior Teresa Nunan, who has been involved with theater throughout her time here at Manhattan College and currently holds the position of producer on the Players board. Nunan had her directorial debut earlier this year, organizing a staged reading
of “The Secretaries” in October last semester. She had read the play in both her freshman and junior years and had been inspired to bring it to life. Although the staged reading was not a full production, it was still a hit, utilizing props such as fake blood to elevate the performance. “It was almost like an appetizer into directing,” Nunan said. “ I got to do the blocking and working with the actors, but it was very condensed into two weeks… I’m happy to say that a lot of people really enjoyed and had a lot of fun with The Secretaries, and we got a lot of people to audition for the student slot.” “Check, Please” is different from other student slots as the vignettes and scenes in the show are extremely quick, which Nunan has taken a different approach than previous directors to address. “Instead of 10 minute scenes, we’re doing two to three minute scenes,” Nunan said. “So I think the challenge is not making it drag between the vignettes and transitions… the goal is to keep the blocking
This year’s show has been announced as “Check, Please” by Johnathon Rand.
This year’s show has been announced as “Check, Please” by Johnathon Rand. @MCPLAYERSINSTAGRAM/COURTESY
@MCPLAYERSINSTAGRAM/COURTESY quick, we don’t want it to drag.” While the show’s speed is a trial for the actors and the stagehands, this fast-paced style attracts certain students to audition and get involved with the performance. Junior Landen Scofield stars as Guy, one of the two main characters who go through many unsuccessful dates throughout the play. “I thought it’d just be fun and interesting because each character is so bizarre,” Scofield said. “It seems more open, you can do more improv and stuff that you wouldn’t be able to with just a regular show.” Like most clubs, the Players have been impacted by recent budget cuts, though the cast of “Check, Please” maintain a positive outlook. The Manhattan College Players have been fundraising throughout the year to keep putting on performances, like the student slot, and have raised upwards of $2,000 on GoFundMe alone.
“I also think the student slot is the perfect thing for the Players right now because it doesn’t require as big of a budget,” Annie Brennan, a junior serving as the production’s stage manager said. “The student slot itself has always been less involved than, say, the spring musical.” Rehearsals for the production began this past week. “Check, Please” is set to be performed on the weekend of March 1. The tickets will be released on the Player’s Instagram page, @mcplayers in the upcoming weeks.
Sports
January 30, 2024
10
Lady Jaspers Start the Season Red Hot Isaiah Rosario Sports Editor
The Lady Jaspers started their season out with a bang, averaging 57.2 points per game and allowing 52.4 points per game to opponents. Those stats play important dividends to their hot start as they are second in the MAAC behind Fairfield University. The Lady Jaspers’ record stands 13-4 overall and 6-2 in MAAC play and are currently riding a four-game winning streak. Nitzan Amar is the leading scorer for the Lady Jaspers, averaging 10.2 points per game. “It feels very good,” Amar said about their start to the season. “We have a lot of confidence in ourselves. We know what we are worth and we’re still working hard. We still stay humble.” On the defensive end, Leyla Ozturk is leading the Jaspers in blocks per game with 1.4 blocks per game. With steals, Petra Juric is leading the Jaspers in steals per game with 1.7 steals per game. These great defensive stats have paid dividends for the Jaspers as they are the fifthranked defense in Division I Women’s Basketball. “It feels good,” Amar said when discussing being a top 5 defense in the country. “We know what we’re worth, [we are] working really hard. For our defense watching the film, and we’re working on this on the court. Since the summer, it was our emphasis for the season and we are shining.” In the previous two MAAC championship games, the Jaspers have allowed 73 points in both matchups, which was heartbreaking for Jasper head coach Heather Vulin as the Jaspers have always been a defensive-minded team. Vulin made sure to emphasize to the team this year that a repeat of previous seasons would not happen again.
Nitzan Amar taking a finishing a layup in a victory against Marist College. The final score of the game was 60-54 in favor of the Jaspers. GOJASPERS / COURTESY Vulin gave high praise to associate head coach Callan Stores about inputting a great defensive mindset to the team this year. On July 31, it was announced that Stores was promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach. “Coach Callan Stores on our staff, she’s our defensive coordinator has done a phenomenal job,” Vulin said. “Just breaking down the defense in practice to make sure that they’re creating that muscle memory.” At this point in the 20222023 season, the Jaspers were 6-11 overall, and 3-5 in MAAC play. Players are noticing the major difference between this season’s team and last season’s team. Last season the team began to click in late February and
early March heading into the MAAC championships. This year’s team seemed to find their groove and identity from the start and it could be a result of all the fresh faces on the team. “I think this year, it’s different types of players all around,” Juric said. “It’s a different feeling on the court as well, it’s a team who likes to pass the ball more, and play more as a team.” One flaw that the Jaspers need to improve on if they want to make a March Madness appearance is turnovers. The Jaspers are averaging 16.5 turnovers per game. When it comes to a highstakes environment, it is important to emphasize taking care of the ball. Points on turnovers have been a major factor
for many teams on the collegiate and professional levels to make deep runs in conference tournaments and playoffs. “We do know [turnovers are] a problem,” Juric said. “We do know we need to work on it. It is a work in progress. Before every game we’re aware of that, we’re trying to limit our turnovers and we’re just hoping to work on it and fix it for the next games.” W ith consistent winning comes a lot of celebration. The celebration period between games can often be a distraction to some teams. During practices, coach Vulin makes sure that the team stays focused on improving for the next game and making sure the opponent does not get the upper hand on them.
Vulin noted that during some practices she needed to get on the team a little bit harder to make sure that they did not get comfortable. “I think for us to be successful this year we need to have an edge every practice, every game,” Vulin said. “We just got to worry about the next opponent and that the next opponent wants to kick our butt. I’ve got a good mature group of young ladies that are committed and excited about this team as much as I am.” Editor Note: The article was written before the Jaspers matchup with Iona on Jan. 27.
Sports
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THE QUADRANGLE
Jasper Games of the Week: 1/20-1/26 Andrew Mannion and Isaiah Rosario Asst. Sports Editor and Sports Editor Women’s Basketball: The Lady Jaspers had yet another successful week, as they defeated both Marist and Canisius this week. They defeated Canisius 5855 on the road, as they were led by Nitzan Amar’s 15 points and 5 assists. The Jaspers entered the fourth quarter down five, but quickly surged into the lead as they scored the first seven points of the quarter. The teams went back and forth until Anne Bair hit a dagger 3 to put the Jaspers ahead 3 with about a minute left in the game. This would prove to be the difference for the Lady Jaspers, as they came out on top 58-55. Against Marist, Manhattan would hold the team to just 29 points over the first three quarters. Marist then had their best quarter in the fourth as they put up 25 points. Although they would outscore Manhattan in the fourth, the Lady Jaspers kept pace by putting up 23 points of their own and defending home court with a score of 60-54. “Another incredible home win tonight. I was really proud,” head coach Heather Vulin said. “Everybody stepping up. This team is playing with an edge. I thought Marist made a tremendous comeback in the fourth quarter. I was re-
Anne Bair drives to the rim against Marist. VINCENT DUSOVIC / COURTESY ally proud of the result and the way we finished the game to get that victory.” Men’s Basketball: The tough stretch of Jasper basketball will continue as they dropped games to Fairfield and Canisius to extend their losing streak of 10 games. The Jaspers dropped a home game against Fairfield 82-75. The game was certainly an en-
Shaquil Bender shoots beyond the arc against Fairfield. VINCENT DUSOVIC / COURTESY
tertaining one, where both teams exchanged scoring runs. After four different scoring runs, Fairfield took a 38-35 lead into halftime. They opened up the second half putting their lead up to double digits. The Jaspers would cut the lead to three eventually in the fourth, but wouldn’t be able to complete the comeback as they dropped the game 82-75. Following their ninth
straight loss, the Jaspers fell to the Canisius Griffins with a score of 82-70. Seydou Traore finished the game with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Daniel Rouzan and Shaquil Bender both finished with 11 points. The first half was a close game as the Jaspers and the Grifs would go head to head and would be tied at the half. To open the second half the
and would be tied at the half. To open the second half the Griffins went on an 18-8 run and that lead would continue to be all the Griffins needed to secure the game. The lead for the Griffins would get as high as 19 points. The Jaspers cut the lead to nine with four minutes remaining but could not get that extra push.