Issue 9, Fall 2017 - The Quadrangle

the Quadrangle THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MANHATTAN COLLEGE | SINCE 1924

Volume XCVI, Issue 9

www.mcquad.org

OCTOBER 24, 2017

October Senate Meeting Continues Debate Over Columbus Day STUDENT GOVERNMENT TO SEND SURVEY Haley Burnside Asst. Editor

Whodunit?

The Manhattan College Players put on their annual murder mystery Saturday night, centering on two murders in a boarding house.

FULL COVERAGE ON PAGE 7. PHOTO BY LEON WU / THE QUADRANGLE

Veterans Success Center Opens in Thomas Hall Stephen Zubrycky Editor-in-Chief

Manhattan College’s growing population of student veterans now has a place to call its own.

The Veterans Success Center, which opened with a ceremonial ribbon cutting last Monday, is located on the second floor of Thomas Hall in the room vacated by the Games Club. The center offers Manhattan’s veteran students a place to meet, study and lounge.

“All the veterans on campus,[…] we all have very different, unique stories. We’re a very diverse group. And there’s 100 of us,” said senior Kirsten Battochio, president of the Student Veterans Organization.

“But, out of all of us, all of our stories, there’s two things we have in common: one, our de-

IN NEWS:

Horan & Lee introduce bathroom cleaning on p. 3

Located on the second floor of Thomas Hall, the new center will serve as a lounge and meeting space for veterans.

STEPHEN ZUBRYCKY / THE QUADRANGLE cision to serve and enlist into space for veterans to both work the military, and two was our and unwind. decision to come to Manhattan The room will serve as the College.” headquarters for Carly CumBattocchio envisions using mings, an MBA student who the space for meetings for her serves as the graduate assisorganization, and as an all-day tant for veterans’ services.

The Manhattan College Senate met for their monthly meeting this past week. Among the many agenda items, the issue of Columbus Day, which was tabled at September’s meeting, was discussed once again.

The meeting began as usual with a roll call and approval of the agenda and minutes, after which Provost William Clyde gave a brief presentation about high impact practices (HIPs).

“There’s been a lot of conversation on [HIPs] but only in a small group that talks about this stuff all the time. Unfortunately people who are not in this small group don’t necessarily know what HIPs are,” said Clyde in his opening remarks.

He continued this discussion.

“The American Association of Colleges and Universities is the big organization for liberal arts education. It is this group that started studying the teaching techniques that colleges use that are incredibly beneficial to students. They came up with ten different ones and named them high impact practices,” said Clyde.

The ten HIPs are: first-year seminars/experiences, common intellectual experiences, learning communities, writingintensive courses, collaborative assignments/projects, undergraduate research, diversity/ global learning, service learning/community based learning, internships and capstone courses and projects.

Clyde went on to show various charts and graphs com-

piled from research proving that HIPs are ultimately beneficial to students in terms of success in and after undergraduate years.

“If you look at the list of high impact practices, you will notice [Manhattan College] is doing a lot of them already in things like the Arches program, First Year Seminar courses, summer research grants, study abroad, and others,” said Clyde.

Following Clyde’s presentation, the Senate heard brief reports from the Educational Affairs Committee and the Campus Life Committee before moving to a discussion on last month’s main point of business.

The previous month’s Senate meeting, Robert M. Geraci, Ph.D., chair of the religious studies department proposed that the college cease its observance of Columbus Day and instead close for Election Day. Some of the s e n a tors at the most recent meeting believe that the debate Emmanuel Ago was misPHOTO COURTESY MANHATTAN COLLEGE represented.

Senator Emmanuel Ago was among those who thought the meeting was characterized too strongly in its coverage.

“I believe that the Quadrangle did a good job of report-

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Continued on Page 4

Continued on Page 3

IN FEATURES: KnowMore Campaign talks domestic violence on p. 5

IN A&E:

Sanctus Artem holds art show on p. 6

IN SPORTS:

A look into women’s rowing on p. 11

Opinions & Editorials

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the Quadrangle Volume XCVI, Issue 9 OCTOBER 24, 2017

NOT ES FROM

The Editor

The Editorial Board

Stephen Zubrycky Editor in Chief Jack Melanson News Editor

Haley Burnside Joseph Liggio Asst. News Editors

Ally Hutzler Features Editor Managing Editor

Megan Dreher Asst. Features Editor

Taylor Brethauer Arts & Entertainment Editor Managing Editor

Rose Brennan Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor

RikkiLynn Shields Sports Editor

Charles Lippolis Asst. Sports Editor

Tara Marin Social Media Editor

Catherine Goodyear Asst. Social Media Editor

Aaron Mayorga Photography Editor

Anja Pollozi Asst. Photography Editor

Alyssa Velazquez Production Editor

Abbi Kirollos Asst. Production Editor

Victoria Hernandez Morales Multimedia Editor August Kissel Daniel Molina Web Editors Thomas Callahan Faculty Advisor About The Quadrangle A tradition since 1924, The Quadrangle is a news or ganization run by the students of Manhattan College. We strive to cover news around campus and the greater community, publishing weekly in print and daily online. Our goal is always accuracy, relevancy and professionalism.

The opinions expressed in The Quadrangle are those of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the College or the student body.

Join The Quadrangle The Quadrangle’s staff holds weekly open meetings on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. in Kelly Commons Room 412. All are welcome to come and join the club.

Connect with The Quadrangle

mcquad.org @mcquad @the_quadrangle mcquad

THE QUADRANGLE

Dear Reader, I’m not sure that I have reminded you yet this semester about The Quadrangle’s Letter to the Editor policy.

The Quadrangle is totally open to receiving and publishing letters to the editor that conform to a certain set of very loose guidelines. If The Quadrangle receives a letter that is free of profanity, bigotry and hate, and is, fundamentally, grounded in truth, we will publish it.

The Quadrangle especially welcomes letters pertaining to our coverage. The practice of journalism cannot healthily survive without sustained, reasoned and thoughtful criticism. And The Quadrangle welcomes that, reserving this very space for it on a weekly basis.

What triggered my note this week was Haley Burnside’s story, “October Senate Meeting Continues Columbus Day Debate,” on pages one and three. In it, The Quadrangle is criticized for its coverage of September’s senate debate on Robert M. Geraci’s Columbus Day proposal.

In the future, if you have any comments, questions, concerns or critiques, I’d encourage you to utilize this space, which is yours for the taking.

We’ve had a few letters thus far this year, but I’d really love to see this space utilized as a sounding board by our community, whether it pertains to The Quad’s coverage or not.

Sincerely,

Stephen Zubrycky Editor-in-Chief

SUBMIT YOUR OWN LET T ER Letters to the Editor may be submitted to thequad@manhattan.edu by Saturday at noon to be considered for publication. Profanity, vulgarity and hate will not be published. The Quadrangle reserves the right not to publish a letter.

CORRECT IONS In last week’s issue, “The Coexistence of Science and Religion”referred to Renny Thomas as an associate professor. He is an assistant professor.

OCTOBER 24, 2017

October Senate Meeting Continues Columbus Day Debate __________________________

Continued FROM Page 1 ing on the details/reasoning put forth regarding Columbus day, however, from my perspective, I didn’t get a sense that the discussion was at all uncivil wherein it ‘tested the boundaries of the Senate’s decorum.’ (as noted in the article),” said Ago in an email statement.

He continued.

“Nor do I believe - again, from my perspective - that ‘The meeting then devolved into a disorganized dialogue, with senators shouting over each other and ignoring Jayawickreme’s calls for order,’” said Ago. Ago went on to describe the debate from his perspective.

“I would characterize the discussion as passionate and engaged, admittedly, more so than other Senate meetings. I have served on the Senate for four years, so I have witnessed the full range of how engaged these meetings can be,” said Ago. October’s debate followed a presentation by Adam Arenson, Ph.D., professor in the history department. His brief presentation provided the perception of Christopher Columbus from the perspective of historians.

He also gave historical context to the creation of Columbus Day. The debate portion began after the presentation.

The most recent debate was less passionate than the previous one. The speakers focused more on the issues of schedul-

News

Squeaky Clean in Horan and Lee

C. Garrett Keidel Staff Writer

ing around a Tuesday off than on the political implications of the proposed change.

Lawrence Udeigwe, a professor in the mathematics departments and a senator, spoke in the debate. Udeigwe pointed out that the debate was too focused on the logistical scheduling issues rather than the social or moral reasons.

“I just think it would be more productive to tackle the more important aspect of the proposal, namely the social justice aspect, before looking at the scheduling issue,” said Udeigwe.

At the conclusion of last week’s meeting, the Senate agreed that a survey should be sent to students to gauge their thoughts on the Columbus Day proposal. It was agreed that this survey should address the logistical scheduling issues and the social justice issues as two separate components of the overall matter.

This survey will be constructed and distributed by Student Government and there is no word yet on when this will be done.

Although the proposal has been tabled twice, many of the senators believe it is a necessary method to making a decision as important as this, and a vote will occur once the issue has been properly weighed by all sides.

“I think if we put our Lasallian values first, we will come to a resolution of which we will live to be proud,” said Udeigwe.

Beginning this year, the bathrooms in the suite style dormitories will be cleaned at the midpoints of each semester, along with the normal cleanings during the winter intersession and summer cleaning.

The team of 22 housekeepers and porters began the systematic cleaning of the two residence halls on Oct. 3, starting with the 11th floor of Horan Hall. All the bathrooms in Horan Hall have been completely cleaned, with cleaning in Lee Hall starting on Oct. 19 and scheduled to take place through Oct. 31.

“The bathroom cleaning schedule in Horan and Lee has evolved over the years,” said Andrew Weingarten, director of residence life. “Before 2012 our students were left to clean their own suite bathrooms during the entire academic year and our team would clean them professionally during the summer. In 2012 we started cleaning the suite bathrooms during the winter intersession in addition to the summer cleaning.”

Weingarten continued to share the benefits of the reformed system.

“We found that the professional cleaning two times per year versus one time per year was very beneficial. Now, after growth in the number of students we serve and in response to feedback from students and our housekeeping team, we have decided to implement additional cleanings at the midpoint of each semester,” said Andrew Weingarten.

welcomed into the organization by Vice President Phillip Mourikes.

Senior Ryan Quattromani then discussed the upcoming community cleanup which will take place on Nov. 5. A URL and fliers for signup information will be available shortly.

“This is a great way for your club to be active in the community,” said Mourikes.

President Micaela Bishop continued this conversation. “[The community cleanup] also will take place right after Halloween, which is a typically a huge party weekend on campus, so we want to make sure to continue happy relations with our neighbors and our campus community,” she said.

Ethernet cables, residence hall elevators and other general housekeeping information were next on the agenda. More information on these matters will be released shortly.

As always, Wi-Fi connection on campus is a major concern, and Residence Life is actively trying to improve it.

Those interested in joining these endeavors should email Patrick Estanbouli, vice president for residential affairs.

Bishop then spoke for Molly Flores, vice president for commuter affairs, who was not present.

The next meeting for commuter affairs will take place Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 12 p.m.

Bishop rolled on, sharing that the next food service committee meeting will be Nov. 8 at 4 p.m. in Cafe 1853.

“This is the place that we created so that people can speak out if they have any food issues on campus,” Bishop said.

Ryan Quattromani then shared his insight on the power of student government, noting that they and the student body can create change on campus.

With all of the additional cleaning in the residence halls, the maintenance staff has been able to better recognize issues and safety concerns that need to be addressed. This is all part of a plan to make the dorms cleaner, safer and even more healthy.

With Horan Hall already being complete, residence life has received positive comments.

“Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Our housekeepers are reporting that students are consistently thanking them. Students are

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For the first time, residents in Horan Hall and Lee Hall will have their bathrooms professionally cleaned in the middle of the semester. also stopping by our office to say thanks,” said Weingarten.

Freshman Camryn Holly is one of the highly approving students.

“I think it’s good because I don’t think college students clean their bathrooms well. I also think that the cleaning will help keep the campus healthier and safer,” she said.

Sophomore Caitlin Hartnett lives in Horan Hall and has already gone through the clean-

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ing process.

“It was really nice and unexpected,” she said. “I couldn’t believe how clean it was. They even took out the trash when it was full.”

Sophomore Mike LaValle continued this discussion.

“I think it’s a great idea,” he said. “Having a professional crew clean the hard to reach places makes it much easier to maintain a hygienic environment throughout the whole semester. Of course it’s still necessary to clean regularly with my roommates, but having help is always appreciated.”

Students also have the opportunity to opt out of the cleaning service if they believe their bathrooms are already clean or if they would not like it for any other multitude of reasons.

However, If they choose to have their bathroom cleaned, students do not have to be present in order for it to be done.

“Our staff members will never enter a student’s room or suite alone. We will always knock three times, announce and identify ourselves, and enter in pairs. For the mid-semester bathroom cleanings we generally enter in groups of three,” said Weingarten. “It takes the team about 10 minutes to clean a bathroom.”

The one thing the maintenance team asks before your bathroom is cleaned is that all personal items be removed from the room prior to them arriving.

In what has been an active year for residence life, this change is yet another aspect of suite style living that has been reformed this school year.

Assembly Discusses Changes on Campus Jack Melanson Editor

Last week’s biweekly Student Government Assembly meeting included discussions about Gourmet Dining, Columbus Day and much more.

Gourmet Dining was the first discussion item, as Brian Weinstein spoke for the assembly.

Weinstein took time to mention recent activities in Locke’s Loft and Cafe 1853 before diving into upcoming events.

“Next Thursday [Oct. 26] we’re going to be doing a pumpkin decorating in Locke’s,” Weinstein said.

Continuing with the seasonal theme, extra swipes will be given out for the winners of a costume contest that is set to happen on Halloween.

The two new freshman vice presidents, Jack Kornutik and Grace Owens, were then

“We have a sort of recommending authority,” he said.

“The senate can pass what they want, but it doesn’t mean that it’s official.”

Quattromani went on to explain that the president and then the board of trustees have final say, but student action, paired with student government, can kick-start real change.

This conversation was sparked in part by the recent Columbus Day debates, which focus on whether or not the college will continue to recognize Columbus Day as a holiday. A proposal aims to replace the holiday with Election Day. This debate has twice been tabled in recent Senate meetings.

A poll will soon be sent out by student government, asking students and employees to contribute to this discussion. The Senate will then use this poll to further their conversations about the proposal.

“The survey will be the result of a few different issues here. There is the issue of social injustice, talking about Columbus and Italian Americans, and then there is the issue of the academic calendar. These are entirely separate, so they’re trying to break those up and mix the feelings of those two things,” said Bishop at the meeting.

Student Government is actively trying to reach the student population on these issues, feeling that it should ultimately be up to how the students feel over all else. If a large number of students participate, a more accurate conclusion can be reached by the Senate, the President and the Board of Trustees.

The next Student Government Assembly meeting will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 12 p.m. in Kelly Commons room 5C.

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News

THE QUADRANGLE

Veterans Success Center Opens in Thomas Hall __________________________

Continued FROM Page 1 “This will be used for like a lounge area for all the veterans and also for them to host their meetings and get togethers and stuff like that,” Cummings said.

Cummings’ position is a new one, created just this past summer to help boost the college’s support services for veterans.

“If they need to find a contact, they can come to me. If they want to learn about the GI bill or about their finances at Manhattan College, they can come to me and I can point them in the right direction,” Cummings said. Cummings will also make visits to local community colleges to recruit veterans into Manhattan College’s four-year degree programs.

Instrumental in building the center was Stephen Kaplan, Ph.D., professor of religious studies and director for veterans success. The process for securing the room for the Veterans Success Center began two and a half years ago, according to Battochio.

“So it’s been a process.

Honestly, two and a half years is very quick to get a space on campus,” Battochio said. “That was when the initial talk started happening. And maybe a year and a half ago […] that’s when this started to get pushed.”

The space was finalized by the end of the last academic year.

At the ceremony, Manhattan College President Brennan P. O’Donnell, Ph.D., spoke about the two-pronged importance of having the space for veterans.

“Practically, because it can help us to continue the high level of support and contribute to the high level of support that

we’re trying to give our veteran students in your transition from military to civilian life,” O’Donnell said to the crowd assembled in Café 1853 shortly before the ribbon cutting “Symbolically, it’s a sign of our values. It’s a sign of our commitment to [veterans],” O’Donnell said.

“It’s really in continuity with our past that we do this,” O’Donnell said.

Since becoming Manhattan’s president, the college has placed an emphasis on recruiting and supporting veterans

__________________________

This year, Manhattan was ranked the sixth best northern college for veterans by U.S. News and World Report. into its undergraduate programs.

This year, the college was ranked the sixth best northern college for veterans by U.S. News and World Report.

According to O’Donnell’s remarks, the veteran population on campus has doubled in the past few years.

“You get a few people in the community who get passionate about something, and they start talking to other people… and they start to build the structures,” O’Donnell said in a later interview. “I simply played the role of encouraging people with good ideas.

Student veteran Brian Wright thinks Manhattan Col-

SVO President Kirsten Battochio speaks at the ceremony.

STEPHEN ZUBRYCKY / THE QUADRANGLE

College President Brennan O’Donnell cuts the ribbon outside the Veterans Success Center STEPHEN ZUBRYCKY / THE QUADRANGLE lege’s academic support ser- Wright said. Wright is still in at the University of Connecticut vices as a key element in the the Air Force – as a member before changing her mind and support chain for veterans. of the International Guard. He enlisting in the Marines.

“We come from six years to, plans to graduate from Man“I just felt like it wasn’t some of us, twenty years, of no hattan with an environmental enough. I wasn’t moving forschool and when you come back engineering degree and rejoin ward so I decided to start lookto college, you forget what you the Air Force as part of the En- ing to the military,” Battochio learned in high school,” Wright gineering Squadron. said. said. “So tutoring is a huge part, Battochio, 27, is originally After graduation, Battochio and I think that Manhattan Col- from Bethel, Conn., and en- wants to reenter federal service lege has done a great thing and tered the Marines in 2009 after as a civilian employee.

I think that’s benefitting a lot of attending one year of college at But for now, she will be enveterans.”

Manhattanville College in Pur- joying her final year as a ManOriginally from Northern chase, N.Y. hattan College student-veteran, California, Wright entered the “I attended Manhattanville and her final semester as presiAir Force in 1999 after attend- for a year, and I did well, had a dent of Manhattan College ing one semester of junior col- great time at school,” Battochio SVO – an organization that has lege. said. Battochio had to leave found for itself a place to call all “I didn’t know what I wanted Manhattanville for financial its own. to do. So I joined the Air Force,” reasons, putting a deposit down

The center showcases the seals of the five military branches.

STEPHEN ZUBRYCKY / THE QUADRANGLE

Features

Domestic Violence Awareness Initiative Held on Campus

OCTOBER 24, 2017

for domestic violence awareness, we decided to do that as our first initiative,” von Runnen said.

Sophomores Faith LaRock and Anna Rosario are members of the college’s kNOw More committee, a sub-group of student government. The committe is looking to expand their membership through raising awareness in the initiative.

“The more people we get involved and are made aware of the issue, then that’s doing something, because one person can’t change a campus, but we’re in Kelly, and Kelly’s huge. If everyone who’s in Kelly comes by and stops by or sees the art and gets inspired and keeps that in the back of their mind [...] they’ll know that it is a problem on campus and can probably direct them towards people that can help,”

said Rosario.

“We’re both very interested in bringing attention to such an issue,” LaRock said.

Domestic violence is defined as “the willful intimidation, physical assault, and/ or other abusive behavior as a part of systematic pattern of power and control by one intimate partner against another.”

Domestic violence may seem uncommon, but it is actually a much more prevalent problem than one might think.

According to information provided by student government during the event, 20 people per minute are assaulted by their intimate partner in the United States.

“That’s a really big misconception about domestic violence. People think that it’s their fault, or that there’s no one there to understand what

they’re going through,” Rosario said.

The problem also disproportionately affects women.

One in three women have been victims of some form of physical abuse at the hands of an intimate partner.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month, and von Runnen and student government sought to educate the student body in a variety of ways.

First, many MC social media accounts encouraged the student body to wear purple, the official color for domestic violence awareness. Throughout the initiative, many different students wearing many shades of purple were seen on the first floor of Kelly Commons.

Other visual aspects were also employed by the initiative.

Sanctus Artem, MC’s art club,

displayed a number of art pieces done by students centering around the theme of domestic violence.

The initiative also displayed poetry, essays and other written works by MC students which focused on domestic violence and abuse.

“Every fault added another chink in my armor. I listened to you. I apologized. I took every insult like I’ve always done. It was my fault,” one of the poems said.

October’s domestic violence initiative marks a first of many for MC’s student government. Von Runnen stated that November’s initiative will focus on suicide awareness.

“Other events that we’re thinking of [are] stalking awareness, domestic abuse, sexual assault, harassment, those types of issues [that] really happen on college campuses and we feel that we should bring attention to,” she said. “We’re going to look at the national awareness months throughout the academic year and decide what we think would best fit the Manhattan College campus to promote awareness for.”

For those that feel that they may be victims of domestic violence or abuse, von Runnen and student government encourage reaching out and seeking help.

“The first thing I would say is that they’re not alone. There are a lot of people here who are willing to support them and encourage them to seek help,” von Runnen said.

“There are people on campus that are always here for you,” LaRock said.

son” as a short story and it won the Iowa Review Award and was a Pushcart Prize Special Mention. She later turned it into a novel, which is being published

by W.W. Norton and is being released in February of 2018.

“This novel coming out is totally different from these stories [“Love is No Small Thing”],” Kenny said. “Totally different voice and feeling.

Some of these [short] stories are funny and quirky. I would say this novel is kind of just quiet and dark. Not a lot of funny going on.”

The plot of the novel, “The Driest Season,” comes from an old family myth, that Kenny’s grandmother had found her father hanged in the family farm’s barn while she was still a child. Her grandmother never

confirmed these rumors. “The novel is a sort of what if. What if my grandmother Lucille had found her father hanging in the barn? What would that fall out be like for her?”

After Kenny finished writing the novel, she went back and investigated the story through old newspaper clippings and found out that her great-grandfather did hang himself. “It was really, really creepy. So, there may have been some ghost speaking to me on this book,” Kenny said.

After the readings, Kenny answered a few questions from the audience. When asked what advice would she give to aspiring writers who are too busy to write and are frustrated with how long it takes to produce a finished work, Kenny respond-

ed: “If you’re frustrated maybe you need to carve out some time and just say, well, I won’t watch “Stranger Things” this week, or I won’t get drunk on Friday night.”

Kenny also advised doing some informal handwriting during any spare time on small little notebooks or loose-leaf pad.

Compared to the previous MARS reading, Heidi Laudien, chair of the English department, said that Kenny’s reading “felt more conversational, as if she was talking with us, rather than speaking at us.”

Laudien also respected the advice Kenny gave to aspiring writers and said that she appreciates Kenny’s ability “to observe the smaller, finer details of life that seem to usually go

unnoticed by most.”

Ryan Askin, a sophomore double majoring in education and English, has been to both MARS readings this semester.

“I really enjoyed listening to the short stories. It was interesting to me how she wrote a story about fatherly acceptance from the father’s point of view as opposed to the son’s,” he said.

Kenny is the second speaker in this year’s MARS line-up, following the reading by English playwright Robert Greens, who visited campus in September and held a table reading of his original work.

The next MARS reading is Nov. 2, in Hayden 100 at 6:30 p.m. with author, founder of the MARS readings and former professor at Manhattan College, David Eye.

Rose Brennan Editor

Manhattan College’s student government began a series of awareness initiatives on Wednesday, Oct. 18 with kNOw More’s domestic violence awareness.

The awareness initiative was held on the first floor of the Kelly Student Commons and was spearheaded by Kaitlyn von Runnen, the student body’s vice president for educational affairs. The idea was developed over the summer by student government.

“The main goal of the whole kNOw More series is to not only try to put an end to [domestic violence], but try to educate yourself and each other on the issue. So that’s why we give out pamphlets with information that we’ve gathered from different national organizations and associations to decide on what to do if you’re a victim, if you’re the perpetrator, if you are witnesses to this, so that everyone feels that they have a say in or have something to do [that matters] in the issue,” von Runnen said.

The initiative was a collaborative effort among many MC resources and organizations along with student government and the kNOw More campaign.

“I’m [...] an RA, so through RA training, I heard a lot through Green Dot and a lot of different issues through the counseling center, so we decided to partner with them. Since October is the national month

Student government members Patrick Estanbouli (left), Kaitlyn von Runnen (center) and Phillip Mourikes (right) tabled in Kelly Commons for domestic violence awareness.

KAIYUN CHEN / THE QUADRANGLE

Fiction Writer Meghan Kenny Visits MC for Second MARS Reading David Valentin Contributor

Last Thursday night, Manhattan College had Meghan Kenny, high school teacher, short story writer and novelist, speak in Hayden 100 for a reading from her book of short stories “Love Is No Small Thing” and a glimpse into her upcoming novel “The Driest Season.”

Kenny read one short story from her collection titled “All the Lovely Boys,” which is about an Idaho father and his cross-dressing, sky-diving son finding common ground. Kenny revealed that parts of the story were created through a writing prompt.

Originally, Kenny wrote and published “The Driest Sea-

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Arts & Entertainment

THE QUADRANGLE

Sanctus Artem Holds Art Show:

Hayden Hall Transformed into Art Gallery Gabriel Gamarra Staff Writer

What is art? To some, it is merely paint on a canvas but to those whose hearts revolve around it, it is a haven of self expression.

On Oct. 21, the family behind Sanctus Artem presented what can only be described as pure artistic beauty through each own’s artistic expression. The first floor of Hayden became a masterpiece. Each room, hallway and wall became something truly special. Every inch of Hayden became a story of the artists and of the art itself.

Each of the 55 participants’ pieces were submitted and selected for the second-annual art show. However, this was the first art show to be hosted by Sanctus Artem after becoming an official club. The art show became part of a collective outlet and voice.

T wo of the visionaries behind Sanctus Artem gave their

hearts and everything they had to making this come to reality.

Kelsey Quartulli, a junior majoring in art history and peace studies, is the founder and president of Sanctus Artem.

“I just really wanted to create something that I would be proud of and that these artists would be proud of. The talent that we have unearthed is truly unimaginable and is something I can’t wait for everyone to see,” said Quartulli before the art show.

The vice president is senior Patrick Estanbouli, who is majoring psychology and advertising. Estanbouli’s view of art sums up the unity that Sanctus Artem stands for.

“Any form of art is possible, no matter what it is. Even if it is just seeing things a certain way.

It does not matter, as long as it is a form of expression for you it is art,” said Estanbouli.

The word art became a living and breathing being as the Hayden doors opened to the public at 5 p.m. This show

This year’s show was well-attended by students, faculty and community members.

ANJA POLLOZI / THE QUADRANGLE

Sanctus Artem members were at the helm of the art show. Pictured left to right: Patrick Estanbouli, Tara Magee, Kelsey Quartulli, Alison Adrat and David Valentin.

TAYLOR BRETHAUER / THE QUADRANGLE united everyone that is a part of the Manhattan College community into one space to express themselves among those sharing the same passion. Art lept off the walls, rung in the audience’s ears, sung its beautiful melody and resonated with every single person that walked in the bottom floor of Hayden; two rooms were emptied out to serve as galleries, Hayden 100 was used as a stage for musical performances, the main entrance was a runway for fashion shows.

Every form of self expression was given the same opportunity to become its purest self. Everything from beat boxing, painting, photography, sketching, singing and fashion all touched the hearts of every single person in the Manhattan College family.

Another aspect of the show was aimed to help those who need it the most, as the show collected donations for the Puerto Rico hurricane relief. A raffle was held to send its pro-

ceeds to help those who are still struggling to find their feet and a place to call home.

Mark Pottinger, chairperson of visual and performing arts, gave his time to oversee and make sure everything went to plan.

“There has been more collaboration this time around from everyone inside and out of the department. Everyone wants to be apart of it now and wants to help which is such an amazing thing,” said Pottinger.

C.S. Brown’s pieces were some of those that struck a chord with the soul’s of the viewers. His paintings of Malcolm X, Hanna and Fredrick Douglas were so masterfully done that most people walking out spoke of it in the highest regard.

Surrounding those pieces were some of the best photographers and creators that the school has to offer. Senior journalism major Justin Meinken’s piece, “Dancing with the Spirits,”documented a portion

of society that is often neglected and often misrepresented.

Senior broadcasting major L. Cameron Cullen also showed off his MCTV show “Cam’s Corner” and senior accounting major Lola Ayodele held a fashion show featuring her own designs.

More than photographs, films and fashion were displayed, as pottery, figurines, skateboards, make-up skills, and poetry were shown throughout the makeshift galleries.

Quartulli’s grand view for Sanctus Artem is one that is simple and driven by love for all that belongs to it.

“I want this to continue for years to come. I want someone just as passionate if not even more passionate who has the heart for it to be able to carry this along. I want it to remain that outlet for the artists on campus to feel safe, heard and to be expressive. It’s a safe space for anyone and everyone,” said Quartulli.

Not only were paintings on display, but also films, poetry and (pictured here) special effects make-up.

TAYLOR BRETHAUER / THE QUADRANGLE

The first floor of Hayden Hall was transformed into a gallery.

TAYLOR BRETHAUER / THE QUADRANGLE

This is the second art show at MC, but the first put on by Sanctus Artem as an official, school-recognized club.

TAYLOR BRETHAUER / THE QUADRANGLE

OCTOBER 24, 2017

Arts & Entertainment

Whodunit?

7

Players Presents: “The Crimson House Murder” Taylor Brethauer Editor

On Saturday, Oct. 22, the Manhattan College Players performed their first show of the 2017-2018 season to a crowded Smith Auditorium. The show, as part of their annual murder mystery performance, was titled “The Crimson House Murder”.

The planning for the murder mystery began early in the summer, as student directors Matthew Peters (junior secondary education major) and Samuel Corby (senior mechanical engineering major) began looking for the best option. As the semester started, so did the audition process. Once the cast was formed, rehearsals began.

It was then that the two directors added on a third student director, Paul Fucao (sophomore marketing major).

“Generally it’s been two [student directors] but we brought on Paul since Sam is graduating. In order to direct a show you must have worked with someone who has been a director before. We figured Paul would be a good assistant director because of his assets with technology. He makes the posters, the Playbills, works with sound,” said Peters. Fucao also played the role of Leon Russell in the show.

Through the collaboration of the directors, it’s easier to balance the duties of student directing. Where one might be better at blocking, another might be better at character development and another is bet-

ter at set design.

All in all, the role as a student director is one they take seriously. It’s a job that comes with a lot of responsibility both through rehearsals but also reserving spots to run through scenes, especially since Smith is often used for other events such as lectures or the annual American Shakespeare Company performances. It’s also important to be able to coordinating rehearsals around night classes so no one is skipping classes and focusing on their school work.

“It’s kind of hectic but it’s a kind constant thinking between what I’m doing for my major and homework,” said Samuel Corby.

“If my teachers are reading this, then I obviously put classes first all the time. If my teachers don’t read this, then I put [the play] first all of the time, every day at least for the last two weeks,” joked Matthew Peters.

The murder mystery has been a tradition in the Players catalog for a few years now.

“Carlos [Pena] started it when I was a freshman, four years ago. It was something he wanted to do and after it, it was such a big hit and it became the tradition,” said Corby.

Compared to other productions, such as the spring musical “Legally Blonde” or this year’s mainstage play “Rumors”, or even the fall cabaret, the murder mystery is a show of its own, typically comedic and lighthearted.

“When you look at the mainstage play, it’s very serious in

Joe Weitekamp plays Hercules Porridge Jr., the clumsy yet sneaky detective.

LEON WU / THE QUADRANGLE terms of workload and running lines […The murder mystery] is always our first show of the semester and I think it’s fun to put together,” said Peters.

After all of their work in rehearsals, it was time to put on their show.

Peters began to warm up the crowd and get them laughing, making jokes at the expense of the actor’s parents and his own.

He even said President Donald J. Trump was ending the murder mystery, only to reassure the audience that it was only a joke.

Soon enough, “The Crimson House Murder” was underway.

The lights began to flicker and the audience was transported to Ms. Fitzwilliam’s (Samantha Cunningham) boarding house, the Crimson House.

A slew of characters are in-

(Above) Miss. Fitzwilliam (Samantha Cunningham), Penny Russell (Caroline Shea) and Anguish Crispie (Michelle Lapray) are shocked to learn of another murder in the boarding house.

(Below) Jeeves (Lewis Acevedo), the forgetful butler, picks up the phone after hearing the doorbell.

LEON WU / THE QUADRANGLE

troduced, each with their own hilarious qualities and personalities. There’s Jeeves (Lewis Acevedo), the butler, who is very forgetful and often seen crossing the stage attempting to find his way around the large home. There’s Fay Strange (Lisa Chizmadia), an actress, Penny Russell (Carolina Shea), a wife waiting for her husband to come visit, Anguish Crispie (Michelle Lapray), an author, and Mark Palegrave (Steven Goolsby), a man intrigued by the orchards in the house.

Enter Hercules Porridge (Joe Weitekamp), a detective’s son, who has taken on a case while his father is on vacation.

Everything is going fine until an actual murder mystery begins: Leon Russell (Fucao), Penny’s husband, is found dead in the parlor. An actual detective, Bobby (Jamie Iacono), along with his bumbling partner, Officer Mulligan (Joel Sanson), arrive to solve the mystery.

With a crazy neighbor, Colonel Chutney (Peter Martino), entering the house as often as the unsuspecting Delivery Girl (Alyssa DeRosa), it’s uncertain if this crime scene will even be kept in tact. Especially when another dead body, Bridget Moriarty (Ellen Farrelly), ends up in the parlor.

Feet in trash cans, a nurse with a convincing accent (Nurse Payne played by Bailey Shaw) and two eager journalism students (Jenna Williams and Camryn Kidney) also come into the house and cause chaos.

It seems at one point that the case is clear, but it continues to delve into madness, as the lights dim and the play continues on.

The end comes as a shocker, but still provides many laughs, as is custom with the Players murder mystery.

“It was entertaining. I went to the last murder mystery last fall and Legally Blonde and Little Women. It’s good to see that even though they have a smaller cast […] they make use of what they have which is nice,” said Melissa Relevo, a junior student who attended the show.

The show was well attended and entertaining as Players shows usually are.

“The cast bounced off of each other pretty well. [Tonight] was definitely our best run,” said Lisa Chizmadia, a freshman engineering major who played Fay Strange.

The Players’ next show, “Rumors” is on Nov. 9-12.

Penny Russell (Caroline Shea), discovers the first dead body: her husband, Leon (Paul Fucao) LEON WU / THE QUADRANGLE

8

Arts & Entertainment

THE QUADRANGLE

Film Society Plans a “Thrilling” Year Alexa Schmidt Staff Writer

The Film Society is back for its seventh year at Manhattan College. The club is led by advisor Margaret Toth, Ph.D, and co-presidents Marisha Washington and Max Whitwell. Washington, a junior, and Whitwell, a senior, both joined the club their sophomore year and both are English majors.

Every year, the club is guided by a theme that determines what movies will be shown throughout the year.

This process has varied in the past, but student opinion has recently been taken into consideration.

Toth said, “We’ve taken two paths on this. For the first few years of the Society’s existence, faculty selected the theme. But for the past few years, students have generated a list of potential themes and then voted upon them. I like the latter method because students get more invested when they’ve determined the types of films we will watch.

Students also generate and vote upon a slate of films that fall within the theme. Some previous themes have included alienation, coming of age and memory and identity.

This year the Society decided to explore a genre instead of a theme: the Suspense Thriller.”

The club has multiple screenings throughout the year. So far, the club met for their first movie, “The Silence of the Lambs” on Thursday, Oct. 12. Toth listed some other films that will be shown later on.

“We plan to screen the following: ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, ‘Psycho’, ‘Strangers on a Train’, ‘Oldboy’, ‘Rosemary’s Baby’, and ‘Clue’. Marisa and Max are also hosting a double feature

The Manhattan College Film Society, which utilizes Miguel Hall’s Rodriguez Room (pictured) for its screenings, is looking to screen “Murder on the Orient Express,” “Psycho,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” and other classic thriller films this year..

TIMOTHY HAMLING / THE QUADRANGLE on Halloween of ‘Halloween’ (the original version) and ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’,” Toth said.

The main premise of the club is to attend the movie

__________________________

The Film Society has already screened “The Silence of the Lambs.” screenings and stay for the discussion afterwards. Whitwell and Washington are often the leaders of the discussions (other members of the club step in as leaders as well) and facilitate the conversation to make sure everyone gets involved. The subject matters depend on the movie and what

the attendees think about it.

Whitwell said, “I led a discussion on ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ a couple weeks ago and I went over a couple of points beforehand and I was like okay, these are the things I thought were interesting, so that I’d actually have something to say. Some of it was part of the discussion but mostly what I did was sort of catalyze what other people said. And then you find that your role kind of shifts from giving people things to talk about and more like helping the other ideas that individuals have bounce off each other so that people keep having ideas.”

Washington added, “When we screened ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, it was my first

time seeing it so I had no clue what to expect, but we asked, ‘what are some of the mystery/thriller aspects of the film?’ Like what made it such a popular movie and media in society right now, and why you think it won the major awards. We talk about little things that are important. So like the LGBT issues and matters in the film; how was that considered controversial back in the past when it first came out, and it were to be remade today, what difference would it make.”

Besides screening movies, the club has other activities in store. In the past, they’ve gone out to theaters and museums, but this year, they have something different in mind.

Washington said, “We’re

planning to have script reading of some sort. We don’t know what script yet, but we’ll just have a bunch of people come in, assign roles, and just go through the whole thing and see how it works. We are planning a “bad movie” night, and we were thinking of another double feature. We’ll have an Oscar night party, and possible a director chat, with a filmmaker that Dr. Toth knows.

Along the way we might have some other mini activities.”

The Film Society is not limited to just film students; anyone can become involved.

Toth said, “It’s a great way for students to both learn and express their passion for cinema beyond the walls of the classroom.”

Their next meeting is on Halloween, Oct. 31.

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OCTOBER 24, 2017

Arts & Entertainment

9

Selfied by Steph:

How One Student Turned a Hobby into a Business Tara Marin Editor

Right now, there are over 300 million pictures on Instagram that are tagged with the word “selfie”. Merriam-Webster gave the word an official definition in 2014. A recent AOL survey found that almost half of adults think selfies make them feel more confident. It is no secret that we are obsessed with our self representations.

Earlier this year, senior public relations major Stephanie Zmuda had just downloaded the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite on her laptop and was playing around with some illustrating tools in Photoshop. She drew a photo of her sister using one of her selfies. She did the same kind of digital drawing for a few of her friends and her boyfriend.

It was Zmuda’s mom who encouraged her to make a profit from her new hobby, and Selfied by Steph was born. In February, Zmuda created an Instagram account by that title, and the handle @selfiedbysteph currently has 400 followers, a number that grows each day.

Zmuda’s background in graphic design and various forms of digital art are what drive this project.

“Most of the time when people draw in Photoshop, they like to use Adobe Illustrator too, but I prefer Photoshop because I like the use of its layers and it’s just easier for me to use in the Creative Cloud Suite. I put the picture in there, then I take my phone out to color match, to see what’s going where, and then I draw it,” she said.

Her craft is tedious, but rewarding.

Throughout the spring

of 2017, requests for selfies poured in. When demand was at its peak, Zmuda was drawing as many as 15 selfies in a day.

She explains that one selfie can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour-- it all depends on the quality of the photo.

“The better the lighting, the better the picture. The hardest ones to do are when they’re sent over-filtered. I can’t figure out what their real skin tone is,” she said.

Zmuda also doesn’t limit herself to drawing just humans, either. If you visit the Instagram, you’ll see a few photos of dogs as well.

“Animals take longer to draw… One lady offered me 25 dollars to draw a selfie of her cat,” Zmuda said.

To date, Zmuda has made over 1000 dollars from selfies, and payments are accepted via Venmo, a popular mobile transaction service.

She has started to reach out to Instagram influencers and other art-based accounts to see if they would like to be selfied, as a means of attracting more followers. She’s also decided to do logos. Recently, a popular food blogger who needed business cards for a convention contacted Zmuda for a logo, which is currently featured on the Selfied by Steph account.

Some people give Zmuda a hard time if they’re not happy with the quality of their selfie, but Zmuda will often change what customers don’t like, and has never turned down a selfie request.

“People will complain about their skin tone, or the shape of their nose and stuff like that. So I fix it, I don’t care,” she said.

Over the summer, Zmuda studied in Italy for a month, and started working full-time as soon as she got home. Be-

The logo for Selfied by Steph, designed by Zmuda herself.

STEPHANIE ZMUDA / COURTESY

Zmuda (left) and Critelli (right) pictured as digital drawings that the account offers.

STEPHANIE ZMUDA / COURTESY cause of this, Selfied by Steph ing more videos, as they tend selfies posted, and Zmuda has a had to fall on the back burner. to garner more attention and folder of about 100 that haven’t been posted yet.

Zmuda recently tasked herself engagement.

Since the demand has with re-launching the business, “We’ve been tracking the slowed since last semester, and realized she needed some insights to see what the best Zmuda can catch her breath additional support. time to post is,” she said. she’s currently interning part Enter Amanda Critelli, also Zmuda recently screen time for a plastic surgeon and a senior public relations major recorded while she painted, taking classes full time. Critelli and good friend of Zmuda’s. and then sped it up to post on has been able to ease her work “I was talking to Amanda Instagram for users to see her load, but she has a busy schedabout wanting to restart but I method. ule herself, both with classes needed help with social media Critelli has also utilized the and getting my name out there, “story” feature on Instagram, and her fashion internship at and she offered to help me,” and hopes to establish a You- Marchesa.

Both of them credit what Zmuda said. tube Audience as well. Slowly, they’ve learned in their major “I was obsessed with it, she wants to expand to various when it comes to marketing the [the account] and I was show- social media platforms. instagram. ing all my friends, and when I “I feel like Tumblr is go “Right now we’re trying to posted my selfie I noticed that ing to be good, and then also develop a social media calendar a lot of my friends from home Twitter because people will be and promote brand awareness. started following the account,” able to share it. I’ve been postDefinitely some of the stuff I’ve Critelli said. ing about it Facebook, because learned in PR classes and other Critelli’s observation I feel like people interact with comm classes has helped a lot,” sparked a new marketing strat- Facebook a lot,” Critelli said.

Zmuda said. egy - customers who post the “It’s hard because she did Zmuda plans to invest in an selfie to their own instagram just start it up again. We’re iPad to use for her drawing, and and credit Selfied by Steph will trying to get people more inwhere she can have all her soget a special discount. volved,” Critelli continued. “We cial media accounts for Selfied At Manhattan College, post it a lot on our personal acby Steph in one place. She also students have enjoyed being counts, I have it in my bio on plans to continue this business selfied, and following the ac- my Instagram. We’re just lookpost-graduation because of how count means being able to see ing for the best time to post it productive and enjoyable the the digitally drawn selfies of ev- and get the most interaction. work feels. eryone else they know. Critelli We’re just beginning. We’ve “The proudest moments also points out that people often talked about other ideas.”

I’ve had are when people tell tend to comment on photos of “She’s got this whole social me ‘I wanna get selfied’ because people they know that are post- media strategy going for me,” it’s like I’ve made my own little ed.

Zmuda said. word,” she said.

“It’s like a chain reaction, Since Critelli is skilled at Right now, her biggest only a couple of people have making the most of social mechallenge is expanding. to post it and then the whole dia, Zmuda can focus primarily

“The hardest thing for me school knows about it,” she on her drawings, which almost is getting organic followers. I said. therapeutic for her in a sense. want to get people to interact Critelli identifies a signifi- When she first began, she with my account.

I’m creating cant factor when it comes to the didn’t imagine it would grow art for people, not for bots.” popularity of photos. into a business.

So far, Zmuda has an au In a recent study conducted “I did it for fun really. I don’t thentic following, and has even at Georgia Tech, it was proven know, I enjoy it. Right now coldone selfies for people in places that human faces are almost 40 oring is popular for reducing like Dubai and London. It’s all percent more likely to receive stress. Essentially all I’m doing about knowing what people likes and 30% more likely to is outlining the selfie, and then want before they know they attract comments than photos coloring it in,” she said. want it, and promoting a brand with no faces.

On the Selfied by Steph to its full potential.

Critelli and Critelli has also been post- Instagram, there are about 60 Zmuda are doing just that.

Arts & Entertainment

10

THE QUADRANGLE

Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Center Screens “I Am Not Your Negro” Gillian Puma Staff Writer

On Oct. 18, 2017, Manhattan College presented the film “I Am Not Your Negro” in Hayden 100. Before the film was shown, Mehnaz Afridi of the religious studies department had a brief speech explaining what the film was about.

Directed by Raoul Peck, the film is presented in a documentary format with images and videos from the time of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and early 1960s. The film takes inspiration from James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript, “Remember This House.” Narrated through Samuel L. Jackson, Peck takes us through the times of the Civil Rights Movements and the harsh realities that occurred less than sixty years ago.

James Baldwin had written “Remember This House” in the mid-1970s. Baldwin had been very close friends with very famous civil rights activists Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Medgar Evers.

Baldwin had discussed his

ideas of publishing the book with his agent in 1979. Unfortunately, Baldwin died in 1987 at the age of 63, leaving only thirty complete pages of the manuscript. Peck dedicates this film to those details that were untold.

__________________________

The film is inspired

by James Baldwin’s manuscript.

The film was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 10, 2016, and was then released in the United States on Feb. 3, 2017, after the events of last year’s presidential election.

Despite being a film based on a rather political subject, the film doesn’t express political views at all. No sides appeared to be discussed in the ninety three minutes.

The film was very clearly addressing the issues surrounding racism, and how it has not gone away despite the progression that has been made since the 1960s. This documentary

was more realistic in the fact that it wasn’t so argumentative, it just got straight to the issue.

Baldwin stated that not many civil rights activists lived past 40 years old, which was true in the case of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Medgar Evers - who were all killed before they were 40.

It was fascinating to hear the point of view of a civil rights activist who lived to tell what had happened during his experiences with these major historical figures.

Once the film had ended, it was followed up by a forty minute questionnaire with David Witzling, Ph.D., of the English department and Jason Wyman, Ph.D., of the religious studies department. Students and professors shared their thoughts on what the film was expressing, as well as the modern day experiences they’ve seen with racism.

“Many people view Obama as a mark of change, so we figured racism is no longer an issue and we are in a post racial society,” a student had responded after Witzling asked

why people think racism isn’t as much of an issue today.

Wyman turned the discussion around and started asking about the religious views that play a role in racism today.

“He stopped being a Christian after he experienced what he thought was the moral bankruptcy in what the church was,” said Wyman as he explained Baldwin’s viewpoints through the religious scholar perspective.

He also stated how Baldwin’s main goal was not to teach black people to hate white people, which was why he wasn’t particularly inspired by his father’s preaching or Malcolm X’s view of Islam.

The conversation between these professors and students then led to discussions on our justice system, racial profiling, and the “new Jim Crow” which has become a normal topic amongst the milennial generation.

Wyman then brought up a point that slavery isn’t actually illegal in the United States.

“There’s an exception in the 13th amendment you can

legally hold a slave if they are convicted of a felony,” Wyman had stated, arguing that we now have a new form of slavery whether we have seen it or not.

There then came a discussion on how protesting was the only way to get points across during this time period.

A student in attendance said in response a question on fear of protest, “people have been comparing the black panther party to the KKK. There’s a certain fear in the black community in this country.”

Afridi closed the conversation by saying that young German students to this day are taught to take ethical responsibility for their history.

“There’s a certain kind of insistence our nation has to do to take responsibility in what we have done. We own up to our racism in our nation. This movie isn’t talking about black people, it’s talking about whiteness. If we can’t talk about it, we will continue to live with guilt. The reason they explain to German students the cause of the Holocaust is to show that something this terrible will never happen again.”

“Charm” Places Theatrical Focus on LGBTQ Rights THEATER & THE CITY

Theater and the City is a column of student-written reviews in the ENGL 400 class taught by Deirdre O’Leary Cunningham.

This week’s entry is by Christopher Nuzzo.

In the height of the movement for LGBTQ rights, Ms. Darleena Andrews is a breath of fresh air for these 20-somethings to inhale. Played by Sandra Caldwell, Mama Darleena is brought to life as a vibrant trans woman who believes in the power of charm. She teaches etiquette classes to other transgender individuals of the Chicago community, attempting to introduce manners into the lives of the people she touches. “Charm” is a beautifully heartbreaking play (based on a true story) attempting to bring us into the life of a transgender person, and some of the challenges they face in a society that rejects them for their very being. From the play we are left with a simple truth: charm can be learned, but beauty is already in each one of us.

Darleena Andrews is a woman who has a particular way of looking at the world. In the LGBT center of Chicago, she brings this outlook to the youth that attend classes there.

Broken down by discrimination and disease, the members of the class learn to rely on their charm, and each other, to push themselves through life at a meager pace. While one student struggles to get himself out of gang life safely, another woman struggles with the burden HIV, and one young woman struggles to discover her own identity. Through Mama, these struggles, while still present on the surface, are forgotten if even just for an hour. Manners are an important thing to Mama, and the dwellers in the Chicago LGBT center have everything but just that. Despite the fact that they use crude language and ravage any food that comes their way, Mama is patient with each member of her classes, and protects them as though they were her own family. Whether it be taking someone into her own home to live with her, or bringing pizza to the class for the students to eat, Mama inconveniences herself for the betterment of the people she touches. In the end, we come to find that while all her students gained a little bit of charm, their inner beauty was what really mattered all along.

Probably the most heartbreaking narrative of all was that of Ariela, played by Hailie Sahar. The oldest person in the class besides Mama, Ariela has faced many hardships throughout her life as a trans woman.

Her monologue towards the end of the show reveals that she has been forced into a life of prostitution, and has contracted HIV on purpose for a way to gain access to health care and other services. Possibly the hardest hitting line in the show, Ariela says, “Nobody paid attention to me until I started dying.” This is the sad truth for many people in the LGBTQ community, especially trans women of color.

“Charm” brought light to the fact that many of these people have been left without resources. With not only Ariela’s character, the show was very representative of the unrepresented people of the community, and gave them a chance to tell their stories that would have never been told otherwise.

Lady (the fabulous Marky Irene Diven) was another substantially important character when it came with discovering identity and the troubling reality of the transgender community. The journey that people

within the community make is a struggle on its own. Mama facilitates an environment for the people in the class to build each other up, and support one another. Mama asserts that, “The whole world is already out there trying to knock you down. You don’t need that from each other. In here, we build each other up!” The loving environment fostered was important for Lady to later figure out her identity.

This Emily Post-esque play is extremely important in this day in age. The awareness of the rights of LGBTQ individuals and the pressures they face on a daily basis is important not only for the people who remain uninformed, but the closeted people of the community who need the courage and strength to move forward. Mama Darleena, who is based on a real person, continues to expel her love in affection in her own way. In a community based on love, “Charm” is the glue that unites a group of people in the name of beauty, and of course, charm.

Editor’s Note: Christopher Nuzzo is a Staff Writer for The Quadrangle.

“Charm” brings about an important awareness on the rights of LGBTQ individuals.

PHOTO BY TARA MARIN

Sports

A Look into Women’s Rowing

OCTOBER 24, 2017

11

Gabriella DePinho Staff Writer

For the Manhattan College Women’s Rowing Team, after undergoing a change in staff and now working with head coach Alex Canale, this is the season that the team is beginning to make incredible progress.

In 2015, Manhattan College changed the status of the women’s rowing team from a club team to to an intercollegiate Division I athletic team.

Manhattan College phased out women’s tennis in favor of the rowing team.

Senior Maggie Tebbetts has been part of the rowing team since her freshman year, and was part of the transition from club to intercollegiate team.

She has also been through all of the staff changes.

“It was a slow transition at first. It definitely did change the practices, the gear, etc. and even how we’re treated at the school.” Tebbetts said.

The team’s previous head coach quit at the end of this summer, so while the college worked to find a new coach, the start of the season was delayed.

The college eventually hired Coach Alex Canale to take over the team. Despite the delay in the start of the season, the team has already made huge improvements under his leadership.

Coach Canale has worked

The women’s rowing team at the Head of the Charles Regatta last weekend. photo provided by ERIN McWILLIAMS / COURTESY with high school teams along with club teams, and was familiar with the Manhattan College women’s program due to the fact that they practiced at the same place he coached out of.

When the opportunity to coach for the MC team arose, he made himself available for the position.

“I think it’s really important to further interest in the sport of rowing and it would have been a real tragedy to see those girls miss out on a season so I took the job,” said Canale, “I’m really excited about it and about the future of the program.”

Though the season has just begun under Canale’s, it is evident that the new coach and the team compliment each other very well. Canale identifies the girls individual energies and dedication to learning the sport as a key component of the team’s great dynamic.

Sophomore Elizabeth McCabe rowed in high school, and came to MC to join the rowing team. During her time on the team, she has noticed the increased and intense competition, but she also noticed that under Canale, the team has improved greatly as a whole.

“Just by week one at the end of the week we were all sitting there talking like ‘we’ve gotten better, we’ve fixed technique, we’ve gotten faster.’ Every day at practice improvements are made and we are becoming closer, stronger and faster with each practice.” McCabe said.

The team has taken part in two races so far this season, and has more upcoming races to compete in. In the two races, the team placed well, and considers where they placed to be a springboard for further improvements and future success.

Looking into the future, the team has big goals they plan to work towards. Tebbetts hopes to see her team earn medals, Coach Canale hopes to see the team place in the top 50 percent of all teams at their upcoming races, and McCabe hopes to see her team compete well at MAAC. “Long term, by my senior year, I would love to make it to NCAA’s. It’s not impossible.

With the attitude and the hard work everyone puts in, it’s totally achievable,” said McCabe.

This Week in Sports

Sports

12

THE QUADRANGLE

On Senior Day, Jaspers Draw vs. Rider RikkiLynn Shields Editor

This past Saturday, the Manhattan College Women’s Soccer team versed Rider University on their home turf, celebrating senior day and finishing the regular season with a 1-1 draw.

As the team honored its five graduating seniors before kicking off the match, (Dylan Burns of Manchester, Conn., Emily Center of Altamont, N.Y., Erica Modena of Massapequa, N.Y., Maria Clemente of Troy, N.Y., and Nicole Aylmer of Garnerville, N.Y.), Center made a comeback by starting the match, after being out for the season due to an injury. After beginning the match, Center left the field to a screaming crowd in the stands.

After the first half of the game came to an end without either team scoring, Manhattan scored in the 65th minute of the game. Junior Emma Saul’s shot was blocked by Rider, but Modena was able to get a hold of the ball in front of the net to rebound Saul’s blast, and kick it past the keeper. Saul leads the team with six assists.

Modena’s goal was the 23rd goal of the season for Manhattan, and the 31st goal of her career, moving her into second place in the all-time Manhattan annals. She’s recorded at least one point in eight of the nine

MAAC matches this year, and has 74 points overall.

Rider played tough, and was able to score in the 85th minute of the game. The game tied when Rider’s Michelle Iacono scored from 25 yards out of the left corner off of a pass made from Rider’s Shannon Kelly, making the score 2-2. Rider’s Iacono and Manhattan’s Modena finished the regular season tied for second in the MAAC with eight goals overall.

While Manhattan went unbeaten at home during MAAC play (4-0-1) for the second time in three years, they are currently the No. 2 seed in the upcoming MAAC Championship.

They will face the winner of No. 7 Fairfield and No. 10 Iona, who play Sunday, October 29th at 11:15 a.m.

With over 300 fans at the game, the attention was most definitely on the MC seniors.

Aylmer had a section of over 60 people cheering her on. They were all seen standing up during the entire match.

Along with the seniors, there was great effort seen by the entire women’s team.

Sophomore Olivia Printy made seven saves notching the draw, highlighted by a sprawling save made in the 87th minute of the game.

Manhattan leads the alltime series by a 9-8-6 count. The team will be traveling to Disney for the MAAC championship.

WSOC: Rider 1, Manhattan 1 -----------------------LEFT: Senior Maria Clemente (left) maneuvers versus Rider Saturday.

BELOW: Students and fans showed support for senior Nicole Aylmer.

PHOTOS BY KELLY GROGAN / THE QUADRANGLE

Freshman Gabby Fanning Takes on Jaspers Cross Country JASPERS TALK Alexa Schmidt Staff Writer

Freshman Gabby Fanning is a biology major, who is a also a member of the cross country team. Originally from from Cornwall, N.Y., Gabby seeks to succeed as a student-athlete.

Although she may be injured at the moment, she does not let that hold her back. She has been training as much as possible, and expects to compete for the indoor season.

The Quadrangle: When did you start cross country and how did you get into it?

Gabby Fanning: I started cross country my junior year of high school. I’m still sort of new to it. I started running it because I started running the 800 [in outdoor track] a couple months before, and my coach-

es said it would help me. So I stopped playing volleyball and started running cross country.

TQ: Was Manhattan College your first choice to run out?

GF: Yeah, I kind of knew like once I stepped on campus, I wanted to go here. I was torn between here and another school, but I knew I ultimately wanted to go here.

TQ: Is running for a Division 1 school different than your high school experience?

GF: I think it’s better because Coach Gallagher is great.

It’s a lot of structure.

TQ: What other clubs or activities do you want to join?

GF: I’m on the Student Court actually, and I would like to get into other things, just because in high school I didn’t really have the time to. So I really want to get into more things, but I’m just not sure what yet.

TQ: How has balancing schoolwork and sports been going?

GF: It’s kind of hard. It was fine until this week, it kind of all just hit me now, but I think it’ll be okay. It’s hard, but I think it’s manageable.

TQ: How has the team been?

GF: I love them. Yeah, they’re great.

TQ: What do you hope to gain from this experience?

GF: I hope to get a lot better with good training. Also, time management and friends for the rest of my life!

Fanning continues to be a contributing member of the cross country team. Although she’s only a freshman, she still has a long and winding road ahead of her filled with numerous opportunities.

Freshman Gabby Fanning is originally from Cornwall, N.Y. GO JASPERS / COURTESY