THE QUADRANGLE SPRING 2024 ISSUE 10

the Quadrangle

ManhattanCollegeDanceTeamPlaces ThirdforHip-Hop

The Jasper Dancers placed third for their hip-hop routine in the D1 category at NDA Nationals in Daytona, Florida.

@MANHATTANCOLLEGEDANCETEAM/ INSTAGRAM

LastSenateMeetingof theYearTalksFuture Plans

Brooke DellaRocco

On April 9, Manhattan College’s senators gathered together to discuss next year’s plans for the college with President Milo Riverso, Ph.D., in attendance. Discussions on how to divide up positions on the Educational Affairs Committee (EAC) and senate, news of upcoming renovations and talk of some major priorities for Manhattan College were the focus of the last senate meeting of the 20232024 academic year.

One of the main topics of discussion was the composition of the EAC and how the

members will be distributed among the three schools. The EAC had voted on a motion for one representative from the O’Malley School of Business, one representative from the School of Engineering, and three representatives from the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS). The vote showed 11 were in favor with zero abstaining and zero nays, needing only the senate’s approval to move forward. This will essentially leave the composition in terms of the number of faculty represented, the same as it is right now.

When discussing, it was clear that many senators felt that there was an overrepresentation of KSAS.

Interim Provost Rani Roy voiced her concerns with this proposal.

“I will say that there will be additional representation from KSAS in this model,” Roy said. “The hardest part is that if an engineering faculty member or business faculty member isn’t present [at voting], then all of the faculty that will be voting will be from KSAS…I’m just saying that it weighs one school heavier than the other, but [KSAS] is larger in terms of numbers for representation.”

The discussion was eventually tabled, as the senate will resume this proposal after senators reach out to their

Manhattan CollegeNames EricRivera TheNew Directorof ResidenceLife

Mack Olmsted Features

Manhattan College has recently hired a new residence life director, Eric Rivera, who has years of experience in the field as he has worked in residence life for different institutions during his entire career.

Rivera chose to come to MC because he believes the college has a good reputation. Prior to coming to MC, he worked at Sarah Lawrence College, which is north of Manhattan College in Bronxville, New York. Aside from appreciating the neighborhood, Rivera told The Quadrangle how he admires MC’s Lasallian values.

“I was able to meet him first during his interview process,” Michael Steele, director of multicultural affairs and development said. “I believe that he is a valuable addition to Manhattan College, as he brings a wealth of knowledge from his previous work experience.”

Rivera told The Quadrangle why he is passionate about being a part of the residence life team at the college.

“I’ve been working in residence life my entire career, something that’s super important to me having been a student who moved across the country to go to college,” Rivera said. “It was important for me to find a home in the place where I was living and

chose to go to school. And residence life gave me that outlet and that’s something that I try to give back to the community that I’m part of.”

Associate Vice President for Student Life and Development

John Bennett announced the new hire in an email sent out to the student body on Wednesday, April 3, where he provided information on Rivera’s background. Bennett told The Quadrangle about his first impressions of Rivera.

“In just the short time he’s been here already I love his fresh perspective on things and [his] thoughts,” Bennett said. “He’s showing good leadership already.”

He also praised Rivera’s extensive background in residence life affairs at various institutions.

“Rivera brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position having served as associate director of housing operations at Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY, where he was responsible for the strategic planning and implementation of a comprehensive residential experience for the college,” Bennett stated in the email. “Prior to his tenure at Sarah Lawrence, he served as a resident director at Boston College where he managed a residential community of 725 students.”

Bennett also mentioned that Rivera has significant skills

A tradition since 1924, The Quadrangle is a news organization 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.

LETTER from the EDITOR

Hello, and welcome to issue 10! I hope you all were able to enjoy the sneak peek of warmth and sun we got last week. I know those of us on campus sure did, and I, for one, cannot wait to welcome back more.

This week has certainly been a busy one on campus. In news, we discuss the welcoming of even more new faculty to campus, a recent senate meeting and some other very cool events that our amazing students have worked on. In features, we talk about CMSA’s annual Mission Week, held this past week, discussing the Lasallian values we hold close to our hearts on this campus. Also in features, we discussed last week’s annual Springfest celebration that took place on the quad, as well as the solar eclipse viewing party the campus came together for. Truly, it was the most students I have ever seen on our quad at a single time - which was almost as cool as seeing the eclipse. In A&E, we highlight the second concert in our new faculty concert series, a wonderful initiative put on by our music and theatre department, and the performing arts’ spring concert. Lastly, in sports, we talk about the games of the week, and sending our Jasper Dancers and Cheer team off to Daytona, FL. to compete in nationals. More updates to come next week on the results of their competition. Check it all out!

Today, the Manhattan College campus celebrates our annual Jasper Day of Wellness. Students have the day off from classes and are able to participate in various activities relating to both mental health and physical wellness. Some of my favorite activities offered include a morning yoga class, quad games, mindful coloring, and of course, free ice cream. In the final stretch of the spring semester as we approach finals, it is so important for students to take care of themselves, and to take a day off to check in with themselves to see how they’re doing. Whether you’re a student on campus or one of our readers elsewhere, I encourage you all to take today to do the same.

Until next time, Grace

ManhattanCollegeNamesEric RiveraTheNewDirectorof ResidenceLife

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that make him an effective leader to participate with key campus partners to further build the student experience in residence halls.

Bennett also noted Rivera has experience in improving occupancy management to ensure housing goals are met, enhancing residential life communication, building community and renewing educational programming in the residence halls. Rivera has also organized the RA Leading for Change Conference, which serves as the training for many RA’s and focuses on themes of improving leadership development, diversity and skill-building.

One of the main goals Rivera is trying to accomplish is creating a safe and welcoming environment for all students who want to live within the residence hall environment. He wants the experience of students to be pleasant and to be a place where people can build lifelong relationships and memories of their college experience.

“A lot of what I do

is reviewing policy and processes, making sure that those are streamlined, in place, and make sense for our college community so that the students can have the best experience possible,” Rivera said. “We’re focusing on offering programming and creating connections amongst the residents to ensure that people feel connected and that they belong here in the residence halls and on campus at Manhattan College as a whole.”

Overall, Rivera looks forward to being a part of the MC community and is beginning to think about the future of residence life. As of now, he wants to create small housing committees to get feedback about the living experiences on campus.

“I think something that’s important for me as [residence life director], is thinking about any changes that we want to make for residence life [and] to gather student input,” Rivera said. “Something I’ve done at previous campuses is create small committees, such as a housing subcommittee to recruit any students who are

interested in sharing their perspectives from the student body about residential life,

where they can discuss current policies, things that could be improved, maybe some goals

or aspirations that students would love to see on campus and more.”

Eric Rivera. MANHATTAN.EDU/COURTESY

LastSenateMeetingoftheYearTalksFuture Plans

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

constituents.

Soon after, the senators delved into how to divide up the faculty senators who will serve on the senate for the upcoming academic year. An ad hoc committee was previously organized to deal with this task and developed three proposals.

The first proposal included two representatives from the School of Engineering, two representatives from the School of Business, six representatives from KSAS and one representative from the library. The second proposal included adding an additional faculty senator, making the structure two reps from engineering, two reps from

business, seven reps from KSAS and one rep from the library. This involved a total of 12 faculty senators, which would provoke a change to the current senate bylaws. The third proposal included two reps from engineering, two reps from business, eight reps from KSAS and one rep from the library for a total of 13 faculty senators.

After much deliberation, a decision was made to keep the compositions the same and raise the question to the Council of Faculty Affairs (CFA) as to how they would like to divide up the faculty senators. Kashifuddin Qazi, Ph.D., associate computer science professor and speaker for the senate, spoke about the next steps in the process of choosing new members.

“I will reach out to the CFA chair, and ask her what the CFA’s take is and how we want to proceed with this,” Qazi said. “Again, as soon as I get an answer for both the previous issue and for this issue, I would call an executive meeting session of the Senate.”

In terms of new business, Riverso was called up to reflect on this academic year and propose new focuses moving forward.

“I will tell you this year’s financial results are similar to last year’s financial results that I had predicted at the beginning of the year,” Riverso said. “We’re projecting some large losses that are similar to last year, plus additional severance due to the reductions in force that happen. So the college will lose 17 million this fiscal year.”

Riverso also confirmed that the financial outlook of Manhattan College next academic year will depend on the numbers for the new freshman class. It is expected that the incoming freshman class for 2024-2025 will include almost 730 students, meaning MC would lose approximately $2.5 million as compared to the $17 million lost.

Riverso aims to turn his focus toward the marketing of the college in hopes of appealing to new students and continuing the attraction around MC.

Another topic on Riverso’s agenda is continuing renovations of the campus’s buildings and facilities, including a continuation of Thomas Hall’s renovation that was left unfinished.

“We are challenged by campus infrastructure, addressing issues from deferred maintenance throughout the campus,” Riverso said. “You’ll see projects [like] Hayden [Hall] being taken care of. They’re not optional projects, [as] we need to get them done. We still have the other half of Thomas Hall to do; [even though] we did some last year.”

With the conclusion of the meeting, faculty members will wait to see how the distribution of senators will be broken up as well as how the college will adapt to its current financial status and situation.

Manhattan College names new Director of Residence Life,

MCExploresSTEMWithYoungMinds

corners of the STEM fields.

Mack Olmsted Features Editor

Manhattan College

Mathematics Honor Society, Pi Mu Epsilon (PME) recently hosted a STEM outreach event, dedicated to reaching young students in the local Bronx area from different schools in grades 7-12.

PME members spoke with local teachers who accompanied them, putting together an entertaining and educational field trip for the visiting students. The event consisted of different topics within math, science, engineering and more.

Alumna Katherine Bianca created the concept last year with the idea to have an event where MC invites middle and high school students to learn about math in an entertaining and engaging way. Other STEM programs in the area heard about MC’s outreach program and wanted to participate, providing the ability for visiting students explore the different

“The whole goal of that [the program] was to immerse students into STEM to kind of see what they’re interested in,” co-coordinator Pearl Marinas said.

The organizations that participated in the event constructed different skillbuilding activities that were meant to be both educational and fun for the visiting students. These stations had the students build towers out of spaghetti and marshmallows, solve different math problems with a coloring graph, learn simple coding, extract DNA from a strawberry, race recycled water bottle balloon cars and create different color-changing liquid solutions.

“We invited the different organizations to come to the event, and we allowed them to come up with the activities they deemed necessary based on the guidelines we gave them,” co-coordinator Christopher Greaney said. “We wanted them to make it a more fun, engaging activity that seemed interesting to the students. So they [the visiting students]

could get students engaged and enjoy the STEM field.”

The event was unique for some MC community members. It’s rare for students in PME to work with middleschool and high-school-aged students as professors usually don’t teach students those ages.

“I think it was really nice for [Manhattan College] students and the kids, especially to see these really young minds flourishing in these activities,” Marinas said. “I think a lot of them enjoyed it and were happy.”

Co-coordinator of the STEM outreach event Victoria Pascale believes the event was a success and hopes the college continues to host events similar to this.

“I think the event turned out well,” Pascale said. “I think the kids had a really good time. I think that they liked it, I believe it definitely increased their interest in STEM and hopefully, they will pursue their majors in STEM in the future. When it was over we asked a couple of students what their favorite activity was,

and I believe we got a different answer every time, so across the board, it showed that it wasn’t just one activity that was good, it was kind of a balance.”

At the end of the day, Marinas hopes the students are inspired to do more STEM activities in the future.

“I hope students are

inspired to look more into different STEM fields,” Marinas said. “You know, the whole goal of the day was to really immerse the kids in STEM. And so I hope that they feel inspired to really look into it more and figure out what they might be interested in. I hope that they had a great time.”

Young visiting students building a spaghetti and marshmallow tower with civil engineering students.

VICTORIA PASCALE/COURTESY

MiniBajaTeamTakesCenterStage

Lauren Raziano Senior Writer

Manhattan College’s MiniBaja 2023 team took center stage at the 2024 New York Auto Show from March 30 to April 7.

Although the 2023 Mini Baja team graduated last May, their vehicle not only conquered the 2023 SAE Oregon Baja Race but also earned a spot at the prestigious Auto Show.

The MiniBaja competition allows students to apply their engineering knowledge to design, build, test and ultimately compete in a Baja SAE competition and an International Collegiate Design competition.

The two main events for the International Collegiate Design include static and dynamic events, with design and vehicle performance presentations, sales and marketing presentations and acceleration and maneuverability tests.

The official Mini Baja SAE website defined their competition as one that not only allows students to apply their academics to real-world applications but also one that builds leadership and teamwork.

“Baja SAE challenges

engineering students to design and build an off-road vehicle that will survive the severe punishment of rough terrain and in some competitions, water,” the website stated. “As in real work situations, these future engineers work together as a team to discover and resolve technical challenges in design, test, and manufacturing, as well as business issues. The most rugged of all the competitions, Baja SAE also gives students the first-hand challenge of pursuing their passion while managing real-life demands and priorities.”

Associate professor of mechanical engineering and MiniBaja’s faculty advisor, Peyman Honarmandi, Ph.D., is extremely proud of his students’ success. Honarmandi explained further the importance of studentled applications that MiniBaja employs.

“Students get the chance to apply what they learned in the classroom to a realworld design scenario and go through the rigorous process of building an off-road vehicle from scratch on the Manhattan College campus,” Honarmandi said. “The 2023 Baja SAE team at Manhattan College is incredibly proud of the achievements they have made. Through passion, integrity,

and sacrifice, the team accomplished the ambitious goals they set over a year ago, and have made permanent skills of engineering, manufacturing, teamwork, and perseverance through the process.”

Besides MC, there were three schools that were able to participate in the New York Auto Show exhibition including Stevenson University, Rutgers University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

Mechanical engineering graduate Matthew Kelly ‘23 was team captain for the 20222023 Manhattan College Baja SAE team.

“To build the Baja vehicle from scratch during 20222023 was an incredibly difficult and demanding journey,” Kelly wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “I am immensely proud of our team for realizing our goals and ambitions. However, I am also grateful for our advisor, Dr. Peyman Honarmandi, and student engagement’s assistant director, Sharon Ortega, for believing in our team and giving us the opportunity to drive across the country to compete with a vehicle that we are proud to represent Manhattan College with.” Kelly mentioned some of the difficulties they had with constructing the 2023 vehicle.

At the 2023 Oregon Hill Climb event, MC was one of the only 31 vehicles out of 100, to compete and survive three of the four hours in the endurance race before an unfortunate engine failure disabled the vehicle.

“The Baja SAE competition relies on strict and comprehensive safety rules to make sure that all vehicles that are racing will be safe for both the driver and spectators,” Kelly wrote. “Out of the 100 vehicles that are registered for competition, only a couple usually end up passing the safety and rule inspection on the first try. Despite our best effort, we ended up not being compliant on some roll cage

specifications that required us to weld new frame members in the rear of the vehicle during competition.”

Even with strict time constraints and limited resources, Kelly is immensely proud that their vehicle was selected for the New York Auto Show exhibition. Kelly is now an engineer at General Dynamics Electric Boat helping build nuclear submarines.

“For myself, seeing the Baja selected for the NY Auto Show exhibit was an incredible affirmation for the hard work and sacrifice our team committed to creating and competing with the MC Baja vehicle,” Kelly wrote.

Dr. Peyman Honarmandi with MiniBAJA students from 2023 and 2024 at the New York Auto Show.DR.

Manhattan College Welcomes Online Learning Director Ann Clarkson

Mack Olmsted

Manhattan College plans to expand digital and online education through the newly hired executive director of online learning, Ann M. Clarkson. Clarkson joined the MC community in March and looks forward to progressing the college.

Clarkson’s job entails leading the instructional design and management of all online learning for the college in conjunction with the deans, department chairs, students and faculty.

According to manhattan. edu, “Ms. Clarkson brings indepth experience in developing and managing all facets of professional programming and has a career of over two decades dedicated to revolutionizing adult and online education at several institutions of higher learning.”

The college is interested in improving and expanding its use of online education as well as using its tools to reach more students and use the technology more effectively within its current structure. Clarkson, along with her team, aims to provide guidance and support for faculty on what technological resources are available, and how they might choose to use them.

“From my discussions with Milo [Riverso] and Rani [Roy], they are very interested in creating an environment that is heavily dependent on the current faculty of the college and illustrating their expertise in their field, as well as their teaching expertise,” Clarkson said. “My efforts right now are to find out what’s been working, what hasn’t been working, what their interests are, as far as what programs they want to offer and work with them to determine what the best format will be for them to use.”

Quality assurance manager, and a member of Clarkson’s online learning team Kimberly Gargiulo wrote to The Quadrangle about her excitement to work with

Manhattan

Clarkson at the college.

“I am so glad we have Ann Clarkson on board to lead online learning at the college,” Gargiulo stated in an email. “Ann has developed hundreds of online programs throughout her career and understands how to offer rigorous, interactive and exciting curricula through the online modality. Ann champions and values a faculty-centered approach when it comes to the design and implementation of online learning.”

Roy explained her excitement about Clarkson and believes she will be an influential addition to the campus, as stated in an article published on manhattan.edu.

“We are particularly thrilled to have Ann as part of our team and the lead in developing more comprehensive online programs for all our students, with a particular emphasis on students in our non-degree programs,” Roy stated in the article. “Ann has demonstrated strength in creating a sense of community through her programs and we also welcome her focus on bringing business CEOs to our campus through her executive outreach skills.”

Clarkson wants to create an environment that makes teaching easier for faculty while using technology to produce more successful lessons. She explained how she wants to build new online

programs with the intent not to switch the college to being an online school, but rather offer alternate approaches for specific courses, and degrees to new students.

Clarkson told The Quadrangle that she and her team have a lot of work to be done, and want to build a base with faculty and work with them as a community to improve the online programs that are being implemented.

In the future, Clarkson wants to create different online modes than that of other educational institutions. She mentioned it’s important that the online programs are taught in a faculty-driven environment using their expertise, and

not just canned material that anybody can log into.

Clarkson is trying to make sure that any future online education modalities that are used with the student body are accessible. She explained that her work is a continuous improvement process and that she strives to build up online programs.

“Online learning can offer alternative learning pathways for the faculty and students either in individual cases or with the entire student body itself,” Clarkson said. “It’s a modernization in some respects, not in all respects, but it’s a new market really. Technology evolves. So our courses should evolve as well.”

College appoints Ann Clarkson as Executive Director of Online Learning. MANHATTAN.EDU/COURTESY

CMSA Hosts Annual Mission Week

The Quadrangle spoke with Br. Daniel Gardner, executive director of CMSA, about the true importance and reasoning behind the tradition of Mission Week.

Campus Ministry and Social Action (CMSA) hosted its annual Mission Week as a way to honor and celebrate Manhattan College’s founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle.

The campus organization hosted a variety of events from April 7 to April 14 hoping to engage the Manhattan College community in embracing their Lasallian roots. These events included Sunday mass, tabling on the quadrangle, student and faculty seminars, various service opportunities and more.

While the CMSA partakes in Lasallian affairs throughout the year, Mission Week is an opportunity to concentrate all these different missions and values into one large event.

“This is one chosen moment to use as a ‘wow’ moment about what we do all year long, which boils down to the principles of faith, service, and community which is just part of our DNA,” Gardner said. “We try to do it [Mission Week] around the feast day of St. John Baptist de La Salle which is the significance of April, but it is really a symbolic week of just who we are as Jaspers and what we are animated by.”

Mission Week has been celebrated at Manhattan College in a variety of ways, including Mission Month, for about 30 years. This year, CMSA focused on condensing the event, along with taking the forefront in sponsoring their core activities, while still welcoming any collaborations

with other organizations. These activities were carefully culminated to create a wellrounded itinerary.

“We looked at it [Mission Week schedule] through two different lenses: a balanced faith, service and community along with the five points of the Lasallian star,” Gardner said. “We really started service week ‘off paper’ with the LOVE trip which is faith-based, followed by some academic and communal things for students and faculty, then ended the week with service-based projects. These projects highlight the inclusion of all people, concern for the poor, and social justice.”

The events during Mission Week touched many people across campus. Individuals were able to locate an activity that resonated with them, and then be active participants in the activities. One of the events hosted was an Agape Latte event with guest speaker Karen Vahey on April 11.

The Quadrangle spoke to Christopher Osorio, senior adolescent education major at Manhattan College, about the purpose of the Agape Latte

event and the experience he had when attending this event.

“The stories that are presented at this event contain elements of faith and a love for oneself and the community while acting as a wonderful atmosphere where we gather to hear and discuss the role of our own faith, experience and how it shapes us,” Osorio said. “My takeaway from this event is that sometimes we do not know what our calling is right off the bat. Our wonderful speaker [Dr. Karen Vahey] is a true testament of that through her story and experience as a first-generation college student, which led to finding her calling of wanting to have a lasting impact on others and doing good for the community with the same looks that helped her.”

Members of the Black Student Union (BSU) had come together to volunteer for the final event of mission week, God’s Love We Deliver. The Quadrangle spoke to Cleanna Cardoza, events coordinator of BSU, about the idea of getting involved in these service events as a Manhattan College

student.

“I guess this just shows how involved college students are,” Cardoza said. “Growing up, I was always given the impression that college students are in their own bubble or selfish. However, when these opportunities are brought to college students, we love to go and help out while learning about people that may have different needs or ways of living than ourselves. It kind of defies that stereotype that I used to hear in my life.”

Mission Week 2024 created many opportunities for students to get involved on and off campus while connecting with the Lasallian origins of Manhattan College. Manhattan College students can anticipate this series of events again next April, as Mission Week remains at the heart of Manhattan College.

Elizabeth Kalaj Web Editor

Memory Wall Created During the Founder’s Day Celebration on the Quad. @MC_CMSA / INSTAGRAM

Faculty Seminar led by Br. William Mann on the Lasallian values at MC. @MC_ CMSA /

Voices on the Quad: Jaspers Gather on Campus Quad to View Partial Solar Eclipse

Jocelyn Visnov Senior Writer

A rare solar eclipse could be seen in the sky on April 8, 2024. According to the Bronx Times, New York City had nearly 90% sun coverage during the eclipse, with the path of totality covering parts of western New York, just hours from campus.

Students, faculty and administrators gathered on the quad with eclipse glasses in hand to view the partial eclipse during its peak at 3:25 PM.

Christian Danial Sophomore Mechanical Engineering Major

The Quadrangle: What did you think about the eclipse today?

Christian Danial: I think the sun got a little bit darker. And this is the most people I’ve seen in the quad ever, to be honest.

TQ: Can you tell us about your eye gear?

CD: Well, I am a welder by trade, so I just pulled it out of my shop. It kind of works, but it turns out it’s not as good as the

sunglasses. But you actually could see it [the eclipse] and you don’t go blind, at least.

TQ: Is there anything else you would like to add about the eclipse viewing today?

CD: I was supposed to be in class a half an hour ago, but I wanted to see the eclipse and I’m headed there now. Other than that, what a great day to be a Jasper!

Jeff Cherubini Professor of Kinesiology

The Quadrangle: What was it like to view the eclipse on the quad today?

Jeff Cherubini: I thought it was great. And really the best part is just seeing everyone out on the quad again, it’s awesome. Just a great day to be out here with everyone.

TQ: Did the eclipse affect your teaching schedule today?

JC: I had classes earlier today, then again later this evening. So no, it did not affect my teaching schedule.

Samantha Pavlick Junior Political Science Major

Jeff Cherubini and his colleagues. JOCELYN VISNOV / THE QUADRANGLE

The Quad: What did you think about viewing the eclipse on the Quad today?

Samantha Pavlick: It was pretty cool! I didn’t think it was going to be that interesting. But I was actually surprised to see it.

TQ: What do you think about the attendance on the quad here today?

SP: I’m shocked that there’s so many people. I feel like I’ve never seen so many people at our school gathered at one place. It’s cool to see people actually interested in something.

TQ: Is there anything else you would like to add?

SP: Go science!

Jack Teady Sophomore Civil Engineering Major

The Quad: How do you feel about the eclipse today?

Jack Teady: It was really cool. It was really great to see everybody come together on the quad. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many people together in one place

on this campus. And I don’t remember the last eclipse very well, so this one was awesome. Very exciting.

TQ: What’s it like viewing the eclipse with everyone here on campus?

JT: I think everybody was super excited. I think there’s a little bit of disappointment, not getting in the path of like a total solar eclipse. But I think overall, people were super excited just to like, have something exciting and to come together.

Jack Teady enjoying the eclipse on the quad. JOCELYN VISNOV / THE QUADRANGLE

Christian Danial watching the eclipse with the help of his welder’s mask.

VISNOV

SDT APP and DKE Coming Together for the First Time to Host a Spring Formal

Catherine Diakou Staff Writer

Manhattan College’s Greek life organizations have come together to plan a joint formal that will be taking place this spring.

While Sigma Delta Tau (SDT) has been planning and hosting formals for years, it was only recently that Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) and Alpha Pi Phi (APP) decided to do the same.

After starting to have separate events going on at once, the executive boards from SDT, DKE and APP all decided that it would be worth trying to combine the events.

“It wasn’t really efficient to do two in the same semester and we built such a great relationship that we thought it was time that we come together and do one,” DKE’s president, Jake Steinweiss, said.

Attendance between two events was also a big issue when it came to separating the formals. Many individuals

didn’t want to spend the money to attend back-to-back events.

“We thought it would be easier and less hassle if we just combined it so everyone looked forward to just one main thing as opposed to deciding if they’re going to go to one or both and not having enough money for it,” ] J.J. Lotardo, DKE’s social chair, said.

Although the joint event had been an idea in the past, it ended up coming together this semester with the new executive board members, who were announced this past winter break.

“There never really was an opportunity with our old e-board, it just didn’t come up,” VP of Risk Reduction for SDT, Olivia White said. “It’s a very new thing, we’re just kind of testing out the waters to see if it works.”

Planning the event across three separate organizations was a new process for everyone involved. Lotardo explained what it was like working with the other Greek life organizations.

“It honestly worked out

DKE members at past formal event. HANNAH BURGOYNE / COURTESY

well, it is a little more hectic dealing with more people but with more hands on deck it makes it easier to plan,” Lotardo said.

Steinweiss furthered the conversation, speaking on the financial aspect involved with planning.

“A lot of different budgeting was involved, it was definitely hard to make all of our bank accounts match,” Steinweiss said. “We are all very different-sized organizations but we broke everything down percentagewise and we were able to come up with a fair number for everyone [each organization] to pay based on the amount of tickets that they’d be taking.”

Both Lotardo and Steinweiss agreed that planning for this year’s event has been going smoother in comparison to last spring.

“It’s a little difficult with

the numbers but ultimately, if we can pull it off, it’s going to be a very fun time,” Steinweiss said.

Jamie Robbins, vice president of APP, also spoke about the chance to attend the joint formal.

“I’m excited to put a dress on for once, for school you don’t get many chances to put your heels on, put a pretty little dress on and go have fun,” Robbins said.

With all the work these students have been putting into planning the big event, they’re all excited to see it come together in the end.

“Just seeing it all work out, It’s been a lot of work, no one’s ever done a formal this big,” Steinwiess said. “So just seeing everyone in one place enjoying and having a good time would be very rewarding to me.”

The event will take place

at 5th & Mad, a distinguished venue in the center of Manhattan.

APP president at a past formal event. JAMIE ROBBINS / COURTESY

MC’s Annual Spring Fest Brought Sweet Treats and Bull Riding

Angelina Perez Arts & Entertainment Editor/ Engagement Editor

On the first weekend of April, Manhattan College’s annual Spring Fest took place so students could enjoy time on the quad with their fellow Jaspers, bouncy castles, food and more.

Students rode the mechanical bull, timing each other in an attempt to break each other’s records while a DJ played the top hits from the 2000s to now.

Sophomore civil engineering student Sean Hunnewell told The Quadrangle how the fraternity he is pledging, Delta Kappa Epsilon [DKE], was sponsored by the company Red Bull during Spring Fest. They had a station on the quad where they gave out sunglasses and different flavors for free to students and staff members.

“Red Bull has teamed up with [DKE] to show Manhattan College how great Red Bull can be,” Hunnewell said. “We were offered Red Bull, and in exchange, we helped them run a hydration station on the quad.”

In past years, Spring Fest provided lawn games and activities for students to engage with during the afternoon, with a concert occurring in Draddy

Gymnasium at night. This year was the first year without such a concert.

“There’s no concert afterward which a lot of students were looking forward to but we have food on the quad this year and great weather,” Hunnewell said. “It’s early, but it’s already been a good Spring Fest.”

Hunnewell explained the importance of prioritizing activities over artists, who take up a significant portion of the Spring Fest budget annually.

“I don’t know what our budget is like, but there’s not a ton of artists that I’d be interested in seeing, so I think we should do more to improve the quad or give us more options,” Hunnewell said. “Getting a musician at the end only makes a couple of kids happy, not many people.”

Seniors Devyn Barram, Liam Rayder and Morgan Schuyler reflected on their last Spring Fest, sharing their favorite moments from past ones they have spent together.

“I never know what to expect with Spring Fest, it’s different every year,” Schuyler said. “It’s bittersweet, this being the last one.”

Students laughed with each other and sat around the quad in lawn chairs on the steps leading up to the Chapel of De La Salle and his Brothers.

“I like how it’s a holiday for [MC students] to show their faces on the quad,” Barram

A group of Jaspers enjoying Spring Fest. ANGELINA PEREZ / THE QUADRANGLE

said. “Everyone is in the same place, regardless of whether or not they find it lame.”

After a three-year hiatus from Spring Fest back in 2022, where the group Two Friends performed, and rapper NAV in 2023, students could rely on one thing staying the same: the mechanical bull.

“It rained last year, and everyone was falling off the bull,” Rayder said. “Including myself.”

MC’s student government worked all year to put on an event for the Jasper community

to celebrate the end of the spring semester, with only a few weeks left.

“Kudos to the students who worked on this,” Schuyler said. “Thanks for doing this even though we have no money.”

In what is usually administration parking, Mister Softee’s ice cream truck had students lined up to get cones of their favorite flavors and toppings. Rayder told The Quadrangle this was his favorite part of the day.

“I would like to have seen food trucks rather than like a

station,” Schuyler said. “They could have had it be similar to an event that occurred our sophomore year where at least six food trucks lined up in the Kelly parking lot,” Schuyler said.

Students can look forward to next year’s Spring Fest, which will inevitably once again be filled with good vibes brought to them by their fellow Jaspers.

Students giving out Red Bull on the quad. ANGELINA PEREZ / THE QUADRANGLE

A mechanical bull was available for students to ride. ANGELINA PEREZ / THE QUADRANGLE

Professor Daniel Garcia Performs in the FacultySeriesRecital

Karen Flores Staff Writer

Daniel Garcia, adjunct professor of music and theater, was the second faculty member to perform as part of the Faculty Recital Series on March 26.

The performance featured classical guitar compositions from Spain as well as Latin America. Garcia spoke to The Quadrangle about the repertoire chosen.

“I’m from Madrid, Spain, and I like to play music from Spain and Latin America,” Garcia said. “I enjoy playing this the most because we can make a difference from other players who didn’t play their music. Every couple of months, I learn and pick up new pieces of music, or I go back to music

I played in the past and just bring it back to life. It depends on what kind of program I want to put together.”

The repertoire included compositions by Luis de Narváez, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Manuel Ponce, Agustín Barrios and Antonio Ruiz-Pipó and was followed by a reception.

Garcia said having this series exposes students to different types of music and he thinks students should take advantage of seeing live music on campus.

“I always tell students to take advantage of being students because once you’re not a student, nothing’s free,” Garcia said. “I think students can get exposed to different styles of music, especially guitar. Everybody connects the guitar with rock, and many students have never even heard classical guitar music. So it’s good to display music on campus and share what our department does.”

Mark Pottinger, Ph.D., department chair of the music and theater department, said that this series was created to showcase the expertise of the

professors while also giving students the chance to come and enjoy live music.

“This series comes directly from the faculty who want to share their musical expertise and the students who have been wanting an opportunity to see the mastery of the professors who they have learned from and take lessons with during class and within ensembles like orchestra, jazz band, singers, and others,” Pottinger said.

This semester is the premier of the series. Pottinger hopes that the series continues to grow and allow the faculty to showcase their hard work to students and the campus community while also being celebrated.

“We hope to have at least two recitals per semester,

one in the earlier half of the semester and one in the latter,” Pottinger said. “We give the faculty an opportunity, not only to present, but we try to honor that with the reception following the performance and allow them to be celebrated for what they present.”

Nicholas Moretti, a sophomore sound studies major, believes that this series is a good way to share musical art with people. He enjoyed seeing his guitar professor share his talent with the campus community.

“Music is art. I’m all about public art sharing,” Moretti said. “The human element in a performance is something powerful and important. As a student, it’s inspirational to see Professor Garcia using the

same techniques he teaches me every day in his own performance. He’s changed my playing for the better.”

Victoria Laing, a sophomore digital media arts major, hopes that these kinds of performances continue to happen and that displaying and showcasing different art forms around campus becomes normal.

“I hope they continue doing this and get more professors involved with it to the point where it is normal to have professional showcases around campus,” Laing said. “Hopefully other departments also showcase the other types of art that their faculty may want to showcase to students. Opportunities to see [their talents] allow students to see

why this person is teaching them and add to the respect students and professors have for each other. It’s inspiring.”

Daniel Garcia, adjunct music professor, has been playing guitar for more than 40 years and teaching at MC for 15 years.

DANIEL GARCIA / COURTESY

MC’s Performing Arts Groups Put on Annual Spring Concert

Manhattan College Singers, Orchestra and Manhattones took the stage at The Chapel Of De La Salle and His Brothers on Apr. 7 with an unforgettable performance. The annual showcase left the audience in awe, resulting in a long-lasting standing ovation immediately after their final piece.

With doors opening at 3:30 p.m. and the concert commencing shortly after at 4:00 p.m., MC’s acapella group, Manhattones, opened with a performance of “Ebb Tide,” arranged by Tim Waurick.

Performances varied as they continued, including “Autumn Song” by the MC Orchestra’s vice president Grace Dillon on the flute and sophomore Amaya Hill on the clarinet, followed by Gloria, Op 103, No. 3 (RV589)’ written by Antonio Vivaldi and performed by the orchestra and singers.

Dillion told The Quadrangle about the personal touch students feel being able to pick pieces with the conductor.

“This was like a comeback concert for us,” Dillion stated while ensuring the performers’ comeback was not only present but permanent for the events to come as they continue to leave their mark through all they showcase to MC’s community.

The singers exhibited undeniable talent, demonstrating such through their unique take on song choice alongside the creative process that followed the making of their 2024 annual spring concert.

Ava Cruz, president of the orchestra, mentioned how student singers were responsible for the song choices this year.

“We got to pick them for the first time ever,” Cruz said. “It was inspiring that we could have young minds put together a brilliant repertoire.”

Their new take on creative directory surrounds the intention to introduce a new yet profound connection with the audience before them.

MC’s Singers incorporate tremendous excitement in their performance and projection as what they transmit to their audience has dictated their approach to the show they put on every year.

Director of Performing Arts

Andrew Bauer emphasized the importance of the impact of performers during this year’s concert alongside the addition of innovative inclusivity.

The closing piece, “Bésame Mucho,” arranged by Kirby Shaw, was a prime example of

MC Singers’ New and Improved Spring Concert. LEYLA J MERCARDO / THE QUADRANGLE such.

“We haven’t sung Spanish before, so that’s something new and different that we can say we did,” Bauer said. “We’ll be doing more of that as the population of Hispanic students grows. I think we need to be very inclusive of that and be inspired by it, and all the great things that come out of that community.”

The program continuously sees the importance of assuring that all voices are heard and included, especially through the music it presents to the student body.

“What inspires me the most about the students is how they build community, and they do

it through their artistic talents and their commitment. They do it with such joy, perseverance and hard work,” Bauer added. Such qualities displayed themselves through the singers’ art, leading to a gravitated audience full of ecstatic individuals who are more than ready for next year’s spring concert. The MC Players are excited to hone their skills and take next year’s concerts to the next level!

Leyla Mercado Staff Writer

Jasper Games of the Week: April 8 to April 12

Manhattan Jaspers

Softball:

Manhattan College sports opened up this week on April 9, when the Jaspers took on Fairfield in the first two games of a three-game series at Fairfield. The Jaspers came out victorious 4-2 in the first game but fell 7-2 in the second game.

The scoring came early for the Jaspers as Maddy Weir hit a two-run home run to give the Jaspers an early lead, scoring her along with Gabriella Mazzotta. After a triple from Lindsey Hoag in the following at-bat, Sophia Kisloski was able to drive her in making the score 3-0 in the top of the first. In the third inning, the Jaspers had the bases loaded but were only able to add one run after a sacrifice fly by Kiseloski.

The Stags tagged two runs in the bottom of the third inning, but the scoring stopped there as Mollie Charest threw 6 ⅔ inning and struck out nine as Ava Metzger shut the door on the Stags. The second game of the doubleheader was quite different.

The Stags came out swinging in the second game as the match began with an RBI single in the first and would add more insurance in the second with one run and the score stood at 2-0 in favor of the Stags at the end of the second.

In the top of the fifth inning, there was an opportunity for the Jaspers to tie the game as Anissa Villalobos hit a single, scoring two runs. The tie did not last long as the Stags scored three runs in the bottom of the inning resulting in a 5-2 lead. The Stags continued to tally runs in the sixth as they extended their lead to five after a two-run RBI double.

In the rubber match of the three-game set, we saw a very tight game, but the Stags came out on top after a great hitting display by second baseman Morgan Sylvestre of the Stags as she hit 3-4 with one RBI.

It was quite the slow game offensively for both teams heading into the fifth inning

#19 Vincent Davis, INF/RHP Celebrating With His Team. GOJASPERS.COM / COURTESY

as the game was 2-0 Stags. The Jaspers would break the scoring open as a team got a carousel of singles together to put the Jaspers up 3-2 in the middle of the fifth.

Unfortunately, the lead would not last long as the Stags had an RBI groundout to put them back up. The lead would remain in the hands of the Stags for the rest of the game as a late rally in the seventh would not be enough.

Manhattan Jaspers

Baseball:

The Jaspers looked to snap their four-game skid back home against Iona, and they did so in style. The bats came alive after the third to help the Jaspers come out with a muchneeded win after a rough series versus Saint Peter’s.

After a swiped bag by Drew Wyers, Chase Swain was able to drive him in with an RBI single to get the scoring started in the first. After a third-inning rally by the Gaels, the Jaspers were down 3-1 heading into the first.

After the three-run third, Greg Shaw came in and pitched an absolute gem, throwing six innings, allowing five hits, one earned run and seven strikeouts.

The one run would be the only offense the Gaels would see on their end, but the offense for the Jaspers was only getting started when Shaw took the mound. Trevor Hansen came up to bat in the fourth and hit a two-run home run to tie the game at three. Vincent Davis in the next inning hit a two-run home run to put the Jaspers up by two.

In the next inning, Hansen thought one home run was not enough, so he decided to hit another in the sixth to put the Jaspers up by three. The offense continued to roll as the lead got up to seven after Davis’ second home run of the game put the Jaspers up seven.

The offense kept thriving in the eighth inning, swinging the lead to eight until Hansen decided he was not done and wanted to put the cherry on top by adding another home run to his two to put Jaspers up 10. The final score of the game was 14-4.

Manhattan Jaspers Men’s Lacrosse:

The only game this week for the men’s lacrosse team would come against Long Island University (LIU) in a high-scoring contest with their four-game win streak on the

line. A late insurance goal by the Sharks with two minutes left in the fourth quarter resulted in their first Jasper loss in four games.

The first quarter started quite well for the Jaspers as Kyle Gucwa scored three goals by 6:46 in the first quarter. The Sharks bit back by scoring four unanswered goals to have them up in the first with a score of 5-3.

Gucwa secured his fourth and final goal in the second quarter but another run by the Sharks extended their lead to 8-4 with under seven minutes to play. The Jaspers fought back at the end of the second scoring three consecutive goals, with goals by Quinn Bowler, Kelly DuPree and James Hogan.

The third period was tight the whole way as goals were traded back and forth but as the third quarter came to a close, the Sharks scored two goals with less than a minute left in the quarter. Unfortunately, the outscoring in the fourth was not enough and the Sharks came out victorious 13-12.

Manhattan Jaspers

Women’s Lacrosse:

The Jaspers began the game in quite the skid, but hoped to come out of the

trench they’ve been in the last few games to beat Canisius. Unfortunately, after a big third quarter by the Griffs, the Griffs were able to come out victorious with a final score of 12-7.

The Jaspers were able to score first in the game after a goal by Ava Fernandes. The Griffs were able to tally two goals to end the first to put them up one at the end of the first. The scoring rolled into the second quarter as the Griffs added three more goals before the Jaspers were able to score one.

Despite being down by four, the Jaspers found themselves back in the game with goals by Reagan Mullins and Julianna Iovine. After a goal by both the Griffs and the Jaspers, the score heading into the second half was 6-4 Canisius.

The third quarter was the difference in the game, as the Jasper defense allowed five goals in the quarter, and the offense was only able to answer with one to end the quarter.

After a large scoring period by the Griffs in the third, the scoring calmed down as the Jaspers scored two and the Griffs scored one - ultimately resulting in a victory by the Golden Griffs.

Isaiah Rosario Sports Editor

Manhattan College Dance and Cheer Teams Collaborate for Pre-Nationals Showcase

Mary Haley Asst. Features Editor/Social Media Editor

The Manhattan College cheer team and the Jasper Dancers are heading down to Daytona Beach, Florida to compete in the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) and National Dance Alliance (NDA) Collegiate Nationals Competition. This makes the twelfth consecutive year that the Jasper Dancers are competing in Daytona

Beach, and the first year ever for the cheer team to be competing at this level. Both teams did a “Spirit Showcase” on April 7 of their routines in Draddy Gymnasium to not only practice what they’ve been working on throughout the school year to a live audience, but to also give the college community a peek into what will be shown down south. The dance team presented two dances twice: their jazz routine, to an orchestra cover of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics, and their hiphop routine to “Lean Back” by

True Story, featuring Fat Joe and Remy Ma. The cheer team was invited to the showcase for the first time to show their routine to a mix of songs about “making history” to celebrate the fact that it’s the first time Manhattan College Cheer will be going to nationals.

Daniela Beggins, a thirdyear management student, has competed at cheer nationals before, but it is her first time representing the Jaspers on a national stage.

“I’m very proud to get to nationals with this team,” Beggins said. “There was a lot of hard work and sweat and

tears put into [this routine]. It’s a feeling you cannot even describe. I wouldn’t have even thought we were at the point [to go to nationals] in August.”

While both teams rehearse their routines and dances for nationals, they are also busy during the year cheering and dancing on the sidelines of basketball games and other athletics events.

Olivia Anderson, a freshman biology major on the cheer team, explained to The Quadrangle the beginning-toend process of a routine from when the process of learning it starts and how the practices become more complicated to preparing the performance for a national-level competition.

“[The process] started at the beginning of September,” Anderson said. “We thought we were just doing basketball season and the MAAC, but then Nationals were introduced to us. We had to do camps and training that none of us had prepared for to be able to come to nationals. Then our practices started getting more intense [and changed to] multiple times a week for longer hours. That’s when the routine had started to get built or when we had to change it. We were able to bring it all together for nationals.”

As for the Jasper Dancers, this year’s competition isn’t their first rodeo. Taylor Post and Lizz Henrich, coaches for the Manhattan College dance team over these past three years, are especially confident about their ability to see success at this year’s competition with the techniques they have honed in on this season.

“This year more than ever, we took the time to really break down each routine and take more time than ever to get granular with the counts and the specific feet they’re supposed to be on,” Post said. “We spaced out the floor in panels and focused on what panel they’re supposed to be on and how far from the line, like if it’s a half or third away. To the common eye, you may not realize how granular we’re

getting.”

During nationals, dance performances are based on a raw score out of 100 given by judges. Each category is scored out of 10, and then the judges will score teams individually and average the scores. The top 60% of routines will move on to finals based on the competition level and scores of other teams.

“It gets very nervewracking,” Henrich said.

Shortly after both teams arrive on Wednesday, dance has a practice session after checking in. On Thursday there are jazz preliminaries followed by potential jazz finals. Friday has jazz finals if they advance, as well as hip-hop preliminaries, with hip-hop finals on Saturday. Finally, after competing and practicing, cheer and dance have a celebration dinner planned for Saturday after the final competition, where team members, coaches, family and friends are welcome to celebrate the nationals weekend and the work the teams have been dedicated to for the past school year.

Post explained what this dinner and the entire weekend means to her and the team as an end to this year’s season.

“This was a difficult year for us,” Post said. “We are just really proud of the team for staying focused and overcoming [the difficulties]. They’ve worked so hard, and I think it’s really going to pay off.”

The Manhattan College Cheer Team takes on their first nationals. EMILY GIANNI / COURTESY