the Quadrangle
ManhattanUniversityhostedtheirannualspringcareerfairthispastTuesday,Feb. 18. Studentshadtheopportunitytospeakandnetworkwithemployers. @MANHATTAN.EDU / INSTAGRAM
toStudentsTraveltoAlbany AdvocateforStudentAid
Andrew Mannion Sports Editor
On Tuesday, Feb. 11, Manhattan University students traveled to Albany, NY to advocate against student aid cuts in the state budget. They engaged with state legislators in an effort to increase educational aid funding.
Some of the funds they went to advocate for included the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) grants, the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) and Bundy Aid, which provides financial support to private institutions like Manhattan University. There are a multitude of students at MU who benefit from the financial aid funds that are allocated throughout the state.
The students traveled up with other schools, including
Advocate for Student Aid pg. 3
Fordham University and the University of Mt. Saint Vincent to show a united front. President of Student Government and attendee Jazi Riley spoke on the time in Albany for the group.
“We went and met with different assemblymen and senators in the New York Senate to talk about different student opportunity aid programs,” Riley said. “It was one-on-one meetings with the assemblymen; there were about 10 different ones and their aids and we were with other schools. We just talked about the programs on our campus.”
Their words were heard among the legislators, as they sat down with MU and the other schools and were noticeably attentive to what the students had to say about the importance of funding. Vice President of Academic Affairs
Audrey Daniels spoke on one experience she had with a
Introduces New Quant Society pg. 5
legislator.
“There was one assemblyman who was new,” Daniels said. “He had only been there for about five weeks, and so he was really interested in the details of what we had to say. That was probably the most rewarding thing, because he wasn’t really sure about all of it. So we got to talk to him in detail about it.”
Advocating for causes like these are very important, especially in the realm of public policy and education funding.
Margaret Groarke, Ph.D., spoke about this idea, as she helped the students in Albany get their points across about the importance of funding higher education.
“That’s something that everybody should know how to do, and it’s something I teach in my Roots: Government class,” Groarke said. “Everybody
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Angelina Persaud Senior Writer
Manhattan University’s Senate convened for their first meeting of the 2025 spring semester and highlighted the multifaith prayer space in Kelly Commons, concerns with fitness center maintenance and a new campus safety program with local businesses, among other updates.
The senate began by welcoming two new senators to the committee including provost Kenneth Sumner, Ph.D., and associate professor of chemistry James McCullogh, Ph.D.
The first report came from the educational affairs committee where Sumner addressed key concerns regarding access to Moodle sites, the advanced placement (AP) score policy for incoming freshmen and the transfer credit policy. Concrete details for AP scores and the new transfer credit policy will be discussed further at a future senate meeting.
“The transfer credit policy for off campus courses was also reviewed and there will be continuing discussion,” Sumner said. “There’s an AP score policy that was voted and approved that deals with AP scores and articulation to specific courses within the curriculum.”
Kristell Lowe, vice president of student life, noted that the prerequisites to apply to be a RA were revamped from the previous years, including raising the minimum GPA from 2.5 to 3.0 for applicants and requiring that they have lived on campus for at least one
semester.
“We want to do a better job at developing the RAs, and we want them to really make the best of those senior leaders in the making positions,” Lowe said. “We also want to be able to support our students better in the residence halls.”
She also noted that there were 70 total applications for RAs this year, with 63 total candidates being invited to next stage interviews following the group interview.
“We received 70 applications,” Lowe said. “65 of those applicants qualified and met all the requirements and were invited to participate in what we call group process day, which is a group activity where we give them challenges and things to solve, and we can observe and see how they work together. Out of the 65 invited to participate in group process days, 63 participated and are [now] being invited to interview.”
In terms of breaks, Lowe noted that the residence halls will close for spring break in March but remain open for Easter break in April, as a way to provide accessibility and comfort for students who wish to remain on campus.
“One of the areas for improvement that was covered with me when I took on the role was really the goal to make it easy for students to feel at home and make it easy for them to enjoy being in the residence halls,” Lowe said. “So we will treat Easter break like a long weekend for them.”
Lowe also noted that improvements are underway for responsiveness to work orders placed by both residents and staff to Aramark,
Volume CXI, Issue 6
FEBRUARY 25, 2025
The Editorial Board
Grace Cardinal Editor-in-Chief
Emmanouel Sofillas Managing Editor
Brooke Della Rocco News Editor
Laili Shahrestani Features Editor Mary Haley Asst. Features Editor
Leyla Mercado Arts & Entertainment Editor
Asst. Sports Editor
Amy Forster Asst. Production Editor
Mary Haley Marketing Chair
LETTER from the EDITOR
Dear Readers,
Andrew Mannion Sports Editor
Barbara Vasquez Production Editor
Web Editor
Gencarelli Faculty Advisor
About The Quadrangle
A tradition since 1924, The Quadrangle is a news organization run by the students of Manhattan University. 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 University 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 4.12. All are welcome to come and join the club.
Connect with The Quadrangle mcquad.org @mu_quad @mu_quad mcquad
Hello, and welcome to issue 6! I’m so glad you’ve joined us for yet another week of journalism.
On campus, we are kicking off exam season. Many students are gearing up for midterms in the coming weeks before spring break, and working overtime to get their preparations done. With the stress on campus, MU has once again brought back our annual Wellness Day, which will be celebrated tomorrow with cancelled classes, free activities and mental health education. This day is incredibly important to provide students with resources as we head into one of the most stressful times of the semester.
One of the reasons I am so excited about this issue is because we once again (for the first time since 2022!) are publishing an opinion piece from one of our writers! Opinion Editorials are a way for our writers, as well as members of the community, to comment on the issues most important to them. This provides me the perfect opportunity to remind you all that we can, and do, publish OpEds and Letters-to-theEditor from members of our community! If you find yourself with something you think needs to be published in our paper, always feel free to submit to thequad@manhattan.edu.
In addition to our OpEd this week, we have some wonderful stories to bring to you. In news, we bring you the highlights from the first Manhattan University Senate meeting of the semester, along with an overview of Advocacy Day that some of our students recently attended in Albany. In features, we cover MU’s newest club, Quant Society, a lecture on AI from Engineering Week and a guest speaker on climate coopetition. In A&E, we bring you Manhattan Magazine’s call for submissions, MU’s upcoming One Acts and a Jasper Jams. Lastly, in sports, we bring you an update on what’s new in athletics coming 2026 and a Games of the Week overview. We hope you’ll check it all out!
Until next time,
Owen McWalters
Barbara Vasquez
Thom
ManhattanUniversitySenateMeetingHighlights NewPrayerSpace,JasperSafePathandMore
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which includes processing outstanding work orders every Monday and a satisfaction survey sent after each completed order.
“As of the last two months that has been a focus for us, collaborating with Craig [Collins], the VP of facilities, on holding accountability meetings with Aramark facilities, both with their on campus team and with their regional leadership team,”
Lowe said. “We want to see improvement in terms of cleanliness, responsiveness and problem resolution to work orders. We’re looking for satisfaction surveys to be activated so everybody who enters a work order, will receive a satisfaction survey once the work order is fulfilled. It’d be a great way for us to receive and digest all of the feedback.”
Lowe also noted that among the variety of student life events planned for Jasper Day of Wellness on Feb. 26, the search still continues to fill the vacancy for director of Student Engagement that was previously held by John Bennett.
“As you know, we had a leadership transition with the departure of John Bennett,
[and] the director of Student Engagement position is posted,” Lowe said. “We’ve received a large number of applications. I’m in the process of pre-screening them, interviews will start very soon. It’s all about finding a fantastic candidate, but filling the position quickly. We understand how really critical that role is to success.”
Lowe noted that she has been substituting for the role temporarily and interfacing with student leadership to ensure that events are still being planned and student needs are being met.
“I really wanted to make sure that there would be no gap in coverage and support we give to our students, I took on a large portion of the role in the meantime,” Lowe said. “I personally met with different representatives of student governments with the purpose of understanding where we stand and if they had any initiatives in their work with John Bennett that they wouldn’t want to be slowed down or interrupted.”
Also in terms of student activities and engagement, Lowe explained that part of her goals entail activating and uniting students in the engineering building on south campus, particularly,
commuters, to make them feel more connected. The result of this goal was engineering week, which included department sponsored events and activities.
“In a perfect world, all of our students would get together on the quad,” Lowe said. “The reality is, that’s not the case. [For] The School of Engineering on south campus, more than 70% of our engineering students are commuter students. A lot of them come, they do classes, they do their labs, and then they go home because they have a long commute.”
The multifaith prayer space in Kelly Commons was also refurbished and moved to a more convenient location on the third floor to accommodate the needs of students just in time for the Muslim holiday of Ramadan.
“We recognize through feedback from some of our students that it [fourth floor prayer space] wasn’t the most optimal location because it is at the end of the meeting room,” Lowe said. “So sometimes you have to walk through a meeting to get access to that space, which can be a little awkward for the students or for the meeting attendees. So we are actually in the process of refurbishing it. We’re almost finished with
a beautiful room on the third floor of Kelly Commons, it’s a standalone room, so it’d be very easy to access.”
Mehnaz Afridi, Ph.D., professor of religious studies and director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith (HGI) Education Center on campus, expressed her gratitude for the updated prayer space and the inclusive environment it provides for students.
“I really want to thank Senator Lowe for all her work, especially the multifaith space, which is so important for us as Lasallians, and how quickly she turned that around,” Afridi said. “I’ve been trying for a couple years, and the students are very excited.”
There were also additional days added to orientation week, June 10, 14, 17 and Aug. 21, for newly accepted students, including an incentive for them to complete their prerequisite placement tests to receive their fall semester schedule as early as June.
“August 21 will typically be reserved for students that are from out of state or even international students that may not have the luxury to make their way to us in June,” Lowe said. “The core of orientation day needs to be about building excitement and pride about being a Jasper. Should they
meet all the prerequisites and take all of the placement tests, there’s a very strong possibility for them to leave orientation day with their schedule for the first semester.”
Another issue that arose from student feedback was making campus feel more safe, especially for students walking on the streets surrounding campus. The current initiative is called Jasper Safe Path, which involves partnering with local businesses that are certified “Jasper Safe” and allow students to come inside if they feel uncomfortable on the street.
“[In the event] a student has a need to go in to feel safe, whether it’s a weird interaction on the street or it’s something that doesn’t feel right, we want businesses to work with us to become a safe place,” Lowe said. “Businesses that agree to participate, we receive a decal, and they’ll become officially Jasper safe, and the student can go in, no questions asked, and they will be receiving support.”
The next senate meeting will be held on March 25 in Hayden 409 with President Frederick Bonato and CFO James Perrino expected to be in attendance.
StudentsTraveltoAlbanytoAdvocateforStudentAid
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should be able to stand up for themselves and for things that they care about, and know how to do that effectively. So this is a really good experience in doing that and seeing how the government works. I think it’s also effective in getting colleges and students the support they need.”
As for the students, they feel as if they have done their job in advocating for the student body. Education is important, and the funding for it can be just as important when a student makes their decision to enroll in college. Daniels spoke on how their impact will help Manhattan University and its students.
“There’s a quarter of our student body that benefits from these, from TAP specifically, and there’s about almost 200 students that benefit from CSTEP,” Daniels said.
“Sometimes it’s the difference between being able to earn your degree and not. So having everyone be aware of how important it is to this campus, and to students in general is so important.”
Resi-CommutersManhattanUniversity“MakeNoise”
AboutRiverdalePressArticle
Mary Haley Marketing Chair & Asst. Features Editor
As I walked back home from my afternoon class last Monday, I was greeted by a man on a bicycle, with a handful of newspapers as a “special delivery to the residents who live here” — my apartment building.
Before I could even read the headline, my eyes were immediately drawn to a photo of the same building I was walking into, plastered on the front cover of The Riverdale Press, along with a caption of the full address of my apartment building. I then looked at the title, a question of if myself, my neighbors and my classmates were solely to blame for the described “noise” in the Bronx.
Many of the Manhattan University students that live off campus, but live within a particular radius of MU’s campus (also known as “resicommuters”), that I know, had seen the article, laughed about it and gone about their day.
But what about the students that live in this building?
To say it was jarring to see a photo and the address of my apartment building on the front cover of The Riverdale Press would be an understatement. Quite frankly, it makes me fearful for my safety.
A few other anonymous female tenants have similar feelings about the building, and with the publishing of the photo and address, their concerns have become exacerbated. I had the opportunity to swap stories with them.
When they first moved into their unit, they had a few friends come over. While they took photos on a balcony, a stranger saw and came into the building, covering their peephole and telling them he was their friend and needed to be let in. The same person would repeatedly come by and stare into their windows – for a week.
“Like two days before that, I said there was a guy that just kept walking around the front of the building, like, I wonder if he lived here,” an anonymous female tenant said. “It just made it creepy for them to know, this might be a college apartment, or these might just be two girls alone in this apartment.”
After my roommates and I
were robbed over the summer, I’ve always been on high alert about my general day-to-day behavior in the apartment building. As soon as we returned to campus after having almost all of our belongings stolen, my roommates and I immediately bought a ring camera that supervises the people coming in and out, and “the noise” that “reaches intolerable levels,” as described by The Riverdale Press article.
Two student tenants who also asked to remain anonymous touched on this in a text conversation with me, one of them having lived there longer than the tracked duration of the noise - which the article cites as having been recorded for “over a year” by a local not associated with the university.
“Firstly, I would like to acknowledge that the article is not only a gross misinterpretation of the type of noise that occurs at the property, but also makes claims that are entirely false and could have been avoided with a simple Google search,” the anonymous tenant wrote. “The property is in no way affiliated with Manhattan University, in its entirety aside from the fact
that some units are rented by students. The gatherings that occur are within the bounds of the student code of conduct and New York City’s ‘Quiet hours’ policy, and times that were not have already been resolved with the university and local law enforcement that have notified us of the complaints. Not a single resident at the address has ever felt the need to even mention noise, let alone going to the extent of lying on behalf of the residents and school through the avenue of a neighborhood newspaper. We are not in pain, we do not need help, we are not trying to terrorize the neighborhood, we are trying to enjoy our time at school, since when is that a crime?”
Now, I understand the complaints of noise, as I didn’t grow up in a neighborhood where you could hear a pin drop. In fact, most MU students didn’t. It’s the Bronx. It can be loud and disruptive, but there’s also 1.4 million people in this borough trying to live their lives as best they can, at all different times of the day and night. As a resident of this building, I can attest to how my neighbors have put their best efforts forth to coexist with
one another, with the university and with city-wide policies.
It is very disheartening to me that an esteemed, Pulitzer Prize winning publication would publish a photo of a student dominated apartment building — with the address — on the front page of their newspaper. In fact, this is not even the first time it has happened.
In the fall of 2021, The Riverdale Press published another article about the same plea – and another photo of the steps of a house rented by students, with the address mentioned multiple times throughout the article.
“If the noise is affecting people, something should be done, yeah. But I don’t like the way that we were put on the forefront of everything,” another tenant said. “Being blamed is more of speculation. And then on top of that, it makes other people in the building kind of targeted to the noise, even if we’re not contributing to the noise. And then on top of that, it puts us in danger, with everyone knowing that this is a college apartment.”
MU’s New Quant Society QuantitativeTalksFinance
Brooke Della Rocco News Editor
Manhattan University’s new Quant Society held their introductory meeting this past Wednesday, with a major focus on skill development within quantitative finance.
Quantitative finance explores the intersection of both finance and mathematics by using mathematical models, statistics and programming to analyze financial markets. Because quantitative finance is the foundation of modern trading, it requires data-driven decision making in order to help dissect pricing assets, manage risk and optimize portfolios.
Co-founder and President Nathan Noble, as well as cofounder and Vice President Robert Reatz, are both doublemajors in mathematics and finance. During their opening presentation, they discussed why a student may be interested in pursuing a career in quantitative finance.
“I would say the thing that pops out to people immediately is the high earning potential,” Reatz said. “It’s one of the most profitable parts of the financial world. For that reason, the people who are really good at this; really good at trading, quantitative strategies, make a lot of money [and] very competitive salaries.”
The high earning potential and diverse career path opportunities create an environment that is stimulating and exciting for new and upcoming graduates.
As a club, the Quant Society will be working on new projects ranging every two to four weeks, as well as meeting weekly to discuss the implementation of both mathematics and the financial theory in code.
“We want to give you guys a chance, and for us as well, to actually develop these hard skills,” Noble said. “Get good at programming, practice some math [and] data science. Maybe we’ll do some machine learning stuff. The possibilities are pretty endless with this, but
we really want to give people an opportunity to develop some applied skills.”
Additionally, the Quant Society has arranged for certain networking events to take place throughout the semester in order to allow for the opportunity to speak with people in the industry. While networking, the club also wants to implement simple social events such as a poker tournament or a chess tournament.
The founders arranged for two speakers to attend the introductory meeting and speak with the students about their path within quantitative finance. Joeseph Chionchio and Jack Kelly, both 2020 alumni from Manhattan University, spoke intuitively about how they found their way into this sector of finance.
“Actually, my first introduction to data [was how] Joe and I started a company during the pandemic called Smart Shop, and it was just a pickup on excess online grocery delivery demand,” Kelly said. “We were on the news, and it was pretty awesome…We jerry-rigged Google sheets into our reporting and used that as our reporting infrastructure.
Like I said, super jerry-rigged, but it was my first introduction to real reporting and somewhat of a quantitative analysis.”
Kelly went on to receive his master’s degree in 2021 with a concentration in finance, and secured a job working with Morgan Stanley as a business analyst. He notably remembered how Morgan Stanley’s managing director just so happened to be at his jury duty, and was impressed by his ability to convince one juror that the subject was not guilty, offering him a job on the spot.
“That’s when my data career really just took off,” Kelly said. “I got first hand experience with huge data sets, like billions and trillions of rows. I got to see who Morgan Stanley is doing business with and how much AUM (assets under management) there is, how much net new assets there are and how many net acquired assets there are.”
Kelly left Morgan Stanley earlier in the year and went to
Manhattan University’s Quant Society gathers for their first weekly meeting.
BROOKE DELLA ROCCO / THE
work for a smaller insurance company in Westchester County as a data consultant.
Following the introduction from both guest speakers, students were able to participate in a Q&A to ask for advice or knowledge on the subject.
The Quant Society has opened up a whole new sector of the finance and mathematics majors at MU, and Kelly went on to praise Noble and Reatz for their idea in establishing it.
“The whole world is going this way,” Kelly said. “So the quantitative finance club is a huge addition to Manhattan University, I don’t want to understate that. It’s truly an amazing and lifelong skill that you guys can learn by joining a club like this. So take it and run with it.”
Reatz also went on to share why he feels so passionate about this topic and why he wanted to contribute to the establishment of this club.
“For me personally, what drew me to it was [that] it’s intellectually challenging,” Reatz said. “Every day, you’re using mathematics, you’re using computer science, to handle complex problems…It’s something that will challenge you, keep you stimulated. And you’re not going to get bored.”
Both founders wanted to stress that the club was not
just for finance or mathematics majors, but open to all students of all majors.
“If you feel you don’t have the greatest programming skills, or if you don’t know any programming, we still
QUADRANGLE
encourage you to come,” Noble said. “This is not an exclusive thing by any means. It’s a chance to learn. That’s kind of what we’re here for.”
Society.
The American Society of Civil TakesEngineers on AI in Structural Engineering
Flynn Myers Staff Writer
As a part of National Engineers Week, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) at Manhattan University held a lecture on Feb. 21 in Leo Hall to discuss the future relationships between structural engineering and artificial intelligence. Thornton Tomasetti, a well-respected structural engineering company, had two speakers present their thoughts and concerns regarding AI and its future collaborations with structural engineering.
The presenters, Robert Otani, the chief technology officer of Thornton Tomasetti, and Seyedomid Sajedi, Ph.D., an associate AI and machine learning engineer for the company, went over how to use AI as a tool rather than a
replacement for skills. They shed light on how this can make life easier when applying AI correctly.
AI usage presents many questions due to how integrated it is becoming in day-to-day life, and highlights the idea that technology has become more advanced. Sajedi discussed how their applications to accessing data can speed up processes that usually take a longer amount of time, and how that is beneficial for incoming engineers.
“It’s very important to know what’s happening in the background and what the principles are,” Sajedi said.
“But at the same time, we want to minimize the time you spend behind the computer clicking buttons and becoming operator”
Understanding what AI is coming up with and how it is getting its responses is important for engineers to be aware of in order for them to be
successful, according to Otani. He emphasized that in order to use AI as a tool, individuals must be smart about it, understanding the behind-thescenes of the AI response and what code is being applied.
“If you don’t understand what’s going on behind that calculation, that’s dangerous too,” Otani said. “As an engineer you need to know what codes are used, or what physics analysis is being used.”
The lecture continued with discussing the many benefits of using AI in the structural engineering field. They presented the ideas that if AI is used to help workers, it will in turn benefit them.
“We’re still learning this,” Otani said. “That AI can train people faster, get them to a higher level, much faster”.
Some people have raised their concerns and questions about the future of engineering education, due to many of these modern changes. Anirban
Thornton Tomasetti brought in two speakers to share their thoughts on AI.
De, Ph.D., the interim dean of the School of Engineering, expressed his thoughts of the adaptation that engineering students may have to take within the years to come at Manhattan University.
“Manhattan University’s classes have always tried to follow and understand industry trends and the importance of different topics of disciplines that we have covered in our classes that will keep our students relevant,” De said.
“The future of engineering definitely looks like AI has a large part in it, and we need to figure out what skills our students need.”
Otani shared his thoughts on what the upcoming education changes may look like in order for future engineers to be prepared for their careers.
“Basic principles of engineering and physics are really important to understand
what’s happening behind AI,” Otani said. “But, I also think that understanding, or somewhat understanding, how AI is created is also really important.”
FLYNN MYERS / THE QUADRANGLE
Speakers presented on AI usage FLYNN MYERS / THE QUADRANGLE
Guest Professor Gernot Wagner Presents Lecture on Climate Co-opetition
Elizabeth Kalaj Senior Writer
Gernot Wagner, Ph.D, a climate economist at Columbia’s School of Business, visited Manhattan University to educate students and faculty on the topic of climate co-opetition. In addition to teaching, Wagner has written four books within his expertise, including, “Climate Shock: The Economic Consequences of a Hotter Planet”. He focuses on both climate risks and climate policy.
Wagner shared a unique perspective on the connection between climate issues and the economy. Specifically, he focused on the idea of business co-opetition, in which competing businesses strive towards a similar goal.
Throughout the lecture, Wagner explained the causes of climate change as well as individual and collective affects that people can have on the issue, along with the difficulties of finding solutions through economic systems.
“The trick is finding a way
to solve this now in a somewhat systematic way instead of just storytelling,” Wagner said, “It is finding a way of saying that the price is not right, while at the same time, acknowledging that it is going to be climate technology and climate finance along with entrepreneurs and businesses that are going to solve climate issues.”
Wagner used examples including co-op housing, sports, nobel peace prizes and business organizations to explain the idea of co-opetition. He stressed the idea of competition improving everybody, including the businesses and organizations fighting towards environmentally friendly solutions.
Faculty that attended the lecture added to it by providing their personal perspectives on business co-opetition. Elizabeth Moulton, Ph.D. and an assistant professor of management and marketing, shared her thoughts on the intersection of business, government and strategy.
“I always teach in my classes that the government has its own sphere,” Moulton said. “That is to keep people safe and set the rules of the ‘game’. Business has its sphere which is to innovate
and make things, which the government cannot do on its own. So usually, they seem like fairly separate spheres but if the government sets rules to a game with a mission, then business competition takes over and can figure things out to reach the goal.”
Students who attended the lecture gained insight regarding climate co-opetition. However, they gained even more valuable information that they can transfer to the rest of their careers within the business world.
Christian Hirano, a senior finance major at the MU O’Malley School of Business, spoke about the lessons he learned from this conversation with Wagner.
“His [Wagner’s] explanations of sustainability within different industries really painted a picture of how much competition has contributed to the development of sustainable technologies” Hirano said. “In addition to highlighting that we are in the middle of a major shift in methods of production, it demonstrated that through very different approaches, it is possible to achieve the same end. I will carry this with me by recognizing that just because
something is not being done, that does not mean a cleaner method does not exist, and that which suppliers we choose
from a business perspective will directly shape the future of sustainability products.”
Gernot Wagner, Ph.D., visits Manhattan University to lecture about climate co-opetition. BUSINESS.COLUMBIA.EDU / COURTESY
Manhattan Magazine Puts Out Call For Submissions
Mack Olmsted Senior Writer
Manhattan Magazine, the creative journal on the Manhattan University campus, is currently looking for submissions to showcase in their upcoming edition, which will be published at the end of spring semester.
The magazine has been an active club on campus since the 1970s, when Rocco Marinaccio, Ph.D., an English faculty member and the department chair for Liberal Learning, began the publication.
Manhattan Magazine’s staff collects different student works, including poetry, short stories, or photography alongside other artwork, and then evaluates the different submissions, deciding on what should be approved for publication.
The review process works like a filtering system for the magazine. All of the hopeful submissions are sent to the Manhattan Magazine email and are then reviewed by the team’s submissions editor. After the work is reviewed, it is handed off to the other editors of the magazine anonymously,
to ensure the review process is solely based on the quality of the content alone. Each submission is then reviewed by two different editors, who decide if the work moves to publication, needs revisions, or is rejected altogether.
Manhattan Magazine’s advisor, Adam Koehler, Ph.D. wrote to The Quadrangle acknowledging how some students might feel strange about putting their work out to be published. Kohler wanted to reassure students that the Manhattan Magazine staff is a supportive community that he described as the “perfect place” to send in creative work to.
“It will be met with generosity and curiosity and care,” Koehler wrote in an email to The Quadrangle.
“These student editors are the real deal.”
Senior and Editor-in-Chief of Manhattan Magazine, Amaya Behnsman told The Quadrangle that students who are thinking about submitting their work should not fear the review process.
“Don’t be afraid, artists in general can be their own biggest critic and so usually whatever you’re producing might be better than you think it is, genuinely” Behnsman said.
“So don’t be afraid to share what you have. And there’s never going to be heavy critique… we’re not going to make you feel bad … If anything, it’ll be relieving to share your art.”
Juliana Virdone, a junior digital media arts major and the visual art editor for the magazine, admires all the creativity that the publication displays. She expressed to The Quadrangle that she is proud of the variety of work that the magazine can show off to the public.
“I really honestly like how it’s a good creative outlet, that it’s a little bit different than Lotus or Logos, for example,” Virdone said. “For the magazine, there really doesn’t need to be a prompt or an idea that needs to go through a bunch of steps to be approved, or it doesn’t have to follow a specific vision that is really expected. You just can write something, or create some sort of visual piece, and then submit it to the magazine. So I think it’s really cool that we can have that kind of artistic expression.”
All creative work submissions can be sent to the Manhattan Magazine email, manhattanmagazine@ manhattan.edu by their March 22 deadline.
MU Players Taking Intent Applications for One Acts
Victoria Schiller Senior Writer
Preparation for the spring musical, The Addams Family, has not stopped the MU Players from putting on multiple shows and performances throughout the semester. In early February, Players announced they were accepting overseer and director intents for their annual One Acts performances.
This year’s One Acts consist of six, 10-12 minute long performances, all ranging in genre. The Quadrangle had the opportunity to meet with the chosen overseer and directors to hear a little bit about their anticipated performances and what the MU community can expect.
James Cullen, a junior marketing major, wrote two out of the six scripts for the show and is this year’s One Acts overseer. The Quadrangle asked Cullen about the process and what inspired him to submit an intent for the overseer position.
“My first introduction to Players last year was with the One Acts, that was the first production I ever did,” Cullen said. “I wrote, directed and acted in a piece, and I thought that was a great experience. It was well run last year. Robert Nolan was organizing it and he did a really good job and I just thought if I could make it easier for people who are operating their own pieces, maybe they can get that introduction and experience. I thought it would be nice to help out with that.”
Cullen spoke about the process behind these roles and how final decisions are made.
“It’s all based on intents,” Cullen said. “Directors and overseers both have to put an intent saying why you’re qualified, what you’re going to do, what are your ideas, what are you going to bring to the table. For an overseer, it’s tricky because you don’t have the pieces. You don’t know what’s going to be on stage. Your ideas have to be
broad strokes and mostly just cerebral with planning, why you’re good at that, and why you can make that work, and why, maybe creatively, you have enough experience to work with directors as well. It is the [Players] board that makes the decision.”
Aaron Schoepf and Kevin Cullen are both directing One Acts this year and sat down with The Quadrangle to discuss their performances, the inspiration behind their intent to direct, as well as how the process and preparation has been. Schoepf is a junior English major and production manager for Players. He will be directing “Inconvenient Truth!” for One Acts this year.
“How the shows are done is the directors submit a pitch for the show and the board then decides, depending on time, characters, resources needed, that kind of thing,” Schoepf said. “We usually pick about five or six shows because they’re 10 minutes each and it’s going to even out to about an hour. The directors pick their own shows, but it’s up to the board if that show is done.”
Schoepf has directed and co-directed in the past, and discussed “Inconvenient Truth!”, what students can look forward to and what he is most excited for.
“Inconvenient Truth! is basically a lie detector game show,” Schoepf said. “It follows these two couples, the McLoughlins and the Beeks. They’re asked personal questions and the producer will be like, ‘truth or lie?’ In the beginning it’s very tame, but as the story goes on, they get more personal and it’s basically just a really fun, big and silly show. I’m excited for people to see it. There’s a lot of silly shows in this one. And the great thing about this year is most of the plays are written by students in Players!”
Kevin Cullen is a junior English major with a minor in theater and is the historian for the Players board. With directing experience on and off campus, Cullen spoke about
The Players poster taking intent applications for One Acts.
@PLAYERSMU/INSTAGRAM
how he became director for the One Act titled, “Calico”.
“Mine was written by Olivia Deegan, who is a freshman here,” Cullen said. “She sent me a message right when the acts were announced and said, ‘Hey, I want to write this one act, would you be fine doing that?’ and I said yes. I think it’s great to encourage people to write their own One Acts. It’s another skill set that can be prevalent, but isn’t always as prevalent in the One Acts. Olivia sent her script to me, I made some suggestions, and she took my advice and did such a great job with it. I think it’s a fun little script.”
The Quadrangle asked Cullen about his ideas and the preparation for “Calico”, as well as how rehearsals will work throughout the upcoming weeks.
“It’s kind of a gothic horrorinspired story where there’s two college roommates and one creates a Frankenstein’s monster cat and then the cat starts to manipulate the guy that created him,” Cullen said.
“This strikes me as the kind of One Act that you don’t normally see put on here. A lot more of them are funny or a little more serious, but they’re not horror … I’m in talks with people on how we want to do it … how the
characters progress through the story.”
The director of “Calico” further discussed what scheduling typically looks like for One Act performances.
“When we did this last year, my schedule had three rehearsals before tech week,” Cullen said. “You don’t need too much for the 10 minute plays. Mine might need an extra amount of time because there are very specific things I want to do to make sure everything works out and looks fine.”
Players will be performing their One Acts on the weekend of March 28 and 29.
Kayla Werth Contributor
One thing about me is that I can always be found wearing my headphones or with them in reach. Walking around campus can be chaotic and overwhelming at times, but the music I listen to helps relieve any anxiety I may be feeling at the time. After listening to a variety of music genres, I’ve found a set of songs that sound perfect when wearing a pair of headphones that get me hyped up for my next class or activity.
Mr. Brightside by The Killers
As I press play on my way out of the door in the morning, it’s very likely that I am listening to this jam. Just as popular as this song is, it seems impossible to skip whenever it comes on. Within hearing the first few strums of the guitar, the energy, paired with the upbeat dynamics throughout the song gets me pumped. ‘Mr. Brightside’ has been released for 21 years and throughout its lifetime, it has become a staple for many generations.
Favorite Lyrics: “Destiny is calling me/Open up my
Jasper Jams: Headphone Necessities
eager eyes/‘Cause I’m Mr. Brightside”
Don’t Back Down by Mammoth WVH
If you’re a fan of rock or Eddie Van Halen, you’ll love this song. Written by his son, Wolfgang Van Halen, ‘Don’t Back Down’ has several different beats and sound dynamics. Even if you’re not a fan of the rock genre, take a few minutes to appreciate the many creative instrumental decisions throughout the song. I find myself listening to it most when having a frustrating moment and I just need to remember that it’s okay to go crazy for a moment, because at the end of the day, everything will work out.
Favorite Lyrics: “Take a stand/Don’t Hesitate/Yeah/ Everybody’s going crazy.”
Heaven by Niall Horan
Seeing this song live changed my entire appreciation for Niall Horan’s music. As I listen to the song, I’m instantly taken back to his concert in warm weather. Throughout this song, there is much talent shown through the background vocals. There is almost an anticipation as the drums change beat into the
chorus. This song has a very strong beat and catchy lyrics that I find myself humming to, even when I’m not listening to the song.
Favorite Lyrics:“Lets just enjoy the view/It’s hard to be a human/ So much to put an answer to but that’s just what we do.”
Look How Far You’ve
Come by Joshua Bassett
This song is a bit on the sadder side, but it always reminds me of the accomplishments and obstacles that I’ve overcome to get me to where I am today. There can be many relatable emotions throughout the song. Being a student can be hard at times, but it’s always a good idea to stop, take a minute and take a breath. Some days I need more encouragement than others and this song reminds me to just be thankful for all the ups and downs of life that have made me the person I am.
Favorite Lyrics: “ What goes up comes back down/Just to circle back around/ I know you’re not nearly done when you can’t seem to get back up/ Just look how far you’ve come.”
Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
You can never go wrong with a good Michael Jackson song. The beat can always get one up and dancing within seconds of pressing play. Even 42 years after the song’s release, it remains a fan favorite by many. I always find it so fascinating to listen to the music my parents grew up to and see how it’s still around and popular. There’s also never a bad time to listen to this song, being that, day or night, it instantly brings joy to whatever room or environment you’re in.
Favorite Lyrics: “People always told me, ‘Be careful what you do’/ Don’t go around breaking’ young girls’ hearts/ (hee-hee’)”
Am I Okay? By Megan Moroney
Country music isn’t for everyone, but if you are a fan of pop music I’d give this country song a chance. I’ll admit, I was a little late to the game when discovering this song but I fell in love with the clear balance of vocals and instrumentals. In most country songs, the guitar can be quite overbearing, but when balanced, it creates a smooth rhythm. This is another song where there are multiple emotions but reminds that good things take time
and that patience is important. It’s important to focus on the positives in life and check in on yourself.
Favorite Lyric: “Who knew guys still brought flowers?”
Couldn’t Make It Any Harder By Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter released her ‘Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe)’ album on Valentine’s Day. Once again, Sabrina Carpenter shares her incredible vocal work as this song is more on the slower side but is still very catchy as the tune of ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’ can be heard within the song. The simple lyrics and tune can be soothing, especially when studying for an exam. Throughout the week I’ve been listening to this song when walking to the gym at night, which is a little unusual since I try to hype myself for my workout. Most of the music I listen to on the daily is upbeat, but it’s nice to have a few simpler songs in the mix as well.
Favorite Lyric: “Would’ve folded, but now I can’t now/ Heard this emotion should be kind.”
An Update on New Sports Coming in 2026
Isaiah Rosario Senior Writer
In the summer of 2024, it was announced that three new programs would be added to Manhattan University Athletics: women’s golf, men’s volleyball and acrobatics and tumbling. MU has found coaches for two of the three sports.
Keith Prokop of men’s golf will be coaching the women’s golf program, and Chris Schortgen, a new hire, will head the men’s volleyball program. Both will take on new roles as they build programs from the ground up.
“For me, it goes much, much more beyond volleyball,” Schortgen said about being a founding member of a new program at the university. “I’m the first person in my family to graduate from university due to opportunities of volleyball, and getting a scholarship there … I’m recruiting, and they’re going to be future best friends. They’re going to be changing their lives, the international players, or any player coming from wherever, after this education, the experience, the internships, the post graduate opportunities that this program provides, these are life-changing opportunities that I’m able to provide. That means a lot to me because it goes beyond the core.”
According to Schortgen, there are currently 11 players on the roster for the 2026 season. He feels like he is in a good place and is ecstatic about the upcoming season.
On the flip side, Prokop is unsure about the number of players that he will have on the roster for women’s golf, as he wants to make sure that
he finds the right fit for his new group. Currently, he has five people committed to the program. In terms of what he’s looking for in his new recruits?
“It’s a little mix of everything,” Prokop said. “I’m very much a teacher in that regard, so I need them to be able to be open, honest, coachable and reflective. We go deep into the psychological talks, which is something that I think every golf program should, but not everyone does that. So I need them to be able to be comfortable with being able to talk about the positives and the negatives that go through a golfing career.”
Golf is one of the lesserknown sports at MU, but Prokop and his players believe that this new program and the rising awareness of golf will help bring more eyes to the sport.
“I think the golf culture has been changing over the last few years with the constant improvements we have made each year in the men’s program, but now adding a women’s program will add even more fuel to the culture we are trying to build,” men’s golf player Dimitri Mihelakos wrote in an email to The Quadrangle.
Schortgen is excited to get up and going in the spring of 2026. Although spring 2026 seems like a while away, the team will arrive in fall for training.
Schortgen is excited about the new program, saying that a highlight for him will be seeing players “get assimilated to the institution.”
“I’ve been going on tours with the recruits when I first got hired to just learn about the university,” Schortgen said. “I think as I learned more about the institution and the history and the possibilities and all the
things we’d offer as a product to these student-athletes, then I gained much more confidence and excitement. I’m just excited for the journey and for these players to arrive in August.”
Women’s golf has already seen some community activity,
with a new recruit, Beans Factor, blowing up on social media due her name. Prokop said that her going viral was nice to get a lot of eyes on this new program and great for Factor to get attention on her and her game.
The new teams will continue to recruit to get ready for fall training and the search remains active for a coach to lead the acrobatics and tumbling program.
Chris Schortgen’s announcement post of becoming the head coach of men’s volleyball at MU. @MANHATTANMVBALL / INSTAGRAM
spOrts
Games of the Week
Women’s Lacrosse
After their back-to-back losses this season, women’s lacrosse has switched gears and secured a win against Fairleigh Dickinson University.
The defense took the spotlight in the matchup, helping the Jaspers earn the final score of 5-2.
“Extremely proud of the team’s win today,” Head Coach Jenna Dingler said in a postgame interview with GoJaspers. “Our defensive performance carried us throughout the game. Big stops were made in key moments.”
Junior goalkeeper Danielle Serbinski had a notable game also, with seven saves and a save percentage of .778, a 2025 season high for the athlete.
Baseball
The Jaspers captured their first win of the season against the Alcorn State University Braves this past week on Feb. 18 - the first career victory for interim Head Coach Steve Rosen.
Following three losses against Mississippi State University over the previous weekend, the Jaspers pulled it together for this game and found it in them to score eight runs to counter the Braves’ two.
The game started off strong with junior infielder Ryan Lordier scoring at the top of the first inning, but slowed down with no points earned until the fourth inning, where both juniors Trevor Hansen and Hunter Sute scored. There was another drought for points until the seventh and ninth innings, where the Jaspers
accumulated five more points to total up to eight.
Later in the week, the Jaspers began their three game series against the Charleston Southern University Buccaneers, which lasted from Feb. 21-23. As of Feb. 21, the Jaspers have lost their first match with a score of 15-2 to the Buccaneers.
Track and Field
The Manhattan University track and field team traveled to Connecticut last week for the Giegengack Invitational, hosted by Yale University.
Sprinters Darion Lopez and Tranira Booker both impressed at this meet. Lopez, a senior spriter, broke the school record for the 60m dash with a
personal best of 6.84 seconds. The previous record was set by Kaya Simpson in 2023, at 6.85 seconds. Lopez’s time was good enough for fourth place in the 60m finals.
Booker, a freshman sprinter, also set a personal best in the 60m dash with a time of 7.79 seconds. This time was not only able to bring Booker to an eighth place finish in the 60m preliminaries, but also enough to award her with the title of MAAC women’s track athlete of the week.
Jaxon Newton, junior distance runner, secured a fourth place in the men’s 3000m run with a personal best of 8:27.54.
With recent personal bests and accomplishments,
the team makes final preparations before heading to the MAAC championships taking place from Feb. 22-23 at The Armory.
Women’s Basketball
The Lady Jaspers broke a three game losing streak with a close win against the Iona Gaels.
The ending score of 68-65 saw a large portion of points come from senior forward Petra Juric. Juric scored a season high of 20 points, one being the tie breaker that secured MU’s victory in the last 20 seconds. Juric was also the game leader in free throws and rebounds. In an interview with GoJaspers, Head Coach Heather Vulin spoke highly of Juric’s gameplay.
“Obviously, she scored the ball and made some big plays offensively,” Vulin said. “But, defensively we had a few really key stops for us that kept us in it and kept the momentum on our side.”
Men’s Basketball
The Jaspers suffered an unfortunate loss against the Iona Gaels at their away game this past Friday. This loss has broken their three-win streak, the longest win streak the team has had this season.
The Gaels dominated the first half of the match, leaving the Jaspers in a 16-point deficit going into halftime.
After ending the first half with a score of 35-19, the players came out of the locker room hot for the second half and secured 11 points in the first five minutes compared to Iona’s two.
Though the Jaspers made a strong effort to combat the Gaels throughout the second half of the game, they weren’t able to catch up and trailed behind in points. The game ended with a score of 65-60.
“They (Iona) controlled the tempo in the first 20 minutes,” Head Coach John Gallagher said in a statement to GoJaspers. “They game-planned certain actions. In the second half, we did a good job making adjustments but obviously it wasn’t enough.”
The Jaspers will face off against Quinnipiac University on Sunday, Feb. 23. Quinnipiac is second in MAAC standings, while MU is currently sitting in sixth. “They (Iona) controlled the tempo in the first 20 minutes,” Head Coach John Gallagher said in a statement to GoJaspers. “They game-planned certain actions. In the second half, we did a good job making adjustments but obviously it wasn’t enough.”
The Jaspers will face off against Quinnipiac University on Sunday, Feb. 23. Quinnipiac is second in MAAC standings, while MU is currently sitting in sixth.
Barbara Vasquez
Production / Web Editor