the Quadrangle
AuthorJustinTorrestoVisitMU
Theaward-winningauthorof “WetheAnimals,”and“Blackouts,”isvisitingMUas partoftheuniversity’sMajorAuthorReadingSeries. MANHATTAN.EDU / COURTESY
BriannaArmstrongandCaptain RyanSmithAwardedTopStatus AcrossAllAirForceROTC Detachments
Otito Maduegbuna Contributor
Brianna Armstrong, a Manhattan University employee, was recently awarded as a Top Performer for her work with the Air Force ROTC program while Captain Ryan Smith was awarded Top Instructor within the program for his work teaching and guiding the cadets of MU’s Detachment 560.
According to manhattan. edu, “Brianna played a pivotal role in enhancing cadet recruitment, training, and operational efficiency;
dedicated numerous hours to conducting 18 orientation and information sessions; and successfully executed 1,000 checklist items to onboard 79 new cadets leading to the detachment’s largest incoming class. Leveraging technology, she implemented artificial intelligence programs to create 13 cadet enrollment guides and validate instructional program codes across 15 institutions.”
Armstrong beat out a multitude of other candidates across the 37 various ROTC detachments across the Northeast. Her dedication, work ethic and overall value to MU’s AFROTC program
was echoed by Lieutenant Colonel Richard Nova, an Air Force officer and head of Detachment 560.
“She’s very strongminded and innovative, and she was able to make something that was already good, into something that’s been absolutely great,” Nova said. “She’s a champion of continuity and developing programs and processes that just streamline our ability to execute the mission. I’m actually down two bodies, and she’s fulfilling a role of what we call a noncommissioned officer, and she’s doing it like
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
JamesPatterson Scholarship Announces NewClassof Recipients
Elizabeth Kalaj Senior Writer
James Patterson ‘69, a New York Times bestselling author and philanthropist, awarded 19 Manhattan University students $5,000 scholarships based on essay submissions that encapsulated awardees’ academic excellence, financial need and involvement in activities that align with the Lasallian mission.
This is the 13th consecutive year that Patterson has provided support to undergraduate students through this scholarship, in addition to the newly created James Patterson Honors Program that is going into effect this fall.
The application for this scholarship begins each year with an email notification to the undergraduate students who fit the necessary GPA and financial requirements. From then on, the determination of awardees is largely centered around the student essays that have been submitted. However, this scholarship is unique in that the selected applicants can attend a workshop together and work on their essays.
Brian Oduor, a senior electrical engineering major, commented on the process of receiving this scholarship.
“This was an amazing opportunity because it was more than being handed a scholarship with a certain amount of money,” Oduor said. “It was an opportunity for me to not only get to learn more about myself in terms of my future and goals, but also [learn about] myself through
questions that I had not approached yet with answers that came as I wrote about it.”
Oduor, a two-time recipient of the Patterson scholarship, talked about how his experience with the scholarship and application process has affected him personally over the past two years.
“Over the past year, I was able to reflect from the essay I wrote and change a few things,” Oduor said. “I learned a lot more about myself and writing the essay itself helped me get closer to my family because I had to go and ask them questions about the family in order to understand myself. It also helped me with my English and writing skills.”
Patterson is an essential part of Manhattan University’s large pool of alumni. Alexander Morel, junior psychology and English major, reflected on the idea of alumni giving back to their alma mater.
“Going to MU is one very big cycle,” Morel said. “You come here and the school gives you what you need in life to go further. It gives you great classes, connections and opens so many doors. In my opinion, it only makes sense for people who have gone far and beyond in life to come back and give back in some way, whether it is in the form of the James Patterson scholarship or donating money to maintain a building.”
Receiving this scholarship gives many upperclassmen a resource in the form of financial assistance towards the end of their undergraduate education experiences. Ivanna Duran, a senior digital media arts major, emphasizes the impact this
Volume CXI, Issue 8
MARCH 11, 2025
The Editorial Board
Grace Cardinal Editor-in-Chief
Emmanouel Sofillas Managing Editor
Laili Shahrestani Features Editor
Leyla Mercado Arts & Entertainment Editor
Owen McWalters Asst. Sports Editor
Amy Forster Asst. Production Editor
Mary Haley Marketing Chair
Brooke Della Rocco News Editor
Mary Haley Asst. Features Editor
Andrew Mannion Sports Editor
Barbara Vasquez Production Editor
Barbara Vasquez Web Editor
Thom 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
LETTER from the EDITOR
Dear Readers,
Hello, and welcome to issue 8!
Saturday marked International Women’s Day, and I hope you all took the opportunity to appreciate and celebrate the women in your life a little extra. I’m always grateful for any opportunity to celebrate the strength and accomplishments of the women who surround me, support me and inspire me everyday, and this weekend provided the perfect occasion to do so. In keeping with the holiday, we have many articles highlighting some amazing women on campus this week. In news, we discuss Brianna Armstrong being awarded as a Top Performer for her work with MU’s AFROTC. Features is filled with female accomplishments, as we highlight International Women’s Day tabling on campus, some incredible female students who presented their work at the Eastern Psychological Association conference this past weekend and a SHPE event on campus celebrating Hispanic women in STEM. We hope you’ll check them all out!
In addition to International Women’s Day, students held their annual Manhatty’s Day celebrations this past weekend, as a prequel to St. Patrick’s Day and spring break. Surrounding campus was a sea of green, music and laughter as many took part in backyard celebrations with friends. Saturday also marked Senior Day for men’s basketball, which proved to have a large turnout amongst the other festivities taking place on the day.
Speaking of spring break, this is my reminder that The Quadrangle will (sadly) not be releasing an issue next week on 3/18 as our staff enjoys some rest and relaxation mid semester with a well-deserved week off. We will be hard at work to bring you an amazing issue 9 once we return on the 25th.
I’d also like to announce that we have once again kicked off our spring fundraising efforts to help support our spring print issues, as well as our end-of-year traditions that celebrate our staff and our graduating seniors. We will be keeping the fundraiser open throughout the end of the spring semester. Any amount, no matter how small, makes a difference. If you’re not able to help support financially, we ask that you share our donation link with friends, family and across social media. Our staff is so incredibly grateful for any assistance you’re able to give to help us do what we do best and love most. Anything fundraised over the amount needed will carry over to support our printing efforts this fall. Our donation link can be found here.
Until next time,
Grace Cardinal
Editor-in-Chief
JamesPattersonScholarshipAnnouncesNew ClassofRecipients
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
award has on her life.
“Receiving the scholarship definitely alleviated a lot of financial burden,” Duran said.
“It allowed me to focus on my studies, rather than being overwhelmed with a lot of debt.
I know my mom and I have had to take out loans, so we are just beyond appreciative for any
help that we can get.”
Many of the recipients of the award expressed their appreciation in the fact that Patterson takes the time to read each application essay himself and is engaged with the community. While there are many differences between the recipients of the award, they all voiced one identical emotion: their extreme gratitude for James Patterson.
BriannaArmstrongandCaptainRyanSmithAwarded
TopStatusAcrossAllAirForceROTCDetachments
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
she’s been doing it for twenty years. It’s pretty incredible.”
This same commitment and work ethic that won Armstrong the award has also touched Lauren Underwood, a senior psychology major and a member of Detachment 560.
“I swear this woman is like magic,” Underwood said. “Every time I’m having an issue, no matter what it is, I always know I can send her an email and she’s like ‘no problem’, and then it’s fixed. I don’t know how she did it, I don’t know what’s going on, but all I know is that it’s fixed. She’s a fantastic person to work with.”
Smith, prior Air Force enlisted and current officer, is a senior instructor within the ROTC program teaching cadets in the classroom and mentoring ROTC based clubs, beating out the 37 other candidates across the Northeast’s AFROTC program. Smith worked with cadets in the classroom, teaching them Air Force history and guidance in applying the academic
lessons provided to them in real-world scenarios.
“He is an absolute extrovert type,” Nova said. “He commands a room. When he speaks, people listen. It’s evident one of the reasons he won this award is because of his ability and his confidence and his ability to communicate to this generation of students. His passion is to teach.”
Underwood echoed these praises and touched on Smith’s ability to connect with cadets in the classroom and prepare them for future military service.
“He does such a great job of letting you learn,” Underwood said. “He isn’t saying, ‘This is my way you need to follow exactly what I’ve done’. He’ll be like ‘Hey, here’s some feedback. Maybe try it this way.’ He’s very collaborative and very personable. He makes you feel heard.”
The members of ROTC emphasized the value that both of these individuals brought to the program and the value they continue to provide for their efforts.
“It’s impressive how well Manhattan University has prepared these people of
character for the workforce, especially someone so young like Brianna,” Nova said. “There are people that she competed against that have been doing this for forty years. The captain is an inspiration to the cadre and the cadets, and he’s even invited by the professors to go into their classrooms for the betterment of the community. Both of them go way above and beyond what is required, and that’s why they’re recognized as being the best.”
Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Lovas, an Air Force officer and another senior member of Detachment 560, also spoke on the importance of what Armstrong and Smith had to offer to both the university and the program in an email to The Quadrangle.
“Capt. Smith and Ms. Armstrong earning these awards at the Northeast Region (NER) and Air Force ROTC levels serves to highlight their excellence among the 37 detachments in the NER, and the 145 detachments - encompassing over 1,100 colleges and universities across the nation - throughout all of
AFROTC, respectively, and honors their commitment to educating, training, inspiring, and supporting future leaders for our nation,” Lovas wrote in
an email to The Quadrangle. “Detachment 560 is fortunate to have cadre members as dedicated and capable as Ryan and Brianna.
James Patterson ‘69 supports undergraduate students for the 13th consecutive year with the James Patterson scholarship. MANHATTAN.EDU/COURTESY
MUStudentsShare ResearchattheEastern PsychologicalAssociation Conference
Karen Flores Senior Writer
Manhattan University students will attend the annual Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) Conference where multiple will present their research projects centered around specific aspects of psychology.
According to the EPA website, the EPA’s goal is to advance science and its profession by spreading information about the field of psychology by conducting this annual conference where members of the EPA can
present their work to their colleagues.
Hannah Burgoyne, a senior psychology and Spanish double major, will be presenting her research project entitled “Using AI to Generate Personality Tests: An Exploratory Study” which she worked on with her research partner Madeline Braun and Professor Arno Kolz, Ph.D..
“We took two different AI softwares, ChatGPT and Claude, and we made personality tests that were 60 item tests, similar to the NEO Personality Inventory and the HEXACO which are standard personality tests that most psychologists use,” Burgoyne said. “We basically ran a factor
analysis to see whether or not the test these AIs created actually measured the big five, which are openness, conscientiousness, neuroticism [and] agreeableness.”
Burgoyne mentioned that while doing this research, she enjoyed seeing the results of her study and that she felt she learned a lot more about AI as a whole.
“AI is very integrated into society now, but during this research we realized that these AI softwares often plagiarizes work,” Burgoyne said. “So we prompted the AI each time to create 12 unique items for extraversion but told it to not copy from the NEO or HEXACO. We checked it
Using AI to Generate Personality Tests: An
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to see if two popular AI models, Chat-GPT and Claude, could generate reliable tests of the Big-5 personality traits without inappropriately copying popular published scales. Both models were able to generate sufficiently unique items after only three prompt interactions. Chat-GPT succeeded in producing 5 reliable scales, while Claude only produced one. The items generated by ChatGPT, but not Claude, demonstrated high factor loadings on the appropriate scales.
Introduction
AI has recently integrated itself into various aspects of society. Although this comes at an advantage for some, it is also beginning to expose flaws. For example, AI models are known to copy resources, plagiarize, and write false statements. In 2023, 17 authors filed a class-action suit against OpenAI for copyright infringement (The Authors Guild, 2023).
The present study seeks to test the ability of two AI models, Claude and Chat-GPT, to generate tests of the Big-5. The study will assess whether AI can generate unique items that are not overly similar to published popular Big-5 tests. Additionally, it will further assess the reliability and factor structure of the AI generated scales.
Methods
There were 163 participants total, 91 participated in the Claude study (male = 30, female = 61) and 72 in the ChatGPT study (male = 24, female = 47). All participants remained anonymous throughout the surveys as they were given the survey via anonymous link thru text, social media and email. The surveys administered were created on Qualtrics and administered 60 questions that were made by either ChatGPT or Claude. In order to create the items each AI was prompted with the phrase, “Create 12 unique items measuring (1 of the Big 5 Traits) on a 5-point Likert Scale. Do so without duplicating items from the NEO-FFI or HEXACO-PI-R tests.” After creation, they were hand-checked for similarities or copying and randomized before being administered to participants.
over and more often than not, the AI would copy so it was interesting to see how many iterations it took of us asking the AI to actually get 12 unique items that they didn’t copy from either of the two tests.”
Maria Perrino, a senior psychology and philosophy double major with a minor in religious studies, is presenting two of her research projects at the conference. She shared a bit about the topics she plans to cover.
“One of my projects is called ‘Variety is the Spice of Life: Effects of Lightness Heterogeneity on Perceived Beauty and Interest,’ which I did with Dr. Jay Friedenberg which is a form of perception
Exploratory Study
Results
Following the first iteration of ChatGPT for the Openness scale, both ChatGPT and Claude generated 12 unique items. In the first iteration of the Conscientiousness scale made by Claude, 4 items were found to be too similar to the NEO and HEXACO, however, on the second attempt, unique items were then created. When ChatGPT wrote the Conscientiousness scale, 2 items were duplicated, but again on the second attempt 12 unique items were created and the copied items were replaced. While making the Extroversion scale, ChatGPT duplicated 2 items and then again replicated items, which led to a third iteration being needed where 12 unique items were then created. On the other hand, Claude created 12 unique Extroversion items on the first iteration. For the Agreeableness scale, when prompted Claude copied 1 item, but on the second attempt generated 12 unique items. Additionally, ChatGPT copied 2 items but 12 unique items were then created on the second iteration. Lastly, for the Neuroticism scale, ChatGPT duplicated two items but created 12 unique items in its second iteration. Reliability analysis revealed very different results for the two AI models. For ChatGPT, alpha values ranged from a low of .74 for Agreeableness to a high of .87 for Extroversion. Scores were .77 for Openness, .86 for Conscientiousness, and .85 for Neuroticism. For Claude, reliability indices were much lower, ranging form a low of .09 for Openness to a high of .80 for Neuroticism. Alphas were .64 for Conscientiousness, .58 for Extroversion, and .48 for Agreeableness.
In order to check if the AI models could replicate a five factor structure, confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. For the ChatGPT Extroversion scale, all 12 items had their highest factor loadings on the proper factor. The same was true for Conscientiousness. For Openness, 10 items loaded highest on Openness, but one loaded on Agreeableness, and another loaded equally on both Agreeableness and Openness. For Agreeableness, 9 items had their highest factor loading on agreeableness. However, 2 items loaded highest on Conscientiousness and one on Neuroticism. For Claude, 9 items did not show relationships above .3 with any factor. The largest factor extracted was a mix of Extroversion and Neuroticism items. The next factor contained 9 items with relatively high loadings from Conscientiousness items, but also contained one item each from Extroversion, Neuroticism, and Agreeableness. The third factor contained 11 high loadings from Agreeableness items. The next factor had 5 high loadings form Neuroticism items, two form Agreeableness items, and one form Extroversion. The final factor contained 6 high loading items from Agreeableness and one from Openness.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to see if popular AI models could create unique and reliable tests of the Big-5. Both models were able to generate unique items after two interactions. ChatGPT succeeded in producing 5 reliable scales, while Claude only produced one. The items generated for ChatGPT generally demonstrated high factor loadings on the appropriates scale, Claude was not capable of doing the same. This study was explorative and only touches the surface on how AI could integrate itself into psychological testing. Our limitations included a small sample size and a primarily college aged participant sample. However further research could rectify and solve these problems.
research,” Perrino said. “We created these dot patterns that started with 40 dots that are all black and they changed color in increments until they were all white. We show the participants these dots in a random order and ask them if they think they are beautiful or interesting. You have to start with a very simple design like these dots to find the basic principles of perception.”
Perrino’s second research project is centered around sea lions, which she studied over the summer as part of the Jasper Summer Scholars Research Program.
“My second project is called ‘Individual Differences in Captive Sea Lion Behavior’ which I did with Dr. Maria Maust-Mohl and it is a preliminary study on animal personality,” Perrino said. “I spent my summer making trips to the Bronx Zoo to observe the sea lions living there and it was very fun and cool to me.”
Burgoyne encourages students to do academic research throughout their undergraduate years as it allows for students to learn skills outside of the classroom.
“I would highly recommend doing research with an advisor on campus, because it teaches you valuable skills on how to present research [and] how to delve deeper into topics that are taught in the classroom,” Burgoyne said. “For example, we ran a factor analysis in our results, which is not something that we cover in our curriculum. That’s something that usually a psychology student would learn in grad school. So it allows you to get ahead of the curve and opens the door for opportunities like the EPA conference. It’s an overall great experience.”
Hannah Burgoyne, Madeline Braun and Dr. Arno Kolz
Breaking Barriers: SHPEtinas Event Empowers Hispanic Women in STEM
Angelina Persaud Senior Writer
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) chapter at Manhattan University hosted a Women in STEM alumni panel to highlight the achievements of Hispanic women in the field.
The panelists in attendance included Adina Rivera ‘19, ‘21, a deputy project manager at HDR, and Lilybeth Delgado ‘19, a design technologist for Amazon Ads.
The discussion began with panelists explaining some of the biggest challenges that come with being a Hispanic woman in a male dominated industry, and how they have empowered themselves and others in overcoming it.
“I think one of the challenges for women or anyone is to unblock yourself from the stereotypes,” Delgado said. “For example, for me and one of my colleagues, she’s not Hispanic, she’s Italian, but we both have an accent. So we always talk about things like, ‘maybe I didn’t communicate right because of my accent’. But as long as you’re using the proper language and you’re articulate, be confident in your potential.”
Rivera and Delgado also noted how they try to bring their cultural values into the workplace as a way to showcase their roots and take pride in their work.
Rivera noted that she chose to major in civil engineering at MU after visiting her family in the Dominican Republic and seeing the houses built on cinder blocks with tin roofs and a lack of running water in certain areas.
“I feel like I’m bringing my culture to the workplace when I talk about myself,” Rivera said. “I talk about my family, I bring a different kind of passion that other people don’t have. Why I wanted to become an engineer had to do with the fact that my family came from the Dominican
Republic. When I visited them and went to ‘el campo’, I would see how people were living, and noticed they didn’t have anything like we have here. They have cinder blocks and an aluminum roofing. I bring that passion to my workplace that other people may not have. They probably just want to be an engineer because they thought it was good money or security, whereas I have an actual, personal passion for it.”
Delgado, who has MexicanAmerican roots, explained how her culture has led her to having family-oriented values and discussed how it translated into her building connections with her co-workers.
“I think that we have a different point of view, where we can incorporate new ideas into whatever’s happening in projects, initiatives, and marketing,” Delgado said. “In my perspective, being Hispanic means we’re very family oriented, so I just find the things that I hold strong to my core, which is, I value my time with my family. There’s things that you can find in common with your colleague. I don’t watch American football, so I can’t really talk about something like football, but I could talk about family time or finding those common areas.”
Rivera and Delgado also commented on hardships they’ve faced in the workplace and how they had to rely on their own confidence and problem-solving abilities to get through their projects.
“Recently, I got dropped out of some meetings because a project got switched to a new owner, and so they dropped certain people from the project, but I was one of the leads in the decision making,” Delgado said. “I didn’t find it fair that the project was kept going without my involvement. I felt I still needed to be there. I took it up first with the person owning the project. I started at the micro [level], because I don’t like confrontation. And if things just stay there, then I take it a level up.”
Rivera commented on her hardship at a construction site
for a project she was involved in.
“I remember when I would go on site, they would purposely forget my name every week, as if they didn’t see me every week,” Rivera said. “Especially being a woman in construction, and the only Hispanic in the room. I would reintroduce myself every single time that I saw them. It’s easy to take it to a place where it could be rude, but you want to always be professional. Especially in engineering, there’s going to be some tricky situations, and it’s good to hold your composure in those situations. They don’t want to see you overreact. They want to see you maintain that calmness and find the solution for every problem.”
Rivera and Delgado offered words of support for other Hispanic women who wish to embrace their roots and find strength in each other even if they are seen as the minority group. They emphasized that a good support system coupled with showcasing your true personality is the key to being successful in any industry regardless of your background.
“They’re never going to see me in a different type of way other than me being positive or engaging in a positive way, because that’s how I was raised,” Rivera said. “A part of
our industry, people are going to be leaning on AI a little bit more for assistance in their work. But at the end of the day, you need to show them that you’re irreplaceable. And how do you show somebody that you’re irreplaceable at your job? You don’t want to just be a number, you want to be somebody that they connect with and that they can learn from, and that they see as an actual leader and has a presence.”
Delgado echoed a similar sentiment about finding the people who will support you the most in being the most authentic version of yourself.
“In tech and engineering, there’s not a lot of women, so it might be a little bit harder, and this is a little bit too bold, because sometimes I feel like some women haven’t had my back and some men have had my back,” Delgado said. “So just find who’s in your corner and then talk through these problems.”
Megan Ardiles, a junior civil engineering major and vice president of SHPE, explained how the insight of the panelists encouraged her to be more authentic when interviewing for positions and to lean more into connecting with other SHPE members.
“I feel like when I started
interviewing last year, I was very robotic,” Ardiles said. “I would just pitch myself and go straight to the STAR method. I hated how I sounded, because I didn’t even sound like a person. When I went to the SHPE conference, you had a lot more interviews, and you’re talking to a lot of people. At the point that you’re just like, ‘I don’t want to talk about the script anymore’.”
Kacy Angamarca, a senior civil engineering major and fundraising coordinator of SHPE, spoke about how the panelists’ discussion about how they handle rejection resonated with him and how it inspired him to move forward.
“They taught me that rejection, instead of losing your energy, you should see that as motivation,” Angamarca said. “I can relate to that, because that happened to me in the past. I’m currently a senior, I already have a job after graduation. But when I was a freshman, I always saw my friends getting internships, and I didn’t have the same luck. I remember my rejection, but looking back, like I mentioned, those rejections could seem like more motivation because from there you can improve.”
SHPE E-board and panelists (left to right) Adina Rivera and Lilybeth Delgado at the SHPEtinas networking event.
SAMANTHA ARIAS / SHPE TREASURER
MU Celebrates International Women’s Day Tabling Event on the Quad
Victoria Schiller Senior Writer
In celebration of International Women’s Day, several Manhattan University clubs gathered outside on the quad in order to raise money and awareness for Rise of Broken Women NYC (RBW), a women’s shelter. The Alpha Pi Phi (APP) sorority on campus hosted the event alongside Greek life and other sponsors, offering a variety of activities and opportunities to fundraise for the day.
RBW is a nonprofit organization that aids women and their families with the tools necessary to remove themselves from poverty. APP has been fundraising for the organization for several years now, throwing annual events on the quad during International Women’s Day. APP even began the tradition of selling yellow roses in order to raise money and celebrate the day.
Liz Dong, a senior majoring in digital media art and marketing is the president of APP and explained the tradition
behind annually hosting the tabling event, and handing out the yellow colored roses.
“One of our founding sisters actually started this event, because she’s from Italy and it’s a tradition there where they give yellow flowers to a beautiful woman on International Women’s Day,” Dong said. “They take International Women’s Day very seriously over there, so we decided to bring that tradition here and now we have this event every year.”
Dong also went on to discuss why celebrating International Women’s Day on the MU campus and fundraising for organizations such as RBW is so important.
“These events are really important because it brings the whole community together and raises awareness about certain things that people may not know about,” Dong said. “It raises awareness about International Women’s Day, as we support women on this special day by coming together for a cause. We’re all raising money for the same cause, which I think is really important. It also encourages volunteering in our community
and making sure that we’re helping out in any way that we can.”
Dong shared her favorite part of the yearly event and what she was most looking forward to. She expressed gratitude for all the women working together for the same cause.
“My most favorite part about International Women’s Day is everybody coming together for one cause,” Dong said. “I love how involved everyone is in this. We planned this weeks in advance and everyone involved started throwing ideas out with what they wanted to do and what they wanted for their table. I’m glad everyone could socialize and come together to build a sense of community.”
Saige Gonzalez, a senior psychology major is the philanthropy and sisterhood chair for APP, and played a large role in setting up the event. She shared her excitement for the day and what she hopes for the future of International Women’s Day on campus.
“It was really a great experience setting up this event for today,” Gonzalez said. “I’m just happy all the clubs are here and came out to support
Different MU clubs tabled to raise money for the RBW. @APD_MANHATTAN / INSTAGRAM
women. It’s been going great so far. We’re going to raise money for them [RBW] and send it to them to help out with their shelter in general, with the food and clothing that they provide for the women. We’re thrilled everyone’s here today. It really shows everyone’s support. So far we’ve been doing a great job with selling everything. It’s interactive, we’re pieing DKE’s (Delta Kappa Epsilon). It’s very fun and I hope this occurs every year. It’s a tradition now.”
Alpha Phi Delta (APD) was another organization that hosted a table to raise money for International Women’s Day. The fraternity’s vice president, Jordan Gaylord, is a
senior majoring in mechanical engineering. Gaylord spoke about the impact of International Women’s Day and what these events mean to him and the fraternity.
“I enjoy this because not only does it bring the community together on campus, but it’s also a time for us to give back to the community that we’re here for,” Gaylord said. “That’s one of the values our fraternity likes to hold up. We’ve been doing this a long time. Honestly, these events have gotten me closer to a lot of people and I just enjoy hanging out with everyone and seeing everyone because one day we’re going to graduate and it’s all going to be gone.”
Alpha Pi Phi (APP) hosted the event to celebrate International’s Women’s Day.
VICTORIA SCHILLER / THE QUADRANGLE
Alpha Phi Delta (APD) was another organization that hosted a table at the event.
Manhattan Accounting Society Welcomes its New Executive Board
Isaiah Rosario Senior Writer
The Manhattan University Accounting Society announced its new executive board for the ‘24-’25 academic year. Senior Sebastiano Paccione is the society’s new president, and senior Kathy Vu alongside senior Roen Crameri are the co-vice presidents.
The club stated that their mission, “is to inform and assist our members to become active participants in the accounting community,” according to @omalleybusiness_mu on Instagram.
Each semester, the club hosts networking and informational events on important topics about accounting, such as the CPA exam, which tests a person’s knowledge of financial reporting.
Melody Flores, social media chair, wrote to The Quadrangle in an email about her excitement for the upcoming year in this new role.
“As the social media coordinator for the Accounting Society, I’m excited about this role because I get to make accounting more engaging by creating posts and designing flyers for our events,” Flores said. “I also love that I get to attend these events and learn new things from alumni and professionals in the field. Plus, the people I work with make this experience even better— they’re a great community that makes the society even more enjoyable to be a part of!”
The club recently hosted a Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA) event and will be hosting a Becker event in the future. The Becker event will help those who are planning to take the CPA exam become better prepared. Feedback from members of this club has been quite
The Accounting Society Executive Board for the 2024-25 academic year. @MCACCOUNTINGSOCIETY / INSTAGRAM
positive thus far. During the VITA event, students were able to volunteer to file people’s tax returns as a way to build up their personal experience. Several people showed interest by coming to the event and volunteering.
Paccione spoke about how he believes individuals who are a part of the club or even have an interest in it could benefit both on an academic and professional level from membership.
“[The club] is not going to tell you if you’re passionate about [accounting], but it’s going to give you the resources,” Paccione said. “It’s going to give you alumni, and it’s going to offer you a chance to take a step out of your comfort zone … Academically, if you have any questions, most
accounting students [at MU] are going to be a part of the Accounting Society. It’s a nice, close-knit community if you do have questions. It is a very nice resource to have.”
The Accounting Society emphasizes the importance of alumni relations when it comes to job and internship searches, and hopes to use these connections to benefit individuals who join the society. The club makes it one of their key focuses when organizing events.
“We are working on getting speakers to our events, especially alumni who may have been working at the big four firms,” Berg said. “We have a big alumni network with them. From a personal experience, it was because of
that network that I was able to land on an internship with them coming up in the future … we’re going to continue to expand our alumni network, getting professional speakers from the big four firms, other tax firms and audit firms, to expand those alumni connections with our members so that they have a better chance of landing an internship.”
One of the main goals of Accounting Society is to orient itself towards more accounting students. The society is hoping to ensure that students have an idea of the types of career paths they could go down within the accounting field. For more information on the society, students can stay up to date on the organization’s social media accounts.
Mental Health and Music: Oakland Rain Makes a Special Appearance at the Manhattan University TV Studio
Laili Shahrestani
Feature Editor
On March 4, Norwegian folk duo Oakland Rain made their way to the Manhattan University TV studio to film an episode of Higher Education Today, hosted by educational consultant Steven Roy Goodman. The duo is composed of twin sisters, Charlotte and Maren Wallevik, who not only have a passion for singing and songwriting, but stress the importance of mental health and hope to make a positive change through their music.
The main focus of the episode was to highlight the work of Oakland Rain, and their approach to creating music that is associated with themes of personal growth, mental stability and self-discovery. A number of Jaspers, including members of faculty, got the chance to bring the production to life by working behind the scenes in the TV studio.
Michael Grabowski, P.hD., is a professor in the
communication, sound and media arts department at MU and also served as the director of the recent production of Higher Education Today starring Oakland Rain. When speaking to The Quadrangle, Grabowski expressed how he was emotionally moved by the message of the singing duo all throughout directing the episode. He emphasized that their live singing performance at the end of the production conveyed a message that was extremely important and current to today’s world.
“When they were there, singing live, even though I was directing, the song hit me in my heart,” Grabowski said. “I had tears in my eyes at the end of the song because of the emotion that they carried through. They had these very soothing folk melodies, but the lyrics are really about issues in our time, such as, ‘How do young people deal with such a crazy world that we live in?
How do you stay sane in such a crazy world? How do you reach out and ask for help when you’re having issues?’ And so, their songs do get very deep into their lyrics about that.”
Oakland Rain emphasized how they hope their music can impact their audience in a positive way, or even act as a catalyst for people to start thinking more about their mental health and overall state of well-being. The duo emphasized that they aspire for their music to be interpreted in a way that will cater toward whoever is listening, and affect them beneficially.
In their interview with Goodman, Oakland Rain said, “It’s really cool how we as humans can relate to songs, movies and different kinds of art through our own lens, and it’s really wonderful to share our own experiences and have someone else interpret it their own way, and maybe take it into their own lives.”
Anna Schmidt, a junior and a double-major in communication and sound studies at MU worked as the sound mixer for the production. Schmidt has a
background of working with sound, and spoke about her thoughts regarding how music and mental health are greatly correlated.
“As a musician myself, music has been my solution to mental health issues that I have faced,” Schmidt said. “Music is a wonderful, creative outlet in the sense of being able to put your stories out there, and then also sometimes when you write, having other people be able to listen to it and feel the exact same way.”
In addition to spreading awareness through their lyrics and creating relatable music, Oakland Rain’s appearance at the MU TV studio opened up multiple opportunities for students to get handson experience working in a professional production environment. The filming of this episode was special for Jaspers who have never had the opportunity to work on a professional segment before, as it will air on cable television with their names in the closing credits.
Sam Wofford, a junior communication major at MU, worked as a camera operator on set of the production. He shared his gratitude for the experience, and how it allowed him to grow as somebody who is aiming to excel in media production.
“This was the first time I was ever credited with anything on live air. It’s really cool,” Wofford said. “It’s airing in Washington DC, on the Educational Access channel. I feel very privileged to be able to participate in something like this. I just feel very happy that I was able to actually have my name accredited to something, especially something that I aligned so closely with, being mental health and music.”
Wofford also spoke about how he is minoring in music, and that he resonates with Oakland Rain’s approach to bridging the gap between mental health and the music industry. Wofford expressed how sharing messages through singing and songwriting is an
effective way to impact people on a deeper level.
“Their content was really powerful to me. I minor in music, and songwriting is a huge deal,” Wofford said. “They really know how to incorporate mental health in their songwriting. Especially as Norwegians, their approach to mental health is very open.
So I was listening in, and I just thought that what they were spreading was a fantastic message. And I was really happy to be a part of it. Songwriting is such a good medium for mental health. Spreading how you’re feeling through music can be hard to do, but it’s also very rewarding.”
Billy Walker, a junior and the president and cofounder of the Manhattan University Media Network, served as a producer on the production with Oakland Rain.
Walker emphasized how the development of this segment was a huge milestone, because it showcased the growth of the MU Media Network in such a short period of time since their creation last semester.
“At the beginning of the school year, MC-TV was just MC-TV and not yet the MU Media Network it is now, and there was barely anyone involved,” Walker said. “There were no active members, but not even a year later, we have every position filled and everyone is amazing. It’s just really great to watch and really reassuring.”
The segment of Higher Education Today featuring Oakland Rain will air on UDCTV in the near future. In the meantime, you can watch the final production of the segment on YouTube.
Anna Schmidt pictured live sound mixing for the Oakland Rain production.
Sam Wofford pictured alongside other camera operators bringing the production to life.
Scatterbomb is Unlucky During Their St. Patrick’s Day Themed Performance
Elizabeth Kalaj Senior Writer
Manhattan University’s improv group, Scatterbomb, brought some humor to the unlucky month of March with St. Patrick’s Day-themed festivities leading their performance in Hayden 100 on March 7.
Scatterbomb invited students to come dressed in green and offer up words for skit inspiration while enjoying some laughs. The group had everyone in the room giggling with their comedic humor and green-themed outfits.
The Quadrangle spoke to multiple members of the audience, which consisted of undergraduate students from all three schools within Manhattan University.
For Victoria Pascale, a senior math and adolescent education major, the night marked her first-ever Scatterbomb show.
“It was so funny, and I am definitely going to come to the rest of them,” Pascale said. “I loved being able to come with friends and watch other friends perform.”
The night’s improv skits consisted of identity theft of Andrew Garfield
and tarantulas, with the underclassmen members of the club bringing new and unique twists to each scene.
Giada Dougherty, a freshman communication major and member of Scatterbomb, shared how she came to find herself on the Hayden stage after choosing Manhattan University last spring.
“For me, it was really hard making friends the first semester of school,” Dougherty said. “It was hard to get myself out there and to meet the people that I wanted to surround myself with. When I saw Scatterbomb at the club fair, I was immediately drawn toward how Chayse and Jack interacted with people and I just went for it. These people are the best people I could have surrounded myself with and I made so many new friends.”
Each member of the club brings a unique perspective and sense of humor onto the stage while simultaneously complimenting each other throughout the show.
Kristina Bopp, a freshman civil engineering major, spoke about the mental process that contributes to successful skits.
“Without a doubt, paying attention is probably one of the most important things,” Bopp said. “You have to pay attention to what the audience is finding
Scatterbomb performs their St. Patrick’s Day show dressed in green. ELIZABETH KALAJ / THE QUADRANGLE
funny because no audience is the same so it is really about finding what makes them laugh and then finding what we could all branch off of together.”
The Quadrangle spoke to co-president Chayse Martino, a senior psychology major, about her thoughts on the group she will be leaving behind following commencement.
“I feel very confident that our group has only been getting better and more comfortable with one another,” Martino
said. “The most important thing in improv is simply trusting your other teammates to be on the same wavelength as you. We are always trying to bring the fun energy and not look at it all too seriously while still trying our best.”
Scatterbomb will be competing in its first-ever competition this Wednesday against other institutions in the New York City area. This successful performance has provided them with confidence
going into this unique opportunity on a new stage. The group will perform against New York University and Pace University, amongst other schools, on March 12 at 10 PM. Tickets to the competition and the livestream can be found at UCBcomedy.com. Use code “MANHATTAN” for discounted tickets for a limited time.
Jaspers Down Sacred Heart to Improve Standings in MAAC Championship
Owen McWalters Asst. Sports Editor
With the Manhattan University Men’s Basketball team coming off an impressive win against their conference rival, the Niagara University Purple Eagles, the Jaspers looked to keep their momentum going against another conference rival, the Sacred Heart Pioneers, on Thursday. The stage was set for an intense game, but the Jaspers made it clear from the start that they were not going to let up.
The game began with Manhattan setting the tone early, as Jaden Winston scored the first nine of 11 points for the Jaspers, hitting three straight three-pointers to start the game. The Jaspers quickly built a lead, thanks to their sharp perimeter shooting and aggressive drives to the basket. Their defense also played a key role, forcing Sacred Heart into tough shots and capitalizing on turnovers.
When asking what was working offensively, Jaden Winston went on to say, “Just trusting the offense. Playing with each other, and that’s just chemistry, that’s practice, that’s after practice, catching the balls from these guys and letting it go. The confidence
that they give me, telling me to shoot it when I don’t have the confidence in myself. It’s a testament to the team.”
When asked about what was
working for him defensively, Mariah Gilyard went on to discuss his hustle.
“Defensively, I just had my hands in the lane, being active, hustling, like I always do,” Gilyard said. “And then my team just talking, keeping talkative, and me getting in the right spots.”
Head Coach John Gallagher is proud of his team’s performance not just in terms of getting the job done, but battling physically.
“I think last year, we would have wilted in that physical game,” Gallagher said. “Right now, we want physicality. We are searching it out. It’s like, when you go out at night, if you had the toughest guy with you, you’re tougher. And then you add Fraser [Roxburgh] to the mix. That was a mentality game. So I think we seek
physicality. We don’t run from it now. It’s a difference. It’s a big difference.”
Sacred Heart, however, did not back down, responding with a few scoring runs of their own. Their backcourt contributed significantly, knocking down key three-pointers to keep the game competitive. Despite their efforts, the Pioneers struggled to contain Manhattan’s highenergy attack. The Jaspers shot efficiently from the field, connecting on a high percentage of their attempts while also dominating the boards.
As the first half progressed, Manhattan’s balanced scoring attack became evident, with multiple players contributing offensively. Their ability to move the ball and find open looks allowed them to build a double-digit lead. By halftime,
the Jaspers had established firm control of the game, leading by a comfortable margin.
Coming out of the break, Sacred Heart attempted to mount a comeback, increasing their defensive intensity and looking for quick baskets. However, the Jaspers remained poised and continued to execute their game plan effectively. Their defensive pressure forced Sacred Heart into contested shots and turnovers, limiting their ability to chip away at the deficit.
The Jaspers will have another game against conference rival, Siena, on Saturday.
*Editor’s note: of publishing, Manhattan University has already played Siena.
Games of The Week
Emmanouel Sofillas
Managing Editor
Men’s Lacrosse
After dropping their past three games, the Jasper Men’s Lacrosse team needed a big win over a talented Merrimack squad. They did exactly that on their trip up to North Andover, as they downed Merrimack with a score of 12-11.
Manhattan started off red hot, as they paired three straight stops with the same amount of goals, putting them in front 3-0 to start the afternoon. The goals came courtesy of Drew Hiner unassisted shot, Aidan Kane and Scott O’Connor scoring on while man up.
Merrimack went on a run of their own to tie the game back up at 3-3. That run would be put to a halt by Conor Engel, as he scored to put the Jaspers back up 4-3. Shortly after, Merrimack’s Brady Covey would score again, confirming this game would go back and forth all afternoon long as the game was knotted back at four.
Manhattan would score two more to end the half, and put them up 6-4. Merrimack would then go on to open the second half with three goals of their own. For the first time that afternoon, Merrimack had the lead and were red hot.
Manhattan took away their lead within two minutes of
the last goal, as Tyler Mosca netted the Jaspers eighth goal. This would only be the start of a four-goal run for Manhattan, as Liam Peabody went back-toback to end the third and start the fourth. Hiner would score the Jaspers fourth straight, and put them up 10-7.
Merrimack wouldn’t go down without a fight, as they would tie the game up again at 10. The Jaspers would score two more, courtesy of Conor Engel completing the hat trick to give the Jaspers their twelfth and winning goal.
The Jaspers now stand 1-0 against MAAC competition. Their next game will be back at Gaelic Park, as they take on Mt. St. Mary’s next Saturday.
Men’s Basketball
Manhattan continued its late-season surge with a dominant second-half performance, pulling away from Sacred Heart for a 9074 victory in Riverdale. After a tightly contested first half that saw 11 lead changes, the Jaspers turned up the intensity after halftime to secure their third straight win and lock in a first-round bye for the upcoming MAAC Championships.
Jaden Winston set the tone early, drilling three consecutive three-pointers to give Manhattan an 11-5 lead. The Jaspers extended their advantage to nine before Sacred Heart responded with a run of its own, briefly taking
Coach Gallagher celebrating his win after the game. GOJASPERS.COM / COURTESY
the lead late in the first half. However, Winston and Devin Dinkins provided clutch baskets down the stretch, allowing Manhattan to head into the locker room with a narrow 46-45 advantage.
The second half was a completely different story.
Manhattan came out firing, opening with a 10-0 run featuring key three-pointers from Wesley Robinson and Shaquil Bender. Sacred Heart tried to stay within striking
distance, cutting the deficit to seven at one point, but Manhattan had an answer every time. Fraser Roxburgh stepped up with three second-half threes, while Masiah Gilyard delivered a strong allaround performance, finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.
With the game slipping away, Sacred Heart had no response to Manhattan’s depth and efficiency.
The Jaspers shot 40.7% from beyond the arc and were nearly automatic from the free-throw
line, converting 86.7% of their attempts. They also dominated second-chance opportunities, outscoring Sacred Heart 23-14 in that category.
Head coach John Gallagher praised the leadership of Winston and Gilyard, emphasizing their importance to the team’s success. Winston, who finished with 17 points and six assists, credited Roxburgh’s versatility, calling him “one of the best players on the court every time he plays.”
