The Quadrangle, Issue 12 Spring 2023

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MANHATTAN COLLEGE | SINCE 1924

MC’s Spring 2023 Budget Cuts Explained

Jilleen Barrett Senior Writer

Just before spring break in March, club leaders received some tough news: budget cuts were being made. These cuts were originally going to make it impossible for some groups to pursue any activities unless they already agreed upon funding with the Office of Student Engagement.

An email sent out by Student Engagement explained the circumstances of the budget cuts.

“Regarding Student Engagement and Student Government funding for the remainder of the 2022-2023 academic year, please note, no new expenses are being accepted at this time,” the email stated. “This includes previously allocated or approved funding; they unfortunately will no longer be funded unless contractually obligated as per approved contracts through the General Counsel’s office.”

The email was sent to all official clubs on March 6, 2023.

Emma Pizzullo, vice president of Student Government, was relieved when the Office of Student Engagement told the board that they found a way to avoid taking money from any clubs. However, this did mean some larger projects the board was pursuing would be affected.

According to Pizzullo, the Jasper Day of Wellness (JDOW) on March 22 was supposed to include massages and food trucks, but they were no longer able to pay for them.

John Bennett, the executive director of Student Engage-

ment, explained the reason the money got removed from JDOW and Springfest and reinstated for the clubs is because the office feels that student clubs/organizations are more significant to the individual student’s experience at Manhattan.

“When we’re looking to cut budgets, the first thing we always look to do is cut budgets that won’t affect a specific student,” Bennett said. “We’re just scaling [larger events] back a little bit while not taking away from somebody’s specific sorority or fraternity, or engineering club, or communication group.”

Part of this reasoning is due to the fact that students are paying to attend MC and that a wide range of student interests needs to be accommodated for.

“The truth is that day-today activities like clubs keep students the busiest,” Bennett said. “[Clubs are] probably more important in terms of satisfaction, involvement, in terms of the friends you have on campus and your social circle.”

Because Manhattan is a largely tuition-supported institution, the number of students who attend the college fulltime affects how much money the college has to spend on student engagement and programming. There are specific fees paid for by those students every year for these purposes.

William Clyde, provost and executive vice president, explained that while less students means less money, it

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Students Enjoy Springfest Carnival on the Quad

Manhattan College students enjoyed both the Nav concert and the carnival prior to the concert. ANGELINAPEREZ/THEQUADRANGLE

STEM Outreach Events Makes Impact in Local Communities

Andrew Mannion Asst. Sports Editor

Manhattan College’s STEM outreach event focused on reaching out to local communities and schools to provide opportunities for students to learn some of the basics of engineering.

The engineering societies at MC did a multitude of demonstrations at local schools, churches and other gathering places.

One of the hosts of the event, Velbeth Cifuentes, described the work that the societies do and how it benefits students in the area.

“Our mission is to bring

engineering fundamentals to minority groups, whether that’s teaching middle school or high school students, the basic concepts of engineering and kind of introducing to them the field,” Velbeth said. “A lot of these places and schools that have a high percentage of minority students, they don’t get the ability to get well informed on the different kinds of jobs that they can do in the field.”

By showing them different uses for engineering, students can find their own interests within the field.

Mechanical engineering student Brody Sims stated how he gained a passion for engineering from his interests at a young age.

“In elementary and middle

school, my interest [in engineering] had to do with my passion in cars that I have had ever since I was young,” Sims said. “Anything from sports cars to your everyday drivers that you’d find on the road. It always took a fascination with me. I’ve always wanted to be able to build and design them. That’s why I chose engineering as my major here at Manhattan College.”

The event focused on showing young students different examples of engineering and how it impacts the world. The societies demonstrated different things such as making drawbridges and seeing how

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

LETTER from the EDITOR

The Editorial Board

Jocelyn Visnov Editor-in-Chief

Kyla Guilfoil Managing Editor

Angelina Persaud News Editor

Angelica Niedermeyer Features Editor

Karen Flores Arts & Entertainment Editor

Kyla Guilfoil Sports Editor

Adrianne Hutto Production Editor

Rebecca Kranich Social Media Editor

Zoe DeFazio

Angelina Perez Web Editors

Lauren Raziano Multimedia Editor

Grace Cardinal Asst. News Editor

Brianna Coppola Asst. Features Editor

Mack Olmsted Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor

Andrew Mannion Isaiah Rosario Asst. Sports Editors

Mack Olmsted

Maizy Swift Asst. Production Editors

Mary Haley Asst. Social Media Editor

Nicholas Gilewicz Faculty Advisor

About The Quadrangle

A tradition since 1924, The Quadrangle is a news organization run by the students of Manhattan College. We strive to cover news around campus and the greater community, publishing weekly in print and daily online. Our goal is always accuracy, relevancy and professionalism.

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

Join The Quadrangle

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

Connect with The Quadrangle

mcquad.org

@mcquad @mcquad mcquad

Hey Jaspers,

This semester has been flying by and we are now in the home stretch! While the end of the academic year can be stressful, I hope you’re finding some time to decompress and enjoy the spring weather during these final weeks.

As we approach final exams, remember there are some lovely folks at the Center for Academic Success ready to assist you in achieving your academic goals. You can make an appointment with the CAS through Jasper Connect.

For those who have been following The Quad on social media, I would like to extend a sincere thank you for your overwhelming kindness and support. It was very heartwarming to see our community and friends rally behind The Quad in support of print journalism. Every single donation is greatly appreciated and goes towards stabilizing our print publication, keeping it on stands and opening up future opportunities for The Quad.

To be abundantly clear, The Quad is not going anywhere. Due to rising printing costs and budget cuts all around (read this week’s news story by Senior Writer Jilleen Barrett for more info) as many publications have been recently, The Quad was faced with urgent budget restrictions.

That being said, due to your generosity and support, we will be printing our entire Special Issue and Issue 13, as well as giving our seniors the farewell they deserve. The print issue will be on stands beginning May 2, and we promise not to disappoint!

Thank you for supporting The Quad and thank you for being an informed and active member of the Jasper community. We’ll see you next week both in print and online for our Special Issue and Issue 13.

Sincerely,

Jocelyn Visnov

Editor-in-Chief

MC’s Spring 2023 Budget Cuts Explained

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

also means there is a smaller community to provide for.

“Sometimes we have classes that are bigger incoming and sometimes we have classes that are smaller incoming,” Clyde said. “And so when we have a smaller class coming in, then our needs for serving those students are less because there are fewer students.”

Clyde also noted that the struggles Manhattan is facing are not unique. He commented that between the pandemic, the rise of online education and more, colleges that are not Ivy League or large state schools are generally struggling.

“We need to make sure that we’re providing all of the services and the education and everything that the students need,” Clyde said.

Clyde also stated that a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will be appointed for the next fiscal year, which starts in June. The CFO will work with third party auditors who review the college’s total spending.

After receiving feedback from the auditors for the current fiscal year, Clyde explained that the college does have reserve funds to fall back on. However, this feedback is not what made the college decide to cut budgets; he re-emphasized that the move was influenced by the recent and future incoming class sizes.

Benjamin Boivin, director of undergraduate admissions, wrote in an email to The Quadrangle that the estimated size of the class of 2027 is “between 700-800 students,” which is on par with the sizes of other recent classes.

So what can students do to

prepare for any future budget cuts, or to be more informed about how their favorite club can continue their activities?

Bennett recommends all club leaders come to the club training sessions held at the beginning of each school year. This will allow the Office of Student Engagement to understand the needs of each club, and ultimately, allocate money for the activities that keep students satisfied with their college experience.

STEM Outreach Events Makes Impact in Local Communities

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

much weight they can hold. Cifuentes talks about some of the work she has done within those classrooms.

“We did three projects with them,” Cifuentes said. “We did a DNA strawberry extraction to kind of replicate like what you could be doing in the chemical engineering field. And then lastly, we taught them how to build Rock, Paper, Scissors using Python coding. So really basic stuff, but they were able to just type the code themselves, test it out, see how it would have come up.”

Having this event for local schools is one way to immerse students into the engineering field early in their education experience.

Another engineering stu-

dent, JJ Lotardo, remarked on the importance of familiarizing kids with engineering topics early, especially with the current shortage of engineers.

“I think the STEM program at MC is great,” Lotardo said.

“You know, there’s a shortage of engineers nowadays. So the more the merrier with students or people that become engineers and when you start younger you get more experience. So that means it is just easier for you to find a job or for you to work in the field. I think it’s a great impact and a great program all around.”

The event is looking to expand into a full program in the future with more opportunities to help local communities. For the time being, they plan to continue the great work that they are doing within the communities they positively impact.

MC to Rescind COVID Vaccine Requirement as National Public Health Emergency Ends

to receive it.

Manhattan College’s new non-mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy is set to take effect May 20, 2023 following this year’s commencement ceremony. In an email to students, Chief Compliance Officer Goldie Adele wrote that while the vaccine will no longer be mandated, the college still encourages community members

“Everyone is strongly encouraged to get vaccinated and stay up to date, and to provide this information to the college,” Adele wrote. “We will continue to monitor federal, state of New York and the city’s guidance on this issue and infection trends, and respond as needed.”

Adele also wrote that the college will encourage students to test before moving into residence halls and will

@MANHATTAN.EDU/COURTESY

continue to require those with positive tests to report their results to Health Services. Resident students will continue to be responsible for any isolation costs.

Manhattan’s announcement came just a week before the official end to the national public health emergency was announced by the Biden administration on April 10.

MC was far from the first college to rescind its vaccine requirement. In the Bronx, Fordham University announced that it would no longer require the COVID-19 vaccination effective May 15. Previously, Monroe College was the first college in the borough to lift their requirement, effective July of 2022, with the exception of students in certain clinical programs.

Monroe College spokesperson Jackie Ruegger explained that the college made the decision to rescind the requirement in the wake of breakthrough cases seen with the Delta and Omicron variants.

“Being vaccinated no longer had an absolute impact on transmissibility,” Ruegger said. “The medical community found that a vaccinated person who contracted COVID carried the same viral load as an unvaccinated person.”

Manhattan, Fordham and SUNY schools will have sum-

mer courses to get used to the change in policy. Monroe College, Ruegger explained, chose to pilot the change with a smaller group of student-athletes who returned for the pre-season in July, before the wider campus community arrived to start the fall semester.

“There were random cases, which was expected given the local and regional upticks in reported cases, but no serious outbreaks among the players or within the dorm, and so we expanded from there,” Ruegger said.

At Manhattan, the end of the vaccine requirement brings about the end of an era. For many graduating seniors, including chemical engineering major Maddie Byrne, COVID-19 and the college experience are inextricably linked with the pandemic interrupting their freshman year.

“I honestly feel kind of robbed of the traditional college experience just because of COVID in general,” Byrne said. “As an engineer at least, I feel like the foundation of the work that I needed in my freshman and sophomore year was not properly laid down due to the fact that almost all of my classes were done online my sophomore year… But also, there’s the other side of it, socially. I feel like people are less likely

to talk to each other.”

Byrne is immunocompromised, leading them to take a cautious approach to COVID-19 and expressing concern for how the lack of a vaccine requirement will affect other immunocompromised people.

“I’m afraid for the next wave of possibly immunocompromised people who will have to perhaps deal with people who are not vaccinated and don’t care about getting sick,” they said.

“Being comfortable enough to know that like 80 to 90% of the college campus is vaccinated made me feel a lot better about not having mask mandates in classes anymore,” Byrne said. “It made me feel safer to be around campus and be in public spaces, because honestly, I’ve gotten COVID twice from being at college. I do not recommend it, it sucks so bad, it’s horrific.”

According to the college’s recently disbanded One Manhattan office, 81 percent of the Manhattan College community was fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the start of the academic year on Sept. 6 2022. This is on par with the vaccination rate of the city as a whole, which was also 81 percent as of April 6 according to the Department of Health.

Manhattan College Engineers meet with local middle school students.

Megan LaCreta Senior Writer

MC’s non-mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy is set to take effect May 20, 2023.

Manhattan College Declared a Hispanic Serving Institution

Manhattan College administration will be administering new student ID cards with mental health crisis hotlines printed on the back as part of a new initiative to promote wellness resources. The idea was brought to administration by two student athletes, Teddy Segmuller and Kaya Simpson.

Ronald Gray, vice president of student life, spoke about the duties of administration and the MC community to look out for the mental health of the students.

“Having access to these resources is critical,” Gray said. “We know that one out of every two students struggles with mental health, depression, anxiety, and we know that is coming out of COVID and out of the responsibilities that have increased for students over the number of years.”

The updated cards will begin rolling out this semester with the updates to the Hayden Hall ID system and continuing into fall 2023.

This new initiative is a collective effort from many across the school, particularly the Wellness and Flourishing Council and the Student Athlete Advisory Council.

Esmilda Abreu-Hornbostel, dean of students and cochair of the Wellness and Flourishing Council, spoke about the origins of the initiative and the reason for the hotlines.

“We wanted to institutionalize how people got resources,” Abreu-Hornbostel said. “They [the students] wanted three

numbers on the back of the ID. When everything got discussed and unpacked, it’s pretty clear that we needed to go a little broader than just the suicide hotline. So we got the sexual assault awareness number on there, as well as 911, 7333 and the general public safety number as well.”

By having these mental health and crisis hotlines on the back of every student ID card, students will have access to help and resources anywhere, at any time.

Jennifer McArdle, director of the counseling center and cochair of the Wellness and Flourishing Council, spoke about the initiative students are taking in order to promote the wellbeing of those around them.

“I think it’s just tremendous that the students are disseminating a lot of this very important information,” McArdle said. “So it’s really at the fingertips for our students. Because sometimes that’s what makes the difference for somebody in crisis- right here, right now.”

Segmuller and Simpson came to administration last fall when the process began. They recognized the need for mental health resources to be readily available to students and wanted to find a way to bring it to the campus community.

“When they approached me with the idea I was immediately thrilled with it and Dr. Abreu reached out with all the resources to get the physical part of it done,” McArdle said. “I just think it’s a wonderful first step to continue providing these resources during a mental health pandemic.”

On March 22, the first step

of this initiative will be taking place, where bag tags and phone stickers with the crisis hotlines written on them will be given out to students. Students can also receive these items at school sporting events. Some of these items will also include a QR code, which takes students to a LinkTree that provides a multitude of mental health resources both on and off campus. These new mental health initiatives will also be highlighting what resources students have available to them on campus.

“This is definitely something we’re committed to because when it comes to mental health, our campus is uniquely poised to address it,”

Abreu-Hornbostel said. “I’ll brag a little but we have a really excellent Counseling Center. So it’s a testament of their work, but also, it’s a testament of the way in which the institution supports their work.”

For students struggling with mental health, there are many resources on campus available to help, including the Counseling Center, the Health Center and the Lasallian Women and Gender Research Center (LWGRC) among others.

“That’s the critical thing, finding the right support for you is important and that’s something that we want to make sure that we prioritize for our students,” Gray said.

Many members of the Manhattan College communi-

ty have gotten involved in this effort to support mental health, including the LWGRC, Student Government Association and the athletic department. Abreu-Hornbostel credits students such as Alixandria James, a wellbeing ambassador, and Emilia O’Neill, a LWGRC intern, for bringing up this concern and finding a way to help the MC community.

“When students have good ideas, we want to be able to support them,” said Abreu-Hornbostel. “Don’t be timid if you’ve got something that you think is worth sharing because the campus really does surround you and help you get the vision up and going.”

Isaiah Rosario

Asst. Sports Editor

RiverdaleRestaurantWeekReturnsFor AnotherDeliciousYear

Angelica Niedermeyer

Features Editor

In addition to being the home of the Jaspers, the neighborhood of Riverdale is known for its tight knit community, proximity to Manhattan and a wide range of must-visit restaurants. During the week of April 15th to 22nd, Riverdale held its second annual Riverdale Restaurant Week with 33 participating eateries of all cuisines.

Riverdale restaurant week was organized and co-sponsored by Michael Gabert, owner of Flexis Media, and Laura Levine-Pinedo, General Manager of Bronx Burger House and founder of 4 Bronx Project.

“I manage a restaurant right here in Riverdale,” shared Levine-Pinedo in a Dine Out Riverdale Youtube video from 2022. “I notice that a lot of us, our restaurants, don’t participate for some reason in New York City Restaurant Week or Bronx Restaurant Week. Maybe they get overlooked or whatever the reason may be, Mike and I had this idea to do a Riverdale Restaurant Week to highlight the restaurants right here in Riverdale and our community to bring people closer together.”

The participating restaurants, delis and cafés have special menus and deals to engage diners from all over to come out for the restaurant week. The Quadrangle had the opportunity to visit three restaurants participating, try various cuisines and talk to their employees about the exciting week planned.

Riverdale Avenue

Mamajuana Cafe Prime, located on 3541 Riverdale Ave., is a vibrant and floral decorated Dominican cuisine restaurant whose hibiscus lights guide customers to the purple accented bar. Their restaurant week menu included a $45 fixed menu with appetizer options like Spanish ham croquetas and empanadas and entrees like their classic mofongo, or green plantains pressed with garlic and fried pork crackling. For dessert, Mamajuana served white bread pudding with dulce de leche with vanilla ice cream.

The Quadrangle had the opportunity to talk with a Mamajuana employee who loves working there. Melissa Cruz has been a server and bartender at Mamajuana for three months.

“Don’t let the Dominican theme fool you, but we do have more than just mofongo,” said Cruz. “You’ll love it. It’s so good, very flavorful, everything we have.”

She explains that this is the second time the establishment has participated in the restaurant week and that last year was very successful. Her favorite part about the event is the new crowds.

“So far, there’s a lot of different people that have been coming in to try a lot of different things and just meeting different types of people,” says Cruz. “It’s pretty cool. I like that.”

Johnson Avenue

Palace of Japan at 3505 Johnson Ave. also participated in the restaurant week. The Japanese restaurant offered a special $29 bento box with choices of salmon teriyaki, chicken teriyaki, shrimp & vegetable tempura, chicken katsu, tofu teriyaki and baked eggplant. The bento box also includes miso soup and salad and a choice of ice cream or tempura ice cream for dessert.

On the regular menu, the restaurant which welcomes locals and students from MC features delicious signature sushi rolls inspired by Riverdale streets like the Johnson Ave. and the Riverdale Roll.

The restaurant’s quality, joined by a bar, holds up to its palace name.

Eson Chen, the manager of Palace of Japan, shares that this is the second time the restaurant participated in the restaurant week. This year, singer Ida Metsberg performed with her guitar.

“For this year, it’s more organized,” Chen said. “On Monday, [...] they sent a guitar player to have live music. So even though it was just one hour, it gave a different amazing experience for the customer. That’s the first time we have had live music playing.”

Chen’s favorite part about the local restaurant week is the new customers coming in from other places. She also says that all the restaurant owners in Riverdale are united and want people to spread the word of Riverdale’s restaurants.

“Basically, we can get more customers, new customers from outside of Riverdale,” said Chen.“They get to know about Riverdale’s environment, the food, the cuisines and the people.”

West 238th

Described as “Not Your Typical Steakhouse” on their website, the casual local Home BX Steakhouse opened in 2022. The restaurant on 224 West 238th street is furnished with long tables accompanied by a live piano which bounces off the brick walls and adds a community atmosphere to the juicy steak dishes.

For the restaurant week, the steakhouse offers a $50 fixed menu of appetizers, entrees and desserts. Appetizers included a new caesar salad for the restaurant, roasted eggplant dip, crabcakes and pork belly. Entrees were salmon with vegetables, beef bourguignon, NY Strip and lamb chops. Dessert was a choice of next door’s famous S&S Cheesecake and a new coconut cream dish for the restaurant, dulcito e coco.

Norman Martinez, general manager of Home BX Steakhouse explains that the first restaurant week last year was amazing.

“I like what they [the organizers] are doing now because it brings more people to the area,” said Martinez.

Although he says that in comparison this year started quiet, on Saturdays and Sundays more people started to come in to try their food.

“There’s a lot of amazing restaurants,” said Martinez.

“[...] I have friends that have restaurants around here. People don’t know that. So, it [restaurant week] brings new people to the community and people can get to know all the amazing food we have.”

Home BX Steakhouse was also included in the NYC restaurant week, but Martinez shares that it is not the same because of the large scale of the event.

“With the Riverdale [restaurant week], it’s more for the community, it’s more intimate.”

Martinez wants the Riverdale community to know that they are steakhouse quality food, but without the fancy tablecloths and dress code. They also do live music on weekends.

“We are a steakhouse right, but I don’t want people to think that we are like a typical steakhouse,” said Martinez. “[...] I want people to have fun and enjoy themselves when they’re here.”

Riverdale restaurant week is all about highlighting the different types of high quality food shared by the community and getting the word out to visitors. Although this restaurant week is only two years old, the week is hoped by restaurants to continue for next year for people of all palettes to enjoy the best dishes of the Riverdale neighborhood in The Bronx.

The Riverdale Dine-Out map shows those interested in list of all the restaurants participating in Restaurant Week.

On Palace of Japan’s regular menu, the restaurant which welcomes locals and students from MC features delicious signature sushi rolls inspired by Riverdale streets like the Johnson Ave. and the Riverdale Roll.

ANGELICA NIEDERMEYER/ THE QUADRANGLE

Mamajuana Cafe Prime has many flavorful options for appetizers. Pictured here are the mouthwatering beef and chicken skewers, fried plantain topped with ropa vieja, and beet salad.

ANGELICA NIEDERMEYER/ THE QUADRANGLE

SaintRussoBroughtLive MusicToMCStudents PriortoSpringfest

Adrianne Hutto Production Editor

This year Springfest featured rapper Nav, but the unofficial opening act was Saint Russo. While the band’s typical performance location is usually bars and restaurants like An Beal Bocht, the band was able to fit a stage, instruments, and their equipment in a tiny crowded Bronx backyard.

The band’s setlist ranged from Green Day to Lynyrd Skynyrd, which was a big shift from the Springfest headliner. Yet, the gathered students still danced and sang along with the band, even demanding an encore at the end of their set.

Saint Russo had their first live performance last April, which was covered by The Quadrangle, and took place at An Beal. This was their second time performing for a college crowd and it was organized by Delta Kappa Epsilon for students to enjoy before the student government organized

concert.

President of Delta Kappa Epsilon, Joseph Talenti, explained that the fraternity

wanted to host an event earlier in the day, since the Nav concert wasn’t until 7 p.m. Talenti and his fraternity talked to one

of their former brothers and drummer of Saint Russo, Stamatis Gaglias and the group agreed to perform for free for students.

“They [Saint Russo] said they would love to come play in the backyard so we had them for the earlier part of the day and we have a DJ to finish it [the party] off,” Talenti said. “The guys loved it, then they asked for one more song, one more song, and they kept going. It was a phenomenal day. We’d love to have them back.”

The band’s manager Dan Modad was very enthusiastic about playing at a different venue like the fraternity house.

“It wasn’t as complicated because we had people to help out, to carry things in,” said Modad. “The fraternity did a great job helping us and honestly great overall.”

Gaglias, a former MC student and member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, is the drummer of Saint Russo who helped secure the band’s performance at the event.

“This is insane,” Gaglias said. “This is like the best crowd we’ve ever played in front of. An Beal is inside so the sound has nowhere to go, whereas here it’s outside and you can hear it a lot better. It’s too bad

there were too many neighbors around, but we made it work.”

Patrick Harnedy, senior engineering student at MC and the bass guitarist for Saint Russo, explains that while this isn’t his long term plan, he does love playing with the band.

“Sam and I, who’s on the drums, we were in a Jazz band together and he knew Joe from engineering,” Harnedy said on how the band got together. “So, we got together and wanted to form a band because we all enjoy this kind of music.”

As for the story of the name of the band, it’s somewhat of an inside joke for the members.

“Joe was doing open mic nights at An Beal and his name is Joe Bruno, but they thought it was Russo and he kept saying Joe Russo,” Gaglias said. “So we thought it’d be fun to do like a spin off of that and we added the saint part because we go to a catholic school.”

While a number of the members have graduated, the group still hopes to get together when they can and would be happy to perform live for students again, if given the opportunity.

Editor’s Note: Angelica Niedermeyer, Features Editor, contributed reporting.

Saint Russo performs live for students before Springfest. ADRIANNE HUTTO/THE QUADRANGLE

Members of Delta Kappa Epsilon set up the event before the performance. ADRIANNE HUTTO/THEQUADRANGLE

TheManyLivesoftheHolyDispensary

Caroline McCarthy Senior Writer

The cycling studio turned vintage shop, turned microgreens garden, turned dispensary has big plans to be Riverdale’s one-stop shop for all things health and wellness. It has become a staple in the Riverdale community, so much so that it has now filed to declare itself a faith-based organization (FBO).

The shop has held many names over the years – including Vegan Botanika, Vegan Bodeguita (or Bodega) and Vintage Boutique – and has now added a new title to its awning. It now reads “Khensv Bvildr 508c1a Inc.” with “Private Membership” written underneath.

According to its website, Khensv Bvildr is a non-profit church that is “serving the Bronx community with freshly grown produce (microgreens), clothing, natural healing modalities and continuing education programs meant to help empower its members with the confidence to live in service to there high selves.”

Owners Khensu and Ra McCray intended for the space to be an “iLiv” cycling studio in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic halted those plans and the couple saw firsthand the need for something that encapsulated health and community in the Bronx.

“We turned into, almost like

a wellness center,” Ra told the Quadrangle in an interview last year. “People were coming here to have cacao ceremonies, they were coming here to meditate during the pandemic, they were using alternative medicines to Western approach that would allow them to edit their immune systems and be able to cope with the climate that we were in at the time.”

Its original concept, the Vegan Botanika, was a play on traditional botanikas found in Latinx communities, which sell religious goods and apothecaries. The McCrays sold medical herbs, lotions and homemade wellness juices and elixirs created by the owners.

John Fata, a junior at Manhattan College, remembered going into the shop for the first time last year.

“I went in by accident,” Fata recalls. The windows of the shop were completely blacked out, so John and some friends went to explore. “We walked in there, and like, we figured out what was going on because there’s that whiteboard in there and it has all the strains listed.”

Fata explained that the first time he bought marijuana from the shop, he needed to pay an inexpensive membership fee. Though this was before its FBO status, buyers were required to be a part of the organization. The membership fee is no longer enforced to purchase cannabis products.

The success of the McCrays’ homemade juice and

elixir brand birthed VB’s second life, the Vegan Bodeguita.

“The concept was to create a deli with vegan treats and vegan food around the concept of a belly,” said Ra.

As this grew, the couple transformed the space again to a Vintage Boutique. As the space transforms, it keeps bits of its past life. The Vintage Boutique still had specialty chefs on the weekend, as the Vegan Bodega did and still sold the religious goods of the original apothecary.

Its new 508c1a status registers the space as a nonprofit religious center and allows it to be tax-free. The US federal tax code 26 U.S.C. Section 508(c) (1)(A) states that “churches, their integrated auxiliaries, and conventions or associations of churches” are under a “mandatory exception” to the filing requirements and are to remain tax-free.

Additionally, FBO under 508(c)(1)(A) is not required to submit a 990 federal tax return or “keep such records, render under oath such statements, make such other returns or comply with such rules and regulations” that the Secretary may prescribe. However, because Khensv Bvildr is conducting a business, they still need to report their earnings to the government.

Whether a customer is religious or not, the space has a strong spirit when walking through its doors. The space in use is small – a microgreen

farm, or possibly a cafè will soon be opened in the building next door – but is instantly lighter and calmer than the busy Riverdale street it sits on.

While there is no recognized definition of a “church” by the IRS, the government has established a list of attributes an organization must have to qualify for this status. They include but are not limited to recognized creed and form of worship, definite and distinct ecclesiastical government [in this case, Ra and Khensu], membership not associated with any other church or de-

nomination, literature of its own, organization of ordained ministers and regular religious services.

Khensc Bvildr has both formal and informal services for its members, but it may not be the Sunday school you remember as a child. While some meetings are 420-free, others include enlightenment through herbs, which prompt conversations on spirit work and inner healing led by Ra and Khensu. Their website lists five formal events happening in July from the 10 to the 15.

YogiYessiYellowoffersSmiles,MeditationandMindfulnesstoMC

Lauren Raziano

Weekly yoga classes held by the fitness center offer a chance for students to medi-

tate, stretch and de-stress. In addition to various health benefits, this weekly offers a smiling instructor teaching each class.

Yessi Yellow comes to Manhattan College from the Bronx

Yoga Lab and has been practicing yoga since she was 17 years old. She is now 32 and is certified with 200 hours in power vinyasa yoga training and loves Bikram hot yoga, vinyasa and yin yoga.

The fitness center offers a vinyasa yoga class twice a week.

“Vinyasa is the Sanskrit term for flow and refers to alignment of breath and movement to create a dynamic, flowing form of yoga,” The description for the class written by the fitness center on manhattan. edu wrote. “Poses are held for a specific number of breaths before moving on to the next pose. Postures create a yoga dance and breath is coordinated with the movements.”

Although this is a vinyasa class, Yellow likes to incorporate her favorite type of yoga, yin yoga.

“I would say my favorite one is yin yoga because it’s more restorative and you get to sit in poses for a really long time,” Yellow said. “You can really stretch out all the muscles and the tightness and it gets out the places where you store any type of stress. When you’re sitting in those poses for such a long time you release all of that

and then you’re like a brand new human being, like after the pose happy baby.”

Simona Graceffo, a senior communications major, said Yellow adapts yoga for any type of learner.

“I like that it is a mix of medication and moving your body, so that it is kind of a well rounded relaxation method,” Graceffo said. “It is definitely a really comfortable space for beginners because I was really nervous going but if you are more advanced she adapts it for you. Yoga is for everyone.”

Yellow’s goal for the class is to make sure people are at ease and are able to breathe.

“I love connecting with people and helping all bodies get more flexible, but also more at ease,” Yellow said. “I like to add meditation into my practices, and also breath work because like, people are always overthinking. You have to remember to breathe, feel and people often don’t steadily breathe, you know?”

To Yellow, Yoga is about being kind to everyone.

“I’m really into kindness and being a light for others because everyone is a mirror to each other,” Yellow said. “Yoga is a wonderful way to be kind

and be a light to one another.”

Junior Carter Silane enjoys going to the yoga class as a stress relief option.

“I chose to go to yoga because it’s a nice way to end my stressful Mondays and start off the week and also allows me to spend time with my friends,” Silane wrote in an email to the Quadrangle. “What I like the most about class is that the instructor asks what kind of things we want to work on each week like stretching, restorative or more of a workout, depending on how we’re feeling that week.”

The yoga classes are a great way for students to go together and be active.

“Yes, I would definitely recommend taking this yoga class,” Silane wrote. “One of my friends recommended it to me so I started going with her and it’s just a really fun and relaxing way to be active and get your mind off of school.”

Yoga classes are offered Monday at 8pm and Thursday at 7pm in Kelly Commons. Follow @MC_FITNESSCENTER for more information about the different classes and athletic opportunities on campus.

The former VB unveils a new sign indicating it’s faith-based organization status. CAROLINE MCCARTHY/THE QUADRANGLE

Multimedia Editor

Arts & EntErtAinmEnt

MCTVCollaborateswithPlayers for9to5:AfterHours

Angelina Perez Web Editor

Sophomore Billy Walker brought an idea to Manhattan College’s student-run television station MCTV to produce a three-episode collaboration with MC’s Players for their upcoming performance of “9 to 5”, their spring musical. Walker is only in his second year as a communication student and already has produced a three-episode series with the help of his cast and crew.

“I’m the marketing chair for players and I wanted to do something different,” Walker explained. “I don’t really remember where the idea first came from, but I’ve always wanted to get involved with MCTV because now I’m taking studio television production, which is a communication class for media production concentrations.”

Walker explained to the Quadrangle his process of the different productions that aired on Youtube throughout the months of March and April of this year.

“For the first episode, I wanted to start with the three leading ladies Olivia Bailey, Gina Ricardo and Jenna Leonard,” Walker explained. “This whole story of “9 to 5,” really circles around their three characters, and I really wanted to get them out there first before hitting the stage. I even had Olivia sing a song from the show. The second one was more be-

hind-the-scenes people like stage managers, to just really show that you don’t just have to be an actor or be on stage to be in Players. And then the last one is the ensemble just to show the talent that shines even if you aren’t playing a lead role.”

Walker explained his strategy behind this angle as a marketing approach for his club.

“It creates different ways to get the word out for our productions besides just putting up posters or posting on Instagram. I hope future marketing chairs or whoever is part of Players continue this right. I’ll try to continue it for the next two years. But after me, it’s up to them.”

CJ Cotza is a senior exercise science major with a double minor in biology and theater who plays an ensemble member, and a character he does not expect the audience to be rooting for.

“I play Dick, who is Judy Bernly’s husband or ex-husband depending on how he’s feeling that day,” Cotza said. “He’s a cheater, liar, and absolutely lives up to his name. He is just the worst and it’s a blast to get to play him. That’s one thing about my acting style is I love to play characters that are unlike me. So I always go for a villain type of role. And then, on the other hand, I am also a featured ensemble member so I’m in almost every dance number. It is just so much fun to go from acting to then heavy dancing.”

Cotza explained to the

Quadrangle how he and Walker were able to take the bond they have created working on stage together and bring it in front of the cameras to create something different.

“I think that this is really going to be a phenomenal way to promote not only this production, but also future productions and really get the word out there to a more vast environment of students. I mean, we can promote it all we want on the players’ social media pages but with that only people that follow the performing arts groups will know about it. This kind of goes out to a much wider group of people.”Cotza explained.

MCTV has helped not only communication majors but others as well who have a passion for working the camera or behind the scenes.

MCTV is the Manhattan

College student-run TV club.” Bart said. “It’s a really great club that’s open to every major, but it can especially help if you’re a media production concentration because we always say it’s like extra help outside of class in the studio learning on our own time. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say it’s really helped improve my time as a media production student in all those types of aspects.”

Kirk explained that MCTV saw a decline due to the pandemic, and saw a major shift this semester with the collaboration.

“Numbers were definitely a struggle after [the pandemic] but with these new collabs, there are more people in the studio than I have seen in a while. I hope the enthusiasm and the numbers keep going up so more people consider collaborating with MCTV.” Kirk said.

The duo Bart and Kirk told the Quad how much they loved working with Players and hope next year more collaborations with different organizations on campus happen.

“MCTV has had an amazing time with Players,” Bart commented in a response to Kirk. “It’s been so fun to produce a show like this. It’s always great to get content out there and I think we really hit the jackpot with working with amazing people, especially Billy who’s brought in some really talented people which has brought a lot to MCTV and players too. We are just so happy to have helped produce this.”

Sign up to work with MCTV by emailing them at mctv@ manhattan.edu and look out for the review of 9 to 5 from the Quadrangle as well. New members for both are always welcomed.

Jenna Leonard performing as Doralee. ANGELINAPEREZ/ COURTESY

Ensemble, Doralee and Hart perform Cowgirls Revenge from 9 to 5. ANGELINAPEREZ/ COURTESY

Brooke DellaRocco ‘26 as Roz performing Heart to Hart. ANGELINAPEREZ/ COURTESY

What’sAllthatJazz aboutThisMCBand?

Kyla Guilfoil Managing Editor/Sports Editor

Manhattan College’s jazz band is cooking up another round of exciting songs for their spring performance. The group’s director and student musicians are thrilled to be performing one of their most diverse set lists yet.

Geoff Mattoon, a professional saxophone player and director of MC’s jazz band, told The Quadrangle that the group will be giving an exciting performance on May 2 in Kelly Commons. Traditionally, the jazz band holds an end-of-semester concert both in the fall and the spring.

While the fall semester concert largely showcased holiday music, Mattoon said that he tried to incorporate multiple styles into this spring’s performance.

“I’m just trying to do different styles of music,” Mattoon said. “So there’s some songs that fall sort of under the category of swing music, and then some that have a little more of a contemporary, you know, feel to it too.”

Mattoon shared that on top of a wide variety of styles, this performance will showcase multiple singers, more than the group has done in the 11 years that Mattoon has been a director.

Sticking to a wide variety, Mattoon said that one vocal performance will be a Cindi Lauper song, while another is a Frank Sinatra classic.

Plus, one of the band’s musicians, Luiz Chavez, will perform vocals for a song that he actually arranged for the band. The song is La Bikina, which Chavez will sing fully in Spanish.

Giulia Auricchio, one of the band’s drummers and president of the group, said that it is a fun experience working on a song arranged by one of her bandmates.

“[Chavez] arranged it all himself, like he did all of the putting all their documents together and stuff like that,” Auricchio said. “He came to me and asked how to help him get the right drum music.”

Auricchio said that Chavez’s song is an example of how Mattoon has let the students have input in what they perform.

Auricchio, a junior and chemical engineering ma-

jor, told The Quadrangle that playing in MC’s jazz band has shaped her overall college experience so far.

“I just had so much fun,” Auricchio said. “I think it’s just so rewarding because those performances at the end of the semester are just so much fun, and all your hard work, you’re able to show it off to people, like to your friends, family, to or is anyone who’s coming….you know, it’s just it’s so rewarding. I love it. so much.”

Auricchio said it was particularly impactful for her to experience the group’s performance at the end of last semester.

“That was the first performance that I was president for, so I was like, ‘wow, this is so sick,’” Auricchio said. “I think I really pay attention to everyone’s growth and it was so awesome to see how starting off in early semester to the growth of how we all sounded in the end…it was just so cool to see.”

The upcoming concert will be the last for Alex Ciprut, a senior guitar player in the band. Ciprut has been in the jazz band at MC for his entire college career.

“[Jazz band] was actually one of the reasons I came

here,” Ciprut told The Quadrangle. “Having music in my life is very important to me.”

Ciprut receives a music scholarship from the college, which requires him to be in two music groups while he is a student. So, alongside playing guitar with the jazz band, he is also a cellist for the college’s orchestra.

Ciprut said receiving the music scholarship and continuing to play in music groups, was essential in his decision to attend Manhattan.

As a student who went through the college’s COVID shutdown in 2020, Ciprut has experienced both playing with the group virtually and in-person.

He said he is excited for this final show in-person to finish out his college career with the band.

With a wide variety of songs and a group of talented musicians, the jazz band welcomes the Manhattan College community to its spring concert on May 2 at 8 p.m. in Kelly Common’s fifth floor space.

Manhattan College’s jazz band is cooking up another round of exciting songs for their spring performance.

MC Jazz Band rehearses. @MCJAZZBAND/COURTESY

Arts & EntErtAinmEnt

CommunicationClubsHostsArts &EntertainmentNight

Lauren Raziano

Multimedia Editor

Sophomore Billy Walker

The communications club hosted the first student showcase social in collaboration with WRCM on Thursday, April 13th.

President Colin Ratner and Vice President Isaiah Rosario helped reserve Smith Auditorium and create an event where artists and performers could collaborate. Secretary and Treasurer of the communication’s club, Sage Clarke, is proud of the hard work and planning that went into the entertainment night.

“This idea started with Colin’s idea where people could show off their artwork because we saw on campus that people were having their own interests,” Clarke said. “He had the idea for the “red carpet” showcase with games and music so that students could enjoy themselves.”

To get more people involved they posted on social media and reached out to people via direct messages.

“First, we started by posting on social media but we had to go out there to the people and directly message them to see if they would be interested. We had help from the American Advertising Federation and the WRCM for finding people,” Clarke said.

MC Artists included Bridget Roldan, Anastasia Rengifo, Lucus Haas, Liam Cayron,

Ashleigh Addarich, and Craig Chambers.

Sophomore Matty Schule was able to showcase his art at the event. Schule displayed his complex pen drawings that he scanned and blew up onto posters.

“I wanted to showcase my art at the student showcase because I love the Manhattan College community,” Schule said.”I think it is awesome when different people can come together and showcase their talents in different ways”

Schule’s also drew the white board advertisement that sat outside of Smith Auditorium to entice students to come in and have fun.

Digital artwork scans were displayed on a slideshow in Smith Auditorium along with musical instruments set up on the stage for the performers.

Senior mechanical engineering major Craig Chambers attended the event to support MC artists and performers.

“I chose to participate in the event because I always love to support art and artists in any way,” Chambers wrote. “Art can be very personal for a lot of people so showing it to the world isn’t always the easiest thing. Having the opportunity to share one’s art in a welcoming space is a great thing.”

While, Chambers did not decide to participate in the frisbee and the corn hole games in the center of Smith he was glad he attended so that he could hear the student performers.

“I didn’t get a chance to play

any games. However, I spent some time at the event hanging at the event and enjoying the live music. It’s always a treat to hear from the talent we have right here on campus,” Chambers wrote.

There were performances by Jillian Tuthill, Contraband, Bella Suero, The Ezarahite, and Luis Chavez

Justin Monge, a sophomore Civil Engineering student, performed Falling and Only Angel by Harry Styles. He decided to participate in the event even though he is not in the communication club.

“I am not in the communication club but I chose to perform at the Comm Club entertainment night because I wanted to sing and show people what I can do.” Mongue wrote to the Quadrangle.

Communications and psychology major, Annie Brennen, attended the student showcase as a member of WRCM, Manhattan College’s radio station.

“I like that this event gets to showcase different performers, we have artists and music,” Brennen said. “I like that WRCM gets to host because we get to play music that we think

is cool. As a communications major it is nice to go to a communications event that helps to get to know people in the same major, which we normally don’t have.”

The communications club and its members are looking forward to continuing to host more events in the future.

“Coming up soon we have a Gutfeld! Showing,” Clarke said. “We are going to FOX News for a live taping of the show which will be happening soon. The Comm Club will have a very successful future and will have many more events.”

Ashleigh Addarich with her artwork. LAUREN RAZIANO/THE QUADRANGLE

Artist Matty Schule smiles with his pen drawings at the Comm Club Event. LAUREN RAZIANO/THE QUADRANGLE

Matty Schule drew the white board advertisement that sat outside of Smith Auditorium. LAUREN RAZIANO/THE QUADRANGLE

Through the Jasper Lens: Springfest

This year’s Springfest was headlined with a performance by rapper Nav, but that wasn’t all that Springfest was. Student Government organized a carnival for students with food, games, a bounce castle and bull riding. Students were able to enjoy the company of fellow students on their school campus. This is the second post-COVID Springfest, a real treat for students who missed out on the event in year’s past.

Photography by Angelina Perez

Written by & Compiled by Adrianne Hutto.

MCOrchestraCaptivatestheir Audienceat2023SpringConcert

Brooke DellaRocco Staff Writer

Manhattan College’s performing arts ensembles took the stage in the Chapel De La Salle for an afternoon of music and artistry. With families filling the pews, and sunshine flowing through the stained glass windows, it could not have been a better environment for an event.

The evening started off with a lively opening of MC’s very own acapella group, Manhattones singing The Beatles Medley, Come What May and Don’t Stop Me Now. These all had original arrangements by Luis Chavez, Sarah Rosen, and John DelJuidice who were also featured as vocalists in some of the numbers as well.

The program then transitioned into a whirlwind of fabulous and calming orchestral music, featuring Sarah Rosen on flute, Alexander Ciprut on cello, and Richard Divirgilio on French horn. They presented many different pieces including Concerto for Cello in D Minor, Magic Flute Overture, and everyone’s favorite, Lord of the Rings.

Ava Cruz, junior principal second violinist, and vice president of the Orchestra expressed her love for Lord of the Rings and how playing it made her feel.

“The reason I loved it so much was because I really like movie soundtracks,” Cruz said. “This piece was something I feel like everyone, no matter what time period you were born or what music you listen to, everyone knew the Lord of the Rings to some extent… When I would look up sometimes, you could see everyone was smiling.”

In fact, most of the audience was filming and having a relaxing time listening to this inspirational medley. Cruz, a biology major, has been in Orchestra since freshman year, and continuously talks about how helpful the experience has been to her in and out of her studies.

“I love that when I get to practice, I just feel like I can unwind, play pretty music and I’m with my friends,” Cruz said. “You know, it’s just a way to kind of really help me decompress.”

Sarah Rosen, a senior mathematics major with a minor in physics, is an alto in Manhattones and MC Singers, as well as a flutist for Orchestra, has a similar take on how these music groups have shaped her mental well-being.

“For me, music is an escape from all the stress of life as a student,” Rosen wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “Once I start to focus on counting the rhythms of a song that’s all that occupies my mind, it’s therapeutic in a way to allow oneself to be absorbed in this world. There’s something universal about the emotions music can invoke. Even songs without words can hold so much meaning. I find a lot of joy in honing the skills required to make music, and even more in sharing the emotions that it evokes.”

Everyone involved in Orchestra has some kind of backstory as to why they are playing at MC and what benefits they will receive from doing so.

Grace Dillon, sophomore flutist and piccolo player, as well as public relations manager for Orchestra, had a tough time deciding between where she wanted to attend college to follow her musical passions.

“In my earlier years in high school, I really honestly was thinking about touring schools that had music performance and maybe going for a performance degree or music education degree,” Dillon said. “And then it kind of hit me that I didn’t want it to be my professional life. I wanted to do it because I wanted to do it for my own self, and for fun, and to [have] an enriching experience; I’m very glad I made that decision.”

Following the Orchestra, MC’s College Choir, MC Singers, joined Orchestra on the risers to sing 4 beautiful arrangements of all different genres and languages. It is Well With My Soul, even featured student Conductor Luis Chavez, leading both the Orchestra and Choir in song. The evening ended with the Mass in G Major.

Alexander Ciprut, a senior computer information systems major and music minor, is a cellist and the president of the Orchestra. He spoke about his experience picking up the cello in the first place.

“I’ll be honest, I was gonna pick the bass but then I said, ‘Oh, I can sit when I play the cello,’” Ciprut said. “I chose the cello. And it just clicked. I don’t know what exactly, but I liked playing the cello. I played it through high school and when I was looking for colleges, that was something I was looking for.”

When Ciprut was asked about how he will carry these musical lessons into his life after he graduates, he spoke very confidently about what he has learned through his time here

at MC.

“Well there’s one thing with a performance, it’s never gonna go the way you expect it to,” Ciprut said. “So you kind of learn to roll with the punches a little bit, and deal with on-thefly thinking.”

Ciprut expects to carry this ideal into his future career and looks forward to possibly coming back as an alum and playing cello for the Orchestra.

All three music groups featured in the MC Spring Concert were able to have their shining moment in front of all of their families and friends. While feeling support from their peers, many of them commented on how they felt a lack of support from the school. Other than Andrew Bauer, director of music and coordinator of Performing Arts, and Dr. Gwendolyn Toth, director and conductor of Orchestra, students expressed their distaste for a lack of resources provided by the school. Cruz in particular spoke about

how priority in MC clubs and groups can even affect the Orchestral instruments.

“Even the conditions in the Chapel, like when we have to go and rehearse,” Cruz said. “I don’t know who’s in charge of maintaining chapel conditions but sometimes it’s too cold for us to play, which can really affect the way we play…When you’re cold and stuff, you can’t really move your joints…..And also it ruins the conditions of our instruments.”

In too hot or too cold temperatures, these instruments can consistently go out of tune which can negatively affect the instrument overall and also affect how the Orchestra sounds altogether. This is not the only issue for the arts, as the budget that the Orchestra is given by the administration is a common complaint. The money set aside for this group is too low to allow for the purchasing of certain instruments that do break, or need fixing.

Looking ahead, Cruz mentioned her potential candidacy for president of the Orchestra in the 2023-2024 season, where she spoke about one of her main goals.

“My goal is, to grab the attention more of administration and say, ‘This is what we need from you, your support would be valued,’” Cruz said. “Because again, if you love attending these shows, if you love attending these performances, like you tell me you do, we would sincerely appreciate the support so we can continue to provide these performances that you love so much.”

All Orchestra members were overjoyed to perform on Sunday and expressed their ongoing hope for new and fresh members to join the club next year.

For more information follow their Instagram @mc.orchestra

Orchestra Grasps Audience’s Attention with 2023 Spring Concert. BROOKEDELLAROCCO/ COURTESY

Orchestra Grasps Audience’s Attention with 2023 Spring Concert. BROOKEDELLAROCCO/ COURTESY

Chi Alpha Sigma Inducts 208 Students into First Class

Adrianne Hutto

Last month, Manhattan College inducted its first class of Chi Alpha Sigma honor society members and hosted its annual Brunch with the Stars.

Chi Alpha Sigma is a national organization that honors college student-athletes who have excelled in both the classroom and in their respective sports. The induction ceremony was held at Draddy Gymnasium and was attended by family members, friends, coaches, and faculty members. The inductees, who were nominated by their coaches and approved by the selection committee, were recognized for their dedication to academic excellence, athletic achievement, and community service.

Among the 208 student-athletes who were inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma and Brunch with the Stars, a recognition of academic excellence among underclassmen athletes, there were representatives from a variety of sports, including basketball, soccer, volleyball, and

lacrosse. Each inductee was presented with a certificate and a Chi Alpha Sigma medallion to commemorate their achievement.

Kaya Simpson, a senior of the track and field team, and Teddy Segmuller, a senior on the swim and dive team, helped organize the event.

Segmuller explained that the establishment of Chi Alpha Sigma at Manhattan College is a significant milestone for the athletics program as it is their first year inducting members.

“Matthew Ray Bard brought Chi Alpha Sigma to our attention and he wanted us to bring that to the school and we thought it was a great idea,” Segmuller said. “Just to be able to recognize student athletes. You know, who were juniors and seniors that have not only done well in athletics, but also in their academics as well.”

The induction ceremony also featured a keynote address by Chi Alpha Sigma advisor, Matthew Raidbard.

He spoke about the importance of balancing academic and athletic responsibilities, and how being a part of Chi

Alpha Sigma helped him to achieve that balance during his time at Manhattan College.

“We are extremely excited about bringing Chi Alpha Sigma to Manhattan,” Raidbard said. “It is an amazing opportunity to highlight the tremendous academic accomplishments of our student-athletes.”

Simpson and Segmuller credit their achievements this year and the work they have been able to achieve with Chi Alpha Sigma in large part to Raidbard.

“I think the way that we communicate with each other and administration really allows us to get things accomplished at the end of the day,” Segmuller said. “And honestly, none of it would be possible if we didn’t have Matt. We owe so much to him, he has made a lot of things this year for us so special.”

Simpson explained that the process of putting together the induction was stressful, but

GOJASPERS/COURTESY

overall rewarding. “

I can’t believe we really made it all work,” Simpson said. “We got another thing that people could add to their resume and showcase their hard work, not just like being an athlete, but being a student athlete.”

While Simpson and Segmuller are seniors, there is still a lot left this year for the duo. From the mental health initiative at MC and the Jaspys, an awards ceremony held for all the college’s athletes, they truly are making the most of their college experience.

The induction of the inaugural class of Chi Alpha Sigma members at Manhattan College was a momentous occasion. It not only recognizes the achievements of the student-athletes who were inducted but also serves as a reminder of the college’s dedication to fostering a culture of excellence both on and off the field.

Production Editor

Kaya Simpson, a senior on the track & field team at MC was inducted into the first class of honorees for Chi Alpha Sigma. GOJASPERS/COURTESY

Teddy Segmuller and Kaya Simpson spoke at the Chi Alpha Sigma induction ceremony.

Women’s Lacrosse Team Push Through A Tough Loss Against Fairfield

Julia Ciampa Staff Writer

Manhattan College’s women’s lacrosse team persevered through a tough game on April 19 against Fairfield as the Stags took victory, resulting in a final score of 10-3.

Although the Stags took the win, the hard work and dedication of the Manhattan College Women’s Lacrosse team definitely shined through. Starting off strong with a tie of 1 - 1 in the first period, the skills and strategies that the Jaspers utilized seemed very promising for a win.

Building up her stamina in the second period, senior Jillian Reiner locked in and scored an incredibly skillful second goal, promising hope for the Jaspers to dominate the Stags.

Senior attacker Reagan Mullins aided in a great assist during the initial phases of period 3, as the Jaspers pushed through a tough period.

With nearly nine minutes left in the third period, Fairfield tallied three additional goals, changing the score to 9-2.

However, Reiner stepped up in the fourth period and scored her second goal of the evening, with only five minutes left in the period. Scoring goal three, Reiners dedication to the game was at full swing.

“What motivated me most to get out there and play the way that I did today is the fact that I’m a senior, and this is one of my last two games at Manhattan,” Reiner said. “I continue to push myself and put all I have out there, and continue to play with no regrets.”

The Stags continued to score towards the end of the last two periods, and as the

buzzer hit zero, the final score of the game was 13-3 with Fairfield coming on top.

In their previous games, the lady Jaspers preserved through other tough games, such as their game at the MAAC, where they played Niagara, and their game resulted in a 3-3 tie among the two teams. Manhattan also played Siena (11-5, 6-1 MAAC) last Saturday, but could not come out as victorious as the Jaspers were defeated by the Saints 9-8.

Unfortunately this pattern of losses has been prevalent

among the team, but nonetheless the Jaspers motives have been promising.

“Compared to our last game, I think we struggled with the little things, as we started to tap into the mental side too much once we got to the second half of the game,” women’s lacrosse team head coach Jeanna Dingler said. “I believe that overall this is the strongest team in our conference, and I truly think we put up a good fight for the beginning of the game, we just need to be able to sustain that more.”

Although the women’s lacrosse team has not had a promising season, the teams devotion to lacrosse does not go unnoticed.

“My team goes through a lot of our practice work, such as wall ball, doing extra reps, and completing individual exercises,” Reiner said. “We even go through the motions of what tricks our opposing team might have up their sleeve, in efforts to be fully prepared for anything. Maintaining a good mindset is also something that my team values and portrays,

as we try to prove the MAAC wrong at every game.”

“I know our game against Fairfield today doesn’t reflect on it, but I think overall the girls really have a lot of hustle,” Dingler said. “Skill set aside, I know that everytime we step on the field they will work 110 percent hard, and that’s really all I can ask for as their coach.”

As the Women’s Lacrosse season comes to a close, the team hopes to enhance their skills next season.

As the Women’s Lacrosse season comes to a close, the team hopes to enhance their skills next season. JULIA CIAMPA/THE QUADRANGLE