The Quadrangle- Issue 5,Spring 2023

the Quadrangle

New Chosen Name and Gender Policies to be Implemented at MC

MC Students Celebrate Valentine’s Day Across Campus

Pursuing Passion: Sarah Rosen ‘23 Leads the Way in New STEM Research

Karen Flores

Sarah Rosen has been conducting research for the past two and a half years that enables her to combine her passion for mathematics and physics while simultaneously being an active member of the community.

A senior mathematics major with a minor in physics and a concentration in theoretical physics, Rosen began her research the summer after her freshman year when she joined the Jasper Summer Research Scholars. The program provided her with background knowledge about the world of research and helped her build the foundation for her current

project.

“The Jasper Summer Research Scholars was a great opportunity to learn more about research as a whole,” Rosen said. “This was around the time when I started getting the background information that I needed for my project. I learned about abstract algebra that I needed to use as well as graph theory. I started working through examples of how to reduce integral equations. Eventually, that culminated in a result on how to reduce a specific type of integral equation.”

She explained that during her time at MC, she has taken classes with Richard Gustavson, Ph.D., assistant professor in the mathematics department, three times. She

reached out to him expressing interest in taking part in research, leading to him becoming her research advisor.

The title of their research is “A Reduction Algorithm for Volterra Integral Equations.” Gustavson explained to The Quadrangle the research he and Rosen have done in regard to integral equations.

“An integral is finding ways of generalizing sums, so if you want to find an area, you can evaluate an integral.” Gustavson said. “We have an unknown function inside an integral and you want to figure out what that function is. We’ve

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Kelly Kennedy Senior Writer

New policies have been implemented where students can now update their profiles to reflect their chosen name and chosen gender as of the 2023 spring semester.

According to the Manhattan College Chosen Name and Chosen Gender Identity Policies, students and employees are now able to elect to use a chosen name or gender different from the one legally noted in their account. These changes will be reflected in campus software such as DegreeWorks, Jasper Connect and on their campus ID.

These new policies were implemented in accordance with the New York City Human Rights Law. According to Title IX Chief Compliance Officer Goldie Adele, Manhattan College is one of many colleges in the area to adopt these new policies.

These new policies are now standard practice for many colleges regardless of religious affiliation. According to Adele, other Catholic colleges such as Fordham University, have also implemented similar policies regarding student’s chosen name and chosen gender.

This change will have no effect on a student or employee’s legal name or gender identification.

“These policies provide students an opportunity to be able to change their preferred name and also preferred gender, which they can do through Banner 9 on Self-Service,” Adele said. “However, this is not their legal name change, so their transcripts, diplomas and all those official documents will still have their legal name [or gender].”

According to the Manhattan College Chosen Gender Identity Policy, “Manhattan College is dedicated to the Lasallian Core Principles of Respect for All People and Inclusive Community. The college recognizes the many reasons why members of our community may wish to be identified by a gender other than what is listed on their legal records. Where possible, the college will allow students and employees to identify by a chosen gender identity.”

The call for change was spearheaded by the LGBTQ+ Task Force, co-chaired by Tiffany French and Rocco Mariaccio, Ph.D.

“In the 2020-2021 school year, our Director of Diversity and Equity oversaw the Diversity Council and conducted a Diversity Climate survey,” French said. “In that survey, it was discovered that our colleagues who are black and our colleagues that are LGBTQ+

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Jasper

MC students spread love with several Valentine’s Day themed events. Wade Wiedemann, pictured above sold create-your-own flower boquets with the Green Club.

ADRIANNE HUTTO /THE QUADRANGLE

Arts & Entertainment Editor

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

Maisey 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

LETTER from the EDITOR

Hello and welcome to Issue 5!

I hope you’re staying warm through the cold weather! In my personal opinion, reading the Quad is a great opportunity to cozy up with some hot cocoa and learn about what’s been going on around campus.

This week’s issue is jam-packed with stories of Jaspers from the past and present.

In news, we have two MC alum returning to campus with major administrative appointments as well as a feature on a current student who has recently made significant strides in math and physics research. In this week’s issue you’ll also learn what MC Student Government has been up to the past few weeks and the highlights of a couple recent events happening across campus.

We at The Quad try our best to recognize the sucesses of Jaspers old and new, we’re always looking to expand our coverage and better reflect the community and student-body we represent. If you know a student or alum with an interesting story or a recent success, feel free to reach out by sending us a message at thequad@manhattan.edu. We would love to hear from you.

Remember to check out The Quad on Facebook by searching “The Quadrangle” in the search bar. This is a solid way to stay connected with us even if you’re not on Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you for reading The Quad! Study hard and stay warm. Until next week.

Sincerely,

Jocelyn Visnov Editor-in-Chief

New Chosen Name and Gender Policies to be Implemented at MC

environment.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

experienced higher rates of adverse experiences and discrimination than other campus populations. So the Diversity Council formed a few working groups or task forces to address those concerns. From that we implemented some things that are aimed at making our campus more inclusive and supportive of LGBTQ+ people.”

French and the LGBTQ+ Task Force saw the results of this survey and addressed these concerns to make the MC community a more inclusive and welcoming environment.

French also spoke about the necessity of supporting the LQBTQ+ community on campus and how this support contributes to a healthy, open

“While I am not a part of those communities myself, I believe that it’s important that we advocate for one another because when one member of our community is not receiving the support they need to fully thrive on campus, it takes away from the strength and power of our entire community,” said French. “While we all have different needs in the LGBTQ+ community, we can ensure that everyone is taken care of in a supportive way. This allows someone who might use a name that is less associated with one gender or another, traditionally, or that allows them to be who they are most comfortable being on campus in lots of contexts, like class rosters and more.”

These new policies will help create a more inclusive campus community.

Pursuing Passion: Sarah Rosen ‘23 Leads the Way in New STEM Research

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

been working on this problem of taking any equation where you multiply two integrals together, and seeing if we can rewrite it so that you don’t have that product. We want to try to simplify these equations by transforming products of integrals into iterated integrals,

which is where you integrate twice.”

Rosen submitted the research paper to an undergraduate journal, which is still under the peer-review process. She is hopeful that it will be published in the journal.

“I’m still waiting on the peer review process, “Rosen said. “Fingers crossed that it will be published within the next six months.”

Rosen has also been involved in multiple campus groups and holds leadership positions in many of them. She is the president of Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society. She is also involved in the Society of Physics Students, the Manhattan College Chess Club and the Jewish Student Union. She is also a supplemental instructor for Math 186 and a performing

arts scholar.

Matthew Jura, Ph.D., assistant professor in the mathematics department, is the faculty advisor for the MC chess club and the moderator for the Pi Mu Epsilon chapter. He says that Rosen has contributed to the continuous growth of both groups on campus.

Rosen and the Vice President of the honor society, Katherine Cappabianca, have conducted fundraisers and are currently in the planning phase of a STEM outreach event for local high schools and middle schools.

“She’s really taken the reins and has done a lot of activities that the honor society hasn’t done before,” Jura said. “It’s been really impressive in terms of their planning and coordinating with the dean, the department chair and myself. When the founding president of the chess club graduated and left, [Rosen] took over and that has been flourishing as well.”

Rosen hopes students take advantage of the opportunities MC has to offer and says that she is grateful for all the ones she has taken.

“Here at Manhattan College, there’s so many opportunities to connect with your peers and connect with your

professors. I would just say take every opportunity to connect with the people around you and make those connections that are going to last until after you graduate,” Rosen said.

Gustavson expressed that Rosen is a great ambassador for the mathematics department and encourages students to reach out to professors and get involved in research work.

“Sarah is a great ambassador for the mathematics department at Manhattan College in general.” Gustavson said. “I think she really loves where she is and what she’s doing, and I think that’s great that she has such a good feeling about the school and the opportunities it has given her.”

In a similar sentiment about student and faculty connections, Gustavson also encouraged students to engage with their professors about research interests.

“If a student is interested in research, they should seek out faculty members who maybe they’ve had for class or they’ve seen in their departments and try to get involved,” he said. “Faculty members are always willing and love doing research with students.”

Sarah Rosen ‘23 with her research poster on integral equations MANHATTAN.EDU/ COURTESY

Two MC Alum Recently Appointed to Administrative Positions

Jocelyn Visnov Editor-in-Chief

Manhattan College has welcomed Colette Geary, Ph.D., ‘82 and Kevin Cavanagh ‘96 back to campus. After serving in various positions in higher education, the two familiar faces have returned to their alma mater as interim Vice President of Mission and Strategic Initiatives and Vice President of Enrollment Management, respectively.

After receiving her bachelor’s of science degree in psychology from MC in 1982, Geary went on to receive a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Stony Brook University and an additional master’s of arts in theology from the University of Notre Dame.

Geary first returned to campus to fill an opening in the counseling center where she served as Director of Counseling and Health Services and received her first administrative role as Dean of Students in 2005. She then left the MC

community in 2010 to continue her career as an administrator in higher education at The College of New Rochelle and later The College of St. Scholastica. Prior to her current position, she was VP of Enrollment Management at MC.

Having studied theology, Geary is passionate about her new role focusing on preserving Lasallian Catholic values throughout various aspects of academics and student life at MC.

“My job would be to facilitate programs, educational opportunities, discussions and conversations, but also practical plans about how we can incorporate this vision of Lasallian education into the everyday life of the college in a very sustainable way going forward,” Geary said.

As an MC alumna herself, Geary has a personal connection to the institution and preserving its traditions.

“If we want to be faithful to the founding purpose of this college, then all of the big decisions that we make in the

college have to be connected to that arching purpose,” Geary said.

Interim President Brother Daniel Gardner, FSC, expressed his excitement for Geary’s future in the office of mission.

“Colette’s degree and research in theology from the University of Notre Dame, completion of the Lasallian Leadership Institute and current role as a representative on the DENA Mission and Ministry Council make her a perfect candidate to lead the core piece of our Lasallian and Catholic charism, during Br. Jack Curran’s sabbatical,” Gardner said in an article written by David Koeppel.

Another familiar face that has recently returned to campus is Kevin Cavanagh ‘96 who has been appointed VP of Enrollment Management.

Shortly after finishing his undergraduate degree in history, Cavanagh returned to work towards a master’s in business administration from the O’Malley School of Business, while also working as a financial aid and admissions counselor.

After finishing his studies, Cavanagh continued to work in the financial aid and admissions department, eventually working his way up to a director position.

After gaining further administrative experience at colleges such as Iona University, The College of New Rochelle and Bloomfield College, Cavanagh has returned to the Jasper community. He explained that in his new role he hopes to showcase the plethora of opportunities MC has to offer.

“Our responsibility in enrollment management is to open the doors of Manhattan College to prospective students and their parents so that they appreciate what we have to offer, both academically and from a student centered perspective, in an otherwise fairly competitive marketplace,” Cavanagh said.

A Jasper through and through, Cavanagh noted that while he enjoyed gaining valuable experience working at other schools, he does enjoy being back at his alma mater.

“It’s just wonderful to be back at a place that’s so mean-

ingful to me,” Cavanagh said. “I hope to carry the torch forward and shine a bright light on Manhattan College and guide it through its next years of its history in as positive and as fruitful a way as I can I can

manage based on my experience. I’m very eager to be back, and be a part of this community again.”

Colette Geary ‘82 studied psychology at MC and went on to gain her Ph.D in clinical psychology from Stony Brook University. MANHATTAN.EDU/COURTESY

Kevin Cavanagh ‘96 noted that his father and wife both are MC alum as well.

MANHATTAN.EDU/ COURTESY

Student Government Discusses Ideas for Spring Semester

Manhattan College’s Student Government has devised some new ideas and changes for the semester, such as Wellness Day, and are endorsing both new and old campus life policies.

Student Government’s role on campus is to plan events for the campus community and advocate for the student body on issues of importance.

John Bennett, assistant vice president for student life, oversees Student Government and any clubs that fall within it.

“Whatever the student leadership wants to do eventwise, that’s what we’ll do,” Bennett wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “I always say, I’ve already been to college and had my experience, so this isn’t about what I want to see happen on campus, this is about what the current students want to see happen on campus.”

Bennett also explained that there won’t be many changes that are different from previous years and the students plan to endorse what works best. He encourages students outside of Student Government to get involved in campus activities as well.

“In terms of Student Government, we really take our lead from the student leadership that was elected by their peers, and what their initiatives are going to be for the year,” Bennett wrote. “That said, right after Spring Break, we’re starting applications and running for next year’s Student Government already, so hopefully our current freshmen, sophomores and juniors are beginning to think about running for next year.”

Alixandria James, senior and vice president for academic affairs, discussed the three events she has planned for the semester.

“One of the things I do is go to the official EAC (Educational Affairs Committee) meetings which are with the provost, the deans and a number of faculty members and we vote on academic policies,” James said. “So the goal of the event is to kind of be an open forum. There’s going to be

food where students can come and share any experiences, positive or negative questions and concerns that they have with certain academic policies. Something I’m really looking at right now is grading transparency.”

James focuses on the ability to allow students to be able to access their grades as soon as possible, if they’re posted on time and if teachers are responding in a timely manner. This event will be held on Feb. 28 in De La Salle 300.

The second event will be Jasper Wellness Day held on March 22 from 10am to 3pm. James expressed her excitement for this event because it’s a way for students to decompress and take a day to themselves.

“It’s in collaboration with the Wellness and Flourishing Council,” James said. “But the goal is that classes are canceled for most of the day. This is just a really great way to prioritize the various aspects of wellness in our life. So there will be financial wellness, occupational wellness and then of course, more recreational activities like food trucks, puppies on the Quad, music and massages that student engagement is sponsoring.”

One last event that James is working on is a diversity club fair which will be held on April 18. James explained that since there’s more focus on academic clubs, she wanted more attention brought to clubs that focus on affinity and diversity. Clubs like the Black Student Union and LWGRC will be able to showcase the work they do.

Rosalia Cefalu, a senior and the vice president of social life, discussed the initiatives Student Government will be taking this semester in terms of recreational activities such as Springfest, Manhattan Madness, Broadway shows, sporting events, concerts, trips and much more.

“This semester, I’m excited for our first usual assortment of events like Springfest and Senior Week, and also excited to start having some new events,” Cefalu wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “I want to start having more things for fans to do at athletics games, wheth-

Springfest will be on April 15th with NAV performing. @MCSTUDENTENGAGE/COURTESY

er it be a sign-making station or special student sections or something else. I’m also really excited for a ski trip to the American Dream Mall that Lauren Raziano has been working on. I still have the flexibility to make new events at this point in time and I love getting suggestions from students whether it be the e-board, assembly, my committee or other fellow MC students.”

Cefalu is excited to have all these new and exciting events happening along with some familiar ones. She also made it known that there aren’t many campus life policies that she feels she needs to change.

“To be honest, I kind of stick to my event planning and try not to change policy,” Cefalu wrote. “That being said, I want to be a voice for students and if there was a specific policy within the scope of my position that people wanted to address, I’d be more than obliged.”

Cefalu tries to advocate for events that many may deem not important enough or not worth trying for. For example, while many thought the idea was impossible Cefalu kept fighting for Nav to perform at Springfest.

“I just kept trying, I really didn’t want to settle on an artist that the board and I weren’t

satisfied with,” Cefalu wrote. “Same with the upcoming senior week. I wanted to make sure these events were ones that my grade is going to be really happy with, the senior VPs and I spent a lot of time experimenting with different schedules and venues. I think people will be really happy with it, I didn’t want to stop trying until I was confident they would be.”

Student Government has put their focus on the students to ensure that events and campus life are in sync so that students can make the most of their MC experience.

Brianna Coppola

Asst. Features Editor

DKESpreadsValentine’sLoveandCharitywith FlowerGrams

Adrianne Hutto Production Editor

The brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon hosted their annual Valentine’s Day flower gram sale to raise money for the American Cancer society. This event, which has been a long standing tradition for the brothers, has always been a success. Last year, the brothers raised over $1,300 and this year they raised $900. For this event, the brothers sold single red roses for $4, which came with a bag of candy and a note for purchasers to fill out.

Michael Gibson is a sophomore and philanthropy chair of Delta Kappa Epsilon. This year, Gibson was charged with organizing the event.

“We’ve done it in the past few years,” Gibson said. “We’re just redoing it, keeping it going, keeping the tradition going.”

For Gibson, the best part of

the event is watching the joy they bring to others.

“Just watching people walk by and get excited about going up to the table and actually just buying flowers not even thinking about it,” Gibson said. “You know, giving it to people. It’s a great Valentine’s Day event. You get to see a lot of people smile.”

Joseph Talenti, a junior and the president of Delta Kappa Epsilon, explains that the brothers enjoy getting to participate in the fundraising event.

“I’d say my favorite part about this event is spending time outdoors on the quad, hanging out with other organizations that are doing their charities and spending time with the brothers as we raise money for a good cause,” Talenti said.

Talenti, who previously held the position of philan-

thropy chair and organized the event the previous year, explains that there are several challenges of organizing this particular fundraising event.

“Buying all the things like the flowers, the chocolates, the cards, stuff like that, and then trying to sell all of them because we buy a lot of them, but we make it work,” Talenti said.

The choice of philanthropy was an easy one, as the American Cancer Society is Delta Kappa Epsilon’s primary charity organization.

“It’s something we’ve done since the beginning, when we

first got here, so we kind of just kept up with it,” Juan Posada said, the vice president of Delta Kappa Epsilon. “We have a lot of brothers that have personally dealt with cancer in their lives. So, I think it’s good to give money back to them.”

This year in particular, the brothers faced some challenges towards the beginning of the event with the freshness of the flowers, but it did not affect the overall success of the event.

“It definitely takes a lot of teamwork and communication within the chapter,” Posada said. “And within the E-Board

initially, and also getting the philanthropy chair to send constant reminders.”

With this year and previous years’ success, the brothers plan to continue to host this event in the future.

“We’re absolutely going to do this every year in the foreseeable future,” Talenti said. “I don’t think there’s anything I would change, just keep trying to raise as much money as possible.”

Editor’s note: Angelica Niedermeyer, the Quadrangle’s Features Editor, contributed to reporting for this article.

AngeloDevitoMakesThursday“SnackDay”forHungryEngineers

Jilleen Barrett

Senior Writer

Angelo Devito, a professor in the electrical and computer engineering departments for the past 44 years, just wants his students to be successful. That’s why he does what he can to relate to his students and form a relationship with each and every one of them.

Devito is a self-described “traditional” man who wholly believes in wearing a tie to work, enjoys watching hockey and visits Tennessee, where his brother lives, as much as he can. He also loves teaching, and does whatever he can to gain his students’ attention while in the classroom. He thoroughly enjoys being in his kitchen at home in Yonkers, where his Italian roots lead him to cook and bake frequently.

While many professors at Manhattan College may be known for having a good relationship with their students,

Devito gets close with his students by using his baking skills to host a “snack day” for any class he teaches.

The tradition started when Devito, who graduated from Manhattan in 1974, started teaching a training program at the Indian Point energy center about 20 years ago. Since many of the students in the training program were MC graduates, he knew them and would bring them baked goods to eat while they worked.

From there, he started making them for his night classes at MC and Westchester Community College, also offering tea or coffee as he recognized that some students may need help staying awake. After seeing students continue to be successful, he decided to keep his tradition of snacks, drinks and/ or baked goods going.

This year, he was promoted from adjunct professor to visiting professor at MC and began teaching more classes during the day, including two classes on Thursday. Since he

has Wednesdays off, he makes an assortment of baked goods — sometimes as many as five different treats — and brings them in on Thursday.

“I joke with them, ‘This is to keep you awake,’ but they enjoy it,” Devito said. “The fact that they enjoy it makes me happy and I bring it in.”

Jackson Haft, an electrical engineering major in both of Devito’s Thursday classes, says the professor keeps an assortment of snacks in his office for students to come by and grab at any time. Because of Devito’s efforts to foster a community amongst him and his students, Haft says he has gotten to know the other engineering students better.

“I haven’t been in a class that he hasn’t either offered us coffee or hot chocolate, tea, cookies, any snacks — and he’s like, ‘You can come whenever, take some snacks if you guys need’,” Haft said. “Sometimes we have long classes, and he wants us to stay awake and stay engaged with the class.”

One of Devito’s favorite baked goods to bring in is called the Ranger cookie, a thin, crispy cookie that includes oats, chocolate chunks and coconut. Devito makes it with the best pasteurized eggs he can find, as well as a mix of sugars and flours in order to make the cookies somewhat healthier.

Jack Griffin, a junior computer engineering student in one of the Thursday classes, said that at the beginning of the semester, he couldn’t believe Devito meant he would really bring in snacks for the class on a weekly basis.

“At first, I don’t think many of the people actually believed that he would be bringing in snacks every Thursday,” Griffin wrote to The Quadrangle in an email. “We thought it would be a small treat after tests, or some weeks, but not all weeks. […] However, when we realized it would be every Thursday, the class became a lot more excited about the idea.”

Griffin explained it makes the sheer anticipation of going

to class on Thursday a little bit better.

“It gives students something to look forward to in the later days of the week,” he said. “I think it also gives a nice reward for making it through some of the longer class days. It makes learning and going to class a more fun experience.”

Ranger cookies are one of Devito’s favorite baked goods to make for the clas.

CRYSTAL AND CAMP/ COURTESY

The brothers of DKE pose at their booth during a break in sales. ADRIANNE HUTTO/ THEQUADRANGLE

The brothers’ booth amid the chaos of sales. ADRIANNE HUTTO/THE QUADRANGLE

StudentGovernmentTakesaTriptoNew OrleansforAmericanStudentGovernment AssociationConference

Kelly Kennedy Senior Writer

On the weekend of Feb. 11, some of the members of student government took a trip down to New Orleans, Louisiana to attend the American Student Government Association (ASGA) Conference.

ASGA is the only organization in the nation that focuses

only on student government training, hosting conferences throughout the year in many cities across the country, according to the ASGA New Orleans website.

“The goal of the conference is to provide all Student Government leaders and advisors with networking, research, and information to improve themselves,” wrote Michael Steele, the assistant director

of Student Engagement who attended the trip as the faculty advisor. “The students decided on New Orleans because more than 200 student leaders and advisors from all types and sizes of colleges and universities were attending.”

The students who attended enjoyed their time in the vibrant city and learned to work collaboratively.

“The conference was su-

per enlightening and educational,” said America Pineda, a senior International Studies major who serves as the Vice President of Communications. “It really led us to think about how to work more cohesively as a team, and what to look for when creating new events. It also taught us how to put personal differences aside and focus on creating the best environment for the student body possible.”

At the nearly 10-hour conference on Saturday, Feb 11, the MC students listened to speakers who spoke about topics such as leadership and improvement, according to the ASGA website.

“It started at nine in the morning and it was filled with talks about how to better our Student Government and how to make a difference within our schools during our elected term,” Mackenzie Lauture, a business management major who serves as Vice President of Residential affairs.

This conference also gave the students the chance to meet and network with people involved in student government at colleges all over the country.

“We were able to meet with other elected boards from schools across the country and discuss how we each operate,” said Lauture. “The conference allowed for collaboration and

inspiration, in regard to going back to campus with new ideas.”

The student government officials who attended the trip to New Orleans not only attended the ASGA conference, but had a wonderful time exploring the city and building friendships.

They landed Friday afternoon, spent the night exploring the city before the Saturday conference, and then got back on a plane Sunday to be ready just in time for their Monday classes.

“We really tried to make the most of it,” said Lauture. “We watched a parade and saw some sites. My favorite parts of the trip would have to be spending time with the other girls on the E-board.”

It is safe to say that these students came back from New Orleans with a fresh mindset and many great ideas for upcoming events this semester.

“Something that I got from the trip was the idea that communication is important and can only help situations,” said Lauture. “When people take the time to communicate, we can be more productive, collaborative, and understanding.”

Editor’s note: Lauren Raziano, who is pictured in this article, is the Quadrangle’s Multimedia Editor

Students enjoy spending time together on their trip to New Orleans. ROSALIA CEFALU/COURTESY

Student Government at the Association Conference. ROSALIA CEFALU/COURTESY

The New Orleans nightime atmosphere. ROSALIA CEFALU/COURTESY

CongressmanMichaelLawler MakesVisittoManhattanCollege

Isaiah Rosario Asst. Sports Editor

Manhattan College alum and congressman Michael Lawler paid a visit to his alma mater on Feb. 13. Lawler spoke with students about the congressional agenda for 2023.

A registered Republican and representative for New York’s 17th District, Lawler was sworn into the 118th Congress in January. Lawler defeated Democratic nominee Sean Maloney by 1.6 percentage points.

Dr. Margaret Groarke, a professor in the political science department, introduced Lawler to the many staff and students in attendance.

Lawler opened up the panel about his time at the college as an undergraduate student.

“I loved my time at Manhattan,” Lawler said. “It’s a great institution, great campus and certainly really gave me the opportunities in many respects, to be where I am today.”

Lawler opened up to the campus community about his life in politics and the time commitment required for such a vital position in government.

“In Congress, you spend about half the year in Washington, D.C.,” Lawler said. “The legislative session goes from January to December, but we have a week off in August, like this week, when I’m home in the district doing in-district work or attending events. When you add up all the days you’re in Washington, it’s about half the year. In Albany, I was only in session from January through June and then we were out after Thanksgiving.”

Lawler began his career in the New York State Assembly and now finds himself in Congress during a very vital time in our history. Lawler spoke during the panel about how his transition came to be.

“We’re adapting pretty well,” Lawler said. “Having served in the state legislature in New York for one term, that certainly prepares you. Congress is on a much larger scale and the size of my district is certainly six times larger. I now represent about 780,000 people in Congress, compared to about 140,000 in the State Assembly due to population growth in my district. We’ve hit the ground running in a very short period of time.”

Being a congressman, some might say in the best democracy in the world, does take a majority of your day.

“If I showed you my sched-

ule it’s 7:38 a.m. to 10 p.m., every day,” Lawler said. “I literally do not have five minutes to myself. [ …] You’re at an event for 10 minutes and then you’re on to the next meeting or event. Committee hearings, voting on the house floor, media interviews, lunches, breakfasts, you’re constantly fed by somebody. It’s definitely a fast pace.”

Lawler emphasized that you do not need to be a political science major to enter politics. Lawler studied accounting and finance during his time at the college and still managed to find his way to Congress despite not being a political science major.

Ever since the 2016 election, we are seeing more of a divide between parties. Lawler explained two factors that resulted in the divide between the Democrats and Republicans.

“I think in large part [of the divide] is because of a few factors,” Lawler said. “The 24-hour news cycle, which is just nonstop, non-stop, non-stop, and it just is generally negative and social media. If I showed you my Twitter feed, I would say 95% of it is negative.”

In terms of modern politics, Lawler believes that we are missing one thing.

“One area where I think we are not embracing is the diversity of thought,” Lawler said. “If you think something that is not in line with the mainstream, whatever that is, you’re immediately cast aside or adjectives or ascribe to you, within minutes of voicing an opinion, that may not be exactly where a broader group of people are or where it’s okay to be.”

Lawler emphasized multiple times during the panel the importance of seriousness in politics. He claimed that there was a lack of seriousness among elected officials. One name that he linked to a lack of seriousness in Congress was George Santos.

“[Santos] is an embarrassment,” Lawler said. “I think his conduct is shameful. It goes to my point earlier about wanting people who are serious to be in public office. Somehow politics over the last decade has become about being a celebrity and about getting notoriety as opposed to doing a job that is serious.”

After a widely successful panel, Groarke spoke about how she thought the event went.

“I thought it was a great event,” Groarke said. “It was a great conversation and it’s always nice to have Michael Lawler back on campus.”

Students took over a majority of the seating that was available at the event. Sophomore Mark Crane spoke to The Quadrangle about how he thought the event went.

“I thought it was really good,” Crane said. “I think he’s a really interesting guy. I think it shows a new wave of politicians who are younger and have more based opinions and

views and are willing to work together in politics and reach across the aisle.”

There was a lot of information to take away from this panel as Lawler discussed his plans in Congress, bipartisanship, the divide in the Republican party, the debt ceiling and Ukraine. Crane spoke about the main thing that he took away from the event.

“Something I took away was how [Lawler] used education to set him on a path to be in politics and to be able to work together and have different opinions and views in this field and still be able to communicate and talk to other people and get deals done.”

Congressmen Mike Lawler posing with Manhattan College Senior Skylar Rossi. MARGARET GROARKE/COURTESY

A“BorntoFight,”FilmWithaPunch

Mack Olmsted Asst. Production Editor/Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor

Kendall Rodriguez’s film, “Born to Fight”, was shown by the Manhattan College’s Multicultural Center in collaboration with the Black Student

Union on sunny wednesday, Feb. 15. However, there was no audience to appreciate the hard work that was put into the film. Despite the lack of attendance from MC students, the event had brotherly ties. The Multicultural Center’s director, Hayden Greene and Rodriguez have known each other for many many years, and are a

part of the same fraternity.

“Those fraternal lines and those college connections that you make, always come back and come back around that idea of who you know is always in the back of your mind,” Greene said. “Kendall has always been impressive to me in terms of everything from photography, all the way up to

now his filmmaking. I wanted to showcase that here on campus and I just wish more people were able to see it but, I cannot compete with a 65 degree day,”

The Multicultural Center wants to express all kinds of different identities and create a home for everyone during Black History Month. One of their main goals is to show a differentiated view of the African diaspora. The center wants to showcase Black Filmmakers and give a different perspective through the film’s story.

The film, “Born to Fight” is about a young teenager, RaLeek Barn who boxes for a living. The film follows Barn and his father Ra-Tru going through everyday life as a teenage boxer living in a single-parent household. The Barn family is shown to go through many challenges and obstacles, but overcome the challenges every time with the support of a loving home.

This film was Rodriguez’s first time stepping into the documentary genre. He wanted to film a fighter for a while and then stumbled upon Eastern Queens boxing club in Queens village. Rodriguez asked to film a fighter and was directed towards Ra-Leek Barn.

Throughout the days that Rodriguez had been filming, he started to notice that there was more to than just him being a fighter. His dad was there every single day he practiced, along with his little brother. This opened Rodriguez’s eyes to a new perspective, he wanted to dig deeper and see what’s going on with the family structure with the Barns.

“What you see in this film is a dedication from a single father to his two sons, and he’s there for them every step of the way,” Rodriguez said. “And that just kind of blew me away. So I just wanted to follow him and follow his progress to winning the fight the way that he wanted to win with his coaches.”

The film was a passion project for Rodriguez. He used his

history of producing and writing short films, as well as his experiences from journalism school. He wanted to “put it into something useful.”

The original plan for the film was to be shot over the course of a month, however it was shot over the course of seven months beginning in October 2021 and finished filming last May.

“When you’re following somebody who’s trying to get to a certain point, it’s going to take time, it’s not going to happen overnight,” Rodriguez said. “It’s not going to happen over the course of weeks.”

Greene saw the film for the first time at the event and shared his thoughts with the Quadrangle.

“I thought it was great,” said Greene. “I think it’s beautifully shot. I was just telling Kendall as he sat down I think it’s beautifully shot… It was eye opening.”

While nobody attended the event, senior communication major with a minor in film studies, Sophie Ryan viewed the documentary on Vimeo. She shared her thoughts and opinions on the film through a film student’s perspective.

“‘Born to Fight’ is an incredibly heartwarming piece of documentary filmmaking,” said Ryan in an email. “In a short twenty minutes, it takes you inside the lives of a closeknit family and the passion for boxing that only brings them closer together. You can feel the passion and the care that went into this project from the beginning to the end. I would highly recommend the watch.”

As of now, Greene’s plan is to play the documentary in the Multicultural Center so that more students can get the opportunity to watch it. Rodriguez has submitted the film in the Hot Docs film festival in Toronto, as well as the Atlanta Docufest. If you want to see the “highly recommended watch,” you can find it on Vimeo under Kendall Rodriguez’s profile.

Director of “Born to Fight,” Kendall Rodriguez KENDALL RODRIGUEZ/ COURTESY

Humans in Harmony: Meet the Manhattones

Andrew Mannion

The De La Salle Chapel is home to one of the most vocal groups on campus: The Manhattones.

Acapella is a type of performance that is done by a solo singer or multiple singers without the help of musical instruments. When done in a group setting, the members will be split into subsections that will use different pitches in order to create harmony and sounds that mimic the sound of instruments.

The Manhattones have performed a variety of different genres of music. On their Instagram page, they post short clips of them singing tunes such as “Halloween” by JP Ashkar, “A Cappella ‘’ by Daniel Caesar, and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli.

The Manhattones performed a festival of Lessons and Carols, which took place in early December in the Chapel of De La Salle. They also have a spring concert coming up

this April which will take place in the Chapel of De La Salle. The club has been preparing for this concert for some time now. They have recently hosted auditions for the club on Jan 25. The club is currently working on preparing new songs for the performance. Julia Melchiorre, the secretary of the Manhattones, spoke with

the Quad regarding the process of preparing for this 2023 spring concert.

“To prepare for the spring concert, we are currently working on finishing the song “Come What May” from Moulin Rouge,” Melichorre said.

“We recently dropped a Valentine’s Day edition of the song on our Instagram and will finish

it shortly. We are also looking into some new contemporary pieces arranged by members of our group. I’m excited about getting the chance to perform with some of my closest friends at my last spring concert. We always have a blast during the preparation and the actual performance.”

The members of the club are very passionate about working on this performance. They are constantly working together to find different ways to improve their performance and put the best product out on the stage come April 16th. Landen Scofield, a freshman member of the group, talked to the Quad about how they work together to put together an outstanding performance.

“One of the reasons I love this club has to be the collaboration between the members,” Scofield said. “While the group is generally led by some members of the board for rehearsals, we all either give our ideas, try them out and if they work, keep them or tweak them.”

The Manhattones also form close bonds and friendships with each other, Scofield also talked about how close the members of the group really are. He talked about how all the group members care about each other and the product they are creating.

“The people in Manhattones are all passionate about music and genuinely nice,” Scofield said. “It’s kinda like a family when you boil it down.

We look after each other and we all grow together.”

Julia Melichorre also exhibited similar remarks about the club. She spoke to the quad about her favorite parts of the club being the community and how they can all relax and unwind with some music and signing.

“My favorite part about Manhattones is warming up and creating some renegade harmonies with my friends,” Melichorre said. “There is always such good company, and we have fun switching up the way we rehearse. It is a great way to destress and express ourselves through music on the fly.”

With the spring concert looming, there are many things for the club members to be excited about. John Deljuidice, another freshman member of the group, told the quad about how he can’t wait to see the group come together and perform, while the spectators can enjoy.

“I’m really looking forward to getting together with a bunch of musicians to make some good music,” Deljuidice said. “It’s always fun to sing with other people who appreciate the arts!”

If you wish to see the Manhattones spring performance, they will be performing on April 16 in the Chapel of De La Salle. For more updates on their performances, follow their Instagram @mcmanhattones.

Asst. Sports Editor

Manhattones perform at 2021 Lessons and Carols @MCMANHATTONES/COURTESY

Manhattones 2022-2023 Tenors MCMANHATTONES INSTAGRAM/COURTESY

Acting and Activism: MC Players’ Annual V-Day Performance

Jocelyn Visnov Editor-in-Chief

MC Players took the stage for this year’s annual V-Day performance on Sunday, Feb. 12. Directed by senior Sophie Ryan, this year’s cast of six actors performed a series of poems from a book titled “I Am Not Your Final Girl” written by Claire C. Holland.

“V-Day” performances are part of an activist movement that raises awareness about domestic abuse and violence against women. The idea originated from actor and author Eve Ensler, who hopes to unify female and gender-fluid voices by sharing stories through art and theater.

According to v-day.org, “V-Day has inspired women all over the world and raised collective consciousness about how violence and gender intersect,” the site reads “V-Day is a movement and an example of how the power of art can be used as a liberating tool for transformational holistic education and social justice.”

Each V-Day performance can look and feel different from the next. Ryan, a senior communication major with minors

in film and theater, carefully chose poems from “I Am Not Your Final Girl” for this year’s performance inspired by her love of horror films.

“V-Day is something that Manhattan College players do every year, and it’s a nationwide thing that has always happened around Valentine’s Day,” Ryan said. “It’s to bring awareness to violence against women and girls with the hope of, you know, stopping that one day.”

The book by Claire C. Holland contains poems written from the point of view of fictional female characters from different horror films. Each poem discusses the role of the character through a lens of feminism, sexuality and gender-based violence.

Actors sat in a semi-circle and took turns stepping up to the microphone to read their assigned poems. Among the actors was Billy Walker, a junior communication major, who expressed his feelings while being on stage.

“It felt really cool actually,” he said. “I definitely was a little nervous performing, especially for something that is more focused on women and gender identity.”

Among the poems read during the performance was a

passage inspired by the 1981 horror film Possession. Written from the point of view of Anna, the poem discusses the fictional characters’ struggles with domestic abuse, heartbreak and mental health encountered within the film.

The poem reads “A woman’s body was made for this, for birthing, for enduring hours of pulsating pain, but no birth, no ingress into this world should hurt this much.” the actors read. “A blade in her back, it threatens to bubble up from inside, to pour from her prone and twisting body, everywhere, frothing.”

Brina Boyum, a double ma-

jor in sociology and philosophy and an actor in the show, expressed her admiration for V-Day following the event.

“V-day is such an important thing to have,” she said. “It’s such a great message to spread the end of violence against women and getting to be a part of it was so awesome, just knowing that you’re up there [on stage] doing something meaningful.”

Among those who attended the event in the audience was Rj Giannicchi, a political science and communication double major, who is also an active member of MC Players.

“I think taking the ‘final

girls’ of each horror movie is really interesting,” Giannicchi said. “Also very timely because I’m taking an American horror cinema class, which talks a lot about the final girl and women in gender and film, specifically in horror films. So to see another aspect of that explored through V Day, I thought was very interesting, and definitely was able to make it stand out compared to the other V-Day performances in the past.”

Editor’s note: Mack Olmsted contributed to reporting for this piece.

Jasper Jams: Black History Month Edition

Karen Flores

Asst. Features Editor

February is Black History

Month so I’ve decided to look through a few songs I like written by black artists. They have had an influence over the music industry that is often forgotten. From Hip-hop to R&B and pop, black artists have shared their points of view and their talents with the whole world.

Music is a universal language and is one that brings together everyone no matter the differences. Pop on some headphones and give some of these songs a listen. I’m sure you’ll find a song you have yet to have heard or one that brings back some memories.

Marvin Gaye= What’s Going On

The lyrics are thought-evoking and when watching the music video, it highlights the poverty struggles, violence and brutality that have become very prominent these last few years. Marvin Gaye has a very smooth and soft voice that I feel blends very nicely with the string instruments that play in the background of this song.

Lauryn Hill = The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

I love this song especially when she sings the line “And I made up my mind to define my own destiny.” She has such a beautiful voice and when the piano plays in the background while she hits high notes, I can feel the emotion in her singing. I would definitely recommend that everyone give this song a listen because it has this powerfulness behind it.

Stevie Wonder = Living for the city

If you like blues and jazz music, Stevie Wonder is the perfect artist to listen to. His lyrics in this song talk about what life is like in the city for people of color. He sings with passion the instruments especially the drums and piano combine perfectly to give it a nice groove

The Weeknd = Acquainted The Weeknd is one of my favorite artists and I don’t think a Jasper Jams would be complete without one of his songs. The bass drops on this song are probably my favorite parts of it and the lyrics will have you

singing at the top of your lungs. He has an addicting voice and I’d say to listen to all his music.

Isaiah Rashad Ft Zacari & Kendrick Lamar = What’s Wrong

This song flows so nicely and there is a very good balance and contrast between all of their verses. You have Kendrick’s rap verse that contrasts nicely with Zacari’s and Isaiah’s singing. It’s a nice song to listen to while you are studying or reading a book.

Rihanna = Only Girl

For those who saw the Super Bowl Halftime, I felt like I was transported back to 2010 when Rihanna began to sing this song. I had not listened to this song in a while and I remember why I liked it so much. This song is one you can dance to and sing to. It’s a masterpiece.

The Notorious B.I.G = Big Poppa Biggie Smalls is considered one of the greatest rappers and he was from Brooklyn, New York. This song is a classic so it feels right to add this to this

playlist. It is a vibe to listen to and it has a catchy beginning tune that keeps you bopping your head the whole time as he raps.

Kehlani ft. Jhene Aiko = Change Your Life

Both Kehlani and Jhene have beautiful voices. I like this song because it brings both of their voices together in harmony and any song by either of them is worth listening to. It’s a very calm song that you can just listen to when you relax and one you could also sing to.

The audition notice for V-Day was posted around Hayden Hall and on MC Players social media.

Manhattan Unable To Regain Lead Against Marist in MAAC Battle

Maddie

After a great win against Rider on Feb. 12, the Manhattan College Women’s Basketball team sat at the number six seed in the MAAC rankings. However, they faced a true test against the conference’s number seven seed, Marist College, in a MAAC battle on Thursday night.

Despite gaining a lead of nine points in the first three minutes of the game, the Jaspers lost 66-75 to the Red Foxes. Manhattan dominantly showcased their skills, using momentum from the 71-56 win against Rider a few days before.

However, Marist proved that they were gunning for Manhattan’s spot in the rankings as the second quarter approached. With 6:30 left in the first half, Marist took the lead and did not give it up for the rest of the game.

“To be honest, we were in a bit of a panic when the fourth quarter came around and we were still down double digits,”

Captain Dee Dee Davis said. “That’s never fun. We also just had to stay positive but at the same time, we knew that we had to get going and sorta put points up.”

Despite the devastating loss with four games left in conference play, the Lady J’s continue to hold their heads up high and work toward their goal of lifting the MAAC trophy.

“We just need to stay poised,

stay ready, and stay calm,” sophomore Bella Nascimento said. “Ready to compete every day. In practice, we compete. In the games, we compete. That’s all you can ask for.”

Manhattan’s game versus Marist also celebrated breast cancer awareness and the Play4Kay cause that is near and dear to the team’s heart. The Play4Kay game occurs every February and is played in hon-

or of Coach Kay Yow who battled breast cancer on and off.

“This game is super important for us,” Nascimento said. “We fight for people who fight for their lives and we just try to give back as much as we can.”

The Jaspers dawned their all-pink uniforms and all proceeds collected at the game are donated to support breast cancer awareness. This year, the Jaspers raised and donated over $1,000.

“Wearing the pink uniform is bigger than us,” senior Brazil Harvey-Carr said. “We do it for the people that unfortunately suffer from breast cancer and I love to show appreciation for this every February.”

In addition to the Jaspers creating awareness about breast cancer and the Play4Kay foundation, Davis earned yet another career accomplishment of her own. After Thursday’s game, Davis is officially the seventh all-time leading scorer in Manhattan College women’s basketball history. While Davis understands the amplitude of her accomplishments, she also credits her biggest supporters with her success-post injuries.

“I don’t know that there are many athletes who have had my kind of history with injuries and being out for such an extensive period of time who have been able to come back and do the things that I was able to do and accomplish things that I

was able to accomplish,” Davis said. “I will make no mistake about it, that was only possible because of the amazing women I’ve had around me. My coaching staff and my teammates have continuously put me in positions to be successful and I’m very appreciative of that. They stuck by me and I stuck by them and now look where we are.”

Davis will look to continue her record-breaking career during Manhattan’s next game on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. against Saint Peter’s. The Peacocks are currently on a 25-game losing streak, which includes the recent loss to the Jaspers on Senior Day on Feb. 4.

“We always give the best of our best no matter who we play, so I think that we can’t take anything for granted no matter if it’s their best player or a player that plays only a couple of minutes,” Davis said. “We just have to be locked in from the very beginning and pay attention to the scout.”

If it’s up to the Jaspers, the team will be handing Saint Peter’s its 26th loss in a row. With only two weeks left in the regular season, the Jaspers are looking to prove that they are a threat to any team in the MAAC.

Mulkigian Senior Writer

The Team played while sporting pink uniforms in honor of the Play4Kay foundation.

Manhattan College Women’s Basketball plays Marist in a MAAC battle for the sixth seed. @MANHATTANWBB/COURTESY

Jasper Dancers Celebrate Their Seniors Last Semester at the Senior Game

the basketball side of things.”

The team is very important to Miraglia, as she said it has been a source of joy in her life since she joined.

began with Manhattan in 2019, so this is my fourth year with the Manhattan College students team.”

experience of the senior game.

The Manhattan College Jasper Dance Team held their senior ceremony during the men’s basketball game against Saint Peters , where they celebrated the senior dancers as they near the end of their time on the team.

This event was an important night for the senior girls, as many of them have worked hard on the team these past years and this game was a special way to appreciate their hard work and effort.

Senior and captain of the dance team Samantha Miraglia described the night.

“The senior game was great, honestly I feel like it’s not really the end of the season but it is a nice little memory,” Miraglia said. “This is our little night to spoil ourselves almost, and it just was pretty sentimental to have your family there and everyone honor you and everything that you put in the team for those four years in the game aspect of things and in

“It’s just such a special experience that you won’t get to experience unless being on the team, so really just take every moment and just enjoy what you have because it does happen really fast,” Miraglia said.

Miraglia doesn’t have any set plans for her dance career in the future, however, she is not opposed to taking advantage of an opportunity if it comes her way.

“I have considered the Brooklyn Nets or the Knicks, like some sort of dance team aspect but it’s a very unlikely chance with work and just kind of a thought if it works out it works out,” Miraglia said.

Miraglia has been dancing for most of her life and has been a part of the MC Dance Team for all four of her years here in Manhattan.

“I began dancing when I was just two years old, I did recreational dance until I was 15 and then I started company dance,” Miraglia said. “Then I

Many of the girls on the dance team have also been dancing for most of their lives, including senior Skylar Rossi.

“I started dancing when I was three years old and then danced my entire life,” Rossi said. “After I graduated high school, I took a year off to dance and then started dancing for the Manhattan College Dance Team my sophomore year and did it through.”

Rossi also is unsure of where her future dance career will take her, however, she acknowledges that dance will always hold a special place in her heart.

“Currently, I don’t really have plans of continuing but also I’m kind of open to whatever comes my way,” Rossi said. “Dance has been such a big part of my life for so long that even if I’m not actively dancing, it’ll still always be something that I enjoyed being part of my experiences.”

Captain of the dance team Christina Rella described her

“It was bittersweet,” Rella said. “I was happy to be recognized for my dedication to the Jasper Dancers, especially being that I am a current captain of the team. However, I was also sad because it means that my time on the team is coming to an end.”

Rella plans on auditioning for NBA or NFL teams in the future, along with teaching classes in her hometown dance studio and continuing training to go on with her dance career.

“In my dream world, I’ll be continuing my dance career for the rest of my life,” Rella said. “I do eventually plan to audition for some NBA or NFL dance teams because performing is something I just can’t give up,” Rella explained, “While working towards that, I plan to go back to my home dance studio to teach dance as well as go to Broadway Dance Center in NYC to keep up with my dance training.”

The dance team has been not only a source of fun for Rella but also a source of stability, especially during COVID.

“I don’t think I’d be the

person I am today without the team,” Rella said. “It has taught me how resilient and dedicated I am, especially in my passions. I went through the team during the COVID seasons of uncertainty and sticking through that showed me the lengths I’d go to for the things I love. Being a captain of the team has shaped me into a leader and has taught me a lot about myself and working with others. I’ve made friendships that will last me a lifetime and memories that I will hold near and dear to my heart.”

Rella is not the only one who benefitted from the dance team during COVID. Senior Sara Rodriguez has also been on the team for all four years and explained how beneficial it was for her during that tough time.

“I came in freshman year and everything was fine,” Rodriguez said. “COVID hit and then when we came back in 2020, it was like classes were very up in the air. The only thing that seemed pretty solid was dance. Even with all of the uncertainty that’s happened over my last four years of being at Manhattan, and not because of schoolwork, but because of global events, it has really been a stabilizing force.”

Rodriguez is unsure if she will continue dancing in the future.

“I want to say never, but right now it looks like it will be the end of my dance career,” Rodriguez said. “My body just really needs a break.”

However, Rodriguez still plans on dancing as a hobby, as she stated,

“I think now it’s just going to turn into something more recreational that I do like every once in a while instead of on a daily basis like how I’ve known it for the past 20 to 18 years of my life.”

It is clear that the Manhattan College Dance Team is very special to its seniors, and it will remain important to them as they continue on in their lives and dance careers in the future.

Seniors celebrated at Senior game (left to right: Skylar Rossi, Cari Mccarthy, Samantha Miraglia, Sara Rodriguez and Christina Rella)

Maizy Swift Asst. Production Editor

Jaspers Wake Up for a Win Against Saint Peters

The Manhattan College men’s basketball team stepped out on the court with an unexpected fire and hunger for a win against Saint Peters, with the final score coming to 6852. The Jaspers had grabbed a much-needed victory late in their season.

The team started off slowly with Saint Peters scoring the first basket of the night and taking the lead ahead of the Jaspers. The Jaspers quickly switched their attention to defense, with Josh Roberts stealing the first defensive rebound for the Jaspers.

After being tied up for a minute and 24 seconds, Marques Watson came through with an assist to help Logan Padgett make the three-pointer and put the Jaspers ahead for what would be the rest of the game. Their supreme focus on their defensive outlook and numerous rebounds put them stringing Saint Peters along 28-14 by the end of the first half.

“I think we just, you know, we know rebound has been kind of hurting us,” Interim Head Coach RaShawn Stores said. “So we just put a focus on that and just being connected defensively and offensively.”

Josh Roberts certainly pulled through with this ideal, grabbing the first rebound of the second half, and allowing Watson to score a layup while also supplying over 16 rebounds for the entire match.

The rest of the game consisted of a new level of confidence from the players as they kept a defensive hold on Saint Peters. With 1:28 on the clock and a score of 67-47, Stores took his starters out and subbed in Matthew Glassman, Aryan Arora, Adam Walden, and Daniel Hackett to finish it out. The match ended with a predetermined win of 68-52.

Leading the Jaspers to a victory was Nick Brennan, who scored 12 points at Sunday’s match. Marques Watson and

Ant Nelson came in just below with 11 points. After the win, Brennan spoke about the way he wants to continue this season in order to have more satisfying games.

“We’ve realized as a team that defense is the way we’re gonna win,” Brennan said. “We know we’re talented enough offensively and our coaching staff gives us the right game plan defensively, so really, as long as we follow it and communicate with each other, we’re in a good position to win.”

Looking toward the end of the season, there is a lot rid-

ing on these upcoming games for the players and coaches. Stores talked about his hopes for the team, as the MAAC tournament slowly creeps up on the team.

“Well, we want to go out and have some fun and go out with a bang,” Stores said. “But you know, your goal is to win a championship when you start the year. That’s always going to be the goal. But with that being said, these young men go out and finish off something special. You know, I think from how the year started to where we are now, they continue to

build and face adversity as young men and that will prepare them for life after playing basketball as well.”

With the year grinding to a close, and a lot of fifth-year seniors still left on the court, it is apparent that these are the last couple of games for a lot of dominating players. Nelson, one of the students finishing his fifth year at Manhattan, had a lot to say about how he viewed these last moments.

“It’s just trying to enjoy this time with my teammates, enjoy winning, enjoy getting better and just taking every-

thing in,” Nelson said. “We really only have six games left plus the playoffs, so time has gone by fast. It’s kind of sad.” Stores added to this comment, speaking to his relationship with the players.

“Yeah, it’s more than sad,” Stores said. “You’re gonna lose some great young men. They mean a lot to me.”

With only a couple more games left, MC has a lot of fire left to give and hopes to continue their positive outlook and push their defense even more.

Brooke DellaRocco Staff Writer

Nick Brennan scores a three-pointer at the game, Sunday, Feb. 12. GOJASPERS/ COURTESY

Manhattan’s Women’s Lacrosse Team Defeats Sacred Heart in Season Opener

time that our offense will be able to handle it under the pressure as the next goal wins. I knew that we had it in us to win and we did.”

ized the scoring was back and forth. Both the Jaspers and Pioneers brought their A-game to keep the game competitive and exciting.

strong gut feeling that she and her team were going to win.

be the one to score.

Manhattan College women’s lacrosse kicked off their season with a win over Sacred Heart University in overtime.

The Jaspers put points on the board first with a goal from Reagan Mullins. After that, the scoring was back and forth and MC eventually capped the win in overtime.

Midfielder Ashley Bonitch described the feeling she and her teammates felt going into overtime.

“It was thrilling,” Bonitch said. “I knew going into over-

Bonitch also discussed the motivation she has for the rest of the season. Bonitch knows that no matter what it takes, she and her teammates have the skills and mindset to keep the flame going for the rest of the season.

“It shows that even when it comes down to close games like that, we can pull through and we won’t let a close score get in our head and we can win any game,” Bonitch said.

Bonitch shared the thought process she had when she real-

“We started out very strong,” Bonitch said. “At some point in the second quarter, we were up 7-1, but then they started to inch their way back and it got closer and closer. In the end, it was going back and forth like goal to goal and tie, winning, tie, winning. It got a little bit nerve-wracking as we got into our heads a little bit but we pulled through and we showed that we can win that game.”

Bonitch remained positive during the game and had a

Midfielder Julianna Lovine shared her thoughts on holding onto the lead the entire game despite the scores being close.

“I think the whole time our team was like that, we needed to stay up,” Lovine said. “We were kind of in roles. We knew we had to keep on fighting to the very end like in overtime. We didn’t go into overtime nervous. We were just ready to play.”

In overtime, Lovine scored the winning goal to officially end the game. She scored it off a free-position shot. Lovine told The Quadrangle how it felt to

“I felt great,” Lovine said. “I knew once we got the draw control, we had possession. And I just knew that we were going to be able to come out with a win and score. It felt amazing.”

Lovine was proud of the hard work that she and her team put in. Lovine described it as “showing the grit of our team.” This win proved what the Jaspers can overcome and it gives the team great vibes going into the rest of the season.

Attacker Reagan Mullins started off the game with a goal inside the three minutes. Mullins described how she felt during the game.

“It definitely gave us a lot of confidence,” Mullins said. “The preseason poll came out and we’re ranked seventh which I don’t think we deserve to be that low. Just because we made it so far and we have a lot of great returners and some great talent. I’m just excited to see everyone’s contributions moving forward.”

Mullins was able to share the thought process she had due to the scoring being back and forth.

“It was definitely nerve racking but I was fully confident in myself and the team, just staying mentally in check the entire game and just staying positive just goes a long way,” Mullins said. “I was just fully confident that we were going to win that game because the energy was good the entire game.”

The Jaspers’ win versus Sacred Heart set a pretty good tone for the rest of the season and the team can’t wait to see what happens moving forward.

The Jaspers’ next game is going to be on Saturday, February 18 at 12 p.m. This is their first road game of the season at Fairleigh Dickerson.

Women’s Lacrosse Team Kicks off Season with Win VS Sacred Heart in Overtime GOJASPERS/COURTESY

Brianna Coppola

Asst. Features Editor

Men’s Lacrosse Wins First Game During Their Odierna Era

Lauren Raziano Multimedia Editor

After defeating St. John’s University 9-5, the reigning MAAC champions achieved their first win on Feb. 11th. This victory came with something special as this was the first win for the Jaspers under head coach John Odierna.

Graduate student Liam McDonough achieved MAAC Lacrosse Face-off Player of the Week Honors after winning 12of-15 in faceoffs. McDonough also tallied nine ground balls to lead the team.

“I was definitely honored to get that award,” McDonough said. “I mean, our wing guys really helped me out there and coach [Kubikowski] drawing up the game plan, our assistant coach drew up the plan for the win. It’s really not just me, it’s three v. three positions. There’s two other guys flying alongside so it was really a unit win and it’s really good to start off the season like that.”

This is McDonough’s first season with the Jaspers as he transferred from UMass Lowell as a graduate student.

“It’s great being in this new environment,” The culture is really strong,” McDonough said. “We’re a really tight-knit group of guys. We all have a lot of trust in the coaches and we all get along with each other. So that makes it really easy to be here and I’m just very excited to be there.

Other game moments included Kyle Gucwa making four goals and Liam Walshe making three goals, with Tadhg O’Riodan and Dan Mackinney both achieving one goal. Quinn Bowler had two assists and goalie Joseph Persico had 14 saves. In total, Manhattan had

20 turnovers compared to St. John University’s 15.

The Manhattan Lacrosse Instagram account, @manhattan_lacrosse, posted a video of their post-game celebration with the caption, “Club Jasper was ELECTRIC after today’s win and Coach Odierna’s first win as Head Coach”

“To be honest, I was very surprised by that and I was in the midst of all of the fanfare and what it took to put that game together in a neutral site,” Odierna said. “I kind of forgot that it was my first game as a head coach. We actually talked a lot about it being their coach’s [Justin Turri, head coach of the St. John’s Lacrosse program] first game as

the head coach.”

The video was shared in collaboration with @insidelacrosse on Instagram, promoting the video to over 8,000 views and 49 comments congratulating Coach Odierna on his first win.

“I remember we were walking in and I was talking to our other coaches about the things we want to touch, here is who played well, and then when I entered the room, all of a sudden the guys were there to dump water all over me,” Odierna said. “So I will say it was a very fun surprise and I think everything you saw was a pretty raw unplanned reaction. I think those make for the best moments.”

GoJaspers used the phrase “Odierna Era” to describe the season ahead.

“It’s funny that they call it that, I don’t really look at it like that only because I’ve been here for so long because this is year eight for me,” Odierna said. “I’m just looking to extend a lot of the progress that we’ve made over the last few years with Coach Kelleher. It’s just exciting to still be here and work with a really awesome group and I said it after the game I definitely don’t need it to be about me, I enjoy coaching our group and seeing what

we can accomplish this year.”

The Jaspers then played against the Naval Academy on Feb. 18., winning 6-5. They had lost their last season matchup scoring at 6-9. On Feb. 21. The team will play at Princeton, with their last matchup occurring on Feb 14., 2015, with Manhattan losing 4-14. Both of these games are out-of-conference games but a good chance for the Jaspers to assess their competitiveness.

“We try to take it one game at a time,” Odierna said prior to the Navy game. “So, we have the Navy game first, but obviously an eye towards Princeton. When we scheduled these, it was an opportunity to see where we stack up against the best teams in the country and with two very historic programs in the landscape of lacrosse. I wanted to give our guys an opportunity to compete at the highest level of division one lacrosse.”

Odierna is ready to have the Jaspers represent the MAAC conference in the NCAA tournament.

“Our goal is to win the MAAC and represent the MAAC in the NCAA tournament,” Odierna said. “Our hope is that our team is comfortable playing teams at the level that we might see in May.”

McDonough is ready to have his first chance to compete in the MAAC championship.

“We’re definitely trying to get back the MAAC championship and win it,” McDonough said. “I wasn’t there last year so it’s all new for me. What I’ve been seeing is that the only thing we’re really talking about is getting back to the MAAC championship and winning it and getting to the NCAA tournament. Obviously, we just have to take it week by week and try to build every week to get better than the last game we just played.”

The Jaspers have been present in the MAAC championship for the past two seasons and want to establish their place in the MAAC every year.

“Last year wasn’t a one-time deal, this is just the target for our program,” Odierna said. “Even two years ago, we were in the championship game, but we lost. We’ve been in the last two championship games and I think we’re trying to establish that we expect to be there every year. There’s a lot of really good teams and really good coaches in the MAAC and we’ve got to put ourselves in a spot to compete for a championship again.”

Coach Odirna talks with players during the St. John’s game. @ManhattanMLAX/COURTESY