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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MANHATTAN COLLEGE | SINCE 1924
Volume CVIII, Issue 11
FREE
NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 28, 2023
SoLA Forum Recap: Students Voice Concerns over Changes at MC Grace Cardinal Asst. News Editor
Jaspers Win Against Felician!
The Jasper Manhattan men’s basketball team won its first home game of the season 79-67 against Felician at Draddy Gymnasium. GOJASPERS/COURTESY
Students Push for Accessibility Awareness on Manhattan College Campus Mary Haley
Asst. Social Media Editor Manhattan College students are pushing for wider representation and awareness for students with disabilities after an open discussion hosted by the Women and Gender Resource Center (WGRC). The discussion was held by MC students Emmett Ortiz and Brina Boyum, who hosted the discussion in order to bring light to the accessibility issues at the college. Both students organized this event with the intent to make a substantial change on campus in regards to learning, mental and physi-
IN NEWS:
Van Cortland Robbery on p. 4
cal accessibility in every aspect of college life. Ortiz and Boyum’s main goal as representatives of the WGRC was to draft a petition outlining specific changes that are needed on campus to make it more accessible for students with disabilities. Feedback from those in attendance will be taken via Google form, after which they plan to be equipped to hone in on these issues more personally. They also have planned to host another discussion event in the spring semester and continue conversations to raise awareness about these issues. “I would love to see a
IN FEATURES: Voices on the Quad on p. 4
real change on this campus,” Boyum said. “And I think the best way to have that change is coming together and fighting for the same thing. We don’t plan on just stopping here and letting it fizzle. We want to keep going.” Ortiz, a graduate assistant who works at the WGRC, is passionate about these issues from dealing with his own mental and learning disabilities while in college. Ortiz discovered he had autism while completing his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Manhattan. He told The Quadrangle about why __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Student government representatives for the School of Liberal Arts (SoLA) held a forum for students in the school to voice their concerns regarding the recent merger into the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences. Students voiced their concerns regarding a lack of transparency and communication, along with frustrations about professor layoffs and cut classes. Shannon Dinizo, a senior and the VP of Liberal Arts student government representative led the meeting with co-VP Katelin Usai. Opening the meeting, a student started by asking for clarification surrounding the rumors of professor layoffs on campus. “We know just as much as you guys, we’re students,” Dinizo said. “We have to remember that our voice is what backs up our professors. If you guys have professors or faculty that you’re close enough with, I would contact them and show your support to them because I know they’re stressed as well.” Another student voiced a question about minors being cut, specifically for foreign language students. Marlene Gottlieb, professor of modern languages and literature who attended the forum virtually, provided some clarity on the issue. “At least in the case of languages, we’ve lost already some of our faculty, so the Chinese minor is not viable,” Gottlieb said. “ [The] Japanese minor will no longer be viable, the Arabic minor will no longer be viable, Italian may very well disappear as well. The French
IN A&E: Book Nook: Fourth Wing on p. 6
minor may also disappear, in which case the only language we’ll have left at Manhattan College is Spanish.” Another student asked if there was any way the student government would be able to get an administrator to come to the forum to answer student questions that the student representatives themselves were unable to answer. “We’re planning a meeting for next semester to meet with the new dean of the school,” Dinizo said. “We’re gonna have a social event [where] you guys can come and then talk about anything that you want to talk about with her, to kind of calm the nerves and put a face to a name.” Dinizo noted that it has been difficult getting administrative representation at student government meetings but efforts are being made to hold meetings every other Wednesday for students to voice their concerns moving forward. “Unfortunately, it’s kind of hard to get an administrative representative with our meetings but we have a meeting every other Wednesday, and we’re trying to have someone at least come and have students have a place for their voices to be heard,” Dinizo said. Questions continued regarding how the continuous staff layoff will affect classes, especially upper-level classes that adjuncts are unable to teach. “What I’ve heard from my professors is that They’re going to increase the class sizes,” Dinizo said. “I know that’s a concern. There’s gonna be no longer a 15 or less person class... class is going to be canceled if it is less than 15 students.” Adam Arenson, department __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
IN SPORTS:
Jaspers Win Homecoming Game on p.8
News
NOVEMEBR 28, 2023 Volume CVIII, Issue 11 NOVEMBER 28, 2023
The Editorial Board
Jocelyn Visnov Editor-in-Chief Kyla Guilfoil Managing Editor
Lauren Raziano Multimedia Editor
Angelina Persaud News Editor
Grace Cardinal Asst. News Editor
Angelica Niedermeyer Features Editor
Angelina Perez Asst. Features Editor
Karen Flores Arts & Entertainment Editor
Mack Olmsted Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor
Isaiah Rosario Sports Editor
Andrew Mannion Asst. Sports Editors
Adrianne Hutto Production Editor Rebecca Kranich Social Media Editor Zoe DeFazio Angelina Perez Web Editors
Ivy Jaep 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 or ganization 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
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LETTER from
the EDITOR
Hello and welcome back to campus! I hope you’ve had a restful thanksgiving break and made it back to campus safely! The Quadrangle is back this week for our second-to-last issue of the semester. With just under three weeks left, we are in the homestretch. Try to remain focused while also allowing time to take care of yourself. Remember that the Center of Academic Success has a plethora of resources available to help you finish the semester strong. You can make an appointment with the CAS through Jasper Connect. If you’re on campus, you may still be able to find print issues of our Special Issue, The Bronx Issue. Be sure to pick up a physical copy if you haven’t already. Next week will be Issue 12, marking our final issue of the fall semester and our final issue of 2023. That will also be the final JasperJist of the year, so stay tuned!
Sincerely,
Jocelyn Visnov
Editor-in-Chief
News
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THE QUADRANGLE
Students Push for Accessibility Awareness on Manhattan College Campus __________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 this fight resonates with him and what his experience means for the awareness the WGRC is trying to spread. “In terms of navigating [college], it has been a weird experience because at first I didn’t even realize I had disabilities,” Ortiz said. “I was not able to get accommodations for myself in my undergraduate years, but advocating for myself and really exploring what helps me and knowing which places on campus [give access] for me to regulate really helped a lot.” Although, the issue of accessibility does not just affect those with learning or mental disabilities. It is also an issue of physical accessibility for those who are disabled or even those who have an injury that makes them physically impaired. Emily Derrico, a lacrosse player and student at the college, attended the event and spoke on her troubles navigating campus with a learning disability while also going to classes and healing from a knee injury this past spring.
“I had difficulties getting around campus, and it just depends on your professor, so sometimes they’re really accommodating and other times they won’t accommodate you whatsoever…It is definitely a process getting around campus and having that understanding with your professor,” Derrico said. Rebecca Kern-Stone, Ph.D., director of the WGRC, explained to The Quadrangle that there must be a push on the college’s part to make resources such as the Specialized Resource Center (SRC) and the Counseling Center on campus more known to students. Awareness of these resources prevents roadblocks for students getting help, like there were in Ortiz’s undergraduate career. “I think that students that struggle with these things do it very alone,” Kern-Stone said. “We have a great relationship with SRC and the Counseling Center, and there are great faculty on this campus who want nothing more than for students to thrive.” Kern-Stone hopes that events like the campus-wide
The Counseling Center on the fifth floor of Miguel hall welcomes and supports students who are struggling. MANHATTAN.EDU/COURTESY mental health day could be better executed for coming semesters so that students get the appropriate assistance and overall understanding they need. Kern-Stone also explained the importance of understanding that not every disability is something people can see,
which is why it is vital to have open discussions like this one to break the stigma of disabilities and increase accessibility for all. “I think it is about making the invisible visible and opening up communication, learning, and making people feel
seen,” Kern-Stone said. “We all bring different strengths, and that can be really powerful. But if we don’t all understand how that works, and we don’t understand what those things are as a community, we can’t come together.”
SoLA Forum Recap: Students Voice Concerns over Changes at MC __________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
chairperson and professor of history, was able to clarify that the 15-person class minimum would not apply to labs or classes where it is impossible to meet that criteria. “If a class is a lab or something where 15 is not physically possible, those classes are supposed to be happening regardless,” Arenson said. “If a class could be at 15, but it’s less than 15, those are gonna go on our list.” Dinizo continuously emphasized throughout the meeting that the process of professor layoffs, the merger and increasing class sizes were all in the beginning stages, leading to a lack of information about them. She attempted to relieve
students of their concerns about unavailable classes and on-time graduation by urging students to speak with their advisors and others who could answer their questions. Another major question brought up in the forum was regarding financial aid. On this front, the student representatives were able to put minds at ease. “Your scholarship will not change at all,” Dinizo said. “Your scholarship is for the classes you take, not what classes they are. There should be no worries about that.” The question of tuition increase was brought into conversation, yet the price hike for tuition remains to take effect until the next academic year. “The reality of it is that the tuition has gone up,” Dinizo said. “I’m a senior, it’s gone up every year. So I don’t necessarily think that’s for the merger… Inevitably we don’t really know
the numbers of that.” Earlier this year, Manhattan College held a President’s Dinner at the Rainbow Room in NYC, where they raised $22 million, according to an Instagram post made by @manhattanedu. It remains unclear to students and the general public what this money is being used for. “We are discussing the transparency of where this money’s going,” Dinizo said. “We haven’t heard anything, we’re in the dark. We just have to take it in stride right now.” One junior, Jocelyne Alfred, noted that she has concerns about the layoffs affecting the diversity at the college, something MC had previously prided itself on. “We’re noticing a lot of tenured professors of color are being let go and being replaced with white adjunct professors,” Alfred said. “I personally came to the school for diversity and
also to be taught by professors of color…How is this going to affect those students, especially the ones that come here for the diversity?” Dinizo responded by encouraging students to lean on each other and create a united front to have their voices heard. “I think right now, it’s really important to lean on other students who are going through the same thing and we have to work together to have voices be heard,” Dinizo said. “We’re going to translate this to the student government, who also knows what’s going on and we see it received from the student side… I think there needs to be a larger conversation.” Dinizo continued to address student concerns and noted that there are plans for a campus-wide, university town hall where students will be able to voice their concerns and opinions to administrators at the college.
“I know that there’s, in the works of a large school-wide university town hall meeting to get everyone to meet with [administrators], I know the CFO is going to be there,” Dinizo said. “We don’t know the date for that yet. I think that would be a great place to come and speak. Maybe get other people who feel this way and then we can have a larger conversation there.” Dinizo also emphasized the town hall will be a good opportunity for students to come into contact with administrators to directly discuss these ongoing issues. “We see ourselves how the administration is not answering,” Dinizo said. “I think that’s a big issue in the school and I think that’s where the university town hall’s purpose is because we’re gonna be face to face with the administration.”
News
NOVEMBER 28, 2023
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Two More Manhattan College Students Robbed at Knifepoint in Van Cortlandt Mack Olmsted Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor
Just two weeks after the initial mugging of a Manhattan College freshman, two students were robbed in broad daylight in Van Cortlandt Park. The two MC sophomore students decided to go for a walk late last month on the Old Croton Aqueduct trail. The park was populated with cyclists and joggers all around. The two sophomores followed all the suggested guidelines, not going in alone, not going at night and paying attention to their surroundings. Unfortunately, one Riverdale
criminal sought an opportunity. While on the run, an adult male came up behind the students on a moped, stopping them in their tracks. He flashed a knife and threatened the students to give him any money and valuables that they had. “At the moment I was just shocked and in survival mode,” one of the sophomores, who chose to remain anonymous, said. “It wasn’t until later that night once everything was sorted out, that the fear sort of set in. I couldn’t have picked a better time to be there, in broad daylight with other people in the park… it definitely makes me question the safety and lack of police presence and surveillance inside of the park.” The sophomore student
noted that the individual who robbed him matched the same description as the previous victim’s mugger. Since the previous incident, the suspect remained on the loose with police being unable to track him down. “He was on a red dirt bike with some black accents, he was maybe like, 5 ‘6” not too tall, and average build as far as I could tell,” the sophomore said. “He was wearing a black sweatshirt and black sweatpants, wearing a ski mask, and couldn’t see much of his face. You could only tell that he was African American. He had a very thick accent, and I wasn’t sure what it was.” Senior cross-country runner Brendan Chan and his
teammate ran into the sophomores that day. When they told him what had happened, he ran with caution crossing paths with an individual who matched the description, on a moped. Chan said he stopped 50 meters away. “We were scared because this person fit the description so we didn’t want to get any closer. I think it’s the most dangerous thing I’ve ever felt while at the park,” Chan said. Chan informed the cross-country coach of what had happened and she offlined the trails of the robberies recommending that students should run elsewhere. Irma Garcia, director of athletics, spoke about how she, along with the coaches, are
coming up with methods and solutions to make students feel safe at practice. “Everyone’s safety comes first, it’s the most important thing and we made a promise to parents that their kids come to Manhattan College and they’re going to be safe,” Garcia said. Manhattan College is safe. But of course, we utilize it [Van Cortlandt] and it’s so close to the campus. We will all figure out a strong solution from there, but for now, safety is of course primary and it comes first.” Editor’s note: Some information and reporting was originally published in The Riverdale Press in a similar story by Mack Olmsted.
Old Croton Aqueduct trail where the two sophomores got robbed. GREATRUNS.COM/COURTESY
Features
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THE QUADRANGLE
Students Voice Concerns on the Future of the Liberal Arts at MC VOICES ON THE QUAD Jocelyn Visnov and Grace Cardinal
Editor-in-Chief & Asst. News Editor Manhattan College recently announced the merger of the School of Health Professions, the Kakos School of Science and the School of Liberal Arts, which will be combined into one school known as the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences. This announcement raised a number of questions and concerns about the transition from students, especially regarding the future of liberal arts disciplines and issues of transparency. The Quadrangle spoke with liberal arts students regarding their concerns and frustrations about the transition. Jocelyne Alfred, junior English literature and childhood education major The Quadrangle: How do you feel about the merger with SOLA and Kakos School of Sciences? Jocelyne Alfred: I feel really blindsided because we [education majors] were originally separated from the Health Sciences and then my advisors got switched, and now we’re switching back which is also a little bit confusing. And there’s like, no transparency with any of the faculty members, they don’t even know what’s going on. TQ: What is your biggest concern regarding the arts? JA: Mostly the diversity, especially when it comes to classes that are meant to be diverse and talk about diverse populations. Because what I’ve witnessed in the last couple of semesters, where we have professors that will teach like ethnic literature, but then think that’s a free pass. We have professors of color that are being silenced and want to lead these classes, but instead they’re given to their white counterparts. So as a black student, this really does concern me because where is my future if not in the hands of those who are meant to protect us?
TQ: How do you feel about how changes have been communicated to students? JA: We’re mostly told we’ll wait and see, or “we understand your frustrations” or we’re just told to talk to our advisors or talk to these people, but it’s like, what can they [advisors] do if you got the higher ups aren’t really like talking and communicating? TQ: Is there anything else you would like to add? JA: I hope this school gets better in terms of transparency with their students and really values us as people as opposed to just wallets. Keira Rheinheimer, freshman sound studies major The Quadrangle: How do you feel about the merger with SOLA and Kakos School of Sciences? Keira Rheinheimer: I’m frustrated and mostly confused. I feel like we have not heard a lot of the reasoning behind this. And I feel the decision itself is one thing but not knowing anything about it has made it really frustrating. Ever since we have voiced our concerns or had questions about it, they weren’t answered and now it feels like bad things are happening. I’ve been hearing all the rumors and discussions about it and none of it’s making me feel good. So I’m definitely a little worried and concerned about the well-being of the program that I’m in. TQ: What is your biggest concern regarding the arts? KR: I’m concerned about the class limitations a lot [referring to the new policy of a 15 student enrollment minimum for a class to run] because I have already experienced it. We have this thing called the Album Class, and that doesn’t function very well when there’s 18 people in it, it functions really well when there’s 10 or less, and that’s gonna be really tough. Part of the reason I picked the school was for the small class sizes was for oneon-one time with professors. TQ: How do you feel these changes are being communicated with students? KR: I don’t feel well about it, I think the communication is poor and that’s upsetting to me … If it’s this hard for the student government to talk to administration, there’s a problem. The administration should not be this separated from the school. Especially as a small school and a community, it’s
really going against what I believed the school was about, and that’s really frustrating. Maggie Knapp, sophomore digital media arts major/philosophy minor The Quadrangle: How do you feel about the merger with SOLA and Kakos School of Sciences? Maggie Knapp: So I think it is so detrimental to the confidence of the students who are in the School of Liberal Arts especially, because what it seems like based on the opinions of faculty, my peers, you know, even the opinions of of employees is that this is an attack on the School of Liberal Arts. So, as a student, it makes me feel personally attacked and also with my confidence, it makes me feel like my major and my minor are getting really hit hard right now. It makes me feel like I’m not important to the president, to the administration, to whoever is making these decisions. We don’t even know who made these decisions, like concretely, and it makes me feel like what I’m learning and what I’m studying is not valued here. And it, quite frankly, makes me feel even more ready to leave. TQ: What is your biggest concern regarding the arts? MK: Manhattan College is a liberal arts institution. We are also a religious institution and our theological school is within our School of Liberal Arts, so the arts are foundational in the learning here on campus. You see liberal arts integrated into every single school, there’s an arts requirement for every single school to complete… With the recent merger, it kind of feels like these four schools that got bumped together were the scraps, like we are bottom of the barrel… Personally as an art student, it completely feels like I am not important to the school, the school does not care about me, this school does not want me here anymore. TQ: How do you feel about how changes have been communicated to students? MK: There’s no line of communication. Absolutely zero…Everything else has been organized by clubs and interdisciplinary groups and there’s no direct streamline of information that hasn’t been filtered through peers or faculty, there’s nothing direct and there’s nothing official. It also feels like there was no effort for collaboration in making these decisions either. So
not only is there the lack of transparency, but that revealed that there was no involvement with anyone in the school who would actually be impacted by this. So we don’t know who made this decision, we don’t know the reasons why and we don’t know who was involved with the decision making practice or process because clearly, it was not faculty. It was not students. TQ: Ideally, how would you like to see things being handled differently? MK: I think with making decisions like this, there needs to be a clear outline of the plan before it’s revealed to the student body. …There needs to be some responsibility in the administration and there needs to be some direct accountability. I think going forward, I would like to see our schools kind of dissected. I would like to see a separate school of science, a separate school of arts and a separate School of Public Health like we were promised this year. And I think that the general consensus of the student body would agree. I would like to see the president more involved with our school…We need to see more involvement from our administration to begin with, because I can’t even name anyone besides Milo Riverso right now, and that’s only because I’m mad at him… There needs to be forums held like this that are held by administration. The fact that the student government has to organize these town halls and it isn’t the administration doing this is absurd. It’s ridiculous. It’s unfair to students. When making these decisions in the future, faculty and students and staff need to be involved. There needs to be a student government in that room when they’re deciding, hey, let’s merge the schools together. The major departments that are affected need to be involved. Cristina Pilon, sophomore political science and international studies major The Quadrangle: How do you feel about the merger with SOLA and Kakos School of Sciences? Cristina Pilon: I’m scared right now because I don’t have information, my point right now is should I transfer, like what’s going on? I need to make a decision on whether I stay or whether I transfer and my possibilities on transferring are either transferring to another US institution or going
back to my country, which if I go back to my country, all the money I paid basically, it’s gone because none of my credits will transfer. If I transferred to another US institution, some of my credits might not transfer so then I’d need to stay more. It’s gonna take me longer so then my visa might expire. Even if I’m able to graduate on time by transferring, my visa says, I go to Manhattan College. So every time I come to [the country] they ask me, Are you still part of here? I need a signature from the school every time I leave the country to be able to reenter. So if I transfer then there’s this possibility every time I come in, I might not be able to or might but with a lot of difficulties. I just need information. I need to know what’s going on to make a decision. It’s not a clear decision right now. TQ: What is your biggest concern regarding the arts? CP: I feel like all these programs are like, oh, we don’t care about you. We are important and I don’t think people understand what [role] arts play in society. We’re the part that cannot be replaced by a robot…I think what they are doing is [saying] no, don’t go into liberal arts. Stay away from it. And even if you chose to, because you want to and you see the future of it, we’re just gonna make it harder for you, which I think is the opposite of what we should be doing. TQ: How do you feel about how things are being communicated to students? CP: I think right now there’s zero communication, it’s one sided, and it’s like, who has the information? It’s letting go of bits and pieces of what they want us to know. I know they have more information than oh, we’re just merging you together. Like what are the reasons why, why, what is going to happen? We don’t even know who made the decision. I think communication right now is non-existent. I feel if students had the information, we wouldn’t be freaking out. TQ: Ideally, how would you like to see things being handled differently? CP: Communication, I just want to have the information. I understand there might be causes that we don’t know right now that make this decision need to happen, for whatever reasons, but I want to understand why. Because at the end of the day, these decisions affect us, affect our education. I need to know what’s going on.
NOVEMBER 28, 2023
Adrianne Hutto Production Editor
“A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead,” is the opening line of the intense fantasy novel Fourth Wing. The author, Rebecca Yaros, just released the second novel in the series, which has already received widespread praise among readers, particularly in “Book-Tok,” a subsection of TikTok and recognition from the New York Times. For lovers of A Court of Thorns and Roses, Fourth Wing is another in-depth fantasy novel with a loveable cast of characters and an enemies to lovers trope that will have you reading all night. The novel follows Violet Sorrengail, daughter of a high-level military leader, who was meant to enter the Scribe Quadrant and live a quiet peaceful life among the parchment and books, as her deceased father would have intended. “There is nothing more sacred than the Archives. Even temples can be rebuilt, but books cannot be rewritten,”
Arts & Entertainment
Book Nook: Fourth Wing (Fourth Wing). However, her brutal general mother forces her to join a military academy that prepares 20-year-olds for battle against mythical “gryphons” while they ride on the back of dragons utilizing new found magical powers. In a sense the novel is how to train your dragons for adults meets a dystopian past. “Hope is a fickle, dangerous thing. It steals your focus and aims it toward the possibilities instead of keeping it where it belongs—on the probabilities,” (Fourth Wing). Despite being born physically weak and having no training, Violet is forced to walk along the parapet, a long winding path thousands of feet into the air, to the entrance of a school filled with people who want her dead, and are allowed to as violence and murder among cadets being encouraged. With a limited number of dragons to bond with and her being the “weakest link,” among the cadets, she’s on everyone’s hit list. Including, the ruthless Squad leader, Xaden, and son of a rebellion leader, murdered by her mother. “Lies are comforting. Truth
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is painful,” (Fourth Wing). With every passing day, the war outside the school walls gets closer and more deadly as protective wards are failing and the death toll outside and inside the school continues to climb. Soon, Violet begins to suspect that leadership, in this case– her mother and sister, may be lying. As she struggles to make her way to the top and avoids daggers at every turn, she has two options: graduate or die. “But I will not run. I wouldn’t be standing here if I’d quit every time something seemed impossible to overcome. I will not die today,” (Fourth Wing). There’s romance, strong female characters, magic, fantasy, dragons and major plot twists. With the second book freshly in print and rumors of a third next year, now is the best time to start reading– just avoid “Book Tok” if you do not like spoilers. Overall, if you’re a lover of fantasy and a great read, this should be your next pick.
Rebecca Yaros, just released the second novel in the series, which has already received widespread praise.
AMAZON/COURTESY
Arts & Entertainment
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THE QUADRANGLE
Jasper Jams: Fall’s Last Hurrah Barbara Vasquez Staff Writer
While fall is technically still in full swing, some people have already started to prepare for winter by blasting Christmas music. Personally, I am going to cherish fall for as long as I can, so I’m going to share some songs that have been on my rotation this past season that have really started to embody ‘fall’ for me. Apple Cider- beabadobee This song has made its way onto my ‘fall playlists’ since it was first released, and it has never gotten old. It’s a very sweet song to listen to, and it’s still the perfect time to drink apple cider if you’re really trying to get in the mood; or fruit punch, whatever you prefer. Love 2 Fast- Steve Lacy I recently stole this song from my friend’s playlist and wow. I have no other words for
how obsessed I’ve been with it. I’m not the biggest Steve Lacy fan, but the amount of times I’ve listened to this song probably has him as my number one artist for the year. It’s just the perfect song for me, with sweet lyrics and an addicting instrumental. I seriously can’t get enough. Now and Then- The Beatles The Beatles most recent, and possibly last, release is titled Now and Then, a melancholic song using the vocals of the late John Lennon. It’s a very good song, if I do say so myself, and truly embodies the feelings of nostalgia and longing, which are very fall-like feelings in my eyes. Cool Out (feat. Natalie Prass)- Matthew E. White In early September I finally watched the “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,” series, and while I definitely could have watched them sooner, I seriously have a bone to pick with
everyone who’s seen it before me. I know I’m late to the party, but why couldn’t anyone tell me about this song? It plays at the end of the first movie and is just so good. Definitely one of my favorites on this list. I Know It’s Over- The Smiths This is the song I listen to when I’m really down in the dumps. The lyrics are devastating, the vocals are devastating, everything about this song is just devastating. Though you may argue that there are very few songs by “The Smiths” that wouldn’t be labeled as such, I must counter-argue that this song truly takes the cake.
I Know You- Faye Webster This is Faye Webster’s second most popular song for good reason. It’s really good. It’s the perfect song to listen to on a chilly day when you’re alone and in need of the tiniest bit of sadness to really match the vibe of the season.
love is embarrassing- Olivia Rodrigo I know this may be an unpopular opinion, but ‘GUTS’ is 100% better than ‘Sour.’ ‘Sour’ has ‘deja vu,’ which I will always love, but the songs off ‘GUTS’ are seriously just perfect for me. One of my favorites off the album, as you may have guessed, is “love is embarrassing.” With very catchy instrumentals and an addicting bridge and ending, this song is just sick. Monday, Monday- The Mamas and Papas This song captures my exact feelings when the weekend ends and Monday comes around. A very old-timey sounding song with a great mix between solo singing and group singing, this song is just a great fall song. I also think Garfield would really like this song, if he wasn’t, you know, a fictional cat.
Scan here to listen to The Quadrangle’s playlist!
Happy Xmas (War is Over)- John Lennon and Yoko Ono Though I am against listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving, this is my one exception to that rule. In fact, I listen to this song all year round, just because I love it so much. I don’t exactly know what it is- I really am not a big Beatles fan (I know it may be hard to believe me considering I included a song of theirs in this list) but this song has seriously had me in a chokehold from when I first heard it as a child. IDGAF (feat. Yeat)Drake While I know this song does not match the rest of the list in the slightest, I would not be being honest if I didn’t include it considering how much I’ve listened to it since it’s come out. The sample in the beginning is a beautiful song in of itself, but the rest of the song with Drake and Yeat’s rapping makes it addictive. Great song, IDGAF.
Sports
NOVEMBER 28, 2023
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Jaspers Win Homecoming Game Anna Segota Staff Writer
Manhattan College’s men’s basketball team claimed a victory in their first home game of the season, fighting off the Felician Golden Falcons. On Nov. 16, the Jaspers emerged victorious in their long-awaited homecoming after being away for their first two games of the season. Draddy was filled with fans, both students and alumni alike, to watch and cheer on our men’s basketball team. A tailgate event had originally been planned to be held before the game, with music and fun on the quad. Unfortunately, the event was canceled but is scheduled for a later date. A large chunk of this year’s team are freshmen playing their first home game ever. One of Freshman, Seydou Traore, achieved some impressive feats during the game, shooting 75% from the field and grabbing a career-best 15 rebounds and 19 points. Traore told The Quadrangle that he works in tandem with the rest of his teammates
on offense, and uses what they give him to reach such a high level of performance. The game opened with the Falcons stealing the first points, scored by Felician senior Dee-End McRae. Brett Rumpel soon answered by hitting the Jaspers’ first shot of the game but was soon interrupted by the Falcons’ Jhonny Tovar hitting a 3-point shot, marking the beginning of the Falcon’s run. The Falcons pulled into the lead, continuing to hit more three-pointers, with the Jaspers lagging due to several offensive fumbles. At one point, the Falcons held a nine-point lead on the Jaspers with a score of 27-18. Despite the weak offensive performance, the Jaspers maintained a strong defense and were eventually able to catch up. By halftime, the Felician team was ahead, 39-35. During halftime, the team gathered themselves and decided how to move forward in the second half of the game. According to players, both talks from the coaches and the team’s determination managed to spark what was needed to make their comeback.
“We had a couple of talks in the locker room at halftime,” said Seydou Traore, on how the team approached regrouping and staying motivated. “Knowing that we just came back from the loss in Kansas, lit the fire to just keep going out there and keep playing”. The Jaspers did indeed come back, though the Felician maintained their lead in the first few minutes. Eventually, the Jaspers began to pull ahead, with Shaquil Bender making the three-point shot that pushed them into the clear, 48-49. From there the men widened the gap with Traore and Bender dominating offensively, while Rumpel spearheaded a strong defense. “I played really hard and just tried to be aggressive,” Rumpel said when asked about his defensive performance. “I was able to pick my spots right and make the right plays and I think it was a great game by the team overall.” The men maintained a steadily growing lead for the last eight minutes of the game, their victory became certain
Thank you to everyone who has, and continues to support this amazing program and we will be back next year to compete for a championship again. Go Jaspers!” Junior, midfielder, Henry Hamilton appreciated all the work the team did this season. He felt the team fought to the very end and reflected on the season with a positive outlook on his team. “The season was good, we had a few new faces come in,” Hamilton said. “We felt we had a really strong base, little things we had to touch on obviously, as the season went on, but I think the best part about it was how close we all were at the start of the year. We worked really hard on creating relationships that weren’t just as teammates. I think that played a big part in how close we all were as a team and that gave us so much confidence. We all knew what we were capable of and kept pushing each other. So I think how close we were on and off the field had a
massive influence on how well we played” Sophomore, defender Nassim Akki explained his point of view from this year’s season and appreciated all the work coach Scott put into the team. He believes the coaching is a major factor in how the team pushed themselves in the MAAC playoffs. “He tried to transmit this experience to us,” Akki said. “He gave us such a certain freedom on the field. So he gave us the game plan and then he knew our quality so he gave us a certain freedom to like, to do what we want, and to play how we know how to play. I think that the best thing was our coach, you know, he doesn’t like to give us too many limits. He just gives us his game plan, we try to follow it. And then we just express ourselves on the field.” Both Akki and Hamilton mentioned they look forward to what’s to come for the future of the next season. They both believe that the Men’s Soccer team will continue to push
Fans watched as the Jaspers faced off against the Falcons. GOJASPERS/COURTESY with the final dagger, a threepoint shot from Bender which brought the score to 64-75 in favor of the Jaspers. “I think it was the stops,” head coach John Gallagher said when asked about the team’s turning point. “We started defending at a high level and that was the most important thing. We understood that getting stops made them not press us and al-
lowed us to run our half-court offense, which we did a great job within the second half”. The game ended with the Jaspers leading with 12 points, the final score being 67-79. The Jaspers had scored an impressive 44 points in the second half, in comparison to the Falcon’s 28. 26 of Jasper’s points were scored by Traore and Bender.
Men’s Soccer Wraps Up Their Season With Hope for the Future Mack Olmsted
Asst. Arts & Entertainment Manhattan College’s men’s soccer team wrapped up its season this month in the MAAC championship, with an unfortunate loss against Iona, with the final score being 0-1. The team’s final overall record was 7-8-3, with the conference record being 6-3-1. This year’s loss marks the second straight year that Manhattan has fallen to Iona in the conference tournament semifinals. On gojaspers.com, head coach Jordan Scott spoke about the season coming to an end. “We are all devastated by the loss that ends our season,” head coach Jorden Scott said. “We battled through so much this year on and off the field and we stayed true to the values of who we are as a community. We are beyond proud of our seniors who now step into the next phase of their life and we will be there to support them every step of the way.
themselves forward while trying to accomplish their goals. “Now the question is, how are we going to get to be champions, so mentality we are all completely challenged and I’m
very happy about that,” Akki said “The goal is still the same. Now, how are we going to get there? We all have to work on our talents and get united.”
According to Gojaspers, “Fifteen Manhattan men’s soccer student-athletes were named to the 2023 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) All-Academic Team.” GOJASPERS/COURTESY
Sports
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THE QUADRANGLE
Basketball’s Opening Week & What to Expect for the Coming Season Maizy Swift and Barbara Vasquez Asst. Production Editor & Staff Writer
Jasper basketball is officially back for the 2023-24 season. The women’s basketball team opened their season with a match against Central Connecticut State University on Nov. 6, resulting in a win for the Lady Jaspers. The opposition held the lead for the first half of the game, until the second quarter when the Jaspers finally got a few points ahead. The Jaspers maintained this lead until the end of the game, resulting in a victory in their season opener. Leyla Ozturk, a forward on the team, described the women’s opening week and the first following games of the season. “Grit, together, and excitement … we’ve all been working towards that moment where we can play and I think it was just really exciting to finally get that opportunity,” Ozturk said. “I say ‘together’ because we’re always sharing the ball and having good energy and everyone is just really involved and grit because we had a tough loss against GW [George Washington University] but we just worked through it and we bounced back very hard against Fordham and had a great win.” Forward Narquisia Dodson talked about how the team is setting itself up for the future season. “I will say the definition of this year’s team, we’re really all about our grit,” Dodson said. “Even in our loss. [In] the first three games for this season, you can see that it could literally be anyone’s night. We don’t have a problem sharing the ball, we love playing with each other, and that chemistry going on later in the year, that’s going to help our team go further throughout the season.” Forward, Jade Blagrove tells what the team’s opening weekend meant for them. “I think opening weekend, and especially after last night’s game, [against Fordham] we kind of set the tone for who we want to be for the season … we have a big game coming up at St. Johns and our coach said it’s a game where we can put ourselves on the map and show people that they shouldn’t underestimate
us, that’s been our goal since opening week,” Blagrove said. The win against Fordham this past week was a monumental victory for the Lady Jaspers, with this being the first win against the school since their last triumph in 2011. The longstanding rivalry between Fordham and MC has been happening since 1981 for the women’s team, known as “The Battle of the Bronx,” so this feat is one to remember. For Blagrove, walking into such an important game meant a lot of pressure. “It comes with some extra pressure,” Blagrove said. “It’s just always a very big game and we know that, but we delivered, so we’re happy.” The women’s season is off to a decent start, considering their 2-1 record. Guard Jayla James reiterated the importance of the need to get better every single day to maintain a positive record as they inch closer to conference play. “We’ve been taking it day by day, just getting like 10% better every day will help us in the long run, because the ultimate goal of course is to win the championship and everything,” James said. “But we just want to focus on those things we can improve on and that we can control. Right now, that’s just coming into practice every day ready to go and ready to compete.” This year’s basketball season also has high hopes for the men’s basketball team. On Nov. 10, the Jaspers fell to the number one team in the country, University of Kansas 99-61. However, on Nov. 16, the men’s team won 79-67 against Felician University. The Jaspers were down in the first half but outscored Felician 44-28 in the second half of the game. Daniel Rouzan, a forward on the men’s team, explained what he’s worked on since the Kansas game. “ I feel like I improved, [in terms of] being more aggressive,” Rouzan said. “I’m feeling the game a little more try a little harder, like the bright lights of Kansas were intimidating at first but being at home felt good and I felt comfortable out there.” Rouzan also gave some insight as to how he plans to improve for future games. “I’m slowing down, just thinking of a game plan playing one more field instead of overthinking everything being low and in the stance. Just
Jasper basketball is officially back for the 2023-24 season. MAIZY SWIFT/THE QUADRANGLE being ready at all times with the ball.” Logan Padgett, a guard and forward on the team, shared how the team’s chemistry is part of what is pushing the team forward this season. “I think that right now our strength is just chemistry like I think right now we have a lot of guys that actually get along very well, and I think that’s been rare in my time in college basketball,” Padgett said. “We actually do get along well so I think that putting that with the basketball side, we should be able to know where people are on the offensive end of the floor and be able to find people because we can gel together easily.” With the upcoming game next Friday against the University of Connecticut, Padgett
shared how he can try to prepare and learn each team’s strengths and weaknesses. “I plan to just go in every game, take each game individually, each game is different,” Padgett said. “Each game requires something different. UConn, particularly, those guys are obviously big, fast, and all that stuff, so just trying to slow the game down for them, they want to get up and down, we’re gonna have to slow the game down at our pace. So just taking each game individually and playing into what we’re finding the strengths that we need to beat that individual team.” Guard and forward Seydou Traore is currently leading the Jaspers in scoring. Traore said that coach Gallagher has helped his success this season.
“Coach has been great so far, he tries to give anybody a lot of confidence and treat it more than just basketball like outside the court, like my family,” Traore said. Something that helped the team win against Felician was keeping up their mindset. “We’re just more just making sure our mentality is right,” Traore said. “Because we were playing the lower division team was making sure that we had the right mentality going into the game.” Overall, the future for the men’s and women’s basketball teams this season is hopeful. The next game for the men’s is against the University of Connecticut and the women’s next game is against St. John’s University.