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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MANHATTAN COLLEGE | SINCE 1924
Volume CVIII, Issue 12
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NEW YORK, DECEMBER 5, 2023
MC Model UN Wins at Conferences in Germany and D.C.
Adrianne Hutto Production Editor
Battle of the Bronx Returns Men’s basketball faced off against Fordham. GOJASPERS/COURTESY
Math Professor Angel Pineda Makes Breakthrough in Medical Imaging Research Emmanouel Sofillas
form in clinical tasks, Staff Writer specifically in the detection of tumors. What sets Angel Pineda, Ph.D., a this research apart is professor of mathemat- the unique use of mathics, stands as a pioneer ematical modeling using in the field of mathemat- neural networks to preics to enhance medical dict human performance. imaging, particularly in the context of MRI The primary issue with (Magnetic Resonance modern MRI machines Imaging), through a Na- is that they are time-contional Institutes of Health suming for patients to be (NIH) grant of $434,000. in and often result in a costly health insurance At the core of Pineda’s bill. Pineda’s research is work is the exploration aimed to streamline the of how MRI images per-
process and produce faster, higher-quality MRI images that can benefit the patient. “Instead of merely assessing image quality, we aim to determine the effectiveness of an MRI image in detecting specific conditions, such as tumors,” Pineda said. “By leveraging both human and computational perspectives, we can op __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
The Manhattan College Model UN team had the opportunity to travel to Germany and Washington D.C. to represent the Russian Federation and the United States, respectively, at the Model UN conferences. Alexander Nichols, a junior at Manhattan College and member of the security council for the Germany trip, has been a part of the Model UN for two years now. He explained that while the students were given tours and the opportunity to travel, the majority of the trip was spent hard at work indoors. “It was probably eight hours of meeting with other students from other schools trying to work on resolutions,” Nichols said. With the goal of a career in international law and a double major in political science and peace and justice studies, it is no wonder Nichols has taken to the team’s security council. For this semester’s competition, the security council focused on the theme of education and conflict. “I’ve really been interested in our security council because we handle a lot of these issues that pertain to young people and focus on really giving them a voice,” Nichols said. Another student who traveled to Germany to represent Model UN was Quinn Nagle, a junior chemical engineering major at MC. Nagle was given the opportunity to join the group at the last minute, filling the coveted last spot for the team traveling to Germany. As an international studies minor, Nagle saw the trip as an opportunity to explore the liberal arts side of her
studies. To prepare for the conference, each student wrote a onepage paper on their given country’s position on a topic. Nagle was on the environmental committee, which was the focus of her paper. “I focused on resource efficiency and urban development,” Nagle said. “So, I learned a lot about that, and with my science background I was able to connect policy and the science that I’ve been learning for two and a half years now.” Nagle explains that as a Model UN novice, the first day of delegating can be daunting. However, thanks to the support from her co-delegate, she was able to push through and by the end of the day was able to find her footing. By the end of the conference, the connections she made with her fellow teammates were what made the trip stand out the most. “I’ve had no opportunity to talk to people in other majors and other facets on campus,” Nagle said. “It’s crazy that it took going to Germany for me to meet new people, but I think creating new connections with other people on campus that I never would have met otherwise, was probably the best part.” While in D.C., junior Montserrat Nicasio was with the other half of MC’s Model UN team representing the Russian Federation. Nicasio was a part of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), tackling two different topics. “The [first topic] was the FAO committee implementing the FAO strategic framework for 2022 to 2031 and then the __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
IN NEWS:
IN FEATURES:
IN A&E:
IN SPORTS:
Author James Patterson at MC on p. 4
Albanian Students Association on p. 6
Jasper Jams on p. 8
Women’s Volleyball Recognized by MAAC on p.12
News
Volume CVIII, Issue 12 DECEMBER 5, 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
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LETTER from the EDITOR Dear Readers, Hello and welcome to our final issue of the semester, Issue 12! This week we’re wrapping it up with some exciting stories, such as Model UN traveling to Germany and the return of Battle of the Bronx. This week marks my very last issue as your Editor-in-Chief. This past year has truly flown by. This role has challenged me and I’ve learned so much about journalism, about how lead with honesty and integrity and how to be a better version of myself. There are a number of individuals I would like to thank for their continued support throughout this journey of journalism. Kyla, thank you for encouraging me to run in the first place and showing me the ropes. I had some big shoes to fill stepping into this role but it was a pleasure to have you as my go-to girl. Lauren, thank you for being so on top of things week to week and always being there when I needed you, even at 1 a.m. Adrianne, with whom I’ve spent every production sunday with since we were freshman, thank you for your patience and dedication. Jilleen Barrett, who was assigned my Quad mentor freshman year and has since become one of my favorite people to talk to, thank you for pushing me to be the best journalist I can be. To the 2023 Quad Squad, thank you for trusting me to lead and being the best group of folks on campus. And finally, to our readers, thank you for your generosity and support for student newsrooms. We cannot do this without you. Now, as I sit here finalizing our last issue of 2023 and trying not to get emotional, I hand it off to Grace Cardinal, an exceptional journalist and valued member of our team, who will bring back The Quadrangles traditions in the new year. This paper has meant so much to me since the very beginning of my time here at Manhattan College, and it’s truly been an honor to lead. Thank you for trusting me with this responsibility and with your campus news. Let’s do journalism. For one last time,
Jocelyn Visnov
Sincerely,
Editor-in-Chief
News
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THE QUADRANGLE
Math Professor Angel Pineda Makes Breakthrough in Medical Imaging Research __________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
timize medical imaging systems for enhanced clinical outcomes.” In addition, Pineda expressed his excitement surrounding the groundbreaking research, emphasizing the potential it holds for the field of medical imaging. “I would hope that this research would help us learn more about tumors accurately,” Pineda said. “The big picture of this is that it would help us design MRI scanners that would improve clinical outcomes for patients.” Pineda has dedicated decades of extensive research in this area, working in the field since 1997. Pineda’s contributions have grabbed significant attention, with prominent institutions rallying behind and supporting his future scientific research. Specifically, the NIH grant would boost efforts to accelerate the development of his future projects in this area. “We’ve received two National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants,” Pi-
Photo of Dr. Pineda, Tetsuya Kawakita, and Rehan Mehta DR PINEDA/ COURTESY neda said. “The only way that you can get the NIH to pay for your research is to build on it over many years because it takes a long time. You keep trying to get a little bit better each time and so you have to stay in one area for a long time.”
neda in his research.” Ultimately, it allows Pineda to grow his team and provide MC students with handson experience in addition to their coursework.
to delivering a speech in front of a packed room to discovering new favorite cuisines,” Mehta said. “Pineda is an amazing mentor and advisor, who has helped me become Rehan Mehta, a math- a well-rounded person.” ematics major, shared what he learned Another student, Tetsuya from the professor. Kawakita, shared his exAccording to manperience doing research hattan.edu, “The grant “[I learned] Countless with Pineda in the past. will enable six Manhattan things at personal, proCollege students (two per fessional, and academic “Under Pineda, I learned year during the three-year fronts - from confounding a lot of MATLAB and how concepts to code using its various grant period) to assist Pi- mathematical
functions,” Kawakita said. “I also learned more mathematical and statistical theory that was required for the research. I also learned a lot of patience as weeks of research could lead to no results. I also became more curious as Pineda made the prospect of wading into the unknown very exciting.”
MC Model UN Wins at Conferences in Germany and D.C.
__________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
second topic was addressing the current state of the world’s fisheries and aquaculture,” Nicasio said. During the conference, Nicasio explained that it can be nerve-wracking to speak in front of a room of other students, but once speeches are over, students begin to gravitate towards other groups and begin discussions on like-minded topics. Nicasio explains that the conference allows the club to make connections with students from around the world. “I remember my first conference in New York, I made a
friend from Germany and from Canada,” Nicasio said. “It’s just so fascinating seeing their perspective. It’s really cool, you definitely meet a whole diverse group of people.” Next semester, the club will be in the form of a class and will attend the conference in New York representing the Dominican Republic, a conference Nicasio is anticipating due to her personal connection. “I’m Dominican, so I already have knowledge on the history and what’s going on now,” Nicasio said. “It will be a change from having to become versed in Eastern Euro-
pean countries like Russia and Ukraine.” Both teams this year had the pleasure of receiving honorable mentions, which is not a first for MC Model UN, having won a distinguished delegates award in April. “I would recommend Model UN to anyone who asks, even if you have nothing to do with political science,” Nagle said. “I think you’ll learn so much, even just professional communication skills like negotiating and putting your personal beliefs aside to work. I feel like I came back from that week a completely changed person.”
News
DECEMBER 5, 2023
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James Patterson Scholars for 2024 Express Gratitude Towards Acclaimed Author Barbara Vasquez Staff Writer
The James Patterson scholarship recipients have been announced for the 2024 academic year marking 12 years of the scholarship’s contributions for Manhattan College students. Best-selling author James Patterson was a member of the Manhattan College class of 1969. Over 50 years after his graduation, he still shows support to his alma mater by offering the James Patterson ‘69 Scholarship. The scholarship is offered to 10 juniors and 10 seniors with each recipient receiving $5,000. The scholarship is offered only to select students who have written and workshopped essays to apply for it. The essay’s prompt asks applicants about their ambitions and where they see themselves after graduation. Daniel Angel, a senior civil engineering major, is a two time recipient of the Patterson scholarship. He shared his thoughts about the scholarship and how the prompt affected him. “The self reflection really helped me come to an understanding of what I wanted to do,” Angel said. “When I reflected, I also looked back at how I’ve developed over time and how much I’ve grown. It was because of the sacrifices other people have made for memy parents, my professors who have always been by my side,” Angel said. Angel added his feelings of being chosen and the personal impact it had on him. “It made me feel a bit more special knowing that it wasn’t just my grades, but to know that you were chosen not only because of that, but also because of who you are and what you reflected through that essay. It was all very emotional for me,” Angel said. Lillian Alfanek, a junior chemical engineering major, was another recipient of the Patterson scholarship. She shared her personal experience with the scholarship’s es-
James Patterson returned to Manhattan College for class reunion. BEN ASEN/COURTESY say prompt and how it touched her as well. “I think it was a really great question to answer,” Alfanek said. “It made me sit down and think about my future, and really start planning how I want my life to look like in the next few years.” The scholarship not only offers financial support to students but also gives many a chance to feel appreciated for their scholastic efforts. Sage Clarke, a junior communication major, gives her insight on what the scholarship truly means to her. “It kind of makes you feel seen. You’re doing this hard work, hoping that it’ll pay off, and with this [scholarship] I definitely feel like I accomplished something,” Clarke said.
Janita Dreher, a senior psychology major and two time recipient of the reward, shared her feelings on receiving the scholarship. “When students like myself try and apply for scholarships, we never go in with the idea of ‘oh I know I’m going to get it,’” Dreher said. “We just try to put our best foot forward and do the best we can and be as honest as we can. And when I won this- I was being my true authentic self and that was enough. I was just so happy.” The James Patterson ‘69 scholarship is just one of many grants offered to students based on good academic standing as well as financial need. However, even most recipients were unaware of the scholarship until offered to them directly.
This sparked a larger conversation about the scholarship opportunities MC provides and how well they are advertised to the student population. Clarke shared her thoughts on this idea. “It would be really helpful if there was a way to more clearly know about this stuff [scholarships] without having to jump through hoops to find that information.” Clarke said. Additionally, Dreher spoke about her desire for more scholarship opportunities in general at MC. “I think there are a lot of opportunities, but they’re not put out there as much… though I would like to see more scholarships for people that want to go into a specific field- those ones I feel like you really have to scavenge around for,” Dreher
said. All recipients expressed gratitude for the Patterson scholarship that they received. Clarke spoke about her thoughts on Patterson after becoming a recipient. “He was able to graduate from here, make his own career, and then give back,” Clarke said. “That’s something I definitely want to do to any kind of community I can, and something I really admire about him. I’m just thankful.”
News
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THE QUADRANGLE
Professor Emerita Judith Plaskow Joins the National Women’s Hall of Fame Mack Olmsted
Asst. Arts and Entertainment Editor Former professor emerita of religious studies at Manhattan College Judith Plaskow has become an inductee for the National Women’s Hall of Fame for 2024. Plaskow is one of eight inductees and has joined the ranks of over 300 national women honorees, such as Rosa Parks, Helen Keller Michelle Obama and many more. “Plaskow’s work has remained critical in the development of Jewish feminist theology,” stated on the womenofthehall.org website. “Her most significant work, Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective, argues that the absence of female perspectives in Jewish history has negatively impacted the religion and she urges Jewish feminists to reclaim their place in the Torah and in Jewish thought.” Plaskow didn’t believe her invitation to the Women’s Hall of Fame when she received her email, so she deleted it, but once someone from Manhattan College contacted her about being inducted into the hall of fame, Plaskow described her experience. “I was just blown away,” Plaskow said. “I immediately thought, ‘who’s in this hall of
fame?’ I looked at the list and I couldn’t believe it… Eleanor Roosevelt, Michelle Obama, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, these are all incredible women so it was just kind of mind-boggling to be among their names.” Plaskow’s had many impacts on her students as well in the department of religious studies. She taught at Manhattan College from 1979 to 2012 and was the first female Jewish professor. At first, Plaskow recounted that some faculty and staff weren’t too fond of her but over time, they learned to accept her and became adequate colleagues. Former student of Plaskow and current adjunct professor Patrice Athanaisdy admired her former professor and explained that she taught one of her favorite classes. She explained that Plaskow always kept the classes interactive and was very accommodating to her students. “She’s always been sort of a pioneer because she was a feminist within Judaism,” Athanaisdy said. “She’s always been at the forefront and always has been a scholar within her group… It’s pretty interesting that a professor of Jewish theology got to break barriers at a Catholic College. I think that shows how strong of a person she is.” Plaskow has written six
Former Professor Judith Plaskow will be inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2024. MANHATTAN.EDU/COURTESY books and is a co-editor to anthologies on feminist studies in religion, which are widely used through religion education curricula throughout the nation. She is the former president of the American Academy of Religion and also founded the “Journal of Feminist Studies and Religion” 40 years ago. The
publication is also widely recognized by theological scholars nationwide. Outside of the MC community, she is most recognized for writing the book “Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective.” Plaskow is proud of her career and admires the time she taught at
Manhattan College. “I just like to say that I felt very supported by other faculty of the College and that there was a very rich intellectual exchange among colleagues,” Plaskow said. “That was something that I enjoyed immensely. Teaching there was fantastic.”
Features
DECEMBER 5, 2023
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Nurturing Sustainability: Riverdale’s Battle Against Food Waste Zoe DeFazio Web Editor
Manhattan College and its service provider, Aramark, face the challenges of overconsumption and food waste. Even as the college actively advocates for sustainability, the battle against wastefulness continues. With a commitment to reducing its environmental footprint, MC finds itself at the intersection of advocating for change and confronting a problem within its walls. Aramark Corporation is an American multinational corporation that provides food service, facilities and uniform services to various businesses, educational institutions, sports facilities, healthcare institutions and other organizations worldwide. Aramark Corporation declined to comment to The Quadrangle after multiple attempts. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, when organic waste, including food, ends up in landfills, it decomposes anaerobically, producing methane. This potent greenhouse gas contributes to climate change. Methane is over 25
times more effective in trapping atmospheric heat than carbon dioxide over 100 years. Luckily for Riverdale residents, there lies a community food aid effort to bridge the hunger gap and provide sustainable food in an ecological-friendly manner. Sarah Allen and Selma Raven run the Bronx Friendly Fridge on Broadway Avenue. Raven and Allen strive to close the hunger gap and help the environment by reducing waste, always hoping to seek resources from Manhattan College and Aramark. However, their attempts to receive donations have yet to be fulfilled. In the three years the Friendly Fridge has been active, the college as an institution has yet to be a part of closing the hunger gap in Riverdale. MC has previously partnered with the Association for Advancement in Sustainability for Higher Education, but hasn’t made any notable efforts with the Friendly Fridge. Lasallian education strongly emphasizes serving the underserved and addressing social inequalities. It encourages students to be advocates for social justice, particularly on behalf of those living in poverty or facing systemic injustices.
Jill Kupecki, a freshman student at MC, doesn’t believe that the college is capable of demonstrating environmental changes when it comes down to food waste. She believes Locke’s Loft dining hall is the prime example of food waste. “I think that no matter what, food waste is a big issue,” Kupecki said. “I understand there isn’t necessarily a way for that to change, especially in a dining hall environment. The people making the food make a certain amount to compensate for the amount of students coming in and out and there’s no specific gauge on how much food intake there will be, therefore, food waste is going to be prominent either way.” Allen and Raven believe the college’s food disparity issue rests with the administration. The Friendly Fridge receives donations from schools and individuals around the Bronx and the Westchester area. The Leffell School in Hartsdale, New York, regularly drops off at the Friendly Fridge. Meanwhile, MC’s Locke’s Loft dining hall is located 0.3 miles away from the Friendly Fridge. Maggie Morrison, an employee at Fieldston Lower
School, also regularly visits the Friendly Fridge to donate needed goods and resources. “I think there’s a huge opportunity for schools like Manhattan College to donate some of the food from their food providers,” Morrison said. “I think that would be incredible because I mean, food waste is such a huge problem in the city anyway. And there are people who need it, so why not give it?” Raven encourages the college students to become part of The Food Recovery Network (FRN). FRN nonprofit organization is a national network of college students and food professionals in the United States fighting food waste and hunger. Allen advocates equitable food distribution and believes that MC’s reluctance to be a donor for the Friendly Fridge is due to the lack of people willing to contribute to solving this problem in the local area. “A realistic challenge or obstacle is to actually act,” Allen said. “It’s the logistics of taking that food, repackaging it and transporting it. I’m assuming based on experience that there’s no middle management [at MC] willing to sign on the dotted line to make that
decision.” The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, often called the Bill Emerson Act, is a United States federal law passed in 1996. This act encourages food donation by minimizing liability for food donors. It provides legal protection to individuals and organizations that donate food in good faith to nonprofit organizations, such as food banks and charities, for distribution to needy individuals. The purpose of the Bill Emerson Act is to reduce food waste and encourage the donation of surplus food to those in need while protecting donors from legal repercussions. “Imagine if you could create jobs,” Raven said. “Because hunger is not because of lack of food, It’s because we are poor, and people are not getting paid enough. If you can hire the kitchen staff for four hours more, then we could create jobs and balance this out and the food won’t go to waste and [MC] can get a tax write off. It’s a win-win and creates these jobs for students to repack food and get them a food handling license.”
Albanian Student Association Hosts Second Annual Independence Day Celebration Isaiah Rosario Sports Editor
On Nov. 28, 1912, Albania gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire. 111 years later, it is being celebrated by Albanian students at Manhattan College. The Albanian Student Association at MC celebrated the anniversary of their independence with a DJ, dances, food, raffles, and giveaways. This was the second time the event was held on campus, as the Albanian Student Association was created last year. The president of the Albanian Student Association, Eleni Mazija, shared that she always had the idea to open the club. It made it a lot easier for her knowing that other students on campus wanted to jump on board. In her junior year in 2022, Mazija officially opened the club. Just like clubs such as the Fuerza Latina, Italian Club and Muslim Student Association, the Albanian Student Association allows for students to further connect with their culture. “I knew a lot of Albanians were at the school,” junior Isabella Kola said. “I came and was looking for a way to con-
nect more with them. I’m so grateful for this club because that way, I have an excuse to see them. I’m always so busy with my major and it’s nice to have a family to fall back on in a sense” Despite not being from Albania, the Albanian Student Association has given one student in particular the opportunity to enjoy the culture of her home country. Freshman Donika Krasniqi is from Kosovo, which is a self-declared independent country in the Balkan region of Europe and shares many of the same traditions of Albania. “This association has helped me a lot because I do love my country and I love like anything to do with it, like the traditions and everything,” Krasniqi said. “I’m from Kosovo and the traditions are the same, the dances are quite the same. The mindset is also pretty similar and since I grew up with the language, Albanian, as I speak at our home. When I heard about this association, I was able to speak it here as well, which makes me feel at home.” When speaking about the culture surrounding events such as the Independence Day celebration, members shared a sense of the importance of community to recognize and help everyone in any way possible.
“In the Albanian community, we love to say that regardless of your religion, whether you’re Catholic, Muslim, Orthodox, Jewish, whatever it may be, we always look out for each other,” vice president Gabriel Gojcaj said. “At the end of the day, we are all Albanian. We like to stay close and help each other’s families do whatever they have to do.” One of the dreams of this club is to be able to expand its community more than it already has, outside of MC and to other neighboring colleges and areas. “One dream of mine would be for us to get multiple Albanian clubs throughout the New York area and even maybe the United States together and communicate with one another and organize in some kind of a greater way so that we can all be together,” club relations and public relations officer Matthew Jankovic said. “Organization is key, so the more that you’re organized as a group of people, the better it is for everyone, and the more you can get done.” The culture and love for Albania brought many students together on campus to create the student association. The students of the association believe that it is important to show where they came from. “We are rich in culture,
Decorations of the celebration of Albanian Independence Day at Manhattan College. Isaiah Rosario/COURTESY rich in food, rich in language, rich in hospitality and that’s kind of how I would describe us,” Mazija said. “To me, Albanian culture is very important. I feel that we are very unique. We have many things that come across other countries
that do have the same type of hospitality, food and language, but I feel that we are unique because our history is one of the oldest histories in the world. I feel that it’s not right to not show it.”
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Arts & Entertainment
THE QUADRANGLE
The Comedy of Errors Leaves Audiences Rolling With Laughs
Brooke DellaRocco Staff Writer
After an inspiring semester, Manhattan College’s Players performed their fall mainstage production, “Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors” just before Thanksgiving break, letting the performers shine and the audience release a few laughs. This comedic play, directed by Will Erat and performed in The Black Box, follows the story of two sets of identical twins who were separated at birth. Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse set out to Ephesus to locate their lost siblings, Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus, but their arrival stirs up lots of confusion and hilarious situations where twins are mistaken for other twins. Known as Shakespeare’s shortest play, and one of the most memorable, it is no surprise that Players decided to introduce this piece of art to the audience, but with a twist. MC Players included a 70s-themed costuming of the show, adding a little more color to the stage and more fun to the visuals. Aaron Schoepf, a sophomore at MC, played Antipholus of Syracuse in the play, showing a great amount of emotion-
al and theatrical range. “I did a lot of Shakespeare research,” Schoepf said. “I did a lot of research on the show itself, or other [Shakespeare] productions. I watched a few other productions and then really practiced my lines, and practiced different ways of saying them and different intentions to see what works best.” One of the main challenges with this show was the Shakespearean language and the motive to help the audience understand what was taking place on stage. “I would say it is a little more difficult, just because of the nature of Shakespeare, because we did the original Old English [version],” Schoepf said. “So trying to convey the meaning of the show with Shakespeare is pretty hard to understand.” As a result, actors used their body language and movement as an advantage, where if the audience cannot understand the words they are speaking, they can still understand what actions are taking place. However, some students in the audience did not have any difficulty understanding the plot, with many cheering on their classmates. Students Maggie Knapp and Kevin Kane both attended the show to sup-
Irene Papakanakis in The Comedy of Errors.
ANGELINA PEREZ/COURTESY
port their friends and the program. “This has been really fun so far,” Kane said. “I thought that it was gonna be hard to follow the whole Shakespeare language, but it was a lot more easy to understand. They’re very expressive.” With inspiring set design, costumes and acting it is quite obvious when watching from the audience that everyone on stage and off is having fun. The love for live theater and the portrayal of the story enveloped the audience and could be described as immersive. Knapp applauded the performance as well, speaking on her first experience with Players. “The show is so funny,” Knapp said. “I really like that it is 70s-themed. Everyone is super duper talented and this is actually my first time going to go see a Players show.” Landen Scofield, a junior at MC, played Angelo in the performance and commented on how MC Players has shaped his time at the school. “My favorite part about being in a group like this is how much fun we can have while still being productive,” Scofield wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “One day, when we were all collectively tired, just broke and started making the most ridiculous run of the show we ever had and it ended with the last act being a 15-minute rap battle with our lines. It’s goofy moments like that I will remember forever.” With Players concluding their fall season of shows, students from the audience urged fans to donate to their GoFundMe in hopes of putting on these productions in the future. In the last minutes of his interview, Schoepf mentioned why he loves theater and how he contributes to the community by performing on stage. “My favorite part is probably making people laugh,” Schoepf said. “Especially because the show was a comedy, getting people to kind of forget about whatever problems they have and just sit in a room and laugh at these people on stage.”
Kevin Cullen and Tess Nunan in The Comedy of Errors.
BROOKE DELLAROCCO/COURTESY
Aaron Schoepf and Olivia Bailey in The Comedy of Errors.
ANGELINA PEREZ/COURTESY
DECEMBER 5, 2023
Arts & Entertainment
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Jasper Jams: Hallmark Movie .mp3 Anna Segota Staff Writer Many people, such as myself, have been itching to break out the holiday music and decorations since feeling the first winter chill. Now, it is finally our time to shine. And what would the holidays be without some god-awful Hallmark movie that you can’t seem to stop watching? Here is a playlist to make you feel like quitting your high-paying job and throwing your phone into the ocean. There She Goes - The La’s This is our protagonist’s anthem. She writes commercials in the big city and lives with her rich boyfriend who always seems to be at work. She’s the quintessential girlboss and obviously hates the holidays with a passion. When she gets hit with a serious case of writer’s block, she travels back to her hometown to regain her spark.
Oh! Darling - The Beatles Our love interest’s favorite song. He’s some sort of lumberjack or logger, and we hear him listening to this on the radio in his workshop. He’s got two adorable daughters, and his wife tragically passed away a few years ago. He seems grumpy but is actually a big old softy, like Luke Danes. Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer Our two generic main characters have their meet-cute moment when the protagonist’s mom sends her to pick up a Christmas tree for the house. Our city girl is looking through the few trees Mr. Lumberjack has on display in his store. All of a sudden, one of them starts falling on her!! Good thing that someone was there to save the day. And of course, rather than being grateful for not being squished to death, she immediately picks a fight with him, and they establish that they hate each other.
Paper Bag - Fiona Apple Perhaps a little too sad for Hallmark, but what else is our protagonist going to listen to when she finds out her big city boyfriend is cheating on her with her work rival? Broken and bitter and newly single, our girl goes out to try to cheer herself up, I wonder if anyone is going to come and cheer her up? Invisible String - Taylor Swift Just like how Taylor Swift is unavoidable when making a romance playlist, Mr. Lumberjack is unavoidable no matter where our city girl seems to go. Slowly but surely, the two warm up to one another and find common ground. A Sunday Kind Of Love Etta James Now falling into what some would call a domestic routine, our protagonist starts hanging around the Lumberjack’s store more and more. She meets his
kids and ends up babysitting them while he goes on errands. The city girl and the kids bake together while Mr.Lumberjack stares longingly at them through the window, thinking about the future he could have with her.
Kiss With A Fist - Florence + The Machine After realizing that she’s in love, our protagonist goes to confess to Mr. Lumberjack. Unfortunately, the two end up in a ridiculous argument and instead tells him that she hates him, and runs away, packing her bags to go back to the city. All I Wanted - Paramore Back in the city, our protagonist is utterly depressed, and the anger has worn off, settling into a terrible sense of despair. Not wanting to be anywhere near winter or the holidays, she books a flight to the Bahamas and calls her mother one last time before she goes.
Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall Just about to board the plane, our protagonist hears a familiar voice calling her name. It’s Mr. Lumberjack! And he’s telling her to wait, apologizing for what he said during their fight. Of course, she takes him back, of course, they have a happy ending, and of course, it starts snowing as they kiss.
Scan here to listen to The Quadrangle’s playlist!
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Arts & Entertainment
THE QUADRANGLE
MC Players Found a Way to Sneak Right Into Our Hearts with Phineas and Ferb Fall Cabaret Angelina Perez
Asst. Features Editor/Web Editor To close out the semester, Manhattan College’s Players put on their annual fall cabaret this past weekend. This year director Robert Nolan pitched the idea for “Phineas and Ferb: I Know What We’re Going to Do Today” and produced a sold-out show for students to gather in the black box and sing memorable songs from the Disney hit such as “Fabulous” and “Gitchee Gitchee Goo.” Junior computer engineer Robert Nolan told The Quadrangle about his experience directing his first cabaret and where the idea came from. “I knew I wanted to direct this year’s cabaret, and this idea just came to me,” Nolan said. “At first, it was kind of a joke, but then I realized there are a lot of really good songs in [Phineas and Ferb], and so many people in my generation at this college grew up with the show. I was singing along to songs I didn’t even know I knew that were catchy.” Nolan’s dedication to both his performers and audience members was reflected in the songs chosen from the show’s abundant soundtrack. “What I did was I watched every song of this series and decided that since they’re short songs, I’ll do about 20 minutes for each act,” Nolan said. “Even though there are so many songs in the show that I would have loved to do, I decided to go with the ones that felt fit to show and best fit our cast.” Sophomore Olivia Bailey, a communication major with theater and music minors, helped Nolan throughout the production process as his assistant alongside cast member Lockland Reeder. “My friend [Nolan] came to me with the idea, and at first I
was like, oh, that’s a tough ask because many of the songs are short, but we chose a setlist and pulled it together,” Bailey said. “It was amazing, and Phineas and Ferb is such a well-known show. I was really confident and very happy to do it.” Bailey walked The Quadrangle through what it takes to put on a cabaret from start to finish, from casting to rehearsal. “Casting was very hard,” Bailey said. “We had a lot of people come audition and unfortunately had to limit that a little bit, but once we wrapped up casting, we started with rehearsals. I was assigned choreography along with the other assistant director [Reeder] and neither of us are choreographers so that was a tough task but it all came together.” When discussing the costume arrangements for this performance Bailey showed The Quadrangle her all-black fit that reflected her character Vanessa Doofenshmirtz’s outfits in the show. “So we just chose summer clothes,” she said. “I dressed in all black because I played Vanessa for a lot of the numbers. It was pretty free rein. Mostly, I did costume accessories and outfits.” Education major Landon Scofield played various characters throughout the cabaret, such as Doofenshmirtz and Phineas. He reflected on how this year’s cabaret compared to previous ones he had participated in at MC. “This cabaret had fewer people, so it was nice to be able to share and spread the wealth of the solos among people who care about the same things you do,” Scofield said. “I liked that we started with a huge number and then trickled into numbers that get even crazier.” This semester’s cabaret was freshman Malcolm Naughton’s first performance with the MC players. “Everyone was so talent-
ed and brought great energy throughout the process,” Naughton said. Kevin Colin is a sophomore English major who also chose to perform his first cabaret following his debut in the play Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors a few weeks ago. “[The cabaret] was done in a more condensed period than other productions I’ve done,” Colin said. “The workload was less but with a lot more choreography and numbers. There’s a lot more than just memorizing the specific songs themselves, it’s a bit of a challenge but a fun one.” When asked what song was his favorite to perform, Colin struggled to find just one piece that reflected his “It’s very hard for me to pick a favorite,” Colin said. “Goody Two Shoes Brother was one that I enjoyed doing the most. I auditioned with that piece, which is amazing that I got to perform it for everyone. Squirrels in My Pants was also really fun and was the most difficult to get together, but I think it came together really nicely and was hilarious. It might have been one of the funniest numbers in the entire show.” Colin reassured The Quadrangle this would not be the last time students would see him on stage. “I would absolutely do it again,” Colin said. “This was wild, I think there’s no other way to put it.” Follow the Players’ Instagram @playersmc to stay updated on their performances next semester such as their upcoming student slot and spring musical.
Sophomore Olivia Bailey singing Little Brothers from Phineas and Ferb. ANGELINAPEREZ/THEQUADRANGLE
Editor’s Note: Staff Writer Alexandrea Velez contributed to interviews for this story.
Sophomore Aaron Schoepf singing Gitchee Gitchee Goo from Phineas and Ferb. ANGELINAPEREZ/THEQUADRANGLE
Sports
DECEMBER 5, 2023
10
Rokas Jocys Sends Draddy Into a Frenzy to Open MAAC Play Emmanouel Sofillas 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 of-
fensive 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 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
Photo of Daniel Rouzan (left) and Rokas Jocys (right). EMMANOUEL SOFFILAS/THE QUADRANGLE 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 allowed 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 im-
pressive 44 points in the second half, in comparison to the Falcon’s 28. 26 of Jasper’s points were scored by Traore and Bender.
Sports
11
THE QUADRANGLE
Battle of the Bronx Returns After a 745-Day Hiatus Isaiah Rosario Sports Editor
After a 745-day hiatus, Manhattan College and Fordham University were set to tip off for their annual Battle of the Bronx at 7 P.M. The two historic Bronx schools have been facing off since 1912 and the tradition continued on Nov. 27. Ahead of the Battle of the Bronx, the leading scorer for the Rams was senior Japhet Medor who averaged 13.8 points per game, and for the Jaspers was freshman Seydou Traore who averaged 15 points per game. The Jaspers were heading into the game with a 3-2 record, with wins against Bryant University, Felician University, and Central Connecticut State University. The two losses came against the previous two NCAA champions University of Kansas and the University of Connecticut. This was the first time Jasper head coach John Gallagher experienced the Battle of the Bronx, but it was not the first go-around for coach Heather Vunlin and the Lady Jaspers as they were able to leave Rose Hill Gymnasium with a win of 58-44 on Nov. 16. The Lady Jaspers had three players in double figures, Anne Bair, Tegan Young and Amar Nitzan who led the Lady Jaspers with 17 points, six assists and one rebound. The starting lineup for the Jaspers was Seydou Traore, Shaquil Bender, Jaden Winston, Perry Cowan and Daniel Rouzan. Starting for the Rams were Japhet Medor, Kyle Rose, Antrell Charlton, Abdou Tsimbila and Joshua Rivera. At 07:02 P.M., Tsimbila for the Rams and Rouzan for the Jaspers tipped off with Rouzan winning the tip. Rouzan opened up the scoring in the game, with a floater on the baseline. Medor answered back with a three to put the Rams up one with 18 minutes left to play. Medor for the Rams scored six out of the first eight points for the Rams, but Traore kept the Jaspers in it with a quick layup. At the first media timeout, the score was tied at eight a piece. The first subs came around the 15th minute as Briggs McClain, Elijah Gray, Zach Riley and Ogheneyole Akuwovo entered the game.
Halfway through the first half, the Jaspers and the Rams traded baskets back and forth as the score constantly remained tied or a one-possession game and at the official halfway mark the game was tied at 22. Scary moment for Jasper fans as McClain fell on his ankle awkwardly after a made three which forced coach Gallagher to call their first timeout. The injury scare comes after a season-ending knee injury to Brett Rumpel in the Jaspers’ loss to the University of Connecticut. “I’m an Irish Catholic from Delaware County right outside of Philly,” Gallagher said when speaking about McClain’s injury scare in the first half. “We have the saying they go in threes and in my mind, I thought is this coming in threes here? You know, the bad luck. When he came back [in the game], he moved great. He looked good. I know the shots didn’t fall but he looked like the old Briggs.” Rose Hill erupted for the time in the evening after an and-one from Gray which resulted in a two-point lead for the Rams. The two-point lead for the Rams would be extended as Rivera hit a reverse layup to put the Rams up four, 29-25. “You got to love Rose Thrill, we love the fans,” Rose said. “We love playing in front of you guys. You guys coming in, you guys electrify us as well. We try to do our best to protect our hill.” Baskets continued to be traded with about four minutes to play as the Rams were only able to extend their lead by two with under four to go with a score of 37-31. Turnovers for the Jaspers would show out to be costly as the Rams would score 9 unanswered which extended the lead for the Rams to 13 points with under two minutes to play and caused Gallagher to use his second timeout of the half. After moving the ball around the key, the Jaspers were able to find an open McClain in the corner for 3 to cut the lead to 11. Medor attempted a buzzer-beater to close out the half but missed. Briggs and Rouzan were both the leading scorers for the Jaspers at the half, with both having 10 points. The leading scorer for the Rams at the half was Medor with 12 points, four assists, and three steals.
The Jaspers faced off against a tough Fordham team on Monday, Nov. 27. The final score of the game was 93-61 in favor of the Rams.
ISAIAH ROSARIO/THE QUADRANGLE
The score at halftime was 47-36. Turnovers were high on both sides of the ball as the Jaspers committed 10 turnovers and the Rams committed six turnovers themselves. The Rams were able to turn the 10 Jasper turnovers to 12 points which showed prevalent in the deficit at half. The scoring in the second half opened with a pull-up jumper from Rouzan to bring the Jaspers within single digits. The single-digit lead would not last long as Rivera made a lay-up to bring it back within 11. Tsimbila would score the next four points unanswered to extend the Rams lead to 16 points. After a contested lay-up by Winston, he was awarded a technical foul after ‘flexing his muscles’ celebration. The lead for the Rams would officially be 20 points after a hard foul by Rouzan and two made free throws by Rose with 16 minutes left to play. Rouzan would come back to make a rebound off a miss to put the Jaspers down by only 18. The 18-point lead did not last long as Rose was assisted by Charlton for three that put the Jaspers down 21 points. Frustrations started to sit in from the Jaspers as after a three-pointer by Rose, Traore threw the ball out of bounds on an inbound pass. With 12 minutes to play, the Jaspers looked for the spark of the offense and to go on a run, but it did not seem to happen as the Rams’ lead
would extend to 22 points. With 11 minutes to play Jahmere Tripp of the Rams was able to connect on two free throws to extend the Rams lead to 23 points. The Herd, Fordham’s student section erupted as Rouzan attempted a poster, but was blocked. While the crowd was active and alive, Romad Dean was able to throw a layup off the glass to extend the Ram lead to 27 points. Xinyi Li was able to score his first points of the game on a lay-up where he was fouled but missed the free throw. The Rams came down on the missed free throw and were able to convert the driving layup for a three-point swing. The benches were emptied for both teams around the four-and-a-half-minute mark as the Rams were up by 33 points. The second half was all Rams as the Jaspers fell by 32 points. The final score of the game was 93-61. “Just buying into the defensive side,” Rose said when discussing the turning point of the game. “We were going to plan on getting stops and we just felt confident enough we’re gonna score on the other end. Our biggest thing we wanted to focus on was finding a way to stop them and then allow the offense to do the talking. As you can see we’re pretty talented on offense and so we just let our offense come. We play with a lot of trust in each other and get each other up to our right spots.”
The leading scorers for the game were Rouzan and Medor. Rouzan in 28 minutes tallied 15 points, while shooting 50% from the field, having three assists and two rebounds. In 32 minutes, Medor scored 16 points while shooting 57% from three, tallying six assists and two rebounds. Medor also shot It was a different Jasper team in the second half of the game compared to the first half. The Rams outscored the Jaspers by 21 points in the second half and showed signs of wear and tear from the physical Rams offense and defense. “I want to give a shout-out to coach Gallagher and his team that came in and they gave us a run for our money, in the first 12 minutes, they were prepared,” Fordham men’s basketball coach Kieth Urgo said. “He’s gonna do a great job there. I think the news of their their sophomore guard Brett Rumpel really hurt them and their rotation tonight and that as a result, we were trying to wear them down … use our depth to wear them down and I think they started to tear down a little bit towards the back end of the first half and then we carried that into the second half.” Jasper’s next game is on Friday, Dec. 8., at 7 P.M. against Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU). FDU knocked off number one-seeded Purdue in the 2023 March Madness Tournament. FDU was only the second team to complete that feat, the Jaspers will have their hands full.
Sports
DECEMBER 5, 2023
12
Women’s Volleyball Recognized by The MAAC With Three Honoree Titles Mary Haley
Asst. Social Media Editor Following their fall 2023 season, Mauro Miletic, head coach of the Manhattan College women’s volleyball team, and two of the team’s outside hitters Mikalah Curran and Maike Bertens were recognized for their success by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) on Nov. 16. Miletic received the honor of MAAC head coach of the year, Curran was named MAAC rookie of the year, and Bertens was honored by the allMAAC second team. The process of selection of honorees of these titles from the MAAC starts with a selection by the individual college or university in the conference, where sports administration submits player and game statistics, and the reason why an individual deserves recognition. These selections are then sent to the MAAC with selections from other schools. Once they are sent, players and coaches are voted on by MAAC officials for their titles. Curran explained to The Quadrangle how Miletic’s support brought him this title and what pre-game rituals he set in place to prepare the players for games during the season. Miletic and their fellow coaches prided their season on communication between them and the players. “At the beginning of the season, we always had a team meeting and then individual meetings [where we would] write down our goals and what we need from the coaches and what the coaches need from us,” Curran said. “At the end of the year, everyone had an individual meeting just to close out the season and talk about the good things and the things we
Maike Bertens and Mikalah Curran, two outside hitters honored by the MAAC, during their successful win against Marist this past season. GO JASPERS / COURTESY need to improve on.” As for Curran herself, being named MAAC rookie of the year was very exciting and felt like a warm welcome into the Manhattan community. According to maacsports.com, Curran had a spectacular season, being recognized by the MAAC twice before this past fall. “Curran finished her first season in Riverdale with 276 kills, 28 service aces, and 18 blocks for a total of 314.0 points. Her total kills ranked sixth on the MAAC charts while her total points were the fifth-most among league scorers,” according to maacsports.com. Although Curran has seen much personal success this past season with three recogni-
tions from the MAAC, she attributes a lot of her success to her team and the group effort they put in. She believes that these honors from the MAAC for her and her teammates and coach reinforce a sense of confidence throughout the team and make them enthusiastic about their future seasons. “I think motivation comes from within yourself and the people around you, and you can give [motivation] to other people,” Curran said. “There’s just an energy that we bounce off of, and it makes you want to be better and want to win and I think it’s really cool, and we have a lot of that [energy].” Bertens is a junior transfer student from Santiago, Chile,
and spoke with The Quadrangle on what being honored by the MAAC means to her in these new environments. “Personally, it helps me a little bit to be like ‘ok, I’m doing good,’” Bertens said. “Sometimes I just forget where I am and what I’m capable of doing because obviously, I am never going to be 100% in my comfort zone, since first of all, this is not even my first language. It’s like [sitting myself down] to be like ‘You deserve this, you have worked so hard for this since you were a kid.’ It’s about seeing that all the stressful moments were worth it.” Since starting her volleyball career at 13 years old, Bertens has worked extremely hard to
get to this point and bring success to her team’s games. She is grateful to Manhattan’s volleyball program for giving her a chance to be recognized along with her coach and her fellow teammates. Bertens has very high hopes for the upcoming months with her team and performing in her final season at Manhattan next fall. “I know we’re done and we didn’t finish as we wanted,” Bertens said. “Obviously [the MAAC honor] is going to motivate me, but I think it’s going to motivate my teammates as well… to come up strong in the spring and perform in the fall.”
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