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Volume CVIII, Issue 5
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NEW YORK, OCTOBER 3, 2023
Summer Research Scholars Showcase: From Irish Dancing to App Design Brooke DellaRocco Staff Writer
Summer Research Scholars Present their Work
MC students were able to showcase their summer research this past week, featuring a wide range of topics and discoveries. BROOKE DELLAROCCO/THE QUADRANGLE
Heidi Furey Awarded Costello Award For Excellence in Teaching Grace Cardinal Asst. News Editor
Heidi Furey, Ph.D., assistant professor of philosophy at Manhattan College, has been awarded this year’s Costello Award for Excellence in Teaching. Furey has been at the college since 2017 and has been praised by both students and faculty alike for her skills not only as a professor but for the connections she makes with her students. The Costello Award was first awarded in 2012, as an add-on to the yearly Costello Lecture, which has existed since the early 2000s. The goal of the award is to “Recognize a faculty member in the School of Liberal Arts (SoLA) who exemplifies excellence in teaching that characterizes Manhattan College and is central to its mission and the mission of the
IN NEWS:
Manhattan Caucus on pg. 4
Lasallian Christian Brothers”, according to manhattan.edu. Professors are nominated for the award by undergraduate students each spring. A committee, led by the current chair of the history department and former award winners, decides on a final recipient. Each fall, the Dean of SoLA is tasked with presenting the award to the year’s recipient following the lecture. Dean Cory Blad, Ph.D., explains why it is one of the most rewarding parts of his job. “Every once in a while you have these moments,” Blad said. “There’s just certain things that it’s such a privilege to be able to play a significant role in, and this is absolutely in that category…These are people that I’ve worked with. I’ve seen them do some amazing work. It is such an honor to be able to put something short together to reflect on the outstanding teachers and people
that are the award winners and certainly, this year’s award winner fits in that category.” Blad reflected on Furey’s accomplishments, saying that she exceeded the criteria of the award’s high standards. “She fits all of the criteria,” Blad said. “She is mission-oriented, everything she does is geared toward providing opportunities for students in so many ways. As a philosopher, she’s often got double duty, she has to introduce the discipline in the field, and then get people excited about it… it’s hard to imagine a more adaptive teacher and a more accessible professor…she’s a master of that art. It’s amazing.” Isabella DeMelfi, a sophomore psychology and criminology major, had Furey as a professor during her first semester of freshman year. She credits __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Manhattan College Summer Research Scholar Students gathered in Kelly Commons to discuss their research and celebrate their discoveries on a variety of topics. Over the summer, a selective group of students were chosen to move forward with research proposals. Following months of research, each student put together a visual and oral representation on their findings and why they matter. The ceremony started off with an address from Gerarda M. Shields, Ph.D., the dean of the School of Technology & Design at New York City College of Technology. Having had many mentors herself over the years, she felt the need to share some advice one mentor had once given her. “He’d said, ‘When you’re thinking about research, think about how your work creates actionable science’,” Shields said. “Because it’s not just about putting out research for research’s sake; putting out a book so that it can sit on a shelf and say, ‘I did that. I did that research’. The work of a scholar is to have a positive impact on society.” Not only did she leave advice for students, but she also gave much praise for the work they had completed over the summer. With a room full of mostly undergraduate research scholars, she urged them to continue researching and learning. “Studies have found that students benefit from research experiences and that promotes an increased persistence in their degree, and for graduate study,” Shields said. “... In particular, undergraduate research has shown to be particularly effective at increasing retention amongst [students]
and the career pathways for those who are typically not represented in their industry.” There was a broad range of research topics originating from all departments of MC. Mimi Lopez, a junior at MC, studied the influence of social and emotional teaching practices in schools today. She was able to talk to three winners of the State Teacher of the Year award and was able to gather data from them to support her findings. “Relationship and community building, self-management/coping strategies and reflection” were the three main practices that Lopez discovered as an integral part of learning, as stated on her poster. “I’m hoping that with all of this information, this will help teachers be better educators,” Lopez said. “And so Manhattan College’s education program will know how to integrate social-emotional learning into their teaching.” Emily Grace, an Irish step dancer, took a different approach to her research project as she delved deeper into lower extremity injuries in Irish dancing. As a part of the dance community, she felt very underrepresented in injury studies and wanted to conduct some research of her own. “I’m a dancer,” Grace said. “I’ve been dancing since I was six. So it kind of hits home because I’m also in exercise science, so we talk a lot about injuries….but it’s always related to basketball and soccer.” Because she connects so many things in her life to dance and still competes as an Irish step dancer today, she took an immediate interest in this topic. “The thing with Irish dancing is when you push off and land from all jumps, your heel can’t hit the floor, so it’s really __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
IN FEATURES:
IN A&E:
IN SPORTS:
Division of Education Adjust to Shift to Liberal Arts on pg. 6
Scatterbomb To Feature Halloween Performance on pg. 8
MC Cheer Switches to Club Status on pg. 9
News
OCTOBER 3, 2023
Volume CVIII, Issue 4 OCTOBER 3, 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 to Issue 5! This week we’re celebrating first bylines from a few of our newest writers! Among those include Barbara Vasquez, who wrote about the new Pride Center and Natalie Schmidt who wrote about the English department meet and greet. The Quad is always accepting new writers and photographers to join our team, so I hope more students will follow in their footsteps and consider taking a pitch in the near future! As a reminder, our meetings are every Tuesday at 4pm in Kelly 4.12. Also in this week’s issue, we’ve got a jam-packed news section with stories about Heidi Furey who was recently awarded the Costello award for teaching, student research presentations and a Manhattan Caucus. Please note that The Quadrangle will not be publishing next week due to the long weekend. We will resume with issue 6 on Oct. 17th. If you’re leaving campus for the long weekend, please travel safely and exercise caution in crowded environments, as COVID cases have begun to rise across the country. Enjoy the long weekend and we’ll see you soon!
Jocelyn Visnov
Sincerely,
Editor-in-Chief
News
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THE QUADRANGLE
Summer Research Scholars Showcase: From Irish Dancing to App Design
__________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
unnatural for the human body,” Grace said. “Because of that, it’s sending a shock up your ankle, knee and lower extremities.” Her main findings detected that the top five injuries found in Irish step dancers were “Sesamoiditis/sesamoid fractures, 5th metatarsal fractures, torn tendons/ligaments, tendonitis in feet/hips and stress fractures”, as stated in her presentation. Jack Griffin, a senior, focused his research on the development of an “Inexpensive Mobile App for PT INR Measurement”. PT INR is essentially how fast or how slow your blood clots, and Griffin’s pur-
pose was to make the process of getting this tested a lot quicker for patients. Oftentimes, people on medications, such as warfarin, need to take these tests weekly or biweekly, and people in the emergency room might need to be tested hourly. “These devices are pretty expensive and it might not be able to be readily available in low resource environments such as rural clinics or countries where this stuff might not be available,” Griffin said. “What this app plans to do is to be able to be a stand-in for that point of care device.” With a well-developed design, Griffin managed to measure and test blood samples and insert this information into a simple math equation to produce results in about a minute and a half. He is still working on
it to make it the most efficient product it can be. This topic strikes close to home with Griffin, which is why he decided to take on this challenge. “My late grandfather was on a lot of blood thinning medications before he passed from COVID two years ago,” Griffin said. “I always want to try and think about how I can help people with my project and what I do. So this is something that me and my mom actually thought of, something that I can actually do and it would be able to help them eventually.” The level of research that was celebrated was immense. Shields left the podium with a bit of encouragement for both current and future scholars. “Every opportunity is informative,” Shields said. “...And I
just say that because it is okay if the line isn’t straight, that’s okay. And part of being in undergraduate research gives
you that experience to now determine, ‘where do you turn next?’”
Students looking at summer research project posters. BROOKE DELLAROCCO/THE QUADRANGLE
Heidi Furey, Ph.D. Awarded Costello Award For Excellence in Teaching
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Furey’s teaching style as one of the reasons she felt comfortable on campus, even as a new student. “The only way I can put it is she was for the people, as in students,” DeMelfi said. “Everything she’s ever done was for our benefit. You could tell her personality outside of school is so genuine…The way she taught, the way she spoke… she talked to us and not down to us…we were just more comfortable going to her.” Furey was extremely humble in her acceptance of the award and was emotional when she found out that the award comes from students, not just the institution. “I was so surprised,” Furey said. “Once I found out that it’s students who nominate you, and that they had to take the time to do that, then it meant everything to me. I’ve won teaching awards before, but a lot of times they’re from your peers or from the institution, which is great, but it means a whole different thing [coming] from students.” Furey said that what originally drew her to teaching at Manhattan was the teacher-student bonding that she noticed from her very first interview. “David Bollert that was one of the biggest reasons for me [coming here],” Furey said. “First of all, he knew every student on campus by name, and some student came up to him
[during the interview] and said, ‘Bollert, I forgot lunch money. Can you loan me five bucks?’ And Dave was like, ‘Oh, yeah, of course’. It just felt so good. So I gave up all the other jobs, I left the job that I had. I wanted to be in a place like that where students care that much about being here and the teachers care about being here.” Furey said that while she doesn’t necessarily feel special compared to her colleagues, the one thing that sets her apart is the unique experiences she had during her time attending higher education. “I guess the one thing that I do feel like maybe sets me apart is that I remember feeling like I didn’t belong in the classroom,” Furey said. “When I was in college, I had a very poor education. Not a lot of people in my family went to college - I didn’t even know what the SATs were, the ACTs, or what a syllabus was. I just felt the whole time like they were gonna find out that I didn’t belong there. I think some people go in feeling like that, and I just want to make everybody feel like they belong here.” According to DeMelfi, it seems that Furey has achieved her goal of making everyone feel welcome in the classroom. “She will always remember your face,” DeMelfi said. “Even if she doesn’t remember your face, she remembers you and x,y & z [about you]... Everything about her eased me in [to college], and I could have not asked for anything different.” David Bollert, Ph.D., an ad-
junct professor of philosophy and former Costello Award recipient himself, finds that Furey’s connections with her students are one of the many things that make her a unique professor and deserving of the award. “If you were to talk to any of professor Furey’s students and say, ‘could you name three things that stand out to you about Professor Furey?’ I will guarantee you that one of the three would be that she cares about us [students],” Bollert said. “She understands how to build Lasallian ethos when it comes to teaching. And she lives it…it’s naturally who she is.” Bollert described Furey as a natural-born teacher and hard worker. “She is the most gifted, natural teacher I’ve ever had the honor and the good fortune of meeting and being able to observe a classroom of,” Bollert said. “Professor Furey clearly was born to do what she does in the classroom. One of the most admirable parts, though, is that she has never, ever rested on her natural abilities alone. She works long and hard at perfecting her craft as a teacher and she continues to do so. She is a gift to her students. She’s a gift to her colleagues. She’s a gift to our community as a whole. We are very, very fortunate to have her here at the college” Bollert’s sentiment is clearly echoed in Furey’s students, with DeMelfi going on to describe her engaging personality, both in and out of the classroom.
Professor Furey receiving the Costello Award, presented by Dean of SoLA, Cory Blad. @MC_LIBERAL_ARTS/COURTESY “She is one to help other people, that’s just who she is,” DeMelfi said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more from a professor. She’s what every professor seems to strive to be, and it just comes so naturally to her. She’s such a gift for literally anybody who takes her [class] or even just bumps into her. She’s just such a genuine and kind person.” Blad says he is proud that SoLA has such an amazing
recognition program for professors. “I’m very proud that we have the award,” Blad said. “We take a lot of pride in what we do, and we take a lot of pride in communicating ideas in the process of teaching… It’s [the award] just a nice recognition that what we do matters, and not the only that it matters, but that how we do it and the quality of what we do matters.”
News
OCTOBER 3, 2023
Manhattan College Student Government Welcomes Two Freshman Vice Presidents
Isaiah Rosario Sports Editor
Freshmen Ashley Zegler and Shu Amanuma have been elected the vice presidents for the class of 2027 and they are looking to pave the way for the future students of Manhattan College. Both Amanuma and Zegler participated in their high school student governments and maintained leadership roles with the hopes of transferring their knowledge of student government to a collegiate level. Student body president Jazi Riley spoke to The Quadrangle via email about what qualities are important for a valuable freshman representative. “The ‘ideal’ freshman [vice presidential candidate] is one who is eager to learn and is open to new experiences,” Riley wrote. “Many abilities, I believe, can be gained through accountability and discipline if you are willing to try and make the effort. It’s crucial to active-
ly listen to your classmates while also outlining your goals and strategies for the campaign and through your term.” One issue that both vice presidents voiced their concerns about was the gap between commuters and residents on campus. MC is known to have a high commuter population and both Zegler and Amanuma are looking to take the initiative to bridge the gap between the two groups. “One of which [concerns me] is developing the freshman class community,” Zegler wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “Manhattan College has a significant commuter population. I believe that creating more freshman-centered events and activities accessible to both residents and commuter students could potentially help this issue.” In addition, a problem that many students face, outside of just freshmen, revolves around mental health and well-being. For many students on campus, this is the first time they have been away from their families
for an extended period. Amanuma stated that she will make sure resources are open and available for newer students to ensure their time at MC is enjoyable. “I’ve personally talked to a couple of the counselors and they are here to support us and are here to welcome the newer freshman and allocate time for that,” Amanuma said. “I will promote these resources in a way that is more accessible and visible in the freshmen [student] body.” A major concern for both vice presidents has been the issue of budget cuts across the college. Although the vice presidents are not able to promise anything at the moment, they ensure that they will work to the best of their ability to make sure that the freshman class can enjoy their college experience to the fullest. “Another significant issue many students have faced is the consequences of budget costs,” Zegler wrote. “While I can not promise any specific result, I hope to meet and converse with administrators
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Manhattan College welcomes Ashley Zegler and Shu Amanuma as the new freshman vice presidents. MANHATTAN.EDU/COURTESY to develop an understanding of the root of this budget cut and find a beneficial approach for both parties regarding growing the campus culture and maintaining important events or traditions.” Amanuma has a similar approach to addressing the budget cuts, as she hopes to maintain a positive college experience for her class despite the lack of budget the college is facing. “As of now, we have been notified of the budget cuts which is something that the
club leaders and members have shown concerns about, yet these should not become an obstacle when I try to achieve the best experience for the freshman class, such as bringing the grade together as a cohesive community, and by collaborating with the administration and faculty,” Amanuma wrote. “I believe they will be an amazing resource as a supporting hand, as I am very new to this big role, trying to navigate to strive for the best outcomes for the freshman class.”
Manhattan Caucus: Second Republican Debate Shows One Certainty: Trump is Still Winning Kyla Guilfoil
Managing Editor Seven Republican candidates joined in the second Republican debate at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California last Wednesday. The leading Republican candidate for the 2024 election, Donald Trump, was not in attendance. Trump, who has not attended a debate yet this cycle, nor plans to, did not lose any steam in the polls by missing the event. Instead, viewers saw the seven remaining candidates lose themselves in crosstalk and insults. A number of the candidates’ talking points made sure that Trump was still included in the debate, despite his absence. Governor Ron DeSantis, R-FL., who is second in FiveThirtyEight’s polls as of Sept. 29, with 13.5 percent to Trump’s 54.8 percent, called out Trump’s lack of attendance directly. “You know who else is missing in action? Donald Trump,” DeSantis said at the debate. “He should be on the stage tonight. He owes it to you to defend his record where they added $7.8 trillion to the debt, that set the stage for the inflation that we have now.” Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey and currently holding 2.7 percent in FiveThirtyEight’s election
polls, made his own dig at Trump while discussing the former president’s failure to finish building a wall at the country’s southern border and increasing the national debt. “Donald, I know you’re watching,” Christie said at the debate. “You can’t help yourself...You’re not here tonight because you’re afraid to be on this stage and defend your record. You keep doing that, nobody up here’s gonna keep calling you Donald Trump; we’re gonna call you Donald Duck.” The candidates did not keep the petty insults just for Trump. Nikki Haley, former UN ambassador who actually saw a rise in FiveThirtyEight’s polls, up to 6.5 percent after the first debate, made digs at entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who currently is up .2 percent from Haley in the polls. “Honestly, every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber from what you say,” Haley said to Ramaswamy at the debate. The pair continued their back and forth while discussing foreign policy and the war in Ukraine. Ramaswamy has been steadfast in advocating for a halt to the US sending money to Ukraine while Haley has been defensive of supporting Ukraine due to threats from Russia. “Just because Putin’s an evil dictator does not mean Ukraine is good,” Ramaswamy told Haley during the debate. “A win for Russia is a win for
China,” Haley shot back. “I forgot, you like China.” Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., sitting at 2.7 percent in FiveThirtyEight’s polls, dropped his “nice guy” persona from the first debate and took his own digs at Ramaswamy regarding his past dealings with China. Scott called out a comment Ramaswamy made at the first debate, where he said his fellow candidates were all “bought and paid for.” “I thought about that for a little while, and said I can’t imagine how you could say that knowing that you are just in business with the Chinese Communist Party and the same people that funded Hunter Biden millions of dollars was a partner of yours, as well,” Scott said at the second debate. This was in reference to the expansion of Ramaswamy’s company, Roivant Sciences, into the Chinese market in 2018. However, Ramaswamy’s campaign team said the company “eventually wound down its operations there as the risks became apparent over time,” prior to Ramaswamy’s move to join the presidential race. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is sitting at four percent in FiveThirtyEight’s polls as of Sept. 29, did not make smooth landings at the debate. His most awkward moment came after Christie made a distasteful comment about Biden’s relations with First Lady Jill Biden, who is an
educator. “When you have the president of the United States sleeping with a member of the teachers union, there is no chance that you could take the stranglehold away from the teachers union every day,” Christie said at the debate. To make matters worse, Pence added a line on the subject about his own wife. “By way of full disclosure, Chris, you mentioned the president’s situation,” Pence said. “My wife isn’t a member of the teachers union, but I’ve got to admit, I’ve been sleeping with a teacher for 38 years. Full disclosure,” Pence said. The seventh candidate on the stage, Gov. Doug Burgum, R-N.D., made little impression beyond interrupting other candidates throughout the debate. Burgum was called on significantly less than his fellow candidates, likely due to the fact that he only holds one percent of FiveThirtyEight’s primary polls. However, Burgum was determined to make his voice heard, interrupting so often that one of the debate moderators, Dana Perino, had to threaten to turn his mic off if he did not stop. By the end of the debate, the most clear takeaway was that none of the seven candidates truly stood out, instead bolstering Trump by giving him the front-runner position. There was little deviance on
Seven Republican candidates joined the second Republican debate.
AP NEWS/ COURTESY
policy compared to the first debate, and candidates spent more time in back-and-forths with each other than previously seen. The next Republican debate is scheduled for Nov. 8 in Miami. The Republican National Committee has not yet announced a venue. The cut-off for the debate will be the toughest yet - all candidates will need to secure at least four percent in two national polls or secure four percent in one national poll and four percent in a poll in at least two “early states” including Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, which are among the first states to determine nominations. Candidates will also have to secure 70,000 unique donors, including at least 200 donors from 20 or more states or territories.
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Features
THE QUADRANGLE
Pride Center Hopes to Empower Community with New Library Barbara Vasquez Staff Writer
With the opening of Manhattan College’s new pride center came their first “Buy us a Book” drive, geared towards alumni and staff. Rocco Marinaccio, Ph.D. and Tiffany French, co-directors of the center, sent invitations earlier this month welcoming those contacted to donate. The pride center’s first project was to create a substantial library for students, which is the reason they started the book drive. “We thought it was important in terms of representation and inclusion for the students to have access to books that tell stories comparable to their own lives.” Marinaccio said when asked about the directors’ reasoning behind focusing first on building a library. “And to also confirm that we’re part of the educational mission of the college, that LGBT culture and history are important material for students of all kinds to read about and understand.” According to Marinaccio, the drive started with a simple Amazon registry. “We originally started with a wish list of 96 books, and we blew through those 96 books in the first 24 hours.” The amount of encouragement the pride center has gained since its announcement
this summer has been outstanding. “We’re looking at about 300 books by now where none existed two weeks ago, and I think that is indicative of the level of support for the center and the sense of community that exists amongst alumni and employees,” Marinaccio said. Dr. Adam Koehler, an English professor and volunteer at the Pride Center’s front desk, shared his thoughts on the drive. “The books are a range of historical, cultural, sociological, popular and scholarly– all different looks at the way in which the queer community has contributed to the culture that we live in,” said Koehler. “I can’t stop looking at all of the different books in the collection. People showed up and got amazing, amazing books.” The support that the pride center’s book drive has received opens the door for future possibilities for the center. Anyone who wishes to become more involved now has a properly established place to do so. “Now with this space in the pride center, we can host things like book clubs- people have already floated more ideas of how people can get more involved with us,” said French. The book drive was just the final touch needed to transform the pride center into a truly revolutionary place for students, staff and alumni alike at the college. Before its opening, there weren’t many strides to create a safe space for our LGBT+ stu-
h the opening of Manhattan College’s new pride center came their first “Buy us a Book” drive, geared towards alumni and staff. BARBARA VASQUEZ/COURTESY dents to feel recognized, and much less to push the knowledge of LGBT history. With the newly stocked pride center, students have opportunities they didn’t have before. French shared their thoughts on the mission of the pride center itself. “I think it’s symbolic just to have the space; it allows people to feel a little bit more at ease
with being who they are,” said French. The center is also hosting many events in the coming weeks, including a screening of the documentary “Wonderfully Made, LGBTQ+R(eligion)” in collaboration with the department of religious studies, and “El Dorado: Alles, Was Die Nazis Hassen” in collaboration with the holocaust and geno-
cide center. For more information, visit the pride center’s tab on the MC website. The pride center will be acting as a ‘lending library’ shortly, so be sure to check out and utilize their new inventory of books! The center is open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in Kelly Commons room 3.04.
QUADRANGLE
Features
OCTOBER 3, 2023
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Navigating Transition: Manhattan College’s Division of Education Adapts to Changes Amidst Shift to the School of Liberal Arts Aryanna Santana Contributor
In recent years, Manhattan College has undergone a series of transformations to align its academic divisions with evolving educational trends and student needs. One of the significant shifts witnessed on campus was the transition of the school of education and health to the school of health professions in July. The move to establish the autonomous division of education under the school of liberal arts was met with mixed emotions among students and faculty. The transition was primarily aimed at fostering a more specialized academic environment. However, an unforeseen consequence has been the strain on academic advising services, which students typically rely on for personalized guidance regarding course selection, internships and career prospects. Students have voiced concerns about the availability and accessibility of advising
appointments. Ivett Cevallos, a junior childhood and special education major at MC, shared her perspective on students’ challenges in the education division. “I have a great advisor and she tries to be available and work with us,” said Cevallos. “But, I understand that she has a large caseload of students to advise so accessibility and availability is not really an option.” Cevallos added her thoughts on the frustrations of many students grappling with a reduced support system. “I feel like I have limited sources to have the guidance that I need to succeed,” said Cevallos. “Especially after the merge, the resources and the people we have to go to have been [cut down] even more.” Cevallos’s journey from a biology major to education was motivated by the hope for a more supportive academic environment. “I was a biology major before, and I switched to education thinking I would have a better experience under a different environment, but I feel
like I had more guidance in the School of Science than I do now,” Cevallos said. Sophomore childhood education major Mimi Lopez echoed similar sentiments. “I think this is scratching the surface for some of the problems we are going to have in the future,” said Lopez. “I genuinely believe that [fall] registration is going to be a headache for students, professors and faculty alike. I feel like everyone’s trying to act normal about this, but it’s not.” To address concerns regarding the shortage of academic advisors, the division of education faculty is actively exploring solutions to enhance the support system for students and staff within the Division of Education. Education professor Ruth Zealand, Ph.D., has served with the college since 2017, and emphasized the necessary unity between students and faculty in facing these challenges head-on. “My number of advisees ranged from 25 to 40,” Zealand said. “With less faculty in the department, we’ll probably have even more [advisees] this
year.” However, there seems to be a glimmer of hope for the division. “There have been some bumps, but we are not letting that get in the way of providing for students,” said Zealand. “School of Liberal Arts Dean Cory Blad has been a tremendous help. Sharing a common goal and the fact that we’re all on the same page [students and programs as priority] will aid
us. The fact that we have become a division and can still be autonomous is a stepping stone to new opportunities with other departments.” Zealand explained that among the faculty advisors, they are looking at Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) members and group advising for students to help ease the transition.
Division of Education students working on lesson plans in class.
MANHATTAN.EDU/COURTESY
English Meet & Greet Brings Hope to the English Department Natalie Schmitt Contributor
With students and faculty starting to settle into the semester, the English department held a meet and greet on the Jasper Lawn earlier last week. The event provided delicious local pizza from Salvatores of Soho, live music by the Manhattan College jazz band and a variety of lawn games to choose from for students and professors to get to know one another. The event was an excellent opportunity for freshman students to familiarize themselves with their professors and peers. Maeve Adams, Ph.D., director of digital arts and humanities worked with other faculty members to arrange a successful opening event that ensured newer students of the English department’s lively environment here at MC. The Quadrangle had the opportunity to talk with Adams, and find out that her favorite
part of the department is the people she interacts with daily, even beyond the classroom. “It’s about the faculty and the students and the relationships we have with one another,” Adams said. “I see my students as my students and also my friends. I was just in my office hours today for two and a half hours with a new English major, and we were just hanging out chatting about our favorite books!” Karie Alvarez, a first-year English major, was excited to talk to other English students about their favorite novelists and genres. “I always really enjoyed reading literature, so I figured for a major, it would be a great pick,” Alvarez said. “I really enjoy fantasy fiction and all the magic aspects in literature.” Cornelia Eboh, a senior majoring in education with a concentration in English, spoke to The Quadrangle about the English department and why it’s so special for her as an upperclassman to continue to hang
out with her peers and faculty. “The fact is that we’re still holding on to what I think people consider to be dying, but it’s not; we’re keeping it alive here,” Eboh said. “I mean, look at us, we’re just here outside on Jasper Lawn with music playing, and you can just tell that the love for literature is strong here.” Eboh stresses the importance of studying English, sharing what she says is a common thing said about the department. “I feel like I always hear so much talk from people saying, ‘Oh we should get rid of English’ or ‘Why would you even want to do English?’ but every time I go to my English classes, I remember just how important English and literature is to our MC campus,” said Eboh. The English department faculty looks forward to putting together more events like this throughout the semester as a recent spark in the department has lit up with the announcement of the creative writing
Student’s hanging out at English Meet & Greet photographed by Dr. Bridget Chalk.
NATALIE SCHMITT/ THE QUADRANGLE
concentration. Anyone interested in keeping up with future events should stay tuned to the
English department’s Instagram page @mc_englishdept.
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Arts & Entertainment
THE QUADRANGLE
The Film Society Returns With Violence and Revenge! Mack Olmsted
Asst. Production Editor The Manhattan College Film Society returns this October with the theme “of violence and revenge.” The club originated from the Program Director of the film studies minor, Margaret Toth Ph.D. The board members this year were picked by Toth because of the interests shown by the individuals. The board members consist of the president/events manager, TJ Perez, the outings organizer, Kerry Sullivan, and the social media coordinator Olivia Maddalone. The theme “of violence and revenge” was chosen at the club’s first meeting. They had a brainstorming session where they discussed all of their ideas and recommendations and decided on the theme that had the most interest through a vote. The process of picking films is similar. The movies they show don’t have to necessarily be conventional movies or a movie that everybody knows, but they all have the theme structure for violence and revenge. “Violence and revenge specifically have many different ways that they present themselves in movies,” Perez said. “There’s gendered violence, there’s race violence, there’s just straight gore, but all of these movies kind of you know, they all mean different things … there’s a lot of different genres that we’re heading in this and there were other ones that were pitches.” The films the Film Society plans on screening are, “Shutter Island”, “Kill Bill: Volume
1”, “Oldboy”, “Memento”, “Bullet Train”, “Perfect Blue” and “Baby Driver”. The club also plans on collaborating with MC Players and possibly screen “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to coincide with the players’ performance of “A Comedy of Errors”. Before COVID, the club would meet more constantly and have more events. In addition to film screenings, the Film Society plans on expanding its activities by having additional meetings about film discussions as well as taking trips related to film. Sullivan explained the club’s future plans. “We’re talking about doing more than just the screenings and actually meet and have club meetings,” Sullivan said. “I mean, it’s cool to meet once a month and talk about a movie, but there’s so much other stuff that we can talk about and we can do as a club. We’re trying to get it back up and running, in a sense to the point that it used to be like pre-COVID.” The Film Society plans on taking trips to film festivals that happen in the city. Sullivan explained that she would like the club to support local filmmakers and shared that there are many opportunities to do so. She also explained that while it may be difficult to do so, she is interested in trying to bring the Film Society to some movie studios downtown. All of the Film Society’s meetings will be held in Miguel Hall room 311/ the Rodriguez room. The club plans on meeting on the first Tuesday of every month to host the screenings. After that, they plan on meeting bi-monthly and discuss what’s
The Film Society’s first screening will be Shutter Island. COURTESY/@MCFILMSOCIETY going on in the film right now. Maddalone is excited about what the Film Society has to offer this year and hopes that students enjoy the screenings that they will host. “My favorite aspect of the
film society is meeting people involved in the film studies department,” Maddalone stated in an email. “People should join the film society, because it’s a fun club, we have amazing stuff coming up hoping to spend a
couple of meetings off campus to visit some places!!!” To hear more about their events, follow their Instagram @mcfilmsociety.
OCTOBER 3, 2023
Arts & Entertainment
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Scatterbomb Welcomes New Members: Word of Upcoming Halloween-Themed Performance Maizy Swift
Asst. Production Editor Scatterbomb welcomed some new members, who are excited to be a part of the group and take part in their upcoming performance. Since last semester the improv group has lost most of their members due to graduation, leaving the club with only three returning members. The president of the club, Angelina Perez, and the vice president Chayse Martino needed to recruit new members. Eliz Ohanian, a sophomore student at Manhattan College, recently joined Scatterbomb. Being new to theater, Ohanian is excited to be a part of the group this year and expresses the new experiences she has already learned thus far. “I have had no experience with anything theater-related, and I went into it not knowing anything,” Ohanian said. It’s only been a couple of weeks and I’ve already learned so much stuff about just a different art form because it is an art form, It’s another form of expression.” Scatterbomb has already
Last year’s show: Scatterprom SCATTERBOMB/COURTESY been a positive creative outlet for Ohanian, she explained what she has learned from being a part of an improv group. “It’s a lot about how you interact with different people and establish those settings and storylines without really having anything to go off of,
which is kind of cool to me, and it’s just another outlet for being creative, which is cool,” Ohanian said. For Ohanian, Scatterbomb offers the freedom of expression and the freedom to be yourself. “I think having an outlet
“I have had no experience with anything theater-related, and I went into it not knowing anything,” Ohanian said. SCATTERBOMB/COURTESY
where there’s no judgment and you can just be creative and kind of do random stuff, but still have it be a form of expressing yourself, that’s kind of cool because that’s not something you get to do often,” Ohanian said. Furthermore, part of what makes Scatterbomb such a great outlet for Ohanian is her peers who participate. “All the people I’ve met here are really cool and it’s good to just kind of unplug your brain and the only thing you really need to think about is making other people laugh,” Ohanian said. Another new member, Jason Matute, who is a Freshman student at Manhattan, had prior experience with performing which made him interested in joining the club. “People think I’m generally funny and in the past at my old high school I volunteered in talent shows for guys,” Matute said. “I didn’t have the talents, I don’t sing, I don’t dance, but I just made a funny skit with my friends and we won so that gave me a little bit of confidence.” To Matute, being a part of Scatterbomb means having fun and giving a reason to come together, which is an important aspect of campus life. “Scatterbomb is an important part of campus life because it allows people to laugh because college is stressful,” Mat-
ute explained. “It’s my first year of college, I’m barely holding it together, it allows people to let loose and have fun.” Akhil Natarajan, another sophomore student, has been watching the Scatterbomb performances since last year. He finally took the leap to join when his friend offered to try out as well. “These guys are really, really funny,” Natarajan said. “I’ve been to a bunch of their shows. I was really scared to audition but then Eliz was like, if you go with me, I’ll go.” Natarajan advises other students who are interested to join in the fun of Scatterbomb for themselves by joining the group. “Take the leap to just do it, you know if you do bits with friends what’s the harm? It’s no different from just doing the bits you do with friends except for a few extra steps.” Scatterbomb has already begun preparing for its Halloween-themed performance, which will be held in Hayden hall room 100 on Oct. 27. at 9 p.m. Be sure to watch the performance and come in your Halloween costume, there will be a costume contest! For more updates on their events, follow their Instagram @scatterbombmc
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Sports
THE QUADRANGLE
Manhattan Cheer Takes the Jump from Squad to Club Team
Isaiah Rosario Sports Editor
During the fall club fair, it was announced to the cheerleading squad that they would now be a club team for the extended future. With the introduction of becoming a club team also comes the introduction of dues for each member of the team. Dues will have the opportunity to cover the cheer squad competing at events such as nationals and will be potentially used to receive new gear and use that money for supplies for fundraising events. The concept of dues for the cheerleading squad is a new concept that no cheerleader in Manhattan has experienced during their time here, which caused members of the cheer squad to adapt to a new financial aspect of being a club sport. “ I think everyone’s kind of adapted pretty well,” senior Carter Silane said. “Our coach is very understanding, if there are any issues where the dues cannot be paid, we can go to her and she’ll find a way to make sure that everyone can still participate.” An additional change that the cheerleaders experienced was a change within the coaching of the team. Alumni Stephanie Riggi stepped in to be the club team’s full-time head coach. There is also an assistant coach in the process of being hired but is waiting for some paperwork to be finalized before the move is official. Members of the cheerleading squad spoke nothing but great things about Riggi’s coaching in the past as she was a past assistant coach. “[Riggi] always been great with us,” senior Deirianny Saldivar said. “The coaching staff has always been very helpful and has always encouraged us and kept the team going. If anything, it’s kind of encouraged us to kind of like take a step forward into becoming a competitive team, rather than just a club.”
Manhattan College’s Club Cheer team poses at the MAAC Tournament in Atlantic City, New Jersey. ALEXA FOX/COURTESY With the transition of new coaching, comes slight changes within the team. Although some cheerleaders have not noticed a ton of changes, senior Emily Gianni has noticed one important change. “I definitely think that we’re taking the team more seriously now,” Gianni said. “Not that it wasn’t serious before, but we’re able to focus on similar aspirations and goals that we all have. Girls are now more interested in tumbling skills and bettering their stunting skills, rather than it just being like a fun club to join and not as much as a commitment.” With being a club team officially on campus, there will tend to be more recognition and visibility amongst the team, as now they are able to compete at a national level, which the team has been unable to do in the past. “Visibility and recognition
are two of the things that I think are most important among a cohesive student body,” senior Alexa Fox said. “Just by being listed and included as a club sport, I think that already gives us the right to the next step towards becoming something bigger.” Despite the club sport being seen as a just club in the past, members of cheerleading wanted to reiterate the fact that now they are more than just a club with hopes and aspirations of getting closer to athletics. “Having that recognition from the administration, I know it’ll just trickle down to the rest of the student body and have everyone understand that we take this program seriously,” Fox said. “Yes, we do it for fun, always having fun is the grounds for anything that you do in life, but we just want to have that additional edge and just take it a step further
than just having fun. We want people to see that what we do is serious. We take it just as seriously as any other sport, and we just want everyone to know that too.” Despite the introduction of the title of a club team on campus, anyone who is interested in cheerleading is more than welcome to try out for the club sport. “If you don’t have any cheer experience, you are still encouraged to try out and a lot of
girls who haven’t done cheerleading are on the team,” senior Victoria Aulov said. “One of our executive members hasn’t done cheer before coming to Manhattan College. It’s not so much trying to put pressure on people … it’s more the energy you bring, and your willingness to learn, it’s still going to be the same process. I feel the expectation of the energy and work you put in will be a lot higher, especially if you’re expected to compete.”
OCTOBER 3, 2023
Sports
Jasper Games of the Week
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Isaiah Rosario Sports Editor
Women’s Volleyball: The rough stretch of women’s volleyball could end against Fairfield. The Lady Jaspers lost their last four games, only winning one set in those four games. There is not much to say about this game as the Jaspers lost all three sets. The first set would be the worst for the Jaspers as they lost the first set by 15 points, with hopes to change it around in the second set. The second set would be the Jaspers’s best set of the match as they would only lose the second set by four points. In the final set, the Jaspers lost the lead early and were unable to get the lead for the rest of the set. Mikalah Curran lead the Jaspers with 11 kills and Sarah Emmons leading the Jaspers in assists with 19. The tough stretch of Jaspers volleyball continues, with their next match being against Stonehill College on Oct. 4, at home at 7:00 p.m. Men’s Soccer: While 2-0 in MAAC play, the Jaspers look to continue their stretch of great play against a struggling Marist team. The scoring began in the 35th minute as Gunnar Studenhofft gave the Jaspers a 1-0 lead closing the first half. The scoring for Studenhofft did not stop there as there were only nine seconds separating the second and third goals for Studenhofft in the 56th minute. Although the Red Foxes scored two goals in the second half, it was not enough to stop the offensive explosion from Studenhofft. It was not just a big game for Studenhofft, but also for freshman Lucas Jones as he earned his first career start in goal for the Jaspers. Head coach Jorden Scott spoke to GoJaspers after the game to discuss the team’s performance.
“These guys have shown tremendous resilience all season, and when called upon, every single player has stepped up to give his all,” Scott said. “Tonight was an intense game and we showed that we have a desire to represent our Jasper Family with all we have. Now we have a week to prepare for another tough opponent at home in front of our home crowd and we will be ready.” The Jaspers are now 3-0 in MAAC play, with hopes of continuing that play at home against Rider on Oct. 7, at 2:00 p.m.