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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MANHATTAN COLLEGE | SINCE 1924
Volume C, Issue 5
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NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
Higgins Construction Continues on South Campus August Kissel & Brian Asare Web Editor & Photography Editor
Higgins Construction Approaching Completion BRIAN ASARE/ THE QUADRANGLE
Senate Has First Meeting, Search for Provost Starts
Gabriella DePinho News Editor
Nearly a month into the school year, Manhattan College’s Senate hosted its first meeting; on the same day, a public meeting for students regarding the issue of finding a new provost for the college was held. Tuesday, Sept. 17, was a busy day for upper administration. President Brennan O’Donnell, Richard Satterlee, VP of Student Life, and Provost Bill Clyde were all in attendance of the first senate meeting of the year. Later that afternoon, consultants from RH Perry & Associates, a search counsel to assist higher education institutions, hosted a public forum with students to inform them of the process of searching for a new provost. O’Donnell addressed the senate and constituents in attendance for nearly half an hour, continuing a five year tradition of updating the senate about summer happenings, changes to institutional plans and any other topics O’Donnell feels necessary to discuss. O’Donnell updated the attendees about the South Campus construction, which you
can read more about on page four. In addition, he addressed the slow-coming renovations that are being made to the residence halls, stating that Horan is seeing some work and some redesign tests first. While O’Donnell shared that this year, Manhattan has received the most money in donations - upwards of 16 million dollars - the school has been facing a slimmer budget because of lowering enrollment. “We’re in a tighter budget year than we have been in many, many years on campus. We’ve been riding the wave of very strong annual revenue streams and we have been running counter to most of higher education. This year, for a number of reasons having to do with our enrollment figures, we’re just a little tighter, we’re not in crisis mode,” said O’Donnell. Due to the smaller size of the sophomore and junior classes, the school is seeing smaller revenue from tuition. In addition, the class of 2022’s retention rate dropped to under 82 percent, compared to previous retention rate highs of 88 percent in the past. Another strain on the budget comes from the school trying to give large financial aid packages. The college is looking
IN FEATURES: Counterterrorism MC Italian Club Seminar on Active visits the San Shooter Protocol Gennaro Festival on p. 7 p. 4
IN NEWS:
at how to diversify revenue streams, as well as possibly tightening budgets throughout campus, in order to manage the overall tighter budget this year. After O’Donnell spoke, Satterlee addressed the senate regarding a few issues, including access control and parking facilities. “It’s main aim was to protect the safety and welfare of the students who live in the residence halls. We’ve got folks living here and their safety was paramount to us,” said Satterlee about the decision to implement access control. “After [the respectful pushback] ... we met with Student Government leadership on September 3rd … we really wanted to engage them and talk about the criticism they were receiving and we were receiving,” he said. Satterlee shared the updates that were made to the policy and acknowledged the lack of student involvement in discussions. Satterlee also addressed the issue of overselling parking passes and answered questions about problems with access to the parking garage. __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
After a year and a half of construction, the master plan for South Campus has begun to take shape. For students returning to campus, the progress made from when they were gone for the summer is noticeable and for the college as a whole, the transformation is an exciting process. “When we left last year, we were still doing steals, and concrete down there. I mean, at this point in time on that building, we’ve got the whole superstructure off. We’re putting the facade on the building that’s about 50 percent done. Then inside the building, all the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sprinkler trades, is all in progress. They’re all at least 50, 55 percent complete. A lot has happened on the inside and we’re just going right along with the progress,” said Vice President of Facilities Andrew J. Ryan. For students who were on campus this summer this meant seeing the development of the facade of the Higgins Building each day on their way to work. This facade is constructed from a terracotta that has been carved in various ways that alter the color of each tile. Other progress includes the addition of windows, exterior walls, as well as the internal structures and systems that help to run the building in the day by day, such as plumbing and air conditioning. During the summer some Manhattan College students had the opportunity to work on pieces of the Higgins Building through their summer internships. These experiences include working with the mechanical systems such as Acoustics with Longman Lindsey Acoustical Consulting and the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning with Jaros Baum & Bolles. “In terms of working on noise, we will deal with mechanical noises like a generator
IN A&E:
Opening Dinner kicks off Latinx Heritage Month on p. 10
or a fan that was too loud and needed to be isolated and so we would take measurements using a sound level meter and that would tell us at which frequencies the noise was occurring at and with that we could isolate the frequencies and block off the frequencies,” said senior mechanical engineering major Piotr Zarzecki, who interned at Longman Lindsey. “We did some offices on South Campus, and we came earlier in the summer and we tested the offices and it was a little bit on the louder side and then once we came back later in the summer we tested it again and it sounded significantly better.” The progress on South Campus has been visible both internally and externally and has followed the proposed project timeline. The facilities are expected to be finished by the Spring of 2020 and open for use in Fall 2020. “The building has come along really well. Now when you look inside, you can see the systems are all connected and pretty much in place now. So, you know, the next thing we got is to put the glass up on the outside. We are going to have to go inside and put the walls up on. They got the studs in, they have to go in and hang the walls in there and get that ready,” said Tim J. Ward, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Engineering. The Higgins Building along with the interior renovations to Leo spaces such as the cafeteria have become a source of excitement for the engineering and communications students on campus. Leo holds the main classrooms and study spaces for the four largest departments at the college: civil engineering, mechanical engineering, biology and communication. The renovations also include modernizing the labs for study and teaching purposes as well as creating student study and meeting spaces. “We were in a big need of a big renovation for our labs and we are going to be up on __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
IN SPORTS:
MC Alum nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year on p. 11
Opinions & Editorials
2
the Quadrangle Volume C, Issue 5
SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
The Editorial Board Megan Dreher Editor-in-Chief
Gabriella DePinho News Editor
Maria Thomas Asst. News Editor
Alexa Schmidt Features Editor Managing Editor
Katherine Heneghan Asst. Features Editor
Rose Brennan Arts & Entertainment Editor Managing Editor
Madalyn Johnson Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor
C. Garrett Keidel Sports Editor
Pete Janny Asst. Sports Editor
Lauren Schuster Social Media Editor
Brian Asare Photography Editor
Samantha Walla Production Manager Sophia Sakellariou Production Editor
Nicole Rodriguez Asst. Production Editor
Michevi Dufflart August Kissel Web Editors
Abby Crowell Distribution Manager
Nicholas Gilewicz Faculty Advisor
THE QUADRANGLE
LET T ER from
The Editor
Hi readers! Welcome to the official beginning of Fall, and also welcome to Issue 5! We’ve got some great stories this week, and I’m so proud of all of our writers for another job well done! I want to draw attention to some of the content we covered this week. One of our Web Editors, August Kissel, and our Photography Editor, Brian Asare, wrote a great piece providing updates on the South Campus construction. The Higgins building is progressing very rapidly, and it is exciting to see how the construction is coming along. This will be a great asset to the college upon completion. In Features this week, two of our Freshmen Quad scholars, Nicole Fitzsimmons and Kelly Kennedy, wrote about Manhattan College students and their involvement with the climate strike that happened last Friday. As someone who is extremely passionate about student involvement in the most pivotal issues of today’s society, I was so impressed by the support of faculty and students alike in the call for change on a local, statewide, national, and even global level. Thank you to those who showed their support, in whatever capacity that may be, and thank you to Nicole and Kelly for highlighting this within the Quad!
About The Quadrangle A tradition since 1924, The Quadrangle is a news organization run by the students of Manhattan College. We strive to cover news around campus and the greater community, publishing weekly in print and daily online. Our goal is always accuracy, relevancy and professionalism. The opinions expressed in The Quadrangle are those of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the College or the student body.
Join The Quadrangle The Quadrangle’s staff holds weekly open meetings on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. in Kelly Commons Room 412. All are welcome to come and join the club. Connect with The Quadrangle
mcquad.org @mcquad @mcquad mcquad
Manhattan College, you never seize to amaze me. We’ll see you next week!
Sincerely,
Megan Dreher
Editor-in-Chief
Sign up for our monthly newsletter by scanning the QR code. SUBMIT YOUR OWN LET T ER OR OP-ED Letters to the Editor or an op-ed may be submitted to thequad@manhattan.edu by Saturday at noon to be considered for publication. Profanity, vulgarity and hate will not be published. The Quadrangle reserves the right not to publish a letter.
SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
News
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Higgins Construction Continues on South Campus __________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 the fourth floor so it’s going to be a lot more open, kind of like an open floor plan and we worked a lot with the architects to modernize them [labs] and get what we need to maintain our high level of teaching and research,” said Jessica Wilson, Ph.D., of the civil and environmental engineering department. “I am looking forward to the new stuff because Leo is pretty old, and a lot of the rooms are either like zero degrees or 100 degrees so it will be interesting to see how nice it is going to be,” said sophomore mechanical engineering major Mathew Vabridy Despite the noise from construction and the waiting, students and staff who frequent South Campus are excited to be able to use and see the new facilities. “I’m just excited to see students’ reactions when it all comes together because I have walked through the Higgins testing site and I have walked through the Leo reconstruction site and it is looking really nice,” said Zarzecki. Photos courtesy of Brian Asare / The Quadrangle
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We worked a lot with the architects to modernize [the labs] and get what we need to maintain our high level of teaching and research,” said Jessica Wilson, Ph.D.
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Senate Has First Meeting, Search for Provost Starts __________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Students and faculty senators listen as Provost Bill Clyde explains new changes to the academic integrity policy. JOE LIGGIO / THE QUADRANGLE
The Senate addressed a number of other business issues such as updates from the Educational Affairs Committee and the Campus Life Committee. While the senate meeting was wrapping up, the meeting regarding finding a new provost was starting. Students received an email on September 13 announcing that as of July 2020, Bill Clyde, Ph.D., will be stepping down as Provost and returning to full time teaching and research. At the meeting, Matthew J. Kilcoyne and Sue DeWine, consultants from RH Perry & Associates shared with students that while faculty makes the fi-
nal decision, the process to find a new provost will be inclusive. The consultants will do some on-campus recruiting, meet with students and faculty and help guide the search process. One thing is for certain: Kilcoyne and DeWine want the process to be transparent. The transparency started with that initial meeting. The search for a new provost was also briefly touched on at the Senate meeting; it was stated that the search should continue through to February. The Quadrangle will provide continuing coverage of the search for a new provost.
News
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THE QUADRANGLE
New Dietician Available to Students Shannon Gleba Staff Writer
Locke’s Loft, the Manhattan College dining hall, plays an integral role in many parts of students’ lives, acting as both a place to socialize as well as to fuel their healthy lifestyle. This year, students can meet a new member of the Gourmet Dining staff there, as Sara De Luca has joined the team as the Campus Dietitian & Sports Nutritionist. De Luca took over the role shortly before the semester started. “After I submitted my job application online, I completed a phone interview, as well as an in-person interview with the Dining Director, Nick Valinotti. I accepted the job offer at the beginning of August, and began working at MC two weeks later on August 16,” said De Luca. A new dietician on campus should come as no surprise to students, as the job has been filled and vacated a number of times within the last few years. “I’m unsure why there is turnover, the community is welcoming and the position is very rewarding. Some dietitians use this as a branch to get their foot in the door to other opportunities in the industry like Sports Nutrition, oncology nutrition, clinical or even community nutrition. We’re excited to have Sara because higher education
nutrition is her dream job,” said Nicholas Valinotti, Gourmet Dining District Manager. Having a Registered Dietician available to students on campus is important, as many students experience different dietary needs. However, De Luca also spends her days helping students whose needs are not out of the ordinary. “Every day is different. Some days, I am hosting nutrition tabling events on campus and other days I am brainstorming and/or creating the materials for the events in my office. In between that, I am counseling students one-on-one in my office to help them navigate the dining halls with food allergies, intolerances, underlying medical conditions, dietary restrictions, and/or answering other nutrition questions they may have,” said De Luca. She continued. “I have also been doing a lot of personalized and group education with the sports teams on campus to help them achieve their performance goals.” In the past few weeks, the MC Gourmet Dining Instagram page has featured a number of different initiatives that have appeared in Locke’s Loft. For example, on Sept. 13, Gourmet Dining celebrated National Celiac Awareness Day, and De Luca was available to answer students’ questions while offering gluten-free cupcakes at a table in the dining hall.
There are also other photos on the Instagram page featuring events like National Guacamole Day, and one caption said, “You can make an appointment to see Sara one-on-one for help with your nutrition goals on campus! Email sdeluca@gourmentdiningllc.com to schedule an appointment today!” These events and initiatives are only the beginning of the plans De Luca has in store for this academic year. “I am excited to bring more nutrition education to the students through tabling events, free nutrition assessments, cooking classes and general nutrition education throughout the dining halls. I am also excited to work with the athletics department and teams to help them build up a sports nutrition program, if possible,” De Luca said. Promoting general health is another goal of De Luca’s. “I would like to utilize the college’s resources on campus to promote public health, conduct nutrition research, and implement more sustainability initiatives on campus,” said De Luca. While in college, De Luca struggled to use healthy food as fuel for her busy lifestyle as both a student and athlete. “Once I began to use food as fuel, and incorporate more rest and recovery into my daily routine, I saw an immediate improvement in my energy levels and overall mental and athletic
Sara De Luca, Campus Dietician, offers students glutenfree cupcakes. @Gourmetdiningmc Instagram / COURTESY performance. The better that I felt, the more that I studied nutrition. I committed to learning more so that I could help others learn how to use nutrition as a tool to better their health and wellness to prevent chronic disease and/or achieve a competitive edge in athletics,” she said. While De Luca was able to learn good habits, she wants to make sure MC students get off
on the right foot, and establish healthy habits from the start. “I also believe that what you learn in college will stay with you for the rest of your life, and good nutrition habits should definitely be one of them as students become more independent and self-reliant,” said De Luca.
Counterterrorism Seminar Discusses Active Shooter Protocol on Campus Caroline McCarthy & Kelly Kennedy Staff Writers
For students across America, school is back in action. While this is an exciting time, the threat of gun violence in schools looms in the back of many students’ minds, especially when a new public service announcement by the Sandy Hook Promise organization, “Back to School Essentials” has recently gone viral online. No school is immune to active shooter violence; this includes Manhattan College. In order to prepare students for this possible threat, the Office of Public Safety invited the NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau to host a presentation on active shooter incidents for staff and students on Sept. 18. This presentation was an optional forum with the goal to educate and prepare the Manhattan College community in case an active shooter ever came to attack the campus.
Lieutenant David Kalin from the NYPD Counter-Terrorism Bureau and the School Safety Division led the presentation on how students and faculty can prevent mass school shootings. Their main focus was on knowing the warning signs of a potential attacker. “Sometimes the media makes it a little bigger than it is, in a sense. We don’t want to get people scared. The chance that you’ll be in an active shooter situation is very slim,” explains Lt. Kalin. Reportedly, only 18 percent of school shootings per year are actually considered active shooter incidents. According to. Kalin, the majority of reports are misfires, police entering school properties, suicides or a personalized attack. In order to be labeled as an active shooting, there must be four people wounded and two deceased. Public Safety and the NYPD’s goal is to stop a true active shooter incident before it occurs. To do so, students and
faculty must be able to recognize the signs. These behavioral indicators consist of the suspect bragging about owning weapons, being a victim of bullying, verbalizing their plans to other students, displaying an interest in other violent events, obsession with video games involving violence, and posting on social media about the attack. “We are in our own world. We don’t have time to notice what’s going on in other people’s lives. But when we do notice something, we have to tell someone. We don’t want to be remiss that we didn’t,” said Kalin. Peter DeCaro, Director of Public Safety, addressed that simply having the knowledge to recognize and report signs of a distressed individual does not eradicate the threat of an active shooter. “Everyone at Manhattan College should be familiar with emergency protocols on Campus. This information can help you stay safe and is contained
in the Manhattan College Emergency Response Guide, which can be found on the Public Safety webpage,” said DeCaro. DeCaro also urges all students, faculty, and staff to enroll in e2Campus, the college’s emergency alert notification system. If an incident were to occur on campus, an alert would be sent to all those signed up for the service. A concern for many students was how few people actually attended the presentation last Wednesday. “One thing I noticed upon arriving for the presentation was the great lack of students. Going to a presentation like this can only benefit you and make you more prepared in the future if an event like this were to occur. There could be times where it is a life or death situation, so making sure you are prepared to do anything to survive is very important and that comes down to you,” said freshman Gabriel Gojcaj. The Manhattan College
Protocol for active shooter incidents was explained in detail at the presentation. The college recommends that all students become familiar with the protocol in order to keep the campus safe. Information regarding the protocol can be found in the Manhattan College Emergency Response Guide on the Public Safety webpage. If anyone sees any activity or suspicious behavior on campus they should report it immediately to Public Safety at (718) 862-7333. Additionally, if any student is at risk of hurting themselves or others, they should contact the Manhattan College Counseling Center. “The Manhattan College community is a caring one, and anyone can make a difference by remaining alert to signs that someone is in need of help. Be alert to concerning behavior or indicators by others” says Decaro.
Features
SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
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Manhattan College Students Demand Environmental Action Nicole Fitzsimmons & Kelly Kennedy Staff Writers
On Friday, Sept. 20, millions of people all over the globe gathered to take a stand for the climate crisis. Here in New York City, thousands of individuals met in Foley Square to strike against the lack of political action for the current global climate crisis, including many Manhattan College students. These students took to the streets of NYC to represent Manhattan College in the demand for action and change regarding the issue that has the potential to seriously damage not only the future of our planet but for the future of everyone living on it. Campus Ministry and Social Action is an organization on campus that provides opportunities for students to engage in social justice and community service events such as the climate strike, while also practicing the Lasallian values with respect to all religious traditions. Coordinator Jacquie Martin, and Assistant Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships Kathleen Von Euw, both work in CMSA and work to help send students to programs around the city to learn about social justice and to immerse themselves in community service programs such as L.O.V.E. trips. Last week, the organization sent students to the climate strike in NYC to demand action. On the Wednesday before the strike, students gathered in Kelly Commons to create signs and express their thoughts and aggravation with the lack of action regarding this issue creatively. “Climate change is a really big issue that is pressing right now, so it was something we knew that students would be interested in. We wanted to support them in doing that. And, it’s so connected to so many of the other social injustice issues that we talk about in our general programs, especially immigration and racial justice,” said Martin. The climate strike was one of many protests that CMSA has taken students to, including the Women’s March last January. Their goal is to give students the opportunity to tap into all of the opportunities that New York City has to offer. Martin said, “We are trying to help them [students] make that connection, to make things more accessible.” Donya Quhshi, CMSA Graduate Assistant, helped
MC students displayed the signs they made for the Climate Strike in New York City. DONYA QUHSHI / COURTESY spark the idea for the students to organize themselves in attending the strike. “As an organized group, participating in this strike is important to us because we recognize our roles in inciting a change and our power in numbers. It is our future that is at stake, and we are willing to march out of our classes and workplaces to let our politicians know that we want climate action now,” said Quhshi. “I am most excited to see our youth marching for a better future, and to see them so passionate about climate justice and being leaders is inspiring.” Dozens of students from MC felt similarly and are participating in the strike. Senior mechanical engineering major Tomo Dugan was one of many students to join CMSA in the protest. His goals to pursue careers in renewable energy and green building have been inspired by what he has learned about climate change and the opinions that grew out of them. “This is definitely an issue that we can’t wait on, definitely not anymore. I really wanted to participate in this strike because its a way to bring everyone who has a strong opinion about climate change in once place and demand change from our government officials and the companies that we interact with” said Dugan. Something exciting that many Manhattan College students looked forward to was the appearance of climate change’s rising icon, Greta Thunberg. The sixteen-year-old from Sweden is one of the rising voices in the fight against climate change. Quhshi said, “I am also
looking forward to hearing Greta Thunberg speak, she represents today’s youth and their fight to hold politicians accountable for their negligence of the climate crisis.” The importance of the current generation’s potential influence on politics is greatly represented by Thunberg. Following the climate strike, students all share the same wish: legislative action. While this is not an easy wish to grant considering today’s political climate, the student’s attending the strike hope for the MC community to do their part in attempting to slow down, and eventually end climate change. While students wait for the government to take action, they can all do their part to help the planet. Dugan offered some examples of easy on-campus changes that college students can make for the cause. He
suggested “eating less meat and less dairy, using cold water while you wash your clothes, and recycling and composting.” To inflict change on a much bigger scale, he said, “We can demand change from officials where we see fit and then also support those officials who are carrying out our beliefs.” Being in a community where the representatives support totally different ends of the climate change spectrum, it is problematic for the constituent’s beliefs to not be fully represented. “Statistics and polls say that the majority of Americans, around 70 percent, understand that climate change is a big deal.” He continued. “It is a problem when a majority of Americans believe one thing and the people who are supposed to represent us do something completely differ-
ent.” This is what the climate strike wished to take on headfirst. Students interested in participating in more events with CMSA can stop by their office in Kelly Commons to get involved. If students are interested in organizing local activist efforts, CSMA is always open to hearing new ideas. “Our doors are always open and they can come by and find out more either in the Social Action Suite or at Cornerstone in Miguel 209,” said Von Euw. “Manhattan College students have always been passionate about social justice and have strongly advocated for social change, especially in the Bronx Community. We have the resources and we have leaders right here on our campus, so there’s no doubt that we can incite change even on a wider scale” said Quhshi.
Strikers protested the lack of political action to combat climate change. TOMO DUGAN / COURTESY
Features
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THE QUADRANGLE
Gio Urshela Speaks On Campus As Part Of The Eighth Annual Lecture Series Pete Janny & Alexa Schmidt
Asst. Sports Editor & Features Editor A day after the New York Yankees clinched their first American League East title since 2012, the team’s third baseman came to campus to share his story with the Manhattan College community as part of Student Engagement’s eighth annual lecture series. Students and administration congregated in the Kelly Commons Great Room at noon on Friday Sept. 20 to listen to Gio Urshela share his life story and to get a picture with the man himself after the event. Urshela talked in Spanish for the duration of the event while two Spanish-speaking students stood in the back of the room to translate his words into English by typing in real time. After about 15 minutes, the discussion phase of the event wrapped up with attendees then lining up for a personal picture with the player. A year ago today, no one could have predicted that Ur-
shela would be as popular as he is at the moment. When the Toronto Blue Jays jettisoned him to the Yankees back on August 4, 2018, Urshela was struggling just to maintain a spot on a Major League roster. Upon arriving in New York, Urshela was immediately sent to play for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees Triple-A affiliate, because there was not enough room on the 25-man roster for a player of his ordinary stature. After finishing out the 2018 season in Triple-A, Urshela received his chance to resurrect his career on April 6th, 2019 when he was called up by the Yankees to replace an injured Miguel Andújar. At the time of his call-up in April, Urshela was hardly known by Yankees fans. Those that did know of him probably remembered him from his days on the Cleveland Indians from 2015 to 2017. With Cleveland, Urshela proved to be both a defensive wizard and an offensive embarrassment. In 148 games for the Indians, Urshela struggled to the tune of a .225 batting average with only seven home runs.
With Andùjar done for the year, the original plan was to give Urshela some playing time solely because of his reputation as a defensive maestro. What has surprised the Yankees and baseball fans around the world is Urshela’s newfound confidence and effectiveness at the plate. Through 125 games in 2019, Urshela has swatted a career-high 20 home runs with an unfathomable .323 batting average. The 27-year-old Colombian native has been so good on offense and defense this year that one can argue he should’ve been elected to represent the American League at the 2019 MLB All-Star Game back in July. Suffice it to say, Urshela has been one of the team’s best players this season as well as one of the best success stories in all of baseball. Urshela was born on October 11, 1991 in Cartagena Colombia where he grew up as a kid before moving stateside to live out his dream as a professional baseball player. When asked about what he loves most about Cartagena by an audience member, Urshela says his favorite things about home are
his family, the beach, and the food. In the 15 minutes of discussion, Urshela touched on a range of different topics. When speaking about his tenure in New York, Urshela revealed he loves Yankees fans because of their passion both for the game and the team. Although he does love playing in New York, Urshela confessed that his favorite city in the United States is Miami. During the offseason, Urshela keeps himself entertained by spending time with his family and by playing PlayStation. One of the more unique questions asked to Urshela was who his best friend on the team is. Urshela wasted no time thinking about that as he hastily blurted out “Gleyber Torres. The most inspirational part of the lecture was Urshela’s concise and straightforward response to a question that asked how Manhattan College students can achieve their dreams. The third baseman’s response was seemingly the perfect explanation for how he has turned his career around with the Yankees. With a smile on
his face, Urshela emphasized the importance of always staying dedicated and disciplined in pursuit of one’s dreams. Freshmen Justin Hope and Michael Iuolo attended the lecture after seeing advertisements on the Student Engagement Instagram and daily emails. As huge Yankees fans, they were excited that they were given the opportunity to listen to Urshela talk, especially after the big win in the AL East Championship on Thursday, Sept. 19. “I’ve been following him for less than a year, but he’s having a breakout year. Before this, he only had eight runs total in his MLB career, and he has almost 20 this season alone. He’s improved a heck of an amount,” Hope said. “He’s definitely fun to watch. Watching the games and seeing him play is really cool,” Iulo added. One thing for certain is that if the Yankees win at will this October, Gio Urshela may just end up crossing off another one of his dreams: World Series champion.
Gio Urshela Habla en Campus Como Parte de la Octava Serie Anual de Conferencias Nicole Rodriguez Translator & Assistant Production Editor
Un día después que los New York Yankees obtuvieron su primer título de la Liga Americana Este desde 2012, el tercera base del equipo llegó al campus para compartir su historia con la comunidad de Manhattan College como parte de la octava serie de conferencias anuales de Actividades Estudiantiles. Estudiantes y administración se congregaron en la Gran Sala Kelly Commons al mediodía del viernes 20 de septiembre para escuchar a Gio Urshela compartir la historia de su vida y coger una foto con el mismo después del evento. Urshela habló en español durante la duración del evento, mientras que dos estudiantes de habla hispana en la parte trasera de la sala traduciera sus palabras al inglés en tiempo real. Después de aproximadamente 15 minutos, la fase de discusión del evento terminó y luego los asistentes se alinearon para una foto personal con el jugador. Hace un año hoy, nadie po-
dría predecir que Urshela sería tan popular como es en este momento. Cuando los Toronto Blue Jays lo echaron a los Yankees el 4 de agosto de 2018, Urshela estaba luchando por solo mantener un lugar en una lista de las Grandes Ligas. Al llegar a Nueva York, Urshela fue enviada de inmediato a jugar para los Scranton / Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, la filial de los Yankees Triple-A, porque no había suficiente espacio en la lista de 25 jugadores para un jugador de su estatus normal. Después de terminar la temporada 2018 en Triple-A, Urshela recibió la oportunidad de resucitar su carrera el 6 de abril de 2019 cuando los Yankees lo llamaron para reemplazar a un lesionado Miguel Andújar. En el momento de su llamada en abril, Urshela apenas era conocido por los fanáticos de los Yankees. Los que lo conocieron probablemente lo recordaron de sus días en los Cleveland Indians desde 2015 hasta 2017. Con Cleveland, Urshela demostró ser tanto un mago superior en la defensa como una vergüenza jugando al ofensiva. En 148 juegos para los Indians, Urshela tuvo problemas con el promedio de bateo
de .225 con solo siete jonrones. Con Andùjar terminado para el año, el plan original era darle a Urshela algo de tiempo de juego solamente debido a su reputación como maestro defensivo. Lo que ha sorprendido a los Yankees y los fanáticos del béisbol en todo el mundo es la nueva confianza y efectividad de Urshela en la placa. A lo largo de 125 juegos en 2019, Urshela ha aplastado 20 jonrones con un promedio de bateo asombroso de .323. El nativo colombiano de 27 años ha sido tan bueno en ofensiva y defensa este año que se puede argumentar que debería haber sido elegido para representar a la Liga Americana en el Juego de Estrellas MLB 2019 en julio. Baste decir que Urshela ha sido uno de los mejores jugadores del equipo esta temporada, así como una de las mejores historias de éxito en todo el béisbol. Urshela nació el 11 de octubre de 1991 en Cartagena, Colombia, donde creció cuando era niño antes de mudarse a Estados Unidos para vivir su sueño como jugador de béisbol profesional. Cuando un miembro del público le preguntó qué es lo que más ama de Cartagena, Urshela dijo que sus cosas
favoritas de su tierra son su familia, la playa y la comida. En los 15 minutos de discusión, Urshela tocó una variedad de temas diferentes. Al hablar sobre su mandato en Nueva York, Urshela reveló que ama a los fanáticos de los Yankees debido a su pasión tanto por el juego como por el equipo. Aunque le encanta jugar en Nueva York, Urshela confesó que su ciudad favorita en los Estados Unidos es Miami. Durante la temporada baja, Urshela se mantiene entretenido pasando tiempo con su familia y jugando PlayStation. Una de las preguntas más distintas que le hicieron a Urshela fue quién es su mejor amigo en el equipo. Urshela no perdió el tiempo pensando mientras soltó rápidamente “Gleyber Torres.” La parte más inspiradora de la conferencia fue la respuesta concisa y directa de Urshela a una pregunta sobre cómo los estudiantes de Manhattan College pueden lograr sus sueños. La respuesta del jugador de tercera base fue aparentemente la explicación perfecta de cómo ha cambiado su carrera con los Yankees. Sonriendo, Urshela enfatizó la importancia de mantenerse siempre dedicado y dis-
ciplinado en la búsqueda de sus sueños. Los estudiantes de primer año Justin Hope y Michael Iuolo asistieron a la conferencia después de ver anuncios en el Instagram de Actividades Estudiantiles y correos electrónicos diarios. Como grandes fanáticos de los Yankees, estaban entusiasmados de haber tenido la oportunidad de escuchar a Urshela, especialmente después de la gran victoria en el Campeonato Este de la Liga Americana el jueves 19 de septiembre. “Lo he estado siguiendo por menos de un año, pero está teniendo un gran año. Antes de esto, solo tuvo ocho carreras en total en su carrera de MLB, y tiene casi 20 solo en esta temporada. Ha mejorado bastante,” dijo Hope. “Definitivamente es divertido verlo. Ver los juegos y verlo jugar es realmente genial,” añadió Iuolo. Una cosa segura es que si los Yankees ganan a voluntad este octubre, Gio Urshela podría terminar tachando otro de sus sueños: ser campeón de la Serie Mundial.
Features
SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
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MC Italian Club Takes a Trip to San Gennaro Madalyn Johnson Asst. A&E Editor
On Saturday, September 21, the Manhattan College Italian Club visited the biggest Italian block party of NYC in no other than Little Italy. Students gathered on one of the last days of the festival to educate themselves on the history of San Gennaro and how it originated all while enjoying the raved, authentic Italian food and free entertainment. For its 93rd year, New York City closed Mulberry so people could celebrate the patron Saint of Naples through music, carnival games, Italian cuisine, and other lively events. At the beginning of the festival, festival traditions such as “The Blessing of the Stands” took place where a marching band followed a group of Priests who blessed the stands at the San Gennaro festival with Holy Water, wishing upon the people good luck and fulfilling experience. Additionally, popular and favorable events, like eating contests, went on as they have in previous years. These included the annual cannoli eating contest, the meatball eating competition, and, for the first time at San Gennaro, the zeppole eating contest. The history of the San Gennaro festival dates back to 1926 when, before it was a grand celebration filled with festive and fun activities, was a one-day religious commemoration. Immigrants from Naples would gather in the U.S. and bring their tradition of honoring San Gennaro to Mulberry street and celebrate. Now almost a century later, San Gennaro has become one of the biggest Italian American festivals known in the U.S. Nick Balzano, event coordinator, Lauren Spagnuolo, secretary, Nick DeNardo, treasurer, Marc Landino, vice president, and Danielle Porco, president, are the board members of the MC Italian Club who organized the planned trip to San Gennaro. The turnout for the event was filled with a va-
The Italian Club poses for a picture on Mulberry Street at the San Gennaro festival on Saturday, September 21st. MADALYN JOHNSON / THE QUADRANGLE riety of students ranging from freshman to seniors who all shared an interest in learning more about Italian culture and generally about the Italian Club at Manhattan College. Danielle discussed how the experience of traveling to San Gennaro strengthened connections between members of the club. “The group that went from the Italian Club got to know each other more and experience a piece of Italian-American culture in Little Italy” she shared. “I think what differed this year in comparison to last year was that members got to meet and know each other, as well as the board prior to the event. I think that students looking to learn more about Italian-American culture, and to just meet new people and have new experiences, should join the club”. Nick also sided with Danielle in the fact that the Italian Club, regardless of a student’s cultural background, is a great way to learn about another culture, and about the iconic city, Manhattan College was found in. “It gives you an insight into the
culture of a people who built New York. It’s a good experience to meet new people and make new friends.” Sophomore Jana Clark, who attended the festival with the Italian Club, enjoyed her first experience walking around Mulberry, witnessing all various types of Italian music and entertainment in addition to being able to try some out of the many Italian foods San Gennaro has to offer to the public. “I had a great time going to the San Gennaro festival for the first time to experience Italian culture within New York. I couldn’t help but indulge in a delicious slice of pizza and cannoli from one of the many food vendors at the festival. I’m already excited to go back next year!” Another student from MC described her participation in San Gennaro with the Italian Club as energetic and, overall, a positive time. “It was good, it was fun. There was great food. It was a vibrant experience.”
Many in New York City gather for one of the biggest Italian American festivals in the country, honoring the bishop St. Januarius (known as San Gennaro). MADALYN JOHNSON / THE QUADRANGLE
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Blood Drive Draws Crowd of Those Willing to Lend a Helping Hand, or Pint VOICES ON THE QUAD Manhattan College held its first blood drive of the semester on Wednesday Sept. 18 and Thursday Sept. 19 in Smith Auditorium from 12-6 p.m. Employees of the New York Blood Center collected pints of blood as students and other members of the MC community took time out of their day to help others. Below students explain why they chose to donate: Interviews compiled by Sophia Sakelleriou, Production Editor.
Mike LaValle, Class of 2020 Civil Engineering Major Why did you choose to donate blood today? “I feel like it’s the right thing to do. No one I know personally has ever been in an accident, but I know this is important. I [donate] every time they come to school.”
Jennah Jacobs, Class of 2020 Adolescent Mathematics Education Major Why did you choose to donate blood today? “My parents met at a blood drive on Valentine’s Day so donating has sentimental value for me. I try to donate at every blood drive, but usually my iron is too low. I barely got in today, I was [finger] pricked twice.”
Peter Danaher, Class of 2023 Computer Science Major Why did you choose to donate blood today? “[Giving blood] feels like something I should do. It helps other people so why not, I have free time.”
Jane Porter, Class of 2022 Psychology Major Why did you choose to donate blood today? “[Giving blood] feels like something I should do. It helps other people so why not, I have free time.”
Arts & Entertainment
SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
Finding Hope in God and Richard Parker
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THE BOOK NOOK
Sophia Sakelleriou Production Editor
Sitting on the shore of a sunny South Carolina beach with the waves coming and going at my feet, I looked up at the immense sea before me in awe and fear as I looked back down at the pages of Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi.” So beautiful from where I sat, the ocean was always a source of calm for me, but as I read about the story of young Pi, I was reminded of its power. The Author’s Note begins with an anonymous author figure who traveled from Canada to India in search of inspiration when he meets an elderly man. This man says he has a story for the author that will give him faith in God and that is the story of Pi Patel. Piscine Molitor “Pi” Patel grew up on a zoo in Pondicherry, India. The book shows the wonder of a zoo through Pi’s eyes as he wanders the grounds each day and learns about the nature of animals. His father taught Pi and his brother the danger of animal instinct when he fed a live goat to a tiger to right before their young eyes, demonstrating its immense power and instantly instilling fear in Pi. Zoology is not the only thing Pi learns about in his daily life. Raised a Hindu, he takes great interest in learning more about his spirituality as he discovers Christianity, then Islam and practices all three at the same time. His mentors of each protest that practicing all three is not right, but Pi persists in showing his love for God.
Pi and his family decide to move their zoo to Canada as they are caught in India’s political strife in the late 1970s. They set sail in a cargo ship loaded with cages of the zoo animals when disaster strikes. In a scene of mayhem, the ship gets swept up in a storm and sinks. Pi awakes to find himself on a lifeboat in the company of a hyena and a zebra with a broken leg. Soon they are joined by an orangutan as well. Pi is in despair as he mourns his family and his whole world that disappeared along with the ship. Time passes slowly as things worsen when the hyena acts on its instinct, attacking the other animals. The fear in Pi grows as he thinks he’s the next victim when from beneath the canvas covering of the lifeboat he’s been safely perched on, Richard Parker emerges in all his terrifying orange glory. Richard Parker was one of the bengal tigers Pi’s family had at the zoo. When Parker emerges from the depths of the lifeboat, Pi is relieved that the hyena is no longer a thing to be feared as Parker devours him. However that relief is short lived and the fear intensifies when Pi is reminded of his father’s demonstration with the goat from his youth. Days pass slowly and Pi subsists on the emergency rations in the boat, all while sharing with Parker in order to maintain peace. A tiger is fearful in itself, let alone a hungry one, and Pi draws on the skills he learned at the zoo in order to train and master Parker. He compares the process to a ringmaster in a circus. The ringmaster is not stronger or
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more powerful than the lion, in fact he is far from it, but by stomping his feet and clapping his hands he’s established that he is the alpha, and that is what Pi tries day in and day out to do with Parker. In order for them to co-exist on this small boat in the vast ocean, he must be the alpha. Pi draws on his spirituality when his hope is at its lowest, specifically nights when the darkness consumes the world and all his senses. Days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months as Pi and Parker are still stranded on the lifeboat. As time passes and the rations gradually diminish, Pi’s own animalistic instincts grow stronger, and he finds himself devouring a fish with the same veracity as the tiger. What has he become? When the boat finally washes ashore, Parker runs away and Pi is left with a story that no one believes. Officials from the Japanese Military Transport question him, hoping he can shed light on the fate of the ship, but they think he is delusional as he tells the tales of his time at sea with a tiger. Yet, the anonymous author figure comforts the reader that the story has a happy ending. Pi grew up to have a family, still practicing any and all religions he chooses and studying zoology. As someone who’s never been very religious, Life of Pi caused me to reflect on my own spirituality. Pi endured an unimaginable journey of loss and survival, yet never lost his faith because if he was still alive, that meant God was with him. His belief in a higher loving power that all three religions he prac-
Yann Martel’s Life of Pi is a story of survival in the face of insurmountable odds. SOPHIA SAKELLERIOU / THE QUADRANGLE ticed share, gave him strength because even when all was lost, he still had the gift of life and to him, that was enough. Sitting in my beach chair facing the ocean, I was left with a sense of enlightenment that led me to reflect on my own life experiences. Granted, none have been as arduous as being
lost at sea, but it’s easy to get swept up in all of the challenges life throws our way. It’s a nice thought that in the midst of all the chaos, we can turn inward and find solace in simply being here and able to live it all, the good and the bad.
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Arts & Entertainment
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THE QUADRANGLE
Opening Dinner Kicks Off Latinx Heritage Month at MC Anna Woods Staff Writer
The Multicultural Center held their annual Latinx Heritage Month Opening Dinner in Kelly Commons on Monday, Sept. 16. The dinner featured delicious food, a keynote address from Senator Jose Serrano Jr. and a dance performance by Bombaza Dance Company. The Multicultural Center wanted to make the event as interactive and participatory as possible. There were place cards on every table with two questions for guests to answer: “What is your favorite part of Latino/a/x culture?” and “Who do you admire as a Latino/a/x figure? (Historical or current).” There were semi-circles at every place setting for guests to decorate and answer the question. The center plans to display the semi-circles as an art installation outside their office on the third floor of Kelly. The night began with a buffet of food from La Masa, a Colombian restaurant located in the Morris Park section of the Bronx. There was rice, beans, chicken, vegetables and other traditional Colombian dishes. After dinner was served, the keynote speaker, Senator Jose Serrano Jr. was introduced. Serrano represents the 29th district of New York. Serrano
and his wife are also Jaspers, having graduated in the 1990s. In his speech he reminisced about the great times he had on campus and the impact that his education had on his life. “The thought process that I carry with me today was formulated here at Manhattan College,” said Serrano. He continued to reassure students to not stress about not knowing exactly what they want to do with their life. “We look at college students and we expect all of you know exactly what you want to major and exactly what you plan on doing with your life. That’s irrational,” he said. “Whatever the task that is in front of you knock it out of the park because what you’re doing is showing that everything that comes before, you’re going to give it 110 percent. And that leadership quality then opens your doors when future blessings come your way and then you’re ready for that challenge when it comes … that’s what people will notice the most about you when you move forward,” said Serrano. Serrano continued by discussing his own path and how he got to where he is today. He said that his love for social justice motivated him to run for office. He explained that when he was elected into office the odds were stacked against him. At the time, he was run-
ning against someone who had already been in office for years which added a level of difficulty to his grassroots campaign. He went on to explain that his campaign was dedicated to positivity and connecting with people in a positive way. “We were going to stay far away from any negative talk [while campaigning],” said Serrano. “The valuable lesson that came from that election was that you can stay true to your beliefs, you can stay true to who you are and still win, and still make a mark, and still be able to present your message.” Serrano’s final message urged students to take social action. “You should look at suffering as something to energizes you … Get angry. Say this can’t be. Be the person who stands up against the bully in the schoolyard. That is sort of metaphorically what you hoped to do with social justice movements,” said Serrano. The final part of the night was the performance from the Bombazo Dance Company. They specialize in dancing traditional bomba, which is a dance that streams from the African influence in the Carribean and throughout Latin America. According to their website, the dance company is a “nonprofit drum and dance company, whose mission is to pre-
serve, educate and showcase traditional Afro Puerto Rican Bomba and Afro Caribbean and traditional folkloric elements.” The director of the company Milteri Tucker Concepcion shared that she had just written a children’s book called “Bomba Puertorriqueña,” dedicated to educating and preserving the art of bomba. One part of their performance required volunteers to go up and dance with them. Each volunteer was paired up with a dancer and performed a solo dance with them to end the night. Elizabeth Ta, a sophomore civil engineering major, is the major events coordinator for the center. Her responsibilities included organizing the food and contacting the dance group. She oversaw most of the logistics and marketing aspects of the event. “My favorite part of the event was the performance, it brought [the night] together. I definitely enjoyed seeing other people enjoying the event. I feel like that was the best part for me,” said Ta. When planning events like these, the Multicultural Center wants to ensure that they are multifaceted. “We always have a desire to have an educational component, a sort of artistic component, and really good food … we want to try and have some-
thing different about the culture every year,” said Hayden Greene, director of multicultural affairs at MC. He continued. “One of the great things [about the event] was that we were able to share the campus with people who embrace Latino culture in many different ways,” said Greene. Anna Rosario, a senior international studies major and president of Fuerza Latina said, “I think that it’s extremely important that the Multicultural Center hosts events like these because it really showcases the diversity of our school as well as the fact that we truly are an inclusive community. I think these events also allow our peers to learn about other cultures and about the community that makes up Manhattan College.” When asked about what Latinx Heritage means to her, Anna said, “To me Latino heritage is being proud of my family, food, music, culture and most of all, my history.” The Multicultural Center will continue to celebrate Latinx Heritage month with their “Fridays at the MC” events every Friday from 12-4 p.m. in their office on the third floor of Kelly Commons.
Scatterbomb Welcomes Freshman Member Lauren Schuster Social Media Editor
On Friday Sept. 20 in Hayden 100, Scatterbomb began their improv show like any other, with a suggestion from the audience. This time, however, it was all part of an opening bit. They called on a seemingly random student from the crowd for a suggestion. He yelled out “literally anything other than Scatterbomb!” and the existing members looked confused. “Can you stand up please? Come down here,” said senior member Brendan Hanney, motioning for the student to approach the stage. “Hey, wait a minute, wait a minute,” Hanney said, “that’s not a suggestion, you’re the new member of Scatterbomb!” The audience broke into applause as the student joined the other members on stage and the group began their show, for real this time. The new member being so ceremoniously introduced was freshman student Ben Gilbert, who was chosen during the group’s open auditions two weeks prior. “[Joining Scatterbomb]
was really fun, they’re really nice people so you click with them really easily and I honestly was completely surprised that I got in,” Gilbert said. “Knowing that, you sort of feel like they’re your parents in a way, but you’re also like ‘oh, they’re super fun and we’re all having fun,’ so it’s overall just a fun experience.” Gilbert almost didn’t audition at all after seeing the crowd of people that showed up with hopes of becoming the group’s new member. Having had no previous improv experience, Gilbert debated whether he even had a shot. Despite this, he went through with the audition in the end and was glad he did, since he soon found himself being named as the group’s newest member. “I think [my first show] went well, I hope it went well,” Gilbert said. “It’s daunting at first, but it was fun, it was a good experience.” The audience seemed to agree that the show was a success, providing roaring applause and congratulating the members on a job well done in the hallway outside after the show. Senior student Audrey
Sabatino has attended many Scatterbomb shows in her time at Manhattan College and found this month’s show to be among the best. “It’s always good, but I thought tonight was particularly good,” Sabatino said. “I don’t know if everyone was just on their best A-game or what, but I feel like everyone was so excited, the audience was so excited, and I think they were feeding off that energy maybe, because it’s just infectious.” Sabatino plans to keep coming to shows and providing the group with as much positive audience energy as she can. “Honestly, I’ve been coming to the show since freshman year, now I’m really good friends with some of the people in Scatterbomb too, so of course I like to support them,” Sabatino said. “But our whole friend group since freshman year we’ve always wanted to come, and we always have such a good time.” The group’s next show will take place on Oct. 4 in Hayden 100, in collaboration with Fordham University’s improv group, Stranded in Pittsburg.
Scatterbomb members perform a skit on stage. LAUREN SCHUSTER / THE QUADRANGLE
Sports
SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
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Mikeisha Kelly Reflects on 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year Nomination Alexa Schmidt Features Editor
This summer, Mikeisha Kelly was nominated out of 585 female college athletes to be 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year. A communication major at Manhattan College, Kelly was a four-year track and field athlete, serving as the captain and MAAC champion. Additionally, she holds a school record as a member of the indoor distance medley relay team that ran a 11:50.06 at the 2018 Boston University Terrier Classic. “In her four years at Manhattan, Mikeisha embodied everything it means to be a Jasper student-athlete,” said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Marianne Reilly on GoJaspers. “She not only competed at the highest levels as a member of our track and field program, but she gave back to our community, excelled in the classroom and served as a mentor to our younger studentathletes. We are so proud of this well-deserved nomination, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.” Established in 1991, the award recognizes female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers. The Top 30 honorees, comprising 10 women from each division, will be named by the Woman of the Year selection committee in September. The selection committee will then narrow the pool to nine finalists, with three from each division, in early October. From those finalists, the NCAA Com-
mittee on Women’s Athletics will select the 2019 Woman of the Year. Although Kelly did not make it to the top 30, she was one of 148 remaining nominees. She expressed how grateful she is for the opportunity and nomination as a whole. “This award represents more than athletic achievement. It encompasses all of the work put forth by myself and those who have supported me, challenged me and changed me through my collegiate experience. It represents who I am through the Lasallian values, and has been a rewarding accolade for the work I put in.” At first, Kelly was not sure if she was going to run in college. “I decided that I was going to run Manhattan was the perfect fit after I met everyone on the team. Throughout my four years there was a lot of changes and I had the most incredible teammates, who are also well rounded individuals who have gone on to do super successful things and I had a tremendous, tremendous career. I really enjoyed my time and just running-wise. I think that it was, by the end of it, a well-rounded program that I hope continues to succeed,” Kelly said. After graduation, Kelly landed a job as a social media coordinator at the Armory Foundation, based in New York City in Washington Heights. “Basically my job entails working with the foundation aspect which is education based, so it’s a college prep program that helps kids get into college, and the founda-
tion also works with middle schoolers. So it’s a beautiful program. And then the other side of it is sports based which is track and field,” Kelly said. “So, the armory is the [fastest] indoor track in the world really. And it’s just like this very historic legendary place for so many runners, and I work on the sports side, doing social, creating jumbotron images doing graphics videos and just developing their social media,” she said. Kelly touched upon how
Manhattan has left a lasting impact on her, and how it has continued to benefit her career and relationships. “I feel like there’s always someone out there that you can talk to. There’s always a connection with someone who went to the school, and I think that’s something so special that you really don’t find with other schools and other people who attended different universities and colleges. I think connections and a feeling of community was something that really
goes within your four years, but it also goes so much further than that and those connections have gotten me to where I am today,” Kelly said. “I would just like to say thank you to everyone who supported myself and says continue to support the school. There’s just so many people I think but we’ll just leave it at general. Thank you to Manhattan.”
Mikeisha Kelly was nominated out of 585 female college athletes to be 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year. MANHATTAN COLLEGE/ COURTESY
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Men’s Soccer Suffers Undeserved Loss MS: MANHATTAN 0, UCONN 2 Pete Janny
Asst. Sports Editor After opening the season with three straight losses, the Manhattan College men’s soccer team arrived in Hartford last Tuesday looking to pull off an upset against the University of Connecticut Huskies (3-4). Despite the slow start to the season, the Jaspers have been far more competitive than their record suggests. This season is unlike previous seasons in that the non-conference schedule is remarkably tough. Having already played against quality programs in Lehigh, St. John’s, and Rutgers, Connecticut figured to be just as tough of a test. Credit to Manhattan, they didn’t let the distraction of playing against a big name team from a big name conference get to them. With most of the players from last year’s 12-win team still on board, the Jaspers turned in a spirited performance against the Huskies in a game that was mostly dictated by the underdogs. But as the Jaspers were reminded of on Tuesday night, this sport can be cruel at times as playing the better brand of soccer doesn’t necessarily guarantee victory. Manhattan’s inability to finish key chances on offense combined with Connecticut’s lethal counter-attacks ultimately doomed the visitors as Connecticut escaped with a 2-0 win. Manhattan suffered a huge blow in the sixth minute when Connecticut senior Jorden Hall broke loose for a breakaway in which he ended up depositing a ball into the back of the net to give the Huskies an early 1-0 lead. The breakaway was made possible by a laser of a pass from defensive midfielder Djimon Johnson that allowed Hall to use his speed to elude the Manhattan defense. The play developed so quickly that it caught the spectators off guard just as much it did the Manhattan defense. Despite being behind the eight ball early, Manhattan recovered nicely, proceeding to keep the Connecticut offense in check while building some offensive cohesion of their own. Manhattan had two chances of their own shortly after Connecticut’s goal to introduce themselves to the Connecticut backline. The first chance came in the ninth minute when Brandon Joseph-Baudi decided to give the Connecticut goalkeeper an early test with a shot from far out that went just left of the target. Five minutes later, the Jaspers threatened again when a long throw-in from Tristan Doran led to a shot in the box off the foot of
Prior to kick-off, the starting lineups for both teams took to center field for player introductions and the playing of the national anthem. GOJASPERS/ COURTESY classmate Milan Devuyst. Unfortunately, the shot was a bit too strong and thus sailed over the target. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the field, Connecticut’s Dayonn Harris kept the Manhattan defense on their toes with multiple long-distanced shots. The first came in the 17th minute when Harris carved out some room for himself just outside the box before unleashing a shot that went way over the target. Eight minutes later, Harris tried his luck from the upper-right edge of the box, but the shot was caught by Manhattan goalkeeper Marcellin Gohier for his first save of the night. The referees didn’t ingratiate themselves with the Manhattan players, nor any of the team’s fans in attendance, as there were a number of occasions in the first half in which the Jaspers felt the referees’ use of their whistles, or lack thereof, did wrong by them. The most controversial decision of them all may have been an offsides whistle in the 25th minute that thwarted a promising Manhattan attack in the middle of the Connecticut box. The closing stages of the first half was all Manhattan as they began to methodically breakdown the Connecticut defense with some pretty passing sequences. In the 42nd minute, an impressive Manhattan buildup in the box culminated with a hard shot from junior Mauritz Riegel at the top of the box that was blocked by a Connecticut player. At the end of 45 minutes of play, the Jaspers and Huskies were tied in shots at five apiece with the Huskies clinging to a 1-0 lead. One could argue that
Manhattan looked like the better side for much of the first half as most of the action transpired on Connecticut’s own side of the field. None of the mattered, however, because even though Manhattan showed flashes of offensive potential, their earlyseason scoring drought persisted. Coming out the break, Manhattan picked up right where they left off with the offense continuing to give the Connecticut defense fits. Junior Desmond Cole looked particularly sharp in the early stages of the second half as he repeatedly found ways to deliver dangerous crosses into the Connecticut box. Only four minutes in, Cole created a chance when he fired a ball from the left sideline into the heart of the box that almost found the head of a Manhattan player, but instead was punched to safety by the goalkeeper. Despite looking like the better side in the second half as well, Manhattan still couldn’t get the monkey of not having scored all season off their back. In the 59th minute, Milan Devuyst tried taking matters into his own when he tried his luck from way outside the box, but his shot sailed well over of the target. Just when it seemed inconceivable that Connecticut would have enough left in the tank to score, they did just that. After being outplayed for most of the night, the Huskies redeemed themselves in the 62nd minute when Cole Venner initiated a counter-attack in which he dribbled a good distance down the middle of the field before drilling a shot past Gohier to make the score 2-0.
It was a stunning turn of events in a game that was mostly controlled by Manhattan. The Jaspers had no reason to believe that Connecticut’s offense would muster another goal considering how much the Huskies struggled after Hall’s early goal. The bottom line is that even when good teams underperform, they still tend to take advantage of the opponent’s mistakes, which is exactly what the Huskies did to the Jaspers on both of the scoring plays. Manhattan’s 9-7 advantage in shots quickly became an afterthought as the Jaspers failed to show the same level of class in front of the net as Connecticut. In his second season in Riverdale, junior Adrien Awana has followed up his excellent 2018 campaign with strong play out of the gate this season. The smooth and composed way in which Awana plays the role of center back is a big part of the reason why opposing offenses tend to have limited success against Manhattan. In a stretch that has confronted the Jaspers with talented offensive units, Awana’s calm presence and confidence in the back has been key in keeping the team competitive through all the losing. Despite the disappointing result against Connecticut, Awanea was impressed with the way the team played. “It was honestly the best game we played so far this season.” Awana said. “We have kept playing better game after game since we started in August and that’s what keeps us confident and focused despite our record.” By opting to play this many tough teams in the beginning of the season, Manhattan knew
that their record was probably going to take a hit as a result. When weighing the pros and cons of doing it, head coach Jordan Scott believed there was much more to gain than to lose considering the fact that only the MAAC games determine which teams qualify for the conference tournament. Awana has also bought into that theory as he too is confident that the team will come out of this stretch a more wellrounded unit. “It’s been really nice to go on the road and play on beautiful fields and to compete against challenging teams,” Awana said. “We know our schedule is designed to get us ready for the MAAC.” As for the notable absence of goals, Awana is confident that the offense will begin to have more success in front of the net. “We are working on it at every practice, and I’m very confident that the chemistry will end up operating up front and that we are going to be able to entertain the crowd with some nice goals,” Awana said. Manhattan will conclude their non-conference schedule against Fordham when they travel to Rose Hill on Tuesday, September 24th for the annual tradition known as the “Battle of the Bronx.” Kick-off for that game is slated for 7 PM. The Jaspers will then prepare for their MAAC opener against Monmouth on Wednesday, October 2nd at 7 PM. That game has added importance as it will be the first time in 2019 that Manhattan will play at Gaelic Park.