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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MANHATTAN COLLEGE | SINCE 1924
Volume C, Issue 7
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NEW YORK, OCTOBER 8, 2019
President Brennan O’Donnell’s Contract Extended until 2024 Megan Dreher Editor-in-Chief
Chapel Condition Growing Concern Condition of chapel is concerning as falling plaster plagues much of its ceiling. BRIAN ASARE/ THE QUADRANGLE
Campus Chapel in Need of Repairs Jessica McKenzie Staff Writer
Since it was built in the late 19th century, Manhattan College has proudly shown the Chapel of De La Salle to prospective students and parents. Recently, however, students who frequent the chapel have noticed caution tape wrapped around a number of the pews inside. During this year’s Fall Convocation, which was held in the chapel, a few students even found drywall atop their seats in the pews. According to Father Tom Franks, who has been the chaplain at the college for three years now, the deteriorating condition of the Chapel of De La Salle has been an issue for at least a year. Last spring, Father Tom was working in the chapel in the middle of the night for 24 Hours for the Lord, an all-night vigil that allowed students to come to the chapel and pray at any hour. Walking around, he noticed plaster sprinkling down from the ceiling and put a work
order into the Physical Plant. Now six months later, plaster and dust continue to regularly fall from the ceiling above the sanctuary, right where Father Thom sits during services. “It’s very visible. People will see it. We need open lines of communication to know what is happening with our chapel,” Father Tom said. But this is not the first time he has seen this problem. As a priest who has worked in many chapels with high ceilings, he speculates that the issue might be roof leakage in Smith. If that is the case, Father Tom understands that this is a substantial undertaking. Much like the Chapel of De La Salle, the Chapel of the Holy Infancy in Memorial Hall, has its own maintenance issues. While the scale of the issues are different, the space in Memorial Hall has pews that need repairing but there is no caution tape in the small chapel. The number of maintenance issues across campus are mounting, but Father Tom is mainly concerned with the Chapel of De La Salle. The
IN FEATURES: Learn the student Families visit students for government campaign rules on family weekend on p. 4 p. 3
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ceiling damage is coming dangerously close to the stained glass windows that were just installed in April 2016. Father Tom acknowledges and appreciates the hard work of the Physical Plant workers. “There is a great emphasis on our charism and presence on campus… I think we should make sure that the college has the resources to direct their attention on the issues that are impacting the community.” The condition of the chapel is also a concern to the students on campus who use it regularly. Senior Naomi Uy, president of Music Ministry and member of the orchestra on campus, uses the chapel for rehearsal every Sunday and Monday night. “If we’re doing a performance or mass for [prospective students or parents], the quality of our performance is lessened because we can’t be proud of the state that the chapel is in,” Uy said. She also described the dangers within the chapel. The stairs leading up to the choir __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
President Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., will continue to lead the Manhattan College community through the 20232024 academic year, following his contract extension granted by the board of trustees. O’Donnell has served as president since July 1, 2009, the 19th president in the history of the college and the first lay president to serve in the position. In serving as president, O’Donnell believes that this extension is due in part to the work he has done over the past ten years to further the Lasallian mission on campus. “When you think about the major responsibilities of a president of a school, it’s to try to set the tone and the vision around the mission of the school. The mission of the school, and we’re very proud of it, is a Lasallian Catholic identity. It’s been a major part of what the trustees have charged me to do, so I guess the fact that they’ve decided to keep me around for another few years after having done ten years is a sign that they believe that we’re doing a good job staying true to our mission,” said O’Donnell. But O’Donnell admits that the position of president was not one that he actively sought out. He began as a young faculty member at what was once known as Loyola College (now Loyola University) in Maryland. He was later appointed by a dean at Loyola to run a university-wide honors program, which he led until his next appointment right across the borough as dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill. This was his first leap into full time administration, and the last position held before coming to Riverdale. President O’Donnell believes that his initial leap into administrative work was grounded in that same enthusiasm that has extended his contract: the Catholic mission. “It was something I got into by small, small steps up on the way,” said O’Donnell. “The
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draw for me was the mission, the Catholic intellectual tradition, the Catholic university and the question of how are these institutions, which have been historically grounded in these deep traditions, going to continue to be authentically in that tradition when there are declining numbers of people in religious orders working on campus and in the community.” Admittedly, president O’Donnell notes that he has skipped a few rungs on the ladder to reach the position of president at MC. While surpassing positions such as department chair and provost, he has used his past experience with different institutions to invest himself in the Lasallian mission. “We have more in common [with the Jesuit mission] than we have different, we’re grounded in the same spiritual tradition, the same ideas about human beings and what they’re for. Historically, the brothers are distinguished as they were founded solely to be educators. The Jesuits were not, they were founded to do whatever needed to be done,” said O’Donnell. He continued, “The brothers started precisely for educational purposes and particularly the education of the poor or the disadvantaged and the marginalized, those who otherwise would not have access to quality education. That makes a big difference in the way Lasallian institutions have grown up and the way Jesuit institutions have grown up. While we are very proud of our liberal arts tradition, we from the start, offered programs that were more on the professional preparation side of the scale. We’ve always had that kind of double-mindedness.” Not only is O’Donnell able to pull from his experience at Fordham to serve him well as president, he is also able to pull from his experience inside of the classroom as an English professor. “I often say that the best preparation for being involved __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
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the Quadrangle Volume C, Issue 7 OCTOBER 8, 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 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
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Unveiling Student Government Campaigning Rules Nicole Fitzsimmons & Nicole Rodriguez Staff Writer & Asst. Production Editor
The Manhattan College campaigning rules prove to be an important asset for student candidates initiating their campaigns during election seasons, yet the components and standards of these rules often remain a mystery to the vast majority of students at the college. The campaigning rules at the college are comprised of 13 components and were made by Student Government. Following the creation of these rules, Student Engagement issued their approval for the content of the rules. Minor changes have been made since the original creation of the rule set, however nothing has changed drastically since their original establishment. To make changes or alter existing rules, Student Government and Student Engagement work in collaboration to review the rules during each election process. Executive Director of Student Engagement, John Bennett, explained how changes to the campaigning rules are actually encouraged. “If students want to change some details of the campaigning rules, whether we agree or not, as long as it’s appropriate, we would be okay with it. Our purpose is to make sure it’s fair, appropriate and realistic,” said Bennett. The campaigning rules are emailed to all students looking to run in elections along with other general rules and guidelines. Each part has several sub-components, including the use of social media during the set time of campaigning
issued by the Election’s Committee. Each component of the rules are monitored by Student Engagement, but are also controlled by candidates and students. Assistant Director of Student Engagement, Michael Steele, spoke on the role Student Engagement plays in enforcing the campaigning rules. “Any advertisements (flyers, posters, social media pages, etc.) must be approved by the Office of Student Engagement before distribution. By doing so, we have a good idea of what’s being advertised on campus,” said Steele. While advertisements must be approved by Student Engagement, student candidates who run can still enjoy a sense of freedom in their campaigns. “What is brought to our attention is always followed up with and taken seriously, but we don’t actively go out of our way to make sure every student is following each specific rule. I think that would definitely be a huge negative and also portray a ‘Big Brother’ aspect which we don’t want to get into and which we haven’t had to get into,” said Bennett. Recently, one of the Freshmen Class Vice Presidents, Isabel Frazza, expressed her own creativity and freedom by utilizing The Quadrangle as one of her campaigning methods. “I wanted to campaign in The Quad because I wanted to reach as many people as I could, tell everyone why I wanted to run and why I thought they should vote for me. I figured it was a good platform to do this,” said Frazza. While the campaign rules state that clubs may not endorse a party or a candidate, use of The Quadrangle is explicitly allowed in the rule set.
As a widespread way to share ideas and cover topics, the student newspaper provides an efficient way to spread the word. Candidates are able to submit a piece of writing to pitch themselves to the student body. “I wouldn’t view publishing anything as an endorsement, unless The Quad wrote ‘Vote for so and so’ as the headline. I would view that as endorsing. If a student asked to write something, be included in something or even have an article written about them, that’s okay. I think The Quad has actually done a very good job in years past, especially in the spring semester when it’s the student-wide election process as opposed to just now which is for the freshmen class open positions,” said Bennett. He continued. “My only caveat to that would be we also only see what’s published. We only see what gets put in the paper. If four other candidates wanted to be in the paper, but you only put one that would be unfair, but nobody brought that up,” said Bennett. According to Student Engagement, the most important factor to take into consideration with Student Government elections is ensuring that everyone running is given a fair chance. The campaigning rules ensure and emphasize equal opportunities for every student running for office. “I felt that the campaigning rules were fair. It was clear that the rules were aimed at making sure every freshman who wanted to run for office had an equal opportunity to reach members of the freshmen class,” said Frazza.
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.
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President Brennan O’Donnell’s Contract Extended until 2024
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in leadership in a complex institution is reading Shakespeare or more broadly, novels. Having an ability to read stories, to delve into literary characters and see the binds and moral issues and complexities and difficulties that complex organizations run through by paying attention to the human factor, I think is really invaluable. Just the other day I was having a conversation with the trustees about a particular issue and I found myself quoting Othello. The other side of it, when you’re in a position like this, you always have to be telling the institution’s story. Sometimes people talk about
spective student-world.” President O’Donnell notes that he walked into a school that was already rooted in a very successful tradition, but has enjoyed seeing the school grow under his tenure. “I think this has always been an excellent school. What it has always done, it has always done well, which is why I was attracted to come here. I think we have diversified academic offerings. We have more programs, more kinds of programs. We bring in more and different kinds of students. We have more graduate students now than we used to have. We have more adult students in the school of continuing and professional studies,” says O’Donnell. With that kind of growth,
----------------------- “One of the things you learn when you’re in a job like this, is you do very little on your own,” said O’Donnell. Everything I say is really the team effort here. -----------------------presidents of colleges as the storyteller-in-chief, so it helps to be comfortable telling the story of the institution. That helps to make us more effective in terms of reaching out to the alumni-world and the pro-
there are many obstacles that President O’Donnell had to initially face upon becoming president of the college. “We don’t have a huge endowment, but we have a bigger endowment than we did ten
years ago,” O’Donnell said. “It was 43 million dollars ten years ago, it’s over 100 million dollars now. We have a big fundraising campaign that we just launched and that will bring in, over a period of time, that will bring in 165 million dollars of new resources for the institution. We have to work hard in order to be able to afford excellence.” In the past ten years, Brennan O’Donnell has been able to accomplish a lot, and advance the excellence that Manhattan College has to offer today. But much of the success that the college has seen under his presidency, he acknowledges, takes the helping hands of many. “One of the things you learn when you’re in a job like this, is you do very little on your own. Everything I say is really the team effort here. I would go back to the creation of a really robust student support service culture, including the research, the fellowship advising, the whole career pathways thing, where we try to advise students holistically, in terms of the whole picture of their lives, not just as a job placement thing but as a kind of who are you what do you want in life,” said O’Donnell. That team effort is how Dr. Brennan O’Donnell has approached his presidency of the college, and will continue to do so. He correlates his role as president to how our campus has expanded, with buildings such as the Kelly Commons and the new Higgins building on South Campus.
Campus Chapel in Need of Repairs __________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 loft are small, rusty and easy to fall down. The ceiling in the choir room leaks every time it rains. Sometimes the leaks are hot water, causing steam to rise from the trash can it is collected in. “We’re not up to par on the standard of repairing the things that need to be fixed on campus,” Uy said. Uy participates in the music ministry activities in her church at home. In that sense, the Chapel of De La Salle has served as her home away from home. “I have so many good memories there. It’s disheartening to see that not everybody cares
about the chapel as much as I do,” she said. In the meantime, Matthew McManness, vice president of finance and chief financial officer of Manhattan College, is the process of getting estimates on the repair of the roof, facade and parapet. Hopefully, this will remove any of the water issues in the chapel. Once estimates are received, we can count on some progress for De La Salle. “Work will begin as safely and as soon as possible,” McManness confirmed.
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[RIGHT] The Chapel of De La Salle’s stained glass windows, which were installed in 2016, are in need of repair. BRIAN ASARE / THE QUADRANGLE -----------------------------------------------------
President O’Donnell has served at Manhattan College since July 1, 2009. MANHATTAN COLLEGE / COURTESY “You don’t build a building without hundreds of people. and that’s fun, that’s probably the part of the job that when my friends ask me how can you be a college president, it’s so demanding? I think I do it because I really do love to work with people on big picture sort of things. I get to come to
work every day and one way of looking at it is that I’ve got 100 problems and another way of looking at it is that I’ve got 100 opportunities to solve a problem or to help someone solve a problem, and that’s really energizing,” said O’Donnell.
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Family Weekend Brings Jaspers Together VOICES ON THE QUAD Family Weekend took place on Saturday October 5th, and Sunday October 6th, and activities were offered both days. On Saturday, students and their families were able to take photos in front of a monster truck, participate in a golf driving range, witness a hypnotist and magician, attend a Mens’ Soccer game against Quinnipiac, and even spend the evening listening to David Moscow. Sunday consisted of 10:30am Mass in the Chapel of De La Salle, a trip to Midtown Manhattan, and the Fall Convocation. Of course, both days included meals at the famous Locke’s Loft for students and their families. The Quadrangle checked in with a couple of students and their families to see how their weekend was going: Interviews and photos compiled by Emily Hollar. Find the complete Voices on the Quad on mcquad.org
Ryan Braster Freshman Travel time: 1 hour Family Members in Attendance: 11 What activities have you participated in so far today? “We walked through the Chapel and auditorium, we got some Starbucks, and bought some swag at the bookstore. We were even able to see the monster truck that was parked outside! The campus is very beautiful, and it is so nice that it’s so close to the city and not in the middle of nowhere. Everyone seems so happy to be here, we are all so happy for you.”
Melissa Jimenez Freshman Travel time: 40 minutes Family Members in Attendance: 7 What activities have you participated in so far today? “Melissa took us to explore the campus, through all the silent levels of the library, and all the study rooms and donated rooms, which was so cool. We also attended Chapel, which was so beautiful, every part of it. Now this gymnasium, so impressive and open it almost feels like you are outside.”
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Making a Family Legacy Her Own: Meet Gabriella DePinho Rose Brennan A&E Editor
With a nearly century-long legacy, it is almost certain that The Quadrangle would have at least one family legacy to its name. Such is the case for junior Gabriella “Gabs” DePinho, The Quadrangle’s current News Editor. DePinho’s introduction to The Quadrangle came when she was 12 years old, when her older sister, Michelle, was selected as one of that year’s Quadrangle scholars. “I constantly used to joke that The Quad would be the thing she talked about the same way guys who were high school quarterbacks always talk about their last homecoming games,” DePinho said. “Michelle loved the people on The Quad with her and always talked about how much she loved the paper.” Years passed, DePinho’s older brother Anthony also decided to attend the college (though not as a Quadrangle scholar), and before she knew it, it was Gabs’ turn to apply to colleges. She also applied for the scholarship and was selected as a finalist, and thus had to undergo an interview for the scholarship. “When I went for my interview, I was insanely intimidated; there were at least eight or so other kids there,” she said. “Of course, when I sat down, after shaking everyone’s hands, Thom Gencarelli figures out my relationship to Michelle, who served as News Editor and Managing Editor, so I felt like the pressure was on. I answered the questions candidly and hoped that they could see me for myself, rather than for what my sister was.” Throughout her time on The Quadrangle, DePinho has served in several positions, including Staff Writer, Web Editor, Assistant News Editor and, most recently, News Editor. When asked about filling the same position her sister Michelle did, DePinho said, “It’s pretty cool that my sister and I were both part of The Quad and have both served as News Editors. We’ve always been really close but it’s something extra that we get to bond over and because she’s had the same experiences as me, she’s someone I go to when I have questions about the decisions I’m making and the work I’m doing because I know she understands where I’m coming from. She’s one of my biggest supporters when it comes to The Quad too and it always re-
ally means a lot to me.” During her first meeting, DePinho was intimidated, but it was not long before she realized The Quadrangle had an equal balance of work and play. “The Quad is full of really supportive people and people who take their work seriously but also like to goof off and have fun,” she said. “I ended up loving the news section like my sister did, but no one ever expected that from me and the moment I realized that, I was able to enjoy the paper more.” Before long, it was time for DePinho to write her first article. She paired up with her mentor, Web Editor August Kissel, to cover the maintenance of the mural underneath the Founders’ Bridge. “We went to the mural while they were working on it and August took the lead on the interviews, even though she made me come up with a list of questions to ask,” DePinho said. “She went over the list and told me what questions she would have added to it, which I took note of for my future interviews. The Friday of that week, she invited me over to her room and we sat down to write it together and she encouraged me to try writing sections of the story myself and then she went in and made edits … Writing that story with her really broke down that intimidation I was feeling and showed me that okay, I might be scared but there are people here who want to help me and there are people here who believe in my abilities.” As the News Editor, DePinho has responsibilities throughout the week that essentially mean she is on-call for The Quadrangle 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “My day to day job is sending out pitches and story ideas for the section, keeping in touch with writers throughout the week, helping writers find sources and then editing the stories as they are sent in. It’s more or less the same as any other section editor’s job and the day to day stuff is hard work,” DePinho said. But DePinho faces additional pressure as the News Editor due to the close eye the upper-level administrators have on the paper, as well as preserving the reputation of the publication as a whole. “I know that top administrators pick up a copy of The Quadrangle and read it front to back,” DePinho said. “I know that they see what we’re talking about and how we’re talking about it, and that’s stressful. Whether or not students are faithfully reading The Quad-
DePinho’s favorite part about the Quad is the people she met through it, both her fellow journalists and the people she’s had the chance to interview. GABRIELLA DEPINHO/ THE QUADRANGLE rangle, there is an expectation that the news section is covering things that really matter to the student body and should matter to the college at large. Sometimes, it’s going to be about mold, other times, it’s going to be about policy changes. The news section can really set the tone for or influence campus discussions. It’s my job to figure out what needs to be covered and how we’re going to cover it.” DePinho writes for the paper every week, meaning she has written countless articles in her time with The Quadrangle. But among her favorites are some of her more recent work: covering the new access control policy. “While I co-wrote two of the three of them with Joe Liggio, who has been an incredible right hand man throughout my time as news editor, I did the brunt of the work on the reporting end,” she said. “These stories really tested me as a journalist. Could I stay unbiased in my reporting? Were we being fair? I want to say we were fair and balanced to the best of our ability. We sat and worked on these stories for hours together, agonizing over our word choice. ‘Does this word sound too loaded? How about this word? No, that sounds too aggressive.’ It really
tested me. They were never going to please everyone and I had to learn to be okay with that pretty early on.” She continued. “It was also the first time that I felt like I was reporting on a “pressing” issue or something that really mattered to people. The issues were flying off the stands, people were coming up to me and complimenting my work and thanking me for writing those stories. It felt like what I was doing mattered to people, which was actually pretty cool. It reassured me that the work I’m doing is important and that one day, when I’m out in the field as a journalist, even though the newspapers are dying and the fake news media is fake, the work I’ll do will matter to people,” she said. As a writer for The Quadrangle, DePinho has met and interviewed people from nearly every corner and crevice of the MC campus. This aspect of news writing has actually become her favorite part of working for The Quadrangle. “All of the other members of The Quad are awesome people who I probably never would have met if it weren’t for the paper, but also, I’ve met so many cool people from interviewing them for the paper. There are professors I always say hi to now because I’ve interviewed
them once, there are a few administrators I have a friendly rapport with because of work I’ve done with The Quad, and there are so many cool and talented students and campus leaders I’ve gotten to know because of The Quad,” she said. In relation to meeting pivotal people on The Quadrangle, DePinho’s older sister actually met her fiance through the paper. Only time will tell if The Quadrangle will change DePinho’s life in this way, but though her time with the paper is only halfway done, she noted how much she has grown in that short span of time. “I’ve learned how to ask the tough questions and how to ask them without my voice wavering,” she said. “I’ve grown a thick skin and learned not to take criticism too personally. I’ve learned to be more confident in my abilities and to be comfortable taking up space in the room. I deserve space in the room simply for being human but I’ve earned my place at the table from working hard. I’ve learned how to lean on other people, that I don’t always need to go it alone and that especially in a place like The Quad, I’ve got people who will always be there for me.”
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Junior Brings Climbing Club to MC Katie Heneghan Asst. Features Editor
Katie Doyle’s passion for climbing began in her role as a summer camp counselor for the past four years. As a counselor Doyle not only learned climbing, knot tying, and belaying, but taught it to her campers. She has brought her love of climbing to Manhattan College as she hopes to make her new Climbing Club official. Doyle, a junior majoring in adolescent education and English, got the idea from a friend attending Yale University who was a part of a competitive climbing club at school. She was encouraged to start her own variation of this club, and upon returning to school came to the realization she had missed climbing from her time as a camp counselor. As for plans for the semester, Doyle hopes to expand the club at their weekly meetings and begin to train beginners and plan outings. “For this semester we will meet weekly, and then monthly outings to climbing at the Cliffs at LIC. We’re also going to try and do some fun group activities just for people in the club, `` says Doyle. As of right now the Climb-
ing Club is not an official club at MC, but Doyle hopes to apply by the end of the semester. For now, they are working out of pocket with some free outings in places like Van Cortland and workouts in the Kelly Commons Fitness Center. “One week we have training sessions in knot tying, technique, and how to belay and the basics of climbing. The next week we meet at the gym here at Manhattan College and we do things to build our endurance - we do one workout together and expect that the members do it on their own throughout the week,” says Doyle. For the future, Doyle hopes that the team can become increasingly competitive. First they must receive club status at the college, as well as funding, and then they can begin competing with other schools. Doyle and her executive board hope that this can be completed by the end of this year. Thomas Duggan, the vice president of the club, is enthusiastic about the opportunities it can provide for students to engage both physically and mentally with the sport. “I joined the rock climbing club because rock climbing is a great physical activity for me
physically and mentally. I love working out in natural ways and I think that rock climbing really helps me see what my body and mind can do in a different way. The mental state of just you and the wall is a really unique experience. I have a little experience so far but have a lot to learn and I know joining the club will help me improve,” says Duggan. The club is looking to expand and expose more students to the sport, and hopefully find both new and experienced climbers. A long time climber and secretary for the club, Kyle Vidal is hopeful for the future of climbing at MC. “My hopes for the climbing club are never ending. The main things that I hope for is the ability for the climbing club to grow in membership in order to expose others to a sport that is like no other and also to have an awesome time making friends and memories,” says Vidal. Right now Doyle and her E-Board are joined by about 10 members. If you are interested in joining the Climbing Club you can contact Katie Doyle at kdoyle02@manhattan.edu and follow them on Instagram @ MC_Climbing. Meetings are on Monday’s in Kelly Commons at 9pm.
The Climbing Club’s first group outing at The Rock Club in New Rochelle. MADALYN JOHNSON / THE QUADRANGLE
Fuerza Latina Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Anna Woods Staff Writer
Fuerza Latina, Manhattan College’s club celebrating and embracing Latinx culture, is excited to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic Heritage Month pays tribute to the Hispanic-Americans who have positively influenced and enriched society and culture in the United States. Anna Rosario, an international studies major with minors in peace and justice studies and Spanish, is the current President of Fuerza Latina. She feels that celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month is extremely important. “People need to be educated on the many contributions Latinos have made in the US. It also helps those Latinos born in the United States learn about their heritage. Latino Americans face many challenges causing them to have insecurities and doubts about their heritage and ethnicity, I know because I felt this growing up. I was always a “gringa”
to my cousins because I was too Americanized and then at school, I was too Hispanic. I didn’t know who I was or where I fit in. I have learned to love everything about my culture, from the food, to the music, to the dancing, and to my history. I am a very proud Latina, from the beautiful Island of the Dominican Republic,” said Rosario. To Isabel Quinones, a senior childhood/special Education major and former Vice President of the club, Hispanic Heritage month holds a special place in her heart. “To me, Hispanic Heritage Month means taking the time to reflect on my roots. It helps to show others who aren’t Hispanic, all of the things we have contributed. Whether that be through government, music, religion, we have done a lot for the world (just like every other culture) but it’s nice to have a month dedicated to us,” said Quinones. Fuerza Latina strives to be a space where everyone can come together and honor Latinx culture. Their meetings
typical consists of ice breakers and team building activities to ensure that members are comfortable with each other. From there the club opens up the floor for members to discuss major events in the news or in each other’s lives. “My favorite part of the club is definitely the community aspect it brings. We become like any other big Latino family; our meetings can get loud and that makes me happy because it shows that we (Latinos) are a presence on campus, and this is a place where we can be heard,” said Rosario. Gabriella Montes, a senior exercise science major, acts as the Co-VP and social media coordinator of the club. She also highlighted the tight-knight community that Fuerza Latina is. “Fuerza Latina es una familia- its a family. Our goal is not only to unite the Latinx population within our community but to also educate and create awareness at Manhattan college. It’s a place for all identities to come learn, enjoy and explore latinx culture. Our
goal is to be a support system for our Fuerza Famillia and anyone else who may need us,” said Montes Fuerza Latina has many exciting events in the works for this year. Their biggest event of the year is LatinxFest, held in conjunction with student engagement. “LatinxFest, will be held again in November. This is a huge celebration of Latino culture that happens on campus; we have food, music, dancing, and community. It’s a lot of fun and we invite the entire manhattan college community to come and enjoy the fiesta with us,” said Rosario They could not hold their excitement regarding the event. “I’m just really happy to be a part of a community that does support Hispanic culture. I’m also super excited for Latino Fest and to be able to spend time with my friends, and appreciating the culture that I hold close to my heart,” said Quinones Fuerza Latina typically works hard to create a variety of
different types of events. In the past, they have held lectures discussing political issues that impact the Latinx community, such as Nicaragua’s political climate or immigration policies implemented in the U.S. They are working on many other events for the upcoming year. “We’re working really hard to create a “LOVE YOUR CURLS” event in the spring. A celebration of all-natural hair types which in Latino culture is often torn down instead of celebrated,” said Montes. The club celebrates diversity and inclusivity, encouraging everyone to partake in their meetings and events. “Fuerza Latina isn’t just a club for Hispanics, we are an inclusive club that welcomes members from everywhere and all walks of life...If you’re interested or know people who may be interested please come and see what we’re all about,” said Rosario Fuerza Latina holds their meetings every other Tuesday in the Multicultural Center at 3:30. The next one is on Oct. 22.
OCTOBER 8, 2019
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Students Show Off Professional Style at Fall Career Fair ON CAMPUS FASHION-FINDS The Center for Career Development held the annual Fall Career Fair on Tuesday, October 1 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. While the resumes and networking skills of Jaspers cinch their internship and job prospects, their outward presentation certainly does not hurt. Three campus fashionistas show off their favorite business casual looks. Interviews and photos compiled by Lauren Schuster.
Steven Goolsby, Junior
Karla Nejasmic, Senior
Sydney Waitt, Sophomore
The Quadrangle: How did you choose your outfit for the career fair?
The Quadrangle: Do you have a go-to piece for career fairs?
The Quadrangle: How did you choose your outfit for the career fair?
Steven Goolsby: For me, I wanted to actually show my personality a little bit, but not too strong, so I have a floral shirt that’s basically all floral as you can see, and I just wanted to make it simple, because you know simplicity is best.
Karla Nejasmic: Just always a blazer, I would say. I feel like it just makes the outfit better.
Sydney Waitt: I have one pair of shoes that’s business appropriate, so that was kind of a no-brainer, but for the rest of the outfit, my mom actually had a pair of pants like this growing up that she used to wear to her work all the time, she always had to look business formal, so I found these and I got them because I was like “Aw, I’ll look like my mother,” and then the shirt I actually borrowed from a friend because I did not own a blouse.
TQ: Do you have a go-to piece for career fairs? SG: Usually for a career fair, you can’t be too dramatic, but I always like to add a little pop of color, because everybody is usually wearing black or gray and for me, I want somebody to see me, just like with my resume, you have to have a little color just to stand out.
TQ: If you were given $1,000 to spend on business professional clothing, where would you spend it and why? KN: I would say Zara and H&M, because you can get so much more worth your money and it’s still good quality and it still makes you look nice. Instead of, if you go to expensive stores like Bloomingdales, one piece is $500 and that’s it. So it’s not worth it, I’d rather go to a different place and you get much more for your money.
TQ: How do you exhibit your own style while staying professional? SW: I always try to wear something funky, you know, I figured most people would be in a jacket and slacks, but I knew it was going to be hot out today and I didn’t want to wear that, so I just find pieces that I like and hopefully put them together and hope that they look nice.
Arts &Entertainment
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THE QUADRANGLE
Lois Harr Takes Center Stage At Agape Latte Emily Hollar & Pete Janny
Contributor & Asst. Sports Editor The first Agape Latte of the semester took place last Tuesday night in Jasper Hall Lounge with a good turnout from the college community. Agape Latte has become a big hit at the college over the years, giving students a chance to take a break from their studies to participate in an event conducive for fellowship and goodwill. Prior to the signature faithbased talk of every Agape Latte, students and administrators get the chance to socialize over the provided coffee and snacks. The speaker for this occasion was Lois Harr, who has worked at the college as an Adjunct Professor in the Religious Studies Department and as the Assistant Vice President of Campus Ministry and Social Action for the past 22 years. The title of her talk was “One Thing Led to Another: An Organizer On De La Salle’s Quad” in which Harr reflected on specific life experiences that helped lay the foundation for her commitment to social justice advocacy. The talk ended after 35 minutes of riveting storytelling from Harr. Harr opened up her talk reminding the audience that despite what societal voices try to tell you, life will not always be fair. As a young girl growing up in the Bronx, Harr was forced to accept the reality that adversity is unavoidable no matter who you are. For example, one of the hardships that Harr and her family repeatedly had to endure was the lack of access to heat and hot water during the winter months. Having witnessed firsthand the evolution of the Bronx, Harr can truly appreciate the Bronx we live in today. “I don’t want to say the South Bronx used to look like a war zone, but it kind of did,”
Harr said about the degeneration of the South Bronx in the 1970s. “There were blocks where there was just rubble and burnt out abandoned buildings.” Outside of her own personal struggles, Harr began to think about how life wasn’t fair for many other types of people as well. “I thought the riots in Newark weren’t fair; I thought the war in Vietnam wasn’t fair; and that women and minorities weren’t treated fairly,” Harr confessed. It wasn’t until her high school years at Cardinal Spellman High School that Harr started to realize her intolerance for the lack of fairness in society was essentially a form of “social justice.” Before then, it never crossed her mind that those two words best described her frustrations with the world. “I went through high school and I had this idea about fairness but what I didn’t know was that maybe what I was thinking about was social justice,” Harr said. “I had never put those words together before but I think that’s what it was.” After high school, Harr went through a stretch in her life in which she lost connection with her faith. It wasn’t until seeing all the good work that the church was doing to rehabilitate the South Bronx in order for her to recognize the void she created by losing her faith in the first place. “I finally saw the church in social action in fighting for justice so I had faith that was lost and then found,” Harr said of the inspiration she received by witnessing the recovery efforts in her community. Harr would go on to attend Fordham University where she received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. While at Fordham, Harr began to develop an interest in community service. In 1973, she enrolled in a community service class that formed out of a rare partner-
ship between Manhattan and Fordham. This class allowed her to directly contribute to the beautification of the South Bronx. Born and raised in an Irish Catholic family, Harr found herself going to church at the same parish throughout her childhood years. Back then, religious worship was largely intertwined with social life, which meant families like hers spent most of their time around those who attended the same parish as they did. All the while, her husband grew up only a few blocks away from where she lived, even though they never crossed paths as kids. The chances of them meeting each other were very low from the start anyways, considering her future husband’s family belonged to a different Catholic parish. “If you’re a Catholic from way back yesterday and you were from different parishes, it felt like you were from different towns,” Harr said. It wouldn’t be until after graduation that Harr would meet her husband John Reilly. Other than the fact that she was about to enter into the biggest commitment of her life by marrying Reilly, this relationship also led to her eventually working at Manhattan College due to Reilly being an alum of the school. Before finding her way to Manhattan, however, Harr still had to realize her vocation in life. That transformative moment came as an organizer after college when one day she felt called by God to devote her life to religious studies and education. Her choice to pursue a career in religious studies eventually led to the opportunity to work at Manhattan in 1997. In addition to her involvement with campus ministry, Harr was also hired to teach an experiential learning class at Manhattan. Twenty-two years later, Harr is still going strong in fulfilling her roles here on
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[LEFT] Students and faculty enjoy refreshments and snacks prior to the signature faith-based talk. EMILY HOLLAR / THE QUADRANGLE -----------------------------------------------------
Speaker Lois Harr begins her riveting story of ont thing leading to another.
EMILY HOLLAR / THE QUADRANGLE
campus. “I encourage everyone to answer when you are called because you will get calls,” Harr said. “Try to say yes when that moment comes.” One of Harr’s claims to fame in the beginning of her tenure at Manhattan was her role in the establishment of a New York City public school on campus. The middle school opened in the late 1990s and was housed on the first floor of Hayden Hall until it found its own space elsewhere in 2008. In the beginning of her career at Manhattan, Harr began to help oversee the development of the LOVE Program. Her most memorable LOVE trip was an emotional visit to Loredo, Texas, which lies on the southern border. The central purpose of this trip was to learn about and help those seeking asylum in the United States. The highlight of her trip was a special encounter with a sixyear-old refugee named Abby whose quality of life seemed to be deteriorating right before Harr’s eyes. “A girl named Abby walked into the door of a room full of donated clothes for children that was very modestly organized by sex and size. She looked disheveled and her hair was dirty and hadn’t seen a brush in a while. She looked at it like it was Macy’s at Christmas time and said ‘una falda’, which means a skirt. All she wanted was to wear a skirt instead of the dirty leggings she had on. We looked all around and found a matching Mickey Mouse skirt and top. Later I
walked in the toy room and I saw this girl whose hair was nice and shiny. I also noticed her skirt was Mickey Mouse print and I said, ‘Abby?’. She looked up and smiled at me with a doll in her hands. She looked really beautiful because she is really beautiful,” Harr described. Harr’s reflection on her time spent at the border did not fail to catch the attention of those in attendance. Junior Natalie Lanzi was able to relate to Harr’s experiences through her own past volunteer work. “I loved her talk about volunteer work at the border,” Lanzi said. “I’ve done my own volunteer work in Haiti and that is something that meant a lot. I feel it has that effect on just about everyone.” Others such as sophomore Tavianne Kemp were able to come to the conclusion that social justice can be achieved in a variety of ways. “Social justice can be anywhere,” Kemp said. “I’m a math major and I want to use math to make the world a better place.” One thing Harr made clear was that even though you may not know what the future holds, every part of your journey in life is a sign of where you are going. “I don’t know what’s next for me. I’m not sure. I know that figuring out what you’re supposed to do is best when it comes from your past experiences,” Harr said. “One thing I do know is that one thing will lead to another.”
OCTOBER 8, 2019
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Scatterbomb “Stranded in Pittsburgh” in Third Show of Semester Rose Brennan & Madalyn Johnson
A&E Editor & Asst. A&E Editor In Scatterbomb’s third show of the semester, Fordham University’s improv group, Stranded in Pittsburgh, collaborated with MC students to reenact a body slapping musician group, a tapeworm romantically involved with its victim’s friend and various other chaotic scenarios suggested by the audience in Hayden 100. This collaboration was not the first of its kind, as the two groups also collaborated last year. But a packed crowd and a packed stage certainly meant more excitement for all, especially with Stranded in Pittsburgh members Molly McCarthy ‘21, Lizzy Jerse ‘22, Nora Thomas ‘21 and Kevin Daley ‘22. For MC junior Lauren Spagnuolo, this was not her first time seeing a Scatterbomb show, but it was her first time watching them collaborate with another group. “Hopefully we’ll see some new comedic sketch[es]. This is actually my first time seeing them collab so I’m very excited to see what will happen, hopefully it will be super funny,” Spagnuolo said. The show kicked off just after 8 p.m. The guest members of the show were briefly intro-
duced, and the original Scatterbomb members took the stage for the first half of the show. Following the audience suggestion of “possum,” the show was on. Scatterbomb members Meredith Taylor and Sydney Waitt, posing as animal control employees attempting to catch a “very fast turtle.” Brendan Hainey tried to intervene in their chase, telling them the “very fast turtle” was actually his little brother in a turtle costume, and it was all a misunderstanding. The grumpy old neighbor in the scene, however (played by Maria Thomas), insisted it was a turtle that should be caught. All of this arguing was intermittently interrupted by the turtle/little brother dashing through the scene, played to hilarious perfection by Aedan Roney. This scene was a favorite of many of the audience members. “Scatterbomb was really funny tonight. My favorite part was definitely the part where they pretended to catch the really fast turtle in the beginning,” said sophomore James Curry. Following a shortened version of Scatterbomb’s set, the four members of Stranded in Pittsburgh took the stage. In spite of the historic rivalry between Fordham and MC, the guests were fairly wellreceived, covering everything
from scarecrows in fields to crying to C-sections no one can even feel. Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived. Scatterbomb and Stranded in Pittsburgh took the stage together and closed out the night with uproarious laughter. According to Stranded in Pittsburgh member Thomas, the group has a bit of a fuzzy history. “It’s a little complicated because we have artifacts from the ‘50s and ‘60s but the club didn’t actually come around till the 90s,” Thomas said. According to Stranded in Pittsburgh member Jerse, the group was founded as an offshoot of a larger theater club at Fordham University. “We’re technically part of F.E.T., Fordham Experimental Theater, which I want to say started in the 60s,” she said. “We’ll say [during the] 2000s it was really rolling.” Jerse in particular enjoyed the collaborative project of working with Scatterbomb. “It’s so interesting to learn about the different styles for teams, each team has their little quirks. So I think that was probably the best part, working together with everyone,” she said. Editor’s note: Scatterbomb member Maria Thomas is The Quadrangle’s Assistant News Editor.
In Scatterbomb’s third show of the semester, Fordham University’s improv group, Stranded in Pittsburgh, collaborated with MC students
MADALYN JOHNSON / THE QUADRANGLE
This collaboration was not the first of its kind, as the two groups also collaborated last year.
MADALYN JOHNSON / THE QUADRANGLE
Manhattan College Gets Spooky with Scary Story Contest Nicole Rodriguez & Nicole Fitzsimmons Asst. Production Editor & Staff Writer
Following the success of last year’s contest, a second scary story contest is being held this October. The contest, sponsored by Manhattan Magazine and the English Honor Society, Sigma Tau Delta, encourages all Manhattan College students to participate and get in the Halloween spirit. The idea of a scary story contest was first proposed last year by English professor Ashley Cross, Ph.D., to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein which itself was an entry to British Romantic poet Lord Byron’s scary
story contest. Just as Lord Byron’s scary story contest gave a name to Shelley, Manhattan College’s scary story contest gives recognition to its winner by having their work published in Manhattan Magazine. This year’s contest is judged by Cross along with English professors Adam Koehler, Ph.D., and Dominika Wrozynski, Ph.D. Koehler, who also serves as the Director of the college’s Writing Program, explained the contest’s judging process as a whole and how its judging criteria leaves enough room for student creativity without the fear of being disqualified. “Three faculty read blind, so we don’t know who we’re reading. Then we rank. Then we have a conversation about the rankings. Then through those conversations, we se-
lect the winner. So it’s fair, but it also I think leaves enough room for people to do really experimental things and not get disqualified because they are doing something experimental,” said Koehler. Last year’s winning piece written by senior English major Chloe Burns exemplified how experimental contestants can get with their submissions. Burns impressed the judges by converting her version of a “Date Night” into a horror story. Her ghostly and eerie tone met with a suspenseful mood paired perfectly to end the story with a perplexing twist. Co-President of Sigma Tau Delta and Editor-in-Chief of Manhattan Magazine Teresa Ramoni shared her opinion on Burns’ story and her eagerness to read this year’s winning piece.
“I’m very excited to read our winning piece. I’m currently taking Dr. Toth’s horror films class, and it’s fascinating to see the ways in which the horror genre becomes a means for social commentary—a means of examining the particular fears of an era. I think last year’s winning story, written by Chloe Burns, was a perfect example of that,” said Ramoni. A scary story writing workshop is set to be hosted by Koehler on Wednesday, Oct. 9, in Jasper Lounge at 6 p.m. The goal of this workshop is to help students connect with themselves and one another intellectually through their writing during the Halloween season. He encourages anyone interested in participating in the contest to attend this workshop to help develop ideas and stories, no matter what level of
writing they believe they are. “[Students] who think they know what they want to do but haven’t quite decided, or are on the fence, or kind of questioning their own abilities as a writer or really want to talk to other people about their work, wherever you are on the range or the spectrum of things, we have a series of invention exercises that we do to get you started on your writing. It’s enough before the deadline so that you can kind of like take that and run with it, and then turn in a draft,” said Koehler. The deadline for submitting entries for the scary story contest is Oct. 25. All entries should be submitted to Adam Koehler, Ph.D., through e-mail. Winners will be announced, fittingly, on Halloween.
Sports
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THE QUADRANGLE
Matt Padre Talks About Upcoming Baseball Season Caroline McCarthy & Alexa Schmidt Staff Writer & Features Editor
Junior Matt Padre is an accounting major who is looking forward to the upcoming baseball season. Originally from Fleminton, New Jersey, Padre is a catch and hitter for the Jaspers, playing in 58 games and making 54 starts in last year’s season. Padre took the time to sit down with The Quadrangle and talk about his time here, and what his goals are for the future. The Quadrangle: Why did you choose Manhattan College? Matt Padre: I chose Manhattan because it was the only offer I got to play baseball. To be honest with you it all kind of fell into place. I wasn’t going to come here and play. I was originally going to go to Arizona State and be a regular student but then I got a last minute offer from Manhattan and I just thought it would be a great op-
portunity for me to continue playing. One of my best friends from high school actually got me here. He graduated about two years ago. He’s coming this weekend for the Alumni game. TQ: Can you talk a little about your baseball career at Manhattan College? MP: It’s been great. So far so good. I’ve played a lot which is good because I came here not expecting to play at all. I was added out of nowhere. I was one of the last people rostered. It was really last minute. I signed my letter of intent probably the last possible day, July 31st. I wasn’t expecting much. I don’t know if you know Fabien Pena, he was drafted to the Giants. He was the catcher in front of me so coming in freshman year I wasn’t expecting to play at all. So just overall it’s been great it’s been fun. I was going to quit baseball altogether and now I’m playing everyday. TQ: What does an average day look like for you? MP: This Fall is hectic, absolutely hectic. I wake up early and go to breakfast at like 7:30
every day. I go to the library before class because that’s really the only time I have to study and get work done. Then I have class from 9:30-10:45. So like today, I didn’t go to the library, I slept in. I went back to the library because I don’t really go back to my room, I just take everything with me in the morning. Then it was class, class, then I ran down to Van Courtland. Practice starts at 2:30, but my class ends at 2:45. Then I’m late to work at 5. TQ: Where do you work? MP: At the tutoring center. I do basically any of the business core classes. It’s like a never ending. I’m also on the Board of two clubs, so I always have meetings and whatnot. There’s really no typical day. TQ: How do you balance everything? MP: I kind of just take it one day at a time and one moment at a time. If I look too far ahead, it’s overwhelming. So I have to take a deep breath and focus on I have to do within the hour, what I have to do for the day, and then just make a bunch of checklists.
Padre aims to maintain his hectic schedule while keeping up with baseball this semester. GOJASPERS / COURTESY
Padre chose Manhattan College to prioritize his baseball career and academics. GOJASPERS / COURTESY TQ: What do you plan on doing after college? MP: I want to work in the city. That’s my biggest thing right now. I’m applying to a bunch of different internships in the city. Doesn’t matter which one I get, I just want to work this summer, and hopefully it’ll lead to something. I want to work in public accounting for five or six years, and then maybe go private. But right now I just need to get the job.
TQ: Are you close to playing in VCP? MP: Honestly, I have no idea. I hope it is. I know that Marienne [Reilly] is working very very hard to get us back down there and I think it would help our team tremendously because you get a couple more hours of sleep here and there, less travel. Last year, I kept a document of how many miles we traveled, and it was like 9,700.
TQ: What are you excited for most about the upcoming season? MP: Hopefully the opportunity to play down at Van Cortlandt park. For my first two years, the travel was not very fun. It was seventy miles, so an hour and a half. Mt freshman year, we played Marist at Duchess Stadium, which is 15 minutes from them, but it’s an hour and a half for us. It is what it is.
TQ: Do you have any particular goals for yourself? MP: Just maintain my high GPA and performance on the field. That’s basically it. Those two things are my main priorities. Those two come first all the time. I’m here for school and I’m here for baseball. That’s what I tell myself every time.
Interested in Sports Photography? The Quadrangle Needs You! WE’RE LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCED PHOTOGRAPHERS TO AT T END GAMES AND AT HLET IC EVENTS. BUILD YOUR PORT FOLIO WIT H US! Email us at thequad@manhattan.edu to be added to the photography email list.
Sports
OCTOBER 8, 2019
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Senior Lands Dream Internship with the National Football League Lauren Schuster Social Media Editor
Everybody has a dream job, but for senior Ashley Pajer, dreams really do come true. Ever since Pajer was a little girl, she loved watching National Football League (NFL) games with her family. Once she started college as a double major in marketing and data analytics, working for the NFL became at the top of her list of goals. “I kind of always kept a lookout for the NFL, but you had to be going into your senior year,” Pajer said. “So, I applied, found it online, and kind of tried to network my way to see if I could meet up with anyone or speak with anyone, and it all worked out.” After successfully networking her way in, Pajer started working for the NFL as a marketing intern over the summer. “I specifically worked with the consumer insight and research team, so basically they’re a little different than the rest of the teams in the league because they work with all 32 different clubs, as well as all different departments in the league,” Pajer said. “So, we work with the marketing team since we’re a part of them, but we also work with analytics, we work with creatives, production, we kind of work with everyone.” As part of her work with the consumer insight and research team, Pajer was able to examine the way that fans experience NFL games and what they like or dislike about them. “The biggest thing that I
really got to work on is called the local market report, where we focus on the fan experience and how we can improve that across all 32 clubs,” Pajer said. “So basically this past summer I worked specifically on those reports, so we sent out surveys, and collected the data back from those surveys and then kind of put it into creating a story, whether it was positive or negative but trying to spin it in a great way, to show how we can improve their fan experience overall.” While working for the NFL, Pajer has come to realize the league’s unique qualities that make them stand out as an organization. “There’s a lot of companies out there that everyone knows, but I thought the NFL was different in that it brings everyone together based on an interest, and it’s not just of football, but it’s of what they do and as a league and an organization,” Pajer said. “They do so much for everyone, for the community. This is their hundredth season, so they’re doing a lot this year between philanthropic initiatives, for their alumni, for their rookies, the current players, so that as a whole kind of drew me in.” After falling in love with her internship over the summer, Pajer was then lucky enough to be asked to continue her work into the fall semester. “My biggest thing was just building a network,” Pajer said. “Like I said, this was my dream job, so I kind of wanted to keep it and I wanted to stand out to make myself known. I networked with a lot of people
Senior Ashley Pajer began interning with the NFL this past summer and was invited to continue her work into the fall semester. ASHLEY PAJER / COURTESY in the company in all different departments. [...] So I would say that was kind of my biggest stand out was that when I walked around the building, this is going to sound like I’m exaggerating, but people knew me, they were like ‘hey, Ashley, how are you?’ and then
I just asked and I said ‘if you would like to have me in the fall, I would love to help out,’ and they ended up keeping me on.” For Pajer, the job has become less about the NFL’s fame and more about the work environment she gets to be a part of and the people that she interacts with every day. “Now that I’m there, I can see that it’s just so much more than just a league,” Pajer said. “Now when people are like ‘oh my God, you work at the NFL, that’s awesome do you like get free tickets?’ it’s like no, I don’t get free tickets, I mean I get a lot of gear, but it’s just so awe-
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In addition to professional experience, Pajer experienced networking in a professional setting while building relationships with others at the NFL. ASHLEY PAJER / COURTESY
I thought the NFL was different in that it brings everyone together based on an interest, and it’s not just of football,” Pajer said. ------------------------
some because I feel like I’m contributing to something so much bigger than me, and the opportunities I’m being given and the network I’m building is so awesome, so it’s completely different than I thought it would be.” In Pajer’s experience, the NFL never treats anyone on their team like they’re not important. “The people that I’m working with are awesome, they’re very direct, and they’re so willing to help me,” Pajer said. “Since the day I started I was included on everything, from email chains to meetings to conference calls, literally everything. I was meeting with the Tennessee Titans’ CMO. You don’t get to do that as an intern, and I was being brought in, so that was just super awesome. [...] I’ve done other internships and yes I’ve been given real work, but here I’m on email chains with the Steelers, with the Patriots, with the Jets, and I can see that the work that I’m doing is mattering because the teams are responding and saying thank you.” With graduation on the horizon, Pajer is hopeful about her future relationship with the league she’s come to love so much and has her sights set on a full time job.
Sports
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THE QUADRANGLE
Men’s Soccer Sweeps Two-Game Home Stand MS: MANHATTAN 1, MONMOUTH 0 MS: MANHATTAN 1, QUINNIPIAC 0 Pete Janny
Asst. Sports Editor The Manhattan College men’s soccer team (3-5-0, 2-0-0 MAAC) opened up MAAC play in style with a 1-0 double overtime win over the Monmouth Hawks (0-8-1, 0-2-0 MAAC) on Wednesday, October 2nd. On the heels of their triumph over Fordham on September 24th, the Jaspers needed to follow up that performance with a good showing against the Hawks. Fortunately, the team was able to pull out a win despite not playing their best soccer. In what was a defensive battle, the Manhattan backline proved to be superior, allowing the Hawks to produce only one shot on the night. In the end, the Manhattan offense was able to do just enough to secure the win with Thomas Hitchins burying a one-time shot from just outside the box with 36 seconds left in the second overtime period to clinch the win. Neither team looked comfortable in the opening 20 minutes of action, giving off the impression that this was going to be a dog fight up until the very end. This lackluster beginning was especially frustrating for Manhattan, who as the home team should’ve done more to exploit a dysfunctional Hawks team. Despite being the road team and struggling to find a rhythm on offense, the Hawks still managed to outshoot the Jaspers 3-1 in what was a forgettable half. The second half got off to an electric start with both teams looking rejuvenated. Two minutes in, the Hawks almost broke through when a Monmouth player played a low and dangerous ball into the box that made Manhattan goalie Marcellin Gohier come out further than usual to make a play. Although he was able to quash the attack, Gohier ended up colliding with a Monmouth attacker in what was a scary moment for Manhattan. Much to the delight of the fans and his teammates, Gohier was able to walk off the pain to stay in the game. Two minutes after that, the Hawks threatened again with a long range strike from John Atunes box that was saved back into play by Gohier before eventually trickling out of bounds for a Monmouth corner. After a ten minute stretch in which neither team threatened once, the Hawks took control of the momentum once again. This surge by the visitors led to a fresh set of challenges for Gohier. The French goalkeeper
recorded two more big saves in the 62nd and 63rd minutes respectively to keep the game scoreless. The latter of the two came in the form of an acrobatic save off of a hard shot from Atunes that elicited a resounding applause from the crowd. Through all this, the Jaspers maintained their composure and came close to sneaking one in themselves when in the 64th minute a massive scramble unfolded in the Monmouth box. Unfortunately, the ball was cleared in enough time to prevent a Manhattan player from pouncing on it. With four minutes left in regulation, Manhattan junior Berti Fourrier almost made his team’s struggles a distant memory. Just when one of his team’s counter-attacks looked to be going nowhere, Fourrier tried taking matters into his own hands by unleashing a strike from outside the box that eerily missed the upper right corner of the net. The team would end up having to settle for a chance at an overtime win with nothing else materializing in the closing minutes of regulation. In the beginning of the overtime period, Fourrier was at the head of the attack again for Manhattan, looking to find a way to end things. In the 95th minute, Fourrier gained possession in the middle of the box before firing a shot on net. There wasn’t a better time for Monmouth goalie Sean Murray to record his first save than on this play as he blocked Fourrier’s shot to perpetuate the game. Just like last game at Fordham, this game was characterized by another storybook ending. With 36 seconds left, Manhattan senior Tristan Doran launched one of his signature throws to Hitchins at the top of the box. His one-time shot landed in the right corner of the net to win it for the Jaspers. While the rest of the team rushed to the corner of the field to celebrate with Hitchins, those who were still in attendance got to their feet to salute the team. It was a feel-good ending to what was otherwise an uneventful game. When asked about how special his first-career goal felt, Hitchins showed humility by complimenting the work of his teammates. “We’re a family and we win together,” Hitchins said. “Our depth was what won us this game and we just know we can beat any team in this conference.” Gohier was once again stellar in net for Manhattan, recording six saves on the night on his way to recording his
Senior Lorenzo Froehle salutes the crowd with his teammates after scoring the gamewinning goal in the 34th minute against Quinnipiac on October 5th. GOJASPERS / COURTESY 14th career shutout. With the MAAC season just underway, Gohier has a chance to add a few more shutouts to build on his own school record. Thankfully, Manhattan was able to come away victorious despite Monmouth’s 12-9 advantage in shots for the game. Manhattan played markedly better in both overtime periods as evidenced by their 4-2 advantage in shots over the final 20 minutes of play. Manhattan returned to action only three days later for a showdown with the Quinnipiac Bobcats (3-4-2, 1-1-0 MAAC) at Gaelic Park. After not having any home games throughout their non-conference schedule, it felt good for Manhattan to open their MAAC season with back-to-back home games. More importantly, Manhattan was able to escape with yet another 1-0 win on the strength of a first-half goal scored by senior Lorenzo Froehle. The win came with added importance as it marked the first ever win and shutout for freshman goalie Hunter Kochiss, who was replacing an injured Marcellin Gohier. Manhattan dictated the pace of the game early as they moved the ball around effortlessly to keep Quinnipiac on their toes. With Quinnipiac sitting back, the Jaspers used their success in the passing game to create a few early chances. In the 6th minute, junior Berti Fourrier decided to give the Quinnipiac goalie an early test with a shot from outside the box that hardly made the keeper flinch. Three minutes later, junior Brandon JosephBaudi used his speed to beat a defender on the right sideline before delivering a ball to the feet of senior Felipe Clavijo on the left side of the box. His ensuing shot sailed high of the goal to end the threat. The Quinnipiac offense was
quiet in the first half with the exception of one big chance in the 28th minute. In an open position at the top of Manhattan’s box, Quinnipiac’s Tomas Svecula decided to let one fly, but the shot missed wide of the target to add to the visitors’ frustrations. It was a waste to what was Quinnipiac’s best chance of the game up to that point. Manhattan proceeded to make Quinnipiac’s afternoon even worse when Froehle found the back of the net in the 34th minute. It all started with a clever through ball deep into Quinnipiac territory from Fourrier that was intended for classmate Moritz Riegel, however, the ball ended up being unintentionally redirected by Riegel to Froehle, who finished the job. The goal came precisely 41 seconds after the Alaska native checked in the game, increasing his career goal total to two. The assist was the first of Riegel’s career. Manhattan had no intentions of becoming complacent after scoring the game’s opening goal. Later in the first half, Manhattan’s Joseph Koroma flashed his elite skills when he dribbled past a few players in the middle of the field before eventually losing possession of the ball. Even though nothing was made of it, the play was one of the more exhilarating moments of the half. Shortly after Koroma’s brilliant run, a nice cross from the left sideline led to a header on net by Fourrier, but there was not enough power on it to fool the goalie. Quinnipiac looked like a different team in the second half as they outshot the Jaspers 9-7 over the final 45 minutes of play. Quinnipiac’s most exciting highlight of the night came in the 57th minute when Romain Daniellou badly beat a Manhattan defender on his way into the
left side of the box before firing off a shot that hit the right post. Manhattan got a little lucky to avoid conceding a goal on the play as Kochiss was completely caught off guard by the explosive shot. Quinnipiac’s offensive aggression would only intensify as the half wore on. In the 61st minute, the Bobcats hit another post when Eamon Whelan’s header bounced off the crossbar before being cleared away from danger. During the development of the play, a Quinnipiac player made contact with Kochiss, forcing him to the ground. Even though Quinnipiac didn’t end up scoring on the play, the Manhattan fans quickly came to the defense of their goalkeeper by voicing their displeasure with the head referee for not calling a foul. Manhattan caught another big break in the 72nd minute when a Quinnipiac goal was disallowed for offsides. The illegal goal came off a free-kick cross to the far post that took one bounce before being headed in by Whelan. The closing minutes of the game were characterized by a few last Manhattan chances. In the end, the team’s one goal proved to be enough. The win brought Manhattan into exclusive company with Niagara as the only two teams in the MAAC to start off conference play with two straight wins. Before the game, program held their annual alumni game. There were about 30 former players who showed up to celebrate the history of the program. Manhattan will continue their MAAC season on Wednesday, October 9th when they square off with Iona in New Rochelle. Kick-off for that game is scheduled for 3 PM.