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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MANHATTAN COLLEGE | SINCE 1924
Volume CII, Issue 12
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NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 17, 2020
MC Professor Receives Grant for Renewable Energy Research Shannon Gleba Copy Editor
Manhattan College’s Electrical and Computer Engineering department has been awarded a grant sponsored by the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia to work alongside researchers at Florida International University and Prince Sattam Bin AbdulAziz University in Saudi Arabia. In total, the grant is $2 million, with MC receiving an allocation of With one week of on-campus classes left, Jaspers are encouraged to continue taking safety seriously. $330,000. The lead investigator of SARA MILANO / COURTESY the project is Mahmoud Amin, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the college. In addition, Professor Osama A. Mohammed, professor and associate dean of research at Florida International University, and Professor Fayez Fahim Mohamed El-Sousy from the Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz in University will be working came just as the city was expe- tests after Friday, Nov. 20 to ev- towards completing this Grand Pete Janny & riencing a 2.3 percent positive eryone but student-athletes, es- Challenge. Lauren Raziano rate over the course of seven sential employees and students Amin will be able to lend his planning to remain on campus knowledge in renewable enerdays. Sports Editor & Staff Writer In the same email, school during break. gy sources in order to work toThe slight uptick in cases wards completing the 36-month A resurgence of coronavi- officials encouraged students rus cases is unfolding in New to continue to be responsible on campus comes after a no- long project titled “Multi-objecYork City and across the coun- and careful upon arriving home table coronavirus scare in late tive Multi-Purpose Applications October which sent several of Energy Storage in Electrical try, causing many to believe for Thanksgiving. a “second wave” has arrived “Guided by the New York residents assistants into close- Power Systems with High Peneight months after nationwide State Department of Health, we contact quarantine, according etration of Renewable Energy.” lockdowns first began. With are encouraging a precaution- to multiple sources. Although As described in the project Thanksgiving Break a matter ary self quarantine for those information about the matter information, “The main goal of of days away, the college is hop- who may be traveling home was not formally disclosed by this project is to develop a ing to finish the semester off for Thanksgiving,” the email the school, The Quadrangle mathematical model for the later learned that the decision optimal operation of hybrid enwith a limited number of cases. stated. The coronavirus situation All resident students and to place the resident assistants ergy storage systems (HESSs) on campus has grown slightly resident-commuter students into isolation was the result that enable high penetration of worse, but is still not at a con- will be required to undergo exit of one of them being exposed renewable energy.” cerning level compared to oth- testing before departing for the to a student who later tested In addition to the intener schools. Nine new positive holiday. On-campus testing will positive for the coronavirus. tion of creating the mathematicases were reported in an email also be available for commuter According to the Manhattan cal model, Amin also hopes to sent out on Nov. 12, increasing students, and any student get- COVID-19 dashboard, several encourage students to get inthe positive test average to 0.8 ting tested must do so within students entered close-contact volved in the research, as well percent over the past 14 days nine days of leaving campus. __________________________ as work to modernize the Susafter sitting at 0.3 percent the Enzo Labs and Imperial Phartainable Energy Systems LaboCONTINUED ON PAGE 3 week before. The new update macy will stop administering ratory in MC’s Leo Engineer-
MC Preps for Thanksgiving
MC Sees Uptick in Cases Ahead of Break
IN NEWS: Campus Dining Gets Mixed Reviews on p. 3
IN FEATURES: NYC Reacts to Election Results on p. 5
IN A&E:
Isaac Slade Rocks Virtual Quadchella on p. 6
ing Building. Presently, Amin is in the process of choosing students to be his assistants, with no final decisions having been made. “One of the main contributions of this project is to involve undergraduate students and graduate students,” Amin said. “So, there are opportunities for students to be hired under such a project as a research assistant for me. I am also working on developing new courses from this project, as one of the main outcomes of this project, [is] to establish new courses in the area. In addition to this, we are also working to upgrade our lab facilities.” Sources of renewable energy have become increasingly important over the past few years, and Amin recognizes that it is important to introduce his students to the study of green energy. He personally completed his own masters and doctorate degree in the field, and has continued to do extensive research since joining MC’s staff in 2012. “This area is actually one of the most promising and rapidly evolving areas, not only in the nation, but I think worldwide,” Amin said. “One of the challenges currently is climate change, and the high amount of carbon dioxide in the environment. So, worldwide, everywhere is trying to move towards this direction, capturing energy from green energy sources, that is mostly the motivation for the future.” Dean of Manhattan College’s School of Engineering Tim Ward understands the importance of research for students in the school as it prepares them for working in the field and their future careers. Ward said, “The School of Engineering looks forward to commencing this grant and seeing how it will aid our students and faculty.”
IN SPORTS:
Former Men’s Lacrosse Star Goes Pro on p. 8
Opinions & Editorials
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the Quadrangle Volume CII, Issue 9 November 17, 2020
The Editorial Board Gabriella DePinho Editor-in-Chief
Maria Thomas News Editor
Nicole Fitzsimmons Anna Woods Asst. News Editors
Alexa Schmidt Arts & Entertainment Editor Managing Editor
Jilleen Barrett Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor
THE QUADRANGLE
LET T ER from The Editor Hi readers! I hope you’re all well and that you had the chance to really enjoy our special issue last week. Coming off of such a time- and energy-consuming issue, it can be hard to put out another great paper, but like always, The Quadrangle staff delivered. Though only eight pages, this issue packs a punch with great coverage in each section. We actually had some great work that we held, so I hope that gets you excited for next week’s issue.
I want to commend everyone for doing their due dilligence in protecting each other as the semester has continued on. If I’m Whit Anderson Asst. Sports Editor being honest, when I moved into my on-campus room in August, Pete Janny Sports Editor I was convinced the college would be shut down and we’d be Samantha Walla Managing Editor Production Manager shipped home by Oct. 1. As a result of the hard work of the C. Garrett Keidel college’s contact-tracing team and the adherence to necessary Social Media Editor Emily Hollar mask-wearing and social distancing mandates, we’ve managed Asst. Photography Editor Brian Asare Asst. Production Editor to make it quite far. With cases rising, I have no clue what will Photography Editor happen for the spring semester, but I’ve had more of a senior year than I thought I was going to, and for that, I am truly, very Kelly Kennedy personally grateful. Nicole Rodriguez Christine Nappi Features Editor
Asst. Production Editor Madalyn Johnson Katherine Heneghan Web Editors 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. via Google Meet. All are welcome to come and join the club.
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As my tenure as Editor-in-Chief will end in just two weeks, after our election on Nov. 24, I am beginning to look back on my experience. When I stepped into the role, I had no clue what challenges — including the pandemic — would lie before me, but I was able to get through all of it because of the great team that works tirelessly each week. We have all grown together. This team has truly been remarkable to work with and I cannot wait for us to give you one last issue next week.
Sincerely,
Gabriella DePinho
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.
News
NOVEMBER 17, 2020
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Campus Community Sees Uptick in Cases __________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 quarantine on October 30th and were not allowed to leave until Nov. 13. Close-contact quarantine is for students who haven’t tested positive but were exposed to at least one person who had tested positive within 14 days. This is different from isolation quarantine, which is required for students who either test positive, experience symptoms before knowing test results, or have suspected cases. According to the dashboard, the number of close-
contact quarantines for the school reached a record-high 25 students on Nov. 5. But at the same time those quarantines were taking place, only a few suspected cases actually materialized into positive test results. After the weekly email on Oct. 29 confirmed only one positive case, the follow-up email on Nov. 5 only reported two cases. For other schools in the northeast, including some fellow MAAC institutions, health conditions have reached a tipping point. Both Sacred Heart Univer-
sity and Quinnipiac University in Connecticut are on red alert after experiencing recent outbreaks, prompting the former to go fully remote for the rest of the semester while the latter has shifted online temporarily, according to multiple news outlets. Schools on red alert prohibit resident students from leaving campus and commuter students from stepping foot on campus to further prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, Iona College has had well over 100 cases among students this semester,
including an outbreak back in mid-October that forced the school to go entirely remote for two weeks. In regards to athletics, the status of the impending college basketball season seems to be a legitimate concern. As of Nov. 14, 29 Division 1 men’s basketball programs across the country had paused activities due to complications with the coronavirus, according to a tweet from Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Six MAAC basketball programs were on that list, two of whom—Marist and Canisius—are scheduled to
play the men’s basketball team within the first four games of the conference season which is scheduled to start on Dec. 8. On-campus coronavirus testing for the spring semester is tentatively scheduled to begin on Jan. 19 in anticipation for the start of classes on Jan. 27. Similar to the fall semester, every member of the college community will be required to complete a test in order to be allowed back on campus. Any updates regarding this process will be reported on when made available by the school.
Campus Dining Has Seen Mixed Reviews, So Far Pete Janny & Jocelyn Visnov
Sports Editor & Staff Writer The fall 2020 semester has featured changes to the two oncampus dining areas located at Locke’s Lofte and the first floor of Kelly Commons. Students who utilize these spaces for meals have had to adjust to the services of Aramark, while others have been forced to accept the reality of not having a nutritionist around to help them. The school’s partnership with Aramark was initiated before the start of the semester and was originally met with significant pushback from students. The college community became concerned with the company’s alleged history of racist behavior, and thought the transition couldn’t come at a worse time given the eruption of Black Lives Matter activism over the summer. However, students have had no choice but to come to terms with the new provider, and the focus has now seemed to shift to the quality of the food. “I would rather buy grocer-
ies and make myself stuff than have to worry about if Locke’s is going to make something that I want to eat,” Madeline Byrne, a sophomore at the college, said. “Because that’s another thing you don’t get a lot of options.” The menu at Locke’s has frequently sparked concerns among students over the years, but the lack of a nutritionist this semester has amplified those concerns. As a result, students who tend to rely on advice from an on-campus nutritionist are no longer receiving the professional support they desire. Shawn Lawda, a professor of kinesiology at the college, noted the educational and overall health-related benefits to having a nutritionist on a college campus. “Having professionals that specialize in nutrition is a benefit, so students have another resource to be educated and make better choices,” Ladda said. The need for a campus nutritionist is especially important for individuals with food allergies and specific dietary restrictions. Being allergic to
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substances like gluten or dairy or having any number of dietary restrictions can make it hard to navigate the challenges of finding food in a dining hall, thus giving rise to the need for a nutritionist. “I don’t know if that means a dietitian needs to be found and hired and step up and be like, we need to get these kids more things to eat,” Byrne said. The effects poor nutrition has on one’s day-to-day functioning have been closely studied. According to WebMD, the consequences of poor nutrition can manifest in mental health issues, dental problems, and a constant feeling of tiredness, among other things. “The impact is overall poor health, less energy, lack of focus, and more likely to get sick because of a compromised immune system,” Ladda said. “Having healthier eating habits can make a big difference — and regular exercise.” Aramark asserts they are doing what they can to be versatile in the meal options they provide. They have organized their operations around several different stations which
are supposed to help students navigate the meal plan. The current setup is tailored to protect against common food allergens, including milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, soy, wheat, and shellfish, as well as a gluten-free station. “From a culinary standpoint we have introduced eight different brand concepts, including True Balance, a stand-alone station that offers innovative meals without seven of the eight most common food allergens,” Sean Ames, the on-site General Manager for Aramark, said. “We also solve for gluten by eliminating wheat, barley and rye ingredients for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.” Then there are the standard processed foods, like fried chicken sandwiches and burgers, which are offered at virtually all times of the day. Many students end up taking these foods if they don’t want anything from the speciality menu, or from other spots like Tex Mex and the carving station. However, the addition of a nutritionist, Byrne says, may be the first step in the right
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direction toward improving this situation. Still, the school would ultimately have to make the call on hiring a nutritionist; not Aramark. The dining service still consists of many of the same staff members from previous years, and up to this point Ames is happy with how things have gone despite the rocky reception the company received after the school announced the new partnership over the summer. “In the interim, I can you tell that in the 4 months of being on campus, Aramark has worked hard to cultivate an enriching relationship with the entire Manhattan College community,” Ames said. Whether the food is enriching enough is debatable, but without an on-campus nutritionist some students don’t know where to begin when trying to establish a well-rounded diet on campus. Byrne encourages students not to remain complacent if they’re unsatisfied with the dining experience on campus. “If you don’t like something, then change it.” Byrne said. “You have the power to change it.”
Features
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THE QUADRANGLE
Tiny Talks: “Lasallian Values and Access Control: Rethinking Campus Intimacy & Hook-Up Culture” with Jess Villano Jilleen Barrett & Lauren Raziano
Asst. A&E Editor & Staff Writer The Multicultural Center and the Lasallian Women and Gender Center co-hosted a Tiny Talk on Nov. 11 focusing on research done by senior Jessica Villano. Her research, which focused on social life at Manhattan College, is called “Lasallian Values and Access Control: Rethinking Campus Intimacy & Hook-Up Culture”. Though many would think this issue solely affects resident students, the access control policy creates a problem for commuter students as well. Villano discussed how she analyzed the way commuters felt about this policy. “The common theme amongst commuter students was how excluded they felt on campus by the policy,” Villano said. “It was from commuter responses that I was able to see just how isolating the policy was to some groups on campus and how it was not in line with an inclusive community.” Villano mentioned that while the policy seems to act under the guise of safety, it appears to mostly prevent Manhattan students who do not live in the same dorm hall, Manhattan commuters, and outside students from interacting with each other. “The policy negatively affected the students by limiting their interactions between the other students on campus and other dorm halls as well,” Villano said. “It limits basic bonding activities between students like studying, being friends with other people who live in different dorm halls, and now are cutting short the time that they have to be able to deal with them.” Senior Alison McCormack attended the talk and thought it touched upon a lot of important aspects of student life. She told The Quadrangle how the policy has actually made her feel less safe as she has been forced to leave a friend’s dorm if she was not a resident of that building. “There were many times where I would get a call from public safety [and] residence life at midnight, or 2 a.m., depending on the night, sitting safely in my friend’s apartment in OV, being told I have to go back to Horan,” she wrote in an email. “This meant I would have to do a 10 plus minute walk alone in the middle of the night. Especially being a woman, the thought of doing that walk can be terrifying. Most
of the time, this resulted in me just staying home.” Another aspect that Villano found in her research was that there is a conflicting understanding of Public Safety’s presence on campus. Public Safety officers are only in Horan, Lee, and Overlook, where visitors must sign in with the officer on duty in order to enter the hall. Conversely, the visitor policy is a lot more relaxed in Chrysostom and Jasper given there are no Public Safety officers who check for sign-in processes for visitors. This difference in the placement of Public Safety officers generates two different types of responsibilities and experiences of having guests on campus. Villano’s research also examined how the school views same-sex couples. The policy only permits for same-sex persons to be overnight guests, while opposite-sex students require additional hosting from
for respecting others as the policy does not respect relationships between others. “This goes against the Lasallian value of ‘respect for all people’, because as a member of the LGBTQ+ community they may not have their relationships legitimized by the institution that they’re going to, and that is not respecting their own sexuality and sensuality of others,” she said. In an email to The Quadrangle, Villano spoke further about how this policy affects the LGBTQ+ community and why she does not see the problem as a mistake. “I don’t necessarily think that it was an oversight,” Villano wrote. “We go to a Lasallian institution which means that we are working under Catholic ideology. This aligns with Catholic ideas that there should be no sex before marriage and not fully recognizing LGBTQ+ relationships as legitimate either. So, no, I don’t think it was an
“I look forward to hearing their feedback of the project and hopefully give them insights to ways in which the policy can respect already present campus cultures and uphold the Lasallian values through school policies,” Villano said. another student on campus. Though same-sex couples can use this rule to their advantage, Villano spoke about how it delegitimizes their relationship. “The policy does not recognize LGBTQ plus relationships in the dorms since they allow for same-sex overnight guests but not opposite overnight guests to stay in the same room,” Villano said. “This insinuates that nothing intimate will occur between the samesex couple, but that something will between the heterosexual couple.” Villano argues that this clause is hypocritical of Manhattan’s core Lasallian values
oversight as it is fully in line with ideas of Lasallians and Catholicism, but that does not mean that it should be continued especially when it does not fully recognize members of our campus community.” The results of Villano’s research found that while the purpose of the policy was most likely instituted as a way to protect students and prevent them from sexual contact, it also hindered students from spending meaningful time with their friends. “The policy seemed to want to hinder these sexual relationships with students,” Villano said. “However, in the sur-
vey that I conducted, it showed that students were more concerned with basic bonding and academic activities, then they were hookup culture and it wasn’t as much as a concern as the administration may have thought.” Villano offered solutions to these policies, such as increasing dialogue between students and administrators. “I think that the policy needs to introduce student voices into the process of policymaking,” she said. “I think the key is to meet students where they are and use their input to create a policy that not only protects and respects students but also bolsters the Lasallian values and virtues that the school holds as core ideas. To do that you must add student voices into the conversation to create policies that take into account student lives as well as Lasallian ideology.” She believes that when students and administrators are both a part of the conversation, the problem can be more easily resolved. “We can bolster the Lasallian values that the college is trying to bring in, as well as the values that the students already have and kind of create that center in the meeting complete meeting both places where they are in essence,” Villano said. Beyond that, Villano feels that there needs to be a set of rules available to students so they know exactly what the policy is. “There needs to be an accurate document that the students have information from and can see and view and be able to see where changes have been made,” Villano said. Ashley Cross, Ph.D. was the faculty advisor for Villano’s research and feels students should have more of a say in how they can interact with each other. “I support Jess’ conclusions completely,” Cross said. “Students should be involved in policy decisions that affect them. They should have access to the policy in a complete written document. And I also agree that students are adults, who should have more freedom to make their own choices about guests, friends, and intimate partners.” COVID-19 has intensified the need for access control for the sake of students’ safety, and Villano touched on that. Cross spoke about how she sees COVID policies working in the future. “COVID, of course, changed everything, and part
of what I think Jess hopes, and I agree, is that doing this makes sure that the really clamped down policy that exists under COVID does not become the norm once COVID is resolved,” Cross said. “We hope that Jess’ ideas — her toolbox of how to make policy that creates an inclusive community in line with Lasallian values — are taken seriously and put into effect when we are on the other side of COVID.” McCormack agreed and gave a student’s perspective on the need for these policies. She also offered a reminder that the strict rules enforced by the administration are not all due to COVID, but have been in place since last year. “I completely understand the COVID policies,” she wrote. “It is important to monitor students based on greenpasses and whether or not they go here as we are trying to stop the spread of a global pandemic. However, to say that all of the strict rules on overnight guests and visitors are because of COVID isn’t true at all.” There has not been feedback given by public safety or residence life as to how the policy has impacted them but Villano hopes to present her research to those departments. “I look forward to hearing their feedback of the project and hopefully give them insights to ways in which the policy can respect already present campus cultures and uphold the Lasallian values through school policies,” Villano said.
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Features
NOVEMBER 17, 2020
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Senior Writer Sophia Sakellariou Says Goodbye to The Quadrangle Kyla Guilfoil Staff Writer
After three and a half years of contributing to The Quadrangle, senior Sophia Sakellariou will graduate from Manhattan College and face the chaotic world of media in New York City. Sakellariou will graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, with a focus in journalism and a minor in political science. She did not always intend to graduate with such a degree, as she changed from a chemical engineering major to a communication major just days before moving onto MC’s campus. Nonetheless, Sakellariou became involved in The Quadrangle the first opportunity she had. “I knew I wanted to do journalism, but I knew nothing about it, I’d never written before, so my first day I literally felt like a fish out of water,” Sakellariou said. “The energy in the Quad office was crazy, everyone was excited and hadn’t seen each other during the summer, and I was just the new girl in the corner.” Despite a startling jump into the world of journalism at MC, Sakellariou loved it from the very first day. She asserts that even as a freshman she felt that everyone on The Quadrangle staff was welcoming and eager to help her learn and grow as a journalist. “It really is a family,” Sakellariou said.
Sakellariou began as a staff writer for The Quadrangle her freshman year, but took on the position of production editor her sophomore year. She was naturally drawn to the writing role of the paper but felt learning about production would allow her to be a more wellrounded member of the publication. “It was fun because you get to do the writing side, but then be a part of putting it all together,” Sakellariou said. “So every week when we read through the issue, it was so cool to see ‘oh I laid out this page, or I did this.’ And even though some Sundays I did not want to sit in the closet [Quad Office], looking back I definitely really miss it.” Now as a senior writer, Sakellariou has brought her skills to other positions around the city. Currently, Sakellariou is a Managing Editorial Intern for an e-book publishing company, and was surprised by how many journalism skills have become useful in a publishing position. “It’s very similar to what I did for the Quad, with layout, because I was the Production Editor, but now I’m laying out e-books,” Sakellariou said. “I never would have thought of publishing, but a lot of the skills I learned through the Quad and the journalism curriculum are helpful in this role.” Sakellariou also interned at a start-up digital magazine for a few weeks last year called “The Plunge.” The publication
was aimed towards men getting married, which Sakellariou remarked was “super-niche”, but she felt that it was very impactful to get to see how an actual real-world publication functions from the inside. Despite learning from her internships, they haven’t exactly matched what Sakellariou planned to pursue when beginning at MC. Sakellariou hopes to move towards the television sector of the news industry after she graduates. “Definitely with the media, just because you have a plan, it’s not going to go that way, but it’s okay, and that’s what I’ve learned from my internships,” Sakellariou said. “Media is a very competitive field. I knew that before, and I knew it would be hard, but I still know it’s what I want to do with my life.” Sakellariou has taken advantage of her remote-learning status this semester to focus on job hunting. She is applying to about ten jobs a week now, mostly to television networks like NBC. Part of her process has included reaching out to people, and networking with fellow Jaspers who work at companies she is interested in. “To have people in my corner pushing my resume for me has been really nice,” Sakellariou said. “I’m really good at rushing my life. Like when I was in high school I just wanted to get to college, and when I was in college I just wanted to graduate and get a job. So I’ve been ready for this for a while.” Considering the COVID-19
pandemic’s effect, Sakellariou was surprised to see so many entry-level jobs available at television networks in the past weeks. “I guess that’s a perk of journalism, you’re always going to need news,” Sakellariou said. “People are reporting nonstop, 24/7, so it’s nice knowing with journalism your work is always going to be needed.” Sakellariou also cited the common claim that ‘journalism is dying’, adding that most people that she hears say that either watch the news every day or read the paper every day. In some form or another, these critics still consume news on a regular basis. Reflecting on the hard work of journalists in the field, and of her student colleagues at The Quadrangle, Sakellariou feels that journalists are misunderstood in today’s society. “The Quadrangle staff are the smartest people I’ve ever met, and based on people on campus or even in the world in general, I feel like journalists — especially student journalists — are so discredited for how much they know,” Sakellariou said. “Especially now with ‘fake news’, people don’t love journalists. But I still love the work, because I still know it’s important. So at the end of the day that helps you deal with all the bulllshit.” She added that student journalists choose to conduct interviews and write stories, while managing classwork and sports or clubs.
“When I looked through the Special Issue [which ‘The Quadrangle published on Nov 10, 2020], it was amazing [and] I was just so proud of everyone,” Sakellariou said. “I think that [issue] was really important to show that even through the pandemic, we’re serious and we’re working hard.” Sakellariou’s love and pride of The Quadrangle is tremendous and she is excited to see where other Quad members will work one day. “I can’t wait to see where everyone lands, because I know we’ll have someone at ‘The Times,’ we’ll have someone at ‘The Wall Street Journal’,” said Sakellariou. “I’m so happy I did the Quad, because, seriously, they made me fall even more in love with journalism, and with the people that are involved in it.” Sakellariou’s final reflection of her time as a Quadrangle staff member is this: don’t be afraid. “I used to be afraid to pitch stories and put ideas out there, but that’s how you go through the process and learn things,” Sakellariou said. “The Quad is not a place that will shut your ideas down. It really makes you confident. Like, even though I’ve never been in a real newsroom, I feel confident enough that if I got an entry-level position somewhere I wouldn’t shy away, because the Quad makes you realize that your voice is important and your voice matters, and that’s so important in a newsroom.”
New York City Prepares for Riots; Instead Hosts a Rave Caroline McCarthy Staff Writer
Faced with intense political turbulence, Manhattan businesses boarded windows in preparation for the 2020 presidential election results. What was predicted to be a day of rioting and destruction was instead a city-wide celebration when the Biden-Harris campaign was announced as the President and Vice PresidentElect. Some Manhattan College students were among the thousands of other New Yorkers who flocked to popular locations in the city, including Washington Square Park and Times Square, for an impromptu celebration on Nov. 7. “It was one of those things that had been building up for the last four years, but really the last year and a half,” Jessica Solan, a senior communication major, said. Solan compared the feeling to a gigantic weight being lifted from her shoulders, making her want to celebrate alongside others who felt the same relief. “I don’t think it was a plan
[to go to the city],” Solan said. “I think all of a sudden we were like ‘We need to celebrate.’” Solan received word of the Biden-Harris victory via a Facetime call from her two best friends. To commemorate the moment, she blasted the Miley Cyrus hit “Party in the USA,” made a patriotic-themed Tik Tok, and opened her window to hear the city’s reaction. Times Square and Washington Square Park became hubs for socially conscious, mask-wearing ralliers dancing in the fountain and flooding the streets with blue. Shouts of “USA! USA! USA!” and “Trump, you’re fired!” echoed through the city as neighborhood after neighborhood erupted in celebration. “It was like Pride plus BLM plus Fourth of July plus Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Solan said. Washington Square Park, which was built on land used to execute and bury slaves, was the central point of the celebration. Despite the history of and ongoing protests against racial inequality, the country elected the first Black, Asian, and wom-
an Vice President. Some people played music from speakers, others had signs and others just took in the sights. According to senior Camryn Holly, one of the most lasting images of the day was when a man took out his trumpet and began playing the melody to “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” and the square echoed back with the popular chorus. Holly, who was in the West Village for a friend’s birthday lunch, did not expect to witness such a triumphant celebration. “We were definitely keeping an eye on what was happening because we had said if someone is named the winner and there are riots and stuff like we were going to reschedule the lunch,” Holly said. “We only heard about one and we’re seeing videos online and people like dancing in the streets and stuff they’re like everyone’s just having a good time.” Senior Ireland Twiggs also joined the celebration at the park after she too had the feeling of a “large cement block” being lifted off her shoulders. “The atmosphere was intox-
icating, impossible not to feel or want to be a part of,” Twiggs said. “It was such a beautiful sight to see people waving the American flag and embracing what it meant to [be] American.” Following President Trump’s frequent attacks on Twitter and in speeches against those who do not agree with his policies, many found a feeling of new patriotism as a new ticket was elected to the office. The division had many questioning if they were seen as treasonous for their political views, race, gender and ethnicity. The NYPD were peaceful observers throughout the festivities, observed to have only stepped in to keep the party-goers safe from traffic and overly rowdy participants. “I mean, they’re New Yorkers too,” Solan said. “I’d assume most of them had similar votes.” Businesses who prepared for the extreme civil unrest with heightened security were met with overwhelming joy, as some participants painted the boards protecting these storefronts with Biden-Harris flags
and blue decorations. “I didn’t notice anyone being disrespectful to property or other people,” Twiggs said. “It was a celebration of happiness and no one was there to cause destruction. It definitely felt as though the measures were overcautious.” Still, a different outcome may have warranted these precautions, as both the Republican and Democratic parties promised to not take this election lightly. In a year marked by a number of unique events — from the pandemic to a rise in social justice movements — this election was sure to be different than others before. “It could have been any other year I’m sure it still would have been happy and a celebration,” Holly said. “But I think given everything that everyone’s gone through this year it was especially nice to have that win.”
Arts & Entertainment
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THE QUADRANGLE
Quadchella: MC Hosts Isaac Slade of The Fray Madalyn Johnson & Adrianne Hutto Web Editor & Staff Writer
On Friday, Nov. 13, the college hosted their annual Quadchella, which provided an opportunity for the MC community to unwind from the hectic semester while getting to listen to an artist chosen by the student body. Although Quadchella did not take place on the quad this year, the event still lived up to its promises of delivering quality, live entertainment to Manhattan College. The artist chosen to perform at Quadchella 2020 was the promised act for SpringFest 2020, the lead singer of The Fray, Isaac Slade. Student Engagement planned to set up the event as a webinar so students could interact and take away more from the event besides just live music. “He’s going to be performing some of his songs and we’re going to be doing a panel of all different questions about his career and his background and some like fun facts about him in between each song that he sings,” Gianna Gaudio, a graduate assistant for student engagement, said. Besides working to ensure a fun experience for students, Student Engagement purposely timed the event late into the fall semester. The office wanted participants, regardless of if they were on campus or back home, to come to the event and
enjoy live music right before a Thanksgiving break that would drive students out of campus until 2021. “I think that overall, you know, the climate right now did play a role,” Shannon Ortega, the Student Engagement coordinator, said. “We try to stagger out events so that as students were trying to figure out what their schedule was, whether they were on hybrid mode or fully remote, just allowing students to kind of gain understanding for their schedules and so that was a driving factor in terms of staggering events this year.” The Manhattan College class of 2020 was in the back of the minds of administrators when organizing the event. Due to their senior year being cut short last spring, the class was deprived of experiencing many important events like SpringFest, and so the school wanted to invite them back to give them another chance to experience some fun. “We wanted to make sure that they were able to be invited back for something fun on campus because they did miss out on that opportunity, so that’s why we thought it was extra important to extend that invite to them so that they felt that they were welcome back,” Gaudio said. “We told them that they would be welcomed back for an event this year because they had missed out, so we want to make sure that that was a priority.” Student Engagement re-
flected on how there are many benefits to hosting an event with a popular artist online. “We saw this play out with what was said from last week with Cody Ko,” Ortega said. “A lot of students that log in are home and remote, so with a normal Quadchella, you’re usually on campus so that’s really kind of your experience with your friends. But now you can incorporate your friends at home or your sister or, you know, your siblings because you’re home.” Several students coordinated the webinar as Slade performed many early 2000 favorites. Among the group of coordinators was Student Body President Shannon Gleba, who perceived this year’s Quadchella as a success, thanks in large part to the proactive efforts of Student Engagement during an unprecedented semester. “Student Engagement took the reins on communicating with Isaac’s manager and planning the event,” Gleba said. “Isaac said it was his first time doing a virtual concert like this, and I feel like it went super well and like he, as well as MC, had fun.” Besides being a part of the webinar, Gleba is a senior who watched what would be her last Quadchella at Manhattan College. She reflected on how pleased she was to see Slade play in her final Quadchella experience. “I really enjoyed my time at Quadchella this year,” Gleba said. “It is crazy to think this will be my final one at MC, but
I am thankful we had such an amazing artist like Isaac Slade to close it out.” Freshman Katie Gilmartin got to experience Quadchella for the first time this year. It was Isaac Slade himself who influenced Gilmartin to check out the virtual event. Although Gilmartin was well aware that Manhattan annually hosts Quadchella, she came into the experience not knowing what it was going to be like. “I honestly didn’t know what to expect, I figured it would be a bit like an online lecture,” Gilmartin said. “It turned out quite nicely, though, with both music and a Q&A with the Fray. It was moderated by a couple students, who served as great hosts.” Gilmartin supports how student engagement viewed virtual Quadchella as an interactive way to include a variety of people into the live show, not just MC students on campus. “I’m a commuter student, so sometimes there are events that I miss out on due to a hefty commute home or an event being too late in the evening,” Gilmartin said. “The virtual setting worked well, it allowed me to participate from the comfort of home. Also, I was able to share the event with my family; I’ve got two younger sisters in high school, and it was such a treat to share Quadchella with them.” But like most, Gilmartin mentioned she would have preferred an in-person event, if it were possible this year.
“There’s something special about sharing an experience with other listeners around you, all tuned in to the performer, collectively appreciating the music and having a good time,” Gilmartin said. From a senior’s standpoint, the annual concert being held online was as enjoyable as it could have been given the circumstances. Senior Kerry Brosnan shared how this year’s atmosphere changed her perception on her last Quadchella in comparison to the others she’s attended. “Definitely not as engaging as previous Quadchellas where we’re all on the quad together, and eating from food trucks and just generally having fun on a Friday,” Brosnan said. “Quadchella usually signifies the end of the summer season, so having it now was different from years past. In-person events are generally better because there’s a more exciting atmosphere and physically seeing a performer is more captivating.” Brosnan was still grateful Student Engagement and Student Government have been continuing the hard work to organize these types of virtual events that feature amazing talent. “Given the current circumstance, it’s great that we’re able to have events even if it is through a virtual format.” Editor’s Note: Shannon Gleba is Quadrangle writer.
Issac Slade performing Look After You during virtual Quadchella. MADALYN JOHNSON / THE QUADRANGLE
Arts & Entertainment
NOVEMBER 17, 2020
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“Fighting the Flame of Burnout”: LWGRC Hosts Slow Burn Rountable Jilleen Barrett & Caroline McCarthy
Asst. A&E Editor & Staff Writer The Lasallian Women and Gender Center teamed up with Women in Business to continue their ongoing series called Slow Burn, where students discuss their experiences with burnout. This lecture primarily focused on the effects of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jordan Pascoe, Ph.D. was involved in the creation of the series during the fall of 2019. The event typically has only one speaker, but they chose to utilize students to speak to their experiences with burnout on the panel, creating a more personal touch. Pascoe wrote in an email about how she felt the issue of burnout needed to be discussed on campus more. She noted that it largely affects women, which is why she saw it as important to have female-led groups address the problem. “Stress and burnout are some of the most common experiences we see in students (and faculty) in the LWGRC, and we think this is both a gendered problem, as well as a generational one,” Pascoe wrote. “Students often feel like they need to be ‘on’ all the time, and like there is no distinction between their work and their leisure, and there’s no point where the student workday is ‘over.’ And this is often worse for women, because of how entitled both people and institutions tend to feel to women’s time, labor, and emotional support.” Samantha Walla, a Gender Justice Advocate within the LWGRC, was the student host
of the panel. In her opening remarks, she addressed that the issues of burnout were not expected to be solved in a 50-minute period, but rather to be explored and addressed. “It’s not really like anybody’s an expert here, and I don’t want any of the panels to feel like they have to like offer strategies or fix the problem of burnout,” Walla said. “[The panel is] really to expand the conversation and like get everybody feeling like you’re not alone.” Sophia Sakellariou, a second semester senior studying remote this semester, initiated the discussion by addressing how burnout is affecting her as she attempts to finish her last few courses of college at home. “When I was living on campus with friends, they would kind of calm me down in a way, like if it’s a Friday afternoon and I’m working on something,” she said. “But now that I’m home, I don’t have that, so I literally will just work through weekends so by Monday, I’m exhausted.” The event was organized as an opportunity for women at the college to adjust to what can feel like a male-dominated environment, while balancing personal and professional relationships and challenging the stereotype of a woman who “has it all.” This semester, the event has evolved to include the male perspective as Joseph Corrao was invited as a panelist. Corrao, a second semester junior civil engineering major, spends most of his time travelling to and from campus as a commuter student. His schedule is more scattered than other commuters because of his major, and he typically finds himself on campus from early
in the morning to eight or nine o’clock at night. After a stressful semester of never-ending homework, projects and commuting, Carrao also finds himself fighting the burnout. “When I’m feeling good is when I procrastinate,” Carrao said. “And then I end up doing all my work when I’m tired.” One of the most prominent voices in the conversation was Andrea Gorrin, an English major living on campus. Though she is a student learning inperson, she has felt the effects of burnout while taking several courses online. “In terms of Zoom and Google meet, it’s been super hard for me, but I think it’s also because of the fact that I’m not used to being stuck in front of my cell phone or my computer all the time,” Gorrin said. “It’s hurt me a lot. I miss that dynamic of the classroom.” Ashley Cross, Ph.D. was a key organizer of this meeting and noted that she felt the same way about learning virtually. “One of the things that I miss about being in the classroom is that when you go into the classroom,” Cross said. “There’s lots of noise … everybody’s talking you know, checking in. I miss that about not being in the classroom. [It’s like] when you walk into a party, you get a sense of the room. It’s like there is an effect in the room and it affects you. And I think that’s true about classrooms too and for some reason on Zoom meetings, it doesn’t work that way.” Along with the shortcomings of online classrooms, many clubs and organizations are also falling short of expectations during this virtual semester because of the limited opportunity for in-person inter-
actions. “I don’t think we’re handling it to the best of our abilities,” Corrao said. “It ends up being like, maybe five of us in person and like Kelly or something and like two people online … It’s a hassle because we want to make this as accepted as accessible to as many people as we can but at the same time nobody wants to be here and then like the other half of the clubs that I’m in don’t meet at all.” Destressors are vital to fighting burnout on a college campus. The lack of physical congregation only adds to the threat of students procrastinating, failing or giving up. There is no one-size-fits-
all solution to slow burn, but Pascoe offers the advice of creating boundaries between your life and your stressors — whether that be zoom classes, leadership positions, work or family — setting clearly defined hours of your work day, and simply acknowledging that stress lives in your body so that you may find ways to relieve it or ask for help. “We all need an outlet for releasing stress like hobbies or exercise,” Pascoe said. “Call in your community, either to ease your burden, or to help you rethink and reform the structures that are leading to burnout.” Editor’s Note: Samantha Walla and Sophia Sakellariou are both Quadrangle writers.
The ongoing series dismantles the stress culture that rewards overloading and encourages burnout. @MC_LWGRC / COURTESY
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Sports
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THE QUADRANGLE
Former Manhattan Lacrosse Star Kelson Borisenko Goes Pro Whit Anderson Asst. Sports Editor
Not too long ago, Kelson Borisenko was just a student with a vision. But through hard work and dedication, his vision has become a reality. Fast forward to today, and the former Manhattan lacrosse star is now a professional athlete. Borisenko was taken in the fourth round of the 2020 National Lacrosse League Draft as the 64th overall selection by the Saskatchewan Rush. “I started playing when I was about seven or eight years old,” Borisenko said when talking about his early connection to lacrosse. “I started in Winnipeg, which wasn’t a big lacrosse community. So for my senior year I went to play at a school in Toronto, and that’s how I ended up at Manhattan.” Borisenko realized that in order to amplify his profile he had to leave the familiarity of his home for the big city. He attended The Hill Academy, a private high school known for having one of the best lacrosse programs in Canada.
The risk Borisenko took was consistent with the mentality he still has today. He’s always been one to envision his goals, then go after them with hard work. “I didn’t always know if I had the ability,” Borisenko said. “It’s just that I wanted to do it. I never really gave myself an option. I was always going to work as hard as I had to in order to get there. The hard work then made me realize I could go pro around my sophomore year of college. That’s when teams reached out and word about me started to spread through the press. So this kept me working with the same mindset to get to that next level. And it ended up working out.” As Borisenko acknowledged, the possibility of him going pro really came to fruition during his tenure at Manhattan College. He was a captain for three years and one of the best defenders in the MAAC. On top of being the head of a defense that gave up a conference-best 9.33 goals-per-game in 2020, he was the key cog in Manhattan’s renowned man-down defense
that was one of the best in Division 1 lacrosse. He even managed to tally two goals and six assists despite offense not being his position. Borisenko accomplished so much at Manhattan in such a short time, but his biggest takeaways from his experience were the lessons he gained. “The biggest thing I learned is that your coaches can only take you so far,” Borisenko said. “At the end of the day, you have practice for two to three hours a day six days a week, something like that. But you gotta think that everyone is doing that. Everybody across the country is doing that exact same thing. So if you want to find a way to separate yourself from the pack and be an elite player, then you just gotta find a way to do more.” It’s no coincidence that Borisenko developed into a player that the NLL wanted as someone who combines natural talent with an admirable work ethic. Although he was by no means a lacrosse prodigy growing up, his unwavering commitment to outwork others helped propel him to the professional ranks.
Borisenko has always been determined to never let anything alter his work ethic, and that included the possibility of him not getting drafted. “There was definitely some doubt,” Borisenko said when reflecting on the emotions of draft night. “I was projected to go higher than when my name was called. But I was fortunate enough to be selected by the Rush. But I knew I had to keep the same mindset. So if I wasn’t called it wasn’t the end of the world. It doesn’t matter how you get there. So if I didn’t get selected, I would start thinking of other ways to get there, how I could work harder, and just keep pushing.” Thankfully for Borisenko, he did get drafted and is solidified on a team. But he also knows this is just the beginning, and therefore is aware he has to prove himself all over again. In the end, it is the same mindset that has carried him this far that will also be a key ingredient for him to have a successful career as a professional. “I’m always working to stay ready for when the time comes.”
Former Manhattan lacrosse star Kelson Borisenko turned professional in the sport he loves after being drafted 64th overall in the National Lacrosse League by the Saskatchewan Rush. Before that, he helped anchor the Manhattan defense for three years before his senior season was cancelled due to COVID-19. GOJASPERS / COURTESY
Kaya Simpson ‘23 Named Manhattan SAAC Diversity Chair Shannon Gleba Copy Editor
As part of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s United for Justice Campaign which began in August, the MAAC encouraged its eleven schools to expand their Student Athlete Advisory Committees’ Executive Boards to include a Diversity Chair. This year, sophomore exercise science major Kaya Simpson, who is a sprinter on the Manhattan track and field team, was chosen for the role to represent the school. To learn more about his background and his plans in the position, The Quadrangle spoke with Simpson after the announcement of his naming to the Executive Board. The Quadrangle: What made you choose to apply to be the Diversity Chair on SAAC this year? Kaya Simpson: Honestly, I saw it as an opportunity to put myself out there and do something new. I talked to a couple
of my teammates and they thought it would be something good to start and add a fresh mind to it since I am young and I like to be open and have raw, open conversations. So, I felt like it was a good fit. TQ: What insights do you think you can bring to this position? KS: Like I said, I am still young and I feel like I have been exposed to a lot of different people, and I am involved in a lot of different groups. I am a military child, so I have lived in a lot of different areas across the country. So, I have been exposed to a lot of different peoples’ opinions and views. I have a good understanding of how we can bring people together and include different backgrounds and make sure we are focusing on educating one another and not just forcefully putting stuff on each other, Making sure we are holding each other accountable and educating each other and not just forcing our opinions on each other without background information.
TQ: Why do feel it is important for all MAAC schools to have a Diversity Chair on their Executive Boards? KS: It is something that is not talked about a lot and I think it was a great thing for the MAAC to make those initial steps. Back in May when everything was pretty heated, and a lot of discriminiation and racial problems started coming up, I felt that it was important to know that as student athletes we have the support of our Athletic Departments and our conference because we work really closely with them. I felt like knowing that we have another person or another group that supports us is a big thing. TQ: Looking forward to the rest of the year, do you have any plans that you have been working on with SAAC so far? KS: We just finished with the NCAA Inclusion and Diversity Program that was two weeks ago. Since the semester is still wrapping up and everything, I think it is important
that we look forward to next semester since it was pretty sudden. Since we are coming back at the end of January, I think we talked about maybe doing a campaign during Black History Month. Also, focusing on different student athletes and maybe highlighting different initiatives. Definitely during this time, during break, working on different things we can start promoting every month for the next semester. TQ: Since you have been in the position, what has the feedback generally been from the rest of the Board and other student-athletes at the school? KS: It has been really eye-opening to see that you have support from so many different people. People I don’t even know, I have now become friends with and I have gotten recognition about it from people I have never really even spoken to.
Sophomore Kaya Simpson of the men’s track and field team is currently serving as the Diversity Chair for Manhattan SAAC. The position was inaugurated this summer in light of the social unrest across America. GOJASPERS / COURTESY