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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MANHATTAN COLLEGE | SINCE 1924
Volume CII, Issue 3
FREE
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
One Manhattan Office: OnCampus Infection Rate Remains below 1% Anna Woods
Asst. News and Features Editor
Remembering 9/11 On the 19th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, MC community members placed flags on the quadrangle in rememberance. DEIDRE HEAVY / THE QUADRANGLE
Sigma Delta Tau Elects VP of Diversity and Inclusion Maria Thomas News Editor
In response to the growing momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement and national reckoning with systemic racism in America, Manhattan College’s chapter of Sigma Delta Tau has instituted a new diversity and inclusion committee. The committee is headed by Senior Nicole Nunez, vice president of diversity and inclusion. Junior Gabi Panassol is the assistant to Nunez. Two other sisters -- Jilleen Barret and Molly Prior -- are also on the committee, consisting of four sisters total. With the creation of a new position comes a trial period in which responsibilities are still being established. Nunez has been figuring out the logistics
of her position with each passing day. “My position is a new one to our chapter so I am in an interesting position where I get to write my own job description,” Nunez said. “But, in its most basic description, my job is to foster a diverse and inclusive chapter for women of all backgrounds to feel comfortable and included.” Panassol has been a member of the sorority for a year, after rushing last August. She recounted how the sorority sent out an email at the start of the national BLM protests making their support for the movement clear. Panassol felt the email was not enough, and did not want the sorority to engage in performative activism. “I spoke out in our group chat being like, I don’t think this is enough because I feel like it’s a lot of saying and not
IN FEATURES: How Students feel Voices on the about the return to Quad are back on p. 7 school on p. 5
IN NEWS:
a lot of doing,” Panassol said. “And then Ireland [Twiggs] came to talk to me. We had a great conversation, she listened to my ideas, and I could definitely see that she wanted to be more than what we are now.” As for now, Panassol simply assists Nunez in any way possible. “If she asks me to do something, I’ll do it for her. It’s still very new, so we’re both kind of like, we don’t know exactly what to do,” she said. “But I just help her out when she needs it and I kind of shadow her.” The first thing the diversity committee has pioneered since their creation is a “Diversity Inclusion Media Club” within the sorority. “Nicole or me or any other __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
On Sept. 12 the One Manhattan office sent an email to the Manhattan College community with updates regarding news that there were “no recorded positive test results on campus during the week of September 3-9.” The email also included more information regarding the rate of infection, as well as adding a new guideline to testing policies. Since Aug. 13, there have only been three positive cases out of the 1,628 tests done on campus. The email goes on to add that “one additional individual who was on campus also submitted a positive test result from an off-campus test site” and every individual has been following proper isolation protocol according to the CDC and Department of Health guidelines. As of Thursday, Sept. 10, the current positive test rate on campus is 0.18% while the positive test rate for New York City as a whole was 0.7%. Additionally, the college ended its second week of random testing. The steering committee also used the email to introduce the “Manhattan College COVID-19 Dashboard,” a new way to access weekly updates of testing and those in quarantine. The Manhattan College COVID-19 Dashboard includes information regarding the number of students in quarantine, the number of tests done on campus, and the number of positive individuals. However,
IN A&E:
Players are back on p. 8
there is an asterisk that states “*total number of positives is only reported here for individuals that are on-campus or have accessed on-campus resources. These individuals may or may not have used onsite testing.” The email also included information on hygiene stations around campus. Due to “the unfortunate rampant theft of disposable face masks,” they will no longer be replenished in those stations. However, hand sanitizer buckets will continue to be replenished. Additionally, “the One Manhattan office will be conducting a survey of other areas on campus where we can make disposable face masks available to the Manhattan College community.” Students and faculty members are still required to complete the COVID-19 Daily Symptom Tracker. However, the college has implemented new “orange passes” to the tracker. These passes “indicate that an individual is not in compliance with the College’s testing policies for campus access, or has chosen to work or attend classes remotely.” Orange passes bar students and employees from visiting campus until their COVID-19 test results have been submitted. The committee included links to two virtual training sessions next. The email said that “these sessions will include information about how to guide employees and students during the semester.” The sessions will be held on Tuesday. Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. and Friday, Sept, 18. at 10 a.m.
IN SPORTS:
MAAC 40th Anniversary: Rowing on p. 12