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Volume XCVIX, Issue 2
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NEW YORK, JANUARY 29, 2019
Minimum Wage Increases For Campus Employment Haley Burnside Senior Writer
238th Street: Back in Business Students welcome the return of the newly refurbished 238th Street Station, which opened earlier this January. BRIAN ASARE / THE QUADRANGLE
238th Street Station Repairs Completed Brian Asare
Photography Editor Stair replacement at the 238th Street subway station finally came to an end earlier this month, wrapping up what was nearly a semester-long inconvenience for Manhattan College students and staff. Construction began on Sept. 4 and resulted in the closure of the Manhattan-bound platform to 1 Train riders. It was officially reopened on Jan. 12., yet service did not immediately return to normal. The MTA opted to operate the downtown platform at certain times of the day in order to neatly wrap up repairs and construction. Freshman Chelsea Smith was just one student whose commute was slowed down by the station’s partial closure. “On a normal day without any delays, it took me about 40 minutes to get on to campus but ever since the competition of the repairs now it takes me almost about 25 minutes and I even get to class with a lot more time to spare before my classes begin,” said Smith. She continued.
IN NEWS:
Find out about SGA’s First Meeting on p. 5
“Prior to the 238th Street subway repairs’ completion I used the [Bx9] bus and got off at 238th Street bus stop, but times where I would use the train, I would use the Van Cortlandt Park-242nd Street exit ... and walk all the way to Leo [Engineering Building] mostly because that was where my first class was. When I was leaving campus, I sometimes used the 238th Street uptown entrance then switched to the downtown side when I get to the last stop because that was the train station I had to walk the least to.” Rob Walsh, the newly appointed senior advisor for strategic partnerships, hopes that the improvement of the station will not only stop at the stairs but also the surrounding area because of the potential it possesses. “The 238th Station is one that is heavily utilized by students, faculty and staff at Manhattan College. It will become even more important as we grow and strengthen our South Campus with the addition of a new wing on the engineering building, the new athletic center and eventually
IN FEATURES: The Return of Manhattan College’s Radio on p. 7
more housing,” said Walsh. He continued. “I would like to see the Transit Arts Team get creative and energize the station as they have done in so many others throughout the City - and of course a great big sign pointing riders to our south campus and Gaelic Park.” While Walsh is hoping for beautification of the station, Smith also commented on the lack of noticeable changes despite the months of work. “Apart from the stairs, I haven’t really noticed anything drastically different from how it was before mostly because I started school here around the time repairs started,” said Smith. “I feel like they should have focused more on the entrance section of the train station because, in my opinion, it looks really old and outdated.” According to the MTA’s website, downtown 1 Trains are now making regular stops at the 238th street station. __________________________ PHOTOS ON PAGE 4
The minimum wage for campus employment went up to 15 dollars an hour on the first for 2019. The increase, which has been a hot topic of discussion among student government and the administration alike for the past year, has drawn mixed reviews from the students themselves due to confusion about how their overall income will be affected in the midst of the wage increase and shorter work hours. The official minimum wage increase to 15 dollars per hour went into effect under the current student body president Jaycie Cooper, but she is quick to explain that the credit goes to her predecessor. “The Bishop administration were solely responsible for drafting and creating the minimum wage resolution. It was voted on and passed in both the assembly and in the Senate,” said Cooper. Under the Bishop administration of student government, the increase in minimum wage for campus employment jobs was added to the agenda after being initially proposed by government professor Margaret Groarke. Groarke sees the matter in a simple way. She believes that this increase in minimum wage for on-campus employment positions is an important action for the administration to take. “Students work to earn money to cover their expenses, and thus I think they deserve to be paid a fair wage. If Manhattan College students earn less working on campus than working at a local store, they will leave campus jobs for off-campus jobs,” said Groarke in an e-mail statement. Though this increase sounds beneficial to the student workers, it may not be as positive as it appears. Some student workers have complained about their hours being cut in the new year. Some students have reported
IN A&E:
Learn about Naomi Uy’s experiences in performing arts on p. 10
only a thirty minute difference in their hours from the past semester, while others have seen more drastic changes. The administrators in charge of scheduling have done this so that the departments do not go over their respective budgets. The Center for Academic Success (CAS) is one of the departments that limited employee’s hours. Sujey Ramos, the director of CAS, explained how the department approached scheduling under the new minimum wage. “Whether a student is making more or less than before the minimum wage increase was not most important to us. What was crucial was that no one lost their jobs, and that Manhattan College students continued to have adequate academic support, and we are happy to report that we’re delivering on both,” said Ramos. Ramos stated that, though there were obstacles, the department did not need to cut the staff or reduce the hours that students could access the CAS. “Not one student worker was laid off. But we still had to make sacrifices. We made slight cuts to the hours of students who were not directly involved in core educational services such as tutoring and we slightly altered our hours of operations,” said Ramos. Through this adjustment, Ramos emphasized that the CAS was primarily focused on considering the department’s mission. “For my department, please know that decisions regarding student hours were not made lightly. We’ve spent considerable time examining alternatives, analyzing data and crunching numbers to distribute hours in a way that serves everyone’s needs,” said Ramos. The budgets for student employment are apart of the budget for the department for __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
IN SPORTS:
Men’s basketball falls to Marist on p. 11
Opinions & Editorials
2
the Quadrangle Volume XCVIX, Issue 2 JANUARY 29, 2019
The Editorial Board Megan Dreher Editor-in-Chief
Gabriella DePinho News Editor
Joseph Liggio Maria Thomas Asst. News Editors
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
Alyssa Velazquez Production Manager Sophia Sakellariou Samantha Walla Production Editors
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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THE QUADRANGLE
“Time’s Up” for VAWA Rose Brennan A&E Editor
On Friday, Jan. 25, the federal government was reopened after 35 days of being shut down. It currently holds the record for the longest government shutdown in American history. Because of this shutdown, over 800,000 federal workers were furloughed or worked without pay. The shutdown might have been easy to ignore because many of us are not federal workers, nor do we have profound connections to them. But, especially if you are a woman, you must not ignore the implications of the shutdown because it could have a devastating impact on your livelihood and your rights. At midnight on Dec. 22, 2018, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) expired. VAWA is a landmark piece of legislation drafted by thenSenator Joe Biden (D-Del.) and signed into action by then-President Bill Clinton in 1994 which protects victims of sexual assault, especially those involved in intimate partner violence. VAWA includes provisions such as rape shield laws, meaning if a sexual assault survivor presses charges against a rapist, the defense attorney cannot cross-examine the survivor regarding his or her previous sexual history. Furthermore, VAWA ensures funding for rape crisis centers and hotlines and funding for victims of color, immigrant victims and undocumented victims, among several other resources.
VAWA’s funding was due to be renewed and allocated appropriately when its expiration drew closer in December 2018. But because the government was shut down when it expired, that was not done, and now, the law remains defunct. Furthermore, VAWA is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Justice, which was one of the agencies affected by the shutdown. Because this paper serves a college community, sexual assault remains one of the topics du jour (as it should be). But just to serve as a refresher, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), someone is sexually assaulted in the United States every 98 seconds, and 90 percent of all rape victims are women. The resources provided by VAWA are absolutely essential to this group of victimized people, and now that it has expired, the resources are much less accessible. VAWA also protects victims of domestic violence, which are addressed, albeit to a lesser extent, on college campuses. Because of that, many students might believe that domestic violence is a less-crucial issue because it is not emphasized as much in a college setting, and is discussed seldomly otherwise. But that could not be further from the truth. According to a study done by the Centers for Disease Control in 2017, over half of all murdered women in America are killed in connection with intimate partner violence. Furthermore, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in
four women and one in seven men are victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence is a direct danger to women across America, because every day, three women are murdered by an intimate partner. Remember the days immediately following the 2016 election, when people who opposed President Trump’s election said that people would die because of it? This is exactly what they were talking about. Too many Americans are already victimized by the epidemic proportions of domestic violence and sexual assault, and that number will now increase because the desperately needed provisions that would aid and protect victims have been nullified by VAWA’s expiration. The number of people murdered by domestic violence every day will increase because the president would rather throw a hissy fit over a border wall rather than protect some of American society’s most vulnerable people. A cornerstone of President Trump’s ethic is “America first.” But this is clearly not the case, because his own citizens will die because of his obstinacy. Now that the government has reopened and will remain that way until at least Feb. 15, the time to act is now. Call your senators and House representatives, and ensure the renewal of VAWA remains a top priority while the government is still open. VAWA has saved lives in the past, and if it is renewed, it will continue to do so.
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News
JANUARY 29, 2019
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Title IX Office Provides Forum for Spring Programming Rose Brennan A&E Editor
In an effort to expand and reprogram diversity training, the Manhattan College Office of Diversity, Equity and Title IX held an open forum where students and faculty could share their ideas on the matter. The meeting was held on Friday, Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. in Kelly Commons 4A and was facilitated by Sheetal Kale, MC’s chief Title IX coordinator and director of diversity and equity, her assistant Lindsey Lopez and Tiffany French, assistant dean of students. Representatives from Student Engagement, the Multicultural Center and the Student Veteran Organization were also in attendance. The main goal of the meeting was to gain an understanding of programming the Manhattan College community would like to see in
regards to promoting diversity and equity. “We have quite a diverse student body that may not be as represented as they could be, and so that’s what I’d like to do: schedule programming, bringing people together to talk about these kinds of issues,” Kale said. One event Kale mentioned was hosting Shane Bauer, author of “American Prison: A Reporter’s Journey into the Business of Punishment.” Bauer went undercover as a prison guard in a Louisiana prison in order to write the book, and would be slated to discuss issues with mass incarceration, such as racism and privatization within prisons. The discussion was opened up to those in attendance, who aired several concerns and proposed several ideas about new programming centering around diversity and equity. Hayden Greene, director of multicultural affairs, proposed
programming addressing food insecurities on campus and in New York City as a whole. “Also linked in with food insecurity are the issues of homelessness that we don’t see but do exist on the campus,” Greene said. “It’s ratcheted its way up higher and higher on my priority list and it’s pretty close to the top now.” Jamie Foley, vice president of the Student Veteran Organization (SVO), was interested in seeing how the club could contribute to the discussion surrounding diversity and equity on campus. Foley personally wanted diversity programming to address the stigma surrounding student veterans. “A lot of people see us as damaged; they think PTSD, first thing,” Foley said. “Yeah, we may have had experiences that go above and beyond that of an average college student but we are not all damaged. We are not all broken.”
Tiana Sloan, director of veterans’ success, mentioned having “academic panels” once a semester that focused on certain groups in the military, mentioning minorities in the military, women in the military and engineering in the military. Sloan said the panels were effective in beginning a dialogue between students and student veterans. “Because we are trying to bridge that gap, one thing we might be able to work with this group on is ... trying to create the dialogue between different student groups to help that understanding,” Sloan said. This semester, the SVO is planning to host a panel focusing on women in the military. “We did [women in the military] years ago, it was really well-received, and now we have more female veterans on campus, so that’s something. And we’re also in the discussion of having a
panel about immigrants in the military, because quite a few of our student veterans are not American-born,” Sloan said. One idea, proposed by Michael Steele of Student Engagement, was to find more ways to connect students to Manhattan and other areas of the city. Steele mentioned his office could be a liaison between the two, with which Kale agreed. “We are in the city, and I think … it’s really important to connect with the issues people care about in the city as well,” Kale said. Though the event was attended by 11 people, each person came to the event with a different background and experience and contributed to the question raised by the office of diversity and equity. Follow The Quadrangle for continued coverage of new events hosted by the office of diversity, equity and Title IX.
New Residence Life Director Brings New Visions Gabriella DePinho News Editor
In the wake of Andrew Weingarten’s departure from Manhattan College, a search for a suitable replacement took place, concluding when the college found Charles Clency, a seasoned Residence Life administrator. Clency started at Manhattan in early November, after departing from a position he held for 11 years at University of North Carolina Greensboro. In total, Clency has worked in residence life for 22 years. According to Dean of Students Michael Carey, who served as interim director of residence life, the search for Weingarten’s replacement was national that eventually narrowed down to eight interviews and then five oncampus visits. “It was a really diverse group which we were happy about.” said Carey, “There was faculty involved, too. We had the few finalists and they were all actually really good and they all had different strengths. Charles just won out. He’s really experienced… It just felt like Charles, for what we’re trying to do, just seemed like the right fit and the right experience.” Clency was born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., which is also where he attended graduate school at Canisius College. While in graduate school, he held a graduate assistantship as a residence hall director. Clency was attracted to Manhattan College for a variety
of reasons, both personal and professional, including that he has family in the Bronx and that the college was a good fit for him. “The fact that I was looking to come back to a private, religious sector school and I kind of prefer to be at a smaller school because the relationships you can build with the students, the staff and the peer group, I prefer,” said Clency. “Manhattan College just happened to come on the board as I was looking to make my next professional advancement move. It was perfect timing. It allowed me to capture all of the things I was looking for.” Clency came in during the middle of the fall semester, as students were finally settled into their dorms, at the backend of the molding issue and as other issues were cropping up, but he found that this was what he considered to be the best time to come in. Clency said, “I was asked if this was the best time to come in and people were concerned about my adjustment but I liked coming in at that time because I was able to really get to the root of the problems. There was no sugar coating, no orientation process. Honestly, knowing what I knew from my past, I knew that there was going to be some ups and downs. I just needed to learn the culture.” He recognizes that a lot of the work he’s been doing has been dealing with the infrastructure problems of the residence halls. “I’ve been spending more of my time dealing with physical
structure stuff. I will say, I heard it all when I came in and I saw bits and pieces of how it all played out but I will say that at this point, I think things have improved in the three months I’ve been here… I think our relationship has been superb and it’s starting to show up,” said Clency. While he has only been here for a short few months, Clency has already started generating new ideas and working to improve the office of Residence Life. He also discussed the plan to implement hall councils in association with the Student Government Assembly. “We’re going to put in place some hall councils so we can hear voices and how students are receiving what we’re trying to provide, so they can have a voice in their living experience in terms of building a community. So those are things that will be panned out as we go into fall 2019. I’ve been working closely with [the Resident Student Association], which is our link to SGA, to make that become a reality,” said Clency. Isabel Quinones, VP of residential affairs, talked about her positive experience working with Clency thus far. “He has a lot of good ideas. We’re planning dorm wars for this semester and he likes the idea and I’m hoping to get more of his input on it so we’re going to meet about that… He really wants to give students the chance to be more vocal about the issues that are happening so I think that’s a good idea, giving power to the students,”
said Quinones. Clency also addressed the rumors that have started spreading about the implementation of a two year housing requirement for students. “It will happen as the fall 2019 class comes in. It will be a two year requirement to stay on campus. Anyone who is currently in the residence halls will be grandfathered out, so this won’t be applicable to them,” said Clency. He continued. “Although I’m the person who is set to implement it, this is a decision that was pretty much discussed before I came in,” said Clency. “I’m just the one who knows how to do it. We know there’ll be some patchiness because it’s a different culture but it’s not unique.” Clency explained that anyone whose home address is listed in a believable and feasible commuting distance from the college will not be forced to reside on campus. However, students who decide to reside on campus will be required to stay on campus for two years. For Clency, this requirement comes down to giving students a more comprehensive way to feel connected to the school. However, he doesn’t want commuter students to feel left out, so he plans to partner with Marilyn Carter, the director of commuter affairs, to host student-driven events to bring resident and commuter students together. One other change that Clency hopes to introduce in
the 2019-2020 school year is allowing rising sophomores to apply to be Resident Assistants. As of right now, only rising juniors and seniors can apply for the position, which is how it will stay for this year’s application process, but this stipulation might change in the future. “The goal there is to catch potential student leaders earlier, get them the training and have them impact the community for a longer period of time. Right now we’re capturing juniors and sometimes seniors so that limits how much time you have with them where they can impact the community,” said Clency. He continued. “In my history, I’ve had wonderful RAs who were sophomores and I’ve seen some of them be even more successful at connecting with the freshmen because it’s fresh and they just came out of those experiences.” With all these changes coming down the pipeline, Charles Clency is committed to knowing what students at Manhattan need to have positive experiences in the residence halls, while also using his past experiences and knowledge to move Manhattan College forward. “I knew there was a real need to develop the structure and someone who has a vision on where to take a res life program and I think the students already shared that with Dean Carey prior to me coming in. I guess I fit the bill since they hired me,” said Clency.
News
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THE QUADRANGLE
238th Street Station Repairs Completed
__________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The staircase of the 238th Street station during repairs last fall. BRIAN ASARE / THE QUADRANGLE
----------------------------------------------[LEFT] The refurbished entrance to the 238th Street station. [BOTTOM]Construction began early Sep. and continued until early Jan. BRIAN ASARE/ THE QUADRANGLE ---------------------------------------------------
The newly completed staircase of the uptown entrance to the 238th Street station. BRIAN ASARE / THE QUADRANGLE
Minimum Wage Increases For Campus Employment __________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 which the student is employed, meaning that the limitations and regulations of hours may vary from job to job. Denise Scalzo, the director of the financial aid department, explained how this works. “Each student eligible for work study is allocated 1500 for
that, and then based on their department’s budget we can increase that allocation,” said Scalzo. In the end, all the students working jobs through federal work study will make the same amount of money that they would have made before the increase. As a result, Groarke sees this increase to be a positive. “College Employment and
Federal Work Study students can only earn a set amount of money per year, noted in their financial aid package. If they work fewer hours to reach that amount of money, that seems like an advantage to the student,” said Groarke. “If the college needs student workers to perform certain tasks, they will need to budget more money to pay those students over time.”
According to Scalzo, these changes will not affect the number of work study positions available. “Right now we have around 500 jobs on campus, and we have close to 600 students on work study. We are always looking to grow that program for students, which in turn the school can use as a recruitment and retention tool,” said Scalzo. Scalzo also explained the
efforts that her department is making to further improve the way that campus employment operates for students. “On July 1, the College will switch to online submissions for timesheets. We have heard the student’s request this so that it is more accessible so we implemented it and it will officially go into effect this year,” said Scalzo.
News
JANUARY 29, 2019
SGA Holds First Meeting of the Spring Semester
Gabriella DePinho News Editor
Student Government held its first assembly meeting of the spring semester on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at noon in Kelly 4B, filling in an open position, discussing committee updates and other new or future plans. Mentor System After taking attendance of all assembly members and any club representatives, President Jaycie Cooper announced a new mentorship system for assembly members. “The [executive] board, after going to a conference decided to create this mentorship approach. It’s more of a support and guidance system for you guys so if you’re having trouble with an event or have a question or want to do something on your own, it’s basically a system for you to check in with one of the e-board members,” said Cooper. New Sophomore VP Election Cooper next ordered for an assembly election of a new Sophomore Vice President. Last spring, the sophomore class elected Nicole Diaz and Jack Kornutik as their VPs. Kornutik transferred out so Ireland Twiggs was brought on board as the second VP. Diaz is spending the spring semester studying abroad in Madrid so her seat as VP was left vacant. Cooper called for any candidates off the floor. There was only one person in attendance who ran for the position. The candidate, Nadia Itani, a civil engineering major, e-board member of the Muslim Student Association and member of the Society of Women Engineers introduced herself to the assembly. She said, “I’m pretty involved on campus but I’d like to get more involved in student and I think this would be a good way to get my foot in the door. She was then unanimously elected into the position by the assembly. C o n s t i t u t i o n a l Amendments Update Following the election, Cooper reminded the assembly of what they had voted on during the last meeting of the fall semester. It is now mandatory for assembly members to attend all meetings, with the exception of three excused absences each semester. It is also now a requirement that class VPs jointly host one event and take part in or contribute to two Student Government events each semester. Vice President of
Residential Affairs, Isabel Quinones reminded those VPs in attendance that they are supposed to be a part of the Social Life Committee, which is headed by Casey Monroe, the Vice President of Social Life. “We would just appreciate if the class VPs would attend all the meetings,” said Quinones. Budget Allocations Committee (BAC) There were two clubs, the Investment Club and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), in attendance, presenting to the assembly after being approved by the BAC for their requests. The assembly voted on the exact amounts for each allocation. Representing the Investment Club was senior Austin Staikos, the president of the club. On behalf of the club, he was asking for funding to send eight students to the Quinnipiac Global Asset Management Education (GAME) Forum, which the club has been attending consecutively for eight years. “Early registration ends January 25, which is this Friday. If we register before then, the price is 325 dollars per student and 400 dollars per faculty member. Since we send eight students and one faculty advisor, Professor Enobi, it comes out to about 3000 dollars to register for the event. However, we request 3270 dollars because it gives each student a budget for food and transportation since we don’t stay over,” said Staikos. Ryan Kwiecinski interjected to say that the BAC took out the cost of the faculty advisor because faculty advisors are not covered by the BAC. Though the club requested $3270, the vote would only give the club $1700. The vote passed unanimously. Next up was Michael Lavalle, the president of ASCE, requested funding for two board members to attend the ASCE Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla. “We just elected a new board at the end of last semester and now this is a leadership conference for us to go and learn good ways for us to promote events, get new members and keep up membership and open the board to many other people,” said Lavalle. The club requested a budget allocation of $1600 but the vote was to allocate a total of $1500. The vote passed 19 to 3. Committee Updates Committee updates started with the Club Oversight Committee (COC) led by Haley Nightingale, Vice President for Club Administration. She
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Student Government discussed a new mentor system for assembly members and the election of a new Sophomore Vice President with the Investment Club and the American Society of Civil Engineers in attendance. GABRIELLA DEPINHO / THE QUADRANGLE thanked everyone who went to club training on Tuesday, Jan. 22 and asked clubs to keep track of attendance. The COC is open to having new members join the committee. She also announced that club closets are now nearly ready to go. Each closet will have a label outside listing what clubs are to store stuff inside and the shelves inside the closet are also labeled to help keep things organized. Casey Monroe announced a Social Life Committee meeting for Thursday, Jan 24. at night with Springfest and other smaller events as the main topic of discussion. She encouraged more people to join the Social Life Committee. Isabel Quinones read updates for the Commuter Student Association, headed by VP for Commuter Affairs, Anna Rosario, who could not be in attendance at the meeting. Announcements included information about Advocacy Day, Jasper Books, Career Development Workshops, that the Commuter Chronicle is looking for new writers and that the first CSA meeting will be held on Feb. 5 at 3:30 p.m. in Café 1853. The Neighborhood Relations Committee is preparing for the Neighborhood Luncheon on Feb. 18 in Kelly on the fifth floor. The committee, led by Marshall Strawbridge, is focusing on getting the word out to the Riverdale Community about the event. They are also looking to plan a movie night in March and joining in on the Brust Park Cleanup, on April 14. The Resident Student Association, led by Quinones, has been working on Dorm Wars which is scheduled to be held on March 29 at 8 p.m. in Draddy. She also discussed the
Dorm Survey that was shared with students and encouraged members to fill out the survey and have residents fill out the survey so that she can have more information to work with when she meets with Charles Clency. She also addressed the water issues in Overlook saying, “That has nothing to do with Residence Life or Physical Plant. That’s just the Department of Public Works working and just shutting off our water and not telling us. I was informed by Andy Ryan, the VP of facilities, that the full day shut offs should be done.” She encouraged people to “bombard” Physical Plant about heat and water issues and to put their names and room numbers on the survey she previously mentioned. Kerry Cavanagh, head of the Educational Affairs Committee, announced the upcoming EAC meeting for Feb. 5 and the upcoming “kNOw more” campaign will be Feb. 13 in conjunction with those involved with Players’ V-Day to advertise V-Day. The grade replacement policy, meaning a grade C or lower, can be replaced with a higher grade, was voted into effect during the last EAC meeting. Miscellaneous Jara Giner, the Vice President, announced the start of Jasper Jeopardy, a fun new activity with an ultimate prize of free Spring Fling tickets and a limo ride with a plus one to the event; the first event was hosted the same night as the assembly meeting. Cooper announced the upcoming senior ski trip that took place on Sat. Jan 26. Tickets were $20 to go to the Camelback Resort and was good for the ticket holder to use the ski lift. Forty dollar
tickets included the ski lift and ski rentals. Cooper also announced that the Title IX office would be hosting a meeting for students to discuss diversity programming. Turn to page BLANK to read more about that meeting. Liam Moran, speaker of the Senate, announced the next Senate meeting would take place on Feb. 19. at 3:30 p.m. He also raised awareness of the fact that a professor was holding Wednesday class at noon, which is a listed activity period. Cavanagh told him to send her the information and that she would bring it to the EAC’s attention. Fatoumata Saho, the leader of the Food Service Committee, announced that the committee is looking to expand and to find a better time for the FSC to meet. Cavanagh requested that Saho recommend mozzarella sticks to be added to Locke’s Loft. Chief Justice Anthony DePinho announced that Student Court would be having its first meeting of the semester on Friday, Jan. 25, reminding everyone it was a closed meeting but he would keep the assembly updated about Student Court’s further improvements. Moran asked if the assembly would still be moving forward with a Constitutional Convention, asking if it could be hosted before the upcoming election for the 2019-2020 school year. Cooper said that the assembly would be moving forward with that convention. The minutes were accepted soon after and the meeting was adjourned. The next assembly meeting will be on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at noon in Kelly 4B.
Features
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THE QUADRANGLE
Dorm Wars Revival Set to Take Place this March Christine Nappi Contributor
If you believe your dorm hall is greater than others, gather your friends and prove it to all of campus. Get ready to play games, battle in competitions and bring energy to Dorms Wars: a showdown between dorm halls to prove yours is the best. This March, the Resident Student Association (RSA), Student Government, and Intramurals are reviving the activity “Dorm Wars,” where students play various recreational games and activities to prove why their dorm hall is the best on campus. The event is set to take place on March 29 at 8 p.m. in Draddy Gymnasium. “It’s a nice, friendly competition between the dorms,” vice president of residential affairs and event coordinator Isabel Quinones said. “It can help residents living in whichever buildings, get to know people that they wouldn’t have met otherwise.” There will be various types of activities for students to participate in, and according to vice president of RSA Gianna Pavone, there will be games that “everyone knows.” Students will compete in games such as volleyball, tug of war and three legged races, in addition to other activities that don’t require physical activity. “There’s a lot of different options,” Pavone said. “We’re working with intramurals to
make sure that we have as much fun, interactive games as possible.” Other than the games there will be face painting, and students are welcome to make posters and cheer on their team, without being required to play the games. Quinones describes the event as being more of a “pep rally.” The event is open to all students, including those who aren’t living in a dorm on campus. Commuter students and students that have moved off-campus can participate with any dorm floor they desire. Although students can sign up individually, it is necessary to pick which dorm you will be competing for to remain with the theme of it being a competition against dorms. The dorm halls competing include Lee, Horan, Overlook and Jasper and Chrysostom. Organizers of the event say to have the best dorm, so students should show their team spirit and have fun with the event. Although the event is in March, students should get excited and spread the word about the event. “Start building some team spirit,” event coordinator Steven Owens said. “Try to hype up everybody essentially to get ready for the event.” Points allotted to teams are based on multiple types of criteria such as having the most energy, the most school spirit, and how well each team does in the games. The dorm building with the most points will win a
The Resident Student Association, Student Government, and Intramurals are reviving “Dorm Wars” this March. TAYLOR BRETHAUER / COURTESY banner that will be hung in the dorm hall. Before the events begin, there will be a pre-party where students can socialize with their team members, strategize a game plan, a get energized to compete. Quinones hopes to see not just students competing in games, but also fans there to support their peers. “We wanted to help create building communities in each residence hall and in the resident population as a whole,” Quinones said. Dorm Wars used to be an annual event, yet the last competition was held in 2014. RSA, student government and intramurals hope reestablish Dorm Wars as an annual occurrence. Quinones and Owens describe that bringing the event back would be an opportunity for students to stay active and involved on campus.
“A lot of college campuses have big campus-wide events and we don’t really have that many of them,” Owens said. “This is a good opportunity to get a majority of the school, since we are a small school, into one fun night.” Due to event making a comeback, Quinones hopes Dorm Wars turns into a “legacy” event that can continue in the years to come. “If we can get freshman to be really involved and interested it’ll make it a lot easier to make it a repetitive thing,” Pavone said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun and it’ll hopefully continue to be a lot of fun for years to come.” Freshman Chloe Shea is looking forward to the fun, competitive aspects of the event and what it entails. “If a lot of people sign up I think it’ll be really fun,”
Shea said. “It sounds like a fun competitive thing to do to bring people from each dorm together and to get to know each other.” Students who engage in the event will receive a free t-shirt, and pizza will also be provided for participants. Students can register online before the event to guarantee a spot and t-shirt. Walk-in registration at the door is welcome, yet a t-shirt will not be guaranteed. All are welcome to attend, and as coordinators of the event describe, Dorm Wars will be an enjoyable, interactive activity that will bond the student body. “Get a big group of friends and just enjoy it,” Pavone said. “Just have as much fun as you can.” Register now at tinyurl. com/mcdormwars
Dr. Goma Receives Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award Katie Heneghan Asst. Features Editor
Dr. Ahmed Goma of the O’Malley School of Business was recently honored as a Distinguished Lasallian Educator. This award has been an honor for professors at Manhattan College since 1987. Goma is making a name for the O’Malley Business School as the first professor in the school to be honored for this specific award since 2003. What makes Goma such a distinct member of the Lasallian heritage of Manhattan College is his background. Goma has always had a strong focus on his faith. “I memorized the Holy Quran when I was 10 years old,” he said. His journey as an educator
began in one of the world’s oldest universities located in Cairo Egypt’s, Al-Azhar University, where he studied business and accounting. He worked as a teacher’s assistant and graduated at the very top of his class. He went on to receive a scholarship from the Egyptian government to study in the United States and receive his doctorate at Baruch College. He has a Master of Philosophy in business, as well as a Ph. D. in business with a concentration in accounting. Goma discovered Manhattan College in 1987 when he saw an ad in an international journal when he returned to Egypt that the Business School was searching for faculty. From there, with his connection with New York City, he found his way to MC.
He was drawn to the college for its foundation in faith and its student body. In January, 1989, Goma began his 30-year career as a professor of Business and Accounting here. He says that Manhattan College “has glue on the chairs” as he did not intend to stay here for the entirety of his career, but the warm, welcoming and faithbased environment drove him to stay. As for his teaching policy, Goma has a wholesome and consistent policy of teaching his students. He described his style of teaching as threedimensional.The first tier is that being a professor is “like having a covenant with Manhattan College” and an agreement to teach and provide information to students at the best of your ability. Goma sees this as one
of the most important aspects of his job as a professor. Secondly, Goma considers class “like a worship.” He grew up in a very religious home and he sees teaching as a spiritual and holy experience for him. Lastly, Goma says he “cares for his students like he does for family.” He prioritizes his work and his students and has a unique approach and perspective to teaching. This is not Goma’s first time being honored by the college in his 30-year career. He was honored in Washington D.C at the Conference of American Accounting Association and Annual Meeting of Beta Alpha Psi in August of 2018 as an Outstanding Faculty Advisor. Goma has lead the college’s Beta Alpha Psi international Business Honor Society since 2006. Additionally, in 1992
students voted him, The 1992 Outstanding Teacher in the School of Business. As for the Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award, Goma sees this as a true and sincere honor. Goma lives by the policy that if you “Do it sincerely, you will be rewarded” and sees this award as a gift to his grandchildren. Goma has reduced his course load due to the fact that he is retiring next year and is only teaching Intermediate Accounting, a course he has taught since he began his career in the School of Business. As for a final word of advice to students, Goma tells all his students that no matter what, “College is an investment. Work hard to get a good return on your investment.”
Features
JANUARY 29, 2019
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MC Students Spend Winter Break Abroad Lauren Schuster Social Media Editor
While most Manhattan College students were taking some much needed time off during winter break, some students instead decided to be part of a unique educational experience by signing up for winter intersession study abroad trips. This winter break, more than 10 different courses were offered in six different cities around the world as a part of this program. One of these courses was a 200-level English class called “Literary London” which was taught by Brian Chalk, Ph.D. in London, England. “It’s a two week sprint through English literature, and my intention was for every work to represent to the students a different form of London,” Chalk said. “Like New York, sort of, but maybe even more so, London presents so many different versions of itself to readers.” The best way to get to know these many versions of
London, Chalk finds, is to get out into the city and see what the authors saw. “Our main text was London itself, and I tried to never lose sight of that,” Chalk said. Senior Kaiyun Chen, one of 11 students who went on the London trip with Chalk, found the experience to be unforgettable in a number of ways. “Taking a class abroad, you can actually experience the way that that the writers wrote,” Chen said. “Not just what they wrote about, but sometimes the mindset that they had while writing. When you’re there, you can actually experience what they’re talking about.” Another memorable part of the trip for Chen was the bond that was formed between everyone over the course of the two weeks they spent together. “Everyone was just so different that when you come together, everyone has something to contribute to the group,” Chen said. “Two weeks was really good for bonding time and you’re all going together to experience
something new.” Chalk agreed that an especially unique part of teaching study abroad courses is getting to know the students on a more relaxed and personal level. “I like it because it necessarily lowers the formality of the studentteacher relationship [because] everybody’s guard is a little bit more down,” Chalk said. “We’re living in the same place, we’re eating together, and everybody is dealing with fatigue sometimes, but also just the thrill of spending a Tuesday afternoon walking through Westminster Abbey. I’m experiencing the same sort of astonishment that the students are and it’s wonderful.” Junior Miguel Diaz took a 200-level English class called “Food and Literature” with Emmett Ryan, Ph.D. in Barcelona, Spain. “The best moment on the trip was an excursion that we did which was a complete farm to table cooking class,” Diaz said. “We went to a farm in the countryside where we
Brian Chalk’s 200-level English class poses in front of the Tower Bridge. KAIYUN CHEN / COURTESY picked ingredients, prepared them, cooked them all together in front of a huge open flame in front of a house from the 1600s, then finally ate our meal all together that we worked so hard to create with each person having their own task to complete. That was the excursion that really brought us together and I will always remember the amazing time
that I had doing that.” Chalk, Chen and Diaz all agreed that the worst part of winter study abroad trips is having to come home so soon. “Really the only con I can think of is that sometimes, especially the winter break study abroad, they’re just too short,” Diaz said. “You really fall in love with these places and don’t want to leave.”
Manhattan College’s Radio Makes a Comeback Brian Asare
Photography Editor WRCM, Manhattan college’s student run radio station, has been around since the 1970s, but due to some major setbacks and lack of personnel, the radio station was forced into dormancy in 2014 and had no signs of coming back until now. The revival of the WRCM was definitely something that did not happen overnight. Led by sophomore communication major Samantha Walla, WRCM consists of a new team that worked very hard to overcome a number of obstacles that the old team could not overcome with an addition of some new ones as well. Sophomore Alyssa Tipton is one of WRCM’s newest team members working hard to revive the fallen platform. “WRCM is aiming to build a community of creative, driven and passionate students that will enrich our campus. WRCM will serve as a unique platform, providing great music and innovative content that promotes diversity, tolerance, and freedom of expression,” she said. “This radio station is meant to be a creative outlet for students to voice their opinions on any topic of interest that may attract other students. Whether it be genres of music, food, campus life, or compilations of different personal experiences, the content of WRCM is made by students to ensure the interests lie within more
current and relatable topics students encounter day to day.” She continued. “There have been many attempts to restart the station, however the attempts were rendered fruitless due to either lack or support or lack of structure within the organization,” Tipton said. “We’ve decided to restart the radio station now because we believe that the radio is a dying art form that is the perfect medium in which students can creatively voice their opinions on certain topics and current events with a more colloquial and intimate means of doing so. Many students have expressed interest in WRCM, and we believe that with that support as our backbone we can restart the radio station with a more sustainable and efficient approach than all of the other previous attempts.” Kevin Donald is another of WRCM’s new team member working had to revive the platform. “The radio station is most basically about providing a platform for students at MC to share their favorite music along with their ideas about the world. We are hoping to really form a community here, hosting concerts and other events on campus,” Donald said. He continued. “The station has come and gone a few times over the last couple of decades. We think that putting the station online will revitalize it, and we are hoping that all the excitement
we are seeing around this will really keep the fire burning,” he said. Thom Gencarelli, the founding chair of Manhattan College’s “Next Generation” communication program is the advisor for the radio station. “I’ve been really really impressed with the core group of people who have spearheaded getting this back off the ground because you’re not going have a radio station that is a campus club without students,” he said. He also shed some light on some of the obstacles that the new team has had to overcome to make this come back possible. “We needed equipment and we worked it out beautifully to get the equipment we needed to create an online streaming version of a radio station,” Gencarelli said. He continued. “We also needed space and I want to credit Rob Walsh [senior advisor for strategic partnerships]. Rob Walsh has a weekly program on 1010 wins and he is inviting 1010 wins to campus. He is gung ho about radio and gung ho about the fact that the students want to do this and he’s met with the same group of students a number of times and He is bringing in a 10 10 wins sponsored event to campus. It’s going to be about the Bronx on March 13 and suggested to the administration that to keep the momentum going, For this station we should make the space happen and we should have a ribbon
cutting ceremony as part of that day. Lo and behold the waters parted the sun came out and we’re going to have a space it is going be ready for this for the station to work very shortly. The station space will be completely renovated in RLC research learning center in the form of security booth in time for that event on March 13,” Gencarelli said. It looks like after four years of plain white noise and static, the radio station is coming back to life and it is going to be totally controlled by the students of MC. Programming-wise, the WRCM team are coming up with many promising new ideas that will be sure to keep we the audience intrigued and entertained and we should be able to hear their first broadcast early February this year. To conclude to those who
say radio is dead, Gencarelli had this to say. “I am a media person. As a media theorist and a media critic, We should not think that radio is doomed, that most people in college stream music on their iPhones and on their computers and don’t listen to the radio at all anymore. Radio in its history has already configured itself once,” he said. He continued. “It’s not going away, and it’s not that we are here in Manhattan College practicing radio for people who want to go into the radio business. But we are celebrating radio and its continued existence and the ways in which it is still useful to people, still important to people and still cool,” Gencarelli said. Edtior’s Note: Samantha Walla is a Production Editor for The Quadrangle.
Club advisor Thom Gencarelli outside of the radio station’s studio, located in the Research and Learning Center. ROB WALSH / COURTESY
Features
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THE QUADRANGLE
THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS Golden hour as captured by photography editor, Brian Asare, during January at Manhattan College. BRIAN ASARE / THE QUADRANGLE
Arts & Entertainment
JANUARY 29, 2019
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“Express Taqueria” Opens on Broadway C. Garrett Keidel Sports Editor
Manhattan College students have love supporting local businesses, whether it’s a favorite deli, pizza place or coffee shop; and whenever a new establishment opens up, the excitement builds in the hopes it becomes a local favorite. Recently, a new restaurant has popped up on Broadway called Estrellita Poblana. Located at 5975 Broadway, the restaurant is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and is located only a short walk away from Lee and Horan Halls. As an ‘Express Taqueria’, this new establishments sets out to be a local place to get authentic Mexican cuisine. And with its close proximity to campus and the 1 train 242nd street stop, this restaurant
hopes to be budding with Jaspers. The Ambience When you walk in to Estrellita Poblana, you’re greeted by a fairly small and cozy location with a small dining section at the front of the restaurant. You have the option of having a sit-down dining experience or take out. The overall feel of the restaurant is quaint and cozy. The decor is very stereotypical mexican restaurant. Manhattan Students will feel very welcome having a sit down meal with friends, roommates and the like with the non-intimidating and welcoming atmosphere of the restaurant. The Menu Students will feel very comfortable looking at the menu filled with traditional mexican dishes. There’s a large yet manageable variety of options including empanadas, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas,
tamales, fajitas, other soups and sandwiches and, of course, tacos. All of these items have a variety of options so that everyone can find exactly what they’re looking for. For example, you can have any variety of fillings for your tacos including steak, chorizo, fish, shrimp, carnitas and chicken. Price ranges are also very modest for students looking to shop and eat at local restaurants. Appetizers start at the very affordable price of $2.50, while entrees and the like start around the $9 to $15 price range. For Dinner: Tacos de Pescado On the night of Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2019, I decided to skip Locke’s Loft and try out Estrellita Poblana for the first time. I was in the mood for some tacos, so I knew I would try out one of the various options of tacos. I ended up ordering
the Tacos de Pescado or ‘Fish Tacos.’ The preparation of the food was “3 Baja Style Fish Tacos with Avocado Pico De Gallo and Chipotle Sour Cream Sauce on Flour Tortillas” and tasted absolutely wonderful. The baja style breading on the fish was crispy and tasted extremely fresh along with the avocado pico de gallo. And the chipotle sauce added the perfect amount of spiciness to the dish that made it extremely satisfying. The tacos themselves were rather large and substantial filled to the brim with all of the ingredients. I went in rather hungry and was extremely satisfied with only three tacos to eat. With the Tacos De Pescado costing $13.95, I was also not disappointed and thought that you get exactly what you pay for if not more. Overall Insight With all things being considered, I would definitely
go back and eat again at Estrellita Poblana and I encourage other MC students to do so as well. The food and service is good, mine being prepared in roughly the same amount of time it would take to get a sandwich at a local deli, if not slightly quicker. The price point is roughly the same as well, meaning you do not have to break the bank in order to get more variety in food options near campus. Estrellita Poblana is a great option for MC students looking to try some new food near campus. With its accessible location along with its affordable pricing and options, students should be able to find exactly what they’re looking for. And for an extra special tip, if you’re not in the mood to sit down in the restaurant or wait there while your food is being prepared for you, order online ahead of time and just pick it up in location when its ready!
Book Nook: An Intimate Look at a Disregarded Generation
Rose Brennan A&E Editor
If you’ve never cried over a collection of poetry, look no further. “Love Alone: Eighteen Elegies for Rog” is an intimate look inside the relationship of Paul Monette and Roger “Rog” Horowitz, who were partners during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. Horowitz died of AIDS at the age of 44 in 1986, and was followed by Monette nine years later in 1995. Horowitz’s death was devastating to Monette, and it inspired him to immortalize Horowitz in the 18 poems of the collection. For those of us who are not English majors, an elegy is defined as “a poem of mourning for an individual, or a lament for some tragic event.” This makes the poetic style extremely fitting, as all 18
poems were written within five months of Horowitz’s death. What makes the poems especially powerful is their structure. Every poem is written without punctuation, capitalization or form, making each poem another stream of consciousness straight from Monette’s head and heart. For Monette, writing this poetry was absolutely essential to cope with and move on from Horowitz’s death. “These elegies were written during the five months after [Horowitz] died, one right after the other, with hardly a half day’s poem between,” Monette writes in the collection’s preface. “Writing them quite literally kept me alive, for the only time I wasn’t wailing and trembling was when I was hammering at these poems. I have let them stand as raw as they came.” My personal favorite
poem within the collection is “No Goodbyes.” The poem scores especially high on the tearjerker scale, and provides personal and intimate details of Monette and Horowitz’s life together, making it all the more devastating when put into the context of Horowitz’s death. Monette especially remembers Horowitz’s hair within “No Goodbyes,” and ties it to his life force, and when Horowitz finally succumbs to his illness, there are only a few hairs left atop his head. Even after Horowitz dies, Monette still holds onto his hairbrush, noting that it still smells like him. However, while several of the poems recount highly specific details within Monette and Horowitz’s relationship, that relationship serves as an example of the countless lives that were torn apart by the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.
Had it not been for institutional negligence and overall indifference, this devastation would not have become commonplace among same-sex couples during this time. “Love Alone” truly tells the story of a generation, one that was unjustly ignored because the disease disproportionately affected gay men. Monette writes in the collection’s preface, “I would rather have this volume filed under AIDS than under Poetry, because if these words speak to anyone they are for those who are mad with loss, to let them know they are not alone.” The story of the love between Monette and Horowitz is beautifully tragic, and gives a true insight into the human condition and how it understands grief. In Monette’s own words, “I learned too well what it means to be a people, learned in the joy of my best
Love Alone by Paul Monette ROSE BRENNAN / THE QUADRANGLE
friend what all the meaningless pain and horror cannot take away-- that all there is is love.” Though neither are alive now, Monette’s words and memories of his life with and love of Horowitz live on in this collection of eighteen elegies, beautifully written and tragically delivered.
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Arts & Entertainment
THE QUADRANGLE
Performer Profile: Naomi Uy
RikkiLynn Shields Senior Writer
Naomi Uy, a junior psychology major from Centereach, N,Y., first got into music when she was very young, beginning private piano lessons at about seven years old. Originally wanting to learn to play the guitar, Uy was hesitant– but agreed to learning the piano as her parents encouraged. Fast forward to the fourth grade when Uy began playing violin. That’s when everything came full circle– her parents pushed her to play the piano, knowing it would make learning other instruments much easier. When Uy began high school at her local public school, the performing arts program was just beginning to become popular. Throughout high school, Uy was involved in the orchestra and every other thing involving music that she was able to get involved in. Now, a junior at Manhattan College, Uy is the president of Music Ministry and the vice president of Orchestra. While her decision to come to Manhattan College was more of a last minute thing, the performing arts program seemed to have sealed the deal. “I was having a tough time choosing between Stony Brook University and MC, but I’ve lived 15 minutes away from SBU my entire life so I decided it was time for a change. Before coming to MC, I auditioned for the Performing Arts Scholarship which I decided on doing because I really wanted to hold on to my love of music after high school. From there, I tried
to join as many ensembles as I could. Obviously, I can’t play every instrument so I couldn’t join certain groups like Pep Band or Jazz Band, but I did try my hand at everything else,” Uy said. Currently, Uy is splitting her time between being both an instrumentalist as well as a singer. If she’s not playing the violin, piano, or cello in the Orchestra of Music Ministry, Uy is practicing with Singers or Andrew Bauer’s Album Composition class. She also partakes in even more singing ton of singing when rehearsing with her acapella ------------------------
“When you’re actually performing, you’re in your own little bubble just feeling and trying to interpret the music as best as you can.” ------------------------
group, the Performing Hearts. Outside of the music scene, Uy considers herself to be a huge science nerd, and is completely fascinated by the major she is pursuing as well as the classes she is taking. “I love doing research in psychology and I really can’t get enough of bio. It sounds weird, because few people would consider their collegiate career goals their passions, but I genuinely do. I even got an Anatomy of the Brain and Anatomy of the Human Body coloring
Uy’s passion for the performing arts began when she learned piano at a young age. PERFORMING HEARTS / COURTESY books for Christmas. Those were actually the best gifts I’ve ever received,” Uy said. Following her graduation in May 2020, Uy doesn’t have any current plans that involve music. Regardless, she plans on keeping music in her life no matter what her job may be. “I’ve always had this dream of conducting pit orchestras on Broadway and I have had a bunch of chances to conduct here at MC, which I’m beyond grateful for, but I think we all know that dream is way too far out of reach. I hope I have time to join some community ensembles or maybe help some churches or schools that are struggling with musical groups but, otherwise, MC is basically the last definite part of my performing arts career,” Uy said.
Uy’s dreams go far beyond her musical aspirations, as she hopes to obtain a Ph.D. in neuropsychology in the future. “I really just hope to get into a good graduate school and earn some money to pay off the outrageous debt I’ll be in. I want to get into a Ph.D. program in neuropsychology but not many students get accepted into these programs. I’ll be working hard and crossing my fingers until then,” she said. With graduation a little over a year away, Uy plans to continue with her studies and her love for music, and is thankful for the continuous support she receives from her friends in the Performing Arts department. “The people who really keep me going are
friends that are also in the Performing Arts department,” she said. “It’s so obvious how passionate they are about music without being obsessed with it which is what usually happens at music schools or conservatories. My favorite thing about being a performer is probably performing, honestly. The best part of it is after you’ve performed, you get to see the reactions of the audience. When you’re actually performing, you’re in your own little bubble just feeling and trying to interpret the music as best you can. It feels really rewarding when the audience ends up enjoying your view about what a certain song should sound like.”
Scatterbomb Drops an “Epic Fail” Mariana Duque Contributor
New year, new Scatterbomb tropes! The first show of the semester, on Jan. 25, 2019, was filled with laugh after laugh, video fails, accidents and more! The show started with a video of Kevin Donald and Aedan Roney yelling, “Epic fail” and showing various clips of the Scatterbomb cast doing several activities that made the auditorium filled with laughter. After the clip, the Scatterbomb cast got out to present the show. As usual, they asked the attendees to suggest a place or a word. One girl came up with “library.” This is how the show began: Six kids were in the library talking about tests, and one of them, played by Kevin Donald, wanted to get the answers to one upcoming test he had that was too hard.
There was a rumor of a person that delivered the answers for money. Jenn Bueti played the character called Steve, who was the one who gave Donald’s character the answers for his test under one condition: that he kissed his sister on her lips. The scene brilliantly morphed to Kevin’s character being on Jenn’s character house and trying to talk to his sister, played by Roney. This was very funny to the audience as Donald’s character managed to lock lips with Roney. The audience erupted with laughter as the scene cut back to the library. This cut to Donald’s character saying, “I’m not good at anything!” The other characters tried to console him and cast member MEredith Taylor said, “I watch Downton Abbey,” as they were talking about history and how Donald’s character doesn’t get
it. Suddenly, Erin McWilliams tapped her shoulder and they all tried to recreate a scene from this show, trying to figure out the daily objects of the twenty first century such as: television and the iPhone. McWilliams’ character said: “What is this?” in a British accent, mimicking the shape of a square. The audience exploded. After this, they switched onto a similar skit where a group of guys ended in Williamsburg, Va. with a man that lived in 1874. The guys laughed at the man’s ignorance about the technology we have nowadays. The audience enjoyed Bueti’s delivery of the character. All of this cuts into the library again, where the six characters are talking about a new “smart pill” that resembles an Advil. Another of the women characters had a brush with Stephen and tried to get laid with him for answers to her
Spanish test. The first half ended and the cast suggestd another word. Someone in the audience said the word “cranky” and they all started to go around the stage saying frustrating things until they get into cranky. Donald’s character started the skit. He and McWilliams played two kids fighting playing to keep it down from her mom. Suddenly they run away to their neighbors house and someone anonymously calls to their house, The worried parents, played by Roney and Bueti start parodying “Taken”, saying the famous lines: “I have a particular set of skills. I will find you and I will kill you.” This caused the audience to burst into laughter as they referenced the movie. This cut into a nursing home with grandmothers sewing skirts and talking about their grandchildren. One of
these characters, said that her husband had been a veteran in the Vietnam War. This cut to the grandpa, played by Bueti, to explain a lot of nonsensical things about a place called “Nam” and his grandson not understanding any of it. The audience laughed as Jenn’s character hypnotized in memories of his past. This cut to a variety of scenes such as a Russian dance trying to find an “American spy”, to a guy trying to beat a “tiger” in a dojo. The best moment on the show, however, came when Donald accidentally broke a chair from the set in Hayden 100. The audience couldn’t stop laughing at the reactions of the cast as well as what had just happened. Thanks to this, it turned into the final skit of the night. Their next performance will be Feb. 8 in Hayden 100.
Sports
JANUARY 29, 2019
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Women’s Basketball Freshmen All Win Rookie Award JASPERS TALK Haley Burnside Senior Writer
The three freshman on the women’s basketball team have more than just a love of their sport and team in common. They are all MAAC Rookie of the Week award recipients. D’Yona “Dee Dee” Davis, Kania Pollock and Sydney Watkins made a name for themselves on the court quickly with their impressive stats and high-scoring tendencies. They have scored 289 points between the three of them in their short time on the team. The MAAC has certainly taken notice, and thus honored each of them with the Rookie of the Week title. The Quadrangle sat down with the “Three Stooges” (as Pollock referred to the trio) in order to get their reactions to the awards. In Draddy Gymnasium, Pollock, obviously the mischievous one, bounced with giddy energy beside her teammate Davis, who held herself with a quiet sense of humility despite her incredible talent. To Davis’ right sat Watkins, who beamed in the company of her teammates. On the court, their young age is difficult to detect under their seemingly-effortless ability, instincts and power. Off
of the court, the three displayed such an earnest gratitude at the recognition for their work that is surprising from such a skilled group. Q: How did you find out you won the award? WATKINS: I found out about mine when we were in the locker room after film and Coach B was like ‘can you guys keep a secret?’ We all said ‘yeah, yeah what is it?’ She said ‘Sydney Watkins just got Rookie of the Week,’ and everyone cheered and started yelling. I was very nice that she announced it in front of the whole team. It was exciting. Q: And how did you react? WATKINS: For me, since I was the last one out of the three of us to get it, it felt good. I wasn’t pressuring myself too much to get it. I was just playing and doing my best and it happened. I was very excited. Q: You were the first to win the award. How did you find out? DAVIS: Mine was the cut-tothe-point one. It was announced at the end of practice when we were in a big huddle. Coach said ‘every individual award is a team award,’ and she told everyone I got Rookie of the Week. It was the first time for our program this year, so it felt good but I just knew that these
two [Watkins and Pollock] would definitely get it right after me. It made me just want to push them that much harder. Q: As the second recipient, how did you find out? POLLOCK: Mine happened after a very pivotal practice. We were upstairs in the locker room watching film and one of our managers came upstairs. He acted as if the coaches were mad at us and they were coming upstairs right behind him. We were shook. Normally, I’m the one to do something so I was nervous. But then the coaches came and told everyone I got Rookie of the Week. It felt great, but I was relieved like, “I didn’t do nothing bad this time!” Watkins laughed while Davis shook her head with the type of affection that only teammates could have for each other. POLLOCK: But really, I believe that we all can and will get it again. I was happy that we all got this. Q: How did your teammates react? WATKINS: The team reacts in the most amazing way. It’s like they’re even more happy than you are to get the award. They all jump around and give you high fives. They’re just so happy and so genuine that it makes you even happier to get
an award. POLLOCK: For me, they acted in relief because we all thought we were about to get in trouble. But, you know, our team has a lot of talent, so when we see each other get those awards we know that talent is showing. With talent comes … come back to me, I forgot the quote. Watkins smacked her hand on the table in laughter while Davis went on to answer. DAVIS: When coach says that thing to us about every individual award being a team award, I really get it. I mean, we can’t go out on the court and just do everything ourselves, so we need our teammates and their talent to boost us and push us so we can win awards like this. POLLOCK: With talent comes great responsibility. There we go. THAT is the quote. Q: Considering the fact that you are all so young, how do you feel about the future of the team? All three inhaled deeply and shook their heads, indicating that this question has crossed their minds before. DAVIS: This is something scary. I don’t know of any other team where all of the freshman get Rookie of the Week back to
back to back. I mean, we haveWATKINS: We have amazing sophomores DAVIS: Yeah, our sophomores are all so talented. This is something you hope for and the pieces are definitely going to fall into place. We just have to keep our pace. WATKINS: Yeah, we have to build more chemistry and continue to learn each other and learn from the different coaching styles. POLLOCK: We’re so young compared to some of the teams we’ve played, and we’re holding our own. We have to just keep building. WATKINS: When the experience catches up to us, we’ll be great. POLLOCK: We’re trying to be amazing, astonishing… DAVIS: Our coaches remind us not to worry about how we’ll be in the future, but to stay focused now so we can keep developing. Then we’ll be good in the future. The three all agreed that honors like the Rookie of the Week awards serve as a great indicator that their hard work is pushing them in the direction that they aim to be, and that they will continue to grow their skills on the court.
Men’s Basketball Falls to Marist MBB: Manhattan 46, Marist 62
Pete Janny
Asst. Sports Editor The Manhattan Jaspers (415, 2-5 MAAC) returned home after four straight road tilts to host the Marist Red Foxes (711, 2-4 MAAC) for an MLK Day showdown. With both teams hovering in the cellar of the MAAC standings, this game had higher stakes than the typical mid-season conference game. An early surge by the Red Foxes and an inauspicious Manhattan start positioned Marist in the driver’s seat the rest of the way en route to a 6246 triumph. The Red Foxes preyed on the Jaspers defense early and often in this one. Marist’s lethal introduction was ignited by senior David Knudsen’s immaculate start from downtown. Knudsen drilled his first three attempts from beyond the arc to help galvanize his flank and hastily compromise Manhattan’s
morale. Faced with an early deficit, Manhattan needed to retaliate. Freshman Elijah Buchanan answered the call and stepped up big for his team in the opening stanza. Buchanan finished the first half with eight points by sneakily infiltrating the paint to draw fouls to keep his team in striking distance. Coach Masiello hopes Monday’s game will help accelerate Buchanan’s development. “He’s a talented freshman. He was a great scorer in high school so we know what he’s capable of,” Masiello said of Buchanan. “For some guys it takes a little longer to get adjusted so hopefully tonight he got a little confidence and did some things that could help him.” Marist threatened to bury Manhattan when they opened the second half on a 7-2 run. The embattled Jaspers, however, refused to cave. Manhattan returned the favor with a 6-0 run of their own to
cut the Marist lead to six at 3731. Much to the chagrin of the Manhattan faithful, the Jaspers wouldn’t creep any closer. A three point dagger courtesy of Isaiah Lamb recaptured the momentum for the Red Foxes who cruised to the finish. The final box score reflected Marist’s superior play. The Red Foxes outrebounded Manhattan 34-27 and coughed it up 13 times to Manhattan’s 15. Meanwhile, the offensive woes continued for Manhattan as the team shot an abysmal 34.1 percent from the field to go along with a 25 percent clip from behind the arc. Monday night’s 46 point showing marked the fifth occasion this season in which Manhattan has failed to score at least 50 points. The Jaspers are winless in such games. Knudsen paced Marist with 21 points while freshman Warren Williams continued his meteoric rise leading Manhattan with 15 points. The freshman sensation’s breakout season is highlighted
by nine double-figure scoring performances. With a MAAC record of 2-5, Masiello had no intentions of issuing any bold prophecies for his young team. Instead, Masiello continues to preach patience and insists his team is merely focused on their next
test. “Just go one game at a time. That’s all we do,” said Masiello. Deep down, Masiello knows his team is fighting to stay afloat and is in need of a lifeboat soon.
Freshman Elijah Buchanan goes for a shot at the game on Jan. 21. GOJASPERS / COURTESY
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THE QUADRANGLE
Manhattan’s Second Half Comeback Stunted By Niagara WBB: Manhattan 54, Niagara 58 John Jackson Senior Writer
The Manhattan College women’s basketball team concluded their three-game homestand by playing host to MAAC rival Niagara for a nightly matchup on Jan. 24 in Draddy Gymnasium. The Jaspers experienced a first half in which they never had a lead, followed by a second half in which they stayed competitive up until the final minutes. Ultimately, the Jaspers fell to the Purple Eagles by a score of 58-54. The loss brought Manhattan’s record to 3-14 overall and 1-5 in conference play. Niagara, on the other hand, improved to 9-10 overall and 5-2 in the MAAC. The Purple Eagles started off the scoring as sophomore Emerald Ekpiteta’s jumper put them on the board after 30 seconds. Junior Pamela Miceus’ layup at the 8:30 mark gave the Jaspers their first points of the night, but that remained their only points until junior Julie Hoier connected on a jumper with 2:56 to go in the first quarter. The Jaspers doubled that score by the end of the first, but trailed Niagara 15-8 due to a balanced effort by the Purple Eagles which saw five players score, five rebound the ball and four steal. Defensive efforts on both sides kept things scoreless for the first few minutes of the second quarter. Freshman D’Yona Davis broke that streak at the 6:53 mark with a jumper. Junior Tuuli Menna’s layup 44 seconds later put the Jaspers within three at 15-12. Niagara was able to handle Manhattan for the rest of the quarter. They took their largest lead of the night at the 2:04 mark when junior Maggie McIntyre sunk a three-pointer to make it a 25-14 game. The Jaspers cut that 11 point deficit to seven with 34 seconds to go, but a last-second layup from senior Kharysma Bryant sent the Jaspers to the locker room down by nine. Defense was not the problem for the Jaspers in the first half. As a team they had three steals, six blocks and 25 rebounds. Hoier and Warley led the charge in those categories. Hoier had one steal, three blocks and four rebounds, while Warley had one steal, three blocks and eight rebounds. Both went on to have good games overall. Hoier finished the night with seven points, two assists,
Julie Hoier had a career-high 10 rebounds against Niagara GOJASPERS / COURTESY four blocks, one steal and a career-high 10 rebounds. “I thought Julie played outstanding coming off the bench tonight,” said Head Coach Heather Vulin. “She had a career-high in rebounds, was looking to score, had some big buckets for us.” Warley had five points, one assist, six blocks, two steals and 11 rebounds. It was a career-high for her in blocks and it was the seventh time this season she reached doubledigits in rebounds. “I thought Courtney defensively was great. She had six blocks tonight,” said Vulin. What did go wrong were missed shots and turnovers. The Jaspers were 8-for-27 (29.6 percent) in shooting, including 1-for-11 (9.1 percent) from the three-point line. Furthermore, they turned the ball over twice the amount that Niagara did with a 16-to-8 margin. When the third quarter began, the Jaspers looked like a different team. They continued to make rebounds (13), their shooting was better (9-for19 overall and 4-for-7 from the three-point line) and they limited their turnovers (four). “Well first off, we didn’t turn the ball over,” said Vulin on the team’s good start to the second half. “Also I think we really dominated the backboards. They weren’t really getting any second shots. We were really
forcing tough shots.” The last 3:07 of the third was a straight shootout between the two teams as they scored a combined 18 points. Davis started things off during the stretch by cutting Niagara’s lead to 34-31. Watkins followed 31 seconds later by sinking her second three-pointer of the game to tie the game for the first time of the night. McIntyre answered back with another three, only 14 seconds later, but then Watkins again hit a three to tie things up 22 seconds after that. “Obviously Sydney’s a tremendous shooter,” Vulin said in regards to Watkins’ three-point shooting in the third. “She’s only a freshman, but she does a great job and she’s not shy about trying to make a big shot. She doesn’t hesitate, and that’s a big thing. A shooter needs to have that sway, that confidence.” McIntyre scored her sixth and final three of the night with 1:12 to go, but Davis ended the eventful quarter with a three of her own with a second remaining on the clock to make it a 42-40 game in Niagara’s advantage. After Manhattan outscored Niagara by 22-15 in the third, they set themselves up for a competitive fourth with momentum on their side. The Jaspers took control of the game for the first half of the
quarter as sophomore Makela Sini, Hoier and Davis gave them a four-point lead. Things went downhill for the Jaspers beginning at the 5:13 mark when the Purple Eagles went on a 12-2 run to give them a 54-48 lead with only 1:51 to play. That stretch helped solidify the Purple Eagles’ victory and they ended up handing the Jaspers a narrow 58-54 loss. “I thought second half, the team really made a great game of it,” said Vulin. “But unfortunately the turnovers at key times came back in the second half. And it’s hard, when you lose 27 possessions to win a ballgame in the MAAC.”
Manhattan played Marist on Jan. 27 in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., but have returned to Riverdale to defend their court for another three-game homestand starting on Feb. 1 at 7:00 p.m against Fairfield. This means that over the course of nearly three weeks from Jan. 18 to Feb. 7, the Jaspers will have played in front of their fans in Draddy for six of their seven games. “I think it gives us a chance to kind of get into a little bit of a rhythm,” said Vulin. “Hopefully at home the rims are a little more friendly. I love being at home, I love playing in Draddy. I think it’s a tremendous atmosphere.”
Manhattan junior Courtney Warley and Niagara senior Adila Gathers during tip-off. GOJASPERS / COURTESY