THE
Q
Vol. LXXXXIII Issue 4
UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924
Sept. 16, 2014
www.mcquad.org
Drive-by Shooting Near OV Still Under Investigation by Police
Michelle DePinho, Kristie Killen & Kyleigh Panetta
News Editor/Managing Editor & Staff Writers NYPD officers responded to a 911 call at 445 West 238th St. at 11:51 p.m. on Sept. 7 to investigate a report of shots fired. The shot was fired at An Beal Bocht, a bar located next door to the Overlook Manor dormitories. No one was injured in the incident. A report from the 50th precinct stated that the responding officer was met by a male who said he had heard shots fired. Officer Cordero of the 50th precinct said that the incident is still under investigation and the detectives on the case do not know whether the shot was fired from a BB gun or an actual gun. Manhattan College students were made aware of this incident through a public safety email that was sent on the morning of Sept. 8. “On Sunday, September 7, 2014 at about 11:45 p.m. unknown passenger(s) in a black auto possibly a Honda Civic drove by the "An Beal Bocht Cafe" and fired one gun shot from the auto toward the front of the An Beal Bocht Café,” the email stated. Kelly Commons security footage from that night shows a dark sedan speeding down Waldo Avenue towards Manhattan College. Three students also appear in the video walking down the sidewalk. Juan Cerezo, director of public safety, said that one of the students seen in the footage was interviewed regarding their account from that evening. “Patrons of An Beal Bocht who were there the night of the incident said that the shooting happened very quickly and that there was a lot of confusion afterwards as
The shot was fired in front of An Beal Bocht, a popular local bar. Photo by Kieran Rock. to what actually happened. “The witnesses that cooperated with the police that day, the people that were sitting inside the bar, were not students,” Cerezo said.
Cerezo said that Manhattan College is cooperating with the 50th precinct by providing them with video footage and any other information possible. Locals and employees of the various
establishments, including An Beal Bocht, were surprised by the incident. They think it was more of an initiation thing because they could have shot at the windows,” Bronagh Harmon, employee of An Beal Bocht, said. She said the shot was fired at a dog bowl on the ground and there was no other damage to the property. “The cops haven’t been up since and there’s been no investigation,” she said. “We just heard that there was a black car, someone was in it,” Khalid, employee of New Riverdale Deli, said. “But we do not know who the target was.” Shootings like this one in the Manhattan College area are not a common occurrence. “This is a great neighborhood,” Cerezo said. “We’ve always considered this the country club of the Bronx.” Cerezo has worked at the college for many years and said he only recalls one other shooting incident in the neighborhood that occurred off-campus at the Lounge, a bar across the street from Horan Hall. Crime statistics for this area are on the decline as a whole according to data provided by Inspector Rasa of the 50th precinct. Robberies, assaults and transit crimes are down from last year. There was only one homicide in that same time frame and it resulted from a shooting. Rapes have increased, but grand larceny relating to autos has grown the most in the past year and remains one of the biggest challenges for this precinct. Cerezo said public safety will keep students informed on any updates they receive on the investigation. Individuals with any information related to the incident are encouraged to contact Detective Dunn at (718) 543-9315. Any public safety concerns on campus should be directed to the Office of Public Safety by calling (718) 862-7500.
Students Question Fire Alarm Safety as Public Safety Repairs, Maintains Systems Lauren Carr A&E Editor The first few weeks of being back at school, everyone is still trying to work out the kinks of being back in the swing of things. What students did not expect was the same situation for their dormitory fire safety measures. “The day I came back to school the fire alarm in my room was off the wall and sitting on top of the closet,” junior Kelly Cucciniello said. “Not only was it off the wall but the battery was dead. It was as if no one checked them at all.” Situations like these can rub students the wrong way and can raise questions about how safe their living environment is. If there was something to happen in a dorm room that did not have the proper fire alarm there would have been serious consequences. Coming back to school to see a fire
alarm not only off the wall but also not working can raise the question of just how often are fire alarms checked. “The alarms are tested twice annually and we bring in a company to test them,” Robert DeRosa, Associate Director of Public Safety said. “We check the alarm panels three times a day to make sure there is not an alarm status. That means everything is working.” The tours that are made three times a day by public safety start at midnight, seven in the morning and then again at three in the afternoon. Within their shift, they check to make sure that the panels at their designated stations are not showing an alarm mode. An alarm mode would mean that there is an issue with one of the alarms and after finding that they would fix it as quickly as possible. One problem that seems to be recurring on campus is the fire system located in Overlook Manor. “It’s an old system that is going to be
replaced,” DeRosa said. “Because it is going to be replaced there are some problems with it, but it’s safe.” Just because the system may be old it that doesn't mean that it is broken. As of now, the sprinklers, the standpipe and the water flow all work in the building. Public safety staff has been instructed to go floor to floor to evacuate students if there were to be an emergency. However, students when system’s bells do ring, they are not as loud as they could be. That is one of the reasons why the entire system is going to be replaced sometime at the end of the year. “There have been some issues in OV,” senior Nereida Millan said. “The other night we had an alarm go off at 4 a.m. and no one knows why and its very annoying.” During this 4 a.m. drill public safety was banging on doors and trying to evacuate people as quickly as possible. Students living on OV never got an explanation as to why the alarms were going off at that time. “There were some saying that it was a
drill which is even more annoying,” Millan said. “Its also ridiculous because people have class in the morning.” As for the rest of campus, students living in the residence halls may have heard some fire alarms go off in the past week. Public Safety is required, by law, to do three drills a year. “We run a drill very early on because some students are new to the building and need to know where to go. We run another one around November and then when students come back after winter break we have another drill,” DeRosa said. Starting this week Public Safety will be running fire drills in all academic buildings. They are doing this so students know what doors to use and what staircases to use if there were ever an emergency during their classes. For more information regarding fire safety, log onto Manhattan.edu and click on Public Safety to read their annual report.
news Cardinal Newman Lecture Raises the Question:
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Sept. 16, 2014
What is College For?
Cara Ledwidge Senior Writer
Students may jokingly ask themselves the question, “What’s the point?” in regards to their college education in the last few hours before a final exam, but Columbia University professor Dr. Andrew Delbanco gave serious thought to his answer at the fifth annual Cardinal Newman Lecture on Sept. 9. Dean of the School of Arts Keith Brower introduced the Cardinal Newman Lecture, which originated in 2010, the same year that Pope Benedict XVI beatified Cardinal John Henry Newman. Brower called him a “prolific writer” who supported the “idea of a university” and the “key elements of a broadly based education.” Delbanco, a local who attended the Fieldston School and learned to drive from an MC professor, has written many works, the most famous and pertinent to his lecture being College: What it Was, Is, and Should Be, which he wrote in 2012. Delbanco began his lecture with the cover of Newsweek from 2012 featuring two students strolling along a perfectly manicured college campus with the words “Is College a Lousy Investment?” strewn across the front. “That is not an unreasonable question,” Delbanco said. The next image that Delbanco discussed was a cover of Boston Magazine from 2012 that featured a young man in his pajamas sitting in front of his laptop with a Harvard mug beside it. “This image implies that class is on his schedule, and it is a rather positive image of the college of the future,” Delbanco said. Delbanco suggested that from online classes to MOOCS to blended learning opportunities, the college of the future “is coming. This could represent a solution to the increasing costs of college for some,” Delbanco said. Delbanco then asked, “What is the problem with this image? I’ll tell you. This man is alone.” He then dissected the picture in a similar way to the first image, suggesting that because the young man is on the computer, his experience of college has become one that is done in the same forum that he shops, seeks entertainment, and interacts with his peers via social media, making college learning just another item on his online to do list. Looking at this image, “the idea of human to human interaction is at risk here,” Delbanco said. “I am here to talk about not the future or the present, but about the past. There are
Delbanco provided these statistics on how income affects graduation rates. Infographic by Cara Ledwidge. some elements of this [past] that we ought to come to terms with,” Delbanco said. Delbanco began to speak on the first American higher education mission statement written in Cambridge, MA. The first mission statement was written to “advance learning and perpetuate it to prosperity” according to the founders of Harvard University, who wanted to found the institution to train clergy. “This statement is melancholy, it recognizes our mortality” Delbanco said. Delbanco then went on to quote Thomas Jefferson upon his proudest achievement, not being the President of the United States, but rather, on founding the University of Virginia. “You cannot have a democracy without an educated citizenship,” Jefferson said. He then continued to tell the “story of relentless expansion” that is the American story, including the Morell Land Grant that was passed to create the land-grant colleges, along with the rise of the private institutions. He discussed the GI Bill as it allowed for veterans to get as well as the first public university systems in California. Delbanco then explained how the expansion of the American college has made it so that half of first generation citizens are typically unable to get into the classes they need and that public universities are now basically private ones. Delbanco then revealed some startling statistics about the relationship between chances of attending college and the household income that a person grows up with. “If your household income is over $90,000 a year, you have a one in two
chance of graduating from college,” he said. “If your household income is less than $35,000, your chances are one in 17 that you will graduate by the age of 26.” “Parents want economic viability,” Delbanco said. “They believe education is about job readiness, or how much money will you make, but these measures leave out a golden opportunity.” “The prime and key function of the American College is to learn from each other.” Delbanco explained that on that masthead, Melville asked himself the questions, “How can I make meaning? Who am I?” and in that vein, “university should be a place of contemplation,” Delbanco said. Delbanco gave the example of having two students in a class with highly different backgrounds reading the same text. “A paratrooper veteran from Iraq is going to have a much different experience reading the Iliad than another student who has never come close to knowing war,” he said. He said that without that personal connection in the classroom, these students would never learn each other’s readings of the same epic. “The case for college I would like to hear more of is that college is the best rehearsal space for democracy,” Delbanco said. “Here you can learn between an opinion and an argument, learn to look at the two sides and walk away with another point of view.” Delbanco ended with the story of a young man from 1850 who left a seminar, quite like the one he was giving, worried and upset at something the min-
ister had said. He wrote “Oh that the Lord would show me how to think and how to choose.” “That’s what it’s all about” Delbanco said. “I see college as “an aid to reflection, a place…to sort out lives true to ourselves and to others.” Delbanco’s concluding sentiments came when a student from the audience asked him what was the best thing that happened to him in college, and he said, “honestly, I met my wife. But in regards to what I learned from college, I learned some humility and the dangers of being too full of myself.” When asked further about the increasing cost of college, Delbanco said, “There is no such thing as a free lunch. Education is expensive. In other places people pay taxes and subsidize the elite who will go on to university. We’ve tried a different model here, one closer to mass higher education. The system worked well for a while, but the past 20-25 years call for a very serious debate with ourselves about this for-profit situation.” Alyssa O’Braskin, who attended the lecture, said “My favorite part of the lecture might have been that his highlight of college was meeting his wife, but I was also moved by his personal reference to his father and his dealings with what it means to advance. As someone who loves science so much I’m willing to teach it, I completely saw his point on being fearful of pushing for advancement of knowledge as opposed to learning through living and how to be a good person.”
News Briefs STUDENT ACTIVITIES CHANGES TICKET PURCHASE POLICY: The Office of Student Activities tweeted on Thursday that they will no longer allow students to purchase tickets for events for other students if they present multiple student IDs on its Twitter account @MCStudAct. The office said they changed the policy because "unfortunately, too many students were taking advantage of this to bring outside guests, cut lines, etc," one of their tweets read. "Please let's remember to be civil to one another." EAST HILL RENAMED LEE HALL: East Hill will be officially renamed Lee Hall beginning on Sept. 18 after Thomas O’Malley’s mother, Margaret Lee O’Malley. O’Malley is an alumnus of the school, former chairman on the board of trustees and the namesake of the O’Malley Library. He is a major donor to the college and contributed $10 million to the fundraising effort for the newly opened student commons. Lee Hall will be the first building on campus named after a woman and comes a year after the college celebrated 40 years of coeducation on campus. PUBLIC SAFETY INCIDENT: Two female students walking on Manhattan College Parkway past Hayden Hall were approached by a male driving a dark grey car who asked them if they wanted to enter his vehicle on Saturday night, according to a public safety email sent out to students Sunday afternoon. In the email, public safety stresses staying alert and walking from place to place with a friend.
letters to the editor Dear Students This semester more than ever before, we've received countless complaints from students regarding our ticket policy of allowing students to sign up for events with another students ID and purchase 2 tickets to an event, the reason for the change. This new policy of one ID per student is something we're going to try out, and see how it works. We've discussed having ticket sales at 3:30 on Tuesday and noon on Wednesday during the Activities period, but the majority of clubs meet then, and our initial feedback was that it would negatively effect and essentially end club meetings. Plus, many professors hold labs during those times, so it's not truly a "no class time" as it's intended to be. Also, that would then only give students a total of 2 and a half hours a week to purchase tickets, which isn't a long time at all. You then wouldn't be able to decide later in a week if you wanted to attend an event, which is when the majority of our events sell out. The thought of having someone from my office watching the line to make sure no one cuts it has been brought up too, to which we were essentially given the answer, "if you think you need to regulate a line of college students to buy tickets because they can't handle it and are starting fights over it, perhaps we shouldn't be having ticket sales." I'm paraphrasing there, but I think we can all agree on the sentiments of that. Last week alone, one fifth the students that originally were on line didn't end up with tickets because students in front of them had friends join once the sales started. This started many arguments and fights which we've had to deal with. Not to mention all the angry messages we received from students about that, and how unfair that process was. We know what we believe the solution is, and have been asking for it for years. That solution is having ticket sales online (like Ticketmaster) and having it start either early in the morning before classes or after they all end (i.e. 7am perhaps, or 9:30pm). This would make it fair for all students. When the current ID system was sold to the school, we were told ticket sales would be online by that summer, something we're still waiting to have happen and would help alleviate these problems. Many offices are helping with this for which we are grateful, and it is going to happen, it's just a matter of when. In the meantime, I ask that you give our new policy a try. We're trying to help as many students as possible. For every student complaining that they have class and can't sign up for an event now, just know that we receive two and three times the amount of complaints from students saying how unfair it is someone bought two tickets ahead of them, and they know it's not being used by another student, or another story along those lines. While we will never be able to make everyone happy, what we can do is try to be open with our reasons for the change, and fair and honest. If this doesn't work out, we're open to changing it back to how it was. Nothing is set in stone, but we do ask that you give it a try and understand our reasoning. Director of Student Activities, John Bennett
The
Quadrangle www.mcquad.org
Vol. LXXXXIII Issue 4 Sept. 16, 2014
Natalie E. Sullivan Editor-in-Chief Michelle DePinho Managing Editor/News Editor Michael Peyko Asst. News Editor Claire Leaden Managing Editor/Features Editor Kieran Rock Asst. Features Editor Natalie Heinitz Op/Ed Editor/Production Editor Maya Astabie Asst. Op/Ed Editor Lauren Carr Arts & Entertainment Editor Kelly Burns Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor/ Production Editor Chris Cirillo Sports Editor
The last time Artie Urrutia cut my hair, I was especially happy to see him. I had tried to book a haircut during a trip to New York from Boston, but Artie told me over the phone that he was recovering from pneumonia, and wasn’t taking any clients at the moment. What a relief it was then to see Artie, a few months later, happy and back to work in the barber shop he had filled with his unique pleasantness for over fifty years. While giving me a shave and a haircut (for just a little more than two bits), Artie faced his brush with death with humor and a certain peacefulness. I so clearly remember him saying, “I thought I was a goner!” before shrugging it off and giving me a very close shave. One of the brothers waiting to get his hair cut looked on apprehensively, joking that I should be scared of Artie with a blade. “Okay, guy,” Artie would say after cleaning my face up. “Any closer and you’ll break out in a rash!” Then he’d apply some of that searing old-school barber aftershave, but not before a warning of “this’ll wake you up!” When Manhattan College lost Arty last month, we lost both a man and an institution. He set up shop at Manhattan for over half a century. Generations of Jaspers had their hair cut at one point or another by Artie, and he had a story for all of them, like the time he cut off James Patterson’s ponytail in the Sixties. And so many Jaspers, myself included, would come back years after graduating. I only had that privilege for two years, but so many of our fellow alums came back to Artie for decades. At Artie’s wake, it was a surreal moment to meet his family, having heard so many stories about them over the years while sitting in his barber chair! I was able to put faces to the people he had told me all about: his daughter who lives in Ireland; his daughter who lives on Cape Cod; his granddaughter who is a film student at NYU. . . Over the last couple of days, I’ve noticed that my hair is getting a little long, and I’m due for a haircut. Then I remember, and I get a twinge of sadness knowing that Artie will never cut my hair again. Nobody will pick up if I call the “Artie Barber” contact in my phone. But then I smile, remembering all of those times spent in that little Jasper hideaway. I think I’m going to print out a picture of one of the great haircuts that Artie gave me, so I can find another barber and tell them to cut it like Artie did. And they might do a good job, too. But they won’t have half the stories. Chuck Daly Class of 2012
Jonathan Reyes Asst. Sports Editor Jaclyn Marr Asst. Sports Editor Sean McIntyre Social Media Editor James O’Connor Photography Editor Sean Sonnemann Web Editor John Abbatangelo Sam Martin Editorial Cartoonists Syed Shaban Distribution Editor Dr. Joe Cutbirth Faculty Adviser The Quadrangle is a studentrun news organization and is published on a weekly basis by the students of Manhattan College.
I would like to know who thought it was a good idea to have the New York Yankees GM, Brian Cashman, be a guest speaker for the lecture series that is currently taking place on campus. No one man or woman is without fault, however, the scandal that plagued this man over the past two years does not seem to coincide with the LaSallian Catholic Values; i.e. Respect for human dignity and An emphasis on ethical conduct. Granted, what this man did to his wife and family is his business, I don't feel that he should be honored at our school as some sort of champion, regardless of how long he has been with the team and how many World Series rings he has. What kind of message are you sending to incoming students or any students for that matter? Chris Long
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The staff of The Quadrangle meets every Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in room 412 of the Student Commons. 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.
opinions & editorials
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Sept. 16, 2014
Becoming More Than an Email List: What Makes an MC Club Successful Kieran Rock
Asst. Features Editor “Club space.” That’s what the new student commons promised, and it delivered. There is now a room dedicated to clubs on the fourth floor of the new R. Kelly Student Commons, but who is using it? What are the actual clubs that mean something at Manhattan College, and frankly when do we start calling and E-mail list a club? With the activities fair this past week, we can see that MC has an active student body. More over, we can see that there is a general interest in being involved. As the Manhattan College website lists, “more than 60 clubs and organizations offered, there’s something for everyone to join.” The question remains, how many of these clubs are just names on a table at the fair, collecting emails from freshmen never to be heard from again. So what makes a Manhattan College
club successful, and moreover how do we measure a club’s success? If it is simply how many “members” they have on their email list, then you can assume the most successful clubs on campus are the ones who gave out food, t-shirts or bracelets at the activities fair. What really makes a club successful is the impact that they have on students and on the campus. Some of the clubs we have at MC seem to disappear after the activities fair, others have a continuous presence from organizing fund raisers, to holding campus events. You can see a new trend on campus in the growing population of Greek life at MC. With the emergence of the fraternities and sororities on campus, the bar has been set as they have become some of the most present clubs at MC. They are drawing in new members possibly with the most ease. What makes a frat or a sorority so appealing? Allison Spedaliere, a sophomore hoping to rush a sorority this semester, thinks it’s the wel-
coming community. “I am doing it to meet new people, and everyone seems so nice,” Spedaliere said. The new emergence—and the ability to last—of Greek life on campus may simply come from interested members and a campus presence. “We started two years ago and now that we have put up signs, held campus events and just got our name out there people are starting to recognize us,” Megan McKee, a current member of the Sigma Delta Tau sorority said. Starting a club on campus is not necessarily easy either. One has to hope there is student interest, or they will not have enough members to be approved by the student government. It seems the clubs that are most successful are the ones that have been around and established for the longest time. But of course, with the help of Student Activities, it is not impossible to start a new club. Sana Altaf, Tori Williams and
Vanessa Valencia have taken up the challenge to start a new club this year, a fashion club. “There is interest,” Valencia said, but it has been difficult to get the idea out, “a lot of people don’t know about it yet, since the student government hasn’t approved or denied it yet.” College is about getting involved, and clubs are the easiest and best way to do this. Luckily for us MC has a wide range of cultural groups, student publications, and clubs ranging from frats to the green club. There are many email lists to join, but what that club actually does during the year is a different story. Being a successful club takes persistence from the organizers, and interest from the community, a mix that isn’t necessarily the easiest to find. However for the ones that find it, a great new campus club can be added to the roster.
What Does it Mean to “Never Forget?” Maya Astabie
Asst. Op/Ed Editor Everywhere you look people are saying and posting the words “Never Forget.” But, what exactly does that mean? It is important to delve deeper into what the process of remembering entails and its significance today. September 11, 2001 is a day that most Americans recall very vividly. Students remember being sent home from school early and watching the television for hours. Many adults remember calling loved ones to see if they were okay. People remember the confusion, the anger, the shock, and the tears. Everyone has their own memories and we all process them in different ways. This tragedy hits home for many students, faculty, and staff. Twenty Manhattan College alumni died that day. And, while not everyone may be able to fathom what it is like to lose a loved one. We can comfort others and listen. To remember means to recall that day, exactly as it played out. It means to listen and share stories. It means to be forever grateful for those victims and survivors of the event. Most importantly, it means to relive that day so that it never becomes just another event in the history books. Essentially, the significance of remembering is done in order to keep the event close to our hearts. The attack is a very scary thing to think about and it is hard to fathom that there are heartless people in the world whose main goal is to cause terror. But, remembering does not mean that we have to live in fear: Why give terrorists what they want? Remembering also means recognizing the heroic acts of love performed on that day. The bravery of the firefighters, policemen and women, and countless volunteers who helped save lives is something for which Americans are grateful. The way that Americans band together in times of need is something for which we are proud of. We embody a nation full of people willing to risk their lives everyday to keep us safe. Yes, we are proud to be American. That is something to remember. That is something I will never forget. Instead of fear, choose to be reverent of the people who
Student Government placed American flags on the quad in memory of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Photo courtesy of Blake Pizzola. lost their lives and choose to be proud that we live in a nation full of everyday heroes. So, replay what happed that day and
share your stories. Cry if you need. Let it all out. Go to the 9/11 memorial. Learn more about that day. Whatever you do,
always keep this day close to your heart. Remembering will always be relevant. Remembering is what makes us American.
notes
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Notes from
the Editor
The week has gotten off to a violent start, especially on West 238th Street where MC's Overlook Manor dormitory is. With a shooting at the beloved An Beal Bocht Cafe last Sunday, and altercation on 238th resulting in at least one arrest and an altercation outside of Overlook Manor resulting in students being sent to the hospital on Saturday night, it's starting to become more and more apparent that we do still live in the Bronx. Although we're all sick of hearing it, it is always important for students to remember that we are going to school in the city. It is always important to keep aware of your surroundings, especially if you've been drinking. It's so easy to maintain the idea that most 20-somethings have that we're young and invincible and that nothing bad will happen. Please be safe and use common sense when going out this weekend, Jaspers! Natalie E. Sullivan Editor-in-Chief
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opinions & Editorials
Sept. 16, 2014
Confessions of a Conflicted College Student Natalie Heinitz
Op/Ed & Production Editor Have you ever had an epiphany? A realization so immense that suddenly everything becomes simpler, yet fascinatingly more complicated, than you ever imagined? Well, I had one the other day and let me tell you, it was altogether scary, enlightening, and clarifying of how essential our college years truly are. Throughout the beginning of my junior year, I’ve begun to realize that instead of moving swiftly from class to class, I’ve started to leave my lectures more acutely, as if the discussions for that day are little fuzzies that I can’t brush off my yoga pants. Like pieces in an impossible puzzle, the content of my readings and assignments began to nag at me. It wasn’t until I was knee deep into a reading on “gendercide,” the killing and aborting of millions of female infants in countries where sons are culturally preferred over daughters,
that I was faced with a true challenge. I consider myself a proponent for a woman’s choice to choose whether to have an abortion or not. (Disclaimer: Just because one is pro-choice, does not mean one is pro-abortion. It simply means that a woman should be able to choose.) However, due to sex determining technologies like ultrasounds, aborting fetuses once they are found to be female is a growing occurrence. In order to solve such a tremendous issue as gendercide, which has deep cultural and financial roots, one must also examine the tools that are contributing to the phenomenon, like abortion. Like a stack of bricks, my stance was being called into question in a very tangible way. How can I say that I am pro-choice here in the US, but pro-life elsewhere? How can I stand up for a woman’s right to choose whether to have an abortion or not but viscerally despise that same right when female babies are being disproportionally affected through abortion? Fast-forward about fifteen hours and I find the answer during my sexuality and the sacred religion class. (Second Disclaimer:
This class will blow your mind.) The lecture was on the transition of modernity to post-modernity, concepts that I have only begun to understand on the surface level. The gist of this transition lies in the realization that society’s traditional way of organizing society, which rests in dualities (boy or girl, gay or straight, black or white), is completely insufficient. Why? Because nothing is that simple. Classifying anything into constricting categories is impossible and completely ignorant of the world around us. This idea is so simple and yet, so incredibly daunting. Nonetheless, we create binding categories every single day through our conversations and descriptions, which causes everything outside those categories to seem taboo and just strange. How often do you meet someone who is neither pro-choice or pro-life? That just sounds weird, right? Gendercide can’t be solved by only addressing abortion. Likewise, abortion in itself cannot and should not be classified by whether you’re for it or against it. When our stances are challenged, our initial reaction is usually to either get defen-
sive or shy away. These formative college years allow us the opportunity to embrace that frozen feeling when we’re confronted with ideas that differ from our own. Instead of fearing this inevitable sensation, embrace it. Education is about humbling ourselves to the reality that we don’t know everything. And even then, what we do know suffers from the constricting categories that we ourselves make as a society. While this is a scary fact, it should empower us, to look beyond this phenomenon. In other words, we need to drag our feet out of the “either/or” mentality and move past the myth that we’re either this or that, Republican or Democrat, pro-choice or proabortion, or whatever else. Gray areas may not be pretty, but they ironically hold the clearest reflections of the world around us. Embrace them, even if they stare you straight in the face asking for an answer with the limited options shoved in our face. Sometimes the best answer is the humble statement that you simply don’t have one, yet.
Cartoon by Sam Martin
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2014 Science, Technology, engineering and MaTheMaTicS
Tuesday, October 7 DraDDy Gymnasium | 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. professional dress required for all students
Set the foundation for your future! Some of the participating companies are:
résumé review Walk-in hours 2:30-4pm monday – thursday in miguel room 500 and Leo room 258. for more info contact careerdevelopment@manhattan.edu or call us at 718-862-7224. for the list of registered employers, visit: manhattan.edu/stemcareerfair2014
the 2014 career fair is sponsoreD by The aluMni SocieTy anD The cenTer for career developMenT.
arts & entertainment
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A SPLASH OF SPR Sept. 16, 2014
NYFW Spring 2015
Photos by Luke Hartman and courtesy of Creative Commons.
Luke Hartman Staff Writer
As Miranda Priestly would say; Florals for spring? Ground-breaking. However in the last attempt made by New Yorkers to hold onto the warmer temperatures of summer that is known as Mercedes Benz fashion week, that is exactly what was seen; Designers such as Carolina Herrera and Lela Rose showed collections dripping and adorned with big loud floral and patterns. In their third presentation at NYFW, Catalan brand Desigual was almost the pioneer or spokesperson for this trend. The brand who is known for wild pattern mixing and using 75% percent of the color wheel in every garment, managed to take their known aesthetic and make it really
wearable this season. The designers for Desigual stuck to a more controlled palate for garments, which had more single element dramatics than uncontrollable detailing. Marchesa, in their 10th anniversary collection also showed a set adorned with elegant florals. While Desigual focused on floral print patterns, Marchesa used intricate bead and appliqué detailing on their garments or shaping looks to look like flowers themselves. As a brand, Marchesa is known for showing beautiful and ethereal collections and their spring 2015 definitely did not disappoint. Puerto Rican designer Luis Antonio’s spring collection was entitled “Maritime,” which was evident when his prints were comprised of nautical themes and one print in particular was larger than life ropes. It
was a People’s Revolution show produced by Kelly Cutrone herself so it was superbly executed. For Spring 2015, designers really embraced the idea of translucent, soft and flowy fabrics. According to Style.com, this was not merely another spring filled with silk organza, but across the board was this innovative superfine mesh, that was made to look like a translucent organza. Reem Acra utilized this throughout her collection, which really just brought a new and futuristic element the garments. Badgley Mischka’s collection while always stellar, just somehow raised the bar even higher this season. The designing duo was also a proponent of this translucent mesh, which was used to make skirts and gowns flow down the runway and gently move as if their was an ethereal wind. They
took it to the next level by embellishing the translucent fabric with hand painted floral, which was breathtaking. First time presenters at NYFW entitled Projecto Mental were definitely deemed as the future designers to watch. African influence was another big trend this season and seeing as this duo is from Angola, they were spot on. While men in skirts probably wont be the next big thing, the suits accompanying them were impeccably made and the women’s separates were just as well tailored. One of the most memorable events during fashion week was the CBS special Fashion Rocks. The night was full of fashion collections supplied by Macy’s brands that were uniquely available to be purchased during the show. The show itself was deemed as “edgy” by producers
Arts & Entertainment
RING
and definitely did not disappoint seeing as the show featured Justin Bieber stripping, Pitbull dancing suggestively with dancers who stripped off cover skirts, and Rita Ora, Nicki Minaj and Jennifer Lopez working their derrieres constantly. The menswear for the season was classic and well put together. As usual there was the distinct contrast between the classic menswear designers such as J Crew, Parke and Ronen, and Ralph Lauren, and those who take more dramatic risks such as Band of Outsiders, Maison Martin Margiela, and Dries Van Noten. One of the most notable and interesting collections was that of Ralph Lauren who almost has changed directions for their menswear. While in the past the wellknown brand pushed the edge in terms of menswear, has reverted their focus into
classic and wearable pieces. Carolina Herrera and Marc Jacobs are definitely noted as having some of the best shows this season because of their incorporation of dramatic sets, atmospheres and amazingly cohesive collections executed to perfection. The collections for Spring 2015 were memorable in a way that is reminiscent of fashion we haven’t seen in a while. The looks were memorable and designers took really unique and beautiful risks that paid off ten fold. New talent is pouring into the fashion industry that really just makes the future of fashion that much more exciting. As we begin to descend into the colder months, the looks of Spring can remind us of the warm and sunny spring to come.
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arts & entertainment
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Sept. 16, 2014
Luis Ortiz Ends the Lecture Series With a Boom Lindsey Burns Staff Writer
Boom! Anyone who watches the Bravo television show “Million Dollar Listing New York” knows that this is real estate agent Luis D. Ortiz’s catchphrase. Ortiz uses this catchphrase when completing a deal, convincing a client to do what he wants or even just when he is excited. But on Sept. 12, he could have used it after speaking at Manhattan College as the last speaker of the Third Annual Lecture Series. Ortiz captivated MC students with inspiring stories of his life and motivational advice for figuring out the future. “Get to know who you are, guys,” Ortiz said. “Don’t live for them, don’t live for anyone else. Once you live for yourself, it is the most amazing feeling in the world.” Ortiz’s journey in finding himself was one filled with difficult decisions and lots of hard work. According to Ortiz, at age 15, he and his twin brother left their hometown of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico without telling their parents and travelled to Florida. They left a note for their parents saying that this was something that they needed to do and if they were not successful, they would come back. Ortiz simply felt as though something was holding him back in Puerto Rico. Always having been fascinated by stories, Ortiz then moved to New York City to study film at the New York Film Academy. Here, he met a fellow film student named Marco who really helped shape him into the person he is today, just by inspiring Ortiz. “While the rest of us were trying to impress our teachers, our friends, our family, this guy was only doing him,” Ortiz said. “Marco was a leader and he was so passionate.” At this time, Ortiz was 18 and after meeting Marco, he reached an epiphany. He realized that the thing he was looking for was not specific. While he was living for the rest of the world, he was doing nothing for himself. After realizing that he needed to start living for himself, he and his brother moved into a $2,800 Manhattan apartment by negotiating under his father’s name. Impressed with the way Ortiz handled this, the agent suggested that he try his hand at real estate. Obviously this was a good career move for Ortiz who now has, at age 27, over $250 million of real estate sold in New York City and has a net worth of $15 million. “Luis seemed to be good as a successful business person, somebody in New York City with diversity, he seemed to fit the bill. And he’s funny too!” John Bennett, Director of Student Activities, said. To this day, Ortiz does not quite know exactly how he got to be on “Million Dollar Listing New York.” He simply got a phone call from a woman who asked him if he was interested in joining the show. In regards to being on television, Ortiz had one major goal for himself: simply to remain himself and not let the pressures of reality TV change him. “I was going to do whatever it took to remain myself,” he said. This goes right along with his message to the students during the lecture. “What makes you successful is you. If you’re real, if you’re you, I will respect you,” he said. Even though he stars on a reality televi-
Luis Ortiz inspiring Manhattan College students at his lecture on Friday. Photos by Ashley Sanchez sion show that often has the reputation of being overly dramatic and scripted, Ortiz says that the integrity of the show is still in tact. “I would say everything is real. All of the deals are real. The buyers are real, the sellers are real. We sort of hype things up for camera, but the emotions are real, everything is pretty real,” he says. Ortiz’s drive and determination on the show are also things that certainly cross over to real life. In the extremely competitive world of real estate, Ortiz shines because of his work ethic, as well as his mindset towards competition. “You can run as fast as you can, as fast as humanly possible, and looking back at [competition] can’t make you go any faster. I don’t look left or right. I only look
straight. I don’t have any competition. My only competition is me,” Ortiz said. Students who attended the lecture were able to take a lot away from Ortiz, specifically in regards to life itself. “I was really impressed with him, he was surprisingly inspiring,” sophomore Rebecca Taylor said. “I kind of just expected it to be a ‘Oh, become a real estate agent! It’s really cool’ type thing, but he gave really good life advice and I’m really glad I went.” Ortiz likes to use his fame in exactly that way and wants to inspire people to do what they want with their lives. “It’s a little bit weird, but you also actually sort of understand how much good you can do just by having a voice. I enjoy it,” Ortiz said. “It was really nice to see another His-
panic make it big in the United States,” sophomore Alana Rios said. Naturally, with his extreme success in New York City, many people were interested in how they could reproduce his success. “Don’t aim for money, aim to be the best person you can be and everything else will come with it,” Ortiz said. “When you live for who you’re supposed to be, the money will come, I can promise you that.” Ortiz encouraged the students to simply have a thirst for life and a thirst for meeting new people because that is where all of the opportunities lie. “The opportunities are there, guys, all you need to do is grab them,” he said.
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MC students embrace Italian culture at the Feast of San Gennaro in Manhattan’s Little Italy. Photos by Christian Roodal
Sink Your Teeth Into Anthony Capote
San Gennaro
Staff Writer
The 88th Feast of San Gennaro began on Thursday in Little Italy along Mulberry Street. The feast is scheduled to run until the 22nd of September and expects to have an attendance of almost one million New Yorkers and tourists. The festival was packed with people on Friday evening to experience the different tastes and sounds of Little Italy. Among these visitors were MC students who came as a part of the “Saturday in the City” trip
held on the third day of the festival. Many students from outside the five boroughs had never been to the festival. “I thought it was a culturally diverse experience that happened to include really good food,” sophomore Caitlin Sullivan said. The feast, known for lining the streets of Chinatown and Little Italy with food stands, features a wide array of food from classic Italian sausage to Colombian arepas. “I was instantly hungry when I smelled all of the food stands,” senior Vince Buccigrossi said. The Feast of San Gennaro is named
after St. Januarius, the Bishop of Naples in the late 3rd Century C.E. His feast day celebrates his martyrdom while protecting Christians from persecution at the hands of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. The feast has long been an exciting event for Manhattan College students, which has a large Italian population. "This place reeks of cigars and Italian food, I have never felt more at home," said Buccigrossi when asked about how it feels to be an Italian American at the feast. For many Italian Jaspers, attending the Feast of San Gennaro is an annual tradition
that they have rarely missed. For other students, it is a new and exciting experience of both Italian and New York culture. The festival will end on September 22nd when the image of St. Januarius will be paraded along Mulberry Street for all to see.
Features
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Sept. 16, 2014
Freshman Patrick Estanbouli normally draws his online comic, “People with Crazy Lives,” on his tablet in the Chrysostom lounge . His character profiles for the comic are shown left, comic by Estanbouli. Photo by James O’Connor.
Zap, Boom: MC Freshman Designs Own Online Comic Claire Leaden Managing/Features Editor Superman, Captain America, SpiderMan and the X-Men are just a few superhero stars of some of the best-selling action movies of our generation. They actually began life, however, as stars of the best-selling comic books of our parents’ (and grandparents’) generations. Once a staple of the Sunday issue of American newspapers, comics have a rich history of combining artistry and entertainment that can appeal to a range of audiences. Patrick Estanbouli, a Manhattan College freshman double majoring in biology and psychology, is carrying on that tradition with his new online comic, “PWCL: People with Crazy Lives.” Estanbouli said the idea of creating his own comic began when he was a junior in high school. “My best friend in high school and I were in English class and we had to do drawing assignments in the class—instead of doing a 12-page paper we could do a five-page paper and do three drawings instead,” he said. “At the time I had just started drawing digitally for my AP art class so I had a tablet and my friend was like, ‘why don’t you start a comic?’” The two worked on the comic together, with Estanbouli drawing and his friend writing, and they ended up developing 150 comic strips by the end of their senior year. A rift in their friendship caused them to drop the comic idea entirely, but Estanbouli was
still interested in the process and decided to go about it on his own. “I thought, ‘you know, I still want to do this,’ so I started up my own series which is totally different from the originally series we had done,” he said. “This one is going to be four friends who meet in college— it’s basically a modern life-fiction style comic.” The comic is going to be done in three panel strips, with the panels sometimes portraying a storyline, and sometimes being unconnected. Estanbouli said the panels without an arching storyline will “just be comedic, with sometimes maybe some drama in there.” “It’s just to have something that people can go on and look at, and have something to relate to that’s funny,” he said. “I’m basing it on scenarios that happen here at college—things that I’ve heard from friends, what’s going on with them. It’ll basically be a compilation of what life after 18 is pretty much all about.” Though he is doing the drawing entirely on his own, Estanbouli has enlisted fellow freshman Max Whitwell for help on the writing portion of the comic. “I’m involved as a writer, so Pat will ask me to write a script for, say, three panels,” Whitwell said. “I’ll think of an anecdote about his characters that can be told in three pictures, and write the dialogue and a brief description of what each picture looks like.” Whitwell said one day he wants to write comics professionally for a company like Marvel or DC, so he’s grateful for
any opportunity to “write scripts that are actually going to get drawn.” “I’ve been writing scripts for about a year, so I do have a bit of experience with it, although they’ve all been longer form and it does get a bit tricky sometimes having so few panels to work with,” he said. “This is the first time any of my scripts are going to get drawn though, which is exciting.” Estanbouli draws his comic on a tablet, which displays on his laptop screen in a computer program where he can edit his work. “I love drawing on paper,” he said of the more traditional art form. “The only benefit with digital drawing is if you draw something and you want to change the size of something because you realize the proportions are off, you can do that easily— or you can change the color tones. It’s nice for editing, compared to traditional where you have to erase everything and start all over again.” Estanbouli is posting his comic on the art-sharing website Deviant Art. He started uploading his artwork there three years ago and has been able to successfully sell prints through the site. He also has a donation pool on his profile, as he hopes to accumulate enough money to eventually buy his own website and domain name for “People with Crazy Lives.” Currently, he has drawn the four characters’ promos for the comic, has completely finished one character’s full body and is continuing to work on the other three. He hopes to have about 50 panels
finished by November so if he gets busy with schoolwork he can continue to post one panel each week. “I feel using online resources like Deviant Art is a wonderful way to get your work out there,” said MC Visual & Performing Arts adjunct professor Jacob Roesch. Roesch teaches the courses “Digital Drawing” and “Introduction to Graphic Design.” “You are able to broadcast your art to the world for no cost, find and discuss work and resources with like-minded people and receive instant feedback of your pieces through comment areas and group critiques,” he added. Estanbouli said when he’s drawing he has to have headphones on and listens to lots of alternative, indie music like Coldplay, Vance Joy, The Temper Trap and The Black Keys, which sometimes reflects in his characters’ looks. Some days he works for two hours, some days he can go up to eight. “Sometimes I get really sucked into it and don’t realize I’ve been working that long and then I look up and it’s dark out and I’m like, ‘oh, there goes the day,’” he said. “Basically, I’ve always been writing and doing art separately. So, I just wanted to do something that was funny— it’s a stress-reliever for college—and that let me put my writing and art together in one project.” Check out “People with Crazy Lives” at siegfried2917.deviantart.com.
features
The MC Melting Pot
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The Freshman Files
Victoria Hernandez Staff Writer
Wondering about the new international students on campus this year? Here is a sneak peek into their lives, how they feel about being away from home and their perspective towards our school so far. At Manhattan College, students’ homes range from 37 different countries, according to the school website. Debbi Damico, the International Student Advisor, said MC attracts these students mostly by the appeal of living in a big city which also makes looking for internships an easier process. To get to know more about the feeling of moving away from a home country, three international students were interviewed. Tony Ramirez, a senior student from France, said he chose MC because it’s a good US college. “It also has a transfer partnership with my last university,” said the mechanical engineering major. “Since I love engineering and will like to specialize in ‘green’ buildings, so MC was the perfect choice for me. Plus it’s close to NYC.” During the short amount of time Ramirez has spent at MC, he confesses there have been some challenges. “Meeting new people [was a challenge] because I didn’t know anybody when I came,” he said. “Also, speaking English…I had to improve it because I wasn’t really good…all my classes are in English so that’s a big challenge.” “Everything here is bigger,” he said when asked what the main difference is between his native country and the U.S. “In France, we don’t have fraternities or sororities. Also, it’s the first time I’ve been in such a diverse campus where there’s different majors. I come from a school of engineering only where there were not any facilities like the fitness center, dining hall and a big library.” On the other hand, Maria Nieto Villamandos, a freshman student from Spain, is excited about being part of the MC campus. “I love it so far,” she said with a big smile. Her favorite thing about MC is “the student activities, for sure.” Nieto Villamandos chose MC because it’s a small school and everyone is very close to each other, and faculty members have a very close relationship with students. “I felt this was a community since I came here,” she said. “I know that if I have any problems in the future I could go to anybody for help.” Nieto Villamandos said being away from her family at the same time that she is starting in a new place with new classes and new people is a big challenge. “However, being in the Arches program and having available all the school resources has helped me adapt pretty fast,” she said. For Nieto Villamandos, the biggest difference between education at MC and a Spanish university is that, “In Spain, the professors don’t have office hours and are not as willing to help as here.” Lastly, Rita Damiron, a junior student from the Dominican Republic, said New York is very similar to her country, but the main difference is the weather. “I come from the Caribbean,” she said. “Here, I just depend on myself,” she said when asked about her favorite thing at MC. “I am able to do things on my own and not counting on someone pushes me to do more.”
Balancing Act Ally Hutzler Staff Writer
From top to bottom: Rita Damiron, a junior from the Dominican Republic; Tony Ramirez, a senior from France; and Maria Nieto Villamandos, a freshman from Spain. Photos by James O’Connor Her plan for the winter break is to visit her family, who luckily lives in New York as well. After each interview, the big question was, “Do you miss your family?” Everyone looked down because of the personal question, but the unanimous answer was “Yes.” “Sure, it’s the first time I have been so far from my family and friends,” Ramirez said.
“It feels good to learn to be independent,” Nieto Villamandos said. One thing is for sure, these students represent people who left their comfort zone to discover themselves in a whole new environment, which requires facing challenges every day. The international students undeniable took a big step by coming to MC.
College is like one big circus. All around us there are things to see and watch and take part in. There are classes to go to, friends to hangout with, sports to play and sleep to catch up on. How can we possibly juggle it all? As freshman we want it all. We want to get good grades, join a bunch of clubs, be an intramural MVP and have a fun social life. Each and every one of us wants to be the main event. And we don’t want it to be difficult. Unfortunately, this is pretty unrealistic. If we’ve learned anything during our first month of school, it’s that sleep deprivation does exist. Not only is finding a balance difficult, but it is also physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting. But don’t loose all hope; it can be done. We have to get organized. Invest in that Lilly Pulitzer planner you’ve always dreamed of and stop walking around with homework written on your hands. Start taking the time to plan out your week so you know exactly when you have class, what time your next club meeting is, and when you have to do homework. You might even find some free time to take a nap every now and then. This sounds ambitious, but try to exercise once or twice a week. It’s a great way to relieve stress and can get you feeling energetic and refreshed. Trust me, it’s a lot healthier and effective than having that third cup of coffee. Know when to say “no.” For me, this is the toughest aspect of achieving a balanced college lifestyle. Our whole lives we’ve heard people reminisce of their college glory days, the fanatical stories that made up the best four years of their lives. How can we be sure that what we pass up on won’t be one of those moments? Most of the time the answer is: we don’t. This is not just a hard thing for college students to do, but for everyone to do. Fear of missing out on a great experience is something everyone struggles with, and there is no clear equation to help us figure it out. But we will learn and get used to it. Eventually we will realize it’s not so much fun being with your friends with a paper due tomorrow in art history on your mind. We will just have to trust our judgment and rely more on ourselves to create opportunities on our own time than to accept them as they come flying by. College life is sort of like walking a tightrope – with many competing activities vying for your time and attention. The trick is to balance and rotate all the parts of college life accordingly. You can have it all, but not always excessively and not always at the same time. Allow yourself some time to plan ahead and make smart and thoughtful decisions and everything will work out just fine.
sports
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Sept. 16, 2014
Jaspers Lose to Bronx Rival Fordham Jonathan Reyes Asst. Sports Editor
After coming off their first win of the season at St. Francis-Brooklyn, the Manhattan Jaspers (2-1) men’s soccer team lost 3-1 to the Fordham Rams (2-2-1). At St. Francis, senior captain Tommy Amos said the Jaspers’ “fitness prevailed in the end” to help lead them to victory. Against the Rams, sophomore Daniel Laguna Kennedy, who scored the Jaspers’ only goal on a penalty kick, said almost the complete opposite. “Our legs were tired,” said Kennedy, “but there’s no excuse. We should’ve probably done better.”
What Exactly Went Wrong? The Jaspers are built on the ability to possess the ball. Junior captain Alex Shackley thought they did that well enough in the first half of the game for about the first 20 minutes “and then because we weren’t getting in [near goal] and getting enough shots on goal, we kind of panicked, forced the ball a little bit.” He said the Rams came out in the second half aggressively causing the Jaspers to falter on goal scoring chances and leaving some opposing players open, which eventually led to their defeat. “We made a few mistakes defensively,” Shackley said, “and in the end, that just cost us.” Senior Ram Andres Penfold torched the Jaspers on the offensive end. He scored two of the three Rams’ goals scored, with the second shot from about 40 yards away from the net. He said his first shot was due to practice and his second he dubbed as “instinctive.” He remained a team player by crediting the victory to his team. “I thought we came out a little bit flat in the first half, to be honest,” said Penfold, “but halftime we made a couple tactical changes and the coaches talked to us about what we needed to do better, and I think it shows great character that our team responded and that we were able to put in a much better second half performance then we were in the first half.” Aside from Penfold’s great individual performance,
The Jaspers have three non-conference games remaining before they start MAAC play on Oct. 1. Photo taken by Jonathan Reyes. Rams Head Coach Jim McElderry said the win was some- team will be fine. thing much more micro then the team itself. “At every juncture where we’d been challenged we “The big difference for us was some of the subs we went forward,” Scott said. “We didn’t just sink ship. We brought on,” said McElderry. “I thought they made a huge didn’t just give up.” difference just with the energy they brought, never mind The biggest challenge during the game against the technically what they are doing, but just their energy and Rams was when freshman Joe Hulme was given a red card their life. I think the guys who stayed on the field were – meaning he was ejected from the game played and can feeding off that.” be out for the next game or even the next two – for overreacting to what he thought was a bad call. That was one of Is it Time to Worry? The short answer is no. As the early part of the season a number of poor calls during the game by the refs. Despite some calls going not in their favor, the Jaspers progresses, Jaspers Head Coach Jorden Scott and Amos maintained their composure throughout. have consistently said there is still plenty of soccer to be “We don’t want this to happen in conference,” Scott played and not to forget freshmen are developing every said. “That’s the last thing we need. So it’s better that it game. happens now, and we learn from it. We try to deal with Scott conceded that “there’s little things tactically, things a little bit better.” technically we need to address.” But he is confident the
This Week In Sports On Tuesday, men’s soccer suffered a 1-3 loss on the road at Bronx rival Fordham University. On Friday, volleyball lost in four sets, 1-3, on the road to Delaware 1-3 in the first match of a double header. They fell to George Mason later in the day in five sets. Also on Friday, women’s soccer fell 0-4 on the road at Sacred Heart. On Saturday, women’s volleyball fell again to Delaware in four sets. Women’s volleyball (6-3) is second in the MAAC. The men’s soccer team (1-2) is tied for ninth in the MAAC standings. The women’s soccer team (4-3) is fourth in the MAAC, as of 12:01 a.m. on Sept.13th.
of the Week Malia McGuinness: Despite going 0-3 during the weekend, McGuinness continued her stellar play this season. In the five set match against George Mason, McGuinness led the team with 23 kills and 23.5 points. Allie Yamashiro: She averaged 23.3 digs over the weekend and continues to be a force for the Jaspers as they sit second in the MAAC standings before MAAC play beings.
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Jaspers Get Swept at Delaware Invitational Daniel Ynfante Staff Writer What a difference a week makes. After the Terrier Invitational on Sept. 6, the Manhattan volleyball team was flying high with a record of 6-1. Fast-forward one week, and three defeats have been added to the loss column. The Jaspers (6-4), playing against the toughest competition they’ve seen all season long, dropped all three matches at the Delaware Invitational. Over the span of the three games, the Jaspers were out-blocked 41-20. Head coach Mark Jones foresaw blocking as a weakness when on Aug. 31, right after the team won the La Salle Invitational to start the season off rolling at 3-0, he signaled blocking as the team’s Achilles heel. “I think our blocking is something that we need to work on,” Jones said. Blocking was not an issue in the team’s first match of the tournament however, as the Jaspers out blocked the hosts, the Delaware Blue Hens, 12-10. However, despite winning the block battle, Manhattan lost the battle that really counted: the actual match. It seemed as if the hosts were in for a surprise after Manhattan won the first set 25-16, but the Blue Hens recovered and won three consecutive sets (25-17, 25-15, 2520) to win the match. In its second match – easily the most hard-fought of the season – Manhattan lost a heart breaker to the George Mason Patriots. Despite being out blocked 23-2, Manhattan was able to hang in the match for five sets. Like the first game, Manhattan comfortably won the first set, this time 25-13. The Patriots won the second set 25-23 and the third set 26-24 to take a 2-1 match lead. The Jaspers staved off elimination by winning the fourth set handedly, 25-15. However, the Jaspers were put away in the fifth and final set after George Mason defeated them 19-17. Going into the final match of the tournament, the Jaspers tried to rescue at least one victory from their road trip, but those efforts were derailed by the Princeton Tigers who won the match in four sets. The entire contest was played closely, but the Tigers, who hit .223 in comparison to the Jasper’s .144 percentage, proved too much to handle. The Jaspers lost the first two sets 21-25 and 26-28 respectively, but then retaliated in the third set with a 25-23 win.
Malia McGuinness’ three double-doubles weren’t enough to power Manhattan to victory, as the team went winless at the Delaware Invitational. Photo courtesy of gojaspers.com. In the fourth set, the Tigers hit lights out with a .293 percentage and won 25-16. The set victory also gave the Tigers a 3-1 match win. Malia McGuiness led the way for the Jaspers over the three matches with 44 kills and a double-double in each match. Sydney Volovski placed second on the team with 29 kills, while Allie Yamashiro also contributed significantly with a team-high 70 digs. Jones could not be contacted for comment. The three defeats at the Delaware Invitational make it four losses in the last six games for the Jaspers. Three of the four losses have come against teams with a record of .500 or better, which begs the question of why can’t the Jaspers beat winning teams? While one exact reason can’t be pinpointed, the search for reasons has to start with total team blocks.
Even during their 6-1 start to the season, the Jaspers were still being out blocked 34-27 by their opponents. However, as long as the team was winning games, who really cared about losing the block battle? Now, three losses later, and after losing the block battle by 21, it is apparent that the team must work on that facet of the game. Luckily, for the Jaspers, the invitationals are over and the start of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season is here. The team will be looking to build on last season’s superb campaign where they registered a program record of 13 MAAC wins. The Jaspers will be squaring off against Quinnipiac and Fairfield in Connecticut over the weekend, two teams which the Jaspers went 3-1 against in the MAAC regular season last year.
Sports
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Student Activities Lecture Series: Brian Cashman
Jonathan Reyes Asst. Sports Editor
Brian Cashmen, the general manager of the New York Yankees, came to Manhattan College in the midst of his team’s playoff push. Photo taken by Jordan Roodal.
To kick-off the third annual lecture series, Manhattan College’s student activities led off with an impressive heavy hitter. The lecturer happened to be one of the most powerful men in New York sports: New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
So What about This Guy? His most recent contract extension of three-years over $9-million expires once the season is over. When approached following what was seen as a “lukewarm endorsement” coming from principal owner of the Yankees Hal Steinbrenner, Cashman was quoted as saying, “It’s the process.” In a one-on-one interview with The Quadrangle, Cashman talked about his future with the team he has been apart of since 1986. “I’ve never done one of my deals until it concluded no matter, a matter a fact it has kind of been my rule I put it in play years back,” said Cashman. “When players would come to me wanting to do their deals before they expire, if I can work at the end of my deals so can you.”
Reverse Back to the Title…Really? How? Student Activities has worked on bringing Cashman to MC ever since last spring. John Bennett, the director of student activities, said the main reason for inviting Cashman was to keep to a “New York City based” lecture series theme. “[Cashman] has been with the Yankees for so long, and so many students know who he is,” said Bennett. “So for him to be here in the middle of the playoff push right now is pretty phenomenal.” On the student’s side of things, amidst the anticipation and excitement of Cashman’s arrival, no one could think of why he decided to come to MC, but in all honesty did not care. How many times does a
John Bennett, the director of student activities, has been trying to schedule Brian Cashmen , left, since last spring. Photo taken by Jordan Roodal. “I’ve been 17 years as a GM, and this is led to Tino Martinez; Jason Giambi to Mark high-profile person like a Cashman visit just up the street,” said Cashman. anywhere? Texiera; Reggie Jackson to Dave Winfield; One notable group of students to atBye, Bye Captain Yogi Berra to Jorge Posada; and Mickey tend the lecture was the Manhattan baseDuring Cashman’s lecture, he was asked Mantle led to Bernie Williams. ball team. Mikey Miranda spoke on the questions about the Yankees to what his job “It’s just the way it works out,” said team’s behalf. consists of. One question asked was about Cashman. “[Masahiro] Tanaka is an ex“It was an incredible experience,” said the future without captain Derek Jeter once ample of that. Whether it’s pulling them Miranda. “I would say a big percentage of he retires at season’s end. down from Tokyo or trading for a player the baseball team there dream is to make it “The one thing about the Yankees is al- from Venezuela like we just did for [Marto the big team, and especially a team like ways another great player,” Cashman said. tin] Prado. We’re just always trying to find the Yankees. To meet a general manager “It’s just the nature of the beast. The nature whether it’s locally like [Delin] Betances like him, it’s ridiculous.” of the Yankees and the history of the Yan- or as far as Japan or importing a guy like Cashman admittedly has no connec- kees is we always try to find and gravitate [Orlando] ‘El Duque’ [Hernandez] from tions of any kind to MC. He said he has to the world’s greatest players.” Cuba.” “never been on this campus before, and I He then went on to list a litany of names really like to meet people I’ve never met well known to Yankee fans to expound upon and go places I’ve never been.” “the nature of the Yankees.” His simple answer, “I was invited.” Phil Rizzuto led to Jeter. Don Mattingly