the Quadrangle
JaspersCelebrateHalloween
Campusdecoratedtocelebratetheholidayweekend.
@MANHATTANUADMISSIONS/INSTAGRAM
ManhattanCaucus:Zohran MamdaniMaintainsLead AfterSecondNYCMayoral Debate
Elaina Batista
Asst. Social Media Editor
After the second New York City mayoral debate, Zohran Mamdani continues to be the frontrunner in the race and polls suggest that he has a 44% chance of winning 50-60% of the vote. These statistics argue Mamdani could have a landslide victory on Tuesday.
Mamdani’s campaign has garnered major traction with endorsements from New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and independent Senator Bernie Sanders at a rally in Forest Hills Stadium attended by approximately 13,000 people.
Speakers at the rally
included labor leaders, members of Socialists in Office, Comptroller and former mayoral candidate Brad Lander, as well as state legislative leaders Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Carl Heastie. One of the rally’s most notable speakers was Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Throughout the rally, Mamdani reiterated his plans to hire thousands of new teachers, renegotiate city contracts, freeze rent increases for the city’s one million rent regulated apartments, build more affordable housing and provide universal health care.
Most of Mamdani’s base, according to Newsweek, has been anchored in younger,
progressive and foreign-born New Yorkers with the rally running under the slogan “New York Is Not For Sale.” Mamdani also received an endorsement from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who articulated that he has made statements of disagreement with the front runner but supports him as the nominee. Later, Jeffries stated how he believes having Mamdani as mayor could unify the Democratic party under a Republican-held federal government.
Meanwhile, incumbent mayor Eric Adams backed Andrew Cuomo, stating that he intends to campaign for
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CXII, Issue 10 NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 4, 2025 MU Ranked 73rd Best College in U.S pg. 2
Manhattan Magazine and Logos Host Event pg. 5
MURanked 73rdBest inCollege WallU.S.byStreet Journal
Production Editor/Asst. Social Media Editor
In a recent ranking by the Wall Street Journal in partnership with College Pulse and Statista, Manhattan University was ranked 73rd best college in the U.S for 2026.
The ranking was based on several factors including student outcomes, learning environment and diversity. The article ranked MU with an overall score of 78.4.
“We used statistical modeling to estimate what we would expect the median earnings of a college’s graduates to be on the basis of the exam results of its students prior to attending the college and the cost of living in the state in which the college is based,” Wall Street Journal’s article states. “We then scored the college on its performance against that estimate.”
Steve Pugliese, vice president for enrollment management and marketing at MU, gave a statement on the university’s achievement.
“Manhattan University’s placement at #73 in the Wall Street Journal’s national rankings is a powerful testament to our growing
Guitar Recital Hosted for Hispanic Heritage Month pg. 6
reputation in higher education,” Pugliese wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “This recognition places the university among the top tier of institutions nationwide, affirming our commitment to academic excellence, student outcomes, and value. This ranking isn’t just a number— it’s a reflection of Manhattan’s dedication to empowering students, fostering innovation, and shaping leaders. It’s a moment of pride for Manhattan University as we prepare students for the real world.”
President Frederick Bonato, Ph.D., expressed how this ranking benefits the institution and its students in an article on manhattan.edu.
“The Wall Street Journal’s ranking places Manhattan University among the top universities in the country and demonstrates our exceptional student outcomes,” Bonato said in the article. “Our continued recognition underscores our track record of providing students with the opportunities and resources they need to succeed post-graduation.”
Andrew Berg, a senior finance and accounting major at MU, expressed what he thinks sets MU apart from other institutions.
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MU Partners with The Zone App pg. 8
Maizy Swift
Volume CXII, Issue 10 NOVEMBER 4, 2025
The Editorial Board
Grace Cardinal Editor-in-Chief
Emmanouel Sofillas Managing Editor
Laili Shahrestani Features Editor
Leyla Mercado Arts & Entertainment Editor
Barbara Vasquez
Maizy Swift Production Editors
Amy Forster Asst. Production Editor
Mary Haley Marketing Chair
Brooke Della Rocco News Editor
Mary Haley Asst. Features Editor
Andrew Mannion Sports Editor
Owen McWalters Asst. Sports Editor
Barbara Vasquez Web Editor
Maizy Swift
Elaina Batista Asst. Social Media Editors
Thom Gencarelli Faculty Advisor
About The Quadrangle
A tradition since 1924, The Quadrangle is a news organization run by the students of Manhattan University. 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 University or the student body.
Join The Quadrangle
The Quadrangle’s staff holds weekly open meetings on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. All are welcome to come and join the club.
Connect with The Quadrangle mcquad.org @mu_quad
LETTER from the EDITOR
Dear Readers,
Hello, and welcome to Issue 10!
Today is an important day for New York City politics, as the city looks to elect a new mayor after months of debates and candidates campaigning across the five boroughs. For those of you who are eligible to vote in NYC, I cannot encourage you enough to get to the polls today and make your voices heard. I speak frequently about how journalism is an integral part of our democracy, but physically getting out and voting is even more so. If you’re unsure where your local pollsite is, you can check here.
Even if you’re not eligible to vote in this election, including being registered in your hometown (as I am) I hope you still take today as a reminder of how powerful it is to have a voice – no matter what means you’re making it heard through. Every contribution matters in shaping the community we’re a part of, both on campus and far beyond.
In Issue 10, we bring you coverage on all aspects of the campus community from the week. For news, we cover MU’s ranking in the Wall Street Journal as well as a Manhattan Caucus focused on the mayoral race. In features, we bring you a Voices on the Quad from Halloween and coverage on a co-run writer’s forum from Manhattan Magazine and Logos. In A&E, we cover a faculty guitar recital celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and a Book Nook on “The Open Boat”. Lastly, in sports we cover Athletics’ new partnership with The Zone app and a Games of the Week. We hope you’ll check it all out!
A reminder that we’ll be back next week with a double issue, including our fall special issue and Issue 11, both in print and online! We can’t wait to show you all what we’ve been working on over the last month, and are even more excited to have our stands on campus filled once again.
Until next time,
Grace Cardinal
Editor-in-Chief
MURanked73rdBestCollege inU.S.byWallStreetJournal
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“I think what really sets us apart as an institution is… our Lasallian and Catholic heritage,” Berg said. “We have that emphasis on service and a lot of clubs that I’ve seen have incorporated service activities into their extracurricular
activities. I think that’s something that also really drew me as a student to Manhattan: the ability to give back in some way, shape or form to our community.”
Berg also spoke about how MU’s education has shaped him beyond just learning coursework.
“Professors, when they teach, they’re not just teaching so that you understand material, but they’re encouraging you to challenge the material and to think outside of the box and that’s something that professionals in the workforce are going to have to do constantly,” Berg said. “It’s not just about looking up a manual and finding what the answer is, but it’s about teaching you how to think so you know when you need to solve a problem and find a solution.”
Berg feels as though MU’s extensive number of clubs and vast educational programs contribute to this ranking.
“I think Manhattan being a catalyst for that and supporting
students through that club engagement has really been a
ManhattanCaucus:Zohran MamdaniMaintainsLeadAfter SecondNYCMayoralDebate
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Cuomo in order to defeat front-runner Mamdani.
In a joint press conference in East Harlem on Oct. 23, Adams said, “Am I angry that I’m not the one taking down Zohran the socialist and the communist? You’re darn right I am. But you know what? The city means more to me than anything, and it is time for us as a family to come together.”
It is to be noted that both Cuomo and Adams have criticized each other in the past, with both brushing off the other’s remarks.
Cuomo also attended a rally on Oct. 26 and spoke with city council member
James Gennaro and Assembly Members David Weprin and Sam Berger.
Before the rally, Cuomo appeared in a radio interview.
“The socialists want to take over the Democratic Party,” Cuomo said. “That’s what Bernie Sanders is all about. That’s what AOC is all about…He wins, book airline tickets for Florida now.”
In 2021, Cuomo resigned as governor following several sexual harassment allegations which he denies. An independent investigation by the New York Attorney General’s Office found that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women, some of which included state employees. Meanwhile, Curtis Sliwa took his campaign underground, holding a news
conference at the 57th Street Subway station in Midtown on Thursday. Throughout his campaign, Sliwa has regularly condemned “migrant” crime and has vowed to hire 7,000 New York Police officers and “enhance proactive and intrusive policing strategies
to target illegal firearm carriers, repeat offenders, and violent criminals before crimes occur.”
Early voting for the 2025 mayoral election began on Oct. 25 and will continue through Sunday, Nov. 2. The deadline to apply for voting by
mail is Monday, Nov. 3, and Election Day will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Editor’s Note: Please note that the information in this piece is accurate as of Friday, Oct. 31.
testament to why we’re ranked 73rd,” Berg said.
Photo of Hayden Hall. MAIZY SWIFT / THE QUADRANGLE
VoicesontheQuad: JaspersTakeOn HalloweenAtMU
Features Editor
Oct. 31 marks the spookiest day on the calendar – Halloween. Several Jaspers decided to celebrate the holiday by showing up to campus in their costumes. From animals and superheroes to fictional characters, students showed off what they are or will be planning to wear this Halloween. The Quadrangle spoke with students regarding their costumes, the inspiration behind them and their plans for the holiday weekend.
Anna Schmidt ‘26, communication and sound studies double major
The Quadrangle: Are you planning on dressing up this year? If so, what will you be?
Anna Schmidt: I have many
other costumes in addition to the one I am wearing right now. At the moment, I am Karen from Mean Girls. Later tonight, I’m going to be Beetlejuice. And then on Saturday, I’m going to be “fake news.” For that, I have a little bodycon newspaper-print dress, which I will write “fake news” on. Very “comm major” of me.
TQ: Are you planning on purchasing your costume or making it on your own?
AS: I’m a big DIY girl, so I bought a bunch of pieces, but am then assembling it all on my own.
TQ: How did you come up with the inspiration behind your costume?
AS: I was scrolling on TikTok, and was going through what movies came out and the trends, and I decided I’ll do
Karen because she’s a classic. It was super easy, because I already had all the pieces. And the “fake news” idea I took from TikTok, which I just thought was super cute. And Beetlejuice, I’ve been wanting to be Beetlejuice for years.
TQ: Can you tell me a little about your Halloween plans for the weekend?
AS: Well yesterday, we went to Coffee House. Tonight I’m just going to be at the local scene, frats and all that now that my friends and I are all 21. And I think tomorrow we are going to head downtown. So yeah, we have a little bit of everything.
Daniel McWilliams ‘28, engineering major and Thomas Bonsignore ‘28, pre-physical therapy major
The Quadrangle: Are you two planning on dressing up this year? If so, what will you both be?
Daniel McWilliams: Right now we’re both wearing something else, but my friend and I here are going to be Egyptian pharaohs tomorrow.
Thomas Bonsignore: Yes, we are going to be pharaohs tomorrow. But today for [track] practice, I’m going to be Magic Mike.
TQ: Are you two planning on purchasing your costumes or making it on your own?
DM: We just bought our costumes this year.
TB: Yeah, we bought the pharaoh costumes, but I actually did DIY a costumeexcept it’s at home.
TQ: How did you come up with the inspiration behind your costume?
DM: We just did a lot of thinking, and went through all the options, and eventually
Daniel McWilliams (left) and Thomas Bonsignore (right) pictured together on campus, wearing one of their many costumes for the weekend. LAILI SHAHRESTANI / THE QUADRANGLE
just came across this one and agreed to it.
TB: It was the easiest one.
TQ: Can you tell me a little about your Halloween plans for the weekend?
TB: We’re both just hanging out with our team for the most part.
Shenoa Cedeno ‘27, psychology major
The Quadrangle: Are you planning on dressing up this year? If so, what will you be?
Shenoa Cedeno: Yes I am! I am going to be Tinker Bell.
TQ: Are you planning on purchasing your costume or
making it on your own?
SC: I bought my costume. Honestly, I wish I could make it on my own, but I just bought it off of Amazon.
TQ: How did you come up with the inspiration behind your costume?
SC: The truth is I ordered it three days ago, and was just looking for something to come in on time. And it was like the only thing that would arrive on time.
TQ: Can you tell me a little about your Halloween plans for the weekend?
SC: I’m going to a party tonight. It’s for my boyfriend’s best friend’s sister, and I’m excited.
Laili Shahrestani
Anna Schmidt pictured as Karen from Mean Girls. LAILI SHAHRESTANI / THE QUADRANGLE
Manhattan Magazine and Logos Academic Journal Host Event to Celebrate Student Art
Erioluwa Akin-Salami Contributor
On Oct. 29, Manhattan Magazine and Logos Academic Journal held a first-time event called the Autumn Writer’s Forum, where former artists and authors celebrated their work, read poetry and shared their art. The event was filled with creativity, as each performance conveyed themes from comedic ideas to political viewpoints.
Nate Aaron, a senior and the current editor-in-chief of Logos Journal as well as the submissions editor of Manhattan Magazine, helped plan and organize this event. At the end of last semester, Aaron was elected as co-chair of the two clubs, showing his
devotion to both the magazine and the journal. He spoke with The Quadrangle about his thought process behind hosting the forum and also both clubs’ future plans.
“Normally, the two clubs just do the booklets in the spring semester,” Aaron said.
“However, when Emily and I became the co-chairs, we wanted to make the club a celebration of student artwork.
There is a lack of outlets on campus for student artwork, especially creative writing wise, and we decided that we wanted to fill in that gap on campus.”
When asked, Aaron told The Quadrangle about his favorite performance of the night.
“Definitely Sienna [Gallus],” Aaron said. “I take a poetry workshop with her, and she’s one of the best poets I
know. Personally, I have always loved her work.”
Gallus, a senior and current member of both Manhattan Magazine and Logos Academic Journal, spoke with The Quadrangle about both clubs’ desire to serve as a platform to encourage new writers, as well as her overall satisfaction with the turnout for event.`
“We allowed those who wanted to submit in the future, or simply just wanted to share their work to the public to participate,” Gallus wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “The turnout was larger than we expected, and I was personally touched at how many people volunteered to perform.”
Gallus expressed gratitude toward the people who helped make this event possible.
“A massive thank you to Adam Koehler who helped
Sienna Gallus reading her work at the forum.
AKIN-SALAMI / THE QUADRANGLE
make this event a reality, as well as the passionate team behind this event,” Gallus wrote.
Adam Koehler, Ph.D, professor of English at MU and the current faculty advisor for Manhattan Magazine, expressed his support of Aaron’s ideas regarding creating more outlets for creativity on campus.
“The editors wanted to create more space for students to celebrate their work and collaborate on works in progress,” Koehler said. “So, we contacted the writers from last year’s issues and our new staff members, reserved a room, bought some apple cider donuts
and read our work to each other.”
Koehler went on to speak about future events the clubs plan to host.
“A few more readings, some fundraisers that will include students being able to make art, like painting and watercolors, and then publication prep,” Koehler said. “And in the spring, there is the publication of the magazines and our annual campus-wide release party.”
The next volume of both Manhattan Magazine and Logos Academic Journal will be released in May of 2026.
Guitar Recital Hosted in Honor of HeritageHispanicMonth
Sarah Rolka Staff Writer
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Daniel Garcia, adjunct associate professor of music, performed a classical guitar recital on campus. At the recital on Oct. 28, many of the pieces performed had origins from various Spanish-speaking countries.
The music not only spanned across multiple countries in Latin America and Spain, but across time periods as well. Garcia spoke to The Quadrangle about the origins of the music he performed at the recital as well as why he chose them specifically.
“I played classical music from Spain; so I went through all the periods – Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and Romantic,” Garcia said. “And then I played music from Latin America - contemporary and Brazilian, and some waltzes from Venezuela…Because it’s [for] Hispanic Heritage Month , so I try to focus for this time on music for Spain and Latin America.”
The recital included various pieces from Latin composers like Luis de Narváez, Gaspar Sanz, Fernando Sor, Issac
Albéniz, Leo Brower, Annibal Augusto Sardinha (Garoto) and Antonio Lauro.
Garcia additionally touched on why he specifically chose to play this type of music with a classical guitar, which is the instrument the genre of music is traditionally played on.
“I like to play music from Spain, and then I love Brazilian and South American [music], so that’s always my focus,” Garcia said.
Garcia also commented on how he felt performing and interpreting the music, and touched on what he hoped the students in the audience might take away from the performance.
“I like to interpret the music the best that I can, and especially here where there’s a lot of students having an interest in guitar and classical guitar, because most students don’t know anything about classical guitar,” Garcia said. “I think it’s to open their eyes and ears to that.”
Mark Pottinger, Ph.D., department chair of the communication, sound and media arts department and professor of music and musicology, spoke to The Quadrangle on hosting the recital.
“The communication, sound and media arts department as
well as the English and modern languages and literature department [sponsored the event],” Pottinger said. “Evelyn Scaramella, [Ph.D.], contacted me about an opportunity to cohost a recital that was dedicated to Hispanic Heritage Month. So I contacted Dean Kelly [of KSAS] and she said ‘Let’s do it.’”
Pottinger touched on how he felt watching the performance as well as some thoughts on the relations between the music and its origins.
“That was fantastic, it was really great,” Pottinger said. “This is music that has a tradition and experience in an environment. So, be it [music] from Latin America or Spain - or from various parts of the Spanish speaking world, there’s something that continues.
In all these pieces is this arpeggio where it’s constantly [reprising]. So, there’s something about that within the Spanish speaking community that seems to highlight that, especially within the use of the guitar. It was fascinating to see how these different styles, no matter the country, there’s a similar language that seems to highlight that sound, and it’s on the guitar. It’s a sense where they’re trying to elicit something from this instrument that has a connection to all
these different regions.”
Kelis Dennis, a freshman psychology major, commented on how they felt about the
performance once it was over.
“It was really nice, it was really calming in a way,” Dennis said. “Like a lullaby.”
Professor Dan Garcia performing at the recital hosted for Hispanic Heritage Month. SARAH ROLKA / THE QUADRANGLE
The Book Nook: The Open Boat
Marc Veldhuyzen
Contributer
A boat sinks in the middle of the ocean. You and a small crew of three barely escape on a row boat.
You’re alone in an open boat at sea. No food, no fresh water and nothing but the consistent buoy of the ocean. This is a hopeless situation, and yet, you still struggle. You still desperately row your boat to try to get to shore before you die.
The Open Ocean by Stephen Crane is the story of hopeless struggle. Fervent and hard struggle for no result at all. It is the story of life, of the vast majority of extraordinary efforts. Unremembered and unknown, never achieving their exorbitant goals. Sometimes it’s because you really aren’t smart enough. Or strong enough. Or creative
enough. Or maybe it’s because the goal was always impossible in the first place. The goals may be ambitious or maybe it’s just to survive.
In the open ocean, every moment is a struggle for survival, no longer in the protective shell of the ship. At first, they are able to appreciate the full scope of their situation. But they can plan, work out elaborate schemes to get to shore safely, back into the same sense of safety they had in the boat. Their focus is still on the world around them, the subtle waves of the sea, and the beautiful stillness of the sky, and their dreams for survival are all still intact.
Then, time passes and things get harder. They’re trying to make their way to a spotting house on the shore. They can’t break the surf between land and sea without its aid. They want a boat to come pick them up, which they can only do by signaling some help from shore. They make
it to the edge of the surf and are spotted by a person. The person waves to them and they wave back. It looks like rescue is going to come.
Soon a crowd gathers at shore. They all pay attention to the small row boat, and signal to them with waves and some cheers. But, it’s not about rescue. The crowd just sees the boat as a piece of entertainment. There was no help coming. They do not know the passengers’ plight. Soon they all disappear and again they are alone.
The struggle becomes real now. They are low on food and water, the sun has been bathing down on them constantly. They begin to take turns rowing to conserve energy, as they follow the shore looking desperately for anyone to help. But, no one comes to help. Soon, the captain makes a fateful decision. He’s going to dash to the shoreline, a final move to use all of their energy left in a single moment, for even the slightest chance, of
breaking the surf. They’ve accepted that death is likely now, but are upset that it has waited for so long. If
death was going to take them, why not when the ship sank? Why did fate force them to go through all of this effort, all of those false hopes.
Tired, sleep deprived, exhausted, they don’t even notice the natural world anymore, the world around them. Everything becomes internal when your body is in agony, you can’t appreciate the beauty of the sea or sky.
The crew makes the dash for it. They row wildly, through the surf, through the hard and accursed waves of nature trying desperately to seal their fate. As expected the boat flips over and all of the men are forced to swim the last distance in the ice cold water.
It’s unclear if they survive. However, one man makes it to land. In the instant that he touches the shore the once empty beach is suddenly filled with people, beach goers, women with coffee pots, blankets, and flasks. His body collapses the moment he touches sand, and lays there still. The struggle for survival ends and finally they are at peace.
Manhattan University Partners With The Zone App, Focusing on StudentAthlete Mental Health
Grace Cardinal Editor-in-Chief
Manhattan University Athletics has announced a partnership with “The Zone”, an app focused on the mental health of student-athletes. The partnership between the university and the app began in September, but was officially announced via press release this week.
“The Zone” is now the “leading mental health and performance platform designed specifically for athletes, empowering them with on-demand tools, datadriven insights, and access to professional support,” according to a press release. The release also stated that the app currently serves over 200 collegiate teams nationwide.
Raven James, advisor for MU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the associate director of athletics for marketing and external operations, explained that the university’s adoption of the app came from Athletic Director Irma Garcias’s previous experience with the program.
“It came about from our athletic director, actually, [in] her prior experience, she used The Zone app,” James said. “It was really impactful in having on-demand mental health support for the studentathletes. So when she came, one of her goals was to bring that same resource here. The Zone kind of follows the same NCAA model for mental health, and that’s become a big thing…it encourages our athletic departments to be more proactive and bring more integrative approaches to the student-athletes’ well-being.”
The app, on which users remain anonymous, has many features, from providing athletes with “hype” videos to giving them the opportunity to connect directly with mental health professionals. The app also offers athletes with breathing techniques and other smaller regulation tools to help them navigate whatever they may be feeling.
Jonathan Carsen, senior on the men’s swimming & diving
team and president of SAAC, explained how the app plays into SAAC’s mission of helping shape the whole studentathlete.
“We [SAAC] are just simply promoting these things as much as possible,” Carsen said.
“We think it’s great, therefore we’re going to promote it. Ultimately, SAAC is there for the welfare of our studentathletes. This very much fits that goal. So we are very much in support of it…again, I think that having something else, that isn’t necessarily somebody at the school talking to you face to face, allows people to open up and be vulnerable in the way that they need to be. Even if you have a great relationship with them, it can be hard to have conversations with your coaches, with your training staff, with your teammates, your roommates. Having something else is always good. There’s a reason why if you’re going to therapy, the therapist shouldn’t be your best friend.”
Senior track and field team member and Vice President of SAAC Bella Cannizzo spoke further about how she has personally been utilizing the app.
“For me, for runners, at least, the mind and body is very connected,” Cannizzo said. “We’re always in our head. It’s 90% what we tell ourselves, and then 10% of us running. So I’ve always been a big advocate for things that can help my performance and how I feel about myself, in terms of race day and my progression, things like that. So I will definitely be using this app. I have my MAAC championship this Saturday, and literally tonight, I was thinking after this call that I was gonna log on and do some of the breathing techniques and see what it has to say. Because I think it’s just helpful. When you’re working on your mental health, it’s like another muscle you’re working on to be a better runner.”
One of the biggest goals of the app is to promote the normalization of mental health among athletes.
“I think giving them this platform and then the tools to communicate opens up and brings everybody together on the same page,” James said. “It promotes normalization of
mental health. We want it to be a part of every conversation we have every day, whether it’s coming from us or our students. So just kind of leveling the playing field and understanding, whether it’s coming from us or SAAC, we’re all saying the same thing here.”
Cannizzo added on, mentioning that the app is something that was created for DI athletes nationwide, making it a relevant issue for athletes far beyond the Manhattan University campus.
“It’s not just here at Manhattan, it’s not just here at your team,” Cannizzo said. “It’s nationwide, all Division One school athletes, and mental health is a huge thing that’s going on. It’s happening, it’s relevant, and it can only help us. I think just having us partner with organizations like this, we can see that it’s something that’s going on with every student-athlete, and something that’s helping a lot of people too and we want to be a part of that.”
James, a former studentathlete herself, said that if she had this resource when she was on campus, she would’ve been more open to conversations and actively taking care of her mental health.
“If I had this in school, I think I would be more open to it,” James said. “Some of the issues, it’s not that they didn’t have those resources, it’s that our schedules are jam packed… So I do think if I had this when we were back in school, it would have helped me and a bunch of other studentathletes that struggle with day to day things, whether it’s being overwhelmed, anxiety, even if it’s not something that’s diagnosed, it’s more of that consistency of how I’m feeling, or what to do when I am feeling that way. In the basketball world, you’ve always got to show a great face, and put those things outside of the gym. But definitely, if I had this app, it would have helped me a lot.”
Carsen also spoke about the benefits of the app, particularly among younger studentathletes who are dealing with major changes to their living situation they’ve never had to navigate before. He also spoke to how the app can help studentathletes compartmentalize their stressors and look at what’s going on from a bigpicture perspective.
“You often see a lot of people kind of get caught up and it’s like, everything’s not going my
way and everything’s being affected, when, in reality, it’s like, maybe you’re just not doing well in your classes,” Carsen said. “That’s one thing I’m very much a fan of, of this app, is that it does reinforce that not every aspect of your life is athletics. There’s a life outside of it [too].”
James concluded with how MU’s Athletics program is not focused solely on performance, but on understanding how to make student-athletes the best they can be in all aspects.
“I think Manhattan athletics is different in a way,” James said. It’s not all about performance. We always want to win, but I think that from when I played to now, mental health and performance go together, and if you don’t have that, then we can’t win those games…In general, that’s what we’re trying to push with this app and and I hope even this interview is going to push student-athletes to use it even more, because I don’t want it to be another app you download on your phone, use it for a few days and forget about it. We’re still learning to provide that other layer for our student-athletes, [which] is a huge step.”
MU’s partnership with The Zone officially began in September. GOJASPERS.COM/ COURTESY
Games of the Week
Andrew Mannion Sports Editor
Men’s Soccer
The Jaspers men’s soccer team faced off against St. Peters University on Wednesday. Thanks to a late equalizing goal from Paul Abbatiello, Manhattan was able to secure a draw, and keep them at .500 against the MAAC.
The Jaspers looked to attack early on, and were able to send one shot by James Lucas, which went high of the goal. St. Peters sent a resounding response, as they would kick the next seven shots of the game, forcing the Jaspers’ goalkeeper, Ludvig Malberg, to make five saves to keep the game knotted going into half.
St. Peters found their groove early into the second half, with the Peacocks’ Connall McErlain finding the back of the net with a header. Capitalizing off the shot, St. Peters found themselves up 1-0 early in the half.
The Jaspers responded, again seeing Lucas fire off three more shots of his own. As the 74th minute came, Redshirt junior midfielder Paul Abbatiello found a header of his own that found the back of the net. His first collegiate goal was a big one for the Jaspers, as it was the equalizing and final goal of the game leaving the score at 1-1.
With Malberg making six saves on the Peacocks’ 15 shots, the Jaspers were able to
hold on for the tie. They remain the owners of the last MAAC playoff spot, and have just two final games of their regular season.
Women’s Soccer
The Jaspers women’s soccer team lost their season finale against Quinnipiac University. Despite out-shooting the Bobcats, the Jaspers fell against the university, which remains undefeated in conference play by a score of 2-0.
Quinnipiac started quick, with Morgan Cupo netting
her 11th goal of the year just four minutes into the game. With the Bobcats up 1-0 early, the Jaspers tried to answer quickly.
Redshirt Junior Amaya Hill sent the next shot which missed just wide. The Jaspers continued to shoot, but the next three shots were all blocked. This brought the game to halftime with a score of 1-0.
The Jaspers came out in the second half with some good looks. Junior Olivia McMaster
found herself with another great shot, but Bobcats goalkeeper Olivia Jarvis stopped it.
Although Jaspers’ star goalkeeper tallied three saves to keep Manhattan in the game, the Jaspers fell 0-2 to Quinnipiac, and brought their final record to 6-5-1 against the MAAC.
Women’s Volleyball
The MU women’s volleyball team dropped a tight game to MAAC rival Iona University on Tuesday. With a comeback to bring the game to five sets, the Jaspers lost a close game.
The Jaspers dropped the first two sets by scores of 23-25 and 21-25. With nine ties in the first set’s opening stretch, it was close from the beginning.
Manhattan followed the Gaels swings closely, but Julia Leonardo of Iona tied the score at 20–20 and went on to win the set.
The second set went in a similar direction. The Jaspers were defeated 19–19 by an ace from Emma Francesconi and
dual blocks from Fiona VanDyke and Katie Powers. Iona took a two-set lead after closing with a 6–2 run.
In the third, Manhattan answered. Abby Morreale and Francesconi combined for a block that turned the tide. VanDyke and Powers drove a 3–0 surge after falling behind 11–7. Kills by Morreale and Kaczynska set up a late edge, and a Teresa Garza ace with a VanDyke kill secured the set.
The fifth and deciding set went Iona’s way, with the Jaspers dropping it 15-8. This game brings the Jaspers to a record of 1-11 against the MAAC, with a home match against Siena up next.