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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MANHATTAN COLLEGE | SINCE 1924
Volume XCVIII, Issue 13
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NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 20, 2018
Commencement Addressed at Student Government Assembly Meeting Megan Dreher Features Editor
Snow Comes to Riverdale The trees are covered in snow and students are bundling up even more after the unexpected half foot of snow that accumulated in New York on Thursday. BRIAN ASARE / THE QUADRANGLE
Snowstorm Strands Commuter Students Taylor Brethauer, Cathy Goodyear & Rosa Ortega Editor-in-Chief, Social Media Editor & Contributor
The snow started coming and it did not stop coming for many hours on Thursday, Nov. 15, causing many commuter students to become stranded on campus. What was predicted as a light snowfall plus a mix of frozen rain quickly turned into approximately six inches of snow according to NBC New York. In some areas of the boroughs, commutes turned a simple drive down the highway into a 10-hour or more trek home. This was no different for Manhattan College’s commuter population. Snowfall began around 2 p.m. and continued to pile up into the night. The College officially sent out a statement at 4:39 p.m., closing up for the evening and to reevaluate in the morning. “The College is closed as of 4:30 PM today,” the MC Jasper 911 system stated in e-mail and text. “This includes all offices. Essential personnel should continue to report.” Some students, like senior Sebastian Peña, a chemical en-
gineering major, were still in class at the time the e-mail was sent. “At 4:30 p.m. I had a class on Thursday and it was already snowing. There was a pretty good amount of snow on the floor and was still snowing hard [...] the teacher did not know about the e-mail so we were still working like a normal class,” said Peña. They continued class without realizing the college was closed. It wasn’t until the class began an online quiz did they see the e-mail. The professor decided to carry on with the quiz and end class after its completion. “Once that was over I left the building and it was even worse than before. There was a lot of snow and I was stuck in school since then,” said Peña on Friday. At this point in the evening on Thursday, traffic on Broadway and all side roads were backed up as road conditions worsened. Interstate 87, a major highway many students use to get home, was riddled with accidents, causing extreme traffic. Trains were cancelled and the subways were running on a delayed schedule. The city, much like the snow, was frozen. “An important reason on why I chose not to take the risk and just go home was that I was
IN FEATURES: Finals Preparation MC Alumnus on on Campus Begins Working As a College Advisor on p. 5 on p. 9
IN NEWS:
reading and hearing from different people that there were buses and cars stuck on the road and by checking the GPS traffic, to go home would take more than 3 hours. On a good day my commute is normally just 15 minutes. I was waiting for the conditions to get better but they didn’t so I ended up staying over,” said Peña. This left commuter students in an unfortunate predicament. Most could not go home due to the traffic or train delays, some were relying on rides from other students or family members who could not get there in time. Peña remained on campus for 32.5 hours in total. Students Liam Moran and Rabea Ali contacted administration, requesting that the Kelly Commons stay open for the night to house commuters. Moran stepped into the role of helping commuters after speaking to Provost Clyde, vice president of student life, Richard Satterlee and dean of students, Michael Carey. At 10:29 p.m., Student Engagement tweeted out, “Attention all commuter students: the first two floors of the Kelly Commons will remain open all night if you can’t get home! If you’re stuck at Manhattan Col__________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
On Wednesday, Nov. 14, students gathered in Kelly 5A at the Student Government assembly meeting to address their concerns regarding the location of Spring Commencement with members of the Manhattan College administration. Members of the administration in attendance include William Clyde, Provost and executive vice president; Charles Clency, new director of residence life; John Bennett, director of student development; Lydia Gray, executive director for marketing and communication; Ann Mavor, new director of health services; Tiffany French, assistant dean of students; Richard Satterlee, vice president of student life; and Gail Conklin, events manager for marketing and communication. Patricia Gunn Doherty, director of special events and commencement, was not in attendance. Following the introduction of the administration, Jaycie Cooper, student body president, opened the floor to students who wished to voice their concerns as well as ask questions directed towards the administration on the issue of commencement. It was the largest showing of students at an assembly meeting in the college’s recent history. During this time, students shared personal accounts of why two tickets were not ideal for their familial situations, whether it be that they were the first in their families to go to college, or that they were uncomfortable choosing between family members to sit inside of Draddy Gymnasium. “I’m married, and the first in my family to graduate college. How do I tell my wife she can’t come inside of Draddy so my parents can attend?” said Michael Giraldo, a student vet-
IN A&E:
MC Singers Perform at Radio City Music Hall on p. 8
eran here at Manhattan College. Other students were less concerned about the number of tickets, though agreeing it was not ideal, but focused more of their concern on the temperature inside of Draddy. “I am a performing arts scholarship student, so that means I have had to be present for the past several graduations as well as the baccalaureate mass. A huge issue that that venue has always had is the sweltering heat. My father is extremely sensitive to those sorts of conditions, so I know that the heat alone would be preventing him from being able to see me gradua t e , which I think is very unfortunate,” said Erin Plitt, a senior gradua t i n g Provost Clyde in the GABRIELLA DEPINHO / Spring. THE QUADRANGLE Clyde had the opportunity to respond to some of the comments and questions that students voiced. “We have been talking about this for four years, and we have explored different options. One thing I will put out because it was discussed a couple of times, we have a solution for air conditioning in Draddy,” said Clyde. Outside venues were discussed, including Gaelic Park, according to Clyde. But Clyde also noted that previous conversation proved that there was “at least mixed, and not a majority of interest” in graduation occurring off campus, so long as on campus accommodations would include the adequate amount of seating. __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
IN SPORTS:
Graduate Student Matt Billings on Running on p. 12