Quadrangle
Clucksters Restaurant ReplacesCafé 1853
Joshua Reichard
Asst. A&E Editor
Manhatttan University continues to highlight notable alumni on their Instagram page. @MANHATTANEDU / INSTAGRAM
ManhattanCaucus:The LatestontheEpsteinFilesDOJUnder“Heat”
Elaina Batista
Asst. Social Media Editor
Over the last couple of weeks, the Justice Department released over 3 million files related to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., one of the co-authors of the law that led to the files’ production, said that the Justice Department has released “the best half of the documents.”
The release of the files has caused trauma for a number of Epstein’s victims,
who were told their identities would be withheld; however, their names were, in fact, included. The improperly handled redactions, which include blacked-out remarks victims gave to the FBI, have angered Epstein survivors. According to the survivors’ attorneys, the DOJ did a poor job of removing their personal information from the high volume of investigative documents made public on Jan. 30.
Although they were involved in making the files public, there are currently no communications from Attorney General Pam
Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche or FBI Director Kash Patel in the vast quantity of records. A watchdog group is asking the Justice Department to explain why it hasn’t included communication from top Trump administration officials. According to a DOJ spokesperson, “this is a tired narrative,” and those involved have already spoken extensively on the matter. Multiple examinations of the records indicate that men’s faces are frequently hidden while women’s faces
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Last week, Manhattan University (MU) welcomed Clucksters, a grab-and-go chicken restaurant operated by Gourmet Dining, to the university dining scene. Clucksters has replaced what was once Café 1853, which has now shut down for what appears to be indefinitely. Demand is high at the new chicken restaurant, as it logged over 600 orders during the first two days that it was opened.
The Quadrangle spoke with Kevin Henriquez, the general and on-site manager of Gourmet Dining. According to Henriquez, the addition of Clucksters has been quite the change, and the restaurant has been incredibly busy.
“It’s been refreshingly busy down here in terms of the amount of students,” Henriquez said. “Before, we couldn’t [serve] more people than the amount of tables we had, so it’s good being able to put a new [higher] amount of orders in, and having the students be able to come pick it up, grab-and-go or still hang out here.”
Seeing the closure of Café 1853 when students returned from winter break may have come as a surprise to many. However, Danielle Markus, the director of marketing for Gourmet Dining explained that Clucksters is not limited to the “sit-down only” format that Café 1853 operated as; now, Clucksters allows students to have a more flexible dining experience.
“The café was really restricted to [the tables], so it’s nice that Clucksters reaches the campus and beyond,” Markus said.
Clucksters also offers more options for students to use their meal plans, as opposed to dining dollars. While Café 1853 only offered three options in terms of meal-equivalency, the entire Clucksters menu is compatible with meal swipes.
“I think this gives students more of an opportunity to use their meal plan,” Henriquez said. “Whereas previously, there were only three items [students] could use their meal-equivalency on. Here, we have a combo that [students] are able to use their mealequivalency on, but they can also just order whatever they want and use their swipes.”
Markus noted that enthusiasm from students has been high, with many students returning to the restaurant despite it being open for less than a week.
“We’ve had so many students come for lunch, come back for dinner or even take it to go,” Markus said. “We’ve seen repeat customers being open two days, which is so heartwarming, and we’re excited by the community’s excitement.”
Student reactions to Clucksters have varied. While over 600 orders were placed within two days of the restaurant’s opening, negative opinions still exist. In a poll posted to The Quadrangle’s Instagram account, 76% of students say they preferred Café 1853, compared to only 24% of students preferring
Volume CXIII, Issue 4
FEBRUARY 10, 2026
The Editorial Board
Laili Shahrestani and Barbara Vasquez Editors-in-Chief
Maddie Rosado Managing Editor
Leyla Mercado Features Editor
Sarah Rolka Asst. Features Editor
Zeke Jazwinski Sports Editor
Emmamuel Sofillas Asst. Sports Editor
Lois Boateng Social Media Editor
Leyla Mercado & Elaina Batista Asst. Social Media Editors
Maddie Rosado News Editor
Zendrah Bonnick Asst. News Editor
Maria Castaño Arts & Entertainment Editor
Joshua Reichard Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor
Amy Forster Production Editor
Misha Jabal-Abadi Asst. Production Editor
Alba Kortoci Web Editor
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. in Kelly Commons. All are welcome to come and join the club. If interested, please email thequad@manhattan.edu!
Connect with The Quadrangle mcquad.org @mu_quad @mu_quad mcquad
LETTER from the EDITOR
Hello everybody and welcome back to our fourth issue of the semester!
In this issue we discuss a bunch of exciting happenings around our campus community, beginning with news where we cover the opening of Manhattan University’s newest dining option, Cluckster’s. Personally, I enjoyed the food I’ve gotten from there thus far, but I will forever mourn the loss of Cafe 1853 nachos. It was super fun to hear campus’ thoughts for this article through the poll we posted on our instagram account - be sure to follow for more updates on the Quad (and more exciting content to come!)
Next, our Manhattan Caucus does a wonderful job of giving a rundown of the latest news concerning the Epstein Files case - give it a read to catch up!
In features, we discuss the HGI Center welcoming founder of Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV), Ani Zonneved, to campus to give a lecture concerning feminism and social justice in Islam. On a similar note, MU’s social justice focused group, JustPeace, held an event last week where they collaborated with local group Northwest Bronx Indivisible to lead a brainstorming session surrounding social change. Finally, introduce yourself to the new Yoga Club on campus with the last article in our features section.
Up next in A&E we start off with my own article covering Brother Ralph’s new exhibit in the library, as well as the library’s plans on opening up their exhibition space for submissions from the broader community. Br. Ralph’s sculptures are impressive and beautiful, and I had such a great talk with him in order to write this article - if you have the chance to stop by, take the time to do so! The exhibit will be up until March 1 in O’Malley Library, immediately to the right of the entrance. Next, we cover MU’S Pipes and Drums, and their plans for their upcoming year.
Finally in sports, we cover the cheerleading team’s struggles in getting to Nationals. This story has a few different parts to it that I do not think I am able to properly summarize in this letter, so if you can only read one article from this issue, let it be this one. Finally, we give a quick recap of softball and basketball’s unfortunate losses throughout the week.
That’s all for this issue - be sure to check out these stories, and see you next week :)
Editor-in-Chief
CluckstersRestaurantReplacesCafé1853
Clucksters. An anonymous student wrote to The Quadrangle describing the experience as “a clucking disaster,” citing high prices for the portions received.
“When I opened my fries, I was beyond disappointed when I discovered that there were only three fries,” the student wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “Three fries for $5.”
Although critical of the new restaurant, the student made it clear that their criticism was purely constructive.
“I only bring awareness because I want Clucksters to succeed, because those chefs work hard,” the student wrote in an email to The Quadrangle.
Maya Grate-Ueno, a freshman communication major, had a positive restaurant experience, with her only critique focusing on the beverage selection.
“It was so good,” GrateUeno said. “It was way better than I expected. They blew
my mind. The chicken was perfectly seasoned, and the salad was so fresh. The only thing is I wish they had more options for drinks.”
While feedback is mixed, Gourmet Dining says they are committed to listening to feedback from the community, adjusting the Clucksters experience as needed. Markus encourages students to submit feedback through the @manhattanu_ eats page on Instagram, where students can also find a phone number that they can anonymously text.
“I always encourage [students to give feedback] while they’re picking up [their orders],” Markus said. “Please let us know if you have questions or feedback. We’re open, and we’re here. We have our Instagram, which you can message us, but we also have an anonymous phone number that you can text. We’re always happy to hear feedback.”
Gourmet Dining is also planning on conducting a poll on social media to get student
Clucksters celebrates it’s opening week in Thomas Hall. JOSHUA REICHARD / THE QUADRANGLE
feedback, which will give them a better understanding of what students want changed at Clucksters.
“We’re always looking for ways to make it better,”
Henriquez said. “In a couple of days, we’re going to do a poll and see where the students are at. Whether they like the bread we’re using, or should we go bigger? What
dessert should we add? That kind of stuff. We want to tailor it to the students, because I don’t want to put anything on the menu that they’re not going to eat.”
ManhattanCaucus:TheLatestontheEpsteinFilesDOJUnder“Heat”
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 are shown, and the files appear disorganized with no clear chronological or thematic structure. On Jan. 29, the Justice Department wrote to federal judges in the Southern District of New York U.S. District Court, stating that its staff was “working around the clock to run additional searches for documents that may require additional redaction.”
Annie Farmer, who has been outspoken about Epstein and the abuse she experienced, stated, “If you see some of these documents where there will be a list of 50 names and one is redacted, you know, there’s just no explanation for how it could have been done so poorly.”
On Tuesday, Feb. 3, President Trump said he thought it was “time for the country to get on to something else, really. Now
that nothing came out about me.” Following this, Blanche stated that there will most likely be no criminal charges following the release of the files since they do not indicate any sort of wrongdoing.
Among other prominent figures named in the files is former President Bill Clinton, who is named several times. Both former President Clinton and Former Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee in its investigation into Epstein. The terms for the depositions that the former president and secretary of state are expected to give at the end of the month under threat of being found in contempt of Congress were outlined in emails released by House Oversight Chair James Comer on Thursday between
his committee and the legal team for Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton stated on social media that they desire to have an open hearing rather than behind closed doors and stated, “Let’s stop the games,” Hillary Clinton wrote on social media on the morning of Jan. 29. “You love to talk about transparency. There’s nothing more transparent than a public hearing, cameras on.”
HGIatMUWelcomes MuslimFeminist AniZonneved
Laili Shahrestani Editor-in-Chief
On Feb. 3, the Holocaust, Genocide, Interfaith and Education Center (HGI) at Manhattan University (MU), welcomed Ani Zonneveld, writer, singer, songwriter and founder of Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) to lead a discussion on social justice, feminism and Islam.
Zonneveled identifies as a Muslim feminist and has openly spoken about her upbringing and advocacy work, particularly in relation to the freedom of expression and women’s rights in Islam. She explores these topics within her newly published memoir titled “An Unlikely Social Justice Warrior: Making My Life Count as a Muslim Feminist,” which she highlighted throughout the event.
The Quadrangle spoke with Zonneveld about common misconceptions seen within the Islamic community regarding women’s rights and feminism. She explained how the two are actually very compatible, and that stereotypes and false narratives are what claim otherwise.
“When it comes down to the basic qualities that feminism is supposed to stand for, we see equality and the social, economic well-being of everyone,” Zonneveld said. “And then if you look at Prophet Muhammad, he was the first feminist, because of what existed [at the time]. So it’s very easy for me to debunk this notion that feminism is not compatible with Islam.”
Through Zonnoveld’s work as founder and president of Muslims for Progressive Values, she hopes to help fight against harmful misunderstandings when it comes to Islam, and also give
people a better understanding on the inclusivity of women’s rights within the religion.
According to MPV’s website, the organization supports “women’s agency and self-determination in every aspect of their lives … [and the belief] in women’s full participation in society at every level.” In addition, MPV advocates for women’s rights in regards to their bodily autonomy, economic independence, marriage and more - all in a way that is still backed up by Islamic values.
Zonneveld expressed her thoughts regarding the permissibility of women holding leadership positions in Islam, as well as how Islamic history reveals many examples of feminism.
“In [some] Sunni interpretations, ‘Sharia law’ supposedly states that only men can be imams [Islamic leader], which to me is utterly nonsense, because the first woman imam was appointed by Prophet Muhammad,” Zonneveld said. “There are all these gold nuggets found in Islam that show how Prophet Muhammad really practiced Islam at its inception … and now we see this patriarchal version of Islam, instead of the true, egalitarian version Islam.”
Mehnaz Afridi, Ph.D, professor of religious studies and director of the HGI Center at MU added onto this conversation, expressing how in both Christian and Jewish traditions, similar issues regarding the permissibility of women in positions of religious leadership are seen. She emphasized how this issue stems from problems within society, rather than with the religions themselves.
“We see similarities in Christianity and Judaism,” Afridi said. “Jewish women struggled at first to become rabbis, and eventually became rabbis in the 1970s. And then
right now, the Catholic Church is being pressured to allow women to lead. And so I think the problem is not about faith, but rather with men, and the oppression of women.”
When it comes to the topic of patriarchy and male domination in Islam, both Zonnoveld and Afridi emphasized how it is a problem that emerged from culture, harmful stereotypes and human beings - not from the actual teachings of the religion. They expressed how Islam is both a just and egalitarian religion.
“God has said that every single human being here has been created by God,” Afridi said. “We have been created equally, and so to reconcile one’s identity is to add to the environment, to show
with grace what the Qur’an [the Islamic holy text] truly stands for, which is justice and egalitarianism.”
Afridi also mentioned how there are several women, Muslim feminists, all throughout history, who have made a profound impact on the religion.
“The question about patriarchy is in every religion,” Afridi said. “I teach a course on women in Islam, and we do feminist readings of the Qur’an, which have been going on for quite some time. There are scholars like Leila Ahmed, Fatema Mernissi and also contemporary scholars that have re-read the Qur’an from a feminist perspective…I think it’s us human beings that have weaknesses, and need for
power or control that create this problem of patriarchy in all religions.”
Zonneved expressed how she hopes MVP can continue to serve as a resource to help erase false narratives around religion and educate people on the true values of Islam, all while creating a safe and inclusive space for all.
“I think that through the work of Muslims for Progressive Values, we can really help promote the progressive and true teachings of Islam,” Zonneveld said.
If you are interested in learning more about MPV and their mission, check out: @ mpvusa on Instagram, or go to: mpvusa.org.
Ani Zonneveld, writer, singer, songwriter and founder of MPV MVPUSA.ORG / COURTESY
JustPeace Club Brainstorms Social Change in Collaboration with Northwest Bronx
Indivisible
On Feb. 1, Manhattan University’s (MU) JustPeace Club hosted a brainstorming session at MU’s Kelly Commons. The event, “Brainstorming the Resistance,” was a collaboration between MU’s JustPeace and Northwest Bronx Indivisible (NWBI), the northwest chapter of the Indivisible movement, a grassroots organization dedicated to promoting democracy.
This meeting was dedicated to groups planning and organizing events aimed at mitigating the effects of various issues in the U.S. As topics were divided into committees to allow for more direct one-on-one discussions, these committees included: democracy, justice, immigration, health and environment. Some topics covered during the meeting were organizing a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as the Department of Homeland Security for their raids and deportations.
In addition to this, conversations were had over the legal actions taken by the Trump administration that threaten democracy, threats to the environment, inequity in the justice systems and the NWBI’s ongoing push for Medicaid for all.
Elle Feneide, a senior political science major and president of the JustPeace club, told The Quadrangle about her hopes for the collaboration between MU and NWBI.
“I think that it’s also healthy for people to have this relationship with their community and with their country and with their politics,” Feneide said. “...I think that if people pretend politics don’t exist, then you either control your relationships with politics or politics controls its relationship with you. The
space is to engage with politics in ways that are more than just voting, because voting is important, but democracy is more than just voting, and people don’t acknowledge that as much.”
Kathy Solomon, a NWBI member who has worked on various committees, also expressed her feelings on this collaboration and efforts to increase community involvement.
“We just need it. It’s always good to get new blood, to get new people, to hear new ideas,” Solomon said.
Solomon also expressed a desire for younger people to be able to help with their programs’ use of the internet and social media. Solomon told The Quadrangle about how they have utilized advancing technology in their organization to stay informed.
“The resist and unsubscribe website... Scott Gallway, who interviewed Timothy Snyder, explains what people can do to send a message to those propping up Trump,” Solomon said. “New ideas were presented to me. I think we have something to teach younger people, because let’s remember, we started protesting and fighting the government in the ‘60s... And we certainly are not skilled at social media. We need to work together.”
Solomon elaborated on how she views the impact of politics on young people while not being representative of that demographic.
“Over the last 40 years, there’s been a tremendous transfer of wealth from young people to old people,” Solomon said. “And some of that is because of our laws and structures, and because a lot of wealth is tied to mortgages... There’s just younger people who aren’t represented in our government, I feel. And there’s just so many ways in which our economy works to the benefit of older people. And not to the benefit of younger people.”
taken Feb 1. ZENDRAH BONNICK / THE QUADRANGLE
While being interviewed by The Quadrangle, Betty Golomb, steering committee member and co-chair of the democracy committee, discussed a reason she observed community members may be hesitant in participating in NWBI, or social action in general.
“It’s not only people who feel vulnerable, because they’re brown-skinned or Latino,” Golomb said. “It’s also people who are my age, white people, who are afraid to put their names to something, that somehow, it’s going to come back, that the government’s going to target them. There’s a lot of fear out there. So that’s been hard for us. People want to participate but not include names. Sometimes wearing masks, as if they’re worried about getting sick, but they’re really worried about being identified. There’s a lot of fear out there.”
Golomb further added that although she acknowledges the potential dangers present, he accepts them as part of continuing the work that she believes is important.
“I just say, do what you can, I’m not going to tell somebody they’re safe,” Golomb said.
“I have no idea. Truth be told, I mean, I recognize it’s a possibility that I’m exposing myself by being out there. So be it.”
Similarly, for the JustPeace Club, one of their goals is to increase community involvement of MU students.
“Where JustPeace is supposed to come in is you say what’s wrong, and we all acknowledge it, and we all hold space for that, and then we all kind of go, ‘what can we do about this?,’” Feneide said. “And then once we’ve decided that it’s kind of up to you to take that next step and figure it out, hopefully.”
Later during the interview, Feneide went on to express her thoughts on fear impacting students’ willingness to participate in politics.
“Timothy Snyder’s book, ‘On Tyranny Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century,’ is about how to prepare for a tyrannical government,” Feneide said. “Lesson number one is ‘do not obey in advance’ and I think that’s a problem that we’re having. I think a lot of students are obeying in advance. Students who are afraid that there will be repercussions for them speaking out… JustPeace is a way of combating that. Creating a community, especially with despair and the struggle to cope with politics. JustPeace is largely about not feeling alone in that anymore.”
Zendrah Bonnick
Asst. News Editor
Photos of JustPeace collaborations with NorthWest Bronx Indivisible meeting “Brainstorming the Resistance,”
MUYogaClubBrings Mindfulnessand MovementtoCampus
Zeke Jazwinski Sports Editor
Manhattan University (MU) is stretching its way into wellness with the addition of the new Yoga Club this year. This new student-run organization is looking to promote mindfulness, wellness and movement within the university. The club is open to all experience levels, whether one is a beginner or an expert; inclusivity is promoted for all levels of expertise within the club.
The Yoga Club started this year by holding weekly outdoor sessions in Van Cortlandt Park, but due to the colder weather, the meetings have moved indoors into Smith Auditorium. The club meets weekly, on Monday evenings from 6 to 7 p.m.
One of the founders of the
club, Lauren Ficon, a junior public relations major with a minor in business, talked about her passion for practicing yoga.
“My main reason for practicing yoga is because of the benefits,” Ficon said. “It brings not only physical benefits, but mental ones as well. As we all know, school can be a huge stressor, and yoga has played a huge part in de-stressing my everyday life. It allows me to slow down and practice being mindful and present with myself. I think this is especially important in our world today, when we’re constantly seeking quick satisfaction and rarely giving ourselves time to pause and just be.”
Yoga has the ability to offer a wide range of physical and mental benefits, including stress reduction and overall well-being.
According to Hugh Calkins, M.D., director of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Service at Johns
Hopkins, “A large number of studies show that yoga benefits many aspects of cardiovascular health … There’s been a major shift in the last five years or so in the number of cardiologists and other professionals recognizing that these benefits are real.”
The demands of juggling classwork, trying to find a job and maintaining a social life are major reasons why it is important to take time out of the day or week to relax. These factors highlight why having the option of a Yoga Club on campus can be beneficial.
Ficon further shared what inspired her to start the club.
“I was inspired to start the Yoga Club because I wanted a space and community here on campus, where we could come together to move, breathe and reset our systems,” Ficon said. “Yoga has become such an important part of my life while
being at school, so I wanted to share that with my peers and create a positive, welcoming space where everyone feels supported to take time for themselves.”
One of the beneficial aspects about yoga is that it can help anyone, in simple ways such as getting up and moving your body, in-turn helping improve how you feel. Julia Taffe, a freshman biology major, spoke with The Quadrangle about why she decided to attend the first Yoga Club meeting this semester.
“I decided to come to the first meeting because I’m a dancer, and I thought it was a good idea to join a club that helps with stretching,” Taffe said.
The Yoga Club also offers time for reflection and journaling, giving students an opportunity to take time for themselves during their
busy lives. Taffe spoke about how that aspect caught her attention.
“What caught my attention initially was that they offered yoga and journaling,” Taffe said. “So not only was I getting my stretches in, I had some time to reflect on my day and think about all the good that went on.”
Ficon shared a bit more on what the Yoga Club stands for, and its purpose.
“This club is truly for everyone,” Ficon said. “You don’t have to be flexible, experienced or good at yoga to come. It’s a super low-pressure atmosphere. It’s really just a space where you can show up as you are, move a little, breathe a lot and take a break from everything else going on around you. Exist without any expectations and come as you are.”
arts & entertainment
O’Malley Library Displays Brother Ralph’s “Emanations, Iterations”; Discusses Future Plans for Exhibition Space
Barbara Vasquez Editor-in-Chief
O’Malley Library has recently brought the “Emanations, Iterations,” display to their gallery space, created by Ralph Bucci, F.S.C., in an effort to revitalize the space as more frequently used exhibition space.
The exhibit features a number of sculptures produced by Br. Ralph throughout the years - one of the earliest sculptures featured comes from 1977, with some coming from as recently as last year, according to Br. Ralph. The range of time represented by these various sculptures is all part of the meaning behind the exhibit.
“The exhibit may be considered a metaphor for one’s growth, be it physical, psychological, spiritual, or all three simultaneously,” according to the artist statement Br. Ralph provided the exhibit. “We have an opportunity to create ourselves throughout our lifetimes. … We change by trying new things, experimenting, practicing, adopting, adapting, going deeper into who we are, so as to validate our integrity, thus creating a more genuine me.”
The exhibition consists of three different themes accompanied by the appropriate shaping. First include the “dolmens,” which pull inspiration from post and lintel pre-historic stone formations [a famous example being the Stonehenge landmark in the United Kingdom], “scapes,” which reference various mountainscape and hill formations and “closed vessels,” which offers the most evident examples of iteration and evolution.
“You can see how that [shape] progresses, ergo the iteration, the development,” Br. Ralph said, in reference to the gradual change to the shape of his ‘closed vessel’ pieces on
display in the exhibition.
The sculptures are made using clay, a preferred artistic medium for Br. Ralph. He shapes the clay first, later intentionally adding additional textures to the pieces, using a variety of tools such as forks or his own fingers. Color is added through spray paint and a smoke-firing process that can range from hours to even days. The color produced from this process varies greatly - the combination of these textures and “unplanned colors” are vital in creating the visual interest that Br. Ralph seeks to incorporate in his pieces.
“In anything that is great, anytime you come back there’s another appreciation for it,” Br. Ralph said. “There’s something in the piece that grabs your attention. The clay texture is reminiscent of stone, like the stone structures earlier [the prehistoric stone formations he drew inspiration from].
There’s something I believe that attracts us to those things, because we wonder about them - how they were made, what the purpose of them was, what is the texture? We wonder about them visually, actually. It’s part of the mystery.”
Br. Ralph goes on to relate this ‘wonder,’ produced by the structures to the collective unconscious, or the belief that “somehow everybody possesses all of human experience,” and “when we see something, it attracts our attention because it resonates with something inside all of us.”
In the creation of his sculptures, Br. Ralph finds ways to almost communicate with this wonder.
“That’s what this is supposed to do, create a sense of wonder: what, why, where, when?” Br. Ralph said. “Then we get back to the building process, but a dialog happens. That’s part of the iteration. That’s how the pieces change. There’s a dialog now [between art and artist].”
Br. Ralph featured some
of these same sculptures in a previous exhibition during November 2020, titled “Closed Vessels, Dolmens, -scapes.” In previous years, the library’s gallery was frequently used as an exhibition space, like it was originally intended for. However, the frequency in which art was on display slowed greatly in recent years - there were periods of time where the space was left completely bare even. After Br. Ralph reached out to interim director of the library, Susanne Markgren, conversation sparked about reviving the space.
“He got in touch with me and said ‘okay, Amy [the previous director of the library] and I planned this, and she said I could have the space’ and I thought ‘that’s wonderful’,” Markgren said. “Because it had sat empty for a while if you remember, and it always made me feel sad.”
Markgren described the library’s efforts to fill the space last semester through implementing a puzzle and games corner and coffee sessions during finals week. However, she knew she needed to reinstate something new for the spring semester, when at the “perfect timing” Br. Ralph reached out concerning his exhibit. Since his exhibit has gone up, requests for the space have already begun to roll in.
“It would be exciting to have at least maybe two, if not three per semester,” Markgren said. “Which seems kind of bold, and I was kind of scared at first, but since Brother Ralph put up his exhibit, I’ve had several people contact me about that space… so we want to do that this semester. At some point, we might be looking at other spaces in the library, and not just that one, if we have so much demand.”
The space is planned to be open for submissions from anyone in the community, from students and faculty to local artists.
“We want to promote mainly student work, faculty
and staff work,” Markgren said. “People on campus would be our priority and then also potentially get other people from outside, which is what, in the past couple years, we’ve kind of mainly had.”
The Quadrangle reached out to professor of art history and digital media art, Daniel Savoy, in order to gain a more nuanced understanding of what this exhibition space could mean for the art scene on campus.
“I think it will have a tremendously positive impact on the community because it will increase the presence of the visual arts on campus,
and will let people see the spectacular work being done by our student artists,” Savoy wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “When people see this work, they will come to know that they’re part of a vibrant community.”
The next exhibition set to be on display will be dedicated to Mission Week, according to Markgren, and will hopefully be on display by late March. In the meantime, she hopes to create a website in order to better promote the space and offer a place for submissions from artists.
Brother Ralph poses with his closed vessel, dolmen and scape sculptures.
BARBARA VASQUEZ / THE QUADRANGLE
arts & entertainment
Pipes and Drums Gear Up for 2026 Campaign
Andrew Mannion Senior Writer
Manhattan University’s (MU) Pipes and Drums has a productive schedule ahead, as they gear up for another semester of Irish festivities.
After participating in nine parades last March, the group has already begun practicing for this upcoming season of St. Patrick’s Day events.
The group annually participates in several parades, ranging from Mineola to Pearl River, sticking to the tri-state area. With the preparation of the constant parades starting in March, the band makes a point to hone their skills these first weeks of the semester.
Pipe Major, Richard Nikolic, spoke on the bands schedule and how practices tend to ramp up this time of year.
“We follow the schedule of the college,” Nikolic said. “So once school starts again, we will practice throughout the semester. Now, when the spring comes, we just try to meet every Thursday to get together. We play, we play longer, we countermarch. We just try to get ourselves going.”
The club is mainly composed of alumni and veteran band members. This has given the band consistency throughout the years. Colleen Corrigan, a piper in the band, spoke about how the band has stayed consistent while growing over the years.
“It is mainly the same people over the years,” Corrigan said. “However, we add on to it with
new students that join the band, and then they hang on, and they graduate, and they still come back with the band.”
The band’s recruitment is usually internal, with people hearing about it from others who are already in the band.
That is how a new member of the band, Niko Mayhew, was recruited. He spoke about how his friend encouraged him to check out the band.
“My friend recruited me
to join,” Mayhew said. “He always said how much fun it is and that I should just come to one practice to see how it is. I went, and I thought it was cool. It wasn’t what you would expect out of Pipes and Drums.”
Mayhew has found the experience quite rewarding in his few weeks as a member. He continued on how the band has felt supportive and cultivating towards making
him into a better band member.
“The people here really want to see you succeed and be a part of this band,” Mayhew said.
“Every single practice we have, they teach you really well and make sure you’re enjoying it. Learning the new instrument is something I enjoy.”
The parades are the main events they prepare for. So with eight parades coming up this year, the band has been using Thursday nights to get the craft down for the marches around
the corner. Nikolic spoke on his favorite events with the band, and the payoff of his practicing and years in the band.
“Fifth Avenue is just tremendous,” Nikolic said.
“When you turn that corner on 45th Street, and you’re marching down the avenue, it’s breathtaking. Being with your bandmates and going to all the parades is a good time. We get together, and then we, you know, go get a bite to eat after.”
Richard Nikolic (right) marches down 5th Avenue in St. Patrick’s Day parade BEN ASEN/COURTESY
sports
Cheerleading To Attend Nationals Despite Uncertainty
Reichard Senior Writer & Asst. A&E Editor
Manhattan University’s (MManhattan University’s (MU) cheerleading team faced uncertainty after its initial plans to go to the National Cheerleading Association (NCA) College Nationals in Daytona Beach, Fla. were interrupted. After months of practicing for the competition, the team reported to the MU community that the school was not allowing the team to attend this year.
After the team reportedly received the news from MU that they were not able to attend, they responded by creating a petition. The petition quickly gained attention from the community, collecting over 1,000 signatures in support of the cheer team. Less than a week later, the team announced that the reported decision had been reversed and the team would be attending the competition as originally planned.
According to the school, it was never said that the team could not attend Nationals, but rather only that the school would not be able to support the team financially due to a lack of cheerleaders’ attendance at men’s and women’s basketball games throughout the fall semester and over the winter break. It was reported that the school spent $17,000 to send the cheer team to Florida last year.
The petition put out by the team stated their issue and context as to why this was a pressing matter to the team members.
“The Manhattan University Cheerleading Team has worked tirelessly all this season—practicing, fundraising and representing our university,” the petition wrote. “After earning a qualifying bid to compete at Nationals in Daytona, one of the highest honors in collegiate cheerleading, the team was informed MONTHS later that the university will not allow them to attend this year.”
Nicole
Brosnan, director of
student engagement, wrote to The Quadrangle clarifying the school’s position.
“The University never forbade the team from going to Nationals. The University simply could not in good conscience financially support the team due to its failure to attend a significant portion of the games this fall and throughout the winter break.”
However, the team claims that attendance at many games is difficult, as cheerleaders are not offered on-campus housing during the winter break, as well as a lack of priority scheduling for members, meaning that many of their classes overlap with scheduled games. Priority scheduling is only offered to student-athletes on campus, not to members of club sports.
“The reasoning behind this decision is because of the school’s dissatisfaction for this club team’s game attendance, especially for break games,” the cheerleaders’ petition said. “The break games that [cheerleaders] aren’t offered housing for, so the girls would either have to pay for housing or make their commutes from over an hour while paying for gas… This club still, throughout the season, attends 20+ home games on top of all their practice, schoolwork, work
to get money, family matters, homework, fundraising events and classes; the classes that they have to be at during game time since they aren’t offered priority scheduling because they ‘aren’t athletes’.”
On the other hand, student engagement’s perspective is that cheer should still be making a higher effort to attend games. When asked during an in-person interview conducted by The Quadrangle, Brosnan elaborated on student engagement’s position.
“We completely understand if [cheerleaders] are not at games because of class, since cheer is not considered an athletic team, they’re considered a club,” Brosnan said. “Only athletes on campus get priority scheduling… We do not expect [cheerleaders] to skip class to come, but we know that not the whole team is in class at the same time. We’ve also had weekend games where we still haven’t seen a presence, and games over the break.”
The position from the university and the position from the team are conflicting, as the team claims they knew about their need to self-fund the trip from the beginning. According to the team, the university originally stated that
they would not be allowed to attend Nationals at all, later reversing this decision and clarifying that the trip would not receive school funding.
Daniella Beggins, senior cocaptain of Manhattan Cheer, spoke about the reversal of the decision, which MU denies.
“We actually got an email today from, I believe, the vice president of student engagement, and she basically said that what we were told was incorrect, that we are allowed to go but we would have to fund everything ourselves, which was what we thought from the beginning,” Beggins said. “We’re completely thrown off from her email because someone under her told us that we weren’t allowed to go. Now in the email… it’s saying, ‘Oh, you guys are able to go, the school is just not going to fund it’.”
Beggins was surprised by the attention that the petition had gained from the community.
“I was the one who started the petition and had the idea, and honestly, I had no idea that so many people would support the cheerleading team, just because the school itself doesn’t really give us much support to begin with,” Beggins said. “It was nice to see support from so
many people, especially the students.”
Beggins noticed that many members of the community, including other athletes at the school, were publicly showing their support for the team.
“I was checking up on the petition, and we even had the basketball players signing too,” Beggins said.
Despite the confusion, the team was grateful for the decision reversal, thanking the MU community for its support via Instagram.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who took the time to sign and share our petition. Your support, voices and belief in us truly meant more than words can express,” they wrote. “We have gotten confirmation that we are able to go to Nationals.”
The Office of Student Engagement concluded its message to The Quadrangle explaining that the team is not in jeopardy and will continue to perform.
“We want to emphasize that the cheer program is not and never was in jeopardy, and the team will continue to participate in scheduled events, including the MAAC Tournament in March.”
Mary Haley & Joshua
The petition was published on Jan 22, and has over 1,000 verified signatures. @MANHATTAN.CHEER/INSTAGRAM
Games of the Week
Zeke Jazwinski Sports Editor
Softball
The Manhattan University softball team (0-2) opened up its season on Friday at H-E-B Field, taking on Prairie View A&M (1-0) and Incarnate Word (1-0). The Jaspers would unfortunately lose both games, with the final scores being 7-1 and 12-4.
The game started off well for the Jaspers as sophomore Brianna Estevez grabbed the first hit of the 2026 season in the opening inning, putting one through the middle and later stealing second. In the bottom half of the frame, junior Karissa Spring was in the circle for the Jaspers, striking out her first two batters faced in the home half of the first.
After the first inning, Prairie View A&M took control of the game. The Panthers put up a five spot in the second, highlighted by a grand slam from Dyani McKinley. The Jaspers’ lone run came in the fourth when freshman Kaitlyn Moody doubled to center field, bringing in freshman Natalye DeBus. The Panthers would respond with two runs in the sixth, which secured the victory for them.
The Jaspers started off hot in the second game with two baserunners on in the first. Senior Sophia Kiseloski brought them all home with the first home run of Manhattan’s
season. This gave the Jaspers an early 3-0 lead. The Cardinals would quickly respond with a two-run home run and another run to tie the game back up at 3-3.
Freshman Natalye DeBus joined the home run party with a solo bomb in the second, giving the Jaspers back their lead at 4-3. This would be the Jaspers’ last run of the day and after a single in the second by the Cardinals to drive in the run to tie it up, the Cardinals
would score eight unanswered runs. The Jaspers will look to bounce back in the Elon Softball Invitational this week.
Men’s Basketball
The men’s basketball team (9-16, 5-9 MAAC) could not complete a comeback against the Peacocks of Saint Peter’s University (13-8, 10-3 MAAC) as they fell with a final score of 80-75.
It was a rough start for the
Jaspers as they couldn’t sink a basket at the start of the game, while the Peacocks took advantage by taking a 17-point lead in the game’s first eight minutes. Sophomore Fraser Roxburgh put up a strong fight, scoring seven straight points on his own to cut the lead to single digits.
With about six minutes left in the half, junior Anthony Issac put in a couple buckets to cut the lead down even more. The Peacocks, however, quickly responded whenever the
Jaspers looked like they could take the lead. The Peacocks would hit two 3-pointers before halftime to widen the lead back to eight.
The second half was full of runs. The Jaspers fell back and then went on a run to almost tie the game, with Roxburgh securing a career high with his 22 points, but the Peacocks showed up this game. Roxburgh hit his fourth 3-pointer of the game to cut it down to one, but it simply was not enough as the Jaspers fell 80-75. They look to bounce back on Saturday, Feb. 7, against Sacred Heart University.*
*Editor’s note: The men’s basketball team won against Sacred Heart University with a final score of 80-68.
Sophomore Fraser Roxburgh career night