The Quadrangle- Issue 9, Fall 2022

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NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 8, 2022

What Kinds of Students Can We Expect at MC Next Year?

Brooke Dellarocco and Mack Olmsted Staff Writer & Asst. Production Editor

DKE Hosts Harvest Fest for Cancer This past Friday, Delta Kappa Epsilon held a harvest fest on the Quad in collaboration with other clubs to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

JOCELYN VISNOV/THE QUADRANGLE

Manhattan Caucus: What Are Election Day’s Top Races?

Kyla Guilfoil Editor-in-Chief

We’ve made it: Election Day 2022. This Tuesday, every seat in the House of Representatives and 35 of 100 Senate seats are up for grabs, plus, 36 states are electing a governor.

With razor-thin margins in several key races this election, a few states are likely to makeor-break the Democratic and Republican agendas for the next

IN NEWS:

Manhattan Caucus : Election Day on pg. 1

few years. Here’s a breakdown of where there are high-stakes elections.

Since the last major election year in 2020, dozens of states have passed new congressional maps — maps that essentially designate who votes for which representatives. This process, called “redistricting” often affects which party has an edge in certain elections.

With the new maps, a few states moved to favor Republicans and others to favor Democrats.

IN FEATURES: MC Halloween is Back on pg. 5

In Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Maryland and Tennessee, the new maps now favor Republicans more than in the previous maps. For Arizona and Florida, two swing states, the impact is already becoming apparent in the election.

As of Nov. 6, Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake was projected to best Democrat Katie Hobbs with a projected margin of 50.8% of the state’s __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Manhattan College’s census for the 2021-2022 academic year was released on Oct. 1. Following the Open House event on Oct. 10, MC is beginning to see expectations for the incoming class.

The census breaks down all of MC’s data and ratios that contribute to the backbone of admissions and enrollment. It highlights all the recent trends as well as upcoming expectations for admissions. The census is used by a variety of staff for various reasons within the college community, such as statistics, enrollment information and much more.

Most of the census information gets published in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) yearly.

Provost William Clyde explained the basis of the census and how it’s analyzed to determine statistical measures.

“It’s kind of a report card of how we did in terms of recruiting this class. Besides that, we also talked about how many of last year’s freshmen retained into this year sophomores and things like that, that’s called retention,” Clyde said.

Benjamin Boivin, director of undergraduate admissions, explains how there is a new trend in admissions following COVID-19.

“A lot of [students] didn’t want to be vaccinated and so many students from certain regions actually ended up all shifting to go south where there was a lot less COVID restriction. A place like New York City, was the epicenter of the pandemic for a long time,”

IN A&E:

Halloween Fashion Finds on pg. 8

Boivin said. “Rightfully so, our campus was very careful with wearing masks and testing and getting vaccinated. Of course that’s going to dissuade some families based on religious reasons or personal reasons to not want to come to Manhattan College.”

Following COVID-19, this measurement is more important than ever. The pandemic has drastically impacted the income of the school, building up the pressure on admissions’ shoulders.

“Now we’re competing with colleges through a census where that never used to be the case. By May 1, you understand the ‘XYZ’ amount of students we’re going to have. Almost every college in the country can expect some amount of what we call melt, which is students that deposit and then kind of melt away and decide ‘Actually no Manhattan’s not for me,’ but this year was higher than ever, I think because of the amount of competition out there,” Clyde said.

One of admissions’ biggest events of the year happened on Oct. 10: Manhattan College’s Open House. This consists of a series of activities held on campus to allow highschool students to determine whether they want to continue their education at MC. A club fair was hosted on the quadrangle and in Draddy Gymnasium, tours were conducted on campus and multiple panels/informational sessions were led that allowed students to ask questions and learn more about student life.

“The competition’s more fierce than ever, which is why these open house programs are so important,” Boivin said.

Each of the five schools in MC have a certain goal for the __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

IN SPORTS:

Jose Perez Transfers to West Virginia on pg. 12

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News

NOVEMBER 8, 2022

Volume CV, Issue 9 November 8, 2022

The Editorial Board

Kyla Guilfoil Editor-in-Chief Caroline McCarthy Managing Editor

Jilleen Barrett Managing Editor

Lauren Raziano Copy Editor

Nicole Fitzsimmons News Editor

Angelina Persaud Asst. News Editor

Megan LaCreta Arts & Entertainment Editor

Zoe DeFazio Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor

Jilleen Barrett Features Editor

Karen Flores Asst. Features Editor

Caroline McCarthy Sports Editor

Angelica Niedermeyer Maddie Mulkigan Asst. Sports Editors

Kelly Kennedy Social Media Editor

Rebecca Kranich Asst. Social Media Editor

Mars Ross Photography Editor

Adrianne Hutto Jocelyn Visnov Production Editors

Mack Olmsted Asst. Production Editor

Jocelyn Visnov Lauren Raziano Web Editors

Nicholas Gilewicz Faculty Advisor

About The Quadrangle A tradition since 1924, The Quadrangle is a news or ganization run by the students of Manhattan College. We strive to cover news around campus and the greater community, publishing weekly in print and daily online. Our goal is always accuracy, relevancy and professionalism.

The opinions expressed in The Quadrangle are those of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the College or the student body.

Join The Quadrangle The Quadrangle’s staff holds weekly open meetings on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. in Kelly Commons Room 412. All are welcome to come and join the club.

Connect with The Quadrangle

mcquad.org @mcquad @mcquad mcquad

2

LETTER from the EDITOR

Dear Readers,

Happy Election Day! Today, as our issue 9 hits stands, we have reached the 2022 midterm elections. If you have not already participated in early or mail-in voting, I encourage you to vote today.

Our democracy only works if we all participate. No matter which side of the aisle you stand on, it’s crucial that you cast your ballot and inform your representatives what is important to you.

As young adults, we hold the power to begin shaping the world around us. Finally, we are able to practice voting, something which may seem small, but is a tangible act which affects your world.

Read up on what your representatives stand for, what proposals are in legislation and how our government affects your life, because, I promise, it does affect your life.

Not everyone has to love politics, but everyone should know how politics affects your life.

Happy Election Day, Jaspers. Make this one count.

Sincerely,

Kyla Guilfoil

Editor-in-Chief

News

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THE QUADRANGLE

What Kinds of Students Can We Expect at MC Next Year? __________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 amount of enrolled students they hope to gain. The O’Malley School of Business, School of Liberal Arts, School of Engineering, School of Science, School of Health and Education and School of Professional and Continuing Studies are all drastically affected by so many simple aspects of the enrollment process.

Financial modeling is one example of a factor that plays into a student’s decision to attend. The amount of scholarship money or financial aid that is offered to a student, can form a huge deciding factor for families. Globally, there are still many families who are still struggling to regroup after the pandemic.

“We obviously try our best to make it as affordable as possible for anyone that’s coming to Manhattan College. You know, private schools are not getting any more affordable these days, but we certainly try to make it as competitive as possible so that students do choose Manhattan for the quality education that we offer,” Boivin said.

Open House is also a good indicator of what interests seem to be popular, specifically what schools students are planning to apply to. Going into the new year, many colleges face uncertainty when determining a firm number of enrolled students.

Unlike ever before, students will actually attend a wide variety of open houses, and even submit their enrollment deposits to two schools at once.

This takes away the ability for

admissions offices to know how well their efforts worked

by May 1.

However, Boivin addressed the general amount of enrolled students in past trends, which provides a reasonable indicator for projected enrollment.

“Generally speaking, between about 750 to 800 is our general pool. It’s kind of our average over the past 10 years of what you can expect to see enrolled for new students,” Boivin said. “But now that we’re kind of back to a normal recruitment schedule, there’s a lot more high schools opened up with less COVID restrictions. So we’re able to go see places like California and we’re going out to Vietnam and India and South Florida and Chicago and Saudi Arabia. So when you start opening up the pool of who you can potentially get to come to Manhattan College, you start seeing a larger class come in.”

Boivin spoke about the multiple areas that impact enrollment statistics and how the college determines class sizes prior to an enrollment date.

One of these areas includes the fluctuation in choice of major between applying to college and starting classes.

“A lot of students may decide to apply and do a certain thing before May 1, or even before Sept. 1,” Boivin said. “A lot of those students that even applied to a certain school as a civil engineer may in fact be like a physics major in the school of science by the time of enrollment, for example.”

Yet, statistics tends to gear towards the ways MC chooses to model their goals.

“It kind of changes each year based on the model that we have. We try to hit a certain

goal for each school,” Boivin said. “As you can imagine, there’s certain schools that are bigger than others, for example, the School of Education and Health and the School of Science tend to be the smaller of the five schools, with The School of Engineering being the largest and then the School of Liberal Arts and the School of Business sort of like flip flopping each year. There’s a number of factors that can play into the changes obviously, when you get a brand new Higgins, Engineering and Science Center, a lot of students are interested in engineering and science” Based on reactions of the facilities during Open House, admissions is suspecting engi-

neering is going to be a popular choice for prospective students.

“This past open house, we saw a super excited crowd of people, parents, students, grandparents and alumni in our Higgins Engineering and Science Center,” Boivin said. “It was a really exciting environment and that really connects the prospective students, to our faculty, to our dean, to current students who are showing off labs and it really makes a really strong connection. So that’s what we want to see more often.”

Incoming freshman David Hajian came to Open House to look at the campus atmosphere and is going to be a sound studies major upon attending MC in

fall 2023.

“Since I’ve toured the school today, I’ve really grown to like what I’ve experienced so far in the school, I think it’s a great community,” Hajian said.

The School of Science is also on the move this year, with a $15 million donation from the Kakos family, meant to improve the facilities and education available to students within the science field.

Manhattan College is planning to excel their programs and facilities in the future to reach a wider audience and assist the community’s ability to continue to grow and flourish into a successful educational system.

Manhattan College welcomed prospective students at the annual open house event on Sunday Oct. 30.

BROOKE DELLAROCCO/ THE QUADRANGLE

Manhattan Caucus: What Are Election Day’s Top Races? __________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 votes, FiveThirtyEight reported.

In Florida, Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron Desantis had a clear lead over Democrat Charlie Christie with a projected 54.9% of the state’s votes, according to FiveThirtyEight.

Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio is also leading his Democrat opponent, Val Demmings, with 53.9% of the votes, according to FiveThirtyEight. Arizona’s Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters is currently holding 48.1% of the vote, a couple points behind Democrat Mark Kelly.

Plus, according to FiveThirtyEight’s polls on Nov. 6, it looks like the majority of Florida and Arizona’s districts are looking bright red for Election Day. On the flip side, the new maps give Democrats a better edge in Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico and Oregon.

Nevada is proving to be a key swing state this election, with close races for governor, Senate and House of Representatives. For the governor’s race, there was just one point between Republican Joe Lombardo and Democrat Steve Sisolak on Nov. 6, FiveThirtyEight says.

The Senate race is also a toss-up according to FiveThirtyEight, with just one point separat-

ing Republican Adam Paul Lexalt and Democrat Catherine Cortez Mastro.

The House races are also tight, with two districts too tight to call and one each likely to go to the Democrats and Republicans.

Beyond the states with major shifts in their congressional maps, other swing state races are leaving pollsters on the edge of their seats.

Pennsylvania’s Senate race has proven to be a rollercoaster, with previous favorite Democrat John Fetterman losing some of his lead on Republican Mehmet Oz. Fetterman, who suffered a stroke earlier this year, dropped in the polls after showing some difficulties in his ability to hear

questions and respond at a debate in October.

Now, Fetterman is up just .4 points up from Oz on FiveThirtyEight on Nov. 6.

Georgia’s Senate race is also projected as a toss-up, with Republican Herschel Walker up just .5 points from Democrat incumbent Raphael Warnock.

With the Senate still projected to be in a dead heat, Republicans and Democrats are both at stake of losing major sway in the legislative branch.

However, Republicans are sitting pretty when it comes to the House. As of Nov. 4, FiveThirtyEight reported Democrats to only have roughly a 1 in 5 chance of keeping the House.

If Democrats maintain the House and take the Senate, President Biden has pledged to codify Roe v. Wade and prioritize programs like Medicaid and Social Security.

Republicans’ 2022 campaigns have largely harped on inflation and crime.

With Biden’s approval rating at just 42.1% on Election Day, it will be a tall order for Democrats to keep a majority in Congress.

Will a pledge to codify Roe give Democrats the edge they need to stay competitive? Will Americans decide Republicans can save their pocketbooks from inflation?

Come back next week to see.

News

NOVEMBER 8, 2022

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SoLA Forum: Students Speak out on Advising and Curriculum Concerns Karen Flores

Asst. Features Editor The student representative vice presidents of the School of Liberal Arts, Lily Malone and Emilia O’Neill, conducted an open forum on Wednesday Nov. 2 to discuss student concerns and thoughts about the school.

Earlier in the semester, a student survey was sent out by the vice presidents where students were able to anonymously submit responses, which would become topics of discussion and conversation at the forum.

Cory Blad, dean of the School of Liberal Arts, wrote in an email to The Quadrangle that the only way for the faculty to know what the students need is through communication.

“It is irresponsible to assume that I, or any non-student, has a full grasp of the student experience. So how can we better understand how a respective student is experiencing the School of Liberal Arts and Manhattan College? Through communication and outreach,” Blad wrote. “Forums like the one organized by the student vice presidents of SoLA, are just one of several ways we are working to ensure that we have as good of an understanding of the student experience as we can.”

O’Neill is a double major in

psychology and Spanish with a minor in digital arts and humanities. Malone is a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations and a minor in political science. The two vice presidents had a meeting with Cory Blad prior to the forum.

O’Neill said that their main goal is to be able to communicate with Blad on the needs of the students and ensure that their voices are heard.

“For every school, there’s two VP’s and they’re expected to host a forum every semester. So it’s our responsibility to work together to communicate with the dean of our School, Dean Blad, and be the liaison between the students and the administration to make their voices heard,” O’Neill said.

“We took the opportunity to have a meeting with Dean Blad beforehand and with his help, pushed the survey and email communications out to the students to then provide another opportunity to voice further concerns.”

During the forum, one of the most prominent concerns was about the advising being given to students not catering to their specific needs.

Linn Zapffe, a senior psychology major, said that while she understands this could be difficult, having a bit of personalization in the advice being given by faculty advisors would have been better throughout

her years here at MC. “I hope that every student can get more advice that is catered to their needs, or what they want to do in the future and that it isn’t so generic,” Zapffe said. “But there might also be things advisors don’t have the knowledge about, so maybe if they have more of a network, they can send students to people who will know more about this or that career path.”

Blad wrote that getting specific feedback from students is extremely helpful towards making improvements in different areas like advising.

“Manhattan College advising is layered and encompasses faculty, staff and offices within and outside of SoLA,” Blad wrote. “We are always working to better coordinate between faculty advisors, the Dean’s office, and the many other advising groups on campus. Specific feedback is incredibly helpful in navigating this ongoing improvement.”

Students also had concerns about the classes they were taking within their curriculums. O’Neill said that she and Malone hope to be able to increase transparency between the faculty and students about the reasons why certain courses must be taken.

“Overall, one of the interesting things we found when looking at the responses was how many people were ques-

tioning, ‘What am I doing? Why am I taking this course?’ It’s important to make that clear and transparent between administration, faculty and students about why we’re doing these things, why it’s beneficial to us,” O’Neill said. “It’s important for students to recognize that MC is a liberal arts college and when you’re in the School of Liberal Arts, there is a holistic approach to an overall education same as in the other schools.”

The School of Liberal Arts hopes to work with the vice presidents of the other schools on campus to facilitate campus wide concerns raised by students.

“We should have more of a cohesive effort to have everyone come together and not make it so specialized to specific schools,” Malone said.

“It’ll be beneficial for us all to kind of debrief together and kind of synthesize all of the concerns that we’ve heard and to see what are common denominators between all the schools that might help find a solution to a bigger concern,” O’Neill said.

Blad believes forums like these will aid in the communication between students and faculty and hopes students reach out if necessary.

“Along with this forum and the accompanying survey, we are working to make sure students have every opportunity to

get information and to provide feedback,” Blad wrote. “I have open office hours every Monday from 10 a.m. to 10:45 and we have an outstanding group of students leading the Liberal Arts Mentor Program (LAMP), which is a student-to-student mentoring program in its first semester. I am looking forward to hosting a student forum in the Spring and am always happy to talk regardless of the venue. All of these opportunities are only effective if students engage with and access them.

Our hope is that student-led initiatives will help encourage that.”

(Left to right) Lily Malone and Emilia O’Neill, the vice presidents of SoLA KAREN FLORES/ THE QUADRANGLE

SAAC Strides Towards Mental Health Awareness with Support Awareness and Care Initiative Nicole Fitzsimmons News Editor

In coming weeks, the Manhattan College Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will begin bringing their “Support Awareness and Care Initiative” to campus for students to access important mental health resources.

This semester, SAAC began spearheading the initiative to create accessible items such as bag tags and phone wallets with business cards which provide important resources for students. These items would include public safety’s phone number, public safety’s 24 hour number, 911, the suicide prevention number and the sexual assault awareness number.

The business cards will also include a linktree with various other essential resources regarding students’ wellbeing.

This idea was brought to the table by senior exercise major and vice president of SAAC, Teddy Segmuller, when she noticed at conferences that numerous other schools had crisis numbers printed on their student IDs. When Segmuller brought this idea to senior exercise major and SAAC president Kaya Simpson, he was immediately on board.

“At first I was hesitant

because I didn’t want the college to think that they weren’t doing enough, that was one of my main concerns,” Segmuller said. “But as a student, I really think that these resources are a necessity and people shouldn’t have to ask where the Counseling Center is or, ‘Where do I go for this information?’ I want it all to be available for students.”

In the coming semesters, SAAC is planning to begin printing out all new student’s ID cards with crisis numbers.

Due to budgetary restrictions, they thought it would not be feasible to do this this semester, as it would mean replacing current ID cards.

Yet, SAAC believes getting these resources immediately out to students in multiple ways can increase the level of awareness on campus for student athletes and students not on a sports team combined.

“I just hope that when people see that two students … are taking a stance like this, that they can have a bigger voice as well and they can be comfortable speaking about this kind of stuff,” Simpson said. “And, we want to make sure that everyone has access to the same resources that everyone else on campus has.”

Segmuller and Simpson brought this idea to various administrators as a means to

begin the process of making this a campus wide initiative.

Administrators like vice president of student life Ronald Gray, director of the Counseling Center Jennifer McArdle and dean of students Esmilda Abreu-Hornbostel, thought this was a perfect way to further address students’ needs.

“Students always have the best ideas,” Abreu-Hornbostel said. “They know what they need, they know what campus they’d like to live in. So when people come excited to talk to me about an effort, I get very lit up usually because, like I said, students have the best ideas.”

Abreu-Hornbostel further believes the initiative is a sign of growth of the conversation about awareness amongst students on campus.

“What that [the initiative] made me think was that the work we had started with the Well Being and Flourishing Council last year was paying off because people were beginning to pay attention to campus wide well-being initiatives and campus wide efforts for the flourishing of our students.

That’s what made me excited.

So I was like, alright, great. It’s working. It’s picking up, people are having wonderful ideas,” Abreu-Hornbostel said.

Simpson further emphasized these ideas because he

recognizes that sometimes it can be difficult for administrators to entirely understand the needs of students in society’s current climate.

“We are in a big change right now in society and obviously, we’ve all been through COVID. We’ve experienced such impactful events and sometimes it’s harder for an older generation to recognize the different aspects that come along with us being affected by these events,” Simpson said.

Shawn Ladda, department chairperson and professor of kinesiology, is a big supporter of SAAC’s efforts and of the initiative. She said that access and education is an essential part of ensuring the stability of students in the MC community.

“The College prioritizes the overall development of students in spirit, mind, and body.

This is an example which helps students maximize their mental wellness. Education is key for the community to know one is more mentally well if they recognize a challenge and seek counseling rather than being in denial.Knowing where to go to get help is essential,” Ladda wrote in an email to The Quadrangle.

In upcoming years, Segmuller told The Quadrangle she hopes to see initiatives continue to grow and create great-

er educational opportunities for students.

“I think that this is one area of Manhattan College that we can elevate and grow and continue to elevate and grow,” Segmuller said. “And my overall hope for this initiative is that every student moving forward, all of the classes that are coming in, on the back of their ID cards, it’ll actually be printed with all of these numbers so that we don’t have to be making alternative items, because I think that is one area where we are lacking. But again, there’s opportunity for growth and I think that the administration has responded in a very positive and open minded way.”

SAAC’s new logo for their Support Awareness and Care Initiative.

SAAC/ COURTESY

Features

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THE QUADRANGLE

KDP Brings Back MC Halloween in Full Force Jilleen Barrett

Managing/Features Editor Kappa Delta Pi brought a wave of miniature Disney princesses, Buzz Lightyears, astronauts and more to Manhattan College’s campus to celebrate “MC Halloween,” an event held by the education honor society for local children to celebrate the holiday.

This year, KDP co-president Catherine Cusack feels the event is finally able to function the way it did back in 2019.

Because of the pandemic, KDP was unable to plan MC Halloween under normal circumstances — if at all — the past few years. Cusack said she felt a bit unsure about what she was taking on. However, she felt everyone in KDP pulled through to contribute to the event.

“We kind of didn’t know what we were expecting, so it was kind of all hands on deck,” Cusack said.

Some things have changed with the event over the years — including the name. KDP vice president Jenna Leonard said the event used to be called “Safe Halloween,” but that it has since been changed.

“It’s such a staple Manhattan College event, so we want to make sure that Manhattan College got its due for being a part of the title,” Leonard said.

“But also one of the things that I’ve been hearing is that it’s a tough title, ‘Safe Halloween’ instead of ‘MC Halloween’ because then it gives off kind of the message that Halloween in the Bronx isn’t safe … it can be offensive to some people and that’s the last thing that we want to be associated with. The event is supposed to be a fun event.”

Parents felt it was fun, and they confirmed that with Cusack directly.

“They were so thrilled that their kids had a blast,” Cusack said. “There was actually a post in ‘Riverdale Moms and Dads’ [Facebook group] … And I spoke to one mom in particular and she said ‘You know, there’s a lot of people here but in the past, it’s been so unbelievably crowded that you couldn’t even get around, so this was perfect’.”

Over 40 clubs contributed to providing games and activities for the estimated 200 kids in attendance. Some were spookier than others — like the

haunted ghost maze created by Beta Alpha Psi, the honor society for accounting, finance and information systems.

“I thought [Beta Alpha Psi’s] room looked fabulous,” Cusack said “That was a big hit.

All the kids loved it.”

Clare Farrelly, the president of the group, has been at the college as a student since 2018.

However, she has attended the event on and off since 2011, when her mom Aileen Farrelly, assistant dean of O’Malley school of business, began working at the school of business and took her and her siblings

almost every year.

Farrelly recalled what the last MC Halloween — back when most people were still referring to it as Safe Halloween — looked like.

“In 2019, Safe Halloween was something every single club on campus participated in and it felt like because a lot of [current] students are unsure of what the event actually is, they did not lean into the day as fully as we all used to,” Farrelly wrote to The Quadrangle.

“However, I think that after witnessing the event students now know the excitement and what

to expect going forward.”

Even though current Manhattan students might need some time to warm up to the event, Cusack said everyone involved — especially the Cross Country/Track & Field teams — helped the kids really enjoy the event. Leonard said several parents of the children who attended in the past told her they remembered it fondly and are excited it’s back.

“We just kept hearing people say, ‘Thank you for having this again, we’ve missed it so much, and we’re so happy to be here’,” Leonard said.

Manhattan’s campus got a little bit spookier just before Halloween as costumed kids and their parents came to celebrate the haunted holiday with Kappa Delta Pi. RACHEL NAZZARRO/COURTESY

“Every Major is Engineering”: Futurist Society Looks to Expand Luke Jankovic Contributor

The Futurist Society collaborated with Don Mackenzie, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Washington, to speak last week Friday on the sustainability of electrical vehicles, and the overall positive outlook he had of the future of said vehicles if proper funding could be secured.

The club, which is dedicated to the discussion of future technologies and their application in society, recently celebrated their first anniversary. They are affiliated with a national network of two other chapters located on the West coast on the U.S. Club president and engineering major Kiersten Thompson ‘24 took on the daunting task of building the Manhattan College chapter last year.

“I grew into it, over time,” Thompson said.

The club currently has 19 active futurists participating in their regular discussions, ranging from automatic-driving vehicles, to electrically-powered aircrafts for public transport and more.

For science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students, this club is a para-

dise that lines up perfectly with their major, where they can incite great conversations meant to enlighten and strengthen their choice in the many possible fields of work that the campus offers. But what about the non-STEM aligned denizens of the campus, and their perspective on the future? How are they represented?

To better connect with the non-STEM students on the campus, many of the members of the society have begun to operate under the motto “STEAM over STEM”; this means placing emphasis on art alongside the four classic STEM fields.

“The only way to have meaningful discussions is with a diverse group of students and majors,” Thompson said.

In the future, she even has ideas of holding meetings in multiple buildings, depending on the topic, like RLC for STEM-minded students, and Kelly Commons for those with a general interest.

Kayla Reyes ‘25, vice president of the Futurist Society, is a computer science major who was among the first to join the club, and moderates both physical and virtual meetings.

She told The Quadrangle she relates to the difficulties of garnering mass public appeal for topics seemingly geared to-

wards STEM students. She also shared the president’s desire to attract students who may be outside of the perceived reach of futurism on the campus.

Reyes, along with Thompson and the club’s board, have approached this dilemma by dedicating discussions to all topics relating to technology, as a means to promote creative freedom among individuals.

“Every major is an engineer … you’re engineering if you solve problems,” Reyes, who is also a visual artist, said.

Reyes said she believes that artists can use technology to facilitate their creativity which, in turn, breeds more new technology. This echoes the “STEAM” ethos the club so proudly wishes to share, and shows a significant push to unite the divide many see between art and industry.

Will Reed ‘25, a chapter officer on the club’s Discord server, also details bridging the gap between technology and personal interest. With hopes of working in the railroad industry, he said he feels the club’s ideals of innovation through artistry align with his dream of working either in railcars and railways of the future.

“Everyone should be aware of what the future has in store,” Reed said.

The MC Futurists had their first meeting in October and since then have held a meeting with the opprotunity to meet Cesar Vergara. @MCFUTURISTSOCIETY/COURTESY

Features

Three MC Students Talk Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover

NOVEMBER 8, 2022

Brianna Coppola Contributor

Elon Musk has officially bit the bullet in the purchase of Twitter for 44 billion dollars. Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors and now sole owner of Twitter, has some changes and plans in mind for the social media platform. Students around Manhattan College were asked their thoughts and opinions on Musk and Twitter.

Money and profits are Musk’s biggest priorities right now, according to The New York Times. By 2028, Musk is hoping to increase average revenue of users by $5.39 and increase revenue from payments businesses like PayPal by $15 million which will eventually grow to $1.4 billion by 2028.

One of Musk’s notable financial plans is the subscription to get or keep the verified blue check.

Philip Umeadi, a freshman double major in finance and economics, shared thoughts on the new owner of Twitter and Musk’s financial plans for the platform. Umeadi was mostly concerned with how

the company would be run.

“I believe he plans to add a subscription service for the verification check,” Umeadi said. “So definitely, he’s looking to make the company more profitable. He also plans to turn it private. So I think that’ll have some implication on how the company is run.”

Some concerns also stem from the fact that Musk has terminated many employees, those of who include some high profile names at the company, according to The Hill.

Musk did this to avoid paying severance payouts. On Nov. 1, employees were supposed to receive stock grants. Many were fired Saturday.

“I think one thing that’s already concerning is that I think he’s cut like 75 percent of Twitter’s staff,” Umeadi said. “So just figuring out how all those guys are going to find new jobs.

That’d be interesting.”

In looking at Musk’s plans for Twitter, a prominent one was unbanning those who have been banned recently, like Donald Trump, according to CNN. Many users on the platform are bracing themselves for a possible return of the former presi-

dent.

Jazi Riley, sophomore at MC, discussed the probability of high profile names like Trump returning to Twitter.

Riley doesn’t see it becoming an issue for the platform and its users to worry about, but also wouldn’t put it past Trump and others to do so.

“Yes, I think it’s a possibility,” Riley said. “For the Trump’s of the world, they’ve kind of moved on to new platforms like creating their own from scratch. We see this with Trump’s Truth Social. So I don’t know if Trump would necessarily leave Truth Social because of the financials that he’s invested into it, but could other people make Twitter a worse platform? Obviously, but someone like Trump, I don’t see him moving back to Twitter.”

Musk has also made a promise to restore free speech without allowing the platform to become too hectic. Many users have taken that message as an excuse to spread hate and misinformation throughout Twitter. Hate speech has skyrocketed after Musk took over, according to ABC News.

Elon Musk has officially bit the bullet in the purchase of Twitter for 44 billion dollars.

APNEWS/ COURTESY

6

Musk’s acquisition of Twitter began in April of 2022 and concluded on Oct. 27, 2022..

APNEWS/ COURTESY “Musk has said that he’s going to make a task force of people with different viewpoints, a number of people who don’t all think the same. He’s going to hire people like that. So I think if he sticks by that, then no, it might get better. But I think it does also have the possibility of just getting worse,” Riley said.

Musk has big dreams for the future of Twitter, those of which include cutting Twitter’s dependence on advertisers, according to CNN. Advertisers are the majority of Twitter’s revenue but Musk has made it clear that they can’t rely on them anymore.

Lorna Sheppard, a sophomore at MC, isn’t too concerned about Twitter changing drastically. Sheppard discussed some potential reasoning behind Musk’s plans, much of it being related to Musk being able to make a profit.

“I think he’s trying to change the business model of Twitter,” Sheppard said. “Maybe it sounded like he was trying to make it more like not sub-

scription based, but like, use more payment methods like PayPal and stuff. I guess he’s trying to change the business model of Twitter so they don’t rely on advertising I guess.”

The future of Twitter is in the hands of the richest man in the world and how it’s all going to play out is still left unknown.

Musk’s plans could be beneficial to the company and its users or it could be detrimental.

“I think at first it was concerning because he’s just a little controversial, but the more I looked into it, I think he just wants to make money off of Twitter,” Sheppard said. “So it’s not really that concerning.

I don’t think he’s going to do anything.”

Students at MC are curious to see how Musk’s plans and ideas work out for better or for worse. Many hope for Musk to stick by his word and become a positive change for the platform. As Musk tweeted, “the bird is freed.” Many will hope so.

Arts & Entertainment

7

Sanctus Artem Art Show Illustrates Expression Zoe DeFazio

Asst. Arts and Entertainment Editor Last week, Sanctus Artem made Friday night plans with artists and art enjoyers alike.

Sanctus Artem, Manhattan College’s art club, held an art show on Nov. 4 in Thomas Hall’s student lounge. Many students from various majors came together to showcase their own art and gab about the meaning behind the canvas.

Sabrina Beharry, president of Sanctus Artem discussed the significance of having an art club at Manhattan College.

“Our mission is to create a safe space for an inclusive environment for anyone with the love for art. No experience is necessary. So it’s open to anyone of all different skill sets.

We usually do visual art sessions, but sometimes we focus on photography, poetry, and things like that,” Beharry said.

Sanctus Artem’s art show has been running since 2017 but took a brief break due to

Liam Gayron showcasing many of his oil based paintings.

LIAM GAYRON/COURTESY

COVID-19 implications. The club got back on its feet as students returned to campus last year, and with the help of many students, the art show lives on.

“We tried to bring [the art show] back. Craig [Chambers] and I kind of revived it, along with Heather Sandler. We basically just wanted to bring it back because we missed the space on campus,” Beharry said.

Beharry continued by explaining how Sanctus Artem works and how grateful she is for Chambers, who serves as

vice president.

“Craig Chambers is vice president, and all of our roles are kind of the same, we usually get supplies for the club. We think of club meetings. We go through reimbursement, like all the technical things at the club. We lead the meetings,” said Beharry.

The Sanctus Artem board’s hard work paid off at the art show. Many forms of art were showcased around the lounge, such as paintings, pen drawings, mini sculptures, and poetry.

THE QUADRANGLE

Liam Gayron, a freshman mechanical engineering student, is no stranger to visual arts. Gayron has been taking art classes since his sophomore year of high school. Since then, he has been able to continue his passion for art at Manhattan College.

Gayron showcased many of his paintings, most of which used oil-based paint.

“The [painting] with the eye is probably my favorite,” Gayron said. “It’s a little recliner with a TV with a big yellow eye on it. That’s probably my favorite one. And it’s actually titled something along the lines of ‘There’s No Deeper Meaning To This,’ because it’s like a TV with an eye on it, and it’s something that I think most people would read into because it looks weird.”

Mario Mingone, junior biology student is also a part of Sanctus Artem and is thrilled with the work his peers have helped create.

“I definitely want to thank Sabrina and Craig [Chambers], for helping set this up. Because I know that they’ve worked really hard. And we’ve all worked really hard to get the submissions and get the location and get everything in order,” Mingone said.

Students such as Megan Sack have art that consists of digital work. Beharry describes Sack’s work as a form of calmness and free expression.

“I feel like our school isn’t known for the arts, but it’s this presence on campus and the turnout today shows how much people appreciate it. So we just wanted to create that type of space,” said Beharry.

Sanctus Artem is open to any student. For more information contact sanctus.artem@ manhattan.edu.

Arts & Entertainment

NOVEMBER 8, 2022

8

Halloween Fashion Finds: Students Get Creative FASHION FINDS

Halloween allows students to get creative with self expression and dress up as whomever they want. This year students wore fun costumes both on and off campus. Taking inspiration from an iconic animated character, Kimiya Ehsan created her own versions of their Lauren Raziano costume by incorporating accessories and personalized items. Katherine Uffer, Rebecca Medina and Mian Ewen participated in the School of Science Halloween costume contest where they gave out gift cards for the top three costumes, as voted by school of science Copy Editor/Web Editor faculty and staff judges. Below are student responses.

Katherine Uffer, senior, computer Rebecca Medina, Sophomore, MeKimiya Ehsan, junior, communiMian Ewen, Senior, Biology, miscience and digital media art chanical Engineering cations major nors Chemistry and Psychology Featured Costume: Her grandfather, Featured Costume: Walter White Featured Costume: Betty Boop and Featured Costume: Bruce Shockey, former Manhattan College physics proAlice from Closer PhD., biology department fessor Louis Uffer The Quadrangle: How did you decide what costume to wear this year?

The Quadrangle: How did you deThe Quadrangle: How did you deThe Quadrangle: How did you deRebecca Medina: Since the coscide what costume to wear this year? cide what costume to wear this year? cide what costume to wear this year? tume contest was science themed I Kimiya Ehsan: Halloween has Mian Ewen: Our group costume Katherine Uffer: I chose my coswanted to choose something science with fellow biology majors Ashley Dela- always been my favorite holiday so I tumes for this halloween based on eirelated, but neither cliché nor predictcruz, Doriz Yari, Brian McElligott and usually take to planning my costumes ther the theming of the costume contest able; then Walter White popped into my Ayanna Horsford was inspired by our months in advance. My bunny costume that I was participating in or the ease mind. biology professors here at MC. Over this year was kind of a random last minthe years we’ve been able to predict ute decision but Betty Boop and Alice I of compiling the costume out of things out of my closet. For the School of SciTQ: Did you craft or make any cool their typical outfits/mannerisms and we had wanted to do for some time. ence Costume contest, I dressed as my unique items to compliment your cosrolled with it! I’m dressed as Dr. Shockgrandfather, and former Manhattan Coltume?

Makeup?

TQ: Did you craft or make any cool ey, Ayanna dressed as Dr. Machingo, RM: I wore a large hazmat suit and Doriz dressed as Dr. Machingo, Ashley unique items to compliment your cos- lege Physics professor Dr. Louis Uffer.

For the Singer’s costume contest, I went glued on a bald cap to the best of my tume? Makeup? as Dr. Nicolas, and Brian as Dr. Judge. as a Target employee. ability and covered it (and my forehead) KE: I actually created the top for with concealer.

I also put a bunch of blue TQ: Did you craft or make any cool my costume of Alice, a character from TQ: Did you craft or make any cool plastic beads in a ziploc bag and carried unique items to compliment your cos- a movie called “Closer.” I originally was unique items to compliment your costhat around. going to buy a replica online but they tume? Makeup?

ME: As Dr. Shockey studies paleon- weren’t very good quality. I really want- tume? Makeup?

KU: For my Dr. Uffer costume, TQ: What do you think is an importtology my props included small toy fos- ed to make something unique and this I made a cotton ball beard and had to ant decision when choosing a costume? sils and dinosaurs. Additionally I wore was the perfect opportunity to do so. I borrow a french blue button down out of RM: I think an important decision glasses, cargo pants and hiking shoes, also pinned a dress into the skirt which my dad’s closet (it was my grandfather’s when it comes to choosing a costume is which are all things that Dr. Shockey I wore for my Betty costume, but that signature color). how comfortable the costume is to wear. was just a random last minute decision. wears religiously!

TQ: What do you think is an important decision when choosing a costume?

ME: I think the most important decision when choosing a costume is to have fun with it and especially not to really care what other people think. Even though you were copying something from a film/movie, your individual interpretation of it shines through. It allows you to be creative!

TQ: If you could wear only one costume for the rest of your life, What would you wear and why?

ME: Probably any one of Audrey Hepburn’s fits from Breakfast at Tiffany’s — iconic and classy for every occasion.

TQ: Do you remember the first horror movie you watched?

ME: “What lies beneath”- it remains to be one of my favorite movies!

TQ: What do you think is an important decision when choosing a costume?

KE: I think Halloween gives everyone the opportunity to fully express themselves in a way they may not normally feel comfortable. I really encourage people to choose a costume that makes them feel most aligned with their true selves, without fear of judgment.

Honestly it really just comes down to whatever makes you happiest, but don’t be afraid to take a risk.

TQ: What is your favorite costume you ever wore?

KE: I’d have to say my favorite costume I’ve ever worn is probably a ladybug some years back because the makeup look was really fun to do. Although, I think Betty Boop might have topped that because I really liked putting my own spin on such an iconic character.

TQ: If you could wear only one costume for the rest of your life, What would you wear and why?

KE: Probably any character from the Craft, but specifically Nancy. She has one of my favorite character wardrobes ever and served as a huge inspiration for me from a young age in terms of developing my own personal style.

Honestly, I’d be content with dressing up as her any day.

TQ: Do you remember the first horror movie you watched?

KE: It was either Psycho or The Shining. My mom is a huge Stephen King and horror fan so I grew up watching, as well as reading a lot of his work. dy?

TQ: What is the best Halloween can-

KE: I tell people Twix but it’s actually Almond Joys.

TQ: How many costumes did you plan out for Halloween weekend?

KU: I didn’t have any costumes over the weekend because of my academic and open house obligations. Does “tired college student” count as a costume if I already am one?

TQ: If you could wear only one costume for the rest of your life, What would you wear and why?

RM: If I had to wear a costume for the rest of my life I’d dress up as the Invisible Man. I feel like I would be rather inconspicuous.

TQ: What do you think is an important decision when choosing a costume?

KU: I think what’s important when choosing a Halloween costume is if you enjoy the character you’re dressing up as, and if you enjoy wearing the costume that you bought/made. If you’re not too crazy about a character, or your costume is uncomfortable to wear, then it isn’t a good costume for you.

TQ: Do you remember the first horror movie you watched?

RM: The first horror movie I watched was Coraline. That gave me nightmares for a week.

TQ: What is your favorite costume you ever wore?

KU: The costume I had the most fun wearing was my dad’s Darth Vader costume in 8th grade. I went to a friend’s house for a Halloween sleepover and got to make everyone laugh with how little I could see in front of me.

Arts & Entertainment

9

THE QUADRANGLE

Manhattan is the Place to be For Entertainment Internships Adrianne Hutto Production Editor

With its proximity to Manhattan, Manhattan College is the perfect location for students who are looking for careers in the communications field. In fact, according to manhattan.edu, 73 percent of students complete at least one internship during their time at Manhattan College. It is these internships that help students to secure jobs in their desired field post-graduation.

Maeve Kirk, senior communications major with a concentration in media production currently works with Warner Music Group in the creative department. Kirk explained that this was an internship she had long coveted, applying several times prior to securing it this semester.

“I’ve always wanted to work with music. And I think it’s funny because freshman year I wrote my first paper on music and identity and so, just slowly it’s always just been integrated with everything that I do,” Kirk said. “It very much inspires my work. And when I took Intro to Graphic Design it really was where I was like, ‘Oh, I can do this as a career.’ So that’s really where I caught my passion for it and I’ve really been able to hone in and expand my skill set with Adobe and all that stuff.”

Kirk explained that she has enjoyed the entire experience

thus far.

“I was pleasantly surprised because sometimes being a new hire is terrifying,” Kirk said. “But I really lucked out with my team. They’re so welcoming, they’re so supportive and yeah, I’m so happy.”

For Kirk, the core memory for her was her first day in the office.

“I think the first day of orientation when I walked in, because I have always been a fan girl,” Kirk said. “So when you walk in you just see there’s Coldplay on the wall and Bruno Mars on the wall. And just being in that office was an amazing experience. It was very much a dream come true.”

For another student, Victoria Correia, her first day in the office also stood out as her best memory with her internship thus far.

“I honestly think my first day just being in 30 Rock was such a core memory for me, because I’ve had internships remotely before but I’ve never had anything in person, let alone something like this. So, just walking in and feeling super overwhelmed, but those were good emotions, I was just like, ‘Wow, I made it, I’m here’.”

Correia is interning at NBC as a scripted entertainment public relations intern working at the 30 Rock building.

Correia explains that she enjoys her position because it gives her the inside scoop with televisions and movies.

Victoria Correia (pictured) is an intern at NBC as a scripted entertainment public relations intern working at the 30 Rock building. A small group of students perform in a jazz ensemble.

VICTORIA CORREIA/COURTESY

“I never thought that would happen as an intern,” Correia said. “I get to know about shows and movies that are being released through the company, let’s say at the end of the year or next year, and I also like how it’s kind of relevant stuff. I watch these shows and everyone talks about them. It’s pop culture and stuff that I genuinely enjoy. So I think it’s really cool to be working in a space like that.”

Due to her experience working with NBC, Correia has been able to solidify her decision of wanting to work in the entertainment industry.

“At first I was hesitant because I didn’t know what that would entail, but being there and doing the work for it made me think like ‘Okay, I’m in the right place,’,” Correia explained. “I think this is what I want to do because every day when I come into work I actually really do enjoy it and I love it. So that makes me even more motivated to start looking for more jobs out there.”

Rory Graham is a senior double majoring in political science and English writing for The Rodeo Magazine. Through word of mouth and family friends, Graham was able to secure her job with The Rodeo Magazine.

“I had put out a blog, so people were able to see my writing and they were like, ‘I think you’d be a good addition to the team,’,” Graham said. “So we connected and then I kind of got started writing for The Rodeo.”

While Graham is working towards being an English teacher, she is passionate about writing, which is what led her to her current position.

“It helped me to realize that

Maeve Kirk is working in the creative department with Warner Brothers Music. Kirk explained that this was an internship she had long coveted, applying several times prior to getting it this semester.

MAEVE KIRK/COURTESY I can still pursue my own writing in addition to a day job, because a lot of people that work there are older than me,” Graham said. “But some people do have a day job and this is what they do after their nine to five.

So, I was able to see examples of people who were pursuing writing for fun instead of their main source of income, which is exciting.”

Graham explained that this internship was beneficial as it forced her out of her comfort zone in new ways.

“It really challenged me in ways that I liked and that I was not used to,” Graham said.

“It kind of made me come out of my shell a little more when I was talking to new members of the team. And like, I had the opportunity to do some artist interviews, which is something

I’d never done before. So that made me really nervous, but it was fun to challenge myself like that. I really feel like it’s helped me.”

As deadlines for spring internship opportunities approach, MC students can take advantage of position listings provided by their school’s department.

“Don’t be nervous and it will happen when it happens,” Kirk said. “I keep telling people it can be discouraging when you see other people getting internships and other internships that you specifically want, but try not to compare yourself to other people. It will happen when it happens. And if you’re passionate about something and you really want it, good things will come.”

Through word of mouth and family friends, Graham was able to secure her job with The Rodeo Magazine.

RORY GRAHAM/COURTESY

Sports

NOVEMBER 8, 2022

10

Running With Manhattan College, Meet Coach Ena Lefroy: The Future of Cross-Country Mack Olmsted

Asst. Production Editor Ena Leufroy will join the Manhattan College community as the newest assistant coach of the Cross Country/Track and Field team. Leufroy came to MC after coaching at Long Island University, working with long sprinters while working on the administrative side for the team as well. Her main focus at Manhattan will be to work with cross country runners as well as middle-distance runners.

Leufroy is also shadowing Kerri Gallagher, director of Cross Country/Track and Field on the distance side to enhance her distance coaching skills. Leufroy wants to improve herself as a coach and the team alike so they can grow and succeed together.

Leufroy described her time working at MC as a night and

day experience explaining that MC is more in line with what she is used to and where she went to college. She went to a division one college in south Florida where she had a very strong athletic academic support system similar to Manhattan College’s. Leufroy was also surprised and excited about the training facilities MC offered like Draddy and Van Cortlandt Park. Leufroy felt grateful about coaching at MC, and described her main focus as a coach.

“I think for me, I like to coach the person, not necessarily just the athlete,” said Leufroy. “I always want to make sure that I’m coaching from the standpoint of giving you tools so that you’re becoming a better human as you go on into your life.”

One of Leufroy’s main priorities is communication. Leufroy emphasizes that she expects the team to get the most out

Men’s Cross Country huddling up.

GOJASPERS/COURTESY

Ena Lefroy posses for her coaching staff profile.

GOJASPERS/COURTESY

of the workouts that she trains them with. She explained how it’s important that players gain life lessons from the training to help improve both their academic and personal skills for the future.

Leufroy described her first season at Manhattan College as a very positive experience. She enjoyed working with Coach Gallagher and learning a lot, especially about the recruiting process.

Peter Ackerman, senior cross country runner on the men’s team, has experienced a lot of different coaching over his years at MC, and felt that Leufroy has a positive impact on improving his abilities as well as the team as a whole.

“It’s been really good so far,” Ackerman said. “It’s been tough work, but I think I’m finally in a place on the team where being under her coaching is the right spot for me. So it’s been good so far … I think

it will definitely get to a point in the future where she definitely has a team-wide influence.”

Ackerman also acknowledged that Leufroy will improve the team by using her experience, helping him as well as the rest of the team going forward.

“She definitely has a lot of good insights for us as middle-distance runners, and she definitely has good experiences on her own,” he said.

“Whether it be like previous college running experience or her coaching at other colleges.

So, I think she does bring a lot to the team.”

While Leufroy does not work with every runner on the team, her presence was welcomed and appreciated.

Evelyn Gonzalez Valle, junior Cross Country runner on the women’s team described her thoughts on Leufroy.

“It’s nice to have somebody else who knows the distances

because she’s been with us since cross country,” Gonzalez Valle said. “So, she has been traveling with us to our meets and all that. It’s just nice to have another coach who knows what the sport is like and how it is.”

Leufroy shared her strong passion for coaching. She says she wants nothing more than to help the team progress and move forward.

“Definitely being out there with the athletes, encouraging them, making them better, is what I find fun and exciting about the job,” Leufroy said.

“So, I was definitely happy once I started to get a group of athletes that I got to work with personally. And I have a good group so I’m excited to see where they’re gonna go next year.”

Editor’s note: Andrew Mannion contributed to the reporting of this article.

Sports

11

Head Volleyball Coach Attributes Tough Season to Small Roster Megan LaCreta

Arts & Entertainment Editor Volleyball isn’t always a numbers game, but for the Jaspers, it might be.

The Jaspers have a roster of only nine recruited volleyball players, just over half the size of that of the average MAAC team, which, when calculated excluding Manhattan College, is just under 16 players. The team’s struggle to fill its roster has led to a complicated season, with only one win to date.

The Jaspers have made up for their lack of players by having a rotating roster borrowed from other teams, including five players from the women’s basketball team and one from the women’s lacrosse team over the course of the semester. Despite the extra players, the Jaspers average only eight players per match, and have not yet attended a match this season with more than nine players.

At the beginning of October, the team played a stretch

of three matches against St. Francis Brooklyn, Fairfield and Quinnipiac with only six players — only one rotation, despite the roster currently listing 13 team members.

Senior Kelly Markowski remarked on her experience playing on the team this year.

“It’s hard for sure,” Markowski said. “People are playing roles that they’re not used to, that they’ve never played before. And it definitely affects us, like when we show up to a game and the other school has 20 players and we have six. It is what it is, but it’s definitely hard and it’s hard on our bodies.”

The starting size of the roster was an issue of math.

Following the 2021 season, the team lost nine players, including five underclassmen. However, only three new players were brought on to the team ahead of the season.

Marianne Reilly, director of intercollegiate athletics, explained that recruiting issues were the cause of the Jasper’s

small roster size. Reilly attributed difficulty with recruiting to an article published in The Quadrangle, which revealed that previous head coach Lora Egbert was coaching from outside the gym due to her unvaccinated status during the 2021 season. New York City law at the time required vaccination against COVID-19 to take part in indoor recreation and fitness.

Reilly announced in March, after the end of the 2021 season, that Egbert would not be returning to the college, and that the search for a new coach would begin. While Egbert was well into the NCAA recruiting season at the time of her firing, present head coach Mauro Miletic was not hired until August, leaving him no time to build the roster through recruiting over the off-season.

“It took a while before we were able to land a coach and I’m sure all of that prior reporting, we’ll call it, didn’t help the situation to be quite honest with you,” Reilly said. “So I’m

THE QUADRANGLE

putting it right there out on the table. All of everything has a ripple effect. So when you have some negative publicity and present it a certain way, it will have a ripple effect.”

The size of the roster, coupled with inconsistencies caused by injuries and by the borrowed players’ scheduling conflicts, have contributed to the team’s poor record this season, explained Miletic. “[The team’s record] is not pretty, it’s not good at all, so that is how [an inconsistent roster] affects us,” Miletic said.

“But we’re happy… We know we have a small roster, we’ve had some injuries. But we’ve got people happy and we are doing our best.”

In the face of a season with a roster half the size of their opponents’, the team did not hold open tryouts to allow students to join the team as walk-on athletes.

Reilly explained that potential recruits must go through a process to ensure that they are eligible for admission to the col-

The Jaspers average only 8 players per match this season, taking a toll on players. Courtesy Joseph Gomez via Go Jaspers.

JOSEPH GOMEZ/COURTESY

lege, and also meet the NCAA standards for student athletes.

Student walk-ons, who are not recruited in advance of the season, must go through the same process. She explained that the extent of the process makes it more efficient to have student athletes who were already processed join the team.

“It’s a paperwork process more than anything, because most of our students are going to surpass any of the minimum standards that have been set [by the college and the NCAA].

That said, if I take someone who already went through that process in basketball, they don’t have to [go through it again], they can just come over and play for us… If you want people on your squad quicker, yeah, better to recruit right from the pool that already went through that process,” Reilly said.

Miletic shared a similar sentiment.

“All we have to do is just make them eligible for rollover.

They’re already here. It’s better than us making tryouts to find somebody that is not eligible,” Miletic said.

Despite relying on players from other teams this season, the Jaspers don’t intend to continue to have multi-sport athletes on their roster going forward.

“What happened this season was a one time thing, we are recruiting volleyball players only, the players from other sports that helped this year will not be part of the team next season,” Miletic said. “I do have to add that the volleyball team will be forever grateful to them for their help.”

Miletic intends to recruit eight players before next season, bringing the roster size up to 14 with the six returning players for the 2023 year.

“Obviously with the results so far in this season and the results of the past few seasons recruiting gets a little bit more challenging, but luckily for us we are a great academic school in the greatest city in the world, and student athletes want to come here,” Miletic said. “We already have 4 verbal commitments for next season, which makes us super excited.”

Perhaps the team has a bright future ahead. It seems that this season, however, the Jaspers can only dream as big as their roster.

Sports

NOVEMBER 8, 2022

Basketball Star Jose Perez leaves Manhattan, Transfers to West Virginia

Andrew Mannion Staff Writer

After the surprise dismissal of Jasper head basketball coach Steve Masiello, star player Jose Perez announced his departure from the team. Perez has committed to West Virginia University and joins a team with high hopes of breaking a tournament appearance drought.

On Oct. 25, news broke that Manhattan would dismiss long-time head coach Steve Masiello. The news shocked the MAAC, as this broke mere weeks before the Jaspers kicked off their season. Although no specific reason was released for Masiello’s dismissal, Marianne Reilly, the athletic director at Manhattan College, confirmed the news in a statement.

“We thank Coach Masiello for his service and wish him well,” Reilly said. “As we look to building successful teams for the future, with recruiting season beginning soon and Coach Masiello’s contract ending in April 2023, we determined that it was the right time to begin rebuilding from the top down.”

Masiello was not the only big name to depart from Riverdale. Star guard Perez announced after Masiello’s dismissal that he would depart from Manhattan as well.

“This has been a very tough day for me,” Perez wrote on Twitter. “Honestly speaking,

coach (Masiello) was the most caring person I ever met he cared so much for his players and honestly speaking, it would be very difficult for me to put on a Jasper’s uniform again if coach ain’t on those sidelines.”

Perez followed through with that statement, entering the transfer portal. He garnered interest from across the NCAA and spoke to marquee programs such as Alabama, Bryant, Cincinnati, Clemson, Kansas State, Massachusetts, Memphis, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico State, Oregon, Rhode Island, San Diego, Wake Forest and West Virginia.

Throughout that process, Perez mentioned one team stood out from that bunch.

West Virginia was the most assertive in pursuing the former Manhattan guard. Led by head Coach Bob Huggins, the Mountaineers made it clear they wanted Perez.

“Coach Huggins was calling me 2-3 times per day,” Perez told WV Sports Now. “Literally right after practice, the exhibition game. Him and coach Jay [Kuntz] did an amazing job recruiting and they gave me their word.”

Perez ultimately took his talents to the Big 12 conference, joining the West Virginia Mountaineers. This team is amidst a 4-year drought from the NCAA tournament after being selected 9 of 11 previous

Former Jaspers guard, Jose Perez.

GOJASPERS/COURTESY years going back from 2018.

However, they have high hopes of making it back to the big dance. After acquiring Perez, they are ranked 34th in ESPN’s BPI rankings. With 68 spots for the tournament available, it’s looking up for the Mountaineers to break their recent skid.

As for Perez, he seems to fit into this Mountaineer’s team.

He is one of now seven transfer players on the Mountaineers roster. Although he may not find the same role he had at Manhattan College, his immediate height and versatility off the bench will be of great value to West Virginia. There will also always be plenty of opportunity to work himself into the starting lineup.

Jose Perez, sports his new team colors @SHOWOUT_ZAYY/COURTESY

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The only looming issue regards Perez’s eligibility for the first semester of the college basketball season. Since his transfer process happened outside of the transfer eligibility window, he will not be able to play the first semester’s games for West Virginia. However, most reporters close to NCAA hoops believe an appeal would be accepted, given the circumstances of Masiello’s termination.

The Mountaineers will mark the fourth team Perez has been a member of in his collegiate career. During his freshman and sophomore years, he played at Gardner-Webb. He led the team in points, rebounds, and assists in both years he played for

them. He then moved to Marquette amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. His minutes took an expected dip, but played a vital role off their bench. Perez then transferred once again, heading to Riverdale where he had a career year with Manhattan College, putting up nearly 23 points a night along with 5.5 assists.

Only time will tell how Perez handles the Big 12 conference, but he believes he’s ready for it.

“I have won at every level.

Just a winner, I see myself as a winner. I do whatever it takes,” Perez told WV Sports Now. “I came in as a freshman at Gardner-Webb, (and went) directly to the tournament. I know how to win.”