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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MANHATTAN COLLEGE | SINCE 1924
Volume CII, Issue 5
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NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
One Manhattan: Indoor Dining and Fitness Center to Reopen Madalyn Johnson Web Editor
MC Reports No New COVID-19 Cases Of the last week’s 172 COVID-19 tests, each one tested negative. KIERSTEN THOMPSON / THE QUADRANGLE
Committe Assesses Possible Merge of School of Liberal Arts and School of Science Nicole Fitzsimmons, Victor Franco & Maria Thomas Asst. News/Features Editor, Staff Writer & News Editor
Manhattan College has formed a committee to determine the possibility of merging the School of Liberal Arts and the School of Science. The plan to explore this idea is fairly new, and has only been in the works for a few months. The idea arose due to the current circumstances in both departments in which the spot for a dean has opened in both schools. “We’re going to be look-
IN NEWS:
Black Student Union Releases List of Demands on p. 3
ing for new leadership in both schools, so both teams need to be replaced, and therefore it’s an opportunity to talk about it, that’s really all it is,” Provost Steven Schreiner said. “There’s no big push to actually combine them, the administration’s just asking the question.” In the past month, the college has set up an ad-hoc committee to explore pros and cons of the potential merging of the two schools. The committee consists of 17 individuals — five faculty members and one student from the School of Science, five faculty members and one student from the School of Liberal Arts, an “ex officio dean” from the school of engineering, and faculty members from the schools of engineer-
IN FEATURES: Peace Pole Planted on p. 4
ing, education, and business. The directors of the School of Education, the School of Business, and the School of Continuing Professional Studies are also on the committee. Schreiner worked to set up this committee with numerous different members of the college community in order to get an all encompassing consensus on the matter. “I think that’s good for a vetting process,” he said. “There’s a lot of ways to hear voices, I don’t know how it’s gonna play out. But I think if you have a lot of people expressing their opinions and giving reasons for that, I think that’s what we __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
In an email sent out on Thursday, Sept. 24, the One Manhattan Office notified the community that last week 172 COVID-19 tests were completed on campus and zero results came back positive. Over the past 14 days, the college has had a 0.9 percent positive test rate which is slightly below New York City’s overall positive rate of 1.1 percent. There have only been three reported cases of COVID-19, two being students and one a faculty member. Those individuals have been quarantining off-campus. Last week, the One Manhattan Office sent out an email on Sept. 18, saying that 443 test results were completed on and off-campus and that three results came back positive. This gave the school a 0.7 percent positive rate, in comparison to New York City’s positive rate of 0.9 percent as of Sept. 17. Peter McHugh, director of media relations and strategic communications for Manhattan College, emailed The Quadrangle a statement regarding the recent COVID-19 update sent by the One Manhattan Office. “We’re following the New York City and New York State Department of Health protocols in dealing with positive cases,” McHugh wrote. “Our contact tracing team is working closely with the Health Services team to identify close contacts. The quarantine protocols we have in place, combined with regular surveillance testing, are two ways that have been shown to limit the number of positive cases within any community. Our community needs to continue to wear face coverings, stay socially distant and wash their hands regularly to maintain a low infection rate on campus.” In addition to alerting stu-
IN A&E:
GrARTitude Returns on p. 6
dents, parents and faculty that the college had no new COVID cases to report, the email announced that the community will soon have access to spaces and resources that have been closed since the beginning of the semester. Fitness centers in New York are now allowed to open at 33% capacity with masks being mandatory. Following this news, the email explained that “following required inspections and safeguarding,” the fitness center at Kelly Commons will reopen on Monday, October 5. The One Manhattan Office noted that the community will receive more information as opening week approaches. Along with the fitness center, indoor dining at spaces Locke’s Loft, Cafe 1853 and the Kelly Commons marketplace will resume on Monday, Oct. 5. The email reassured the college that, “the One Manhattan Office is working with our facilities and dining services teams to safely operate our on-campus, indoor dining facilities.” The email said more information will follow before the opening week. The fifth floor of Kelly Commons and Cafe 1853 are still available for commuter and resident students to use as class and study spaces. The O’Malley Library, at limited capacity, is also open. The One Manhattan office again informed the community that the college is now releasing weekly updates about COVID-19 testing and quarantine data through a public dashboard. Manhattan College will have available regular surveillance testing in Smith Auditorium on Friday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If tested, students are still expected to fill out the COVID-19 Daily Symptom Tracker.
IN SPORTS:
Athletes make the MAAC AllAmerican Team on p. 11
Opinions & Editorials
2
the Quadrangle Volume CII, Issue 5 September 29, 2020
The Editorial Board Gabriella DePinho Editor-in-Chief
Maria Thomas News Editor
Nicole Fitzsimmons Anna Woods Asst. News Editors
Alexa Schmidt Arts & Entertainment Editor Managing Editor
Jilleen Barrett Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor
Christine Nappi Features Editor Pete Janny Sports Editor Managing Editor C. Garrett Keidel Social Media Editor Brian Asare Photography Editor
Whit Anderson Asst. Sports Editor Samantha Walla Production Manager Emily Hollar Asst. Photography Editor Asst. Production Editor
Kelly Kennedy Nicole Rodriguez Asst. Production Editor Madalyn Johnson Katherine Heneghan Web Editors Nicholas Gilewicz Faculty Advisor About The Quadrangle A tradition since 1924, The Quadrangle is a news organization 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
THE QUADRANGLE
LET T ER from The Editor Hi readers! As I write this, it’s 8:30 p.m. and I am sitting on the grass on the main quadrangle. I’m alone and listening to music out of my portable speaker, taking in one of the last warm nights we might have for the rest of the year. It is a joy and a privilege to be on this campus right now and I am so grateful for all the work that has gone into making sure we can stay here. Keep wearing your masks. Keep being honest on your symptom trackers. Keep social distancing. Keep up the good work, Jaspers. You’re all the reason this experience and print paper are possible. This week’s paper is small, but packed with great work that I am so eager for you all to see. Kiersten Thompson’s front page photograph is absolutely fantastic and is definitely one of the best photos we have printed thus far this semester. Caroline and Colleen give you all the details about the peace pole that was newly installed on campus in Features. Arts & Entertainment highlights the LWGRC’s GrARTitude and the sports section highlights athletes named to the 2019-2020 MAAC All-Academic team. We have one new contributer who has his first byline this week in sports. It’s always so exciting when new writers join our ranks, whether it’s for multiple stories or just one. If you’re reading this and have thought about contributing to The Quadrangle, but aren’t sure how to start, just shoot us an email at thequad@manhattan.edu and we’ll get you on board.
Sincerely,
Gabriella DePinho
Editor-in-Chief
Sign up for our monthly newsletter by scanning the QR code. SUBMIT YOUR OWN LET T ER OR OP-ED Letters to the Editor or an op-ed may be submitted to thequad@manhattan.edu by Saturday at noon to be considered for publication. Profanity, vulgarity and hate will not be published. The Quadrangle reserves the right not to publish a letter.
News
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
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Committe Assesses Possible Merge of School of Liberal Arts and School of Science
__________________________ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
like to do in arts and sciences anyway.” This general idea of combining the School of Liberal Arts and the School of Sciences, however, is not necessarily new. Manhattan College had a combined School of Liberal Arts and Sciences during its earliest years as an institution. Many colleges and universities across the country have never separated their School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Due to its common nature, the question has been lingering over Manhattan College for decades now. “My understanding is, even though it wasn’t official, the faculty in each of the schools’ faculties were talking about this long before I arrived here,” Schreiner said. “So, you know, I’m new here. I arrived in July and the discussions were happening as soon as it was announced that Dean’s are stepping down.” Even in early June, School of Liberal Arts faculty who were experienced with dean searches decided to investigate this idea. However, many in the School of Science were opposed and the School of Liberal Arts did not show much interest. During this time, the matter was dropped. “In late August, however, Provost Schreiner felt there should be another effort to
identify whether such a merger would be desirable,” Robert Geraci, a co-chair of ad-hoc committe and the chair of the religious studies department, said. “The Educational Affairs Committee (EAC) and Provost Schreiner charged a new committee composed of representatives from across campus to investigate the pros and cons of such a merger. The report of the committee is to be passed to EAC for its evaluation.” The advantages and disadvantages of merging the two schools are widely spread amongst members of the adhoc committee. Some believe that they may lose their voice in such a large group of disciplines and students, while others argue that there will be more representation within the schools if they were combined. “I am pretty firmly committed to the idea of a well-rounded liberal arts education--and that includes the sciences,” Geraci said. “Personally, I believe that any student, including those in the professional schools, who gets short shrift on either the liberal arts or the sciences has not received as good of an education as that person deserves.” This opinion seems to be an important value in the minds of many faculty members at Manhattan. Alongside the idea that learning can be enhanced and connected amongst the liberal arts and sciences, there is also opportunity for greater coordination in departments and pro-
grams. “It’s certainly a venue to have more coordination, more joining that sort of stuff. For example, right now we have a program in liberal arts of environmental studies, and we have environmental science in science,” Michael Judge, the other co-chair of the ad-hoc committe and a biology professor, said. “There’s some overlap between those ... There’s more discussion between what might be weaved together more tightly, as more of an integrative across those.” The greatest changes due to the merging of both schools will be administrative. The departments merging together would not have major effects, if any at all, on the curriculum or general education of the schools. What may be tweaked are the general education requirements between both schools. “There will probably be a better integration of coordination between those,” Judge said. “Because right now, in the school of arts, one set is geared towards students in liberal arts majors, or to science majors. ‘Is that necessary to have those separate? Or is it better to have it together?’ I think that discussion will happen.” Aside from these minor tweaks, the greatest change will impact those who are controlling the department. Deciding upon who will become the new dean comes with many
questions. “It does become very much an administrative change of how resources are allocated through one Dean or through two Dean’s, and how the faculties meet and discuss topics together,” Schreiner said. The question of how the college will be economically affected by a merge is yet to be answered or discussed in detail. There is the potential of saving funds through a single dean of one combined school, however budgeting is not something that is being explored by the ad-hoc committee and is not the intent of the conversation. Schreiner is excited about having conversations regarding an adaptation of curriculum as the schools evolve. Scheiner believes the ad-hoc committee’s discussions about the possible merge serves as a forum to discuss curriculum change as well. “Curriculum should never be static, it should be dynamic, because its needs to change with the needs of society, with the needs of the professions, with the different domains that they live in, so they should be evolving,” he said. Schreiner, being a first hand witness to the open discussion about this topic, mentioned that he just wants to explore this possibility of merging both schools, and that as of now it is only a conversation. “The conversation itself is productive in my point of view,”
he said. “I think there really should be nobody nervous that somehow the administration is trying to force something. There’s nothing like that happening — we’re just having a conversation.” The scope of this decision will be wide-reaching, given that general education requirements at Manhattan College are interdisciplinary. “It doesn’t affect just arts and sciences directly,” Judge said. “Everybody in the professional schools take classes in the arts and sciences as well, so there’s a lot of people at stake.” Throughout this process, Schreiner’s greatest intention has been to promote the Jasper community and elevate the prestige of MC. He explained that his main goal through this discussion is to hear back from the community and see how they feel about combining both schools. Schreiner believes that Manhattan College is a tight knit and productive community that allows for conversations like these to occur, where the school can initiate a committee to do research on the pros and cons of merging both schools. “Manhattan College is a great place,” he said. “It’s got a very warm, friendly atmosphere for deep learning. So as Provost, I always want to preserve those really good things, and then just amplify and help them help them grow.”
Black Student Union Releases List of Demands Katie Heneghan & Samantha Walla
Web Editor & Production Manager On June 12, the members of the Black Student Union took to Instagram with a list of demands addressed to President Brennan O’Donnell and the college’s administration. In its introduction, the letter listed its intent and purpose as “improving the social and academic experiences of its black students at Manhattan College.” The demands included: a black excellence mural on campus, a dedicated space for the club, funding, mentoring programs for students of color, more black student workers, using orientation as a tool to discuss standards of diversity and inclusion, academic networking for students of color, and increase in students and faculty of color, diversity training and more discussions between students of color and administration. Additionally, the club called for the implementation of the
“Action Plan.” The post stated that the Action Plan’s purpose is to be used as “A protocol for dealing with issues of hate, discrimination, and unjust treatment, action or comments.” “In this current climate of uncertainty, we wanted to make one thing certain; that Manhattan College is not just a campus, but a community,” Ashley Baptise, vice president of the Black Student Union told the Quadrangle via email. “As The Black Student Union, we wanted to create a space of unity, inclusion, and diversity in a world that is so divided. The list of demands that was issued earlier this summer is a reflection of how tired we were of being swept under the rug, as students and as active members of society.” The BSU first came to the attention of John Bennett, Executive Director of Student Engagement, two years ago. Although they have been active, their campus presence became even stronger after the BSU Bash, which took place earlier in 2020. “After the BSU Bash last semester, which was one of the
most successful and highly attended events on campus last year, they really began to formalize the process with our office and Student Government,” said Bennett. “[The BSU was] on the track and pace last year to become recognized as a club, going through the steps, when COVID really hit and we ended up going remote. Over the summer they became officially recognized by Student Government.” The recognition from Student Engagement was crucial for the club in beginning to recognize their demands, including a budget allocation amid a year of financial cuts. “This year, especially with it being a different type of year and so many students are remote learning, there is a new process to have a group recognized on campus, which was implemented with the help of Student Government to really help students start groups or find new peers that are also interested in the same things together,” Bennett said. Junior International Studies Major and President of the Black Student Union, Mamady
Deen Ballo, was a pivotal player in the demands brought to administration attention. Ballo worked closely with alumni Pauly Paulicap, former President of the BSU. Ballo envisioned what campus would look like had they received tools from the college to make things better for students of color. “All of the demands were quite important, however, the importance in my opinion was the allocation of funds for the BSU, black excellence mural and scholarships for students of color,” said Ballo. Despite collaboration with President Brennan O’Donnell, Ballo feels like there is more work to be done. “We are being heard, but actions speak louder than words. I’m somewhat pleased, but not satisfied. I feel as if more things can be done and should be done,” said Ballo. As a result of a meeting with O’Donnell, some of the demands have been met. Baptise agrees that more work needs to be done, but in terms of successes, the BSU has had strides towards their goals.
“I am appreciative of the demands that were adhered to by administration and faculty members,” Baptiste said. “For instance, the recognition of BSU as an official club, the allocation of $10,000 as our yearly budget, and we are currently in the works of creating a ‘Black Excellence Mural.’ Even though some of our demands were brought to fruition, there are still a few that we are waiting to see happen. For the future, we are expecting to see visible change. As students and members of this community, we want to be able to walk on campus and feel a sense of belonging. I would like to see greater accountability from administration, as well as a greater platform for students to speak upon their concerns.” The Black Student Union continues to navigate programming amid COVID-19 regulations, most recently co-sponsoring and hosting a virtual lecture with Student Engagement featuring Rebecca Skloot. They can be reached on Instagram @mc.bsu.
Features
4
THE QUADRANGLE
Peace Pole Planted at MC as Inclusive Public Art Caroline McCarthy & Colleen McNamara Staff Writers
To symbolize inclusion, Manhattan College planted a peace pole on the quadrangle this past summer in an effort to create a more just society. This pole, planted in late July, displays the phrase “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in eight different languages decided upon by the students and faculty in the peace and justice studies program at the college. These languages include Arabic, English, French, Gaelic, Mandarin Chinese, Mohawk, Hebrew and Spanish. These languages were chosen to represent the student body, as well as the surrounding community. According to WorldPeace. org, there are over 250,000 peace poles in every country of the world. The goal of the peace poles is to “symbolize the oneness of humanity and our common wish for a world at peace.” Kevin Ahern, associate professor of religious studies and former peace studies director at MC, was crucial in planting the college’s new peace pole. “Unfortunately, a lot of our public art on campus is a bit dated from when the campus was first starting,” Ahern said. “In the recent conversations around diversity and racial justice, there are proposals or critiques that we need to have
more public art that reflects more the students that are on campus now, rather than the students that were on campus a hundred years ago, or 50 years ago. Our mission was to reflect both the student body, heritage and our geographical location in New York.” The peace pole carries a deep meaning and a sense of unity within a community. According to Ahern, the peace pole is a powerful symbol. “We needed the peace pole on campus as a symbol of our commitment to work for the end of the war and work for a more just society,” Ahern said. The students and faculty thought it important to have the peace pole planted in 2020 because it marks the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. Additionally, they hope it will be a representation of current political and social problems facing the world today and the college’s promise to fight them. “I think it’s the perfect time to put up the peace pole,” Ireland Twiggs, a senior peace and justice major, said. “It serves as a positive reminder for people walking to and from class.” Before advocating for a peace pole to be planted on campus, Ahern was involved in a number of “peaceful plantings” including the site at Fordham University, his alma mater, and in Rwanda. “Within the New York City area, we’re one of the few Catholic colleges that did not have a peace pole on our campus,” Ahern said. “Fordham, Mount
Professor Ahern and his son, Finn, build a peace pole out of Legos at home, complete with the translations of different languages. KEVIN AHERN / COURTESY St. Vincent’s and Iona all have peace poles.” COVID-19 restrictions prohibited the college from hosting an official unveiling ceremony of the peace pole on Sept. 21st, as planned for the International Day of Peace. But, this didn’t stop Ahern and his son Finn, a future peace and justice
The peace pole was installed on campus in late July while campus was shut down. KEVIN AHERN / COURTESY
advocate, from visiting other peace poles in the area. “Part of our dealing with COVID has been going and finding peace poles and my five-year-old and I taking pictures with them,” Ahern said. Ahern and his son have visited over a dozen surrounding peace poles and even designed one of their own with legos. This hobby sparked a new activity for students to engage in. “One of the things we’re actually looking to do is to try to have a peaceful treasure hunt for students to find peace poles in the New York City area and take pictures with them,” Ahern said. Students can check one pole off the list just by walking through the quadrangle, where the peace pole is prominently displayed. The peace pole is only one of the many efforts by the peace and justice studies program to foster a more inclusive environment. Worldly conflicts contribute to an improving curriculum for peace and justice studies. “It is time to launch a new curriculum that was geared more at giving students peace and justice studies, more skill sets, peacebuilding and con-
flict resolution and more career paths going forward,” Ahern said. Students also hope to see the expansion of the program in an effort to create a curriculum that will inspire future generations of peacemakers and enact change. “I love the peace and justice studies program so much,” Twiggs said. “I hope that they continue to grow [the program]. I think we could use a lot more people working towards peace and reconciliation.” One of these students working toward peace is Rachel Rocca, the co-president of the Just Peace organization on campus. Rocca, along with other students, are thrilled about having the peace pole placed at the most central part of campus. “I think it’s super awesome and I’m really happy with how visible it is,” Rocca said. “I think it’s really important, especially in this crazy time we’re living in where everything is really intense and unstable, it’s really nice and powerful to have that message of peace.”
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
Features
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How Students Are Staying Social with COVID Restrictions VOICES ON THE QUAD Meeting new people, spending with friends, and socializing often are main components of the college experience. However, the social aspect of college has changed as a result of COVID-19. On top of adapting to online classes, students are now faced with adjusting their regular social activities to COVID-safe and socially distant alternatives. While it may seem like there are not a lot of options for socialization, there are several ways to spend time in and out of the dorm without being exposed to an unsafe environment. Interviews compiled by Adrianne Hutto.
John Fitzsimmons, Class of 2023 Computer Science Major How are you staying social with COVID restrictions? I brought my laptop with me to school, so I play a lot of video games with my friends who are going to other schools far away. So it’s basically the same stuff I would be doing normally, but it does help to do it with all the social distancing. Instead of going over to other people’s dorms, I might just video call them instead of going over there and just showing up. So those are the two big things I do to be socially distant. But even whenever I’m out in the hallways I try to give people extra space and all. What are some off-campus activities you’ve done that are fun and how do you stay safe? I try to find the cleanest spot on the subway to sit down and always try to avoid touching handles. I always just try to keep physical contact with stuff at a minimum. I wear my mask no matter where I go. Like I said before it’s all about personal space…. I do like to run in the park [and] I do that to say active since there are no sports or anything really. How have COVID restrictions affected your social life? So, I went to the city with a few friends. I just made sure I was wearing my mask. I wouldn’t say that it has really affected my social life that much.
Jamie Robbins, Class of 2024 Biology Major
Kevin McGoldrick, Class of 2024 Accounting Major
What are some ways you’ve been social with COVID restrictions? I went for a picnic, it was only with two other people, so it wasn’t that bad. We got food at Locke’s and then we went there and ate. We sat kinda far apart, it was nice.
What are some ways you’ve stayed social with COVID restrictions? To have fun we’ve been going to Van Cortlandt Park and playing soccer and football on the turf field by the stadium. Since we’re not very good football players it’s very distant.
What other things have you done around campus that are fun? I know there’s a Stop & Shop, I walked there once and it was good, it wasn’t too far of a walk. I’ve really adapted to walking since I’ve been here. There’s a 24-hour Dunkin’ that’s two stops away, I like going there a lot.
When do you play? Usually whenever everyone is done with classes. We go over for an hour or two.
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Arts & Entertainment
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THE QUADRANGLE
GrARTitude Returns to the LWGRC Bringing Positivity During the Pandemic Kyla Guilfoil & Anna Woods Staff Writer & Asst. News & Features Editor
The Lasallian Women and Gender Resource Center at Manhattan College is still diving into this semester with resources, support and activities despite the new virtual medium. GrARTitude made its first appearance this semester on Wednesday, Sept. 23. GrARTitude was brought to Manhattan College last fall by MC senior and intern for the LWGRC, Ireland Twiggs, with the assistance of the former LWGRC Graduate Assistant, Jo-Ann Mullooly. The program combines gratitude mindfulness practices with art. Twiggs found inspiration for the GrARTitude sessions through New
York City based cartoonist Mari Andrew. “So I attended one of her art workshops last year in California and I felt really inspired by the work that we were doing,” said Twiggs. “It was calming, and it centered me, but it also helped me become more reflective and grateful for the little things in my life, so I wanted to bring that back to campus, because I feel like we’re such a small campus and so many people are involved with so much, so it’s really easy to experience burnout and overworking. So I wanted to really create a place in the center where students could come together and do art and fun things while also being reflective and grateful at the same time. So that’s kind of what I imagined [grartitude] to look like and what I wanted it to be in the center.” Twiggs hoped that bring-
ing the practice of GrARTitude to MC would help students learn how to use creative outlets to center themselves, appreciate the little things, and take a break from stress and distractions. The first event of the semester focused on analyzing gratitude amidst the pandemic. Camryn Holly, a senior communication major at MC, attended the first session last Wednesday. The session’s activities included creating a pie chart that showed the things you gained or were grateful for coming out of quarantine last spring. “This meeting’s focus was on gratitude in the time of COVID, so one of my pie slices was that I got to spend a lot of time with my family this summer, because I don’t know if I’ll ever get that much time with them again,” Holly said. “I also put the release of Taylor Swift’s
“folklore” album, because that was a big quarantine moment.” Twiggs and Rabea Ali, a graduate assistant for LWGRC, both emphasized the importance of community in the GrARTitude sessions. “I think it’s great that even on Google Meet, but especially in person, how everyone was just like ‘look what I did’ and I just think that was the most wholesome moment of community, but I also just love the creative spin of processing [gratitude],” Ali said of what she loves about GrARTitude. Ali sees that the need for spaces like GrARTitude is more important than ever. The LWGRC hopes to increase the frequency of the event in the upcoming weeks. “Last fall and spring GrARTitude happened once a month and it had a good following,” Ali said. “Students enjoyed it so we
figured that since we have the capacity for it let’s reup for every two weeks, which is twice a month. And that is the goal for October so we’ll see how that goes and pivot it to November depending on what the students prefer.” The Center has a semester worth of great programming lined up; their next event is a lecture sponsored with campus ministry called a Slice of Social Justice: “The Pandemic, The Protests, and Racial Justice: How Disasters Shape Social Change” with Jordan Pascoe, Ph.D. and Mitch Stripling. This event will take place on Wednesday Sept. 30 at 12:00 p.m. The best way to keep up to date with the Center is through their Instagram @mc_lwgrc.
Archive Secrets and Silences: Brown Bag Lecture With History Professor Lydia Crafts Alexa Schmidt A&E Editor
Assistant professor Lydia Crafts, Ph.D. presented her research at the first brown bag lecture series, hosted virtually by the history department on Wednesday, Sept. 25. About 40 students and faculty attended to hear Craft’s presentation on medical violence in Guatemala. Craft’s talk, titled “Archive Secrets and Silences: Researching the History of Medical Violence in ‘Post-Peace’ Guatemala,” served as a brief overview of her book project, which explores how Guatemala became a laboratory for U.S. medical and social scientific human subject research in Central America during the 20th century. “My research focuses on a series of secret experiments that the Pan American Health Organization, or PAHO, conducted in Guatemala during the 1940s and the 1950s,” Crafts said. “In these experiments, U.S. and Guatemalan doctors intentionally infected over 1000 Guatemalans with sexually transmitted infections. The researchers did not obtain consent to infect people with SDI, nor did they provide them with available treatments.” Crafts explained that these experiments were never really a secret, but rather they were always known within research circles in the U.S. and Guatemala, as well as in the neighborhoods in Guatemala where
people lived or were subjected to experimentation. In excavating suppressed history, Crafts said she takes inspiration from Haitian anthropologist Michel-Rolph Trouillot, who urged historians to analyze the process in which historical narratives are formed. This rope of historical silence is made of four crucial moments. “One, the moment of fact creation or the making of sources, two, the moment of fact assembly or the making of archives, three, the moment of fact retrieval, the making of narrative and four, the moment of retrospective significance, the making of history and its final instance,” Crafts said. Crafts used historical documents, such as archives, and oral histories to reconstruct what occurred in the past. The two methods complemented each other, and allowed Crafts to better understand the experiences of the Guatemalans and their experiences. It is important to note that in many historical narratives, there are still a lot of unknown factors and gaps, which Crafts also pointed to in her lecture. In using Guatemala’s archives, Crafts said for many years following the Civil War, the government denied that military and police documents existed. In 2005, researchers investigating an explosion at the National Police Headquarters in Guatemala City discovered that in fact, there were records of the National Police. “They discovered thou-
sands of police documents that were water stained, infested with rats and cockroaches,” Crafts said. “With these documents, local activists with the support of international NGOs filled a human rights archive, to investigate the police and try to find information about friends and family members killed and disappeared during the war.” Through her connections with the police archive, Crafts gained access to records of people who had been experimented upon, and a searchable list with their names. “I had to work especially hard as an outsider and someone from the United States to gain the trust of the people who ran this archive,” Crafts said. “Once I obtained a list of names, I went to the National Archives and started tracing the names… This was an arduous process in Guatemala, there’s virtually no funding for archives. I searched through piles of documents in disorganized boxes. These documents showed me how people came into the pipeline for experimentation in Guatemala, and now racial and gender inequality in the country rendered people vulnerable for experimentation.” To assist her archival research, Crafts also interviewed people subjected to the experimentation at their own will. Crafts recognized the vulnerability and stigma that surrounds these experiments, and used certain methods to make them feel as comfortable as possible. This included making
them feel in control of the interview, allowing time for silences, and avoiding asking too many questions. “I also wanted to take a moment to reflect upon my role as a white North American researcher investigating this history,” Crafts said. “I thought a lot about that and how power dynamics between myself and Guatemalans may influence my interviews. So I seek to make my research useful to people while trying to avoid causing further harm. I worked very hard to make the consent process clear.” “People did seem to appreciate the process and grow to become more comfortable with me and eventually see me as an ally, but given my positionality, this takes a lot of time and sensitivity,” Crafts said. Crafts hopes her lecture provides a case study to show how the historical record is often incomplete. She encourages people to think carefully about archives and the process by which historical information is included or excluded. “I think we can also gain important insights into our work into people’s motivations, ethics and encounters with power,” Crafts said. “Moreover, my work asks critical questions about what types of historical sources written and oral should be taken as evidence of what occurred in the past. Often, what is common knowledge about violence is not written down, because people with access to institutional power, have been able to curate what materials
are included in archives.” After the lecture, students and faculty were able to ask questions or offer comments. Political science professor Margaret Groarke, Ph.D., connected Craft’s lecture back to her own experiences. “I am rereading Rebecca Skloot’s book right at the moment, and hearing her speak last week made me think of all the parallels of the way that people are chosen, without a whole lot of thought to the impact on their lives or any idea of informed consent,” Groarke said. “It’s not surprising to me, as somebody who watched American foreign policy in Central America in the 80s to see that we chose to do this to Guatemalan people as well,” she said. This was the first brown bag lecture sophomore environmental studies major Wade Wiedemann has attended. “I thought it was really interesting because I feel like I just genuinely haven’t heard about all the stuff we did in South America during that time period,” Wiedemann said. “And especially because [Craft] is an archivist and was talking about oral traditions, she was really informative,” Wiedemann said. The next virtual brown bag lecture is hosted by the Women and Gender Studies on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 12 p.m.
Sports
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
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Manhattan College Athletes are Named to the MAAC All-Academic Team Madalyn Johnson & Jon Deutsch Web Editor & Contributor
When the spring semester abruptly ended back in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, it meant that a lot of exciting events at Manhattan College could not come to a final close. Potential championships, performances, and victories for students enjoying their last ride as a college athlete, unfortunately, could not take place. Even though sports in spring 2020 couldn’t end on a high note, many Jasper athletes still finished off this semester victorious by earning spots on the MAAC All-Academic Team. To be eligible for the honorary team, student-athletes must finish the academic year with a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 3.2. Collectively, Manhattan had 215 student-athletes reach that feat for the 2019-2020 academic year. Junior Jessie Rising plays softball for Manhattan College and was selected on the MAAC’s 2020 Softball All-Academic Team. A biology major, Rising currently has a 4.0 G.P.A, which she attributes to time management skills. “I’ve always been nerdy and never settled for less than a 4.0,” Rising said. “So really the biggest adjustment for me was time management because there’s a lot of distrac-
tions in college.” The difficulties behind managing sports and school are nothing new to Rising. In high school, Rising was a triple threat — a multi-sport athlete who played sports year round. And even now that a college student typically focuses on one sport and one career path, Rising admits it’s still a tough challenge to handle. “I played volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter and then spring I played softball and travel softball in the summer, so I was always doing something but there is definitely a difference,” Rising said when reflecting on her athletic experiences in both high school and college. “Honestly, switching to just one sport was easier for me because like there’s not much demand on your body, but the course load and all of that was a lot harder.” Rising believes that one of the reasons for her success as a college athlete is because of the support she receives from the Jasper community. She can attest to the amazing job the softball team does at supporting one another and making sure no one is struggling in the classroom. “They’re [Manhattan College Athletics] incredible and I really feel like I’m genuinely a student before I’m an athlete and even in high school I really felt like I was more of an athlete than a student,” Rising said. Senior exercise science major Meagan Miller, who was named to the MAAC All-Ac-
Senior Nyala Pendergrass is on the women’s basketball team at Manhattan and was named to MAAC All-Academic Team for the 2019-2020 academic year. GOJASPERS / COURTESY
ademic Team in 2019, plays volleyball for the college and has plans of going to school for physical therapy after graduating from Manhattan. Her future academic goals have played a significant role in why she’s so driven to keep up athletics and grades. “It was always something I had in the back of my mind, I always wanted to have a great G.P.A. and keep my options open,” Miller said. Miller became extremely focused on school thanks to the positive influence of her professors in the Kinesiology Department. Upon realizing what kind of student she aspired to be, Miller gained a greater sense of confidence. “The professors just care so much about you that I found myself getting good grades because I wanted to do well for them,” Miller said. Miller feels that the Jasper community has given her a great support system and incentivizes student-athletes to stay on top of their studies. She idolizes Manhattan alum Alyssa Rehrer 18’, with whom she sees as a like-minded person. Rehrer, who played volleyball for Manhattan and made it to the All-MAAC Academic team three years in a row, now attends physician school and has advised Miller of the importance of being actively involved at Manhattan College. Even to this day, Miller still consults with Rehrer for guidance. “The very first day I got to campus, she was the first one to say hi to me,” Miller said of Rehrer. “She was the hardest working one on the court, like the strongest in the weight room and ever since she’s been on my team, and now she’s my friend, I kind have tried to look up to her as a leader for me and try to get involved because I know she got involved. I ask her for help whenever I need help with my future and my future career.” Senior Nyala Pendergrass is a women’s basketball player at Manhattan and earned MAAC All-Academic Team honors for the 2019-2020 academic year. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career as a play-byplay commentator in either college or professional basketball. A superstar athlete for St. Rose High School in Belmar, New Jersey — where she won a pair of state championships — Pendergrass has always been tasked with making enough time for both basketball and academics. “In my house growing up, not being studious really wasn’t an option,” Pendergrass said. “From elementary, middle school, high school and pretty
Junior Jessie Rising is a pitcher for the women’s softball team and was named to the MAAC All-Academic Team for the 20192020 academic year. GOJASPERS / COURTESY
Senior Meagan Miller plays volleyball for Manhattan and named to the MAAC All-Academic Team for the 2019-2020 academic year. GOJASPERS / COURTESY much every level, you know I made an effort to study for tests, do extra things, just anything I could to obtain the best grade.” A big believer in the importance of getting good grades, Pendergrass developed great time management skills in high school which she credits towards her “rigorous” basketball program at St. Rose. Her team would coordinate routine check-ins with academic advisors and coaches to make sure every player was progressing with their academic course load. At Manhattan, she has benefitted from the quality academic resources at her disposal. “Classes are so small here which is great so if something did happen in class, your professor would reach out to you,” Pendergrass said. “So the Jasper community and the standard set at the school, within that community, has definitely
set a precedent for us to not fail.” For student-athletes who struggle academically, Pendergrass has valuable advice on how to keep working. “If you don’t find enough time to do everything you need to do, set a routine, set a schedule that you would do every day, and make sure you can handle everything that’s on your plate because you can,” she said. “Thousands of others have done it and you are capable. Don’t be lazy and don’t ignore any weaknesses you might have because if you do, you’ll just get the same result.” For the 2020 spring semester, all 19 varsity teams at the school registered at least a 3.1 GPA, with the men’s basketball team pacing all men’s teams with a 3.51 GPA and the softball team leading all women’s teams with a 3.76 GPA. The softball team was the top finisher for the semester.
Sports
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THE QUADRANGLE
MAAC 40th Anniversary Spotlight on Manhattan Softball Pete Janny & Alexa Schmidt
Sports Editor & Arts & Entertainment Editor
2020 marks the 40th year the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference has existed. Since its inception, the conference has experienced many changes, highlighted by the additions of new sports and member schools throughout the years. But while a lot has happened over four decades — with much more still unwritten — there may never be a more confusing and unpredictable time in the conference’s history, let alone our own lives, than what is being experienced now during the coronavirus pandemic. For two former Manhattan softball players, there is hope that the school’s softball program will come out of this crisis better off by drawing on the examples set by themselves and others who came before. Kate Bowen ‘14 and Elena Bowman ‘16 know more than a thing or two about what it takes to succeed in a Manhattan uniform. Both are former teammates who played with each other for two years, including on the 2014 Manhattan team that advanced as far as the MAAC Championship Game. Each is a program legend in their own right, and has set the bar extremely high for those who have come after them. If their legacies were not already heralded before, they are now, in light of both of them being included in the MAAC’s 40th Anniversary feature on the best players in Manhattan softball history. The other honorees for the program outside of Bowen and Bowman were Stacy Cohen ‘92, Jennifer Drum ‘95, and Danielle Yearick ‘94. Bowen, who is a native of Newtown, Connecticut, was a pitcher and second baseman at Manhattan from 2011 to 2014. During her time at the school, Bowen proved to be a difference maker at both positions, putting together one of the all-time great careers in program history. On offense, Bowen racked up big numbers, emerging as one of the top performers in program history in hits (211), runs (122), doubles (39), home runs (18), and RBIs (103). Her success at the plate also translated to her work on the mound, where she ranks among the leaders in program history in wins (29), innings (396), strikeouts (170), and complete games (35). “I pitched and played in the
middle of the infield for so long so for me coming to Manhattan wasn’t anything new,” Bowen said. “I was really happy that I was able to do both.” Bowen’s career at Manhattan was the epitome of consistency. She was a full-time starter all four years for a program that played a crucial role in her development. Bowen would not have wanted to spend her college years anywhere else. “I just love Manhattan softball,” Bowen said. “For me, Coach [Pardalis] just believed in me from the beginning and really thought I could have a good career in Manhattan. I’m just super grateful. I have so many great friends and teammates that I still stay in touch with.” For the 2013 season, Bowen was assigned a new battery mate in Bowman, a talented, yet unproven, freshman catcher from San Mateo, California. At the time, the partnership between the two appeared to be nothing more than business as usual between a veteran pitcher and rookie catcher. In reality, that introduction marked the convergence of two careers destined for greatness. “After my first few years, in my junior year I had a great catcher [Bowman],” Bowen said. “The energy she brought and trying to make me better each day was just such a great thing my junior and senior years.” The 2015 unanimous MAAC Player of the Year, Bowman had one of the most prolific careers in Manhattan softball history. She holds the program records for career slugging percentage (.723) and home runs (52), while ranking second in career RBIs (154) and third all-time in both hits (201) and runs (130). “From the time I went on my recruiting trip, I just fell in love with the campus and the team, the city and the opportunity to play in New York,” Bowman said. “So it was a phenomenal experience for me, I am still close with a lot of my teammates and Coach [Pardalis], but I’m really just grateful for the experience overall.” Bowen and Bowman grew up on opposite sides of the country before their paths crossed at Manhattan — the former from Connecticut. and the latter from San Mateo, California. Despite this geographical gap, both got acclimated to the small community at Manhattan well and promptly felt a sense of belonging with their softball teammates. After all, the notion of going to school in New York City made Manhattan stand out to them in the first place, and it lived up to expectations. “I felt really comfortable,
just with how close the team was and how tight knit all the players were,” Bowman said. Even in Bowen’s case, the relatively close proximity from her home in Connecticut to Manhattan did not make her any less excited to move to the big city for school. “I realized I didn’t want to be too far from home but I was in a completely new and awesome atmosphere in the city,” Bowen said. Away from the diamond, Bowen and Bowman were paragons of the fine academic reputation attributed to Manhattan student-athletes over the years. Throughout her career, Bowen amassed a collection of academic honors, including two Capital One Academic All-District honors and a Capital One Academic All-American Third Team selection. Most notably, Bowen was the valedictorian for the class of 2014 as a physical education major — a rare feat for a student-athlete at any institution. “It was special giving the speech and I really tried giving the best speech I could for my class,” Bowen said. “I found Manhattan because of the softball program but I didn’t at the time think I was going to have such great professors. I enjoyed my experience academically just as much as I did athletically. Manhattan truly gave me the all-around experience.” Like Bowen, Bowman compiled a host of honors for her success in the classroom as a Jasper. A few of the notable accolades she received were a 2015 Capital One Academic All-America First Team honor and a 2015 Capital One Academic All-America First Team selection. “I think I thrived on the small classes,” Bowman said. “It goes back to Coach [Pardalis]. He always was big on school first.” For both Bowman and Bowen, head coach Tom Pardalis was instrumental in their careers as someone who was there for them in times of success and failure. Pardalis is now in year 12 of his tenure as head coach at Manhattan and continues to positively impact the lives of his players. “The word I give for Coach [Pardalis] is invested,” Bowman said. “He showed me how bad he wanted me to come play for Manhattan softball and that made me want to go there. And the way that I personally always describe Coach [Pardalis] is just such a character person.” Pardalis left a lasting impression on both women, so much so that they carried his lessons and advice with them to their later careers. Today, Bowen is in her fifth
Elena Bowman 16’ was named the MAAC Player of the Year for women’s softball in 2015. GOJASPERS / COOURTESY year working at Springfield College, a division III school in Massachusetts. Under her leadership, the softball program at Springfield has made strides both on the field and in the classroom. Her first campaign at the helm came in 2017 when she led the Pride to a 3211 record. Those 32 wins were good for third most in program history and came following three seasons as a graduate assistant coach with the school. “I love what I do,” Bowen said. “We just had a few practices and the freshmen were so nervous. I told them to just take a deep breath and do the best you can... Coach [Pardalis] was a great role model as a head coach. Bridget Herman was my assistant coach and I don’t think there was a harder working assistant coach around at that time.” Likewise, Bowman has also stayed connected to the game, having worked at HitTrax — a baseball and softball data analytics company based in Massachusetts — for the past two years. She cherishes the opportunity to give back to the game she loves from an analytical point of view. “Coach [Pardalis] fostered such a love of the game in all of us,” Bowman said. “When I graduated I really wanted to stay around the game and I knew that. I didn’t know if coaching was totally for me but I knew I wanted to stay around the game.” In this time of crisis, Bowen and Bowman have thought about the extraordinary difficulties athletes are currently facing. While they did not experience a cataclysmic phenomenon like COVID-19 during their college years, they themselves learned how to respond to adversity. “My advice for the current players would be if we’re going
to get out of this so where do you want to be when we get out of this,” Bowen said. “Because I would hope that Manhattan and any other team will try to get ahead instead of dwell on what we can’t do.” From personal experiences, Bowman and Bowen are able to acknowledge that while the attitude towards women in sports has improved, there are still ways to go in pursuit of equal treatment with men’s sports. Bowman has been following Athletes Unlimited League, an agency based in NYC that offers competitive opportunities for elite female athletes who play softball and volleyball — two sports that have received less airtime, sponsorships, and compensation in the U.S. “I think that we’re taking incredible strides towards funding women’s sports and being engaged with women’s sports across the board,” Bowman said. “It’s really changing the paradigm of how we engage with women’s sports and how we respect female athletes. With that being said I do think we have a significant amount of work to go.” As two professionals in the sports industry, Bowen and Bowman remain hopeful of the direction women’s sports is heading in. It is pioneers like Ruth Bader Ginsburg whose example looms large in the ongoing fight for women’s rights. “I think a big part of success is investing,” Bowman said. “Whether you’re investing human capital, in your energy, your resources, so I think to that point of closing that gap there’s still some work to be done for sure. Like RBG said, women belong where all big decisions are being made.”