by ALLY HUTZLER & TARA MARIN, Senior Writers

The Loss of Brother Thomas Scanlan

This past winter the Manhattan College community mourned the loss of Brother Thomas Scanlan, who passed away on Feb. 4, 2018 at the age of 72. Scanlan was the 18th president of Manhattan College and lead the community for over two decades, from 1987 to 2009. During his tenure, Scanlan helped to increase the college’s enrollment by more than 120 percent and focused on increasing the residential population by building the Horan and Lee dorms. The college also received several accreditations during his time as president. Brother Robert Berger commented on Scanlan’s legacy, telling The Quadrangle that “If it wasn’t for him, this property would be a parking lot where you would say, ‘oh here’s where Manhattan College used to be.’ He really put us on the map.”

Campus Reacts to President Trump’s State of the Union

President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union address on Jan. 30, 2018. Pamela Chasek, a professor in the college’s government department, provided insights into what was said and not said during the historic address. While Trump used the opportunity to discuss his four-point immigration plan and his tax plan, he largely stayed away from talking about specific legislation in detail. He also ignored the hot-button topics like the Russian election meddling, climate change, gun control, and the #MeToo movement.  According to Chasek, the biggest impact on Manhattan College – and colleges and universities around the country – would be Trump’s immigration policies. The plan would dramatically reduce the number of foreign students seeking an education at American schools as much as 40 percent, which could lead to dramatic budget cuts, reduced financial aid, and increased tuition. 

Students and Faculty Join Millions in “March for Our Lives” 

On March 24 millions of people took to the streets to “March for Our Lives.”  The movement, which first gained traction after a school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, is demanding lawmakers in Washington to pass serious gun control legislation. Though the major march was held in the nation’s capital, several students from MC participated in the march in New York City. Two juniors, Roman Doumbia and Sydney Kukoda, organized the trip.   It was amazing to see so many people so excited and eager to be a part of  a movement that demanded change,” Doumbia told The Quadrangle. “We feel that it’s very important for college students to be informed and involved in the issues that are plaguing our society.”

MC Hosts Fourth Annual Take Back the Night

On Thursday, March 22 in Smith Auditorium, Manhattan College held its fourth annual Take Back The Night event. TBTN is an international event and a non-profit organization whose mission is to completely end any and all forms of sexual, relationship and domestic violence. This year’s event consisted of a variety of speakers, all touching on different parts of the same cause. The first speaker, Jennifer Neal Clark, an adjunct professor of law at Manhattan College and director at Safe Horizons in the Bronx, spoke on the legalities of sexual assault. Tiffany French, Assistant Dean of Students and a trainer for the Green Dot Program also spoke, as well as Robert Rivera, psychology professor and Assistant Director of the Counseling Center. Hundreds of students attended. 

Jesse McCartney Headlines Springfest

Manhattan College’s annual Spring Fest was held on Saturday, April 21. Surprise guest Marc E. Bassy opened the show with crowd-pumping songs, followed by Jesse McCartney, who walked on stage with his hair slicked back and sunglasses on. The crowd went wild. McCartney played some of his new music, as well as his smash hit songs “Leavin’”, “Shake”, “She’s No You”, “Body Language”, and of course “Beautiful Soul.” McCartney also chose a student from the audience to join him on stage. The lucky girl was junior Christina Brancoto, who he serenaded on stage. Ultimately, the concert was a hit as many students praised McCartney for being a great performer and enjoyed to dancing with their friends to songs they grew up with.

Student Government Executive Board Race 

After an intense campaign, the 2017-2018 Student Government election resulted in a sweeping victory for the B.E.S.T. of the Bronx party, beating out Jasper Shore: The Lasallian Experience, and the Jasper Student Union.

Headed by president-elect Jaycie Cooper and vice president-elect Jara Giner, the party will be filling nine spots on Student Government’s Executive Board next year. Cooper stated via email that herself and the rest of the party were “ecstatic” upon finding out that their entire board had won.