The quad during welcome week. @MANHATTANEDU / INSTAGRAM
Sarah Rolka, Asst. Features Editor
Manhattan University (MU) Jaspers returned to campus last Monday on Aug. 24. The quad was busy with old and new faces, ready or not, for the start of classes.
With the sun out for the first day, students didn’t take the weather for granted; many people were out on the quad enjoying the warm first day of classes, with this time only being interrupted by their following classes. Despite the interruption, most students felt positive about returning to MU, yet the main issue some people had was getting back into the routine of everything.
Diana Torres, a junior exercise science major, commented about her experience so far with her first week of the fall 2026 semester.
“So far, the first few days of classes have been pretty good,” Torres said. “[I’ve been] getting back into the schedule of coming in early, waking up, having to go to classes. Then, since I’m already a junior it’s the ‘quick syllabus week,’ so I already know that next week is ‘starting the grind’ again.”
Avec Fabian, a freshman sound studies major, additionally commented on his experience with the first week of classes and having more freedom, especially as a new college student at MU.
“…The freedom is really nice because it’s all up to you,” Fabian said. “You don’t have your teachers bugging you constantly. You’re in charge of your own schedule, so I really like that.”
Some students spent their summer relaxing, working or otherwise; however, some incoming freshmen attended the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) at MU. According to manhattan.edu, the program aims to “engage students who are pursuing careers in STEM and licensed professions and are from backgrounds that were previously underrepresented in those fields. CSTEP services are targeted over the four years to provide participants with the resources to help them succeed in their studies and transition into their chosen career paths.”
Paris Mitchell, a freshman psychology major, spoke on her experience with the program and how they had enjoyed that time during their summer.
“They [the program at MU] emailed me originally,” Mitchell said. “I’m from Albany which is three hours away; it’s a really small town, so this summer I was like ‘Let me do something new, let me go to New York City.’ I spent the summer in the CSTEP program, attending classes Monday to Thursday. I spent time with friends and toured the city, which was really fun instead of being cooped up in a really small town.”
As previously mentioned, students spent their summer doing various activities or traveling. Anahi Briones, a freshman psychology major, spoke to The Quadrangle on how she spent her time in the summer.
“I didn’t really go anywhere besides just travelling back to [MU] for one of the orientation dates in June, but other than that I just stayed back in my hometown [San Diego] working and saving up money,” Briones said. “But I did go on a little trip with my best friend’s family for a weekend, which was really nice.”
Many Jaspers have spent their summers occupied and will also have the chance to do so during the semester with MU’s extracurriculars and events. To stay updated with what comes up on campus, follow @manhattan.edu on Instagram.