Brother Jasper hypes the crowd during Manhattan Madness.
NICKY LOMBARDO / THE QUADRANGLE
Barbara Vasquez, Editor-in-Chief
Jasper Nation packed Draddy Gymnasium for the school’s annual Manhattan Madness event on Oct. 16, featuring introductions from the basketball teams, performances from the Jasper spirit squads and giveaways for students.
Manhattan Madness is Manhattan University’s (MU) version of a pep rally, hyping up students for the men’s and women’s basketball teams upcoming game schedule.
On Thursday, the doors opened for students at 7:30 P.M., greeted by free Manhattan Madness t-shirts and a tunnel of waving cheerleaders before finding a seat.
The Pep Band and Jasper Dancers performed as students filled in The Sixth Borough bleachers, and the crowd sang along to the Pep Band’s rendition of “Mr. Brightside” before counting down to the 8 P.M. start time.
The Pep Band performs at Manhattan Madness every year, also joining the basketball team’s games throughout the season. As student performers, they work hard to engage with the crowd and amp up the energy, bringing another level of connection to the event, according to Logan Kappes-Sommer, spirit coordinator of Pep Band.
“I think it’s really great to have students who are there every single game, getting people involved,” Kappes-Sommer said. “It gets the crowds to want to be involved… there are players that love to hear [certain songs] and give requests, and things like that. It gives an atmosphere at the school where it’s kind of like a community that’s all involved together.”
As the lights dimmed, MU Singers president and senior student Dean Corvino performed the National Anthem, followed by Clara de Leon, student designer of this year’s Manhattan Madness t-shirt and finally, the opening routine of the Jasper Cheerleaders.
The cheer team plays an integral part in engaging with students for Manhattan Madness, but for them, this is their first introduction to the student body as well. Alexa Pope, four-time World-Champion and recently appointed head coach of Jasper Cheer, spoke to The Quadrangle about what this debut means for the team.
“Manhattan Madness is our first performance of the season, so we want to make a strong first impression and showcase what MU Cheer is all about,” Pope wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “… At Manhattan Madness, the cheer team plays an important role in bringing school spirit to life. We take pride in engaging the crowd, encouraging student participation, and helping create the excitement that makes this event such a special tradition at MU. Our goal is to build enthusiasm for the upcoming season and contribute to a memorable experience for all of Jasper Nation!”
The cheer team works on their routine for around a month before Manhattan Madness, focusing on execution and technique and perfecting their performance.
“As a coach, it’s always rewarding to see the hard work and preparation that goes into an event like this come to life, especially when you see the pride each group takes in representing the university,” Pope wrote. “It was great to see everyone play a part in creating such a memorable night and continuing this special MU tradition.”
Following the cheer team’s performance, the women’s basketball team roster came out for introductions. Each player came on the court to a different song, some more upbeat and some cultural, and engaged with students with dances or t-shirt throwing.
The coaching staff followed, with head coach Heather Vulin announcing the team’s first home game against Pace University on Nov. 2 and claiming that this year’s roster is the “strongest offensive team [she’s had] in her time here,” since first coming to MU in 2016.
The Jasper Dancers were up next, continuing the spirit squads’ performances. Like the cheer team, this is the Dancers’ first showcase of the season as well as one of their biggest events during the fall semester.
Athena Ambizas, a junior electrical engineering major and captain of the Jasper Dancers, wrote in an email to The Quadrangle explaining that the event is a milestone for the team, especially its newest members.
Highlights from Manhattan Madness. JAYDEN GONZALEZ & NICKY LOMBARDO / THE QUADRANGLE
“It’s such an honor to be a part of this amazing event each year,” Ambizas wrote. “It’s such a huge milestone for the team, but especially the rookies. For them, it’s not only the biggest Jasper Dancer event of the fall semester, but it’s their Jasper Dancer debut! Each Manhattan Madness the Jasper Dancers bring out a brand new team with new talents, skills, and a whole new vibe! It’s the most fun and I look forward to it every year.”
With this final performance, the men’s basketball team came to court for their introductions, following the lead of the women’s team with dances and hyping up the crowd further.
John Gallagher, head coach of the team since 2023, announced the team’s first season game against the University of Kentucky on Nov. 3 and their first home game against the University of Albany on Nov. 5. A watch party will be hosted for their debut game in Draddy Gymnasium, with Gallagher encouraging students to show up for the team.
“This year, I just don’t have a team,” Gallagher said. “I have a real team.”
After the team’s introductions, the night continued with fun contests and giveaways. Random students were selected to join in on the annual dunking competition with a $100 prize pot, and others participated in a shoot-out with basketball team members. Biance Estrada, freshman health science major, was one of the students selected for the dunking contest; though she did not win, she enjoyed the evening anyway.
“My friends who came to previous Manhattan Madnesses, always told us it was high energy,” Estrada said. “So, I kind of came in expecting it to be high energy. This year they definitely met that expectation.”
As an annual tradition during the fall semester, most students across MU attend Manhattan Madness during their time at the school. For older students, there’s been obvious growth in the event. Samantha Schwann, senior mechanical engineer and secretary of Pep Band, was one of two members who joined the group during her freshman year. She spoke on how the event has developed, both in the Band and as a whole.
“[When I first joined] it was seeing a lot of people trying so hard to preserve traditions and pass them on…” Schwann said. “… Since then, we’ve gotten so many other people into it. And to see how Madness has grown, I’ve seen just a growth in attendance, and people just sitting there versus actively cheering, clapping, fighting for those t-shirts. It’s been such a change in just seeing the passion levels of this school increase every year. It’s awesome.”
For many attendees, Manhattan Madness is more about coming together as a university and celebrating school pride than anything – this is one of the biggest social nights of the year for Jaspers. Mary Haley ‘26, current executive assistant at Student Life and recent MU graduate, shared her favorite part of the tradition.
“[Both as a former student and now employee] my favorite part of Manhattan Madness is the Jasper spirit and the shared connection that everyone has with each other, whether you know them or not,” Haley said. “Manhattan Madness is something that brings out another level of Jasper pride with people.”