The 2025 Quadrangle Masthead
Grace Cardinal
Editor-in-Chief
Grace is a senior communication major from Rochester, NY with a concentration in public relations and a minor in political science. This is Grace’s second term serving as Editor-in-Chief, and she could not be more excited to lead The Quadrangle through another successful year of journalism. Outside of her work on The Quadrangle, Grace works as the Lifestyle & Opinions Editor for Lotus magazine and is the Social Media Director of Her Campus at Manhattan. Over the summer, Grace worked as the Commerce Intern for Shop TODAY at NBC News. She has also gained prior professional experience as a News Intern with Decider, part of the New York Post network. When she’s not writing and editing, Grace can be found drinking caramel lattes at local cafes or in rehearsal for DanceWorks NYC.
Emmanouel Sofillas
Managing Editor
Emmanouel is a junior electrical engineering student who currently serves as the managing editor at The Quadrangle.
Brooke Della Rocco
News Editor
Brooke is a senior communication major with a concentration in public relations and a minor in business management. She previously worked on The Quadrangle’s masthead as News Editor for both 2024 and 2025, taking a semester-long break to study abroad in Rome, Italy. Over the summer, Brooke interned with Palmer Magazine, a position which she is excited to continue with into the fall. Outside of the newspaper, you can find her in a variety of performing arts groups on campus including Singers, Music Ministry and Players. Brooke is excited to enter her last year with The Quadrangle and reconnect with the Manhattan University community.
Laili Shahrestani
Features Editor
Laili is a senior communication major with a concentration in journalism and a minor in psychology. Laili is originally from Orange County, California, and has decided to continue her education in New York City, the media capital of the world! In her free time, she loves thrifting, drinking coffee and spending time with her cat. Laili is more than thrilled to serve as The Quadrangle’s features editor!
Mary Haley
Assistant Features Editor / Marketing Chair
Mary is a senior psychology and communication double major and has been a part of The Quadrangle since her first semester at MU. This year, she is excited to work as the Marketing Chair and Assistant Features Editor. Through The Quad, she has found her love of writing and journalism. She is also Assistant Editor-in-Chief of Lotus. Mary is also a part of the Manhattan University swim team!
Leyla Mercado
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Leyla is a third-year student double majoring in political science and criminology. As a proud native New Yorker born and raised in the Bronx, her pride is rooted in being from the big apple. She’s had an immense love for writing for as long as she can remember, and she writes with the intent to give a voice to those who often go unheard or feel the most silenced. She loves movies, books, music and dance, as she’s been a dancer for 12 years now. Friends, family, her cat and the summer continuously sit at the top of her mind.
Andrew Mannion
Sports Editor
Andrew Mannion is the Sports Editor of The Quadrangle. He is a senior exercise science major and an aspiring physical therapist.
Owen McWalters
Assistant Sports Editor
Owen is a junior majoring in physical education with a minor in communication. In his free time, Owen likes to listen to music and watch sports. He is looking forward to serving as the Assistant Sports Editor for The Quadrangle.
Barbara Vasquez
Production Editor / Web Editor
Barbara is a junior communication major with a concentration in IMC. This year, she is a Production and Web Editor for The Quadrangle, and is super excited to get more involved!
Maizy Swift
Production Editor/Asst. Social Media
Maizy Swift is a senior at Manhattan University studying International studies with a minor in communication. She serves as a Production Editor and Assistant Social Media Editor for The Quadrangle.
Amy Forster
Assistant Production Editor
Amy is a junior majoring in English and special education. She grew up in Los Angeles, California and loves quiet Sunday morning production sessions in the Hayden Lab. In addition to The Quadrangle, Amy is a part of MU mock trial and works at a local after-school program.
Elaina Batista
Asst. Social Media Editor
Elaina is a senior political science major with a minor in philosophy from Nanuet, NY. She began as a contributor to The Quadrangle, writing the Manhattan Caucus column, and is now excited to bring her experience to the social media team. In addition to her work with the paper, Elaina is a member of the Manhattan University Track and Field Team.
Thom Gencarelli
Faculty Advisor
Thom is the faculty advisor for The Quadrangle and is a professor of communication and the founding chair of the former communication department at Manhattan University. He is a past president of the Media Ecology Association, the New York State Communication Association and the New Jersey Communication Association (twice). Presently, Thom is editor of the journal ETC: A Review of General Semantics, now in its 81st year of continuous publication. He writes about new media, media education/media literacy, media ecology and music, and has two books due out shortly, including Searching for the Right Notes: Essays about Media, Meaning, and Music (Peter Lang). He took on the role of faculty advisor because of a core tenet in his teaching: that print and text-based journalism are the necessary cornerstone of a functioning democratic society.