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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MANHATTAN UNIVERSITY | SINCE 1924
Volume CXI, Issue 1
Student Athlete Blessing The annual blessing of student athletes took place on
Wednesday in the Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers. @MANHATTANEDU / INSTAGRAM
Manhattan University Faculty Recognized by Kakos Excellence Awards Leyla J. Mercado A&E Editor
The Kakos School of Arts and Sciences held their annual award ceremony on Jan. 15, where select faculty were recognized for their contributions to Manhattan University. Margaret Groarke, Ph.D., was announced as the recipient of the Excellence in Service Award, Jennifer Edwards, Ph.D., was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award and Pamela Chasek, Ph.D., was awarded the Excellence in Scholarship Award. The awards are fostered to reflect the work of Manhattan University’s faculty during the 2023-2024 academic year, with a stronger focus on the scholarly contributions within one’s discipline. Dean of the Kakos
School of Arts and Sciences Marcy Peteroy-Kelly, Ph.D., elaborated on what exactly the election process for these awards looks like, after establishing them three years ago. “I solicit nominations from the department chairs, and they send them to me and my associate dean, Michele Saracino,” Kelly said. “We go through the nominations, read up on the different faculty members and select the one that had the most esteemed level of scholarly production during the year.” Kelly went on to discuss the importance of the award to the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences. “I think it’s important to acknowledge faculty excellence. In the end, any level of excellence from a faculty member trickles down and impacts the students,” Kelly said. “They can bring
IN NEWS: IN FEATURES: MU Recognized for Jaspers L.O.V.E. Trip to Florida Student Voting pg. 4
FREE
NEW YORK, JANUARY 21, 2025
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that information, or those experiences back to the classroom.” Edwards, who was recognized for her creativity when it comes to teaching, has been known to foster a sense of engagement and community when it comes to students’ learning. Edwards told The Quadrangle what stood out to her after receiving this award. “It’s the acknowledgement of peers from the dean’s office,” Edwards said. “It’s really exciting that people are recognizing the work from the classroom, although they’re not in it everyday with me. [They] are seeing the thought, dedication and daily work. There are so many great teachers and there are so many inspiring people. For my colleagues to look at what I do and say that it’s worthy __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
John Bennett, Associate VP for Student Life, Departs Manhattan University Grace Cardinal Editor-in-Chief
John Bennett, the associate vice president of student life at Manhattan University, left his position after 15 years on Jan. 8. Bennett announced his departure to the MU community via the Student Engagement Instagram page. In the Instagram post, Bennett wrote, “Thank you for some amazing years and memories back at Manhattan. It’s been an honor to work with all our students, from alumni to current Jaspers. Good luck this spring semester you’ll do great.” Bennett assisted in the planning of many campus events, including Open House, Spring Fest, Manhattan Madness and many more. Through planning these events, Bennett worked closely with student organizations, particularly student government. Student body president and senior Jazi Riley was one of the many individuals who worked closely with Bennett during his time at MU. “John’s number one quality that was recognizable from miles away is how he centered students,” Riley said. “He had a way of explaining stuff and not underscoring an issue at all, not saying ‘this isn’t a problem’, but transforming a problem into ‘there’s no worry about it.’ All the decisions he’s making, and the ones he’s supporting are always student centered.”
IN A&E: WRCM Looks for New Hosts pg. 8
The announcement of Bennett’s departure came as a surprise even to those who had close working relationships with him. “It was a surprise to me, especially because we weren’t back at school,” Riley said. “I found out a day before his last day, so it was very shocking.” While there is currently no information on when a search party may commence for a replacement, students who have previously worked with Bennett hope that some specific qualities are sought out in a new candidate. Audrey Daniels, vice president of academic affairs on student government, hopes to find a candidate with as much care for the campus community as Bennett had. “Definitely someone who cares as much as John did,” Daniels said. “He cared so much about this campus and the experience that students were having. So definitely someone who is dedicated to that, but is also okay with realizing that there are a lot of things that are the way that they are and have been for a long time. And change is good, and change is fine, but coming in with lots of great ideas is awesome when it’s done in a way that is collaborative with the student body and with his or her new coworkers.” While generally not commenting on personnel matters, the Office of the President sent an email to The Quadrangle stating, “We were __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
IN SPORTS: WBB Over Winter Break pg. 9