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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MANHATTAN UNIVERSITY | SINCE 1924
Volume CXIII, Issue 1
NEW YORK, JANUARY 20, 2026
FREE
MU Officially Transitions to Microsoft Misha Jabal-Abadi Asst. Production Editor
Manhattan University Welcomes Back Students, Faculty and Staff for Spring Semester. @MANHATTANEDU / INSTAGRAM
Fenwicks Pub Officially Closes Mary Haley Senior Writer
Just before the spring semester started on Jan. 7, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Council Member Eric Dinowitz and the Bronx Community Board Eight released a statement regarding the supposed closing of Fenwicks Pub on W 238th St. According to the statement, residents near Fenwicks Pub had been complaining for weeks
IN NEWS: Fenwicks Pub Officically Closes pg. 3
about quality-of-life issues. Among these complaints were experiences of latenight noise, rowdy behavior and after-hours operations. Assemblyman Dinowitz, Council Member Dinowitz and the Bronx Community Board Eight sought to end the complaints, which led to the New York State Liquor Authority and the 50th Precinct withdrawing Fenwicks Pub’s liquor license. The bar continued to serve alcohol. “With the confirmation that the business was operating without a valid liquor license, an investigation
IN FEATURES:
Student Gov Hosts Ice Skating Event pg. 6
was performed by the 50th Precinct and the Vice Enforcement Division,” the statement said. “An operation was conducted by the NYPD, violations were issued, arrests were made, all alcohol on the premises was confiscated, and the storefront was locked.” The bar did not always have these delinquency problems, though. A 2014 article from The Quadrangle reported that Fenwicks Pub was responsive to neighborhood complaints, as explained by Joe Crotty, one of Fenwicks Pub’s former __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
With the arrival of the new year, Manhattan University (MU) has officially made the switch from using Google to Microsoft as its main platform. The transition to Microsoft, which has been long anticipated, was officially announced to occur following the fall 2025 semester. While the transition was initially postponed, many students and faculty began asking why the switch was happening in the middle of an academic year. Most are accustomed to Google, and the change in platforms has introduced unexpected challenges. When this question was brought to Melvin Lasky, chief information officer of Information Technology (IT) Services, he provided some insight on why MU decided to go through with the transition. “The main reason we transitioned to Microsoft is really because of cybersecurity… Microsoft’s platform is better at dealing with a lot of the attacks we’ve been getting,” Lasky said. “You’ve noticed since we’ve transitioned to Microsoft, we have less phishing attacks that have occurred.” The university has faced obstacles in the past regarding its cybersecurity while using Google applications; some students received emails from unfamiliar groups, including potential scam messages. Through Microsoft’s Authenticator app, MU works towards the goal of strengthening the privacy of its students.
IN A&E:
Sanctus Arterm Discusses Semester Goals pg, 6
While security was the main reason for the switch, there was another reason for favoring Microsoft over Google. Some students note that Microsoft is commonly used across a range of industries, and early exposure may ease the transition into professional environments. Gerardo Lopez, a junior studying mechanical engineering, believes this to be true. “Over the summer, I used Outlook, and like all the Microsoft apps you can imagine, I used them,” Lopez said. “So I got really accustomed to it.” Although this experience made Lopez more accustomed to Microsoft as a platform, the start of the spring 2026 semester still brought on feelings of confusion and unease. “I started school without knowing where my classes had changed to,” Lopez said. Since the switch in platforms, some students continue to have a positive outlook on the transition to Microsoft, while others have openly raised concerns. Elizabeth Cortez-Araiza, a sophomore studying chemical engineering and mathematics, shared with The Quadrangle some of the issues she observed during the platform transition. “It [the Microsoft Authenticator application] is very annoying,” Cortez-Araiza said. “It’s kind of difficult, especially in classes when some professors still haven’t posted their material, since they don’t know what they’re doing or how to work Outlook.” Since Google is a free platform, many students have __________________________ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
IN SPORTS: Club Basketball Bests Cornell pg. 10