A Cure for PGSD By Amy Scofield

**published in the Manhattan College Quadrangle

If you are a senior with no clue what to do about life after Manhattan College, the first annual Volunteer Expo on October 20^th may be an excellent cure for your Post Graduate Stress Disorder.

The expo, held in Smith auditorium from 3-6 p.m., is hosted by Campus Ministry and Social Action, who hope to help students make connections in the volunteer world and to also make them aware of a book called Response2010. This book is available in Cornerstone and lists many different volunteer organizations that will also be present at the fair, including Lasallian Volunteers and the Alliance for Catholic Education, among many others.

“It’s a little more casual than the career fair,” said Sandra Sanchez, who helped to coordinate the event. “But still, don’t show up in your pajamas.”

The expo also differs from the career fair because while students are encouraged to bring their resumes, it is not necessary because the organizations will have applications available. It is open to all students of any major, year or interest. “It’s all about using your skills and what you know,” said Sanchez.

Those who find themselves giving volunteering after graduation a second thought may be surprised to find that it’s a lot like a regular job. Generally, the two have similar schedules and volunteers will often receive room and board as well as a stipend and often benefits as well.

MC grad of 2009 Mary Morgan volunteers for the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers. She deferred a job at Pricewaterhouse Coopers for a year and couldn’t be happier. “I have learned more about myself, my beliefs and my place in this world. I have also learned about sociology, economics, global issues, management, psychology and more, which I feel will help me in future jobs…living off a stipend has taught me how to really prioritize my spending and how to live a simpler life. My clients have taught me patience, true gratitude and humility,” Morgan wrote in a letter to CMSA.

“Going to something like this [last year] would have helped me a lot with my decision. Once I talked to the directors of my program, even though it was only on the phone, I knew even more that it was a place where I wanted to volunteer,” Morgan wrote.

Sanchez takes a similar viewpoint of the expo. “We want people to know that the book [Response2010] exists, but we want to go from the book to the people.” 

Senior Dan Johnson is one person planning to attend. “I think it’s a great idea to have this event on campus because it gives students the opportunity to see various options they have after they graduate,” he said. “Plus with the economy the way it is, volunteering for a year or two can also be a good fiscal decision.”

Students Fed Meal Plan Information by Amy Scofield

There was light shed on meal plan concerns to a group of about 50 students on Thursday night at the Resident Student Association meeting. 

General manager of Sodexho Bill Sepkowski and business manager George Kuzma addressed the students with a brief explanation of the changes made to the meal plans and opened the floor to questions. Administrators were also present, including Dr. Richard Saterlee (VP for Student Life), Elaine T. White (Director of Student Development), Tom Ryan (VP for Finance) and Gabrielle Occhiogrosso (AC for East Hill and Jasper).

“The new meal plan has been designed to allow for more selection and flexibility,” Sepkowski said. “It has been in the process for a couple of years based on feedback from students, comment cards, and student survey responses.”

The new plan still allows meal swipes in Lockes; however, meal swipes are no longer accepted in Dantes, now open until midnight, and meal swipes are accepted up to $7.50 in Platos, open until 8. 

Furthermore, additional ACD’s have been given for each meal plan, which now roll over from fall to spring semester, and new Jasper Dollars are given for use at six off campus establishments, including favorite Broadway Joes, with more to be added. 

There is still the ultimate 15, 10 and 7 plan and traditional 19, as well as plus 15, 10 and 7 plans. The ultimate plan allows you to swipe more than once in a meal period while the plus plan is more structured. Additionally, there is an OV senior plan, with few swipes and much more ACD’s. All plans have Jasper Dollars and ACD’s.

“Now you get to have a plan that fits your dining habits and you can eat how you like,” Kuzma said. 

Lack of Dantes meal swipes was a primary concern, taken away because Dantes had become more costly than Lockes or Platos, especially once renovated.

“I used to eat in Dantes everyday for lunch and sometimes dinner every week,” Alison Landy, RSA president, said. “Without meal swipes, I don’t have enough ACD’s to do that.”

“We’ve been forced up or down,” Kate McCaffrey, RSA secretary, added. “That’s not really flexibility.”

There were several problems with this change. First, there were technical issues with ACD’s being unavailable or swipes declined.

“As of today [Thursday], all ACD’s should be available and accounts should be credited for purchases made,” Kuzma said. “We have also decided to expedite the portion of self service that will allow students to check their balance.”

Lines in Lockes and Platos were also brought up. Tables in Lockes are scarce and  junior Tim Corini said he waited 40 minutes for something from the grill station in Platos.

“It’s ridiculous that you have to allot an hour just to get food before class,” Corini said.

“We’re aware that Lockes is running out of seats while there are a hundred open in Dantes,” Sepkowski said. “We believe it’s an education issue and will be alleviated once students understand how the plans work.”

Something students may not know about the off campus jasper dollars is that there is a minimum. Broadway Joes, for example, requires a seven-dollar purchase. 

“There should be no minimum,” Sepkowski said. “If students are saying there is, then we will definitely look into it.”

One student questioned bringing meal swipes back to Dantes.

“Look, we’re open to anything,” Sepkowski said. “But we don’t want to make everything more confusing and anything we do has to be a collective decision between Manhattan and Sodexho.”

One smaller issue voiced was the new warning on the pizza station in Lockes, stating that the recipe now may contain peanut oil. Sepkowski said that it was probably a precautionary measure, in case the oil had come into contact with any kind of peanut oil during the cooking process. 

Secondly, the scoopers at the ice cream station, now self serve, are all placed in a bowl when not in use. The bowl water did not appear to be changed regularly. Sepkowski said that was only temporary, due to the regular self cleaning spigot being broken.

Tom Ryan, silent for most of the meeting, chimed in as it was closing. “We have made a few mistakes and we thank the students for their understanding. I would rather be criticized for trying something new to make things better than just collecting complaints.”

The last day for students to change their meal plans is September 17th. If there are any questions about the meal plans, students should email Bill Sepkowski at bill.sepkowski@sodexho.com

Connect to a Job Amy Scofield

**published in the Manhattan College Quadrangle

Social networking has overtaken porn as the #1 online activity. This incredible boost makes it an ideal way to find jobs for recent college graduates, who typically have their pulse on the beat of social networking itself.

A Wall Street Journal article says that 85% of hiring managers Google their applicants before interviewing them. Being on the first page of a Google search, with good content, is critical to making that great first impression. The key to that is fresh content.

Social media is a simple way to generate fresh content. You have to figure our your brand, which could be what you stand for or what your values are. What sets you apart from everyone else? Once you’ve found that. you need to update your job searching documents (resume, cover letter, references, etc.) to reflect that. Consistency is key, be it in font face or document format. When you have your brand and documents ready, you can take your job search to an online social networking platform.

The more obvious platforms include Facebook, Twitter and various blogs. “The idea is to make yourself an online social authority,” said Kyle Younger, a communications professional, who spoke to a group of MC students last Thursday. 

As a social authority, you will be constantly blogging, tweeting or making status updates about something you are passionate about, something that could have something to do with the type of job you want to get. If you want to work for a publisher, critique books that are coming out, for example. This will show that you are genuinely passionate about something and not just trying to get some job, any job you come across. 

One relatively new platform for social networking is called Linkedin. It was launched in May 2003, and is more of a professional networking tool than a social networking one. It is designed to let individuals connect to each other, be it colleagues, coworkers, relatives, etc. It will show you what different connections you have to various companies. You can put up a profile, complete with a summary of yourself (basically equivalent to an “About Me” on Facebook.), a resume and a picture. 

An interesting thing about Linkedin is that it not only allows you to search for jobs, but you can also search for companies. The page that comes up will give you information about the company, all in one place, as opposed to on scattered Pages. Furthermore, the page is typically created by the company itself so it will all be correct, as opposed to Wikipedia, which can be edited at any time by any person. The company info page will come in handy for going on a job interview. 

Knowing small details about the company is important. For example, knowing that the New York Times website is rated as one of the most popular websites online makes you look passionate about the job, again, as opposed to someone who is just walking into an interview blind. “Tell me about yourself,” or “Tell me what you know about our company,” are two very popular job interview questions and the companies page on Linkedin will help avoid not knowing an answer to the latter.

Using Linkedin is not the same as using Facebook. Since it is more a professional networking tool than a social one, they frown upon making connections with people you don’t know. When requesting a connection, you will have the opportunity to select ignore, accept, or I don’t know this person. If five people select “I don’t know this person” for you, you will be banned. 

“Social networking is shrinking the world,” Katie Taflan, who also spoke to the MC students. Taflan is Senior Assistant Director of Marketing at Columbia University Center for Career Education. 

With this shrinking, it is much easier to have a company in your back pocket, but it is also easier for the company to find a picture of you rolling on the floor drunk last Friday. So untag all your questionable pictures on Facebook, and move on to making connections on Linkedin.

Understanding Street Harassment By Amy Scofield

**published in the Manhattan College Quadrangle

Dr. Kimberly Fairchild is one person women can always count on to be on their side. The assistant professor of psychology spoke to a group of about thirteen students and faculty on Wednesday, February 18^th about her research regarding women's reactions to street harassment. 

It was part of a Brown Bag Lunch series in Cornerstone sponsored by the Women in Gender Studies cluster, a minor-like option at Manhattan College. The informal lunch discussion focused on a study that Fairchild put out online to various psychology websites and social networking sites. Most of the responses she got were from women, detailing themselves and their harassment experience, which Fairchild defines as “anything from catcalls and whistles, to leers and stares, to grabs and gropes.” 

Typical harassment experiences were found to occur between 12 pm and 6 pm, while on the street, at a construction site or in a parking lot. “This makes sense and fits the model because it's when people are out in the world and active,” says Fairchild, who received her PhD and the idea for this study at Rutgers. The consequences of such incidents include “increased self objectification, restriction of movement (for example, taking a longer and more complex route to avoid the situation) and fear of rape.”

There were four types of responses reported in the study: a passive response (brushing it off), a joking response (thinking it's benign or flattering), a self-blame response (a woman believing she brought it upon herself) and an active response (standing up and protesting).

Lindsay Farrell, a junior at St. Joseph's University, was harassed walking in the city with family and says, “My aunt was upset because I was so young, but to be honest, I wasn't that offended by it at the time. Sadly, I think our generation just expects to be seen as objects, and I wish we had better views of ourselves.”

The majority of the study participants took the passive route, like Farrell. Still, there are growing active response methods that women may take if they feel disempowered. One method is a website called hollabacknyc.com. This site allows women to blog about their experiences in addition to posting pictures of their harasser. A New Paltz University junior Nikki Wertheim credits the site as “allowing women to take back the street. It's awesome.”

Another route a woman could take is the legal one. “It might be tough to find a lawyer who would take the case on contingency but one thing you could do is stop and file a complaint with a police officer or ask your harasser for his information. You could sue for up to $5,000 in small claims court based on the City Human Rights Act. This act has a section on public accommodations, which include streets or subways,” says Barry S. Gedan, a local attorney. “But just imagine what would happen if women wore buttons that say 'you harass, we sue'...it might make people think twice!”

How To Prepare for Your First Dinner Party by Amy Scofield

A huge milestone in every person’s life is throwing their first dinner party. One of the first things you notice when you get out into the real world is that the parties are a completely different deal than they used to be. Calling people the day of and telling them that you have four kegs and a couple bags of Cheetos will no longer cut it. 

Yet, even if you have been throwing parties for years you could have a failure on your hands. You could be left wailing to yourself, “Where did I go wrong!”

Dina Karavalis, 27, found herself in this exact situation soon after she started teaching. It was around Thanksgiving and she wanted to invite her colleagues over for a night of relaxation and good food after a long week. She invited her co-workers for the Friday night party on Thursday, the day before. This was not her first party, though she could never pinpoint one as the best party she ever threw. She was surprised to find that it was nothing like she’d expected. Too many people came and no one liked the food she made (“Note to self: a first dinner party isn’t the place to try to make your first Turducken,” Dina says), so they were forced to give barely-disguised compliments. 

Dina’s colleagues decided to give her a second chance at another dinner party. This time, she followed a few simple tricks, finding that it ran much more smoothly and people really seemed to enjoy themselves much more. By following the same tricks, you surely can cook up the dinner party of your dreams.

Be organized. Make lists of guests, decorations and food so you don’t lose track.

• “On the day of, I ended up not having any sausage for my main dish. I didn’t realize it until I was halfway done and I needed it, so I had to rush around looking for sausage. Living in the city makes that kind of a pain,” says Dina.
• By making a list of everything you need, you can check each thing as you get it and give yourself a deadline to get it all. If you make different checklists for each area of your party you can even reward yourself for completing a list, which will make you want to complete them at an earlier date. That provides you with more time to prepare your house and your meal!

Send out invitations. Don’t just invite people by word of mouth.

• “When I was planning my first party, I just told people about it. That was a really bad idea because people overheard me and I ended up having a lot more people there than I wanted, because everyone heard me talking about it.”
• Invitations are a good idea because when you just tell people about your party, people tend to not write it down. A paper that they have a solid date on helps them remember it, and more people will be likely to show up! 

Request an RSVP at least a week in advance so you have time to plan how much stuff you will need.

• “Because so many extra people showed up, I didn’t have enough Turducken. I had to cut it up into really, really tiny pieces so that everyone could get some. It was a disaster.”
• By setting a specific RSVP date, you know how many people will be attending. A good trick is to add five to that number, just in case people RSVP late or want to have seconds. 
• This way you will be sure to have enough food for people and you also won’t have to pack your freezer with leftovers! 

Don’t make a super complicated, extremely specific dish to impress people.

• “My parents are Canadian, so I grew up on Turducken and I wanted to make it for my party. Needless to say, deboned chicken stuffed in deboned duck stuff in deboned turkey with breadcrumbs, sausage or stuffing didn’t go over very well.”
• People like what they like and not everyone likes to experiment. It’s best to make basic dishes like ziti or baked chicken and mashed potatoes with a simple vegetable that people are more likely to enjoy. There’s no need to go all out with fancy trappings to show off your culinary skills. Remember: the more people eat, the less you have to store in the fridge!

Make sure your house is clean and you don’t have anything lying around that you don’t want people to see.

• “This is probably the one thing I did right!” Dina says. “I’m a neurotic cleaner, so everything was in its place. I took anything that might even be remotely embarrassing, put it in my room and locked the door!”
• The last thing you want is your boss or colleague seeing your underwear lying around. Cleaning up not only gives the impression that you are neat and professional, it also prevents anybody from finding your not-so-hidden condom stash!

These tips are simple to follow and will surely lead you to a successful party. Now all that’s left to do is make a guest list and start planning!

SWE Can Do It! (A profile on the Society of Women Engineers) by Amy Scofield

The Fishbach Reading Room in the Leo Engineering building of Manhattan College can be daunting at first. The walls are filled with old radio equipment and tables surround the perimeter of the room. Typical of a college setting, there are a few computers that will either not turn on or not let you log in.

            Off this large room is a smaller, more homely room, designated only by a small sign notifying the student population that this houses the Society of Women Engineers, or SWE. Inside, a small group of girls get ready to begin their meeting and vote in new officers.

            Karen Tschinkel, a chemical engineer, can’t decide what she wants to run for. “I’ve only been really active in SWE this semester, even though I've always been in it, but I think I’m going to run for a position. There are a lot open and everyone is really, really easy going.”

            Tschinkel and 15 (representing about three percent of the 18.7 percent of female engineers in the department, according to Dean Tim Ward) other girls sit around the small, comfortable room donated by Conti Construction. One deep red wall holds a mosaic of famous women engineers, photos and bios collected by the girls. 

There are six positions up for grabs and they all sink back into plush beige couches and pillows, listening to each other try to sway the vote. Though each girl running for a position is very different and has different expectations of the group, there is an overwhelming general consensus: keep SWE, still in it's infancy of being an official club, going as strong as possible.

SWE has been an unofficial club at MC since the 1970's. A constitution was drawn up, but fell by the wayside. According to exiting President Annie Caraccio, people would “kind of pick it up when they felt like it, but then would drop it again.”

However, two years ago SWE became an officially recognized club in the eyes of Manhattan College. “It was a lot of paperwork,” says Caraccio, a chemical engineer. “We had to revamp the constitution, make an entirely new budget, basically restructure the entire thing.”

The SWE mission statement says that it is “a not-for-profit educational and service organization that empowers women to succeed and advance in the field of engineering and to be recognized for their life-changing contributions as engineers and leaders…it is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career for women.” 

“It's great for networking,” says Caraccio. “We are still a minority in the field and we do still have to work hard. But we have a lot of fun times.”

Tschinkel agrees. “It's still a male dominated field, but I think I have a better chance at getting a job because women are the minority. I'm not bothered by working with a bunch of guys as long as they take the job seriously, and don't look for the easy way out.” 

She says she found engineering because of her love of math and science, but was introduced to it by a male civil engineer. “I obviously thought that was the only aspect of it, until I saw an advertisement in high school for women chemical engineers at Manhattan.”

As an officially recognized club, SWE has to submit a budget and hold events. “In the fall, I don't think I was taken too seriously when I went up to student activities and told them what we wanted to do for the year and what kind of money we needed,” says Caraccio.

She did everything she could to prove them wrong. Some of the events that took place included a walk for breast cancer, resume writing workshops, a self defense class with tactical officers of the NYPD, a black box egg drop, monthly mediatations to relax, game nights, an ice cream social and Run for the Fallen, which will take place again during the week of April 27^th, due to inclement weather.  

“It was a lot, but we all worked really hard and pulled it off. I think we definitely get more respect off the bat. People want to plan events with us now and that means we're getting the name out. That's important, it's how we're continuing to grow,” says Caraccio, who would like to see the club expand even more. “We want the girls to all sign up for national membership so we get even more recognition

Tschinkel feels the same way. “I'd also like to see more stress relieving activities, those are important. Overall, I just want more people actually involved and not just put it on their resume because they went to one meeting in their lives.”

MC Students Take a More Hands-On Approach to Volunteer Work By Amy Scofield

Danny Crawford has been acting and putting on shows for any audience as long as he could remember. Stage fright was something he never had to deal with, yet the thin sheen of sweat pooling on his palms was something he associated with the feeling. His impending audience had gotten under his skin as anxiety and nerves took over. He mentally reviewed the crisp script in front of him, reading it to the best of his ability despite the tremors caused by his shaking hands.

“Last year’s show, from what I heard at least, was apparently not great,” Crawford says, referring to the yearly skit put on by the New York group of counselors at Camp Reynal. “And we wanted to make it outstanding this year for the kids.”  Of course, the doctors milling around didn’t help make him more confident about this task.

Crawford and the group of Reynal volunteers are part of a growing number of students who are partaking in more nontraditional community service such as working at a camp like Reynal, which caters to those who cannot get the typical camp experience due to chronic illness or disability.

These students are looking for more hands-on volunteer work, to more directly help people, and the evidence of this speaks for itself. Of course, with this extra effort comes an extra reward. Besides just seeing the gratitude on the faces of those they are affecting, the lessons that the students learn change who they are and stay with them for a lifetime. These lessons may have differed from expectations, but that’s what keeps them coming back for more. 

Gone are the days of mere fundraisers and toy drives. These students are not content just having a bake sale and sending the profits off to Galveston for the Hurricane Ike victims. They want to help the families rebuild their lives by helping them rebuild foundations on their houses or help poor families in Tijuana, Mexico build schools.

These trips to Mexico and Texas are orchestrated by the Manhattan College L.O.V.E.—Lasallian Outreach Volunteer Experience—organization, a branch of Campus Ministry and Social Action. Director Jenn Edwards says, “Numbers and interest has certainly increased—we had over 40 students apply for each trip, whereas last year they didn’t even have enough people to go to the Ecuador trip.”

In addition, the students who attend these trips learn so much more than students who just participate in typical volunteer activities. After they have been cleared through an interview process meant to weed out those who might be going for the wrong reasons, they are told what work will be expected of them and what they will be learning while on their trip.

Each group learns something unique to the area while helping to rebuild or work with the camp children. The trip to Mexico for example allows students to learn about Mexican culture as well as immigration and border issues in addition to mixing cement for schools. A trip to a camp in Maine called Camp Sunshine, in which students attended “bereavement week,” teaches students lessons in dealing with grief and loss of a child. Immersion trips, such as those to Ecuador, teach students about “being” by putting them directly in the culture for a week to experience exactly how the Ecuadorians live. 

Expectations of these trips typically differ from what the students actually get out of the process. Matt Rudkin, leader of Camp Sunshine, expected the trip to be “incredibly taxing and emotionally draining.” Yet, he came out “surprisingly uplifted” having witnessed the bonds that were formed between everyone involved. 

“I saw in 14 weeks a group of 11 diverse and unique Manhattan College students come together to unify behind a single vision. We had a strong sense of unity and I think the LOVE program is a great way to bring all kinds of people together,” says Rudkin, who learned the honor in celebrating the life of a lost loved one as well as to “cherish life and keep my priorities in perspective.”

Crawford had similar things to say. “I didn’t expect it to be as fun as it was. I had awful visions of sickly kids with a few years left to live, but the second the kids got off the bus you forgot they had kidney problems. I learned to live each day to the fullest, have no regrets, help others and have fun along the way. I couldn’t swallow a Benadryl pill until I was fifteen years old and my 8 and 9 year old campers had shots and huge pills to take every day.”

Students who go on these trips often find themselves returning. “LOVE gives students a chance to explore their commitment to social justice, enhance reflection on their own faith and spirituality and also to develop quality value-based relationships with not only their peers on the trip with them, but with the communities in which they find themselves doing service…they bring this knowledge back to Manhattan College and incorporate it into the way they live their lives and more often than not, they join us again to learn more,” says Edwards.

Crawford for one knows he will return. “It was the most fun I’ve ever had in my life,” he said. “They taught me so much about my life and their life that I have to return to the camp for years to come to be with them again.” 

“The Man Who Can’t Miss” Missed Out on Childhood Reading by Amy Scofield

The major theme of James Patterson's speech at Manhattan College can be boiled down to two simple words: “Go Jaspers!” It was clear to anyone listening that the world renowned writer was proud of his alma mater. The air was chock full of energy and school spirit, yet as soon as the question and answer session began, it became clear that the real focus was on children and how to get them to love reading. 

Patterson stated, “if you get kids books they'll love and read them a little every day, what a good thing that will be for the country, how much would that transform our country?” Records show that he has sold over 150 million books worldwide, an estimated 16 million of which were in North America, according to Dean of the Arts Mary Ann O’Donnell. This includes any pre-orders of the yet-to-be-released publication of The Dangerous Days of Daniel X, a book designed to attract children. At the end of the evening, he accepted a proposition to participate in a study regarding children and the effect reading has on them in all aspects of their life. Still, none of this mattered once Patterson dropped a huge bomb on the crowd of about 100. 

The 1969 alum spoke to a group of about one hundred in Manhattan College’s Smith Auditorium on September 9^th, at the official launch of the MC Communications Department. He started off by revealing some of his upcoming book, movie and TV projects, but the real piece of news came when Patterson announced to the room—comprised of students, faculty and community members—that he wasn’t a big reader as a child or even into his young adult years

His story goes on to say that he didn’t begin to fully appreciate reading until he worked the night shifts at a mental hospital and read during his hours there, which was when he grew to love it. This is not something you’d expect from the someone the Times called “the man who can’t miss.” His partner-in-crime and fellow MC alum of 1992 on the other hand, Michael Ledwidge, loved reading. He says that he was reading tons of books, even as early as age three or four. 

Patterson’s son wasn’t a big fan of reading, but he was told that reading for at least 30 minutes a day was going to be a rule in the home. Patterson began his research by going to various sources, including librarians or colleagues. He was on a noble quest to find age-appropriate and interesting books that he thought his son would like and once he succeeded in his mission, it didn’t take long before those obligatory thirty minutes of reading began to extend. He proposes that what he did for his son will work for many other children; that all you have to do is “just give them books they’ll love.” 

Readkiddoread.com, the website that Patterson set up through Hachette Book Group USA Inc., assists parents who want to do just that for their children. It compiles a list of “great books, cool books, books they [the children] would absolutely, positively love. I believe we’ve gathered the crème de la crème of such reading right here.” It goes a step beyond merely providing the books by dividing them into age appropriate categories, thus making the site an easy-to-navigate tool for parents, children and teachers. The site also allows the viewer to sign up for newsletters as well as access a separate list of books that Patterson has written that are geared towards kids, especially boys. “I set out to create a book for boys because I find it is always harder to get boys reading,” he said, when asked about his inspiration for The Dangerous Days of Daniel X, which he co-wrote with Ledwidge. 

Ledwidge paired up with Patterson on the suggestion of his advisor back from his days at MC. When asked why he chose Manhattan College, Ledwidge shrugged and said, “I grew up down the block, and my girlfriend was going here. I guess you could say I followed her.” As for Patterson, his attendance at MC was a complete accident when his high school principle didn’t send his transcripts out anywhere else. The dean at the time understood and offered him a deal: “If you do very well here your first semester, I’ll get you into Harvard.” Patterson can laugh about it now though, as he says: “I guess you can say I was kidnapped.”

The Holocaust Resource Center’s Evolving Mission by Amy Scofield, Katie Kerbstat and Dan Taveras

**Published in the Manhattan College Quadrangle.

Martin Spett has no problem remembering and retelling the stories of his childhood. He is small in stature with a soft spoken demeanor reminiscent of your typical grandfather figure. The stories he tells, however, are not those of chasing down an ice cream man or hiding a puppy under his bed. No, his stories carry a more powerful message than most, as he describes the most poignant memory of his childhood as one of a mass murder. He has written a book, which along with his poems and artwork, are known to many students. Yet even to these students, when he speaks in public his words are familiar, but still more truthful and chilling than anyone would expect.

Spett, a Holocaust survivor, spoke to a group of about thirty students and faculty in the Scala Room of Leo Engineering Building at Manhattan College on September 23^rd. He spoke from his book, Reflections of the Soul: Martin Spett’s Holocaust Experiences, and still managed to stun everyone with his words and the ease with which he spoke them.  

His speech was preceded by an introduction by Dr. Jeff Horn, associate professor of history at MC and director of the Manhattan College Holocaust Resource Center, with which Spett works closely. Horn, who was an associate director from 2000 until September of 2007, took over for his predecessor Dr. Frederick Schweitzer as director. He spoke of the HRC, which was created in 1996, in his introduction. 

True to form, a change in directors generally means a change in focus and since Horn has come on as director the HRC has taken a different approach than the original mission statement. He is not satisfied by merely “hosting speeches for the community…I probably focus more on the student body and posterity than actually uniting Jews and Catholics in the community.” However, he still continues to stand by the original statement. “People of all faiths can and do empathize with the victims of genocide and with our common hope for a more just world…I think it is the natural implication of the work we do.”

The original mission statement said that it aimed to educate the students of Manhattan College, along with the surrounding Riverdale community about the Holocaust and other incidents of genocide around the world. It is dedicated to promote Catholic-Jewish dialogue set forth by the Second Vatican Council. It was originally founded by Schweitzer, with fierce support from Martin Spett and other members of the community. 

In terms of its placement on Manhattan College’s “staunchly Catholic campus,” according to an article in the Westchester Jewish Chronicle, Schweitzer said that “Jews don’t need an education in the Holocaust. They’re experts by dint of experience. It’s the gentiles who need the education,” a theme shared by Spett who says, “It is important to promote peace between neighbors, races, religions and nations…using interfaith communications.”

Horn wants to resurrect the “resource” aspect of the HRC, according to a press release in July 2008. Part of the reason Martin Spett believed so deeply in the HRC was because when he went around to schools to talk about his experiences, he found that teachers didn’t quite know how to go about teaching the subject. Horn wants to “help teachers teach about these subjects and preserve the stories and experiences of the survivors for posterity.” 

In the past, much of the focus from the HRC has been on the Holocaust itself. The Center organized trips to the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C., some led by Spett, as well as the Survivors Speakers Bureau, which sets up Holocaust survivors to speak with student audiences at MC and the surrounding area. Recently, however, the events in Darfur, Sudan, which is an example of 21^st century genocide, have gotten more of the attention. In the fall of 2007, the HRC sponsored a speech given by Eric Reeves, author of A Long Day’s Dying: Genocide by Attrition in Darfur. The goal of this among other speeches is to inform youth about genocide and continue to promote activism against it. 

“The Manhattan College Holocaust Resource Center will always advocate for the victims of state-sponsored violence, whether it be termed ‘genocide’ or ‘ethnic cleansing’,” says Horn. The Resource center avidly supports the JustPeace group mission and helped them send three members to a conference in Boston to help them learn how to effectively advocate for the victims of Darfur.

Yet, it is hard to advocate something when you have nothing. The HRC took a brief pause while Dr. Horn, who was not receiving compensation for his work, took a sabbatical and Dr.  Schweitzer had retired. The Center had no one to run it and it closed. During this time, the school decided that it would be beneficial to the community, but most of all the students if it re-opened and continued its existence on campus. Dr. Horn agreed to come back for a four and a half year term, up to 2011. A board of advisors was created to assist him and the school managed to find the resources to offer them some compensation.

The HRC is run by MC faculty and according to Horn, when he steps down in 2011 (and he has said that he will step down), a new director will be hired and he or she must be an expert in some kind of genocide. Until this hire is made, “the center as it is currently organized and run has a limited future,” says Horn. 

Although having such a center is uncommon, similar centers can be found at Seton Hall and Boston College. For a college of our size however, having something like this is a rare gem and according to a Sept. 14^th 2007 press release, Brother Thomas Scanlon said: “The College is expanding its efforts to institutionalize the center to ensure its effective functiong long into the future. We are hopeful that the HRC will be enriched by contributions and support which will permit it to expand and further develop its events and activities.”

Facing all of this upheaval and uncertainty though, the HRC will continue its work this year with more powerful and informative speeches. On October 30^th, Pulitzer Prize winner Samantha Power of Harvard University will present “Can Genocide be Stopped: US Foreign Policy in an Age of Terror” at 7:30 pm in Smith Auditorium. On February 24^th, also in Smith, Ben Kieran of Yale University will discuss “Genocide in World History.” It will continue to sponsor JustPeace events and will conclude the year with a performance by Mirium Brickman of Ronald Senator’s “Holocaust Requiem” on April 15^th in the Chapel. 

All of this is good work in the eyes of Spett, who says that “hope lives when we remember.” His message is simple: just do what you like to live a happy and healthy life because “hate is the enemy.” Horn says that Spett “has stood up to be counted,” and in times like these, who can ask for more.