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By junior William F. Rodebaugh III A wonderful thing about Manor College is that students have so many opportunities to pursue their career interests. A prime example of this is the recent trip Sports Management majors were able to take to Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Professor J.P Lutz was able to coordinate this trip thanks to his connections in the sports industry, allowing students to get a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to work at Citizens Bank Park. “Students got a chance to experience the inner workings of the Philadelphia Phillies and Citizen Bank Park operations,” explained Lutz. “It is a great opportunity for our sport management majors to learn from sport industry professionals outside of the classroom!” A majority of the students who participated were from Lutz’s Introduction to Sports Management Course, allowing them an up-close look at what it would be like to work for a Major League sports team. The guide on this trip was Sal DeAngelis, who serves the Phillies as their Director of Security and has been working for the stadium since 1994.   DeAngelis encouraged students to ask questions as he began the tour. The first stop was the security camera room. The students learned about how crucial security is to the stadium. Employees in that room work twelve-hour shifts, monitoring giant screens that contain live video coverage of every single room in the stadium.  Security is crucial – if anything were to happen to that room or the cameras, they have a separate security room, just for emergencies!  Next the class visited the clubhouse, which is where the Phillies hang out before and after their games. This clubhouse contains their locker room where they hang up their uniforms. Players can get physicals here and train for the games.  They even have a chef that makes them meals when they are hungry! Lastly, something really amazing that happens in the clubhouse is a lightshow that takes place after every home win. What a fun way to celebrate! The class then got to see the batting cages where the players practice their hitting. Taking photos of this section was forbidden. The next stop was the dugout. Here, everyone got a great view of the field. Then, the group was able to see the media room where coaches and players get interviewed. The group was also invited to get their pictures taken from the table.  The next stop was the dugout. The group got a great view of the stadium field and the Megatron. The guide explained that besides games, Citizens Bank Park is great for concerts. Familiar names such as Billy Joel and Elton John have taken the stage there.  Student Luke Carlin had this to say about the experience: “The trip was amazing; it was very inspirational and educational at the same time. We got to see the behind the scenes of the Phillies and how they operated on a daily basis. We also got to see a lot of cool things like the locker room and dugout where the players spend most of their time.” It is always great to hear the excitement that comes from students on trips like these. An important lesson that can be learned from this trip: take advantage of opportunities like this in college. You never know the things you could see, or the connections you could make. It can be a great aid in helping you figure out what direction you would like to take in your career. Many thanks to Professor Lutz and Mr. DeAngelis for making this trip possible.

Manor’s campus community has seen a resurgence of student involvement in faith-based activities over the past year. Students now lead weekly bible studies, a prayer room sees regular usage, and Basilian bread baking continues to be a popular group activity. Assistance came in the form of a grant from the Archdiocesan Educational Fund to expand the Campus Ministry Student Chaplaincy program. This represents the first time the fund has been used in support of a religious organization/evangelization program with a Catholic college, in recognition of this important outreach method. Over the past semester, the Student Chaplaincy program has grown to include seven chaplains. The students, who receive a stipend for their work, are tasked with providing spiritual guidance and advice to students, while encouraging students to uphold the school’s Catholic Basilian faith-based values. Having multiple chaplains allows students to work around their existing class, work, and activity schedules, ensuring that one or two chaplains can always be present at events. Chaplains are encouraged to engage their fellow students and to be comfortable working in an inclusive manner, allowing for positive conversations with students of various faiths and backgrounds. “We’re there as like spiritual counselors,” explains newly installed chaplain Aldrin Reginald. “It’s an ecumenical, inter-faith approach which opens up more awareness of the teachings of Christianity as a whole and Catholicism in particular,” explains Campus Ministry Coordinator Thomas Verni. “It’s an opening of dialogue about Christian and Catholic belief.” The inclusive nature of the program helps start the conversation, while ensuring that students can feel comfortable participating. Privish Sadaqat decided to become a student chaplain as a way to incorporate her faith back into her everyday life. “I work, study, work, study – I don’t find myself that spiritually strong,” she says. “Student chaplaincy gives me the chance to be involved spiritually and abide with God, along with my academics, which is very helpful for me personally.” Aldrin, whose father is a pastor, sees his chaplaincy as a way to connect to the larger community. “I strongly believe that it’s important to offer people knowledge about the faith in case they do want to know more, and want to grow closer to God. I want to be the person that helps them get there if they need the support,” he says. So far, he says the experience has been “very rewarding” and he’s already had the chance to answer questions from fellow students seeking religious guidance. This semester, Campus Ministry has helped facilitate a weekly bible study group that meets in the library. The group is led by the chaplains, allowing for an open and friendly exchange of ideas amongst fellow students. “Sometimes when I’m busy I don’t read the bible, but on Wednesday I have to read the bible to prepare my teaching for other student chaplains – that gives me a chance to be with God more,” explains Privish. “We have many ethnicities of students here. They come from many different denominations but we all pray together the same way, and it’s a very beautiful type of unity.” Both Privish and Aldrin encourage students to give bible study a try, stressing that a religious background isn’t necessary. “They don’t need to be Christian,” says Aldrin. “More than focusing on religion, we’re also trying to focus on emotional and spiritual well being.” Several of the chaplains keep office hours, during which students are invited to stop by for spiritual guidance or discussion. Chaplains extend spiritual friendship to students who may need it, and several chaplains report witnessing in their daily classroom experiences. “Some people are really interested and come to us and question us,” says Privish, adding that the distinctive Campus Ministry polos they wear help encourage students to identify them as spiritual advisors. One of Campus Ministry’s most popular events is Basilian Bread baking. Student chaplains assist with this event, which not only helps students learn basic baking skills, but brings together the campus community in the spirit of learning, working together, and generosity – students are encouraged to bake one loaf to keep, and one to give away. What does the future hold for the Student Chaplains, and the Manor College community? “Our fervent and heartfelt prayer is that we may continue to have access to this funding; it is a highly effective means of supporting our Basilian, faith-based institutional mission in a way which is both inclusive and life-living,” says Verni. “By empowering our student chaplains to be spiritual guides and friends to the Manor community, we are essentially spreading God’s healing presence at the most grass-roots level. We are living the Gospel.”

Manor College’s 6th annual Social Justice Symposium took place on Nov. 7, 2019. The discussion topics were social justice in Philadelphia’s public education environment, and immigration in America. This half-day event honors St. Basil the Great, who was a champion of social justice issues. “In the spirit of Saint Basil, we started the night before with a Continuing Legal Education Course on Non-immigrant Visas with Immigration attorney Emily Cohen,” explained Professor Mary Sims, who helped organize the symposium. “Many students attended that along with some local attorneys and it was a huge success! The Social Justice Symposium the next day complemented that because the main focus was on Immigration, but included other speakers as well who are doing work locally in the name of Social Justice. Social Justice: focus on global, making it local.” Sims introduced the speakers and reiterated the need to be conscious of social justice issues on campus, and in the world. Thomas Verni, who is Manor’s Campus Ministry Coordinator and an instructor of Religious Studies, made opening remarks about the legacy of Saint Basil and how his vision for a more generous world continues to be honored today. Curry Bailey, a Student Disciplinary Hearing Officer for the School District of Philadelphia, then discussed with students the realities of the school-to-prison pipeline and the hurdles in place to dismantling systemic oppression. Bailey’s prior experiences working closely with kids struggling to succeed in the system include foster care-related social work and bullying prevention. Cathryn Miller-Wilson, the Executive Director of HIAS Pennsylvania, led a discussion on immigration and the current realities of immigration reform. Students learned about the history and legacy of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, a non-profit organization in Philadelphia that provides legal and social services to low-income and at-risk immigrants and refugees. All donations of clothing and accessories were taken to the Career Wardrobe, and food and beverages were provided by the Society for Justice, Law + Policy, along with Student Engagement.  

Manor College has contributed $20.4 million and 291 jobs to Pennsylvania in 2018, according to the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP) in a report released this month. Additionally, the study calculated tax revenues, including sales, property, personal, and corporate income taxes for Manor College at $960,000 in the same year. In “The Economic Impact of AICUP Schools: Independent, Nonprofit Colleges and Universities in Pennsylvania,” the Association, which represents more than 90 colleges and universities across the Commonwealth, calculated the contribution its member schools have made state-wise, as well as regionally and individually. The report details the overall monetary economic impact, the numbers of jobs supported and sustained, and the state and local tax revenue that can be attributed to AICUP schools. Additionally, it details the wages and salaries paid, federal research awards, and charitable giving and volunteerism impact that these schools have.  “We are delighted to be such a significant part of the Commonwealth’s and our local economy,” said Dr. Jonathan Peri, President of Manor College. “Our core mission is educating the workforce of today and the leaders of tomorrow.  This kind of investment in our home community evidences our commitment.” Overall, Pennsylvania independent colleges and universities contribute $24 billion to the economy, while sustaining nearly 200,000 jobs. In the press release detailing its findings, Tom Foley, President of AICUP noted, “AICUP schools graduate 75,000+ students a year. They educate more than half of all college students in the state; graduate more than 50% of the minority students seeking a 4-year degree in Pennsylvania; and serve more than 40% of all the students who qualify for PHEAA and Pell need-based grants. These AICUP schools truly serve publicly, though they are largely funded privately.” The study was conducted by Parker Philips, Inc, a nationally recognized consulting firm specializing in economic impact analysis.