New Cut, New Woman

By: Lynette Perez

October 30, 2010 marked the date of a new, friendly ambiance at Shortstop Diner on 242 and Broadway. The 24 hour diner, moreover, the hub of campus has been run by waitress, Tina Lee for over twenty years. Her mundane night job as a waitress/babysitter had her cranky and upset, but a much needed physical change has turned her attitude around.

That night, Shortstop was buzzing-- busier than anyone has ever seen it before. Sophomore Caroline Mann thinks it was due to Tina’s new haircut.

“Her hair was always so severe. it was pulled back, she was uptight and rocking an olga bun. But she cut it all off-- no longer are the days of an uptight atmosphere at shortstop,” said sophomore, Adrienne Hughes about Tina’s new do.

Her hair, originally slicked back into a tight bun atop her head now falls lightly around her face, not nearing her shoulders.

When asking the 5’6” brown eyed belle why she decided to cut all of her hair off, she had me follow her into her office (the doorway of Shortstop), and between puffs of a Marlboro Light 100, Tina said “I needed a change... I had enough of getting headaches.”

Once the tobacco was smoked to the filter, Tina had enough of a break and got back to work. Her gold chains and heart shaped earrings shone in the light and accentuated the rose tattoo on her left breast.

Seated next to me were sophomores and regular Shortstop diners, Anthony Liota and PJ Tranchese. Liota remarked “she seems younger and happier,” while Tranchese said “it’s very nice... very flattering.” 

It seems as though the young freshmen seated in the front of the room had a different opinion, though. When asked about Tina’s new cut and disposition, Maria Toscano said “who’s Tina?” after explaining to the rookie diner, she remarked “oh, she wasn’t too happy [when she took our order].” When asking her if she had noticed the new do, the freshman said “oh, yeah, it looks good.”

After making a fresh pot of coffee with her shoulders back and her head held high, Tina turned back around for another cigarette break.

Regarding the students’ reaction to her haircut, Tina said “They all love it... I think they’re more shocked than anything.” More importantly, though, when asked if she felt like a new woman, Tina remarked “No, I’m still Tina the bitch.”

According to Dr. Zella Moore, assistant professor of psychology at Manhattan College, “getting a haircut can definitely change an emotional state... If it comes out good, you’re going to feel confident, secure and on top of your game. A change in appearance can change your confidence and can impact your life in many different domains.”

This statement seems to ring true for Shortstop’s star employee.

Although Tina’s attempt at keeping a rough exterior is a good one, her pose with one hand on her hip and the other behind her head saying ‘superstar’ while I took her picture had me thinking she’s not still “Tina the bitch.”

“If you don’t get and A+ on it, i’m kickin’ your ass... And you can put that in ‘quote un quote.’"

United Spokes

By: Lynette Perez

The cool wind blew my hair back as I quickly rode past the slow pedestrians afoot on Manhattan College Parkway. At that moment I thought, ‘man it feels good to ride a bike.’

When I arrived at 242 and broadway, I locked my bicycle out front and walked into United Spokes, a new bicycle shop located right off campus. The small space is crawling with bikes of all sizes (some hanging from racks on the ceiling, others perched on their kick stands) anxiously awaiting their first real ride.

On the wall opposite the register sit hundreds of gadgets, accessories and components a bicycle owner would find useful. If you look to the far end of the store, you will usually find the store owner, Ian Jacob working on a bicycle.

On this occasion, though, the young, rugged mountain biker stood in the front of his store talking to two older male customers. After finishing his conversation, he turned and greeted me with a smile, recognizing my face from an earlier visit.

Intrigued by his apparent young age I asked him if he had ever owned a business before. He said that United Spokes is his first bike shop. Upon asking why he opened it, Jacob responded “I grew up in Riverdale. We had a bike shop for 35 years and they got rid of it. It was sad. I always had it in mind [to open a shop]-- especially in this neighborhood. We really need it.”

Why do we need it, you may ask. To begin, most students on campus do not have cars. Cycling is an eco-friendly, quick and efficient means of transport (especially when you’re running late to Leo!). It is healthy for the body and mind, stress relieving and interactive. In a college setting where students and professors are constantly stressed, a bike ride to class or simply on a lunch break could provide tension relief.

United Spokes’ success has proven to Jacob and the community that Riverdale needs a bicycle shop. Since the grand opening on July 1, 2010, Jacob noted that although our country faces a nation-wide recession, there has been a lot of traffic in and out of the store and a lot of activity from the college.

The main reaction he gets when students walk in is “wow, cool, I didn’t realize there was a bike store here...” and although most have just discovered it, many MC cyclists come into the store interested in starting a bike club but are discouraged because they are not aware of how many bikers attend the school.

In addition to students’ apparent interest, Jacobs mentioned a meeting with the head of the physical education department, Dr. Shawn Ladda who has incorporated a bicycle unit into the Physical Education curriculum.

Dr. Deborah Adams, assistant professor of Phys. Ed. will teach the first biking unit MC has ever seen to her class next week.

In this class, students will learn to change tires, size their bikes, change gears properly, ascend and descend hills with proper weight shifting and will learn about foot placement on the pedals (Jacobs is also willing to hold similar clinics).

Dr. Adams, a small, vibrant woman, seemed thrilled at the idea of the biking unit. She said the idea was based on an effort to change the curriculum. “When our students become teachers we want them to stay active and teach their students to be active people.” She also mentioned how bike riding is a social and life-long activity that will never hurt your knees and will benefit personal well-being.

Adams noted that although there is too much traffic on and around broadway, there are good roads behind the school for riding. To stay on the safe side, however, the students will be riding mountain bikes (from United Spokes) on trails in Van Cortlandt Park.

Although the cycling community has grown throughout Riverdale, Adams rightfully said “this is not a biking campus.” It is small, ill-equipped with bike racks, and as she pointed out, the one biking lane located on MC parkway is painted with a cyclist but has not gotten any wider. However, if enough people band together and show an interest in the sport, the campus has the potential to become more biker-friendly and reduce its carbon footprint.

Jacobs enthusiastically said “I’d love to help the school out with anything. Cycling could be a new sport for MC.” There are a lot of races in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and a ton of trails for mountain biking around the area.

Willing and able to hold repair clinics and classes, go on rides and enter students in races, how couldn’t the Manhattan College community seize the healthy, exciting and eco-friendly lifestyle Jacobs and United Spokes is willing to offer?

If you love to ride but have not yet been inside, check out United Spokes and the bikes and clinics they offer!