Student Finds Help in the Form of Close Friends  

From left to right: DJ Schuck, Chelsea Sakdalan, Robert Musantry, Ryan Woodhams, Michael Marciano, Amanda Lauschus

Ryan Woodhams, a senior business administration major in the Stillman School of Business, found out that hard times really do reveal true friends when the scooter he needs for extended times of mobility had a depleted battery that made it virtually unusable a few weeks back. After struggling to find a solution, five of his closest friends (DJ Schuck, Chelsea Sakdalan, Robert Musantry, Michael Marciano, and Amanda Lauschus) all volunteered to help solve the issue. All five friends are also current business students at Seton Hall.

The story starts after Woodhams returned to Seton Hall following 18 months of being at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. With no way to transport his scooter back home in March of 2020, he was able to leave it on campus. He returned at the end of August, 2021, to discover that the battery only held a charge for about 45 minutes.

Woodhams had conversations with multiple people, companies, and repair shops trying to troubleshoot the issue or find a solution, but nothing worked out. Then two of his friends had an idea. They decided to try and remove the battery from the scooter.

"Amanda and Michael had let me borrow their screwdriver, but we were having trouble even getting the thing off in the first place," said Woodhams.

Eventually the rest of his friends joined in, too. "We all were trying to play mechanic a little bit," said Lauschus through a laugh, "It wasn't really working out." Eventually after some further research and a few attempts at fixes, they all were able to solve the issue and find a place that repaired the battery in a short amount of time. "It took the entire group here to make that happen," Woodhams said.

This isn't the first time Woodhams had issues with his scooter, and he is grateful to have such great friends to help out when he needs it.

Lauschus mentioned there were times in freshman and sophomore year when the battery on his scooter had depleted "and we pushed it back to Serra [Hall] to get it plugged in. There have been a few instances in the past where we also had to step in and help him."

Schuck explained that showing up for your friends is a value deeply ingrained in the group. "If it was anyone else that was on the other side, we would have done the same thing. If I was on the other side I know they would have done it for me."

Although they did not know each other before enrolling at Seton Hall, Woodhams and Marciano's friendship dates back several years. "I met Michael when I was 15 years old. We met at a business bootcamp back home where we're from in upstate New York. Three months later he transferred from a public school into the school that I went to. We've been friends ever since," said Woodhams. "I've appreciated he's been by my side this whole time."

When all six arrived on campus their freshman year, they joined Alpha Phi Omega (APO), a co-ed fraternity on campus. Woodhams joined last, right around the time the pandemic started. They all took classes at the Stillman School of Business, but truly credit APO as solidifying their close bonds today.

Marciano explained that their close connection to each other has fueled their friendship. "Rob is my big, DJ is Rob's big, Chelsea is my little, so we've all been a tight knit group for a couple years now." Agreed Sakdalan, "We haven't left each other alone since."

The group often jokes about how they are never really separated, with several even living in the same place, but the closeness is more than just about physical distance.

Added Woodhams, "It's kind of a cliché, but if you think about that both at Seton Hall and in APO, the people are what make them what they are, that's very much what this group has been. It's basically the second family I have away from home."

Categories: Campus Life