Fordham Observer — Issue #13

Observer the

NOVEMBER 15, 2012 VOLUME XXXI, ISSUE 13

www.fordhamobserver.com

Students Organize Hurricane Relief

Photo Spotlight

By KATHERINE BINAG Staff Writer

After Hurricane Sandy devastated much of the tri-state area on Monday, Oct. 29, the Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) student body has mobilized in response. Chris Hennessy, FCLC ’15, and Jaime Rodriguez, FCLC ’14, decided to organize a series of relief programs to help those in need during the aftermath of the storm through student volunteering and a donation drive. By Saturday, Nov. 3, Hennessy and Rodriguez’s donation drive evolved into one of Manhattan’s major donation recipients for the Sandy relief effort.

Hennessy and Rodriguez said they coordinated the response due to both personal and humanitarian reasons. After watching a news report covering the devastation of superstorm Sandy in her hometown of Long Branch, N.J., Hennessy said she knew something had to be done.

After teaming up with Rodriguez and contacting Associate Professor Maureen O’Connell, who was interested in taking students into the community to volunteer, they started a donation drive for those in need in Manhattan.

The Friday morning after the storm, small groups of four or five students were mobilized and sent to volunteer throughout the Lower East Side of Manhattan. They created teams based on students’ skills, such as translating Mandarin to English and vice versa. These groups were sent out to their assigned locations with bags filled with goods collected from the donation drive.

As the situation developed Saturday night, the group’s work changed.

“We’ve always been responding to live emergency situations,” Rodriguez said. “Because power was restored in Manhattan that night, we’ve had the great privilege of having students standby, for hours, looking for ways to help. There has never been a shortage of volunteers.”

Then, after donations to an evacuation center on West 49th Street and 9th Avenue were turned away, Hensee SANDY pg. 3

WEIYU LI/THE OBSERVER

New York City accepts graffiti art onto its scenery; on buildings, walls, subways and sidewalks. Above, an artist works on the streets near Union Square to give a little color to the gray streets of New York. For this photo feature, Observer photographers documented the colorful graffiti world that lives inside the city.

Nation Reacts to Coulter Controversy

By IAN MCKENNA Managing Editor

The cancellation of the Nov. 29 visit of conservative commentator Ann Coulter, organized by the Fordham College Republicans, has drawn attention from more than 100 media sources, including the Huffington Post and Glenn Beck’s website TheBlaze.

Responses include criticism of Fordham President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., for his universitywide email rebuke to the College Republicans, his decision to uphold Coulter’s invitation, accusations of cowardice on the part of the College Republicans in their decision to disinvite Coulter, as well as support of McShane and the College Republicans’ decisions.

Salon.com writer Joan Walsh, and mother of a Fordham alumnus, wrote on Nov. 9 that she experienced a “moment of regretting the mega-

dollars [she] spent on Fordham,” when she had heard the news that the College Republicans had invited Coulter to speak. However, Walsh celebrated McShane’s “terrific reply” to the decision of the College Republicans to invite Coulter.

On TheBlaze, a website owned by conservative commentator Glenn Beck, writer Erica Ritz alleged American universities are “leftleaning,” and said that McShane “appeared to take it a step further when he singled out the young Republicans on campus.”

The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS), founded by Patrick Reilly, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’94, with the mission of “strengthen[ing] Catholic identity in Catholic higher education,” questioned “how consistent Fordham’s policy [is] in support of Catholic teaching,” while conceding that the “university’s policy

is on the right track.”

The College Republicans decidedon Nov. 9 to cancel Coulter’s scheduled appearance, a decision announced following the development of campus protests as well as McShane’s rebuke.

The visit of Coulter, who recentely called President Barack Obama a “retard,” was approved for funding by the Student Activity Budget Committee at Rose Hill in September.

Theodore Conrad, FCRH ’14 and president of the College Republicans, said that Coulter was not the number one choice. The group had originally appealed for conservative author and journalist George Will, but was not awarded the necessary funding.

Chloe Foster-Jones, Marriette Dorobis, Dylan Katz, Faith Donnovan, Hanna Tadevich, Amalia Vavala, Lauren DeLucca, Jenny Park, Laura Tretter, Thomas Welch, Blaire Eberhart and Sarah Kneeshaw, all

students of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’15, began organizing their protest against the event late in the evening on Nov. 8.

The group had several issues with Coulter and the university’s approval of the event, including her personal beliefs and agenda, stating that she presents nonfactual information as factual, supports racism, sexism and homophobia.

“Her beliefs are full of bigotry, hatred, discrimination, and I feel that it is a blatant disrespect of our rights as students,” Katz said.

Many of these students also believed that Coulter was a controversial figure especially considering the several instances of racist and homophobic grafitti on both campuses of Fordham within the last year.

“It scares me that this was so see COULTER pg. 2

Inside

LITERARY

FEATURES

SPORTS

ARTS & CULTURE

Exhibit Q

LC Thanksgiving

Basketball

The Language Archive Misconduct in NYPD

Past, present, future.

Tips for cooking a Thanksgiving feast in McMahon.

PAGE 15

PAGE 17

How do you rebound from two tough home losses?

PAGE 19

Behind the latest mainstage production.

PAGE 8

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM COLLEGE AT LINCOLN CENTER

OPINIONS

A response to the heinous acts of New York’s finest.

PAGE 7

2

News

News Editor Mehgan Abdelmassih — abdelmassih.mehgan@gmail.com

November 15, 2012 THE OBSERVER

Mixed Reactions to Coulter Cancellation COULTER FROM PAGE 1

readily accepted and the university would approve an event like this,” Tadevich said of the Coulter event in light of these instances of racism and homophobia.

The group that formed to protest Coulter’s visit published their own Facebook page, set up an email address for student questions and comments and started a Twitter account on Nov. 8. They collected over 2,100 signatures on their petition at Change.org to stop Coulter from making her scheduled appearance at the Rose Hill campus.

Gwenyth Jackaway, associate chair of the communication and media studies program at Lincoln Center, said she was “saddened and disappointed that there are students at Fordham who would want to invite Ms. Coulter to speak here.”

While opposed to Coulter’s political agenda on a personal level, Jackaway said that it should not be the place of the university to dictate who may and may not be allowed to speak on campus.

“The university is meant to be a place for ideas to be discussed, all ideas, even the ideas that offend us the most.

In fact, those are probably the ones that we ought to be discussing them most. It is easy to discuss safe topics.

We all need practice in learning how to

disagree with civility,” Jackaway said.

But her scheduled appearance seemed to provide a challenge for Jackaway.

“That is the true test if you believe

COURTESY OF NICOLAS KHAYATI/ABAC PRESS/ MCT

Ann Coulter, conservative writer.

in free speech, whether you are willing to defend the rights of those you hate to say things you detest,” Jackaway said.

“Maybe they have given us a gift,” Jackaway said of the College Republicans and their decision to invite Coulter. “The outrage that follows is wonderful for our culture because then we have a conversation. We get to have

a discussion about freedom of speech.”

Jackaway’s view was similar to those expressed by McShane in his university-wide message. “To say that I am disappointed with the judgment and maturity of the College Republicans would be a tremendous understatement,” McShane wrote in his email to the Fordham community.

He also said that student groups are encouraged to “invite speakers who represent diverse, and sometimes unpopular, points of view.”

“There are many people who can speak to the conservative point of view with integrity and conviction, but Ms. Coulter is not among them. Her rhetoric is often hateful and needlessly provocative—more heat than light— and her message is aimed squarely at the darker side of our nature,” McShane said in his university-wide email.

McShane, however, highlighted the fact that “student groups are allowed, and encouraged, to invite speakers who represent diverse, and sometimes unpopular, points of view, in keeping with the canons of academic freedom.” As such, the administration decided to not take action against the College Republicans or the event itself, allowing Coulter to appear and speak as scheduled.

“To prohibit Ms. Coulter from speaking at Fordham would be to

Graduate Applications Drop

By RAMONA VENTURANZA Staff Writer

According to the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Survey of Graduate Enrollment in the United States, graduate program applications have declined by 0.8 percent throughout colleges and universities in the nation since 2011. As Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) ’13 prepares to graduate, will the state of the economy, student debt and careers affect the declining attendance in graduate schools when, according to the Council of Graduate School and Educational Centers, 2.6 millions jobs will require an advanced degree by 2020?

Inside Fordham’s article, “Provost Issues Graduate Education Report 2011-2012,” projects that a few of Fordham’s graduate schools exhibit a decline in enrollment: the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences declined 1.5 percent from fall 2009, the Graduate School of Business Administration declined 8.4 percent from the fall of 2009 and the Graduate School of Education declined 23.4 percent from the fall of 2005.

According to Leonard Cassuto, English professor at FCLC and graduate school columnist for the Chronicle of Higher Education, the decline in applicants to graduate school is inversely related to the state of the economy. “Some people use school as a strategy to dealing with a bad economy.

Our economy is getting better; under Obama, the number of available jobs is increasing.

There is a general rule [regarding enrollment to graduate schools]: the better the economy, the less applicants apply to graduate school,” he said.

In The New York Times article, “Enrollment Drops Again in Graduate Programs,” students may be dissuaded from higher education due to the increasing debt from their undergraduate years. From U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges ranking, Fordham’s graduate schools vary in costs, ranging from $714 to $1,271 per

credit, and Fordham’s law school costs $48,900.

The perception of a profession and a degree’s current worth additionally affects the declining rates of applicants applying to graduate school. In the field of education, James Hennessy, dean of the Graduate School of Education, projects that jobs, like teaching, have negative connotations that dissuade students from applying and considering the profession.

“Education is a great field.

The decline [in graduate school applications] is caused by the commonly believed view: the perception that most teachers lack the ability to teach

I can earn a higher salary, prestige, and, most of all, the honor of saving someone’s life,” he said.

When considering advanced leveled degrees, Bernard Stratford, director of Experimental Education at Career Services, suggests that a student must do the research.

“Research comprehensively on graduate schools,” Stratford said. “In our dynamic and changing job market, find out about the school’s career placements. Investigate the school’s requirements, and most of all, look into the value of a specific graduate degree; question how much a graduate education can help in the career you plan on entering.”

Overall, students According to Cassuto, students considering graduate should be aware of education should be aware of the at hand. “Look around what’s being lost and stakes you—know what you are getting what’s being made into. There is commitment, both the [academic] commitment and through graduate a financial commitment. There is also something to account for: school. the high opportunity costs of attending graduate school; what LEONARD CASSUTO, English you could do instead of school, professor at FCLC, columnist for what you could be making the Chronicle of Higher Education instead of school. Overall, students should be aware of what’s being lost and what’s effectively, and that their salaries being made through graduate are much lower compared to that school. What’s the likelihood of a lawyer. In actuality, this is of graduate school helping you not the case at all,” Hennessy reach your goal, and what risks said. are you willing to take?”

Despite this 0.8 percent Career Counselor of the decrease nationwide, 19 percent Graduate School of Education of recent graduates at Fordham Abigail Woods Ferreira, and attend graduate school, Assistant Director and Employer according to the Fordham Relation’s Coordinator Tamara Career Placement Report of Nisanov, encourage students to 2009. As surveyed by U.S. News explore their goals, resources, and World Report, a similar 25.5 and commitment to entering percent of recent graduates go graduate school and the career onto graduate school nationwide world. during 2011.

“If you are hesitant, it is In the CBS News article, completely fine not to jump into “Graduate School: Should graduate school immediately,” You Get Another Degree,” the Ferreira said. “Things constantly chances of landing a higher- change, and keep your options paying job is greater when open. Make the decision best getting an advanced degree. for you. Graduate school is According to Andrew Lew, FCLC an investment on your future ’13, the prospective of graduate career—it should correspond school in the field of medicine is to your passion; it prepared me promising. with the skills I use at my job “By attending medical school, everyday,” Nisanov said.

“

”

do greater violence to the academy, and to the Jesuit tradition of fearless and robust engagement. Preventing Ms. Coulter from speaking would counter one wrong with another,” McShane also included in his email, saying that this instance has created an opportunity for us, as a university, to test our own character.

Early in the evening on Nov. 9, Conrad and his executive board released an email to members of the College Republicans stating that they would not continue with the event as scheduled.

Conrad said that the decision was arrived at in the early hours of Nov. 9, well before McShane sent his email.

“We regret that we failed to thoroughly research her before announcing, that is our error and we do not excuse ourselves for it,” the email read.

“The things that she said are not things our club stands for or anything at Fordham stands for and I feel we would be doing a lot of people a disservice in bringing a speaker like that to Fordham. The bad outweighs the good in this,” Conrad said.

“We were not aware of comments that had been previously made,” Conrad said when the decision to book Coulter as a speaker was made in September.

Conrad and his group took issue with McShane’s criticism of them.

“That wasn’t really appropriate from our university president. I love the president of my school, but I think that if he had reached out to us before writing that email, he would have known [our situation]. I already met with Dean [Christopher] Rodgers and let him know what was going on. I think the president should have reached out to us,” Conrad said in regards to McShane’s open letter to the university.

However, he also said “we hope the university community will forgive the College Republicans for our error, and continue to allow us to serve as its main voice of the sensible, compassionate and conservative political movement that we strive to be. We fell short of that standard this time, and we offer our sincere apologies.”

After the official cancellation of the Coulter event, McShane responded with another university-wide email praising the College Republicans for their decision.

“There can be no finer testament to the value of a Fordham education and the caliber of our students,” McShane wrote. “We can all be proud of Fordham today, and I am proud to serve you.”

New Courses for Spring

By MEHGAN ABDELMASSIH News Editor

Academic departments at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) are offering new courses for the spring 2013 semester. The six departments that participated in a university survey reported that 16 new courses will be offered to students. These departments are communication and media studies, economics, English, history, Latin American and Latino studies, and theology.

The communication and media studies department is offering two new courses as well: “Writing About Theatre” (COMM-4705) and “The Director’s Vision” (COMM-3555). According to the flyer distributed by the communication and media studies department, the prerequisites necessary in order to sign up for “The Director’s Vision” include hav-

bring their areas of expertise. We were looking for somebody to teach drama, we were looking for somebody to teach African American literature. We needed a medievalist,” Hoffman said. “Once we hired them we gave them the challenge of coming up with elective courses in the major. And we are really thrilled with the courses they devised.”

The history department is offering five new electives for the spring semester. The five courses are “Medieval Feud: Ordeal and Law” (HIST-3014), “The Stuarts” (HIST-3418), “The American Indians” (HIST-3931), “Genocide” (HIST4010) and “Antisemitism” (HIST-4308).

New faculty members to FCLC will also be instructing some of the history electives as well. “[Professor] Rebecca Slitt is a new instructor and she’s teaching Medieval Feud because that’s her specialty. [Associate Professor] Steven Stoll

For those with room in their schedules, new courses being offered next semester include “Writing About Theater,” “Introductory Econometrics” and “The Puebla Study Tour.” ing completed the “Intro to Film” course or approval from an instructor.

The economics department is offering two courses. “Introductory Econometrics” will be instructed by Assistant Professor Jerome Lahaye, and Corporate Finance will be instructed by Assistant Professor Sean Collins. Lahaye said that his course in econometrics will provide students with tools that will assist them in their own research and work. “It will allow them to acquire tools for their own research and form their own empirical questions. It will also allow them to better understand and criticize empirical work that is performed within economic science,” Lahaye said.

The English department is offering three new courses, each taught by a faculty member that is also new to FCLC. The three courses are “Medieval Mystics” (ENGL 3136), “Theater and the AvantGarde” (ENGL-3529) and “Literary Adaptations” (ENGL-3627).

Anne Hoffman, associate chair to the English department, said that the three new faculty members are teaching the new courses in their area of expertise.

“These three really fine faculty members [Assistant Professor Andrew Albin, Assistant Professor Shonni Enelow and Assistant Professor Dennis Tyler] and they

is a new faculty member that specializes in environmental history and American Indians. He was hired to teach Native American history because we didn’t offer that at Fordham before,” Professor Doron Ben-Atar said.

Being offered by the department of Latin American and Latino Studies department is a mini-course that will take place over the 2013 Spring Break. “The Puebla Study Tour” (LALS-3401) is a one-credit one-week course that will be held on March 10 until March 16.

The course is offered in conjunction with Universidad Iberoamericana of Puebla, a Jesuit university. Students taking the course will go on site visits to pre-Hispanic pyramids and baroque churches. There will also be servicelearning projects that focus on migration of people from Puebla to New York.

The application deadline is Nov. 27 and the course fee is $1, 450.

The Theology department will also be offering three courses. These courses are “Theologies of Sexuality and Gender” (THEO-3857), “Human Nature After Darwin” (THEO-4848) and “Wartime Religion in U.S. History” (THEO-3993).

The last day for add/drop and late registration is Jan. 22, 2013.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER November 15, 2012

News

3

Relief Efforts Strive to Build Community SANDY FROM PAGE 1

nessy made a call that rerouted all goods being sent to the evacuation center to FCLC. “We essentially became a donation hub for the Upper West Side and the Hell’s Kitchen area. By the end of the weekend, we were inundated with donations,” Hennessy said.

“We were getting everything from coats, shoes, jackets, sweaters, toiletries, books, toys—you name it.”

Room 109 in McMahon Hall became a command center for Hennessy and Rodriguez’s effort. “We dug for the greatest, most immediate need and we mobilized students to go out and meet the need,” Hennessy said. “It was about people—not institutions like Fordham or shelters. It was about people looking for opportunities and pitching in to help; this is what kept us going.”

Soon, people from places like Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Connecticut were calling Hennessy and Rodriguez asking for ways to help and what to donate. An injured military officer came down from Massachusetts with his family and a car loaded with supplies. Mike Zervos, FCLC ’14, a commuter from Brooklyn, woke up at 5 a.m. to line up for gas, didn’t get any, but didn’t give up.

He said he got his grandma’s station wagon and dropped off goods, after which he asked what else he could do.

“He was a rock star,” both Hennessy and Rodriguez agreed.

The two also came across technology that allowed them to expand their effort, such as social media and other websites that made bringing relief easier and more efficient. The Facebook group, “FCLC Hurricane Sandy Response,” currently has 660 members and is constantly being updated, along with their Twitter page, with material needs for specific areas of New York.

“Social media really helped us gain a strong support basis and a reliable network of volunteers who are always ready,” Rodriguez said. “We get

COURTESY OF MADDIE CAMPISANO

Jaime Rodriguez, FCLC ’14 featured at the top left and Chris Hennessy, FCLC ’15 at the top right. Below are donations for those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

a response we need every time—they haven’t failed us yet!”

FCLC’s Hurricane Sandy response effort has also reached out to members of the student body affected by the storm, one of them being Mike Macalintal, FCLC ’15, who lives in Moonachie, NJ. “We’ve been in constant contact with Mike, who expressed his community’s need for school supplies and other necessities to bring the community back on its feet. However, we haven’t been able to get anything out to him yet due to transportation issues,” Hennessy said. “Our priority as FCLC students is to help out our own and build services that help our entire community. Whoever reaches out to us, we got them. There is people right

here at Fordham that care for them.”

Both Hennessy and Rodriguez work at the Dorothy Day Center For Service and Justice (DDCSJ) as social justice leaders but did not consult DDCSJ prior to beginning their relief effort. “During the week of the storm, DDCSJ was closed, and we weren’t going to wait for permission or resources,” Rodriguez said.

Hennessy mentioned that Kathy Crawford, associate coordinator of Community Service and ServiceLearning at FCLC, was providing support via cellphone from the beginning.

“The moment Fordham reopened on Monday, we filled the DDCSJ office with everything that happened, and now they are a tremendous help.

We are currently in the transitioning

phase of bringing the relief effort operations into the hands of DDCSJ so that it becomes a long-standing project.”

Rodriguez said that both he and Hennessy learned a lot of community organizing skills from the Dorothy Day Center as social justice leaders, empowering them to lead students to help the people of New York devastated by the storm. Rodriguez believes that the work they’ve been doing has unexpectedly spread the messages of solidarity and selflessness, the foundational beliefs of DDCSJ. “These messages have been translated to this volunteer effort. A team of students who went to the Rockaways were really moved by what they saw; they really got it,” Rodriguez said. “It’s

also amazing that we were receiving messages from commuters stuck at home during the storm who wanted to help as soon as they got back to school.”

“We had a lot of fun. People shared their stories in the command center.

We always had music playing. While this was a very serious crisis, we felt the need to keep people motivated and keep the momentum,” Hennessy said.

“We had sorting and packing parties.

We had a ‘phone bank,’ which was an area in which several people called our representatives to respond immediately to this disaster.”

There are still opportunities to help out the Sandy relief effort. “We want students to continue volunteering when they’re available. We need space to store donations and donations are still needed,” Rodriguez said. “Cash donations are very much needed at this moment compared to before!”

Nina Guidice, FCLC ’14, and assistant blog editor for The Observer, began a donation drive in her hometown of Suffern, N.Y. in Rockland County.

“My donation drive was pretty successful because I asked people directly and individually. Usually people will donate something if you ask them to, even if it’s just one thing,” Guidice said. “Even an old hoodie is useful and easy to donate. I’ve gotten clothes, bags of toiletries, blankets, food, baby diapers, batteries, that kind of thing.”

The goods she collected are going to a variety of distribution centers in N.J., Brooklyn, Long Island and Staten Island. “I wanted to make sure what I got went to places with the most need,” Guidice said.

Hennessy talked about the benefits of working in a small group. “People forget that we can solve each other’s problems. We don’t need a go-ahead from a higher up. It’s a beautiful position to be in to have the resources and therefore be able to say that we can help each other, and we don’t need much else,” Hennessy said. “As long as the crisis is there, we will be.”

FCLC EXPANSION

Study Group Formed to Explore Pathways Program

By HARRY HUGGINS Editor-in-Chief

Although no decisions have been made at this time, a new academic program combining courses from both the undergraduate and graduate schools at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) is being considered as part of the expansion of FCLC in 2014.

According to Stephen Freedman, provost of Fordham, the combined undergraduate-graduate program is being considered along with the possibility of expanding the Gabelli School of Business (GSB) to Lincoln Center.

The academic decisions related to the expansion are also holding up the finalization of physical space allocation. What has been decided, among other things, is that Quinn Library will move to occupy the old law library and the new law building will include a dining area for undergraduate students.

Pathways Program The program proposed by the Lincoln Center Planning Committee (also known as the Lincoln Center task force) is being called both the “pathways” program and the “signature” program. Despite being voted down in the final meeting of the task force before being presented to the Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., Fordham’s president, Freedman created a study group composed of many of the original faculty members on the task force to make a detailed set of recommendations for the administration to review.

Frank Boyle, associate professor of English, chair of the Lincoln Center honors program and member of the task force, said that the program

had unanimous support from the faculty members of the task force. However, the vote was taken while he was away for a meeting in Ireland and Eve Keller, another professor on the task force, was running late from class.

Freedman explained that although the vote was taken without two of the committee’s members present, the committee itself did not have decisionmaking powers, and the idea of the pathways program will continue to be explored by the new study group.

According to Boyle, the signature program would draw on the fact that FCLC shares a campus with Fordham’s graduate schools to draw pathways between graduate and undergraduate education relating to problems like global poverty.

“The program would allow you to say, ‘I’ve developed this graduate-undergraduate expertise in this topic,’” Boyle said. “It would get students into advanced study as an undergrad.”

Boyle said he wants the Graduate Schools of Business Administration, Social Service, Education and the School of Law to all be represented in the pathways program in some way.

Freedman expressed his enthusiasm toward the possibility of a pathways program, saying that he found exciting the idea of the expanded career opportunities brought about by interdisciplinary program.

“Our Fordham curriculum is a curriculum that we’re really really proud of and is important,” Freedman said. “We have majors that we take very seriously and we need to understand how we can preserve those key components of our educational experience while layering on elements of the pathway program.”

That potential is the reason Freed-

man cited for creating the study group to continue developing the pathways program.

“I think it is important for faculty who are passionate about this program to be given the support and resources to examine in detail what other institutions have done and what it would take to develop such a curriculum at Fordham,” Freedman said.

The pathway program still has to compete with the program proposed last year and reported in the March 29, 2012 issue of The Observer. According to Freedman, the decision of whether or not GSB will expand to the Lincoln Center campus has yet to be finalized, but will be made sometime next semester.

Going forward, Freedman said that he has asked the Rev. Robert R. Grimes, dean of FCLC, and Donna Rapaccioli, dean of GSB, to work together on developing programs taught by faculty from both schools, including liberal arts courses with business elements or GSB programs that may be incorporated into FCLC in the future.

“If we are to have a Gabelli presence,” Freedman said, “ideally we would want to have a faculty at FCLC engaged with very productive conversations with our business faculty.”

Freedman said he understands the reasons for potentially expanding GSB to the Lincoln Center campus. “If you look at it with a broad base,” Freedman said, “just in New York City, there are job opportunities for careers that we teach in the undergraduate school of business.”

“Our Gabelli School is very unique in terms of undergraduate education,” Freedman said. “It is infused with a very strong liberal arts curriculum,

and that is what makes it attractive to students and their families.”

Although Freedman said the deans and committees have until next semester to make any final academic decisions, time is starting to become an issue.

“We need to begin to recruit students for this program as soon as possible,” Freedman said.

“The process is a very carefully crafted one that goes into effect whenever we put new programs in place,” Freedman said. “We are being very careful as to insuring the faculty own the curriculum and the programs and have the time that is necessary to put forward their proposals.”

Space Issues and Hurricane Sandy The unresolved academic issues have forced physical space decisions to remain open, such as what use will be made of the space in the old law building once the school of law moves into its new building or what will take the place of Quinn Library once that moves into the space currently occupied by the law library.

Freedman said it is important for academic decisions to be made before finalizing space allocation.

“We have to decide what programs are going to be in certain buildings and what sizes those programs might look like and what faculty will be required,” Freedman said. “I think we’re at a point now where we can make careful decisions about academic programs, and at the same time, begin to make decisions about space in the context of the curriculum and programmatic planning.”

According to Brian Byrne, vice president of Lincoln Center, a few

things have been decided in terms of space. Byrne said there will be food services on the first floor of the new law building for undergraduate students, including a “very large” kitchen, undergraduate dining space and a public café.

Quinn Library will be moving out of its space below the Lowenstein Plaza and into the old law library space, but the exact plans for the new space have yet to be released, according to Byrne.

Byrne said that some space in the old law school may be used for undergraduate student activities and student services.

“We don’t have a real space for student activities and student services in Lincoln Center,” Byrne said, “so that definitely needs to get done.” There will be no undergraduate student activities space in the new law building though, according to Byrne.

Although exterior construction on the new law building was halted during Hurricane Sandy, workers were able to continue construction on the interior, keeping the building on schedule to finish in 2014.

According to Byrne, Fordham is able to keep to the construction schedule by using a recovery schedule that includes Saturday work and overtime.

Fordham has also applied for a waiver to New York City’s embargo on exterior construction from the week before Thanksgiving to the week after Christmas.

Despite the overtime and weekend pay made necessary by the quickened schedule, Byrne said the project is not expected to go over its budget, as the budget originally allowed for unforeseen costs.

Opinions

Opinions Editor Monique John —mnqjohn@gmail.com

November 15, 2012

THE OBSERVER

STAFF EDITORIAL

STUDENT RESPONSES SHOWCASE ACTIVISM

O

n, Nov. 6, 2012, one of the most important nights of the last four years, hardly anyone could be found in the Lowenstein building. On a night when one might expect to see scores of politically active college Democrats and Republicans out celebrating their first experience as part of the democratic process and supporting their candidates, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) was quieter than the night before finals.

The Observer was surprised to see this lack of activity on such a significant night at school with such an activist presence.

We know from watching the election coverage with friends that many students were indeed very excited about Obama’s re-election, but so far as university—or club-organized events, at first it seemed that FCLC was disinterested.

But then we learned about the Hurricane Sandy relief efforts being spearheaded by FCLC students, as reported in Kathrene Binag’s story “Students Organize Hurricane Relief ” on page one.

The dedication and initiative exhibited

by Jaime Rodriguez and Chris Hennessy in organizing not only food and clothing drives, but also an entire series of

Hurricane recovery efforts and protests to Ann Coulter event underline the true passions of our student body. ongoing volunteer efforts made FCLC the center of relief efforts on the West Side.

The inspirational story of students rallying to answer Rodriguez and Hennessy’s calls to help the extended community rebound from a natural disaster illustrates the culture of positive activism this school can breed in its students.

When the Fordham community sees a problem as big as powerless New Yorkers with wrecked homes and lives, students do not hesitate to get involved to alleviate suffering.

FCLC students also recently exhibited their passion for defending their vision

Online Round-Up

of the university’s mission in their reaction to the College Republicans’ speaking invitation to purposefully-offensive conservative writer Ann Coulter. That the “Stop Ann Coulter from speaking at Fordham” Facebook event still has more than 800 members and Ian McKenna’s online coverage of the events, continued in his article “Nation Reacts to Coulter Controversy” on page one, received more than 50 comments in three days shows just how passionately the Fordham community cares about the issues of free speech and protecting its members from perceived hate speech.

The Observer would like to see this kind of involvement in the university community continue year-round, not just in times of emergency or political excitement. If you look around and pay attention, there are plenty of causes worthy of students’ passion that have clubs or organizations created to help students focus their enthusiasm. So take that rage ignited by Coulter or that desire to help spurned by Hurricane Sandy and harness it to help make FCLC a more perfect community.

Blog Round-Up MINI-SERIES

CAMOUFLAGED: Part I, Sean Cintron In The Observer’s new mini-series “Camouflaged,” we interview veterans who have come back to earn a degree at Fordham, while the rest of us unknowingly walking passed those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan as well one who participated in aerial reconnaissance in South America.

PHOTO SLIDESHOW

When In Rome, Take Lots of Photos Observer photographer and multimedia staffer Ludovica Martella ventured to her hometown of Rome, Italy to visit family and friends for a short time.

She brings back with her breathtaking photographs of some of the city’s most historical spots which are everyday sights for this native Italian. Forza Roma!

Does your vote count?

Unless you’re one of the privileged few swing state voters, it’s unlikely that your vote even mattered. .. Read more @www.

lcradar.com

In defense of Ann Coulter.

Many students sought to condemn Ann Coulter and simultaneously protect her right to free speech. ... Read more @www.

lcradar.com

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The Editorial does not reflect the views held by Fordham University.

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Editor-in-Chief Harry Huggins Managing Editor Ian McKenna News Editor Mehgan Abdlmassih Asst. News Editor Gabriela Méndes-Novoa Opinions Editor Monique John Asst. Opinions Editor Alissa Fajek Arts & Culture Co-Editors Olivia Perdoch Clinton Holloway Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Brian Bruegge Features Editor Jewel Galbraith Asst. Features Editor Rex Sakamoto Literary Editor Salma Elmehdawi Sports Editor Michael McMahon Copy Editor Anna Luciano Asst. Copy Editor Zoë Simpson Layout Co-Editors Amanda Fimbers Tayler Bennett Layout Staff Sara Azoulay Biannca Mackill Brian Bruegge Photo Co-Editors Sara Azoulay Ayer Chan Online Editor Ariella Mastroianni Multimedia Producer Mike Madden Business Manager Amanda Fimbers Blog Editor Nick Milanes Asst. Blog Editor Nina Guidice Faculty Advisor Prof. Elizabeth Stone Faculty Layout Advisor Kim Moy Faculty Photo Advisor Amelia Hennighausen

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TAVY WU/THE OBSERVER

Elusive Fordham celebrities can make students question whether or not they are actually alumni.

Now You See Them, Now You Don’t Fordham Celebrities Should Have a Greater Presence on Campus RACHEL SHMULEVICH Staff Writer

I must have walked past Lincoln Center during Fashion Week a million times, but I never saw any of the celebrities or models who inadvertently cluttered my Facebook newsfeed in the form of pictures with fellow classmates, or more commonly, in all-caps statuses.

Maybe I was just really unlucky.

But to not see any of the stars around our campus? Our one building campus? Either Fordham’s top story on Denzel Washington’s visit to FCLC (and all the Facebook updates that came with it) was just a cleverly constructed ruse or I just have a natural talent for avoiding the rich and famous.

Fordham has a great deal of famous alumni. I’m not disputing that. But to me they seem more

like floating names rather than real people. It would be amazing if some wildly successful alumnus came in and talked to the ‘lesscool’ majors—or better yet—to any students who wanted to listen.

Hearing from those who have been through what we’re going through now (and at the same university no less!) is a priceless experience.

Reading success stories is one thing, but hearing from the people themselves is completely different.

The Stephen Colbert event back in September isn’t exactly the same in that he’s not a Fordham alum and didn’t touch on his education or what he did with it. However, the way in which it was publicized and the fact that whoever wanted to go could get tickets to attend is something we need to implement when it comes to Fordham’s various celebrity friends’ visits.

Washington’s recent stopover in Fordham could easily have

involved more students than just the theatre majors. His initial indecision when first coming to college mirrors many a student’s current feelings and his speech had the potential to affect most—if not all—of the student body.

I understand that the stop was unscheduled — that if it was publicized around campus there would have been a mad rush to go and see the man speak. But all of Fordham’s celebrity friends can—for lack of a better term—be “put to use.” Their college experiences and the life they’ve managed to make out of their Fordham education is something all of us desperately need to hear—especially with the uncertainty of employment looming over us.

People like me—torn between majoring in math, international relations or classics—need some extra guidance. Most of the students I’ve met haven’t been com-

pletely undecided either. In some way, shape or form we know what we want to do—or at least what we don’t. Hearing from notable alumni will not only help us on our way to making that decision, but more importantly, vocalize the opportunities we’ll have once we graduate.

Just like our school has speakers come in and lecture each week, they could use their vast alumni ties to give us students both an idea of how to make the most of our time here, and life after Fordham.

The only way we can truly know what will happen after graduation is to experience it for ourselves— but until then, first hand accounts are the best thing we have. There is nobody better to point us in the direction of success—and away from drowning in student debt until our dying days—than the people who’ve made it.

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Placing the Burden of Street Harassment Harassers Must be Held Responsible for Their Actions Nina Guidice Asst. Blog Editor

You might know it as catcalling, but let’s call it what it really is: street harassment. Or, sexual harassment that occurs on the street.

Any girl over the age of 13 has experienced street harassment in some form and comes to expect these unwanted, unwelcoming and intimidating advances every day.

She’s been made to feel unsafe because a drunk guy and his friends followed her down the street. She’s been called vulgar names. She’s pulled down her skirt when she sees a crowd of guys on a stoop.

For some reason society thinks that the burden of not being harassed falls on the woman. It doesn’t. It falls on the person committing the act of harassment: the one whistling at the woman walking by and copping a feel on the subway. We find ourselves sugarcoating the problem, saying it’s annoying or inconvenient—but it’s more than that. Street harassment of women is not only creepy, but it’s threatening and unfair.

In placing these burdens of street harassment on women, society asserts that there are certain “rules” a woman must learn to avoid unwanted attention. Don’t walk alone, that makes you a target. Don’t wear too short a skirt, that’s just asking for it. Don’t make eye contact—that just encourages them. Certainly don’t confront them; if you ignore them they’ll go away.

None of these rules have anything to do with reality. They’re ridiculous and they’re sad.

I, like so many of my fellow women, am frequently subjected to street harassment. But there was one episode of street harassment that I experienced that continues to haunt me.

Coming home early one evening,

KATHERINE FOTINOS/THE OBSERVER ARCHIVES

Each year women around the world participate in Slut Walk, a protest against street harassment, rape culture and victim blaming.

I sat across from a large, tall man who kept staring at me. There weren’t many other people in our subway car and I was the only female there.

Naturally, I became uncomfortable. I looked back at him, as if to give him the hint that he was disturbing me, but he just kept looking at me with this horrible, terrifying smirk on his face. Then he gestured as if to pleasure himself. I immediately became ter-

rified.

The second the doors open, I jumped out and moved three cars down. I sat in between a family of four and woman sitting alone. But it took only two minutes for the man to follow me into my new subway car, staring me down from down the aisle.

At this point, I was doubly scared. The minute the train stopped, I quickly exited the train and found a police

officer to walk me out of the station.

He obliged, completely unfazed by my request.

I didn’t do anything to invite that experience into my life. I even attempted to remove myself from the situation. And yet it happened, as it happens to other women every day, all the time. None of us ask for it, nor does it matter the way we dress, look or walk. We’re just supposed to

accept that it “just happens.” But it’s all wrong.

Harassers make a choice to harass others. They choose to whistle, to jeer, to follow, to call vulgar names and they know exactly what they’re doing. This shouldn’t be accepted. It shouldn’t be tolerated. And it most definitely shouldn’t be blamed on the woman.

Tuition is Ultimately a Student’s Responsibility Parents Should Not be Forced Into Co-Signing on Student Loans BRITTANY FIELDS Staff Writer

In the next several months, high school seniors all across the United States will get a warm and fuzzy feeling in their young tummies once they receive an acceptance letter from their dream school. They will be in complete bliss, trying their hardest to fight senioritis and enjoy the last few months with people they’ve been friends with since elementary school.

Then comes the tuition bill.

Feelings quickly change. Parents, though they don’t put aside their pride and excitement for their scholar, begin reconsidering.

Students strategize on how to not let their lack of money prevent them from going to a school and experiencing a new life they feel they deserve.

For many, this means resorting to private loan and oftentimes, students don’t take out a loan by themselves. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 90 percent of private lending companies require a cosigner. And to qualify for a loan, the parent or co-signer must have good credit. Co-signing requires that if the students don’t pay, the parents have to.

Is this right? Must parents or grandparents have to co-sign? I

know they want to, and I understand they feel obligated to, but should they? I don’t think so.

College students are adults and should pay for their own tuition if it is absolutely necessary.

This is how I understand the mentality behind all of this: parents, or whoever co-signs, want their child to be happy and have a great educational experience. They trust that their young scholar will work just as hard in college, if not harder, as he or she

DON COKER/ MCT

did in high school. Thereafter, the scholar will move on to get an amazing job that will pay off the private loan. The student, with their determination and puppy dog eyes ensure the co-signer/ loved one that they are ready to put all that they can into their career. Both parties are convinced, and so they sign. End of story.

Maybe.

However, for most, the story does not end there. In this economy, it is harder for gradu-

ates to find jobs that will do more than pay the essential bills such as rent and electricity. Graduates are unable to pay for their loans and the co-signer is faced with having to pay the loan alone, leaving both in a rut.

I don’t think I would have decided on Fordham if I’d been faced with taking out private loans. I was told before I filled out applications to not get too attached to very expensive schools.

My mom made me read The

New York Times’ articles about students who graduate from NYU (the fourth least affordable postsecondary school in the nation according to Newsweek) with massive amounts of debt on their shoulders and low-paying jobs.

My mother and I thoroughly explored the what-ifs. What if I don’t get an amazing job? What if my mom gets laid off?

To save both of us in the long run we concluded that if I want to go to a particular college, I can, so long as I am willing to take on the responsibility of the debt. Choosing which school I go to will be my decision, and so how much debt I choose to incur will also be my own.

I was taught that college is what you make it no matter where you go. When co-signing, you are playing with both you and your loved ones’ financial stability.

Yes, I felt the great feeling in my stomach, but I also understood my other, more debt free options, were great, as well. I knew the burden it would bear on my mom. I had to knock the butterf lies and think clearly, which is hard to do.

So long as there is a complete understanding of the risks and students can think beyond : “I need this at all costs” and parents “I want to give my student all she deserves,” co-signing should not be mandatory.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER November 15, 2012

Opinions

7

Police Misconduct Needs More Attention MONIQUE JOHN Opinions Editor

Hands on the steering wheel at 3:30 in the morning, I sleepily peer out through my windshield at the white lane markings on the Bronx Expressway. My (now ex) boyfriend is riding shotgun, passed out after an evening of empanadas at Havana Central and reruns of “Black Dynamite.” I envy him, desperately wanting to go to sleep myself, but someone’s got to drive him back home and I’m the only one with a driver’s license.

This was the routine for our weekly dates, all summer long. You’re probably wondering why Sharpie didn’t just take a taxi or a train to spare me. For one, taxis are terribly expensive—especially if you’re traveling from Westchester all the way into the Bronx. Plus, the waiting time for a train at that hour of the morning would have been brutal. But the reason was a lot more serious than that: I wouldn’t let Sharpie take a train home at night because I feared for his safety. Ironically, he wasn’t in danger from the hoodlum he might run into on his way home from the subway stop. He was in danger of the police.

The very things about Sharpie’s dress and physical appearance that I loved made him a prime criminal suspect in the eyes of NYPD: cocoatoned skin, pouty lips, slightlysagging jeans, the unsure bopping gate of a 22-year-old man. It didn’t matter how spotless his record was or how smart he was, or that he stood by his mother in a church pew every Sunday. He was young, black and male; therefore he fit the profile, giving police an excuse to abuse their

KAREN T. BORCHERS/SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS/MCT

Though once dispatched to protect citizens, stories of police officers and SWAT teams killing innocent victims are making headlines.

authority and harass Sharpie in his own neighborhood almost everyday.

It is this abuse of authority that is feeding into my mistrust of the NYPD. This mistrust is not only based on Sharpie’s run-ins with idle policemen. It’s also rooted in the tragic, continuous stories of police misconduct (and the resulting fatalities) that have made headlines in recent months. It is exhausting to listen to stories of innocent people being molested by the very figures that are supposed to protect them. I urge my fellow citizens and our country’s law enforcement institutions to pay

closer heed to these stories and to enact more severe punishments for police officers’ wrong actions that match the damage they have done.

Sometimes I feel like my late night drives with Sharpie were futile.

It seems as though none of us are even safe within our own homes, much less our streets. Doubly concerning, the problem isn’t limited to New York. On Thursday, Nov. 1, Baltimore policeman Adam Lewellen was charged with planting false information in a search warrant affidavit so that he could enter a suspect’s private residence. On Friday,

Arts & Sciences Faculty Day Nominations for Teaching Awards Fordham College at Lincoln Center is seeking nominations for awards for outstanding undergraduate teaching in the areas of the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences.

Oct. 25, the parents of 16-year-old Andrew Messina told CBS Atlanta that a SWAT team killed their son after the mother called for only one police officer to their home to persuade Andrew from killing himself.

Then there is the story of Ramarley Graham, the 18-year-old that was followed by the police as he walked to his Bronx home (not far from Sharpie), then shot in front of his own grandmother and kid brother inside their bathroom on Thursday, Feb. 2. The police suspected Graham was carrying a gun, only to find he was only armed with a bag of

marijuana.

The elderly aren’t immune to police violence, either. On Sunday, Nov. 19, 2011, 68-year-old veteran Kenneth Chamberlain was tasered, shot and killed by police in his White Plains home after he accidently called Life Alert on his medical alert pendant. To add to the tragedy, officers were ordered not to go into the house by the Life Alert agent that was on the case because Chamberlain’s call was just a mishap.

Left without convictions held against the officers that killed their son, the Messina’s are leading a lawsuit against the Cherokee County Sherriff’s Office. Though charged with manslaughter, the policeman that killed Graham was released on $50,000 bail. The police officer that killed Chamberlain was cleared of all criminal charges.

The statistics are just as horrifying as the stories. According to Term Life Insurance, 5,986 reports of police misconduct were reported from April 2009 to June 2010.

382 deaths were connected to those misconduct reports.

I see the grim faces of Graham and Messina’s mothers, realizing I could have easily have been that woman mourning a man I loved who died at the hands of New York’s Finest. Hearing the stories and reading the statistics, it’s not such a distant, melodramatic thought. We know that anyone can be a victim of police misconduct. But we must ask ourselves: are we going to hold police officers liable for the careless, unnecessary violence they spread in our communities? Or will we continuously sweep it under the rug, pretending our lives are somehow less valuable when in the presence of law enforcement?

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November 15, 2012

THE OBSERVER

To Say or Not to Say?

Discovering the Complexities of Love and Loss on the Mainstage

By ELIZABETH COLE Staff Writer

Students struggle to find the right words every day—while writing papers, during a job or internship interview and when formulating answers to questions in class. The characters in the new mainstage production, “The Language Archive,” struggle with word placement too, but in a more abstract way.

The archive itself, where main character George, played by Chris Stahl, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’13, works, has no issue with words; in fact, it is full of them. It continues to gather words as this man, who has dedicated his entire life to the project, loses sight of his own ability to find the right things to say when his wife leaves him.

Discussing his character George, Stahl said, “It’s kind of ironic that he speaks so many languages and yet he has no idea how to communicate like a normal human being, until it finally just spills out of him all at once.” Indeed, a lot of the play is spent following George’s struggle to say something that he just cannot express. He embarks on an emotional journey that the audience is compelled to take with him.

Stahl said, “He really goes through the seven stages of grief in two hours, and that’s pretty exhausting.” It is for the audience as well, but its George’s endearing nature and naiveté that keeps them involved.

Other characters include Resten and Alta—respectively played by Patrick Dooley, FCLC ’14, and Sarah Spring, FCLC ‘13—two foreigners flown in to record their almost extinct language. These two provide the comic relief throughout the show; through bickering and overdramatic statements.

The actors who play them portray other characters as well. Dooley also plays a suicidal man saved by George’s wife, Zamenhof (an apparent creator of a language), and a passerby. Spring tackles the role of a language instruc-

COURTESY OF CARLA JACKSON/THEATER DEPARTMENT

Left: Chris Stahl, FCLC ’13 stars as George, a man who devotes his life to archiving languages and who is unexpectedly left by his wife. Right: Winter Dunn, FCLC ’14, left, and Maggie King, FCLC ’14, right, perform a scene from “The Language Archive.”

tor, a passerby and the train conductor.

These stories all intertwine to create a complex narrative, carefully and slowly revealing the emotions and outcomes of the characters throughout.

This is intentional—assistant director Riley Teahan, FCLC ’13, said, “Julia Cho’s script specifically calls for the double casting of these roles. I think it is a comment on the coincidental nature of human relationships. These characters seem to say the right thing at the right time.”

Needless to say, communication plays a huge and obvious role in this show, which is evident even in the set design. Teahan said, “We were interested in the many layers of communication, and how they could visually manifest in the play.” The result is effective, for the set is full of interlocking and

overlapping squares and rectangles.

Images of letters, languages, train signs and schedules are projected onto these pieces throughout the play, depending on where the characters are. The music played during the show is comprised mostly of lines from the play recorded by the actors and remixed.

Even the way the two foreigners are dressed follows this style of cutting and mixing. Teahan said, “Alta and Resten’s costumes are made up of pieces from all different cultures.”

Maggie King, FCLC ’14, who plays opposite Stahl as his soon-to-be-estranged wife Mary, said of the show’s director Tamilla Woodard, “She came in with a clear idea about the world of the play, but allowed us to build it as an ensemble.”

This proves to be an important way

to work on a play full of such complex emotions. The actors completely shine throughout the entirety of the play, keeping the audience compelled and connected to them.

In addition to the play’s comments on communication, the characters also come to represent different forms of love. Love is truly everywhere— from George’s assistant Emma, played by Winter Dunn, FCLC ’14, falling in love with George, to Resten and Alta’s love for one another, to George’s unrequited love for Mary and his very strong passion for preserving soon-to-be dead languages.

Stahl said of the script itself, “Cho wrote a script that reminds me of a fable, it’s very dream-like and yet, like any good fable, has something very down to earth about it that resonates

with the audience. And that’s love — the good and the bad.”

As the program thoughtfully stated, “For what is language, if not an act of faith?” The same could be said about love, as the characters all struggle to figure out how much faith they have in one another.

Regarding this and the big question of love, Stahl said, “I think I know a lot of people [like George] come to think of it—I think everyone can attest to having problems articulating their emotions at one point or another in their lives.”

In addition to being enchantingly entertaining, the play is thought provoking as well. It may have you thinking of those times when you weren’t able to express what you wanted to say.

Exploring the Totally Scripted-For-Ratings World of MTV

By TAYLER BENNETT Layout Co-Editor

Tonya Cooley, who first appeared to reality TV viewers during the 11th season of the popular MTV series “The Real World” and then subsequently went on to appear in eight manifestations of “The Real World/ Road Rules Challenge,” accused MTV, Bunim-Murray and two of her castmates, Kenny Santucci and Evan Starkman of sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination and sexual battery. Cooley asserts that the crimes took place during “The Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins”, the 18th season of the show. The case was settled out of court over a year after the initial filing, despite the show continuing to run. Cooley’s is not the first sexual assault case during the 20 year history of the reality show.

Let’s get real right now. “The Real World” is not real—not even a little bit. At one point it was a program with a very clear and honorable purpose. MTV wanted to educate younger viewers about the important issues, like AIDS, racism, abusive relationships and drug and alcohol problems in a way that was relatable to younger viewers. For the first few seasons it succeeded as a legitimate reality show that didn’t feel contrived or scripted.

However, things changed. As the number of seasons increased and the desires of viewers subtly shifted,

COURTESY OF MTV

The cast of “The Real World: St. Thomas” are the latest group of strangers looking for a chance to be on TV.

MTV changed the focus of their shows. Suddenly the people featured on “The Real World” stopped having jobs and stopped seeming to care about anything outside of themselves. The show devolved into night vision cameras set up to capture bar brawls, alcohol poisoning and onenight stands. The casts got younger and “hotter” and the stench of desperation for fame and recognition emanated through the screen every second they spent on it. But we still absolutely loved it.

Cooley spent the majority of her time on “The Real World” drunk, and when she wasn’t drunk she was

on the phone whining to her longterm boyfriend about being forced to associate with gay people. She spent her eight “Challenge” seasons bragging about her breast implants, taking off her top, trying to have sex with anyone who would have her, accusing female housemates of being lesbians and just generally being extremely obnoxious.

And everyone absolutely loved her—or at least loved to hate her. She was a mess. She knew she was a mess and she played it up for the cameras at every turn, because that is what “The Real World” has become—a competition in who can be the most

talked about and hated the next morning.

What happened to Cooley, if it happened, is by no means excusable in any way. No matter how drunk she ever chose to get on camera there should be no reason to insert a toothbrush inside her, which is what she claims happened to her. The accused, Starkman and Santucci, both went on to appear on “The Challenge” after being accused and have in their time competing each won over $150,000 from MTV. As easy as it is to acknowledge that these guys are abhorrent for doing that to a woman—regardless of what a crazy

person she was—it is not as easy to understand why the show remains so loved. Even with the acknowledgment that it is practically fiction, full of scumbags, trashy girls and producers who turn a blind eye to plausibility in favor of a good sound bite, it remains impossible to stop watching the show and wondering what will happen next.

Year after year viewers continue to tune in for the absolutely ridiculous shenanigans of the seven strangers chosen to live in a house or the numerous alums who volunteer to compete for cash and a continued fifteen minutes of fame. It is like the rubbernecking that takes place after a brutal car accident—no one wants to admit it, but it isn’t possible to look away. The monotonous cycle of school, work, sleep, eating and whatever else is made better in some way on that one night a week when CT and Diem oil up and run across a pole suspended twenty feet above some exotic ocean. Or when Wes riles up another castmates and his smirk fills the screen.

We rationalize to ourselves about how awful the show is—just truly terrible, but viewers still tune in and love it as much as the first time it aired. There is something unexplainably endearing about the format and concept of this show and that is why it will continue to dominate MTV for years to come. And I will continue to watch every second.

Come on—it’s Season 28.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER November 15, 2012

Arts & Culture

8

Professors Screen Their Favorite Flicks

By MICHAEL O’DONNELL Staff Writer

PROF PIX, the weekly series held by the visual arts department at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), is above all, a chance for Fordham’s cinephile community to gather, eat free popcorn and watch a diverse array of classic films. Screenings so far have included Federico Fellini’s neo-surrealist masterpiece “8 1/2,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia,” and most recently, Michelangelo Antonioni’s “Deserto Rosso.”

The series is organized and developed by film professor Ross McLaren, who believes it is an opportunity for Fordham to develop a sense of community outside the classroom, bringing students and teachers together, bonded by their mutual appreciation of good film. Each screening is handpicked by a member of the visual arts department and is a reflection of their personal aesthetic and taste. While the films aren’t related thematically, McLaren asserts that each has a special meaning to the professor that chose them.

The screening of “Deserto Rosso” was no different. While professor Ruble, who picked the film, was unable to attend, McLaren has a personal relationship with the film, dating back 15 years.

“I was in Rome, at a beautiful theater on the Tiber River,” he said. “The theater was showing a reprint of ‘Deserto Rosso,’ which many believe to be Antonioni’s most important film.

Before it started, a buzz started going through the crowd. I turn around and there was Antonioni himself. He was an old man at this point, but he still had a beautiful woman escorting him on each arm.”

The film was Antonioni’s first use of color, and his representations of industrial, Northern Italian landscapes are both harsh and beautiful.

While the factories in one sense represent our collective desolation in the industrial age, Antonioni was able to find beauty in the smoke stacks, wastelands, and the people inhabiting them. The film revolves around a disenchanted woman named Giuliana, who struggles with her identity in the face of this changing world.

“There is something wrong with real-

COURTESY OF FILM DUEMILA ; COLUMBIA PICTURES CORPORATION

Posters for two of the cinematic selections playing in the “PROF PIX” weekly screenings, “Deserto Rosso” and “The Man Who Would Be King.”

ity,” she says. “I can’t figure it out and no one will tell me.”

“Deserto Rosso” is heavy and existential but fascinating, largely due to Antonioni’s incredible sense of composition as he depicts this bleak, industrial environment with nuance.

In terms of narrative, well, there isn’t much of one, but it hardly matters.

The subtle shifts in tone, the experimental editing and Antonioni’s grasp of the human condition are enough to keep you interested throughout its nearly two-hour duration.

In addition to screening “Deserto Rosso,” McLaren showed a short animated film, something he likes to do before all of the events. This week, he screened “Swiss Army Knife with

Rats and Pigeons,” an animated short by experimental filmmaker Robert Breer. McLaren noted that Breer is probably his favorite animator and recalled their time teaching together at Cooper Union years ago. The film is rapid-paced and slightly disorienting, but captivating at the same time.

As for the PROF PIX series, McLaren hopes to spread the word, as ideally more and more students will become involved and engaged in the weekly screenings. The audience, according to McLaren, has been pretty small for all the screenings, but he believes if more people knew about it, more people would show up. The films being screened stand for themselves and the visual arts screening

room is perfect for events like this.

“The iPhone is not a device to watch movies on,” McLaren said.

“And yet that seems to be the trend these days. I like the feeling of sitting down in a dark theater and watching a film without any distractions or interference.”

Next week, McLaren will be screening “Monster,” a film he personally selected for the PROF PIX series. The film depicts a woman— played by Charlize Theron, who gained nearly 30 pounds and an Oscar for her performance—who is a former prostitute and a serial killer of men. “Monster” was directed by Patty Jenkins, a former student of McLaren’s at Cooper Union, and

now a successful director in her own right. Describing Jenkins as a student, McLaren said, “I was teaching an experimental film class, but she was always hell bent on narratives. I think that comes through with this film and the rest of her work.”

On Nov. 29 they will be screening “The Man Who Would Be King,” directed by John Huston and starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine.

McLaren also noted another upcoming film series, the Fordham Student Film/Video Festival, to be held on Dec. 6. While screening classic films is one thing, it is equally important to support the future of the craft, and this upcoming festival is an attempt to do just that.

Keira Knightley Discusses Portraying Anna Karenina

By CLINT HOLLOWAY Arts & Culture Co-Editor

While seated among a dozen journalists huddled around a table in a library inside the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, actress Keira Knightley immediately admited that she is acting for us. This reveal was not meant to be manipulative or malicious, but instead an exploration on the implicit social mores and role-playing that still pervade our society today, over a century after the Imperialist Russiaset “Anna Karenina.”

“I think we perform all the time,” Knightley said. “I mean, I’m performing the role of an actress, you’re performing the role of a journalist, when we go home we’ll be performing a different role… I mean, yeah, I think we do that 90 percent of the time.” Even if it all was just a charade, the brief performance she gave for us while discussing her new film could not have been more intelligent, sincere and down-to-earth.

It is not a huge surprise to see Knightley tackling the role of Anna Karenina. After all, whether it is her Oscar-nominated turn as Elizabeth Bennett in “Pride and Prejudice” or her role as Elizabeth Swann in the swashbuckling “Pirates of the Carribean” franchise, she always seems to gravitate towards films depicting the past.

But rather than approaching the character of Anna as something of

TRAILERS/YOUTUBE.COM

Keira Knightley plays the famed literary character, Anna Karenina, in Joe Wright’s imaginative cinematic adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s novel.

a history lesson, she was able to find a striking amount of relevance and urgency to the classic story, which sees Anna putting her social standing into jeopardy upon engaging in an affair.

“There wasn’t anything that I couldn’t relate to, and that was sort of the most shocking thing in itself,” Knightley said. “Absolutely, being a woman now is much easier… But there wasn’t anything that was that far away. I think we live in societies with rules, and if you break those

rules then the pack turns against you.”

Knightley’s aforementioned synonymy with period pieces, as well as her real-life role as one of the faces of the high-fashion mega-brand Chanel, means that the costumes had to have a substantial purpose, aesthetically as well as emotionally.

“In the book, as everything starts crumbling around her, she takes more and more stock of her appearance, and that becomes a greater and greater kind of thing that she’s

holding onto,” Knightley said. “The reason that I love working with [costumer designer Jacqueline Durran]… is that she really works from a character base, and everything is full of symbolism. We saw her as like a bird trapped in a cage, so the idea of veils as cages, [and] you literally see the cage underneath the dress [with] the corset as the cage... And the last dress that she’s seen in, I got obsessed by the idea of the fall of the whore of Babylon.”

Tackling such an influential and

well-known figure is undoubtedly daunting. The task of bringing Anna Karenina to life posed a bit of a different challenge than, say, Elizabeth Bennett, as she is not always the most likable of characters. “The question of whether she’s the heroine, or the anti-heroine, and how you’re meant to see her, morally is constantly in question,” Knightley said. “I actually had a couple of people come and go ‘you didn’t make her horrible enough!’” Knightley extolled. “And I think, sometimes, there is a truth to that. She’s pretty dark in the book.”

As our allotted time came to a close, a bizarre mash-up of questions unrelated to the film were posed, with a journalist asking if Knightley had been affected by Hurricane Sandy and if she had any New Year’s resolutions.

“I wasn’t affected by Hurricane Sandy… [but] a lot of my friends who live in the Lower East Side have been without power and still have no heating. I don’t have a New Year’s resolution. I haven’t thought of that yet, sorry.”

And with that, she was whisked away to do more press interviews, giving her the chance possibly to give another equally convincing performance to a plethora of other journalists.

“Anna Karenina” hits theaters on Nov. 16. You can read Clint’s review on fordhamobserver.com.

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www.fordhamobserver.com

GENTRIFIEDTHEWEBSERI/YOUTUBE.COM

Emily Tarpey (left) and Leena Borst (right) in a scene from “Gentrified,” their comedic web series that follows the adventures of two girls through the boroughs of New York City.

“Gentrified”: The Yuppies Are Coming Fordham Alums Discuss Creating and Starring in New Web Comedy Series

By ANDREW MILNE Staff Writer

Emily Tarpey, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’09, and Leena Borst, FCRH ’12, share the same dynamic energy in an Upper West Side Starbucks that they do prowling the streets of Brooklyn in short dresses and stilettos (for their first apartment, get your mind out of the gutter), the plotline of their new web series “Gentrified.” Borst uses her more acrid and biting sense of humor to play on the bubbly and effervescent Tarpey, but the juxtaposition makes them an effective (and hilarious) comedic team, both off camera and while filming their web series about twenty-somethings leaving home for good.

“Gentrified” chronicles the misadventures of Rach and Brit, two ditsy and clueless girls of privilege who are looking to break free

from the suburbs and find the “new up-and-coming neighborhood” in Brooklyn. Brit and Rach are vapid, vain and shallow, yet strangely endearing and certainly mean well.

They see themselves as “This generation’s ‘Sex and the City,’” but mostly stumble through the borough (and life) half-aware of their surroundings, totally uninformed (despite their constant access to the Internet, thanks to their ever-present iPhones), and essentially, just painfully clueless. On their quest across “The Land of the Brook,” they manage to (unintentionally) insult just about every type of person, from prostitutes and “gingers” (neither of which have souls, according to the duo) to black people to Hawaiians (both of whom they treat like greeters on an exotic island) with a forced pun and a cacophony of giggles. To the chagrin of the pearl-clad, Starbucks toting, shoulder-sweater sporting girls,

none of the neighborhoods they have explored suit their fancy. So they decide to gentrify their own.

According to Tarpey, the essence of “Gentrified” is “making fun of racism, trying to laugh at everything and everyone. No one is safe.” The web series documents the absurdity of stereotyping and generalization, illustrated by the metaphor of gentrification itself ( “the influx of middle-class or wealthy people that often displaces the poor residents”). Brit and Rach are loosely based on a caricature of Tarpey (as a Westchester girl in the city), mixed with a definite “type” that Tarpey and Borst (as well as Allison Taylor, co-creater and writer with Tarpey) have experienced through their lives (though Borst piped in that the girls are “everything I hate in a human being” and jokingly admitted that “she would spit in our face if we walked past us” during filming).

Tarpey points to her education as a part of the development process, as an English major with an Ancient Greek minor, she drew from both to create “Gentrified.”

Gently mocking Tarpey, Borst sardonically points out that this is why “the entire thing is in Greek, someone dies, someone falls in love with their father…” (“Gentrified” is not in Greek, there are no deaths, and the thing the girls love most about their fathers are their yachts).

Tarpey defends herself by pointing out that the series takes place in a 24-hour time period, typical of Greek theatre, and freely admits, “I’m a bit of a nerd.” Borst credits her experience with Rose Hill improv troupes (such as “Free Pizza”) for her ability to weave spontaneity into the script of “Gentrified,” explaining that “no one memorizes their lines, like true college kids.”

The actual writing took place last winter, the filming came later,

in which there were “lots of butts” according to Borst (citing an incident in which her “miniature dress” flew over her head as she tripped one day, and she gave the watching crowd a very different type of show). The music in the show is locally grown as well, some of which is played by Fordham’s LaLaLush. Five episodes have been released so far, with a new episode released every Tuesday.

The season finale of Gentrified is slated to premiere Nov. 19, with the creators looking to shoot season two soon.

To see more of Tarpey, Borst, and “Gentrified,” watch them on youtube.com or www.gentrifiedthewebseries.com. Also, look out for more from Emily Tarpey in “Shadows of Life,” an indie film produced by Face 2 Face Films slotted to debut in festivals in early to mid 2013.

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Arts & Culture

November 15, 2012 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

PHOTO FEATURE

EMILY SAWICKI/THE OBSERVER

Graffiti at 189 St. between Webster and Park in the Bronx.

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Graffiti inspired by the famous V-J Day photograph viewed from the High Line.

TAVY WU/THE OBSERVER

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Stuyvesant Town, 1st Avenue.

Dumbo, Brooklyn.

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Graffiti in a parking lot near Union Square.

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Dumbo, Brooklyn.

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Bowery Street has a plethora of street art, allowing pedestrians to have a colorful stroll through the streets of the Lower East Side.

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THE OBSERVER November 15, 2012

Arts & Culture

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PHOTO FEATURE

TAVY WU/THE OBSERVER

Lafayette, Brooklyn.

ZEINAB SAYED/THE OBSERVER

Graphic poster in the Lower East Side.

SHERRY YUAN/THE OBSERVER

Mural near 3rd Street in the East Village.

EMILY SAWICKI/THE OBSERVER

P189 between Webster and Park in the Bronx

AYER CHAN/THE OBSERVER

187 Street and Fort Washington Avenue.

TAVY WU/THE OBSERVER

Stuyvesant Town.

SAVANNAH SCHECHTER/THE OBSERVER

Bond Street, SoHo.

JASPER CHANG/THE OBSERVER

Staten Island graffiti.

Features

Features Editor Jewel Galbraith —jgalbraith1@fordham.edu

November 15, 2012

THE OBSERVER

COURTESY OF KEVIN KLEIN

Kevin Klein’s, FCLC ‘15, neighborhood in West Islip, NY was devastated by Hurricane Sandy: houses flooded, rooves fell in and looting became a widespread problem.

A Neighborhood in Crisis After the Storm

By SHERRY YUAN Staff Writer

Hurricane Sandy may have passed, but it has left thousands without homes, and even more without power and access to basic necessities. Kevin Klein, Fordham College at Lincoln Center, FCLC ’15, who lives in West Islip, New York, was especially affected.

In 1975, Klein’s house was built on a hill with the intention of preventing storm damage. However, this method proved futile against the wrath of Hurricane Sandy.

“Unfortunately, the lowest part of the house, where my dad’s office is and our garage is, was completely flooded. Our circuit breakers were

destroyed because they were in our garage, and water actually rose up about four feet [there],” Klein said.

In addition to the flooding, Klein’s family went without electricity as a result of the storm. “We had power until about seven on Monday, [but] then it was shut off and we had to set up the generator.

We have power lines underneath the ground, and the salt water actually destroyed [them], and so they have to dig up the power lines and put in new ones.” Klein remains without power as contractors recover the area in the coming weeks.

The level of destruction was unprecedented in Klein’s town. “This has never happened before in the history of this neighborhood,” he

said. “We were told to evacuate but [since] we’re on a hill, we stayed.”

Many of Klein’s neighbors’ houses suffered even more damage than his own. “One of our neighbors’ houses has to be destroyed.

They have to tear it down because it’s been so messed up. In Breezy Point, our friend’s house has to be torn down too [because] the deck was lifted up and went into their neighbor’s house,” Klein said.

For those whose houses remained intact after the storm, potential looting became an issue.

Some have taken up arms in order to defend against looters.

“My neighbor is a retired general, and he has a gun, and he was walking around the neighborhood

saying, ‘if anyone comes around here I’m gonna shoot them,’” Klein said. “All my neighbors are politicians and they all have guns [now].

The national guard was in our neighborhood.”

The effort to rebuild has begun in Klein’s neighborhood and in other affected regions. Still, many hurricane victims lack basic necessities like food and water.

For those who wish to help out, New York Cares, Occupy Sandy, NYC Services, Hope for New York are all accepting monetary donations online. Students can also find a donation bin the lobby McMahon Hall, which accepts socks, flashlights and other nonperishable items.

Individuals can also get involved by volunteering their time to the rebuilding process. Organizations like NewYorkCares.org are posting hurricane response projects online on a rolling basis. By signing up for the website’s services, students can gain access to volunteer opportunities in Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs.

Students have also formed a FCLC Hurricane Sandy response group, which posts volunteer opportunities periodically on its Facebook page. Students can look to this group to find out how to pitch in and assist people in neighborhoods like Klein’s that were victims of the storm.

When Emailing Employers, Think Before You Send out the answer yourself. You want your boss to know you are aware and self-sufficient. Still, do not be afraid to contact your boss if you have a legitimate question that she can answer. She will most likely be happy to hear from you if you are genuinely trying to learn how to do your job to the best of your abilities.

By AMINA CAMI Contributing Writer

Slang, abbreviations and emoticons saturate today’s online conversations. We LOL, ROTFL and GTFO with a broad :) on our faces.

Writing informally is quick and natural to us. But we are entering the spring internship application season, when impressive online communication can make or break a job offer. Never fear: The Observer has compiled a list of steps you can take to ensure that your emails make you look like a professional without even using a briefcase icon from Emoji.

1. Use a professional email address Your email address should consist of your first name (or initial), your last name and if needed, a few numbers. Delete any childish emails along the lines of sparklypuppies@yahoo.com or chickmagnet69@gmail.com. Your employer should be able to look at your email address and know it belongs to you. Using your Fordham email might be a good choice, since it ends with an “edu” extension and lets your recipient know you are a student. “Email addresses should not give away your age, date of birth or marital status,” Abigail Ferreira said, career counselor at Fordham’s Graduate School of Education.

6. Wait until an appropriate hour to send your email

Emoticons might be funto use when texting and emailing friends, but they will only result in frowns all around if inserted into professional correspondence.

2. Make your subject line clear and concise The subject line of your email should describe exactly what you are writing about. If you are sending in an application for a summer internship, make the subject just that: “Summer Internship Application.” A blank subject line is unacceptable. You do not need to include your name in the subject line; it would be redundant because at this point you have a mature email address, right?

3. Reread Your Message Remember that once you send an email, there is no way of editing or retrieving it. Always triple

or quadruple check what you write.

Use clean grammar, correct punctuation and spell correctly. If your emailing system does not have spell-check, copy and paste your message into Microsoft Word and keep an eye out for those green and red squiggly lines. Check company websites and official letters to make sure your employer’s name is spelled accurately. “Be very conscious of content,” Ferreira warned.

“Remember: emails are permanent.

Don’t send emails when you’re angry or upset. Avoid exclamation points. Don’t write anything private that can be used against you.”

4. Address the recipient appropriately Find out what prefix your em-

ployer prefers: Mr., Dr., Prof., Ms. or Mrs. If you are unable to do so and your employer is female, steer clear of using “Mrs.” even if you happen to know she is married.

Some wives simply prefer the neutral “Ms.” However cool your employer may end up being, do not joke over email. Tone is not conveyed electronically. Your employer may take your message the wrong way. Your employer does not need nicknames, either, whether they are positive or negative.

5. Know whether your subject really warrants an email In the professional world, there is most definitely such a thing as a stupid question. Before you ask your employer, see if you can find

Once you know what and how to write, you must know when to write it. If your inquiries and concerns arise during the weekend and are not pressing, wait until Monday to inform your employer. No one likes to be bothered during days off.

“Don’t send emails at odd hours, like 3 a.m.” Ferreira added. When a possible employer interviews you or an existing employer does you a favor, make sure to send an email thanking him or her. “But no thank-you notes for trivial things,” Ferreira added, “like if your employer opened a door for you.”

7. Finish strong Lastly, complete your email by signing your first and last name, accompanied, if you wish, by an appropriate farewell such as “Respectfully, (Your Name).” Ferreira emphasized: “The most important thing is to keep the language and format professional.”

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Features

November 15, 2012 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

WORD OF MOUTH

Pho Sure is a Sure Bet This West Village Vietnamese Noodle Shop Serves Up Delectable Soups and Summer Rolls REX SAKAMOTO Asst. Features Editor

The encroaching winter weather has made me crave hot noodle soup, filled with delicious thin slices of brisket, beef, shin, tendon and trip tripe and topped with sprouts, basil and jalapeño peppers. This dish, known as pho, is a Vietnamese soup that has soared in popularity in the last few years in California, where I’m from. Large chains specializing in pho have cropped up all over my home state. To my dismay, when I arrived here in New York, the soup was not as popular as it was on the West Coast. Still, I was determined to find a place that makes a decent bowl of pho.

The first place I went to, Cha Pa’s Noodles and Grill, served a pho whose broth was laden with MSG, an additive used to enhance f lavor. The broth is generally my favorite part of the dish, so I did not enjoy their chemicallyenhanced pho.

Next I tried the Saigon Grill, but the skimpy pho was a sign that this was not the place either.

Then I tried Phosure, and was impressed.

Phosure, located on 120 Christopher St. in the West Village, served a delightful bowl—or maybe I should say

REX SAKAMOTO/THE OBSERVER

Green papaya salad with tiger shrimp, crushed peanuts and cilantro.

bucket—of pho. For only $8, their servings are huge. I ordered the Pho Sure, which comes with rare beef, brisket and shin. When the pho arrived, I immediately

started sipping the broth with the f loating globules of fat separating and rejoining like amoeba. The broth tasted excellent. Instead of being muddled by additives such

as MSG, the broth was fresh and savory and slightly sweet. The soup had a decent meat-tonoodle ratio. Also if you are allergic to gluten, this is the soup for you, because the silky white noodles are made of rice.

While it did not come with tripe and fatty tendon-like the ones back home, it was still delicious.

In addition to the pho, I also ordered a green papaya salad and some summer rolls. The papaya salad was pickled and the papaya was julienned along with carrots.

It was topped with crushed peanuts and cilantro. Mixed into the salad was a few pieces of tiger shrimp. While I enjoyed it, my dinner mate found the sweet and sour rice vinegar taste offputting.

The summer rolls were some of the best I have ever had.

Usually I opt for shrimp rolls, but this time I decided I would try chicken. Our rolls were filled with vermicelli noodles, carrots, lettuce and chicken, all wrapped up in sheets of rice paper.

Normally these rolls are served

cold, but this batch was served both cold and hot

with a peanut dipping sauce. The contrast between the hot chicken and the cool vegetables tantalized the senses. Additionally, because these rolls were made to order the rice skins were nice and soft, a welcome change from the slightly tougher texture of rolls that have dried out waiting in the refrigerator.

After I took my head out of my bowl of pho, I noticed the nice cozy atmosphere that Pho Sure provides. In the front there are high-top tables while in the back there are booths that each have a large mirror and sconce on the wall. On another wall they had an Asian-inf luenced, pop art-esque painting that featured the same picture of a seated girl painted several times in different colors.

As I do with most food that I enjoy, I overate. But when there is a giant bowl of pho before me, there is no stopping my bad habit.

Though it is not exactly the same as the pho restaurants back home, it was still a tasty experience.

THEN AND NOW

The Greening of Robert Moses Plaza

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY IAN MCKENNA/THE OBSERVER WITH ARCHIVAL PHOTO COURTESY OF FORDHAM UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

Robert Moses Plaza has undergone quite a change in the last 40 years, making it a more hospitable environment for FCLC students.

By IAN MCKENNA Managing Editor

Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) seems like it is perpetually under construction.

This road is blocked. Oh, wait, that road is blocked, too.

Nope, can’t use this door; construction.

Wanted to sleep in? Gotcha! Construction.

Walking to class? Be careful of the construction workers that are catcalling at women from ten stories up.

But construction is always exciting and often necessary to bring about extraordinary change. What makes FCLC great, in a way, is that it is always prepared to change. While

the photo from the Fordham Archives was not dated, the plaza was formally dedicated to urban planner Robert Moses in 1970. Moses, New York’s “Master Builder,” was one of the main figures who helped Fordham acquire the land to build FCLC as part of his Lincoln Center Renewal Project in the 1960s and 70s. And since it’s inception, our campus’ plaza has evolved from a desolate concrete space to a flourishing green oasis, reminiscent of Sheep’s Meadow only a couple of blocks away.

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THE OBSERVER November 15, 2012

Features

15

A Holiday Away From Home Thanksgiving Feast Tips for Students Spending Break at Lincoln Center

By HANNAH NEWMAN Contributing Writer

Thanksgiving dinner is a college dorm kitchen’s worst nightmare. No electric mixer, no turkey pan, no pie pan and virtually no funding. And with expensive airfare and such a short break, many students will be unable to go home this Thanksgiving. However, we are in New York City. Anything is possible, including a wonderful “orphan” Thanksgiving away from home that won’t break the budget.

The Food One of the major inconveniences of grocery shopping in the city is having to store-hop between Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Morton Williams and Western Beef to find the best quality food for the lowest prices. For a low-cost, high quality, and easy Thanksgiving dinner, Trader Joe’s is the place to go. A bag of cornbread stuffing mix is $3, jarred cranberry sauce is $2 and frozen mashed sweet potatoes are $2.50. For dessert, they have $5 frozen pumpkin pies and a half-gallon of spiced apple cider for $3.

However, for those who want to cook this Thanksgiving, there are some easy and cheap options available. If you’re not so keen on a storebought pie, you might want to consider making muffin tin pumpkin pies. All you’ll need to do is make a quick pumpkin pie filling of canned pumpkin pie filling (different from plain canned pumpkin), condensed milk and two eggs; cut out four-inch rounds of thawed frozen pie dough, and place them in the muffin tin; pour the filling into the cups, and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then for another 20 at 350 degrees.

These mini pies are a creative twist on the traditional pumpkin pie and don’t require a pie pan, plus they make you look like quite the chef.

Two more easy homemade touches you can bring to your meal are mashed potatoes and mashed maple sweet potatoes. Both require five

SHERRY YUAN/THE OBSERVER

Stuffing, cider and pumpkin filling are essential ingredients for your dorm room’s makeshift cornucopia.

common ingredients, and can be made in just one pan in 45 minutes.

While Trader Joe’s does sell frozen mashed sweet potatoes, they lost to homemade mashed sweet potatoes in a taste test I arranged with some hungry friends.

To round out your meal, Trader Joe’s spiced apple cider is delicious both heated and cold. If you add milk and caramel sauce, you can

turn it into your own spin on Starbucks’ Caramel Apple Spice drink.

By now, you’ve probably noticed that there is one key component of Thanksgiving dinner that I’ve left out: the turkey. You can get a bird catered from Whole Foods, which costs $65 for a whole turkey and feeds 8 people or $7 per pound for turkey breasts. If you don’t care that much about the turkey, I recom-

mend going vegetarian this Thanksgiving. Save room for some extra pie.

The Fun This is the easy part: holiday activities in the city. The obvious option is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which rolls right through our very own Columbus Circle. Beware that it does take some planning and strategic analysis to have a good

parade-watching experience. It’s best to arrive at the parade by 6:30 a.m. to make sure you get a prime spot right on the curb. Since the parade doesn’t start until 9 a.m., you’ll need to layer to stay warm. Also, make sure you choose a spot in advance that is close to the beginning of the parade route: it will only take the parade about an hour and a half to pass by 70th Street, for example, while those down at 34th Street will wait the full three hours to view the entire parade. (The parade starts at 77th Street and Central Park West, and public viewing areas begin at 70th Street.) And it never hurts to position yourself near a coffee shop or public restroom.

For those who want to avoid the crowds at the parade, the parade balloons are blown up around the Museum of Natural History on Wednesday November 21st from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. It gets more crowded the later it gets, so arrive early. But keep in mind that the balloons won’t look like much until around 4:30 or 5 p.m.

The weekend after Thanksgiving, you can go Black Friday shopping, see the New York City Ballet’s “Nutcracker” at Lincoln Center, or go ice-skating at Rockefeller Center or Bryant Park. Tickets for the ballet start at $29, but get tickets early to ensure that you get the seats and prices that you want. Ice skating admission at Rockefeller Center is between $20-25, and skate rentals are $10. Bryant Park ice-skating is more reasonably priced, with free admission and $14 skate rentals. And don’t forget, there is always the no-cost option of simply walking around the city and enjoying being in New York City during the holiday season.

So don’t let the Thanksgiving break daunt you if you are in the city for the duration of our break. Embrace it, throw a Thanksgiving dinner party, watch the parade, and get out to explore the city. Who says that Thanksgiving break orphans can’t have fun?

I PITY THE JEWEL

So You Think You Can Thank: Turkey Day 2012 Edition JEWEL GALBRAITH Features Editor

Being that we’re college students, it’s easy for most Rams to think of some blessings to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Maybe we’re glad we live in New York City. Maybe we can’t wait to see the renovated Lowenstein Café, replete with granola and more salad. Or maybe we’re just grateful that for the few days we’re at home for the holiday, we won’t have to worry about all-caps, ellipsis-riddled Facebook comments from our parents.

But that’s no fun. In my book, the most important facet of a “what I’m thankful for” list is its difficulty factor—after all, does being thankful really count if you hardly put any thought into it?

I think not. There needs to be a level of effort, somewhere between “watching ‘Dance Moms’” and “4:00 a.m. cramming for a philosophy exam.” So in the spirit of upping the thankful-ante, I’ve provided you with this list of common Fordham complaints, and how to turn them into turkey-worthy Thanksgiving miracles.

1. Campus Construction This one is almost too easy. Construction wakes you up to the sound of jackhammers every morning at seven, forcing you to live by the old adage “early to bed, early to rise,”

and by extension ensuring that you will one day be “healthy, wealthy and wise.” It helps you hone your internal Google Maps by making you mentally re-route each of your daily entrances and exits from McMahon Hall. Its loud noises protect you from the mountain lions that might otherwise invade and seat themselves at the head of a self-contained Survival of the Fittest-style jungle society on the plaza. Thankful yet? Also, I think that due to the construction, a thing of some kind may get built at some point.

2. Lost Reading Days Close your eyes and picture this: You’re in line for a high-level job at the C.I.A. I can’t specify the position here — it’s really hush-hush.

You haven’t told anyone yet, aside from your mother, who’s baking a pie in anticipation of you getting the job right now. They have it down to three candidates, and all three of you are sitting in Michael Morell’s office. It’s time for the final interview. The questions are flying and all three of you are acing them — you have no idea how Morell is going to choose. Then, one final test: describe the history of the Central Intelligence Agency to the best of your abilities.

The other two candidates break out into a cold sweat. “We need to do some research!” they stammer, “we need at least one reading day—that’s how we were trained in college!” You smile and look back

CHARLES BLOOM/KANSAS CITY STAR/MCT

on the fall 2012 final exam season.

You’ve been through this before.

No reading days, no problem. You rattle off all C.I.A. facts you can remember, and before you know it, you’re hired. Soon enough you have a window office. Eventually you retire, and Nicholas Cage plays you in a movie. When he wins the Oscar,

don’t forget to send a thank-you note to your academic Deans.

3. Winter Weather This year we breezed pretty quickly through sweater weather and right into surprise snowstorm territory. No one likes the chapped lips, short days and pale, pale skin

that come along with the colder months.

Unless you handle it this way: starting mid-November, stop ever leaving the McMahon-Lowenstein complex. Use the indoor tunnel to get between your room and your classes. Forgo weekend entertainment. Pay your roommates to grocery shop for you (and make them walk all the way to Trader Joe’s, while you’re at it).

Sure, you might lose your mind a la “The Shining,” and yeah, your leg muscles might atrophy a little bit from underuse. But come March, when the world thaws and you finally step outside again, New York will be like a whole new city. You’ll have forgotten which way is downtown, and you won’t remember any of your favorite restaurants.

You can spend all spring having your own personal Enlightenment and walking aimlessly around the city like you’re a freshman again. If that’s not something to be thankful for, I don’t know what is. *** I hope that these suggestions have been helpful to you in your pre-T-giving preparations. Be sure to bring them up at dinner if any of your relatives try to talk politics.

And more importantly, if your family starts spewing the classic “I’m thankful for my home and my loved ones” lines, just know that you’re better than them. Because you thought harder, and on Thanksgiving, that’s what counts.

16

Features

November 15, 2012 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Make the Holiday Gift Rounds in Columbus Circle

By KIMBERLY GALBRAITH Staff Writer

It’s never too early to start buying holiday gifts. With Black Friday just a few weeks away, the holiday shopping season is about to begin. This leaves many students at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) wondering what to buy loved ones and close friends. Allow this guide to aid you in finding the perfect gifts. Godiva, Brookstone, Lee’s Art Shop, J.Crew, Macy’s, as well as holiday markets are places that have unique gifts for anyone and are close to FCLC.

Godiva, 10 Columbus Circle, Time

Warner Center Godiva sells holiday gift boxes that are filled with a selection of classic Belgian chocolates and truffles for $36. The box is specifically designed for the holidays, decorated in red with a bow on top. They are gifts you can give to your friend, family member, boss or significant other.

“The gift boxes are perfect gifts for anyone, especially people who are picky,” Vicky Rodriguez said, a saleswoman at Godiva. The chocolates include seasonal flavors, such as gingerbread, cranberry, and mocha snowflake. In addition to the holiday gift box, Godiva also sells holiday truffle boxes, which are filled with an assortment of truffles decorated in a holiday-inspired box for $15.

Brookstone, 10 Columbus Circle,

Time Warner Center Brookstone is the store to find electronic gifts for both girls and guys. What is the “it” item to have for the holiday season? “The ‘Pocket Projector’ is going to be a big seller during the holiday season,” said Janzzy Delgado, salesman at Brookstone. At $229.99, the ‘Pocket Projector’ can connect to your iPhone, Android or laptop camera. Once connected, “It does a mirror image of your device and will project exactly what is on your device. You can also do PowerPoint presentations from it or watch videos, which is perfect for college students,” Delgado said.

Another item that will be popular during the holiday season is the “Big Blue Live Wireless Bluetooth Speaker” for $99. “The great thing is you can actually answer phone calls from it by just clicking one button,” Delgado said. The speaker allows you to listen and stream audio content from a smartphone, laptop or tablet.

Lee’s Art Shop, 220 W 57th Street Although Lee’s Art Shop does sell art supplies, it also has a wide range of fun and interesting gifts. “What is nice about this store is that there is something for everybody and tons of stocking stuffers,” Hela Borer, buyer at Lee’s Art Shop, said.

Christmas ornaments greet you as you enter the shop by hanging in a unique fashion. The ornaments range from hot dogs, to metro cards

KIMBERLY GALBRIETH/THE OBSERVER

JCrew, Macy’s and Lee’s Art Shop are all within a few blocks of Fordham, and each offers a plethora of holiday gift options.

and even pickles, with prices varying from $5 to $55. A wine glass charm Christmas tree is an affordable and unique gift at only $25.

What is one gift not many people might think of? An old fashioned picture frame. “Everybody is with a phone and has gone digital. Nobody has these anymore and it’s something not a lot of people think of when giving gifts,” Borer said. Lee’s also has a large selection of candles, which range from $25 to $35. The Christmas tree-flavored candle smells exactly like its name and reminds you of being home for the holidays. However, remember that no candles are allowed in McMahon.

J.Crew, 10 Columbus Circle, Time

Warner Center Not sure what to get your girlfriend, sister or mother? JCrew is the store full of classic gifts for women, such as bracelets, earrings and wallets.

“Our biggest seller is our classic pave link bracelet, a perfect gift for mom,” Debby DeSanto said, a personal stylist for J.Crew. The shiny gold bracelet may be “a bit expensive at $125, but it is very festive and a hot seller all year round,” Desanto said.

Depending upon what your

friends favorite colors are, J.Crew sells pop-bright studded earrings for $45. “These bubble earrings are perfect to give as gifts, especially to your friends or family and come in many colors,” DeSanto said. The bubble earrings colors include black, turquoise, kelly green, pink blossom, neon azalea and fresh lilac.

Bright colored leather wallets ($98) can help keep students organized with their metrocards, student IDs and cash.

J.Crew also sells small item gifts that can be stocking stuffers, such as sparkly iPhone cases ($29.50) and matching battery chargers ($39.50), which “would make really cute stocking stuffers for your friends and family,” DeSanto said. J.Crew’s Pinch mini emergency kit for ladies is $15, while their festive holiday cheer stamp is only $12. The unique stamp allows you to stamp messages on packages or envelopes such as “Have A Holly Jolly,” and “Fa La La La La.”

J.Crew Men’s Shop, 10 Columbus

Circle, Time Warner Center J.Crew Men’s Shop is the store to find gifts for your brother, boyfriend or father. J.Crew sells sweaters for men, which are “mostly wear-any-

where pieces and perfect for the holiday season,” Kerrel McCarthy, a salesman at the J.Crew Men’s Shop, said. The sweaters are $69.50.

J.Crew sells cashmere scarves for $98 and wool hats for $29.50 “which are perfect to stay warm during winter,” McCarthy said.

Need to buy stocking stuffers for a guy? The J.Crew Men’s Shop offers fuzzy Christmas patterned socks for $35, but have similar prints in cotton knit for just $6.99.

Leather, suede, and rubber iPhone cases range from $25 to $38, depending upon the color.

Holiday Markets In addition to the stores listed above, there will be various holiday markets throughout the city starting this month. The Holiday Market at Columbus Circle opens Nov. 28th, where you can grab some hot chocolate and buy some French truffles or gingerbread houses.

The Union Square Holiday Market opens Nov. 16th, where you can find a variety of handmade jewelry and glass housewares.

Gifts For Students On A Budget Wondering what to get your friends at an affordable price?

Godiva sells a gold star ornament that is full with an assortment of truffles for only $10. Lee’s Art Shop sells a wide range of unique ornaments such as metro cards and pickles, starting at the low price of $5.

Brookstone’s variety of iPad and tablet cases start at just $9.99.

J.Crew’s preppy holiday socks for guys are affordable at just $6.99, while for girls their ‘FACE Stockholm nail polish’ color in ‘Mood Ring,’ which looks like a different color in different light, is $10. For guys, Macy’s has polo shirts in a variety of colors for $10.99. For girls, Macy’s purse hanger ($9.99) allows you to keep your purses clean and secure. Macy’s ‘Coin Counting Money Jar’ ($14.99) is a gift for either girls or guys that counts how much money you have in coins digitally.

Write for Features. Because you want to. And becase we want you to.

Literary

Literary Editor Salma Elmehdawi Submissions: litsection.observer@gmail.com November 15, 2012 THE OBSERVER

Exhibit Q

By JAGPAL KHAHERA Contributing Writer

I.

I remember Alice telling me to look ahead cause No use in yesterday, I was different then.

Back in those days I was chasing after dreams, I guess growing up isn’t as it seems.

Age will kill your hope faster than a game of Jax, There often comes a time where you gotta face facts That life won’t be above the ordinary Forget a gold sarcophagus, accept the mortuary.

I know depression ruins your days But all the world's a stage, you must find a part and play.

And if that same stage should then become a game, Find a way across the board and Checkmate to your fame.

Funny how winning makes a man feel better Release the inner demons from that mental wine cellar.

Life is living liable to the liabilities, Living for your love is exactly how messiahs see: Ram, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad All bigger kings than Pharaoh Tutankhamen Angad, Amar Das, Ram Das, Nanak Arjun Dev, Har Gobind, Har Rai, Har Krishan, Tegh Bahadur, Gobind Singh, 10 on a mission Fuse all 10, eternal composition.

II.

All my brothers shed blood with me, All my sisters, spread love with me.

We are Michaels, we are Janets Let us all bask in the glory of the planet: Red hills of Georgia, waterfalls of India Beautiful people dancing with their Bindia Shaking my hand with a palm full of henna, Like I was a god but not a five percenter.

Me and the motherland got a love-­‐hate But the skin she gave me is true Aegis plate.

Yes I love mythology, yes I am scholarly, I'm bringing back the nerds to the music family tree.

Flow is invisible, messages subliminal Bringing back the past, my stone is resurrectional The mic is my wand, and the age exceptional.

Far away stories show you Jabba the hut stars Shot a couple arrows with Peter the Great czars, Told them to stay away like a Pepe Le Pew spray Energize the future like a Florida Gator Name the game after me like the 70's Raiders Rest in peace Pac, only God can judge me Unless you in Off Center and you singing lovely Generation's best nobody can touch me.

18

Literary

November 15, 2012 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Stocking, Always

Salma Elmehdawi

By SALMA ELMEHDAWI Literary Editor

Stockings, Always Come

my kettle boils and whistles even the milk

music

I am not a foreigner but

termites, so we evacuate

The newspapers are frightening under the floorboards do you know how eyes work?

My muscles contradict each other

I am only a child mosquito laden

younger

spoil me instead

I am a lady, haven’t you met my

In the closet

his work clothes

silk collars and

next room the

happy again

family

I am not,

at the window

Perched

take me sir

round beetles

I felt it before

. This is America

Grandmother’s recipes will impress the men get the ring

wear stockings, always He died in his

feet

Sports

Sports Editor Mike McMahon —mmcmahon27@fordham.edu

November 15, 2012

THE OBSERVER

Volleyball Wins Final Game of the Season, Just Misses Playoffs

By JENNIFER KHEDAROO Staff Writer

On Saturday, Fordham’s volleyball team ended their season on a high note at home, winning a fiveset battle against the University of Rhode Island’s Rams 3-2. The final set scores of the match were 15-25, 22-25, 25-13, 25-10 and 15-13. It was the second time this season that Fordham beat Rhode Island.

The first two sets of the match were dominated by Rhode Island.

After being tied for a brief moment in the first set at 7-7, Rhode Island took off and scored 17 points to Fordham’s eight. The second set, like the first, showed Rhode Island taking advantage of Fordham’s negative hitting percentages to win. But things turned around for Fordham in the third set. The hometeam Rams led by 12 points at one point in the third set and easily won it 25-13. In the fourth set, Fordham never allowed Rhode Island to score a point on a serve. The Rams had a perfect side-out percentage, and at one point, had a 15-point lead over Rhode Island. The two teams went at it during the fifth set, both wanting the 3-2 win over the other. They were tied 11-11 and then traded sideouts until Brianna O’Neil, Fordham College at Rose Hill, FCRH ’16, got matchpoint on a kill. What looked like a Rhode Island win early on transformed into a hard-fought win

by Fordham.

The season started out rough for the Rams, as seven out of their first 10 games ended in a loss. However, from early September to early October, Fordham was playing their best volleyball of the year. The team battled through 15 games and won 10 of them. On Oct. 6, the Rams’ record made the .500 mark, 12-12, for the first time of the season as they beat Rhode Island in four sets. The win even gave Fordham a 4-1 start in the Atlantic 10 Conference, the best ever start in the school’s history.

Since the Oct. 6 game against Rhode Island, Fordham hit another rough patch, this time winning just two out of their last nine games of the year.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM SPORTS

The Fordham volleyball team banded together to win their final game of the 2012 season on Senior Day.

Despite a slew of losses, Fordham’s offense did have their days where they impressed. The team showed themselves to be particularly resilient during a five-set match against the La Salle University Explorers on Oct. 20. The Rams won the first set, hitting .486 as a team, and committed just one error. The second set saw an early on 10-1 lead by the Explorers, who won the set by a seven-point difference. Tied 22-22 during the third set, the Explorers kicked it into gear and got two kills and a service ace to win the set by three, 25-22. However, Fordham

came back in set four. After leading 14-12, Fordham gained momentum and ended up winning the set 2520. The tiebreaker, also known as the fifth set, saw seven tie scores, all coming after the tied score of 12-12.

After scoring 21-19, Fordham’s Ewing and Lindsay Ritchie, FCRH ’15, blocked the Explorers final attack to win the final set, 21-19.

On the year, Ewing and Lisa Hipp are among the team’s top scorers and most consistent players. For the season, Hipp has over 400 kills, as well as making 300 defensive digs. Ewing has 528 career kills at Fordham, as

well as 329 career blocks, good for the third highest in school history, surpassing former Rams’ player Katie Wells’ total of 323 blocks in 2009. Ewing was named Atlantic 10 Volleyball Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 22, for the second time of her career. During her senior season, Ewing also leads the Rams in hitting percentage.

Before Saturday’s match against Rhode Island, Ewing, along with teammate Michele Keathley, FCRH ’13, were honored for their careers at Fordham during Senior Day. Keathley, a defensive specialist, played

three seasons with the Rams. She appeared in 78 career matches and has been a serving specialist, a defensive specialist and a libero. Keathley has a 398 career digs, along with 37 assists, and 17 service aces.

Fordham’s season comes to an end with a 14-19 overall record and a record of 6-8 in the Atlantic 10 Conference, just out of playoff contention. As Keathley and Ewing move on from Fordham, the rest of the team will have to begin looking forward to making next season a more successful one.

Men’s Basketball Drops First Two Road Games On Miscues, Turnovers

By MIKE MCMAHON Sports Editor

COURTESY OF FORDHAM SPORTS

Bryan Smith, FCRH ’15, had posted double-digit points in both of the team’s first two games.

The Fordham men’s basketball team began their 2012-2013 season this past Friday in San Macros, Texas, with an 86-76 loss to Texas State. With this loss, Fordham is now 0-5 in its last five openers and 0-4 in games played in Texas. The game was the second between the two teams, with Fordham winning the first last year at Rose Hill by a score of 81-70.

Somewhat ironically, it was Brooklyn native Joel Wright who proved to be the difference maker for the Bobcats, scoring 19 points to go with 12 rebounds in the home team win over the visitors from the Bronx. That being said, a lot of the Rams wounds were self-inflicted.

The team seriously hurt itself from beyond the arc and at the foul line in the first half, making only 43.8 percent of their free throws and 20 percent of their three-point attempts. Worst of all, Fordham gave up 23 turnovers that the Bobcats converted into 24 points, a huge swing in a reasonably close game.

Despite losing by ten, the Rams had the score as close as 77-71 late in the fourth quarter on the heels of a 5-0 run by guard Branden Frazier, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’14, who finished the game

in double-digits with 18 points. Frazier was one of the top performers for the Fordham squad, along with Bryan Smith, FCRH ’15, who scored 16 points to go with five rebounds, and team leader Chris Gaston, FCRH ’13, who posted his 53rd career double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds, good enough to move him past Jean Prioleau for ninth-most points scored in school history.

In the second game of the year, the Rams fell to 0-2 against the overwhelming strength of a University of Pittsburgh team coming off of an 80-48 win against Mount St. Mary’s. Fordham didn’t fare much better than the home team’s first opponent, going down hard by a score of 86-51.

The team’s second contest and second straight away game saw the Gaston shut down to the tune of only four points, six rebounds and fewer assists (one) than turnovers (two). Fordham’s high scorers, the aforementioned Smith and Jeff Short, FCRH ’16, both finished with 11 points, a tally that would have been fourth-best on the opposing squad. The Panthers had three players in triple digits, with J.J. Moore, FCRH ’14, leading the way off the bench. Moore put up 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting. For Pitt, the win was what coaches often call a total

team effort. Eight of their 10 players pulled down two or more rebounds, and none committed more than two personal fouls. In fact, Pittsburgh’s bench was responsible for almost as many points (41) as the entire Fordham team (51).

With a 0-2 record through their first two games, more anxious fans may be frantically searching in vain for a panic button. While the start is less than ideal for a team that finished 10-19 last season, it’s certainly not cause to abandon hope. The basketball season is a long one, and both losses were on the road to nondivisional opponents. If the Rams record starts to look like the 3-13 in-conference mark it stumbled to last season, then concerns will fly.

For now, Fordham enters a preseason exhibition tournament, and looks to host their first home game of the regular season on November 29 against Manhattan. With 26 games between them and the Atlantic 10 Championships, the Rams have plenty to be hopeful about. Not many teams boast a veteran leader like Fordham’s Gaston or bench scorers like Moore. Perhaps, with the right balance of drive, leadership and talent, this team will put the early road losses in the rearview mirror and fight for a championship in the spring.

20

Sports

November 15, 2012 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Fordham Football Honors Ty Campbell, Remains Perfect at Home

By MIKE MCMAHON Sports Editor

In the summer of 2011, the Fordham Rams symbolically adopted four-year-old Ty Campbell, a toddler entrenched in a tougher fight than any played on the gridiron. On Saturday, the Fordham Rams honored their fallen teammate, who just recently lost his hard-fought, two-year battle with brain cancer. In Ty’s memory, his parents were named honorary captains in Saturday’s contest. Perhaps it was the memory of the brave young boy that propelled Fordham to victory.

With a 36-27 win over Patriot League opponent Lafayette College, the Rams have extended their undefeated home record to 4-0. More importantly, they clinched their first winning season since 2007. Though Fordham’s decision to reinstate football scholarships in 2009 makes the team ineligible for the Patriot League championship, there remains an outside chance that the Rams could take an at-large bid in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs.

Playing at home just one week after a stinging loss 27-24 to Bucknell, another Patriot League team, the Rams rebounded behind the strengths that have propelled them to victory more than once before in this 2012 season.

Running back Carlton Koonce, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’13, broke the game open with 189 rushing yards on 31 carries for a blistering 6.1 yards per carry (YPC) average.

Quarterback Ryan Higgins, FCRH ’13, passed for 150 yards, chipping in two scores through the air as well. Receiver Brian Wetzel, FCRH ’15, continued his breakout sophomore campaign

COURTESY OF FORDHAM SPORTS

Running back Carlton Koonce, FCRH ’13, has racked up over 1,000 yards with one game still remaining.

with three catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. Among the three grabs was an 89-yard scoring strike, good for the fifth-longest in team history.

Koonce and Wetzel have already turned in stunning season numbers.

The running back, after never netting more than 148 yards or better than 3.9 YPC has racked up 1,365 yards over ten games for a 5.1 YPC average. That massive year-to-date total is already best for third in team history, and is just 115 yards shy of the record set in 2003 by Kirwin Watson. His senior-

year explosion is undeniably a crucial cog in the turnaround machine that has been the 2012 Fordham Rams.

Wetzel has been nearly as productive, totaling 855 yards and five touchdowns on 58 receptions. While his year-to-year jump hasn’t been quite as stunning as his senior counterpart, the sophomore Wetzel has nearly doubled his freshman year numbers and has an outside chance at breaking the 1,000 yard barrier as well next week against the Colgate University Raiders.

While the offense and Koonce in

particular have the gaudy stats this week, the Fordham defense should certainly be commended for keeping the Leopards in check without leading tackler Michael Martin, who missed his first game since his freshman year due to injury. Following the game, first-year coach Joe Moorhead commended the defense on holding to the old next-man-up mantra.

“Last night, I told the guys that when someone gets injured, the player who replaces him has to do as good a job or better at that position,” Moor-

head said. “I think Kassim Forbes and Christopher Hodge did an outstanding job filling in for Mike, and I think the defense played one of their best games of the year, especially in the second half.”

In addition to the resolve of the reserve players, defensive starters made major contributions as well, and none were bigger than a pair of third quarter interceptions. Defensive back Jake Dixon, FCRH ’15, intercepted a pass in Leopard territory on their second drive of the half, giving the offense the ball at the 25. Later in the quarter, another sophomore defensive back, Jordan Chapman, FCRH ’15, returned an interception 64-yards for a touchdown. With both turnovers leading to seven points, the Rams’ defense proved itself crucial in the nine-point victory.

In fact, all three phases of the game came together for this important home win. Patrick Murray, FCRH ’13, added two field goals on special teams to increase his school and Patriot League record to 23 on the year. Murray’s 48.4 yard punting average and four touchbacks on seven kickoffs were hugely important to the field position battle as well.

With a winning season now guaranteed, the Rams look to knock off the Colgate Raiders, who clinched the Patriot League championship on Saturday with a win over Lehigh. A victory over the Raiders would give the Rams a 7-4 record, their best since going 8-4 in 2007. It would also seal an undefeated home record, a matter of immense pride amongst the Fordham faithful.

With the team showing such resolve and strength under their new coach, it’s easy to believe, and even easier to root for them.

Jets and Giants Making Midseason Mistakes

By VICTOR URQUILLA Staff Writer

Week 10 is in the books, and both New York football teams showed lack of concentration, leadership and motivation out on the field this past Sunday. The New York Giants (6-4) were manhandled by a Cincinnati team that proved they can rush the passer just as well as the three-headed monster the Giants send out every week in Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora. Although the Bengals (4-5) had come off a four-game losing streak, they showed up to play on Sunday and defended their home turf with an exclamation point. The Jets (36) are on life support, and head coach Rex Ryan isn’t backing down from his

comments after Sunday’s loss to the surprising Seattle Seahawks (6-4).

“I believe we can win with Mark and I believe we can win with [Tim] Tebow, but I’m not going to let you or anyone else convince me otherwise” Ryan said on Sunday following the loss.

So what does Week 10 mean for the Jets and the Giants and their playoff hopes? For the Jets, their season sits on the brink of total disappointment, if it isn’t already there. Quarterback Mark Sanchez continues to turn the ball over in the red zone, and currently he is the least efficient quarterback in the NFL with an abysmal 52 percent completion rate. The once indestructible and suffocating Rex Ryan defense is no

more. Ranked 17th in the league after being ranked in the top five over the last three years, they have allowed mediocre running backs to look like the legendary Jim Brown and run all over them. Tebow has been little more than a distraction, and he will continue to be unless a major change is made.

The playoff odds are looking slim for the Jets and there is much for fans to worry about. Long suffering supporters shouldn’t be surprised to see major changes this off season, starting right at the most important position on the field: quarterback.

The Giants have been falling out of the sky at a rapid pace, with only their own shortcomings standing between them and the playoffs. That said, the

last few seasons have shown us that when times get rough, the Giants get tough. Eli Manning has established himself with the elites in the game over the course of two Super Bowl winning runs and now it’s time for him to bounce back from the struggles of his past three games in which he hasn’t been able to throw for a single touchdown. In fact, Manning has posted less than 200 yards per game along with four interceptions over the midseason collapse. Through the first seven games of the year Manning was in the MVP conversation, but now he needs to return to form with the 4-5 Dallas Cowboys right behind them in the National Football Conference (NFC) East Division. Giants fans should be

worried too. Ahmad Bradshaw looks seriously hurt and has for weeks, as had awfully talented wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. The defense has been allowing way too many 100-yard rushers to establish a bruising identity over at the defensive side of the ball which can only mean one thing—the pass rushers need to show up on Sundays.

With both teams disappointing as of late, the city of New York better hope a turnaround is near. The Giants are staring another late-season collapse in the face, and the Jets look like a team headed for a quick fall from championship game contenders to a team stuck in rebuild-mode. Either way, the teams have seven more weeks to turn it around.

Sports Round-Up Football Fordham Lafayette

36 27

The Fordham women’s swimming team has opened its season winning three of five events, with team competitors earning weekly individual honors for the Atlantic 10 (A10) Conference for four consecutive weeks. Brennie Ryan, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’13, was named the Women’s Performer of the Week for a league-record fourth time in as many weeks, and the 11th time in her collegiate career. Theresa Goehring,

FCRH ’16, won A10 Rookie of the Week. Ryan’s league-record run was won for her performance in the 2012 Big Al Open at Princeton University, placing first in the 100-yard backstroke (55.79), second in the 200 backstroke (2:01.02), third in the 50 freestyle (23.86), and sixth in the 100 butterfly (57.90). The freshman Goehring received her honors for a pair of top-10 and another pair of top-12 finishes in individual events.

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

Fordham Texas State

76 86

Fordham Cornell

58 50

Fordham Rhode Island

3 2

Fordham Boston University

120 178

Fordham University of Pitt

51 86

Fordham Albany

60 43

Fordham Duquense

1 3

Fordham Fairfield

166 123

Volleyball

Women’s Swimming