Observer the
OCTOBER 9, 2014 VOLUME XXXIII, ISSUE 10
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S.A.G.E.S. Continues Safe Sex Advocacy
Photo Feature
By JUSTIN REBOLLO Contributing Writer
In recent weeks, Students for Sex and Gender Equity and Safety Coalition (S.A.G.E.S.) has posted flyers around Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC’s) campus. S.A.G.E.S. is promoting safe sex at Fordham and advocating against their perception of the Administration’s absent response to demands for a wider access to contraception on campus. In order to protect members’ identities, S.A.G.E.S. requested to be interviewed by email only. The group is not a student organization sponsored by the University and could be subject to University prosecution for distributing contraception on campus. S.A.G.E.S. released a petition for students to sign on Wednesday, Oct. 3. The petition is addressed to University President, Rev. Joseph J. McShane S.J., the Fordham University Board of Trustees and Fordham Administrators. Among many other demands, the petition demands: “Free condoms in accessible community spaces to foster an environment in which students are encouraged to talk about sex in healthy and safe ways.” Stated in the Fordham student handbook, the University forbids the “distribution of contraceptives, contraceptive devices and/or birth control, in any form at University-sponsored events.” Since Fordham is an educational institution that receives federal funding, it is subject to the Education Amendments of 1972. Title 9, which is part of those amendments, is relevant to this case. Title 9 states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education see S.A.G.E.S. pg. 3
KIRSTIN BUNKLEY/THE OBSERVER
Observer photographers captured the city at nighttime for this issue’s photo feature. See centerfold for more photos.
Student Mass Times Change for FCLC By IAN SCHAFER Contributing Writer
At 5:15 p.m. every Sunday evening, Catholics from all over New York convene at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle for a weekly liturgy. The Mass is directed at New York young adults, but the parishioners have added diversity now. Last year, Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) Campus Ministry moved the 8 p.m. Mass to 7:30 p.m. This seemingly did not make the timing much more convenient for students as student attence was minimal. “Over the last 20 years, the Mass later at night was attracting few of our students and some pa-
rishioners,” Rev. John J. Shea, S.J., director of Campus Ministry, said. “It became clear that at Lincoln Center, the student culture was attracted to an earlier liturgy, which would free them up for other commitments,” he said. While there were many social benefits to having the Mass for Fordham students, only about 75 people were present at most student Masses, and less than half of them were from Fordham. “It could be uncomfortable,” Emma Lemar, FCLC ’15, said. “I find Mass more comfortable when people are singing and responding.” Shea and Carol Gibney, associate director of Campus Ministry,
the heads of Campus Ministry here at FCLC, were in a bind: Students could not come to the later celebration, but events after the Young Adult Mass at St. Paul’s often ran into the preparations for the Fordham Mass. In coordination with the Paulist Fathers, FCLC Campus Ministry decided to cosponsor the Young Adult Liturgy. Even before the consolidation, many of the 700 individuals who attended the 5:15 p.m. were Fordham alumni/alumnae and enrolled students. Anne Souder, FCLC ’14, attends the 5:15 p.m. Mass. “Having it at a time that coincides with a regular Mass time at St. Paul’s helps the students to become part of a larger
church community,” Souder, who studied theology at Fordham, said. “It also helps them to feel comfortable continuing to participate in that community after they graduate,” she continued. Students can expect that things to be done differently at the Young Adult Mass. The music is performed by a larger band, which includes drums, guitars, brass and strings. The choir is also significantly larger than the choir that performed at the Fordham Mass. Students from Fordham and Julliard participate in the music ministry alongside regular parishsee MASS TIMES pg. 2
Inside
LITERARY
The Comma A selection of student writing.
PAGES 7-14
FEATURES
Cataloging the Quad
How does FCLC use the Plaza? Page 17
SPORTS
Becky Hammon
The first woman NBA coach
PAGE 20
ARTS & CULTURE
Comic Con
A guide for first timers
PAGE 16
THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM COLLEGE AT LINCOLN CENTER
OPINIONS
Columbus Day Political Correctness vs history
PAGE 7
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News
News Editor Adriana Gallina — agallina@fordham.edu
October 9, 2014 THE OBSERVER
Peter Casts His Net Over FCLC Again
IAN MCKENNA/THE OBSERVER
‘Peter the Fisherman’ in the Robert Moses Plaza was designed by Frederick Shrady. By TYLER MARTINS Editor-in-Chief
Standing tall against the backdrop of the new Fordham Law School building, “Peter the Fisherman” casts his net over Robert Moses Plaza, his net reaching across to Lowenstein and beyond.
Designed by Frederick Shrady, “Peter the Fisherman” was installed on the lower plaza, where the new law school building is, in 1970, according to Rev. Robert Grimes, S.J., dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC). Originally, the statue stood over a reflecting pool, but the pool
was later removed during the renovation of the plaza in 1993. “‘Peter the Fisherman’ has always seemed to me to be a symbol of the Lincoln Center campus. When the plaza was all concrete and cold, Peter was the one thing that gave it life,” Grimes said. “After the 1993 reno-
vations, when it was surrounded by weeping willow trees, it was the most beautiful and relaxing of places on campus.” “Peter the Fisherman” was removed from FCLC because of the construction of the new law school, but was returned to in September of
this year. “I’m glad to see him back as we enter a new era of Fordham at Lincoln Center,” Grimes said. Shrady is a scultpor known for his religious art work, including a statue of “Our Lady of Fatima,” commisioned by Pope John Paul II.-
A Look Into the Jeanne Clery Act By ADRIANA GALLINA News Editor
With campus sexual assault’s prevalence in the media, most people have been hearing of the Jeanne Clery Act, also known as Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Reporting . So what is it? The Jeanne Clery Act was named after Jeanne Anne Clery. On April 5, 1986, she was raped and killed by a fellow student in her Lehigh University dorm in Bethlehem, Pa. Her parents, Constance and Howard K. Clery Jr. subsequently made it their lives’ work to establish transparency for all crimes committed on college campuses nationwide. “The Clery Act ensures that everyone in the University is accurately reporting crime,” John Carroll, associate vice president for Public Safety, said. All statistics are released annually and include crimes in nine categories: The Clery Act requires the University to disclose the following crime statistics: • Murder / non-negligent manslaughter; negligent manslaughter •Sexual offenses, forcible and
COURTESY OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS VIA MCT
Jeanne Clery was raped and murdered in her freshman dorm in 1986.
non-forcible • Robbery; aggravated assault; burglary; motor vehicle theft; and arson •Hate crimes, simple assault, intimidation, or destruction/damage/ vandalism of property, motivated by the offender’s bias and based on
a person’s race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, gender identity or national origin • Dating violence, domestic violence and stalking • Arrests and referrals for disciplinary action for carrying or possessing weapons; drug abuse viola-
tions and liquor law violations. “There’s a lot of reasons to select a college or university … and looking at the kind of place you’re going to live is a part of it,” he said. Carroll said the important question is, “Is everyone being totally candid?” Then answered, “Well, they are very foolish if they’re not because the fines for not being honest with these reports are astronomical.” In May of 2013, Yale University faced $165,000 in fines from the U.S. Department of Education for “serious and numerous” Clery Act violations, including failing to report forcible sex offenses. Carroll encourages everyone to report any crimes on campus. “When we report crimes to our students, faculty, staff—our community—and to the Department of Education, we want them to be accurate,” he said. “Just like not every crime is reported to the police, not every crime is reported to us,” Carroll said. According to Carroll, there have been seven total sexual assault incidents reported in this 2014 year to date—four at Fordham College at Rosehill (FCRH) and three at
Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC). “Sometimes, people may want a confidential conversation. If you come to the University, and say you were the victim of a sexual assault, a robbery, you can’t have a confidential conversation. It has to be reported. We need to know that so we can most importantly investigate it and find whatever student was responsible to take whatever action necessary.” According to Carroll, the two University personnel exempt from mandated reporting to the Department of Public Safety are pastoral counselors acting in their official capacity and professional mental health counselors acting in their official capacity. “The public safety department at Fordham works very hard to have a totally transparent operation, so that our students feel comfortable to come and report. We are here to serve, we are not here to judge anybody. We encourage everyone to report everything to us,” Carroll said. To report a crime, students can call 718-817-2222, anytime, to speak with the Public Safety Duty Supervisor on duty.
Student Mass Consolidated with 5:15 p.m. Mass MASS TIMES FROM PAGE 1
ioners from St. Paul’s. Paulist and Jesuit priests take turns saying the homily from week to week, but the Jesuits are always invited to participate in the rest of the Mass, as Shea does every week. The most noticeable difference, however, is the
amount of individuals who attend the Mass. Father Gilbert Martinez, the pastor at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, usually asks the Fordham students who are present to stand as the rest of the church welcomes them. Lemar believes that being a part of the larger community fits
well with Fordham’s campus culture: “A big part of Fordham is being in New York, and participating in the larger community is like participating more in New York.” However, the Fordham students who attended the 7:30 p.m. Mass might feel that the very large 5:15 p.m. Mass is less intimate.
“I had been to the 5:15 before [the consolidation], but it was nice to have a close Fordham community at the 7:30 Mass,” Natalie DeVaughn said, FCLC’ 15. “It would be good to meet up before or after Mass just to connect with other students,” she said. As it integrates into the com-
munity at St. Paul’s, the Fordham Campus Ministry community will change, not disappear. All are welcome to the 5:15 p.m. Young Adult Mass at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, co-sponsored by Fordham Campus Ministry and the Paulist Fathers on Sunday afternoons. .
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THE OBSERVER October 9, 2014
News
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The Basics of Ebola with Dr. Tulleken can occur because he was circulating the community for two days so he’s potentially exposed a hundred people. I think the CDC will be on top of this ... that being said, I think the CDC is making a mess of things so far ... the CDC did not instruct hospitals clearly enough to contain patients who have come from West Africa with a fever.
By: HANSINI WEEDAGAMA Contributing Writer
Dr. Alexander Van HoogenhouckTulleken, Helen Hamlyn Senior Fellow discusses the Ebola outbreak. THE OBSERVER: President Obama spoke on plans to increase the amount of doctors and training for first responders in West Africa. Do you think this will have a big impact on the current situation?
THE OBSERVER: And should we look to the three doctors who have been cured so far as a sign of hope?
DR. VAN TULLEKEN: I do ... The
Administration’s current response plan seems to be going in the right direction. It’ll require a lot more money and resources than they’ve committed, but it’s a sensible start. The other really striking thing is that the only country that has really stepped up to respond to this is the United States.
THE OBSERVER: The Center of
Disease Control (CDC) says that there are likely two and a half times as many Ebola cases as are being reported due to people hiding and not seeking treatment. Do you think that the people infected with the disease are in need of education on how to be treated for this?
DR. VAN TULLEKEN: There are
three parts to the Ebola response. One is to treat people who have been infected so that we can isolate them and stop them from spreading the disease further. The second thing is to go into the community and find sick people and treat them. The third thing is education and contact tracing.
THE OBSERVER: They’ve been us-
COURTESY EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG ECHO VIA FLICKR
Aid workers prepare for contact with a diagnosed Ebola case in Guinea.
ing blood transfusions to fight this disease. How does that work? DR. VAN TULLEKEN: So Ebola is a
hemorrhagic fever meaning it makes you bleed. And the reason it makes you bleed is that first it makes you clot. And when you clot you use up all your clotting factors – there are agents in your blood, chemicals in your blood that help your blood clot, and once you’ve used up your clotting factors you can’t clot anymore and so you bleed profusely. And so blood transfusions are important for two reasons. The first reason is that you need to replace blood because people are bleeding. The second
thing that they’ve been doing is using blood from people who have survived Ebola. The logic behind that is that that blood will have antibodies to fight the disease. We don’t have any idea if that works ... It’s a very old fashioned method of treatment, it probably doesn’t work … we just don’t know yet.
It’s very difficult to find a cure. Why it is, I have absolutely no idea. I think the most important part of the response to this epidemic is not going to be waiting around for a drug or a vaccine but acting now to treat cases on the ground, quarantine those people, and educate the population
THE OBSERVER: And we have an
Dallas, right now – there’s been one person diagnosed – how well do you think that’ll be contained?
experimental drug right now called TKM Ebola, which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved. Do you think we’re on our way to finding a cure for this disease? DR. VAN TULLEKEN: No, I don’t.
THE OBSERVER: So with the case in
DR. VAN TULLEKEN: I don’t think
there is any risk of there being an epidemic in America. But I think that it is possible that a transmission
DR. VAN TULLEKEN: No ... I think if you’re looking for hope you should look to Nigeria because if Nigeria can contain it, then it’s proof that it can be done. And the other reason that I’d say we should be optimistic or at least not pessimistic is that so far we’ve done absolutely nothing so anyone that goes “Oh my god this has gotten out of control” is like ... well of course it’s out of control because we haven’t tried to control it yet ... we’ve really done nothing. THE OBSERVER: I think a lot
of people are confused about the disease being contagious when it’s actually infectious.
DR. VAN TULLEKEN: Right so that
is a distinction worth making. If you are exposed to the bodily fluids then you are likely to catch it, but being exposed to the bodily fluids is quite difficult. The main reason for transmission is direct exposure to bodily fluids and that doesn’t happen very often so that is a really good distinction you’re making.
Yes Means Yes: Controversy & Domino Effect By ADRIANA GALLINA News Editor
On Monday, Sept. 28, Governor Jerry Brown of California approved SB-967, also known as the Yes Means Yes Legislation. The bill centralizes affirmative consent in the sexual assault policies of institutions’ of higher education (IHE) that receive federal and state funding. SB-967 defines consent as “affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity.” Furthermore, the bill clarifies that consent must be ongoing, sober and neither silence nor lack of resistance constitute as consent. Wallis Monday, president of In Strength I Stand (ISIS), a feminist organization at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), said “It’s not just about consent, as much as it is education about what constitutes consent.” THE CONTROVERSY
President of the National Coalition for Men (NCFM), Harry Crouch
said, “There’s absolutely no evidence anywhere, zero, nada, zip, nowhere on the planet that supports the notion that this legislation will protect anybody from anything.” Crouch believes the bill’s language is too expansive and unenforceable. “If you are a couple and you’re married, sitting on a campus park bench ... and you want to reach over to give your loved one a hug and a kiss, and some ideolog is walking by, from the Women Studies department or Title 9 office or diversity program, they are obligated to report it as a sexual act if they are a student or faculty,” if there is no audible consent, Crouch said. Monday said, “‘Yes Means Yes,’ the name, sounds a little ideological, however the nature of the bill itself is not ideological,” she said. Meghan Warner, director of students assault commission and cochair of Greeks Against Sexual ssault at University of California, Berkley, said, “The point of the bill isn’t to just label everything sexual assault.” Rather the bill “is to help students
who report so they can finally get justice and perpetrators can finally be removed from campus,” Warner said. Warner was among the California student survivors who urged Gov. Brown to sign SB-967. Crouch believes, “These policies are intended to basically set the stage for accusations to take place where men are going to get punished.” SB-967 uses gender neutral language, such as “he and she” when referring to all parties involved in assaults. “Laws might be gender neutral and inclusive, but their applications are not—It truly is a war on men,” Crouch said. “This is a very gendered issue, so we cannot take gender out of the conversion,” Warner said. “Men are victims of sexual assault as well and deserve the right to enter into situations with full consent,” Monday said. She continued, “We do tend to focus on women victims more because that’s who the majority is, however, it is inclusive.”
According to the “Rape and Sexual Assault: A Renewed Call to Action,” a study published by the White House, one in five women are victims of rape while one in 71 men are victims. Crouch labeled this research, “propaganda.” Crouch also believes colleges and universities should not handle rape cases. Instead, “Those situations need to go to law enforcements, and if we have serial rapists, they need to be picked up and imprisoned, taken off campus immediately,” Crouch said. Warner disagreed: “Going through the justice system is very difficult, time consuming, triggering and ultimately results in very little justice. Only three percent of rapists ever go to jail in the first place just of those reported.” THE DOMINO EFFECT
Warner and Monday think all other states should adopt the standard set by SB-967. New York Governor Andrew
Cuomo seems to following in Brown’s footsteps. On Thursday, Oct. 2, Cuomo announced the restructuring of the State University of New York’s policies for preventing, investigating and prosecuting sexual assault across all of its 64 campuses. Cuomo said, “There has been an epidemic of sexual violence in this country that is truly disturbing and is inarguable.” He described the phenomenon as a “societal problem” and gave SUNY 60 days to establish the standard of affirmative consent, create a Sexual Assault Victims’ Bill of Rights, a document informing victims of their right to report to the police and campus security, among other changes. He promised that statewide uniform policy to combat sexual assault on campus was coming. Dean of Students at FCLC, Keith Eldredge said, “It is encouraging that increased attention to campus sexual assault appears to be shifting the emphasis on this important issue that stretches well beyond the gates of colleges and universities.”
S.A.G.E.S. Advocates for Contraception Access on Campus S.A.G.E.S. FROM PAGE 1
program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, except that: this section shall not apply to any educational institution which is controlled by a religious organization if the application of this subsection would not be consistent with the religious tenets of such organization.” Elodie Huston, FCLC ’18 agrees with Administration’s stance. “If we are a Catholic university in name, it is the Administration’s duty to ensure that the University align itself as such. As annoying as it may be, the school cannot pick and choose which doctrines it wishes to follow,” she said. On a campus that is legally in the right for not providing access to contraception, S.A.G.E.S. wants to
bridge the divide between safe sex and the University’s policies. In the email interview, S.A.G.E.S. stated, “that dialogue about sexual health on campus is stunted by our institution’s inability and unwillingness to engage students directly in open conversations about sex and sexual health.” The group wants “a Fordham University that supports the holistic well-being of all of its students. This vision relies on Fordham taking responsibility for the health and welfare of every person regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.” In an interview, Keith Eldredge, dean of students at FCLC, said, “the conversation about it [contraception] doesn’t violate anything.” As for consequences for those involved in the distribution of contra-
ception on campus, Eldredge said, “I don’t see an immediate expulsion for a one time offense of distribution of contraception on campus ... It’s hard to exactly say what the sanctions [would] be.” While trying to change the Administration’s attitude towards safe sex and contraception, S.A.G.E.S. has established a relationship with, but are not directly affiliated with, the FU Condom Fairy. The FU Condom Fairy is a student who is distributing condoms and other contraceptives around the Lincoln Center campus. While fighting for a more cooperative administration, S.A.G.E.S. said it will continue to spread its message of safe sex and anticipates October will be a busy month.
COURTESY SAGES VIA FACEBOOK
S.A.G.E.S. communicates with students mainly through their social media platforms.
Opinions
Rachel Shmulevich — Opinions Co-Editor rshmulevich@fordham.edu Marina Recio — Opinions Co-Editor marinarecio@icloud.com
STAFF EDITORIAL
C
across professional sports and hints at a new era of strong female role models for young girls and boys alike. Legislatures across the country are changing
The world is changing around us and we don’t want to be left in its trailblazing wake. their attitudes by partnering with college campuses and shifting sexual assault policies toward victims through affirmative consent. These laws make obtaining an education without fear of sexual assault or prejudice closer to being a reality for everyone. Students are changing society by being the ones to take initiatives, pushing for the Fordham Administration to change policies sur-
Observer the
SETTING THE GROUNDWORK FOR CHANGE an you smell that in the air? No, not the smell of pumpkin spice lattes or the apple cinnamon cupcakes. Can you smell the change, feel it come at you from all angles and sides that you don’t know from up and down? It’s omnipresent. It’s overflowing our senses, infiltrating our minds through the plethora of new ideas, new appearances, new views being introduced every day. And it’s starting at home. Fordham College at Lincoln Center changed its appearance, with a new freshman residence hall, a new law school building and new dining halls. It also resurrected a statue that was an old favorite, in a new location, for future generations to appreciate. The NBA changed its traditions as Becky Hammon just became the first female coach in the leagues. Hammon’s new position opens doors for women
October 9, 2014 THE OBSERVER
rounding birth control and contraceptives. By working to enable an open dialogue about sexual health, student groups like S.A.G.E.S. assist students in taking an active role in their own health and safety. People are redefining the meaning of dating by using new technology to connect … or not with others in their peer groups they may not have met otherwise. And we are seeing and celebrating female heroines as comic book characters. The world is changing around us and we don’t want to be left in its trailblazing wake. Because unlike the seasonal pumpkin and autumn-esque flavors that tease us with its scrumptiousness, these changes are not ephemeral. These changes will keep coming. Our generation sees that the current world is not the place they desire it to be, and we are making our mark by changing things for the better.
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THE OBSERVER October 9, 2014
Opinions
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REX SAKAMA/THE OBSERVER
The 1892 Christopher Columbus Monument was erected to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ landing in the Americas.
Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day? POINT
COUNTERPOINT
The Start of a New Tradition Jocelyn Hernandez Staff Writer
Most of us grew up knowing and revering Christopher Columbus for his discovery of America, resulting in the creation of the society we live in today. So it only seemed appropriate for this “hero” to get his own federal holiday. However, many of us have come to the realization that “heroic” doesn’t describe Columbus. With this knowledge, the city of Minneapolis has changed the name of the holiday to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and Seattle followed the example on Oct. 6. This calls into question whether or not it is right to change this very traditional holiday and celebrate Native Americans instead. To put things into perspective, Christopher Columbus was not a hero in any way, shape, or form. He set off a genocide of people who had a natural right to the land he happened to stumble upon. In his ambition to find gold and please the Spanish royalty, he enslaved many of these native people and ultimately drove them from their own land. Those who didn’t die from his crew’s brutality later died from the foreign diseases that these voyagers brought with them. Yet, Columbus Day is still a holiday, meaning that it’s some sort of celebration. There should be no reason to celebrate the genocide of a whole population. Putting aside the fact that more terrible figures contributed to the bloodshed, Columbus’s mission, and therefore legacy, only promoted greedy and violent ideals. There have been many other figures in history that have spread violence against a particular race of people and we would never dare to name a holiday after them. In Mexico, which was gravely affected by the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors, it would be
unthinkable to create a holiday for Hernán Cortés. In fact, he is one of the most hated men in Mexican history despite his hand in carving out what Mexico is today. The people in favor of keeping the traditional name might argue that Columbus brought progress to this part of the world but that’s not necessarily true. We often forget that the indigenous peoples had their own societies in place long before his arrival. The Aztec, Mayan and Incan civilizations were very much advanced. They studied math and science and also created archeological wonders. The smaller nomadic Native American tribes had unique cultures and ways of living with nature. Most of the culture and history of these populations were unfortunately extinguished when Columbus led the wave of European voyagers. Although it’s because of Columbus that we are living the way we are now, it would be unfair to state that he prompted progress on this land and on its indigenous people. Furthermore, the meaning of the “holiday” should be changed along with the name. Unlike the celebration of Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples’ Day should be treated as a memorial. In the 2010 U.S. Census, it was noted that Native Americans made up only 2 percent of the population in the United States. As a gesture of respect to the remaining population, a widespread understanding of what Columbus’ discovery actually meant should be promoted. If people are reluctant to treat it as a day for remembering the dark past, then it should be treated as a day for celebrating the Native American culture that remains in the United States. But by no means should Columbus Day continue to be the celebration of a man that sailed across the ocean to bring distress and horror to so many people. Minneapolis and Seattle have taken a step in the right direction. Hopefully the rest of the United States will be able to follow their lead.
Keep Columbus Ashley Rivera Staff Writer
Columbus Day comes around every year and we tend not to think much of it. Schools are closed, most people are off from work and retail stores across the United States offer those attractive 20 percent off sales. We celebrate the day simply because we don’t have school or work. We rarely think about why this day is a holiday. Many of us know that it is Columbus Day. Many of us think that Christopher Columbus discovered America. This is typically the extent of our knowledge on the topic. One U.S. city, Seattle, Washington, which is named after a Native American tribal chief, has joined other American cities in changing the name of Columbus Day to “Indigenous Peoples’ Day.” The Seattle City Council voted on Oct. 6 in favor of the new name, making Seattle the second major U.S. city after Minneapolis to make the switch. The new name, “Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” refers to the Native Americans that were living in the Americas before the arrival of Christopher Columbus. According to the Seattle Human Rights Commission, Columbus Day, as it currently stands, celebrates an era of colonization and destruction of the indigenous people and their homeland. The new name, according to the Seattle City Council, better represents the history of the United States and the foundation of the city of Seattle. But will this change actually better represent history? Also, what are we actually celebrating on Columbus Day? The name “Columbus Day” implies that we are celebrating one man for his work or accomplishments. For example, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. because of his contributions to the civil rights movement. Christopher Columbus, on the other hand, was an explorer whose expeditions opened the door for European colonization and for the destruction of the Native Americans. The indigenous people of pre-Columbian America had been living in
the Americas since before recorded history. As a result of European contact, nearly 99 percent of this population died over a few centuries. The Europeans not only brought foreign diseases that the Native Americans were unable to fight off, but they brutally murdered and killed off almost all of them. Some historians and commentators have even compared the Europeans to Nazi Germany during World War II. However, when we celebrate Columbus Day, we are not celebrating the actions of one man. We are celebrating the effects that his voyage had on the course of history. One of those effects happens to be the eventual birth of the United States, as well as other modern states that exist in the Americas today. Yet, according to Seattle and Minneapolis, we are only celebrating the near extinction of the Native Americans as well as the brutality that they endured. So what should we do? Should we not celebrate the events that led to the birth of our nation? Should the name be changed in order to honor Native Americans? Seattle, having changed the name to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, has rendered the holiday even less significant than it used to be. Most people do not know much about Christopher Columbus and even less about Native Americans. Maybe our public education system should implement more lessons into public schools about Native American cultures and history. Arguing against the name change may sound insensitive to the lost culture of Native Americans, and maybe we should honor the lost lives of the Native Americans too. However, changing the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day does not make much sense. Perhaps a new holiday that honors the Native Americans could be created that does not coincide with the voyages of Christopher Columbus and his arrival to the Americas on Oct. 12, 1492. This way, Native American cultures can be honored and remembered without directly associating them with Christopher Columbus. Furthermore, Columbus Day should continue to be celebrated because of the significant impact that his voyage to the Americas made on the history of our nation. Overall, both Columbus and Native Americans can be and should be honored.
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Opinions
October 9, 2014 THE OBSERVER
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Will Privacy Survive Social Media? Janely Fernandez Contributing Writer
Wait, privacy is still a thing? In the age of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and every other social media platform, do we even remember what it’s like to keep anything private? Technology has increasingly made it so that it seems normal for everyone to share almost every aspect of their lives. Whether it’s the food you just ate, your #OOTD (Outfit of the Day), or a picture of your name misspelled by the barista on your Starbucks drink, sharing your life and waiting for those likes, favorites and comments are simply a part of the daily routine in our current society. Because of this, what is private and what is personal has become hard to define. If we think about the advancement and popularity of technology and social media, it’s easy to see why many people have come to disregard their own privacy. The top offender for this category is without a doubt the smartphone. According to a study published by Nielsen, 71 percent of Americans now own a smartphone. This small, incredibly popular gadget has become an indispensable piece in the loss-of-privacy puzzle. Without a doubt, smartphones are enablers of the social media epidemic in which people are called to share their every move. For example, if you’re at lunch with a friend, you have the ability to upload a picture instantaneously and tag your friend and location. Whereas before you would have to roll up the film on
AMANDA GIOSCIA/THE OBSERVER
Mobile technology has enabled greater expression at the cost of privacy.
your disposable camera and develop pictures to show someone what you did, now it is almost unnatural to go without posting a picture to let the entire world, or at least your audi-
ence, know your current status. The pre-selfie world is hard to even imagine because of how easy technology has made it to share pictures as soon as you take them. Additionally,
smartphones almost force people to jump on the social media bandwagon as certain apps are pre-installed. Of course, users still have a choice, but take the Android, for example, which
has Facebook and Twitter already in the menu as if they were simply part of the settings. Being that social media platforms are mounted onto smartphones, and in turn, basically onto our lives, it is difficult to even talk about privacy in a world where social media exists. I mean, it’s called social media for a reason. The word “social” implies being with people, relating to them or sharing. Indeed that is exactly what social media has become and more. Everything from where we live, to birthdays, to what school we attend is open for people to look at. Once you sign up for the service, you fill those boxes in as if it were natural to just give out very personal information. And again, there is only one thing to do on social media: share! You can share information, pictures, stories, but no matter what, everything you do involves giving out private information. Now let’s revisit that first thought: Is privacy still a thing? I would argue that it is and it isn’t. It is because we still have a sense of what we think we shouldn’t share with the world and many of us are still cautious with what we post online. However, I also argue that it isn’t since we are still quick to fill in those blanks with very personal information that we would have never shared so easily, yet social media makes it easy to forget that. Technology enabling us to have such easy access to social media and it being so prevalent in our culture has made most of us immune to the fact that our privacy is being lost and that most of the time, we are the ones responsible for that.
To the Colorado Student Protestors: Keep It Up Gunar Olsen Staff Writer
For the past few weeks, hundreds of high school students in Denver suburbs have been protesting a proposal for an anti-protest curriculum. The new conservative school board majority in the Jefferson County school district has created a curriculum-review committee to “promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free enterprise system, respect for authority and respect for individual rights.” According to the proposal, “materials should not encourage or condone civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law. Instructional materials should present positive aspects of the United States and its heritage.” If students had spent years learning this curriculum – one that discourages civil disorder – they probably would not be protesting. And that’s exactly what the school board wants. Though not advertised, the long-term goal of the proposed curriculum is to squash dissent. After years of being brainwashed about “respect for authority” and the “positive aspects” of our history, students would turn into fear-mongering robots of conservative patriotism and empty black holes for any critical thinking. Essentially, they would be the same people who are on the majority of the school board now, fearful of any “social strife” in America today. Even the teachers are supporting the students. According to the Denver Post, 52 of 65 teachers at one school called in sick for Monday’s classes. A few weeks ago, two high schools had to close because of teacher absence. In response, the school district superintendent has threatened to bring disciplinary action against the protesting
COURTESY AMY ALETHEIA CAHILL VIA FLICKR
Student protestors in Golden, Colorado, shortly before the Oct. 2 Jefferson County School Board meeting.
teachers. In this case, the teachers aren’t demanding higher salaries or better benefits or collective bargaining rights; they are protesting in solidarity with the students – which shows just how appalling the proposed curriculum is. Not surprisingly, the new school board has won the praise of American for Prosperity-Colorado, the local organization affiliated with the national group run by Charles and David Koch. The Koch brothers, who have inherited their father’s oil and gas fortune, are known for opposing government regulation and defending economic freedom. It’s quite fitting that their
local affiliate would support and push for an academic curriculum that promotes the “benefits of the free enterprise system” and discourages civil disobedience – a common tactic of anti-oil climate change activists. History is not about learning the “positive aspects.” We study history to better understand why things are they way the are today. If your country was founded on and continues to thrive on what feminist writer, bell hooks, calls imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy, then you probably shouldn’t focus on the “positive aspects.” And if you don’t think that our country
was founded on imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy, then I suggest you study our history more closely. It is not the responsibility of the oppressed to educate their oppressors. What else was this country founded on? Revolution. Protest. Civil disobedience. A lack of respect for authority. Some history scholars like Gerald Horne even think that the Revolutionary War was actually a counter-revolution by conservative colonists to protect and expand slavery. It seems that the only type of dissent that the all-white Jefferson County School Board supports is the type that
mainly benefits white people. They want to put down all other dissent, using a history curriculum that lauds the achievements of white people and minimizes the struggle of the oppressed. So, to the protesting students, keep it up. You are embodying everything you’ve learned about history. You are making your history teachers proud. Maybe you’ll make it into a history textbook someday – as long as it’s not written by someone like the people on your school board. You are the real “patriots.”
COURTESY OF MEREDITH SUMMERS/THE OBSERVER
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October 9, 2014 THE OBSERVER
Hercules By CORINNE FITAMANT
May the gods let it rain May the gods let it rain. Tell them Hercules will come, “Il vais aller” Like a poor man to champagne. Take the poison from his chest Put his burning heart to rest And let it fall. It hits you at your weakest point Start to move, can’t feel your joints “Vous êtes içi, Il est en bas” You can’t move, so you pray to God “Vous êtes en bas, Il est en haut” Nowhere to turn, nowhere to go And it’s simple, restez tranquilles Let it be it’s your Achilles’ heel And that mean mean arrow made you bleed ‘till you bled Red roses, bleed ‘till you bled. Stay my hands, they have failed Stay my hands, they have failed. Couldn’t put them in the water, dans l’eau Didn’t put my fingertips below Too hot, hot for me there Mais ce n’est pas la fin, j’espère Trop chaud, trop chaud, too hot for me Trop chaud pour moi.
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The Conscious Consumer By BRIANNA GOODMAN
The sign read: Organic Heirloom Tomatoes--Grown in Mexico. She selected three and placed them carefully in the provided plastic bag. She then selected and bagged Organic Bananas-Grown in Ecuador, Organic Lemons--Grown in Italy, and Organic Peaches--Grown in Georgia. The potatoes she bagged twice, after the first bag tore slightly when the third potato was added. She tried the guacamole sample the lanky, bearded employee offered her. She took another when the employee turned his head. She bought nine ounces of chicken breast—“Could you wrap that one more time? I don’t want the juices leaking…”—and two bags of Organic Brown Rice Pasta© in both penne and fusilli. As she got to the register, she smiled politely when the woman asked her: “Paper or plastic?” She produced two identical canvas totes from inside of her purse. “Neither,” she replied. “I brought my own.”
Riverside Park By SANJA DMITROVIC
A golden glow emanates from the drooping elms. Children laugh, college kids scream. As strollers pass by, as squirrels scurry around The elms continue to sink, the vibrant glow fades. The shriveled brown leaves rest on the cold concrete Shaking, shivering, suffering. The biting wind gusts, Causing three mangled Trident wrappers to fall into The glistening water. The branches grow weak. A cigarette butt falls, joining the other debris. The bark starts to chip away. The light disappears. COURTESY OF SAMANTHA NORMAN
Living By CORINNE FOX
Unsatisfied By KATHERINE DUGGAN
“I don’t want to set you on fire.” “You already did.” We lay there in the sticky dark together, slow burning embers passed between two mouths. I threw my lighter into the mess of sheets, snarled my free fingers in the curls of his chest. The lighter quivered in my hand just like I had quivered only moments ago in his. I gave a quiet laugh as the flame danced precariously close to his blonde scruff. Now I sighed in happiness and uneasiness, a deep sigh that pulled my lungs open wide and poked my ribs against his. He held my Marlboro 100 aloft in his square fingers. My lips brushed filter and flesh as I took another drag. It was my pack, but he offered them confidently, the same way he took credit for my nerves firing and my toes curling. We listened to the celebrating drunk girls outside his bedroom window, laughing, screaming, spitting and preening. I listened to his breathing slow to sleep before gently extricating the cigarette from the hand draped over my chest. I nursed the dying cigarette back to life, coaxing it with an expertise he just didn’t have. He didn’t smoke habitually, just when he was drunk or high or after sex. All the normal times. I smoked when I woke up in the morning. I’d smoked in the shower, letting the hot water carry away the fumes. I sat on porches and leaned on doorframes, talking about God and menthols and everything in between. That’s where his fingers first brushed my thigh: a smoky doorway. And when we kissed his teeth like nicorettes. But he didn’t smoke. He didn’t always want to feel just a little different than he did. He wasn’t always on the verge, pestering on the edge of a cliff, satisfaction laying at the bottom, a thousand feet below. He wasn’t so lustful, so hungry, so selfish, so desirous, so imaginative as I was. He didn’t wake up wanting everything, because he fell asleep satisfied. And I fell asleep, smoking, floating embers like dreams I could hold a finger length away from myself but never touch. I fell asleep unsatisfied.
Specters of the past drift in the background of my life. What are memories but the particles we see floating in a beam of sunlight? Dancing. But we can lose sight of them. One thing doesn’t change— We’re forever entwined in our passions that never leave us and just keep building. They suffocate each other, And somehow give each other life. Sharing air and somehow managing not to die. You rage knowing that every perfect dream you ever create will never come true. You agonize that perfection does not exist because it is solely subjective. Come back to me, that feeling I can’t describe, come back so I can know you. Don’t leave, you didn’t stay long enough. I think I may love you. What fire you spark in me is the kind that hurts in all the greatest ways. It isn’t masochism if it makes you better. Heal me, let me feel that release. Opening up, reaching out, Like the waves of a melody bursting through the walls of its creator’s abode, No one can own you. No one can control you. But I’m going to try. I just keep leaping up into the air, hoping that at some point I will take flight. Did you ever have that fantasy? Driving through the fields, Standing at a cross street among the grime and the car horns, Staring at the sky with only your mailbox and suburbia as bystanders, Have you ever dreamt of rising up and leaving this world? Taking with you only you, All your glory, all your sorrow. Every pretty and painful piece of you that you wouldn’t dare to part with because You suffer and rejoice and die, and it’s all worth it because you are alive.
YUANXI LIU/THE OBSERVER
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THE OBSERVER October 9, 2014
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The Prince and the King By BENNY REGALBUTO
Today, I am the prince of Ranthrak, the northernmost kingdom on the mighty continent of Flentatia. Tomorrow, I shall be its king. Allow me to explain. The king is a great king, a loyal king, and, most importantly, an understanding king. He is responsive to the wants and needs of all Ranthrakians – the rich and the poor, the beautiful and the ugly. Advised by a wise council of brilliant lords, backed by an army of the best knights in the known world, he is a force to be reckoned with. If he wanted, the king could easily conquer the rest of Flentatia; but he is a kind and gentle king, only employing armed force when deemed necessary. But what is he most known for? Why do all men really respect the king of Ranthrak? In short, he killed a dragon. And not just any dragon, but the dragon: Wytherm, Creator of Fire. The beast’s oversized head hangs precariously – mouth gaping open, as if it was still straining to let out one last, glorious burst of searing orange flames in an attempt to fry its destroyer –in the king’s bedchamber, where he’s seen many a concubine in his day. Based on his traits as a ruler and his might as a warrior, anyone could easily conclude that the king is a stand-up guy, a benevolent man. But not everyone has to live with the king. Like I said, I’m the prince. That basically means I’m obligated to live in the castle – the dank, dreary, dim castle. I’m the kind of guy who embraces dank, dreary, dim places, so I don’t mind in the slightest. The only light I need is that of a few candles so that I can go about my studies. You can say I’m a bit of a glutton for books. My room is chock-full of them, covering every topic you could ever think of, from the one detailing the anatomy of red-tailed florks to the one recounting the events of the War of Xander II. I spend as much time as possible pouring over the volumes upon volumes of unending knowledge in order to increase my own brain capacities. Or should I say I spent as much time as possible doing that? This is where me becoming king tomorrow comes in. You see, the king, my father, recently took notice of my scholarly pursuits. He would walk in on me studying, reading, writing – all that good stuff – and always have something to say about it. “Aren’t you tired, son? Sitting here all day in the near-darkness doing nothing but this?” I would never answer, and he would leave. But one day, something changed in him. He marched in with a smile as wide as the River Yasint, and as idiotic as a dunbar. “Son,” he flourished, spreading his arms, “come with me, if you will. Please.” Something must have changed in me, too, because some force within me compelled me out of my well-worn bedroom chair; the only time I ever do that is to eat and
dispose of waste. He meanderingly led me to the training yard, where we have any number of bows and arrows, maces, greatswords, and all other sorts of brutish weaponry. “What are we doing, father?” “My dear son, it’s time that you realize that you can’t live your life through books. If you want to be king one day, you need to experience the real world. What better way to start than by venturing into Chintok Woods for a hunting expedition?” He wanted to change me – to fit his image of a perfect son. How quaint. His smile did not let up. In a monosyllabic monotone that would send a chill down the spine of Wendif the Fearsome, I simply stated the following: “No. I don’t want to.” “My boy, I insist! You need this. You are my only heir, and I need you to be capable of doing what a king must do when I’m gone. Do you understand?” I paused. Thought. Within moments, I mimicked his own ridiculous grin, welled up some good ol’ fashioned fake tears, and responded in a trembling voice, a voice of loving devotion, “Yes. Yes, father, I understand.” He embraced me in his mighty dragon-slaying snare, his great, bellowing laughter echoing off the thick walls of the courtyard. And so we began. Why did I accept? Why did I continue to go on trip after trip after trip? If it isn’t obvious by now, it’s exactly what I need to become king as quickly as possible, to prove that my intelligence outweighs my father’s compassion and skill. Still confused? Think about it. My father is training me with deadly weaponry in order to hunt, but who said it had to be used to hunt just the beasts of Chintok? Yes. I am going to slay the king, just as he slayed Wytherm all those years ago. This evening, for the first time, he has insisted that the royal guard does not accompany us into the dense forest shrubbery for our next trip; he wants some alone time with his son, the faithful dog of a prince. I’ve put on a good show; he suspects nothing, suspects that ever since that first day in the training yard that I’ve been enjoying every minute of our outdoor excursions. It’s all too perfect. Too perfect. Tomorrow, Ranthrak will fall into new hands earlier than expected. Tomorrow, the king will die a gruesome death befitting that of a dragon-slayer. Tomorrow, I shed the skin of princedom. Tomorrow… I become who I’m meant to be.
TYLER MARTINS/THE OBSERVER
The Decision By AREEG ABDELHAMID
We have decided against it, we have chosen not to. Forgive us but it was a matter of minutes. and we could not afford it, So we ask you, not to judge our decision, not to question our morals, not to repeat this story. Since, he will know. We have decided that tonight was the right time. We do not apologize. It was merely a choice. It is your last day.
i am By KAYLA D’ANGELO
i am a lowercase person. my eyes are entranced by shadows as i drift through life, never rising to meet another pair. i prefer gray so that i don’t have to choose between black and white. when i am silent i am invisible. i hardly even exist unless i prove it with my voice.
i am told we are all unique, we all come from stardust. there is no excuse to not make something of ourselves. i do not deny that the iron in our blood comes from the stars but i deny their definition of success. i am something. i am a lowercase person.
Washrooms By CHRISSY PUSZ
A complete stranger in an Olive Garden advised me to break up with my boyfriend before we’d ever been on a date. She sang me a lullaby as I wailed for my grandma in a bathtub at midnight. A paranoid teenager breathed a sigh of relief when I assured her there were no man-made stains on her Scene Queen jeans. A girl from the popular clique fetched my best friend when she found me crying into my kilt over a fight with my mother. The neighborhood drunk looked me in the eye and demanded I buy MAC because “that’s the good shit” and proceeded to explain the importance of moisturizer and lip liner. I stuffed sand-paper towels down the side of a Quinceañera dress where the seamstress had forgotten to remove her pins. A voice on the phone prayed over me in Spanish as I banged my face against the tiled floor, tormented by a love I had never received. She told me I had purpose as I contoured her face with tiger stripes. An aspiring nurse made a toilet paper Band-Aid for a friend who had been stomped by a Louboutin. I kissed tears from her cheeks when the PA announced she’d lost her Student Government position. A classmate slid a pad across the sink when she saw me rinsing out my boxers. I scraped gum off her boots as she recounted a tiff with a friend. A mother waited patiently as we crowded in front of the mirror for the perfect Facebook selfie. I twiddled my thumbs in a Dunkin Donuts as she prayed that the test wouldn’t show two lines. She dish-soaped stage makeup off the face of a friend who was too shy to face her boyfriend as an old man. I made plans to visit her dorm in fall as I learned to bleach hair in summer. A child-sized woman wiped tears off my face and assured me that I was the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. World peace could be achieved if politicians and diplomats treated one another like women treat women in the privacy of bathrooms.
TESSA VAN BERGEN/THE OBSERVER
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September 25, 2014 THE OBSERVER
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NIGHTLIFE Observer photographers documented life in the city after the sun goes down.
ISABEL FRIAS/THE OBSERVER
SARAH HOWARD/THE OBSERVER
REX SAKAMOTO/THE OBSERVER
REX SAKAMOTO/THE OBSERVER
ISABEL FRIAS/THE OBSERVER
TYLER MARTINS/THE OBSERVER
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THE OBSERVER September 25, 2014
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NIGHTLIFE
TESSA VAN BERGEN/THE OBSERVER
LAUREN MACDONALD/THE OBSERVER
SARAH HOWARD/THE OBSERVER
JESSICA HANLEY/THE OBSERVER
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October 9, 2014 THE OBSERVER
To Be a Writer. By JESSICA VITOVITCH
Writers. We are romantics. Thinkers. Architects of the mind. We build whole cities, open heavens, and part seas. We fight demons in the deepest, deathliest bowels of hell. But, not do we fight for glory or victorious prestige. Nor for man or likes of his kind. O’ not my dear friends. We are warriors of the mind, battling for what was knowledge in its purest, most delicate form. As pure as the light we had sucked up from the sun or the luminous glow we had drawn from the moon. We fight for light as it dwindles so dismally from being covered by the shadow of man’s mighty hands. Our battle I believe, the battle of a writer, is far more dangerous and complex and consequential than any war that could be fought, any blood that could be spilt, and any kingdom that could crumble. For without the mind, without the truth we are nothing. We are just bottomless echoes in the sea of same. Our minds deteriorating in it’s own wasteful, hollow thoughts. But with writing, with beauty, and creation, the mind becomes alive - pulsing and racing with thoughts, colors, emotions all unified into one beautiful piece, one deeply voice that shall not go unheard. This, my friend, is the sole drive of why I write; and why you should listen.
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Why I Write By ERIKA ORTIZ
The first of the poetry I experienced Was not Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein While the written word has its own place in my being It was not what opened my heart to poetry My dad played the violin as a child And he opened my world up to music And it was in each unique tune that I found the words The rhyming, the meaning, the emotion In attempts to learn, to be part of that music I learned the lyrics, the harmonies, the essence The aura they gave off, the aura they engulfed me in The mood, the rhythm, the feeling As I grew up and went to school Not every set of words had a melody But I read and I learned and I found something important A lesson that spurs me to create, write, compose Every poem is a song, even if it has no music
TYLER MARTINS/THE OBSERVER
The Grandpa
The Corner
By NICHOLAS RAGO
By MARGARET FISHER
He smells like pencil shavings and hazelnut coffee He stirs in a spoonful of brown sugar He reads the times at the table on his front porch If he craves a cigarette He eats sunflower seeds spitting shells into a mason jar Today his eyes smile on an auspicious Thursday in June His oldest granddaughter will visit They will drink iced tea and eat peanut butter and honey sandwiches She will read him the poems she wrote while at school or on the train And he will read the ones he wrote on his porch reading the paper and eating sunflower seeds
Today feels like wet woodchips. Like a soggy playground, and a misty field. Like moisture that beads on grass that is too green and seeps through socks as you step through, lifting the knees too high for little legs. Steam rises off the buildings here, and it would be warm if I could get inside. Today feels like wet woodchips. Like woodchips, and it smells like rain. Rain and dark circles. Dark circles to rub, because it’s Spring and time to move on. Because it’s raining, and that means it’s time to say goodbye. Today is like oak clocks in an old hallway, and a carpet that’s deep red like wine, and how pennies taste on the tongue. It would be warm if I could get inside. But I’d rather be out on this damp corner Under the shadow and the overhang. Today I’d rather be steeped in rain and fog. To sit on this dark rock and watch the forms pass silently by. Today I live just to soak. Because I know what it is, now. It came to me like a juicy secret, last night, when I rolled over and realized I hadn’t closed the blinds. “Love is a slow burn,” it said. “Love is a deep cook. It makes you soft. It makes you easy. It makes you finished.” So I reached for a paper to write it down, and today it was waiting for me by my bed like a fairytale bird. The kind that ties your hair back with a ribbon, and then pecks at your eyes.
KIRSTIN BUNKLEY/THE OBSERVER
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THE OBSERVER October 9, 2014
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Language Lover By KERRY MCCABE
“Qu’est-ce que je fais sans toi ?” I ask him, not expecting a response But thinking through the scenarios myself, mind occupied while lips automatically curl upward and prepare to touch— Sensation blocked by imagination I am southward-bound I am on a beach And the waves crash with force and fortitude And they remind me that the soft sand, that my soft flesh is only temporary “Que mes baisers soient les mots d’amour que je ne te dis pas,” he tells me And as lips touch again, mind occupies self with the speech of dreams “I know you,” he says, “And I know life is difficult to accept. We will work to find the antidote together.” Lips separate and silence sets Mind reels “Ça va ?” he asks me, and I reply, “Ça va.” But “ok” is a strange sentiment And if it goes, it goes where?
NELANIE CHAMBERLAIN/THE OBSERVER
COURTESY OF SAMANTHA NORMAN
COURTESY OF MEREDITH SUMMERS/THE OBSERVER
Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture Editor Ramona Venturanza — ramonaventuranza@gmail.com
October 9, 2014 THE OBSERVER
Jacqueline Reich Talks Italian Films in New York City By JOHN GUERIN Staff Writer
With an upcoming television appearance and several book releases, Fordham Chair of Communication and Media Studies Jacqueline Reich’s involvement in film academia is quite obvious. However, what stands out most about this scholar is her fascination with Italian cinema. On Saturday, Oct. 11, Reich is set to appear on CUNY Television’s “City Cinematheque” program, which screens a film and follows the screening with a discussion by film scholars and professionals. Reich will be talking about the prominent filmmaker, Roberto Rossellini, and his 1945 film “Rome, Open City.” In fall 2015, Reich will be releasing two more books regarding Italian cinema, entitled “Male Stardom, Italian Style” and “The Maciste Films of Italian Silent Cinema.” According to Reich, her active involvement and interest in foreign film stemmed from growing up in New York City. “My parents would always take me [to] the movies,” Reich said. “I remember going to double-features on weekends with my father. ‘The Maltese Falcon’ and ‘Casablanca,’ ‘Small Change’ and ‘The Red Balloon,’” she said. “I’ve always been a big film fan, and I knew I wanted to be a professor, so I just combined my interests and now I do what I love.” Reich’s passion for Italian films then led her to become a scholar in Italian Cinema. She later went onto receive a doctorate in Italian Literature from the University of California, Berkeley. After teaching at Stony Brook University for 18 years, Dr. Reich came to Fordham in 2012. On considering the availability of film in NYC today, Reich still said there are countless opportunities for both domestic and foreign, old and new films but claims that the locations to see a wide array of films has shifted. “The museums have really picked up the slack. Venues like The Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of the Moving Image, and
PHOTO COURTESY OF JACQUELINE REICH
Fordham Chair of Communication and Media Studies Jacqueline Reich discusses the characteristics of Italian cinema.
The Film Society of Lincoln Center, always have terrific viewing opportunities, events, retrospectives and festivals.” When asked about the differences between current Italian and American cinema, Reich said, “The major difference is that Italy’s film industry is state-subsidized, as are many foreign film industries, and has experienced drastic budget cuts. Also, there just aren’t enough movie theaters in Italy anymore. American movies
have largely taken over foreign markets.” She quickly searched the Italian box office statistics for 2014, which revealed that only one film in the top 10 grossing films is an Italian production (it’s just number nine). For Reich, television has proven more interesting. “Television is more able to play with formulas, codes and conventions that many films still follow. While TV is also very high budget, films are primarily concerned with the bottom line: making mon-
ey.” she said. “I just had a four-episode ‘True Detective’ binge. I’m very excited to welcome back ‘Homeland,’” Reich said. According to Reich, the best movies of the last five years have all come from Pixar. “Pixar has been so innovative, while still adhering to formulas, and seems to have the most creative freedom nowadays.” When asked to name her favorite films, Reich laughed and said, “That is a very difficult question. But if I
close my eyes, the films that immediately come to life are ‘La Dolce Vita’ ‘Goodfellas’ and anything with Cary Grant.” This semester, Reich is teaching Intro to Film at Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH). Reich has recently released her first book, “Beyond the Latin Lover: Mastroianni, Masculinity and Italian Cinema,” and has already published numerous academic articles and reviews which relate to Italian films, gender and stardom.
The Comma Interrobang
Finding Safe Space By NINA BERGBAUER Staff Writer
For the past few months I’ve been volunteering at an independent bookstore downtown that takes very seriously its aim to be a self-proclaimed “safe space.” If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it essentially means a space (whether literal or figurative) where individuals show respect for and awareness of each other’s backgrounds, experiences, and personal boundaries. Some standard policies in a safe space include, for instance, asking rather than assuming one’s preferred gender pronoun, or shutting the hell up rather than striking up a conversation about, say, a sexual assault you watched on “Law and Order” last night. While some laugh or roll their eyes at the concept of a safe space, it’s my opinion that any effort to offer individuals respite from the daily dose of shame, traumatic triggers and general discomfort they experience simply because of who they are and what they’ve endured, is an effort well-made. Being in spaces like these, I feel undeniably good. They should honestly be called “good vibes spaces.” The other day, though, I was working at the store, when some-
thing really surreal happened. I was behind the counter with another female volunteer. At the moment there were no customers – it was almost time to close – and our only other coworker at the time, who happened to be male, had just stepped out for a cigarette. Suddenly, as soon as he left, a middle-aged man walked in, carrying a giant duffle bag and smelling of pretty much whiskey and nothing else. He walked up to the counter and immediately launched into a terribly unconvincing sales pitch for pepper spray, at one point even unzipping his dirty bag to reveal cans upon cans of the stuff. At first we politely declined, laughing a little under our breaths at the absurdity of it. But then, something happened, something switched, and he became obstinate, surly, and angry. He started guilt tripping us, telling us that “ladies” living in New York can never be too careful, “if you know what I mean,” and that we were being really careless just walking around unprotected like that. At one point he laid his hands on the counter and got as close to us as was possible with the
solid barricade between us. It was truly surreal. First, of course, there was the laughable irony I was experiencing in having the sudden urge to mace the man trying to sell me mace. But also, there was the shock of having my safe space invaded – that this was happening here, where nothing bad was supposed to happen, where I always felt invincible. My safe space no longer felt safe. I walked home that night, alone, after my shift ended at 11:30 p.m. I was suddenly made eerily aware of the distortions of the night. My footstep, cast in the shadow of the moonlight, looking ten feet tall. My keys, clutched tightly in my fingers, suddenly a potential weapon to use against an unwanted advance. My mouth, suppressing any urge to relax into a smile lest someone treat it as an invitation to approach me. Maybe I was just afraid of the dark. Maybe I was being overly dramatic. But I do remember thinking as I walked home that safe spaces are definitely important, because, so often, they’re so hard to find.
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Arts & Culture
October 9, 2014 THE OBSERVER
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Fordham Student Releases Debut EDM Album By RAMONA VENTURANZA Arts & Culture Editor
At Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), Edward Arcabascio, FCLC ‘15, appears to be a typical, hardworking student. But at home in Staten Island, he mixes beats and synthesizes on his Mac and audio interfaces. With a new self-released album under his belt, Arcabasio is Electronic Dance Music (EDM) producer called “fizzEd,” who is working his way up in the music industry. Released early September of this year, Arcabasio’s debut album is entitled “There Is Time.” “The single, which is also titled ‘There Is Time,’ was the inspiration for the entire album,” he said. “The message of the single: Even though we go through hardships in life, there is time to have faith and hope to get through. Even if it feels like it can be like a spiral staircase that never ends, there is time and a way to get through it. It was a unique track in a way that it was dance music as well as a hint of religion.” Along with the single, the album features a total of three tracks. “[There Is Time and the upcoming album] falls under the category of EDM. But specifically, I would say the album is progressive house,” Arcabasio said. “Progressive house is a sub-genre of EDM. In progressive house, artists use a lot of chord progressions, and gradually add suspense as it proceeds to the ‘drop,’” Arcabasio said. “Now, progressive house is so diverse that artists have added some funk to it.” In order to put himself out there, Arcabasio has created Facebook, SoundCloud and Spotify accounts to reach out and pull in new fans. Arcabasio also plans to play gigs in New York City. “I have not performed at any events or concerts, but a friend of mine just opened a nightclub, so he’s probably going to try and get me in - I
PHOTO COURTESY OF EDWARD ARCABASIO
The album cover art of ‘There is Time,’ released by Edward Arcabasio.
think it will be a good start,” he said. Arcabasio is currently in the process of working on his next fulllength album, which will feature 10 to 12 tracks. He estimates that it will take approximately a year for the album to be finished. “For the next album, I am planning to use my own
voice to make my own synthesized sounds,” he said. “There is a lot of feeling in my music that I want to express in the new album, so that will give me the upper hand.” Arcabasio said that he draws his inspiration from fellow EDM artists, like Duke Dumont, Bob Sinclair, Awell and Skrillex. “All of their work
is very original. They don’t always sound like the typical EDM artists out there in the music industry.” According to Arcabasio, his favorite quality of EDM is its diversity. “You can make almost any sound you want now with software and hardware and you can sample live in-
struments as well to make anything sound how you want it. With certain amount of processing, anything is possible in the world of electronic music.” “What drew me into the genre specifically with dance music was the excitement and feeling you get when you listen to a hot new track. Like the song, ‘Greyhound’ by Swedish House Mafia, the main lead gives you the chills and almost makes you want to cry that’s how good it is,” Arcabasio said. “This is what drew me into the genre: the passion, the feeling and the excitement of the music.” As an economics major and music minor at Fordham, Arcabasio hopes to eventually work in the music industry. “I think majoring in economics would give me an upper hand in the industry; it would help me a lot in the business side of the industry. Also, I think the minor in music would boost up my chances working in the industry. I just want to learn everything about music here at Fordham.” As an artist, Arcabasio hopes to further expand his knowledge in music. “I want to go on and learn more about the types of sounds I can make through electronic dance music,” he said. “I just want to keep on making better music. My dream is to be a performer - a professional record producer.” With its already fast rise in the music industry, Arcabasio sees EDM growing more and more. “Many artists are using innovative ways to push the genre forward. People forget that it is still ‘music’. Just because it’s is electronic dance, doesn’t mean it’s all about computers,” he said. “Like myself and other artists, the use of more organic elements is coming up such as live instrumentation in the studio or in live sets. And I feel with that and the evolution of newer sounds, the industry will grow into something more spectacular.”
A First Timer’s Guide to New York Comic Con By RAMONA VENTURANZA Arts & Culture Editor
From Oct. 9-12, one of the East Coast’s biggest pop cultural conventions, New York Comic Con, will be taking over the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Signings, panels and booths cover everything, from comics, graphic novels, anime, manga and video games, to toys, movies and television. Does this sound overwhelming to you? President of the Graphic Novel Society and Freelance Writer at ComicBlitz LLC, Elizabeth Heyman, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) `16, provides an inside scoop on how a first timer should navigate this massive event. THE OBSERVER: First of all, what
is the main focus of this year’s New York Comic Con, and what are we generally expected to see?
HEYMAN: New York Comic Con,
which happens a couple of months [after] San Diego Comic Con, occurs at the end of the comic book season. Writers and artists explain exactly what we should be looking forward to and what projects they are working on.
THE OBSERVER: Especially with
a huge event like Comic Con, how do you suggest a first timer prepare for it?
HEYMAN: The best way to approach
is doing your research beforehand and looking up things that you specifically are looking forward to. Making the most of the experience is all about knowing what you want to see and seeking it out. There is also a lot to see, so I would recommend spacing your time between panels and signings, as well as
making time to wandering around, because you need a lot of time for that. THE OBSERVER: You said that
there will be panels; what do the speakers usually cover?
HEYMAN: The artists and writ-
ers at the panels are usually in the middle of working on a new comic book series; so panels are meant for building anticipation for whats to come in their comic book series. People should be prepared to ask their favorite writers questions; this is a good time to talk about the work itself and what’s to come. THE OBSERVER:In regards to signings, who can we expect to see? HEYMAN: There are always sign-
ings happening, not with just writers and artists, but also personalities. If you are willing to stand in line for hours and hours, you can probably get some actor signings. Some big names include writers like Brian Michael Bendis, Gail Simone and Scott Snyder. Popular actors at these signings also include Jonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu and Mike Tyson. Lots of people, lots of fun.
THE OBSERVER: It seems like
everyone flocks to the booths at Comic Con. What’s so special about them?
HEYMAN: Booths, like that of
Image Comics, Marvel and DC, will always be handing fans free merchandise. They have everything, from lanyards, posters, t-shirts, mugs, etc. So first timers should get as much merch as they can!
THE OBSERVER: What happens
if we don’t have a ticket to Comic Con, yet would still like to participate in the event. Are there any
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT SALVANE VIA FLICKR
New York Comic Con attendees dress up as their favorite comic book characters.
alternatives? HEYMAN: There are a lot of events
outside of Comic Con that are related. I know in the past, they have had The Walking Dead Zombie Walk, as well as different kinds of city events outside of the expo itself that relate to the shows and comics itself.
THE OBSERVER: What is your
favorite part about Comic Con?
HEYMAN: My favorite part about
Comic Con is interacting on a personal level with my heroes and talking about comics. I like being able to talk about comics the way I
don’t usually do and getting different perspectives on comics. I also like getting to meet people who are involved in the industry. THE OBSERVER: Are there any
new, up-and-coming comics that we should be aware of before going to Comic Con?
HEYMAN: Marvel is coming out
with a lot of new comics; this past week, they came out with a new story, with a female protagonist. Also in Marvel, Captain America is now going to be played by the former Falcon, who is a black male. In Image Comics, there are going to
be changes happening in Batman, so people should keep a lookout for that. THE OBSERVER: Would you
suggest coming to Comic Con in a costume?
HEYMAN: I think if you want to
dress up in a costume, this is the time to do it. At Comic Con, it is really anything goes. This is where everyone gets to be their own superhero. But if you don’t feel comfortable wearing a cosplay costume, there are also plenty of people who dress in regular clothing.
Features
Features Editor Ian McKenna —ianmckennawmc@gmail.com
October 9, 2014 THE OBSERVER
A Day on the Plaza
By ALANNA KILKEARY Staff Writer
September 25, 2014, 6 a.m., Eastern Standard Time I turn over as the light peeks into my bedroom window on the 10th floor of McMahon Hall. It’s supposed to be a beautiful day, and by the bright sunlight, it seems that it is going to be. Suddenly, a faint and rhythmic chant grows louder and louder outside my window. It seems to be coming from the Outdoor Plaza. I wearily hop out of bed and look over out onto the green space tucked between the Law School and McMahon Hall. Below, some 10 to 20 men in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) attire march across the field in military fashion. They move with precision in their camouflage ensembles (which ironically, aren’t so camouflage against the background of the buildings surrounding them), and practice their routine for the next hour or so, efficiently using the space for their drill. Besides serving as space for Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) ROTC Program, the Outdoor Plaza, is a part of our 8-acre superblock here at FCLC. On tours of our campus, ambassadors are told to inform visitors that “if the [Outdoor Plaza] isn’t enough green space for you, we are two blocks away from Central Park!” Not only does this encourage prospective students who want that “campus feel” to consider FCLC, it also implies that a large number of our student body enjoys green space in the city. And, that is just what I set out to confirm: Does our student body use the Outdoor Plaza to the fullest extent possible? Camera and notebook in hand, I sat outside on the Plaza for one whole day. I studied people, talked to students and snapped photos. This is what I observed: 10:44 a.m.: Quiet, no one standing outside, it’s a chilly day out. A few students sat, drinking their morning coffee and working on their laptops at the white tables just
outside McMahon Hall. By the Atrium, a few students sit on the blue benches just parallel to Lowenstein. One was on the phone, the other, reviewing notes and studying. 11:22 a.m.: Right before class time, many students walk from McKeon or McMahon to Lowenstein with backpacks, books and laptops. Some rush, worried about being late to their 11:30 class, while others stroll casually by. Additionally, about 10 to 20 students stand on the left side of Lowenstein’s plaza entrance, smoking cigarettes before class. 1:10 p.m.: Just around lunchtime. Students walking in and out of Lowenstein with food, some stopping to say hello to their friends who were sitting or smoking in the Plaza, others walking straight over to McMahon. A few students standing and smoking cigarettes parallel to Lowenstein. 3:00 p.m.: The action has died down except for a few students sitting parallel to the Atrium, chatting for a while. 3:45 p.m.: A huge number of students walking to class at 4 p.m. Some stop to smoke beforehand, others head over to Lowenstein directly. Some students start making use of the green space in front of the Law School Building by sitting on the grass and chatting for a while. 5:10 p.m.: A small toddler and his nanny arrive in the Outdoor Plaza, the toddler seems to know his way around, so he must often visit this space. He runs around the far side of the plaza next to the old Law School, and his nanny runs after him, ensuring his safety. 8:30 p.m.: It’s just after sundown, and the plaza is quiet. A few passersby carrying bags walk through to McMahon, and a group of graduate students head into Lowenstein. I decide to call it a night, and head back into McMahon. After spending a day sitting outside and observing our use of the Outdoor Plaza, I can’t say I’m surprised. It seems as if the majority of students use the space to smoke,
LAUREN MACDONALD/THE OBSERVER
Part of the green space of Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s Robert Moses Plaza.
chat for a small amount of time and walk through as they head to class. Students come and go from McMahon, but members of McKeon do seem to relax on the greenspace outside the New Law School Building. Families and individuals who come to use the space publicly also seem to keep to themselves and do not stay very long. In response to a question about his thoughts on the Outdoor Plaza, Avery Bart, FCLC ’16 remarked, “I
don’t use it. However, the new building gives it more of a campus feel. Some freshman might use it, but mainly, it’s just going to be used for them to get to Lowenstein.” On the contrary, Camellia Bai and Tatiana Barsukova, FCLC ’18, agreed that it is a space that freshmen use quite often. Camellia and Tatiana expressed that they hang out there multiple times a week with their friends, before, after and in between class. They also said that
“members of the class of 2018 often play Frisbee and soccer outside on the green during the weeknights and weekends.” Clearly, the upperclassmen are not inclined to take full advantage of the Outdoor Plaza, while the freshman class (as well as the ROTC on early mornings) seems to be making good use of the space. This bodes well for the future of Fordham, for the newcomers will slowly but surely shift the current dynamic.
NEXT AND THE CITY
Beggars Can’t Be Hooters: A Midtown Meal Gone Wrong PAYTON VINCELETTE Staff Writer
ISABEL FRÍAS/THE OBSERVERS
A first date in a Hooters? What could go wrong?
Let me start by admitting that I may be a little bit addicted to Tinder. It’s the app I use whenever I’m bored or don’t know what to do. It’s just fun: swiping left, swiping right and getting a match. I can’t stop. But anyway, my love for swiping aside: Last week, I went on my very first Tinder date, and I have to say, it was not as horrible as I was expecting! We’ll call the guy Cash. (He paid for dinner in cash. I don’t know; I’m not very good with nicknames and that stuck with me.) I had been talking to him for about a week before we met in person, and he seemed really sweet. Cash was from India, texted me every day, and unlike just about every other guy, never once brought up sex. I liked his opening message too: “So you’re the girl I’ve been searching all around New York for.” I cringed and laughed at the same time. In retrospect, I realize that he probably said this to every girl, but I’m a sucker for cheesy lines. The great news is that I wasn’t catfished, and he was not a psycho serial killer/murderer. Or at least
he wasn’t on the first date. These were very real fears that I had, not because of anything he said, but because my mom has instilled it into me that there are crazy people everywhere. I told her that I would have to go on dates with random
Sparks are real, and I’m waiting to experience it. men for this column, and I don’t think she’s had a full night’s sleep since. Cash and I met at the Time Warner Center, and he looked like his photo, 6 feet tall and pretty handsome. We walked all across Midtown because I couldn’t decide what to eat, and he didn’t mind. The conversation was fun, with me mostly poking fun at the fact that he did not know he had an accent and him making fun of me for getting us lost. We ended up eating at Hooters because Cash had never been and I wanted to give him the real American experience. Plus I love their fried pickles. Once we were inside, Cash absolutely refused to make eye contact with our waitress.
Scared of offending me, he would not look at any of the beautiful women walking by, and it was pretty hilarious. We talked about our respective future plans, traveling and everything was going well. Then he said it: “I think you’d look a lot better if you put on some weight.” Ummm, excuse me? “What? Don’t girls like that? I want you to gain weight,” Cash said. This came after I had eaten my entire meal, most of the appetizer and told him I have a hard time gaining weight. I was honest and told him that I thought what he said was rude. He wouldn’t apologize, and eventually I had to move on. I mean, is it accepted in Indian culture to talk about a woman’s weight? Because here in America, that is not okay. I did not kiss him goodnight, but it wasn’t because of that. We were standing at the entrance to the subway and he just stared at me, before I gave him a kiss on the cheek. Am I going to see him again? I’m not sure. I didn’t feel any sparks. When I told him that he replied that sparks were made up by girls to put a guy in the friend zone, but he’s wrong. Sparks are real, and I’m waiting to experience them.
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Features
October 9, 2014 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
WORD OF MOUTH
Fall Flavors to Fall in Love With ROSANNA CORRADO Staff Writer
Well it’s fall again, which means there will be an endless barrage of “fall” flavored foods, baked goods and drinks. While I love to hate on pumpkin spice lattes as much as the next gal, I am not afraid to admit that when the temperature starts to drop and the leaves begin turning colors, I begin craving something sweet to eat, preferably with pumpkin or apple. If you are coming down with a case of solstice-fueled cravings, check out these joints to make your mouth water.
MAISON KAYSER: 1800 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10019
I love Maison Kayser and was super excited when they finally opened up a Columbus Circle location last year. While Maison Kayser’s breads are exceptional, their pastries are not to be ignored. When apples begin to come in season, I inevitably begin to crave their apple tart. Unlike the traditional molded tarts, Maison Kayser combines all of the best elements of a traditional French tart and elevates it. The tart consists of a rich, buttery layer of puff pastry that is baked to a perfect golden brown crisp. On top of the crust is a single layer of thinly sliced apples, which are slightly burnished from being baked in the hot oven. The apples are topped with an apricot jam that keeps the apples moist and enhances their tartness. The tart apple flavor is the perfect complement to the rich crust. Since the “tart” is so thin, the dessert is light but will definitely satisfy your fall craving for an apple tart.
MAGNOLIA BAKERY 200 COLUMBUS AVE NEW YORK, NY
ROSANNA CORRADO/THE OBSERVER
A selection of Rosanna’s sweet fall treats.
I was very reluctant about reviewing something from Magnolia Bakery. To be honest, I think their cupcakes are overhyped and oversweet. However, when I heard they had apple crumb bars and pumpkin pecan bars, I decided to give them a try and was pleasantly surprised. The apple bars had large slices of apples that were coated and baked in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. The crust is not as buttery or rich as the one from Maison Kayser and is slightly greasy but the
delicious apple filling elevates the slightly underwhelming crust. The crumb on top was my favorite part of the bar. It was perfectly crumbly and had hints of cinnamon and butter. The crumb melts into the apple filling, which creates a nice mix of textures; the crumb topping is slightly crisp, and the sautéed apples are smooth. The pumpkin pecan bar was a pleasant surprise. I am not a huge pumpkin fan, but this bar convinced me otherwise. The crisp pecan topping was exactly like the pecan topping in a pecan pie. The pecans were nutty and baked to a perfect golden brown; they even had the slight caramel flavor pecans have in pecan pie. The crunchy nuts were the perfect complement to the silky pumpkin filling, which was warm and tasted like it was spice with cinnamon and nutmeg. Overall, I would recommend the pumpkin pecan bar over the apple crumb bar, but both were decent.
crust is the real deal; it is the epitome of a classic American double pie crust right down to the perfectly proportioned lattice crust. If pies are not your thing, Two Little Red Hens also make seasonal cupcakes in two sizes, mini and regular. I got the pumpkin spice cupcake, which is a pumpkin spice cake with pumpkin apricot cream cheese frosting. It has a delicate pumpkin flavor and a dense crumb. The frosting is genius. The apricots enhance the tanginess of the cream cheese and complement the pumpkin flavor. This was my favorite pumpkin flavored treat because it wasn’t one-dimensional pumpkin and spice on top of pumpkin and spice. The tanginess, sourness and fruitiness from the frosting really brings out the pumpkin and puts a unique twist on an old fall classic. My recommendation: Get a slice of Fall Medley Pie and a mini pumpkin spice cupcake. You won’t regret it.
I know you are looking at the address and thinking it is all the way on the Upper East Side, and I don’t have time for all of that. But, after you try the fall treats at Two Little Red Hens, you will make time. They offer a variety of fall pies, everything from apple crumb to pumpkin. However, you have to try the Fall Medley Pie; it is hands down the best pie I have had in a long time (and I eat a lot of pie). The fall medley pie consists of apples, pears, plums, golden raisins, cranberries, apricots, ginger, walnuts and spices. It sounds like a slightly odd mix of flavors, but it works oh so well. Everything is baked together so the result is a rich fruit filling. The apples meld beautifully with the pears and plum, which enhance the apple flavor and bring out its natural tang. The golden raisins and cranberries are plump and juicy, a far cry from the shriveled ones you keep in the back of your pantry just in case the apocalypse comes and there is a food shortage. The ginger adds extra depth of flavor and an unexpected spicy zing at the end of the bite. And the crust … oh the crust. It’s good. Like really good: buttery, flaky, crisp yet slightly doughy, golden brown. This
9TH AVE
TWO LITTLE RED HENS 1652 SECOND AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10028
BONUS REMIX: SAVORY FALL ITEM: DONNA BELL’S BAKE SHOP 301 W 49TH ST BETWEEN 8TH &
So I had to throw something savory in the mix, and while Donna Bell’s Bake shop has some delicious fall sweets, like their rich and decadent pumpkin cheesecake bars, I highly recommend their biscuits. For me biscuits equal fall because they have the only combination of butter to flour ratio that will satisfy my major carb cravings that kick in when the weather starts to get cold. While their plain, classic biscuit is delicious, their flavored biscuits are phenomenal. The bacon blue cheese and parsley one is my favorite. The perfect accompaniment to soup on a crisp fall day, this biscuit has a crusty and crisp texture on the outside. When you break into it, steam releases and gives way to fluffy and doughy innards that is packed with bits of fatty bacon and creamy blue cheese. The parsley balances out the saltiness and adds fresh herbal hints. The biscuit is satisfying and delicious. So there you have it, my favorite fall treats! Go out and try any or all and let me know what you think! Also if I missed some of your favorite fall treats, let me know and I will be sure to taste them in the future!
Watching Television in the 21st Century: Catching Your Favorite Shows While in College By NANOR HARTOUNIAN Staff Writer
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” Charles Dickens once wrote about every new fall television lineup. Your favorite shows are back. Your old classics are now resting in peace (or working their way back from the dead, à la “Community” or “Arrested Development”). And a scary fleet of shiny new shows is here to tempt you into viewing. But, is start of the fall TV line-up really that big of a deal anymore? In the age of Netflix and Hulu, torrenting and iTunes, what does “tune in next week” even mean? Does anybody even watch TV anymore? For Anitra Singh, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’15, the shows that debut during the fall are the cream of the crop. “My favorites include ‘Scandal,’ ‘The Mindy Project’ and ‘Once Upon A Time,’” she said. Although she enjoys keeping up with these programs weekly, Singh admits to also watching old favorites on everyone’s favorite procrastination platform: Netflix. “I haven’t been binge-watching anything lately, but over the summer, I watched a
lot of ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘How I Met Your Mother.’” Interestingly enough, Netflix introduced her to the first couple seasons of “Scandal.” Danielle Villanella, FCLC ’15, is a fan of the current television season on an entirely different level. “I have a calendar. Since I watch about 10 shows, I have to write down all
How do you watch television in the digital age? of the premiere dates.” She is most excited about the return of veteran favorites “Supernatural,” “Criminal Minds” and “Bones.” As tempting as it is, it would be unrealistic to say that college students always have the time to fit in watching television shows into their busy schedules. As Anna Barbano, FCLC ’17, puts it, “If it means that I have to stay up an extra 45 minutes to do my homework and then catch a bit of a show I’m watching, sleep takes the back seat.” Villanella also confessed to falling prey to the power of Netflix,
having already watched all six seasons of “Lost” since this semester started. That’s roughly 5,040 hours spent on watching the series in the span of about a month. Daniel Wilson, FCLC ’17, happens to be in the rare category of those who practice self-control when it comes to watching television shows. “I’ve never been one to binge-watch,” he said. After witnessing a friend binge-watch all six season of “Breaking Bad” in one week, Wilson isn’t eager to do the same. Hadeer Ali, FCLC ’14, is also one to avoid such habits. “I don’t fall under that temptation anymore because I have a bad attention span,” she said. One of the struggles that dedicated Netflix watchers face is the dilemma of how its Original Series are released. For example, shows like “Orange Is the New Black,” arguably the most popular of them all, release their episodes in seasonal bursts. Juan-Pablo Alba Dennis, FCLC ’17, has varying preferences on the matter. “I would rather have [episodes] all come out at once if I had the time to watch them. But I prefer their releases being delayed because that way, I don’t waste time,” he said.
REX SAKAMOTO/THE OBSERVER
Clockwise from right: Daniel Wilson, Juan-Pablo Alba Dennis, Anna Barbano, Hadeer Ali, Danielle Villanella and Anitra Singh.
Sports
Sports Editor Dylan Penza - dpenza@fordham.edu
October 9, 2014 THE OBSERVER
Fordham Predicts The MLB Playoffs By THOMAS O’CALLAGHAN Staff Writer
After a wild regular season that saw many teams toy with contention, the postseason looks to be no different. These playoffs seem to be one of the most wide-open in recent memory. As such, the opinions of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC)’s baseball-loving minority have been scattered. Twenty baseball fans were polled and the result showed the Dodgers having a slim edge over other favorites the Orioles, Angels, Tigers and Nationals. The Athletics also had some votes, but that was before the Royals’ 12-inning upset on Tuesday night. There is no consensus among FCLC’s baseball fanbase, and it is easy to understand why: There is no clear favorite, even among the likes of the baseball pundits of ESPN. So, what will it take for these Fordham picks to make the World Series? BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Many of the polled students who chose the Orioles cited the team’s offensive prowess as the main reason. While the Orioles’ pitching was good (seventh in ERA), their bats won them ball games with an MLB-leading 211 home runs. The high-power offense, led by MLB HR leader Nelson Cruz, drove the Orioles to finish the season 30 games over .500 and in first place in the AL East. The inconsistent pitching (25th in quality starts) will have to bear down and keep the offense in the game in order for the O’s to contend.
LOS ANGELES ANGELS
Doug Pardella, FCLC ‘17 believes the Los Angeles Angels are favorites due to the “power of Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and the Angels’ [offense].” The Angels have looked like a powerhouse for much of the season, but their starting rotation, headlined by Jered Weaver, has been decimated by injuries. Expect pitching to be be a question mark for the team. They will have to reverse their current momentum to compete in the playoffs as well, as they finished the regular season three and seven. DETROIT TIGERS
The perennial contenders from Detroit are also in the thick of the hunt this October. Led by superstar Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers own one of the league’s premier offenses: first in batting average, second in runs, and second in slugging this season. The pitching was projected as a major strength this year, but that has yet to be seen. Detroit has a trio of Cy Young winners in the rotation, including last year’s winner Max Scherzer but they are still below league average with a 24th-ranked ERA. However, if this struggling rotation pitches to its reputation, this could finally be the Tigers’ year. WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Several students also believe in the Nationals’ chances to go all the way this year. The Nationals carry great momentum into the postseason, as they finished on a eight and two run, including a no-hitter thrown by Jordan Zimmermann on Sept. 29. The Nationals’ strength is their
incredible pitching staff, led by Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez, which has the lowest ERA (3.03) in the league this season. Washington’s power arms will keep the team’s championship dreams afloat, but the middle-of-the-road offense will need to score some runs. LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Most FCLC baseball fans believe in the Dodgers’ chances to win a ring this October. The main reason for confidence in LA’s chances is Cy Young favorite and possible MVP candidate Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw pitched to the tune of an MLBlow 1.77 ERA this season and went 21 and three to lead an impressive LA pitching staff. The Dodgers’ offense ranked sixth in runs and third in batting average this season, so LA looks to be one of the most complete teams in these playoffs. THE BOTTOM LINE
As Pardella, said, “The Nationals and Dodgers are going to be the top two teams this postseason.” So, don’t be surprised to see a Washington vs. Los Angeles series for the National League Pennant. The American League is truly wide open; any team could get hot and take it all the way. The deciding factor in the AL will be whose bats heat up first. There very well could be a Battle for LA come World Series time or perhaps even the underdog Kansas City Royals can defeat some of the teams mentioned above, but this young postseason has already shown us to expect the unexpected.
COURTESY KARL MERTON FERRON/BALTIMORE SUN VIA MCT
Many FCLC students believe that Bryce Harper can lead the Washington Nationals to a World Series Title.
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Sports
October 9, 2014 THE OBSERVER
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Becky Hammon and the Future of Women in the NBA
The San Antonio Spurs’ new assistant coach may increase female representation in men’s basketball By DYLAN PENZA Sports Editor
On Aug. 5 of this year, Becky Hammon was hired as an assistant coach for the NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs. While the hiring of deputy mentors within professional men’s basketball does not normally constitute particularly exciting news, Hammon’s appointment is not only intriguing but ground breaking. While Lisa Boyer may rightfully be called the first woman to ever coach after spending one season helping to guide players on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Hammon will be the first full-time, salaried, female assistant coach within the NBA. While we cannot predict how Hammon’s coaching future will unfold, this cannot be considered less than a momentous event for women in not only involved in basketball but professional sports in general. Hammon has spent the last seven years of her professional basketball career playing for the San Antonio Stars, a WNBA affiliate. Over her 14-year playing career, including a seven-year tenure with the New York Liberty and the previously mentioned stint with the Stars, she established herself as one of the most talented and intelligent players in her league. At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Hammon led the Russian National Team to a bronze medal and in 2011, she was selected as one of the WNBA’s top 15 players of all time. No one doubts Hammon’s basketball acumen, so her success will mainly depend on whether or not the notorious boys’ club of an NBA locker room will will accept and listen to her. However, with the backing and confidence of one of the greatest leaders in NBA history Gregg Popovich, Hammon will hopefully lead us into a new era of prosperity for women in sports. Wallis Monday, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’16, President of ISIS (FCLC’s Feminist Club) and a San Antonio native, believes that Hammon’s hiring as a salaried coach will help lessen the “huge discrepancies in pay for women in sports.” According to the NBA’s website, the average player makes around $5.1 million annually and the highest
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHUCK MYERS VIA MCT
Hammon’s position in the NBA may become more influential than her illustrious playing career.
paid (Kobe Bryant) earns more than $23 million. The most wellpaid WNBA players make just over $100,000, and many play overseas
in the offseason to supplement their relatively meager income. Except for in the event of a lockout, one would never see a Kevin Du-
rant or Lebron James even think of spending their offseason playing in China or Europe. However, for their WNBA counterparts such as
superstars Maya Moore and Skylar Diggins, leaving their country is just a reality of the job year after year. According to many with an interest in equality in sports, including Monday, Hammon’s NBA assistant coach-sized salary marks a closer step to equal wages within the athletic world. Monday appears cautiously optimistic about the future of women in the NBA but understands that not every team has the same sort of professional standards as her hometown Spurs. “It’ll be only this team this year, but maybe next year, two more teams will hire women. I would really love that, but I’m not sure because each team has a different dynamic at the organizational level.” Women such as Pat Summit of the University of Tennessee and Tara VanDerveer of Stanford University, considered to be some of the greatest coaches of all time regardless of gender, have demonstrated that women can be equally successful as men with regards to coaching. When asked why these women have never been offered higher paying jobs as coaches of men’s teams, Monday attributed the psychological stigma some males face when they choose to look up to a woman as a role model. “When you’re a woman, it’s perfectly acceptable to have a male role model, but if you’re a guy it can be seen as weird. Many men don’t think it comes naturally to them.” While Hammon has been hired as an assistant coach, many see this as the first step toward a female head coach or general manager. Monday doesn’t believe that Hammon or anyone other than Popovich will be coaching her team anytime soon, but she does think that there’s “potential for one team to maybe scoop [Hammon] up and make her their head coach. With Becky Hammon as a model, up and coming female players will be able to set that goal for themselves that may have seemed unobtainable.” We don’t know for certain that Hammon will rise into a head coaching position. However, she has been given this opportunity which demonstrates that a new era for women in basketball has begun.
Inside the Cash Cow that is Fantasy Football How fantasy football leagues have changed fandom
By DAN FERRARA Staff Writer
Fantasy football has continuously grown since its conception in the early 1990s, but recently its magnitude has exponentially multiplied. Can it be the savior for a league that has been so downtrodden by seemingly constant off the field issues? Playing fantasy football has become easier than ever in the advanced technological age we live in. Setting your lineups and making roster moves are all at your fingertips, just one tap away from coming to fruition. Since the creation of apps made for smartphones, fantasy football has become the ultimate time-killer and has virtually exploded in usage. In 2013, 25.8 million people played fantasy football, a major increase from just two million in 2000, according to quickenloans.com. Given its popularity, it is safe to assume that fantasy football is one key reason that the NFL will not become financially insecure or on the verge of folding for the foreseeable future. No matter how bad the off-the-field issues get, people will still be in the
seats, and eyes will still be on the television screen, either to root for their favorite team or to make sure the players they have drafted have a successful day. In fact, besides simply keeping people watching football and getting involved, fantasy football actually forces fans to watch more games and coverage than they normally would. “It does affect my viewership in terms of unattractive matchups,” Jon Perez, play-by-play announcer for John Jay College and ESPN3 said. “For instance, the [Pittsburgh] Steelers/[Tampa Bay Buccaneers] game today – I have two Steelers on my team, so there’s an interest in watching that game solely on which player is on my fantasy team.” Fantasy football also has the power to destroy all of your allegiances and loyalties as a dedicated fan. According to Matthew Critchlow, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ‘15, no realworld NFL rivalry is safe when it comes to fantasy football. “I’ll even root for the Eagles for a down or two if I need points from one of their players,” Critchlow, a
lifelong Giants fan, said. In regards to whether fantasy football affects his viewership, Critchlow added, “A hundred percent. [I’ll] keep track of other games I wouldn’t have any interest in otherwise.” After all, it’s the perfect way to occupy one’s Monday, Thursday, and of course Sunday. This is because theoretically, one could have players on their fantasy team competing on any of those days at any of the NFL’s scheduled game times. This keeps fans watching not just particular games, but every game all weekend. If not to win and compete against one’s friends, fantasy football at the very least provides the best excuse to procrastinate on that big assignment. The NFL generates so much revenue off television contracts, advertisements and endorsements that fantasy football only directly contributes a small portion of their $9 billion annual profit. However, the game keeps the casual fan more interested because they feel more vicariously involved and has the really dedicated fan virtually watching every snap of every game.
LAUREN MACDONALD /THE OBSERVER
Smartphone apps have contributed to fantasy football’s popularity