Fordham Observer - Issue 14

Observer the

DECEMBER 11, 2014 VOLUME XXXIII, ISSUE 14

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USG Approves Record Number of Clubs

Photo Feature

By TYLER MARTINS Editor-in-Chief

On Thursday, Dec. 4, Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC)’s United Student Government (USG) approved the creation of five new clubs on campus, according to Vice President of Operations Jacob Azrilyant, FCLC ’16.

The addition of the five clubs brings the total of clubs created this semester to a record high of seven.

Only six clubs were created during the entire 2013-2014 academic year.

The clubs approved this semester include Archery Club, Generation Citizen, Basketball Club, Film Society, Investment Group at Fordham Lincoln Center, Model United Nations and Philosophy club.

The process for starting a new club on campus begins with the parties interested in submitting an online form. Next, the students meet with USG’s Vice President of Operations to discuss the club registration packet, which “contains the advisor consent form, executive board information, club member petitions and example constitution,” Azrilyant said.

Crafting the constitution “can take up to several weeks, to a month, [to] two months depending on how complex they want their constitution to be,” Azrilyant said. Club constitutions “outline everything from the executive board members, who they are when they meet, what their purpose is, when they hold elections,” according to Azrilyant.

After several rounds of revisions, the constitution is reviewed by Keith Eldredge, dean of students at FCLC, and Dorothy Wenzel, Ph.D, director of the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development (OSLCD). Once approved, the club registration packet is up for a vote by the USG Senate.

If approved, clubs will be put on a 14-week probationary period, where they can only request two budget line items from Student Activities Budget Committee (SABC). “Full approval can take somewhere from

TYLER MARTINS/THE OBSERVER

For this semester’s last issue, Observer photographers took photos of holiday lights. See centerfold for more.

Lack of Female Security Supervisors on Campus

By ADRIANA GALLINA News Editor

The last College Council meeting, on Thursday, Nov. 13, raised concerns about the lack of female security supervisors at Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) campus. Currently, there are eight female security duty supervisors and 43 male security duty supervisors across all campuses. There are 10 male security supervisors and no female supervisors at FCLC. “Nothing would make me happier,” John Carroll, vice president of Public Safety and Security, said in regards to the request for more female supervisors.

A big question the council asked

was why the hiring pool was limited to the New York Police Department (NYPD). According to the latest official New York City records, 66 percent of the NYPD are male. According to an official NYPD press release in 2012, there were 6,000 female police officers, about 50 were ranked as captain and above.

But according to Carroll, this is incorrect. The Public Safety and Security hiring committee look to any major law enforcement agency to hire security supervisors, not just the NYPD. “I have guys here from the Department of Corrections, I have guys from Westchester County Police, former New Jersey police officers,” he said.

So, why are there so few female security supervisors compared to their male counterparts? According to Carroll, duty security supervisors must have held ranking positions within their agencies. “Meaning they have had to have been ‘bosses,’” he said.

“It’s been my experience, and I’ve been doing this for a long long time, when you get ‘bosses’ they are not adverse to making decisions that involve their subordinate personnel,” Carroll, who was in the NYPD for almost 20 years, said.

Carroll believes lower ranking officers or detectives would be more hesitant in making decisions.

“I have struggled for 10 years now to get [more] females in my

ranks,” Carroll said. “The problem is, women are like a treasure.” He continued, “They are very difficult to find because a lot of times when they retire they don’t take second jobs, whereas a lot of guys do.”

Patricia Upton, deputy emergency manager at Fordham, echoed John Carroll’s sentiments that female ranking officers are hard to find.

“I know for a fact that on two or three occasions, we have offered positions to a female and for whatever reason, they have declined to join us,” Upton said. “A lot of women who have worked 20, 25 years in law enforcement, when they are ready

see CLUBS pg. 4

see SECURITY pg. 3

Inside

FEATURES

SPORTS

ARTS & CULTURE

Feminism in 2014

Saving the Knicks

Senior Exhibits

A look at the new wave.

Could trading Kobe be the answer?

Senior students work on display

Page 13

PAGE 15

PAGE 12

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM COLLEGE AT LINCOLN CENTER

OPINIONS

No Faith in Justice Reaction to the lack of indictments

PAGE 10

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News

News Editor Adriana Gallina — agallina@fordham.edu

December 11, 2014 THE OBSERVER

Alcohol Incidents Tripled—Mostly Freshmen

By EMILY FILLION Contributing Writer

According to Dean of Students Keith Eldredge, the number of student transports by emergency medical services to the hospital due to alcohol consumption has more than tripled, rising from four incidents this time last year to 14 this year.

Many students were unaware about this increase. “I haven’t heard of anyone getting hospitalized here at all,” Megan Zuckerman Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’16, said. “Walking around the dorm on a weekend night is basically the same as on any weeknight.”

As of this publication, 16 students have been evaluated by Fordham staff after looking visibly intoxicated.

Thirteen of the 16 were freshmen, a 40 percent increase from last year.

Two of the 16 students were able to refuse medical attention. Each student was only hospitalized once.

Many students speculated that the spike in medical attention requirements was due to the increase in the freshman class size. Lincoln Center welcomed around 100 more residential freshmen than in 2013. “A lot of freshmen are new to a big city, away from home for the first time, and get a little wild,” Andrew Milne, FCLC ’16, said. “More students just means this happens more often.”

Eldredge agreed with that sentiment and added that the structure of the new building, McKeon Hall, may have been a causing factor. The building is only open to freshmen and was designed to have larger sense of community than McMahon Hall. “It’s not this crazy, wild party house,” Elderdge said. “I don’t think this year’s group of freshmen are any wilder or crazier, but I think there is a different level of atmosphere.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JASON BOIT/THE OBSERVER

Thirteen of 16 alcohol exports this year were freshmen.

Levels of drinking on college campuses have increased dramatically nationwide and are continuing to rise. According to a survey conducted by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA), young adults aged 18-24 saw a 25 percent increase in hospitalization from 1999 to 2008.

Each year, 1,825 college students aged 18-24 die from alcohol-related injuries or alcohol poisoning, according to CollegeDrinkingPrevention. gov. “The first six weeks of freshman

year is an especially vulnerable time for heavy drinking and alcohol-related consequences because of student expectations and social pressures at the start of the academic year,” the NIAA wrote. Of the 13 Fordham freshmen who were transported to the hospital, eight of the incidents happened within the first six weeks of school.

Kelly Schumacher, assistant director for Alcohol and Other Drug Education (AODE), helps to provide students with information about

drug and alcohol use, especially after a student has been documented for violating Fordham’s policies. Schumacher said the programs, such as AlcoholEdu, give students a chance to educate themselves about alcohol consumption and reflect on their own use. Currently, she is working on creating a Wellness Committee with students to help educate Fordham’s population about health issues, including alcohol and other issues such as stress.

Both Jenifer Campbell, director of

residential life at FCLC, and Eldredge highlighted surveys as incredibly useful to both students and administrators. The surveys, administered by organizations, such as Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) and AODE, inform the administrators of students’ habits while the programs conducted such as AlcoholEdu, give students helpful tips like alternating alcoholic drinks with water.

“Our emphasis is on harm reduction and the ways in which students can drink safely instead of bingedrinking,” Campbell said.

Eldredge emphasized the importance of students helping other students. Most of the students who were transported to the hospital were returning to campus after drinking when a staff member noticed the students seemed intoxicated.

For students who are afraid to seek medical attention for themselves or a friend because of possible reproductions, the medical amnesty policy protects students from getting in trouble when someone requires medical attention. Students can call for themselves or for other students and will not get in trouble with Fordham for consumption and possession of alcohol and other drugs, but students are subject to disciplinary action if found violating other policies, such as physical abuse or property damage.

The amnesty policy only applies for a first-time offense for both the student who requires medical attention and the student who seeks medical attention for a friend.

“I really want students to take care of each other,” Eldredge said.

“Sometimes students make bad decisions and find themselves or their friends in a situation where they’ve over consumed. Any student can call for help.”

Undergraduates Banned from Maloney Library

By CONNOR MANNION Staff Writer

Undergraduates at Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) campus were banned from the Law School Library on Nov. 24. The T.J. and Nancy Maloney Library is currently exclusive to members of the Fordham University School of Law (LAW) until after winter break.

“The [Law School] administration has its reasons for the restriction of access to law students,” Dean of Students at FCLC, Keith Eldredge, said.

“In all likelihood, the plan would be to implement this [restriction] at every [Fordham Law School] exam period going forward,” Eldredge continued. “After exams end, the library would go back to full use for anybody in the community.”

As of Dec. 1, Eldredge made the official announcement about alternative study spaces opening up to undergraduates effective Dec. 10. The email announcement accentuated Quinn Library as the undergraduate study space, including McKeon 2-01A being designated a study annex starting Dec. 2 open through out finals. Additional annex locations include McMahon 109, the former Faculty Dining Hall now known as PL100, and Schmeltzer Dining Hall, more commonly known as Slice of Life, The Grille At 62nd and Sammie’s, has now extended its hours during finals to make up for the late hours of the now off-limits Jazzman’s Café.

According to Eldredge, law students will not be barred from Quinn Library like undergraduates have been restricted from Maloney.

Noise disruption in Maloney appeared to be the main complaint of the law students. “Primarily complaints were about noise levels, though there were also complaints about alcohol. On one occasion, there was an excessive amount of alcohol

TYLER MARTINS/THE OBSERVER

Maloney will re-open to all students after break, but law students are petitioning for a year-round ban.

found in a study room,” Eldredge said.

As Maloney is situated in the same building as McKeon Hall, it is many freshmens’ preferred study space. According to Megan Crane, FCLC ’18, it is affectionately known to her and others as the “Lawbrary.”

Crane said,“I relied so much on it to study because it’s such a quiet space … It kept me so focused.”

Crane had heard rumors of law students getting annoyed with undergraduate students for using their library. “But I don’t understand why they would ban us if it’s helping us get our work done,” she said.

Dillon Reebok, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center (GSBLC) ’18, agreed with Crane. “I think it’s ridiculous because it’s also one of our

dining areas because of Jazzman’s [Café].” Jazzman’s Cafe is located on the second floor of Maloney, and is the only dining option open Sunday afternoons, from 12 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Reebok, however, wasn’t concerned about a potential lack of study space, “but it’s more of a nuisance that we can’t than an actual concern.”

However, the law students are concerned about space and sound issues. Evan King, LAW ’15, said, “it’s difficult to even get a seat.” King continued, “If I go up there, I need to be able to sit down immediately, and I’ll probably be there for 12 hours [studying].”

He continued, “After being an undergrad and going through the same set of undergrad finals, being in law school, it’s a different game.”

“Quinn Library is available as a resource more geared toward [undergraduate] classes and studies,” King also said. “I don’t really see why a law student would ever need to go get materials from Quinn [Library] … The quiet place to study in a library setting, both places meet that need.”

In an email interview, Michael Martin, dean of the Fordham Law School, said, “I’m very pleased that the new building has allowed the Law School to be more integrated into the life of all students at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus.

“At the same time, we have to ensure that the Law Library continues to meet the needs of law students in providing a quiet place for their focused study in preparation for and

during exam periods. Therefore, I made the decision to limit access [to] non-law students during exam periods,” Martin continued.

Law students seem to approve of the ban, as they feel their study space is “much quieter,” Melissa Fabi, LAW ’16, said. She continued, “Undergrads tend to talk more, it breaks your focus; they’re rowdy and laughing with their friends and there are a lot of them … it’s really disruptive toward us.” When asked about the current state of Maloney Library, Fabi added, “It’s absolutely quieter, you can actually study there now and I think [the ban] should be year-round.” Kiran Gill, LAW ’16, agreed with Fabi, “We’re starting to form a petition to make the ban year-round because it feels so disruptive to have [undergraduates] present.”

Though the ban is now set for undergraduates, law students are still allowed access to Quinn Library.

“For 1L [First year] legal research classes, they ask you to find older laws there [in Quinn],” Gill said. “But for regular classes, everything you need is in the Law Library, and for journals, everything you need is in the Law Library.”

Undergraduates, especially those who are not freshmen feel this restricts them even more from the new building. Miriam Ambrosino, FCLC ’17, said, “I think it’s a great thing that our campus has these new spaces, and banning the law library nullifies that this year is a new year for Fordham students … it just seems like the whole new building is off-limits to us.”

Hunter Lang, FCLC ’17, also used Maloney Library, and agreed with Ambrosino’s point that there is no access for upperclass students in McKeon Hall as a whole. “The only place I’ve really been in the new building is the law library, and now I can’t go there,” she said.

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THE OBSERVER December 11, 2014

News

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BSA Hosts ‘Die-In’ to Protest Police Brutality

By ADRIANA GALLINA News editor

On Tuesday, Dec. 9, over 100 students participated in a “Die-In” to commemorate victims of police brutality, held in Pope Auditorium at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC). At 11:21 a.m., the students engaged in four and a half minutes of silence to represent the number of hours Michael Brown’s body lay in the streets of Ferguson after being shot by Officer Darren Wilson.

The time, 11:21 a.m., signified Nov. 21, the day St. Louis District Attorney Robert McCulloch announced that the Wilson would not be indicted for the homicide of Brown.

President of the Black Student Alliance (BSA), Jodiann Hines, FCLC ’15 spearheaded the event, along with BSA editorial board members, Georgina Owolabi, vice president, FCLC ’16, Zann BallsunSimms, press relations and FCLC ’16, Courtney Romans, secretary and FCLC ’17, and Maia Bedford and artistic liaison FCLC ’15. The event began with the recitation of four poems.

“The justice system is not a failed system. The ‘just-us’ system was not made to protect us, just them,” read a line from the final poem. By “us,” the poem referred to minorities.

Introducing the moment of silence, Hines said, “For me, being an older sister to a … black male, is so hard.” She continued to speak about her 19-year-old brother and

JASON BOIT/THE OBSERVER

“Everything affects everybody, because we are all human and we all live in this world,” Jodiann Hines said.

her worries when he is not safely in their house. “People don’t like him because of the color of his skin, it’s ridiculous,” she said to the crowd.

As she wiped tears from her eyes, the crowd applauded her.

Hines urged everyone as they rose, “As cliché it sounds, be the

change you want to see in the world.

Point out racism, sexism, all these things when you see [them].”

“Don’t just sit there when you see it because it doesn’t affect you. Everything affects everybody because we are all human and we all live in this world,” she said to the crowd.

After the event ended, Hines requested that everyone leave Pope in silence and reflect on what they had all done.

Assistant Dean For Juniors and Transfers Milton J. Bravo attended the event. “That means it really had spread ... if it’s getting to the higher

ups,” Hines said. She was happy to see so many students and faculty present. Dorothy Wenzel, Ph.D, director of the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development (OSLCD) and Christina Frankovic, assistant director of programming, were also in attendance.

New Website Launch: More Changes to Come

By HANSINI WEEDAGAMA Staff Writer

On Thursday, Dec. 4, Fordham launched the long-awaited new website. The updated site features 4,000 pages with new designs and is also formatted for mobile devices, as mobile traffic has been overtaking desktop traffic on the website.

In an email interview, Donna Lehmann, director of online communications at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), said, “First and foremost, fordham.edu was overdue for a redesign, reorganization and an upgrade in management technology.”

The website, while updated, will not be a complete overhaul. Lehmann said that while most pages would get a redesign, there is still a lot to be done over the spring semester. “It will take some time to transition all of our web content into the new templates,” she said.

Students can anticipate an update to all the schools’ pages, including Fordham Law and the Gabelli School of Business - others include student affairs and most department pages.

However, my.fordham is not among the pages to get a redesign;

COURTESY OF FORDHAM.EDU

Fordham’s new homepage features staples from both campuses, like FCLC’S St. Peter the Fisherman statue.

at the current time, the update will only focus on the main website.

Some students feel that my.fordham is in need of an update. Katherine Burks, FCLC ’16, said, “That portal’s ugly … I don’t think it’s set up op-

timally.” Dissatisfied, she also said, “It’s weird that DegreeWorks is all the way at the bottom.”

Matt Scheffler, FCLC ’18, agreed and added, “[This] is such an eyesore to look at. I feel like I’m in 1995.”

Lehmann is hoping that with the new pages and features, students will be able to offer feedback on the update so that changes can be made over the course of the next semester. “We’ll be looking to address as

many issues as we can. While I’m interested in what students think about the size of the font or the behavior of a particular menu, I’m much more interested in how easily they can find what they need and how the site makes them feel about their school,” she said.

Young Eun Nam, FCLC ’16, upon seeing the new site, said, “I think the new website is cleaner and more beautiful design-wise.” However, she thinks it is still problematic, “because there is a picture, I can’t see everything at the same time.”

The main page features a large photo feature that takes up the top half of the page. “I feel like the pictures could be a little bit smaller and the fonts bigger, because I feel like the menu doesn’t look important right now.”

Scheffler also felt like changes needed to be made. “It looks nicer but it’s not user-friendly. I think it’s clean … [the login button] is definitely a problem because it’s not very accessible … that really annoys me.” The login button was originally featured at the top of the page, but has now been moved to the very bottom. “It definitely needs to be more user-friendly.”

Head of Safety Explains Lack of Female Security Supervisors SECURITY FROM PAGE 1

to retire, most of them have elected not to go on to a second or third career.”

Upton retired from the NYPD as a Commanding Officer Detective Sergeant in 2002, after 21 years in the force. In addition to her title, Upton serves on the Public Safety and Security hiring committee.

The hiring committee consists of four supervisors: two female (Patricia Upton and Margaret Blakeley, operations manager) and two male (Dan Kiely, director of Fordham College at Rose Hill [FCRH] security and Robert Fitzer, assistant

operations manager). According to Carroll, the committee conducts potential supervisor interviews and are ultimately in charge of the new hires.

At College Council, another question was raised as to why some of the female supervisors could not be placed at FCLC. Carroll explained that each supervisor does 140 tours (12 hour shifts) a year.

“God forbid somebody is the victim of sexual assault, I have [the female security supervisors] strategically placed so they are available around the clock so they can respond to a sexual assault victim.”

When reporting a sexual assault

SARAH HOWARD/THE OBSERVER

Students may choose to report to either male or female supervisors.

to the University, any person has the right to request either a female or male security supervisor.

“At Rose Hill, [the supervisors] have cars so they can move very easily from campus to campus-probably faster than you can get some of the [Resident Directors] on the 20th floor of McMahon to come downstairs,” Carroll said.

“I am trying to hire the best and brightest, but the same set of criteria is [used] for either women or men,” Carroll said. “It’s not from a lack of effort. Anyone who says that does not have a clue of what they are talking about.”

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News

December 11, 2014 THE OBSERVER

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More Clubs: Will Budget Requests be Met? CLUBS FROM PAGE 1

a month up to a full semester,” Azrilyant said.

“Given the seven we just approved, there have been 18 other club requests,” Azrilyant said. “Four out of the 18 are currently in the constitution editing process.”

According to Azrilyant, there has been more interest in creating clubs on campus this year. “Last year, we had 21 outstanding club requests, which means not approved, and right now, there have been 25 [outstanding] club requests this semester alone.”

How has the new freshmen class impacted club requests? “13 of the requests this semester are from freshmen,” Azrilyant said. Of the seven clubs approved this semester, two have been spearheaded by freshmen: Film Society and the Investment Group at Fordham Lincoln Center.

“I find it interesting how freshmen are always the most excited,” he said.

“Day two of orientation, I got two new club requests.”

“This freshman class specifically, has shown a particular amount of energy we haven’t seen before-culture changes from class to class but they are really enthusiastic,” Azrilyant said.

COURTESY OF USG/THE OBSERVER

“Eventually we won’t be able to support a large amount of clubs,” according to Azrilyant.

The downside to approving a record number of clubs is whether or not SABC will be able to fill budget requests. “The student activities fee is the same every year, and the amount of money we have every year stays the same. We’re hoping with the new [Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln

Center] that we will see an increase, but I can’t say with any certitude that that will be enough,” Azrilyant said.

“While not all clubs ask for a lot of money, it’s a question of how many because eventually we won’t be able to support a large amount of clubs,” he said.

A short answer component has been added to the club registration packet this year as a result to the drastic increase in club requests, where interested parties must outline how their proposed club will benefit the community, its short and long-term goals, and an example of what a typi-

cal club meeting would look like.

In addition, the Operations Committee now requires a sample budget.

“This will help raise the standard of clubs because sometimes we get a club that’s not a really formed idea,” Azrilyant said.

Undoing Racism Collective Created in Wake of Ferguson

By JUSTIN REBOLLO Staff Writer

In light of the recent riots in Ferguson, Mo. and protests in New York City that passed through Columbus Circle, the Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) community members established the Undoing Racism Collective, which met for the first time on Monday, Dec. 1.

Among the attendees were 10 students and eight staff members from the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice and one Fordham faculty member. Collective members video conferenced with members of

the Collective at Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) to discuss and determine the organization’s future.

Fordham’s Undoing Racism Collective is comprised primarily of students and Dorothy Day staff who attended workshops held by The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISB), self-described as a, “systemic approach that emphasizes learning from history, developing leadership, maintaining accountability to communities, creating networks, undoing internalized racial oppression,” according to PISB’s website.

“In light of recent events, [now]

more than ever, it is important as a community to come together and actively talk about and think about and work together about what it looks like to begin to undo racism,” Bethany Hugghins, associate coordinator of community service at Lincoln Center, said.

The collective also established some of their key principles such as, “Learning from History.” According to the collective, “History is the tool for effective organizing. Understanding the lessons of history allows us to create a more humane future.”

One of the group’s objectives is to

help students discuss the recent the events that occurred in Ferguson as well as the protests in New York City.

Hunter Blas, FCLC ’17, said, “What we want to do next would probably be about creating a dialogue about [Ferguson] and also how we can engage the larger Fordham community in talking about racism in society.”

The collective acts as a space for students and faculty members to meet and discuss their experiences with racism. To broaden the involvement of students on campus, the collective aims to create events to allow large number of students to dis-

cuss racism and how to undo racism “I think we are moving toward creating a space for talking about Ferguson for people to process what has been going on there and in New York in regards to police brutality.

[We’re] just creating that space first so that [students] can share their thoughts and process and have some of their feelings out there because there hasn’t really been a space since the decision to not indict [Darren Wilson],” Blas said.

Additional reporting by Connor Mannion

Best Coast Crashing Winterfest

By TYLER MARTINS Editor-in-Chief

Best Coast, an American rock duo, will headline the third annual WinterFest Concert at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) on Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, the WinterFest Concert committee announced today during the Winterfest Artist Release Party.

The event, which took place in the Student Lounge, on Thursday, Dec. 4, followed the United Student Government (USG) Tree Lighting on the Robert Moses Plaza.

Molly Hellauer, FCLC ’16 and Chair of WinterFest Concert Committee, discussed how the committee chose Best Coast. “We start our search by looking at artists, who fit in our budget, and once we have a shortlist of four to seven, we poll the FCLC community. Then we make a decision among the committee on who would be the best performers for the FCLC community,” she said.

“I know that we were really leaning toward Best Coast,” committee

member Emma Lemar, FCLC ’15, said. “It’s really exciting we could get them because I feel even if you don’t know them; their concert will be really fun and have a lot of energy.”

Best Coast was formed in California in 2009, and consists of songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Bethany Cosentino and guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno. Best Coast’s first studio album, “Crazy for You,” reached #36 on the charts when it was released in 2010. Their second and latest studio album, “The Only Place,” has reached #24.

Students at the release party had a variety of reactions. Leighton Magoon, FCLC ’17, expressed his excitement at getting to know a new band. “Last year, I had never heard of Dr. Dog before they performed and when I went to WinterFest, I was really happy with the performance. It seemed like from what the consensus was, the reaction was pretty good, and I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

COURTESY OF DAVID BLACK/THE OBSERVER

Best Coast will officially headline Winterfest this year.

Write for News.

Kelveen Fabian, FCLC ’17, agreed with Magoon. “I’ve never heard of Best Coast, but from what I’ve heard it sounded pretty good so I’m pretty excited. I like to explore new music,” he said.

Andrew Donchak, FCLC ’18, was impressed with the committee’s excitement. “It’s exciting. I initially had my doubts about the whole event, but after tonight, I’m really pumped for the whole thing. It’s going to be fun.”

With the concert less than two months away, advertising and promoting the event are next on the agenda for the concert committee.

“We’re going to start the push for advertising, get the name of the band out there and get students to know the date and most importantly, know who’s coming and get excited. Tickets start the first week of classes at 4p.m. on the Plaza and we’re selling tickets straight through to the 22nd,” Hellauer said.

Additional Reporting by Connor Mannion and Ian Schaefer

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News

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Invest in Interest: Are Dual Majors Worth It?

By ELIZABETH LANDRY Staff Writer

One of the most common debates about college is: a double major worth the money and courseload?

According to Joseph Desciak, assistant dean for freshmen, Fordham students who want to double major must declare one the primary and the other, secondary. “I am the type of person that would advise students all the time to not necessarily think about double majoring or even minoring, simply because of the core,” he said. “The core is so extensive,” he continued, “But if people have a specific interest that’s beyond what their primary major can give, then they should [take on a second major].”

The Fordham University undergraduate core curriculum requires classes from English, foreign language, theology, philosophy, fine arts, mathematics, history and science departments, as well as attributes like globalism, American pluralism, interdisciplinary capstone and others.

Desciak said, “Don’t forget, a student can take elective credits just for pure elective reasons.”

Professor Sarah Lockhart, associate chair of International Studies, agreed with Desciak’s sentiment. “It seems to me that Fordham students want to double major a lot and rack up as many majors and minors as possible,” she said. “As the International Studies director, it’s hard because it’s a big major, 13 classes, so my main message is always that the important thing is to complete a major, not half of two majors.”

Common senitment among professors and deans is for students to just follow what peaks their minds.

“I think of education more as where you take classes because you’re interested in taking them and you want to learn it, not just to check off

SARAH HOWARD/THE OBSERVER

Often, students who double major must take summer courses, at about $825 per/credit, to graduate on time.

a requirement box,” Lockhart said.

“Just yesterday, I had to explain to a student that you can take a class that doesn’t fulfill any requirement, that that’s allowed. They’d never done that before.”

Jennifer Kaplan, FCLC ’18, said that her decision to double major in theatre with a concentration in directing, and communications and media studies was certain. “I grew up in theater, but was still a really academic kid, so getting a [second major] is really important to me so I can pursue some academic interests as well as theater,” she said.

She added that she has seen that a lot of students around her have multiple interests. “It seems like the minor or the double major tends to be what the student really wants, and the first major is more what the school, or your upbringing has led you to,” she said.

Professor Maureen A. Tilley, associate chair for undergraduate theology, said, “Double majoring allows you to highlight more on your

resume. It gives you a better sense of what the whole field of humanistic education is about, and it makes you more flexible in the sense that you have learned the methods of two different areas of study.”

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the number of degrees awarded in the United States rose by 38 percent overall between 2001 and 2011. It is unclear how many of these are due to second majors or second degrees, but the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center has found that in recent years, the rate of graduation among college-enrolled students has gone down.

“It’s better to take fewer classes and fewer majors and do well and have a higher [grade point average] than to take five classes every semester or take summer classes and not do as well, burn out or overload,” Lockhart said. She continued, “Amongst liberal arts degrees, because [they are] not a job training program ... [employers] are not going

to disqualify you because you didn’t have a particular major, but they will disqualify you for having poor grades and a bad GPA.” Desciak said that there are some restrictions to double majors. “The hard rule is – and this is something that’s beyond even Fordham – the hard rule is that the student may take no more than five lectures – five three-credit or more courses per semester.” He explained that if a junior takes five classes for 20 credits, they must pay for the two additional credits past the cap of 18, which may come out to around $6,000 dollars.

If a student can fit their second major’s courses into the eight-semester framework, there is no extra cost.

According to the Fordham University Summer Session Web page, during summer 2014, the cost for courses at FCLC was $825 per credit, not including the cost of housing for those from out of town. For a double bedroom, this was $1,080 per summer session. That made a total of $4,380 to take a single four-credit class and

live on campus, plus an extra $3,300 for an additional four-credit class.

Only eight credits are allowed per summer session.

“I may actually have to take one or two summer classes to finish up,” Alexander Jahani, FCLC ’15, said. Jahani has been working on a double major in English and visual arts, after dropping an economics major.

“I was sort of pushing myself into studying economics … Writing in general, storytelling, was my background growing up … so I decided to take it more seriously,” he explained.

“Now I’m really focused on my artwork … I’m looking at applying for different residencies, grants, fellowships and possibly going for an MFA,” he said, adding that he’d like to eventually use English to propel him toward a career in high-school education. “The majors go hand-inhand, because what I would read about would influence what art I would make, and what art I would make would influence what I want to read about.”

Jahani admitted it has been a lot of work. “Most of my time outside of school is consumed by what I have to read or what I have to paint. In that way I made it harder for myself,” he added, “but I definitely enjoyed it and got a lot more out of it.”

“I spend a lot of time telling students to relax, and enjoy college and to study well but also be mindful of eating and socializing, believe it or not,” Desciak said.

“Go out, have a good time, enjoy New York City, sleep well, pray,” he advised. “I do a lot of that coaching in this role, and people try to add on too much to their plate … We’re a top ranked university, we’re not accepting dummies, we have smart people at Fordham, and so they’re capable of doing it,” he continued. “I worry that they’re not getting the whole academic experience.”

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Opinions

Rachel Shmulevich — Opinions Co-Editor rshmulevich@fordham.edu Marina Recio — Opinions Co-Editor marinarecio@icloud.com

December 11, 2014

STAFF EDITORIAL

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undergrads who have diligently paid their exorbitant tuition -- and lost hours and hours of sleep to construction workers banging away before the sun was even up?

Students are outraged. “If I have restricted access to it then refund me my money and charge the law students more,” one student wrote on Facebook.

“I own at least ten bricks on that building by now.”

“I never thought that I’d be told that I could not go to a library that I paid $40,000 a year to help build,” another wrote. “Come on Fordham, I own at least ten bricks on that building by now.”

Let’s not forget that for freshmen, Jazzman’s Cafe, located in the heart of the Maloney library, is one place where they can get food. Freshmen don’t have

Observer the

GIVE ME ACCESS OR GIVE ME DEATH - OR AT LEAST MY TUITION BACK ffective Nov. 24, the Maloney Library in the Law School became one of the most exclusive places on campus: Fordham undergraduate students are no longer allowed to use the space during final exam periods. The kicker? While we are forced to succumb to the windowless abyss that is Quinn Library, law students have access to both libraries.

After Law students complained about the noise levels in the library, the administration decided to outlaw any undergraduates from accessing the Law library. Shame on all those undergraduates who don’t know the first rule of how to behave in a library.

“The Maloney Library in the Law School is currently available ONLY to members of the Fordham Law School community,” an email from the University read. But were the members of the Fordham Law community the only people to have contributed to the creation of said library? What about the

THE OBSERVER

kitchens in McKeon - where can they get food at night if not at Jazzman’s?

Fordham administration seems to realize that it can’t really accommodate its larger undergraduate class in only Quinn Library and is offering different study spaces on campus, including locations in McMahon Hall and Schmeltzer Dining Hall (which will have extended hours for snacks and beverages). But those will not substitute taking away the right to access to a facility that allows us to study and enhance our education.

Yes, students who don’t know how to behave in a library don’t belong in a library. Drinking in the study lounge? Really? Don’t you know that you can’t even talk when you’re in a library?

But the rest of the Fordham undergraduate community should not be punished for the actions of a small few, especially when it was a community effort to lay every single brick in that library.

Fordham College at Lincoln Center 113 West 60th Street Room 408 New York, New York 10023 Tel: (212) 636-6015 Fax: (212) 636-7047

Editor-in-Chief Tyler Martins Managing Editor Kamrun Nesa News Editor Adriana Gallina Opinions Co-Editors Rachel Shmulevich Marina Recio Asst. Opinions Editor Dylan Reilly Arts & Culture Editor Ramona Venturanza Features Editor Ian McKenna Literary Co-Editors Meredith Summers Mark Lee Sports Editor Dylan Penza Copy Editor Meredith Summers Layout Editor Jennifer McNary Layout Staff Gabrielle Samboy Celeste Rodriguez Ariel Kovlakas Elodie Huston Kathleen Kirtland Asst. Photo Editors Kirstin Bunkley Jessica Hanley Multimedia Producer Ian McKenna Online Editor Ben Moore Business Manager Victoria Leon

CLUB SPOTLIGHT Brought to you through a partnership between the United Student Government and The Observer, the “Club Spotlight” will feature a club at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) that has shone throughout the month through their events and programming. This month’s Club Spotlight will feature:

Stove’s Cabin Crew

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Club Meeting Time: 6:30 p.m., every Monday in PL 100 .

Cub’s achievements in November/December? “We had our Stove’s Open Mic on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. in the South Lounge. It was a super fun event! Five of our club members performed stand up and we had a good audience turn out. On Monday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Student Lounge, we held our Stove’s End of Semester Show. This is our sketch/improv show. We performed improv and two sketches written by some of our club members. We also had a ‘Weekend Update’ segment we call ‘Fordham Update,’ with jokes written by some of our club members.

About Stove’s Cabin Crew: “Stove’s Cabin Crew has been a Fordham institution for 50 years. Just kidding! This is our second year and we couldn’t be happier to be here! Our weekly meetings consist of playing improv games, writing sketches and working on stand up. We keep the Stove’s environment encouraging and constructive because we know how scary it is to put yourself out there. If you want a fun group of weirdos to goof around with, then come to our meetings. Everyone is welcome and there are no auditions! Also, contrary to popular belief, we are not a cooking club.”

- Sara McDonough, FCLC ‘15, President.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES • Letters to the Editor should be typed and sent to The Observer, Fordham University, 113 West 60th Street, Room 408, New York, NY 10023, or e-mailed to fordhamobserver@gmail.com. Length should not exceed 200 words. All letters must be signed and include contact information, official titles, and year of graduation (if applicable) for verification.

• If submitters fail to include this information, the editorial board will do so at its own discretion.

• The Observer has the right to withhold any submissions from publication and will not consider more than two letters from the same individual on one topic. The Observer reserves the right to edit all letters and submissions for content, clarity and length.

• Opinions articles and commentaries represent the view of their authors. These articles are in no way the views held by the editorial board of The Observer or Fordham University.

• The Editorial is the opinion held by a majority of The Observer’s editorial board. The Editorial does not reflect the views held by Fordham University.

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Opinions

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Mandatory Retirement for Tenured Professors?

POINT

Implement Mandatory Retirement

By TYLER BURDICK Staff Writer

In the working world, job security exists as a lofty and tantalizing goal, and for professors that goal is manifested in the concept of “tenure.” Upon reception, the instructor no longer needs to fear his or her own termination except in the face of an egregious offense or the elimination or downsizing of his department. This often means that instructors can sit comfortably in their position for years on end, oftentimes into their 60s or 70s. But is this really a good thing for the students that they are responsible for?

It’s a bit of a touchy subject: After all, there’s always been the perception that an older instructor is an ineffective one, and yet we can’t deny that everyone ages at their own rate. For instance, while one 80-yearold man may require a cane or a walker to move around, another somehow has the stamina to run a marathon, and therefore it isn’t outrageous to imagine that mental capacity also changes depending on the individual. But we can’t ignore the fact that we do have people working in the education system that are far older than they should be. Back in high school, I remember having one particular instructor whose mental state had deteriorated to the point where he would frequently lose tests and papers handed to him by his students, lost his place in his lesson plans and sometimes outright forgot to relay or elaborate on concepts necessary for the course’s examinations. Half the time, however, he simply handed the class over to a student teacher.

But here’s the major problem: In order to keep their job, tenured professors oftentimes need only concern themselves with providing the bare minimum to their students. The professors attempting to get tenure and the student teachers attempting to find work are the most zealous. Competition in our society has always been good, for it is this motivation that pushes competitors to offer the best of the best to the public. Tenured professors simply don’t need to prove themselves, and it requires a level of benevolence for one to go above and beyond the call of duty.

Now, I’ve been fortunate enough to have been taught by some of these remarkable individuals, but this experience is oftentimes not standard. While we do attempt to reinvigorate the system by introducing student teachers and adjunct professors, it would still

take a teacher dedicated to the benefit of his students to adequately guide and scrutinize the guest instructor. A student teacher is just that: a student. And if a professor cannot effectively teach students then the problem will only be replicated in the case of the student teacher. Of course, supporters of tenure often argue that, due to technological developments and the prevalence of information available on the Web, it is easier than ever for a professor to remain knowledgeable in his field but again we face the lack of incentive issue; there is simply no reason for them to do that, and those that do fall behind cannot be fired and are often removed from higher level classes to teach introductory level courses, to the immense detriment of students who face new and intimidating subject matter.

At this point we arrive at a conclusion that is truly hard to face; we need a mandatory retirement age for instructors. And yes, on paper it looks rather terrible. It is, after all, a form of ageism, and it would certainly result in many professors who are still capable of teaching ending up being forced into retirement along with those that truly need it.

Mandatory retirement ages are also, for the most part, unlawful; in addition to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia are just a few countries that have made it illegal to issue notices of mandatory retirement to employees. And yet we do have a few exceptions: Air traffic controllers have a mandatory retirement age of around 56, while pilots must retire by age 65. True, leading a class is not as much of a life or death scenario as directing a plane, but it at least goes to show that we do recognize the importance of being mentally alert. The only question is whether or not the classroom setting should carry as much importance, and given that we are educating the next generations of our nation, it honestly should.

Ideally, the tenure system should be revised, competition should be fostered, and professors should be scrutinized in their later years to determine whether or not they are still fit for the job. Perhaps tenure could be removed around age 65, but the professor himself could remain if the school remains comfortable with him. But as it stands, we have next to no quality control regarding the state of our education system’s tenured professors, and so if we are to keep the system as it is (which we shouldn’t), then we must also introduce a way to ensure that our professors are as sharp as a pilot. A mandatory retirement age would definitely be one way to go.

COUNTERPOINT

Retirement is a Personal Choice

By EMILY SITNER Staff Writer

When registration rolled around at the beginning of November, many of us were well-prepared, with our schedules decided and written out several weeks ahead of time. When choosing a class, many students consider not only its importance to the core or to their major, but also who the professor is and what he or she is like. Students often search their prospective professors on search engines such as RateMyProfessors, where past students can post their feedback for the professor and the class. The professor can easily make or break the class. The material could be interesting, but if the professor lectures from a slideshow for seventy-five minutes in monotone, the class can quickly become tedious.

Professors are key to inspiring students and urging them to always learn more about their respective subjects, but a popular debate among students and faculty alike is regarding the age at which tenured professors should retire, not only for their sake, but for that of the students. Many argue that older professors are detrimental to the curriculum and students.

Laurie Fendrich, author of “The Forever Professors,” writes in The Chronicle for Higher Education, “The inconvenient truth is that faculty who delay retirement harm students, who in most cases would benefit from being taught by someone younger than 70, even younger than 65.” Fendrich explains, “[t] he salient point is not that younger professors are better pedagogues (sometimes they are, sometimes they aren’t), but that they are more likely to be current in their fields and to bring that currency into their teaching.” This can be a very skewed and misleading argument because it implies that older professors cannot keep up with the advancements made in their fields. Yes, perhaps older professors have more responsibilities within their department at work and in their personal lives, but that does not prevent them from being able to understand the mutable material in their field.

In this day and age where social media and technology have seemingly taken over, it is unrealistic to assume that professors well over 70 will not be able to stay on top of current trends and developments in their fields. Additionally, older professors have tested several teaching methods for their class and understand what makes students want to learn.

Younger professors can seem “cooler” and more “technologically advanced” than older

professors, but that does not mean they know how to teach a class. A professor who fails to actively invoke the students’ participation can singlehandedly cause a student to drop the class and change their career path, as I have witnessed one too many times during freshman and early sophomore year.

Younger professors, in my experience, are shaky at first, like babies taking their first steps. Older professors are grounded, with a stronger resume and more personal stories about the material. I took a European history class second semester freshman year, and the professor, who happened to be of the older generation, had many wonderful stories to share about the myriad European countries he’s visited. Anecdotes about Eastern European countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and those regarding Western Europe as it tried to rebuild itself after World War II, even in his experience during the late ’80s and ’90s, strengthened my understanding of how the European countries were shaped economically, politically and socially after the war.

Another key argument in the age of retirement for tenured professors is what they are costing universities. Older professors expect to be paid higher salaries, as indeed they should be, but at a cost to universities, some argue. Few policies have actually helped the sky-rocketing prices of education, yet universities, Rebecca Schuman claims, in “Quit Picking on Old Professors,” still manage to earn $300,000 a year to fundraise for unnecessary luxuries, such as new football stadiums and coaches. Higher tuition prices are due to lack of investment from the state, but unfortunately, the higher wages for faculty have been to blame as a way to excuse raising tuition prices, and at the same time save universities money when they limit the retirement age. Universities, as some do, try to bribe older professors into retirement plans. The day a professor retires should solely be based on their judgment, and the university should not be involved in such a personal decision.

With advancements being made continuously in modern medicine, to put a limit on the age of 70 as the period when people begin to sign retirement papers and start looking into Medicare booklets is outdated. The average life expectancy in 2014 for a female is 80 years old, and 77 years old for a male. Older professors bring more valuable knowledge to the classroom, and it takes younger professors a lot of practice and experience to be able to reach the high standards that their predecessors have set before them.

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December 11, 2014 THE OBSERVER

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HOLIDAY LIGHTS To celebrate the beginning of Winter Break, Observer photographers captured holiday lights around the city.

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REX SAKAMOTO/THE OBSERVER

REX SAKAMOTO/THE OBSERVER

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THE OBSERVER December 11, 2014

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HOLIDAY LIGHTS

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TYLER MARTINS/THE OBSERVER

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Opinions

December 11, 2014 THE OBSERVER

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COURTESY OF ANTHONY SOUFFLE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE VIA TNS

Losing Faith in the Criminal Justice System I am without a doubt disgusted with

By GABRIELLE SAMBOY how our courts have handled these Staff Writer injustices. The plain and obvious reason is because of my family—my nephews will be considered black men in this country, and will subseAs of Nov. 25, the case of Darren quently be targeted much like Brown Wilson’s fatal shooting of Michael and Garner were, and I am scared for Brown reached a verdict before the their lives here in America. grand jury: no indictment. Similarly, The case of Michael Brown on Dec. 3, in the case of Eric Garner vs. Officer Daniel Pantaleo, the grand shocked me: The way the media maligned his character (ignoring the jury followed the harmful precedent fact that he was entitled to his life set in Ferguson, Mo. whether or not he robbed the conAs a woman born and raised in venience store or did well in school New York who has an older brother, or any number of things) and the two African-American brothers-inlack of an adequate medical response law and two young biracial nephews, points to a larger problem. Garner,

a Staten Island resident, was shown in a video holding up his hands and was clearly unarmed and not seeking trouble. After being placed in a fatal chokehold, he said 11 times “I can’t breathe.” In various different videos the end result is the lifeless body of Garner: But even if he was a threat, there are countless (both nonviolent and definitely nonfatal) ways to detain someone. I am sure that the New York Police Department (NYPD) is capable of addressing a threat without resorting to lethal force.

We are all taught at some point in lives as children to turn to authorities for help when we need it, but if these past few weeks have taught us

anything, it’s that these authorities are deeply flawed. I do not know whether or not I am safe enough to do so anymore. I do not know what to think and feel. I look at my nephews and only want to protect them from the world around them.

I had the opportunity to see protesters take over Rockefeller Center on Dec. 3: The sight of so many individuals from different racial backgrounds, genders and ages coming together to speak out against the injustices taking place inspired me to want to be more active, and also gave me hope that we can make a meaningful difference.

I am not surprised at the deci-

sions reached by the grand jury in either of those cases, and perhaps that’s part of the problem: People are losing hope in the men and women who enforce the law, make the law and punish those who break it. The justice system has to do better and its agents should know better. Officers of the law should be reprimanded if they kill, and each such case should be investigated with the utmost diligence, regardless of the skin color of the victim. They above all else know what the laws are and taking another man’s life is the greatest transgression against them. We all need to do better, be better together and stand together against this injustice.

Coursework Overload: Quality Over Quantity

By JANELY FERNANDEZ Staff Writer

Between four to five courses, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, and you know, life, I would say college students are easily some of the best multitaskers out there.

We juggle the entire world with two hands, and not only are we expected to do it all, we’re expected to do it well. School is always supposed to be front and center on our to-do list, but with some professors failing to recognize all the other madness going on in a college student’s life, I would say it unfortunately gets pushed further back. While I’m not going to put all the blame on professors for this (I’ll admit I’ve been a resident of procrastination nation here and there), I argue that by assigning unrealistic amounts of work, professors actually end up hurting students. The endless workload stops students from enjoying classes and absorbing the information they learn. I am the first to agree that students need to be challenged in a productive manner; however, hundreds and hundreds of pages of readings due in two days is not my idea of academic learning.

I think back to the first day of my favorite class this semester as an example. The professor pulled out a heavy bag full of books we’d

REX SAKAMOTO/THE OBSERVER

be reading each week and kindly reminded us that there was an additional course packet and online readings we’d have to keep up with on top of weekly journals based on each reading. My first thought was, how fast can I drop this course, and more importantly, does this professor think I only take this one class? How could I possibly get good grades and keep up in all my classes

if this professor alone expected me to do this amount of work for the semester?

This is an unfortunate pattern many college students experience.

As a senior in college, I can tell you I’ve had this happen way more than it should have. I’ve walked into classes that I’m genuinely excited about and easily lost interest because of the unrealistic coursework I had to deal

with. It’s just been an ongoing cycle for me to complete as much of the work as I could simply for the sake of getting it out of the way so I could move on to the next one. I couldn’t be excited or completely invested in a class when I was always worrying about whether or not I could get the work done.

Sleep deprivation and stress naturally follow when not being able to keep up with all the work. In fact, a recent study conducted by the University of Alabama in August 2014 reported that 60 percent of college students don’t get enough sleep and cite a lack of time as the main reason for this. Not getting the required seven to eight hours of sleep can have negative short and long term effects on a student’s health and learning potential.

Therefore, not only is health at risk, but the quality of the work that is being done is significantly reduced.

Another study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2011 looked at students’ academic performance based on the time they spent in school or studying, and results showed that the two had no direct link, thus supporting that it is the quality and not quantity of work or the amount of time spent on work that is most important.

Going back to that class I mentioned, you may be wondering how it became my favorite class. Eventually

even the professor recognized the workload was too much and decided to reorganize the syllabus by cutting back on some of the readings. Not only did the quality of our discussions improve, but as the professor said, grades saw a significant improvement. For me, this was a result of being able to read and re-read if I had to in order to understand the text. Instead of focusing solely on the fact that I wouldn’t have enough time to get all readings done, I actually had more time to focus and produce quality work. In addition, I’ve been able to enjoy the readings and actively participate in a cohesive manner since gaining more time has allowed me to appreciate what I’ve been reading.

Now I’m not saying professors should drop all the readings they’ve assigned, nor am I saying all professors assign more work than they should. I’ve had professors challenge me to take on more than I thought I could handle and in some cases it has made me a better student, and for that I am very appreciative. I think both professors and students could benefit from focusing more on quality instead of quantity of coursework. Consider the fact that while some college students do procrastinate at times, sometimes even when we try not to, it’s impossible to keep up with five classes all giving us hundreds of pages of readings and do it in a productive manner.

Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editor Ramona Venturanza — ramonaventuranza@gmail.com

December 11, 2014

THE OBSERVER

The Two Sides of Fordham in Film

By CONNOR MANNION Staff Writer

Though they run the spectrum from ruthless and intelligent lawyers as found in “Michael Clayton” to unfocused philosophy majors as in “Whiplash”, portrayals of Fordham students and graduates are becoming more noticeable in film. In modern film and television, audiences see both the good and bad sides of characters associated with Fordham.

“Whiplash”, a film about a drummer fighting against his intense music instructor at a prestigious conservatory, does not portray Fordham in a positive manner. Early on in the movie, the drummer Andrew, played by actor Miles Teller, asks out Melissa Benoist’s character, Nicole; Nicole mentions she is a philosophy major at Fordham, which she jokes is a useless major.

While this can be taken as either a comment against either Fordham or philosophy in general, a more negative sting to Fordham is found in the USA show “Suits”. The show has frequently derided Fordham as a “thirdtier school, like Arizona State.”

There are more positive portrayals of characters educated at Fordham, however. In the final season of “The Newsroom”, Maggie Jordan begins dating a fictional professor at Ford-

PROPERTY OF SONY CLASSICS

Melissa Benoist’s character, Nicole, plays a Fordham student in the film “Whiplash”.

ham Law Jack Spaniel, who debates her on ethical reporting in his first appearance on the show. He is also revealed to be a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombings in the show and is unafraid of challenging Maggie in her attempt to get a story dishonestly.

Portrayal is not limited to sup-

porting characters as seen in the preceding examples. There are also main protagonists, such as Matt Damon’s character in “The Adjustment Bureau”, who obtained both his undergraduate and law degrees at Fordham before entering a career in politics. As the film is set in New York City, this

can also speak to the regional recognition of Fordham as a New York institution.

Another positive and difficult portrayal is in the film “Michael Clayton”. In the film, the titular character, portrayed by George Clooney, is said to have attended Fordham Law in a

breakdown of his personal history.

The film goes on to show Clayton as an intelligent, practical and, above all else, a ruthless litigator. Ty Burr in his review of the film for The Boston Globe said, “Clayton is an outerborough boy, a graduate of Fordham Law rather than Harvard, the kid who made good from a family of cops ...

He’s the fixer, the guy other attorneys call when their clients run someone over with their Porsches.”

Despite these portrayals, students currently attending Fordham do not notice their school in film. Kyndal Jackson, FCLC ’17, said, “No, I’m not aware of any [reference] to Fordham, though I don’t watch a lot of scripted television.”

Aakash Kumar, FCLC ’17, agreed that he wasn’t aware of the latest references to Fordham in film and TV. . He said, “I know that they’ve used Rose Hill [Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH)] to film for a bunch of [television] shows and I’ve seen them ... but I don’t know about any [references] to Fordham.”

While FCLC as a credible institution has certainly gained ground and has exposure, both positive and negative, it still needs more exposure and mentions to become ingrained in the public memory in comparison to Ivy League schools, but it is quickly getting there.

Ring In the Shows & Concerts this Holiday Season

By HA-YOUNG GLORIA JUNG Staff Writer

The spotlight shines on New York City’s theaters and concert venues, where artists and performers showcase their Holiday spirit. At Fordham College Lincoln Center (FCLC), students are excited for the return of their favorite classics such as “The Nutcracker”, “Radio City Christmas Spectacular”, “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical” and “The Christmas Attic.”

“THE NUTCRACKER”

Throughout New York City, variations of George Balanchine’s classic ballet “The Nutcracker” will be featured in numerous theaters, including The David H. Koch Theater and the Tarrytown Music Hall. At Hammerstein Ballroom, the Moscow Ballet will be taking a different angle on the story about marching toy soldiers, ballerinas and mice with their “Great Russian Nutcracker”.

For theatre design major Mikaela

Peyton Berry, FCLC ’18, “The Nutcracker” was the first production that she ever attended. “I’ve been in love with the theater ever since I saw this production,” she said.

“I love the dancing and the music in ‘The Nutcracker.’ Just watching and listening to ‘The Nutcracker’ puts one into the Christmas spirit,” Matt Figura, FCLC ’18, said.

Berry explained that “The Nutcracker’s” choreography was dynamic. “The sugar plum fairies dance was so beautiful and lively, and the dancers look as though they are snowflakes dancing around the stage,” she said.

“RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR”

For those who enjoy the traditional classics of the Christmas spirit or are reuniting with the family for the holidays, Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular on Broadway will be showing until Dec. 31.

“My experience watching ‘The Radio City Christmas Spectacular’ with

“[The story] truly captured both a strong sense of holiday spirit as well as family union ...” the Rockettes was amazing. I can vividly remember how the actors and actresses for the production would not only act on stage, but also use the entire auditorium as a stage as well. It is also a great production to watch as a family, and a great New York tradition I hope to pass on to my kids later,” Elizabeth Garcia, FCLC ’17, said.

Garcia explained that the production genuinely portrayed the ties between the hoilday spirit and family.

She agreed that the story portrayed the bonds between mother and daughter. “[The story] truly captured both a strong sense of holiday spirit as well as family union, as the mother and daughter both bonded while teaming up to beat the villains of

their game, whilst the mother being open to technology,” she said.

When asked about what was most interesting about the show, she said, “The set design was what struck out to me the most. As I mentioned before, the acting would pop out at the audience because the actors and actresses would act beyond the traditional stage and use the entire auditorium as a stage in the production.”

“The fact that the Christmas Spectacular has been a huge holiday tradition in the city is entirely Christmasthemed can make it a little excluding, as I don’t remember them addressing other holidays celebrated like Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, as much, but the family theme recompenses as family union is universal,” Garcia said.

“DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL”

Another familiar family classic story is “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical,” which will show at Madison Square Gar-

den until Dec. 28. The musical features Max the Dog as the narrator for Grinch’s schemes to take away holiday spirit and cheer. “It shows how by showing love to someone you can bring joy to their life and change them for the better,” Emily Polonia, FCLC ’18, said.

“THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC”

For those who prefer the edgy side of the holidays, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) will be showcasing a rock concert called “The Christmas Attic” at the Nassau Coliseum on Dec. 18 with giant video screens and pyrotechnics display to mix both heavy metal and classical music. “The Christmas Attic” Tour was named after the 1998 rock opera and the holiday-themed opera will be played

by TSO live for the first time.

The general vibe that many holiday productions give is the good and importance of family to come together for the annual tradition: Christmas.

The Comma Interrobang

House of Memory

By NINA BERGBAUER Assistant Literary Editor

About a year ago, just after my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, I remember listening to the doctor’s explanation of the disease and what lies ahead.

He compared the patient’s mind to a cluttered closet whose door won’t stay shut – each time the door flies open, more and more objects fall out of the closet, never to be recovered, hence my grandmother’s inability to recover countless memories that were once safely stored in her mind, now nowhere to be found. While Alzheimer medications can slow the rate at which memories escape the mind, they’re unable to fix the broken door, to stop the mind from letting these memories exit.

I find the use of a closet metaphor when describing a memory disease interesting, given the closet’s location within the home – that universal symbol of stability –

where our memories are safely stored away, even after we leave. Growing up, I never feared leaving my house or even my state the way my friends did. I wasn’t leaving any memories behind, because my house would preserve them, would remember them, for me. Whenever I returned, my house would be there to remind me of them.

But when I visited home for Thanksgiving, I was forced to learn otherwise. With their children all moved out, my parents recently decided to sell their house. Little did I know when I arrived, I was returning not to a home but to a house newly on the market – freshly painted and redecorated, its memory wiped clean. Gone were the family photographs (prospective buyers don’t want to see your family in the house but want to envision their own there), and in their place hung unfamiliar abstract paintings that

could tell me nothing about my brother’s haircut at his high school graduation or the dress I wore on picture day in second grade. My house itself had Alzheimer’s, and as we know, there is no cure.

I realized that’s the trouble of allowing physical objects to do the work of remembering for you. We can let a house or a closet symbolize a space for memory-storage, but ultimately we are responsible for keeping those memories alive in our minds. Like my grandmother, one day I too might lose the ability to hold these memories within me, to keep my mind’s closet door shut tight. But in the meantime I want to cherish it. The day my own closet door flies open, I want my closet to be full.

12

Arts & Culture

December 11, 2014 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Seniors Exhibit Work in Fordham Galleries A DISPLAY OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN FORDHAM & QUEENSLAND IN BUTLER GALLERY

By RAMONA VENTURANZA Arts & Culture Editor

From old-fashioned to modern modes of communication, ranging from postcards to Facebook, there seems to be endless ways of reaching out to anyone. Separated by two hemispheres and one equator, students from Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) and Queensland University of Technology, an Australian-based university, use art to display both the challenging and availing aspects of receiving a message in the exhibition “Suspension Points,” featured now through Jan. 25 in Ildiko Butler Gallery at FCLC. As part of their senior collaboration projects, students from both Fordham and Queensland selected three forms of communication, ranging from the postcard to the social media websites like Facebook and Instagram. Students would then produce a work of art in response to their correspondence with their respective partners. “[The students] were prohibited from contacting their partner through any other mode of communication, other than the one they had chosen,” Casey Ruble, Fordham’s artist-in-residence and coordinator of the senior collaboration, said. “There are no restrictions on them, other than the fact that they had to use their assigned communication format.”

For some students, it was easy to correspond with their partner on the other side of the world and create a provocative piece. “Our mode of communication was Facebook,” C. Sarah Strafford, FCLC ’15, said.

“At first, [my partner and I] started chatting and found that we shared

JASON BOIT/THE OBSERVER

Alexander Jahani, FCLC ’15, uses LED light bulbs in the exhibition “Suspension Points.”

a lot of the same interests. Then, we thought, why don’t we think about communicating back and forth and how this can be interpreted.”

Because of this way of communication via Facebook, Strafford wanted to focus her project on the social media channel’s lack of privacy and how different types of people are perceived on it. “For the concept, I finally thought, why don’t I do a take on the kind of imagery that you see on social media - and we thought, printing out our conversations was the best way to go,” she said.

Similarly, Alexander Jahani’s, FCLC ’15, direct conversation with his partner via Twitter led to a piece that conveys his take on social media. “My project is essentially two LED light bulbs that are positioned right next to each other. I wanted to translate those Twitter conversations in a simple way, to say that, these are signals of communication and a message. And although these messages are under 140 characters, they are still a message,” he said.

In the class, some students chose a mode of communication that pre-

vented them from talking to their partner on the other side. As a result, they were faced with the challenge of creating an art piece out of that miscommunication. “I chose my medium of communication to be message in a bottle,” Tochi Mgbenwelu, FCLC ’15, said. “I knew that I was never going to be communicating with my partner because messages in a bottle don’t work like Skype.”

Mgbenwelu used film to show her experience using this mode of communication. “I recorded my experience going to Coney Island and

throwing the message in the bottle in the water. I also did the same thing at the Hudson River.”

According to each of the Fordham students, this project unexpectedly brought them and their Australian partners closer together.

Even with a public forum like Twitter, Jahani was able to form a close connection with his partner.

“My partner and I would send each other direct messages - it was a more intimate way of communicating, because we got to learn about each other,” he said. “We talked about things I didn’t necessarily affect the project directly. But, we got to talk about our approach to the project and what one thought about the other’s piece.”

For Mgbenwelu, she was able to learn a lot about her partner through their mode of communication. “My partner brought five bottles and she wrote me 20 letters - each letter representing each year of her life. She put four letters in each bottle and shared secrets in her letters that she didn’t want to share with anybody.

Initially, she was going to throw them in the water, but then I told her that I am going to read these,” she said. “She shared really deep things in these letters, and it was nice to know that I am the only other person who knows these things.”

Such forms of communication are able to bring people together, according to Ruble. “There is this assumption that these communication formats can bring us together and allow for a kind of intimacy between two different people who are separated by long distance,” she said.

“But these pieces question if that is the case and the idea of communication formats of drawing people together.”

STUDENTS EXHIBIT VIEWS OF SOCIAL & PHYSICAL CHANGE IN LIPANI GALLERY

By HA-YOUNG GLORIA JUNG Staff Writer

When you think of “art,” do neon lights and feminism come to mind? On Dec. 10 at Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) Lipani Gallery, the Senior Highlights Exhibition, will present abstract and thought-provoking pieces of art to convey their views of social and physical change.

Kathryn Doheny, FCLC ’15, will be presenting illustrations that mix themes of feminism with puns. “I focus on calling out stereotypes that men and women place on women, even in our socially evolving world,” Doheny said. Although her art piece does not have an official name or title yet she is considering titling her piece as “fe-men-ist.” She explains that she had initially begun her pieces with illustrations of famous female celebrities. “I began [my work] with illustrations of famous female celebrities in the Adobe program Illustrator and then used cut paper to give texture to the forms.”

The puns that are included in each piece are written in neon lights. “The neon-esque lights are reminiscent of the grimy city night life,” Doheny said. Doheny has devised puns and decided which notable figures would be portrayed in each illustration and the puns to connect each figures’ characters. “Working toward clarity has been the hardest part of my process, along with deciding which notable figures I should use--and what puns to connect with them,” he said.

Qinrui Hua, FCLC ’15, will be showing photographs of Fordham students in their dormitories. The photograph prints will be blackand-white darkroom prints on fiber paper. Hua’s initial objective was to do visual research on people. “Essentially, it started off as a visual study of me through my [subjects]. However, after developing this idea for 11 months, many intentions have been

changed,” Hua said.

Hua visually studied and researched fellow Fordham students for the subjectivity of his photography.

“I would go to a Fordham student’s room and talk with them casually for an hour and half, using a medium format Rolleiflex film camera and take 36 pictures.” Hua explained that there were many challenges to overcome in the course of tackling this project and that the most prominent challenge was being less subjective in photography. “I am not trying to express any of my opinions or suggest any deep ideas. I just throw a frame of that moment,” Hua said.

Alexander Jahani, FCLC ’15, another student participating in the exhibition, will be presenting two abstract paintings. The size of one of the larger paintings will be 6 feet by 5 feet. Instead of painting his abstract upright, he will be lying down to finish his pieces. “I’m stripping the canvases off of the stretcher bars and setting them down on the floor.

It means I have to crawl around the paintings as if they really are maps laid out on the floor — which is a nice change in perspective from standing up and working on a canvas against a wall,” Jahani said.

Tochi Mgbenwelu, FCLC ’15, is an architect who, like Jahani, did the unexpected; Mgbenwelu did not create a physical art piece. “I opened myself up to the idea of change and understanding that architecture is not confined to the four walls of a building but also its surrounding environment,” Mgbenwelu said. Mgbenwelu had individuals with opposing fears live amongst one another. At the Lipani Gallery, he will be showing a final model including photographs, plans, sections, elevations and circulation descriptions.

Another studio art major, C. Sarah Strafford, FCRH ’15, will be presenting a stop motion animated film. She built a small set with handmade clay humanoid figures that ap-

SARAH HOWARD/THE OBSERVER

Students display their views of social and physical change in the Senior Highlights Exhibition.

pear to interact with abstract objects.

“My sets are these patterned surreal spaces that have a lot to do with color theory and pattern. My figures are these purposely crude female figures interacting with these odd patterned spaces and objects,” Stafford said.

“For me, color theory is very important, so I spend a lot of time deciding and designing what colors I want interacting - then I buy a lot of different patterned paper that I want to use for my sets and set pieces. From there, I start making my figures and building my set and once that’s done I do some film tests to see what everything looks like captured on camera.

In between, I sketch a lot storyboards to figure out the movements.”

Drue Thomas’, FCLC ’15, work is a series of hand drawn quotes that includes roots in the traditional pointed pen calligraphy styles as well as interpretive designs. “My inspira-

tion was a pretty ridiculous conversation I had with a friend of mine a few months back over G-Chat. I always said that [the conversations] needed to be made into a book or something so I thought this would be a pretty cool way to interpret something so insignificant at the time,” Thomas said.

Thomas explained that she had always loved handwritten typography since she was young because of her mother’s influence. “My mom did a lot of calligraphy and handwritten designs for work when I was younger,” Thomas said.

Many artists have muses and inspirations to provoke or invoke the creators’ inner thoughts or ideas waiting to be expressed. Jahani explained that Casey Ruble, visual arts professor and artist-in-residence at FCLC, introduced him to a different form of abstract paintings. “I’m

very inspired by just the idea of information and data, and right now, it’s causing me to put together these block-map paintings,” Jahani said.

Doheny’s inspiration for her art piece was slightly altered during the course of orchestrating her work. “My initial inspiration was Rene Magritte and his originality in exploring the visual pun. But, great feminist artists such as Lilith Adler and Cindy Sherman also helped define my thesis,” Doheny said. “These women [Adler and Sherman] brought a sense of humor into examining how society treats women and still maintained a critical undertone,” Doheny said.

“I think the most rewarding moment is when people see my work and they smile because they get it. Not everyone is going to love your work but when they do, it’s pretty great,” Thomas said.

Features

Features Editor Ian McKenna —ianmckennawmc@gmail.com

December 11, 2014

THE OBSERVER

LIONEL HAHN/ABACA PRESS/TNS; APEGA/ABACA PRESS/TNS; WALLY SKALIJ/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Some of the faces of 2014 feminism, from left to right: Beyoncé Knowles, Lena Dunham, Amy Poehler, Ellen Page, Taylor Swift and Emma Watson.

Feminism in 2014: An Abridged History

By ALANNA KILKEARY Staff Writer

About 10 minutes into Beyoncé’s 2014 VMA Performance, an audio recording from “We Should All Be Feminists,” a TEDxEuston talk by Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, began pounding through the speakers at The Forum L.A. The recording went as follows: “We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are. We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller.

We say to girls, you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful, otherwise you will threaten the man. Feminist: the person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.”

And at that moment, the word FEMINIST appeared in ferocious white block letters behind Ms. Knowles, and she began to sing “Bow Down,” followed by “Flawless,” her #81 hit on Billboard’s Top 100 in 2013. Standing on stage in her bejeweled Tom Ford body suit and fishnet stockings, Beyoncé created history.

Hours later, “***Flawless Feminism” would burst from headlines across the country at news outlets such as The Huffington Post, TIME Magazine and CNN. Her performance shook up social media, conceiving hashtags on Twitter, lists on Buzzfeed and gifs on Tumblr. All of these outlets had one thing in common—a capitalized single word: FEMINIST. One source of “feminist” as a buzzword resurged on the Internet back in January 2013, when Lena Dunham, creator and star of the hit HBO Series, “Girls,” noted to Metro UK that “Women saying ‘I’m not a feminist’ is [her] greatest pet peeve.”

Dunham told Metro UK that, “People think there is something taboo about speaking up for feminism. I know for a long time that I was embarrassed to call out misogyny because I was then going to be that complaining girl who can’t let go. But the fact is, we can’t let it go—not until we feel like we have been heard.”

Fast-forward to a year later, January 2014, “Parks and Recreation” star Amy Poehler sat down with Elle Magazine and kick started the whirlwind of feminism in celebrity culture of 2014. Poehler told Elle: “I think some big actors and musicians feel like they have to speak to their audience and that word [feminism] is confusing to their audience. But I don’t get it. That’s like someone being like, ‘I don’t really believe in cars, but I drive one every day and I love that it gets me places and makes life so much easier and faster and I don’t know what I would do without it.’”

The beloved Poehler defines herself as a feminist and notes that this is a term so weaved within our lives, that it is sometimes hard to even distinguish.

In July 2014, Ellen Page, who publicly came out at the Human Rights Campaign: Time to Thrive Confer-

ence earlier in the year, made her view on feminism extremely explicit.

The LGBTQ activist and actress told The Guardian, “I don’t know why people are so reluctant to say they’re feminists. Maybe some women just don’t care. But how could it be any more obvious that we still live in a patriarchal world when feminism is a bad word?” Page also noted to The Guardian that her definition of feminism has shifted from its 1970s term.

“Feminism always gets associated with being a radical movement— good. It should be. A lot of what the radical feminists [in the 1970s] were saying, I don’t agree with,” Page said.

Feminism has shifted with time, and it is no longer about power for women, it is about equality on the most basic level. The Guardian notes that one of the biggest differences between radical feminists of the 1960s and 1970s and feminists of today, is that modern-day feminists are often afraid to even use the term feminism. “If you are a female celebrity, being a ‘modern day feminist’ seems to involve distancing yourself from the word,” The Guardian reported in July.

“Up until a while ago—“feminist” was seen as a dangerous and derogatory term,” Aimee Cox, cultural anthropologist and professor of African American Studies at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) said. “It was this archaic idea that feminists were man-hating and radical, very not in touch with every-day life.” Over time, Cox explained, the term has shifted its meaning. “More and more women and men are [now] writing about what feminism really means—we started to see [feminism] coming up in real life examples—and it became a crossover between activists, academics and pop culture” Cox said. “The problem is not the practice—but the name, which has been misunderstood.”

On Aug. 24, 2014, at the MTV’s annual Video Music Awards, Beyoncé Knowles made the “#Feminist” hash tag blow up on social media around the world with her unforgettable performance. “She’s a phenomenon,” said Cox said, when asked to comment on Beyoncé’s act. “She has so much power to reach so many different people- I think it is powerful, for all the folks that saw that, Beyoncé claiming this title, and even if the only result is people saying, ‘okay, I’m going to explore this’- it won’t necessarily transform all young women— but it brings awareness and puts it out there,” Cox said.

After “Queen Bey” absolutely rocked the feminist world at the VMAs, journalists at varied magazines and media outlets asked more and more celebrities if they ‘considered’ themselves feminists. One of these celebrities is one of the most current female powerhouses (figuratively, and literally) in our world today: Taylor Swift. Swift told The Guardian: “What [feminism] seemed to me, the way it was phrased in culture, society, was that you hate men.

And now, I think a lot of girls have had a feminist awakening because they understand what the word means.

For so long, it’s been made to seem like something where you’d picket against the opposite sex, whereas it’s not about that at all.” Swift does not consider herself a “feminist,” but confesses that she believes she has been upholding feminist values without even realizing it. “Becoming friends with Lena [Dunham]- without her preaching to me, but just seeing why she believes what she believes, why she says what she says, why she stands for what she stands for- has made me realize that I’ve been taking a feminist stance without actually saying so” Swift told The Guardian.

The buzzword took an even more massive term in September 2014, when Emma Watson, a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador, made a speech launching the “HeForShe” campaign. According to Vanity Fair, “HeForShe” aims to “galvanize one billion men and boys as advocates for ending the inequalities that women and girls face globally.” In her speech at the U.N., Watson maintained, “I decided I was a feminist and this seemed uncomplicated to me. But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular

“ The problem is not

the practice—but the name, which has been misunderstood.”

DR AIMEE COX, Professor of African American Studies at FCLC

word. Apparently I am among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men and, unattractive.” Vanity Fair reported that Watson is “pushing back against recent campaigns like ‘Women Against Feminism’ […because…] these campaigns portray the feminist cause as ‘man-hating.’ By involving both genders in the HeForShe campaign, Watson hopes to abolish the ‘us vs. them’ mentality.” Within the same time frame as Watson’s speech, some noted male celebrities such as Joseph Gordon Levitt and Aziz Ansari came out as male “feminists” in interviews on talk shows..

Watson also addressed that there is no reason why feminism should have such a taboo attached to it. In her speech, she noted, “Why is the word such an uncomfortable one? I am from Britain and think it is right that as a woman I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decision-making of my country. I think it is right that socially I am afforded the same respect as men. But sadly I can

say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive these rights.”

Similar to Watson’s claims, Cox, too, believes that the word needs to be understood to be carried out. “The upside is that you want people to understand these terms to live better lives. The dangerous part is when it becomes something that because it’s used often, becomes oversimplified” Cox said. Cox went on to explain that with this danger, anyone could argue that anything is “feminist,” like performing outrageous behaviors, such as, walking in a public space without any clothes. “It could be come so visible and simplified, [which] would make it meaningless” Cox said.

In Nov. 2014, TIME Magazine released a poll titled, “Which Word Should Be Banned in 2015?” Among the list were commonly overused and irksome words that are constantly floating around the Internet, such as, “bae,” “basic,” “turnt,” and “sorrynotsorry.” Even “kale” was considered as a word to be banned in the coming year. Fifth down on the list, lo and behold, was 2014’s most buzzed-about F-word. “Feminist: You have nothing against feminism itself, but when did it become a thing that every celebrity had to state their position on whether this word applies to them, like some politician declaring a party? Let’s stick to the issues and quit throwing this label around like ticker tape at a Susan B. Anthony parade,” TIME published on its website. Shortly after the poll was posted online, TIME’s Managing Editor, Nancy Gibbs, added in a correction at the top of the article. “TIME apologizes for the execution of this poll; the word ‘feminist’ should not have been included in a list of words to ban. While we meant to invite debate about some ways the word was used this year, that nuance was lost, and we regret that its inclusion has become a distraction from the important debate over equality and justice,” Gibbs wrote.

When asked to comment on TIME’s controversial decision to place “feminist” in this poll, Cox revealed that she was not surprised. “I think it’s backlash—when something moves into the norm, everyone’s like, ‘oh wait a minute!’ there’s fear,” Cox said. “It’s going to happen all the time as the term is moving into an acceptable space.”

Fast forward to now, the end of 2014. Article titles swarm around our Facebook newsfeeds and Twitter feeds all with a similar type of ring to them, topics such as, “This Feminist Twist on ‘The Princess Bride’ Will Give You Life,” “25 Things That Happen When You Talk About Feminism On The Internet,” “14 Reasons We All Need Feminism,” or “17 Female Celebrities Who Have the Right Idea About Feminism.” This term, this buzzword, is consistently popping up in social media nearly every day.

Wallis Monday, FCLC ’16, is the President of the feminist club at FCLC, In Strength I Stand (ISIS).

Monday maintained, “ISIS (which she pointed out is also the name of the Egyptian goddess of womanhood and fertility) is a group that focuses on facilitating conversation. A lot of people who come to our events and meetings are freshmen—which we really like that—we love to see freshmen, cause for a lot of them, it’s the first time that they’re feeling comfortable identifying as a feminist, or finding out more about women’s issues, gender issues.” Monday revealed that in ISIS, “it’s good if you identify as a feminist, it’s great if you take steps after that and are actively willing to dismantle the oppression that you see in your daily lives.”

When asked about the negative connotation and buzz around feminism, Monday remarked, “Yeah, every female in pop culture is asked if she’s a feminist these days, and I like that, because it’s good to have that word in heavy circulation … I think it’s becoming trendy … I think we’re entering an era of media that’s becoming a lot more socially conscious.”

Monday believes that the push from celebrity culture drove feminism into a good light by fleshing out the negativity surrounding it and making it a word that people pay attention to. “We’re starting to see terminology and language and discussions happening on major news outlets that you would not have seen 10 years ago. I hope that it only continues to grow. I think you can’t use the term [feminism] enough in the media right now.”

Gabrielle Libretti, FCLC ’17 and member of ISIS, also weighed in.

“Some media portrayals aren’t necessarily positive towards feminism or inclusive or correct. There’s misinformation out there. Like asking a celebrity if they’re a feminist is silly, and I think most self-identified feminists have larger concerns,” Libretti said. But, Libretti maintained that the constant exposure to this term online bodes well for our future generations. “At the same time, it’s awesome that more and more people are exposed to feminism. Like I hope all the little boys and girls and gendernonconforming kiddos out there who see Beyoncé on TV with the word ‘FEMINIST’ behind her, without knowing fully what it means, end up googling it and exposing themselves to a wealth of information to help positively affect their lives and their futures.”

Cox agrees that this attention is good. “When I was your age—we didn’t talk about these things. We didn’t have the language or words to,” Cox said. Cox affirmed that our generation of millennia’s has transformed what the word meant to her generation. “You are all operating with these ways in mind—feminism, race, power, and you all have the language—which will add to the sustainability [of all of these things.]”

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THE OBSERVER

December 11, 2014

Features

14

COURTESY OF H BAKE SHOP

A woman looks over her options at H Bake Shop.

WORD OF MOUTH

Cupcake Wars Hits New York City ROSANNA CORRADO Staff Writer

Have you ever gone on a Netflix binge? Come on, fess up, we all have. Netflix recently added a Cupcake Wars Collection and as a food reality TV junkie, I was ecstatic.

Sure enough, within the first fifteen minutes of the first episode, I was craving cupcakes. Three episodes in, I was starting to get hunger pains; by five episodes, I was famished.

Thank goodness for Google because within minutes I had the answer to my craving. Only five minutes away from Fordham is a new artisanal and organic cupcake bakery, which, get this: IS OWNED BY A WINNER OF CUPCAKE WARS. You can guess that after finding H Bake Shop, I slid on my shoes and ran to 57th street and 11th Ave. for some of the best cupcakes I have ever had.

For those who are not familiar with Cupcake Wars, all you need to know is that it is a Food Network reality show where four bakers compete in three intense rounds of competition for the prize of $10,000 and the opportunity to have their cupcakes featured at an exclusive event. Each week, there is a different theme, which dictates the flavors and

inspirations the bakers must draw on. For example, the last episode I watched was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle themed. The bakers had to create pizza flavored cupcakes in the first round and the exclusive party portion of the prize was to have their cupcakes featured at the Nickelodeon launch party for the season premiere of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I know, sounds kind of lame, but trust me, it is addicting. The owner of H Bake Shop, Huascar Aquino, won over guest judge Jessica Alba and featured his all-organic cupcakes at her launch party for the “Honest Company.”

Walking into H Bake Shop can be overwhelming. There are so many different cupcake flavors to choose from! I asked the staff which cupcake they would recommend trying first and was encouraged to try the PB & J, an all-time customer favorite. The decadent cupcake featured homemade peanut butter, homemade concord grape marmalade, peanut butter frosting, chocolate fudge and was garnished with salted peanuts.

The cake was light and airy while still having a slight dense texture that kept the cake hearty. The homemade concord grape marmalade that was stuffed in the center of the nutty cake added the perfect sweet-sour flavor note that complemented the rich, yet perfectly portioned chocolate fudge

that topped the cake. The peanut butter frosting was not overly sweet and had a smooth, creamy texture.

Normally, peanut butter frosting can be thick or grainy, but this frosting was almost like a mousse in texture and was surprisingly light for something so rich. The cupcake is rich and decadent, yet every component has a lightness to it that makes the end result pure peanut butter and jelly bliss.

The second cupcake I tried turned out to be not a cupcake at all. The seasonal gluten free cupcake turned out to be a sweet potato and maple syrup cheesecake with a gingersnap crust and a fresh whipped cream topping.

The cheesecake was light and airy and tasted exactly like sweet potato casserole except it had a nice tang from the cream cheese. The gingersnap crust complemented the acidity in the cream cheese and added a cinnamon dimension to the cake. The whipped cream frosting was the perfect topping because I added a light note to the otherwise perfectly dense and creamy cheesecake.

Curious about the genius baker behind these amazing cupcakes, I interviewed baker and owner of H Bake shop Huascar Aquino. This baking superstar has appeared on Food Network Baking Competitions like Cupcakes Wars and Sweet Genius, where he has put his baking skills and creativity to the test. When asked

about his experience competing on these shows, Huascar told me it is much harder than it looks. “The taping of the actual show is much more intense than what you see on TV and entailed a tremendous amount of preparation, even before we left New York. When we got to California, it was non-stop work from sunrise to late at night. The day of the actual competition, we got to the studio around 4 a.m. and left the next day at 2 a.m. When it was all over, my entire body ached! Even walking down a flight of stairs was painful.”

Following the show, Huascar had more hard work ahead of him because he put his prize money to good use and opened his bakery.

When asked about his bestselling flavor, Huascar told me it was the Scarlet Velvet, which he described as “my take on red velvet. It is a naturally red cocoa cake filled with chocolate fudge and iced with a Mascarpone cream cheese frosting.”

However, his bakery favorite extends beyond menu mainstays as he told me his personal favorite is almost always the “Cupcake of the Month,” which he says “allows me to try out different seasonal ingredients and interesting flavor combinations.” For example, during the holiday season, H Bakeshop has a Candy Apple cupcake. Huascar described it as “an apple cider and caramelized Gala

apple cake made with molasses and a special combination of spices. I frost it with caramel buttercream, drizzled with caramel sauce and topped with a crunchy cinnamon apple chip.

My partner, Carlos, describes it as ‘Christmas in your mouth.’”

So I know, some of you are thinking that cupcakes are a dying fad, victim to the current French macaron and cronut craze, but in the words of Huascar “Cupcakes remain a popular bakery item in New York City. They are easy to make and fun to decorate and eat. They make a terrific alternative to the traditional birthday and wedding cakes (which I also make).

The trick is to offer gorgeous cupcakes that are flavor-focused without being cloying. I think I strike the right balance at H Bake Shop.” And I completely agree. If you are looking for cupcakes done right or a delicious treat to get you through finals week (Huascar also bakes delicious homemade cookies and donuts!), I highly recommend stopping by H Bake Shop.

IF YOU GO

H Bake Shop Price: $$ Where: 60 W. 57th Street, New York , NY 10019

COURTESY OF H BAKE SHOP

Left: Huascar Aquino, H Bake Shop owner. Right:H Bake Shop’s new line of donuts.

Sports

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT GAUTHIER/LOS ANGELES TIMES VIA TNS

Kobe’s constant jump shots would hurt the Knicks more than it would help.

Sports Editor Dylan Penza - dpenza@fordham.edu

December 11, 2014

THE OBSERVER

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEITH ALLISON VIA FLICKR

A reunion with Kobe might solve the problems that plague Phil Jackson’s roster.

Could Trading for Kobe Save the Knicks?

POINT

Kobe to the Knicks? Not So Fast

By THOMAS O’CALLAGHAN Staff Writer

The New York Knicks have gotten off to an abysmal 4-18 start this season, and Kobe Bryant would certainly not be the answer to their problems. While the triangle offense has not been kind to the Knicks, adding another player that will only shoot would be a poor solution to their shooting woes. Team cohesion and chemistry is the cornerstone of this offensive scheme. Shipping off a few players and adding a controlling personality like Bryant’s would only serve to subtract from the minimal chemistry active in this team as it is.

There are many reasons for this lack of team cohesion. Keep in mind that, while the Knicks were supposedly attempting to remain competitive, this season was an unofficial rebuilding year, with hope for a quick turnaround. For about the last four years, the organization has salivated over the 2015 free agent class, and that still seems to figure into the Knicks’ plans.

While Bryant has shown to be successful in the triangle in the past, it makes no sense for either the Lakers or the Knicks to make this kind of win-now, put-a-teamover-the-top type move when neither are close to contention.

While it may look like a good idea to add the fourth highest scoring player in NBA history and reuniting him with his former coach Phil Jackson and teammate Derek Fisher, this reactionary move will not solve anything. While it might move some Knicks-Bryant merchandise, adding the 36-year-old shooting machine will not solve any issues. Outside of Carmelo

Anthony, who is currently dealing with nagging back and leg injuries, the consistent three-point shooting of Pablo Prigioni and the resurgence of big man Amar’e Stoudemire, the Knicks have virtually no cohesion on either side of the court. Phil Jackson, before he took over as president of the Knicks, was quoted as calling the pairing of Stoudemire and Anthony “clumsy,” so what would he call it if Bryant were thrown into the mix?

In order to complete this hypothetical trade in the first place, the Knicks would probably need to put together a package involving Stoudemire and some of the team’s younger, developing players such as Iman Shumpert or Tim Hardaway Jr. Jackson sold the organization on a plan for the future, which would be mortgaged on a nonsensical move that might, but probably would not, alleviate some of the offensive burden. All of these players need the ball to be effective, so there is no way that all three of them can play together.

While the Knicks are in the league’s cellar as far as scoring, ranking 27th with 93.4 points a game, adding another high volume shooter like Kobe Bryant would not be a viable solution to the team’s current situation. The nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team Laker might help on the Knicks’ perimeter defense, where they are sorely lacking, but the chemistry problem alone shoots down this wild fantasy before any serious consideration can be made.

The triangle offense emphasizes passing, but usually revolves around one focal point. The team simply could not accommodate the offensive needs of Anthony, Stoudemire and Bryant at once.

COUNTERPOINT

Why Kobe is the Knicks’ Best Solution

By DAN FERRARA Staff Writer

The Knicks are 4-18 and going nowhere fast.

In the midst of their 54-win season two years ago, it seemed as if the Knicks had a chance to beat any opponent. Now it seems as if there’s a legitimate shot that they can lose to any team and no one can help. Enter Kobe Bryant.

It isn’t often that a team has the opportunity to acquire a player of Bryant’s caliber. He recently became the first player in NBA history to score 30,000 points and tally over 6,000 assists.

He knows the triangle offense extremely well, something Head Coach Derek Fisher and team President Phil Jackson are pushing extremely hard and has won several championships running it. Unless Michael Jordan or Shaquille O’Neal come out of retirement, Kobe is the best option for the triangle offense.

For years now, the Knicks have sold the fan base on the idea of clearing cap space and waiting for key free agents to become available. It happened in 2010 with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and then later with Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. The common theme with all of these players is that they elected to sign elsewhere as free agents. Even free agents who weren’t on a superstar level, such as Pau Gasol, gave the Big Apple the cold shoulder as he headed to the Windy City to join the Bulls.

The Knicks’ waiting game is extremely problematic because the minds of many decisionmakers in Knicks management are filled with delusional thoughts that make the Knicks seem to be a more attractive destination than they really are. In reality, they are a franchise that hasn’t won a championship since 1973 and has just won just one playoff series since 2000.

The worst part is that they’re doing it again.

The only players under contract for next season

are Carmelo Anthony and Tim Hardaway Jr. However, J.R. Smith, if he isn’t traded, will have a player option that he will undoubtedly exercise.

Iman Shumpert and Quincy Acy are restricted free agents, giving the Knicks the chance to match any offer that is made to them. Realistically, there is a shot that Hardaway, Shumpert and Smith are all traded, giving the Knicks a one-man roster next season and a fresh start.

Many fear that dealing for Bryant would eat into their future cap space. Rajon Rondo and Marc Gasol headline the 2015 free agent class, and right now, Kevin Durant is expected to be available in the summer of 2016. Bryant is due to make $25 million next season, which, when combined with Anthony’s salary, will combine for $48 million of the Knicks’ cap space.

If you think the Knicks will be able to sign Rondo or Gasol and they will be key contributors, then adding Bryant wouldn’t make much sense. Still, Rondo and Gasol will likely demand max contracts – and at that point, are they better fits than Bryant, who currently leads the NBA in scoring with 25 points per game?

Pairing Bryant and Anthony together would give the Knicks two of the most lethal scorers in the league. Both would require double teams, and create more looks for teammates when they aren’t putting the ball in the basket themselves.

Furthermore, they would make the Knicks watchable. Right now, they are a one-man team that looks inadequate on both sides of the court.

Although most indications are that the Lakers have no interest in trading Bryant, they are currently 5-16 as well and are looking for a high draft pick and a clean rebuild. Dealing Kobe would likely give them a better draft pick and more cap flexibility, even though parting ways with the star of the team for 18 seasons would be difficult. If Bryant becomes available, the Knicks should jump on the opportunity.

16

Sports

December 11, 2014 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

The Real Contenders for the NCAA Football Championship to possibly add a national championship to that resume.

By DYLAN PENZA Sports Editor

FLORIDA STATE: Although the

During the first few days of 2015, one can expect a variety of people swearing that they’ll go to the gym, and the beginning of a new era for NCAA college football. The collegiate bowl system will not be abolished completely but will be adjusted to include a four-team playoff. Under this new system, four of the best teams in America will be able to compete to be called best in the nation instead of two, thus allowing for greater parity.

More teams mean more contenders, so here are three programs with legitimate championship aspirations: ALABAMA: In a development that

will shock no one with a passing interest in collegiate football, Alabama is once again very good this year. I know as a reporter and as an analyst, I am supposed to eliminate my bias, but with all due respect, Alabama is so consistently good every year, it has become boring. Every season, the Crimson Tide contends for the championship under Head Coach Nick Saban. In fact, since 2009, Alabama’s program has won the championship three times, with only Auburn and another team that will be discussed later in the article usurping them. The team has been defined by a well-coached and uber athletic defense, but what has been surprising is the team’s emphasis on passing the ball. The team up until this year was largely defined by running backs such as Trent Richardson or Mark Ingram running the ball, gaining yards on the ground and controlling the game clock while quarterbacks managed the offense.

However, this year, the team’s pass-

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOE BURBANK/ORLANDO SENTINEL

Florida State has not played up to expectations this year, but Jameis Winston keeps the team in the hunt for a national championship.

ing has been much more accentuated with quarterback Blake Sims and wide receiver Amari Cooper leading the way. This isn’t to say that Alabama is going to begin throwing the ball in a spread offense, but the team’s more diverse offensive attack could help lead the Crimson Tide to another championship.

OREGON: In stark contrast to Ala-

bama’s dominating defense has been the prolific offense of the Oregon Ducks which ranks fourth in the nation in points scored at almost 46 points per game. Head Coach Mark

Helfrich has built on the foundation of his predecessor, Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly, to design a spread offense engineered to score quickly and dynamically while tiring out opposing defenses who can’t keep up. While this system is incredible, what truly transforms Oregon from fun to watch team to national contender is its leader, quarterback Marcus Mariota. Mariota had always been a great runner and accurate passer in his previous two seasons as starter, but this year, he has played on an elite level. A

player who was first thought to be a run first quarterback similar to Michael Vick or Cam Newton has now thrown 38 touchdowns this season to only two interceptions. Despite the immense amount of production from his arms, Mariota’s legs remain an asset as well as evidenced by his 11 rushing touchdowns. These video game-esque numbers have thrust Mariota into being the frontrunner for this year’s Heisman Trophy and the number one overall pick in next year’s NFL draft. If he can continue this level of production, expect him

team has struggled mightily at times and has dealt with its fair share of adversity, the undefeated reigning national champion Florida State Seminoles are still a force to be reckoned with in college football.

This year, Head Coach Jimbo Fisher’s team has been plagued by what is sometimes referred to as a “championship hangover,” meaning that the athletes seem to play with less of a sense of urgency. However, one player, seemingly by himself, has dragged the Seminoles to a perfect record, quarterback Jameis Winston.

Now, the former Heisman winner is a divisive figure in sports but there is no denying that, despite his blatant character issue, Winston almost singlehandedly elevates Florida State to an elite level of play. Even taking into account his one game suspension, Winston’s play has not been up to par with his 40 touchdown season last year, but he has been clutch in leading the team in multiple fourth quarter comebacks this year. If Florida State repeats this year and brings another championship to Tallahassee, the rest of the team will have to play up to the standards of last year and to the level of their star quarterback.

There is a chance that none of these teams win the championship.

The beauty of the new playoff system is that it allows more than two teams to compete for the first prize. However, whether due to talent level or championship pedigree or superstar play, these three programs remain the favorites to bring home the nation title.

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