Fordham Observer - Issue 3 by Fordham Observer

Observer the

FEBRUARY 27, 2014 VOLUME XXXIII, ISSUE 3

www.fordhamobserver.com

Photo Feature

Suspected Mumps Outbreak at FCLC By TYLER MARTINS AND IAN MCKENNA Arts & Culture Co-Editor and Editorin-Chief

The New York City Health Department is currently investigating the reported mumps outbreak at Fordham University. Currently, there is one confirmed case of mumps on the 18th floor of McMahon Hall. There is a second unconfirmed case of mumps at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), according to two sources in the position to know but unable to speak for the administration. There are currently more than 13 suspected cases of the mumps at Fordham University. A “small number of suspected mumps infections” were reported since Thursday, Feb. 20, but the University has not released an updated number of cases since Friday. “When addressing the mumps, [Fordham] is following all the recommendations from the Department of Health,” Keith Eldredge, dean of students at FCLC, said. “We are encouraging students to take care of themselves. The protocols are similar to what you’d hear for preventing the spread of the flu.” On Thursday, Feb. 20 at 3:06 p.m., Campus Security announced in an email that there was one case of suspected mumps at FCLC in McMahon Hall, with an additional, so far unannounced suspected case, according to sources. Campus Security had previously announced that, as of Feb. 19, there were eight cases of students with suspected mumps infections at Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) in a University-wide email blast sent out at 5:26 p.m. The number of students suspected with the mumps has since grown to more than 13 cases. Throughout The Observer’s multi-day coverage of the mumps outbreak, both Jenifer Campbell, director of Residential Life at FCLC, and Kathleen Malara, executive director of Fordham’s Health Services, have been unresponsive to multiple requests for interviews. see MUMPS pg. 3

TYLER MARTINS/THE OBSERVER

Fordham employees working at the Lincoln Center campus were the subjects of this issue’s photo feature.

Are Internships Worth It? By ADRIANA GALLINA Staff Writer

Recently, the Millennial Generation, people born from approximately 1980 onward, has been labeled the Intern Nation because college graduates seem unable to escape the cycle of internships. So, how can Fordham students avoid the same jobless fate post-graduation? Both Bernard Stratford, director of experiential education, and Brian Rose, professor of communications and media studies, agree that undergraduate internships are necessary and beneficial for both experience and networking. However, Stratford’s concerns

arise if and when the internship disrupts academic life. “The key factor is you never want an internship experience to take way from the academic experience. It is critical that you celebrate, participate and understand the wisdom and the value that is in the core curriculum,” Stratford said. Stratford recognizes that “students today don’t have the luxury to go to college and not pay attention to what is going on in the world of work.” Rose said, “Undergraduate internships are a valuable way to: A. supplement what you learn in classes; B. to understand the difference between work and school most valu-

able; C. and most valuably, to establish a whole community of network contacts so when you graduate, you can be connected to people who can point you in terms of [job] leads or maybe even hire you.” While internships “have been subject to abuse,” Rose explains that “more and more, companies are requiring that you get academic credit for internships. If they do that, Fordham makes them live up to that standard. This has to be an ‘academic’ experience and this is legal as well.” According to the Department of Labor, the six standards for unpaid internships are: one, an educational environment; two, internships are for the benefit of the intern; three,

interns should not displace employees; four, employers do not get immediate advantages from the intern; five, interns are not guaranteed employment at the end of internships; six, with all other standards met, the intern is not entitled to wages. As for the college graduates who are seemingly stuck in the Intern Nation, Rose believes that “those are not our [Fordham] students. That is not going to happen. I’ve rarely met or heard of a Fordham grad still doing internships.” Rose said the point of students participating in internships in the first place is so they are not stranded see INTERNSHIPS pg. 3

Inside

FEATURES

SPORTS

ARTS & CULTURE

OPINIONS

I Pity the Jewel

Michael Sam

Futurism

College Essay

What does this mean for the NFL?

New exhibit at the Guggenheim.

Keep of the college essay.

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PAGE 10

PAGE 5

Jewel on the importance of vegetables.

PAGE 14

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM COLLEGE AT LINCOLN CENTER

News

News Editors Noha Mahmoud — nmahmoud2@fordham.edu Ramona Venturanza — rventuranza@fordham.edu

February 27, 2014 THE OBSERVER

One Confirmed, One Suspected Case of Mumps at FCLC MUMPS FROM PAGE 1

Mumps is a viral infection that causes fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite and parotitis – swollen and tender salivary glands under the ears or jaw on one or both sides of the face. “Symptoms include fever, body aches, headaches and swelling of the salivary glands. The parotid gland, located just below and in front of the ear, is usually affected and may also swell. About a third of people who contract the mumps virus do not develop symptoms,” the Health Department said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mumps is “spread by droplets of saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose, or throat of an infected person, usually when the person coughs, sneezes, or talks.” Items used by an infected person can also be contaminated with the virus. ResLife notified a resident on the 18th floor of McMahon Hall on Thursday that her suitemate was suspected to have contracted the mumps. “They called us and said they had a suspected case,” she said. “I did my laundry and went out for a few hours, and I don’t know where she is,” the 18th floor resident said. “I don’t know if she is gone, but if she is here, I want her to stay over there,” she said, pointing to her suitemate’s room. Students who have contracted the viral infection have been quarantined from other students. “All students who might have mumps infections have either returned home or have been isolated from other residents during the time they might be contagious,” the Health Department said.Students, who cannot be sent home, are kept in their apartments in McMahon Hall. When asked about which students get moved, Bob Howe, senior director of communications, said that “sometimes it’s the sick student; sometimes it’s the roommates: it depends on circumstances.” The suitemates of the infected student on the 18th floor have not been relocated, however, according to a member of ResLife, a group that was directed to not speak to any student publications. According to Eldredge, Fordham is taking precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. “Many of the students with the mumps went home,” he said. “Those who couldn’t go home were quarantined,” Eldredge said. “Stu-

dents are being quarantined for five days, for that is how long for the virus to be contagious. We have also worked with food services, so students quarantined can be delivered food.” Students that have contracted the mumps are encouraged to stay home for five days after the symptoms begin and to avoid school and work settings, according to the Health Department. Other preventative measures include the wrapping of loose fruit in the cafeteria with saran wrap, to prevent the spread of the infection. Fordham students are encouraged to warn overnight guests and visitors on campus of the mumps outbreak. “While all of the students with suspected mumps infections have either returned home or have been isolated from other residents during the infectious phase of the illness, there is no way to ensure campus visitors will not be exposed to the virus,” Campus Security said in an attached letter sent to the University. Copies of the letters can be found at the entrance of Lowenstein. Health Services at Rose Hill followed its normal hours this weekend, while facilities at Lincoln Center (LC) which are typically closed on the weekends, was to remain closed. “There is no outbreak at LC, just one patient: we have to put our resources where they’re most needed. Rose Hill is open Saturday and Sun-

day, and students can call Safety and Security 24/7 if they’re feeling ill,” Howe said via email at 5:29 p.m., Friday. An email blast from ResLife at 7:07 p.m., however, announced “the University Health Center (UHC) at Lincoln Center will be open on Saturday, Feb. 22 and Sunday, Feb. 23 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.” Students with mumps symptoms should contact the University Health Care Center for instruction before visiting their campus heath care center. Though students at Fordham University are required to receive vaccinations that prevent mumps (among other diseases) before enrollment, “vaccinations do not offer 100 percent protection,” Campus Security said in a statement. “University Health Services staff are required to be fully vaccinated: it’s unclear whether University faculty and other staff are so required,” Howe said. “Studies suggest that the mumps vaccine is 80 percent to 90 percent effective. That means that for every 100 people vaccinated, 80 to 90 of them will be fully protected, but 10 to 20 are at risk for the disease,” the Health Department said. People infected with the mumps are contagious two days before to five days after they develop symptoms.

Q&A with Medical Director Emergency Medicine of St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Dr. Jeffrey S. Rabrich, DO OBSERVER: What are some measures students can take to prevent the mumps? DR. JEFFREY RABRICH: I don’t know there’s anything really you can do to prevent the mumps. The best thing you can do is to make sure you’re immunized. OBSERVER: Students that have been affected at Fordham University have been immunized. JR: Right. It’s very hard. You’re

infectious before you have symptoms. So, it may be very difficult…like any other common cold, good hand-washing, cover your mouth when you cough, don’t share utensils, those kind of things. Just general practices

like that. But people who have mumps, or end up getting it and are infectious, they’re infectious before they’re really having symptoms, so it’s really hard to know and to kind of isolate yourself and not spread it because by the time you know you’re sick, you’ve already been contagious for a while. OBSERVER: True or false: The disease is stronger, and you can die from it. JR: Most people do well with the

mumps and recover and don’t die from it. It’s generally a self-limiting, nonfatal infection, but it can make you pretty miserable and uncomfortable for a while.

COURTESY OF TYFN VIA FLICKR

Students are required to have their mumps vaccination at Fordham.

Fordham Purchases New Space on Columbus Ave By RAMONA VENTURANZA News Co-Editor

Fordham’s purchase of the College Board condominium on 45 Columbus Ave, which is set to replace a number of facilities and operations at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), will close in June 2014. The Observer spoke to Bryan J. Byrne, vice president of FCLC, for an update on this new acquisition, as well as the new Law Building, current “140” Law Building and the Lowenstein building. OBSERVER: Which buildings are Fordham currently using? Which facilities are going to be relocated? BRYAN J. BYRNE: So far, the

University is currently leasing three buildings for different operations. These spaces occupy approximately 100,000 square feet. [The following buildings include:] 33 West 60th Street, which has five floors that also includes Fordham’s Career Planning and Placement; 888 Seventh Avenue, which holds the Development Office; and 1790 Broadway.

OBSERVER: What is the reason for

relocating these facilities to the Col-

lege Board condominium? BJB: There is a big financial advantage for the university by acquiring and moving into this building; the cost for each of these leases is at a high cost. By buying [the College Board condominium], we are able to get rid of all those expensive leases and save money. In addition, the condominium will be close; having these operations in one building will be easier to run for Fordham. OBSERVER: When will the relocation into the College Board condominium take place? BJB: The space will not be available until the first quarter of 2015; it also will take some time for the College Board to move into their new space. Given the time required for us to move, make improvements and renovations to the condo, it will take us until March 2015 to be completed. OBSERVER: When will the new Law Building and Residence Hall, as well as the “Old” Law Building, be officially open? BJB: [The new Law Building and Residence Hall] will open mid-summer 2014. We are targeting for the

“Old” Law Building to open summer 2016; the building was opened in 1961, so there are still many renovations and improvements set to take place. OBSERVER: How is Fordham planning on utilizing the “Old” Law Building once the new law building opens? BJB: As decided by the Lincoln Center Space Planning Advisory Committee (LCSPAC), there are three elements that will be incorporated into the old building: the relocation of Quinn Library, a Student Affairs department and a complex for the Graduate School of Business. We have been continuously working with architects, engineers and contractors for planning the new building. OBSERVER: How will the reloca-

tion of these facilities into the new Law Building and Old Law Building affect operation in Lowenstein?

BJB: By moving these facilities into different buildings, there will be more space in the Lowenstein building. For instance, there will be more office space for faculty and staff.

KARA JADGEO/THE OBSERVER

Fordham relocating operations space to College Board condominium.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER February 27, 2014

News

Escaping Intern Nation INTERNSHIPS FROM PAGE 1

post-graduation. He speculated that most of those stuck in the unending internship cycle may have never done an internship in college. Stratford suggested that any graduates still interning should not “put all their eggs in one internship.” In his opinion, internships should not exceed 20 hours a week. Rather than spending time applying to 300 internships a month, as one Millennial interviewed by the New York Times did, graduates should apply that time networking. Stratford finds that post-graduate interns that work part-time in tandem with their internships are more successful than those that fully immerse themselves in the internship. What are the causes of the vast numbers of non-hires at the end of internships? Both Stratford and Rose attribute some non-hiring to the economy. “In 2008, when Leemon Brother’s went out of business, and we bailed out AIG and the car industries, the economy crisis and crash, we lost somewhere between a quarter and a third of the national wealth, depending on the analysts. That had taken more than 200 years to develop,” Stratford said. This changed the world of work, a change he believes would have came in an evolutionary way, regardless of the crash. “We changed from a manufacturing economy in the 1970s, to a knowledge economy, and now with all the technological advances, are now an idea and concept economy,” Stratford said. He also attributes some of the youth unemployment to

“ They may seem

small or insignificant but everything happens for a reason. If you are being offered an internship, you will probably benefit from it.” ISOKE CULLINS, FCLC ‘17

MARIA FISCHER/THE OBSERVER ARCHIVES

Students at a 2013 career fair, looking for internships and employment opportunities.

intergenerational factors and demographic shifts of the economy. Specifically, Stratford referenced “the Netgeners,” a term coined by Don Tapscott in his book “Growing Up Digital,” refers to the generation of

people born around 1970s who have spent their whole lives with the internet. According to Tapscott, these Netgeners are formatting the future of the world of work through their

Think Summer, Think Fordham Session I: May 27 - June 26

Session II: July 1 – August 5

• Internship opportunities • Advanced and core classes in every discipline • Live and work on campus • Enjoy summer in the city

awareness, understanding and use of technology. “However, they do not have the power or money. That control still lies with the baby-boomer generation. This has never happened in the history of the human experi-

ence. Always the powerful and the rich format the future,” Stanford explained. Rose said, “The recession has hurt, the consolidation of industries has hurt because there are fewer and fewer places, but at the same time there are more startup companies.” Rose believes that those who are focused and hardworking should be able to survive in regards to the job market. However, some students believe that it is important to take advantage of all the opportunities offered, even if they are all internships. Isoke Cullins, FCLC ’17, said “They may seem small or insignificant but everything happens for a reason. If you are being offered an internship, you will probably benefit from it. You can learn the processes ... and who knows if you are working for a company that is not well known, you have the potential to be the force to help build that company. Every company was a startup company at one point.”

Business savvy? Be our business manager. fordhamobserver@ gmail.com

Learn more at fordham.edu/summer.

eeo/aa

Opinions

Rachel Shmulevich — Opinions Editor rshmulevich@fordham.edu

STAFF EDITORIAL

Fordham public, as little information as possible. While the concerns expressed in this editorial are a reflection of our most recent frustrations regarding the stonewalling and lack of clarity The Observer’s journalists experienced in our coverage of the mumps outbreak (for example, no Fordham administrator would comment on quarantine procedures, probably because the fact that the afflicted were being “quarantined” in their own rooms, amongst other students, would raise too many eyebrows), the frustrations of being student journalists are nothing new. Our wise advisor often tells us that this is the hardest it

Good journalism is not the most harmful thing at Fordham. will be as a journalist; student journalists are in the interesting and precarious predicament of reporting on people who have direct real, or perceived, power over them. The people we report on and about are the same people who give us grades, the ones we have to turn to when we have difficulty registering for classes, the people, in some ways, responsible for our future. Whereas journalists in the real world answer only to their editors, we must answer to our editors and then, as students, be subject to the scrutiny of an institution to which we are subordinate. Journalists exist in a realm outside of

Observer the

IT’S HARD OUT HERE FOR A JOURNALIST It’s difficult being a journalist. It’s hard getting the answers to questions people don’t want to answer. People don’t like being put on the spot, especially when discussing their failures or weaknesses. Powerful people don’t like their power being questioned. They don’t take kindly to critical analysis and they don’t appreciate challenges to authority or attempts to expose less-than-flattering practices or decisions. But, unfortunately, those decisions and practices affect the public and, thus, it’s the press’ job to act, to get the information that affects the public. Lord Northcliffe, a British publisher, is often credited with the following axiom regarding the practice of journalism; “News is what somebody somewhere wants to suppress; all the rest is advertising.” News isn’t meant to be pure flattery, and that’s why it’s difficult. What’s not difficult to understand is why Fordham administrators would want to deal with certain larger cases, such as the recent mumps outbreak, with as little attention paid as possible. Their reputation is their image and every year is a nationwide beauty contest, pitting university against university for the best and brightests’ tuition money come May 1. But Fordham’s tendency to keep things hush-hush is harmful to everyone in our community. Why are answers often hard to come by? Why do high-ranking sources ignore emails, phone calls and even brush-off personal visits to their offices? Why do Fordham officials and spokespeople seem insistent on giving student journalists, and thus the

February 27, 2014 THE OBSERVER

their sources. Journalists’ identities at Fordham are conflated with their identities as students. Of course, Fordham is far from a police state. But, a lack of open discussion doesn’t sprout from nowhere; it grows, systematically and practically. A crackdown on journalistic liberties begins with officials not returning calls. It progresses to stonewalling. It culminates in censorship. You’d think that as an educational institution Fordham would encourage the practice of journalism. In some ways, it might even be respected. In fact, we are taking everything our Jesuit education has taught us in order learn our trade and hone our abilities; critical thinking, asking the right questions, communication techniques and writing skills. In many ways journalism even seems like the ultimate quest for a Jesuit-educated student. What are we but men and women for others? Serving the community by informing the community, bringing truth to the masses. We would like to thank all of those that have helped and continue to help The Observer and its staffers in bringing information to the public and helping serve the call of journalism. We hope that many others will follow in your footsteps to make Fordham a better place not only for practicing student journalists but also to the community at large. Good journalism is not the most harmful thing at Fordham. Mumps aren’t even the most harmful thing. The lack of open and direct conversations between officials and student journalists is the most harmful thing.

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 Ian McKenna Managing Editor Tayler Bennett News Co-Editors Noha Mahmoud Ramona Venturanza Opinions Editor Rachel Shmulevich Asst. Opinions Co-Editors Kamrun Nesa Marina Recio Arts & Culture Co-Editors Ludovica Martella Andrew Milne Tyler Martins Features Co-Editors Brigitte Ayaz Paulina Tam Literary Co-Editors Emily Tudisco Mark Lee Asst. Literary Editor Meredith Summers Sports Editor Jennifer Khedaroo Asst. Sports Editor Conrad Zajkowski Copy Editor Kamrun Nesa Layout Editor Tayler Bennett Asst. Layout Editor Jenny McNary Photo Editor Sarah Howard Asst. Photo Editor Angela Luis Multimedia Producers Tavy Wu Business Manager Amanda Fimbers Blog Editors Dyan Mae Cortez Asst. Blog Editor Amalia Vavala Faculty Advisor Prof. Elizabeth Stone Faculty Layout Advisor Kim Moy Faculty Photo Advisor Amelia Hennighausen Faculty Multimedia Advisor Roopa Vasudevan PUBLIC NOTICE

No part of The Observer may be reprinted or reproduced without the expressed written consent of The Observer board. The Observer is published on alternate Thursdays during the academic year. Printed by Five Star Printing Flushing, N.Y

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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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Let us know at fordhamobserver@gmail.com

• 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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THE OBSERVER February 27, 2014

Opinions

The Press Crackdown in Egypt Hurts Everyone MARINA RECIO Asst. Opinions Co-Editor

Censorship is a dangerous thing. The Egyptian regime demonstrated the reason last month, when it charged 20 journalists with terrorism-related crimes, claiming they were conspiring with the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood. Of those charged, three Al Jazeera journalists have been detained since last December: Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed. The accusation of both domestic and foreign journalists drew international attention to the crackdown on the press that is unfolding in Egypt. Such accusations affect not only Egyptians but also the greater international community, which counts on foreign correspondents to cover news outside of individual countries, fairly and openly. While it may be a tool for dictatorships to gain and maintain control, sooner or later, censorship never fails to backfire. Other than the detained journalists themselves, the press crackdown directly affects the people of Egypt the most. In every country, the neutral coverage of national politics by outside news networks is a check on governments—especially authoritarian ones—which are not a reliable source for unbiased information by any means. Any governmental abuse of power or inhumane treatment of its citizens is unlikely to be exposed if a regime is controlling the flow of information. With a crackdown on freedom of press, there is also no longer a guarantee of transparency in the government and human rights. According to the Risk List of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Egypt was ranked the third deadliest country for the press in 2013. This was a result of various tactics, from “the legal and physical intimidation during the tenure of former President Mohamed Morsi to the widespread censorship by the military-backed government that replaced him,” as explained in the

COURTESY KRT VIA MCT

Not only is censorship harmful to the public, but it’s also an affront to journalism.

CPJ’s 2013 annual report “Attacks on the Press”. Censorship doesn’t benefit the Egyptian military government. Though it may appear to be an instant fix to the threat of opposing voices, a regime dependent on censorship is difficult to sustain, especially in this day and age, with the Internet making the regulation of information increasingly difficult. When reputable foreign journalists like Greste and Fahmy are punished for doing their job, the reputation and legitimacy of the regime come under international scrutiny. This

was easily illustrated by the Feb. 4 protest in Nairobi, Kenya, in which approximately 100 journalists demanded the release of Greste and his two colleagues, with some protestors taping their mouths to symbolize censorship. The reaction of the journalistic community indicates that censorship is dangerous for the international community as a whole because it undermines journalistic standards and practices. In a statement responding to the detention of journalists in Egypt, an Al Jazeera spokesperson said, “This is a challenge to free speech, to the right of journalists to

report on all aspects of events, and to the right of people to know what is going on.” Indeed, journalists should have the right to work without being punished, and the people should have the right to be informed. Though the charges against journalists in Egypt are not directly based on censorship laws, it is clear that anti-terrorism laws are being misused to censor opposing views. Egypt’s attack on foreign correspondents can be read as an attempt to discourage unbiased, proper journalism in Egypt, and these injustices have not gone unnoticed. Journalists around the world, and several

organizations like Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International have expressed their disapproval of the current situation for the media in Egypt, with many calling for the release of the detained journalists. These intimidation tactics are detrimental to journalism; they are what make journalism such a necessary pursuit for the international community in the first place. The international community, especially journalists, must continue to put pressure on Egypt’s government because no matter what views are being suppressed, censorship hurts all.

Eliminating The College Essay Another Attempt at Dumbing Down America ELIZABETH ATHY Contributing Writer

Midterms are upon the students once again at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), which mean tests, projects and papers— a lot of papers. Most, if not all of us, dread writing a paper that is due among the myriad of tests and other assignments that professors give us during this time of the year; at least I know that I do. Many students leave their paper until the last minute and not just because they’re swamped with so many other assignments and tasks—the college essay seems to be losing its importance among the student demographic, a group which seems to be prioritizing tests and exams over essays and research papers. So this incites the question: is it time to retire the college essay? This is the question Rebecca Schuman addresses in her Slate magazine article “The End of the College Essay.” Schuman says that she feels the college essay is a waste of time for both the student and the professor, and that the college essay should be put to death: in her opinion, only the good students will put any effort into their papers and average students will do anything they can to get by, including plagiarize. Schuman believes that essays should be removed from re-

TYLER MARTINS/THE OBSERVER

The college essay can be grueling, but it is neccesary in the long run.

quired classes and be left up to the English majors. I, however, disagree with her. The point of college is to expand our minds, and what better way to do this than through research papers? We’re not only learning about new concepts and topics—we’re also learning how to write effectively and express our thoughts in a mature and educated way. This is why it’s so great that Fordham has the Eloquentia Perfecta courses. These classes may occasionally

prove burdensome, but through the numerous essays we’re assigned throughout the semester, we get to learn and improve on these exact skills. Not to mention, there is the fact that if students do not know how to write papers, they will have issues in the work world, where writing is often a required skill, such as in briefs and reports, as well as in presentations and conference calls. Employers like Matt Lavery, the United Parcel Service (UPS) managing director of

employees, have stated that workers must be able to write clearly and be able to “investigate, analyze and report their findings in a professional manner,” while others, like BAE systems, ask for a writing sample to “see if the candidate can write,” according to USA Today. Finally, a MetLife survey discovered that 97 percent of executives in companies rate strong writing skills as essential to the work environment. The removal of the college essay from schools today would change the standards of universities entirely, not to mention leave students unprepared for the work force. Schuman states that it would be better to have more exams in order to force students to learn and absorb information for a short amount of time (the keyword being “short”), but the problem with exams is students only learn enough to spit out the information on the exam—and soon after they put down their pens and turn in their blue exam books, they forget all that material. With the removal of the college essay, colleges would essentially become overgrown high schools, thus defeating the purpose and depleting the prestige of colleges while bringing up the possibility that students would not be seriously considered for internships and jobs upon graduation. Yes, there will always be students who attempt to plagiarize or

take shortcuts in order to complete papers faster, but the alternative of having no papers at all presents a grim situation. And there will always be ‘grade-grubbers’, but these are just two groups out of many, and it’s unfair—and frankly, unprofessional—for Schuman to conclude that students fall into either one of these two categories, and that essentially, we have nothing valuable to contribute. The college essay is undoubtedly necessary for students to learn skills that are important in the workforce, but even if there’s disagreement on that, we have to disregard Schuman’s message if only for the fact that we know that we have important thoughts and opinions. Even if we’re not all “going to be president someday,” we each have something to say. In the end, however, what is important here is that students learn important skills while they are in college, and as writing and speaking skills are integral in the workforce, we must continue to cultivate them through the dreaded—but helpful—college essay. The process that we have to go through in order to write a good essay may be agonizing and frustrating, but it comes to fruition in the end. Writing research papers is one of the main ways of learning in college, despite the grumbling from students—and some professors.

Opinions

February 27, 2014 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Should The U.S. Get Involved In Ukraine? DYLAN REILLY Staff Writer

After three months of civil unrest and government oppression, many people worry the crisis in Ukraine has the potential to escalate into an open conflict. Antigovernment protestors have taken to the streets in Kiev and other cities, leading to violent clashes with the police in which more than a dozen people have been killed and scores more injured. The main factions are those who seek closer ties with the European Union (EU) and those who seek to preserve Ukraine’s relationship with Russia and support the current government, although a less prominent nationalist pressure that wants neither is also present. Russia, which has recovered considerable geopolitical power and prestige since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, does not want a future in which Ukraine is a part of the European Union. Yet, the EU sees a future for Ukraine in its enlargement program. There is potential for greater conflict should either side choose to exploit the unrest in Ukraine to advance their agenda. Because of Russia’s preeminent position in Eastern Europe, there is little potential for the United States or the EU to get directly involved in the Ukrainian crisis. Many former Soviet republics and Warsaw Pact members have joined the EU—Poland, the Baltic countries, Bulgaria and Romania to name a few—leaving Moscow with fewer and fewer former vassals to align with politically or integrate with economically. Unless the EU disintegrates, these countries are unlikely to return to Russia’s sphere of influence. Moscow is not ignorant of the trends shaping the future of Europe and seeks to form its own ‘Eurasian Union,’ which neighboring Belarus and Kazakhstan have signed on for. The Russians have not been unwilling to use force to maintain their sphere of influence either, having invaded Georgia in 2008. They also possess military bases in Ukraine, the most important of which is Sebastopol in the Black Sea. Military action does not seem likely at the moment in Ukraine, as both the EU and Russia have preferred to pursue the financial

COURTESY SERGEI L. LOIKO/LOS ANGELES TIMES VIA MCT

The situation is Ukraine is escalating out of control, but the US risks making it worse by getting involved.

tract of diplomacy. Both sides have denied that they are in a “bidding war” for the allegiance of Ukraine, but there is no altruism in geopolitics. After the Ukrainian government backed out of a deal with the EU, Moscow offered loans worth $15 billion. Only $3 billion have been doled out as Russia has suspended payments because of the Ukrainian government’s inability to contain and disperse the protestors. However, the EU is still willing to offer aid of their own. More important than any monetary offers made by either side, however, will be the Russian control of energy supply and infrastructure in much of Eastern Europe. About a quarter of the natural gas consumed in the EU comes from Russia, and 80 percent of that passes through

pipelines in Ukraine. Moscow has not hesitated to use this as leverage before, and should a Ukrainian government move too close to the EU, such a policy would be likely to resurface. In 2009, the gas supply was greatly disrupted in 18 European countries because of a dispute between Russia and Ukraine over the latter’s debt. Russia’s natural gas reserves may prove to be its greatest weapon in this struggle. At this point in the Ukrainian crisis, any sort of intervention would have to be entirely speculative. Certainly the EU or the US cannot engage in direct conflict with Russia, as all possess nuclear arsenals. Nor should either side seek to escalate the civil unrest in Ukraine to the point of open conflict. Should the situation in

Ukraine deteriorate into civil war, which doesn’t seem too far-fetched, given the continuing clashes in Kiev between police and protestors, not to mention the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych by the Ukrainian Parliament on Feb. 22, the potential to back a faction both militarily and financially would emerge. Logistically, the Russians would have an immense advantage, as they would be supporting forces in a neighboring country of shared cultural background and controlling the energy supply. I do not think diplomatic action under current conditions would be very useful either. Neither the US nor the EU is in any position to be impartial to this dispute, and Moscow holds most of the cards, with the financial, military and

resource-strategic advantages over Ukraine. With the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government eroded, holding free elections and appointing a transitional administration are necessary prerequisites to any negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Level heads must prevail and avoid provoking greater conflict in Ukraine. Ideally, Ukraine ought to be free to determine their country’s future in a democratic way, but there are geopolitical forces at work here which they cannot control. Russia and Ukraine have a long history together and a shared heritage which the Western powers cannot ignore, but Ukraine should be allowed to renegotiate their relationship with Russia, and the future of their country, on their own terms.

Professional Sports Organizations Must Take a Stand Against Homophobia STEFANIE COCOZELLI Staff Writer

Homophobia is a problem that has been plaguing professional sports for years now, and many have wondered who would break the chain of closeted athletes. On Feb. 9, former University of Missouri football player and NFL hopeful Michael Sam publicly came out as gay. Sam follows the likes of very few openly gay athletes, like the Brooklyn Nets’ Jason Collins, Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir and Connor Mertens, the first college football player to come out as bisexual. There’s a reason why there are so few openly LGBTQ athletes, and that reason includes people like Miami Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace, who, just hours after Collins came out, tweeted, “All these beautiful women in the world and guys wanna mess with other guys.” Coming out in any part of society can be risky, however, the often hyper-masculine world of sports can be particularly harsh on LGBTQ people. It’s high time for LGBTQ athletes to be open and seek solidarity from their peers. More importantly, I feel it’s time for

major league sports to be a place in which solidarity and comfort are readily available to all. The subject has been getting tossed about in the major leagues for years now, especially as the movement for LGBTQ equality gains more traction. The National Hockey League (NHL), for example, has the “You Can Play” project, in which they encourage the eradication of homophobia from professional hockey. In Sochi as well, athletes and celebrities had been speaking out against Russia’s violent anti-LGBTQ laws. It appears we are now in a time of social progress for this heavily suppressed group of athletes; nonetheless, they have every reason to want to stay closeted—it’s a dangerous world out there for LGBTQ players, but the professional sports teams and organizations must do the best they can in order to make them feel comfortable with their identity, given that the world of sports has historically been a hostile environment for these athletes. Sam has already been facing criticism from sports fans, commentators and his own father, and although he’d been open about his sexuality to his college team for a year now, NFL teams are suddenly skeptical about drafting him. One’s

Homophobia can disappear from the inherently masculine sports world only if those who want to be allies let their voices be heard, and encourage LGBT players to feel comfortable.

COURTESY RICH SUGG/KANSAS CITY STAR VIA MCT

It’s time for the influential world of sports to stand up and protect their athletes, regardless of their sexuality.

sexuality should not be a determining factor if he or she has the talent to play on a team, and yet, because of social stigma, Sam’s once-shining chances of being drafted are starting to dwindle. He’s brave for publicly announcing his sexual orientation, but the risks remain great, and this decision could hinder his career. However, this shouldn’t be the case in the first

place. Homophobia can disappear from the inherently masculine sports world only if those who want to be allies let their voices be heard and encourage LGBTQ players to feel comfortable. When the NHL made its public service announcements about equality, it took a step in letting these players know that they’re welcome and safe. Every

other major league must step up and do the same and show, at the very least, that even if one is bigoted towards LGBTQ people, there is little point in rejecting talent simply over sexuality. Sports play a major role in our society, as the popularity of the Super Bowl and the Olympics indicate, and when professional sports show support for LGBTQ individuals, that behavior reflects, in one way or another, onto society. In a world where people are being brutalized and even killed for their sexuality, the influential people of professional sports must take a stand—it’s far too dangerous to stay apathetic.

Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Co-Editors Ludovica Martella — ludovica.martella@gmail.com Andrew Milne — amilne@fordham.edu Tyler Martins — t.martins216@gmail.com February 27, 2014 THE OBSERVER

Fordham Talent, From Stage to Screen in “B.F.F.s” By TYLER MARTINS Arts & Culture Co-Editor

He doesn’t even go here. “Every time I come back to visit, that’s all I hear,” Gregg Ellson, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’13, said. If you’re a theatre major, there’s a good chance you know Ellson, either from theater parties on the weekends or from having been cast in a studio or mainstage show with him. If you’re not, you might have seen him on stage at Pope Auditorium, playing the Duke in Fordham Theatre Program’s mainstage production “Measure for Measure” by William Shakespeare in the spring of 2013. If you don’t know him, you should now know him as the guy who wrote, directed and starred in “B.F.F.s.” “B.F.F.s” is a short film following the trials and tribulations of young adults in love and friendship. What happens when your best friend and your ex-girlfriend hook up? Do you bash his head in with a bat or just hook up with your ex-girlfriend’s best friend? What’s remarkable about the film is that it features only Fordham talent. “Every single one of the cast members and most of the crew were all theatre majors or related to theater in some regard,” Ellson said. Ellson plays Alan, the film’s central character. Victoria Oliver, FCLC’ 15, plays Kristen, Alan’s exgirlfriend, while Dylan Ungaretta, FCLC’ 15, plays Joey, Alan’s slightly out-of-touch best friend. Caitlin Ronan, FCLC’ 15, plays Danielle, Kristen’s best friend. Written over Ellson’s winter break between the fall and spring semester of his senior year, “B.F.F.s”

COURTESY YOUTUBE

Dylan Ungretta, FCLC’15, Victoria Oliver, FCLC’15, Caitlin Ronan, FCLC’15 and Gregg Ellson, FCLC’14 in a scene from “BFFs”

was filmed over a span of three weeks. Where did Ellson draw the inspiration for “B.F.F.s?” Just going to college, he said. “There’s always some good gossip from a party, from a weekend or whatever. That’s half the fun of going to college.” He also drew on personal experiences from his previous relationships, as well as those of his friends’. The cast found it easy to draw

from their own experiences to inhibit these characters. “The four of us are just very good friends, who have been in very similar situations over the course of our friendship. It was funny, reading the script for the very first time and just feeling like we were these characters already,” Ronan said. “Victoria, Dylan and I all auditioned back-to-back and we

were just sitting outside the audition room talking about how this is a movie about us,” Ronan said. “These people are us. I guess Gregg agreed. “ “A lot of us had actually lived something somewhat similar, but I had never written that with us in mind,” Ellson said. Released on Saturday, Feb 8, the reception for the film has been

positive. “It’s been a long time in the whole process of it because we filmed it last year, just about a year ago,” Ronan said. “It’s been a while coming, but everyone that I talked to about it has really enjoyed it so that’s really exciting.” Work on “B.F.F.s” isn’t over yet: the film will follow Alan and Danielle in a web series. The idea was sparked in Ellson’s mind when Ronan sent him a text message while watching the film with her roommates. “I texted Gregg, ‘Hey Gregg, this would make a great web series!’ and he was like ‘Start writing episodes,’’ Ronan said. “It’s invaluable,” Ellson said, of his experience at FCLC and the theatre program, in particular. “I cannot possibly speak highly enough of everything that I’ve learned and experienced in the past four years at Fordham.” Classes that Ellson was able to take gave him “a safety net to strike out and try things and to fail and to still have that community there to help you get back up on your feet and continue to try.” Since graduation, Ellson has been “doing the typical survival job of working at restaurants,” but he continues to audition and put his own work out there. “You’ll never get the work unless you put in a lot of energy,” Ellson said. Sometimes, that means producing your own work. “With the technology we have today and YouTube being a great vehicle to showcase your work, it’s very important for you to continue whatever you need to do.” With his eyes set on acting and writing on television, Ellson will continue to audition, self-produce and avoid “House of Cards” spoilers. “The most important thing for any artist is to be working.”

The Comma Interrobang Reflections on the Edit History of the Wikipedia Page for Artichokes By EMILY TUDISCO Literary Co-Editor “What is the heart of the artichoke, and the ‘flesh’ on the leaves?” -- Wikipedia editor ThuranX The heart of the artichoke is the flower that hasn’t unfolded yet. Something that chokes is at its heart, something terrified of its own potential. Something that would prefer to remain curled up and dormant rather than show its face to the harsh bright world. Artichoke: the coward vegetable. A metaphor for the depraved millennial generation would fit nicely here, if this was Thought Catalog. The American Heritage Dictionary says that there’s a long etymological history dating back to medieval Arabic, which according to my calculations, means that people have been consuming artichokes since before x-rays were invented. This means that somewhere along the line, someone decided to try to cook a tiny, repulsive-looking shrub without really knowing what was inside: fear and also a bundle of immature florets known as the choke or the beard, which is inedible. ‘Immature florets’, by the way, would make a great name for your next cycle of poems about the fleetingness of youth. You could, of course, cut one open, if you had the strength of many warriors and/or a few plow horses at your disposal. Rubbery leaves are resistant to knives, as it happens. Or perhaps that speaks to the dullness of my knives or the weakness of my depraved millennial arms. But even supposing you have rippling biceps and a freshly sharpened scythe (hello there), bisection doesn’t get you very far on the path to real knowledge, probably. How many medieval cooks tossed this mysterious thing into the pot with nary a second thought? How many deaths via secret interior plant beard before people started figuring things out? How many medieval coroners plucking half-chewed florets from the small intestines before it dawned on them that something was afoot? Is this why in the Valencia region of Spain, there is a traditional dance of the artichoke? Does Spain know the bitter, nefarious, gut-wrenching truth? Something tells me village girls in white dresses twirling around an artichoke Maypole once a year are the only forces keeping the evil at bay. In May of 2009, a Floridian man went into a restaurant and ordered the grilled artichoke special, despite the fact that he had absolutely no idea what an artichoke was. Lacking proper instruction in the art of artichoke eating, he proceeded to ingest the entire thing, thorny leaves, immature florets, woody stem and all. I like to imagine that he worked his way down the vegetable as though it was a really unpleasant ice cream cone, but sadly, I was not there to bear witness. Several hours of excruciating pain later, he received an “exploratory laparotomy,” which is the most erotic-sounding name for a surgical procedure I’ve ever encountered. He then filed a lawsuit against the restaurant chain for not teaching him how to eat the artichoke, citing “disability, disfigurement, mental anguish,” and “loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life” as consequences of that fateful meal. Far away in rural Spain, someone must have fucked up the artichoke dance.

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Arts & Culture

February 27, 2014 THE OBSERVER

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Fordham Professor Clarence Ball Wins Emmy By JOHN GUERIN Staff Writer

Professor Clarence Ball, lecturer at the Gabelli School of Business, who teaches business communicatios recently won an Emmy for the documentary he produced, “Looking Over Jordan: African Americans and the War,” a film that details the African-American experience in the South before, during and after the Civil War. After years of teaching in Tennessee and a whirlwind of professional success, Ball has just finished teaching his first semester here at Fordham. Ball grew up in Houston, Texas, which, he said, “is an overlooked melting pot of diversity.” He often gives lectures to students on how important it is to experience different cultures during one’s childhood. “I attended a predominantly African-American elementary school, a predominantly Muslim middle school and a predominantly white high school, which was very unique and definitely positive experience,” Ball said. After graduating from Tennessee State University, majoring in speech communications with a minor in theatre, Ball attended graduate school at Michigan State University with a major in journalism. All three of these disciplines are utilized in “Looking Over Jordan.” “I was called in to help with the project by bringing in AfricanAmerican scholars that had a specific knowledge of Tennessee. It was my first journalistic job and I really believed in the goals the documentary was trying to achieve,” Ball said. “Looking Over Jordan,” combines interviews with different

African-American scholars, photographic footage and primarysource documents to demonstrate how the Civil War affected African Americans of the former Confederacy. “The Emancipation Proclamation and Civil War were not the end-all solutions to the system of slavery in the South. African Americans were left with a huge learning curve and tried very hard to educate themselves by any means necessary,” Ball explained. Ball elaborated on an incredibly striking segment in which a black child asks his master’s white child how to spell his own name. “That part truly fascinated me and really encapsulated the educational disconnect in the post-Civil War South,” Ball said. “We know now as African-American scholars that it’s not enough to orally tell a story, we have to write them down.” Working as an associate producer, Bell won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Historic/Cultural Programs for the mid-South region, including Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina. “You’ll never know where a new opportunity will come up. I’m fresh out of graduate school and I’ve already won an Emmy on my first professional journalistic endeavor. It’s crazy,” Ball said. Attending Tennessee State sparked Ball’s interest in African American Studies. Located on Jefferson Avenue, Tennessee State University is in walking distance to Fisk University, a historically black university founded in 1866 and Meharry Medical College, the first historically black medical school founded in 1876. Spending time on this avenue, a strong cul-

tural landscape for African Americans, heightened Ball’s interest and dedication to African-American history. “My work and research in this field has been me asking questions that I’m sure other African Americans may have, and providing these answers allows us to have a working network of our history,” Ball said. Black History Month is often a point of debate for African-American scholars. Some underscore its importance while others critique its concision. Ball’s position is that “the most important part of Black History Month is educating not only the African-American community but also others outside the race of a long history. Black history is not only slavery, it is thousands of years of a documented people and past whose civilization doesn’t start with the middle passages and end after the Civil War. In an American context, this past is not included in educational curriculums, and Black History Month is a time, however short, to consider that.” Ball is currently teaching undergraduate business at The Gabelli School of Business. Previously, he taught at his alma mater, Tennessee State University. For Fordham students interested in journalism, Ball said, “As journalism moves from print into more competitive mediums, it is important to have a breadth of knowledge in different ways of communicating, so that if print dies, and I hope it doesn’t, we have something as journalists to fall back on no matter what.” “Looking Over Jordan” can be viewed at video.wnpt.org.

KARA JAGDEO /THE OBSERVER

Professor Clarence Ball won an Emmy for “Looking Over Jordan”

New York is All About Italian Futurism Italian Futurism, 1909-1944: Reconstructing the Universe By LUDOVICA MARTELLA Arts & Culture Co-Editor

It is the first time that an exhibition this complete on futurism, knoqn as “Italian Futurism, 1909-1944: Reconstructing the Universe,” has been displayed in the United States. With about 400 pieces by 80 artists, this exhibit, which opened at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum on Feb. 21, has already achieved global success. “A project of this level has been only brought to Italy,” Vivien Greene, senior curator of the Guggenheim explained. Greene specializes in the arts of 19th and early 20th centuries and Italian Modernism. Futurism has been crucial for the development of art. Initially born as a literary movement by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, a well-known Italian poet and editor, the movement meant to bring art “to the next level,” away from the traditionalities that came before. Indeed, Futurism served as a young wave in art, which led to the development of modernism. Inspired by the innovations of the time, such as the industrial city, the machines and the discovery of aviation, to which a whole section is dedicated, “Futurism exalted dynamism, the new and the disruptive,” Greene said on Thursday, Feb. 20, at the press conference for the exhibit. Together with these impulses for innovation, the movement also wanted to give Italy back its honor, at the time, was impotent and which was a divided country. The artistic current has been praised as much as it has been criticized. With the start of World War I, Marinetti became particularly interested in Benito Mussolini’s ideologies and became his follower. Mari-

LUDOVICA MARTELLA/THE OBSERVER

“Italian Futurism,” the new exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum

netti believed that the war had a deep aesthetic beauty and that, it “would have brought Italy’s land possessions back to Italy,” as Greene and her team explained on the wall captions in the museum. “This is a very ambitious exhibition,” Richard Armstrong, director of the Guggenheim said on Thursday. The exhibit features both the heavy message of Fascism, as well as different mediums of art expression. This is because of both the heavy message of Fascism but also because it features all different art media. If painting is not “your thing,” then you have the opportunity to analyze theater projects by Fortunato De Perro and Giacomo Balla, which were incredibly innovative. They saw the elimination of the role of the actors and played on a bond between the artist and the audience

and a fascinating game of colorful lights. To these, a whole separate gallery is dedicated. The exhibition not only features paintings or theatrical projects, but also sculptures, poetry, films, historical documents, photography, clothing, music scripts and objects such as the colorful ceramics plates by Bruno Munari and Torido Mazzotti and advertisements. “We tried to integrate all of these different language of arts as you walk through the spiral,” Greene said. Advertisements? Yes, Futurism anticipated what, in America, exploded with the names of Pop Art and Andy Warhol. “Italian Futurism, 1909-1944: Reconstructing the Universe” features posters of the Italian Campari Bitter, by the artist Fortunato Depero. A whole exhibition on Depero, who saw his artistic life between the current of Futurism and

Modernism, also recently opened on Saturday Feb. 22 at The Center for Italian Modern Art (CIMA). With the opening of this exhibit, CIMA celebrates its first opening. “Italian Futurism, 1909-1944: Reconstructing the Universe” follows a chronological path. From the first “Manifesto of Futurism,” by Marinetti, to its developments through cubism, avant-garde poetry and film, to the Heroic period characterized by paintings that reach abstractism, and until the modern era. Following the rotunda of the museum, on the first floor, there is an incredibly well-intact first publication on the “Manifesto” in the French periodical Le Figaro, published in 1909. In the last level, “murals” by Benedetta, Marinetti’s wife, are featured. “The two didn’t use the same name so that she could have success in her

own right,” Greene said. “These murals came to us from the Poste Italiane of Palermo (Italian Post Office of Palermo). “They had never left that office,” Greene said, empathizing the important role that women had in the movement. “The exhibition underlines paradox, a great motif of the show, and one, of course, is that while we all relate futurism with Fascism, Mussolini di not want Futurism to be art of the state, so it sounds confusing, but it is part of the story,” Greene said. “Another great motif of the show is the idea of the total work of art. This integration of all these languages of art contributes to the idea of dynamism of futurism”, which goes extremely well with the spiral architecture of the museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. In fact, “the subtitle of the exhibition, ‘Reconstructing the Future’ goes back to this idea of making everything Futurist and takes its name from a manifest by Balla and De Perro, called ‘Ricostruzione futurista dell’universo,’” Greene concluded. “Italian Futurism, 1909-1944: Reconstructing the Universe” opened to the public on Friday, Feb. 21 and run through until Sep 1. IF YOU GO

Italian Futurism, 1909-1944: Reconstructing the Universe WHEN: Feb. 21st to Sep. 1st WHERE: 1071 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10128 PRICE: $18 for students $22 for adults, PAY WHAT YOU WISH ON SATURDAYS FROM 5:45 P.M.–7:45 P.M. MORE INFO: http://www.guggenheim. org/new-york/visit/plan-your-visit

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Arts & Culture

Fordham Alumna Makes Broadway Debut Taeler Elyse Cyrus is Playing an Exotic Dancer in “After Midnight” “It is rigorous and it is hard, but at the same time it is great to be with people that are supportive...I’m having a great time”

By ANDREW MILNE Arts & Culture Co-Editor

“After Midnight” opened in November just a few blocks from Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC). But there is also a familiar name performing with stars like KD Lang and Dulé Hill; Fordham alumna Taeler Elyse Cyrus, FCLC ’08, is making her debut on Broadway in this show about the notorious New York Cotton Club, the Prohibition speakeasy, and the 1920s Jazz Age. “It’s unreal, honestly,” Cyrus said of her debut. “I had no idea where my career was going to take me, and to be a part of a production from the beginning has been something I never could have imagined.” The New York Times describes “After Midnight” as a trip “back to the heyday of the Cotton Club, the Harlem nightclub (with a Broadway spinoff) where Ellington was the bandleader for a heady spell, and where many of the black jazz greats of the 1920s and 1930s performed …” Cyrus describes the show as an homage to the music and culture of the Jazz Age and the show explores “what [the musicians of that time] brought to the stage and trying to bring it back to the stage in a new and current way.” She touts it as an celebration of “the legacy of dance.” Cyrus’ experience in “After Midnight” has been overwhelmingly positive and the cast is “like a tightknit family.” From the other dancers to the guest stars such as 2004 “American Idol” winner Fantasia Barrino, the Grammy-award win-

COURTESY TAELER ELYSE CYRUS

Taeler Elyse Cyrus (center) in the Broadway show “After Midnight.”

ning KD Lang and TV and film’s Dulé Hill, Cyrus said everyone is part of the team and learns from each other. Cyrus even conducts a daily ballet class in which she teaches Hill. “We warm up together be-

fore [the show] and we get a chance to chitchat. I talk to him about his career and the paths that he’s taken to Broadway and movies and television,” Cyrus said. She describes her first foray into the Broadway

world as less dramatic and catty as the creators make it out to be on “Smash.” “So many people have this perception of Broadway as being really cutthroat, rigorous and hard,” Cyrus said, “and it is rigorous and it is hard, but at the same time, it is great to be with people that are supportive … to help you with your journey. I’m having a great time” Originally from Los Angeles, Cyrus came to Fordham to study dance. “[Dancing professionally] was something I knew I wanted because I knew I wanted to study it as well, and I was pretty sure I wanted to be in New York,” Cyrus said. She chose Fordham because she was attracted to the dance program at Alvin Ailey. “The program was extremely rigid, and I needed that. I knew that I’d make some great connections and I was always interested in a dance school, so it wound up being perfect.” In a competitive field like dance, Cyrus has, by most accounts, thrived, working with companies like the River North Dance Chicago and the Metropolitan Opera. Cyrus points to dancing at the Opera in their production of “Faust” as one

of the highlights of her career so far, and it was her “first experience being on such an enormous stage,” Cyrus said. “The choreography was fun and had some great dancers that I’ve worked with, and the singers were really amazing, so it was really nice to be onstage with all the opera singers and see how they work,” Cyrus said. “The environment was really laidback, and it was really just a great experience and really rounded out my career.” While Cyrus is proud of her whole body of work, she does admit that there are slow times in even the most fruitful careers in the arts. When she has been between major projects or had “times where I had difficulties booking jobs,” she would “do a lot of workshops and that kept me inspired. And I freelanced when I was between jobs, so when I did those gigs, it was a chance for me to hone my craft and meet new people and make connections, but I never really got to the point where I thought ‘I’m just going to give it all up.’” She adds that no matter how small the project she is working on, it gives her “a chance to dance.” Cyrus urges budding Fordham performers to “stay open. Your mind should stay open because you never know where your career is going to take you and try to make as many connections as you can in every situation that you can, because you never know where those connections are going to take you.” “After Midnight” is now playing at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

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February 27, 2014 THE OBSERVER

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FORDHAM WORKERS The Observer’s photographers documented Fordham employees around the Lincoln Center campus and took their portraits while at work.

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FORDHAM WORKERS

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JESSICA HANLEYTHE OBSERVER

Features

Features Co-Editors Paulina Tam —paulinatam01@gmail.com Brigitte Ayaz —brigitteayaz@gmail.com

February 27, 2014 THE OBSERVER

“March” into Some New Music, FCLC Recommended By JULIET ALTMAN Contributing Writer

“TIMBER” BY: Ke$ha GENRE: POP uOn Repeat

“ I listen to it all day. It’s catchy.”

“LOUNGE ACT” BY: Nirvana

A certain song affects each person in different ways. Check out and listen to the playlist of compiled songs that are currently the favorites of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) students. Whether FCLC students have these songs on repeat or not, here’s a way to perfect your March playlist by delving into different musical tastes and genres to see if any of the songs will resonate with you as well.

BILLY PICKETT, FCLC ‘17

GENRE: Rock vNot on Repeat

“ It puts me in a chill, mellow mood.” MAX BERGER, FCLC ‘17

“TEAR ME LOOSE”

“GUILT TRIP”

BY: Dion

BY: Kanye West

GENRE: Rock

GENRE: Rap

 On Repeat

vNot on Repeat

“ I play it in the

“ I listened to it a lot

morning because it puts me in a good mood!”

on the plane to Florida because I had just found out that I had Yeezus on my phone.”

GABRIELLA BERMAN, FCLC ‘17

JASON BOIT, FCLC ‘17

“THE DIVIDE” BY: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

“IN MY BED”

GENRE: Rock

BY: The Orwells

 On Repeat

GENRE: Alternative

“ I listen to it at

vNot on Repeat

“ It sets the pace for a city walk.”

night, even though it actually makes me more awake. I listen to music in bed because if I listen to it during the day it distracts me.”

SAM DENHOLTZ, FCLC ‘17

“DIFFERENT PULSE” BY: Father GENRE: Alternative/electric

MARIA DECASPER, FCLC ‘17

vNot on Repeat

“LA MER”

SARAH HOWARD/THE OBSERVER

BY: Charles Trénet GENRE: French uOn Repeat

“ It’s a metaphorical

song about how beautiful things in nature are.” EVAN BRECHTEL, FCLC ‘16

“BREEZEBLOCKS”

“THE PICK-UP”

BY: Alt-J

BY: Sufjan Stevens

GENRE: Alternative

GENRE: Indie

 On Repeat

“ I listen to it on the train. That’s

“ I’ll listen to it anytime - hanging

the only time I really listen to music.”

out with friends, drinking and doing homework. It’s calming”

SARAH ALTON, FCLC ‘17

SAWYER MARTOGLIO, FCLC ‘17

“ I listen to it when

I feel like listening to music that is actually good and I know this is always good.” .” STEPHANIE SILVER, FCLC ‘15

“FREAKS AND GEEKS” BY: Childish Gambino GENRE: Rap

“DRUGS” BY: Weather Box GENRE: Alternative  On Repeat

“ The song itself

is about how there is so much to see in life and substances aren’t the only thing. Human interaction is important.” TOM NIEMANN , FCLC ‘15

“STAY HIGH” BY: Hippie Sabatage GENRE: Indie  On Repeat

“ It chills me out and makes me happy.” GAGE SELF, FCLC ’14

“NA NA”

“COCOA BUTTER KISSES”

BY: Trey Songz

BY: Chance the Rapper GENRE: Rap

GENRE: Rap

 On Repeat

“ I listen to it whenever I get a

break from class or am in the car because its catchy beat makes me want to party.””

“ It gets me going in the morning.

On my walk to the subway, I blast Chance the Rapper and jam my way to school.”

vNot on Repeat

“ It helps pass time

while walking or on the subway when I have no one to talk to.” HUNTER LANG, FCLC ‘17

KYLE CASEY, FCLC ‘14

PATRICIA BOBER, FCLC ‘17

“WAKE ME UP” BY: Avicii

“GAME OF LOVE”

“COUNTING STARS”

BY: Daft Punk

BY: One Republic

GENRE: Electronic/hip-hop

GENRE: Rock/pop

 On Repeat

“ I like listening to music on-the-go “ When my boyfriend and I went if I’m alone because it adds to the out for my birthday, we established that it was our song and so listening quality of my experience.” to it makes me think of him.” STANLEY O’TADY, FCLC ’14 BRIANNA CARR, FCLC ’17

GENRE: Rock/EDM vNot on Repeat

“ I listen to it

when bored. It’s an interesting song.” LAUREN LEVINE, FCLC ’17

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THE OBSERVER February 27, 2014

Features

ANGELA LIUS/THE OBSERVER

How hard will it take for you to turn off your cell-phone, musical device and laptop for a day? Or a month?

Dare to Take the Dive and Ditch the Digital Addiction? By SHAHEEN TOKHI Contributing Writer

We’re all addicted to our cell phones, social media, e-mails, Netflix and the Internet, there’s no denying it. We depend on all different media platforms when it comes to our entertainment, social and professional lifestyle, but would you rise to the challenge of kicking the habit for a week? Would you do a digital detox? When faced with the idea of the experiment, Jesse Carlucci, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17, said, “I would definitely try this experiment; whether or not I’d be able to last is the question. I think it would be beneficial to live simplistically, if only for seven days. Initially, it would be traumatic. Not being able to engage in constant communication or be a part of the social world would take some getting used to, but by the end of the seven days, I think I would be more comfortable and secure in being alone and would find more peace in my life.”

Perhaps Carlucci is onto something when she mentions the trauma that could come out of not being in constant communication with others. There’s got to be a reason that we behave as we do when we’re unplugged. What keeps us going back for more where social media is concerned? According to Dr. James MacDonall, professor of psychology at Fordham, “It’s the absence of the media. It’s really not the media itself,” he said. “It’s the interacting. It’s going to be much more difficult to give up social media because it’s much more interactive. There’s a tremendous reward that comes from interaction.” But, there aren’t any harrowing psychological effects during a digital detox. Instead, MacDonall said, “They’ll find out that they can do without it. They’ll find out that they enjoy other things. In the beginning, they may be very frustrated. It’s like when your computer breaks, at first you’re upset, but you learn to live with it.” A digital detox can even be ben-

eficial. MacDonall said, “If a person has enjoyed it, [this] may show that they enjoy doing other things. When they go back to social media, they may want to limit how much they do so that they have time to enjoy other interests.” For Sara Garcia, FCLC ’17, the idea of a digital detox is a little more familiar and not necessarily as demanding of an experience. “I’ve gone on retreats and stuff where you can’t take your electronics. They weren’t too traumatic, so I think I’d survive. I like not having to think about what’s happening on Facebook or Twitter.” When asked if she would do a detox again, Garcia explained that she had done a detox before found it refreshing, and may try one again soon. Where responsibility is involved, disconnecting ourselves from email seems near consequential. When asked about the possibility of completing a digital detox, Tamiris Askarova FCLC ’16, said, “It would influence my internship availability because I need a computer to work and a phone for accessibility and

communication. It would improve my life in terms of going outside more and enjoying nature, but overall, it would hinder my ability to do most things I usually do.” The idea of a detox for an entire seven days was also a bit more difficult to embrace. The average compliance was two days. Shevonne Richardson FCLC ’14, is guilty of harboring a digital addiction of her own. “I will be willing to give it a try. Not sure if I can make it an entire week though. I can live without television or film, but my phone would be hard to give up. I don’t think it would be traumatic, but it would take some discipline. The only thing it could affect is my responsibilities as a student as far as important emails are concerned,” Richardson said, “Yes, this would be cleansing. I imagine I would come out of it feeling refreshed and a lot more relaxed.” If you have Penina Wiesman, professor of communication and media studies at FCLC for an Intro to Media Industries course, you’ll experience a required 24-hour de-

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tox of your own. It’s a part of a class assignment, except her detox challenge is one in which you can’t pick up books, the newspaper or glance at advertisements. You must remove yourself from all forms of media. She found the experiment in a book called “Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman (1985). Her goal with this assignment was to get her students to step out of their regular, day-to-day routine. “It’s an intro class, it seemed to make sense to help people get a different perspective,” Weisman said, “Especially the latest generation, they are growing up with more and more media, and it really does touch every part of our lives. To go without it will make you see the extent to which media is relevant to everything they do. How much they depend on it.” Can a digital detox in our interconnected generation be much needed time for self-reflection? Sometimes it’s nice to just take a breather. The digital ditch might just be worth the sacrifice.

Features

February 27, 2014 THE OBSERVER

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WORD OF MOUTH

ROSANNA CORRADO/THE OBSERVER

For just a prix fixe meal of $25, Nobu Next Door (food shown here), is just one of many restaurant options diners could choose from on the 2014 Winter Restaurant Week list.

Head Over “Next Door” for a Three-Course Brunch ROSANNA CORRADO Staff Writer

Extravagant, indulgent, refined and cheap are words you rarely hear together and that are even more rarely used to describe a restaurant menu. New York City is home to some of the most expensive and exclusive restaurants in the world. Needless to say, for college students on a budget, these restaurants sound tempting but are way out of our price range. However, twice a year, exclusive New York restaurants create special prix fixe three-course menus and thus make their delicious offerings available to everyone. A biannual tradition since 1992, Restaurant Week is currently being held from Feb. 17 until March 7. Most restaurants offer both a $25 lunch menu and $38 dinner menu, and it is recommended that you make a reservation in advance. I have heard both positive and negative things about Restaurant Week. On the positive side, Restaurant Week has been praised for allowing everyone

to have access to delicious food from some of New York’s best restaurants. However, Restaurant Week has also been criticized for being a gimmicky way for upscale restaurants to serve customers’ lower quality food and smaller portions than normal. I decided to check it out for myself and see if the food is worth the hype. The dining choices for Restaurant Week are overwhelming. More than 200 restaurants are participating in this winter’s Restaurant Week and the array of cuisine choices are endless. One can pick from storied steakhouses like Smith and Wollensky to classic New York institutions like Le Cirque that offers twists on classic French dishes. I decided to go with lunch at popular Asian-Peruvian fusion restaurant, Nobu Next Door, the offshoot of Japanese celebrity chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa’s popular Michelin star restaurant Nobu New York. For just $25, I had a three-course Sunday brunch and was happy to see (and taste) that Nobu had not forgone their high standards at a cheaper-priced restaurant. At Nobu Next Door, diners are offered three choices for an appetizer, entrée and two dessert choices.

Nobu Next Door has been getting a lot of attention for their innovative brunch menu. For the appetizer I had a choice of bagel and lox, black cod miso on limestone lettuce or shrimp tempura with creamy spicy sauce. Both my dining companion and I opted for the bagel and lox which was magnificent. The “bagel” was a fried sushi rice cake with a hole in the middle that likened to a bagel. It was topped with tofu crema and smoked salmon with a garnish of micro greens, pickled onions and capers. The tofu crema had a pleasant acidity; it tasted like crème fraîche and melded perfectly with the smoky, salty salmon. The mix of the crunchy rice cake with the soft salmon created a pleasing texture and the dish turned out to be, dare I say, an improvement on the classic bagels and lox. For the entrée, diners could choose umami arctic charr, chicken karaage with green tea waffles or assorted sushi. My dining companion chose the umami arctic charr while I had the chicken and waffles. The arctic charr was cooked to perfection and was crusted in a variety of spices. My fried chicken was very tasty. I learned that karaage is a Japanese

cooking method, in which meat is marinated in soy sauce or ginger, lightly battered in wheat flour or patio starch and then fried. This cooking method resulted in amazing fried chicken. The skin was super crispy and when broken revealed little golden nuggets of moist and tender meat. When dipped in some maple syrup, the chicken became a crunchy little jewel of salty-sweet goodness. The green tea waffles were also pleasing. I admit that I am not the biggest green tea fan, but the green tea flavor in the waffles was delicate and blended perfectly with the tangerine butter it was served with. To finish the meal, I had a yuzu parfait, while my dining companion had the azuki island. The azuki island was comprised of a light-as-air meringue that floated atop a red bean azuki anglaise and was garnished with raspberries and blueberries. I found the azuki anglaise, which is a light custard that has the consistency of soup, to be overwhelmingly sweet in an artificial way, which is a first for me since I am a lover of all things sugar. The yuzu parfait was the dessert winner for me. It featured a frozen yuzu custard that was also topped with a

meringue. Under the custard was a hibiscus winter berry glaze and candied pistachios. The airy meringue with the crunchy pistachios melded perfectly with the cold, dense, citrusy custard. It was the sweet ending to a delicious brunch. Overall, I think Restaurant Week was worth the hype. Nobu didn’t lower their high standards because of the inexpensive price tag. The food was high quality, creative and innovative. On a normal day, I could never afford brunch at Nobu Next Door, but Restaurant Week allowed this cash-strapped college foodie to eat at one of the best restaurants in New York City, which is pretty cool. I recommend that you take a chance and sample a Restaurant Week menu; you never know what New York’s best restaurants have to offer you. IF YOU GO

Nobu Next Door Price (Restaurant Week): $ Price (Regularly): $$$$ Note: Cash only Where: 105 Hudson street

I PITY THE JEWEL

How to Eat Food: A Guide for Fordham Students JEWEL GALBRAITH Staff Writer

In two years at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, I’ve learned a lot about Sartre and Moses and Jan Van Eyck, but the one lesson that has been present in my life every single day since I moved into McMahon Hall is more fundamental than art or history or whatever Sartre’s deal was. That lesson is how to cook. When I first started living in Fordham’s dorms, I became the owner of a small, shared kitchen. I didn’t have a lot of kitchen experience —when I was growing up, my family’s most frequent dinner was spaghetti with Prego sauce, which in retrospect, I’ve realized you hardly even need a kitchen to make. So, I wasn’t living in my apartment (okay, apartment-style dorm) long before my Fordham motto changed from “New York is my campus, Fordham is my school” to “New York is my campus, Fordham is my school, My oven may or may not be on—I don’t know how to tell.” Eventually, I figured out the oven thing (there’s a red light) and a few other cooking

tips that I will share in the hopes that they might benefit other members of the apartment-style-dorm community. When Planning Meals: Make Use of the Internet The Internet is a special place: people use the Internet to talk about their interests with a level of depth and intensity that can appear frightening to those outside their hobbyist circles. Food bloggers, fortunately for us, are no exception to this rule. You can’t Google “food” and click twice without finding a Pinterest board, a Paleo diet enthusiast’s diary, or a glutenfree mommy blog that wants to teach you how to use chickpea flour. These blogs can be persuasive. Does cold-pressed coconut oil sound like a weird, inaccessible ingredient to you? Wait until you see an artistic photo of coconut oil in a mason jar. You’ll have to drag yourself away from your web browser. Internet food research isn’t a casual endeavor—you will finish having read facts about flaxseed’s health properties that will have changed you forever. Sure, you can try to forget what you’ve seen. You can try to put it all behind you and go to McDon-

RICARDO DEARATANHA/LOS ANGELES TIMES VIA MCT

ald’s. It won’t work. Look in your refrigerator. You won’t even know how it happened, but somehow, as if by magic, it will be filled with kale. Bags and bags of kale. Then it be will time for you to start your own food blog. Don’t fight it. Make a WordPress account. This is who you are now. When Shopping: Avoid Peak Hours The Trader Joe’s on 72nd Street and Broadway is a wonderful, wellstocked grocery store, but there are certain times of day when shopping there can be difficult. Avoid 5:008:00 p.m. on weekdays: the afterwork rush fills the store to capacity, and regardless of the code of ethics you thought you had before you

entered, you will not leave until you have shoved a fellow customer with your shopping cart in anger. Avoid daytime on weekends: the store is just as crowded as it is on weekday evenings, but more people are wearing workout clothes. Avoid nighttime on weekends: Friday or Saturday night shopping will allow you to get through the store quickly, but it will also make you sad. In conclusion: shop on weekdays during the day when you have a break from class or work, or suffer the deep, deep pain of regret. When Cooking: Just Cook Roasted Vegetables It is my personal belief that this is the only cooking tip you need. It is the only one that anyone will ever need. Just cook roasted vegetables. Any vegetables. Sweet potatoes, kale, red peppers—it doesn’t matter. It would be impossible for you to go wrong. Just put olive oil, salt and pepper on them, put them in the oven and leave them there. You can forget about them for up to half an hour, and this will only make them better. And they’re healthy. And they taste good. Could there be a better food to cook? Is there a reason why we can’t just eat roasted vegetables

morning, noon and night? Social convention says it’s abnormal to eat roasted vegetables for breakfast. Well, social convention, there’s a new sheriff in town, and it’s called efficiency, ease and healthfulness. Sorry, social convention. Sorry, pancakes, bacon and other toughto-make breakfast foods. We no longer have any use for you. The game has now and forever been changed. And the game is now called “how long can I live on just roasted vegetables?” *** There you have it: we’re all just taking it day by day, trying to keep up with the roasted vegetable game. I hope the above tips will be helpful to someone who is new to this constant cycle that is cooking and eating. If not, I hope that they are at least true to my feelings for roasted vegetables, which are strong. And failing that, I hope they will inspire someone to start a food blog, which I can peruse for future tips. If I achieved none of these goals with my cooking tips, I will have to be satisfied with the fact that I managed to remind myself which hours are not safe times to go grocery shopping.

Sports

Sports Editor Jennifer Khedaroo — jkhedaroo@fordham.edu

February 27, 2014 THE OBSERVER

Was There Corruption in the Adelina Sotnikova Figure Skating Win? The International Judging System needs to be improved in order to have fair wins in the figure skating competition.

By CONRAD ZAJKOWSKI Asst. Sports Editor

There is not one event in the Winter Olympics that garners more controversy than women’s figure skating. And this year did not disappoint. With more than two million signatures signed, there is now a petition against the judging system as a result of teenage Russian skater Adelina Sotnikova besting favorite Yuna Kim of South Korea for the gold. After the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Yuna Kim became an international celebrity and role model for South Korea. Earning the nickname Queen Yuna, her immaculate performances have allowed her to become one of the 100 most influential people, according to Time Magazine. And according to Forbes, countless endorsements, including one with Samsung, enabled Kim to become the seventh highest paid female athlete in the world. Coming into the Sochi Olympics had many predicting that Queen Yuna would win gold in the singles figure skating. She would’ve been the first woman to win in two consecutive Olympics since Katarina Witt did it in 1984 and 1988. And at 23 years old, this was supposed to be her last Olympics. After the first short program in the finals, Yuna Kim finished first while Sotnikova came in second. The 17-year-old Sotnikova finally received the attention of her fellow Russians who had once been enamored with the younger skater Yulia Lipnitskaia. Unfortunately for Lipnitskaia, she fell during her routine on Feb. 19, placing her out of competition. The fall put all eyes on Sotnikova. In the free skate, many thought Queen Yuna would win her second consecutive gold when Sotnikova wrongfully stepped out of her land-

COURTESY BRIAN CASSELLA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE VIA MCT

Many people believe that Adelina Sotnikova of Russia won the figure skating competition due to corruption.

ing in a triple flip-double toe loopdouble loop combination. Although she didn’t fall as badly as Lipnitskaia, it was still a visible error that should have costed her the gold medal. Nonetheless, Sotnikova received a score of 149.95 for the performance, extremely high considering Yuna Kim’s gold medal performance in Vancouver got 150.06, a standing world record. Yuna Kim skated after Sotnikova, receiving 144.19 points. It was a strong score but still too far behind Sotnikova. Kim’s performance was both flawless and praised for its elegance. So how is it possible that a

skater with no mistakes could lose to another skater with such a highly visible error? In a sport in which scores are judged subjectively, it’s possible that there was corruption in the competition. According to the New York Times, there were multiple judges who were involved in past skating scandals or have some affiliation with the Russian Figure Skating Federation. Yuri Balkov, a Ukrainian judge who served a year suspension for trying to rig the competition in the 1998 Olympics, was one of the judges this year.

Another judge this year, Alla Sheckhovtseva, is married to Valentin Piseev. Piseev is the general director of the Russian Figure Skating Federation. After the event, Sheckhoytseva was seen hugging Sotnikova. The hug could imply favoritism, which isn’t a good look in such a subjectively judged sport. What makes matters worse is that the sport’s new International Judging System (IJS) found one member of the judging panel giving Sotnikova a higher score than the rest of her competitors, according to The Economist. Although the highest and lowest scores are dropped

for each performance a consistent inflated scorer still raises a competitor’s score by allowing the next highest judge’s score to be counted. Whether or not there is corruption amongst the figure skating competition, an argument can be made that the judges are just playing by the new rules. The new rules by the IJS state that judges should concentrate mainly on the Grade of Execution for each move. The Grade of Execution means that unlike before where skaters would benefit from flawless performances, skaters now have an incentive to perform harder tricks in order to receive a higher score. Chloe Katz, a former Oympic medal winning pair skater, spoke to The Economist and believes Sotnikova and her coaches understood this new system. Therefore, they stacked her program with a harder routine than that of Kim’s. For example, Sotnikova had seven triple jumps while Kim had six. “Even a panel of impeccable integrity would have had to give the gold to Ms. Sotnikova under the current IJS rules,” Katz said to The Economist. The lesson is that the athlete isn’t to blame, the game is. With two million signatures signed for a petition to change the rules, will we see if there will be changes to the rules or will there be more people that are accused of corruption?

Michael Sam Makes LGBTQ History Within the NFL By DYLAN PENZA Contributing Writer

Michael Sam may not be the strongest or fastest prospect to declare for this year’s draft, but he may be the bravest in NFL history. The NFL combine is about to commence in the next few weeks, signaling the beginning of the draft process in which college athletes attempt to show professional teams their skill sets. Surprisingly, the most important story of the draft this year has nothing to do with who the Houston Texans will take number one overall. Instead, America’s eyes have been focused on a young college graduate projected to go in the third round. Sam will not be the first or even second athlete from a major American sport to come out publicly. Los Angeles Galaxy winger Robbie Rogers and NBA free agent Jason Collins both spoke publicly about their sexuality last spring. However, what separates Sam from these other trailblazers is just how young he is. Collins had already played 14 seasons in the NBA and Rodgers had been playing professional soccer since 2005. Sam has no such professional experience. He is an accomplished collegiate player. He was named the co-defensive Southeastern Conference player of the year in his final season as a member of the University of Missouri Tigers. But he is an unknown neophyte in the eyes of general managers and coaches in the league. He is a young man who will

now have to endure the scrutiny of front offices, and the media as well, for being brave enough to be the first NFL prospect to be openly gay. Even after he is drafted, he will still have to persevere in a notoriously intolerant and harsh working environment; the NFL locker room. Sports, like football, require players to be incredibly resilient physically and mentally to be successful, so this sort of ritualistic bonding is commonplace. However, at some point the hazing and jokes stop being team builders and start breaking down individuals. Michael Sam will no doubt have to endure the normal rookie treatment, but he may also be made a target due to his sexuality and perceived “softness” because of it. Michael Knight, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17, played organized high school football for Summit High School in Summit, N.J. He was exposed to the normal rituals of younger players carrying water and pads for the upperclassmen of the team. But he firmly believes that Sam won’t be treated differently. “He won’t be looked at differently because of his sexuality,” Knight said. “Good players and teammates only judge based on hard work and ability. Whatever team drafts him will already know what they are getting.” However, Knight did express fear of a player on Sam’s team becoming another Richie Incognito. The Richie Incognito bullying scandal has rocked not only the Miami Dolphins

but the NFL at large. Incognito’s ignorant and intolerable words toward Jonathan Martin overshadowed much of the previous season and has begged the question of whether or not some of these teams are prepared to have a gay athlete on their roster. “Sometimes, players think they are being helpful, but they go too far and cross the line, affecting a players’ performance and emotions,” Knight said. Rainbow Alliance member Leighton Magoon, FCLC ’17, wants the NFL to prepare for change. “The reality is whether or not teams are ready, the NFL must support and understand the importance of Sam’s decision,” Magoon said. “Michael Sam’s announcement represents a proud moment for the LGBTQ community because Sam is breaking down stereotypes and bringing LGBTQ issues to the forefront. “Sam could be a distraction, but only in organizations with weak leadership such as the Miami Dolphins,” Magoon said. Instead, teams with strong leadership such as the Patriots, Steelers, Packers or Giants would be ideal landing spots for the defensive end. No one can be sure which team Michael Sam will be drafted to. No one knows if he will succeed in the NFL or become one of the busts and forgotten players. However, in a way, that doesn’t matter. Simply standing up and being unafraid to talking about being gay has made Sam one of the most important figures of both the LGBTQ and NFL history.

SHANE KEYSER/KANSAS CITY STAR VIA MCT

Michael Sam enters the 2014 draft as the first openly gay NFL player.

Sports

February 27, 2014 THE OBSERVER

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The Atlantic 10 is Revamping Its Style By JENNIFER KHEDAROO Sports Editor

The Atlantic 10 (A-10) Basketball Conference, home to Fordham and 13 other member institutions, has revamped its look. The conference has taken a more edgy, inyour-face approach to broadcasting how strong the member schools are both on the court and in the classroom. The brand development of the conference is being managed by an agency called 160over90, which is known for its national campaigns with popular brands. 160over90 usually focuses on more well-known companies and institutions than the A-10. Some of 160over90’s clientele include Nike, Godiva, Under Armour, American Eagle Outfitters, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The only collegiate institutions that the agency has worked with in the past include big names such as Duke University, the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Notre Dame. The Chief Creative Officer of 160over90, Darryl Cilli, is excited about the prospect of working alongside Fordham and the rest of the A-10 members. “It’s a privilege to work with the A-10,” Cilli said. “It’s one of the best basketball conferences in the country, and with all of the television coverage, major out-of-conference wins and success in March Madness, people are now recognizing that.” A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade admitted that rebranding of the conference took about a year and was quite challenging. “National branding campaigns

COURTESY OF FORDHAM SPORTS INFO

Fordham and the Atlantic 10 are looking to become more prominent in the world of college basketball.

are always a challenge, and the A-10 wanted to take a more edgy approach to really showcase how strong of a league we are and how strong of a brand academically and athletically we are,” McGlade said. “We think it’s a fun campaign and we hope everyone enjoys it.” Over the last two weeks, 160over90’s promotion of the con-

ference has kicked into full gear. There is a two-minute video about the conference that will air during Atlantic 10 games that are broadcasted nationally and regionally. The video takes on a gritty, hardworking attitude and highlights each team in the conference. It will also run at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, which will be venue for

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the 2014 Atlantic 10 men’s basketball championship. Additionally, there is a print component of the campaign, but 160over90 is focusing mainly on the social media aspect. Fordham, along with the 12 other members will highlight the “Who Wants Next” campaign on their university and athletic websites. They also pro-

mote the campaign on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. Tom Pecora, Fordham’s head coach, received information about the new campaign two months ago. He believes it’s been an incredible recruiting tool for the team. “It’s been tremendous,” Pecora said. “The young people we are recruiting have already seen ads through the course of watching televised games. They’ve responded and reacted to it. So I think it has already had a positive effect on recruiting, especially for us at Fordham.” One of the phrases in the new campaign is “Winning doesn’t mean losing what we stand for.” The phrase is meant to showcase that success isn’t just for the court. “I think one of the points that come across is that it is a complete conference, the Atlantic 10. Not only are we producing good basketball, and sports in general, but we’re also producing good student athletes,” Pecora said. The Atlantic 10 Conference features 13 up and coming basketball teams along the East Coast and Midwest regions. The conference consists of Fordham, the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, George Mason University, George Washington University, La Salle University, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Rhode Island, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph’s University, Saint Louis University and Virginia Commonwealth University. The teams in the A-10 are quickly gaining track on becoming one of the more familiar conferences in the nation.

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