Observer the
OCTOBER 12, 2017 VOLUME XXXVIII, ISSUE 12
www.fordhamobserver.com
Fordham Student Launches Puerto Rican Relief Fund By COLIN SHEELEY News Editor
JON BJORNSON/THE OBSERVER
The resturcturing of RHA involved redrafting the constitution, disbanding the RHA Senate and appointing new executive board members.
ResLife Drafts New RHA Constitution, By COLIN SHEELEY News Editor
On April 19, 2017, the executive board members of last year’s Residence Hall Association (RHA) met with RHA adviser Frank McAlpin to discuss several matters longoverdue: Mismanagement amongst student leadership, dysfunctional executive board (E-Board) meetings and a hole in the budget linked to a string of thefts and “misplaced” funds. According to the Office of Residential Life, things had become so bad that McAlpin and Jenifer Campbell, the Director of Residential Life, “were considering whether or not RHA should continue to be an organization on campus.” RHA was spared that sentence, barely, but as a part of the deal, serious changes had to be made. What followed was a summer of restructuring. The RHA constitution was scrapped, and McAlpin resigned, replaced mid-break by Resident Director (RD) Joseph Corcoran, who drafted new regulations and selected this year’s EBoard from a pool of applicants. Several members of the former E-Board were keen to hear about and contribute to the restructuring process. In a May 25 email sent to former President pro tempore, Mara Haeger, Campbell assured her that she, former Treasurer Alex DiMisa and former Director of Public Relations Tylar Havens would likely be included “collectively in the conversation” that was to take place by the end of June. Later, it was admitted that the discussion, delayed by the extended process of finding a new RHA adviser, did not happen
until late July. Furthermore, it did not include Haeger, DiMisa or Havens. According to DiMisa, he only learned of Corcoran’s appointment after a chance run-in with Campbell over the summer in the Ram Café. The returning E-Board members sent an Aug. 31 email to Corcoran introducing themselves to the new adviser as a three-year member of RHA and the current President. Several hours later, Corcoran responded, “I think you are a little confused. There is currently no RHA executive board as we are restructuring how RHA works this year.” “During the April 19 meeting, the 2016-17 executive board decided not to hold elections for the 2017-18 executive board,” the Office of Residential Life wrote in a statement. “Despite this, Mr. DiMisa decided that he would be the incoming RHA president.” According to DiMisa, he was unaware of the restructure, just as he had been unaware of Corcoran’s appointment. Haeger said she was also left in the dark. “By the end of the summer,” she said, “we had no idea what was going on.” DiMisa did not know that the rules of candidacy had changed. Under the old constitution, a member of RHA was only eligible to run for President if they had held an E-Board position for two or more semesters. By that mark, only he and Haeger were eligible. The new constitution notes an amendment to that rule, lowering the requisite length of time to one semester. The change goes into effect spring semester, but in the mean-
time, any resident is eligible for an E-Board position. The current RHA President, Eunice Jung and Vice President, Gurkaran Bhatti are emblematic of this policy. Neither have served on the E-Board prior to their appointment. It also states that for this fall, RHA will not hold elections for E-Board, rather applicants will be selected by Corcoran after an interview process. Haeger applied for Vice President but was offered President, which she would turn down several days later. DiMisa went in for President but was offered nothing on E-Board. Applicants met
What does this mean in terms of University transparency? Staff’s Opinion on Page 7. with Campbell on Sept. 21, two days after, to discuss the decision. During the meetings, Campbell explained that one of her primary concerns with the former RHA EBoard, specifically DiMisa, was the occurrence of two thefts during the previous year, the first for $250 and the second for $600. Returning and former members did not recall a theft of $600, to which Campbell explained that it came from the Theatre Thursday program collections, and that she considered it a much more serious oversight than the $250. The Office of Residential Life refused to confirm or deny this charge in an attempt to preserve the appli-
cant’s privacy. After their meeting, however, Haeger contacted former RHA Vice President Katie Ott, FCLC ’17, about the alleged $600 theft. Ott, who ran Theatre Thursdays at the time, said she had no account of any such event, calling the accusation “complete bullshit.” When asked for evidence, the Office of Residential Life admitted that the indictment was “a miscommunication” and had actually been an approximation of the total amount of funds stolen in the past few years. The statement said that the mistake was explained to one of the applicants recently, but they denied this, stating that Ms. Campbell only told them that she would “have to look into it more.” Instead of an E-Board position, DiMisa was offered Senior Class Representative, a role created out of the new general body initiative that dissolved the former RHA Senate and established a “default” council of all on-campus students. DiMisa countered that his “skills, experience and passion” were better suited for the executive board. On Sept. 23 Corcoran offered DiMisa the position of Advocacy Coordinator, however, rescinded the offer in an email statement two days later under the assumption that if the applicant had wanted the position by now, he would have accepted it. Corcoran said alternatively he would offer it to another candidate. As of Oct. 10, the position remains unoccupied. Haeger and DiMisa do not hold any E-Board positions, though Havens now sits as see RHA pg. 3
“We cannot sit idly by” reads the description of the Students with Puerto Rico GoFundMe page. Beatriz Martinez-Godas, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ‘18 who started the hurricane relief fundraiser with the help of some friends from the University of Pennsylvania and American University last week on Friday, Sept. 22, certainly is not. Martinez-Godas said that she and her friends created the page “out of a deep sense of anxiety and helplessness” in the days after Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico on Wednesday, Sept. 20. “Most of us couldn’t even communicate with our families back home. So that sense of helplessness led us to find a way to help even being so far away.” At its creation, the page set a “lofty” goal of $15,000 which was shattered almost instantly by the rush of contributions. Now, standing at the $203,000 mark, the fund has garnered the support of 114 university contacts and more than two thousand donors, including Jimmy Fallon of the Tonight Show. Donations continue to pour in while Students with Puerto Rico have moved on to their second stage of fundraising, requesting from each the 114 universities a thousand dollar contribution. They are also hoping to partner with other companies in a fundmatching campaign, where every donation to the page is met with an equal pledge from the organization. The fundraiser has also partnered with the organization United for Puerto Rico, a fund established by see PUERTO RICO pg. 2
OPINIONS
Trump Fumbles
The President’s remarks on the right to protest are unproductive.
PAGE 10 ARTS & CULTURE
Regina Taylor
Golden Globe-winning actress directs mainstage play.
PAGE 13 FEATURES
Alum On the Road
Former accapella Ram lands role in theatrical tour.
PAGE 15 SPORTS & HEALTH
Chronic Concussions Athletes are at risk for traumatic brain injury.
PAGE 16
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OCTOBER 12, 2017
Students Aid Maria Victims
THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
The Statue Debate and the “Friend of Fordham”
FORDHAM FROM PAGE 1
the First Lady of Puerto Rico, Beatriz Rosselló, in cooperation with multiple commercial sponsors including Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, whose app allows users to transfer money instantaneously, without concern of fraud. “Once you do it through the actual government of the country that needs the help,” Martinez-Godas said, “it becomes a lot clearer where the money is going to due to the different transparency efforts that they have to do legally.” According to her, the reason for choosing a fund rather than a donation drive “is because we saw a dire need of basic necessities in Puerto Rico that could be fulfilled with the materials that could’ve been bought in Puerto Rico at the moment.” Need for supplies is growing, however. Planes and ships carrying supplies and volunteers from the U.S. mainland have been delayed by the lack of undamaged radio equipment, as well as an old merchant law that prohibits the transport of goods from one United States port to the other on non-American vessels. Thursday, Sept. 28 the acting head Department of Homeland Security, Elaine Duke, reluctantly waved the 1920 shipping prohibition. At first, the donations will go to funding first-aid efforts on the island, transportation and medical care, as well as “basic necessities,” including water, food, diapers and feminine products. Later, the money will go towards reconstruction projects like rebuilding highways, schools and hospitals. Although Martinez-Godas’s family is reportedly safe, “so many other’s aren’t. And even though my family physically is okay, and my home thankfully didn’t suffer grave damages, the lives in Puerto Rico are going to change regardless of that. Every single person’s life in Puerto Rico is changing from here on out.” The Latin American and Latino Studies department has agreed to sponsor a donation drive at Fordham. They are currently looking for a room in which to hold the items, but in the meantime, donors can contact Martinez-Godas on her email: bmartnezgods@fordham. edu or her phone: (787) 455-5025. “While I do have a home to go back to in the sense of the physical house that I live in, I don’t have a home to go back to in the sense of the island that I just came back from this summer is not the same island that I would be going back to now,” Martinez-Godas said. “And it’s also the reality for so many people who came out of their homes after the hurricane and realized that life after this moment is not going to be the same for many months to come if not years.” BY THE NUMBERS
$203,138
Amount raised by Student with Puerto Rico since the creation of the GoFundMe page on Sept. 22.
3,312
Number of contributers to the Puerto Rican relief campaign started by Beatriz Martinez–Godas.
9,200
Number of shares of the campaign page on Facebook
EMMA DIMARCO/THE OBSERVER
The Robert Moses currently sits in storage, temporarily putting to rest a controversial debate about Fordham Lincoln Center’s history. By STEPHAN KOZUB News Editor
Robert Moses and WNET reporter Robert Hanson were in the heat of a discussion about the Long Island-Manhattan Expressway, that, if Moses had his way, would stretch through the center of 30th Street from East to West. “Well, what do you think of this whole movement of neighborhood preservation?” Hanson asked, sitting across from Moses. “Do you think that’s just a passing fad?” They went back and forth for a bit, with Hanson asking Moses if he ever had to contend with people “raising hell” when big public works projects were built in their neighborhoods. “Of course we had to contend with it,” Moses replied, rocking back in forth in his swiveling green office chair. It was 1977, and in two years, he would be dead, leaving behind projects, such as the Cross-Bronx Expressway that reshaped the region, and a reputation for ruthlessness that often manifested itself in virulent racism. As Hanson said in his narration before the interview, “Robert Moses has been praised as the man who got things done and damned as the man who didn’t care what it took to get them done.” But Moses did not think Hanson’s concern was legitimate. “Now, listen, let’s be a little sensible about this thing,” Moses said in an accent that seemed to be ripped from 1920s New York. “How do you visualize, if you were around, the area that we cleared out for the Fordham expansion downtown? They needed the college. They couldn’t put any more people up at Rose Hill in the Bronx. And they were work-
ing with a group of people who were interested in what is now known as Lincoln Square. Opera, Performing Arts, every kind of arts. And we did it for ‘em.” And then he leaned forward in his chair. “Now I ask you, what was that neighborhood? It was a Puerto Rican slum. You remember it?” “No I don’t,”’” Hanson replied. “Yeah, well I lived on one of those streets there for a number of years, and I know exactly what it was like,” Moses said. “It was the worst slum in
atic individuals are happening across the country, the debate at Fordham over Moses largely subsided a year ago. If things go according to plan, however, the Fordham community will likely have that debate again. The Reinstallation The controversy over Fordham’s memorial to Moses was sparked on campus almost immediately after it was installed. On the night of Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015, members of the Fordham
“ I think the Moses statue, whatever we do
with it, really should represent all of the complexities of the issues we’re talking about.” – ROGER PANETTA , visiting professor of Histor
New York. You want to leave it there? Why? On account of neighborhood business? Christ, you never could have been there.” While Moses and Hanson parted ways that day and the Long IslandManhattan Expressway never saw the light of day, their debate on the neighborhood destroyed to build Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus would rage on through the present day. A “Friend of Fordham” to some and a symbol of racism to others, Moses sits at the heart of Fordham Lincoln Center’s own debate over controversial statues. But while discussions over memorials to problem-
community were gathered on the Outdoor Plaza, officially called the Robert Moses Plaza, to hold a vigil for the victims of the terrorist attacks that had taken place in Paris, Beirut and Baghdad a few days prior. Their ceremony, however, was soon disrupted by the sound of jackhammers reinstalling the memorial to Moses that been temporarily removed for the construction of the Law School and McKeon Hall. At the top of it was the phrase “Friend of Fordham.” The next day, Beatriz MartinezGodas, FCLC ’18, was walking across the plaza when she stopped by the plinth.
“I was very disappointed and a little bit embarrassed to be walking around with Fordham on my chest,” Martinez-Godas told me in November of last year, noting how she felt uncomfortable as a member of the Fordham community with the “Friend of Fordham” message etched on the memorial. She referred to the plinth as, “honoring the man who displaced and who was racist towards a large amount of minorities.” That moment spurred her to mobilize other students and to educate members of the Fordham community about Moses’ legacy and his racism. It also set off a debate that would continue for the next year. The Campaign for Removal In the days following, MartinezGodas collaborated with other students to hand out fact-sheets titled “Robert Moses: Who He Was And Why It Should Anger You.” It concluded with the statement, “To us, students of color and allies, the statue serves not as a memorial of the man who donated the land our institution is built on, but as a reminder that the racism the people displaced for it underwent is still something we face today here at Fordham.” Counternarratives, however, were soon presented in the Fordham community. Some faculty emphasized that Fordham worked with the people displaced to construct the campus, financially compensating them and helping them resettle elsewhere. Others drew attention to social justice initiatives on campus to help local communities, such as the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice, which they believe helps adsee MOSES pg. 4
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Changes to RHA Reshape Student Government
JON BJORNSON/THE OBSERVER
The current system of conflict mediation between RHA and their adviser lends itself to an inherent conflict of interest. see RESLIFE pg. 1
Treasurer. Havens was not contacted as, currently, members of the RHA EBoard are not permitted to speak with the press without permission from the RHA adviser. Former E-Board members expressed concern about larger sections of the new constitution and
the extended powers it granted to the RHA adviser. In addition to appointing this semester’s E-Board positions and granting press approval, the adviser is responsible for setting office hour shifts for EBoard members and times for Theatre Thursday, managing the RHA budget in cooperation with the
Treasurer and the Office of Residential Life, approving E-Board member absences, and, in the event of absence, policy violation, or failure by programming coordinators or committee members to submit change and receipts from an RHA event within 48 hours, enforcing probationary or expulsive mea-
sures. The RHA adviser also approves all amendments to the new constitution prior to April 1, 2018. “It’s concerning that this is supposed to be an organization for students,” Haeger said, “but it’s being run by administrators.” Additionally, Haeger pointed to the new RHA logo as a simulacrum
of the entire power shift within the organization. The previous logo, which was designed by Ott, “was taken with a vote of all the students,” according to the former Treasurer. “And they just completely changed it without asking any students. That’s just a lesser aspect of showing how they really did just take full control.” The Office of Residential Life in fact exercises full control over almost every aspect of RHA. Unlike other clubs that can report grievances with their faculty advisers to the Office for Student Involvement, RHA reports directly the Office of Residential Life. Any dispute with an adviser would then be settled by the organization that employs them, creating a natural conflict of interest. These anxieties come as a culmination of detachment between some E-Board members and the Office of Residential Life, according to Haeger (there have been four RHA advisors in the past five years). For her, it is a matter of underrepresentation. “As it’s stated by Dean Eldredge in all of the presentations he gives, RHA is on par with USG [United Student Government] and CSA [Commuting Students’ Association]; they’re the three branches of student government, but right now,” Haeger said, “it’s being completely taken over by Fordham administrators. When students give their feedback and are basically ignored, I think that then it’s just an extension of the Office of Residential Life, instead of a club run by and for students. If I’m just basically going to be an unpaid RA at the will of Jenifer Campbell, then that’s not something I want to dedicate a lot of my time to.”
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OCTOBER 12, 2017 THE OBSERVER
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Is It Time For An Indigenous People’s Day?
JON BJORNSON/THE OBSERVER
Columbus Circle sits at the center of New York City’s most recent debate about the controversial figure. By KATHERINE SMITH Asst. News Editor
In many schools across New York City, classes are canceled on the second Monday of October to celebrate Columbus Day, a holiday that commemorates the achievements of Christopher Columbus, as well as the accomplishments of Italian-Americans. Due to increased pressure from a growing community of voices, however, the question of whether Columbus Day should be replaced at Fordham has only become more relevant with each passing year. Indigenous Peoples Day, or Re-
Thinking Columbus Day, focuses on celebrating the history and culture of Native Americans. It was created as a way to protest a holiday that represents the violence and oppression indigenous Americans faced in the years that followed Columbus’s arrival in 1492. While some colleges like Harvard and Brown University have made the decision to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, Fordham remains one of the many schools that continues to observe Columbus Day. The change at other universities came largely through the efforts of Native student organizations, who spoke out against the
commemoration of Christopher Columbus for several years on campus before the university administrations made a decision. At Fordham, the circumstances are different. The university website indicates that students who identify as American Indian make up less than 1 percent of the 2021 class. At the Lincoln Center campus, the only student organization created specifically for Native Americans is the Native American Law Students Association, which launched at Fordham University’s School of Law in 2016 as a way to support Native law students as well as educate those interested in learning more
about Native American law. Samantha Basilone, Fordham College Lincoln Center (FCLC) ‘20, believes that a lack of awareness is one of the main reasons the holiday continues to be commemorated. “I don’t think the majority of Fordham students are knowledgeable about native issues, or if they are knowledgeable, they’re not vocal about them,” Basilone said. Megan Leary, FCLC ‘19, concurred, saying, “I feel like I did learn a little bit in my Understanding Historical Change course that I took last semester, but I feel like I don’t know as much as I should, being someone who lives in Amer-
ica.” The university participated in the city’s annual Columbus Day parade in 2012. The event, meant to celebrate the accomplishments of Columbus as an Italian explorer as well as the achievements of Italian immigrants, was something that University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., said he was “honored” and “proud” to be a part of. “Fordham has been blessed over the decades and even over the century by the presence of great Italian-American students in the student body,” McShane said in the university video covering the event. “They have contributed to us beyond measure and this is the way we celebrate what they’ve done.” For some New Yorkers, Columbus Day is seen as an opportunity to celebrate the success of Italian immigrants from the years following Columbus’s voyage, an aspect that has led to tense disagreements between both citizens and city officials. After Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he was considering the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle, Councilman Joe Borelli called his actions “divisive” to the city, according to the New York Daily News. Basilone, an Italian-American from New York State, doesn’t associate Columbus Day with the Italian-American community, saying, “I haven’t noticed that it’s relevant to my family in any way.” While there is still opposition to the possibility of renaming Columbus Day, areas around the country have already made the decision to change the name and the meaning of the holiday. The city council of Austin, Texas, voted to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, and Los Angeles County voted to replace Columbus Day as well as designate Oct. 12 as Italian-American Heritage Day, according to the LA Times. “I’m one hundred percent in support of replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day,” Basilone said. “Why not change it to something that’s meaningful?”
Looking Back on Moses’ Legacy STATUE FROM PAGE 2
dress Moses’ unsavory legacy. This debate came to a head on Apr. 6, 2016, when the History and Urban Studies departments teamed up to facilitate a dialogue on Moses, his legacy and his ties to Fordham. By that time, the plinth had been covered in plastic tarps due to the tensions it caused. “As a historian, I don’t like the sanitizing,” said Roger Panetta, visiting professor of history, in reference to calls to remove the memorial. “I think the Moses statue, whatever we do with it, really should represent all of the complexities of the issues we’re talking about.” Panetta’s argument won out. Two weeks later on Apr. 18, United Student Government (USG) voted to keep the plinth and add a plaque to it that “would acknowledge the many communities that were displaced by Robert Moses through his urban planning.” The Road to (Temporary) Removal Following their decision, USG announced that they would form a committee of administrators and students to work out language for the plinth. Martinez-Godas, however, was not fully on board. “It’s great that you’re honoring the people who were displaced and you’re acknowledging that part of history,
EMMA DIMARCO/THE OBSERVER
Large neighborhoods were cleared by Moses to make way for what is now Lincoln Square.
but the plinth still says ‘Friend of Fordham,’” she said. “And that still has a greater message than adding that plaque as an afterthought.” Keeping the plinth was defended by an argument that has often been used in recent discussions of controversial memorials across the country. “We felt that if we are to vote to remove the plinth completely and
change the name entirely, we are essentially erasing a part of our history,” said Yint Hmu, FCLC ’17, Former USG President Pro Tempore and Former Chair of USG’s Against Racism Committee. The Removal and the Eventual Return By voting for the plaque, USG ac-
tually gave Martinez-Godas exactly what she asked for, if only temporarily. In November of 2016, the plinth was “moved to storage to beat the winter weather while [awaiting] the draft of the statement to be attached to it,” according to an email Vice President for Lincoln Center Brian Byrne sent to the Observer in November of 2016.
The plan is to eventually reinstall the plinth in the lower plaza, where the university intends to replace “most of the parking area with a park,” pending city approval, according to Byrne. He also noted that the university is planning on renaming Robert Moses Plaza, scrubbing Moses’ name from the only thing on campus still bearing his name. But whether he is praised or scorned, Moses and his legacy will always be inextricably linked to Fordham Lincoln Center’s history and very existence. And while there may be a plaque added to the plinth when it returns, it is sure to spark debate over his history anew, carrying on the discussion Moses and Hanson had 40 years ago. “Now we spent an awful lot of money moving people, and a good many people criticized this,” Moses said, leaning back in his green office chair. “A fella wanted to go over and live with his sister-in-law’s family in Jersey City. We paid the freight to move them over. I think we went too far in doing that. But we made them all happy.” But soon he was incensed. “And do you know that after we opened that area there with the tremendous ceremony and all that kind of thing, after that, there was not one, single, goddamn letter I got from any of those thousands of people who were in there,” he said, snarling every word. “Were they unhappy? What the hell were they unhappy about?”
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OCTOBER 12, 2017
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Members of Fordham Community React to Hurricane Maria
U.S. COAST GUARD PHOTO BY PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS ERIC D. WOODALL
Puerto Rico was devasted by Hurricane Maria, leaving many of the island’s residents without power and running water. By CATHERINE TADIN Contributing Writer
Hurricane Maria made landfall on Sept. 20 around 6:15 am AST on the southeastern part of Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds at 155 mph. In the devastation that followed, the island’s residents lost basic necessities such as electricity and running water, crippling areas for possibly months to come. Ricardo Roselló, the governor of Puerto Rico, announced on Oct. 3 that the official death toll is 34. Some members of the Fordham community shared their reaction to the devastation caused by the storm and how the U.S. government responded to the situation. “The current government should be doing 100 percent more than they currently are,” said Tanya Krishnakumar, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19. The general consensus among members of the Fordham community is that the federal government needs to do more because Puerto
Rico is a part of the United States. Among them are students who are angry at President Trump for not being more concerned with the status of the island. One student said it should not matter that Puerto Rico is more difficult to reach than Texas or Florida. Other members of the Fordham community feel Puerto Rico is not a priority of the government because it is a territory, while Texas and Florida are states. Only 45 percent of customers have access to drinking water, according to the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reported 59 out of 69 hospitals are partially or fully operational. On Oct. 3, one of the Navy’s hospital ships, the USNS Comfort, arrived at San Juan ready to treat those needing medical attention. The hurricane caused almost $95 billion in damages, and the power grid was completely knocked out. It is estimated that at least six months will pass before power is fully restored to the is-
land. Those who do have power are using generators, but a shortage of fuel on the island is making it difficult for the hospitals to stay open. Thousands of shipping containers full of aid are in Puerto Rico, but because many of the roads are still not clear and only 20 percent of truck drivers reported back after the hurricane passed, the majority of the containers are sitting at the
“The biggest issue is distribution on the island,” Jonathan Trinidad, a member of FCLC ’19 who is from Puerto Rico, said. Trinidad has not heard of anything bad happening to his family, but some relatives who live in a different area lost their homes. He hopes to be able to go down to the island during Thanksgiving break. Local authorities in Puerto Rico
The general consensus among members of the Fordham community is that the federal government needs to do more because Puerto Rico is a part of the United States. Port of San Juan. Communication is still down in some parts of the island, making it difficult to reach the rest of the drivers. Kaylie Szarek, FCLC ’21, said, “If it were Texas not getting enough aid or support from FEMA or the government, people would be outraged.”
claim that the roads are not the issue, according to an article by the National Public Radio (NPR). Roberto Ramírez Kurtz, the Mayor of Cabo Rojo, which is located on the other side of the island from San Juan, made the trip to the capital of Puerto Rico to ask for aid. He believes if he can manage to reach
San Juan, then goods can be sent west. A different mayor, Juan Carlos Garcia of Coamo, also said the roads are clear. In response to all the natural disasters that have recently struck this part of the world, Fordham University launched a campaign to raise money to help provide aid for the affected communities. Fordham’s Emergency Relief Fund raised $25,181 in response to all the natural disasters that have struck the Gulf region since August 2017. The money will be used to aid all those affected by Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria and the two major earthquakes in Mexico through Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services. Over 180 people have made donations to the fund, which closed at 12:01 am on Friday Oct. 5, and an anonymous student in the Graduate School of Social Service has matched every dollar collected from Sept. 26 forward, up to $5,000.
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Opinions
Opinions Editor Alex Seyad- aseyad@fordham.edu
STAFF EDITORIAL
I
THE FALL OF STUDENT DEMOCRACY
n recent weeks, Fordham’s President, Rev. Joseph McShane S.J., stated that the administration is making strides to improve transparency in the community. With that decision comes the establishment of channels through which students can effectively voice their concerns and ideas. The university’s aspirations towards increased transparency, however, have already been drastically undermined by the Office of Residential Life’s decision to redraft the Constitution of the Residence Hall Association (RHA), one of Lincoln Center’s three student governing bodies. The alterations include the dismembering of the student-elected Senate and the handover of almost every executive action to the discretion of the Office-appointed RHA adviser. What’s more, RHA’s incoming executive board (E-Board) has been handpicked by the Office of Residential Life from a pool of applicants, a policy the new constitution insists is a one-time measure. All of this, the Office of Residential Life explains, is necessary for rebranding the organization which represents the majority resident student population on campus. Regardless of how well-intentioned these decisions may be, these actions continue a series of troubling developments at the Lincoln Center campus, developments that have progressively diminished our voice and, ultimately, our power. Because of the Office of Residential Life’s actions, RHA has now become the second student government organization to be compromised in
2017. The ability of the United Student Government (USG) to approve clubs through a democratic process was compromised after Dean of Students Keith Eldredge vetoed their vote to allow Students for Justice in Palestine to become an official club on campus. This decision resulted in a host of issues ranging from student protests on campus to Fordham being highlighted as one of the worst U.S. universities for free speech, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. The culmination of these issues has led to a split between the student body and the administration, with tensions still lingering. These actions demonstrate that the university (especially the Office of Student Affairs, to which the Office of Residential Life reports and which partially funds this newspaper) does not believe that the students democratically elected by their peers are capable of making decisions in the best interest of the larger Fordham community. While the university may be trying to assert transparency in order to increase trust with the student body, it becomes increasingly difficult to reciprocate that trust when administrators demonstrate that they ultimately do not value the democratic institutions in place to represent our voices. The university has taken some steps to increasing transparency and hearing student voices, but they are only just a start to what the Fordham community needs. The Pizza with the President luncheons are one such step in increasing direct interaction with the undergraduate student body,
but their ability to only accommodate 48 students when over 400 expressed interest in participating shows how much work still needs to be done. What is perhaps most disturbing about this situation, however, is that many students are unaware of these actions, and despite the university’s pledge for better transparency, we may never receive an explanation, let alone an effort to improve. With two-thirds of the student governing bodies on campus having been overruled by an administrator, what will this mean for student participation in open dialogue and in university events? These actions will either discourage members of the student body from coming forward to voice their opinions or will widen the already treacherous rift between the student body and the administration. We are therefore left in a deeply problematic situation, one that requires us to make a conscious effort to hold the administration accountable for its actions and call attention to issues we care about. Ultimately, we must assert that we are worth listening to, and that our voices are representative of enduring community needs, not just the opinions of a few students that will fade away upon their graduation. The administration has shown that they believe that they are entitled to make decisions in place of the student organizations initially created to ensure that students have a say in their experience at Fordham. This is not the kind of environment we want for our time at Fordham, and we hope that the administrators of the university agree.
the
Observer Editor-in-Chief Morgan Steward Managing Editor Reese Ravner Business Manager Michael Veverka Layout Editors Sherry Chow Loic Khodarkovsky News Editors Stephan Kozub Colin Sheeley Asst. News Editor Katherine Smith Opinions Editor Alex Seyad Asst. Opinions Editor Jordan Meltzer Arts & Culture Editors Maryanna Antoldi Sam DeAssis Asst. Arts & Culture Editors Lindsay Jorgensen Features Editor Carson Thornton Gonzalez Asst. Features Editor Jeffrey Umbrell Sports & Health Editors Mohdhobair Hussaini Alexander DiMisa Artemis Tsagaris Photo Editors Jon Bjornson Aseah Khan Literary Editor Erika Ortiz Copy Editors Izzi Duprey Erika Ortiz Gianna Smeraglia Social Media Managers Angelika Menendez Andronika Zimmerman
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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES • Letters to the Editor should be typed and sent to The Observer, Fordham University, 140 West 62nd Street, Room G32, New York, NY 10023, or e-mailed to fordhamobserver@gmail.com. Length should not exceed 200 words. All letters must be signed and include contact information, official titles, and year of graduation (if applicable) for verification. • If submitters fail to include this information, the editorial board will do so at its own discretion. • The Observer has the right to withhold any submissions from publication and will not consider more than two letters from the same individual on one topic. The Observer reserves the right to edit all letters and submissions for content, clarity and length. • Opinions articles and commentaries represent the view of their authors. These articles are in no way the views held by the editorial board of The Observer or Fordham University. • The Editorial is the opinion held by a majority of The Observer’s editorial board. The Editorial does not reflect the views held by Fordham University.
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Opinions
October 12, 2017 THE OBSERVER
In Defense of the Oxford Comma
www.fordhamobserver.com
What Are These “Jesuit Values”?
Jordan Meltzer Asst. Opinions Editor
Some people might enjoy a peaceful day of sailing down a river, fishing rod in hand. Others prefer the excitement of hopping from one club to another on a Friday night in the big city. As for me, I take great joy in nitpicking the intricacies of grammar and mechanics. I find the nitty-gritty details of the rules of the English language fascinating. Editing articles submitted to me by contributing writers at The Observer is, quite frankly, enthralling. But there is one aspect of being an assistant editor that is interminably perturbing: having to remove the Oxford comma from every list I read. If you are unfamiliar with the Oxford comma, allow me to present an example. Read the following sentence: “The only people who know my deepest secrets are my ex-girlfriends, my sister and my first cousin.” That sentence is technically correct according to the Associated Press Stylebook, called AP Style for short, which The Observer, like many publications, employs to maintain grammatical and stylistic consistency. However, if you read it carefully, it implies that my ex-girlfriends are my sister and my first cousin. Since incest is not exactly appealing to me, it is best that I add a comma after the word “sister.” That comma, commonly referred to as the Oxford comma, would be a clear indicator that there are three separate direct objects for the verb “are.” But if I had written that Oxford comma there, it would not have been printed in this newspaper since it does not adhere to AP Style. The Oxford comma truly is a victim of bullying–nay, oppression. Scholars have debated its very validity for decades and still, in 2017, some people fail to recognize its full potential. The comma could be a contributing member of society, providing clarity beyond a reasonable doubt that a list is, in fact, a list. Unfortunately, though, those in power have stripped it of its capabilities and left it a measly dud in the history of the development of English mechanics. Refusal to utilize the power of the Oxford comma could have catastrophic consequences. In fact, it already has. A court in Maine put $10 million on the line when three truck drivers sued Oakhurst Dairy for not paying them overtime. Whether or not Oakhurst owed them millions of dollars of overtime pay came down to the lack of an Oxford comma in a Maine state law. The court, of course, eventually ruled that since there was no comma where it should have been, the law was ambiguous, and Oakhurst did owe the truck drivers their pay (though the amount was not disclosed). This is proof that I am not exaggerating. The Oxford comma is a potentially multi-million-dollar matter. I know that I cannot simply petition the Associated Press to alter its stance entirely, especially since this is such a hotly debated issue in modern Western culture, and I am but one man. Still, Rome was not built in a day; revolutions do not happen overnight. I take pride in small acts of defiance: using the Oxford comma in grocery lists, text messages, emails and more. I invite you to join me. The justification is in our favor: we are on the side of convenience, social justice and the law. Together, we can overthrow the minds at the Associated Press and instate the Oxford comma into newspapers for all eternity. I implore you: do not end up on the wrong side of history. Use the Oxford comma. Together, we can start a revolution.
CONNOR MANNION/THE OBSERVER
A Fordham administrator explains the importance of learning within the Jesuit identity.
submit a final report. The report itself is exceptionally well written and raises many important questions for us to consider. One of the most critical points, Professors often talk about how however, comes almost as a warnmuch they learn from their stuing against the blithe use of terms, dents, and I’m no exception. namely the word “mission.” “The A case in point: recently I was mission of Fordham is central engaged in a terrific discussion to who we are and what we do,” with a group of Fordham juniors in the report’s authors write. They my class on Religion in the Modern caution that the word “is invoked World. We were discussing today’s freely, however, when debates arise standards for public discourse and about contentious issues and the how difficult it can be to talk about term can quickly values in open setbecome a onetings—even those trump card values we profess There is an inherent tension, even a para- issue in times of divito share. We certainly dox, in embracing a mission that seeks unity in sion.” Our colhave shared values; we absolutely need diversity and difference. But that tension is also leagues urged us to be proactive them. Yet, often we the heart of a Jesuit university. in our discussion don’t know how of our mission to talk about them – MICHAEL C. MCCARTHY, S.J. and identity, so with any depth that in times of or texture. Values conflict, “Fordseem so personal, ham’s mission so private. Our has already been instinctive respect presented with a for the individual tends to make us leagues: Nancy Busch Rossnagel, broad enough context that it is not nervous about treading on anothJenifer Campbell, Christine Firer used—or dismissed—because of er’s belief system. That concern, in Hinze, James McCartin, Patricio one-dimensional renderings.” turn, pushes us to use commonly Meneses, Stephie Mukherjee, Tom The point I wanted to raise in accepted terms—terms that we are Scirghi, S.J., and Falugini Sen. class was just this. Do “Jesuit valpretty certain others will accept We were part of a process in ues” have any meaning or content even if we are not sure we agree on which all 28 Jesuit colleges and that we can share? Or is it a term their meaning. universities in the United States easily susceptible to “one-dimenOur class had been discussing are engaged. It’s called the Mission sional renderings?” an essay by an author who called Priority Examen, and it asks us to Even worse have “Jesuit values” this practice “smuggling.” The reflect at a deeper level, with the too become a vehicle for “smugwriter cited a classic example: the help of a visiting team from peer gling” an agenda the individual word “freedom.” No one is against institutions, on how we are doing smuggler holds dear—such as freedom, and so we can always Catholic dogma, progressive poliinvoke this exalted term in a public with respect to our Jesuit, Catholic mission and identity. Furthermore, tics, social justice activism, a comdiscussion about a particular iswe were asked to propose four mitment to faith or a commitment sue. And yet, what “freedom” may priorities that we would commit to liberal arts over a culture driven mean in any situation—what its ourselves to advancing in the next by “corporate values”—by using implications are, for instance— five years. the all-encompassing umbrella of may be far from obvious. It was an illuminating pro“Jesuit mission”? That prompted me to ask a Have we created the space related, and very relevant, question cess in many ways, and we were especially lucky to have colleagues where we can discuss what these for us at Fordham: “What about from Fairfield, Georgetown, Santa “Jesuit values” actually mean? ‘Jesuit values’?” Clara and Seattle University visit Can we commit ourselves to a The class laughed, as if in recus, meet with various parties and more capacious understanding of ognition, to say: “Yes, at Fordham Michael C. McCarthy, S.J. Vice President for Mission Integration and Planning
we sure do talk about ‘Jesuit values’ a lot without a very clear understanding of what it means.” But, the period ended before I could explain why I thought this was such an important question and why it has been on my mind of late. Last year I had the privilege of chairing a committee that carried out a self-study on the mission and identity of Fordham as a Jesuit, Catholic university. It was an honor to join such distinguished faculty and administrative col-
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mission—one that is both broad and deep? One that is sufficiently robust to unite us, even when we have such diverse intellectual commitments and are at times in authentic disagreement? Are we capable of lively debate that is precise and honest about what we mean by “Jesuit values” while also recognizing that it provides an arena to discuss, disagree and hopefully discern a way forward together? There is an inherent tension, even a paradox, in embracing a mission that seeks unity in diversity and difference. But that tension is also the heart of a Jesuit university. Next year, I will have been a Jesuit for 35 years. During that time, it has been hard enough to understand what it means to be a Jesuit. And I am just one man. But I continue to learn—a process that is itself part of what it means to be a Jesuit. During that time I have been associated with many Jesuit schools across the country. And I do believe that, while they are in fact genuinely committed to “Jesuit values,” there is a common absence of real understanding. What gives me great hope about the possibility of clarifying our terms is that, in spite of our poor understanding, we live the mission with great passion and sincerity. Most importantly, however, what I learn from my students is the centrality of being a student . . . of listening and being open to sharpening our ideas about sacrosanct terms too many of us assume we long ago mastered. A university is a place of learning—not just for students, but also for faculty, staff and administration. That Jesuit value, and mission, should be the shared starting point for another terrific, and even wider, discussion in which we are all self-aware of when we feel tempted to smuggle.
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Features
October 12, 2017 THE OBSERVER
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All the Resident’s Men: How ResLife Corrupted Student Representation
Amendments–Under the new constitution, any amendment prior to April 1, 2018 must be sanctioned by the RHA advisor. Previously, only a majority vote in the senate and executive board was required. A similar procedure will ensue post-April, where executive board members and residents of the general body will propose changes to the constitution.
Senators–The RHA senate was disbanded with the new constitution. As a result, all residents are now their own representatives. Senators were responsible for organizing RHA programs and assisting the E-Board with their duties. These responsibilities have been passed on to the newly-created programming coordinator role.
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THE OBSERVER
October 12, 2017
Features
Programming–RHA used to host several large programs a semester for residents. Hereafter, these events will be limited to one tradition program a semester. This includes the annual RHA auction which last year raised nearly $6,000.
Impeachment–In the past, impeachment procedures were decided by a majority vote amongst senators and executive board members. Now, disciplinary procedures are at the discretion of the RHA advisers.
Press–There is no mention of the press in the old RHA constitution, however, the new rules state that no member of the executive board is allowed to speak to the press without the RHA adviser’s approval. At the first RHA general meeting of the year, it was announced that any discussion was off the record.
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THE OBSERVER
October 12, 2017
Opinions
10
Trump Needs a Timeout on Sports
COURTESY OF MATT A.J./FLICKR
President Donald Trump spent an extensive amount of time and effort criticizing protests of the national anthem by NFL players.
BY CASEY BRENNAN Contributing Writer
I’m not the biggest sports fan; in fact, I doubt I could name five NFL teams off the top of my head. I do, however, care a lot about being able to freely express oneself through free speech or the right to voice one’s opinion. I see the “Take a Knee” movement, in which some of the NFL players are kneeling during the national anthem to bring awareness to racial inequalities, as a very powerful form of symbolic speech. This form of expression is undoubtedly protected by the First Amendment. Personally, I do not agree with the notion of sitting down or kneeling during the national anthem. I see the tradition of playing the anthem at sporting events as a way to honor those who have fought for our freedom and safety and put our differences aside to have a moment of unity. Although I don’t personally agree with what some of the NFL players are doing, they have the constitutional right to choose whether or not they want to stand
or kneel during the anthem. I respect these protesters not only for embracing their constitutional rights, but also for using their platform to peacefully protest and bring attention to issues concerning social inequalities. I do not see the act of kneeling during the anthem as a national crisis in which America needs to debate nonstop. President Donald Trump, however, has made his opinion on the topic very apparent with endless tweets. In fact, I believe Trump is stirring up much more controversy than necessary, as he is poorly responding to the athletes kneeling during the anthem. The two main issues I have with Trump’s use of Twitter to voice his opinion on the “Take a Knee” movement would be his authoritarian tone with which he addresses the NFL and its players, and the amount of time he is putting into making all of these tweets. He has repeatedly suggested that the players that are kneeling during the national anthem should be fired for their actions. This is not the first time Trump suggested a punish-
ment for disrespecting a national symbol. In November of 2016, he also took to Twitter to write that there should be a punishment for burning the American flag, even implying that the consequences could include removal of citizenship or jail time. As someone who is a huge supporter of the First
agree with burning the American flag, banning these acts is simply unconstitutional. So why must Trump spend so much time and energy criticizing something that he has no power to control? In addition to how strongly Trump is criticizing this issue, the amount of time he has spent tweet-
“ Imagine what could be accomplished with all
the time Trump spends on Twitter being focused on more important matters .”
– CASEY BRENNAN , Contributing Writer
Amendment, this idea of placing more importance over enforcing national respect than the protection of free expression is concerning. Although I don’t particularly agree with kneeling during the anthem, and I absolutely do not
ing about it is alarming. Trump has been tweeting about this issue every day of the week, multiple times a day. What disturbs me the most is the fact that he puts so much time and effort into voicing his opinions on a peaceful demon-
stration, a form of free expression, while saying very little regarding major issues. In fact, on Sept. 24th alone, Donald Trump made eight tweets regarding the NFL. However, the president only made two tweets regarding the Las Vegas shooting within 48 hours of the incident. It is sickening and quite disheartening that the President of the United States has much more to say about the athletes kneeling during the national anthem than he does on legitimate issues such as the deadliest mass shooting in the United States. Imagine what could be accomplished with all the time Trump spends on Twitter being focused on more important matters. So much more time would be devoted to improving education, the job market, the economy and introducing bipartisan legislation regarding these issues. Mr. President, it is time to stop worrying about athletes kneeling during the anthem. It is time to stop tweeting about NFL players using their platform to speak their mind and focus on your job as leader of the United States of America.
Millenials Have The Wrong Idea About Freedom BY RIQARD PRLESI Contributing Writer
Ever-growing and markedly territorial, the dominating “just” culture of our 21st century, with its supposed emphasis on social justice and polite understanding, continues to paradoxically find new and innovative ways to be singularly cruel and constantly misunderstanding of pockets of our culture that believe in old ideas and old religion. The “just” approach these people, whom they consider social stragglers, and demand that they get with the program and play the game they have set up or else face the consequences. The game is simple: demand from religious individuals acceptance of hyper-liberal and progressive ideas. Demand that special words only are used in the
public square. Demand that they participate artistically in same sex ceremonies when asked. Demand that they call others by the pronouns they prefer. If they don’t, make sure to destroy them–use every commission, every council and every policy at your disposal to severely punish their lack of participation. And it has been so: just observe the firings of people of faith from positions of power, the places at the table removed, the exorbitant fines levied to destroy livelihoods and the public shaming. All are methods formerly criticized by culture as shameful techniques of the old orthodoxy that are now being used by that same culture–the new orthodoxy– to break the soul of a people who still attempt to live in a traditional Christian way. One of these people they have
set their sights on trying to break is Mr. Jack Philips, owner of Masterpiece Bakery. Five years ago, the privately-owned bakery was visited by David Mullins and Charlie Craig, a same-sex couple, who requested a cake be made for their same sex wedding celebration. Philips, who serves baked goods to “anybody–gay, straight, Muslim, Hindu” decided not to fulfill the specific request for a wedding cake because he did not want to make a cake for “a significant religious event that violated [his] religious faith.” The couple filed civil rights charges against Philips with verdicts in favor the of the couple. Countersuits followed, with Philips filing freedom of speech charges against the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The case now heads to the Supreme Court. What is at
stake is our very definition of the First Amendment and how we will allow freedom in our society, particularly freedom of ideas, speech and religion. Will we narrowly interpret the right to religious freedom as a right only to be practiced by clergy, or will we defend the rights of the laity to live their faith as our Constitution set out to do? Make no mistake: it is not up to Congress, the court or any political body, to believe they have the right to define what actions constitute “free exercise” of religion. It is the unique privilege of the individual, couched within the context of a community of religious persons, to make a claim on what qualifies as religious activity. If the state is successful in telling us what constitutes religious behavior, it will be an unprecedented intrusion on religious freedom and life in this
country. We are at a pivot point–this case has the potential to solidify and further codify the aggressive and cruel behaviors of the current dominant culture and can lead to the continuation of monumental harm to people of faith. It also presents an opportunity for our Supreme Court justices to defend religious freedom and the intent of our Constitution; it can be the first step to unraveling a failing system. If we decide correctly–if we recall that our neighbors, who have differing ideas, thoughts and actions, are not our enemies–then we will have hope for a new foundation where mutual respect, dialectic and understanding underpin the development and flourishing of people of different values.
Arts & Culture
Maryanna Antoldi- mantoldi@fordham.edu Sam DeAssis- sdeassis@fordham.edu October 12, 2017 THE OBSERVER
Ailey Seniors’ Work Takes The Stage in Choreography Showcase
JON BJORNSON/THE OBSERVER
The Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Senior Choreography Concert is at the Ailey Studio Theater on Oct. 30–31. By MARIELLE SARMIENTO Contributing Writer
For the past month, seniors of the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. program have been conducting rehearsals late into the night in preparation for the B.F.A. Senior Choreography Concert on Oct. 30 and 31. The Observer interviewed two senior choreographers, Olivia Miranda, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’18, and Henry McCall, FCLC ’18, and two dancers, Morgan Coyle-Howard, FCLC ’19, and Charles Scheland, FCLC ’20, about their experience working on the
showcase. The B.F.A. Senior Choreography Concert is a platform in which seniors are able to choreograph their own five- to six-minute dance pieces. The seniors are then given the opportunity to perform these pieces on stage for their families, friends, and the people of New York. Although all seniors are required to choreograph for this concert, Miranda started preparing for the showcase before the semester started. “I started [working on the piece] around June and came up with some movements and ideas. I came up with an official concept in
July,” said Miranda before adding that, “the concept is still changing.” Concepts were produced into reality as rehearsals for the showcase began. When asked about the rehearsal atmosphere, Miranda said it is “a lot more intimate because we have a smaller cast, only five of us in a room as opposed to twenty.” CoyleHoward, one of Miranda’s dancers, describes rehearsals as “more for [their] expressiveness and personalities to shine through.” The concert bred the transition from student to choreographer for the seniors. “You have to look at
JON BJORNSON/THE OBSERVER
Olivia Miranda, FCLC ‘18, rehearses her piece with Morgan Coyle-Howard, FCLC ‘19, and Rachele Perla, FCLC ‘19.
[dancing] with a different lens that’s asm and an intense devotion as they no longer a student lens,” said Mi- talked about their passions. randa. “I’m the one at the front of Miranda, the choreographer of the room when usually I’m the one the only dance on pointe, spoke of being judged. I’m scrutinizing [my her contemporary ballet piece, enpeers], but there’s a really great titled “The Escape Artist.” She said friend component because these the piece “serves to convey that algirls are my friends. I’ve enjoyed though we don’t get to choose what seeing my piece we dance, we get come to life with to choose how we “The dancing itself dance. And that’s people I admire as dancers.” isn’t what matters, but the importance of “I personally the piece, the indidon’t like to cho- it’s the people that are viduality and the reograph, but I’ve artistry of these found this experi- dancing that matters.” ballet dancers.” ence has been more McCall derewarding than I scribed the inexpected it to be,” spirations of his she continued. piece, dubbed “And now I’m cho“Misdirected Frusreographing and giving feedback. tration”: “I’m fascinated with the It’s cool to be on the other side of it. human condition and human inIt’s been a much better experience teraction. My piece is focusing on than I expected. I’m happy with it.” how largely pairs interact with each When asked if he enjoyed cho- other, and the relationships and reographing, McCall said, “I really dynamics there. The physicality of enjoy [choreographing] because I how you react to other people.” love making movement, but it’s reOther than being just a perforally hard for me to add the more mance or required assignment, the emotional side and really create the senior choreographers want audicharacters within the movement. ences to leave with something after It’s a fun challenge.” watching their art. McCall beckons Cast members weighed in on audiences to “take a look at the relathe balance between authority tionships you have in your life.” and friendship. “It’s just like being “I want [audiences] to get this taught by any other professional idea that the dancing itself isn’t choreographer,” said Scheland, one what matters, but it’s the people of McCall’s dancers. “They have that are dancing that matter,” said unique choreographic voices, so Miranda. “Everyone should come they deserve our respect and atten- see it because everyone has worked tion, but I have to admit that jokes, so hard with the six weeks we’ve stories and tangents are far more been given. There are many aspects frequent when rehearsing for my that no one is seeing until it’s put friends.” on stage. We want these pieces to As interesting as the behind- really be a reflection of who we are the-scenes of the showcase is, the as dancers and as emerging artists seniors will certainly bring an ex- and professionals. They’ll get a little citing performance on stage. When piece of us and our work.” asked about their pieces, each choreographer responded with enthusi-
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Arts & Culture
October 12, 2017 THE OBSERVER
Manhattan Coffee Crawl
By MAY MOISEEVA Contributing Writer
Coffee is such a sweet word. The vowels flow into each other, resembling hot water pouring through the ground beans. A cup of joe (which should rather be called a cup of joy) is among the easiest and the best pickme-ups before, after or even during a long day for many. And while you can find it in any Starbucks on every other corner, it’s often more satisfying to have it in a café with less people and shorter lines. So, here are six cafés near Fordham College Lincoln Center’s campus, rated best to pretty good based on their espresso. Kahve (774 9th Ave) (5 out of 5 coffee beans) This coffee shop greets you with a tiny space and an open brick wall. To your right, there’s an Easternlooking mirror. To your left, there are beautifully painted pictures of people with non-traditional gender expressions. Energetic jazz fills the room, adding to the artistic ambience of the place. The espresso enchants you with its slight bitterness and a hint of acidity that’s often overpowering in strong coffee drinks. Its subtle yet full-bodied aroma and silky texture are captivating in the best way possible. The service is quick and the baristas are friendly. DSquare café (714 9th Ave) (5 out of 5 coffee beans) When you enter this spacious café, you see two sides: one is hip, with an open brick wall painted white, while the other has vintagelooking lighting resembling lanterns with candles and wallpaper made of old photos. It’s a lovely place to take a break from the busy life in the
COLIN SHEELEY/THE OBSERVER
Rex Coffee Shop is a popular spot for students to do homework.
city and return to it refreshed. Their espresso starts off with a delicate smell and creaminess as you take a sip. It’s not too strong, but at the same time it has a deep flavor that reaches your heart and soul. They have nice coffee that doesn’t hit you over the head, but gradually makes you feel better with each sip. Frisson Espresso (326 W 47th St) (5 out of 5 coffee beans) This tiny, unassuming café allows you to relax in a comfortingly simple setting. An open brick wall painted white and wooden bar stools make it comfortable and uncompli-
cated enough for you to look within yourself and not focus on the decor. There are a couple of cute posters that make the room seem brighter and lighten your mood instantly. It’s a good place to meet with friends if you’re looking for a calm spot with nice coffee. Espresso there has a rich flavor and calming creaminess. It has an earthy acidity, leaving you with a pleasant sharpness on your tongue. And while it is quite strong, it will gently flow through you, lifting you up before the caffeine works its magic. The Jolly Goat Coffee Bar (515 W
47th St) (5 out of 5 coffee beans) This quiet place modestly presents a sign that reads “Coffee,” while the full name of the café is written on the window. While there is barely any place to sit, the atmosphere is cozy, with either a succulent plant or a bouquet of flowers next to the window and calm colors making you feel right at home. The finishing touches are brought by a surrealistic mural on the brick wall and a sign that explains the dangers of food allergies in Russian. They make espresso with a powerful aroma and strong acidic taste, yet it doesn’t taste sour like in
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other shops. This coffee bar is jolly indeed, with a goat figurine standing next to the window to bid you good day as you walk out the door. Rex (864 10th Ave) (4 out of 5 coffee beans) This café with a wall of windows may have little decoration, but it makes up for it in coffee. While their espresso lacks expressive bitterness, it has a definite aftertaste, comforting in its familiarity. Their coffee is strong and will get you through your day easily. They are also famous for their egg sandwiches, served for breakfast on weekdays and brunch on the weekend. The service is friendly, attentive and helpful. Amorino (721 8th Ave) (4 out of 5 coffee beans) Amorino is a chain that has cafés all around the world, mostly in Europe, but it has a couple of places in Manhattan as well. Its setting is thoughtfully presented with an air of historicity and luxury. It has an open stone wall, remin ding you of small cafés in old buildings across European towns. The place is decorated in quiet hues of black and light brown, almost gold, colors. They recreate a truly Italian experience, starting with gelato, and ending with figures of Renaissance-style angels in the corner. Their coffee is wonderfully creamy and rich. It has a lovely aroma and is strong enough to get you through all your homework assignments. In the words of the German novelist Franz Kafka, “I’ll get some sleep when I’m finished with my studies. I keep myself going on black coffee.” And indeed, who needs sleep when they have coffee from amazing coffee shops and fascinating college classes?
Events Around NYC This October to Get Excited About
JON BJORNSON/THE OBSERVER
A host of fun fall events is coming to New York City this October. By COURTNEY BROGLE Writer Title
fordable prices (and a $4.50 handling charge on the website).
While October and its reputation as “spooky season” has begun to the elation of many, others are entering this season with trepidation or disinterest in the thrills and frights that come with Halloween. October in New York City may be renowned for its Halloween traditions, but fear not—there are a plethora of autumnal events across the city that celebrate arts, culture and togetherness.
Art in Odd Places (AiOP) 2017: SENSE
New York Television Festival (NYTVF)
NYTVF is holding its 13th annual television festival that aims to bring audiences the best of new and returning television programs. According to their website, the organization prides itself on being the “pioneer of the independent television movement, connecting its community of artists with leading networks, studios, agencies, production companies and brands.” Hosted throughout event spaces and theaters in Chelsea and the lower-Manhattan area, the festival lasts from Oct. 23 through Oct. 28. While festival passes are quite expensive, many of the scheduled events are available for individual sale with various af-
AiOP works to bring visual and performance art into public settings and to challenge current ways in which people communicate, by creating public communicative efforts in hopes of raising awareness that there is more to the world than what is on social media. Serving as a reminder that public spaces are the epicenter for diversity in daily interactions and the exchange of ideas, the latest exhibition “SENSE” centers on the various definitions of the word “sense.” The events running from Oct. 12 through Oct. 15 include performance, audio recordings, dances, multimedia projects and more. All of these installations promise to have a feel of intimacy and emphasis on the unseen and aim to promote self-discovery. These communal spectacles are free to the public and can be found along 14th Street from Avenue C to the Hudson River.
Harvest Fest and Pumpkin Patch at the Queens Botanical Garden For those looking for more tra-
ditional fall activities, just an hour away from Fordham Lincoln Center is the Queens Botanical Garden, which is preparing to host its annual Harvest Fest. With live music, a petting zoo, a pumpkin patch and more, the festival promises to celebrate autumn for children and adults alike. Alternatively, for those who may not be as interested in some of the family-oriented events being offered, the Queens Botanical Garden is also the home to an array of bustling and diverse botanic exhibits and garden arrangements displaying both seasonal and year-round favorites on its 39-acre home on Main Street and Flushing. And from now until the end of the year, the art gallery is hosting artist Shahryar Shahamat’s pieces in “Borderlines.” The Harvest Fest is being held on Sunday, Oct. 15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with adult tickets for $12.
2017 Garment District Arts Festival
The 14th annual Garment District Arts Festival will host over 90 artists with their creations in an open studio setting. Held throughout the Garment District (running between 5th and 9th Avenue from West 35th to West 40th Street), the
festival celebrates the artists and their works that contribute to the rich creativity New York City is known for. The festival includes behind-the-scenes looks into the creative processes and work spaces of artists, unique and enthralling performances, spectacular art installations and gallery receptions throughout the district, all near 8th Avenue and West 38th Street. If you check anything out from this event, it should be the comic book art of Neal Adams, whose original works are going to be displayed at the Metropolis Comic gallery. It runs Oct. 19 through Oct. 21 and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day (with the exception of the final day, which runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.).
The 29th Annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival
NewFest’s 2017 LGBT Film Festival returns for its 29th year, providing LGBTQ+ film and media arts over the course of six days. It will feature over 140 films, panels and various events that highlight the experiences of members of the community. The event is being presented by HBO and in partnership with Outfest, the LBGTQ+ organization dedicated to creating, sharing and
protecting members of the community, to bring the tales of diversity, struggle and hope to Cinépolis Chelsea. The festival runs from Oct. 19 through Oct. 24, and tickets are available for individual sale (based on the film or panel) starting at $16 on their website.
New York City Center (NYCC) presents “The Red Shoes”
Matthew Bourne, in collaboration with his dance company New Adventures, presents his first new production in four years with “The Red Shoes”. Based on a fairy tale and Academy Award-winning movie of the same name, this ballet centers on a dancer who must choose between her ambitions to succeed in dance or falling in love. The story of passion, control and one dancer’s dream of ultimate fame and triumph runs for roughly two hours with one intermission at the NYCC (located on West 56th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue). Tickets start at $35, and the mainstage production runs from Oct. 26 through Nov. 5. Whether you opt for a passionate ballet or an emotional film festival, this season’s artistic endeavors throughout the city have much excitement and enlightenment to offer!
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THE OBSERVER
October 12, 2017
Arts & Culture
13
Taylor Tells Her Tale on the Fordham Stage By MORGAN STEWARD Editor-in-Chief
On a busy Monday afternoon, Regina Taylor met me at the Ildiko Butler gallery. The location was a strategic choice—it was public, quiet and a few steps away from Pope Auditorium where the Golden Globe and NAACP Image Award winning actress would be spending most of the day conducting rehearsals for “Magnolia,” the first mainstage production of the year. Wearing navy dress, chic black jacket and bright pink lipstick, Taylor greeted me with a smile. Her voice is quiet, yet powerful, invoking strength while also being gentle and warm. Sitting in the gallery with me, Taylor apologized for her busy schedule. With three days until opening, she was in the midst of tech
Butler gallery’s “Location, Location, Location” series, I couldn’t help but think about how appropriate our surroundings were for the conversation that was about to unfold. Her play “Magnolia” very much relies on location to tell a story, in this case one about hardship, reclaiming one’s identity and the difficult ways individuals cope with America’s stained history. Set in Atlanta, Georgia in the midst of the civil rights movement in 1963, “Magnolia” centers on two characters, Thomas and Lily Forrest. With a backdrop of racial tension spurred by a controversial wall being built by Atlanta’s mayor to segregate the city, both Thomas and Lily must return to the Magnolia Plantation, a place they swore they would never go back to. The plantation is up for foreclosure and each character has a
“ ‘Magnolia’ is about race and gender in the
country. The legacy of that, the past of that and how it ties to what is happening right now at this present moment.” – REGINA TAYLOR
rehearsals for “Magnolia,” a show near and dear to her heart—not only is she directing the production, but she wrote the play as well. Taylor is this year’s Denzel Washington Endowed Chair, a position she was elected to by the Fordham Theatre program due to her “triple threat” skill as an actress, writer and director. Best known for her role in the acclaimed television series “I’ll Fly Away,” for which she won the Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Television Drama in 1993, the Dallas-born performer has also starred on film opposite Fordham’s own Denzel Washington in the 1996 thriller “Courage Under Fire.” In addition to her prolific career on screen, Taylor has made strides in the theater community both as an actress and playwright. The first African-American woman to play Juliet in a revival of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” on Broadway in 1986, Taylor is an accomplished playwright and currently serves as an artistic associate of Chicago’s Goodman Theater. Surrounded by solemn black and white photographs of the Ildiko
different idea about what to do with the property. Lily, the descendent of slave owners, returns with the goal of salvaging her family’s legacy and getting what inheritance she is owed, while Thomas, the descendent of slaves, returns for a different reason—to wrestle with the past and fight the ghosts he is trying to escape. Though written in 2008, this theme of reclaiming one’s past seems more familiar now than ever. “We’re in a discussion right now even about what do we do about these certain monuments,” Taylor explained. “Should we knock down those monuments, creating new monuments and new memories? Do we keep those monuments, those places and have it be a place where we can say this happened at this one point and we can’t deny it? There is a conflict in meaning sometimes about what should be done about our past. Can we reclaim it in some way and use it in some type of educational way? That would mean reclaiming an ownership of that place that we didn’t have before as African-Americans.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF REGINA TAYLOR
Golden Globe winning actress Regina Taylor is currently servingas the Denzel Washington Endowed Chair.
She continued, “If we could own it and reshape it somehow is that the compromise in letting it stand? Those points of conflict are what we explore with this piece, certainly those things that we thought we had gone through in terms of civil rights and women’s rights. Looking from the ’50s through the ’60s, we thought we had fought that war and now today we find the conversation out in the open again.” “This generation is grappling
with the same issues that we were dealing with in 1963,” Taylor noted, making “Magnolia” the the perfect play to kickoff Fordham Theatre’s mainstage season that deals with the tough question: What does it mean to be an American? “‘Magnolia’ is about race and gender in the country,” Taylor continued. “The legacy of that, the past of that and how it ties to what is happening right now at this present moment. I think it’s important that we look back on our past and try and figure out how we navigate our future. This is not for me a piece of nostalgia that’s separate from the world that were living in right now.
“ My job is to pro-
mote conversation no matter what side ofthe line you stand on... to promote dialogue.” REGINA TAYLOR
JON BJORNSON/THE OBSERVER
“Magnolia” runs in Pope Auditorium until Oct. 13.
It is a point of looking back to figure out strategically how we resist, how we negotiate and how we move forward as we see so much change occurring, threatening to erase the legacy of the civil rights movement.” Taylor’s role as director of “Magnolia” is only one aspect of being the Denzel Washington chair, a position she is “very honored” to hold. “My experience here at Fordham has been amazing. I have loved every moment of it,” Taylor told me with a smile. “I wake up in the morning and I am excited to come here, to work with, to play, to be inspired by the young creative minds that are here. The actors that are in this piece are brilliant. They’re committed. They are forces of nature. They’re brave. They have the intelligence— the technical part as well as the heart. I’m always very excited to work with them, every day. “I have a great admiration for Denzel Washington’s work. The body of work that he has created over his time challenges the images of African-Americans… he’s also quite brilliant in terms of acting, in terms of his directing certainly and his producing. What he chooses to work on is always so conscious. He has made such a great legacy and impact on not just American sentiment, but the world,” Taylor explained. Though she only has a short time here, she hopes to bring that same consciousness to Fordham. “My job is to promote conversation no matter what side of the line you stand on… to promote a dialogue,” she said. Magnolia runs in Pope Auditorium on Oct. 5–7 and Oct. 11–13.
Features
Carson Thronton-Gonzalez cthorntongonzalez@fordham.edu
October 12, 2017 THE OBSERVER
First Poets Out Loud Event Welcomes New Faces
JEFFREY UMBRELL/THE OBSERVER
Poets Out Loud held its first reading of the semester at Fordham Lincoln Center on Sept. 25. By JEFFREY UMBRELL Assistant Features Editor
“I learned language from eggs,” said poet, novelist and editor Melissa Castillo-Garsow, explaining the significance, for her, of everyday objects. “I learned meaning from eggs.” She was reading from one of her poems here at Fordham with Poets Out Loud, an organization, sponsored by the office of the Dean at Fordham College Lincoln Center, that hosts poetry readings throughout the semester. The Sept. 25 reading featured Castillo-Garsow and Donna Masini, who is a professor of English at Hunter College. This was Poets Out Loud’s first reading of the semester; director and host Heather Dubrow took the opportunity to welcome those who were attending for the first time. “If it is the first time,” Dubrow said, “we hope and trust that it will be the first of
several.” Dubrow teaches English at both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses. Castillo-Garsow, who received her master’s in English from Fordham in 2011, was the first to read. An unapologetic “bad girl poet,” much of her work explored her Latin-American heritage. She wrote with a clear and refreshing voice, and her passion for her work was immediately evident. Among the poems she read was one that she had only written three days prior, which she read from a notes document on her iPhone. It was still “raw,” she admitted, and a little “cocky.” When asked if she regularly wrote on her phone, as opposed to with pen and paper, CastilloGarsow replied that she only does so as a last resort. “If that’s all I have on me,” she said. “I’d rather get the thought down than lose it completely. But I should be em-
barrassed not to have a notebook on me sometimes.” Often, she will first hand-write a draft and then type it into her phone or computer, but prefers not to be “weighed down” by digital technology. Among the most memorable features of Castillo-Garsow’s poetry was her liberal use of Spanglish, an informal blend of the Spanish and English languages. “I got a lot of suggestions from different professors to really minimize my Spanish usage,” she recalled. “And then I just found different professors.” To those who did not understand Spanish, CastilloGarsow said she hopes they “get something out of [her poetry] as well, whether it be that experience, or learning something about living in those multiple languages.” She hoped to share the perspective of a non-English speaker in an “English-dominant world.” Donna Masini’s poetry com-
bined her loves of both writing and cinema. References to film scattered her work, through lines like “All year I’ve been watching myself flicker,” titles such as “Noir Sonnet” and short snippets inserted between poems that she called “deleted scenes.” “Poetry’s so physical,” Masini said. “It’s all about the breath, the feeling of it … I just love that.” For her, creating poetry with physicality is not an easy process. “I’m not someone who writes a lot and writes quickly … I really work hard on my poems.” Like Castillo-Garsow, she tries to carry a notebook with her at all times. She recalled, “Several of the poems that I read today, I just found in a notebook.” Masini understated the importance of meaning in poetry. “Many of the poets I loved in college or high school,” she said, “I loved before I had any idea what meaning was, and interpretation, I just
loved saying the words.” She often gets engrossed with the sound of a poem she is writing before realizing that it “doesn’t mean anything.” Castillo-Garsow felt similarly. “I’m very literal,” she said. “I have to really see if there’s something there beyond just what is the literal meaning. That’s what makes it, for me, a poem, versus some other random scribbling.” In uncovering the “meaning” of her work, Castillo-Garsow said, “I really have to work, personally, to pull those [meanings] out, because that does not necessarily come naturally to me … I’m not naturally poetic.” Masini, though, made distinct the difference between being a poet and being “poetic.” In her undergraduate classes, she says to her students, “If I say something is ‘poetic,’ that’s not a good thing. You don’t want to be poetic, you want to write a poem.”
Students Attend Mayor’s Italian Heritage Celebration By KYLE J. KILKENNY Staff Writer
On the evening of Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017, four lucky Fordham students and two faculty members were invited to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s residence, Gracie Mansion, to commemorate Italian Heritage Month. This event marks the last of its kind for Mr. de Blasio’s first term and comes in the last weeks of his campaign for re-election which will conclude in early November. While Mr. de Blasio has gained publicity for protecting the rights of historically disadvantaged communities as they are threatened by the current White House administration, the intention of this event was simply to celebrate Italian-American New Yorkers’ shared culture, language and accomplishments. Led by Dr. Alessia Valfredini, a “professoressa” in Fordham’s Italian Department, the modest Fordham delegation consisted of students of the Italian Language and Literature major from the university’s Bronx, Manhattan and Westchester campuses. During cocktail hour, we introduced ourselves and bonded over the stories of our Italian ancestors, the language courses we have taken and how good the pizza at
the reception was (spoiler alert: it was heavenly). After socializing with fellow guests, the Fordham delegation made its way towards the stage, where Italian-American members of Mr. de Blasio’s administration took their place. We were greeted by Chirlane McCray, the First Lady of the City of New York. After speaking some Italian and joking about her “adopted” Italian heritage, Ms. McCray made a shameless plug for her mental health hotline initiative, “NYC Well.” This 24/7 service is available to all New Yorkers who may need free and confidential over-the-phone counseling and is available in multiple languages, including Italian. Following an into from Ms. McCray, the Mayor proudly took the stage and greeted everyone in Italian—a language in which he is fluent. While it is easy for these events to quickly become quasicampaign appearances, Mr. de Blasio seemed very present for the celebration of a culture he so vehemently seeks to preserve. The Mayor spoke of how his Italian-American upbringing shaped him into the man he is today, going so far as to name his children “Chiara” and “Dante.” While he skirted around the issues which have plagued him in the last
weeks of his campaign (i.e. his unclear position on whether the monuments to Christopher Columbus should remain erect), Mr. de Blasio pleaded with his guests to share the Italian language and the stories of Italian immigrants and their sacrifices with younger generations. While the only mention of Columbus was from the Italian Ambassador to the U.S., who was the Mayor’s special guest speaker, the tension in the room was palpable. Many New Yorkers view their Italian heritage with fervent pride, but remain polarized regarding their feelings toward Christopher Columbus, both as a historic figure and a symbol of their culture. However, it is important to recognize that Italian Heritage Month is a time to acknowledge the achievements of Italian American New Yorkers, rather than have them overshadowed by a single individual. Regardless of the controversy, I thank Mr. de Blasio for acknowledging Fordham University and our commitment to preserve and teach Italian language and culture. Perhaps one day we can share our Jesuit wisdom with him on how to reconcile our proud Italian heritage with America’s dangerous history of colonization.
KEVIN CASE VIA FLICKR
Mayor de Blasio hosted a dinner at Gracie Mansion on Oct. 5 to celebrate Italian heritage and history.
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Features
October 12, 2017 THE OBSERVER
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Recent Alum Books Starring Role on Tour By MORGAN STEWARD Editor in Chief
Emma Copp, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17, spent part of her last day in New York City in the Ram Cafe eating chocolate chip cookie dough Dippin’ Dots ice cream instead of packing up her apartment. In less than 24 hours, Copp would be on her way to Pennsylvania to begin the first leg of the “Pinkalicious” and “Flight School” U.S. tour, her first professional theater job post-college. While enjoying the free sweet treat and unusually warm October weather, Copp and I spoke about her newest theater venture, her defining moments on stage thus far and how Fordham helped prepare her to achieve her dreams of becoming a professional actor. Those who know Copp know that her personality is bright, bubbly and infectious-- a trio that makes her perfect for the cast of the children’s musicals “Pinkalicious” and “Flight School.” In “Pinkalicious,” Copp doubles as Allison, the best friend of protagonist Pinkalicious who turns pink after eating one too many pink cupcakes and Dr. Wink, the pediatrician who diagnoses Pinkalicious with “Pinkititus” and tells Pinkalicious to eat green food to stop being pink. “Flight School” has Copp taking on a slightly different type of character, this time a penguin who longs to learn how to fly like other birds. “I’m doing this because I love performing and I love theatre and music,” Copp said. “To be able to share that and see young people realize that they can love it too
PHOTO COURTESY OF GUIDO VENNITUCCI
Emma Copp, FCLC ’17, will begin touring the country this fall in her first post-graduation role with a profes-
and share that experience that might be their first experience with theatre I think is really cool.” Before getting hired to do this job, Copp was working a total of six odds jobs, making for one crazy schedule in the midst of attending countless auditions. “[Performing] is an interesting life to set yourself up for. I feel very lucky considering how quickly this set up post-graduation...I had a plan for what was going to happen,” Copp explained. She had the foreseeable future planned out “to a T–like this little machine.” Come August, however,
Copp realized she would have to quit those six jobs. “Yeah, postgrad is strange and scary.” Although Fordham does not have a designated musical theater track, Copp felt as if her time here as a student helped prepare her for entering the performing arts job market post graduation. Graduating with a BA in Music, she spent her four years taking vocal and music theory lessons within the major here at Fordham, while also opting to take ear-training classes at Juilliard as part of the Juilliard exchange program. Copp also supplement-
ed her professional training with club activities, participating in Mimes and Mummers, The F Sharps and Splinter Group on campus to get extra musical theater practice in. Copp’s hard work paid off. She informed me that she will be serving as the vocal captain for both shows on tour. “I think that’s kind of a testament to having a background in music. Maybe I wasn’t at as much of an advantage not having studied theatre as professionally, but I was like ‘Okay, this is something that I have prepared for,’” she said.
Funnily enough, while this is Copp’s first professional gig as an actress, “Flight School” is not her first run in with songs about flightless birds. For her senior capstone project for the Honors Program, Copp wrote “Birdgirl,” an original children’s musical. “[Birdgirl was] obviously on a way smaller scale than what I’m doing now, but having that under my belt first of all helped solidify my interest and helped me solidify what I wanted to do and the kinds of jobs I wanted to look out for, but... I was also able to throw that out as I was leaving the audition room,” Copp laughed. “I was like ‘Oh my God, this material is so funny for me because I wrote a children’s musical that had a song about flightless birds.’” While Copp has come to love family theater and uses her small frame and stature to her advantage, she didn’t always find comfort in being pegged as the young one. “For a while, I was kind of annoyed at being pigeonholed like ‘Ah, I’m a little person and I look young, I’m going to do this forever and nobody thinks I can do anything else.’ But it’s honestly a blast. There is dimension to family shows. It’s not all kitsch.” Copp set down her now empty ice cream container and smiled, radiating happiness and joy. She is living proof that pursuing what you love, in this case, musical theater, can lead to unexpected results. Who knows, the next time we see Copp, her name might be in lights on a Broadway marquee. Until then, we’ll have to settle for watching her bring joy to children all over the country.
Strolling Through Central Park By RUBY GARA Contributing Writer
Living in the Big Apple often inspires a craving for adventure. New York is our campus, and Central Park is a slightly enlarged version (843 acres) of the plaza at Fordham Lincoln Center. Central Park, also nicknamed the lungs of Manhattan, is the most visited urban park in the United States and, luckily for all Fordham students, it is only a few blocks away from school. The Park is visually breathtaking during the month of October, and experiencing nature can help de-stress from midterms. So, without further ado, here is your ultimate guide to Central Park: When entering the Park on 64th Street, the feeling of stepping into a new world is inevitable. You are instantly exposed to a plethora of runners, walkers and dog walkers, all exercising on West Drive. But try to not get too distracted, as you don’t want to get run over by the romantic and flamboyant horse carriages that are strolling down the runway. As you walk north among the runners, you will inevitably see the enormous field of Sheep Meadow. Filled with sunbathers enjoying the warmth on a Sunday afternoon and families relishing their delicious picnic baskets, Sheep Meadow is a must-see. Strawberry Fields, located northwest of the meadow, offers great shade and intimacy. It is best known for its memorial to John Lennon, who was shot outside his home at the nearby Dakota Apartments. Also considered a “peace garden,” Strawberry Fields pays further tribute to Lennon with a black-and-white mosaic in which the words “Imagine” are engraved,
often surrounded by flowers. The mosaic is a reference to John Lennon’s best-selling single, a true classic that inspires hope. The landscape itself is named after his song “Strawberry Fields Forever.” When you turn right from Strawberry Fields and stroll across Terrace Drive, you’ll see the grand Cherry Hill Fountain. A common misconception is that this fountain is the one from the opening credits in “Friends;” that fountain is in fact modeled after the Brewer fountain in Boston. The Cherry Hill Fountain was built in the 19th century as a watering trough for horses, although they are no longer allowed to drink from it. It is now time to explore one of Central Park’s hidden gems: The Ramble. To get there, you have to cross through Bow Bridge, where you can see a multitude of rowboats twirling on The Lake. The Ramble may at first seem like a messy zigzag, but this maze offers one of the best experiences when encountering animals. The Ramble is most famous for its birdwatching opportunities; however, you will most definitely see several squirrels hopping around the shrubs. As you leave The Ramble, you will see the majestic Belvedere Castle, whose name translates to “beautiful view” in Italian. Indeed, it truly does offer great views over the Great Lawn and the Turtle Pond. Similar to Sheep Meadow, the Great Lawn is a massive field where New Yorkers play sports and enjoy great food. In addition, the Belvedere Castle’s balconies provide unforgettable views of the Manhattan skyline. Ever since 1919, the Belvedere Castle has been used to record temperature and precipitation measurements. You can see the instruments used
LYDIA BENNER/THE OBSERVER
Central Park is the perfect getaway from the buzz of the city, and it’s only blocks away from campus.
to measure wind on top of the castle’s turret. Turning left from the Belvedere Castle, you will soon enter one of the places less frequently visited by tourists in Central Park―Shakespeare Garden. It is a great spot for photo ops, but is also a truly peaceful area where you can study! Surrounded by beautiful flowers, all the plants in the garden are references to many of Shakespeare’s plays, such as the rosemaries and pansies in “Hamlet” and the thistles in “Much Ado about Nothing.” The bronze plaques, placed in front of every specific plant, have matching quotations from the plays. The romantic garden also has a white mulberry tree that had been grafted from Shakespeare’s very own garden in Stratford-upon-Avon. It is now time to head back. Feel free to grab a well-deserved warm waffle from the Wafels & Dinges stand on the Great Lawn Oval; you have earned it! As you walk towards the East Drive, you
will see the great Polish King Jagiello statue, holding the two swords that are a symbol of the union of Poland and Lithuania in the 15th century. Walking down the East Drive, you will also come across the Conservatory Water. It is a special and unforgettable sight, as this model boat pond was inspired by those in Paris in the 19th century. The Conservatory Water is also used as a free ice skating rink in the winter, so make sure to check it out in the colder months! After taking endless amounts of snapshots and pictures, make sure to see the most memorable spot in Central Park: the Bethesda Fountain. Most of you will recognize the stunning Bethesda Terrace from the iconic scene in the “Gossip Girl” series. Regardless of how you recognize it, the Bethesda Fountain, one of New York’s largest fountains, is truly breathtaking. The large bronze sculpture, also known as the Angel of Waters,
commemorates the opening of the Croton Aqueduct in the 19th century, as it supplied the city with drinking water in times where the scarcity of fresh and clean water was strikingly high. The Angel of Waters stands above four cherubs that symbolize purity, health, peace and temperance. Furthermore, the angel is holding a lily in its right hand, symbolizing purity, and is represented blessing the water in the fountain with its left hand. Lastly, the romantic Bethesda Fountain in the Terrace is also a popular area for wedding photo shoots as it is truly beautiful scenery. Going to Central Park and seeing all of these magnificent landmarks will most likely spark a sense of appreciation for nature, and make you even more grateful to live in New York City!
Sports&Health
Modshobair Hussaini mhussaini@fordham.edu October 12, 2017 THE OBSERVER
Concussion Protocol Will Need Revisions By ARTEMIS TSAGARIS Sports & Health Editor
Chronic Ttraumatic Eencephalopathy, more commonly referred to as CTE, is a degenerative disease that is thought to be caused by repeated trauma to the head.Only diagnosable after death, the disease ______ Any athletes in contact sports can be affected, though the disease is most common in football players. A study done of 202 deceased football players brains showed that 110 of them had CTE. 111 of those players played in the NFL. New England Patriots tight end, Aaron Hernandez, is the latest professional player to be diagnosed with the disease. He killed himself at the age of 27, and his autopsy revealed that he had stage three of CTE. With only four stages, the fourth of which being the most aggressive, it was almost frightening to see how far CTE had progressed in such a young player. It is possible that CTE was responsible for Hernandez’s aggressive behavior near the end of his life, but we will never know with certainty if CTE played any role in that. Tau is a protein that is found inside of everyone’s brain that essentially helps everything stay together. Microtubules, held together by tau, are like the brain’s “transportation system.” When one gets a concussion after concussion and repeated trauma to the head, the microtubules break and tau is able to float around aimlessly. The proteiny starts to connect to each other and clump together. Soon, these clumpsy spread throughout the brain, and start a life of their own, so to speak. They continue to grow throughout the brain, and there is no way of stopping it. However, this spread is long and slow, which is why it can take a long time to show up in some patients. Stage I is the least aggressive form of CTE. Bits of tangled tau show up in areas of the cortex. In Stage II, more spots of tangled tau appear in the cortical sulci and begin to spread. In
NATHAN RUPERT/THE OBSERVER
Concussions are becoming more and more of an issue in sports, particularly in football.
Stage III, the tau spots start to blend in with each other. It starts to appear in the hippocampus and amygdala, which are the memory and decision making part of the brain, respectively. In Stage IV, the tau covers most of the cortex and spots start to appear in the spinal cord. That is the most aggressive stage of CTE. The first recorded signs of CTE appeared in 1928 in a group of boxers. Over 75 years later, in 2005, formerd Pittsburg Steeler Mike Webster was diagnosed with the disease. CTE is not only something that can affect professional NFL players. Studies have been done that show CTE can affect people who did not
play sports into their teens or early twenties. Repeated brain trauma, like concussions, causes a buildup of an abnormal protein called tau. This buildup of tau does not occur immediately after a significant brain injury. It can take multiple years for CTE to impact the brain, but that does not happen in every case. When it eventually does hit, it can cause memory loss, control problems, aggression, depression, and dementia. Tau buildup is also associated with Alzheimer’s disease, but CTE and Alzheimer’s affect different parts of the brain. Generally, CTE starts earlier than Alzheimer’s. Signs of CTE can start to show up in a person in
their late 20s-30s, when changes in their mood begin occur. There aren’t any specific ways to prevent CTE yet, because there is so much that the world does not know about the disease. However, Luke Kuelchy, a linebacker for the Carolina Panthers, has started to wear an experimental device that is said to help limit concussions during the preseason called the Q collar. It is designed to limit the space in the skull that the brain has to move, which in turn helps limit concussions. The NFL has given a lot of money to support brain research —- particularly CTE. New helmet technologies are trying to be thought of, but
there is no news yet about safer helmets. Sensors are being placed inside some helmets to see if the severity of hits can cause any immediate damage, and to provide further research as to how the brain responds to a hit of that magnitude. However, this is only happening in college and high school, as the NFL claimed the results weren’t accurate. The NFL is definitely taking steps to help try to prevent this disease, but it’s not only the NFL that needs to look out —- since signs of CTE are starting to show up in younger patients, high school and college football programs also need to take measures to try to prevent CTE.
Fitness Trackers and You: How Fordham Students Can Walk Into A Healthier Lifestyle By MADDY CASALE Staff Writer
EMMA DIMARCO/THE OBSERVER
Fitness trackers have taken the world by storm and are becoming more sought after by students.
If you have ever uttered that words, “I have to get my steps in!” then you are probably one of the many people who has bought into the fitness tracker craze that is growing increasingly popular around the world. Or, perhaps you have noticed a friend’s glowing rubber wristband or sleek Apple watch and thought, “Why?””. Before you write off fitness trackers completely or sprint out to buy the most expensive one, hear the facts and weigh your options. Fitness trackers, at their most rudimentary forms, monitor how many steps the wearer takes in a day. The more advanced trackers are able to track calorie intake and expenditure, monitor heart rate and sleep quality, and provide GPS location services. Whatever level the tracker may be, the goal is that this devices gets the user more active than they would have been using a certain number of steps, typically 10,000 (which equates to about 3 to 5 miles, depending on the individual), as a benchmark and goal to work towards throughout the day, before the step count resets again to zero, setting the wearer up for a new day of steps. The activity can come from any form of exercise (even walking in place), as long as the tracker is able to pick it up.
The most popular fitness tracker brands are the Fitbit and Apple Watch. However, if looking to save money, anyone with an iPhone can track their steps using the “Health” app that has already come programmed into the phone. This app will tell you the steps you have walked (including walking and running distance) and number of flights of stairs you have climbed throughout the course of your day, provided that your phone is on your person. This app works for any activity involving step-like motion, from walking to cross-country skiing, and can be helpful in motivating you to get a little extra walking in throughout your day. Fitness trackers are beneficial for telling users their average amount of activity and therefore can be a good indicator that a person needs more exercise in order to increase their overall health. If used often enough, the wearer can forget that it is there, and slowly, making small decisions to take the stairs instead of the elevator can become unconscious actions that add up in a positive way over time. Some negatives, however, are that there is no proof that using fitness trackers will lead to much weight loss, and that carrying the monitor around can at times be uncomfortable or cumbersome. FCLC ‘19 student Kara Hogan has been using a Fitbit since January
2017, and is a believer in its positive impact on her life. “It really alerted me to how sedentary I was at school […] it made me realize that I should exercise more,” she said. Hogan’s entire family tracks their steps and use their trackers to motivate each other to be more active on a daily basis. “When I look at the step count, it motivates me more to make the time than if I wasn’t wearing it. I don’t beat myself up if I don’t get 10,000 steps, [...] but I like it as a reminder that I should be striving towards that goal,” she said. “I think being healthier and being active is a good thing for all people,” Hogan said. “Especially at Fordham Lincoln Center, where we’re on this tiny little campus and it’s so easy to just sit in your room and do your homework all day, [...] I think [my Fitbit] has motivated me to be a more active person” As students living in one of the most walkable cities in the world, we all could benefit from taking the stairs in Lowenstein (even if just once or twice a week) or taking a nice walk at the end of a stressful day to explore the city and get a mental break from schoolwork and extracurricular obligations, if only for a little while. Fitness is what you make of it, and the key is just making room for healthy decisions in your life, one step at a time.