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March 31, 2021 VOLUME XLI, ISSUE 4

Rams Push to Cut Ties With Aramark

By MARYAM BESHARA Staff Writer

Rams Against Aramark is a new student-run organization dedicated to cutting ties between Fordham and Aramark Food Services on the basis of the catering company’s unethical business practices, connections with the prison industry and history of serving contaminated food.

Lydia Hallett, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, and Sage O’Dell, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’21, organized the student coalition and have been working with the Social Innovation Collaboratory to generate student support at both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses.

“Continued support of Aramark is unjustifiable in light of their atrocious labor practices, gross mistreatment of incarcerated people, and crimes against our environment,” the organizers said in an Instagram post.

Aramark currently has contracts with over 3,000 clients, 400 of which are colleges.

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

Every FUEMS shift begins with a rig check in which the crew goes through every compartment and bag on the ambulance to ensure it is fully stocked with supplies.

see ARAMARK page 5

Fordham Offers Vaccine at Off-Campus Clinic Some student workers are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as a part of New York’s phase 1a and 1b groups vaccination distribution plan. Eligibility is currently limited to “front-facing” student employees — workers who must interact with the public as a function of their job on campus.

The inclusion of front-facing student workers is a recent development that aids Fordham’s ongoing initiative to have as many people vaccinated as possible before the start of the

fall semester on Sept. 1. Other Fordham community members eligible to receive the vaccine currently include in-person faculty, instructors and essential university workers.

Many student employees who do not work in person or who are not front-facing are still ineligible for the vaccine. Cleo Papadopoulos, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22, is a student worker in Fordham’s Theatre and Visual Arts office but was not eligible for a vaccine.

Papadopoulos said she wished there was more clarity regarding eligibility for the vac-

cine, as she found it difficult to navigate the vaccination process without clear information from Fordham.

“I remember getting emails saying that in-person employees were eligible to get it, but when I called to confirm, they told me that student workers were not included in that list,” Papadopoulos said. “I don’t know if everyone got these emails or not, but if it was just school employees (including student workers), then it would’ve been better to clarify that student workers didn’t count.”

Features

News

Sports & Health

Opinions

Arts & Culture

Fordham deans clarify rumors about stricter evaluations

Issues remain after retirement fund contributions resume

Rams lose rival game against Holy Cross in season opener

Attacks against Asian people are rooted in U.S. military history

A guide to the best walks near campus and around NYC

By MARIN HOWELL Staff Writer

Grading Policies Page 2

Governance Concerns Page 3

see VACCINES page 3

Football Disappoints Page 7

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

The specialized refrigerators that will eventually hold COVID-19 vaccine doses in McMahon Hall.

Anti-Asian Racism Page 11

Spring Strolls Page 15

The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

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March 31, 2021 THE OBSERVER

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Deans Clarify Rumor of Alleged Crackdown on Grades

Fordham students express concerns over alleged claims on harsher grading and lack of academic communication

By MICHELLE AGARON Asst. News Editor

Laura Auricchio, dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), sent a community-wide email at 4:30 p.m. on March 30 addressing rumors that the administration is instructing faculty to “crack down on grades.”

On March 20, @letstalkaboutitfordham posted an anonymous student’s claim that the administration told their professor to not be too lenient when grading and to “stop cutting students slack at risk of potentially losing tenure or adjunct positions in the future.”

Three days later, another submission corroborated this statement; a second anonymous student’s math professor told their class that he would be conducting the course differently due to similar instructions from the administration.

The concerns came from a fall 2020 grade analysis report that found grades were “significantly higher than in recent semesters, probably because of extra leniency by instructors.” The report stated

that in 15 sections with 10 or more students at FCLC, all students received an A grade. These included students who received an F, WF or INC in their other classes.

“Giving too many A grades also cheapens the value of the grade for the whole student body,” the email stated.

The end of the report states that the average grade was already high before the pandemic started, suggesting that “some faculty either are not challenging their students enough or are being too lenient in their grading.”

A professor who asked to remain anonymous provided the initial email to The Observer sent by the administration, prior to the university-wide email, which noted a “major spike in the average grade in spring 2020” and stated that fall 2020 grades were significantly higher than previous semesters, “probably because of extra leniency by instructors.”

In a clarifying email sent by Auricchio and Maura Mast, dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH), they explain that they were not asking professors to

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

The deans stated that the rumor on stricter grading policies originated from a memo instructing professors not to award passing grades to students who did not complete all their coursework.

“crack down on grades,” rather to accurately reflect students’ involvement. Part of the reason for this request was being able to grant withdrawals to students who needed them.

“Faculty members who awarded passing grades to students who did not actually attend their classes were surely well-meaning, but awarding unearned grades inadvertently caused students significant distress at a time when they were already struggling,” Auricchio said.

The deans also said a memo concerning grades is sent out every semester.

The initial submission drew significant criticism from Fordham students, whose comments under the post covered a range of topics: declining mental health during a pandemic, the “Wellness Wednesday” students were given this year in place of a weeklong spring break and the administration’s lack of acknowledgment toward issues such as inadequate on-campus quarantine procedures.

Abbey Cloonan, FCLC ’22, said that if the alleged claim was true, she was disappointed to see Fordham administrators prioritizing their optics over the mental health and well-being of the student body.

“These alleged actions seem hypocritical; shouldn’t the university be happy that their students are succeeding in their classes despite the horrible year we’ve had?” Cloonan said. “It’s downplaying all the hard work we as students have had to do to adjust to online learning, to take care of ourselves despite not being able to enjoy the fun parts of the college experience, to create community when there is no community to be found.”

Cloonan is registered with the Office of Disability Studies

at Fordham due to her ADHD and has had to seek external aid for academic support, both of which she attributed to a more manageable learning experience.

Although she is appreciative of this external support, Cloonan stated that she and her friends often feel like they are teaching themselves, which has taken a considerable toll on their mental health.

“ I think it’s very

disappointing and demotivating that some professors aren’t being very clear about their specific expectations and criteria in their grading systems. ”

Sophia Forlenza, FCLC ’24

The university’s preoccupation with “cracking down” on grades over the last two semesters was also disappointing for Billy Harrison, FCRH ’22, who stated that the university should be more concerned with being unable to “properly feed quarantined students.”

“This seems like an issue that should be pretty far down on their list of priorities. Going a bit easier on students should be seen as a positive, and I cannot imagine the issue of grade inflation is unique to Fordham during this pandemic,” Harrison stated.

Another issue students have been facing over the past two semesters has been a lack of communication about their academic standing and a general absence

of consistent email communication. On Oct. 15, @letstalkaboutitfordham published a student submission asking if other students had also not been receiving responses from professors; multiple students in the comments affirmed this seemingly Fordham-wide issue.

“I think it’s very disappointing and demotivating that some professors aren’t being very clear about their specific expectations and criteria in their grading systems, even more so now that everything is online and given that students are super burnt out,” Sophia Forlenza, FCLC ’24, said.

“I recently had a professor tell my class that there was a surprising amount of grades in the 60s on our midterm, and it’s so disheartening because I know students in that class are trying very hard and learning online is a ... different and more difficult experience,” she continued.

Forlenza also noted that she has not received any grades for her courses this semester and does not know where she currently stands academically.

Cloonan reported a similar experience last semester — she was not aware of her academic standing until the end of the semester and had to schedule meetings with her professors to gain information about her progress.

All three students expressed discontent with the administration’s decision to reduce the duration of spring break to one Wednesday during the semester.

This decision, coupled with the mental and emotional exhaustion caused by online classes and “Zoom burnout” was seen as a “slap in the face” by Forlenza.

The general consensus reflected a need for more transparency, accountability and concern from the Fordham administration during this time.

Fordham Faces a Decrease in COVID-19 Testing

Decline in on-campus COVID-19 testing is said to be due to mid-semester break and testing deadlines

By ALLIE STOFER Asst. News Editor

After a spike in COVID-19 cases on the Rose Hill campus resulting in a two-week shutdown of in-person activities, there was a significant decrease in testing on campus. A month after in-person instruction resumed, only 3,225 tests were administered on the Rose Hill campus over the 14-day period. Two weeks earlier, 4,264 tests were administered.

The number of tests administered is reflective of a 14-day total on both campuses. There was a peak of 1,441 tests administered on the Lincoln Center campus on March 4. Two weeks later, this number was cut nearly in half, with 843 tests administered on March 18, according to The Observer’s COVID-19 test tracker.

St. Patrick’s Day, a typical day of parades and partying, saw the lowest points in testing.

Assistant Vice President and Dean of Student Services Keith Eldredge attributed this decrease to the closing of testing sites for the university’s spring break day on March 10. He estimated that between the two campuses, roughly 400 or 500 tests would have been administered that day.

St. Patrick’s Day, a typical day

of parades and partying, saw the lowest points in testing. Lincoln Center only had 721 tests that day.

Rose Hill saw 3,126 tests. The potential rise in cases due to the holiday was a worry, as Public Safety sent an email due to seeing a spike in positive COVID-19 tests.

“We know it has been a long year, and that St. Patrick’s Day may seem like a long overdue opportunity to socialize with classmates and friends in the many establishments near campus and in the city in general. Please don’t,” the email said.

Eldredge also stated he believes that the decrease is due to the testing deadlines. In order to be compliant with Fordham’s VitalCheck and be allowed on campus, all students and staff must complete one COVID-19 test a month. According to Eldredge, the testing locations are most busy one week prior and one week after the testing deadlines.

“I wish everybody sort of spread themselves out naturally,” Eldredge said. “But as with most things in life, as the deadline approaches is when you see higher activity.”

When determining how many tests to order, Fordham has been monitoring the amount of tests needed to ensure there was never a shortage, according to Eldredge.

He explained that in the fall semester they had to order more, which he felt comfortable doing since they could always use them for the spring semester.

Fordham administered close to 34,000 tests during the fall

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

Dean of Student Services Keith Eldredge attributes the COVID-19 testing decrease to the university’s closure on March 10 and the deadline of the monthly testing requirement.

semester and ordered 45,000 for the spring.

“We’re not anywhere close to needing more at this time but we still have six, seven weeks left in the semester so we're watching that to see how things progress,” Eldredge stated.

Eldredge explained that in the fall semester, University Health Services (UHS) may have turned people away while they were figuring out their testing system, but now they will try to test everyone

when necessary. UHS may ask additional questions if a student requests testing and does not have possible exposure or symptoms.

Maureen Keown, director of UHS, said students wanting additional testing should call UHS and speak with a nurse to receive a test.

Students who have been exposed or are symptomatic are encouraged to call UHS to schedule a test to avoid potential spread of COVID-19.

“If someone does feel like they

need a test because of being exposed or because they’re symptomatic, we definitely want them to call Health Services rather than going to the surveillance testing area,” Eldredge said. “We will get them a test, absolutely. But we want to make sure we do that in a way that’s safe for the workers and the other folks that are coming into the surveillance testing area.”

To stay up to date on Fordham’s COVID-19 cases, visit The Observer’s website for daily updates.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER March 31, 2021

News

3

Fordham Reinstates Retirement Fund Contributions, Financial Trouble Remains

By JOE KOTTKE News Editor

The unexpected financial tolls of the coronavirus pandemic complicated university budgets across the U.S. To compensate for Fordham’s financial shortcomings, the university implemented a one-year freeze on salary, merit and promotion increases for the 2021 fiscal year, and suspended contributions to eligible staff, faculty and administrators’ retirement funds.

The Board of Trustees voted to implement the suspension on retirement contributions in October 2020 due to a $9 million budget gap.

“ The faculty are

supposed to be a part of these decision-making processes, and we were shut out. ”

Shiloh Whitney, associate professor of philosophy

“It was a real disappointment,” Joshua Jordan, an advanced lecturer in the department of modern languages and literature, said. “It was never really clear that this was the only way that the administration could make up for its expected shortfall.”

Decisions concerning the benefits of tenured and tenure-track faculty undergo negotiations with the Salary and Benefits Committee, an elected committee of the Faculty Senate.

Jennifer Clark, assistant professor of communications and media studies, is a member of the committee and said the university’s decision to suspend contributions surprised her.

“The committee had been putting a great deal of energy, thought and care into what we felt were ongoing negotiations,” she said. “We did not think the conversation was over.”

Non-tenured faculty members are further removed from the university’s decision-making process.

Jordan is the chair of Fordham Faculty United (FFU), a union of more than 600 contingent faculty members. He said about 120 members of the union receive benefits from the university.

Under FFU’s union contract, member benefits are explicitly tied to those of tenured and tenure-track faculty, meaning that the union was not in direct negotiations with Fordham about the retirement fund contributions suspension.

“We really didn’t have much say in it,” Jordan said.

On March 16, University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., announced Fordham will resume matching retirement fund contributions starting on April 9 — three months ahead of the original date of June 30.

Jordan said it was good news to hear the reinstatement of matched contributions, but he thinks the university should do more than “simply take less away than it had initially intended.”

“We are all working for the same goal, and that’s the best university community we can create for all of us,” Jordan said. “It’s frustrating that the ends are the same and that it’s not always clear that the means to get there are equitable.”

The original decision to suspend retirement fund contributions was made unilaterally. Clark said the committee was and remains open and available for negotiation.

“What is important to the committee and the faculty as a whole is the need to be an equal partner in the institution,” Clark said.

Shiloh Whitney, an associate professor of philosophy, said shared governance — a principle written into Fordham’s statutes that emphasizes the consultation of faculty in the decision-making process — has been violated.

“The faculty are supposed to be a part of these decision-making processes, and we were shut out,” Whitney said.

She said she is relieved that the university is taking steps toward financial repair but it is also nec-

essary to restore trust and respect: “As someone who cares deeply about the future of Fordham, and who knows how crucial good relationships are to a well-functioning institution, I hope we see movement on that front too.”

A method of improving the university’s transparency, Jordan said, would be to provide the budget numbers when proposing or imposing changes to faculty’s salaries or benefits.

“I think that helps all of us understand what the stakes are. And if things are not clear enough, then people have the right to suspect that there are other ways of achieving the same result,” Jordan said.

Bob Howe, assistant vice president for communications, said a presentation on the topic of the budget will be hosted for the university community “soon.” When asked about the current state of the budget and the university’s incorporation of faculty opinion into decision-making, he said there were no more details to share.

“ This is a very specific

hardship for us, we’re already struggling to maintain affordable ways of living in New York City, so any kind of hiccup in that is really quite detrimental. ” Jennifer Clark, assistant professor of communications and media studies

Jordan said that he has not heard anything from the administration about its plans to make up for lost retirement contributions that would have accrued during the suspension, which is a concern. Clark emphasized the importance of compensating interest that could have accumulated during that time as well.

“We have been doing more work and more outreach and more

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

Faculty members are relieved to have their retirement contributions resumed, but some believe that there should be more faculty involvement in these important decisions.

preparations to meet the needs of our students than we ever had before,” Clark said. She believes that faculty members have succeeded in meeting the needs of their students, and although administrators have acknowledged their work verbally, she believes the corresponding material acknowledgment is needed.

The suspension of retirement funds has been catastrophic for younger faculty members, Clark said, since they have not had as much time to invest and many members are still preoccupied with student debt.

A post on the Instagram account @fordhamfacultyspeakout on Nov. 10, 2020, said many members of Fordham’s junior faculty are people of color and women.

“This is a very specific hardship for us,” Clark said. “We’re already

struggling to maintain affordable ways of living in New York City, so any kind of hiccup in that is really quite detrimental.”

In addition to budget transparency and discussions about what repayment will look like, Clark said she would like to see financial and structural support for caregivers to improve faculty retention and diversify the types of people that can be hired.

The Salary and Benefits Committee is planning to conduct a childcare study, according to committee member Asato Ikeda, associate professor of art history. Ikeda also said that there are also conversations about forming a COVID-19 equity committee to survey the impact of the pandemic on faculty — which would include caregiving responsibilities.

Student Employees’ Eligibility for Vaccine Sparks Confusion

Fordham student workers can now receive the COVID-19 vaccine upon meeting specific qualifications VACCINES from page 1

As of March 30, New Yorkers who are 30 years of age and older can schedule a vaccination appointment. By April 6, New Yorkers who are 16 years of age and older can get vaccinated. Fordham is enrolled in an agreement with the New York

Department of Health to serve as a vaccination site. Maureen Keown, director of University Health Services, said the university is ready to begin administering the vaccine whenever doses become more widely available.

“We are approved as a site to offer vaccinations, however,

due to limited supply, we have not received any vaccines,” said Keown. “Once we are issued the vaccines, we will start the administration process for those individuals who are included in the phase at that time.”

Papadopoulos was ultimately able to receive the vaccine, but

her eligibility came from underlying health conditions rather than her employment at Fordham University.

“I was pretty happy when I first thought I could be vaccinated, but the prospect of that quickly vanished and I had to wait to get eligibility on my own,” Papadopoulos said. “At the end of the day, I’m both lucky and thankful that I got the vaccine, but I can’t really say that Fordham had anything to do with it.”

“ Vaccinations are safe

and important in getting the spread of Covid -19 under control. ”

Maureen Keown, director of University Health Services

LISA FERDINANDO/DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE VIA FLICKR

Fordham has not received vaccines yet due to limited supply, but the health center has measures in place to administer doses once a supply is available.

Keown said Fordham students seeking clarification on their eligibility should utilize the New York state’s COVID-19 vaccine informational resources.

Though the university is not yet able to independently administer vaccines, various Fordham community members have helped facilitate Johnson & Johnson vaccine events hosted

by Walgreens open to the public.

Fordham’s Department of

Public Safety, University Health Services and University Emergency Medical Services contributed to two of these events, which took place at the Rose Hill campus earlier this month and were open to eligible New York City residents.

Keown said these events were incredibly successful and resulted in the vaccination of 425 Fordham community members and people from the surrounding area. Additionally, Keown addressed the possibility of future vaccine events at Fordham.

On March 29, the university announced that eligible students, faculty and staff “can receive the COVID-19 vaccine at Doctor Urgent Medical Care, the practice of Denise Nunez, M.D. FAAP, on Fordham Road,” the email stated. The doses offered at the off-campus site are the Moderna vaccine.

With the reintroduction of in-person instruction set to take place on Fordham campuses this fall, Keown said the university urges Fordham community members to get vaccinated whenever they become eligible to do so.

“Vaccinations are safe and important in getting the spread of Covid -19 under control,” Keown said. “We encourage all Fordham community members, who are eligible, to get the vaccine as soon as possible.”

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March 31, 2021 THE OBSERVER

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Sam Omotayo: More Than the Man at the Front Desk

By STEVIE CORTEZ Asst. Opinions Editor

If you live on campus at Fordham Lincoln Center, there’s a good chance you know Samson “Sam” Omotayo. Even if you don’t, he definitely knows you.

Omotayo is one of the security guards working at McMahon Hall’s front desk; he’s the one who checks your Fordham ID when you walk in the building, stops non-Fordham infiltrators from entering and sometimes acts as the go-between for food delivery services.

But his impact on the residential community is much bigger than what his job description entails.

For many students, Omotayo is a real friend and confidant. Despite the familiarity of his presence on campus, there’s a side, a history, to Omotayo that most students and staff don’t know.

Omotayo was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. He studied computer science in college there, and though he enjoys the subject, he didn’t feel like lecture-style learning was right for him. He felt like he could learn more on his own, so he began teaching himself coding and programming.

“People have different ways of learning,” Omotayo explained.

“The idea that you can only teach people one way eliminates so much potential.”

Omotayo left Lagos without his degree but kept the skills he needed to continue his pursuit of knowledge. Then, at 24, he made the decision to move to New York.

Understandably, the change was a dramatic one.

“I didn’t know the world was bigger than Nigeria. My transition from one country to another didn’t just change my perception of reality, it changed me as a person,” Omotayo said.

Suddenly, so many things were new, and Omotayo began to fall in love with the possibilities around him. “I started realizing that people are different, and there are possibly an unlimited different types of people out there. Now, that was cool,” Omatayo said. Although he was wearing a mask, there was the sound of a smile as he spoke.

In New York, Omotayo continued teaching himself to code and picked up a job as a security guard to make money. One day, his supervisor asked if he would be interested in working at Fordham.

Omotayo didn’t really care where they sent him; a job is a job. That was about four years ago. Now, he’s grateful that luck brought him to Fordham Lincoln Center; his coworkers and the environment make the job an enjoyable one.

“ He makes living on

campus feel like home, because he’s so personable and authentic.”

Patricia Angeles, FCLC ’21 and residential assistant

“I’ve never worked somewhere where I just like every person I work with,” Omotayo said. “You get freedom here as long as you do a good job.”

And believe me, Omotayo does a good job as a guard. Students come up to the desk often just to chat with him, but Omotayo’s eyes are always on the door. He watches like a hawk and doesn’t miss a thing.

But his trademark is his personality.

“He makes living on campus feel like home, because he’s so

ALYSSA DAUGHDRILL/THE OBSERVER

Though he currently works as a security guard in McMahon Hall, Omotayo hopes to one day help people in Nigeria by developing a financial planning app.

personable and authentic,” said Patricia Angeles, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’21 and a residential assistant in the building where Omotayo works.

Ironically, Omotayo doesn’t think of himself as a particularly friendly person. He just enjoys talking to people. It’s one thing he’s always loved about New York.

“I just talk to folks, we’re all humans,” Omotayo said. “There’s some amazing people in this world, and if you don't put yourself out there you’re going to miss them.

The students here are so friendly; people like that make it easy to get up and come to work.”

What Omotayo may not realize is that he makes it easier for some Fordham students to get up every day, too. He recalled the story of a student who came to the front desk one night with a lot on their mind.

The student spoke for hours about

their troubles while he listened, in the way he often does to those who are looking to vent to a friendly ear. But this time was different; weeks later, he was approached by the student’s parents. They said the student had been suicidal that night but had been turned around by their conversation with Omotayo.

The family even took him to dinner as thanks.

“They were just really good people,” he fondly recalls, nodding and leaning back deep in his chair.

“That is my favorite memory of my job at Fordham.”

College is often a big adjustment for students, and sometimes an alienating one. The ever-changing bustle of classes, jobs, clubs and new friends can create the feeling of a lack of permanence in our lives.

But having someone there on the best and worst days, even if only to talk for a few minutes, can provide

the grounding some students need to get through the day.

This is why Omotayo is so important to the Fordham community. But he doesn’t plan on being around forever; he wants to continue improving his computer science skills so that he can help people back in Nigeria. His job at Fordham is just a stepping stone toward that goal. Omotayo wants to develop a financial planning app that can help people save up their money, invest and plan for retirement.

“People don’t get to retire in Nigeria unless they’re wealthy,” Omotayo said. “I want to change that.”

So although Omotayo is officially a security guard in McMahon Hall, he’s really more of a traveler, a computer scientist, a conversationalist, a friend and, most importantly, an indispensable part of what makes Fordham feel like home.

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Mental Health at Fordham: Where We Are and How To Move Forward After a year of taking classes amid a pandemic, students reflect on the importance of seeking counseling

By AIDAN LANE Staff Writer

The closure of college campuses last March led to the onset of a mental health crisis that no one could prepare for. Students dealt with social and economic anxieties and isolation on top of coursework, and many were thrown into chaotic living conditions as their on-campus housing was closed down.

Devin Dhaliwal, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’23, had to move into a spare room in an already overcrowded house due to the hectic campus shutdown. “It was like staying in a guest room and I didn’t have a desk. I took all my classes and finals on my bed.”

Experiences like these are not unique to Fordham; mental health among all college students took a drastic turn for the worse at the start of the pandemic and has continued to do so, but Fordham students who returned to the bustling chaos of New York City were met with unique challenges not faced on traditional campuses. Daily sights of inequality, feelings of FOMO in the unofficial capital of the world and the fast-paced eator-be-eaten culture of NYC make the Fordham community especially susceptible to mental distress.

The number of college students who have reported mental health issues has reached an all-time high.

In 2019, 66% of students reported experiencing “overwhelming anxiety” and 45% felt “so depressed it was difficult to function.” The coro-

navirus pandemic increased these numbers: In 2020, 75% of college students reported experiencing one or more clinical indicators of depression, and 87% say their education is a “significant source of stress.”

According to Jeffrey Ng, director of Fordham’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS), “Historically, anxiety, depression, academic distress and relational concerns have been the most common presenting problems in our office.

We have no doubt the COVID pandemic has exacerbated them.”

Lack of sleep and exercise has also been a factor. Lindsay Hoytt, a Fordham psychology professor and a research psychologist, cited these as contributions to mental distress on college campuses. She co-authored a 2019 study that quantified the increase in stress among college students.

These concerns have prompted more frequent student outreach by both CPS and student groups.

Fordham’s Active Minds is part of a nationwide campaign that provides mental health resources with the goal of ending the stigma around mental health. While it hasn’t been able to run any programming at Fordham this is, its parent organization continues to provide resources. Another group is Lean On Me, a student-run text-support line for confidential, non-crisis support that has operated throughout the pandemic.

On March 15, CPS hosted a Zoom webinar to provide strategies for easing mental distress.

While CPS offers free services to students on- and off-campus, university funding ultimately limits the scope of its services, according to Ng. “Right now we don’t have the capacity to see all students for as long as they would like,” he said.

“If we did that we wouldn’t be able to absorb the demand.”

This incapacity results in a limit of about 10 therapy sessions per student each year, after which a student is referred to an outside therapist. Steven DeBellis, Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies ’21, said he chose not to go back to therapy after his 10 sessions because “it’s hard to travel for counseling when you’re used to getting it on campus.” He said the session limit made each session have an artificial sense of urgency. “I felt like I have to get all my problems figured out in 10 weeks, because that’s when this ends,” he said.

DeBellis also struggled with the emotional and physical drain of opening up to new therapists and was hesitant to do so again. “It’s tough because every time you start with a new counselor you have to do it all again,” he said. “I thought we were making really good progress and it was rough. It made me not want to go back for counseling.”

Ng hopes the soon-to-be-formed Student Advisory Council will begin to address these concerns. He says it will allow “students and student leaders to learn about us more deeply, and more importantly to receive feedback from students on

AIDAN LANE/THE OBSERVER

Fordham's Counseling and Psychological Services have increased student outreach since the pandemic began due to the increased incidences of mental health issues.

how we can continue to enhance our services and how we can continue to support student mental health and well being.” The council will begin accepting nominations this spring.

DeBellis said that the isolation of living off campus this fall contributed to his mental distress.

“It’s funny because the whole time you’re in a converted triple, you’re like, ‘I can’t wait to be on my own; I can’t wait to have my own room!’

But when you actually are and there’s nobody else there, you really miss people.”

“ Right now we don’t

have the capacity to see all students for as long as they would like. If we did that we wouldn’t be able to absorb the demand.”

Jeffrey Ng, director of CPS

Although he’s struggled at Fordham, he is thankful that priests and Campus Ministry are always available and to support him spiritually. “A lot of them are very open to talking to you about anything.

There’s no limit to how often you can go,” he said, remarking that the perception that religious resources on campus can’t supplement mental health resources is wrong.

Dhaliwal said living in an off-campus apartment and not being able to visit friends has been a huge strain. “The biggest joy in my life is being able to share experiences with other people. Not being able to make new friends is a big weight on me. It definitely causes me a lot of stress.” Dhaliwal said he has never sought care with CPS and thinks there could be more promotion of its services to off-campus students. “I do find myself pretty constantly struggling, trying to better myself. My mental health resources are close friends and family, which is good but it’s nothing professional.”

Just as for DeBellis, religion has guided Dhaliwal through the pandemic. Mindfulness and mediation techniques he learned in his Buddhism class have been indispensable to him during the pandemic. “I thought it’d just be a requirement

but I ended up loving it ... a lot of things are different forms of suffering. The idea behind happiness is accepting a lot of that.”

Jenna Goldblatt, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’23, is a resident freshman mentor in McKeon Hall and said the staff is guided through training by CPS, but it isn’t always enough for them to help residents with daily challenges.

She said the most difficult part of aiding residents with mental health issues is knowing when to step in. “We don’t get to know the issue until someone else does. It can be isolating for both of us. It can put me in a weird position and it puts them in a weird position,” Goldblatt said.

Ng said the culture around mental health is changing, and students are feeling less stigma or shame to seek mental health care. He attributes this primarily to social media and journalism that have actively sought to demystify mental health.

While social media has been indispensable to mental health awareness, its effect is two-sided.

Dhaliwal said that social media and its superficiality negatively impacted his mental health: “I am on social media all the time and it is bad. It’s like a muscle reflex for me to pick up my phone. Life’s a lot less glamorous than midtown and photoshoots.”

CPS recommended setting limits on screen time so students aren’t overwhelmed by the constant flood of news — especially for Black, Indigenous and students of color, as well as for LGBTQ+ students.

“When you get really invested in these issues it can contribute to that sense of hopelessness. It's such an extreme platform. Social media pushes you to feel so intensely about one thing or another,” Goldblatt said.

Fordham’s announcement of full in-person instruction for the fall 2021 semester has impacted students’ outlook on the future. “I don't want to be too optimistic or naive, but I’m thinking about traveling and seeing people and being with friends. I’m getting excited that spring is here and the world someday is not going to be like this,” Goldblatt said.

Although students are hopeful the pandemic may soon be over, the rate of mental distress among college students will remain at an all-time high and the movement to end the stigma and promote mental wellness on college campuses will continue.

Rams Against Aramark Demands Severance From Food Service Provider ARAMARK from page 1

Several New York City schools, including Barnard College and New York University, have declined to renew their contracts with Aramark because of the food provider’s past allegations of misconduct and its reliance on the labor of incarcerated people for the purpose of economic profit.

“The momentum of the abolitionist movement this summer inspired students to look into the institutions that uphold systems of oppression and racism, to be a part of the fight against State violence, at the hands of the police or the U.S. prison systems,” Hallett and O’Dell said. “Aramark is Fordham’s food service provider and they profit off of the prison industrial complex, which means that our tuition dollars also support the unjust prison system.”

The owners of the Instagram account @lc_sinners started a petition in June 2020 for Fordham to cut ties with Aramark, and it gained more than 1,600 signatures. Inspired by the Black

Lives Matter movement, the petition calls for Fordham to work with companies that advocate for minority representation and aid incarcerated people.

“ These are tall demands that might take some time, but we know that Fordham can live up (to) their values. ”

Lydia Hallett, FCLC ’21 and Sage O’Dell FCRH ’21

Fordham selected Aramark as its food provider in 2016. Since then, students have raised numerous complaints, including the service’s lack of halal options for Muslim students and a student’s discovery of a mouse in a salad bar container.

Aramark’s past allegations of misconduct were not solely confined to its ties to the prison-industrial complex. The food

service provider has come under fire for its detrimental effects on the environment, as its efforts toward sustainability have failed to address emissions of greenhouse gases and large-scale purchases of livestock. Aramark also faced backlash after serving ribs, collard greens and Kool-Aid during Black History Month in 2018.

Rams Against Aramark notes that the solution is not switching to another food service provider because several other companies have ties with the prison-industrial complex as well.

“We are demanding that Fordham cut ties with Aramark and move towards an in-house dining scenario that prioritizes locally sourced and organic produce, collaboration with local restaurants, sustainable practices, and retention of current Aramark employees,” Hallett and O’Dell said. “These are tall demands that might take some time, but we know that Fordham can live up (to) their values.”

The student-run coalition has been meeting with administrators and holding meetings in or-

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

Since Fordham selected Aramark as its food provider, students have raised complaints about unsanitary conditions, as well as a lack of options for students with dietary restrictions.

der to discuss plans for moving forward, the organizers said.

Hallett and O’Dell said the organization is currently working on its course of action: “Our next step is to create a list of demands,

or a proposal, to the administration that addresses our specific disagreements with Aramark, our requests for transparency, and our suggested path going forward.”

Sports & Health Editors Gus Dupree - adupree1@fordham.edu Patrick Moquin - pmoquin@fordhamw.edu

Sports & Health

Life on the Job as a Fordham EMT

March 31, 2021

THE OBSERVER

Shadowing a student volunteer at Fordham’s Emergency Medical Services

PHOTOS BY ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

A duty crew consists of the crew chief, EMT and driver positions. The weekday night shift lasts from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next morning.

FUEMS from page 1

By GUS DUPREE Sports & Health Editor

A medical emergency occurs on Fordham’s campus and an ambulance quickly arrives on scene. Uniformed emergency medical technicians (EMTs) rush out of it and immediately begin to treat the afflicted person. While this may sound like any medical crisis, it is unlike an emergency in the heart of New York City or in the scenes you may have seen in your favorite medical drama — these EMTs are college students in their 20s.

Among the many diverse student groups and extracurricular activities on campus, Fordham University Emergency Medical Services (FUEMS) is the only one where students can gain hands-on experience providing emergency care to anyone on campus, including students, parents, staff members and faculty.

The Observer spoke with one FUMES EMT to learn more about her shifts on call and the ups and downs of providing emergency medical support to the Fordham Community.

Li Ying Wei, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’21, has volunteered at FUEMS since her first year at Fordham. Wei started training to become an EMT her senior year of high school and was excited to discover Fordham’s student-run emergency medical services (EMS).

“I was like, ‘Oh, that’s great, I can keep volunteering through FUEMS when I come to college,’” Wei said.

All students, regardless of prior EMS experience, are welcome to join and receive training. The students who volunteer at FUEMS then receive free training and a New York state EMS certification before they can start serving the Fordham community.

“ Doing volunteer EMS

work is very hands-on, so you know when someone calls you they really need help. They can depend on you in those vulnerable states. ”

Li Ying Wei,

FCRH ’21

Made up entirely of volunteers, they employ ambulances fully stocked for any medical emergency they may be summoned to and have an active role in ensuring the safety of Fordham’s community.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic saw FUEMS deployed to on-campus testing centers, providing community members with free coronavirus tests.

Acting as medical personnel, FUEMS staff qualify as essential

workers and have had access to vaccines since December 2020, and most, Wei included, have been inoculated.

On Call A typical shift begins with Wei and her fellow volunteers running inventory on the FUEMS ambulance’s medical supplies to ensure that nothing is expired and the ambulance is fully stocked. If Public Safety reports an incident, the EMTs have to be prepared to move quickly.

Being an emergency medical technician is no light task; aspiring EMTs in New York state have to pass a variety of physical and mental screenings before certification. EMTs must not only be prepared to deal with any sort of medical emergency but also must have the ability to keep a cool head in fast-paced emergency situations.

“Doing volunteer EMS work is very hands-on, so you know when someone calls you they really need help,” Wei said. “They can depend on you in those vulnerable states.”

Wei said the type of emergency situations can vary. “You can’t really predict what call you’re gonna get,” she said. Often, she’s called in for respiratory emergencies like asthma attacks or allergic reactions, but she has had to respond to gastrointestinal emergencies as well.

At any moment, FUEMS members can be roused by a simple

message transmitted to their radios: “Base to FUEMS,” followed by a brief description of the emergency. Upon receiving the location, EMTs immediately board the ambulance and check one last time that their equipment is in order. Depending on the severity of the situation, the driver may utilize the ambulance’s lights and sirens.

“ We can’t control the

calls that we receive, and there are some calls that really stay with you that are hard to deal with.”

Li Ying Wei,

FCRH ’21

Upon arriving at the scene, the EMTs quickly access the situation and address the individual who needs care. The EMTs then safely board the individual into the ambulance to deliver them to the hospital.

This is Wei’s favorite part of the job — driving the ambulance with lights and sirens loudly blazing away. “You get to have everything going off and cars move out of the way for you,” Wei said. Delivering a vulnerable person in the rig is no light task, and the driver must pay excellent attention to the traffic on the road while the EMTs in the back

continue their assessment, treatment and documentation.

Supporting Fellow Students For Wei, the most rewarding experience at FUEMS is getting to share her knowledge with new members. “Seeing other people being as excited as I am about FUEMS is very rewarding,” Wei said. When not on a call, Wei spends a lot of her time walking recent recruits through mock-scenarios and hands-on practice.

FUEMS staff spend a lot of time together on shifts, providing a ripe environment for deep friendships to form.

This sense of community can be essential for FUEMS members, Wei said, particularly after dealing with a traumatic call.

“We can’t control the calls that we receive, and there are some calls that really stay with you that are hard to deal with,” Wei said. FUEMS members sometimes partake in debriefings after particularly distressing shifts. She described the “good peer-support system” within the organization.

As a senior majoring in biology, Wei hopes to eventually attend medical school and become a doctor. Until then, she is more than happy to put her EMS skills to use, saying, “I see myself continuing to volunteer.” The greatest boon from her years at FUEMS has been the many colleaguesturned-friends she’s made along the way. “We’re always reaching out to one another,” Wei said.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER March 31, 2021

Sports & Health

7

Fordham Football Drops Season Opener to Holy Cross, 34-24

By CHRISTOPHER MURRAY Staff Writer

Fordham lost its 2021 spring season opener on March 27 to the College of the Holy Cross (CHC) Crusaders, 34-24. The loss may prove to be particularly devastating, as this is one of possibly only four games the Rams will play prior to the Patriot League Championship.

The two teams took very different approaches on offense throughout the game. The Crusaders countered Fordham’s pass-heavy attack with a strong running game, which Fordham failed to find an adequate answer for.

For the Rams, Tim DeMorat, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’22, had a very solid game. The star quarterback threw for 440 passing yards and two touchdowns but also led the team in rushing yards, scrambling from the pocket to gain 44 of the Rams’ 86 total rushing yards.

DeMorat gained more yards through the air than the entire Crusaders offense, but Holy Cross also succeeded offensively. Despite gaining just 362 total yards on offense, the Crusaders found the endzone three times.

The Rams started the game efficiently, disguising the fact that they hadn’t played a competitive game in 490 days. On the team’s first drive, Fordham marched into Holy Cross territory before wide receiver Dequece Carter, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’23, converted a screen into a 46-yard touchdown. Carter would go on to have a fantastic 2021 debut, catching 11 targets for 155 yards.

Holy Cross responded swiftly, with Derek Ng, CHC ’22, connecting on a field goal from 47 yards out. Holy Cross got the ball back with 4:20 left in the first quarter after a Fordham punt. The Crusaders’ drive resulted in another successful field goal for Ng, this time from 37 yards to cut the Fordham lead to one. The score remained 7-6 through the end of the first quarter, with the Rams driving down the field as the quarter closed.

Fordham continued to find offensive success to start the second. The Rams drove 73 yards to the Holy Cross 1-yard line before running back Trey Sneed, FCRH ’21, punched through the goal line for another Fordham touchdown.

After a successful extra point, the Rams found themselves with an eight-point lead, 14-6.

The two teams traded possessions in the forms of punts, turnovers on downs and missed field goals before Holy Cross found some momentum. After another failed drive, Fordham found itself lining up to punt from its own 20-yard line. Holy Cross defensive back Terrence Spence, CHC ’24, broke through the Rams’ offensive line and blocked the punt before recovering the ball in the endzone for a touchdown and once again cutting the Fordham lead to just one point.

Fordham was determined to respond, mustering a 49-yard drive into the Crusaders’ red zone. With six seconds left in the half and seated at Holy Cross’ 10yard line, DeMorat attempted a pass into the endzone which was intercepted. This play proved to be a momentum-shifter, as the Holy Cross offense came out much stronger in the third quarter.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Despite a strong offensive performance, Fordham’s struggles on defense and special teams were costly in its game against Holy Cross.

The X-factor for the Crusaders in the second half was first-year quarterback Matt Sluka, CHC ’24. Following a Fordham turnover on downs and a 48-yard rush by running back Peter Oliver, CHC ’22, Sluka rushed for 15 yards into the endzone to give Holy Cross its first lead of the game, 20-14, a lead they would not surrender for the rest of the game.

After Fordham responded with a 19-yard field goal, Sluka found the endzone again, this time rushing for 57 yards to extend the Crusaders’ lead to 10 before the end of the third quarter.

Fordham’s second half strug-

gles continued in the fourth as the team began with yet another turnover on downs. Holy Cross capitalized on the turnover, with none other than Matt Sluka leading the Crusaders down the field before connecting with Jalen Coker, CHC ’24, for an 11-yard touchdown with 7:52 left in the fourth quarter.

Fordham quickly drove down the field, with DeMorat finding M.J. Wright, FCRH ’23, for a 30yard touchdown, once again cutting the Holy Cross lead to 10.

The comeback effort, however, proved to be too little, too late.

A missed field goal by the Rams with 3:00 left in the game

squashed any hopes Fordham had of coming back. Holy Cross got the ball back and after a brief drive, Sluka knelt to end the game. He finished the game with 145 rushing yards, two rushing TDs, 33 passing yards and one passing TD, leading the Crusaders to the 34-24 victory.

Ultimately, the Rams punted just twice in the game while turning the ball over on downs three times. The Fordham loss drops their season record to 0-1.

The team will need to reevaluate its gameplan before facing Colgate University on April 3, as the shortened season leaves little room for error.

Fordham Softball Sweeps UMass to Begin A10 Conference Play

By PATRICK MOQUIN Sports & Health Editor

After more than a decade of domination, Rose Hill’s hidden dynasty is set to live on for another year at least. The Fordham softball team swept the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Minutewomen in four games this past weekend to improve to 15-3 on the season and 4-0 in the Atlantic 10 (A10) conference.

The first two victories on Friday were hard-fought, but in the second doubleheader the following day, the Rams outscored their opponent 26-2 to take both contests by mercy rule. After the series, Head Coach Melissa Inouye gave her team credit for a well-rounded weekend.

“It was really fun to watch our hitters use all of the field and to hit for power up and down the lineup,”

Inouye said. “Overall, great first conference weekend by our entire team as everyone played a role in some way.”

As the reigning A10 co-Champions of 2019, Fordham didn’t need many more advantages over its first conference opponent to be considered the favorite in the series. But in addition to a reputation as sparkling as their trophy case, the Rams also entered the matchup vastly more prepared than the Minutewomen. UMass had only managed to play four preseason games since March 12, going 2-2, while Fordham had compiled an 11-3 overall record, as well as an eight-game winning streak dating back to March 13.

With four games split over two days, the first doubleheader on Friday was more competitive than the second on Saturday, as both teams

brought their best on the first day of conference play. Madie Aughinbaugh, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences ’22, led off the top of the first with a single and scored on a sacrifice fly later in the inning. The star two-way player then took the mound as Fordham’s ace in the bottom of the inning, but UMass struck back with a two-run rally of its own to take a 2-1 lead.

The Minutewomen maintained a one-run lead until the fifth inning, when Sarah Taffet, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’22, hit a double to right field that allowed Aughinbaugh to score all the way from first base and tie the game.

The Rams scored again the following inning to take the lead on an RBI single from Michaela Carter, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’23, and an insurance run

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Rams outscored the Minutewomen 34-5 in four games in a dominant weekend series sweep to begin conference play.

in the seventh gave the team a safer 4-2 lead. After a tough first inning, Aughinbaugh was dominant on the mound, allowing only two more hits in six innings while striking out seven batters to secure Fordham’s first conference victory of the 2021 season.

The second game of the Friday doubleheader was also closely contested and remained scoreless through the first four innings. With two outs in the top of the fifth, though, Devon Miller, FCRH ’22, worked out a walk, and Carter singled in the next at-bat to put runners in first and third.

Brianna Pinto, FCRH ’21, singled down the left field line to drive in Miller for the first run of the game, and with runners on first and second, Aughinbaugh stepped up to the plate. A few hours earlier, the team captain had led her team to victory with her legs on the base paths and arm on the mound. This time, she powered up, hitting a three-run home run to left field to put Fordham ahead 4-0.

In the top of the sixth, UMass responded with a single run, but beyond that, the opposing batters were no match for Miller on the mound. In addition to starting the game-winning two-out rally, the sophomore pitcher was also unstoppable on the mound in a 12-strikeout complete-game performance.

After two evenly matched games on Friday, it’s difficult to explain the overnight transformation that led to the results of Saturday’s doubleheader. What’s important, though, is that Fordham suddenly became an overwhelming foe for its A10 rival.

In the first game on Saturday, the Rams jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. Bella Ayala, FCRH ’24, hit home runs in the first and third in-

nings, and after a five-run rally in the fourth, Fordham led 10-0.

Anne Marie Prentiss, FCRH ’21, threw five scoreless innings on the mound and didn’t need to return for the sixth and seventh. College softball games end after five innings if one team has a lead of eight runs or more. Known as the mercy rule, it was fresh in the players’ minds as they prepared for the final game of the series later that day.

After a conspicuously silent first inning, the Minutewomen scratched out a run on a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead in the second. It’s arguable that the Rams overreacted to this offensive affront. The team scored seven runs in the third, five runs in the fourth and four runs in the fifth to take a 16-1 lead.

Aughinbaugh started this game on the mound and was well on her way to her second stellar start of the weekend, but it suddenly became clear that her services were no longer necessary. She came out after the fourth with her team far ahead, and while UMass managed to score another run against Makenzie McGrath, GSBRH ’22, it was a pittance as Fordham went on to win another game by mercy rule in a 16-2 romp.

The Rams aren’t alone as the only high-powered team in the A10 conference, and it’s unlikely that every series this season is as overwhelmingly favorable as this one. Saint Joseph’s University and Dayton University are also off to undefeated starts and could represent legitimate competition as the season wears on.

What’s clear, though, is that Fordham is once again a contender in a sport the university has controlled for years, and with Inouye at the helm and Aughinbaugh leading the team, the historic run of success could very well continue into this new decade.

Fordham Community Reacts to Anti-Asian Ha AAPI students and faculty address the spike in anti-Asian hate crimes and mass shooting in Atlanta, Georgia

By INSIYA GANDHI Staff Writer

Trigger warning: racial violence “Gaining equality is about decolonization and realizing this didn’t start with Donald Trump or the media,” Yunuen Cho, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, said.

“This is a country that was built by enslaved individuals including Asian peoples. It’s not just the language of ‘Chinese Virus,’ it's the normalization of seeing Asians as overseas war efforts,” she said.

On March 16, a white gunman shot and killed eight people at three different massage parlors in Atlanta, Georgia. This hate crime targeted Asian people; six of the victims were Asian, and all but one were women.

The attack sparked conversations about racism toward Asian people in the U.S. and its history in legislation, U.S. imperialist conquest and acts of mass violence.

“ I want people to

understand Asian history in the United States is one of oppression that didn’t start with the media. I want our minds to be decolonized and to learn we can’t blame certain people for an entire history of racism that spans years and years in the making. ”

Yunuen Cho, FCLC ’21

University Efforts and Missteps

1. Create more AAPI teaching positions.

In response to the incidents, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham University, released a statement condemning “the use of hateful rhetoric and violence against people of Asian descent, and the xenophobic and racist thinking which underlies those attacks.”

Regine Anastacio, FCLC ’21 and president of Filipinos of LC Offering Welcome (FLOW), was glad that the university addressed the hate crimes, but wished more action was demonstrated.

“I’m glad that the university was able to address the issue but I would’ve liked to have read more about what actions the university wants to take to protect their POC students,” she said.

Cho said the statement felt detached from the everyday experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students.

“Father McShane is obviously go-

ord in

g

t

sity iver Un n ts he stude o

Steps for Acc t

2. Dedicate courses to AAPI topics to educate students about these issues.

3. Practice BIPOC unity.

ing to speak about issues concern- nocent people, in ing his students but I believe he is en of Asian descen too entrenched in the institution to last week in Atlan fully understand what emotions I ed their efforts to and other Asian students feel, espe- ism at Fordham an cially since Asians all have differ- broader communi ent experiences and might not feel Kana Seiki, FC connected to one issue or another,” the shock and hor she said. ing about the Atla The AAPI Club released a state- Instagram infogra ment on Instagram denouncing the lived in Japan for attacks and all other anti-Asian ed upon the safe hate crimes. The club also linked her family and fe resources for students and advice may to live in a on how to support the community with racism and h in the midst of these attacks.

Other members of the university addressed the violence in their own ways. Rafael Zapata, chief diversity officer, issued a stateWe bu ment denouncing the “hateful political rhetoric, xenophobia railroads, an and scapegoating of people there was a poin of Chinese and East Asian descent.” only given vis Zapata hosted two panels professional docto on anti-Asian violence on March 24 and March 29 with where do you thin featured AAPI speakers. come from? People n On March 24, Jennie Park-Taylor, associate profeson how deep racis sor of counseling psychology, runs in the Un discussed the duality between feeling invisible as an Asian Yunuen woman in certain spaces, and hyFCLC per-visible in environments where she is the only Asian in a room.

She also mentioned the stereotypes of Asian women, and that even though a great deal of hatred targets Chinese people, this racism “It really hur does not discriminate, impacting about how these p all East and Southeast Asians. ed a gun at and sh Mary Balingit, associate direc- were doing was wo tor for diversity initiatives in the ful salon… It’s sho Office of Admissions, touched on and then numbnes jokes about Asians eating dogs and Gabrielle Calar other domesticated animals, result- pressed discomfor ing in the othering of non-Western she believed that diets, as well as the hypersexuality erences to COVID of Asian women who are viewed as virus” worsened h docile and subservient. This inter- AAPI community. section between race, gender and Calara said she sexuality is rooted in historical ple who were lost events such as comfort women. also feared for th During the panel, a petition was “It became very d circulated to establish Asian Amer- know that I have A ican studies at Fordham. own nail salons a and how they coul Students React to Atlanta people who would Hate Crime and hurt them.”

Yoshimi Eder, F In an email to the Fordham turbed by the Atl community, the deans of arts and fense of the shoo sciences at FCLC expressed their micro-aggressions “horror at the massacres of eight in- “They were sayin

“

“ It would me

4. Host a discussion on how anti-Asian hate crimes affect AAPI students’ mental health.

5. Create a reading list for students and faculty to educate them about Asian history in the United States.

AAPI commu campus clubs departments w official state least formally the anti-AAP going

FCRH ’23 and

ate Crimes

uilt your nd then later nt when we were sas if we were ors and lawyers... nk the stereotypes need to be educated sm against Asians nited States.”

n Cho, C ’21

t. Just thinking people were pointhot when all they orking in a peaceock, sadness, rage, ss,” she said. ra, FCLC ’24, exrt and worry, and t the media’s refD-19 as a “China hate towards the

e grieved the peoin the attack and hose close to her: difficult for me to AAPI friends who nd service stores, ld be in danger to d simply come in

FCLC ’24, was dislanta sheriff’s deoter’s motives and s she witnessed: ng he had a bad

ean a lot to the unity if other and academic would release ements or at y acknowledge PI hate that is g on.”

Arthur Liu, d president of the Asian Cultural Exchange club

The Dangers of the Model Minority Myth

The anti-Asian violence panel underscored the prevalence and dangers of the “model minority myth” that Asians are boxed into, in which members of a minority status who on average achieve a higher socioeconomic success than other minority groups are considered problem-free.

The model minority myth neglects that Asian Americans have the highest rate of income inequality within the racial group. It was also created to spur tensions between Asian Americans and Black and Hispanic communities.

Balingit encouraged solidarity between communities of color, understanding that minority groups are allies against white supremacy.

Arthur Liu, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’23 and president of the Asian Cultural Exchange Club, said: “The model minority myth is an artificial myth that arose out of a need to ‘divide and conquer’ the several minority groups in the U.S.” He continued, “It portrays Asian Americans as innately gifted in things like STEM and music, which is actually quite dehumanizing. So instead of working towards true equality and the abolishment of white supremacy, other minority groups are pitted against one another and a hierarchy is created.”

Cho emphasized that all Asians are not wealthy and prosperous.

“We built your railroads, and then later there was a point when we

co Ac

de nt

3. Educate yourself on Asian history in the United States.

s

day. You know if it was a person of color who did that, it would’ve had a different title, the media coverage would have been different, but because he was white and believed in God, he was just having a bad day,” Eder said.

Anastacio also expressed disgust with the same comment made by the Atlanta sheriff. “The members of FLOW and I felt so heavy because these women were just going to work, doing their job, in the middle of a pandemic too, so they were already risking their lives,” she said. “To hear that the shooter was ‘just having a bad day’ is completely unacceptable and I feel like it’s taking way too long for them to prosecute the attacker.”

s for Stude p e St rding to stu nt

s

ncluding six womnt, that took place nta.” They reiteratpromote anti-racnd throughout the ty.

LC ’24, described rror she felt learnanta shooting via aphics. Seiki, who r 12 years, reflectty of herself and elt a sense of disa country riddled hatred.

1. Be mindful of what you repost on social media and how it may be triggering.

2. Support small businesses run by AAPI and BIPOC owners.

were only given visas if we were professional doctors and lawyers... where do you think the stereotypes come from? People need to be educated on how deep racism against Asians runs in the United States.”

4. Club leaders should release statements about anti-AAPI hate.

Students and Faculty Outline Actions Toward Combating Anti-Asian Hate Seiki recommended that students look for anti-Asian acts or mindsets, and to refrain from posting videos of Asians being harassed or assaulted because the material may be triggering.

Calara suggested hosting discussions on the recent attacks and the toll it has taken on AAPI students’ mental health.

Anastacio desired concrete action from the university, such as hiring more AAPI faculty and staff.

“I think that the university should have actions in place if there are any AAPI crimes that happen. And in the long term, perhaps give more AAPI teaching positions and offer more AAPI courses because becoming educated about these issues is a key step to moving forward,” she said.

Anastacio also stressed continuing to fight for equality, educating ourselves, having conversations with others and practicing BIPOC unity.

Cho demanded education: “I want the university to give a reading list. I want people to understand Asian history in the United States is one of oppression that didn’t start with the media. I want our minds to be decolonized and to learn we can’t blame certain people for an entire history of racism that spans years and years in the making,” she said.

Liu encouraged other clubs and academic departments to openly discuss the attacks: “It would mean a lot to the AAPI community if other campus clubs and academic departments would release official statements or at least formally acknowledge the anti-AAPI hate that is going on,” he said.

“ Keep in mind of how much information you are putting on social media and how triggering it may be for some people.”

Kana Seiki, FCLC ’24

5. Practice BIPOC unity.

“ I think that the university

should have actions in place if there are any AAPI crimes that happen. And in the long term, perhaps give more AAPI teaching positions and offer more AAPI courses because becoming educated about these issues is a key step to moving forward.”

Regine Anastacio, FCLC ’21 and president of FLOW

“ I think they should

consider hosting a discussion session of how these attacks affected an AAPI member’s mental health.”

Gabrielle Calara, FCLC ’24

Opinions Editor Emily Ellis - eellis14@fordham.edu

Opinions

March 31, 2021 THE OBSERVER

Observer the

March Midterms Madness

Editor-in-Chief Sophie Partridge-Hicks

Students weigh in on an overwhelming extended midterms season

Managing Editor Marielle Sarmiento

workloads and making deadlines easier to meet, this has put students on high-stress “midterms mode” for the past month. With the semester being shortened by two weeks and spring break only lasting one day, students are facing the same workload as a normal semester but with less time to complete assignments and almost no downtime to relax. In fact, many students used their one-day spring break to catch up on their midterm assignments.

“Midterms have been going on since the last week of February. It feels like every professor decided to assign nine things due every week. It’s impossible to get them all done and just feels insanely overwhelming. It’s draining enough doing online courses, and the workload this semester is not helping,” said Caitlin Leib, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’23.

Online courses unfortunately are not ideal for many students, and they create an unfamiliar environment for students with no separation of school and home.

Given this, a shortened semester in which all professors expect students to do more work than usual is only increasing stress for students in an already difficult semester.

A minor two-week change has made major and harmful impacts for students this spring. With the added stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and an accelerated semester, students are facing never-ending exams and assignments with no time to relax and enjoy their college or local community.

Business Manager Owen Roche

ISABELLA SCIPIONI Staff Writer

Midterms: one stress-filled week each semester filled with exams, essays, presentations and any other assignment you can think of to account for at least 20% of your final grade. In a normal year, these exams fall midway through the semester, and although they’re exhausting, exams are finished within about a week.

But Fordham’s delayed start to the spring 2021 semester and continued remote learning environment forced some professors to break the old norms and administer midterms depending on their own class structure and timeline. Although these are “unprecedented times,” the unofficial schedule for midterms was there for a reason, and students are struggling with this stretched-out timeline. An extended midterms period during an already stressful semester has made this semester’s exam season more frustrating and exhausting than necessary.

“ Midterms have been going on since the last week of February. It feels like every professor decided to assign nine things due every week.

It’s impossible to get them all done and just feels insanely overwhelming. ”

Caitlin Leib, FCLC ’23

Midterms Month?

Starting the semester in February caused concern among students and professors as to when they would receive a break. Would it be in the original middle of the semester based on the Jan. 19 start date, or in the new middle of the semester based on the Feb. 1 start date?

Because of this confusion, there is little agreement among professors on when to test students.

Rather than spreading out students’

More Tests Do Not Equal Less Stress Professors in and out of the Fordham community have always noticed that midterms are a source of stress for students since they place high stakes and extensive studying on one exam or assignment. In response, some are administering midterms twice, in the first- and second-third of the semester.

Although this does give students more opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and requires them to study less information, it makes the overly stressful midterms season come more than just once a semester.

Not only do students face more exams under this model, but with a shortened semester, their exams are closer together. Students are given less time to relax between their exams and constantly need to prepare for the next one.

The Dreaded Finals Week This year, I had my first round of midterm exams and assignments due in the first two weeks of March, with an exam and an essay due in mid-March.

My second round of midterms will be held in the two weeks following Easter weekend. This leaves just three weeks of relative calm before final exams begin — and I’m not alone in my concern for the fast-approaching end of the semester.

“Midterm exams for one class are sandwiched between essay due dates in every other class. And soon, it will be time for finals,” said Maya Hurney, FCLC ’23.

Since the semester is shorter this year, of course, finals will feel closer than they usually do. Still, with no agreement on when midterms should be held, no spring break for students to relax, and extra exams and assignments due throughout the semester, students have little time to finish studying for their midterms before they begin preparing for their final exams.

A Semester to Remember College and midterms will always be stressful, and although there are different philosophies and approaches to these exams for every professor, Fordham should be trying to put less on students’ plates during this already stressful semester, not more.

It is too late to change the spring semester schedule, but it is not too late for Fordham’s administration to support their students. Fordham should hold more events, virtual or in-person, to help students destress and try to enjoy themselves in a frustrating semester.

Most importantly, there needs to be an emphasis on prioritizing self-care and taking it easy sometimes. Try to find time in your busy schedule to watch your favorite movie, hang out with your friends or spend a day in the park.

It certainly hasn’t been an easy semester for anyone, and scrambling through exams and assignments through the majority of the term serves as one of the many trials and tribulations of attending college during a pandemic. A “normal” semester is just on the horizon, but students struggling to keep up with constant exams and assignments will always be one of the worst attributes of college in the era of COVID-19.

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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER

Midterm season has had less structure this year. Individual professors have largely set their own timelines for when to administer tests and projects, contributing to a midterm season that has lasted most of March and is still ongoing.

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THE OBSERVER March 31, 2021

Opinions

11

American Men Have Been Taught to Fetishize Asian Women

On March 16, 2021, a man committed a hate crime and killed eight people, six of whom were Asian women, in three massage parlors in Atlanta, Georgia.

The names of the eight victims are as follows: Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan and Daoyou Feng.

Shortly after the hate crime occurred, I shared a post related to the Atlanta shooting on my Instagram story, highlighting that it was a hate crime against sex workers. Someone responded to it, telling me that these massage parlors are often prostitution rings, playing devil’s advocate in a situation that is nothing short of inhumane.

My response to them: So what?

Even if they were prostitutes, did

they deserve to die?

The fact these massage parlor employees could have been sex workers is not at all a means to justify the shooting. It’s actually a large part of why the shooting occurred. Not only are Asian women seen as part of the “model minority” myth, but we are also perceived as small, dainty, submissive and obedient. We are seen as innocent and even “pure,” which plays into the archaic, evangelically rooted belief that women are more desirable when they are untouched.

Capt. Jay Baker of the county’s police department said in a press conference that the shooter “apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction, and sees these locations as a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate.”

The shooter was said to frequent these Asian spas as a way to indulge his so-called sex addiction. He does not have to admit to fetishizing Asian women — it is all too obvious and feels all too familiar to those of us who are aware of just how common this fetishization is.

As a response to the Atlanta shooting, the phrase “Stop Asian Hate” has been circulating on

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER

social media and appearing on signs as people take to the streets to protest. Quite frankly, this umbrella term makes me cringe. I question whether half the people using the hashtag have any idea how deeply ingrained anti-Asian discrimination is in United States history.

I’ve read articles compiling lists of ways to help: donate, report hate crimes, volunteer, check in on your Asian friends, support Asian-owned businesses, and educate yourself.

For some reason, “educate” always comes last, if it makes the list at all. Perhaps it’s because everything else, like donating or texting your friends, can be done easily and quickly, but education takes time, effort and discomfort.

Donating and texting certainly will make people feel better that they at least did something.

So, I implore you to recognize anti-Asian racism for what it is: systemic. While the Atlanta shooting may have been shocking to some, this did not just happen out of nowhere. The shooter did not simply have a “bad day.” Asian hate crimes have spiked because of COVID-19, but let’s get one thing straight: COVID-19 did not cause Asian hate — it exacerbated a long-existing problem. Racism against Asians has always been here, and so has the hyper-sexualization and fetishization of Asian women.

For starters, let’s focus on how U.S. military presence in South Korea has abused its power over Korean women’s bodies.

Dating back to September 1945, the U.S. military has established military bases in South Korea. This lasted throughout the Korean War and remains a problem today. In the early 2000s, there were an estimated 35,000 U.S. troops situated in South Korea. Today, there are about 28,500 troops.

Where there are troops, there are young Asian women selling their bodies to American soldiers.

The areas surrounding U.S. military bases have become known as “camptowns.” All these towns

are centers for commercial sex, both in South Korea and at U.S. military bases around the world.

These camptowns are made up of the same formula of clubs, bars, liquor stores, drug stores and brothels, and they all contain prostitution.

Camptowns began to flourish after the 1953 Korea-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty. More of these towns appeared around the country as the United States colonized more of South Korea. Koreans living in these areas were at the complete mercy of American soldiers. As a result, selling sex became an easy way to making a living.

Toward the end of World War II, Korean local governments became increasingly aware of how American soldiers were taking advantage of local women. Thus, authorities of the U.S. Army Forces in Korea introduced a “hands off Korean women” policy stating that American soldiers were not allowed to form relationships with Korean women unless they were prostitutes.

The South Korean government knowingly supported this because the U.S. military presence was beneficial to the South Korean economy. How do you keep soldiers happy in South Korea?

Allow them access to Korean women’s bodies with very little cost or consequence.

The act of excluding prostitutes is problematic on several levels in that it reduces a sex worker’s humanity, and it introduced a narrative that American men should not view Korean women as people they can have relationships with but as bodies they can use for their own sexual gratification.

In the 1970s, camptowns experienced instability when there were sudden troop reductions in South Korea. As some of the troops disappeared, so did the jobs for women who were previously reliant on American soldiers for money. As a result, these sex workers eventually found their way to the United States, specifically around military bases in

southern states such as Georgia.

These women worked at or opened massage parlors from which they offered sexual services to American men. So, yes, these massage parlors in the Atlanta shooting may have offered prostitution services. Yes, in 2014, police had arrested several massage parlor employees for prostitution at Gold Spa, one of the businesses the shooter had targeted. But that is only because sex work at these spas is a direct result of American colonization and is made particularly profitable because of colonial stereotypes.

Don’t be fooled. This shooting was not an isolated incident; violence against Asian women in the sex industry has a long history that’s also rooted in colonialism.

Back in 1974, when Korean sex workers first arrived in southern military bases, a 25-year-old American soldier attacked two women in Fort Carson, Colorado.

The soldier stabbed and slit the throat of Yon Lee. He then raped and murdered Sun Ok Cousin.

So no, the Atlanta shooting is not just one in an unfortunate series of events, but rather an example of how the objectification of Asian women has always and will continue to harm us. It translates into violence and hate that permeates the history of Asian Americans.

The history of South Korean camptowns, which still exist in abundance today, is just one specific aspect of the anti-Asian racism that we need to educate ourselves on in order to prevent further discrimination against Asian Americans. However, it’s an important focal point in the aftermath of the Atlanta shooting, especially in order to minimize the fetishization and objectification of Asian women.

The media is not going to help you understand how America’s history of interfering with Asian countries is harmful to Asian bodies today, but you can put in the effort to read about it. Learn it. Recognize it. And maybe then, we might finally stand a chance against this violence.

My Childhood Under Military Dictatorship in Myanmar HAN OO Contributing Writer

“Why are monks protesting in the streets?” I asked my papa when I was eight years old. The streets were filled with monks with their saffron-colored robes marching down major streets in the city. During the 2007 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Myanmar was hit economically as well as physically. In the aftermath, Buddhist monks could not stand to watch the people of Myanmar suffering, so they went to the streets to protest. They said that the government had not taken any action to help the people.

The 2007-08 Saffron Revolution was a peaceful protest led by Buddhist monks against the Burmese military dictatorship. I was only eight, sitting on the shoulders of my papa, but I protested alongside them.

As a daughter of an asylum seeker living in the United States, I was completely shocked by the military coup that took place on Feb. 1, 2021. I was born in Yangon, Myanmar. Until I immigrated to the United States at 10, I grew up under a military dictatorship.

For the first 10 years of my life, I was only exposed to military propaganda.

It was not until I went through schooling in the United States that

I learned about democracy and individual rights. Hearing about the American Constitution in my AP United States History class, I dreamt about a Burmese version of democracy for my people back at home, imagining beautiful scriptures filled with pages and pages of the Burmese language.

It took me eight years to become an American citizen. Before I became a citizen, I could not go back to Myanmar because it was not safe for me as a daughter of a political activist. In 2017, I finally went back home and was able to see my family for the first time in seven years.

When I was there at the end of 2019, I passed by Aung San Suu Kyi’s home. Suu Kyi is the daughter of a general who helped Myanmar gain independence from Great Britain. As a result, she was put on house arrest. I remember when I was attending school, her home used to be lined with barricades. Now, the barricades were gone. Myanmar was marching toward democracy as the 2020 November election approached.

The skyline of Yangon was slowly filling up as other nations invested in Myanmar’s infrastructure. I saw new hope for the future of Myanmar. Myanmar citizens, both domestic and international, went out to the polling sites and embassies to vote in the

November 2020 election. The National League for Democracy (NLD) party won the election.

On Feb. 1, 2021, the day the newly elected government officials were supposed to be sworn in, a coup occurred. The coup happened early in the morning when the entirety of Myanmar was asleep. All the communication channels had been cut off except for the military-owned channels. The internet, phones and even news channels were all shut down by the military.

Myanmar is a unique country made up of more than 135 ethnic groups. However, not all of them have equal rights. As a child, the military brainwashed me into believing that the non-Bamar ethnic groups living in Myanmar were troublemakers.

It was not until I left government-funded school and came to the United States that I learned the sad reality. When I first learned the word “refugee” in school, I was taken aback. As the military coup was taking place, I finally understood everything the Burmese refugees were fighting for.

As a university student, I am tired. I am tired of being brainwashed by the military for the first 10 years of my childhood.

I am tired of hearing about my parents and their university lives during the 8/8/88 Uprising. I am

tired of listening to my grandfather and hearing what the military did to our independence after his father fought along with General Aung San for the freedom of Myanmar.

However, my hope prevails.

General Aung San paved a path

for Myanmar and its democracy when Myanmar was freed from Great Britain. As the Civil Disobedience Movement gains momentum in Myanmar, my hope is that this generation and those to come will join and fight for democracy in Myanmar.

COURTESY OF HAN OO

Protests have sprung up across the world, including in New York, in support of democracy in Myanmar. Oo has attended three since the coup.

12

Opinions

March 31, 2021 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

New York’s Financial Situation Is Better Than You Think

In my last column, I wrote that I’m optimistic about New York’s post-pandemic future and provided a litany of reasons why.

Here is another one: While the state projected a 31% decline in revenue for the 2020 fiscal year from the prior year, its actual losses were only 1.6%, according to the research outlet Wirepoints.

The city and state largely avoided the massive economic fallout that they predicted.

Remember the hysterical stories claiming that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) was going to cut the subway service by 40% and the Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) by 50%?

MTA leadership predicted that at least one LIRR line would be eliminated in its entirety, and other lines would only be available once in a given twohour period. One public transit interest group called Riders Alliance staggeringly posited that the MTA could eliminate up to 12 subway lines. None of this ever happened, nor did I expect it to.

The federal government was not about to deny a bailout to the public transportation system servicing the nation’s largest city. In the 1970s, New York City suffered from astronomical crime rates and a massive population exodus — and it nearly declared

bankruptcy. Yet when the New York Daily News ran its now famous “Drop Dead” headline summarizing then-President Gerald Ford’s position on emergency funding for a near-bankrupt New York, Ford reneged and gave the city a bailout. The MTA, in contrast, was not the subject of any sort of political controversy.

Despite being in one of the worst shapes financially of any state at the moment, New York is rapidly closing the gaps in its funding losses.

Despite then-President Donald Trump’s unwillingness to give bailouts to “blue states” throughout his tenure during the pandemic, he signed the CARES Act and other funding provisions that gave billions of dollars to every state, including those with Democratic-controlled state governments.

Notice, however, an issue absent from the MTA’s plans to save money: employee benefits and administrative costs. When added together, a whopping 60% of the MTA’s budget is spent on employee salaries and benefits, from standard payroll (32%) to pensions (8%) to health insurance (13%). Granted, the type of service cuts that the MTA discussed don’t take place in a vacuum, and many employees would have certainly seen their hours cut, but a serious discussion surrounding administrative

bloat and benefits for employees was never even mentioned during the pandemic.

New York’s Citizens Budget Commission found even before the pandemic that “Benefits provided to the MTA’s represented workforce are comparable to—or in some cases more generous than—those received by other public sector workers, but their contribution towards the costs is less than that of other State workers and non-represented employees at the MTA.” There is a strong case to be made that the MTA, and by extension local governments across the nation, should be compensated for their losses due to the pandemic, but that money should not be handed out without strings attached. There is a difference between extending federal funding and simply giving a bailout. The federal government frequently doles out money in the form of categorical grants, wherein the cash is restricted to a specific purpose. Let’s do that here.

Still, the (so far) incorrect suggestion that the MTA may cut service is becoming somewhat of a rallying cry for various progressive groups. One such group writes that New York’s budget deficit (falsely labeled here as $60 billion) could result in “shutting down the subway and bus service we all rely on.”

Here’s the catch with that claim: New York’s budget deficit is not $60 billion. The website does not cite a source for this claim, but it appears that the group rounded up from a $59 billion estimate for a budget deficit between 2020-2022 that Gov. Andrew Cuomo put out last October.

This deficit never even came close to being realized, mostly due to the federal government coming to the rescue. Despite being in one of the worst shapes financially of any state at the moment, New York is rapidly closing the gaps in its funding losses.

After New York found itself as ground zero for the pandemic last spring, it reopened crucial sectors of the economy later than most states. The fact that New York only lost $1.27 billion in revenue between 2019 and 2020 is miraculous. With the passage of the new $1.9 trillion stimulus package, the state is set to receive over $12 billion in additional funds. That number doesn’t even include support for local governments and the MTA. It is beginning to appear that these false claims of New York’s deficit are just a plea for more cash rather than actual grievances as a result of pandemic-related losses.

That begs the question: What more is needed? Cuomo proposed raising the top state income tax rate to 10.86%, effectively making the highest earners in New York City pay a marginal 14.7% state income tax rate, the highest in the nation. Democrats argue that wealthy individuals won’t leave a state solely because of higher taxes. If that is true, the Democratic-controlled federal government shouldn’t need to bail out New York and other blue states that are simply raising taxes to cover their already very small revenue holes.

At some point, enough is enough. The federal government gave out much-needed funds to cash-strapped states and localities throughout last year. Now, we are squeezing American taxpayers to bail out states that refuse to cut spending or take any cost-saving measures. Once again, irresponsibility is rewarded.

MTA OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

MTA officers hold a press conference in March 2020 to talk about the organization’s pandemic response. MTA service has not been cut back nearly to the extent that many people expected in the past year.

Dating Apps Are Not as Bad as They Seem DIANA SILVA Staff Writer

It’s safe to say that we’ve all wrestled with the idea of entering the world of online dating. Some of us have actually downloaded dating apps to see what all the buzz is about.

Dating apps like Tinder, Bumble or Hinge have been around for years but spiked in use during the pandemic.

There are many reasons why people might join dating apps. It might be a coping mechanism for a rough breakup with your high school sweetheart or your roommate snatching your phone and making a profile. The possibilities are endless when it comes to the types of people who end up on a dating app, but often, once you join, you can’t give it up.

Tinder and Bumble, along with other dating apps, have more of a hook-up reputation that people tend to forget there is beauty behind it all. Although there are questionable dates that come from these apps, through all that digging, it’s worth it when you find someone special to connect with. These apps open you up to people you wouldn’t generally meet on a day-to-day basis.

Just like real-life dating, online dating has its ups and downs. While it’s nice hitting it off with a stranger who has the same interests as you do and getting the giddy feeling of having a crush, it takes a lot of swiping to find even just one person you kind of like.

Thousands of people on dating apps join with a different purpose. Some might be looking for something more casual with

no strings attached while others are looking for a steady relationship.

Then there’s the group I fall in: The ones who have no idea what they’re doing and aren’t exactly looking for something serious but are also not against the idea. This essentially ends up in lots of friend-zoning.

There are so many possibilities when you encounter a profile. You can either swipe right or swipe left, or if you’re feeling bold and spicy you can even Super Like someone on Tinder, SuperSwipe someone on Bumble or give a “rose” on Hinge.

You can match or unmatch with the person. It hurts a little bit if you don’t match with someone

you really liked, and you get a bit sad. This sadness only lasts about two minutes, though, until you come across another appealing profile on the app and forget all about the 6’2 football jock with a cute dog.

It’s difficult navigating through masses of people on these dating apps because you don’t know what their intentions are for connecting with you and, of course, because they’re complete strangers. But there’s nothing like the exhilarating feeling you get when you have a pleasing back-and-forth conversation with a match.

The best thing about meeting these strangers is the adventure and openness of it all. You just

never know. Maybe you thought your type was tall, athletic brunette boys, but joining these apps opens your mind to other types of people you never thought you would be attracted to. That athletic jock type might shift to an intelligent nerd who loves Harry Potter.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had plenty of horrible dating experiences that have permanently made my “top 10 stories I have to tell at parties,” but the good ones definitely outweigh the trauma I’ve gotten from the bad ones.

I think one of the funniest dates I’ve been on consisted of a guy I met on Tinder taking out a tape measure and measuring

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY GILLIAN RUSSO/THE OBSERVER

his height to prove to me he was actually 5’10. Nothing like a good old tape measure in your back pocket to verify that height on your baseball roster.

Recently, I went out with a guy on Bumble and we had a conversation sparked from our very different views on Freud.

Did I think this guy was going to be my soulmate right off the bat?

Absolutely not.

When you sign up for these apps, the bar is set so low, but the possibility that a person could be someone you form a connection with is an inexplicable thrill. We actually went on a couple of dates and they went significantly well. The spontaneity of the dates ranged from buying sushi and chocolate-covered espresso beans at Trader Joe’s to getting coffee and walking through the city.

I’ll let you be the judge of whether or not dating apps are your choice of meeting your next soulmate or next fling. Look at the bright side, though: If you don’t find your next significant other on Bumble, you’ll definitely find your next funny story to tell at parties.

The beauty of dating apps is that they take you out of your comfort zone. Is there a possibility that the person behind that profile is a completely different person? Yes, but you’ll never know unless you allow yourself to go out with the people you meet. If you’re thinking about joining a dating app, just do it.

We all need to stop hating on dating apps and consider downloading one. The world is too big a place for us to limit ourselves to what’s within our insular community. You might be surprised by what you find.

Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editors Ethan Coughlin - ecoughlin7@fordham.edu Vicky Carmenate - vcarmenate@fordham.edu March 31, 2021

THE OBSERVER

Rockstar Rams: The Student Behind Solace Jewelry Fordham sophomore Saman Peyman starts her own sustainable brand featuring handmade designs

By VICKY CARMENATE Arts & Culture Editor

Saman Peyman has loved jewelry for as long as she can remember.

Her childhood years were spent doing the same thing she’s doing now: making and selling jewelry.

The Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) sophomore and theatre student re-sparked her passion with the launch of her own brand, Solace Jewelry.

Coming to New York from California, Peyman quickly became immersed in the Fordham Theatre community, working on shows and classes and keeping up with friends.

She described the space as sacred: “It always gets messy when you use your emotions, so in a way, there is always a part of you that’s in the theater.”

Now, with classes being online, that experience has changed.

Creating a makeshift theater inside of her bedroom meshed her personal life with her art. Jewelry-making has been a way for her to maintain creativity without feeling like her space needs to be dedicated to her personal life or acting.

Sustainability and Style Peyman named her brand after one of the meanings of her name, stemming from her Persian heritage. She explained that she wanted her jewelry to have meaning past the physical object. “That’s really what solace is; it’s something tangible, to hold and it can be a source of comfort,” she said. “It is something that you can kind of tie to your own identity.”

When creating the brand, Peyman wanted to focus on sustainability: “One of the most significant concerns I have in the world is the environment. A goal of mine is to become more active in reversing the damage humans have had on the world.”

She has constantly remained aware of how capitalism leads to overconsumption, especially within the fashion industry.

So far, Peyman has stuck to making customized necklaces with beads that are upcycled or thrifted. In addition to the beads, she adds her own freshwater pearls that her mother gave her.

She also upcycles old jewelry that she no longer wears and encourages her customers to reach out to her and do the same.

“ That’s really what solace is; it’s something tangible, to hold and it can be a source of comfort. It is something that you can kind of tie to your own identity. ”

Saman Peyman, FCLC ’23

“Because I use a lot of freshwater pearls, it can be a bit more pricey than the college student’s

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAMAN PEYMAN

Saman Peyman uses recycled beads from her personal jewelry collection or thrift stores to make her pieces for Solace Jewelry.

budget,” she said. She emphasized that people can come to her with ideas, price ranges, and old jewelry or beads. “If something is too expensive for someone and they want fewer pearls or different beads, I am super open to collaborating to create something together.”

Besides the designs that she has listed on her Instagram, she also works with people on commissions and custom pieces. Each necklace on her Instagram has meaning and is completely unique. Peyman rarely copies something that she’s done in the past, believing the process is uniquely personal to the customer.

Cultural Identity of Solace Peyman fondly remembers her childhood self as a girl who was already a businesswoman. She attributed this drive to her cultural heritage and her mother who always helped and invested in her from the start.

She remarked that part of her cultural identity is being generous.

Taarof, she explained, is a Persian tradition that practices civility and manners. “You’re constantly offering: offering food, fighting to pay the bill, just a constant cycle of exchange and offer.” It is a behavior that emphasizes the importance of friendship and taking care of one another.

This sense of identity tied with her personal love language, gift-giving, drove her to create jewelry that made people feel special. For her, jewelry has been more than a way to earn money as a busy student; it has also created connections and maintained relationships with friends and family.

The people in her life have been the biggest supporters of Peyman’s jewelry dreams since she started at nine years old.

She mentioned that even a childhood friend reached out to her to commission a piece. “The last time I saw her I was probably 10

years old, so I was really surprised and happy I got to go see her and grab a coffee.”

Juggling a Business as a Student Since Peyman is an acting student in the theatre program, her schedule differs from the average college student. A regular nine-tofive job would not cater to the long hours that she spends in rehearsals after classes. She found that working freelance on commissions in her spare time was a way for her to keep working despite her already full schedule.

Besides pursuing an acting degree, Peyman is also starting to work on a marketing minor.

Though she has only taken a few classes, she has already found that her business has helped her in class, and her class has helped with her business.

Most of her marketing experience has come from social media,

where she has observed how other brands use the platform and applied it to her own. She’s also trusted herself in the process and asked what she would want from Solace if she was the one buying her pieces.

The Future for Solace As of right now, Peyman mostly has chokers on her page, since they are her favorite to make and wear. She aims for the chokers to be delicate and elegant, but as her business grows, she plans to test out different styles. She’s tried Y2K (the year 2000) styles as well, but she said that she remains open to trying any style that people prefer.

On April 5, she will be releasing a new set of styles. Customers can look out for chokers and bracelets, all of varying aesthetics.

She hopes to expand from working with beads and moving onto chains in the future. Either way, she hopes her pieces bring everyone a little solace.

14

Arts & Culture

March 31, 2021 THE OBSERVER

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The Long-Deferred Racial Reckoning of ‘The Bachelor’

Viewers of the TV show respond to rampant racism in franchise and its deeper problems with representation contestants as villainous, aggressive and abrasive, and its white women as coy and virtuous.

“Female Latinx and Black contestants like Bibiana Julian and Onyeka Ehie have been portrayed as dramatic and fiery, as the franchise lazily stereotypes them. On the other hand, white women like Rachael Kirkconnell are portrayed as soft-spoken, innocent women. When hearing other contestants describe Kirkconnell, it is clear that she was an energetic, talkative young woman who did not have the bland personality production gave her,” Duffy said.

By INSIYA GANDHI Contributing Writer

Expand diversity, implement significant changes and reflect all the world’s beautiful love stories — these are some of the promises made by the producers of “The Bachelor” to expand diversity. Attempting to deliver, two Black leads — Tayshia Adams, Season 16 of “The Bachelorette,” and Matt James, the first Black Bachelor 25 seasons after the show’s inception — were cast in the last year.

Yet, despite these actions, the franchise has once again found itself in a racial controversy.

Season 25 winner Rachael Kirkconnell was accused of bullying women for expressing interest in Black men, liking racially insensitive posts on Instagram, including one with confederate flags in the background, dressing up in a stereotypical Mexican costume for Halloween, and attending an Antebellum themed-plantation ball in college.

Kirkconnell confronted the grave accusations on her Instagram, but not before the show’s host and face of the franchise, Chris Harrison, passionately and enthusiastically defended Kirkconnell’s actions in an Extra TV interview with Rachel Lindsay, the franchise’s first Black Bachelorette.

In the interview, Harrison, the executive producer of the series who has been indifferent about contestants’ well-being and safety, referred to Kirkconnell as a “poor girl” and that audiences interested in accountability were the “woke police.”

“ Matt’s season focused

on the white female contestants, despite an incredibly multicultural cast with diversity consultants assisting them in the production of this historic season. ”

Brandy Monk-Payton, Fordham Rose Hill professor

However, racism within the culture of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” stretches far further than the Kirkconnell controversy. Fordham professors and students have even designated their research and expertise to unpacking the misogynist, racist and xenophobic undertones of episodes and the overall environment of the show.

Interview Reactions Brandy Monk-Payton is a Rose Hill professor of media and Black cultural studies specializing in the history and theory of African American media representation and cultural production. In an interview with NPR, Monk-Payton said she felt that Harrison’s tone and actions toward Lindsay were defensive and unreflective of the franchise’s diversity, inclusion and equity mission.

“I thought that Chris Harrison was unnecessarily defensive towards Rachel Lindsay and her valid questions surrounding the franchise’s problems with race.

He did not seem to listen to Lindsay, the first Black Bachelorette, who relayed specific grievances related to diversity, equity and inclusion in Bachelor Nation. Instead, he wielded the language

The Audiences Impact

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRA TION BY NICOLE PER

of ‘wokeness’ to undermine Lindsay’s critique,” Monk-Payton told The Observer.

Clare Duffy, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’21, recently completed her senior thesis on race and Bachelor Nation, the term coined for the show’s fanbase, and Duffy was stunned by the lack of restraint Harrison showed when expressing his thoughts on the controversy, considering that the interview was a public appearance.

“I was unsurprised by his comments, but shocked that he would share them so brazenly on a public platform. Through my research and comments from people of color in Bachelor Nation, it was clear to me that Chris Harrison held bigoted views and was not a huge proponent of diversifying the franchise,” Duffy said. “He had previously spoken about how the show would lose viewers if it was further diversified because they wouldn’t be showing people that viewers want to watch.”

‘The Bachelor’ Controversy Garners National Attention Duffy was surprised by the national media attention the controversy had garnered.

“I did not expect for the incident to receive national media attention and for certain members of Bachelor Nation to speak out, as they are typically silent on issues like this. The unionization of the past two casts to all post a joint statement also spoke to the gravity of the situation,” she said.

Mainstream media’s coverage of the controversy led Harrison to temporarily step down to “do the work” of learning about racial issues, check and unlearn his racial biases, and work toward becoming actively anti-racist. This is often done by reading and listening to works by Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), though Harrison did not specify the steps he was planning to take.

The show’s “After the Final Rose” special in which the lead, winner and runner-up reflect on their time on the show and update viewers on their relationship sta-

KINS/THE OBSERVE

R

tus, will be hosted by former NFL linebacker and author Emmanuel Acho, who wrote and hosts “Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man.” Former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristow (Season 11) will replace Harrison on Season 17 of its sister series “The Bachelorette.”

The Bachelor’s Systemic Racial Issues However, the franchise’s racial mishandling runs deeper than the recent contentions. As Duffy explained, the show’s mismanagement is widespread.

Duffy’s thesis focused on how interracial relationships are presented in “The Bachelor.”

She focused on several controversies, including those in Rachel Lindsay’s season and the studio’s decision to cast Matt James as the next Bachelor. “I examined how Rachel Lindsay’s decision to choose a white-passing Latinx man was heavily scrutinized and briefly touched on the use of racial stereotyping in her season. I also wrote about how the sexual assault allegations against Jackson that were eventually proven false showed the implicit biases of production against black contestants, particularly when they choose to engage in an interracial relationship,” she said.

The show has had its racist contestants (and winners) in the past, but the Black Lives Matter protests this past year and calls for increased representation in the media materialized into more diverse contestants and leads.

“I think what distinguishes this controversy is that it is happening in the aftermath of the summer of 2020 and global protests against anti-Black racism. The entertainment industry took great pains to showcase its solidarity with Black Lives Matter. It has empowered former BIPOC contestants as well as fans of color to speak out in an unprecedented way,” Monk-Payton said.

While the shows have made efforts to diversify their casts, they fall flat. Two of the seasons in which Black leads were cast

centered the drama on white contestants and framed Black contestants negatively by employing stereotypical portrayals. Lindsay has been outspoken about issues within her season following its airing.

“Lindsay’s statement shows how choosing her to become the first Black bachelorette felt very performative. The show casted a racist on her season, neglected to sufficiently diversify production, and employed racial stereotypes against her and the men of color on her season. Lindsay rightfully believed that casting her as bachelorette was simply checking a box for executives who were largely out of touch with the concerns of people of color,” Duffy said.

The screen time during James’ season was dominated by white women, despite the historically diverse contestants. “Matt’s season focused on the white female contestants, despite an incredibly multicultural cast with diversity consultants assisting them in the production of this historic season,” Monk-Payton said.

Lindsay rightfully believed that casting her as bachelorette was simply checking a box for executives who were largely out of touch with the concerns of people of color.

“Much of the drama on this season was white women attacking women of color (Victoria stealing Catalina’s crown, Anna spreading a rumor that Brittany is a sex worker). These instances show how the show oftentimes celebrates white contestants cutting down contestants of color,” Duffy similarly said.

This season is no outlier, however — the franchise has a long history of employing microaggressions and painting its BIPOC

The show’s primary demographic — white, southern and Christian — maintains a grip on the franchise as Lindsay’s season ratings were lower compared to past ones.

Harrison and Mike Fleiss, the show’s executive producer, are visibly aware of their demographic, fearing that more diverse changes will lead to these audiences abandoning them. As opposed to updating the format of the show to make it more interesting or diversifying the cast to attract different types of viewers, the producers of “The Bachelor” will opt to scapegoat increased diversity as a reason for declining viewership.

“I do think that over the next few years The Bachelor’s ratings will continue to go down, whether it be from the conservative faction of the audience leaving, network television continuing to lose popularity, or fans growing tired of a show that has maintained the same structure for over twenty years. No matter the reason for the decline, I believe that the creators of the show will blame increased diversity for a lack of interest in the show,” Duffy said.

A Step in the Right Direction Ultimately, the Bachelor Diversity Campaign, massive public pressure to fire Harrison and demands for a BIPOC bachelorette demonstrate a shift in audience composition and what the future of the franchise holds. During the finale of James’ season, the first-ever back-to-back seasons of “The Bachelorette” were announced, starring Katie Thurston and Michelle Young, the third Black Bachelorette.

“Harrison should probably retire. It is clear that he does not know how to meet the moment in terms of calls for diversity, equity and inclusion. Alongside producers, he frames audience understanding of contestants and storylines as host. He has an immense amount of power and influence on the direction of the show behind-the-scenes,” Monk-Payton said.

Monk-Payton also recommended hiring producers and editors of color and believed that Harrison stepping down from the franchise was a step in the right direction.

“Fans who are speaking out through the Bachelor Diversity social media campaign are really trying to hold the franchise accountable. There is much work to be such as hiring producers and editors of color.

Importantly, I think that Chris Harrison stepping away from the After the Final Rose live special as well as from hosting duties for the upcoming season of ‘The Bachelorette’ are necessary moves so that the franchise can take time to reflect on how to move forward,” she said.

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Arts & Culture

15

Spring Strolls for Zoom-Exhausted Souls

A guide to the most scenic walk routes near campus

By MARIELLE SARMIENTO Managing Editor

It took a lockdown for most to learn the joy of going on a walk.

After a year of Zoom classes and endless screen time, taking techfree breaks is more essential than ever. Going on a walk gets you up and moving, outside for some fresh air and away from your computer. It’s also the perfect activity to hang out with friends — it’s social distanced, free and conducive for quality time to catch up. As springtime blooms in Manhattan and the sun comes out, here is a guide to four perfect walks.

The Dock Walk

Riverside Park South from 59th Street to West 71st Street Distance: 0.7 miles Time: 25 - 35 minutes If you just have a short break in between classes, The Dock Walk is for you. Two blocks away from campus is the entrance to Riverside Park South, a beautiful greenspace right along the Hudson that opened last October. There are paths to walk, trails to bike and plenty of docks and bridges to explore. The unobstructed path is always sunny with a breeze and has beautiful views of the river. At the north end of the park is Pier 1, a reconstructed 795-foot pier that stretches out into the Hudson and is a fantastic photo opportunity of the western Manhattan skyline.

The park also has picnic tables,

lounge chairs and seating throughout to lounge and bring a book or work on homework with free WiFi hotspots at Pier 1 and from West 71st Street to West 78th Street.

On the weekends, Monsieur Jacques — a musician who plays jazz on his trumpet — sits by the water and makes me feel like I’m walking along the Seine in Paris.

The Bethesda Promenade

Central Park from Tavern on the Green to Conservatory Water Distance: 0.7 miles Time: 40 - 50 minutes The best backdrop for a walk is New York’s backyard — Central Park. The Bethesda Promenade is a tour of my favorite and most scenic spots at the park. I recommend entering at the Tavern on the Green entrance at West 67th Street to avoid the Columbus Circle chaos of commuters. From there, head northeast, following the paths as you please until you pass the Cherry Hill Fountain and hit Bethesda Terrace. Take in the view of salsa dancers, musicians and children playing soccer. From Bethesda Fountain, I like to walk to the Lake and across Bow Bridge to watch couples in rowboats.

If I want a longer walk, I’ll head east toward the model sailing boat pond, Conservatory Water and the Alice in Wonderland statue. On the weekends, Monsieur Jacques — a musician who plays jazz on his trumpet — sits by the water and makes me feel like I’m walking along the Seine in Paris. This is a brisk 40-minute walk to-and-from campus or an hour or more at a leisurely pace. The Bethesda Promenade is perfect for a solo Sunday afternoon or a great sight-seeing activity to show tourist friends around Central Park.

The Tour de Upper West Side

Columbus Avenue from 60th Street to 82nd Street Distance: 1.1 miles Time: 35 - 45 minutes A straight shot up Columbus Avenue offers my all-time favorite window-shopping and pretend-apartment hunting experience. You start with gorgeous views of Lincoln Center where you can catch rainbows in the fountain on a sunny day.

The 60s streets bring Magnolia Bakery and other lively and decorated eateries. The 70s streets’ storefront displays look like they’re straight from the wardrobes of Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton. My favorite block of brownstones are on West 74th Street and Central Park West — they’re colorful and remind me of ’90s romcom-era New York. The pièce de résistance of the walk is the breathtaking Victorian Gothic façades of the American Museum of Natural History. One block further on, my favorite house on West 82nd Street and Central Park West decorates their stoop for every holiday.

The Fab 40

West End Avenue from 104th Street to 60th Street Distance: 2.3 miles Time: 50 minutes - 1 hour

PHOTOS BY MARIELLE SARMIENTO/THE OBSERVER

As spring draws near and the trees sprout new leaves, these New York City streets, parks and waterfronts make for excellent walks.

Named after a fabulous 40-block walk from 104th Street down West End Ave to campus, this walk is a great route to unwind after a stressful day. West End Ave is lined with beautiful, historic ivy-covered buildings and towering churches. The avenue is more residential and less crowded than Broadway, and it has more Upper West Side charm.

I recommend going around 4 p.m., when the streets are full of residents taking their dogs on

walks.

From campus, you can take the 1 uptown to the 103rd Street station, do all of your uptown errands and walk back down to campus.

Bonus:

The Greenwich Architectural Tour

10th Street from 7th Avenue to Broadway Distance: 3 miles Time: 20 - 25 minutes The angular, gridless streets of Greenwich Village offer a dynamic scenic walk. From the 14th Street station, walk down Greenwich Avenue to West 10th Street.

Your first stop is the Jefferson Market Library, a High Victorian Gothic-style courthouse with its towering spire that is now a branch of the New York Public Library. As you walk down West 10th, pay attention to the chic redbrick buildings with floor-toceiling windows and stoops decorated with plants. When West 10th turns into East 10th, look up at the Church of the Ascension, an ominous brownstone church built in the 1800s. The finale of the walk is Grace Church, or, as I have named it, Hogwarts in Manhattan — this national historic landmark has a courtyard that looks like a set from Harry Potter. The entire tour spans less than half a mile, but the views take you back to Victorian times.

un &

ames

Crossword: Part Time

By ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS

16. painter Alice 17. sports checkpoint for one-sixtieth of a minute?

19. recording, or an adhesive 20. late 21. growled aggressively 23. type of fish-eating seabird 24. attention-getting whisper

ACROSS 1. massive unit? Abbr.

4. portable, as a phone perhaps 10. bungles it 14. ___ carte; describing individual options on a menu 15. loved

Fun & Games Editor Esmé Bleecker-Adams - ebleeckeradams@fordham.edu

March 31, 2021 THE OBSERVER

27. actress Catherine ___-Jones 28. 60-second automobile touch-ups?

33. study again 34. overflow (with) 35. Meghan Markle, to Archie Mountbatten-Windsor 38. travel agency?

Abbr.

39. mornings, for short 41. memory cards: Abbr.

42. years, en Español, with the tilde 44. slow movements, in music 47. 100 years of mystery and horror?

50. sweet and ___ sauce 51. in ___ case; regardless 52. cooking fat often replaced by vegetable shortening 55. ill-fated ship, fictitiously ridden by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio 58. having been around longer 59. bad smell 60. 24 hours for the “Wizard of Oz” protagonist?

64. make a ___ in; progress on 65. symbol or epitome 66. actress and director

Lupino 67. admiring verses 68. keeps to, as a law 69. letter that makes plurals

DOWN 1. survives 2. dreary or unpromising, of the future perhaps 3. bone at the base of the spine 4. “how ___?”; in what quantity?

5. uneven?

6. singer Marley or Dylan 7. private alternative or supplement to a pension: Abbr.

8. fewer 9. original garden, biblically 10. beseech 11. properties, like some of the houses in the board game Life 12. redacted, as a law 13. snow vehicle 18. character Finnick of “The Hunger Games” 22. HIV treatment option 24. magnetized star which appears to blink 25. “slow and ___ wins

the race” 26. hot beverage or hot gossip 29. basketball hoop 30. love interest of Donkey in “Shrek” 31. animosity felt toward a nemesis 32. text: Abbr.

35. cosmetics brand or Apple computer 36. not equal, of a contest or argument 37. unwavering vocal cadence 40. ___ Cah Toa, in trigonometry 43. actresses Randy and Gloria, the later of whom was featured in 55 Across 45. honorific title in the Ottoman Empire 46. playful or ridiculous 48. ash container 49. golfer’s assistant 53. scans text 54. ___ a desert (2 Wds.) 55. title for a list of unfinished tasks (2 Wds.) 56. conception 57. hair styling device 58. electrical resistance measurements 61. baseball score: Abbr.

62. outdated 63. casual shirt

Mad Libs: Doomed on Zoom

By ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS and GRACE GETMAN

We’ve all been using Zoom for over a

meetings. Recently, I attended a panel discussion on

noun

took

now, but not everyone is

unit of time

nothing but a

person’s name

from there on out. The host, imaginary creature

verb, past tense

by

song title

, and

person’s name

screensharing. Things became so crazy that

tech CEO

family member website

baking

food

and

verb ending in -ing

in the background. Someone started

could be seen in the tabs of whoever was

liquid

verb

on their

everyone in the audience. electronic device

.” People just need to learn their manners. Now, back to doom-scrolling,

phrase or exclamation verb ending in -ing

noun

in comparison. The meeting

adjective

joined the meeting just to

Before they could speak, the Zoom lost connection because the host spilled even got to say “

. The meeting really

while not realizing they were unmuted. It was all

virtual background seemed

pop culture icon

continued, until it was interrupted by one of the speaker’s playing

animal, plural

, tried to restore order, but no one took them seriously because of their

person’s name

filter. My

button. The lead speaker was wearing

noun

, and several attendees were distracted by their pet

item of clothing

went off the rails when

. First, the event had a delayed start because it

noun

minutes for the panelists to figure out how to use the

number

when it comes to best practices for

adjective

for me.

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