Observer issue 12

Observer the

NOVEMBER 5, 2015 VOLUME XXXV, ISSUE 12

www.fordhamobserver.com

Akalaitis Talks Theatre Training

Photo Feature

By SAM KALTENTHALER Contributing Writer

JoAnne Akalaitis sat at the front of the White Box Theatre judiciously, equipped with her tools consisting of a pen, a notebook, and a heavily sticky-noted copy of Euripides’ “Iphigenia at Aulis.” Unarguably an expert at her work in the theatre, Akalaitis has directed at renowned theaters all across the continental United States., tackled the classics of Euripides and Shakespeare as well as works by modernists Genet and Pinter, and, in 1970, co-founded the Mabou Mines theatre company, an avant-garde group whose work has been received with both much acclaim and criticism. Regally dressed in dark gray and black, the only color on her person came from the multicolored flowers on her black scarf, red lipstick, and smoldering fire-red hair. The energies of two young women filled the air of the studio as they rehearsed the final scene between the Messenger and Clytemnestra in Euripides’ epic Greek Tragedy, in which the Messenger recounts her observation of the sacrifice of Iphigenia, Clytemnestra’s oldest daughter. Akalaitis watched with a questioning, critical, aiding gaze through the lenses of her blackrimmed glasses.

“My mind’s spinning,” Akalaitis said, as the actors finished the scene. As she delivered her notes to the actors on how to modify their performances, she herself gestured–, her arms spread wide to describe the massive Greek armies with thousands of ships.

Akalaitis spoke the poetic, highly classical dialogue of Euripides to the actors, using a modern English slang, to help the actors find the natural emotion behind the lines. “I’m a wreck! Gee whiz!” she described one of the characters as saying, even though this vocabulary is nowhere to be found in the original script. The actors then switched roles, with Clytemnestra now delivering the Messenger’s monologue, and vice versa. They see AKALAITIS pg. 9

JESS LUSZCZYK /THE OBSERVER

The Observer photographers captured the New York City marathon all throughout the five boroughs. For more, see centerfold.

Res Life Holds Meetings on ‘Bias Incidents’

By ANA FOTA News Co-Editor

The Office of Residential Life at Lincoln Center (LC) organized a series of four mandatory meetings on the evenings of Oct. 19th to the 22nd, for residents of McMahon Hall, in response to the two bias incidents that reportedly occurred at Rose Hill earlier this year. In the same period of time, floor meetings were organized for all the freshmen in McKeon to attend.

At each meeting, the discussions were facilitated by four resident assistants (RA), and one or multiple higher-ranking members of the Residential Life staff. Among them were Jenifer Campbell, director of residential life, and Samantha Tymchyn, resident director (RD) for

McMahon Hall.

“We are in the business of education, it’s part of our responsibility to educate individuals and let them talk about the next steps we have to take,” Campbell stated. Tymchyn echoed this sentiment, “We wanted the meetings to be first community oriented, which we don’t get a lot of in McMahon, because it has more of an independent-living structure.”

One frustration voiced by students was the accused late nature of the meetings, happening a month after the incidents were reported.

According to the Dean of Students at Lincoln Center Keith Eldredge, the meetings were prompted by the email sent out on Sept. 18 by the Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham University, in response to the incidents.

“I was on the bus going to President’s Ball, when I saw the email,” Eldredge said. A few days later he and Campbell met to discuss a course of action. “One thing we talked about was what we wanted the goal of these meetings to be,” he stated. Although Residential Life staff is trained in regards to diversity issues on campus, certain talking points needed drafting in preparation for leading the meetings and answering the questions of students.

“Just as some faculty members who don’t teach about diversity on a regular basis had to get up to speed with the information they can provide students with, the same thing happened with our RAs,” Campbell said, adding, “I would hate for them to go into any arena where they are

not fully aware of all the intricacies of a situation so that they can present what happened and what the follow-up has been.”

The two “incidents of hate,” as referred to in the flyers put up by the office, were discussed, as well as the measures the university administration is taking in regards to them.

“One of the things that we offered at the meetings was the opportunity to talk to us on an individual basis, making staff available,” Campbell said.

“The RAs tried to express in every meeting that they are available for students as a support, as not everyone understands the full capacity of the RA role,’’ Tymchyn see MEETINGS pg. 3

Inside

FEATURES

SPORTS

ARTS & CULTURE

Mind Your Manners

Happy Hour for the Rams

A View from The Bridge

Be careful what you post on social media

Beer sold at college football games

A theater review on Arthur Miller’s play.

What the term really means

Page 10

PAGE 11

PAGE 9

PAGE 5

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM LINCOLN CENTER

OPINIONS

On Black Culture

2

News

November 5, 2015 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Room Transfers Are Last Resort in Conflicts Residential Life explains the policies behind dorm room transfers

By ALEX MERRITT Staff Writer

Conflict between roommates is something that many college students face. Often, it is resolved through communicating with esident assistants (RA) and resident freshmen mentors (RFM). Other times, however, a room transfer may be the only solution for troubled roomies.

While room transfers typically happen each semester, they are not frequent, according to Jenifer Campbell, director of Residential Life at Lincoln Center (LC). “I would say if we go above 15 during the semester, that’s a high number,” she stated.

As for why some residents seek room transfers, Campbell shared that the most frequent reason is simply misunderstandings between roommates. “Misunderstandings of sharing the environment, sharing items, sharing personal effects…” are all common complaints that Residential Life faces, according to her.

In explaining the reasons why students seek room transfers, Campbell emphasized the importance of the housing surveys many students are asked to fill out. “I always ask [students] to be very honest in terms of their personal preferences.” Campbell said. “Making certain that people are honest in terms of what they expect from their roommate,” Campbell added, is very important.

There appears to be no correlation between students transferring rooms and their respective class year. When asked if freshmen are more likely to request room transfers than other students, Campbell replied: “You would assume that the vast majority [of room transfers] are associated with first year students.

Not the case.”

As for whether or not both roommates feel that a transfer is necessary, Vicki Massy, associate director of housing operations for Residential Life, said that “it varies.”

Campbell added that “sometimes it’s a pivotal point for both individu-

JESSICA HANLEY /THE OBSERVER

There are several steps to be taken before a room transfer occurs.

als and all of a sudden it’s like ‘look, I need to talk to someone.’”

Although a room transfer may seem to be the best solution for someone facing difficulties with their roommate, a transfer is never the first option. “Before you even get to a point where you transfer to a room, we start with working with the RAs.” Campbell said. “[RAs] are trained to mediate the situation themselves first.” Massy added.

“They would know a little more about the situation and how to approach [the students].”

If an RA is unable to resolve roommate conflict, the problem will then be handed over to a Resident

Director. At this stage, Campbell explained that the Office of Resident Life will “do a lot of negotiations in working with the roommate contract in terms of making certain that folks are respecting each other.”

When problems are unable to be resolved through the Office of Resident Life, Campbell stated that “If at the point that it goes to the RD, that it can’t be resolved, then [The Office of Residential Life] look[s] into whatever vacancies or openings there are that are available.”

Room availability is pivotal for transferring to another room. “This has happened in the past when we had absolutely no vacancies what-

soever,” Campbell said. Speaking from past experience, Campbell explained that “If no rooms are available for a transfer, typically a mutual switching of rooms is done between friends.”

Students who request to change rooms also shouldn’t assume that they will be the ones to move. Massy explained that it “depends on the situation.” Although this is typically the case, students who have not requested a room transfer have been moved “...as a result of an infraction of policy and things of that nature,” according to Campbell.

For students considering a room transfer, they can be assured that

there typically is no financial consequence. Campbell stated that a room transfer carries no fee or fine. “The only time that there is a cost associated is if you move to a different type of room,” Campbell explained. This would mean moving from a double to a single room, for example.

Room transfers aren’t necessarily a quick fix as Massy and Campbell pointed out, which is why the Office of Resident Life stresses the roommate survey that residents fill out. When asked about the surveys, Campbell pointed out that “they’re as effective as individuals are in their honesty. That’s the time to really speak the truth.”

USG Creates Intracampus Council with Provost

By CONNOR MANNION News Co-Editor/Asst. Literary Editor

Leighton Magoon, president of United Student Government at Lincoln Center (USGLC), has begun informally meeting with Stephen Freedman, Ph.D., provost of Fordham University, in order to discuss the daily concerns of students at Fordham Lincoln Center and Fordham Rose Hill. The interests of the other campus are represented by Magoon’s counterparts at the other campus, Ashley Domagola, executive president of USGRH, and Nicholas Sawicki, executive vice president of USGRH. Magoon is the sole representative from Lincoln Center on the council.

“Nicholas Sawicki reached out to me over the summer,” Magoon said.

“He had been working on this proposal to create this council to meet with the provost.”

“The intent was to create this forum that hadn’t existed, since no one had brought everyone together in this way before, and a couple weeks ago we had our first meeting.”

The Office of the Provost is responsible for the growth and enrichment of the academic life of Fordham University. They also oversee Fordham’s research centers and institutes, and administrate all special academic offices, including the University Library System, Fordham University Press and

HANA KEININGHAM /THE OBSERVER

The USG executive board, pictured above, is part of the council, along with Freedman and Faye-Smith.

WFUV, the National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate of Fordham University. Freedman is also a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

He is assisted in his role as provost

by Ellen Faye-Smith, the chief of

staff of the Office of the Provost.

“The goal of this forum is to give our direct input on certain academic issues, and we did also talk a lot about the ongoing issues on campus.” Magoon continued, “And

we’re planning our next meeting before the end of the semester right now.”

The forum is informal according to Magoon, as currently only the upper-ranking officers of both

USG chapters meet with Freedman. “My counterparts at Rose Hill are looking to making this a more official meeting, since Ashley and Nick are seniors … as far as expansion goes, we want the council to be undergraduate-focused but we want structure so it has longevity.”

Currently the membership of the council is limited to the USG leaders, Freedman and Faye-Smith, but it may expand in the future. “Dr. Freedman also brought up bringing in guest speakers from other groups like Campus Ministry, and I mentioned bringing a rotating USG senator, but time will tell,” Magoon said.

As for specifics, the main issue that may be under discussion is the pluralism requirement in the core curriculum.

“The issue has been brought up

by BSA and others about reformatting the pluralism requirement or adding a more comprehensive core course on racism. I know that faculty are bringing it up in their councils, but I’m hoping to bring up that students are talking about this as well,” Magoon said.

As for the rest of the meeting, Magoon is looking for student input on their concerns through USGLC. “The rest of the agenda will be finalized later and USG will be speaking to people to find out ‘what do you want brought up?’ as time goes on,” he said.

www.fordhamobserver.com

Students Talk Bias with Res Life MEETINGS FROM PAGE 1

emphasized.

“It is important that the entire community is not only aware but alert that this is happening,” Susan Formosa, Graduate School of Law and an RA in McMahon, said during one of the meetings. Similar incidents that happened during previous years at Fordham were brought into discussion as well.

“It was great that there was a large turnout, but I think that in larger groups we tend to hide ourselves,” Aja Singletary, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ‘16, one of the students at the meeting said. “I think that if we want to have these kinds of meetings we need to have them in smaller groups so more people feel comfortable to speak,” she added.

In addition, Singletary believes that Fordham should implement more culturally diverse courses into the core curriculum. “I would love if more culturally diverse classes were required,” she said. “We have all of these great classes available to us in very diverse areas but we can’t take them because they’re not part of the required core and we’re so focused on completing it, that once it’s done we don’t have room left in our schedules to take more culturally diverse classes.”

Josh Hall, FCLC ‘18, agreed, saying, “This town hall style is great for venting feelings and emotions, but in such a large group it makes it harder to demand that everyone in attendance is actually present and aware of what’s being said,” he continued. Hall also noted that a lot of times hate comes out of ignorance, and “the only way to cure ignorance is to educate.”

Rumors were sparked by the use of the word “mandatory,” leading students to believe that anyone absent from the meetings would face consequences. In reality, everyone who did not attend will get an email version of the talking points.

According to Tymchyn, the office got around 100 email responses from students, expressing interest in the meetings but not being able to attend. “I think that’s actually the highest rating of email feedback we’ve received from students,” she said, adding, “It was really nice to see that people, even if they couldn’t attend, expressed why, and were looking for some kind of digital conversation.”

“I do think there was an element of community that was built at the meetings,” she stated. “It got me thinking a lot about more civility programs. I think students did want to stand together and talk about it as a community.”

Out of the undergraduates living in McMahon, 461 attended the meetings. No similar event was organized for commuters. “It’s hard to bring commuters together because of scheduling conflicts,” Sahcha Pierre-Louis, Gabelli School of Business (GSB) ‘18, said, “but we do talk about this amongst ourselves when we need to. In the Student Lounge or other commuter spaces on campus, whenever it comes naturally.”

Additional reporting by Cecile Neidig Tweet us your thoughts on the bias incident meetings @fordhamobserver

THE OBSERVER November 5, 2015

News

3

Are Students Getting Enough Sleep?

By USAMA BHATTI Contributing Writer

It is a well known fact that college students tend to overlook their need for self-care, in the face of school work and impending deadlines. A recently published study finds that students need, in fact, less hours of sleep than is considered “normal” at the moment.

The study, conducted by the Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles, contradicted the current established adequate range of nine to 12 hours of sleep per night. It emphasized the necessity for less sleep, while simultaneously focusing on underlying factors that may result in, or because of, oversleeping.

Dr. Jeffrey Ng, director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) at Fordham, explained why this is the case. “When it comes to how many hours of sleep we need, it’s important to think about it on an individual, case by case basis,” he said.

According to Ng, it is important to keep in mind biological differences between individuals. “Some students may be able to function well on the lower end of that range while other students might need to be on the higher end...we’re all built differently,” he said. “The recommendations from the studies provide a range for how many hours of sleep we need to function optimally.”

The study mentions that subjects who slept longer than normal were more inclined to feel depressed and sluggish. Their energy levels registered lower than those who slept just enough. Shannon Connolly, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ‘18, corroborated this. “I usually go to sleep at around 12 and wake up at eight. But some days, I’ll wake up and just lie in bed to try to squeeze in some more rest,” she said. When asked about her energy on such days, she responded, “I have way less energy when I sleep too much, even by an hour.”

Other students echoed her sentiment. Casey Luneva, FCLC ’19, was no exception. “My sleep schedule is all messed up,” she explained, adding “I got more sleep in the summer. I would fall asleep whenever and wake

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY HANA KEININGHAM /THE OBSERVER

Not getting the recomended amount of sleep hours per night may take a toll on students’ learning abilities.

“ When it comes to how many hours of sleep

we need, it’s important to think about it on an individual, case-by-case basis” – JEFFREY NG, DIRECTOR OF COUNSELING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES

up before 5.” Despite her sporadic sleep schedule, she showed no signs of tiredness or exhaustion.

Mario Bulfamante, FCLC ’19, experiences very different effects when in the same situations. Mario goes to bed and wakes up around the same time as Casey. However, he explained his day very differently. “I usually go through four cups of coffee a day. I drink a couple in the morning, one in the afternoon, with four shots of espresso, and a cup of decaf at night.”

The study goes on to explain that those who don’t sleep within a set, “recommended” range and have high energy levels, as well as those who sleep too much, are classified as “out of the ordinary.” They get enough sleep, or they get little sleep but don’t feel tired. This goes almost completely against the norm, which nowadays, for college students, has become random sleep schedules with extreme fatigue throughout the day. These “extraordinary” cases end up hav-

ing some way of artificially providing energy. Whether energy drinks, or sleeping pills, students who fall outside of the social norm tend to use some sort of stimulant or depressant to stay awake or fall asleep.

The study, conducted by Dr. Jerome Siegel, professor of psychiatry at UCLA, examines that our huntergatherer ancestors got considerably less sleep than we’re told to get. On average, they slept anywhere from 5 to 7 hours a night, with their sleep cycles directly coinciding with temperature. They would fall asleep with falling temperature and wake up when the temperature reached its lowest point - a cycle that took less than 9 hours. However, once awake, these people experienced much higher energy levels than most of us today after anywhere from 10-12 hours of sleep. Dr. Siegel goes on to stipulate that too much sleep might actually be bad for humans.

LC After Dark Created for Friday Nights The initiative is a collaboration between AODE, OSLCD, and ResLife

By CONNOR MANNION News Co-Editor/Asst. Literary Editor

Fordham students will now have the option of spending Friday nights with LC After Dark, a program designed to “engage students in alcoholalternative programming,” according to an email announcement sent to student leaders by Dorothy Wenzel, director of the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development (OSLCD). According to her the initiative was driven primarily by the Office of Residential Life, as students from McKeon were looking for more evening and weekend programming The idea for the event series came from Camille Wilson, resident director for freshmen residents. “During my undergraduate studies, we had programming during the weekends and Friday nights, so it’s something I wanted to do here for a while,” she said.

The first event of the sort, held on Oct. 30, was a cereal and milk bar combined with a double feature of the films “Hocus Pocus” and “Saw,.”

“We’re calling it a ‘soft launch’ just to test out the idea and how it would work in practice,” Wilson added.

“We wanted to find a way to engage students on Friday nights, since there are a number of students who don’t go out and are looking for something

JULIA CORNELL /THE OBSERVER

Students enjoyed a cereal and milk bar at the first LC After Dark event

to do.”

“We’re not talking about holding 500 person events, just creating a space where if you are new to the school or looking to make new friends on the weekend you can do that,” Wenzel said. “I loved the idea that Camille came up with, and with Kelsey [Thomas] getting promoted

from graduate intern for programing to assistant direct of Alcohol and Other Drug Education (AODE), she can help us get involved with clubs.”

The initiative to get clubs involved in LC After Dark is still in its infancy.

“We sent out the email notice to clubs and we need to speak more to clubs to get this really started … this is more

of a dream we have right now, ” “We really started talking about this in the summer, after clubs already submitted their budget packets.

The hope is we can have an event every week in the spring,” Wilson said.

Clubs who are interested in LC After Dark would be able to receive special consideration for extra funding if an event is designated as a part of the series. “Ultimately, I don’t control the budget committee or how they vote, but we asked that clubs mark it down going forward and that it will be taken into consideration,” Wenzel said. On the other end, the Office of Residential Life will be providing more direct funding. According to Jenifer Campbell, director of Residential Life at Lincoln Center, clubs will be allocated 40 dollars per event in additional funding from the office for such events.

“We want to encourage clubs to do this event, so we’d provide seed money for the events as well,” Campbell added. “We want to encourage commuter students to take part too, to get guest passes, so they don’t feel like the event would be too late for them” Since the Student Activities Budget Committee (SABC) meeting to discuss spring club budgets is still upcoming, it remains to be seen how many clubs will take part in the initiative.

Opinions

STAFF EDITORIAL

GET SLEEP OR DIE TRYING: A COLLEGE STUDENT’S SAGA

S

leep deprivation is a persistent issue for college students.

The problem is particularly pervasive here at Fordham, where the student body is pushed not only to excel academically, but to be involved in clubs, internships and still find time to go out on the weekends. Of course, when New York City is your campus, there’s a natural inclination to take advantage of the city while you can. But funding those adventures can throw a major wrench into your sleep habits. Next thing you know, you’re working 20 hours per week, taking five classes, on the editorial board for three clubs and going out with friends all weekend. Who has time for sleep after all that?

Don’t despair; there may indeed be a silver lining.

According to the New York Times, you may not need the recommended eight hours, but instead only six hours a night. Even more surprising is that less than 10 percent of students reported

not having a problem with sleep the past week, according to the American College Health Association Spring 2014 Executive Study.

What is also worth noting is that zero hours are not recommended in any study released so far. All-nighters

“Sometimes it’s better to just stay in and fall asleep to the sounds of the city rather than stay up and contribute to the noise.”

might often seem effective to complete assignments in theory, but they shouldn’t become routine. Students may not need as much sleep as previously thought, but

it still is a good idea to get that sleep–even if it’s only a spare hour or two. Over time, maybe people can at least attain that collective six hours.

It all comes down to prioritization. Sleep is essential for functioning during the daylight hours, and none of your other endeavors will succeed if you’re falling asleep while doing them.

According to the University Health Center at the University of Georgia, insufficient sleep can lead to increased stress, a weakened immune system, decreased coordination and even a decrease in GPA. Everyone’s priorities are different, but generally sleep needs to be higher on the list than it is.

For your own sake, it might even make sense to cut down on some of these obligations to get this sleep.

Sometimes it’s better to just stay in and fall asleep to the sounds of the city rather than stay up and contribute to the noise.

November 5, 2015 THE OBSERVER

Observer the

Editor-in-Chief Adriana Gallina Managing Editor Ben Moore News Co-Editors Ana Fota Connor Mannion Asst. News Co-Editor Jennifer McNary Opinions Co-Editors Tyler Burdick Lexi McMenamin Asst. Opinions Co-Editors Areeg Abdelhamid Arts & Culture Co-Editors Loulou Chryssides Sri Stewart Features Co-Editors Alanna Kilkeary Alysha Kundanmal Hansini Weedagama Literary Co-Editors Jessica Vitovitch Erika Ortiz Asst. Literary Co-Editors Kayla D’Angelo Connor Mannion Sports Co-Editor Matthew McCarthy Kathleen Kirtland Copy Editors Brianna Goodman Asst. Copy Editors Kaitlyn Lyngaas Tyler Burdick Layout Co-Editors Jennifer McNary Elodie Huston Layout Staff Alexandra Babin Iris Dai Yiana Matthews Laura Paone Ramona Venturanca Andronika Zimmerman Katie Maurer Sabrina Jen Multimedia Producer Ninett Rodriguez Asst. Multimedia Producer Jesse Carlucci

You used to call me on my cellphone

Photo Editor Jessica Hanley Asst. Photo Editor Hana Keiningham

Late night when you need my love

Online Editor Ben Moore Business Manager Victoria Leon Faculty Advisor Prof. Elizabeth Stone

And I know when that hotline bling

Faculty Layout Advisor Kim Moy Faculty Photo Advisor Amelia Hennighausen

That can only mean one thing...

Faculty Multimedia Advisor Roopa Vasudevan Faculty Literary Advisor Amy Benson PUBLIC NOTICE

YOU SHOULD JOIN THE OBSERVER! fordhamobserver@gmail.com

No part of The Observer may be reprinted or reproduced without the expressed written consent

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

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

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

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

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

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER November 5, 2015

Opinions

5

COURTESY OF LUIS SINCO /LOS ANGELES TIMES VIA TNS

Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” has been called “a letter to the black community” - but what does that really mean?

Butterfly” with a good friend of mine. In the middle of the conversation, this individual argued that the album was “a letter to the black community.”

After reading and hearing each respective remark, I paused and pondered. I thought about what unsettled me about the terms “black culture” and “black community.”

Then I thought about their similarities. Namely, that they impose homogeneity onto something that is quite heterogeneous. This, I discovered, was my issue with both of these terms.

The “hard option from dire circumstances” that the Pitchfork writer attributes to “Trap Queen” is not an issue shared by everyone who identifies as black. As a middleclass, African-American male, I never felt that I needed to sell drugs in order to put food on the table or help my mother pay rent. Am I therefore excluded from “black culture” because of my experience?

JALEN GLENN Staff Writer

There were two incidents that led me to write this piece. The first occurred when I was reading a Pitchfork.com article about how “white people blatantly appropriate black culture.” The aspect of culture in question was Fetty Wap’s hit song “Trap Queen,” which the author described as “a love song steeped in culling a hard option from dire circumstances.” The culprit of this appropriation was a relatively unknown young white male by the name of Greg Dalton, who, according to the writer, introduces kids “to desperate capitalism and escapist self-medication without any of the aspirational despair and melodic danger” of the original song.

The second incident occurred while I was discussing Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 album “To Pimp A

Am I, too, appropriating a culture that is not my own when I rap about “cooking pies,” or selling drugs with my significant other as Fetty does?

In regards to Lamar’s album being “a letter to the black community,” what specific segment of this community is Lamar addressing? Surely the experiences that Lamar raps about are not universal to a group composed of different nationalities, sexes, sexual orientations, religious identifications and, most importantly, socioeconomic backgrounds. How, then, could he be identified as a voice of the “black community,” when such a community cannot possibly be so simplified?

In addition, the terms “black culture” and “black community” raise the question as to what precisely is “black,” and even more, who determines what is black and what is “not black enough.” If we follow the logic of the Pitchfork article, then it is the white, patriarchal, bourgeois,

heteronormative media who is the arbiter of “black culture.” Sound racist? That’s because it is. What the Pitchfork article therefore indicates is that these terms are products of the racist and classist systems that have plagued this country since its inception.

Consider, for instance, why we rarely hear the phrase “white community” employed with any legitimacy. That is precisely because we recognize the diversity in this group, and with that, recognize that such a term cannot capture the differences within the group in question. This suggests that we do not accord the same respect to individuals who identify as black. Talk about racial inequality.

This is not to suggest that we should proceed as if the terms “black culture” and “black community” do no exist. Doing so would only suggest an even more troublesome notion: that racism no longer exists. Yet, employing these terms

as a means of combatting racism is miscalculated. As noted historian Barbara J. Fields wrote, “Ideologies, including those of race, can be properly analyzed only at a safe distance from their terrain.”

In other words, we cannot combat racism with more racism, as the Pitchfork article attempts to do. Rather, we need to recognize the roots and meanings behind these terms so that we can use them as tools of protest against the system that created them. One way to achieve this is by recognizing “Trap Queen,” and hip-hop culture in general, as a response to not only racism, but its intersection with classism as well. As a result, we can better appreciate the music of Fetty Wap and other artists who spotlight the ills of capitalism, rather than falsely conflating their works as messages to the mythical “black community.”

False Reports: We Deserve an Apology TYLER BURDICK Opinions Co-Editor

We live in a frightening world, and we as college students need to fully understand and be aware that our environment, the environment of the college campus, has been and is still a place where sexual assault and rape exist as lurking possibilities.

When they happen, they are innately and thoroughly devastating, not only for the victim, but also for friends, family and the community at large.

But only when they actually happen.

The exact number of false sexual assault reports is muddled in mystery. According to BloombergView. com, percentages regarding how many false reports exist compared to actual complaints can range anywhere from two percent to 45 percent. The only thing we can confirm, however, is that they do happen, and when they rear their ugly heads they can be devastating. Whether for personal vendettas or out of a desire for public attention, a false accusation of rape or sexual assault can be

an outright character assassination levied against against an innocent party. The biggest problem is that the court of public opinion is a powerful thing, and the only thing that often needs to be displayed is whether or not it is likely that the alleged crime took place. This then leads to the examination of stereotypes–what was the race of the alleged offender?

What was the race of the alleged victim? Was the alleged offender physically imposing? Was the alleged victim physically frail? Et cetera, et cetera.

This is particularly evident in the notorious Duke lacrosse case of 2006. In that year, an black female student of North Carolina Central University (NCCA), who had also happened to work as a stripper and escort, accused three white members of Duke University’s lacrosse team of raping her. The case quickly took America by storm, and the word “hate crime,” a clear reference to the differences in race between accuser and accused, was thrown around.

One year later, in 2007, all charges were dropped, and the three Duke University players were declared innocent as criticism of the reliability of the NCCA student’s account of the

For the very same reason we do not allow people to shout fire in a public place where there is none, we cannot allow people to shout “rape.” circumstances of the alleged crime were finally called into question. All three of the accused Duke University students then went on to file a civil case against the city of Durham for personal damages.

Continuing the trend, in November of last year, Rolling Stone magazine published a story titled “A Rape on Campus,” which focused on an alleged rape of a University of Virginia student. After the story circulated, however, campus officials, local police and even an investigation by the Washington Post concluded that the events relayed by the student could not have happened the way that they allegedly did. In April of 2015, Rolling Stone officially retracted the story, and stated its intention to conduct an internal review in an effort to promote and maintain ethical journalism.

Which brings us to our own little

neck of the woods. A couple weeks ago we saw that a Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) student who had previously claimed she had been sexually assaulted just outside the boundaries of Fordham’s campus issued a public apology to the community and claimed that she had in fact fabricated the story. It’s easy to see what happened as something akin to public shaming, and that the very possibility of being forced to issue a public apology if a rape or sexual assault cannot be proven can act as a deterrent to those who actually endure such a terrible trauma from filing the appropriate report. But this is not the case.

A sexual assault allegation is a powerful thing, and it can stick with an alleged perpetrator for years to come. The bias of the court of public opinion can prevent this individual from getting a job or from forming

certain social relationships. The act of issuing a public apology is meant to ensure that “crying rape” is never established as a trend. It is of the utmost importance that, when it comes to sexual assault, all parties involved, be it the victim, the community or the investigators, take it as seriously as possible. Allowing the perpetual filing of false rape and sexual assault reports is outright insulting to those that have actually been victims, as it wastes the time of all involved parties and transforms what should be a very serious allegation into a tool for the personal gain of the false accuser, whatever that may be.

For the very same reason we do not allow people to shout “fire” in a public place where there is none, we cannot allow people to shout “rape.”

It needlessly throws an entire community into turmoil, causes its occupants to scrutinize their neighbors with wary eyes and, in some cases, can be personally damaging to specific individuals. For those with truth to their claims, there is no reason to fear the threat of a public apology, but it is indeed a necessary evil.

6

Photo

November 5, 2015 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

2015 NEW YORK CITY MARATHON The Observer photographers documented the 2015 New York Marathon as runners travelled through 26 miles all over the five boroughs of the city.

HANA KEININGHAM /THE OBSERVER

People watching the marathon take place from the comfort of their home near the 18th mile mark.

HPAOLA JOAQUIN ROSSO /THE OBSERVER

Runners cross the Madison Avenue Bridge into Manhattan.

ZANA NAJJAR/THE OBSERVER

Winner of this year’s mens professional category, Stanley Biwott, approaches the 26th mile mark.

JUILET ALTMAN /THE OBSERVER

Pedestrians walking along 5th Avenue as the runners fly by them.

ZANA NAJJAR /THE OBSERVER

A family from Mongolia stand on the sidelines in Central Park near the finish line to cheer on runners.

JESS LUSZCZYK/THE OBSERVER

Runners make their way up 1st Avenue in Upper Manhattan.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER November 5, 2015

Photo

7

2015 NYC MARATHON

HANA KEININGHAM/THE OBSERVER

Runners run through the Upper East Side as they were estimated to cross the finish line at 6 p.m.

JULIA CORNELL /THE OBSERVER

Winner of the New York City Marathon two years in a row, Mary Keitany of Kenya approaches the final mile.

HANA KEININGHAM/THE OBSERVER

Families come together to support the NYC marathon runners.

PAOLA JOAQUIN ROSSO /THE OBSERVER

Runners run through Madison Avenue Bridge as they cross over to Manhattan.

JESS LUSZCZYK /THE OBSERVER

A NYC marathon supporter encourages runners along 4th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

JUILET ALTMAN /THE OBSERVER

An enthusiastic attendee cheers on runners while in costume.

Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editor Sri Stewart-sstewart13@fordham.edu

November 5 , 2015

THE OBSERVER

Student Director Talks Social Issues in Next Play Drew Jones is directing “Master Harold and The Boys,” a play set during the 1950s apartheid in South Africa. “I chose to direct this as a response to events that have happened over the last year in the U.S.”-Drew Jones

By ALANNA MARTINE KILKEARY Features Co-Editor

21-year-old British-born Texan and Fordham Lincoln Center senior Drew Brandon Jones is an actor-turned-director. In response to the recent social and racial issues of 2015, Jones is directing “Master Harold and The Boys,” a play by Athol Fugard, this fall semester.

The story is set in South Africa during the 1950 apartheid and revolves around the relationship between Hally, a white boy, and his family’s two African employees, Sam and Willie. The play addresses matters of race relations and human interest–concepts that Jones is very passionate about. Here, Jones discusses his vision for the performance.

D: I’m still struggling with the

end of this play, about whether it’s hopeful in the end or not. At the end of the play, Hally has kind of, like, exploded. His inner racism has just come out in every direct way towards this black South African man who has been so close with him all his life. And at the end of the play, he forces this man to call him ‘Master Harold,’ as opposed to ‘Hally,’ which totally changes the relationship there. You think, “well, this is ruined now…

There’s no turning back from this.”

He’s just a new generation of a person who isn’t changed, someone who’s exactly the same and still has these prejudices. But then there is a moment at the end of the play where Sam does call him ‘Hally’ again and says that maybe they can “try again tomorrow.” I would like to think that that’s a hopeful ending.

THE OBSERVER: So, you chose

to direct “Master Harold And The Boys.” Why this play and why now?

DREW JONES: I chose to direct

this as a response to events that have happened over the last year in the U.S. There seems to be a new wave of systematic racism in our culture today, and along with that, a new wave of awareness...

So I wanted to do something that was sort of a reaction to the cyclical nature of it all, and just how it continues to happen. This play was written in 1982 in South Africa, and it’s set in 1950. The playwright is a white South African, and the play’s obviously about the experience between a white South African boy and two black South African men, so I found it very interesting that he had written that play during the 1982 apartheid, about the apartheid in 1950. It just kind of goes to show how things don’t really change.

I was also attracted to this play because it’s a very human story attached to these social issues. It shows how this is affecting real people and real people’s stories. There’s no crowd scenes, rally scenes, courtroom scenes; this is a show about a boy who’s grown up with these two black men. They’re basically raising him, but this outside world is affecting these more personal and human relationships in a big way.

O: Wow, it really is cyclical in every

ALANNA MARTINE-KILKEARY / THE OBSERVER

Senior Drew Jones, featured above, both acts and directs.

O: What does it mean to bring this

D: It is. Not surprising though,

play to Fordham in light of recent events of ‘bias incidents’?

D: I think it’s interesting. I mean,

our Fordham Theatre Mainstage season is “Season at the Mountaintop,” in reference to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech. I think everyone in different ways wants to talk about it.

Obviously these events at Rose Hill had happened after I chose to do this, and I already had started work on the play…

O: Yeah, that’s weird how that hap-

pened.

unfortunately. There are different ways to comment on these issues, even just in the realm of theater. As I said, this is like a human story, but there are other styles of theater that can be much more didactic.

Like Brechtian theater would be much more like, pointing the finger, and be like this is the problem and this is the solution.

O: Do you see that at all in “Master

Harold And The Boys”? Although it ends pretty ambiguously, does the conclusion offer up some kind of solution in your eyes?

way. As for the roles of Sam, Willie and Hally, they are extremely codependent on one another, and the life of this play is in their particularly interracial relationships with one another. What were you looking for when students auditioned?

Do you think you found it?

D: I think so! Darby Davis (FCLC

‘16) and Tristen Dossett (FCLC ‘18) are playing Sam and Willie, respectively. What I love about Darby, who I also know well as a person, is that he just has so much passion. He’ll be a valuable part of our conversation. Tristen is definitely very different from Darby, which is what I wanted. I think Sam and Willie are very different, in that they are both victims of the same system, but I think they react to it in different ways. I think the dynamic between the two will be

really great.

Austin Spero (FCLC ‘19), who’s playing Hally, is very excited about the play and already seems very in tune with the role of Hally. I think anything he’s got will add to the conversation. Even if we have to start from scratch and look at it from a different perspective, that’s fine too. I think everything you can know and learn about your character is valid, whether you use it explicitly in a performance or not.

O: This play has a very distinct

backdrop—a South-African world in the 1950s. The issues and subjects it brings up, however, seem to transcend time as we’ve discussed.

Do you know how closely you might stick to the original script, or will you stray?

D: It’s interesting you ask that,

because I just went through some photos from past productions that I’ve seen. Some of them really do set it in 1950s, Port-Elizabeth South Africa, in a tea room. I just loved the way it looked and I was like “ah, I wanna do all this!” But, in talking with my directing/production workshop class and in light of recent events, it might serve me more to take a more open approach and have the audience fill the rest in. If I make the aesthetic of the play traditional, meaning, this is South Africa in 1950, people can look at it and have the opportunity to say, “that’s not America today, that’s South Africa in 1950, so thank you for your play, Drew…” and they’ll leave that in the theatre and go home. But if I leave it more open, people can fill that in and see what that’s like.

For the whole interview with Drew Jones, go to The Observer’s news site, fordhamobserver.com.

The Comma Interrobang A Solemn Affair

By TYLER BURDICK Opinions Co-Editor

I don’t know these people, but they look and smell funny.

There are too many unfamiliar faces; some with beards, some with long hair, and some with no hair at all. They are still for the moment as they all sit solemnly in the rows of chairs all facing towards the far side of the room. The air is stuffy, and I’m starting to heat up in my uncomfortable black suit. In the row behind me I can hear my little sister and our cousins exchanging a whisper now and then, followed by a giggle. Under normal circumstances I would probably have joined in their mischief, but today the tone of the room forbids it. I twist my head around to face them and let out a harsh “shh!” before returning my gaze to the front. There’s someone standing there now; some second cousin twice removed or fifth cousin ten times removed or however the cousin removal process works.

He is addressing the room, telling a story. I am fourteen, and I don’t like that they say my attention span is short, but I simply can’t be bothered to follow along. At the very least I know that he’s talking about how he knows the dead body in the casket behind him.

I didn’t want to go to the funeral. I guess when you’re fourteen years old it isn’t the most fun thing to do, but it’s not like that was the only reason. The figure in the casket was that of my grandfather, yet I did not know him, and for that

I resented him terribly. My father didn’t speak often of him, but there wasn’t much to tell anyway. All I knew was that one day he left, never to return, leaving behind a wife and three children in the heart of the craziness that is New York. My father would tell me of the times that followed when he had to hide in fear from the knocking of the landlord as he tried to collect overdue rent. His mom didn’t sugarcoat things; the phrase “everything’s going to be alright” was replaced with “we might lose our home. Pack up.” It was always hard to listen to those stories.

Now people are slowly rising and forming a line leading to the casket. A woman about ten to fifteen years younger than my grandfather is kneeling in front of it, fingers interlocked in prayer, and though I cannot see her face I know she is crying because her shoulders are shuddering heavily. I cast a glance at my father who mouths the word “fiancée” to me.

Somehow the word just sounded ugly–I cringe a little.

I don’t want to go up, but my mother and father rise to join the line and motion for me to get behind them. It would be disrespectful not to go up at all–I understand that, so I comply. When my parents reach the front they stare down into it in silence and I can see my mother take my father’s hand and clench it tightly. My father isn’t one to wear his emotions on

his sleeve, but no one can ever hide anything from Mom. They step aside and now it is my turn. I wonder how long I am required to stand there in order to be respectful. The casket itself seems to be made of smooth oak wood, and the inside is coated with a silky white linen. I stare at my grandfather’s face. There are so many things I want to ask him. “Why did you leave? Why didn’t you come back? Why didn’t you want to know me?” His smile almost seems to be mocking me; he would never give me the answers I wanted so badly. I feel hot. Angry. I clench my teeth and grind them a bit in my mouth. I should be feeling sad right now, but I just don’t. I wonder if that makes me a bad person.

I go back to my seat, not wanting to look at the casket nor at the unfamiliar faces that know my own grandfather better than I ever will. Suddenly my father wraps his left arm around my shoulders and pulls me close. I look up to find him warmly smiling back at me; “Glad you’re here, bud.”

He meant it. I was glad he was here too, in more ways than one. I didn’t feel so angry anymore. My eyes welled up, so I shut them, and I tightly hug him back. I’m not even thinking about where I am anymore, just about who is with me.

I don’t pretend to know why things have to happen the way they do, but now, right now, I’m happy with the result.

9

Arts & Culture

NOVEMBER 5, 2015 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Theatre Review: “A View From the Bridge”

By BENJAMIN STRATE Contributing Writer

Creating a perfect theatrical production is a near impossible endeavor. First, you need a perfect script, one that has a well balanced plot, developed characters and economic pacing. Next, you need professional and child-like actors who are willing to dive deep into the perfect text, yet still remain receptive and playful to the audience and themselves. After that, you need flawless direction that challenges, but stays true to the material. In most good productions, one will see one of these elements incorporated, two if they’re very lucky, but Director Ivo Van Hove’s revival of Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge” not only has all of these elements, but sets a new standard on what theatre can be.

Fresh off of a completely sold out run at London’s Young Vic theatre, “A View From the Bridge” tells the story of Eddie Carbone, an Italian-American living in 1950s Brooklyn with his wife, Beatrice, and his adopted niece, Catherine, whom Eddie may harbour sexual feelings toward. Eddie comes home one day to find that his wife has housed two illegal immigrants from Sicily. Like many who came to America in the mid 20-century, these two seek the American dream. But when one of them falls in love with Eddie’s niece, Catherine, the audience soon learns that the dream comes at a cost.

Mark Strong viciously leads the

JESSICA HANLEY / THE OBSERVER

“A View From the Bridge” premieres Nov. 12 at the Lycecum Theatre on W 45th Street.

cast, giving both a sympathetic and disgusting performance as the Greek tragedian like Eddie. Nicola Walker gives the role of Beatrice a loving, yet still tough, interpretation to offset Eddie’s creepiness and rage. It is a credit toward the actress that you want things to workout so badly for Phoebe Fox’s Catherine, yet from the start, you know this isn’t going to end well. Russell Tovey and Michael Ze-

gen play the illegal Sicilian cousins, Rodolfo and Marco, respectively, and both personify the immigrant experience with tragedy, humor and rage.

Van Hove sets the action in a sparse, but contained space. There’s no furniture and hardly any props.

Instead, the story is told purely through the actors. The set is a flat plain surrounded by glass walls that stand about one foot above the

ground, which the actors often use for sitting. By doing this, Van Hove avoids creating a static place— rather it is a fluid space that allows the actor to play in and mold it. There are only about three different props used throughout the play, but when they are used their significance is emphasized through clear action. One notable scene in particular is when Marco

lifts a heavy chair to show Eddie isn’t one to be messed with. It’s moments like these that truly separate the production from almost every other production.

Credit must be given to the sound designer, Tom Gibbons. As the play begins, classical choral music blasts through the speakers, and as the play goes on this music is always playing in the background. Sometimes it is purely subversive, and at others it crescendos loudly to add drama to the action. Another nice touch was the use of a simple beat. During certain scenes, a beat would be heard in the background, signifying some type of change in the action. This change could represent anything from a change of place to the most miniscule change of mind in a character.

One notable scene that uses the beat to great effect is a seemingly banal conversation among the family. During this scene, the time between lines is painfully lengthened, thereby creating tension within the subtext of a seemingly boring conversation.

This show is a once-in-a-lifetime production and truely a great achievement of Van Hove and his cast and crew. Go see this show—you will come away from it completely exhausted but fulfilled. Official opening night is Nov. 12, but previews to see the show began on Oct. 21. “A View From the Bridge” runs until Feb. 21, 2016 at the Lycecum Theatre on W 45th Street.

“Bridge of Spies” Film Tells Story of a Fordham Alumnus

By ANAMARIA GLAVAN Staff Writer

On Oct. 16, Director Steven Spielberg’s latest film, “Bridge of Spies,” was released, grossing $32.6 million in North America during its opening weekend and garnering glowing reviews from film critics.

Set in 1957 during Eisenhower’s presidency in the middle of the Cold War, this period drama focuses on a famous spy swap directed by James B. Donovan, a renowned lawyer and Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRC) alum, who graduated with a degree in English in 1937, prior to earning a bachelors in law from Harvard University in 1940.

The film opens in Brooklyn with the capture of Rudolf Abel, a Russian spy who is ultimately detained by the FBI for his involvement with the Soviet Union. According to Peter Travers’ Rolling Stone review, “[Abel’s]

capture, excitingly staged by Spielberg, starts the movie on a high.”

Donovan, an insurance lawyer by default, is unexpectedly given the task of defending Abel in trial. While his attempts to acquit Abel are unsuccessful, Donovan saves him from the death penalty by claiming that the British-born spy’s unique position may make him a valuable government asset in the future.

“This film is an important insight from the American point of view on the Cold War and what Americans in other countries were dealing with at the time,” Avery Bart, a communication and media studies major with a concentration in film at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ‘16, said. “Steven Spielberg has a habit of dealing with important historical events, the Cold War being one of them, [although] World War II is what he’s most famous for.”

In the process of appealing Abel’s

case to the Supreme Court, two U.S. citizens are arrested in both the Soviet Union and East Berlin—Francis Gary Powers, an American CIA pilot, and Frederic Pryor, an American economics graduate student. The U.S.S.R. eventually proposes to exchange Powers for Abel. Complications arise when Donovan refuses to do the exchange unless he is able to successfully negotiate with East Berlin as well.

“Bridge of Spies” is definitely reminiscent of Spielberg’s more serious work, focusing in on historical events as opposed to blockbuster franchises.

It is a clear departure from the two films he released earlier this year, “Jurassic World” and “Poltergeist,” respectively.

“There are really two Spielberg’s,” Albert Auster, professor of communication and media studies at FCLC, said. “One is Spielberg the entertainer, the director of things like ‘Jaws,’

‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Jurassic Park.’

And then there’s the other Spielberg, who’s much more serious and interested in history and the outcomes of history.”

Donovan’s Fordham education is apparent. He certainly “sets the world on fire”­—excuse the pun­—­­in the United States, when the public is incredibly angry with the court’s decision to overrule Abel’s death penalty.

Even while receiving numerous death threats and hate mail, Donovan exhibits a great deal of bravery by refusing to comply with demands of the U.S. government, which believes that negotiating for Pryor’s release may compromise that of Powers’.

Donovan’s ability to successfully bargain with both East Berlin and the Soviet Union, ultimately making a two-for-one deal and arguably the greatest spy swap in American history, is a testament to both his intelligence and desire to do the right thing.

Morality, a characteristic that Fordham tries to instill in its students, is evident in Donovan’s decision to risk his own life for the safety of his fellow Americans imprisoned overseas.

Although the film is incredibly written and directed, the talented cast is what brings “Bridge of Spies” to life. Tom Hanks, who last worked with Spielberg on “Saving Private Ryan” in 1998, may as well be considered an honorary Ram—just weeks after finding a Fordham student’s ID in Central Park, Hanks is also playing the role of Fordham alum Donovan. Mark Rylance’s performance as Rudolf Abel has also been praised.

Ultimately, “Bridge of Spies” is a must-see film, particularly for Fordham students. “He’s an alumnus who actually affected the world,” Bart said. “ [Donovan] actually made things happen. He affected change, he affected the course of history.”

Akalaitis Stresses Benefits of a Liberal Arts Education for Artists STORY NAME FROM PAGE 1

repeated the scene, again. Akalaitis’ notes helped—a tangible shift occurred in the energy of the scene, and it indeed felt more naturally spoken. After the Messenger finished her monologue, there was an expectant pause as Akalaitis contemplated.

Finally, she said, “You guys made a dent... It was a good dent,” in the monolithic wall of Euripides.

Akalaitis accepted the guest position of the Denzel Washington Chair in Theatre for this semester after being the “happy recipient” of an email from Theatre Program Director Matthew Maguire. For this position, endowed by Oscar award-winning actor Denzel Washington, FCLC ‘77, Akalaitis is teaching the class “Creating a Character” to upperclassmen in the theatre program. “JoAnne Akalaitis’ career embodies the goals, ‘Work smart, Work hard, Work different,’ of the Fordham Theatre Program,” Carla Jackson, the theatre program administrator, said. “It takes a very special person to be able to maintain such an eclectic, innovative and forward-thinking career.”

Always interested in theatre, JoAnne Akalaitis’ directorial work has been some of the most criticallyacclaimed and controversial work in the world of contemporary theatre.

But, Akalaitis hasn’t always been as fully immersed in the world of theatre as she is now. As a college student, she earned a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Chicago and continued to study philosophy at the graduate level, all the while being involved in theatre on the side, when one day she finally decided to follow her heart. “I was in graduate school, pursuing a Ph.D. in philosophy when I felt, ‘Oh, I better do it’,” Akalaitis noted. From then on, she began to pursue work in theatre full-time.

Her studies of philosophy and decision to earn a liberal arts degree have ultimately proved to be beneficial to her work in the performing arts. “There’s nothing like a liberal arts education for artists,” Akalaitis said. “Not only theatre artists, but for all artists. Because, not only all of our daily life experiences, but certainly our education feeds either directly thematically into the work itself, but sometimes in a deeper way, and often

COURTESY OF THE PUBLIC THEATRE

Akalaitis holds the position of the Denzel Washington Chair.

in a way of processing information, or pursuing subjects that maybe one wouldn’t in theatre.”

As one might deduce from reading a history of the work she has directed, Akalaitis is very much attracted to reading and working with the texts of Shakespeare, Euripides, Genet, Pinter and generally “great writing for the theatre.” She finds the most effective writing in existence

to be purely poetry: “a combination of poetry and humanism written for characters in a storytelling motif ... is what affects us so much.”

Akalaitis finds that her work as a director is not that different from her work as a teacher. “In some ways it’s so similar; we’re working on a project together. In one case, the project is destined for an audience. In another, the project is destined for us in the studio [or] classroom. But the process is not that different...the process is basically exploration of moments, character, space, rhythm, storytelling.” She always experiences her work through collaboration with the artists she is working with, whether they are students she leads in a class or actors she directs in a production. Learning and sharing is a significant part of her process: “We all have secret wisdom that we impart to one another... there’s a constant exchange.”

Akalaitis’ perspective in stage direction is a distinctly unique one, which has caused many to regard her work as attractive and intriguing.

Jennifer Tipton, renowned lighting designer and longtime collaborator of Akalaitis, finds that “she’s always

looking for a new way of seeing the material ... It always makes me see it in a fresh way.” Consistent with her process for creating work for the theatre, Akalaitis and her collaborators experience a constant exchange of ideas, and Tipton has experienced firsthand secret wisdom imparted onto her from Akalaitis.

In the White Box, Clytemnestra and the Messenger received notes on their last iteration of the scene. Akalaitis wanted to see it repeated one final time. She reminded the actors of the reality of the story: “The great thing about Euripides is that it’s real.

It’s like real husbands and real wives, except human sacrifice is involved.”

The actors returned to their spots at the beginning of the scene, but before they began to go through Euripides’ dialogue again, Akalaitis told them to pause, to offer a suggestion: “What do you want to work on? Why don’t you try that?” She listened to their reply.

There is a constant exchange between Akalaitis and the students. Secret wisdom is imparted, shared between these powerful artists. There is collaboration. They explore, together.

Features

Features Co-Editors Alanna Kilkeary-alannamartine@gmail.com Alysha Kundanmal-akundanmal@fordham.edu Hansini Weedagama-hweedagama@fordham.edu November 5, 2015 THE OBSERVER

NYC Marathon: Catching Up With Yiana Matthews

By ALYSHA KUNDANMAL Features Co-Editor

The following interview with Yiana Matthews has been edited for length and clarity.

THE OBSERVER: When did you

decide to run a marathon?

YIANA MATTHEWS: I guess it’s

something I’ve always said that I’ve wanted to do, but specifically the day of the marathon last year, I spoke to a few people after it just to wish them a good recovery, and ask them how it was. One of the guys I spoke to said, “You know if I can do it, you can do it,” and I kinda laughed it off at the time. And then that night I went home and signed up for my first half [marathon].

O: When did you start training for

the full marathon specifically?

YM: I should have properly started

training four months ago, but due to a series of injuries, I only started training about two months prior to the race. So I went into it pretty undertrained. My goal – especially it being my first time – was just completion.

O: You mentioned that you had a

couple of injury setbacks, so what happened?

YM: One of my injuries was a result

of a previous race that I actually fractured my ankle during, but I dismissed it as a muscle strain and was running on a fractured ankle for two months. Then that set me back for about six to eight weeks of just rest – no running whatsoever – which was really hard. Then I just actually had a freak accident falling down a flight of stairs, and that set me back because I was pretty banged up. I had 26 stitches in one hand.

Just one after another set me back and resulted in that really not fair training season that I gave my body.

O: What was your week-before

mindset? What did you do? What did you think? Were you scared?

Excited?

ALYSHA KUNDANMAL/THE OBSERVER

Matthews standing near the 26 mile mark in Columbus Circle proudly displaying her medal.

YM: The week before was a pretty

anxious week for me. I had a few nights, actually starting two weeks before a lot of nightmares, a lot of waking up thinking it was the race morning when it wasn’t, thinking like I overslept and missed the race or something. And the week before was just very good tapering – which is the word we use for cutting back on your mileage till you’re not running at all. I guess there’s a lot of reminding yourself the week before why you took this journey on and made the commitment to not see your family and friends and go out

for four months. And basically just remind yourself of all the sacrifices, all the things you’ve given up along the way.

O: What about during the race? Like

thoughts, fears, any funny duringrace anecdotes?

YM: For the first two miles, I was

actually just kind of giddy like I’m actually running a marathon right now. This is so cool. It’s a really magical experience crossing the Verrazano Bridge. And for the first 10 or 11 miles, the miles really slip away. I didn’t even really like feel

them. I forgot that I was even running. And then at about mile 18, I hit what every runner famously knows as the “Mile 18 Wall” you hit, it’s like this slump when you’ve gone through all your energy, and you’ve gone through all your food, you’ve burned it all off and you kinda burn out.

O: Why run if nothing is chasing

you?

YM: I think that running means

something different to everybody.

A lot of people pick up running as a way to support a charity that might

mean a lot to them. A lot of people pick it up to maybe lose weight, maybe be more active. Nobody told me to start running, but it started to mean more to me the better I got at it once I realized there is proper running form and you can get better at it. Right, so it means something different for everybody, but I would say overwhelmingly so, we all do these crazy things for ourselves.

For a full profile on Matthews, please visit Fordhamobserver.com.

Web Presence is Everything For the Job/Internship Search

By REESE RAVNER Staff Writer

In a time where everyone and everything is on the web, your Internet presence plays a huge factor in the world’s perception of you, especially when it comes to landing a job. A 2014 survey by Jobvite revealed that 93 percent of participating hiring managers maintained that they would factor in the contents of a candidate’s social media profiles as a part of their evaluation for a position.

“The first thing [an employer] may do is Google your name to see what comes up. Even if your job doesn’t necessarily entail social media, you still want to show that you can use it properly. You want to have a positive web presence,” Victoria Affrunti, Fordham University Career Services’ assistant director for marketing and student engagements, said, A hiring manager at Oak Tree Capital Management, an international investment firm, said, “When I’m reviewing a resume, often I’ll go and look at places like LinkedIn because that’s where a lot of professional people have their profiles. I like to see how their online profile matches up with their resume.” He noted that social media is “a valuable resource that many employers use to make a character judgment about the people they’re interviewing,” though, in his field, he does not look into social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY HANA KEININGHAM/THE OBSERVER

Consider creating separate Instagram accounts – a private one for more risqué posts and a public one that potential employers could see.

Despite this exception, Affrunti disclosed that almost every industry does review social media, but in some industries lack of Internet pres-

ence may not be an issue. This is not the case, however, for industries such as public relations. “They want to see that you do exist and that you know

how to use social media, that you’re using it responsibly and professionally because that’s going to be a major part of what you’re doing in public relations,” she said.

The bottom line is that it’s important to eliminate red flags. “If, for example, you’ve gotten in trouble with the law, if there was a public intoxication account, if there was any reason you were in the news in a negative light – that’s definitely not good. Any time that irresponsible behavior has been documented ... any behavior that doesn’t reflect how you would behave in the workplace is a red flag.”

Red flags can be more than [ub;ic affaors or legal matters. According to Affrunti, venting or “bad-mouthing” on the Internet is highly frownedupon. “Employers are looking to hire positive people who have a can-do attitude.”

Lydia Culp, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19, though a freshman, is already concerned with her online presence. She feels it is important to be aware because she has searched herself on Google Images and, despite the fact that her account is private, her Instagram pictures have come up.

“It’s concerning not because my Instagram is sketchy but because...I need to be really careful about what I post and even just what I’m tagged in. I feel like everything is recorded these days. People make Snapchat stories, save the story, which then they post to Facebook. Anything can

be posted now because people record everything that’s going on,” Culp said.

As reported by TIME Money, the Jobvite survey also showed that 66 percent of hiring managers were turned off by poor spelling and grammar, and more than one in six recruiters said that the publicizing of one’s political affiliation was a “potential negative.”

Essentially, the keys to success in this area are positivity and professionalism. Showing upstanding qualities of your personal character can’t hurt as well. TIME noted that “information about volunteering or donations to charity left 65 percent of recruiters walking away with a positive impression.”

Affrunti also recommended having two separate profiles. One can have both a personal Twitter and a professional Twitter where “on your professional Twitter, you make your tweets public, you retweet, you tweet at people” in a professional manner.

On one’s personal account, posts should be kept private and between friends, though avoiding venting and negativity is still a good idea.

Whether or not your field of interest thoroughly examines your web presence, maintaining a responsible, friendly and professional appearance on the Internet is the safest route.

Next time you’re thinking about posting a negative or obnoxious tweet, think about your future boss reading it first.

Sports Editors Matthew McCarthy - mmccarthy80@fordham.edu Katie Kirtland - kkirtland@fordham.edu

Sports

November 5, 2015 THE OBSERVER

O’Bannon Ruling Leaves Much to be Desired

By MATTHEW MCCARTHY Sports Co-Editor

College sports are a multibilliondollar industry that is fueled by student-athletes who dedicate hours of time each week to practices and games. These overworked players are entitled to the money they generate for their universities. Some college coaches make upwards of seven million dollars a year, which is more than some of their professional counterparts.

The top conferences in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) negotiate billion-dollar television contracts to broadcast games. As the industry grows, universities continue to bring in billions of dollars from their athletic programs and then proceed to invest more in their athletic facilities on campus. The coaches and the universities are getting their share of the pie, but due to the ruling in the O’Bannon v. NCAA lawsuit on Sept. 30, the athletes who bring in this money will continue to be unpaid.

In 2009, Ed O’Bannon, a former University of California, Los Angeles basketball player, filed a lawsuit against the NCAA. He alleged that the association violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and that the university committed actions which deprived him of his right to publicity, specifically in video games displaying his name, image and likeness. On Aug. 8, 2014, U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken ruled that certain NCAA amateurism rules did in fact violate federal antitrust laws. Wilken also ruled that member schools would have to pay Division I football and men’s basketball players up to $5,000 a year for use of their name, image and likeness.

On Sept. 30, 2015, a three-judge panel from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed that the NCAA was violating antitrust laws; however, the panel ruled against the $5,000 compensation. This decision was reached because providing any form of compensation beyond the cost of attendance would, according to the panel, turn the NCAA into “minor league status.” This $5,000 compensation would not cut into the integrity of the game, as the players are deserving of the money they generate, but it would cut into universities’ profits, and that’s why

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTONIO PEREZ/THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE VIA TNS

Kain Coulter, quarterback at Northwestern Univeristy in Chicago, IL, speaks at a press conference regarding college athlete compensation.

the NCAA is so strongly against it.

This decision will particularly hurt those current and former student-athletes who have worked to ensure they and all future college athletes receive compensation for their services. For example, Kain Colter and the Northwestern Wildcats became the first college athletes to unionize in January 2014. Later that year, the NCAA announced new protocols for practices, including fewer contact drills and overall shorter durations. They have also hired independent doctors to evaluate players on the sidelines during games. While the NCAA’s small steps don’t exactly compensate for the billions that student-athletes make for the association, the NCAA is protecting its players more than ever before.

The O’Bannon ruling should provide some joy for student-ath-

Due to the ruling in the O’Bannon v. NCAA lawsuit on Sept. 30, the athletes who bring in this money will continue to be unpaid. letes, as it was the first time a judge ruled that the amateurism of sports should not allow the NCAA to break antitrust laws. The universities under the NCAA umbrella will have to abide by certain guidelines for compensation of their athletes.

This guarantees cost-of-attendance scholarships that go beyond academic tuition, but advocates for college sports reforms feel that this

is not enough. The $5,000 figure was taken off of the table because Judge Wilkens did not provide enough evidence to show why capping the figure was lawful, yet the previous cap of zero dollars should be disallowed. The panel of judges believed that providing any sort of monetary reward unrelated to education would take away the amateur, student-athlete status of the players.

Maintaining the amateurism of the sport, however, should not be as important as making sure the studentathletes get what they deserve.

While emphasizing that these players are student-athletes seems reasonable enough to deter universities from paying their players, recent scandals show that schools are placing more importance on the athletic side of things. In the last few years, the University of North Carolina has been involved in a string of aca-

demic fraud involving their football and basketball programs. Additionally, Rutgers and Notre Dame have been making recent headlines for attempting to interfere with the academics of some of their players.

If colleges are going to treat their players as athletes first and students second, then these players should be compensated accordingly.

The ruling in the O’Bannon case essentially reiterated the fact the student-athletes will not be paid; however, it did leave the door open for future compensation for college sports stars. The three-judge panel agreed that the NCAA was violating antitrust laws, meaning there is potential for more change going forward. These student-athletes generate billions of dollars for the NCAA, and they deserve to be compensated for the time and effort they have dedicated to their sport.

Beer Sales: A Hot Topic at College Football Games “In an era of seven-figure coaching salaries and demands for more resources for athletes, universities are always looking for ways to increase revenue.”

By MADISON SIDWELL Contributing Writer

The recent New York Times article “Beer Here! Beer Here?,” written by Marc Tracy, addressed the pros and cons of beer sales at college games. Tracy noted a number of universities, such as the University of West Virginia, Syracuse University and Louisville University, that sell beer at college games. According to Mary Cunneen, Associate Director of Athletics for Facilities/ Event Management, Fordham does not regularly sell alcohol at home games. Beer is offered underneath the tent at the homecoming game each year.

Meg Smith, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center (GSBLC) ’19, an avid football fan, said, “College football and beer go hand in hand with each other. There is almost an expectation that there is beer at a college football game.”

Smith went on to say that just because beer is sold at college football games, and underneath the tent at homecoming, doesn’t mean that all college students will drink it. Smith

KIRSTIN BUNKLEY/THE OBSERVER

As more and more colleges begin to sell beer at football games, questions are being asked about whether the benefits outweigh the risks.

continued, “It is completely up to the individual to make that sort of decision.”

Shirina Braun, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19, believes that colleges and Fordham should not sell beer at foot-

ball games. “Alcohol can easily be abused,” Braun said. “If people are going to be exposed to alcohol at school events, it just makes it more accessible for abuse.”

From a business standpoint, beer sales are a big pro for college

games. Economically, beer sales can bring in thousands of dollars a year that will benefit athletic departments. The University of West Virginia made $500,000 from beer sales in one year alone. This extra money can be used to improve resources for athletes as well as the fan experience. Tracy said, “In an era of seven-figure coaching salaries and demands for more resources for athletes, universities are always looking for ways to increase revenue.” If college athletics are primarily concerned with making money, then selling beer is an extremely successful way to go about it.

From a moral standpoint, beer sales can be controversial in part because of the alcohol problem faced by many colleges. Binge

drinking amongst college students is an increasing problem. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, four out of every five college students will drink alcohol, and about half of the students who drink will binge drink. Tracy noted that a student at the University of West Virginia died of alcohol poisoning last year, yet alcohol is still sold on game days at the university.

There are both pros and cons to selling beer at college football games. Tracy noted both the success and risk that it imposed on other schools. Economically speaking, Fordham, and universities in general, can benefit greatly from selling beer; however, selling alcohol at colleges also imposes dangers for students.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER November 5, 2015

Sports

12

Feminism Scores a Hat Trick with Women’s Hockey League something that they’d wish to pursue in their life and are modelling themselves after you?

BY NICOLE BAZIS Contributing Writer

The Buffalo Beauts, the New York Riveters, the Boston Pride and the Connecticut Whales—names that are not yet familiar with mainstream sports fans, but are well on their way to making sports history as the four founding teams of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL).

On Oct. 11, 2015, the puck dropped at Chelsea Piers, CT to signal the start of this inaugural season.

Largely thanks to the devotion of commissioner Dani Rylan, an announcement was made in late March of this year that the United States was set to host the first ever professional ice hockey league for women which offers a salary to its players. As a step forward in the world of women’s sports, trailblazers from across the globe have brought their passion, skill, and skates to New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

On Friday, Oct. 23, I found myself in Rink A of the Aviator Sports Complex in downtown Brooklyn, the new home-ice for the New York Riveters.

One of the team’s defensemen, Gabie Figueroa sat down with me after practice to discuss her journey to the professional league and how she envisions the expansion of ice hockey for the next generation of young women.

THE OBSERVER: At what age did you find your passion for playing this sport specifically?

GABIE FIGEUROA: I started pretty

late. I started playing ice hockey when I was nine. A lot of people who play ice hockey usually start at three or four because their families play hockey. I got into it because my brothers’ friends in grammar school played, so I really wanted to play.

And girls’ hockey has really taken off in the past fifteen to twenty years.

G.F.: Yeah, you know there is a great

opportunity right now for young girls. One of the coolest things for us is that we’re an inspiration. Like I said earlier, when I grew up it was mostly the boys who had an opportunity to make it big in hockey, but now a girl can say I want to be a professional ice hockey player and it’s not a far reach; it’s a workable dream. It just takes hard work and passion.

O: Finally, where do you see the

league in about five years from now?

Do you see it expanding and reaching out to more cities other than the North-Eastern territories?

G.F.: Yes, it should hopefully expand.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RYAN OHANESIA VIA FLICKR

Gabie Figeuroa, number 21 for the New York Riveters, takes the ice with her team for the NWHL’s first season.

Thirty years ago there was never any opportunity for girls to play, so all the daughters would just go to the rink and watch their brothers. Starting with my generation was the first big wave of girls’ hockey and ice hockey teams, so I played on a girls’ hockey team growing up and simultaneously I played on a boys’ team to stay competitive.

O: Did you ever find disadvantages

while playing on a boys’ team?

G.F.: I always enjoyed it. I have two

brothers, so I always really liked it.

To a certain extent girls hit puberty first and they grow a little bit before the boys. When you’re thirteen-fourteen you can fit in with them, but beyond that point the boys start getting

stronger. That’s really when you have to find a girls only league.

tween your college career and now starting in a professional league?

O: Did you have certain players you

G.F.: Girls’ hockey really isn’t that big

tried to model yourself after while growing up?

G.F.: Nobody in particular, but 1998

was the first time women played ice hockey in the Olympics and the U.S. won. I was only six when that happened, but probably in ’02 I was following that. At least there was always the Olympics for girls, so growing up that was a dream of mine. I work a full time job too, so after college I wasn’t expecting to continue playing just because only the top twenty girls get to play in the Olympics. But now there’s more opportunities.

O: What was that transition like be-

of a sport, as far as numbers compare, in college. So there are approximately thirty division I hockey teams in college, whereas girls’ basketball there might be three hundred to four hundred. It’s a lot smaller of a sport, and it’s only growing more. Every year, even when I just first started playing college, there was still some weaker teams in Division I, but now it’s become more even because the talent is getting better everywhere.

O: When you have these games, you

obviously see the fans in the audience. Has any younger fan ever come up to you personally and said this is

I know there are some backdoor deals going on with the NHL, so hopefully in five years we have a good partnership. It’s growing more. Maybe we’ll play in bigger arenas and grow the game more. That is the most important part.

O: So you feel that there is a positive

relationship with the NHL?

G.F.: Yes. Last night me and three

of my other teammates went to the Rangers game and it was fun. We were walking around the concourse and people were coming up saying, ‘Oh, I went to your game last week, and I’m coming this week. I just bought your jersey, I bought a t-shirt,’ and I never imagined that happening. It’s taken off incredibly so far.

The Riveters can be seen live at Aviator Sports Complex on Nov. 15, 2015, or through the official NWHL Youtube stream, for their next home game against the Boston Pride. Tickets are available online and at the box office on game day.

Looking For a Totally Awesome Class For Spring?

TAKE ONE OF OUR WORKSHOPS 10197: Reporting 17765: Layout 17796: Photo 23297: Multimedia