Observer Issue 13 Fall 2018

OBSERVER THE

November 15, 2018 VOLUME XXXV, ISSUE 13

www.fordhamobserver.com

Task Force Tackles Recurring Retention Issues

By KEVIN CHRISTOPHER ROBLES Asst. Arts & Culture Editor

“A student came in … and she was troubled,” Interim Dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) Frederick Wertz said. “She was crying, she was in tears … there are some students who are really lost, who are not as courageous. There’s discomfort [at Fordham]. That’s our challenge.”

On Oct. 18, the Arts and Sciences Council met to speak on various issues facing Fordham University. The council, which is responsible for generating academic recommendations for the whole of the university, raised concerns regarding the retention rates among undergraduate freshmen. Although exact numbers haven’t been given, the estimate is that Fordham’s most recent freshman retention rate is around 82 to 84 percent, according to statements made

by Wertz and Assistant Dean for Freshmen and Director of Academic Advising at FCLC Joseph Desciak.

In April 2017, University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., formed the Task Force on Undergraduate Retention. Included in the task force were members of the Office of Enrollment Services, various academic departments and faculty at FCLC, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) and the Gabelli School of Business. Among the pointmen of the task force is Wertz, who has taken charge of outreach to students on campus. “With the Jesuit mission, we want to retain 100 percent,” he stated. Wertz’s dissatisfaction with the numbers has led him and others to seek solutions to this issue.

Peter Feigenbaum, director at the Office of Institutional Research at Fordham, explained the numbers further. “Our retention rates at Fordham are much higher than most,” he said. Total undergraduate retention hovers around 91 percent for four-year students. The numbers, however, can seem deceptively high. Freshmen and sophomores have retention rates that fall below expectations, while retention among juniors and seniors was much higher. “There are close to 2000 students, let’s say. Roughly 9 percent of that is a fairly high number of students. That’s a concern for the university,” Feigenbaum stated.

Wertz explained that there is a new piece of software that the faculty are testing to better gauge student engagement: Student Success Collaborative (SSC) Campus. “It will enable advisers to identify students see RETENTION pg. 2

ZOEY LIU /THE OBSERVER

Students gathered to speak out against the university’s policies regarding trans, NGC and queer students.

Fordham Students Rally To Support Trans Rights

By SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS Contributing Writer

With the call and response of “What do we want?” “Trans rights!” “When do we want it?”

“Now!” “And if we don’t get it?”

“Shut it down!” and a roaring cheer that echoed through the plaza, Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC)’s Rally for Trans Rights officially began. The rally, held outdoors on Oct. 31, was organized by a coalition of clubs in response to the Trump administration’s recent move to confine definitions of gender to a biological conditional assigned at birth.

Members of the LGBTQ community and their allies gathered together outside the Lowenstein entrance, holding signs that read “Fordham’s Silence Equals Violence,” and “Trans Rights Are

Human Rights” to show their support for those in the trans community and their frustration with the Fordham administration.

Organizers provided an open mic for anyone who felt called to speak, and a series of emotionally-charged personal stories, poems and offers of support followed.

Transgender students explained what it feels like to live in a country where their civil rights are under attack. “When I first heard the news, my heart literally fell to my stomach,” Anthony Perez, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19 said. “Your palms get sweaty, you feel like you want to throw up, and you literally can’t breathe because it feels like someone is stomping on

your chest.”

Speakers explained that transgender students at Fordham face this type of trauma every day due to what they see as the university’s transphobic practices. A pressing issue among the speakers was the perennial fight against Fordham’s policies, which entail an emotional and mental toll of living in a non-trans-inclusive space.

Many speakers shared their struggles with the Office of Residential Life. They explained how roommates are assigned based on sex assigned at birth and how the dismissal of gender identity has resulted for some in trauma and dysphoria.

Gender dysphoria is when a person experiences physical discomfort or distress in their body

due to a conflict between the sex they were assigned at birth and their gender identity. Expanding on the experience of dysphoria, Jay Sheldon, FCLC ’20, said that being treated like a man and being forced to live with other men was “not what I need,” and “not what my mental health needs.”

Another speaker recited an op-ed written by a transgender woman, Aria Lozano, who left Fordham after being forced to share a room and bathroom with men, as she did not feel safe nor respected on campus. In her letter which was published by The Observer in April 2018, Lozano said that she “feel[s] like she did not belong here on campus” because of the way she was treated.

Lozano’s letter asked: “Fordsee TRANS RIGHTS pg. 2

University Raises Minimum Wage, Students Remain Uneasy

By CARMEN BORCA-CARRILLO News Editor

On Oct. 29, Fordham University released a statement officially raising student workers’ minimum wage to the $15 mandated

by Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the state of New York. The increase in wage came as a reversal in policy, nearly two months after administrators received emails stating the university would “exercise its right” as a not-for-profit institution to cap minimum wage at $13.

Student workers are paid through a capped federal grant to which the university may add supplemental funds to accommodate employment levels and wage rates. In the statement, the university said the new minimum wage came about after adminis-

ANNE WANG/THE OBSERVER

Student workers like Michelle Osipova felt belittled by the policy.

trators “identified funds sufficient to cover the increased minimum wage in this year’s budget,” from this extra funding.

Dylan Katz, assistant direc-

tor of the Community Center for Engaged Learning, said that even before the extra funding became available, the $15 minimum wage could have been attained by sim-

ply reducing student workers’ hours. “If Fordham were to raise the minimum wage to $15, students could have more time to do other things,” Katz said before the wage increase. “Paying them an extra two dollars an hour would allow them more time to do the things that could contribute to their studies or find employment elsewhere.”

The initial decision to cap minimum wage at $13 stemmed from uncertainties over the 2018-19 budget at the beginning of the fiscal year. “It wasn’t clear that there would be sufficient funds to cover both the $15 minimum hourly wage and pay the same number of students the University had employed the previous see MINIMUM WAGE pg. 4

NEWS

OPINIONS

ARTS & CULTURE

FEATURES

SPORTS & HEALTH

Gender and Title IX

Good Job, You Voted

Ramsgiving

Bob Moses

Sleep Deprivation

Majority male office creates tough situation for female reporters.

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Now keep voting.

PAGE 7

How to celebrate Thanksgiving if you’re school-bound.

PAGE 14

Is the plinth returning?

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THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM LINCOLN CENTER

What havoc does the average college student’s schedule wreak?

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Students Protest University’s Policies TRANS RIGHTS FROM PAGE 1

ham executives: how hard can it be to change your policies to recognize us, to accommodate our basic needs or to make any effort to improve the wellbeing of TGNC people at Fordham?”

Others expressed how they felt forced to move off of campus since they did not feel like they could consider Fordham’s campus to be their home. Diamantina Kefalas, FCLC ’19, highlighted how “it can be very dysphoric to be treated on an institutional level as a gender that you are not.”

Another issue that many speakers brought up was the lack of accessible gender-neutral bathrooms on campus. Kefalas explained how she felt “unsafe, uncomfortable and dysphoric” in both the men’s and women’s bathrooms. She explained how the lack of accessible bathrooms forced her to choose between feeling safe and taking time away from class to find the nearest gender-neutral, single-stall bathroom.

In his story, Perez also discussed the lack of respect he and other trans students experience when their dead name (a name assigned at birth before a person’s transition) is still used on their Fordham student ID or announced in classes.

These policies result in transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary and queer students feeling completely isolated. “This does not feel like our school, and Fordham has made that very clear,” Kefalas said.

As an example, speaker Eliza Putnam, FCLC ’19, highlighted how there was no recognition or statement of support to trans students in light of political events.

Since University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., often sends emails to the Fordham stu-

LENA ROSE/THE OBSERVER

The rally culminated in a cry from attendees and speakers alike protesting the university’s policies.

dent body regarding world and national news, the university’s silence on the topic was seen by many as another example of their disregard of transgender students’ rights. “How hard is it to write an email?” Eliza Putnam asked, in frustration.

Throughout the event, speakers did highlight how dehumanizing and disrespectful policies can be changed, and that these problems can be fixed. “These are problems that can be solved by some easy policies changes,” Perez said. “You literally have to write a note and sign it. It takes none of your time, none of your money —

literally only five minutes.”

The rally ended with a handout of an open letter written by several on-campus support groups, including Positive Coalition, Rainbow Alliance, Students for Sex and Gender Equity and Safety, Coalition for Concerned Students, Fordham OUTLaws, PRIDE Alliance, Coalition Against Relationship and Sexual Violence and Women’s Empowerment.

The letter included a series of demands to further support trans student rights on all Fordham campuses.

Supporters then marched silently into Lowenstein — meant

to reflect the silence that trans students have received from Fordham’s administration — and delivered the letter to the Fordham vice president’s office on the second floor.

After the rally, organizers offered a safe and healing event for the transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary and queer community and their allies in the Student Lounge.

Since the event, Senior Vice President of Student Affairs, Jeffrey L. Gray, has confirmed that the open letter was received, to which he replied on Nov. 1: “I will review your letter and the related

requests in contains, discuss these matters with my staff colleagues, and we will then follow up with those students in your organizations who we are in contact with.”

Gray explained to The Observer that the “complicated set of issues” the open letter brings forward “will take us some time and constructive dialogue to work our way through.”

The universal message from the rally and the following healing space, was that if you are a transgender person at Fordham and feel unsupported by the administration, there is a community here who supports you.

Task Force Hopes to Remedy Student Loneliness RETENTION FROM PAGE 1

that are at risk,” he said. The w software allows for better communication between advisers and the deans, improves tracking student engagement vis a vis how often they go to advising sessions and assesses how at-risk a student is of possibly dropping out or transferring. SSC Campus is currently in its trial stages, and the faculty hope to expand its use to a wider scale beginning next fall, so that all academic advisers can begin to use the software.

“The most important thing we’re look at is the campus culture and how students are engaged,” Wertz said. “If they stay as freshmen and are engaged as sophomores, then we’ll keep them [at Fordham].” Wertz explained that there were a number of programs, primarily targeted at freshmen, that aimed to increase engagement with students. He said that they themed it as the “Year of Magic.” These included assigning the book, “The Magicians” by Lev Grossman, to all incoming freshmen and having events like bringing in Adeola Role, a theatre instructor at FCLC, to talk about her job as an understudy in the “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” musical.

Other events included trips to the New York Historical Society and watching shows that feature David Copperfield. Wertz explained that these programs were about making freshmen feel at home.

The task force is currently in the midst of preparing a report that will better break down the numbers behind last years’ retention rates. The report will be

“ We’re trying to em-

ploy that one-on-one...

I think we’re doing the right thing. I wish we could do even more.”

MARY BLY, associate dean of strategy initiatives, working on Retention Task Force.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS AND MEDIA RELATIONS

Dean Bly is one advisor working with Fr. McShane on the task force.

available in a few weeks to members of the task force, and a public version will be released some time after that. The numbers are being divided by various demographic lines including gender, race, religion, housing status, whether they are the recipient of a scholarship and other factors.

Feigenbaum explained: “The literature indicates that these are important features. I’m looking at eight years worth of cohorts. This will give us some insight into why students leave and when they choose to do so.”

“I think the more value there is in a Fordham education, the more people are willing to make the financial sacrifice,” Wertz said.

The concerns raised, which seem to be similar on both campuses, revolve primarily around a

feeling of disconnect that permeates the collective student body.

Shane Ceniza is a sophomore at Lehman College, the Bronx campus of Hunter College under the City University of New York.

Ceniza is a transfer student from FCRH, having left after his freshman year. “I went to Fordham on a scholarship,” he said. “But by the end of freshman year, I could not keep my GPA and had to leave.”

A commuter student since attending high school, Ceniza spoke about how he did not feel like he belonged at Fordham, that there was an inherent disconnect between the commuters and residents on campus. “I feel like I went to Fordham and then I went home and there was nothing I could do. I didn’t feel at home.

I didn’t feel like I could focus. I didn’t feel right.”

“I just feel like the academics at Lehman are the same if not better,” Ceniza said. “The value is much better than at a private school.”

Mary Bly, associate dean of strategy initiatives, said that her position was created in order to specifically deal with issues surrounding undergraduate retention. “I was in a focus group with Fr. McShane last year,” she said. “[The students there] all talked about how they didn’t fit in and [felt lonely].” Bly continued, “For freshmen, it’s very difficult particularly because half the people are commuting. It’s also hard to get in different groups. How do you meet people outside orientation? Each of the freshmen events are designed to drawn in different groups.”

Bly is optimistic about the effectiveness of the new freshman programs. “I think we’re going to do significantly better in terms of retention than last year,” she said. She mentioned that many new retention cases are being solved through more interper-

sonal means, including advisers getting to know their students better by sitting down with them or going to get coffee with them.

“We’re trying to employ that [sort of] one-on-one,” she said. ”We’re giving every core adviser money every semester to take their students for a milkshake or something, just as a way to make this thing more personal.

“The world is a much darker place than when I went to college,” Bly said on trying to explain why she feels that students these days are more “fragile.” “I’m seeing a lot of anxiety in all these students, tied to various different things [but] I think it’s loneliness.

Loneliness is a systemic problem.

“One of the things I keep hearing over and over again is that [students’] friends are having such a great time,” she said.

“When I inquire, it’s always all the pictures on Instagram that make it look like everyone’s partying at home, and then here at Fordham, you have your midterms. You feel the anxiety. The pictures on Instagram are not reality. Those people are sweating their midterms, too, but it doesn’t feel that way.”

Bly also felt that financial aid was a critical factor in why students might choose to leave, but noted that the university has a tough time getting everything they need. “I can see how [Development and University Relations] is just desperately asking people for scholarships and getting money and trying their best … it’s a very difficult environment.”

I think we’re doing the right thing,” Bly said. “I wish we could do even more.”

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Administration Inactive as Old Quinn Languishes

By OWEN ROCHE Opinions Editor

For the indefinite future, the best view students will get of the old Quinn Library space will continue to be through its locked doors.

Two years after the new, three-story Quinn Library opened in the fall of 2016 as part of the newly-renovated 140 West building, the old library on the ground floor of the Leon Lowenstein Center remains gutted and underutilized. Rare views into the once-active space reveal evidence of periodic renovation and maintenance; however Fordham has yet to decide how space will be allocated and reinvented for “Old Quinn’s” second act.

The Lincoln Center Space Planning Committee is tasked with envisioning a new role for the sizeable space. The group is comprised of select members from the Fordham Faculty Senate and chaired by Lincoln Center Vice President Frank Simio. Recently, Interim Dean Frederick Wertz, Ph.D. has joined the group.

The committee was active during the 140 West building renovations, completed in the fall of 2016, and the acquisition of Martino Hall in the summer of 2015.

However, as of late the committee has encountered scheduling troubles and has struggled to come together to decide the fate of the old Quinn Library space, according to Simio. They have yet to meet this semester and as confirmed by Simio, they have no definitive plans in place for the space.

While the new Quinn Library thrives, its old home — and the bulk of its collection — appears forgotten. As one of its only functions today, the old facility houses

With space at a premium on campus for students and faculty alike, many hope the eventual rebirth of the space will alleviate the cramped and overbooked ralities many members of the Fordham community face. more than 260,000 books owned by the college and published before the year 2000. However, it functions as closed stacks, and books cannot simply be pulled off the shelves at whim. Students must place an item on hold or seek assistance from a library staff member to access the archival premillennial collection.

A sum of the literary resources of Fordham’s various downtown schools over the years and an infusion of books from the Rose Hill campus, Quinn Library has housed Fordham Lincoln Center’s main collection of books since 1968. The library utilized the first floor Lowenstein space for 49 years before moving to the 140 West building and transitioning into its current split-collection situation.

With space at a premium on campus for students and faculty alike, many hope the eventual rebirth of the space will alleviate the cramped and overbooked realities many members of the Fordham community face. The Lincoln Center campus’ perennial lack of

PHOTO SUBMITTED ANONYMOUSLY

Old Quinn Library’s empty space holds potential for a multitude of (still undecided) uses in the future.

office space, especially for contingent faculty, was raised once again in the most recent Fordham College Council meeting on Nov. 8 and will have considerable influence over the administration’s

plans for the space. However, Wertz stressed the need for input across the Fordham community in deciding the next step for the old Quinn Library.

The Fordham College Council

plans to discuss both the state of the Lincoln Center Space Planning Committee and the fate of the underused space at length during its next meeting, slated for Feb. 7, 2019.

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Search Committee for New Dean Announced

By JORDAN MELTZER AND ALEJANDRA CARRASCO Opinions Editor and Contributing Writer

On Tuesday, Nov. 6, University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., and Interim Provost Jonathan Crystal announced the formation of a search committee to determine the next dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC).

Whomever is chosen will follow the 20-year tenure of Rev. Robert R. Grimes, S.J. Grimes announced his departure earlier this year, approximately one month after the end of the spring semester.

The search committee is comprised of 12 faculty members, professors and deans. The group is chaired by Anthony Davidson, dean of the Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies. Other members include Maura Mast, dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill, Christina Greer, associate professor of political science, and David Swinarski, acting associate dean of the Arts and Sciences department.

The group’s consultant, Kendra Dunbar, is Fordham’s assistant director for equity and inclusion.

As chair of the committee, Davidson’s primary responsibility is to coordinate the search. “Like a project manager, it’s making sure that different views and inputs are properly represented,” he said. “It’s important that everybody who is a stakeholder at Lincoln Center be able to contribute to what makes up a successful candidate.”

Davidson recognizes the difficulty of filling the shoes of a long-tenured and accomplished dean in Grimes. “Father Grimes has been in the position for many, many years,” he reflected.

“He has grown the college at Lincoln Center tremendously and we are looking for a candidate who will possess the attributes that will continue the growth that he has implemented.”

To Davidson, one of the most difficult parts of the forthcoming process will be determining exactly what makes a good dean, as the responsibilities span many areas of administration. “The challenging part,” he believes, “will be developing a scope document and a job description that will ensure that we attract not only the best candidate but the right candidate.” He said there is not yet a shortlist of potential

MICHELLE QUINN/THE OBSERVER

candidates and that narrowing them down will be no easy task.

The most important thing to Davidson, though, is that every member of the FCLC community has a say in who their new dean will be. To “make sure that the views, positions and needs of all people and stakeholders are voiced” is crucial to the selection process.

During the committee’s brief first meeting, the Provost explained in general terms what the goals of the committee are.

The committee’s job is to review incoming applications and then decide the top three finalists they believe are most fit for the position. The members of the committee must also meet with campus leaders in order to better understand the position itself and thus create an appropriate job advertisement.

The university will have the executive search firm Witt/Kieffer run its ads for the position.

Witt/Kieffer is also the committee working on the Provost search and has conducted other searches for FCLC in the past as well. Advertisement will begin in December. The committee estimates that there will be 5,200

ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER

The most important thing to Davidson, though, is that every member of the FCLC community has a say in who their new dean will be. applications for them to review

by February, which means the university community can expect a decision by the end of spring 2019.

As expressed by Swinarski, the new dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center must have a strong sense of leadership and be willing to fit into a larger, collaborative group of deans.

“They need to understand FCLC’s spatial challenges,” he explains, “but also look at the opportunities the diverse and vibrant community at FCLC has to offer.” In other words, Swinarski believes it needs to be “someone who understands the magic of FCLC.”

The new dean of FCLC will fill shoes worn during a 20-year-long tenure

Lack of Transparency on Wage Worries Students MINIMUM WAGE FROM PAGE 1

year,” the university explained in its statement.

Bob Howe, vice president for communications, told The Observer that, while the university’s budget is approved in in spring, revenue changes due to enrollment may occur until early October. At that point, certain financial changes may occur, as with the minimum wage. “The University would have preferred to start the year with a $15 minimum wage,” Howe said, “but we had to wait to see whether enrollment matched projections.”

Howe said the budget analysis was already underway when students began voicing concerns over the minimum wage cap and that the university was “happy we were able to be responsive” once the budget was secured.

The initial $13 wage cap was

“ Deciding to abide by state law is the bare

minimum that Fordham could have done. The bigger question is why Fordham wasn’t more transparent with student workers about this process, as they would be directly affected.”

– ALYANA VERA , FCLC ‘20 and student worker

met with resistance by Fordham students and incited a petition by Students for Sex and Gender Equity and Safety. Despite the eventual decision to increase the minimum wage to the state level, students remain suspicious of the university’s behavior.

“Deciding to abide by state law is the bare minimum that Fordham could have done,” Alyana Vera, Fordham College of Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20 said. While she

believes Fordham’s decision was a reaction to student resistance, “the bigger question is why Fordham wasn’t more transparent with student workers about this process, as they would be directly affected by it. To me, this case illustrates the potential of student worker organizing to make real changes in the ways that student workers are treated.”

Travis Knoppert, FCLC ’21 and one of the organizers behind the

petition, said he was especially concerned by the fact that Fordham neglected to send emails to student workers, opting instead to send them to administrators with no instruction to inform their workers. “That’s remarkably indicative of the fact they know that it [was] unacceptable,” he said “They didn’t want to communicate it to the people it would be affecting.”

Howe told The Observer that the decision to email administrators, rather than student workers themselves was due to the announcement role as a “routine mailing” from Human Resources to supervisors, and that student salary information is typically conveyed face-to-face. Katz said he received no instruction to inform his student workers of the $13 wage cap and took it upon himself to spread the news.

Fordham Lincoln Center’s Unit-

ed Student Government (USG) also stood in solidarity with student workers, initially releasing a statement of “concern over the lack of transparency that has been exhibited” and “the implications it might have for student workers who rely on their wages to make a living.”

Demetrios Stratis, FCLC ’19 and president of USG, said that despite his relief at the university’s decision to raise minimum wage, he remains troubled by the “lack of transparency that anticipated it.”

“I still think there are questions to be answered, and proper follow-up warranted on certain aspects of student employment, regarding payments, the salary cap and work hours,” Stratis said. “The university emails clarified a lot, but I can’t help but feel that the sudden nature of this entire situation left a bad taste in the mouth of many people.”

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Title IX Gender Disparity Raises Concerns

By RUBY GARA News Editor

“The number of unreported cases is heavily influenced by the attitudes of current administration. If they provided us with greater support and compassion, maybe more people would feel comfortable coming forward.”

This is how Alisia Ortiz, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20, a victim of sexual assault, feels following her “awful” experience reporting her case at Fordham. With a predominantly large presence of male staff members heading the Title IX process, questions about its contribution to the number of unreported sexual assault cases seem to emerge.

Reflecting on the way her Title IX case spiraled, Ortiz said she “wouldn’t wish it on anyone” and that “Fordham needs to do a much better job at protecting its students, specifically survivors of sexual assault.”

The response team dedicated to conducting the Title IX process consists of Title IX Coordinator Kareem Peat, Dean of Students and Deputy Title IX Coordinator Keith Eldredge, Director of Public Safety John Carroll and Deputy Title IX Coordinator Michele Burris. Students may also report their case of sexual assault to Campus Ministry, Health Services and Counseling Services, the only three confidential resources that are not mandated to share the case with the Title IX Office.

One of Public Safety’s duties form the first step of the Title IX process: assigning the complainant an administrative support person (ASP). The ASP’s role entails informing the victim about their rights and options, in addition to offering them support.

For instance, they have to explain what the conduct process looks like and provide the student with all available support resources, such as rape advocacy.

Most advisers, including the ASP on both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, are women, Peat emphasized.

However, in her case, Ortiz stated that “I was not assigned an ASP, nor was I aware that even existed.” Occasionally, faculty members of Residential Life checked up on her, but “it felt like an obligation for them to reach out,” she added. “Administration shouldn’t

What are your options for reporting sexual assault at Fordham?

Title IX Office: Kareem Peat (Title IX coordinator)

Confidential Resources:

1. University Health Services 2. Counseling and Psychological Services 3. Campus Ministry

Keith Eldredge (Deputy Title IX Coordinator)

Department of Public Safety:

Michele Burris

(Director)

(Deputy Title IX Coordinator)

John Carroll

Faculty, Staff or Residential Life

Mandated Reporters GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ESME BLEECKER-ADAMS

If a female student wants to report a Title IX case on campus, those she can report to are almost exclusively male.

feel like it’s a chore to care about students’ well-being.” She also added that the Residential Life staff involved in her case “were the ones that victim-blamed me the most.”

Kareem Peat recently became the Title IX coordinator at Fordham; he moved from his old office at Cornell University to his new one in Cuniffe House, at Rose Hill, in August 2018. He stated that “if a person is concerned with the gender of an individual assigned to their case, we would be happy to work with them to find an available person with whom they feel comfortable sharing their experience.”

If requested by the victim, Carroll said that Public Safety can provide a female investigator at any point during the process. He explained most victims approach their friends or the Resident Assistants on campus, though Public Safety is often called when seeking an immediate response.

Eldredge also stated that the Title IX Office will assign a new staff member if the victim has concerns related to gender or gender identity.

In Ortiz’s case, the Public Safety investigator was female, “but she wasn’t helpful.” Ortiz remembers being described as

“hysterical” in her reports, despite her being “calm and composed” throughout the entirety of the process. “I do think she played an active role in Fordham victim-blaming me,” she stated.

With regard to how female and female-identifying victims feel during the Title IX process, Carroll stated that “women have stated on occasion that they were more comfortable speaking with a female investigator — though that is not always the case.” A person of the same gender, or gender they identify with, may also be present in the room during every meeting, if requested by the student.

“Fordham has highly qualified women, both in Public Safety and in Student Affairs,” Carroll said.

‘It’s not clear that having more women in the process would necessarily increase the number of cases being reported: of course trauma-sensitive interviewers and investigators are critically important and available in all cases.”

Throughout his career in Title IX offices, Peat said he has only received one request, at his previous institution, to redirect the victim to a female investigator for comfort purposes.

Eldredge thinks gender and gender identity may be reasons

behind students feeling more comfortable in starting the Title IX process. However, he does not believe there is a lack of female staff in the Title IX process. Burris thinks the same way: “as a female myself, I am confident that female staff are available throughout the process to assist female students at Fordham,” she stated.

The administration meets on an annual basis to seek ways to improve and strengthen the Title IX process. They review survey results, conversations with the Fordham community and feedback from students involved in the process, Burris explained.

“We are constantly striving to improve all processes at Fordham so they best meet the needs of our students and our community,” she stated.

The administration launched a campus climate survey in Spring 2017, in which results showed that 50 percent of students did not feel the Title IX process helped them. “That’s a significant number and Fordham has not taken that survey to heart,” Diamantina Kefalas, FCLC’19, said. As the current president of the Coalition Against Relationship and Sexual Violence, she has also been working alongside Eldredge and Director of Residential Life Jenifer

Campbell with efforts to improve the Campus Assault and Relationship Education guide, specifically by gathering student complaints for Title IX. “I think Fordham did everything right on paper,” Ortiz stated. “However, I would have hoped that they treated me more like a person and less like a number.”

She wishes her well-being had been prioritized and had her feelings respected in her experience with the Title IX process, “instead of being made to feel like [her] rape was an inconvenience to others.”

Balancing fairness, transparency, reliability, comprehensiveness and “an overall feeling of confidence in the process” is a part of Peat’s mission as the current Title IX coordinator. “We all strive to provide a high level of empathy, respect and professionalism whether the individual involved is a man, a woman, or gender non-conforming and/or gender non-binary,” he added.

“As part of my review of the Title IX process, I welcome all input from the Fordham community,” Peat concluded. “We all share a commitment to creating a safe and caring community that is free of sex- and/or gender-based discrimination.”

Opinions

Opinions Editors Jordan Meltzer - jmeltzer3@fordham.edu Owen Roche - oroche2@fordham.edu November 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

THE

OBSERVER

STAFF EDITORIAL

VIGILANCE IN VICTORY

T

he United States does not force its citizens to vote. Many Americans will even tell you that our country makes it as hard as possible to do so. They have a point. Most of us don’t get a day off to perform what our country regards as the ultimate civic duty.

Americans — young people in particular — often find themselves unable to take off work, the recipient of a returned absentee ballot in the mail or even put on wait lists when trying to register before the election.

Can we blame them for feeling despair?

But this Election Day, more young Americans found their voices and made them heard. In 2014, only about 18 percent of eligible voters aged 18-29 participated in the midterms. This year, 31 percent of eligible young voters cast a ballot.

Though this was the case, many American voices continued to go unheard. Minority communities faced significant voter suppression in Georgia, North Dakota, Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas and likely several other states that have slipped beneath the radar. Certain voters in the Deep South voted at polling precincts with a limited number of voting machines, while other voters were purged from voting rolls.

Women, by and large, were more successful and are better-represented than ever in U.S. electoral his-

tory. One hundred women won House races, 35 of whom will be brand new representatives. Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema became the first openly bisexual woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate and Colorado’s Jared Polis became the first openly gay man to be elected governor. Candidates Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, both from states in the industrial northeast, became the first Muslim representatives in Congress.

Americans voting in large numbers was fantastic, but those voters organizing all year long will result in changes like never before.

It was a night of firsts, one that reaffirmed the diversity of the American people — especially as overconfident lads and their tiki torches try to bring “white nationalism” back into vogue.

Young people should be proud of their involvement in this victory. Thirty-one percent of people aged 1829 voted in the midterms, far above the usual average for a non-presidential general election. Despite being the go-to demographic for generational ire and accusations of entitlement and apathy, the youth of America showed promising signs of growth.

2018 was not a full victory for either side. Our legislature is now split between a Democrat-led House and Republican-led Senate. America is neither all red nor all blue, and the population isn’t getting any less divisive. In a time of growing polarization and need for unity, a more progressive government is just what this country needs.

Celebrating the victories of young voters and newly elected officials is crucial.

The increased turnout and positive results warrant praise across the aisle. But political involvement does not end once the last races are called and the last concession speeches are made.

Politicians continue to enact policies that affect the communities that elected them, whether or not the members of those communities pay attention.

We must involve ourselves in the political process and talk openly about it all. We must not merely vote once and then remain silent on the many issues that are important to us. Americans voting in large numbers was fantastic, but it will be those voters organizing all year long that will result in changes like never before.

America is a work in progress and it always will be.

It is a nation that was never designed to be flawless, only to improve over time.

It is up to young people to continue the vital work of making this country a more perfect union.

Editor-in-Chief Colin Sheeley Managing Editor Izzi Duprey Business Manager Luis Navarro Layout Editor Sabrina Jen Asst. Layout Editors Esmé Bleecker-Adams Steph Lawlor News Editors Carmen Borca-Carrillo Ruby Gara Opinions Editors Jordan Meltzer Owen Roche Arts & Culture Editors Courtney Brogle Marielle Sarmiento Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Kevin Christopher Robles Features Editors Lindsay Jorgensen Jeffrey Umbrell Asst. Features Editor Gianna Smeraglia Sports & Health Editor Luke Osborn Social Media Editor Madison Leto Photo Editors Andrew Beecher Lena Rose Copy Editors Lulu Schmieta Sami Umani Visual Advisor Molly Bedford Editorial Advisor Anthony Hazell Comma Coordinators Tatiana Gallardo Cat Reynolds Alexandra Richardson Abby Wheat

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Photo Feature “Horsin’ Around” Select members of the Observer Staff went to Louisville, Ky., for the semi-annual National College Media Association convention. The crew woke up at 5 a.m. and traveled to Churchill Downs, watching horses and their jockeys train before dawn.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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THE OBSERVER November 15, 2018

Opinions

7

You Don’t Get To Tell Me I’m White GABRIEL SAMANDI Contributing Writer

If you’re a white person, you don’t get to tell me I’m just like you.

That’s not rude. It’s true.

Your identity is not the same as mine, no matter how much you think I “pass” for white. And I’ll be damned if I let you tell me otherwise.

The other day, a friend of mine made a joke about slavery that was undoubtedly racist. I felt the need to point out the offensive nature of the joke. Many of my Mexican ancestors were sharecroppers on white-owned farms, paid pennies on the dollar for their work and mistreated at every turn, much like their black counterparts in other parts of the South.

These same ancestors lived on the land that is now South Texas for hundreds of years. As immigrants came to this land from all over the world, seeking opportunity or being forced to come in chains, they married into a diverse family that produced my cousins and I who represent every color of human flesh.

Personally, my mix is Mexican, Persian and Anglo-Germanic.

I’ve been called a gringo, a sand n-----, a hoodlum, a white boy, a hood kid, a prep — you name it. People like labels, and when they meet someone like me who doesn’t really fit into their defined categories, they go nuts trying to find an appropriate one.

It’s strange being the darkest person in a room full of white people but the lightest in a room full of Mexicans or Persians. It has often given me the feeling of not quite being accepted anywhere. I’m a minority in the United States, but I’m also a minority among minorities. I’m a member of so many cultures that I belong to none.

The truth is, I identify just as strongly with my Mexican side, as I do my Iranian side, as I do my white side. I understand the beauty and the wrongdoings of each culture in the course of world history. More importantly, I understand the value of a human being regardless of the

COURTESY OF GABRIEL SAMANDI

You might call them white. You might call them “ethnically ambiguous.” But I call them family.

group they belong to. So when my white friend made a joke about owning other people, it bothered me.

Yet when I told them how I was offended, they were appalled. “But you’re white!” they exclaimed, exasperated.

Because apparently, if I pass for white, I am supposed to be complacent with the racism you spew at my people and the brothers and sisters of all races with whom I stand. To discount my experience as a minority is to take away the life I’ve lived alongside the people who have struggled to get by in a society built against them.

By telling me I’m white, you are telling me that I should feel exempt from the struggles of my community. You are telling me I should be complacent in the wrongful incarceration of my friend’s parents. You are telling

me that I should forget about the children back home who have died as a result of gun violence.

You are telling me that I should stop fighting for the rights of my classmates to get a college education in a system designed to oppress them. You are telling me to be happy my family is trapped in Iran because they could be terrorists.

understand, it’s white people. As members of our society who have a fundamental advantage when it comes to access to education, healthcare, housing and social mobility, white Americans have the tools needed to help reform the systems that keep their neighbors down.

Possessing those tools means white Americans not only have

I’m a minority in the United States, but I’m also a minority among minorities. I’m a member of so many cultures that I belong to none.

Being white gives you a lot of privilege. I should know, because I have a lot of it too. But it does not give you the privilege of placing my life above the lives of my brethren.

If there’s anyone who needs to

the ability but the responsibility to listen to our voices and to help where they can. Of course, we’re not asking you to save us. We’re asking you to stand with us as we struggle for the same basic dignity that many white Ameri-

cans are granted at birth. That’s a dignity that has been revoked far too many times in my life and the lives of many in my community.

It is because of my shared struggles that, as complicated as my genetic makeup is, I consider myself a part of a larger minority community in the United States.

And I will always feel that way, regardless of what color you see on my face. I am asking you to recognize that and to listen to me when I tell you about our experiences. You are in a position to help, but you can only do that when you recognize our differences and the difference in the way society treats us.

Our differences do not make us stand opposed to one another, but they do exist. See that, and help me do something about it.

You can’t call me white. But you can call me a friend.

You Voted, Now Keep Voting GRACE GETMAN

General Voter Turnout

Youth Turnout (ages 18-29)

Staff Writer

If you’re anything like me, you probably have been swallowed up by the “get out the vote” effort this year, the #BlueWave drowning your social media feed and sweeping you into political fervor. You couldn’t escape it, nor should you have. The 2018 midterm elections were incredibly important, and the results will irrevocably shape our government, our legislation and our Twitter feeds for the coming years. And not just because Taylor Swift posted on Instagram about them.

But now that you’ve voted, what do you do? Go back to watching cat videos?

Here’s a suggestion: Do something. Do anything to participate in our political process.

Go to protests. Show up to town halls. Heck, run for office yourself. Just do something, because it was the people who did nothing that let the hot mess that has been our government since 2016 happen. Your cat videos will be there when you come back.

Nowhere was the rage over

2018: >47% 2014: 36.7%

2018: 31% 2014: 18%

ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER

A tale of two midterms: Will we keep it up or stay home next time?

the 2016 presidential elections more fierce than on college campuses, yet where were college students on Election Day? Certainly not at the polls. Less than half of all college students voted, with only 48.3 percent turning out. In 2014, during the last midterm elections, less than a quarter of all college students voted, with only 18 percent turning out.

We managed to do better this

time around. The 2018 midterms saw the highest voter turnout in decades. Thirty one percent of 18 to 29-year-olds managed to go to the polls, a 25-year high. Of the total voting eligible population, more than 47 percent voted, the highest it’s been in 50 years.

That’s astounding. This turnout allowed Democrats to take back the majority hold on the House of Representatives, win crucial gubernatorial races and install

more women, people of color and veterans than ever before at every level of government. It just goes to show that if you work for a democracy, democracy works for you.

By no means are American liberals out of the woods. Democrats lost seats in the Senate and lost many races they expected to win on Tuesday. Mueller, the Special Counsel who is investigating Trump for corruption and collusion with Russia, is in danger. The trade war with China has only intensified. We have not been able to resolve any of the crises gripping our government today. Even though taking back the House is a significant step that deserves praise, the road ahead won’t be easy and it will only be hindered by people too lazy or too idealistic to participate in the world of imperfect choices that is American democracy.

Voting isn’t a ball you can drop or a game you can stop playing. You can’t just vote once and expect to see the results you want for generations to come.

Voting is our duty, our right and the very heart of what it means to be an American.

We get to choose our own future. It’s time to appreciate that.

It’s great to have voted in the past election, but we must carry that momentum forward and vote in each and every election like it’s the last election of our lives. For some — DACA recipients, transgender people and other minorities under siege by the Trump administration — it very well could be.

So what are these future elections? For starters, in 2019, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi will hold gubernatorial elections.

Kentucky, Mississippi, Virginia and New Jersey will hold state legislative elections. Sixteen major cities, including Chicago, Tampa and Houston, will hold mayoral elections.

And we all know what 2020 will hold. The only way to take back our country from the insanity we’ve been presented with is to rebuild our government with honest, compassionate politicians on every level, and every vote counts. If you’ve ever wondered how you would act during an American crisis, don’t wonder any longer. The time is now, and the choices are yours. Choose to vote.

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Opinions

November 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

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Contraception: Fordham’s Public Health Problem tional practices; however, I am not speaking solely on religious grounds. I am speaking out for student health. If Fordham wants to assure its students’ maximum health benefits, it should provide basic contraception.

SAMANTHA VOGEL Contributing Writer

I am an 18-year-old woman and I do not want to get pregnant. I am sure other women my age hold similar convictions.

That being said, I know if I were ever to face such a situation, I can comfortably — confidently, even — say I would choose to have an abortion.

The Catholic Church frowns upon this sentiment. Yet, if the Church and Jesuit tradition frown upon abortion, then why don’t their institutions provide contraception in order to prevent such a decision? Providing contraception does not go against Jesuit ideals; rather, it amplifies them. If Catholics disagree with the sentiment behind abortion and wish to prevent it, then why not advocate contraception, which would help prevent unwanted pregnancy in the first place?

Not only is the lack of contraception hypocritical in regards to the beliefs held by the Catholic Church, including Jesuit institutions like Fordham University, but it also is unjust to deny women (and men) contraception and the necessary option to practice safe sex while expecting women to carry the child.

Whether a woman faces abortion or premature and unwilling motherhood, either option will scar a young woman’s life.

If easy access to contraception is not provided, young women and men are less likely to use it, leaving women at a greater risk of getting pregnant.

Furthermore, women are more

I am not speaking solely on religious grounds. I am speaking out for student health.

The United Nations recognizes a person’s right to health, stating that “functioning public health … goods and services must be available in sufficient quantity … They must be accessible physically as well as financially and on the basis of non-discrimination.” Accessibility also implies the right to seek, receive and impart health-related information in a readily-available format.

Denying college students free access to contraception contradicts Fordham’s commitment to student health. Furthermore, Fordham cannot claim to be a strong proponent of equality among the sexes if it chooses to deny women access to safe methods of birth control.

So, for the purpose of student health, safety and equality, I ask Fordham to reconsider its stance on providing contraception for students. We must do more than express concern about the sexual health of students. We must take action and ensure Fordham provides proper health services to show it cares.

REX SAKAMOTO/THE OBSERVER

Fordham must provide contraception to its students if it wants to avoid far tougher conversations.

likely to be demoted, laid off or discouraged from seeking a promotion after becoming pregnant. Men do not have to deal with these obstacles. If a man gets a woman pregnant, he doesn’t worry about his career.

He doesn’t worry about dropping out of school. He doesn’t have to deal with the hormonal toll pregnancy takes on a woman’s body. He can choose without being frowned upon whether he wants to be a father or not. If a man holds no moral obligation to help raise the child, then why do religious bodies believe women have a moral obligation to have a child after an unwanted pregnancy? Women constantly

worry about getting pregnant when they have sex. Men don’t, which is why, without contraception readily available to young men, they may be less inclined to purchase and use it.

Additionally, the provision of contraception would help prevent the spread of STDs. Condoms are the most effective form of protection against STDs and diseases like HIV/AIDS. The fact that our university doesn’t provide them is a public health concern. Even though Fordham offers free testing for STDs and HIV/AIDS, they don’t provide condoms to prevent the transmission of diseases. The average treatment cost for HIV ranges

from $14,000 to $20,000 per year. Not to mention that some students either don’t have insurance that will cover the cost of birth control or sexual health-related tests.

I understand that the Catholic Church and Jesuit institutions like Fordham do not endorse premarital sex and, instead, advocate abstinence-only as an argument against contraception.

While abstinence is a 100 percent effective form of preventing pregnancy and STDs, the expectation that all young adults will practice an abstinence-only lifestyle is ridiculous.

Yes, Fordham, I understand my opinion contradicts tradi-

End Birthright Citizenship — But Fix Naturalization, Too LEO BERNABEI Contributing Writer

On Oct. 30, President Donald Trump announced hi intention to end birthright citizenship in the United States by means of an executive order. His unprecedented move calls into question the ability of a sitting U.S. president to unilaterally supercede judicial precedent without an act of Congress. If enacted, Trump’s executive order is likely to be challenged in federal court.

Regardless of his authority, or lack thereof, to enact such an order, should it be done? Both Democrats and Republicans have aired grievances over birthright citizenship for decades. In 1993, then-senator from Nevada Harry Reid declared that “no sane country” would allow birthright citizenship. “If you break our laws by entering this country without permission and give birth to a child, we reward that child with U.S. citizenship and guarantee a full access to all public and social services this society provides — and that’s a lot of services,” he remarked.

Although he has reneged on that stance, Reid’s comments echo the current concerns of Trump and his Republican peers in Congress, as well as many Americans at large, including myself.

The United States and its progressive neighbor Canada are the world’s only developed countries (as defined by the International Monetary Fund) which grant unrestricted citizen-

ship to children of noncitizens.

No European countries, including those in Scandinavia often idolized by Democrats for their economic and social policy, offer this privilege.

The Pew Research Center estimated that 250,000 children were born in 2016 to parents residing in the U.S. illegally. They also found that around 5 million U.S.-born children are living in

efits provided by illegal immigrants far outweigh the cost of their food stamps. Immigrants residing in the U.S. without legal permission pay about $11.7 billion a year in state and local taxes, excluding the other economic gains that migrant workers provide to the American economy through their employment.

Trump should recognize that millions of these U.S.-born

Annual Visa Applicants

However, the economic benefits provided by illegal immigrants far outweigh the cost of their food stamps. the United States with at least one parent residing in the country illegally. However, this figure does not include those children who are now 18 years or older, so the more accurate number is larger.

While these parents cannot reap the benefits of various U.S. social welfare programs, their U.S.-born children can. Almost 4 million children and their parents living in the country illegally received food stamps during 2015, according to the Department of Agriculture. While the Department did not offer a cost estimate for this food stamp usage, a General Accounting Office letter from just over two decades ago provides some clues.

“In fiscal year 1995, an estimated $1.13 billion … was provided to households in which either the head of household or his or her spouse was an illegal alien,” the letter reads.

However, the economic ben-

children with parents living in the U.S. without legal permission have contributed to the economy like their counterparts with American parents. I do believe birthright citizenship should be ended, but it is imperative to understand that these children are just as American as those with American parents. They were born here, raised here, work here and raise their own families here.

The pathway to legal citizenship in the United States is a convoluted mess that can force individuals to wait decades before even being considered for permanent residency. The diversity lottery program is a disaster — around 20 million people apply every year to fill 50,000 visas.

In turn, people who feel they have no chance at ever gaining citizenship come illegally.

If we want to end birthright citizenship, we must reform the legal naturalization process as well.

Only 5 0 thousand of 2 0 million visa applicants are admitted for legal citizenship every year

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY STEPH LAWLOR

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THE OBSERVER November 15, 2018

Opinions

9

No, We Shouldn’t Embrace Socialism Not good for Democrats, not good for America.

BRANDON SAPIENZA Staff Writer

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is written in response to “Midterm Elections: Democrats, Reconsider Socialism” by Gabriel Samandi, published in the Oct. 25 issue.

In the last issue of The Observer, there was a piece published about Democrats and the United States embracing socialism. Yes, socialism, the same form of economics that has led to the death of millions of people including 67 million in the Soviet Union, 40 million in China and 1.7 million in North Korea with widespread starvation and poor living conditions.

More recently, it has caused unrest in Venezuela which, at one point, in the 1970s, boasted one of the richest economies in the world. Now, poor Venezuelans are eating dogs and rats to stay alive, and 60 percent of Venezuelans said in the past three months, they woke up hungry because they did not have enough money to purchase food. For that reason and many more, socialism does not have a place in the United States. Ever.

This whole fraudulent movement was injected into the American mainstream by the delusional Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders said in 1985: “You know, it’s funny.

Sometimes American journalists talk about how bad a country is when people are lining up for food. That’s a good thing.”

In 2015, he also advocated for governmental control over the economy: “Democratic socialism means that our government does everything it can to create a full employment economy.” If this came to fruition, it would result in more Americans losing their freedom of choice, a hallmark of our country.

We were too close to having that man become president.

It seems that young people are fine with sticking the word “democratic” in front of “socialism” to make it seem like it’s still a viable form of economics, all because candidates like Sanders offer them free stuff that, in reality, can never be afforded. In no world does this work, and no, it’s not because the last couple of kicks at the can in places like Venezuela weren’t “real socialism.”

Yet, for all the failures, these same young people look toward certain countries as shining examples of government control over citizens’ lives.

HERR_HARTMAN VIA FLICKR

Wall Street, the paragon of American capitalism, is doing quite alright, thank you very much.

It seems that young people are fine with sticking the word “democratic” in front of “socialism” to make it seem like it’s still a viable form of economics, all because candidates like Sen. Bernie Sanders offer them free stuff that, in reality, can never be afforded. want the absurdly high taxes that come with this dysfunctional form of economics. In Sweden, the income tax for the working middle class is anywhere from 29 percent to 60 percent or higher if you make more than $60,000 annually. In Denmark, to purchase a car, not only would one have to pay for the up front cost, but, as of the new tax law that took effect in September 2018, one would also have to pay a tax as high as 150 percent when purchasing a new vehicle.

Economics aside, the very concept of socialism, even “democratic” socialism, is immoral.

An implementation of socialism in the United States is a method of undermining the bedrock of the country that is the Constitu-

In no world does this work, and no, it’s not because the last couple of kicks at the can in places like Venezuela weren’t “real socialism.”

Denmark, Sweden and Norway are typically the names associated with the notion of “successful” socialism. These countries are small and homogenous in comparison to the United States. The welfare policies that come with socialism work in a utopia, but in reality, the daily lives of these people are gripped by lack of liberty.

For the United States, a diverse and ever-growing country, having a broad welfare state, dependent on high taxes across the board, is unsustainable.

Even if it could work in the United States, no one would

tion. The Constitution grants us, among many things, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

With a socialist government and a large welfare state, what quality of life can we have if we don’t have the freedom to make decisions to suit our needs?

The idea of having government intervention in everyday life with high taxes and saying what healthcare to have, on top of threatening people with following these types of mandates, leaves citizens with no other options and is an outrageous reality that should never come to fruition anywhere in the world.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said on socialism: “Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess.

They always run out of other people’s money.”

Questioning the great capitalist system that has lifted more people out of poverty than any other form of economics in the world poses a threat to the country.

One of the key elements of socialism, as opposed to capitalism, is how it destroys a need for competition. If people of a particular country are being offered the same product with few to no options for private corporations to step in, the quality of that product would go down. In turn, the government-provided service would decline, leading to poor living conditions and, as we’ve seen with socialist countries before, large-scale loss of life.

Rather than trying to topple the only viable form of economics, young people of the United States should embrace capitalism and the freedoms that come with it. Government deregulation has only led to good in recent months, with rising stock market values, greater consumer confidence and a reemergence of reasonable taxes for the middle class. If you still think socialism is the best economic system, my suggestion would to be live with the impoverished in Venezuela and then come back here and tell me how dog tastes.

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Opinions

November 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

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Invisible Disabilities: Professors, Take Note Letter from an undergrad ADRIANE KONG Contributing Writer

Dear Professors of Fordham University, My name is Adriane Kong, I am a freshman and I have a hearing disability.

And I would love to take your class, but I physically cannot due to the fact that you refuse to provide my accomodations.

I am deaf in my left ear. Due to this, Fordham implements accommodations: a quiet location to take tests, preferential seating, subtitles during videos and a copy of class notes. They’re simple, but most can only be provided by the willingness of professors.

It was only two weeks into the school year when I met my first professor who refused to compromise.

It was a sunny Thursday, my class was at 12:30 p.m., but I arrived 15 minutes early. The professor rushed into the classroom at 12:29, carrying a large stack of binders filled to the brim with notes.

She told the class to sit in a circle and immediately started in on a tangent about cultural appropriation, which somehow transitioned into paternalism and polytheism.

I scrambled to write everything down and struggled to comprehend what was even being said. By the end of the class I was frustrated. I had understood nothing and learned nothing.

But I was still determined to take the class. I hoped the professor could provide a copy of notes so I could focus on understanding the material in class. The alternative was trying to listen, take notes, comprehend and participate, all with only one functioning ear.

As I approached the professor after class, I felt my gut clench.

Already, I was preparing for rejection and indifference to my request.

“Hi Professor! My name is Adriane Kong, I’m deaf in my left ear, and have accommodations set up with the Office of Disabilities Services due to this.”

COURTESY OF YICHEN LIU

It’s time to listen closely to students with disabilities striving to succeed.

She listened intently.

“One of my accomodations is that I get a copy of notes.”

I paused to let her interject.

She said nothing.

“And I was wondering if it was possible for you to provide that?”

Silence.

“Something like that would be perfect.” I gestured to the printed copy of her notes in her hands that she referenced throughout the class.

She glanced briefly down at her notes, looked back at me and said “No I can’t give you these.

They’re my notes.” As she said this, she held her notes to her chest like I would forcibly snatch them out of her hand and run away.

There was an awkward beat of silence. Neither one of us knew what else was left to say.

In the end all I could say was,

“Oh. Okay. I see. Thank you.”

Now, New York State law has many weak points in accommodating for disabilities, particularly in providing for disabled people in the workforce. It was in public grade school that N.Y. State had the greatest capacity to provide. Public school teachers had to comply with accomodations, or they’d be breaking the law.

I knew to expect differently in college. I had to be self-reliant.

Professors don’t have the sole responsibility of teaching you, and so they feel less compelled to support you.

Even though I knew all of this, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. My next course of action was to go to the Office of Disability Services to see if there was anything more that could be done.

I explained the situation and got a few nods of understanding.

They continued to explain that the reason professors have the right to refuse is because professors are different than teachers, in that they conduct their own research which could be incorporated into their notes. Therefore anything they teach, any of their notes, could be considered intellectual property.

I had hit a roadblock. I could either continue being stubborn, take the class, struggle my entire first semester at Fordham and work with a professor who seems disinterested in aiding me.

Or, drop the class.

The decision was obvious, and I hated making it. But staying in that class would not further my education. I would just be struggling to stay above the surface from start to finish, never fully

comprehending the material, never having the full capacity to participate.

Professors, please understand that it is completely within your right to reject certain accommodations of students with disabilities. But in doing so you may be losing a promising student and their contributions. Students with disabilities want to be in your class, and they want to learn. But due to circumstances beyond their control it’s just more difficult to do so. And when professors refuse accommodations that even the playing field for disabled students, it harms everyone involved.

Just something for you to consider.

Sincerely, Adriane Kong

The Minimum Wage Increase, Its Victors and Its Next Steps SAMANTHA NORMAN Contributing Writer

The story of life at Fordham as told by schoolwide email blasts is not the story that students, faculty and, for the most part, staff, know very well.

On Sept. 25, the Office of Human Resources announced via email (to an audience that suspiciously excluded student workers) that Fordham would claim an exemption to the Minimum Wage Act reserved for religious and degree granting institutions and “cap the minimum wage for covered student workers at $13 per hour.” A New York State information sheet about pay exemptions for interns was attached. One month and four days later, the office of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Martha Hirst reported: “we identified funds sufficient to cover the increased minimum wage in this year’s budget.”

It would seem, according to

The victory of a legal livable wage was a direct result of student pressure from all sides via the press, student governance, and most of all, grassroots organizing. my fordham.edu email inbox, that the Vice Presidential Board had a change of heart. Or maybe, like a pirate or “Indiana Jones” type, they found some funding after a tireless and beguiling hunt and decided to share some of those spoils with student workers. What goes unacknowledged, however, is the bulk of the story.

There is a beginning, an epilogue and … that’s it? Plot holes beg to be filled in, and the workers who won’t benefit come Jan. 1 would benefit from hearing it all in full.

The victory of a legal livable wage was a direct result of student pressure from all sides via the press, student governance and, most of all, grassroots organizing. The Observer speedily published a report on the email and the impact of a hypothetical wage cap. United Student

Government announced via public statement its support for a $15 wage, which will soon become the legal minimum (read: MINIMUM, as in bare minimum) wage in New York City. Students for Sex and Gender Equality and Safety (SAGES) called in student workers to organize a petition and advocacy campaign as early as the first week of October.

After reaching hundreds of student workers, SAGES crafted a set of demands that, if enacted, would better dignify the Fordham worker. For instance, the workers who are paid minimum wage should receive their paychecks more often than once every 40 days. Student workers should be protected from the Trump administration’s proposal to pass legislation that would allow employers to discriminate

against transgender, gender nonconforming and intersex (TGNCI) employees , although Fordham’s indignant silence on the threats to its own TGNCI students is another sad story altogether.

This is why a coalition of SAGES members and student workers demand University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., Vice President of Human Resources Kay Turner and University Senior VP/Treasurer/CFO Martha Hirst enact the changes specified in the SAGES petition.

The stipulations of the petition can be found below.

(1) Raise wages for all student employees (student workers and work study recipients) to $15 per hour on or by January 1, 2019.

(2) Publicly commit to raising student wages in accordance with New York State and New York City Law from this point forward.

Student employees whose wages exceeded $13/hour will not suffer retaliatory cuts in wages.

(3) Publicly ensure that work study students will be able to work sufficient hours each semes-

ter to meet or exceed the funding allocation outlined in their financial aid package.

(4) Increase financial aid to student workers so that NO student employed by Fordham University accrues burdensome student loans, or is offered student loans as part of their financial aid package.

(5) Announce in a public statement and publish a policy statement that Fordham will NOT to discriminate in hiring or pay practices based on sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, race, sexuality or citizenship status.

(6) Pay student workers on a consistent schedule once every two weeks. Currently, many student workers are paid once a month, with payments often arriving more than a week late.

(7) Remove limits to hours or shifts worked, and pay students in full for work until the end of the academic year.

(8) Offer student workers sick or disability pay if they are unable to work.

To read the full story, visit www.fordhamobserver.com

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Opinions

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Climate Change Is Worse Than You Think EVAN VOLLBRECHT Contributing Writer

On Oct. 8, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report announcing the scientific consensus on climate change and the world lost its mind. The breathless media coverage, social media flame wars and political grandstanding were not hysteric or unwarranted. In fact, it was a drastic underreaction. The enormity of the threat that global warming poses to the world as we know it is unmistakably dire — to an informed observer, our collective indifference is unacceptable.

The world’s target, according to the IPCC, is to end the rise of global average temperatures at only 1.5 degrees Celsius. This amount of additional heat will bleach almost every coral reef on the planet and create water scarcity for almost 300 million people in developing nations.

Dangerous heat waves and massive wildfires like the Camp and Woolsey fires in California would come even more frequently, while unusual cycles of drought and flooding would jeopardize the world’s food supply. This result — a climatic shift bigger than anything seen in human history — is, according to the scientists of the IPCC, the best-case scenario. On our current course, we will surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming by 2030.

In reality, if every country followed the exact policy guidelines described in the Paris Climate Accords, we would be lucky to cause as little as three degrees of warming. Currently, only two countries have honored this commitment, so four degrees and upward are considered the likely warming by 2100. To call this a climate catastrophe would be a gross understatement; even our

most severe labels seem paltry when compared to the enormity of the issue.

Four degrees of warming will put Southern Europe and Northern Africa in a state of permanent drought. Wildfires in America will rage upwards of six times more devastating than they do now, annually scorching an area the size of Michigan. We could see hundreds of millions of

To call this a climate catastrophe would be a gross understatement; even our most severe labels seem paltry when compared to the enormity of the issue. deaths from air pollution alone.

Worldwide, grain production will fall by half. The economic growth will slow to 70 percent of its normal rate. Rising sea levels will swallow or flood not only Miami, Delhi and most Pacific Islands but also New York City itself — turning Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens into archipelagos, putting LaGuardia and JFK airports out of service and ensuring that the D train really will never arrive.

This will only happen, of course, if we do nothing to stop climate change. Unfortunately, the hope of prevention is becoming more far-fetched.

In a time rife with scandal and ugly revelation, the IPCC report should stand out. A massive mobilization of the national resources from every major geopolitical power, applied in every aspect of daily life, industry and infrastructure, is our best chance at preserving the world.

The IPCC recommends a global carbon tax of $5,000 per ton, but this alone is not

SYDNEY EBBELER/THE OBSERVER

The IPCC can’t put it any more plainly: it’s a matter of life and death.

enough — there also must be a second agricultural revolution, an unprecedented investment in renewable energy development, a worldwide change in even the most basic aspects of lifestyle and a religious commitment to maximizing efficiency in appliances and homes. Even then, to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius would require carbon-removal technology that is untested and undeveloped.

Politicians may moralize about climate change, but even for the most progressive among them, a single subsidy for the electric car industry is considered a landmark victory. Any serious climate legislation, on the other hand, must necessarily number among the most ambitious policy

programs in history. Those with their hands on the levers of power have great potential to bring change, and in their position, a lack of boldness is a betrayal. We don’t have the luxury of delay or incremental change at this scale; when it’s life or death, we can’t afford to trip over the red tape.

There is no single day of reckoning for climate change — every moment we fail to act, we see things get worse.

The task ahead of us seems daunting. This is a problem collectively created by seven billion humans and a handful of corporations. It almost seems unfair to call on us to sacrifice so much — our cars, our steaks, our straws; why should we, when only these 25 companies have been respon-

sible for half the problem? The answer, of course, is that we create the demand that sustains them. Our lifestyle supports a meat and dairy industry responsible for about 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, a transportation infrastructure responsible for another 15 percent and a heating and electric need responsible for a further 25 percent; reducing our consumption of these resources is our best way to reduce their impact. The trendy vegan restaurants, hipster bike lanes, and flashy Energy Star™ appliances really are some of our most effective weapons in this fight.

Of course, in the face of a large-scale irreparable climate crisis as early as 2030, it’s hard to see how Meatless Monday does any more good than whistling in a hurricane. Any mitigation must start now and be absolutely comprehensive to have a chance.

The enormity of the challenge means even the most drastic of our individual actions and sacrifices will have very little impact alone. It’s easy to get lost, despondent and apathetic, but on the contrary — everything you do matters. There is no single person causing climate change, and there is no single person who can stop it. We may not see much return on our investment, but it’s important work nonetheless.

Maybe one person putting on a jacket instead of the heater or deciding to carpool won’t save the planet alone, but it is useful and necessary regardless. It took the collective action of several billion humans to get us into this mess, and it’ll take the collective action of several billion to get us out of it. Climate change is continuous and terrifying. It calls for all hands on deck; for everyone to play their part, no matter how small. Every little action we take helps to delay what seems inevitable — to stall, however briefly, the end.

Thanksgiving: The Holiday of Moral Qualms The menu for Nov. 22: Tofurky, capitalist pig and a nagging sense of existential grief OWEN ROCHE Opinions Editor

There is no holiday more shrouded in ethical angst, more clouded with moral ambiguity than Thanksgiving. It is only fitting that November, the bitter, neglected child of the calendar year, has once again brought us face-to-face with the one day off that carries enough baggage to ground an airplane.

Thanksgiving has made its name on a sense of unity and family, but we see through the tryptophan sham. This fourth Thursday of November, it will once again be time to gather the family ’round the table to confront the ethical conundrums that muddy the gravy of this feast of farce.

To unleash unease is only in the holiday spirit.

The easiest target is enough to make even the most patriotic AP U.S. History student squirm with moral turmoil: the “First Thanksgiving” that graces the pages of children’s books and “Peanuts” specials the world over. It may be old news by now that friends, buttered toast, jelly beans and popcorn do not quite represent the selfless gesture from Native Americans to struggling Euro-

CARLA DE MIRANDA/THE OBSERVER

pean colonists immortalized in many a terrible school play.

Did you want an extra helping of genocide with your mashed potatoes?

Does the inevitable backstabbing of epic proportions that followed the iconic meal we annually seek to replicate boil your blood hotter than a thousand pots of corn on the cob? Is it the

meat sweats, or does the irony of giving thanks on stolen land make you perspire?

Now you’re getting into the spirit.

In the interest of maximizing stress throughout the holiday, one might seek to bring up the United Nations Climate Report once more — you know, the one that says we’re doomed as

a species if we can’t change our ways and work towards a more sustainable tomorrow. Atop the list of horrible human habits that turn up the heat on planet Earth: eating meat. It really just isn’t Thanksgiving unless each turkey leg and sliver of roast beef fills you with the unshakable notion that the carbon emissions and ultimate sacrifice of innocent life to fill your stomach weren’t entirely worth it — on your way up for thirds. A soggy block of tofu is more symbolic of the season than turkey ever was, after all.

The televised military tribunal our country holds every year does little to lighten the mood.

Thanksgiving may be unique in its position as the only holiday marked with a presidential pardon. Members of a foreign species stand trial for their right to exist, walk free by the benevolence of our enlightened despot and, assumedly, return to tell their friends about the might of the United States — if they’re not already cooked up and served.

This may be too harsh a judgement. Perhaps the shifty eyes, twiddling fingers and crescendoing gastrointestinal distress are entirely separate from the unsettling air of the season. The knife-cuttable tension around this year’s feast of folly may very well have another, even more callous source: gluttonous sequels

you just can’t wait to celebrate.

The holiday, sufficiently dreadful on its own, continues to find ways to absorb other weaker sources of gloom, much like an imploding star. Black Friday and Thanksgiving are one and the same, and you know you love it. The sense of urgency that accompanies food prep for the big day is but a pregame for the adrenaline to come, as visions of white-knuckled grips on shopping carts dance in the heads of Black Friday veterans. Turning one’s ear away from the commotion in Best Buy reveals another, even sweeter sound of impending stress: sleigh bells. Halloween is far in the rearview, and Thanksgiving is the perfect harbinger of snow, ice, mall Santas and Walmart layaway.

If the pumpkin pie-fueled regret and self-loathing haven’t kicked in yet, be safe with the knowledge that Thanksgiving, in one way or another, will do its part to stuff you full of ethical turmoil and stressful conflict before the last plate is cleaned. If you, like millions of Americans, look forward to taking this single day out of the year to be thankful, be forewarned: you’ll have no choice but to face the impossible contextual nuances, ethical quandaries and boats upon boats of muddy gravy that give twisted life to the holiday, lumps and all.

Features

NYC 2018

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November 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

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M A R AT HON Students from Fordham University trek across 26.2 miles of New York City pavement, covering all five boroughs

26.2 MILES 5 BOROUGHS 50 THOUSAND RUNNERS 12 THOUSAND VOLUNTEERS 2.5 MILLION SPECTATORS

By LENA WEIDENBRUCH Staff Writer

COURTESY OF CAROLINE DONAHUE

Caroline Donahue is a senior at Fordham College at Rose Hill.

“ If people are looking to get out and go run,

start small with 5ks or Thanksgiving turkey trots. If you start small, your goals just keep progressively getting bigger and bigger.”

– ZACH WATTERSON, GSB ‘19

COURTESY OF ZACH WATTERSON

Zach Watterson is a senior at the Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill.

Every year on the first Sunday in November, the streets of New York City fill with thousands of eager runners. This year was no different. Fan-favorite professional runners like Shalane Flanagan and Bernard Lagat sped through the city in the 48th TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 4, including first time and veteran marathoners from all around the world. Over 50,000 runners crossed the finish line in Central Park West, two of them students at Fordham University at Rose Hill (FCRH). Caroline Donahue, FCRH ’19 and Zach Watterson, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill, (GSB) ’19, took to the streets of New York City and conquered 26.2 miles on the sunny Sunday morning.

Neither Donahue nor Watterson were new to the New York City Marathon. Both students ran for the first time in 2016. Donahue went back for her second round this month, and Watterson, who also ran in 2017, for his third. The two runners went into this year’s race with not only knowledge about the course and the sport, but also with new goals they had set for themselves.

“I didn’t really set a goal for the first one,” Watterson said.

He finished 2016’s race in four hours, six minutes, and 37 seconds but knew he eventually wanted to go under the four hour-mark. In 2017, due to inclement weather, he ran just 17 seconds over his original time.

This past October, Watterson completed the Chicago Marathon in three hours, 59 minutes and 11 seconds, coming in at just under four hours. He hoped to do so again a month later in New York City.

He did. Watterson finished the 2018 New York City Marathon in three hours, 54 minutes and 45 seconds. “It was my best marathon yet and it felt really

good,” he said after the race.

“It’s always great to run the streets of NYC.” Donahue’s 2016 time was four hours, one minute and 29 seconds, which she obliterated this year, as she crossed the line in three hours, 47 minutes and 20 seconds, shaving 14 minutes and nine seconds off of her original time. “I really wanted to break my previous time of 4:01 so I was thinking of that the whole time I ran,” she said.

Donahue said she felt “more prepared but also more excited” for this race than she did in 2016. “My friends and family came out to support me which was really helpful when I was struggling the most.”

Both Donahue and Watterson ran in 2016 almost on impulse. “If I remember correctly, I decided to run the marathon on a somewhat whim,” Donahue said. “I love conquering challenges and trying new things, and I figured I should take advantage of as many New York opportunities as possible.”

Watterson was in a similar situation in 2016.

“The way the New York City Marathon used to be set up was, if you didn’t get in for the first three years you tried for in the lottery, you automatically got

Fitting marathon training into an already busy schedule is not something college students typically have to figure out. in the fourth,” Watterson said.

“So, I applied through the lottery the first year [in 2016] and ended up getting in the first year I applied.” He also applied for the lottery in 2017 and got in. This year, instead of enter-

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ing the race through the lottery, Watterson ran with a charity.

Fitting marathon training into an already busy schedule is not something college students typically have to figure out.

Having run three marathons prior to this year’s race through the five boroughs, Watterson

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Donahue said she felt “more p also more excited” for this race th 2016. “My friends and family cam port me which was really h said marathon training is “an all year thing.” When it comes down to it, though, he said “it’s all about discipline.” The senior Gabelli student fit his long runs in on the weekends and also mixed in a lot of cycling.

What was different for Watterson this year was that he trained for and ran the Chicago Marathon before running in New York. “I thought of the Chicago Marathon as my training,” he said. “My long training run for New York, if that makes sense.” Instead of continuous, intense training leading up to New York, Watterson used that time to rest his body.

Donahue had a similar mindset for this year’s race. “I run when I’m home for the summer a lot,” she said. “New Mexico is at a really high altitude which is always hard to adjust to when I go home for the summer, but it really helps with getting you into shape.” When she got back to school this fall, she, like Watterson, didn’t run much, but instead focused on preserving her body and energy. “I do the elliptical for an hour and then I walk on an incline for another hour,” she said. “As long as I get cardio I feel like that does a lot.”

The New York City Marathon has become quite an energizing experience for both

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This year’s women’s race was won by four-time-winner Mary Keitany of Kenya, who finished three minutes ahead of the pack in two hours, 22 minutes and 48 seconds. Vivian Cheruiyot, also of Kenya, finished second. The American 2017 winner, Shalane Flanagan, finished third in two hours, 26 minutes and 22 seconds, followed by Americans Molly Huddle in fourth and Desiree Linden in sixth. The men’s race was won by the dominant Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa in two hours, five minutes and 59 seconds. Jared Ward of the United States finished sixth in two hours, 12 minutes and 24 seconds.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY STEPH LAWLOR

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The New York City Marathon is not only for serious runners. It is the largest marathon in the world, attracting over 2 million spectators every year.

Advertisements for the iconic race pop up on buildings and in subway stations throughout the city in the weeks preceding it, many of them with the slogan, “It will move you.” Whether the marathon literally moves you for 26.2 miles of pure endurance from Staten Island to Manhattan, or it prompts you to walk from Fordham Lincoln Center to Columbus Circle to watch the greats battle it out through the final miles of the race, if you decide to be a part of the New York City Marathon, it will move you.

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Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editors Courtney Brogle - cbrogle@fordham.edu Marielle Sarmiento - msarmiento3@fordham.edu November 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

Ramsgiving: What to Do ...

By GILLIAN RUSSO Staff Writer

Those going home for Thanksgiving break might already be, well, giving thanks for Grandma’s inimitable pumpkin pie or some long-awaited time with the dogs. But the break doesn’t have to be any less festive or exciting for those sticking around campus — we can give thanks to be spending the holiday in the city that never sleeps. So when you aren’t catching up on shut-eye (which is also a perfectly acceptable way to pass the time), there are plenty of events and opportunities close to Fordham to get you in the holiday spirit.

Watch the parade: It’s an iconic American tradition, and a sight like no other.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 9 a.m. on the holiday. Going to the starting line, near the American Museum of Natural History at West 77th Street and Central Park West, will give you a firsthand view of the ribbon-cutting that kicks off the parade, as well as the first look at all the floats. If you visit the afternoon or evening before the parade, you can even watch the preparations unfold and see the inflation of the balloons.

Get a head start on Christmas shopping: I’m not just talking about Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you want to find more unique gifts (or just don’t fancy being trampled in the department stores), holiday bazaars abound. The nearby Columbus Circle market doesn’t open until Nov. 28, but the Grand Central Holiday Fair and Bryant Park Winter Village, both a quick ride from campus on the D line, are open with a combined total of more than 200 vendors selling food, crafts, clothes and everything in between.

Hit the ice: The city offers plenty of ice skating venues for skilled skaters and wall-huggers alike. While you’re at Bryant Park, you can break out your blades for no admission fee (you do have to pay $20 for skate rental, though). Rockefeller

Center’s prices vary between $25 and $33, in addition to a $12.50 skate rental. Central Park is a little cheaper, charging either $12 or $19 and only $10 for skate rental. No matter which rink you prefer, the classic winter activity is perfect for friend groups and cute dates. Hey, it worked for Buddy the Elf; it can work for you too.

Hear some carols. Or showtunes. Or both: ’Tis always the season for Broadway here, but there’s no better time than a holiday break to gobble up a good show. The Rockettes’ Radio City Christmas Spectacular and George Balanchine’s classic “Nutcracker” at Lincoln Center, right across the street from the Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) campus, have become traditions in their own right that never fail to deliver classic holiday cheer. History buffs can get in the holiday spirit at “All is Calm” at the Sheen Center, which tells the story of the Christmas truce that occurred during World War I. The Broadway hit, “The Illusionists,” will return starting Black Friday with a holiday show featuring a lineup of world-class magicians. And if you’re not quite ready for Christmas yet, you could take the extra time to stand in the rush line for any other show you’ve been wanting to see, or hit up the TKTS booth for a 20 to 50 percent ticket discount the day of — maybe you’ll have a little less competition now that many students are away at home. Residence Hall Association is hosting a trip to see “School of Rock” the day before Thanksgiving — now is your chance to see it before it closes Jan. 20.

COURTESY OF SOPHIA OLIVERI-MEYER

Give thanks and give back: While you’re enjoying the holiday, you can spread the holiday spirit to those in need. An extra purchase of stuffing or sweet potatoes on your Trader Joe’s run can go to one of the many churches and food banks in the area that host drives. You can sign up to deliver meals to senior citizens the Saturday after Thanksgiving (and every other Saturday, for that matter) with Catholic Charities.

No matter how you celebrate the holiday, there’s always an opportunity to help someone else celebrate too. Happy Thanksgiving!

KATRINA HEIKKINEN VIA US AIR FORCE

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TOM DUSSAULT VIA FLICKR

PATRICK CASHIN VIA FLICKR

... and What to Eat

By MATT HARTMAN Contributing Writer

I’ve never been the biggest fan of turkey. Your experiences may differ but the dry and bland bird still has yet to strike a chord with me. Nevertheless, I will be at home soon, scarfing down copious amounts of the thing in the spirit of Thanksgiving once again. I for one don’t care for the idea that Thanksgiving dinner needs a turkey or cranberry sauce or sweet potatoes; I believe that the spirit of the holiday centers around the act of coming together and sharing not just the main meal but all the options at the table. For those of you staying in this beautiful culinary hodgepodge of a city over break, I am here to provide a few turkey-free suggestions for where to eat and celebrate the holiday.

For those who want to take a trip: If you’re like me, you’re itching for the opportunity to get off campus and leave the area for an extended period of time.

So where can someone go to get far away from Fordham and still eat well for a good price? Brooklyn. And as for Brooklyn I’m not talking about family style Italian but Filipino food. This is definitely not your idea of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but it’s got the same spirit. F.O.B. in Cobble Hill is one of my happy places in New York, with a slew of Filipino BBQ options on the menu. Order the Filipino BBQ and grilled spare ribs and they will not disappoint.

Plates here are around $20 and under with a few exceptions for some heftier portions. Enjoy a casual spot, eat some food with your hands, have fun with your friends or family and relax.

For something a little nicer: Spanish food walks a very fine line, allowing it to be both homecooked and classy, and there really is no better spot for tapas in the city than Casa Mono. This is on the pricier side compared to the other places I’m writing about, but your money will not be wasted. At this one Michelin Star tapas

and wine bar, indulge in creamy eggs with sea urchin and razor clams a la plancha. Their plates run around $20 and the portions are fair. If you’re 21, order a little bit of Spanish wine (their selection is nothing short of exceptional) and treat yourself. They can book up and if this is the case, do stop by their sister restaurant right next door, Bar Jamon, and eat a healthy amount of cheese and cured meat.

For a new experience: Too many people are picky eaters and I don’t always understand why. There are so many different plates to find and try across so many cultures. Why cut yourself short? So for those of you who are open to something new, I suggest dim sum. In my experience there isn’t a place that beats Golden Unicorn. Closer to the south side of Chinatown, this massive restaurant has been making some of the best dim sum in New York for decades and it’ll be apparent why as soon as you try it. One of the few dim sum places to still have wait-

ers wheel around carts filled to the brim with steaming baskets, you can have a feast for a reasonable price. Honestly there are too many things to suggest here so I will simply say get all of the dumplings. The orders range from $4-$6, include four pieces and are meant to be shared. The wait can last an hour or two, so try to get there a little before opening if you don’t want to wait for a table in one of their ballroom-sized dining rooms.

I’ve never looked at Thanksgiving and hoped for the food.

The holiday is about something much more important, community. Whatever is on your table this year, don’t make it the highlight.

That should be the company you have while eating it. So whether your feast features a turkey, seared octopus or ribs, focus on who is there to eat it with you.

Maybe I’m not thrilled to eat turkey but I’m more than happy to see my family and friends gathered together. So if it means seeing people I love, I can put up with a little bit of heartache.

Too many people are picky eaters and I don’t always understand why. There are so many different plates to find and try across so many cultures.

F.O.B. Address: 271 Smith St, Brooklyn Price: $ Casa Mono Address: 52 Irving Pl, Manhattan Price: $$$ Golden Unicorn Address: 18 East Broadway, Manhattan Price: $$

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Arts

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Review: ‘Torch Song’ Breathes New Life, Radiantly Led by Michael Urie

By MICHAEL APPLER Staff Writer

I don’t need to tell you that “Torch Song” is brilliantly funny, nor do I need to mention that “Torch Song” will make you cry, that its meditation on family and belonging will send you deep into retrospection, that it will make you want to call your mother or that it will ordain in queerness, in gay life, the story of America.

Because this is Harvey Fierstein, and you should know that this is what you get if you sit before his stage — especially if that stage is set for “Torch Song,” partnered with “Angels in America” as canon for the story of gay American life in the 20th century.

But you may find that this glorious Broadway revival, led

by Michael Urie and Mercedes Ruehl in the same theater where it opened more than 35 years ago, burns a softer flame — no less bright, for sure, but perhaps a bit more tender, lit for a time when a drag queen poised before a Broadway audience, while no less political, is imaginably less avant-garde.

Harvey Fierstein’s “Torch Song,” no longer “Torch Song Trilogy,” is still the same story: Arnold, a 20-something, Jewish drag queen in the late 1970s, perpetually anxious he’ll never find love beyond backroom anonymous sex, falls for Ed, a bisexual, closeted man unwilling to commit; together they’ll traverse what it means to build a chosen family.

But, in Fierstein’s effort to distill the play trilogy into a two-act structure, some things have gone and some things have stayed.

What remains is the surest mark of what Fierstein hopes “Torch Song” may teach us, renewed.

Telling is it that the trilogy’s first two plays bear the weight of Fierstein’s revisions. “International Stud,” the first play, set largely in Arnold’s dressing room and across New York’s gay bar scene, and “Fugue In A Nursery,” the second play, acted entirely in an oversized bed while Arnold, Ed and both their new lovers struggle with immaturity, have been reduced significantly. The final play, “Widows and Children

COURTESY OF MATTHEW MURPHY

Mercedes Ruehl is the mother we all love, the mother we all fear as Arnold’s tradition-bound “Ma.”

First,” remains intact, shifting the play’s weight to Arnold’s final battle with his mother, who’s come to check in on her firstborn, newly fathering his own adoptive son, and reorder the chaos she sees.

What results is a “Torch Song” concerned less with the intricacies of gay life in the 1970s and more with the task of building our lives after victory. In “Widows and Children First,” Arnold is angry; he’s made an attempt to construct an adult life, to have a child, maybe even to raise one with Ed. As his mother arrives to tear all of that down, Arnold’s frustration, his incredible anger at the bothersome task of again defending his life, bursts from the stage.

When Harvey Fierstein wrote “Widows and Children First”

more than 40 years ago, he may as well have been clairvoyant, predicting the course of the next half-century as gay men and women fought to climb (and continue to climb) a new mountain of acceptance, to fight for their right to form families. His rewrite, first tried off-Broadway at Second Stage Theater last year, only the more brilliantly showcases this clairvoyance.

Hanging in the mind in the moments after the curtain falls, however, is Michael Urie’s genius.

Don’t come hoping to find Harvey Fierstein’s Arnold; Urie, an astonishingly physical actor who embodies Arnold with a dexterity and ease that comes only after relentless, studied union with the character, has found a leading man entirely distinct from Fierstein’s famous portrayal. He is a

force on this stage matched only

by Mercedes Ruehl, whose seamless, expertly delivered performance is the engine, forceful and inevitable, behind a train ready to run off its tracks.

Ward Horton is an indelible match for the boyish character of Ed. It’s hard not to read Horton, tall and blond, his pants perfectly pressed, as a sort of Robert Redford. Straight-laced and all-American, his portrayal offers a contrast to Urie’s overtly-Jewish inflection nearly reminiscent of “The Way We Were.” Horton’s depiction of a Waspy Ed, his Robert Redford-ness and his evasion of an overtly queer persona, matched with Arnold’s obvious Jewishness and his clear identity as a gay man and drag queen, can nearly be read as a queer parallel to Barbra Streisand and Robert

Redford in that iconic movie of the same era, succeeding in mapping a conversation of ethnicity merely backgrounded in most productions of this play.

“I’m among the last of a dying breed. Well, once the ERA and the gay civil rights bills have been passed, me and mine will find ourselves swept under the carpets,” Arnold said in “Torch Song Trilogy’s” original opening monologue, likely teasing his wig. But this line is absent from the new production (along with the Equal Rights Amendment, a dinosaur now). It’s been a long 40 years since Fierstein wrote “Torch Song,” though I’d bet my dollar that today’s audiences are laughing harder amd crying harder — Arnold’s voice no longer an echo of struggle, but a defiant and fearless declaration of freedom.

‘Can I Borrow Your Gucci Belt?’: Streetwear Reigns Supreme

By MACA LEON Contributing Writer

From colorful tracksuits and graphic tees featuring your favorite animated childhood characters to chunky, white “dad” sneakers and chained pants, streetwear has taken the fashion industry by storm the past few years. However, the trendy aesthetic has been around for years taking influence from various subcultures including California surf culture, hiphop and Japanese street fashion.

Streetwear’s origins date back to 1980s California when its streets were filled with grungy surfer dudes and preppy valley boys clad in bright colored T-shirts and patterned shorts striving to create a look all their own. There was not a street corner in Los Angeles you could walk through without seeing some aspect of the style.

It was not until Shawn Stussy, founder and creative director of Stüssy, came into the picture that this unique style truly became known as streetwear. Stussy made a name for himself, first, as a surfboard manufacturer before he began printing T-shirts with his signature scripture. The shirts’ laidback look and unique logo would eventually lead to a

years,

CELIA PATTERSON/THE OBSERVER

Streetwear fashion can been seen from the tunnels of Fordham to the runway of NYFW.

cult following and a multimillion-dollar company.

Eventually, streetwear outgrew its California roots, traveling across the country where it became incredibly popular within hip-hop circles in New York. Sta-

ples such as Adidas tracksuits, big puffer jackets and colorful chunky sneakers were born here, worn by hip-hop icons such as Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa and Wu-Tang Clan. Despite this growing popularity, the trend

did not reach mainstream success until streetwear giants Supreme and A Bathing Ape came into the picture and propelled it into the limelight.

The two companies have grown rapidly over the past few

evolving

from

under-

ground interests to some of the most coveted streetwear brands in the world. In 2017, Supreme’s mammoth collaboration with Louis Vuitton garnered billions of dollars and had people lining down the block for hours just to catch a glimpse of it.

Nowadays streetwear is everywhere. Specializing in comfortably styled sportswear and utilitarian wear, such as baggy sweatpants and cargo pants, camouflage jackets, logo-clad T-shirts and chunky sneakers. These brands have managed to capture the attention of current popular culture gaining cult followings in major cities where pop-ups can garner long lines to small towns where you can see your local “hypebeast” wearing the latest season of YEEZYs. Its loud aesthetic allows the trend to make noise on social media furthering its grasp on and fascination from the fashion industry.

Streetwear has gone through many phases evolving from an unknown aesthetic to an industry worth billions of dollars but as the movement continues to increase in popularity it brings up the question of what it will evolve into next.

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Bruce Nauman: Disappearing Acts

Now on display at MoMA and MoMA PS1 through Feb. 25, 2019

By LARA FOLEY Contributing Writer

There’s no wrong time to go to the MoMA. The main location on 53rd Street is always good for a rainy day, with its six floors hosting a constant stream of exhibits, as well as its permanent residents including van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” Lichtenstein’s “Drowning Girl” and Warhol’s “Golden Marilyn Monroe.”

But when it’s a beautiful, brisk November day and you have a few hours to kill before you have to buckle down to study, you can head to Queens. MoMA PS1 has a rich history and is full of hidden gems, but its current exhibit glitters and gleams extra brightly: Bruce Nauman’s Disappearing Acts.

The installation is split between both MoMAs, though the majority of the works are at PS1.

It combines Nauman’s broad and extensive collection of works into two extraordinary museum experiences, complete with pastel-colored neon lights; eerie, homemade video clippings; and even severed, plastic animals. Intrigued yet?

The whole exhibit was horrifyingly beautiful; Nauman has a special way of making you feel as if you’ve left our universe and are now in an entirely new one,

CELIA PATTERSON/THE OBSERVER

Bruce Nauman is known for creating neon light displays.

turned completely upside down and backwards. Comprising all three floors of PS1, the collection grew progressively more absurd and otherworldly as the floors

went up.

The museum consists of several small rooms just big enough to fit a single art piece, be it a television screen displaying an en-

raged clown or a pitch black room with a singular green hologram of Nauman’s face. Others were larger and flooded in light, featuring figures made of neon engaged in human activity. In fact, the first piece one sees is a large neon sign glowing blue, purple pink, alternatively illuminating the words “Violins, Violence, Silence.”

It was upon seeing that neon sign that I realized I was in for a ride, that this exhibit would be unique, the three words already radiating questions in my mind.

And that’s saying a lot, coming from a family with an art dealer mother and architect father, as I’ve been dragged to galleries and exhibits for as long as I can remember, not excluding the intimidating and often suggestive ones.

Nauman’s use of multimedia throughout his work resonated deeply with me, as I myself am interested in a multitude of subjects in the arts. Throughout the show, there were films to watch, sounds to hear, texts to read and sketches to take in. The exhibit concludes with an ethereal spiral of red, with blue letters spelling out: “the true artist helps the world by revealing mystic truths.”

This quote represented the message of the entire show for me, and left me feeling empowered not only as an artist, but also as

an active member of society. Everyone who is feeling lost or at a loss for creativity needs to take a trip to Nauman’s show, as it will leave you feeling in touch with yourself creatively and emotionally, or neither at all as you end up questioning life itself.

If you want to stay closer to campus, stop in on MoMA’s sixth floor for a peek at Nauman’s larger works. The exhibit has a much different feel, with its enormous rooms fitting well with Nauman’s massive yet simplistic and modern works with the same oddity and captivity of the environment.

One of the most popular pieces seemed to be the huge wall of kaleidoscopic words, displaying alternate forms of living and dying, with phrases such as “love and live” and “kiss and die” flashing across the wall.

MoMA (or Nauman) seemingly loves to leave visitors with memorable messages; the MoMA exhibit concluded with a room full of white, floating squares, that when passed, begin to repeat the days of the week in various voices. The room honestly seems like it was straight out of a “Black Mirror” episode. But evidently, it didn’t scare me away for very long, as I ended up back at MoMA a week later, showing my mom all my favorite pieces.

Ram Jams October 2018

By JORDAN MELTZER Opinions Editor

COURTESY OF FUELED BYRAMEN, ELEKTRA MUSIC GROUP AND WARNER MUSIC GROUP

By PAOLO ESTRELLA Contributing Writer

COURTESY OF SIDE STREET ENTERTAINMENT LLC, POLDOR RECORDS AD=ND UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP

Album: “Trench” Artist: twenty one pilots Genre: Alternative pop, pop-rock On a playlist with: Panic! at the Disco The peaks: “Morph,” “Jumpsuit” The valleys: “Smithereens”

Album: “Malibu Nights” Artist: LANY Genre:Indie pop, indie rock On a playlist with: Lauv, The 1975 The peaks: “I Don’t Wanna Love You Anymore,” The valleys: “Let Me Know”

The verdict:

The verdict:

9/10

Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun comprise twenty one pilots, a musical group that is impossibly difficult to categorize. Are they pop? Are they rock? Are they alternative? I don’t know, but I do know that their new album, “Trench,” is good. Extremely good.

The story of this concept album (which is too complex to detail here) follows Clancy, an inhabitant of a walled city called Dema. Per a mix of fan speculation and band confirmation, Dema symbolically represents depression and other mental health issues. The message of the album is that in order to fight mental health, we need to talk about it openly and candidly. And the album conveys this message well.

Lyrically and conceptually are not the only ways in which “Trench” shines; the record’s production and songwriting are also stellar. The raw talent of Joseph and Dun is prevalent throughout “Trench” as well.

This album is Joseph and Dun at the top of their game. The pilots’ music has changed dramatically in the last decade, but the maturation displayed on this album is beyond comprehension. Aside from a few lessthan-perfect moments in songs like “Smithereens,” it’s hard to complain about this record.

The bottom line: Displaying wisdom and musical mastery, twenty one pilots has outdone itself on “Trench.” The songwriting, production, musical prowess, storytelling and lyricism are all top-notch, making this an album no one should skip over.

By BEN VECCHIO Contributing Writer

7/10

LANY, the self-proclaimed “most artistically thoughtful band in the world” leaves nothing unsaid on its sophomore album “Malibu Nights.” This album served as Paul Klein’s, lead singer and frontman, ninetrack therapy session as he comes to terms with his breakup with British singer-songwriter Dua Lipa. Songs like “I Don’t Want To Love You Anymore” and “Valentine’s Day” are Klein at his emotional apex, telling Dua Lipa that, although he is incredibly saddened by the breakup, he “in the end will be alright.” The album’s incorporation of guitar, piano and drums creates a lush pop ambience that listeners can fall softly into as Klein’s vocals carry listeners through his catharsis.

Lyrically, some of the songs sound cliche and lack substance. Klein wrote this album within the span of two weeks. This quick turnaround was apparent throughout parts of the album with the lyrics and rhyme schemes sounding predictable at times. Vocally, the same effect is used for every song which becomes stale after a few listens. Klein’s message to Dua Lipa is loud and clear. Although parts of the album leave much to be desired, for only their second studio album, LANY’s potential seems limitless.

The bottom line: Paul Klein sends a clear message of hurt to Dua Lipa and leaves his entire heart on this album, but lyrically, listeners are left wanting more.

However, for a second studio album, it is exciting to imagine what is to come from the group.

COURTESY OF POLYVINYL RECORD CO.

Album: “Time ‘n’ Place” Artist: Kero Kero Bonito Genre: Indie rock, pop rock On a playlist with: Death Grips, Grimes The peaks: “Make Believe,” The valleys: “Sometimes” The verdict:

8/10

“Time ‘n’ Place” is not a sugary electropop album like “Bonito Generation.” The opening track “Outside” has dream pop elements, but it’s distinguished by aggressive guitar. The album begins to descend into darkness on “Only Acting.”There are bizarre screeches, and Bonito’s vocals glitch out as they become buried under abrasive static.

The album peaks at “Make Believe” due to Sarah’s dreamy voice and the upbeat instrumental. “Dear Future Self” is written from Bonito’s perspective, talking to her future self. I want to focus on this line: “But I heard all the years’ll leave you hurt/Everyone you love disappears and nothing works.” The song sounds so upbeat until this point. Imagine you’re talking with someone about the future, and they suddenly remind you of life’s finality. Like a lot of the album’s darker moments, it’s jarring, but doesn’t feel out of place.

Throughout the album, there’s a mix of lightness and darkness. “Rest Stop” is only darkness. The intro’s haunting piano sets the tone. The song later breaks down into chaos, and Bonito’s voice is layered under static and growling. The instrumental cuts out at the end, leaving only Bonito: “As the trumpets echo round/You don’t wanna be —” The sudden interruption only adds to the terror.

The bottom line: Kero Kero Bonito’s new album is a descent into darkness as the songs become increasingly distorted and haunting. It’s a significant tonal shift from their previous projects,and a welcome one.

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THE OBSERVER November 15, 2018

Arts

17

From Harvard to ‘Harry Potter’ Actress Adeola Role Speaks to Fordham Students

By COURTNEY BROGLE Arts & Culture Editor

ing down to these kinds of places is to help shape a new generation of actors who don’t prescribe to those rule anymore, who aren’t tethered by ideas of contention and imagination.”

- ADEOLA ROLE

COURTNEY BROGLE/THE OBSERVER

Adeola Role invited the Arts & Culture editors and Kaila Cordova, FCLC ’22, behind the scenes at the Lyric Theatre after “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child“ to meet the cast and see backstage.

explained. So while there was certainly room for creative liberty, a lot of the heavy-lifting that comes with most new Broadway shows was already done.

Role spoke to her audience about the ups and downs of her college experiences. There were professors like Brandi Wilkins Catanese, who pushed her to seek out more truths in herself and work through the challenges of being a Nigerian woman in America. There were also faculty members who had a more antiquated ideas of gender and race performance.

Shortly after she established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the UC Berkeley theatre department, Role auditioned for a Shakespearean play on campus. Following her audition, she was met with harsh criticism from one adviser in particular – “You’re so dark and hard and rough; I don’t see any lightness or femininity in you.”

“I was destroyed for two years; I resigned myself to it ‘being my type,’ I’m the ‘angry black woman,’” Role said.

Role went on to explain that for a period of her life, her self-perception was one-dimensional. She noted how “for many people of color, you have to embrace white culture to survive …

You spend so much of your time trying to assimilate, and you forget that in fact what’s far more important is embracing your individuality.”

“When I started learning about performance theory and post-modern blackness, it opened up all the possibilities … I can just be,” Role said. “The best gift I could have ever given myself was to go down that path and major in post-modern blackness.”

The intensive studies on post-modern black femininity have translated into her characterization of Hermione even today. After carefully re-reading the “Harry Potter” series and taking copious notes, she had to create her Hermione post-Second Wizarding War and into her 20-year marriage. Plus, talking with J.K. Rowling herself didn’t hurt.

“This is Hermione at 40, so it’s not just okay to take directly from the books, it’s now how do I take this woman who has now been married to Ron … who has two kids, and who is now the Minister for Magic. Who is this new person?” she explained.

“There are things about young Hermione, like how she … is the smartest person in the room all the time, she’s got an attitude on her, she does not let anything slip by her, she will tell you off if she needs to … I was cast for

a reason, because I’m very much like her.”

This growing self-confidence and self-assurance in her abilities as a performance artist carried her to regional theatre performances and later Harvard’s graduate program. Role did clarify that there is a distinction between unfounded arrogance and believing in oneself. Part of what keeps her humble are the interactions she has with her current cast members of “The Cursed Child” – in the shows where she has performed as Hermione, the interactions she has had with her fellow actors have been transformative.

“I was working with Jamie Parker who plays Harry Potter and all the things he’s done, and the fact that he invited me into his dressing room [and asked], ‘What story do you want to tell as Hermione?’ is huge,” Role said.

“To be able to say ‘I accept your version of Hermione,’ and having that as my model is amazing.”

Role also talked about juggling her own narrative interpretation with the expectations of the superfans in the audience.

“It’s one of those things that

we have to walk in and go, ‘we forgive ourselves for not necessarily following everything that happened in the original books,’ because we can’t,” she stressed.

“This narrative takes place 22 years later, so these people are new people, and J.K. was only a consulting writer on this; it wasn’t her that was fully behind it, it was John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. We also have to allow new space for a new telling of it, a fresh voice, a fresh take on who these people are.” For her, it’s an act of homage to Rowling rather than a recreation of what Rowling has created.

In fact, when asked during the concluding Q&A how rising graduates should approach higher learning, she explained that for her, it was a matter of creating a safety net. She knew what her line of work entails, and she wanted to have a backup plan that would allow her to engage with others in a creative space – as a professor herself.

Even today, she still teaches when she can. As a dialect coach at FCLC, she explained how at Harvard she realized: “I wanted to help people heal, and I think performance and art has the ability to do that in the right hands [which is] someone who’s willing to say ‘yes’ to whatever is in front of them.”

“As a student, I didn’t have this kind of guidance or love or appreciation from the people that I was looking up to,” Role shared after the event. Speaking to her young peers meant a lot to her – “A lot of my teachers and the people who guided me through this acting career were from an old-world thinking and industry. It’s unhealthy and it’s one-dimensional … my hope in coming down to these kinds of places is to help shape a new generation of actors who don’t prescribe to those rule anymore, who aren’t tethered by ideas of contention and imagination.

presents...

November Poem

By Isabel Daniel

something in me is unfulfilled. maybe it’s the longing the desire to hold someone in my hand and project my happiness into them pretending they’re the light of my life filling me with the joy i’m too scared to let myself feel on my own because how could i afford to have that much power or my relentless drive to succeed a thinly veiled cover for the debilitating fear of failure pinning my soul to the edge of the universe telling me if i can’t touch the stars i must work myself to dust and be carried to the sky to join the chorus of lost voices who were never good enough until they fell apart

Photo by Alexandra Richardson

“I f------ love New York. I love the speed of it, I love the people, I’m so happy and thrilled to be here … I’m one of the lucky ones.”

That was one of the primary themes of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC)’s “Year of Magic” event featuring Broadway actress Adeola Role on Oct. 29. In a discussion mediated by Interim Dean of FCLC Frederick Wertz, Role sat down in an intimate group of Fordham students and staff members to talk about how her life experiences brought her to the Lyric Theatre, where she performs in the cast of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”

Hailing from Nigeria, Role migrated to America with her parents and older sister at age three, where she ultimately ended up in Long Beach, Calif. She admitted that it wasn’t until she moved to the East Coast to earn her Master’s degree from Harvard University that she finally felt balanced and whole as an artist.

Role managed her double major of anatomy and physiology/ performance theory in post-modern blackness over the course of seven years at UC Berkeley, establishing an “insurance plan” with her M.F.A. from the Moscow Art Theatre School (MXAT) at Harvard, and ultimately graduating without an agent. After her graduate school showcase, in which she performed a brief monologue that was meant to capture her essence as a performer in front of potential agents, managers and casting directors both in New York and Los Angeles, she was met with no overt interest from any spectators. Nevertheless, she did not give up on her dreams.

“It’s just having a deep awareness and confidence in what you have to offer as an artist,” Role said. “I didn’t find it devastating, because I knew what I had to offer, I knew I was that good at storytelling and I knew I would find space for myself … I left grad school saying, ‘Yes, there’s definitely space for me.’”

As the old saying goes, as one door closes another one opens.

The American Repertory Theatre (ART) at Harvard, under the artistic direction of Diane Paulus, granted Role an audition for “Witness Uganda” after persistent requests for one. She landed the leading female role, and with the help of a casting director from Roundabout Theatre, booked an agent. After the ART iteration, the show, rebranded as “Invisible Thread,” moved offBroadway.

“I did my first off-Broadway show a year after I graduated with no agent,” Role said. “So yes, it is f------ possible.”

Currently, Role works in the ensemble and behind the scenes of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” on Broadway. She also understudies for the role of Hermione Granger (Noma Dumezweni) and works as the movement/ fight captain for the show. Prior to this, she was featured in “Eclipsed” as Helena/Rita and as Academy Award-winning actor Lupita Nyong’o’s understudy.

After the panel, Role noted the realities of working on the production. As most Potterheads know, the show made its debut on the Palace Theatre Stage in London, so the staging and narrative was in place already. “[Director] John Tiffany wanted ‘your’ interpretation of what’s happening … to match the storytelling of what the seven are already doing,” she

“ My hope in com-

i am one of the broken who can’t shake off their dreams they still half believe in though they have been shattered by doubt and worry always searching for the magic key that fills the gaping hole inside of you with an unattainable satisfaction that finally makes you a complete person in a non existent way perhaps i will always be empty.

Want more? Visit thecommalc.wixsite.com/magazine

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November 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

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A Beginner’s Guide to Surviving the Thanksgiving Day Parade

By MARIELLE SARMIENTO Arts & Culture Editor You can’t think of turkey without stuffing, just like you can’t think of Thanksgiving without the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The world’s largest parade takes place a mere two blocks away from Fordham Lincoln Center, making it the perfect activity for everyone staying on campus during Thanksgiving break. This massive and exciting event can seem daunting for the first-time New Yorker, so here are some tips from fellow students and parade-going pros.

Finding the best views: The parade kicks off at 9 a.m. on West 77th and Central Park West. The majority of the public crowds around Macy’s in Herald Square. However, the national television broadcast restricts views of the parade and musical numbers between West 34th to West 38th Streets and 6th Avenue, and there is no public viewing in the actual square. Sophia Oliveri-Meyer, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20, a seasoned parade pro, has attended nine times, and has also been in the parade four times. She advises first-time parade-goers to head away from Macy’s. “Go more uptown! You can even watch from the rocks on Central Park West.

The parade stops periodically and you’ll get to wave at everyone before they’re worried about being on camera,” she said.

Viewing the parade is the perfect activity for students staying in the dorms over the holiday because the best views of Central Park West are from West 75th Street to West 59th Street, right next to campus. Margot Reid, Gabelli School of Business (GSB) ’21, knew as soon as she came to Fordham that she had to experience the parade in person.

“We’re so fortunate that Fordham is so close to the route,” she said.

“I watched it from Central Park West and 63rd. I woke up around 5 a.m. and had no trouble getting a spot close to the barricades.”

From Central Park West, the parade turns onto Central Park South in Columbus Circle before proceeding to 6th Avenue. Sometimes the best views aren’t even on the route. Rebecca Slaman, FCLC ’20, said, “The best decision we made was going inside and watching from the second floor of the Time Warner Center.”

If you want to venture farther away from campus, there are great views of the parade on its 6th Avenue Stretch from West 59th Street to West 38th Street.

Oliveri-Meyer’s family members’ involvement with the national broadcast of the parade made her an expert in finding the best views. “Even though the performers do acknowledge both sides, the floats are designed for the cameras so they favor one side,” she said. “The parade goes down 6th Avenue for the bulk of it, so be on the east side of the street facing west. That’s how the cameras are."

Hand warmers are your best friend: The number one tip sent in

by Fordham’s community was to bring hand warmers. The average temperature in New York City during November is around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but it could feel a lot colder if you’re standing in the streets for hours.

Be sure to check the weather and plan accordingly. Dress in layers in case it ends up being

COURTESY OF SOPHIA OLIVERI-MEYER

COURTESY OF SOPHIA OLIVERI-MEYER

warmer or cooler than you were expecting. “Pay really close attention to the weather. The wind in the city can be really brutal,” Oliveri-Meyer said. Reid agreed, “Gloves, hats, scarves and coats are a must if it is 40 degrees or below.”

Kathryn Kunkle, FCLC ’20, who performed in the opening number of the 85th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, advised, “Wear comfortable shoes as you will be standing. The parade route is around two miles.”

Let’s talk about bathrooms: When it comes to any big, crowded event, one question causes me the most anxiety: How am I going to go to the bathroom?

The majority of the bathroom locations during the parade are located inside Central Park near the Central Park West and South borders. Another option are the restrooms in the Time Warner Center. Depending on where you are on the route, walking back to Fordham is always an option, and it’ll definitely be less crowded than public bathrooms in the city.

According to our experts, prevention is key: “As far as bathrooms go, make sure you go before you leave and don’t drink too much because there are tons of people everywhere,” Oliveri-Meyer said.

The intense crowds creates a bit of a crab mentality in the streets when it comes to keeping a good spot to view the parade.

In order to combat this, Reid made some friends; “I went alone

because all of my friends had already left for break. After a few hours, I was joined by a nice family who offered to hold my spot so I could get a drink and use the restroom.”

It’s all about the food: Thanksgiving is first and foremost about giving thanks, but undoubtedly includes stuffing your face with turkey and mashed potatoes until you go into a food coma. If you choose to attend the parade, fixing your Thanksgiving plate might not happen until later in the day.

Even though you might not have an appetite when you wake up at 5 a.m to get a good spot, it’s going to be a long day. “Eat a hearty breakfast before you go,” Joanna Butler, FCLC ’19, said who has been going to the parade since she was three, “and keep little snacks in your bag and bring water — it is always good to stay hydrated.”

“Consider making a lunch reservation for after the parade ends. You will want nothing more than to sit in a cozy restaurant and have some delicious food after your exciting morning,” Reid said. There are several restaurants around Fordham that will be open in Thanksgiving day including Brooklyn Diner USA on 57th Street and Hudson New York on 58th.

On Wednesdays we blow up balloons: If dedicating a huge chunk of your Thanksgiving day or the

COURTESY OF MARGOT REID

Every year many Fordham students attend the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and several have even been featured in it.

large crowds of the parade are not up your alley, there are parade events the night before to get your fill of Thanksgiving Day festivities without getting up before sunrise.

“Check out the balloon inflation on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, you can see all of the balloons being blown up and other parade preparations,” Reid said. The balloons are inflated near the American Museum of Natural History on West 79th Street and Columbus Avenue.

“The balloons are my favorite part because they are just a lot bigger than I thought possible, it’s really cool,” Oliveri-Meyer said, “They also fly a few new balloons every year.”

So if you’re staying in the city or are around during Thanksgiving break, use these tips to survive the day and have a great experience. The parade has always been a family affair for Butler

because her father drives a truck in the parade, and she’s planning on taking her little brother with her this year. “While parades are not for everyone, I do think that freshmen should go if they are in the city. It is a really great experience, and you never know; you may meet someone famous,” Butler said.

Reid is going home to spend time with her family this year, but she said she would definitely go again a different year. “The parade is not much hassle,” she said. “If you plan accordingly and get a group of friends together, it is not that difficult to coordinate.”

Fun & Games

November 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

Crossword

ACROSS 1. National issue 5. United Emirates 9. Foot long garment?

13. Male gaze 14. Six second art 15. Mid elections 16. TV cable 17. Teenage nightmare 18. “Once , always 19. New York lower house 23. Anger

.”

Edited by Dan Nasta

25. Airborne fluid 26. Psychic power: Abbr.

27. Old Faithful, e.g.

29. Pug breath 31. Harden 34. Hungry 35. Glass 36. Exchange barbs 37. “What weighs more: of feathers or of bricks?”

38. This is the thirteenth one this year

39. Otherwise 40. Geek 41. Pistols, slangily 42. Great American pseudonym 43. Sum up 44. Overturn the Senate 45. Removed dirt 46. African American chan.

47. A small tater 48. “Old college ” 49. Last Tues.’ results, or a hint to the circled letters 55. Popular bowl 56. Pokemon aide 57. Militia 60. Nickelback’s Kroeger 61. Circus lion temperament 62. Insignificant 63. Fordham dope (sanctioning) org.

64. Slides on snow 65. Correct DOWN 1. “What’s up, ?”

2. Self-worth 3. Professor of psychology at Palo Alto University inter viewed by Senate Judiciary Committee 4. Message 5. James Cameron 2009 film 6. Different grains on a paddy 7. “Frozen” sister 8. Honey makers

9. An expensive one will last forever 10. Spice 11. With the mouth 12. TV award 20. Like cheese and whiskey 21. Smell or taste 22. New York time 23. Tropical lizard 24. Lent 28. Mail 29. Basil and nut sauce 30. Where the sun don’t shine 31. Jackson Pollock-ed 32. Not as tough 33. Fashionable 35. Future atty. exam 36. Stitches 38. “Can …?”: improv ask 42. Dance skirt 44. 57 Across alumnus: Abbr.

45. Fated to fail 46. Left off the album 47. Introductory tune 49. Dreamer law: Abbr.

50. Alexa?

51. Lamar’s “Good Kid, City” 52. Sets, as with Lego 53. With other authors: Abbr.

54. Equal 58. Med. scanning tube 59. As of now

Word Scramble Edited by Jordan Meltzer

Question: What is the only holiday that is defined by all of the above characteristics and descriptors?

S HA M E D S AT O T E P O

Answer

R AY V G

KUT YER YDA

S C Y M A D YA A A E R P D

RAFEGLUT SSEN O C S I T I L P TA H E T R E N N I D B L E AT Graphic by Steph Lawlor

Features

Features Editor Jeffrey Umbrell - jumbrell@fordham.edu Lindsay Jorgensen - ljorgenesen@fordham.edu November 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

Students Curate Exhibition on Climate Change

By KRISTEN SKINNER Staff Writer

A contemporary art class at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), taught by Professors Joanna Isaak and Katherina Fostano, opened its exhibition titled “Art for Arctic’s Sake” in the Ildiko Butler Gallery of Lowenstein on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018.

This exhibition, intended to demonstrate the harmful results of climate change through art, has been entirely assembled by students in the class. Both Isaak and Carleen Sheehan, a professor in FCLC’s visual arts department, reached out to 11 professional artists who are involved in the exhibition. After that, it was in the students’ hands.

Isaak refers to the class as a “professional practice course” because of the tremendous amount of work that goes into putting the exhibitions together. Unlike a traditional internship, in which students may be told to run errands or do paper work, the class provides students with the ability to do just about everything a museum curator does. This includes designing the arrangement of pieces in the space, learning about the art, designing the website and setting up the exhibition space.

Although they had six weeks to put the exhibition together, students and professors in this contemporary art class struggled to meet deadlines, something that is often an unfortunate reality in actual art museums. As soon as the class found out when the gallery space would be available, they were forced to speed up the process to ensure that all of the details included in the space and the details online would be ready in time for the show’s opening. The students also designed the postcards and posters that advertised the exhibition and made sure those would be ready a few weeks before the show.

In addition to the physical gallery space, students created an

online catalogue for a virtual exhibition. Alone or with a partner, the students chose one of the 11 artists in their exhibition and wrote an essay about them, which would be published online. This task was challenging for some because there was not a lot of information available about certain chosen artists.

If students were not able to contact their artists, they had to rely on the styles and images of the art pieces themselves to get an idea of who the artist is. Students put a lot of time and effort into this essay not only because it was their first publication, but also because, as Isaak said, “it will be read by many people, including the artists, so there is a lot of pressure on the students to do a good job.”

SARAH TAKASH/THE OBSERVER

Music professor Nathan Lincoln-DeCusatis had his piece performed at the exhibit.

To Fostano, the online exhibition is extraordinary in helping students better showcase their artistic discoveries and hard work.

This exhibition on climate change gives students in the class the opportunity to present their artwork and have their work published for the first time online. “Most of the time student papers are written, they are edited, and then they are

SARAH TAKASH/THE OBSERVER

“Art for Artic’s Sake” is an exhibition that debuted Nov. 7, 2018 and will remain open until Jan. 15.

discarded, thrown in the garbage,” Fostano said. Unlike essays in other classes, this project will hopefully provide students with a paper that they can be proud of and use as a resource if they choose to pursue a career in the arts later on in life.

“We are giving the students the actual opportunity to showcase that work and really, to build a portfolio so they can take it beyond the classroom,” Fostano said.

Though the climate change exhibition project took many weeks to put together, the students have accomplished much more throughout the semester. The class went to the Cooper Union where they learned about museums in Africa.

They saw practices much different than what is considered traditional in museums of the U.S. Museums in Africa include traveling vans and kiosks along with performance spaces. The class also took a trip to the New Museum and met a woman who was the Italian curator of a new realism showcase which incorporated ordinary boxes from a cupboard into the exhibition.

In embarking on these field trips together, students learned the infinite number of possibilities for what a gallery space in a museum could be, as well as the incredible

amount of work involved in organizing such spaces.

As I walked into their classroom, it was clear that the students were extremely passionate about the class. Two-thirds of the students in the class are undergraduates while the other third are graduate students. These six graduate exchange students from Italy are the first students to be part of Fordham’s exchange program with Italian universities.

Rebeca Castilho, FCLC ’20, loves the communal atmosphere of the class. “It’s a class that we have to communicate and make executive decisions together,” she said. Exhibitions are put together through an immense amount of organization as well as collaboration. By working together closely, “we kind of also have this community going which I think is really cool that sometimes I don’t have in my other classes,” Castilho said.

Other students in the class said that coming to this class has made them more aware of what takes place behind-the-scenes in exhibitions. They are now more appreciative of exhibition designers when looking at art pieces in galleries and museums.

“What I personally have learned

through all this background work is the kind of strenuous labor that goes into producing a final product that has to look like there isn’t that much work,” Annie Muscat, FCLC ’20, said.

Ultimately, both the students and professors hope that the months of hard work in putting the exhibition together pays off in bringing the audience’s attention to the harsh realities of climate change. Fordham has students who can effectively bring about change by raising awareness about what is happening to the environment.

“I feel like students now are coming up with the best ideas of how to approach these problems. I find that students have very grassroots good ideas to help,” Issak said. “And also, there is an enormous amount of student interest in the topic, obviously, because they are going to inherit this mess that has been made.”

In putting together varied-medium shows like these, students and artists at Fordham help to make a major issue more accessible to the public eye.

The exhibition will remain open until Jan. 15, with a portion of it available to view online.

Big Blue Plymouth: An Alien Take on an American Classic

By CARLOS NICOLAIEVSKY Contributing Writer

Most people on Earth probably see the existence of Thanksgiving as a foreign or alien concept (literally and figuratively); however, most Americans see this holiday as iconic and familiar as Richard Petty’s Blue Plymouth Superbird. Growing up in Mexico City, I only learned about Thanksgiving’s existence at the age of 10. My friends who attended the American School in Mexico all got a week off from school towards the end of November. All the while, I sternly sat in a classroom teeming with jealousy. That alone might explain my transfer to the American School two years later.

At school in Mexico, I learned about Thanksgiving in American History class. I was taught how Pilgrims in Plymouth, Mass. were welcomed by Native Americans who received them with a feast and taught them how to harvest a land that was alien to them. Soon after, I was taught about American expansionism, the concept of “manifest destiny” and how these national ideals wrought pain into so many people’s lives. I was shown videos of men crying over their loss of identity on Sioux reservations in South Dakota. I had to write research papers on the Wounded Knee Massacre. Through those assignments, I learned that some

Americans choose not to celebrate the holiday because they see it as a celebration of the eradication of this country’s Native tribes.

Perhaps the manner in which these subjects were introduced to me was heavily influenced by a Mexican system of education that aimed to villainize the colonialism of the Spaniards and the eradication of Mesoamerican cultures. Consequently, most of us saw the observation of Thanksgiving as a sort of cruel joke. Browsing the internet, we frequently stumbled upon memes about Canadian Thanksgiving — a separate, but almost identical holiday celebrated on the third Monday of October.

While speaking to adults, we constantly encountered jokes about American commercialization of holidays, especially ones regarding Thanksgiving. Yet most of us had never experienced a true, American Thanksgiving. I did not know it then, but my conception of Thanksgiving was about to change.

In 2010, I moved from Mexico City to the stereotypical American suburb of Westchester, N.Y. While adapting to American culture was not easy for me, it must have been significantly more difficult for my parents. After all, they had spent over 40 years imbued in a radically different milieu than that of suburban America. Notwithstanding, after three and a half months, my

HILD GRIM VIA FLICKR

Thanksgiving is a quintessential American holiday, but is a foreign concept to non-Americans.

parents seemed to be settling well to life and society in suburbia. My mother had made a lot of friends, and in an attempt to grow closer to them, she decided to host Thanksgiving dinner at our house. The biggest problem that my mother faced revolved around a simple question: “How do you host Thanksgiving dinner if you have never experienced a Thanksgiving dinner?” My mother’s answer to this question was to bring her own identity to the meal. We had a de facto Mexican Thanksgiving dinner. Where there was turkey, there was also turkey enchiladas.

Instead of having traditional sweet corn, we had choclo. The sweet mashed potatoes were there too,

but all with a taste of Mexico. Our guests were fascinated by the meal and the ways in which my family made them feel at home. As the adage says: “Mi casa es su casa” — my house is your home. And for the next eight years, that remained constant. We hosted Thanksgiving every year, and the same people who were there on that very first dinner, were there on the last (now as part of our family).

Upon approaching my mother when I began writing this article, I asked her how hosting Thanksgiving helped her in assimilate to American culture. And she replied with something rather unexpected: “To be quite honest, I have never seen myself as someone who

assimilated to American culture.

Every time I hosted Thanksgiving dinner, I felt as if I were sharing a piece of myself with all of our guests. If I had to place myself in the folklore of Thanksgiving, I believe I would relate the most to the Native Americans. I never hosted Thanksgiving to get anything in return. I only hosted to give. Every year people spoke about how picturesque and amusing my Thanksgiving dinner was, and I just wanted to share that with people.” Instead of feeling like an alien or a foreigner, my mother felt at home. And what I find most virtuous about her thoughts on the holiday, is the fact that she selflessly wanted to share her cultural identity.

We currently live in a time of great disagreement. It is difficult to walk about campus without hearing talk of politics and the differences between us. We have all welcomed a rhetoric of “us versus them,” whether for ill or for good. And now, so soon after a season of contentious midterm elections, we ask ourselves more than ever: “What are our civic duties as Americans?” Regardless of how you might even begin to approach answering that question, regardless of how you celebrate Thanksgiving, please keep your doors open and make all your guests feel welcome and at home.

WWW.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER November 15, 2018

Features

21

‘Baptism Under Fire’ A conversation with Frank Simio, Lincoln Center’s new vice president

By CARMEN BORCA-CARRILLO News Editor

After 18 years of service at Fordham University, Frank Simio was appointed to the position of vice president of Lincoln Center in August 2018. Simio, who graduated from Fordham University in 1983, returned to the university in 2000 as vice president of finance after working in the Office of the Commissioner at Major League Baseball (MLB) properties. He held the office for 14 years before becoming interim chief financial officer and director of special projects the following year. Now, filling the role of vice president of Lincoln Center after former Vice President Brian Byrne’s retirement, Simio sat down with The Observer to discuss his plans for the campus and just what his position entails.

How did you find yourself back at Fordham in 2000 after working for MLB? It was a job I probably never would have applied for, except that it was my alma mater. When I started at Fordham, my boss on my first day of work said, “Welcome; by the way, we have a million dollar deficit we need to learn how to close.” So, it was a baptism under fire.

What did you do during your time as vice president of finance?

I spent 15 years in that position, and I loved every minute of it. We accomplished a lot for

Frank Simio, who graduated from Fordham University in 1983, returned to the university in 2000 as vice president of finance. the university. We put up the law school and McKeon Hall, we built Campbell, Conley and Salice halls on the Rose Hill campus … we had 15 years of balanced budgets, and we saw the university’s budget increase from about $225 million to $600 million over that period of time. So it was a very fruitful tenure in that job.

Now that you’re vice president of Lincoln Center, how have your duties changed?

This job is completely different. Finance probably takes up about 4 percent of my time. This job includes working much more closely with the deans and the school and our students, so it’s a completely different experience.

For students, the position of vice president is a bit amorphous: how would you describe your job?

If you gave me a small handful of words to describe the position, I think it would be, “Making sure the campus works for everybody on it.” It would include managing meeting spaces, things like that.

It’s helping deans maximize the use of their space and resources and, most importantly, it’s planning for the mid- to long-term future of the campus.

What are some of those plans?

When it comes to space planning, we have two big opportunities and one big challenge. The opportunities are the QuinnX space, which we have very limited access to right now because of code restrictions, and the old

ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER

Frank Simio was appointed to vice president of Lincoln Center in August 2018. He has worked with Fordham for 18 years.

Quinn space, which is basically vacant at this time. The challenge is freshening the Lowenstein building, which is closing on 60 years old. So, that is the challenge: how do we renovate the rest of the building and get it freshened? And those three things are all interlinked. It’s going to be a long term plan.

What’s the biggest challenge to this plan?

You can’t do renovations while people are there or students are in classrooms, so you have to move folks out do the renovation, move them back and then move onto the next part of renovations. So, it’s all going to somehow tie together and come up in some sort of order that makes sense.

Any short term plans we can look forward to?

In the very short term, the welcome center for the admissions group is going to be opening on the second floor. There, our big concern is that we’re taking a student lounge offline. We’ve identi-

fied a new space to replace that on the first floor, and students are starting to realize that’s available to them. So we’re trying to replace one space with another space.

Are there any other challenges facing you in your new position?

Well, we have five deans, and they all have very important jobs

so that’s a priority. I want to make sure the faculty has the tools available, which I am able to provide, so that they can do their jobs as best as possible.

This job is definitely quite different than the role you held as vice president of finance. What compelled you to take it on?

I’d done finance for 15 years,

“When you work in finance you have a very wide view of the university. That helped me in the president’s office.” to do, and we have very limited resources to share among them.

So the job is really taking those resources and making them available to all them in the best way possible — working with them to help them make their goals and dreams and plans come true. The number one priority is the students. Who works most closely with students? That’s the faculty,

and then I spent three years in the president’s office, helping him with special projects.

When you work in finance you have a very wide view of the university. That helped me in the president’s office. And then when Brian Byrne announced he was going to retire, I thought this could be a good fit, a new challenge and a new opportunity.

it?

And have you been enjoying

I really have been enjoying it.

In a way, after 15 years in finance and three years in the president’s office, so 18 years altogether, it was good to have a completely new challenge.

It was also good to be back in Manhattan. I hadn’t worked regularly in Manhattan since 1995, so it’s good to be back here on a regular basis and the challenges are very different than anything I’ve dealt with before. And that’s a lot of fun, too.

So you’ve spent a lot of time at Fordham. Would you say it holds a special significance for you?

Absolutely. I’m an administrator, an alumnus and a parent. My daughter graduated in 2013. So, I fill a lot of notches in the Fordham community.

Interview has been condensed and edited.

22

Features

November 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

WWW.fordhamobserver.com

Robert Moses, Friend of Fordham, Left a Complex Legacy

By JEFFREY UMBRELL Features Editor

The name Robert Moses has countless connotations, mostly negative, for Fordham students: racism, gentrification and displacement, to name a few, all come to mind. Moses is intrinsically linked to the construction of Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) and the surrounding Lincoln Square neighborhood. I can remember, however, that as a prospective student touring FLC for the first time, I had no knowledge of the controversial and at times ugly history of the neighborhood.

In his 2015 State of the City address, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, speaking on the increasingly prevalent problems posed by gentrification across the city, commented that New York “is a place that in too many ways has become a tale of two cities, a place where City Hall has too often catered to the interests of the elite rather than the needs of everyday New Yorkers.”

De Blasio’s reference to Charles Dickens’ 1859 novel captures the nuances and contradictions of urban renewal projects like FLC or Lincoln Center. Whatever renewal happens as a result of such projects always comes at a cost; they represent, to quote Dickens, “everything” for some and “nothing” for others.

Gentrification too often leads to

displacement and separation, and this phenomenon is evident on the two square blocks of the FLC campus. The Outdoor Plaza, while technically open to the public, sits elevated one story above street level, enclosed on virtually all sides by buildings, walls and fences. Walking through it, it is easy to feel strangely isolated from surrounding city life. It is closed altogether, both to Fordham students and the general public, overnight.

The campus also breaks West 61st Street in half between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues.

Along with Lincoln Center, Fordham glaringly disrupts the urban grid of the Upper West Side from 60th to 65th Streets.

Lincoln Center’s history is relatively well-known within the Ford-

ham community. In the mid-20th century, Robert Moses, head of the Mayor’s Committee on Slum Clearance, was tasked with developing thousands of high-rise public housing units in which poor residents living in “slums” could be placed.

The Lincoln Square renewal was a major part of this project.

It is estimated that approximately 7,000 lower-class families were displaced out of what was then San Juan Hill to make way for Lincoln Center, but the true numbers remain unknown.

Robert Caro, in his famed biography of Moses, “The Power Broker,” described the incredibly coincidental circumstances out of which Lincoln Square was conceived. Rev. Laurence J. McGinley, S.J., who served as president of Fordham from 1949–63, mentioned to Moses that the university desired a midtown campus but could not afford Manhattan real estate prices. The Metropolitan Opera was seeking to move from its “ancient” building on 39th Street. The New York Philharmonic had been notified by Carnegie Hall that its lease would not be renewed after 1958.

From these three coincidences, Caro wrote, Moses’ mind “lept to a grand conception: raving eighteen square blocks of slums … and rearing in their ruins a huge, glittering cultural center” that would house the university, opera and Philharmonic.

Caro described the scene at the FLC dedication ceremony on July 3, 1970, at which Moses, Fordham President Rev. Michael P. Walsh, S.J. and Mayor Nelson Rockefeller were present. It was at this ceremony that the now-infamous “Robert Moses, Masterbuilder, Friend of Fordham” plinth was unveiled. That text was chiseled into the marble of the plinth and gilded in gold.

When Walsh announced that the outdoor plaza would be named in Moses’ honor, Moses broke into tears.

Thirty-seven years after his death in 1981, neither Fordham nor New York City has fully stepped out of Moses’ shadow. Lincoln Square, for many urban and real estate developers, has long

STEPH LAWLOR/THE OBSERVER

Robert Moses likely displaced over 7,000 families from the San Juan Hill neighborhood.

been viewed as a prototypical urban renewal project.

It features two essential components for a successful renewal: an academic institution, in this case Fordham, and a cultural one, Lincoln Center. These anchors set neighborhoods apart from one another and make them attractive places for prospective (often wealthy and white) tenants. Luxury housing can then be built up.

New residents can rename and repurpose parts of the area as they see fit.

Robert Spiegelman, Fordham professor of sociology, has long been fascinated with Fordham’s relationship with Moses. When he first started teaching, he said, the “Friend of Fordham” plinth stood on the east side of the plaza, visible from Columbus Avenue.

Eventually, it was moved closer to the law school before it was taken down altogether. The questions for Spiegelman were “Where is it?

Why isn’t it there?” He tried to ask various faculty members where the plinth was being kept, but the only answer he received was that it was “in storage.”

“That absence,” Spiegelman said of the plinth’s removal, “is a presence.” He argued that attempts to outright erase Moses’ name and legacy from FLC may in fact do more harm than good.

The Moses debate reminded Spiegelman of the recent controversies surrounding Confederate statues and monuments.

“We’re clearly in a period,” he said, “where public statues have come under scrutiny and critique … they’ve become flashpoints of interpretations of which history is worth preserving.” He does not feel that the plinth should be permanently removed from campus.

“I’m for using it as a talking point to this very important moment in history in New York City’s development which reminds peo-

STEPH LAWLOR/THE OBSERVER

Fordham College at Lincoln Center first opened its doors in 1968.

“ We’re clearly in a period where public statues have come under scrutiny and critique. ” – ROBERT SPIEGELMAN, Fordham Professor

ple of what was there,” he said.

Spiegelman did not equate supporting the reinstallation of the plinth with supporting Moses’ politics or legacy.

He stressed that the plinth should not be “blandly commemorative,” but rather should serve as a means through which the university can confront its at times problematic history.

Further inscription detailing the full history of Moses would help foster “principled discussion,” he argued. “Places like Harvard and Yale and Princeton are coming to grips with their stained past,” he explained. The plinth could be an opportunity for Fordham to do the same.

“I think that would be greatly to Fordham’s benefit” to reinstall the plinth, Spiegelman said. “Rather than fearing it as something that would embarrass the university … it becomes a point of honor [for Fordham] for being open and edu-

cated about these processes.”

One of the last remaining mentions of Moses’ name on the FLC campus can be found on the plaque accompanying the portrait of McGinley near the Lowenstein entrance next to Pope Auditorium.

“He was a major figure in the creation of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts,” it reads, “collaborating closely with Robert Moses.”

The plaque goes on to quote McGinley himself: “We were building a neighborhood, a neighborhood where … the world of ideas could join the world of art, and truth lend strength to beauty, and the shared vision of things that enrich man’s spirit could be focused, supported, embraced and spread abroad.”

This vision, though, only captures one side of a long history, a history whose effects can still be felt today almost 50 years after the “Friend of Fordham” plinth was first erected.

PHOTOS BY THE OBSERVER

Sports & Health Editor Luke Osborn - losborn@fordham.edu

Sports & Health

November 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

The SAD Facts of Seasonal Depression

By LENA ROSE Photo Editor

Naturally, life begins to slow down in the winter. The days grow shorter and the temperature drops. We isolate ourselves by staying inside, huddled up in front of the television or staying in bed longer than usual. We lose touch with the outside world. But how do you know when those days are more than just winter blues?

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or seasonal depression, is a unique form of depression that emerges during a change in season. SAD’s negative effects are less present in the spring and summer months; the fewer hours of daylight and colder weather during the winter create a chemical imbalance in the body to the point where our hormones take control and disturb our daily functions.

Multiple studies have identified those with SAD to experience a rather significant decrease in serotonin, the neurotransmitter that controls mood, appetite, memory and energy. Melatonin, a sleep-related hormone, has also been linked to seasonal depression; it is produced at increased levels in the dark. Those rainy days where you feel like doing absolutely nothing but stay in bed — this explains why.

The American Psychiatric Association reported that about 5 percent of Americans are affected by SAD, usually consisting of adults ages 18-30 and more wom-

And although these are invisible illnesses, this does not devalue the importance they have on your well-being.

RASHMI SINGH/THE OBSERVER

SAD occurs in the winter months, and can seriously affect an individual’s day-to-day functioning.

en than men. The longevity of it can ultimately make up 40 percent of a person’s year, more so if that person were to have significant stress.

This depression is not something to take lightly; it is important to be attentive as it holds great precedence over one’s well-being. It becomes especially important to watch for in an instance where it interrupts a person’s agency to act or perform daily functions. For those already diagnosed with a mental illness, such as major depression or bipolar disorder, they can ex-

perience symptoms of SAD to a much more alarming extent.

It is necessary to distinguish clinical depression from seasonal because although they have similar characteristics, SAD can be treated differently. This distinction sometimes makes it difficult to determine an official diagnosis. Mental Health America specifically suggests starting with bright light therapy or phototherapy. In more extreme cases, medication or even cognitive behavioral therapy may be needed. SAD-specific symptoms will usually be cravings

for carbs, excessive sleepiness and weight gain. SAD symptoms that may also fall under regular depression could be guilt, loss of interest in activities, difficulty staying awake, extremes of mood and, in severe cases, suicidal thoughts.

While it is important to acknowledge the importance of treating depression, one should not confuse a bad day with a mental illness. Mental illnesses and the stigmas that surround it are intricate in that it can impact each person differently, and it is important to recognize

what methods work for each person. You don’t want to oversleep to the point where it becomes unhealthy, yet getting enough sleep is important to maintaining mental health.

If you think you suffer from SAD or any emotional illness, you can contact your doctor or even the Counseling and Psychological Services here at Fordham to schedule a time to talk.

The best thing to do is be honest about your feelings and take the time to navigate through the hard times. You can research the symptoms you’re experiencing and talk about it with friends, whether it is a case of SAD, a mere blip in the road or an issue on a grander scale. Even if you feel like none of it makes any sense, confronting the problem will benefit you in the long-run, and although these are invisible illnesses, this does not devalue the importance they have on your well-being. As college students struggling to keep up with work while also having a busy lifestyle in the city that never sleeps, we need all the help we can get.

Student Sleep Deprivation: The Importance of a Full Eight Hours

By LUKE OSBORN Sports & Health Editor

As students, we are constantly faced with the choice between work and sleep. This common trade-off is so characteristic of college students that sleep researchers seek out this population in order to study sleep deprivation and its effects. According to a study of 1,100 college students, 60 percent fell into the category of poor-quality sleepers.

Getting less than eight hours of sleep, waking up and going to bed at different times every day, and consistently using stimulants like caffeine to maintain wakefulness are all characteristics of poor-quality sleeping. Most often, college students blame the rigor and workload of their courses as reasons for their disrupted sleep schedules.

Neuroscience student Karel Van Bourgondien, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, struggles to keep consistent sleep schedules while pursuing his studies. Van Bourgondien generally gets between six and 12 hours of sleep per night, but he will resort to only three to six hours of sleep if he must. While handling a parttime job and the demand of the integrative neuroscience program, Van Bourgondien faces nights in which he closes up his place of work at 11 p.m., then continues to do homework when he returns home. Nevertheless, Van Bourgondien prioritizes sleep for upcoming exams: “If I’m studying for a test I know that at some point I won’t be able to retain anymore information until I’ve slept and subconsciously processed it.”

Research points towards sleep, rather than amount of time studying, as one of the major indicators

LUKE OSBORN/THE OBSERVER

Blue light, like that of a phone, disrupts melatonin production and, thus, the body’s natural sleep cycle.

of high test performance. In a study published in Current Biology, subjects were shown a series of images and required to recall the images on a test 48 hours later.

One cohort was 35 hours sleep-deprived and the second cohort was well-rested. The sleep-deprived cohort scored 19 percent lower on the memory test than their well-rested counterparts.

Hope Vanderwater, FCLC ’21, is an environmental science major and finds it difficult to get a full eight hours of sleep on weeknights. She said that she usually gets between five and a half and seven and a half hours of sleep, citing schoolwork, her part-time job and hanging out with friends late at night as major factors disrupting her sleep schedule. However, Vanderwater noted, “Most commonly, if I’m intending to get seven [hours of sleep], I’ll accidentally get caught up on my phone and

lose an hour of sleep.” To make up for the sleep she loses at night, Vanderwater will sometimes take naps after her classes; napping often helps her gain enough energy to continue working on her studies later in the night.

Like Van Bourgondien, Vanderwater prioritizes sleep especially before exams and when she is sick, though she did not always put sleep first. Vanderwater explained, “I’m realizing I have prioritized sleep more this year than last year and high school, because I now see that I function so much better when I’m rested.”

This better functioning Vanderwater mentions is evidenced greatly in the science of sleep. According to Fordham Professor of Chemistry Joan Roberts, Ph.D., there are two types of sleep that take place during a sleeping period: slowwave sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. In REM sleep,

“the brain, eye and body muscles are active,” Roberts said. REM sleep is also the period of sleep in which we dream. There are two subtypes of slow-wave sleep: delta sleep and theta sleep. The former is when deep sleep occurs, and the latter is light sleep. Characterized as “restorative” sleep, delta sleep involves the decrease of stress-related hormones and blood pressure and the increase of anti-aging growth hormone.

On top of the release of this growth hormone in delta sleep, the body removes oxidized neurotransmitters, which are toxic molecules formed in the brain during the daytime. Without delta sleep, these molecules accumulate in the brain and can lead to mental illness. Thus, anxiety and depression can arise from the lack of delta sleep. Moreover, inadequate amounts of delta sleep can enhance symptoms of pre-existing

conditions like ADD and ADHD. Most importantly, the amount of sleep an individual gets greatly affects their immune system.

Sleep deprivation is often a factor that can render an individual susceptible to infectious disease and even cancer. Roberts attributes these outcomes to the circadian nature of the immune system.

The term circadian refers to the rhythmic fashion in which humans and other animals fall asleep and wake up. The circadian rhythm takes place in a 24-hour period and is regulated by the environment and internal clocks with our brains. Various sleep hormones are produced only under certain light conditions. For instance, the brain produces melatonin only under dark-light conditions. This period usually arises between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. Melatonin is crucial for delta sleep to occur, and even with normal nighttime darkness, only 15 percent of the eight-hour sleep period is delta sleep. Exposure to blue light converts melatonin to serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with wakefulness. Even the slightest blue light, like the light from a phone or a bathroom light, can prevent the production of melatonin.

Due to the circadian nature of the human body’s reparative systems, consistent and ample amounts of sleep are crucial to human health. As young adults, the health decisions we make now will affect our overall health greatly in the future. Moreover, the habits we develop now will last us our lifetime, so it is imperative to correct our sleep schedules. Thus, professors, students and administrators should work towards a learning environment that reconciles course rigor with personal well-being.

24

Sports & Health

November 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

WWW.fordhamobserver.com

Holy Fury: Football Troubles Continue in 17-14 Loss

By PATRICK MOQUIN Staff Writer

In the NBA and the MLB, a 1-9 record can be considered a bad start. Perhaps things could have begun better and work has to be done to improve, but a team can recover from 1-9. In college football, it means that a team started poorly and gradually lost any and all relevance.

Fordham football’s performance against Holy Cross was less than inspiring, and certainly not a deviation from the trend.

After taking a 10-0 lead in the first half, things seemed hopeful for the Rams in their rivalry game against the Crusaders.

Once called the Ram-Crusader Cup or the “Iron Major” series, this dated rivalry is still marked as an important game on Fordham’s calendar every year. By the end of the third quarter though, hopes were effectively dashed as Holy Cross scored two easy touchdowns to retake the lead, 14-10. The fourth quarter saw the Crusaders extend their lead to 17-10 before Fordham scored an unimportant field goal with two minutes left to make the score 17-13.

The game was well on its way to its predictable conclusion, when the unimaginable happened: Fordham had an opportunity to win the game. After kicking their field goal, Fordham kicked off to Holy Cross with just over two minutes left in the game. One first down, or 10 yards, for Holy Cross meant that the game would end; instead, Holy Cross ran three plays for nine yards in just 22 seconds, giving Fordham the ball back with 1:47 left. After several completed passes, Fordham found themselves on their opponent’s 19 yard line with just

ZOEY LIU/THE OBSERVER

Tim DeMorat (right) preparing to throw a pass at the Georgtown game on Oct. 6.

Holy Cross under 10 seconds remaining.

With so little time left, they only had one or two opportunities to score. Their first attempt resulted in an incomplete pass, but on the play, offensive holding was called, moving them back to the 29 yard line. With just four seconds left, Holy Cross deflected a pass to the end zone and escaped with the victory.

For a Rams’ fan, this rollercoaster of hope and despair is

Nov. 10, 2018

17-14 all too familiar. In the game, a good first half of football gave fans a small semblance of pride and school spirit. The defense collapsed completely and the running game, which had been absent in the first half, failed to materialize when it was desperately needed. Fans at this point were more than ready to turn their television off, when in the final two minutes Fordham made its last stand. Victory was

Fordham once again a possibility, as it had been at so many points during this heartbreaking season. This last thrust of desperation was then quickly derailed by penalties and a bevy of incomplete passes, and the Rams’ record fell to a new low.

In order for a team to go 1-9, close games like these are the ones that matter most. Blowout losses to Colgate (Week 9, 41-0) and Stony Brook (Week 3, 28-6)

were inevitable, but the close losses to Bryant (Week 7, 42-41) and Holy Cross are the ones that distinguish Fordham from other unsuccessful teams.

Despite another heartbreaking loss, one of the few positives of this game, as in many others, was quarterback Tim DeMorat, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’22. In a game where the defensive and rushing attacks were incredibly inefficient, DeMorat threw for 273 yards and one touchdown. In nine games and seven starts, DeMorat has thrown for 1,520 yards, 11 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Despite starting as a freshman for only seven games and playing in only nine, he is in the top three in every passing statistic in the Patriot League.

In addition, Fordham is statistically ranked as the top passing attack in the league, of which DeMorat is obviously an integral part.

Next year, he will unfortunately lose many key position players that are currently seniors, particularly at the wide receiver position.

However, the future success of this football team revolves around the development of this new talent and his potent passing attack. Work has to be done in nearly every other aspect of the team, but with a centerpiece like DeMorat to build around, the outlines of an efficient offense are already beginning to form.

The defense is still highly questionable, and Fordham football will certainly not improve overnight, but an exciting offense may rejuvenate interest in this program in the coming years.

Defense may win championships, but an exciting football game may just be enough to get Lincoln Center students to skip the fashion shows and theater programs for a night, and that in itself is a very exciting prospect.

Guy Robinson, Ph.D., Fordham’s Resident Pollen Analyst

By AIZA BHUIYAN Staff Writer

Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) biology professor Guy Robinson, Ph.D., is making great strides with his pollen analysis research. His research focuses on palynology, the study of pollen grains found in geographical deposits.

The main focus of one of his many palynology research studies is analyzing fossil pollen. To do this, Robinson and his team take sediment cores out of lakes and bogs in southern New York state from different macro and microfossils that were left buried in mud for tens of thousands of years.

What’s special about this is that the mud from different wetlands such as lakes and bogs have layers. The deeper you dig, the farther back in time you go.

When you separate and carbon-date these layers, you can get an idea of which time period the pollen grains were entrapped.

By identifying the type of pollen grain it is, you can determine the type of tree it came from. Robinson emphasized the importance of determining the abundance of each pollen grain because it gives one an idea about the sedimentation rates, which indicates how fast certain geographical landscapes were shaped and provides a vision of what the world in that time period looked like. Knowing the proportions of pollen at a given time, one can infer what kinds of trees, plants and flowers were growing at a given period.

Robinson noted that there were limitations to using paly-

COURTESY OF BRUCE GILBERT

By tracking the pollen count in the air, we can make inferences on how it will affect individuals with allergies.

nology to determine the features of the land. He said that not all plants produce a lot of pollen, especially those pollinated by animals and insects. Despite these limitations, “pollen analysis can still provide us with a great deal of understanding about the density of plants in certain landscapes,” said Robinson.

Pollen analysis can also provide us with an idea of the increase or decrease of plant and tree types through the millennia. For example, during the Ice Age, spruce trees could be found in abundance in North-Eastern America. If you were to pick up a sample of mud from 10 thousand

years ago, you would find a lot of spruce pollen grains. However, if you compared this amount to how plentiful spruce pollen grains are today within the same region, you would find a huge decrease. Robinson explained that the number one factor behind this trend is the climate change that occurred thousands of years ago. He said “massive ice sheets came all the way down to Prospect Park in Brooklyn 20 thousand years ago.” When the global temperature increased, spruce trees were no longer prolific in this region because they are predominately found in cooler temperatures. Now, they are most

prevalent in regions like Northern Canada, where it is cooler.

There are modern applications of pollen analysis as well.

Fordham University has two stations from where Robinson and his team can regularly track the pollen count. One is at the FCLC campus and the other is in a biological research center in Armonk, N.Y. Pollen traps are installed in these stations to take samples of the particles in the air. The pollen traps have wind vanes on them that point to the direction that the wind is coming from. Underneath the airfoil of the apparatus, there is a narrow opening where an electric mo-

tor sits and pulls in air. Once the air travels past the opening, it is intercepted by a drum attached with tape that turns every seven days. This tape can be removed and cut into seven pieces, each displaying the pollen count for the day. After the team counts the pollen grains under a microscope on each slide, they record their findings in the Fordham Pollen Index and take photos of the different types of pollen found.

The Fordham Pollen Index tracks the pollen count in New York City weekly in the spring and monthly during the other seasons. The pollen records we have can date back 10 years and if we count the station in Armonk the records date back 20 years.

Public health research can also be enhanced with pollen analysis. By tracking the pollen count in the air by taking air samples and knowing the type of pollen grains that are the most abundant, we can make inferences on how it will affect individuals with allergies. In a 2011 research report for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Robinson found that because of the increased pollen count there would be an increase in allergy medication sales. The rise in sales could be attributed to a surplus in the allergenic pollen deposits of trees such as birk, oak and sycamore.

The size of a pollen grain is microscopic, but studying these small molecules can lead to big discoveries. Scholars in the scientific field are optimistic that they will reach new scientific feats with further pollen analysis studies.