Observer Issue 2 Spring 2019

Observer the

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Students Left Confused as ResLife De-Triples McMahon Hall

Febuary 7, 2019 VOLUME XXXVI, ISSUE 2

By SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS Asst. News Editor

At the start of the academic year, McMahon Hall was overfilled with students, causing the Office of Residential Life to place freshmen in McMahon into forced triples. Yet the end of the first semester saw nearly 300 McMahon residents moving off campus.

At first, the new space seemed exciting for freshman students who spent the first semester in such close quarters with one another.

However, this exodus raised concerns on how Residential Life relays information to and supports its freshman residents.

Vickki Massey, associate director for Housing Operations, explained that “it is normal to have partial apartments in the Spring semester as students withdraw from housing for multiple reasons.”

She noted that in past years there has been an increase in students moving after only one semester, as more students have found alternative housing or chose to study abroad.

Aidan Rice, Gabelli School of Business (GSB) ’22, a freshman who shared a six-person suite with eight other students last semester, explained that “over break we found out that our rooms were being de-tripled after two of our suitemates moved out.”

Freshmen living in forced triples were given a reduced rate for the first semester, paying only $5,912.50 per semester, compared to the regular $8,262 fee. Now, with fewer residents, the price of housing increased for some students.

“We were never notified,” Rice see RESLIFE pg. 2

ZOEY LIU/THE OBSERVER

While students in McKeon Hall enjoy their extra space, freshmen in McMahon Hall endure complications as rooms are de-tripled.

Class of ’23 Set to Become Most Diverse and Highest Achieving

By GABRIEL SAMANDI Asst. News Editor

Jan. 1 was the final deadline for most college applications to schools in the United States.

While the current class of high school seniors anxiously waits for envelopes in the mail or emails in their inboxes about their future educational options, some are already receiving answers from institutions that they applied to Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED).

Students who applied EA or ED to Fordham received an answer on Dec. 19. The Observer recently obtained the demographic data for students accepted through these programs. The information follows a recent trend: Fordham continues to accept higher-achieving and more diverse students every year, indicating Fordham is becoming a more competitive

institution in terms of admissions.

Overall, Fordham has accepted 3 percent more students than at this time last year, up nearly 600 students across Fordham College

GSB at Lincoln Center an even steeper 15 percent rise.

However, those fearing more competition for dorm space shouldn’t be particularly worried

Fordham accepts higher-achieving and more diverse students every year, indicating Fordham is becoming competitive. and the Gabelli School of Business at both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses.

Breaking it down by campus, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) only saw a 1 percent increase in acceptances while the Gabelli School of Business (GSB) at Rose Hill saw a 2 percent decrease. The majority of growth in acceptances occurred at Lincoln Center, where Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) saw an 11 percent hike in acceptances and

— the growth is due mostly to the acceptance of new commuting students. EA and ED acceptances for residents only saw a 2 percent increase across all campuses, while commuter acceptances saw a notable 20 percent increase from last year.

The Lincoln Center campus’s growth was higher across the board, but kept with this general pattern. At FCLC in particular, resident acceptances are up 10 percent from last year and up 31

The Comma Punctuates Its Independence This semester, changes are coming to The Comma, Fordham Lincoln Center’s creative literature publication.

Historically, The Comma has published literary submissions from the Fordham community

in the final issue of The Observer each semester. Beginning as an initiative to celebrate the creative writers at Fordham Lincoln Center’s campus, The Comma has since grown into a fully-fledged club. With that, The Comma recently decided to move toward self-publication.

Abby Wheat, Fordham Col-

lege at Lincoln Center ’19 and treasurer for The Comma, explained that the change came from a desire for “slightly more creative freedom.” Moving out of the pages of The Observer and into an independent magazine will encourage that creative freedom, according to Wheat.

CENTERFOLD

FEATURES

SPORTS & HEALTH

Family traditions and food to ring in the Lunar New Year

Using limited campus resources efficiently

From lattes to gummies, breaking down a cannabidiol craze

By GABRIEL SAMANDI Asst. News Editor

Chinese New Year PAGE 10

Wasted Space PAGE 18

What’s CBD? PAGE 19

“We’re hoping for a 32-page, full-color magazine,” she said.

“It works a little better for the many art pieces we’ve received.”

In addition to being able to print more works in color, there will be fewer restrictions on the content. Wheat pointed to several nude submissions which The Observer had declined to publish in the past.

“What we’re trying to do is build a robust creative community for people at Fordham Lincoln Center,” Wheat said, “so that anyone can submit and have their work published in both a fun and professional format.”

In the first wholly-independent magazine, students will find content previously published in The Observer in addition to unreleased works from the spring 2019 semester. The Comma is also taking steps to publish audio and video submissions on its website.

Wheat expressed that these changes are an exciting sign of growth for the group. “Basically, we’re hoping to make The Comma a more creative and exciting publication.”

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM LINCOLN CENTER

percent for commuting students.

However, since these are only the ED and EA numbers, there is still a lot of room for the dorming conversation to change moving forward.

Ethnic and national diversity across both campuses will likely grow as well.

At both campuses, the university saw a prominent 19 percent increase in students of two or more races compared to last year, keeping with the growing trend of more racially-mixed students at Fordham (150 more acceptances than last year and nearly 250 more acceptances than two years ago). These students were fairly well distributed across all undergraduate colleges. Asian students were accepted as the next largest overall increase — 12 percent across both campuses, but were much more focused at Lincoln see DEMOGRAPHICS pg. 2

FROM OPINIONS

2020 Vision PATRICK RIZZI Staff Writer

Even though it is about two years out from when the winner of the 2020 presidential election will be sworn in, the Democratic primary season has already begun. Many have already announced their plans to run — some with nationwide name recognition, such as Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand and Kamala Harris, and some lesser-known figures such as Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana.

Most Democratic candidates in 2020 will likely try to call themselves progressives or run, to some degree, according to at least some mutually agreed upon principles of “progressivism” as an ideology. It will be interesting to see how the candidates attempt to appeal to both the party’s progressive, younger grassroots as well as the more moderate and

see VISION pg. 7

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February 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

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Fordham Law Hosts SCOTUS Justice Kagan

Matthew Diller, Dean of Fordham Law School, hosted Supreme Court Associate Justice Elena Kagan to discuss her experience in the legal system.

By GUS DUPREE Staff Writer

The usual stillness of the Fordham Law School building was replaced by large crowds and Secret Service agents on Monday, Feb. 4, as Fordham hosted Associate Justice Elena Kagan of the Supreme Court of the United States.

On the invitation of Matthew Diller, dean of Fordham Law and her old friend from Harvard Law, she addressed a room of law students, prospective attorneys themselves, in a moderated Q&A panel.

Speaking to the packed auditorium, Justice Kagan recalled her time as a law student, detailing the aspects of a career many in the audience aspired to follow.

She recounted her time as a law clerk working under former Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American man to be appointed to the Supreme Court. She also looked back on her confirmation to the Supreme Court in 2010 under the Obama Administration, a process she re-

called being “kind of fun.”

Kagan then recalled her experience as a woman in the judicial system and her distinction as the first female Solicitor General (SG) in 2009. While Kagan acknowledged the significance of the appointment, she had little more to say about her being the first female anything. “I can’t say that being a woman SG was any different from being an SG,” she said. “Basically all the other high jobs in the Justice Department had been filled by women.”

Kagan kept the panel’s tone casual and even humorous at times, despite the black-tie dress code.

At one point, Justice Kagan was asked which Marvel superhero was her favorite, to which she answered confidently: Spider-Man. The appreciation came from a patenting case she took involving a “spider-glove that you could put on your hand and then you would press a button … and web stuff would come out.” During the case, she even managed to work in the quote, “With great power comes great responsibility” into

her opinion statement, much to her apparent delight.

Rather than focusing on her personal achievements, Kagan spent most of the panel giving advice to the audience.

When asked about challenges she faced, Kagan responded, “I struggled with law school,” drawing laughs from the audience. She assured students that high grades in school do not necessarily make good lawyers. “If you want something, just keep working at it,” she said.

Justice Kagan also gave her personal opinions on judicial matters and practices. She defended the process of judicial confirmation hearings, which have recently come under criticism within the legal community.

Kagan encouraged audience members to “come down to the court and watch some of the really great people work.” She requested aspiring lawyers to ask themselves, “What does it mean to be one of these people who just stand up at the podium and are phenomenal?”

Freshmen’s Questions Left Unanswered

AMINA VARGAS/THE OBSERVER

Vacant rooms led to increased housing costs in McMahon Hall.

RESLIFE FROM PAGE 1

said, “We only discovered it when my father happened to look at the bill for the next semester. There was no breakdown or explanation for the increase that was almost $2,000.”

To note, upperclassmen whose roommates moved out at the end of the first semester did not experience a change in housing costs.

Elena Jastrzembski, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22, was also surprised to learn about the change in cost to her suite, which was de-tripled at the start of this semester. After learning about the increase, Jastrzembski said, “my mother began calling the school looking for answers, as they did not tell us about the increase or warn us.”

“My mother spoke to [Massey]” Jastrzembski continued, “and was given very little explanation or help.”

On Jan. 24, Jastrzembski received an email notifying her that a student would be moving into the

apartment, effectively re-tripling the room. After a series of miscommunications, she realized that Residential Life had assumed that re-tripling the room would solve the issue of the price increase that her mother had complained about.

“ My mother began

calling the school looking for answers, as they did not tell us about the increase or warn us.”

ELENA JASTRZEMBSKI , FCLC ’22

Jastrzembski said, “I do not understand why they [Residential Life] thought this would be a possible solution, or how they came to this conclusion,” since her original dissatisfaction was with the previous lack of communication.

With fewer students living in each room, Residential Life is also facing the challenge of removing extra furniture from their suites.

Rice said that “coming back from break, I expected to find my room with one less bed, desk and dresser. Unfortunately, it took them more than one week to remove a bed. We still have extra dressers and tables.”

However, this wasn’t the case for Olivia Bonenfant, FCLC ’22, who shared a single room that was converted into a forced double with bunk beds last semester. After her roommate moved out, she said, “ResLife put in a work order to take away the furniture without communicating to me about it; the guys just showed up one morning completely out of the blue.”

Last semester, Bonenfant shared a three-person apartment with four other students. This semester, only two students remain.

Bonenfant explained that when the student in the single bedroom moved out, Residential Life locked her old room. “ResLife never said anything to either me or my remaining roommate about any of this,” Bonenfant said.

Although students expressed their frustration with the tight space last semester, the lack of communication from Residential Life this semester caused increased stress and confusion for many.

Rice said, “I believe that it’s quite unfair that the university does not show as much care for their students’ residential lives as they should.”

The Observer did not receive a comment from Housing Operations on de-tripling or notifying students of changes in housing costs.

ZOEY LIU/THE OBSERVER

Fordham EA/ED Students Analyzed DEMOGRAPHICS FROM PAGE 1

Center than Rose Hill (up 4 percent at FCRH and 9 percent at GSB at Rose Hill versus a 24 percent increase at FCLC and 33 percent at GSB at Lincoln Center).

Hispanic students represented the third largest increase — 9 percent across all reported programs — primarily due to increased acceptances at FCLC (up 16 percent) and GSB at Rose Hill (up 19 percent). FCRH Hispanic acceptances only grew 3 percent, while GSB at Lincoln Center went up 8 percent, more in line with the overall growth average.

The next largest population increases were both 7 percent, fornnonresident/international students, as well as students of unknown races. Again, Lincoln Center saw a higher concentration of growth compared to Rose Hill. In fact, GSB at Rose Hill even saw a slight decrease in both groups.

These increases in diversity and academic achievement coincide with increased acceptance of female students.

Acceptances for black students only saw an overall 2 percent increase, but surprisingly were down in all programs besides FCLC. FCRH saw a 1 percent drop, GSB at Rose Hill was down 4 percent and GSB at Lincoln Center was down 2 percent, while FCLC saw a 15 percent rise in accepted black students.

Overall, white students saw a 2 percent decrease, falling 3 percent at FCRH and 7 percent at GSB at Rose Hill. Acceptances for white students grew 8 percent at GSB at Lincoln Center and 4 percent at FCLC. Both the American Indian/ Alaska Native and Pacific Islander ethnic groups saw no overall change across all programs from last year.

In looking at the data, a distinction between campuses arises. Fordham Lincoln Center, for the most part, has only seen more diversity in its accepted students. FCLC saw increased acceptances for students of every ethnicity besides American Indian/Alaska Native (which saw no change) and Pacific Islander, which decreased by only

one student. GSB at Lincoln Center only saw a decrease in the acceptance of black students (seven fewer students than last year). Meanwhile, both FCRH and GSB at Rose Hill saw a wide variety of gains and losses for every ethnicity — not always following the same trends between both programs either.

Keeping with trends from previous years, GPA and test scores among accepted students saw increases, albeit marginal, across all programs. The median SAT score for the ED and EA accepted Class of 2022 was 1319, up to 1326 for the Class of 2023. The median ACT score rose from 29 to 30, and median GPA saw a minor increase from 3.61 to 3.62 out of 4.0.

These increases in diversity and academic achievement coincide with increased acceptance of female students. Overall, male acceptances saw no change while female acceptances saw a 4 percent rise. Fordham did not report any other gender identities.

As for what the numbers could mean in terms of the composition of the Class of ’23, it is difficult to determine. Regular Decision acceptances still have not been decided, and if Fordham is worried about too much growth, they may simply see a decline. In addition, because many of these students are particularly high-achieving, they could have compelling offers at other schools.

The Observer has no details about financial aid packages offered to students, which could have a sizable impact on wealth and ethnic diversity on campus.

What these numbers do say is that more students are becoming attracted to the idea of attending Fordham University every year, and that, especially at the Lincoln Center campus, admissions may only continue to become more competitive.

For prospective students hoping to attend Fordham Lincoln Center, choosing to apply EA or ED is becoming increasingly more important.

However, despite the uncertainty of these preliminary numbers, one pattern is already beginning to emerge. During their orientation week last fall, the Class of 2022 was told it was “the most diverse, most high-achieving class in Fordham’s history.” Based on the numbers reported for EA and ED this year, it is entirely likely the Class of 2023 will hear the same message come August.

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THE OBSERVER February 7, 2019

Renovations Limit Space on Campus

News

3

Construction on second floor of Lowenstein creates a lack of public space for commuting students

By GUS DUPREE Staff Writer

Renovations on the second floor of the Leon Lowenstein Building, which houses the admissions office as well as a popular lounge for the Fordham community, began during Thanksgiving break, resulting in the complete closure of the second floor. Workers are on schedule with plans to re-open in midApril, but concerns over the lost free space have created problems for some commuting students.

“ The new reception and presentation spaces will be game-changers. ”

JOHN BUCKLEY, Vice President for Admissions and Student Financial Services

According to John Buckley, vice president for admissions and student financial services, the primary purpose of the renovations is to create a larger admissions office. The reception space in front of the Office of Admissions “has been in dire need of an upgrade for some time,” he said.

“Interest in both the campus and the programs at Lincoln Center has grown tremendously in recent years,” Buckley said.

“Just six years ago, we had 3,222 students visit the campus … Last

year, we had 6,033 students attend tours, information sessions, Open House programs and other events at Lincoln Center.” The rapid swell in traffic prompted the renovations.

Buckley described the overflow issues caused by the new visitors. “The current reception space is inadequate to graciously receive and welcome this volume of guests,” he said. “The new reception and presentation spaces will be game-changers in terms of staging tours and offering information sessions, along with other forms of programming.”

However, for students like Daniel Sanchez, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’22, the construction has made it difficult to find available space. “Prior to the start of renovations on the second floor of the Lowenstein building, I would frequent the lounge when I needed a place to relax in between classes or wait for a friend,” Sanchez said.

“I would also use the lounge to work on assignments that didn’t require complete silence.”

Since renovations have closed off the second floor, Sanchez, like many other students, finds that there is limited space to spare. “Now I try to find a seat on the sixth floor or the student lounge, but both are often overcrowded,” he said.

Frank Simio, vice president of Fordham Lincoln Center, remarked that the second floor isn’t the only space on campus that is set for renovations. “The major development is that we are working toward reopen-

GUS DUPREE/THE OBSERVER

Renovations on the second floor aim to deliver improved space for the student lounge and Office of Admissions.

ing Quinn X and investigating whether or not we can meet updated NYC building codes.”

Quinn X, the old Quinn library, closed in 2016.

In regard to open space on campus, Simio noted that, in lieu of the second floor closure, “we completed the conversion of Room 100 on the Plaza Level of

Lowenstein into a lounge for students.”

Until renovations are complete, students like Sanchez will have to make due with that.

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February 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

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Facilities Dir. Explains Eerie “Wind Tunnels”

By JORDAN MELTZER News Editor

Since the opening of the 150 W. 62nd St. building in 2011, students and faculty alike have been baffled by a strange air current in some of the ground level hallways that connect the buildings of the Lincoln Center campus. A recent satirical op-ed in The Observer speculated the possibilities, eventually attributing it to the proud stride of University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J. Now, the community has a slightly more scientific answer.

The hallways in question connect 150 W. 62nd St. — which houses McKeon Hall and the Law School — to the 140 W. 62nd St. building, the Leon Lowenstein Building and McMahon Hall.

Over the years, the community has dubbed them the “wind tunnels.” The effect is strongest in the hallways connecting the McKeon Hall and Law School lobby to the first floor of the 140 W. building — particularly in the tunnel closest to the former of the two buildings, which facilities workers call the Law School ramp.

John McDonagh, director of facilities operations at Lincoln Center, is aware of the phenomenon on the Law School ramp and has offered an explanation.

Operating a building, McDonagh explained, requires keeping it in a static pressure, meaning that the air being circulated must have a greater pressure than the resistance to the airflow in the building. At the Lincoln Center campus, the buildings are maintained to

AMINA VARGAS/THE OBSERVER

Walking from McKeon Hall to the Lowenstein Building, students can often feel a mysterious gust of wind pushing them down the “wind tunnels” ramp. As it turns out, changes in air pressure, not a ghostly breeze, account for this.

keep a positive pressure, a type of static pressure in which the indoor pressure in the system is greater than that of the atmosphere outdoors. This keeps the weather and wind where it is supposed to be: outside.

Any excess air, or “spill” air, follows the path of least resistance, resulting in that strange

gust blowing through the connecting tunnels. This is the “wind tunnel” effect with which the Fordham community has been obsessed, especially firstyear students in McKeon Hall, who frequently use the Law School ramp to get to class.

In the case of the 150 W. 62nd St. building, the lobby is

especially large: The ceiling is high and the space is wide open.

It therefore requires more air to achieve the desired effect of positive pressure. So, there is more excess air that spills into the tunnels.

McDonagh also pointed out that during the summer, more air is required to achieve posi-

tive pressure, so the “wind tunnel” effect is greater. During the winter the opposite is true, so while the current is still palpable, it is less intense.

At the moment, there are no plans to draft a solution to this quirk in the architecture — a serious blow to anti-“wind tunnel” students.

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THE OBSERVER February 7, 2019

News

5

Black History Month Blooms at Fordham

Student organizers aim to honor and embrace blackness in the university community

By RUBY GARA News Editor

Black History Month (BHM) returns to the campus of Fordham Lincoln Center with the help of the Black Student Alliance (BSA), who re-emerged last semester after a temporary hiatus during the spring 2018 semester. Throughout February, nationwide BHM celebrations commemorate the achievements of black culture and individuals.

This year will be the first time in two years that the club has actively worked on promoting BHM. It dissolved in February 2018 due to poor attendance and its then-president’s resignation.

As BHM is the club’s busiest time for events, BSA began its planning last semester. The current president, Ahmari Alford, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, joined BSA her freshman year because she saw

“ Ideally, Black

History Month at Fordham would look like a celebration of blackness” AHMARI ALFORD FCLC ’21, PRESIDENT OF BLACK STUDENT ALLIANCE

it as “a really welcoming and exciting place to meet and speak with interesting people who understood what it was like to be a black student at a predominantly white institution.”

Elected in the fall 2018 semester, Alford said, “I wanted to become President because I really cared about the impact BSA had on the black students at Fordham.”

The month kicked off with an Introduction Week, where BSA will handed out its programming agenda, as well as stickers.

Throughout the month, the club will provide Fordham students with beauty products, during their Self-Care and Black-Owned Businesses weeks. The last week of the month is dedicated exclusively to black music.

Members of Black Student Alliance discuss their programming agenda for Black History Month.

“Overall, we’re trying to make Black History Month less formal,” BSA Secretary Chelsea Ashley, FCLC ’21, said, “to help the people who maybe aren’t in the black community get more in touch with the history and culture.” A soul food night during midterm season is in the works, in addition to a screening of the movie “BlacKkKlansman.”

Collaboration between BSA and the Office of Multicultural Affairs has been integral to this

year’s BHM. Together, they hosted a Jazz event in the Community Dining Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 5 and will put on weekly themed tabling events that feature prizes, including Spotify and Seamless gift cards.

“We want to start a new tradition,” Ashley said, with regard to the events planned for BHM. She joined BSA because she feels “like Fordham doesn’t have a huge black population, and it’s something different to just be around

your people outside of the academic room.”

The student club will host its fifth BSA House Party, which last took place in February 2017.

Open to all Fordham students, it remains their largest event of the year and will be held at the Atrium.

BSA wants to be “a space for black students to feel more included,” Ashley said. During every meeting, students discuss what it feels like to be a black or

AMINA VARGAS/THE OBSERVER

minority student on campus.

“I want BSA to be the ultimate tool and space for black students on campus to grow, engage and learn,” Alford said. “Ideally, Black History Month at Fordham would look like a celebration of blackness,” she added. “It would serve as a reminder of the impeccable and integral contributions black people have made to the world … Black History Month would be a reflection of the blackness as a whole.”

Award Winning Gabelli Alumna Dies at 22 ment and going into remission, Ragone graduated high school fifth in her class of nearly 300 students. Ragone was the recipi-

By SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS Asst. News Editor

Rachel Ragone, Gabelli School of Business ’18, passed away from cancer on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Born on May 12, 1996, Ragone was from Stony Brook, New York.

University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., wrote in a statement emailed to the Fordham community that “it is heartbreaking to lose someone so young and full of promise.”

Ragone was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a type of pediatric cancer that affects the bone or soft tissue, when she was a 16-year-old junior at Eastport-South Manor Junior-Senior High School.

Following her diagnosis, Ragone took two semesters off from school, during which she remained dedicated to her studies and began homeschooling. At the same time, she endured inpatient chemotherapy, radiation treatment, three surgeries and many blood transfusions.

After finishing her treat-

“ Let us remember

Rachel as she lived: loving, idealistic and full of dreams for the future.”

REV. JOSEPH M. MCSHANE, S.J., UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

COURTESY OF TOM STOELKER

Rachel Ragone, a dedicated leader for Colleges Against Cancer.

ent of the Daniel Brooks Memorial Educational Award, which rewards cancer survivors for their academic successes.

She went on to attend Fordham University, where she majored in accounting and finance.

Ragone was the recipient of Fordham’s Woolworth Award, which recognizes high academic achievement as a freshman.

During her time at Fordham,

she served as a volunteer for NY Blood Center and was a leader at Fordham for Colleges Against Cancer.

Ragone relapsed at only 20 years old when a CT scan confirmed that the cancer had spread to her lungs.

According to McShane, Fordham expedited Ragone’s diploma and presented it to her at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center shortly before she died.

“There is no consolation for such a loss,” McShane said, “but let us all remember Rachel as she lived: loving, idealistic, and full of dreams for the future.”

The Observer reached out to Ragone’s family for comment but did not receive a response.

Ragone’s Fordham friends and faculty were invited to remember and mourn her life at a Mass on Thursday, Jan. 24 at Christian Burial at St. John The Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Center Moriches, New York.

Ragone is survived by her mother Kim, her father John and her brother Andrew.

Opinions

Opinions Editor Owen Roche - oroche2@fordham.edu

February 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

THE

STAFF EDITORIAL

FORDHAM FAILS BLACK STUDENTS In observance of Black History Month, it is worth analyzing Fordham’s own history when it comes to its black student body. It is no secret that Fordham has a disproportionately low black student population; according to its website, black students comprise only 4.4 percent of the undergraduate body.

For an internationally recognized university in New York City — with its primary campus in the Bronx, no less — this rate is abysmal.

New York may be our campus, but it certainly doesn’t look like our school. According to recent census data, New York City is 24.3 percent black, while the Bronx, the borough hosting Fordham’s primary campus, is 43.7 percent black. Comparing these statistics to the barely 400 black students at Fordham is an embarrassment, and one that cannot stand.

The scarcity of the black student body has deep roots in racist policies and admission strategies specifically targeting black representation on campus, and the university has not done enough to address these wrongs.

On Dec. 5, 1968, The New York Times published the article, “Students Demand Voice at Fordham.”

At the time, black students comprised only 1 percent of Fordham’s 6,000 undergraduate students. A series of protests throughout ’67 and ’68, including “sleepins” within Keating Hall and demonstrations outside of the deans’ offices, were directed at addressing a list of injustices regarding misused funding, tuition hikes and racism at Fordham brought to light throughout the late ’60s. Perhaps the most striking issue: a threat to rescind

federal financial aid for black student organizers who had been involved in protests.

The demonstration in December, led primarily by black students, was a success.

Fordham’s dean of Student Affairs at the time, Martin J. Meade, signed a statement pledging no financial action would be taken against student demonstrators. In addition, Fordham’s board of trustees made sweeping changes to the organization

New York may be our campus, but it certainly doesn’t look like our school. of the university.

The next year, black student organizers took matters a step further and demanded the creation of an Afro-American Studies program, which today is the Department of African & African American studies.

In spite of the gains earned by black students in ’68 and ’69, Fordham took action to curb student activism and black representation on its campuses. In the years following these events, as black and Hispanic New Yorkers began to move to the area surrounding Fordham in larger numbers, Fordham looked elsewhere. By the end of the 20th century, Fordham’s black enrollment stagnated at roughly its present level.

Fordham has not done what is necessary to correct this injustice. The recent Early Decision and Early Action acceptance data lay this issue plain: we can and must do better.

Currently, accepted students for the Class of 2023

have shown that Fordham is, once again, only accepting a black student body equivalent to roughly 4 percent. Acceptances are down for black students at every program besides Fordham College Lincoln Center — meaning every other undergraduate program will almost surely see even fewer black students next year.

In order for Fordham to become an institution that more black students consider, Fordham needs to offer competitive scholarship and financial aid options equal in significance to those offered to students from other marginalized groups.

At 14.4 percent, Hispanic students represent much more of Fordham’s student body. Fordham’s Scholarship for Semifinalists enables high-achieving, low-income Hispanic students to see attending Fordham as a reality by granting a full tuition scholarship to Hispanic students who score highly on the PSAT and SAT as a part of the National Hispanic Recognition Program.

Fordham never mirrored this opportunity for the National Achievement Scholarship Program, the equivalent honor for black students.

Although this program was terminated due to a lack of funding in 2016, Fordham still has no reason it cannot create its own.

The legacy of Black History Month at this institution is stained by affronts to both the Bronx community and black students everywhere.

Fordham has an obligation to create a more diverse student body, and we owe it to the legacy of the student activists from the late 60’s to fight for this future with the same spirit.

OBSERVER Editor-in-Chief Colin Sheeley Managing Editor Izzi Duprey Business Managers Alexios Avgerinos Teymur Guliyev Online Editor Courtney Brogle Layout Editors Loïc Khodarkovsky Steph Lawlor Asst. Layout Editor Esmé Bleecker-Adams News Editors Ruby Gara Jordan Meltzer Asst. News Editors Sophie Patridge-Hicks Gabriel Samandi Opinions Editor Owen Roche Asst. Opinions Editors Grace Getman Evan Vollbrecht Arts & Culture Editor Marielle Sarmiento Asst. Arts & Culture Editors Kevin Christopher Robles Gillian Russo Features Editors Lindsay Jorgensen Jeffrey Umbrell Asst. Features Editor Gianna Smeraglia Sports & Health Editor Luke Osborn Asst. Sports Editors Patrick Moquin Lena Weidenbruch Photo Editor Zoey Liu Asst. Photo Editor Shamya Zindani Copy Editors Libby Lanza Lulu Schmieta Sami Umani Fun & Games Editor Dan Nasta Social Media Manager Shamya Zindani IT Manager E.J. Ciriaco Visual Advisor Molly Bedford Editorial Advisor Anthony Hazell PUBLIC NOTICE No part of The Observer may be reprinted or reproduced without the expressed written consent of The Observer board. The Observer is published on alternate Thursdays during the academic year.

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Fordham students made their voices heard in 1968, and The New York Times took notice. Their convictions stand today: We can do better.

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Opinions

7

What to Expect When You’re Electing Too early to think about the election? Not for these contenders and writers

How to Approach 2020 VISION FROM PAGE 1

and establishment wing of its base.

While we are much too early in the process to accurately predict how primaries will go, we can point to some interesting analysis as to how this already-crowded primary will proceed.

First and foremost, and I wish I didn’t have to say this, money will be key. Since Citizens United v. FEC, large-scale donations have dominated how political contributions are given in this country. However, many Democratic candidates are now refusing to take donations from corporate PACs. Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign website states her slogan: “Kamala Harris For The People.” A red banner at the top of her campaign website claims that “Kamala refuses to accept

donations from corporate PACs!” This is a positive step forward in the realm of campaign finance because it helps refocus campaigns on people — and thus issues directly affecting people — rather than corporations impacting political issues. In a political time when voters seem to increasingly crave populism, such a position can also help candidates feel more authentic to voters.

Secondly, name recognition will be important for many prospective Democrats. While a sizable portion of the general public that doesn’t follow politics closely at least knows who Elizabeth Warren is, the same cannot generally be said for someone like Pete Buttigieg. However, he provides an interesting background as both a veteran and a popular Democratic mayor of a conservative-leaning state, and he is also the first openly LGBTQ presedential candidate in U.S. history. The

THE HOPEFULS

announced Democratic candidates so far seem driven by policy rather than publicity, a promising sign this early in the race.

It’s not easy to predict what the future may bring, and I cannot solely attempt to deliver a prognosis for such answers myself. I would advise readers to focus on policy specifics when evaluating Democratic candidates. Even though many voters will not focus on seemingly small details of policy, such details matter just as much as larger concepts of political platform.

For example, Republicans often campaigned on a desire to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act during the Obama years yet could not figure out a suitable replacement. To avoid a similar crisis on the left, a healthy mix of progressivism and detail-oriented pragmatism seems like a winning formula for the Democratic Party of the future.

California’s former top lawyer seeks to turn a brief career as a textbook Democratic Senator into a successful presidential bid, joining her progressive colleagues in the earlybird campaign for the Democratic nomination.

Kamala Harris

Booker, a Twitter-savvy New Jersey Mayor turned Senator, seeks to book a new gig in a much bigger house.

The Progressives Aren’t Progressive TRAVIS-JAY KNOPPERT Contributing Writer

Despite the buzz that many Democratic presidential candidates have individually generated, and the romanticized images that portray many of these candidates as the new, progressive faces of the Democratic party, their politics and records often couldn’t be further from the “progressive” tag.

For this article’s purposes, a true progressive is someone whose reform attempts go further than putting a “coexist” sticker on their bumper. Here’s why a few of the potential and affirmed Democratic candidates for the 2020 election do not actually represent a progressive vision.

Let’s start with Robert “Beto” O’Rourke. Luckily for me, O’Rourke himself admits it. In fact, when asked if he considers himself a progressive, O’Rourke said he’s “not big on labels,” words reminiscent of a teenage boy shying away from committing to the girl he’s been “talking to” for nine months.

If O’Rourke’s fear of taking a stand against injustice isn’t enough to dissuade you from supporting him, consider the fact that he’s entrenched in the pockets

of the oil industry as well as many large corporations whose interests are certainly against environmental justice, the wellbeing of working-class people and other issues important to achieving a progressive vision.

In addition to O’Rourke’s campaign finances, his voting record and congressional activity suggest he’s no better than any Clintonian, centrist Democrat, having supported increases in military

GRAPHIC BY ESME BLEECKER-ADAMS

spending and opposed various legislative efforts at achieving a single-payer healthcare system.

Next up, we have Kamala Harris. If I told you that at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement a cop would run for president as a progressive for the Democratic party and actually receive support from its increasingly liberal base, would you believe me? Regardless, for this election,

we’ve got the next best thing; an aggressive prosecutor. Aside from her 21-year career fulfilling her duties as such, Harris has an atrocious record from her time as attorney general of California.

According to her own book from 2015, Harris believes that we should not reduce prison sentences or incarceration rates. Her time as the district attorney of San Francisco confirms this view, because during her term convictions rose more than 15 percent as a result of her punitive philosophies. While attorney general, Harris opposed a federal order to expand parole programs that would have eased the overcrowding seen in California’s prisons, on the grounds that it would reduce the cheap labor pool offered by the current system.

Harris later claimed the attorneys in her office who made this argument on her behalf do not represent her values, but how are we supposed to believe her when she has mixed feelings on the death penalty, opposed legislation to increase the accountability of police officers and made a career out of locking people up since 1990?

For more about this story, visit www.fordhamobserver.com

A Look into the Declared Female Candidates CASEY BRENNAN Staff Writer

The 2020 election is approaching sooner than we think, and this time around, the Democratic Party has many new faces following the 2016 election. There is an increase in the number of female candidates who have expressed interest in running ,including Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Tulsi Gabbard, Kirsten Gillibrand and Marianne Williamson. With more than one prominent female candidate, “playing the female-card” is out. The policies of these women will take center stage.

Probably the most well-known confirmed candidate is current U.S. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. Warren is popular among progressive Democrats and has openly opposed President Trump throughout his presidency.

Warren supports abortion rights by continuing to fund Planned Parenthood. In addition, she believes in education reform, including reducing student loans and providing universal pre-school.

Warren is known to be tough on large corporations; one of the most notable legislative acts she has introduced is the Accountable Capitalism Act, which would hold large corporations (having over $1 billion in tax receipts) to the same standards of citizens. This act would encourage corporations to concern themselves more with their own reputation and the well-being of their shareholders.

During Warren’s 2020 campaign, she will likely be faced with criticism over the controversy concerning her Native American heritage, which has been the subject of many of Trump’s tweets throughout 2018. In late 2018, Warren received the results of her

DNA test, which proved that she had traces of Native American heritage, but it was too little to be considered significant. Part of her campaign website is devoted to addressing the strong evidence that she did not use Native American heritage to her advantage for any job positions, though a recent Washington Post .has alleged that she used it for the bar exam. However, it would not be surprising for Trump and other critics to use this incident against Warren during her campaign.

Kamala Harris has an impressive track record for a presidential candidate. Following her 20-year career as a prosecutor, Harris served as Attorney General of California from 2011 to 2016. Since 2017, Harris has served in the U.S. Senate, representing California.

For more about this story, visit www.fordhamobserver.com

Cory Booker

The highly-publicized Trump tamer looks to bring her talents to the White House and keep consistent liberal policy — not genealogy — the topic of conversation.

Elizabeth Warren This New York Senator has shifted from progressing as a Blue Dog to dogging Trump on progressive issues, and similarly hopes to shift from the Senate to the White House.

Kirsten Gillibrand This on-the-rise progressive Hawaiian veteran made history when she was the first Hindu ever elected to Congress in 2012, and is looking for another to record to break.

Tulsi Gabbard America’s raddest former representative might be looking to skate into the White House on the heels of the national publicity generated by his failed attempt to unseat Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

Beto O’Rourke

PHOTOS VIA FLICKR

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Opinions

February 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

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As I Am: Asian-Americans as Individuals MICHELLE HUR Contributing Writer

It’s my very first day of class at Fordham, and I’m both nervous and excited: What will my professor be like? My classmates?

I make sure to get to class five minutes early. I make small talk with a girl next to me. Everyone seems nice — so far, so good.

When my professor enters the room, I’m at full attention. We’re given a warm welcome, and I feel my anxiety die down a bit.

Then we’re given the syllabus, and I grow cold. Participation: 20 percent.

I’ve come a long way since that time. I’ve always feared being cold-called, and I’ve always dreaded public speaking, partly because I had to rack my brain to find the right words in English on top of knowing the right answer. By the time I reached high school, I was still that shy Asian girl even though English didn’t challenge me as much. When my mom went to parent-teacher conferences, teachers commended my effort but wished I would participate more. In American schools, I found that my quiet inclinations were at odds with my teachers’ expectations.

“The nail that sticks out must be hammered down.”

This Japanese proverb applies to many Asian cultures, which are traditionally collectivist and homogeneous. Social conformity might as well be a law, ruthlessly enforced by the people. In such societies, individuals straying from societal norms can expect the “hammer” to inflict punishment upon them via public

derision or ostracism.

Ethnically homogeneous Asian countries discourage diversity, whether it be racial, philosophical or behavioral. Of course, prominent eccentrics like the visionaries Haruki Murakami, Ai Weiwei and Han Kang, who are lauded for their individuality and creativity, exist, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

One of my earliest memories is that, while attending school in South Korea, I was an insignificant part of a whole. When we went on a field trip to the gardens, I dallied behind, exploring the flora and picking dandelions, but my teachers quickly chastised me and urged me to rejoin the group. “Sheep belong with the flock,” they chided.

Most lessons consisted entirely of lectures, and students did not volunteer to speak in class; if the teacher suddenly called on you, then you were compelled to give an answer, and it had better be correct.

The education system itself, though rigorous, did not allow for individuality or independent thought. Parents urged their children to remain quiet and to obey their elders. Asking questions during class was considered disruptive to the other students.

This rigid system curtails creativity, inhibits individual rational thought and stymies development of leadership qualities in children. This type of upbringing, which most first-generation Asian-American parents follow, may have led to the pervasive assumption that Asian-Americans lack leadership qualities and interest in leadership opportunities.

Asian members of collectivist

NAZLI ARDITI/THE OBSERVER

Leadership can take many shapes and forms.

societies avoid confrontation and consequently do not align with the leadership expectations of Western culture, which prizes risk-taking and constructive conflict. The stereotype that Asian-Americans are a model minority — quiet, competent and conscientious — complicates their ability to rise into positions of leadership. An article in the Harvard Business Review states that, when Asians do act more assertively to better conform with Western expectations of leadership, “they may be penalized for violating the stereotype.”

Despite being both Asian and American and having been educated in both Asian and

American schools, I was painfully aware of the distinction between my Asian-American self and that of my non-Asian peers.

Growing up, I felt alienated from my culture and, throughout high school, I constantly wondered whether I could — or even should — distinguish myself from the sea of Asian-American faces.

What was my identity: Asian or American? Although my Asian-American friends all shared a traditional Asian upbringing, we were nevertheless educated in American schools which value individuality and independent thought.

Nowadays, I no longer fear

that the hammer of conformity might pound me down into the stereotypes that others find comfortable. I do not feel I have to justify myself by identifying as either Asian or American. I am both. I am proud of my Asian heritage just as I am proud to be an American. I do not want to worry about being perceived as yet another quiet Asian when I sit in a classroom and listen to others.

Since coming to Fordham, I have learned that the participation part of my grade is not really such a big worry: on some days, I am content to merely observe the class while introspectively taking notes; on other days, I prefer to actively engage in the discussion and assert my opinions.

I want to be recognized as the individual I am: an amalgamation of the complexities that make me as American as anyone else. Leadership is not restricted to self-assertion and self-promotion. For me, I am a listener first: I believe that listening to and fostering development in others are also important for leadership in any arena. This strategy has paid off for me at Fordham.

America is a wonderfully diverse country, and both Asian and Asian-American students should take advantage of every opportunity to familiarize themselves with the unknown and develop their own identities instead of accepting those imposed upon them. As Asian-Americans find their individuality through personal growth and education, they should also study and develop leadership traits — whether Eastern or Western — and contribute their own diverse perspectives to strengthen American culture.

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9

Voulez-Vous Change?

The case for ABBA-narchy

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LOÏC KHODARKOVSKY

The ABBA fans have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Eurovisionaries of the world, unite!

GRACE GETMAN Asst. Opinions Editor

Mamma Mia, here we go again with a dysfunctional government. If the recent government shutdown has proven anything, it’s that democracy just doesn’t work. If we have fallen to the point where an actual news headline is our commander-in-chief serving college football players fast food on silver platters with barely a blink, I think it’s safe to say that democracy is a failure.

George Washington weeps as we speak.

Citizen participation, free elections and majority rule with individual rights haven’t been working out well for us lately.

Democracy is quite literally slipping through our fingers (especially now that our president’s

hands are smaller). We need to do something, and we need to do something now.

My proposition is simple: instead of letting Russia exert influence on our elections and our lawmakers, we should let Sweden take the reins.

We should fix the United States with the only thing that has proved loyal in these trying times, something that would truly change the name of the game. What, you ask?

ABBA. Those gentle ’70s Swedes are the only ones who can save us. More specifically, I propose that we should replace our government with the “Mamma Mia” and “Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again” soundtracks.

Our whole national landscape would change. Mount Rushmore would be immediately reconfigured as Mount

Miamore, with the four figures re-carved to represent our Founding Swedes — Anni-Frid, Bjorn, Benny and Agnetha.

Meryl Streep would be appointed as dictator for life. Children would rise each morning in their classrooms to the sweet and funky sounds of “Dancing Queen,” the nation’s ode to our most glorious and humble leader.

Instead of seeing Sean Hannity sweat bullets and find increasingly elaborate ways to justify collusion with Russia, all television stations would be mandated to play “Mamma Mia” and “Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again” on repeat 24/7.

Instead of a space force, our military would pivot to become a fierce fighting force of super troupers, the only entities holding back the non-“Mamma Mia”-watching barbarians.

And yes, asking whether “Mamma Mia” or “Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again” is better would be a crime with the sentence of life imprisonment.

I know all of this sounds crazy, but take a chance on me.

What it really comes down to is an issue of money, money, money. Would it be financially sound to replace our 243-yearold established system of representative democracy with one entirely based on a band that lasted for 10 years? Absolutely.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average wouldn’t struggle if the fifth highest grossing film of 2008 was playing on every screen in the nation. And, when you think about it some more, Brexit negotiations would be going a lot smoother if Meryl Streep was conducting them. What is that you say? That I said that my proposed government was

only for the United States of ABBA? How dare you underestimate the sheer unifying power of the “Mamma Mia” movies.

Think about it: ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 — who’s to say that worldwide domination isn’t what they deserve? The winner takes it all, and ABBA always sweeps.

Under ABBA, our world would truly be unified as one.

I know this is a hard argument to swallow, but if you change your mind, I’m the first in line.

Because here’s the truth: the history book on the shelf is always repeating itself. Just as ABBA took over worldwide charts with their blend of pop, rock and disco, I think the time has come to let them take over our government as well.

I, for one, would welcome our new Swedish overlords.

Pool Table Troubles Lead to USG Shutdown CASEY BRENNAN Staff Writer

GRACE GETMAN

Asst. Opinions Editor

As of Thursday, Feb. 5, United Student Government (USG) has been in a state of partial shutdown for 47 consecutive days.

This breaks the previous record of two days in 2013, when the USG President at the time lost his keys to the USG office. Shockingly, Austin Tong, Gabelli School of Business ’21, is not at fault this time.

USG President Demetrios Stratis, Fordham College Lincoln Center ’19, failed to reach an agreement with Fordham to gain funds for a pool table to be placed in the student lounge, prompting the shutdown. The funding for pool tables for undergrads was one of Stratis’s most notable campaign promises — one which has proved to be increasingly more difficult to fulfill over time. Early in his campaign, Stratis built much excitement based on this platform, an initiative intended to give Lincoln Center a sports program as successful as Rose Hill’s.

Following failed budget discussions with Dean Wertz before break, Stratis doubled down on this promise and insisted he would take the blame for causing the shutdown if he did not receive the funding. Stratis has since reversed this statement, choosing to blame the shutdown on the

KEVIN CHRISTOPHER ROBLES/THE OBSERVER

Demetrios Stratis crosses his own Rubicon in the plaza.

Fordham Theatre Program. In a recent tweetstorm, he asserted: “Despite the proof and also evidence of INCOMING CARAVANS OF PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS, Wacky Wertz and the CROOKED Theatre Majors won’t build the DESPERATELY needed POOL TABLE.” USG cannot continue its normal practices until Stratis can

compromise with Dean Wertz and his backing coalition of Theatre majors and Ailey lobbyists. Ultimately, Stratis must either find the funding for the pool tables or give up on the centerpiece of his campaign. President Stratis released a statement regarding the shutdown on Jan. 14, 2019 saying, “I’m not looking to call a campus-wide emergency ... I have

the absolute legal right to call it.”

He later confirmed his stance on a Fordham Barstool Instagram Live event.

The effects on the student body have been brutal. Every Friday, dazed students can be seen walking through the hallways, unsure of where they are or what school they go to now that USG isn’t buying their school spirit

through pizza.

In McKeon lounges, vape enthusiasts have bemoaned the fact that their suggestions to “SELL MANGO JUUL PODS AT THE RAM CAFE” are piling up in the USG suggestion box. With the government mired in shutdown, Stratis is wholly unavailable to sigh heavily and throw the suggestions out in a timely manner.

Most cruelly of all, Stratis has become a shell of a man. He can be seen stumbling through the back alley of the 140 W. building, where all the club offices are located, asking passersby if they know what USG is or that it is shut down. Each response of “no” drives him further to the brink, causing him to mumble about the importance of approving clubs under his breath.

These harsh consequences have taken a toll on the student body, and demands to compromise have intensified. After what seemed to be an uneventful meeting with Dean Wertz, Stratis took to the Fordham Facebook Meme Page to write, “I’m willing to compromise — instead of pool tables, I’m willing to settle for ping-pong tables.”

It is unclear how long this shutdown will last. Even more unclear is when people will actually start to notice that USG shut down.

Dean Wertz was busy stealing USG’s idea to buy love through pizza with his “Beyond Grades” program to be reached for comment.

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Chinese New Year: Red Envelopes All Around

By MARIA HAYAKAWA Contributing Writer

Although the new year has passed for most, Chinese New Year, commonly known as Lunar New Year, is the celebration of the new year according to the lunar calendar.

We are moving on from the year of the dog to the year of the pig, the 12th sign on the Chinese zodiac, a 12-year cycle with each year representing an animal. In Chinese culture, the pig represents wealth and good fortune. A time for commemoration and family, the lunar new year is an exciting time for many, even our own Fordham Rams.

I asked Matthew Chen, Emily Yih and Katrina Shea, all freshmen at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), to come talk about their family traditions back home when celebrating Lunar New Year and what they are doing this year since they are away from home.

Matthew Chen, FCLC ’22, usually celebrates this holiday with his family back in Taiwan.

He said the celebration spans three days: the day before New Year’s, the day of and the day after.

The day before is a time to celebrate with close family. They go out and eat lots of food. His favorite dish is peking duck bao, a white, soft steamed bun that is popular in Chinese cuisine.

The day of the Lunar New Year, he and his family would go out to a restaurant, and after he would receive the hongbao, or a red envelope, which is one of Chen’s favorite parts of the celebration. It is a widely popular tradition to give children a red envelope filled with money.

“At the end of each feast, everyone but the youngest generation passes out red envelopes

Chen misses home, but he is hoping the food and time with friends will make it seem like he is back home again.

to people in the generations below. Then once the red envelopes have been passed out we all gamble and play mahjong.

It gives the parents a chance to win back money and it’s fun,” Chen said.

Yih, FCLC ’22, also celebrates the Lunar New Year with her family at their Chinese restaurant back home in Connecticut.

“Since we spend the new year working at our restaurant, it’s nice to get together at the end of the day to celebrate with not only our family but our employ-

ees, friends, neighbors and even loyal customers,” Yih said. Her favorite part of celebrating Lunar New Year is the food. “My favorite dish is peking duck bao.

It’s so good!”

Shea, FCLC ’22, celebrates with her family on Long Island, where she has a big dinner with her close family. Cooking at home, they usually prepare vegetable and noodle dishes alongside each other. Eating noodles during the new year is said to bring happiness and long life.

Another tradition of Shea’s: “Don’t wash your hair the day of and after because it will wash away the good luck.”

Since Shea’s family lives close by, her grandma and her cousins are planning to come to the city to spend time with her for Lunar New Year this February. “My favorite part of Lunar New Year is seeing my family. It sounds cheesy, but I love spending time with them,” she said.

Since Chen is away from home, Yih invited him to her family’s restaurant to celebrate.

Chen misses home, but he is hoping the food and time with friends will make it seem like he is back home again.

Chen said he is extremely proud of his heritage. Yih and Shea also said that they are so proud to be Chinese. If you or anyone you know celebrates this holiday, join the fun, go to the parade in Chinatown and remember to say Happy New Year!

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Arts

11 GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY STEPH LAWLOR

ZOEY LIU/THE OBSERVER

Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editor Marielle Sarmiento - msarmiento3@fordham.edu

February 7, 2019

THE OBSERVER

To Mr. Ailey and the Ascent, with Love

COURTESY OF ROSALIE OCONNOR/ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER COMPANY

Sixty years after the founding of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company, Ailey’s life and legacy still proves that “dance is for everybody.”

By ROXANNE CUBERO Contributing Writer

According to Robert Battle, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, we live in a world where “it’s important to take a stand.” But sometimes taking a stand means taking a seat. When you sit down at a performance, there are endless possibilities as to what you may see. You can see beauty, sadness, humor and more.

Regardless of what is on the stage, you will be inspired to take a stand, especially when you watch Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

The company, which celebrated its 60th anniversary last year, was founded on March 30, 1958, at a performance at New York’s 92nd Street YM-YWHA. Since then, the company has performed “for an estimated 25 million people in 71 countries and six continents,” and has been recognized as a “Cultural Ambassador to the World” by a 2008 U.S. Congressional resolution.

Though the company was and is primarily black and sought to share the African-American experience through modern dance, Ailey’s vision was for everyone.

This is best seen in his 1960 masterpiece, “Revelations.”

“Revelations” was inspired by Ailey’s “blood memories” of his childhood in rural Texas. Created in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, Ailey sought to reveal the “beauty of black people,” their complexity and their talents, and most importantly, how universal their story is.

The first section, titled “Pilgrim of Sorrow,” depicts the struggles of the African-American experience.

Though it was created during the Civil Rights Movement and long after the emancipation of slaves,

its minimalist costuming and set design keep it relevant today.

Likewise, in the second section, “Take Me to the Water,” dancers clad in white depict a theatricalized baptism. We all experience a rebirth, an ascent or an emancipation from misery. The joy from this freedom is celebrated in the third and final section, “Move, Members, Move.”

Since its first performance in 1960, many have gone back to see it, and it attracts newcomers every year. According to company member Daniel Harder, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’09, people return because the piece “speaks to the human experience.”

Ailey’s tale of “trials, tribulations, and triumphs” speaks to everyone, as we’ve all experienced it. It’s not a fairytale or a story; rather, it’s a mirror that the audience peers into for 36 minutes.

In its most literal viewing, “Revelations” explores “the African-American experience through modern dance and Negro spirituals.” Regardless of the audience’s knowledge of modern dance or their preference for black gospel music, it is still able to impact every audience member. From the front row to the highest mezzanine, audience members cry along to “I Wanna Be Ready” and clap along to “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.”

The company’s 60th anniversary was titled “Ailey Ascending.”

The yearlong celebration, including an international tour and a five-week season at New York City Center was dedicated to the “next ascent.” Alvin Ailey left us “a movement,” said Robert Battle, “a desire, a conviction that if the spirit must live it must rise.” To Ailey, in order to rise, dance must be shared. He said it best, and he said

it simply: “Dance is for everybody.”

In accordance with Ailey’s beliefs, the Ailey organization is more than just the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. It also consists of Ailey II, the second professional company that combines a strenuous touring schedule with a multitude of community outreach programs.

For community outreach, it offers Ailey Arts in Education & Community Programs, bringing dance into classrooms and communities, as well as the Ailey Extension, which offers dance and fitness classes open to the general public.

The Ailey organization also consists of the Ailey School, offering classes to ages 3 to 25, and is home to the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program.

Though the Ailey organization and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater serve to honor Ailey’s choreographic legacy, he always looked towards the future. Not only does the company keep Ailey’s works alive, but it also performs new pieces by contemporary choreographers. For its 60th anniversary, the company premiered Rennie Harris’s “Lazarus” and Robert K. Brown’s “The Call,” both of which were “love letters” to Alvin Ailey.

While Ailey’s works were a marriage between artistry and the Horton technique, “Lazarus” was based in a blend of rhythm house, emphasizing the company members’ versatility. For company member Courtney Celeste Spears, FCLC ’16, “Ailey’s vision keeps [her] grounded and centered.”

Working on “Lazarus,” which is vastly different from any of Ailey’s ballets, “reaffirmed” that it is important to “be a storyteller and become vulnerable while doing so.”

COURTESY OF ANDREW ECCLES/ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER COMPANY

Alvin Ailey’s life was a love letter to the African-American experience; however, it didn’t end there.

He told the black story not to separate them from the world, but to humanize African Americans in a time when they were denied basic human rights. He saw that it was

necessary to expose people to the African American experience to tell everyone: “I am just like you.

I know your pain and your joy, because I have experienced it too.”

So the next time you feel compelled to take a stand, consider taking a seat.

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Review: ‘Choir Boy’ Makes Radiant Broadway Debut

By MICHAEL APPLER Staff Writer

There is a balm in Gilead, and Gilead is not here. It’s the promise of that biblical medicine, of suffering and pain given way to the sweet release of liberation, that moves Pharus Young (Jeremy Pope), the character at the heart of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s glorious Broadway offering, “Choir Boy,” just as it has others who’ve wandered in some desert and sung to make the wounded whole.

For Pharus, that desert Sinai is an elite Christian prep school for young black men, his exodus there delivered on account of that peculiar “swish,” that feminine step and swagger in his walk. Here, “trust and obey” is the motto, the gospel.

The enduring questions asked

by W.E.B. Du Bois — How does it feel to be a problem? Why did God make me an outcast and a stranger in my own house? — stir the air of the Oscar-winning playwright’s (“Moonlight”) exuberant Broadway debut. But the double-consciousness that troubles his lionhearted protagonist, that measuring of one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt, is not one of being black and American, but being black and queer, Christian and gay.

“Choir Boy,” first presented at Manhattan Theatre Company in 2013, is not simply a musical play — it is itself a spiritual whose song, sung triumphantly by the bountiful talent of its leading star, Jeremy Pope, rises from its stage with the same faith and fearlessness of a prayer sung only for the stars.

The melodies of the slave spiritual, of “Motherless Child” or “Wade in the Water,” and the anthems of the Civil Rights song, of “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize,”

are sole bearers of salvation for Pharus, the lead singer of the Charles R. Drew Prep School choir. They are a map, a guide and an appeal to godly courage as Pharus is lashed with homophobia, gay-bashed by members of the choir he leads. The devil has a tireless mind, he’s told; wade in the Jordan, and let God trouble the water.

But Pharus does not break.

Instead he embodies the “fiercely

above it, with an intensity and urgency that alone drives this production. Perhaps if he moves fast enough — if he dishes out Pharus’s bottomless well of perfectly timed comebacks at an impressive speed — no one can stop the character he portrays with such protection, no one can listen long enough to tear down the strength Pharus tries so hard to build. And that’s first-rate acting.

Sometimes like fire, other times like rushing water, Pope, who originiated the role in 2013, moves acrosss the Friedman’s stage, his shining tenor soaring above it, with an intensity and urgency that alone drives this production. sunny strife,” as Du Bois would have called it, of being black and gay and Christian, peculiar in the way of never having been anything else.

Battered by the violent homophobia of his peers, abandoned by a school administration that averts its eyes to his bullying, Pharus doesn’t shrink into silent hatred, disdain and defeat.

Never does he allow his audience to witness the lifting of that vast veil he necessarily wears, to see him yield in resigned reconciliation of his faith and identity.

Pharus is fearlessly himself, a unique creation, and if he is troubled it is because he knows the lessons needed to free both himself and those who torment him are twice-told in the songs they sing.

In Pharus’ singularity must also be Jeremy Pope’s brilliance.

Sometimes like fire, other times like rushing water, Pope, who originated the role in 2013, moves across the Friedman’s stage, his shining tenor soaring

Few other choir boys are given the level of depth McCraney imbues in Pharus, with the lone exception of the homophobic and volatile Bobby (J. Quinton Johnson), nephew to Headmaster Morrow (Chuck Cooper) and leader of Pharus’s persecution, whose scholarship and “legacy status” at the school raises questions of class privilege in the black community and church.

Jason Michael Webb and Camille A. Brown, whose musical direction and choreography place the rock on which McCraney’s church is built, shine as brightly as Pope.

A central question McCraney has sowed in “Choir Boy” is that of the slave spiritual’s function.

It’s one that enthralls Pharus to the play’s end. Yes, slave songs were spiritual guides for their singers, but were they also literal ones? Did “Wade in the Water” carry hidden messages for crossing the Mississippi, as folklore has it, or were the Jordan’s healing waters stirred simply by

COURTESY OF JOAN MARCUS

The cast of “Choir Boy,” center: Jeremy Pope, which opened at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre earlier this month.

an unwavering faith, the song simply a “spiritual”? For Pharus, whose burden in shouldering the weight of living queer and black and faithfully dedicated to God is nearly beyond the measure of his strength, the answer seems like an urgent one.

Yet, as “Choir Boy” concludes

and his protagonist graduates, McCraney offers no solution. Instead, Pharus, mouthing those words “trust and obey” — in whom now more clear than ever — smiles into the light, left to wonder, just as we are, whether the freed will find freedom in the promised land.

Off-Stage Spotlight: The One and Only Freshman Playwright

By AMANDA URENA Contributing Writer

JOE ROVEGNO/THE OBSERVER

Vivian Brown, FCLC ‘22, is writing the wrongs of the male-dominated playwriting scene.

When she entered high school, Vivian Brown, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’22, did not know she wanted to be a playwright.

She is currently the only freshman playwriting major in Fordham’s Theatre Program, but four years ago she was unsure if she even wanted to continue with theater at all.

She had been acting since she was six years old and was tired of doing “the same kitschy, campy musicals over and over again.” It was also at that point she realized she did not want to be an actor for the rest of her life.

Brown was close to giving up theater entirely, but then she took a theater class her freshman year of high school that changed her life. It was the first time she had been exposed to theater, as she describes, as “an intellectual art.”

She read “Uncle Vanya” by Anton Chekhov and “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, among other classics for the first time, and realized there was so much more to theater than she had thought. When she discovered how quickly plays read, Brown began consuming them like after-school snacks.

Her affinity for plays grew and finally, in her junior year of high school, she had an epiphany.

As an icebreaker for one of her classes, a teacher asked the students where they saw themselves in 10 years. Before she could even ponder, Brown’s answer came to her: a successful playwright in

New York City.

“It was the first time that I thought of playwriting,” she said, “because I’ve always loved English, I’ve always been a pretty okay writer and I’ve always loved reading and theater, obviously, and that was the first time all those things intersected and I realized: there’s a thing for this.”

“ You know you’ve

seen good art when you go home and feel like: this is why I want to create art.

”

VIVIAN BROWN, FCLC ‘22

With this realization, the trajectory of Brown’s life changed.

She went to her local Barnes & Noble, opened up Stella Adler’s “America’s Master Playwrights” and was angered by the fact that every single playwright featured was a man. She dedicated herself to finding her voice as a playwright. Her first step was attending NYU Tisch’s Dramatic Writing Summer Program the summer before her senior year.

At this four-week intensive, Brown solidified her love for playwriting and witnessed firsthand the power of a well-written play.

She spent six hours each day taking playwriting and screenwriting classes, and in the evenings she saw multiple Broadway shows with her classmates. Among them,

Brown cites Paula Vogel’s “Indecent” as the show that changed her life.

“Going to see ‘Indecent’ live in that theater — Paula Vogel has always been my hero, but seeing ‘Indecent’ and, like, feeling the way I felt … You know you’ve seen good art when you go home and feel like: this is why I want to create art,” Brown said. “It was just so incredible.”

As she watched the show, she was moved by its representations of women loving women, written by a woman who loves women, and felt not only her desire to be a playwright grow, but also felt its possibility and accessibility.

When she returned to her hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Brown focused on applying to playwriting programs based in New York City and Chicago. She ultimately chose Fordham because of its playwriting program, which allows her to write three full-length plays produced by the school. Brown has already begun working on her first play, which, in its current state, will feature an all-female cast playing 15th-century figures of the Catholic Church.

She laughed as she said she doesn’t know if she will ever write about male characters, which seems valid in a world full of male playwrights writing exclusively about men. Those men, who occupied the list that angered Brown so deeply years ago, are the very men she plans to usurp — and so, the budding playwrights of tomorrow may see a woman as one of America’s master playwrights. And her name may well be Vivian Brown.

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February 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

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The Color-Changing Landscape of the Oscars

By CHELSEA ASHLEY Contributing Writer

The Academy has come a long way since the #OscarsSoWhite catastrophe in 2016. Three years ago, the dominant conversation was about the lack of representation in the nominations. Since the announcement of the 2019 Oscar nominations on Jan. 22, the buzz has taken a positive spin.

This year, films featuring and exploring the lives of people of color garnered more than 30 nominations. Twenty-two of these nominations are held by movies that illustrate the lives of African-American, African and Afro-Latino characters, ranging from a boy from Brooklyn who develops spider-like abilities to a black police officer who infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan.

We can applaud the Academy for finally nominating films that show black people as something other than slaves, but it’s still necessary to understand the position these films play outside of just being nominated “black movies.”

Deemed as the “controversial contender” by critics and film lovers, “Green Book” tells the true story of Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), a world-class black pianist, and his tour of the Deep South in 1962 alongside his initially racist driver and bodyguard, Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen). The film follows the two as they grow closer while navigating the roads and racism of the South.

Ali and Mortensen were nominated for Actor in a Supporting Role and Actor in a Leading Role, respectively. The film also garnered a Best Picture nomination, but its likelihood of receiving that

COURTESY OF DISNEY/ABC TELEVISION GROUP

The 2019 Academy Awards have given more than 30 nominations to films featuring people of color.

touch with his own community. If the film wasn’t widely received by critics and viewers, it could potentially be cast off as the life of a successful black man being squeezed into one story of his learning from and teaching a white man, filmed through the lens of another white

The work is never over. But that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate these amazing films and how far we have come. award is slim due to the controversy surrounding the socially conscious feel-good film.

According to Shirley’s family, the film’s depiction of him and his relationship with Lip is inaccurate.

Shirley never wanted a film about his life, which is why his family refused when initially approached

by Lip’s nephew, Nick Vallelonga.

Vallelonga continued to write the film, garnering him a nomination for Writing (Original Screenplay).

The film does a great job depicting a successful African-American but diminishes the story by making it seem as if Shirley was out of

man. But the film’s five nominations prove otherwise.

“BlacKkKlansman” depicts the true story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first black detective of the Colorado Springs police department. And the first black member of the Ku Klux Klan.

The film explores the consequences of being an African-American through Stallworth’s eyes, and of being an ally to the African American community through Stallworth’s partner in the undercover investigation, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver).

Driver’s performance gained

him a nomination for Actor in a Supporting Role, alongside Spike Lee’s first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Director. The phrase “better late than never” can be attributed to Lee’s nomination, as he has been a revolutionary leader for the black film community for years with films like “Do the Right Thing,” “Malcolm X” and “School Daze.”

The nominations for Director and Best Picture can be attributed to the universality of the film.

The duality of Stallworth and Zimmerman allowed not only the black community to feel connected to the film, but also those who understand their role as allies.

If viewers didn’t see themselves in either group, they must have been shaken by the ending credits, which featured footage from the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The footage brings Stallworth’s struggle of the ’70s to 2018, reminding viewers that the fight is never truly over. “BlacKkKlansman” is up for six nominations.

“Black Panther” made waves in the hearts of young black children and the minds of the Acad-

emy. Its initial release was met with admiration for its strong depiction of black people, both male and female.

After the death of his father, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns home to take the crown of the African nation Wakanda, but he is met with conflict when his distant cousin Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) decides it’s finally time to take what he deems to be his rightful place in the nation. T’Challa must use what his father taught him as a leader and as the Black Panther, along with the resources of his country, to secure his title and his people.

The forces of Ryan Coogler and Kendrick Lamar came together to make an inspirational and compelling film that can’t be put into the box of a “superhero film,” even though it is the first-ever superhero film to be nominated for Best Picture.

Those who haven’t seen “Black Panther” might be curious as to why this particular superhero film has gotten this type of acclaim. It’s simple. When you give black people the resources and space to create art that al-

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lows them to see powerful and exciting versions of themselves on-screen, there’s no way the creation won’t be nominated for seven Oscars. “Black Panther” expanded the story of a superhero prince-turned-king into a story of the Black Diaspora, a conundrum African Americans and Africans have been dealing with for decades.

No one can be sure if “Black Panther” will win any awards, but we can be sure it has changed the way black people see themselves and the way the world sees black people as creators and undercover superheroes.

Overall, the Oscars have come a long way since Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American to win an Oscar, had to accept her award in a segregated hotel.

These films, along with the other “black films” nominated can be seen as the dreams of Hattie and many other black filmmakers and viewers. However, just as “BlacKkKlansman” showed us, the work is never over. But that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate these amazing films and how far we have come.

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THE OBSERVER February 7, 2019

Arts

15

Ram Jams: Backstreet’s Back, Alright, with ‘DNA’

By JORDAN MELTZER News Editor

The deets: One Direction, BTS, 5 Seconds of Summer? Forget all that newfangled nonsense — Backstreet Boys are the best boy band of 2019.

After the 2013 release of their lukewarm LP “In a World Like This,” the Boys seemed to have cemented themselves as hasbeens, outdated 40-somethings trying to maintain some semblance of relevance. But “DNA,” their ninth album, tells a different story: one of a comeback, a willingness to adapt and a vengeance on the industry that doubted them.

The record contains a grand display of talent from the fivepiece band, especially on vocals.

The luscious track “Breathe,” performed almost entirely a cappella, shows off beautiful melodies and harmonies throughout its three-minute run time. Meanwhile, “Chateau” contains a wide vocal range from the quintet, from soft lows during the harmonic choruses to high falsetto riffs at the end of the song.

Another strength of the record is the production and, evidently, the band’s willingness to go modern. With trap dominating Spotify charts — and its influence infiltrating the beats of pop artists like Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber — it now lends itself to the music of the Backstreet Boys. “Is It Just Me?” embraces the hi-hatted beats commonly used in trap music. This song, “The Way It Was” and others incorporate the fast pace and soft

demeanor of contemporary pop that made artists like The Chainsmokers so popular.

The musical diversity of the album also deserves praise. “New Love,” for instance, combines a rock-and-roll-esque distorted bass line with hip-hop-influenced vocal samples (“Uh! Oh yeah!”) that appear in the chorus. “Passionate,” meanwhile, employs funky bass and guitar riffs to give the track a fun R&B feel.

The issues on this album, unlike many other pop records, are mostly missteps on individual songs rather than prevalent perturbations throughout the work.

The album’s closer, “OK,” feels like a clumsy attempt to add a vaguely Caribbean song to the group’s discography. Additionally, the rhythm of lead single “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” has an awkward mid-paced beat and is a poor representation of most of the album.

Nevertheless, “DNA” prevails as the Backstreet Boys’ best album in years. It may not live up to the period pieces that launched the quintet’s career, but it certainly gives them a run for their money.

The peaks: “New Love,” “Breathe,” “Chateau” The valleys: “OK,” “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” The verdict: 7 Rams out of 10

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The Backstreet Boys are, indeed, back with their new album “DNA.”

Fun & Games

Fun & Games Editor Dan Nasta - dnasta1@fordham.edu

February 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

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4. Taken by mouth 8. Bring up to date (on) 13. Monstrous Loch 15. Store offering cuts of meat and cheese

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16. From around here 17. Grab 18. Magnum 19. Admire 20. Where one might share photos of a mascot* 22. Feel

WORD SCRAMBLE

23. Big snake, as seen in antiquity and “Indiana Jones” 24. In over their head 27. Granny 29. Constituency served by a church 31. De Armas and Ivanovic are two 35. “We Young,” fun. megahit 36. Bad grades in the core curriculum 37. Musical intro 39. Related to community... or a hint to the first half of 20 Across and 57 Across 41. Woodbound creature, perhaps... or a hint to the second half of 20 Across and 57 Across 42. Cigarette resting place 44. New York time 45. Tempo: Abbr.

46. Zodiac lions who can’t even 47. Actor in a folk play, or up at Rose Hill 49. “When will you be here?” in text-speak 50. Nation known for long distance running medals at the Olympics 51.

Lingus, the Irish travel company 53. Sink depository 57. Where one might

send disappearing images of a small fly* 61. Tight angle 62. Alone, at a party 63. Pig noise 64. Quantity for Musketeers or Billboards 65. Flying diamond 66. Running mucus 67. Appears 68. Like a refreshing coffee on a warm day 69. They start now and never

DOWN 1. Oppositional prefix 2. Desciak or Rappaccioli, at Fordham 3. Questions Alexa 4. Stench 5. Mends 6. Escaped Rams 7. Fleur-de8. (Have a) delightful time 9. Jockeyed 10. Thumbnail 11. Sound body parts 12. Retreat 14. Places gently 21. Pop up 25. Psychic powers: Abbr.

26. Expression 27. Related to the nose 28. Got up 30. Lit 31. Muhammad, who floats like a butterfly 32. Lyric repeated in strange track by The Beatles 33. Tailor, perhaps to film 34. Starting site of famous MLK march 38. Seduce into crime 40. “ Always Sunny In Philadelphia” 43. Shen , 5,000 years of civilization reborn 44. Originate (from) 48. Supernatural 50. Mob-threatened joints 52. Self-worths that may clash 53. Bruce Wayne’s animals of choice 54. Follows heart in times of hardship 55. Certain 56. Public couple 58. Like cheddar or a good wine 59. Unknown author: Abbr.

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Features

Features Editors Jeffrey Umbrell - jumbrell@fordham.edu Lindsay Jorgensen - ljorgensen@fordham.edu

February 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

Fordham Faces: Tony Yancheng Li

An inside look at the multifaceted life of a Gabelli international finance student

By LINDSAY JORGENSEN Features Editor

The Gabelli School of Business (GSB) is a selective school, filled with students exploring a variety of jobs and activities throughout their time at college. Tony Yancheng Li, GSB ’20, is an international finance major, Fordham choir singer and has had numerous internships.

You are from Shanghai originally but you spent two summers in Georgia. What brought you there?

My high school actually has a dual program, and I got a diploma from my Shanghai high school as well as the high school in Atlanta, Georgia. I needed to take American history and literature, and attended high school during the summertime. My dad worked for Hewlett Packard before I was born, and he usually had conferences and would fly to Dallas for work. So I was learning English since I was in kindergarten.

After living in the U.S. for two summers, what made you want to pursue higher education there?

I think my experience in Atlanta was great because in China we have a huge population. So if you want to get into a better college, the only way is to attend the University Exhibition Task, which is like SAT, but you can only take it once for your whole school year.

And the kind of college you can get into is simply based on grades.

Were you able to incorporate your interests with your internships or with your jobs?

Everyone in Gabelli is very passionate about getting an internship in any product bracket, you name it — Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Deutsche

ANGELA CHEN/THE OBSERVER

Tony Yancheng Li is an international finance major, has had many internships and loves choir.

Bank. I think it is a really good environment when you’re here.

During my sophomore year I was approached by Aflac. I did some research before I went there and found out they had a really huge piece missing of their marketing strategy. They had a lot of accounts on social media, but on every post they did, people barely liked the page. So I created a template, made it into a PDF file and brought it to my first interview.

The hiring manager was pretty surprised, and I pitched him an idea, saying, “Hey, I was taking a marketing class this semester and

“ During my

sophomore year I was approached by Aflac. I did some research before I went there and found out they had a really huge piece missing.”

TONY YANCHENG LI, GSB ‘20

I found out you have a huge missing piece, maybe I can help out with this.” So I ended up landing myself an internship at Aflac.

We also have Gabelli Career Services called PPD. It’s the office right in front of the trading room.

So I met with Jennifer O’Neill, assistant director of PPD. She helped me with my resume, networking and attending campus events.

She even helped me reach out to people she knows. I’m very, very grateful for her.

Has Gabelli equipped you for these internships?

Yeah, I’ll be very honest with

you. What I think Gabelli has equipped me with was very nice peer groups. I would say my classmates are very positive. Plus, I think Gabelli’s PPD is pretty good.

I’m not so sure about the finance program. At Lincoln Center, I don’t think we have that many opportunities. I feel like they tend to lean towards the idea that students will not need sponsorship after graduation. I wasn’t so sure that the program could equip us with an internship. Just look at the Career Fair. I definitely saw the companies Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley come here, but if you dig into it, only the Goldman back office went to Lincoln Center.

You got the name but you didn’t get the job you wanted.

You also sing for the Fordham choir. Are you a part of the club purely for enjoyment or can you see some overlap that you can apply to the business spectrum?

At the time I went to the audition, I saw there was a club that could teach us how to sing like Kanye West or Justin Bieber. But I didn’t know the choir sings church songs. I had no singing experience before. The director liked me very much and he found out I learned very quickly. I was surprised when I was accepted. But after I went to the rehearsal, I found out that everybody besides me had at least high school or previous singing experience. But I didn’t give up. I stayed in the choir, I listened very carefully and tried to mimic keys.

After three months, we had a video concert performance at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue.

But if you asked me if I joined the choir for networking, no. I joined because I like singing.

This interview has been condensed and edited.

Is Amazon’s Convenience Worth the Intrusion?

By KRISTEN SKINNER Staff Writer

When you are looking for groceries, new gadgets, school supplies or other miscellaneous items online, Amazon.com is the place to go. One of the largest companies in the United States, Fordham students order from this website every day.

Amazon is far more than just an online store. With a Prime account, customers get access to Prime Music and Video, special discounts at Whole Foods and everyone’s favorite: free two-day shipping. Amazon offers other services like Amazon Fresh and Prime Grocery. Amazon Fresh is a grocery delivery and pick-up service available to Prime customers in select locations, while Prime Grocery is an option for Prime customers looking to receive packaged foods and toiletries by mail.

Although Amazon Prime comes at the rather steep annual cost of $119, the company offers a special discount for students — Prime Student costs only $59, giving one all of the bells and whistles of a regular Prime membership for up to four years. All students have to do to become eligible is to obtain an Amazon account, attend a U.S. college and have an email ending in .edu. Despite these benefits, most students choose to continue to share an account with family if their family already has a Prime

membership.

Jonah Underwood, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22, is a frequent Amazon customer and shares an account with his family. He orders from Prime on a biweekly basis, purchasing snacks, toiletries and school supplies. “Anything that I can think that I would really need I would get from Amazon,” he said.

With amenities like Prime Stu-

that the lockers were installed at no additional cost for the university shows a pressing desire to get more college students on board with Amazon’s services.

Though many students at Fordham have yet to try the locker services on campus, those who have greatly appreciate it.

“It’s really useful to have Amazon locker here at school,” Underwood said.

aa

of on your doorstep isn’t always the best because it can be stolen, it can be delivered to the wrong place, so the lockers are a safe bet to make sure you get your package.”

It is clear that Amazon is an incredibly convenient and popular shopping destination, but what customers may be unaware of is that its services come with a secret cost apart from the price tag. Ac-

hello my name is

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY STEPH LAWLOR

Amazon is known for its convenience and vast inventory, but it comes at a price.

dent and textbook rentals, it is evident that Amazon is trying to appeal to younger audiences. It made this effort even more apparent at Lincoln Center when Amazon lockers were installed for free this past summer. The fact

Jennifer Willis, FCLC ’19, explained the lockers are convenient for commuters. “I commute so I still live at home,” she said.

“My friends also are commuting, they’re still living at home, so for them having a package dropped

cording to a recent study by Quartile Digital, Amazon’s systems not only look at what customers buy, but their ages (if they are using Prime Student, for example) and the other Amazon services they use in order to send emails and

post ads on other websites they visit to entice them to make future purchases. Some are fine with these features, but for others it reads as an invasion of privacy.

“Sometimes you’ll be having a conversation and you’ll see an ad for something you were talking about,” Willis said. “It’s just weird how they can pinpoint and target what kinds of advertisements they are putting out.”

According to Underwood, companies frequently target specific audiences as a marketing strategy, though some companies may become too intrusive.

“I think it’s more the way that they’re doing it,” Underwood said.

“If they’re just collecting data from people who are shopping on their website I would say that that’s ethical, but if they’re collecting data from people browsing on other websites and then using that to try to curate ads, I would disagree with that.”

Amazon is a necessity to many students at Fordham. Students can find just about anything they could ever need to purchase at a reasonable cost and can rely on receiving the item within a few short days. But while we continue to rent our textbooks, watch our videos and order products from Amazon, let’s just keep in mind that someone is keeping a close eye on what we buy, and it’s not just our parents.

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Features

February 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

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Space Cram

Allocating resources efficiently on a campus that is becoming increasingly congested

ZOEY LIU/THE OBSERVER

Students work at tables on the first floor of Quinn Library adjacent to the virtually unoccupied Platt Court in the 140 W. building.

By JEFFREY UMBRELL Features Editor

Space is a valuable commodity at Fordham Lincoln Center. Students, faculty and staff from the various colleges located on campus — the Gabelli School of Business, the Graduate School of Education and the Law School, to name a few — all share and sometimes compete for it. As all of the schools at Lincoln Center continue to grow, the university has focused heavily on both the construction of new space and the renovation of existing space.

Frederick Wertz, professor of psychology and interim dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), has an ambitious vision for a remodeled Outdoor Plaza. “I would love to see a big fountain, like a piazza, in the center,” he said.

He imagined a large outdoor performance space with “a canopy that could open and close depending on the weather.”

Wertz explained how a good portion of the plaza sits above the currently vacant old Quinn Library.

If plans are made that take into consideration the potential of the plaza above ground and the possibilities of old Quinn below ground, Fordham could “have a very dynamic, multi-level thing going on there,” he said. “There’s no college or university in the city that would be as attractive as that.”

The plan is perhaps too large in scale to actually come to fruition, but it nonetheless reflects Wertz’s desire to transform the Lincoln Center campus into a “destination … a place where you’d want to be.”

the schools and the common good.”

This balancing act, though, is at times a difficult one. “There are some schools, like for instance the Graduate School of Social Service, that I think feel as if they really are

As all of the schools at Lincoln Center continue to grow, the university has focused heavily on both the construction of new space and the renovation of existing space.

Wertz sits on the Lincoln Center Space Planning Committee, which was originally formed to plan the construction of the new Law School building and McKeon Hall. Its role has since expanded to oversee general space use across campus.

One of the biggest challenges that the committee faces is communication between departments and colleges with regard to space.

Frank Simio, vice president of Lincoln Center and co-chairman of the Space Planning Committee, stressed the importance of “getting everybody to cooperate and work together.”

“The only way any of us are going to get what we want,” he said, “is to work cooperatively.”

Wertz echoed these sentiments.

“His perspective,” he said of Simio, “is one that attempts to balance his respect for the autonomy of each of

cramped,” Wertz said. “The overarching situation is that we don’t have enough space.”

The Fordham Theatre Department, according to Wertz, has wanted a dedicated theater space for many years. The department’s mainstage performances are put on in Pope Auditorium in the Leon Lowenstein Center, a space that is also used for concerts, lectures and university functions.

Jack Bugbee, FCLC ’19, agreed that a dedicated space would be beneficial to the department. Although he did not think that sharing Pope Auditorium with other groups was a major problem, he would like to see a space where “we didn’t have non-theater people going in,” he said. “They tend not to treat the equipment and the set pieces the same way that a person trained in theater would treat them.”

Of course, sometimes when space is shared out of necessity, problems can arise. The Space Planning Committee is currently looking to address the lack of office space for part-time faculty. Many part-time faculty members hold their office hours in public places like the Ram Cafe, which Wertz said always struck him as “not optimal.”

Wertz has been working with Mary Bly, acting associate dean of FCLC, to find additional office space in which part-time faculty can meet privately with students. Any space they locate, though, would likely be “limited,” Wertz said, and would act as a “supplement” to more public meeting spaces.

The need for additional office space has also entered the conversation surrounding the old Quinn Library space, which has sat vacant since fall 2016.

“The trouble with space like that,” Wertz said of old Quinn, “is that it’s extremely expensive to do anything with it.”

A proposed plan for old Quinn involves using it as “swing space” during an extensive, floor-by-floor renovation of Lowenstein, which could take up to 10 years, Wertz said. As a floor was being worked on, the displaced offices on that floor would temporarily relocate to old Quinn. This plan, then, would mean that old Quinn would not be

available for general student use again until the Lowenstein renovations were completed.

Wertz was not sure if using old Quinn as swing space would ultimately be worthwhile. “There’s a lot of interest in renovating other floors in Lowenstein,” he said, but questioned if such a plan was the best immediate use of the university’s time and resources. “I’d love to see that be prioritized,” he said of old Quinn, but continued, “I think communication, student input, faculty input, discussions at every level are important because then we know what our values are.”

While he supports the idea of a Lowenstein renovation, Bugbee called the proposal to use old Quinn as swing space a “questionable” one. “There are empty rooms on campus, and I feel like they could probably be used,” he said, adding that temporary workplace relocations can “derail productivity.”

As old Quinn sits empty, students like Bugbee noticed other spaces on campus that were also perhaps being underutilized. “Rooms like G76, those can probably see more use as well,” he said of the multi-purpose space in the 140 W. building. The room is well-suited “for a ton of different things.”

“I feel like that space is not never, but rarely used,” Bugbee said, certainly “not as much as it could be.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS

Frederick Wertz, dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center, envisions a large fountain in the center of the Outdoor Plaza.

Sports & Health

Sports & Health Editor Luke Osborn - losborn1@fordham.edu

February 7, 2019

THE OBSERVER

What’s the Hype About CBD?

By LUKE OSBORN Sports & Health Editor

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the two active ingredients in marijuana. On its own, CBD does not cause the characteristic high of marijuana, yet the World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged CBD as an effective treatment for epilepsy and claimed CBD “may be a useful treatment for a number of other medical conditions.” Most significantly, clinical researchers have started preliminary research into CBD’s effects on anxiety, depression, pain and sleep. In addition to research, the first pure CBD pharmaceutical has already made it to market.

On June 25, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Epidiolex, a prescription drug Greenwich Biosciences markets towards children and adults who are unresponsive to conventional anti-seizure medications.

Besides its use in epilepsy, CBD’s effects on anxiety and sleep show great promise as well. For instance, a study of patients with anxiety disorders showed a rapid decrease in their symptoms after taking doses of 25 mgs per day.

CBD tends to have a sedating effect at high doses and a stimulating effect at low doses. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published a study of insomniacs who experienced increased time asleep and fewer sleep disturbances with 160 mgs per day.

Two other important studies uphold these findings. One of these studies published in Neuropharmacology discovered that CBD increased REM sleep, a form of deep, restorative sleep, in patients with anxiety. The other study reported a decrease in sleep disturbances

IZZI DUPREY/THE OBSERVER

Forget oatmilk, CBD is the next fad item to put in your coffee.

among post-traumatic stress disorder patients who consumed CBD oil.

In terms of safety, the WHO has stated, “CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential … CBD is generally well tolerated with a good safety profile.” That is, no evidence confirms that CBD is addictive on its own, and generally, CBD does not pose any major, detrimental effects on human health.

The most common side effects

are nausea, irritability and fatigue.

Nonetheless, study after study has emphasized the need for more randomized clinical trials of CBD to truly assess its effects on humans beyond the treatment of epilepsy.

CBD can be taken orally or topically, meaning that it can enter the body through the mouth or the skin. CBD regularly comes in an oil, but you can consume it in coffee, tea, candy and smoothies.

Gregory’s Coffee, on the corner of 69th Street and 1st Avenue, sells

a CBD latte with oat milk and a dash of strawberry syrup.

The real danger with most CBD products on the market is that they are regulated like supplements. The FDA plays no role in the regulation of dietary supplements like vitamins, so the company distributing them is responsible for the safety and purity of these supplements. Some CBD manufacturers could incorrectly label the CBD content on their products, and others may not test

for purity or content at all.

The explosion of CBD products can be linked to a new classification of hemp, a variety of Cannabis sativa grown primarily for its industrial uses. Hemp products take on various forms, but hemp’s most common use is in textiles.

At any rate, President Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill into law on Dec. 20. This new Farm Bill, according to Robert A. Mikos of Vanderbilt Law, makes huge implications for the legality of CBD through its new definition of hemp. Though CBD was not explicitly legalized, the bill defined hemp as any part of the Cannabis sativa plant that contains less than .3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) makes no mention of CBD or THC; the CSA only deems the buds, seeds and germinating seeds of the plant as marijuana. Thus, the CSA makes no explicit restrictions upon CBD or THC. Moreover, CBD extracted from hemp, which is no longer considered marijuana, is legal under federal law.

Fordham Residential Life must uphold state and federal law, according to the Senior Director of Residential Life, Jenifer Campbell, and marijuana products, as spelled out under the CSA, are not permitted under federal law. Nevertheless, Campbell commented, “laws continue to evolve and different items continue to be developed, so any student who believes they have a medical need should contact the Office of Residential Life to discuss their situation.” Campbell’s words shed a light of possibility on the future of CBD and marijuana products as a whole. Perhaps there will be a day when your RA won’t confiscate your CBD gummies.

Instead, they’ll pop a couple with you.

Adopting Healthy Habits: Don’t Diet ’til You Try It

By AIZA BHUIYAN Staff Writer

In January, to celebrate the earth’s annual completion of one full revolution around the sun, millions of students nationwide vowed to uncompromisingly adhere to their top New Year’s resolution: to lose weight. Naturally, this led to the rampant web-browsing of the newest fad diets. Over the course of the month, individuals saw the rise and fall of their diet with less than desirable results.

What many young adults fail to realize is that even though fad diets can provide rapid results; when a person reduces their weight by five to ten percent by restricting their diet temporarily, they are more susceptible to gaining it all back.

Ninety- five percent of people gain the weight they lost within one to five years. Many people gain back more weight than they lost.

Most fad diets are not backed by science. They can be harmful in that they exclude many nutrients needed to replenish cells and tissues. These diets include the Baby Food diet, the Dukan diet and various cleanses or detoxes. Even diets with scientific approval such as the

Ketogenic diet can also prove to be fruitless. Individuals who adopt the “Keto” diet can lose significant amounts of weight but are still prone to weight gain after they return to their normal eating habits.

The truth is most diets are not sustainable, which is why they are temporary. The holy grail of all diets is maintaining a low-caloric intake. But when an individual engages in this diet, their metabolism is negatively affected. A person’s metabolism is the chemical processes that repair and give energy to their cells and tissues.

When a person drastically reduces the calories they take in without incorporating physical activity, they lose weight from both fat and muscle.

Muscles allow people to burn more calories, so when a person returns to their normal diet, their metabolism is stunted because of their decrease in muscle mass. In fact, 95 percent of people gain the weight they lost within one to five years. Many people gain back even more weight than they lost.

These individuals will decelerate their metabolism and burn up to 400 calories fewer calories. This means that in order to maintain that weight, they would have to consume 400 calories fewer than someone who is at that weight without any previous weight loss.

For 200 millennia, the human body evolved in such a way that made us resistant to weight loss through caloric restriction, because historically, a decrease in the calories consumed meant food

AMINA VARGAS/THE OBSERVER

Whether you go low-carb or high-carb, studies show you will most likely gain back the weight you lost.

scarcity. To combat this, human brains created a series of mechanisms that would be evolutionarily advantageous against starvation.

One example of this is the secretion of leptin levels in the body.

Leptin is a hormone that regulates our hunger. When a person loses

weight, leptin reserves in the body decrease which leaves a person in a continued state of hunger.

To subdue our bodies mode of self-preservation which prevents weight loss, individuals need to change our relationship with food.

Studies show that one way to com-

bat the regaining of weight after a period of weight loss is to develop mindful eating habits. When one indulges in sugary foods, they are anticipating a sugar rush. This will be a fleeting moment for the eater, leaving them wanting more sugary treats for the extrinsic rewards they bring.

Instead of focusing on extrinsic rewards, research has shown that one should focus on the intrinsic rewards of mindful eating. Some examples are eating only to satiate your hunger, stopping when satiated, paying attention to the results of healthy eating and savoring food. By giving these habits an integral role in your lifestyle, individuals will be able to lose weight, keep weight off and feel healthier.

However, some common medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome and even mental health illnesses can hinder weight reduction. If weight gain is due to these conditions, medical intervention should be sought to mitigate this symptom safely and effectively.

It is important to have a variety of foods to get all the nutrients we need, and restrictive fad diets limit this variety. To effectively lose weight, try to fit physical activities into your schedule, be mindful about your food intake and try to substitute unhealthy snacks with healthier alternatives. In this new year, if you really want to shed a few pounds, make healthy, sustainable lifestyle changes for long-lasting results. Don’t fall prey to the latest fad diets.

20

Sports

February 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Perfect 10: Meeting Women’s Bball’s Newest Phenom for the Lincoln Center campus, saying, “I like Lincoln Center as much as I like Rose Hill. I think for me ... they’re both great campuses.”

Since joining Fordham women’s basketball, Cavanaugh has made an immediate impact, and it is not unusual to see her play the full 40 minutes of any given game.

In preparation for their game against La Salle University, Cavanaugh described a packed schedule to physically and mentally prepare for her heavy workload. At 10 a.m., the team watches at least an hour of film

Washington in the Gulf Coast Showcase, and also selected it as her favorite team win. She credited her success in the game to her team, saying that “our team success in that game led to one of my better performances.”

On her personal blog, Cavanaugh has written at length about her life before Fordham and the importance of basketball in those early years. When asked to elaborate, she said that “the time I decided to take basketball seriously was the time when I decided to use it as a way to release some tension, some anger, sadness and things that

Cavanaugh has made an immediate impact, and it is not unusual to see her play the full 40 minutes of any given game.

CANDICE O’NEAL/THE OBSERVER

In her first season playing for Fordham, Bre Cavanaugh has been a force on both sides of the court.

By PATRICK MOQUIN Asst. Sports & Health Editor

In just three months of play, Bre Cavanaugh, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’22, has established herself as a leader on the talented Fordham women’s basketball team, as well as a force in the Atlantic 10. A consistent performer on both sides of the court, Cavanaugh has averaged 17 points per game on an offense largely centered around her play, and she has been

Sunday

named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week three times in only three months.

Despite exciting fans and sports networks alike, these statistics and accolades fail to capture Cavanaugh as an individual. A recent interview with Fordham’s top scorer has revealed an ambitious woman of high character behind the jump shot, serving not only as a source of school pride but also community leadership.

Having transferred from the

Monday

University of California, Berkeley to Fordham in the 2017-18 school year, Cavanaugh was forced to take a year off from play due to NCAA transfer regulations. In the year off, she had the opportunity to become acclimated to the Fordham environment.

Regarding her teammates and coaches as her “family,” Cavanaugh also appreciates Fordham’s New York environment.

Unlike many Rose Hill students, she also showed appreciation

Tuesday

Wednesday

to prepare for their opponent.

To meet the physical demands of such a role, she will then practice with her team from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. nearly everyday. This includes a full practice as well as an hour-long weightlifting session. Before and after this, Cavanaugh must also attend classes, fulfilling both requirements of a Fordham student-athlete.

She must then transfer all of this work into the game. According to Cavanaugh, the team takes the first half of any game five minutes at a time. Then, at halftime when an extra push is needed, it becomes more automatic as she said to herself, “alright, last 20 minutes, you just have to give it your all.”

This mindset has produced several stellar stat lines for Cavanaugh this season: a stunning 27 points against Manhattan University, a clutch overtime performance to defeat Maine University in the Holiday Classic and so many more.

When asked about her favorite personal game, however, she hesitated to answer. Eventually, she chose her outing against

Thursday

Friday

7

February’s Upcoming Sports Events 10 Squash at Wesleyan, Middletown, Connecticut 2 p.m.

W’s BB vs George Mason Bronx, New York 2 p.m.

Men’s Tennis vs Sacred Heart Harrison, New York 6 p.m.

11

12

13

Men’s BB vs Davidson College Bronx, New York 7 p.m.

W’s BB at Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina 7 p.m.

17 Baseball at Texas A&M College Station, Texas 1:05 p.m.

have happened in the past. I’ve used basketball to relieve that stress and it helps.”

In her new environment, the stresses of college can get to her, and even when basketball is the cause of the stress, she still plays to overcome it. In those situations, “going back to the gym and shooting and remembering why I got into basketball in the first place helps to relieve that tension or built up stress.”

Since coming to Fordham, Cavanaugh has established herself as more than just a player.

Behind the basketball is an individual fulfilling all that is expected of a Fordham student.

Having been born with a gift, Cavanaugh has used that gift to overcome difficult circumstances. She has worked extraordinarily hard and will continue to work hard, not only for herself but for her team and school.

She is a leader in the community that has demonstrated every value required of the Jesuit tradition, and as a freshman, it will be very exciting to see what she has to offer this season and in years to come.

Saturday

8

9

W’s & M’s Swimming at Softball at ULouisiana W’s & M’s Swimming at NYU New York, New York Lafayette, Louisiana 6 p.m. NYU New York, New York 10 a.m.

10 a.m.

SB vs Texas A&M T & F at Boston University, Lafayette, Louisiana 10 a.m. Boston, Massachusetts 2 p.m.

SB vs Incarnate Word Lafayette, Louisiana 12:30 Squash vs NYU T & F at Boston University, Bronx, New York 2 p.m.

M’s Tennis at UPenn Boston, Massachusetts 2 p.m.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania W’s Tennis at NJIT New2:30 p.m. ark, New Jersey 5 p.m.

14

Softball vs BYU Las Vegas, Nevada 4 p.m.

Softball at UNLV Las Vegas, Nevada 6 p.m.

15

16

W’s Tennis vs Seton Hall Bronx, New York 12 p.m.

Softball vs USeattle Las Vegas, Nevada 12 p.m.

W’s BB at St. Bonaventure, Olean, New York 1 p.m.

Softball vs UHawaii Las Vegas, Nevada 4:30 p.m.

Baseball at Texas A&M College Station, Texas 7:35 p.m.

Softball vs Utah Valley Las Vegas, Nevada 2 p.m.

M’s BB at URhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 2 p.m.

Baseball at Texas A&M College Station, Texas 2:05 p.m.

Games You Missed Feb. 2, 2019 - Men’s Swimming Fordham: 144 Massachusetts: 156

Feb. 2, 2019 - Women’s Swimming Fordham: 205 Massachusetts: 95

Feb. 2, 2019 - Men’s Tennis Fordham: 5 Queens College: 2

Feb. 2, 2019 - Women’s Tennis Fordham: 7 Quinnipiac: 0

Feb. 3, 2019 - Women’s Basketball Fordham: 57 Duquesne: 46

Feb. 1, 2019 - Men’s Tennis Fordham: 7 Fairfield: 0