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April 11, 2019 VOLUME XXXVI, ISSUE 6
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Alum Guilty in Cyberstalking Case By SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS Asst. News Editor
Fordham alumnus Kristian James O’Hara, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’16, is facing up to five years in federal prison after a cyberstalking crusade targeting a woman he met during his time at the university. On April 3, United States Attorney David C. Weiss announced that O’Hara would plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking. According to prosecutors, O’Hara first began harassing the victim in late May 2016, when he was a senior at Fordham. He worked as a sportscaster for WFUV, Fordham’s radio station; she played on Fordham’s softball team. O’Hara was a part of the victim’s online social network where he was able to access information about her and her pictures. O’Hara initially started using the victim’s phone number to have unsolicited late-night food orders delivered to her and make prank phone calls. He also left voicemails to the victim’s family home in Delaware, in which he lied and accused her of giving him a sexually transmitted disease. After the victim rejected O’Hara’s romantic advances, his aggressions escalated. see CYBERSTALKER page 3
New USG Executives Plan on the Future
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Tina Thermadam (left) and Robert Stryczek (right) are the faces of 2019-20 United Student Government. By REBECCA THOMPSON Staff Writer
The president-elect and vice president-elect of United Student Government (USG) can breathe a little more easily than they could last week. What was a contentious election cycle is over, as the focus shifts back to their responsibilities of the offices. “I really feel like the president is the brains and the vice president is the soul,” said Robert Stryczek, Gabelli School of Business (GSB) ’21 and vice president-elect of USG, about working alongside Tina Thermadam, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’20 and president-elect. The two will serve USG for the upcoming school year. Thermadam believes her conversations with the Fordham student body were fundamental in encouraging students to vote. “I want to be as connected as possible to as many people see PLANS page 5
Transgender Housing Still Not Secure at Fordham By SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS Asst. News Editor
COLIN SHEELEY/THE OBSERVER
President Demetrios Stratis, FCLC ’19, said the reason for withholding vote count was to avoid public reaction.
USG Releases Election Numbers Committee reveals data hours after they said they would withhold it By JORDAN MELTZER, SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS, GABE SAMANDI and COLIN SHEELEY News Editor, Asst. News Editors and Editor-in-Chief
For the first time in four years, Fordham Lincoln Center’s United Student Government (USG) has decided to release the tallies for election results. According to USG President Demetrios Stratis, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19, “We spoke, we revised our opinion and there it is for everyone to see. This is for the sake of the student body for the public and also to establish that the results speak for themselves.” The decision comes after a highly contested race between Tina Thermadam, FCLC ’20, who emerged victorious as President over Austin Tong, Gabelli School of Business (GSB) ’21, and Robert Stryczek, GSB ’21, who defeated Ellen Song, FCLC ’21 for the Vice President Position. The figures from USG state that Thermadam received 331 votes and Tong received 53. In the vice presidential race, Stry-
czek received 258 votes and Song received 108. Five students declined to vote for a president, while 21 declined for vice president. Originally, members of USG had claimed that they withheld the results to avoid a public reaction. “Basically, we want the USG to go on with its business,” Stratis said. “And we’re trying not to make a public thing out of it.” He warned that the numbers could embarrass certain candidates. “Trust me, if you saw the numbers,” he trailed off. USG has released statistics on voter turnout in the past, including in 2015 when Leighton Magoon, FCLC ’17, won his first of what would be two terms as USG president. The Observer reported on the low turnout and broke down the numbers by both class year and college. More than twice as many students voted this year than they did in 2015. Magoon, who is now a patron services representative at Rochester Broadway Theater League, was surprised to learn that the tallies were not publicized. “I’m very shocked that they wouldn’t be available somehow,” he said,
speculating they might be accessible through the Office of Student Involvement. None of the USG members were able to provide a reason for why numbers stopped being reported. Dr. Dorothy Wenzel, senior director of Student Involvement and advisor to USG, had originally explained that Student Involvement couldn’t release the numbers. “That has to be a USG decision,” she said. Wenzel is also the advisor to The Observer. Before the numbers were released, Thermadam stated she believed that “USG must have come to this conclusion bearing strong reasoning.” She explained the need for careful review among the entire USG body. “If the senate feels like the change was made for the right reasons we will uphold it. However, if we find out that this decision was made for the wrong reasons, I do believe that it is not a transparent choice,” she added. Vice President Katina Smith, FCLC ’19, said in an interview before the release that it is see ELECTIONS page 5
On Oct. 31, 2018, protesters from the student-organized transgender rights rally marched to the second floor of the Lincoln Center Lowenstein Building and slid an open letter to administration under the door of the vice president’s office. It demanded the university support for the LGBTQ community. One month later, Jeffrey Gray, vice president of student affairs, wrote in an email to a handful of club leaders and faculty that while university administrators “unequivocally condemn” hateful actions and speech against transgender individuals, further measures would “take more time and discussion.” Nearly five months later, neither Gray nor any other administrators have offered an update. One demand of the open letter was to address policies in the Office of Residential Life that discriminate against transgender individuals. Students have accused the office of creating a transphobic rooming environment by forcing students to live with roommates based on their sex assigned at birth, not their gender identity. Fi Whalen, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19 and co-president of The Positive, a student group that celebrates and supports gender nonconforming students, said the policy promotes the concept that gender is binary. “These rules get at the absurdity of institutionally mandated sex and gender segregation,” they said. At the transgender rights rally, Jay Sheldon, FCLC ’20 and a transgender person, said that being treated as a man and being forced to live with other men was instrumental in aggravating their gender dysmorphia and consequently took a toll on their mental health. Jenifer Campbell, senior director of residential life, explained that the office works with students like Sheldon on a case-by-case basis in relation to their gender identity. On Nov. 13, 2018, two weeks after receiving the letter, Gray wrote that the university see RIGHTS page 3
CENTERFOLD
ARTS & CULTURE
FEATURES
SPORTS & HEALTH
Tips and tricks for tidying up and cooking
Alternative news sources bring fresh perspectives
Fordham’s final Mainstage travels into the future
A look at Fordham’s series against St. Joe’s
Dorm Recipes PAGE 10
Student Publications PAGE 12
‘Mr. Burns’ PAGE 19
THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM LINCOLN CENTER
Baseball Sweeps PAGE 20
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April 11, 2019 THE OBSERVER
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Law Grad to Plead Guilty in Admissions Scandal
By GABE SAMANDI Asst. News Editor
Gordon Caplan, Fordham University School of Law ’91 and former co-chairman of the New York City-based law firm Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, released a statement on Friday, April 5, that he intends to plead guilty to charges of mail fraud and honest services mail fraud after being indicted in the nationwide college admissions scandal case. According to information released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts on Monday, April 8, Caplan’s upcoming plea deal will likely land him a recommended sentence of eight to 14 months in federal prison. In addition, FBI prosecutors have recommended a year of supervised release following his prison time and a fee of $40,000. According to the District Attorney’s report, these terms are dependant on Caplan issuing an official plea before April 30. Any
additional crimes or attempts at obstruction of justice will increase these penalties. Caplan’s statement set him apart as one of the first parents charged in the case to admit wrongdoing. Following Caplan’s statement on Friday, 14 other individuals, including Hollywood actress Felicity Huffman, announced their intent to plead guilty on Monday, April 8. After the release of these public statements, the FBI issued a new indictment on Tuesday, April 9. It charged 16 parents with conspiracy to commit money laundering. The list of those facing the new charges, which was not released to the general public, was created based on evidence of parents attempting to disguise bribes as donations to William Singer’s false charitable organization, the Key Worldwide Foundation. Singer, as the chief operator of the conspiracy, was the central figure of the case and had an instrumental role in assisting the FBI with informa-
tion. Caplan’s payments to Singer are known to have been made through the foundation implicated in the laundering indictment. It is currently unconfirmed if his name is on the new FBI report. Caplan, who was awarded the prestigious Louis J. Lefkowitz Public Service award by Fordham Law in 2016, was originally charged among 49 other people on March 12 in the case, which has become one of the most highly publicized college admissions-related investigations in recent history. Caplan’s statement, released to major media outlets by his attorneys, reads: “I take full and sole responsibility for my conduct and I am deeply ashamed of my behavior and my actions. I apologize not only to my family, friends, colleagues and the legal Bar, but also to students everywhere who have been accepted to college through their own hard work.” Caplan’s former practice, Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, released
They Were Elected Into Power, But What Can USG Officers Do? By RUBY GARA News Editor
Every spring semester, Lincoln Center students elect new members of United Student Government (USG) who promise to deliver on their visions for the campus. Newly elected members will be inaugurated officially in October 2019 but, until then, they will strategize on how to carry out their campaign platforms while abiding by USG’s constitution.
dent, with the goal of increasing efficiency, according to his platform. However, Tong’s slogan, “Serve the People,” raised concerns among students. It echoed Chinese dictator Mao Zedong’s language, first expressed in 1944. Sarah Deng, FCLC ’20, said she was “triggered” and “concerned” upon reading Tong’s slogan. “It makes me think he admires how the Chinese Com-
Dean of Students Keith Eldregde said that USG is most influential when members are united, sharing responsibilities and convictions.
President-elect Tina Thermadam, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20, and Vice President-elect Robert Stryczek, Gabelli School of Business (GSB) ’21, will lead USG during the 2019-20 academic year. In conjunction with the Senate, the Executive Board strives to foster a sense of school spirit within the Fordham community, all while serving as a link between students, faculty and staff. Their main duty is to serve all undergraduate students at Fordham Lincoln Center. The race kept Fordham students on the edges of their seats. The two presidential candidates fought for their perceptions of what USG should look like. As part of her campaign, Thermadam promised she would encourage campus unity, community and growth, while sticking to the “status quo.” Improving club retention and changing the guest pass policy to allow for overnight visitors of the opposite sex in the dorms are among her proposed policies. Austin Tong, GSB ’21, had a different approach. His “Great Rejuvenation of Fordham University” campaign led students to question whether his policies were even plausible. Tong, who resigned from USG as vice president of Operations in November of 2018 amid internal disputes, hoped to completely transform USG: all positions, beside President and Vice President, would have been nominated by the Presi-
munist Party governed China.” She also attended the USG debate on March 29, hoping to hear more about both candidates’ ideas in person. Deng said, “though I actually agreed with some of his points, what he looks up to does not correspond to what I consider the value of Lincoln Center is.” Jay Sheldon, FCLC ’20, was also alarmed by Tong’s slogan. “The comparison to a genocidal regime is disgusting and disappointing,” they said, referring to The Great Leap Forward. “Even jokingly, it makes people think that it’s acceptable to make jokes and comments making light of genocide.” Candidates have freedom to campaign how they want, according to Dean of Students Keith Eldredge. “As long as their behaviors stay within the bounds of the student conduct system,” he said, “we would want to give students the opportunity to fully express themselves.” Eldredge said that USG is most influential when members are united, sharing responsibilities and convictions. Though presidential candidates often run on their individual dreams for Fordham, they are almost always unable to implement them on their own. For USG to change anything on campus, it “generally involves dialogue, conversation and persuasion,” Eldredge said. Historically, those steps have taken months or even years. Over the past few years, USG’s work has allowed for several changes on campus
that addressed student needs. Extended library hours during midterm and finals season are among them. Installing Amazon lockers to reduce the long lines by the mailroom is the fruit of USG’s collaboration with its Facilities Committee. Dorothy Wenzel became USG’s advisor in 2006. In that position, Wenzel said “there are plenty of initiatives that USG has worked on that have been successful at Fordham.” One of the successful USG operations was Fordham Fridays, an initiative that rewards students with a free slice of pizza for wearing maroon. They launched the weekly event in efforts to boost school spirit. In addition, without USG, only select last-year students would be recognized during Senior Leadership Awards. USG therefore decided to organize the Undergraduate Appreciation Awards, also known as the UNDYs, in order to celebrate students’ contributions, from each class year, to the university community. Awards range from “Most Active Club Member” to “Best Dance Skills (The Billy Elliot Award).” Organized by USG, the annual Christmas Tree Lighting has welcomed the holiday season on the Outdoor Plaza since 2004. This year’s lighting, spearheaded by secretary-elect Loreen Ruiz, FCLC ’21, saw the highest turnout in Fordham’s history. Ruiz confirmed an estimate of 500 attended, a 100 person increase from last year. USG also oversees the formation and approval of all student clubs. Currently, there are more than 60 organizations operating at Fordham Lincoln Center, whereas at the beginning of her tenure, Wenzel said, there were about 28 clubs. “The fact that we’ve grown so much wouldn’t have happened without the student government navigating that process,” Wenzel said. Wenzel recommends that new USG members begin planning for the next academic year now, in terms of priorities. They will have to reflect on whether they fill the shoes of the USG before them and maintain their agenda, or work on developing their own new initiatives. “I’m very looking forward to see what they’ll bring to the table,” Deng said. “I hope the new USG can bring to Fordham a stronger sense of community, and bring resources that will support students more.”
COURTESY OF BRUCE GILBERT/VIA FORDHAM NEWS
Gordhon Caplan (left) will plead guilty to charges related to his involvment in the national college admissions scandal.
a separate statement on Friday detailing that Caplan was “no longer a partner” at the firm. Conviction of a felony is grounds for automatic disbarment with the New York State Bar Association. Upon taking
the guilty plea, Caplan will be disbarred. This is a developing story. Check back at fordhamobserver.com for updates.
Second Floor Latest to Receive Renovations
COLIN SHEELEY/THE OBSERVER
Office of Admissions administrators moved in on Monday, April 8. By GUS DUPREE Staff Writer
The second floor of the Lowenstein building reopened on Monday, April 8, after months of renovation. The latest area on campus to undergo extensive renovations, the new second floor bears freshly painted walls and sparkling floor tiles speckled black and maroon. Frank Simio, vice president of Fordham Lincoln Center, announced the reopening of the second floor, with the admissions office moving back to the second floor on Monday. The second floor now boasts a greatly expanded admissions office. This extension, including a new welcome center, was one of the goals of the renovations, which according to John Buckley, vice president for admissions and student financial services, was due to an exponential increase in interested students over the years. “I’m not certain when the first group of prospective students will be hosted in the Welcome Center,” said Simio, “but I expect it will be very shortly thereafter.” He encouraged all community members to check out the floor, which is once again fully accessible by elevator. The renovations forced the closure of the second floor lounge, leaving many students with less available free space. James Fusco, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’22, used to frequent the lounge before it closed down. “The renovations forced me to use the third floor lounge instead,” he said. “I also noticed a
lot more traffic there afterwards.” With the second floor now open again, Fusco is excited to utilize the new space. “I’ll definitely be returning to the second floor after it opens,” he said. “I’m very much looking forward to having a new place to relax at.” However, the new floor has a few peculiar design choices. For instance, the all-gender restroom located on the floor, despite being private, has two identical sinks. Perhaps the most striking feature is that several office placards have Braille simply printed onto them without the dots themselves being raised, ironically rendering the placards illegible to the blind. Despite these issues, members of the Fordham community are still delighted with the new second floor. Conor O’Kane, director of Campus Ministry for Mission Extension, whose office is located on the second floor, is pleased with the outcome. “It’s going to be great for the university,” he said. Despite his office staying open throughout the renovations, he and the rest of campus ministry didn’t feel inhibited by the work outside. O’Kane was happy with the outcome, complimenting the workers for their efforts and adherence to the renovation schedule, “I’m excited for prospective students to see it.” he commented. The second floor houses the office of admissions, offices for Campus Ministry and student financial services, the Blessed Rupert Mayer Chapel, and an open lounge, which now also serves as a welcoming center for admissions tours.
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Trans Students Demanded Change, Admins Say Wait RIGHTS FROM PAGE 1
administration is “currently having internal discussion” about the students’ demands. “This involves a complicated set of issues, which will take us some time and constructive dialogue to work our way through,” he said. “We’re not yet at the stage where we can discuss this in more detail.” On March 11, 2019, Campbell stated that the office has been actively working with student organizations to discuss the status of transgender students living in residential halls. However, Whalen contradicted Campbell’s statement, explaining that student organizations had not yet met with the Office of Residential Life. The first meeting between the office and student groups was scheduled for April 8. Attendees included The Positive, Rainbow Alliance, United Student Government and Residence Hall Association. At the meeting, Keith Eldredge, assistant vice president and dean of students at Lincoln Center, stated that “the university is not ready for gender neutral housing at this time” because of it’s Catholic, Jesuit tradition. However, the administration does want to take measures to support transgender students more “effectively in the future,” he said. Whalen expressed concern about this before the meeting; while The Positive and other LGBTQ groups would like to see a housing policy that allows students to choose who they live with, they doubt it is feasible at Fordham. Because Fordham is a Catholic institution, Whalen said, “we are constantly trying to propose digestive, palatable and realistic plans that the university will even consider.” Although there is “no official policy regarding transgender individuals in the Catechism of the Catholic Church,” according to the Human Rights Campaign, “doctrinal teachings clearly equate birth anatomy with gender.” In preparation for the meeting, Whalen said that they would be “proposing ideas that will work within the existing framework of housing at Fordham.” Presently,
the changes that The Positive and other organizers are proposing will lead to “a much smaller gain for the trans community,” Whalen said. “We are forced to ask ourselves how much are we are willing to give up to try and get a policy that is at least less violent than the ones that are already in place,” they added. For many students, these housing policies have serious consequences. Aria Lozano, a transgender person who is a former Fordham student but has since transferred to Columbia University, was forced to live with a man her freshman year after finding no alternative options. She said in an op-ed for The Observer in April 2018 that if she were aware of these policies, she would have never come to Fordham. “Because of atrocious policies at Fordham, I feel like I do not belong here on campus, and that I must either transfer out or, at the very least, find off-campus housing,” she wrote. Some resident assistants (RAs) and resident freshman mentors (RFMs) have also expressed their concerns about the policy, believing that it hinders their abilities to care for their residents adequately. In multiple instances, transgender and gender nonconforming students have asked to live with students that they feel comfortable with rather than the gender they were assigned at birth, according to RAs. However, Residential Life only allows this after a student has legally changed their gender. “There is a lot of privilege in being able to change your gender, and to have the resources and support to go through that process,” said one RA who wished to remain anonymous because of their contract with Residential Life. They said that the policy does not support the average student and does not account for the realities of being transgender. Residential Life provides the option for gender nonconforming and transgender students to be placed in single rooms in McMahon. “It feels weird to me that a person that is trans should have to up-
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LOÏC KHODARKOVSKY
Some student organizers, RAs and RFMs say housing policies uphold sex-based segregation and transphobia.
root their lives and home on their floor just to be comfortable,” the RA said. “The only real options are to pay for a very expensive single room or live in space with those in your assigned gender, which can be unsafe and is, frankly, unfair,” they added. An RFM, who also asked to remain anonymous because of their contract, echoed the RA’s concerns. “With the current policy,” they said, “it is increasingly difficult to help and support our residents as there is nothing that serves their needs in this matter.” RAs and RFMs have expressed these frustrations to Residential Life in the past. When students spoke up at summer and winter trainings, they said they were met with the usual explanation that the office works with students based on their individual needs. “It sucks to be the enforcer of policies you don’t believe in while also trying to be the support person,” the RA said. “Once someone hears ‘no’ or can’t get a tangible solution from you, they don’t feel supported and pull away. Then it just becomes hard to do our jobs as RAs/RFMs.”
“There is no official policy on how to deal with that situation,” the RFM explained. The question of transgender students’ housing rights comes amid a year of intense scrutiny towards the Office of Residential Life. Students have expressed dissatisfaction with the communication about overcrowded apartments, price spikes related to de-tripling rooms and untimely residential hall closures. Another demand of the open letter was to ensure a greater respect for transgender and gender-nonconforming students’ pronouns. Chief Diversity Officer Rafael Zapata has been successful in planning a new chosen name policy that is expected to take effect in the Fall 2019 semester. However, many believe that the policy is still not inclusive of the transgender experience. Unlike the new policy, the initial policy, which was crafted by The Positive, included both the option of a chosen name and preferred pronouns. “I still argue that the policy is incomplete as it does not address pronoun usage,” Whalen said. The chosen name policy will
include anyone on campus who prefers to go by another name for a variety of different reasons. While the policy will impact a large portion of the Fordham community, Whalen said that “essentially, by broadening the policy, it does not have the same intent that many academic departments and organizers wanted.” They also noted that a student feedback period never occurred and that “the policy was released without talking to the initial students who had expressed concerns.” Whalen believes that the frustration with both Residential Life and the chosen name policy is a recurring problem with administrators. “By not being transparent, the administration can be less accountable in the future for their actions and choices,” they said. The administration has claimed that its Jesuit values influence and dictate their policies. However other Jesuit schools, including Georgetown University, The Universities of San Francisco and Saint Louis have launched initiatives to support transgender and gender nonconforming students.
Fordham Grad Harassed Victim for Years CYBERSTALKER FROM PAGE 1
O’Hara posted her name and phone number to a sex chat website and used her work email address to sign up for accounts on pornographic websites such as pornhub.com. The harassment lasted for 18 months, targeted the victim’s family and boyfriend, and followed her from New York to Delaware. The attacks were so severe that eventually the victim became fearful of leaving home alone. “While the victim and the victim’s family adapted their lives to evade further harassment,” Weiss said, “the defendant delighted in the harm he caused and sought to inflict maximal [sic] damage.” O’Hara has also admitted to cyberstalking other former classmates, office co-workers and additional victims who rejected his advances. Weiss said that there were at least eight victims. Although an affidavit claims that the U.S. District Court in Delaware issued a warrant for O’Hara’s arrest on or about July 24, 2017, it was not until June 2018 that the attacks stopped. “It was only when apprehended by law enforcement that the defendant stopped the cyberstalking acts he had perpetrated for years,” Weiss said. The FBI’s Baltimore Wilming-
Through cyber attacks, James O’Hara, FCRH ’16, stalked and psychologically intimidated another Fordham alum.
ton Cyber Task Force conducted the investigations. Weiss explained that “cyberstalking conduct like this is designed to inflict psychological damage on another person.” He claimed that O’Hara used the internet to exact revenge on an in-
nocent victim by continuously harassing her and those around her. FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Moore, said, “Mr. O’Hara scared innocent people and disrupted their daily lives because he was blinded by his obsession.”
“No one should feel unsafe in their own home, school or workplace,” she added. O’Hara, originally from Bardonia, New York, majored in economics at Fordham. After graduation, he worked as a Wealth Advisory Associate at Morgan
STEPH LAWLOR/THE OBSERVER
Stanley in New Jersey. O’Hara is scheduled to be sentenced on July 23, 2019. The Observer reached out to O’Hara’s friends from Fordham and colleagues from WFUV for a comment but has not received a response.
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April 11, 2019 THE OBSERVER
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Fordham Ranked as Top-Volunteer Producer for Peace Corps By SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS Asst. News Editor
In a 2019 Peace Corps report, Fordham University ranked 24th in the Medium-Sized Colleges and Universities category for top-volunteer producing schools. The Peace Corps is a non-governmental organization that sends Americans around the world to work with communities to promote world peace. There are currently 17 Fordham alumni serving around the world. Aidan Donaghy, president of the Humanitarian Student Union and Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’21, was proud to learn the news. Fordham, which has historically been a top-producing university for Peace Corps volunteers, did not make the list in 2018. “I think it’s very exciting that there are so many people who are engaged with humanitarian principles and actions,” Donaghy said. “It really says something about the values that Fordham students have.” In an email, Jody Olsen, director of the Peace Corps, said she believes that universities that produce volunteers promote scholarship and a global awareness within their community. Carolyn Faller, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’19, will be volunteering with Peace Corps as a HIV/AIDS Health Mitigation officer in Swaziland in September. Part of the reason Faller decided to volunteer was because she felt that the program aligned closely with both her values and Fordham’s. “I think Fordham’s continuous
COURTESY OF PEACE CORPS
Kang Lee, FCLC ’14, volunteering in Tanzania, pictured with one of his students.
emphasis on serving and working with local communities towards a greater goal is embedded into the school’s culture,” Faller said. “When you go somewhere for four years with that underlying culture, it makes sense that at the end of four years you are more inclined to take the risk and work with a culture very different than your own.” Likewise, Donaghy said, “There
are so many resources and opportunities to get involved in on campus, and I think that’s why so many people want to continue that kind of work after they graduate.” Olsen said she was proud of the graduates who choose to dedicate their education toward making the world a better place by working with the Peace Corps. The report also includes an in-
teractive map where users can see where alumni from different colleges and universities are serving. Currently, Fordham alumni are volunteering in Guatemala, Peru, Morocco, Ethiopia and Indonesia, among others. Dan Ingala, a public affairs specialist at the Peace Corps, explained that since the Peace Corps was founded in 1961, more than 470 Fordham alumni have served
abroad. Ingala said that volunteers work in a variety of different fields, including education, health, agriculture, economic growth and youth development. “Through their Peace Corps experiences,” he said, “volunteers gain a unique cultural understand and a lifelong commitment to services that positions them to succeed in today’s global economy.”
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Thermadam and Stryczek to Lead Student Government
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Stryczek said that the president is the “heart” of USG, while the vice president is the “soul”. PLANS FROM PAGE 1
as I can,” she said. For much of the race, Thermadam’s platform focused on building the Fordham community, increasing the enjoyment of leadership roles in clubs and the availability of menstrual products for students. As the president-elect for the next academic year, she has re-emphasized her accessibility to the stu-
dent body and affirms, “you can talk to me, and I’ll listen.” A focal point of Thermadam’s goals for next year is club retention. She hopes to prepare club leaders with the tools to manage clubs efficiently. She believes this will encourage students to join clubs and build the Fordham community. Additionally, Thermadam wants to find ways to heighten awareness of mental health needs on campus.
She proposes incorporating mental health awareness into freshman orientation events or collaborative events with Active Minds, a club that aims to spread awareness about mental health issues and related resources on campus. Thermadam looks forward to students resorting to her as a source of help. “I have a good communication platform with the administration,” she said.
She explained that she developed this relationship through her extensive involvement in other clubs, which puts her at an advantage to advocate for students. “The entire floor of Argo is my home, my little family,” Thermadam said, as she has become accustomed to spending her time in the Office for Student Involvement. Thermadam’s campaign had some similarities to that of opponent Austin Tong, GSB ’21. Tong was also keen on interacting with the student body. According to multiple freshmen, Tong was able to follow newly admitted Class of ’22 on social media before they even arrived at Fordham in one of USG’s longest and most publicized races. Stryczek, the self-described “soul” of the operation, seeks to bring a spirit of realism to help balance and add perspective to the issues USG seeks to resolve throughout the year. He considers his realistic approach to problem-solving is what makes him a qualified vice president. “If anyone ever has any ideas that are too big, I always question them,” he said. Stryczek, whose decision to run was heavily rooted in his love for helping people, jokingly expressed, “I look forward to all the pranks I’m going to pull on Dr. Dorothy [Wenzel],” senior director of Student Involvement and advisor for USG. His humor is visible in his campaign posters, in which he abbreviates his name, Robert A.M. Stryczek, to R.A.M.S. Adm_FordhamUniversityAd_002_FA18.pdf Stryczek cites outgoing vice president Katina Smith as a large influence on school spirit at Lincoln Center, and hopes to build upon her ideas. “I want to do a lot of spir-
it week stuff,” he said. “I want to give more soul to Fordham.” He said his leadership roles in other clubs and programs such as Fordham University Emerging Leaders (FUEL) and Commuting Students Association (CSA), have familiarized him with the demands of being a leader and created a bond between himself and the administration. He emphasizes his commitment to Fordham, as he claims, “I go to everything, I meet all the new people, I’m friends with all the administrators.” Thermadam looks forward to working alongside Stryczek. She said, “We’re really good friends and we get along very well, so we knew that we’d be a good team.” The two claimed to have extensive knowledge about the ins and outs of student involvement, as their involvement has required them to invest considerable hours into numerous clubs and organizations on Fordham’s campus. Moving into next year, Thermadam has narrowed her focus toward her role as president as she anticipates the responsibility and time commitment required to fulfill this role. Although Thermadam’s priorities are now geared toward her forthcoming presidency, she said she will still take the time to enjoy her favorite chocolate mousse cheesecake at Veniero’s Bakery. Likewise, Stryczek said he will still be dancing the night away at his favorite concerts, such as those of Elton John and Billy Joel. 1Thermadam 1/24/19 1:55 andPM Stryczek’s analogous vision for 2019-20 anticipates a year filled with school spirit, community building and long-lasting clubs.
USG Bends Constitution in Vote Count Excerpt from United Student Government’s Constitution — Article VIII, Section 5
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The USG Election Committee did not adhere to its constitution in the vote counting process.
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ELECTIONS FROM PAGE 1
“very normal” for the Lincoln Center USG not to release these numbers. She explained that it is “well within the realm of the election committee,” which is comprised of seniors in USG, to do so. The Elections Committee, however, failed to maintain consistency in its own procedures. Stratis originally claimed that he would not release any statistics about the election, releasing only the names of the winners. According to Stratis, however, he privately disclosed to the winning candidates how close the race was. USG’s constitution notes that all student members of the elec-
tion committee are responsible for “tabulating election results with the assistance of the USG advisor.” Wenzel was not present for the ballot counting process, a responsibility she holds as a member of the committee. Instead, she instructed Daniel Patterson, associate director for first-year experience, to oversee in her place. However, the three senior members, Stratis, Smith and Valerie Yang, FCLC ’19, counted the votes in the USG office alone without Patterson. Wenzel told the committee to reach out to him only if they had questions. Patterson said they did not contact him. Before releasing the update, Smith, who spoke on behalf of the organization, said that “we still
hold strong” on the organization’s decision. The Rose Hill campus student government has historically always released its election tallies, according to its president, Connor Sullivan, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’19. A 2017 Fordham Ram article reported the specific number of votes cast for each candidate. “I believe that releasing vote totals allows for the campus to understand involvement in elections and the issue of apathy,” Sullivan said. “But I think it all comes down to a discussion of transparency: Why shouldn’t the student body see the results of the election they participated in?” No candidate has challenged the results of elections.
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Opinions
Opinions Editor Owen Roche - oroche2@fordham.edu
April 11, 2019 THE OBSERVER
THE
STAFF EDITORIAL
LET STUDENT VOICES COUNT
F
ordham’s student community prides itself on being politically en-
gaged. We are nothing if not a student body that cares. We are passionate and unafraid to organize to accomplish change. We host rallies, organize vigils and coordinate projects to solve issues on every level of government, local to international. But that behavior stops at Fordham’s front door. According to United Student Government (USG) statistics released to The Observer, 390 people voted in the most recent election — only 22% of the eligible undergraduate population. At a school where students compete to show off their “I Voted” stickers during local, state and national elections, it is concerning to see such a low turnout in our own USG election. Student democracy is suffering at Fordham Lincoln Center. In order to revitalize it, the student body and its government must each understand and respect one another’s role in student life. There needs to be a transparent, reciprocal relationship based on trust. No such relationship exists. Students are uninformed. Combining undergraduate apathy with USG reluctance to release election data, it’s both parties’ faults. USG’s members have a unique and powerful role, working to unite the insight of students with the oversight of administration. But very few students even know what capacities USG
has, and fewer still can tell you anything that USG actively does. The people that we elect spend their days approving and guiding clubs, organizing budgets and running popular student outreach events such as Fordham Fridays and the Christmas Tree Lighting in the Outdoor Plaza. They take care of the administrative work that most of us don’t see, which is just as important as the more public efforts, especially for those involved in clubs on campus.
There must exist a clause to mandate the release of election data from this year, last year and years moving forward. Our votes directly shape a good part of our lives as students, whether we know it or not. The student body’s appreciation and respect for the institution of USG hinges on its knowledge of USG’s activities and policies. However, students must know that their votes are counted before they can have faith that those votes count. The voting process should allow for students to take an active and engaged interest, beyond checking a few electronic boxes, and to be assured that their votes are part of a larger initiative. All would benefit from a chance to finally track the progress
of our student democracy. The way to do so: a continued commitment on the part of USG to release its election data. Since 2016, USG has not released its election results to the student body. Only after an Observer investigation were the results delivered, with no promise to continue to do so in the future. The USG constitution does not prevent the breakdown of votes from being released, but it does not require it, either. There must exist a clause to mandate the release of election data from this year, past years and years moving forward. Current USG President Demetrios Stratis said USG withheld the election numbers so as to not “make a public thing out of” the results and to avoid negative reactions from students and candidates. But these elections are public — it should never be a question that the results must be as well. USG must also do its part to incentivize engagement by being transparent with the student body. Going forward, its members should release election results of their own volition, without prompt. Barring a guarantee that subsequent election results will be made publicly available, the future of student democracy at Fordham Lincoln Center remains uncertain. USG can’t fix Fordham in a semester, but this is a necessary step towards restoring integrity to Fordham Lincoln Center student democracy. It’s a start.
OBSERVER Editor-in-Chief Colin Sheeley Managing Editor Izzi Duprey Business Manager 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 Partridge-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 Managers 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. Printed by Five Star Printing Flushing, N.Y
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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES • Letters to the Editor should be typed and sent to The Observer, Fordham University, 140 West 62nd Street, Room G32, New York, NY 10023, or e-mailed to fordhamobserver@gmail.com. Length should not exceed 200 words. All letters must be signed and include contact information, official titles, and year of graduation (if applicable) for verification. • If submitters fail to include this information, the editorial board will do so at its own discretion. • The Observer has the right to withhold any submissions from publication and will not consider more than two letters from the same individual on one topic. The Observer reserves the right to edit all letters and submissions for content, clarity and length. • Opinions articles and commentaries represent the view of their authors. These articles are in no way the views held by the editorial board of The Observer or Fordham University. • The Editorial is the opinion held by a majority of The Observer’s editorial board. The Editorial does not reflect the views held by Fordham University. • The Observer strives for fairness and integrity in all that it publishes. Corrections may be issued when mistakes made in the publication of a story affect its accuracy. Retractions may be issued when these mistakes are so severe that they change the story entirely. In such a case, the editor-in-chief will make a final decision.
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THE OBSERVER April 11, 2019
Opinions
7
Prestige Is a Losing Game What matters in a college is up to you, but it better not be the name OWEN ROCHE Opinions Editor
The next SAT test date is May 4. Across time zones, from Hong Kong to Honolulu to New York City, a morning of a healthy breakfast or thrown-up waffles or nothing at all and a fruitless review of hundred-dollar flashcards will occur again and again. The students who will take it that day might have studied for months, even years. Maybe they’re taking it completely cold. With each passing hour, achievers high and low will file into testing centers, safe in the knowledge that with a handful of hours and cost of admission to lose, they have the world to gain. In quick succession, worndown students around the world with high hopes and soaring dreams will undertake a $64.50, four-hour necessary evil. As high school juniors and seniors — and maybe even sophomores and freshmen — there’s nothing at all new about the SAT. Sure, they (most
. LOSER U
U. INNER
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likely) haven’t seen the questions yet, but what’s one more college-crucial measurement of worth? What’s one more bubbled-in identity — race, religion, future plans, sex, age, summation of all previous experience to be judged as such? What’s one more test? It’s no revelation that standardized testing is worthy of criticism. Anyone filling in a Scantron this May 4 knows full well they’re playing a game of memory recall and whocan-pay-for-the-most-prep. They must believe their investment will have a return. It’s an understanding that comes with the price of admission: we’re all here to get into a good school. Prestige is on the line. High schoolers’ ambition to prove — to themselves, to their parents, to their teachers — that they’re worth something makes the exclusivity and selectivity of the highest of higher education the gold standard. It’s one thing to tell a starry-eyed junior that, when it comes to picking schools, they’re buying, not
selling — but doesn’t every minivan-buyer dream of that irresponsible, irrational two-door sports car? Given the buying abilities of powerful credentials, it’s suddenly much less rational to dig through shelves upon shelves of schools when the shiniest ones are right in the front. With a pocket full of 1600s, heartfelt letters and selfies with kids in Ghana, it’s so tantalizingly easy to scoff at the people who say your money can’t buy you happiness. But it won’t. I had none of the above in my pocket. I did fine on my tests and got good grades, and I got a small taste of what it feels like to be patted on the head for a role well played. I paid my dues, and opportunities glimmered before me, indifferent, as I fawned over their hypnotizing glow. I could picture wearing the sweatshirt to family gatherings, having aunts and uncles ooh and aah at the name of the fancy university I would attend. I imagined going to classes and sports
Y GLOR games and it all being just a little different because of the prestige I had dutifully earned. I never thought about the friends I’d make, wherever I’d end up. It didn’t concern me who my professors would be, or what I would be inspired to create, or what clubs I’d join. In wanting to join something bigger than myself, I fell into the trap that snares every student far too confident in their wax wings: I lost myself. Appropriately, we attend a crash-site littered with Columbia and NYU rejects (and, unfortunately, soon-to-be transfers). So many starry-eyed high schoolers got a pat on the back and a false invitation to reach blindly for the shiniest stars of them all — and they ended up at the place with the free application and just enough financial aid to please their parents. We go to a school where everything — the education, the faith, the social life and the city — is exactly as much as what we make of it. No more, no less. Its indifference teaches us the
lesson we needed to hear but never wanted to accept. Some of us are proud to call Fordham our home; others still feel the sting of rejection. To the latter: be glad that life disrupted your best-laid plans. Be glad it might eventually change your priorities, too. The prestige of a school will never be the deciding factor in your ultimate success, but your ultimate failure has this blind faith in prestige at the very center. Make a choice. Choose to accept life as a test without time limits and scores that don’t matter. Your life is yours more than any diploma or sweatshirt or hallowed name could ever say. Higher education is supposed to be where you learn to become an adult. Don’t let childish dreams of prestige stunt your personal growth. On May 4, high schoolers will take the SAT, some for the very first time. I hope they remember to eat a good breakfast, bring extra pencils and clear the memory on their calculator. I hope they don’t let it define them as much as I let it define me.
ETERNAL SHAME ILLUSTRATION BY ESME BLEECKER-ADAMS
No Good Outcomes in Upcoming Spanish Elections MARTA GRANADOS Contributing Writer
With less than a month before Spain’s general elections, I can tell you one thing in advance: there will not be a winner. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for the vote after the rejection of the annual budget by the Parliament, due to gridlock between the Spanish government and the members of the Catalan nationalist parties. Now, for the first time in the history of Spanish democracy, a far-right political party has a real chance of entering the Parliament. If we consider that a potential Brexit might result in Spain having a more powerful position in the European Union (EU), these elections should not be overestimated. Spain’s case is no different from neighbors like France or Italy, or even the United States. The global trend of strong, alt-right, semi-authoritarian, populist discourse fueled by the migratory crisis in the Mediterranean and the 2008 economic crisis has, of course, seeped into Spanish politics, too.
Playing with fire Particular Spanish dynamics are also at play, like the crisis in Catalonia over independence. The far-right movement, represented by the political party Vox, has taken advantage of the situation to spread its anti-feminism, anti-immigration and anti-regionalism discourse, which has been welcomed especially in the southern region of Andalucia and Madrid. In response, the traditional right and the center-right, represented by the Partido Popular and Ciudadanos respectively, have radicalized their discourses in an attempt
to win back the support of those citizens that have been convinced by the far-right and its populist proposals.
Now, for the first time in the history of Spanish democracy, a far-right political party has a real chance of entering Parliament. For some years now, Spanish politicians have been playing with fire. They have focused on a particular social, cultural and linguistic identity to form exclusive political alliances, instead of engaging in universal concepts like economic equality or women’s rights. But playing identity politics is an impossible game to win, especially in a country with diverse ethnicities and five official languages. Nevertheless, this strategy seems to work for the more conservative Spanish parties, who have gone back to Spanish nationalist symbols and myths in order to revive and protect Spanish nationalism from the Catalan independence movement. The Partido Socialista Obrero Espanol, the socialist party currently in power, has traditionally looked at these myths and symbols with a certain suspicion. Yet it has found itself with no other option, adopting a more conservative tone due to the Catalan self-determination dispute that threatens to break the territorial unity of Spain apart. The other political parties have also dug in, drawing red lines that make political agreements nearly impossible to reach.
Shadows of Franco While all this is happening, the Catalan politicians responsible for organizing a referendum on Catalonia’s future in Spain and unilaterally declaring independence from Spain in 2017 are being judged in a trial that started last February. As a result, the pro-independence parties are too focused on Catalan politics and the fate of the political prisoners to really care about the elections. Meanwhile, fascist dictator Francisco Franco’s shadow looms over the radicalization of the right. If that was not enough, Carles Puigdemont, the former Catalan president, who had been exiled to Belgium after proclaiming Catalonia’s independence in October 2017, announced that he will run in the EU elections. If he gets elected, he would have freedom of movement around all the EU and would be able to enter
Spain without threat of arrest from the authorities. His return from his self-imposed exile a year and a half later would create optimism among the Catalan pro-independence forces on the one hand and tension and anxiety among the Spanish society and political parties on the other.
The Future of Catalonia Whatever the result, the new government will clearly have an impact on Catalonia’s future. As I see it, there are two possibilities: one, a coalition will form amongst the right parties, signalling an authoritarian turn and more decision-making power over the autonomous Spanish regions for the central government in Madrid, not to mention danger for women’s rights and illegal immigrants’ rights. Or, two, a coalition between the Socialist Party, the more radical left and the Catalan
and Basque nationalist parties. Under this shaky alliance, any bill would be hard to pass. However, what I fear the most is a scenario in which the conservative parties win the majority of seats. As their leaders have already suggested, a conservative government would reject any eventual rejection of pardon — proposed by the current socialist government — to the imprisoned Catalan politicians and the abolition of the Catalan autonomy. This would undoubtedly lead to social discontent and disorder among the pro-independence citizens. On April 28, no one will win. The battle was lost in the first place due to the lack of dialogue and understanding among all parts. I am unsure that the Catalan society and Spain as a whole can endure this situation for any longer. Whatever the results are, all roads seem to lead to Catalonia.
PHOTOS VIA ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ JIMENEZ AND WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ESME BLEECKER-ADAMS
Javier Ortega Smith (left), Vox secretary general, echoes fascist Spanish dictator Francisco Franco (right).
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Opinions
April 11, 2019 THE OBSERVER
WWW.fordhamobserver.com
AOC: The Bigger Picture JANIRA PLANES-FRIAS
LEO BERNABEI
Contributing Writer
Staff Writer
You may not know who your congressperson is (even though you should), but you are probably familiar with these initials: AOC. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is currently the youngest member of Congress and arguably one of the most controversial. Several weeks ago, Ocasio-Cortez and Fordham professor Henry Schwalbenberg met at the United Nations. According to a lighthearted-turned-controversial post on Fordham’s Instagram, they had met to discuss U.S. international humanitarian development assistance, along with Fordham’s work with Catholic Relief Services. The post garnered a lot of comments such as, “Maybe teach her……...Economics?”; “Hopefully the meeting was to talk some sense into her. I still cannot believe she was elected” and “A university charging 70k sharing a meeting with a socialist ‘congresswoman.’” Other commenters went to bat for Ocasio-Cortez, claiming that the uproar over the university’s post was uncalled for. One commented, “imagine being so soft that you get offended by a picture of a professor with a sitting politician.” These scornful comments about AOC are made on a rather small scale, but it’s no secret that they display a microcosm of what takes place ubiquitously in conservative circles. As an American conservative and a European liberal, respectively, we hold different political convictions, but we both agree the criticism Ocasio-Cortez receives is trivial. Leo, an American conservative: As a young, aspiring public servant myself, I am inspired by representatives like Ocasio-Cortez, who don’t sit patiently and
STALE GRUT VIA FLICKR
Some criticism leveled at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is warranted. Some is definitely not.
wait their turns to run for office. Her courage and audacity is something I hope to emulate. Attacking her based on her college history, background or dancing skills is not productive. It is reminiscent of Democratic attacks on President Trump’s accidental malapropisms, hair and health. As a realist and a Republican, I am worried that her political philosophy is picking up steam, and quickly. With many in the American public already supporting ideas like single-payer healthcare, it’s no secret that democratic socialism is on the rise in the United States. Simply because this ideology functions well in certain small, ethnically homogenous European countries does not mean that it would work in the U.S. So naturally, it amazes me with how relatively little time conservatives spend criticizing Ocasio-Cortez’s actual policies and proposals. It seems that nearly every week on Twitter, prominent conservatives are out in full force attacking Ocasio-Cortez for something petty, antiquated
or both. Even while much of the criticism of her dancing video came from one account (whose owner deleted it and subsequently his own handle after the ensuing visceral outrage), it is clear that conservatives feel threatened by Ocasio-Cortez’s rise and gravitas, despite her holding a relatively unpowerful position within her own caucus, not holding any rank within the Democratic Party leadership. Instead of attacking her on absurd and pedantic grounds, Republicans (and even centrist Democrats) would be much better off criticizing her over her substantive policy proposals. I’ve noted that many of her ideas, such as the Green New Deal, would require levels of funding and economic shifts so drastic that they have potential to unleash horrendous consequences, such as, for starters, tremendous debt. It should not be hard to criticize with serious and tenable arguments a sitting national representative considering how off-base and unprecedented her
ideals are. Sure, it might be funny and easy to make fun of her for a slip of the tongue when she mistakenly identified the three branches of government as the Presidency, House and Senate or when she falsely claimed that the world will end in 12 years if we don’t tackle climate change. But just as Trump’s followers see his talking points as tangentially correct while possibly factually wrong, Ocasio-Cortez’s followers see it the same way. So before Fox & Friends starts going off on her comments about “cow farts” or abstaining from eating hamburgers, let’s all take a step back and think about the issues we actually need to have fundamental debates on. Janira, a European liberal: All of this Ocasio-Cortez hype is not just a phenomenon in the United States. She is a politician many Europeans keep an eye on. For example, her Green New Deal proposal has reopened the very
urgent and necessary conversation about climate change in the European Parliament. Originally from Barcelona, Spain, I watched the 2018 midterm elections overseas and closely followed AOC’s exponential growth in popularity both in and out of social media. Now living in New York, I can connect the dots and understand the hateful comments Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez received on Fordham’s Instagram post. It all goes back to one term: socialism. And how Europe and the U.S., despite both being Western societies, have completely different conceptions of the term. Bobby Ghosh, a member of the editorial board of Bloomberg, put it this way: “To say that you are a socialist [in the United States] is like declaring yourself a fascist.” Socialist policies are dispersed all over Europe, and some of the countries that are doing better, like Iceland and Sweden, have governments that function mostly on socialist policies. That is why Ocasio-Cortez is admired in Europe and deeply questioned here in the States, where, instead of looking at Europe, Americans talk about — mistakenly, may I add — Venezuela. Aside from that issue, Ocasio-Cortez is doing something really interesting with social media. Out of the 105 million U.S. Instagram users, 64% are between 16 and 29 years old. She is talking to the teenagers and young adults who have just gained the franchise. She is showing that a politician is not someone unreachable, nor an unattainable position. She is changing political communication one Instagram Live at a time, and she is connecting with young millenials who could possibly vote for her if she ran for president one day. It’s no wonder the young Republican Matt Gaetz wants her on his team and even calls her “adorable.” AOC has global appeal. As politics swing toward the extreme, she’s captured the interest of those on both sides of the political spectrum. How she will weather future criticism leveled at her — warranted or not — will be of great interest to everyone.
Take Action to Help the Homeless ADRIANE KONG Staff Writer
You’re in a packed subway car. Perhaps it’s rush hour, or maybe a weekend. But the moment the door closes, a person stands up, dressed chaotically and unfit for the weather and they start talking. It tends to begin with an apology: “Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for disrupting your day.” This person then goes on to explain the unfortunate circumstances that have befallen them, which has led to their homelessness. They will then politely ask for any help that people are willing to offer, whether it be money, food or kind words. The spiel typically ends with a “Thank you for your time, I hope you all have a wonderful day.” But their time is too often wasted. The effort spent apologizing, telling their story and thanking the commuters and tourists is useless. Because as the person walks the subway car end to end, many people shy away, averting their gazes as if homelessness was a disease spread through eye contact. Passengers look at their phones, scrolling through emails, Twitter, Instagram, anything that will indicate to the homeless indi-
GRACE GETMAN/THE OBSERVER
Corbin Gregg, Jill Rice and Cat Fernando volunteer at the Metro Baptist Church food pantry.
vidual that they are not interested in interacting. They usually act as if the individual doesn’t even exist. These are all the symptoms of one great problem: New Yorkers have become desensitized to the homeless community in our city. Common excuses are that everyone is busy, people have their own jobs and own lives to care about, and it is impossible to help every homeless person they meet.
While it may be ineffective to donate to every homeless person you pass, treating homeless people as if they don’t deserve any respect speaks louder than any sort of financial aid. Constantly ignoring people who are not only fellow New Yorkers, but neighbors, is a form of dehumanization. This mentality and the stigma surrounding homelessness has allowed for nearly 64,000 people, more than a third of whom are
children, to continue living on the streets. Additionally, homeless people are rarely at fault for their situation. In actuality the primary cause of homelessness is lack of affordable housing. As members of this beautiful city, we should take on the responsibility of improving the welfare of our fellow New Yorkers. While it is implausible and ineffective to constantly give
money to homeless people, there are other easy ways New Yorkers can help. For one, you can donate all those old winter coats to a clothing drive, like the Bowery Mission. Or, if you’re feeling generous, you could donate money to organizations who work to provide shelter to all New Yorkers, such as Coalition for the Homeless. Even sparing five minutes during your commute to call 311, and have them contact a homelessness organization to bring a homeless person to a shelter, can make a difference. There are even ways to help within Fordham. Cat Fernando, Fordham College Lincoln Center ’20, leads a group of Fordham students to a food pantry for low income and homeless families at Metro Baptist Church on 40th Street every Saturday. In addition, she runs a charity, Socks in the City, that distributes socks to homeless people throughout New York City, which is especially crucial during the winter. Students seeking to join her at the Metro Baptist Food Pantry or donate to Socks in the City can reach her at cfernando@fordham.edu. We all have an obligation to help the homeless. We may not think we have the time for philanthropy, but you’d be surprised how much of a difference you can make in a New York minute.
The Rubberneck
THE OBSERVER April 11, 2019
Opinions
Ancestral Wealth Gets Me Again
NICOLE PERKINS Staff Writer
Recently, it came to my attention that I am broke. New York is expensive and I was never that rich in the first place, so things have only gone downhill upon my arrival at Lincoln Center in September. I applied to several local businesses, and even once stole a Trader Joe’s uniform in the hope that they would assume I worked there and just start paying me. Alas, none of it worked. As a result, I tried to adopt the habits of rich people in hopes that I miraculously acquire wealth as they have. There were a few obstacles I faced. First of all, I was not born into an outlandishly wealthy family, so ancestral wealth was out of the question. There would be no Nicole Rockefeller on her yacht in the summer. Secondly, I have no business skills whatsoever, so anything I started would fail almost immediately. This leads to my third point, which is that I am of average intellect. Unlike Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos, I am not a human calculator and struggle with even the most basic algebra. But then I stumbled upon it. The golden ticket. The grand prize. While browsing a closeknit, Texas Moms Motivational Quote Facebook group, I saw an especially touching post. Aerin Lauder, one American billionaire, said that her day “typically starts with an early-morning walk through Central Park.” “It’s a nice moment of calm before my routine starts,” she said. I could easily do that. If
GRACE GETMAN Asst. Opinions Editor
On March 31, 2019, students were stunned when a creature long assumed to be myth was spotted at the Ildiko Butler Gallery. In Fordham Lincoln Center folklore, Visual Arts students are said to be shy, reclusive and nocturnal, primarily inhabiting remote environments like the “Visual Arts Complex” and the “Push Pin Gallery.” Many students have risked their lives attempting to summit these mythical locations. Suddenly, one Visual Arts major had stumbled into plain view. Many sightings of these elusive creatures have been claimed over the years, but most have been proved to be either lost NYU students or just vegans. This one was different. Witnesses report that the Visual Arts student was seen contemplating the artwork in the gallery, one hand stroking his chin, the other wiping away tears. Experts surmise that in that moment, he had realized just exactly how much money he was spending to gain an art degree at Fordham, a university whose idea of design includes art deco rugs in Quinn that have been accentuated with unidentifiable stains and the morning-after-Rose-Hill-vomit” green hallway in the Law School Building. Footage of the alleged Visual Arts student was posted on the Fordham Barstool Instagram, but the skeptical Rose Hill poster alleged that the sighting had been faked in order to oversell the scope of Lincoln Center’s natural wildlife beyond McMahon rats and black mold. But me? I’m a believer. Though I did not actually catch a glimpse of the Visual Arts student — students have named
walking through Central Park every day was what was needed to become rich, then so be it. I would attack Central Park with the stride of champions and the briskness of a lazy Usain Bolt. After emailing all of my teachers to inform them that I would in fact be dropping out of all my classes (as having Central Park walking money handed to me left and right would render a college degree useless), I set to work. Two hours into my first outing, as I ran around the same tree screaming, I found myself completely lost. I had grossly overestimated my navigation skills, having thrown my Central Park map into a dumpster fire a mere hour earlier in a fit of megalomania. I tried the only thing that I could think of to find my way back home: I repeatedly said the word “money” under my breath in the hopes that I would magically be transported out of the forest. Lo and behold, after doing this for six hours, I was. By a search and rescue team that had been sent to find me. As I was taken away on a stretcher in a state of exhaustion from spending six hours in the park, I realized that I had walked all of Central Park. I was in exactly the same location that I had started, which must have meant that I had walked a full loop. I had walked so much faster than I anticipated. I thought of the stack of bills that must be waiting on my bed. I knew that my bank account now had more than 45 cents in it. The following day, after being questioned by the police for “disturbing the peace in the park”
the creature of myth “The Sasquartist” — I was in the Lowenstein lobby at the time. Upon hearing the commotion in the Ildiko Butler Gallery as students rushed to take selfies with this creature of myth, I joined them, unsure of what I would find. By the time I managed to push my way through the crowd, the Visual Arts student had vanished. But what I did see shocked me — a footprint in a spilled guava-quinoa shake on the floor, and a juul pod that had been whittled from bamboo lying several feet away. I had zero doubt. Only a Visual Arts student could be capable of such postmodernism in the digital age. Since the sighting, I have started collaborating with Fordham’s Filmmaking Club to film a documentary about Visual Arts students to prove they’re real, not just a myth created to scare badly-behaved Gabelli students. Legends say that if Gabelli students embezzle funds or conduct insider trading, a Visual Arts student will break into their dorm and graffiti “CAPITALIST PIG” onto their foreheads. Our new theory suggests that Visual Arts students’ slipperiness is a response to the threat of the Theatre Program’s unregulated growth. While Visual Arts students are in fact the stronger cousins of the Theatre Program, the sheer mass of Theatre majors has caused the Visual Arts majors to fight for their very survival. Because of this competition for resources, we propose that these poor, poor souls should be placed on the Endangered Majors List. This investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information should contact me, and we can work together to uncover the truth surrounding one of Fordham Lincoln Center’s most cryptic species.
JOE ROVEGNO/THE OBSERVER
Central Park is a reliable font of inspiration. Disposable income, less so.
(whatever that means), I ran to my dorm only to discover two things. The first: there was no money on my bed. In fact, there was a bill on it from my roommate for “emotional damages.” After throwing that in the trash, I saw a tube of lipstick on my desk. The brand: Estee Lauder. The name sounded familiar,
and it was then I realized that Aerin Lauder is the heiress to the Lauder brand. I was a fool. Ancestral wealth had trumped me again. “Aerin Lauder, using her obscene wealth, must have found out that I had been trying to join the ranks of the rich and sabotaged me so that I could not become one of them.
If anyone currently wishes to find me, I will be in Central Park looking for an alternative means of revenue. Should anyone wish to be taken on a tour, look no further than me, the Nature Queen Extraordinaire. It only costs $400. The experience is frankly so easy, it’s a walk in the park.
Cryptid Found On Campus
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CARLA DE MIRANDA
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Sports & Health
April 11, 2019 THE O bserver www.fordhamobserver.com
By COURTNEY BROGLE Online Editor
Spring has sprung, and the extra hour of daylight shining through your windows has made you realize your room is a mess. You need to do some serious cleaning before Public Safety gets wind of your hazardous living conditions. Here’s how to achieve the “life changing magic of tidying up” Kondo preaches.
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Actually commit to making a change This seems pretty basic, but it’s similar to finding the motivation to stick to a New Year’s resolution. Actually promise yourself that even after the spring cleaning frenzy has ended you do your best to keep up with a tidier lifestyle. One helpful method for staying on top of your new tidy living is to think of giving yourself a reward after you clean. So think that “if you tidy your space, then you can watch an episode of a show on Netflix.”
2
Think about the difference a tidy life would make for you To stick with the new tidy life is to envision what it would mean in the long run for you personally. How would the lack of clutter benefit you physically and mentally? For most, it would bring less stress, especially for roommate relations. No more passive-aggressive notes telling you to keep your side of the room neat; thinking about the positive aspects of sticking with a more regimented cleaning schedule makes the task easier to handle and boosts your motivation to actually tidy up.
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Discard unwanted items before you begin organizing One of the big trademarks of the “KonMari” method is to start by throwing things away rather than diving straight into cleaning. This way, you don’t overwhelm yourself with deciding what you want to throw away or donate as you try to clean. For some people, this tactic
means making a bigger mess than what you had originally, and that’s okay. Don’t get discouraged by the magnitude of stuff you need to parse through. Think of it as a way to purge things you would ordinarily attempt to organize in the cluttered chaos. Getting rid of junk makes it easier in the end to clean your space.
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Tackle the mess based on category, not location Another major tenet of Kondo’s code is to handle things in very specific categories rather than all at once. Start with clothes, and determine what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of. Use that same frame of thought as you then tackle your books, papers, miscellaneous stuff (which includes things like kitchen and bathroom supplies) and finally sentimental items. For commuters who may live in larger spaces off-campus, this rule means collecting all of your clothes in your home and organizing them before moving on to all books in your home.
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Stick to a specific order Don’t try to deviate from Kondo’s categorical rules. Otherwise, it is easy to become overwhelmed as you try to bounce from roomto-room or area-to-area trying to tackle the mess in its entirety. Focus on small achievable goals that will encourage you to keep on tidying up both now and in the long run.
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Keep only what sparks joy The ideology that Kondo is best known for is keeping things that bring joy into your life. In sum, categorize your belongings into what is helpful and necessary in your life, what is excess but brings you happiness and what is clutter and unnecessary. Think realistically about what you need and what you do not for your lifestyle. Now, channel your inner Marie Kondo and conquer that mess. Spring cleaning never sounded so good.
Spring Fever A guide to cooking and tidying up in your McMahon dorm
ZOEY LIU /THE OBSERVER
Banana “Ice Cream”
Ingredients: Frozen bananas Milk of choice
By LENA WEIDENBRUCH Asst. Sports & Health Editor
Instructions: Cut up one to two ripe bananas (the riper the bananas, the sweeter the ice cream will be) and place them in a plastic bag or reusable container. Put the container in the freezer and leave them there overnight or for at least eight hours. When the bananas are frozen solid, take them out of the freezer and get out your blender. Place the banana pieces into the blender and add a splash of milk — unsweetened vanilla almond milk works great. Blend the bananas and milk until the mixture is creamy. If the blender is having trouble blending the frozen bananas, keep adding small amounts of milk, but not too much. You can eat the ice cream straight out of the blender, or put it in a plastic or glass container and back into the freezer to allow the mixture to harden a bit.
Simp
Ingredients: Two eggs One medium or la Coconut oil (if not
Instructions: Peel and mash a b consistency. Crack two eggs in nana. Heat pan ove Add a small amou cakes small — abou be difficult to flip. Let the pancake co Check to see if it’s spatula. If the bott pancake is ready to Flip the pancake an Remove the panca batter is gone. Sin about three at a tim
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ple Banana Pancakes
arge banana t using a non-stick pan)
banana in a bowl until it’s almost a liquid
n the same bowl. Whisk together with baer medium heat. Add coconut oil if needed. unt of batter to the hot pan. Keep the panut three to four inches across — or they will
ook on the first side for one to two minutes. s ready to flip by lifting up the edge with a tom is golden-brown and lifts up easily, the o be flipped. nd let it cook for another minute. ake from the pan and repeat until all the nce the pancakes are small, you can cook me depending on the size of your pan.
THE OBSERVER April 11, 2019
Broiled Salmon and Vegetables
Ingredients: One piece of salmon, cut longways Lemon Olive Oil Salt Pepper Mixed Frozen Vegetables
Instructions: Turn oven onto high broil and let it preheat. Cover a baking sheet with foil and place salmon skin-side down in the middle. Drizzle salmon with olive oil and make sure it gets beneath the fish so it doesn’t stick to the foil. Squeeze lemon onto the salmon followed by a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Put salmon in the oven and set a timer for three minutes. Defrost the frozen vegetables in the microwave for two to three minutes until they are soft and warm. When the timer goes off for the salmon, turn it onto its side to cook for three minutes and repeat on the other side. After the salmon has cooked once skin-down and once on each side for three minutes, take the baking sheet out of the oven and turn the salmon skin-down again. Toss the bowl of steamed vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper and pour them onto the baking sheet. Put the salmon and vegetables into the oven for another three minutes or more depending on desired level of crispiness. Check the salmon every 30 seconds once the timer hits three minutes.
Sports & Health
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Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture Editor Marielle Sarmiento - msarmiento3@fordham.edu
April 11, 2019
THE OBSERVER
Choose Your News: Student Publications at Fordham
ILLUSTRATION BY STEPH LAWLOR
By OWEN ROCHE Opinions Editor
If you’ll believe it, The Observer isn’t students’ only source of news. Neither is the Ram. The two papers compose the most traditional and established forms of student media across both campuses, but they aren’t the only game in town. Students look elsewhere for undergraduate news for several reasons: they desire a more informal platform or simply believe The Observer and The Ram aren’t covering what needs to be covered. This complaint is one that any publication would take seriously, and one that The Ram has recently been driven to contest. However, it is undeniable that among the student population — at this particular time and at this particular university — the desire for alter-
native news sources is growing. On a national level, campus altercations with conservatives have prompted the president’s plans to withhold federal funding from public institutions if they don’t prescribe to better free speech policies. The Trump presidency and the addition of “fake news” to the national vocabulary means that students are more careful than ever about how they get their news. It also means readers are more able than ever to personalize the stream of content they see. Fordham itself is no stranger to the free speech debate in the past decade, either. The likes of Ann Coulter, who ended up being disinvited, and Roger Stone, who famously accepted, were invited to speak at Fordham, sparking tremendous backlash from students. Because of these controversies, the conversation about conservative free speech on Ford-
ham’s campuses keeps being reignited. The incident at Rodrigue’s Coffee House in January of 2018 sent Fordham students and administration into its latest debate over the right to speak and publish freely. The intense scrutiny of the press seen on a national level hits home at Fordham University. The defense of collegiate conservative thought that has become vogue in the past decade has manifested among particular sources of alternative news based on the Rose Hill campus, including The Fordham Political Review — the “Journal of Fordham University’s Top Thinkers” and The Pamphlet, a conservative-leaning opinion source comprising the newest edition to Fordham’s collection of undergraduate literature. Political motivation isn’t the only driver for the creation of alternative student publications,
however. Sometimes, undergrads set out to present “The news, but … better,” in the words of Josh Strupp, co-founder of The Rival. Started as an attempt to forge more meaningful journalistic connections on the George Washington University campus, The Rival is now an 11-university collective effort to do so — Fordham included as of 2016. The only alternative news challenger to The Ram currently on stands at Rose Hill is the paper — its role as an alternative news and opinion source well-defined, down to its stylized lowercase moniker. Branded as a “free speech journal,” the paper uses informality to its advantage, much like The Rival, to blend opinion, humor and campus coverage into an accessible exercise of the First Amendment. A similarity between all of these alternative student news sources: they are based in, if not
solely distributed on, the Rose Hill campus. Indeed, many of Fordham’s trying political showdowns between students and administration have taken place 30 minutes away from Lincoln Center. When it comes to political and social discourse, undergraduate publications at Rose Hill compose the loudest exercise of campus free speech by numbers alone. This may not always be the case. Though many Fordham undergraduate publications are formally recognized by (and receive funding from) the university, this is not a requirement. Informality is often the strength of alternative college media, and online hosting and social media have provided student publications with creative ways to even circumvent print while still reaching their peers. The next source of student news to rival The Observer could very well be in the making.
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THE OBSERVER April 11, 2019
Bryce Vine: Homecoming
Arts
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Rapper returns to his hometown for Spring Weekend performance By GILLIAN RUSSO Asst. Arts & Culture Editor
To use his own words, Bryce Vine’s musical style sounds like “if Outkast and Blink-182 got drunk with the Gorillaz and started playing music together.” The singer-rapper’s sound cannot fit into one genre, due in part to the wide range of influences upon it — his music draws from complex experiences: growing up on both coasts, handling mental
illness and being a biracial man. Overall, though, his music reflects a mellow yet fun quality, which can be heard in everything from his debut EP, “Lazy Fair,” to his 2017 single “Drew Barrymore” that garnered him attention on the mainstream music scene. Vine is set to perform at Fordham’s 2019 Spring Weekend concert on April 27 as part of his current college tour, opening for Sean Kingston. The Observer spoke with Vine about the concert, his upcoming album and the inspiration behind his music. How has the college tour been going so far? I’m on my way to the second show. It’s been going great so far, but it’s still at the very beginning. The first show was at a little school called Utica College in upstate New York, and now we’re in central Michigan, heading to Central Michigan University.
What should Fordham students expect from your performance? A lot of energy. I think people come to the show just to relieve whatever it is they’re going through in their normal lives. I like interacting with the crowd and making them feel comfortable, and it’s fun to see people come out of their shell. Can you tell us anything about your upcoming album yet? Will you perform anything from it at Spring Weekend? It’s called “Carnival.” It’ll be out this summer at some point; I don’t have a date yet. We’re going to play a couple new songs from that and a couple songs from my past EPs. What excites you most about Fordham’s concert? You were born in New York. Is this a kind of homecoming? A little bit, yeah. I never really have an expectation. It’s funny how you go into these things and you really don’t know what you’re going to get. You don’t know what students are going to know the words to what songs. There’s no way to really expect it — you just go in and sometimes it’s an amazing experience. You meet all the kids and hear their stories, so I’m just looking forward to that. What inspires you and your music now? Just experiences in my own life and kind of realizing how similar we all are in the things
that we go through as human beings, from heartbreak to memories of childhood, good and bad decisions and relationships with friends and family. I have a unique perspective because I’m multicultural and I come from an interesting family and I travel to countries in the world for a living, so I see a lot more of it than most people get to. I just speak on that perspective and try to write things that feel relatable to people. Following the college tour, are there any upcoming tours or performances in the works? Yeah, probably. I just finished my first headline tour, and it went amazingly. Every show was sold out, so I definitely have to get back on the road soon. But I just want to sit down for a second when I’m done with this college tour, focus on the next era of writing music and put together new things. You really need the time, and when you’re on the road a lot you don’t get that time to sit and think and focus on what you want to say. It’s my favorite thing to do, is to play those shows, so I’ll definitely be back on the road. We’re doing a lot of radio shows this summer, so I’ll still be traveling around. Is there anything else you want Fordham students to know about your music or the concert? I think it’ll speak for itself when we come. It usually does. This interview has been condensed and edited.
DESHAUN CRADDOCK VIA FLICKR
Give Country Music a Chance It’s much more than just trucks, booze, women and guns By ROXANNE CUBERO Staff Writer
You’ve probably heard (or said) this before: “I like all music” — pause for emphasis — “except country.” I, too, was once appalled by the sweet croons of steel guitars. Despite my memories of Waylon Jennings wailing in the family Ford F150, country music didn’t truly enter my life until after I moved from Texas. In the advent of “yeehaw” culture, where southern slang and Western wear have permeated “stan” Twitter and the fashion world, why is country still frowned upon? It’s not all trucks, women and booze. At the heart of country music lie stories, acoustic instruments and strong vocals. The first country songwriters, isolated in the Appalachians, only had tales of love, infidelity, despair and redemption. Successful country carries that tradition of real stories, from the literal (Marty Robbins’ “El Paso”) to the thematic (Brooks & Dunn’s “Neon Moon”). Traditionally, country should sound as though you made it on mama’s back porch on the acoustic guitar, the fiddle, the banjo and the piano. The drums and the steel pedal guitar — which gives country its signature twang — would be introduced later. And, from Johnny Cash’s brutal baritone to Hank William’s youthful yodel and Patsy Cline’s ageless alto, there’s a singing style in country that will appeal to anyone.
ANGELA CHEN/THE OBSERVER
Roxanne Cubero, FCLC ’22, lets “yeehaw” culture influence her fashion and music.
If you dislike country music, your opinion is valid and probably justified. While white men contributed many iconic country songs, Nashville’s blue-eyed beefcakes are starting to sound monotonous and boring. Imagine the equally iconic music that women, people of color and queer people could contribute to this story-driven genre. In “Murder on Music Row,” George Strait and Alan Jackson lament that “The steel guitars no longer cry/and fiddles barely play.” They’re pointing out the painfully
obvious: country doesn’t sound like country anymore. It’s “bro-country,” or the kind of country that made everyone hate country. Since the 1950s, country has been playing catch-up with pop. As music critic Grady Smith put it, “country music is just doing a way worse version” of whatever is trending in pop music. Having bastardized country music’s instrumentation, bro-country also ceased storytelling. The overuse of trucks, booze and women trivializes the genre. These could be valid stories, but it’s concerning when every chart topper is about
dirt roads and cold beers. I’m a traditionalist. Country music should evolve but still respect the past. Sometimes I’ll indulge with some rock-infused honky tonk and blast Brooks & Dunn’s “Boot Scootin’ Boogie.” I also think that Kacey Musgraves’s “galactic country” album “Golden Hour” deserves both Grammy awards for Best Country Album and Album of the Year. Hear me out: Kacey Musgraves will save country. She looks to the future while still honoring the past. With an inclusive and honest messages wrapped up in clever lyricism,
she’s already enticing new audiences to give country a chance. She is one of many stars that are “pissed” with the lack of inclusivity in country, and she values her “kinship” and “friendship” with the LGBTQ community. Her ballad “Rainbow” wasn’t intended to be a queer anthem, but a reminder to to anyone facing adversity that “there’s always been a rainbow hangin’ over your head.” In the music video, she nods to her large queer fanbase by featuring a young queer man among the group of outcasts. Though the gatekeepers of country radio turn a blind eye to her success, Kacey Musgraves is reaching audiences previously untouched. What explains the paradox in which country haters love the princess of country? People find comfort in being able to relate to someone. She connects with everyone, not just the rednecks and hillbillies. She draws from her own experiences while creating content that anyone can relate to. I’m not one to say what is and is not country, but this is country. It’s time to let new things into your life; why not country? Give “Golden Hour” a listen in its entirety. If that’s where you stop, that’s alright. If you’re intrigued to dive deeper, that’s great. If you decide that it’s still not for you, that’s okay, too. All I ask is that you give this beautifully authentic genre a chance. For more about this story, visit www.fordhamobserver.com
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April 11, 2019 THE OBSERVER
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Making a Musical: ‘The Shakespeare Company’
By MARIELLE SARMIENTO Arts & Culture Editor
“I hadn’t moved here yet when I wrote a story about a kid who moved to New York,” said Carli Freeman, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21. “Hilariously, the songs about New York are the ones that I didn’t change.” When Freeman was 13 years old, she imagined a story about a playwright who moves to New York. Now, she is that playwright. On April 12 at 7 p.m., the first-ever concert performance of “The Shakespeare Company” will premiere. The musical follows a high school boy, Kyle, who finds solace and family in his drama club, the titular Shakespeare Company. It has been in the works for years.
When Freeman was 13 years old, she imagined a story about a playwright who moves to New York. Now, she is that playwright.
Freeman, a film and television major and math minor “just for fun,” always loved writing musicals despite not having the typical theater composer’s background. “I’m from Nashville, which is a big songwriting city, but no one reads sheet music,” Freeman said. “Most of the music I just taught myself. I’m a self-taught pianist.” “The Shakespeare Company” underwent several drafts over the years. Freeman wrote the story, but it wasn’t until the beginning of this semester that someone decided to tell it. “It’s been a Shannie Rao production from beginning to end,” she said. Freeman met Shannie Rao, FCLC ’22, in French class at the beginning of the year, bonding over their love of writing. Rao held a writing salon at a coffee shop with other Fordham students, where Freeman shared a draft of what would become the cast-favorite squirrel scene from “The Shakespeare Company.” Rao urged Freeman to finish her play so they could put it on. The pair revised the draft of the script
CANDICE O’NEAL/THE OBSERVER
Carli Freeman’s (top) characters are being brought to life by the cast after six years in her imagination.
over the course of a month while Freeman finished up the music. After they were done, they quickly launched into auditions. “This really has been a two-woman show,” Freeman said. As the director and producer, Rao handled scheduling, logistics and blocking while Freeman led the writing and music direction. Another non-theater student, Rao, as a film and English double major, said her background as a movie director and dancer have come in handy during the process. The creative team is rounded out by psychology major Sammi Fontana, FCLC ’21, who serves as the assistant director and assistant musical director. Fontana and Freeman’s friendship blos-
somed from their love of music. “It felt really healthy and pure, being around her and singing,” Fontana said. “She mentioned [the musical] to me and I was all for it. She wanted me to be part of it.” “None of us are particularly qualified to do this, but it’s working out really well,” said Freeman. Rao’s strategic directing makes her the brain of show. Fontana’s positivity and adoration for the cast and crew make her the heart. Freeman is the soul. Although the visions of many are woven into this production, it is still Freeman’s story. “I’ve been working on this show in a very different form since middle school,” she said. “There are ele-
ments that I wrote in eighth grade that are still in the finale. As I grew, I changed the script and it’s gone through a million different renovations.” Rehearsals for “The Shakespeare Company” hold a lively energy, Freeman and Rao bouncing ideas off each other from across the room while Fontana hums out a harmony with the performers. The creative team flits through conversations and the show evolves with each rehearsal. The shockingly short three weeks of rehearsal will culminate in a concert performance of “The Shakespeare Company.” After workshopping a new version of the show before spring break, Rao said, “It’s the next step where
we can put it out to an audience without it being in its final stage where everything has been done. It’s a learning process to figure out what audiences respond well to and don’t before making it into something bigger.” The concert performance includes stage directions read aloud for clarity, minimal costuming and piano accompaniment by Freeman. Freeman’s vision is actualized by the lifting tenor of John Bologna, a friend of Fontana’s, who plays the lead. The sweet and sincere performance of Leah Garza, FCLC ’20, brings a depth to the show that makes the lack of sets seem unimportant. The most moving part of the show is how supportive the cast and crew are of each other. All of the actors had nothing but praise for Freeman’s script. “The Shakespeare Company” is the first time that most of these performers had originated a role. It is clear that the cast holds the show close to their hearts. “I want audiences to see that no one is the bad guy in their own eyes,” Bologna said. “Such a big thing in this show is that it shows each individual person’s struggle and what they want. I think that’s the most beautiful thing.” The journey of Kyle, the lead character, parallels Freeman’s own life. “For me this is a show about the power of teenagers,” she said. “I think that’s reflected in the show, but also by the fact that I’m 19, Shannie’s 18. Two teenagers put on this entire show.” Putting on a musical in three weeks is no small feat, and Freeman and Rao aren’t relying on the resources of a club or class. “We’re getting rooms booked from the Dean’s Office,” Freeman said. “We thought about what we needed, and all we really needed were the rooms. We’ve done everything on our own.” “The Shakespeare Company” will have its concert performance in Room 213 of the 140 West building. Admission is free and first come, first serve. “If my dreams came true, I would be writing for musical theater,” Freeman said. Her dreams definitely seem to be coming true. The success of the production has only motivated Rao and Freeman to proceed with the next steps of “The Shakespeare Company.” They’ve made it clear that Friday’s performance is just the beginning.
Move Over Coachella, Woodstock Is Back By NADYA SHAHIN-COBOURN Contributing Writer
In August 1969, Woodstock debuted on a 600-acre farm located in Bethel, a small town in upstate New York. More than half a million people showed up to the three-day festival, which has since become an icon of 1960s hippie counterculture. This summer, 50 years after the original opening, Woodstock is being relaunched in Watkins Glen, New York. The Woodstock Festival (also known as An Aquarian Exposition: Three Days of Peace and Music) was one of the first big music festivals to launch in the United States. Some of the headliners were Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Grateful Dead, The Who, Santana and Jimi Hendrix. Along with the musical acts, it fostered a wild but warm environment with energy to match. It helped create a new kind of live music experience, one that not only values
music but also emphasizes unity and peace among people. It truly was a time of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Although it had a huge turnout and a rocking lineup, the organizers of the festival ran into a lot of trouble, resulting in more than $1 million in debt and 70 lawsuits filed against them. Nothing of this magnitude had been done before, so there was no protocol on how to coordinate the event. The organizers were four inexperienced young men, all younger than 27. The 2019 Woodstock Festival looks promising. We are in the golden age of festivals – Coachellas, Lollapaloozas, Burning Men and Bonnaroos abound. At this point, the days of awkward planning are gone. Organizers have mastered the art of constructing a successful music festival. Plus, this is the 50-year anniversary of Woodstock, so there is no room for error. The lineup for this year’s Woodstock is stacked with estab-
COURTESY OF WOODSTOCK50
Today’s trendy music festivals all began with Woodstock.
lished contemporary artists like Jay-Z, Chance The Rapper, Miley Cyrus and The Killers. Sticking true to its roots, the festival will also feature some of the original Woodstock headliners like San-
tana and Dead and Company, which includes members from the original Grateful Dead. The fusion of classic and new artists is sure to attract crowds from all walks of life and create a unique
festival experience. It can be overwhelming to navigate the overabundant number of festivals these days. Figuring out which lineup is best, which tickets are cheapest and what vibes are present are all pressing issues to young adults all over the country. But it would be a shame not to take advantage of living in New York and make a trip to the revival of the most iconic music festival of all time. Watkins Glen is a five-hour drive from New York City. Buses are an affordable and easy option for getting to the location, but a roadtrip with friends is a fun alternative. If you want to have a festival experience this summer, Woodstock is the one. After all, it is the festival that started all festivals. The original Woodstock brought people together during a time of political and social turmoil. The new Woodstock may instill that same feeling of hope during this seemingly hopeless time.
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THE OBSERVER April 11, 2019
The Most Magical Place in Manhattan By GRACE GETMAN Asst. Opinions Editor
During the last week of March, Tom Verner of Magicians Without Borders, a charity that performs magic shows for marginalized and impoverished children throughout the world, along with assistants from the Yale Magic Society, came to Fordham Lincoln Center to help conclude the dean-organized Year of Magic. During his time at Lincoln Center, Verner taught two magic seminars and delivered a celebratory speech on Friday, March 29. On Thursday, March 28 and Saturday, March 30, he and his assistants gave intimate threehour workshops on magic to Lincoln Center students, with the intent that students would take away enough knowledge to be able to perform their own 15-20 minute magic shows. I was able to attend the Thursday workshop, one of six students out of 13 who had signed up, with Conor O’Kane, Associate Director of Campus Ministry, and Dean Wertz. The event had a late start due to a last-minute room swap. During our session in the South Lounge, Verner taught us both simple and complex techniques, but emphasized to us the real trick of magic — the performance. In his words, “20% is in the mechanics, and 80% is in the performance.” He asked students to come to the front of the class and perform the trick they had just learned, students leading into the tricks with a small, often humorous, backstory. At the beginning of the class, these introductions were short, simple and sweet. By the end, students concocted elaborate backstories that ranged from being taught the trick by their Italian great-aunts to finding a magical card deck that
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once belonged to Houdini. He also stressed “magic moments,” a technique where you milk the payoff to your trick for everything it’s worth through dramatic flourishes, pronouncements and hand waves. This isn’t to say that the actual tricks weren’t cool. Verner taught students the Magic Five Card Trick, The Case of the Disappearing Coin and the Mystical Money-Making Paddle (as I like to call them), among others. He
The astonishment and joy that comes from seeing the unreal become real can help alleviate stress from the situations — such as being an orphan, a refugee or impoverished — that his audience members are in. said that, while the tricks were old and relatively simple, they’re good to learn as there’s always a “new crop of four-, five-, six-yearolds coming up.” During the workshop, Verner said that the universality of magic and its infectious joy is what makes his charity successful, as “everyone seems to speak magic,” and “you can carry it with you, anytime and anywhere.” Even if he does not speak the language of the country he is performing in, he can entertain anyone with a magic trick. At his lecture on Friday, Verner added that his philosophy is based on a quote by Houdini: “Magic not only amazes and amuses, but it can awaken hope that the impossible is possible.” The astonishment and joy that comes from seeing the unreal become real can help alleviate stress from the
TITO CRESPO/THE OBSERVER
Tom Verner showed students a flaming book and other tricks up his sleeve.
situations — such as being an orphan, a refugee or a member of an impoverished family — that his audience members are in. Verner was an excellent teacher, taking the time to learn each student’s name and assign them a partner to practice with, walking around the room offering gentle critiques following each demonstration. Participants were very encour-
aging of each other even when we made mistakes, and just like Verner predicted, the universality of magic helped us all form connections to each other. All of us were equally amazed as we worked together to learn the tricks Verner demonstrated to us. The most astonishing thing wasn’t the tricks — it was that we managed to master them. After the workshop concluded,
Verner encouraged all the workshop attendees to continue to practice what they had learned, and spread the joy and amazement that magic brings into the world. While the Deans’ Year of Magic events have struggled for attendance throughout the year, Verner’s seminar convinced me of the program’s key value: Magic is created to share, and its joy is infectious.
It’s a Guessing ‘Game of Thrones’ By ETHAN COUGHLIN Staff Writer
The theme song comes on. I’m up with all my friends as we stare mesmerized at the television to see where the intro takes us. We take a bird’s-eye view, flying over castles and cities trying to piece together their inevitable relevance in the coming episode. Giant flames fill the screen as metallic sigils emerge and we finally get to the climax: “Game of Thrones” (GOT). Since August 27, 2017, fans have not experienced the excitement of watching a new episode of the wildly popular HBO series. As someone who has read all the books and watched every episode, these last two years have been hard for me. I have tried to appease my appetite with fan theories and videos, but nothing can rival the feeling of authentic, new GOT. However, that’s just the problem: who decides the fate of GOT? The show is based on the book series “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George R. R. Martin. The series currently consists of five books, with two more slated to be released. The first book in the series, “A Game of Thrones,” came out in 1996 and the latest release, “A Dance with Dragons,” was in 2011. The GOT show first premiered in 2011, with each of the first six seasons roughly corresponding to the first five books (seasons three and four shared book three since it is the longest in the series). The seventh season officially
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While fans of the show are eagerly awaiting the finale, some worry how the books will compare.
premiered on April 3 at Radio City Music Hall with the HBO premiere on April 14. A giant replica of the Iron Throne was erected at Rockefeller Center on that day where fans could go see it before the premiere. In addition, the entire cast stayed at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel right down the street, where some lucky Fordham students were able to see them heading off to the premiere. One of those students was Caroline de Marneffe, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’22. She wait-
ed for an hour and half outside the hotel and eventually saw Sean Bean (Ned Stark), Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth), Iain Glen (Ser Jorah), Jack Gleeson (Joffrey), Liam Cunningham (Davos) and George R. R. Martin himself. “None of them stopped to take any pictures,” said Caroline, “but George waved at us.” She added that other fans kept yelling to Martin, asking when the next book would come out. Going into season seven, GOT showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss faced a new chal-
lenge: making a show based on a book that hasn’t yet come out. When GOT first began, HBO was under the impression that Martin would finish the next two books before the show caught up with the source material, but that was not that case. Martin has yet to announce if he has finished the sixth installment, “Winds of Winter,” but he has been dropping some hints that it may be coming out soon. Going into the sixth season of GOT, Benioff and Weiss were given more or less full control
of the story Martin started, and the split from the book and the show has only grown with each episode. While differences have always existed between the book and the show, many of the most prevalent ideas from the book in earlier seasons have since been abandoned in order to make the show more appealing to general audiences. In the first seasons, the passing of time was an extremely important element. Characters would spend entire seasons simply trying to get from one place to another. Now, they can seemingly teleport all around the world instantaneously to be in any scene they want. HBO has made it clear that this coming season of GOT, premiering April 14, will be the last. Weiss and Benioff will get to finish Martin’s story before even he does. As a devoted fan of the books, this scares me. I hate to sound cliche, but the GOT books are better than the show. Imagine if the Harry Potter movies had beaten J. K. Rowling. How differently would that franchise be remembered? Going into the final season, I am both excited and skeptical. I am thrilled to get new GOT, but I fear it will feel like a Walmart version of what Martin will hopefully write. Or, worse, Martin will model his ending after what Benioff and Weiss decide to do. Either way, I feel like I’m being set up for disappointment. That said, do not reach out to me Sunday night because I will be very busy.
Fun & Games
Fun & Games Editor Dan Nasta - dnasta1@fordham.edu
April 11, 2019 THE OBSERVER
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ACROSS
1. An underrated film, for example 4. Press play on Netflix 10. Congressperson: Abbr. 13. A crudite, for one 15. “From my POV” 16. Clemency 17. Premium ticket area: Abbr.
EDITED BY DAN NASTA
18. Head exec. of a budget 19. 2016 animated pig film 20. Kind of sale to die for 22. Airport in Northern N.Y. 23. Retro rival to the Sega Master System: Abbr. 24. Virtual address: Abbr.
SUMMER SESSION IN NEW YORK CITY
25. Arrange 26. Blood types? 31. “Revelations” Dance Theater 34. Cover for the circus 35. Leaning locale 36. Opening panel? 37. Bases 38. Vault 39. Upon 40. Toboggan relative 41. Preacher at the Sermon on the Mount 42. Guarantee 44. Grind 45. Suffix in Orgo 46. Anderson, scribe of “Moonrise Kingdom” 47. Awkward sight on V Day 50. Choke 53. “Earth,” in the Gettysburg Address 55. Start of one Jedi name 56. Bland side at a picnic 58. Smaller moose relative 59. Pricey department at Sears 60. Holy , the domain of 12 Down 61. Loathe
62. In addition
DOWN
1. Best friend of Mickey and Donald 2. Blunder 3. Feared umami food additive: Abbr. 4. Member of 1917 revolution 5. This and the last 6 years, for instance 6. Had dialed 7. Born of 31 Down’s rib 8. British butt of jokes 9. Blunder 10. Yankees vs. Red Sox and The Observer vs. The Ram, for example 11. Give off 12. Bishop of Rome, among other duties 13. Popular sugar replacement in the USA 14. Locale for 1 Down 21. Kind of flow used by Migos and other rap artists 25. Seducer of 7 Down
26. Border 27. Buy-in 28. Olympus and Etna are two: Abbr. 29. Jacob’s twin, biblically 30. Fools 31. Reciever of fruit from 7 Down 32. Smidgen 33. Doppelganger 34. Circuit 37. Disease that at times was Spanish or Yellow 41. Squarely 43. Oozed 44. Hotel 46. Measure of power 47. Illness for FDR 48. Slytherin prefect and all around bad guy 49. Tallies 50. 48 Down and Harry Potter, for example 51. Ready 52. Position 53. Tie 54. Thirst 57. Offensive prefix
Word Scramble GAGAZON
ENGORGETWO
Question: How did Ignatius know there would be six more weeks of examen prayers?
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CRYS HOLOS
IDEALRIFF
MORALL AUTONOMYY
EL MONEY
AANAL SCART 750+ undergraduate and graduate courses Online, classroom, and hybrid formats. Visiting students welcome.
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Answer: He saw his own EDITED BY DAN NASTA
Features
Features Editors Lindsay Jorgensen - ljorgensen@fordham.edu Jeffrey Umbrell - jumbrell@fordham.edu
April 11, 2019 THE OBSERVER
West Side, West End
An Observer photographer spills the tea over life on both sides of the pond By ANDREW BEECHER Photo Editor Emeritus
Every Fordham student knows the words “New York is my campus. Fordham is my school.” But what about our oft-forgotten fourth campus? For the last 15 years, Fordham has maintained a small campus in London, which is far closer to the original York than New York. Students who study abroad at Fordham University London Centre, such as myself, have a rather different day-to-day experience living across the pond. These are some of my takeaways after three months in the U.K.’s capital city. Transportation How different can two subterranean rail networks really be, right? Wrong. The tube is like the subway’s favorite older brother. He is clean, usually on time and he’s good at his job, but he also goes to bed early and never has much fun. As far as commuting goes, the London Underground is far superior to the New York subway. The trains come every few minutes (at peak times often every minute) and they’re kept impeccably clean all day long. The seats are cushioned and comfortable, and some even fold up to make more room for standing during rush hour. Even the delays are never too long. However, the tube is seriously lacking in two ways. First, most of the system shuts down around midnight every night. The only exceptions are the five lines that run at night exclusively on Friday and Saturday. Going to bed early might be the secret to being productive during the day, but it doesn’t leave much room for late nights out on the town. The second issue with the tube is that it just isn’t as fun. People don’t talk on the tube — everyone just listens to music or reads a book. It’s uncomfortably silent even when packed full. And there are rarely any performers or musicians. Sure, watching the hat-flipoff-the-shoe-onto-the-head trick every time you take the D train between 125th Street and 59th Street gets pretty repetitive. But at least the subway is constantly filled with free entertainment and occasionally good live music. There’s a reason that footage from the Underground hardly ever makes it on the popular Instagram account, Subway Creatures. It’s simply just not as fun as New York City. And what is not a flaw of the tube but is certainly a downside: the price. Depending on how far you travel, the cost ranges from £2.40 ($3.17) to £5.10 ($6.74) per one-way trip. In New York, it is an affordable $2.75 for any one-way trip. Pedestrians In many ways, Londoners are not all that different from New Yorkers. Something about living in equally large cities unites the two groups. Yet, Americans distinguish themselves from their English counterparts in a few ways. First, New Yorkers make more noise. We’re used to talking loudly in the streets as we walk with our friends or coworkers. Londoners try to fly more under the radar with voices that maintain a conversational volume. You can hear the American accents cut through the air long before you see them.
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ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER
Second, New Yorkers walk faster. This may come as a surprise to Londoners, as they do walk incredibly fast. By European standards, Londoners are track stars in the streets. New Yorkers are just a bit quicker. This becomes most obvious when crossing streets. New Yorkers don’t even slow down as they step onto the street, cars whizzing past as pedestrians weave their way through traffic. Londoners will usually wait at street corners until the walk signal turns green and the walking stick figure appears. This is most likely because of the tendency for London drivers to speed up when a pedestrian attempts to cross the road improperly. Too many times have I judged a street crossable when the far-off car moving towards me floors it, the driver smiling as I suddenly run to the opposite side to avoid the impending “accident.” Third, and most importantly, Londoners don’t seem to like dogs. In New York, it seems as though everyone who’s anyone has a dog to walk. The city sidewalks are filled with every kind of dog imaginable, from huge great danes to tiny chihuahuas. Londoners all seem content to have mostly small and some medium-sized dogs, though most apparently have none at all. It’s rather disappointing to go for a walk and not even spy one furry friend to smile at and possibly even be allowed to pet.
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Cityscapes The most obvious difference between the London cityscape and New York is the height. As of January, New York City has 273 skyscrapers (buildings more than 150 meters tall). London has a mere 19. To give a sense of what that looks like, that number ties London with Seattle and Boston. However, it is by no means lacking in impressive architecture. London’s buildings are often beautifully ornate, but shorter than the glass and concrete monoliths of New York. The London sidewalks are also visibly different. They lack one essential component of the New York cityscape: heaping piles of garbage. The streets of London are immaculate compared to those of New York, and it is not because of their rubbish bins. In fact, most trash receptacles were removed from London’s streets because of their potential to be utilized by terrorists. The good people of London just appreciate a clean city and are less inclined to throw their trash into the gutter. Even the tracks of the Underground are clean, a far cry from what can be said about the subway. We New Yorkers could certainly learn a thing or two from Londoners about the responsibility we all have to keep our city clean. Finally, London is filled with green space. In Manhattan, it is difficult to find true green space
outside of Central Park. In London, it’s everywhere. In fact, about 47% of London is green space, compared to roughly 40% of New York City. One third of the entire city of London is publicly-accessible green space, which is spread throughout the city. Only 27% of New York City
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meets that criterion, and much of that is found in a handful of large parks. It seems as if everyone in London lives right around the corner from a park, and people use them every day on lunch breaks and after work as places to relax, read or just hang out.
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April 11, 2019 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
Graduation Isn’t Doomsday
The Class of 2019 prepares to leave Fordham behind and enter the professional world By JEFFREY UMBRELL Features Editor
There are times, especially at an urban campus like Fordham Lincoln Center, when it is easy to feel as though you are falling behind in work experience, networking or resume building. Landing a glamorous internship can feel like a necessary prerequisite to finding later success in the job market. Many of these fears are only heightened for members of the Class of ’19 as the university commencement date of May 18 draws ever closer. Kayla Lauricella, assistant director of Career Services, stressed that students should avoid comparing themselves to peers when it comes to career prospects post-graduation, however. “You’re not behind at all if you don’t have something lined up,” she said, “no matter what” you hear from your classmates. Lauricella mentioned it’s not uncommon for seniors who are perhaps feeling overwhelmed about entering the professional world to come to Career Services for the first time during these final weeks of the semester. (She admitted that they would ideally come much earlier in their college careers.) “Often what happens,” Lauricella said, “is a student comes in and is, like, ‘I have no idea what I want to do and I’m graduating in May. What do I do?’” One recommendation Annette McLaughlin, director of Career Services, typically makes is to not neglect classroom experience. “A
CANDICE O’NEAL/THE OBSERVER
With the academic year coming to a close, seniors are thinking about their futures post-graduation.
lot of time,” she said, “students have no idea that things that they’ve done in the classroom or projects they’ve worked on or papers they’ve done are relevant to the job search.” “You’re doing a lot of leadership,” McLaughlin said of students’ time at Fordham. “It’s in these one-on-one conversations that we really are able to help you understand the value of what you’ve learned that you just take for granted.” Although graduation can be a “really overwhelming process,” Lauricella said, some students, such as Nevin Kelly-Fair, Fordham
College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19, feel they are well-prepared to enter the professional world. Kelly-Fair studies film and interned with director Darren Aronofsky last semester, where he worked as a liaison between the development team and clients, reviewed scripts and helped with production coverage. “Pretty much everyone who works at Darren’s company has worked their way into the industry in some way, shape or form,” Kelly-Fair said, “so they understand the need to network, and that really is the biggest thing.” While Kelly-Fair is hopeful
that his experience will help him secure a full-time position after graduation, he said this past year has still been a stressful one. Last fall, he was attending classes three days a week, interning for two and working on his own projects during the weekends. In the evenings he worked odd jobs like running deliveries or walking dogs to help make rent. “I was just so burnt out,” he said. He is confident, though, that he will be able to land on his feet after leaving Fordham. “I know that I can make a living in the city,” he said. “I’m like, ‘You know what?
I’m going to make my living and I want to keep making things so I’m going to make that happen.’” Rachele Perla, FCLC ’19, similarly faced the prospect of graduating head on. “It’s terrifying, absolutely terrifying,” she said, “but I think everyone’s kind of in the same boat so it’s not that bad — we’re all freaking out.” Perla, a member of the Ailey/ Fordham B.F.A. program, has been auditioning across the city all semester. “It’s like in the movies,” she said. “You get into a room and you’re one of 1,000 people in the room, and they’re like, ‘Oh, let’s pick that one person for this job,’ and there’s not that many of them.” “Right now, I’m planning on working with a company that I’ve been working with for the past two years,” Perla said. “We have performances every two months, and so we rehearse during the week and take class, train and then prepare for those performances.” Her schedule permitting, Perla also hopes to continue taking classes with the Fordham Graduate School of Education. She is enrolled in a five-year master’s program to obtain her teaching certification in childhood and special education. For McLaughlin, graduation is “like when you showed up as a freshman and you had to write your first paper. You got through it,” she said. “Think about how you’ve already gotten through four years of a Fordham curriculum, which is rigorous. You’re going to get a job.”
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THE OBSERVER April 11, 2019
Features
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Westsider Rare & Used Books Starts a New Chapter
CANDICE O’NEAL/THE OBSERVER
After nearly closing this January, the Upper West Side staple is back in business thanks to help from the community. By EMMA SEIWELL Staff Writer
In January, when Dorian Thornley, owner of Westsider Rare & Used Books, announced the store would be closing when he couldn’t make rent, it seemed like the end for the 35-year-old shop on Broadway and 80th Street. Now just two months later, the store is thriving. When a reporter from the West Side Rag asked Thornley if there was anything that could keep him there he responded, “I guess if somebody did a crowdfnder and raised $50,000, I’d do it. Don’t see that happening though.” Just two days later, Upper West Side resident Bobby Panza did just that. After reading countless comments of disappointment
from locals online, Panza started a GoFundMe page to save the shop. Within days, the community had raised $54,000 from 855 donations that ranged from $1 to $10,000. The rapid and generous response from the public proved just how beloved the shop is by the community. “It’s the last of its kind, certainly in this neighborhood,” Thornley said. “They’ve been coming here for years and they just like the way it looks, like the way it feels and they like our selection.” With the donations, Thornley paid back rent, bought more new (used) books and has been focusing on strengthening the store’s advertising. “A lot of people are trying, I think, to make a con-
scious effort to make it over here and spend a little bit of money as opposed to just loving it from afar.” Thornley said. “So business has been pretty much back to normal.” Olivia Lucas, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’19, has worked at the shop since September 2017. For Lucas, just being around the books and seeing what customers are reading makes it the ideal job. With its floor-to-ceiling shelves of old books, rolling ladders and lack of recorded inventory, the store certainly has an old-fashioned charm. Lucas explained that having no inventory necessitates a “wandering” experience that can’t be found at other bookstores. It’s one of the few places in the area that has maintained the feeling of
the old Upper West Side. “I think that people want community in the city,” Lucas said. “People who love to read like to find other people who like to read and are interested in the same things. Because the store is so physically small, it forces people to interact with one another.” It was these unique features of the shop that made the community refuse to let it go. Working alongside Thornley, Lucas has restructured the store’s marketing plan and bolstered its social media presence. She runs the shop’s Instagram page, which has been rapidly gaining new followers since January. Lucas shares photos of new arrivals and any especially rare finds in the store. “It’s exciting to see all of this
work kind of come together,” Lucas said. “I’m learning more about behind-the-scenes in business.” With some reorganization, Thornley has cleared up more space in the upstairs mezzanine to host more events. Just two weeks ago, the shop held its successful first book club meeting in the space. The group will discuss the novel “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine,” by Gail Honeyman, at its next meeting. Thornley is also considering holding a short story writing contest in which winners would be published in print by the store. Things have been looking up for Westsider Rare & Used Books. “It’s getting busier and busier. I think that people are getting excited about it again,” Lucas said.
‘Mr. Burns’ Sparks Collaboration Fordham’s head of directing prioritizes student contribution in rehearsal process By LINDSAY JORGENSEN Features Editor
“In ‘Mr. Burns,’ storytelling and theatre are critical to survival,” Elizabeth Margid, the head of Fordham’s directing program, writes in her director’s note. “But what speaks most to me is that at its heart it’s a valentine to the theatre — to the theatre’s ability to provide a space for communal feeling and reflection, and its power to bind us together in dark times.” “Mr. Burns” is this year’s fourth and final Fordham mainstage production, written by American playwright Anne Washburn and directed by Margid. The play, like the production process itself, focuses on community and collaboration. Although the program did not keep to a specific theme this year when choosing its pieces, they did manage to achieve a throughline. All of the plays this mainstage season have female playwrights and directors and illustrate how all of our actions have consequences. “We’ve been getting a little looser on the themes and kind of going more for plays that are exciting to the student body and the faculty and then sort of finding what the connective tissue could be,” Margid said. This three-act play begins shortly after an unspecified apocalyptic event, where a group of survivors come together and act out scenes from the television show, “The Simpsons.” The second act takes place seven years later, and the third 75 years later. The play changes stylistically from one act to the other: the first more naturalistic, the second more
sitcom and the third a “full blown” musical. “I’ve never directed a piece which had that much difference between the acts,” Margid said. As the style of the play changes, so do the costumes. Margid collaborated with the costume designers and one of their larger conversations was imagining what materials and resources people 75 years from now would have in their possession. Margid and her team thought that plastic would most likely survive an apocalypse, so most of the materials the designers used for the play are plastic-based. Many of the costumes are made out of plastic bags that the designers ironed into fabric and wigs are made out of plastic bottles. To gather the necessary materials, the cast held a recycling drive. Although the play typically requires seven actors, Margid chose to instead cast 14 so that more students could participate in the production. This doubling of the cast required a longer audition process, which made her grateful that she, unlike most guest directors Fordham hires, knew most of the students upon holding the audition. “I think the fact that I knew all the students really well meant that I was able to cast them based on not just looking at what they do in two minutes in a room, but knowing their whole body of work,” Margid said. “Mr. Burns” is a chance, Margid said, for her to challenge her students and help them grow creatively — her decision to bring on such a large cast allowed her to maximize this collaborative opportunity.
NAZLI ARDITI/THE OBSERVER
Collabration was central to the blocking, costuming and set design of “Mr. Burns.”
Margid’s focus on collaboration translates to her relationship with Emily McArdle, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’21, her student and assistant director. Margid gives McArdle “an incredible amount of free reign” in offering direction throughout the rehearsal process. This is an uncommon opportunity for assistant directors that work with guest artists. “Again, that’s where I have two hats on as an educator,” she added. “[McArdle’s] my student and I’m trying to help her use this experience to work and even encourage the actors to get involved.” Although many blocking moments happen on the spot, Margid diligently plans out her scenes be-
fore attending rehearsal. At home, she explores how scenes will work and then comes in with a rough plan on paper. She has multiple printouts of the stage with rough notes of where people, props and sets move around the space. Margid has also prepared for the large scale of the show by similarly doubling leadership positions. For instance, her choreographer also helps with directing. For the musical third act, she has a music director. She also cast her actors so that multiple rehearsals could logistically happen at the same time. “There’s an army of directors on this project,” Margid said. “We’ve had to be very tight in our vision and very tight in our communica-
tion because when you have that many people in a leadership position, you need to make sure you’re not confusing [or] giving people contrary instructions.” “I’m a very collaborative director. I like to really use the people I work with and I enfranchise them to collaborate which is the theme of our whole theatre program,” she added. “So I think this is also a great opportunity to model for a company how far collaboration can go.” See “Mr. Burns” on April 10-12 and 24-26 at 7:30 p.m., and on April 27 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Sports & Health Upcoming Sports Events
APRIL 10
Softball at St. Bonaventure, 2 p.m., Olean, N.Y. Baseball at Siena, 3 p.m., Loudonville, N.Y. Men’s (M’s) Soccer vs. NY Cosmos, 4 p.m., Bronx, N.Y.
Sports & Health Editor Luke Osborn - losborn1@fordham.edu
April 11, 2019
Dairy is Out: DIY Almond Milk and Oat Milk By LUKE OSBORN Sports & Health Editor
Oat Milk Two cups of rolled oats Two cups of water One tablespoon of honey Makes about three cups of oat milk
APRIL 12
Women’s (W’s) and M’s Track at Metropolitan Championships, 10 a.m., Piscataway, N.Y. Baseball at VCU, 6:30 p.m., Richmond, Va.
APRIL 13
W’s and M’s Track at Metropolitan Championships, 10 a.m., Piscataway, N.Y. M’s Soccer vs St. Francis Brooklyn, 10:30 a.m., Bronx, N.Y. Softball vs. Saint Louis, 12 p.m., Bronx, N.Y.
APRIL 14
M’s Tennis vs. St. Bon., TBA, Bronx, N.Y. Softball vs. Saint Louis, 12 p.m., Bronx, N.Y. Baseball at VCU, 1 p.m., Richmond, Va.
APRIL 15
M’s Golf at Rhode Island Invitational, Quidnessett CC, North Kingstown, R.I.
APRIL 16
M’s Golf at Rhode Island Invitational, Quidnessett CC, North Kingstown, R.I. Baseball at Fairfield, 3:30 p.m., Fairfield, Conn.
APRIL 17
Softball vs. Hofstra, 3 p.m., Bronx, N.Y.
Almond Milk One cup of almonds Three cups of water One tablespoon of honey A dash of salt Makes about three cups of almond milk People are increasingly turning away from milk for environmental and health reasons, not to mention taste. In regard to health, cow milk contains saturated fatty acids, which can be associated with increased cholesterol and heart disease. Plant-derived milk alternatives, however, contain unsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, which don’t come with the same health risks as their saturated counterparts. For whatever reason that pushes you towards milk alternatives, here is how to make them. You will need cheesecloth and access to a blender for both almond and oat milk. Whole Foods sells cheesecloth for under five dollars, and I highly recommend it for almond milk, but you can use a simple metal strainer for the oat milk. The benefits of cheesecloth are that
APRIL 19
Softball vs. Saint Joseph’s, 11 a.m., Bronx, N.Y. Baseball vs. Saint Louis, 11 a.m., Bronx, N.Y. W’s Tennis at Massachusetts, 2 p.m., Amherst, Mass.
APRIL 20
W’s and M’s Track at Wolfie Invitational, 10 a.m., Stony Brook, N.Y. Baseball vs. Saint Louis, 11 a.m., Bronx, N.Y. Softball vs. Saint Joseph’s, 12 p.m., Bronx, N.Y.
APRIL 23
M’s Soccer at Red Bulls NY II, 1 p.m., Red Bulls Training Facility, East Hanover, N.J. M’s Tennis at Eastern Florida State College, 2 p.m., Cocoa, Fla. Baseball at Fairleigh Dickinson, 3 p.m., Teaneck, N.J.
APRIL 24
W’s Tennis vs. Atlantic 10 Championship, USTA National Campus, Orlando, Fla. Baseball at Saint Peter’s, 3:30 p.m., Jersey City, N.J. Softball vs. Providence, 4 p.m., Bahoshy Field, Bronx, N.Y.
APRIL 25
W’s and M’s Tennis vs. Atlantic 10 Championship, USTA National Campus, Orlando, Fla. W’s and M’s Track and Field at Penn Relays, 9 a.m., Philadelphia, Pa.
APRIL 26
W’s and M’s Tennis vs. Atlantic 10 Championship, USTA National Campus, Orlando, Fla. M’s Golf vs. Day One Grand Cypress Golf Club, Orlando, Fla. W’s and M’s Track and Field at Penn Relays, 9 a.m., Philadelphia, Pa.
APRIL 27
W’s and M’s Tennis vs. Atlantic 10 Championship, USTA National Campus, Orlando, Fla.
AMINA VARGAS/THE OBSERVER
Making almond milk is as easy as throwing almonds into a blender.
it’s reusable and biodegradable. You can also use coffee filters, but they aren’t as porous as cheesecloth, so you may have to wait longer during the straining process. Either way, scoop a cup of almonds into a bowl and pour water into the bowl, submerging all of them. They need to soak for at least four hours in the fridge. Then, pour all of your almonds into the blender and blend them until you have a consistency close to a puree. At this point, add three cups of water, salt and honey and blend again until
the mixture appears smooth. Cut a piece of cheesecloth out that will be able to line a large cup or bowl. Place the cheesecloth in the bowl and pour your almond mixture over the cheesecloth. With your empty almond milk receptacle nearby, carefully lift the cheesecloth out of the bowl and over your receptacle and gently squeeze. You will have to pinch the top of the cheesecloth to prevent almond bits from gushing out of the opening while you squeeze. Once you have strained all of your almond milk,
you can throw away the almond bits or save them for future use in a smoothie. Set aside your almond milk to cool in the fridge, but make sure to consume it within 24 hours. Oat milk takes a slightly more nuanced process. You can use a one-to-one ratio of oats and water because rolled oats are quite absorbent when you set them aside to soak. Because of that, you only need to set aside your oats to soak for about 45 minutes. Again, scoop your soaked oats into a blender and mix until no chunks are present. Then add your water and honey and blend until milky smooth. Here’s the difference: you will need a metal strainer and a piece of cheesecloth. Alone, cheesecloth can do the job, but it will take more time. Instead, take a metal strainer and place it over a receptacle for your oat milk. Line the strainer with cheesecloth and pour in your oat mixture. Using a spoon or a ladle, pat down the blended oats against the strainer to force the milk out of the mixture. Once you have collected all your milk, set it aside to cool and consume within 24 hours. You can drink your almond or oat milk plain, blend it into a smoothie or pour it over your cereal. Do not let my recipe limit yours; feel free to personalize your almond milk or oat milk with fruits, agave or other ingredients. For whatever reason you decide to try a milk alternative, fresher is always better, so try making it yourself.
Baseball Rallies to Sweep St. Joe’s
APRIL 18
W’s Tennis vs. Stony Brook, 1 p.m., Bronx, N.Y. Baseball vs. Saint Louis, 3 p.m., Bronx, N.Y.
THE OBSERVER
By PATRICK MOQUIN Asst. Sports & Health Editor
After losing two of three games to the University of Rhode Island (URI), Fordham’s series against St. Joseph’s University this past weekend had added significance. A sixth-inning defensive collapse in their second game and a 12th inning URI walk off in the third completely undermined their two best offensive performances of that weekend. With a losing streak looming, a return to their winning ways was necessary. To begin the series on Saturday, a mere four hits may have put fans on edge, but were timely enough to drive in one run in the third inning followed by another in the fourth. With a two-run cushion for most of the game, much was needed from Fordham’s pitching staff. In this high-pressure scenario, starter Matt Mikulski, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’21, delivered one of the most impressive performances of the season thus far. Despite walking four batters, Mikulski only allowed four hits and no runs in an eight-inning performance. Closer Kyle Martin, FCRH ’20, escaped a two-hit ninth inning without any runs to secure the save, completing a combined shutout of the Hawks in a 2–0 victory. In their second game on Saturday, Fordham had yet another strange offensive outing. Despite recording nine hits, Fordham also stranded nine runners on base, indicating a productive offense that struggled to cash in on big opportunities. However, just as a long stretch of bad luck proved disastrous in the previous weekend, a stroke of good luck proved to be the Rams’ savior. Down 2–1, Fordham began the bottom of the sixth inning strong with two singles. With men on first and second base, Jake Baker, FCRH
Jake Baker, FCRH ’20, lays down a sacrifice bunt to advance
’20, laid down a bunt back to the pitcher, whose throw whizzed past the first baseman and into the outfield. Both men on base scored on the error to give Fordham the lead. Two batters later, Baker himself scored from third on another throwing error, this time from the St. Joe’s shortstop, to give Fordham a 4–2 lead. The Hawks were unable to muster a comeback, with Martin once again closing out the ninth to record his sixth save of the season and a 4–3 Fordham win. In that high pressure situation, Martin reflected that those “situations are where I thrive as a pitcher. That extra bit of adrenaline is a game changer, and I’ve always been able to keep that extra adrenaline under control and use it to my advantage.” After a weekend against Rhode Island that saw the Rams’ efforts go largely unrewarded, they had now won two close games against St. Joe’s, thanks in part to their
JOE ROVEGNO/THE OBSERVER
a runner into scoring position.
elite pitching and sloppy defensive play from the Hawks. In their third game, Fordham’s offense finally awoke, if only for one spectacular inning. Two hits in the first four innings four innings was a superficially dismal start, but a solo home run by Nick Labella, FCRH ’21, in the bottom of the second gave Fordham a one-run lead. In the fifth, a single by Justin Bardwell, FCRH ’19, drove in Fordham’s second run, and a sacrifice fly from Labella drove in the runner from third. A walk put runners on first and second base, setting the scene for second baseman C.J. Vasquez, FCRH ’21. After a lengthy at-bat that eventually led to a 3–2 count, Vasquez was faced with a situation similar to the ones six-year-olds create in their backyards: a full count with men on first and second with two outs. Fulfilling all of those six-yearolds’ dreams, Vasquez crushed a
ball into the left-center field stands to give Fordham a 6–0 lead. Following the Rams’ five-run fifth inning, Anthony DiMeglio, FCRH ’19, saw that no more would be needed. DiMeglio allowed only three hits, one walk and 10 strikeouts in an eight-inning shutout performance that would earn him consideration as Atlantic 10 Co-Pitcher of the Week. For yet another weekend, Fordham pitchers dominated their Atlantic 10 rivals, allowing only three runs in three games. On the pitching staff’s recent success, Martin said that “The goal of our pitchers day in and day out is to give our team a chance to win every time we step on the hill.” The team reportedly has a mindset to take their season one game at a time, and to go “1–0 today.” After a rocky weekend against URI, the Rams rallied to take three straight games from St. Joe’s, readjusting their course for the season to come.