Massy mentioned that 1,349 residents are currently living on the Lincoln Center campus this semester, and 610 of whom are recorded to be first-year stu dents. She outlined the Office of Residential Life’s (ResLife’s) steps to mitigate the overcrowd ing and better accommodate the number of resident students.
Confusion and frustration marked the fall 2022 housing selection process as Lincoln Center students were given as signments at the Rose Hill cam pus due to oversubscription. According to Associate Director for Housing Operations Vickki Massy, around 20 students at the Lincoln Center campus are currently being housed in up per-classman residence halls at the Rose Hill campus.
“We have placed several firstyear students in triple bedrooms in McMahon Hall and several upper-class and new transfer students in converted doubles,” MassyDespitesaid. these efforts, stu dents remain discontent with how the university has decided
Lincoln Center Housing Overflow Forces Residents to Live at Rose Hill ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER Finlay Hall is one of the residential halls at Rose Hill housing some of the Lincoln Center students due to the overflow.
Still, the Rams’ offense tri umphed. The momentum contin ued against Monmouth. After the opening kickoff, Sneed rushed four consecutive times for a combined 24 yards to break into Monmouth territory. Sophomore running back Julius Loughridge, FCRH ’25, then carried the ball twice. Loughridge did not see playing time as a firstyear but has made the most of his opportunities this season. He followed up his 120-yard rushing performance against Wagner with 112 total yards and a touchdown on Saturday.
By CHRIS MURRAY Sports & Health Editor
“We’re glad he’s on our side,” Head Coach Joe Conlin stated about his star quarterback. “You never really feel like (the game’s) out of reach with Timmy on the field.”
Defensively, Ryan Greenha gen, GSBRH ’23, led the Rams in solo tackles and defensive back Stephen Williams II, FCRH ’23, added an interception that stopped a Monmouth drive in Fordham territory late in the sec ondThequarter.winmoved Fordham to 2-0 in the nascent season. In the Rams’ first contest of the year, they top pled Wagner College on Sept. 1 in another high-scoring effort. Fueled
Former Resident Director (RD) Kris Little and current RD Sava nah Manos addressed allegations of misidentification motivated by race within the first-year residence hall in an email sent to the McKe on residential community on April 11, 2022. The email encouraged students to be tolerant and create an environment that is accepting.
By ERIKA TULFO Features Editor
September 14, 2022 VOLUME XLII, ISSUE 9
Fotis Kokosioulis, had stellar game. He led the receivers with and
Content warning: The fol lowing article includes men tions of microaggressions and discussions on racebased discrimination and bias-related incidents.
The email sparked conversa tions among some first-year res idents on the handling of racebased complaints on behalf of the Office of Residential Life (ResLife) and other administrative figure heads at Fordham Lincoln Center.
DeMorat Sets Passing Record in vs Monmouth
52-49 Win
130 yards
By MARYAM BESHARA AND INSIYA GANDHI News Editors
see FOOTBALL page 7 see HOUSING OVERFLOW page 2
Jenifer Campbell, dean of students at Lincoln Center, not ed that 150 more students than initially anticipated were guar anteed housing in the residence halls.“What happened this year was very different than what
The STudenT Voice of fordham LincoLn cenTer bserver the
O
The Fordham football team de feated the Monmouth University (MU) Hawks, 52-49, on Saturday, Sept. 10 in an electrifying offen sive affair. The competition fea tured 1,419 total yards between the two teams. The lead changed five times in what was the high est cumulative score for the Rams since their 2016 campaign. It was also headlined by the record-breaking performance of quarterback Tim DeMorat, Ford ham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’23, who threw six touchdowns to tie his own single game re cord and earned his 78th career touchdown, breaking the previ ous record of 76 set by Kevin An derson, Gabelli School of Busi ness at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’17. DeMorat’s 452 passing yards are the most in a game in his career and are the third most thrown by a quarterback in a single game in Fordham history.
An
FCRH ’23,
Team Captain Trey Sneed, Graduate School of Arts and Sci ences ’23, rushed for 117 yards on 17 attempts to lead the Rams on the ground. Meanwhile, Fotis Kokosioulis, FCRH ’23, caught 15 receptions for 130 yards and two touchdowns to lead Fordham in the passing game. MJ Wright, GS BRH ’23, tacked on another eight receptions for 97 yards.
“It has been brought to our atten tion that there have been occasions where members of the residential community have misidentified other members of the community based on their race,” the email read. “Regardless of the setting or details surrounding the incidents, we want to bring awareness to how harmful and damaging racial microaggres sions and acts of implicit bias are to the residential community.”
NEWS PAGE 4 9/11 Photo Essay New Yorkers remember and honor the tragedy, 21 years later OPINIONS PAGE 12 Horse Carriages Classic NYC experience harms its unwilling participants ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 13 50 Years of Theater New York Public Library exhibit honors theater history CENTERFOLD PAGE 8 Orientation Fordham students and staff welcome the Class of 2026 SPORTS & HEALTH PAGE 6 What’s the Deal With? A comprehensive guide to understanding football
According to former Director of Residential Life Greg Jones, the email’s release was prompted by the misidentification of staff mem bers on the basis of race.
two touchdowns. see MICROAGGRESSIONS page 5
by five touchdown passes, one touchdown rush and 386 passing yards from DeMorat, Fordham won the season opener 48-31. While the win was cause for celebration, it also displayed that the defense was a step behind the offense. In the contest against Wagner last sea son, the Rams held the Seahawks to only a single touchdown. This year the game was closer.
happened any other year that I have been here because of the oversubscriptions,” she said.
Jenifer Campbell, dean of stu dents at Lincoln Center, echoed Jones’ response and stated her understanding of the inci dent was that there were “some mis-identifications of individuals based on race which led to the incidents being addressed in the community.”Thesubject line “Understand ing the Impact of Microaggressions to Foster an Inclusive Residential Community,” as well as the email’s contents, highlighted the com munication recovery model. The model outlines steps for accepting, apologizing and adjusting one’s own behavior, the McKeon RDs noted at the time.
ALICE MORENO/THE OBSERVER email from April 2022 sent by the McKeon Hall RDs detailed the harm that racial microaggressions may bring to the community and emphasized the importance of tolerance.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHELTICS
a
Residents toResLife’sUnsupportedFeelbyResponseMicroaggressions
The idea for a new advising system was first conceived in 2020, when both deans assembled the Task Force on Undergraduate Academic Advising (TFUAA). It is composed of 18 people, consisting of faculty, staff and students and was established to accomplish three goals: the fulfillment of cur rent student needs, the examina tion of advising practices in the field at institutions with superior retention rates to implement their strategies, and the proposition of potential models that are ground ed in Thesuccess.advising center compiled the three models, circulated them and organized town halls and anonymous surveys, according to Auricchio. She noted that a large subset of students from both un dergraduate campuses responded to the surveys and that they mea sured students’ opinions of the models.
Xhala resorted to calling ResLife, only to then be told that housing assignments were not something able to be discussed over the phone.
proactively making sure that stu dents know what they are going to do through registration.”
to handle the overcrowding.
“I would estimate at least six different people all started giv ing me different answers, but they were avoiding the main an swer as to when I would get my dorm assignment,” she said. “I was talking to so many people, but they all kept telling me to call
“Every aspect of my life has been uprooted because Fordham didn’t tell me that I wasn’t going to be receiving housing until it was too late to do anything,” she said.
HOUSING
other departments. It was like going in a triangle or a square.”
While welcoming the Class of 2026 onto Fordham’s campuses, the Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) and Fordham Col lege at Rose Hill (FCRH) deans’ offices introduced a new mode of advising. The modifications, which were inspired by other universities’ models and student feedback, is being implemented for current first-year students.
Model 1.5 entails the creation of the Fordham College Advising Cen ter that is led by Associate Dean for Academic Advising Ashlee Burrs, a newly developed position to over see the center. Additionally, the team consists of eight professional advisers who will serve as advisers for the Class of 2026.
Auricchio shared that recruiting a professional adviser to remain with their student over the course of their time at Fordham is to ame liorate frustrations from students who felt passed around from advis er to adviser. Her hope is that stu dents will be well acquainted with their professional adviser.
In the current model of ad vising in place for the Classes of 2025, 2024 and 2023, advisers are faculty members who assist with registration, academic support, professional development and other responsibilities. In the new model, the professional adviser will fully assume this role and its respective responsibilities.
The new system is only estab lished for first-year students, with sophomore, junior and senior stu dents continuing in the existing models. The Class of 2025 is con tinuing with the same academic adviser as the previous year, Dean Conor O’Kane, during the 2022-23 academic
She remembered an email telling her to wait until early August to receive her dorm as signment but when late August arrived without any further communication from Fordham, Pugliese reached out to ResLife and the dean of Fordham Col lege at Lincoln Center.
This is not the first time that ResLife has been criticized for their lack of action. Last fall, first-year students faced similar issues surrounding delayed hous ing assignments and lack of com munication from the office’s end.
By INSIYA GANDHI News Editor
Fordham Deans Rollout New Advising System for Class of 2026
Both Mast and Auricchio shared that they are excited to offer a new opportunity to stu dents. They shared their grati tude toward students who filled out feedback forms and attended listening sessions.
Julia Pugliese, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’24
Xhala recalled emailing ResLife three times as soon as her transfer was processed in an effort to secure a spot in one of Lincoln Center’s residence halls. Out of the three separate occa sions, she only once received a reply, which told her that the housing placement process began in late July for transfer students.
“No one likes lifting holds, no one likes those emails the day be fore registration,” Mast said. “The advisers are going to be in front of all of that, they are going to be
Student Takes Leave of Absence Following Inability to Secure Housing
“What we learned was that people really liked models one and number two,” she said. “So then we delved deeper to see what were the things they liked about them each and what they did not like about. So, we crafted model 1.5 that took the best of each of those.”
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
OVERFLOW from page 1 2 News September 14, 2022 THE OBSERVER www .fordhamobserver.com
Julia Pugliese, Fordham Col lege at Lincoln Center ’24, end ed last year’s spring semester in eager anticipation for next fall, having secured a place on the waitlist for a single room and later, receiving multiple emails guaranteeing her spot.
A substantial goal of Mast and Auricchio’s was the formation of an advising center, based on ensur ing that students were sufficiently served by their academic advisers.
“Pictureyear.this as a wave: A new wave is coming in, and it has first hit the Class of 2026. It will next hit the Class of 2027, 2028 and so forth, but the classes that are already here are continuing in this existing mod el,” Auricchio clarified.
Residents frustrated with ResLife's handling of housing-related issues and inconsistencies with communication
“ Every aspect of my life has been uprooted because Fordham didn’t tell me that I wasn’t going to be receiving housing until it was too late to do anything. ”
tion at the lack of transparency.
Althoughtired.”last
Roela Xhala, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’25, is an internal transfer stu dent and one of the 20 Lincoln Center students housed at Rose Hill. Despite successfully com pleting her transfer application over the summer and signing up for Lincoln Center housing, she found herself back at her initial campus in O’Hare Hall.
The new advising model will offer a holistic approach and provide students with a professional advisor who will remain with them over the course of their time at Fordham.
Xhala echoed Pugliese’s confu sion regarding the university’s waitlist system and her frustra
“ The new model allows the student to form a connection with the adviser as opposed to switching from Summer advisers, to a Class Dean who was different each year, and then a faculty adviser. ”
“It’s unprofessional for an institution like Fordham to be doing this. If you are supposed to be at a certain campus, you should be guaranteed housing at that specific campus,” she said.
year’s incoming class size reached a historic high, Xhala recalls a seamless experi ence signing up for housing that cut a stark contrast to the “chaos” of this year’s Accordingprocess.toCampbell, in ternal transfer students are currently given priority hous ing if space were to open up in the residence halls at Lincoln Center. Xhala said she was told that all housing assignments were final.
Students expressed dissatisfaction due to the housing placements.
“They’re trained in advising and experienced in advising,” Mast said. “They have advanced degrees in higher education, leadership, de velopment or student affairs.”
Maura Mast, dean of FCRH, explained that the new advising system stems from the university’s strategic plan to redesign policies and practices for academic advis ing and student support from the perspective of student access.
Mast described the associate dean’s role as “crucial” and noted that the role entails professional development and attending advis ing conferences, among other re sponsibilities.Burrsemphasized that the new model for academic advising intends to provide students with holistic advising and support in terms of their academic pursuits on campus and ensures that stu dents are connected to campus re sources for their success.
It was on Aug. 21 — just over a week away from the start of the fall semester — that Pugliese received an email letting her know she would not be receiving housing at Lincoln Center, single room or otherwise, because the residence halls were “backed up.”
When Xhala expressed her dissatisfaction over the phone, a representative from ResLife told her that receiving housing at Lincoln Center was “impossible” because of the combination of oversubscriptions, a larger batch of incoming first-years and fewer students leaving to study abroad. Xhala stated that she understood but felt that “it also could have been communicated better.”
The new structure of the 1.5 model details that eventually all advising will be handled by the professional advisers and faculty members will assume a mentoring role, engaging with students in conversations that play into their strengths. Mast gave the example of a faculty member serving as a mentor to a student pursuing a minor in creative writing by connecting them to the publishing industry and helping them make sense of their opportunities.
“I emailed them back again a week later — never got a response. I emailed them again after that, and I never got a response back,” she said. “How do you expect to accommodate me when you’re not even answering my emails?”
To prevent similar housing overflow issues in the future, Massy stated that the universi ty has long-term plans to “work closely with the Office of Under graduate Admissions to suggest how many first-year and new transfer students to admit for Fall 2023.”
In addition to those being housed at Rose Hill, some stu dents were informed late that they would not have a bed in any residence hall.
Pugliese, who said she was never updated on the status of her place on the waitlist throughout her correspondence with ResLife, leading her to be lieve she was removed. Unable to find housing alternatives off-campus on short notice, Pug liese filed for a leave of absence.
“The new model allows the student to form a connection with the adviser as opposed to switch ing from Summer advisers, to a Class Dean who was different each year, and then a faculty ad viser,” Burrs noted.
Mast explained that students expressed dissatisfaction and con fusion with the current model in which they felt as if they had to contact numerous different deans and offices for an answer. She spot lighted students’ desire for high quality and informed advising from professors who reflect their identity and lived Auricchioexperiences.andMast drew in spiration from institutions such as the University of Notre Dame and Loyola University Chicago. Auric chio noted that since the concept of professional advising is imple mented at many other universi ties; she was surprised to learn about the faculty advising model at Fordham.“Theidea of professional advis ing is one that actually has been around in a lot of universities for a long time,” Auricchio shared. “The general concept is something that is really common.”
INFOGRAPHIC BY MARIA TERZULLI/THE OBSERVER
In the updated model, students will be led by one of eight professional advisers rather than a faculty member
Ashlee Burrs, associate dean for academic advisers
“I don’t think it’s fair to make students do these runarounds, going back and forth and mak ing them
In August, Xhala was in formed that her housing assign ment would be at Rose Hill. Liv ing in O’Hare involves having to wake up at 6 a.m. to commute to Lincoln Center for all seven of her classes.
Fit Check. Textbooks, Check. amazon.com/joinstudent Start your 6-month trial.
Jersey — opened in 2014, 13 years after the attacks with the memorial opening the same year following enormous construction delays.Alongside the physical re construction of the entire WTC complex, which at the time of publishing is still underway, One World Trade represented an at tempt to establish a semblance of normalcy in Lower Manhattan. The return of the hustle and bus tle, as well as the various remem brance ceremonies, have tried to do Tothat.understand the importance of these ceremonies and the val ue of national remembrance, we took a walk around the memorial grounds on the 21st anniversary of the attacks. What we saw there speaks to the power of memory and how it has changed over the course of two decades.
4 News September 14, 2022 THE OBSERVER www .fordhamobserver.com
The 1 train skipped the WTC station in both directions for the ceremonies, so we walked from Chambers Street Exiting the sta tion, we moved with a crowd of people all heading toward the glass tower that dominates the New York City skyline.
We spent a lot of time peo ple-watching and taking in the magnitude of the events that oc curred. Belonging to a generation that was not born prior to the at tacks, all we could do was reflect on the emotions of those who were clearly there to mourn: those who leaned on their loved ones for sup port, those who gazed at flowers gently placed in the grooves of the names and those in silent prayer, fixing their gaze on where the tow ers once stood.
By MARYAM BESHARA AND AURELIEN CLAVAUD News Editor and Asst. Photo Editor
The bagpipes ceremony was the first of many we witnessed as we walked around the WTC. Can tor Fitzgerald, a financial services company that once occupied floors 101 to 105 of the North Tower (right above the impact zone), lost over 60% of their national work force in the attacks.
choir sang before ex-employ ees, followed by a reading of the names. Visitors around the memo rial quieted down as they passed the tent; the memory came to life, and people stopped to watch the ceremony.NewYork Fire Department (NYFD) Station 10, located at 124 Liberty St., was the only fire sta tion inside Ground Zero, the site of the terrorist attacks. The battalion stationed there was the first on the scene and lost six firefighters in the ensuing collapse of the towers. On the anniversary, a firefighter in uniform stood guard in front of a bronze plaque commemorating the station’s sacrifice.
their own way; it was not our place to take note of how they chose to commemorate their visit.
Minutes before witnessing this interaction, we had our own con versation about selfies and their place at memorials. We initially de scribed the experience of witness ing visitors hold up their front-fac ing cameras as “jarring” but then came to the realization that each person connected with the event in
Memory and remembrance can present themselves in many forms: loved ones left flowers, Ameri can flags, photographs and notes within the nameplates to commu nicate with those that were taken from them unexpectedly. As fami lies surrounded the memorial and children innocently splashed their hands along the trickling water, unknowingly touching the grounds where tragedy and mourning inter sect forever, we sought to capture what we could of what continues to bring people to the WTC.
PHOTOS
Solace and grief converge at the memorial, where acts of remembrance continue to imprint themselves on mourners
Honoring Sacrifice
At a certain point, we stood un der one of the trees surrounding the memorial at the North Tow er to switch out the camera lens. Looking up, our eyes met a woman in a rainbow tie-dye dress who ad justed her hair and angled her face toward an iPhone camera. She effortlessly glowed at the person kneeling down taking her photo — juxtaposed in the background was the memorial, a place where thou sands lost their lives and where New York was forever changed.
the bagpipes captured the attention of passers-by. People ran down the street — still damp from a morning drizzle — alongside the officers as they held tightly onto their devices to record the moment.
It wasn’t long after the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001 that the United States began a long jour ney of recovery. Among the de bris of one of America’s financial capitals sat tremendous grief and an uncertain future. An existen tial problem presented itself to a mourning population: How can the national conscious process an unimaginable loss of life?
As reconstruction efforts be gan for the World Trade Center complex, complications, such as financial and engineering bur dens, quickly arose. The center piece tower of the new World Trade Center (WTC) — brand ed as One World Trade by the Durst Organization and the Port Authority of New York and New
On the anniversary, the com pany set up a tent on the east side of the Oculus to commemorate the 658 employees lost. A solemn
Memory and Mourning
BY AURELIEN CLAUVAUD/THE OBSERVER
As we approached the memo rial, we noticed several people walking with blank expressions on their faces. The hushed con versations were overpowered by the slight winds that rustled the branches of the nearby trees.
It was quiet but for the distant chatter, occasional taxis, CitiBike tires splashing over puddles and a low drone of bagpipes echoing along Fulton Street. As we ap proached the edge of the memori als at the intersection of Fulton and Church Street, a procession of Port Authority police officers playing
21 Years Later, 9/11 Is Still More Than a Memory: A Photo Essay
In response to this, Camp bell noted that RAs are a part of ResLife and that they are trained by professional staff in terms of mitigating“Withoutsituations.question, RAs are ResLife,” she said. “Those same individuals are trained by ResLife. You can’t separate the two.”
Dineen noted that individuals may also seek out other legal rem edies, including criminal prosecu tions, as DPS maintains a cooper ative relationship with the NYPD and will assist victims through each step of the process: report ing, investigating and resolution.
The student chose not to re port the alleged incident to their RFM, RA or RD at risk of not be ing“Ibelieved.justknow there are instanc es where the white voice is be lieved over the POC (people of color) voice,” they said. “We know who gets the upper hand, we know who gets heard more, we’re gonna get painted like the angry, crazy POCs.”
Tandon, FCLC ’24 and a former resident of both McK eon and McMahon Hall, also spoke about their experience as a student of color with ResLife and their feelings surrounding their presence in predominant ly white spaces. Tandon men tioned that they appreciated having an RA in McKeon who is a person of color and said it allowed them to feel recognized and validated, which added a sense of comfort to the RA-resi dent relationship.
ResLife Discusses the Process of Reporting BiasRelated Incidents
She also mentioned that once the complaint is filed to the RD, RAs are not always aware of the next steps taken.
Two former McKeon residents of color shared their encounters with race-based microaggressions in the residence hall and at Ford ham. The students that were inter viewed requested to remain anon ymous due to fear of retaliation.
In her experience in McMahon, McMahon-Ward said that there had never been any incident re garding race to warrant a wide spread email.
Campbell noted that she was not involved in the process of sending out the email but be lieved the email was sent from an informational perspective. She added that students had an opportunity to meet with the McKeon RDs if they had further concerns and that that option was made known to them.
The second student said they felt supported by their circle of friends but noted that they felt approaching their RA would be
“I’ve never seen an outcome where they (ResLife) have done something efficiently because an email sending out links to people that can support you is not help ful,” they said. “And an email with resources is not sufficient. And our students, our POC students, de serve more than that.”
The anonymous resident added that they do not believe that ResLife is a reliable resource and shared that, when confronting duemicroaggressions,experienceanotherwiththeyfeltthattheyandtheirfriendscouldnotseekResLifeasaresourcetohowtheirprevious conflict was handled.
JILLIAN ARENA/THE OBSERVER
Upon learning about the sit uation, the RA first concludes whether the space the resident is in is safe. According to McMa hon-Ward, if the resident does feel safe, the complaint will be report ed to the RD. If the resident does not feel safe, the RA will contact the RD and the resident will be placed in emergency housing.
To determine whether the sit uation was racially motivated or based on a lack of communication, the resident involved ResLife. They noted that ResLife encouraged sev eral mediations as a form of reso lution but they felt that during the mediations, their concerns were “brushed under the rug.”
it’s kind of like once it's given to the resident directors we are no longer allowed to be informed as to what’s going on because of con fidentiality,” McMahon-Ward said.
“I’ll be honest, RAs don’t really know what happens after because
Overall, McMahon-Ward stressed that residents often have to state their case and RAs need to support their residents in these claims. In terms of the email released to the McKeon community, McMahon-Ward ex pressed that she was unaware of the email as it was not men tioned during staff meetings and had only heard about it through word of mouth.
ResLife Email Sparks Conversations on Bias-Related Incidents at Fordham
“I am confident staff did not ‘sweep’ the individual’s concerns under the rug. As with any re port, situations can be complicat ed and multi-faceted,” she said. “I can assure you, every report is taken
Residents share their experiences of racial discrimination and disappointment with Fordham’s resources
Students can report bias-related incidents to Public Safety and are encouraged to contact the OMA, CPS, or Campus Ministry.
“When a student comes to file a race based discrimination com plaint with the Department of Public Safety (DPS) our response will be handled sensitively and discreetly to protect the student’s privacy and preferences,” he said.
“We always have to be the ones to move on; we are always immature; we get angry; we are overreacting,” they said. “But when a white person gets angry, it’s like, ‘Give them some room.’ It’s validated for them but invali dated for me.”
Reactions to ResLife’s Email
The first anonymous student shared that when they first saw the email sent by the McKeon RDs, they scoffed at it.
www .fordhamobserver.com THE OBSERVER September 14, 2022 News 5 MICROAGGRESSIONS from page 1
The anonymous resident add ed that they do not believe that ResLife is a reliable resource and shared that, when confronting another experience with micro aggressions, they felt that they and their friends could not use ResLife as a resource due to how their previous conflict was han dled.“It’s just deterred a lot of us from actually seeking out proper help and resources that we need, especially in situations where we do feel like we’ve been violated or traumatized or lied to,” they said.
unhelpful as it would not entirely resolve the issue. The resident ex pressed that they felt a mediation would not be helpful.
“I want to feel safe in my home,” they said. “I don’t want to have to worry, or feel like I don’t belong here.”
They also added that they felt the university advertises resourc es such as Campus Ministry and OMA as clubs rather than actual resources.Thesecond anonymous res ident suggested that affinity groups on campus organize sem inars on white privilege, which promote allyship toward students of colors and encourage white students to practice accountabili ty with their white friends. They emphasized that these reforms should elevate the voices of peo ple of color and support these students without silencing fellow people of color.
Public Safety may be required to interview the student and con duct an investigation alongside the dean of students in order to meet legal requirements and protect the student’s safety, according to Dineen.
McMahon-Ward noted that, given the influx of residents in the years since the pandemic, if the halls are overbooked, she does not know where the stu dents who need emergency hous ing would be placed.
“My experience living in McK eon the first semester was really rough,” one anonymous student, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’25, said.
Another anonymous former McKeon resident and current resident in McMahon, FCLC ’25, shared an experience in which a friend imposed racially-motivat ed microaggressions on them and their friends in McKeon. They explained that in attempting to confront the individual who had marginalized them, they felt bur dened with maintaining compo sure at risk of seeming hysterical.
The first anonymous student noted that they do not believe the university provides helpful resources and is unaware of what to do when faced with a situation in which they have to confront microaggressions.“IfeellikeFordham has to do a better job of making it more known because, at least at orienta tion, (in 2021), they made the fact that they are committed to diversi ty and inclusion known, but they never gave resources for race com plaints,” they said.
tioned that they felt more comfort able approaching their resident assistant (RA) and their RFM than ResLife.Ara
“An email isn’t doing a lot,” they said. “An email is just an email. Most people don’t read their emails, or a lot of emails from ResLife usually get brushed off by people, so it’s not really like they’re doing a lot to help micro aggressions. It really does seem like they do the surface level and then don’t really help when you actually need help.”
To file a complaint within a res idence hall, Jones said a student should speak to their RA or RFM, and the information will be re layed to the RD.
The email cited Campus Min istry, OMA, CPS and Public Safe ty as resources for students. The second anonymous student com mented that they are yet to wit ness offices on campus provide a source of support.
Robert Dineen, assistant vice president for Public Safe ty, outlined the process of how a student can file a race-based discrimination complaint with Public Safety. He noted that, when a student files a complaint, the department conducts “fair and impartial investigations with the objective of gathering an ac curate description of the facts from both parties.”
“I genuinely don’t really know what would happen because if there’s not space, it becomes a little tricky,” she said.
Former First-Year Students Speak On Experiences in McKeon Hall
The student, who now lives in McMahon Hall, lived in a three-person room in McKeon Hall throughout the 2021-22 academic school year and spoke about the treatment they received from one of their roommates as a person of color in comparison to their other roommate who was white.
They appreciated that their RFM provided them with the space to talk to someone their age and men
Depending on the severity of the race-based misconduct, a report of the investigation is forwarded to the dean of students if it involves a student-on-student case and will align itself with the university’s code of conduct process. If the mis conduct involves an employee, the Office of Human Resources will be brought into the investigation.
“Interpretations can be differ ent and we are responsible for de termining what happened between the two parties,” she said.
“I never really felt like I had to go sit down and have tough con versations with (them) but part of that comfort was because I didn’t have to explain a lot of these things,” they said.
Investigations into bias-related incidents are usually conducted by Public Safety. Depending on the in dividuals involved in the case, oth er departments may be brought in to contribute to the report.
Former Residential Assistant Highlights Staff Experience
He added that DPS can connect students with other offices at the university including ResLife, Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), the chief diversity officer, Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) and Campus Ministry.
“I understand the process but don’t think I trust the process enough,” they said.
Campbellseriously.”added
“It felt like the whole thing turned into me being the villain for even bringing up this idea, and I ended up feeling really bad about it because everyone was like, ‘Oh, it was just a misunderstanding,’ but it didn’t feel like a misunder standing on my part,” they said.
“ I’ve never seen an outcome where they (ResLife) have done something efficiently because an email sending out links to people that can support you is not helpful. ”
anonymous FCLCstudent,’25
In regard to handling a racebased complaint, Royall McMa hon-Ward, FCLC ’22 and a former RA in McMahon Hall during the 2021-22 academic school year, ex plained that RAs are instructed to gauge the situation and its sever ity. She emphasized that RAs are tasked with ensuring that the resi dent who allegedly has been trans gressed against is safe.
In response to this, Campbell said that such situations can be complex and that staff strive to thoroughly address reports.
The student noted that their third roommate would only ac knowledge their white roommate and they “just couldn’t under stand“(They)why.” would only talk and would only communicate with me if it was to blame me for some thing,” the student said.
that when there is a conflict, there are two sides to every story and that it’s crucial to listen to both sides.
The resident said that they felt that their resident first-year mentor (RFM) was “incredibly helpful.”
The level of dedication to ward special teams changes as a football player’s career progress es. “In the college and profes sional level, you will have sever al players that make their career specifically off of perfecting cer tain positions,” Sokoli said.
DeMorat and Greenhagen have fully earned the pride at tached to their names as Ford ham football superstars. Both have a number of accolades and records accumulated during their time at Fordham. DeMor at has been named First Team All-Patriot League for three consecutive seasons and the back-to-back Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year for the past two seasons. In the 2022 season, linebacker Green hagen has already attained 15 tackles. Vigorously defending Fordham’s end zone, Greenha gen has a career total of 305 tackles.
What are “special teams”?
Kristjan Sokoli, former NFL player
“ The beauty of football, every position is important. And in different situations, some positions are more important than others. ”
Football is a staple of Amer ican culture. It’s typically de fined as an event where friends and family gather outside of a large stadium, bars or each other’s homes, eating nacho cheese and fast food. Profession al games are commonly played on Sundays while Saturdays are typically reserved for college games. College football games are an event that many students look forward to as a part of their undergraduate experience. Sit ting in the stands wearing your university’s colors and rooting for their team is an experience like no Fordhamother.football fans flock to Jack Coffey Field, which sits at Fordham’s Rose Hill campus, slightly over 11 miles away from Lincoln Center (LC). Although LC students do find themselves occasionally sitting in the stadi um seats, it is not a common oc currence. Showing up to football games is more commonly associ ated with Rose Hill student life.
Line of scrimmage: an imag inary line passing through the spot where the play ended on the previous down. Both teams line up on either side of the line of scrimmage. This is where they will begin the next play.
“Special teams” are players
There are offensive and de fensive linemen. The offensive line contains five players: cen ter, left and right guard, as well as left and right tackle. The offensive linemen are typical ly the most physical players on the team, as they must create openings by pushing defensive players and allowing whoever is holding the ball to run past the other team’s defense.
Football, like many sports, is broken up into offensive and defensive positions. When one team’s offensive players are in possession of the ball, then the other team’s defensive players are trying to stop the offensive
Fordham Football
Fordham will play five games at Rose Hill this season, with the first one on Sept. 17 against the University at Albany.
End zone: the end of the foot ball field. Each team has its own end zone that the players are trying to protect while attempt ing to get into their opponent’s end zone.
How does a team score points?
Downs: the number of “chances” a team has for a play. A team has four downs to get 10 yards, barring any penalties. If the team gets the ball past the 10-yard mark, they receive a new set of attempts — this ac tion is called a “first down.”
The Start of Football
GRAPHIC BY ROXANNE CUBERO/THE OBSERVER
Football is a mixture of rug by and soccer. Over time, Camp played a role in turning this new sport into American football by developing the rules in the In tercollegiate Football Associa tion (IFA).
Basic Questions
Running the ball: Sokoli de fines “running the ball” as “when the quarterback hands the ball to the running back, who’s di rectly behind him.” Quarter backs can also run the ball, but it can put them at risk of inju ry or a turnover. This is related to specialization, and quarter backs do not train to take hits and tackles on a regular basis. The excessive impact can ruin a quarterback’s primary asset: his throwing arm.
Camp also developed the way football is scored, established 11 players per team, and created the position of quarterback and the line of scrimmage.
“Each time they snap the ball, that’s a play until someone gets knocked down with the ball, or there’s an incomplete pass,” Sokoli explained. “If you don’t get 10 yards in four downs, you have to punt the ball.” If a team is especially ambitious, it can at tempt to get a “first down” on its final attempt, but that can result in immediately turning the ball over to the opposing team if they do not convert.
The offensive positions in clude a quarterback, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and offensive linemen.
By GABRIELLA BERMUDEZ Sports & Health Editor
players from scoring any points. There are also special team play ers. While there is an extensive list of over 20 positions, here are some of the more notable ones.
“ In the college and professional level, you will have several players that make their career specifically off of perfectingpositions.certain ”
Terms to Know
There are several ways of scor ing points in football. The most familiar method is a touchdown. While touchdowns offer the most points in a game – six – there are other ways to up the score.
Kristjan Sokoli, former NFL defensive and offensive line play er for the Seattle Seahawks, Indi anapolis Colts and New York Gi ants, gave The Observer a guide to football for those seeking to better understand the sport.
Football is a fascinating part of American culture, offering a sense of community to specta tors and allowing them to cele brate the success of a preferred team. Having an understanding of the sport can make it a more enjoyable experience for LC stu dents who want to see the Rams perform at one of their five home games this season.
There are up to 10 coaches on a team, and there are coor dinators calling plays for both the defense and offense.
shared the most common way. This penalty is called “holding.”
Now that you have an in troduction to football, you can take the next steps and get to know Fordham football!
There is the opportunity for an extra kick after a touch down is scored, and it gives the team one additional point. “If you kick a field goal from any where on the field without scor ing a touchdown, you get three points,” Sokoli explained. “If you get tackled in your end zone, the other team gets two points.” The latter scoring strategy is referred to as a “safety” and oc curs extremely rarely. How can a team/player get penalized?
What’s the Deal With Football? Sports & Health
Sokoli explained that the linemen’s main focus is to pro tect the quarterback or any oth er player who is holding the ball.
During a game, some of the coaches sit in a booth in the stands. Football coaches usual ly wear a headset with a micro phone attached. This allows for easy communication between coaches and sometimes play ers. The coaches in the booth have better visibility of what is happening on the field and are thus invaluable to a team.
Positions
Part of understanding Ford ham football is knowing that, prior to last year, Fordham struggled for a number of sea sons. But as of last season, there is a significant improvement in the team’s abilities and much to look forward to this year.
who are used during any plays that involve kicking. This group involves punters and kickers. “Typically, you will find most of your special team guys from de fense ... because special teams are also a pretty physical unit, and generally defensive players are more physical and contact driven,” Sokoli explained.
The defensive positions in clude defensive linemen and de fensive backs.
“Nowadays, for most teams, the quarterback has a mic in his helmet, and the offensive coor dinator or head coach will call the play into the mic,” Sokoli added.
Sports & Health Editors GabriellaChrisBermudezMurray September 14, 2022 THE OBSERVER
Kristjan Sokoli, former NFL player
Sokoli continued, “The beauty of football, every position is im portant. And in different situa tions, some positions are more important than others.”
The coaches decide what plays are to be made during a game. But Sokoli explained that “some quarterbacks, as they get better and have more say in the system ... can maybe suggest plays.”
One thing Camp influenced in the IFA was the change from be ginning the game with a “scrum mage” and instead establishing a system of “downs.”
Football’s formal name is “grid iron football,” since the sport is distinguished by the vertical lines painted onto the field. The “Fa ther of American Football” was a Yale undergraduate and medical student named Walter Camp.
The most familiar method is a touchdown. While touchdowns offer the most points in a game – six – there are other ways to up the score.
Sokoli offered a breakdown of key players during a game. “I think it all starts with the guys up front... It all starts with the linemen.”
For example, in a situation where one player is attempting to move the ball toward the end of the field, referred to as the end zone, the wide receivers become the “most important” on the field.
Who decides the plays during a game?
You may be wondering, “Which of these positions should I be paying attention to?”
There are a handful of ways a team or player can be pe nalized in football, but Sokoli
Fordham’s football program has been led by Joe Conlin for four years now. Conlin has spent his time with the Rams coaching star players Tim De Morat, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’23; Ryan Green hagen, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) ’23; De quece Carter, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill ’23; Fo tis Kokosioulis, GSAS ’24; Phil Saleh, FCRH ’23; and running back Trey Wilson III, FCRH ’23.
An introductory guide for Lincoln Center students eager to learn and understand American football
“You cannot hold the re ceivers,” Sokoli emphasized. He offered an example of holding: “The offensive line is protecting the defensive line; they cannot grab at the defen sive line. To keep them from a quarterback, you have to stay in front of their bodies.” Sim ply put, a player cannot grab another player who is already pastSokolithem.emphasized the im portance of athleticism. A play er must use their wits and ath letic ability in order to protect their team and defend the ball properly.
Rams Triumph Against Monmouth, 52-49
“ You know, you’d like to not be that high scoring, that close, but a road win’s a road win so you take it any way you can get it.
@ Lehigh University Oct. 8, 12 p.m.
@ Bucknell University Nov. 5, 1 p.m.
Despite the pressure from the Rams, Monmouth’s offense kept chugging. It marched down the field and responded with another touchdown with 11:58 remaining in the second. To compensate for the earlier missed extra point, the Hawks attempted a twopoint conversion. They failed, bringing the score to 26-14.
On the first play after forcing the Rams to punt on their next drive, Monmouth’s lead running back Jaden Shirden, MU ’25, broke off a 95-yard rush for a touchdown to propel the Hawks to a 14-7 lead. Shirden finished the game with an astounding stat line of 299 rushing yards and two touchdowns.TheRams got the ball back with 8:10 remaining in the first quarter, but DeMorat promptly gave Monmouth possession by throwing an interception. The Hawks took advantage and drove down the field with back-to-back 35-yard plays to get to Fordham’s two-yard line. They punched the ball into the end zone but missed the extra point, giving Monmouth a 20-7Despitelead.the score at the end of the first quarter, the Rams’ of fense started the second quarter undeterred. Twenty-seven sec onds into the period, DeMorat tossed a screen to Kokosioulis, who ran 26 yards for a
The victory marks the first time since 2013 that the Rams are beginning a campaign 2-0. It is also important to note that Fordham lost to Monmouth in its home opener last season.
In a back-and-forth contest, Fordham football emerged victorious against a team they lost to last season
Tim DeMorat, FCRH ’23, led the Rams throwing six touchdowns and 452 passing yards.
Joe Conlin, Fordham Head Coach
vs. Colgate University Nov. 19, 1 p.m.
After forcing a turnover on downs immediately to start the half, Ford ham received the ball with prime field position. It took advantage,Loughridgeas found a hole on 2-yardthe line and intolaunchedthe end zone to extend the Rams’ lead, MonmouthfirstAs35-26.inthequarter,
vs. University at Albany Sept. 17, 1 p.m.
@ Ohio University Sept. 24, 2 p.m.
and nine from Mon mouth’s 14-yard line, DeMorat located Kokosioulis in the corner of the end zone and delivered a perfectly placed ball to give the Rams a conclusive 52-49 lead. Monmouth received the ball with 56 seconds remaining and threatened by entering Ford ham’s territory, but the Rams’ defense remained stout and pre vented the Hawks from reaching field goal range.
“Obviously offensively they had a great day, Timmy had another great day, Fotis had a great day,” Conlin remarked af ter the game. “You know, you’d like to not be that high scoring, that close, but a road win’s a road win so you take it any way you can get it.”
vs. Georgetown University Oct. 1, 1 p.m.
vs. Stony Brook University Oct. 15, 6 p.m.
Fordham Football 2022 Schedule
FOOTBALL from page 1
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
HOMECOMING
@ Holy Cross Oct. 29, 1 p.m.
were marching down the field to widen their advantage. Fourteen seconds into the fourth quar ter, DeMorat found Felton once again in the end zone. Felton made a beautiful over-the-shoul der catch to complete the 22yard touchdown and bring the score to Monmouth45-35.was still not done. The Hawks swiftly glided down field, stringing together short rushes and long completions un til they found the end zone once again. Nevertheless, the Rams controlled their destiny, main taining a three-point lead.
promptly re sponded. On the first play of the new drive, Shirden juked a handful of Fordham defenders and ran 80 yards for a touch down. Once again, special teams issues plagued the Hawks and they missed the extra point, narrow ing the lead only to
As they had done all game, Monmouth took advantage of Fordham’s misstep. With just over six minutes remaining in the game, Shirden took over, rushing four times for 68 yards. Then, Owen Wright, MU ’23, found a hole that opened up into a 24-yard touchdown rush. With 4:01 remaining, Monmouth took a 49-45Trailinglead.for the first time since the second quarter, Ford ham set out on its final drive to try and find the end zone and escape West Long Branch with a win. Sneed started the drive off with three straight rushes for 8, 7 and 6 yards. After a DeMor at incompletion, Sneed rushed twice more for a combined 22 yards to break into Monmouth territory.
FAMILY WEEKEND
Fordham kick er and Syracuse University transfer Brandon Peskin, GSBRH ’24, nailed a 25-yard field goal on the Rams’ next drive to extend their lead, and the rapid scoring continued.
www .fordhamobserver.com THE OBSERVER September 14, 2022 Sports & Health 7
Monmouth respond ed with a field goal of its own on its ensuing drive as the Hawks made every effort to keep up with Fordham’s high-octane offense.
Running back Julius Loughridge, FCRH ’25, continued his breakout season, rushing for more than 100 yards this game.
The contest featured more of the same in the second half.
are firing on all cylinders and ready to compete for the Patriot League Championship. The de fense will need to buckle down though, as it struggled to keep opponents out of the end zone at times last season and has allowed an average of 40 points per game so far this season.
As the clock wound down to end the third quarter, the Rams maintained a three-point lead, 38-35, and
Following the series of rushing attempts, DeMorat fired a 38-yard touchdown pass to Dequece Car ter, GSBRH ’23, on his first throw of the game to give Fordham a 7-0 lead just three minutes and 24 seconds in. The lead was short lived, as Monmouth responded on its next drive with a 60-yard touchdown pass from quarter back Tony Muskett, MU ’24, to tie the game at 7.
Later in the quarter, De Morat earned his retribution. With 7:02 left, DeMorat and Sneed marched the Rams down the field and capped the drive off with a short pass to Mekai Felton, FCRH ’24. Felton weaved through Monmouth defenders for 28 yards before finding the end zone, bringing Fordham within a score once more.
Fordham decisively pro gressed into Monmouth’s terri tory. The Rams made it to the Hawks’ 16-yard line and ap peared poised to extend their lead and seal the game before DeMorat threw an interception on fourth down.
Oncontest.third
After the first two games of the season, it appears the Rams
”
Trailing for the first time since the second quarter, Fordham set out on its final drive to try and find the end zone and escape West Long Branch with a win.
Williams intercepted Mus kett’s pass on Monmouth’s next drive and the Rams immediate ly capitalized. Rushed for time with only 2:32 remaining in the first half, Fordham swiftly moved down the field before DeMorat threaded the needle to find Dan Byrnes, FCRH ’23, for a 33-yard touchdown, giving the Rams a 28-26 lead heading into halftime.
The football pro gram will look to continue its posi tive momentum in this homecomingyear’s game against the Univer sity at Alba ny on Sept. 17. The Rams have not be gun a season 3-0 since the 2013 cam paign where they won their first 10 games and advanced to the NCAA FCS Championship.
vs. Lafayette College Nov. 12, 1 p.m.
For the rest of the drive, De Morat and Kokosioulis dominat ed. DeMorat connected with his wide receiver for a short gain then rushed for 12 yards on the next play. This set the Rams up on Monmouth’s 15-yard line. DeMorat found Kokosioulis for a one-yard gain as the clock hov ered around one minute left in the
The president added that she was blown away by move-in day and impressed by the staff and student volunteers. Tetlow noted that she was even more amazed by the warmth of the wel come that was provided and was “all the more excited to be here.”
In collaboration with the New Student Orien tation teams and the Offices of Student Involve ment at Rose Hill and Lincoln Center, the 2022 orientation programs received 2,720 students across the campuses, according to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions Class of 2026 enroll ment profile. It also welcomed University Presi dent Tania Tetlow, J.D., who began her term as Fordham’s 33rd president on July 1.
Although she noted that the program pref aced no individual had to share anything they were uncomfortable with, Miller stated that, in her group, everyone had to share at least once.
Rundown of the Program
COURTESY OF BRUCE GILBERT
The newest class of Rams attended a variety of events hosted across the campus as well as excursions across the five boroughs of New York City, according to Emily Ellis, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’23, an orientation co ordinator (OC) for the 2022-23 academic year and an online editor at The Observer.
COURTESY OF ADAEZE JINADU
Hosted on the Plaza, the small group meetings provided first-years with
The Class of 2026 is the first incoming class to have Tetlow serve as their university president.
The fall orientation program hosted a variety of excursions receiving the university’s new president’s
She also felt that Fordham does a remarkable job of making everyone feel like they belong.
Ellis noted that Real Talk is “a great way for students to open up to each other and talk about the real world challenges that students face in their time here at Fordham” and described it as a wonderful bonding and educational tool.
Fordham University hosted its new student orientation for Lincoln Center and Rose Hill undergraduate students at their respective cam puses during the weekend of Aug. 28-30. The 2022 fall orientation schedule included a series of events and speakers across the three days, with orientation coordinators, captains and leaders working together to welcome the Class of 2026 to Fordham Lincoln Center.
Student Life Day, which served as the second day of orientation, split the program into three tracks — the Maroon track, the Ram track and the Ignatius track — to accommodate the volume of first-years at Lincoln Center. Keynote speakers and presentations, including “Getting Involved,” “Living the Mission” and “Surviving the Party,” took up a majority of the day and were hosted in Pope Auditorium, Constantino Hall and the McNally Amphitheater.
A group of first-years getting to know each other on the Lowenstein Outdoor Plaza.
GraceFCLCMiller,’26
Overall, Miller said she enjoyed orientation and would consider returning as an OL because it was nice to watch the community that was present through the OLs this year. She noted that it would be even nicer to be a part of it.
portunities for residents and commuters to meet within their orientation groups. The day ended with a “Night of Welcome” held on the outdoor Plaza from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
COURTESY OF BRUCE GILBERT
“Looking at the orientation leaders from a freshman’s perspective, they radiate a really nice
The day concluded with excursions from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., which included a variety of activities such as roller skating at Rockefel ler Center; walking along the Brooklyn Bridge; a visit to the Edge, One Summit Vanderbilt, or Roosevelt Island; a movie night on the Plaza; and more, according to Ellis.
The orientation program is mandatory and serves as a welcome to incoming Fordham stu dents. The schedule ran from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. for the first two days of the program, and it began at 7:30 a.m. and concluded at 3:30 p.m. on the final day, with a “Dessert on the Lawn” event for all residents on the Lowenstein Out door Plaza from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
First-Years Reflect on Their Orientation Experience
Miller said that thought Real Talk was “strange,” as she felt that it forced students to “open up about stuff you don’t want to to people you just met.”
A first-year student and their family waiting in line to move into McKeon Hall.
Fall 2022 Orientation Program
Miller noted that she wished people had more time to become friends with one another in their small groups and critiqued a sector of the pro gram titled “Real Talk.” According to Ellis, “Real Talk” discusses social injustices and opens the floor to students to share their own experiences.
“ Looking at the orientation leaders from a freshman’s perspective, they radiate a really nice form of community and friendship here. ”
University President Tania Tetlow, J.D., greeting students as they move in. The Class of 2026 is Tetlow’s first incoming class as president.
Grace Miller, FCLC ’26, said that her favorite takeaway was the people she met in her orien tation group, including her orientation leaders (OLs), and the speakers the orientation pro gram provided.
The first day of the program served as movein day for first-year students residing on-cam pus. It also included a family liturgy, a “New York, New York”’ reception for families, and op
By MARYAM BESHARA News Editor
“I loved the welcoming Mass, full of emotional parents realizing they were about to say good bye,” Tetlow said.
New student orientation’s final day consist ed of an academic orientation for first-years and was divided into two sections based on college. The FCLC orientation included tours, an academic fair and a talk on advising, whereas the Gabelli School of Business at Lin coln Center (GSBLC) orientation included pre sentations on the academic program, faculty introductions and meetings with Gabelli men tors. All students also attended a third small group meeting, which invited orientation lead ers and first-years to talk on the outdoor plaza for the last time.
“ It was really rewarding to see all that we had worked on over the summer had actually come to life during actual orientation. ”
“It was really rewarding to see all that we had worked on over the summer had actually come to life during actual orientation,” Sztulman said.
COURTESY OF ALLIE BEEKMAN A group of first-years and their OLs on their excursion to Krispy Kreme.
Sztulman and Gualtiere both encouraged first-years to get involved on campus and make it a priority to do so. Sztulman added that being involved allows you see the inner workings of the university, and the two hope first-years join the orientation staff next year.
OLs pose for a photo at the top of One Summit Vanderbilt, one available excursion option.
“I would appreciate and thoroughly enjoy bringing a group together just like my orienta tion leaders did, so it would be like passing the torch,” she said.
“I honestly met the majority of the people I talk to now at orientation,” she said.
Melanie Sztulman, GSBLC ’23 and an OC for the 2022-23 academic year shared that as an OC, she worked between 28 to 35 hours per week and helped plan multiple summer events, including two Summer Orientation Programs held on June 11 and July 13, as well as the com muter and transfer BBQ held on Aug. 8.
Students meet with their OLs in small groups where they discuss life at Fordham and ask many questions.
Melanie Sztulman, GSBLC ’23 and orientation captain
Will Gualtiere, FCLC ’25 and an OL for fall orientation, shared that his favorite memory from fall orientation was move-in day and see ing the sense of excitement everyone had, in cluding the first-years, as they were moving into the residence halls. He described it as an “elec tric environment” and felt that move-in day was the time he bonded with the OLs and other staff members.Headded another memory he has from ori entation was seeing Tetlow interact with the Class of 2026 and other community members. He believed that the first-year students and the entire orientation staff were overall impressed with Tetlow.
Orientation Staff Share Advice and Speak on the Program’s Efforts
Miller and Pledger both suggested that, in the future, orientation groups should in termingle with one another to allow for op portunities to meet more people. They also felt that there should be a balance between activities and speakers. Miller shared that she felt the program included a lot of drain ing information with a little bit of fun, which Pledger echoed and suggested the inclusion of periods of rest to “break up the monotony of the “Everyspeakers.”singlepresentation was really engag ing and informative but I think that they sort of lost their zest as the day progressed,” Pledger said.
The New Student Orientation team at Lincoln Center, which was led by Dan Patterson, associ ate director for first-year experience, consisted of four OCs, 14 orientation captains and 85 OLs, according to Ellis.
She noted that her favorite memory from ori entation was getting to know the OLs and the captains during their training a week before the Class of 2026 was welcomed. Sztulman added that there were five days dedicated to train ing the leaders for orientations and afterhours where the OCs and captains worked closely to gether to wrap up all the material that needed to be prepared for orientation.
Program Welcomes the Class of 2026
“Being involved is really the best way to be come integrated in the community and get to know people,” she said.
Pledger shared that orientation was a great experience for her and felt that it was a good opportunity to meet new people following the daunting and scary affects of being in a new city at a new college. She mentioned that the pro gram “forces you to be social” and allows for op portunities to make connections with people in different class years.
COURTESY OF MADDIE BAMFORD
“ Get involved with as much as you can as early as you can. ”
excursions and speakers, with incoming first-years president’s first welcome address
Alongside Sztulman’s advice, Gualtiere en courages first-years to try things they might not want to try or continue pursuing passions they had in high school because “that is really where you’ll find your closest friends and the love and passion Fordham has to offer.”
“Get involved with as much as you can as early on as you can,” he said. “Don’t over whelm yourself, but make sure you get expo sure to all the opportunities that Fordham has to offer and all the different communities that you can become a part of and grow within.”
This year was Gualtiere’s first year as an OL. He said that he decided to join the New Student Orientation team after seeing the community between the OLs when he was a first-year. He noted that the passion each of the OLs had for the position and watching that community form inspired him to join the team.
COURTESY OF ISABELLA UBARICO
Jada Pledger, FCLC ’26, echoed this senti ment and shared that she thinks being an OL would be very fun, comparing the experience to being a camp counselor to a bunch of kids “ex cept the kids are your age.” She added that she enjoys meeting new people and felt that orienta tion was a fun experience.
form of community and friendship here,” she said. “Everyone was being very inclusive and cheering everyone on with so much enthusiasm.”
“This is her first class that she’s coming in with, and you can really see the passion and the connection she is trying to establish with each of the first-year students,” he said.
Will Gualtiere, FCLC ’25 and orientation leader
COURTESY OF AINUR ARSLANOV with a chance to speak with their OLs.
CUBERO/ROXANNEBYGRAPHICSANDDESIGNPAGE OBSERVERTHE
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Opinions Editors Ava IsabellaPeabodyScipioni September 14, 2022 THE OBSERVER
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Of course, it must be said that this isn’t the result of active, hostile sexism: It’s not as though the building-namers of years past looked at a list of potential names, stroked their mustaches, and scratched out all the female names while chortling to themselves about the inferiority of the “fairerFordham’ssex.” buildings are named in this way because of the passive, insidious misogyny that has pervaded our culture for Thecenturies.buildings are (for the most part) named after Jesuit saints and people who have been important to the history of Fordham. These two categories do not allow for many women to be on the list in the first place.
puts off honoring women in the same way it honors men is another year the school neglects the debts it owes to Fordham women.
Online Editors
The concern of what to do with the existing names of buildings, however, is secondary to the issue of recognizing women. Every year Fordham puts off honoring women in the same way it honors men is another year the school neglects the debts it owes to Fordham women.Itmakes sense for Fordham to honor the great men who led the school to its current position, and it makes sense to honor the history of the Jesuits. But the history of Fordham is not limited to men, and the history of the Jesuits is not lim ited to Jesuits themselves. Our buildings can honor our entire history, the parts we’ve always been proud of and the parts whose importance we only recently came to acknowledge.
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Marie Clark Taylor, a Black woman who received her Ph.D. in botany from Fordham in 1941, was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. from the university and the first African American woman ever to receive a Ph.D. in botany.
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For example, Anne E. King, who in 1939 became Fordham’s first female dean and served in that role for 25 years. In her time, she was also president of the American Association of Schools of Social Service and helped found Fordham’s first master’s degree program.
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Finally, some recognition should go to Fordham’s first female undergraduates, who were initially admitted to a separate college named after St. Thomas More (because even the women’s school had to be named for a man). In the 10 years of Thomas More’s existence, the new “coeds” (as they were called) had to deal with hos tility from male students and restrictive policies, such as no mixed-gender classes, from the administration. There are many women among Fordham’s first who might be considered for recognition.
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male. Even the one seemingly feminist holdout, Queen’s Court, harbors relics of the patriarchy in its wings: Robert’s, John’s, and Bishops’.
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Ruth Whitehead Whaley was the first Black woman to be admitted to Fordham’s Law School, enrolling in 1921. She grad uated in 1924, becoming one of the first Black women to practice law in the state of New York and the first Black woman to do so in her home state of North Carolina.
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No building at Lincoln Center is named for a woman. Not one of our aca demic buildings is named for a woman. None of our athletic fields at Rose Hill is named for a woman.
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In many ways, Fordham has opened its doors to be more inclusive to women of academia. Previously an all-male institu tion, the school now enrolls more women than men, and women have almost equal representation with men in the faculty. And our university’s president is, at last, a woman.Unfortunately, such contemporary changes cannot undo historical injustices. Just because Fordham is making progress today doesn’t mean that its long history as a predominantly-male institution isn’t still notable. The school remains dispro portionately focused on men in terms of the names of our campuses’ buildings, almost none of which bears the name of a woman. It’s time for that to change.
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Of course, Fordham doesn’t get a new building every day, so this proposal nec essarily involves removing some existing male names from certain buildings. Such changes might certainly cause frustration, but we should remember that Fordham changes its buildings’ names quite fre quently. Earlier this year, on April 27, the McGinley Center became the McShane Center.Furthermore, changing the name of a building does not have to mean erasing the legacy of its original namesake. We can preserve the memory of the import ant people of Fordham’s past in scholar ships, statues, works of art, dedication of classrooms and wings of buildings, to name a few.
Notable men of Fordham (from top left: George G. McMahon, S.J., Joseph M. McShane, S.J., and Mario
And given that Fordham was founded as a seminary, only began to accept wom en to its undergraduate classes in 1963, and has been run by priests until 2022, it is not surprising that men were always at the top of administrators’ minds when they dedicated new buildings.
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In my review of all Fordham build ings, which I conducted by scanning current maps of the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses and looking up every name appearing on the maps (aided by a revealingly named library guide, “Ford ham University History: The Man - The Building”), I found that, by the most liber al estimate, only two buildings (out of 32 total) are named for women: Saint Mary of Queen’s Court and Susan Conley (née Salice) of Salice-Conley Hall, both at Rose Hill. It should be noted, however, that Salice-Conley is named for the families of donors Susan and Tom Conley. A fountain at Rose Hill is named for Carolyn Dursi Cunniffe, Ph.D., an alumna of Fordham, but the actual Cunniffe House is named for her husband Maurice J. Cunniffe.
Among them is the brilliant Sue Kahl. She may never get a building, but I will hold out hope for at least a plaque. In Kahl’s time, some of her male peers child
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But it doesn’t have to be this way. For one thing, we now have a female presi dent — and I look forward to the possible dedication of Tetlow Hall one day. Until then, there are a number of trailblazing women of Fordham’s past who may not have been president of the university but are certainly worthy of having a building named after them.
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As for saints, we don’t have to wait for the Jesuits to start admitting women to their ranks. There are many female saints worthy of honor, and we don’t even have to stray far from Fordham’s exist ing buildings to find some. For example, Fordham currently honors three male Jesuit missionaries who came to New York to evangelize to the Native American pop ulation: Sts. Goupil, la Lande and Jogues, of Martyrs’ Court. But no recognition is given to the people to whom they were missioned.Aneasy (and long overdue) way to address that is to honor St. Kateri Tekak witha. Kateri was a Mohawk woman in the late 17th century who converted to Christianity at the age of 19. Her con version is due to the presence of Jesuit missionaries (successors of Jogues and the martyrs), but her deep devotion can only be attributed to her. In 2012, she was the first Native American to be canonized. She would make an excellent addition to the list of saints Fordham honors in the names of our buildings.
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buildings named for them, while notable women (from bottom left: Marie Clark Taylor, Anne E. King, and Ruth Whitehead
do not.
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ishly insisted that the new women weren’t worthy of courting. When asked by The Fordham Ram about this in 1965, Kahl responded that the men didn’t have to worry about that: “Fordham guys are not exactly prize packages.”
The school’s preference for Jesuit saints is understandable, but as women cannot enter the Society, all but one of the saints associated with Fordham buildings are
Every year Fordham
After surviving such dramatic dangers and persevering as only human beings can, it is unethical to embrace the hustle culture of our society. If tragedy has taught us anything (time and time again), it is what really matters. Living to produce and work seems antithetical to the human condition, especially when so dramatically juxtaposed with the flaws in our systems.
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“We also affirm our belief that building what Saint John Paul II called a ‘culture of life’ requires a stronger social safety net than our country has today,” the statement said. “To be truly pro-life, we must support all women, expect ant parents and their children by
It seems that there is a new normal in our socializations: one of constant burnout and the underlying exhaustion that creeps up on every single one of us, unbidden and unwanted.
As a non-Catholic at a Catholic school, there are times when I disagree with university poli cies. However, there are several reasons I think there are better ways to take action than arguing in circles with people who have a stronger commitment to the principles of their faith than I do. The official statement from the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) on the overruling of Roe v. Wade celebrates the decision, but I en courage everyone who is outraged to continue reading.
advocating for policies like uni versal health care, paid parental leave and a more equitable distri bution of our country’s abundant resources.”I’msure many pro-choice people would agree that our country requires a stronger social safety net. That safety net is what I think is important to focus on. Instead of creating animosity in a situation where changing others’ minds is extremely unlikely, it is more fruitful to hold Jesuits accountable to these action state ments. Rather than wasting ener gy demanding a short statement, we should work together to better the lives of CatholicsAmericans.dosupport human life in all forms. My discourse with them isn’t going to be about whether a fetus is a person or not. It’s going to be about how we can understand one another and work on the things we both agree on and consider ourselves committed to, such as abolishing the death penalty, supporting parents, universal health care, supporting children and distribut ing resources equitably. I can do all this while respecting religious beliefs and simultaneously advo cating for democracy rather than a theocracy.Fordham decided not to re lease a statement on the overrul ing of Roe v. Wade this summer, which is the strongest stance we could have expected given the university’s history, mission, do nors and administration. Instead of seeing this as a loss in a place where students are privileged to have the basic right of abortion health care, we need to support people in other areas and hold Catholics accountable.
The most we could hope for in a written statement is neutrality.
backed by gold. We give away massive amounts of our lives to labor, willingly, in return for a number in a bank account or the material possessions we covet while on break. Is this truly the zenith of human existence? It is 2022 and yet it feels like we are stagnated and rotting. Progress has become monetized and strat ified, generating privilege instead of freedom from the very systems that created it. Why? We are stronger and better than this. We are capable of more joy, progress and prosperity than our employ ers would have us believe.
Afterdestroying.allthepain and massive change we have undergone, it is simply illogical to return to the broken systems that govern our society and expect for them to work the same.
sations about safe sex. But we attend a Catholic institution, and part of the package is that we cannot expect things that don’t align with principle teachings of theThisreligion.does not mean that Rams should be content with the deci sion and do nothing. If you feel angry, this is the time to channel it into caring for others. Abortion is currently protected in New York, but it is an American issue. We should advocate for our peers in other states. There are several ways you can do this, including donating to abortion funds and independent clinics, voting, and protesting. While I don’t think religion should rule our country, what I don’t intend to do is argue with Catholic institutions, Jesuits or any other Catholics about their morality and whether or not abor tion is “right,” and I don’t think you should either.
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The late stage capitalistic landscape that is the working world is no longer compatible with the average psyche and has resulted in a society of enduring suffering rather than flourishing. After realizing this change my
The Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade on June 24, and many universities, both religious and secular, issued statements in response. But Fordham’s adminis tration stayed quiet.
Fordham’s lack of a statement regarding the overturning of Roe v. Wade shouldn’t come as a shock to students
In a world plagued by burnout and deadlines, I refuse to exist to produce anymore. Though it is hard, and I don’t always succeed, I’ve attempted to stop drawing confidence and self-worth from my capabilities and from the never-ending labor that everyone stares down at some point. What will this time do for us down the line? Time is finite, so we must spend it wisely. If all we do is give and give, we forget how to take. This in turn results in a person unable to feel fulfilled as they constantly empty their cup of things that create joy. Abun dance, happiness and fulfillment only come when we are whole, and how can we be whole if we give ourselves away to labor?
on other issues which potentially divideFordhamus.” students would do well to remember that their ex perience at a Catholic university in regard to this issue is not the same as all other Jesuit colleges due to its location. Louisiana, Indiana and Wisconsin are all states where abortion is banned or the ban will be in effect soon, whereas abortion is protected in New York. Statements on the Court’s recent decision are more appropriate for schools in states where abortion is currently more restricted than it is in New York.
Roe v. Wade and What We Can Actually Expect From Fordham
After a pandemic, an insurrec tion, multiple natural disasters and every other evil that the past few years have thrown at us, it’s hard to not feel changed. We live in a world that feels like it’s constantly post-tragedy. Capital ism has run its course, and we are living in a society that doesn’t cater to the modern psyche.
Thetime?world has almost ended time and again, and we haven’t caved yet. Why not use our time to experience the gift of life, instead of spending it for unfair compensation in an unfair world? It is illogical and counteractive to the human condition to exist in this way, and it only results in the plague of burnout and exhaus tion that is slowly engulfing and depriving us of a world we are slowly
I, for one, am tired of this way of life. I refuse to be a cog in a machine, especially if that machine produces next to nothing and thrives off of inefficiency. Our world is filled with wonders of nature, marvels of technology that humans have just begun to explore, and a vast array of cultures and lives waiting to in teract and learn from one anoth er. Yet, somehow we have decided that the best lives are those lived in a void. We have decided that the value of a human existence is in the value of its net product. I refuse to exist for this flawed purpose, especially after surviv ing and growing from events that will mark the pages of future textbooks. It isn’t fair to anyone to exist in this system, and we are perpetually driven away from our desires and things that spark joy, and instead herded back to the grinding stone to produce just to survive.Wework for currency not even
self, I simply shut down. It’s hard to not feel overwhelmed with the things demanded of us, so why burn yourself out trying to deliver on an irrational request?
Schools like the University of Michigan and the University of California released statements condemning the decision and promising to defend the reproduc tive rights of their students, which is to be expected from public universities in blue states. How ever, it is more reasonable and appropriate to compare Fordham to how other Catholic universities haveTheresponded.president of The Catholic University of America celebrat ed the decision, saying that he “rejects the unholy idea that there is a constitutional right to kill un born children.” But other Catholic universities including Notre Dame University, Duquesne University and the Jesuit Marquette Uni versity released statements that could be considered neutral, say ing things like “We must respect one another in moving forward from this decision, as we have
Late stage capitalism has re sulted in a world that favors profit over health. However, it is lofty and unrealistic to simply argue
In New York state and in the tri-state area, these health services are legal and accessible. Students may expect a statement from Fordham to support others who have lost the right to abor tion, but the lack of statement from Fordham — which aligns the university with the Catholic Church on this issue — can itself be regarded as a statement. The most we could hope for in a writ ten statement of neutrality and administrative language that tries not to alienate anyone.
In a post-tragedy world, I have embraced apathy as a means of coping and, paradoxically, adding meaning to my life.
There are secular universities in the United States that, unlike Fordham, provide birth control and, rarely, abortion service. Some students believe that Fordham should follow suit, and I agree that in an ideal world the university would provide free condoms and engage in conver
I do not think we can or should make such demands.
Nihilism is defined as “the re jection of all religious and moral principles, in the belief that life is meaningless.” While this may seem counterintuitive to living a life that is more satisfying and enriching, I believe that there is some wisdom in this philoso phy. We must realize the insig nificance of our existence and recognize that regardless of our income, social status or produc tion, there is nothing that will re main at the end of the world. This perspective is a unique insight that I believe nihilism — ironical ly — provides.
of it really matters. So why not take a friend out to dinner? Or buy that thing from your Amazon wishlist? Joy and satisfaction are currencies in their own right and are arguably more impactful on a person than money. If nothing matters, then every moment of flourishing becomes infinitely more meaningful, and joy seems more abundant than ever.
I am tired of being glorified cattle, herded from one place to another, endlessly producing pieces of paper and numbers. In such times as these, I suggest em bracing a little nihilism to grant perspective. Choose to live a life of actively seeking joy, and stop prioritizing material gain and suc cess, because why toil for a system that is engineered to provide the bare minimum to workers every single
For students who don’t check their school email in the summer, or who haven’t been closely fol lowing reproductive rights news, the lack of a statement might not mean much. Other Rams, however, believe that the lack of statement in support of students’ rights is not in accordance with Fordham’s key values, such as cura personalis, or “care for the wholeSomeperson.”students expected Fordham to release a statement criticizing the ruling and support ing reproductive rights. However, as Fordham is a Jesuit institution,
How embracing nihilism and the end of it all has made my life more meaningful
We make teachers work in schools where they must die for their students. We expect nurses and doctors to forgo their lives almost entirely to meet the demands of a doomed society. We build cities and use them until we get tired of them, then build a brand new one next to the ruins.
Existence in that vacuum can be taxing, and it often results in the burnout and mental health issues that have become common in our workplaces, homes and society at large. However, I have recently found comfort in restructuring my perspective on the world that lit itself on fire. Through seemingly rampant nihilism, my outlook has changed significantly.
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In my personal life, for exam ple, I have tried to stop putting monetary stresses at the fore front of my mind. Whether that be managing a budget or simply deciding whether to dine out or not, at the end of the day, none
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Criticism even reached celebrity interest. Bella Hadid expressed that she feels “It’s bar baric to force horses like Ryder to pull heavy carriages in extreme heat in the busiest part of the busiest city in America without a place to break or eat.” Hadid also shared her support for New York City Council Member Robert
“There’s no question that using horses to pull carriages through very busy and loud New York City streets is unsafe and an undeni able strain on the horses’ quality of life,” Maureen Linan from the American Society for the Preven tion of Cruelty to Animals (ASP CA) said to the Observer.
art? By removing stillness from our art, are we removing still ness from our lives as well?
However, the fact that these horses are in contact with possum droppings further demonstrates the inhumane living conditions they face. EPM is developed through indigestion, which means Ryder was likely consuming rancid food by the presence of possum feces. Ultano also failed to mention that Ryder was mal nourished and over the legal age requirement to pull a carriage. At his advanced age, EPM wasn’t the sole factor in his collapse.
Is this simply a business deci sion made by Instagram to make advertising easier and a seam less part of our daily lives? Is it a coincidence that we receive ads for things we’ve talked about daysAdvertisingbefore? has become a major part of Instagram, and according to one Instagram user, out of the first 16 posts on their home feed, 14 were sug gested posts, ads or sponsored content from accounts the user did not follow.
If passed, the electric car riages would resemble a motor car from the early 1900s and would run at a speed of 3 miles per hour. Carriage horses, for reference, trot at a pace of 8 to 10 miles per hour. The electric carriages would be powered by lithium-ion batteries and run in all weather conditions, regardless of rain or snow. Built to invoke America’s Golden Age, the cars would be styled with gold rims and a “parasol” convertible top.
Amid the internet’s move towards videos, we should not abandon still photography on social media
MARIA TERZULLI Staff Writer
The general public will not stand by and wait for Instagram to deal with its identity crisis.
Ryder, a carriage horse in New York City, collapsed in Hell’s Kitch en on Aug. 10, 2022. Veterinarians speculate that Ryder is around 27 years old; the average age for a carriage horse ranges from 13-14, making him exceptionally old for his occupation. Ryder’s collapse occurred after a 7 and a half hour shift during a New York heatwave, where temperatures reached 90 degrees. The incident was unfortu nately not shocking, as Ryder was later found to be malnourished, dehydrated and suffering from Equine Protozoal Myeloencephali tis (EPM), a disorder that attacks the central nervous system.
However many revisions are promised, the carriage horse business is an unsustainable practice. Horses aren’t meant to withstand the commotion of New York City, as they’re regarded as generally timid creatures. The city is a destructive environment
On Aug. 11, New Yorkers protested outside City Hall in support of banning carriage hors es. From activists to everyday cit izens, protestors expressed their resentment towards an industry that exploits animal labor. Tony Ultano, a spokesperson for car riage horse drivers, responded: “The veterinarian who examined Ryder believed he has EPM, a neurological disease caused by possum droppings. This is another example of why people shouldn’t rush to judgment about our horses or the blue-collar men and women who choose to work
The backlash follows Insta gram’s new emphasis on short videos, called Reels, that are remarkably similar to TikTok, an app that has dominated the video market. Many users argue that Instagram is trying to become TikTok, especially as engagement with still photos has decreased and suggested or sponsored posts have overtaken content from friends and family in users’ feeds. Home feeds seem to be pushing the Reels feature,
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which mostly consists of TikTok videos downloaded and reposted to Instagram.AlthoughInstagram re scinded the update in response to the pushback, Instagram’s effort to abandon still photos is a testament to the new wave of intense emphasis on video, animations and other types of moving content.
We must stand up to the car riage horse industry and end this harmful practice once and for all.
“This latest tragic incident demonstrates that the most humane, responsible and sensible action is for New York to eliminate horse carriages from its streets.”
Ryder’s collapse sparked out rage from animal rights organiza tions around the globe.
with them and care for them.”
This trend is extremely dis heartening: Instagram’s roots are embedded in photos, where early users shared their morning lattes, beloved pets, and otherwise mundane skyline views while commuting to work. Sharing this type of content allowed users to romanticize aspects of their day-to-day lives that would oth erwise go unnoticed. By burying image-only posts in users’ feeds, Instagram is destroying its origins in strictly photo-based content.
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In a society that constantly encourages us to keep moving and “hustle,” is it inevitable that this ideology will spread to our
Carriage horses withstand challenging conditions to take riders around New York City.
The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, released a video on July 26, 2022 explaining recent chang es to the platform in response to criticism from countless users, including even like Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian.
On the other hand, the in terpretation of a video becomes
for an animal that relies on fields to graze, not sidewalks to trot. The dwindling promise of stables and water troughs in Central Park sticks a loose Band-Aid on a harmful practice that ultimately must be banned.
Photos are an intimate expe
plan to relocate the horses to a building in Central Park and appoint a full-time veterinarian to monitor their health. Water troughs would additionally be built across the park to prevent dehydration, which was a major factor in Ryder’s collapse. Re leased a month after Ryder’s ac cident, their statement has been met with public scrutiny due to its prolonged response time.
We should not abandon still photos for the sake of moder nity. We should instead choose platforms that allow us to express ourselves through whatever medium we prefer. Users are getting fed up with being forced to transition from consuming photo to video content, which has manifested through the popular ity of new apps like BeReal, an app that sends users a notification at random times of the day to cap ture and upload a photo within twoBeReal’sminutes.popularity shows that users aren’t ready to give up the still photo, and if Instagram can’t meet their demands, we will find an app that will.
Users made Instagram what it is, and only users can decide if the app survives.
They leave something to be desired. If we want to understand it, we have to actually study it instead of having everything visu alized for us through movement. There is a shared enjoyment in seeing a photo that appears sim ple but knowing its construction required behind-the-scenes work. Photos force us to interact with content in a way video never will.
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Video content is certainly still valuable. Both photo and video should be able to co exist without platforms like Instagram forcing one over the other. But we cannot afford to lose sight of the abstractness of photography throughout the shift to Insteadvideo.oflarge platforms dic tating the format of content that artists and casual users should be creating and consuming, users should be able to choose. Artists of still images should not have to worry about losing their livelihood because of a business decision made by social media platforms.Asexplained by Instagram user and photographer Anastasia Pagonas in her “Ode to Insta gram”: “The still image has been deprioritized in favor of quick video; my sage friend said of it: ‘the death of stills and stillness.’”
more uniform through consisten cy in things like tone of voice and body language. If everyone gath ers the exact same message from a piece of art, the content inspired by it is more likely to be uniform, and after a few cycles, individual interpretation is erased.
The Fight to Ban Carriage Horses in NYC
The medium of photos allows us to share something without sharing everything. They allow us to conceal attitudes we would rather hide, like concealing family tension for the sake of a nice photo to hang on the wall. Photos leave more room for interpreta tion by the audience, which is essential to art.
The guarantees of the new bill, however, appear unfavorable to carriage horse drivers with many believing the electric cars could never attain the attraction held by horses. Carriage horses embody the evolution of trans portation and are a quintessen tial New York City experience for many tourists. Some feel without their presence, a definitive chapter of history would be lost. The question is: Are we willing to exploit an animal’s well-being to reenact the past?
rience. Oftentimes, only a select few know the true origins behind an otherwise normal photo.
In further support of car riage horse drivers, the Trans port Workers Union proposed a re-evaluation of the carriage horse industry on Sept. 1. They
The general public will not stand by and wait for Instagram to deal with its identity crisis. All individuals, both general consum ers and influencers, should call on the app to make the necessary changes to save still content.
Holden, who is sponsoring Int. 573-2022, a bill to ban horse carriages and replace them with electrical ones.
By urging friends and family to boycott horse-driven carriages and advocating for Holden’s bill to replace horse carriages with electric ones, we can end the animal neglect and abuse that is so prevalent in our city. Ryder’s incident may have been a rare case, but it’s indicative animal abuse in the industry.
Video Killed the Instagram Star
Activists argue that the horses on New York City’s streets are suffering and that the practice should be replaced
Norris also stressed the impor tance of audiences, virtual or oth erwise.“Ithink theater, really — it needs support, it needs audiences. That’s the beauty of live perfor mance, is that it’s a conversation between performers, the creators and the audience — it’s a give and take,” she said.
By AVERY LOFTIS Staff Writer
PHOTOS BY AVERY LOFTIS/THE OBSERVER NYPL’s Theatre on Film and Tape Archive contains over 8,000 video record ings of theater and film performances.
Clark said that there is much notable scholarship that has come out of the TOFT, such as “Divine Decadence: Fascism, Female Spec tacle, and the Makings of Sally Bowles” by Linda Mizejewski, em phasizing the expanse of research that is accessible mere strides away.As Norris noted, “theater kind of reflects life.” Almost anything at TOFT could intersect with one’s studies.
also includes
Wendy Norris, New York Public Library’s Theatre on Film and Tape Archive Assistant Director
The Theatre on Film and Tape Archive showcases 50 years of center stage, behind the scenes and all-around creative preservation in a landmark theater exhibition exhibit commemorating TOFT’s 50-year anniversary audio and video recordings Broadway performances.
win’s photo, with chocolate bars stacked underneath — a tradition al gift to stagehands that Corwin began.
Each aspect of the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive (TOFT) is commemorated with video mon itors streaming snippets of musi cals, plays and interviews that can be heard through the adjustable headsets attached.
TOFT also has collections of notable theater professional per formances, such as the first act
Preservation is a harbinger of progress to those at TOFT. Norris said that prior to the pandemic, researchers traveled from around 48 states and 32 countries to ac cess the materials, as “preserving theater history was really one of the main aims of establishing the collection and also saving these recordings for future generations to study, and learn from, and be inspired
Concluding the first floor of the exhibition is an interview reel of TOFT Founder Betty Corwin, af ter her retirement in 2001. In the video, Corwin listed off values important to her, which she took into account when founding the archive in 1970.
The
that their largest audience is probably theater pro fessionals, but student groups such as English classes and art history courses have also used their view ingFordhamrooms.
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The remainder of TOFT’s re corded collection consists of inter views, theater awards programs and film adaptations — including the film adaptation of “Fences” starring Denzel Washington, Ford ham College at Lincoln Center ’77.
The exhibition begins with a mural of poster-sized playbills representing the work recorded by TOFT. The exhibition path is lined with snippets of the archives of over 8,000 video recordings, about 4,500 of those being live performances. The showcase even includes musicals and plays in the avant-garde, such as the first re corded production for the archive: an Off-Broadway rock musical with an all Asian cast titled “Golden Bat.”
Located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, a short walk from Ford ham’s Lincoln Center campus, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is celebrating 50 years of its landmark video-re corded theatre archive in an exhi bition titled “Focus Center Stage: 50 Years of the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive.”
workshop of Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park with George.”
Norrisby.”noted
Communications de partment professor Jennifer Clark said that she has used the archive for her own research and for a course on costume design.
On the left side of the first floor exhibition is a glass case with Cor
TOFT’s 2002 Tony award, also on display in the exhibition, spot lights the amicable appreciation between theater creators and the theater preservers at TOFT.
The most recent recordings for the archive were the Broadway production of Billy Crystal’s “Mr. Saturday Night” and the off-Broad way production “On that Day in Amsterdam.”Toview Broadway and Off-Broadway productions alike, library card holders can take the elevator to the third floor, where the Lucille Lortel screen ing room houses 24 computer monitors and video screens en compassing the room in a thrum of white Accordingnoise.to Norris, the moni tors are used for playback controls, while the video signals are sent from the archival recordings and playback decks in the basement to the booked video screens. There are also bookable viewing rooms suitable for classes or large pre sentations, equipped with film and DVDTheprojectors.exhibition begins at the Plaza entrance to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and spans the first two floors of the library, accessible by stairs or elevator.Toget involved with theater preservation, you can support the archive for free with a New York Public Library card. Contacts and additional information about the exhibition, archive appointments and research can be found at the New York Public Library TOFT website.
Arts & Culture Editors IsabellaOliviaGonzalezStern September 14, 2022 THE OBSERVER
Theater Arts in the Archives
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“ Preserving theater history was really one of the main aims of establishing the collection and also saving these recordings for future generations to study, and learn from, and be inspired by. ”
“We wanted to bring out the fact that the archive has been suc cessful because of the great coop eration of all the theater artists who all have to give their permis sion for a production to be record ed,” Norris said.
To Corwin, theater is not only part of culture but how people measure history.
TOFT consistently takes into account the diversity of each sto ry, along with artistic merit, when deciding what 40-50 productions to record each season. Norris ad mitted narrowing the list to con form with financial and temporal resources is difficult.
Corwin mentioned represen tation of women, people of color, LGBTQ+ and those with disabil ities as important to the message and tradition of TOFT. She believed that theater recordings “reflect the times, reflect the three decades of what went on in the world.”
The NYPL’s “Focus Center Stage: 50 Years of the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive” exhibit displays playbills of some of the Broadway shows TOFT has recorded over the years.
GRAPHIC ROXANNEBYCUBERO/ THE OBSERVER
“Just by walking through the exhibition, (students) can get a sense of the breadth and depth of the collection, of all the record ings. It’s literally five decades of history — there’s something for everyone,” TOFT Assistant Direc tor Wendy Norris said.
Upstairs, pictures set in film cell frames display the behind-thescenes work of stagehands, camer apeople, costume designers, play wrights and directors.
Ozzy Osbourne’s “Patient Number 9,” released on September 9 is the musician’s 13th studio album. FOLEY AND ROXANNE CUBERO/THE OBSERVER BY ROXANNE CUBERO/ OBSERVER
RECORDS GRAPHIC
A haunting hailstorm is truly the only description of Osbourne’s 13th studio album — hard and relentless, yet there is an odd sense of beauty through all the pervading darkness of its songs as they rain down on listeners. The darkness is indescribable in the sense that it has been seen before in his discography with albums like “Bark at the Moon,” “No More Tears” and “Ozzmosis,” which were released in 1983, 1991 and 1995 respectively.
Genre: Hard Rock, Metal
The Bottom Line: “Patient Number 9” sees Ozzy Osbourne catching lightning in a bottle five decades into his illustrious career, as he takes listeners through a dark descent of unparalleled bril liance in 2022.
The opening and title track “Patient Number 9” is where Os bourne’s odyssey of the ominous begins, delving into life as a pa tient afflicted with mental illness in an asylum. Between the riffing of guitar legend Jeff Beck and doomsday drumming of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Os bourne excellently slithers in to deliver the spine-tingling verse: “Hiding the pills inside your mouth / Swallow them down then spit them out / I hear the laughter scream and shout / No tomorrow.”
A surefire favorite for fans will be “Nothing Feels Right,” which has Wylde monstrously shredding for a solid minute, followed by Osbourne emotionally delivering, “I’ve been calling out for someone / Mouth around the gun / Nothing feels right / Nothing feels right.” The track is Osbourne’s response to the headlines he’s made regard ing his battle with Parkinsons and almost sounds like a dismissive middle finger to the now-bizarre notion of him being bedridden.
For all of the album’s nostal gia-inducing rapturous riffs that whisk audiences away to the musi cal wonderland of the ’80s and ’90s, there is nonstop scintillating singing from a 73-year-old Osbourne whose voice has held up so well. Audiences are sure to be in a perplexing state of awe considering all they’ve heard about his health issues after his Par kinson’s diagnosis, a degenerative nervous disorder for which he re ceived surgery for in June.
However, Ozzy Osbourne led the charge and dropped the ex traordinarily optimistic “Ordi naryTwoMan.”years later, on Sept. 9, 2022, Osbourne returned with a modern magnum opus in “Patient Number 9,” a haunting hailstorm of dark brilliance.
What’s different about Ozzy’s trademark darkness in 2022 is how polished it sounds. The work is un compromisingly a hard rock/metal album, yet it has the rare potential to be listened to and enjoyed by people who do not typically listen to those genres.
By the time listeners arrive at the first riotous guitar solo half way through the song, they may feel as if they themselves are the patient Osbourne alludes to in a straitjacket — except they won’t want to leave, because there’s no way of telling what’s coming next
Two years ago marked the be ginning of a new era of darkness for the world in the shape of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a stagnating music industry where many anticipated releases faced unfortunate delays.
Where 2020’s “Ordinary Man” offered more glimpses of opti mism, “Patient Number 9” sees Osbourne surprisingly diving deeper into what made him a multi-generational mainstay in the music industry — his unre pentant affinity for darkness.
14 Arts & Culture September 14, 2022 THE OBSERVER www .fordhamobserver.comCOURTESYOFEPICRECORDS
By NOAH OSBORNE Contributing Writer
The Valleys: “Evil Shuffle”
The Verdict: 10/10
THE
The Peaks: “Patient Number 9,” “Parasite,” “No Escape from Now” and “Nothing Feels Right”
Ram Jams: Ozzy Osbourne’s Brilliantly Dark ‘Patient Number 9’ Is a Perfect 10 The Prince of Darkness’ latest album sees a king defiantly standing over his throne SCAN THE QR CODE TO BUY YOUR TODAYTICKET OCTOBER 3RD THE TOWN HALL 123 W 43RD ST, NYC 2-6PM “It’s a bit theComic-Con,likeonlyheroesarereal.” - VICE The Oslo Freedom Forum is coming to New York! Join the Human Rights Foundation for an afternoon of talks and performances by the world’s top human rights defenders, including Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov, North Korean defector Yeonmi Park, Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad, and more. LOGO BY LARA
with the storm. The album excels in itsThroughoutunpredictability.the13-track LP, Osbourne proves that he is a sonic sorcerer, as he makes switches to his lineup every other song. Where “Patient Number 9” sees Beck on guitar, the infectious track “Para site” sees metal master Zakk Wyl de on a Osbournetear. even taps into his Black Sabbath days, reuniting with Tony Iommi for the epic “Ozzmo sis”-esque ballad “No Escape From Now” and the humorously hard “Degradation Rules.” One would be forgiven for thinking these fre quent changes are questionable on the surface. However, these changes keep things fresh as each song sounds different, yet aston ishingly consistent.
On a Playlist With: Black Sab bath, Metallica, Foo Fighters
Isabella Scipioni, FCLC ’23 and opinions editor for The Observer, attended a Punk Majesty show, a fashion company founded by Alicia Amnesia.
From the hallways of Lowenstein to runways across Manhattan, Fordham students are taking advantage of the events around the city for this year’s New York Fashion Week (NYFW).
COURTESY OF SHERIDAN TYSON
New York Fashion Week From Students’ Perspectives
Fordham Lincoln Center students volunteer at and attend fashion shows around the city for New York Fashion Week
Fashion models pose for their final looks at the Mister Triple X fashion show in clothes designed by Erik Rosete.
COURTESY OF TYLER BELL Tyler Bell and Lori Wiggins, both FCLC ’23, were two of many Fordham students who took advantage of living in the city to attend one of the fashion world’s largest events of the year.
www .fordhamobserver.com THE OBSERVER September 14, 2022 Arts & Culture 15
Fordham students participated in a number of ways — from spectator to volunteer, there were plenty of opportunities for anyone interested in the fashion world.
ISABELLA SCIPIONI/THE OBSERVER
COURTESY OF SHERIDAN TYSON Sheridan Tyson, FCLC ’23, volunteered at numerous Fashion Week events, from casting calls to prepping models backstage before the show.
Nike and Simon Porte Jacquemus, a French fashion designer, collaborated on a line of athletic wear for this Fashion Week display.
COURTESY OF TYLER BELL
COURTESY OF SHERIDAN TYSON
By OLIVIA STERN Arts & Culture Editor
Makeup artists put finishing touches on their models before one of the week’s fashion shows.
This year’s NYFW runs from September 7 to September 14, with designers, such as Christian Siriano, Rebecca Minkoff, Prabal Gurung, Cynthia Rowley and Tory Burch, putting their spring season designs on display.The main location for events took place at Spring Studios on 50 Varick St., but exhibitions and runway shows happened all over Manhattan.
36).
BY IRENE HAO
23). Denounce 27). *Cold War, for example 29). More professional, like a golfer perhaps? 30). Underscore 32). Exclamation of ire: “Oh, 33).___!”“How do we know you’re not ____ ____ ____ too?” 34). *Something you may say to a friend when you lose to them 39). “I ____ ____ fit 2day!” in text (2 wds) 40). Since, over text 42). Welcome rug? (2 wds) 45). Forest opening 46). *Improve 47). Genes that form by mutation 49).chromosomesonP!ATDsong,“Hey Look Ma, ____ ____ It” 50). Low bank of coral 51). Computer screen or monitor (Abbr.) 52). *iPads and iPhones have 60).thisRub out on paper, vowels only 61). Possesses 62). Private 63).gatheringseveningComputerstorage device that replaces a hard disk 64). Bird den 65). Part of life for many retirees (2 wds)
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Crossword: PRESS START
BY IRENE HAO
35).
BY IRENE HAO
31).
1). Bottoms up 7). “ grip on yourself” (2 wds) 11). Noodle soup found in Little Saigon 14). Town in New York State 15). “Once a time” 16). ____, ____, and “the” are indefinite articles (2 17).wds)*Acting out 19). Private universityresearchinupstate New York (Abbr.) 20). Wooden pin 21). Japanese recipient of Nobel Prize in Physics in 1973 Across Down un & ames Fun & Games Editor Irene Hao September 14, 2022 THE OBSERVER Instructions: Insert letters to form the listed words, moving between adjacent cells horizontally, vertically or diagonally in any direction. Insert the remaining letters of the alphabet (except Z) in the grid so that all the listed words are spelled out in this way. GOGEN GAME SUDOKU 1. BOX 2. COEQUALITY 3. GULF 4. JOKY 5. MYTHICAL 6. NEAR 7. SCALP 8. STROBE 9. 10.VENDWHIP A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y
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38). Not dressed 41). Rare digestive disorder caused by tumors (Abbr.) 42). They’re often found in oil, pastas, salads, and sauces 43). Catchy acronym to remember order of 44).operationsInstrument that measures engine speed in rpm, 45).shortenedPropylene ___; colorless sweet liquid found in seasoning blends and packaged foods 48). Wonder Woman’s weapon 53). Be indebted to 54). “Not” prefixes 55). Timezone for Chicagoans 58).57).56).(CST)EmptyEpochTestrecording electrical brain signals and activity 59). Bended leg phoneticallyjoint,