Fordham Observer Issue 11

Observer the

OCTOBER 18, 2012 VOLUME XXXI, ISSUE 11

www.fordhamobserver.com

Dean’s Office To Revise Advising Practices

By MEHGAN ABDELMASSIH News Editor

A new student advising initiative is in the works at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC). According to Mark Mattson, associate dean at FCLC, the goals of the initiative are to increase retention and four-year graduation rates and resolve conflicts that seniors face while attending their spring advising meetings.

It was during last fall’s College Council meeting that United Student Government (USG) representatives proposed that the topic of student advising be discussed. According to Mattson’s Advising Initiative presentation, problems that were raised by students included “incorrect or no information from advisors” about registration. Faculty also raised concerns that students were arriving to advising session unprepared and expecting that the advisor would choose courses.

The University Leadership Council’s “Hardwiring Success: Building Disciplines for Retention and Timely Graduation” pamphlet said that when a student takes longer to complete his or her degree, the chances of dropping out or transferring are increased. “The longer a student remains in school, the more likely it becomes that accumulating costs, growing frustration, or extrinsic factors will prevent that student from finishing,” the University Leadership Council’s report said.

The new advising initiative seeks to improve the results of seniors’ spring meetings with their assigned advisors. “When they [students] look at their DegreeWorks audit, everything should be checked or marked with a blue tilde. We want 95 percent of students to be at that point when they meet with their dean during senior year, and right now we’re at see ADVISING pg. 3

Inside

AYER CHAN/THE OBSERVER

Conceptual drawings of the renovations that will be taking place in the Ram Café this winter break are stationed outside the current café.

Cafeteria Renovations to Take Place this Winter

By NOHA MAHMOUD Contributing Writer

Sodexo, the dining service at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), plans to renovate the Lowenstein building’s Ram Café during winter break. According to Sodexo, the renovations will include removing the salad bar and installing a new ordering system, as well as introducing a new organic fast food menu provided by an outside company.

Sodexo denies that Fordham’s recent Princeton Review ranking as having the worst food of 377 top universities factored into the decisions, saying that there have been negotiations with the United Student Government (USG) for the past three or four years about possibly remodeling the Ram Café, according to Brian Poteat, general manager of dining services and hospitality at Fordham.

The plan regarding the renovations was developed within the last year after finally gaining approval from the university.

According to Rebecca Nicolletti, USG secretary, Sodexo wanted to have the renovations done as soon as

possible. “There are some changes being made to the certificate of occupancy for the space that have been in the process of completion for some time now which will put limits on the renovations available for the space, so Sodexo wanted to have the renovations done as soon as possible without having to file again for the rights to renovate,” Nicoletti said.

Despite the opening of a cafeteria in the new Law School scheduled to be finished in 2014, these renovations were necessary for the facility located in Lincoln Center. Sodexo chose to do the renovations during winter break as it is the slowest time of year for them.

Poteat said that some of the changes that will be done include fixing damaged walls and ceilings. “There will also be an expansion of space where the salad bar is to be removed and registers will shift a couple of spots but due to the time constraints there will be no major changes made,” Poteat said.

The quality of food will also be impacted by these renovations. Sodexo will introduce Energy Kitchen, a fast food company that aims at serving or-

LITERARY

FEATURES

SPORTS

Born in Ice Skates

Gustavo Umpierre

Smooth Sailing

A family’s struggle with Alzheimers. Remembering an FCLC professor and his accomplishments.

PAGE 17

PAGE 12

Sailing team ranked 17 out of more than 200 clubs.

PAGE 20

ganic food. The menu will encompass a variety of new food choices such as turkey burgers and vegetarian burgers. “Energy Kitchen has ethics that the Lincoln Center community definitely identifies with—namely the low calories, affordability, and the ethically conscious food that they offer,” Nicoletti said. Paninis and wraps will also be added on the menu and a larger assortment of vegetables and fresh fruit will be available to the students.

Also, there will be a different bakery that will be available to the students.

“These changes will allow us to serve food that the students really want as well as gives us an opportunity to modernize the cafeteria” Poteat said.

However, there will be a few things that will remain the same on the menu such as sushi and the soda dispensers.

These renovations aim also to target the speed of service for students. A new ordering system will be installed where students can order their food, get a receipt to present to the cashier and pay for their order, then go back once their order is ready. “The new ordering service will help reduce waiting time for the students,” Poteat said.

Alexa Rodriguez, president of USG, said she is hopeful that these changes will improve Sodexo’s service. “I am excited about the renovations. The café will be much more spacious and it will look very different as well,” Rodriguez said.

Soon Hee Moon, FCLC ’14, shared a similar opinion, saying “I have not had any previous experience with Sodexo but I think it will be great idea to serve organic food.”

Unlike Rodriguez and Moon, some students are skeptical about the changes that will take place in the Ram Café. Leath Cao, FCLC ’15, said she is uncertain whether these changes will create any improvement in Sodexo. “I would have to wait until I see it to judge, but I would like to see them have an ‘all you can eat’ like on the Rose Hill campus.”

USG as well as Sodexo are trying to inform students about the renovations that will take place in the Ram Café. “For those who are interested in getting an idea of what is in store for the Ram Café, a computerized floor plan will be available for students to get a general idea of the changes that will take place,” Poteat said.

ARTS & CULTURE

OPINIONS

Child’s Play

Four More Years?

An explosive production of a “secret” Wilder show.

Does the president deserve a second chance at leading the country?

PAGE 7

PAGE 5

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM COLLEGE AT LINCOLN CENTER

2

News

Mehgan Abdelmassih abdelmassih.mehgan@gmail.com

October 18, 2012 THE OBSERVER

Campaigns Push Aside Student Issues

By GABRIELA MENDEZ-NOVOA Asst. News Editor

President Barack Obama’s campaign is more focused on higher education than Mitt Romney’s, according to a study by the Wesleyan Media Project released last week.

Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) political science majors and faculty discussed the implications of these campaign strategies on the younger vote, and weighed in on the role of higher education campaign ads in this election.

According to Michael Stratford’s article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, titled “College Issues Loom Larger in Candidates’ Campaign Ads,” education is mentioned in 18.5 percent of Obama’s campaign ads in this election, while it is mentioned in less than one percent of Romney’s ads.

Fordham students mostly said that both campaigns should focus more on the issues of higher education and pursue the student vote.

York Campos, FCLC ’13, said he believes the candidates should be targeting not only college students, but also parents of future college students as well. “I think these campaigns and the higher education ads have an impact mostly on parents with kids that are not in college yet. And I think Obama has the advantage,” Campos said.

Campos discussed the quality of education in the United States, saying, “Economic experts are arguing that people are doing badly because of poor education.

It is definitely important to get the votes of the people who are negatively impacted by the unequal quality of education across the country.”

Steven Saco, FCLC ’16, said he thinks the economy is the prior-

COURTESY OF BARACKOBAMA.COM/YOUTUBE.COM

The majority of both candidates’ political ads do not address education and student issues during the 2012 presidential campaign.

ity in this election. “Students are starting to vote now that tuition is going up, but the main concern this year is the economy and it’s the problem at the moment,” Saco said.

Regarding the candidates’ campaign strategies, Saco said, “I think Romney is out for the bigger companies and the higher class and it will be a downside for him because the middle class is a much greater percentage of the population.”

In the article, Stratford differentiates the two candidates’ angles toward the issue, stating

that Obama’s focus regarding college students has been on providing federal aid, while Romney’s focus has been on the recession and excessive spending during the incumbent’s term. Stratford said, “Record-high levels of student debt and college costs that continue to rise have provided the Republican with an opening to discuss higher education within the context of debt and excessive spending.”

Thomas DeLuca, professor of political science at FCLC, said that focusing on education means spending money. According to

DeLuca, while Obama seems to be more willing to spend money on education and job creation, Romney is focused on explaining how to cut taxes. DeLuca said that at the same time Romney does not want to seem opposed to hiring people.

Some FCLC students said they believe higher education should be more stressed in the campaigns because the candidates need to reach out to the younger crowd.

Mike Macalintal, FCLC ’15, said the campaigns are not focusing enough on the young popu-

lation, and as a result the young are not participating as much as they should be. “I just talked to a few students here who aren’t even registered. You’ve got to appeal to the youth of America,” Macalintal said.

“How do you appeal to people?”

DeLuca said rhetorically. “You tell them you’re going to help them compete in the market environment. What’s the tool? Education,” DeLuca said. “They’re not offering to redistribute wealth and power, but to help people compete, and education is the primary tool.”

Business Minor Curriculum Set to Expand

By KATHRENE BINAG and MEHGAN ABDELMASSIH Staff Writer and News Editor

Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) business minor will soon undergo a series of changes. Recently, the business faculty has revised the number of course requirements from seven to eight, adding a foundational course called “The Ground Floor,” according to Donna Rapaccioli, dean of Gabelli School of Business (GSB). It’s goal is to offer the necessary foundation for students when they go on to take courses with specific topics.

The business administration minor at FCLC and Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) is offered to students as a program in conjunction with GSB. “The [new] course exposes students to each business sector and to faculty and executives in those sectors,” Rapaccioli said. “The course also encourages interdisciplinary thinking, and allows students to develop their teamwork skills.”

According to Rapaccioli, “The Ground Floor” is a required class for all business majors, and the business faculty wanted to extend its benefits to business minors.

The class is writing intensive, with writing assignments graded

by English graduate students. Rapaccioli said this writing intensive aspect is really attractive to employers. Rapaccioli also touted the course’s emphasis on entrepreneurship that aims to help students develop a plan to start their own business.

Ari Kaleen, FCLC ’15, said the business minor’s new foundational course would be helpful, but not essential. “I’m an international studies major so there are a lot of

economics related things involved with it. I don’t have any experience with business and it would be really helpful, but I don’t know to say that [the foundational course] is necessary,” Kaleen said.

Although the faculty has not decided which semester this new course will take effect, the new minor officially goes into effect once the business faculty councils at FCLC and FCRH decide on an exact date, Rapaccioli said.

Employers are looking for certain skills in business students, which, Rapaccioli said, the business faculty hopes to foster in business minor students with this foundational course. These skills include the “ability to think strategically and across traditional academic boundaries, write clearly and logically, understand team dynamics and think as an entrepreneur,” Rapaccioli said. “It is also important for business students alike to have a wide understanding of a range of business areas along with a deep understanding of their chosen field.”

Although the changes are intended to help business students develop skills necessary for their professional future, Kaleen said that the eight-course requirement is too large for a minor. “I think it is hard enough at Fordham to get your major and core requirements completed, and I feel like it almost discourages people from having a minor,” Kaleen said.

Rapaccioli’s response is that the complexity of the business field requires a larger course-load.

“You can also think of the minor as consisting of three courses that may otherwise fulfill liberal arts core requirements (micro, macro, stats), and five business courses,” Rapaccioli said.

AYER CHAN/THE OBSERVER

Students passing by the Gabelli School of Business’ Hughes Hall at Fordham College at Rose Hill.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 18, 2012

News

3

Initiative Aims to Improve Advising ADVISING FROM PAGE 1

about 50 percent,” Mattson said.

Megan Tribble, FCLC ’13, said that the advising problems stem from the students’ failure to take the initiative and speak directly with their advisors. “In my opinion, students are kind of clueless when it comes to advising. If they would just go and make an appointment with their deans, they would get the information they needed directly as opposed to getting it through the grapevine from other students indirectly,” Tribble said.

“ You try to do things

that will improve retention across the board. That’s my motivation for the advising initiative.”

MARK MATTSON, associate dean

at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC)

Mattson’s Advising Initiative presentation includes how administrators will play a key role in improving advising’s role at FCLC. Rev. Vincent DeCola, S.J., assistant dean for first year students, is responsible for introducing DegreeWorks. Arleen Pancza Graham, assistant dean for sophomores, has the role of assisting students with major declaration and major advising.

Joseph Desciak, assistant dean for juniors and transfer students is going to help resolve the issues that students encounter when applying study abroad credits to their DegreeWorks. Finally, Joseph Creamer, assistant dean for

seniors, is responsible for making sure that students successfully complete their DegreeWorks audit, with the hopes of achieving Mattson’s projected 95 percent success.

In conjunction with Mattson’s current advising initiative, USG is currently creating a film that will address some of the frequently asked questions that students have in regards to advising. “At the moment, USG is working on creating an advising video. You can call it a pre-advising video,” USG President Alexa Rodriguez, FCLC ’13, said. “We are formatting it with FAQs for students to know specific things they should do in preparation to meet with their advisor.”

According to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges ranking, Fordham’s rate of retention is 89.8 percent and the rate of students who graduate within six years is 78 percent. “We do better than other schools, but we’re not doing quite as well as our peer and aspirant schools,” Mattson said.

“We are looking for ways to just move a little bit up. How do you do that? You can try to find the students who are planning on leaving and help them decide if that is the right choice for them. You try to do things that will improve retention across the board. That’s my motivation for the advising initiative.”

Rodriguez said that the USG video that is currently in the works will not inf luence Mattson’s desired 95 percent success in achieving a completed DegreeWorks audit during seniors’ advising meetings. “I think that USG is willing support this initiative in the capacity that Dr. Mattson sees as fitting. I don’t necessarily see it as being a major inf luence of change in that number. Anything can help bring it up,” Rodriguez said.

TAVY WU/THE OBSERVER

Associate Dean at Fordham College at Lincoln Center Mark Mattson proposes advising solutions.

Students Weigh In on the Value of the SAT

By LOUISE LINGAT Staff Writer

Although the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) increased by 10 points this year, students disagree about whether or not the exam is an essential way of measuring preparedness for college.

According to The College Board, a score of 1550 points on the SAT college admissions test is indicative of college success and graduation. The nationwide mean score for the class of 2012 was 1498, which is 52 points lower than the benchmark score of 1550. Only 43 percent of 2012’s high school graduates are prepared for success in college.

According to Patricia Peek, the director of admissions at Fordham, SAT scores did not decrease at Fordham this year, unlike the national average. “Compared to last year, we saw a 10 point increase in SAT/ACT high score for the undergraduate freshman class this year with 1264,” Peek said.

This score is composed of reading and mathematics combined.

The mean scores for each section decreased except for the mathematics section, which remained stable. The mean scores for reading went down four points while the mean scores for writing went down five points.

College Board states that the SAT measures literacy, writing and mathematical skills that are necessary for academic success in college. The SAT is composed of three parts; mathematics, critical reasoning and writing.

Yasmina Gourchane, FCLC ’16 said students study strategies to perform well on the SAT, and it is not an accurate way to measure knowledge.

“I believe the SATs are not a good way of testing students’ aptitude. Many people who succeed on the test are “trained” to do so through tutors and additional classes,” Gourchane said.

Andrew Abbensett, FCLC ’16, said, “The SAT should play less of a factor for college acceptances. In essence, it measures how well a person can take a test and not their overall intellect.”

Although there are other factors that the Admissions Office refers to in determining a prospective student’s

acceptance to Fordham, the SAT’s role in the process is still key. “Fouryear high school performance will always be most critical but testing is certainly a factor in helping us determine if a student could be successful at Fordham,” Peek said.

Peek said that the Admissions Office engages in a holistic application review process. “We typically review over 30,000 applications for admission. In our review, we place the most weight on the high school performance as evidenced in transcript and letter(s) of recommendation,” Peek said.

The Admissions Office at Fordham aims to achieve a balance among three factors during the reviewing process. “In evaluating an applicant’s high school performance, we are most interested in the student’s level of course work, rigor of program, and trend in grades. We view the standardized testing in relation to academic performance. We check to see if there is a balance among the three sections,” Peek said.

Many current high school seniors said they believe the SAT is unfair and

should not be weighed as much as it is in terms of accepting a student to a specific college. High school seniors within New York City believe that SAT scores place people at a disadvantage.

Carolyne Ricardo, a senior from Brooklyn Technical High School, said, “I don’t feel as if the SAT is an accurate measurement for someone’s success because it does not assess someone’s ability to work in the professional world.”

Ely Panganiban, a senior from St. Johns Preparatory High School, said that the SAT should not be the determining factor of college success. “Just because someone does not do good on one test does not mean that person will not be successful in college. For me, the test is to see if you can handle college work, but the point of going to college is to learn how to handle college work, step by step,” Panganiban said.

Kimberly Ortiz, a senior from Francis Lewis High School said, “I think the SATs are very biased exams.

I feel they’re unfair because they test your way of thinking rather than test-

ing the material you know, which I feel is what is important.”

Like other freshmen, Wicksie Tu, FCLC ’16, said she thinks the SAT is unfair. “It is a measurement of your test taking skills. I do not think it should determine someone’s success in college,” she said.

According to Garrett Kim, FCLC ’16, the SAT relies a little too heavily on a student’s pre-existing knowledge rather than critical thinking skills that are actually useful for college.

“I think standardized testing is contrived. I had no preparation for the SAT but I was still a National Merit Scholar” he said. “Also, I’m from the Midwest, and there, we take the ACT. Regardless, I don’t think standardized testing should be an indicator of a student’s success in college; I think the other components of a student’s application are better indicators.”

“I don’t believe it is necessarily fair to use the SAT to determine success because [my] scores do not reflect my success as a person, though I don’t know what alternative can be used,” Maria Victoria Recinto, FCLC ’16, said.

Crime Blotter WEDNESDAY, OCT. 3

TUESDAY, OCT. 9

A cash sum of $200 went missing from the Student Leadership group on the 5th floor of the Lowenstein building. The money had been split into three envelopes, and they were supposed to be placed in a safe. The $200 appeared in the safe a couple of days later. The incident was reported on Thursday, Oct. 4.

At 5 p.m., a student from the law school reported that his MacBook Pro went missing from his locker on the 2nd floor of the law school building. He had placed it in his locker on Thursday, October 4.

The student said he might not have properly locked his locker. There is no sign of forced entry.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 10 At 7:45 p.m., a Fordham employee was stuck in the elevator on the ground floor in the 33 West 60th street building.

There was no injury.

MONDAY, OCT. 15 At 8:45 a.m., there was a fire alarm in the Lowenstein building. An AC duct caused the alarm to go off. The fire department responded, and there was no evacuation.

Opinions

Monique John mnqjohn@gmail.com October 18, 2012 THE OBSERVER

STAFF EDITORIAL

Observer

CHANGE IS A PART OF OUR NATURE

Fordham College at Lincoln Center 113 West 60th Street Room 408 New York, New York 10023 Tel: (212) 636-6015 Fax: (212) 636-7047

G

oing to Fordham College at Lincoln (FCLC) makes us connoisseurs of change. And a lot of it.

Our time at Fordham seems to coincide perfectly with change in all forms.

One of the most exhaustive changes that we are still going through is the construction of the new Law School building, slated to open in 2014.

As reported in Noha Mahmoud’s article on page one, “Cafeteria Renovations to Take Place this Winter,” one of the most immediate changes we can expect as FCLC students is the renovation of the Ram Café. The renovation will not only create a fresh new dining space, but it will also improve the quality of the food, something made nationally infamous by The Princeton Review.

One of the more important changes is not restricted to the Fordham community, is the season of political change we are experiencing as a nation.

But in this, we, as students, somehow find ourselves excluded.

As Gabriela Mendes-Novoa reported in “Student Issues

Change is something that we dedicate ourselves to for the simple fact that change makes us better.

Pushed Aside in Campaigns” on page two, our plight as students trying to avoid the burden of debt in a poor job market doesn’t seem to be acknowledged. Of course, the presidential elections occur every four years and coincide with almost all students’ college experiences.

Our vote is worth just as much as the rest of America’s, so shouldn’t our financial problems count as well? Apparently they don’t: only 18.5 percent of ads in the Obama campaign and a meager one percent of Romney ads mention education. While this is a time for political change, it seems to be an exclusive change, a change not directed at a group who will soon assume the responsibility of

the

generations before.

On the national level, the college student’s concerns and desires for change are not a priority in the presidential election. However, what we are reminded by Ian McKenna’s piece, “Understanding Historical Change; Gustavo Umpierre,” is that change at FCLC has been a staple of our nature. FCLC, founded in 1968, is a relatively new school, characterized by an affinity for constant evolution. Umpierre was the embodiment of that, striving to enhance our programs, diversifying our areas of study and ensuring we get a comprehensive education.

We learn, then, that change doesn’t have to be a building approved by a board of trustees or a new food service in response to an embarrassingly poor health grade; change is something that we dedicate ourselves to for the simple fact that change makes us different, makes us better and makes us well-rounded students. It could be a new course, a new major or a new department, but change is what makes FCLC unique. So, think about it. What are you going to change?

Editor-in-Chief Harry Huggins Managing Editor Ian McKenna News Editor Mehgan Abdulmassih Asst. News Editor Gabriela Méndes-Novoa Opinions Editor Monique John Asst. Opinions Editor Alissa Fajek Arts & Culture Co-Editors Olivia Perdoch Clinton Holloway Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Brian Bruegge Features Editor Jewel Galbraith Asst. Features Editor Rex Sakamoto Literary Editor Salma Elmehdawi Sports Editor Michael McMahon Copy Editor Anna Luciano Asst. Copy Editor Zoë Simpson Layout Co-Editors Amanda Fimbers Tayler Bennett Layout Staff Sara Azoulay Biannca Mackill Brian Bruegge

Online Round-Up

Photo Co-Editors Sara Azoulay Ayer Chan

PHOTO

Office Hours with...

Prof. Brian Johnson In the next Office Hours, Multimedia staffer Weiyu Li interviews philosophy professor Brian Johnson about his favorite things in his office, which includes, a picture of his great-grandmother and his Ph.d diploma.

Online Editor Ariella Mastroianni

Check us out online at fordhamobserver.com and lcradar.com

Multimedia Producer Mike Madden Business Manager Mujtaba Mahmood v Blog Editor Nick Milanes Asst. Blog Editor Nina Guidice Faculty Advisor Prof. Elizabeth Stone

PODCAST

Behind the Scenes: Poet Roger Sedarat The Observer’s resident podcast producer, Victor Urquilla, starts a new behind-the-scenes series that asks about the story behind the stories. In the first installment, Urquilla talks to Blog Editor, Nick Milanes, about his interview with Poets Out Loud poet,

Roger Sedarat. The intimate interview discusses Sedarat’s inspirations as well as growing up as an Iranian-American.

Faculty Layout Advisor Kim Moy

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES • Letters to the Editor should be typed and sent to The Observer, Fordham University, 113 West 60th Street, Room 408, New York, NY 10023, or e-mailed to fordhamobserver@gmail.com. Length should not exceed 200 words.

All letters must be signed and include contact information, official titles, and year of graduation (if applicable) for verification.

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

• The Observer has the right to withhold any submissions from publication and will not

consider more than two letters from the same individual on one topic. The Observer reserves the right to edit all letters and submissions for content, clarity and length.

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

• The Editorial is the opinion held by a majority of The Observer’s editorial board.

The Editorial does not reflect the views held by Fordham University.

Faculty Photo Advisor Amelia Hennighausen PUBLIC NOTICE

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

The Observer is published on alternate Thursdays during the academic year.

Printed by Five Star Printing Flushing, N.Y

To reach an editor by e-mail, visit www.fordhamobserver.com

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 18, 2012

Opinions

5

Obama Out of Office: The Change We Really Need RACHEL SHMULEVICH Staff Writer

When Obama was elected, it was a huge step for our country. After all, he is the first man of color to be our president. He brought with him slogans of “Yes We Can” and “Change We Can Believe In” along with a whole lot of hope—hope that we desperately needed. But just as fast as he got the reputation of a modern day hero, that distinction was torn apart relentlessly.

Obama has been under a great deal of scrutiny from day one of his presidency—maybe even before that.

From avid supporters, to those who claim he’s a do-nothing president— he has had his hands full not only with the affairs of our country, but also with those proclaiming his birth certificate is fake.

He came into office during a time when we were deeply in debt and embroiled in a war. But where are we four years later? Not far from where we started. Yet, I’m uncomfortable saying that he has done absolutely nothing. Obama didn’t spend four years in the Oval Office with his feet up on his desk counting the ceiling tiles. His four years were full of both triumph and failure, but ultimately, in spite of all the obstacles and oppositions he has faced, Obama has proven that he’s just not the change we need.

Right now, we’re still in debt, although not $1.75 trillion in debt— the amount Obama “inherited” from Bush. By the 2013 fiscal year, our nation’s debt is estimated to be about $641 billion, a change that speaks for itself. Obviously, the stimulus plan did something right. In addition, his foreign policy is something to be admired. By devastating al Qaeda’s leadership (most notably, by eliminating Osama bin Laden in May 2011), we’re on our way to definitively ending this war.

His actions toward race relations are also noteworthy. Obama never “preached” to the people but rather delivered his own brand of logic to the issue—and I think this was the right approach. On Henry Louis

MIKE CARDEW/AKRON BEACON JOURNAL/MCTR

Despite the notable accomplishments Obama has had while occupying the White House, many US citizens are left feeling empty at the end of his term.

Gates Jr., a black Harvard professor arrested for supposedly “breaking in” to his own home, Obama stated that though he wasn’t aware of exactly what happened in Cambridge, the police had acted “stupidly.” He continued to explain that “there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately,” expressing that issues of race were still prevalent in the United States.

Despite all this, I feel that the most admirable characteristics in our nation’s leader shouldn’t be what he

stands for—it should be his actions.

Obama’s done good, but maybe just not enough of it.

Much of what Obama promised before he came to office didn’t come to pass. He promised a change in environmental policy by means of a cap and trade system that would reduce emissions of certain products (such as carbon dioxide). But the funds to implement this system weren’t upheld

by Congress, not the president.

Obama’s health insurance reform also didn’t serve its primary function.

Too many already rely on Medicare and Medicaid. Furthermore, these

numbers will continue to grow exponentially by means of rising unemployment, baby boomers getting to be “that age” and a whole slew of other factors. For us, this means the financial burden will be piling on at an alarming rate.

Whatever your affiliation, it is obvious that Romney is a successful businessman—his net worth alone proves that. He has the experience and knowledge needed to get us out of the gutter. Despite his disconnect from middle class America, I can safely say that the guy knows what he’s doing.

In the end, this election comes down to two men: one—obviously knowledgeable, someone who explores each issue thoroughly, yet, if his first four years are any indication, has trouble translating his ideas into a format that would truly affect us.

The second isn’t as relatable, and may not be interesting as our current president—if the “Saturday Night Live” skits are anything to go by—but his ideas are more realistic. They are by no means perfect, but can nonetheless be implemented in our society and make the greatest impact for the most people.

Pet Names: Cute or Condescending?

ALISSA FAJEK

Asst. Opinions Editor

“Honey, baby, sweetheart, let me buy you a drink.” Your first instinct is that this guy is a jerk. Maybe you let him buy you that drink, and maybe you walk away. Even if you take that 12 dollar concoction, you already know that you’re not going to talk to this guy again, never mind go home with him tonight. All because he called you “baby.”

Scenario two: your group of best girl friends is getting together for dinner. “Hey beautiful,” is the greeting when you finally arrive. “Honey, you need a night out, you work too hard!”

Women call each other by these pet names all the time, and it is seen as harmless. Suddenly the words slip out of a heterosexual male’s mouth and he turns into a sleazy dirtbag, and you’re immediately turned off.

Men who use pet names, especially toward women that they don’t even know, walk a thin line between being cute, creepy, and downright rude and condescending.

Personally, I don’t see the cute side of these “terms of endearment.”

I use the word “endearment” loosely, because in all honesty, I see nothing endearing about being compared to a dessert or an infant. But hey, that’s just me. Maybe I just have too much ego or too much pride. Either way, it is not okay with me to be called such.

I was given a name at birth for a rea-

SAVANNAH SCHECHTER/THE OBSERVER

If it sounds sticky, sweet, and delicious, or like something you might call your cat, don’t use it on your girl.

son, and it’s Alissa. Use it. However, there are some women who like it when their boy toys call them something sweet. But, that doesn’t negate the creepier side of these nicknames.

I am not your baby. I’m simply not. Do not call me “baby” if you’ve known me six years, six weeks and certainly not six seconds. I am an adult, and I can take care of myself.

I do not need you to feed me, burp me or swaddle me to sleep. I have

not been an infant in almost two decades, and I am certainly not going to let someone make me feel eternally young and naïve. I am not anybody’s baby. I’m not a baby, period. Unless you are changing your girlfriend’s diaper and feeding her every four to six hours, she is not your baby.

If we just met and you’re trying to sweet talk me by calling me “baby,” you’re done before you even start.

Pet names also create a hierarchy

within the conversation. If you call me “baby,” “honey,” or “pumpkin” something that is sweet, little, and infantile, then you are implying that you are the higher being in the conversation. You have control. Not only is it degrading to be compared to a child, but it brings about possessive implications. I own myself, and nobody else can claim me. Even if we’re dating or married, you do not have ownership of me.

Now, let’s take a look at the coined term for these little nicknames: “Pet names.” This further brings about the problem of possession. You own your dog, your cat and your pet snake.

They are helpless and need you to take care of them. I am not your dog, your cat or your pet snake. They are called “pet names” because they are used to address an animal. How many cats are named “Arnold,” or “Ben,” or “Jennifer?” Not many. They are called Fluffy, Oreo and Whiskers things that associated with their appearance or their small, cute, innocent nature. I am not your pet. Please call me by my human name.

Coming from a place unrelated to the sexism that lies in these pet names, these little nicknames are disrespectful to any person, male or female, young or old. It is the same as addressing a person as “you,” “him,” “her,” or “it.” People have names, and they should be addressed by said names. Calling someone “sugar,” is the same as calling them “it,” essentially. It depersonalizes them, and in turn may make them feel inferior.

This is the same reason some “playboys” use pet names for their many female endeavors—so they don’t mix up their names. I’ve found that these pet names give men the illusion of having an ulterior motive, whether they do or not, especially if they call you dollface upon meeting them. If a man truly likes and respects you, romantically or platonically, he will call you by your name, simply because he likes the sound of it.

6

Opinions

October 18, 2012 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Case of the Missing Dollar BRITTANY FIELDS Contributing Writer

The other day, I logged into my checking account and noticed that $5 that I did not remember spending had been deducted. I was confused at first but soon realized that the Cancer Research Institute had taken my monthly donation.

Although the money would have gone to two greasy, yet delicious, Mariella’s pizza slices, I often wonder if what I give is making a difference.

Successful businesses, ones that donate exponentially more than my college-student-on-a-budget dinner, may have more of a concern.

It’s becoming a kind of tradition for people and businesses to, if they want to help out a cause, simply give money to a non-profit and let them do all of the work. But do we even know how the money is being spent, or what percentage is actually passed onto the cause that we seek to help? Most of the time, people, and I am guilty of this too, give and look away.

It’s an odd thing to do, right?

My assumption is that we think the donation is in good hands, and that,well, we did our part.

With the ambiguity of what happens after money is donated and how donators seem to be out of the loop of exactly how they are making a difference raises the questions of how effective is donating to charities and non-profit organizations is, and, if we are not even sure where the money goes, why do we do it? Is it purely for the particular cause?

Or, is it just to make us feel all good inside knowing that we did the right

DEAN RUTZ/SEATTLE TIMES/MCT

As generous contributors, it is a shame many will never see the effects their dollar has, if any at all.

thing? Do prosperous businesses do it because it makes them look good, and donations are tax deductible?

I’d suggest it’s somewhere in between the warm and fuzzy feeling we get and the genuine wishes for the advancement of the charity.

After all, deciding what charities we give to is solely the choice of the donator.

To further the question of how effective it is, maybe a business that donates to a particular charity could have spent the money more efficiently on a salary, providing an unemployed person with a much needed job. Maybe an international

educational charity means to help students of low-income families in India and Africa, but ends up spending most of its donations on travel, rent and billing expenses, employee salaries, advertisements, etc. In these cases, it does not seem so effective.

But not all charities are in this predicament. They may not reach their monthly goal, but as donators, we’d like to think that something was accomplished in some way.

Even if it is contributing to the income of a person who spends all day, working for what you and I go to college not to get paid, in order

to help.

What if this is not good enough?

How can a student who is taking five classes, working part time, and involved in different clubs change the charity system?

He/she probably can’t, and this is maybe a bother for some people, especially when it comes down to international charities. On a global level, results are harder to see. I see my monthly contributions to Obama for America put to use every day. The TV ad mocking Mitt Romney’s goal to end PBS (“Big. Yellow. A menace to our economy.”) to Obama’s dinners with celebrities

like Jay-Z and Sarah Jessica Parker, are prime examples. But when it comes to giving $10 that will give a boy in Indonesia a shirt, I wouldn’t see its effect.

How can businesses, who tirelessly work all year to make the profit that goes to the charities, be more involved, if at all?

Peter Singer, a moral philosopher, would say that people should spread the wealth and continue to give to global initiatives, and I’d agree with that. But I’d also suggest that donors try to become more involved and ask more questions. I think we have a fear of coming off as pushy or insensitive. To some, it may seem challenging to ask questions to a representative of an organization that helps victims of, say, sex trafficking, because of this idea that we will seem overbearing or doubtful of the organization to yield positive results in social change. But there are sites like GiveWell dedicated to judging the effectiveness of charities.

We are not doing the issue any justice by not getting any further involved. Instead of donating money, maybe a company who has a successful research team can give their skills to a charity that is trying figure out what is ineffective in Nicaragua’s literacy programs. This way, a company is spreading the wealth, aka knowledge, and at the same time they are learning more about a cause that they were going to give a monetary donation to.

In the end, it’s better to give in some way, shape or form, than to not. And if we feel uneasy about asking questions concerning our efforts, we should pretend like we’re asking a professor what the grade break down is for his/her class. We don’t mind doing that!

My Problem With Violentacrez, Reddit and Freedom of Speech MONIQUE JOHN Opinions Editor

A child’s mangled body is staring back at me from my computer screen. I cannot see her face; simply what has been left of her body after she was run over by a train on its tracks.

On another webpage I see title after title of anonymous writers proclaiming their sexual desires and encounters with aunts and fathers.

I was afraid I would have to look at Reddit pages entitled r/ chokeabitch, r/jailbait and r/Hitler, but to my relief they’ve recently been banned from the site.

The banning of these subreddits is a direct response to the controversy surrounding Michael Brutsch. With rosy cheeks and a meek smile, Brutsch looks like your average middle-aged Texas man with a 40-hour workweek behind a cubicle and a penchant for cats. He’s actually the man behind the Reddit username, “Violentacrez” (pronounced Violent-Acres), the infamous moderator known for his numerous subreddits posting gory, racist, violent, pedophilic, incestuous and misogynistic images and comments.

For years, Violentacrez has been posting his content anonymously. Despite his despicable content, Violentacrez has become one of Reddit’s most celebrated users by the sites’ administrators.

Through starting various subreddits, Violentacrez climbed Reddit’s corporate ladder, eventually becoming a trusted and revered moderator. He proudly calls himself the “creepy uncle of Reddit” and in his Ask Me Anything page, the deranged troll has bragged of

having sexual relations with his 19 year-old stepdaughter. Violentacrez’s latest website, r/Creepshots (now also banned), featured images of scantily-clad underage girls unknowingly being photographed in public.

Violentacrez’s disturbing subreddits have made headlines in the past. This September, a Georgia substitute teacher was fired after uploading pictures of his underage students onto Jailbait. Even Anderson Cooper shamed Violentacrez for his work, pointing out the vile subreddits on his show, “Anderson Cooper 360.”

But Violentacrez’s masked dance in the limelight has come to an end.

On Oct. 12, journalist Adrian Chen revealed Violentacrez’s real identity. Brutsch’s name and story of how he became a notorious, yet beloved Redditor was published in a scathing, nine-page long investigative report. Within 24 hours of the story being published, Brutsch was fired from his job as a programmer for a financial services company. Brutsch is now left with a disabled wife, no medical insurance, three-month’s salary in his bank account and a PayPal account where sympathetic fans can leave donations.

Seeing the gruesome images Violentacrez had posted on his subreddits made me sick. But hearing his defense and the arguments from his supporters left me in shock. As Brutsch pleaded to Chen over the phone not to reveal his identity, he said, “I do my job, go home watch TV, and go on the Internet. I just like riling people up in my spare time.”

I just like riling people up in my spare time…I just like riling people up in my spare time…(I’m repeating Brutsch’s quote in my head to see if I can make sense of it

and perhaps find some compassion for him. But it’s just not working).

I wonder if Brutsch would feel the same way and post the same content on Reddit if he were an 18 year-old woman that’s experienced street harassment since the tender age of twelve.

Or if he would still find the humor in creating a subreddit entitled “Niggerjailbait” if Brutsch were a 60-something year old black man that grew up in Jim Crow South.

Brutsch has accomplished his goal of riling people up. But for what end? Does the Devil give you a pizza party for offending the most number of people with disgusting messages you publish on the Internet?

Brutsch even has the nerve to claim that he has the right to freedom of speech, as if that gives him impunity from all of the horrible images he has put out to the public.

His supporters at Reddit have been chiming in as well, attacking Chen for disregarding Reddit’s culture of allowing users to post their content anonymously, and allowing them to say whatever they want.

Of course, Brutsch does in fact have freedom of speech. That said, I still have the freedom to call him a jerk. How could you justify creating spaces solely for glorifying demeaning, gratuitous images that only feed into the issues we face in racial and sexual politics? And how could you justify satisfying your perverted pleasures at the expense of innocent and oblivious minors?

As much as Brutsch can try to convince himself that he did nothing wrong because the images he posted featured girls wearing clothing, he still invaded children’s privacy, using their bodies as commodities for shameless and brutal audience. It’s appalling that a man who has a raised a child of his own does not understand that.

Opinions.

Where you’re always right.

Arts & Culture

Clint Holloway, Olivia Perdoch cholloway4@fordham.edu, oliviaperdoch@gmail.com

October 18, 2012 THE OBSERVER

Rockslide Sky: A Visual Collaboration With Literature Fordham Visual Arts Exhibition Takes Inspiration from Short Story

By MICHAEL O’DONNELL Contributing Writer

“Rockslide Sky,” the new art exhibition at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) can be best described as a visual collaboration of the work of Roberto Bolaño, the late Chilean writer who penned novels such as “2666,” along with award-winning short stories and essays. The exhibit— located in the Center Gallery and Lipani Gallery at FCLC—is a response to Bolaño’s story “Gomez Palacio,” a short piece named after the bleak and desolate town in which it is set.

Upon entering, Jared Handelsman’s “Speeding Down Hearts Content Road at Midnight” immediately catches the eye, a large blackand-white photogram that looks like an ominous representation of the night sky. The piece perfectly captures Bolaño’s depiction of the “gray wall” that night brings upon Gomez Palacio—it is foreboding and yet inviting, darkness you cannot look away from.

Photograms are photographic images made without a camera, using photosensitive paper and exposing it to light. Handelsman, who operates with partner Portia Munson out of an 83-acre plot of land in the Catskills, has been making photograms since the ’90s, using his grand expanse of land as inspiration. He will wait in a field for hours—dealing with ticks and prowling coyotes—in order to capture the perfect moment, headlights coming around a bend or light breaking through clouds.

Another piece, by Morgan O’Hara, at first glance appears to be a Rorschach inkblot test. O’Hara refers to the work as “Live Transmissions,” representations of live performances rendered on the page. According to her website, “The Live Transmission drawings are a record, performed in real time, of the vital movement of living beings. They transcend both

WEIYU LI/THE OBSERVER

Works from “Rockslide Sky” hang in both the Center Gallery and Lipani Gallery at FCLC from now until Nov. 5.

figuration and abstraction.” The piece is purposefully ambiguous, much like the story itself.

The story—published posthumously in The New Yorker in 2005— revolves around an unhappy young writer that is sent to “some godforsaken town in northern Mexico” to help run a writing workshop. It is in Gomez Palacio where he meets the director of the program, a woman he describes as “plump, middle aged... with bulging eyes, wearing a large dress.” Every day, the director would drive him—in silence—to and from the workshop, where the students

underwhelm him with their creativity and where he struggles to sleep, anxiously locking and relocking the doors and windows through the night.

Carleen Sheehan, curator of the exhibit and a visual arts professor at Fordham, was drawn to this particular aspect of story. “What’s interesting to me,” she said, “are the chance encounters and little moments of beauty. It’s about chance and coincidence.”

Sheehan first discovered the story nearly two years ago, shortly before attending a gallery hosted by friend

and artist Tom McGrath. She was immediately struck by the similarities in the work, not only in the use of color and form, but in the feelings that each evoked. His piece in the exhibit, entitled “Where You Stand,” is centered on green shrubbery, a chain-link fence, and what appear to be headlights in the unfocused background.

After reading the story, these types of encounters became a pattern for Sheehan. While visiting exhibits of friends and peers she was constantly reminded of Bolaño’s work.

“The artwork is all very different, very unique,” Sheehan said. “Each

artist has a distinct style, and even distinct mediums, but they are tied together through this story. I thought that was an interesting idea.”

In this sense, the selection of pieces in the exhibit reflects the random nature of the story itself. While Sheehan admits that some of the works may have to be explained, they should all convey a similar emotion. Bolaño describes a world in which mundane things create beauty, where emptiness is reassuring, and where mysteries should be left as just that—mysterious.

The exhibit runs through Nov. 5.

A Re-Emergence Of Childhood Reminiscing Through a Thornton Wilder Play and an Upcoming Fordham Production

By ELIZABETH COLE Staff Writer

Thornton Wilder is known primarily for his play “Our Town,” a three-act play about an average town and its citizens. The theatre department at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) will soon change that. Wilder wrote a comedic one act called “Childhood,” and Taylor Purdee, FCLC ’14, has chosen to bring it to life onstage.

Purdee, the director/set designer for the production, enrolled in a directing class and was given an array of plays to choose from. He chose this one because of the way Wilder wrote it. Wilder was minimalistic and focused on connecting all things within his plays, from his lines to his sets. This is why Purdee did both the set design and directon – the set is directly connected to how the play is portrayed.

Purdee said that Wilder tried to recreate certain elements of childhood in the audience’s hearts and minds. The show is about adult experiences seen through children’s eyes.

“When you’re a kid, everything is new, everything is flat – there is no history behind a thing, no details, just broad strokes. Children’s minds fill in the detail by themselves,” Purdee said. “This is what Wilder achieves, what he wanted. This play is a chance for the audience to break away from certain understandings of how the world works and see what isn’t normally seen in life, spirit and

REX SAKAMOTO/THE OBSERVER

Actors rehearse scenes for the upcoming production of “Childhood,” a Thornton Wilder play, running from Oct. 22-Oct. 24.

names. Everything in this show has the potential to be exactly what it looks like, but is not what it seems.”

Certain aspects of Purdee’s adaptation of the play deviate from Wilder’s original style. There is a fight scene in which the children pretend that the bus driver has become a cowboy, resulting in a shootout. This is recreated very literally, contrary to what Wilder originally wanted. There will be guns, blood and a strobe light.

Purdee said the actors are “smart, attractive, good, clever and friends.”

They are perfect for this show, better than older actors Purdee said, because as college students, “they are coming out of childhood, and

This play is a chance for the audience to break away from certain understandings of how the world works and see what isn’t normally seen in life, spirit and names. looking back on it as adults.” They have enough of the childish qualities

needed to play children, but also the maturity to make the show interesting.

Jon Bremner, FCLC ’14, the composer and sound designer for the show said, “I can say that there is a certain charm to the story. In a very short amount of time it raises a few extremely pertinent questions about the nature of becoming an adult and as it is a piece being performed at the college level, there is a very interesting relevance to these questions that is sometimes lost in the restrictions of casting. I think the cast is very well chosen and I am looking forward to the presentation of the show.”

It is a dark, intellectual comedy

with a “Twilight Zone” feel to it. It is unclear who is telling the story, and there seems to be a constant need to see into each other’s minds, which just is not possible. Seeing an unknown Wilder piece is sure to be a treat, and the direction this production is headed makes it all the more fascinating.

IF YOU GO

Childhood WHEN: October 22nd through 24th WHERE: Veronica Lally Kehoe Studio

Theater

MORE INFO: secondchildhood2012@

gmail.com

8

Arts & Culture

October 18, 2012 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

The New Girls Take Over Television New Shows Attempt to Portray Complex Women, but Get Bogged Down in Contrived Situations

By ANDREW MILNE Staff Writer

The cult of domesticity in the early twentieth century promoted women as domestic angels: cleaning, cooking, removed from the grit of the real world. Feminism in the latter half of the same century encouraged strong women who took no orders from men and lived on their own terms. The result is a generation of women who are an amalgamation; women who want to be strong and soft, ambitious and romantic, heroes and princesses all in one, and the art of the day reflects that trend—specifically on the great equalizer of TV. Today’s female-centric television series attempt to capture modern young women of today, yet they often miss the base in many ways.

Characters such as Jess Day in “New Girl” (Zooey Deschanel), Mindy Lahiri in “The Mindy Project” (Mindy Kaling) and Hannah Horvath in “Girls” (Lena Dunham) have ambitions and goals that are personal as well as career oriented. Kaling’s character is a private practice doctor with an addiction to romantic movies (at one point she declares “I’m basically Sandra Bullock”). Deschanel’s is an incurably optimistic elementary school teacher who starts a new life after leaving her unfaithful boyfriend.

Dunham’s is a twenty-something aspiring writer who is trying to make it in the big city.

These women are emotional, naïve, ambitious, uncompromising, idealistic, neurotic and quirky. The shows don’t portray their characters as utterly confident or glamorous In fact, “Girls” tries very hard to demystify women’s glamour—they often actively showcase Hannah in unflattering angles and situations in various states of dishabille. Mindy’s male coworker comments on her weight (though she jabs him about the obviously sensitive topic of his divorce).

Even the drop-dead gorgeous Jess is pleasantly surprised when her roommate Schmidt tells her he’d sleep with her. The rise of these self-doubting

CLOCKWISE, COURTESY OF JOJO WHILDEN/HBO; BETH DUBBER/FOX; JORDIN ALTHAUS/FOX; GREG GAYNE/FOX

Scenes from various femme-driven television shows. Clockwise from top left: “Girls,” “The Mindy Project,” and “New Girl.”

females, who often appear and seem like everyday women, signifies the end of TV’s “perfect woman,” a tradition that stems from the saccharine sweetness of “Father Knows Best” to the over confident and often shallow cast of “Sex and the City.”

In most of these new femalecentric shows, the aim is to provide viewers with an accurate depiction of today’s modern woman. Judd Apatow, producer of “Girls,” said the show would feature characters that are “realistic females,” which is noble. But in

attempting to showcase well-rounded, imperfect women, these shows often go too far. In the pilot episode of “The Mindy Project,” the eponymous Mindy gets very drunk at her ex-boyfriend’s wedding and makes a very embarrassing toast. In “New Girl,” Jess’s boyfriend’s infidelity causes her to become so self-conscious that she contracts the yips and accidentally chokes a new boyfriend in an amorous moment. They are not realistic interpretations, because on the whole, real women do not typically act this

way. In many ways, the use of “girl” in these titles is justified—these characters are not emotionally mature or logical; they are bundles of pathos wrapped up in self-consciousness, rarely thinking about the consequences of their actions.

The female-centric shows of today have eschewed perfect-looking women with flawless lives in favor of flawed females with real problems. In the search for a “realistic female” show, however, the producers and writers of these new programs have overshot

the situations. These female protagonists are true “hot messes”—they are almost too imperfect, too messed up, too damaged. What the creators of these shows have neglected to realize is that women (and people in general, for that matter) can be both confident and doubtful at turns, both knowing and naive, both logical and emotional. In effect, most people are a happy medium, not an extreme; a fact that should be documented if today’s TV shows are truly searching for a realistic female-centric series.

Stand-Up That Stands Out Comedy Venues Around the City that are Sure to Tickle Your Funny Bone

By BRIAN MANGAN Staff Writer

If you’re looking to find the next generation of comedians, whether stand-up, improv or any other kind, New York City is as good a place to start as any. New York has been home to the most recognizable names in comedy today and yesterday, including John Stewart, Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase and many more. Getting to enjoy that caliber of comedian, before they become that caliber of a name, is only a matter of knowing where to look.

The Comedy Cellar

TOP:TEXASWEBSCOUT/ WIKIMEDIA COMMONS;BOTTOM: KOAVF / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The Comedy Cellar (top) and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (bottom) are just two of the many places to get your laugh on in the city.

One of the city’s most renowned stand-up venues, and the New York Post’s favorite comedy club, is Greenwich Village’s Comedy Cellar. With the standard brick wall and single spotlight setting the stage, some of the world’s most famous comedians perform here.

They don’t announce their schedule very far in advance, as they regularly have surprise guests, from Aziz Ansari to John Mayer, showing up. Before the two-drink minimum, weekday shows range from $10-$14 and weekends range from $20-$24.

Upcoming Events: Judah Friedlander, Dave Attell, Godfrey

Caroline’s on Broadway

Coming back to the immediate vicinity of Fordham at Lincoln Center, there is Caroline’s on Broadway. Whereas Comedy Cellar doesn’t announce their comics more than a few days in advance, even saying they cannot guarantee a particular name, Caroline’s is all about the name. Recent and upcoming performers include Tom Green, Wyatt Cenac and the Wayans Brothers. Ticket prices are a bit more expensive here, generally from $30-$80 before the drink minimum, but you get a guaranteed name, along with a real restaurant setting.

Upcoming Events: Tom Green, Lil Duval, The Wayans Brothers The Upright Citizens

Brigade Theater

Of course if you’re interested in improv comedy, you could try The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. They have two theaters, one in Chelsea and another on the Lower East Side, which just opened last fall. Both feature the same revolving troupe including the likes of Scott Adsit (of “30 Rock”) and Matt Walsh. The room in Chelsea is comfortably cramped into what seems to be the basement of a grocery store. Most shows range from $5-$10, with no drink minimum, and if that’s too much, the weekly Tuesday Night Open Mic is free.

Upright Citizens Brigade also of-

fers classes taught by members of their regular team. If you pass through their entire curriculum you are even eligible to join the group.

Upcoming Events: Moustache Man: Confessions of a NYC Graffiti Artist, DIAMOND LION: Where Dreams Are Made Of, 404ing It: Breaking (Down) the Internet NEW YORK COMIC CON EDITION!,The Spooky Ghost Show: Halloween Edition

The People’s Improv Theater

Unlike the Upright Citizen’s Brigade, the People’s Improv Theater (PIT) in Gramercy has multiple designated improv teams which perform in separate theaters. Their shows are also from $5-$10, along with Super Free Monday and free Wednesday night Improv Jams.

The Harvard Sailing Team, an award winning sketch comedy group with viral YouTube videos, have also been known to frequent the PIT. Improv classes are also offered, some of which are taught by Michael Showalter of The State and writer’s from both The Colbert Report and The Daily Show.

Upcoming Events: Midnight Movies with Montoya, Moon Pools (an interpretation of the Clueless Soundtrack), Big Black Car (including Kristen Schaal) and The Baldwins.

10

Features

October 18, 2012 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

PHOTO FEATURE Around the city, small details show the autumn season is coming upon us. The Observer’s photographers went outside and inside Fordham to capture these pretty, orange and red fall details.

TAVY WU/THE OBSERVER

The McMahon Hall RHA office is appropriately decorated for the coming fall months.

REX SAKAMOTO/THE OBSERVER

A dalia dyed red and orange for fall at Whole Foods.

TAVY WU/THE OBSERVER

Tiny pumpkins on display in Morton Williams Market for fall.

REX SAKAMOTO/THE OBSERVER

Whole Foods is starting to sell goodies for Halloween.

JASPER CHANG/THE OBSERVER

Red apples are in season and on display at Whole Foods.

SHERRY YUAN/THE OBSERVER

Leaves in the Waterville Valley in New Hampshire starting to change.

WEIYU LI/THE OBSERVER

Plants growing and glimmering in the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 18, 2012

Features

11

PHOTO FEATURE

ZEINAB SAYED/THE OBSERVER

Crumbs helps you celebrate fall with a glistening red velvet cupcake.

EMILY SAWACKI/THE OBSERVER

Fall is a great season to show off your flannel fashion.

TAVY WU/THE OBSERVER

In the Visual Arts Wing at Fordham, art students are sketching fall crops for an assignment.

SAVANNAH SCHECHTER/ THE OBSERVER

Foliage surrounding a tree in Far Hills, NJ.

WEIYU LI/THE OBSERVER

The Central Park Zoo is open during the fall for family time with the seals and other animals.

JASPER CHANG/THE OBSERVER

Fall means pumpkins, pumpkins and some more pumpkins.

SAVANNAH SCHECHTER/THE OBSERVER

Far Hills, NJ is already beginning to see the signs of the impending autumn change.

Features

Jewel Galbraith jgalbraith1@fordham.edu October 18, 2012 THE OBSERVER

I PITY THE JEWEL

Columbus Circle: Stores I’ve Never Understood and Don’t Want To JEWEL GALBRAITH Features Editor

People always tell me that the Columbus Circle area is great for shopping, but is that really true?

In a word, no. No, it is not. That is, unless your idea of “great for shopping” involves funhouse mazestyle showrooms and a lot of being underground.

I will grant that Fordham’s neighborhood is full of cool looking, one-of-a-kind boutiques.

But being a poor college student, I’m not really a member of the “boutique set.” My backpack and weathered Toms don’t tend to make a great impression on shopkeepers. So instead, I turn to the warm embrace of our area’s giant chain stores. And I can say from personal experience that the outlook from those is pretty bleak.

The worst is the Apple store— the one I’m talking about is the store on 58th Street and 5th Avenue. If you’re thinking of “the Apple store right near Central Park,” or “that place where I had one of the worst shopping experiences of my lifetime,” you’re exactly right.

The ground floor level of the store is entirely glass-encased to emphasize the fact that Apple is too technologically advanced for real walls. Inside is a spiral staircase, which leads down to the futuristic dungeon that is the showroom floor.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to live in a dystopian society run by robots, the sight at the bottom of the stairs will answer a lot of your questions. The big, square room is full of dead-eyed tourists, staring mesmerized at Mac computers chained to bare wooden tables.

Overseeing the masses is a group of “Geniuses” in “Genius” T-shirts

who like to demonstrate their “Genius” by holding iPads. The whole effect is very “1984.” I should add that the floor and the walls are all white. Let’s just say that it’s best not to think about imminent world takeover by computers while you’re down there.

Still, there are days when the white walls of the Apple store aren’t quite creepy enough On those rare occasions, I stop by the American Apparel a block away from campus.

The actual retail options at American Apparel are a mixed bag.

Some of the clothes are fun. Others are turbans. Most are either fullcoverage or opaque, but none are both. Last time I went there I got a free keychain that the cashier told me was worth $10, and that was indistinguishable from a doubledover backpack strap. It was a puzzling transaction, but no one ever said that fashion has to make sense.

Due to the New York City ordinance that mandates that all stores must have at least one set of unnecessary stairs, American Apparel features a tiny loft at the back of the store. From up there, you can look down across all the solid-colored clothing below and hope that someday, somewhere, you’ll find an affordable retailer in the area that sells shirts with actual patterns on them. Until then, just buy another chiffon button down and call it a day.

No shopping odyssey should end at AmApp, though. If you like mazes and love obscure kitchen utensils, you do not want to skip the Bed, Bath & Beyond across from Lincoln Center.

At Bed, Bath & Beyond, there are no delineated rooms or sections, just a unending stream of popsicle makers and soda machines. The only exception is one loft that is devoted entirely to bedding. For those keeping count, that means one unnecessary staircase

SARA AZOULAY/THE OBSERVER

Apple stores across New York City are famous for their warm, inviting decor—as evidenced by their gray cinderblock walls, metallic ceiling fixtures and extra-bright lighting.

in addition to all the escalators, of which there are at least six.

Your only real hope for finding a particular product within the chaos is to wait for someone to drop it on you from a floor above while you wander from stack of blenders to stack of blenders,

pondering the futility of life. If you think you’re above having a mental breakdown in a Bed, Bath & Beyond, try shopping there one day when you’re in a rush.

As you can see, the shopping experience around Lincoln Center can range from traumatic to very

traumatic. I wish I could say that I’ve grown to understand some of our stores and their quirks, but I haven’t. Maybe someday one of us will unlock the key to a successful visit to the Genius Bar. I just hope it happens before we have to accept Siri as our overlord.

An Inside Look at Fordham Professors’ Guilty Pleasures

By KIMBERLY GALBRAITH Staff Writer

You might think that Jennifer Clark, assistant professor of communication and media studies, spends most of her nights grading papers. Instead, you can find her watching a lot of reality TV shows.

“I do watch ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians,’ ‘Here Comes Honey Boo Boo’ and TLC shows about people with strange addictions,” Clark said.

Just like the rest of us, Fordham College of Lincoln Center (FCLC) professors have guilty pleasures.

Whether the guilty pleasures are reality TV shows, food or social media, they find them enjoyable.

“All of television is my guilty pleasure, but I wouldn’t even call it that. Maybe I don’t have the luxury of guilt-watching television because it is part of my job,” Clark said.

“My guilty pleasure, which has been the same for years, is ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’” Christine Fountain, assistant professor of sociology, said. “I’m a huge fan and I have seen the episodes a million times. I love it because the writing for the show is really smart and it addresses interesting issues about what makes people good or bad, and how people deal with the different cultures that they face.”

Brianne Jacobs, professor and doctoral student of theology, said she loves watching “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

SARA AZOULAY/THE OBSERVER

SARA AZOULAY/THE OBSERVER

SARA AZOULAY/THE OBSERVER

COURTESY OF BRIANNE JACOBS

Robert Moniot tries to eat a healthy diet, but often indulges in brownies and cake.

Professor Rebecca Slitt can’t resist burgers and fries from the famous Five Guys chain.

Professor Jennifer Clark loves “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo”— but she doesn’t feel guilty about it.

Professor Brianne Jacobs loves “RuPaul’s Drag Race.’”

“It isn’t as mean-spirited as a lot of other reality television shows, but it has some of the same fun elements as “Project Runway,” “America’s Next Top Model” and those type of shows,” Jacobs said.

What was the most common guilty pleasure among professors?

Food.

“Leaving this campus, it is so hard not to stop at the hot dog guy on the corner,” Roger Panetta, visiting professor of history, said. “Since it’s the end of the day, it’s sort of like rewarding myself for making it through the day.”

“Even though it’s an esthetic

nightmare, and probably a food nightmare, I can’t shake it,” Panetta said. “That sense of release when classes are over makes me want that hot dog. As I am approaching the stand I am like ‘Don’t do it!’ but I can’t stop. Sometimes it’s so bad that in the elevator while leaving I get my two bucks out.”

Professor Rebecca Slitt, who teaches history, also enjoys greasy food. “My guilty pleasures are Five Guys burgers and fries. Those fries are the best! I can never let myself have them but when I do they are so good,” Slitt said.

While some professors like savory treats, others prefer sweets.

“My pleasure every now and then is a brownie or piece of chocolate cake,” Robert Moniot, associate profesor of computer science, said.

“Those are bad for my cholesterol and the calories are bad, but they’re so good! I feel guilty after, especially since I am trying to watch what I eat.”

In addition to television shows and food, some professors are addicted to Facebook. Slitt loves surfing Facebook. “I play Facebook scrabble a lot! Way more than I should,” Slitt said.

However some professors, specifically from the communications

and media studies department, have a different view on guilty pleasures.

“I don’t necessarily believe in guilty pleasures. Why should we feel guilt for something we take pleasure in?” Associate Professor Gwenyth Jackaway said.

Clark, like Jackaway, doesn’t think of her love of reality TV as something to be truly ashamed of.

“I do not believe there is such a thing as a guilty pleasure,” Clark said. “A lot of what I teach and talk about in my classes would be considered guilty pleasures, but I think they are really important and productive.”

12

Features

October 18, 2012 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

PHOTOS FROM THE OBSERVER ARCHIVES

Above left: Gustavo Umpierre, former professor at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, sits stoically for a portrait from an unknown Observer photographer. Above right: Umpierre sits for a photo to accompany a 1984 Observer story on his and other professors’ appeals for tenure.

Understanding Historical Change: Gustavo Umpierre

By IAN MCKENNA Managing Editor

The Observer office was a mess, buried in old issues, post-its with layout corrections and discarded water bottles. After cleaning for hours, I happened upon a file folder filled with photographs from years past. I sat down for a while and sifted through the photographs, feeling the impact as I looked down at the faces of students, professors and administrators from years, even decades, ago. We are here now, they came before us, and more people will come after us.

It is a funny thing to actually think about, but even days later I couldn’t help but feel guilty about shoving these people, confined in their faded, black-and-white photos, back into the file folder.

So I dug them out again and found one person in particular who was especially interesting. The mustachioed, bespectacled gentleman was looking away from the camera like something had caught his eye, obviously smiling. I found another. This time sitting still and stoic, glaring at the camera.

The back of the photo read “Prof. Gustavo Umpierre—Date Unknown” in elegant script.

Digging through The Observer archives, I came to find out a lot about Gustavo Umpierre, and I learned even more through conversations with some of his former colleagues who worked with

Umpierre during his almost 20year period at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), a period marked by immense change, a period of change Umpierre took part in to better our university.

In an “In Memoriam” piece, which ran in “Boletín,” the newsletter of the Latin American & Latino Studies Institute (LALSI), Susan Berger, professor of political sciences, revealed more about his history. Umpierre, born in 1931 in Puerto Rico, left his home at the age of 17 to join the U.S. Army. His service during the Korean War earned him the rank of sergeant as well as the United Nations Service Medal and the Korean Service Medal with three Bronze Stars.

“He used the army to get away from family problems he was experiencing at that time, so I think he saw it as a release rather than a burden,” Berger said.

He went on to become a scholar of Spanish literature, specializing in the works of Lope de Vega and becoming a renowned Cervantes scholar. He studied at American University and Columbia University with the help of the GI Bill.

After graduating, he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship, which he used to continue his studies in Madrid.

“He didn’t go the straight line of a usual academic. He kind of made his own way,” Berger said.

He came to Fordham in 1978.

“When he came to Fordham, they

needed someone for the Puerto Rican studies, and he took over. And he always used to joke ‘It’s because I am Puerto Rican.’ But he said he had no academic background in Puerto Rican studies, so he trained himself,” Berger recalled.

This dedication to academia was not only apparent in his attitude toward material, it was also in his attitude toward his students.

“He was a very caring guy and he put a lot of energy into his students, and he was always here; every single day he would come.

He kept up with students after they left. He took a very strong mentoring role with the students even after they left Fordham. He was just a great professor,” Berger recalled.

“Yes, I think he tried to help students, particularly students he felt were good students. He didn’t like students who were not serious students,” Clara Rodriguez, professor of sociology, agreed.

Umpierre’s tenure at FCLC coincided with several changes in structure. Before the drastic reorginization of departments to align more with the Rose Hill campus, FCLC was its own college with a separate curriculum. Student protests resulted in the creation of the Puerto Rican Studies Institute (PRSI) and the Black Studies Institute (BSI), known collectively as “The Institutes,” in 1972.

But he wasn’t just present for these changes—he was a part of them.

As the university began another reconstruction, the PRSI, under Umpierre’s directorship, and the BSI “pioneered and fought hard” to incorporate the idea of an American Pluralism course to the core requirements. The success of their dedicated action is apparent today with the continued inclusion of American Pluralism in Fordham’s extensive core. The American Pluralism classes “were very, very successful. People were interested in these areas, as they still are,” Rodriguez said.

Umpierre’s dedication to the creation of the American Pluralism requirement was driven by his desire to bring some of the issues related to the Institutes, like American ethnicity, nationality, and culture, to FCLC students.

In addition to his influence in the creation of the American Pluralism requirement, Umpierre took advantage of another restructuring opportunity to transition from the PRSI to the LALSI. Héctor Lindo-Fuentes, professor of history, who now inhabits Umpierre’s old office, recalled Umpierre’s efforts, “During that very complicated process, the Latin American Studies groups merged and we became the Institute for Latin American Studies. And Professor Umpierre was very involved in that from this very office.”

“Dr. Umpierre was instrumental in designing, planning and negotiating for the creation of today’s LALSI during the college’s

restructuring,” Berger recalled in her “In Memoriam” piece.

“The unexpected characterized much of his rich and interesting life,” wrote Berger in her memorial. His relocation to Maine upon retirement in the mid 90s was is an obvious example. An even better example was his secret collection of African art.

“I knew him as a person of modern languages, a man of Spanish literature, but he also was, apparently, a quite adroit collector of African art, early on, before it had caught on. And I remember him showing me some of his pieces and I was impressed with how serious he was about that,” Rodriguez said.

According to his obituary, Umpierre died unexpectedly in his Maine home on March 6, 2011. He was buried in Puerto Rico.

While Umpierre may no longer be with us, what he accomplished and the people he influenced still are, a feat that should not be overlooked by any student of the Fordham community. It’s easy to forget that everything FCLC has and stands for was created by many people before us, people hanging on the outskirts of memory and history. But it is important to respect the efforts of such people as Umpierre, pioneers whose dedication to change allow us to focus on new and exciting issues, allowing us to leave our own legacy at FCLC.

Work hard, play hard, write features for the Observer hard. www.fordhamobserver.com

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 18, 2012

Features

13

Pushing Pedals In The Land of Strawberry Fields The Observer Investigates the Ups and Downs of Life as a Pedicab Driver in New York City

By SHERRY YUAN Staff Writer

Of the thousands of faces I have seen, not a single one stands out.

When I try to think back on all the people that have flitted in and out of my vision as I scurry about the city, there is only a blur: drumming fingers, flickering eyelids and bursts of raucous laughter.

My memory is merely a collection of broken noises, smells and colors. Yet the fleeting moment in which you come into contact with a stranger can be a beautiful thing; in that quick instance, we are exactly who we are, and they are exactly who we want them to be.

However, eventually there comes a point when even surrounded by people, it is easier than ever to feel alone. Of the eight million people that make up New York City, our most common relationship with each other is that of a passerby.

My mission was to take a look into the daily life of a pedicab driver, someone who makes a living from interacting with strangers. It was with that aim in mind that I strode eagerly to Columbus Circle, toward the entrance of Central Park to approach one of the 800 pedicab drivers in the city.

After a few minutes of walking, I finally spotted a guy. What made him seem so approachable? It’s difficult to pinpoint. Maybe it was the words on his T-shirt, “PWN OR BE PWNED. IT’S YOUR EXPERIENCE,” that drew me in.

After spewing out my standard blurb on my intents and purposes there, I anxiously awaited his reply.

Although hesitant at first, he nonetheless agreed to let me interview him. I hopped in his pedicab and we set off rolling. Meet Bojan Micic, everyone. Pronounced “BoiYAN MEE-chee-ch,” the name is as

COURTESY OF SHERRY YUAN/THE OBSERVER

The writer with Bojan Micic, a pedicab driver from Serbia who gives tours of the city for up to 20 hours daily.

intriguing as the man it belongs to.

Originally from Serbia, Micic came to New York a couple years ago with a thousand bucks in his pocket and a handful of contacts in New Jersey. His intent, simply put, was to live his life. It wasn’t his first time in the Empire State, however.

He found his current job as a pedicab driver through friends, and according to him, the perks are plentiful. “This is the option to see a little bit, to have your own time,” he said. Hours are flexible as well.

“It depends, but let’s say, from six to seven hours up to 20 hours.

[Twenty hours] happens from time to time, on Halloween, for

example,” he said. He meets people from all over the world, most of whom he finds to be nice people.

However, not every customer is a good customer.

One of the worst experiences that has stuck in his memory involves pedaling 70 blocks for a passenger who proceeded to leave without paying a single penny. “I had finally got him to 32nd and 7th, and he stood up, and just went away. He didn’t want to pay. He was a big guy, and I’m not quite small, but he was bigger than me. I ran after him, [and] I called the police.

The police asked, ‘Who is that?’ and I said, ‘Pedicab driver.’ They

were just like, ‘Oh, ok.’ Nobody takes it seriously,” Micic said. Even after the police were involved, the man still claimed to have no money or identification on him, and was released. It seems that the police rarely take the grievances of pedicab drivers into serious consideration. Furthermore, pedicab drivers deal with the horse and carriage guys, rangers, and the DCA (Department of Cultural Affairs) on a daily basis. “Nobody likes us,” Micic said.

There are many restrictions and guidelines that need to be followed as well. If one is not careful, it’s

very easy to to get fined for broken equipment. Micic remembered a man who was fined $3000 for broken brake lights.

To put it all into perspective, however, he said, “Sometimes you get terrible experiences and sometimes you get wonderful ones.”

His own aspirations in New York City? “Whatever I do, I’m trying to be happy,” he said.

In the midst of vying for an internship, keeping on top of schoolwork and working, this outlook on life was a much needed reminder for me.

Speaking of life philosophies, we also agreed on the fact that eating meat might just be the answer to all of life’s problems. He recommended Kafana, on 116 Ave. C (between 7th and 8th Streets) for a grilled meat dish called cevapi, an example of authentic Serbian cuisine, as well as the Rolovane Suve Sljive i Dzigerica (dried prunes wrapped in bacon).

Food-related talk aside, our topics of conversation spanned from the intricacies of social media to the indispensable value of grandparents. Mind you, the whole time this conversation took place, he was simultaneously navigating through New York City rush-hour traffic, avoiding impatient cars and oblivious pedestrians alike.

Genuinely concerned with my first impression of pedicabs, he repeatedly asked me if I was having a good time. He needn’t have worried; by the end of this escapade, I had absolutely nothing negative to say. In fact, I would recommend it to anyone who hasn’t experienced the thrill of facing the city in an open vehicle, and more importantly, in good company. For the skeptics out there, seek out Bojan Micic in the Strawberry Fields of Central Park. He’ll prove you wrong.

WORD OF MOUTH

Mooncake Foods Serves Up Cheap Date

By REX SAKAMOTO Asst. Features Editor

It’s a Friday night, which means it’s date night and it’s your turn to pay. Unfortunately you are running low on cash, but you still want an intimate sit-down dinner. Well, don’t despair, Mooncake Foods (located on 54th Street between Columbus Avenue and 8th Avenue) will serve you and your date a tasty Vietnamese-fusion dinner for only $20.

The restaurant is cozy. There is seating for 16 people at the tables and seven at the bar. The low lighting creates a relaxed environment.

The open kitchen by the bar allows guests to watch the chef cook their meals, which makes up for the bare walls and lack of decorations. The waitresses were attentive and offered us drinks immediately. A pint of Sapporo is only $2.50, while a pitcher costs $9. I ordered the pork meatball banh mi (a Vietnamese sandwich), while my date ordered the roasted vegetables over brown rice.

The banh mi was delicious. When I bit into the meatballs, which were cooked well and not rubbery, there was a hint of anise. Accompanying the meatballs was julienned carrots, pickled daikon (Korean radish), cilantro, red onion and jalapeños, which were all stuffed into a warm and crusty nine-inch baguette. Since I like my food spicy, I slathered on the garlic-jalapeño sauce as well as the homemade hoisin sauce (a Vietnamese BBQ sauce). A small side salad with a ginger-garlic dressing, which paired well with the banh mi, came with the meal as well. For only $8, this was a great deal.

REX SAKAMOTO/THE OBSERVER

Top Left: A delicious pork meatball banh mi; Bottom Left: a curry dish of roasted vegetables over brown rice; Right: an outside view of Mooncake Foods on 54th Street.

Unfortunately, the roasted vegetables over brown rice were not as impressive. On the menu it said that they would be served in a Korean curry style. There was no curry to be found and the dish was very plain.

It didn’t even have salt or pepper

added. When we asked the waitress about the curry she said that my date was supposed to add the hoisin sauce and the garlic-jalapeño sauce to make the dish “like” a curry. After my date added the two sauces it tasted better, but it was still disappointing. Despite that mishap, the veg-

etables and rice tasted fresh. It came with a healthy amount of zucchini, Japanese eggplant, asparagus, mung bean sprouts, tofu and julienned carrots in a large bowl. Still, unless you are a vegan or a vegetarian, the $9.50 spent on this dish would be better used for another banh mi.

Although we felt deceived by the roasted vegetable dish, the experience was still enjoyable. Being able to watch the chef cook was entertaining. He was also accommodating and even open to a quick chat. If you’re on a budget this place is hard to beat.

Literary

Salma Elmehdawi Submissions: litsection.observer@gmail.com October 18, 2012 THE OBSERVER

An Island in Rehab

By WINDY CHENG Contributing Writer

The anorexic between obese blobs, Roosevelt Island is a two-mile strip of green shouldered by Manhattan and Queens. She is the size-0 model at the bar.

Only three acceptable ways by which to approach her: the F train, the bridge, or the Roosevelt Island tramway. If you want to make a good first impression, here’s a bit of advice: take the aerial tramway. You’ll be floating over in a skybox surrounded by the 26th floor windows of Manhattan’s Upper East Side; she’s not one to take the initiative otherwise.

It’s a short four-minute wait to enter the island, and the best part is that the conductor doesn’t ID. The willow trees outlining Roosevelt Island sway like the frilly dress of a salsa dancer. The peripheral path of lovers makes contact along the island’s curves. Single men linger on her edges for moments too long, resting on the benches facing the East River. A drunken vision takes hold as cars blur past on the Queensboro Bridge, and the lights in apartment buildings shimmer on and off like the flash of the paparazzi.

She’ll tell you how she changed her married name on five occasions: Hog, Manning, Blackwell, Welfare, and for the time being, Roosevelt. When she belonged to the Canarsie Indians, she was known as Hog’s Island and still kept the name even when a Dutch governor seduced her with a dowry. After the English defeated the Dutch she became Manning’s, and was passed down to the Englishman’s son-in-law, Blackwell, in Oedipal exchange. After winning the highest bid issued to Blackwell, the city of New York fashioned the island with criminals and crazies with the unveiling of a penitentiary and insane asylum.

Roosevelt Island won’t admit to it but she is undergoing rehabilitation. She’s one of those celebrities you read about in the tabloids: popular with the paparazzi and men. She’s had a promiscuous sex life, but her 99-year contract with the Urban Development Corporation promises to improve her image – all the better for her fans.

Main Street, her only means of commerce, is upheld by a scaffolding of metal crutches, its edges wrapped in a sheer cast. Store windows along the strip are locked up and deserted for longer than just the night. Gristede’s, Starbucks, and Duane Reade have to compete with the local “Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line” and “Floor Scraping Inc.” further down Main Street. Is it any wonder that the island has a population of just 12,000?

Close enough to Manhattan to be her sister with a mild case of suburbia, Roosevelt Island is an esplanade of trees; you’d think twice before raising a cigarette to your lips. More bicycles crowd the metal racks than cars parked on the street. Solar panels carpet the stepped roofs of the island’s luxury condominiums. A plan to open a Cornell University campus is in the works. Rehab is sobering her adulterous repertoire. But given her allure, the City of New York succumbed to the island’s panache at today’s cost of a little over half a million. A steal.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 18, 2012

Literary

CHILDHOOD MEMORY: A LAYERING PROMPT “In my own writing, I’ve frequently used childhood memory as an entry to narrative. Here’s a prompt I gave to workshop students in English 5166, a creative writing master class in young adult and children’s literature. The pieces below from student writers were turned in that very day. As you can see by the quality of the work, a timed response to a writing prompt can tease out inspiration. And for some of us a childhood memory can provide the source for a larger story.

PROFESSOR SHARON DENNIS WYETH

Part One: A location called “childhood” Evoke a childhood or young adult memory. Focus on the location. Make a list of words that come to mind. These can disparate, associational, sensory. Include verbs as well nouns and adjectives.

Part Two: Your “inner child” as character Evoke the same or a similar early memory. Observe your childhood or young adult self. What is he doing? What is she thinking? What is he feeling? What does she see? What does he hear? What does she look like? Make a random list.

Part Three: Using language from both sets of notes (lists), write a scene, allowing the content to dictate form.

The Wand

By LARKIN HASKELL Contributing Writer

I watch the streamers fluttering and rippling out behind the silvery star. The gray road goes flying by underneath and other cars zoom past. I try wiggling the stick of the wand to make it swoosh even more, but the window only opens a crack, so it’s hard.

My two big brothers completely ignore their silly little sister, and Mom and Dad focus more on the road to get home.

I want to get home, too, because I don’t like the stuffy smell of the minivan. But I do like my new wand.

Every time we visit Grandma and go to Provincetown, I want one. And every time the answer’s “No.” Every time except this time. This time they actually said “Yes,” and I got a glittery, starry wand with sparkly streamers. I was too excited to speak. Too excited to wait to play with it. So I pretend to sprinkle fairy dust all over the highway.

Until I let go.

I don’t know how. I don’t know why. All of a sudden the wand’s not in my hand, not in the minivan. It’s lost. Crying is my only option. Misery wails out of me, and tears fall on my cheeks.

My brothers tell me to be quiet. Mom wonders why it was out the window. And Dad pulls the car over.

But it’s no use.

It’s gone.

My brothers didn’t make me do it. Mom and Dad didn’t take it away. I let go. I did it.

I waited so long for this wand. I’ll have to wait forever for another.

There’s no hope.

And it’s all my fault.

15

16

Literary

October 18, 2012 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

SARA AZOULAY/THE OBSERVER

Childhood Goodbyes

By RAVEN DILTZ Contributing Writer

October 9, 2001. I loved field trips. I loved learning mixed with movement. I used to try to walk and read at the same time. I suppose that’s one reason I was part of Enrichment. I liked being smart, but more so, I liked doing things differently from other people. This trip, we—the Enrichment Program—got to learn about my small town’s history. Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania didn’t have much of an interesting past, but the day mostly consisted of being with several of my closest friends, singing with the upbeat pop songs on the radio and laughing at nothing. We were finally on the way back to the school, just in time to catch buses home. I had won front-seat advantage and was changing the station to my favorite when I stopped to look at the scenery passing by the chilled window. Historically, and, okay, in every possible way, Bloomsburg was boring. But on a perfect fall day, when the leaves were turning orange and red and yellow and brown, with traces of the last, sickly-looking green, and you’re thinking about how your mom always says your eyes are all the colors of autumn trees, and you come around that hairpin turn on Route 487 and you have your whole life ahead of you and you’re laughing because at the last stop on the trip, a group of angry chickens attacked you, and you’re craving pumpkin pie…let me tell you—it was beautiful. It was the very last moment of my childhood. Childhood is a time when you don’t understand what it means to fight to keep yourself from crying, because you might make someone else sad or uncomfortable. Childhood is a time when you believe in miracles. The next instant, I yelled, “STOP!” It was so sudden, Mrs. Bitler swerved onto the yellowing grass at the side of the road, turning and frantically waving her bright red, three-inch-long claws at me. I looked at the clock. 2:03. “I…think I lost something.” We looked though my things—it was all there. But I was right. I did lose something. It was important. I just didn’t know what it was yet.

Childhood is a time when you haven’t sat in the front pew of a funeral. Childhood is a time when you have lived in the same house all your life, because there aren’t any ghosts haunting your father. Childhood is a time when your mother isn’t the thing you lost on a 4th grade field trip.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 18, 2012

Literary

17

Born in Ice Skates

By JENNY RACHEL WEINER Contributing Writer

dog, sweating, boy it was so hot out, picking cherries. And they looked so good, ooh, I just started going to town. Eating so many I felt sick. And then my dad saw me. And he started chasing me. I mean running Beth, running so fast too, he was a decent athlete, and I just started climbing. I started climbing that tree so high to get away from him. He chased me up that tree! And he was grabbing at me, grabbing at my pant leg, screaming:

SCENE 1.

BETH Mom, please can I go?

ELLEN It’s late, Sweetie, it’s almost 9 PM. BETH Please? PLEASE?!

BETH speaks the words along with BOBBY

ELLEN It’s dark—it’s snowy outside, I don’t think its safe.

STU Ellen, let her go! My Dad’s been driving in the winter for fifty years. I think he can

get to the grocery store and back just fine.

ELLEN But those roads, Stu! The hill!

She is laughing, giggling, trying to contain her excitement. Of course, she knows the answer.

BETH What?! What happened next?

STU Honey, she’ll be fine. It’s just down the street.

BETH Please! I never get time with Farfar alone.

BOBBY He ripped those pants right off my legs! And my underwear went right with them!

ELLEN Ok. But be careful!

She yells out of the room.

Bobby! She can go. But be CAREFUL, do you hear me?

BOBBY Of course!

He comes in the room.

With this precious cargo? I would never let anything happen.

And I was bare butt naked up there in that tree in the cold Massachusetts breeze.

Bobby laughs through this retelling. He feels such joy from this memory.

Well wasn’t that a sight for the neighbors!

And all of my brothers and sisters ran out laughing and falling to the ground!

My mother came out with a soup ladle from the kitchen, shaking her fist at me, her thick Yiddish accent, “BOBBY! GET DOWN HERE, you shlimatzel!”

BETH What does that mean?

ELLEN You’ll take the Volvo?

BOBBY Of course.

ELLEN It got five stars in the crash test. I think Volvos should be the only cars allowed on

the road.

BOBBY

“BOBBY! YOU GET DOWN HERE! YOU GET DOWN HERE SO I CAN WHOOP YOUR TUSH!” and do you know what happened next?

BOBBY Someone who is unlucky. I was always getting into trouble! Not you, though. You

are such a good girl.

There are no cherry trees in Florida.

She winks at him.

He winks back.

They wink back and forth.

He makes silly faces.

She buckles over laughing.

BOBBY kisses ELLEN on the forehead.

There’s some tea in the kitchen.

To BETH

Put your coat on, Bethy! Let’s go!

BETH looks at BOBBY while he drives.

The scene changes to a car. It starts to snow. The front of the stage becomes a windshield.

Snow flies to the left. To the right.

The sound of wind through a cracked window is heard. Tires scratching against a wet road underscores the scene.

Headlights lead the way.

BETH You’re so handsome, Farf.

She sees his hair swept to the side.

The crows feet by his eyes that look just like her Dad’s.

The nose that runs in their family.

His blue eyes.

BOBBY Why thank you, my sweetheart!

BETH Farmor says all the people used to stop you on the street for autographs. They

BETH It always smells the same.

thought you looked like a famous actor.

BOBBY What?

BOBBY Danny Kay! You’re too young to remember. Oh yeah they would stop me and ask

BETH The car.

BOBBY About what?

for a picture! I’d always let them take it. I always used to think—poor guy! If he looks anything like me!

The memory settles. Beat.

Where are we going again?

BETH From when you were little?

BETH The grocery store. To get some cereal for the morning.

BOBBY You’ve heard them all!

BOBBY Don’t you know how to get there?

BETH Tell me again, Farf!

BETH No.

BOBBY Which one do you want to hear?

BOBBY Why not?

I like it.

Tell me a story.

BETH The cherry tree one!!

Beth starts laughing.

Oh tell me, please!

BOBBY Ok. So you know I had eleven brothers and sisters, right?

BETH YES! BOBBY And we had very little money to our name. Our parents worked in the fields. We

worked in the fields. I wore the same clothes everyday until there were holes in places I couldn’t be seen out in public with. Then I would get a hand me down from Mendel.

When I could afford my first shirt, I felt like a King.

BETH You’re like a King to me. KING FARFIE!

BOBBY Well, not to my Dad. He ran a tight ship, woo! So, one day I am working like a

BETH I’m only ten.

BOBBY I knew a lot of things when I was ten!

BETH But I don’t live here, Farf.

BOBBY Yes you do!

BETH I’m visiting from Florida. I’m off from school.

BOBBY That’s not true.

BETH Yes it is!

I go to Pine Crest School in Ft. Lauderdale.

I’m in the fourth grade.

BOBBY How could that be? You’re my niece, Susan!

BETH No, I’m not. I’m Beth—you’re granddaughter.

Sports

Mike McMahon mmcmahon27@fordham.edu

October 18, 2012 THE OBSERVER

Knicks/Nets: A Rivalry Is Born

By VICTOR URQUILLA Staff Writer

Are you a true New York basketball fan? A fan that gets livid when your superstar buckets 45 points but is still criticized for not running hard enough? Or the type who knows your team isn’t going to win the title as soon as they lose the first game, causing you to demand the front office to clean house? If you have any of these feeling, you know what it means to be a true New York fan.

Let’s eat up our pride, New Yorkers, and take a second to digest the new kids in town, the Brooklyn Nets. After shifting from the swamps of Jersey, they want to be the hip team in town.

Well, let’s determine if they stack up to the city’s long-entrenched Knickerbockers when it comes to having a f lair for the spotlight.

Location: Brooklyn has pride.

Brooklyn has the Brooklyn Brewery. Okay, maybe Brooklyn isn’t Manhattan in of spectacle and shine, but let’s expect fans to be loyal and show up to the games with a chip on their shoulders. The newly constructed Barclays Center is a sparkling facility, bound to attract many to the streets of Brooklyn. This one will be just fine for the newcomer Nets.

History: The Nets were dominating for the beginning of the past decade, but they fell short of a world championship. They have a New York pedigree that stems back to 1968-1977 in which their team was located in New York and won 2 ABA titles. However, with no NBA titles, their past is forgettable. The Knicks world championships in 1970 and ’73 are long remembered in New York. Consider it a slight advantage for the Knicks, a team that has never had

(JIM MCISAAC/NEWSDAY/MCT

Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks face a stiff challenge for the hearts of New York basketball fans as the Nets move from New Jersey to Brooklyn.

to move.

Front Office and Potential: Backed by owner and Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, whose estimated worth stands at $13 billion, the fire power is there but the experience is not. The NBA

has a cap which strips owners of their spending habits, unlike Major League Baseball which allows players to earn as much as the market dictates their value during that season. New Nets players Joe Johnson and Deron Williams

have reignited the team from an on-the-court point of view. Their talent is right up there with the Knicks.

Call it a New York rivalry, especially with city pride Jay-Z backing them up. While his enormous

wealth won’t help with the championship dreams, he will contribute to the team’s revenue income as co-owner. The Brooklyn Nets are ready for the challenge, and Carmelo Anthony and the boys must defend their turf, or else.

Cross Country Posts Two Wins in One Weekend

By MIKE MCMAHON Sports Editor

After opening the fall season plenty strong, new highs have been reached for Fordham in cross country. The men’s cross country team achieved their second and third team wins this weekend, bringing home victories from both the Tribe Open Meet in Williamsburg, Va. and St. John’s Fall Festival at Cunningham Park in Queens.

After opening the season with a second-place finish among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition in the home-field Fordham Fiasco, the men’s team won first place out of 17 teams at the C.W. Post Invitational at Brookville, N.Y., besting next-closest LIU Post by 18 points. The win was spearheaded by Patrick Burke, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’14, whose seventh-place finish was the team’s highest.

In their next most recent team win, Oct. 13 saw members of the team take to Virginia for the Tribe Open, where Nick Synan, FCRH ’13, won the individual race. The Rams had six runners in the top eight, with Synan posting a time of 25:29.4 in the eight kilometer race. Teammates Mike Turi, FCRH ’16, and Jonathan Annelli, FCRH ’15, rounded out the top three, taking second and third with respective times of 25:39.4 and 25:50.3. Kevin Harvey, FCRH ’14, Quincy O’Conner, FCRH ’16, and Ryan Polo, FCRH ’14, were the team’s other runners in the top eight.

Just one day after the Rams dominated at Williamsburg, the men’s team won once more at the 2012 St. John’s Fall Festival, again seeing a member of the team win top individual honors. Michael Belgiovine, FCRH ’14, finished first by a reasonable margin, besting teammate Joe Harnett, FCRH ’14, by over 20 seconds. Amazingly, the entire top-ten was populated by Fordham runners, leading to a 30-point margin of victory, with Fordham’s 15 points besting runner-up Hofstra’s 45.

In the wake of the team’s hugely successful weekend, it was announced Tuesday that Turi was named the Atlantic 10 (A-10) Men’s Cross Country Rookie of the Week. This brings Turi’s total of weekly awards to three, this being his second in a row, as well as the team’s fourth A-10 weekly honor. Just a week ago, the team swept the A-10 weekly awards, with Nick Synan being named Performer of the Week and Mike Turi being named Rookie of the Week.

The team’s next competition will be the big one, as they travel to Belmont Park in Philadelphia for the 2012 Atlantic 10 Championships, beginning at 10 a.m. on Oct. 27. The team has finished in the top four of every competition they have entered thus far this season. With such strong performances from across the board, coming from both seasoned veterans like Synan and rookies like Turi, the team can certainly expect some strong results.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM SPORTS

Nick Synan, FCRH ’13, has been key to the Ram’s success, winning the individual race at the Tribe Open.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 18, 2012

Sports

19

Rams Football Continues Successful Season

By MIKE MCMAHON Sports Editor

The 2011 Fordham Rams football team finished with a record of 1-10. Their Patriot League record was 0-6, and they won only one of four home games. In an effort to turn around the team’s fortunes, Fordham turned over the reins to Joe Moorehead, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’95 amd a record holder as the Rams’ quarterback from 1992-95. So far, the progress has been inspiring. The team fought hard to achieve their current 4-3 record and is undefeated at home with a record of 3-0. Their 1-1 conference record is already certainly better than last season.

The team split their two most recent games, winning at home against Patriot League opponent Georgetown, dropping the Hoyas to a 3-3 record while improving to a record of 4-2 at the time.

Quarterback Ryan Higgins, FCRH ’13, chalked up his second consecutive 300-yard passing game, completing 29-of-38 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns. Across the two conference games, Higgins managed a stellar completion percentage of over 72 percent. Wide receiver Brian Wetzel, FCRH ’15, also had a stellar day for the second-straight week, racking up eight catches for 123 yards for his second 100-yard outing in as many games.

Linebacker Michael Martin, FCRH ’13, notched 18 tackles, nine of them solo.

This past weekend, the Rams traveled to Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, to face the 21stranked Cincinnati Bearcats. Unfortunately, the Rams’ winning streak was halted at one, as the Bearcats steamrolled the visitors on their way to a 49-17 victory. Such a margin of victory for the opponent might scare Fordham fans into a panic, but some perspective is much needed

COURTESY OF FORDHAM SPORTS

Fordham’s goal-line stand at the end of the game earned the team their first conference win and ensured they would reamain undefeated at home.

here. Cincinnati came into the game undefeated and nationally ranked, and they played exactly as expected.

After the loss, Moorhead had only praise for his team. “I’m so proud of the way the team competed tonight,” Moorhead said. “We had an excellent week of practice and came out tonight ready to play against not a top 20 team in the FCS [Football Championship Subdivision], but a top 20 team in the

country in the FBS [Football Bowl Subdivision].”

The Rams managed to hold the powerhouse Bearcats to only 14 first-half points on less than 150 yards of total offense. As has been the case all season, Fordham scoring was kept respectable by the prowess of kicker Patrick Murray, FCRH ’13, who again broke his own school record with a 55-yard kick just before the half.

Murray’s 2012 heroics haven’t exactly gone unnoticed, either. In college football, where kickers tend to be much less consistent than their professional counterparts, Murray has been nothing short of a revelation, making kicks that even National Football League kickers struggle with.

Through seven games, the 2012 Rams have been plenty impressive.

They have already quadrupled last

season’s win total and remain undefeated at home. The team was paced by consistent performances from veterans Higgins, Murray, Martin and running back Carlton Koonce, FCRH ’13. As they approach the end of the season, the Rams have shown enough late-game heroics and resilience for fans and players alike to be confident that a winning conference record is well within reach.

Men’s Soccer Still Staying Competitive

By JENNIFER KHEDAROO Staff Writer

Fordham men’s soccer team increased their overall record to 5-4-2 and their Atlantic 10 conference record to 1-1-1 after a late 2-1 victory against George Washington University on Oct. 14. The win came after a tie and a loss against their previous Atlantic 10 opponents.

Sunday’s win was also the first time the Rams scored more than one goal in a game since the fifth game of the season on Sept.

7. Since that game, the Rams offense had been completely shut out in three of six games, while they scored just one goal in the other three games, resulting in two wins, two ties and two losses.

Due to the low scoring offense, Fordham gave up a chance at winning in either overtime or double overtime in a few of their recent games. When Fordham opened the 2012 Atlantic 10 regular season with the La Salle University Explorers on Oct. 5, both teams struggled to score during the first two halves. Neither team scored at all until six minutes into overtime when La Salle’s Jidell Roach scored a goal off of Fordham’s keeper Sean Brailey, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’15, to win for the Explorers, 1-0.

One week later, while visiting the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Fordham failed to score yet again. There was not an official shot on goal in the entire game for Fordham, and in the end of two overtimes, neither Fordham nor Charlotte scored, leading to a 0-0 tie. Although the

COURTESY OF FORDHAM SPORTS

All-Tournament sophomore Kalle Sotka, FCRH ’15, has been an intergal part of the team’s success.

general lack of scoring for Fordham is rather disappointing, the team’s defense has consistently been a gigantic bright spot. Brailey recorded five clean sheets for the season and made three saves in net for the Rams on Oct. 14.

The defense altogether has allowed only four goals in the past

seven games.

But in the Oct. 14 game against the George Washington University’s Colonials, the Rams offense awoke and gave the defense a helping hand. The first half of the game saw both teams scoreless.

However, the Rams were able to score first when midfielder/for-

ward Tommy Granot, FCRH ’16, sent a free kick in the direction of forward Julian Nagel, FCRH ’14, in the 58th minute, who then kicked the ball past the Colonials’ keeper Luke Farewell. George Washington University came back a minute later when the Colonials Seth Rudolph kicked his fifth goal

of the season past Brailey.

Rather than give up the lead, or settle for another tie, Fordham played on, despite many fouls and a yellow card given to forward Taylor Gulbins, FCRH ’14. Neither teams scored until Fordham struck a late goal 88 minutes-and-48 seconds into the 90-minute game. The scorer was midfielder/forward Kyle Bitterman, FCRH ’16, who was a substitution for forward Ryan Walsh, FCRH ’16, in the 76th minute of the game. Bitterman broke up the 1-1 tie with his second goal of the season. The goal was set up by midfielder Kalle Sotka, FCRH ’15, who sent a corner kick in the direction of the Colonials’ net, where Bitterman was able to kick in the ball past Farrell.

“Kyle has had a really good season,” Head Coach Jim McElderry said to Matt Rosenfeld of the Rams after a game against the Manhattan College Jaspers. “He’s getting better every game. He’s learning how to expose teams with his pace and his work rate. I was happy for him that he got rewarded with a goal.” In both the Manhattan College and George Washington University games, Bitterman was the one to kick the winning goal in.

After a long offensive drought of low-scoring games, maybe Sunday night’s game will be the one to turn around the Rams’ offense this season. The next four games for the Rams will all be at the Jack Coffey Field on the Rose Hill campus, with each game coming against Atlantic 10 conference opponents.

20

Sports

October 18, 2012 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Fordham Sailing Experiences Meteoric Rise

By MIKE MCMAHON Sports Editor

At a college with so many intercollegiate sports and at a campus not directly involved in very many of them, sometimes success is overlooked. However, the sheer amount of success the Fordham sailing team has seen lately makes them tough to ignore, not that anyone would want to. The team, which is currently ranked 17th of 2000 programs nationally, has shot up in recent years, with reasonable expectations of qualifying for the co-ed Atlantic Coast Championships (ACCs).

“I guess it’s probably just because a lot of people don’t know that the team exists,” Emma Pfohman, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’13 and co-captain, said in regard to the lack of talk about the team’s success.

“When I started at Fordham and told people that I was on the sailing team, most people understood it to mean that I was on the crew team.

Most of them didn’t realize we had a sailing team. There’s also just the fact that there aren’t a lot of people at Lincoln Center that do sports. I guess there’s a divide between the Lincoln Center campus and the Rose Hill campus in a way. While it’s not a huge team, it definitely is a close team.”

Since finishing ahead of the fourth- and eighth-ranked Roger Williams and Hobart, the team has shot up in the rankings from 21st to 17th, and expects to continue rising. Such expectations are definitely alive and well in the team’s co-captain.

“I’m a senior, so I’ve been sailing against a lot of these teams for the last four years, so sailing against a team like Hobart or a team like Bridgetown, you kind of have the expectation and you know that they are a varsity program, well-funded, practicing every single day… you don’t go in knowing that they’ll beat you, but you have the expectation that they’ll be really hard to beat,” Phofman said. “The goal is to eventually be number one, and I think that’s the best goal that we

COURTESY OF THE SAILING TEAM

The Fordham sailing team has gone from competitive to formidable, knocking off top-ten teams as of late and winning the Jesuit Open, seen here.

could have, and a real goal too.

We’re really excited about it, having gone from 18, now 17, and it’s the first time we’ve broken into the national rankings. I don’t want to be cocky about qualifying for ACCs, because anything can happen, but we’re going to keep working and doing our best.”

The team practices at City Island, described by Pfohman to be “kind of a quirky little place off of the Bronx.” The location is in Pelham Park, about a 15-minute drive from the Bronx campus. Being one of Lincoln Center’s few athletes, there is definitely a bit more commitment required, but as recent results have shown, it has been more than worth it. Practice for the team usually lasts around five hours on

most weekdays, and that’s for the more conveniently located Rose Hill team members.

When asked about the team’s sudden and dramatic winning ways, Pfohman admitted that she did not expect to be in a position to qualify for ACCs back when she began in her freshman year of 2009, pointing to additions to the coaching staff, a joint purchase of new vessels and a strong freshman recruiting class as key reasons the team has exceeded expectations.

“I’ve been really excited to sail with Alex Jacob, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’13, this year. He’s obviously really talented, and it’s a really impressive recruited class. A lot of that is thanks to [Coach] Reed [Johnson] for finding these kids

and ultimately convincing them that Fordham is the best for them.

I think they’ve added a lot to the team, but they’re also learning from the older kids, and I feel like that’s my role, working with Alex and some of the younger members of the team so that we are the best that we can be and improve each other.

The talent is awesome, but there’s a lot of talent on other teams as well, so we’re building up. We’re only as strong as our weakest member, and I think we take that seriously.”

As the team keeps its focus forward and continues to improve, the horizon fast approaches. For a cocaptain that has been there before, the War Memorial qualifiers present a familiar and hugely important challenge.

“It’s the top seven teams, and we’ve never made it before,” Pfohman said. “Last year, I think, we were tied for ninth, and it’s always been really close, frustratingly close. I’ve competed in the War Memorial before, which is the qualifier for ACCs, I guess two times now, and it’s really frustrating getting so close and working so hard and just needing that extra push to make it.”

With the championships close at hand, the team has every reason to believe that historic highs are around the corner for Fordham.

Only time will tell, of course, but so far, the story has been one of a meteoric rise. Hopefully, the success will only continue for the Fordham Athletic Department’s best-kept secret.

Sports Round-Up Football Fordham 17 #21 Cincinnati 49

The women’s soccer team improved to 7-9 for the season with a thriling, late-game victory over George Washinton University, a conference opponent. The conference victory gives them a .500 record of 3-3 Kristina Maksuti, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’15, scored the game-winning goal six minutes into overtime to seal the victory. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Fordham, and gives the team a chance to finish with both

a winning overall record, as well as the potential to finish the season with up to a 6-3 conference record. The women’s soccer team’s next game is their last at home, coming against the La Salle Explorers, an in-conference team with a daunting 12-3 record. If the Rams can manage a win, it would go a long way toward a strong finish for the 2012 season.

Men’s Soccer

Women’s Soccer

Fordham 0 #22 Charlotte 0

Fordham 7 St. Bonaventure 17

Fordham Fresno Pacific

Fordham St. Louis

Fordham 5 Pomona-Pitzer 13

Fordham George Washington

1 2

5 1

Water Polo 6 5

Women’s Tennis Fordham 2 St. Louis 4