Observer the
FEBRUARY 25, 2016 VOLUME XXXVI, ISSUE 3
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RFP Puts Sodexo Workers at Risk
WHAT NYFW TAUGHT ME
By STEPHAN KOZUB Asst. News Co-Editor
The benefits and wages of Fordham’s 225 unionized Sodexo employees could soon be in jeopardy. According to their union, Teamsters Local 810, the result of the current dining services Request for Proposals (RFP) could jeopordize their contracts. The RFP has been an ongoing bidding process since Dec. 4, when the university issued it “to ensure continued and progressive improvements in dining services in the medium and long term.” The list of bidders was later revealed to be Sodexo, Compass Group, Aramark Corporation and the CulinArt Group. Similar to Sodexo, the other three dining service providers being considered are multinational corporations. Aramark Corporation and the Compass Group are also the only two dining service providers larger than Sodexo. The last dining services RFP issued by the university was in 2013, after which the university renewed Sodexo’s contract for 10 years. The issuing of the recent RFP terminates this 10-year-contract after only three years. The main impetus for Teamsters Local 810’s recent campaign for the Sodexo workers was a memo released by the Office of Student Affairs. The memo contains the disclaimer that potential RFP bidders “should consult their own legal counsel” and that it “is not in any way to be considered legal advice or a legal opinion.” It continues, however, that “we do not believe that a new food service vendor at Fordham can be bound to the existing CBA [Collective Bargaining Agreement] in any way. Should a new vendor win the Fordham contract, they will be responsible for hiring the staff necessary to service it.” In other words, this memo suggests that Fordham will not actively pursue the protection of the wages,
Photo editor’s “close-up” with Fashion Week By ANDRONIKA ZIMMERMAN Asst. Photo Editor
Seven fashion shows, five days; sounds like fun, doesn’t it? You’d probably imagine meeting Kendall and Kylie Jenner and countless other celebrities while getting to see the next season’s hottest new trends. Picture this: you rush to the A train to get to Chelsea Piers at least an hour before the show begins. As you arrive, you realize you’ll be crammed on a small riser in between dozens of other photographers, mostly middle aged men all sweating under the hot spotlights next to you, gross. But at least you finally made it into the shows you’ve been seeing all over snapchat and social media. Finally, it’s your chance to show off what you do best to the world around you. As the aphorism goes, there is never any triumph without downfall. You’ve spent hours photographing all of the gorgeous gowns you’ve seen before you, but as you playback your 976 images, your stomach drops-they’re all gone. As your palms start to sweat and salty water builds up in your eyes, you glance around at the professionals and attempt to compose yourself. After all, these photographers won’t cry over spilled milk; a professional perseveres and shoots the rest of the show. NYFW taught me more than I ever have learned before about precision, luck and love for the sport that is photography. see NYFW pg. 19
Photo editor Andronika Zimmerman shared her experiences and exclusive photography with the Fordham Observer
see RFP pg. 2
FEATURES
Swiping Left on Social Learning not to rely on platforms
Page 21 SPORTS
Find Your Balance Yoga tips for better health
PAGE 23 ARTS & CULTURE
Q&A with Jalen Glenn Gangsta rap through a scholar’s lens
PAGE 9 OPINIONS
The Feminist Candidate Hillary is not a champion of women
PAGE 5
ANDRONIKA ZIMMERMAN/THE OBSERVER
GSS and Dorothy Day Sponsor Talk on Black Lives Matter By CONNOR MANNION News Co-Editor/Asst. Literary Editor
On Saturday, Feb. 20, the Dorothy Day Center for Social Justice (DDCSJ) and the Fordham Graduate School of Social Service (GSS) packed undergraduates, graduate students and community activists into the Lowenstein South Lounge in order to talk about the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, how it relates to the field of social work and how social work students can incorporate the lessons learned at the talk into their future careers. The keynote speaker of the event was Phillipe Copeland, Ph.D., a clinical professor at Bos-
ton University who led a presentation on what the BLM movement was, beginning by asking the audience gathered how they defined the BLM movement. One response came from Maia Bedford, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’16, who said, “I believe it is a movement to promote justice for black communities in the United States and globally. It also seeks to end the structural racism that is so prevalent in the western world.” Copeland framed the conversation by referencing the freestyle rap performed by Kendrick Lamar at the Grammy Awards which made explicit references to Trayvon Martin. “When I think about
the movement, I think of it as a marathon, and this is the latest leg of a marathon for freedom. We are at a particular stage where many of us are being ‘handed the baton’ in this marathon, so to speak,” he said. Copeland said that the BLM movement is made up of three different overlapping circles. “When lives are lost, family friends and neighbors come together and organize … and they become what I call a committed core. But around these people are something called a community of concern.” Copeland explained that this second level is made up of people “moved to fight for black lives in
THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM LINCOLN CENTER
their particular arena. Beyond this are just people who don’t make the news, but are living Black Lives Matter.” Also a part of the gathering was “a moment of healing” led by Anne Ortega-Williams LMSW, a Ph.D. candidate in GSS. “I think that when you have conversations like this, it is about creating the conditions for power … I can talk about Black Lives Matter, but healing is about knowing and realizing there is something I can do.” Ortega-Williams encouraged future involvement: “Each of us have a chance to transform our situations. It has to be everyone at all times.”
2
News
February 25, 2016 THE OBSERVER
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RFP Puts Benefits and Wages At Risk RFP FROM PAGE 1
benefits and contracts of the Sodexo workers if Sodexo is replaced. In an email statement, Senior Vice President of Student Affairs Jeffrey Gray said that “all of the potential vendors also understand the nature and mission of our community, the values and areas of emphasis that are important to us, and the expectation that they will engage in reasonable and good faith negotiations with the union on behalf of the represented employees.” “We will not contract with a non-unionized provider, nor one that cannot meet our expectations in this area,” Gray continued. “All the potential vendors understand they must treat all current employees with respect, dignity and fairness, and that all current employees should be given fair and reasonable opportunities to retain their positions.” Prior to the RFP, Sodexo and Teamsters Local 810 negotiated their first five-year-contract. “We are happy to have negotiated a new five-year CBA with Teamsters Local 810 in September which would remain in effect when we enter a new contract with Fordham,” John Azzopardi, resident district manager of On-site Service Solutions for Sodexo, said. “This was the first time we have entered a five-year agreement, as all of our previous agreements were for three years.” Teamsters Local 810, previously Teamsters Local 805, is the union that represents the Sodexo workers at Fordham University. In response to the memo and the RFP process, Teamsters Local 810 has led a campaign to inform members of the Fordham community of the workers’ benefits and contracts. To begin this campaign, Teamsters Local 810 Business Manager Sandy Pope circulated a fact sheet to students and faculty alike. “Because the labor contract of the Local 810 members is with Sodexo, no other company is obligated to honor it,” the sheet states. “Fordham University also has no legal responsibility.” The sheet also breaks down the various benefits that the unionized Sodexo workers have fought for: -Seniority provisions which protect older workers and provides a fair way to decide on promotions and pay raises. -Regular wage increases and
CONNOR MANNION /THE OBSERVER
Workers in the Ram Cafe could lose their jobs as a result of the RFP process.
“ The pension loss would cause
at least two thirds of the workers to lose all of their retirement savings ... Fordham University has no legal responsibility [to the workers]” –
SANDY POPE, Teamsters Local 810 Business Manager
promotional step increases. (Wages range from $10.50/hour to $18.00/ hour for higher skilled, more senior workers. The majority make around $12/hour.) -Comprehensive company-paid family medical, dental and prescription coverage. -A defined benefit pension plan with a company contribution of now over $1/hour going to retirement. -The total package of wages and company paid-benefits brings everyone over $15/hour “If a new company wins the
bid, they could decide to make the workers re-apply, for their jobs (and decide to hire only some), insist on re-negotiating all wage and benefit provisions and insist on abandoning the workers pension fund,” the letter continues. “The pension loss would cause at least two thirds of the workers to lose all their retirement savings.” The letter concludes by requesting that members of the Fordham community “ask the Fordham Administration and Student Committee to fulfill their moral obligation to the workers who are important
members of the Fordham Community.” “The question is more whether or not they are going to insist on having all of our members reapply for their jobs and will they honor the existing contract,” Pope said. “I think that Fordham has alerted the companies bidding that there is a union and that they expect them to deal with them. But there’s a lot more to just recognizing the union.” Pope continued that while Fordham is not legally obligated to act, “They can send a very charged signal to whoever is the new company if they do give it to a new company.” “What we want is for them to respect people’s seniority,” Pope said. “We have people with 30 years or 20 under Sodexo, and the last thing we want is for some of those people to lose their seniority that took years for them to get. I think the highest rate of pay is somewhere around $18/hour. And that’s after 30 years.” Pope also stated that Fordham is not defending the continuation of employees’ contracts as strongly as it did in the last RFP process in 2013, after which Sodexo’s contract was renewed.
“Sodexo retained the work and made promises to expand and do all different things with Fordham,” Pope said. “And so other bidders did come in, but the other bidders communicated to me that there was a very strong message to them that expectations were that there would be no disruption.” “And this time, it seems that Fordham has been careful to point out that they have no legal responsibility in the relationship between the vendor and the workers,” Pope continued. “They just have communicated that they want whoever operates the food service to be fair with the workers and recognize the unionized workforce. So it’s not as strong a message as it was the last time from what we’ve been told.” Following the circulation of the fact sheet, both faculty and students have shown their support of the Sodexo workers. Fordham faculty began to collect signatures for a letter to Gray and the other members of the RFP committee. The letter outlines that the faculty “encourage the committee to ensure that whoever wins the bid for our dining service will protect our colleagues by: employing all the current workers and maintaining their current wages and seniority; preserving all the terms of the labor contract including but not limited to the workers’ retirement and medical benefits; [and] committing to recognizing and maintaining a fair working relationship with Teamsters Local 810.” The letter, distributed via email to Fordham faculty on Feb. 16, gathered approximately 100 signatures by Feb. 19. The main student group involved in the issue is Fordham Students United, lead by organizer Monica Cruz, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’16. Among the FSU efforts planned are a teach-in at Flom Auditorium on Mar. 2, a letter of support and a social media campaign. The beginning of this social media campaign was two Facebook posts promoting the cause on Feb. 16, one of which garnered approximately 300 likes as of Feb. 20. Regarding these efforts, Cruz said that “at the end of the day, whether we’re super happy with the food or not, these are real people with families and lives and they deserve to be taken care of.”
America Media Moves Jesuits Next to Fordham LC By CONNOR MANNION News Co-Editor/Asst. Literary Editor
America Media, the Jesuit magazine and media company with close ties to Fordham University, announced that it had sold its former headquarters at 106 W. 56th St. This move will split the former America House into two residencies: offices at a yet to be determined location in Midtown West and a Jesuit residency at 120 W. 60th St., a former convent attached to St. Paul’s Church, one block from Fordham Lincoln Center. According to Matt Malone, S.J., president and editor-in-chief of America Media, “This move represents a shift into the 21st century, shifting away from a 20th-century idea of a magazine.” “The old building was purchased in 1962 and it’s more designed for a mid-20th century magazine, and we’ll be moving into a building that represents a 21st-century magazine,” Malone said. He explained that this change will also lead to infrastructure upgrades to increase the online presence of America Media. Alongside the magazine, America Media also produces podcasts, film and
other multimedia ventures. The sale of the old headquarters will be put into an investment fund that will subsidize the organization’s current operations and future expansion. According to Malone, this achieves three goals, including creating a new modern production facility, expanding the multimedia platforms America Media operates on and creating baseline financial security. “The old building housed about 20 Jesuits who will be moving to St. Paul’s, and while there is still a core group of Jesuits working at America [Media] including myself, the face of the company is changing,” Malone said. He also acknowledged that having the Jesuits in closer proximity could affect Fordham Lincoln Center. “Although it is ultimately up to the provincial of the Jesuits and Father McShane if they would teach or work at Fordham, the proximity will definitely have an impact, and our move does create a lot of opportunities for students to interact as well.” Malone also noted that McShane has been very welcoming and supportive in helping with the logistics of the move.
Fordham students, rising seniors specifically, would have an opportunity to interact in one way through the newly-established Joseph O’Hare Fellowship, a postgraduate journalism fellowship that will be inaugurated this August. “The fellows will be living at [Fordham] Lincoln Center and working with us closely, and it will help us engage with younger audiences and our journey as a 21st-century media ministry,” Malone said. The fellowship is limited to graduates of Fordham University, 27 other American Jesuit universities and Campion College at the University of Regina, Canada. It was established through a donation from William J. Loschert, Fordham College of Business Administration ’61 and namesake of the Rose Hill campus’s Loschert Hall. “Bill deserves a lot of the credit for this; we could not have established the fellowship without him,” Malone said. The fellowship itself is named for Joseph O’Hare, S.J., a former editor-in-chief of America Magazine and the former president of Fordham University. O’Hare himself was succeeded by McShane, in 2003.
ANDRONIKA ZIMMERMAN /THE OBSERVER
The old offices of America Media also doubled as a Jesuit residence.
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER February 25, 2016
News
3
Preview: New Student Center Coming Fall ’16 By ELIZABETH LANDRY Staff Writer
When FCLC students return in the fall of 2016 a Student Affairs Center will be the new hub of student activity on campus, situated in the old Law School at Lincoln Center building across the plaza from Lowenstein. According to Dean of Students Keith Eldredge, construction has proceeded according to plan so far, with the opening slated for the beginning of the fall 2016 semester. “It will be half club space and half administrative space,” he said. “So we’re able to move almost all the administrative offices in the Division of Student Affairs down there, but then we’re going to have a big student lounge area, a big multipurpose room, four smaller, but good-sized meeting rooms and a bigger, new and improved Student Organization Resource Center.” Eldredge likened the space to the second floor of the McGinley Campus Center on the Fordham Rose Hill campus, which features a large hall and several smaller rooms for functions and student activities. United Student Government (USG) President Leighton Magoon, FCLC ’17 described the new space as a long hallway of offices for student affairs, opening into a wide, circular area. Off of that will be additional rooms for programming, which according to Eldredge may have “presentation capabilities.” Magoon said, “There were different meetings that focused on the
ELIZABETH LANDRY /THE OBSERVER
The old law school building, seen above, is currently being renovated and will contain new student offices
strategic planning of the University in what exactly students need. Students are the ones who use the campus and whom the campus is for, so I know that during the planning stages those involved really believed that we should have additional facilities.” He also cited the increasing class size as a factor in the need for student space. Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) will be moving out of their current office at McMahon 211 and occupy a new space in the Student Affairs hallway. Eldredge expressed his excitement about making this office more convenient
for not just residents of McMahon Hall, but also the rest of the student body. “I think we’re doing our best as a country to destigmatize mental health [problems], but that’s still a barrier for some folks. So we will have a space where students can go, where it’ll be on that floor but in part of the more discreet part of the floor.” One element which is not yet certain is the possibility of a small dining option within the Student Affairs Center. Eldredge and Magoon both confirmed that the school is now in talks with Argo Tea to have a ‘tea-osk,’ their play on ‘ki-
osk,’ in the style of their location at 1792 Broadway on Columbus Circle. Eldredge said that they would serve not only tea but also coffee, snacks and sandwiches, “similar to what you would see on a Starbucks menu.” Eldredge also said that he and several other offices will be moving to the same hallway, including the Office of Student Involvement, Career Services, The Observer, USG, Commuter Student Association (CSA), Residence Hall Association (RHA) and the Campus Activities Board (CAB). “I think we do a great job on this campus already of col-
laborating between those administrative offices,” he said, “but it will be so much easier and I think it’ll be great for students that you see all the different activities. It’s sort of one-stop shopping for students.” “I think [Lincoln Center] is a wonderful campus,” Eldredge said, acknowledging the residence halls, academic facilities and existing lounge areas. “We’ve known for a while that one of the things that we’re missing is some dedicated student space. I’m really thrilled that we’re going to provide this additional layer of services.” Magoon added that this will primarily be a social center for students, but those wishing to do homework will also benefit from the new Quinn Library, which will have windows, and the proximity to the law library in McKeon Hall. “When I was a freshman,” Magoon said, “we only had two [buildings], not counting the old law school building. Now we’ll have four buildings with the opportunity of being able to access really new and up-to-date lounge spaces and places for clubs, so I’m really excited.” Both Magoon and Eldredge spoke favorably about the likelihood of moving popular activities such as The Bash or club events into the new space. Magoon explained, “People are definitely looking into: a, what kind of new events can we put on here, and b,≠ what kind of events that are already pretty successful can we bring over here and make even better?”
Undoing Racism Collective Dicusses Training Programs By STEPHAN KOZUB Asst. News Co-Editor
Following the bias incidents and calls for increased diversity at Fordham in the fall semester, the Undoing Racism Collective, an organization of students, faculty, administrators and staff that formed in the wake of Ferguson in 2014, held a cross-campus anti-racist training strategy session on Feb. 11. Sponsored in partnership with The Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice (DDCSJ), the meeting focused on determining the most effective anti-racist training program for the Fordham community as a whole. Held on both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses and connected through Skype, the meeting was facilitated at Lincoln Center by Katheryn Crawford, associate coordinator of service-learning for DDCSJ, and Jamie Saltamachia, assistant director of DDCSJ. One impetus for the strategy session was a teach-in held by the collective last October to address “the racial injustice that was happening in the Fordham community and outside the Fordham community,” according to Crawford. “One of the main things that came out of the teach-in was the idea of training,” Crawford said. She elaborated that the discussion of training focused on “how do we bring antiracist training on to campus to really train students, to train faculty to have conversations in the classroom, to train staff and administrators to start to really build with each other a space of training and education.” “And that’s why we’re here today: to really start to strategize as a community the different trainings that are available and how do we bring that and organize that to be on Fordham’s campus,” Crawford continued. The meeting addressed both the various proposed anti-racist training opportunities as well as myriad topics involving race and culture. The strategy session consisted primarily of small group discussions that focused on selecting the most effective training program for
Fordham University as a whole. As part of this discussion, individuals considered having all members of the Fordham community go through the same training. Others, however, proposed that the students, administration, faculty and staff each have their own training sessions tailored specifically to them. Participants included both undergraduate and graduate students, administrators, faculty and other members of the Fordham community. Among them were faculty senators as well as members of the Task Force for Race and Gender Equity and the DDCSJ. The proposed training programs were the People’sInstitute for Survival and Beyond’s Undoing Racism Training; Crossroads Anti-Racism Organizing and Training’s Intro-
be the most beneficial, others, such as one Rose Hill student, said that “a tailored training would be at the expense of the whole comprehensive understanding that the Undoing Racism Workshop gives you.” Another group said that “we thought it was important to have both a broad, simple taster training and introduction to help provide a broad number, particularly of students, with the concepts and ideas of racism as they operate with students and members of the Fordham community.” “But we also think that simultaneously there needs to be a deeper dive for key decision makers, faculty, staff and leadership at the university, because those are the people who are going to help promote this more broadly and put the resources toward
gram. Speaking on the need for an antiracist training program at Fordham, another Rose Hill student during the meeting said that “there needs to be more training to encourage and to help people to explore themselves and other people in a safer way because we decided that right now, Fordham is not a safe space.” The proposed ideas included: Undoing Racism Training Organization: People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond Length: 2.5 day workshop/Fee: approx. $10,000 This training is framed on the central principles of: learning from history (and the systematic racial injustices in US history), analyzing power and the manifestations of racism and recognizing internalized racial infe-
“ How do we bring anti-racist training on to campus to really train
students, to train faculty to have conversations in the classroom, to train staff and administrators to really build with each other a space of training and education?” –
KATHERYN CRAWFORD, Associate Coordinator of Service Learning for DDCSJ
duction to Systematic Racism; and Crossroads’ Understanding and Analyzing Systemic Racism program. Other unnamed programs identified as “Workshops Tailored to Fordham’s Jesuit/Faith-Based Mission” were also proposed. Each of these programs, however, costs upwards of $3,000. When asked about the costs during the meeting, the facilitators said that they wanted the discussion to focus on the “content of the programs” rather than “the restrictions of cost.” They continued that cost would be considered afterwards, once the desired elements for the eventually selected training program to have were determined. Following the small group session, the meeting reconvened to discuss ideas. While many groups on both campuses said that a training program tailored to Fordham would
it to really see the institution move along the lines of becoming more anti-racist,” the group continued. Other ideas discussed included incorporating experiential learning into the training program, as well as making the training a part of orientation at the beginning of the academic year. The meeting, however, did not entirely focus on the strategy sessions and included meditation and discussion on culture, as well as poetry by a Rose Hill student. “It’s not only about a strategy session; it’s also about connecting with each other and building with each other,” Crawford said. At the conclusion of the meeting, written copies of the ideas and comments of the strategy groups were collected to be considered in the selection of an anti-racist training pro-
riority/internalized racial superiority. The training includes sharing culture among participants and the importance of networking, developing leadership and maintaining accountability in our future organizing work. Note: This is the prgoram that members of the Undoing Racism collective at Fordham have undertaken, and the language/framework that we have used in our meetings/Teach-In, etc. This workshop is prepared and delivered by the People’s Institute, with minimal input from institutions where the workshop is presented. Introduction to Systemic Racism Organization: Crossroads AntiRacism Organizing and Training Length: six to eight hour workshop/Fee: $3,200 plus the travel expenses for two trainers. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce stakeholders to the idea
that oppression/racism is not a matter of individual prejudice; rather it is a systemic, institutional problem of power. Subsequently, the workshop aims to create the rationale for a structural intervention to dismantle oppression. This workshop is an introduction to Crossroads strategic methodology that assists people in dismantling racism in their institution. It is designed to assess the interest/appetite for stakeholders in the institution to complete the longer workshop (below). Note: The Continuum on Becoming an Anti-Racist Institution was developed by Crossroads. Crossroads works with organizations to tailor their workshops to specific institutions. Understanding and Analyzing Systemic Racism Organization: Crossroads AntiRacism Organizing and Training Length: 2.5-day workshop/Fee: $8,500 plus expenses for two trainers The aims of this workshop include: Creating a shared language within the institution for talking effectively about systemic racism in society and in the institution. Analyzing what racism is, how it originates and operates institutionally and culturally and how it impacts identity of individuals. Engaging a socio-historical exploration of the development of institutional racism in the U.S. Equipping organizations with a framework for examining organizational culture and moving toward anti-racist transformation of the organization. Workshops Tailored to Fordham’s Jesuit/Catholic/Faith-Based Mission There are several organizations and individuals within the Jesuit, Catholic network who offer workshops on anti-racist practices drawing on the specific Jesuit and Catholic elements of our institution. Workshop leaders might include: Pax Christi USA, which has been noted to take a pastoral approach, Alex Milkulich, Ph.D., of Loyola University in New Orleans or local anti-racist organizers in NYC. These workshops could be crafted collaboratively in discussion with these particular organizers.
Opinions
Tyler Burdick — Opinions Co-Editor tburdick1@fordham.edu Areeg Abdelhamid — Opinions Co-Editor aabdelhamid1@fordham.edu
STAFF EDITORIAL
C
two competitors are larger still than our current food provider, which may make matters worse in the long run. While Fordham might benefit in terms of cost-cutting, there are other intricacies that must be discussed. Dining Services workers now risk losing their
“We cannot call ourselves Jesuit educated if we only speak in high rhetoric without the actions needed to protect those at risk. ” benefits, including a liveable wage and a pension plan, as a result of these potential decisions. Fordham and the new contractor may be willing to overlook these factors in favor of economic cost. How can Fordham say
Observer the
“TO WHOSE BENEFIT?”
ui Bono’ is a short Latin phrase, an integral language for a traditional Jesuit education, meaning roughly “who profits?” or “to whose benefit?” The purpose of this rhetorical question is to uncover motive or reason for a decision. It’s a question we must ask ourselves when something feels wrong in our own community, a question we must ask now as the Request for Proposals (RFP) debate threatens the Fordham Dining employees. This debate stands to eliminate the benefits and security that they have gained after working for Sodexo at Fordham for decades. To whose profit is it if we were to eliminate Sodexo? Fordham would definitely benefit, as many of the companies competing for the RFP at this point in time are large corporations who would provide dining services at a low cost, including Aramark and Compass Group. While Sodexo is a large company, these other
February 25, 2016 THE OBSERVER
that it is a community that values justice and protecting the disenfranchised, if this renegotiation was to harm the members of the community that have the most to lose from this? We cannot call ourselves Jesuit educated if we only speak in high rhetoric without the actions needed to protect those at risk in the Fordham community. The administration seems content to create the precedent of not practicing what is preached in our own university mission statement through their vague language, but we should not be content. USG will be circulating a survey concerning the topic of Sodexo and the RFP, and we urge students to thoughtfully voice their concerns. If we are to call ourselves Jesuiteducated and not just educated, we need to think with compassion and justice, and not just think about the money. If we think only in these terms, we answer the original question: “Cui bono? Non nobis.”
Editor-in-Chief Adriana Gallina Managing Editor Ben Moore News Co-Editors Ana Fota Connor Mannion Asst. News Co-Editor Stephan Kozub Cecile Neidig Opinions Co-Editors Tyler Burdick Areeg Abdelhamid Asst. Opinions Editor John McCullough Arts & Culture Editor Rachel Jarvis Asst. Arts & Culture Co-Editors Elena Ciotta Morgan Steward Features Co-Editors Alanna Kilkeary Hansini Weedagama Alysha Kundamal Asst. Features Editor Reese Ravner Literary Co-Editors Jessica Vitovitch Erika Ortiz Asst. Literary Co-Editors Kay D’Angelo Connor Mannion Sports Editor Matthew McCarthy Asst. Sports Editor Mohdshobair Hussaini Copy Editors Brianna Goodman Kaitlyn Lyngaas Tyler Burdick Erika Ortiz Layout Editor Elodie Huston Asst. Layout Co-Editors Sabrina Jen Katie Maurer
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THE OBSERVER February 25, 2016
Opinions
5
A Vote for Hillary is Not a Vote for Feminism KATHY YOO Contributing Writer
When a friend asked me last November who I supported for the 2016 Presidential Election, I immediately answered, “Sanders, of course.” Taken aback by my nonchalant tone, he immediately replied, “Why not Clinton? Don’t you think it’s time for a female president?” I was shocked that my friend would automatically assume that I would vote for Hillary Clinton in spite of his knowledge of my political views. Particularly, I was offended that his primary explanation for this assumption was that “it’s time for a female president.” It is sexist not only to suggest that Hillary’s gender predominantly makes her the best candidate, but also to label and confine all women as a homogenous, uneducated group that blindly follows any female leader. Nevertheless, In some form or another, each person who I spoke to at Fordham regarding Hillary Clinton’s candidacy brought up her gender. Many would argue that voters frequently associate Clinton with gender because of her tendency to use the “gender card” as a method of gaining female supporters. For instance, when asked why Democrats should nominate an insider like herself, Clinton stated, “Well, I can’t think of anything more outsider than electing the first woman president,” before saying that she would give a fresh approach to the White House. Because of the heavy focus on Clinton’s gender, her accomplishments as a First Lady, a Senator, as well as Secretary of State are frequently neglected. Yet, Hillary Clinton’s previous achievements are unrelated her gender. She worked to create the Children’s Health Insurance Program, expanded health care and family leave for military families and drafted the first bill to
PHOTO COURTESY OF IRFAN KHAN /LOS ANGELES TIMES VIA TNS
Hillary Clinton frequently draws attention to her sex in order to gain the support of female voters.
compensate health services for first responders to name a few. Unfortunately, other feminists also use Clinton’s gender as the main argument. During a rally in New Hampshire, the first female Secretary of State and feminist icon Madeleine Albright spoke in support of Hillary Clinton. She exclaimed a statement she has previously stated numerous times, “just remember, there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other,” to suggest that women must vote for Clinton because women must help one another. She criticizes the younger generation of feminists, implying that young women disregard past struggles of women’s movements and don’t
care much for a female president. In addition, during an interview with Bill Maher, feminist activist Gloria Steinem recently stated that younger women are only advocating Bernie Sanders to attract “the boys.” These acclaimed feminist icons, and often Clinton herself, overlook everything that feminists are fighting for when they choose to order young women to vote for a candidate based on gender instead of suggesting that they make their own rational decisions. I’m neither advocating for Bernie Sanders nor strictly opposing Hillary Clinton. However, I’m strongly against individuals using their cherished vote to elect a president solely based on gender. Clinton frequently mentions that she is a woman, at-
tempting to make herself relatable to female voters. The majority of young women actually advocate for Sanders over the other candidates. Exit polls in New Hampshire showed 82 percent of Democratic women under 30 advocate Sanders, despite her rants of the women’s struggles in the workplace. We have to abolish the notion that only females can be feminists, and that Hillary Clinton, as a woman, must be the best candidate to solve women’s issues. The fact that Clinton identifies with a voting group shouldn’t overlook her strong ties to the corporate world, the email controversy and the real estate scandal. This doesn’t mean that women, such as myself, reject
the idea of a woman running the country. I definitely don’t believe that a female president will have detrimental effects on women’s rights. Hillary Clinton claims that she fights for pay equity, reproductive rights, paid family leave and other rights of women. She has even proudly stated, “Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights.” However, these are simply statements, not promises for action, from someone who severely lacks trust from the American public. Voting for Hillary Clinton just because she is a woman undermines her accomplishments, ruins the opportunity to advance gender equality and destroys what feminism stands for.
We are Wasting Too Much on College Campuses STEPHAN KOZUB Asst. News Editor
For most of us, a trip to one of Fordham’s dining locations is a mundane activity. We get and consume the food options available to us, and when we’re finished, we throw out what is left on our plates and leave without giving any of our actions a second thought. Our campus is very activist focused, however rarely on the environment, and one topic that should also be given consideration is the food waste we are producing. According to Recycling Works, the average residential college student produces approximately 141.75 lbs of food waste per year. In comparison, the average non-residential college student produces approximately 37.8 lbs of food waste per year. These numbers are based on the estimation that the average residential student consumes 405 meals per year at campus dining locations, while a non-residential student consumes only 108 meals per year at campus dining locations. If you apply those numbers to Fordham, the residents of the Lincoln Center campus alone could be producing up to 189,519.75 lbs of food waste per year. That is 1.82 tons of food waste per week. If you add the Rose Hill residents to the equation, the number climbs to 683,803 lbs per year, or 6.57 tons per week. With this high amount of food waste comes the issue of reducing
it. While the answer may simply seem to be preparing less food, a more effective and beneficial solution would be to take the recoverable food waste and donate it to food pantries and organizations that aid those who need it. Recently, France became the first nation in the world to forbid supermarkets from disposing of recoverable food waste. They are now obligated by law to donate it to food pantries and similar organizations. This policy in turn will both reduce food waste and will help feed France’s hungry. Unlike college cafeterias, how-
ever, supermarkets are donating food that has not already been cooked. Due to this difference, a similar law could not be implemented for U.S. colleges, but colleges can take other initiatives to reduce their food waste while helping the hungry. One such solution is the Food Security Network (FRN), an organization of college campuses that focuses on recovering food waste and donating it to partner organizations that aid the hungry. Fordham did start an initiative to join the network in November in partnership with Sodexo, helping to reduce the aforementioned amounts
of food waste while carrying out the university’s goal of social justice. Through this program, portions of Fordham’s food waste are recovered and given to Part of the Solution (POTS), a soup kitchen in the Bronx. Currently, there are seven students/members who participate in Fordham’s FRN team, according to John Azzopardi, resident district manager of on-site service solutions for Sodexo. This team, based out of the Rose Hill campus, convenes four times a week, consisting of two nights to recover food and two days to pack and deliver the food to POTS. Through this program, Sodexo and
ZANA NAJJAR /THE OBSERVER
College campuses are some of the most egregious offenders when it comes to the disposal of recoverable food.
Fordham have donated “over 2,500 pounds of food, which has provided over 1,700 meals [since November],” according to Azzopardi. Azzopardi said that there are also plans to double membership and double recovery of the program by the end of the semester. He also stated that Sodexo is looking to involve the Lincoln Center campus in this program as well, and to become fully certified with the FRN. While this program only makes a dent in the food waste the university is producing, it is a step in the right direction. Even more so, it helps serve the homeless and food insecure in our area. According to the USDA, approximately 14 percent of U.S. households face food insecurity in 2014. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, 564,708 were homeless in January 2015. Given these statistics, the need for more programs such as the FRN at Fordham and at all universities becomes apparent. By following the lead of France and the FRN, universities can take concrete steps in reducing their carbon footprints and contributing to their communities by addressing food insecurity. My hope is that given the university’s beginning involvement with the FRN, Sodexo and Fordham will continue its initiative to recover its food waste and donate it to those that need it. If a new dining service provider is chosen in the ongoing selection process, it is important that that new provider continues the university’s relationship with the FRN and introduces new initiatives to recover and donate Fordham’s food waste.
6
Opinions
February 25, 2016 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
USG Food Services Committee: Your Voice Needed YINT HMU Staff Writer
My name is Yint Hmu. I am the President Pro Tempore of United Student Government at Lincoln Center and one of the two senators from the Class of 2017. If you know me personally, you may be wondering what I’m doing writing for The Observer. Well, there’s a simple reason. On Friday, Dec. 4, 2015, Fordham University announced that it “issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to provide dining services to all venues and campuses of the University.” This past academic year, it has been my privilege to represent the undergraduate students from Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) and Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center (GSBLC) as the Chairperson of the Food Services Committee. I’m writing in my official capacity to make the students aware of the ongoing RFP process. Before I delve into the minutiae, I’ll provide a brief introduction on what the Food Services Committee is. The Food Services Committee is formed from members of USG, representatives from the Resident Hall Association (RHA), the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development (OSLC) and the Commuting Students Association (CSA), Dean of Students Keith Eldredge, Director of the Office for Student Leadership and Community Development Dorothy Wenzel, Ph.D., Dining Services Contract Liaison Deming Yaun, Sodexo Resident District Manager John Azzopardi and Sodexo General Manager Sue Irukulla along with other Sodexo staff members. This
MICHELLE QUINN /THE OBSERVER
Sodexo is currently responsible for providing food services to both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, though a change may soon be made.
committee meets monthly to discuss ways to improve the dining services on campus from the Undergraduate Dining Hall to Jazzman’s Cafe. I was made aware of the details of the RFP process recently. There are three companies placing bids to become Fordham’s new food services provider. They are Aramark, Chartwells and Sodexo. One of these three will be our food services provider come June 30, 2016. By early March, each one of these
companies will be giving presentations on how they will provide delicious food to Fordham. These presentations will be given at the Rose Hill campus. A decision will be made no later than April as to whether Fordham should retain Sodexo or replace it with another. If Sodexo is indeed replaced as our food services provider, they will exit from this stage along with their employees on June 30, 2016. In the meantime, they will continue to
provide their services. USG, in coordination with RHA and CSA, will be conducting a short survey to gather student opinions on the current level of satisfaction with the Ram Cafe and the Undergraduate Dining Hall. Senators from the two associations and USG will be walking around in the two respective areas until March 10. Take a minute to fill it out and express your views. The results will be compiled and presented to the committee
which will make the decision. It is very important that student voices be heard in such a major decision. This new contract will poten tially be a 10-year-long contract. In the meantime, the Food Services Committee meetings will continue, and if there are any issues or questions regarding food services, email me at yhmu@fordham.edu and/or usglc@fordham.edu, or you can come up and talk to me when you see me around campus.
Session I: May 31–June 30 Session II: July 5–August 4
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SUMMER SESSION 2016
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Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture Editor Rachel Jarvis — rjarvis2@fordham.edu
February 25, 2016 THE OBSERVER
Sound Check: Flow Tribe at The Hall @ MP The New Orleans band best described as “a traveling carnival” takes on the Big Apple.
JESSICA HANLEY /THE OBSERVER
Flow Tribe at The Hall at MP in Brooklyn on Feb. 12, 2016.
By STEPHAN KOZUB Asst. News Co-Editor
On Feb. 12, Flow Tribe gave a performance that can best be described as eclectic and, as they describe themselves, “with the delicacy of a sledgehammer” at The Hall @ MP, a new venue in Brooklyn created by chef Michael Psilakis. Founded in New Orleans in 2004, Flow Tribe is comprised of six high school friends, including a lead vocalist who also plays the trumpet, dueling guitarists and a percussionist who switches between
a fratois (washboard), a harmonica and a keyboard. The opener was Madaila, a talented Vermont-based band that was a little too enthusiastic and energetic for their own good, but featured impressive guitar solos, keyboard and vocals. Taking the stage after Madaila, Flow Tribe’s setlist was a combination of their own songs and covers from an array of genres. Once they started playing, opening with their song “Gon Gitcha,” the music seemed endless. With the exception of one instance halfway through the concert where the band tried to fool the audience that the concert was over by
all but walking off the stage, one song flowed right into the next. This rapid pace kept a constant, if sometimes exhausting, energy to the performance that had audience members on their feet and dancing throughout the night. Among their own songs performed were “Run With You” and “Hungry For You,” a song that starts off with a steady bass line and quickly builds with drums, trumpet and a lengthy guitar solo that many audience members couldn’t help but dance to. Another one of their songs performed was their hit “Gimme A Line,” where K.C., the band’s lead singer and trumpeter, showed off
his impressive trumpet skills One could tell, however, that Flow Tribe is a band with a style of its own when they started playing covers. Among the strange selection of covers that fit surprisingly well with Flow Tribe’s sound were Nelly’s “Hot in Herre,” Mark Ronson’s “Feel Right,” The Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” and even the theme song from “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” which got cheers from an audience that sang along. Flow Tribe’s sound can be best described as a mixture of jazz, hiphop and rock. Defined by a steady groove, their sound is built by K.C., a talented bass player, dueling guitarists that provide entertainment
unto themselves and percussionists. While Flow Tribe’s sound and relentless playing may not be for everyone, their passion and vibrancy, helped by K.C.’s bright pink suit, ensures that audience members take part in their energy and want to join in the created atmosphere of an endless Mardi Gras party. The band hopes to release a new full-length record this year. Flow Tribe is on Instagram and Twitter as @flowtribe and on Facebook at facebook.com/FlowTribe. Their music is available on Spotify and iTunes.
The Comma Interrobang
Dahlia’s Flowers By JESSICA VITOVITCH Literary Co-Editor
Three blood orange martinis, And a sunset drive down Broadway Saccharine taste on the tongue and eyes perched with gold, A beating heart that swells with a ruby red that looks like the bottom of my drink, Things seem hopeful, yet they always do at first. His blood moves hot and slow in the gilded city that built his dreams and my demise, Sky cracked purple as night falls and his primal urge claws at my thigh His eyes sparkle at me like all those other boys that loved me for a night, They shine in that warm glimmer that is born out of liquor and an underlying fear. Hotel. Downtown. Single-syllable name.
No meaning— Like this. Sleek. Fit. Sharp. Spacious suite. Ligne Roset furniture. Savois mattress. He sits quietly— Across the room. I wait. He tells me he likes my skin color, That it reminds him of the Mediterranean sands he grew up on, “Maybe I’ll take you there someday,” Maybe—A five-letter empty promise that clings to beaut ful thoughts, Beautiful thoughts that consume me like ravenous butt erflies.
He bites his lip, And I can taste the grilled octopus He devours me with his eyes And I’m dancing on white stone, He unbuckles his belt with a sharp click, And I smell the sea breeze and olive trees. Alone in the hotel room, together— He and I. Across the world, together— He and I Or perhaps, just I. He gently approaches, in silence, Curtains close the room black, Cotton-scented, clean and quiet— I wonder if this is how he makes love to his wife Or if this is how he hides.
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER February 25, 2016
Arts & Culture
8
Bridging the Gap Between Gangsta and Gangster “ We’ve given a nuanced understanding to
gangster films and now it’s time for gangsta rap. Because they are extremely similar and to suggest that they’re not is extremely racist.”
JESSE CARLUCCI /THE OBSERVER
In the name of research, Jalen Glenn woke up every day and would listen to a new album.
By ADRIANA GALLINA & JESSE CARLUCCI Editor-in-Chief & Multimedia Editor
What’s the difference between gangster films and gangsta rap? Jalen Glenn, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’16 and communication media studies major with a concentration in film, has been devoting his free time to answering this question. After many mornings of waking up and listening to album after album, Glenn has released a 45-page article to the Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal (FURJ)and the Journal of Hip-Hop Studies. Glenn continues to research and edit his piece. The Observer sat down with Glenn to learn more about the music genre, a culture of its own that is rarely given a scholarly spotlight. OBSERVER: Can you briefly describe
what your research is all about?
JALEN GLENN: It originally start-
ed when I was listening to a lot of gangsta rap albums like two summers ago. I was listening to “Straight Outta Compton” and “Doggystyle,” and I was just thinking about how it relates to gangster films. You know like “Scarface” and “The Godfather.” And I was thinking, “What if I went deeper and went past that and went to the early gangster films.” Hip-hop gets no respect. It gets no artistic credibility. That’s something that I talk about in my piece. Public Enemy, “Fear of the Black Planet,” Public Soles — they haven’t accepted a gangsta rap album into the Library of Congress yet. But at the same time, they’ll accept “Little Caesar,” “Scarface,” and “Public Enemies.” All those films are in the Library of Congress, so it raises the question “why, what is the difference?”
because a lot of people may conflate those two. Gangsta rap came up at a specific time and to understand where gangsta rap came from you have to understand these historical roots. Like Eminem is not a gangsta rapper.
and I want to take things out. I kind of wanted to show off a bit, that I did a lot of research, but I realized that’s not necessary. I’m still editing it to this day, trying to strengthen it. And be a little more concise.
OBSERVER: How did you come up
racism and hip-hop—especially white rappers getting a bad rap in the industry?
with the idea for your research?
JG: I was just listening to the gangsta
rap album “Straight Outta Compton.” I just downloaded it. And I listened to it when I found out that they were making a movie about it. Then I got interested in “The Chronic” and “Doggystyle,” and I wanted to know about Dr. Dre and his trajectory between NWA and with Death Row Records and such. And I wanted to figure out how I can, like, analyze music in a similar way to film. Because I feel like a lot of of the gangsta rap albums have a lot of cinematic elements to it. “Doggystyle” draws upon black exploitation films, and it has its intro, and interludes and its conclusion. And I feel like hiphop albums are not treated that way scholarly-wise. It needs to be talked about. It’s one of the biggest genres of music. And no one has really critically engaged with it. I mean, there are scholars out there, but there’s a void. It hasn’t gained as much traction as rock. Some of that may be due to time. Hip-hop is fairly new. 1979 is considered the starting point. OBSERVER: Who helped you with
your project?
JG: I want to give a shout out to Pro-
Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, Death Row Family, Snoop Dogg.
fessor Tom McCourt, communications and media studies professor. I take his Popular Music Communication class. And I think that his class shed light on the fact that you can analyze and scholarly engage with hip-hop. He was my faculty mentor the entire summer. He wasn’t in the city, but he took time out to read and I really appreciate him, that’s the man right there.
I focused on 1983 to 1988. I wanted to be really focused on it because when gangsta rap emerged—it’s important to make the disctinction that not all hip-hop is gangsta rap,
Jennifer Clark, she’s my faculty advisor. She’s just brilliant and she helped me out by sending me articles that might be helpful, just giving me the tools on how to analyze and critically
OBSERVER: Who are the artists that
you focus on?
JG: N.W.A, Ice Cube, MC Ren, IZ,
OBSERVER: What is your take on
JG: I don’t have an issue with it. I feel
JESSE CARLUCCI /THE OBSERVER
Jalen’s research project is currently 45 pages and counting.
engage with it a lot better. So shout out to her too. OBSERVER: Tell us a little more
about your writing itself and what you’ve found.
JG: I go into some similarities of
how we should look at these gangster films and gangsta rap and compare them. Because if gangster films were addressing these issues in the 1930s and the gangsta rappers were addressing them in the late 80s/early 90s, then there’s a continuation. There’s a lack of response to it. So it starts off exploring issues of gender and sexuality in early gangster film and early gangsta rap. How they are very similar and how gansters and gangstas mistreat women. I’m trying to locate why that is. I locate that specifically in economic context. In the Depression, the patriarchy was in danger; it was unstable. So to reaffirm that position, the patriarchs sought to degrade [women], treat them like sexual objects. And we find that in gangsta rap as well.We have a lot of black men going to prison and stuff, so they lose their economic position. There’s a rise of female head of households as a result of mass incarceration, and so that’s another destablization of the patriarch’s position. By reducing the value of women, these gangsters and gangsta rappers were trying to reaffirm the patriarchy’s position at that time.
The second part of it gets into issues of time and how that’s the struggle. I relate that to the introduction of industrial capitalism in the early 20th century. But also on the back end in the late 1980s we have the rise of private prisons which I feel is another industrial capitalist form. You have these people that cycle in and out of prisons and the rise of private prisons — they are using people literaly as capital. To keep the beds filled in private prisons, you create massive profits. To have people cycling in and out, ensuring that all beds are filled, is kind of similar to industrial capitalism to me. Then the final part is what is the disjuncture between why we valroize gangster film, the early gangster films, but gangsta rap doesn’t get any respect. They are raising the same questions and addressing the same issues—why do we not give the same respect to gangsta rappers. A lot of people will say hip-hop is just sexist. But hip-hop is sexist because America is sexist. OBSERVER: So what were some of
the hardships that you ran into writing this article?
that hip-hop was originally for Jamaicans or Jamaican DJs. Then AfroAmericans took it up. I think that the commonality behind it all was that they were poor. Eminem was poor before he became a rapper, so the issues that he address I think are kind of important. I think that poor white people’s oppression goes unnoticed. And it’s kind of unfortunate that we’ve accepted poverty as a norm in that way and our complacency with poverty. I appreciate those stories coming up. Macklemore’s struggle with drug addiction and such. Those are important stories to bring about. Hip-hop has a democratic effect. It’s not like you have to play an instrument to know how to do it. You just have to have a story, you have to have some style and know how to tell it. I feel like that’s why hip-hop is so beautiful to me. Anyone can do it. It’s not like you have to know this chord, or you have to know melodies, or any of that. Hip-hop throws all that out the window and says “fuck it.” We only got this, and this is how we are going to make it work. OBSERVER:What is the biggest con-
clusion from your research?
JG: We need to engage in gangsta rap
and not on a service level. It has to be a little more nuanced than that. We’ve given a nuanced understanding to gangster films and now it’s time for gangsta rap. Because they are extremely similar and to suggest that they are not is extremely problematic and quite racist.
JG: Just like, black holes. I would
do so much research and I wouldn’t know how to synthesize and organize it. That’s the most difficult part. I had so much stuff I wanted to say. Even now, I go through it and read it
For the full interview with Jalen Glenn visit www.fordhamobserver. com.
KAY D’ANGELO/THE OBSERVER
10
The Comma
February 25, 2016 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
Because the N Train Now Reminds Me of You By AREEG ABDELHAMID
Two couples are seated across from me and right next to me on these blue benches, the N train is Astoria Ditmars bound love is seated in between, glimmering and we make eye contact perhaps my jealousy has also made an appearance on this Friday afternoon.
I am still trying to calculate the destination of time, the weather and us. wishing love wasn’t trying to peel my insides raw right now because I have never felt so naked in public, to be anywhere but here.
the couples are sharing themselves on these blue benches and the N train is making seven stops hand in hand And I am wishing you weren’t 5000 miles away that my ears were shivering with goosebumps over your whispers laughing about nothing important expressions too familiar reminding myself that I could now add eternity to my vocabulary a language not so nostalgic. my hand would rest on your shoulders oddly so as if to say that my body has finally found its resting place I don’t know if God has made a place for us in heaven
yet I wouldn’t share you like this, the N train isn’t worthy of you, you are whole and real and we deserve the Nile the skies, the dirt, anywhere but painted metal benches that aren’t actually blue. But I cannot stop obsessing over how lucky these benches are, the N train, the MTA that love also stops with them At this moment they don’t matter because I know how lucky I am to be yours.
MARIA KOVOROS/THE OBSERVER
In Bad Company By ELIZABETH SHEW
Space and art are threatening co-conspirators. I’m unnerved by the installation in the lobby. Oh, the work itself is fascinating: I wish I had thought to impale a fleet of Ford Tauruses with flashing metal spears. And then to suspend those cars from the ceiling, a wave of everyday life caught in the moment between flight and death—it is simply marvelous. It truly is. Marvelous. But… I wish I did not have to see it in person. Did you know that a Ford Taurus weighs over three-thousand pounds? There are at least eight of them hanging from the rafters, but somehow, in this space, they look dwarfed. It must be the ceiling. Ceilings are usually the perfect limiters, boxing up space which would otherwise spread rampantly. But there’s something wrong with this one: its dimensions shrink the cars until they look bizarrely small. I’m in an increasingly bad mood when Angelo finds me standing at the base of the escalator, unable to take the first step. I must look pathetic: a grown, disheveled man frozen by an ordinary piece of machinery. But the escalator will force me to confront one of the suspended Tauruses, and I can’t do it. I can’t put myself next to a car which looks like a mere toy from the ground, but which will look huge at eye level, and which will magnify the space a thousand, ten thousand times—Angelo sighs. He finds someone who knows where the elevators are. He looks exasperated, but it’s his own damn fault. He knows I hate to oversee the installation of my own work. And I have never been a fan of museum tourists.
ter of the room? What about the lighting? Do I have any suggestions? The only suggestion I have is that they scrap the entire piece and recycle it to make a bench for the visitors examining the Pollock next door. They stare at me. Then Angelo, ever the crowd-pleaser, proposes we take five. I ignore him as everyone files out; my insides seize with anxiety. Alone, there is nothing to divert me from the creature rising from the floor. Red metal twists and spokes through the air, carving burrows and passages out of the void. It is a massive thing, but it does not dwarf this room as it did my workshop; it no longer distracts me from the empty corners, from the shadowy joint where the lid meets the wall. I close my eyes and try not to choke. I’m on my way out the door when Angelo comes back. He looks disappointed, but he doesn’t protest; I’ve already stayed longer than he expected. I tell him I don’t care what they do with the sculpture. The thing I labored on for months and months has already become like a lost friend. I take the elevator downstairs and leave without glancing up. I feel stretched. You know, some people say that loneliness is supposed to feel like a chasm in the chest, a yawning pit which stomachs all other feeling and leaves the body grasping at holes. But I have always felt in my chest a balloon of possibility, full of people who might exist or might arrive—a balloon which swells and strains until I am forced to create the next sculpture, a sculpture which leaves no room for anyone else.
When the elevator opens, Angelo ducks under a line of yellow caution tape and holds it aloft for me. I follow silently. I’m not needed here. The sculpture is done, the work is done—I do not care where they put it. Where it is shouldn’t matter; it will still eat space. That’s the whole point. Angelo and his team, however, don’t seem to understand. They ask me five hundred ridiculous questions. Should it face east or west? Should it be in a corner? Does it look better in the cen-
PAULA MADERO/THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER February 25, 2016
The Comma
11
00:00 EST By SAM ROSS
I wasn’t feeling, but it was New Year’s. Pretty scarf necks, the TV was on. White teeth confetti and diaphanous laughter. Everything was festive. No one was around me. At least that’s how it felt. 3… 2… 1 … I don’t remember smiling. Sleeping beneath a different night, Kiribati light has come and gone.
AMANDA GIOSCIA/THE OBSERVER
House on a Hill By FRANCESCA ATON
I told you I was afraid of cancer, afraid of falling, and I put a Band-Aid on to keep it up in the inside away from your hand, where ashes fall like tears in love’s eyes. Tomorrow, you’ll use the same fingers to graze the small of my back—a soft, lingering touch—but tonight it belongs to the fire, the ash, to her. I’ll barter, one ruble for you. But it’s never enough and you’ll keep pulling back the Band-Aid the further you walk away to tell me my faults, my fears. We’ll chuckle. Reset to new spaces. Your house on the hill is the true prize, right next to the river, you feel the water flowing beside you but not over, never over you. You mention nothing of her as you wipe tears from my cheek, place your hand in the small of my back the gap isn’t physical but I feel her pull by your side. You light me up and breathe me in, allowing me to burn as long as you’re pulling the air through the other side. Brand a poker in me underneath, no more adhesive, we’ve lost our quality. Nerves lead you back to the same smoke that brought you, ashes falling. We all fall down.
ANGELA LUIS/THE OBSERVER
12
Photo Feature
February 25, 2016 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
SHAINA OPPENHEIMER/THE OBSERVER
Western Wall in the Jewish Quarter at the Old City in Jerusalem.
Life in Jerusalem, the Unaccounted Narrative SHAINA OPPENHEIMER Contributing Writer
Every morning at 8:10 a.m. I leave the student village and embark on my 15 minute journey to Hebrew University. The uphill walk offers a view of the distant golden top and perhaps the most contested landmark in history. Once the Dome of the Rock gets lost in my view and I begin to pant a little more heavily, I walk quickly past two bus stops. Sometimes there are guards, sometimes not. Just a few more steps until I have to show my Hebrew University I.D. card, leave my bag and phone on the table and walk through a metal detector. After looking through my bag, the security guard zips it up and hands it to me, smiling, and says “yom tov,” meaning “have a nice day.” Now I have officially entered campus and can continue to class. Before leaving for Jerusalem, I had received all kinds of reactions after telling people where I was studying abroad. Some didn’t say much while others relentlessly interrogated me. Over winter break I was sitting at a dinner party in a room full of white collar adults who were asking me why I’d chosen to live in a war zone, asking if I’d have to veil, what it was like living in an apartheid state and making some pretty offensive remarks that I’ll refrain from repeating. It does get annoying when I see how ignorant some are about Israel but can I really blame them when the only
exposure they get is a picture of angry Benjamin Netanyahu banging his fist on the table while talking about increasing retaliation towards anti-Israeli attacks? As you may recall, back in October there were several reports of terrorist attacks carried out by Palestinian radicals against Israeli civilians. These waves of attacks have not stopped. Almost every day since arriving, I’ve read about another attack in Jerusalem. Just as I was writing this article, I got a notification that a 19 year old border policewoman was killed in a stabbing and shooting attack at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City. Why is it that almost every day for the past four and a half months there has been some kind of attack, and why is it that the media outside of Israel has stopped covering it? Over 30 Israelis have been killed and a little over 300 wounded. These attacks take place in the form of throwing rocks, stabbings, intentional vehicle crashes and shootings. Which begs the question: could this period be a Third Intifada? The First Intifada, or wave of mass terrorism, was from December 1987 — 1993 and the second took place in late September of 2000, ending around 2005. So yes, there is reason for people to bring up such concerns upon hearing that I will be living in Jerusalem for the next five months or so. I’d be lying if I said living here is an easy transition. Jerusalem sits on the edge of the West Bank. Hebrew University is surrounded by Arab neighborhoods, this being the reason we are advised not to walk
alone. There are certain things you have to get used to when living in Israel. It was pretty clear from the mandatory one-hour security orientation in which we were told where to go, where not to go, how to safely take the bus, not to cross the green line, not to enter certain countries, et cetera. There is an underlying tension here. I pick up my pace when walking past train stops. I try to not get too close to people, avoid large crowds and am generally more on
cious package found so the police can investigate, and in extreme cases blow it up on the spot. At this point, you may be thinking this is no way to live. But these are not the things that come to mind when I think of Israel. It’s not all politics, war and hiding in bomb shelters. Israelis are loud, blunt, in your face and don’t quite understand the concept of waiting in lines. They use their hands when talking out of pure enthusiasm. They’ll invite you over for Shabbat dinner, a Friday
A walk through the shuk is a sensory overload from the smell of freshly baked challah, an old man yelling in your face to taste his dried fruits or the spice guy across the hall trying to lure you into his shop, all while trying to avoid the stray cats. edge when out in public. But part of this paranoia simply stems from being a foreigner in a new place. For Israelis this is all just a part of life, just as seeing armed soldiers sit in a street cafe with their assault rifles casually slung around their shoulders while having a cigarette is a normal scene. Every now and then you’ll see a security guard escort someone off a train and proceed to search them. You may even get evacuated off a train due to a suspi-
night tradition spent with family and friends, after only meeting you once. A walk through the shuk, or market, a sensory overload from the smell of freshly baked challah, an old man yelling in your face to taste his dried fruits or the spice guy across the hall trying to lure you into his shop, all while trying to avoid the stray cats. And let me tell you, they know a thing or two about good food. The hummus here is truly a godsend.
There are no preservatives in the food, so bread gets rock hard after one day. The vegetables are so fresh I can’t even eat some of them raw, because I’m not used to the strong taste. Everything is fresh, vibrant and topped with a variety of vague yet delicious sauces. Beyond the fun-loving and friendly atmosphere is the incredible sense of nationalism. People know this country has its flaws, yet have no intentions of leaving. The mandatory draft for both men and women is a great example of the strong sense of patriotism. Additionally, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has had over 6,000 Lone Soldiers, or people with no immediate family in Israel, who have come out of their own will to serve in the army. What other country has foreigners coming to join the army? Almost every Israeli can tell you that they grew up with their mothers and grandmothers telling them maybe one day they would not have to go to the army because there would be peace. Don’t get me wrong, Israel has its issues. You can’t blindly love a country and the people here all have an opinion about the conflict. It is sad that everyday people on both sides of this fight are suffering. But that is not the only story. Israel is a beautiful country. Just thinking about the people, the landscape, the culture and the history warms my heart. There is so much more than what we see and read about—or don’t read about—in the news. Despite it all, Israel lives and thrives in the most incredible way.
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER February 25, 2016
Photo Feature
13
SHAINA OPPENHEIMER/THE OBSERVER
Mahane Yehuda shuk in Jerusalem.
SHAINA OPPENHEIMER/THE OBSERVER
The view from my room in the Student Village at Hebrew University.
SHAINA OPPENHEIMER/THE OBSERVER
A soldier ordering food in the Jerusalem Central Bus Station.
SHAINA OPPENHEIMER/THE OBSERVER
Church of Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter in the Old City in Jerusalem.
SHAINA OPPENHEIMER/THE OBSERVER
Street Art in Florentin neighborhood in Tel Aviv.
14
The Comma
February 25, 2016 THE OBSERVER
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“I just need to kill a few hours.” (says the assassin) These types of assassins don’t stop With just a few, They keep on killing— They serialize; They choose how they kill, When they kill, and The form in which they deliver Their kill. Cutting single letters out of newspaper to disguise their hand to others And (themselves) They serialize, fetishize Their wasted lives. Of course killers are afflicted Psychopathic Unto themselves. Lack of self-empathy, Lack of disdain for their crime Unto themselves. Thrice I say! It’s better to be Too hard on oneself, as opposed to Being Gelatinous. Yet my opinion is not the overarching One. These assassins do so value their “Miserable Ease” Yet the only thing I value is Being able to be a Miser with my time. They serialize, fetishize They’re wasted lives.
Suicidal Assassins By ALEX CROSBY
JULIET ALTMANN/THE OBSERVER
The Plight of the Intern By DAVID MILO
Someone whose name you don’t know comes up to your desk. He or she starts saying a name that is not yours, but catches his or her self midway. Kind of like “Ryyyyyya, Oh sorry your name is Mike. Michael. I am Fred.” “You are one of the interns right? Yeah, Bob told me about you,” as he answers his own question. (You think to yourself. Who the fuck is Bob? I have been here two years and there are only 5 people in this office and apparently now there is a Bob and a Fred). After a little bit of mental problem solving and a few awkward seconds, Fred looks you in the eyes and asks you the two questions that every single intern has learned to fear. “Hey are you busy?” And “Can you do me a favor?” Every alarm is going off in your body. You literally cringe in your chair but you can’t show Fred how you really feel so you pretend like it is a back cramp. What could this man want? I didn’t even know he existed 2 minutes ago let alone what on earth Fred does. Is it accounting based? Fuck, I haven’t done accounting since freshman year. All I learned in that class was how to play Cube Runner and look like I was struggling in class every time I crashed so the teacher would pity me and give me a better grade at the end of the semester. Wait, I am in the marketing program. Maybe he will ask me to look at some logos or something. I can do that. People love the color red. If he asks me what color I think looks good. I am just going to say red. That will drive sales and everyone will be happy. We sell oranges though. Red oranges?? Fuck it, I will say that we can have Marc Ecko to sponsor them. People love his shit for some reason. Holy crap he is holding a tablet! I hate tablets. My fingers are too fat to type on the touch screen. It will take me a year to write a page. Little does Fred
know that he is pretty much holding the equivalent of a nuclear football in his sweaty hand. If he punches in the go codes and tries to hand that bomb to me, I am putting in my two-second notice and GTFOing. By the grace of god, Fred opens his satchel and safely stows away the football. My life has been spared. I live to work another day. After all of these thoughts raced around in my head for what in reality was only an awkward three-second pause, I look Fred right in the eyes as if I was peering into this man’s blackened corporate soul and said, “No I am not busy. What do you need?” At this point I felt like I sold my soul to the devil. He digested my words for what seemed like an eternity as a singular bead of sweat appeared on my forehead. His mouth started to move and the utterance of his first word made my heart skip a beat. “Change–” Change what??? Seats? My socks? Do they smell? My lifestyle? How much does Fred know about me? WHO IS FRED!! This man cracked me without even trying. “Change the–” Fred you better fucking tell me right now what has to be changed or I literally may die. “Change the Coffee Filter.” The coffee filter…? I let my mind process this unexpected request. What I say next will make or break my relations with Fred for the rest of my internment. I took a hot second to compose myself and said, “ Yeah, sure, it’s no problem.” Did he take the bait? Does he now think that I am so confident in changing the coffee filter that I could do it with my eyes closed? Like Moses waiting to find the holy land, I waited for Fred to acknowledge what I said as coolly as possible. He smiled and walked away. By the grace of god I made it through my first encounter with Fred. Just as Fred rounded the corner to his office and closed the door, a first year intern came back from the bathroom. I looked at him with a smirk that screamed “I own your soul” and simply said, “Fred told me to tell you to change the coffee filter as soon as possible. He wants his coffee.”
IAN MCKENNA/OBSERVER ARCHIVES
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER February 25, 2016
The Comma
15
I Breathe the Smoke By JOHN MCCULLOUGH
I breathe the smoke-choked air Of buses and trains Of strange unknown tobaccos Of light and sound and motion Smoke. Paper burning. People burning. Smoke twirling and swirling Above the buildings and through the streets From Bleecker from Fifth from Park. From Wall. In the mountains of Kabul In the mines of Santiago In the halls of Brussels and London and Washington Burning, Burning, Burning, Burning I was a communist but I forgot I think I’m remembering again Call me Ishmael; Call me Sisyphus; Don’t call me late for dinner.
SARAH HOWARD/THE OBSERVER
Deus Ex Machina By BENJAMIN STRATE
Is this what you see when you look at me? A complex binary, But what of the mind of the machine? Figures and algorithms brought you to me, Yet have you considered the soul of the machine? Is this what you see when you look at me? They say we worship technology, But didn’t the ancients create the god of the machine? A series of cranks and pulleys Brought God to me. Is this what you see when you look at me? A ghost of the machine.
ZANA NAJJAR/THE OBSERVER
KAY D’ANGELO/THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER February 25, 2016
Arts & Culture
17
RestauranTOURISTS: Ramen Noodle Edition By RACHEL JARVIS, ELENA CIOTTA, MORGAN STEWARD, Arts & Culture Staff
MEE NOODLES
RACHEL JARVIS /THE OBSERVER
A sampling of each ramen dish.
MEE NOODLES RACHEL: Smelled fishy, tasted dodgy. I would stick to a microwaveable cup-a-noodle if this were my only option, because this was disappointing. Don’t get ramen from places that don’t specialize in ramen. For starters, it took forever for them to make and when we finally got it, the broth was clearer than ramen broth should be (like it didn’t simmer long enough) and the noodles tasted like mushy spaghetti. But it looked pretty in the bowl. ELENA: I was not entirely sold on this bowl of
ramen. Although the presentation was nice, the taste fell through for me. It almost had a chickensoup-like consistency to it, but with a fishy taste and smell. Would definitely take a cup of Top Ramen over this. The restaurant itself had a very nice ambiance, however. The service was quick for the most part. The restaurant also played smooth jazz, which is pretty much a selling point for me. I would come back here to sample some of the other items on the menu, but not the ramen. MORGAN The restaurant itself is the perfect location for a nice gathering of friends. There are plenty of tables and ample room to move around—a phenomena not usually found in New York City. The wait staff was quick and friendly, always making sure to refill water glasses and check that we were doing fine. However, once the food was brought out, the experience went downhill. The noodles smelled like something noodles should never smell like—the fish section of a pet store. Once I got the distinct scent of fish, I couldn’t NOT taste it. One bite and I was done. I would rather eat a 50-cent package of Top Ramen before I eat this dish again.
TERAKAWA RAMEN RACHEL: So good! Large portions for $10, I could not finish my bowl and I had noodles and broth left over. I used to go here at least once a week last semester when they had an A grade, but since the Health Department recently gave them a B, I’m a bit concerned. I don’t like to eat at places with grades lower than an A (because food safety is a must, especially in this dirty city) so I probably won’t frequent Terakawa as much as I used to. But if I’m really hungry—like empty stomach hungry—and craving noodles, I would definitely fill up here. ELENA: I loved this ramen! The presentation was great; so much so that the taste was almost as colorful as the dish itself. The portion was very large, however. Although I got a lot of food for $10, it was definitely more than I could eat in one sitting. I would most definitely take this over TopRamen. I loved the setup of this place as well. The bar-style seating made for an interesting eating experience, and overall the service was friendly and fast. MORGAN: This is what ramen is supposed to be. At first I was skeptical because of the price (the bowl is $10), but the serving was huge and filling. Seating is very limited in the restaurant, so this is not the best go-to place for a large crowd of friends. However, for just a small gathering of a few people, it is perfect. The ramen itself was delicious—the broth was one of the best broths I have ever had. The pork was also tender, and the noodles were cooked almost to perfection. The bowl itself was colorful, combining lots of other foods, such as bamboo shoots and ginger, to accent the taste and appearance of the ramen. Overall, this is an excellent choice!
DONBURI-YA RACHEL: Sold! I didn’t think anything could top Terakawa but Donburi-Ya did. The broth was rich and hearty. The diced garlic elevated the flavors of the pork and noodles (I don’t remember tasting garlic in the broth at Terrakawa). The straight noodles were on the thinner side, which I prefer, the pork wasn’t as fatty as I would have liked but still delicious. I would definitely eat here again, and again and again.
Dish, Location, Price, Delivery: #20 (Ramen with roast chicken and boiled egg). 795 9th Ave, corner of 53rd and 9th. Across the street from Holey Creme. $8.05. Free Delivery via Seamless.
“ Tasted Dodgy”
ELENA: This was the best tasting Ramen by far. The broth was flavorful, and the noodles were cooked just right. What the presentation lacked, the taste made up for it. I would eat this over Top-Ramen any day. The restaurant itself was really awesome as well; the ambiance was very chill and the service was fast. There was even a karaoke bar upstairs, for some after-ramen fun. I really enjoyed my dinner at DonburiYa and would definitely return! MORGAN: This ramen was INCREDIBLE! After visiting Terakawa, I was not expecting to find another restaurant that tasted better... yet Donburi-Ya was exactly that. The broth, seasoned heavily with garlic, complemented the taste of the noodles and heightened the overall taste of the dish. While the presentation was not amazing, the taste was worth the trip. Although Donburi-Ya was the most expensive choice out of the three restaurants we visited, it was by far the best. For $11 a bowl, one receives a huge serving of delicious ramen, a friendly waiter, and the option to sing karaoke upstairs after their meal. I will definitely be visiting DonburiYa again!
TERAKAWA RAMEN Dish, Location, Price, Delivery: Terrakawa ramen with pork and straight noodle. 885C 9th Ave. Next to Morton Williams. $9.50. Delivery and Takeout. Cash only.
“ Best Broth ”
DONBURI-YA Dish, Location, Price, Delivery: Nagahama Fu Tonkotsu Ramen, pork based broth. 253 West 55th Street New York, NY. Next to Soup Man. $11.00. Delivery and Takeout.
“ BEST RAMEN! ”
GRAPHIC BY KATIE MAUER/THE OBSERVER
All three noodle restaurants are in walking distance of Fordham College Lincoln Center.
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER February 25, 2016
Arts & Culture
18
James B. Donovan, Bridge Builder Then and Now By LIAM HABER Contributing Writer
James B. Donovan is one of America’s unsung heroes, a lawyer who prosecuted German criminals at the Nuremberg Trials in 1945, defended and saved the life of a known Soviet spy and negotiated a prisoner exchange with Cuba. But before all of that occurred, he was deemed the best all-around man by the University in the Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) graduating class of 1937. On Feb. 9, Fordham honored Donovan’s legacy and the impact he had on our country and school by screening the film “Bridge of Spies,” preceded by a Q&A with three of Donovan’s family members, moderated by Fordham Professors Christopher Dietrich and Jim Jennewein. One of this year’s Best Picture nominees at the Oscars, “Bridge of Spies” is directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Tom Hanks as James Donovan. In the film, Donovan acts first as a defense attorney and later as a prisoner negotiator for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, played by Mark Rylance. After Abel is apprehended by the CIA, Donovan is placed in charge of giving him the fairest defense possible, taking a job most would be afraid of. Before the film screened, Donovan’s son and daughter, John Donovan and Jan Donovan-Amorosi, along with his granddaughter Beth Amorosi, discussed their father’s legacy and how much he did for our country that has since been forgotten. For example, John Donovan recalled how his father had taken him to Cuba in 1962 to negotiate for the exchange of over a thousand men, women and children during the Bay of Pigs Invasion, where they both dined and worked with Fidel Castro. Similarly, Jan Donovan discussed the differences between
ALLEN J. SCHABEN/ LOS ANGELES TIMES VIA TNS
Rev. Joseph M. McShane S.J. introduces the panel before the “Bridge of Spies” screening.
reality and the film, including how her father seemed to be even more dignified and humane in real life than even Tom Hanks could make him look. As impressed as she was by the film and by Hanks, the movie could never match the man who inspired it. For lack of a better term, the film is very “Spielberg-ian,” possessing a tone and look that can be seen in a large number of the director’s more recent films. Stylistically similar to his “Munich” and “Lincoln” in both how the film is shot as well as how
it makes you feel, “Bridge” is crafted in a calculated and precise fashion that looks pristine, but sometimes seems a bit hollow to me. Thankfully, the script from Matt Charman and the Coen Brothers is adept filling in the blanks left behind by Spielberg’s direction, both funny in its darkest moments and solemn in its lightest. The dialogue is snappy and delivered incredibly well by all involved, with Rylance shining in a crowded field. Tom Hanks’s portrayal of Donovan is the highlight of the film, with
the actor playing the role as well as anyone could. Were it not based on a true story, it would seem as if the character was written specifically for him. Hanks is one of the most proficient actors currently working, and here his performance is laden with every beat that could be hit, making a superhero out of a simple man. Considering most of the movie is based around conversations with little action other than spoken word, the weight of the film rests on him. Hanks is aided by the design of the film, with the cin-
ematography and editing working to make legal battles and politics pop in a way that simple dialogue couldn’t easily do. “Bridge of Spies” is a great movie that tells an amazing story, yet even this does little to capture James Donovan the man. But when you see the pride with which his family discusses their father and grandfather, you can’t help but think that no amount of stories told about Donovan will successfully capture who this American hero really was.
“Callaloo”: The Dish and The Book RACHEL JARVIS Arts & Culture Editor
Callaloo, a stewed dish made from either dasheen or spinach is a staple in every West Indian Household. It can be served with saltfish or crabs and fungee (foon-gee), on the side of some oxtail and rice, or by itself, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. From the Bahamas to Antigua, Dominica to Trinidad, it’s more than a dish— it’s an icon, a delicious symbol of Caribbean culture. Thanks to alumna Marjuan Canady, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’08, “Callaloo” has become an interactive children’s media brand that aims to promote the cultural literacy of Caribbean American culture through children’s books, animation, live performance, digital content, games and arts education tools. The first book in the “Callaloo” children’s series, titled “Callaloo: A Jazz Folktale,” follows the story of Winston, a little boy who loves to eat callaloo. In his greed, he eats an entire batch in one sitting and is sent on a quest by his aunt to buy more ingredients. As adventure would have it, he rides the subway from New York City to Tobago, the twin island of the nation of Trinidad and Tobago, where he encounters various creatures from Caribbean folklore (e.g. Papa Bois, Soucoyant, La Diablesse, Lagahoo and the Dwens) who show him the danger of his greediness and help him get back home. Canady shared that Winston,
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CALLALOO
The Callaloo book series aims to promote cultural literacy amongst children.
the protagonist, is in a way a male version of her childhood self, “growing up in America but having roots in the Caribbean.” Like Winston, Canady grew up in a city, Washington, D.C. to be exact, and would visit family in Trinidad throughout the year. She says, “I wanted to create a character that had my similar mindset being from an American city and identifying with somewhere else but still have these lived practices.” For Canady, promoting cultural
literacy in children is the driving force behind “Callaloo.” Cultural literacy—a term coined by author E.D. Hirsch in the late 1980s—refers to the ascertainment of knowledge of a certain culture or people group. Canady shared that “instill[ing] cultural understanding and building tolerance in children from an early age is something that allows one to develop as an adult.” She recognizes that cultural literacy can be more beneficial for the next generation,
because children are the adults of tomorrow. When asked about her target audience she shared, “It’s definitely something Caribbean kids and specifically Caribbean American kids can identify with and take pride in, but it’s also something for all kids. Because there’s not a lot of books that have black and brown children at the center, and [children are] interested in these other perspectives and other traditions. I’ve found, kids are much more open to
learning about these things in a way that is not judgmental.” “Callaloo: A Jazz Folktale” and the newest book in the series “Callaloo: The Legend of the Golden Coqui” (co-written with help from alumni Lorena Jorge, FCLC ’06, and Christin Cato, Fordham College Rose Hill (FCRH) ’09) are available for purchase at Barnes and Noble and on amazon.com. Read more about Canady, Jorge and Cato’s work, at www.callaloothebook.com
Features
Features Editors Alanna Kilkeary—alannamartine@gmail.com Alysha Kundanmal— akundanmal@fordham.edu Hansi Weedagama—hweedagama@fordham.edu February 25, 2016 THE OBSERVER
What Photographing at NYFW Taught Me One week, seven shows and two thousand photos later...
ANDRONIKA ZIMMERMAN/THE OBSERVER
All of the models from Leanne Marshall’s Fall 2016 collection strut their stuff on the runway at the end of the show. NYFW FROM PAGE 1
Welcome to New York Fashion Week. It doesn’t sound so glamorous now, does it? First off, I was a fish out of water. I was crammed in between the house photographer for IMG Models telling me “NO, you can’t stand there,” Telemundo, an online publication based in Bulgaria, and countless other photographers for other outlets shooting over my shoulders and above my head. There’s a certain hierarchy of photographing fashion shows. The IMG house photographers are at the top of the food chain; then comes the designer’s photographer; and after that, major fashion publications like Vogue. My size was my advantage – I was able to squeeze in between photographers where bigger, more professional men couldn’t fit. That was my first lightbulb moment. I then came to the realization that photographers who did this for a living had been working 12-hour days not to mention they’ve been doing this for years. They looked at me as if I had ‘INEXPERIENCED’ tattooed on my forehead. I watched as they folded over to
stretch and knead their sore backs, and I started to feel guilty for the minor irritation creeping up in my spine. They did this day after day, show after show… all I could think was how lucky I was to be a part of it at all. It was intimidating to say the least, but by the end of the second performance, I knew the lingo and the routine; I felt like I could walk the walk and talk the talk. I was a virgin to the fashion world no more. The pressure of working side by side with the crème de la crème was unimaginable. I couldn’t grasp how these photographers could shoot so perfectly right off the bat; they were so ready for what was to come. I, on the other hand, fiddled with my camera’s ISO, aperture and shutter for at least a minute before my settings were up to par. With every show, however, it took me less and less time. By the end of fashion week, I came to the realization that though a more expensive lens would have helped, it wasn’t about my equipment, but how well equipped I was to handle every task thrown at me. This experience plunged me so far deep into a new world of photography, gave me an amazing portfolio, and left me with
My size was my advantage – I was able to squeeze in between photographers where bigger, more professional men couldn’t fit.
ANDRONIKA ZIMMERMAN/THE OBSERVER
Some of Andie’s chic snaps from various shows during New York Fashion Week.
knowledge I can bring with me anywhere I go to further my career. So, fashion week, you’ve come and gone. What an experience it was to say the least. I was launched into a world of professionalism I
knew nothing about, but as they say, ‘Fake it till you make it.’ But by the end of the week, I can say there was nothing fake about it. I realized I already had all the knowledge– I just learned everything
about how to apply it. The most exciting part every day was getting home and importing my photos to feel the gratification of the art I had produced. Till next season, New York Fashion Week.
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THE OBSERVER
February 25, 2016
Features
20
The Caffeine Problem No One’s Talking About
HANA KEININGHAM/THE OBSERVER
College students depend on cups upon cups of caffeinated beverages to get them through their day. By MARIA ISHIDA Contributing Writer
“I normally drink at least three cups of coffee a day,” Berk Calif, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17, said. “I know I should drink less than that, but coffee and Redbulls make me feel more energetic.” Calif’s experience is typical among college students, especially since midterms are in full swing right now, so students are reaching for their cups of coffee more frequently. Students often crave extra caffeine to get through exam periods, but it might be time to think twice before taking another caffeinated drink. “When I want to have a really productive day, I usually have coffee to get in the right mindset because it makes me feel more awake,” Elana Tee, FCLC ’18, said. “Sometimes I feel like it doesn’t actually wake me up and I experience a sort of ‘pla-
cebo effect.’” Calif and Tee are not the only ones who are victims of caffeine’s pervasive clutches. Lots of adults in America rely on coffee, particularly in the morning to start their day. According to the National Coffee Association, 54 percent of Americans over the age of 18 consume caffeine on a daily basis. “There are certain beneficial effects from caffeine,” Jennifer Huang, Adult Nurse Practitioner – Board Certified from Fordham Health Services, said. “They have antioxidant effect and that’s good for your health. A cup or two per day does make you more alert, and it influences your mood.” Let’s take a look at how much caffeine these beverages actually contain. For example, one grande or medium (16 oz) Starbucks hot brewed coffee contains 330mg of caffeine, and a 16 oz Monster energy has 160mg of caffeine. Perhaps students have been underestimating the
amount of caffeine they consume. “Average adults drink two cups of coffee a day, and 400mg per day is considered to be the safe amount of caffeine,” Huang said. “If students are drinking so frequently, it may increase alertness for that day, or it may help them stay up for 24 hours, but there is a downhill effect – If they binge drink to prepare for finals, they will feel the effects later on.” Since midterms are coming up, students are likely to decide to increase the amount of caffeine. “I drink anywhere between one and four cups of coffees or energy drinks every day.” Falguni Joshi, first year student at Fordham University Law School said. “During exam time I tend to drink a lot more energy drinks. After finals are over, I try to stay away from caffeine and catch up on all of the sleep that I missed out on.” Even short period of excessive caffeine consumptions could
have negative effects. According to Huang, it can lead to feeling restlessness, depressed, panicked, irregular heartbeats, seizure, insomnia and the list goes on. “We have also Counseling and Psychological Services next door that can help students, because people do become dependent on it. We can help them if they come in.” Huang said. There are safer, healthier options to feel more energized. Something so simple: students should drink lots of water. About 60 percent of human bodies are made up of water, so if they are dehydrated, they may feel tired. Water has zero calories, and it is a very easy and inexpensive way to increase their energy levels. In terms of other sources of energy besides food – the best option is sleep. The ideal amount of sleep depends on person’s age, and it varies from person to person. However, according to the National Institutes of Health, adults are recommended
to get about 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. “I would say everything in moderation, try to utilize the resources that Fordham has to help with stressthey have so many different clubs, and activities,” Huang said. Some of the sports and fitness clubs held in FCLC include Basketball Club, Soccer Club, and Yoga and Mindfulness. “Try to prepare and not procrastinate, drink in moderation avoid binge drinking at all cost.” While coffee is a huge part of many student’s lives, they will be surprised at how much better their mind and body will feel after cutting out the excess jitter. Curious about how much caffeine the students walking these hallways actually consume? We’ve compiled data on FCLC student’s caffeine consumption habits, and we want to share it with you. You can find these graphs and charts online at fordhamobserver.com.
Foodies at Fordham: Mouth-Watering Instas By JULIA ENNIS Contributing Writer
Cassie Malouta remembers the exact day that she and roommate Apshy Vimal realized just how obsessed they are with food-centric social media accounts. “Last semester we dragged our entire apartment to the Donut Plant in Chelsea,” Malouta, said, “Because we had to have this specific blackout donut that we had seen on a food Instagram!” Malouta and Vimal, both Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17, know they are not alone. From envy-inducing photos of indulgent treats, to beautiful pictures of healthy foods that only seem indulgent, food finds have taken over social media. At Fordham, this has inspired self-confessed foodies, like Vimal and Malouta, to create their own accounts dedicated to their love of food. Vimal and Malouta started their Instagram account, “Please Sir, May I” (@please_sir_may_i) earlier this month and already have more than a hundred followers. They believe that people crave content like theirs because of the adventures they can inspire, like the one they had that day at Donut Plant. With their account, they hope followers of “Please Sir, May I” feel inspired to go out into the city and try something new: “you can find restaurants that are maybe not on the map as much, like more obscure places that really have good
food,” Malouta said. For even further proof that food content is king, just look to Caitlin Sakdalan, FCLC ’18. She started an Instagram account, “BeFatBeHappy” (@befatbehappy) in 2014, to document her decadent food finds in New York City and beyond. In less than a year, her followers on that account have grown by 14 thousand. “It’s crazy,” Sakdalan said of the popularity of her account. “It’s grown so organically, but in a way that I’ve been able to get ahead of.” She credits much of her account’s appeal to her followers’ desire to live vicariously through her pictures of indulgent comfort foods. “Everyone knows what it’s like to eat a salad,” she says, “But when you see something like [NYC restaurant] Black Tap’s milkshakes, you’re like ‘Oh my God, that’s crazy!’ It’s something special and unique.” With that much success, it’s no surprise that Sakdalan is looking to expand into video content with her own YouTube channel, calling her plans for her videos “kind of like a more personal version of BuzzFeed Food and Tasty.” The accounts she referenced here are ones that are taking Facebook by storm with an innovative new form of recipe video ready to turn the Barefoot Contessa on her head. Rather than feature chefs who walk viewers through the recipes, these videos show no actual faces or dialogue, instead choosing to rely solely on the
ingredients and the method. And with each clip clocking in at less than two minutes, it is clear that viewers are attracted to the simplistic nature of these videos. “You don’t need to see a person, somebody you don’t recognize, in a video,” Alyssa Fiorentino, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’15, and social media editor for Delish. com, explained. “The idea is that the recipe is so easy that you don’t need somebody to sit there and talk you through it. You can just watch and learn. Anybody can do it.” Fiorentino believes that the popularity of these videos is a win for food media, which in her experience had always struggled to perform against pop-culture content. “Food, it’s both easy and really hard to [promote] on social,” she said. “Everybody eats, and everybody knows somebody who cooks ... but at the same time, a picture of a recipe is not always going to stand up to Beyoncé news.” But with celebrity chefs being kicked out of the picture, and novices like Vimal, Moluta, and Sakdalan posting food content and potentially garnering tens of thousands of followers, what does this mean for food in more antiquated types of media, like the Food Network and cookbooks? “I think that cookbooks can really make a nice gift,” Fiorentino says. “Chrissy Teigen is making a cookbook ... cookbooks will always be worthy. But millennials are cooking on their phones and iPads.”
HANA KEININGHAM/THE OBSERVER
Snapping a photo of your daily food has become a common practice.
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER
February 25, 2016
Features
21
Beyoncé Rocks the Nation with a New “Formation” By KATHLEEN-MAE RAMAS Contributing Writer
With the release of Beyoncé’s new music video, “Formation,” the queen herself has been able to get the nation talking about the issues that have intensified and garnered a lot of public attention within the past few years–particularly regarding racial discrimination as a whole; police brutality and the stake it has in the broad spectrum of racism; and the individual pride of being black and African American while heralding the truth, that #BlackLivesMatter. In the video, Beyoncé sings about various nuances related to her heritage, her family and her success. With lyrics like, “My daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana, You mix that negro with that Creole make a Texas bama,” she describes her own culture growing up and sings it, unabashed. With many other instances throughout the song that clearly demonstrate the pride of being a country girl from Texas despite her fame, she is able to use the song to champion pride for her background in times where many are forced to feel ashamed. The opportune release of “Formation,” just in time for Black History Month, was no mistake. Numerous tragic events have occurred recently, further highlighting the black struggle and making its proud people feel alienated, victimized and underrepresented. Like the police brutality against black men like Eric Garner and Michael Brown, the profiling and death of Trayvon Martin and even farther back when the devastating storm Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans–where criticisms of the relief efforts strike accordingly with classism and racism as well, the suffering has become outstanding.
NHAT V. MEYER/ BAY AREA NEWS GROUP VIA TNS
Beyoncé performs with Coldplay and Bruno Mars during the Superbowl halftime show.
Yet while these events proved terrible and destructive in the grand scheme of the quest for equality, Beyoncé artistically does a beautiful job of highlighting the perseverance and resilience of black people and their activism. One of the most notable scenes in Bey’s new video is toward the end of the video, when a young black boy in a hoodie and jeans dancing in front of a line of white police officers in riot gear. What defines this scene as powerful is when the young boy lifts his arms up and out to shoulder’s height, and the police officers are the ones with their hands up in surrender. This speaks volumes to the numerous incidents of intentional police brutal-
ity toward multiple black individuals, and the scene demonstrates a very interesting dynamic. Here, the power and influence is placed in the hands of a young black boy, who in society would not normally have that power, or at least would have it taken away from him and used against him. Savonne Anderson FCLC ’17, a contributing writer to Mashable, does a great job of explaining the strategic moves in this scene, as well as in multiple other scenes in the music video that convey political meaning. In her article, “7 times Beyoncé highlights black activism and beauty in ‘Formation,’” Anderson speaks about ‘Formation’ as a “platform to showcase both beauty and struggles
within the black community.” Another notable scene in the music video is when the camera focuses on her daughter, Blue Ivy, and talks about Beyoncé’s love for her “baby heir with baby hair and afros.” Interestingly enough, natural hair has often become the topic of many political debates, especially with young women who actually decide to rock the ‘locs.’ One notable individual is Zendaya, who suffered backlash from the cast of The Fashion Police for claiming that she probably smelled like patchouli. However, Zendaya was able to respond beautifully, in a way that likens ‘locs’ to that of a powerful lioness, and to stand up for what her culture stood for. As a
comparison, in “Formation,” one of Beyoncé’s outfits can be seen corresponding with dreads. As we reflect back on the steps that numerous powerful black leaders took to make strides toward equality, “Formation” highlights a number of those things with pride and beauty, capitalizing on the strength of black culture, black people and black pride. With Beyoncé sending a clear message about where she came from and why she is still proud to be the woman that she is today, it’s time for us to listen up and get in formation to see the change that all black people have worked hard to create, and just as hard to promote.
How To Get Zero Validation From Your Social Media And how to be OK with it...
By CHRISTINA CAMBRIA Contributing Writer
Last night, my best friend of four years became my ex-best friend and my future awkward acquaintance– with whom I only interact when we write a cold and pointless “hbd” on each other’s Facebook walls for birthdays. We had gone two solid months without speaking, and I had no idea why. Despite my pride creating great hesitation, I finally decided to reach out and uncover the root of our spontaneous communication cessation. It turns out she was angry with me because I hadn’t liked her last two Instagram posts. The first, I simply missed – I was not online that day. The second was a picture of her and her two sisters posing as Charlie’s Angels, accompanied by an insensitively worded caption – aren’t I allowed to just dislike this photo on principle? I decided not to fight for her forgiveness, as I wasn’t sure I needed such a petty friendship anyway. And, so, it all ended with an Instagram like… or without one, I guess. Our silly-yet-fatal fight fixated my attention on a greater (and rather problematic) trend in today’s social media saturated society: the importance placed on a simple, and often meaningless, like. A terrible misunderstanding has spread; it seems we’ve come to believe that the amount of likes we get on social media determines how likable we actually are as people. The significance that we think a thumbs up on Facebook or a heart on Instagram carries is frankly a bit frightening. It doesn’t mean nearly as much as
JESSICA HANLEY/ THE OBSERVER
Instagram is one of the many social platforms that individuals rely on.
we think it means, and it should not affect the way we feel about others or ourselves. Take it from me, a wildly (or at least mildly) unpopular gal on social media who still has plenty of loving friends in the real world, many fulfilling life experiences and an abundance of carefree confidence. I hope to share with you my secrets to gaining validation from internal, rather than external, sources, and learning to love your life and yourself, even when your social media likes struggle to hit double digits. Our attachment to and obsession with online engagement all comes down to the logical reasoning of what’s really behind a like: approval. When we post a joke on Twitter and it gets a like or a retweet, we feel funny. (The people love me! Maybe I should become a comedian!) When we post a selfie on Instagram and it gets a like or a positive comment, we feel beautiful. (The cute boy who sits behind me in class liked my photo,
so he is obviously obsessed with me. Maybe next time I see him, I’ll ask if he wants to get coffee or married sometime). Daryl Nelson of ConsumerAffairs reported that a study conducted by University College London and Aarhus University in Denmark determined that external approval activates the section of our brain that is associated with reward. In other words, when we receive outside validation, our brain experiences the same chemical reaction that occurs when we receive a concrete reward for something. “At the conclusion of the study, researchers said just about all of us use other people’s opinions to figure out what’s valuable to us,” added Nelson. So we tend to believe that whether or not someone likes our posts tells us whether or not these posts are valuable, and, in turn, whether or not we are valuable. This can clearly have a very damaging effect on social media users. Byron Katie, author of “I Need Your
Love–Is That True?” says, “Seeking approval makes it extremely hard to find true contentment.” I couldn’t agree more. Everyone has different tastes and opinions and varying conceptions of what is beautiful or smart or funny. As a result, if we form our opinions of ourselves based on how others feel about us, we’re likely to always come up lacking in some way or another. If I only believe my tweet to be funny if it gets 20 or more retweets, but my followers simply have a different sense of humor than I do, I will never feel funny enough. And yet, people continue to use external sources, especially social media likes, to measure their own worth. “If I don’t get double digits on an Instagram post, I delete it,” says college student, Emma, “If more than a handful of people didn’t like it, then it’s clearly not as good of a picture as I thought it was!” As Elliot Panek, researcher at the University of Michigan, said, “[Social media] is about curating your own image – how you are seen and checking on how others respond to that image.” Emma’s classmate Annie agrees, adding, “It’s very embarrassing when a post doesn’t get a lot of interaction. That definitely feels like a reflection of me and how well-liked I am in general.” Well I’m here to tell you, Annie, and anyone else who shares this sentiment, that you have nothing to be embarrassed about! My photos never get a lot of interaction, and I’m doing just fine. The problem is that when people post, they tend to post for others – but they should really be posting for themselves. If you approve of yourself – and find confidence from within – you can post creative expressions of that self
just for the sake of sharing and of personal enjoyment, rather than for the sake of external validation. It’s true that when someone likes your post, they probably approved of it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they approve of you. And when someone does not like your post (assuming they were online and they encountered it), they probably did not particularly care for it. But that doesn’t mean they don’t particularly care for you. We are not our social media profiles. If my ex-best friend understood this, then maybe our relationship wouldn’t have ended over a couple of Instagram likes. But this is a very difficult thing to truly understand, or at least to truly believe, as many of us see our social media profiles as an extension of ourselves. Vying for attention and approval on social media is only natural – who doesn’t like to be liked? Or, perhaps the better question here is, who doesn’t like to get a like? There’s no shame or trouble in getting excited about social media engagement. The trouble lies in actively seeking it, and rearranging our opinions of ourselves if we do not receive it. The problem here is the grand significance that we place on a relatively insignificant form of interaction, and the power that we give to our Facebook friends and Instagram and Twitter followers to determine our self-worth. So I propose that we all approach social media differently. Let’s come to it with posts of things that we are already sure we like – things that express the self we already know and love – and leave with the same surety and resolve, regardless of how many likes we receive. Let’s start posting for the approval of only ourselves.
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER
February 25, 2016
Features
22
Professors Stealing the Fashion Spotlight
COURTESY OF DEAN DESCIAK/THE OBSERVER
Dean Joseph Desciak donning a bow tie and suit jacket during a lecture. By RUBY BUDDEMEYER Contributing Writer
With Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) smack dab in the heart of America’s Fashion Capital, it is no surprise that a walk through the Atrium often feels like a fashion show. From bloggers to style innovators, FCLC arguably has some of the most fashion-savvy students. We’ve all had a class with the girl who looks miraculously put together for an 8:30 a.m. class or the guy who focuses on the details – from his socks to his backpack. But have you noticed that the students aren’t always the most fashionable people in the classroom? FCLC professors are stealing the stage, expressing their style through unique outfits and pieces that earn double-takes and student admiration. The infamous “teacher uniform” (think: a tweed jacket with a coffee stained blouse) doesn’t appear to exist at FCLC, and professors are beginning to encompass their own individual twists on professional wear. But what exactly does professional dress mean to these stylish professors? Are they knowingly fashion forward or is it unintentional? The Observer turned to four stylish professors to unravel these questions. To Assistant Freshman Dean Joseph Desciak, clothing can be very revealing of a person’s character. “I think it says a lot about who someone is in the way that they dress. Not necessarily if it is fancy or glamorous, but if it is put together and it seems like someone put thought into it, I think it shows a little bit of who they are in their personality.” He added, “I think you can get a better perspective of who they might be based on their appearance.” Desciak is known around campus for his crisp, dapper style. Students admire his fashion often, particularly his signature touch: bow ties. “I like to wear bow ties, especially at academic events. Every once in a while a student will wear a bow tie and say, ‘I’m wearing this for you!’ I’ve even had gifts of bow ties once in a while,” he said. But for a faculty member who not only has but also appreciates style, Desciak is confident that
the student body rules as far as being most stylish. “I mean some of our students really have a unique fashion sense,” he explained. Students who are familiar with Elizabeth Rees, professor of English, are keenly aware of her style. Jasmine Fontaina, FCLC ’19, a fashion studies minor, first noticed Rees’s wardrobe while taking her Composition II course. She noted, “I like that her style is super professional and that she always has her outfits put together. Her color scheme always works.” Fontaina certainly isn’t the only admirer of Rees’s style; when
“There are different registers of language and [...] I think clothing is a similar thing” Andrew Clark
she was only 22 years old and a high school teacher, Rees was voted as best dressed. She laughed, “It was a very small high school – I don’t think there were that many choices.” Today, as both a mother and professor, Rees gravitates toward versatile and classic pieces that tailor to her love for clothes as well as items that present her as a professional. Similar to Desciak, Rees is modest when it comes to the comparison of professor and student style. Rees even looks to the fashion of the student body for inspiration, “I definitely am watching students at times for, sort of like, trends, and then think, ‘Is that something I can incorporate? How would I wear that as someone who is older in a professional role?’ etc. And sometimes it is yes and sometimes it is no.” Andrew Clark. professor of the French, is one more faculty member with excellent taste. His style described in three words? “Tailored academic flâneur,” he noted. Clark’s wife is a fashion designer (Jeswade.
com), and the two share a love for style. For Clark, New York City alone is reason enough to be attracted to fashion. He shared, “I think it’s hard to not be into fashion to some extent when you’re living in New York, because you are surrounded by such unique displays of it.” As a language professor, Clark views clothing as a language in its own. “There are different registers of language, and [you] use different registers of language all of the time (when you’re talking to your children, when you’re talking to your friends) … And I think clothing is a similar thing, and there are different registers of clothing that work in different places.” In the academic world, Clark believes dress includes presenting yourself as someone who can be taken seriously as well as someone who respects their environment. “There are times that I will wear ties or suits or things like this, but it’s also a chance to dress up on a certain scale which can be fun.” When asked about his students’ style, he said, “I mean, it depends on the student. I have some students who show up in pajamas, and you have students who show up in all forms of creative interpretations.” However, Clark is confident that, as a whole, the student body is more stylish than the professors. He added, “I think the students are far more creative and interesting than me.” FCLC professors are upping the ante of their work wardrobes, but, while the notoriously lackluster professor outfits may be dissolving, the professors still remain modest when compared to the unique fashion sense of their students. Working in an academic setting, professors are tasked with presenting themselves as professionals and figures of authority. As adults and teachers, the creativity and individuality of their looks are often limited; however, clothing is a professor’s opportunity to not only look put together, but to define his or her own fashion tastes and styles. While the professors themselves may not want to identify as fashionable individuals, their stylish presence on campus is certainly not going unnoticed.
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Sports & Health
Sports Editor Matthew McCarthy - mmccarthy80@fordham.edu
February 25, 2016 THE OBSERVER
Yoga: A Balancing Act
Convenient yoga exercises that keep your muscles energized and healthy By ELODIE HUSTON Layout Editor
The students of Fordham Lincoln Center are no strangers to walking. Between weekday commutes to class, internships and work, and weekend excursions to museums and restaurants, students may be logging more steps than they think. For students on the go, walking is the exercise that we don’t realize we are already fitting in everyday. Walking is the workout that doesn’t feel like a workout. Even at a moderate pace you burn calories and improve your general fitness level. However, the repetitive motion of walking can agitate your hip flexors, making it difficult to maintain a comfortable gait. Your lower back can become tight after walking long distances as well. And though walking overworks some muscles, it leaves other muscles almost completely untouched. Walking works your hamstrings and quadricep muscles, but the adductor muscle group—the muscles that make up the inside of your thighs— is left undeveloped. It is important to know what parts of your body need extra attention after you exercise. Practicing poses that target certain muscle groups can help you balance your workout. By focusing on poses that release tight muscles and others that build muscle tone, you can balance out your body after a long day of running around the city. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANDRONIKA ZIMMERMAN/ The following are THE OBSERVER poses that will balThe standing straddle with arm extension ance you out postpose (top) and happy baby pose (bottom) are walk. shown above. FORWARD FOLD POSE
Why It’s Great: This super simple pose releases your hamstrings and the muscles in your lower back. How To: Stand with your feet hip distance (roughly two fists) apart. As you inhale, reach your fingers up towards the ceiling, stacking your hips above your feet. As you exhale, bend at the hips, bringing your hands to your knees, shins or the floor. Let your chest hug your knees, focusing on keeping your back straight in order to fully access the stretch in your hamstrings. As you inhale, lengthen your spine and as you exhale, fold a little deeper, reaching towards the floor. Hold this pose for 15 breaths, rising to a standing position on your final inhalation. STANDING STRADDLE WITH ARM EXTENSION
Why It’s Great: It releases your lower back while working your adductor muscles. Plus it strengthens your core! How To: With your feet spread wide, toes pointing directly forward, extend your arms to the ceiling. As you exhale, maintain a straight and elongated back, slowly hinging at the hips. Once your torso is parallel with the floor, focus your attention on your breathing. As you inhale, lengthen your back while simultaneously drawing your belly in towards your spine. Hold this pose for five breaths. HAPPY BABY POSE
Why It’s Great: It opens and stretches your hips while releasing your back. How To: Lay flat on the ground and draw your knees into your chest, rolling slightly from side to side to gently release your back. After a few rolls, come back to a still position. Grab the inside of your feet, placing your fingers on the arches of your feet. Press your feet up towards the ceiling as you draw your knees into your armpits. Keep your tailbone on the ground, being mindful of keeping your spine lengthened. As you inhale, press your feet into your palms and let your knees fall lower as you exhale. Hold this pose for one minute before drawing your knees back into your chest, rolling from side to side once more. Yoga is the perfect complement to students that are constantly on the go. Targeting body parts that would otherwise go unworked and stretching those that are overworked is essential to remaining healthy. And when you have to get up and walk the next morning, maintaining balance will keep you energized throughout the day.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANDRONIKA ZIMMERMAN/THE OBSERVER
The forward fold pose (pictured above) is one of many yoga poses that can be beneficial for students.
“ It is important to know what parts of your
body need extra attention after you exercise. Practicing poses that target certain muscle groups can help you balance your workout.” –
ELODIE HUSTON, Certified Yoga and
Yoga Bootcamp Instructor
24
Sports & Health
February 25, 2016 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
The Truth About Chronic Pain
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR MANNION/THE OBSERVER
More often than not chronic pain among 18-25 year olds goes mistreated or undiagnosed.
your pain from others. No one likes to see other people suffering, hence why sufferers feel the need to hide As I got off the subway, I looked what they are going through. up at the taunting cement steps as There are many different causes people whisked by me without a mo- of chronic pain, but it varies between ment’s hesitation. I waited until the patients and the root of the cause isn’t majority of the people left to make always clear. The deputy director of my slow ascent up the endless stair- the National Center for Complemenway. Tears formed as I continued to tary and Alternative Medicine, Dr. make my way up, step-by-step. Peo- John Killen, stated, “It’s a complex ple would pass me and some would problem that involves more than just make judging glances; they probably the physical aspects of where the hurt assume I’m lazy or unfit. seems to be.” If you don’t know the It’s moments like these when I cause, you can’t solve the problem. become incredibly frustrated with Most sufferers don’t just wake up my life. I’m 20-years-old and have one day with pain; it happens graduas much difficulty as an 80-year- ally over time until it becomes clear old lady with arthritis. It’s been two that it is here to stay. Most chronic years since my chronic hip pain be- pain sufferers deal with more than gan and it hasn’t gotten easier, espe- one area of pain where their nervous cially with stairs. As difficult as it is, system constantly keeps firing pain I’m thankful to have understanding signals. friends who help me when needed, According to the National Instiyet many chronic pain sufferers hide tute of Health, chronic pain is the in the shadows, going unnoticed by leading cause of disability, affecting others, even by people who know more people than heart disease, diathem. betes and cancer combined, and yet Chronic pain is something that’s it’s a condition that not many people invisible unless are aware of. In the person uses fact, more than a wheelchair or 115 million peoIt’s moments like wears a brace. ple in the United these when I become It’s less visStates suffer ible for young from chronic incredibly frustratpeople because pain—and that you wouldn’t exdoesn’t even aced with my life. I’m pect them to be count for all the handicapped. In 20-years-old and have undocumented fact, there aren’t cases, many of as much difficulty as many statistics which are probon how many ably young an 80-year-old lady 18-25-year-olds adults. suffer from H a v i n g with arthritis chronic pain chronic pain in because a lot of college can be the time they go a great struggle ignored, mistreated or undiagnosed. and prevent you from having a norHaving consistent pain every day can mal college experience. Dana Mardrastically alter someone’s life, yet vin, a 21-year-old State University of these young people are still expected New York student, who suffers from to go to college, keep up with work, a variety of diseases/illnesses, deand basically live a “normal” college scribed her struggle. “I think the biglife. But it is far from normal. gest thing for me is pushing myself Pain is something everyone is harder than I’d like to because of my familiar with. We feel pain if we ac- pain in order to do everything that I cidentally touch a hot stove, cut our want to do. Yet I still miss out on so finger while cooking, bang a knee much.” Imagine writing all those paagainst the table and so on. The thing pers, participating in classes, pulling about acute pain, which is a sensa- all-nighters to study, balancing your tion set off in the nervous system to internship or job with your schedule, tell you to stop doing whatever it is all while experiencing pain 24/7. Life you are doing, is it doesn’t last very with chronic pain can be very unlong. Eventually, the pain goes away, predictable, as the pain varies from and you can continue on with your day to day. Just because someone life. Even if you sprain a joint, break a was able to do something yesterday bone or have a major surgery, most of doesn’t mean they’ll be able to do it the time the pain you experience will today. end with time. College is stressful enough withWith chronic pain, it’s a whole out having to deal with doctor apother situation. The pain never goes pointments, physical therapy, preaway. The very word itself, chronic, scriptions, surgeries, procedures and refers to something that is recurring, more. Chronic pain can also come and sometimes for sufferers, it can with side effects such as depression, mean for the rest of their lives. This stress, anxiety, weight loss or gain, is because, generally, when you suffer fatigue, lack of focus and other menfrom something that is chronic—or, tal problems, making it hard to keep in other words, something you go up with the fast pace of college life. through on a daily basis—you are Devin Edwards, a 19-year-old stuable to manage it well enough to hide dent at Stark State University, who By ISABELLE GARRAUD Contributing Writer
“
”
was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a disorder characterized by widespread pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues, this year, wishes people would realize that “I’m always in pain in some way, shape or form. No matter how much I sleep or live healthy, I hurt.” Young people with chronic pain often feel alone, misunderstood, and don’t know how to express themselves. Dana Marvin like many others, tends to keep her conditions to herself. “I’ve learned that people really could care less about my illness, and it actually scares a lot of people away.” Most of these people look relatively normal on the outside, but when others ignore you because “you don’t look sick,” it can be a toll on your mental health as well.
That is why chronic pain often goes hand in hand with depression. Michael Clark, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, states “Approximately one-third to three-quarters of people with chronic pain experience moderate to severe depression, [possibly because] depression and chronic pain share some of the same neurotransmitters and nerve pathways.” You mourn the way you used to be, and feel so helpless over the lack of control you have over your body. Since you can’t see pain, it can be hard convincing others that it’s there. Unless there’s a particular cause, doctors have to rely solely on the patient’s testimony, and then there’s only so much they can do. That’s why a lot of times doctors just hope it resolves on its own.
It’s a common assumption that young people are active, strong and basically invincible, but that’s a view that needs to change. Marvin phrased it well when she said “Chronic pain and chronic illnesses don’t discriminate based on age, race, gender or anything like that, really.” It’s time for us to stop ignoring young people’s cries of pain. Sufferers don’t want you to feel bad for them, they don’t want your sympathy, they just want you to believe them and understand what they are going through. Devin Edwards speaks for chronic pain sufferers everywhere when she says “People claim that this illness is fake and that people use it as an excuse to live for free in life, and to those naysayers I say try to live one day in the hell that is my body.”
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