Observer Issue 11

Observer the

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OCTOBER 13, 2016 VOLUME XXXVII, ISSUE 11

Fordham Honors Mary Higgins Clark

By ELIZABETH LANDRY Asst. News Editor

In 2015, there were 34 drug abuse violations and 119 liquor law violations on campus.

KATHRYN HORNYAK/THE OBSERVER

Substance Violations Up, Report Says Data shows drug abuse and liquor law violations up from last year

By STEPHAN KOZUB News Co-Editor

“ We don’t necessarily believe that all stu-

dents are going to abide by the laws and regulations of New York State.”

fall of 2015 were comparable to that of 2014. Additionally, the number of violations in spring 2016, while not included in the report, were lower than the number in fall 2015.

To address the unexpected rise in violations in spring 2015, Eldredge said that both the Student Involvement and Residential Life staff took steps to ensure the effectiveness of Orientation, Alcohol Edu, floor meetings, the training of RAs and Resident Directors, and sanctioning guidelines. Jenifer Campbell, director of Residential Life at Fordham Lincoln Center and a Public Safety supervisor, spoke with resident freshmen on their first night about the University’s expectations and policies regarding alcohol and drug usage.

Eldredge said that almost all of the drug abuse violations were for marijuana.

Campbell said, “We do a lot of outreach to students in terms of conversations around harm reduction, because we don’t necessarily believe

Drug abuse violations and liquor law violations both increased at Fordham in 2015, according to the 2016–2017 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

The report, which follows calendar years rather than academic years, shows that drug abuse violations increased from 26 to 34 violations from 2014 to 2015. In the same time period, liquor law violations increased from 96 to 119 violations.

Comparatively, there were 19 drug abuse violations and 127 liquor law violations in 2013. The violations in the three years all occurred in the residence halls on campus. The other two areas where the violations could have occured were non—campus property and public property.

The increase in substance violations, particularly those which were involved with alcohol, occurred because “we had a couple of unusual things happen after McKeon Hall opened” in 2014, Dean of Students Keith Eldredge said.

He said that the increase in students living on campus in a more traditional style of residence hall contributed to an elevated sense of community. “And a lot of that was in real positive ways, but a lot of that was in ways where people got together and drank alcohol or got together and did drugs,” he added.

Eldredge said that the most unusual thing that occurred during the 2014–15 academic year was an increase in liquor law violations in the spring semester when compared to the fall semester.

“We usually see more alcohol and drug violations in the fall semester,” he explained. “And most of those violations in both of those categories are by freshmen.”

“That first year, we saw that reversed for the first time in a number of years,” he continued. “So you take a high spring semester combined with a normally high fall semester and that’s a big chunk of the reason why 2015 is significantly higher than 2014.”

The members of the class of 2018, who were freshmen during this period, were also partially responsible for the tripling in hospitalizations of Fordham students for alcohol consumption in December of 2014. As of Dec. 10, 2014, 13 of the 16 students who were evaluated by Fordham staff after being visibly intoxicated were members of the 2018 class.

Eldredge said that the number of drug and alcohol violations in the

NEWS

OPINIONS

ARTS & CULTURE

Black or African-American

Off-Broadway Shows

Are the terms interchangable?

Where big hits get thier start

Face-off at Yankee Stadium

Page 5

Page 14

Page 20

Voter Registration Students urged to participate

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JENIFER CAMPBELL, Director of Residential Life

see VIOLATIONS pg. 2

SPORTS

Ram-Crusader Cup

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM LINCOLN CENTER

The newly-endowed Mary Higgins Clark Chair for Creative Writing was officially dedicated on Oct. 6, with bestselling authors Lee Child of the “Jack Reacher” series and Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) alumna Mary Higgins Clark, FCLC ’79, appearing as the featured speaker.

In addition to being a Fordham alumna with a degree in philosophy, Clark has written 34 suspense novels, two of which have been made into films. She has endowed a chair of Creative Writing and funded scholarships for Fordham Lincoln Center students.

Rev. Robert Grimes, S.J., Ph.D., dean of FCLC, introduced Professor Leonard Cassuto, Ph.D., who has taught Fordham classes on, and published books about American crime stories.

“We’re talking today about the social value of crime fiction,” Cassuto said when introducing Child. “Lee Child is a great choice for the inaugural holder of the Mary Higgins Clark Chair, because he’s one of the good guys. He is a friend and supporter of his fellow ink-stained wretches.”

Child is a British thriller writer of 21 volumes, whose popular “Jack Reacher” novels have given rise to two Tom Cruise movies and have won Child a host of awards.

As Child took the stage, he thanked Cassuto and the University.

“I accepted the invitation for one reason only, which is so I can say nice things about Mary without her shushing me or slapping me, which she undoubtedly would because Mary is a very modest and self-effacing person.”

He told an anecdote to illustrate Mary’s dedication to her craft, describing her reaction to a chance at respite from the summer heat of a public event: “Mary says, ‘No. Somebody might show up, and if I’m not here, they’ll be disappointed.’ That’s an example for us all.”

Child then lectured on the value of fiction and crime fiction as parts of contemporary culture. He began with the conception of fictionalized information. “For possibly 100,000 years, we lived in a nonfiction world,” he said. “Then, we started telling stories about things that did not happen to people who did not exist. That is a very fundamental change in language.”

Child related the appearance of representative drawings, at about 50,000 years ago, and music, at 63,000 years ago, to the evolution of the creativity fueled by stories.

“A lot of people say it filled the time, it was a leisure activity,” he said.

“Which is nonsense. We did nothing back then which did not enhance our chances of survival. So what is it about storytelling that would make us more likely to still be alive in the morning?”

“It must be some kind of encouragement, empowerment, consolation, maybe a little instruction through parable, but really I think it’s showing the bright side,” Child said.

“People still read stories for those same reasons, to feel a little bit betsee CLARK pg. 3

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News

October 13, 2016 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Fordham Promotes Voter Registration

By ELIZABETH LANDRY Asst. News Editor

The deadlines for this general election’s voting registration window are fast approaching, with New York’s falling on Oct. 14. At Fordham Lincoln Center, students are urged by peer leaders and university faculty to get themselves registered, especially those who come from ’swing states.’

A swing state is one in which the two major political parties’ supporters number nearly the same, and are often considered bellwethers for election outcomes. According to Politico, the important 11 swing states in the 2016 general election are Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Political science professor Zein Murib said, “If you are a student at Fordham from Wisconsin or Colorado or Nevada, you should definitely be voting in Wisconsin or Colorado or Nevada. But overall, you should be voting, period.”

Kathryn Hornyak, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20, of Pittsburgh, PA, said that she feels a particular responsibility to vote, both as a Pennsylvanian and a millennial. She is supporting Hillary Clinton for President.

“In a swing state, there is ultimately a majority that is going to come out on top,” Hornyak said.

“What if that majority happens to be a Trump majority? Then my vote doesn’t really count. But the whole purpose of me wanting to vote by absentee ballot is so I can throw my hat in the ring over there. Pennsylvania needs it more than New York does.”

Hornyak said, “We are the youngest generation of voters, and we could swing it.”

Murib explained that young voters in every state have a huge potential power.

ELIZABETH LANDRY/THE OBSERVER

Student volunteers help members of the Fordham community register to vote in the general election.

“The young electorate, people who are voting for the first and second time, is the most diverse, tolerant and well-educated segment of the electorate at this point,” she said, noting that millennials’ voting power will match that of the baby boomers for the first time.

The perfect example of this phenomenon is the steps toward the political left which Clinton has taken after support from Democratic youth of Sen. Bernie Sanders, according to Murib. She said that it is in students’ best interests to vote.

“If you start digging on just one thing that matters to you, you’ll start to see that it’s all connected,” Murib said. “If the Black Lives Matter movement is important to you, you have to ask yourself, ‘Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump may do nothing to address the problems.’ If you start to dig a little deeper you

see that under a Clinton administration the opportunities for protest and activism will be much more likely than under a Trump administration, who’s said things which basically mean silencing protests.”

Lesley Massiah-Arthur, associate vice president of government relations and urban affairs, said that students also have reasons closer to home to make informed votes.

“You pay taxes,” she pointed out.

“Or if you don’t pay taxes, someone is paying a tax for you to be here. So at some point you’re going to be affected by it, whether it’s today with this election or years down the line.”

She explained that the best opportunity to put issues important to students on the table is to register and vote.

Massiah-Arthur also cautioned students, “Just because you might not know [about the candidates],

that doesn’t absolve you of your responsibility of knowing. If you want candidates to speak to your issues, then it’s incumbent upon you to also engage those elected officials or those who are looking for your vote.”

Ignorant voting, she said, is as if a stranger shows up at your door saying he will fix your sink, and you allow him into your home and pay him $1,000, no questions asked.

“Would you let this person just come inside your house?” she asked.

“Absolutely not. If you wouldn’t do that for any other part of your life, then why would you do that with regards to your vote?” She recommended students visit websites like Rock the Vote and Vote Your Voice for nonpartisan candidate information.

From Oct. 3–7, Massiah-Arthur, United Student Government (USG)

and the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice provided a table on the indoor plaza of Lowenstein where passersby could register to vote or get information to procure their own absentee ballots.

Over the summer, USG President Leighton Magoon, FCLC ’17, and Fordham College Rose Hill’s (FCRH) USG President Daniel Stroie, FCRH ’17, joined MassiahArthur’s initiative. According to Massiah-Arthur, colleges and universities are required by the Higher Education Act to provide registration forms to students, but students have instead volunteered.

Fordham Lincoln Center students had mixed opinions of voting.

“It’s very difficult for me to pick someone to vote for because our two candidates, for me, aren’t working,” Brenda Ubaldo, FCLC ’17, said. “I definitely think that every vote counts, that’s why I don’t want to make a mistake. It’s overwhelming.”

Qasim Suhail, FCLC ’18, who registered at the table, was more optimistic, and said “I’m a commuter freshmen mentor, so in my emails I sent a whole paragraph about how it’s important to vote.”

“As we are the millennial generation, we are often chastised for not participating in the election process enough, and I feel like we’re surrounded by so much information that makes us more informed than we might have been in the past,” Magoon said. “We can use that to our advantage to make informed decisions on what candidate to support.”

Hornyak boiled down the election with words by Broadway playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda.

“Even though so many people say, ‘Neither 2016,’ there’s a quote from Hamilton: ‘We are engaged in a battle for our nation’s very soul,’ and that’s what this is,” she said.

“What do we want the character of our nation to look like to the rest of the world? To ourselves?”

Drug and Alcohol Violations Increased in 2015 VIOLATIONS FROM PAGE 1

that all students are going to abide by the laws and regulations of New York State,” regarding alcohol and drug use on campus.

“We’re not foolish enough to think that we can just ignore it,” she continued.

Drug and alcohol usage, however, is not as common as students it is.

According to the 2015 Core Alcohol and Drug Survey conducted on the Lincoln Center Campus in spring 2015, 33 percent of Fordham students reported consuming alcohol once a week or more, while Fordham students perceived that 81.3 percent of their classmates consumed alcohol once a week or more.

In response to the increase in drug and alcohol violations, both El-

dredge and Campbell pointed to the university’s new “LC After Dark” initiative, which began last year.

“We acknowledge that for some students, maybe they’re connected to drugs or alcohol because they perceive that there’s nothing else to do,” Eldredge said.

As a result, Residential Life and Student Involvement planned events both in the residence halls and in

other venues at night for students.

“There’s lots and lots of different reasons why students drink and do drugs so we’re trying to hit it from different approaches,” Eldredge said.

Campbell believes that addressing alcohol and drug use on campus is an “ever-evolving situation.”

“I think ideally for me it’s always what can we do to engage a student in their interests so that there are other

things they can do besides alcohol, drugs and those types of activities,” she said.

Eldredge said that with these violations, particularly among freshmen, there’s ultimately “a bunch of 18-year-olds where it’s their first time away from home.”

“There’s going to be those issues of experimentation,” he said. “We’re never going to get zero violations.”

Fordham Rededicates Renovated 140 Building

By STEPHAN KOZUB News Co-Editor

After months of waiting for the renovations to be finished, the newly reopened 140 West 62nd st. building was rededicated on Sept.

28.

The building—formerly the University’s School of Law—housed a blessing and ribbon-cutting ceremony in the Platt Court venue.

Members of the administration and board of trustees were present, as were students in the audience.

Leighton Magoon, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17 began the event with opening remarks. He introduced Vice President for Mission Integration and Planning Rev. Michael C. McCarthy, S.J., Director of Campus Ministry for Lincoln Center Rev. John J. Shea, S.J., Assistant Dean of the Gabelli School of Business Rev. Vincent DeCola, S.J. and the Dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center Rev. Robert R. Grimes, S.J., who

STEPHAN KOZUB/THE OBSERVER

The rededication ceremony was held in the Platt Court.

participated in the blessing of the building.

“There is a connection between wisdom, exposure to good teach-

ing, dedication to learning and living out that learning,” McCarthy said in his prayer for the building.

“And when you think about it, that’s

pretty much what we mean when we use Fordham’s motto—”sapientia et doctrina”—or as we say in this Dodransbicentennial year, “wisdom, learning, service and faith.”

So in rededicating this building that has been here for quite some time, we are also rededicating ourselves as a community to these principles.”

Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham University, then came forward to bless the building.

The ceremony took the turn for the unexpected, however, when it was time to cut the ribbon.

After members of the administration assembled behind the ribbon to prepare to cut it, McShane wielded the large pair of scissors that were on hand, opening them just behind the ribbon. Turning to Magoon, he said, “Since the students will be the ones using the building, you should be the one to cut it,” and held the scissors out for the USG president to take them.

McShane’s hands slipped, however, and he accidentally cut the ribbon, eliciting laughter and applause from those present. In order to rectify the mishap, they picked up the two ends of the ribbon and tied them back together loosely so that Magoon could cut the ribbon himself. The ribbon was then cut into pieces to be distributed amongst those who had taken part in the ceremony.

Following the ceremony, students gave tours of the building and a reception was held in the garden level lounge. A dinner was later held in the multipurpose room.

The building, reopened at the beginning of this semester, features classrooms, a newly redesigned Quinn Library, an Argo Tea, large multipurpose rooms, new club and administrative offices, and a new amphitheater. Among the new offices are Counseling and Psychological Services, Health Services, Study Abroad, Campus Ministry and the Office of Student Involvement.

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THE OBSERVER October 13, 2016

News

3

Miriam Ambrosino Awarded Philosophy Prize “ I think every

By CECILE NEIDIG News Co-Editor

The philosophy faculty at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) awarded the Jane B. Aron Memorial Prize in Philosophy to Miriam Ambrosino, FCLC ’17, on Oct. 4.

The prize of $2,000 for tuition is awarded to a rising Lincoln Center senior philosophy major for their academic achievement in the field.

“We always have a hard time deciding how to give it to just one student,” Associate Chair of the philosophy department, Jeffrey Flynn, Ph.D., said prior to presenting the certificate to Ambrosino. “So many of our majors display the excellence that the award recognizes. But I will say this about this year’s winner, one of her professors said that the papers she wrote were the best undergraduate philosophy papers the professor had ever read.”

Ambrosino, a pre-med student who is majoring in philosophy and minoring in bioethics, came to Fordham interested in both neuroscience and philosophy. She later developed an interest in Theology as well. “Now

subject relates to philosophy and I think computer science and neuroscience will always be relevant to my interests in philosophy. ” MIRIAM AMBROSINO, FCLC ’17 CECILE NEIDIG/THE OBSERVER

Ambrosino, a pre-med philosophy major, is also minoring in bioethics.

being a senior and neither being a neuroscience or theology major, and only a philosophy major, I think I realized that everything I was looking for in those subjects, for me could be dealt with through questions in philosophy,” Ambrosino said.

Ambrosino said that she wanted to take courses that would balance out the science requirements

she has as a pre-med student. “In high school and college you feel like you’re supposed to choose one, you’re supposed to be the artsy person or you’re supposed to be the science person,” she continued.

Ambrosino said, however, that she doesn’t think that people are really like that. So instead of subscribing to just one label or studying one of

her interests, she has taken a path at Fordham that allows her to combine these different fields.

She participated in a neuroscience research program facilitated by Fordham professor Badr Albanna, Ph.D., which was a hybrid of a computer science and neuroscience research program. “I think every subject relates to philosophy and I think computer science and neuroscience will always be relevant to my inter-

ests in philosophy,” she said.

After graduating, Ambrosino wants to become a psychiatrist and apply what she has learned in philosophy to concepts in psychiatry such as the categories of mental illness and the approaches to scientific study and exploration.

The Jane B. Aron Memorial Prize was created in 1983 by Jacqueline Morrison, who named the award after her mother and gave the award in honor of two Fordham professors she studied philosophy under, Astrid and Robert O’Brian.

Flynn referred to an article in The Observer from 1983, “It says here that Morrison praised the O’Brian’s guidance and support and said their brilliance was an inspiration.”

Astrid O’Brian, one of the professors to whom Morrison dedicated the award, taught philosophy at Fordham for more than 50 years and died this past spring.

Following the announcement of the winner of the award, Charles W. Mills, Ph.D., of the CUNY Graduate Center and award-winning author of five books, lectured on racial justice and Liberalism for the 32nd annual Daniel J. Sullivan Lecture.

Clark Chair Celebrated with Author Lee Child CLARK FROM PAGE 1

ter, to feel that the world actually is survivable.”

He described how the only serious, socially realistic novels being written now are by crime writers.

“In a hundred years when people look back at this era and they want to know how did it feel, what were people like, what was society like, what

were we doing? They will find that nowhere else.”

After Child finished, Cassuto introduced “the ‘Queen of Suspense’ and the school’s dear friend,” Mary Higgins Clark.

“It is such a pleasure to have you with me for this wonderful adventure of being able to contribute to the writing center, to those who love writing or want to know more about

writing,” Clark began.

“I graduated from Fordham when I was 50 years old. It’s not because I’m that slow,” she quipped. “But after high school, I went to secretarial school. And I always missed having a college education, and I took many, many courses along the years.

But then when I sold ‘Where Are the Children?’ and suddenly the choke collar was off my neck, I thought,

what do I want to do? I wanted to go to Fordham and get a college degree.”

Clark remembered that one of the happiest days of her life was when she graduated and she still enjoys being part of the University’s community.

Rev. Joseph McShane, S.J., president of Fordham University, offered closing remarks, thanking the large audience for attending. “Mary, you are enshrined in the hall of honor,”

he said. “You live to be generous. You live to bring the light to people. You live to inspire our students. And you do it in a very wonderful, humble way, which in a sense makes it possible for students to hear your message, which is filled with hope and challenge.”

After the event, attendees were treated to, among other hors d’oeuvres, cupcakes with small replicas of Clark’s books on top.

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Opinions

Opinions Editor John McCullough - jmcculloughiii@fordham.edu

October 13, 2016 THE OBSERVER

STAFF EDITORIAL

THE MILLENNIAL VOICE MATTERS MORE THAN EVER

O

n Nov. 8, over 69.2 million millennials will be eligible to vote. However, if trends continue, less than half of them will show up to cast their ballots this fall. In the 2012 presidential election, only 46 percent of eligible millennials said they voted, the worst turnout rate of any generation, according to the Pew Research Center.

In what is possibly the most polarizing election in U.S. history, this pattern needs to change. The future of our country is at stake and whoever is elected next month will undoubtedly affect the nation for years to come.

As a result, it is irresponsible for millennials to not register to vote. Regardless of party affiliation, a democracy is ineffective

when half of those able to vote in any demographic do not vote. Voting gives us a voice—it is the most basic right and privilege that we are granted as

“More importantly, not voting disregards the privilege of democracy that we are given as American citizens.” citizens, and not voting in the presidential election or even local representatives wastes this opportunity.

More importantly, not

voting disregards the privilege of democracy that we are given as American citizens. Thousands have sacrificed life and limb to protect this right, and many continue to put their lives on the line to come to this country and experience the freedoms that living in the United States provides. Once they become citizens, among those freedoms is the ability to choose their leaders.

During one of the most polarizing times in American political history, we have the opportunity to affect the result of this election both on the national and local levels. We have more information readily available at our fingertips than any other generation in history, and we have more platforms to spread awareness about issues we care about.

the

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Opinions

5

On the Issues 2016: War on Drugs JOHN McCULLOUGH & BEN MOORE Opinions Editor & Editor-in-Chief

As the general election nears, The Observer will be running a series of articles on political issues that interest students. In our coverage, we will analyze each of the four presidential candidates’ (Clinton, Johnson, Stein and Trump) stated platforms on these issues and examine how they compare to one another. This feature will cover the proposed plans to tackle national drug policies. If you would like a particular issue to be covered or want to cover an issue yourself, please reach out to us at fordhamobserver@gmail.com.

COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE/FLICKR

Donald Trump, Republican Party

Dr. Jill Stein, Green Party

Gary Johnson, Libertarian Party

Hillary Clinton, Democratic Party

Throughout his campaign, Donald Trump has firmly embraced a “law and order” approach to the criminal justice system. However, he has been softer in terms of drug policy than previous Republican candidates.

On the subject of medical marijuana, he said in a CNN town hall, “Well, I did not think about it, I said it’s something that should be studied...but it’s not something I’d be willing to do right now. I think it’s something that I’ve always said, maybe it has to be looked at because we do such a poor job of policing... if you’re not going to want to do the policing, you’re going to have to start thinking about other alternatives. But it’s not something that I would want to do.”

He has also gone on record in favor of states’ rights in drug policy. In a CNN Republican primary debate, he stated “I think that should be a state issue, state-bystate. Marijuana is such a big thing. I think medical should [be legal]. And then I really believe we should leave it up to the states.”

What is somewhat troubling has been Trump’s inability to address the racial dynamic at play in drug legalization.

His website has no mention of drug policy, or a plan to deal with the effect mandatory minimum sentencing has had on people of color and poor communities.

While Trump is far more libertarian on this issue than his law-and-order persona would have you believe, he does not go far enough in advocating for decriminalization/legalization, does not address the consequences of the War on Drugs, and offers no plan for moving beyond the troubled status quo.

Since the start of her run, she has advocated for an end to the criminalization of drugs like marijuana, and to the disproportionate amount of people of color sent to prison for nonviolent drug offenses. As she states on her website, Stein intends to “end the failed war on drugs...treat substance abuse as a health problem, not a criminal offense.”

From a criminal justice perspective, she has advocated for policies that would “release nonviolent drug offenders from prison...and provide them with both preand post-release support.” She also intends to “eliminate harsh mandatory sentencing requirements which often result in unjustified sentences.”

She also offers an economic argument against the drug law status quo, saying “the War on Drugs has cost the US over one trillion dollars and failed. Imagine if we spent that much eliminating poverty, homelessness and creating jobs?”

Stein’s advocacy for an end to the War on Drugs and her recognition of racial bias in prosecuting nonviolent offenders speak well to her competence on this issue. In a nation where, according to The Washington Post, drug use is equivalent in white and black populations a black person is four times more likely to be prosecuted and thrown into prison for the same crime Retroactive pardons for nonviolent drug offenders make sense; they limit the overcrowding of American prisons and ensure that those with drug problems are more likely to be treated as individuals with a serious illness, instead of criminals that must be locked away. From both a practical and moral standpoint, Stein’s position is sound.

Gary Johnson believes that “The federal government should not stand in the way of states that choose to legalize marijuana.”

He has also promised to remove cannabis from Schedule I of the federal Controlled Substances Act, much like Clinton.

Johnson believes that it is disgraceful that the “government has decided it is appropriate to tell adults what they can put in their bodies-and even put them in jail for using marijuana, while allowing those same adults to consume alcohol and encouraging the medical profession to pump out addictive, deadly painkillers at will.”

He potentially has an argument when it comes to alcohol consumption, but painkillers in a medical setting or as prescribed medication are absolutely necessary.

On his website, Johnson calls the War on Drugs “an expensive failure.”

Johnson further explains he advocates for “harm-reduction strategies, which is looking at the drug problem first as a health issue rather than as a criminal justice issue.”

In an interview with The New York Observer, Johnson said that the “world would be better off if all drugs were legal,” as “90 percent of the drug problem is prohibitionrelated, not use related.”

There is seemingly no rationale behind this policy. The legalization of all drugs would be severely detrimental to the population’s mental and physical health, while potentially exposing adolescents with stilldeveloping brains to harmful or unknown effects.

Some drugs are illegal for a very good reason, and it is incredibly unwise to introduce harmful substances to society.

Clinton frames the issue as an addiction problem. On her website, she states “drug and alcohol addiction is a disease, not a moral failing—and we must treat it as such.”

She continues, “Let’s prioritize rehabilitation and treatment over prison for lowlevel and nonviolent drug offenses and work to end the era of mass incarceration.”

To accomplish this goal, she plans to introduce $7.5 billion in funding to support “new federal-state partnerships that empower local leaders to implement programs that work for their communities.” According to the New Hampshire Union Leader, specifics of this plan include “[ensuring] every person suffering from addiction can obtain comprehensive treatment, [requiring] health care providers to receive training in recognizing substance use disorders.”

The cost of this plan appears very high and would probably add costs to her health care plan given the proposed relationship between the two.

According to The Washington Times, Clinton defaults to the states to make the decision on the legalization of recreational marijuana, referring to them as “the laboratories of democracy.” She continues, “I want to wait and see what the evidence is.”

She does support reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule II drug, which would dictate that the federal government recognizes pot’s medical uses and would make it easier to conduct research on its potential benefits.

In terms of the use of medical marijuana, Clinton advocates for further research to be done; conceding that “there should be availability under appropriate circumstances.”

Is Black or African American the More Appropriate Term?

MOISES MENDEZ Contributing Writer

“What’s the difference between Black and African-American?” This question first popped into my head in my first semester of community college. I was enrolled in a class called “Current Issues in America,” where we had the liberty to speak our minds. One of my peers, whose views weren’t always popular amongst our class, felt the need to get something off her chest. The topic of the class discussion was race, and she had some concerns to bring to light.

“I don’t like being called AfricanAmerican,” she said. As she was black, this raised some eyebrows.

“If I have no African descent, then why call me African-American?” My classmate explained that her ancestry traced back to Haiti and that she was offended when people referred to her as African-American. It left me thinking, is this a common feeling throughout the community as a whole?

There are two questions that must be addressed before we can come to a conclusion. The first is, didn’t all black people originate from Africa?

The second is, if there is a difference between the two, is it offensive to use the two terms interchangeably?

Let’s dive into the origins of black people. Before the Atlantic

SAMUEL MCHALE/THE OBSERVER

DaeQuan Morrison, FCLC ’20, prefers the term “black.”

Slave Trade, in which black people were taken from Africa and traded throughout the Americas, there were no blacks in either continents. They were enslaved and kept in chains for 246 years, before gaining their freedom through the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865. After, they were subjected to systemic oppression that is still felt today.

For centuries, the term “Negro” was widely used to describe a black citizen until the peak of the Civil Rights movement, when the term “Black American” came into use. According to DifferenceBetween.com, “The term ‘Black American’ is generally used for people who have slave ancestors. These people may not have

any close association with Africa or with recent immigrants.” The website also says that the terms also “refers to those who have emigrated from the Caribbean.” On the other hand, the website defines the term “AfricanAmerican” as “a term that is widely used to describe all people with an African ancestry. In using ‘African American’ there is no distinction between immigrants from Ghana or Haiti or the other Caribbean islands.”

One of the most popular terms that came from the Civil Rights movement was “Black Power.”

Thanks to Stokely Carmichael and Willie Ricks, the term became a symbol of hope and strength for the

community at large. Black became the umbrella term for everyone in the community, whether you were directly from Africa, Haiti, Jamaica, or South America.

In an article written about Barack Obama’s first Presidential campaign in 2008, Gary Younge sought to uncover if black people felt Obama was “black enough” to effectively represent Blacks in the White House.

He explained the difference but while explaining he said something that stuck with me because of its importance. Younge said, “All African-Americans are black; but not all black Americans are African Americans.”

In “Black American or African American?” Melody McCloud refers to herself as a Black American, while referring to Barack Obama as an African American. McCloud states that, for her, it’s not right to use these terms synonymously. “If you were born in New York, fine; but New York is in America, not Nigeria or Nairobi. If you were born in Kentucky, that’s not Kenya, and Boston isn’t in Botswana,” she says. Melody states that Barack Obama is certainly African-American because “he is a first-line descendant of an African father and an American mother.”

She doesn’t mean that she doesn’t claim African descent. She says that she’s an American. “Did my ancient African ancestors come to America by force over 400 years ago?” she

asks. “Absolutely,” she proclaims, “And it was an atrocious crime of mammoth proportions. But since then, all of my ancestors were born on American soil. They worked this soil. Their blood, sweat and tears watered this soil, and I was born on this soil.” She states, “I’m an American. A Black American. Period.”

The same sense of Black pride can be felt on our own campus. Fordham Lincoln Center’s Black Student Alliance is an incredible group of people with informed opinions on this subject. Most spoke on personal experiences and feelings that helped me see things from a different perspective. One student said she felt that using African-American synonymously with Black is presumptuous.

When she said this, the whole room concurred.

When someone calls a person African-American, they assume that person has African lineage. Black, with a capital B, doesn’t mean that those in the community wish to disconnect themselves from their past. They embrace it, but they want to be able to embrace the culture of their immediate ancestors. To borrow the perspective of the extraordinary Maya Angelou, “For Africa to me...is more than a glamorous fact.

It is a historical truth. No man can know where he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly how he arrived at his present place.”

Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editors Elena Ciotta - eciotta@fordham.edu Ana Fota - afota@fordham.edu Morgan Steward - msteward2@fordham.edu October 13, 2016 THE OBSERVER

The Best Off-Broadway Theaters Around New York City

By EMERSON SHERBOURNE Contributing Writer

Everyone knows about Broadway, but even the most famous shows had to start somewhere else.

Hits like “Rent” and “Hamilton” got their start off-Broadway at local theaters right here in New York City. Off-Broadway theaters are the greatest places to see up-and-coming productions that may go on to become major hits. These are four off-Broadway theaters that every arts enthusiast should know about.

The Public Theater started in 1954 by producing free Shakespeare reenactments around the city, and opened its first official venue in 1967. Today, the company still produces free Shakespeare in the Park shows every summer and prides itself in putting on a wide variety of plays and musicals, ranging from classics to contemporary pieces.

This season, the theater is producing several shows, including “Women of a Certain Age” which starts Nov. 4, “Party People” which starts Nov. 1, “Plenty,” “Sweat,” “Joan of Arc: Into the Fire,” “Tiny Beautiful Things” and more. Over the years, this theater has won a total of 54 Tony Awards and has been recognized with many other awards. In 2006, Meryl Streep worked with this theater, starring in their production of the play “Mother Courage and Her Children.” The theater’s most famous productions, both of which made the transfer off-Broadway to the Great White Way to huge success, are “Fun Home” and “Hamilton.” For this reason, The Public theatre has been nicknamed the “Home of Hamilton.”

The New York Theater Workshop was founded in 1979. It has won 17 Tony Awards and received recognition from many other award shows including a Pulitzer Prize and many Lucille Lortel Awards. The theater connects with over 1,800 artists each year, producing plays and putting on educational workshops.

These artists work off stage, reading scripts and improving their crafts through workshops and fellowship programs. The New York Theater

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Daniel Craig and David Oyelowo will star in The New York Theater Workshop’s production of “Othello.”

Workshop also offers educational programs that are open to the public. Playing now through Oct. 16 is “Nat Turner in Jerusalem.” The next

play to hit the stage is “Othello,” which stars Daniel Craig and David Oyelowo in the lead roles. “The Object Lesson” and “Sojourners

and Her Portmanteau” will also be featured in the 2016–2017 season.

The New York Theater Workshop was the home of Jonathan Larson’s

“Rent,” which transferred to Broadway and was a success.

The Atlantic Theater Company, also known as the Linda Gross Theater, started in 1985. The theater has more to offer than just the productions—it has within it an acting school, the Atlantic Acting School, The school has a variety of programs that anyone can take part in. Some notable alumni from this school are Elizabeth Olsen, who had a leading role in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” and Gina Rodriguez, the star of “Jane the Virgin,” among many others. Kate Winslet and other famous actors and actresses have been guest teachers at the school, working collaboratively with the theater. The world premiere production of “Marie and Rosetta” is currently playing at the Linda Gross Theater through Oct. 16. For the 2016–2017 season, the Atlantic Theater Company will also be producing “The Band’s Visit,” featuring Tony Shalhoub and John Cariani, “Tell Hector I Miss Him,” “The Penitent” and “Animal.” This theater has accrued 12 Tony Awards and received recognition from other impressive award shows including the Obie Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The Atlantic Theater company is most famous for its production of “Spring Awakening,” which began here, and later transfered to Broadway.

The Signature Theater Company is one of the newer off-Broadway theaters on the scene, founded in 1991. This theater won the Regional Theater Tony Award in 2014, as the first New York City theater to win it Signature Theater has also received recognition from other impressive award shows, including Lucille Lortel Awards and Obie Awards. Although there is not a show currently playing at this theater, the upcoming productions include “‘Master Harold’... and the Boys” and “The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World.” This theater has Playwrights in Residence, which currently include Annie Baker, Martha Clarke, Katori Hall, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and Regina Taylor.

Foreign Filmmaker Visits Fordham Lincoln Center

By LIAM HABER Staff Writer

For the past four years, the Film Society of Lincoln Center has been the home of a very unique program, which annually appoints one director to a position called the Filmmaker in Residence. Each year, a different international filmmaker is housed in America and given funding to finance any project they desire.

The first Filmmaker in Residence in 2013 was Andrea Arnold from England, who developed and filmed the movie “American Honey,” which is currently in theaters. The current Filmmaker in Residence is Italian director, writer, editor and documentarian Alice Rohrwacher. The Communication and Media Studies and Italian departments here at Fordham worked together with the Film Society this past September to bring Rohrwacher and her second feature film “The Wonders” to Fordham Lincoln Center for a Q&A session. Rohrwacher talked to students

COURTESY OF UNIVERSIDAD PABLO DE OLAVIDE/FLICKR

Alice Rohrwacher’s “The Wonders” is available to stream on Netflix.

about the filmmaking process, filming with bees and what it’s like to be a female director.

Rohrwacher’s film “The Won-

ders” is a movie from 2014 that she wrote and directed, which won the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival that same year. The

movie tells the story of a young girl who lives with her parents and three younger sisters, all of whom are working as beekeepers on a farm in the middle of the Italian countryside. The film is somewhat autobiographical, as Rohrwacher worked on her parents’ beekeeping farm as a child. In truth, the entire movie was a family affair, with Rohrwacher’s sister Alba Rohrwacher playing the role of the mother in the movie. The movie is about the relationships that the main character Gelsomina (Alexandra Maria Lungu) has with the rest of her family, particularly with her father and aunt.

The movie is beautiful in every aspect, from how it looks to the script and everything in between.

Rohrwacher shows a lot of love for the film and the craft of filmmaking in general. She manages to capture the magnificence of Italy in a way that few movies can, showing not the city life in Rome or Venice but the lives of actual people living in the countryside. The movie is also

incredibly relatable, focusing on the kinds of conflicts that exist in nearly every family across the world.

Following the screening of the movie, Rohrwacher spoke with students about making the movie, answering questions from students on a variety of topics. She discussed how language was used in the movie, the loopholes she used in order to work with thousands of bees for a day, and how filming with children and filming with adults are two different processes. However, one of the most interesting questions Rohrwacher answered was about the difficulties of being a female director, to which she responded that “a female director is a director. You can do it if you try. Just work at it and anyone can direct.”

Alice Rohrwacher will work with the Film Society until the end of the year, completing the script for her next film as well as preparing to direct a new opera next year. “The Wonders” is currently streaming on Netflix.

ELODIE HUSTON/THE OBSERVER

October 13, 2016 THE OBSERVER

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By NANDI CLARK

The Comma

From The “Le Livre Noire” Series

8

Womanhood

By ELODIE HUSTON

There is a promise hanging in my closet.

It is cut from the silkiest black, dark and soft like the summer night it promises.

It does not make a sound as it falls over my hair, my shoulders, my waist. It flows over my hips, dances at my knees. It is a dress fit for a gala, yet it fits perfectly on me. The pleats follow the contours of my body, nipping at my waist and opening at the curve of my chest. It slits open at my shoulder, tracing the lines of my collarbones. The sleeves rise and fall softly as I fasten the buttons at the small of my wrists. The sash lies at the narrowest part of my torso, the ends drifting towards the hem of the skirt.

star girl

By VALERIA SHATILOVA

Count the constellations in her body, a million stars, no moons, and planets swirling from bright days into pitch black nights.

In every spark and every supernova she shined and laughed away her worries and you pondered in which nebula she was born.

Count the waning days and blooming nights in her body, she was the universe for a moment and you believed in her prophecies.

But the blinding light veiled her intentions, and you knew it was a matter of time before she slipped out of the atmosphere to fight a war that was just not for you.

It is a dress meant for a woman. It is a dress meant to be worn on a summer’s night, a dress that melds with the softest of air. It is a dress meant for a lover, a dress that dissipates underneath the brush of a hand. It is a dress meant for dancing, a dress that ripples with the slightest of breaths.

The dress will render me magnificent. But for now, it whispers wishes to me from my closet.

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THE OBSERVER October 13, 2016

The Comma

Nothing Matters

By ISABELLE GARREAUD

I sit on the barely cushioned chair, watching my legs bounce up and down. I don’t want to be here, waiting for an update. I continue staring at the uncontrollable movement in my legs, trying to focus on anything else.

There are other people in the room, doing their own version of bouncing legs: tapping their fingers, biting their nails, constantly shifting in their seats. They sit in the cliché chairs, distracting their minds with empty thoughts. I hope their situation is better, but at the same time I don’t want to be the worst.

I wonder if the vibrations my legs are causing are bothersome to them. I could stop, if I wanted to, but I don’t. It gives me something to do. It sets me apart from being a sitting statue like the others; they certainly have the faces to resemble them. They probably wouldn’t say anything though, if they wanted me to stop. No one would want to break the dead silence that drenches this room.

I hear the sound of footsteps and the rustling of jackets approaching. Another person—maybe two—has joined us, and now waits with us. I don’t bother looking up. It doesn’t matter who came in. It’s just another stranger occupying the empty seats that are always destined to be filled. I wonder if all of them will be taken up by the time I leave mine. Will it take long for someone to replace me?

Someone has broken the silence, someone’s voice has entered all our minds. I look up to figure out who was brave enough to speak, who had something to say. My eyes fixate on a little boy, probably no more than six years old. He wasn’t talking to his mom, whose eyes carried baggage no one wanted, nor was he talking to his dad, whose eyes looked off into a distance that wasn’t there. He was talking to another boy around

his age, whose Game Boy was providing the attention he wouldn’t get from his mom. Of course it was a child who spoke. They don’t carry the same dark cloud like the rest of us. They may have an understanding about what is happening but they are most likely too young to fully comprehend what is going on. How I wish I could have that innocent mind again.

All it took was two words to create a temporary friendship. “Whatcha playing?” was all the boy said.

It was that simple, that easy. When the words left his mouth, the other’s eyes lifted from the Game Boy and a smile crept across his face. And so began the conversing, the passing of time, the bonding between two little boys as each waited for his last name to be called out. They won’t remember this moment when they became brief friends, let alone each other—but I will, and so may the statues in the other seats.

Soon the two boys are sitting side-by-side, picking up from a conversation that never happened. It’s comforting as I forget why I’m here. Forget what’s happening around me. Forget who is fighting for their lives behind this waiting room. Nothing matters in these two little boys’ lives right now. Their world becomes only what they share at this very moment.

They laugh, they share, they whisper. They talk of Mario, of video games, of their PlayStation back home, of their favorite color red. There is barely any silence anymore as they talk on and on about the most random things. I learn snippets of information about their lives: who has a Pitbull named Bubba, who wants to be a mailman when he grows up, who knows how to beat Level Four’s Boss, who has an older brother who plays Call of Duty. It is fascinating how much you can learn about

the sun, the moon

By ABBIE DAVIDSON

she was wise, with the sun in one eye, and the moon in the other, and she looked at the world as the universe would; she looked at the world seeing it as so small standing in oceans that were only knee-deep and in deserts that were her sandboxes with the sun in one eye, and the moon in the other she looked to the stars as her friends, she liked how the room lit up when they smiled but she couldn’t wrap her mind around how far away they were the darkness scared her— so she never closed those eyes, never put the sun, the moon to sleep. sometimes she would cry to the stars her friends—they weren’t listening, she was flooding her sandbox she was wise, but she didn’t want to be— instead she dreamed of blinding constellations of planets that lit their own orbit. she wanted meteor showers loud, mean meteor showers that would let her close her eyes that would let the sun, the moon fall asleep, resting her toes in the ocean, her head on the desert.

someone else’s life just by eavesdropping, and the fact that these boys seem to share everything all at once is admirable. Although, they talk about everything but what had to happen to bring them here.

It is almost like they are long lost friends that are catching up over a cup of coffee. The boys feel the need to tell what they think is important about their lives to the other. They don’t care where they came from, why they are here, what they look like. Nothing matters.

They forget where they are. They forget their troubles.

Together. All that matters in this present moment is the game they are playing.

Their parents look up from their thoughts and watch as their sons bond. They don’t say anything to each other, though, they don’t need to. Their son forming an unexpected friendship is enough to distract them.

Maybe they envy the six-year-old mind and how easily it can make good in a bad situation. I know I do.

One of the boys’ last names is called. Their mom quickly grabs the boy’s hand as she makes her way to the caller.

The brief time they had together, the bonding over commonalities, has come to an end, but it is not sad.

They simply say goodbye, smiling, because their time together was something they needed in a sorrowful place. No numbers are exchanged, not even names because it doesn’t matter. As the boy leaves, the other tells his mom about his new friend, leaving nothing out. The mom smiles a genuine smile, probably one she wasn’t expecting to give. She is glad her son found a temporary friend. Sometimes the temporary ones are the best.

After the boy is gone, everyone shifts back to the position they were in before the silence was broken. I pick up my bouncing legs again and find my mind drifting back to why I’m here. I’m going to tell him about the two little boys that broke the silence. That made a temporary friendship in an unexpected place.

At least, I hope I get the chance to.

9

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Fordham Favorites

October 13, 2016 THE OBSERVER

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“The Coolest Thing I’ve Ever Done New York City…”

MANDARIN ORIENTAL

BY MARYANNA ANTOLDI Staff Writer

“I love to walk into different hotels, go to the highest floor that I can, find the best view, and look out,” Samantha Ahearn, FCLC ’20 explained. The best view she found was at the top of the Mandarin Oriental located near campus on West 60th Street.

One of the best perks of attending school in New York City is the opportunity to embark on an interesting adventure each and every day. The Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) student body definitely has had their fair share of excitement while walking the city streets. Some members of the FCLC community offered a glimpse at some of the coolest things that they have done thus far in Manhattan.

BROADWAY “I was a production assistant on “Waitress: The Musical” with Sara Bareilles. Part of my job was to move set pieces, stand in for actors and band members that weren’t there, and basically assist the stage management team with anything that needed to be done during the rehearsal process,” Jennifer Leary, FCLC ’18, explained.

WEBSTER HALL “I went to a Peaches Concert [at Webster Hall earlier in September], and I managed to squeeze my way into the front. It was very exciting. She crowd-surfed, and it was a very up-close and awesome experience,” Lily Harris, FCLC ’20, said about her concert experience with the Canadian electronic musician.

EXPLORE THE BURRO

“The coolest thing I ever did in New York City was go to all in one day, and Roosevelt Island as well. I had dinner on the r Island City,” David Bernard Santana, FCLC ’18, said. He also that it was an experience he would never forget.

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FORDHAM FAVORITES

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in

OWS

l five boroughs river in Long o mentioned .

THE MET “Last year, I went to the MET [when] they did a night for college students. It was a little soiree, and we got special free access to the new Egyptian exhibit. It was really cool,” Cat Reynolds, FCLC ’19, said.

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN “The coolest thing I ever did in New York City was go a Kanye West concert in Madison Square Garden. My roommate surprised me and my other friend with tickets, so we went on a Tuesday night. It was a really fun and a great experience. I love Kanye,” Mark Austria, FCLC ’17, said.

THE HIGHLINE “In my senior year of high school, we had to watch a documentary about a person named Mr. Brainwash, who is the second best street artist behind Bansky. I didn’t really think much about it until my freshman year at Fordham, where I found myself in the Meatpacking District. There was a popup gallery that had all of Mr. Brainwash’s art. It was incredible because here is this person who I learned about before, and now I was in New York seeing his art myself.”

-Samantha Wei, FCLC ’19

BATTERY PARK “Thanksgiving day, my friend from NYU and I went to the Museum of Feelings and walked around Battery Park. We went to her sister’s house [in] Queens for Thanksgiving dinner and, since her sister’s husband is a chef, he had all this incredible food from the fancy restaurant he worked at. We had a really nice Thanksgiving meal for free, and it was incredible,” Katy Parker, FCLC ’19, explained.

ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY OF KATIE MAURER/THE OBSERVER

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The Comma

October 13, 2016

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The Smell of Flowers & Cigarette Smoke

By GRACE CLARK

Summer sat in the front seat of Julian’s truck with her feet propped up on the windowsill, smoking a cigarette.

Julian was sleeping in the backseat. The cicadas called to her as the muggy sun clung to the metal of the car. Her thighs stuck to the leather seats. She felt a tear roll down her face. She wiped it away quickly. She felt less whole than before, which wasn’t much to begin with. She felt a lump in her throat as the tears poured out; she couldn’t stop them. She covered her mouth with her hand, letting her cigarette fall to the ground outside the car. She shook silently, without letting out a sound; she didn’t want to wake up Julian. She didn’t want comfort; she didn’t want help. She wanted to cry. She needed to cry. Her throat felt tight as her body heaved with all of her emotion that she held inside for all those years. She felt sick.

When Summer had cried all the tears she could, she flipped down the sun visor to view her face in the mirror. Her eyes were red and swollen; her tears had left tracks on her face in the thin layer of dirt she hadn’t known was there. She flipped the mirror back up in disgust. She wanted to go home and go to sleep, she wanted to get out. She thought about getting out and just leaving, but no, Julian would be worried.

She could leave a note. She rummaged around in the glove compartment for a piece of paper and a pen. She found a pencil and a grocery store receipt. This’ll work, she thought. She wrote out a note in scrawled handwriting, which read, “Had fun today.

Sorry I had to go, mom was waiting. Love, S.” She left it in the cracks between the leather of his seat and crawled out the window, scared to make any noise. Landing safely on the ground and finding her footing, Summer ran. She ran until she reached the solid tar of the road, and she kept running.

When Summer dragged her tired body up the road to her trailer, it was dark and the fireflies were out. She watched them flit back and forth, intertwined with one

another. They were so in love with the air and the summer and the thickness of the night sky—they had no other cares in the world. Summer was jealous of them.

She had planned names, for months she was planning to name her baby something: Sarah, Grace, Alison, James, Patrick, Connor.

But as she sat there cradling her baby and looked at her face, at her blue eyes and her pink skin, her tiny hands and feet, and she was overwhelmed with a vision of flowers. Flowers everywhere, everything anew, blooming, starting over, free. Blossoming, growing, beautiful flowers. Daffodils, tulips, daisies, roses, flowers everywhere, they seemed to fill up the room. Summer felt so much joy at the sight of her baby. She looked up at the expectant nurse and said, “Rose Love. Her name is Rose Love Joseph.” Summer smiled up at her mom and then back at her baby; she felt like she might burst of joy, her heart was full to the brim and she couldn’t stop smiling.

Her mother was crying and hugging her, kissing Rose’s face. Summer felt as if the moment she had seen her daughter that some sort of gate had opened within her, and suddenly, nothing mattered. Nothing but that moment in the hospital, with her Rose and her mother; she could forgive and she could forget and her heart was open. She looked at her mom and said, her voice cracking the slightest bit, “I love you, mom.”

Summer returned home the next day, her brand new baby bundled up in her arms.

Summer’s body felt limp and exhausted, but her soul was flying; she was ecstatic. Every time she looked down at Rose’s sleeping face or touched her soft fingers, she was filled, overflowed, with a wonder that matched no other. She had created this rose and it was her rose, she would love Rose forever. That night Summer slept soundly with Rose curled on her chest, the two of them rising and falling as they breathed together.

Decaying

By CAROLYN GUERRERO

I am a woman. A woman with beautiful, pale skin and long, blonde locks of hair. My eyes are as blue as the waterfront that I stand next to. I am beautiful. Given this, I should be standing gracefully and with a regal disposition, but instead I slouch, slumped against the dirty, charcoal-colored walls.

Why can’t I smile?

The breeze is so cold it stings my face. My hair—my silken, long, blonde hair— comes out of its bun and begins to slap my face. I make no effort to pin it back up.

Why should I bother when the wind will only tangle it once more?

My eyes spot a dirty fork on the ground in the street. It slightly bothers me, but I don’t pick it up though—that is not my job. I already have a job, and that alone often seems like more than I can bear. Everyday I go to work in a job that I don’t care about, one that drains the happiness out of me. What choice do I have when it is the only way to sustain myself? I work, get paid, pay the bills and then become depleted, so I work some more. It’s a never ending cycle. Working in this ordinary, mundane manner, I’ll never progress. It would be so nice to be able to move forward in the world, but no, I am stuck. Fresh out of college and I am already stuck.

Life isn’t fair, but I am still young, and I am beautiful. I have dreams—or at least, I had them. Do I dare dream anymore?

I can see the crowd around me laughing. They seem so... together. Even those that are alone do not seem miserable—they seem peaceful. I wonder, do I look peaceful to those watching me? Or can they see through my countenance, whatever that may be? I wonder. I stand here and watch them living their precious lives. I crave, insatiably, what they have. Maybe it is not my time yet. Maybe, in the distant yet near future, I will achieve what it is that I am looking for. Maybe one day I will be laughing in a crowd.

One can only pray.

As I stand among the onlookers, I realize I am alone in this—this globe. This world. This universe. This existence. I am alone, but now I begin to realize that in this, I am not alone.

Solitude—the word is not as simple as it seems. I am not a part of the crowd, that much is clear to me. Yet there are so many other things—beings, essences— that are not a part of the crowd. The stained ketchup packet being squeezed of its life by the rugged wheels of a blue rental bike, the once jagged rock now weathered

by the varieties of climates that come down upon the earth, and the dirty fork on the ground in the street. Are we a crowd? In our solitude, are we together?

I had a family once. Is this my family now?

I am beautiful. I should be loved. My once family loved me. Will this new family of materials love me? I am beautiful, after all. Or am I? I have nobody to talk to, nobody to ask.

I could walk towards the laughing crowd that flows past my statuesque stance and stand with my arms in the air, parting the crowd like Moses parted the Red Sea. Shouting: Am I beautiful? Looking around, my head twirling nearly as rapidly as my silken hair flaps in the breeze, mouth agape. Am I beautiful? Dirty fork, will you answer my question, my plea? Am I beautiful!

Being alone, no help would come to me.

Being alone, the sea would not part. The crowd might pause for a brief moment, their mouths agape with mine as they look upon the statue of a mad woman with a frantic look upon her face as she begs for a response to a question that has no bearing upon the world.

Hands thrust into the air. Silken, long, blonde hair flapping in the breeze.

Unaccompanied by anyone but the breeze.

The dirty fork is still in the same spot on the ground. Nobody seems to notice it.

Are the fork and I so dissimilar? The fork has strands of plastics that sometime escape out of its central structure just as I have strands of hairs that sometime escape out of my cranium. The fork is composed of molecules of plastic; I am composed of many molecules. Eventually, we will both decompose and spread these molecules, these basic components, into the core of the earth.

The fork still lies on the ground, staring at me, bidding me to hold it. I move towards it until I am but mere inches away from it. I am tempted to bend over, peer at it, touch it, hold it, become a part of it all whilst letting it become a part of me.

But I leave it there. We will meet again, anyways... eventually, when we both become the earth.

Leaving the fork there, it will begin its process of decaying without me. That’s okay. I’ll take longer, anyways. And maybe, once I’m a part of the earth, I can truly be beautiful.

The End of the Narrative

By DANIEL CAMON

I turned twenty-three last week. Every year, I star the date on the calendar, so that Jack doesn’t forget. He did one year, but I was only turning twenty-two then, so it didn’t really matter. I was right. I couldn’t imagine anybody loving anybody more than I love Jack. I was right. Every Thursday, I walk down the block to pick up Jack’s cigarettes.

1 carton of Camels 2 packs of Marlboros—REMEMBER 72s Jack works on Thursdays but really enjoys having something to smoke through the weekends, so I get them for him. Our street is always busy from eleven to three. After I pick up the cigarettes, I watch the cars pass by our house.

I was right. We would have a house, and we would make it our home. I was right.

The bungalow feels cramped sometimes, so I like to go outside to write. The extension needs new paint on the outside.

It’s been three years. When Jack built it for Little Jack’s room, we thought the paint would last longer, though.

I was right. We would have a child, and I would name him after his father. I was right.

Sometimes I wonder how we would have fit a second child. Every time I realize we wouldn’t have enough space anyways.

I always ask Jack if we could make another extension, but he says that he’s not young enough to do that anymore. Some nights when Little Jack can’t sleep, I look out the window at our street and see Jack’s car parked there. He sits there in the driver seat, looking straight ahead.

He’s probably right. We’re too old to have another one. He’s always right.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 13, 2016

The Comma

The Chandelier

By CARMEN BORCA-CARRILLO

I was born into luxury at a time when wealth was abundant.

Diamonds hung from my mother’s ears, her long fingers clad in rings whose reflections danced on the ceiling when she played the piano. In his study, Father sat behind a desk of mahogany in a rich leather chair studded with gold. Partygoers came and went every other night, filling the mansion floors with laughter and the dainty jingle of glass and crystal as they collided in merriment and amusement.

As a young girl, I dressed in satin and lace, dark hair tied back with a bow, the edges of my socks folded neatly over the strap of shiny black shoes. I returned each smile I received with a gracious giggle and bat of my painted lashes. Even in childhood, they called me beautiful, stunning; without ever lifting a finger for the compliment.

I could see my future reflected in the hanging chandeliers; waltzing among socialites and tycoons over an ivory floor, gossiping over a glass of sparkling cider in the circles of the elite.

They told me I held the world in my palm. Spare no expense, Margaret, spare no expense! “Why, you’ve more finesse in your left pinky than there is in all of New York.” “No, no, dear,

you’re fine the way you are; keep your hair long and your cheeks pink, and don’t change a thing, dearest.” “You’ll go far, darling, with that name and those eyes.”

On October 29th, I was 18, the heiress of an empire of laundromats and golf courses.

On October 30th, I was a penniless serf.

I was alone, for the most part, to watch the world fade and decay. From my perch on the balcony inside, I could still watch the glitter of the crystals hanging from the ceiling; I could convince myself that as long as their light mingled on the dusty tile below, all this misfortune was only temporary.

As Wall Street fell, the columns of my mansion seemed to crumble; spiderweb cracks began to appear in the walls and ceilings, growing until they created a maze above my head. Nights took on an inescapable gloom, cold and dark under a hazy half-moon.

The rooms became haunted by lonely echoes as maids and cooks left the halls for the country.

Father wanted to move South, where prices were cheaper and the cotton business still boomed. I wouldn’t move, though. There was

charm down South, a quaintness of life that could never match the glitzy galas I still saw in my visions of the future. I declined and assured him that I would invite him and Mother to the first party I’d host once the banks reopened.

So they left, and I found myself alone again. Truly alone, this time.

The glamour of my childhood had been so simple, so effortless. I waited each day for the dust to disappear from the shelves, for the lights to flicker back the life and cast golden rays onto a manicured lawn, for the familiar twinkle of pearls and cufflinks to make their way across my halls.

I waited and I waited, until one night the mansion was once again full with the clink-clink-clink of a champagne toast. A screeching cascade roared through the halls like storm waves breaking on jagged rocks; it rattled the columns as each layer of glass crashed to the tile floor in a sickening avalanche of light and color, leaving behind a crystal carcass too brilliant to make sense of.

The night the chandelier fell, I packed my bags.

13

From The “Le Livre Noire” Series

By NANDI CLARK

ELODIE HUSTON/THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 13, 2016

Arts & Culture

15

The New York Public Library Is Hosting New Events

By DEIRDRE REED Contributing Writer

One of the most exciting parts of the Fordham experience is taking advantage of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, only a block away. Located in the heart of Lincoln Center, the NYPL for the Performing Arts hosts multiple intelligent and rousing events each week, the majority of which are free, perfect for struggling college students. To keep track of upcoming events, go to www.nypl.org, and read on to find out about what’s going on in the coming weeks.

The Theatre Library Association will be holding its annual Book Awards in the Library for the Performing Arts Cafe on Friday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. The Awards commemorate authors who write about theatre, film and broadcasting with excellence. This year’s recipients include Terry Alford for “Fortune’s Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth,” which deconstructs the existence of President Lincoln’s assassin, and James Layton and David Pierce for “The Dawn of Technicolor, 19151935,” which offers a closer look into the rise of one of the film industry’s most important names, published one hundred years after it was first founded. Free general admission tickets can be reserved online.

Tony-award winning actress and producer Judith Light leads the conversation as the League of Professional Theatre Women continues its celebration of women in theatre.

Whether you’re a woman, a lover of theater, neither or both, this talk will leave you informed and empowered.

Currently starring in Neil LaBute’s new play “All The Ways To Say I Love You,” Light will speak in the library’s Bruno Walter Auditorium on Monday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. This event is free and tickets are on a first-come,

KATHRYN HORNYAK/THE OBSERVER

The New York Library for the Perfoming Arts is located in Lincoln Center by the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

first-serve basis. The line for tickets will start one hour before the performance, so if you are interested, make sure to get there early.

On Thursday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m,

saxophonist and composer Jane Ira will present “Wild Lines,” which combines the music of her jazz quartet with the poetry of Emily Dickinson, recited by actress Deborah

Rush. Her new piece was inspired by the realization that Dickinson was a pianist and improviser, and how this information related Dickinson’s writing to the music of jazz. The per-

formance takes place at the Bruno Walter Auditorium and, following suit with the previous events, tickets are free. Reserve your tickets online today!

“Fantastic Beasts” Will Be Screaned at Carnegie Hall

By LAUREN PAGANO Contributing Writer

No matter how ardent or smallscale a fan, we can all admit that the closing of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two” marked a nostalgic end to an era, and to millions of childhoods across the world. But come this November, the Wizarding World will be back on the big screen with an adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s companion novel to the Harry Potter series, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” starring Academy Award-winning actor Eddie Redmayne. The movie will be the first of a trilogy created in response to Rowling’s book, and it has fans eagerly waiting with wands at the ready for the general release on Friday, Nov. 18.

For those who no longer keep up with the day to day happenings in the Wizarding World, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is actually a book that you can find Harry and his friends reading for class within the series. Rowling then wrote the book’s content, which follows the character of magic zoologist, Newt Scamander in his adventures throughout New York City in the 1920s. So where would it be best to usher in this new era of magic and mayhem? Right where the book began, here in New York City!

On Saturday, Nov. 12, a week before the movie’s general release, Carnegie Hall will host both Rowling and Redmayne for an in-depth discussion of the movie, followed by a screening of the film for the audience. The screening is open to all, with ticket prices ranging from as reasonable as $25 to as high as $500 and can be purchased at Carnegie Hall or online. But as the date draws near tickets have begun to

GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR

Academy Award winning actor Eddie Redmayne stars in “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”

disappear as well leaving reasonably priced options scarce.

But unlike every other star-studded movie premiere, all proceeds from this event will be donated to the Lumos Foundation USA, which was started by Rowling. Although uncommon in comparison to the

many other revenue-driven Hollywood events, this isn’t surprising, having come from J.K. Rowling.

Even Danielle Marshall, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19, who is not an avid follower of the series, says the event is of little surprise to her. “Even as a

less-than-obsessed Potterhead, it is pretty common knowledge that Rowling is generous,”Marshall said.

“In the past, she was knocked off of Forbes’ Billionaires List due to her charitable giving.”

Established in 2004 by Rowling, Lumos is a foundation dedicated to

ending the mass institutionalism of disadvantaged children in orphanages throughout the world. The money raised by Lumos is used to help take these eight million children out of inhumane conditions and provide them with an environment that gives them the education, love and individual attention they deserve. This movie screening’s revenue, thanks to Lumos’ “100-percent pledge,” promises that every last penny collected from the event will be donated to Lumos Foundation USA. So put together a fantastic movie with a great cause, and what do you get? An overflowing response of dedicated fans at the ready to buy their tickets for a behind-thescenes look into Rowling’s next step forward in this unique universe. Ashley Simpson, FCLC ’20, is one of the many passionate fans of Rowling who has long been anticipating the arrival of this movie.

Simpson thought she had seen it all after attending two of the Harry Potter premieres over the course of the many movie releases. But after recently hearing about this fundraiser screening, Simpson said, “I am more excited than ever to go see the movie’s release. I already have my book out ready to reread!”

Written by one of the most revered authors of our lifetime, performed by an award-winning cast and all in the name of a good cause, it is impossible that this evening will be anything less than sublime.

So before going out in the city on Nov. 12, consider adorning your Gryffindor sweater and flying on over to Carnegie Hall on 57th Street and Seventh Avenue for an enchanting evening. One only made truly possible by the magic put forth by J.K. Rowling, both inside and outside the Wizarding World.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 13, 2016

Arts & Culture

16

“Paterson” Emerges as NYFF’s Hidden Gem

By MARYANNA ANTOLDI Staff Writer

For the 54th consecutive year, the New York Film Festival (NYFF) will introduce cinephiles to the best films of the season from top directors and actors worldwide. One of its feature films, “Paterson,” earned a spot on the festival’s list because of its delightfully simple storyline and excellent depiction of the beauty of everyday life. While some may turn away because of its indie classification, the film definitely did not disappoint.

Directed by acclaimed visionary Jim Jarmusch, “Paterson” is the type of movie that you just have to see to truly grasp its beauty. It tells the story of a man named Paterson (played by Adam Driver) who works as a bus driver in his namesake hometown.

He leads a simple life: he wakes up at 6:15 every morning, kisses his wife (played by Golshifteh Farahani) goodbye, walks to work, drives a bus and returns home for the night where he walks his dog and goes to a bar for a pint of beer. However, while many think that this would be an extremely mediocre plot for a film, it was anything but.

Paterson writes poetry. He keeps a notebook, a “secret notebook” as his wife Laura endearingly calls it, with him at all times where he writes about anything that comes to mind.

He finds the beauty in simple objects—matchboxes, a shoebox, cigarettes—and transforms them into messages of love and admiration that touch you in ways you would not expect possible.

In fact, Paterson helps us see the joy in everyday life. As a bus driver, he is content to listen to people’s conversations and learn a bit about their lives. He sits at the same bar every night in near silence, where he witnesses failed romance and friendly conversation escalate as his week progresses. And, when he returns home, he listens to his wife’s excited chatter about discovering her new passion, which shifts from cupcake-making one day to learning guitar another.

Paterson’s curiosity and friendly si-

MARYANNA ANTOLDI/THE OBSERVER

“Paterson” stars Adam Driver as a bus driver who ‘secretly’ writes peotry.

lence is charming. He brings out the best in the people around him by simply being present, while we have the privilege of seeing his true emotions through his poetry, which he hides from all prying eyes.

However, we adore Paterson’s character also because of his immense love for his wife. She is the muse to his poetry, the one he works to support and the light of his life.

From the moment the movie begins to the moment it ends, we see Paterson’s love for Laura and how it shapes who he is. In his words, “She gets me.”

It takes a certain type of actor to make Paterson’s character shine, and Adam Driver definitely delivers.

Driver, more popularly known for his breakout role as Kylo Ren in the “Star Wars” franchise, carries himself in an endearingly awkward way that perfects the role of Paterson. From his intense stare when writing his poetry to his lighter moments of bashful laughter, Driver breathes life into the character and in turn seems to insert some of himself into Paterson as well. For example, Jarmusch’s clever placement of Driver’s real military

photo reinforces how close Paterson is to being the actor himself. This closeness in personality is what truly makes Driver’s performance shine and is why many leave the movie so satisfied.

In fact, another endearing aspect of the film are the different interactions Paterson encounters throughout his day-to-day life. He sees young love fall to pieces while at the bar, listens to a young girl as she reads him her poetry about the rain and discusses his favorite poet William Carlos Williams with a Japanese writer in

front of the local waterfall. It is these interactions that not only break Paterson’s daily routine and progress the plot of the film, but also provide some of the more sentimental moments that make the movie so radiant.

Overall, Jarmusch’s film is one that encourages viewers to appreciate the simplicity of everyday life and to perhaps find the beauty in it. Paterson is a man content with his life, and his poetry reflects that. It is a movie that sees the beauty in the ordinary and one that truly shines in the New York Film Festival.

Fall Premiere Hits and Misses: Your Guide to Fall TV

By SAM DEASSIS Contributing Writer

As the cold weather rolls in to welcome Fordham students into Fall, a natural phenomenon comes into play. This phenomenon is the inevitable shift of college students from out on the plaza to the warm, cozy shelter of their dorm rooms. With all of this time indoors, students are able to find more time to more frequently engage in their favorite pastime: binge-watching TV shows.

But there’s only so much “Orange is the New Black” and “Breaking Bad” we can watch and re-watch before seeking something new. And it just so happens that at the same time this television restlessness afflicts the masses, television networks come to the rescue with plenty of new series to get people hooked on.

And even more conveniently, iTunes has allowed for free downloading and streaming of the new episodes of many new series. So, you don’t have to steal your friend’s Netflix password anymore—as long as you have an iTunes account, you’re set. It just seems too good to be true, right?

Maybe not.

One enjoyable series premiere was an unusual comedy: “Speechless.” Despite the serious sounding title and premise, the pilot of the series is far from centimental, centering around a special-needs family. The show focuses on a subject normally left isolated from the world of comedy, but“Speechless” takes this unspoken rule in its stride, proving that even a seemingly unfunny topic can be a comedic success if carried out in

COURTESY OF ABC

The cast of ABC’s “Speechless” gathered at a press event to promote their new series.

a tastefully clever manner. Although this description may raise some eyebrows, don’t worry about being offended by someone poking fun at a serious subject. “Speechless” pokes fun at the family of the special-needs child, not at him. “It was surprisingly good,” Melanie Katz, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20, said. “Some of the jokes were pretty silly, but overall it was a fun show to watch.”

On the other side of the spectrum was “This is Us,” a highly-dramatic premiere about the seemingly un-

related lives of several individuals that are then shown to be linked. The show gave viewers a peek into all of the complex struggles endured by each individual character. The episode’s success relied heavily on the emotional connection between the viewers and the characters. But was the show successful in creating this connection? The “relatable” characters weren’t as relatable as NBC would have you think; not everyone is an aspiring actor or a parent to triplets. However, their varying worries and emotions were somehow rel-

evant to the lives of almost anyone.

“I thought they did a really good job with introducing the characters,” Victoria Petrik (FCLC) ’20 said. “I found them to be likeable.” Each character’s story was uniquely touching, and the utilization of the concept of connectedness between the seemingly unrelated characters allowed for an especially amazing experience.

A third series premiere that has been hyped up for weeks was “MacGyver.” However, this remake fell a little flat. It was as action-packed as promised, with plenty of violence and

unrealistic stunts to keep the common thrill-seeking viewer interested.

And of course the premiere included the main component of the original “MacGyver”; there were more than enough invaluable uses of paper clips and other random objects to create tools for the protagonists’ mission.

But somehow, the entire emotional and dramatic component of the pilot felt forced and shallow. The characters lacked visible emotional responses to grief, and the comedic lines felt a little overdone. “I watched the original,” Vicky Chen, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’20 said.

“I think [the new one] is trying a little too hard to be funny and cool.” All in all, “MacGyver” rests its strength on its action, not its acting.

For the average Fordham student, any new addicting TV series is a welcome distraction from an overwhelming college workload. But, it is important to choose the right shows to get into before devoting too much valuable time into a new TV addiction.

There are plenty of new shows out this fall for those on the lookout. Although action and resourcefulness may peak your interest, you may want to pass on “MacGyver” for its less than impressive acting. But if you’re looking for the perfect series to give you a sense of emotional connection, “This is Us” might be perfect for you. And for those looking for a clever comedy with an original premise, “Speechless” may be the next big thing. One thing is for sure—no matter what your interests are, this Fall season has something in store for you. Huddle up indoors and enjoy.

FORDHAM COLLEGE AT LINCOLN CENTER DEAN’S LIST 2016 Rev. Robert R. Grimes, S.J., Ph.D., Dean

The Dean’s List, published annually in the fall, is composed of student scholars who have received letter grades for at least 24 credits during the preceding academic year and have achieved high scholastic standing with a quality point index of 3.60. Below are the honorees of the 2016 Dean’s List.

Class of 2016 Ehab Abaza Stephanie A. Ali Elsie Alvarez Michelle Ang Tamiris Askarova Jeanelle R. Augustin Robyn J. Ayers Jacob L. Azrilyant Devon W. Badolato Dino Balic Zann Ballsun-Simms Maia N. Bedford Carolina Betocchi Amanda H. Blackhurst Natalie A. Boegel Emma G. Boisitz Bogdan Brajic Michael A. Bruno Martha L. Bryan Tyler N. Burdick Katherine E. Burks Cynthia M. Caceres Amina S. Cami Leanna K. Carroll Mayarita J. Castillo Emily A. Caudy Denise Chen Quennie Chen Phyllis Chiang Nathanael A. Coffey Joanna B. Connolly Priscilla Consolo Alexandra L. Coritsidis Kristin A. Costantini Ryan S. Cramer Sharnell P. Creary Iris Dai Ellen C. Dawe Lorraine A. De Silva Natasha M. Diaz Katherine A. Dobscha Derek J. Dow Riley A. Edwards Marina M. Elgawly James M. Ellinas Nicholas J. Endo Angelica Eranovic Claire L. Fields Morgan T. Fortier Katherine E. Fredericks Ahmed E. Gabr Jose B. Gamo Laura Z. Gerkis Larissa I. Gerszke Bulat Gibadullin Katherine H. Givler Anamaria Glavan Jalen L. Glenn Noah M. Goldstein Yasmina Gourchane Sophia D. Guinchard Maria R. Hanophy Kathleen C. Hayes Amanda J. Heiser Molly R. Hellauer Leia C. Herlihy Elizabeth B. Hinson Sarah Howard Gabriel I. Hyman Sharon Izrailov Dipana Jain Drew B. Jones Erlind Kaca Kacey L. Katzenmeyer Manjinder Kaur Juhi Kaushik Arousiak A. Kazarian Alanna M. Kilkeary Garrett D. Kim Kiyun Kim David A. Kitchin Katherine E. Kleyman George L. Kostal Celina S. Lam Ross A. Lampert Rachel F. Lamy Lucas C. Landi Chelsea E. Landman Molly M. Levy Cassandra A. Lewis Mae Lynn Lim Heyun Ma Simranjit S. Mangat Sarah E. Marks Christina E. Mastrangelo May C. McCallum William L. Meckley Andrew J. Milne Nathan A. Miranda Abdelrahman K. Mohamed Wallis J. Monday Zana L. Najjar Hyunna J. Nam Nicole C. Nerup Alexander Nesterov Hannah A. Newman Evelyn Ng Jessica T. Novak Casey E. O’Connor Jennefer E. Ortega Kayla L. Pantano Marie Lloyd Paspe

Dylan E. Penza Galina Plutova Christine Pusz Neilab Rahimzada Stephan E. Ramalho Blair A. Reavis-Tyler Maria T. Recinto Marina E. Recio Rachel E. Rho Ada Rodamis Madeline S. Ruckle Daniel L. Salas Samantha J. Saltzman Ian R. Schaefer Eavan C. Schmitt Maryn P. Shaw Elizabeth R. Shew Rachel A. Shmulevich Evan C. Sibley Katarzyna Siemieniaka Elina L. Sigal Suzan L. Sikorski Courtney C. Spears Andrea Stanovic Sri R. Stewart Shaheen T. Tokhi Alexis N. Toledo Lauren E. Trahan Vani Upadhyaya Anjanette G. Valero Sophia A. Venditti Ramona M. Venturanza Jessica N. Vitovitch Paige G. Werman Lauren A. Whitmore Kathryn E. Wilkie Randy P. Williams Michelle J. Williamson Kiana Wiwczar Mohammed A. Yaseen Emma R. Zipursky

Class of 2017 Samantha D. Altenau Miriam Ambrosino Fiona C. Ball Anna C. Barbano Surya A. Bedinger Max W. Berger Grace M. Bergonzi Katrina T. Bernhardt Iris I. Bessey Emily L. Blumenthal Patricia Bober Jason M. Boit Ian H. Bond Emily Bosworth Christina M. Cambria Brooke E. Cantwell Samantha T. Cassidy Joyce Chau Anne Chen Michelle Y. Chen Estelle Chough Alexandra N. Ciobanu Emma T. Copp Rosanna M. Corrado Maya A. Davis Lian E. Dick Vanessa A. Dolfinger Xiaoxiao Dong Remington Donnelly Michal Dzieciolowski Julia L. Ennis Adam H. Fales Krista V. Febles Cristina M. Ferretti Lauren S. Fiorica Margaret A. Fisher Marisa Folsom Jeffrey T. Friedman Adriana N. Gallina Arantxa Garduno Neri Daniel Glotser Kristoff R. Grosfeld Katherine E. Guest Mackenzie C. Harte Clarissa M. Hernandez Stephanie Ho Keenan B. Hurley Brendan Jackson Kyndal M. Jackson Javonne V. Jenkins Juliana M. Johnson Brittany R. Jones Jessica A. Jones Juan C. Keller Sarmiento Eileen C. Kelley Alexander N. Khamechand Narae Kim Athena I. Kokinakis Talia G. Koylass Jennifer Lei Anthony Leuszkiewicz Daniel Lucero Rose A. Lyn Tony C. Macht Cassandra T. Malouta Samantha R. Mayer Moira A. McAuliffe Margaret O. McCauley Emily J. Mendez Feven Merid

Anna C. Michael Meagan A. Miller Benjamin J. Moore Nadine J. Moukdad Isabella Muller-Kahle Cecile R. Neidig Sarah A. Nelson Sophia E. Nolas Wendy M. Nulty Kathryn E. Ott James V. Parsons Nicholas A. Pellegrino William J. Pickett Maria-Elena Placakis Daniel Prada Nita Prelvukaj Michelle K. Quinn Maryam H. Rahaman Geena M. Roth Molly E. Schroeder Valerie Shatilov Halina A. Shatravka Yekaterina Shtulberg Dominika Sieruta John Joseph Soboll-Mueller Jessica M. Son Alexa N. Spiegel Tyler J. Tagliaferro Jeannie Tang Kelsey J. Tetzlaff Sydney I. Thornell Jason R. Toledano Magdalena S. Valenti Juily A. Vasandani Andreina C. Vegas Goetz James M. Vicari Daniel Villar Anna Maria Voitko Shiyi Wang Linyun Wei Christopher R. Wilson Shelley Wu Jenna K. Wyman Claudia Zbrzeski

Class of 2018 Naika C. Accimeus Adam Agababayev Soukaina Alaoui El Hassani Emily H. Allen Isabelle C. Andre Christopher A. Artun Aigerim Askarova Mariam A. Attia Alexandra E. Babin Madalyn D. Baker Jenna R. Battaglia Alam Berlas James C. Berrigan Jasmin E. Castillo Shay S. Chang Nicole C. Charland Olivia Chen Yi Er Chen Elka N. Chowdhury Sammi Chung Jacklyn K. Corsitto Megan E. Crane Kara A. Davis Sophie Dawson Chandler J. Dean Leah N. DeGruchy Muhammad A. El Shatanofy Alexa R. Elmy Desiree R. Ewing Bianca Fantacci Samantha J. Grech Chloe L. Gronsbell Vincent S. Gunn Mayra A. Gutierrez Stephanie Harb Lienne Y. Harrington Chaudhary Harris Angelica M. Hill Rebecca K. Hodgson Elodie M. Huston Jason S. Irukulapati Lia F. Isono Emily J. Janik Sandra Jovic Enisa Kahari Kathleen Kanaley Jessica Kar Connor J. Kelly Liliane A. Kelly Madeleine L. Kim Tae Y. Kim Federico G. KlinkertAscanio Ariel C. Kovlakas Nicole M. Kuchta Aaron J. Lascano Sheena A. Legall Benjamin C. Lew Emily E. Lewis Lucas A. Lonergan Isabel G. Mallon Konstantina V. Manis Annalisa Martini Kayla T. Matteucci Henry M. McCall Shaina J. McGregor Juliet E. Mengaziol Nicholas N. Mercurio

Alex X. Merritt Sydney E. Milrose Keir Olivia R. Miranda Ciara Melissa Montalla Mariam Moustafa Blendi Muriqi Elizabeth L. Nadramia Christina E. Napolitano Andrew Ng Thomas S. O’Callaghan Jonathan I. Olmez Amber Parris Alyssa J. Pearson Marina R. Poudret Maxym Prybyla Casey A. Puglisi Taina B. Quiles Sabrina Rahman Divina Ramgopal Benedetto Regalbuto Ashley M. Rivera Claudia L. Rodriguez Emily K. Ryan Caitlin E. Sakdalan Arzu Salman Mary C. Sanders Maria Sawiris Ashley N. Schumacher Sophia M. Scott Olivia Seaburg Mariea M. Sekijima Connor C. Sick Roberto Sistoso Sabrina Sohan Kathleen A. Stanovick Amanda M. Stapp Brett M. Taylor Jessica A. Toufayan Keely C. Van Buren Luca R. Vettori Joslin B. Vezeau Sarah R. Vidal Rayna J. Weingord Daniel M. Wilson Nopell Wong Xiaomeng Xian Siwen Xie Yuanhong Xie Shengzhe Xu Kathy S. Yoo Alaina A. Yuresko Ana Zeneli

Class of 2019 Christina M. Aguirre Sarah A. Ambrose Olivia M. Anderson Joshua T. Anthony Maryanna Antoldi Conor J. Antoniou Michael J. Appler Travis G. Aprile Gumana F. Attal Kennedy L. Bagwell Adam S. Bailey Maya E. Banitt Elizabeth A. Bellitto Gladys Bendahan Lydia A. Benner Kevin Berlanga Briana J. Boland Mikaela S. Brandon Shirina D. Braun Noor A. Brewster Michaela R. Browner Emily T. Bruno Virginia R. Bush Vanessa N. Cardino Terrence Carson Erin K. Clifford Kaetlyn K. Conner Josephine I. Cooke Katherine A. Coombs Kyle C. Craven Sara C. Crisman Abigail C. Cross Lydia G. Culp Alison B. Dalafave Emily E. Davancens Anjelica R. Davis Elizabeth J. Davis Anna M. DeRusso Joanna A. DiBiase Dominique M. Dobransky Witold Dziekan Leslie M. Edelstein Amanda K. Egan Nora Elnagar Sara B. Erickson Anthony S. Farrell Miranda Febus Adele L. Fisk Anne E. Fitzsimmons Renata I. Francesco Maeve F. Gesualdi Mariel H. Gesualdi Francesco E. Giacomarra Jennifer M. Godinho David B. Gonyer Jenna L. Goucher Sean Grishpan Johana K. Guerrero Ummay Habiba

Emma L. Hasselbach Lara Heard Julia M. Heller Tasha M. Hess-Neustadt Tori H. Hey Kara A. Hogan Claire M. Holmes Tania Houwayek Juqiao Hui Thania Hussain Renee A. Iglesias Catherine W. Imossi Linda J. Infantino Sumire H. Ishige Sabrina D. Jen Carol W. Jeong Ming Jing Samantha J. Jumper Panagiota Kaloghirou Sam E. Kaltenthaler Colleen P. Kelly Phillip A. Kerger James C. Kichuk Alesha B. Kilayko Catherine Korsh Stephan C. Kozub John Luke Krieg-Venables Evan M. Laverdure Victoria L. Leahy Ilana M. Lemack Gabriella E. Lennon Jiaxin Lin James W. Linacre Katherine S. Liu Marissa E. Lopez Casey Luneva Lucy Y. Luneva Siming Luo Emily M. Madore Daniel M. Magaldi Anastasia P. Mahoney Eugenia Mantikas Danielle K. Marshall ZenyRose M. Mateo Katie Q. Maurer Mary Kate McGranahan Cristina N. Mendez Erica K. Messina Kyoka M. Millard Luke Momo Sultana Morioum Hannah F. Murphy Siobhan M. Murray Annamarie N. Nistico Julie M. Norris Jessica R. Nosal Lucy M. O’Brien Callan O’Shea Olga Ossipova Lauren P. Pagano Samantha A. Pajonas Kathryn A. Parker Rachele Perla Joshua M. Ptak-Pressman Reese M. Ravner Carmen L. Recio Alexa B. Reidenauer Alexandra D. Richardson Katharine P. Richardson Katherine A. Riley Selena N. Robinson Robert S. Ross Isotta V. Sala Brandon J. SatzJacobowitz Jaclyn M. Scerbak Deanna Scorciolla Lela Seekwar Nicole G. Shapiro Colin A. Sheeley Maria A. Shinas Caroline P. Shriver Mega Sidharta Kelly A. Smith Austin A. Spero Genia N. Stanescki Milana E. Stein Morgan P. Steward Joseph F. Sullivan Emily Szymanski Alexa G. Tovar Jeffrey P. Umbrell Saya Uotani Nicole J. Wagner Isabel L. Wallace-Green Caitlyn A. Walsh Rebecca Wegner Fiona V. Whalen Nora M. Wheelehan Sabrina T. White Michael A. Wieck-Sosa Justyna Witkowska Kayla E. Wolf Eamon A. Wolfgram Jessica Wu Vivian Wu Nijun Xie Nuo Xu Mingxiao V. Yang Xinyi Yang Nicolette H. Yee Bolin Zhang Wanting Zhou Andronika Zimmerman

Features

Features Editors Ruby Buddemeyer - rbuddemeyer@fordham.edu Reese Ravner - rravner@fordham.edu

October 13, 2016 THE OBSERVER

Social Good Summit Emphasizes Empowerment

By OLIVIA LABARGE Contributing Writer

“Think higher, feel deeper.”

Henry Timms, the Executive Director of the 92nd St. Y, opened the second day of the Social Good Summit with Elie Wiesel’s moving sentiment. Professor Wiesel’s words mirrored the themes of the conference, which focused on technology’s impact on social good initiatives around the world today.

The Social Good Summit is a conference held every year during the United Nations General Assembly week, bringing together leaders and activists from around the world to share and discuss solutions to the problems facing today’s world.

Audience members heard speakers from all over the world lecture on issues that have the potential to be solved through the use of technology. Presentations concentrated on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, ameliorating current day crises from overfishing to cancer. There are 17 SDGs that together target ameliorating people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. For the complete list of SDGs, visit the United Nations’ Sustainable Development website.

Though notable names were not hard to find at this summit, Vice President Joe Biden’s presentation on the Cancer Moonshot was certainly a remarkable part of the programming. He focused on the fact that this generation is facing imminent breakthroughs towards a cure.

However, he emphasized the fact that we have to change the current culture of the research being done and make all information accessible for global collaboration, so that collectively we may stride forward to a cure once and for all.

Woven throughout the summit, which highlighted the importance of technology in advancing towards societal betterment, was

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS MADEIRA

Multiple leaders in social activism, such as Vice President Joe Biden and Demi Lovato, spoke at the summit.

a mandate to focus on women and youth as the key to unlocking a better world for all of us. In the coming years, the work that has been put in by empowered women and the youth of our generation will create a better world. Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kristian Jensen, pointed out, “The girls need to be on the field. We can’t win if half the world’s population is on the bench.

We need girls to play.”

On issues ranging from the environment to the economy, speakers used statistics and their own stories to remind the audience that women are at the forefront of this endeavor for achievement of the SDGs, and that without recognizing women as a driving force of this change, it will not happen. Patricia Gualinga, a Kichwa leader from Sarayaku, Ec-

uador, presented with Alec Baldwin on the importance of environmental preservation in the Amazon, working with SDG 13, “Climate Action.” She advocated for the indigenous people of Ecuador against oil companies. Staking her claim in spite of the dismissals of big corporations, she said, “We’re not just poor indigenous people. We’re contributing valuable resources to the

world through the rainforest.”

Dell’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Elizabeth Gore, shed light on the reality of the business situation. Her time on stage focused on the fact that we are in the midst of a global revolution, but “if women aren’t leading this revolution, we aren’t going to get anywhere.” She emphasized that one of the greatest resources that our economy has access to is women. Gore continued to explain that if the gender imbalance is to move more towards equality in the business sector, we need to be investing in women. She pointed out that female entrepreneurs in the United States have access to only seven percent of the capital availed to invest into their businesses. Gore explained that if we invest in women, the return will diversify and strengthen the overall economy.

Gore’s presenting partner, Sarah Collins, made it clear that it is imperative that we proceed ethically in business, creating and working with profitable companies with purposeful practices. Ideally, we should be able to use technology as a foundation for new businesses and to advance them to their full potential.

The Sustainable Development Goals will be difficult, but not impossible, to accomplish by 2030.

These goals are inarguably necessary to create the highest quality of life for the world’s population. The Social Good Summit clearly evidenced that these goals are absolutely attainable if we continue working and developing consciously with the technology we have available at our fingertips. Listening closely, though, audience members should have walked away with the message that millennials must create this lasting change. Commanding the empowerment of women and youth is the only way that these goals will be reached by 2030. This is our world, and we are the ones who have to propel ourselves forward.

Jackson Katz Discusses White Masculinity, Trump and the 2016 Election

By STEPHAN KOZUB News Co-Editor

For those following the presidential election, the most important issues may be immigration policies, tax records or trade agreements.

Award-winning scholar-activist Jackson Katz, however, argues for the discussion of a different topic: white male identity politics.

Katz—an educator, author, filmmaker and cultural theorist—gave a presentation on masculinity and the presidency on Sept. 29 at Fordham Law, four days after the first debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Katz, however, has been interested in gender for quite a while before this election cycle. During his time in college, he discovered the “basic feminist idea” that “gender is one of the primary axes around which societies are organized.”

“I understood immediately— this is when I was like, 18 years old—that that has as many implications for men’s lives as it does for women’s lives,” he said. For him, gender needs to be seen as a category that does not equal women, but also includes men. This “linguistic invisibility” of men is how power functions, Katz argues.

As a result of Katz’s interest in gender, he began to speak out about men’s violence against women, something that he continues to do to this day. “I knew as a man that I was in a position to do something about it,” he said.

Since his college days, Katz

STEPHAN KOZUB/THE OBSERVER

Katz gave a talk on masculinity in politics at Fordham Lincoln Center.

co-founded Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), began the U.S. Military’s first worldwide gender violence prevention program, made two award-winning educational videos and gave a TED talk— “Violence against Women is a Men’s Issue”—that has been viewed over 2.5 million times. To top it all off, he has authored multiple books, the most recent one being “Man Enough? Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and the Politics of Presidential Masculinity.”

For Katz, gender politics is one of the key issues of presidential politics and is shown most prominently this year in the white male

identity politics of Donald Trump.

“The only way for Trump to win the presidency is by getting something close to 70 percent of the white male vote, because he’s behind and has been and likely will continue to be very far behind among women and among people of color,” he said. “He has to make up the deficit by winning enormously among white men.”

Appealing to white male voters is not a campaign strategy unique to Donald Trump, however. According to Katz, white male identity politics has been a part of Republican presidential campaigns since Richard Nixon ran against George

McGovern in 1972.

Katz said that in his campaign, Nixon appealed to white male voters by offering them cultural recognition and validation as patriotic Americans, rather than promising them policies such as better wages or working conditions. By using this strategy and framing McGovern as un-American, Nixon was able to win in a landslide victory, taking 49 states. Since then, the Republican Party’s appeal to white male voters has only increased.

Citing a ABC News/Washington Post poll, Katz said that Trump leads Hillary Clinton among white men without college degrees by 59 percentage points. This phenomenon is because appealing to white male voters is a central part of his campaign, Katz said, and was shown most prominently by Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager.

On Aug. 31, Trump gave a speech on immigration. When asked about it later, “Corey Lewandowski replied that the goal of that speech was to ‘lock in white men,’” Katz said. “In other words, the Trump campaign knows exactly what they’re doing in terms of appealing to white male voters and they know that that’s the key to winning the election.”

Katz predicted that this election will feature the highest gender gap in modern political history, where women will vote strongly against Trump and for Clinton and men will do the opposite. This gender gap, Katz noted, is most pronounced in the white vote.

To Katz, the idea that the Republican Party is the best vehicle for the aspirations of white males, especially those in the working class, is a “completely topsy-turvey understanding of the world.”

“Part of what frustrates me is that I totally disagree with that argument,” he said. “I think that the best interest of white men is voting for progressive candidates and liberal candidates who are going to support public education and support healthcare for working families and use the power of the federal government to invest in job creation. So what these millions of white men are doing is voting against what I consider their own interests.”

Ultimately for Katz, the Republican Party’s and Trump’s appeal to white male voters boils down to the candidate’s slogan.

“The ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan for Donald Trump, I think you could really translate that as saying ‘Put White Men Back on Centerstage Again,’” Katz said.

“Because I think a big part of Donald Trump’s appeal is visceral and emotional to a lot of white men who feel like they’ve been left behind, they’ve been sort of neglected, and because there’s been so much focus on the women and people of color and all of these other sort of emerging groups. And so Donald Trump represents their attempt to make a strong statement that ‘We’re here and we matter and we were important to this country, we still are important to this country.’”

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER

October 13, 2016

Features

19

Alumna Excels as Assistant Fashion Buyer

By RUBY BUDDEMEYER Features Co-Editor

Where do you picture yourself one year after graduation? Most Fordham University students hope to be settling into their dream careers. The disheartening reality is, however, that the post-graduation job search can be a daunting and difficult task. Meet the exception: Savaria Drumm, Gabelli School of Business (GSB) ’15. After graduating only a year ago, Drumm is now an Assistant Buyer at a major U.S. department store, blending her copious internship experience with her strong passion and drive.

After transferring from Tulane University, Drumm began her Fordham career as a sophomore. A Business Administration major, Drumm was unsure of her true passions and goals. Drumm elaborated, “I feel like everyone in college doesn’t know exactly what they want to do… I knew New York would have great opportunities for [fashion], I knew that was a big interest of mine, but I didn’t know that was exactly what I wanted to do.”

Drumm immediately adapted to the fast pace of the city and became one of the many Fordham students attempting to balance school and work. Drumm spearheaded her career with an internship at leading beauty publication Allure Magazine.

Savaria was an Integrated Marketing Intern and described her impressive position humbly. “It was a pretty rigorous internship actually,” she noted, “but I loved that internship.”

While some days were spent playing with makeup, the majority of her work at Allure was spent on the business operations end. Drumm explained, “What I think that you’ll find with any job that you’re in, if it’s within business I should say, that there is always the glamorous side to it, but then there is also the business side to it. Because I was on the publishing side, I saw more of the business side of it versus the editorial side of it. But I also got to see the connection between the two, and I really enjoyed it.”

For Savaria, Allure was only the beginning. “After that, I will say I did try to intern every semester I was [at Fordham]. Other than my first semester, I was always working, including summers.” Drumm completed four more internships during her time at Fordham, explor-

“ What I think

that you’ll find with any job that you’re in...that there is always the glamorous side to it, but there is also the business side to it.”

SAVARIA DRUMM, GSB ’15

COURTESY OF SAVARIA DRUMM

One year removed from Fordham, Drumm is already a fasion success.

ing branding at Pandiscio, public relations at the interior design firm Head and Hand PR, V.I.P. public relations at fashion powerhouse Gucci and last, fashion recruiting at ARTiFECT. Savaria appreciated the structure of corporate companies like Conde Nast, but also valued the hands-on feeling of smaller start-ups. She recounted her experience, “ I felt like at Head and Hand it was the first time I was actually being given my own responsibilities that I was accountable for... at [smaller companies] you’re a little bit more involved and [you] have more responsibility—maybe more ownership is the better way to put it.”

How did Savaria score such an impressive resumé? Drumm pointed to her peers and emphasized the importance of networking. “Your classmates are great networking partners if you’re ever looking for something. Ask around, see if anyone knows of anything or if they’ve done something that they really liked that you might be interested

in,” she suggested. In addition to networking, Savaria encourages Fordham students to take advantage of Career Services, which she credits for helping her land her current job. “It was a Fordham career fair,” she explained, “[and] I was super nervous for it. I was a senior, and at that point you are stressing because you want to find a job immediately.”

After scouring the tables, Savaria hit it off with the recruiter and applied for the department store’s Executive Training Program in Merchandising. Drumm noted that most department stores host training programs, like hers, that guide prospective employees to various positions. “They essentially train you for four months and at the end of the training program you’re offered a permanent position, if all goes well.”

She added, “It’s a test period for them to feel you out and for you to feel the company out.”

Savaria went through a series of three interview phases to get the position. The first interview was

conducted at Fordham and the second was an online test. She laughed, “It felt like the SATS all over again.”

Drumm then moved onto the third, onsite round.

Savaria described the training program as four months of school.

She said, “There is a lot of math in my job, so it’s a lot of technical training.” Savaria was originally placed in training for the planning team, which is responsible for creating and maintaining budgets with the buying team. After completing the intense training, by fortuity, Savaria was offered a position as a member of the buying team. “I was really excited because I really had wanted to be a buyer, but it was also terrifying because you’ll find in any training program—it’s super frustrating to not know what you’re doing,” she recalled. Regardless of nervous, sleepless nights spent doing math in her head, Savaria embarked into the buying world and has only excelled.

As an assistant buyer, Savaria’s days are packed. Drumm’s tasks differ daily, but they range from writing orders, re-orders, returns to vendors, shipping and negotiating.

She tells me, “A lot of negotiating happens on the buying side. More so than planning I would say. You’re constantly negotiating with your vendors on what they can do for you and what you can do for them. So that’s a much bigger part of it than I thought it would be.”

Drumm’s favorite aspect of being an assistant buyer is attending market, where vendors reveal their upcoming lines to prospective buyers. Savaria is responsible for writing

very large orders, sometimes reaching 100-115 styles per order which can come out to a whopping $3 million at retail, and this is monthly. As the vendors line up their collection by classification (i.e. knits, wovens, dresses, etc), Drumm sits with her buyer and assists his process. She said, “[My boss] is really great and he’ll ask for my opinion and I’ll put in my two cents. I think the biggest praise I get from my boss is that I speak up in market.”

One of the most difficult aspects of buying is prioritizing your customer and minimizing the influence of your personal style. Savaria noted, “You want to go in there and pick everything you like, but you can’t do that. You need to be thinking in your customer’s head.” Drumm explained that she is lucky in that she buys for women’s contemporary, but it is common to get assigned to unfamiliar territory. “People [buy for] men’s, or shoes, or men’s shoes and you’re not buying necessarily what you would buy. You have to think about your customer and do research on what they like.”

Savaria says her most noteworthy task thus far as an assistant buyer has been taking the lead in her boss’s absence at a major market. “My boss was away for one of our markets, and he decided that I would go all by myself… it was a $3,000,000 order and he was like ‘Alright, go do it.’” Drumm rose to the challenge and her chosen styles hit stores in November.

The perks that come alongside buying positions may seem glamorous in appearance, like attending fashion week, but Drumm notes the math and business-oriented tasks as the defining components of her job.

She urges aspiring fashion buyers, “You need to be a multi-tasker, you need to be pretty strong, and oh my gosh, learn excel like the back of your freaking hand!”

As for the future, Savaria is still determining her career path. “You are learning so much in the same way as an internship, of what you want to do and what you don’t want to do,” she said.

“I can definitely see myself staying in the industry. Whether or not I stay on the buying side I have no idea yet, but I have a great mentor and I’m learning a lot so I definitely want to keep taking advantage of that.” Laughing, she added, “But I also really want to play it by ear.”

Rainbow Alliance Offers Safe Space For Students

By MOISES MENDEZ Contributing Writer

When discussing the LGBT+ acronym, it’s always important to include the “+” at the end. This reminds us that our community doesn’t just include lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people. The “+” is all inclusive, encompassing intersex, questioning youth, allies, those who identify as asexual, demisexual, polysexual/polyamorous, pansexual; the list seems limitless and is added to constantly. When you’re a part of Rainbow Alliance at Fordham Lincoln Center, you’ll always be included.

At the group’s first meeting, the theme was “Ice Cream and Identities.” Members were served ice cream and talked about all the identities within the LGBT+ alphabet soup.

But, before we dove into the fun, we were all asked to introduce ourselves with our name, preferred pronouns, how we identify ourselves, and of course – the most important aspect of who we are – our favorite ice cream flavor. Some used terms that aren’t common but are gaining more attention as people continue to identify themselves as such. One member said that they were pansexual, anoth-

IAN SOKOLOWSKI/THE OBSERVER

From left: Auge, Doman, Muñoz and Francesco comprise the E-Board.

er member identified as queer. These identities aren’t completely foreign, but are less used than someone identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual.

During this first meeting, the group also debunked the misconceptions surrounding the different identities in the LGBT+ acronym.

The members began to uncover some common misunderstandings about sexual identity and gender

identity. We talked about the difference between pansexual and bisexual, what being aromantic means as opposed to asexual and various other topics. This meeting consisted of all the members teaching one another and clarifying these misconceptions. For example, one member said, “There’s a common misconception that bisexual and pansexual are the same thing.” This person con-

tinued to debunk and clarify why people thought this and educated everyone on the difference between the two.

Lyndsey Auge, FCLC ’19, who just began her first year as President of Rainbow Alliance, talked about what the main objective of the club was. Auge said, “The objective, mainly, is to provide a safe place for students within the LGBT+ community and to have a place that offers an education about different identities, as well as topics within the communities. Aside from being a place to get some education, it also serves as place to build a community and have a family on campus.”

Outside of the general meetings that they hold every Tuesday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Atrium, they have events throughout the school year to expand their safe space to other LGBT+ students and allies on campus. “[One event] we have [is] ‘Cue The Spotlight’ in the fall. It’s an art showcase, in which you can show queer art, if you choose, or you can come and support queer artists.

The night can consist of slam poetry, spoken word, music, etc. People have also shown paintings that they’ve done,” Auge said.

Their biggest event of the year is

Queer Prom, which, even if you’re not a part of the LGBT+ community, you should be excited for. Auge explained, “At the end of the year, we host Queer Prom, which last year was Rocky Horror-themed. It’s a fun time to listen to music, dance and eat free food. There’s always free food.”

Anytime a club mentions free food, everyone knows that students will always attend. Auge also mentioned that the group is looking into a trip to Big Gay Ice Cream downtown in East Village.

In addition to its exciting events planned for the year, Rainbow Alliance is one of the most accepting and inviting groups on campus. You don’t have to be queer to join and if you are queer, they’ll make you feel proud to be queer. If you need a reason to join Rainbow Alliance, here’s what the president of the club had to say: “Rainbow is an accepting place, it’s a safe space for all to come and be who they are. It can also provide a space to learn about themselves and learn about others.” Auge explained that in Rainbow, you build a sense of family “that you really grow to care about.” If you’re still figuring yourself out, Rainbow Alliance is a safe and comfortable community to utilize.

Sports & Health

Sports Editor Mohdshobair Hussaini - mhussaini2@fordham.edu October 13, 2016 THE OBSERVER

Fordham Prepares for Ram-Crusader Cup

By MOHDSHOBAIR HUSSAINI Sports Editor

For some, when they think of November, the images that come to mind are Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

For students, the month of November is a reminder of the last weeks of the semester before finals begin. This year, for Fordham University’s football team, the month of November is one intrigue anticipation and excitement, as the Ram-Crusader Cup is scheduled for Nov. 12 at the Yankee Stadium.

The Ram-Crusader Cup is the name of the trophy awarded to the winner of the annual game between the Fordham University Rams and the College of Holy Cross Crusaders.

The cup was dedicated in memory of Major Frank W. Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh, nicknamed the “Iron Major,” spent three seasons as the head coach at Holy Cross (1903–1905). A little over two decades later, he began the first of six seasons as a head coach at Fordham (1927–1932). Ever since, the cup has been dedicated to relive the rivalry between these two storied teams.

This year’s face-off will mark the 54th overall meeting between Fordham and Holy Cross, with the Crusaders leading the all-time series 27–24–2. However, the Rams have been victorious for the previous four years. Fordham will look to extend that streak to five years on Nov. 12 and keep the coveted cup at Rose Hill.

There is much excitement roaring around campus about this matchup, mainly because it is taking place at such an iconic venue as Yankee Stadium. This excitement is not only limited to the students-athletes, but also the rest of the Fordham family.

Greg Marmaros, Fordham University’s Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations, expressed his enthusiasm for this game. “Only a handful of teams in the country have had such an opportunity. We consider ourselves New York City’s college football team. He said the fact that we can compete in such an iconic venue such as Yankee Stadium is very special to us.”

COURTESY OF DEX(07)/FLICKR

Yankee Stadium will host the 2016 Ram-Crusader Cup, a storied rivalry between Fordham and Holy Cross.

The Rams have been victorious for the previous four years. Fordham will look to extend that streak to five years on Nov. 12 and keep the coveted cup at Rose Hill.

This thrill extends to the studentathletes as well. Starting running back Chase Edmonds, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’18, said, “I’m excited to have the opportunity to play at Yankee Stadium. That’s something that I won’t ever forget of my football experiences.”

For the student-athletes, the preparation for this game is no different than any other game. Starting quarterback Kevin Anderson, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH ’17), explained, “As a team, we pride ourselves on preparing at a championship standard. Therefore, we will prep for our game against

Holy Cross the same way we prep for every game.” This is the mentality that Head Coach Andrew Breiner and his team strictly uphold. In other words, each game is equally important in reaching the ultimate goal of winning a Patriot League Championship. Marmaros echoed similar words in his message to the Fordham community, saying, “We need you there. We are a Ramily. Help us win a Patriot League Championship.”

The Nov. 12 matchup is the second-to-last game of the season for Fordham University’s football team.

The result of this meeting is crucial in Fordham reaching its goal of a

Patriot League Championship title.

Basically, the Patriot League team with the highest conference record at the end of the regular season will automatically receive a berth into the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision(FCS).

Consequently, each league game is equally weighted for Fordham football.

Another component to a successful Ram-Crusader Cup is a large turnout. Anderson emphasized this, saying, “I would like my fellow Rams to come out and become hyped for such a memorable game in Fordham football history. It would be amazing if the entire school came out and the tickets were sold out.” Edmonds relayed a similar sentiment. “My message to all Fordham fans is to try their best to come out and support us at the game. It’s something that can be really exciting, especially with a large crowd,” he said.

It was Fordham’s turn to go up to Massachusetts to face off against Holy Cross this year, but once the

opportunity at Yankee Stadium presented itself, the Crusaders accepted the circumstances under the condition that they were the home team.

However, the game shouldn’t feel different than any other home game.

Marmaros articulated, “Even though we are the away team, we are in the Bronx playing at Yankee Stadium.

We are New York City’s college football team. It will sure as hell feel like a home game with our alumni, fans and students supporting us that Saturday.”

Marmaros agreed that it was imperative to have as much student support as possible. “I wish we could have as many students as we can attend this game. They’re a pretty big reason why we are 25–2 at home, because they’re there every week to support us. I hope this student support extends to the Westchester and Lincoln Center campuses as well.”

Earlier in September, 1,000 tickets were given away for free solely to students. Marmaros added, “The first 1,000 tickets free for students went by pretty quick.” However, the good news is that students who weren’t able to pick up a free ticket have the opportunity to purchase a discounted ticket for $20. That is still a reasonable deal for students, considering Main Level tickets are being sold for $54.50.

As for how Fordham’s front office is preparing for the game, Marmaros stated that a successful competition is accomplished with the organization’s weekly meetings. “We have weekly meetings with a committee to discuss the game and we are approaching, reaching our audience. Considering the game is in our backyard, we have a lot of alumni nearby. We’re hoping they come out to the game,” Marmaros said.

Marmaros finished off with a message to all Fordham fans: “When you think of Fordham, we are truly a family. This game is at Yankee Stadium and we need everybody to support us.

I know that by Nov. 12, we will have a ton of support, like we always do.”

The game will kick off at 3 p.m, and tickets can be purchased online via the Fordham Athletics website.

Athletes, Don’t Forget Your Vegetables

By JADE GRIFFIN Contributing Writer

The importance of eating healthy is often overlooked by athletes. As a former athlete, I often thought that since I was burning calories through playing sports, I could eat whatever I wanted. Yet the impact that eating healthy has on one’s athletic performance is profound. Whether playing a sport or simply being regularly active, incorporating green vegetables into one’s diet can directly boost one’s athletic performance.

Take Venus and Serena Williams, world-renowned tennis players, for example. These sisters follow a raw vegan diet during their tennis season. As a result of being diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome in 2011, Venus’ doctor recommended a vegan diet to counter her most prevalent symptom: fatigue. In solidarity, Serena joined her. When asked what she eats, Venus told Glamour Health Magazine, “I eat mostly healthy. Lots of vegetables and green juices—good sources of carbohydrates and proteins, like beans and lentils. I have big salads with raw vegetables. Lots of good stuff.”

Subsequently, the Williams sisters’ remarkable accomplishments speak volumes, claiming their sixth Wimbledon doubles title and 14th doubles Grand Slam in July of this

JESS LUSZCZYK/THE OBSERVER

A healthy diet is crucial in enhancing athletic performance.

year. Serena even won the 2016 Wimbledon championship, making that her 22nd Grand Slam title.

Achievements aside, their stunning physique gives us all plenty of body envy.

Countless health benefits are rooted in just the nutrients and vitamins found in green vegetables and dark leafy greens. Fiber, which can be found in such vegetables, is the key to healthy digestion, as it allows the body to eliminate waste quickly and effectively. Therefore, high fiber intake can lead to a healthier weight, in which athletes focus on main-

taining. The high amount of Vitamin K and calcium found in vegetables contributes to bone health, greatly lowering the risk of injury.

Lutein and zeaxanthin, also found in dark leafy greens gives athletes heightened visual awareness when playing sports.

Highly processed foods do nothing but harm the body, as they are low in nutrients and loaded with added sugar. Robert Madden, Ph.D. and lecturer in biology at Fordham University. said, “A difficulty with the modern American diet, which is often high in processed foods, is too

many empty calories. That is, with high fat and carbohydrate content, they meet caloric needs, but are deficient in other nutrients.” Such processed foods, like breakfast cereals, cheese and potato chips, sabotage our diets with unhealthy fats. Consuming vegetables instead complements the body in greater ways.

Madden continued, “Vegetables typically contain substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals and fiber relative to caloric content.” He continued, “Therefore including vegetables in the diet increases the intake of these important nutrients while making a smaller contribution to caloric intake than is true for many processed foods.” The perpetual list of nutrients found in vegetables is exceptional, as are the benefits to athletes.

Protein is an athlete’s source of fuel and can be consumed in a variety of ways. Protein shakes, seemingly the holy grail of protein in every male athlete’s life, are not the greatest source. These shakes are often incredibly high in calories and are commonly used as meal substitutes, yet they are specifically high in protein and thus unreliable as a complete source of nutrition. Meat, also praised as being a go-to source of protein, falls short in many ways.

Loaded with salt and chemicals, meat opens the door to numerous

health complications such as heart disease and cancer. Surprisingly, broccoli actually contains more protein per calorie than beef does, and is cruelty-free, on top of that. Additionally, it provides a plethora of fiber, amino acids and vitamin B6.

Students should take this into account before turning a blind eye to broccoli and other protein-packed vegetables.

Considering the number of athletes at Fordham University, it is important to examine how eating green vegetables can complement your performance. Activity aside, eating vegetables, green or not, is one of the best things you can do for your body. Fordham University Dietitian Melanie Simeone stated that eating green vegetables long term “usually results in a healthier digestive tract, healthier body weight (assuming balance with other nutrients and calories) and fewer nutrient deficiencies.”

This continual consumption is certainly not as difficult as it seems, either. Simeone recommends simple tasks such as adding vegetables to an omelet, choosing veggie pizza and swapping french fries for a baked potato. With a creative spin and a positive attitude on how you eat vegetables, they can be incorporated into your diet with ease, destroying the limits on athletic success.