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The True Price of Jumping a Turnstile
By NICOLE PERKINS Features Editor
Students wanting to travel throughout the city would face quite an obstacle without access to a subway station — es-
pecially the widely-used 66th Street, Columbus Circle and 57th Street. All of these happen to fall within Transit Bureau District (TBD) 1 — also known as the busiest section of the New York City
subway system. TBD 1 has also seen the most fare evasion enforcements within the Mass Transit Authority (MTA). Logically, this would lead one to infer that TBD 1 is the most se-
verely patrolled district. Except TBD 1 has one of the lowest enforcements per fare evader in New York City. Compare it to TBD 23, which includes Rockaway to Jamaica Plains, which,
despite having the fewest riders, has twice as many enforcements per swipe as any other district. The difference between the two areas: TBD 1 is wealthier — and whiter.
see SUBWAY SUBWAY page 18 ANDREW BEECHER /THE OBSERVER
Fare evasion has become an increasingly hot issue in light of the hundreds of new officers patrolling the subway stations and fining more riders than ever.
Trump’s Acquittal Sparks Rally By KATRINA LAMBERT Asst. News Editor
Following President Donald Trump’s acquittal by the Senate and conclusion of his impeachment trial, thousands of protestors responded by mobilizing at Columbus Circle, just one block away from Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. The protest took place on Feb. 5 at 5:30 p.m. as a part of a larger campaign by “Reject The Cover-Up,” a coalition of protest groups that joined together weeks before the Senate ended Trump’s impeachment trial without calling witnesses. This was the third time in American history that a president has stood trial after a formal impeachment inquiry. Representing Trump in his trial was Pat Cipollone, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’88, who graduated with a degree in economics. After a complaint filed by a federal employee in August 2019, Trump was accused of putting pressure on the president of Ukraine to investigate his political rivals in exchange for military aid and access to the White House. The House see RALLY page 3
As Losses Mount, Fans Want New Coach By PATRICK MOQUIN Sports & Health Editor
Many Lincoln Center students have never attended a Fordham men’s basketball game, but if they were to go, they would immediately make two basic observations: the auditorium is inexplicably packed, and the Rams are likely behind on the scoreboard.
But if newcomers stuck around after the final buzzer sounded, they might catch on to some smaller details. The boos become raucous in the student section and the cardboard “Fire Neubauer” signs come out. At this point, the Lincoln Center student would probably ask themselves, “Who is this Neubauer?”
Five years ago, many Fordham basketball players were asking themselves that very same question. Following the 2014-15 season, in which the Rams disappointed again with a 10-21 record, head coach Tom Pecora was fired. On March 30, 2015, Fordham hired Jeff Neubauer as his replacement, and while few see COACH page 19
February 19, 2020 VOLUME XL, ISSUE 3
University Celebrates Black History By SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS News Editor
Throughout February, the Black Student Alliance (BSA) and the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) organized events to celebrate Black History Month (BHM) at Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) with the goal of raising awareness and celebrating the achievements of black Americans and their role in American history. Ahmari Alford, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21 and president of BSA, said, “It is important to host BHM events at FCLC because of its status as a predominately white institution and its continued lack of effort to diversify its student body and accommodate and celebrate the few students of color on campus in any substantial way.” This year’s BHM theme, during the 150th anniversary of the 15th Amendment that gave black men the right to vote, is “African Americans and the Vote.” see BSA page 5
Upcoming Events
Feb. 20
Tabling: Beauty and Wellness LC Lowenstein Plaza, 11:30 a.m.
Feb. Feb. 21 21
Being Black at Fordham Panel RH Campbell Commons, 6 p.m.
Lecture with Saidiya Hartman LC LL 12th floor Lounge, 6 p.m.
Feb. 24 24 Feb.
Blackademics With OMA and CPS RH McGinley Center, 6 p.m.
Feb. Feb. 27 27 Black History Month Mixer LC (location TBA and time TBA)
Tabling: Black Community (music, art, movies)
LC Lowenstein Plaza, 11:30 a.m.
Feb. 29 Love Your Hair Expo COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
RH Bepler Commons, 11 a.m.
After five years coaching men’s basketball, Neubauer faces mounting criticism after consecutive failed seasons.
News
Opinions
Arts & Culture
Features
Sports & Health
Questions about broker’s fees leave renters confused
The death of civilization: the McKeon laundry room
Two original shows celebrate Black History Month
Where LC students socialized in the ’80s
First series ends in three blowouts
Page 7
Page 12
Page 18
Page 20
Future of Real Estate Page 4
McKeon Dirty Laundry Studio Double Bill
Fordham’s Former Pub Baseball Loses Big
The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center
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February 19, 2020 THE OBSERVER
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CPS Promises Free and Long-Term Services in Group Therapy
By MICHELLE AGARON Staff Writer
For most students around campus, knowledge of Fordham’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) has always centered around the 10 free individual sessions offered to students before they have to start paying for counseling. Although this limit may serve as a deterrent for some students, given the additional financial cost, CPS offers a free and long-term alternative: group therapy. Usually composed of five to six students, each group focuses on a different subject, including body image, being a woman of color, relationships, disabilities, or cultural differences for international students. The two most recent additions are the body image and cultural difference groups; the latter takes on a slightly atypical structure, as students meet weekly to discuss food-related adjustments while sampling food from various countries. Yael Uness, associate director and coordinator of counseling at CPS, co-runs five of the seven groups and has found the two relationship groups and the women of color group to be the most successful in terms of turnout and personal growth. She believes the relationship groups act as “microcosm(s) of social interactions,” as opposed to the more individual growth that characterizes one-on-one therapy. “There have been a lot of discussions about difficulty connecting with people beyond the
surface level, whether it be because we live in New York City or because of social media,” Uness said. “But in our groups, it feels like a true connection is formed. People feel empowered both by providing feedback to others and grow by receiving feedback from the other group members and facilitators.” Although Uness is pleased with the current performance of the groups, she feels that there is still room for improvement. Other than the continual goal of higher enrollment, she also mentioned the need for larger group counseling rooms. While Uness knows that many students turn away from group therapy because being vulnerable around other students sounds intimidating, the students who chose to participate almost unanimously agree that it had been a beneficial experience. “I wish people would trust me about how great the group experience can be when they first hear about it. I think there can be a huge barrier in sitting among a group full of people you don’t know and virtually every person says ‘this is not for me’ at first,” Uness said. “But when they try it, they realize that maybe this is for them. The long-term nature of group therapy is really priceless.” Anne Wang, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’22, was unaware that CPS provides free and long-term group therapy for students. However, after learning more about the groups offered, she was convinced that
Law School Launches Real Estate Degree By GUS DUPREE News Editor
Fordham School of Law will be the first law school in New York City and one of only six universities nationwide to offer a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in real estate. The 24-credit LL.M. course will take an academic year and is “intended for attorneys looking to deepen their understanding of real estate law or to open up new career opportunities in real estate,” according to Fordham’s website. Nestor Davidson, faculty director of the Fordham Urban Law Center and Albert A. Walsh chair in Real Estate, Land Use and Property Law, believes that there are many upsides to having a real estate master’s program situated in New York City. “The fact that we are in the global capital of real estate makes a big difference. If you’re going to be learning about how the development process works in its most complex forms, how real estate intersects in global capital markets ... you get a global perspective,” Davidson said. Students who already have a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree typically pursue an LL.M. in order to achieve greater knowledge in a particular subject in law, according to Davidson. Students pursuing Fordham’s LL.M. will take courses that emphasize real estate law, such as real estate finance, land use and affordable housing. The program will also offer courses for international students that give them an understanding of the U.S. legal system. According to Davidson, many of the students who have expressed interest in the new
program are international students. “Whether the mix is still mostly international or more students nationally, I’ll be curious to see how that unfolds,” Davidson stated. However, Davidson stressed that the real estate program’s curriculum isn’t limited just to the New York metropolitan area. “We’re not hoping to train only New York lawyers,” he said. The LL.M. program in real estate is the latest LL.M. track that the university offers. In addition to real estate, Fordham School of Law currently offers nine other LL.M. courses in subjects, including international business, trade law, corporate compliance and fashion law. The new LL.M. degree is not Fordham’s only real estate endeavor as of late. The School of Professional and Continuing Studies founded the Fordham University Real Estate Institute in 2016. The institute offers graduate certificates in subjects such as real estate finance and construction management, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in real estate. Davidson explained that Fordham’s recent interest in real estate reflects the university’s position in New York City, home to perhaps the most dynamic real estate market in the world. “The thing about real estate is that to be a good business leader, you need to understand the regulatory environment, financing, etc.,” Davidson explained. “You need to understand the market, the clients. The university sees that as important.” Applications for the LL.M. program are currently open, with class registration beginning on June 15.
ISABELLE DALBY/THE OBSERVER
Students can now meet in small groups to share their experiences and get guidance from facilitators.
more students should take advantage of this service. “I think a lot of students hesitate to attend group therapy because of the negative stigma around seeking help, but this sounds like a great opportunity. Having open and honest conversations with students from different backgrounds could be incredibly eye-opening and posi-
tively impact your life,” she said. For the rest of the 2019-20 academic year, there will be two groups meeting Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in 140W Room G02. The hour-long sessions take place at various times between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. and are led by staff facilitators. Based on data collected from surveys conducted by CPS, stu-
dents reported that the facilitators were “understanding and helpful,” and enjoyed the autonomy of teaching-based groups in which members took the lead in the conversation while facilitators directed conversation. Positive responses were seen across the board for all sessions and students genuinely enjoyed the experience.
Fordham Law Recognizes FirstGeneration Students and Alumni By GUS DUPREE News Editor
Fordham School of Law (LAW) hosted a panel of two first-generation judges and Fordham alumni to honor immigrant legal professionals. Students and alumni from Fordham School of Law, some of them first-generation immigrants themselves, gathered in the Gorman Moot Courtroom on the evening of Feb. 13 to hear the Honorable Denny Chin, LAW ’78, and Justice Maria Araujo Kahn, LAW ’89, talk about their experiences as immigrants in the United States. Chin’s grandfather first came to the United States illegally to work in 1916, when the Chinese Exclusion Act barred nearly all Chinese immigration into the country. In 1946, Chin’s grandfather became a U.S. citizen and was able to bring the rest of his family to New York in 1956. Chin arrived in the U.S. when he was only two years old. Chin credits his parents for instilling a hard work ethic within him, which he said was crucial in his studies and career. “We worked hard and did well in school, and that was, I think, the key to my success,” Chin said. Kahn was born in Angola, where her father sold shoemaking supplies. Kahn and her family lived in the capital of Luanda until they were forced to flee Angola when she was 10 years old in 1975 due to the Angolan Civil War. Her family chose the United States since her mother’s brother had citizenship, and immigration laws at the time gave top priority to refugees fleeing civil conflict. Both Chin and Kahn talked about the language barrier that they and their families experienced. Neither Chin nor Kahn’s parents could pay for their children’s education, and both worked throughout their time in school.
“My parents didn’t speak English. My father was a cook in Chinese restaurants and my mother was a seamstress in garment factories in Chinatown,” Chin said. Kahn’s parents also struggled. Only knowing their native Portuguese, they had to work in factories. She eventually learned English and acted as a translator for her family. “I knew what it was like to not speak the language, and I saw the impact it had on my family,” Kahn said.
Attendees, many of whom were firstgeneration immigrants, said they felt supported and inspired. Another difficulty that both judges said they faced was a lack of guidance from their parents. “Some of my classmates here had parents who were in the law (industry) and they could get a lot of guidance and assistance, and I felt at times I had a disadvantage,” Kahn said. Kahn earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) at Fordham School of Law in 1989 and is the first-ever recipient of the Noreen E. McNamara, LAW ’51, Memorial Endowed Scholarship. Kahn and Chin talked about the help and guidance that their professors gave them as they found their way through law school. When giving advice to students, both judges highly recommended that law students apply for clerkships. Law clerks typically assist judges in making decisions and legal opinions. Chin saw clerking as an effective way of building relationships with judges
and getting firsthand experience working on legal cases. “You’re learning about how the justice system works — you’re part of the administration of justice,” Chin said. Kahn encouraged students to explore their own interests and passions while also making sure not to lose sight of other opportunities. “Always pick opportunities that keep open more doors than closing them,” Kahn advised the crowd, assuring students that any experience they gain in their legal careers will only help them. “There have been times in my career where I have wound up in positions where I’d thought, ‘This isn’t where I envisioned myself being in, I’m at a dead-end,’ or at least that’s what I’d perceived. Every experience I had turned out to help me when I was applying to become a judge,” Kahn said. The panel then opened up to answer questions from the audience before transitioning to a catered reception in the Constantino Room on the second floor of the law school. Attendees and judges chatted and mingled among themselves for an hour, discussing the event and practicing their networking skills. Attendees, many of whom were also first-generation immigrants, said they felt supported and inspired by the judges’ stories. Mahnoor Misbah, LAW ’18 and first-generation immigrant from Pakistan, found that the judges’ recommendation of clerking resonated with her, as she is currently working as a law clerk. “I always want to deliver the best writing,” she said, feeling encouraged that the judges had also practiced clerking in their careers. Chris Mensa, LAW ’18, also enjoyed the panel. “I think it was a very inspiring event; having a vision for the future is very comforting,” he said.
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THE OBSERVER February 19, 2020
News
New Yorkers Demand Accountability After Trump’s Acquittal
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RALLY from page 1
of Representatives voted to impeach Trump on Dec. 18 on account of these accusations. At the end of the three-week trial, the Senate voted to acquit Trump of two impeachment charges: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. “Now that Trump’s impeachment trial has ended, progressives must do everything possible to hold Trump’s enablers accountable and reaffirm that no one in America, not even the president, is above the law,” the political director of Stand Up America, one of the “Reject The Cover-Up” leading coalition efforts, said in a press-release statement. The campaign organized the protest to demand accountability, democracy and reform in American politics. Among the protestors at Columbus Circle was Gabby Rivera, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’20. She was on her way home with friends when they accidentally passed through the protest and stopped to observe the scene before them.
The campaign organized the protest to demand accountability democracy and reform in American politics.
Protesters in Columbus Circle chanted “Trump is guilty” while Trump fans waved flags in his suport after the Senate found him not guilty on Feb. 5.
“The protest to me seemed like it was on the fly because I didn’t hear about it,” she said. According to Rivera, the NYPD set up the barricades for the protest and it appeared organized and well-contained. Around the outside of the barricades resided the proTrump supporters. “The Trump supporters had this very smug energy about them,” Rivera said. “They saw this as an absolute win.”
On the other side of the barricade, the protestors against the Senate decision were chanting “shame” and “Trump is guilty,” Rivera said. She agreed with the sentiments expressed by the protestors, however she questioned whether the protest was actually significant. “I felt like there was no weight to it because it’s not like we can reverse the Senate decision. It happened; they made their choice,” Rivera continued. The College Democrats of
ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER
Fordham University expressed their disappointment in the Senate’s decision as well. “The House managers laid out an excellent case against the President, and the evidence seems pretty clear that the President is guilty,” said club’s president Michael Fissinger, FCRH ’21. “While the result of the trial was sadly unsurprising, the impeachment process did paint a clear picture that the president will do anything for himself, even if it means undermining
the democratic processes of this country.” During the protest, Rivera said that one instance which shocked her was a woman holding a rainbow-colored American flag with the words “LGBT is for Trump” written on it. According to Rivera, this woman’s flag elicited a lot of controversy from the protestors around her who questioned her authority to speak on the LGBTQ community’s behalf. Many of the signs that were held up on both sides of the
barricade, Rivera acknowledged, came off as empty statements. “It’s a pattern that stems from when you see a president that says whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and some things...can be completely out of pocket,” she said. Overall, she didn’t find the protest to be as effective as the protestors may have been hoping: “You can stand in the street all you want, you can show people how you feel, but the Senate is not going back.”
Student Enrollment Delayed After Coronavirus Outbreak
pected to receive sympathy for my situation,” Sparago said. Sparago said that she was included in emails from professors that allegedly said things like “please do not let her enter my class,” or that she could join but the late start would impact her grade. “It felt as though I was being punished for a situation which, in reality, was out of my control.” According to Sparago, it took over a week to find four professors willing to take her with the help of Assistant Dean for FCRH juniors William Gould, who had to call professors in some cases to argue her case.
By JOE KOTTKE Asst. News Editor
The outbreak of coronavirus from Wuhan, China, that led to the suspension of Fordham’s study abroad programs in China, left students’ spring semester plans in shambles. Although Joseph Rienti, director of international and study abroad programs, said that the Fordham’s deans’ offices worked “very hard and quickly to assist impacted students through the difficult situation,” students say the transition back to Fordham was complicated. A suspected case of the coronavirus disease — which the World Health Organization renamed COVID-19 — in New York City has tested negative, while two other case results are pending. As of Feb. 18, the disease has killed over 2,000 people and is impacting businesses; U.S. retailers are bracing for shortages and Apple closed its 42 stores in China. Julia Sparago, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’21, was one of four students planning on studying abroad in Shanghai, China. According to Sparago, the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) had replied to the students involved in the Shanghai program offering other programs, one of which was in Tainan, Taiwan. “One of my friends and I in the program had wanted to go to the Taiwan program, however, Fordham Study Abroad told us they
“ We all heard about the
COURTESY OF KING OF HEARTS VIA WIKAMEDIA COMMONS
Students who had planned to study abroad in China started thier classes at Fordham a month late due to the outbreak.
had not approved that program and therefore we were unable to attend,” Sparago said. Sparago was offered placement in the London program but chose to return to New York: “I have been planning to study abroad in Asia since high school; I am a Mandarin Studies minor and I wanted to broaden my horizons,” Sparago said.
Instead, she is applying for a summer trip to Japan through CIEE. Her application fee was waived in light of the recent occurrences. “I am happy that CIEE is accommodating me and my situation; they’re doing the best that they can,” Sparago said. Her first day back in classes at Rose Hill after reenrollment was Feb. 10, nearly one month after
the beginning of the spring semester. Though Fordham administration allowed displaced students to return to classes, Sparago said she found herself almost entirely on her own while attempting to enter classes. “I assumed that professors would be my smallest obstacle. We had all heard about the impacts of the virus, so I ex-
impacts of the virus, so I expected to receive sympathy for my situation ”
Julia Sparago, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’21
Since she returned to campus, Sparago said she hasn’t heard from the study abroad program. “The situation is very unfortunate. I wish that Fordham study abroad would reach out to us individually and include us in the decisions that they’re making on our behalf.”
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February 19, 2020 THE OBSERVER
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Rent Regulations Present New Challenges to Real Estate
By SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS News Editor
For the 890 Fordham Lincoln Center students currently living off-campus, navigating the highly competitive and fast-paced New York City real estate market is difficult when finding somewhere to live. In an attempt to protect home hunters, the New York State Department of State (DOS) banned broker fees on Feb. 4, making it illegal for brokers to collect fees from tenants. Less than a week later, the Real Estate Board of New York filed a lawsuit and a temporary block against the ban that went into effect on Feb. 10. City renters and brokers alike are now left unsure about what comes next. Broker fees are commissions that real estate agents collect when they connect prospective tenants to landlords. For some brokers, it’s their main source of income, as fees can be as high as 15% of one year’s rent. When a tenant is interested in an apartment, they normally pay one month of rent as a security deposit, the first month of rent to the landlord and a broker’s fee — totaling three months’ worth of rent upfront. “The fee for the broker is sometimes unaffordable and even unjustified,” said Peter Thomann, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’20 and a former licensed salesperson at Compass, a New York City real estate agency. Renters in New York City are finding the real estate market increasingly expensive. Rashmi Singh, Gabelli School of Busi-
ness at Lincoln Center (GSBLC) ’21, explained that when she and her roommates were looking for apartments, they used a broker to try and ease the process — but knowing that they would have to pay a broker’s fee impacted the apartments they could realistically consider. While doing away with broker’s fees is often seen as a move to protect renters, many have pointed out the dramatic impact the law could have on New York City’s 25,000 licensed real estate brokers. “These regulations will severely and wrongly impact the incomes of hard-working real estate professionals,” Jennifer Stevenson, president of the New York State Association of Realtors told The New York Times.
how difficult it has been trying to understand the effects of the potential changes on the real estate market. “They dropped this on us in a day, so it was really clunky,” Sandoval said. “We had to change how we do business; I was in the middle of showing clients different apartments and had to explain what was going on.” Like other real estate agents, Sandoval expressed his concerns that, with all the confusion, more of his time will go toward explaining the potential changes to his clients instead of helping them actually find apartments. “For the students who are looking for their first apartment, always make sure to be mindful of fees,” Thomann warned, acknowledging how complicated
“ For the students who are looking for their first apartment, always make sure to be mindful of fees. ”
Peter Thomann, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’20 and former licensed salesperson at Compass
Without broker’s fees, landlords will have to shoulder the burden of advertising apartments and connecting with potential tenants themselves. Armando Sandoval, GSBLC ’21 and a practicing real estate agent at Highline Residential, believes that landlords will likely reflect this increased fee in rent prices. Sandoval also highlighted
the city’s real estate market can be. As of Feb. 17, the broker’s fee ban is still on hold and real estate professionals are continuing to conduct business as usual. However, with the potential opportunity to retroactively appeal broker’s fees, New York City tenants are waiting for a decision to be made.
ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER
Armando Sandoval, a real estate agent, is unsure how the broker’s fee will affect the NYC real estate market.
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THE OBSERVER February 19, 2020
Students Say Health Insurance Policy Puts Them at Risk By ALLIE STOFER Staff Writer
Fordham University introduced a new insurance plan in the fall with which graduate and undergraduate students must show proof of private insurance, or else they will be enrolled in the university’s health insurance plan with Aetna. Students are required to resubmit their proof of outside insurance at the beginning of each fall semester. “Recent research suggests that one in five of our undergraduate students remain uninsured or seriously under-insured,” Jeffrey Gray, senior vice president for Student Affairs, said. “It has also become apparent that many outof-state plans do not provide adequate benefits in the New York Metropolitan area.” Although the Health Insurance Office sent out emails at the beginning of the fall semester to remind students who already had an insurance plan in New York City to opt out of the university’s insurance plan, students studying abroad only got one email in May, right after the policy was announced. The original email also did not tell students how to opt out if they were a returning student. Despite the email listing the website used for the insurance, it did not state that the website would also be used as a way for students to waive their fees. The website is only open for new students in the spring, meaning that students studying abroad fall semester will be required to go through a more complicated process to waive their fees. “I went to Financial Services and I told them that I wanted to waive the insurance fee and the woman told me that I would have to go onto this website. So I left and the next day I went on to the website and it said that it wasn’t available. I went back to Financial
Cuomo Fights Global Entry Ban
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By ANDREW BEECHER Photo Editor
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
After concerns that Fordham students were uninsured, Fordham introduced a $3,000 opt-out insurance plan.
Services and said the website’s not working,” Tess Gutenbrunner, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, said. Gutenbrunner was then told to call a woman that would give her the next steps to waive the insurance fee. The woman with whom Gutenbrunner spoke with told her that she had to send a photo with her proof of insurance to the Health Insurance Office. “I don’t think that every student is doing that whole process and these random instructions about how to write this very specific email, no one else knew,” Gutenbrunner said. It is not only study abroad students who are having these problems. Hailey Coates, FCLC ’21, did not initially realize that she was charged for insurance last semester. “I was told, ‘Oh no, it’s too late to be reimbursed. You should
have noticed that earlier,” Coates said. “But after a few emails, I was told that I could be reimbursed and that it was a one-time thing.” Both Coates and Gutenbrunner said that the employee they spoke with told them that they had to waive the fee each semester, whereas the website and Insurance Compliance Administrator Maria Rivera-Garcia said that it has to be waived each fall semester. These students believe that there is a disconnect between themselves and the Health Insurance Office in terms of the information that they are being given. “I believe that the information was made clear,” Rivera-Garcia said. “Students received emails on a weekly basis starting in June through the deadline of September 10. A hard mailing was also sent to the homes of all students
in June,” Rivera-Garcia continued. Coates said she received one email in August that did not seem urgent. She also said she did not receive mail over the summer regarding the policy. After discovering the charge, Gutenbrunner posted on her Instagram story and told her followers that if they had private insurance, they had to opt-out. She then received many responses from fellow students who did not know they had to opt out and many that were charged the previous semester. “We are supposed to have these structures in place so that students aren’t left in the dark, but things are happening without us knowing,” Gutenbrunner said. “They pretend that we’ve been informed, but actually if you talk to the students, no one knows what’s going on.”
Black History Honored With Cultural Heritage Events BSA from page 1
BSA is currently working to expand their presence on the Lincoln Center campus. Each Thursday of February between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., BSA has been tabling in the Lowenstein Plaza to talk about different aspects of black culture and activism, including love, beauty, wellness and the black community in entertainment and the arts. Vice President Chanelle Dortch, FCLC ’23, said all students are welcome to participate in BSA’s events this month: “Black History Month isn’t just a way to create awareness of black history and culture; it’s a way to really celebrate a rich culture and history that has grown the general American culture.” Across the FLC campus, BSA and OMA have posted flyers of black figures in history to commemorate their contributions to American history. However, Raekwon Fuller, FCLC ’23, said that while “they are a good start, it’s the same people we talk about every Black History Month, such as Rosa Parks or Harriet Tubman. “I love them, don’t get me wrong, but there are so many black figures that people need to be educated on,” he continued. OMA also arranged for a jazz ensemble to perform in the main entrance to the Leon Lowenstein Building on Feb. 2, but Fuller also thought that the event was limited: “I don’t appreciate that we had a jazz band play and only one black person was in the band. Jazz isn’t just the epitome
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COURTESY OF SOPHIA HENDERSON
President of BSA Ahmari Alford (left) hopes to see more support for students of color on campus during BHM.
of black music; we have soul, African, gospel and all kinds of things,” he said. The Lincoln Center celebrations will culminate with a mixer on Thursday, Feb. 27, in conjunction with other student cultural groups on campus including the Caribbean Students Club (CSC), Student Organization of Latinx and Muslim Students Association who all plan to come together to celebrate cultural history. Ahmari believes that “cultural clubs like BSA, SJP, MSA, SOL, and CSA (to name a few) have
been the primary reason and place students of color on campus are able to be celebrated and find solidarity.” This is the first year that different cultural clubs will celebrate BHM together. “The Black History Mixer is an event to celebrate the end of Black History Month. We want it to be a fun event where black students and other students of color feel appreciated from the food to the music and to the people,” CSC President Jemina Molines, FCLC ’21, said. Across all Fordham under-
graduate colleges, the black student population has increased by 7% in the past year, according to the Fall 2019 Freshman Geographic Report. Alford believes that “cultural clubs like BSA ... and CSA ... have been the primary reason and place students of color on campus are able to be celebrated and find solidarity.” Alford hopes that black students’ takeaway from the BHM events should be that “they are worth celebrating every moment of every day, not just this month.”
After the Trump administration barred New Yorkers from Global Entry, New York state residents planning to renew or apply for enrollment in a trusted-traveler program will potentially have to wait. New York’s “Greenlight Law” went into effect on Dec. 14, 2019, adding New York to a list of 14 states that allow unauthorized immigrants to apply for a learner’s permit and obtain a driver’s license. The new law put New York in the crosshairs of the Trump administration and its anti-immigration agenda. The president bashed “sanctuary” jurisdictions in his State of the Union address, blaming the policies for the death of a 92-year-old New York woman. The central dispute between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and New York State is about access to the database of information collected by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Included in the law is a provision to protect the information of driver’s license applicants from immigration enforcement agencies, including those overseen by the DHS. In response, the DHS has banned New York State residents from applying for four Trusted Traveler programs. The ban does not currently apply to TSA PreCheck, though it may be added later. On Feb. 13, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’79, and President Trump, a former Fordham student, met to discuss a possible resolution to the ongoing ban. Prior to the meeting, Trump launched an attack on the governor on Twitter, including insults aimed at the governor’s brother, Chris Cuomo, Fordham School of Law ’95. The discussions were unproductive, as predicted by Andrew Cuomo, saying before the meeting in a tweet: “If you’re asking me if I have a high expectation of success? No.” New York State Attorney Letitia James sued the DHS in federal court on Feb. 10, alleging that it violates the Constitution by unfairly targeting the state and infringes upon the right of the State of New York to set its own laws. Cuomo has said he is open to the idea of giving the DHS limited access to the DMV’s database when conducting a background check for the Trusted Traveler programs, but no compromise has yet been reached. The fight between New York and the DHS is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to cut down on unauthorized immigration and deport immigrants already in the United States. Attempts have also been made to roll back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) executive order signed by former President Barack Obama.t the Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., has previously expressed support for DACA recipients, and the school has provided resources for students who participate in the program. It is unclear how many — if any — Fordham students are currently protected by the policy. Like the Trusted Traveler dispute, the fight over DACA has yet to be resolved.
Opinions Editors Grace Getman - ggetman@fordham.edu Evan Vollbrecht - evollbrecht@fordham.edu
Opinions
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OUR CHANCE TO LIVE THE MISSION jor political events where we have the opportunity to impact the decisions of our nations’ leaders. Further, the rhetoric of the Jesuit tradition compels us to pay attention.
When people ask what we did at this turning point in history, our answer should be more than “nothing much.” “To assist in the alleviation of poverty, the promotion of justice, the protection of human rights and respect for the environment”: This is the purpose of our education, and we’re in the perfect place to see it through. Many Fordham students have joined in on the action, attending rallies against the MTA and signing petitions demanding that Columbus Day be renamed Indigenous Peoples’ Day, while other times the movements are brought onto campus, with Fordham hosting a co-founder of the #BlackLivesMatter movement to share their struggles and experience. The mantra of “New York is my campus” has never rung more true, and indeed it seems our
Observer the
STAFF EDITORIAL
n the coming years, future generations of the civic-minded will ask us what it was like living in the era of the Trump administration. They will ask what it meant to be on a college campus, historically a breeding ground for activism. They will ask how we responded to the events of the day, and how we shaped the future of a nation — and a world — in the clutch of an identity crisis. Now, on the cusp of a major election and facing the aftermath of an impeachment trial that was years in the making, we get to decide what we’ll tell them. Attending a university located at the epicenter of this storm and in the cultural capital of the world, Fordham students are uniquely positioned to respond to the staggering humanitarian, economic, political and environmental crises that define the modern world. From this year’s Women’s March and impeachment protests at neighboring Columbus Circle to the ongoing struggle of recognizing Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) right here on campus, the action is taking place literally right outside our doors. We are a short walk or train ride away from ma-
February 19, 2020 THE OBSERVER
Editor-in-Chief Owen Roche Managing Editor Courtney Brogle
Jesuit responsibility to be “women and men for others” is more direct and urgent than ever. As Fordham students and as citizens, it is our duty to not only have an opinion, but also to act on it. Whether you’re pounding the pavement with a handmade sign, registering to vote and ensuring others do the same, or just studying hard to get an internship somewhere you can make a difference, you’re helping to change the world. Even simple acts such as sharing a social media account or raising awareness for online petitions can make a large impact on a digital audience. Although this may seem like an impossible task, if everyone picks up a rock, we can move mountains. If you have an issue with the current state of politics in America, do something about it. Now is the time, and this is the place, to make our actions count. When asked what we did at this turning point in history, our answer should be more than “nothing much.” At the center of the world, in a watershed moment, at a service-oriented college and surrounded by some of the brightest minds of our generation, we are called to live the mission. Will you?
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• Letters to the Editor should be typed and sent to The Observer, Fordham University, 140 West 62nd Street, Room G32, New York, NY 10023, or emailed to fordhamobserver@gmail.com. Length should not exceed 200 words. All letters must be signed and include contact information, official titles and year of graduation (if applicable) for verification. • If submitters fail to include this information, the editorial board will do so at its own discretion. • The Observer has the right to withhold any submissions from publication and will not consider more than two letters from the same individual on one topic. The Observer reserves the right to edit all letters and submissions for content, clarity and length. • Opinions articles and commentaries represent the view of their authors. These articles are in no way the views held by the editorial board of The Observer or Fordham University. • The Editorial is the opinion held by a majority of The Observer’s editorial board. The Editorial does not reflect the views held by Fordham University.
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More to Coronavirus Than Just Illness
SHAQUILLE KAMPTA Staff Writer
With the sudden emergence of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019), people around the world are panicking. Originating in Wuhan, the capital of the province Hubei in China, the virus has already taken the lives of over 1,000 people and has infected over 50,000. In the United States, there have been 15 reported cases of the virus. All seven of the individuals tested for the virus in New York City came back negative, so it appears that the virus has not taken a foothold in the city. New York City’s health commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot and Mayor Bill de Blasio continue to monitor and test patients for the virus. While concerns about the human toll of a lethal virus may be warranted, it is also important, especially when the virus has not yet affected our country in the ways that it has others, to worry about the secondary global problems it has caused, which include both health concerns and economic concerns. One of those side effects is the global economy. According to Beijing’s official statistics agency, the Chinese economy grew by 6% last year. Over the last 10 years, this has been the lowest growth rate, but the Chinese government hopes that their economy will recover in 2020. Now, the virus seems to have dashed China’s hopes of recovery. Zhang Ming, an official in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, has predicted that GDP growth will likely topple off at 5% or lower. Other, more skeptical economists seem to believe that the Chinese economy will head straight into a recession. Certain industries
PING LIN VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Fear of coronavirus has shot around the globe, but there’s more to worry about than just the symptoms of the illness.
in China are already feeling the brunt of the virus. The first two industries to take a hit were travel and tourism, which is very detrimental since China predicted that there were going to be 3 billion trips to and from the country during the Lunar New Year. The United States Travel Advisory has placed and sustained a “Do Not Travel” warning for China. The travel and tourism industry contributed to an increase of 80 million jobs, and it accounts for
11% of the total GDP. Because of China’s global outreach, U.S. companies like Apple, Qualcomm and Intel are seeing revenue declines in their first quarter. Wuhan is also a crucial part of the global supply chain, as the city is home to more than 500 car parts manufacturers. Companies like Tesla, Volkswagen and Ford have shut down all of their stores in China. These recent closings have also extended to South Korea where
there was a shortage of parts. With an economy the same size as Sweden’s, the city of Wuhan is most definitely going to affect the world economy if it continues to be plagued by this virus. Now, it might seem more practical to be concerned about the people dying from the virus or the risk of contamination over fewer cars or fewer iPhones hitting the market, but the loss of revenue and closing of stores has a far greater effect on the
Opinions
worldwide economy. The virus can take a toll on people in ways that do not result in their contamination. Decline in GDP can correlate with job losses that can affect millions of people. To put it in perspective, the virus has infected over 50,000 people worldwide. Yet, if the economy continues to be affected by the virus, then the number of people losing their jobs could be in the millions. While job loss seems like a much better position to be in than being contaminated with a life-threatening virus, it might not be the case for a lot of people, especially when the chances of them getting the virus is far less than the chances of them losing their jobs. Most of the jobs that will be affected will be manufacturing jobs, which are often given to low-income workers who need the job to provide for themselves or their families. As citizens of a country that has been widely unaffected by the virus, it is our duty to look objectively at all the effects of the virus. The virus does not seem to be easing up as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has predicted that it could last past the winter season and continue on for the rest of 2020. Obviously, it is not wrong to be alarmed by the dangers posed by the virus. In fact, you should take precautions to prevent yourself from getting the virus. Locally, Fordham students have expressed concern about the virus. “I think the coronavirus is definitely something the world needs to continue to monitor and research,” said Justin Raclaw, Fordham College Lincoln Center ’21. He added “the virus should continue to be a top public health emergency that needs to be covered and have massive attention…in science and research.”
The McKeon Laundry Room Is a Lawless Land EVELYN SIMS Contributing Writer
McKeon Hall, home to approximately 400 freshmen, has one laundry room that inexplicably brings out the animalistic nature of the residents who use it. The luxury of free laundry comes at the cost of pure, unadulterated chaos and savagery. With only 10 washing machines and 12 dryers at the disposal of hundreds of freshmen, any social norms that may exist in a regular laundry room are completely disregarded. As Fordham struggles to house the considerable number of freshman residents, McKeon would benefit greatly from improvements to the laundry room. Another laundry room may be wishful thinking, but encouraging students to keep the space clean while being more responsible for their belongings is a start. In McMahon Hall, the laundry rooms have previously been reported to be in far worse shape with broken machines, water spewing on the floor and a lack of machine availability. According to Fordham’s laundry app CyclePay, there are 18 washers and 24 dryers for the 773 students living in McMahon, but whether or not they work is a gamble. The poor state of McMahon’s laundry rooms indicates a grim future for McKeon if the community continues to let the laundry room deteriorate. Attempting to do your laun-
This is the way the world ends: not with a bang, but a rinse cycle.
dry between sunrise and sunset is an amateur move — it will almost always result in a pitiful defeat involving a long elevator ride to your room with a sack of dirty laundry in hand. There are simply not enough machines to accommodate the number of people living in McKeon, which results in intense competition for any that become available throughout the day. If you do make it in, walking into a laundry room full of anxious people sitting on the window ledge calculating the exact moment they will attack a machine is intense.
The ruthless culture surrounding the claiming of machines is bound to make anyone crumble. The clothing removal policy in the laundry room is cutthroat. If you are not standing attentively at your washer or dryer the second your cycle ends, there is a strong chance someone will remove your clothes and put them on top of the washer or on the window ledge. The look of unfiltered defeat on a person’s face after they’ve waited too long to remove their clothes from a machine is a pitiful and sad reality of the
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
McKeon laundry room. I’m ashamed to admit that I have had to take someone’s laundry out of a washer or dryer when all the other machines were full. Although I feel it is a minor invasion of privacy to take out someone’s laundry, the current state of the laundry room leaves no choice. CyclePay does let users see available machines in their laundry rooms and how long their cycles have left, but many students are unaware of its existence. The washing and drying machines endure so much use
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from students that their condition is noticeably deteriorating. The green mold that lines every washing machine has been an issue for months. I am also convinced a demon possesses certain machines because every time I am using two at once, there is a guarantee one of them will add an extra 10 minutes to the cycle. One washing machine was also broken for the entirety of last semester, which made a significant impact on the already overcrowded laundry room. By far the most astonishing part of the laundry room is the assortment of clothes and trash left behind by students. It is constantly covered with piles of clothes students forget about when doing their laundry. Although the clothes left behind get donated, according to emails sent to freshmen from ResLife regarding the state of the laundry room, the sheer amount left behind is unsettling. I can’t help but wonder how someone can leave their laundry and never come back to get it — how can these people afford to lose their clothes so casually and not seem to care? I encourage residents to be grateful that laundry is free on campus, and to not take advantage of it by leaving clothes and trash in this shared space. Do everyone a favor and set a timer when doing your laundry — or do it at 11 p.m. instead of 11 a.m. We can all work together to make the laundry room better. It’s time to wash away the past, dry our tears and finally end the cycle.
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Opinions
February 19, 2020 THE OBSERVER
What It’s Like Being a Conservative at Fordham
BRANDON SAPIENZA Staff Writer
Right S ide
Looking
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on the
You might not know it, but there are conservatives attending the predominantly liberal Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) campus. In a school dominated by one particular set of beliefs, it’s a challenge to be a conservative like me who disagrees with many of our campus’s politics. In the age of divisive politics that have only gotten worse since President Trump began his aggressive tenure in office, showcasing conservative beliefs has posed a great challenge. At FLC, the atmosphere of the school is such that those who want to demonstrate their opposition to progressive politics fear being ostracized for doing so and as a result, they are forced to keep quiet. The word Republican or conservative tends to strike fear into people, and it has created an environment of intolerance. In “Navigating Political Discussions as a Conservative Student,” a piece published in the Observer in 2017, one conservative FLC student said, “There are many students who are quick to judge, and simply won’t listen to a student who is a member of the Republican Party.” All of this may sound ironic considering that the views many conservatives tend to have about social issues are the same ones shared by the Catholic Church and Fordham University alike. One example of this would be the strong disagreement many conservatives have with abortion. This topic in particular is one that incites lots of emotion based on my experience at FLC. I can recall being in a philosophy
class and sharing my opposition to abortion, only to be met with angry gazes, arrogant smirks and looks of disbelief. It seemed that many of my classmates had never heard a person speak out against abortion. Before I could finish my point amongst the moans and groans of those who disagreed with me, I was called a misogynist by multiple people. The only way I could respond was by reminding everyone that I am a person with an opinion, and mine is just as valuable as everyone else’s. I’m not the only one met with these harsh words by classmates. “Although I lean left on social issues, I favor more moderate, sometimes conservative, economic policies and, as such, I am often ridiculed as being a ‘dirty centrist’ or ‘filthy moderate’ by primarily die-hard Bernie supporters,” said Chris Schultz, Fordham College Lincoln Center ’22. There are similar liberal and conservative divisions at Rose Hill where a conservative publication called The Pamphlet was born last year. Conservative students at Rose Hill began publishing their pieces on their own conservative platform as a way of exposing students who otherwise wouldn’t know anything other than liberal view points to different beliefs. Teddy Schoenman, the Editor-in-Chief of The Pamphlet in 2018, Fordham College Rose Hill ’20 and told the Fordham Ram that “The reason I’m excited about it is because if someone could take a perspective on an issue that people think they’ve figured out, and say, ‘Well, look, other people think about it this way,’ it might just create dialogue, but it might also make people realize that there is another way to look at things.” Immediately shutting down conservatives through unfair assumptions and labels has a negative effect on both sides. Conservatives may be the mi-
ISABELLE DALBY/THE OBSERVER
Clear and measured dialogue with your peers can be difficult when you’re the only elephant in the room.
nority political group on campus, but their opinions are still valid, and it is important for those who disagree with them to hear them out. If the behavior that scares off any conservative thought on campus continues, we create a bubble of confirmation bias. Extending conversation to include views of all political backgrounds needs to come from the professors, tasked with generating critical discussion. Along with a heavily liberal student body, the faculty who engage in political dialogue also — from what I have seen in the courses I have taken — make their progressive views known through class readings, giving credence to only progressives. In universities, marketplaces for diverse ideas, those who hold control in the classroom need to echo
that same sentiment to create an open environment for conservatives to share their beliefs. With a heated election ahead of us in the coming months, sharing and listening to conservatives’ point of view is imperative. For many voters at FLC, this marks the first time that they will be able to vote in a presidential election. “I am more than willing to discuss policies and their economic implications and flaws, such as banning private insurance with Medicare for All or federally guaranteeing jobs to maintain full employment, but any discussion will usually devolve into a one-sided shouting match of name-calling and moderate-bashing.” Schultz said. “If this vocal minority of left-leaning supporters continues
to demonize moderate Democrats rather than having an open and civilized discussion, the results of the 2020 election may be shocking.” FLC’s student body needs to encourage one another to listen to differing ideas which will in turn create an atmosphere where the few conservatives attending can make their views clear without fear of any intimidation or harassment. Should that happen, we will all be doing a small part in making sure that we go to the voting booth with a better understanding of the issues, and our shared understanding of our right to freely speak about our individual political views. If the FLC community can once more acknowledge and respect each other’s perspectives, the school will be a much better place for it.
Mayor Corey Johnson? Let’s Hope Not
Although there is still over a year left until New York City’s next mayoral election, it’s never too early to start getting prepared. Mayor Bill de Blasio isn’t the only one shaping up in preparation for the mayoral election, in which he himself won’t be participating due to term limits. Current City Council President Corey Johnson, who represents the district containing Fordham’s enclave on the Upper West Side, will likely be joining the mayoral cagematch. Although Johnson’s background is weathered by struggle due to his sexuality and former drug use, he has found great success in this city’s politics. After dropping out of college, he moved to New York at 19 years old, joined Manhattan’s Community Board 4 in 2005 and was elected to the City Council in 2014 where he has served ever since. While he may be a dedicated public servant to the City of New York, his ideas are grounded firmly in the wrong places. Now, let’s not whitewash the utter failure de Blasio’s mayor-
In this case, Corey really shouldn’t be in the house.
ship has been. From giving his wife nearly $1 billion on a failed mental health initiative, to overseeing rising crime in the five boroughs, to driving to his gym with an entourage of security in Escalades while crowing about climate change, de Blasio is no beacon of common sense or mor-
al brilliance. But Corey Johnson would be even worse at the helm of the United States’ most populated city. Look no further than the subway protests on Jan. 31. Even de Blasio, as vehemently anti-police as he is, issued a tweet opposing the vandals and their protests.
MARC A. HERMANN VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
He even later said in a press conference that he was one of the people “repulsed” by them. The current city council president, on the other hand, was silent. Johnson, clearly afraid of alienating the farthest-leftwing voters in Williamsburg, has either proved his allegiance
to their cause or doesn’t want to face the electoral fallout in standing up to them. On economic issues, Johnson is similarly entirely out of bounds from the mainstream. In what is almost certainly a campaign publicity stunt, he is calling for the city to increase the reimbursement rates for its apartment vouchers to cover market-rate rents, costing an estimated $236 million over five years. The current voucher rates are low enough that many social service groups argue they keep homeless people in shelters, as landlords find it impractical to take advantage of these rates. Instead, they would rather rent them on the open market, garnering them not only higher rates, but also more assurance of payment than the city’s system. But these incentives would do nothing but encourage more low-income New Yorkers to claim homelessness themselves, hoping to live in a better abodes than their current residences. If Johnson adhered to any standard economic consensus, he would realize that the best way to help people get on their own two feet would be to directly address the issues they face — substance abuse and mental illness. But, as is usually the solution to any problem in New York, throwing more money at anything perceived as lacking it should do the trick.
Rubberneck The
SATIRE SECTION
The Top 10 Funniest Trump Tweets Donald Trump: The Greatest Fordham Meme Legend of Them All LEO BERNABEI
GRACE GETMAN
Staff Writer
Opinions Editor
THE OBSERVER February 19, 2020
10: “It’s freezing and snowing in New York--we need global warming!” Your Texan friends’ first winter in the city after spending their entire life in the south. It is 60 degrees. 9: “Isn’t it crazy, I’m worth billions of dollars, employ thousands of people, and get libeled by moron bloggers who can’t afford a suit! WILD.” Gabelli bros after getting a B in their English class. 8: “As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!). They must, with Europe and others, watch over..” That feeling when Schmeltzer is out of salami.
One thing we at Fordham pride ourselves on are our numerous meme accounts, but former Fordham College at Rose Hill student Donald Trump, who later transferred out of the university, may run the best one of them all. Following in the steps of @jesulituniversity, @lcsinners and Facebook’s Faithful Fordham Memes for Facetious Jesuit Teens, Trump, now the President of the United States, frequently takes to Twitter to decry his political and personal enemies alike. Now, we’re going to score his top 10 Fordham memes of all time, which, unlike his grades while at Rose Hill, we can share with you. Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado: Donald Trump, one of the greatest memeologists Fordham has ever produced.
7: “The Theater must always be a safe and special place. The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!” When you realize that Lin-Manuel Miranda’s wife works at Fordham Law and Public Safety has to escort you out of her office. 6: “Fake News, just like the snakes and gators in the moat. The Media is deranged, they have lost their minds!” Rev. McShane after Fordham fell in both the The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education’s and the U.S. News & World Report’s college rankings.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER
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5: “The opinion of this socalled judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!” When your RA takes away your string lights during your suite’s Health and Safety Inspection. 4: “I never fall for scams. I am the only person who immediately walked out of my ‘Ali G’ interview” Public Safety reminding you not to send $5,000 to a random number claiming to be the IRS. 3: “Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully or write poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals. That’s how I get my kicks.” Gabelli bros after selling one textbook to a freshman. 2: “Sorry losers and haters, but my I.Q. is one of the highest -and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure,it’s not your fault.” What it’s like to be a STEM major at Lincoln Center. 1: “I’ve had enough of this good night!” Getting back to bed from Barnyard at 4 a.m. The sun sets on every empire. Despite his fame and (already established on the backs of the lower class) fortune, Trump transferred to the Wharton School of Business in 1966, an ancient predecessor to @jesulituniversity’s transfer to the University of Miami. Who will claim the (porcelain) throne? Only tweets will tell.
I Have a Girlfriend and She Goes to Westchester, I Swear EVAN VOLLBRECHT Opinions Editor
I’ve heard it all. “Oh, I didn’t know you had a girlfriend!” you say. “Yeah, she’s at the Westchester campus,” I reply, wondering what it’ll be this time. “Westchester? Oh, good one, buddy, I get what you mean,” you respond, and wink at me. I force a laugh, and sigh to myself. At least the inside jokes are preferable to when I’m openly mocked, or when you people try to be “understanding” or say you “sympathize” with me. The truth is, I have a wonderful girlfriend and we’re very happy together — so why won’t any of you believe me? I know the existence of the Westchester campus is highly questioned here at Fordham Lincoln Center, but you’re all wrong. You say there hasn’t been a sighting of a student or faculty member from Westchester in recent memory. Not true — I see my girlfriend all the time, she’s just too shy to introduce herself to anyone, that’s all. You say the picture of one side of one building that’s the only visual Fordham uses in all material about Westchester offers no proof that there’s actually a physical campus. Wrong again — I’ve personally spent quite a bit of time on campus with my girlfriend, and any Snap Map screenshots that supposedly show me holed up in my McMahon apartment playing video games when I was definitely with my girlfriend at Westchester are simply fake news.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER
You say that even if Westchester does exist, it’s for Professional and Continuing Studies and grad students only, and there’s no way I’m dating someone more than six years my senior. Well, maybe she’s just very gifted and skipped a lot of grades, did you ever think of that? Did you consider that, just perhaps, she might be going to their branch of Gabelli? Is it so hard to imagine that a liberal arts student and a business student might meet and fall in love? It’s a pity that you’re so jealous of what we have that you find it necessary to deny the
very existence of Westchester, when you could instead experience the wonder of its very real features for yourselves. A candlelit dinner at the Boar’s Head Deli is the most romantic destination a young couple can ask for, provided it’s before 6 p.m. on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. The pond and stream on the grounds that Fordham absolutely isn’t lying about are perfect for extracurricular rendezvous, especially in the spring. Even the faculty are wonderful and supportive, and you should be ashamed of yourselves for suspecting that
everyone supposedly associated with the campus is actually the beneficiary of a money-laundering scheme designed to funnel federal funding into the pockets of Fordham’s higher-ups. Sometimes it’s difficult to face all the naysayers and nonbelievers, but the support I get from my wonderful and very real girlfriend keeps me going. During our nightly FaceTime calls, which are definitely the reason that you don’t see me at parties even though I totally get invited to them all the time, she always manages to cheer me up. When I walk with her through the beau-
tiful forests of Westchester, the jeers of “That campus doesn’t exist,” “Why do you keep lying about this?” and “You haven’t even mentioned her name or what she looks like this whole time” just seem to fade away. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m busy tonight — and no, of course I’m not watching Netflix alone, why would you think that, I don’t even have an account. I’m going to facetime my girlfriend at the Westchester campus, both of which absolutely exist, and I’ll leave the rest of you single losers to yearn for what we definitely have.
From The Rubberneck:
Canonically, the fifth circle has angry people waging war in the River Styx. I think we can all testify
We gracefully glide from the pot-noodle-smelling area into the maze that is the Fordham Financial Aid (aka the fourth circle, greed). They never give you enough, but they always demand that one extra document that you never knew existed but is apparently crucial to maintaining your merit scholarship. They sometimes send you unexplained refunds because they overcharge you, but more often than not you find out that they undercharged you, and you have to pay extra. Maybe being a yoga instructor isn’t that bad of an idea, after all.
Now, let us move on to our third circle, reserved for those with a penchant for gluttony. I proudly present to you: the fridge you share with your roommates. Here, McKeon residents get bonus points, since their rental minifridges sometimes come in still covered in their previous users’ grime. You can recognize these poor freshmen by the strong smell of Clorox that never quite washes out from their hair. Further down, you can see six McMahon residents fighting over the scarce freezer space — who knew that you needed ten tubs of Ben and Jerry’s to survive one week of senior year? Special mention goes to Cerberus, aka that one suitemate who you know snacks on your food while you sleep, but whom you’re too scared to call out.
I wish our second circle, the circle of lust, was as dramatic as Dante’s. But ours is a Jesuit institution, and the only thing we can lust for is knowledge. Here, the only available class for your minor is an 8:30 a.m. at Rose Hill. Waitlists are always full and you are never qualified enough to get into a lecture you’re interested in. You are forced to take four prerequisites, only to find out that the professor who teaches said lecture just went on to live a better life at Columbia (good for him!). Can you hear the rapid keyboard clicks? That’s the Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., this circle’s guardian. He spends his days typing up explanatory letters on Fordham’s perpetually decreasing rankings, and his nights negotiating deals with various devils and saints in order to bring down NYU.
We start with our first circle, limbo, home to the undecided students. On your right are the second semester sophomores. Listen in: They are discussing whether taking an academic leave to become a yoga instructor is a better option than staying at Lincoln Center at this point in their life. On your left is a rare case: a freshman. It seems that he’s having a fit as he relives the chaos of the major declaration fair (a story for another time). Oh, and careful! It’s one minute past 3 a.m., and we must not wake Minos, the security officer who guards the doors to the second circle of hell.
Hop on a Ram Van, my fellow traveler, this time with Charon himself as your driver, and let me guide you on your journey through the Nine Circles of Hell at Fordham Lincoln Center. I came to know it my second night of academic orientation. I laid in bed in a food poisoning-induced coma as all my new friends were enjoying the tours of the city. Suddenly, Virgil appeared in front of my eyes, looking somewhat like Obi-Wan Kenobi’s ghost from the Original Trilogy. He beckoned me with his finger and led me through the same worlds you, my friend, are about to experience.
“When halfway through the journey of our life I found that I was in a gloomy wood, because the path which led aright was lost,” whined a Lincoln Center student lost at Rose Hill. “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here,” said the Plaza at 9:59 a.m.
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Frustrated Freshman
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POLINA UZORNIKOVA Staff Writer
But what is that? I see the light! It’s the fire trucks that have come to fix the steam valve that burst in the Gabelli building. Let’s follow their gentle beacon, march through the security gates of the law school and proceed toward heaven: the Shakespeare & Co at 69th Street and Broadway.
Ah, the grand finale: circle nine. Would you feel slightly betrayed if I told you it’s not as grand as you think it is? For this is the land of treachery, of the ultimate unfulfilled unrealistic expectations. We hear a collective groan as a professor doesn’t curve the midterm even though the median score was 50%. Bright letters that spell out “New York Is My Campus. Fordham Is My School” appear from thin air and threateningly loom above your head. That, my friend, is an omen. This week you will have to turn to the halal cart as your main source of nutrition. Also, your professor has assigned you some obscure text that you can’t pirate online (that’s a sin!), but the bookstore had just sold its last very used copies for the price of $200 each.
Welcome to the eighth circle: home of everyone who has ever committed fraudulent acts. Feel anxious yet? You really should, since you’re about to start researching for your essay five minutes before the deadline. I didn’t quite prepare for this part of the tour, so bear with me as I try to wing it. And please cut me some slack — I was feeling really sick yesterday afternoon. This circle first appeared in the late 19th century, when Tesla and Edison had the original “Can I copy your homework?” moment. The tensions of plagiarism (on which you can find out more in our dearly beloved Academic Integrity Tutorial) originated during the classical times, when the Romans stole the whole of Greek mythology, renamed the characters, and presented it as highly original work. My entirely unsubstantiated claim is, therefore, that creating out of thin air is far better than plagiarizing, since creation is a holy act, and plagiarism is the worst enemy of Academic Integrity. As we go on to our last stop, please be ready to get checked by Blackboard and its Global Reference Database.
Our seventh circle is quite a ride, and a violent one at that. I proudly present to you: the elevators. Don’t you, right at this moment, experience a wish to beat up the able-bodied person who just pressed the third floor? Didn’t we just suffocate someone to death trying to squeeze into this sardine tin of a transportation method? And, by the way, we skipped our stop and now have to go all the way down the twenty flights of stairs (as some of the McKeon residents do when only one out of four elevators is in working order).
“But where are the heretics locked in flaming crypts?” you ask me as we enter circle number six. “There are other ways to get JesuLIT on this campus, child,” I answer, leading you up to the south side of McKeon. Whenever an unusually warm day strikes New York, these rooms, with the air conditioning disabled for winter, make a flaming tomb look like an oasis in the middle of the desert. You better be pitching in to stop global warming; otherwise, you’ll be stuck here forever with the other non-believers.
that this battle had recently played out before our eyes, as the firemen dealt with the smelly rivers that emerged from underground. Let us revisit that moment when the cracks in the concrete burst open and murky waters of death stunk up the whole Lincoln Square. In the back row of our imaginary theater, you can see residents cheering as classes are canceled on their first day back. The real (tragic) heroes of this story are the commuters. Look at the screen: a Brooklynite on his way to class, thinking his 11:30 a.m. starts at noon. Due to poor reception on the express line, he did not get the second text that said only night classes were on. Angry yet? That, my dear, is the true meaning of rage.
Arts & Culture Editor Ethan Coughlin - ecoughlin7@fordham.edu Gillian Russo - grusso12@fordham.edu
Arts & Culture
February 19, 2020
‘Airline Highway’ Readies for Takeoff
Throughout the rehearsal process, the actors developed a sense of community similar to that embodied by the play’s characters. By GRACE GETMAN Opinions Editor
Standing outside Franny’s Space while jotting down notes during interviews, I was struck by the easy camaraderie between the actors of “Airline Highway,” Fordham Theatre’s first mainstage production of the spring. Entwined with each other and occasionally riffing off of songs floating out of the other room, it was clear that the students felt comfortable. Their openness — and willingness to forgive me for my hastily scrawled notes — matched perfectly with the subject of their play. “Airline Highway,” a black comedy, packs punches and heart in equal measure. The plot is simple: Miss Ruby, an aging burlesque dancer in New
Orleans, is dying. She decides to hold her funeral while she is still alive. As her closest friends — societal rejects like herself, including sex workers and ex-addicts — come together to support the woman they all view as a mother figure, drama unfolds over the course of the night. The show originally premiered on Broadway in 2015, scoring four Tony Award nominations. Victoria Fanning, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22, plays Miss Ruby. According to her, the play is about “a group of forgotten people in such a lively town” and the task of viewing death as “a celebration.” When asked what they most wanted audiences to take away from the show, multiple cast
members honed in on the themes of inclusion and family. As Lauren Santos, FCLC ’22, put it, the essence of the show is generating “love for these characters that normally get cast out” by telling their stories. Santos plays the stripper Krista. “The root of love is interest,” said Annalee Tomanelli, FCLC ’20, who plays Zoe, the callow teenage stepdaughter of another character named Bait Boy, played by Johnny Travers, FCLC ’21. By creating a space for these characters to tell their own stories and exist beyond one-dimensional characterizations, “Airline Highway” shows bridges can be built between marginalized members of society and the more privileged. The cast built similar bridges
during rehearsals. The process began when the cast members arrived back at Fordham after winter break. Jake Inman, FCLC ’20, said there was “a lot of chemistry, team building before production began.” He plays Wayne, the manager of the hotel where the characters live. He and other cast members also gave much credit to the efforts of Nehprii Amenii, the director of “Airline Highway” from outside of the university, for fostering the relationships between them. Fanning said she admired how Amenii “handles a room and creates a safe space,” while Santos was grateful for “the educational experience about myself, how to work with others and how to work in a space.”
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Raekwon Fuller, FCLC ’23, who plays crossdresser Sissy Na Na, said the most important thing he gained from the experience was learning how to “balance your character’s life, the play’s life and your own life.” He expressed gratitude for the chance to “step out and be who I am.” So what should audiences expect? “Visceral love,” Travers said, that “translates to every possible motion.” It’s an “amazing, wacky, crazy thing to explore,” but it creates “a beautiful sense of community.” “Airline Highway” will run Feb. 20-22 and 26-28 in Pope Auditorium. To reserve tickets, contact the box office at 212-6366340 or email fclcboxoffice@gmail.com.
Double Bill Commemorates Black History Month
COURTESY OF ASHLYN FRANK
“My Papier Mâché Monster,” written by Eliana Rowe (standing center), explores a narrative based on Rowe’s life. By VICKY CARMENATE Staff Writer
Fordham’s Studio shows typically give directing and playwriting students an outlet to share their art with the community. This year’s studio show broke tradition by having two performance majors, Wayne Babineaux and Eliana Rowe, both Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20, present a studio double bill that commemorates Black History Month. “It’s really great that it’s hap-
pening during Black History Month, because it’s two stories about black history and our lineage,” Rowe said. “It’s going to be a night of black-tastic greatness.” Babineaux’s exploration of his ancestor Coincoin, an enslaved African who freed herself and her children in the 1700s after whom his show is named, started in his sophomore year in his Global Black History course. “At the time, I was going through a lot of emotional turmoil and I was seeing all these parallels between me and Coincoin. It felt
like I could relate to her on a spiritual level.” By searching through his family history, Babineaux was able to find more opportunities to tell his story, his favorite being from the first Fordham Drag Show. “I wrote my own songs for the show, and in between the songs, there were spoken sections telling her story from her perspective,“ he said. Coincoin evolved in his performance in this year’s Drag Show. “That’s still one of my favorite performances. I felt so liberated
at that moment. My voice, my body got to space where they really haven’t gotten before.” The Studio show gave Babineaux a new platform to share his ancestry. Coincoin’s story, like many others, had been lost to history. “I want people to see that the traditional narratives that we have told about slavery are not necessarily the only narratives that took place,” Babineaux said. Rowe also expressed her passion for storytelling through her play. “I think that there comes a point in your life as an artist where you just can’t wait for other people to give you a venue to tell your story; you have to do it yourself,” Rowe said. “There is a reason that it happened to you and why you experienced it.” “My Papier Mâché Monster” is about Rowe’s personal journey. “I am not alone in my experience of navigating my mental health and religion. I grew up in the Pentecostal church, in a very Jamaican Pentecostal church. It was a very intense environment,” she said. “The main question I am asking in this piece is what happens when a set of beliefs that you grew up with becomes damaging.” Rowe hopes her piece will start a conversation, leaving viewers looking into their own stories. “I recognized that in the building of this piece, it opened up a lot of conversation about people exploring their spirituality, which I think in the arts we really try and avoid because it’s like an imagi-
nary world and you’re playing.” Babineaux and Rowe, both performance majors, wore different hats throughout the process of making their stories come to life. The two got to experience their art through playwriting. “It’s hard to remember to stay in your lane because it’s such a deeply personal piece,” Rowe said. For Babineaux, it was equally emotional. “As the writer, I know what I intended each section to be even before I start acting it. It’s been very personal. Everything about writing this is deeply personal. “I am so excited for people to see it. All of this work I have put in for the last two years will finally be put somewhere where I can see it,” he said. Babineaux and Rowe both face many intersections within their lives that change their interactions every day. Their perspectives create new conversations for Fordham’s theater department. “Having two black queer voices happening in the studio space is really important,” Rowe said. “Even on that level, it’s really necessary to keep putting narratives out there that make people feel seen.” Babineaux’s “Coincoin” and Rowe’s “My Papier Mâché Monster” will be shown from Feb. 2022 at the White Box Theatre. Free tickets can be reserved by email at blackhistorydoublebill@gmail. com starting Wednesday, Feb. 19.
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THE OBSERVER February 19, 2020
Arts & Culture
Theatre Major to Star in ‘Doom Patrol’
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Abigail Shapiro, FCLC ’22, will join the DC Comics-based series as Dorothy Spinner By POLINA UZORNIKOVA Staff Writer
first season was released as part of DC’s new streaming service, DC Universe. Due to its success, the show’s second season will also be available to stream on HBO Max. The unconventional superheroes at the center of the story all received their powers under tragic circumstances and are shunned by society. Shapiro’s character has a seemingly wholesome gift that was a result of a facial deformity that gave Dorothy the appearance of an ape. Isolated from society while
Abigail Shapiro, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’22, was recently cast as Dorothy Spinner in Season 2 of the web television series “Doom Patrol.” She announced the news on her Instagram page in February. “So happy to be joining the Doom Patrol for season 2!” Shapiro wrote. “I can finally say something yaaayy!!! I’m immensely grateful for this opportunity!!” “Doom Patrol” is based on a DC comic of the same name. The
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KATHERINE HEATON
Shapiro most recently performed in “Up, Up and Away!” in Fordham Theatre’s fall 2019 studio season.
growing up, Dorothy mastered the power to bring her imaginary friends to life. As the daughter of The Chief, the man who created the Doom Patrol in an effort to protect her, Dorothy will play an important role in the upcoming season. Shapiro will join prominent Hollywood stars on screen. She will star next to Diane Guerre-
ro (“Orange Is the New Black”), Matt Bomer (“White Collar,” “Glee”) and Brendan Fraser (“The Mummy”). Timothy Dalton, best known for playing James Bond in “The Living Daylights” and “License to Kill,” stars as The Chief, Dorothy’s father. At Fordham, she has performed in the spring 2019 mainstage production of “Mr. Burns,”
as well as “Intelligence” and “Up, Up and Away!” in the fall 2018 and fall 2019 studio seasons, respectively. Shapiro has taken the semester off from Fordham for “Doom Patrol” filming, which is underway in Atlanta. There is no set date for the premiere yet. The Observer did not receive a comment from Shapiro.
Strand Bookstore Comes to UWS By LEV YAKOVLEV Staff Writer
second full-scale store in addition to the two kiosks that already exist in Time Square and Central Park. The new store is the closest outlet for Fordham students, as the Columbus Avenue location will be just a 20-minute walk from Fordham College at Lincoln Center. Nancy Bass Wyden, the owner of Strand Book Store, wrote on the company’s official Twitter page, “We are so excited to expand The Strand and engage the community of the Upper West Side. We aim to continue the legacy of my father, and his father before him, by bringing the joy of books to everyone.” Strand Bookstore has provided New Yorkers with over 2.5 million used, rare and new books in every genre imaginable, as well as a
When I first came to the United States, one of my teachers who had lived in New York called The Strand “the best book store I have ever been to.” The shop was opened 93 years ago, and book lovers still flock to its current flagship location near Union Square, where it’s stood for 63 of those years. Recently, Strand announced it would open a new location at 450 Columbus Ave. at 81st Street. The previous owner, another small book store chain called Book Culture, lost the space due to unpaid rent in January. The new location is set to open in March, and Strand logos already occupy the windows of the storefront. This will be Strand’s
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The new Strand location, set to open in March, will take the place of the recently closed Book Culture at Columbus Aveenue and 81st Street.
sprawling supply of literary gifts. Despite being so expansive, Strand makes sure that each customer leaves with a book they’ll love. With many students used to traveling to the bookstore downtown, news of the Fordham-accessible Strand location spread quickly around campus. Beckett Schiapparelli, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC)
’23, said, “Books, for lack of a better word, are good. I am actually very excited about the bookstore opening so close to our campus.” Schiapparelli said that he is most excited for Strand’s unique book displays. “Last time I was (at the downtown location), I saw a showcase of books that are forbidden in certain states. Did you realise that one of those books was
‘Fahrenheit 451’?” Isabella Gonzales, FCLC ’23, said she is most excited for Strand’s unique accessories. “In the past, when I had any spare money, I would always spend some on their badges, stickers — anything I can put on my backpack or computer. I’m just happy that I don’t have to walk all the way to Union Square to get all those things now.”
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Creative Writing: Competitive, Yet Communal
Ahead of the Creative Writing Prizes, English department chair Mary Bly talks about the ‘energetic’ program By KEVIN STOLL Staff Writer
Maya Angelou once said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.” You’ve probably heard this inspirational quote at some point from your English professor or one of Fordham’s many aspiring student authors, poets, playwrights or screenwriters. Fordham’s Creative Writing program, at both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses, has always stressed the importance of a quote like this. Whether a student wishes to write fiction, nonfiction, something fantastical or something personal, Mary Bly, Shakespeare professor and Chair of the English Department, believes the program measures success by collaboration and self-expression rather than just academic prowess. “Creative writing students tend to be very energetic and community-driven,” Bly said. “There are a whole bunch of little initiatives that students create for themselves and that I have nothing to do with. They often form like a little ‘salon’ (outside of class) so that they could meet and exchange work with each other. And I just let them go for it. “I’m extremely interested in helping our students create a guided pathway through Fordham so that it never really feels like a transactional experience. It is really much more about finding yourself, creating community and becoming reflective of your identity by the time you graduate
JESSICA HANLEY/THE OBSERVER
The English department’s Creative Writing program promotes collaboration and self-expression.
and eventually apply for a job.” Through Feb. 15, the program’s annual Creative Writing Prizes have also given students the opportunity to be publicly recognized and rewarded for storytelling capabilities. The prizes themselves include the Academy of American Poets Prize, the Bernice Kilduff White and John J. White Creative Writing Prize (only eligible for Rose Hill senior undergraduates), the Margaret Lamb/Writing to the Right-Hand Margin Prize, and the Reid Family Prize. However, even Bly said
that while the creative writing community as a whole is anything but ruthless, the same cannot be said for the Prizes competition. “There is a limit on what we can do and who we can accept,” Bly said. “With the amount of applicants we receive every year, there is definitely a difference of expertise among each of the submissions we review. And the same also applies for the program’s admission process. “I think that over the years, the quality is getting higher and
higher, and the number of people that say they are applying simply because of our program’s reputation has also been growing as well. You have students that have been highly trained and are highly talented, each of them saying, ‘I want to be in Creative Writing.’ And I always respond with, ‘Yes! Definitely come!’ But I’m also thinking to myself, ‘Please! I really hope you get in!’” However, even something as simple as writing about one’s interests when it comes to literature or certain genres of litera-
ture, according to Bly, is enough to potentially be considered for the program. She said the passion for that genre of literature still needs to be evident. “The main thing that I tend to focus on when I look at these submissions is the commitment to craft. An applicant can write, ‘I love books. I have always loved books. I have loved books since I was four years old,’ but you have to remember that this is about you as a talented writer,” Bly said. “And applicants who choose to write that type of material might actually be incredibly talented, but they are so retiring in their submissions that we never know it. “We want to know what you really like to write. ‘I like to write horror.’ Okay, but why? I do remember this one letter that said, ‘I like to write horror and I’m particularly inspired by Dante’s Inferno.’ That’s a slam-dunk right there.” In many respects, Bly’s belief that students should write about whatever interests them echoes one of Virginia Woolf’s most influential excerpts from her acclaimed feminist essay, “A Room of One’s Own” — “So long as you write what you wish to write, that is all that matters; and whether it matters for ages or only for hours, nobody can say.” In other words, they both believe in writing about what you love, what you enjoy or what speaks to you the most. In Fordham’s Creative Writing program, students serve as the foundation, not their GPA.
Spencer Ludwig Sells Out Mercury Lounge
By BRIELLE CAYER Staff Writer
Spencer Ludwig is no stranger to success. The vocalist-instrumentalist from Los Angeles has graced stages across the world and performed at events such as Lollapalooza, ACL, Hangout Festival and Late Night with Seth Meyers. In 2018, he started his own record label, Trumpet Records, and earned more than 90 film and TV placements for his songs. This past year, the young artist received a Latin Grammy for co-writing and performing on Fonseca’s single “Por Pura Curiosidad.” Despite all his recent accolades, Ludwig remains focused on his music and passionate about live performance. On Feb. 13, Ludwig sold out Mercury Lounge for his first ticketed concert. With the stage presence of a pro, Ludwig took the room on a wild musical journey. His artistic evolution became clear as he switched from older dance singles to new, emotionally driven songs. To kick off the night, Ludwig welcomed the audience with an infectious dance number. He played trumpet accompanied by the tuba, guitar and drums. The performer danced around the stage, clad in a black, fringed leather jacket while holding onto his treasured instrument. Throughout the night, he alternated between singing and play-
BRIELLE CAYER/THE OBSERVER
The Latin Grammy Award-winning performer played his first ticketed concert to a sold-out house.
ing melodies on the trumpet. After playing a number of fun love songs, Ludwig took the opportunity to speak to the crowd from his heart about the inspirations and significance of his new music. Two of his newer songs, “Summertime” and “Falling Out,” featured his late father’s music as backing vocal effects. A teary-eyed Ludwig explained how he’d already written his songs before realizing his father’s music fit right with them.
Ludwig continued to share personal stories through new lyrics which were warmly embraced by the supportive room. Many times, audience members would cheer and exclaim their love as he played never-before-heard songs. “I needed to make sure that if I were to die tomorrow that I had written a body of work that genuinely represents who I am as a person, an artist and a trumpet player,” Ludwig said when
asked about his latest musical creations. He plans to release the songs in an album this year. Of the writing process, he said, “My only objective was to tell real stories through songs that only I could sing because those experiences happened to me and only me. I wasn’t thinking about anything other than if the songs truly represent who I am.” Echoing the sentiment that he expressed while onstage, Ludwig
told The Observer, “The last few years I’ve kind of been hiding behind funky pop songs while also building up the courage and the skill sets to be able to write more personal songs, which is what this album is all about.” Wrapping up the night with his previously released singles “Diggy” and “Just Wanna Dance,” Ludwig sent the crowd home in a euphoric dance party. He even invited attendees to his after-party — and after-after-party. It was clear to anyone at Mercury Lounge that night that Spencer Ludwig is passionate about live performance. “Whenever I’m performing, I feel like I’m living my purpose,” he said. “I love to entertain and I love to transport people through the power of song and musical improvisation. I love the feeling of being connected to everyone in the room knowing that we are all sharing something special together.” Starting in March, Ludwig will return to The Freehold in Brooklyn every last Friday of the month to revive his “Le Trumpet” residency. Fans can expect to hear his newer music, impressive trumpeting skills and a fun-loving atmosphere. The young performer is just beginning this new journey with an optimistic, humble attitude. As Ludwig put it, “I hope to be able to perform and heal people all over the world through live music for as long as I can.”
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Watching ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ on Valentine’s Day
THE OBSERVER February 19, 2020
Arts & Culture
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The film has unexpected potential to become a Valentine’s classic By BEN JORDAN Staff Writer
The new “Sonic the Hedgehog” film just may be the Valentine’s Day release to end all Valentine’s movies. It’s the pure cinematic excellence Vertov and Clair were looking for in the ’20s. It’s the kind of film you can take your significant other, your crush, the bros, the gals — heck, anyone — to. There’s something for everyone. Sonic flosses — the dance, not the oral hygiene activity — twice. The funniest running joke is Eggman, played by Jim Carrey, controlling his drone army (and yes, Sonic does equate Eggman with
Jeff Bezos) by randomly slapping his fingers onto buttons built into the palm of his glove. And naturally, the sexual tension between Sonic, voiced by Ben Schwartz, and the Eggman is carried over from the video game series. Without getting into spoilers, all I can say is this: It’s game-changing. The best performance comes from James Marsden, who plays Tom Wachowski — a name which makes clear this film’s debt to the classic “Matrix” series from the Wachowski Sisters. Tom, much like Neo, is given two choices. The first is to sell Sonic out to the Eggman, and the second is to help Sonic in his quest for the sack of rings. This is an especially clever twist on the red pill/blue pill trope because the good Sonic is blue, whereas the bad Eggman is red. The fact that Marsden was able to pull off the depth that he did is a testament to his skills as an actor — the comic timing of his goofs with Sonic, his distress when carrying around Sonic’s unconscious body, his fear prior to shooting Sonic — the list goes on. And as we know, he was able to do it in spite of the fact that Sonic was never in the same room as him because Sonic is not real. I know the Oscars were last week, but put Marsden down as a frontrunner for Best Supporting Actor and Tom Holkenborg’s music for
Best Original Score. The thematic resonance of Sonic’s desire “to make a real friend” in a film released on St. Valentine’s Day shows that Paramount is once again willing to take the risks they were taking with their classics in the ’40s and ’50s. Watching this with some (platonic) friends in a packed Dolby Cinema-equipped theater (because we’re all single today) really sends a message — one that is both of the times and timeless. Yes, there was some weird phallic imagery with one of Sonic’s stiff porcupine hairs that finds its way into the hands of various characters throughout the film, and Dr. Robotnik has an abusive but oddly tender relationship with his assistant. Regardless, you can choose to ignore this romantic subtext and just focus on the funny blue hamster making topical and timely cultural references. Or you can choose to fully commit to the hidden messages and take your own date to see this (potential) Valentine’s classic. Because even though I’m giving this movie two white-gloved thumbs up, the choice is yours. That said, as far as Sonic adaptations go, I still prefer the parody of Ween’s “Ocean Man” titled “Sonic Man” that a kid from my high school made about the little guy.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY LARA FOLEY/THE OBSERVER
‘Footloose’ in Manhattan: The Dance to Close
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY LARA FOLEY/THE OBSERVER
The Dance joins CBGB and Wetlands Preserve in the ranks of indie venues past, but the city’s DIY scene still thrives. By WARREN CHRISTOPHER GREEN Contributing Writer
A young Lower East Side club and bar known as The Dance hosted its final performance on Feb. 18 after only four months of operation. On Feb. 10, management posted via Instagram that “the ownership group has respectively decided to pull the plug on this dream and go in another direction.” Fordham students will soon lose a beacon of live indie music in the city — and those who went will remember its performers for various reasons. “I saw the lead singer try to hang upside down on the lighting
rafters, but fall on his back onto a speaker,” said Liam Ryder, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, about seeing Promiseland at The Dance. Spacious and innovative, The Dance was constructed perfectly for a New York City venue. Small enough not to be a pain to fill, but not so small that it feels cramped, the venue’s layout suited its utility. Its 350-capacity stage room was enclosed by the club entrance area, including a vibrant but minimalist bar and dance floor. As guests entered, they would grab a drink and mingle as they make their way to the back, past the merch/ticket window, to the all-
white corridor. The Dance made use of the little space it took up in a way that felt like more than just a bar with a stage. The stage was elevated about 4 feet; the perfect height to dive into the crowd from, which is commonplace for both performers and patrons of the venue. The green room, located above the stage, was connected to it by a spiral staircase from which artists could elegantly descend into a sea of hollers. Behind the crowd and mosh was the club’s second bar, atop of which sat the frontof-house. The sound engineers had an unobstructed view of the stage, rather than being cramped
in a corner somewhere or taking space from patrons. “You can leave the show and be right around a bunch of places to eat and drink,” Alyana Vera, FCLC ’20, said. “The location was the best.” Due to the scarcity of small, niche venues in Manhattan, concert-goers turn to Brooklyn to find intimate performances. Although Brooklyn is only a 30-minute train ride from Columbus Circle, finding local artists performing in Manhattan is an exercise in patience. Billy Jones, co-owner, booker and promoter of Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, started The Dance in the fall of 2019. This endeavor marked a grasp at the straws of NYC nightlife. Thousands of concerts are performed every month in Manhattan at venues like Bowery Ballroom or Rockwood Music Hall, but they seldom charge less than $25 and often showcase established artists on tour. As a student, it isn’t always reasonable to frequent those shows and venues. It makes more sense, especially on a weekly basis, to seek out intimate performances further from the city, though The Dance provided a comparable option for a similar price. Venues and event spaces like Trans-Pecos, Baby’s All Right and Gold Sounds are staples for that kind of intimate NYC music scene, which celebrates independent local artists. Venues like these have, for good reason, moved out to Brooklyn where they have more space and a younger audience. But because of this, Manhattan is missing an aspect of nightlife suited perfectly for the “broke college student” stereotype that The Dance provided. On the subject of struggling venues in danger of being shut down, Vera said, “The Lower East
Side is like that in general, which is a shame because most of those venues have a lot of history.” Think of Hilly Kristal’s classic CBGB in NoHo or Pete Shapiro’s Wetlands Preserve in Tribeca. These were two of the most historic NYC venues. CBGB fostered the emergence of punk in America with bands like The Ramones, Blondie, The Misfits and Talking Heads. Wetlands was set up as an “eco-saloon,” meaning that the proceeds supported a not-forprofit Center for Social and Environmental Justice, which became a home for jambands and psychedelic rock aficionados. They each represent an era, and now that they’re gone, a part of the music industry ecosystem fades out. The Dance didn’t reach that level of historical significance, but it did represent a possibly final attempt to keep the DIY music scene alive in NYC. The only lasting punk-ish venue in the area is Lola, which is mainly a bar filled with tables and booths that double as a venue with its tight corner stage. Compared to the rich, eclectic nightlife of the Lower East Side and the East Village, today’s scene is increasingly subpar. Maybe this DIY exodus was inevitable. As NYC grows, smaller-scale productions will move out farther. Students will have to travel farther to enjoy affordable, live entertainment. But to what extent will we allow this? What if punks had to move to Long Island to enjoy a good mosh? What if the next generation of DIY is in Connecticut? That wouldn’t be worth the trek from campus. Hopefully, we will have more Billy Joneses to support the local music scene of Manhattan. This will only be possible if we begin to appreciate the assets that venues like this are to students like us.
Fun & Games Editor Esmé Bleecker-Adams - ebleeckeradams@fordham.edu
un & ames
Crossword: Suit Yourself 1
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Across 1. alternative to baked, for potatoes 7. party for donors, usually 11. tags (someone) 14. claim 15. computer brand 16. web address: Abbr. 17. card player’s finger accessory 19. understand 20. forces of destruction 21. not discouraged 23. “The Biggest Little City in the World” 24. Parisian friend
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47. singer Diana and a character from “Friends”, for example 49. card player’s occupation 52. actress Zadora 53. counter of driving hours: Abbr. 54. location of the Taj Mahal 58. beg 62. the most taxing month? 63. French king 64. card player’s planting tool 66. Dig restaurant 67. canal connecting Albany and Buffalo, originally 68. one following a specific eating plan 69. one born in Nov. or Dec. 70. frog’s less colorful cousin 71. least common
Down
BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS
25. suffix indicating involvement in an activity 26. card player’s lunch 32. was successful 35. thee hither 36. price deduction 37. time since birth 38. refuse to take a stand 40. type of retriever, for short 42. sister 43. religious group 45. alternative to dairy, for milk
February 19, 2020 THE OBSERVER
1. Olympic skiier Günther 2. and well 3. not 2 Down, as a result of a sword perhaps 4. cause of the death of Socrates 5. senses of self which sometimes need stroking 6. burrow 7. decoration, often on food 8. substance with a low pH value 9. actress Dunham 10. had a fight
Word
Cut out the shapes below and fit them into the puzzles.
11. residents of Vienna 12. rare botanic sighting at Lincoln Center 13. snowy day vehicle 18. play ; pretend not to know 22. breakable events 24. recorded soundtracks 27. Misérables 28. afflict, archaically 29. got close to 30. whodunnit board game 31. occupants of a coop 32. what a laundromat does 33. with an S-shaped curve, in architecture 34. giving a summary 39. 19th Greek letter 41. ghost sound 44. group of three 46. was popular, in search histories perhaps 48. Red ; type of fish 50. chain with a bullseye logo 51. show set at McKinley High School 55. shred 56. carnival attractions 57. warning 58. flower named for a Greek goddess 59. Lisa 60. starchy root vegetable 61. seabird genus 62. largest continent 65. US database of vehicle operators convicted of violations
G D N I E T S N E W O L A W Z
Search
Lincoln Center Lowenstein Gabelli Quinn Pope Kehoe McMahon McKeon McShane Rameses Argo Tea Ram Cafe Law School
Using all 11 shapes
V A F R W O N E T O X I T B O
E K B K N R E B S A S N E O R
N P A E G V D A N H O C M
B C Y H L I A I A R G O T I E L A
E E P O P L M F A K P L A F W
Instructions: Each row and column must contain the numbers 1 through 6, and each demarcated section must contain numbers that add, subtract, multiply or divide to produce the number in the top left corner.
N R J E I L I S L T W N N G S
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What should you order at Argo Tea based on your astrological sign? Pisces: Carolina Honey Tea Aries: Espresso Taurus: Earl Grey Tea Gemini: Raspberry White Mocha Cancer: Hot Chocolate Leo: Hibiscus Tea Sangria Virgo: Chai Tea Libra: Matcha Vanilla Teappuccino Scorpio: Green Tea Ginger Twist Sagittarius: White Tea Mango Bubble Tea Capricorn: Cold Brew Aquarius: Hazelnut Chai A U R W D U R N O E K C M L C
H T Z C H A S E M U R E C K H
S Q B R Z E C N J N V N M E O
C H I T S O A N E A I T A P O
M M X E M G M I R W M E H S L
O G M B Y C T U I S A R O B M
S A E U E K P Q V C Q O N E L
R A M C A F E O M E U F S A I
Punctuation
Fun Facts
By JILL RICE, Copy Editor 5+
16 x
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Tic Tac Toe 2–
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10 x
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12 x
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3÷
20 x
Using 9 shapes
2÷
48 x
• Three asterisks (*) in a triangle are called an asterism. Three consecutive asterisks are called a dinkus. • is called an interrobang, also written !? • The ampersand (&) used to be a letter (et). It’s called an ampersand because it used to be “and, per se, and.” •The Greek question mark looks like a semicolon (;).
Features Editor Samantha Matthews - smatthews16@fordham.edu Nicole Perkins - nperkins2@fordham.edu
Features
February 19, 2020 THE OBSERVER
Activists Skip School for Climate Justice
By ANNA MONEYMAKER Staff Writer
It’s Friday, Jan. 31, and a group of about 15 people stand outside of New York City Hall. In the cold, foggy weather, they are closely huddled together for the 76th consecutive climate strike: Fridays for Future. Seventeen-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg of Sweden has inspired a generation of students to get involved in climate activism by skipping school on Fridays to protest. Most everyone has seen large dramatic gatherings in the media, but rarely are we shown the dedicated students and activists who spend every week, rain or shine, spreading their message. Among the students stood two public high school teachers from the Bronx, Bryan and Alicia, who declined to provide their last names. In response to the characterization of climate activists as “alarmists,” Bryan stated, “I honestly don’t think it is a bad word. We are in a crisis. We have to act now and stop business as usual.” Alicia added, “It’s not even just for the future. The effects are happening right now, mainly in the Global South.” The students near them had similar sentiments. “I am 17. Why study for a future that I can’t have? By rejecting the civil duty I have of being a student, I am using my voice in the absence of being able to vote,” Olivia Wohlgemuth, a student at LaGuardia High School, said. However, even within the climate movement, there are areas where activists disagree, and many call for change. A recent frustration is the media’s lack of attention towards activists of color and indigenous youth. “Of course, Greta is the most famous and the reason I am striking today, but the movement preceded her by many decades … It is a misrepresentation of who the crisis is affecting the most,” Wohlgemuth continued. Another student activist, Alejandro Vasquez, stated that this was his 36th consecutive week striking. When asked what needs to be changed within the climate
Alejandro Vasquez wears painted pants that display his concerns about climate change.
movement, he responded, “I feel like getting away from the idea of individual action as the only solution and holding the main perpetrators accountable is what needs to happen.” He referenced more extreme measures such as going on a strictly plant based diet or living a “zero waste” lifestyle. Though surely being ultimately beneficial for the environment, Vasquez expressed concern over activists in the community who encourage radical, immediate
alteration of lifestyle. He referenced the fact that many people are living in “food deserts,” or urban areas in which fresh, good quality food is not available or affordable. As a vegetarian, Vasquez sees these changes on the individual level as “just simply not accessible to everyone.” He continued, “We should be focused on holding the billionaires polluting the earth accountable.” Another attendee of the climate strike was Noé Gauchard,
PHOTOS BY ANNA MONEYMAKER/THE OBSERVER
a Fordham Lincoln Center senior in an exchange program from France. Involved in activism before coming to study at Fordham, Gauchard hopes the American climate justice movements can become more consolidated and powerful in order to enact the change activists seek. “In France, our movements are more consolidated,” he remarked. Gauchard referenced the stark division among Americans — “For example, all the college students have reusable water bottles, but
Student activists bring signs and flags to Fridays for the Future, a weekly global protest started by Greta Thunberg to promote climate change awareness.
then you go outside and … there are plastic ones everywhere. I think in France the opinions and habits are more even among the people.” Though these particular students and teachers are not receiving media attention, Fridays for the Future are doing the mundane work of activism: unassuming, but persistent. They sit and hold signs with poignant messages — though the passersby may look away, they will still be there.
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Features
February 19, 2020 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
The Price of a Subway Swipe: When $2.75 Becomes $249 Million
SUBWAY from page 1
In June 2019, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’79, announced that 500 uniformed officers would be added to the subway and bus systems, citing data showing that the MTA had experienced a severe increase in fare evasion. The statistical validity of this data — which was directly cited multiple times as the reasoning for costing the city hundreds of millions of dollars in new hires — was called into question by the MTA Inspector General. In a letter to the MTA less than three weeks after Cuomo’s announcement, the Inspector General highlighted concerns about the survey — Operation Plannings Division “saw the project as an internal management tool to get an estimate of the problem, not an official analysis whose results would be formally reported to the MTA Board or considered a robust and reliable estimate of revenue loss.” In November of the same year, it was revealed that the MTA would add another 500 officers, costing the city $249 million. When questioned on the necessity of this addition — especially since major crime has fallen — MTA chairman Pat Foye, FCRH ’78 and LAW ’81, blamed terrorism, saying “I don’t need to point out to anybody in this room that not far from where we meet today was a terrible act of terrorism in 2001.” He continued, “There was an attack at the Port Authority subway station ... and fortunately no one got hurt, but people could have been killed and there could have been substantial property damage.” This increased police presence coincides with a rise in NYPD controversy over policing quotas. Constantin Tsachas, a deputy inspector, ordered his subordinates to ignore white and Asian people — whom he called “soft targets”
— and to target black and Latino people for fare evasion. “Tsachas would get angry if you tried to patrol subway stations in predominantly white or Asian neighborhoods,” one police officer — who is a plaintiff in a discrimination lawsuit against the NYPD — said. Since these allegations, Tsachas has been promoted to second-in-command of the subway system in Brooklyn. Both the police department and the police union, when contacted by the New York Times, declined to comment. In 2016 in Brooklyn, young black men represented 50% of fare evasion arrests, but were only 13.1% of poor adults. This data was obtained not because the MTA made it freely available, but because a group called the Community Service Society (CSS) compiled the data shared by public defender organizations. In 2017, the New York City Council (NYCC) passed Local Law 147, which required the NYPD to report the number of arrests and summons they issued for subway fare evasion including race, gender and age. Despite going into effect in January 2018, the NYPD ignored the first three deadlines they were given. In October 2018, the NYPD partially released the requested information. It included minimal information on the end of 2017 and the first half of 2018 — according to the NYCC, this excluded distinguishing information for stations with the same name (like “125th Street”) and the age, race, and gender of those arrested outside of the top ten stations. CSS and NYCC member Rory Lancman eventually sued the NYPD to force compliance with Local Law 147. In January 2020, two years after the law had gone into effect, a full set of data from 2017 to 2019 was released. In 2019, there was a total of 1,206 summonses and arrests at
Columbus Circle, out of the roughly estimated 23 million people who pass through. For every 19,121 people who would pass through the station, one would get an arrest or summons. At Beach 60 St. — a station in a low-income black and Latino area in Brooklyn — one summons or arrest would be issued for every 6,632 people. In their report on the data, CSS wrote that “enforcement intensity ... in high-poverty neighborhoods is more than twice as high as the other stations. Enforcement relative to ridership ... in high-poverty black and Latinx neighborhoods is more than 60 percent higher than at the 21 stations in high-poverty white or Asian neighborhoods.” They continued, “Enforcement at high-poverty stations is more likely to take the form of an arrest in a black or Latinx neighborhood than in a white or Asian neighborhood and arrests occur at a rate of 1.5 per 100,000 swipes at stations in high-poverty black and Latinx neighborhoods... Institutional racism can not only impact who the NYPD decides to stop for fare evasion and what penalty they issue, but also which neighborhoods they focus their enforcement on.” This is not a new conclusion, but the release of these policing figures by the NYPD finally supports it with reliable, government-backed evidence. New York Attorney General Letitia James declared in January of this year that she was beginning an investigation, discussed in “Alleged Targeting Of Communities Of Color On NYC Subways.” Despite switching from arrests to mainly issuing summons, any form of punishment can greatly warp a low-income person’s ability to get by for the month. If someone can’t afford $2.75, it will be almost impossible for them to afford a $100 ticket. “A fare evasion arrest carries with it collateral consequences that can affect em-
ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER
Fare evasion enforcement is unequally applied across the New York subway system, especially to those in low-income black and Latino neighborhoods.
ployment, deny access to critical public benefits, and for immigrant New Yorkers, result in detention and possibly deportation,” Anthony Posada, an attorney at The Legal Aid Society, said. New York has implemented policies to try to assist low-income New Yorkers. The Fair Fares program allows low-income New Yorkers to receive half-off on MetroCards. Families who are just above the cutoff line and struggle to budget $2.75 two times a day might not be able to afford better deals like an unlimited card because they don’t have the $127 to spend at once. Christina Greer, Ph.D., associate chair of the political science department, said, “I was a board member of the Riders Alliance when we pushed these Fair Fares and it was a huge success because
we figured out how to give discounted tickets to seniors and to students ... but that’s not the be all, end all — that doesn’t fix everything ... we’re not addressing the societal issue here.” In 2018, Columbus Circle was the 8th highest-trafficked subway station in New York. FLC students use this daily — benefiting from a system that favors their area. Students who travel to Rose Hill arrive at a subway station — Fordham Road (B and D) — that gives a summons or arrests to 1 in 7,224 people in an area where 39% of people are below the poverty line (compared to 11.1% around Columbus Circle). As New York prepares itself for a thousand officers to be added to this system, Fordham students will continue to use the subway as it carries a heavy hand against its users.
Looking Back at Fordham’s Forgotten Social Space: The Pub By EMMA SEIWELL Asst. Features Editor
In 1981, when New York’s legal drinking age was 18, Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) featured its very own on-campus bar. It was called The Pub and was housed in what is currently the student lounge in the back of the Ram Café. In a 1982 Observer article titled “The Pub: Rules of Conduct,” Charles DeStefano, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’84, created a clear vision of the social scene inside The Pub. He wrote, “Muscle bound jocks wearing well-worn ‘Knicks’ t-shirts; alligator-bearing Preps smoking Rothman’s; crusty old professors reading The Journal of Burmese Lexicographers; ninety year-old women celebrating their first ‘A’, these are some of the types that can be seen congregating in The Pub, spending their cash on food and grog.” The Pub opened in October 1981 in an effort to create a central meeting place for what was then a commuter-only campus, as FLC had no dorms on campus until 1983 — Fordham Rose Hill was the only campus where students could live. Kate Charlesworth, FCLC ’83, waitressed at The Pub from the time it opened until she graduated. She said, “There was very little opportunity to have a real traditional campus community, because we were scattered all over the area, but we carved out our own pockets of community.” All waitstaff were students, though the positions were not
work-study. To keep outsiders from entering the bar, all students had to show Fordham ID to enter. Charlesworth said, “The Pub was mostly another place to grab food between classes with the added bonus of having a quick beer! It was a busy, friendly place.” The bar served food options that were unavailable in the adjacent cafeteria, including pizza, hot sandwiches, wine and beer sold at what DeStefano called “depression-day prices.” He also noted that beer was served in-
th“tacky plastic cups” and wine in “plastic-crystal” glasses. In a 1982 student review on local bars, an anonymous student wrote, “Microwaved food should be stamped out, but The Pub continues to serve the stuff. The beer makes up for it so we can’t complain.” Charlesworth described the interior as a “very ye-olde-tavern” with dark wood paneling and brick walls. There was a stage area with a piano, table video games including SpaceInvaders and PacMan, and at one point, a
jukebox that played seven songs for just one dollar. In August 1985, the decision to change The Pub officially to “The Plaza Cafe” was made due to new legislation that would be passed in December 1985 which raised the drinking age from 19 to 21. The drinking age had previously been raised from 18 to 19 in 1982. It’s unclear when this space ceased to exist as an eating establishment altogether. However, it ultimately became what is now the mundane student lounge rooms. The lounge is utilized to-
COURTESY OF FORDHAM SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARY
Shown in the 1981 Center Yearbook, The Pub served as the epicenter of the LC social scene in the ’80s.
day for club meetings and small events, but generally isn’t considered a common meeting place for students to just hang out. Although FLC now has dorms on campus, roughly 50% of students are commuters. Our small campus, while situated in a prime location in New York City, still lacks a central social space for students. This is something that has been recognized and addressed through the years. With The Pub, administration made an effort to build a stronger on-campus community, though it proved to be only a short-term solution. Resident Sam Tzyu, FCLC ’21, said, “I had no idea Lincoln Center (LC) used to have a pub, but I think it’d be a cool idea to bring it back to campus.” She continued, “LC’s small campus definitely has its perks, but it also means not having a lot of places to hang out.” When considering Fordham’s large commuter population, she added, “I think it’d also be great for commuters. I feel like they should have more places to hang out, whether it be in between classes or with friends.” When asked about the likelihood of something similar to The Pub ever appearing on campus again, Dean of Students Keith Eldredge offered no comment. Whether or not Fordham will ever find a permanent solution to its lack of social spaces on campus remains uncertain. Though today’s students can’t enjoy what once was, The Pub could serve as a template for future social spaces on campus.
Sports & Health Editors Patrick Moquin - pmoquin@fordham.edu Lena Weidenbruch - lweidenbruch@fordham.edu
Sports & Health
February 19, 2020
THE OBSERVER
Pressure Mounts for Neubauer in a Game of Wins and Losses
COACH from page 1
knew who he was, rudimentary internet searches were promising. Starting out as an assistant at Richmond University and then at West Virginia University, both under head coach John Beilein, Neubauer coached on a Mountaineers team that went to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament in 2005. He was hired to be head coach at Eastern Kentucky University the following season, and in 10 years with the Colonels, Neubauer had six winning seasons and made two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. He entered Fordham with 322 games of head coaching experience and a winning record over the course of his career. When the new coach first arrived, many around Fordham expressed hope, with Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, saying, “His ability to inspire superior performance on the court and in the classroom fits well with Fordham’s mission and our culture.” Excitement only grew when the season started. Neubauer and the Rams won nine of their first 10 games in the 2015-16 season. Such was the buzz around Neubauer’s arrival to Fordham that the New York Post wrote a story singing his praises. In December 2015, writer Howie Kussoy told of the hard, valiant effort Neubauer had to make in his new home in the Bronx. In his article, he said, “First, the coach had to convince the team it could be the most improved in the country. Now, the team has to convert a campus accustomed to apathy.” At that time, it wasn’t fashionable to blame the coach for the team’s performance. Complaining about the players’ in-
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Fordham men’s basketball fans are upset with Coach Neubauer after another disappointing season.
ternalized insecurities and the fans’ low expectations was apparently in vogue in 2015. Neubauer lost his first game as Fordham coach but went on to win nine straight to begin the season with a 9-1 record. They even ended with a winning record of 17-14, their first since 2007. They weren’t yet contenders in the Atlantic 10 Conference, but Neubauer gave fans reason to hope. The year is 2020, and Fordham fans are still waiting for that second winning season. In four seasons following his successful debut, Neubauer and the Rams have won, on average, 10 games per season. By December of his first season, Neubauer and the Rams had won nine games, the same number of wins
they achieved in the entirety of the 2017-18 season. With only six games left in the 2019-20 season, the Rams have a 7-17 record. After a few miserable years, people began to sour on their head coach, and that sentiment shows no signs of losing momentum. Anyone accusing Fordham fans of apathy has clearly never seen them boo their own coach. The intensity of their protests and the frequency of their homemade signs would be incredibly intimidating if they were directed at an opposing team. In an interview with The Observer, The Fordham Ram sports editor Jimmy Sullivan, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’20, said that the fans’ protests are ones of general frustration rath-
er than any pointed argument. “The criticism of Neubauer is entirely results-based. The fans are seeing the numbers and responding, but it really doesn’t have much to do with in-game management or anything like that. It’s strictly a matter of wins and losses,” Sullivan said. Fans, of course, lack specific knowledge on the duties and strategy involved with being a collegiate basketball coach. However, the opinion of the masses is incredibly important, despite their ignorance of all the factors. Fans’ protests put pressure on people in power to make changes, and understanding that opinion is more important than understanding any nuanced argument. Fans wanted Neubauer in the
first place because they wanted to win. Fans wanted Neubauer to stay because he was winning. Fans want Neubauer fired because he’s losing. The argument can be complicated or reinforced by statistics and analysis, shooting percentages and recruiting success, but if Neubauer were winning games, the statistics and analysis would no longer matter. In his interview, Sullivan also gave a few reasons for Fordham to give Neubauer another year. Because Neubauer has one year remaining on his contract, Sullivan noted, “Letting him go before the end of his contract will cost Fordham money.” Sullivan also said, “While the results aren’t there, the team has played hard for him ... Say what you want about the schedule or the talent on the roster, but the team has played its a-- off for the majority of the season, but they just haven’t gotten results.” Of course, both of Sullivan’s arguments have merit. From the very beginning, Neubauer garnered a reputation for getting the most out of his players, as noted by McShane when the coach was hired. The logistics of his contract may also extend his career at Fordham, at least for one more season. But the decision will always come down to wins and losses, and in that sense, Neubauer’s position only becomes more precarious as time goes on. For the oblivious Lincoln Center student sitting in that angry, packed, Rose Hill student section, to understand Jeff Neubauer’s career, they would have to look back at five seasons of dashed hopes, disappointments, missed opportunities and lapses in judgment. To understand the end of Neubauer’s career, though, they may not need to look much further than the scoreboard.
30 Minutes, 5 Ingredients, 1 Day of Meals
By RAHUL SUKESH Staff Writer
Tired of heating up precooked food from Trader Joe’s? Don’t have a meal plan? Dining out every night breaking the budget? Staying in to cook is a cheaper and simpler alternative. Here are some affordable, easy and delicious meals any Fordham student can put together in no time at all.
Ingredients: 2 hot dog buns 2 turkey hot dogs ¼ onion Condiment of choice ½ tablespoon butter
MINI HAM AND EGG BREAKFAST TACOS Cook time: 10-15 minutes Serves: 1 Estimated total cost: $1.27 Nutritional Info: 470 calories, 29 grams of protein and 28 grams of fat.
Steps: 1. Heat a pan over medium heat. 2. Whisk two eggs in a bowl and add in vegetables of your choice. 3. Melt butter on the pan and then add in the egg mixture. 4. Stir the eggs until no longer runny. Turn on another burner to max heat. Put your hand six inches above the pan and when you can feel the heat, put the tortillas on the pan. Keep an eye on them and remove once they have gotten as toasted as you would like. Line the inside of the tortillas with ham and add the eggs. Note: This meal can be customized in many ways to make it more or less healthy. For example, you can add bacon, chicken, cheese or more vegetables.
Ingredients: 4 mini tortillas ¼ onion or any vegetable of your choosing 2 eggs 2 ounces ham or turkey slices ½ tablespoon of butter
HOT DOGS Cook time: 10 minutes Serves: 1 Total Cost: $0.84 Nutritional Info: 426 calories, 16 grams of protein and 22 grams of fat
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY PAMELA PAJARES AND MADDIE SANDHOLM THE OBSERVER
SALMON WITH RICE AND GREEN BEANS Cook time: 30 minutes Serves: 1 Total Cost: $4.62 Nutritional Info: 523 calories, 18 grams of protein and 11 grams of fat
Ingredients: ½ cup uncooked rice (this will make 1.5 cups cooked rice) ½ onion 1 cup green string beans (19-20 raw beans) 2 ounces salmon 1 tablespoon butter Steps: 1. Place a pan on the stove top and turn the heat to medium. 2. When the butter has melted, add the hot dogs to the stove top. I also add the buns because I like to give them a nice char. 3. Keep rotating the hot dogs and cook to your liking. If you’re unable to cook them on a stove, you can also toss them in the microwave for a minute. 4. While the hot dogs are cooking, chop up the onion. 5. After you are content with the char on the hot dogs and toast on the buns, take them off the stove and plate them. While they cool, add the onions to the pan and let them sizzle over medium heat until translucent. 6. Garnish the hot dogs with the sauteed onions.
Steps: 1. Measure out ½ cup uncooked rice and thoroughly rinse it. Using a rice cooker or pot, add the rice and one cup of water. Start the cooker or set the heat on the stove to high and bring the rice
and water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the rice sit for 15-20 minutes (times will vary based on the type of rice). 2. Heat a pan to medium and melt 1 tablespoon butter. 3. Season fish, place it on the heated pan and wait until it changes from orange to pink. I also like to brown the edges because it adds a crunch to the soft salmon cuts. 4. Take the salmon off the pan and use the leftover butter to cook the green beans. Leave the green beans on the pan for about five minutes. In the meantime, dice the onions. 5. After taking both the salmon and green beans off the pan, lower the heat of the stove top and add the onions. Cook until translucent. 6. Once the onions are finished, plate the rice, salmon and beans and add the onions to the top of the rice.
The recommended national daily caloric intake is 2,000 calories. These recipes will bring you to 1,400 calories, so snacking on healthy foods between meals is also recommended.
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February 19, 2020
THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
Baseball Struggles Down South to Start Season
By PATRICK MOQUIN Sports and Health Editor
At the end of the 2019 season, Fordham baseball reached the pinnacle of the Atlantic 10 (A10) Conference, winning the championship against Dayton in a hard-fought 12-inning game. The start of their 2020 season in a series against Florida International University (FIU) is probably better left forgotten. In order for college baseball teams in the northeast to begin playing in February like the rest of the country, they have to do some traveling. In their first weekend of non-conference play, the Rams traveled to Miami to face the FIU Panthers. It didn’t go well. The first game was over by the end of the second inning. Starter Matt Mikulski, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’21, gave up two runs in the first inning on a well-timed double, but recovered to escape trouble. In the top of the second, Jake MacKenzie, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’21, homered with no men on base to cut the deficit in half, 2-1. As the Rams took the field for the bottom half of the second inning, the game was well within their reach. By the time they stepped back into the dugout, the game was over. Three errors, two extra base hits and five stolen bases resulted in a six-run inning and an 8-1 lead for FIU. It was a nightmare inning, the kind that never seems to end. It was the first of many such innings for Fordham that weekend. By the end of their first game Friday, the Rams had lost by a score of 20-7. The Panthers scored at least one run in every inning and every pitcher for
Fordham gave up at least two. The second game, played the following day, was far more promising in the first few innings, mostly due to the efforts of one of Fordham’s most reliable pitchers. John Stankiewicz, GSBRH ’21, pitched three scoreless innings to keep the Rams competitive as they continued to struggle on offense. In the bottom of the fourth inning, a single drove in the Panthers’ first run of the game. An error on the play by left fielder Jake Baker, FCRH ’20, allowed another run to score, and while Stankiewicz found his way out of the inning, he did not return for the fifth. The Panthers scored six more runs in the next three innings while keeping the Rams scoreless. The score was 8-0 when the umpires called the game after seven innings due to rain. Their third game on Sunday was somehow the worst in the series. Starter Joseph Quintal, FCRH ’21, did not get through the first inning, facing ten batters and giving up seven earned runs. He was pulled after walking the last two he faced, a sign that the offensive onslaught had taken its toll. FIU scored 18 runs on 18 hits, driving in at least one run in all but one inning. The Rams’ two runs in the seventh inning meant very little in a game that ended in the first. At the end of the series, the Panthers defeated Fordham in all three games by a combined score of 46-9. This series clearly looks bad on Fordham’s record, and will negatively affect their run differential for the entire season. However, it is important to remember that it has no effect on their record in the A10 Confer-
COURTESY OF MICHAEL BERLFEIN/FIU ATHLETICS
Billy Godrick, FCRH ’20, unsuccessfully tries to advance to third base in Fordham’s third game against FIU.
ence. It was a learning experience against a vastly superior team, an opponent with whom very few of the Rams’ actual rivals could ever hope to contend. Last season, Fordham began their preseason against Texas A&M University and were outscored 26-7 over a three-game
series. The Rams never played a team as good as the Aggies again that year, and the experience against tougher competition served them well later in the season. They won the championship in their own conference, and it took a considerable amount of fortitude to do so.
The Rams have seemingly repeated history so far this season, getting dominated in their first series by an impressive team down south. However, if the season continues along those same lines, there’s reason for Fordham fans to remain patient as spring approaches.
Semisweet Run for Men’s and Women’s Track at Valentine Invitational By LENA WEIDENBRUCH Sports and Health Editor
Fordham men’s and women’s track raced at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston, Massachusetts, on Friday, Feb. 14, and Saturday, Feb. 15, at the Boston University (BU) Track and Tennis Center. In the competition that hosted more than 20 schools from across the northeast, the highest individual scores the Rams achieved over the two day meet were fifth and sixth place for the women’s and men’s teams respectively. There were no team scores at the event. While the Rams’ results only boasted a handful of top 10 finishes, the team’s top scorers finished consistently and took home a few season best times, one personal best and quite a few Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC)/IC4A Division I Championship qualifying times. Freshmen Women Take Top Times The women’s team took to the track first on Friday. Kathryn Kelly, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’21, was the team’s highest scorer with two top-10 performances. Kelly placed fifth in the 60-meter dash in a time of 7.76 seconds, and ninth in the long jump with a jump of 18 feet, 2.5 inches. Freshman Alexandra Thomas, FCRH ’23, had the team’s second best finish of the day. She crossed the tape in 9 minutes, 54 seconds in the 3,000-meter run to finish 14th overall and qualify for the ECAC/IC4A Championship. Thomas’ fellow freshmen
boasted some impressive finishes as well. Radha Dooley, FCRH ’23, also competed well for the Rams on Friday with a 16th place finish in the high jump at 5 feet, 3 inches, her season best. Kyla Hill, FCRH ’23, finished 65th in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.54 seconds. The women’s team only saw one other athlete place under three digits on Friday. Dominique Valentine, FCRH ’22, took 36th place overall in the 500-meter run in a time of 1 minute, 19 seconds. The women’s team finished their competition on Saturday with the distance medley relay. The team of four, Sydney Snow, FCRH ’20; Dominique Valentine, FCRH ’22; Helen Connolly, FCRH ’22; and Bridget Alex, FCRH ’22, placed 12th overall in a season best time of 12 minutes, 9 seconds. Six Men to ECAC/IC4A Championship The men’s top finisher at the invitational on Saturday was Nikolas Reardon, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’21, who cleared 6 feet, 6.75 inches in the high jump to take fourth place. In the long jump he placed 12th at 12 feet, 9.5 inches. Colin Flood, FCRH ’23, was the men’s top finisher on the track, taking sixth place in the 3,000-meter run in a time of 8 minutes, 33 seconds. The men’s team topped the women in double digit finishers and ECAC/IC4A Championship qualifiers. The first ECAC/IC4A Championship qualifier for the men was
Antony Misko, FCRH ’21, who finished the 400-meter dash in 48.89 seconds to take 27th place. Jeremiah LaDuca, FCRH ’22, and Christopher Strzelinski, FCRH ’21, both finished the 800-meter run in 1 minute, 53 seconds, good for 41st and 46th place, respectively. The times were also fast enough to qualify them for the ECAC/IC4A Championship. Teammate Zalen Nelson, FCRH ’22, finished in 1
minute, 54 seconds to take 78th place. The next ECAC/IC4A qualifier was Will Whelan, FCRH ’21, who crossed the line in 2 minutes, 28 seconds for 32nd place in the 1,000-meter run. Two Rams qualified for the ECAC/IC4A Championship in the 3,000-meter race. Nicholas Raefski, Gabelli Graduate School of Business at Rose Hill ’20, clocked a personal best of 8 minutes, 15 seconds for 68th
place followed by Brandon Hall, GSBRH ’22, in 8 minutes, 27 seconds for 130th. The Rams’ efforts at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational were not extraordinary, but rewarding in that many will have the opportunity to race at the ECAC/IC4A Championship on March 7 and 8. Until then, catch them at the Armory College Last Chance Meet on Friday, Feb. 21 or the Atlantic 10 Championship on Feb. 29 and March 1.
res and Standou o c S ts Top Radha Dooley High jump: 5 feet, 3 inches Kathryn Kelly 60 meter dash: 7.76 seconds Long jump: 18 feet and 2.5 inches Alexandra Thomas 3,000-meter run: 9 minutes, 54 seconds Sydney Snow, Dominique Valentine, Helen Connolly and Bridget Alex Distance medley relay: 12 minutes, 9 seconds
Nicholas Raefski 3,000-meter run: 8 minutes, 15 seconds Nikolas Reardon High jump: 6 feet, 6.75 inches Long jump: 12 feet, 9.5 inches Colin Flood 3,000-meter run: 8 minutes, 33 seconds. Antony Misko 400-meter dash: 48.89 seconds
ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER