Volume XLII Issue 3

Observer the

March 2, 2022

The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

VOLUME XLII, ISSUE 3

Fears Over Rising MTA Crime Rate

By OLIVIA REYES Staff Writer

Crime on the New York City subway system has increased since the start of the new year.

On Jan. 15, while standing on a platform in the Times Square42nd Street Station, 40-year-old Michelle Go was pushed onto the tracks and killed by an oncoming train. Go’s death sparked outrage and fear in the NYC

community, leading to concerns about safety on MTA-operated trains and conversations about changes that can be made.

Dangerous disruptions on the MTA have affected NYC students to varying degrees. While some are able to avoid the use of the trains, the MTA still remains es-

sential to students who commute to campus, forcing them to adapt to the increased crime.

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ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

Women’s Network at Fordham Begins Outreach

By CHRISTINA IOANNIDES Staff Writer

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate women all over the world and recognize the struggles and achievements of women throughout history.

Embodying the spirit of Women’s History Month is the newly established Fordham branch of the Women’s Network — a nationwide networking organization that aims to help female-identifying students and alumni connect with

Fordham Welcomes ‘First Family’

By MARYAM BESHARA News Editor

each other and prepare for what lies ahead after college.

According to Casey Dobson, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’24 and president of the Women’s Network at Fordham, “It is all about revolutionizing networking for collegiate and recently graduated women and creating a community that celebrates the desire to achieve, make goals, cultivate ambition and prepare the next generation of leaders.”

In a student press conference with both The Observer and The Fordham Ram on Feb. 23, President-elect Tania Tetlow discussed the transition between presidencies, her status as the first laywoman president at Fordham and her priorities once she assumes office. She also talked about bringing Fordham's “First Family” to campus and how they will interact with students.

What really drew you to Fordham and made you decide to leave Loyola University in New Orleans and come here?

see WOMEN page 5

OMA Hosts ‘Love Your Hair’

By QUINCY REYES Contributing Writer

In celebration of Black History Month, the Office of Multicultural Affairs’ (OMAS) Black History Month Committee organized the third annual “Love Your Hair” expo panel to foster a conversation about the importance of Black hair expression on Thursday, Feb. 24.

The expo was an opportunity for panelists to share their experiences and hair journeys while NEWS PAGE 2

Connecting Commuters Commuting students find study and social spaces on campus

also answering questions from the attendees.

Discussion topics included hair care routines and how the cultural significance of Black hair helps create and strengthen the concept of self-identity.

The expo was a safe space for healthy conversation and opened up the larger conversation about the ways natural hair can be a source of empowerment for the Black community. see EXPO page 14

SPORTS & HEALTH PAGE 7

Fordham NFTs

Fordham Athletics enters the emerging market

COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS

On coming into her new role, Tetlow said, “I want to do absolutely everything I am capable of to help Fordham succeed.”

FEATURES PAGE 8

Baseball Preview

Rams baseball set for a stellar season

OPINIONS PAGE 10

AAPI Violence

NYC needs to protect Asian citizens

Tetlow explained that she felt a personal connection to Fordham because her parents met there when they were graduate students. Growing up, Tetlow noted that there was always a picture on the wall of her dad in his Fordham Ph.D. robes holding her and her sister on the steps of Keating Hall. She mentioned that the picture was reminiscent of how amazing the place is.

“This just being an opportunity, I could not turn down– to be part of something so relevant to the world,” she said. “This felt like a moment, as the problems of the world just get more and more critical and disrupted, that I really want to know that I tried as hard as I could to matter.” see TETLOW page 3

ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 15

‘Heathers’ in London The off-West End production thrilled audience members

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News

March 2, 2022

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER

Students Lack Confidence in Fordham’s Elevators

Four reported incidents on campus have led to increased concern over elevator safety and capacity

By ERIC BISHOP Contributing Writer

Since the beginning of the spring semester, four reported instances of students getting stuck in elevators at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus have raised concerns about the safety of the elevators on campus.

According to Robert Dineen, director of Public Safety at Lincoln Center, Public Safety has responded to each of the four instances. These elevator breakdowns have occurred in the Leon Lowenstein Center, McMahon Hall, the 140 West Building and McKeon Hall.

“ In each case this

semester, the students were released from the elevator without further incident or need for additional assistance.”

Robert Dineen, director of Public Safety at Lincoln Center

MEGAN CARTER/THE OBSERVER

Out-of-order elevators can be a common occurrence around campus, and the safety of elevators has been a concern.

Cheryl Mendoza, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’25, said that she saw students stuck in one of the McMahon elevators during her first week at Fordham in the fall semester.

Public Safety responds to reports of stuck elevators by checking in with the people inside the elevator car via the in-

tercom system to ensure that they are safe, Dineen noted.

They then assist occupants out of the elevators by bringing in the university’s elevator technician and members of the Facilities Management team.

“ The crazy thing is

that the elevator worked perfectly fine the next day.”

Sophia Jugeli-Giroux FCLC ’25

“In each case this semester, the students were released from the elevator without further incident or need for additional assistance,” he said.

Dineen also emphasized that the staff tests the elevators through monthly, semi-annual and annual inspection testing.

“We also have a dedicated on-site elevator technician assigned to the Lincoln Center campus who monitors and maintains our elevators to ensure they are operating in a safe and secure manner on a daily basis,” Dineen added.

Students still expressed anxiety over McMahon elevators.

Cristina Flores, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’24, said overcrowding is a significant issue for her in the McMahon elevators.

“I have had experiences in which there are just too many people in the elevator, and you can feel that the amount of peo-

ple is way too much,” she said.

Flores described how when McMahon elevators are crowded, everyone’s weight makes the elevator seem to “sink” slightly.

Mendoza also expressed how she lacked confidence in the safety of McMahon’s elevators.

“I still take them, but I walk down the stairs instead of taking the elevators down,” she said.

Besides elevators completely breaking down, students also reported technical difficulties with the elevators in McMahon.

“They glitch,” Sophia Jugeli-Giroux, FCLC ’25, said. According to her, there was an instance where the elevator doors would not close.

“The crazy thing is that the elevator worked perfectly fine the next day,” Jugeli-Giroux said.

Students also expressed similar sentiments about the capacity issues with the elevators at Lowenstein. Though no technical problems were reported, students said the Lowenstein elevators have constant traffic and are delayed when students try to take them in between classes.

“My main issue with them is how cramped they (the elevators) get, which doesn’t feel safe already because the elevators are known to be faulty but especially with COVID, it’s extra scary,” Mendoza said.

Jugeli-Giroux encouraged students to take the stairs instead of the elevators if they can and if their classes occur anywhere below the fifth floor.

Flores added that Fordham could limit the number of students in elevators during daytime “rush hours.”

Commuters Find Spaces on Campus

Locations at Lincoln Center are designated to give commuters a sense of connectedness to the university

By SEAN RYAN Staff Writer

With midterms approaching and many students trying to recover their social lives, commuters are left wondering where they can study and meet new people on campus. To accommodate these students, Fordham has designated resources and spaces to ensure that commuters have a place on campus.

The Fordham Lincoln Center campus has around 900 fulltime undergraduate students commuting to school each week, who make up nearly half of the undergraduate population.

Commuter spaces at the Lincoln Center campus include the Student Lounge in the Ram Café, the Plaza, the 140 West Garden Lounge and five other designated locations with resources for

“ A lot of these spaces

are filled with people you can talk to, so they are always usually very vibrant or very active.”

Christian Madlansacay, FCLC ’23 and CFM coordinator

commuters.

These spaces are open to all students, but Fordham encourages its commuters to take advantage of the available resources in these spaces, including the computer labs, photocopiers and fitness equipment.

Jenifer Campbell, dean of stu-

dents at Lincoln Center, spoke on the more recent additions to commuter spaces on campus over the years.

“The addition of the Garden Level space in the 140 (West) building a few years ago expanded lounge space for commuters and residents,” she said.

“Additionally, the McMahon Lawn space for outside activities in warmer weather has provided another space for students to congregate.”

Campbell noted that no new commuter spaces were planned to be added to Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus at this time.

“If there are any changes in the future, the needs of all constituents would be considered as it relates to space allocation,” Campbell added.

Berk Civan, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’24 and a commuter, was pleased with the options commuters had to hang out on campus.

“It is sufficient because we have the Ram Café to go to between classes. Argo Tea is also a good option — it is just like a fake Starbucks,” Civan said. “There is enough space for everyone. I do not see people who are standing up. There is always a table for me to sit in and wait, and there are multiple locations.”

Commuter First-Year Mentor (CFM) Coordinator Christian Madlansacay, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’23 and a member of The Observer’s editorial board, echoed Civan’s thoughts.

“I think the commuter spaces on campus are sufficient because there are a lot of places that commuters can go to,” he said.

“A lot of these spaces are filled with people you can talk to, so

ALICE MORENO/THE OBSERVER

The Commuting Students Association runs events to help commuters feel more included on campus.

they are always usually very vibrant or very active.”

Those who commute to Lincoln Center in their first year have the opportunity to connect with a CFM to help them learn the ropes on campus. CFMs guide the first-years through everyday life at Fordham and can help with social navigation, academic questions and anything else related to campus life, according to commuter student services.

“As a CFM, I hold ‘drop-in hours’; they are very relaxed.

Throughout the week, I will schedule an hour, for example, in Argo,” Madlansacay said.

“That is the time where first-year students can ask me any questions about anything. Or if they want any advice on anything, I would be available to give them that support.”

There are also student organizations on campus who run events for commuters. The largest is the Commuting Students Association (CSA), which runs events throughout the year,

sometimes in conjunction with United Student Government and the Campus Activities Board.

Around exam week, CSA is known to hold an event called “midday breakfast,” an event that is intended to help include commuters in the Fordham tradition of midnight breakfast, where Fordham will offer free breakfast foods at night to help students through finals.

CSA’s next event will be an outing to Color Me Mine on March 4 at 5:30 p.m.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER

March 2, 2022

Tetlow Speaks With Student Press

News

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The president-elect discussed her career history, transition to Fordham and goals for the university TETLOW from page 1

The president-elect added that Fordham has the capacity to help. She wants to be a part of finding the solutions to the world’s critical problems and to be involved with the engine of opportunity for students who will go out and do that work as well.

“ Once I get there, I will

be doing the work that every good leader should do at the beginning which is spending an awful (lot of) time listening.”

Tania Tetlow, president-elect

This is the first new president that the university has had in nearly two decades, and it is a historic one. How do you plan to guarantee a smooth transition heading into the next year?

Tetlow noted that the university has prepared lots of materials and memos for her to read in order to ensure a smooth transition. She added that these materials help her dive into the data and facts to understand the university’s culture.

“Once I get there, I will be doing the work that every good leader should do at the beginning which is spending an awful (lot of) time listening,” she said.

Upon her arrival, Tetlow hopes to hear from all of the university’s constituencies about existing issues in order to differentiate which ones can be addressed quickly and which ones are more representative of long-term goals. She also hopes to hear about the efforts that Fordham is already making.

The president-elect noted that she wants to listen to students, faculty and staff so that they can help her understand what is crucial very quickly. “(There are) so many people to meet, to know, to hear.

It takes a lot of time,” Tetlow added.

You will be the first “First Family” at Fordham ever. In what ways do you see your family being involved in university life?

The “First Family” includes her husband Gordon Stewart; their 9-year-old daughter; her stepson; and the family’s golden retriever, Archie. Tetlow said that her stepson currently lives in Scotland with his mother and will be visiting periodically. He is most excited about touring the athletic facilities here at Fordham as well as seeing the campus itself.

Tetlow said her daughter loves going to student events with her after school; she described her daughter’s attentiveness and said she asks her a lot of questions after the events are over.

“My 9-year-old daughter really likes to feel ownership of the place, so you will see her around campus,” Tetlow said.

“What she has promised me is that she is never going to leave me, and she will only go to college with me and have a desk next to my desk and hold my

hand the whole time.”

The president-elect said her husband is eager to meet everyone and will be accompanying her to social events in order to build relationships with the community. Having been a consultant for higher education in the U.K., her husband has been a great partner to problem solve with throughout this process, according to Tetlow.

Tetlow noted that the family is running into an issue with Fordham’s policy on animals regarding being able to bring their dog Archie to campus.

“I have a very adorable golden retriever, but I understand that dogs are not allowed on campus, so we are going to have to maybe take a vote if Archie can petition the campus community about whether he should be allowed or not,” Tetlow said.

She joked that she could have Archie trained as an emotional support dog, but she finds it hard to imagine him being well-behaved since he is currently just a puppy.

Is there anything you had success with at Loyola, or at previous schools, that you would like to explore replicating at Fordham?

“I feel really good about the work I have done at both campuses (Tulane University and Loyola University New Orleans) on diversity, equity and inclusion,” Tetlow said. “That work is entirely incomplete; it is always incomplete, and there is so much more to do.”

The president-elect said she was eager to dig into ways that the university can constantly improve on those issues, ranging from asking questions about how Fordham acts as a major employer, contractor and citizen of the community to how inclusive the community feels to students.

Under Tetlow’s presidency at Loyola, the enrollment rate increased by 11%. She also welcomed the most diverse first-year class in the university’s history in the fall of 2021.

Tetlow mentioned Fordham’s diversity in areas of race and class as one thing that attracted her to the university and hopes to continue making progress.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS

Tetlow is eager to look into ways to improve diversity, equity and inclusion at Fordham, which is something she worked on at Tulane and Loyola New Orleans.

“ I mean, this is the goal, and I am so excited to be coming, and I want to do absolutely everything I am capable of to help Fordham succeed. ”

Tania Tetlow, president-elect

Tetlow said how Fordham provides academic excellence — not just serving the most privileged but about serving everyone — is critical to the university’s values as a Jesuit institution.

In addition to diversity, equity and inclusion, the president-elect noted that issues of sexual assault and domestic violence are the second area of interest she has cared about in her career.

“These are not issues that can entirely be solved,” she said. “They are incredibly complicated, difficult and painful.”

Tetlow posed questions re-

President-elect Tetlow hopes to hear from students, faculty and staff to gain insight on issues to be addressed.

garding how Fordham can make a difference and is eager to dig into that work alongside improvements in areas of diversity, equity and inclusion.

“How do we create a community at Fordham that is different from the world outside of Fordham in terms of the respect and culture that it takes to not have that kind of violence happen as often as it happens on every college campus?” she asked.

Do you have any more personal goals as you make this huge transition in your career?

Tetlow emphasized that she wants to look at the challenge ahead of her. She wants to do

everything while being a person of integrity, feeling good about the relationships she has built and helping every member of the community.

“I mean, this is the goal, and I am so excited to be coming, and I want to do absolutely everything I am capable of to help Fordham succeed,” she said.

The president-elect said that she looks back on when her mom was a theology student at Fordham in the late ’60s and wonders what her mom would have thought about having a daughter who would someday end up being president of the university.

Aside from Santa Clara University, which has had an acting

female president since March 2021, Fordham is the highest-ranking Catholic university with a female president.

“I find that an incredible honor that I take seriously,” Tetlow said.

The president-elect said she is looking forward to coming to campus and hopes to welcome the Class of 2026 in a world without constant COVID-19 restrictions. She wants to create a place to debate issues respectfully and hopes to have an environment for civil discourse that would support students in their learning.

Allie Stofer and Erika Tulfo contributed additional reporting to this story.

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News

March 2, 2022

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THE OBSERVER

Students Recount Hotel Quarantine Experiences

NYC’s free COVID-19 hotel program yields positive and negative feedback regarding cleanliness and food

By PATRICK MOQUIN Sports & Health Editor

For Juliana Castello, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’24, the king-sized bed in her LaGuardia Plaza Hotel room was a comfortable place to complete her finals while in isolation last semester.

She said it repeatedly, careful not to complain; the bed was comfortable, the staff was kind and the food was acceptable. There were worse places to isolate while recovering from COVID-19, and it was all free of charge.

Castello remembered the experience optimistically, imagining the ways in which her stressful December could have gone differently. One of the few things she couldn’t look back on fondly was the view from her window at night.

Looking down on East Elmhurst in Queens, she could see rows and rows of houses lit up by twinkling Christmas lights. Her friends were in Manhattan, and her family was thousands of miles away in Brazil.

“ The quarantine

process was really calm and relaxed.”

Juliana Castello, FCLC ’24

“I got so sad a few times because they are having Christmas things, and I am in here, and there is nothing I can do about it,” Castello said.

According to New York City guidelines, the COVID-19 Hotel Program was created to provide COVID-positive individuals with a secure location to isolate themselves. City residents who test positive qualify for the program if their homes lack space for social distancing, if they share rooms or bathrooms, or if they live with someone who is vulnerable.

Because a significant number of college students live with roommates, many in the Fordham community qualify, and some have found the program to be an attractive option. Along with a free stay in a hotel room for up to 10 days, the city also offers isolating individuals three meals per day, medical assistance and transportation to and from the hotel via a rideshare service.

When Castello tested positive in December, she received a call from Fordham Public Safety giving her the option of isolating on campus or leaving the premises in an hour and 15 minutes or less. Her home was a continent away, which left her with few places to go.

University Health Services Director Maureen Keown stressed that students who cannot go home to isolate themselves have options at Fordham and elsewhere.

“Those who cannot go home can isolate on campus in one of the isolation rooms set aside by Residential Life,” Keown said. “Some students chose to use the NYC Hotel Program for their isolation period.”

At Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus, Director of Residential Life Gregory Jones said that the school does everything it can to provide students with a “safe, healthy and comfortable” isolation experience.

Students are kept in a section of McMahon Hall with other isolating students, and those with a meal plan can have food delivered to their rooms. Clean linens are also provided.

Castello and her family had concerns about Fordham’s program, primarily a lack of 24-hour care and a delayed approval process for grocery delivery. She may have also had to share a space with another COVID-19-positive student. She

COURTESY OF MARIA AKOSTA GKALINTO

A room in the LaGuardia Plaza Hotel where quarantining individuals received a free stay and meals with the COVID-19 Hotel Program.

contacted the city soon after and was transported from Fordham within Public Safety’s deadline.

There was a one-day waiting period for her to get approved, but she spent that night in another free hotel room. Though the initial stages of her isolation were stressful, she described the overall NYC COVID-19 Hotel Program experience in positive terms.

“The quarantine process was really calm and relaxed,” Castello said. “I could not recommend that service enough.”

Though she was unfailingly complimentary of the city’s program as a way to provide a safe space for isolation, Castello still struggled at certain points in the LaGuardia Plaza Hotel. Loneliness and a lack of human contact were constant obstacles, especially around the holidays.

Another student, who asked to remain anonymous to keep their medical history private, also stayed at the LaGuardia Plaza for five days in February and described the experience in more negative terms.

“It was like jail,” the student said.

For this student, who lives off campus in the Bronx, the city’s hotel program was one of the only ways they could ensure that their entire apartment was not exposed.

They never considered Fordham’s on-campus isolation program as a legitimate option.

After packing clean clothes, healing crystals, a yoga mat, two books and “a ton” of cold medicine, they set off for their five-day stay in Queens.

After packing clean clothes, healing crystals, a yoga mat, two books and “a ton” of cold medicine, they set off for their five-day stay in Queens. The cold medicine was gone after two days, leaving them with rose quartz and whatever the hotel’s makeshift pharmacy could provide to get them through the rest of isolation. The yoga mat proved useless in a room dominated by two queen-sized beds.

“Walking in, I thought that the

place was so big, and then I did not have any room,” they said.

At the LaGuardia Plaza, the student identified outdoor time as one of the few “exciting” moments of the day, facetiously describing the opportunity to leave as “crazy fun.”

Isolating individuals could go outside three times a day for 15 minutes, and after the first day, they quickly identified the purpose of this recreational time. For many in the hotel, it was a smoke break.

While the room felt safe in terms of sterilization for COVID-19, they reported seeing mold in the shower. The quality of the food, which was served promptly three times per day, was also an issue.

Castello also mentioned outdoor time during her December stay and associated it with an opportunity for those isolating to smoke. On one hand, she praised the efforts of those running the program for accommodating people grappling with substance dependencies. On the other hand, it was cold, and she doesn’t like cigarette smoke.

“I only went outside once, and everyone who went outside went outside to smoke,” Castello said.

Staying indoors seemed preferable to her from that point on.

The anonymous student also claimed that conditions within the hotel itself were not always optimal. While the room felt safe in terms of sterilization for COVID-19, they reported seeing mold in the shower. The quality of the food, which was served promptly three times per day, was also an issue.

“It was always lukewarm when it was supposed to be warm, or if it was supposed to be cold, it would somehow still be lukewarm,” the student said.

Though Castello didn’t explicitly insult the quality of the food, she did admit to mixing and matching food in her mini-refrigerator to make meals more exciting. Both students also had food delivered to the hotel during their stays.

Unlike Castello, who was iso-

ALYSSA DAUGHDRILL/THE OBSERVER

In addition to the COVID-19 Hotel Program, students have the option to isolate in a designated section of McMahon Hall.

lated in the hotel during finals, the anonymous student had to take classes while isolating in February and struggled to do so. For one, they experienced symptoms at the beginning of their stay, which impacted their ability to complete assignments. But after reaching out to five professors requesting hybrid classes, only three agreed to accommodate them and one never responded.

The student said that they were unable to attend 10 classes in person and missed four completely due to the lack of a hybrid option. After testing positive on Feb. 4, they claimed that they still felt behind in some classes over Presidents’ Day weekend.

“It was just so much to do,” the student said. “Also, my mental health obviously was not great when I am forced to isolate without being in contact with my friends ... Just trying to be very gentle with myself, and because of that, I missed quite a few readings.”

To make the situation even more complicated, the student was also let out of isolation after five days despite still testing positive for COVID-19 on a rapid antigen test.

Their isolation was completed in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state guidelines, which state that someone can leave quarantine after five days as long as they have been asymptomatic or without a fever for 24 hours. Individuals who leave quarantine after five days are then instructed to wear a mask around others for the next five days.

Fordham’s guidelines, however, require a negative antigen test to test out of quarantine early. With-

out a negative test, the student was still not allowed on Fordham campuses for the remainder of that week.

Though their experience in the hotel was negative, they echoed Castello’s sentiments of gratitude that the option was available to them.

“From the Uber picking me up to the Uber taking me back, I did not pay anything ... I feel like I do not want to complain about it (the program) because again, it was free,” the student said.

Because she exited isolation after the fall semester ended, Castello did not have to attempt to reenter Fordham until January. In the meantime, her mother traveled from Brazil to spend time with her during her isolation. After a week at the LaGuardia Plaza, Castello joined her mother in the Marco LaGuardia Hotel for Castello’s final three days in isolation. They spent Christmas in their room.

“It was nice to actually be with her after such a stressful semester and stressful couple of weeks,” Castello said.

After 10 days, Castello finally cleared isolation protocols and returned home to Brazil in time to celebrate New Year’s Eve with loved ones. She returned to Fordham without issue this semester.

Though COVID-19 cases in the city have decreased since January, students who test positive may still be eligible for the program if they meet the requirements.

Students who have COVID-19 and are interested in quarantining in a free hotel can call 311 or 1-844692-4692 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER

March 2, 2022

News

5

Network Aims to Create Equal Opportunities

Nationwide women collegiate networking organization founded its Fordham branch during fall 2021 semester WOMEN from page 1

Dobson explained that the goal of the Women’s Network is to help connect women with opportunities for jobs or internships, as well as build their confidence.

The Women’s Network was founded in 2017 by Jamie Vinick, a sophomore at Syracuse University, when she noticed the lack of female-specific career resources and organizations at her school. This inspired her to start one on her own.

It proved to be very successful, with over 200 attendees at the first meeting. The organization then began expanding to other colleges. Today, the Women’s Network has nearly 150 chapters across the United States and Canada.

“ To have that cater

directly to the needs of young women is so important because everyone deserves a seat at the table.”

Casey Dobson, FCRH ’24

The Women’s Network came to Fordham last fall after Dobson transferred to Fordham from the University of Minnesota. At the University of Minnesota, she was a member of the network, and valued the lessons and experiences it provided to young women like herself.

When Dobson learned that the Women’s Network was not yet

ZOOM

The Women's Network is a nationwide networking organization that connects women with job opportunities and internships.

at Fordham, she reached out to Vinick.

After passing several interviews, Dobson became the inaugural president of the Fordham branch. She was inspired to “create this space where it feels like a community of people you can reach out to, people you can feel comfortable with and ask questions about their goals, their mistakes, their desires and their careers.”

“Everyone deserves that as a college student,” she said.

“To have that cater directly to the needs of young women is so important because everyone de-

serves a seat at the table.”

Dobson added that women at Fordham can look forward to many networking events in the upcoming month. The organization plans on hosting women guest speakers to talk about a range of topics from negotiating salaries to dealing with imposter syndrome. They are looking to invite speakers from various career paths, including fashion stylists, small business owners and federal judges.

The organization also intends to plan meetings with other chapters of the Women’s Network and hold workshops

to help students build resumes and cover letters to apply for internships.

Another mission of the Women’s Network is to create equal opportunities for all women, according to Dobson. Mia Peros, FCRH ’24 and vice president of diversity and inclusion for Fordham’s Women’s Network, works to ensure that no member of the organization is discriminated against or left behind because of their race, identity or socioeconomic status.

The Women’s Network recognizes that the struggles that women face are not solely based

on gender, according to Dobson.

The network is committed to helping all female-identifying students in their unique paths in life.

“The whole foundation of the Women’s Network would not exist without the guarantees of intersectionality within it,” Dobson said.

For students who are interested in joining the Women’s Network, they can sign up via the organization’s Instagram page, @thewomensnetwork_ fordham, as well as follow their various other social media accounts.

Public Safety Addresses Subway Security Protocols Transit crime has been on the rise in New York City, leaving some New Yorkers wary of traveling on the subway MTA from page 1

Prova Akter, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’25 and a commuter from Brooklyn, says avoiding the trains is not an option. She noted that her family is “very concerned” about the increased crime on the subways.

“My commute hasn’t changed since the violence, but I do feel more unsafe,” Akter said. She explained that she only rides in subway cars that are packed with people.

Some Lincoln Center students have been avoiding the subway when possible. Chloe Zenou, FCLC ’25, said she avoids the subway when she has to go somewhere alone.

“ The best option is

putting your back up against the wall or pillar.”

Robert Dineen, director of Public Safety at Lincoln Center

“My family doesn’t want me using the subway — they prefer I take a cab or take the bus,” Zenou said.

Kate Grigg, FCLC ’25, who is a nanny for children on Roosevelt Island, practices a heightened sense of awareness when using the subways. Grigg, an on-campus resident, uses the subway to go from Fordham Lincoln Center to the children’s home. From there, Grigg and the children ride the subway into

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

The rise in transit crime has cause some students to take further actions to ensure their safety such as riding in busier cars or standing away from the tracks when waiting.

Manhattan where the children’s school is located.

“I have to pick kids up from their school and (take them) back to their home and then commute back to my own home,” she said.

“Traveling with kids especially has worried me the most as it’s a lot to keep track of and forces you to be very aware of everything going on.”

Grigg’s family has also expressed concern about her safety on the subways.

“My mom will tell me to not have headphones in or to be on my phone, keep my space from people, stand on the subway platform with my back to a wall, anything along those lines,” Grigg added.

When using the subway is unavoidable, Robert Dineen, director of Public Safety at Lincoln Center, instructed students to use “subway entrances and exits where there is the most activity” and “avoid riding in empty sub-

way cars. It is best to ride in the first car behind the train operator or the middle car where the conductor usually rides,” he said.

Dineen also warned students to stand back from the platform edge, especially when trains are entering and exiting the station.

“Never wait for a train standing on the yellow line near the tracks. The best option is putting your back up against the wall or pillar,” he said.

According to Dineen, Public

Safety has not received any messages from families of students voicing concern about the recent crime on the subways. He also noted that Public Safety receives general questions about safety on-and off-campus from families and that “these questions give us an opportunity to discuss personal safety best practices with them, including those for traveling by mass transportation.”

Public Safety is in “constant contact with local police commanders to stay on top of any crime patterns or conditions affecting our campuses, including nearby subway stations and bus stops,” according to Dineen.

If Public Safety is made aware of a possibly dangerous situation regarding the MTA, it will alert the community with a Public Safety travel advisory.

On a broader scale, if there is potential danger surrounding one of Fordham’s campuses, the Fordham community would be notified by a Public Safety alert which provides them with the necessary information to stay safe.

As a response to the increase in crime on the subways, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has created a subway safety plan. With this plan, Adams has promised to implement stricter rules regarding people experiencing homelessness who find refuge in subway cars and supply them with mental health services. NYC will also begin a pilot program for subway station barriers to prevent people from being pushed or jumping onto the tracks.

Sports & Health

Sports & Health Editors Patrick Moquin Chris Murray sportsandhealth@fordhamobserver.com March 2, 2022 THE OBSERVER

Balancing Act: Dancers’ Well-Being Amid Pandemic

Restrictions from both Fordham and The Ailey School are precipitating health and academic issues among dance majors

By KATRINA MANANSALA Staff Writer

The writer of this article is a BFA student in The Ailey School.

Although life during the pandemic has reached its own sense of normalcy, the mental and physical effects of this “new normal” continue to take its toll.

This is especially clear in student life.

After almost a year and a half of virtual learning, colleges and universities around the U.S. reopened their doors for the fall 2021 semester. For about half of the Fordham undergraduate population, it was the first time setting foot on campus — for others, it was the first time since the school closed in March of 2020.

“ I found the correlation between chronic pain and depression to be very unmanageable at times.”

Audrey Lipson, FCLC ’22 and Ailey dance student

BFA dance majors at The Alvin Ailey School, on the other hand, have had very different experiences. Now pushing two years of dancing in masks and in cohorts ranging from six to 17 students in size, life as a Fordham dancer has never looked more different.

Stress and burnout in college students are extremely common, more so in the past couple of years as concerns of falling be-

hind in classes increased when students were forced to remain home.

Fordham has attempted to mitigate these stressors by offering free summer classes and increasing credit allowances. But add multiple majors and minors to rigid dance schedules, and you will only scratch the surface of a current dance major’s life.

Sydney Jones, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’24 and a student in the Ailey BFA program, experienced such stress over the course of the past year.

“I feel as if the pandemic stunted my mental stamina and capacity when it comes to juggling my academic responsibilities and my dance ones as well,” Jones said. “I don’t feel as motivated and determined as I was before the pandemic.”

A majority of an Ailey student’s course load is made up of dance classes, not including the mandatory two academic classes per semester. For Audrey Lipson, FCLC ’22 and a student in the Ailey BFA program, the most stressful part of being a student dancer is dealing with injuries.

“I found the correlation between chronic pain and depression to be very unmanageable at times,” she said.

With safety and staying open at the forefront of Fordham’s and The Ailey School’s mission for the year, dance majors are also expected to know and abide by two separate institutional protocols: Fordham Forward and Ailey Forward. Though very similar in structure and easy to follow, minor differences in protocols often leave students searching for answers, receiving mixed information and ultimately stuck in administrative limbo.

MOLLY HIGGINS/THE OBSERVER

Ali-asha Polson, FCLC ’25, rehearsing choreography. Many dancers have reported increased stress from their academic and Ailey classes this year.

For instance, Ailey students are prohibited from using the elevators at the studios, which have been reserved for teachers and staff. Ailey students must also utilize the “HealthCheck” screening app, which is functionally identical to VitalCheck but requires two separate checkins.

Even before the pandemic, Ailey students were known to have issues registering for classes between institutions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only further destabilized this process. The Ailey School’s registration process, paired with Fordham’s own limited course offerings, has caused increased scheduling inflexibility.

Block scheduling of dance classes, while indeed effective in minimizing student exposure during travel, has greatly limited available time for academics. Thus, limited course options have impacted dancers planning on double-majoring or -minoring, as certain classes are only offered once a year.

Gabriella Lopez, FCLC ’23 and a student in the Ailey BFA program who is currently on medical leave, said, “In order to graduate on time, I needed to register for my dance classes, even though I cannot physically participate. I am trying to utilize this time to complete my second major in Sociology, but I used up credits for dance classes that I

could not be involved in.”

Despite the stress and frustration, the dance majors do their best to cope. Lipson also mentioned that “knowing and advocating for my physical, psychological and social limits” helps her and others “try to get the most out of what (they) have.”

Many dancers remain frustrated.

Indeed, the stressors and injuries will not heal overnight, but dancers remain hopeful for the day when they can perform normally again and create a future where dancer mental health and well-being are put first above expectations of traditional perfection.

A Look Into Our Defense Mechanism

The human immune system and its biological processes are integral in protecting us from pathogens

MOLLY HIGGINS/THE OBSERVER

Lifestyle and diet changes can boost the immune system, which is important for fighting off illness.

By ANUSHA IMRAN Staff Writer

Function of the Immune System

The pandemic has highlighted the need for people to listen to their bodies and be able to strengthen their immune system through changes in lifestyle or diet. But trying to understand this complex system requires comprehension of the chain of defenses in our body that protect us from “invaders.”

The immune system is a complex web of organs, white blood cells, proteins and chemicals that have evolved to protect organisms from pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and fungi.

White blood cells are constantly on the lookout for pathogens.

When they find a target, they start multiplying and sending

signals to other cells around them. Lymphoid organs such as bone marrow, the spleen and the thymus — a gland just below the neck — are locations where we store our white blood cells.

Bone marrow contains two specific lymphocytes that help the body with memory and recognition of the same invaders.

T lymphocytes (T cells) and B lymphocytes (B cells), along with embryonic stem cells, give rise to all the blood cells that are important to immune response.

Both B and T cells are made in bone marrow. However, T cells are transported and matured in the thymus, while B cells mature in bone marrow before ending up in the thymus. B cells make antibodies and signal T cells to destroy the invaders.

How the Body Attacks In order to protect against infection, the body first detects foreign invaders.

There are two types of molecular recognition pattern techniques: damage-associated and pathogen-associated.

Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMP) are activated when something goes wrong inside a cell, requiring the removal of the damaged or dying cells. On the other hand, patho-

gen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP) are initiated by detection of a pathogen that relays an immediate inflammatory response.

This inflammatory response is the reason we develop fevers, as our tissues swell up to protect against pathogens.

These different recognition patterns are associated with two types of immunity: innate and adaptive. Innate immunity is usually the first response against infection and starts a cascade of nonspecific immune responses to a pathogen.

A DAMP or PAMP is recognized by the innate immune system, in which a pathogen is engulfed by a phagocytic cell and produces an antigen unique to that pathogen. The immune system responds to this by sending a nonspecific innate immune response, as well as initiating the start of an adaptive immune response.

In the adaptive immune response, the antibodies are created against that specific antigen so that if this pathogen is reintroduced, it can be recognized more quickly and eliminated faster to prevent reinfection.

Between these two responses, the cells react quickly to eliminate the pathogen and remove damaged cells.

Boosting Your Immunity Many foods and supplements help strengthen your body’s immune response and reduce inflammation in your body. Not only is eating a well-balanced diet essential, but incorporating beta carotene and vitamin C is also important.

Spinach, for example, is not only very rich in vitamin C but also in antioxidants and beta carotene. Similarly, garlic is recognized for having value in fighting infections, as it contains heavy concentrations of sulfur compounds such as allicin.

The dietitians at NorthShore University HealthSystem advise everyone to incorporate turmeric and ginger juice shots into their daily meals, especially in the flu season. Both are types of flowering plants with medicinal properties, dating back to staples in herbal medicine. The presence of phenolic compounds, such as gingerol, is what makes them potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant foods.

Our health ref lects how well we are at repelling foreign pathogens. Our individual lifestyle and dieting choices affect how we build immunity and ward off the worst of infections.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER

March 2, 2022

Sports & Health

7

Women’s B-Ball Defeats Davidson in Season Finale

Rams celebrate Senior Day with big home win over Wildcats and enter A10 Tournament as sixth seed

By GABRIELLA BERMUDEZ and PATRICK MOQUIN Asst. Sports & Health Editor and Sports & Health Editor

The Fordham women’s basketball team ended its regular season with a victory over the Davidson University (DU) Wildcats on Saturday. The Rams head into the Atlantic 10 (A10) Tournament as the sixth seed after compiling an 8-6 record in conference play.

Saturday was also Senior Day for the team, an annual event

honoring Fordham women’s basketball’s departing players. Before the game, five graduating student-athletes and their families were brought onto the court for a farewell ceremony. After the game, Head Coach Stephanie Gaitley praised the quintet for their contributions to the program.

“This has been such a great group to coach,” Gaitley said. “It’s a special group of seniors that makes this year’s success mean even more. We are looking for-

ward to building off of this in the Atlantic 10 tournament.”

Though it was the seniors’ final home game, the Rams’ motivations to defeat Davidson extended far beyond sheer sentimentality.

Fordham entered the game with a rare four-game losing streak that had sent them tumbling in the A10 standings since Feb. 13.

In their last game of the season, the Rams were in danger of earning a non-winning conference record, something which has not occurred since 2016.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The departing seniors received flowers and photos. Gaitley praised the work ethic of the group.

The Fordham Rams had one of their best shooting games of the season, as they went on a 10-0 run early in the first quarter. Five points in the opening minutes came off Davidson turnovers.

Kendell Heremaia, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) ’22, made the only 3-pointer of the quarter, which was the shot that completed Fordham’s 10-0 run.

The Rams lost their lead for almost two minutes. Cassidy Gould, DU ’22, made a 3-point shot with less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter, bringing the score to 13-12. But all it took was a jump shot from Asiah Dingle, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’22, for the Rams to retake the lead.

The quarter closed with the Rams at 17 points, culminating in a jump shot and free throw by Anna DeWolfe, FCRH ’23.

Within the first 10 seconds of the second quarter, DeWolfe made a layup, but Issy Morgan, DU ’25, nailed a 3-point opportunity, setting the score at 19-17. After Morgan’s three, the Wildcats suffered a dry spell for the next five minutes as the Rams brought their point total to 23.

There was a lid on the rim for the Wildcats as Fordham continued to make use of its net.

Davidson picked up the pace in the final three minutes and was able to keep up with Fordham, shaving down the Rams’ eight-point lead to four. But Millie Prior, FCRH ’25, found Fordham’s lead too minimal and extended it to six, 32-26.

Davidson’s net was un-

touched by a basketball for the first six minutes of the third quarter as Fordham stretched its lead to 14 points.

The Rams’ defense was seemingly too much for the Wildcats to handle. Davidson shot 41% from the field, and the team was only able to attempt 12 shots compared to Fordham’s 16.

Eventually, the Wildcats picked themselves up from their shooting slump and scored six more points by the end of the quarter. Dingle made a jump shot and strengthened Fordham’s growing lead with five seconds remaining in the third quarter, 51-38.

The Wildcats threatened Fordham’s inevitable win when they scored eight points in the first four minutes of the final quarter, but the Rams continued to maintain their lead. Davidson’s shooting success only meant that Fordham’s defense was beginning to tire out.

Davidson attempted 17 field goals in the fourth quarter with a 53% success rate. What helped the Rams maintain their lead were the three foul shots gifted to them by the Wildcats.

Fordham’s 16-point lead, the largest thus far in the game, thanks to Dingle, was shortened to 11 in the final 26 seconds of the game. Morgan pushed down the court and finished a layup, ending the game down 68-57.

Fordham’s next game will be in pursuit of the A10 Championship at Chase Fieldhouse on March 3, where the Rams will face the winner of George Mason and Saint Louis.

For Sale: Lombardi NFTs, Never Bought

A new attempt to enter a growing digital market focuses on late Fordham legend Vince Lombardi’s legacy

By AURELIEN CLAVAUD and CORBIN GREGG Asst. Sports & Health Editor and Online Editor

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have taken the online world by storm. If you are on the internet, you will likely have seen photographers, cryptocurrency experts and avid entrepreneurs all rallying around weird-looking monkeys in hoodies and gold chains.

Recently, Fordham University has “minted,” or published, their own line of themed NFTs based on Fordham football star Vince Lombardi, Fordham College ’37, and his illustrious college career.

Although NFTs are gaining popularity, many people still know little about them.

What Are NFTs? An NFT is a digital asset stored on a blockchain. It is “non-fungible,” meaning that the token is unique and cannot be replicated by any other item. It belongs to a specific user, and the security features of the blockchain allow someone to prove ownership of the token. The NFT can be bought and sold and functions much like a commodity on a typical supply-and-demand market. Unlike other commodities, NFTs have a twist to them: They are entirely digital. Often, NFTs are images, but they can also be audio or video clips.

Blockchain is a technology that has been typically associated with cryptocurrency. Blockchains are powerful tools for making anonymous, secure transactions.

Because NFTs exist on a blockchain with a public ledger accessible to all, one can prove ownership of a digital item. A certificate is re-

quired to prove that the digital collectible you own is authentic. This creates “digital scarcity.” While anyone can screenshot a picture on the internet, being the authentic owner of something means a lot, and this is where the value of NFTs is found.

Most NFTs are on the Ethereum blockchain. Differing from other popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum’s blockchain is multipurpose and is perfectly suited for this emerging market.

One of the most popular NFTs currently is called the Bored Ape series. The series features portraits of apes posing with various items and expressions. Their value as collectibles is often confusing; they don’t fall under any category of traditionally valuable art. Due to their “digital scarcity,” they can often sell for just as much or more than some of the world’s most expensive paintings. Another very popular NFT collection is called CryptoPunks, and its current valuation is $5.4 billion.

Because of the high return on many of these NFTs — in 2017, a CryptoPunk series collectible sold for $171 million — many smaller parties have ventured into the field looking for profit. Some photographers, such as New York Citybased Dave Krugman, have published their work as NFTs. With all the hype surrounding NFTs, Fordham University recently decided to enter the market.

The university “minted” a collection of Lombardi-themed NFTs on Feb. 23.

Fordham’s Contribution Last summer, Fordham Athletics announced a partnership with Crescite Innovation Corporation. Crescite is the company

responsible for minting the NFTs Fordham Athletics put up for auction. It also sits on the Council for Inclusive Capitalism with the Vatican. According to their website, the council is a group of business leaders who seek to make a more inclusive world, inspired by the teachings of Pope Francis. The Lombardi NFTs exist on the Ethereum blockchain, despite the Crescite company’s claimed desire on its website to create the “Laudato Si” blockchain with renewable energy sources, a new technology that they claim would reflect the values of the Catholic Church.

Currently, prospective buyers can make offers on 38 separate NFTs in the Lombardi collection.

Originally, the NFTs were only available through auction, with a minimum starting bid of 0.4 “wrapped Ethereum,” which is worth about $1,100 as of March 2.

The collection includes images and animated graphical representations of memorabilia related to Lombardi’s career at Fordham, both as a football player and coach. Some of the images include photographs of Lombardi paintings, while others are shots of physical items.

These include images of Lombardi’s locker, filled with memorabilia like his original jersey.

An image of the jersey itself is also being sold as an NFT. Some of the animated images are plaques and photographs commemorating Lombardi’s time at Fordham.

All of the NFTs include various bonus items and services associated with the NFT being purchased. For example, the description of the locker states that its buyer will receive a “personalized tour” of the lock-

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ROXANNE CUBERO/THE OBSERVER

With all the hype surrounding NFTs, Fordham University recently decided to enter the market.

er. Whoever buys the image of Lombardi’s jersey will receive a current Fordham football jersey signed by Ed Kull, director of intercollegiate athletics, and Joe Conlin, football head coach.

Each NFT will come with various other benefits, including a Fordham hat, a letter from Kull and a raffle entry for seats behind the end zone at a Fordham football game.

Fordham Athletics’ efforts have yet to bear fruit. As of March 2, the collection’s OpenSea page indicates that no bids have been placed. This is not the first time that Lombardi’s name and legacy have been utilized by Fordham Athletics.

The fieldhouse built in 1976 to supplement the Rose Hill Gym-

nasium was named in his honor.

Fordham Athletics also opened a football suite named after the most well known of the “Seven Blocks of Granite,” a nickname given to Lombardi and six of his teammates during his playing career. Donations requested for the suite were substantial, with rewards being handed out starting at $5,000.

As the basketball season approaches its conclusion, the lengthy baseball season begins and the spring semester reaches its halfway point, Fordham Athletics is in full stride. The NFT collection represents another venture that the administration is using to bolster financial engagement, particularly in an emerging market.

a whole new ball game: Fo gets up to speed for 2022

The Rams have struggled against stiff competitio

By PATRICK MOQUIN Sports & Health Editor

More often than not, Fordham baseball emerges from the winter preseason and appears to be a hard-knock team. The Rams continued this trend in 2022 on Friday, Feb. 18, when they began the season on the road in a threegame series against Texas A&M University. By Sunday, they were 0-3 after losing the first game 13-0 and dropping two close games thereafter. It was an emphatic sweep by the Aggies.

This isn’t the first time Fordham has played Texas A&M in a season opener, as the two teams also faced off to begin the Rams’ 2019 season. The Aggies swept them that year too. In 2020, Fordham faced off against the Florida International University Panthers. They were outscored 46-9 in three games.

It seems that whenever the COVID-19 pandemic allows it, Fordham baseball players ship south to kick off their season in impossibly deep waters. Head Coach Kevin Leighton wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I like putting our guys in that type of environment. Playing out at Texas A&M was an awesome experience for our guys,” Leighton said. “Being out there against really good competition is going to test us, it’s going to teach us, and I think that learning from these games will be huge for us.”

For the coach and his players, a tough nonconference schedule is a sort of baptism by fire, and it didn’t get easier in the team’s second weekend series against the Virginia Tech Hokies. In

their first game in Blacksburg, Virginia, on Friday, Feb. 25, the Rams were crushed in a 12-0 defeat before dropping the next two games by 8-2 and 7-3 scores, respectively.

Stiff competition for Fordham will continue when the team travels to play Florida Atlantic University this weekend. Based on a 45-14 thrashing back in September, Fordham’s football team may be able to provide some insight into the ath-

letic acumen on display in Boca Raton. A three-game sweep in one direction is certainly more likely than the other.

But as Leighton pointed out, the competition is more beneficial to the team than the result at this point in the season. Between Fordham’s trips to Texas and Virginia, a single game in the Bronx seems to lend legitimacy to his methods.

On Tuesday, Feb. 22, the Rams returned from Texas to take on the Sacred Heart University Pioneers in their home opener. Back at Houlihan Park in the Bronx against a much weaker opponent, Fordham throttled Sacred Heart 19-0. Batters who appeared overwhelmed against the Aggies and Hokies were launching the ball all over the field against the Pioneers. Pitchers who struggled down south operated with effortless command in the lopsided shutout.

The team traveled to Virginia two days later and lost three more games that weekend, but it’s clearer now that the 1-6 Rams are more competitive than their record suggests. Second baseman Jack Harnisch, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’22, said that games against the likes of Sacred Heart are easier af-

ter playing tougher opponents.

“I think we got back from those games over the weekend and played them (Texas A&M) very tough ... so I think it gave us an extra sort of confidence,” Harnisch said.

To put it simply, Fordham baseball travels for tougher competition because it has worked.

In 2020, the team went 1-6 in its first seven games but went on to earn a nine-game winning streak before the season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the Rams started against Texas A&M and met the Aggies again in June in the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional after winning the Atlantic 10 (A10) Championship.

It’s still unclear whether Fordham is bound for another deep postseason run this year, even with the 2022 A10 Tournament being hosted at Houlihan Park. The Rams still have issues to resolve, improvements to make and questions to answer. The point, however, is that their season does not end here. The road ahead is long.

“ Our goal this year is

to just get in (to the A10 Tournament) and play some tough games in front of our home crowd in the Bronx. ”

Jack Harnisch, GSBRH ’22

Moving On From Mikulski As the season progresses for Fordham baseball, uncertainties surrounding the pitching staff will ultimately determine the team’s staying power in the A10.

In a 2021 season heavily impacted by COVID-19 protocols, Fordham often had to schedule four-game series to make up for the shortened time frame. Leighton claimed that this strained the pitching staff because he did not build the team to consistently compete in four games per weekend. The schedule is back to normal this year and features exclusively three-game weekend sets, but the team may now have other problems to deal with on the bump.

In 2021, only two pitchers made 10 or more starts for the Rams. Neither player is on their 2022 roster.

After completing one of the greatest seasons in Fordham history last year, the San Francisco Giants selected ace pitcher Matt Mikulski, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’21, in the

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Though Joseph Quintal, GGSB ’22, struggled in his first two outings of the season, the relief pitcher should continue to feature prominently.

second round of the 2021 MLB Draft. In his final season with the Rams, he compiled a 9-0 record in 11 appearances, striking out 124 batters while recording a 1.45 ERA. Mikulski’s loss creates an inescapable problem for Fordham, as they no longer have a clear ace to lean on in big games. Leighton recognized that the loss was a difficult one to recover from, but also pointed out that players can develop quickly in college baseball.

“Matty was a perfect example. His freshman and sophomore year, he was pretty good but he wasn’t the superstar we knew we had on our pitching staff,” Leighton said. “He developed into that, and that’s what we’re hoping some of these guys will do this year.”

In a more palatable departure, Garrett Crowley accepted an offer to play for Texas Tech University after earning a 5.98 ERA in his third season with the Rams.

With two starting pitchers gone, Fordham does not only have to find a new ace — an entire rotation will have to be assembled.

After two weekend series, it appears that Leighton already has some successors in mind.

The most obvious player who can step up as Fordham’s top arm this season is Gabe Karslo, GSBRH ’22, who has started for the Rams to open series against both Texas A&M and Virginia Tech.

Though he struggled in both outings, allowing nine earned runs in nine and two-third innings, he remains the team’s most seasoned starting pitcher with eight starts in 11 appearances in 2021.

In addition to Karslo, Brooks Ey, FCRH ’24, and Jack Popolizio, FCRH ’23, have also earned a pair of starts down south. Ey also struggled in both of his starts and has allowed 10 total runs in as many innings of work. Popolizio has fared slightly better, holding Texas A&M to two hits and no runs through five innings in just the second start of his career on Sunday, Feb. 20.

Though he hasn’t yet appeared in a game this season, Cory Wall, FCRH ’22, is another pitcher to keep an eye on as the year goes on. After two promising starts early in 2021, Wall missed the rest of last year with an injury.

If coaches still intend on starting him this year, the senior may find a key role in the Rams’ rotation when he eventually returns to action.

Roles in Fordham’s bullpen this year are even murkier at this point in the season than the starting rotation. Two players, Joseph Quintal, Gabelli Graduate School of Business (GGSB) ’22, and Ben Kovel, GSBRH ’23, should feature prominently throughout the season despite allowing 12 earned runs combined in their first five appearances.

Familiar Faces in the Field As a first-year player in 2019, Harnisch coincidentally made his first in-game appearance against Texas A&M. In a game that the Rams went on to lose 19-6, the rookie earned his first career hit, a clean single in the ninth inning to drive in Fordham’s third run of the game. He would only appear at the plate in 19 more at-bats that season.

In three years, Harnisch has become a consistent starter for

the team and comprises one half of one of the most experienced middle infields in the A10. Along with shortstop C.J. Vazquez, GGSB ’22, the team will likely build the infield around the two older players.

Harnisch and Vazquez hit .263 and .312 in 2021, respectively, and will be mainstays in Fordham’s starting lineup.

In Harnisch’s first year at Fordham, the Rams hosted and won the 2019 A10 Tournament.

The second baseman says that he looks forward to defending Houlihan Park again.

“Our goal this year is to just get in and play some tough games in front of our home crowd in the Bronx,” Harnisch said.

After a cold start to the season, Zach Selinger, FCRH ’23, earned his first hit of 2022 on a two-run home run in Fordham’s second game against Virginia Tech. After hitting .293 in his sophomore year, the utility player seems to have found a spot as the team’s third baseman.

In the outfield, the team is similarly blessed with seasoned talent. Center fielder Jake Guercio, GSBRH ’22, and left fielder Jason Coules, FCRH ’22, have been key contributors to the team since their debuts. Both players have only developed since then and enter their senior seasons with more promise than ever.

Among a large ensemble of first-years, Leighton and Harnisch both identified the same pair as especially promising early in the year: Ryan Meyer, GSBRH ’25, and Sebastian Mexico, FCRH ’25.

In the Rams’ final game against Texas A&M on Feb. 20, the two rookies nearly defeated the Aggies with two key hits.

In the top of the fifth, Meyer’s first career hit was a single that drove in a run and gave Fordham a 1-0 lead. Then, in the seventh, Mexico hit a double with the bases loaded to drive in three more.

play. I were abridg pionsh that n earned As its firs since ers an pared in a feels and d at the time.

Jack Harnisch, GSBRH ’22, has gotten off to a hitt

With the help of five scoreless innings from Popolizio on the mound, the Rams led 4-3 going into the bottom of the ninth. Although Quintal allowed two more runs in relief and blew the save, the game still allowed the younger players to earn the respect of their teammates and coaches.

“Ryan Meyer stepped in, started Saturday and Sunday at Texas A&M and was battling in the heat of the competition with everyone else, and I think he handled it very well,” Harnisch said. “Then on Sunday, Sebastian Mexico had the big hit that could have been the game-winning hit ... and that was a hell of a way to start off his college career.”

Heading for Home Fordham has been long on promise and short on luck since winning the A10 Tournament in 2019. In 2020, the team was on a seemingly untouchable nine-game winning streak before conference

“Be togeth one to ly get Leight Und tentia is a fu of rea had en strate results determ ables ment a On The R son w iber ta nents line ha 50-13 en’t ev the te spare and t ter wi spring be a w

ordham Baseball 2 season

on, but remain optimistic for 2022

In 2021, the Rams excluded from an ged four-team chamhip format after a year normally would have d them a postseason.

Fordham prepares for st relatively normal season the pandemic began, playnd coaches alike are preto move on world that familiar different e same

“ I like putting our guys in

that type of environment.

Playing out at Texas A&M was an awesome experience for our guys.

Being out there against really good competition is going to test us, it’s going to teach us, and I think that learning from these games will be huge for us. “ Kevin Leighton, head coach

Fordham Baseball home Game calendar May April

1 vs. Saint Louis 3 p.m.

2 vs. Saint Louis 1 p.m.

3 vs. Saint Louis 12 p.m.

14 vs. Dayton 3 p.m.

15 vs. Dayton 11 a.m.

16 vs. Dayton 12 p.m.

20 vs. Fairfield 4 p.m.

26 vs. Iona 3 p.m.

29 vs. St. Joseph’s 3 p.m.

30 vs. St. Joseph’s 1 p.m.

a hot start in his senior season, ting .318 through seven games.

eing on the road and being her as a group brings everyogether, and we didn’t realthat experience last year,” ton said. derstanding Fordham’s pol at this point in the season utile exercise for a number asons. Players have not yet nough time to truly demonlong-lasting ability, and s in April and May will be mined by a number of varirelated to player improveand development. ly a few things are certain.

Rams entered the 2022 seawithout a surefire MLB-calalent on the roster. Opposouth of the Mason-Dixon ave already outscored them in six games, and they havven been to Florida yet. But eam also has experience to and a home field to defend, the bitter New York winill eventually give way to g. In the Bronx, it might just whole different ball game.

Ryan Meyer, GSBRH ’25, and Andy Semo, GSBRH ’22, celebrated at home plate after a three-run scoring play for Fordham against Texas A&M.

1 vs. St. Joseph’s 12 p.m.

3 vs. NJIT 3 p.m.

13 vs. St. Bonaventure 3 p.m.

14 vs. St. Bonaventure 1 p.m.

15 vs. St. Bonaventure 12 p.m.

24 Start of A10 Championship

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2 vs. Manhattan 3 p.m.

9 vs. Stony Brook 3 p.m.

11 vs. LIU 3 p.m.

12 vs. Yale 2 p.m.

13 vs. LIU 12 p.m.

16 vs. Wagner 3 p.m.

18 vs. Marist 3 p.m.

20 vs. Marist 1 p.m.

22 vs. Siena 3 p.m.

25 vs. Monmouth 3 p.m.

26 vs. Monmouth 1 p.m.

PAGE DESIGN AND GRAPHICS BY MADDIE SANDHOLM and ISABELLE STORELLA

Opinions Editor Clara Gerlach Isabella Scipioni opinions@fordhamobserver.com

Opinions

March 2, 2022 THE OBSERVER

NYC’s Inappropriate Response to Stop Asian Hate

Stopping Asian hate doesn’t mean overpolicing the city’s most vulnerable MATTHIAS LAI Asst. Copy Editor

Right now is not the best time to be Asian in New York City.

There’s been a spike in detected anti-Asian hate crimes; Chinese Americans have been blamed for the COVID-19 pandemic; and Linsanity hasn’t been a thing for a decade. You know it’s bad when #StopAsianHate is a trending hashtag.

The Stop Asian Hate movement arose in 2021 after the spike in documented hate crimes against people of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) descent during the coronavirus pandemic.

Hate has been goaded by the belief that the virus originated in Wuhan, China, and a blustering president who called the disease “the Chinese Virus” and “Kung Flu” and who has stoked animosity toward Chinese Americans.

Obviously, Chinese people in America do not have some intrinsic connection with the virus because of their nationality. Even further, there is evidence to suggest that the deadly outbreak in 2020 could have come to America from Europe, not China.

None of this deterred the thousands of instigators who have committed anti-AAPI acts since 2020. According to a report by the watchdog “Stop AAPI Hate,” over 10,000 incidents of anti-Asian hate were reported between March 2020 and September 2021.

Some of the more publicized deaths include those of Michelle Go, who was pushed in front of an oncoming subway car in January 2022; Christina Yuna Lee, who was stabbed to death in the vestibule of her own home in February 2022; and the March 2021 shooting spree targeting three massage parlors in Atlanta, Georgia, where eight women, six of them Asian, were killed by one man on the same day.

Despite all of the evidence suggesting that anti-Asian hate is at an unprecedented level, there hasn’t been much decisive action by our leaders to follow up on the hashtag.

Politicians like New York City Mayor Eric Adams don’t see #StopAsianHate as a rallying point but rather an excuse for other political action. In the discourse of how NYC should move forward in the wake of the high profile murder of Go,

most of the focus has been on issues of homelessness and mental health.

Adams recently unveiled a plan to crack down on people taking shelter in the subway systems, which includes increasing police presence in the subways.

These measures were constructed to address something which has been happening for years, but their timing was obviously influenced by Go’s murder on Jan. 15. In fact, the most glaring reaction is not the new program, but rather a lack of acknowledgment of the race of the victim.

Honoring (Go’s) legacy does not mean expelling people taking shelter underground from the subway, but rather addressing and redressing is sues of racism, personal and systemic, in her city.

The use of the Stop Asian Hate movement as a means of enacting politicized action is inhibiting real change. In our city, we can see it in the ways Adams has chosen to address the tragedy of Go’s death.

The focus on homelessness is both degrading to a group of people who still deserve dignity and human respect and addresses a phantom issue which has been overblown by media narratives.

Presidents’ Day weekend saw a rash of violent incidents on the subway system, but only two people involved were without housing, and one of those was a victim. It is also unclear what role mental illness played in any of the incidents. The fact of the matter is that while Go’s death was an anomaly in terms of how she died, the discrimination she faced has been a fact of life for Asians long before the pandemic started. It has simply been brought to the public eye in the wake of racist language and a surge of violence pertaining to COVID-19.

Go didn’t do anything to deserve being pushed in front of that train, but she was Asian, at the wrong time and in the

wrong place, and for that, she paid the ultimate price. The man who killed her was experiencing homelessness and has a history of mental illness, but that doesn’t excuse Go’s death or make it any less undeserved. The obsession with identifying his illness leads one crucial detail to slip by unexamined: Go’s race.

Go’s murder has not been classified as a hate crime because her killer has not displayed direct racial animus.

However, this stipulation avoids an obvious fact of her death. I don’t know if she would have been killed if she weren’t Asian, but I do know that despite what some people are willing to say, her race was a factor in her death.

I know because my girlfriend and I are Chinese, and we’ve experienced this discrimination firsthand. I know because I once had to ask my friends to get off a train before our stop because a man was hurling swears, slurs and saliva in our direction from the seat across from us. I know because America’s history of discrimination against Asians dates back to before the Chinese Exclusion Act, and deep-rooted prejudices like that never fully disappear.

The reality of the Asian existence is that our race is a part of who we are.

We take pride in it — Chinatown and K-Town are vibrant examples of that — but there is also an underlying fear.

Many Asian people deny that this fear exists, but it still permeates the society that has been constructed around us. I don’t know what Go and other Asian victims would have wanted in the wake of their murders, but I’m sure that it’s not what Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul are doing.

Go was a person who volunteered her time and effort for years to preserve the decency of all people, including those without a home. Honoring her legacy does not mean expelling people taking shelter underground from the subway, but rather addressing and redressing issues of racism, personal and systemic, in her city.

Adams’ plan to overpolice the subways is harmful fearmongering and avoids the real issues at hand. But more importantly, it goes against the principles it is meant to reinforce, and that is why we need real conversation about how to stop Asian hate.

Observer the

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March 2, 2022

Opinions

11

Give Girls Boxing Gloves

Free self-defense classes could save lives and should be offered at Fordham GABRIELLA BERMUDEZ Asst. Sports & Health Editor

As a commuter, I formed my schedule around being able to leave school before dark. But as I got involved with clubs and other student activities, my time in the city changed. At the start of the semester, I had a meeting at the Lincoln Center campus that ran until 9 p.m. I always take an Uber when I leave school that late, but I couldn’t afford to take another $85 ride back to New Jersey.

I decided to take the 1 a.m. train to Penn Station. When I walked onto the platform, I was confronted by a group of men in dark hoods. To my right was another group of strangers, with two men and a woman holding needles and sitting on the steps that led to the street level.

I tried to avoid eye contact with everyone on the platform, but at some point, I glanced back up at the group of men to find several pairs of eyes all on me.

One of them asked me to come “hang out” with them and took one step toward me, and then they all laughed as I ran past the group blocking the steps.

Getting catcalled by random men on the street is something I’ve gotten used to over the years.

But the commute from New Jersey to New York is a different level of fear that I have never faced in my life until I became a commuter student.

Up until the start of my second semester, I struggled with travel anxiety as the catcalling and “accidental” inappropriate touching increased.

This constant fear continued until I started taking self-defense classes for $130 per month. The

price of security is worth it when I have to commute or walk in the city.

But wouldn’t it be nice if an NYC-based school like Fordham could offer these classes for free?

I’ve recently heard about Harvard University offering self-defense courses hosted through the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD). The classes are offered at no cost to everyone in the Harvard community, including faculty.

The HUPD explains that the purpose of these classes is “to empower students, faculty, and staff to combat various types of assaults by providing them with realistic self-defense tactics and techniques.”

A Jesuit university like Fordham should offer free self-defense classes in order to live up to its mission statement: “Fordham education at all levels is student-centered, and attentive to the development of the whole person.” This would mean that Fordham helps students have all the tools necessary to live a full and safe life. Affordable options for learning self-defense are limited and finding quality training can be difficult. Having the option to take self-defense classes at an affordable price is a necessity for both of Fordham’s campuses.

The fear of walking home alone at night is a shared experience among women and trans people in particular.

Mariah Lopez, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’23, shared her own experience of getting catcalled and harassed as she was leaving her midnight shifts at Starbucks during her first year at Fordham.

“I was nervous to keep going back (to work), but didn’t really have a choice,” Lopez said.

A survey conducted by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center noted that “​​almost one in four undergraduate women experienced sexual assault or misconduct at 33 of the nation’s major universities.” Additionally, 46% of transgender and nonbinary individuals have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

While an estimated 60% of sexual assault crimes are not reported, the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault estimates that 50,000 women are raped a year in NYC, while only 1,500 cases are reported to the police.

Fordham’s ​​Lincoln Center Commuter Student Services website states that there are about 900 full-time undergraduate students who commute to Lincoln Center.

In order for commuter students to feel a part of the Fordham community, they often travel at night in order to accommodate clubs and other activities that contribute to the full Fordham experience. But it can be extremely unsafe to do that or to do so comfortably.

In the week of Feb. 14 alone, the NYPD reported 36 rapes, 352 robberies and five murders. In the past five months, there were three reported rapes of students who attended Lincoln Center. New York is a frightening place for young women and trans individuals, but it would be less frightening if we had the proper skills to defend ourselves without breaking the bank.

This is where Fordham comes in. Public Safety should host self-defense seminars or weekly meetings that are open to all Fordham students.

Naperville Central High School, a public high school in

ALYSSA DAUGHDRILL/THE OBSERVER

Self defense classes could be a source of reassurance for students commuting in NYC.

Illinois, began to offer self-defense classes for its students in 2019.

The school charged participating students $20 in order to cover the costs of bringing in mixed martial arts coaches. The school made separate programs for boys and girls that revolved around Rape Aggression Defense.

“Learning to defend yourself is a valuable life skill, especially for women,” Lopez said. “It makes sense that Fordham would offer the opportunity to learn that skill if they care for their students.

Especially since New York can be incredibly dangerous.”

Studies done at the University of Oregon found that women who have taken self-defense classes are 50-60% less likely to be raped.

I have come to terms with the fact that I cannot decide what

actions another person takes.

There is absolutely no way I can make a man not assault, cat-call or harm me in any other way. But what I do have control over is how prepared I am for such events.

Other students who feel vulnerable should have the same preparation. Safety should not be a luxury item. Offering free self-defense courses could be what saves a life and helps prevent assault.

This goes beyond commuters and students who just want to grab a cup of coffee at night before a long study session. Offering consistent self-defense classes could teach students skills that will stay with them for years to come as they leave Fordham and pursue careers in New York and other large cities.

Planet Fitness Is a Good Gym

Working out should be made accessible to everyone. It’s time to stop the Planet Fitness slander

Before the start of this semester, my friend took me to Crunch, a gym located 15 minutes away from Fordham Lincoln Center.

On the way there, I mentioned that my roommate and I had started going to Planet Fitness.

In response, my friend, a Crunch member, told me that Planet Fitness is a beginner gym and that

Crunch has better equipment.

Okay, listen. He might be right that Planet Fitness is more beginner-friendly, but that doesn’t make it a bad gym. Planet Fitness has been labeled the most disreputable of all gyms, excluded and looked down upon by anyone involved in anything fitness. As a frequent customer and avid fan of my local Planet Fitness, I’m here to defend this gym: It’s time for the slander to stop.

Some argue that because Planet Fitness does not have a proper squat rack, it does not deserve the same respect as other gyms. But, I might point out that there are plenty of other ways to do squats.

There’s the Smith machine, which is essentially a squat rack

MIKE MOZART VIA FLICKR

Planet Fitness makes exercising easy, accessible and affordable.

with the barbell permanently attached to the frame, making it a safer piece of equipment while working the same muscles. If your goal is to work on quads, there’s the leg press, the leg extension machine and a variety of free weight exercises. If your goal is to work on glutes, the same thing applies. Trust me, the lack of a free weight squat rack is not robbing anyone of their gains.

There is even a rumor that Planet Fitness labels its weights heavier than their actual weight to trick customers into thinking that they are lifting more than they actually are. Now, doesn’t that just sound like a rumor made up by your middle school bully to make you feel bad about yourself?

If you’re still skeptical, TikTok user @jarrettlifts brought a scale to Planet Fitness to make sure all the weights are correctly labeled.

Spoiler alert: they are.

While I may not be the strongest person in the room, I do not consider myself a beginner to working out. I’ve been an athlete my whole life, and I’ve been lifting in gyms, on and off, for the past four years. Planet Fitness, contrary to popular belief, is not just frequented by beginners.

Every time I go, I see plenty of people lifting heavy weights with great form.

Before you ask — no, the “Lunk Alarm” is not that bad. At the Hell’s Kitchen location I go to, no one has set off the Lunk Alarm, even when they do drop weights once in a while. For those who are wondering, the Lunk Alarm is a large blue alarm attached

to the wall of the weights room to discourage gym-goers from obnoxiously dropping weights, grunting or flexing their muscles.

This relates to Planet Fitness’s goal of “no gymtimidation” written across the walls.

The Lunk Alarm is Planet Fitness’s way to simply promote inclusion. If anything, having a problem with the Lunk Alarm might speak to your elitist ideas on fitness rather than the friendly, open-arms approach to fitness that Planet Fitness is practicing.

There is no reason for working out to be an exclusive and overly judgmental boys’ club that shames others for not adhering to their standard of so-called fitness.

A lot of people have health goals they want to achieve, but gymtimidation (yes, it’s a real thing!) keeps them at home. This anxiety especially affects women, who fear being judged by their male counterparts at the gym. According to a study done by Metro, the top three reasons that people avoid the gym include not being able to afford a membership, feeling too intimidated and worrying about how they will look in front of other gym-goers. Planet Fitness works to combat all three.

Even if this is a prime worry, working out should not be about looking a certain way. It can be. If your goal is for your body to look “better,” whatever that may mean for you, then that’s great!

If you just want to keep your heart healthy or get stronger, that’s just as great. Whatever your reasons are for working out, no

one should feel too intimidated to step into the gym. Planet Fitness’s efforts to create a judgment-free zone may not completely eradicate the anxieties of those just starting their fitness journey, but it’s a start.

My favorite part of Planet Fitness, though, has to be the price. For $10 a month, it is by far the best deal. Of all the gyms that are a walkable distance from the Fordham Lincoln Center campus, even the second-most affordable, New York Sports Club, is more than four times the price of Planet Fitness. Paying over a hundred dollars a month should not be the norm for gyms.

Everyone deserves the right to a healthy lifestyle, but in 2022 — the age of fitness trends and $38 SoulCycle classes — not everyone can afford it. Going to the gym should not be a luxury. It does not have to involve eucalyptus steam rooms or an outdoor track with skyscraper views, like the roof of the Upper West Side Equinox Sports Club. Those things are nice, sure, and available for those who can afford them, but they should not be synonymous with health.

Planet Fitness allows everyone cheap access to equipment that will keep their bodies healthy, help them gain in strength and even achieve fitness goals, no matter how “light” you think the weights are. So what if everything is purple and yellow? Health does not have to look a certain way, whether it’s the color of the equipment at your gym or the size of your body.

12

Opinions

March 2, 2022

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER

Is It the Kardashians, or Do You Hate Women?

The majority of criticism toward America’s most famous family is often unnecessary and rooted in misogyny ISABELLA SCIPIONI Opinions Editor

With their faces plastered on every magazine, TV set and Instagram feed across America, it’s hard to escape the Kardashian-Jenner family. Even harder to escape is the mountain of criticism the family gets, polarizing American society into the Kardashian Krazy and the Kardashian Kritics.

However, much of the criticism toward America’s royal family is rooted in misogyny, an issue made especially evident

by Kanye West’s recent public meltdown over his divorce from Kim Kardashian. The vast majority of the criticism that the family receives is trivial at best and, at worst, steeped in misogyny.

The Kardashians’ L.A. attitude and speech patterns often draw criticism, with many labeling the sisters as dumb.

Their recognizable accent is caused by a combination of vocal fry, or speaking at a low, “creaky” vocal register, and uptalk, or a tendency to end statements at a higher tone, making it sound like they are asking a question rather than making a statement.

Researchers have found that these speech patterns are common among young women and are especially prevalent in Southern California, though people of all gender identities, ages and regions can use them.

Many studies have found that these speech patterns are signs of empowerment and emotional intelligence and are used to keep conversationalists engaged in what a speaker is saying.

Despite this speech pattern becoming a common sign of female empowerment, many associate vocal fry and uptalk with lower intelligence. The Kardashians — and young women in general — are often

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TARA LENTELL/THE OBSERVER

unfairly criticized and disregarded because of an emerging sign of empowerment.

There is also the source of the Kardashians’ fame and fortune, the majority of which has been based on beauty products and embracing their femininity.

Feminine interests and industries are often deemed stupid, superficial or unimportant, yet these industries can empower women and bring them success.

In 2020, Forbes magazine named Kylie Jenner the highest-paid celebrity of the year, as she earned $590 million, mostly from her company, Kylie Cosmetics. Women’s goals are often treated as dumb, irrelevant business pursuits compared to more masculine industries, undermining the fact that they are sources that bring women extreme success.

The Kardashian sisters are not idiots, but rather industry-savvy businesswomen (and one future lawyer). Though born into privilege, it takes brains to harness moderate wealth and fame and turn it into a reputation as the most recognizable faces in America. Are these women ex-

tremely wealthy and privileged?

Absolutely. Are they stupid? Not at all.

The Kardashians are often criticized for being famous despite not having any “talent.”

But does someone really need a talent to be famous? Reality shows have made dozens of talentless people famous for simply being on a reality show, though admittedly, none as famous as the Kardashians.

The Kardashians are far from the first influencers to use their social position to turn a profit.

Before the Kardashians, plenty of celebrities were famous simply “for being famous” — think Paris Hilton, Gloria Vanderbilt or any of the Kennedys after JFK. In an era without widespread social media, these celebrities, usually women, were often deemed “socialites,” or famous only for their social position in society. Socialites are often the victims of vicious rumors and criticism from society at large (with most of their criticism seeped in sexism), but only recently with the rise of social media and influencer culture have questions been

raised about who “deserves” to be famous.

Talent is one of many avenues one can take to achieve fame, and even before the Kardashians, it has never been a requirement for fame and fortune. Becoming a socialite is often a result of family or personal riches, but the Kardashians have transformed this unconventional career path into a channel of wealth itself. No, the Kardashians cannot sing, dance or act; however, they are undeniably the most successful modern examples of socialites who have turned their public images into careers.

Having a fantastic public relations team is certainly not a talent, but the Kardashians did not just stumble upon fame, as most believe. It is worth noting that famous men are rarely criticized as undeserving of their fame.

If not demonized for their supposed lack of intelligence or talent, the Kardashians are often treated as sex symbols who are not deserving of respect.

Ever since Kim Kardashian’s sex tape was leaked without her permission, rumors have ensued

that Kim leaked the sex tape on purpose. This accusation is offensive to all victims of revenge porn and downplays the trauma of having one’s sexual encounters placed on display for the public to see without their consent.

The Kardashians are also criticized for their scandalous — but consensually published — photoshoots, clothing and beauty trends and, as a result, are often slut-shamed and objectified by society. Women should be able to claim their sexualities without fear of public shaming.

The Kardashians have been able to market and profit off their bodies and, like others who have done the same, are heavily criticized for it. This perpetuates the norm of judging women for what they wear, whom they associate themselves with and how they behave.

Criticizing women for profiting off their sex appeals is society’s way of controlling and demeaning them and is an obvious and very common example of misogyny.

The Kardashians are certainly not perfect or undeserving of any criticism. The family has had a controversial past in terms of their extravagant wealth, the beauty standards they set and their appropriation of and success from mimicking Black culture. The Kardashians are not innocent, but they do not deserve unnecessary, sexist criticism that is often referenced when someone says they “can’t stand the Kardashians.”

Even one of America’s most powerful families is not protected from misogyny, and it is inappropriate to perpetuate casual sexism in society by hurling unnecessary insults toward famous people.

Next time you criticize the Kardashian-Jenner family, maybe take a moment to reflect on why you hate successful women.

Smoochless in Seattle (and New York)

I’m a sophomore and still haven’t been on a date. Is there a deadline for when you should have your first kiss?

In college, it can feel like everyone you know is going out on dates and hooking up with people at parties, but I can promise you that is not the case. There are tons of people who are waiting for the right person or taking this time to focus on themselves. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, trust yourself and your decisions.

When you are ready, you’ll be ready. Until then, enjoy your life here at Fordham. New York City is right outside your door.

EMILY ELLIS Head C Copy opy EEditor dittor di

Dear Em, Am I weird for not having had my first kiss or relationship before college? I feel like everyone around me, especially in college, has experience with sex and love, and I don’t. Should I start pursuing someone or wait for fate to bring love to me?

-Scared Sophomore Dear Scared Sophomore, There is absolutely no set timeline to start dating. Whether you have your first kiss on the playground at nine years old or in NYC at 29 years old, you are moving at your own pace, and that is your right. You are your own person, and you will move forward with your sex and love life whenever you feel ready.

Don’t rush yourself to meet some imaginary deadline that you convinced yourself exists.

It’s not easy or fun to feel like you are behind schedule, espe-

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MADDIE SANDHOLM/THE OBSERVER

cially in the sex and love department. Watching your friends get into relationships and talk about their sex lives can be a reminder that you don’t have anything to contribute to the conversation yet.

But don’t let that fear and shame build up. You have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to fear.

In terms of sex, remove the word “virgin” from your inner dialogue. Virginity is a social construct, and anyone you want to be with in the future will understand and embrace your lack of sexual history. There is absolutely no shame in being inexperienced and refraining from engaging in

hookup culture. Your sexual experience and pursuits are entirely your own business and completely under your control.

Likewise, you can’t force yourself to fall in love — that happens in its own, weird ways and on its own schedule. If you don’t fall in love during or before college, that just means that you get to experience the joy of that feeling in the future.

Good times are ahead. Use this time, as cliché as it sounds, to focus on yourself. College is one of the only times where it’s expected that students will put their own interests first. Em-

brace that freedom and use it to do great things.

Now, if you feel ready to start dating — and there is someone that you would like to pursue — by all means, pursue them. Don’t let fear of rejection or inexperience keep you from something potentially beautiful. With that said, don’t force yourself to have feelings for someone or date someone simply to get it out of the way.

You’re doing the other person a disservice by pretending to have feelings for them, and you’re doing yourself a disservice by wasting your time.

Have any questions about love or relationships in NYC or Fordham? Ask Em! Submit your dilemma with a pseudonym to opinions@fordhamobserver.com.

All questions will be anonymous, and any and all names will be changed. Submissions may be edited for grammar and brevity.

Arts & Culture Editors Isabella Gonzalez Olivia Stern arts@fordhamobserver.com

Arts & Culture

March 2, 2022 THE OBSERVER

Can We Please Talk About ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’?

The adult animated series, based on the popular Dungeons & Dragons web series ‘Critical Role,’ is revolutionary

By ISABELLA GONZALEZ Arts & Culture Editor

Spoiler warning for “The Legend of Vox Machina.”

When discussing hobbies picked up during lockdown, people might expect to hear about activities like baking or creating the next artistic masterpiece. I, rather, discovered the fascinating, fantastical world of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), the fantasy tabletop roleplaying game.

Starting during lockdown and continuing ever since, a group of friends from my hometown and I began a virtual D&D cam-

paign, featuring a mystery set in a high-fantasy high school. Our game was inspired by “Fantasy High,” a D&D campaign featured on Dimension 20, a YouTube channel dedicated to outlandish and high-concept D&D games.

My friend who serves as the Dungeon Master (DM), the narrator of the story, even commissioned an artist to design our original characters. With these fictional characters of our own design, the six of us can explore the traumas we’ve developed over the years while also spending 20 minutes trying to figure out how to get through a locked door or kill a mutated monster.

VIA AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

“The Legend of Vox Machina” aired its last episode of the first season on Feb. 18. Amazon Prime Video has greenlit the show for another season.

“The Legend of Vox Machina,” the latest adult animated series from Amazon Prime Video based on the popular D&D podcast “Critical Role,” captures the magic of the role-playing game without requiring background knowledge of the game itself and, in turn, reinvents the way creators approach story development.

In the span of 12 episodes that never exceed 30 minutes, the show focuses on a ragtag team of misfits known as Vox Machina that follow the found family trope and go through various adventures in the fictional world of Exandria.

In the first two episodes, the team experiences its first grandscale adventure, which deals with the destructive nature of dragons.

The rest of the season, known as the Whitestone Arc, has the Vox Machina crew travel to the town of Whitestone to avenge the troubled townspeople and defeat the evil Lord and Lady Briarwood.

The creation of the show itself is an adventure befitting the underdogs. Beginning in March 2015, the “Critical Role” podcast was born from a group of professional voice actors casually playing D&D for voice actor Liam O’Brien’s (Vax’ildan) birthday.

Voice actor Matthew Mercer took on the mantle of DM, developing the fantasy setting and playing all extra characters outside of the main party or cast, including Lord Briarwood.

Alongside O’Brien, the cast includes Laura Bailey (Vex’ahlia), Taliesin Jaffe (Percival de Rolo III and Lord De Rolo), Ashley Johnson (Pike Trickfoot), Marisha Ray

(Keyleth), Sam Riegel (Scanlan Shorthalt) and Travis Willingham (Grog Strongjaw), who all developed their own playable characters that are featured in the show.

In fact, the group is so close that Bailey and Willingham are married, as are Mercer and Ray. Initially, the idea for an animated show was born when the team started a $750,000 Kickstarter campaign to fund a single, 22-minute animated special.

The campaign raised over $11 million, becoming one of the quickest campaigns funded in Kickstarter history and the most funded Kickstarter for a TV/film project. Amazon greenlit a second season of “The Legend of Vox Machina” ahead of its premiere.

The animated show more than lives up to the hype and utilizes each minute of its short runtime with precision and care. With top-notch animation and acting, there’s never a dull moment. The cast not only sells comedic bits about the struggles of opening doors but also delivers on gore-filled action and heavy emotional beats.

Though there are certainly no weak links in the cast, Jaffe is a natural standout, considering that the main Whitestone Arc centers on his revenge-hungry gunslinger Percival (also known as Percy), who struggles with grief and a devilish alter ego, “No Mercy” Percy.

Despite the screen time dedicated to Percy, the show’s greatest feat is being able to flesh out seven complicated, quirky characters without feeling forced or rushed.

Each member of the group faces

their own personal struggles and grows as an individual in ways that speak to a wide range of viewers.

Whether it’s Pike’s struggles with her devotion to her religious identity, Keyleth’s doubts as a budding leader for her clan, or siblings Vex and Vax’s trust issues, each member is forced to confront their inner demons and move forward. This comes to a head with a spotlight on Percy’s literal confrontation with an inner demon, but no character is ever forgotten.

The transition to a new media platform feels seamless and natural. The colorful character designs and striking visuals only serve to strengthen the audience’s immersion into the rich story.

As I finished watching the first season and later rewatched it, it dawned on me that “The Legend of Vox Machina” draws out the feelings that fester when I participate in my own D&D game. It reminds me of the thrill of a new foe emerging, of the adrenaline rush as you race against time to strategize battle tactics. It reminds me of the cathartic release when your character finally starts to heal from the ghosts that haunt them.

“The Legend of Vox Machina” is able to deliver those same magical feelings to longtime fans and newcomers alike. Maybe the show will inspire you to join a D&D campaign yourself. Or, at the very least, maybe the action-packed fantasy adventure can help you reflect and grow from your own life’s trials as if you, too, were a member of the group.

‘My Mom, Your Dad’ and My Entertainment

HBO Max’s new show puts a spin on the traditional expectations of reality dating television

By MEGHA THYAGARAJAN Contributing Writer

To be honest, I am not a reality TV show person. I genuinely believed I could go my entire life without ever feeling the need to watch a dating show, especially when “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” sounds much more appealing.

But after gradually falling into the void of media propaganda, I decided to kick my feet up and watch the show “My Mom, Your Dad” — and let me tell you, it exceeded my expectations.

When we think of dating shows such as “Too Hot to Handle,” we think of watching sexually charged individuals who fit various beauty standards amusingly interact with one another.

Instead, HBO Max decided to take an unanticipated approach to the concept of dating shows by having college-aged students nominate their single parents to embark on the quest for love.

The Observer had the opportunity to attend a college newspaper roundtable discussion on Feb. 10 hosted by HBO Max with eight of the cast members.

A Spin on Reality Dating Yvonne Orji, the esteemed actress who starred in “Insecure,” welcomes the single parents to a

beautifully staged retreat, where the apparent purpose of the show is for contestants to flirt and find their soulmate.

Undisclosed to the parents, their kids are living down the street in their own retreat house and have the power to discreetly influence the dating life of their parents. This is called “Meddle Time.” Each child has complete insight into the intimacies of their parent’s interactions via secret monitors.

As much as these kids love their parents, none of them were prepared to watch them engage in flirting. During the roundtable discussion, Alexandra Devoe, one of the daughters in the show, described the strong bond she had with her father but that watching him flirt was “cringe and weird and not normal.”

She was a bit disgusted after the first night watching her father flirt with women, yet the show propelled Alexandra to understand her father on a deeper level.

Each of these children acted as dating counselors on the show with the chance to take advantage of a “Meddle Time” opportunity to get their way.

While the meddles seemed to be an innocent way for the kids to mildly influence the lives of their parents, as the show progressed, it was evident that even the smallest meddles profoundly affected

the emotions and lives of their parents. Each child wanted to prioritize their parent and who they thought their parent should end up with. Watching the intricacies of children playing a direct role in their parents’ futures was quite heartwarming.

Cast Members Weigh In One of the most enjoyable aspects of the show was viewing the dynamics between the kids. Each of them shares the characteristic of being a child of a single parent while facing the adversaries that it entails. From the first night, it was apparent that the kids began to bond with one another remarkably quickly.

One of the kids, Whitney Strunk said during the roundtable, “We were all strangers, and we just walked in ... It was family within a night ... I’ve never in my life became family with so many people so fast.”

The kids explained during the roundtable discussion that even though the season is finished, many of them are still in contact with one another. They developed relationships that can weather contrasting environments and livelihoods.

Many friendships are fostered through a culture of similar environments, but friendships that remained after the show are a testa-

COURTESY OF HBO MAX

Yvonne Orji from HBO Max’s “Insecure” is taking on a different role for the streaming platform.

ment to the bonds they were able to cultivate throughout their time on the show.

Honestly, if every dating show was like this, I would change my perspective on watching them.

But if you are looking for a new show that involves comedy, senti-

mental emotions and, of course, drama, I would highly recommend “My Mom, Your Dad.” It embodies the narrative that love is not attached to facets of age and that the bond between a parent and child can withstand numerous hurdles.

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Arts & Culture

March 2, 2022

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER

‘Love Your Hair’ Panelists Discuss Journeys of Embracing Their Natural Hair

Office of Multicultural Affairs celebrates Black History Month with third annual ‘Love Your Hair’ expo EXPO from page 1

The panelists discussed their own hair journeys and stories from their experience with embracing natural hair. Panelists included Natalie Blair, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’22; Laurie Lambert, associate professor in the African & African American studies department; Kristopher Little, resident director for first-year students; and Juan Carlos Matos, assistant vice president for student affairs for diversity and inclusion at OMA. The event was moderated by Lilibeth Ramos-Flores, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’17 and graduate intern for OMA. Panelists expressed a shared sentiment about the importance of the journey that came from embracing their hair.

“ When my hair isn’t

long, even my Blackness is questioned, even by Black folk themselves.”

Juan Carlos Matos, assistant vice president for student affairs for diversity and inclusion at OMA

“I loved that I’ve been able to have so many different hairstyles throughout my life because if my hair was straight, I would not have been able to do half the things I have done to my hair

and have it survive,” Matos said.

Matos shared his experience and pictures of his different hairstyles through the years.

“ It’s been a journey on

really educating myself on hair in general and embracing it and understanding how important it is and making sense of that too.”

Kristopher Little, resident director for first-year students

Similarly, Lambert shared her experience of straightening, growing and cutting her hair in the different phases of her life.

Her change in hairstyles allowed her to fully embrace her Blackness confidently.

“I didn’t have that fear of straightening it or the awkward phase or things like that because I had that initial experience of going to college and that freedom of knowing what to do,” Lambert said.

They also shared how the pandemic affected their hair health.

Little said the pandemic changed his hair care routine, as he used to get frequent haircuts. Panelists also noted the connection between stress and patterns in consumption and how they fac-

tor into hair growth and health.

They shared how hair can show how healthy one is.

For some panelists, embracing Black hair meant embracing Blackness. Both Blair and Matos shared their doubts and experiences coming from multiracial backgrounds. Blair said growing up she didn’t know what to do with her hair. Her experience was part of a “process of self-affirmation of accepting Blackness, especially as a mixed individual.”

Blair pointed out that studying at Fordham helped her realize the importance of discovering and embracing her hair.

“Through my hair, I’ve been finding myself,” Blair said. “Just seeing the different ways people do their hair and hold their hair, in general, made me realize I can do different things with my hair.”

For Matos, it is a question of where he wants to step in and give space to this Blackness. “When my hair isn’t long, even my Blackness is questioned, even by Black folk themselves,” he said.

Matos also shared about his experiences in a professional field and how he is now able to confidently grow his hair to embrace and express himself.

“You’re moving beyond

white-censored professionalism and you’re able to go sit in your comfortability,” Matos said.

Nevertheless, this year’s panel allowed for panelists to inspire others with their stories. “It’s been a journey in really educating myself on hair in general and

embracing it and understanding how important it is, and making sense of that too,” Little said.

As part of the event, the Black History Month Committee gave away hair products sponsored by Black-owned businesses, including Canviiy, Miss Jessie’s and Rizos Curls.

QUINCY REYES/THE OBSERVER

The “Love Your Hair” expo was one of multiple events that the Black History Month Committee hosted in February.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER

March 2, 2022

Arts & Culture

15

The 2022 run of “Heathers” at The Other Palace was set to end on Feb. 20. Now, the run is extended until May 1. This off-West End revival has been dubbed the “Homecoming.”

Big Fun: ‘Heathers’ in London

This Off-West End revival of the musical does the beloved show justice

By AVA PEABODY Former Opinions Editor

As soon as I touched down in London for my semester abroad, I began hunting for theater to see.

Given the circumstances of the past two years, I have seen much less theater than I would have liked, and I am determined to make up for it now in a city known for its lively and diverse theater scene.

When my roommates suggested we see “Heathers,” the musical based on the movie of the same name, I was intrigued. I had seen the movie but didn’t know much about the stage production (beyond the requisite theater kid knowledge of “Candy Store”).

To situate “Heathers” among the sprawling category that is musical theater, it is a poppy, raunchy, fast-paced show well-loved by fans of shows like “Mean Girls” and “Waitress.”

Following an opening in 2013 and subsequent successful runs off-Broadway and on the West End, “Heathers” is currently playing off-West End at The Other Palace, a beautiful little theater located strikingly close to Buckingham Palace. The Queen did not make an appearance at this showing, as far as I know.

“Heathers” follows Veronica, a teenager navigating the pressures of high school who suddenly falls in with the most popular girls at Westerburg High — three girls all named Heather.

Along with the appearance of the enigmatic J.D., Veronica enters a new lifestyle of partying and spite, set among the campiest approximation of America in the 1980s that I have ever seen.

The last part may have been exacerbated by the fact that we’re in

England, so the show had to work overtime to sustain the illusion that we were in Ohio, but I think it only added to the charm.

My first impression, beyond my sheer elation at being in a theater, was that there was an almost-alarming amount of smoke filling the space, which was either a COVID-19 safety measure or ambient foreshadowing — or perhaps both. The pre-show ’80s rock nicely unified the crowd, particularly when “Come On Eileen” elicited some pub-like smacks on the armrests.

By considering the buoyant music of “Heathers” as a purposeful contrast to its bleak material, there is a poignant message to be found about how we fail to address those issues as a culture.

The show’s playbill was adorably designed like a high school yearbook, but as I am discovering, playbills in London can set you back as much as 10 pounds (around $13), so I settled for squinting at the pages of the couple’s playbill in front of me.

Throughout the introductory song “Beautiful,” the first thing I noticed — after the fact that I could feel the orchestra’s bass in my ribcage — was that the costumes were excellent. The Heathers were

PHOTOS BY AVA PEABODY/THE OBSERVER

The cast costumes were reminiscent of the neon and vibrant ’80s style in which the musical takes place.

vibrant, stylish and cohesive, and background high schoolers stayed in their respective lanes but didn’t fall into stereotypes.

However, as each new character appeared, I was soon distracted by how the stage was two sizes too small for the 17-person cast, making simple ensemble staging seem ambitious. Dance numbers looked as if they were being marked simply because there wasn’t enough room for the actors to risk going all out. At times, the staging gave the impression that you as an audience member were watching a performance, as opposed to being part of the proposed reality.

The blocking of “Heathers” productions often relies heavily on tableaus, where more (or often all of the) actors freeze in a position while Veronica narrates directly to the audience. These freezes were a charming way to introduce each character, but the compact space meant that tableaus were about the only thing the cast had room to execute while all on stage, and the tactic quickly wore thin.

Actors repeatedly arranged themselves in the same formations and personality poses and were often forced to direct their big notes out to the audience to avoid appearing unnatural or screaming in a castmate’s face, which gave a high school diva “let me have my moment” feel that was a bit off-putting.

The blocking issues made the show feel a bit slow and stilted at the start, but the action picked up with the introduction of J.D., especially as his song “Freeze Your Brain” began. Admittedly, this moment might have stuck out to me because I was just excited to see the 7-Eleven logo again.

J.D. seemed to invigorate everyone around him, and the show started to move at such a captivating pace that I was barely ruffled by the sometimes-dubious American accents. J.D.’s voice was so outstanding that it caused me to periodically and involuntarily grab my roommate’s arm to confirm that we were hearing the same thing.

The stage’s small size did come in handy during house party scenes, replicating the increasingly suffocating feeling of being surrounded by reeling, apprehensive peers as “Big Fun” reiterated its pounding chorus. It also worked well for smaller scenes with fewer characters involved, including moments in J.D.’s bedroom and Veronica’s bathroom.

Speaking of which — there was an atmospheric reaction in the theater to “Meant to Be Yours,” an impossibly catchy song currently undergoing the TikTok revival treatment.

The “Heathers” playbill acts as a yearbook for Westerburg High, the school where most of the musical is set.

Both famous and lesser-known tracks from “Heathers” were equally satisfying. Once Martha, Veronica’s unpopular best friend, was finally allowed to have a full-fledged thought, she tore the house down with “Kindergarten Boyfriend,” showcasing a stunning belt that made me wish she had had more opportunities to sing.

Since 2018, three songs have been added to the show. “Blue,” an unnecessarily vulgar song from the original off-Broadway production exclusively about date rape, has become “You’re Welcome,” a more complex and melodically interesting song that better situates Veronica and the jocks in their social context, heightening the stakes of the assault.

“Never Shut Up Again,” Heather Duke’s seize of power to a disco beat, and “I Say No,” a power ballad for Veronica, also worked well. (In fact, “I Say No” clocks in as the most listened-to song on the “Heathers” West End soundtrack on Spotify.)

A common criticism of “Heathers” is that its peppy tracks and irreverent dialogue ignore the real severity of the subjects it covers, like sexual assault, homicide and suicide. Even looking at just the titles of songs, like “My Dead Gay Son,” it’s easy to see how viewers might arrive at this conclusion.

But I think the dark themes of “Heathers” are elevated, rather than obscured, by this approach.

The gratingly upbeat gospel choruses of “Shine a Light,” the guidance counselor’s misguided attempt at suicide prevention, expertly reflects how adults often fail to make meaningful connections with teenagers about sensitive topics like mental health and suicide.

By considering the buoyant mu-

sic of “Heathers” as a purposeful contrast to its bleak material, there is a poignant message to be found about how we fail to address those issues as a culture.

The free-wheeling exuberance of some songs is skillfully offset by heartfelt ballads like “Seventeen” and (my personal favorite) “Our Love Is God,” which had “We can start and finish wars / We’re what killed the dinosaurs / We’re the asteroid that’s overdue” ringing in my ears long after I had gone home.

Rather than glossing over heavy subjects, this juxtaposition realistically captures what it’s like to live through challenging periods like high school — none of it is all bad or all good. There are light, silly moments nestled within hard times, which doesn’t make the times any easier or the joy any less real.

Through my experiences of theater in London so far, I am gathering that there is more of a cultural tendency here to respond verbally and enthusiastically to action onstage — so much so that actors often had to improvise responses to catcalls or whistles, though they took it in stride.

The audience-actor interactions even went so far as the guidance counselor singling out a specific man in the audience and addressing him personally. The laughter this elicited from the audience was reflected in several actors breaking character, but I’m willing to let it slide for the sake of how joyful it all was.

And that really encapsulates my overall review of this production: Was it technically or creatively groundbreaking? Maybe not. But was it enjoyable, enough to make me remember what I had missed so much about theater throughout the pandemic? Absolutely.

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63. Seduce 64. Family tree climber?, with 33 Down 65. Abbreviation for a small, guitar-like instrument 66. Not even

1. Branch or wing 2. Sticky stuff 3. Demolish, as a fellow gamer 4. Reliable one, with person 5. Highest form of development or culmination 6. Forensic evidence of a firearm, initially 7. mode (2 wds) 8. Popeye or Odysseus, for instance 9. See 30 Across 10. Former, with “while” 13. A Nice summer 14. Crunchy salad toppers 16. Internal creation usually represented by a lightbulb above your head 17. Russians, Czechs and Bulgarians, to name a few 21. Make a noise of astonishment

22. British boxer Khan 23. Travel size 25. Reading and writing, in school (Abbr.)

26. Taylor Swift album rereleased in 2021 28. Question words that are usually listed after the “5 Ws” 31. How Paul Revere rode down the streets when the British were coming 33. See 64 Across 35. Singer Bruno 37. Wild West Wyatt and Josephine 38. It protects us from rusty nails (Abbr.)

39. Item that comes in bone, circular and table types 41. Fan-made match 42. X in Rome 43. Prefix to -onomic chair 45. Put together as an art exhibit 46. Judge to be 47. Permissible 50. Cleopatra’s killers 52. Pre; classification of students planning to become doctors 54. Or 56. Tombstone text (Abbr.)

57. Computer’s “brain” (Abbr.)

58.

Jima 59. Fall asleep with off 60. Highest spirit?

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF FORDHAM

Aries

ELEV ATOR S

Taurus

A lemonade stand. You have an enterprising spirit. As long as you stay committed (which you are well known to do), you can make anything work.

Gemini

NFTs. I hate to say it, but this is for you. You’re always trying to find the next new, big thing. You will adapt to this new trend and get crypto-bros clamoring for your cartoon ape JPEG.

Cancer

Multi-level marketing. The stars say it, so I must report it. You are so in touch with everyone’s emotions that you’ll be great at manipulating people into buying the soap that you bought from someone who bought it from someone who ...

when I heard my

time of day

BY ALLIE STOFER

go off. I rolled over and looked noun

at the

.“ same noun from previous blank

!” I

exclamative

. I have class at past-tense verb

— I will never make it in time. I quickly time of day

went to find my

of the day. I threw on my noun

Leo

pair of adjective

and grabbed my bag. I ran out the door of type of shoes

Frantically selling everything online. If you need money, you will find a way to get it ASAP. Whether it’s Poshmark or eBay, you will pick random items lying around to make a quick buck.

out of bed and

past-tense verb

Crypto trading. You are so sure of your wit, strength and ego that you will be great at becoming the whale who sells their share, leaving millions of normal people with a worthless line of code.

Virgo

Nothing. You can be calm, cool and collected enough to recognize that money isn’t everything. You’ll sit back and watch everyone go crazy getting their bag. Maybe you’ll spend your time focusing on yourself ... or watching TikToks.

and

building at Fordham

Libra

to the elevator. I pushed the button and waited for it to come

A little bit of everything. You’re balanced, but you also can’t make up your mind. You can dabble in manual labor, gambling and other ventures — and maybe all of them combined will really bring you prosperity!

past-tense verb

to floor

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20. “Flying Over Sunset” venue (Abbr.)

21. Activity that goes on the board, perhaps 24. Zeus’ wife 27. ! SpaghettiOs 29. Name that means “beloved” 30. Rising tone?, with 9 Down 32. One of the deadly seven 33. “Antiques ” traveling PBS show that recently featured Jay Leno, Jason Reynolds and John Hodgman 34. 2 and 3, for example 36. Starts, of a disease perhaps 40. Especially celebrated celebrities 44. Mathematician Lovelace regarded as the first computer programmer 45. “Wedding ”; 2005 Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn flick 46. “It’s !” (2 wds) 47. Sin found in the second circle of Hell in Dante’s “Inferno” 48. Pulitzer Prize-winning “Picnic” playwright 49. Boeing Starliner-1 soon-tobe astronaut Jeanette 50. A breath of fresh 51. Small, mischievous creature 53. Buzzer

11. Column counterpart 12. Photo finishes?

13. Cream-containing pastry 15. Examiner of halls or heart rates 17. In dire ; in bad condition 18. Period, in a website name 19. Star along with Jennifer and Cate in “Don’t Look Up”

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to my classroom on the

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between floors to catch my

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RAM LIBS GRAPHIC BY CHAISE JONES GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS AND PAGE DESIGN BY KYLA MCCALLUM

Capricorn

Robbery. Your ambition will drive you to get what you want, period. If you see a nice bag (or bank), you might not be able to resist the urge to literally get that bag.

!

plural noun -ing verb

breath. By the time I got to my class, it was

Whatever is easiest — probably reselling stuff. You know your grandpa’s old saber from the war? You’re liable to put it on Craigslist and get whatever you can for it. You want the cash, and you’ll be creative to get it.

Aquarius

adjective

,

Sagittarius

floor.

ordinal number

When I got there I realized that all of the elevators were

I began the climb up the

Just grind. You’re so hardworking; you commit to one thing and never cease working on it, sometimes to your detriment. “Alpha Grindset” is practically your middle name! It’ll probably work out ... one day.

Pisces

Scam artistry. It kind of counts as being an artist! Listen, you’re not interested in feelings as much as in doing your own thing.

Maybe you’ll sell a new miracle cure or essential oils.

Who needs money? As a Pisces, you see through the facade that is the liquid transfer of value. You are more interested in finding yourself. Focus on finding your higher purpose — unless, of course, your higher purpose is to make money.

WHAT IS YOUR (UNSCRUPULOUS)

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