Issue 8 Fall 2021

Y 1981- 2021 SAR

@fordhamobserver

www.fordhamobser erver.com

th 40 ANNIVER

th 40 ANNIVER

Observer the

Y 1981- 2021 SAR

October 6, 2021 VOLUME XLI, ISSUE 8

USG VP Resigns: ‘I didn’t want to leave, but I felt like I needed to’

By JOE KOTTKE News Editor

lege at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’25, decided to opt out of her electronic ID and replace it with a physical one after experiencing difficulties with the Fordham Mobile Go App, the app used to scan electronic IDs throughout the university.

At United Student Government’s (USG) meeting on Sept.

30, Robert Sundstrom, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22, announced his resignation from the position of vice president.

Sundstrom said that his ideas of what USG and the position of vice president should be are not compatible with the current USG administration.

“My biggest qualm is the role of vice president has the constitutional ability to be expanded to include more responsibilities, but none of that is written in, so it is reliant on precedence,” he said.

“There was more of a reliance this year on the constitutional duties of what the vice president is, which are very few.”

In the past, Sundstrom said the vice president and other executive members were included in executive meetings with the president and adviser to “create a more collaborative space.”

Sundstrom said that is not the way USG decided to move forward this year.

see ELECTRONIC IDS page 4

see SUNDSTROM page 3

ALICE MORENO/THE OBSERVER

A student receives an error message (left) after using the electronic ID while the student using a physical card (right) is accepted with ease.

Students Struggle With Virtual IDs

By ADITI PRAVEEN KARIYANAHALLI Contributing Writer

Once enrolled with the university, Fordham students are given the choice to opt in for either a physical or electronic identification card. The many students who opted for an electronic ID are reporting difficulty

with gaining access to various buildings.

According to Bob Howe, assistant vice president for communications, the electronic ID pilot began in the spring of 2021 in response to the “COVID requirements issued by the state, city, and CDC to provide any students who were going to be on campus with a way

to get a University ID.” It was also a way for Fordham to process faculty and student IDs without making students travel to ID services to pick up a physical copy. Howe said that 4,787 students at Fordham University are currently in possession of an electronic ID. One of these students, Nyssa Schulz-Rodriguez, Fordham Col-

From Opinions: Overrun by First-Years BRIANNA DOUCETTE Contributing Writer

The Class of 2025 is the biggest first-year class Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) has ever had — and it’s coming at a time when overcrowding is a dangerous problem.

Colleges usually admit more students than they expect to enroll, a decision based on enrollment predictions. Each year, Fordham typically admits around 20,000 students and just over 2,000 usually enroll.

This year, the over-acceptance backfired as more students than expected enrolled.

Even if the Office of Undergraduate Admission corrects this over-acceptance for next year and goes back to the average amount of incoming students, problems will still persist. For reference, the average class size in previous years for FLC was between 600 and 700 students.

This year, it was over 1,000.

Some problems, such as housing and classroom assignments are already evident, but unless Fordham plans to expand its real estate, adding more resident halls and classrooms, more issues with spacing and academics will become apparent. Fordham needs to refrain from over-accepting students, especially when space is at a premium for social distancing measures.

The most noticeable problem is housing, as Fordham struggled to fit everyone in just two residence halls this year. Unlike previous years, when firstyears only took up one to two floors in McMahon, this year’s class took up six, with a few more scattered on other floors.

This occurred even with more upperclassmen moving off-campus to take advantage of lower rent prices across the city due to COVID-19. see CLASS SIZE page 11

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

The new classrooms feature technology for hybrid learning with a videoconferencing camera and TV in the back.

Six New Classrooms Unveiled

By MARIN HOWELL Staff Writer

Six new classrooms opened for use by Fordham students and faculty on Sept. 27. The classrooms are located on the sublevel of the

Leon Lowenstein Center in a space that was part of the original Quinn Library before it was relocated to the 140 West 62nd Street Building.

Joseph Scaltro, director of engineering services, said the decision to convert the space into a

classroom suite was made to accommodate the historic class size of incoming students at Fordham Lincoln Center. see NEW CLASSROOMS page 5

News

Features

Sports & Health

Opinions

Arts & Culture

FIRE Rankings

Contact Tracing

Water Polo Triumphs

TikTok Trends

‘Sex Education’

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Page 12

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Fordham lands in the bottom 10 for free speech rankings

The complications of containing COVID at Fordham Lincoln Center

Nationally ranked Rams impress in California tournament

Language from marginalized groups is diluted by an app

The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

The intersection of Eric’s queerness and Nigerian culture

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October 6, 2021 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Fordham Placed in Bottom 10 of College Free Speech Rankings

In FIRE’s second year administering a student survey, Fordham’s many court battles stood out to respondents

By CHLOE ZELCH Asst. News Editor

Following the university’s court battles against Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Austin Tong, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’21, Fordham was ranked 145 of 154 schools in the College Free Speech Rankings survey by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) in 2021. The ranking was determined by feedback from Fordham students.

FIRE is a nonpartisan organization committed “to defend and sustain the individual rights of students and faculty members at America’s colleges and universities,” according to the organization’s website.

FIRE educates students about First Amendment rights.

“ Fordham does promise free speech. And right now, it is bad at living up to that promise, according to its own students. ”

Adam Goldstein, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’99

Fordham has been ranked in FIRE’s list of the worst 10 schools for free speech three times, with statements from FIRE specifically referencing the SJP lawsuit and the Austin Tong controversy.

This year’s list is based on the opinions of 250 Fordham students. FIRE did not specify how these students were select-

ASHLEY YIU/THE OBSERVER

Once again, Fordham has been listed as one of the worst schools for free speech after 250 students were surveyed by FIRE.

ed or if they were representative of the student body. Students in the survey expressed that they found it difficult to have “an open and honest conversation” about racial inequality, the conflict in Palestine and many other issues at Fordham.

Adam Goldstein, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’99, senior research counsel to the president at FIRE, explained that Fordham’s broken promises of guaranteeing free speech to students led to the university’s low ranking.

“Fordham does promise free speech. And right now, it is bad at living up to that promise, according to its own students,” Goldstein said.

Fordham is classified by FIRE as a “red light” institution, meaning Fordham has at least one policy that clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech.

Fordham has been issued a red light warning specifically for its IT policies. The policy states that the following actions are banned: “using any IT resource or communication services, in-

cluding email or other means, to intimidate, insult, embarrass and harass others; to interfere unreasonably with an individual’s work, research or educational performance; or to create a hostile or offensive working or learning environment.” ”While it might be nice if people didn't insult each other, banning insults is a speech restraint incompatible with Fordham's other promises,” Goldstein said.

“Reforming the IT policy alone would have improved Fordham's ranking substantially.”

The survey used 100 points to rank schools, with 88 of those points coming directly from student responses to the FIRE survey. Only 7% of respondents said that it was extremely clear that Fordham administration protects free speech, while 13% said it was not clear at all.

One junior who was surveyed expressed being unable to express their opinion about the prison-industrial complex in class: “My professor immediately shut me down and made me feel like a bad person in front of the whole class.”

A sophomore surveyed said they were concerned by how Fordham responds to student protests.

“Anytime that I think of wanting to have a protest on campus I think of the severe punishments that the administration has dealt to students in the past,” the student said. “Fordham’s campus is not a place for free speech under the current rules in place about public display and protest.”

Goldstein suggested that Fordham incorporates a commitment to free speech in orientation materials, as well as releasing a statement to students clarifying Fordham’s commitment to free speech.

“Fordham is free to believe what it chooses, and should be answerable for what it chooses to believe,” Goldstein said.

“If Fordham wants to continue onward as an institution that restrains student protest and social media activity, it should remove the free speech promises from its policies and honestly admit that it doesn’t intend to protect free speech.”

Bob Howe, assistant vice president for communications, declined to comment on the ranking.

Students Express Little Interest in Presidential Search

The first listening session to find McShaneʼs replacement yielded a turnout 95% less than expected Flynn added that McShane was “hard to access” as an undergraduate student.

By GABE SAMANDI Former News Editor

In an email sent to the Fordham community on Sept. 3, 2021, the Office of the President announced Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., will retire in June 2022.

“It’s time to step aside and allow someone else to have the great joy of leading Fordham into the future,” McShane said in his announcement email.

Ten days later, the search agency Fordham contracted to assist the university through its presidential transition, WittKieffer, held a student listening session. The listening session was expected to accommodate as many as 500 students with follow-up meetings available for any additional attendees.

“ At this point, it is

just as likely to be a Jesuit as not. ”

Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., university president

“ I was just surprised

that a huge figurehead was just leaving the university like that, with such short notice. ”

Will Chao, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’22

The meeting took place on Zoom on Sept. 13. There were only 15 attendees. The audience mainly consisted of graduate students, with some undergraduate students in attendance.

“I remember — back when I was selecting colleges — that

JILL RICE/THE OBSERVER

Spellman Hall, the current residence of McShane, will have a large change when the president leaves his position.

Fordham students have not shown much interest in the search for a new university president.

McShane gave a whole big speech and was funny and very charismatic,” Hudson Flynn, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’23, said. “My parents liked that he was a funny guy; they went to much bigger schools and didn’t expect a president to be so engaged with the campus community.”

Both Flynn and Will Chao, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’22, noted the apparent lack of symbolic or sentimental ges-

tures in the way McShane’s departure was announced.

“I was just surprised that a huge figurehead was just leaving the university like that, with such short notice. I thought they would’ve waited until the end of the school year to make the announcement,” Chao said.

Both Chao and Flynn noted that McShane’s background as an ordained priest wasn’t necessarily an attractive quality, and that they were unenthused

by the announcement of a presidential search because they felt Fordham’s future will closely resemble its past.

Flynn and Chao both said across campuses, McShane had a notable personality but was rarely available for students’ academic or personal concerns.

“He had a big personality and a presence on campus,” Chao said.

“But I don’t remember seeing him around. I think I’m just generally indifferent towards him.”

In an interview with The Observer regarding his retirement, McShane said there is a chance the university will select someone from outside the Jesuit clergy moving forward.

“I trust that the Board of Trustees and the search committee will assemble an excellent pool of candidates and pick the most suitable candidate,” McShane said. “At this point it is just as likely to be a Jesuit as not.”

Robert Daleo, chair of the presidential search committee, announced the 19 Fordham committee members in an email on Sept. 30. He also said the leading candidates will be decided in early 2022, and the new president will be announced in the spring.

Students are encouraged to reach out to WittKieffer at FordhamPresident@wittkieffer.com, where Robin Mamlet, a senior partner at WittKieffer, said the agency “follows every lead.”

Michael Leifer contributed reporting to this article.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 6, 2021

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Sundstrom Leaves Office During Second Term of Vice Presidency

He cited incompatible ideas with the current USG administration as the reason for his resignation on Sept. 30 SUNDSTROM from page 1

According to Joe VanGostein, USG president and Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’22, vice presidents can be invited to these meetings, but it is not a constitutional requirement.

“We decided that this year it would just be president and advisor as allowed by the constitution,” VanGostein said.

According to the USG constitution, the president has the power to preside over all executive board meetings and act as an adviser to university committees and councils, while the vice president can assist with these duties “if need be.”

“ The role of USG VP

is a very demanding and complex one. Robert decided that role was no longer for him. ”

Robert Sundstrom has stepped down from his position as vice president of USG, but will continue to work toward the student experience on campus at OSI.

In the event of a vacant executive board position, the USG constitution states the position will be fulfilled by the president pro-tempore, or majority leader, of the senate. The senate must then elect a new president pro-tempore.

Dorothy Wenzel, senior director for the Office of Student Involvement (OSI) and adviser to

USG, said she will be supporting the student leaders with their recruitment process to fill the vacant position, though she cannot give any specifics at this time.

According to Wenzel, the board is reviewing USG’s constitution and will be meeting next week to decide how to move forward.

VanGostein said he looks forward to continuing to serve the student body with a new vice president.

“The role of USG VP is a very demanding and complex one.

Robert decided that role was no

Joe VanGostein, USG president and Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’22

ESME BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER

longer for him,” he said. “I wish him more success in his future endeavors.”

The resignation of Sundstrom as vice president went into effect on Oct. 1. When he announced his resignation the day before, he said he was nervous about the announcement but that many USG members were supportive of him.

“I didn’t want to leave, but I felt like I needed to,” he said. “A lot of people indicated they were sad to see me go but expressed that they understood my reasons.”

Sundstrom said that after the meeting he wished VanGostein luck; VanGostein expressed his gratitude toward Sundstrom for their work together.

Though disappointed with how things ended with USG — a club he has been involved in since his sophomore year at Fordham — Sundstrom said he is excited to continue doing work for students and student experience through his event directing job at OSI. “I always support every student to make a decision based on

what is going to be best for them, so I support Robert in his decision,” Wenzel said.

Wenzel thanked Sundstrom for his commitment to his vice presidential work — especially during the 2020-21 academic year when Loreen Ruiz, FCLC ’21 and former USG president, was fully remote. Sundstrom had to embrace more responsibilities, such as leading hybrid meetings.

Sundstrom will not be involved in the administrative process of USG’s special election, but he said he will “definitely vote.”

SOL Hosts Mucho Gusto, First In-Person Mixer of Year

More than 100 students attended, ushering in a year of renewed student enthusiasm to get involved on campus

By LETICIA GUIMARĀES Contributing Writer

After a long period of hosting exclusively virtual events, the Student Organization of Latinx (SOL) hosted its first in-person event of the year, Mucho Gusto.

The student mixer offered a variety of opportunities to meet new people and eat Venezuelan food catered by Arepas Grill.

Mucho Gusto was open to all undergraduate students, giving everyone a chance to eat and dance while getting to know one another.

Mucho Gusto featured a DJ, a dance floor and a photobooth.

SOL has not been able to host in-person events since before the pandemic, and readjusting to planning live events with COVID-19 restrictions was not an easy task.

“It was really hard keeping up with all the vaccination rules and making sure that everyone hired was fully vaccinated,” Odalys Tepi, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22 and secretary of SOL, said. “It is definitely the right thing to do to make sure every student and staff is as safe as possible.”

Another important goal that the SOL team focused on was using Mucho Gusto as a tool to encourage sophomores to connect in a way that they were unable to last year.

Carmen Salazar, the outreach program coordinator for SOL and FCLC ’22, emphasized the importance of making up for the lack of connection to the community

Come to the Traditional Latin Mass

LETICIA GUIMARĀES/THE OBSERVER

SOL hosted its first in-person event of the year called "Mucho Gusto" which featured music, a photobooth, and Venezuelan food.

that students felt last year.

“Because of COVID-19, our outcome wasn’t as strong as we wanted it to be, but this year we are working on providing everyone with the cultural aspect of the college experience, especially when it comes to making sophomore and freshmen create bonds,” she said.

SOL expected between 40 and 60 people to attend the mixer, but the turnout was over 100 students.

At the event, it was noticeable that people were having fun. Attendees commented on how wellplanned the event was.

Mary Olivette Bookman, FCLC ’24, said it was the biggest

in-person event she had seen in her Fordham experience.

“My favorite part is seeing everybody come together after so long and watching people from different backgrounds just chilling out over some good food and music,” she said. “The energy was so good, so much happiness was involved.”

SOL hopes to plan more in-person events like Mucho Gusto and create a safe space to build relationships and foster Latinx heritage, culture and traditions for both Latinx and non-Latinx students. Their next goal is to collaborate with other campus clubs and organizations to host more culturally inclusive events.

Sung Mass every Sunday at 9 a.m. at the Church of Saint Agnes 143 East 43rd Street (bet. Lexington and Third aves., near Grand Central)

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October 6, 2021 THE OBSERVER

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Sperber Prize Presented to 2 Recipients for the First Time

Kerri Greenidge and Lesley M.M. Blume will be honored at a virtual ceremony in November

By LAURA OLDFATHER Contributing Writer

ALICE MORENO/THE OBSERVER

Electronic IDs have been a challenge to use for some students and Fordham IT is working to improve the system.

Students Prefer to Opt Out of Electronic IDs

Students using virtual IDs experience complications and switch to physical IDs ELECTRONIC IDS from page 1

“It’s a whole process of having to go through Fordham’s app and then go through Duo Push, which is another app (for multi factor authentication), just to scan it,” Schulz-Rodriguez said.

The electronic ID “wouldn’t go nearly as fast, and I just started to notice people who had physical IDs were just like, one and done, and it was pretty easy.”

Schulz-Rodriguez said that she now uses her physical ID and believes it is much simpler.

Howe acknowledged that many students have opted to use a physical ID after experiencing difficulty with electronic IDs. But, he has assured students that the inefficiency with the electronic ID was only present for the first few days and has been quickly solved.

Similarly, Deming Yaun, university dining contract liaison, said most of the issues with electronic IDs in regard to meal plans were the result of students failing to correctly finish the sign-up process for an ID. “I was on some calls at the university, and it indicated that when a person signs up for an electronic ID, it looks like they’re

finished — but there’s one last step: They have to hit confirm or submit,” Yaun said. “People were not doing that or didn’t realize that they had to do it.”

Yaun said that this issue never interfered with students’ abilities to enter their dormitories or acquire a meal from the university’s dining services.

“Nothing affects anybody’s ability to get the meal in the first few days. There’s a lot of meal plan confusion and sometimes people’s information just hasn’t been entered correctly, but we always in the first several days accommodate people through the confusion and make sure that they have meals,” Yaun said.

“Especially on weekends when offices might be closed and they don’t have an opportunity to take care of whatever confusion there might be.”

Fordham IT continues to improve the electronic ID based on feedback from users, according to Howe. He encouraged students to speak to IT Customer Care if any issues arise with their electronic IDs. Despite all the assurances and developments, many Fordham students are opting in for the physical ID choice instead.

The department of communication and media studies (CMS) awarded the Sperber Prize to its 2021 recipients Kerri Greenidge, a historian and professor at Tufts University, and Lesley M.M. Blume, a journalist, historian and author. Normally, Fordham presents the prize to only one recipient annually.

This year, Greenidge and Blume split the $1,000 prize.

“We just thought why pull our hair out to try to decide between them when we could just award both of them and use the spotlight of the Sperber Prize to bring them more well-deserved attention,” Beth Knobel, associate professor of CMS and director of the Sperber Prize committee, said.

The prize was introduced in 1999 and is given in honor of Ann M. Sperber, author of “Murrow: His Life and Times,” published by Fordham University Press. The award is presented to authors of memoirs and biographies about media professionals.

Knobel has been part of the jury that decided the winner for multiple years. She became the director during the deliberations for the 2021-22 academic year after the previous director left. The jury begins by evaluating 20 to 30 submissions each year in the spring and announces the winner in early fall.

There have only been two Sperber Prize recipients who were women, so Greenidge and Blume are the third and fourth women in the prize’s 20-year history. In addition, Greenidge is the first woman of color to win.

“During the judging, we noticed that few women or writers of color had won the Sperber Prize in the past, and also that very few books about female journalists had been rec-

ognized,” Knobel said. “While we judge books based on their overall contribution, I personally found it very gratifying to see two women win the Sperber Prize this year, including the first woman of color.”

Blume said she feels flattered to be in the company of Greenidge, as well as the notable past recipients.

“It feels great,” Blume said. “I mean, not that there have really been two women who have received it. But it feels great to be the third and the fourth.”

Blume’s book “Fallout: The Hiroshima Coverup and the Reporter Who Revealed It to the World” is an autobiography of reporter John Hersey, a journalist who exposed information about the Hiroshima bombings.

She said the idea was conceived in 2015 when Donald Trump began to delegitimize news organizations and members of the press.

“ It's a pleasure to have

the Sperber Prize as a mechanism for bringing these amazing writers to campus. ”

Beth Knobel, Director of the Sperber Prize Committee

“I was so angry and disgusted by it that I knew that I wanted my next nonfiction book to be something to drive home, the importance of our free press, and the extreme importance of investigative reporting in upholding the common good,” Blume said. “So it was really a rallying cry on behalf of journalists in a moment of extreme peril that only accelerated,

COURTESY OF KENDALL CONRAD

Lesley M.M. Blume is one of the two winners of this year’s Sperber prize with her book about John Hersey.

or evolved rather, completely during the Trump era.”

Greenidge’s book, “Black Radical: The Life and Times of William Monroe Trotter,” is a biography of the civil rights hero William Monroe Trotter, who started a newspaper in Boston and educated many people on civil and racial injustice in the early 1900s.

The Observer reached out to Greenidge for an interview, but received no response.

Usually, there is an in-person ceremony to celebrate the authors, which is attended by alumni, students, friends, and families of the authors. The ceremony presents the authors with the prize and gives an opportunity for the Fordham community to listen to the authors speak about their work.

“It's a pleasure to have the Sperber Prize as a mechanism for bringing these amazing writers to campus,” Knobel said.

This year the ceremony will be held virtually, with hopes to return to an in-person event next year. The ceremony will be held on Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. and will be open to the public.

Lincoln Center Case Numbers Drop, Following NYC Trend

As COVID-19 cases on campus decrease, Public Safety and Health Services attempt to keep students safe

By EESHITA WADE Contributing Writer

After reaching a peak of 57 COVID-19 cases at the Lincoln Center campus in September, case numbers have started to decline in New York City and at both Fordham campuses. As of Oct. 5, there were 17 positive cases at Lincoln Center.

Marco Valera, vice president of administration, announced in an email on Oct. 1 that there have been no confirmed cases of classroom transmission yet this semester.

“ Through contact

tracing, we are able to identify close contacts and instruct them on the next steps. ”

Maureen Keown Director of UHS

Public Safety and University Health Services (UHS) informed vaccinated Fordham community members who have been exposed that if they are not experiencing any symptoms, they are free to

resume normal activities with the exception that they wear a mask outdoors as well prior to receiving test results.

According to Valera, 81% of Fordham’s on-campus cases are among students, and none of the employee infections were transmitted on campus.

When a student tests positive, Fordham follows the Johns Hopkins model of contact tracing to identify students who have been exposed to COVID-19 in classrooms. This model relies first on placing the infected person in quarantine, learning whom they have been in contact with, and then contacting other exposed people.

The Johns Hopkins method also instructs those who have been exposed or are at risk to monitor their health and self-isolate for two weeks. Unlike this method, Fordham only tells unvaccinated individuals to isolate, while the vaccinated and asymptomatic are recommended to continue to attend class.

John Carroll, associate vice president of Public Safety, said Public Safety holds a short meeting with the infected individual to learn where the individual has been in the days preceding testing positive as well as whom they have been in close contact with.

ALYSSA DAUGHDRILL/THE OBSERVER

Students who are exposed to someone with COVID-19 are recommended to get tested three to five days later and can attend class if they are vaccinated.

“Through contact tracing, we are able to identify close contacts and instruct them on the next steps,” Maureen Keown, director of UHS, said. “For those who are not fully vaccinated, contact tracing will discuss quarantine options.”

Keown said UHS strongly recommends that fully vaccinated individuals get tested three to five days after exposure. Fordham does not require exposed individuals to get tested.

Fordham’s contact tracing team is in communication with the New York City Department of Health, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a consulting epidemiologist, and public health experts.

According to Keown, when a student living on campus tests positive, they are placed in isolation for 10 days. At Lincoln Center, students quarantine in McMahon Hall, though students can elect to go home to complete their quarantine.

While students are in isolation, UHS nurses check in daily.

Deans are notified of COVID-19 cases on campus, who then follow up with faculty members to offer advice from an academic perspective.

Laura Auricchio, dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center, recommended that unless advised otherwise by Public Safety, professors should continue to meet in person and be flexible with quarantining students.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 6, 2021

News

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Ailey School to Hold Another Year of Online-Only Performances

As rehearsals mostly return to normal, in-person performances will not happen for the 2021-22 academic year

By SEAN RYAN Contributing Writer

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will continue to host online-only performances for all its dancers for the second year due to pandemic concerns.

However, there has been some loosening of policies since the end of the 2020-21 academic year.

Students no longer need to socially distance during rehearsals and can make contact during dances.

Performances will be held virtually and filmed by videographers, allowing anyone to watch remotely.

“ Filming dance gives a

lot of opportunity to view things differently, being able to record you can get different angles and splice things together — things you can’t do when you’re on a stage. ”

Hannah Howell, FCLC ’23 and a student in the Fordham/Ailey B.F.A. program

Marley Poku-Kankam, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’23 and junior class representative for the Fordham/ Ailey B.F.A program, has been heavily involved with helping student affairs at Ailey and meeting with the faculty to discuss matters related to the students.

“The guidelines around New York — and what we can and can’t do — are changing every

so often, so they couldn’t really tell us much and they didn’t want to promise something and take it away in the end,” Poku-Kankam said. “They sort of kept to themselves over the summer, just so it wasn’t implied by anything.”

Students miss in-person performances, but they are also excited for the opportunities virtual performances bring. Hannah Howell, FCLC ’23 and a student in the Fordham/Ailey B.F.A. program, said that she enjoyed the shareable aspect of filmed performances.

“Filming dance gives a lot of opportunity to view things differently, being able to record you can get different angles and splice things together — things you can’t do when you’re on a stage,” Howell said. “Also, having a film performance means more people are able to see it … you have a link you can send to anyone, anywhere.”

Many other students said that they were also happy with how filmed productions could expand their reach. Jacob Blank, FCLC ’22 and a student in the Fordham/Ailey B.F.A. program, said he found virtual performances beneficial because of the ability to “reach a wider audience” and be “more accessible, worldwide, for people that wouldn't be able to travel to the city to see the show.”

Melanie Person, co-director of the Ailey School and director of the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. program, said she empathizes with students’ desires to get back on stage in front of a live audience and complimented them on their adherence to COVID-19 guidelines. “(The students) are terrific.

They follow the rules, they adhere to the guidelines, they really, really do. They follow all of the protocols.” Person said. She added that she loves seeing stu-

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

The Ailey school will continue with online-only performances for this year. Rehearsals and classes are back to being in-person due to Ailey’s precautions.

dents live on stage and will be “the first one in the back cheering” as soon as in-person performances restart.

Ailey has been flexible with its policymaking during the pandemic, allowing them to continue to hold rehearsals in-person while Fordham classes remained fully online for the 2020-21 academic year.

Person emphasized the school is able to continue holding in-person classes and rehearsals

due to its consistency with safety policies. Precautions include taking the temperature of anyone who enters the facility, filling out a health check form at sanitizing stations and requiring everyone to wear a mask.

“This decision was made, after school started, because we were going a little back and forth, whether we could do (rehearsals) in person, or should we do them online again,” she said.

“Based on the conversations that

I was having with our safety and medical taskforce, they recommended that we do exactly what we did last year,” After Poku-Kankam heard nothing, Ailey sent an email in early August saying that the program would be online.

Most students echoed a similar bittersweet feeling regarding missing in-person performances.

The dancers miss the “whole environment and hype of a show” as Carley Greene, FCLC ’23, said.

Fordham Constructs New Classrooms in Lowenstein

The project was expedited to equip the six new classrooms with technology suited to support hybrid learning NEW CLASSROOMS from page 1

“Adequate classroom space is always a challenge at LC (Lincoln Center). With the larger incoming class, the need for more classrooms with better AV (audiovisual) technology became a priority,” Scaltro said.

Construction for the Lowenstein classroom suite began on June 4 and was 98% complete as of Sept. 24. The project included building six classrooms, equipping them with safety systems and converting the hallway space into a lounge area for students.

Scaltro said the project was a success, despite setbacks due to the ongoing pandemic.

“Everything was a complication with Covid,” Scaltro said. “Vendors do not stock anything. Getting all the building materials, light fixtures and furniture in a 14-week time frame was amazing.”

While the classrooms are suited for any type of class at the university, they are equipped with AV systems to support hybrid learning. These systems include a camera and screen located at the rear of the classroom that are meant to provide a better experience for those attending class virtually.

Scaltro noted the systems will serve as a trial run to see if the technology serves the university needs, as equipping classrooms with these AV components poses a significant cost.

The scheduling process for these classrooms will remain the same as scheduling of other classrooms on campus. However, Laura Auricchio, dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), said that meeting technological needs of students and faculty will be a determining factor in regard to scheduling.

PHOTOS BY ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

The TVs, whiteboards, projector and configurable chair setup all allow for the new classrooms to serve any purpose.

One of the entrances to the new wing is in the hallway that connects Lowenstein to McMahon hall.

“As with all classrooms, there are many factors that go into scheduling priority,” Auricchio said. “Course enrollment size is a main factor, but we also need to consider the technology needs of a professor and special needs of a professor or student.”

Auricchio added that there is no designated departmental priority for the new classrooms, so the rooms may be scheduled for any course offered by any school or department.

Many Fordham students are excited about the new classrooms. Katie Curran, FCLC ’23,

said she is happy to see Fordham making an effort to support hybrid learning, especially given the pandemic.

“I think it’s good that Fordham is working to support hybrid learning,” Curran said. “We need the support now as teachers have students who have to quarantine and miss class.”

Meg Schanes, FCLC ’23, also expressed appreciation for the classrooms’ AV components, though she said she would rather see Fordham utilize these systems to make classrooms more accessible.

“When I heard ‘audiovisual’ I was thinking of it from more of an accessibility standpoint. I think I would be more excited and interested if it was for that reason, because I think it would be great if they (the university) were able to accomodate students with visual or auditory impairments,” Schanes said.

Construction of the classroom suite was expected to be completed on Sept. 27, though Scaltro said final AV components and furnishing for the student lounge will be finished closer to Thanksgiving break.

Sports & Health

Sports & Health Editor Patrick Moquin sports@fordhamobserver.com health@fordhamobserver.com October 6, 2021

THE OBSERVER

Exposure Notification Delays Frustrate Students

Students report being forced to get tested on short notice following contact tracing delays, some test off campus

By KOKILA SHARDA Contributing Writer

Although the start of in-person classes has brought excitement and enthusiasm to the Fordham community, increased risk of contracting the coronavirus has been a point of concern. Within the first few weeks of the fall semester, Fordham’s COVID-19 cases have remained low. The administration reported only 33 positive cases between Sept. 20 and Oct. 3. However, not everyone has had a sound experience with Public Safety’s contact tracing.

The guidelines put forward by the university in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the virus state, “Symptomatic students, and students who are in close contact with a COVID-positive individual, will be tested on campus.”

These guidelines also explain that those presumed to be exposed to COVID-19 should get tested within three to five days of exposure.

Students Left in the Dark Despite Public Safety’s efforts to communicate clearly about possible exposures, many remain unsure of Fordham’s ability to efficiently notify students.

Juliana Castello, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’24, said, “I feel confused as to why my professor emailed us that there was a COVID-19 case in our class instead of Public Safety, who only notified my professor.”

Sophia Shahlaei, FCLC ’24, also had someone test pos-

she went to University Health Services (UHS) in order to get tested but was let down again.

“I got into an argument with Health Services as they told me that I would not be able to get tested today, despite the I feel confused as fact that I was exposed to why my professor due to a student in my class,” Shahlaei said. emailed us that there was “They also told me I had to pay $35, which was a COVID case in our ridiculous.”

Fordham started offering free PCR class instead of Public tests on Sept. 20, six days after Shahlaei’s interacSafety, who only notified tion with UHS. Unable to get testmy professor. ed for free at UHS, she Juliana Castello, looked toward LabQ, a FCLC ’24 private company that operates testing vans throughout the city.

“Why is the university service harder to talk to than LabQ, an outside service?” she asked.

Shahlaei’s experience is not unique. Abigail Ericsson, FCLC ’24, also had a student in her class test positive.

“The email I received said that we had to get COVID tested five days after we were exposed, GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY and that means we only had MADDIE SANDHOLM/THE OBSERVER one day to get tested,” Ericsson said. “I felt a lot of pressure as I had itive in one of her classes, but she to get this done immediately.” was notified four days after the Stressed from the limited time case was confirmed. to get tested, Ericsson went to “I think it would have been bet- UHS, which she described as “a ter if we were notified immediate- really easy process.” ly, rather than four days after the “I called, explained my situstudent came back COVID-posi- ation and was able to get tested tive,” Shahlaei said. Feeling over- immediately,” she said. Regardwhelmed by Fordham’s late notice, ing Fordham’s fast and effective

“

”

1

response, Ericsson stated, “I felt that Fordham was really on top of their COVID testing.”

When she asked about paying for the test, Ericsson was given the option between receiving a PCR test for free or a rapid test for $35.

PCR tests have been proven to be more accurate but take longer to process compared to a rapid test.

Students’ varied experiences reflect inconsistencies in Fordham’s contact tracing protocols.

While classroom exposure forced Shahlaei and Ericsson to contact UHS, only Ericsson was given the proper testing information and availability. They were both notified four days after students in their classes tested positive for COVID-19, leaving them with just one day to get tested.

A Matter of Response John Carroll, associate vice president of Public Safety, said that “some of the positives” earlier in September “were in so many classes” that there were difficulties with contact tracing. Carroll explained that Public Safety reaches out to COVID-19-positive community members to figure out where they’ve been and with whom they have had close contact over a 24-hour period.

According to Carroll, the volume of infected individuals in the beginning of the semester coincided with the fact that not everyone who was notified shared their contacts, creating holes in the contact tracing process. Public Safety attempts to reach students who have tested positive by text message or voicemail, but at times have failed to receive responses.

Carroll also explained that figuring out whom to notify in

a particular class has been difficult, with different class sizes and a lack of assigned seating adding to the challenge. “Our job is to get the people that were near (the infected person), and if we don’t have a seating chart then we have to reach out to the whole class.”

Carroll said that earlier instances of exposed classes not being contacted were “an aberration.”

Going Forward As COVID-19 cases continue to be monitored on campus, the university has reiterated its commitment to maintaining the community’s health. “The most important thing is that we make sure that everybody in our community stays safe at all times,” Carroll stated, “and that the way to do this is with aggressive contact tracing.”

Under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, it is recommended that public schools and institutions of higher education implement immediate and swift notification and management of COVID-19 exposure. Students have claimed the delays and miscommunication from Public Safety to be the primary cause of their frustration surrounding COVID-19 protocol on campus. These varied experiences with Public Safety’s contact tracing represent the dangers that come with shortcomings in communication.

Contact tracing requires reaching out to and questioning COVID-19-positive individuals and notifying others about exposure. This necessitates an informative dialogue between infected students, exposed community members and Public Safety.

Athletic Director Kull Prepared With COVID-19 Contingencies

By PATRICK MOQUIN Sports & Health Editor

A recent resurgence of COVID-19 at Fordham may threaten the university and in-person activities in the fall 2021 semester, but one man remains undeterred.

Even as case numbers across all campuses peaked at 57 on Sept.

20, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Ed Kull remains steadfast in his efforts to provide a safe return to normalcy for Fordham athletes.

“In essence, we’re still kind of living in our bubble, trying to protect that,” Kull said. “I’d love to tell you it’s foolproof, but I’m confident that we’re doing everything possible.”

“ Mandated vaccinations are not foolproof ... But when we travel to an institution that is not fully vaccinated, we’re testing. ”

Ed Kull, director of intercollegiate athletics

In his first full semester as director, Kull has prepared the athletic program for a full return to normal operations largely in line with the university’s Fordham Forward guidelines. As students return to in-person classes with an indoor mask mandate, the athletic department has rolled back restrictions on fan attendance

at home games and is pursuing more ambitious travel schedules for its athletic teams.

This fall, the football team has already traveled to Nebraska and Florida for events that would have been non-starters earlier this year. Kull is adamant that the department is doing everything it can to keep players safe while also giving them the full experience of being student athletes.

“When we traveled to Nebraska, traveled to Florida, we’re testing the entire travel party, which are steps that are pretty aggressive, even more aggressive than the rest of the campus,” Kull said.

Like many of the new guidelines at Fordham, Kull and the department’s plans for a normal year for athletes have been made possible by effective vaccine mandates.

Just as the possibility of in-person instruction at Fordham is a direct result of a 98.76% vaccination rate among undergraduates, student athletes are now able to return to normal activities on a similar basis.

According to Kull, exempt student athletes in the Atlantic 10 (A10) Conference must be tested three times a week. For nonconference competitions, Kull said that both Fordham and the opposing school must confirm in writing that all athletes have either been vaccinated or sufficiently tested before any game can take place.

But while widespread vaccination efforts have inspired Fordham officials to loosen restrictions across many departments, the number of COVID-19 cases steadily rose in the first month.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS; GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ROXANNE CUBERO/THE OBSERVER

Between Sept. 13 and Sept. 23, the number of cases more than doubled from 21 to 57, the most since April 11. Though there have been no reported outbreaks among any athletic programs, Kull expressed interest in preparing for breakthrough cases in an effort to keep his athletes safe.

“Mandated vaccinations are not foolproof; we’re seeing positives and we know that some of those must be vaccinated individuals,” Kull said. “But when we travel to an institution that is not fully vaccinated, we’re testing.”

Though the athletic department’s involvement with the general student body does not extend far beyond fan engagement, the presence of fans at sporting events has

been one of the most noticeable changes on campus this semester.

Kull said that it was a welcome return for fans and athletes alike, but home court advantage remains second priority to public health.

Should conditions at Fordham worsen to a point which the administration or the state government deems unsafe, Kull said the athletic department was prepared to cooperate and reenact restrictions on fan attendance.

In the past year as interim director, Kull repeatedly had to act in accordance with state guidelines, even when it was inconvenient. Notably, he had to oversee the pause of women’s basketball operations for two weeks on Feb. 12, a week before his promotion to director.

The 2019 conference champions were preparing for another run in the A10 Tournament, but went on to lose in the quarterfinal on March 12 in their second game back from the break. There were no positive cases on the team itself, but a high case number among the general student body necessitated a campus-wide shutdown, and Kull had no choice but to enforce the restrictions for all athletic programs.

Though uncertainty about the pandemic dangerously persists in the wake of loosening restrictions, the athletic director has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice the usual benchmarks of success to ensure his players’ safety. Time will tell if stricter measures are required.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 6, 2021

Sports & Health

7

Fordham Football Survives Against Lafayette, Winning 42-41

The Rams outlasted Patriot League rivals, scoring in final minute to improve conference record to 2-0

By CHRIS MURRAY Asst. Sports & Health Editor

The Fordham football team defeated the Lafayette College (LC) Leopards, 42-41, in a tumultuous back-and-forth barn burner on Saturday, Oct. 2. The Patriot League debut for both squads did not disappoint fans, as the rivals scored a combined 83 points. The Rams move to 2-3 on the season, claiming their second consecutive win and first conference victory of the year.

The scoring started early in Easton, Pennsylvania, as the Rams’ opening drive took just 1:23. In four plays, Fordham traveled 73 yards, with Trey Sneed, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’22, finding the endzone on the final play of the drive for his first touchdown of the season.

Sneed, named a captain for the 2021 season, made a tremendous difference for the Rams’ offense in his first game of the year.

After forcing a three-and-out, Fordham got the ball back and drove down the field again. On a handoff, Trey Wilson III, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’23, evaded a tackle before finding open space on the way to a 23-yard touchdown.

With 8:52 remaining in the first quarter, the Rams already held a 14-0 lead.

Lafayette immediately responded. Following a fake handoff, quarterback Ah-Shaun Davis, LC ’25, dropped back and delivered a 46-yard touchdown pass to Julius Young, LC ’23.

The Lafayette defense failed to slow down Tim DeMorat, FCRH ’22, and the Fordham offense on the subsequent drive. A 36-yard completion to Hamze El-Zayat, FCRH ’22, to convert on third down led to a 14-yard touchdown pass from DeMorat to Garrett Cody, FCRH ’23. Going into the second quarter, the Rams led 21-7.

Lafayette seemed to figure out Fordham’s high-powered offense in the second quarter. The Rams started it off with a three-andout, which the Leopards took advantage of by punching in a oneyard rushing touchdown to bring the game within a score.

The next Fordham possession was also fruitless, and again Lafayette responded with a touchdown.

This time, Davis picked apart the Fordham secondary, completing five of six passes for 79 yards before fullback Ty Hranicka, LC ’22, muscled into the endzone for a one-yard score. The teams entered halftime deadlocked at 21.

The Leopards started the second half with the ball. During the kickoff, the Patriot League’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Greenhagen, GSBRH ’22, suffered an injury that kept him out for the remainder of the game. Lafayette almost immediately took advantage of Greenhagen’s absence, and on the second play of the half, Davis connected with K.J. Rodgers, LC ’23, for a 74-yard touchdown.

On Fordham’s next drive, the offense failed to score, but a phenomenal punt by John O’Friel, FCRH ’23, pinned Lafayette on its own one-yard line. Upon further review, when Jesse Bramble, FCRH ’22, caught the punt to keep it out of the endzone, replay showed that his foot was on the goal line. This should have resulted in the Leopards receiving the ball at their own 20-yard line, but the officials missed the call and the Lafayette offense started its possession under unfavorable conditions.

The nail-biting win marks a triumphant beginning to Fordham’s Patriot League play.

The missed call would come back to haunt Lafayette, as the Fordham defense stepped up and caused a safety by sacking Davis in the endzone. Fotis Kokosioulis, FCRH ’22, then returned the post-safety kickoff for 45 yards before Nick Leinenweber, FCRH ’22, knocked in a 39-yard field goal to cut the Lafayette lead to just two points.

After both squads struggled on their following possessions, Lafayette received the ball on its own seven-yard line. The Leop-

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham linebacker Mike Courtney, FCRH ’24, makes a tackle on Lafayette running back Michael Hayes, LC ’25.

ards’ offense marched down the field, gaining seven first downs and 93 yards on just nine plays, culminating in Davis’ four-yard rushing touchdown to give Lafayette a 35-26 edge.

Fordham followed Lafayette’s lead on its next drive. Facing a nine-point deficit, the Rams’ offense turned to the rushing game.

Fordham ran the ball nine consecutive times for 67 yards. The final run of the drive was a oneyard rush by Sneed for his second touchdown of the contest.

After Fordham forced a threeand-out for Lafayette, the Rams received the ball while trailing by just two points. A 33-yard run by Sneed got the Rams into field goal range, and Leinenweber nailed a 19-yard attempt to give Fordham a 36-35 lead with 7:32 remaining in the game.

Lafayette was determined to keep things interesting. Facing third down and seven, Davis connected with Joe Gillette, LC ’23, for a 16-yard gain. A few plays later, Davis threw a deep pass that fell incomplete on third down and one, but a defensive pass interference call kept Lafayette’s hopes alive.

Following a sack by Bramble, the Leopards were up against the ropes. For Lafayette to have any hope of winning the game, Davis and the offense needed to convert on third down and 20. The first-year quarterback stepped back and fired a 23-yard rocket to Young, converting the third down and continuing the Leopards’ march down the field. Davis would finish the game with 354 yards, two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown.

The drive concluded with a one-yard rushing score by Michael Hayes, LC ’25, to give Lafayette a 41-36 lead. The Leopards left just 1:40 on the clock for DeMorat and the Rams’ offense to respond.

Fordham moved quickly and precisely. Four completions from DeMorat moved the Rams from their own 28-yard line to Lafayette’s 34-yard line before he handed the ball off to Sneed. The captain running back broke off an 18-yard rush to move the Rams into the redzone.

A 14-yard bullet to M.J. Wright, GSBRH ’23, got Fordham to Lafayette’s two-yard line before DeMorat decided to handle business him-

self, rushing for two yards into the endzone to give the Rams a 42-41 lead. The drive took only 1:12 and left 28 seconds for the Leopards to muster a comeback.

Davis and the Lafayette offense repeatedly attempted to connect on deep passes, but each time they were denied by the Fordham defense. On Lafayette’s final play of regulation, Fordham inexplicably had 12 defenders on the field. This meant that Lafayette would get one final untimed try to find the endzone. Davis’ throw sailed through the air, but was ultimately batted down by Fordham’s defense, securing a Fordham victory.

The nail-biting win marks a triumphant beginning to Fordham’s Patriot League play. While there is plenty to celebrate following such a clutch performance, the victory is undoubtedly subdued as the team and fans await any news regarding the health status of Greenhagen. Fordham will look to carry its momentum into its next contest, a homecoming weekend meeting against Wagner College on Saturday, Oct. 9.

Fordham Men’s Soccer Caves to #15 Saint Louis

The Rams fell to 3-7-1 as offensive woes continue in underwhelming 2021 season

By GABRIELLA BERMUDEZ Staff Writer

The Fordham men’s soccer team lost 2-0 against the Saint Louis University (SLU) Billikens on Saturday, Oct. 2. In Fordham’s third Atlantic 10 (A10) Conference game of the season, the Bil-

likens, ranked 15th in the nation in the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll, remained undefeated with a 7-0-3 overall record while Fordham fell to 3-7-1.

In the first half of the game, the Billikens took multiple shots at Fordham’s goal but keeper Nick Buchholz, Fordham College

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Nick Buchholz, FCRH ’24, made nine saves against the Billikens, but the effort was not enough to avoid defeat.

at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’24, blocked nine attempts. On one shot, John Klein, SLU ’23, swiftly kicked the ball toward the goal but it was not strong enough. The ball landed near the goal and out of Buchholz’s reach, but defender Luke McNamara, Gabelli Graduate School of Business ’22, entered the six-yard box and made the save.

The Rams were more aggressive than usual in this game, as commentators noted that Matt Sloan, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences ’22, appeared well on his way to getting carded.

Strong team defense worked well for Fordham, especially for Buchholz who prevented a landslide defeat.

Buchholz’s performance in this game was stunning, and made sure that the Billikens had no easy shot. He made an especially difficult save after Klein made another shot on goal and he extended himself. Using every extra inch of height he could get, he blocked the shot by tapping the ball over the crossbar with his fingertips.

Buchholz had a rough time, however, with the speed and strategy that Saint Louis employed. With 23 minutes left

in the first half, Simon Becher, SLU ’23, was up against McNamara, who acted like a shadow to Becher as he trailed him from half field.

Fordham’s offense improved greatly in the second half as players were able to attempt six shots, but the team failed to convert on any of these opportunities.

Unable to shake McNamara, Becher made a pass to Klein, who was immediately confronted with pressure from the Rams.

He sent the ball back to Becher.

Staggered by the quick movements made by the Billikens, the Rams left the goal post wide open and Becher’s shot snuck behind Buchholz and put Saint Louis in the lead, 1-0.

10 minutes after its first goal, Sebastian Fabrin, FCRH ’24, brought Christian Buendia, SLU ’25, down forcefully, giving the Billikens a free kick. The free

kick landed on the head of Mujeeb Murana, SLU ’24, who redirected it into the goal. At halftime, Saint Louis led, 2-0.

In the second half of the game, the Billikens aimed to convert an early score as Becher made an attempt immediately following the break. The ball skated around Buchholz’s legs and rolled near the goal, but McNamara again acted as goalie and sent the ball out toward the middle of the field.

Fordham’s overall defense was stronger this half, as the Rams consistently blocked every shot attempt and intercepted many passes made by the Billikens.

Fordham’s offense improved greatly in the second half as players were able to attempt six shots, but the team failed to convert on any of these opportunities.

Fordham’s defeat could have been worse if not for the efforts of Buchholz and the Rams’ defense. This does not, however, take away from the implications of the loss, as the team now falls to 10th in the A10 standings with a 1-2 record in the conference.

The Rams will look to salvage what has become a disappointing year as they face Davidson College on Wednesday, Oct. 6.

Thrown in the Deep End: Fordham Wat

Through inexperienc inexperience and a pandemic, Rams cont

By PATRICK MOQUIN Sports & Health Editor

The Fordham water polo team won three of four games at the Gary Troyer Tournament in California on Friday, Oct. 1, and Saturday, Oct. 2. The Rams, ranked 16th in the most recent Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) poll, proved superior against a gauntlet of unranked West Coast programs before losing 12-6 to #7 Long Beach State University in their final game of the weekend.

A few months ago, even Water Polo Head Coach Brian Bacharach couldn’t have confidently predicted that the team could compete at this level. In fact, it would have been difficult for the coach to make any prediction at all: An unprecedented list of challenges lay ahead as he looked to carry on a tradition of immense success.

From his All-American playing days at the University of California, Berkeley, Bacharach always seemed to have a Midas touch as a leader. When the Bears won the NCAA Championship in 2006, he was one of the team’s captains. In his first season as an assistant coach at Fordham in 2013, the team went to the CWPA Championship after three years without qualifying. By 2017, the Rams were nationally ranked for the first time in more than three decades, a feat they repeated in 2019.

But in May 2020, the heir apparent to longtime head coach-turned-assistant Bill Harris became the new leader of the program in a world of uncertainty — one that extended far beyond the Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center in the Bronx.

For nearly two years, the COVID-19 pandemic affected collegiate athletics mercilessly and indiscriminately, and the Fordham water polo team suffered accordingly. In a shortened 2021 spring season, the Rams had nine games scheduled but only played

New Leadership

one, a 17-11 victory over Iona College on Feb. 12. Bacharach was undefeated after one season as head coach, but the challenges ahead made future projections murky.

“Expectations were mixed ... I knew that we had some talent coming in and I was excited about it,” Bacharach said.

“I didn’t know if it was going to come to fruition as quickly as it has.”

The first challenge was a common one to many teams taking a two-year break from competition, as a lack of returning talent resulted in a young, inexperienced roster. Gone were former captains Joseph Agabs, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’20, and Phillip Wang, GSBRH ’21. Statistical leaders like Jake Miller-Tolt and Tristen Knoflick, both Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’20, graduated as well. Going into the 2021 fall season, the team’s titans of yesteryear were replaced by relative unknowns — even to those who recruited them.

Finding players for college water polo overseas is a widely accepted practice. Eight players on Fordham’s cur-

rent 22-man roster come from Europe, which means that extensive travel for coaches in the offseason is common.

Evaluating talent in so many regions is usually difficult. During a pandemic, it’s practically impossible.

In order to fill the massive hole left behind by many of the team’s graduating players, Bacharach had to recruit first-year students without traveling to watch them play due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Jacopo Parrella, GSBRH ’25, is from Naples, Italy. George Papanikolaou, GSBRH ’25, is from Athens, Greece. Lucas Nieto Jasny, FCRH ’25, is from Barcelona, Spain. All three played at the highest level in their home countries, but they were recruited to play for Fordham on the basis of film and highlight reels alone. Their respective impacts, along with those of four other first-year recruits, were literally unimaginable.

“I had the best understanding of what we had coming in, but I don’t think there’s a coach in America right now who knows 100% what they’re bringing in,” Bacharach said.

“ When you’re a freshman, it’s an overwhelming experience, and it’s particularly overwhelming when you’re an international freshman. ”

Brian Bacharach, water polo head coach

Rocky Beginnings When games began on Sept. 2, Bacharach recognized that the team wasn’t completely ready to compete, as problems he anticipated before the season persisted. Older players were essentially two years out of practice.

Outside of one game in February, the team had not played a full schedule since 2019. Meanwhile, younger players had to adjust to the speed and sophistication of college athletics.

Even more issues plagued foreign-born players. In the pool, Bacharach said that players from overseas often find the American brand of the game less physical than in other parts of the world. New players to the stateside game had to learn the referees’ tendencies, which required playing time.

In a more meaningful sense, many of these teenage student-athletes must attempt to compete in the midst of highly stressful moves to a new country. They are taking classes in what is often not their native language. The change in culture re-

Lucas Nieto Jasny, FCRH ’25

quires time to adjust and their families and friends are an ocean away.

Bacharach described “lapses” in their play during practices and games, and it was impossible for the coach to find fault in their inattention. Sometimes, distractions are inevitable.

“When you’re a freshman, it’s an overwhelming experience, and it’s particularly overwhelming when you’re an international freshman,” Bacharach said. “Everything is coming at you at once, and it can be a lot.

There are times where you’re going to lose focus.”

Despite all of these struggles to adjust early in the season, the team found success right away. In their second game on Sept. 4, the Rams defeated Harvard University, ranked 11th in the country at the time, in the Crimson’s first regular-season home loss since 2018.

But by Sept. 12, the team had played seven games in nine days and compiled a meager 4-3 record.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

In matchups against #14 California Baptist University and #12 Princeton University on the weekend of Sept.

11, Fordham lost 13-12 and 13-6, respectively. The Rams were nearly unranked on Sept. 15, falling from 16th to 20th in that week’s CWPA poll.

In a sport where games are stacked so closely together, Bacharach acknowledged that teams rarely prepare for every opponent on the schedule beforehand. Instead, opponents learn about one another throughout the game and react accordingly in the time remaining. It’s as elegant as it is chaotic and involves rapid shifts in momentum, strings of goals and hectic scrambles for possession.

Though the team showed flashes of potential early on, Bacharach said that players were failing to make the necessary adjustments against high-tier opponents. Issues beyond the pool weren’t helping. If not for a new wave of leadership, it’s likely that the team’s middling play would have continued.

Dimitris Koukias, FCRH ’22

Bailey O’Mara, GSBRH ’22

Upperclassm While many of the team’s older stars departed in the previous two years, a few remained for the 2021 season and immediately made themselves integral. As a sophomore in 2019, Bailey O’Mara, GSBRH ’22, was selected as an All-American goalkeeper and set the single season Fordham record for total saves at 351. His return to the pool for a full season in 2021 was a resumption of a stellar career. He is now a co-captain.

Former All-American players Dimitris Koukias, FCRH ’22, and Jason Hiremath, FCRH ’23, were also returning to the team and were identified by Bacharach as part of the team’s core.

“The captains and this older group

that we have has rea ed effort to try to ha work for how to ge right way,” he said.

At the beginnin Bacharach and Harr tion about Hans Zdo uate School of Busi they were hesitant t tain. As a recent tra Whittier College, wh First Team All-Amer coaches were concer of time spent at For has thrived as a lead as a foreign-born pla proven to be a valua

“ The captains and thi

have has really taken a to have the right fram things done th

Turning t At the Bison Invitational in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, Fordham faced off against the host, #15 Bucknell University, in its first game of the event.

Despite entering as the underdog, the Rams busted the game wide open, taking an 11-4 lead in the third period on the way to a 13-9 victory. A pair of first-years shined in the decisive win, as Parrella and Papanikolaou scored seven goals combined.

The victory was the beginning of a five-game winning streak for the Rams as they swept the Bison Invitational and defeated #20 United States Naval Academy the following weekend.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

After reclaiming th CWPA rankings, Fo declining 4-3 team powerhouse, just in biggest trip of the ye The Gary Troyer event hosted by fou fornia and has appe calendar since 200 has never been th event, partially bec ter polo in Californ petitive. A Berkeley Bacharach understa ically lopsided nat firsthand. Even ou

O’Mara attempting a save at the

ter Polo Finds Strong Mid-Season Form

tinue stellar 2021 season in California tournament

Curtis Vidinoff, GSBRH ’23

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Jacopo Parrella, GSBRH ’25

COURTESY OF POMONA-PITZER ATHLETICS

men Step Up

ally taken a concertave the right frameet things done the

ng of the season, ris had a conversaolsek, Gabelli Gradiness ’22, in which to make him a capansfer student from here he earned three rican selections, the rned about his lack rdham. But Zdolsek der this season, and ayer himself, he has able mentor for his

younger teammates.

“We needed someone who they could look to and say, ‘this guy knows what I’m going through,’” Bacharach said. “A lot of times, you forget how you got to where you did, but Hans and Dimitris are huge parts of those building blocks in terms of what we’re trying to do and what we can eventually accomplish as a group.”

Though the Rams barely had a winning record two weeks into the season, Bacharach felt that the young team had not yet reached its potential. With the right guidance, the Rams seemed capable of much more, and the weekend of Sept. 18 loomed large on the calendar.

is older group that we concerted effort to try mework for how to get he right way. ”

Brian Bacharach, water polo head coach

the Tide

he 16th spot in the ordham went from a to a 9-3 East Coast n time for the team’s year so far. r Tournament is an ur colleges in Calieared on Fordham’s 08. Historically, it he team’s strongest cause collegiate wania is fiercely comy graduate himself, ands the geographture of the game ut of high school,

West Coast athletes have a distinct advantage entering college.

“If you come from Northern or Southern California, the top programs, the sophistication of the game isn’t that wildly different,” Bacharach said. “It’s just the speed and strength of the athletes.”

Since 1969, no team located outside California has ever competed in the NCAA Championship game. As of Sept. 29, 15 of the 20 ranked programs come from the West Coast, and two of the five outsiders are Ivy League institutions. Only one team comes from the Bronx.

Gary Troyer Tournament

COURTESY OF POMONA-PITZER ATHLETICS

COURTESY OF POMONA-PITZER ATHLETICS

George Papanikolaou, GSBRH ’25

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Competing in CA Between Thursday, Sept. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 2, the Rams were scheduled to play six games. Four of the games were in the Gary Troyer Tournament, culminating in a matchup against #7 Long Beach State University. The challenges were apparent, but Fordham had gathered momentum in the previous two weeks. In two games on Thursday that served as warmups, the Rams steamrolled the University of Redlands and Mt. San Antonio College by a combined score of 30-12.

In the first game of the tournament on Friday, Fordham played California Lutheran University. An offense that seemed unstoppable for the better part of three weeks suddenly stalled in the early stages. After the first period, the Lancers led the Rams by a goal and scored again early in the second to take a 3-1 lead.

With Fordham behind, Parrella responded with back-to-back goals to tie it. In the last two minutes of the period, Jasny and Curtis Vidinoff, GSBRH ’23, scored a pair in response to a California Lutheran goal to give the Rams a 5-4 lead at halftime.

Through 16 minutes of play, momentum changed hands several times, but Fordham couldn’t manage to maintain it for long in the third period. The Rams didn’t score for the first seven minutes of the second half as the Lancers scored four goals to take a commanding 8-5 lead. If not for late scores by Parrella and Hiremath, Fordham likely would have entered the final period facing an insurmountable deficit. Instead, another goal

early in the fourth gave California Lutheran a 9-7 lead with 6:42 remaining.

As he did all game, Parrella saved the Rams once more, scoring another pair of goals to tie the game at nine with 2:46 remaining. After nearly four periods of fierce defense, goalkeeper O’Mara took center stage with the game on the line. After a series of turnovers, California Lutheran shot twice on goal but failed to score, giving Fordham possession with just over a minute remaining.

The ensuing possession for Fordham was for the win, but it didn’t go to plan. What was originally a designed play created by Bacharach quickly turned into a scramble as California Lutheran came desperately close to seizing possession.

“ I think they’re well

aware of what’s coming their way today. ”

Brian Bacharach, water polo head coach

With the shot clock winding down, the ball ended up in Papanikolaou’s hands with his back facing the goal.

Nine seconds remained when the firstyear from Greece twisted around and emphatically dented the twine as the shot clock expired to give the Rams a 10-9 lead.

California Lutheran somehow found two more scoring opportunities on the ensuing possession but O’Mara

stopped both to give Fordham the victory. After the game, Bacharach was pleased with Parrella, whose five goals repeatedly brought the Rams back into contention. But he had especially high praise for O’Mara, who kept Fordham alive when they couldn’t score.

“This might have been Bailey’s best game of the year so far,” Bacharach said. “Being able to step up and make not only those blocks down the stretch but some really tough key blocks throughout the game ... is really what an All-American goalie does for you.

He really led us today.”

One could argue that the team should have done more to help O’Mara, as the offense was uncharacteristically quiet besides Parrella. But the Rams secured a scrappy win to extend their winning streak to eight games, and the players made it easier for their goalkeeper (and their coach) in the next two games.

In their second game Friday and first game Saturday, the Rams played Westcliff University and Whittier College and won 13-6 and 14-11, respectively. With a game against Long Beach State University on the horizon, the team was riding a 10-game winning streak and undefeated run in the tournament. But after Fordham’s first game on Saturday, Bacharach clarified that the team was not about to underestimate their upcoming opponent.

“I think that there’s a huge step up between Long Beach State and the other five games that we’ve won out here.

I don’t think that’s a secret,” Bacharach said. “I think they’re well aware of what’s coming their way today.”

Remembering What Matters For five minutes of play against Long Beach State, it appeared that Fordham had the upper hand, as the team quickly took a 3-0 lead in the first period. The game from there was predictable and of little note. Fordham only managed to score three more goals for the rest of the match and Long Beach State regrouped professionally, scoring three goals in each period and cruising to a 12-6 victory.

A defeat against Long Beach State was a deflating end to Fordham’s phenomenal West Coast invasion. The results of this weekend may or may not

lead to a higher ranking for the team in this week’s CWPA poll. But even if their impact isn’t reflected immediately, it is nevertheless invaluable.

Two months ago, Bacharach and Fordham water polo were not a fully formed team, as unfamiliar first-year athletes worked to replace established stars. The team was two years removed from its last full season and was struggling in and out of the pool. Leaders have stepped up and the team has gone 10-1 since Sept.

18 while knocking off two nationally ranked opponents.

They’re playing on the wrong side of the country. Many of the players are still working to make New York City their home. Bacharach believes that the team is still making inexperienced mistakes and therefore has untapped potential going forward. A national championship for the Rams remains a pipe dream — they’re simply not strong enough to tackle the Pacific powerhouses — but for those interested in improbable, defiant success, Fordham water polo games are once again a must-see.

PAGE DESIGN BY MADDIE SANDHOLM

Opinions

Opinions Editor Clara Gerlach opinions@fordhamobserver.com

STUDENTS NEED FREE AND AVAILABLE TESTING

Y

— and prior to Sept. 20, all PCR tests had a $35 charge for students who may have been exposed.

If we want to lower our case total on all campuses, the easiest way to know the full extent of cases is to return to free testing of all students, not just those who are symptomatic or have been exposed.

The vaccine mandate eases some anxiety; however, that does not mean it is time for Fordham to neglect its responsibility to keeping students safe from COVID-19.

The regular testing last year did, however, put a strain on University Health Services (UHS). Nurses were required to work full days at the testing center, away from patients in the health center. Fordham also hired EMTs from Fordham University Emergency Medical Services (FUEMS) to take some weight off of UHS. This year, with far more students on campus, UHS has not hired additional FUEMS EMTs to work at the testing center, and unlike last year, those who are working there can only register students, not administer tests.

Students have received mixed communications from Fordham’s contact tracers.

While some may receive a call, others receive a variety of different emails. There is

Observer the

STAFF EDITORIAL

ou may have seen the COVID-19 testing tent situated next to the Halal cart. The tent is so clearly visible by the main entrance that it appears Fordham is sending a message: COVID-19 testing is vital to protecting the health of the community.

However, the tent is not affiliated with Fordham, it’s run by LabQ Diagnostics, a private company. Meanwhile, Fordham’s own testing center lies within its walls, understaffed and obscured by reduced hours. Students have reported substandard and confusing communication surrounding contact tracing, revealing a poor execution within the protection of the safety and health of the campus community.

This fall, Fordham has not required surveillance testing, a change from the past two semesters. The testing center at Lincoln Center is only open for contact traced or exposed individuals on Mondays and Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., as opposed to last year’s 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. schedule on all weekdays. There are more people on campus yet far fewer hours to be tested.

Though 97.33% of the graduate and undergraduates population are fully vaccinated, the highly contagious Delta variant is still spreading around the city and affecting vaccinated people. Tests are only provided to those who have symptoms, have vaccination exemptions, were contact-traced or were exposed

October 6, 2021 THE OBSERVER

no clear pattern as to how we should expect to be alerted; Fordham’s severe lack of proper contact tracing necessitates the return of free and readily available on-campus testing for those who want one.

We have taken it upon ourselves to look out for each other. On top of going off campus to get rapid tests, students continue to promptly report to classmates and friends news of COVID-19-positive students, unlike Fordham’s Contact Tracing system that takes at least 24 hours.

Students have been told by professors in different departments that they were advised not to hold classes on Zoom, while other professors have already hosted classes online. Fordham’s website is less than clear on this subject for faculty, which is deterring professors from accommodating students who have tested positive.

The effects of COVID-19 on a student’s academic performance should not be exacerbated due to ambiguous instruction policies.

After over a year of online classes for most students, being back in person is a welcome change. The vaccine mandate eases some anxiety; however, that does not mean it is time for Fordham to neglect its responsibility to keeping students safe from COVID-19.

New and updated measures such as free and readily available testing would keep us safer and ensure that our college experiences will no longer need to run on borrowed time.

Editor-in-Chief Katrina Lambert

Managing Editor Grace Getman Online Editors Corbin Gregg Jill Rice Creative Director Roxanne Cubero Treasurer Adam D’Souza Fundraising Coordinator Shagun Rath Advertising Coordinator Luis Castellanos Layout Editor Maddie Sandholm Asst. Layout Editor Janine Baltazar Photo Editors Alyssa Daughdrill Andrew Dressner Asst. Photo Editor Ashley Yiu Head Copy Editors Emily Ellis Alyssa Macaluso Asst. Copy Editor Sophia Collender News Editors Joe Kottke Allie Stofer Asst. News Editors Maryam Beshara Chloe Zelch Sports & Health Editor Patrick Moquin Asst. Sports & Health Editors Gus Dupree Chris Murray Opinions Editor Clara Gerlach Asst. Opinions Editors Ava Peabody Jessica Yu Arts & Culture Editors Madeline Katz Olivia Stern Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Isabella Gonzalez Features Editor Mia Agostinelli Asst. Features Editor Aidan Lane Fun & Games Editor Kreena Vora Social Media Editor Samantha Matthews Asst. Social Media Editors Isabella Scipioni Diana Silva Multimedia Editor Alexa Stegmuller Retrospect Host Diana Silva IT Manager Zayda Bleecker-Adams

Visual Adviser Molly Bedford Editorial Adviser Anthony Hazell

Feature Photos: Scenes of the Plaza

Pretty soon, the leaves will lose their vibrant green color and students crossing the plaza will feel the crisp fall air.

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• Letters to the Editor should be typed and sent to The Observer, Fordham University, 140 West 62nd Street, Room G32, New York, NY 10023, or emailed to editor@fordhamobserver.com. Length should not exceed 200 words. All letters must be signed and include contact information, official titles and year of graduation (if applicable) for verification.

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THE OBSERVER October 6, 2021

Opinions

11

More Than Just Hand-Washing

Obsessive-compulsive disorder needs honest media representation AVA PEABODY

Asst. Opinions Editor

When I was nine, I couldn’t stop doing cartwheels. Each time I passed through the living room of my house, I had to do a cartwheel. It never occurred to me to wonder why. I did it as if it were a chore someone had delegated to me, even learning how to do a one-handed cartwheel so I wouldn’t have to put down whatever I might be carrying.

This compulsion and others like it — jumping to touch the top of every doorway I walked through, taking a 40-minute shower before I left the house even when it made me late, doing seven push-ups every morning — were harmless enough that I did not consider them to be an impediment to my day-to-day life.

If anything, I saw them as self-improvement by becoming just a little stronger, fitter, or cleaner.

When I turned 14, what had once been quirky habits became uncontrollable obligations. I was inundated with newly frightening obsessions and compulsions, as if I had been delegated new tasks by an imperceptible overlord. I had been a dancer for a decade by that point, but one day during rehearsal I was struck with a gripping fear that I would forget the choreography I needed to perform. I quickly ran through the steps a few times, but the satisfaction that brought me only lasted a few minutes before the fear returned with the same intensity, as if it were the first time I thought of it. I repeated the cycle, barely remembering what had happened a few minutes before in the haze of my panic.

Over the course of that year, the fear of forgetting escalated

to a fever pitch and migrated to other areas of my life: I moved through each day having hourly panic attacks that I would forget how to walk, to talk, to read at any moment. Later, I had consuming obsessions with eating a specific amount of calories at a specific time of day, as well as interrupting myself every few minutes to check on my dog and make sure she hadn’t suddenly died.

I spent a while convinced I was developing schizophrenia, and a few months went by where I could not go 10 minutes without thinking about my own death.

OCD in the media is often relegated to a punchline, making it difficult to understand what the condition really is or to recognize the symptoms in oneself.

Because my specific obsessions were fairly abstract, my primary compulsion was to think about them constantly, in the feverish hope that I would stumble across the correct string of thoughts to make it all go away. As a result, I spent much of high school thinking I was going to have to settle into a life of being insane.

In reality, I was struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the mental illness characterized by repetitive worries that cause such anxiety that the person feels they must perform a behavior or task to ensure that the disastrous outcome won’t happen. The condition can

be genetic or environmental, and nothing necessarily needs to happen to induce it.

Approximately 2.3% of American adults — roughly 7.5 million people — will struggle with lifelong OCD. Not everyone will mirror the hand-washing and picture-frame-straightening stereotype that OCD is confined to on television and in books.

OCD in the media is often relegated to a punchline, making it difficult to understand what the condition really is or to recognize the symptoms in oneself.

I did not consider the possibility of OCD until I was 17, after many years of confusion and agony, because my obsessions and compulsions felt too strange and alarming — I wasn’t particularly neat, nor was I a germaphobe, so I thought I didn’t have the prerequisites necessary to qualify. What plagued me seemed too bizarre to be anxiety but didn’t align with depression.

I felt as though, in my sheer misery, I might have accidentally invented a new affliction.

This mindset, encouraged by poor representation of OCD, dissuades people from getting help because their problems haven’t been deemed palatable. Some of the more unsavory aspects of OCD, like intrusive thoughts about hurting oneself or others, are rarely discussed, despite their prevalence. Such an oversight leaves people feeling frightened of themselves and too embarrassed to ask for help.

Even with a strong support system, I felt alone inside my brain, and I didn’t know how to reach anyone who could relate to such seemingly abnormal thought patterns. I disguised my panic attacks as funny anecdotes to hide how embarrassed I felt, mirroring the treatment I had seen on TV.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ROXANNE CUBERO/THE OBSERVER

John Green was the first relatable representation of OCD I ever encountered. Green’s Vlogbrothers videos on YouTube candidly discuss his debilitating fear of bacterial infections and how his subsequent compulsions can eat up hours of each day. His book “Turtles All the Way Down” provides a painstaking recreation of the day-to-day experience of OCD so acutely familiar that I could hardly stand to read it. It was like looking into the sun.

The more I heard and read from John Green, the more comfortable I felt talking about my own mental state. I cannot imagine how I might have fared without a role model who convinced me that I could both have OCD and be a caring person attentive to the world outside myself.

OCD deserves the same attention that is paid to depression and anxiety. It often requires

similar treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and medication. These are expenses that many cannot afford, so the least we can do is ensure that popular media contains authentic examples of people living with the disorder. People with OCD deserve to know they are not alone, even if they don’t feel like they’re having “traditional” or “acceptable” problems.

Media representation can’t replace serious education about mental health, nor is it a treatment. But even the smallest thoughtful depictions, ones that shun the typical lazy jokes, make a difference. For those who think they might have OCD, representation provides a much-needed confirmation that there are other people out there like them. For those who don’t, it elucidates a difficult condition and helps them recognize the disorder in the people around them.

Fordham’s First-Year Class Size Will Cause Problems

Record-breaking number of students in the Class of 2025 sets a dangerous precedent, and there’s a simple fix CLASS SIZE from page 1

While there have previously been issues fitting everyone on campus — for example, some McMahon suites had up to nine in them during previous years — it has never been quite this bad.

Some first-year students only received their housing assignments the week leading up to move-in, making an already nerve-wracking transition even more difficult.

Many people have probably noticed the construction going on in the tunnels, transforming the space for new classrooms. Some classes take place in Martino Hall, formerly only a Fordham office space, but even that can only do so much for the spacing issue.

If Fordham is unable to return to the previous average class size next year, these issues will compound.

Even more important than a lack of space, more students mean there will be fewer professors per student. In order to compensate, Fordham would either have to hire more professors or increase class sizes. FLC prides itself on its small class sizes and a low student-to-faculty ratio, but as confirmed by Dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center Laura Auricchio, the school has

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

Fordham’s first-year class size is the largest yet which can lead to problems of an overcrowded campus and a higher student-to-faculty ratio.

already raised the class size limit for many classes by one student.

Additionally, many upper-level classes only have one or two sections per semester, making it difficult for students to register for the classes they need or want.

While all students know the struggle of not being able to get their preferred schedule, they at least have the knowledge that the more they advance at Fordham, the easier it will be. Since registration is done based on the number of credits a student has, the further one advances, the

fewer people there are who can register before them. This won’t hold as true for the current firstyears or the classes after them, as there are a couple hundred more students to compete against.

While some may think that these students can just take classes at Rose Hill’s much larger and more spacious campus, that is certainly not the answer. First of all, students chose to come to Lincoln Center for a reason; they should not be forced to take classes at Rose Hill if they do not want to. But, arguably more important,

Rose Hill is having the same issue, since their first-year class is also the biggest the campus has ever had. So while there may be one or two more sections of an upper-level class at Rose Hill, there is no guarantee that students from the Lincoln Center campus will be able to get a spot. Even if they can, that would only be a Band-Aid on the larger problem of accepting too many first-years.

The only way to truly fix the issues caused by this larger class is to ensure that it does not happen again. While one

class of this size is proving problematic, it is only temporary, as they will eventually graduate. However, if Fordham is unable to return to the previous average class size next year, these issues will compound.

While we welcome the new first-years with (socially distanced) open arms, the number of admissions into Fordham last year represents unsustainable growth that we must curb before it is unmanageable. Like a Lowenstein elevator during rush hour, there is simply no space.

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Opinions

October 6, 2021 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Other Cultures Aren’t Your Vernacular

TikTok users are homogenizing and trivializing forms of cultural language through trends JAKE ERACA Contributing Writer

The phrase “Spill the tea,” common in queer vernacular, means simply to “share the gossip.” Perform a quick Google ngram viewer search to see how often the words have been in print over time, and you’ll find that there has been a sharp spike in the prevalence of this phrase since 2019. (While ngrams correlate to books, the correlation between the written word, fictive or not, and vernacular is quite strong.)

The year 2019 is, coincidentally, when the popular video-sharing app TikTok had multiple viral videos launch creators to a near cultlike status almost overnight.

TikTok has a vise grip on younger generations, especially my own. Gen Z is quite invested in the platform, helping the company reach a net worth of $250

billion, the highest net worth of any privately owned companies. The app, an infinite scrolling, short video clip-producing algorithm, learns trends in users and personalizes feeds based on individual likes and dislikes which it learns the more you use it.

The result of this algorithm is a unique generational culture created by the app, where teenagers like Charli D’Amelio and her sister Dixie became near-overnight millionaires for simply doing the “Renegade,” a popular dance trend; the video landed them television deals, sponsorships galore and tickets to many hallmarks of high society.

Such a cultlike following, however, encourages trends that have a lot of momentum and are hard to be stopped. The language used by content creators and users in comment sections, captions and videos is no exception as phrases and words become trends and trends become vernacular.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY NYCKOLE LOPEZ/THE OBSERVER

The aforementioned virality of one of these videos about “spilling the tea” caused a massive trend on the platform using the audio from the video, inspiring multiple parodies, “duets” and various other spinoffs.

This phenomenon resulted in “spill the tea” becoming frequently used, taking a phrase that had been exclusively used in queer circles and bringing it into the mainstream. I heard “spill the tea” at lunch tables, at local coffee spots and in the comment sections of everyone’s posts. A term used by me and my gay friends had become the newest “it girl” of teenage vocabulary.

The issue lies in the appropriation of NYC ball culture, gay slang at large and African American Vernacular English (AAVE). All of these facets of marginalized cultures, rich in their own right, have been cherry-picked, homogenized, and made stale and palatable to the voracious masses.

While I found it encouraging to some degree that queer language and culture was becoming mainstream, I didn’t find that it coincided with greater acceptance. I remember the same kids who used “spill the tea” recoiling at being asked their pronouns: “I don’t use pronouns; I’m straight.”

Regardless of the words used, hate often simply stems from prejudice, perpetuating itself. The use of queer vernacular to fuel said hate is insulting to the culture I try to venerate and participate in.

These are words stemming from decades of struggle, words that have connected similar people and fostered love in a cacophony of hate. There is deeper meaning to the fun, little catchphrases we use — they are not merely the slang of an app or a result of the unprecedented generational unity found in Gen Z. Their misuse turns a word born out of the survival of a marginalized group into a joke.

Instances of “spill the tea” are common on TikTok, and the 2019 incident is a mere microcosm of the platform’s social power. From “periodt” to “wig,” more and more slang from varying cultures has been incorporated into Instagram captions, snappy comment section clapbacks and tweets from corporate acts attempting desperately attempting to relate to an increasingly anti-corporate generation.

The widespread nature of such phrases dilutes their meaning and takes a word generated by marginalized groups such as the LGBTQ+ or Black communities drastically out of context.

The “Blaccent” and other controversies surrounding AAVE are also amplified by this TikTok homogenization. Language like “chile,” “purr” and “finna” have become commonplace in the vernacular of teenagers — the lion’s share of whom are not entitled to use this language in the first place.

This practice also reveals the inherent interdependencies of Black and queer culture and the simple fact that Black people are by and large responsible for a majority of queer culture, especially the balls seen in “Paris is Burning” and FX’s “Pose.” These marginalized cultures are deeply linked, so the homogenization of the language of one intrinsically impacts the other.

While the generational unity that such language fosters is a pro, appropriation of the lan-

guage is misguided. The widespread nature of such phrases dilutes their meaning and takes a word generated by marginalized groups such as the LGBTQ+ or Black communities drastically out of context.

I’m all for teaching my straight friends about gay culture and making friendly conversation about what the difference between a “twink” and a “bear” is, but when an Instagram post is captioned “periodt hunty werk queen slay,” it is a flagrant misuse of culture-specific language.

I have scrolled through my own infinite feeds, regardless of platform, and seen the latest adventures of my high school graduating class’s self-appointed “hot girls.” Without fail, I see the aforementioned terms littering comment sections of predominantly white girls. “Purr,” “Slayyy,” “It’s giving” ... It’s giving what, exactly? It’s giving a regurgitation of phrases that they saw do well on TikTok, and now they have the privilege of being funny for a few months before everyone moves on to something new.

This behavior trivializes the experience of being queer, of being Black and of participating in the cultures where these languages got their start. This slang is older, more impactful and more important than bombarding an Instagram comment section with butchered, stolen words.

There will always be a shifting vernacular, especially in the era of the internet and social media. I recognize that nothing is sacred in a time where everything is connected. However, I am tired of seeing words come out of mouths that have no right saying them. Language is a huge part of any culture, and using and abusing the language of marginalized peoples only diminishes and ridicules the history of their struggle and survival.

T he

Rubberneck SATIRE & HUMOR

Fordham Spearheads New Couch Psychology Practice

Providing a service like no other college, students can now spill their guts at every bathroom at Lowenstein CLARA GERLACH Opinions Editor

With an increasingly larger number of people on campus, Fordham has found itself in a pickle. Thousands of students flooded the Lincoln Center campus, and after the last year and a half, more of them than ever are struggling with their mental health.

While Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) at Fordham may be in operation, some students have found it difficult to relate to the staff available.

“Frankly, they’re millennials,” one sophomore stated when asked about their experience at CPS. “And I don’t need to hear Harry Potter references while I cry about my trauma.”

Students’ mental health is important to Fordham — if a student drops out because of a mental health risk, the school could lose out on tuition. To address these issues, Fordham Lincoln Center has abandoned the idea of increased CPS funding and turned to their students.

Starting Oct. 6, one can get free advice from a budding psychology major on the couches of the women’s Lowenstein bathrooms weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5

p.m. Only walk-ins are accepted for now, but this might change with the demand, as lines are already forming for consults parallel to the line for the bathroom.

Unlike contested armchair psychology, couch psychologists use knowledge they gained from their Introduction to Psychology class or TikTok, acting much like a good friend comforting you when you’re having a bad day.

After some criticism about the couches in the bathrooms, this was seen to be the solution: an amateur psych practice.

“It’s really genius,” Fordham College at Lincoln Center Dean Laura Auricchio said. “We have all these students searching for some help coping with friendship drama and actually having to study now that they’re in person, and this gives psychology majors something to put on their resume.”

Declared and undeclared psychology or pre-med majors

were incentivized to apply for positions, but priority was given to “mom friends” for all majors, verified by roommate or friend testimonials. According to the director of the program, “mom friends” are difficult to recruit as they have their own emotional burdens, but they make for the best shoulder to cry on.

The interview process was pretty straightforward, consisting of standard scenario questions followed by an average amount of trauma dumping. Applicants were judged on their ability to stay neutral, follow a snot-filled rant and ask pertinent questions, but also on their ability to diagnose their patients with anything found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Training was quite rigorous for those accepted — a two-day intensive filled with pseudoscience that counselors could use at their leisure.

Manifestation candles and essential oils were handed out, as sometimes problems need a little faith, magic or meditation to resolve.

Homework for the intensive was watching mental health videos on TikTok, where one could find rationalizations for the banalest actions. Feeling empathy?

A trauma response. Procrastinating? ADHD. Every action has an equal and opposite mental health diagnosis.

This service is not confidential, as anyone can listen in as they’re waiting for the bathroom, but this has led to bonding in those small, inexplicable rooms.

Eavesdroppers can chip in with their two cents while they wait, and if they

become invested enough, find themselves a new friend.

I caught a junior patient with smudged mascara and a big smile on her way out of the third-floor bathrooms. “I wasn’t expecting much, but I was panicking, and I had heard good things,” she said. “I’ve been convinced that I should dump my boyfriend, and I’m on my way to do that right now.”

So far, this beta program has been met with great success and is expected to run until Dec. 21.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY GRACE GETMAN/THE OBSERVER

Arts & Culture Editors Madeline Katz Olivia Stern arts@fordhamobserver.com

Arts & Culture

October 6, 2021

THE OBSERVER

The Met Opera Reopens With ‘Fire Shut Up in My Bones’

Terence Blanchard’s cathartic composition strikes a new chord in the moments it rejects traditional opera

By AIDAN LANE Asst. Features Editor

Trigger warning: sexual assault, racism Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” premiered Sept.

27 at the Metropolitan Opera House. After a year and a half without a showing, the opera house made history in more than one way: It ended the longest closure in its history and showed its first-ever opera by a Black composer.

The opera is an adaptation of New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow’s 2014 memoir of the same name. It begins in the mid ’70s and follows Blow’s tumultuous upbringing in a poor, majority-Black town in rural Louisiana.

Charles accepts that his trauma does not define him and that his pain is part of the longer history of societal trauma that has been cast upon those who are not cisgender, heterosexual and wealthy white men.

Char’es-Baby, the 7-yearold known to the town and the audience by this nickname, is played by Walter Russell III. As the youngest of five boys, he is shy, unmanly, and made fun of by his brothers. His mother, Billie, keeps him home from school to protect him from the bullying he’s bound to endure. Portrayed

by Latonia Moore, Billie is a strong but tragic female character — fiercely dedicated to her children but disadvantaged by her husband’s infidelity and the limited opportunities granted to Black women in the Deep South.

Even as he is ostracized, Char’es-Baby is obstinate; he wants to go to school like everyone else and hates being called a baby — but in his town, he’s not a man. Whether or not his family and neighbors think the young boy is gay is unclear, but he’s certainly “queer” in their eyes.

The opera takes place from the perspective of Charles, played by Will Liverman, who has a death wish for an unknown member of his hometown who, we later learn, molested him as a child. Charles sets out in a car, pistol in hand, to commit the act of murder but is forced to look back on the sadness of his childhood by an unnamed woman portrayed by Angel Blue.

It later becomes apparent that Blue portrays the feminine, innocent side of Charles. She is an antagonistic force throughout the performance, making Charles second-guess the often ragefilled and destructive behaviors learned from his sadistically heteonormative upbringing. At times, she is successful; at others, she is painfully repressed.

During the performance, I worried the opera would serve as a stereotype: the story of a poor, majority-Black town, shrouded in violence and poverty, feeding into the preexisting notions of the overwhelmingly white and wealthy audience.

However, I found “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” to be anything but stereotypical. The opera was about masculinity, sexuality and what it means to be strong in the face of trauma more than it was a sensationalized look at being Black and disadvantaged in the United States.

“Fire Shut Up in My Bones” truly shone in the moments in which it broke free from conventional opera. Act 2 opens with Charles’ unsuccessful attempt to find solace in an energetic and spiritual Black Baptist church.

He then seeks consolation from his brothers, who mock him for attempting to share negative

PHOTOS BY AIDAN LANE/THE OBSERVER

Lincoln Center filled with people eager to see the return of the Met after the opera house was closed for over a year.

and intimate feelings, saying real men keep their feelings buried. When he retorts by asking them why even as adults they all come home on Sundays so their mom can do their laundry, one of them cheekily says, “Real men don’t do laundry.” The absurd statement garnered a big laugh from the audience.

After a short break, Act 3 opens with Charles entering college. He witnesses a performance by a famous fraternity that he soon becomes a member of. The members perform a long dance sequence, reminiscent of the “New Jack Swing’’ era.

As the frat brothers and their friends on stage danced and laughed, giddy as ever during the captivating performance, several white audience members began to laugh too.

There was an ever-present dissonance between the economic hardships portrayed in the play and the relatively white wealthy attendees present, but this scene made that dissonance palpable. To me, they laughed

not out of a mutual respect for the incredible rhythms, or even because this scene was so untraditional, but because it was so foreign to them that they found it funny.

White discomfort aside, the opera’s musical score was one of its most uplifting aspects. The orchestra sprinkled in hints of soul, blues and jazz throughout the performance, providing reprieve from the intensity of Charles’ journey and marking a distinct pivot from traditional operatic mood.

As “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” progresses, it delves deeply into the long-lasting effects of sexual trauma on Charles. Even when his rape doesn’t haunt his dreams, it’s always present, subtly affecting his growth and his relationships.

As the opera comes to an end, the audience finds itself back where it started: Charles heading at full speed to kill whom we now know to be his rapist. However, after reliving his traumatic childhood, he is able to reconcile

with his pain and accept what has happened to him. Charles’ inner child reappears, who quotes his mother: “Sometimes you just gotta leave it in the road.”

With the help of his innocent feminine side, Charles accepts that his trauma does not define him and that his pain is part of the longer history of societal trauma that has been cast upon those who are not cisgender, heterosexual and wealthy white men. When Charles reaches his home, he embraces his mother.

The curtain closes with the understanding that he will finally open up about the trauma he endured as a child and being able to start his life anew.

The Met’s choice to reopen with the cathartic performance of “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” is a deliberate choice to reflect on societal trauma. It is a watershed moment in both operatic and theatrical history, and it is a must-see opera for any sympathetic viewer looking for hope, peace or community in a time of social tumult.

The Metropolitan Opera House reopened with its first-ever opera by a Black composer. “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” runs from Sept. 27 - Oct. 23. Tickets start at $95.

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Arts & Culture

October 6, 2021 THE OBSERVER

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‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ Opens at Brooklyn Museum

PHOTOS BY MACA LEON/THE OBSERVER

The “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams” exhibit offers a new look at the iconic designer’s sartorial legacy.

By MACA LEON Former Social Media Manager

While recent talk around town has centered on The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, just across the East River, the Brooklyn Museum has brought to life an equally (if not grander) exhibit that takes guests on a marvelous journey through the history of the iconic Dior fashion house.

“Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams” is separated into two sections: an outer section chronicling the history and legacy of Dior and an interior “Enchanted Garden.”

As guests enter the exhibit, they are greeted by Dior’s signature New Look, his iconic dress which features round shoulders, a voluminous skirt and cinched waistline. The look, which debuted in 1946, quickly became a favorite among women worldwide.

Afterward, catch a glimpse of collections by Dior’s successors, starting with Yves Saint Laurent, whose designs were considered provocative at the time due to their daring silhouettes. Following this is Gianfranco Ferré’s

beautiful, ornate gowns situated next to John Galliano’s bold designs. Raf Simons’ dramatic beaded dresses and the collections of Maria Grazia Chiuri, the first female creative director at Dior, are also on view. Each section is complemented with art pieces from the museum’s permanent collection.

Perhaps the most magical part of the exhibit is the jaw-dropping “Enchanted Garden.” Once you enter the garden, fashion and exhibition meld into one, creating an immersive experience unlike any other. Dresses float up to the ceiling while clouds and birds dance across the walls. The layout not only provides a beautiful backdrop for these pieces of art but also gives every ball gown, suit and form-fitting jacket the opportunity to be admired up close. You can get so close as to see even the smallest details, from their intricate embroidery to the trim and lace which adorn them.

“Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams” is on view at the Brooklyn Museum through Feb. 20, 2022. Student tickets to the exhibition cost $16 with I.D.

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THE OBSERVER October 6, 2021

Arts & Culture

15

What Netflix’s ‘Sex Education’ Tells Us About the Nigerian Queer Community

Eric’s experience in Lagos highlights the contrast between queer visibility in the UK and Nigeria ten lead to isolation from family members.

At the wedding, Eric starts talking to the photographer, Oba, a young gay man, who invites him to a gay club in Lagos. When Eric leaves with Oba in a taxi, he starts to talk about how excited he is to be out with him. However, we quickly notice that Oba remains quiet and looks uncomfortable, while the taxi driver maintains a stern and suspicious look on his face.

By ANENWOJO OMAGU Staff Writer

A few months ago, a viral TikTok trend showed multiple American queer creators making videos about what they considered to be their biggest flex — the number of countries they were “illegal” in.

Not only was this privileged “flex” incredibly tone-deaf, but it also lacked nuance, ignoring the communities of LGBTQ+ people who are living and thriving in those parts of the world. These videos reflect a greater trend within Western media of dismissing the experiences of people in other countries and viewing them as a monolith.

This is why the sixth episode of Netflix’s new season of “Sex Education” — which shows a glimpse of the queer community in Lagos, Nigeria — is a breath of fresh air.

“Sex Education” follows a group of high school students in the U.K. dealing with romantic, platonic and sexual relationships while also navigating complex family dynamics. One of the show’s main characters, Eric, is a British Nigerian gay teen whose immediate family loves and accepts him. But in the sixth episode of season three, when Eric goes to Nigeria to attend a wedding, he comes to a new understanding of his multifaceted identity.

In the previous episode, Eric’s mother, despite being accepting of her son, makes it clear that she expects him to dress differently when they travel to Nigeria. She even demands that he change out of his colorful outfit into one with dimmer colors in order for him to fit in. Eric is reluctant to

MTV INTERNATIONAL VIA WIIMEDIA COMMONS

Actor Ncuti Gawa plays the role of Eric Effiong in “Sex Education.” Netflix announced the show is being renewed for a fourth season eight days after the third season premiered.

do this, especially as someone who is confident and proud of who he is, but he complies.

When Eric gets to Nigeria, he continues to hide his truth from his extended family, which clearly makes him uncomfortable.

Watching his grandma make comments about him getting a girlfriend, Eric finds himself in a position where he is forced to smile and nod, not getting to say how he really feels or talk about his true experiences.

This is one of the only times that we see Eric suppress himself like this. This change in charac-

ter emphasizes the power of stigma, even just concerning conversations surrounding the LGBTQ+ community in Nigeria. Beyond the legal aspect, it can be difficult to have honest conversations within families about these topics, and the show highlights how difficult these kinds of conversations can be for young queer Nigerians. This is partly due to expectations derived from strict religious beliefs, and the idea that being gay is an inherently Western concept and is therefore “un-African.” Attempting to push back against this stigma can of-

Queer people exist in Nigeria despite their existence being criminalized. They are not punchlines for TikTok jokes or witty comments.

At this point, I was worried that Oba might be a “kito.” This slang, common in Nigerian queer communities, refers to people who pretend to be queer in a ruse to meet up with actual queer people and blackmail, abuse or harm them. Thankfully, Oba is who he says he is. But even though Eric is safe in this situation, Oba goes to check for potential escape routes when they arrive at the club, showing the constant fear of harm many queer Nigerians unfortunately experience.

The most significant takeaway from this, I hope, for people who may have misconceptions about being queer in Nigeria is that

queer people exist in the country despite their existence being criminalized. They are not punchlines for TikTok jokes or witty comments. They are real human beings, many of whom are fighting against oppression on a daily basis, despite the obstacles around them.

“Sex Education” juxtaposes Eric’s comfort and freedom in a queer club in Nigeria with his discomfort within his own relationship back in the U.K., which reflects the complexity and nuance of people’s experiences with queerness. The episode also shows how a person’s comfort within their own identity may affect their experiences, no matter where they are in the world.

Still, this episode only tells one story about queer people in Nigeria, and one that is very limited in perspective — it is focused only on Lagos, and, more specifically, a seemingly affluent area of Lagos. The kinds of freedoms that people have access to vary greatly depending on what parts of the country they live in, their ability to access social media and other people like them, and even how wealthy they are.

Eric has a significant level of privilege because he can leave the country and go back to the U.K. whenever he wants, while the average queer Nigerian does not have that luxury.

Overall, the show has been respectful and fairly effective at representing Eric’s connection to his culture. The producers have also done a good job of exploring his queerness and relationships, and combining those two aspects of his identity made for an interesting and enlightening episode.

On Coach, Catwalks and ‘Que Será, Será’: A Profile of Jade Huber

A Fordham student and New York Fashion Week model speaks on the intersection of school, career and self

By ERIKA TULFO Contributing Writer

To the attendees of Coach’s Spring 2022 Show at New York Fashion Week, little is known about Jade Huber, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’24, beyond the fact that she is Look 26 of 48.

Maraschino cherry-red sunglasses obscure her eyes and reveal only her expression of careful placidity as she takes long, purposeful strides down an undefined path. Alongside drummers, skateboarders and her fellow models, Huber threads in and out of a sea of bodies in a finale that transforms Pier 76 into a crowded subway during rush hour. The choreography is executed with the sort of effortlessness that almost makes the models seem like they belong to another world entirely — one more glamorous than our own.

Huber is by no means a stranger to this world. Having signed with Ford Models at just 8 years old, shoots for commercial magazines, e-commerce sites and editorials pervaded much of her childhood. She later took a brief hiatus from modeling to focus on school and college applications.

However, it wasn’t long before Huber found herself back in the modeling industry after being scouted on Instagram, only this time with a greater say in the direction her path would lead.

Among the agencies to offer her contracts were industry leaders IMG Models, Elite Model Management and Ford Models,

under whom the likes of Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber are represented.

Ultimately, Huber chose a smaller management agency, The Society, and has remained content in her decision since signing with them in January of this year.

“They all gave me contracts, but I picked The Society because it’s more of a boutique agency,” she explained. “They don’t take lots of girls, but I wanted something where they would focus on me and work around my school schedule too.”

But juggling schoolwork and her quickly growing career is an ordeal that demands sacrifice, and Huber, who is currently on FCLC’s theatre performance track, makes an active effort to attend class even when presented with opportunities from some of the biggest names in fashion.

She recalled a recent instance when Ralph Lauren himself extended a request to see her after watching her Coach runway debut. “They requested to see me on Tuesday and they were like, you have a request casting at 10 a.m,” Huber said. “And I’m like, ‘No, I have French at 10 a.m., can we move it?’”

Huber’s stance on deciding whether an opportunity is right for her is pragmatic and straightforward: “If they can’t move it, then I don’t do it.”

While the glitz and glamour of the modeling world is indisputable, the life of a model extends far beyond jetting off for shows across the globe or taking home next season’s “it” bag. The

industry, which Huber describes as “cutthroat,” is not exempt from having its fair share of downsides — the most prominent of which is having one’s appearance be equated to their own value.

While the glitz and glamour of the modeling world is indisputable, the life of a model extends far beyond jetting off for shows across the globe or taking home next season’s “it” bag.

Standing at 5’9,” Huber describes herself as “short for a runway model,” thinking back to instances when she failed to get booked for just barely missing the height requirement.

“You have to meet specific requirements. And sometimes, your look is just not right for this show,” she said, explaining the process by which models are cut or considered. “It’s nothing personal.

Like you can be beautiful and just not be right for Versace.”

The sting of rejection and overt criticism coming from everyone from casting directors to makeup artists have both been things Huber anticipated coming into the industry. The pressure of having to eat “like a model” (or, as Huber puts it, “like a bird”) is

also an issue she has conditioned herself to ignore. Yet in spite of this, she recognizes their merits in allowing her to thicken her skin and cultivate her sense of patience, which she believes to be a necessity when navigating the modeling world.

“Patience is a huge thing in this industry, and also just knowing when it’s your time.

It wasn’t my time last year,” said Huber, referring to when the tightening of U.S. travel restrictions kept her from participating in a Prada show in Milan. “It was my time this year. It was my time I walked the Coach show.”

For an industry where entire looks can be dropped from a show without so much as a second thought and hearing back from a casting may take as long as half a year, adopting a “que será, será” — Spanish for “what will be, will be” — attitude is essential.

This is something that especially resonates with Huber, who shared the meaning behind a tattoo she got just prior to walking for Coach.

The inked angel number 222 — representing faith and patience — is inconspicuous and hidden behind her right ear, but its presence is symbolic of a mantra Huber finds herself holding close: “Whatever’s meant to be will be, and whatever’s in your path is coming towards you.”

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY JANINE BALTAZAR/THE OBSERVER

un & ames

Crossword: Welcome to My Domain If you give a math major a crossword...

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BY KREENA VORA

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October 6, 2021 THE OBSERVER

Math Fun Facts

O Westchester, Where Art Thou?

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Fun & Games Editor Kreena Vora puzzles@fordhamobserver.com

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