Volume 104 Issue 5

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 104, Issue 5

TheFordhamRam.com

February 23, 2022

Athletics Celebrates 50 Years of Title IX

RussiaUkraine Conflict Escalates

By PAOLA GALIANO

By SAMANTHA MINEAR

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the formation of Title IX, Fordham Athletics announced its celebration in collaboration with National Girls and Women in Sports Day, an annual day of observance to acknowledge and commend the accomplishments and influence of female athletes.

Fordham’s celebration of the 50th anniversary in accordance with this annual day emphasizes the importance of Title IX, as it protects against sex-based discrimination in the collegiate athletic system.

Heading these celebrations is Jordan Bowles, associate athletic director for strategic initiatives and diversity, equity and inclusion at Fordham.

According to Bowles, Title IX “opened up access to higher education for women across the country, giving them new opportunities for the future.”

Continuing through November 2022, Bowles also illustrated the initiatives planned for celebrating this anniversary. These initiatives include a fundraising campaign that benefits all women’s programs

The Russo-Ukrainian War is a series of tensions with an extensive history dating back to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. As the atmosphere thickens in Eastern Europe, particularly on the eastern Ukrainian border, all eyes are on the Russian, Ukrainian and Western governments to see how this global conflict will evolve. While some theorists are calling this geopolitical standoff the next Cold War, others surmise that Western hegemony will prevail against the Kremlin.

Olena Nikolayenko, Ph.D., is the chair of Fordham’s political science department and a Ukraine native.

Having moved to the United States to pursue her graduate education, Nikolayenko speaks fondly of her home country. “Ukraine is the largest country entirely within Europe.

Slightly smaller than Texas, with a population of 41 million people,” she explained. She is firm in breaking down the issue, stating that “the Russian government refuses to accept the fact that Ukraine is an independent country, with its own culture, history and language” ever since the “collapse of communism and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.”

The cause for greater concern is how aware Americans are of what is happening in the east. College students in particular seem to be somewhat ignorant of international relations and potential turmoil.

Christopher Toulouse, Ph.D., a professor in Fordham’s international studies program, states that “we are still under the COVID-19 cloud” and “generally, students don’t like to think about the amount of damage COVID-19 has done to us.” Focusing on the Russo-Ukrainian War in his “Democracy, Terrorism and Modern Life” course, Toulouse finds it unsurprising that students “are trying to ignore the outbreak of another war.”

Regardless of students’ reactions

SEE TITLE IX, PAGE 3

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The English Department's new major is for more than just English majors, focusing on public and professional writing.

New Minor in English Dept: Public and Professional Writing

By AVA ZINS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This spring, Fordham’s English department created a new minor for all undergraduate students that aims to strengthen student’s ability to write professionally for broad, public audiences. The minor, public and professional

writing (PPW), will debut in the fall 2022 semester, but students can sign up for classes associated with the minor during this spring’s registration period.

This minor was created to provide both the personal enrichment of a writing degree while also emphasizing professional development and improvement.

It prioritizes and deepens analytical, rhetorical and critical thinking skills while ultimately providing a crucial skill set that will be helpful beyond college.

Many students and faculty have shown interest in the minor.

While the minor is writingfocused, it is definitely not an SEE MINOR, PAGE 4

Travel Ban Placed on London Students

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

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Liberty Partnership Program, founded by the New York City Department of Education, is partnered with Fordham University.

Liberty Partnerships Program Continues to Help Students

By EMMA KIM

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP) is a college access and dropout prevention program involving 46 institutions of higher education throughout the state of New

York, helping middle and high school students engage more in their education. The program includes tutoring services, mentoring, socio-emotional counseling, career and college exploration activities and support for students

and their families.

The program was started by the New York City Department of Education in 1988, and Fordham University has been associated with it since 1989.

“At the time when it started back in 1988, the reason for it to be created SEE LIBERTY, PAGE 5

For many students who study abroad, traveling to new places is a key part of the experience. However, travel beyond Great Britain is not permitted for students currently studying at Fordham’s London Centre.

The travel ban is a universityenforced and university-created mandate. The goal is to limit COVID-19 transmission and prevent students from being exposed to the virus through travel. According to Emma Bainbridge, GSB ’23, a student at the London campus, residents face expulsion if they travel away from Great Britain.

“The reason Fordham has instituted travel restrictions is to reduce as much as possible the transmission of COVID-19 among the students and faculty at Fordham in London. The stuSEE LONDON, PAGE 5

SEE UKRAINE, PAGE 4

in this issue

Opinion

Page 9

Kamila Valieva's Coach and Country Failed Her

Culture

Page 11

Local Cafe Combines Caribbean and Dominican Influences

Sports

Page 20

Men's Basketball Bounces Back in Big Way

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS Feb. 14 Arthur Ave 12:40 a.m.

A group of students reported being harassed and followed by an individual in front of a bar on Arthur Ave. The students reported the incident to the security officer at the Bathgate entrance. Public Safety responded, found the offender and detained him for the police.

He was identified in similar incidents. He was taken to the hospital for mental health evaluation.

Feb. 16 Fordham Prep 10:36 p.m.

FDNY responded to an automated fire alarm at Fordham Prep. Dust from a cleaning crew set off the alarm.

Feb. 19 McGinley Center Lobby 6:10 p.m.

A student reported that his scooter was missing from the old McGinley Center lobby.

It was a stand-on GOTRAX scooter with a blue sticker on the handlebar that said “Blue Sky Living.” Investigators from Public Safety are reviewing video footage from the area.

Feb. 20 189th Street and Arthur Ave 3:30 a.m.

Public Safety responded to a report of an assaulted student at 189th Street and Arthur Ave. They met with the student, who said the incident may have started in a local bar. He declined a police notification. The student was transported to St. Barnabas hospital for treatment.

Follow us on Twitter! @TheFordhamRam

February 23, 2022

Fordham Introduces Student-Led First Generation Network

By MICHELA FAHY

By ISABEL DANZIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER NEWS EDITOR Getting a college education can be challenging for anyone.

Whether it is learning organic chemistry or writing tedious essays, learning about new things and entering unknown territories is difficult. These challenges can be amplified if a student doesn’t have a parent with experience at a higher education institution like Fordham University, to guide them through the transition.

Only 23.4% of students at Fordham are “first-generation students.” First-generation students have parents who did not receive a university degree.

These students may hit roadblocks or have unique struggles in their university education because they lack the resources, advice or insight that students whose parents have been to college would have.

“Growing up, I never had the resources to understand what college was and what it means to be a college student because my parents never went,” said Jin Lin Chen, GSB ’22, an events coordinator for the First Generation Network. “Having trouble with the financial aid process and applying to college, in general, was hard. Studying for the SATs and ACTs, understanding where privilege is and where it isn’t, all contributed to why I wanted to be a part of [Fordham’s First Gen Network].”

Up until the 2021-22 academic year, Fordham did not provide many resources or connection opportunities to ease first generation (first-gen) students’ transitions into university life. This year Fordham saw the creation of the First Generation Network. The network is studentled and aims to give first-gen students resources and a chance to meet each other.

“FCRH, FCLC and GSB collaborated to create a network across the undergraduate colleges to ensure greater access and support for students to help foster a sense of belonging at Fordham. The network was designed to leverage student leadership and amplify the voices of first-generation students to ensure that their stories are authentically and regularly shared,” said Christie-Belle Garcia, assistant dean for student support and

success of Fordham College at Rose Hill.

Having the network has given students the opportunity to get to know one another. Meeting with other students dealing with the same struggles has allowed many first-gen students to feel less alone at Fordham. According to Danna Rojas, FCRH ’24, co-creator of the network, one of the hardest things about being a first-generation student is the feeling of isolation.

“I feel like one of the big issues with first-gen students is that we feel so alone. We feel that there’s nobody who understands our struggles, but there are other first-gen students that we can get connected to. We [didn’t before] because there was no network.

We just needed a way to find each other,” said Rojas.

Rojas also noted that the First Generation Network can help students feel more connected and at home in the Fordham community.

According to Rojas, there are a lot of students at Fordham who are “white, not first-gen and come from a high-income background.

That can be very isolating for someone who is not that, [and] who doesn’t fit into that.” She said, “alongside the other student [leaders], I really wanted to make [a first-gen network] happen because I felt that [a network] would probably encourage more diversity here and carve out more spaces for first-gen, low-income students.”

Creating the First Generation Network has been very powerful

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Fordham’s First Generation Network was created in 2021 and is student-led.

for the student leaders. According to Chen and Rojas, founding the first-gen network has allowed them to create an important legacy at the university.

“I’m excited for the people who are in their freshman, sophomore or junior years, to be able to be a part of the network and continue these conversations. I’m excited to come back to Fordham and look at what they’ve done over the years,” said Chen.

“The most rewarding part is the feeling of really creating something that’s really going to help other people, myself included,

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yes, but knowing that after my time here at Fordham is done, there will still be something here that I am leaving for other students that will help them tremendously,” said Rojas.

In the spring 2022 semester, the network will host an informational seminar for all students to learn more about first-generation students and their challenges.

They will also have a “meet-andgreet” for first-gen students to meet each other face to face. You can keep up with First Generation Network at their Instagram page: @fordhamfirstgen.

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Fordham’s First Generation Network set up a table for students on Nov. 8, 2021 for National First Gen Day.

This Week at Fordham Wednesday Feb. 23

Wednesday Feb. 23

Thursday Feb. 24

CPS LGBTQ+ Community Support Space

College Democrats

Women’s Herstory Month with OMA

Counseling & Psychological Services is launching an LGBTQ+ support group, which will be held via Zoom every Wednesday. The group is led by two queer-identifying therapists and is open to students of all orientations.

See their office for more information.

College Democrats is holding their weekly meeting this Wednesday to discuss international politics and volunteering with POTS. They will also have a number of internship opportunities available to discuss. Everyone is free to attend.

Zoom 4 p.m.

Dealy 204 8 p.m.– 9 p.m.

Zoom 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Join the Office of Multicultural Affairs in an early celebration of Women’s History Month discussing women in politics and other male-dominated professions. The discussion will be held over Zoom. For more information, see their Instagram, @fordhamoma.

Thursday Feb. 24

Friday Feb. 25

Sundaes & Scrum

S’mores, Hot Chocolate & Coffee Bar

Campbell Multipurpose Room 5 p.m.

The university’s Computer Science Society is holding an event this Thursday, encouraging students to make their own sundaes and learn about Agile software development.

Sign up using the Google form in their Instagram bio, @fordhamcss.

Outside the new Campus Center 1 p.m. –3 p.m.

Commuter Student Services will be concluding their Winter Village week-long event with a s’mores, hot chocolate and coffee bar outside of the new campus center. Make sure to get there early before the line gets too long and unbearable.

NEWS

February 23, 2022

Page 3

Fordham Athletics Begins Title IX Celebrations FROM TITLE IX, PAGE 1

at Fordham. The Women’s Athletic Cornerstone Fund raises awareness and financial support to “achieve excellence across all Fordham women’s programs.” With a fundraising goal of $5,000, many have already donated to show their appreciation of Fordham’s female athletes.

Celebrations will also include networking events and a panel with current female student-athletes and student-athlete alumni, as they discuss their experiences in accordance with what Title IX means to them.

Bowles explained that each female varsity sport will have a Title IX game, highlighting their alumni and program history and acknowledging Fordham’s female coaches, staff and administrators.

These events boast Title IX 50th anniversary t-shirts for all student-athletes, coaches and staff, though that will not overshadow the highlighting of outstanding voices and accomplishments of Fordham’s current and past female student-athletes.

The passage of this landmark legislation came in 1972, a date jarring for many. Indeed, only 50 years have passed since Title IX was put in place to protect against gender discrimination in sports.

Audrey Hayes, FCRH ’25, a female student-athlete on the varsity volleyball team, explained that for her, the significance of Title IX was the fact that it was passed not so long ago, “It has only been 50 years.” Not that long ago, she said she would not feel as protected as she does with this statute in place.

However, even as Hayes expressed her belief that Title IX at Fordham made her feel more protected as a female student-athlete, she spoke of the disparity between how the female and male’s teams are advertised and treated.

Hayes was quick to point out the difference in the advertisement of the events of the women’s basketball team and the men’s basketball team. Since the men’s basketball team brings in more money for the school, its events are advertised on a greater scale. More emails are sent to advertise games and a greater number of signs and fliers are placed in various locations that promote the team. Hayes then said that the women’s sports teams are not given the opportunity to generate the same revenue that the men’s teams do, as their events are not advertised to the same extent.

Matilda Flood, FCRH ’25, is a player on the women’s varsity basketball team who also touched on this disparity. When asked about

her thoughts on whether she thought Fordham did an adequate job on treating the men’s and women’s teams equally, she said that she believed that they were moving in the right direction.

“There’s still a pretty big difference in the little things like the amount of 'merch' we get, the quality of our locker rooms, food and extra things like that,” said Flood, “But we have come a long way from what it used to be at Fordham.”

Flood mentioned how Fordham originally only boasted the men’s basketball team — not even allowing a women’s basketball team to be formed.

The passage of Title IX was arguably one of the most positive and impactful events for women in collegiate sports history. We look back at the student-female athletes whose experiences are impacted by the implementation of Title IX and reflect on their accomplishments and sacrifices. We honor them and their part in inspiring the next generation of female student athletes.

Some of Fordham’s most promising female student-athletes still insist that the university has a long way to go in bridging the gap between the treatment of the men’s and women’s teams.

It has been 50 of progress, with many more to go.

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/THE FORDHAM RAM

Title IX, a landmark act, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of it's passage in June.

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The women's track team, pictured above, is one of Forhdam's sports teams.

Fordham's FUEL Programs Runs Again in 2022

By CEARA PERRY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham University's Emerging Leaders program (FUEL) is a unique opportunity for Fordham students from both Lincoln Center and Rose Hill to strengthen their leadership skills. Students engage in workshops with Fordham staff, alumni President Council members, and employers on topics that aim to enhance their personal skills and assets.

Each semester, this program is intended for students in any year of their undergraduate program, with different tracks for different experience levels.

"Each workshop is about an hour and typically takes a format of 30-45 minute presentation with 15-minute Q&A, said Stephen Esposito, assistant director for leadership and commuter student services in the Office for Student Involvement.

"Depending on the topic, there are interactive team activities, reflections and videos

incorporated into the discussion,” said Esposito. “Two items that are key to this program are personal growth and building a network … students will have the opportunity to learn valuable skills surrounding topics such as wellness, diversity, equity and inclusion work and Ignatian leadership,” said Esposito.

In the past, the FUEL program has offered workshops on building a personal brand, work/life balance, diversity and collaboration.

“Traits such as empathy, compassion and humility are also important, and the FUEL program has taught me to more fully incorporate these into my leadership opportunities,” said Jeffrey Lembo, GSB ’23, a former participant who now works with the program in conjunction with the National Society of Leadership and Success.

“It’s important to challenge yourself and get outside your comfort zone, which the FUEL program helped me to do im-

mensely. Participating in the program is definitely a highlight of my college career and one that I continue to apply knowledge from to this day,” said Lembo.

The program is intended to prepare students for the leadership opportunities they will face throughout the rest of their time at Fordham and beyond. The various topics covered in the workshops give students a well-rounded understanding of what it means to be a leader and “[prepare] students to enter the workforce and excel on internship teams or full-time careers after they graduate,” said Esposito.

Workshop layouts vary from topic to topic. For example, according to the FUEL website, “What’s Love got to do with Leadership?” was a workshop directed by Carol Gibney, director of Campus Ministry for Spiritual and Pastoral Ministries and director of Spiritual

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The Emerging Leader Track within the FUEL program allows new Fordham students become leaders in the community.

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Fordham's FUEL program offers unique leadership oppertunities for students.

Life, Leadership and Service. The workshop focused on Ignatian Leadership, specifically how effective leadership is intertwined with happiness, joy and passion.

This workshop offered experimental group exercises tailored to the subject of the workshop.

This year, there are two tracks that students can apply for, the Emerging Leaders track and the Experienced Leaders track.

The Experienced Leaders track is a new addition to the program, which will help narrow down the intentions and goals of the students involved.

“The reason we implemented two tracks is to meet students where they are in their leadership development journey,” said Esposito.

He explained that the Emerging Leaders track is “for students who are newer to Fordham, want to get involved and want to strengthen their general leadership skills.”

The Experience Leaders track

is for students who have already obtained leadership experiences through internships and jobs.

Esposito added, “The Office for Student Involvement and Leadership Initiatives Committee is investing in building skills, helping unlock potential and instilling values in our undergraduate students during some of the most formative years of their lives.”

Emerging Leaders will receive a FUEL certificate, and the Experienced Leaders will be inducted into the Fordham chapter of the National Society for Leadership and Success. To be eligible students must attend six of the offered workshops and complete a group project.

The program’s next application cycle will be at the beginning of the academic year. The university is offering programs for students in both the fall and spring semesters.

NEWS

Page 4

Fordham Professors Weigh In on UkraineRussia Situation FROM UKRAINE, PAGE 1

towards it, the conflict is still tremendously relevant and significant.

The Soviet Union was a socialist Marxist-Leninist state composed of 15 republics, including Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia. Russia was crippled by the fall of its Soviet Union in 1991, and many upper-level Russian officials, including former Russian intelligence agency KGB officers, have felt a need to reestablish Soviet supremacy over the Eastern Bloc and the Western world.

While history between Russia and Ukraine is far too complicated to summarize at once, their most recent frustrations have been provoked by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) desire to recruit Ukraine into their ranks.

NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance where the members agree to a mutual defense pact should there be an attack by an external party.

In 2014, NATO “suspended” the Russian Federation’s participation in the treaty following their annexation of Crimea, a contested territory between Ukraine and Russia. NATO

called the annexation “illegitimate” and affirmed that Russia’s continued aggression towards Ukraine is not in compliance with international law.

Ukraine and NATO have had a long-standing amiable relationship since the establishment of Ukrainian independence, but it wasn’t until 2017 that Ukraine adopted legislation with the objective of NATO membership.

In 2015, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushed Ukraine’s new National Security Strategy, which lays the groundwork for a “distinctive partnership” with, and membership in, NATO. Russia, however, is terrified of Ukraine joining NATO, and rightly so.

Russian aggression has targeted internationally-recognized Ukrainian territories of Crimea and Donbas; if Ukraine was to join NATO, the organization would prepare an onslaught against the Federation in defense of its member. Joining NATO would also give Ukraine more legitimacy as an independent country, which, although generally accepted in the West, remains contested amongst many Russians

who seek to restore Ukraine as a part of Russia.

Russia believes its claims on Ukrainian territory are legitimate because they are Russophone regions (i.e. regions with majority Russian speakers), despite being within the borders of Ukraine.

Since 2014, Crimea has acted as a part of the Russian Federation through “self-determination,” which Ukraine and international organizations call an illegal occupation.

On the topic of Russo-Ukrainian relations, Nikolayenko quoted Zbigniew Brzezinski, Polish American diplomat and Jimmy Carter’s national security advisor, who stated that “without Ukraine, Russia ceases to be an empire, but with Ukraine suborned and then subordinated, Russia automatically becomes an empire.”

Russia’s power is determined by the status of Ukraine and its rising independence poses an immediate threat to the political strength of Russia. With over 190,000 troops on Ukraine’s eastern border of Donbas, “the biggest mobilization since the Second World War,” seems to be imminent as the Ukrainian government refuses to concede to Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, and his military forces.

Nikolayenko says these tensions “reveal the fragility of the world order,” while Toulouse agrees that “it could be a big enough war to scar Europe.”

Whatever happens, Russia is unlikely to be satisfied and may set its sights on Western powers, such as

February 23, 2022

the United States and the United Kingdom, who stand in their way.

Alternatively, Putin may attempt to conquest other former Soviet republics, a majority of which Russia shares a border with.

By destabilizing Eastern Europe, Putin will be able to establish Soviet hegemony and threaten the sanctity of many international organizations and Western countries, likely forcing them to bend to his will as he conquers the east.

This opens a floodgate of possibilities for countries such as the United States, who will likely receive a massive influx of Ukrainian and Russian refugees should the two countries go head to head.

Without NATO membership, Ukraine will have to rely on its preexisting alliances and good will of the west if they want a chance at defeating Russia. Toulouse concurs, comparing the potential emigration as “consistent with abandoning Afghanistan to the Taliban.” The problem is, as Nikolayenko points out, that Russia is “very savvy at fomenting divisions among Western allies,” which was seen during the Trump administration and America’s friendliness towards Russia. Regardless of what happens, it is surely something to watch. What moves Russia and Ukraine make next will undoubtedly frame the next decade in Europe — if not the world — and show the real power of the Russian Federation.

Remaining knowledgeable, especially as a student in a global capital, is of utmost importance.

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Ukraine faces invasion from Russia.

English Department Introduces New Minor in Fall 2022 FROM MINOR, PAGE 1

opportunity exclusive to English or communication majors.

According to Professor Glenn Hendler, associate chair of the English department, the English major and minor focuses on reading, writing, literature and culture, and the professional and public writing minor is “continuous with that focus.”

However, the new minor will specifically emphasize communicating information in a way that is accessible and clear to the reader.

While most college writing involves writing for an audience of one, the professor, the coursework associated with this minor will teach students how to write for a wider audience in a way that is easy to understand.

“Keeping the public in mind changes the writing,” stated Hendler, “[and] ultimately, the writing is

better.” While the possession of knowledge is conducive to success in the professional world, being able to communicate this knowledge and its importance is critical.

In addition to improving writing skills, the professional and public writing minor will focus on the content that is being communicated.

Professor Crystal Colombini, Fordham’s first dedicated writing and rhetoric specialist, highlighted that the goal of the minor is also to educate and create global citizens that are “thoughtful, conscientious and ethical” about the work they produce.

Communication is important, but respectful communication is even more so.

The goal of the minor is to teach students how to be good professional writers, both in terms of content and morality.

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The PPW minor's coursework will foucs on learning praticial writing skills.

Writing and rhetoric are powerful ways to create change in any discipline, and this minor will allow students to explore the ways in which laws, social contexts and culture can be improved through the effective transmission of ideas.

There are a total of six classes required to complete this minor, including Texts and Contexts, Introduction to Professional Writing, one course denoted as a focused professional and public writing course and three courses designated as professional and public writing courses.

Examples of PPW-focused courses include Writing for Publication and Nonprofit and Advocacy Writing, as well as future courses like Writing for Digital Spaces and Usability and Universal Design.

Examples of PPW-designated courses include Digital Creative

Writing, Performance Criticism and Anti-Racist Methods with future courses that will teach how to write professionally for fields like natural sciences, economics, math, political science and music.

The PPWD attribute will allow students to see which courses will fulfill this requirement.

With the exception of the two required courses, the final four courses are selected by the student.

Therefore, the minor holds many interdisciplinary possibilities and will ultimately strengthen the writing profiles of students with any major or interest.

All of the required coursework will include client-based projects, so students will be working with both real or imagined organizations to genuinely think about that organization’s needs and communicate them through writing.

Coursework will also primarily focus on argumentation and assessing information in a way that is cohesive and coherent.

It is important to remember that coherence doesn’t just apply to public and professional writing, but also to thoughts, interview responses and public profiles like Handshake and LinkedIn. Being able to successfully convey one’s skills, abilities and experience on paper, or on a screen, is more important now than it ever has been.

“The art of being a good writer is valuable in today’s marketplace,” said Professor Mary Bly, chair of the English department.

By pursuing this minor, students will be “eloquent in service of something [they] deeply believe in” while preparing themselves for the professional world.

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Professional and public writing will offically begin in fall of 2022 and will bring new courses with it for students.

NEWS

February 23, 2022

Page 5

Liberty Partnership Program Uplifts Fordham FROM LIBERTY, PAGE 1

was to help students that are in low-income communities get the support and resources that they need to achieve academic goals,” said Jackeysi Benitez, the site administrator for LPP at Fordham.

Fordham students are able to help with the program by volunteering to be a tutor for LPP students.

Many of the students involved in the program are at risk of dropping out of school because of factors like negative peer pressure, foster care, lack of academic income resources or truancy.

Currently, Fordham has five partnerships with middle and high schools in the surrounding Bronx area. LLP is currently offering online tutoring, homework assistance and college readiness workshops. They also organize a summer program for year round assistance.

While academic help is provided by Fordham’s students who volunteer to tutor, the program goes even further. “We provide social and emotional counseling. At Fordham, we are under the department of social work, so we are able to place some of the social work interns, the graduate interns, in our schools,”

said Benitez. “They provide social emotional counseling. They provide a great summer program for the students, where students receive classes in the morning and then enrichment activities.

We do various academic resources, but we also provide social emotional pieces, as well as enrichment pieces, where we take them on trips — like museums and Broadway plays and things of that nature. We are trying to assist the student in as many ways as we can. We want to target as many of their needs.”

Recently, Benitez received an email from a Fordham student, who is a tutor for LPP, about the results of the program.

“She let me know that a parent informed her that the student is performing so much better, and she was really happy about this.

I was really happy for her because there is nothing like helping someone, and you seeing the fruits of their labor. It is such a one of those moments that is like ‘Oh okay, this is why I'm doing this.’ I think it is a win-win for the students — both parties.

The students getting the help and the Fordham students involved,” said Benitez.

Ally Klapak, FCRH ’22, has been tutoring students in LPP since her sophomore year. Since she is in Fordham’s five-year Graduate School of Education track, pursuing a masters in adolescent education, LPP was a perfect fit for her.

“As an aspiring teacher, all the work I do on and off campus revolves around education. Since my freshman year, I have been looking for ways to become more involved in education in the community, so when I saw the flyer for LPP my sophomore year, I eagerly signed up. I’ve stayed with this program for five semesters (and a few summers) because I have really enjoyed building connections with the students and really enjoy tutoring,” said Klapak.

Klapak works with two to three students for the year, and she meets a couple of times a week with them for a one-onone Zoom meeting.

“Some of my favorite memories are my students straying away from their typical homework questions to ask for life advice. This shows me that they really trust and feel supported by me and that I am doing my job,”

said Klapak.

Ashley Blasi, FCRH ’22, has been working with LPP for the past four years, and she has enjoyed getting to know the students.

“I remember before COVID-19, we would actually get to take the students on campus and give them little tours and talk about their futures,” said Blasi. “For kids who didn’t have homework for that day, we would play kickball on Eddie’s or just sit and talk about college or friends/family.”

When the pandemic started, it was hard at first for LPP to transition to online tutoring, but there is now an established online tutoring schema. “The program is very flexible and very intuitive in terms of how to conduct tutoring. They work with you to select which subjects you’ll be focusing on, so you’ll never have to teach something that you don’t know anything about,” said Blasi.

“Last semester was really cool because I got to help one of my students apply to and decide on which colleges she wanted to attend. She actually got into her dream school (Fordham), which I was super excited about,” said Blasi.

Ashley Funes is an 11th grader who attends Bronx High School

for Law and Community Service, is a student who participates in LPP. “LPP has treated me like family, while also providing me with resources that I wouldn’t have access to anywhere else,” said Funes.

“LPP has left a positive impact on my life. Furthermore, I struggled a lot with my mental health in 9th grade and attending LPP’s after-school program helped me feel better about myself,” said Funes Funes stated, “the environment allowed me to do things that I didn't have access to at home. For instance, going to the gym and receiving tutoring.

Also, being around my friends,” said Funes.

Benitez continued, “Fordham University students, under the mission of Fordham, where we want to help each other out, they sign up thinking they are going to help someone with math. It goes beyond just helping someone with math or homework and all that. You are impacting someone’s lives, and you are changing the trajectory of their future by just providing this one-on-one help. It is wonderful,” said Benitez.

Fordham Places Travel Ban on London Centre Students

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Students located at Fordham's London Centre campus have created a petition to oppose the univeristy's decison to impose a travel ban, prohibiting them from leaving Great Britain.

FROM LONDON PAGE 1

dents who are studying in London were well-informed of the travel restrictions and agreed to them as a condition of the program,” said Robert Howe, assistant vice president for communications and special adviser to the president, in a statement to The Fordham Ram. Many students at the London Centre campus have found this ban disruptive and inhibiting in their experience studying abroad.

Bainbridge, who has taken an active role in advocating against the ban, created a petition urging Fordhamt to lift the travel ban.

In addition to starting the petition, Bainbridge has also written a statement to university administrators presenting student perspectives against the travel ban.

According to Bainbridge, the petition has received over 300 signatures, more than the number of students currently studying in London.

The petition gained over 200 signatures the day it was posted.

“Every single student I have spoken to has shared the same senti-

ment. We all, collectively, want to have the travel ban lifted. We finally decided to do something about it, and here we are fighting this ban,” said Bainbridge.

The university argues that the travel ban is in place because of the omicron variant’s unique risks for the London campus.

According to Howe, unlike students on the New York campus, London students infected with COVID-19 would not be able to travel home to quarantine.

Howe claims that because of this, a COVID-19 outbreak at the London campus would be harder to deal with, making a travel ban necessary.

However, many students on the London Centre campus find that the travel restrictions are unnecessary because they do not align with United Kingdom travel restrictions or rules.

On Feb. 11, Boris Johnson, prime minister of the United Kingdom, announced that all fully-vaccinated individuals would not have to test negative for COVID-19 to travel in or out of England and would not have to quarantine upon arrival. In

addition to the government restrictions, Bainbridge also noted that Fordham seems to be one of the only college study abroad programs that has restrictions on travel.

In a statement written to the university, Bainbridge wrote that, “Notre Dame and Boston University’s London campuses have permitted their students to travel as they please.” Additionally, Bainbridge said that Syracuse University lifted its travel ban when Johnson announced the changes to travel protocol. Bainbridge and other Fordham London Centre students have stated that these restrictions have affected their entire study abroad experience.

“As young adults that are soon graduating from Fordham, it is important that we are well-rounded and well educated. Part of our education that we wanted to pursue by going abroad was broadening our cultural horizons. Being able to travel would mean we could better grow into more well-rounded individuals. We could learn

how people from different cultures live,” said Bainbridge.

According to Bainbridge, limiting student travel and their ability to experience other cultures goes against Fordham’s Jesuit values.

“As a Jesuit university, we have been encouraged to learn and experience through all realms of knowledge. Fordham University has always claimed to create a wellrounded individual, but they fall short of that claim with these rules,” said Bainbridge in the statement to university officials.

“These rules have not only stopped us from traveling but have cut short our possible education while abroad. Fordham London Centre’s arbitrary travel ban is inherently against what we stand for as a university.”

Fordham London Centre students have also noted that students have been living in a pandemic for two years. “We are intelligent young adults who should be allowed to make decisions for ourselves. We have been in a pandemic for two years now, so we know how to stay safe and healthy. We are capable

of following COVID-19 protocols while traveling,” said Bainbridge in the statement.

Howe said that the university would consider lifting travel restrictions pending COVID-19 conditions.

“Fordham has managed to hold in-person classes during the pandemic without experiencing serious illness by responding quickly to evolving pandemic conditions.

The university will consider loosening Fordham London travel restrictions when conditions permit,” said Howe. However, this statement runs contrary to what students at the London campus have heard. In the statement to the university, Bainbridge claimed that in a pre-departure meeting, the university claimed “that nothing would make them lift it even if COVID-19 disappeared.”

Bainbridge and students at the London Centre campus hope that the university will hear their requests and reconsider the travel ban through the petition and written statement.

NEWS

Page 6

February 23, 2022

Junior Studies Cures for Parkinson's Disease

By NATALIE FEDDE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jack Flanagan, FCRH ’23, is researching to find a drug for Parkinson’s disease.

According to the student researcher, Parkinson’s is a neurological disease in which the protein alpha-synuclein misfolds, causing proteins to clump together and form an aggregate called a Lewy body. Over time, these aggregates get large enough to disrupt the neurons that form dopamine.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, but it also transmits information to muscle cells.

Flanagan says that when dopamine formation is disrupted, it leads to the muscular issues that are symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

“The goal of my research is to prevent further damage and possibly reverse damage of the neurons that produce dopamine,” said Flanagan.

In order to accomplish this, Flanagan is working with 27 ligands or molecules and testing their ability to disrupt alphasynuclein aggregation. Accord-

ing to Flanagan, this involves working with the protein alphasynuclein as well as smaller molecules that can bind to it to disrupt the aggregation and break apart the clumps.

Flanagan uses computer software to assess how well the ligands bind to the misfolded proteins. This process determines how well the drug would work if made with that certain ligand.

He also tests whether his molecules are able to pass through the blood-brain barrier in the skull to make sure the drug would be able to reach the brain.

As of now, Flanagan has narrowed his research down to focus on 15 specific proteins, but he hopes to narrow it down further before he begins testing in the lab because the molecules are expensive.

After this, Flanagan will be able to combine the ligands with the misfolded proteins in the lab to test how well the molecules function.

“Ideally, the software that I use will show a perfect scenario, but all sorts of things can happen in the lab that mess up the bonds,” said Flanagan. Once he finds the best molecules, Flanagan plans to do atomic force microscopy, a

type of imaging that will allow him to see the protein bound to the ligand.

Flanagan says that this will give him more information about how strong the bonds are and how well the molecules are disrupting the aggregation.

He hopes to finish this stage of research with one or two molecules that successfully disrupt alpha-synuclein.

“A lot of the research people do is building on other people’s research, so hopefully the molecules I find would be a step towards finding a cure for Parkinsons,” said Flanagan.

Flanagan began this research in August 2021 in the research lab of Ipsita Banerjee, Ph.D., a professor and research mentor specializing in biochemistry and its applications in medicine.

Flanagan plans to attend physician assistant school to study psychiatry, so Banerjee suggested a research focus on Parkinson’s since it is a psychiatric disease.

Flanagan will present his research at the Undergraduate Research Symposium in May and hopes to eventually have his research published in a scientific journal.

COURTESY OF UNSPLASH

Flanagan hopes that his research could get published in the Fordham Undergraduate Research Symposium in May.

COURTESY OF JACK FLANAGAN FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Flanagan studies possible drugs that cure Parkinson's.

COURTESY OF UNSPLASH

Jack Flanagan started his research on Parkinson's diease in 2021.

USG Senators Propose Adding Excused Mental Health Day

By SHANNON HUURMAN STAFF WRITER

On Thursday Feb. 17 Fordham University’s Rose Hill United Student Government (USG) held their weekly meeting to discuss underclassmen on campus during spring break.

First Years and sophomores who choose to remain on campus for spring break will have to stay with a junior or senior resident, as first years and sophomore dorms will be closed.

Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Camila Gómez, FCRH ’22, stated that this is the same protocol that was implemented during winter break.

Students who choose to stay with upperclassmen must inform

the Residence Hall Association (RHA) who they will be staying with while campus is closed.

Senator Andy Diaz, FCRH ’25, proposed creating a Google form or spreadsheet to make it easier for underclassmen to see which upperclassmen they could stay with.

Additionally, a new club was proposed to USG this week: The Women’s Network. The Women’s Network is one of the largest collegiate women’s networking organizations in the country.

Their objective on campus is to provide women with an accessible network of contacts to help them secure internships and jobs.

This club will hold weekly meetings.

Senators Kristen Ronan, FCRH ’22, and Emily Kennedy, GSB ’24, proposed the addition of a mental

health day option to the excused absence form.

They said this addition would be an important practice to reduce mental health stigma at Fordham.

Fresh Check day is scheduled for the last Friday in April and will have tables for clubs and committees.

To have a table at Fresh Check day, contact Vice President Farah Elrakhawi.

Campus Activities Board (CAB) is currently planning the 2022 Spring Weekend and a save the date for the formal will be coming out this week.

The Under the Tent theme has been chosen and is set for the weekend of April 23, 2022.

This will be the first in-person Spring Weekend since 2019.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

The Campus Activity Board is currently planning their annual Spring Weekend.

February 23, 2022

Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918

The Fordham Ram is the university journal of record. The mission of The Fordham Ram is to provide a forum for the free and open exchange of ideas in service to the community and to act as a student advocate. The Fordham Ram is published every Wednesday during the academic year to all campuses with a readership of over 12,000 and a web readership of over 300,000.

Website TheFordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu

Editor-in-Chief Ava Erickson Managing Editor Hanif Amanullah Editorial Director Hasna Ceran Production Editor Michael Sluck Multimedia Director Pia Fischetti Business Director Matthew Colucci Copy Chief Amanda Yarolin Assistant Copy Chief Hannah Boring News Editor Isabel Danzis Features Editor Sebastian Diaz Assistant News Editors Samantha Minear Emma Kim Opinion Editor Nicole Braun Assistant Opinion Editors Emma Lipkind Daniella Terilli Culture Editors Elisabeth Murray Kari White Assistant Culture Editor Ilaina Kim Sports Editor Nick Guzman Assistant Sports Editors Thomas Aiello Maddie Bimonte Social Media Director Frances Schnepff Digital Producers Ava Carreiro Justin Charles Sofia Donohue Visual Director Nicoleta Papavasilakis Photo Editors Theodore Wai Nick DeSilva Graphics/Illustrations Cory Bork Faculty Advisor Beth Knobel

Editorial Policy The Fordham Ram’s editorial reflects the editorial board’s opinions or views.

Opinion Policy The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of The Fordham Ram. Submissions Policy The Fordham Ram reserves the right to reject or edit any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Fordham Ram. No part of The Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

OPINION

Page 7

From the Desk | Maddie Bimonte

Staying Hopeful in the Endless Search for an Internship In the spring, there are a good amount of things to be excited about. For some, it is the relief of above 40 degree days. For others, it might be the anticipation of a spring break trip. However, amidst all of the excitement, I can’t help but stress about one thing in particular: finding a summer internship.

The search for an internship always humbles me and makes me enter an obsessive relationship with the perfection of my resume. Will this attract a potential company? Did I include all of the keywords that will ensure a system will not automatically pass me by? Focusing on these aspects can become demoralizing, especially when you hear nothing back.

Over the last two summers, I have applied for about 30 internships. I only ever heard back from two — and one ended up being a rejection letter. Even now, I currently have no offers for the summer, and time is ticking.

There’s a folder on my laptop called “internships” that is packed to the brim with countless cover letters as well as four or five copies of a resume. Also in that folder are 10 different application websites, where I have been frantically checking the sta-

tus of my applications daily.

At some point last year, I had to ask myself what I might be doing wrong. I always had everything the internship required and submitted my application months in advance.

More often than not, the company did not want the cookiecutter persona I presented myself as. I was the person who used every recommended template for a resume and the same five words to describe themselves, just as anyone else.

It was an article by NPR that switched my thinking. I simply faded into the sea of applicants, and it didn’t matter how qualified I was. Someone else would always be as qualified as me or more.

So, how could I stand out? I’ve learned my greatest tool for doing this is to have confidence. I’m a naturally shy person, and I’m sure many of the people applying for internships are as well.

But when you are competing against thousands of applicants, you have to make it seem like you are confident, even if you’re not.

As I kept applying, I would get more and more frustrated with the lack of contact the employer would give me. So what did I do?

I started emailing them and rein-

troducing myself. I used my frustration to my benefit and started making my presence known rather than my generic resume.

Another important thing to remember is you don’t need a prestigious internship to be successful. My first internship was with a small group of writers for a sports blog, and I loved every second of it. I was able to improve my writing skills and do it in such a unique way where I was not restricted by 9-5 work days or rigid rules to follow. I still got to travel over the summer and enjoy the hot days on the beach as I wrote articles. Even more importantly, I met tons of people from across the country and all walks of life. I also learned how to network, something I never would have imagined being relevant to me before.

I’m sure someone has told you at least once that the best way to find a job or internship is to network; they are not kidding. Most of the people I network with, I barely know. We’ve exchanged names, similar interests and a shared love for sports teams or music. But that is all it takes for someone to remember you. That small positive memory someone has of you can change the game when it comes down to a company deciding between you and someone else.

While my search continues, I’m a little more optimistic this year. I’m sure many people have been in my shoes and thousands more will be during this internship season. Hopefully, this time, I’ll have success getting an internship. Most importantly, I’m hoping it’ll be paid.

Editorial | Print Media

Print Papers Prone to Passage If you’re a member of the Fordham community at the Lincoln Center or Rose Hill campuses, you may be lucky enough to be reading these words in print. We can assure you that we find this quite gratifying, since we pride ourselves on our attention to our paper’s layout and distribution across both campuses. However, it’s more likely that you’re reading this online, on our website, in one of our frequent social media postings or in our weekly briefing.

How likely? The American Press Institute suggests that if you’re between the ages of 18 and 49, you’re nearly equally as likely to be a digital subscriber as you are a physical one. When you consider that The Fordham Ram’s print edition is pretty geographically contained, we end up with around 90% of our readership coming from visits to our website.

As a result, the importance of our internet presence isn’t lost on us. The reality of the direction that not just us, but every newspaper, is likely to be taking in the future has been weighing heavily in our minds.

Simply put, the print newspaper industry is in trouble.

Online communication is so instant and casts such a wide net, it’s difficult to justify paying for a print paper when all of the world’s information is at your fingertips. Local papers all over the country are either struggling to survive or disappearing, and survivors face

declining revenue. According to the Pew Research Center’s “Newspaper Fact Sheet,” print circulation declined around 15% in 2020, while digital circulation increased around 25%.

Subscriptions to online papers are steadily increasing, as is the percentage of digital revenue versus that of physical revenue.

People want their news, people want a lot of it and people want it fast.

One problem that the newspaper industry is having, despite the fact that a higher percentage of revenue comes from digital publication, is that online newspapership simply doesn’t bring in the same amount of revenue as print ads once used to.

However, this isn’t necessarily a problem for The Fordham Ram. We have no stock, no shareholders and no benevolent sponsors outside of Fordham University.

As important as advertising in print is to us, it doesn’t put food on anyone’s table, and the money saved from phasing out printing would likely outweigh any advertising in print.

It is beneficial in many ways for a newspaper to go fully online, and we can’t pretend that’s not the direction the industry is planning to take.

We know, we know, everyone heard the same spiel about paper media going extinct when e-readers first started gaining traction. And considering the print book seems here to stay, how threatened could newspapers be?

The problem with that statement is that print books have two advantages over newspapers when it comes to keeping their relevance: sentimentality and length. Sentimentality is easy enough to grasp. There’s a certain nostalgia and elegance associated with paper books that simply isn’t there for newspapers. Everyone goes on about the unique scent of old books and the inherent joys of going to a bookstore, but very few wax romantic about the yellowed hue of last week’s paper. A man who collects paper books has a library; a man who collects old newspapers has — more often than not — a hoarding problem.

Let’s face it, when The New York Times has a crossword and Wordle online, there’s little incentive to tuck a newspaper into your tote bag.

With all this in mind, what is it that keeps us at the Ram from going fully online?

A love of the craft, mostly. The knowledge that some people

still do prefer to read a printed paper, and that our publication can still reach them. How fun it can be to just flip through a paper students worked to create, and the feeling of reading an article you wouldn’t have clicked on, just because it caught your eye as you were skimming.

Above all, the service we provide is to the proud parents of Fordham students who contribute to the paper, parents that surely proudly hang every printed article their angel brings home on the fridge.

Still, there’s a not-insignificant chance that The Fordham Ram may soon become a largely digital publication sometime in the future. If you’re reading this on print, though, don’t despair, it’s not going to be any time soon.

We hope it’s not too soon, anyway. As much as we’d like to get the Ram out to as many people as we can, we the editorial board, clearly have mixed feelings about the thought of deprioritizing our beloved printed paper.

OPINION

Page 8

February 23, 2022

What Fordham President-Elect Tania Tetlow Means For the University

COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS

President-elect Tania Tetlow signifies a break from Fordham tradition.

By KEAGAN OSTOP

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham’s newly appointed president Tania Tetlow is changing the university’s history by becoming the first layperson and female president elected. Her plans for the school are uncertain, but her connection to the Jesuits is not.

The positive statement of change is only semi-reflective of emotions regarding the demographic change for the university president.

Some older alumni and donors were not exhilarated with the board’s decision to

stray from ordained members of the Jesuit community. Rev. Joseph F. McShane, S.J., president of the university, explained that the decision to look beyond the Jesuit order and to consider Tetlow was a unanimous decision of the search committee.

He further justified the change as a result of the decrease in Jesuits worldwide.

Prior to introducing Tetlow, McShane went on to explain the search committee’s unanimous decision to elect the non-ordained candidate. With only 2,036 Jesuits currently in the United States, primarily over the age of 70, and

only 34 new members this year, McShane explained that the search committee had to make a decision that was in the best interest of the university.

So why is Tetlow in the best interest of the university?

Tetlow’s presidency is not only a shift from Jesuit leadership but also male leadership. Personally, I would have expected the first layperson president to be male, but am excited to see this appointment breaking historical barriers. If the university had elected a 70-year-old Jesuit, it may have restricted future growth, as many students move away from traditional forms of faith. The decision to hire Tetlow solidifies the university’s desire to do what is best for a diverse community rather than what is expected or traditional.

The search committee felt confident that Tetlow’s skill set would be enough to overcome objections for changing the historic face of the university. Yet, during her introduction, Tetlow spent most of her time justifying her future position at the university. Tetlow explained the connection

she has to Fordham and the Jesuits rather than the plans she has for the university.

Tetlow’s father spent 17 years as a Jesuit before pursuing marriage and starting a family. Her parents met as graduate students at Fordham. Tetlow said that although she did not attend a Jesuit institution, she grew up with Jesuit principles like cura personalis.

Due to pushback from older alumni and donors on the committee’s decision to elect a non-ordained president, Tetlow’s focus was on winning them over by proving her connection to Jesuits and Fordham.

As a current student, I was excited for the change in demographic and wished she had spent more time explaining her plans on adjusting to Fordham life and her plans for the university’s future.

I hope that during her time as president Tetlow focuses on making a change on campus, especially as things slowly return to normalcy from COVID-19. Socially, the school has a lot of opportunities for growth with getting students more involved in

community-based activities and participating in outreach in the local Bronx community. McShane put a lot of focus on expanding the university’s diversity, and I would love to see Tetlow continue on that path.

At the moment, what Tetlow will bring to the university is uncertain. Once in office, I hope Tetlow makes changes and does not sidetrack opportunities for growth by spending her entire time justifying her position as president.

It was a matter of time before Fordham chose a leader apart from the Jesuit order.

By having the face of the university be a layperson, it is easier for non-religious students to feel comfortable and included in the community.

Tetlow marks a change from the traditional Jesuit order. In the future, I hope she means growth and opportunity socially, academically and spiritually for all Fordham students.

Keagan Ostop, FCRH ’25, is a journalism major from West Hartford, Conn.

Prince Harry Doesn’t Deserve Scrutiny Over His Mental Health Struggles

By CAROLYN BRANIGAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

People from all different kinds of social and economic backgrounds experience mental health issues. From the top 1% to low-income households, mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety affect everyone equally.

As such, Prince Harry’s openness to discuss his own problems should not come

as a surprise. Countless celebrities have similarly recounted the tales of their struggles in an effort to maintain transparency with their communities and to create a more understanding atmosphere.

In Prince Harry’s case, his effort to aid others going through similar struggles was met with unnecessary hostility, which I find incredibly puzzling. The media is consistently encouraging people to

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Prince Harry uses meditation to cope with his mental illness.

come out with stories of their mental health battles. In fact, the majority of celebrities who are open about their mental health conditions are met with resounding praise from reporters and fans alike.

Furthermore, there was no part of what Prince Harry said that should have caused any sort of controversy. He did not diminish any other person’s struggles by painting his own as more severe and even went as far as to share a coping strategy that he found to be instrumental in his recovery with the hopes that others would find it to be useful. The resource he mentioned is not something that is hard to come by: meditation.

Meditation is not an exclusive commodity that only the wealthy can afford. It can be done just about anywhere and with any kind of budget.

Many content creators, such as the Honest Guys, create different kinds of meditations for specific purposes and goals, all available for free on YouTube. From better sleep to simply unwinding after a stressful event or day, there are over 400 different meditations that these creators offer to the public; these

meditations are not time consuming either. Ranging from a few minutes to over three hours, there is a free meditation available for just about every lifestyle.

Moreover, many scientific studies have expressed support for meditative efforts to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Although there is still much to learn in regards to mental illness, meditation has been strongly linked to a reduction in negative thoughts. Though it is by no means a cure-all, a fact which Prince Harry made clear, it can definitely lead to marked improvement in the emotional state of those suffering conditions like depression. It can be an incredibly effective coping mechanism for people who might not otherwise have one.

I was shocked to discover that the criticism Prince Harry faced was because of his background. Though he is undoubtedly wealthier than »most, the accusations that he doesn’t do anything or doesn’t have to work a day in his life are rather closedminded. As a royal, he is bound to follow a very strict, specific itinerary day to day with little time for relaxation.

Not to mention, his entire childhood, as well as his current personal life, has been subjected to media scrutiny, a facet of life which affords him very little privacy. This, in turn, could more than adequately explain the burnout the Prince feels.

In addition to the stress of growing up as a royal in the public eye, it is important to remember that mental health struggles do not only happen to a specific group of people.

While there are specific cases in which conditions such as depression and anxiety can be traced back to a traumatic event, the reasons for these conditions are often firmly outlined.

Depression and anxiety don’t care about how rich you are or about how hard you work.

Regardless of his fame, Prince Harry is just as likely to suffer from mental health issues as any other person. To attack and criticize him for his vulnerability is insensitive. He is entitled to share about his struggles like everyone else.

Carolyn Branigan, FCRH ’24, is an English and film major from Tinton Falls, N.J.

OPINION

February 23, 2022

Page 9

Kamila Valieva’s Coach and Country Failed Her

By TAYLOR MASCETTA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva dreamed of becoming an Olympic champion. Now, that very dream may have been the cause of her own destruction, but not through any fault of her own.

Just weeks ago, the world considered Valieva the “Golden Girl” of the Beijing Olympic Games. Renowned for her flawless technique, Valieva came into the Games as the heavy favorite to take home the gold in women’s figure skating. Things were looking up for her, especially after she led the Russians to gold in the team event and placed first in the short program.

But then the world came crashing down.

In the midst of the Games, news emerged that Valieva tested positive for a banned substance when the results of a December drug test were released. They found trimetazidine in her system, which can affect metabolism in a way that boosts skeletal, muscle and heart performance.

After an initial suspension, the International Olympic Committee decided to end the suspension and allow Valieva to continue competing in the women’s event, saying that barring her from the competition would cause her “irreparable harm.” However, if she placed in the top three, the medal ceremony would be canceled as the investigation continued.

The world went into an uproar, as skaters and fans alike questioned why an athlete already busted for cheating could be allowed to compete.

USA Today called it a “slap in the face to all of those athletes doing it the right way.”

American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, who could not compete at the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for marijuana

(a non-performance enhancing drug), took to Twitter to criticize the situation. “Can we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation and mines?” she wrote.

“My mother died and I can’t run and was also favored to place top 3. The only difference I see is I’m a black young lady.”

Valieva quickly became a figure everyone wanted to see defeated, a representation of everything wrong in the sport. Here’s the thing. Kamila Valieva is 15 years old.

She may not have known what was going on around her. She lives in a nation that, time and time again, bends the rules to enhance their athletes in order to win at all costs. Even if Valieva knew she was consuming a banned substance, she lives in a nation that uplifts the act. As a young, impressionable teenager, having every adult figure in your life saying that it’s okay will condition you into believing the same.

I wholeheartedly place the blame on every single adult around her for allowing this to happen.

At this point in time, Valieva is the greatest skater in the world, with or without the drugs coursing through her system. Despite this, the people around her did not trust her enough to succeed without a performance-enhancing drug. Their hunger for gold overpowered Valieva herself, and it’s evident after watching her final free skate.

The performance was uncharacteristic for a girl known for perfection. Valieva failed to land nearly every jump, tumbling to the ice in an exhausted heap on multiple occasions. After wrapping up her performance with a half-hearted wave to the crowd, Valieva collapsed into tears and skated off the ice with her head in her hands. She looked to her coach, Eteri Tutberidze, for com-

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was under fire for doping, but was still allowed to compete in Beijing.

fort, only to receive coldness in return. “Why did you let it go?”

Tutberidze snapped in Russian.

“Why did you stop fighting? Explain it to me, why? You let it go after that axel.” Valieva did not reply.

Tutberidze is known for her strict regime over Russian figure skating, which produces some of the world’s greatest skaters. Yet, she destroys countless young girls to do so. Her athletes are widely known as “oneand-done’s,” retiring at increasingly younger ages, riddled with chronic injuries, ruined menstrual cycles and severe eating disorders.

Yet Tutberidze always comes home with world and Olympic titles to her name, and the International Skating Committee adores her. She is showered with awards while scarring her athletes for life. At the end of the day, most people care about the performances they watch, not the well-being of the skaters performing them.

It’s obvious that Tutberidze’s athletes are conditioned to believe that anything but the gold

is worthless. The second-place winner, Alexandra Trusova, completely broke down after winning silver, screaming that she would never skate again and accusing Tutberidze of sabotaging her choreography. At first glance, this looks like the reaction of a sore loser. I don’t see it that way.

Instead, I see a girl completely broken by the system, forced into a mindset where winning is the only acceptable outcome.

Meanwhile, reigning world champion Anna Shcherbokova won the gold, yet she sat completely alone as officials announced her victory. The look on her face was haunting. An Olympic champion should be jumping for joy, yet Shchebokova told reporters she instead felt empty inside. Winning is still not enough.

As for Valieva, she fell to fourth place and missed the podium entirely. In a country that replaces their athletes for the next big thing like clockwork, her Olympic dreams may be dashed forever.

I can’t even imagine how this entire situation will affect this teenager in the long run. After

seeing her coaches’ reactions, they’ll likely push Valieva to put all the blame onto herself.

I’m an athlete. I’m all-too-familiar with that toxic “win at all costs” mentality. It crushes you and makes you wonder if you’ll ever be good enough for the people around you. But what about how I feel about my own athletic ability? I’ve learned that victory is not the point of sports. It may seem like the best possible scenario, but if you don’t love what you’re doing, is it really worth it?

Sports are about both relationships and the skills you develop along the way, as cheesy as it sounds. At the end of the day, a medal is just a medal.

I can only hope Valieva can escape the toxic cycle she’s embroiled in.

In my eyes, all Tutberidze cares about is winning the gold.

She couldn’t care less about the 15-year-old girl she has utterly destroyed.

Taylor Mascetta, FCRH ’23, is a journalism major from Danbury, Conn.

OPINION

Page 10

February 23, 2022

Euphoria Season Two Portrays Difficult Issues with Caution, Not Glorification

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Euphoria’s main character, Rue Bennett (Zendaya), continues to struggle with drug addiction in season two.

By GRACE CAMPBELL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Happy Euphoria Day!” is the phrase that trends every Sunday in preparation for a new episode of the HBO Max hit show “Euphoria.” This January, the show returned with its highly anticipated second season, two years after the release of season one.

The show follows a group of high school students as they navigate friendships, drugs, sex and relationships. While Euphoria is arguably the most popular show of our generation, ever since the season first came out, it has been

under fire for glamorizing drug use among high school students.

Recently, Drug Abuse and Resitance Education (DARE) released a statement claiming that the show “chooses to misguidedly glorify and erroneously depict high school student drug use, addiction, anonymous sex, violence and other destructive behaviors as common and widespread in today’s world.” This claim does not come as a surprise, as many people expressed the same concern, especially since the show is so popular among teeangers.

When Euphoria’s first season came out in 2019, viewers were

drawn in due to its colorful, glittery aesthetic. The group of teenagers are seen casually consuming MDMA and other drugs recreationally while in a carnival house of mirrors, or covered in glittery blue and purple-hued make-up. Many argued that the eye-catching aesthetic of the show aids in the glamorization of drug use. I would agree with critics who say that Euphoria has been guilty of glamorizing substance use in season one; however, the drug abuse depicted by the main character Rue Bennett (Zendaya) is anything but glamorous. The show depicts Rue as

she gets out of rehab following an overdose, refusing to stay clean and then struggling to avoid drugs despite the strain it causes on her relationships.

Now in season two, there are hardly any characters who use drugs for fun; instead the only times drugs are seen is when it comes to addicts like Rue and the dealers she finds herself in trouble with. Instead of being confronted with pink and purple glittery highs, the show feels overall darker, from the lighting, mood and the topics the show deals with.

The characters are no longer seen taking acid while riding a ferris wheel at a carnival; instead, we see Rue struggling with her addiction and the effect it has on everyone in her life. Every Sunday, viewers have been confronted with the harsh reality of drugs and addiction. Arguably the most moving episode of the entire show so far is season two, episode five. This episode follows Rue as her friends and family confront her about using drugs again, causing them to flush them down the toilet. Rue has a lengthy monologue, screaming and crying at her mother, sister and girlfriend as she experiences withdrawal. She is seen jumping out of a car, running from the po-

lice and ends up at a dangerous drug dealer’s apartment in order to get a fix. After watching this episode, there is no way someone could say that Euphoria glamorizes drug use and addiction. Instead, the show portrays the dark truths of what addiction can do.

In response to the comments made by DARE, Zendaya, who is both the lead actress and an executive producer, put out a statement in Entertainment Weekly reminding fans of the show’s nature. She said that the goal of the show is to educate and to help people feel less alone. She has also reminded viewers that the show dives into some very mature topics, which they should keep in mind when deciding to watch.

On top of that, every episode begins with a trigger warning and ends with a number to call if you are struggling with addiction.

“Euphoria” does its part to protect its viewers while still getting their own message across.

It is up to the individual viewer to decide if that content is going to be too much or triggering for them to see.

Grace Campbell, FCRH ’25, is undecided from Northborough, Mass.

Feminism: It’s the Final Frontier

By HASNA CERAN

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

If you already hate this article based on the title, I get it. Every time I read an article about “sexist geeks” written after 2010, I have to roll my eyes. For one, if you’re talking about sexist geeks, you’re either talking about an imagined enemy faction, or random dudes with hobbies. And

we have a word for random sexist dudes with hobbies. We call them sexist men.

“Geek” was hardly an identity to begin with, and it’s even less of one now.

It’s no secret that the idea of “subculture” as we know it is on its last legs. Punk is dead, hipsters faded out and TikTok is currently beating the corpses of scene and emo. Everything hap-

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The Theiss Titillation theory: sexy, sexist and a staple of Star Trek.

pens so much, and it happens too fast for a subculture to really take root. Popular “geek” culture today — in this article, I’ll be focusing mostly on the genre of science fiction — is nothing but a shallow expression of empty and wasteful commercialism. It’s dull and lacks any sort of originality or willingness to build on what it has created. The whole scene, or what remains of it, is built on a tower of Funko Pops.

All of that, and it still manages to keep its reputation for sexism.

A reputation that is still not entirely undeserved.

There’s a reason the Golden Age of science fiction focused so much on sex (for the ’50s, anyway). It was a natural pushback to the puritanism of the major pulp magazines, up until John Campbell’s tenure as editor in “Astounding Stories of SuperScience,” better known as “Analog Science Fiction and Fact.”

Once Campbell took over, readers would see fewer beetle-like aliens on the cover and many more bodacious babes.

So sure, science fiction as we know it was built by women.

Women marketed to men and boys. Women as objects, eye candy, damsels, miniskirted captains, demure android maids and Venusian vixens. Women as a simulacrum.

I’ll say this in fewer words: the fundamental works that the genre is built on display an abundance

of females, but revel in a lack of women.

As much as people will cite Mary Shelley as the first science fiction author, I find this to be an unfair copout to a very valid criticism of the devaluation of female voices in the genre. No one hears “science fiction” and thinks of Frankenstein’s monster hiding in the woods and learning French.

The images that come to mind — rayguns, outer space, scantilyclad women being abducted by aliens — are more likely to hail from the pulp magazines of the 1940s and ’50s.

And if the average person on the street can recognise Ursula K. Le Guin for the icon she is, I’ll eat my shiny silver space helmet.

They are far more likely to think of Dick and his audacious usage of the term “melons,” Asimov the dirty old man, Roddenberry the womanizer, Heinlein and Bradbury, the patron saints of tunnel vision and archetypes. Ellison the … well … Ellison. Men that are better able to relate to aliens in their fiction than they are able to relate to women in their everyday lives.

Honestly, it’s fine that the original Star Trek is sexist sometimes.

The Theiss Titillation Theory wasn’t coined for nothing. It’s still quite progressive for its time, and I can’t necessarily say the insistence of having women in skimpy outfits for the precious male demographic is enough to take

away from its genuine contributions to the genre. Sure, Asimov’s Dr. Susan Calvin is described multiple times as being “homely,” and this is used to mock her, but I was genuinely excited to find that Asimov had deigned to have a female character be a scientist at all, let alone an authority figure.

Every time Hienlein decides to have something horrible happen to a helpless woman just because, I can look past it because the work is just that good.

The issue with the sexism in these properties is the way in which everyone absolutely refuses to acknowledge any tarnish on their golden calf.

The classics are a product of their times, which I have no problem with. My problem is with the expectation that women are simply being petulant when they are uncomfortable with the way the genre’s most beloved works treat them. Because what was in the past is never contained to the past. Science fiction is a self-referential genre it has its own tropes and themes and cliches to call on. It constantly regurgitates the classics of the past. These works don’t just go away. Any woman that wants to get into the genre gets these authors recommended to them. It’s only fair that she gets to call it like she sees it.

Hasna Ceran, FCRH ’24, is a Middle Eastern studies and economics major from San Jose, Calif.

CULTURE

February 23, 2022

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Ram’s Review Books | Paola Galiano

Celebrating the Classics with “Dorian Gray”

By JULIANNA MORALES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.”

If you’ve ever taken an interest in reading books that have been subject to book bans, this

is a good place to start. “The Picture of Dorian Gray” tells the story of the artist Basil Hallward as he becomes entranced and obsessed with his portraits of Dorian Gray. He views Dorian as his muse and paints him several times, often depicting him in a heroic role of some sort.

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“The Picture of Dorian Gray” continues to explore the true cost of beauty.

The first portrait, which opens the novel, is the most accurate image of Dorian. Basil explains to Lord Henry Wotton that he believes the piece holds too many of his feelings about Dorian. Lord Henry holds a different opinion, referring to the portrait as Basil’s masterpiece. However, in his expression of this thought to Dorian, he preaches to him the beauty of youth. This causes Dorian to resent the picture, thinking he will one day mourn the features he has now.

In his panic, Dorian offers up his soul as a trade if the portrait will be burdened by aging rather than himself. Over the following weeks, Lord Henry continues to influence Dorian, pushing him to seek out as much pleasure as possible while he can. This deeply upsets Basil, who is worried about the impact of these actions on his dear friend. His objections grow when Dorian becomes engaged to an actress, Sibyl Vane. It is clear that Basil is envious of this relationship.

The love Sibyl feels for Dorian overwhelms her to the point of not being able to act as she doesn’t know how to fake love

now that she has the real thing.

Unfortunately, Sybil’s acting is what Dorian loved about her, and he ends up calling off the engagement. Afterwards, he notices the portrait’s expression has morphed into a sneer, and he realizes that the image is representing the effects of his behavior along with his aging.

Dorian hides the portrait to stop anyone from seeing it morph as he continues to spiral down a path of sinful behavior. 18 years pass before Dorian is forced to confront the damage he has done to his soul for the sake of staying young. He wrestles with his regret of his actions and where to go from there. For the sake of inspiring interest, I will not reveal the outcome.

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” has an interesting history behind it. The book was first published in a shorter form for a magazine before being adapted into a novel. However, when it was adapted, Wilde was working with an editor to edit out the homosexual themes expressed in the book, mainly by Basil. At the time, homosexuality was still a punishable crime, and the original

Br0nx Business Highlight | L’Nox Cafe

writing was not considered appropriate.

The magazine version can still be found and it is clear that Wilde pushed to preserve as much of the theme as he could. For example, early on Lord Henry asks Basil how often he sees Dorian and Basil replies, “Every day. I couldn’t be happy if I didn’t see him every day. He is absolutely necessary to me.” Wilde was imprisoned for homosexuality later in his life, and his passion for expressing such feelings is evident in his work.

Banned books cover stillprevalent issues that people have tried to push away and hide in numerous ways; literature is an interesting way to interact with such topics.

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” also acts as a good starting point to dive into classics. The language is a little outdated and can be challenging to follow at times, but the plot and characters are engaging, regardless of the novel’s age. It is a relatively quick read and shows that it is possible to enjoy classic literature, despite the reputation it sometimes gains in English classes.

Local Cafe Combines Caribbean and Dominican Influences

By EMILY HUEGLER

CONTRIBUTING WRTIER

The kitchen of Johanna and Jasmine De La Rosa-Ramos has the well-organized yet chaotic feel of a Thanksgiving morning right before guests arrive.

Jasmine can be found beside a large cutting board, chopping cheese and rolling meats; her wife Johanna is just outside, grilling 200 pieces of chicken under a large tent and Jasmine’s mother Elvira De La Rosa stands at the stove cooking a pot of coconut rice and peas. The savory and slightly sweet smell of Elvira’s signature dish hangs in the air as she spoons it into a silver catering tray. This is the headquarters of L’Nox Cafe on the morning of a catering event. A Caribbean fusion mobile cafe, the De La Rosa-Ramoses run L’Nox Cafe from their own home in the East Bronx. According to Jasmine, on a normal weekday their preparation begins at 6 a.m. and by 10 a.m. they load themselves and their dishes onto the L’Nox Cafe food truck and park outside Jacobi Hospital on Pelham Parkway.

Sometimes, they immediately begin selling to loyal customers, who will take whatever is hot.

Jasmine and Johanna started L’Nox Cafe almost three years ago, and in addition to running their food truck, they cater events and festivals around New York City. Johanna is the

head chef, and Jasmine is the chief financial officer, but all the De La Rosa women help each other out. They all have a specialty: Johanna makes the jerk chicken, Jasmine makes the mac and cheese and Elvira makes the coconut rice and peas. “People get so upset when it sells out,” Johanna said of Jasmine’s mac and cheese. “It’s — oh my god.”

Jasmine is so familiar with the recipe that she can immediately tell when she adds too much or little of an ingredient, before she even tastes it. “I’m a person that can smell when something is not right before I taste it,” she said. “When you’re making it every single day, you just know.”

The De La Rosa-Ramoses draw inspiration for their recipes from their Jamaican and Dominican roots and perfect them through trial and error.

“A lot of the stuff on our menu is what we’ve already fed our family and they’ve approved,” Jasmine said. “Our families are our guinea pigs. If they would have said, ‘Listen, this does not work,’ then we would have never put it on the menu because our families — people — those are our customers.” Their son Christopher said he often tries his mothers’ more ambitious creations and trial runs them with his friends and co-workers.

“I’ve always been somewhat of a picky eater,” he said. “My mom

knows that if something gets by me it will probably get by most of the public.”

The family’s Caribbean roots inspire more than their menu — they inspire their philosophy on food as well. “In a Caribbean-Spanish household, food is comfort. When things are great, you eat. When things are sad, you eat,” Jasmine said.

“Food brings you happiness; it can bring you closeness; it can bring you whatever.”

In addition to taste-testing, the entire De La Rosa family also works festivals and events together. “At every festival we do, our family is our employees.

They work for the food and the music,” Johanna said. “Every

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Johanna and Jasmine De La Rosa-Ramos opened L’Nox Cafe to share their Carribean-Dominican fusion food with NYC.

time we get together, it’s a party.”

In 2019, both Johanna and Jasmine quit their jobs in the healthcare field to begin working at L’Nox Cafe full-time. Jasmine said that it was scary when they first started and is still scary today. “You just never know. One day I can make $50, and the next day I can make $500,” she said. “But we’re lucky to have a really, really good team,” Johanna added. “Our family stands behind us 150%.”

Jasmine said that hers and Johanna’s previous experience in the healthcare field has served them well in their mobile cafe business because of the community they formed with their patients and co-workers. “You know who they are, who their family members are,” she said.

“It’s almost the same thing in the truck. These people start to know you, and you start to know their orders. Before they even walk up to the truck, you’re already serving them: ‘I know you want a cream soda today,’ and things like that.”

L’Nox Cafe is a regular stop for many of the healthcare workers at Jacobi Hospital and local Bronxites. When Johanna was asked about her future plans for L’Nox Cafe, she said she would love to expand all over the country. “But baby steps,” she said. “One day at a time. Slowly but surely we’d love to expand to maybe a lounge or a restaurant.

Ask that question in a year, and let’s see where we’re at.”

CULTURE

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February 23, 2022

Editor’s Pick | Literature

Short Stories Provide Literary Escape for Students

By AVA ERICKSON EDITOR IN CHIEF

In the height of the academic semester, when I often go days without picking up a book for fun, I frequently find myself drawn to short story collections. Short stories allow you to fully enjoy and immerse myself into a story without the pressure of committing to an entire book.

Writing a good short story — developing characters, plot, setting and theme in just a few pages — requires incredible talent. As we enter midterm season, I thought I would share some of my favorite short story collections (and my favorite stories from them) for when you need that 15-minute study break.

My all-time favorite short story collection is “Homesick for Another World” by Ottessa Moshfegh. The stories revolve around generally unlikable characters who, as the title suggests, want something different from life. They’re all dissatisfied, but refuse to make a change. As the reader, you want them to take initiative and find joy in life, but you’re not surprised when they don’t, because they are pathetic and often cruel. The stories are gritty and unsettling, and Moshfegh’s exploration of humanity and relationships is incredibly blunt.

As gross and uncomfortable as these stories are, they are refreshing in a time when books, movies and TV shows often glorify mental illness and addiction.

Some of my favorite stories from this collection include, “Bettering Myself,” which fol-

lows a Catholic school teacher who hates her job, her students and her ex-husband and “The Weirdos,” which surrounds a very odd couple who don’t really seem to like each other all that much. Perhaps the most impactful story in the collection is “The Beach Boy,” a story about a wealthy couple who take a vacation to an island.

While the story is ultimately about grief, the underlying theme of obsession is powerful. The wife becomes obsessed with the male prostitutes on the island they visit, and the husband becomes obsessed with a photo taken by the wife. Ultimately, both of their obsessions are fueled by fear of the unknown, whether it be fear of an unfamiliar place or fear of an unsolvable mystery.

“Homesick for Another World” is avant-garde and unusual, for a more traditional collection of stories, I usually turn to “Everything that Rises Must Converge,” a southern gothic collection by Flannery O’Connor which was posthumously published in 1965.

Like Moshfegh, O’Connor explores people and relationships through her stories. The title story, “Everything that Rises Must Converge,” follows two deeply flawed characters, a mother and son. The mother is racist and cruel and the son constantly tries to agitate and provoke her by publicly displaying his self-proclaimed “progressiveness.” While this story was written long before the word “woke” came into our vernacular, O’Connor expertly reveals the flaws in the liberal desire to be “woke.”

Another fantastic story in “Everything that Rises Must Converge” is “Parker’s Back,” which explores the relationship between a fundamentalist Christian woman and her husband who is covered from head to toe in tattoos and rejects his religious upbringing.

The story explores themes of faith, love, identity and revenge through these expertly crafted characters.

For a newer collection I recommend “Skinship” by Yoon Choi (published 2021), named after a Korean slang word which refers to platonic physical intimacy among family or friends. While I try not to judge books by their covers, I have to mention how beautiful the cover of this book is. It depicts two silhouettes hugging on a striking black background. The cover perfectly prepares the reader for the breathtaking warmth and intimacy of these stories.

The eight stories follow vastly different characters, from an older married couple to a teenage boy to a piano teacher, but they are all anchored to the themes of grief, loss and family. Choi’s use of language throughout the book is compelling; she frequently discusses common Korean phrases and how their translations into English affect their meaning: “His goal was to make money. ‘Make money’ was one of the American phrases he had picked up, and it sounded strange in translation because the Korean idiom was to earn it.”

My final recommendation is “Slow Days, Fast Company: The World, the Flesh, and L.A.: Tales” by Eve Babitz. This is

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“My Year of Rest and Relaxation” conveys existentialism and hopelessness.

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Moshfegh’s “Homesick for Another World” is a gritty exploration of humanity.

definitely the lightest collection in this list. It is funny and incredibly entertaining. The stories are semi-fictionalized accounts of Babitz’s life in Los Angeles in the 1960s and ’70s. Babitz was the it-girl of L.A. and her stories reveal her personality so well, you’ll feel like you’ve spent a night out on the town with her after reading them: “I was a difficult, mean b----, whose cat, it was rumored, bit men.

(And whose cat did.)”

While each of these short

story collections offer something different, they are all magnificent looks at humanity. Some of these stories are as short as a few pages, and none of them exceed 20, yet the characters and themes have stuck with me more than most 400 page books I have read in my life. So next time you’re in a reading slump, or just can’t seem to find the time to dedicate to an entire novel, I recommend you pick up one of these amazing collections.

CULTURE

February 23, 2022

Page 13

The Con Man of the Hour: The Tinder Swindler

By PENELOPE CESPEDES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In the latest Netflix documentary “The Tinder Swindler,” director Felicity Morris brings the dangers of online dating to light by exposing a con man who worked through the dating app Tinder. The con man swindled groups of women on the app out of millions of dollars by pretending to be their Prince Charming.

Impersonating the son of an Israeli millionaire, Simon Leviev attracted women to his Tinder profile in order to share his life as a troubled heir to a fortune of diamonds. Once he enticed vulnerable women into a relationship with him, he then convinced them he needed their financial support to rescue him from his “enemies.” After they fell for these lies, he sunk his

claws into their personal funds, leaving victims drowning in thousands of dollars of debt.

The documentary opens up with one of his victims, Cecilie Fjellhøy, talking about her experience using Tinder, calling herself “a bit of a Tinder expert.”

She said “You can find a bit of everything on Tinder … we are all looking for that diamond in the rough.” In matching with Leviev, she thought she had found exactly that. On Leviev’s profile were multiple photos of him on private jets, in lavish hotels and at beautiful white sand beaches.

He asked her to meet him at the Four Seasons Hotel London.

While Fjellhøy felt a little bit out of her element waiting in the lobby of the hotel, she was surprised to meet the man she had been talking to on Tinder. Physically, Leviev was exactly what Cecilie had seen on his profile,

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Hayut amassed millions by scamming women on dating apps.

which made her feel more inclined to believe his stories of wealth. Leviev invited Fjellhøy on a private jet to Amsterdam for the night. She accepted and was flown to Amsterdam as promised. Fjellhøy was immediately caught up in Leviev’s fantasy; she had no idea that Leviev had more than a dozen women on retainer using the money he had scammed them to build this fantasy for others he was going to swindle later.

Leviev sent Fjellhøy extravagant gifts like gorgeous bouquets of flowers and flights to dream destinations. However, after a few months, their relationship started to change. Leviev started telling Fjellhøy that he had begun receiving threats from his enemies. He told her that his security team had advised him to freeze all his assets and bank accounts as a way of avoiding a digital trail for his enemies. Then he started scamming, asking Fjellhøy for “small favors,” such as opening a credit card account under her name for him to use for his expenses. Leviev sent her pictures of his bodyguard bloodied and injured in an ambulance.

As Fjellhøy worried about her new boyfriend’s health and safety, he assured her that everything would be fine but that he was still locked out of his accounts.

He told her to continue sending the money while he figured things out; as a woman in love, she obliged by taking out several more loans, leaving her in thousands of dollars in debt.

The documentary then shifts

narrative to another woman.

Pernilla Sjoholm first seemed less inclined to believe Leviev’s schemes. She tells the director when she first saw Leviev’s profile she thought, “Oh my God, another diamond guy.” Sjoholm matched with him, but she kept her guard up, not falling for Leviev’s charms. She told him she was not looking for anything romantic but that they could pursue a friendship. Not letting this side track his plans, he agreed to just be friends and said that he would still be willing to take Sjoholm to amazing destinations. He invited her to exclusive parties and took her on luxury yachts and private jets. She spent the summer traveling with Leviev and his “girlfriend.” After many elaborate trips, Sjoholm got closer to Leviev, considering him a good friend and a quality man. After Leviev hooked Sjoholm into his billionaire fantasy, it was time for him to start his swindle. Leviev explained that he had run into trouble during a business endeavor in South Africa and that his life was now in danger. He sent the same bodyguard pictures, bloodied and injured. He then told her his accounts were frozen, and the process continued: more credit cards in her name, and more debt for her.

Once Fjellhøy and Sjoholm explain their experiences, VG got ahold of the story making Simon — whose real name is Shimon Hayut — public to

the world. Since his exploits occurred across Europe, the crimes — in the eyes of the law — seemed small. Police were unmotivated to pursue the case.

With the help of VG, the women were able to expose Leviev’s face across the internet and media news making his advances from now on exposed.

“The Tinder Swindler, while still open for investigation, is a multi-layered story that is still being investigated and is about the tribulations of finding love online. Along with worrying about not making a real connection, many people online have to figure out if who they are talking to is a con or the real deal. Towards the end of the documentary, we are shown that the Norwegian press, as well as Interpol, have started looking for Leviev. As of recently, Leviev has spent five months in jail for unrelated crimes and is now back on social media, even launching a Cameo account This enticing documentary leaves plenty of questions about Leveiv unanswered As of right now, he is a free man, and there are few consequences for his actions. This con man has probably left hundreds of women in life-changing debt in order to become rich himself. The documentary ends in a less-than-tied-up conclusion and is a little unsatisfying. If one thing is true, this documentary serves as a cautionary tale to remind people to continue to be careful when talking to strangers online.

Take a Trip to “Murderville” with a Star-Studded Police Precinct

By MARIBELLE GORDON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Although it seems like every possible cop show has already been made and remade, the Netflix original “Murderville” is a chaotic, satirical spin on detective workplace dramas. Based on the U.K. series “Murder in Successville,” this show has impressive levels of irony that turn an overly-done television trope into a bingeworthy comedy.

Will Arnett stars as Detective Terry Seattle, a senior detective with misplaced confidence and comedic timing reminiscent of the beloved Michael Scott. In each episode, Rhonda JenkinsSeattle, the police chief and Seattle’s soon-to-be ex-wife, assigns him a murder case and a different celebrity guest as a partner. The A-list status isn’t the only unique aspect of these homicide detective trainees — they’re also scriptless, having to improvise off of Seattle’s unpredictable humor. While the explicit main goal in each episode is to solve a murder, there also seems to be an implicit goal to push each celebrity guest to new improvisational boundaries as Seattle’s absurd behavior ensues.

Each guest is tasked with a case and must work with Seattle to interrogate three suspects, be on guard for clues and finally determine which of the suspects is guilty. At the end of each episode, Seattle and Jenkins-Seattle put the celebrity on the spot to announce who the killer is and why. These endings have something of a gameshow set-up, and Jenkins-Seattle acts as the host, naming the real killer and revealing whether or not the guest detective had truly honed in on their sleuthing skills.

Conan O’Brien is the first celebrity to partner up with Seattle.

This pilot episode does a great job showing just what kind of ridiculous humor and nonsensical storylines are to come in the rest of the series. O’Brien and Seattle are tasked with finding out who is responsible for a magic act gone horribly wrong, and throughout their interrogations, one can already see the lengths Seattle will go to in order to make his co-star break character.

In episode two, notoriously hilarious former NFL player Marshawn Lynch is Seattle’s new sidekick. Despite having very different senses of humor and personalities, the duo is actually a perfect match. The two stumble

their way through a family homicide, interrogating a set of eccentric triplets. It’s an unexpected pairing, but arguably the funniest in the series as it results in perfectly timed chaos.

Actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani is the third trainee to pay a visit to Murderville. Out of all six guests, Nanjiani is definitely the most prepared to fire back at Seattle’s unexpected antics, as he goes along with everything Seattle throws at him. He breaks character just enough to make this episode feel like an SNL skit, but his dedication to the jokes makes for a hilarious episode as they try to bust a killer at Seattle’s high school reunion.

The fourth celebrity detective is Annie Murphy, known to many as Alexis Rose from the TV show “Schitt’s Creek.” Her appearance definitely showed a different side of her comedy than most are used to, as her natural personality is much more relaxed and understated than that of her most famous character. However, her casual personality actually works phenomenally with Seattle’s as they decipher who killed the city’s health inspector. She takes on all of the weird tasks Seattle finds for her, from making pastries for a crazed chef to going

undercover for a city mobster.

Sharon Stone guest stars for the fifth episode, and it is an awkward, albeit amusing, mystery. Although Seattle and Stone have noticeably less chemistry than in the previous episodes, the plotline of this episode is weird and gory enough to remain entertaining. Seattle and Stone are tasked with a murder among the hospital staff, and the results of their tomfoolery in this medical environment add a bit of needed shock value.

The final guest star is Ken Jeong, and although he is an extremely

successful and seasoned comedian, you might not be able to tell from this episode. While the episode as a whole definitely still packs a comedic punch, Seattle is able to break Jeong several times. The improvisational aspect does not hold up in this finale, though the episode is still worth watching.

It may not be a perfect show — storylines become repetitive and clues become increasingly obvious — but the unique, and Arnett’s immense comedic talent, make it worth a watch.

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“Murderville” is a bingeworthy comedic Netflix original.

CULTURE “The Gilded Age” is an Underwhelming Attempt at a Period Piece Page 14

February 23, 2022

By KARI WHITE

CULTURE EDITOR

Stunning costumes, elaborate sets and gilt-covered mansions promise a look into the rich lives of the 19th century’s New York elite. Unfortunately, very little substance lies beyond the flash of pretty skirts and corsets. “The Gilded Age,” produced by Julian Fellowes is a lackluster follow up to the success of “Downtown Abbey,” fails to tell what might have been a captivating story about social upheaval, cultural evolution and the friction that made 1882 New York City such a dynamic landscape.

The first four episodes of the show introduce a variety

of characters, many of whom are allied with or against the rising class of “new people.”

The Van Rhijns embody the “old people,” who have held high status within American society since its inception.

Moving in across the street — in an oh-so-highbrow visual metaphor — are the Russels, who have just entered society after gaining obscene wealth through railroad construction. While both of these families are fictional, they represent very real people.

What shatters the illusion, however, is the money. This series focuses almost exclusively on the wealthy, as the Russels flaunt theirs and the Van Rhijns downplay their

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“The Gilded Age” only offers a superficial look into the late 19th century.

own. Wealth is fun. It sparkles, and it looks good on the screen. Yet, one of the glaring oversights that this show makes is ignoring the complicated question of where this money originates.

Fellowes’ previous show, “Downton Abbey,” explores the class differences between those upstairs and those down. It’s the show’s whole gimmick, and it’s a wildly fascinating one. The show focuses on a modernizing world, where the noble family, the Crawleys, gradually lose their influence, prompting regular citizens to debate how involved they want this ruling class to be in their lives. More conservative characters, like Anna Bates, a servant, believe that the great family acts like the community’s keystone.

Other characters like Tom Branson, the chauffeurturned-son-in-law, are very critical of the English aristocracy. Most characters fall somewhere in the middle, but the question of the nobility’s necessity is presented at the very beginning and continues throughout. Conversely, the question driving “The Gilded Age” is whether or not the robber baron’s wife can attend luncheon.

The Gilded Age was a period in time alive with cultural rifts and horribly messy morality.

In short, it’s the stuff of good television. According to PBS, while the New York elite spent their leisure hours at the opera, dining out at lavish res-

taurants and bedecking their dogs in $15,000 collars, 11 of 12 million families lived far below the poverty line. On average, they earned less than $1,200 a year. The aforementioned dog collar costs more than 12 times that. This obviously caused a lot of unrest, especially within the city. The conflict caused violent riots, fueled political machines and sparked social movements that persisted throughout the end of the 19th century.

While it might not have been a terrific era to live in, it is certainly fascinating.

The show has so far ignored all of that. Its social awareness is limited to who can attend the opera, whether Bertha Russel can let her daughter out into society and whether or not a member of the Van Rhijn family can marry a lawyer. In its naivete, the show lacks drama. It’s pretty, but it’s boring. And it’s depicting one of the most fascinating eras of American history.

Yet, one character is fascinating. Peggy Scott, a Black woman trying to exercise her literary talents, is fighting to get her short stories published in a New York paper. She’s smart, she’s funny and she’s not as sickly sweet as some of the other characters. Moreover, she faces conflict. While her mother supports her, her father decries the whole endeavor as a fruitless dream. Scott’s relationship with her family also opens an avenue for the

Who’s That Kid? | It’s Lily Brown, GSB ’23!

show to explore the society of Black elites in New York City.

A traditionally underrepresented group, this show has the potential to really explore their perspective and restructure the narratives that still smother Black history.

Scott’s family demonstrates what this show could be. It has the potential to explore this wildly fascinating and turbulent period, which is so vital for the creation of the America that we all know today. The Russel family made their millions from building railroads, but the show never acknowledges the laborers that suffered back-breaking work to produce that wealth.

“Downton Abbey” excelled because it challenged its characters, it created conflict and it explored the various perspectives of different members of the same community. This show exhibits the pretty buildings as if they popped out of the ground without cost. In an age when wealth disparity in America is increasing — when the uber-rich travel to space, and their workers die because they can’t afford their prescriptions — it’s a bit tone-deaf.

I still hope that this show will grow into its potential, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. If you want a period piece that explores societal change, discusses the Industrial Revolution and has interesting characters, watch the BBC’s “North & South.” If you want pretty dresses and not much else, watch this.

Junior Rediscovers her Passion for Music

By ELISABETH MURRAY CULTURE EDITOR

“I’m a completely different person now from who I was when I first came to college,” Lily Brown, GSB ’23, told me when I asked her about her time at Fordham.

Hailing from a small town in Bergen County, New Jersey, less than an hour away from the Bronx, Brown recollects choosing Fordham because she “thought going to college close to home would be kind of like a safety net.” As she was talking to me from her flat in London, which she shares with girls she met only months ago she had a realization, “I think I can definitely say I don’t need that safety net anymore.”

When I first met Brown in 2019 we were both freshmen — confused, intimidated and a little awkward — trying to figure out how to navigate college. In high school, Brown ran track, worked as a lifeguard and starred in multiple theater productions. She has always been known for her remarkable singing voice and her unshakable confidence that radiates through her stage presence, but finding her footing at Fordham did

not come naturally at first.

She was undecided in her major and she often spent her time with me tucked away in her dorm room in Faber Hall.

Now a junior, Brown is majoring in business administration with concentrations in management, communications and media management and is also a member of the Satin Dolls, Fordham’s all-female a cappella group.

“I know that I am an outgoing person, but I do struggle with putting myself out there because I get scared sometimes,” Brown echoes a sentiment that surely resonates with all of us to some degree. But her friends and fellow Satin Dolls members are thrilled that she decided to share her talent and continue her passion for singing in college. “A cappella has been one of the best parts of my college experience. I know it took me until junior year to try out, but I am super glad that I did.”

Brown has been passionate about singing her entire life and will perform anywhere — whether it be in the shower, on stage and she will even shamelessly belt out a tune in a bar (if the right song

comes on). “Singing brightens up my mood. Even if a song is sad, singing it is a way to bring emotions forward, acknowledge them and get them out.

It’s cathartic and therapeutic for me,” she said. Brown loves being a part of the Satin Dolls because it enables her to share that passion with others. “I love being surrounded by people that share my same passion. It’s amazing to have a group of girls that want to do this as much as I do.”

Though Brown may have joined the Satin Dolls rather late in the game, she fit in and excelled right away. In December, Brown performed the solo in “Bad Romance,” the opening number in the Satin Dolls’ winter showcase. Brown had previous experience in musical theater, but prefers the environment of an a cappella group because this particular talent is more appreciated.

Music is something that will continue to be a part of Brown’s life after college. “I don’t know what my ‘dream career’ is exactly, I just know I really want to work in the music industry.”

In the past, Brown has interned with Intrepid Music Group, and while studying abroad

COURTESY OF LILY BROWN FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Brown is combining her passion for music with her aptitude for business.

in London, she is currently working as a marketing intern for a creative agency called Iconic Steps. Though she has the talent to be a pop star, as a business student, she is more interested in the behind-the-scenes aspect of the industry, such as marketing and public relations.

Regardless, Brown’s passion, talent and work ethic will make her successful in any path she pursues.

The 21-year-old woman I

interviewed was completely different from the 18-year-old girl I met freshman year. Though she is still close to her family, Brown has found a new home in the Big Apple — the perfect place to pursue her passions and follow her dreams. “College has definitely forced me to grow and be independent,” she said. She is excited to continue growing and discovering herself. “I learned that I can throw myself into something and it will always work out.”

SWANSTROM-BAERWALD AWARD 2022

To be Awarded to Bridget Bucardo Rivera, IPED ’09 for Excellence in the Service of Faith through the Promotion of International Peace and Development Wednesday, March 9, 2022 • 5:30 pm Keating Hall, First Floor Auditorium

Open to the Public Fordham University, Bronx, NY

CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES AND FOSTERING LOCAL LEADERSHIP

WELCOME:

The Reverend Joseph M. McShane, S.J., President, Fordham University

AWARD CONFERRAL:

His Excellency, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia Pope Francis’ Representative to the United Nations

ADDRESS BY:

Ms. Bridget Bucardo Rivera, IPED ’09 Senior Technical Advisor, Catholic Relief Services

CLOSING REMARKS:

His Excellency, Bishop Frank Caggiano Chair, Board of Directors, Catholic Relief Services

Catholic Relief Services photos from Africa and Central America

Bridget Bucardo Rivera

FORDHAM | IPED FORDHAM’S GRADUATE PROGRAM IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT Dealy Hall E-517 • 441 East Fordham Road • Bronx, New York 10458 Tel. 718.817.4064 • Email: iped@fordham.edu • iped.fordham.edu

SPORTS

Page 16

February 23, 2022

Fordham Softball Concludes Battle at the Beach

By THOMAS AIELLO

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The Rams continue on their challenging out of conference run, spending this past weekend in Conway, South Carolina at the Battle at the Beach tournament.

The Rams opened up the weekend by facing off against the University of South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday in an 8-3 loss.

Junior Devon Miller ate her third loss of the young season against an SEC opponent, in which the Gamecocks sent graduate student Kelsey Oh, who sat down seven batters while going the distance and walking one batter. Miller only went three innings, struck out one batter and gave up seven earned runs, with sophomore Bailey Enoch coming in for four innings of relief and walked three while striking out two.

Fordham’s first inning got off to a fast start, with the Rams manufacturing runs via a wild pitch which scored graduate student Briana Pinto and a single from freshman Sydney Wells that dumped in senior Julia Martine to make it 2-0 early on for the Rams.

However, the Gamecocks would roar back and dominate the Rams.

A seven run second inning would put the Rams in a hole in which they had no chance of climbing out of. Senior Jordan Fabian whacked a grand slam off Miller to push the lead to 6-2 following a wild throw which scored two runs. Graduate student Kaite Prebble would follow up this grand slam with a solo shot of her own to balloon the lead to 7-2.

In the sixth, senior Kassidy Krupit put the icing on the cake for the

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Softball went 1-4 in last weekends Battle of the Beach Tournament against tough opponents in Conway, S.C.

Gamecocks when she slammed an RBI single to drive in run number eight for the day. Fordham would get one back, with graduate slugger Rachel Hubertus sending a solo shot in the seventh.

As per usual, these tournaments have double header matinees with game two on Friday coming against Coastal Carolina.

The Rams and the Chanticleers went five and a half innings of a stalemate, with neither team being able to generate any sort of run production. Fordham had three hits total in this game with juniors Michaela Carter and Amanda Carey along with graduate student Kelly Bright, but the Chanticleers would get the last laugh.

A three-run blast from sophomore Riley Zaina which was followed up by a solo shot from freshman Maddy Jennings gave Coastal Carolina a 4-0 lead to win the game.

Senior Makenzie McGrath, fresh off her first Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the

When Do You Feel Big?

By KELLY BRIGHT STAFF WRITER

When do you feel big?

Our coach asked the outfielders this before our game against Coastal Carolina this weekend.

“Feeling big.” Not something as young women we’re used to doing. There are so many aspects of society rooted in history, institutions and pop culture designed to keep women feeling small.

Targeted marketing, widespread stereotypes and a constant push for unreachable perfection. We’re indirectly taught that being small is better, or at least safer, and so we often turn to that headspace in times of turmoil.

It’s not often women can express confidence in themselves without backlash and yet here, as we waited for pre-game warmups to begin, our coach was telling us to do just that.

Our answers were all over the place. People mentioned things like weightlifting, giving presentations, taking care of others and one girl even mentioned wearing her favorite clothes. It was amazing hearing my teammates be prideful. After months of spending almost every day with these girls, this was the first time I’d heard them talk positively about themselves.

There is great power in positive affirmation. A psychologist and professor from Stanford University introduced the selfaffirmation theory in the late 1980s which says focusing on positive values decreases stress and defensiveness when your self-image is called into question. Improving your self-worth can lead to healthier relationships, coping mechanisms and overall mood and well-being. Feeling strong, powerful, beautiful or big, by yourself and for yourself, keeps you from having to rely on others for validation. In the sports world, controlling what you can control by taking ownership of your own thoughts allows you to perform at your best without distraction. As women we should relish in being “big.” We should strive for greatness, enjoy the spotlight and applaud our successes.

After that talk, our coach told us to channel the emotions we experience in those moments into our play on the field that night.

We ended up shutting out the Chanticleers on their home field.

Whatever she said, and more specifically, whatever we said to ourselves, must have worked because we played just as big as we felt.

Week Award, went almost six innings tossing a shutout until disaster struck.

For Coastal Carolina, graduate student Kaitlin Beasley-Polko pitched a seven inning shutout with eight punchouts and two walks.

On Saturday’s double header matinee, Fordham was swept away in game one during their rematch against the Gamecocks. Once again, the SEC opponent showed their superiority with their run support coming in the 8-0, five inning shutout.

South Carolina had a five run first inning which began with an RBI single by junior outfielder Hannah Kumimaya. Then disaster struck; following another single by freshman Emma Sellers, the Gamecocks capitalized on a wild throw which drove in three runs and put them up 4-0. Sophomore Aaliyah White drove in Sellers via a groundout to shortstop and made it 5-0 in the first inning.

Then in the fourth inning, South Carolina tacked on three more, the

first coming from an RBI single from Maddie Gallagher and the latter coming off a two run rocket from Fabian.

Game two of the matinee saw Fordham record its first win at the Battle at the Beach, enacting revenge against Coastal Carolina with a 6-0 sweep. Miller took the circle and tossed a gem: seven innings and nine strikeouts retired 23 of the 24 batters she saw. This was her seventh career shutout and tied for eighth of all time in program history.

Senior Julia Martine cranked a solo shot in the first, followed by a Carter RBI single that scored Miller in the second inning. Miller then provided her own run support with a solo dinger in the fourth inning.

Graduate student Rachel Hubertus drove in Bright in the fourth to push it out to a 4-0 lead. Then in the seventh, Hubertus sent one over the fence to make it 5-0. Hubertus also moved into the top 10 all-time home runs at Fordham. To top off the win, Martine laced another home run in the seventh to shut the

door on a Rams victory.

Fordham rounded out the tournament against Marshall where the lights were shutout on them 8-0. The Rams had runners in scoring position multiple times, with Hubertus, Wells and Ayala being the only Rams to reach base.

Marshall took advantage of the Rams in the third inning. After a quick 2-0 start, fifth year Kaite Adams bombed a grand slam to make it 6-0 and the Thundering Herd never looked back. They also produced an RBI double by way of senior Maya Stevenson to make it 7-0, then a fielder’s choice run by freshman Lauren Love to make it 8-0 and seal the deal in the fourth inning.

“We really missed this last year, the team said that this was what they were missing last year because of the shortened season,” said head coach Melissa Inouye. “We peaked too early, and I feel now that we are closer to a rhythm.”

The Rams walk out of South Carolina with just one win in four tries, and have a 3-7 record to start the year in 10 total games so far.

The two week break couldn’t come at a better time for the Rams. With midterms coming up, the team has a chance to regroup and recover following their experience through this blast furnace they just came out of. The Rams will hit the road to Arlington, Texas on March 4 to the Boerner Invitational with games against University of Texas Arlington, Northwestern State and University of Texas at San Antonio.

Women’s Tennis Prepares for Road Trip

By LOU ORLANDO STAFF WRITER

Coming off a 2-1 homestand, women’s tennis looks to carry its success into its upcoming fourgame road trip. Over a three week span, Fordham will play Brown University, Drexel University, Quinnipiac University and Queens College.

Fordham kicked off the spring with a 6-1 win against Fairleigh Dickinson University before splitting a weekend set against Long Island University (LIU) and St. Francis College. Head coach Michael Sowter was hesitant to call the homestand a complete success: “We need to improve on execution. We had opportunities against LIU that we weren’t able to capitalize on.”

The 5-2 loss to LIU last Saturday

indicates that the Rams still have plenty of room to grow. “[LIU is] a team we should probably beat in the future, but they’re a little too experienced for us right now,” said Sowter.

Looking at Fordham’s upcoming opponents, only Queens College has a record above .500 at 5-3. Quinnipiac currently sits at 2-2 while Brown and Drexel are both under .500 at 3-5 and 1-4, respectively. Still, the Rams are prepared for a series of tough battles. “I think those records are a little misleading,” remarked Sowter, who noted that all four teams have played tough opponents and are better than their records indicate.

Brown University marks a new addition to the schedule, replacing Boston University, who Fordham was initially supposed to play on

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The women’s tennis team is preparing for tough matchups in the next week.

Feb. 26. It’s the first Ivy League matchup for women’s tennis since 2019, where the Rams lost 7-0 to Harvard University. Sowter acknowledged that the game will be an extremely tough matchup and an excellent test of how the team can compete against top competition.

Despite the tough competiton, Sowter expressed excitement about the upcoming stretch: “I think we can compete with anybody. It’s just about how quickly we can adapt and how much we can raise our game.” The Rams have plenty of talent and should only get better with experience.

Sowter acknowledged that a lack of overall experience has contributed to the less-than-perfect play, and emphasized the importance of getting more reps: “The more matches we play, the better we’ll do.”

The Rams will get plenty of reps during the next three weeks, starting with a pair of games next weekend — Brown on Saturday and Drexel on Sunday. The Rams will then travel to Connecticut on March 5 to take on Quinnipiac and conclude the road trip by making the short journey to Flushing, Queens for a tough matchup against Queens College.

SPORTS Squash Goes Winless at CSA Swimming and Diving Takes on Atlantic-10 Team Championship Championship

By NICK GUZMAN Page 17

February 23, 2022

SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Squash entered the College Squash Association Team Championship in Philadelphia this past weekend coming off of three consecutive wins. In what had been an up and down regular season campaign for the Rams, they hoped to carry some momentum from their positive finish into postseason play.

Unfortunately, the championship did not go the way the Rams intended. On day one, Fordham was swept in both of its matches against Wesleyan University and Hamilton College. Against Wesleyan, just two of Fordham’s matches went past three games. Senior Patrick Rodden fell to Wesleyan’s Shanay Sanghavi at first position 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5. At second position, sophomore Henry Frawley couldn’t get past Abhinav Gupta, losing 11-7, 11-6, 10-12, 11-5.

The Rams fared no better against Hamilton late on Friday. Fordham lost all nine matches in three games, unable to win a single set against the Continentals. Despite the disappointing results on the first day of competition, it should be noted that both Wesleyan and Hamilton have exceptional programs that most schools would have difficulty lining up against. Wesleyan is ranked 29th in the College Squash Rankings, while Hamilton sits one spot higher at 28th.

After a disappointing first day of competition, Fordham had a chance to right the ship on the second and

final day of the championship with matchups against Vassar College and Denison University. Although they fared better than on Friday, the Rams fell to both Vassar and Denison, dropping them to 0-4 in the championship. In the first match of the day against Vassar, Fordham jumped out to an early 4-1 lead thanks to wins from senior Dylan Panichello, freshman Sofia Arseniev, Frawley and senior Winthrop Reed. Although just one point was needed to secure the victory for the Rams, Vassar rallied with their backs against the wall to win four straight contests and clinch the 5-4 victory.

Fordham looked to quickly wash away the taste of defeat in their second match of the day and final match of the championship against Denison. The Rams again put up a good fight but were unable to bring home the win, losing by a final score of 6-3. In addition to getting a point by default, Fordham got a pair of wins from Arseniev and Panichello in the sixth and eighth slots, respectively.

Going 0-4 at the CSA tournament represented a disappointing end to team competition for a Fordham squad that showed lots of potential during the regular season. Their strong play down the stretch hinted at a potentially positive showing this past weekend, but that did not come to fruition. They finish the season with a 9-15 record.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

After a disappointing end, squash looks towards the postseason.

Athletes of the Week

Kendall Heremaia Graduate Student Women’s Basketball

Alex Wilhelm Sophomore Swim & Dive

Although the Rams suffered a loss against UMass last Wednesday, records were set by graduate student Kendall Heremaia. Recording a career-high 35 points, Heremaia went on a three-point run, going 11-19 from a distance and 2-2 from the free-throw line. Heremaia added a team-high 11 rebounds and three steals over 37 minutes. Heremaia now sits as 12th all-time in scoring with 1,224 career points. She moved up to third third all-time in threes made (215); passing current assistant coach and former teammate Lauren Holden who had 213 career triples. Heremaia holds a total of 139 career appearances, the second-most all-time, and moved into a tie for fifth with 111 career starts and up to ninth with 3,618 minutes played.

In an eventful Atlantic 10 Championship for the Fordham men and women’s swimming and diving team, sophomore Alex Wilhem shined in his performances. Starting off the week, Wilhem and the 800 freestyle relay team took bronze in a school record time of 6:38.70, breaking the old mark of 6:40.14 in 2017. On day two, Wilhem and his relay team broke another school record, this time in the 200 IM relay.

He qualified for the finals and placed fourth overall in a school record time of 1:47.21 breaking the previous mark of 1:51.13 set by Greg Lombana in 2019.

Each week, The Fordham Ram’s Sports section honors two athletes for their on-field performances as their “Athletes of the Week.”

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR

Last week, Fordham Swimming and Diving traveled to Geneva, Ohio for the Atlantic 10 Championship. The four day long event was filled with much excitement and milestones from several Rams in both the men’s and women’s competitions.

The Fordham women came into Geneva with an undefeated record in team competition, sitting at a perfect 7-0. On day one of the championships Wednesday, three events took place on the women’s side. In the 200 medley relay, the foursome of freshman Leire Martin, graduate student Becky Kamau, senior Kiara Norris and freshman Madeline Bergin took home fourth place for the Rams, finishing with a season-best time of 1:41.33.

In the one-meter dive, senior Natalie Ortof qualified for the championship final with a preliminary score of 252.40. She would ultimately finish eighth,while freshman Cai Flowers qualified for the consolation final, finishing 13th overall in the event.

The final event of day one was the women’s 800 freestyle relay, which was contested by senior Victoria Navarro, freshman Ainhoa Martin and juniors Alison Lin and Clare Culver.

This group of Rams ultimately finished sixth, posting a season best-time mark of 7:24.93.

Fordham finished day one of the competition in sixth place with 71 points, sitting just one point behind the University of Massachusetts and George Washington University (GWU) who sat comfortably in the lead with an impressive 104 points.

On days two and three, the Rams moved up the standings into fifth place following impressive individual performances from several swimmers. Martin led the way, first picking up a bronze medal in the 200 IM with a time of 2:00.47.

Her most impressive performance came later, when she won the 400 IM with an A-10 meet and school record time of 4:13.27. Leire Martin joined her sister in the championship final, just missing out on the podium with a fourth place finish in the championsip races.

Other quality finishes from the

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Both the men and women wrapped up their season this past weekend.

Rams on Thursday and Friday came from freshman Emilie Krog and Kamau, who took home bronze medals in the 500 freestyle and 100 breaststroke, respectively.

After three days of competition, GW continued to lead the team competition with 486 points, while Duquesne trailed close behind in second and Richmond sat in third.

On the final day of competition for the women, Fordham pushed by more record-setting performances, again climbed up the standings to finish in fourth place overall. The first of these came from Culver, who won a silver medal in the 1650 freestyle with a time of 16:39.94, good enough for a new school record.

In the 200 breaststroke, Kamau won gold and broke her own school record set earlier in the year, finishing with a time of 2:12.05. Ainhoa just missed out on the podium in this event, finishing fourth.

GW asserted their dominance all weekend, winning the women’s competition by almost 200 points.

The Rams finished fourth out of 11 teams with 416.5 points, just behind Richmond in third.

Over to the men’s side, where the Rams entered the championship on Wednesday with a 5-3 record after an up-and-down regular season. On day one of the competition, the Rams saw early success in the relay events. Senior Spencer Clarke, sophomore Alex Wilhelm, freshman Vitalis Onu and freshman Daniel Langlois combined to finish third in the 800 freestyle relay with a school record time of 6:38.70. In the 200 medley relay, Clarke, Onu, freshman Nathan Nguyen and junior Nicholas Chao

posted a season-best time of 1:31.46, finishing eighth.

Fordham finished day one in fifth place, while GW’s domination transitioned over to the men’s side as well, as the Colonials sat comfortably in first place.

The Rams unfortunately began to slide down the standings as the competition continued. On day two, a fourth place finish from Wilhelm was good enough for a new school record in the 200 IM at 1:47.21. The combination of freshman Stan Stevens, Chao, freshman Taz Kanjanakaset and Clarke posted a season-best time of 1:22.47 in the 200 freestyle relay, good enough for a seventh place finish.

Day three saw a few successes for the Rams. The 400 medley relay team, consisting of Wilhelm, Nguyen, Onu and freshman Alex Shah, finished in sixth place with a season-best time of 3:19.59.

Wilhelm’s successful weekend continued into the 100 backstroke, where he had a season best time of 49.25 and ultimately finished sixth.

Despite these positive finishes, the Rams entered the fourth and final day of competition in seventh place out of eight teams, with GW still leading the pack.

On day four, the Rams were unable to climb anywhere in the standings, finishing the competition in seventh place despite a bronze medal finish in 400 freestyle relay, while GW impressively swept both the men’s and women’s competitions.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball

Wednesday Feb. 23 La Salle

7 p.m.

Thursday Feb. 24

Friday Feb. 25

Saturday Feb. 26

Virginia Tech 2 p.m.

Davidson 2:30 p.m.

Richmond 6 p.m.

Boston University TBA

Drexel 11 a.m.

U.S. Naval Academy

Men’s Tennis

2 p.m.

Women’s Track & Field

Men’s Track & Field Sacred Heart 3 p.m.

Virginia VirginiaTech Tech 32p.m. p.m.

Monday Feb. 28 UMass 7 p.m.

Davidson 2 p.m.

Women’s Tennis

Baseball

Sunday Feb. 27

Atlantic 10 Championship 9 a.m.

Atlantic 10 Championship 9 a.m.

Atlantic 10 Championship 9 a.m.

Atlantic 10 Championship 9 a.m.

Virginia Tech 2 p.m.

Virginia Tech 1 p.m.

Tuesday Mar. 1

Page 18

SPORTS Varsity Scores & Stats

February 23, 2022

News & Notes Rams Show Support for Uplifting Athletes The Fordham chapter for Uplifting Athletes (UA) showed support at this year’s Young Investigator Draft in Philadelphia. UA provides grants to 30 million Americans diagnosed with rare diseases. As one of the 26 schools participating in UA, junior offensive linemen Lucas Portes and Ryan Joyce represented Fordham at this year’s event. At the 2022 Draft, UA celebrated nine promising young investigative rare disease researchers. Over the past five years, the Young Investigator Draft has awarded more than $620,000 in grant funding to 34 rare disease researchers across North America.

Fordham Baseball Sixth in A-10 Coaches Poll The Atlantic 10 Conference announced its preseason baseball coaches poll for the 2022 season with the Fordham Rams picked sixth in the 12-team poll. Virginia Commonwealth University earned the number one spot with 11 first place votes, followed by Dayton, who was the only other team to receive a first-place vote.

Rhode Island was listed third, followed by Saint Louis, Davidson, Fordham and George Washington to round out the top seven.

The remaining teams in the poll were Richmond, Saint Joseph’s, George Mason, Massachusetts and St. Bonaventure. Looking forward to the end of the season, the A-10 Championship will be held at Fordham’s Houlihan Park from May 24 to 28. This marks the fifth time that Fordham will host the Championship, having done so in 2006, 2012, 2016 and 2019.

Softball Battle at the Beach Fordham South Carolina

Men’s Swim & Dive 3 8

Fordham Coastal Carolina

0 4

Fordham South Carolina [5 Innings]

0 8

Fordham Coastal Carolina

6 0

Fordham Marshall [5 Innings]

0 8

Women’s Swim & Dive

Day 1 - 5th/8 teams (54 pts.), Day 2 - 7th/8 teams (106.5 pts.), Day 3 - 7th/8 teams (162.5 pts.), Day 4 - 7th/8 teams (235.5 pts.)

Fordham Penn Club

0 9

Fordham Lehigh

3 6

60 57

Fordham Vassar

4 5

49 48

Men’s Tennis Fordham Queens College

4 3

Fordham Marist College

3 4

Baseball Fordham Texas A&M

1 13

Fordham Texas A&M

3 5

Fordham Texas A&M

4 5

Day 1 - 5th/8 teams (54 pts.), Day 2 - 7th/8 teams (106.5 pts.), Day 3 - 7th/8 teams (162.5 pts.), Day 4 - 7th/8 teams (235.5 pts.)

Women’s Basketball Rhode Island Fordham K. Heremaia 35 PTS Dayton Fordham A. DeWolfe 21 PTS Men’s Basketball Fordham George Mason C. Ohams 17 PTS

50 47

Squash CSA Team Championship Fordham 0 Wesleyan 9

–Compiled by Maddie Bimonte

–Compiled by Maddie Bimonte

Fordham Swept in Opening Series at Texas A&M

By MADDIE BIMONTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The Fordham men’s baseball team kicked off their season in College Station, Texas, facing the Texas A&M Aggies in a threegame series this past weekend.

The Rams failed to secure a win, getting swept by the Aggies.

In the season-opening game, the Rams struggled to hold back Texas A&M, losing 13-1 on Friday. The Aggies relied on infielder Trevor Werner, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI’s. The Rams’ only run came early on, as senior outfielder Jake Guercio was hit by a pitch and then advanced to second on a ground-out.

Junior catcher Will Findlay brought Guercio home with a single driven right up the middle. From then on, the Rams could not get any more runs on the board.

Senior pitcher Gabe Karslo went four innings and recorded a scoreless first inning. Karslo’s opening day line allowed two runs on three hits with four strikeouts. However, trouble for the Rams struck in the fifth inning as the Aggies extended the lead to 5-1, with Werner providing an RBIdouble. Texas A&M then broke the game open with an eight-run seventh inning for the 13-1 final score.

Other pitching efforts came from junior Ben Kovel who went two innings of relief, allowing two earned runs with two strikeouts, while junior James Springer posted 1.2 innings of relief with all five outs being strikeouts.

At the plate on Friday, Fordham managed just four hits in the game with Guercio, Findlay, freshman T.J. Wachter and senior Richard Grund each having a hit.

In game two, the Rams managed to drive in more runs, but they did not come until late in the game. The Aggies jumped out to a 5-0 lead after five innings against sophomore starting pitcher Brooks Ey, scoring once

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Rams suffered a three-game sweep in Texas this past weekend against the Aggies. in the first and twice in the fourth and fifth innings.

Texas A&M started off their day with a run on a sacrifice fly in the first, a home run by Werner in the second and another sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead. Werner added yet another run for the Aggies in the fifth courtesy of an RBI-double and later scored on an error.

After going scoreless for seven innings, the Rams bats heated up as senior infielder Jack Harnisch and senior catcher Andy Semo opened the frame with back-toback singles. Up next was graduate student infielder Casey Brown who delivered a pinch-hit double into the left field corner, scoring Harnisch from second, making the score 3-1.

The Rams pulled within two in the eighth, courtesy of an Aggies error. Senior outfielder Jason Coules was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to second after a walk to Findlay. After a ground out moved the runners up, Semo hit a ground ball back to the pitcher, who threw the ball away to first, allowing both Coules and Findlay to score.

Brown came to the plate as the potential tying run, but his grounder was snagged by the first baseman to end the rally. Robert Hogan then kept Fordham at bay in the ninth to record his first save with Micah Dallas earning his first win.

Sophomore reliever Cameron Knox pitched three scoreless innings of relief, giving up just two hits. At the plate, Vazquez and Semo each had two hits in the game to lead the offense. Sunday was the last opportunity for the Rams to stop the potential sweep.

In game three, Fordham took the initial lead in the top of the fifth inning. After a hit by pitch, a sacrifice bunt and a walk, freshman infielder Ryan Meyer sliced a single into left field to score Semo from second for a 1-0 lead.

Pitching stood out in the game for the Rams due to a spectacular start from junior Jack Popolizio, who threw five scoreless innings. Popolizio allowed just two hits with three strikeouts over five innings.

After a pitching change in the sixth, Texas A&M brought up Brett Minnich to the plate, who connected

on a solo home run to center to pull the Aggies even at 1-1.

The Rams exploded in the seventh, loading the bases with two outs. Texas A&M went into their bullpen for Walker Zander, as freshman Sebastian Mexico came up to the plate. Mexico’s bat was hot, drilling a double to the right center gap and clearing the bases for a 4-1 Rams’ lead.

The Aggies pulled back within two at 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh, but graduate student Joseph Quintal was able to lock it down through the eighth.

Disaster struck in the bottom of the ninth, when Dylan Rock delivered a pinch-hit single up the middle for the Aggies, bringing Logan Britt to the plate as the winning run. After a nine-pitch at bat, Britt blasted a two-run home run to left center, allowing the Aggies to sweep the series with a final score of 5-4.

Looking to regroup, Fordham returns Houlihan Park for their home opener on Wednesday where they will face Sacred Heart University and hit the road on Friday for a three game series against Virginia Tech.

Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports

SPORTS

February 23, 2022

Page 19

Women’s Basketball: Tough Stretch Continues

By KALEY BELL

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR EMERITA

Despite the continuation of a three game losing streak, Fordham has remained strong against the teams they faced this week. The Rams have dropped in the league, now 7-5 in Atlantic 10 play and 16-8 in overall play. Fordham fought until the last second and did not hand the win over to these teams.

Starting it off strong, the Rams traveled to the University of Massachusetts Amherst to face the Minutewomen on their home court. Graduate student Kendall Heremaia had a record-setting night, even though the team took the loss. Heremaia broke the long-standing record set in 1994 by Denise Hammersley for the most three-pointers in a game in school history. Heremaia hit 11 three-pointers, breaking the record by two. She also passed junior teammate Anna DeWolfe for career points by placing 12th overall in program history with 1,224 points.

Heremaia helped guide the team to a lead which they maintained for most of the first two quarters. She hit

five straight three-pointers in the first quarter and was making buckets for the rest of the night. She finished with a career-high record of 35 points, the sixth highest in program history. This was not all she was able to do during the night. Heremaia also had 11 rebounds and three steals. This doubledouble was the 13th in her career, tying her for fifth overall in the program.

Heremaia was not the only lead scorer for the team; DeWolfe and senior Asiah Dingle also scored for the team, 12 and seven points respectively. While it wasn’t their best night, the Rams put up a fight that held UMass Amherst to just 25% shooting during the first quarter. Because of this, Fordham was able to maintain the strong lead going into halftime, 36-23.

However, coming out of the break, the Minutewomen were able to take back the lead. They scored 20 points in the third quarter, but the Rams were still able to maintain an eight point lead. It was during the final quarter when things started to shift; In the final minutes, Fordham only made two shots, both by Heremaia.

Eventually, UMass Amherst took the lead and won the game, despite the strong, record-breaking performance by the Rams.

The loss propelled the Rams into their next game at home against the league-leading Dayton Flyers. The Rams’ home game allowed fans in the Rose Hill Gymnasium for the first time in two months.

The first half was a rough one for Fordham. Overall, the team only shot 25% from field goal range. For three-pointers, the team made only one of 15 attempted shots. They had

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Thus far, the Fordham men’s tennis team’s season has been almost evenly divided between a handful of elite Ivy League programs and a group of mid-major schools that should pose less of a challenge for the Rams. In the past two weeks, the Rams faced two lower level opponents-St. Francis Brooklyn at home and Division II Queens College in addition to a road matchup with the Marist Red Foxes on Sunday.

Two weekends ago in Harrison, New York, sophomore Nicholas Kanazirev notched the only point for Fordham in their loss against St. Francis. Freshman Aaron Ventura and senior Juan Paredes both participated in what turned out to be two of three matches that concluded with an “unfinished” official result. The third doubles match featuring junior Gio Soemarno and Ventura also did not conclude. While three matches against St. Francis went unfinished

and technically did not count, taking only a single point from a cross-town opponent is not what head coach Nelson Peña wants to see from his Rams.

After falling short at home to St. Francis, the Rams had another local match at Queens College of the East Coast Conference. The Knights of Queens College have yet to record their first win of the 2022 season. The Rams certainly needed a win coming off a disappointing loss at home to St. Francis, and Senior Jofre Segarra, alongside Kanazirev, helped the Rams secure that victory, as each took their matches in straight sets.

Kanazirev’s play has undoubtedly been a bright spot for the Rams over recent weeks. The Austrian born sophomore won his previous two singles contests without dropping a single set, before losing his match Sunday at Marist.

The day following their road win in Queens, the Rams traveled two hours north to tackle the Marist Red Foxes of Poughkeepsie, New York, where they were defeated

ends of the floor.

Fordham fought until the end, but the Flyers were able to carry the momentum from the first half until the end of the game. Fordham tried to get on top but were unable to do so.

This 48-47 loss placed the Rams in a rut, losing their third straight game.

With only two games left to play in the regular season, the Rams are looking toward one more home game and road game. Their next game is set this Wednesday where Fordham will visit the University of Richmond Spiders at 6 p.m before returning home Saturday to host Davidson.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham dropped games to UMass and Dayton despite heroics from Kendell Heremaia.

Men’s Tennis Wins One, Drops Two

By MILES GROSSMAN

11 turnovers while the Flyers only had five. Dayton was also shooting a lot better as they were 42.9% from field goal range. Fordham was straggling behind, only scoring 15 points in the first half while Dayton scored 28 points.

In the second half of the game, Fordham made a back. DeWolfe had 15 points, contributing to the strong comeback. Freshman Millie Prior had the most rebounds in the half, four overall, adding to the team’s overall total of 37. Dingle had four rebounds as well, doing what she could on both

4-3. Fordham’s top tier lost all three of their singles contests, but the 4-6 hole players did their job on Sunday, winning all of their matches, with two of three being straight set victories. The team result came down to the third doubles match, featuring veteran faces in senior Tom Russwurm and Soemarno. In a tightly fought struggle, Fordham succumbed 7-6, securing a home win for the Red Foxes.

Through nearly the first two months of the spring 2022 season, the Rams have faced five Division I programs and have only managed one victory in those matches.

Standing at 4-4 to start the 202122 campaign is not bad by any standards, but the Rams will decidedly need to improve their form before the Atlantic 10 tournament in late April. They will look to regain some momentum at home this weekend when the Naval Academy’s tennis team visits them in Harrison next week.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham senior Tom Russwurm battles at Queens College last weekend for the Fordham Rams.

Overtime: Breaking Traditions

By THOMAS AIELLO

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Consistency is important in today’s society. Keeping organized and knowing what is coming not only puts you one step ahead of the curve but prepares you for the one day where there is a blip in the system that forces you to improvise.

Every year, I gather with my father’s side of the family for Easter, perhaps one of my favorite feasts of the year, mostly due to the fact that my uncle is a world class chef with a real passion for cooking. Surrounding this feast includes classic Italian appetizers, jokes and the opening week of Major League Baseball.

In my family’s long line of Yankee fans, it is always customary to watch the game while simultaneously enjoying food and kicking the can with everyone in the living room.

Being raised in an Italian family, you can only imagine that there is constant yelling when the bombers screw something up.

But this year, that tradition is in jeopardy. The holiday will commence on April 17 this year, and normally there is some of a fresh MLB season around that time. But that may not happen this year due to the actions of Commissioner Rob Manfred.

Last year, we were finally able to conduct a normal Easter with our yearly traditions, but now it might be time to call an audible and think of something else as baseball’s ludacris lockout has stopped my family’s yearly tradition.

I am sure you are asking yourself, why are you telling me this? Why should I care about your family holiday traditions, and what does any of this have to do with the MLB’s lockout?

Baseball is by far America’s oldest and most storied sport in the world. With its failing attempts to

adapt modern methods of how the game is played, the type of audience it attracts or even the basics of marketing, the MLB has found itself in another pickle with the lockout between the players and the owners.

In simple terms, the owners don’t want to spend money and wish to pay the players as little as possible, as well as refusing to change the game of baseball. This stance greatly benefits the owners with profits while spending minimally. For the players, their issues are much greater, but they want more money spent and to help protect minor league players on arbitration contracts.

The players have also asked for the universal designated hitter, which they have already received.

The term “arbitration,” in simple terms, is when a minor league player is pulled up to a professional team and becomes a team-controlled asset for a certain number of years. Teams have been able to manipulate the arbitration concept to sign their brightest prospects for way less money, which the MLPA is not very happy about.

At the end of the day, this lockout comes down to money. But why can’t the MLB break it’s senile traditions and become modernized like the NBA, NFL or NHL? The past two years saw everyone pivoting to an alternative solution, and it can be as simple as my family’s holiday traditions where I have to find a way to supplement Yankees baseball on Easter Sunday.

Baseball’s evolution into the future must begin now, and if they are to win their audience back over, they need to look at what other leagues have done and proceed to use that model. Baseball is “America’s Pastime,” let’s not leave it in the past but rather move forward and only expand its long history with new traditions.

SPORTS

Page 20

February 23, 2022

Men’s Basketball Rebounds with Defensive Lockdown Against George Mason

By ALEXANDER WOLZ SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS

They say there is nothing worse than playing .500 in sports. It’s often seen as a sign of a franchise stuck between plummeting toward the draft lottery and pushing for the playoffs, far away from championship aspirations.

Yet, for Fordham Men’s Basketball, the exact opposite could not be more true. Following a 50-47 nail biting win against George Mason University (GMU), the Rams now sit at 12-13 on the season and are an even more impressive 10th in an Atlantic 10 Conference, where they were expected to rank last out of 14 teams.

Fordham has impressed numerous times this year. Look to the competitive battle against Davidson College in which they led most of the way or the performance against the University of Miami at the Barclays Center as examples of that, even though both games resulted in losses. Sunday was a bit different.

Led by first-year head coach Kim English, the GMU Patriots have followed a similar blueprint to Fordham in a lot of ways. They were not necessarily a team in desperate need of a rebuild, yet English has brought a different caliber to the program.

This is emphasized by a number of marquee non-conference wins, including against the ranked University of Maryland and the University of Georgia, both also riding .500 in the A-10.

So, GMU certainly presented a new challenge for Fordham. That is especially true considering this is one of the rare occasions where the Rams held the historical edge, leading the all-time series 7-5. They went on to add one more game to the win column on Sunday, and defense was the reason why.

“He’s unbelievable, man,” said head coach Kyle Neptune when asked

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Fordham Rams turned in one of their best defensive performances against the Patriots on Sunday.

about English. “I’m happy we got the win tonight but I’ll always cheer for them.”

Playing in the first Equality and Inclusion game, a nationwide campaign highlighting sports’ role as a backbone for social justice, Fordham held GMU to its lowest point total of the season, 47, while scoring just enough to edge them out, catapulted by a late three from junior Kyle Rose.

As has been the case in a number of recent games, Fordham limited GMU’s best scorer Josh Oduro, who has been leading the A-10 with 18.7 points per game, to just nine points, one short of his season-low.

They also outrebounded GMU by a slim 36-34 margin, improving to 10-6 when owning the advantage in that category and limiting GMU to a single first half rebound.

Neptune cited Fordham’s bigs as particularly influential in that aspect. Receiving yet another starting spot, sophomore Abdou Tsimbila swallowed up six boards, three offensively. Graduate forward Chuba Ohams delivered another doubledouble the 20th of his career on 17

points and 12 boards while contributing three blocks.

It’s easy to dilute Ohams’ performances based on how consistent they have become, but Neptune ensures that is not the case. “I cannot say enough about that kid,” he remarked. “He’s in every category, even turnovers. He does literally everything for us on the floor.”

That attitude stems down to the rest of Fordham’s improving lineup.

Neptune credited the guards for stepping in more on the glass, emphasized by three rebounds each from Rose and freshman Ahmad Harrison and six from sophomore Antrell Charlton. Charlton has proven especially valuable for a team without its premier leader down the stretch in graduate guard Darius Quisenberry, who continues to work through a day-to-day injury. Neptune referred to Charlton as “one of the coaches on the floor,” and he finished with six points and assists.

Even smaller names like sophomores Pat Kelly and Rostyslav Novitskyi also made an impact. The former finally received an opportunity to play significant minutes after battling a number

of injuries, adding six points and two rebounds while the latter secured two charges over the course of the game.

Freshman Zach Riley has already made some serious strides, earning notable minutes over the past two games-20 against Virginia Commonwealth University and 14 against GMU-after only joining the team at the start of A-10 play.

“Anything you tell him, he can execute on the floor,” said Neptune.

“So especially in tough spots, we feel real comfortable with him out there.”

All of that considered, Neptune chalked Sunday up as “our best 40 minute performance, especially defensively. The guys were just locked in the entire game. Really proud of our squad.”

Neptune cited a four to five minute stretch in the first half where Fordham let things slip away, and they almost did in the end too. Yet, the Rams held the Patriots scoreless for the final five minutes of the game to edge out the victory.

Similar to the performance against the University of Rhode Island,

Fordham showed a much more potent ability to finish late, something they had not been doing earlier in the year.

“We’ve kinda had trial by fire in games this year,” said Neptune. The results of it paid off in dividends against GMU, specifically for the player who hit the game-winning shot.

“Everyone knows our challenges with the flux in our roster with guys either hurt or leaving our program, etc. So as that’s happened, his role has expanded and he’s stepped into his own,” said Neptune, in reference to Rose. “I really don’t have to say anything to him. It’s just what he does.” On Sunday, that resulted in nine points on 3-7 shooting from deep. Rose has now averaged 9.9 points over his last eight games as a sign of that expanded role, an “offensive juggernaut” and “defensive stopper” in Neptune’s eyes.

There have been moments this year that raised doubts about Fordham.

Look all the way back to some disappointing early season performances, lineup troubles or a rude awakening at the beginning of A-10 competition.

Yet, Sunday shows just how far this program has come in year one under coach Neptune. This game put a gritty, tough Fordham team on display for a national audience. The fact that it came in a winning effort shows what has changed, not just from a few years ago, but even in a few short months. Now, Fordham has a chance to avoid day one of the A-10 Tournament.

So .500 basketball may be a desolate place for most, but right now, there is no better place for Fordham to be.

They’ll look to reach that mark Wednesday against La Salle University, who they previously beat 69-61, before heading back on the road Saturday to take on Davidson College at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and WFUV Radio.

Beyond the Scoreboard: Doping at the Olympics

BY MADDIE BIMONTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

This year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing once again dealt with the issue of athletes using illegal substances in competition. Throughout many Olympics, there have been cases of certain athletes using substances banned by the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA); however, no country seems to have as many issues with this as Russia does.

Competing under “Russian Olympic Committee” (ROC), the name serves as a reminder of the tainted Olympic history Russian athletes have caused.

As punishment for doping during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, Russia’s flag and namesake was banned from competing in Olympic games for two years.

This year, the women’s ice skating competition involved doping, with 15-year-old Kamila Valieva testing positive for a heart medication called trimetazidine in a sample taken prior to the Olympics. Trimetazidine, a drug believed to increase endurance, is on the banned substances list. The news of this positive test result did not come until after Valieva helped

the ROC win the team skating event. According to Valieva’s lawyers, the drug was thought to enter her system via cross-contamination from her grandfather, who is on the medication.

Due to the fact that she is a minor, the Court of Arbitration for Sports at the Olympics said Valieva was allowed to continue performing in the Olympics, but if she won an event she would not be given a medal. As a result, the team skating medal ceremony is at a halt, with the United States having originally taken silver behind the ROC. Valieva went on to compete in the second half of the free skate event on Thursday, performing below-average. Falling out of numerous turns, she failed to make the podium, eliminating the chance for a potential cancellation of a podium ceremony.

In tears after her performance, Valieva became one of the most talked about subjects during the winter games, calling into question the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s policy ondoping. While her age played a large factor in the ultimate decision, many instances of drug usage in the Olympics have been regarded much

more severely.

In 2021, 21-year-old American track and field star Sha’carri Richardson was handed a one-month suspension from racing after testing positive for THC. The one-month suspension set Richardson back, making her ineligible for the 100m race, and thus made her miss out on attending the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. The issue in comparing the two situations is that the CAS panel did not judge Richardson’s case, rather it was the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

While USADA is known for being strict when it comes to illegal substance usage and doping, the Russian counterpart, RUSADA, looks the other way in many drug-related cases. Their lack of oversight gained international attention, ultimately being dismantled in 2015. Without a clear set of rules for Russian athletes, doping is still running rampant among their ranks.

The real issue when it comes to doping is the lack of clear rules and regulations for athletes. There is no universal rule when it comes to banning athletes or barring them from competition. This year’s instance took a dramatic turn due to Valieva’s young age.

The age range for women’s ice skating

has dramatically decreased over the past few years and, with questions of doping clouding their futures, their mental health is also at risk.

The coach for many of the young Russian ice skaters is Eteri Tutberidze, who has pumped out many talented ice skaters for the past eight years.

However, her teaching style has been widely criticized, with reports exposing her verbal and physical abuse.

“The Eteri Girls,” as the skaters are called, are trained to be champions and tend to reach their retirement age at just 16 or 17 years old.

The CAS panel, when addressing the case of Valieva, cited her age being a major factor for her ability to

continue competing in the Olympics.

“The panel considered that preventing the athlete to compete at the Olympic Games would cause her irreparable harm in the circumstances,” CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb said in a statement, according to the AP. It is incredibly difficult then to watch the CAS panel turn a blind eye when these young athletes are being pushed to the edge and pumped full of puberty blockers to keep their bodies young. The “irreparable harm” that the CAS pannel is so worried about has already been done, and it certainly will not be the last time an athelete dopes at the Olympics for team Russia.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Once again the Olympics are plagued with another doping scandal.