The Ram Volume 92 Issue 12

SPECIAL REPORT PAGE 12: SUMMER HOUSING

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE BARCELLONA AND BRIAN KRAKER/THE RAM

SERVING THE FORDHAM UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY FOR OVER 90 YEARS

1918-2010

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

VOLUME 92, ISSUE 12

Demographics, Ranking Shifts Bring Changes to Fordham University

By PATRICK DEROCHER NEWS EDITOR

PHOTO BY BRIAN KRAKER/ THE RAM

Tripled rooms in Martyrs’ Court, in spite of the Office of Residential Life’s efforts, are often rather crowded and cramped, as the rooms in Goupil and LaLande Halls are slightly smaller than those in Loschert Hall and Alumni Court South.

Continuing a nearly two-decade increase in admissions activity and interest, Fordham University saw its applicant pool increase by more than 10 percent in a year when the on-campus housing system also changed dramatically.

Up nearly 13 percent from the previous admissions cycle, Fordham received some 27,608 applications for spaces in the incoming Class of 2014, as compared to 24,462 last year. Additionally, there was a major demographics shift for this class, continuing a recent trend. The percentage of the class hailing from the State of New York dropped from 43 percent to 40 percent, while totals from New York City dropped to 19 percent from 22 percent a year ago.

At the same time, students coming from distance markets increased dramatically. This year’s freshman class has some 44 students from Illinois, 107 from California and 12 from Louisiana, up from 28, 79

and three respectively in the Class of 2013.

The academic achievements of Fordham applicants also improved this year, with the average SAT score up to 1249 from 1240 last year and 1229 the year before, and 41 percent of admitted students placing in the top 10 percent of their high school classes. This improvement can be linked to Fordham’s continued rise in the influential U.S. News & World Report college rankings. Most recently, the school jumped five places from 61 to 56 last month.

“It is a reflection of all the good things that are happening here,” said John Buckley, associate vice president for Undergraduate Enrollment, adding that the shift in rankings was “only positive.”

The changes in Fordham’s admissions picture, coupled with ongoing construction and the recent rearrangement student housing, have caused changes in the Office of Residential Life’s operations this year.

With regard to freshman housSEE RESLIFE ON PAGE 4

Campus Activity Board Hosts Fordham Welcome Week Festivities

By VICTORIA RAU ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

In spite of inclement weather, Fordham University’s Welcome Week 2010, sponsored and presented by the Campus Activities Board, was successful and received well by both the students running the event and those attending it.

“We very pleased with the way Welcome Week 2010 turned out, we had high attendance at our events, things overall ran smoothly,” Kathleen Biemer, FCRH ’11, president of CAB said. “The other clubs and organizations involved were successful and students seemed to enjoy themselves.”

The centerpiece of the week of festivities was the Laser Light Dance Party, held on the second floor of McGinley Center on Sept.

3. Given the threat of rain posed

by Hurricane Earl as it swept up the East Coast this past weekend, the dance party was held indoors and in lieu of the originally planned foam party, which was supposed to occur on Murphy Field.

CAB waited until the last minute possible to make the decision to move the dance party, but on Thursday evening there was still a 70 percent chance of rain, so they decided to err on the side of caution.

“Had we decided to chance it and keep the event outside and then experienced any rain, high winds or thunder/lightning before or during the event, we would have had to cancel the whole thing,” Biemer said. “The call was made in an ef-

fort to ensure that we were able to host an event on campus for students that evening regardless of the weather.”

Biemer considered the evening a success despite the change in plans.

“We drew a super high energy crowd of just over 1,000 indoors to dance on the second floor of McGinley,” Biemer said. “Many attendees followed the suggested ‘neon and white’ dress code and got quite creative, which we were happy to see. People were of course a bit disappointed to not have foam, but the awesome lighting and DJ inside helped make up for it and it ended up being a fantastic night.”

Despite the often sexual nature of foam parties, Biemer said that CAB “had nothing but support from the administration” in planning the “Foamtastic Dance Party,” which they hope to reschedule for next semester.

In order to avoid a similar weather issue, Biemer said that CAB will look to spring to reschedule the foam party, but given the student interest level CAB will make a concerted effort to hold a foam party before the year is out.

“If it can be worked into the schedule, budget and overall planning, I can assure you that the chairs of CAB will do our best to make it happen,” Biemer said.

In addition to the Laser Dance Party, CAB held an outdoor showcase of Fordham’s performing arts groups on Sept. 1 and an outdoor showing of the movie Toy Story 3 on Sept. 2 to celebrate Welcome Week.

PHOTO BY CAROLINE DAHLGREN/THE RAM

The centerpiece of Welcome Week was the Laser Light Dance Party, a substitute for the Foamtastic Dance Party that was canceled as a result of Hurrican Earl.

INSIDE Sports PAGE 24

Opinions PAGE 11

Culture PAGE 13

Tennis and squash coach leaves Fordham after 54 years.

A new resident’s assessment of life in Campbell Hall.

The 2010 Emmy Awards and awardees reviewed.

NEWS

PAGE 2 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

SECURITY

BRIEFS

The Ram Speaks to Alanna Nolan, Asst. Dean of OSL

By ABIGAIL FORGET MANAGING EDITOR

Sept. 1, John Mulcahy Hall 12 p.m.

A smoke detector went off at JMH, causing occupants to evacuate the building. The alarm had been triggered by workmen, and there were no injuries.

Sept. 1, Salice-Conley Hall 10 p.m.

A fire alarm went off in SaliceConley Hall, triggered by steam escaping from a shower. The building was evacuated and FDNY responded, but there were no injuries.

Sept. 3, outside Security Office 11:30 p.m.

Students were involved in a fistfight outside the Security Office. One sustained minor injuries and was treated by FUEMS at the site with no further medical attention necessary. The matter was referred to the dean of students.

Sept. 4, Walsh Hall 2 a.m.

Trouble with the fire alert panel caused a fire alarm in Walsh Hall. FDNY responded, though there was no real fire. Facilities corrected the issue.

Sept. 4, Salice-Conley Hall 10 a.m.

A water leak in Salice-Conley was triggered by a shower. The leaking valve was replaced by Facilities.

Sept. 5, Ram Van 2 a.m.

Two female students on the Ram Van from Lincoln Center got into an altercation. FUEMS responded, but both of the students involved refused medical attention.

Sept. 7, Faculty Memorial Hall 5 a.m.

Security noticed damage to the glass in the door at FMH on the side facing Fordham Road.

Security is investigating and the situation was corrected.

Sept. 7, O’Hare Hall 5:45 a.m.

A fire alarm was triggered in O’Hare Hall by a faulty fan.

There was no fire in the building.

-Compiled by Patrick Derocher with help from Fordham Security.

Although the new Assistant Dean for Student Leadership and Community Development Alanna Nolan has only been at Fordham’s Rose Hill campus for three weeks, she has already developed a strategy to integrate into the department a plan to observe and learn from those around her before initiating any large modifications.

“I am not going to make any systemic changes in the first year,” Nolan said. “I think that it is really important when you come into a new place that you learn first. I am taking the first year as a learning opportunity to really see how things are. You cannot make changes to something if you do not even know how it is currently operating.”

A Woodlawn native, Nolan grew up in the Bronx and attended Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y. She remained at the institution for eight years, receiving both bachelor’s and master’s degrees and working as an employee of the school.

Nolan, whose original intention was to become a teacher, became involved in student activities during her undergraduate years, particularly the orientation process.

Post-graduation, Nolan became aware of an opportunity to work at Manhattanville and decided to pursue the position.

“I was the assistant director for student activities for two years and was eventually able to move on to become the director of Student Activities and Commuter Affairs,” Nolan said. “However, I did not want all of my experience to be in one place. [Manhattanville] is a much smaller institution, with

about 1,700 students.”

Nolan said she was attracted to Fordham due to how mission-centered it seemed, in addition to the Jesuit concept of education: the development of the whole student.

“It’s not what you do inside of the classroom, but the outside as well,” Nolan said. “What is the most important is preparing students to be leaders. It is not just how to delegate duties, but how you motivate people to do those things. When you are in clubs and organizations like the ones at Fordham, you get your first opportunity to do that.”

Nolan’s application process involved a series of interviews with everyone from Christopher Rodgers, dean of students at Rose Hill, to Dr. Jennifer Mussi, former assistant dean for Student Leadership and Community Development and United Student Government Executive President Sara Kugel, FCRH ’11.

“The position really seemed to be the next level for everything that I am interested in,” Nolan said. “When I came here and interviewed, I knew that it was someplace I really wanted to be.”

To ensure a good work environment, Nolan said communication is key and said she plans to hold weekly meetings with Kugel as well as Sabrena O’Keefe, assistant director for Leadership and Commuter Student Services, Marisa Totino, assistant director for Campus Center Operations and Sylvia Heichel, office manager.

“Everyone really enjoys it here,” Nolan said of her new co-workers.

“They find it to be a great place to work. They love the students.”

Aside from Nolan’s weekly meetings, her day-to-day duties will involve attending and planning vari-

PHOTO BY STEPHEN MOCCIA/ THE RAM

Alanna Nolan, Fordham’s new assistant dean of Student Leadership and Community Development, brings a passion for student activities to the position.

ous events on campus.

Although Nolan said she intends to watch and learn for the majority of her first year with the department, she does plan to take a look at the paperwork process of OSL&CD, an aspect of the office that many Fordham students regard as tedious.

“I want to make sure that there are not any lags or confusion,” she said. “As I am going through paperwork, I am thinking of what the purpose is, why do we do this and so forth. Over time, things change; students change and needs change.

Is your paperwork actually reflective of what you need to be doing?

If there’s a little place to make a tweak to ensure things will be easier, I will do that.”

Nolan said she intends to utilize student surveys for feedback in the future to make decisions about what in OSL&CD is working effectively and what processes need

USG Approves Three New Clubs

By VICTORIA RAU

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

United Student Government granted official club status to three new clubs at its meeting on Sept. 2, bringing the number of club approvals since the beginning of the current administration to eight. Representatives from Perspectives, Ballroom Dance and the Theatrical Outreach Program attended the meeting to present their cases, following two approvals each by the Operations Committee.

Perspectives, a foreign policy research journal in mostly essay format, has already been publishing online and has a staff of about 15 writers. Its editors hope to begin publishing in print with the funding that will become available with club status.

Ballroom Dance is a group focused on “learning and having fun,” according to club representatives. None of the club leaders are expert dancers, they said; rather, they have a talented instructor and enjoy ballroom dance.

With a strong response at the Club Fair, held Sept. 1, Ballroom Dance hopes to become an outlet for Fordham students who want to give dancing a try.

The Theatrical Outreach Program’s mission is to bring abridged versions of classic plays to middle and high schools in the area. They also received a strong level of interest at the club fair, according to club leaders.

Members employ minimalist cos-

tumes and settings in order to travel easily and would ideally use their club budget for transportation around the city.

Preparations are underway for Fordham Week, which USG will host on Sept. 21-25 this year, in a shift from previous years when they held it in March. Sara Kugel, executive president of USG, FCRH ’11, made the decision to merge Fordham Week, USG’s only programming initiative, with Homecoming festivities over the summer. The idea for the shift initially came as a result of a desire to bolster attendance at Fordham athletic events.

“Everything [during Fordham week] is going to be about painting the campus maroon and white,” Kugel said. “It gives the week some purpose.”

Kugel emphasized the week will “incorporate all elements of the University,” from cultural clubs to athletics to performing groups. USG will finalize the full schedule of events for Fordham Week at its upcoming meetings.

USG approved Sean Radomski, president of FCRH ’11, as the chairman of the Election Commission for the coming year, in addition to the members selected by Radomski. The senate approved Jim Shields, CBA ’11, Kevin Crenny, FCRH ’11, Tom Emala, FCRH ’11, and Ross Drueding, FCRH ’11, to serve on the commission after brief introductions and

a short questioning session for each.

Sandie Habib, executive vice president of Fordham College, FCRH ’12, updated the senate on the Fordham College Academic Dean’s Council, the first of its kind for Fordham College and an initiative that Habib has been pursuing since taking office.

This council, Habib said, will consist of students from every major in the college who will meet with and serve as advisors to Michael Latham, Ph.D., dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill.

USG will accept applications for the Dean’s Council, which can be found at www.usgrh.com, until Sept.

17 at the USG office. Once selected, the council, along with Latham, will meet with different departments to discuss and implement changes for the benefit of the students, Habib said.

In a similar vein, Eva Decesaro, president of FCRH ’12, called on the senate to encourage students with internship experiences to share these experiences with the deans. A task force, created by Latham at the end of last year, is reevaluating internship credit policies for Fordham College.

As it currently stands, different major departments have different standards for accepting internships for credit. Decesaro and Kugel hope that through discussion, the council will be able to achieve a more consistent standard for internship credit in Fordham College.

to be altered.

“The biggest challenge is going to be building up the relationship between the students and the office,” Nolan said. “This should be a welcoming place for students where they want to come do things and see their ideas come into action.”

Nolan hopes that students at Fordham will use OSL&CD as a springboard in which they can take any project that they are working on to the next level.

“Be excited,” Nolan said, when asked what one thing she wishes to stress to students for the upcoming year. “I feed off of student’s excitement. That is why people go into this field. Seeing the satisfaction of a student once they come in from the drawing board and get to see their finished product is so gratifying. I just wanted people to be excited about what is going on. And do not be passive. Come be a part of it.”

THIS

week at FORDHAM Thurs., Sept. 9 Iron Man 2, Keating First Auditorium, 8:30-11:30 p.m.

Fri., Sept. 10 FUPAC/ACE Mixer, Faculty Lounge, 5-9 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 11 Sept. 11 Memorial Mass University Church, 5:15 p.m.

Sun., Sept. 12 Mass of the Holy Spirit University Church, 5 p.m.

Sun., Sept. 12 Mass of the Holy Spirit BBQ McGinley Lawn, 5-9 p.m.

Mon., Sept. 13 Pride Weekly Meeting Student Lounge, 8-9 p.m.

Tues., Sept. 14 Campbell Hall Mass 2CA 2-124, 9-10 p.m.

Wed., Sept. 15 Yoga KE B23, 5:30-7 p.m.

-Compiled by Abigail Forget

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PAGE 4 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 RESLIFE, FROM PAGE 1

ing, the most notable change was the substitution of Goupil and LaLande Halls in Martyrs’ Court for Hughes Hall, which is currently undergoing its two-year transformation into a new headquarters for the College of Business Administration. Of particular concern has been the placement of forced triples in Martyrs’ Court, although Greer Jason, assistant dean of students and director of Residential Life, stated that the percentage of Martyrs’ rooms that were triples was “about five percent,” and that they are taking measures to assure that as many rooms were de-tripled as possible.

“Queen’s Court and Tierney Hall [two freshman residential colleges] are assigned earlier in the summer, so when we assign those buildings, we estimate the number of triples we will need,” she said, adding that the number of triples required in Martyrs’ Court, Alumni Court South and Loschert Hall was higher than anticipated.

The triples, Jason went on to say, were evenly distributed between the three halls, although she noted that the rooms in Martyrs’ Court are “about two square feet smaller” than their counterparts in Alumni Court South and Loschert. However, the Residential Life staff specifically chose to triple rooms that had layouts more conducive to tripling and did not have dropped ceilings.

Finally, Jason pointed out that with the replacement of Hughes Hall by Martyrs’ Court, the breakdown of freshman housing changed

from 50 percent doubles, 25 percent triples and 25 percent quads to around 70 percent doubles.

One other major changes in the housing situation this year involved Fordham allowing its leases to expire on two off-campus houses: Belmont 2 House and Hughes House, both in the Belmont community of the Bronx. This has had some effect on the housing of Fordham’s transfer students, estimated at 50 more than last year, as some are now being housed in Jogues Hall, the only section of Martyrs’ Court that is not entirely dedicated to freshman housing. However, Jason emphasized that most transfer students were being housed in Belmont Community Housing, which was less in demand than expected after the completion of Campbell and Salice-Conley Halls, and that no transfer student was given housing priority over continuing students in post-lottery and overflow housing.

Moving on to Campbell and Salice-Conley Halls, Jason confirmed that all interior construction on the buildings had been completed, and that the only work remaining was to deal with some of the siding on the exterior of Campbell Tower 1 between the sixth and seventh floors.

“The buildings are in extraordinary shape,” she said, going on to thank personally Joe Scaltro, Fordham’s senior project manager for the buildings’ construction, for his work on the project.

She went on to note that the buildings’ residents are about 70 percent seniors, with most of the other

NEWS

PHOTO BY BRIAN KRAKER/ THE RAM

Possibly mitigating many of the issues that residents have been experiencing in Martyrs’ Court, the kitchens, amongst other facilities in the building, have been renovated.

residents being juniors and a very small number being sophomores.

Additionally, she confirmed that the living rooms in the apartments, because of their varying shapes and sizes, have different sets and sizes of furniture, and that a limited number of smaller bedrooms have proportionately smaller furniture.

Additionally, Jason spoke briefly about the housing lottery for the

2011-2012 school year, saying that lotteries for Campbell and SaliceConley Halls would likely be broken into four separate dates, rather than three, with the fours-singles lottery followed by fives-singles, fours-doubles and sixes-doubles to avoid the scramble for singles that led to the unexpected class distribution this year.

Finally, Jason said that plans are

being finalized to bring future iterations of the housing lottery fully online, although she was unable to say for certain if this would occur this year or not. The system that Fordham will be using was purchased from StarRez, an Australian company that has provided similar systems to such universities as Loyola University Maryland, Boston College and Cornell University.

Fordham Food Service Introduces Changes, Additions to Offerings

By PATRICK DEROCHER NEWS EDITOR

The long-awaited and much-discussed replacement to the Ramskellar will open, it has been confirmed, in the upcoming weeks, pending final work on electrical hook-ups in the McGinley Center basement.

“We plan to have it open around the third week of September,” Brian Poteat, general manager of Food Services said, adding that most of the structural work had been completed inside the space.

Clearing up months of rumors, Poteat said that Dagger John’s, the fullservice restaurant currently located in the McGinley basement, will remain open, and that the new location will feature an expanded version of the menu currently in use at that location. Instead, the servery portion of the Ramskellar and the Annex will be shut down in favor of what Poteat describes as a “Panera-like” food service location, referring to the upscale quick-service chain specializing in soups and sandwiches.

This new eatery, he said, was developed in response to market research indicating that students wanted a cafeteria-swipe equivalent in McGinley Center that was open later than the Ultimate Dining Marketplace. While the current cafeteria is open only un-

til 8 p.m. on weekdays and 7 p.m. on weekends, the new location, Poteat said, will be open until 9 p.m.

Students will be able to pay at this location with cash, declining balance on their meal plans or cafeteria swipes normally reserved for the Marketplace, thus giving more flexibility than other on-campus locations in terms of payment options.

In discussing the new location, Poteat referred to a more recent Sodexo and Food Services initiative: the “Take Five” section of the Marketplace. This area, located to the right of the Marketplace’s main entrance, allows students to use a cafeteria swipe to get a salad or sandwich, a beverage, fruit, a snack and a dessert.

Calling the new dining option “very successful,” Poteat pointed to it as an indication that students’ dining habits are likely to support the new McGinley Center basement location.

Poteat also praised the Campbell Café, the brand new coffeehouse location in Campbell Hall, saying that Food Services planned on expanding the program at that location to meet students’ needs and desires in terms of foodstuffs for apartment-style living.

In response to some confusion regarding the modified Starbucks menu at the Café, Poteat said that the location is subject to a licensing agreement “essentially the same” as those governing

similar “We Proudly Serve Starbucks” locations in Barnes & Noble and other retailers. However, he said, Starbucks has recently changed its licensing agreements, restricting further the use of Starbucks names and products in licensed locations. Most notably, such locations may not refer to “Frappuccinos” and cannot include “tall,” Starbucks’s term for a small beverage, as an option for certain beverages.

As for changes in other on-campus dining locations, Poteat said that Food Services and Sodexo next had plans for the Student Deli. Although no plans are finalized, discussed options include a national brand becoming available in the basement of Queen’s Court.

Moving to the Lincoln Center campus, Poteat noted that, partially in response to the “Take Five” system in the McGinley Center, the Jazzman’s coffee stand in the lobby of the Leon Lowenstein Building is being replaced by a Simply-to-Go location, where students will be able to use declining balance to purchase salads, sandwiches and other similarly prepackaged items. Additionally, he noted that while changes are made where and when possible at that campus, such as the expansion of the Sandella’s menu, large-scale changes are logistically difficult, as there are few on-campus dining alternatives.

PHOTO BY CAROLINE DAHLGREN/ THE RAM

PHOTO BY STEPHEN MOCCIA/ THE RAM

PHOTO BY CAROLINE DAHLGREN/ THE RAM

Improved, rotating food options and the MooBella ice cream machine are among the more popular items in Campbell Café , the new Sodexo location in the Campbell Hall residence hall.

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 • THE RAM • PAGE 5

Fordham in Brief Oxford University Press to Distribute Fordham University Press Titles Beginning in January 2011, Oxford University Press, the world’s largest university press, will be the distributor for all Fordham University Press titles in the United States and Canada, supplanting current distribution partner New York University Press. With roots dating back to 1480, OUP began operations in the United States in 1896 and has been a premier publishing press for more than two centuries.

“We’re very excited by this new partnership,” Fordham University Press Director Fredric W. Nachbaur said in a University press release. “I see this as an incredible opportunity for enhanced recognition and visibilityboth for FUP and our authors.”

Oxford University Press, which publishes academic journals and sheet music in addition to scholarly books, distributes its own publications and those of several other university presses out of a warehouse in Cary, N.C., near the state capital of Raleigh.

“We are thrilled to have a university press of Fordham’s caliber become a part of our family of distributed presses,” Colleen Scollans, vice president of global marketing at Oxford University Press said in the same release.

Fordham University Press’s publishing focuses mainly on humanities, the social sciences and theological texts, in addition academic journals and series on medieval studies, humanitarian af-

fairs and other interdisciplinary topics.

Fordham, CBA See Improvements in Influential Rankings The Aug. 17 release of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” issue saw Fordham University ascend five notches to 56th nationally among the “top-tier” 262 universities.

This improvement comes on the heels of a seven-point drop in BusinessWeek’s March release of the “Top Undergraduate Business Programs 2010.”

As recently as 2002, Fordham ranked only 84th nationally. Now, ranked the fourth-best Catholic university in the country after Notre Dame, Georgetown and Boston College, Fordham shares its ranking at 56 with much larger schools such as Boston University, Ohio State University, Purdue University, Southern Methodist University, the University of Georgia and the University of MarylandCollege Park.

“Fordham’s continued climb in the U.S. News & World Report rankings is gratifying, of course,” Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the University, said in a press release. “The magazine’s designation as one of the nation’s best colleges comes once a year, but it speaks to the day-in, day-out labor and attention of faculty and staff, students and trustees- labor that is no less heroic for being largely unsung.”

Fordham boasts some of the small-

est class sizes of the top-tier universities, with only one percent of classes being larger than 50 students and 50 percent of classes being composed of 20 or fewer students.

Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business Administration, lauded this year’s ascension in the U.S. News & World Report rankings.

“I am very pleased that the US News ranking of Fordham’s undergraduate programs has improved,” Rapaccioli said. “fifty-sixth nationally is really an achievement. Fordham is recognized an outstanding Jesuit institution that is committed to academic excellence, globalization and student personal and professional development an institution that uses New York City to reinforce the classroom experience.”

Rapaccioli also emphasized recognition for CBA’s specific programs as indicated by the BusinessWeek specialty rankings released in May, two months after general business school rankings.

CBA’s marketing program was rated fourth nationally, while the ethics, business law, finance and accounting also fared well, ranking eighth, ninth, 19th and 23rd, respectively.

“I am especially proud of the marketing, business law and ethics areas,” Rapaccioli said in a press release.

“Studying marketing in New York City provides students with opportunities for hands-on experience you can’t find in many other locations.

Recognition for the quality of our ethics area reinforces our Jesuit approach to educating business leaders as men

and women of conscience.”

McShane acknowledged the importance of the rankings, while insisting that the University’s focus is on quality for its students’ sake, not solely the sake of its reputation.

“While the University is justly proud of its national reputation and attendant high rankings, Fordham’s most lasting legacies are the men and women educated here, and the research produced by our dedicated and talented faculty,” McShane said. “The Fordham community’s sustained work in the service of our mission is humbling and the U.S. News ranking is welcome recognition of that effort.”

University Mourns Longtime Faculty, Alumni Over the summer, Fordham University suffered the loss of multiple former students, instructors and administrators.

Charles J. Berine, S.J., a visiting professor in the Graduate School of Education and former president of LeMoyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., passed away after a long illness on July 14, at the age of 71.

After serving as LeMoyne’s president from 2000 to 2007, Fr. Beirne relocated to Africa to serve as a consultant for higher education on that continent. He received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Fordham College at Rose Hill and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences before obtaining a Ph.D. from the University of

Chicago and being ordained in 1969.

Professor Emeritus Edward McGonagle of the School of Law taught at the school from 1964 to 2006, being elevated to Faculty Emeritus in 2007.

McGonagle, who taught in estate, trust and land use law amongst other specialties, held degrees from Princeton, Yale, Boston College and Harvard.

Denise Jefferson, former director of the Ailey School and co-founder of Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program with that school, passed away on July 18 after a battle with ovarian cancer.

The program, which was 10 years old in 2008, has produced many professional dancers in a blend of conservatory training for dance and liberal arts grounding. The program, which was co-founded by Edward J. Bristow, professor of history and former dean of FCLC, now has an acceptance rate of around 10 percent.

Dennis Dillon, FCRH ’55 and Law ’62, was the third longest-serving district attorney in the United States before passing away of lymphoma on Aug. 15 at the age of 76.

Serving 31 years as Nassau County DA, Dillon oversaw cases including the 1993 trial of Long Island Rail Road shooter Colin Ferguson. Beginning his career as a Democrat, Dillon became a Republican in 1986 when the Democratic Party adopted support for abortion as an official stance.

Compiled by Patrick Derocher, news editor, and Victoria Rau, assistant news editor.

Nation & World

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

President Obama announced his sweeping infrastructure plans in Milwaukee at a Labor Day event.

Obama, in Campaign Mode, Defends Policies

By PETER SLEVIN MILWAUKEE - Faced with the twin challenges of boosting the economy and saving Democratic congressional seats in November, President Obama tried to do a little of both on Monday at a Labor Day rally that heralded a prominent role for him in a fiery fall campaign.

Obama defended his record and criticized Republicans and his Washington foes as opponents of the middle class “who talk about me like a dog.” He told several thousand cheering labor union members that the Republican Party is peddling failed economic policies, and he vowed to “make this case across the country between now and November.”

Under pressure to show that he is doing all he can to deliver jobs, Obama announced a proposal to spend $50 billion in the next year on roads, railroads and airport runways. The mod-

ernization plan, a more formal version of a long-standing pledge to improve the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, is one of several economic proposals he is to make this week.

“So many Americans have been idled for months, even years, at a time when there is so much of America that needs rebuilding,” Obama said. “We used to have the best infrastructure in the world. We can have it again.”

White House officials said the $50 billion in new government spending would be the first installment of a six-year transportation strategy that would include investments in highspeed rail and air traffic control. To pay for it, the administration would raise taxes on oil and gas companies.

If approved by Congress, the funds would build or repair 150,000 miles of road, 4,000 miles of railroad track and 150 miles of runways, the officials said. The proposal includes creating an “infrastructure bank” to prioritize projects and attract private funds.

“Just more of the same,” the Republican National Committee said in an e-mail to reporters, shortly before Obama spoke to the Milwaukee Area Labor Council’s annual Laborfest.

“I hope his changes are to finally promote some private-sector growth, not just the growth in government or throwing billions of more dollars at every perceived problem,” Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Priebus told reporters in a conference call.

Some elected Democrats, seeing their prospects dim because of an unemployment rate near 10 percent, have been pushing for a second stimulus bill to juice the economy. Eight weeks before midterm elections, in which they anticipate big gains, Republicans are campaigning heavily on

the argument that Obama is mortgaging the country’s future.

In jetting into Milwaukee from Washington for two hours, Obama returned to the event in which he kicked off his 2008 general election campaign.

He arrived in full campaign mode, delivering a spirited speech that devoted far more time to winning votes than to detailing economic remedies.

Obama defended a string of policies, from the Democratic health-care overhaul and Wall Street regulation to the remaking of the college studentloan business.

“We’ve given tax cuts, but we’ve given them to folks who need them,” he said.

He declared to cheers that no part of Social Security will be privatized while he is president, and he entertained the crowd by lambasting Republicans.

“Powerful interests” have not been happy with him, Obama said.

“When it comes to just about everything we’ve done to strengthen the middle class and rebuild our economy, almost every Republican in Congress says ‘No’,” Obama said. “If I said the sky is blue, they’d say no. If I said fish live in the sea, they’d say no. They just think it’s better to score political points during an election than solve problems.”

During his long slide in popularity since the early days of his presidency, Obama has struggled to show voters that he understands the economic calamity for unemployed workers and that he is doing what he can. He told the audience that he knows “there’s still a lot of hurt out there.”

Obama intends to speak in more detail about the economy on Wednesday in Cleveland, where House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R,

Ohio), urged him last month to fire his economic team and start over.

When it comes to the midterm elections, neither his audience nor the Democrats who preceded him at the microphone on Monday were under any illusions. Obama is not on the ballot, but the future of his agenda could be riding on the Nov. 2 results.

“We were great in ‘08,” one speaker warned the audience. “But if you’ve got this president’s back, you’d better be back in 2010.”

North Korea’s Kim Jong Il Expected to Introduce Son as Successor

By CHICO HARLAN TOKYO - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il will probably use an upcoming meeting of party elites to introduce his heir apparent, initiating the Stalinist dictatorship’s second hereditary power transfer, U.S. and South Korean experts and officials say.

Kim’s youngest son, Kim Jong Eun, is widely expected to be given at least one high-level leadership position, the first step to claiming absolute power on par with his father’s.

Experts differ on whether the younger Kim’s rise will be publicly heralded. But in any case, moves made in coming days could lend the first real insight into Kim Jong Il’s strategy for into maintaining his family’s power as his country deals with a frail economy, severe food shortages and international pressure to denuclearize.

North Korea has not announced dates for the party delegates meeting in Pyongyang, a rare forum reserved for landmark decision making. Good

Friends, a Seoul-based humanitarian group with ties to the North, said it would begin Saturday. Other experts predicted it would open Monday, with Kim Jong Eun being promoted on the final day. North Korea celebrates the anniversary of its founding Thursday.

Observers say that the elder Kim, who suffered a stroke in 2008, is rushing the power transfer because of health problems. Kim Jong Eun is thought to be in his mid or late 20s.

“This conference would be an opportunity to lay the foundation of the post-Kim Jong Il era,” said Kim Heung-kyu, a professor at Sungshin Women’s University in Seoul.

North Korea held similar delegates’ conferences in 1958 and 1966. Such meetings provide latitude for juggling the hierarchy, revising the constitution and adjusting the balance of power between the military and Workers’ Party.

Many North Korea analysts in Seoul and Washington predict that Kim Jong Il will attempt either to rebuild power in the Workers’ Party, which has lost influence to the military and seen its membership decline, or dilute power in the military. Either way, Kim wants a system where elites on both sides check each other.

The Workers’ Party is supposed to hold a congress session every five years, but it has not met since 1980, when Kim took power from his father behind the scenes.

“The conference will be a chance for the party to recover its power,” said Park Hyeong-jung, a researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. “The appointment of the officials can give us an idea about how North Korea will run the nation.”

All articles copyright 2010 the Washington Post.

NEWS

PAGE 6 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

Fordham Student Successfully Wards Off Would-Be Assailant

By PATRICK DEROCHER NEWS EDITOR

A Fordham student did what few can ever claim to have done by avoiding a “Security File,” fighting back at a would-be mugger on Aug. 31 and decisively winning against his opponent.

Anthony Tochet, CBA ’13, was alone in the Belmont neighborhood at around 11:45 p.m. walking toward campus when his attacker struck from behind.

“I felt him hit me with his elbow on my shoulder,” Tochet said, gesturing to his bandaged right shoulder. “I took karate, so I knew that he would try to get me with a weapon.”

Tochet responded by striking his attacker, inflicting wounds on the man while also sustaining some injuries to his own hands and upper body in the process.

Noticing that his would-be mugger was lying motionless on the ground, Tochet called 9-1-1 and waited with him until an ambulance arrived and brought the two to a hospital for surveillance and treatment, the name of which Tochet was unable to identify.

At the hospital, Tochet was told that he had broken several of his assailant’s bones, including multiple ribs, and that the assailant was still unconscious, but that upon waking, the attacker would be charged for the attempted mugging. Law enforcement officials assured Tochet that because he acted in self-defense, and because he called and waited for an ambulance for the man, he would not be charged with anything.

Medical professionals at the hospital wanted to keep Tochet over night for observation, but he was resistant.

“I said to them, ‘I have to get back

on campus tonight, or my mom’s going to get mad at me.’”

After demonstrating his physical well-being by performing push-ups in the hospital, Tochet was transported back to Fordham’s Rose Hill campus.

Tochet credits his success over his attacker to his quick thinking and martial arts training. Additionally, he said that he has not been in contact in any way with Fordham University Security Services since the incident.

A representative from Fordham Safety and Security stopped short of fully condemning Tochet’s actions, but said that students should be realistic with their abilities when dealing with potential attackers.

“You are worth more than your money,” he said, adding recommendations that students always be vigilant and to avoid traveling alone at night if and when it is at all possible.

PHOTO BY PATRICK DEROCHER/ THE RAM

Anthony Tocher, CBA ’13, credits his karate training and experience for his success over a potential mugger off-campus.

USG President Kugel Names Adminsitration’s Top Priorities

By VICTORIA RAU ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Sara Kugel, executive president of United Student Government, FCRH ’11, identified transparency, academics and empowerment of club leaders as three main themes on which she intends to focus as her term begins in earnest.

Transparency, a concept Kugel and then-running mate, now-Executive Vice President of USG Caitlin Meyer, FCRH ’12, emphasized during their campaign, is a goal toward which Kugel already believes her administration is working with projects like revamping USG’s Web site

and opening Operations Committee meetings to the public.

“I know that word [transparency] is thrown around a lot, but I think that the initiatives we have pursued and the things we have already established define that word a little bit,” Kugel said.

Bryan Matis, executive vice president of operations, CBA ’12, recently announced that Operations Committee meetings are now public in a Sept. 2 letter.

“Operations is the first committee under USG’s purview to hold entirely public meetings,” Matis wrote.

Kugel said that the decision to open the meetings was Matis’, but

that she encourages all executive board members that hold meetings to make them public.

Budget Committee weekly meetings are open, though the voting sessions are still closed. In a change for the coming year, there will be budget office hours in the USG office for two hours every day, during which time club leaders can seek out a Budget Committee member to seek explanations or find out about the process.

“Focusing a lot more on academics than we have in years past,” Kugel said, is another goal for the coming year. Kugel noted the creation of the Fordham College Dean’s Council as an example of how the administra-

tion is already working toward that goal.

“This is the first ever Dean’s Council created for Fordham College, and I give a lot of credit to Sandie [Habib, executive vice president of Fordham College, FCRH `12] for working on that right away,” Kugel said.

She also mentioned USG support for efforts on the part of Michael Latham, Ph.D., dean of Fordham College, to encourage undergraduate research as part of a new emphasis on academics in addition to student life.

The final theme Kugel outlined was empowerment of club leaders.

Club leader training, weekly sitdowns with club leaders and working

with clubs on their election processes constitute some ways in which Kugel’s administration plan to empower club leaders.

“There are so many club leaders on campus, and those club leaders really are the life and blood of this University,” Kugel said. “We [USG] want to make sure that we give them as many opportunities as we can.”

USG took over club leader training this year from the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development, a move Kugel said she hopes will help make it more effective.

“I think it means more, coming from student to student than administrator to student,” Kugel said.

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PAGE 7

Point-Counterpoint: Freshman Year and Roomate-Finding Sites

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF VINCENT STRACQUADANIO

Web sites that match roommates not only encourage people to avoid peers with differing views; they may allow people to lie about their interests and personalities, and may lead to unpleasant surprises.

Roommate-Finding Sites Hamper Part of the College Learning Experience

By SHEILA SENNETT STAFF WRITER

Do you hate new experiences? Do you despise considering opinions that conflict with your own? Does the thought of leaving your comfort zone inspire revulsion or bring you to the brink of tears? Would you like to spend your freshman year living with someone exactly like you, someone as close to your clone as is currently legal?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, online roommate matching may be for you.

A number of Web sites now offer roommatematching services to incoming college freshmen, directing each user to others who are most similar to them on the basis of questionnaires which encompass study habits, overnight guests, tidiness, politics, sexual orientation and religion. Services such as Uroomsurf.com or Facebook applications such as RoomBug offer the equivalent of online dating for prospective roommates, and like online dating, the process is generally tremendously superficial. Users are able to dissect fellow students’ profiles, then Facebook-stalk and Google them for signs of suspect behavior, allowing incoming freshmen to select a roommate who is most alike, and therefore (theoretically) most compatible with them.

These services detract from the college experience. Freshman roommates should be assigned based on sleeping, study and cleaning habits, as Fordham does, rather than selected by students.

Selecting one’s own roommate is contrary to some of the more important functions of college, namely personal growth and new experiences.

These are the things that college brochures and painfully chipper high school guidance counselors like to proclaim when singing the praises of the so-called “college experience,” and may be what you wrote in your college essays in order to get admitted, but it’s true. Going off to college should involve personal evolution, possibly to the point of reinvention. Choosing one’s own roommate allows an incoming freshman to surround him or herself with others who are exactly alike.

This allows students to be increasingly insulated from other perspectives, not allowing questioning, correction or evolution of one’s views or habits. By surrounding themselves with those who like and believe the same things that they do, students push themselves into a self-created Staff Poll: When The Ram was polled, 6 staff members supported using Web sites to find freshman roommates, while 11 staff members opposed finding roommates online.

niche even before they have been exposed to any alternatives.

It is true that some freshman-year roommate situations turn out to be traumatic, and it is also true that few freshman-year rooming situations are perfect. Still, the conflicts that inevitably arise from random pairings are a lesson in how to function as an adult in the real world. Roommates learn how to compromise and how to deal with contentious issues, whether those are political discussions or disagreements on furniture placement. These disagreements may be unpleasant and stressful, but if a student is unable to ask his or her roommate to refrain from leaving dirty laundry strewn about the room, what chance does he or she have in the professional world, where one will need to successfully negotiate conflicts over work distribution or credit for projects and ideas?

College is the place to learn that sending passive-aggressive text messages, “accidentally” locking one’s roommate out of the room, or engaging in screaming matches do not constitute effective conflict-resolution tactics. Living with randomly assigned roommates teaches college students valuable life skills: to function as adults and to discuss and resolve conflicts as adults. For the rest of their lives, students will be in contact with people who may not share their views, beliefs or goals, but they will need to interact with them.

College offers a chance to learn how to interact with people with a wide variety of backgrounds, particularly through the rooming situation.

It may seem more comfortable and more convenient to incoming freshmen to have a perfect clone as a roommate, but this comfort and convenience robs students of a vital opportunity to question their own views, isolating themselves more and more from those who are different.

By cornering themselves in one social niche, students do themselves damage, creating a situation in which students cement their worldviews, in a time when they should be most open to change.

It is a natural human instinct to fear the unknown, and when selecting their own roommates, students will choose what is safe, rather than what is best. This fear of the unknown eliminates much of the diversity that occurs with more random roommate selection.

Roommate-matching services should not be used at Fordham, because the experience of learning to live and interact with someone who is different is a necessary part of college and of life.

Sheila Sennett, FCRH ’12, is a history major from West Hartford, Conn. She can be reached at ssennett@fordham.edu. She was randomly assigned to live with Christine Barcellona freshman year.

Upperclassmen Might Find Roommate-Finding Sites Useful, Not Freshman

By CHRISTINE BARCELLONA OPINIONS EDITOR

The crop of Web sites that have arisen to help people find roommates online is absurd for freshmen seeking roommates, but may come in handy for upperclassmen seeking roommates.

For freshmen, it is laughable to peruse the listings of people who have created profiles for themselves. Web sites like Uroomsurf.com are like Match.com for roommates, and at many schools may be unnecessary because people fill out surveys that ensure that they are placed with people who are basically similar to them. However, these Web sites might appeal to people at schools like Fordham, where people are paired as roommates with very little preliminary questioning.

Two years ago, when the Class of 2012 entered Fordham, the survey consisted of a half-sheet of cardstock with basic questions, regarding issues like bedtime, being a morning or night person, smoking and basic study habits. While these are important issues, many schools have extensive surveys to help pair off compatible people. For example, Holy Cross College in Indiana asks a few more questions, like whether or not students drink and would prefer a roommate who drinks, and whether they expect to be best friends or mere acquaintances with their roommates. San Diego State University is even more detailed and asks questions about whether students need to talk about issues or have alone time when upset, when significant others may be the room, sharing items and room temperature preferences. People who go to schools with more detailed surveys like this one may feel less anxiety about being randomly assigned a roommate, and are silly if they feel the need to use a social networking site to find someone more specifically like them as a roommate. At a school with a more basic survey, like Fordham, it is understandable if someone feels the need to filter through their roommate choices more thoroughly.

The best method for matching roommates, however, is to find a pair who are not clones of each other but have the same basic lifestyle and can function together while sharing the same space. The best way to isolate people like this is still through University-issued surveys, not through roommate-finding sites. These surveys should not filter people by interest, sheltering them from people from other political groups or people with different hobbies or geographic origins. It is important, especially in college, to begin to reach out and meet people from different backgrounds.

Web sites like Uroomsurf.com might encourage incoming freshmen to stick to people exactly

like them, which is a dangerous move. Many friends discover that, while their interests are similar, when they live together they may have different standards for when and how long guests or significant others may stay in the room. They may have different needs regarding silence during studying, or whether the television should be constantly switched on or off. University-issued surveys may help match people with similar living styles; roommate-matching sites only serve to homogenize people’s experiences in college.

However, these Web sites might be useful for upperclassmen who find themselves without a roommate for the following year, and are stuck navigating the labyrinthine housing overflow system. Many times, people end up living with strangers because all of their friends have found roommates and they are the odd ones out. If sites like Uroomsurf.com would cater more toward the upperclassman roommate-searching set, it would be ideal. These people have already lived with a stranger and learned the valuable lessons that come from adjusting in order to coexist. Now, he or she may just want to make sure that his or her roommate will not be a complete nutcase, or someone with no shared interests, or someone who parties much more or much less that he or she does. For these cases, sites like Uroomsurf.com seem logical and ideal.

Also, one aspect of on-campus living is truly random and could benefit from some kind of roommate-matching survey or service. Summer housing at Fordham requires students either to request a roommate and have him or her reciprocate the request or to have blind faith that he or she will be placed into a room with compatible people.

Not even a basic survey is supplied for this matching process, which is a problem. It might help if the Office of Residential Life asked summer residents what they were doing for the summer. Many residents find themselves working a nine to five job, and many other summer residents have class at noon three days per week and sleep in every other day. Both occupations are fine, but it would help to match people who will be following similar schedules, so they would not have to tiptoe around each other during half of their waking hours. Also, a basic preference survey might help for summer housing.

While Web sites like Uroomsurf.com are inappropriate for freshman living situations, they might help rectify problems in upperclassman and possibly even summer housing.

Christine Barcellona, FCRH ’12, is an English major from Dallas, Texas. She can be reached at cbarcellona@fordham.edu. She was randomly assigned to live with Sheila Sennett freshman year.

PAGE 8 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

The Ram Serving campus and community since 1918.

The Ram is the University journal of record. The mission of The 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 Ram is published and distributed free of charge every Wednesday during the academic year to the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses with a readership of 12,000. The Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.

www.theramonline.com Editorial: (718) 817-0873 Production: (718) 817-4381 Newsroom: (718) 817-4394 Advertising: (718) 817-4379 Fax: (718) 817-4319 theram@fordham.edu Fordham University - Station 37 Box B Bronx, NY 10458 Editor-in-Chief Mark Becker Managing Editor Abigail Forget Design Editor Stephen Moccia Business Editor Caroline Dahlgren News Editor Patrick Derocher Assistant News Editor Victoria Rau Opinions Editor Christine Barcellona Assistant Opinions Editor Brian Kraker Culture Editor Celeste Kmiotek Assistant Culture Editor Jen Cacchioli Sports Editors Danny Atkinson Nick Carroll Assistant Sports Editor Jon Smith Copy Chief Claire Borders Copy Team Mary Alcaro Tara Cannon Tom Haskin Sean McGonigle Sandy McKenzie Jillian Minihan Olivia Monaco Hussein Safa Veronica Torok Ryan Vale Photo Editor Simon Sulit Operations and Outreach Mike Burkart Web Editor Kelly Caggiano Assistant Web Editors Tracy Fan Ou Cara Stellato Faculty Advisor Beth Knobel Opinions Policy The Ram appreciates submissions that are typed and saved on a disk in a *.rtf, *.txt or *.doc formats, or sent to the staff via e-mail at RamLetters@ fordham.edu. Commentaries are printed on a space available basis. The Ram reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason, without notice.

Submissions become the exclusive property of The Ram and will not be returned. The Ram reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions in The Ram’s editorials are those of the editorial board; those expressed in articles, letters, commentaries, cartoons or graphics are those of the individual author. No part of The Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

OPINIONS

From the Desk of Kelly Caggiano, Web Editor The war in Vietnam ended for America on April 30, 1975. This war was and still is controversial, and there are many points of view to consider when discussing it. However, even with so many opinions about the politics of the war, the numerous Americans who fought in Vietnam and the nearly 60,000 who died there have been overlooked, ignored and dishonored in many instances.

One of these instances was recently corrected. On Sept. 3, 2010, the White House announced that President Obama will be awarding a fallen Airman the Medal of Honor for the actions he took in 1968 that ultimately led to his death and saved three of his fellow Airmen’s lives. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Richard Etchberger will be awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously on Sept. 21 at a ceremony to take place at the White House that will include his three sons.

CMSgt Etchberger was previously nominated for the Medal of Honor; however, President Johnson rejected

Letter to the Editor To The Ram, The article by Patrick Derocher, “Benefits Extended to Legally Domiciled Adults,” refers to a research study conducted by Drs. Elan Y. Karten and Jay C. Wade that was published in the Journal of Men’s Studies.

As co-author on this article, I would like to correct the misinterpretation of the study and its findings as represented in Mr. Derocher’s article.

First, Mr. Derocher stated that our study was with regard to “the nature of homosexuality.” This is a false statement. As is stated in the article: “The primary purpose of our research study was to examine whether certain psychological and social characteristics were related to reports of change in sexual and psychological functioning in men who have involved themselves in SOCE” (p. 95) (SOCE is an acronym for “sexual orientation change efforts”).

Nowhere within this study or the article did we question, mention or consider the nature of homosexuality as a purpose of our research.

Second, Mr. Derocher stated that our study “showed that healthy, nonsexual relationships with other men could lead to a shift in sexual orientation toward heterosexuality.” Such a characterization of our findings is an oversimplification, totally inaccurate, misleading and potentially damaging to those men who are struggling with their same-sex attraction. To quote from our article, we found that “some men who are dissatisfied with their same-sex attraction feel disconnected from other men, and feel they benefit from developing non-sexual affectionate relationships with other men” (p. 99). Further, we noted that “the study’s implications speak more to reported changes in sexual feelings and behavior than it does to actual changes in sexual orientation” (p.

99).

Lastly, neither our study nor any other study that seeks to understand the experiences of same-sex attracted men and women should have any bearing whatsoever on decisions about extending health benefits to legally domiciled adults.

Sincerely, Dr. Jay C. Wade

the nomination because Etchberger was killed in Laos (technically a neutral country during the Vietnam War) and the award could have caused political controversy.

As CMSgt Etchberger’s act of bravery is finally being recognized, I am reminded of all of those people who were killed in action or are still declared as Missing in Action” or “Prisoner of War.” While not all who were KIA or are MIA/POW have earned the Medal of Honor for their actions, their stories must not be forgotten either.

In the early 1970s, POW/MIA bracelets were created. These bracelets were designed to help spread awareness of those Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who were fighting and had been classified as a POW or MIA. Today there are still many men from the Vietnam War still classified as a POW or MIA. I wear an MIA bracelet for Air Force Major James W. Grace.

By wearing Major Grace’s MIA bracelet, I am another person who

will remember his story and remember that he has not been found.

Major Grace was an F-4 pilot who was flying missions in Vietnam. On June 14, 1969 Major Grace, then Captain Grace, was shot down while flying over Laos. During a rescue attempt, Major Grace reportedly fell from a helicopter rig while being hoisted to safety and died. However, these events have been disputed by friends and family. After Major Grace had reportedly died, his wife saw a picture of an American who was being held prisoner and insisted that it was Major Grace. While the Defense Intelligence Agency insisted that the photo was of another man, Mrs. Grace did not believe the claims.

Her belief that her husband is still alive was supported by a postcard she received 13 years after Major Grace was shot down. The postcard was sent from Hawaii and postmarked on the thirteenth anniversary of when Major Grace was shot down. There was nothing written on the postcard, but when Mrs. Grace turned

it over she saw the initials “JMJ” written in the clouds of the picture.

When Major and Mrs. Grace were in school they would write JMJ, short for Jesus, Mary and Joseph, on their papers for good luck. It was such a personal insight that Mrs. Grace believed the postcard could only have been sent by her husband.

While Major Grace’s whereabouts remain unknown, there is always the hope that he will one day return home. Now that you know Major Grace’s story, please remember him and other soldiers like him who have yet to return home. Although wars in general can be politically controversial, the men and women who fight in these wars should not and must not be forgotten or disrespected.

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OPINIONS

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 • THE RAM • PAGE 9

Summer at London Centre ResLife Triples

PHOTO COURTESY OF RACHEL MALINOWSKI

Big Ben is one of many landmarks that Fordham students saw while abroad.

By RACHEL MALINOWSKI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This past summer, I spent five weeks taking a class at Fordham University’s London Centre. I took a class called Heretics, Mystics and Historians: The Church in Late Medieval England with Dr. Hornbeck of the theology and medieval studies departments. I consider my choice to take this course to be one of the best decisions I have made during my academic career.

Studying in London allowed me to better understand the course material because I was able to visit sites that I was reading about and thereby better understand the context in which these texts emerged. The London Centre takes advantage of the opportunity to visit sites in order to deepen its students’ understanding through the weekly excursions that the centre has built into the curriculum.

Our class traveled to the shrine of the famous anchoress, St. Julian of Norwich, which provided me with a context in which to set her writings. After visiting the shrine, I understood that the prominence of death in Julian’s writings probably stemmed, in part, from the fact that the only window in her anchoritic enclosure that faced the outdoors overlooked a graveyard. This was an aspect of Julian’s life that I did not fully understand until after I visited the shrine and was certainly influential in shaping her worldview. The weekly excursions that were part of the centre’s curriculum were invaluable because they furthered my

understanding of the texts I was studying in ways that would not have been possible if I had taken the course in the United States.

Administratively, taking a class through the London Centre was extremely easy. Since it is a Fordham class, students do not have to get approval for the course or make sure that the credits will transfer as is the case with other study abroad programs. Studying in London through the centre was also wonderful because it allowed me to take a class with a Fordham professor with whom I had wanted to study with but with whom I had not yet had the opportunity to do so.

It was very exciting to study the church in late medieval England with Dr. Hornbeck it is one of his research interests, and this enhanced the class one hundredfold.

In addition to planning excursions that enabled us to observe what we were learning about, Dr. Hornbeck also required us to do projects using resources that were available to us in London.

For one of our projects, each student in the class visited a place of worship and compiled a presentation about its legacy. Our second project, and perhaps my favorite part of my London experience, required us to obtain reader’s cards from the British Library and examine sixteenth century manuscripts. Dr. Hornbeck’s enthusiasm and extensive knowledge about the course material certainly enhanced the class, especially because he pushed us to immerse ourselves in what we were learning. Thus, the centre enables students to work with

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wonderful members of Fordham’s faculty who are passionate about the courses they are teaching and who are looking to share that excitement with students.

There were only two main downsides to the centre. The first drawback had to do with a facilities issue. Heythrop College, the college where the centre is located, had terrible issues with its Internet connections in the dormitories while we were there. All of the rooms had ethernet connections but they did not work for about a week and a half during our stay. The staff was helpful with trying to get the connections fi xed and in the meantime made passwords available to students for the wireless network on campus. The Internet outage was definitely an inconvenience, but the staff was kind and this was a problem that could have happened anywhere.

The second drawback was the lack of interaction with English students. Obviously, if you enroll in a program at the London Centre, chances are you will be in a class that consists mostly of Fordham students, despite the fact that you do not need to be a Fordham student in order to enroll at the centre. For this reason, unlike with many other study abroad programs, you have very little interaction with English students unless you meet them during your free time. Personally, I did not feel that my experience was diminished by this lack of interaction, but if you are looking to study with English students, then taking a class at the London Centre would not be the best choice for you.

Overall, I found the drawbacks to be very minor and I would highly recommend the centre to anyone who is considering studying there. It was a perfect way for me to study abroad without having to miss a semester at Fordham. I made incredible friends during the month-long course and I learned an unbelievable amount of information; not only about heretics, mystics, and historians, but also about myself and what I enjoy studying. Studying at the centre truly is one of the best decisions I have made during my time at Fordham, so if you are considering taking a class through the centre, definitely do so. It was an amazing learning experience ,and I wish I could do it all over again.

Rachel Malinowski, FCRH ’12, is a theology major from Malden, Mass.

Issues in Martyrs’ “Forced triples” is a phrase that can strike fear into the heart of any newly admitted freshman. This year’s freshmen were bound for one of the best universities, in the greatest city in the world, only to discover they would be one of three roommates in a room built for two. Some may relish the idea of a triple bringing relief to a hefty tuition bill. Others may think they are getting a great deal, only to discover the reality of living with two other college students.

Forced triples may not be all bad. I have several friends who were tripled in rooms in Queen’s Court two years ago. They have remained friends, and were glad that being in a triple gave them the opportunity to meet each other. However, remember that those rooms were in Queen’s Court. Rooms there, according to the Office of Residential Life Web site, are on average over 20 square feet bigger than rooms in Loschert and Alumni Court South, and almost 50 square feet bigger than rooms in Martyrs’ Court.

The idea of Martyrs’ triples may give people some grief. ResLife may have its problems with red tape, but as residents of these triples (of which there are about 14), students should not have to martyr themselves for the sake of the rest of the resident freshman class. There must be some other way.

One would hope that ResLife considered all possible alternatives before having students’ first impression of the University on move-in day (after the chants and hollers) be a room that many would compare to a prison cell.

ResLife would have students believe that most of the Martyrs’ triples were volunteer triples, but this assumes that those unfortunate freshmen who volunteered to be tripled were aware that they would be placed in a room in which the ability to comfortably house two residents is questionable.

Part of this housing shortage (ResLife would probably disagree with this terminology) stems, of course, from the “retirement” of Hughes Hall so that it may be renovated into office space for the College of Business Administration, a project not without merit, especially considering that many would consider Hughes in its present state is unfit for human occupation.

It seems to this casual observer, however, that ResLife did not consider all possible alternatives to putting freshman triples in Martyrs’. One possible solution could have been forcing

upperclassmen triples in O’Hare (this would have to have been done before the lottery) in order to make Martyrs’ an all-freshman building and alleviate the need for triples there. Or perhaps ResLife could have made Finlay a freshman building (it is roughly the same size as Alumni Court South), and covering the decrease in upperclassman housing by not de-listing three off-campus buildings, (Arthur, Hughes and Belmont Houses) and, to cover the loss of upperclassman housing there, tripled rooms in O’Hare. Or they could have decided that forced triples ought to be evenly distributed between Martyrs’, South and Loschert.

If staffing in South and Loschert is a concern, they could use the extra income from the increased number of freshmen requiring housing to hire a part-time assistant resident director for both buildings.

In the long term, maybe it is time to reconsider the Hughes renovation, and instead, rebuild the dorm rooms, perhaps as doubles. A shortage of CBA office space is, first of all, less visible and less a part of the University’s reputation than a housing shortage. Additionally, features of the new Hughes Hall (for example a trading floor) seem somewhat superfluous when residents of the top bunks of Martyrs’ can barely sit up in their beds.

Admittedly, all of these suggested alternatives have issues. The point here is that ResLife seems to have chosen the worst possible option for housing the freshman class.

What does this mean for Fordham?

For one, it means that we must either plan the construction of another dorm large enough to accommodate shortand long-term on-campus population growth, or halt all growth and, in fact, shrink the size of incoming classes in order to prevent this problem from happening in future years. I do not believe the administration or the board of directors would much like that idea, but the fact remains that something must be done.

Otherwise, Fordham risks becoming a school with stellar academics but a less-than-desirable housing situation.

As the University tries to move away from its identity as a regional school and toward being a nationally recognized institution, it must find a way to maintain an enviable housing situation for an urban university.

I urge ResLife to develop a comprehensive five-year plan for the future of on-campus housing and submit it for student review. The effect can only be positive.

Christopher Kennedy, FCRH ’12, is a theology major from Mystic, Conn.

Michael J.W. Stickings, The Reaction

Deroy Murdock, The National Review

Charlton Heston, NRA Keynote Address

“Rauf, Cordoba, and Park51 ought to be tolerated… in a country that claims to value liberty and diversity…the fight for liberty and diversity, for the very heart of what it means to be American, must continue, even as conservatives spin further and further to the extreme.”

“There is no excuse for leaders to applaud a mosque that would enshrine the grotesque and deadly doctrine of sharia. Even 5,600 miles away, such a facility would not be far enough from Ground Zero.”

“This cycle of tragedydriven hatred must stop, because so much more connects us than that which divides us because tragedy has been, and will always be with us…each horrible act can’t become an ax for opportunists to cleave the very Bill of Rights that binds us.”

By CHRISTOPHER KENNEDY STAFF WRITER

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OPINIONS

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 • THE RAM • PAGE 11

First Observations about Life in Campbell Hall

PHOTO BY STEPHEN MOCCIA/THE RAM

Campbell Hall includes glossy architectural details like large front windows.

By MARK BECKER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The new dorms have been the talk of campus for two years now and, contrary to most of our expectations, were actually ready to begin the school year without delay (excepting the original one from spring 2010 to fall 2010).

Knowing all summer that I would (hopefully) be moving in on time this semester, even I have to admit that I was actually excited about something Fordham had to offer entering my final year here. Upon arrival, I of course had mixed emotions.

I live in a four-person singles suite and have so far seen other four-person and six-person doubles; the differences are subtle enough to not matter much.

My general impression, having lived in Campbell Tower 1 for two weeks now, is that some really cool ideas were implemented in the construction and room design, but there are an equal number of aspects that go against any notion of common sense.

First, the cool stuff: to start with, the microwaves and oven are phenomenal – they look great and work even better – the stovetop is much roomier than in other on-campus kitchens and the faux wood in the kitchen, furniture and counters is beautiful. The lobbies of the apartments are spacious, the furniture is great and I have to say, as dumb as I originally found the sink-outside-the-bathroom idea, I can definitely see its merits now.

The coffee tables act more as cubbies, with two to three sections in each plus the space on top, and the lighting fixtures are (for the most part) phenomenal for dorm lighting. The bathrooms, especially the showers, are very roomy as well, and the floor-to-ceiling windows are pretty neat. Of course, the dishwasher is probably my favorite.

I’ll excuse the locks on the bedroom doors – I’m sure someone on campus will use them one day, and they don’t get in the way enough for it to matter to me either way. I haven’t had a single problem with the wireless since it was put in a

few days after I moved in early, but that’s probably more attributable to the replacement of the hellish imp that was Cisco Clean Access than to the dorm. Campbell Café of course looks great, and I suggest everyone trek over to this side of campus to try it out – even just to lounge for a while – that is, when it’s actually open (10 p.m. is way too early to close a coffee shop); don’t plan to sit outside like at the Grille, however, as there is absolutely no seating despite a beautiful, wide walkway perfect for doing so. While we’re looking outside, the brickwork does look a bit out of place next to Walsh Library and Martyrs’.

I mentioned that some things went about as far against common sense as possible – so sit back. All the usual idiosyncrasies of Fordham are still present – lawn mowing outside the windows at 8 a.m., facilities keying into rooms (regardless of occupants’ gender) at the same time without warning and watering the grass to the point of turning the lawn into an impassable swamp, just to name a few.

On top of that, however, is plenty more. The biggest annoyance thus far has been the 10 a.m. fire alarm testing; on a college campus, anything of that sort needs to wait until after noon at the least – and the booming noise it makes is just awful, worse than the high-pitched screeching of every other building’s alarm. As for the kitchen, there is too little counter space, no drawers whatsoever (why would anyone want their silverware in a drawer?) and the kitchen placement in each room is just strange – ours sits in an already-narrow hallway and is right across from two of the bedrooms; some others practically block access to the hallway when being used.

I mentioned earlier that the sinks being outside the bathroom has turned out to be useful – but some rooms require walking halfway down the hallway to get to them from the bathroom, even if you want to look in the mirror, since there isn’t one with the shower and toilet. Of course, every room has those somewhere – my bathroom

was completely missing a door handle for a week, and even now the one we have has no lock.

The actual construction and layout of the new buildings looks great from the outside, as anyone can tell, but once inside, things come down to reality a bit. The stairwells have nice tiling up to the second floor, but from there everything is, for lack of a better description, puke green, and is definitely going to start hurting my eyes any day now.

The paint throughout the dorms may be the cheapest I’ve ever seen – it peels and chips almost without a touch and is too thin to cover up measurements written on walls during construction.

The nooks in the walls are no more odd than any of the infamous nooks present than any other dorms, but the ceilings were clearly mismeasured prior to construction, as seemingly random juts push out “to hold the air-conditioning and other pipes; stuff you really can’t take into account when building, you just have to wait and see after you’ve started,” according to Resident Director Danielle Bagatta.

My main issue with Campbell is the clear absence of something promised last semester that I should have known was too good to be true – cable jacks in each individual room. Administrators may say that was never (officially) in the plans, or that they meant in each suite, but The Ram reported in our March 10 issue last semester that there would be “cable television hookups in all rooms in the apartment, as opposed to the setup in Walsh Hall, where each apartment has only one connection in the main living room” – and we don’t just make stuff up like that. On top of which, several students I’ve asked about it have answered that they remember individual cable jacks being promised.

Finally, as opposed to Walsh, in which every room receives “plusone” lounge furniture, meaning that there is one more seat than people living in each dorm, Campbell offers a “minus-one” policy. I haven’t gotten a straight answer on this one, but suspect the official one would be a mix between not enough to go around and each piece costing more than those in Walsh. It was a nice gesture to provide high-tech landlines in each suite, but as no one on campus uses one, getting phones as expensive as these appear to be is a little unnecessary.

I’ll leave out all the complaints I’ve heard and hold about the attitude toward residents and community-building thus far, as that is more about Residential Life than housing itself. All things considered, there are, of course, some things that could have been better, some that were done well and others that are (hopefully) still works in progress, but I have to admit that the buildings have far exceeded my expectations and I am happy to be living in what is clearly the best residence hall on campus. I have to commend Fordham for surpassing expectations for once, and I certainly hope this is the beginning of a long-lasting trend on campus.

Mark Becker, FCRH ’11, is a communications and meda studies major and business administration minor from Wilder, Ky.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN MOCCIA/THE RAM

The kitchens contain new appliances but little counter and storage space.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN MOCCIA/THE RAM

New laundry machines make cleaning clothes a surprisingly speedy task.

PHOTO BY CAROLINE DAHLGREN/THE RAM

Residential Life staff sit at the counter on the opening week to greet residents.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN MOCCIA/THE RAM

Campbell Hall and Salice-Conley Hall sport engravings on their outer walls.

OPINIONS

PAGE 12 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

Hughes Residents Suffer Through Summer

By CHRISTINE BARCELLONA and BRIAN KRAKER OPINIONS EDITORS

This summer, the Office of Residential Life was content to present the façade of a tranquil dorming experience, while uninhabitable living conditions actually plagued residents. The University simply accepted housing deposits, but provided the minimum services required for residents to salvage a mediocre existence at the University. Fordham was an apathetic proprietor, depriving students of accessible food and shackling residents to dilapidated dorms, while refusing answers to the slew of complaints emanating from students.

Last spring, the University announced that the least desirable freshman residence hall, Hughes Hall, would be converted into the new College of Business Administration building. While this was great news for all incoming freshmen, it was unfortunate tidings for those students who chose to live in university housing this summer. While some lucky souls were assigned to live in Tierney Hall, many more ended up living in crumbling Hughes Hall, which Fordham seemed determined not to maintain.

Many of the students on campus this summer either paid big bucks to take summer courses or worked on campus for the University, helping it run through the summer months.

Luckily for those who collected the measly University paycheck, Fordham was kind enough to offer a housing discount to those students employed full time. This prevented them from losing money by staying and working on campus this sum-

mer. However, this forced many of them to live in Hughes Hall.

In some ways, conditions improved this summer. There was a kitchen available for the whole summer. While one kitchen was unacceptable for a building full of students, many without meal plans, to share, it was better than not having a kitchen until mid-June, which is what happened during summer 2009. The issue this summer was that Hughes residents went without a microwave for about a month, before anyone saw fit to answer several hundred students’ pleas for an appliance that costs $40-$100.

When residents first arrived at their summer assignments, they were greeted with halls ornamented with signs of decay. Metal pipes peeked through crumbling insulation and screenless windows encouraged moths and mosquitoes to gather in shower stalls and swarm upward when a bather entered. A gaping hole above the third-floor shower stalls exposed the bowels of Hughes, with the entrails of the residence hall careening into the shower. With the absence of ceiling tiles above these showers, debris and water streamed from the fissure, collecting on the floors of the stalls.

Another hole in the wall of the first floor lounge left insulation bleeding into the study area.

ResLife failed to even provide the minor courtesies expected of a Fordham dormitory. Hughes Hall contained a broken washing machine that flooded the laundry room and four broken driers. Bathroom sinks and showers spouted scalding hot water onto occupants. ResLife failed to air condition the third-floor study lounge, providing students with few

PHOTO BY BRIAN KRAKER/THE RAM

Holes were drilled into the main stairwell of Hughes Hall, without advance warning to residents. Later, signs were posted explaining that they were from testing building materials, and the holes were covered.

PHOTO BY CHRISTINE BARCELLONA/THE RAM

Initially, the holes were left exposed, giving residents a view into Hughes’ walls.

PHOTO BY BRIAN KRAKER/THE RAM

Graffiti marred the fifth floor of Hughes, reflecting the building’s condition.

locations in which to work if their quad rooms happened to be loud or if it was the weekend and the library was closed.

Students courageous enough to venture from their dorms soon discovered the Millennium Grille and Student Deli had closed for the summer, leaving the only on-campus dining option in the caf. Also, students had to share the cafeteria with hundreds of summer camp participants, many of them in elementary or middle school.

Sodexo duped residents into purchasing a meal plan, swindling students into paying hundreds of dollars for a choice of cold pizza, a salad, cereal, a sandwich or a single hot dish. However, with sporadic operating hours, often deviating from their posted schedules, the caf catered more toward the visiting camps and conferences than actual students. Without adequate kitchens and legitimate dining locations on campus, Fordham provided no viable dining options this summer.

However, students did not remain mute when faced with these decaying conditions. The Ram spoke with students who stated they contacted ResLife about the housing situation, calls which the office denies receiving.

One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, says she “contacted ResLife several times in reference to the subpar living conditions and was instructed to have my parents call.”

The student said she found ResLife’s attitude “extremely patronizing” because she, like many Fordham students, foots the cost of her tuition by herself. It is embarrassing that ResLife refused to discuss the installation of a microwave without parental intervention, when most students are old enough to rent their own apartments.

When asked why the housing situation was not improved after student complaints, Greer Jason, assistant dean of students and director of Residential Life, responded, “It makes no sense to patch up a hole for two months when the building is going to be unoccupied after that.”

While it is reasonable not to spend money on a dorm about to be renovated, it is unethical to place students in a crumbling building.

This summer, facilities commenced the initial stages of construction on Hughes, preparing the dorm for conversion into the new CBA building. However, it appears that facilities forgot that students still lived in the building. Jackhammers shook Hughes, starting as early as 8 a.m., providing students a lifelike Blitzkrieg simulation.

About midway during the summer, rectangular holes appeared on the walls of the Hughes stairwells.

After half a day or so, they were covered with plastic, and signs were posted about testing building materials. The debris on the ground was not cleaned for over a week, and residents had to trudge through white dust that coated the floor in order to reach their rooms on the upper floors.

As disconcerting as it was to have walls of a building where people were living drilled open, it did not help that a few weeks later signs were posted on the front doors of

PHOTO BY CHRISTINE BARCELLONA/THE RAM

This shredded insulation was in the end stall of the girls’ third-floor bathroom.

PHOTO BY CHRISTINE BARCELLONA/THE RAM

Ceiling tiles over several third-floor shower stalls were missing, exposing bathers to the entrails of the building and falling debris. This is the view a bather would see if she looked upwards during her shower; the small image shows the view looking into a shower from outside.

the McGinley Center and the back basement door of Queen’s Court, declaring that asbestos removal was in progress. Hughes residents pondered whether or not asbestos had been released into the air during drilling in their hall, while they saw signs declaring that 72 square feet of asbestos were being removed from the McGinley Center.

Near summer’s end, construction began beneath the windows on the side of Hughes closest to the McGinley Center. The construction crews began around 8 a.m. and smashed open the concrete next to Hughes throughout the day, for several weeks. In the last week of interim housing, ants were reported to appear for the first time in rooms on the third and fourth floors, crawling in through the windows that looked out on this ground-smashing construction, as if mother nature herself was trying to consume the remains of the building.

It is wonderful that Fordham allows students to stay on campus over the summer and even better that it gives students who work full time on campus a discount. However, it is unacceptable and disrespectful to house students in a building that was falling apart. It is inconsiderate to expect students to share a single kitchen in the basement when there was

almost no meal plan available. Summer students are a financial boon to the University; student workers help the University function during the summer months. Residents should have been placed in Walsh Hall, where they would have had kitchens and would not have been forced to live in cramped quad rooms, especially when many buildings on campus were empty for the summer, except for the occasional summer camp.

Students do not require penthouse suites or Victorian-style abodes, simply dorm rooms that do not seem on the verge of collapse. This summer, ResLife abandoned its residents in a decaying excuse for a dorm. With no food, no shelter and no office willing to listen to S.O.S. signals, students were forced to watch from the shore, as ResLife sailed off into the horizon with a bounty of housing deposits in hand.

Christine Barcellona, FCRH ’12, is an English major from Dallas, Texas.

She can be reached at cbarcellona@ fordham.edu. Brian Kraker, FCRH ’12, is a English and computer science major from Pompton Lakes, N.J. He can be reached at kraker@fordham. edu.

To see more pictures of Hughes Hall, visit theramonline.com.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

PAGE 13

Ditch a Boring Night Out for Fashion’s Night Out Get Your Shopping Done, Get a Glimpse of Some Celebrities and Support Worthy Causes at this Annual Event

By MOLLY McLOONE STAFF WRITER

Don’t have plans yet for Friday, Sept. 10? Well don’t fret because thanks to Vogue magazine, the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the city of New York, you do. After their success with last year’s event, Fashion’s Night Out will once again take New York City by storm, in the hopes of encouraging consumers to shop and support the fashion industry. Not going to be in New York on the night of Sept. 10? That’s no problem as Fashion’s Night Out is now a global initiative, with parties taking place in cities like Los Angeles, Sydney, New Delhi, London, Athens and Milan, to name a few.

Don’t be fooled or discouraged, by the supposed economy-boosting purposes of the night; this is not simply a night for shopping.

With events taking place late into the night, there are hundreds of stores participating, lots of celebrities and fashionistas making appearances all over the city, free food and drinks, gimmicks and freebies galore.

It is, literally, “fashion’s night out,” as there seems to be a party

planned in every store and something going on everywhere you turn.

I attended Fashion’s Night Out last year with a group of girlfriends, and I had few expectations. I had started my internship at Vogue magazine a month before, and had heard people talking about the event, so I had a vague idea about what to expect, but didn’t know much else. I checked out the Web site listing all participating stores and salons in the city, and jumped at the opportunity for a free trim at the Nick Arrojo Salon. I was excited enough about the free trim, yet little did I know that would soon become the least notable part of my night.

My trim was enjoyable, complemented with free champagne and hors d’œuvres, so I was feeling pretty good as I headed back uptown along Fifth Avenue. When I stepped off the subway and was almost trampled by models, many of whose faces I recognized, I knew for sure it was going to be a good night. Store after store had deejays playing, chocolate-covered strawberries, cupcakes and celebrities appearing.

The highlight of my night was

getting the chance to meet my idol, the famous stylist Rachel Zoe, though chasing Lindsay Lohan through Bergdorf Goodman is probably a close second.

I cannot think of the last time I saw New York City so alive with positive energy. Models and celebrities were everywhere I looked, and all the stores had their doors open wide inviting you to come in, party and enjoy good company. The streets were crowded with people, many overloaded with shopping bags from various stores.

This year’s extravaganza promises to be just as exciting, with many stores trying to outdo what they did last year. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen will be judging a karaoke contest at Barney’s, and Victoria Beckham and Sarah Jessica Parker, among others, will be making an appearance at Bergdorf Goodman.

Crumbs Bakery will be selling limited edition Fashion’s Night Out cupcakes, Janelle Monae will be performing at Ralph Lauren and you will be able to create your own custom ballet flats at Chanel.

These are just some of the highlights; there are literally hundreds of special promotions and events taking place.

For the full list of participating retailers, head to the official Web site of Fashion’s Night Out, where you can even create your own Fashion’s Night Out agenda. Web sites such as Fashionista and ny.racked. com are also providing comprehensive listings of what events are taking place.

So mark your calendars for Friday, Sept. 10, hop on the Metro-

North or the Ram Van into the city and experience New York City in a way you never have before. Take it from me, after my experience last year, there is no way this night is going to disappoint. Don’t worry about feeling guilted into shopping, either. Though the intention of the event is to promote a healthier economy, ironically enough, I did not buy anything.

COURTESY OF MOLLY MCLOONE/THE RAM

Rodger and Rachel Zoe met The Ram’s Molly McLoone at last year’s event.

The Emmy Awards Often Surprised and Consistently Entertained

By CLAIRE BORDERS COPY CHIEF

The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards aired live from Los Angeles on Sunday, Aug. 29, where the powers that be (otherwise known as the Academy for Television Arts and Sciences) announced this year’s winners of television’s highest honors. Traditionally a creature of habit, ATAS changed its tune this year with several pleasant (and not so pleasant) surprises, yet still managed to maintain its quota for predictable and repeat winners.

The show kicked off with a foolproof way to guarantee success in the television world: the cast of Emmy favorite “Glee” starred in a performance of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” featuring an obligatory appearance by popculture antiquity Betty White, as well as special guest stars including Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), Tim Gunn (“Project Runway”) and Jorge Garcia (“LOST”).

The awards began with the comedy categories, which saw veteran nominees such as “30 Rock” and “The Office” pitted against newcomers like “Glee” and “Modern Family.” Surprisingly, time and again these new series beat out their seasoned competitors in top categories. Jim Parsons stole the spotlight from past repeat winners Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock”) and Tony Shaloub (“Monk”) and snagged the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as the socially inept Sheldon of “The Big Bang Theory.”

Similarly, Eric Stonestreet of

“Modern Family” (which, remarkably, had three nominees in the category) took home the Outstanding Supporting Actor statuette over last year’s winner Jon Cryer (“Two and a Half Men”) and Neil Patrick Harris of “How I Met Your Mother.”

Emmy favorite Edie Falco took home the award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Showtime’s borderline comedy “Nurse Jackie.” The win makes Falco the only actress to secure Emmys in both drama and comedy categories (she has previously been recognized for her work in HBO’s “The Sopranos”). For “Glee,” Jane Lynch took home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy, an unsurprising yet well deserved win. “Modern Family” and “Glee” also dominated the comedy writing and directing categories, respectively.

The drama categories saw similar surprises; however, they were not always as pleasant. The greatest travesty of the evening was ATAS’s decision to award the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series honor to defending champion Bryan Cranston for his work in “Breaking Bad” over Golden Globe and SAG Award winner Michael C. Hall for his breathtaking performance as the title character on Showtime’s “Dexter.” “Breaking Bad” also saw a victory in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category as Aaron Paul took home the award in an unexpected win over last year’s winner, Michael Emerson of “LOST.” After five years, “The Closer” star Kyra Sedgwick finally won the Outstanding Lead Actress

in a Drama category against stiff competition from last year’s winner, “Damages” star Glenn Close as well as “Law and Order: SVU” superstar Mariska Hargitay. Archie Panjabi was recognized for her work on “The Good Wife” with a win in the Supporting Actress category. Strong competitor “Mad Men” saw a win for writing while “Dexter” was recognized for Steve Shill’s brilliantly chilling directing in the fourth season’s finale.

The biggest awards of the night, of course, were saved for last. In addition to its wins earlier that evening, “Modern Family” took home the prize for Outstanding Comedy Series. The first-year comedy managed to defeat previous winners including “The Office” and “30 Rock,” as well as fellow first-timers “Glee” and “Nurse Jackie.” This win will hopefully set a new standard for the genre, as primetime has not seen a comedy so brilliantly hilarious since “Arrested Development.”

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the drama category.

“Mad Men” held onto its title as Outstanding Drama Series for the third-consecutive year. Although ATAS thankfully avoided falling victim to sentimentality by denying the award to “LOST” for its subpar final season, the winner undoubtedly should have been “Dexter.” As worthy a candidate as “Mad Men” may be, the past season of “Dexter” took dramatic programming above and beyond all expectations.

“Saturday Night Live” veteran and current late-night TV personality Jimmy Fallon hosted this year’s ceremony. While this decision

seemed to be a step down from last year’s Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”), Fallon stayed afloat by playing to his strengths, particularly his knack for musical impersonations and song parodies.

The most memorable of his performances was a nostalgic piece set to the anthem of every graduating class in 1997, Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” mourning the finale of ABC’s Emmy-prone series “LOST.” Fallon’s lyrics summed up exactly what “Losties” around the globe felt as the series concluded: “The island, it was mythical/but in the end they died/I didn’t understand it but I tried.”

Serving as the Oscars of the television world, Emmy fashion is as important as, if not more so than, the awards themselves.

Among the best dressed were Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie winner Claire Danes (for her work in HBO’s Temple Grandin) who wore a glamorous beaded nude mermaid dress by Armani Prive, and “Glee” actress Lea Michelle in a stunning navy ruffled gown by Oscar de la Renta. Heidi Klum presented her take on the little black dress with a Marchesa mini-dress (which only she can pull off ), while Angela Kinsey of “The Office” traded in her white-collar work clothes for a sleek black gown. If ATAS gave out fashion awards, Sedgwick would have dominated those as well with her elegant strapless, full-skirted Monique Lhuillier gown.

Yet in typical award show convention, for every fabulous frock

there are unforgivable faux pas, and this year they were rampant. Mindy Kaling (“The Office”) looked like a cross between Miss Piggy and Molly Ringwald à la 1985 in an unfortunate Aguri Sagimon gown.

Kudos to Emily Deschanel, the sublime star of the once-great FOX hit “Bones,” for daring to wear color, but her purple off-the-shoulder flapper-inspired gown failed to flatter.

“True Blood” star Anna Paquin tried way too hard with her Egyptian-inspired Alexander McQueen number. The look would have worked on someone with a much stronger presence, but on Paquin it was unimpressive. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series January Jones’s futuristic blue Versace gown looked like a glorified lampshade. The worst dressed of the night, bar none, however, was Lauren Graham in an atrocious Yigal Azrouel gown that even Lady Gaga could not make appealing.

Despite the fashion faux pas, countless commercial breaks and obligatory “thank you” speeches that went on for far too long (Al Pacino comes to mind when he won Best Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for You Don’t Know Jack) the 62nd Primetime Emmys certainly delivered. The jokes were on point, the surprises were refreshing and the show never seemed to drag. Regardless of who won or who should have instead, the ceremony broadcast was enjoyable and entertaining, and might end up in the running for its own award as an Outstanding Music, Variety Music or Comedy Special.

CULTURE

PAGE 14 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

That’s So Po

Dining Out: Villa Mosconi

MARY PORPORA Week 12: Procrastination At the start of every new school year, I tell myself that I am not going to procrastinate. Unfortunately, my largest academic vice always seems to make several appearances throughout the semester. My procrastination is simply unavoidable.

At this point I am basically procrastinating procrastinating. It is a vicious cycle.

The largest vehicle of procrastination is of course my computer.

It’s funny how it takes me forever to start reading assigned readings, but I can jump into an article on Cracked.com about how truly disturbing the deaths of all Disney villains are (see Tarzan’s Clayton and The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s Frollo). While some may view such articles as trash, I like to think they fill the void left untapped by collegiate study.

Unfortunately, my wild Internet safari eventually takes me into the more mindless sites as well. Somehow I always find morsels hidden throughout the Internet that actually make me want to do my homework simply so I can regain the IQ points I had lost while on said websites. I do make a poor attempt to justify my participation in these sites even though it is wildly futile.

As much I want to believe Thisiswhyyourefat.com was created to encourage a healthy lifestyle or that ManBabies.com was created to discourage head transplants, I know that they serve no purpose whatsoever beyond making me vomit.

When the Internet has lost its appeal, my next distraction usually comes from my room. In the end, this redecoration does aid my future studies because white walls are definitely far less entertaining than Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s face.

Once the walls are taken care of, I usually move on to closet the thinking: “Should that sweater really be hanging? What should I wear for the rest of the week? I need more belts.” When the closet is organized, my desk just pales in comparison, so obviously that has to be redone as well. I am a bit of a pack rat so this process eats up a lot of time.

When I’m finished sorting through the evidence of my extraneous shopping, you would think I would be ready to start tackling my work. Nope. If I really want to put off whatever part of academia is haunting me, I will resort to the ultimate procrastination technique: baking. This process can be as simple as melting peanut butter, chocolate and butter for Muddy Buddies, or it can expand into a more extensive process that leaves half of my belongings covered in flour and a buttery laptop open to a Google “cup to milliliter” conversion chart. I always seem to make a mess that turns out to take longer to clean up than the time it would take to simply complete my work.

I am determined to break this cycle, but with a complete kitchen, a lot of blank walls and the lateness of this column, it does not look good.

Procrastination: now that’s so Po!

PHOTO BY STEPHEN MOCCIA/THE RAM

Villa Mosconi’s peach melba is one of the Italian restaurant’s main attractions.

By STEPHEN MOCCIA DESIGN EDITOR

Villa Mosconi is a family-owned Italian restaurant in the heart of Greenwich Village. The Mosconi family has been serving delicious food at the same location since 1976 and continually offers an amazing dining experience. The food at Mosconi’s is phenomenal and is just like a home-cooked meal. Chef Pietro Mosconi, owner and head of the kitchen, cooks his own pastas, fresh mozzarella made daily from scratch and exquisite sauces. He and his five sisters came to America in 1966, opened the restaurant 10 years later and have been going strong ever since. In 2005 he received the Chefs de Cuisine Association’s gold medal as “Chef of the Year.” His food is rustic, full of flavor and remains relatively traditional. However, the specials are where he uses his creativity, and the bold flavor in all the food will always leave you craving more.

When you first enter the restaurant you will see a beautiful wooden bar seating many of the neighborhood regulars. Opposite the bar are a number of celebrity photos that adorn the wall of the room. The exceptional maîtrede will then greet you and show you to your table in one of their three interior dining rooms, all of which are perfect for either a casual evening out or a more formal event.

The front dining room is decorated with gilt-framed landscape paintings, creating a charming ambiance, while their back room is self-described as a “trattoria-like setting” on their Web site. Mosconi’s also boasts a spectacular garden room that is open year round and truly reminds you of an Italian courtyard. Bright colors and strings of greens drape the walls and the skylight ceiling, and the brick walls create a rustic, comfortable feel. No matter where you sit, Mosconi’s has created a welcoming and impressive atmosphere for your dining pleasure.

The authentic and homemade meals at Mosconi’s are reasonably priced

and include homemade pasta, fresh fish, a selection of meat dishes and, of course, the daily specials. Their enormous menu includes more than 100 items that are influenced by the family’s roots in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

When you sit down at your table, a busboy will bring a small plate with some fresh tomato bruschetta. This flavorful bite is the perfect start to the meal and always gets my appetite going.

Two of my favorite appetizers are the salami and cheese platter ($11.50), which offers a generous portion of amazing hard salami and chunks of provolone cheese, and the mozzarella and tomato platter ($11.75), which is a wonderful light start to the meal and is complemented by a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. You can also opt for their fried calamari or fried zucchini ($19.50) if you would like to share among the guests at of your table.

My two favorite pasta dishes are the homemade spinach and cheese ravioli ($14.00) and the homemade gnocchi ($15.00). With the ravioli, those of you who do not like spinach have nothing to fear (I don’t, yet I can’t get enough of this dish). The spinach is ground into the pasta filling and is really unnoticeable in the finished dish. They also offer plain cheese and meat filling if you prefer, and all the pastas can come with either a basic marinara, a hearty Bolognese (meat sauce) or plain tomato sauce.

Overall Some specific dishes come with Location Food Quality pesto or cream sauce, and, though Atmosphere it’s not on the menu, sometimes they Hospitality will make a vodka sauce upon request.

Price $$$ The Bolognese is really my personal favorite, and I chose to have this on the (Out of 4 ’s) gnocchi instead of the pesto, indicated on the menu.

My absolute favorite entrée is the chicken indorato ($19.75), battered chicken medallions served in a lemon and white wine sauce. This dish satisfies every time and is probably the one item I have ordered most consistently. The chicken is always extremely tender and the sauce is full of great flavor. No matter how impolite, I always use the Italian bread to mop up every drop of the leftover sauce; it really is that good. It also comes with a side of vegetables or pasta, so you will still have the chance to try the delicious Bolognese.

For dessert, you cannot pass on the fabulous peach melba ($7.50). While it may not sound like much, this serving of vanilla ice cream, peach halves, whipped cream, a strawberry and the greatest raspberry sauce ever makes for a truly delicious dessert. Everyone I know who has tried it has fallen in love with it, so definitely save room and let your sweet tooth enjoy.

Another great characteristic about this restaurant is the veteran waitstaff.

The people are all very friendly and are always exceptionally professional.

The Mosconi family celebrated its 30th anniversary a few years ago, attesting to the exceptional qualities of this establishment.

Few restaurants in New York City have lasted this long, yet Villa Mosconi has endured the test of time for over three decades. They have always treated me like family, and no place is more welcoming. The food is amazing, and the place has become a Village institution. This is the one Italian restaurant that I would recommend to anyone.

Editor’s Pick: Trader Joe’s Stores

By STEPHEN MOCCIA DESIGN EDITOR

This semester, five of my friends and I moved into an apartment in Walsh Hall. While this dated residence hall is one of the more popular housing options on campus, there is still one major issue that my suitemates and I must face: six guys sharing a cramped kitchen with old appliances and limited storage space. To be fair, I love to cook and have no trouble preparing full meals for myself when I am on my own. However, the accommodations in Walsh do not quite match the setup in my house, and our pantry at home doesn’t look anything like the hodgepodge of items collected in our apartment’s cabinets. As a result, cooking here had been been a bit of a challenge, but then I had a great realization: Trader Joe’s.

Most people, especially college students, are familiar with the cedar-planked walls and Hawaiianshirted employees you find in this specialty-store chain. More important, however, is the innovative, cheap and great-tasting food that goes hand-in-hand with a college apartment. Why? Because, for the most part, Trader Joe’s carries food

that has a long shelf life. Whether frozen, canned, jarred, bagged or boxed, the groceries I pick up from TJ’s are ideal to have on reserve in our tiny Walsh apartment.

There are so many options when you go into these fairly cramped stores. By simply walking up and down each aisle, you can easily fill your cart with enough meals to wait out the daunting Hurricane Earl (Oh, wait, that did not happen, did it? Thanks, incessant news coverage).

Each time I head to one of their two Manhattan locations, I discover some new and delicious item that I instantly add to my Trader Joe’s staples list. These groceries range from Chinese to Italian and from full entrée to afternoon snack.

Here are just a few of my favorites, though I will have to force myself to keep it short, because I could probably go on forever.

One of my original finds at Trader Joe’s comes from their selection of frozen Asian items. In this area you can find bagged chicken, pork and vegetable potstickers that are amazingly simple to make and equally as delectable. After some time, Trader Joe’s began stocking two new great items, found, once again, in the frozen Asian section:

vegetable, chicken or shrimp fried rice and mandarin orange chicken.

Both are easy to serve and, along with the bag of potstickers, make a fantastic (and cheaper) alternative to takeout. Most bagged items like this have stovetop, microwave and oven directions, giving you several options you can select depending on your time constraints. While in the store, be sure to explore their selection of jarred sauces, which cover many cultures and just need to be served over rice, noodles, or pasta.

Avocado’s Number Guacamole is the best store-bought guacamole I have tried. It really is the closest thing to making guacamole myself.

It comes in two vacuum-sealed trays that keep it green and fresh and is consistently delicious. Sadly, there have been times when the avocados I buy just are not ready to use or when, for some reason, the seasoning in my guacamole just misses the mark. Yet, Trader Joe’s gets it just right every single time, and I love to keep my favorite snack on hand. Not only does it stay fresh for an extended period of time due to the vacuum seal, but one tray of TJ’s guac can stay in the refrigerator for immediate use, while the other can head to the freezer for

future use.

Back in the frozen section, try Trader Joe’s individually portioned ribs, their packaged burritos and wraps, a box of chicken tenders or fish sticks, individually flash-frozen fish fillets, fresh sweet corn or their bag of frozen bell peppers. They are good to keep on hand and give you a wholesome meal in just minutes.

For the most part, Trader Joe’s offerings are relatively more nutritious than other frozen meal counterparts, a reason why it is great to stock up on them for the college refrigerator or freezer. They are longlasting, cheap and easy to make.

Even the most inexperience cook can take advantage of these quick and simple meals, and you can check their Web site for mouthwatering recipes made entirely from items they carry in their stores.

While you are near the refrigerator cases picking up the guacamole, make sure to take a look at the vast assortment of deli meats, cheeses, dips and other goodies that are wonderful for a pre-meal snack or a little hors d’oeuvres party. And stop by the sampling area to discover your newest favorite. Trader Joe’s is a fantastic resource for college students and will definitely get me through the rest of the year.

CULTURE

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 • THE RAM • PAGE 15

Farmers’ Markets Improve Shopping To Avoid Overdosing on Soggy, Unidentifiable Cafeteria Food, Buy Your Produce Fresh

By LAUREN HATHAWAY STAFF WRITER

This fall season, take a break from the cafeteria food and indulge in delicious, farm-fresh foods from New York City’s dozens of farmers’ markets. Each and every borough of New York City is host to a number of markets, featuring foods grown and prepared throughout New York and its neighboring states.

The food offered at farmers’ markets is guaranteed to be fresh.

Oftentimes, the produce at these markets is picked on the very same morning it is sold, whereas the produce sold at many larger grocery stores can be en route from the farm to the store for as long as two weeks.

Another great perk to shopping at farmers’ markets is the opportunity to actually meet the farmers who grow the produce, so customers can ask questions about how their food is grown – if it is organic, when it was picked, etc.

Not only does shopping at farmers’ markets ensure quality and freshness in produce and other groceries, but it is also a great way to support small, local family farms. Buying from farmers’ markets means that the farmers earn more money, since the money goes straight into their pockets. Rather than earning only a percentage of every dollar’s worth of food they sell, farmers at these markets usually earn the whole dollar, having to pay rent for their selling space.

Shopping at farmers’ markets also stimulates the local economy.

Money spent at the market stays in the community rather than going to out-of-state commercial companies.

“It’s good to go to farmers’ markets because it’s nice to get fresh ingredients at a low price and to support local farmers,” Kayla LeGoff, FCRH ’13, who enjoys shopping at markets in her home borough of

Queens, said.

No matter where in the city you find yourself this fall, there is bound to be a farmers’ market nearby.

If you are in the Lincoln Center area Wednesdays or Saturdays, be sure to check out the 57th Street Greenmarket, located between 57th and 56th Sts. on Ninth Ave. The New York and Pennsylvania farmers at this market offer fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, cheese, flowers and baked goods. Free recipes, cooking demonstrations and more events are also featured at the market.

The New York Botanical Garden Greenmarket is open Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., all the way through Nov. 29. The market is located just inside the Mosholu Gate entrance to the gardens on Kazimiroff Blvd. near Tulip Tree Allee.

The market features farm-fresh berries, tomatoes, corn and other produce, in addition to a selection of pies, breads, ciders and honey, among other fresh foods. Farmers

come from throughout New York and Pennsylvania.

Just up the road from Rose Hill is the Poe Park Greenmarket, two stops away on the Bx9 (toward Riverdale) bus route. Besides offering a wide variety of fresh, locally grown produce, this market is also special in that it offers community activities, cooking demonstrations and recipe exchanges. This market is open through Nov. 23, every Tuesday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

So, this fall skip your weekly Compare grocery run and immerse yourself in the exciting, delicious world of farmers’ markets.

Take your time, enjoying the sights and smells around you, and grab a bag of tasty, fresh fruits or veggies to stock up your mini-refrigerator back at your dorm.

If you are interested in visiting one of New York City’s many farmers’ markets, visit www.agmkt.state. ny.us/ or grownyc.org/greenmarket to find a full list of locations and hours.

what’s Know “what’s going on” on campus or in NYC?

Going

09 10

?

On

Send tips, event listings, or comments to theram@fordham.edu.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY Free Yoga at The Integral Yoga Institute 227 W. 13th St. Relax after the first (almost) full week of classes with a free yoga class, which will include deep-relaxation yoga, stretching and meditation.

11

SATURDAY Sept. 11 Vigil at City Hall 2 Lafayette St. Honor the ninth anniversary of the tragedy with a vigil from 1-2 p.m.

12 13 14 15

SUNDAY Concert at the Frick 1 E. 70th St. You may be able to catch a glimpse of the next big classical music star at this weekly concert, held in the mansion’s music room.

MONDAY Down Under Staten Island Zoo 614 Broadway Vacation may be over, but animals such as red kangaroos, emus and wallabies will be visiting the zoo until the end of September.

TUESDAY Coca-Cola Generations in Jazz Festival Frederick P. Rose Hall Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center If you feel that your knowledge of jazz is limited, or nonexistent, see Charles McPherson and Randy Brecker with the New Jersey City University Jazz Ensemble at this monthlong festival.

WEDNESDAY Capoeira Class at Chelsea Triangle Ninth Ave. and W. 14th St. Imported from Brazil, this free class works your full body through a mixture of martial arts, music and dance.

PHOTO BY MARK BECKER/THE RAM

-Compiled by Celeste Kmiotek

The Botanical Gardens, across the street, is a great farmers’ market to try out.

Ram Reviews MOVIE

BOOK

TELEVISION

BOOK

ALBUM

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

TELL-ALL

“THE LATE LATE SHOW”

CHELSEA CHELSEA, BANG BANG

ARCADE FIRE THE SUBURBS

The Kids Are All Right, directed by Lisa Cholodenko (Laurel Canyon), is one of this summer’s most talked about independent movies. It’s a “dramedy” about a lesbian couple, Nic (Annette Bening, American Beauty) and Jules ( Julianne Moore, A Single Man).

Using the same anonymous sperm donor, Nic and Jules each gave birth to a child, respectively, Joni (Mia Wasikowska, Alice in Wonderland) and Laser ( Josh Hutcherson, Bridge to Terabithia).

The best things about The Kids Are All Right are the performances. The Kids Are All Right is not a movie about homosexuality; it is a movie about a family. The people in this movie deal with very real and universal problems, from infidelity to mid-life crises. The Kids Are All Right is not completely satisfying, but it is still a worthwhile watch.

I will be honest; I am always a little leery of books that have fancy, creative formats. With that dubious outlook, I entered into Chuck Palahniuk’s Tell-All. The narrator, Hazie Coogan, is the person who created Katherine Kenton, an aging, glamorous, movie star with several ex-husbands and a penchant for younger men. Hazie more or less serves as Katherine’s personal assistant, doing everything from drawing her bath to scheduling her appearances to (secretly) protecting her from any evil man who may break her heart.

If Palahniuk had not strayed so much, and worked to streamline and bolster the main points, the novel would have been a fascinating psychological intrigue. Unfortunately, he insisted on bringing in all sorts of unnecessary curves that are ironed out too late.

Scottish comedian Craig Ferguson (“The Drew Carey Show”) has hosted “The Late Late Show” on CBS since January 2005. Though still not quite as high profile as some other late-night hosts, Ferguson has built a loyal fan base and has become increasingly popular over the last five years, thanks to his quirky sense of humor and willingness to depart from late-night TV conventions.

The show may seem a little too strange for some at first, but those who stick with “The Late Late Show” will find themselves enjoying the program’s eccentricities and the break from the tired formats of other late-night mainstays. Despite his jokes about the show, Ferguson sincerely seems to enjoy hosting it, often laughing just as much as his guests and his audience during a broadcast.

I grew up on Monty Python, National Lampoon and Mel Brooks.

My first R-rated movie was Blazing Saddles, and King Arthur still makes me think of Monty Python’s Legend of the Holy Grail before The Sword in the Stone.

It should come as no surprise, then, that I have a rather twisted sense of humor. Having seen a few of Chelsea Handler’s columns in Cosmopolitan, I decided I might as well pick up a copy of Chelsea Chelsea, Bang Bang.

Half the time, my jaw was resting on the floor in shock, but half the time, I realized her more innocuous quips were something with which I would come out. She is more sarcastic than Monty Python or Mel Brooks, and that can be annoying, but it can also be refreshing. She is (too) honest and real, and she is funny about it.

A little while ago, a friend told me to check out Arcade Fire’s new album The Suburbs. Arcade Fire has created an interactive film online with Chris Milk in which the viewer watch as a video of a suburban neighborhood is set to The Arcade Fire song “We Used To Wait.”

It’s hard to find a recent album with this level of cohesion. The songs flow into one another, taking you along for a ride in a suburban neighborhood, appearing run -down and unfamiliar.

The music furthers the dreamscape with melodies that are confident without being overpowering.

Violins dimple the scene while the beats remain strong, propelling the songs forward, but allowing the vocals to shine. Win Butler and Regine Chassagne’s voices twist together seamlessly, achingly subdued.

TO READ THESE REVIEWS IN THEIR ENTIRETY, VISIT THERAMONLINE.COM AND CLICK ON “CULTURE” ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HOMEPAGE.

PAGE 16 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

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CULTURE

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 • THE RAM • PAGE 17

Helen Mirren and Justin Timberlake Lead N.Y. Film Festival Celebrities Impress the Critics with Their New Movies, While International Films Make Their Mark

By ALEXIS KEDO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Facebook, Shakespeare and the afterlife: they may seem to have nothing in common, but these are in fact the subjects of the films topping the list for the 2010 New York Film Festival, which begins Sept.

24. Now in its 48th year, the festival, sponsored by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, features a wide range of films, from high-profile award contenders and Cannes Film Festival participants to the new offerings of fresh-faced independent and foreign filmmakers.

Kicking off the festival is The Social Network, a film directed by David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). F.eaturing a script by Aaron Sorkin (Charlie Wilson’s War), the film chronicles the slow rise and dramatic fall of the young Harvard students who went on to become the multi-billion-dollar creators of Facebook.

It is not only the backstory behind the most revolutionary communi-

cation tool in recent history, but a human story of friendship, love and betrayal. Starring Jesse Eisenberg (The Village) as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Justin Timberlake (Model Behavior) as Napster co-founder Sean Parker, The Social Network is viewed as so of-the-moment that the Film Society chose it as the opening piece of the 17-day festival.

Perhaps the festival’s most buzzed-about movie is its will-be closer. Clint Eastwood’s (Million Dollar Baby) latest creation, entitled Hereafter, will be the festival’s grand finale on Oct. 10. Featuring a script by Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon), Hereafter tracks the lives of several people who are dealing with death, near-death and the afterlife. Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting) plays an American psychic who is sought after for help by a beautiful French journalist and a London schoolboy trying to find answers about their lost loved ones. Critics hail Hereafter as provocative and daring. The film

marks Eastwood’s fourth return to the festival. If you miss the chance to catch it at the festival, don’t worry, the movie opens in theaters on Oct. 22.

Also garnering a massive amount of attention is the festival’s chosen centerpiece selection, a contemporary take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Film and theater director Julie Taymor produced and directed the piece, putting a fresh spin on the elements of the original story.

Taymor chose Helen Mirren (The Queen) as the female Prospera, a new twist on the role of Prospero in the original play. Mirren heads a renowned ensemble cast which includes Russell Brand (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Alfred Molina (Chocolat), Chris Cooper (Lone Star), Alan Cumming (X2: X-Men United) and Ben Whishaw (Hamlet). The film has generated a lot of excitement because of its star power, and Taymor certainly carries high expectations because of her creativity and celebrated visual artistry. As the festival’s cen-

terpiece, The Tempest is essentially the star of the show, and only time will tell if it lives up to its favorable forecast. The festival will also present a relatively slim roster of 25 additional features on its main slate, living up to its reputation of favoring quality cinema over a huge selection of celebrity-powered blockbusters. The short film list, does not sacrifice diversity. Sixteen different countries are represented, including Thailand’s Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year.

Films by Romanian, Mexican, Russian, Chilean and South Korean directors also made the slate.

The 80-year-old Swiss director Jean-Luc Godard (Breathless) is generating attention for his piece, Film Socialisme. Godard takes the prize for most experienced filmmaker; Film Socialisme marks his 27th contribution to the film festival.

Mike Leigh’s (Life is Sweet) latest, Another Year, a chronicle of the

life of an old married couple, is also hailed as a heartwarming must-see by critics. LennonNYC, Michael Epstein’s (The Battle Over Citizen Kane) portrait of John Lennon’s New York days, faces its world premiere.

The festival is featuring several screenings of documentaries, including one by master documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman (The Cool World). Wiseman’s Boxing Gym portrays the men, women and child patrons of Lord’s Boxing Gym in Austin, Texas. In addition, Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas) and Kent Jones (“The Daily Show”) portray the life of influential director Elia Kazan in their documentary, A Letter to Elia.

With the close proximity of the festival to Fordham’s Manhattan campus (theaters in and around Lincoln Center are showing the films) it is incredibly easy to catch at least one of the diverse array of films offered at this year’s New York Film Festival. Tickets go on sale online starting Sept. 12 at noon.

Make the Smooth Transition to Fall Clothes with These Tips

By MEGAN FALCONE STAFF WRITER

As fashion week approaches, the city is abuzz with excitement.

The moment the first stiletto hits the runway, the accumulated thrill explodes as bloggers, writers and people from all different media outlets release this season’s top designer “must-haves.”

For all the fashionistas parading up and down Fifth Avenue to the steady beat of credit card swipes, this is an exciting time. However, this time can be daunting for college students on a budget or, even worse, college students who have to deal with NYC’s limited closet space. So how do Fordham students cope?

Other than obsessing over fashion blogs between classes and weaving through Manhattan on

weekends, one look that never fails is the art of layering. It is a look that we are all capable of, and no shopping is required. Throw one or two of your darker-colored summer tanks under a big cozy sweater (camel-colored, of course), wrap a scarf around your neck, slip into some skinny jeans and you are set.

Boys, don’t think that you are exempt from layering on the clothes in the fall. Wear your summer polos and button downs with a fall sweater on top. Not only will the collar add a polished look to the sweater, but the sweater can be easily removed if the weather is warm. Since the sweater provides so much warmth, do not be afraid to wear khaki shorts with this look as well.

Just remember that the more layers you add on without having to add a winter jacket, the better.

For those who have plenty of room in their closets to spare, Zara is a great store. Conveniently located all over the city, Zara offers a unique approach to retail. Every two weeks, Zara restocks almost their entire store entirely based upon the newest trends. Since designers at Zara tailor their merchandise to match the styles and trends seen at each location, no two Zaras are the same.

In the mood to pile on the accessories this season?

Layering doesn’t stop at clothing. Whether you are willing to add merchandise to your wardrobe or not, Elle.com proves that animal prints are the way to go. Hermés umbrellas, Christian Louboutin booties, Gucci bags and even Cartier bracelets are all adorned with feline prints. Cannot make it to Neiman Marcus? These wild prints

WHO’S THAT KID? Arielle Pukanecz A MEMBER OF FCRH ‘11, MAJORING IN ANTHROPOLOGY AND MINORING IN SOCIOLOGY AND HISTORY FROM KUTZTOWN, PENN. Where have we seen you?

Giving campus tours for the summer and working in the sociology/anthropology department.

Favorite childhood show and favorite current show?

“Are You Afraid of the Dark?”

“LOST.” Who would play you in a movie and why?

Jenna Malone because she has been in several of my favorite movies (Donnie Darko, Into the Wild, Life as a House, Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys). Not only has she chosen great scripts, but they all have amazing soundtracks, which I’m positive the movie of my life

would.

If you could have a dinner with any historical person, who would it be and why?

Eratosthenes, because he figured out the circumference of the Earth with a stick and, well, frankly anyone that brilliant deserves a free dinner.

What would your ideal day in Manhattan consist of?

I would love to have the time for an early movie at the Sunshine in Union Square, lunch at Blue Fin in Times Square, an afternoon at the American Museum of Natural History and finally a concert in the Bowery.

If you could be anywhere and doing anything right now, what would it be?

I would be in New Zealand working as a forensic anthropologist.

Favorite class at Fordham and favorite professor?

Forensic Investigation of the Human Skeleton, which is an anthropology class taught by Kimberly Consroe. This class was exciting and challenging, and it determined the path for the continuation of my academic life.

Dr. Gilbert, I have taken four of his classes and regret that he is not teaching any others. He is the most inspiring and compassionate pro-

can be spotted in stores all over the city.

Another recent Elle fashion trend report dubbed 1950s-inspired looks as the trend of the fall. As seen on the runways, Louis Vuitton’s revival of the calf-length skirt brings back the comfort and functionality of the ’50s while still exuding femininity. A pair of pumps partnered with these skirts pushes the ’50s inspired look even further.

While digging through your grandparents’ closets for these vintage looks, stop by your parents’ closets as well. Seventies-inspired silks and furs are another hot trend of the fall.

The ’70s were a time of empowerment and these looks make everyone exude confidence. A silk blouse is a great top that can transition from day to night, and gorgeous camel-toned blouses are

available from designers such as Chloé. Trousers should be a staple piece in everyone’s wardrobe, and pants with high waists reminiscent of the ’70s look great on all figures.

According to the September issue of Glamour magazine, the fastest way to look chic this season is to deck out oneself in black and white.

Black and white stripes were everywhere this past summer, and they are not going out of season this fall. Not only are these two colors flattering on every body shape, but they can also be combined in endless ways. Stripes, polka dots and geometrical shapes–anything goes with these two colors.

Wear black and white to class, or dress it up with some “bling” when hitting the town at night. Who cares that you’ve never worn white after Labor Day? Push the boundaries, and fall fashion can be fun.

fessor/advisor, and I feel privileged to have met him.

Stuck on an island, what would you need?

Perrier, sunscreen, a giant anthology of 19th century literature and Sawyer (“LOST” reference) wouldn’t hurt.

How do you blow off steam?

I love to dance, everything from ballet to salsa.

What is the biggest misconception people have about you?

That I’m my sister. We’re twins, and we have a lot of the same interests, but we definitely have distinct personalities.

What is your dream job?

Forensic anthropologist or a queen.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Peanut butter M&Ms.

COURTESY OF ARIELLE PUKANECZ

PAGE 18 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

CULTURE

The Dog Days of Summer Are Over With These New Shows

By CLARA ENNIST STAFF WRITER

Here’s a look at the highlights for the fall television season, including both new and returning programs.

Monday: Returning shows ABC “Dancing with the Stars” (Season 11 Premiere Sept. 20, 8 p.m.)

Carrie Ann, Len and Bruno are back to judge the “stars” as they defame the art of ballroom dancing.

Nicole Scherzinger of The Pussycat Dolls won last season which may have been because, you know, she is a trained dancer. This season looks promising with “America’s Mom” Florence Henderson, David Hasselhoff, Michael Bolton, Brandy, Margaret Cho, Jennifer Grey, Kyle Massey, Bristol Palin, Audrina Patridge, “The Situation” (née Mike Sorrentino) and Kurt Warner.

While Jennifer Grey may be the original dirty dancer, my money’s on Kurt Warner because football players have an edge when it comes to fast footwork. Tune in Tuesdays at 9 p.m. for the results show.

CBS “How I Met Your Mother” (Season 6 Premiere Sept. 20, 8 p.m.)

This season marks the 113th episode and there is no meeting of the titular mother in sight. We did, however, get to see her heel in the 100th episode.

The main focus of season six will be Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall’s ( Jason Segel) forays into parenthood. Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) will still wear suits and be awesome, Ted ( Josh Radnor) will still search for his true love while hitting a few snags along the way and Robin (Cobie Smulders) will still be Canadian.

“Two and a Half Men” (Season 8 Premiere Sept. 20, 9 p.m.)

Charlie (Charlie Sheen) and his brother Alan ( Jon Cryer) will argue over Charlie’s hedonistic lifestyle and Alan’s inability to relax.

Is there ever a bigger plot line?

CW “Gossip Girl” (Season 4 Premiere, Sept. 13, 9 p.m.)

Where does one begin? Jenny lost her virginity to Chuck, Blair confessed her love for Chuck, but dumped him after Dan punched Chuck in the face for sleeping with his little sister and Vanessa and Dan broke up because there was a picture of Dan and Serena in bed together, which caused Serena and Nate to go on a break so Nate decided to have a threesome with some whores out of Chuck’s little black book and then Dan found out that Georgina is pregnant with his son while he was trying to leave to go to France with Serena and, speaking of the continent, Chuck was mugged while in Prague and he tried to protect the engagement ring he was planning on giving to Blair but he got shot instead. Heureux, heureux à en mourir indeed.

NBC “Chuck” (Season 4 Premiere Sept. 20, 8 p.m.)

Toward the end of season three

it was unclear whether this computer geek turned spy show would return due to its competition against “House,” “How I Met Your Mother,” and “Dancing with the Stars,” but “Chuck” is back for a fourth season.

In the last season, Chuck (Zachary Levi) actually became a spy but by the season finale his father had been killed and his sister Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) had learned the truth about Chuck’s double life.

New Shows CBS “Hawaii Five-O” (Series Premiere Sept. 20, 10 p.m.)

Do remakes ever do well? Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) returns to Honolulu to bury his murdered father only to be offered a job as the head of a new elite police unit.

At first he turns the job down but reconsiders–his sexy partner Detective Kona “Kono” Kalakaua (played by “Battlestar Galactica’s” Grace Park) probably has something to do with him accepting the job. Expect gratuitous shots of Hawaiian beaches and Grace Park in a bikini.

FOX “Lone Star” (Series Premiere Sept. 20, 9 p.m.)

Robert Allen ( James Wolk) is an oil businessman in Texas and while he schemes to take over the oil business from his father-inlaw Clint Thatcher ( Jon Voight), he must juggle his two separate lives. In Houston he lives with his wife Cat (Adrianne Palicki) but a couple hundred miles away lives Robert’s unsuspecting girlfriend Lindsay (Eloise Mumford).

NBC “The Event” (Series Premiere Sept. 20, 9 p.m.)

What is the titular event? Is it the disappearance of Sean Walker’s ( Jason Ritter) fiancée or is it the biggest cover-up in United States History that Sean begins to find out while searching for his fiancée?

The premise of “The Event” is being kept very quiet but NBC has ordered it to series in the hopes that this conspiracy thriller will be the next “LOST.” Tuesday: Returning Shows CBS “The Good Wife” (Season 2 Premiere Sept. 28, 10 p.m.)

We get it Alicia Florrick ( Julianna Margulies), balancing your career, your family and your husband’s jail time for political corruption is difficult but somehow you manage to get it all done. Now that Peter (Chris Noth) is out of jail will he run for reelection? And will Alicia stick around for the ride?

CW “Life Unexpected” (Season 2 Premiere Sept. 14, 9 p.m.)

Lux (Britt Robertson) continues to try to adjust to life with her real parents. You know the only thing more surprising than a cute little blonde girl being left in the foster system until her teens? This show returning for a second season.

FOX “Glee” (Season 2 Premiere Sept.

21, 8 p.m.)

The Glee Club is holding auditions; is everyone going to make it back? Probably, but the anticipation and worry that we won’t get to see Rachel and Finn develop their relationship while doing a two-step, Quinn and Puck work out their recent adoption woes while swaying in the background, and Brittany deliver her fabulous one-liners will hopefully make this season better than the first.

Jane Lynch won the Emmy for her portrayal of Sue Sylvester but we wouldn’t expect anything less from the snarky and sometimes evil Cheerios coach.

New Shows ABC “No Ordinary Family” (Series Premiere Sept. 28, 8 p.m.)

Pixar’s The Incredibles meets NBC’s “Heroes;” it’s just your typical American family that comes closer together by their freakish super human abilities.

“Detroit 1-8-7” (Series Premiere Sept. 21 10 p.m.)

They’re revamping the formulaic crime television show by having a fictional documentary filmmaking crew go into Detroit’s homicide division.

FOX “Raising Hope” (Series Premiere Sept. 21, 9 p.m.)

“My Name is Earl” creator Greg Garcia developed this show about a 23-year old Jimmy Chance (Lucas Neff ) who has to raise his baby daughter, the product of a one-night stand, after the mother is sent to jail. Jimmy is incapable of performing this task alone so he enlists the help of his eccentric family. Did I mention it’s a comedy?

“Running Wilde” (Series Premiere Sept. 21, 9:30 p.m.)

“Arrested Development” fans get excited because Will Arnett and David Cross are back in this program created by Mitch Hurwitz.

Steven Wilde (Arnett) is a wealthy jerk who wants to woo Emmy (Keri Russell).

Unfortunately, Steven’s father is an oil magnate whose company is destroying the environment while Emmy is an activist for all things environmental.

The pilot received a lot of lackluster feedback but the creators and producers took all the criticism to heart and made some changes which will hopefully help.

Wednesday: Returning Shows ABC “The Middle” (Season 2 Premiere Sept. 22, 8 p.m.)

Frankie (Patricia Heaton), narrates this show about a family living in an Indiana suburb. Her husband Mike (Neil Flynn, better known as The Janitor from “Scrubs”) is extremely laid back which frazzles Frankie when she has to deal with their three children who range from disinterested teenager son Axl to geeky daughter Sue to Brick, the elementary schooler with horrible social anxieties.

Similar to “Malcolm in the Middle,” “The Middle” is funny and smart.

“Modern Family” (Season 2 Premiere Sept. 22, 9 p.m.)

Let’s see if the best ensemble cast on television can match the comedy of its first season. While this “mockumentary” doesn’t seem to follow a chronological timeline, but rather follows a specific question or theme raised in the opening, it is almost always clever and pitch perfect.

CBS “Survivor: Nicaragua” (Season 21 premiere Sept. 15, 8 p.m) Spoiler: They all survive.

FOX “Hell’s Kitchen” (Season 8 Premiere Sept. 22, 8 p.m.)

They say love is the most important ingredient when cooking; Gordon Ramsay prefers different four lettered ingredients.

New Shows ABC “The Whole Truth” (Series Premiere Sept. 22, 10 p.m.)

It is different from every other courtroom drama because this time you will see both the prosecution and the defense’s struggles from behind the scenes.

CW “Hellcats” (Series Premiere Sept.

8, 9 p.m.)

Take one part “Glee,” three parts Bring It On, two parts “Make it or Break It.” Blend well and sprinkle in some former Disney stars. You now have an awful show.

NBC “Undercovers” (Series Premiere Sept. 22, 8 p.m.)

J.J. Abrams’ new series follows a husband and wife duo (Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw) who return from retirement as spies to join the CIA as agents.

Thursday: Returning Shows ABC “Grey’s Anatomy” (Season 7 Premiere Sept. 23, 9 p.m.)

Hospital doctors and drama with an emphasis on the drama.

“Private Practice” (Season 4 premiere Sept. 23, 10 p.m.)

General practitioners and drama with an emphasis on the drama.

miere, Sept. 9, 8 p.m.)

Stefan and Damon are vampire brothers who like Elena, a human who resembles their love Katherine. Katherine is back. Two brothers and two seemingly identical women.

Add in the fact that Elena just found out her uncle is her father and Elena’s brother Jeremy may have become a vampire and things become more complicated.

FOX “Bones” (Season 6 Premiere Sept. 23, 8 p.m.)

They dig things up, Bones does all the work and her team takes credit for solving the crime, then there’s a lot of sexual tension between Booth and Bones. Only this season Booth has been shipped to Iraq to train people after he told Bones he loved her and she rejected him.

FX “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (Season 6 Premiere Sept. 16, 10 p.m.)

The gang keeps wrecking lives and not apologizing. The writers incorporated Kaitlin Olson’s real life pregnancy into the plot for season six so we should all be terrified that Dee and co. will be responsible for a baby.

NBC “30 Rock” (Season 5 Premiere Sept. 23, 8 p.m.)

Has Liz finally found love?

Probably not. But season four ended with some other cliffhangers like Jack’s pregnant girlfriend and Kenneth’s potential move to Los Angeles.

“The Office” (Season 7 Premiere Sept. 23, 9 p.m.)

It’s Steve Carrell’s final season so Michael Scott better end up with the love of his life.

New Shows ABC “My Generation” (Series Premiere Sept. 23, 8 p.m.)

Where did you think you would be 10 years after your high school graduation? Hopefully not on “My Generation.”

CW “Nikita” (Series Premiere Sept.

9, 9 p.m.)

The female Jason Bourne.

Friday: Returning Shows

CBS “The Big Bang Theory” (Season 4 Premiere Sept. 23, 8 p.m.)

The night may have changed but this sitcom about physicists who are scientific geniuses but social novices will not so people will probably accommodate their schedules to watch. Forget the whole Leonard and Penny relationship, Sheldon is by far the best part of the show.

“The Mentalist” (Season 3 Premiere Sept. 23, 10 p.m.)

Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) wears a three piece suit sans jacket and uses his ability to observe people to solve crimes.

CW “Vampire Diaries” (Season 2 Pre-

CW “Supernatural” (Season 6 Premiere Sept. 24, 9 p.m.)

So Sam and Dean got Lucifer to go back to hell. There isn’t too much to do except stay good-looking and fight some demons.

Sunday: Returning Shows ABC “Desperate Housewives” (Season 7 Premiere Sept. 25, 9 p.m.)

So Paul Young is now released from prison and remarried so he decides to return to the block where everyone knows about the fact that he aided and abetted a murderer.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

PAGE 19

Hawthorn Retires After 54 Years at Fordham

By JONATHON SMITH ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

“Heroes come and go, but legends never die.” This quote from the classic film, The Sandlot, rings true to the recent retirement of Fordham staple Robert Hawthorn.

Hawthorn, who has been working at Fordham University and Fordham Prep since the 1950s, announced this past summer that he would no longer be the men’s tennis and squash coach.

Hawthorn, who had encountered a few minor health troubles this past spring, has decided to close the door on a career that includes numerous accolades, including having the Fordham tennis courts named in his honor and an induction into the National Squash Hall of Fame.

Hawthorn certainly has achieved the status of “legend.”

Hawthorn began his career as Fordham’s squash coach in 1956 after graduating from Fordham and starring on its tennis and squash teams.

His performance was so good, in fact, that in his time as a player Hawthorn earned Eastern Ranking prominence, and in 1977 he was inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

After taking over the squash reins in 1956 and then becoming the men’s tennis coach two years later, Hawthorn showed just how successful he could be, as he brought both teams out of the dust and into the spotlight in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

In fact, Hawthorn led his tennis team to three straight conference titles from 1983-1985, making the Rams a perennial conference powerhouse. During these years, Haw-

PHOTO COURTESY OF FORDHAMSPORTS

After 54 years of service to the University, Bob Hawthorn decided to step down as head coach of men’s tennis and squash.

thorn also won Fordham’s “Iron Major” award twice, adding to one he had already earned in 1977. The award is given to the University’s top athletic coach each year, and in Hawthorn’s 54 years of service, he was always a top candidate for the award.

In squash, Hawthorn consistently brought teams deep into the Collegiate Squash Association (CSA) playoffs.

Hawthorn’s success did not go unnoticed, as there is now a division of the CSA playoffs called the Hawthorn Division. One cannot have a discussion about collegiate squash pioneers without mention-

ing Hawthorn.

Despite being successful on the courts, Hawthorn did not always believe that success as a coach should be measured in wins and losses. He knew that sometimes in order to be successful, his players had to forget about statistics and just play ball.

“We may not have the prettiest record this season,” Hawthorn said of his 2009 tennis squad, “but that is not what matters to me. What matters is that I show these boys how to improve their tennis, and to respect the game.”

Hawthorn has always been a stickler for sportsmanship and gen-

tlemanly order on the tennis and squash courts. When asked last season about what they would remember the most about him, many of his players said sportsmanship.

“Coach Hawthorn always tells us that the most important thing is how you carry yourself on the court,” senior Rob Evans said.

“That is something that I have learned from him; anyone can be a good player, but being a good person on the court is what really matters.”

Hawthorn coached tennis and squash for over 50 years. This means that if he coached 10 men on each team, then he coached

about 20 men per year. This means that in his career he has coached over 750 different players, and you can bet that each one of them has learned a life lesson from the man they simply refer to as “Bob.” I can remember talking with Hawthorn last year as a freshman about the tennis matches. Not only did he answer my questions, but he asked about me and my family and invited me to take part in the tennis team’s breakfast.

That is just the kind of guy Hawthorn is, and in his 50-plus years of service to Fordham he was able to help turn many boys into men.

Now that Hawthorn is gone, the tennis and squash teams are in for some changes. The squash team, which in recent years has struggled to field a full team and find experienced players, now has brand-new courts on campus, which will be a major attraction for coaching candidates and incoming players.

The tennis team, which only graduated two seniors, is a young team made up mostly of sophomores. This gives the incoming coaching staff (which has yet to be announced to the public) a team that will be around for a few years and thus could go through some changes and rebuilding seasons.

Executive Athletic Director Frank McLaughlin may have said it best when he called Hawthorn a “Fordham treasure.” His players cherished him, and he is undoubtedly, someone who has touched many lives.

With Hawthorn gone, things will be different for the squash and tennis teams and the entire University in general, but one thing is for sure: Hawthorn will always be a part of Fordham, because legends never die.

Men’s Soccer Splits First Two Games Against Adelphi and Lehigh

By RICH HOFMANN STAFF WRITER

Heading into the season, the Fordham men’s soccer team knew that it simply had to get off to a better start than in recent campaigns.

Despite returning an experienced core after two successful seasons, the non-conference portion of the schedule has historically been difficult for the Rams.

Last year Fordham finished 9-73 overall with a third-place finish in the conference, but its overall record was impaired by a slow start.

Considering last year’s 3-5-1 nonleague mark, the team has a clear area where it needs to show improvement. After last week’s overtime loss to Adelphi and close win against Lehigh, Fordham’s record now sits at .500.

“I’m not too sure why we are a slow-starting team, but after beating Lehigh, hopefully we can pick up some momentum going into a tough weekend,” junior goalkeeper Ryan Meara said.

In the season-opening match, Fordham faced Adelphi, a team that has contributed to the Rams’ season-opening troubles in the

past. Playing at home, the Rams probably outplayed Adelphi, but in the end they came up short, falling 1-0 in double overtime.

Playing in front of the home crowd at Jack Coffey Field, Fordham outshot Adelphi 14-9, in an effort probably deserving no less than a tie. In the 107th minute, Adelphi sophomore forward Brandon Stoneham picked up a ball off a deflection and dribbled down the left side of the field and crossed it to an open Sam Varnaria, who knocked it past Meara.

Even if the game felt more like a draw, one breakdown is all it took to change the game. So close to a hard-fought tie, the Rams may have been feeling déjà vu after the early loss.

“We would’ve liked to beat Adelphi or at least tie, but I think we outplayed them,” Meara said.

“We were just unlucky to give up a sloppy goal.”

Fordham’s next game was a trip to Lehigh over the weekend. The Rams faced a very similar situation as last year when they traveled to play Lafayette, another Patriot League team. That particular game was not a good one for them, as

they lost 2-0.

This time, Fordham secured a hard-fought 1-0 win, playing its trademark tough, defensive-minded soccer, though the team was outshot badly.

Sophomore midfielder Doug Hanly did the scoring honors for Fordham, taking a cross from freshman forward Julian Nagel and heading it inside the far post in the 51st minute.

“The goal was created due to good work by [sophomore midfielder] Andre Seidenthal who eventually played the ball to Julian Nagel,” Hanly said. “Julian then played a perfectly placed ball to me on the near post which made it easy for me to flick it to the back post.”

The defense, which is still incorporating a few new players, would keep Lehigh off the board for the rest of the game. Facing a furious Lehigh push to get an equalizer, Meara made five of his seven saves after Hanly’s goal.

“After the goal, the defense and Ryan really stepped up to keep the lead,” Hanly said.

Fordham now faces two of the tougher games on the non-conference slate on a road trip to the

PHOTO BY SIMON SULIT/THE RAM

Junior goalkeeper Ryan Meara allowed one goal between two games last week.

Midwest this weekend. The Rams travel to No. 20 Louisville on Friday before heading to Cincinnati on Sunday.

“They are definitely going to be two tough games, but we are confident we can beat anyone if we play our game,” Meara said.

PAGE 20 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

SPORTS

Volleyball 4-3 After Losing Three in Maryland

By DANNY ATKINSON SPORTS EDITOR

The first weeks of the Fordham volleyball season should be considered a success for the Lady Rams.

At 4-3, and with wins over such powerful opponents as Boston College and Northeastern, Fordham has shown that preseason prognostications, which had the Lady Rams finishing at the bottom of the Atlantic 10 could be off base.

Fordham swept its four matches at the Beanpot Classic in Massachusetts, and even in their three losses in the Arundel Mills Maryland Invite at College Park, Md., the Lady Rams were able to challenge tough opponents such as Georgetown and Bradley.

With stalwarts like senior outside hitter Jenna Hart and senior middle hitter Katie Wells taking charge, and emerging talents like freshman server Sara Konkel already having a big impact early in their athletic careers at Rose Hill, Fordham may have the talent to be successful in its non-conference schedule and to set themselves up for a strong A-10 performance.

Fordham began the season with a pair of wins over Boston schools Northeastern and Boston College at the Beanpot classic in Worcester, Mass., on Aug. 27. The Lady Rams defeated Northeastern in a 3-2 match before sweeping BC. Fordham outlasted the Huskies in its first match at the Classic, with each of the five set scores being extremely close. Final set scores were 25-22, 25-20, 24-26, 25-27 and 1512. Key to the Lady Rams’ victory was their accuracy and efficiency in attacking their opponents. Fordham outhit Northeastern by a percentage of .205 to .163 and caused the Huskies to commit 36 errors compared the Fordham total of 29.

Fordham took the opening set 2522, as Northeastern committed 11 attack errors, and used a 13-3 run midway through the second set to win by a 25-20 count and go up two sets to none.

The Huskies were able to win both Sets 3 and 4 to knot up the match. The final set was a microcosm of the efficiency that allowed Fordham to outlast the Huskies.

With a 12-10 advantage, Fordham rallied for five consecutive points to take the match. Four of the points came as a result of Northeastern attack errors.

For the Lady Rams, junior outside hitter Brittany Daulton had her first career double-double with 12 kills and 13 digs while senior middle hitter Christi Griffiths recorded a .562 hitting percentage, the second-highest for a five-set match in Fordham history.

In the nightcap, the Lady Rams briskly dispatched Boston College in three sets by scores of 25-22, 25-22 and 25-13. Fordham held an advantage over the Eagles for the entire first set and rallied from a two-point deficit in the second set by taking the final five points.

Seemingly demoralized, BC conceded a 9-1 lead to the Lady Rams in the opening minutes of the third set and Fordham never looked back, winning the set 25-13 and sweeping a match from an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent, a major accomplishment.

Two freshmen led the way for the Lady Rams against the Eagles.

Konkel dished out 32 assists and five digs while libero Emily Atwood recorded 14 assists on the defensive end. Fordham’s talent up and down its lineup was visible in the team totals, as the Lady Rams had 39 kills and a percentage of .194 to BC’s 28 and .103.

“Our performance against Boston College was outstanding,” Head Coach Ken Volkert said. “Beating an ACC team soundly is a major step forward for our program.”

On Aug. 28, Fordham captured the 2010 Beanpot Classic by defeating Holy Cross and Quinnipiac, starting 4-0 for the first time in team history. The Lady Rams swept Holy Cross in their opening match of the day before prevailing over Quinnipiac in four sets.

Fordham ended up defeating the Crusaders decisively in each set by scores of 25-18, 25-21 and 25-20.

The Lady Rams hit .379 as a group in the first set as Hart and May each had five kills. Set 2 was close at 21-20, before Holy Cross committed three errors over the final five points. Fordham never looked back in the third set, leading by as many as 13 points.

May recorded 11 kills and a .526 hitting percentage against the Crusaders. The Lady Rams were particularly outstanding on the defensive end, as they recorded 54 blocks to only 39 for Holy Cross.

The Lady Rams then prevailed in four sets against Quinnipiac and started off 4-0 for the first time in team history. The set scores were 25-23, 16-25, 27-25 and 25-19.

Fordham largely won the match due to the pressure they put on the Bobcats. Quinnipiac committed 23 service errors in the match to the Lady Rams’ six.

The upper hand swung back and forth in the first two sets, with Fordham taking the final four points of the first set for an initial lead before Quinnipiac evened the match in Set 2 with a 25-16 victory, hitting .478 as a team. It was Set 3 where the Lady Rams exhibited both their control over the match and the composure they had shown during the whole tournament against a challenging field.

The set saw eight lead changes and ended with kills from Konkel and Daulton that allowed the Lady Rams to capture the set by a score of 27-25. The fourth set served as a

victory lap for Fordham for the entire tournament as the Lady Rams cruised to a 25-19 victory and a four-set match win.

“I was really happy to see how quickly my freshmen stepped up,” Volkert said. “They meshed well with their teammates and it was important to see how well a job they did in leading both the offense and defense. Our team will be strong as long as everyone, from our freshmen to our six seniors, knows their role.”

Griffiths deservingly earned Beanpot Classic tournament MVP honors for Fordham. She recorded a .485 hitting percentage and had 38 kills and 14 total blocks in the team’s four matches. Konkel made just about the best impression one can imagine for a freshman playing in her first few games, earning an All-Tournament spot by averaging 10.1 assists and 2.21 digs per set.

Griffiths and Konkel also received A-10 weekly honors following the classic. Griffiths received her fifth career weekly award as Offensive Player of the Week, while Konkel was named the league’s top rookie.

“I felt I was part of the team from Day 1,” Konkel said. “It was easy to immediately know what the team wanted and needed me to do, and as a result I was immediately successful.”

Even as Fordham’s performance at the Beanpot Classic gave the team heightened expectations for the rest of the season, the Lady Rams’ struggles at the hands of stiff competition in the Maryland Invite the next weekend at College Park, Md. served to temper those expectations. Fordham was swept

by Maryland and Georgetown before falling in a frustrating five-set defeat to Bradley.

Fordham’s all-time best start to a season ended with a sweep at the hands of Maryland on Sept.

3. Maryland led throughout the match, with the final set scores being 25-18, 25-23 and 25-19. The Lady Rams had their best chance at winning in the second set when they pulled to within one at 23-22, but Maryland would earn a set victory with kills from outside hitter Maddi Lee and middle hitter Lisa Scott.

The Terrapins had asserted their control over the match going into Set 3 and led by as many as 10 points in cruising to an easy 25-19

PHOTO BY MARK BECKER/THE RAM

Senior Christi Griffiths was named MVP of the Beanpot Classic last weekend.

set victory.

Daulton continued her stellar early season play for Fordham with nine kills and eight digs. However, the Lady Rams inability to generate offense against Maryland was explicit and ominous. The team only had 33 kills and a .137 percentage.

Fordham continued its forgettable Maryland Invite experience with losses to both Georgetown and Bradley on Sept. 4. In the first match the Hoyas largely dominated Fordham, winning by scores of 25-14, 25-19 and 25-17.

Georgetown hit .375 in the opening set and led by as many as 11. The Hoyas also managed to lead for the entire second set, with the Lady Rams never getting closer than 21-18. Fordham fell quietly in the final set 25-17. Georgetown nearly doubled the Lady Rams’ match total of 23 kills with 42 of their own.

Match three sent Fordham back to Rose Hill on a disappointing note and with the team questioning how it would fare throughout the rest of the non-conference schedule. Despite being up two sets on Bradley, Fordham could not close the Braves out as they came back to win in five sets. Final scores were 27-29, 21-25, 25-22, 25-15 and 1513.

The first set was a roller-coaster ride. The Lady Rams found themselves ahead 24-20 and serving for the win before Bradley rallied to eventually earn a set point of their own at 26-25. However, a pair of

PHOTO BY MARK BECKER/THE RAM

Senior Kaile May is averaging 2.04 kills and two digs per set this season and recorded a match-high 11 kills against Holy Cross.

kills by Griffiths and Daulton allowed Fordham to sneak off with an early advantage. Set two was more of the same as the Lady Rams saw the score tied at 19 before two blocks from Konkel enabled Fordham to win the set by four.

With two impressive and hardfought victories the Lady Rams should have had an easy grasp on the match, but the Braves would not go away, easily in winning the next two sets to force a fifth. Bradley decisively controlled both sets and was victorious by scores of 25-22 and 25-15. In the fifth set Fordham managed to take a 10-6 lead on the back of kills from Mays and Wells and a service ace from Atwood before the game became knotted at 13 all.

Just when the Lady Rams had the opportunity to redeem themselves for the entire tournament and earn the signature victory of their young season, the Braves forced a Fordham attack error and obtained a kill by middle hitter Lauren Zerante to win the five-set marathon.

“We were off the entire weekend,“ Griffiths said.

Griffiths paced the Lady Rams with 16 kills, five digs and five blocks while freshman setter Maria Rodenberg chipped in with 19 digs.

The statistics for the epic match indicate its tightness as the Braves barely outpaced Fordham in errors, hitting percentage and digs.

For her stellar play throughout the tournament, Rodenberg was named to the All-Tournament Team, another feather in the cap of Volkert’s strong freshmen class.

“There were communication breakdowns throughout the tournament and our focus just wasn’t there,” Griffiths said.

The Lady Rams’ upcoming slate of games will go a long way towards demonstrating how much success they’ll have this season.

The Rose Hill Classic, the tournament Fordham hosts every year, will show how effectively the Lady Rams’ can protect their home court and avoid playing down to the competition. With Harvard, Syracuse, Rider and Stony Brook, coming Fordham should grab three or even four wins at the classic.

The team says they feel they can finish near the top of the A-10.

Maybe not, but the seeds for a successful season can start being planted this weekend at Rose Hill.

2010 Football Preview

By BRENDAN MALONE STAFF WRITER

AFC EAST New York Jets (11-5)- They have added a tremendous amount of talent in Santonio Holmes, Antonio Cromartie, Jason Taylor and LaDainian Tomlinson. This is the most talented team in this division and their best player, Darrelle Revis, finally signed a new contract and will be ready for the opener.

New England Patriots (10-6)They are still the Patriots and they still have Tom Brady. This is still a good team and they will make the playoffs again. Their defense is not what it once was, but it was bad last year too and they still found a way to win enough games to make the playoffs. Brady should be even better, now two years removed from knee surgery.

Miami Dolphins (9-7)- The Dolphins are a very solid team, but unfortunately for them, they play in a division where just being a solid team is not going to cut it. Chad Henne looks like he has a bright future and Brandon Marshall will help this offense take a step forward. However, there are still big questions on defense.

Buffalo Bills (3-13)- With first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft the Buffalo Bills select…

AFC NORTH Baltimore Ravens (11-5)- The Ravens will make it three consecutive trips to the playoffs. This is one of the most talented teams in the entire league and a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8)- Ben Roethlisberger will miss the first four games. His replacement is Dennis Dixon. Leading receiver Santonio Holmes was traded to the Jets and OT Willie Colon is lost for the season due to injury. That is a lot of talent to lose.

Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)- If this team had the 2006 versions of Carson Palmer, TO and Ochocinco they would be a very scary team.

Unfortunately, they have the 2010 versions of those players and those are just not very good.

Cleveland Browns (4-12)- If you could pick one veteran quarterback to mentor a rookie quarterback, wouldn’t you pick Jake Delhomme? Good thing the people of Cleveland will have the Cavs to watch come October.

AFC SOUTH Indianapolis Colts (13-3)- It will be another 12-win season for the remarkably consistent Colts.

They enter another season as Super Bowl favorites.

Houston Texans (9-7)- This is a very talented team that always comes up just short. They have been a trendy pick for four years now and they continue to miss the playoffs. I will pick them for nine wins until they show me they are capable of taking that next step.

Tennessee Titans (8-8)- There is not a whole lot of elite talent on this team, but Chris Johnson can steal a game at any time, Jeff Fischer is a great coach and this team always plays hard, but they will fall just short again this year.

Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)Why is there a professional football team in Jacksonville? Hey, at least Jacksonville State beat Ole Miss.

AFC WEST

This division is just awful.

Can we just agree to not talk about it anymore?

San Diego Chargers (10-6) Kansas City Chiefs (8-8) Oakland Raiders (7-9) Denver Broncos (6-10) NFC EAST Dallas Cowboys (10-6)- Another very talented Cowboys team.

Can they come back from the beating Minnesota laid on them in the playoffs last year? Added pressure this year with the Super Bowl being played at Cowboys Stadium.

New York Giants (8-8)- Eli Manning had an excellent year last year, but he will need to be even better for the Giants to return to the playoffs.

Washington Redskins (7-9)Donavan McNabb will help, but this is still a very old and, frankly, overrated team.

Philadelphia Eagles (7-9)Kevin Kolb will show flashes of brilliance, but will also make plenty of mistakes and the defense will not be good enough to cover up for Kolb’s miscues.

NFC NORTH Green Bay Packers (12-4)The Packers are a very balanced team with the ability to light up the scoreboard and keep the opposition off of it. Aaron Rodgers is my pick for NFL MVP this year and should lead the Packers back to elite status.

Minnesota Vikings (10-6)- If Favre’s ankle can hold up, this will be a very good team. If it does not, it will be Tavaris Jackson time.

Scary thought.

Chicago Bears (8-8)- It will be another disappointing year in Chicago. Jay Cutler still makes way too many mistakes for a veteran quarterback and Julius Peppers still takes way too many plays off.

Detroit Lions (5-11)- The Lions are still a ways away from contention. This may be the first team where you can say if they get to five wins, it will be a big step in the right direction. I think that statement ranks fairly high on the backhanded compliment scale.

NFC SOUTH New Orleans Saints (12-4)The defending champs should have no problem defending their division title, but their Super Bowl title will be much more difficult to defend.

Atlanta Falcons (10-6)- The Falcons will return to the playoffs with their third consecutive winning season.

Carolina Panthers (6-10)John Fox is a tremendous coach, but there is just no talent at all on this team. It will take a minor miracle for this team to get to seven or eight wins, which would still not be enough for Fox to keep his job.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-13)A very young and inexperienced team coached by a very young and inexperienced coach. A winning recipe if I’ve ever seen one.

NFC WEST This might be the worst division in the history of sports.

San Francisco 49ers (6-10) Seattle Seahawks (5-11) Arizona Cardinals (5-11) St. Louis Rams (4-12) That’s right, this division will be won by a 6-10 team as Dolphins fans mourn the fact that Florida isn’t attached to California.

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 • THE RAM • PAGE 21

Football

Women’s Soccer Fordham 1-4 Hofstra

Bryant 30-44 Fordham FOR BRY

1 2 6 3 23 6

3 4 14 7 7 8

FU 29 502 273 223 2-10 6-111 20-34-1 5-40.8 28.28

BU 17 400 228 172 4-130 4-100 12- 17-0 6-33.8 31.32

Individual Statistics PASSING- Fordham, Wayne 21-31-1 Bryant, Croce 12-17-1 RUSHING- Fordham, Wayne 16-109-1 Bryant, Brown 18-127-3 RECIEVING- Fordham, Caldwell 9-900 Brown, Harris, 4-98-1

Men’s Soccer Lehigh 0-1 Fordham Player Ferrantello Jolly Bekoe Niyonsaba Richardson Curran Axelsson Gimand Stalker Nagel

Sh 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 1

SOG 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0

Manhattan

Hosftra

F 30 44

First Quarter BRY Jordan Harris 44 yard pass from Mike Croce(Bird kick), 12:48 BRY Jeremy Woodson 70 yd punt return(Bird kick), 10:53 BRY Mike Canfora 2 yard run(Bird kick failed), 7:51 FOR Cartlon Koonce 10 yd run(Murray kick failed), 5:17 BRY Chris Bird 38 yd field goal, 00:59 Second Quarter BRY Jordan Brown 5 yd run(Bird kick blocked), 10:31 FOR Patrick Murray 48 yd field goal, 2:36 Third Quarter FOR Aaron Mays 27 yd pass from Blake Wayne(Murray kick), 13:44 BRY Jordan Brown 2 yd run(Bird kick), 10:22 FOR Xavier Martin 3 yd run(Murray kick), 8:02 Fourth Quarter FOR Blake Wayne 4 yd run(Murray kick), 12:49 BRY Jordan Brown 62 yd run(Canfora rush), 10:22

First Downs Total Yards Rushing Passing Punt Returns Kickoff Ret. Comp-Att-Int Punts Time of Poss.

Morphitis Turner Greene Tarik Bergstrom Pfifer Bendernagel Yovino BreenC Murino Butts Substitutes Thorn Staplehurst Stobbs Farriella BreenE Rodriguez Hawkins Totals GK Morphitis Thorn

Sh 0 1 2 0 2 1 0 1 2 1 1

SOG 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 1

G 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0

A 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 1 0 1 2 15

0 0 0 0 0 1 1 8

0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4

0 0 1 0 0 0 1 5

Min GA 45:00 0 45:00 1 SOG 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

A 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0

2 0 0 0 0 1

1 0 0 0 0 1

0 0 0 0 0 1

0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals

4

3

1

1

GK Suther

Min GA 90:00 4

Fordham Hofstra

1 0 2

Suther Dougherty Alpaugh Worden Carballeira Solimine Ancelj Walker Nowakowski McDermott Ingram Substitutes O’Conner Wah Bergin Nowakowski Romano Abrams

G 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 1 0 0 0 0 0

0 1 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals

8

5

1

0

GK Davis

Min GA 104:14 2

Sav 4

2 1 2

F 1 4

SOG 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 2

G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

A 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0

0 0 4 0 1 3 1

0 0 2 0 1 2 1

0 0 0 0 0 1 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals

21

13

2

2

GK Suther

Min GA 104:14 1

Manhattan Fordham

A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Moskitis

0 1

Mattaliano

1 8

1 McTighe

1 1

0 Baader

0 4

0 Higgins

0 0

1 Clark

0 9

1 Trobbe

0 0

0 Cimino

Totals

8

5

1

1

Fordham

Gk Meara

Min Ga 90:00 0

Player Ciuffetelli Strunk Melchionni Borin Powers Puleo Odenwelder Decker Graf Omsberg

Sh 0 3 1 1 1 1 0 3 2 2

0 2

0

0 4

0 Sen

2 0

0 Totals 4

0

Hart

6

Konkel

0 1

0 Daulton

1 8

0 May

0 6

1 Wells

0 8

0 Griffiths

0 8

1 Friede

1 1

0 Arend

0 0

0 Rondenberg

2 3 0 0

1 2 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

Thompson

Totals

9

7

0

0

Moore

Gk Nydell

Min Ga 90:00 1

0 0

0

0 1

0 Diamantidis

0 0

0 Atwood

0 0

0

Totals 2 BC Fordham

0 0

0

F 1 0

4 3 2 10 0 10 8 1 0 0 -

K PCT Dig BS BA BE PTS

Substitutes Meyerkord Wysocki Thaeder Olasupo

Sav 4

-.50 0 .080 0 .000 0 .111 0 .000 0 .091 0 .000 0 .250 0 .375 0 .000 0

28 .103 38 4 0 -

0 A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

OT 0 0

Fordham

0 0 0 0 0 0

G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2 0 0

Boston College

0 0 0 0 0 1

Sav 7

1 1 1

Fordham 2-3 Bradley

Sav 4 O2 F 0 1 1 2

K PCT DIG BS BA BE PTS

K PCT Dig BS BA BE PTS G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Sav 11

Sh 0 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 4 3

Suther Dougherty Alpaugh Carballeira Wah Solimine Ancelj Walker NowakowskiL McDermott Ingram Substitutes Rooney O’Conner Worden Bergin NowakowskiC Romano Abrams

Fordham 3-0 BC

Dureva

2 1 0

SOG 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 1

Volleyball

1 0 0 0 0 1

1 0 0

Sh 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 1

Davis Iovine Lavecchia Gleason Bucci Lutz Morse Reinhard Miyaki Greco Pfeiffer Substitutes Egan Howden Spiros Jordan Kaplan Jones Schlauder

Fordham Sh 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

1 0 0 0 0 1

FOR LEH

Sav 0 2

Fordham

Substitutes Valencia Vigliotti McHugh Seidenthal Corrao Hanly

SOG 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2

Fordham 2-1 Manhattan

0

.333 1 .500 1 .000 0 .111 1 .227 0 .615 0 -167 0 .000 0 .000 0 1.00 0 .000 0 -.50 0 .000 0

5 5 10 2 2 4 2 0 3 0 1 14 0 -

39 .194 48 2 3 1 2 3 22 22 13 25 25 25

Hart

0

11 .176 1 0 0 .000 3 0 14 .154 2 0 15 .273 3 0 16 .263 5 0 2 -.167 2 1 0 .000 0 0 0 .000 0 0 4 .375 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 .000 0 0

3

62 .184 80 16 1 79.9

0 Konkel 1 Daulton 0 Wells 2 Griffiths 0 Ewing 0 Friede 0 Rodenberg 0 May 0 Atwood 0 Moore Totals

2 11.5 14 3.5 11 17.0 0 18.5 5 18.5 1 3.0 11 0.0 19 2.0 7 4.0 10 1.0 0 0.0

Bradley K PCT Dig BS BA BE PTS Sykes

0

0

-333 0 0 1 -.111 0 0 20 .298 5 1 12 .393 1 0 9 .192 1 0 10 .094 1 0 0 .000 0 0 5 .556 0 2 3 .071 1 0 0 .000 0 0 0 -.250 3 0 0 .000 0 0

1

60 .199 83 12 3 73.0

0 Turpuritis 0 Angelos 0 Schmidt 1 Ervin 0 Zerante 0 Dejean 0 Cave 0 Collins 0 Gardner 0 Mueller 0 Dejean Totals

Fordham Bradley

2 0.0 0 1.0 1 22.5 6 15.5 5 10.5 12 10.5 11 0.0 5 6.0 4 3.5 19 0.0 3 2.5 15 1.0

1 2 3 4 5 29 25 22 15 13 27 21 25 25 15

PAGE 22 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

MATT MANUSZAK

The Smush Parker Project Of the many certainties of the college football season – Week 1 upsets, Notre Dame falling short of expectations and Joe Paterno nearly crapping his pants during a game – there are two that have been bugging me recently.

The first is that there will always be college football programs within which players have illegal contact with agents, accept money from boosters and NCAA probes take place. This season is no different: the University of Southern California, University of North Carolina and University of Georgia have all been the subject of much scrutiny related to illegal activities by players.

The second certainty is that, even as many athletic departments are being forced to cut budget and whole programs just to stay afloat, the top departments in the country will rake in millions of dollars in revenue. According to Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal in 2009, the University of Texas at Austin’s athletic department grossed $120.3 million, followed by the Ohio State University at $118 million and the University of Florida at $106 million. Yet, even with revenue literally flowing into these colleges’ coffers, the ones most responsible for the earnings – the players – will never even sniff a whiff of this cash. William Rhoden, a New York Times sports columnist, wrote a book entitled Forty Million Dollar Slaves, comparing professional athletes to slaves. While this title certainly delves into the world of hyperbole, if there are even some who can make that comparison for professional athletes, what, then, are college ones?

Being a Division I college athlete is difficult. Though my experience as such is limited to a year and a half of club crew here at Fordham, I’ve observed and talked with athletes not only at Fordham but also at other colleges. Daily workouts, mandatory study hall sessions, tons of time in the training room – and that’s just the offseason. In-season means two-a-day practices, strategy meetings and, obviously, games.

Now, clearly, paying athletes is something that at least 90 percent of colleges can’t afford to do. Either one’s sport does not out-earn its cost (sorry, squash) or one is playing a popular sport (read: basketball or football, or perhaps random popular sports at other colleges, like lacrosse at Johns Hopkins) at a smaller college (like football here at Fordham). But what about those athletes at larger schools who earn their universities so much yet essentially receive only pennies percentage-wise in the form of a scholarship?

Consider football at the University of Texas. Of the athletic department’s $120 million grossed, the football program generated $73 million. Now, obviously, some of that money goes towards facilities, coaches and scholarships;

yet, a good portion is profit. In addition to ticket revenue, that income is comprised of Texas’s portion of the profits from the Big 12 Conference’s TV contract, which is likely somewhat similar to the Southeastern Conference’s $132 million contract that is distributed among its 12 members. Further, Texas likely has its own marketing and media contract that is similar to Ohio State’s recently signed 10year, $100 million contract.

The main reason that players are not paid, as referenced by the NCAA, is that college players are amateurs, while professional athletes are, obviously, professionals. To pay supposed amateurs wouldn’t be right, would it? But that’s just it: college players are paid. Their full scholarship for attending a certain school and playing a certain sport a certain way is payment. This payment, though, is so inconsequential compared to the vast amounts of revenue accrued that it is essentially nothing.

It is not that colleges are not willing to pay their football and basketball players: clearly, they are, otherwise players would not receive scholarships. Colleges just do not want to pay athletes what they are worth.

I’m not saying that college athletes should be paid on the same level as professional athletes; sports are a pro athlete’s job and life, while for college athletes this is not the case. Yet, both college and pro athletes deal with the rigors of year-round conditioning, team meetings, injuries, etc.

Shouldn’t the players receive at least some compensation? If Texas’s football program earned $73 million, shouldn’t the players get a portion of those earnings?

How the breakdown of payment would work is another discussion altogether. Should scholarship athletes be paid more than walkons? Should starters be paid more than reserves? Should stars be paid more than ordinary players?

While I do think that there should be a performance and reputationbased aspect to the compensation – that is, at Texas, quarterback Colt McCoy would be paid more than the third-string free safety – this inequality shouldn’t be comparable to the inequality between the top professional athletes and minimum salary earners (like Eli Manning’s approximately $15 million annual contract and the league minimum of around $300,000). Those athletes who are bigger draws for their programs should be paid more, but the difference should not be ridiculous.

An argument against paying college athletes could be that it might cause athletes to be a bit complacent and not try as hard. I don’t agree with this straw man rebuttal I thought of 30 seconds ago, since the highest paid college athletes would in theory be seeking to get drafted as professionals and would not want to damage those prospects by giving less effort. In college basketball, salaries could have the ancillary benefit of keeping players whose draft prospects are somewhat marginal (like Xavier’s Jordan Crawford, who was drafted in the second round) in college for more years, thus improving the quality of play. Hopefully at some point the NCAA does the right thing and pays its top earning athletes.

SPORTS

Senior Profile: Michelle Ancelj

By NICK CARROLL SPORTS EDITOR

Senior forward Michelle Ancelj won her first Atlantic 10 Player of the Week on August 30. In the process, she helped the Lady Rams get off to a 3-0 start, scoring three goals in the process, including two against Maine. It was her first A-10 honor and second career two-goal game.

Ancelj, who comes from Millbrae, Calif., finished third on the team in goals, points and shots last season. In her career, she has 12 goals, four of which are of the game-winning variety, and two assists.

The Ram: The team is off to a 3-0 start this season. What do you have to say about that?

Michelle Ancelj: We came to preseason early this year, and we’ve been working together for a few months now, so the chemistry is there which allows everything to flow on the field.

TR: You’ve put in a tremendous performance thus far this season. Is there anything you have changed since last season?

MA: Well, when everything is flowing on the field like it has been, goals come a lot easier and you find the ball a lot more. I trained very hard in the offseason, and so far it has been paying off.

TR: You were named A-10 Player of the Week this past week.

This is your first time receiving the award, what does it mean to you?

COURESY OF FORDHAMSPORTS.COM

Senior forward Michelle Ancelj won Atlantic 10 Player of the Week last week.

MA: It’s a great feeling; when my coach told me I was extremely excited. It is just a great way to start the season.

you have a lot on your plate right now. What are your plans for after graduation?

TR: Do you have any goals for the season? As a team? Personal?

MA: I have had a few internships the past few years, but I am not quite sure what I want to do yet, so hopefully I will figure that out this year.

MA: As a team, our goal is definitely to win the A-10. We’ve been off to a great start and this is our year to do it. And personally just keep pushing myself to help the team succeed.

TR: This is your senior year, so

TR: What have been your best memories at Fordham?

MA: The close games that we’ve played in, the soccer team and just the camaraderie that comes with being on a team.

Water Polo Wins Two of Five in Annapolis

By CHESTER BAKER STAFF WRITER

Coming off its best season in over two decades, the Fordham men’s water polo team began its season this past weekend in Annapolis, Md. at the Navy Labor Day Open. The Rams looked to improve upon their 16-14 record from last season and have their third winning season in a row. Unfortunately for the Rams, they have some catching up to do in the win column following the tournament.

On the first day of the two-day tournament, Fordham had a strong showing, winning two matches out of three. The Rams opened the season with a win over George Washington by a score of 11-5. Graduate student 2-meter offensive/defensive man Ali Arat scored four times, senior Mikey Edwards added two goals from the same position and five other players contributed one each. Junior goalkeeperChristian Flessner had a stellar game, saving nine shots.

The Rams came within one goal of knocking off No. 14 Navy, losing in the final two minutes of the match. Fordham led 9-8 heading into the fourth quarter, but was unable to stop the Midshipmen in the final frame, and squandered an upset bid. Arat was taken out of the game after three exclusion fouls, and Fordham could not hold on without him.

Edwards added two more goals to his tally for the day, and senior utility man Ryan Hultman netted two.

On the last match of the day Ford-

ham squeezed by Diablo Valley Club 11-8. Arat scored four times, and Flessner stopped another nine shots, including two penalty shots.

On Day 2 of the tournament, Fordham was not so fortunate and dropped both matches. It opened against Johns Hopkins with an 11-10 loss.

Arat and freshman driver Ben Clinkinbeard led the charge with three goals apiece, while Flessner added another nine stops between the pipes. In the last game of the tournament Fordham fell to No. 18 Bucknell 16-13. Arat again led the team in scoring with six goals, while

freshman Ricky Dilday contributed two. Once again, Flessner did all he could to stop the attack with another 11 saves.

Despite struggling at the tournament, the Rams played close matches all weekend, and have a lot to look forward to this season.

“Our team, especially our senior defensemen Victor Bautista-Medina and Jakob Muller, could be extraordinary,” sophomore utility man Cashell Barnett said.

The Rams will be in action at home for the first time when they battle conference opponent Queens College on Sept. 15.

PHOTO BY MARK BECKER/THE RAM

Senior Mikey Edwards had a huge weekend, scoring two goals in the Rams’ win.

2010-2011 Fordham Men’s Basketball Schedule

By DANNY ATKINSON SPORTS EDITOR

11/12

BROWN

8:00 p.m.

11/15

SACRED HEART 7:00 p.m.

11/19

HAMPTON

11/23

LONG ISLAND 7:00 p.m.

11/27

HARTFORD

1:00 p.m.

12/1

at Harvard

7:00 p.m.

12/4

at Lehigh

7:30 p.m.

12/8

MANHATTAN

7:00 p.m.

12/11

ST. JOHN’S

7:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

12/22 KENNESAW STATE 7:00 p.m.

12/27

at Georgia Tech

12/29

American**

1:00 p.m.

11:00 p.m.

12/30 Santa Clara/Delaware** TBA 1/5

TEMPLE*

TBA

1/12

at George Washington TBA

1/15

at Charlotte

TBA

1/19

SAINT LOUIS*

TBA

1/22

at Dayton

TBA

1/26

DUQUESNE

7:00 p.m.

1/29 ST. BONAVENTURE 1:00 p.m.

2/2

at Rhode Island

TBA

2/5

RICHMOND

2/9

at Temple

TBA

2/13

SAINT JOSEPH’S*

TBA

2/19

at Xavier

TBA

2/23

at St. Bonaventure

TBA

2/26

RHODE ISLAND*

TBA

3/2

at La Salle

TBA

1:00 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 • THE RAM • PAGE 23

SPORTS

Here’s a statement that shouldn’t come as a surprise to any attentive baseball fan: Major League Baseball’s revenue sharing system is completely broken.

Most baseball fans have known this for years. However, the recent leak of team financial records to the media by unknown sources has only served to highlight just how wide the gap is between the system baseball needs and the one it has.

Every frustration the media, fans and many of MLB’s players and executives have over their revenue system is summed up in the shockingly large profits the Pittsburgh Pirates and Florida Marlins have posted in the past few years.

The Pirates received $30.3 million in revenue sharing for the 2007 fiscal year and an absurd $39 million in 2008. While revenue sharing is meant to improve the performance of struggling clubs, the league largely lacks the means to force teams to spend the money wisely.

Pittsburgh spent barely over $50 million in both of those years on team payroll and $44 million on player development while earning net incomes of over $14 and $15 million, respectively. Between the amount of revenue sharing received and net income made, the Pirates were “over-subsidized” by roughly $24 million.

It’s true that the Pirates have invested a significant amount of their revenue sharing slice to player development, but it’s hard to argue Pittsburgh has done a fair job in making use of the gift it has been handed.

One only has to look at the collection of talent the Pirates have shed over the years in an effort to cut payroll.

Read the names and weep, Pirates fans: Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez and Nate McLouth have all been pushed away from your team even as it was collecting this money and making a profit.

If the Pirates’ actions are extremely frustrating, they still lead to a probably misplaced hope that the franchise can turn itself around

due to its investments in player development.

The leaked financial documents show that what the Florida Marlins have been doing with their revenue-sharing money is closer to outright fraud. Even more than their compatriots in Pittsburgh, the Marlins have benefited extensively from revenue sharing.

Florida received nearly $48 million in 2008 and almost $44 million in 2009. Meanwhile the club was basically forced by the commissioner to raise its payroll in 2009 in an effort to “stay competitive.” Florida did, to the tune of $43 million. Marlins fans can attest to the team’s penchant for refusing to keep together great teams.

As quickly as the mercenaries on the 1997 world champions or the young talents on the 2003 champions were put together, Florida’s management let the great players on these teams, like Gary Sheffield and Josh Beckett, walk away.

While the Marlins have done a disservice to their fans by not doing everything they can to stay competitive, it doesn’t even compare to the corporate fraud they pulled on the state of Florida and its taxpayers. The team blatantly hid its fiscal situation from the state’s government. The Marlins’ new ballpark, opening in 2012, will cost generations of Florida taxpayers $2.4 billion. The team is paying only $155 million of the $634 million bill for the stadium complex and convinced Miami-Dade County to take on $409 million in loans to help finance the ballpark, presenting itself as a welfare case to its state’s government and concealing the $48.9 million in profits. If any situation could better demonstrate the gulf between fans and the people who run their favorite teams, I don’t see it.

The embarrassment caused by these leaked documents should be a driving force for MLB to reform its revenue sharing system when the sport’s next CBA agreement is written up. Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution for bridging the gap between low-revenue clubs and high-revenue clubs. The proposals that have been presented in the media all have their positive

Upcoming Varsity Schedule CAPS=HOME lowercase=away

Thursday Sept. 9

Friday Sept. 10

Saturday Sept. 11

Football

RHODE ISLAND 6:00 p.m.

Cross Country

Fordham Fiasco 10:30 a.m.

3/5 MASSACHUSETTS* 1:00 p.m.

Sunday Sept. 12

Monday Sept. 13

Tuesday Sept. 14

*Game to be played at IZOD Center **Cable Car Classic (Santa Clara, Ca.)

Men’s Soccer

at Louisville 7:00 p.m.

at Cincinnati 1:00 p.m.

Women’s Soccer

at Columbia 7:00 p.m.

LONG ISLAND 1:00 p.m.

COLUMBIA 7:00 p.m.

NJIT 3:00 p.m.

Women’s Tennis

Volleyball

Wednesday Sept. 15

Colgate Fall Invitational Seven Oaks Golf Club Hamilton, N.Y.

Golf

Don’t Forget!

The Intramural Signup Deadline is Thursday, Sept. 9!

attributes, but they also have flaws.

MLB couldn’t significantly lower its revenue-sharing totals without putting the success of small-spending teams like the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics in jeopardy.

Baseball needs as many teams as possible to be competitive. A salary cap would go too far in punishing the big-market, high-spending clubs who are legitimately using the resources they have to be successful. If a franchise cannot keep up with the spending of the Yankees, then it will have to outsmart them in another area, whether with a strong farm system or on the freeagent market.

So where does that leave us?

MLB could start by lowering the luxury tax thresholds and increasing the tax rate on those teams that break them so willingly. This way, we’d have more teams contributing to the revenue-sharing pie and wouldn’t put such a burden on franchises like the Los Angeles Angels ($16.4 million given away through revenue sharing in 2009).

MLB would be well-served in exploring whether revenue sharing totals can be distributed according to market size. Teams who don’t take advantage of their market size will receive a wake-up call and those from a small market would be assisted with their revenue stream more. Money would go toward the A’s of the world rather than to the Marlins. While baseball will never be progressive enough to put in a cap floor in the next few years, there needs to be more salary compression by MLB and the commissioner’s office.

What these leaked documents reveal is a stain upon the game and a system which is a disgrace to those teams that are competitive every year, running a deficit while helping to keep lower-rung teams alive.

I don’t have any magical solution for fixing revenue sharing, and I suspect no one else does either.

But I hope that these leaked documents are the stepping stones for Bud Selig to wake up and make revenue sharing more competitively balanced. Otherwise, the sport will become even less relatable to the average fan.

HARVARD 11:30 a.m.

SYRACUSE 7:00 p.m.

G.W.-10:30 a.m.

JOHNS HOPKINS 4:30 p.m.

at St. John’s 7:00 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

PAGE 24

Football Drops Disappointing Opener at Bryant

By NICK CARROLL SPORTS EDITOR

After an eventful offseason that included the infusion of scholarship freshmen and the departure to the NFL of Fordham’s all-time leading passer, John Skelton, the time finally came for the postSkelton Rams to hit the field and try to build on a disappointing 5-6 campaign a year ago.

One would think a matchup with Bryant, a team that Fordham trounced 35-7 last season, would be the perfect way for the Rams to get off on the right foot.

Wrong. On the back of a multitude of mental mistakes and a devastatingly slow start, Fordham dropped the season opener at Bryant, 44-30.

After starting the game with the ball, Bryant struck first on the game’s opening drive. Junior quarterback Mike Croce connected with freshman wide receiver Jordan Harris on a jump ball for a 44yard touchdown.

“They hit on a big pass play and from there we were on our heels,” Head Coach Tom Masella said.

Fordham responded with a quick three-and-out, losing five yards on three rushes by senior Xavier Martin. Then the Rams unraveled.

Freshman defensive back Jeremy Woodson took the following punt back 70 yards for a touchdown, giving Bryant a quick 14-0 lead. “[Sophomore punter Patrick Murray] outkicked his coverage,” Masella said. “We missed three tackles and it was a good run.”

It only got worse for the Rams.

After a personal foul derailed the following possession, Bryant blocked Murray’s punt, and recovered the ball at the Fordham 4-yard line.

“There was a breakdown with a

PHOTO BY MARK BECKER/THE RAM

Senior running back Xavier Martin gained 99 total yards and scored a touchdown in the upset loss at Bryant last weekend.

young player,” Masella said. “It was a simple look and he missed an assignment. It was a young player who hasn’t played before and made a mistake.”

Three plays later, senior half back Mike Canfora punched in a 2-yard touchdown. However, senior kicker Chris Bird missed the extra point, so the score remained 20-0.

With an early 20-point deficit, Fordham needed to play perfect football to get back in the game, and the team almost did.

On the ensuing possession, the Rams used the run game to slow the pace and get some points on the board. After only eight plays, highlighted by sophomore quarterback Blake Wayne scrambling twice for 26 yards, the Rams got on the board when sophomore running back Koonce Carlton scored a 10-yard touchdown. Murray missed the extra point and the Rams cut the lead to 14.

Bryant did not allow Fordham back in the game easily. Bryant worked its way downfield to tack on three points on the ensuing possession, and after stopping Fordham on fourth down and trading punts, the Bulldogs struck for something bigger.

Woodson made another huge

special teams play, taking a Murray punt back 48 yards to the Fordham 13-yard line. Bryant took advantage of the great field position after a 7-yard pass from Croce to sophomore fullback Stant Sturgis and sophomore running back Jordan Brown ran in a 5-yard touchdown to make the score 29-6.

However, it was still early in the second quarter and Fordham still had its chance to make it a game.

Fordham added a field goal and missed another wide right from 35 yards out to end the half, keeping the score at 29-9.

The comeback was on when the second half started, and Fordham wasted no time getting to work.

After Martin started the drive with a 23-yard rush, Wayne took to the air, getting the Rams in the end zone on four plays, capped with a strike to senior wide receiver Aaron Mays for a 27-yard touchdown.

The two teams traded one-play drives that ended with fumbles before Bryant responded with a drive ending in a Brown touchdown, making the score 36-16.

Fordham’s comeback did not stop there, though. The Rams moved the ball easily and scored on an eight-play drive, resulting in a 3-yard Martin touchdown, cutting the lead back to 14.

their lead 10 minutes into the second half, but junior forward Jen Leaverton’s shot went off the crossbar.

The Lady Rams increased their pressure as the second half went on, with five corner kicks in the last 23 minutes of the game and several shots toward goal, but they were unable to get anything past junior goalkeeper Kristin Russell.

St. John’s improved to 2-2-1 with the win.

“In the second half we dominated the game and had some late corners, but we just couldn’t take advantage,” Head Coach Ness Selmani said.

McDermott, a co-captain, agreed.

“Despite the loss, it’s probably the best game we’ve played so far this year,” McDermott said. “We were really unlucky not to win.”

After playing a very competitive game Friday, the Rams were thoroughly outplayed Sunday afternoon by Hofstra.

The first half in particular was a struggle for Fordham, the team

was outshot 7-0 and trailed 2-0 at halftime.

After a long run down the right side, junior forward Laura Greene scored the first goal for Hofstra 21 minutes in, hitting one past Suther, off the post, and into the lower left corner. Graduate student forward Grace Hawkins then scored her second goal of the season five minutes before the half.

The Pride’s momentum continued after the break, when junior midfielder Courtney Breen headed in the first of her two second-half goals just a minute into the half to make it 3-0.

Hofstra nearly added to its lead five minutes later, as Greene’s shot bounced off the post. Fordham finally recorded its first shot 73 minutes in, when freshman midfielder Mary Solimine’s effort was stopped by senior goalkeeper Krista Thorn.

The Lady Rams scored their first goal of the weekend in the 83rd minute when sophomore midfielder Kaitlin Abrams headed in a free kick from freshman defender Kaitlyn Carballeira for her first career

In the third quarter, Fordham picked up 81 yards on 11 carries and completed six of seven passes for 60 yards. Despite the slow start, the seeds were planted for what could be a successful offense.

On the first drive of the fourth quarter, Fordham continued to put pressure on Bryant. The Rams systematically worked their way downfield, capping an 11-play drive with a 4-yard Wayne rush to bring the Rams to within six.

However, that was as close as Fordham could come to completing the comeback.

On the following drive, the Rams forced Bryant into a thirdand-4, which could have resulted in a quick three-and-out; however, the Bulldogs converted with a 9-yard completion and two plays later found pay dirt with a 62-yard touchdown run. After a successful two-point conversion, Bryant stretched the lead to 44-30, the final score of the game.

Despite strong play from the offense, and Wayne, in particular, Fordham was unable to overcome its early mistakes and poor defense and special teams.

“We got behind in the first seven minutes and it hurt,” Masella said.

“We got too far behind.”

Even though the Rams dropped

a winnable game, there were positives to take away. The Rams gained 502 yards of offense and moved the ball with ease throughout the afternoon.

“When we look at the film we see some things that are extremely positive,” Masella said.

Without Skelton there was much debate over who should take over the quarterback job.

Even though it was only one game, Wayne looked very promising in his debut. He completed 20 of 34 passes for 223 yards, throwing one touchdown and one last-second interception. He also added in 109 yards on the ground on 16 carries, netting another touchdown. “[Wayne] is not going to be Skelton,” Masella said. “He doesn’t have to fill [Skelton’s] shoes; they’re totally different. He protected the ball well, the interception wasn’t his fault and he played outstanding for his first start.”

Outside of the glaring special teams miscues, which included two big punt returns (one for a touchdown), a blocked punt, a missed field goal and a missed extra point, the defense proved to be very disappointing.

“I thought the most improved part of our team was our defense,” Masella said. “I don’t know whether if it was the case that we weren’t ready to play, but we made mistakes. We made mistakes in our run fits, which we can and will correct, and we didn’t come up with stops when we had to.”

Fordham’s next action comes in its home opener Saturday, Sept.

11 at 6 p.m. against Rhode Island.

Last season, URI won its only game against Fordham in its season opener, 41-28.

“We are looking to play hard and execute,” Masella said. “We need to clean up special teams, play better defense and protect the ball.”

Women’s Soccer Falls to St. John’s and Hofstra

By ERIK PEDERSEN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It was a rough weekend for the Fordham women’s soccer team, as the previously undefeated Lady Rams dropped both of their games at the Hofstra Invitational, losing 1-0 to St. John’s Friday night and 4-1 to Hofstra on Sunday.

Fordham’s record on the year now stands at 3-2.

Friday’s game was well played by both sides, with both teams totaling 10 shots on goal. Fordham had the edge early on, with both seniors midfielder Katie McDermott and defender Danielle Ingram getting shots on goal in the first 10 minutes.

McDermott led the Rams for the game with three shots overall. St. John’s, however, broke through six minutes before halftime.

Sophomore forward Runa Stefansdottir took a long pass from freshman forward Francisca Okoko and shot it past Fordham sophomore goalkeeper Rachel Suther.

The Red Storm nearly added to

PHOTO BY SIMON SULIT/THE RAM

Sophomore midfielder Kaitlin Abrams scored her first career goal against Hofstra.

collegiate goal.

Breen scored her second goal five minutes later off of a free kick to finish out the scoring.

Selmani singled out the play of Carballeira and Solimine, both of whom are true freshman defensemen who were named to the AllTournament team.

“They were very steady in the back, despite the 4-1 score,” Selmani said.

Hofstra, now 2-1 after the win, outshot Fordham 15-4 in the game.

“It was one of those days where nothing could go right,” McDer-

mott said. “We lost a bit of composure Sunday which is why we didn’t get a good result. We need to go back to doing the things that we do well.”

Fordham will next be in action Friday night at 7 p.m. when the team goes on the road to face Columbia. The Lady Rams then return home Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. against Long Island.

“We have to regroup and talk about what happened this weekend,” Selmani said. “We made mistakes, but they were fixable mistakes. Expectations are high and we beat ourselves.”