Volume 95, Issue 12

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 95, Issue 12

FordhamRam.com F dh R

SSeptember b 11 11, 2013

Post-Lotto Poses Rams Overpower Wildcats For Historic Win USG Pushes to Fordham Football Shines, Defeating Villanova for the First Time in Over 93 Years Problems for Increase Student

By DAN GARTLAND Students, ResLife Activities Fee EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR

By MARIA PAPPAS STAFF WRITER

Before arriving at Fordham University for the first time, an anonymous sophomore transfer student thought that she would be living on campus. A few weeks before she was scheduled to move in, however, she found out that her housing assignment was not what she had expected.

She was placed at Fordhamowned off-campus housing — Arthur House — where she currently resides with other transfer students.

She feels as though on-campus housing, both for her and for other transfer students, would allow students to feel more comfortable at Fordham, and living on campus "would certainly make the transition [into the Fordham community] an easier one."

She also said, "As a transfer, it's already hard enough to meet new people, find my way around and SEE RESLIFE, PAGE 2

Entering Saturday night’s game, Fordham had not beaten Villanova since 1920, and the Rams had never won against a team ranked in the top 10. But, Fordham’s strong offense and opportune defense hoisted the Rams over eighth-ranked Villanova, 27-24.

Everyone was well aware of the magnitude of the game.

“We talked about this being a defining moment for our program, and that we were going to define the moment and not let the moment define us,” Fordham head coach Joe Moorhead said of his pregame address to the team. “We challenged them to beat a top 10 school for the first time in our history and legitimize ourselves as a playoff contender and someone who can compete for a national championship.”

Fordham quarterback Michael Nebrich called it “one of the biggest games I’ve ever played in,” and the redshirt sophomore rose to the occasion, passing for 190 yards and running for 102 more,

By KELLY KULTYS NEWS EDITOR

MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

Tight end Dan Light celebrates as Carlton Koonce dives into the endzone.

with two touchdowns. His 4-yard touchdown run with 10:44 left in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winning score.

Nebrich also scored the first points of the game, on a 19-yard scramble early in the first quarter.

He was impressive with his legs all night long, running fast and hard while forming an excellent onetwo punch with senior running back Carlton Koonce. Koonce had a good game (83 yards on 22 carries), even if he was not as domi-

nant as he was last year when he finished fourth in the FCS in yards per game.

Nebrich’s passing numbers were not gaudy, but he was still efficient.

He completed 26 of 35 passes for 190 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. He cannot really be held accountable for the interception, though. It came when his receiver bobbled a pass and had the ball taken out of his hands by a defender.

SEE FOOTBALL, PAGE 19

Most Students Label On-Campus Food Favorable, Survey Finds Striving to Salvage Reputation, Sodexo Begins New Contract by Featuring Retail Brand Names

By CONNOR RYAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

For years, Dagger John’s, tucked deep in the belly of Rose Hill’s McGinley Center, has been where Rams of a certain generation would huddle after football games, beer in hand, to reminisce about late nights spent on Eddie’s. Its dust and homey taxidermy served as a kind of nostalgic flourish.

But, under the cover of summer vacation, the room — along with most other on-campus eateries — has been refreshed and infused with a dose of popular retail. The goal?

To mend the jagged relationship between Sodexo, Fordham’s food service provider of past, present and future, and the student body.

And, for the most part, the pretzels from Auntie Anne’s and the sandwiches from Così seem to be doing just that.

“I am thrilled about the new menu options,” Matt Cucino, FCRH ’14, said as he sat in Dagger John’s Monday evening with a container of mushroom chicken from Panda Express. “The healthy entrees taste so much better this year.”

Most students, in fact, appear to be bound by positive agreement — a stark difference from years past.

When asked about Rose Hill’s food quality this semester, 73 percent of Fordham students said it was good or better, according to a survey of 143 students conducted this week by The Ram. Seventy-three percent of freshmen say the food is good, 12 percent say it is excellent and 15 per-

ELIZABETH ZANGHI/THE RAM

Dagger John’s was converted from a dimly lit restaurant to a bright dining venue, featuring three different food vendors.

cent label it fair, according to the poll. Additionally: 57 percent of sophomores, 62 percent of juniors and 77 percent of seniors call the food good.

The survey is based solely on anecdotal response and is not scientific, but the results suggest that most students appreciate the changes that have been made to Rose Hill’s dining services program this summer.

Despite the seemingly positive trend, Jeffrey Gray, senior vice president for student affairs, is mindful of Sodexo’s bumpy history at Fordham and looks toward future improvements.

“I’m pleased to see a favorable initial response from the students,” Gray said in an email. “That said, we can do better yet in the future,

and improved student satisfaction will be an area of continued focus and monitoring to ensure that our dining services remain responsive to student needs and changing trends.”

Panda Express, a Chinese restaurant, Jamba Juice and an abbreviated Starbucks are housed in Dagger John’s. Auntie Anne’s has joined the deli under Queen’s Court. Così, a well-known soup-and-sandwich brand, has been moved into Campbell Hall. A café, ZeBi, has been installed in Faculty Memorial Hall, and a small food kiosk has been added to the basement of Keating Hall. [For reviews, pg. 14] In addition to renovations, Fordham has implemented new meal plan options that allow for students to use “meal exchanges” instead of

declining balance dollars at each of the on-campus retail outlets — except for Panda Express.

McGinley’s Marketplace and the Millennium Grille under O’Hare Hall went largely untouched this summer.

The decision to sign a 10-year contract with Sodexo, Fordham’s food service provider of roughly 20 years, was announced on the sunny afternoon of May 15 via online press release. It was days before far-flung relatives would swarm Edward’s Parade in ties and dresses to celebrate the Class of 2013. Rose Hill was quiet.

For a few, it marked the end of an exhaustive yearlong review process, comprised diligently of extensive closed-door deliberations, service SEE DINING, PAGE 5

In 2003, the student activities fee (SAF), money paid by students to fund the clubs and activities on campus, was raised to $120. That was a very small fee compared to the price of tuition, which at the time was around $24,000. The increase was needed to fund the growing number of organizations on campus.

Over the last 10 years, the SAF has remained the same. The number of clubs and organizations on campus, however, has not.

Since 2003, the number of organizations requesting money has steadily risen, causing less funding to be available to each club.

This is one of the reasons Muhammad Sarwar, GSB ’14, vice president of finance on United Student Government (USG), has cited as he and his budget committee propose to raise the SAF. They propose to have students pay $15 more as a part of their tuition, raising the SAF from $120 to $135.

Sarwar stated that in recent years, tuition and other expenses have continued to rise, but the fee has not, causing very tight purse strings for the budget committee.

Sarwar is now entering his second term as the VP of finance and he has seen firsthand the increase in club budgetary requests.

At the Sept. 5 USG meeting, Sarwar presented the statistics from recent years.

“We were able to have $143,304 to start the year with,” Sarwar said at the meeting. “However, in [the fall 2013 semester] clubs requested $255,380. We were only able to allocate 55 percent.”

That 55 percent is actually the highest percentage of money allocated to clubs over the last 5 semesters, including the Spring 2012 semester where only 29 percent of requests were able to be filled.

Sarwar’s research shows that in SEE USG, PAGE 2

in this issue

Opinion Page 7 Situation in Syria Draws U.S. Attention

Arts

Page 11

Deaths at Electric Zoo Spark Investigation

Sports

Page 24

Women’s Basketball Travels to Oceania

NEWS

Page 2

SECURITY BRIEFS Sept. 3 Coffey Field 9:30 p.m.

A petty larceny occurred when a female student left property on Coffey Field and walked away, returning soon after to find the item missing. The student declined to report the incident to the NYPD. Sept. 3 Fordham Road and Bathgate Avenue 10:50 p.m.

A female student was allegedly inappropriately touched by one member of a group of male youths.

Sept. 4 Walsh Hall 9:30 p.m.

A male student spent an hour stuck in an elevator in Walsh Hall.

The student was released from the elevator without any injuries.

Sept. 6 189th Street and Hughes Avenue 1:40 a.m.

A male student was assaulted, pushed to the ground and struck by two males. None of his property was taken, but the incident was reported to the NYPD. The investigation is ongoing.

SAF Increase Would Bring in $80,000 for Clubs FROM USG, PAGE 1

Fall 2004, a year after the SAF was increased, 83 percent of clubs’ monetary requests were able to be met.

He hopes for a similar result this time around if the fee is increased.

According to Sarwar, the opening amount available to clubs and organizations would be $202,849, up 41.5 percent from the amount the budget committee had at the start of the semester.

“We [the budget committee] don’t want to be able to fund just half,” Sarwar said.

Sarwar also cited the increase in events occurring on campus.

“We had 1,109 activities in spring 2013, compared to 646 in fall 2006,” he said.

Sarwar said that while it is great more things are happening on campus, the increase is just another reason why the percentage allocated has dropped in recent years.

Still, he and his budget committee understand that any increase to an already pricey tuition can upset students.

“We were looking for a reasonable number that wasn’t too high but allowed for a meaningful increase in available funding for general clubs,” Sarwar said.

Right now, the next step for USG and the budget committee is to get the fee increase petition signed by 15 percent of the stu-

A male student reported that he was the victim of a robbery. His wallet and cell phone were taken by two male assailants. The NYPD is currently investigating the case.

Sept. 9 Belmont Avenue 12:00 p.m.

Two male roommates living in non-University housing reported their laptops and cash missing.

The front door was locked, but there were no signs of forced entry. Police investigation is currently taking place.

—Complied by Katie Meyer, Assistant News Editor

MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

In recent years due to the addition of many new clubs, the budget committee has seen a rise in monetary requests.

dent body.

Once they have enough signatures, they will conduct a vote online via OrgSync to determine whether or not students support this initiative.

USG needs to gather 15 percent of the student body to vote for the raise. If the majority votes in favor of it, they can move forward.

The proposal would then be submitted to members of the administration, including Christopher Rodgers, dean of students, and Jeffrey Gray, vice president of student affairs, for approval and

eventually implementation.

According to Alanna Nolan, assistant dean of students, the budget committee and USG have a tight deadline if they would like this fee increase to begin in the fall 2014 semester.

This coming October, the University will undergo its “b-prep” submission.

“B-prep is an abbreviation for the budget preparation process that happens in the fall semester here at the University,” Nolan said. “As fees for the coming year are set at this time the year be-

fore, USG’s process would need to wrap up in time to set the fees for next year.”

If the fee increase does take place beginning in fall 2014, clubs appealing to the committee for club funding should see the effects shortly afterwards.

This increase, however, would only affect the non-referendum clubs on campus. The few referendum clubs, such as USG or the Campus Activities Board, which receive a set amount of money each semester, will still see that same allocation.

Delays, Lack of Communication Mire Students FROM RESLIFE, PAGE 1

Sept. 7 189th Street and Bathgate Avenue 10:00 p.m.

September 11, 2013

integrate myself in the Fordham community. Living off campus makes this even more difficult.”

While she is striving to make the best of her situation, she has also spoken to Residential Life in order to try to rectify the situation. As of now, she is still living in Arthur House.

“I'm hoping to get on campus for the spring semester, for that would make life much easier,” she said.

Many students receiving their housing assignments had similar issues. Another student, an anonymous member of FCRH ’15, felt that it was unfair for her time for the housing lottery to be changed based on the fact that her roommate is in a different graduating class.

The time change forced her to go into post-lottery and thus, her housing assignment was not given

to her until after both her parents and her roommate’s parents had called Residential Life multiple times.

Fortunately, she was placed in a suite with the roommate that she requested; however, the placement was not timely.

“I did not receive an official email until I had already moved in,” she said.

She said that the post-lottery problem could be alleviated altogether if more residence halls were built or if housing was not guaranteed for all four years, and added that “the [current] process is not smooth or efficient.”

Patrick Cahill, FCRH ’15, had a similar issue in that he was placed in the post-lottery system, and was not informed of his housing situation until the end of the summer.

“One of my suitemates was moving in on Sunday, Aug. 18

and as of Wednesday the 14th we still had not heard anything from Residential Life,” Cahill said.

Both he and the aforementioned student found that the office did not inform them of their housing assignments in a timely manner, telling them multiple times that they would receive confirmation of their housing, which they did not.

When he was placed in a room, it was a six-person suite in Walsh, which he did not list as a preference on his post-lottery form.

Thankfully, he is happy with his placement for now. However, he believes the whole process does not work because of the randomly-assigned room selection times.

Cahill said that his suggestion to alleviate the time issue would be “a formula that would consider certain factors such as GPA and extracurricular involvement into the time each student is given.”

Kimberly Russell, the dean of Residential Life, commented on these issues. She stated Residential Life tried to keep groups together and give each group the housing they requested. In order to do so, however, the office needed to wait for enough students to withdraw from housing.

She understands that perhaps there were problems with the communication between Residential Life and students and although it may have caused frustration, she hopes that these communication issues can be rectified in the future.

Russell said that if anyone would like to speak to Residential Life about housing issues, there will be focus groups throughout the year in order to give students a chance to voice their opinions on how Residential Life can improve or correct itself for future years.

This Week at Fordham Wednesday Sept. 11

Wednesday Sept. 11

WFUV Info Meeting

9/11 Memorial Service

Keating 1st, 2:30 p.m.

Finlay Gardens, 8 p.m.

WFUV will be having its first informational session of the semester this Monday. All students who are interested in becoming WFUV interns should attend and find out how they can get involved with production.

Thursday Sept. 12 America Reads and Counts Challenge Keating 3rd Floor, 1 p.m.

Friday Sept. 13 USG Freshman Election Candidate Meeting

Rose Hill Commons Room 234, The 9/11 Memorial Service is an 5 p.m. opportunity for the community to The America Reads and Counts remember the tragic events of Sept Freshmen interested in becoming poChallenge (ARCC) helps children 11, 2001 and move forward together. tential candidates will have a chance nationwide to become high-level The service starts from outside Mcto meet current USG members and readers by the end of elementary Ginley with a candle-lighting before learn about the process of apply for school. The Fordham ARCC proproceeding to Finlay Gardens for the the Freshman Board. gram is connected with the Office of memorial service.

Student Employment.

For more campus events, visit FordhamRam.com

Saturday Sept. 14 Club Leader Summit McGinley 2nd Floor, 10 a.m.

The Club Leader Summit will serve as the training session for all presidents and treasurers of official oncampus clubs. All presidents and treasurers are required to attend and will be instructed on how to run their clubs and manage funds in the upcoming semester.

NEWS

September 11, 2013

NSO Fosters Welcoming Environment for Freshmen

By MICHAEL CAVANAUGH STAFF WRITER

Each year during Welcome Week, the newest members of the Fordham “Ramily” are welcomed with a week of exciting events and activities to acclimate them to the place that they will call home for the next four years.

First on the long agenda for these young Rams, as most will recall, is the New Student Orientation (NSO).

This year, the NSO team was comprised of nearly 200 sophomore, junior and senior volunteers. NSO’s importance in facilitating the freshmen’s difficult transition cannot be overlooked.

The NSO team trained for almost a week before the freshmen stepped on campus. This training included speeches from members of different departments on campus, joint-training with the Lincoln Center NSO team and a speech from Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the University.

“I really appreciate how Dean Rogers and Fr. McShane (among many other Fordham faculty) take the time every year to come during our training week to talk to us and instill in us that we are the most important part of a student’s opening day at Fordham and that they value our time and dedication," Alice Smyth, FCRH ’15, who acted as an Orientation Captain for this year’s New Student Orientation, said.

Smyth believed welcoming the students properly sets the tone for their next four years.

“For incoming students, be it residents moving into their residence halls or commuters checking in, NSO volunteers are the very first people greeting these students and calming the nerves of some emotional parents.”

Upperclassmen will undoubtedly recall their NSO experience.

For most, it was likely a daunting experience to look forward to: after all, the transition from high school to college, whether as a resident or a commuter, is a considerable one.

It is that important first impression of the school that determines how comfortable the transition will be for incoming students, and each year the NSO team does a brilliant job of representing the closeness and spirit of the Fordham community.

“Every year, our goal is to welcome the new freshman class to Fordham in the best way we know how” said Jen O’Connor, FCRH ’15, an orientation leader for the second time this year.

O’Connor acknowledges that sometimes the families and students are a bit intimidated by the welcome.

Also, many of the freshmen mentioned that the first few days can be intimidating. In the end, however, they usually grow to enjoy all aspects of their first few days.

“Screaming their names as they move into residence halls, playing some classic ice breakers on Ed-

die’s, the candle lighting ceremony in front of Keating and making rain with Ed Geherty will always come to mind when we think of NSO,” O’Connor said.

Chances are, all students have the same fond memories of their orientation experience. Through all the initial awkwardness and ice-breaking, everyone comes to realize that the people in the group all feel the same way and things are not quite so daunting anymore.

While there is a core set of activities that have a home (and for good reason) in the NSO schedule each year, there have been additions and improvements over the past couple of years.

Perhaps the most prominent addition is the weeklong competition for the NSO Cup. Twenty teams of students competed in a variety of Olympic-style nighttime events, helping to form that special bond that can only be formed when you compete alongside your team.

Also included in this year's program was a carnival in front of Loschert and a “RAM-erica” themed dance party to help the young Rams relax after a long day.

At the end of orientation, the students are not the only ones who have undergone a rewarding and emotional experience.

“There were definitely a few tears shed not only at the candle lighting ceremony out on Edward’s Parade (Eddies) and Keating Steps but also at our closing ceremony. We all just had a really good time,” Smyth said.

Smyth also believed that the freshmen are not the only beneficiaries of the welcoming experience.

“But in the end, my favorite part about NSO is the family that you make,” Smyth said. “This year I was definitely glad to be a part of this wonderful program with 200 other crazy, outgoing, intelligent, happy, enthusiastic, helpful, dancing, kind, competitive, considerate, loving Fordham students who all love being a part of NSO!” This year, Fordham’s Welcome Week was concluded for the second year in a row with #ClubLib, sporting the motto “NO BOOKS! JUST BEATS!” This year, in an effort to improve the event’s popularity, the organizations in charge, CAB, CSA, RHA and USG, as well as Peer Educators and the Student Culinary Council, decided to get rid of the ticket fee. This helped increase both freshmen and upperclassmen attendance.

“In comparison to last year, doing away with an entry charge definitely got more people out on that library lawn,” O’Connor said.

“The DJs were great and CAB, USG, RHA and CSA put in a lot of hard work that should not go unnoticed. Contributions by Student Culinary Council also made the event even better. Overall, I thought Club Lib was a great way to start the year, and it is definitely an event that will continue to get better and stronger each year.”

Page 3 FORDHAM IN THE BRONX

Eyeing the Young and Moneyed, New Biz Comes to Arthur

JEFFREY COLTIN/THE RAM

This year, new resturants joined Ferragosto, an annual festival featuring free samples from Arthur Ave. resturants.

By JEFFREY COLTIN BRONX CORRESPONDENT

At Rose Hill, change is constant.

Freshmen move in and four years later, they’re gone. In between, we grow beards, experiment with styles, join the Frisbee team, quit the Frisbee team and try three different majors only to settle on political science. Change is most obvious on Eddie’s, where the trees go from lush to golden to stark and back again before you even notice the leaves are gone.

Change is not so clear on Arthur Avenue. The same people visit the same bakeries for years. The same families sell meat out of the same stores for decades. And, the pasta is made by the same recipe Nonna wrote down in 1917.

That’s what makes new additions to the Avenue so striking. Arthur has welcomed three businesses since the beginning of the year, all catering to a new clientele. John’s Pizzeria, Magic Twists Frozen Yogurt and the Bronx Beer Hall are all looking to attract a younger, hipper audience — to put it simply, Fordham students.

“That was our first target!” Angela Cawley of John’s Pizzeria said.

“Over half of our staff is going to be Fordham students.”

John’s is brand new, opening its doors for the first time on Sunday at Ferragosto. It’s the fourth John’s Pizzeria, and it uses the same recipes and “no slices” commandment as its locations in Greenwich Village, Times Square and Jersey City (plus an Upper East Side location,

which is run by a different family — “it’s a long story”).

In many ways, John’s is like many of the Italian restaurants lining Arthur Avenue. But, unlike some places, John’s is welcoming Fordham students with vigor. They are joining the Fordham RamBucks program, where students can pay with money loaded on student IDs. They’re already talking about a plan for Fordham Family Weekend, and they’re in talks with the Athletics Department. “You might see somebody in a pizza suit running around during halftime at the football game,” Cawley said.

A less traditional offering is Magic Twists Frozen Yogurt. The neon-orange eatery is the Belmont neighborhood’s first go at the selfserve-add-toppings frozen yogurt craze that seems to have swept the nation over the past five years.

Not surprisingly, they’re going after Fordham students too. Magic Twists manager, Jackie Chen, says the location between the University and St. Barnabas Hospital was definitely a factor in choosing the space.

Magic Twists opened on June 1.

Despite its location far from campus, just north of Crescent Ave, students are often seen inside—or, like Jordan Catalana, GSB ’15, walking north on Arthur with Magic Twists’ distinctive orange cup in hand. “I think it brings in a whole younger demographic to Arthur Ave,” she said. “And it’s also [expletive] delicious.”

The most radical change to Arthur in the past year has to be the

addition of the Bronx Beer Hall, the local-centric bar serving craft brews inside the Arthur Avenue Retail Market. “Fordham in the Bronx” featured the Beer Hall just after its February opening (“New Bronx Brew on Arthur Avenue” 2013).

Since then it’s developed into a place to be seen.

“It brings a fresh new energy, a new type of people,” Nora Geraghty, FCRH ’14 and employee of the Bronx Beer Hall said. “There’s a new place for young professionals to hang out.”

The main attraction of the Beer Hall to the young professionals is found in its name, but the team goes out of its way to attract a younger, low-to-mid-20’s clientele by switching beer offerings constantly, hiring Fordham students and having karaoke nights on Saturdays.

But, that’s not to say the Beer Hall is trying to limit its audience.

“It’s a community space,” Geraghty said. “We have old Italians, we have young Fordham students, we have people from Albert Einstein (College of Medicine) and people who work at the Botans and Zoo.” A walk down Arthur Avenue during Ferragosto gives a sense of that community. Two elderly men speak Italian outside Cosenza’s Fish Market. A mother walks by carrying a baby. When the little guy grows up, businesses may be fighting to attract his dollar. But for now, the old men keep speaking, without a glance toward the baby. On Arthur Ave, change is slow, and that’s how they like it.

JEFFREY COLTIN/THE RAM

The introduction of new resturants on Arthur Ave. has the potential to attract record numbers of Fordham students.

NEWS

Page 4

September 11, 2013

Students Join Millions on a Journey of Faith at World Youth Day

By GIRISH SWAMINATH ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

From July 22 to July 28, 14 Fordham students and two chaperones from Campus Ministry, Carol Gibney and John Gownley, travelled to Rio de Janeiro to attend the World Youth Day celebrations. World Youth Day is a gathering of Catholic youth from every corner of the globe once every two to three years to celebrate cultural diversity and a shared faith and commitment to love and service. Approximately 3.7 million youth attended the mass at Copacabana Beach, held on the final day of the gathering, which was presided over by Pope Francis himself.

“World Youth Day was as an invitation for Catholics to share and reflect upon their experiences and to delve deeper into their journey of faith,” Jennifer Monsalve, FCRH ’14, said. “[Meeting other youth from around the world] was a wonderful opportunity, overcoming all barriers such as nationality and language.”

Monsalve felt that she learned a

lot about her spirituality and appreciated the experience of being able to relate to peers who undergo similar faith-related struggles despite living in another part of the world.

“Getting to meet people with immense passion for their faith and spirituality was one of my most favorite aspects of World Youth Day,” Monsalve said. “Seeing people my own age undergo similar struggles in their faith helped me relate to my peers and tap into my own spirituality.”

Fordham students arrived in Brazil on July 11 to attend a program known as MAGIS, an intimate congregation designed to prepare 2,000 youth of ages 18 to 35 from different Jesuit universities and parishes throughout the world for the World Youth Day experience.

The MAGIS program has a strong foundation in Ignatian spirituality and means “more” when translated from Latin. The youth received a chance to contemplate and reflect upon their faith in smaller groups and participated in service projects outside

the city of Rio de Janeiro.

“My favorite part [of the trip] had to be MAGIS for a host of reasons,” Stephen Gan, FCRH ’14, said. “The immersion in Brazilian culture was one of the highlights of the trip, as were the friendships I developed throughout the program. [My friends and I] bonded over dressing up as clowns, guitar playing, feasting and sleep deprivation over the course of a week and by the end, we were inseparable.”

Although he found his experiences difficult to articulate in words, Gan learned more about his faith and the world around him during his time with the MAGIS program.

“Putting what I learned from the trip into words would be like giving birth to a fully grown hippopotamus,” Gan said. “I learned that people of all faiths, languages, socioeconomic backgrounds and ideologies have common ground in love and kindness no matter how hard they try to deny it. In the very quintessence of our humanity, we are inexplicably and inextricably linked as a commu-

COURTESY OF STEPHEN GAN

MAGIS students from all over engage in contemplation of faith and spirituality.

nity of pilgrims.”

Another Fordham student who attended World Youth Day with the St. Sebastian parish, part of the Diocese of Brooklyn, felt that it was truly a life-changing experience.

“Before going on this pilgrimage, I was convinced that the Catholic Church is a dying church, quickly losing relevancy in a modern world,” Katherine Valles, FCRH ’14, said. “After seeing millions of pilgrims my age united in one faith, despite all of our regional differences, I have

realized how wrong that mindset was.”

Valles felt inspired after listening to Pope Francis’s speech during the mass at Copacabana Beach and admired his humility.

“After hearing Pope Francis speak about how the youth are the future of the Church and seeing the massive attendance at WYD, I realized that the Catholic church is still vibrant and evolving. I think that the direction towards which the church will change and grow might rest on the faithful of our generation.”

Security Makes Student IDs into Keys Hughes Hall Awarded for Innovative Engineering

By EDDIE MIKUS STAFF WRITER

CAITLIN PERNICIARO / THE RAM

The university hopes that the new student ID system for opening residence hall doors will enhance security on campus.

By CHELSEA AISS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This fall, Fordham University has implemented the new swipe system across each of its three campuses. Prior to this new swipe system, students relied on a key to enter into their residence halls.

Beginning this semester, however, it seems the days of flashing your ID to the DA on duty or security guard are officially over.

With this new swipe system, students can enter a residence hall with a simple swipe of the newly designed ID cards.

All students need to do now is place their ID card on the reader, and if the light turns from red to green, then the door will open and allow them access into the dorm.

One of the first questions on every student’s mind is, “will it still be permissible to enter a resi-

dence hall that is not your own?”

The answer to this question is that students can enter a different residence hall if they are with another student that resides at that dorm. Signing in a guest remains the same, so if a student wants to sign in someone after 5 p.m., it must be manually written down at the front desk of each residence hall.

Walsh Resident Assistant Victoria Affrunti, GSB ’15, said “ [I] like the new system and that it makes everything easier for the desk assistants and security guards to be more thorough in their jobs.”

Extra security is a prominent reason why the presence of the key has begun to diminish. In the future, students will use their IDs to access the campuses. With the new ID system, only Fordham students and faculty have complete access to the buildings and

campuses.

Former Conference Coordinator Assistant Faye Juabsamai, GSB ’15, worked this summer on the transition from the keys to the new IDs. “[I] think it is a good endeavor and something to definitely be improved on in the future but is not fully effective just yet because students and faculty are still trying to understand the system,” Juabsamai said.

Once students and staff get used to the changes, it will be easier to add card swipe security to other campus locations. Even though students need time to become accustomed with the swipe system, it seems to be taking effect quite quickly.

Many members advise students to keep their IDs close and try not to lose them because that will make it difficult to enter a residence hall.

Hughes Hall has been given an Award of Merit in Engineering NewsRecord’s Best New York Projects Competition for 2013.

A total of 67 projects were nominated for the competition, according to Engineering News-Record. The entries were further divided into subcategories. A five-judge panel named 37 winners in each category and will announce a best overall winner at a breakfast on Nov. 6.

Projects that did not take top prize were given Awards of Merit.

Gabelli students said that the award would be beneficial for the school’s reputation.

“We’re a distinguished school now, and we’re really getting notice,” Steve Falzone, GSB ’15, said. “We’re becoming more of a force in the business world, and the more people that know us, the better chance for business grads to get better jobs than we’re getting.”

Falzone explained that the increased name recognition from the award would help increase the prestige of the Gabelli School.

“Fordham is becoming a bigger name, and the Gabelli School is definitely becoming a bigger name,” Falzone said. “And, you know, of course, bigger name, better reputation, and the more people that know it, the better. That’s how you find connections, actually.”

Other students agreed that the award would make Gabelli a more competitive school.

“It’s great that Fordham and the business school won the award,” William Slattery, GSB ’15, said. “I think it really shows the strength of the business school and how it is competing well against other top programs.”

Slattery further talked about the advantages he felt the award would provide to the business school, and which the business school has pro-

vided to the Fordham community.

“I think [that for] Fordham as a community to have the business school…really shows that we have great donors such as Mr. Gabelli, who was so generous to donate the building,” Slattery said, in reference to Mario Gabelli, the benefactor of Hughes Hall. “If you go back ten years in the past, I don’t think the business school was nearly what it is now. ” Both Falzone and Slattery spoke about the advantages they feel Hughes Hall has provided for them as business students.

“The study space is really nice,” Falzone said. “There are computers available in so many different locations, if you need to use one. The news is there. Of course, it’s a very cozy atmosphere. The classrooms are amazingly integrated with new technology. Some teachers can record class and post them on GSBU or even Blackboard.”

“I think the meeting room’s great,” Slattery said. “We had to do an integrated project, and I was constantly meeting in Hughes Hall for the project in the various meeting rooms to do the project. Also, the classrooms are state-of-the-art, which really helps with the overall learning experience.”

Slattery also spoke about how resources in Hughes Hall help students stay up-to-date on world affairs.

“I like the student lounge on the first floor,” Slattery said. “They have televisions with the news there. They have two meeting rooms on that floor, and across the hall they have the ticker room.”

The renovations added to Hughes Hall are a major component of Fordham’s initiative to meeting New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent before 2017.

Heating, cooling, insulating and lighting systems underwent a drastic improvement as a result of the renovations.

NEWS

September 11, 2013

Page 5

Sodexo Hopes to Impress Students with New Campus Eateries FROM DINING, PAGE 1

evaluations and research collection.

But, for most, it was only just the beginning of another decade with Sodexo.

As with any school, a constant ebb and flow of students keep faces fresh on campus. But, a steady culture of dissatisfaction among students in the cafeteria has remained a sullying common denominator for years at Fordham.

The sentiment was confirmed in 2011 when three Rose Hill eateries were slapped with a number of violations by New York City health inspectors, and again last August when The Princeton Review — a widely read resource for prospective college students — decried Fordham’s food as the worst of any college’s in the country.

Whispers and casual complaints had suddenly been handed a national megaphone. Amid the poor press, administrators recognized the need to take immediate action.

“We plan to win back, and keep, the confidence of the Fordham community,” said Bob Howe, senior director of communications, soon after the ranking was published.

Weeks later, administrators hired

the Rochelle Group, a consulting firm that specializes in food service evaluation, to investigate the dining services program at Rose Hill and Lincoln Center.

The group completed its evaluation in January and submitted a report to administrators after having spent weeks tasting food, touring facilities and interviewing students.

The report found no blatant problems with the overall dining operation. But it highlighted “a strong disconnect between student expectations and perceptions,” said Stephen Erdman, FCRH ’13 and former executive president of Rose Hill’s United Student Government.

The consultants encouraged Fordham to terminate Sodexo’s contract and issue a request for proposal (RFP) to various food service providers. It did, and the Rochelle Group narrowed the list to five vendors. Three submitted formal proposals, including Sodexo, but one later dropped out.

It came down to Sodexo and Aramark, one of the food providers that appeared on the coveted Princeton Review best food list this year.

(Sodexo did not make it on that list this year.)

The responsibility of deciding the winner was placed on the shoulders of 19 administrators and students, who were divided into three committees: student engagement, working and steering.

After reading through proposals and sitting through presentations, slightly more of the student representation favored Sodexo’s bid without having any knowledge of the financials at stake, Gray said during an interview in May. When students were told that Sodexo had offered Fordham nearly $30 million more than Aramark in capital investments, the group eventually moved to vote 8-0 in support of Sodexo.

Brendan Francolini, GSB ’14 and executive vice president of USG at Rose Hill, was a part of the selection process. He said the decision was ultimately about the food.

“What we saw with the proposals from Sodexo was that food options are going to expand incredibly over the next year and over the next two years,” he said in May. In the end, the committee approved the Sodexo contract by an 18-1 vote, according to Gray.

He conceded that Sodexo’s in-

REGINA KENDRICK / THE RAM

Modifications in Sodexo’s contract were made with the goal of improving food quality and variety throughout campus.

IRENE PATRON / THE RAM

Changes made to the dining options have elicited positive feedback.

vestment in on-campus renovations played a role in the food provider’s selection.

“At the end of the day, the physical changes and a lot of the meal plan changes and a lot of the things that have to happen have to be backed by resources,” Gray said.

Deming Yaun was hired by Fordham in May to be the dining contract liaison between the University and Sodexo. And although he is optimistic about the future, Yaun says he understands that reversing the historically negative perceptions of Sodexo will take work and time.

“When a ball is rolling in the wrong direction in as large a business as this really is, it does take a herculean effort to catch the ball, gain control of it and start pushing it back,” he said.

Sodexo is not there yet.

Fordham was again slated at the top of The Princeton Review’s worst food list this year at number five.

When asked for comment, Howe said the ranking was based on twoyear-old data. But David Soto, the publication’s college ratings director, told The Ram the ranking was based in part on data collected last year.

Administrators are quick to want to switch perceptions and stay far from that list, which is generated solely by student surveys.

The new contract specifically stipulates, for example, that Sodexo will incur a $3 million penalty if

Fordham’s name is not off the list in the next few years, Gray confirmed.

And so, plans for additional changes continue to roll on.

Administrators hope to see Chipotle, the popular Mexican food chain, in the space of the Millennium Grille by next fall. Once Fordham receives permission from the restaurant, the Grille will need to be expanded to allow for additional seating per Chipotle’s specifications, according to Yaun.

The forthcoming installation of a Starbucks near Rose Hill’s campus prevented one from being installed over the summer on campus. But, administrators are hopeful that a full-service Starbucks will be placed on campus in the near future.

Ultimately, Yaun lays out a clearcut plan for the future success of Sodexo at Fordham.

“We, as an administration, have to help students understand the positive, while being completely honest about where the program has to go,” he said, sipping Jamba Juice during an interview last week.

“Eventually it will turn around.”

Girish Swaminath contributed reporting.

The survey was conducted by: Connor Ryan, Canton Winer, Kelly Kultys, Katie Meyer, Katie Nolan, Dan Gartland, Matt Rosenfeld, Max Prinz, Devon Sheridan, Jack MacGregor and Grace Lilly.

FCA Enables Students to Serve Community While Building Resumes

By KATIE MEYER ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Nearly every current Fordham University student is familiar with Career Services, even if only because of their frequent “Job Blast” emails informing students about job, internship and volunteer opportunities.

The office provides resources to students such as career counseling, workshops and alumni and employer connections. The Career Services office’s efforts, however, have not always been well received by students.

“I think there was a lot of bad words about Career Services a couple years ago, and people don’t really trust it to help them with their internships,” Brittany Tobin, GSB ’15, said. “But especially for me it has been [great]…I’ve gotten so many opportunities out of it …through networking events.

I feel like career services has all the stuff, they have all the tools.

People just don’t utilize it.”

Fairly recently, Career Services created yet another tool to help students find good jobs after college. Two years ago the Fordham Career Ambassadors (FCA) organization was formed as a way to establish a student liaison between Career Services and the student body.

The club, which became official last year, works to give students career assistance that Career Services cannot do alone.

“We’re a student organization committed to bettering Career Services through programs and other events,” Tobin, the programming chair of the FCA, said.

“Also as a group ourselves, we want to better ourselves professionally.”

This weekend, the FCA held its first event of the year. The students involved in the club took a trip to Manhattan to visit the national headquarters of Teach For America, an organization that

provides top quality education for children living in poverty.

“This was a career view…so we went to their site, we got to see where they work,” Elizabeth Hughes, GSB ’15 and FCA’s alumni relations committee chair, said.

The group was able to get firsthand insight into the work done at Teach For America. “We talked to three men, [one of whom] taught students where it was their last chance, like [they] had to do well otherwise they would be sent back to prison. It’s about doing the greater good. They teach because they want to help people,” Hughes said.

“But they [Teach For America] also do a lot of loan repayment,” Tobin added. “There are a lot of benefits…I think what’s cool about it is that a lot of people think that it’s just for people who are aspiring to be teachers, but it’s really not.”

The group spoke to Paul Ortega, national director of training &

organizational development at international company Swiss Post.

“We had both listened to him before; he’s a positive speaker,” Tobin said. “We did a few exercises with him about always being positive. He said that you don’t really have to know your career path. He’s had like eight different jobs and he’s around, what? 55?

He talked about how everything happens for a reason…he was pretty motivational.”

A large part of the FCA’s mission at Fordham is to spread wisdom like Ortega’s to the student body, as well as offer practical skills that students can take with them to the workplace.

Student ambassadors are in a unique position to help their peers, because they are going or have recently gone through the same processes as many of the students they help.

“Our motive is to have students connect with alumni to learn more about getting a job after

school, internships, things like that, but have fun while doing it,” Hughes said.

Currently, there are 40 students at Rose Hill who are serving as career ambassadors, and there is also a sister organization at Lincoln Center.

Though the club is still fairly new, it is growing both in popularity and visibility on campus.

“What we’re trying to achieve with training as well as anything for the FCA is to build a community. Ideally, we want practically the whole school to be ambassadors, and in doing so we want them to be, basically, well rounded, professionally adept… and able to effectively communicate their aspirations to people,” Alexander Reynolds, FCRH ’14 and president of the FCA said.

“Having ambassadors that uphold these ideals can do [a great deal] for the rest of the students, so hopefully we can keep on growing.”

NEWS

Page 6

September 11, 2013

Lhota Wins GOP Primary, de Blasio In Memory: 12 Years Later Closes in on Democratic Nomination

By KELLY KULTYS NEWS EDITOR

In one of the most up and down election races in recent New York City history, the primary phase is now over. On Sept. 10, hundreds of thousands voters turned out to submit their ballots for their choice candidate in their respective party.

For the Republicans, the overwhelming favorite was Joe Lhota, the former MTA Chairman.

According to NBC New York, Lhota claimed 53 percent of the Republican vote at the time when 97 percent of the precincts reported their results.

His opponent, John Catsimatidis, congratulated Lhota on the victory around 11:15 p.m.

The Democratic race, full of candidates and storylines, took a bit longer to decide. To a win the primary election outright and avoid a run off, a candidate needs to capture at least 40 percent of their party’s vote.

Bill de Blasio, the former public advocate was the favorite in the polls and on primary night. De Blasio received 40 percent of the vote with 97 percent of precincts reporting their votes; but, according to CBS 2, not all of the ballots will be counted on Sept 10. The Board of Elections said that the paper ballots would be taken into consideration Wednesday morning, while the absentee and military ballots would not be counted until Monday. WCBS 880 said that leaves about 30,000 ballots

untouched for now.

De Blasio’s campaign received a recent surge in weeks leading up to the primaries. Many voters cited his differences from the previous regime as their reason for backing the former public advocate. De Blasio gave an almost victorious speech to those at his campaign party.

“To the people of New York City, I say thank you. To the people of my beloved home borough of Brooklyn, I say thank you,” he said.

As for Bill Thompson, the current second Democratic candidate in the primary running, he said that he will not concede to de Blasio just yet. With 97 percent reporting so far, Thompson had 26 percent of the vote. Still, Thompson led his supporters in a “three more weeks” chant, hopeful that there will be a runoff.

“But, every voice in New York City counts and we're going to wait for every voice to be heard, we're going to wait for every voice to be counted,” he said to supporters.

If there is a runoff between de Blasio and Thompson it will be scheduled for Oct. 1, just about a month before the general election.

Meanwhile, Christine Quinn, City Council Speaker, officially conceded the race around 11:40 p.m., around the time that 97 percent of the precincts had turned in their results. Quinn said that she wanted to congratulate her opponents for victory.

“This was a hard-fought race,

I’ve had

we took a lot of knocks, we were up against a lot off odds, but I am proud of the race we all ran,” Quinn said in her concession speech.

Quinn was originally one of the frontrunners in the race until de Blasio’s recent rise to the top.

One of the main concerns the candidates had heading into tonight was voter turnout. The GOP had lower numbers, with Lhota capturing the nomination with just under 30,000 votes. In comparison, Anthony Weiner collected over 31,000 votes, placing him fifth in the Democratic race.

The other main competition of the night came from the battle for city comptroller. Scott Stringer, the Manhattan borough president defeated Eliot Spitzer, the former New York governor. According to The Associated Press, Stringer returned 52 percent while Spitzer collected 48 percent after 94 percent of the precincts had reported. Even though Spitzer held his concession speech shortly after the results were announced, he promised not to be gone for long. “[I] will continue in many and varied capacities.… I intend to do so in different ways,” Spitzer said in the Wall Street Journal.

The general elections will take place on Nov. 5. ***At the time of publication, 97 percent of the precincts reported with de Blasio ahead at 40 percent. Thompson was in second with 26 percent of the Democratic vote.

MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

This Sept. 11 marks the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America.

Throughout the city, organziations are holding many masses, services, moments of silence and ceremonies to honor those who lost their lives and those affected by the tragedies on 9/11. This will be the first year that the Freedom Tower, built on the grounds of the Twin Towers, is close to completion. The structure is set to open in April of 2014.

Throughout the country, moments of silence are held at 8:46 a.m., when the north tower of the World Trade Center was hit; 9:03 a.m., when the south tower of the WTC was hit; 9:37 a.m., when the plane crashed into the Pentagon and at 10:03, when passengers crashed Flight 93 into the Pennsylvania field.

Here on campus, a multi religious prayer service will be held in the Finlay Garden, home of Rose Hill’s 9/11 memorial, to honor the victims, including 39 Fordham alumni. The event is sponsored by USG and Campus Ministry, and will begin at 8 p.m at the McGinley Center. The group will then process over to the Finlay Gardens where the rest of the ceremony will take place.

The College Republicans also placed flags in the shape of the towers on the McGinley Lawn to allow students to be reminded of the tragedies 12 years ago.

—Written by Katie Meyer, Assistant News Editor and Kelly Kultys, News Editor

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Grow your own way. And my growth started right when I joined PwC. Quite a start—working with a global tech giant, and one of the top 10 clients at the ğrm. I learned a lot. 7hose skills helped me grab an opening on a different part of their business. PwC is Ġe[ible that way. And when serious family matters need my attention, they’re Ġe[ible about that, too. I’m fortunate. 7wo dream jobs.

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© 2013 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the United States member firm, and may sometimes refer to the PwC network.

Each member firm is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details. We are proud to be an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer.

September 11, 2013

opinion

Page 7

Can We Live With The Costs of Doing Nothing in Syria?

By JOSEPH CLINES STAFF WRITER

“Are you able to live with the consequences of doing nothing?”

This question, raised by Virginia Democrat Gerald E. Connolly, is a synopsis of the American quandary regarding the humanitarian crisis in Syria. The statement appears to paint Syria as the only major issue in the world with which we must stomach our choice to intervene, or to “punt,” as many have pejoratively claimed President Obama has already done.

In following the analogy, “punting”, in football, is generally regarded as a wise and tacit understanding that the situation at hand is not currently conducive to success, aptly summarizing the objective outlook of even a limited campaign against Assad. Syria may be the hot button issue of the moment, but Connolly’s statement is applicable to many global crises that we have collectively turned a blind eye to and suffered a significantly lesser degree of guilt on our national conscience.

We, as a nation, managed to find a way to live with the consequence of doing nothing during the genocides in Darfur and Rwanda, and our nation’s emotional A.D.D. certainly got us past the Kony 2012 movement when the video’s cool music and “the younger genera-

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

President Bashar al-Assad, in an attempt to deter Syrian rebel groups, has been accused of using chemical weapons.

tion will save the world” bravado began to wane a week into being the Internet sensation of the moment.

As you would expect in a bluestate liberal arts college, teeming with Frisbee-tossing students on Edward’s Parade, many students vehemently oppose intervention in Syria, recognizing that we do have to “punt” on some, even many, of the issues which pull at our nation’s heartstrings.

While this is a cheap punch, to pull in the debate, we could have lived with the consequences of doing nothing in 2003 when Saddam Hussein occupied the title of “in-

ternational boogeyman of the day”.

Many may pass off the hawkish desire to intervene as a pure and genuine concern for the 1,400 innocent civilians who were killed when Assad’s forces opted to lob missiles laden with sarin gas into Syrian villages. Lost on many, however, is the fact that the conflict has been raging for years now and has claimed the lives of an estimated 100,000 Syrians.

Acknowledging the universal ban on chemical weapons in warfare, it is lost on me how the means one uses to carry out a mass killing influences the dialogue in any meaningful manner. Had the Assad

regime opted to carry out those killings through the use of firing squads, would they have treaded, but not crossed, the proverbial “red line” set by the international community?

I find it quite hypocritical to sit idle while Assad butchers his people, but to call for immediate intervention once the use of chemical weapons is introduced to the equation. Genocide is genocide and we have opted to turn a blind eye to plenty in the past, in regions representing much less of a “powder keg” on the global stage.

I am, by no means, doubting those in favor of intervention’s concern

for human life, but few acknowledge the non-humanitarian ramifications our action or inaction would hold. Regardless of what course of action we take, we will, inevitably, be sending a subliminal message to Iran, the nation posing the most real threat to our own security in the world, going forward.

The lessons of Iraq and the “shock and awe” campaign carried out in 2003 have shown that posturing on the global stage and making examples of oppressive regimes does little, if anything, to dissuade other rogue states in the region from furthering their own agendas and WMD programs.

Americans must come to grips with the fact that a limited strike will have relatively little effect on Assad’s capabilities, and even the most hawkish of opinions would agree that a “boots on the ground” campaign is absolutely off the table. Acknowledging we cannot fix all of the world’s ills by sheer brute force of our military and clout in the international community is not an admittance of weakness, but a pragmatic and necessary step for American foreign policy.

Doing nothing and “punting” will not embolden and rally the forces of evil; America is not going anywhere and will still be called to task.

Joseph Clines, FCRH ‘14, is an economics major from Malverne, N.Y.

E-Cigs Pose More Questions, Potential Risks

By DYLAN DEMARTINO STAFF WRITER

Electronic cigarettes offer the benefits of being less toxic to the human body than traditional cigarettes and, perhaps, more importantly, the freedom to get a nicotine fix in situations where smoking is normally prohibited.

The ability to smoke what is in some ways similar to a cigarette in public and indoors is becoming increasingly controversial as more and more people are picking up the habit of electronic cigarettes.

Products that once seemed like curious novelties for a fringe market have become big business. Dedicated brick and mortar stores are sprouting up in big market areas and online sales are booming.

With a retail market value that is asserted by industry experts to be worth about one billion dollars annually, not including a sizeable online market, it is easy to see why the popularity of electronic cigarettes, or as they are more colloquially known, “e-cigs,” is drawing high profile attention. This increasing scale of use is soliciting concern from cities and public health organizations across the world.

Many have grown concerned that electronic cigarettes may be more harmful than they appear and are calling for stricter regulations.

It could be posited by some that rather than serving their assumed purpose as a tool to quit, e-cigarettes especially when branded with lots of flavors could help to get youngsters addicted to nico-

tine. Despite such potential, the flavoring of electronic cigarettes and the fear that they could harm others do not seem to justify a regulation regime comparable to those proposed in France to ban them in public places, which is something some Americans would like to see in the United States.

The Obama administration supported legislation to ban many flavored tobacco products. But do the conveniences, choice, flavors and availability of electronic cigarettes make children more likely to smoke actual cigarettes? Could these devices pose the potential to get an individual hooked on nicotine before they even try a cigarette?

Ken Ochs, FCRH ’15, feels that the selective severing of flavor availability is “ultimately arbitrary, not only because it doesn’t actually address menthol flavored cigarettes, which the FDA recently classified as a public health threat, but it punishes adult consumers preemptively for the assumption that children will do something just because it has exotic flavors.

Do we see middle school students lining up to smoke flavored hookah tobacco just because it has that flavoring? I don’t believe we have.”

How can one be sure that such an effect is possible? Major traditional tobacco companies like RJ Reynolds have conceded to the market power of electronic cigarettes. Reynolds has begun developing its own electronic cigarette brands such as the VUSE product.

ELIZABETH ZHANGI/THE RAM

As use of e-cigarettes increases in popularity, questions are raised about their safety among young people.

RJ Reynolds also has asserted its rights in the electronic cigarette market by filing trademark infringement suits against online electronic cigarette vendors who compare their brands’ flavors to Camel cigarettes.

Perhaps it is due to the involvement of traditional “Big Tobacco” in the market that it has recently become illegal in many places for minors to purchase electronic cigarettes. Such an obstacle certainly will not stop them from puffing an electronic cigarette if they so desire. Just as youngsters have been able to get real cigarettes from their parents or friends, there is certainly a way for a kid looking to get his hands on an e-cig to convince someone of sufficiently crooked ethical predisposition to make a purchase on his behalf.

Despite the potential repercus-

sions that electronic cigarettes are more problematic than they may seem from a public health perspective, the fact remains that they are still alleged to lack most of the more pernicious carcinogens found in real cigarettes. The gas exhaled from an electronic cigarette is almost entirely water vapor. Ochs notes that standing in front of exhaled electronic cigarette “smoke” is like “standing near a stove when you’re boiling water”.

Unlike secondhand smoke which is known to be harmful to those in its general vicinity, electronic cigarette discharge has not been shown to have comparable negative impact.

It is therefore fundamentally not a public health issue of similar magnitude to real cigarettes and thus undeserving of congruent legislation. If people cannot use

electronic cigarettes in public like many interest groups in the United States and some government officials in England and France would like then using an electronic cigarette would be legally prohibited in the same way as a real cigarette.

Despite containing nicotine, these two items have little in common in terms of the way their use by one person can affect others and therefore shouldn’t be viewed under the same legal lens.

The only lens they seem subjected to right now is superstition.

Smokers looking to quit using electronic cigarettes would have a harder time kicking the habit if they were forced underground with their use of the devices.

Dylan DeMartino, FCRH ’14, is a history and Middle East studies double-major from Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.

Page 8

R

Serving campus and community since 1918 The Fordham Ram is the University journal of record. The mission of The Fordham Ram is to provide a forum for the free and open exchange of ideas in service to the community and to act as a student advocate. The Fordham Ram is published and distributed free of charge every Wednesday during the academic year to the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses with a readership of 4,500. The Fordham Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.

TheFordhamRam.com Advertising: (718) 817-4379 Executive: (718) 817-4380 Fax: (718) 817-4319 theram@fordham.edu Fordham University - Station 37 Box B Bronx, NY 10458 Editor-in-Chief Connor Ryan Managing Editor Canton Winer Editorial Director Rory Masterson Copy Chief Katie Nolan News Editor Kelly Kultys Assistant News Editors Kate Meyer Girish Swaminath Opinion Editor Joe Vitale Assistant Opinion Editor Catrina Livermore Arts & Entertainment Editor Devon Sheridan Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor Jack MacGregor Executive Sports Editor Dan Gartland Sports Editor Matt Rosenfeld Assistant Sports Editor Max Prinz Layout Editor Grace Lilly Photo Editor Elizabeth Zanghi Web Editor Anne Couture Assistant Web Editor Kelsey Business Directors Nikos Buse Drew Rapp Assistant Business Director Felcia Zhang Circulation Director Maria Buck Distribution Managers Shannon Marcoux Faculty Advisor Dr. Beth Knobel Copy Team Alyssa Ammazzalorso John Bonazzo Talia Boyer PJ Brogan Michael Dawber Rosemary Derocher Taylor Engdahl Stephanie Kawalski Tyler Lancaster Clare Larson Francesca Leite Shannon Marcoux Vincent Pellizi • Anthony Pucik Andrew Santis Kirsten Simons Austin Thomas Opinions Policy The Fordham Ram appreciates submissions to fordhamramletters@gmail. com. Commentaries are printed on a space available basis. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Fordham Ram. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions in The Fordham 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 Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

OPINION

September 11, 2013

From the Desk of Anne Couture,Web Editor I was not born in New York and can hardly say that I qualify as a “New Yorker.” I grew up on a dirt road in Arizona and my neighbors had horses. What is being a New Yorker, though?

I think the fact that New York has so many people from around the world is what truly makes it the city we love. With that being said, I am going to go ahead and dub myself as a New Yorker because really, who deserves that title more than someone who lives here for about eight months out of the year?

That being said, from one New Yorker to another, I have to tell you a secret: I have no idea how to work the subway. It’s not my fault, though.

I mean, I can get to where I need to go eventually, but it was not until last summer when I finally understood how to tell which way a train is going. I actually figured it out in London because there subways actually make sense. The London Un-

derground’s lines are named for what they are, not something arbitrary like letters from the alphabet. Also, as you walk from tunnel to tunnel a map actually shows you a picture of the stops that tunnel serves and only those stops. Basically, you do not have to stand there for 20 minutes trying to find your line and location in a jumble of other irrelevant colorful squiggles. The map boldly says what the last stop is.

I realized that New York subways work in the same way. For example, if you take the 4 train that says Woodlawn on it, that is the direction you are traveling.

Wow, logical.

You know what is not logical about the New York Subway system though? While perhaps not as readable, the MTA’s underground transporation baffles me when ti tapes notifications to random locations on the platform if there is a change in service.

The greatest city in the world with a multimillion dollar subway

system relies on printed pieces of paper randomly adhered to things with scotch tape. Say what?

I cannot tell you the amount of times I was minding my own business, twiddling my thumbs when after 20 minutes, I suddenly realize at the same time a single piece of paper disguised as trash isn’t actually trash.

Turns out, this train does not run between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. for whatever reason. Great, let me just carve out an extra two hours of my commute because MTA can’t get its stuff together!

There is only one thing worse than these stupid pieces of paper: the intercom system.

I seriously do not know why MTA bothers to use these. I have not met a single person who can understand the annoying static that disguises itself as an announcement. Maybe there are a few Lily Aldrins from How I Met Your Mother out therewho can speak conductor, but I have yet to understand this mysterious

language. Mostly, the announcements just stress me out because I feel like they are important and relevant but then I put on that façade of a New Yorker that I just do not care. One day, the announcement is going to tell us to run for our lives but we will all just continue to stand there because it just sounded like white noise.

Also, I like how the subway key assumes I already know certain things. For example, I understand that the white oval shape means local express only.

Do I know when local express trains run? No. I just kind of happen upon them.

EDITORIAL: Sodexo Finally Steps Up Its Game Over one year has passed since the Princeton Review proclaimed that Fordham had the worst campus food in the nation. Since earning that dubious distinction, the University terminated its contract with Sodexo and opened up a bidding war for Fordham’s food service. After months of deliberations, however, administrators announced in early June that Sodexo will be occupying campus kitchens for another 10 years.

As expected, Fordham students reacted poorly to the news.

(One former student commented “BOO! HISS!” on The Ram’s Facebook post breaking the news.) While we at The Fordham Ram certainly understand past frustrations with campus dining options, we also acknowledge that credit must be given where credit is due.

Just a couple of weeks into the semester, we are incredibly impressed with Fordham’s response to what has long been students’ most recurrent grievance. The new and improved dining venues, as well as the expansive meal plan options, are a dramatic improvement over former options.

Così, along with ZeBi (located in Faculty Memorial Hall), addresses the former dearth of healthy options that existed at Rose Hill. Così does not, however, preserve the quiet study space that made Empire Cafe so popular. The additions of Auntie Anne’s pretzels below Queen’s Court and Panda Express in Dagger John’s also add more variation to Fordham’s food options.

The meal plans themselves have changed as well, adapting to collegiate lifestyles. Meal

swipes, which could formerly be used only at the Marketplace, have been replaced by “meal exchanges,” which can now be used at the Marketplace, Così, ZeBi, SubConnection and The Grille.

In other words, you no longer have to use precious declining balance dollars (DCB) for a buffalo chicken wrap at The Grille.

These exchanges give students the flexibility to mix up their meal options at locations all around campus, shattering the mealtime monotony that has defined Fordham in past years.

Extended hours at the Marketplace also present a major improvement. The cafeteria is now open until 10 p.m. on weeknights, one full hour later than in the past and a much more realistic closing time for a college campus eatery.

The cafeteria also offers increased

seating space, putting a slight dent in 6:00 rush to seize a table in the elbow-to-elbow crowded space.

While this represents an improvement, we at The Fordham Ram still see either the expansion of the dining room or the construction of an additional cafeteria as a necessity. It is still nearly impossible to find a seat during peak hours in the cafeteria.

There are clearly many reasons to be optimistic about Fordham’s food future. Before writing off Sodexo as a lost cause, look around at the changes made this year. We think you will like what you taste.

Editorial Policy The Fordham Ram’s editorials are selected on a weekly basis, and are meant to reflect the editorial board’s view on a particular issue.

Letter to the Editor To The Editor The ICCS at Fordham and the Need for Debate It is not every day that Fordham welcomes to campus human rights violators and those who chronically contravene the Bill of Rights so Father McShane can pat them on the back and express his overwhelming pride in their appearance at Fordham. And yet, The Ram has not published anything meaningful on the International Conference on Cyber Security (ICCS), held at the Lincoln Center campus in August.

Why the silence?

During the ICCS, Father McShane reiterated his paternal pride for Fordham alumnus John Brennan, current head of the CIA, drone program architect, proponent of extraordinary rendition, defender of torture and accomplice in the faulty intelligence that led the U.S. into the Iraq War. Joining Brennan was General Keith Alexander, the current head of the NSA, who oversees the serial violation of the

American public’s constitutional rights, and continues to mislead the public about the scope of the NSA surveillance programs. As Bruce Schneier recently wrote in The Guardian newspaper, “By subverting The Internet at every level to make it a vast, multi-layered and robust surveillance platform, the NSA has undermined a fundamental social contract.”

During the final day of the ICCS, Father McShane joined Brennan, Alexander and Robert Mueller, head of the FBI, on stage, sharing jokes and heaping praise on their many “accomplishments.” As explosive revelations about the NSA’s surveillance programs continue to be published, and the U.S. government reaches into its Iraq War playbook in its attempt to deceitfully drag us into war with Syria, should Fordham really be welcoming these men to campus in an uncontested format to shower them with praise and adoration?

Sincerely, Scott G. McDonald, FCRH ’12

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OPINION

September 11, 2013

Stephen Fragano

Snowden’s Actions Demand New Freedom

By LINDSAY PHILPOTT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Remembering 9/10 Sept. 11, 2001 will live in the history books as a day the world changed tremendously.

Many innocent lives were taken, many ideals were destroyed and a certain sense of security that once seemed so real was ripped from Americans and global citizens.

However, who truly stops and thinks about the last day of the world as we knew it? Who reflects on Sept. 10, 2001?

Practically everyone who is old enough to remember 9/11 recalls the events of that day and how he or she felt after realizing that America was under attack. Personally, I remember being confused as to why so many of my second grade classmates’ parents were taking their children home from school.

I also was shocked that my fellow human beings could be capable of such actions. Yet, the things I did and felt on Sept. 10 are all but impossible to remember.

It seems odd to try to remember Sept. 10, when such a mammoth event marked the following day. But, forgetting Sept. 10 shocks me as much as the idea of forgetting 9/11.

Forgetting Sept. 10 is forgetting the world as it was. If we cannot remember the world as it was, we disregard the transformation the world undertook on and after 9/11. If we forget 9/10, the victims’ last normal day on Earth, we turn them into mere statistics.

Forgetting 9/10 is detrimental to our identity and as Americans.

Those who forget where they have been do not know where they are heading.

This principle applies to many other important historical events.

Dec. 6, 1941 was also the day before an infamous event in American history, the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Those same people are the only witnesses to life how was was before the world changed.

Though the attack had a large significance, the destruction that took place on that day was made all the more significant because people were able to contrast it the Pearl Harbor of 12/6/41. Like Sept. 10, Dec. 6 contrasts its succeeding day and makes it all the more vital in the story of our history as a nation. It signifies the magnitude of what transpired.

Those who were not yet born or too young to remember the events of Sept. 10 obviously cannot know of that world.

However, those of us who can have the same responsibility that people of every past generation have had; to remember the before and after of important events for the sake of generations to come.

When elders tell their youths long, intricate stories, it might seem too boring and arduous to pay attention.

After maturing just a bit, young people realize that their elders were not aiming to bore them.

By relaying the events of the past, they were simply doing their jobs: guiding us through the future.

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Since the post 9/11 hysteria engulfing the United States has worn off, it has become increasingly evident that a state with 100 percent security and 100 percent freedom is virtually impossible. This past summer, we were abruptly reminded of this fault within our country by a young computer technician, Edward Snowden. In early June, there were highly secretive government documents leaked that proved the existence of an American security program which collects massive streams of phone and Internet data from the public.

A 29-year-old defense contractor, Edward Snowden, who worked for the CIA and the National Security Agency as a technical assistant, revealed in a video interview from Hong Kong that he was the one who leaked the documents.

More recently, Snowden has been granted temporary asylum in Russia, and a few weeks ago leaked the “Black Budget,” which reports that the U.S. spends about $52.6 billion on covert action, surveillance and counterintelligence. The leak, released by The Washington Post in late August, revealed that the majority of the budget goes to the CIA. Snowden also revealed disturbing information that, despite the massive amounts of money being used for operations in China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and North Korea, there are several “critical blind spots” in our intelligence, especially concerning North Korea, where the budget

suggests we have little knowledge about their weapon programs or their intentions.

According to Snowden, he released the information in an attempt to “inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them.” Soon after Snowden admitted to the leaks, it seemed as if the U.S. was immediately divided into those who believe Snowden was a traitor and those who believe he was a hero. While President Obama issued a statement that said, “I don’t think Mr. Snowden was a patriot,” he admitted that some “appropriate reforms” are in order, which could bring about the most changes to the anti-terror Patriot Act since it was originated after the 9/11 attacks.

The controversy surrounding Snowden has become so vast that it’s almost impossible not to have an opinion about it. Whether you’re reading this as a Snowden supporter or a Snowden hater, it’s important to think about what the information he leaked means for us as young Americans. When the 9/11 attacks occurred, most of Fordham’s student body was in elementary school. We did not have an opinion on what took place on that fateful day; instead, we were scared kids trying to understand why everyone seemed so upset.

Now that we are college students, we can properly form our beliefs and ideals and contribute to the growing discussion and debates surrounding the Patriot Act, the NSA leaks and Edward Snowden.

Even if we don’t have a strong

opinion, the technological aspect of domestic surveillance affects America’s youth more than those who supported it 12 years ago.

“I’m not sure how I feel personally about Edward Snowden,” Alyssa Dolan, FCRH ’16, said. “But I am wary of the fact that my phone and internet data records can be accessed so easily and I wasn’t fully aware of it.”

This internal conflict between our nationalistic tendencies and how we feel about domestic sur-

certing.

Those who complain about this requirement are naive to the benefits that come with learning another language. By now everyone has heard that learning another language will help increase future job opportunities, obtain a greater awareness and appreciation of another language and culture, and gain the ability to communicate with natives while abroad. However, perhaps the most fascinating and little-known aspect of becoming multilingual is that the languages we learn actually shape the way we think. Therefore, the more languages we are able to comprehend, the broader we are able to expand our awareness of the world.

Learning new languages creates the opportunity to form new pathways in one’s brain.

Based on this information, what do you imagine the shape of your own thought processes to be? It takes some creativity to even con-

template the meaning of this question but I encourage you to try it.

If you had asked me five years ago, I would tell you that my thoughts were shaped in a pretty straightforward line. This was before I began learning other languages. Since then I have accumulated at least listening and writing fluency in three foreign languages in addition to my knowledge of English. Due to this, the literal and systematic shaping of my thought processes has inevitably been altered.

An intriguing new study in Scientific American shows that language truly does hold the ability to shape one’s thoughts. In this research, an example was shown of a five-yearold girl in an aboriginal community on the edge of Cape York in northern Australia. The lead researcher asked the child to point north.

She did so without hesitation, and after checking his compass, the researcher verified her answer. Subsequently, the researcher asked the same question of a lecture hall full of distinguished scientists, and they all pointed in random, unconfident directions. This enormous gap in cognitive ability shown between a toddler and grown intellectuals is entirely due to language ability.

The dialect that the young girl speaks in her community requires her to know her spatial relationship at all times, thus ensuring that she will always be fully aware of her surroundings. Quirks such as those found in this eccentric dialect are found in all languages.

Therefore, though it is no simple task to become multilingual, espe-

veillance programs is a struggle that all Americans are currently trying to sort through. Sifting past various arguments surrounding Snowden’s education, his Russian asylum, whether he should be punished or not and if he betrayed his girlfriend, we always come back to the same burning question: Do we, as American citizens, hold safety of fredom more closely to our hearts?

Lindsay Philpott, FCRH ‘16, is an IPE major from Bergenfield, N.J.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Edward Snowden leaked NSA documents jeopardizing national security.

Global Economy Calls for Multilingualism

By FELICIA CZOSCHANSKI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As the fall semester begins, so do the collegiate “new year’s” resolutions. Students flock to the fitness center, entirely convinced that they will have the energy to wake up and work out at an ungodly hour for the rest of the semester. Homework is done within hours of being assigned. Not even a lack of air conditioning can deter students’ determination to make this year the best yet.

However, as we approach the third week of classes, it becomes clear who the complainers are on campus. Apparently the food does not meet the standards of a homecooked meal, and the incessant security alerts make people want to cancel their Gmail accounts. As far as academic complaints go, many students are frustrated with the language requirement. To me, the last complain is especially discon-

ELIZABETH ZHANGI/THE RAM

Exploring new languages can helps one’s cognitive abilities and one’s resume.

cially simultaneously, it provides benefits that are inevitably useful and increase one’s intelligence and knowledge about the world. By creating new pathways within one’s brain, one’s knowledge capacity is expanded and thus one’s thought processes become more attuned to picking up new information about the world and one’s life.

Therefore learning a new language becomes more than just a new set vocal symbols, accents, and grammatical rules. It allows one to know one’s exact surroundings, understand how to pick up on the differences between two seemingly similar situations or events and become attuned to having the fullest life experience possible.

All students partaking in the language requirement should be grateful for the opportunity. Fluency is not necessary to reap the benefits that comes with learning a new language. Quite honestly, all students who are interested in making the most out of their higher education should seriously consider investing time in learning new languages.

Research has proven that this skill imparts different cognitive abilities, including increased awareness in aspects of space and time.

Learning new languages is like the imprinted pathway that the ocean waves leave on the sand around the jetty, and fortunately the opportunity to grasp it is present at this university. All one has to do is find the tenacity to reach for it.

Felcia Czoschanski, FCRH ‘17, is from Metuchen, NJ.

OPINION

Page 10

September 11 2013

Is Snapchat Bringing Us Closer Together?

By REGAN WINTER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With the introduction of social media into our culture, brevity has quickly become a quality our generation appreciates. This is best exemplified by the different characteristics that define each media outlet. Statuses on Facebook present snapshots into the lives of our peers, while constrained 140-character tweets may give a play-by-play record of the thoughts of not only our friends, but also famous actors, athletes and even the pope.

The game changed when media apps such as Instagram and Snapchat allowed users to share only a picture, sometimes with a caption, to express an idea. The idea was expanded even further with new options of video sharing. In December 2012, Snapchat launched an update to its app that allows users to send videos up to 10 seconds long to contacts. This opened the door for new outlets like Vine, which was created in January 2013, quickly following Instagram by adding a video option to its app.

While this appreciation of brevity may be seen as a regression in communication as our generation uses words less and less to communicate, I see these new forms of social networking as a positive.

Each application allows users to create videos under 15 seconds, the perfect length of time to hold a viewer’s interest without inconveniencing them or distracting them from other activities or obligations.

Within a minute, viewers can experience a band in Brooklyn, the sound of waves in North Carolina, a walk past the Eiffel Tower and even what a celebrity ate for breakfast.

There is an intimacy in video

watching and making. Through the videos, viewers experience life and experience from the maker’s eyes.

This is also how video interfaces inspire creativity in users. While it is easy to film surroundings walking to class or of a clip of a movie on TV, many users of Instagram video and Vine spend a lot of time creating ideas for their videos and even more time creating and editing the videos themselves. The ability to edit jump cuts into these short videos offers limitless possibilities of what creators can share in just six seconds.

Video sharing apps offer a new and possibly more efficient method of connecting with people all over the world. They promote a more globalized community. Not everyone in the world speaks the same language, but we can all understand the sights and sounds an individual chooses to share with the world around him or her.

Christiana Shovlin, FCRH ’16, believes there is value in video sharing. She says there is a sort of “face-to-face value” of sharing videos and clips of your life as opposed to text messages, phone calls

ELIZABETH ZANGHI//THE RAM

Snapchat allow users to share short clips, leading to the rise of bite-size content.

or posts on Facebook. However, it also depends on the social media outlet. Vine, she says, is not really important in terms of quality communication or interaction. With the decline in popularity of Facebook, though, she thinks that people will return to a more face-to-face method of communicating, hence the importance of video sharing apps.

Others, however, do not share this same view. Glen Morrice, FCRH ’16, does not believesvideo sharing apps are superior to other forms of social networking. He says a minority of users will utilize the apps in innovative or creative ways, while most others will instead just make useless videos, , and not use the apps how they were intended.

He also thinks that the videos do not have the ability to communicate complete or thorough thoughts and that usage of these outlets promotes isolation as people may Snapchat each other videos “as they’re sitting right next to each other at lunch.”

Whether people like it or not, video sharing has become a part of our generation’s culture, may it be through Snapchats, or celebrity Vines or filtered videos on Instagram. As more and more users become accustomed to and begin to frequent these outlets, we may see more websites and more apps integrating the ideas of brief, attentiongrabbing videos. This might be the next big “thing” in the ways of communication, or it could just be the next wave of social media that will flop terrifically and be forgotten in a matter of years. Until that is apparent, I will continue to send all my friends videos of my feet as I walk to class.

Regan Winter, FCRH ’16, is an Rnglish major from Westlawn, Pa.

Fordham Makes Strides, With Plenty More To Go

By MARISA RAMETTA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

During the summer months, Fordham has upgraded many of its facilities, especially its dining services. From Panda Express to Auntie Anne’s to the extended hours in the Marketplace, Fordham made needed changes and improvements. However, there are still aspects of the university and campus life that students want changed.

While many of the responses to new dining options on campus are positive, commuter students are still looking for more convenient options. Currently, the lowest

meal plan is the Block 60, which is 60 swipes per semester and $50 in declining balance. Some students would like it if there was a meal plan available that was solely declining balance without the swipes.

“I like the new places to eat on campus, but as a student living off campus I wish I could buy a meal plan with just money towards declining balance that I could use at each place around campus,” said Victoria Benedetto, GSB ’15.

“This way I do not spend money on an entire meal plan when I only use the declining balance and the swipes just go unused.”

Shifting to an academic stand-

point, some feel the advising staff in GSB can be improved. “I think that the Gabelli advising staff has to be more hands on and involved on a personal level with students’ educational background and future,” said Lindsey Marron, GSB ’15. “The ratio of advising staff to students should be smaller because remaining in communication with a dean is a struggle.”

In Fordham College, a classroom of students is each given their own advisor until they declare a major and then they get a specific advisor who specializes in that subject. In Gabelli, however, there is just a dean for each class.

The problem that students

ELIZABETH ZHANGI/THE RAM

While students look to pick up a copy of The New York Times each morning, many are left with The Wall Street Journal

such as Lindsey Marron have with this method is that because of the large amount of students per class, it is nearly impossible for a dean to dedicate ample time to each student for their individual concerns.

Moving along to student life, Fordham claims that The New York Times is readily available on campus. However, students wish to see the newspaper offered in more places around campus.

Some students, for example, mention that it would be convenient to have the paper in Così, The Grille or other eateries on campus throughout the entire day.

Plenty of students who frequent the pages of The New York Times are not aware that it is distributed throughout campus, let alone on a daily basis. Improved circulation can change this for the better.

Yes, it is true that Fordham has made some great changes over the summer that are much appreciated by students. However, there are always areas that need improvement.

Simple changes, as expressed by students throughout this article, can be made and gradually we can take steps to make Fordham University an even better place to be.

Marisa Rametta, FCRH ’15 , is a psychology major frrom Wayne, N.J.

John P. Castonguay Moving Beyond Awareness For the past couple of weeks, three major quesstons have dominated conversations among Fordham University students: “How was your summer?” “Did you see what Miley Cyrus did at the VMA’s?” and “Have you heard what is going on in Syria?” I am impressed that Fordham students are taking an interest in the violence occurring in a country that many Americans could not place on the map, but I am dissatisfied with limitations on the discourse in its present form.

One of the values that has been drilled into my head since I started attending Fordham University is the need for an increased awareness of the world around me: “You need to read this newspaper/watch this show/read this book/travel to this country, because it will make you more aware of the world around you.” I agree that having a greater understanding of other cultures and current events is good, but only when it serves a higher purpose; “being aware” by itself is not the ultimate goal.

Too often it seems that people seek knowledge of world events for the purpose of seeming “cultured” and intelligent.

They are less concerned with the suffering of the people of Syria than they are with the people around them knowing that they can properly pronounce Bashar al-Assad. This is a betrayal of the true purpose of awareness.

True awareness of the events of the outside world should lead to an understanding of our connection with other human beings and inspire empathy and compassion.

In the words of Thomas Merton, “The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.”

Ideally, this compassion grows to inspire action, and this is my primary objection to the current approach taken by the average citizen to the events in Syria: little or nothing is being done.

Some may have participated in Pope Francis’s call for fasting and prayer, but for the most part people are content to be aware, to know but not to care, or perhaps to care but not to act. More than 100,000 people have been killed and millions have been displaced; it is not enough to merely be aware. A number of organizations attempting to aid Syrians exist that would appreciate the time, effort and ingenuity of Fordham students.

If you prefer political activism, writing to your representative or working for a campaign are possibilities. If you are religiously inclined, I think the people of Syria would appreciate your prayers.

Syrians and others who suffer around the world deserve more than mere awareness of their existence, and as fellow human beings, we must recognize our duty to act with compassion. Please do not just settle for “being aware.”

Arts & Entertainment

September 11, 2013

Page11

MDMA, Rave Culture Called into Question After Deaths

By OLIVIA AMITRANO CONTRBUTING WRITER

“The person next to you needs you,” reads the brilliant 40-foot block lettering that illuminates the massive stage as a passionate DJ flails to the beat of his creation. In a sea of thousands of people, some of whom have traveled across the globe just to be here, the body heat is almost unbearable, but the magic of being a part of something bigger than yourself helps you forget. You are forced within inches of strangers, creating a rush of intimacy in the crowd as a sultry female voice echoes through building-sized speakers.

“Being young and feeling high,” he sings, and the eyes of those around you close as hands begin to rise. Sparkling confetti lights the black sky, while fireworks burst and sizzle in front of your eyes.

The music builds until you feel the bass in your chest. As the beat drops, the crowd unites to jolt into the air, crashing down hard to the blaring beat and dancing until the temporary calm returns. Welcome to Electric Zoo 2013.

The scene at Electric Zoo (stylized EZoo) is similar to any electronic dance music (EDM) event.

Everyone is dressed in vibrant colors, decorated with glitter and paint. Some attend in costume to express their “inner animal” in a place where they feel accepted. A sign in the crowd reads, “everyone here loves you.” This is the motto of rave culture, motivated by its signature acronym ‘PLUR,’ standing for Peace, Love, Unity and Respect. When I first learned about dance festivals, I was told that while there you can be your true self. No one would judge the way I

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

headlineheadlineheadline

danced, looked or dressed. Everyone is there for the same reason: the music and the energy.

It is safe to say that EDM has exploded in America. At EZoo, attendance has risen from 10,000 in 2003 to over 185,000 in 2012.

During the performance of a headliner at EZoo, the sheer mass of people confirms those statistics.

Above and Beyond, a British DJ duo flashed a series of declarations throughout their set. “This is our time,” the words read. “The 70s had disco, 80s had rock, and 90s had pop… The new millennium brought something new and exciting. Together, we are the electronic music generation.”

Each genre of music mentioned has a stereotypical drug association. Hippie culture of the 70s is

connected to cannabis and LSD, and rock culture is often associated with heroin. Today, you can tune in to any popular radio station and hear the nonchalant mention of “molly,” slang for MDMA, also called “ecstasy,” which produces euphoria, a sense of emotional connection with others - and an increased appreciation for sound, color and light. The elements of raves, such as the intense light shows and the mesmerizing repetitive melodies, happen to stimulate the psychoactive components of “molly.”

It is easy to see why many speculate that these shows are tailored to MDMA’s effects, therefore promoting its usage. It’s no secret either that this usage is common.

Some websites such as thedea.

org claim that MDMA is a “safe” substance in moderation, whereas drugabuse.gov warns of cardiovascular failure and death. Unfortunately for Olivia Rotondo, 20, and Jeffrey Russ, 23, the worst-case scenario occurred. They passed away due to MDMA-related illness, leading to the cancellation of closing night.

Following the deaths, social media roared. Countless people on the internet belittled festivalgoers for being “druggies.” Some felt the cancellation was extreme, but most were frightened and empathetic. Several voiced disappointment that dance culture is now associated with drug overdose and danger. Fans proudly publicized their sober attendance to festivals, explaining that the music should

be enough. For most music lovers, it is. Regrettably, festivals have become a place for our generation to experiment with drugs that have the potential to go gravely awry.

Through tragedy, there is a lesson to be learned. Street drugs are not safe. Those ingesting these substances are not scientists, and you can never be sure what you are taking. Even if MDMA in laboratory settings has not proved fatal, do not be fooled into thinking someone is selling you pure MDMA. Many pills are cut with fillers like speed and heroin, and none of us are invincible. Consider this before you make a decision that could take your life, and remember that the music and unity of the crowd are enough to have a beautiful EDM experience.

Cowboys Don’t Sing, But They Do Give Interviews

By MICHAEL CHARBONEAU STAFF WRITER

That worn out back-to-school question, “What did you do this summer?,” has been tossed around quite a bit in the past few weeks, and, as usual, it has been met with a range of worn out responses: I interned. I worked.

I slept. But for Dennis Flynn, FCRH ‘12 and Johnny Kelley, FCRH ‘13, this past summer has been much more interesting than most. They created an awardwinning Western musical that is now in the midst of an encore run at a theatre in Manhattan. How is that for productive?

Their brainchild is called Cowboys Don’t Sing, and it’s been gaining some serious momentum in the past few months. The show premiered in February 2012 at Fordham’s Blackbox, but the real story begins with Flynn and Kelley three years earlier.

Surprisingly, they had only limited experience with drama before embarking on the Cowboys adventure. Kelley made his first appearance onstage while

still in high school, playing Helen Keller’s father in The Miracle Worker: “I learned sign language, wore a fake goatee, and pretended the whole time like I knew what I was doing,” he said. It was

not until they came to Fordham that they gained real experience performing and started developing their creative vision. Kelley joined Fordham Experimental Theater, and both he and Flynn

tried out for Fordham’s improv comedy troupe, now known as Stranded In Pittsburgh. During this time they developed their unique taste for comedy, which became the catalyst that led to

Cowboys. “I think Johnny and I both approach everything from a comedy-first perspective,” said Flynn.

It was not long before the two decided to start working on their own script. Kelley had performed in a number of student-written plays through FET, and this gave Flynn the idea to write a play of their own. They cite the late Fordham Professor, Meir Ribalow, former artist-in-residence in the Department of Communications and Media Studies, as a major influence on their work. His ideas about Westerns were especially important. With his expertise in mind, the two decided to try writing their own Western.

“Johnny suggested we do one, and then the title came about, causing us to work backwards on the story from the title, which is exactly what one should not do,” Flynn said.

Despite the odd approach, the two worked diligently and eventually came up with the script for what would soon be Cowboys.

CONTINUED ON PAGE #

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 14

September 11, 2013

Dining In: A Review Of New On-Campus Eats Grille.

Cosi

By JOHN BONAZZO THEATER CRITIC

ZeBi

Auntie Anne’s

By DANIEL FINNEGAN

By LINDSEY MARRON

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

Alas Fordham students, Sodexo has revealed a new dining option in the ground floor of Faculty Memorial Hall. With the recent renovations to the FMH lounge, a ZeBi’s dining service has opened. This locale is perfect for students craving a quick bite to eat in between classes, without having to trek outside the building. Services will be available from 7:30 am to 10:00 pm Monday thru Thursday, and from 7:30 am to 9:00 pm on Fridays, perfect for any students stuck searching for a meal during their nighttime class break.

As for the food, ZeBi offers an eclectic variety of choices for all students. These meals range from two types of sandwich (flatbread and wraps), to a number of salads and soups, while also offering coffee and small snacks at the counter. During my first visit to ZeBi’s, I ordered the spicy italian hero with Italian dressing.

While it may not match many of the famous Arthur Avenue delis, it shows a vast improvement in Fordham’s on-campus dining, providing a perfect small snack in between my two FMH classes.

Most importantly, ZeBi also accepts meal swipes, a recent addition by Sodexo at nearly all the food services on campus, making

With all of the new additions to Fordham’s formerly short laundry list of on-campus dining facilities, Auntie Anne’s is one that has definitely sparked some excitement. The classic pretzel stand, which offers a multitude of baked pretzel variations, is located in the basement of Queens Court. It has a designated area in SubConnection with its own individual stand. Auntie Anne’s does not follow the same hours of operation that SubConnection does; Opened Monday-Friday from 11:00am-midnight and Saturday-Sunday from 12:00pmmidnight, Auntie Anne’s prides itself on offering “little rewards” of hot, freshly baked pretzels that are much more than your average pretzel. A few of the innovative flavors include the cinnamon sugar pretzel nuggets, the pepperoni pretzel and the signature pretzel stix, which I recommended are dipped in the melted cheese sauce. But what is a salty pretzel without some sweet lemonade?

The Auntie Anne’s on Rose Hill features its original lemonade, as well as its lemonade mixers, which come in four different fruit flavors: Blue Raspberry, Cherry, Mango and Strawberry. All of the hype surrounding this classic pretzel stand is deserved. Auntie

When you walk into the new Cosi restaurant located underneath Campbell Hall, it is hard to believe you are in the same place where the Empire State Café stood just four months ago.

Gone are the coffeemakers, which have been replaced with convection ovens. The market that was in the left corner of the café is also now gone, making room for a larger amount of café-style seating, creating a nice atmosphere before you even order. The décor is more modern, utilizing a gray and beige paint scheme.

I had been to the Cosi in Union Square and enjoyed the experience, so when my friend and I went to try this new addition to Fordham Dining Services, I had high expectations. Thankfully these expectations were by and large met.

I started out by trying a strawberry smoothie, one drink option the Empire State Café never had. It was a tangy and sweet concoction.

The flavor was strong and a bit overpowering at first, but it settled down after a couple of sips into a pleasant taste sensation. The smoothies here are a good complement to those at Jamba Juice and the Millennium

For my dinner, I had a margherita pizza, which I had enjoyed at the Cosi in Manhattan. When the food was served tableside (a nice touch on a college campus), the server said “Sorry for the wait,” a considerate acknowledgement that my order had taken longer than my friend’s. I was impressed with this courtesy, which was consistent with what I noticed at other tables.

The pizza itself was very good, comparable in taste to the Union Square Cosi. The dough was soft and fresh, which this bread lover appreciated. The pizza had a rich, flavorful tomato sauce, which threatened to overwhelm the milder mozzarella cheese, but the two ingredients soon blended into a nice duo. There was the perfect amount of basil, giving a smooth, hardy finish to the dish. The crust was crisp and crunchy, cooked just enough so that the edges were slightly burnt, which I loved.

My friend had a chicken pesto sandwich, which he liked because the meat was good and fresh. He said that the pesto and cheese were flavorful together, but that the individual tastes did not really come out. In short, he said it was better than a Sub Connection sandwich, but did not have much variety.

The chips that came with the sandwich were crunchy and similar to those given at restaurants of a similar ilk, like Panera. They were not spectacular, but this was OK since the chips were a side dish rather than a specialty.

It was a good decision for Fordham to add Cosi during the Sodexo overhaul. There are some small issues in the early going, but by and large this is a good, modern restaurant which Fordham students should enjoy for years to come.

Panda Express

By DEVON SHERIDAN A & E EDITOR

According to the Wikipedia Page entry for Panda Express, the restaurant chain operates

in mall courts, airport plazas, college campuses and really any other place one would expect to find fast food restaurants lined up next to each other. There’s also a Panda Express in, get this, The Pentagon!

This fun fact has nothing to do with my review other than the fact that it’s hilarious to imagine that the Pentagon’s Panda Express looks like Fordham’s Panda Express, and by that I mean Fordham’s Panda Express looks like George Lucas and Doc Brown from Back to the Future collaborated on the design proposal. The interior, which was renovated this summer and is barely recognizable from the old Dagger John’s, features the color silver.

And that’s about it. The tables and chairs are metallic silver. The bar is, like, three different hues of silver.

And the walls! The walls are crazy.

If anything, go to Panda Express just to see the walls.

If you like Chinese food, though, stay for the food. Panda Express is buffet-style. They offer three sides, two of which are rice, the other chow-mein, or Chinese noodles.

As for entrees the choice is between Orange Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, Stir Fried Steak and a Chef ’s choice. Of course, the buffet is bookended by two choices of egg roll. For an entrée, a side and an egg roll the charge is around $7.

I thought this was about exactly what I should spend. Maybe the lady behind the buffet liked me, but my plate was filled with a heaping helping of food and my meal was very filling. I ordered the chowmein, orange chicken and an egg roll. The chow mein was dry, but quite tasty. I liked that it was not overly salty, as some Chinese noodles sometimes tend to be served that way. The orange chicken was not great and I probably won’t get it again. That being said both the beef and broccoli and the steak stir fry were super tasty from what I sampled. As for the egg roll, it was awful. I have no clue what was in it.

In fact, I have no idea what’s usually in an egg roll. Sheesh. Chinese food is kind of gross.

That being said, the Jamba Juice and the “Starbucks,” which share the same room as Panda Express, both look on par. All in all, it’s an upgrade. Huzzah Fordham.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

September 11, 2013

Page 15

Editor’s Pick: Beasts of the Southern Wild

By CANTON WINER

Alt-J ft. Royal Canoe When: Saturday, Sept. 14 What time: 7 p.m.

Where: Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 West 34th St. Price: $35 Drawing on alternative pop, folk, synth and hip hop, alt-J, a relatively new band from England, have been making headlines and making their way up the charts. If any of these musical elements sounds like your thing, or if you are already a fan, you can catch them this weekend at the Hammerstein Ballroom, a venue that needs to be seen regardless of the show. At $35, it’s guaranteed to be a good time, particularly if you are a fan of these indie Brits.

MANAGING EDITOR

Movies often carry us off to distant lands. Battles waged with sabers on the deserts of Arabia, brunch beneath the Eiffel Tower with Ernest Hemingway, life aboard a spaceship in a galaxy far, far away. The limits are essentially endless.

Beasts of the Southern Wild takes us to the Bathtub, an imaginary (but all too realistic) poverty-plagued island cutoff from the mainland. The Bathtub is characterized by streets made of swamp tributaries and neighborhoods made of ramshackle trailer homes, slapdash shacks and overturned oil barrels. But to Hushpuppy, the fierce six-yearold protagonist who lives there, the Bathtub is “the prettiest place on Earth.”

At its simplest level, this is the story of a community rocked and destroyed by the surge of a hurricane. The pangs of pain wrought

by Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans ring clear and true in Beasts of the Southern Wild, but the richness of this story cannot be simplified to merely that of a community facing a storm.

Hushpuppy is facing her own storm, her own beasts. Never knowing her mother, Hushpuppy struggles to find stability while living with her alcoholic, hottempered but ferociously loving father, Wink. Though only six, Hushpuppy is living her own coming-of-age story, and she lives it with a beauty and intensity unrivaled by any that I have ever seen.

On top of being forced to face a motherless childhood, a volatile home situation and the destruction of her community, there are literal beasts that Hushpuppy must face. These are not,

PHOTO COURTESY OF MOVIEPOSTERDB.COM

This year, Beasts of the Southen Wild was nominated for Best Picture.

however, beasts you have ever heard of. Aurochs, giant mythoprehistoric boars unleashed by the melting polar ice caps, storm toward the Bathtub to confront Hushpuppy.

Visually stunning, Beasts of the Southern Wild could stand on its cinematography alone. Yet the music is one of the film’s most elegant components. A gorgeous blend of Cajun, blues, zydeco and more, the score perfectly complements the film’s lyricism. The quirky interweaving of sounds as distinct as accordion, fiddle, celesta and pop beats is rich in emotion and irresistibly alluring.

The acting is also incredible.

Director Benh Zeitlin masterfully cobbles together a team of nonprofessional actors to create not only an American fable, but also a masterpiece. Wink, for example, is played by Dwight Henry, a bakery owner in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward. Even more impressively, at age nine,

Quvenzhané Wallis (who plays Hushpuppy) deservedly became the youngest Academy Award nominee for Best Actress in history. She captures Hushpuppy’s and the Bathtub’s primal energy, and gives an absolutely unforgettable performance.

Beasts of the Southern Wild is a movie that everyone should see.

Its richness allows the story to become whatever each individual makes of it. An explosion of Americana, Beasts of the Southern Wild is a coming-of-age bildungsroman evocative of To Kill a Mockingbird, a story of self-reliance against the safety nets of an industrialized world, a story of a community stubbornly resisting the rising waters surrounding it.

Movies truly do bring us to unfamiliar places. Beasts of the Southern Wild takes us to a land bursting with vitality and transports us to a remote emotional place. This movie is an experience that no one should miss.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Comedy Night with Hannibal Burress When: Sunday, Sept. 15 What time: 5:00 p.m.

Where: The Knitting Factory, 361 Metropolitan Avenue How much: Free!

If comedy is your thing and you are of the age of 21 (or at least claim to be), you definitely want to make a trip to the always awesome Knitting Factory in Brooklyn for an evening with the hilarious Hannibal Burress, who is fresh off his new Comedy Central special “Animal Furnace.” By the way, this event takes place every Sunday and is ALWAYS free, so keep it in mind if you cannot make it this weekend in particular. Past surprise guests have included Louis C.K., Sarah Silverman, and Robin Williams!

— COMPILED BY JACK MACGREGOR ASSISTANT ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Send tips, event listings or comments to fordhamramculture@gmail.com.

What a Blur: The Sex and Songs of the Summer

By KIERSTEN SCHMIDHEISER STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF AP PHOTOS/SCOTT GRIES

Cyrus and Robin are both focal points of recent sexually charged debate.

Whether the lines are blurred or not, they certainly have been crossed. Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke’s performance of “Blurred Lines” at the MTV Video Music Awards was, and still remains, a controversial topic, especially when it comes to the lack of dignity concerning women.

Cyrus’ excessive teddy-bear grinding, twerking and foam finger-related antics alongside Thicke evoked disdain from a variety of onlookers. The provocative performance instantly granted Cyrus Twitter fame, resulting in 306,000 tweets per minute directed to her account, according to a tweet from the pop star herself.

In a post-performance interview, Cyrus reacted to the infamy surrounding the performance in a positive manner, revealing that her and Thicke’s goal for the duet was to “make history,” likening it to the memorable performances of Britney Spears and Madonna.

Cyrus certainly gained the media’s attention, and there has since

been significant outrage and disgust directed at the 20-year-old star. The song itself and the messages it conveys seems to have been lost behind the dancing teddy bears and Cyrus’s audacious actions. The media is more intrigued by the twerking, booty grabs and vulgarities of both Cyrus and Thicke than in the lyrics of the song itself. Rumors surrounding potential infidelity by Thicke in his marriage have been equally detrimental.

The lyrics contain vulgar and offensive statements. Some of them take the human dignity away from women: “But you’re an animal, baby it’s in your nature.”

Other lyrics give women strict sexual commands: “get down, get up, do it like it hurt, like it hurt, what you don’t like work?” Worst of all, the chorus reveals the clear lack of sexual consent in the encounter portrayed in the song: “I hate these blurred lines, I know you want it...”

In response to this glorification of non-consensual sex, a group of women known as the Law Revue Girls created a parody from Thicke’s song titled,

“Defined Lines,” in which they switch Thicke’s lyrics “I hate these blurred lines,” to “that’s a sex crime.”

Thicke’s lyrics, however, are only part of the problem; the rest lie in his music video, which the Law Revue Girls continued to parody. In his video, Thicke grinds and feels up the scantily clad dancers, even going so far as to blow smoke into one of his dancer’s faces.

Just as Cyrus tried to make white-girl twerking sexy, Thicke has also attempted to turn the vulgar into something sexually appealing: rape. And, according to a wave of angry tweets and YouTube parodies, they have both been unsuccessful. Thicke so aptly put it in his song, “Go ahead, get at me” and he should prepare himself for just that response.

Whether Thicke knows what he is getting himself into or not, we can be assured that fans have spoken up and will continue to speak up against the raciness and vulgarity of Thicke’s song, whether he gives his consent or not.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 16

WHO’S THAT KID?

Van doesn’t run on Sundays in the summer.

EMILY ROCHETTE

What is your favorite class at Fordham?

I loved Marketing to Young Consumers, which I took last semester with Professor Linette Attai. She was so knowledgeable and experienced and the amount of work that goes into effectively selling products to children is fascinating. I also love the Spanish classes I have taken with Profesora Patricia Romero. She was the best professor I’ve ever had and I learned so much from her.

A MEMBER OF GSB ‘14 MAJOR: MARKETING MINOR: SPANISH HOMETOWN: BUDD LAKE, NJ Describe yourself in a couple sentences for the readers.

I am an only child (with no cousins) who came to Fordham looking to stay in New York City. I’m peaceloving and enjoy helping others and making people happy.

If there was one thing about Fordham you could change what would it be?

We’re a campus full of nice people, but we still have a long way to go as a student body when it comes to using inclusive language, being accepting of all people, and treating others with respect.

What is your favorite thing to do in New York City?

I LOVE eating at PJ Clarke’s near

Lincoln Center. They have the best cheeseburgers I’ve ever had and the atmosphere is really fun. I’ve tried to bring as many people there as I can during my time here– my friends, boyfriend, roommate, even my mom, all of whom have had a really great time.

What is something about you that not many people know?

I was part of a hip-hop dance workshop that performed at Alvin Ailey studios in Manhattan last year.

Something else I’m really proud of is, over the summer, my roommate (coincidentally also named Emily) and I walked from the Rose Hill campus to Lincoln Center.

That’s what happens when the Ram

What show, food, artist or movie would you consider your “guilty pleasure”?

Honey Boo Boo. Everyone judges me for it, but I think we all have something to learn from a family who is happy and proud to be who they are despite all the critics.

What is the biggest misconception people have about you?

That my last name is pronounced “row-shet” instead of “row-shot.”

People have gotten it wrong my entire life, and I just wish they would see

September 11, 2013 the “o” in it.

What is your favorite song of 2013 so far?

Although it’s from 2012, because it didn’t become big until 2013, I’m going to say “Same Love” by Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis. I am an ally to the LGBTQ community and I love how this song helps to raise awareness about loving one another.

Do you have plans, career or otherwise, for post-college life?

Ever since high school, I have wanted to work in advertising targeting the Hispanic demographic within the United States. I always swore I’d be that kid who didn’t change their mind during college, but over the last year my dream of being a wedding planner has grown bigger and bigger.

What activities, clubs, projects or organizations are you involved with at school?

This is my second year as United Student Government’s Vice President of Student Life, where I also chair the House Committee. It is also my third year as a First Year Formation student facilitator and as an Orientation Leader. I work in the Library’s Reference Department and intern for the XO Group, known for theknot.com, downtown on the corner of Fulton and Broadway.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring with you?

Instead of an item, I would bring my mom. She’s my best friend, and we always have a great time together.

Although it’s probably not very nice, I’m now wishing she was stranded on a desert island.

PHOTO BY LIZZY ZANGHI/THE FORDHAM RAM

Emily gave the longest ‘Who’s That Kid’ answers ever, and for that The Fordham Ram loves her.

If you could go back to your first day at Fordham, what advice would you give yourself?

To work on putting myself first more often and making sure I do what needs to get done. That extra trip to the caf for an hour because I thought it would help me make friends was time that, looking back, I wish I had been doing academics instead.

Cowboys Keep On Singing CONTINUATION FROM PAGE #

Early on, the duo enlisted the help of another Fordham student, T.J. Alcala, FCRH ‘13, to help make their idea a reality. Kelley and Flynn initially sought him out to help with composing the show’s music. Alcala, who grew up taking piano lessons and also learned to play guitar, seemed a natural choice for such a role.

“Johnny and I had had experience playing music together before, so we had a certain amount of confidence that we might be able to make something good,” said Alcala. Later, Alcala would also take on the lead role of the show, giving him a unique view into both the creation and performance of Cowboys.

Writing and composing the music became a collaborative effort involving all three of them. Flynn penned most of the lyrics, and Kelley and Alcala composed music to go with them. Alcala sums it up like this: “When Dennis asked us for a

song, we’d ask for the background: some potential lyrics, the general mood, the arc of what’s being covered, etc. We’d then take that to a music room in Keating, Johnny with his guitar and I on the piano, and we’d just throw ideas at each other.”

Alcala describes the music, which is packed full of lyrical jokes, as “silly,” but also notes that it draws on a number of different genres. Audience members who listen carefully will be able to pick out traditional Old West melodies mixed in with elements of jazz, show tune duets and even “an almost-metal jam song.” Although it sounds strange, the eclectic mix is all part of the plan. Said Alcala, “We tried our best to pay tribute to the classic sounds and progressions of the Old West ... while at the same time including the variety of genres that tends to come from musicals.”

The show had its debut at Fordham in February 2012, and audiences loved it, though Flynn admits that “audiences in the

Blackbox will pretty much laugh at anything.” After its initial run at the Blackbox, the show appeared in a shortened fifteen-minute version at the West Village Musical Theater Festival in June 2012, where it won a number of awards, including Best Musical. But they were just getting started.

Last January, Kelley and Flynn decided on a whim to enter the FringeNYC festival, which bills itself as “the largest multi-arts festival in North America.” It attracts hundreds of theater companies from all over the world, and features a multitude of shows. It was a big step up from the intimate performances at the Blackbox, yet the two were unfazed: “We wanted to see just how big this Cowboys thing could get,” Kelley said.

The results were stunning. Cowboys, which features a cast entirely made up of Fordham alums, beat out nearly two hundred professional companies and took home the Overall Excellence Award for Best Book, Music, and Lyrics. Additionally, the play was one of ten

selected to appear in the FringeNYC encore series, giving it an extended run at the Players Theater in Manhattan.

Cowboys has shows scheduled through the end of September, but Kelley and Flynn are already planning for the next step on their adventure. “We have been in talks with various industry professionals about doing an off-Broadway run,. Flynn said, adding, “This encore series will not be the last time you see Cowboys.”

Nor will Cowboys be the end of the line for the duo. They are planning on continuing to work together and even hinted at “A few specific projects that are in the works.” One thing is for certain though: they have powerful chemistry as a creative team. Says “Dennis is one of my best friends, the funniest guy I know, and my roommate. We are gonna keep this up,” said Kelley.

“Yeah, at this point we are kind of stuck together,” added Flynn.

Stuck together, and well on the way to seeing their names in lights.

Karen Hill Being back at school is an exciting feeling, as there are many faces we missed over the summer and can’t wait to see. Unfortunately, amongst those faces is also the person you’ve dreaded seeing all summer — your ex. Do you say “hi?”

Do you stay cordial? Probably not, but, why can’t we all just be friends?

Staying friends with an ex is certainly easier said than done; however, it is an option worth evaluating. Holding onto the friendship is valuable because someone you once trusted and cared for is someone you can maybe once again trust and care on a platonic level.

There is no hard and steadfast rule when trying to let a former relationship evolve into a friendship.

The decision is neither based on how long you dated nor how much you had in common. The starting point is how you got along in the first place. For example you could have dated someone for two years and both loved mint-chocolate ice cream and read Hemingway, but that does not make you anymore compatible than chocolate and pickles.

The point of dating really and truly is to find out what you want from a partner. The true instances where you should avoid renewed contact is if the relationship was truly emotionally taxing on you.

There is more than just the Chris Brown and Rihanna type of abuse.

As I learned from my Abusive Relationships Peer Health Exchange Workshop, there are four types of abuse—physical, emotional, financial and sexual. If any of these instances happened where you partner regularly made you feel less then, then you should refrain from all contact.

If you were a chauvinistic boyfriend, you are going to be a chauvinistic friend who is a boy. If you were a jealous girlfriend, you are going to be an even more jealous ex-girlfriend. Maintaining a relationship on any level would be detrimental to your sanity and confidence. Not everyone is worth the effort. Some people might have just been a phase and you never really connected. Maybe it was just a physical attraction. Things like that do not need to continue.

Another factor to consider is how many mutual friends you had.

If you didn’t have many mutual friends it will make moving on for good easier. If you had a lot of mutual friends, being cordial is going to be mandatory. However, if things ended on a mendable note, don’t be afraid to strike up conversation and bring up old inside jokes. It’s okay.

You all had a moment in the past, and now it over.

The most important thing to be doing is making sure that you move on. I don’t recommend trying a friendship immediately. Give it time. See other people. Just don’t make things weird and you will know when things are weird. Don’t force it, but do try it. And I don’t have to tell you not to keep hooking up, do I? That’s a whole other Ramantic article.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

September 11, 2013

Page 17

Ram Reviews Television Review

Orange Is the New Black

By JOE VITALE ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR

When Orange Is the New Black (OITNB) aired on Netflix in July, its splash was as intense as that of its Netflix-produced predecessors: House of Cards, as well as the latest installment of Arrested Development. While the cut-throat Washington scene was miles ahead of the unfocused and uninteresting Bluth family, OITNB had appeared to satisfy many critics’ addiction to online television.

OITNB, from the start, is a show with guts. It is not afraid to make us cringe, not because it is awkwardly funny or morbidly repulsive, but because much of what happens is outright bizarre. For the most part, the shows’ viewers have never experienced what transpires within the fences of a women’s prison. OITNB is not afraid to convince us that this is probably to their benefit.

Our main inmate, a blond healthnut named Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling, FCLC ‘06), finds herself locked up for 13 months after being convicted of carrying drug money on an international flight. Her soft looks and her quiant lifestyle become her weakness, as her uppity white culture is one unwelcome within the prison walls. In one scene, we find Piper becoming aroused just by hearing the groceries her fiancé picked up at Whole Foods. So, yeah - she is one of “those white people.” Recently

Pippen

Modern Vampires of the City Vampire Weekend

PHOTO COURTESY OF APPHOTOS

What exactly is the criterion that constitutes a song of the summer? Or an album of the summer? The churning waves of Internet critique on pop culture, pop music and what-used-tobe-considered-indie music has turned into a constant drone of Buzzfeedianism. The radio charts no longer have empirical power over cultural popularity. In 2013, the lines are blurring.

In this climate, and with an ivyleague-confidant straightening of their Oxford collars, Vampire Weekend wrote and, earlier this summer, released their most grown-up album to date in Modern Vampires of the City. To say that lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig has matured (it’s been almost 3 years since the release of their sophomore album Contra) is not, however, to immediately hand an indictment against the blasé and college naiveté that made them so likable in the first place. Instead, the New York-based quartet is as dynamic as ever, ironic harpsichord and all.

The first single from Modern Vampires of the City, titled “Step,” recalls both the old campus dormitory and the new apartment on Astor Place. Yes, clandestinely present and infectiously jumpy from the start, the harpsichord is back. In “Step,” Koenig voices lyrics with a cadence more akin to West Coast 90’s rap (fitting enough, the song samples ideas from an “Old Souls of Mischief” tune) — a Cambridge flow, if you will. But keeping with the rap theme, the lyrics themselves, from a purely poetic and story-telling standpoint, are filled with double entendres and geographical references. “While home in New York was champagne and disco,” he sings in reference to his hometown and the party scene he had grown so used to, “I was entombed with a boombox and Walkman.” The lyrics get heavy, but like rap, it’s played off as one brushstroke in a much more dynamic portrait of an entire story.

MVOTC never gets too wistful.

Instead, just when listeners might lose touch, a patent groove swoops

in for the save. The album as a whole remains sonically grounded thanks to bassist Chris Baio and drummer Chris Thompson, who frequently yet understandably are overshadowed

by Koenig and keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij, the band’s primary writing duo. On MVOTC, Baio and Thompson sound like they never left Columbia’s campus, but instead gained tenure teaching a workshop titled “How to Make Any Song Everyone Will Want to Dance To.” The best parts, though, occur when everything is working together, mixing the old ingredients and the new. At the end of “Don’t Lie,” Koenig sings, “there’s a headstone right in front of you/and everyone I know.” It’s mildly drab stuff, right? But then, right before the song fades out, a short guitar solo plays. It sounds exactly like the same tone and guitar from the “Oxford Comma” solo. It’s a glimmer of hope and happiness, like a good thought that pulls you away from a train of more depressing ones.

If in the pop culture amalgamation Modern Vampires of the City struck less of a chord than its first or second album blame it on Koenig’s incisive lyrics which deal with themes of trivial youth, growing old and the struggle with religion. The album’s best moment is when Koenig’s voice cracks at the final chorus of the “Hannah Hunt” (their best and frankly most beautiful love song written to date, in my opinion just passing out “Bryn,” which I was always a sucker for).

It’s heartbreaking. But maybe some people don’t want to listen to Vampire Weekend be heartbreaking. Considering their original appeal, I suppose I get that. But wasn’t also not giving “a fuck about an oxford comma” always kind of sad in a way?

That this wasn’t the “Album of the Summer” shouldn’t stop you from giving it a listen. Vampire Weekend doesn’t seem to mind those blurred lines of objective success. This summer they released a cover of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.” When you listen to the cover it’s hard to think that these guys aren’t still having tons of fun.

less quick change during her big number, a great achievement.

Besides Martin, the other MVP is Patina Miller. From the first number, “Magic to Do,” she proves herself a divinely gifted singer, a great dancer and a catty, funny actress. She is a worthy heir to Ben Vereen, who played this

role in the original Broadway production.

Featuring sterling actors performing wonderful songs and death-defying acrobatics with equal ease, this production makes a case for the show as a treasure of the American musical theatre.

By DEVON SHERIDAN A & E EDITOR PHOTO COURTESY OF MOVIEPOSTERDB.COM

engaged to her fiancé Larry (Jason Biggs), the couple is attempting to fast-forward through the sentence so that their normal lives can resume as soon as possible. The inevitable bumps in the road, however, make the time seem more draining than they had presumed.

While there is an immediately complex web of characters, each of the women share something: They are, for the most part, at their respective low points in life. OITNB leaves us with the reality that it does not get any worse than living within the gates of the prison system, dealing with sexual threats from abusive guards and

consuming Class-D food day after day. Fortunately, many of the characters do not scurry along in vain. Each episode focuses on a specific woman, drifting from present to past, a time when their personal lives were southbound. It is a fascinatingly redemptive aspect of the series as each character becomes considerably more likeable with each episode.

In the end, however, OITNB tells a tale about making friends and finding redemption when the going gets tough. It’s no House of Cards, but it’s a much-needed spotlight on women, albeit those living in the vile and volatile world of prison.

Theatre Review

By JOHN BONAZZO THEATER CRITIC

Every Broadway musical worth its salt has one big showstopper of a number. No show currently on the boards, however, has a number as amazing and joyous as “No Time At All,” the ode to being young sung by Grandma Berthe. (Tony winner Andrea Martin, Young Frankenstein) This particular song appears midway through the first act of the Tony-winning revival of Pippin, now playing at the Music Box Theatre.

Martin not only sings about youth (in one of the score’s many great Stephen Schwartz songs) but she also proves her youthfulness by getting on a trapeze and executing a flawless routine that gets the audience cheering.

This warm, beautiful performance is just one of the many pleasures of this great revival.

The show, originally staged in the 1970s, tells the story of Pippin (Matthew James Thomas, Spider-Man), son of King Charlemagne (Terrence Mann, The Addams Family). Pippin originally wants to follow in his father’s footsteps as a great king and warrior, but the realization that Charlemagne is a corrupt ruler sours him on this idea. He then sets out to find his “corner of the sky,” looking for fulfilling work and hoping to find love along the way. The story is narrated by the Leading Player (Tony winner Patina Miller, Sister Act), who tries to help Pippin on his way to riches and glory.

Music Review

Pippen Directed by Diane Paulus Starring James Thomas, Terrence Mann and Andrea Martin One way this revival differs from any other production of Pippin is through the introduction of circus acrobatics into the performance. Many numbers feature either actors (like Martin) or professional performers flying through the air or walking the tightrope, adding to the playful spirit of the show. These tricks augment the original choreography by the great Bob Fosse. However, there is one number called “Simple Joys,” which, as its name suggests, could do with a little less circus ceremony.

Director Diane Paulus, who rightfully took home a Tony Award for her work, gives both the big acrobatic numbers and the smaller scenes of dialogue the requisite weight. She also helped the design team to create an atmosphere of play that is ingeniously turned on its head during the show’s finale.

Thomas is a sympathetic protagonist. His singing is flat in the early going, but he nails his big second act number, “Extraordinary.” Mann is a charismatic monster, who gets some of the best lines of Roger Hirson’s book. Rachel Bay Jones (Hair) is funny and sweet as Pippin’s love interest. Charlotte d’Amboise (A Chorus Line) is a hoot as Pippin’s evil stepmother, and she also executes a flaw-

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we tweet. @fordhamramonline @theram_sports

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join us. we’re building a multi-media team. contact us at: managingeditor@fordhamram.com

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Calculated net present values.

Then netted a 10-pounder.

September 11, 2013

Sports

Nebrich Leads Fordham to Upset of FCS No. 8 Villanova FROM FOOTBALL, PAGE 1

“Their quarterback was outstanding,” Villanova head coach Andy Talley said, referring to Nebrich. “He was the star of the game.”

The story of the game for Villanova was the Wildcats’ inability to hang onto the ball. On each of their final three possessions, the Wildcats coughed up the ball.

They had five fumbles total. Junior linebacker Victor DiFusco forced two of those fumbles and recovered another, earning him Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors.

“You can’t win a game against anybody when you’re turning it over five times,” Talley said. “We gave a good team too many opportunities.”

Fordham’s defense was much improved, compared to last week against Rhode Island. URI gashed Fordham for 433 yards of total offense, including a whopping 277 on the ground. The Fordham D was much improved against Villanova, though. The Wildcats gained 332 yards of total offense. Villanova gained 168 yards on the ground, though 57 of those yards came on a single run by Kevin Monangai in the third quarter.

“I think Coach [David] Blackwell and his staff put an excellent game plan together,” Moorhead said. “The kids played lights out.

They tackled much better; they got

STAFF WRITER

Fordham women’s soccer head coach Ness Selmani entered his 18th season at the helm in August, coming off a year in which his Rams had their hopes for a playoff bid ended by Saint Joseph’s last October. Selmani’s record has been as consistent as his tenure at Fordham, earning berths in the conference championships in five of the last 10 seasons.

Junior goalkeeper Ally White, who has played 245 minutes in four games this season, and senior defender Casey Nowakowski, who has played 478 minutes in five games, form a good core group of experienced players.

Fordham is also loaded with young talent. Ally Doyle, a freshman defender out of Fairfield Ludlowe High School, has started four games and has presence on both offense and defense, registering six shots in 388 minutes. Bryce Debolt, Turner Block and Nicole Bates also show a lot of promise.

The Rams started the season 0-3, losing to Manhattan, St. John’s and Rutgers. The lone goal over that three game stretch came from junior forward Kristina Maksuti against Manhattan, a score that forced the game into overtime.

Fordham would lose the last two by a combined score of 0-8. They would bounce back against Army, tying the game off of a Kelsey Dougherty Howard score in the 24th minute. Freshman Megan Fitzgerald started the game in net

Golf Ties for Ninth

By DREW CASEY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

Nebrich was impressive in his second collegiate start, scoring the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.

off the field on third down; they created turnovers and did a great job for four quarters, particularly in the second half.”

Fordham was also aided by a strong home crowd. The announced attendance was 5,178.

“That was a tremendous boost,” Moorhead said. “For two games now, the fans have given us a decided home field advantage.”

Villanova entered the game ranked eighth in the FCS media poll and 11th in the coaches’ poll.

The loss dropped the Wildcats to

19th and 20th, respectively, this week. After not receiving votes in either poll earlier this season, Fordham now sits just outside the top 25 in both polls.

Fordham’s next game is an even greater challenge. The Rams travel to Philadelphia to take on the Temple Owls this Saturday. Temple, an FBS program, benefits from being allowed 85 scholarships to Fordham’s 63. Last year, Fordham faced Cincinnati, another FBS team that competes in the same conference as Temple, and lost 49-17. Moor-

head is aware of the challenge but will not be intimidated.

“Our preparation won’t change,” he said. “It’s something we enforced [before the Villanova game]: Who you play doesn’t change the way you prepare. The margin of error against them will be smaller because of the 85 scholarships. As an FBS team, they’re very good players, very well coached.”

Still, 11 FCS schools have knocked off FBS opponents this season, so a Fordham win, however unlikely, is not impossible.

Women’s Soccer Has Sluggish Start to Season

By JAKE GROGAN

Page 19

and was replaced in the second half

by Ally White, who totaled 10 saves in the contest, and the match ended as a 1-1 draw.

Fordham would continue their turn around against Iona, getting its first win of the season thanks to a goal in the 26th minute by Jessica Widmann, a junior who missed all of 2012 with an injury. The defense gave up six shots, none of which were on goal.

When asked about the youth on

the back line before the Iona game, Selmani said, “I think our freshmen are doing a fantastic job and they are not playing like true freshmen…by the time the conference games begin, they will be playing like seniors.”

The six shots they gave up on Sunday certainly backs up that statement.

“We need to be much more aggressive about getting the ball in to the 18 yard box with the midfield-

ers supporting closer to the forwards,” Selmani said in regards to the offense.

The Rams have scored two goals in two games after scoring only one in three, but a greater offensive output would certainly be a nice supplement to a defense that is starting to play well.

Fordham will start a three game road trip against Dartmouth this Friday, as they look to improve to 2-3-1.

DAVID MYERS/THE RAM

Fordham has a chance to build on the Iona win with games against Dartmouth and Vermont this weekend.

The PGA Tour golf season may be winding down, but the Fordham golf season is just beginning. The team kicked off its fall campaign this past weekend at Seven Oaks Golf Club in Hamilton, N.Y. as part of the Colgate Fall Invitational.

After a rocky start that left the team in 12th place after the first round, the team rallied in Saturday’s second 18 to move into ninth place.

The team of five concluded play on Sunday and finished tied for ninth place with a 12 round cumulative score of 928, or 64 over par.

Junior co-captain Jeff Hogan led the way for the Rams, posting a three round score of 10 over par, including a two under par 70 on Saturday afternoon. Hogan, who finished 17th individually, is excited about what the rest of the season has in store.

“I’m really looking forward to being a leader on this team,” Hogan said. “I feel like my experience will help the new guys adjust quickly and not feel any pressure to play well but rather play the way they and I know how.”

Freshman Fernando Morett was second best for the team this past weekend. The local product, who played high school golf at The Loyola School in Manhattan, posted a 233, or 17 over par over the tournament’s 54 holes. In his first career collegiate event the freshman did not give in to any nerves.

“I was too excited to be nervous, so I just went out there and tried to have fun,” said Morett. “I didn’t play as well as I thought I would, but I think it was a good start to my career here at Fordham.”

Also finishing at 17 over par for the weekend was junior transfer Andrew Dufresne. Switching coasts from Saint Mary’s College of California, Dufresne struggled in his first round as a Ram, shooting 85, but roared back after getting back in the swing of things with consecutive rounds of two over par 74.

Senior co-captain Brandon Nolan and junior Ben Alcorn rounded out the team. Nolan finished tied for 48th place, but posted a one over par 73 in the second round. Alcorn finished at 32 over par for the tournament.

As for the champions of the tournament, Jared Mactas of Lafayette College took home the individual title with an impressive score of one under par. Binghamton University captured the team title with a 12-round cumulative score of 16 over par.

The Colgate Fall Invitational marked the first of seven fall tournaments for the Rams, and the team has high expectations going forward.

“We have a deep freshman class and we’re really excited on where we’re heading in the future,” Hogan said.

That future will continue to develop at the Adams Cup on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 16 and 17 at Newport National Golf Club in Middletown, R.I. The team will quickly turn around and compete in the Cornell Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 21 and Sunday, Sept.

22.

SPORTS

Page 20

Sept. 11, 2013

Nfl Blog

New NFL Season Will Bring Big Surprises

By ERIC MOLLO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As the NFL season kicks off, football fans are always looking for the unexpected: an electric rookie who takes the league by storm, or a talented journeyman who never got his chance to post the monster stat line of which he’s always been capable. Last year, we watched some players and teams break onto the scene. Patriots running back Stevan Ridley posted his first 1,000-yard season, and the Seahawks proved they might be the Super Bowl favorites for 2014. This is what keeps NFL fans hooked: previously unheralded stars and breakout performances that can carry their team to February’s most important Sunday.

So the question is: Which nonames will become stars, and which bottom-dwellers will compete for a playoff spot in 2013?

I put together a list that provides the answers: four contenders and four unsuspected stars. It’s what every NFL fan is wildly curious about after Week 1.

My four contenders: 1. The Carolina Panthers If you just watched the last six weeks of the 2012 season, you would have thought Carolina was a playoff team. The Panthers won five of six games, posting over 30 points in four of those wins. Cam Newton’s play improved dramatically, and Luke Kuechly proved to be the league’s best young linebacker. I won’t guarantee a playoff spot, but last year’s 7-9 team will contend come December.

2. The Detroit Lions The Lions are way too talented to play golf in January. With the addition of rookie Ziggy Ansah, Detroit may have the best defensive line in football, and Matthew Stafford’s measley 16-touchdown season in 2012 has fluke written all over it. I think they are going to win at least 10 games and make the playoffs.

3. The New Orleans Saints It might be a surprise that the Saints are on this list. With a defense decimated by injuries and an inconsistent run game, the Saints have some serious gaps. But I think they will overcome their shortcom-

ings. Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston are touchdown machines, and I think New Orleans will win multiple shootouts. I project 10 wins and a playoff spot for New Orleans.

4. The Cleveland Browns Yes, the Cleveland Browns. That was not a typo. Former Ravens star Paul Kruger and first-round pick Barkevious Mingo round out an impressive pass rush, and Josh Gordon (suspended), Trent Richardson and Greg Little put together an intriguing offensive trio. The Browns will miss the playoffs, but they’ll contend in December. I expect a .500 record from these Midwesterners.

My four breakout players: 1. Browns tight end Jordan Cameron Week 1 was a sign of things to come. Cameron posted 108 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, and the highly-athletic USC product plays in a tight-end-heavy offense with one of the league’s best offensive lines. With Rob Gronkowski coming off of an injury, Cameron could prove to be the league’s best tight end aside from Jimmy Graham.

2. Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders Football fans have probably seen Sanders’ name from time to time, but I think this is his big year. As Ben Roethlisberger’s No. 2 target, he should get plenty of throws his way. He may be in line for his first 1,000-yard season.

3. Redskins receiver Pierre Garçon Why is Garçon on this list? He’s a proven receiver, played in a Super Bowl and is already Washington’s No. 1 receiver. But, Garçon has not yet reached the star potential that Washington fans have salivated over. I think this is his year. He’s in line for a 1,000-yard campaign.

4. Bears defensive tackle Henry Melton Defensive tackle isn’t a sexy position, but people should start paying attention to Chicago’s budding star.

The playmaker posted 13 sacks in the past two seasons and made his first Pro Bowl in 2012. Expect him to make another in 2013.

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/theram_sports

Varsity Scores & Stats

Football Villanova 7 14 3 0 24 Fordham 7 10 3 7 27 (VU) J. Robertson 10 car 2TDs (FOR) M. Nebrich 20 car 2TDs Men’s Soccer Fordham 2 0 2 Virginia Tech 0 1 1 Goals: Agostino (FOR) 16’ Gulbins (FOR) 43’ Lauretano (VT) 73’ Yale 0 0 0 Fordham 1 1 2 Goals: Walsh (FOR) 6’ Cupolo (FOR) 71’ Women’s Soccer Fordham 0 0 0 Rutgers 03 3 Goals: Filigno (RU) 76’ Tiernan (RU) 80’ Puchalski (RU) 86’

Army 1000 1 Fordham 1 0 0 0 1 Goals: An (ARMY) 10’ Dougherty-Howard (FOR) 23’ Iona 00 0 Fordham 1 0 1 Goals: Widmann (FOR) 25’

Volleyball Fordham 25 25 21 3 Navy 18 21 17 0 (FOR) B. Delsing 10 kills (NAVY) K. Sylakowski 9 kills

Canisius 25 22 28 19 15 2 Fordham 21 25 26 25 17 3 (CU) E. Elek 15 kills (FOR) B. O’Neil 21 kills

Women’s Cross Country Fordham Fiasco West Virginia 25 25 25 3 5K 21 15 23 0 A. Arsenault 2nd-18:46.12 Fordham M. Lieberman 10th 19:30.73 (WVU) H. Sackett 14 kills (FOR) L. Hipp 7 kills Men’s Cross Country Norfolk State 6 15 19 0 Fordham Fiasco Fordham 25 25 25 0 5K J. Annelli 7th- 26:22.22 (NSU) J. Johnson 4 kills (FOR) B. O’Neil 11 kills

Athletes of the Week Each week The Fordham Ram’s Sports editors honor one male athlete and one female athlete for their on-field performance as its “Athletes of the Week.”

Victor DiFusco

Briana O’Neil

Junior

Sophomore

Football

Volleyball

DiFusco was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week after recording seven tackles, forcing two fumbles and recovering a third in the Rams’ 27-24 win over Villanova.

O’Neil had a career-high 21 kills in the Rams’ three-set victory over Canisius at the Golden Horseshoe Challenge in Morgantown, W. Va. She finished the tournament with 40 kills in four games.

News & Notes

WIKIMEDIA

Eli Manning and the Giants are looking forward to another exciting NFL season.

• Fordham football received 18 votes for the top 25 in this week’s Football Championship Series Coaches Poll. The 27-24 victory over Villanova has knocked the Wildcats down to No. 20.

• Junior linebacker Stephen Hodge was one of five players named to the weekly FCS All-Star list from College Sporting News. Hodge played a key role in the Villanova win, registering nine tackles, a pass breakup, a sack and a fumble recovery.

• Members of the Fordham women’s basketball team volunteered at the children’s events in the 2013 TOUGHMAN Triathlon on Saturday in Croton Point, N.Y. The Rams assisted in organizing the youth participants and made the day more enjoyable for all.

• Fordham baseball hired Chris Bresnahan as a volunteer assistant coach.

Bresnahan recently finished his baseball career at Elon University, where he helped the Phoenix win the 2013 Southern Conference Championship and earn an automatic NCAA Tournament berth.

SPORTS

September 11, 2013

Page 21

Fordham Shuts Out Yale, Wins Home Opener Women

Win Cross Country ‘Fiasco’

By MAX PRINZ ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The Fordham men’s soccer team kicked off its home schedule in a big way with a 2-0 shutout win over the Yale Bulldogs Friday night. Sophomores Ryan Walsh and Ryan Cupolo were the goal scorers for the Rams, and graduate student Alex Naples made nine saves for his first clean sheet of the year.

Fordham held a 1-1 record going into Friday night’s matchup with the Bulldogs. Fordham split a pair of matches at the JMU Invitational the week before. Their first match, against James Madison, was a 2-1 loss in double overtime. A penalty kick in the 107th minute of the match was the determining factor in that loss.

The Rams were able to bounce back from disappointment and defeat Virginia Tech 2-1. Freshman Jon Agostino and senior Taylor Gulbins scored the pair of goals for the Rams, to give the team its first win over the Hokies since 1996, when both schools were members of the Atlantic 10.

After splitting the two matches at the JMU Invitational, the Rams returned to the friendly confines of Jack Coffey Field to take on Yale.

The match started with Yale playing strong defense and knocking the Rams back on their heels. The Bulldogs got a strong chance and were awarded a corner kick less than five minutes into the game.

Despite the early Bulldog intensity, the Rams persevered and launched a counterattack. A de-

Men Take Third at Van Cortlandt Park

By BRYAN KIEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

RAM ARCHIVES

Nathaniel Bekoe’s corner kick in the 72nd minute led to Ryan Cupolo’s goal that gave Fordham a 2-0 lead over Yale.

fensive clearance got the ball out in front of senior Michael Stalker, who made a run and an excellent cross, which resulted in the Ryan Walsh goal, just 6:24 into the game.

“Normally what we do is we try to figure out how the other team plays and we adjust to that,” senior Nathaniel Bekoe said. “We figured that [Yale] would press really hard, and we would try to just break the high line and get a fast break and go. We got a goal quickly so we were able to counter their play.”

After the goal, the Rams began executing with confidence. They did not accrue many scoring chances, but their ability to move the ball around the pitch and find open

teammates kept them in the lead.

The Bulldogs did not give up, taking 10 corner kicks and registering nine shots on the day, but the Rams’ passing abilities and steady goalkeeping from Naples proved to be a winning formula.

“One thing we did really well was keeping the ball moving a lot,” Bekoe said. “This team was pressing a lot, so we couldn’t move it as much as we wanted, but we need to find a way to do that even better. We should still be able to find a way to play with teams like that; still keep the ball and pass it around. We did that in some moments in the game, but we still could be better.”

The Fordham team play kept the

score 1-0 until the 72nd minute when the passing led to a scoring chance that would put the game away. Sophomore Ryan Cupolo put a Bekoe free kick in the back of the net, giving the Rams a 2-0 lead. That lead would hold, giving the Rams a big win in their home opener.

“I was happy with some parts of the game,” Bekoe said. “The win was great but we really didn’t play as well as we expected to play. It’s still a win, so I gotta be happy.”

The Rams are scheduled for another road trip, going to Northeastern on Sept. 10 and Army on Sept. 14 before returning home for a match with Stony Brook on Sept.

20.

cord. Fordham fell just short of a win against Navy, losing the game by only one goal (11-12). Down by two with two minutes to go, Ben Clinkinbeard netted one goal and the defense successfully held off Navy, earning one last possession and a chance to tie the game. However, they fell short. Lenihan led the team with five goals. In net, junior Noah LeBeau, in his first appearance of the year, saved a total of 10 shots, including two penalties and three steals.

The Rams persevered in their final game against Gannon and ended the weekend on a high note with a

10-7 victory. DeFontes scored four goals followed by Bobby Wurtz, Patrick Reyes, Allen, Clinkinbeard, Lenihan and Kern with one apiece.

LeBeau was in goal again and had another great game with nine saves.

Head coach Bill Harris, in his 10th season at Fordham, is expecting big things from his team this season. With only one freshman and a new transfer, the team is getting into the groove of playing with each other.

“We have great leadership this year,” said Harris. “Allen is a top scorer and Clinkinbeard is the playmaker.”

Harris also mentioned another new addition to the team, assistant coach Brian Bacharach.

“He brings a good virility to the team and we’re very excited to have him,” Harris said.

Although these are out-of-conference invitationals, the team is building up good confidence for the conference opener against Harvard on Sept. 21. Next up for the Rams is the Bucknell Invitational on Sept. 14 and 15. The team will play Washington & Jefferson and Diablo Valley College on Saturday, followed by Mercyhurst and Bucknell on Sunday.

Water Polo Starts Hot at Navy Invitational

By BETSY BOEHLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Fordham men’s water polo team kicked off its season with a fantastic start this fall, finishing the Navy Invitational in Annapolis, Md. with a 3-1 record. The team had a strong start to the weekend with back to back wins on Saturday, beating Salem International 14-13 and Notre Dame College 18-4.

It was a fight to the finish against Salem. After Fordham led the whole game by two, Salem International tied it up at 13 with only 48 seconds left, in the match. Sophomore Mike Hay secured the win with 27 seconds left netting his fourth goal of the game, a new career high. Senior co-captain Nick Allen also set a career high with six goals in the match. Sophomore Andrew Gonzalez, with two goals, and sophomores Patrick Lenihan and Landon Kern, with one goal apiece, also contributed to the Rams’ victory. In goal, sophomore Patrick Harrigan and senior Eric Mullery each played a half; Harrigan had three saves and Mullery had seven.

After the close win against Salem, the Rams came out hot in game two against Notre Dame. With an 8-1 lead after the first half, they closed the game 18-4. Allen and sophomore Davis DeFontes led the match with four goals apiece.

In goal, Mullery played two plus quarters and had two saves. He was followed by sophomore Sean Sullivan with one save and Harrigan with two.

Sunday ended with a .500 re-

ALLY WHITE/THE RAM

Fordham finished the Navy Invitational with a 3-1 record. The lone loss came against the nationally ranked Midshipmen.

Fordham men’s cross country season started with a bang at Van Cortlandt Park, where nine teams competed at the Fordham Fiasco Invitational. Placing third in team scoring, the Rams had five top-25 finishers, with sophomore Jonathan Annelli placing seventh overall with a time of 26:22 on the 8-kilometer course.

The Fordham Fiasco meet opened the season up for a strong men’s team, who placed 13th out of 16 in the Atlantic 10 championships last year on the 8-km course. Top returning runners include Anelli, who took 67th in the A-10 Championships last year, while placing 10th in the IC4A championship and third in the Tribe Open with a time of 25:50.

Other top runners from 2012 who returned this past Saturday include sophomores Quincy O’Connor and Mike Turi, as well as senior Tim Kazanjian.

O’Connor, whose best finish in 2012 was at the Tribe Open with a time of 26:14, ran a solid 27:09 on Saturday, placing 17th overall. Kazanjian took 20th, clocking in at 27:09, just three seconds behind his best time last year at the C.W. Post Invititational. Turi, who placed top 10 in multiple races last year, ran a 27:10 on Saturday, taking 22nd place.

Brian Walter, who did not run in the 2012 season, came in 21st place with a time of 27:10. Walter came in fourth for Fordham, adding depth to a strong top five.

The next race for the Rams is the LIU Post Invitational in Brookville, N.Y. The women’s cross country team had a fantastic day at Van Cortlandt, finishing first place out of eight at the Fordham Fiasco Invitational. Senior Anisa Arsenault led the Rams with a time of 18:46 in the 5k race, finishing second overall and just eight seconds behind first place finisher.

Arsenault continues a remarkable career as she heads into her senior year. Her junior year top finish times of 18:26 and 18:28 helped her place fourth in both the Metropolitan Championship and IC4A Championship, respectively.

Other top finishers on Saturday for the Rams included sophomores Mara Lieberman, Sarah Glockenmeier, Jillian Brooks and senior Christina Vivenetto. All five, including Arsenault, were top-16 finishers, giving the team a comfortable 13-point lead over the second place team, Monmouth. Lieberman, who ran a 19:41, is on track to have her best season thus far. Glockenmeier easily bested her top 2012 time with a time of 19:33. Perhaps what is most promising about the girls team this year is the fact that their top five, excluding Arsenault, finished within 15 seconds of one another, giving a strong team showing for the first meet of the season.

The Rams hope to continue their winning streak on Saturday as they run in the LIU Post Invitational.

Page 22

Kearns’ Kickoff Each year, millions of football fans eagerly await the opening Sunday of the NFL season. And with an astonishing 10 games decided by seven points or less, this slate of Week one games exceeded our lofty expectations. When games are this close, several plays usually decide the outcomes. Sunday was no exception, as the Jets and Giants games both swung on one play in the final two minutes. Geno Smith’s scramble worked out better than Eli Manning’s interception, but these plays show how fine the line between victory and defeat is. In many games this week, one play dramatically impacted the win probability — or likelihood of victory given the time remaining and score — for the teams involved.

For one play to be the defining moment of a game, it must have a direct and significant effect on the contest’s outcome. The games involving New York teams offer prime examples of this point. When the Jets were at their own 46-yard line with 15 seconds left, the Jets win probability stood at 0.2 percent because they were trailing 17-15 and had no timeouts left (via Advanced NFL Stats WP Calculator). However, when Buccaneers’ defender Lavonte David received a 15-yard penalty for hitting Smith out of bounds after a 9-yard run, the win probability jumped to 57 percent. Moments later, Nick Folk nailed a 48-yard field goal for the victorious Jets. That evening, the Giants had a 34 percent win probability with the ball at their own 48-yard line trailing 30-24 with two minutes left. A touchdown would have won it, but any hopes for victory were dashed after a demoralizing Eli Manning pick-six.

With so much parity in the NFL, one or two plays often determine the fate of your team’s season. The 2011 Giants and 2012 Baltimore Ravens relied on several “game-changing” plays to win the Super Bowl. In the 2011 NFC Championship Game, 49ers returner Kyle Williams fumbled two costly punts in his own territory. The first happened with 10 minutes left in a 14-10 game.

San Francisco had a 75 percent win probability before the fumble, which dropped to 52 percent after New York recovered and the second occurred in the sudden-death overtime and essentially put the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. Last winter, the Ravens traveled to Denver as heavy underdogs. Despite a valiant effort, the Ravens needed to go 70 yards in 40 seconds to tie the game. The Broncos enjoyed a 98 percent win probability as Joe Flacco fired a pass for Jacoby Jones in the icy air. Ten seconds later, Baltimore had improbably tied the game, and would win 38-35 en route to a remarkable title. As the last two NFL champions have illustrated, you need several unlikely big plays in order to conquer the parity-rich NFL. The NFL is so special because any play could become the play that dictates the outcome of the game. The fact that games can change so suddenly is what captivates us, and a glut of close Week one contests clearly captivated the masses. So enjoy the next 16 weeks of football, and pray that your team makes the crucial plays that win games!

— Dominic Kearns

SPORTS

Senior Profile: Carlton Koonce

MICHAEL REZIN/RAM ARCHIVES

Carlton Koonce, also known as C.J., provided the Rams with 83 yards on 23 carries in Saturday’s win over Villanova.

By DAN GARTLAND EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR

Carlton Koonce emerged as one of the premier running backs in the FCS last season, finishing fourth in rushing yards per game with 145.1.

He had two 200-yard games (250 against Columbia and 232 against Colgate). In 2011, as a sophomore, he was used primarily as a slot receiver and led the team in receptions and receiving touchdowns. A communication major, he came to Fordham from Hofstra when the school cut its football program after Koonce’s freshman year.

The Fordham Ram: What was your reaction when you heard Hofstra was cutting its football program?

Carlton Koonce: It was definitely a shock. I didn’t see it coming. Nobody in my class saw it coming, but I guess we should have seen it coming. It was funny how it went down. After the season, they wouldn’t let us in the locker room and they kept telling us they were doing renovations or cleaning the carpets or something. Then, it was just a regular day — we had lifting in the morning. They called us in and we didn’t really know what to

think. The guy went up there and started talking and he told us that every season, the board of trustees reviews the program. And then he said, “We decided to discontinue the program.” We were like, “What?” Because this is Hofstra, we put out good players in the NFL. But that’s what they decided to do.

My heart just dropped. Me being a true freshman, that’s where I wanted to be. That’s where I felt most comfortable. But credit to the [Hofstra] coaching staff. Those guys put us before themselves. They made sure to get us in the best schools possible.

TFR: And then why did you choose to come to Fordham?

CK: Education. Great tradition.

Fordham is a very highly touted and very prestigious school when it comes to academics. And the Patriot League is a decent conference.

In some peoples’ eyes maybe it’s not as deep as the CAA [where Hofstra played], but the way I saw it, I could come here for free, play good football and get a great education on top of that, which was one of the more important things. Plus, with me being from south Jersey, that only added to it. My dad and my mother, we all talked it over because I was think-

ing of going to Eastern Kentucky as well, and I saw myself fitting in there well. But when it came down to it, setting myself up for years down the road, I decided to come here to Fordham and it worked out pretty well.

TFR: When they had you playing receiver as a sophomore, did you start to regret your decision at all?

CK: Not a whole lot. I mean, I kind of did. But at the end of the day, it was better for the team. I’m a team player. At the same time, I knew my heart was at running back, but I wasn’t going to say anything.

I kept it to myself and tried to contribute to the team as best as I possibly could.

TFR: And then last year, having the year that you did, did you feel vindicated at all?

CK: I would be lying if I said I didn’t. I’ll always go out there and try to prove people wrong. Critics always try to find something wrong with your game, and it’s just my job to go out there and produce the best way I know how to. By doing that, I definitely want to prove the naysayers wrong. They say, “You’re too little,” or, “You’re not fast enough.”

I’ve heard it all. I try to go out there each and every day, keep that in the back of my mind and keep that chip on my shoulder. Last year was definitely a testament to that. I mean, I couldn’t have done it without help, because it’s not all me out there.

With the great O-line and great coaching that we’ve got, I was able to showcase my talents and my abilities, which I was very thankful for.

TFR: What are your plans for after graduation?

MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

Koonce was fourth in the FCS in yards per game in 2012.

CK: I’m going to see how the football route works out; it’s always been a dream of mine. If not, I’ll do something in the business world.

I’ll always have a backup plan. Fortunately, going back to my decision to come to Fordham, I’ve met outstanding, wonderful people, guys in relationship to the football team and alumni, so I’m not too worried about that. But I’m still going to try the football route.

September 11, 2013

Deuce’s Wild Last year, the Raiders were one of, if not the, least watchable team in football. They had the league’s 26th -ranked offense, thanks to another disappearing act from their oft-injured RB Darren McFadden, and they forked over a first- and second -round pick for Carson Palmer, who didn’t even want to play in Oakland.

Making matters worse, their defense ranked fifth-worst in the league, surrendering an average of 355 yards per game, yet one man will make all of that better.

Terrelle Pryor isn’t viewed as playing on the same level as a Cam Newton, Andrew Luck or RG III, and he shouldn’t be. He was a supplemental draft choice of the Raiders, who took a risk by giving up a third-round pick in April’s NFL Draft to get him, but he’s arguably just as talented as those three.

Pryor was a High School standout not only on the football field, but on the basketball court. In 2008, ESPN gave him a grade of 96, good enough for 39th in their top 100 basketball recruits. “He could probably play hoops at Ohio State, but he won’t,” they wrote.

That claim probably has truth. The six foot six inch, 220 lb. Pryor had a sweet midrange game, and he could dominate in the post. In a district championship game while at Jeannette High School in Pennsylvania, he posted 39 points, 24 rebounds and 10 blocks, yet he was even better at football.

In a state that has produced Joe Montana, Joe Namath, Dan Marino and Tony Dorsett, Terrelle Pryor was the only one to pass and rush for 4,000 yards. He led his team to a 38-4 record in his last three years. He was responsible for 125 touchdowns over that span. He was highly coveted by Florida, Michigan, Oregon and West Virginia. It was as if he was football’s LeBron.

Ohio State managed to land Terrelle Pryor, and he delivered them two Big Ten Championships in two years, won the Rose Bowl in 2010 and earned MVP honors. Then Pryor’s junior year was put on hold due to a suspension for selling memorabilia.

After that, he did the right thing, he left Ohio State in all its corruption and agreed to never talk to its athletic department or recruits again. This made him eligible for NFL’s Supplemental Draft in August, where he was the only player selected. The Raiders picked him up in the third round.

In his second season with Oakland, Pryor has made them watchable again. On Sunday, in his first NFL start, he ran 13 times for 112 yards and threw for 217 more and a touchdown. Two interceptions would ruin the day for Pryor, though, who fell to the Colts 21-17, and afterwards said his performance “don’t even matter.”

Terrelle Pryor is an extremely gifted athlete. Performances like this show you what the future will hold for him. If you’re looking for someone to root for this year, I think Pryor is your guy. He fits the mold of the new QB prototype, with a good arm and great running ability. Simply put, he makes plays. He just competed with Indianapolis, a playoff team, for four quarters. Why can’t this guy turn the Raiders around?

— Kenny Ducey

SPORTS

September 11, 2013

Volleyball Begins Ullery

Page 23

Era with Winning Record

By DAN GARTLAND EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR

ALLY WHITE/THE RAM

Ullery won her first home match on Tuesday against Hofstra in four sets.

By TARA SLEDJESKI STAFF WRITER

Following a 14-19 2012 campaign, the Fordham women’s volleyball team is ready to hit the court again. With first-year coach Gini Ullery at the helm, the team now has its sights set on being one of the top six teams in the conference and making the Atlantic 10 tournament in November, hosted

by George Washington University.

Coming into the season, the Rams are ranked eighth out of nine teams in the A-10, so they do have some work to do to make it to Washington D.C. in November.

Coach Ullery believes that for the Rams to accomplish their goals, they cannot let situations get them down.

“I don’t really think we have many weaknesses except just leaving it all on the court, not letting situations get us down, not letting things not going our way get us down,” Ullery said. “We got to just fight through it.”

While it will be important for the Rams to keep their self-confidence, Ullery knows she does not have to worry about this team’s fight and energy. Ullery referred to the team’s fight as its biggest strength.

Another strength for the team this season will be experience. The team is comprised of mostly upperclassmen and includes seven seniors, with which Ullery is happy.

“It’s nice having a little bit more of an upper classmen team because they’ve been here, they know what Fordham’s about,” the coach commented. “They want to leave their mark on the program and this is how they’re going to start, this year.”

Among the upperclassmen on the team is Lisa Hipp, whom Ullery believes will be one of the team’s best players because she led the team in kills last season and has great energy. Senior Sarah Konkel was another player singled out to have a great season.

The Rams started on the path that will hopefully take them to the A-10 tournament on Aug. 30 in Rock Hill, S.C. at the Winthrop Classic. Their first opponent was

Savannah State, which they beat three sets to none, with scores of 25-12, 25-12 and 25-15.

Konkel had a big game to start off her senior season, leading the team with 26 assists. It was a bright start to the Ullery era. But, things did not stay bright for long. The Rams lost their next two matches on Aug. 31 to Winthrop and Tennessee Tech.

The Rams’ second tournament of the season was the West Virginia Golden Horseshoe Challenge at West Virginia University on Sept.

6 and 7. Overall, the team fared better in Morgantown, W. Va., losing just one match of the four they played.

The Rams opened up the tournament with a 3-0 win over Navy, 25-18, 25-21 and 25-17. Again, Konkel led the team with 31 assists. Later the same day, the team took down Canisius 3-2. In the Canisius match, the Rams started 0-2, losing 21-25 and 22-25 before battling back and taking the final three sets by scores of 28-26, 2519 and 17-15.

On the second day of the tournament, the Rams fell to host West Virginia 0-3 before picking up a win against Norfolk State later in the day. The team beat Norfolk State 3-0 with set scores of 25-6, 25- 15 and 25-19. Konkel had another 30-assist match to help the winning effort.

Following their first two tournaments, the Rams now have a 4-3 match record. So far Ullery like what she has seen from her new team, pointing out that despite being down at timesthe players never gave up. Hipp, too, is impressed with the Rams’ progress, believing they possess something that cannot be taught.

“We had a lot of energy,” Ullery said, “and we had a lot of fight which was really exciting to see because that’s something that has to come from the heart, you can’t teach that.”

The Rams kick off their home schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 10 against Hofstra in the Rose Hill Gym. After that, they make the short trip to Columbia on the weekend of Sept. 13 to participate in the Columbia Invitational, where they will play Boston College, Binghamton and Columbia.

Covering sports for this paper is an exercise in compartmentalization. It requires me to keep the Fordham fan in me separate from the reporter in me.

By far the most difficult aspect of this is keeping my emotions in check in the press box. After a big play I can’t do much more than nod my head in approval. So, on Saturday night, as Fordham lined up in the victory formation to run out the clock on eighthranked Villanova — as the players jumped up and down on the sidelines, the crowd rose to its feet and the coaches in the neighboring box clapped and hollered — I abided by press box decorum and simply tapped my feet excitedly, albeit with a big grin on my face.

I couldn’t believe what Joe Moorhead had done in just 13 games as Fordham’s head coach.

Moorhead inherited a team which went 1-10 in the season before his arrival. In fact, Moorhead’s predecessor, Tom Masella, had only one winning season in

six years at Rose Hill, despite having two future NFLers — John Skelton and Isa Abdul-Quddus — on his roster (in a conference that rarely produces pro talent).

After installing a new offense, and instilling a new attitude in his team, Moorhead led the Rams to a 6-5 record in his first year — their first winning season since 2007.

Now they’re off to their first 2-0 start since 2003. Fordham football is respectable and relevant once again.

The fact of the matter is, college is a better experience when there is a fun, safe, free activity on campus for everyone to enjoy.

For years now, I, and many other students have thought men’s basketball would be the activity for the campus to rally around, but that team has been a perennial disappointment.

Football is cool again, though.

People are going to the games, and not just to get T-shirts. As a senior, this is incredibly satisfying. I remember the dark days under Masella when a Fordham offensive series consisted of two draw plays, a screen pass and a

punt. I can only imagine how the players feel to finally be winning.

I asked senior running back Carlton Koonce where the Villanova win ranked among all his Fordham memories and he told me it was “number one, without a doubt, bar none. Just two seasons ago we were 1-10 — probably the laughing stock of FCS football.

Look where we’re at now.”

“Where they’re at now” is on the cusp of the FCS top 25, with an outside chance at a playoff bid come season’s end.

There are four home games left this season, and I hope the student body shows up with the same force it did for the first two.

If you haven’t been to a game, you should rectify that. Fordham’s breakneck offensive tempo and roster of talented, explosive athletes make the Rams incredibly watchable and appealing to even a casual fan. You won’t see Fordham slog its way to a 6-3 victory the way teams in the Big Ten will.

It might be a long way from the Seven Blocks of Granite, but Fordham football is finally something to be proud of again.

MICHAELREZIN/THE RAM

Fordham is off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2003, and will face FBS opponent Temple on Saturday in Philadelphia.

Upcoming Varsity Schedule Home games in CAPS

Thursday Sept. 12

Saturday Sept. 14

Friday Sept. 13

Football

at Temple 1 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

at Army 7:30 p.m.

Women’s Soccer Women’s Tennis Men’s Tennis Cross Country Water Polo

Monday Sept. 16

Tuesday Sept. 17

at Vermont 7:30 p.m.

at Dartmouth 7:30 p.m.

at Stony Brook Invitational All Day at Saint Peter’s 11 a.m.

at Queens 11 a.m.

LIU Post Invitational 10:30 a.m.

Bucknell Invitational All Day Adams Cup All Day

Golf Volleyball

Sunday Sept. 15

Columbia Invitational 12 p.m./5 p.m.

at St. John’s 7 p.m.

Wednesday Sept. 18

Sports

Page 24

September 11, 2013

Foreign Tour Takes Women’s Basketball Team Across the World

By MATT ROSENFELD SPORTS EDITOR

For most college basketball teams, the summer months are filled with a few things. There is some vacation time away from school, there are camps to work for children of all ages and there are summer workouts to stay in condition for the upcoming season.

Fordham’s women’s basketball team had all of those. But they ended their summer in unforgettable fashion.

Head coach Stephanie Gaitley and her Rams took a trip to the other side of the world, visiting Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, where they played six preseason tune-up games and had the experience of a lifetime.

This trip did not come to fruition overnight. The idea started way back when Coach Gaitley and senior guard Erin Rooney, a native of Christchurch, New Zealand, were both at Monmouth University.

“I told Erin when I recruited her [at Monmouth] that we would do a foreign tour and get her home,” Gaitley said. “When Erin transferred with me [to Fordham], that’s what prompted this trip.”

The journey that was more than three years in the making started on Aug. 13, when the team took the three-flight, 31-hour journey to get to Australia, the first leg of their foreign tour. Australia is where the Rams would face the best basketball competition. They played two games in four days in The Land Down Under.

The first game, on Aug. 18, against the Geelong Supercats in Geelong, Australia resulted in a thrilling double-overtime win for the Rams. Veterans came up big for Fordham, as seniors Abigail Corning and Rooney combined for 35 points. The game-winning bucket came when sophomore Samantha Clark received an inbounds pass and laid the ball in as time expired, giving Fordham a 55-53 win.

The second and last game in Australia came against the Women’s National Basketball League’s Melbourne Boomers. The NBL is Australia’s professional league for women, thus providing Fordham with very stiff competition. The Boomers handily defeated the Rams, 69-38.

“We got our butts kicked,” Gaitley said. “But it was good. It will probably be the best team that will be on our schedule. It’s like their WNBA team, so it was a great experience against a very talented team.”

Along with basketball, the Rams’ time in Australia was highlighted by trips to the Healesville Sanctuary, a zoo where players got to interact with native animals such as kangaroos, dingoes and even pythons. The team also took in an Australian Rules Football game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, as well as sight-seeing and exploring various parts of Australia.

Once Fordham finished in Australia it was time to fly over to New Zealand, the second leg of the trip.

Perhaps the most anticipated part

COURTESY OF FORDHAM WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The team travelled to three countries, including New Zealand, where current Ram Erin Rooney comes from. The team met Rooney’s family in Christchurch.

of the tour, it would mark Rooney’s homecoming. There would be no family time wasted, as Erin’s family was waiting for the team at the airport.

“It was funny [for the team to meet my family],” Rooney said.

“Because they have all met them on Skype, so it was kind of that awkward ‘I’ve met you before, but now I’m meeting you in person’ but it was nice.”

The team shared a similar sentiment.

“It was fun to be greeted by Erin’s parents, sister and godfather at the airport with a ‘Welcome Fordham Rams’ sign,” Corning wrote on the team’s travel blog. “We could finally meet and hug the people that we had talked to on Skype for two years now.”

The New Zealand leg of the trip started with a tour of the area, which is still suffering from the effects of a devastating 2011 earthquake. The team, however, brought something that a town still reeling from a natural disaster hadn’t had in a while.

“Just to see the appreciation for the excitement that our team brought there,” Gaitley said. “Just to see how much excitement we instilled was great.”

Although much of the town was still dealing with earthquake troubles, the beautiful New Zealand scenery managed to brighten up the tour of the town.

“It was sad to see the destruction the earthquake from February 2011 had done to the city,” Corning wrote, “but the land and the mountains were breathtaking.”

From there, the team was led to Rooney’s family’s house, where they had dinner and spent quality time with Erin’s family, along with spending a few minutes on the beach just a short distance from Rooney’s home.

The second day in New Zealand proved just as exciting. After touring the land a bit more, the team

was treated to plane rides over the area of Christchurch, allowing them to get a different look at Rooney’s hometown.

That night, the Rams took on the Cantebury Wildcats at Cowles Stadium in Christchurch. Just as expected, the stadium was packed with friends and family waiting to see Rooney play. Fordham picked up the win, 67-55. Rooney had eight points in the game, and was showered with love by the hometown crowd.

“There was such a mess of a turnout,” Rooney said. “That was so great to see.”

The Rams spent their last day in New Zealand traveling to Hanmer Springs, a warm water resort that mimics a water park. With the temperature being only 50 or 60 degrees, the water resembled more of a hot tub than a pool, providing a very interesting yet fun trip for the team.

After their three and a half days in New Zealand, it was time to fly to Fiji, the last country on the foreign tour for the team. Fiji provided the team with the most unusual experience.

The team was greeted by local Fijians singing their welcoming song and chanting “Bula,” which means “hello.” The natives gave the Rams’ necklaces as they boarded the bus to get to their hotel.

The cultural experience continued in the team’s second day on the island. After breakfast, the Rams went to a customary welcoming ceremony in Laukota, Fiji, known as “Sugar City” because it is the heart of Fiji’s sugar cane growing region. The team arrived, and then came perhaps the most memorable part of the trip.

“When we went in to play the national team [in Sugar City], their village had to welcome us,” Gaitley said. “The girls couldn’t get off the bus without putting saran skirts on, all the women had to be in skirts, and then we had a tribal

welcoming. We had to drink welcoming juice called karva out of this wooden thing. It was really, really interesting.”

Following the ceremony, it was off to the court which would hold the clinic that Fordham would be putting on for the children of the area and their game against the Fijian national team. The clinic gave the team a chance to give back to a community that was obviously much less well off than what they were used to in the states.

“For our kids, I think it was a real eye-opening experience,” Gaitley said. “The clinic and the game were outside, and the kids that came to the clinic, some of them didn’t even have shoes on. I think our kids took a lot away from just understanding what they have, and being appreciative of what they have.”

After the clinic, the Rams took on the Fijian national team on the same outdoor court, winning 5536. Rooney had a team high 13 points for Fordham, while Clark added nine as the Rams’ defense stepped up to lead the team to a win in their last game of the tour.

With the basketball part of their trip over, the team got to enjoy two final days on the paradise that is the Fiji beaches. The Rams took

a trip to a smaller island to spend the day, where they were given the choice of many activities. Some of the girls went snorkeling, kayaking or parasailing, while some chose to just take in the sun on the beach.

The foreign tour wrapped up on Aug. 27 when the Rams took off to come back to the United States, just in time for the start of classes the next day.

The journey provided priceless learning opportunities for Fordham that they can take moving forward into Gaitley’s third year as head coach, a key year in blending the old with the new.

“For us, it was about chemistry,” Gaitley said. “We graduated so many significant seniors last year. And the trip was everything and more both culturally and with basketball. We have all of the tape, we’ve already gone over some of it, getting that angst out of [the freshmen] and getting that experience in putting on the uniform. So now, I feel like we’re a month ahead.”

Fordham will continue its prep for the upcoming season as it tries to build on the success of making the Atlantic 10 Championship game and making it to the round of 16 in the Women’s NIT. The Rams’ first game is Nov. 3 against Kutztown State.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The team’s trip included more than just basketball activities.