Volume 92 Issue 21

Page 1

THE POPE AND CONDOM USE- PAGE 9

MEN’S BASKEBALL DEFEATS HARTFORD 61-57- PAGE 24

SERVING THE FORDHAM UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY FOR OVER 90 YEARS

1918-2010

DECEMBER1, 2010

VOLUME 92, ISSUE 21

Rumored Fall Concert Cancelled By PATRICK DEROCHER NEWS EDITOR

In spite of weeks of rumors, Web site announcements and a Ram article (v. 92, i. 20) to the contrary, Fordham University Campus Activity Board’s Concert Committee will not be hosting Jamaican hiphop artist Sean Kingston for a fall concert this upcoming Friday, Dec. 3. Although a concert had been in the planning for some time, representatives from the Concert Committee and the University’s administration were unable to confirm that Sean Kingston was the intended artist, though, according to some sources, as many as three artists were being considered for the headlining slot. The cancellation came on the afternoon of Nov. 17, after a meeting between representives of CAB Concert Committee and Fordham administration. The details surrounding cancellation could not be confirmed at the time of press. However, some of the Web sites that prematurely announced Kingston’s appearance listed an event site of A Lot, the outdoors parking surface in front of O’Hare Hall that is often used for pre-football game festivities and staging larger events. Because of this exposed location and the apparently proposed concert time, a Friday evening in December, it is believed that weather expectations may have played into the decision not to hold the concert as planned. Although Student Life Council meetings early in the year featured much discussion about the matter of a proposed fall concert, information was less and less forthcoming beginning in October and November, leading to some speculation that the event was not to go on as scheduled. Fueling skepticism on the matter was the disappearance of the event from several of the Web sites, including Kingston’s own home page. Following a rapid deletion from his site, various unofficial, music, event and entertainment Web sites removed it from their servers. Some, including MySpace, listed the event as “cancelled” as early as mid- to late- November. Additionally, it was reported that there had been some difficulty in securing contract terms with the artist in question, though this remains unconfirmed. With the cancellation of this event, the only announced event on CAB Concert Committee’s calendar is the annual Spring Weekend concert. Although the artist will likely not be announced for a few months, the selection process began on Thurs., Nov. 11 with a survey that was sent to the Fordham student community via e-mail.

USG Operations Shifts Club Makeup By VIKRAM BHATIA STAFF WRITER

United Student Government’s biannual Operations day is held every semester to review, assess and audit all clubs that have in the past been cleared by that committee to operate on campus. The fall 2010 iteration of Operations Day began on a negative note when three clubs were suspected of forging crucial signatures on their budget packets. It was later determined that the signatures in question had in fact not been forged, though not before some serious debate within the committee. The committee spent nearly 10 minutes deciding what the course of action would be in dealing with clubs that were proven to have a forged signature on their packet. It decided to freeze each club’s budget entirely, meaning there would be no funding for these clubs for the entire spring semester. In the past, clubs with forged signatures had been shut down entirely. The committee decided

against this action because prior experience with that type of punishment showed that it was too harsh. “I do not like shutting clubs down, because it is hard to get started back up,” Jenny Burns, FCRH ’11 and vice-chairman of the Operations Committee, said. Chairman Bryan Matis, GSB ’12, explained that the committee exists for situations like these. “We have to decide what happens to clubs who do not follow the rules,” he said. “I want to be consistent.” The forgeries regard part of a rule that requires a faculty advisor to sign the budget packet. The budget packet is a document in which “clubs ask for money that is within the scope of their club,” Matis said. Beyond the suspected forgeries, there was one club that was temporarily cut from the official list of clubs, in addition to two clubs that were created. Parks Action for the City of New York (PACNY) was temporarily cut for only having one

event in the fall semester. All clubs are required to have three public events each semester, or else face elimination from the official list of clubs at Fordham. The decision to temporarily cut PACNY was made even more complicated by the fact that they had not submitted a budget packet for the two previous semesters. All clubs are required to submit a packet at least once every three semesters, or else facing elimination from the list of school clubs. Everything Digital Envisioned (EDen), a special interest club, also faced potential elimination, as they had not submitted a budget packet for the previous two semesters either. They did submit one without any issues this semester, however. All other clubs remained active. In order to keep an active status clubs must have 15 members and a club officer listing on file. Additionally, two new clubs were created at the meeting. The Computing Science Society, a club that previously existed but had been inactive for two

years, was reinstated. Jeff Lochart, FCRH ’13, represented the club at Operations Day. He explained the club’s purpose, to promote the computer science major and give an opportunity for students studying that discipline to meet and network, and the activities that it was planning. A brand new club, a chapter of the mental health activism organization Active Minds, was also established, with co-founders Jillian Abballee and Marlina Schlattmann, both FCRH ’13, going through the same process as Lockhart and the Computing Science Society. However, in the case of Active Minds, the discussion over voting was somewhat more rigorous, as the club had never existed prior to the Nov. 17 meeting. In addition, Active Minds was still in need of a faculty advisor as of the meeting. However, because the club’s “Constitution was really solid,” according to Matis, it was approved. - Additional reporting by Patrick Derocher, news editor.

Respect for Life Hosts Pregnancy Resource Forum By EMILY ARATA STAFF WRITER

Serrin Foster is a woman on a mission: to protect the rights of pregnant women across the country. Foster is currently president of Feminists for Life, a foundation dedicated to giving pregnant women the freedom to choose the fate of their unborn child without feeling pressured into an abortion. Through state help programs, passage of the Enhanced Child Support Act in addition to the Violence Against Women Act, otherwise known as Lacey and Connor’s Law, FFL works to promote the dignity of pregnant women. In recent years, the foundation has begun hosting Pregnancy Resource Forums at universities across the country, raising the standards for pregnancy care at colleges by creating a dialogue between the student body and the administration. Posters supplied by FFL read, “Where have all the pregnant women gone?” in reference to the fact that pregnancy should not be a mark of shame on college campuses. Foster shared that half of all abortions last year were for collegeage women, emphasizing that FFL also seeks to aid pro-choice women. “Pro-choice implies actual choices,” Foster said. “Adoption is an empowering option for women.” The discussion was then opened to the rest of the Fordham University panel. Kathleen Malara, director of health services, detailed the process that the Health Center uses in response to pregnant students. If a young woman came to her claiming to be pregnant, she would receive a blood test in order to con-

firm the pregnancy. Malara placed emphasis on the fact that waiting for test results gives the young woman time to discuss her options with friends and family, preventing hasty decision-making. Health Services would attempt to maintain a connection with the woman, showing her the resources the University has to offer, such as counseling and, in case of Fordham University student insurance, an obstetrics practitioner within a reasonable distance from campus. The athletics department also works to maintain a connection with pregnant student-athletes and refer them to counseling and other services, according to Marianne Reilly, senior associate athletic director. In fact, athletes on scholarships actually have five years to complete four years of athletics, so pregnancy does not get in the way of athletic obligations. The NCAA recently coined the term “redshirting,” which can refer to the inability of a student athlete to lose her scholarship as the result of a pregnancy. In connection with the other departments, Randy Jerome, retreat coordinator for campus ministry, and Jennifer Neuhouf, director of counseling services, spoke about the services offered by both their departments. Jerome clearly stated SEE RFL ON PAGE 3

PHOTO BY SIMON SULIT/THE RAM

Serrin Foster, president of Feminists for Life, spoke at Fordham’s pregnancy resources forum on Nov. 17, her second appearance at the University in the past year at a Respect for Life-sponsored event.

INSIDE Sports PAGE 17

Opinions PAGE 5

Culture PAGE 13

Fordham football falls 47-12 to Colgate.

The use of social media in university classrooms.

Christmas-themed shows hit the stage.


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Volume 92 Issue 21 by The Fordham Ram - Issuu