Volume 104 Issue 2

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 104, Issue 2

TheFordhamRam.com

February 2, 2022

Fordham Updates Dining Protocols

Grant Boosts Digital Library

By EMMA KIM

By ISABEL DANZIS

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

NEWS EDITOR

On Jan. 3, the university sent an email with a COVID-19 update, including information about university dining. It stated that indoor dining would “offer optional grab n’ go meals, allow for limited indoor dining at the main cafeterias at Rose Hill and Lincoln Center with appropriate social distancing and density mitigation initiatives, prohibit indoor dining in retail spaces that are too small to accommodate social distancing,” and consider expanding the use of other indoor spaces for casual dining.

According to Deming Yaun, university dining contract liaison, multiple grab n’ go options are available. All of the retail places are already grab n’ go, such as Urban Kitchen, Così and Boar’s Head Deli. The hours at all locations are also the same as before. Additionally, “All items in the Marketplace are available in ‘to-go’ packaging … Packaging is free of charge.”

Protocols from the previous semester are also still in place to mitigate the number of people

The Fordham University Libraries Digital Collections team received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) that will allow for the expansion of the university’s COVID-19 archives.

The Libraries Digital Collection team has been compiling an archive of documents detailing the university’s response to the pandemic since April 2020. The team has included content ranging from the university’s weekly “5 Things” COVID-19 update emails to photos of campus testing sites to the documentation of signage telling people how to social distance. The new grant gives money to help this project continue.

“I first learned of the grant in May of 2021, and the application was submitted on June 28. We were notified that we had been awarded the grant on Oct. 26, 2021. Our IMLS grant proposal project is entitled In Real Time: The Fordham University COVID-19 Archive,” said Linda LoSchiavo, director of libraries. “We were awarded $30,299 to purchase equipment (additional scanners, video equipment) to enhance and enlarge the Archive.”

According to Mariah Lewis, the metadata management librarian at Walsh Library, the library began compiling information on the university’s COVID-19 response before there was an actual virtual space for it on the library’s digital collections page.

“When we begin brainstorming for a new digital collection, we pull from either interesting themes from items in our physical collections or larger universitywide initiatives or events that may have related materials that would be important to showcase. The COVID-19 Digital Archive was a kind of unique situation — it was not something we could have ever foreseen or planned for, but it was something we immediately

SEE DINING, PAGE 3

COURTESY OF UNSPLASH

Both Fordham University administration and students have spoken about how AAPI hate has affected campus life.

Fordham Community on Anti-Asian Hate and Violence

By SAM MINEAR

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Feb. 1 marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, celebrated by many Asian countries, provoking necessary reflection within the Fordham University community.

In the past year, many Asian Americans have experienced

a significant amount of racism — in March 2021, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, commented on a then-recent rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, stating that “the university condemns in the strongest possible terms the use of hateful rhetoric and violence against people of Asian descent.” This was the first statement

the university made against the prejudice and xenophobia triggered in March 2020.

This statement was both expected and necessary. According to NBC News, the FBI reported a 73% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes, which is a “disproportionate uptick” in comparison to SEE AAPI, PAGE 4

Athletic Events: Guests OK

By JULIANNA MORALES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS

Fordham Lincoln Center, pictured above, is beginning to accomomdate Muslim students by altering its dining options.

Lincoln Center Dining Menu Now Includes Halal Options

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

Schmeltzer Dining Room, located at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus, is now selling halal food. Halal is a way of eating according to the Islam religion. It tends to apply to

meats and the way that those meats are acquired.

Fordham has been trying to get more halal options on campus for many years. According to Deming Yuan, the Fordham dining contract liaison, Fordham originally planned

to renovate one of its existing dining locations to accommodate halal food. However, it ended up partnering with a halal restaurant in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn restaurant, Sultan Restaurant, delivers hot halal food to the Schmeltzer Dining Room.

SEE HALAL, PAGE 5

On Feb. 1, Fordham Athletics announced that fans were permitted to attend athletic events held inside the Rose Hill Gym. This announcement signaled a change from the Jan. 4 policy that has been in place throughout the spring 2022 semester. In the original policy, fans were not permitted to watch games inperson due to COVID-19 safety restrictions.

Decisions regarding the return to campus this spring and the best restrictions to enforce were not taken lightly. In the Jan. 4 statement on the Fordham athletics page, athletic director Ed Kull stated that university leadership worked with Health Services and the athletic medical staff to reach this conclusion. Before the new policy was released on the 1st, SEE EVENTS, PAGE 5

SEE LIBRARY, PAGE 4

in this issue

Opinion

Page 9

The Problem with Linking Mental Health to Violence

Sports

Page 18

How the Snow Melts

Culture

Page 11

Fordham Flea Defeats ast Fashion

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS Jan. 23 Third Avenue Gate 6:50 p.m.

The Security Officer working the Third Avenue Gate alerted Public Safety of a male who had just entered his post, did not show identification and was following several students. At 7 p.m., the individual was located and escorted off campus. The students did not want to press charges. There were no injuries. A banned notice was prepared and sent to all posts.

Jan. 25 189th Street & Hoffman 6:15 p.m.

A student called Public Safety and reported that she was verbally harassed by a male on the street.

Public Safety responded to the student’s off-campus residence and ensured that the student was safe.

Investigators from Public Safety followed up immediately with the student and canvassed the area, which met with negative results. A follow-up was also conducted the following day.

Jan. 26 Murray-Weigel 5:40 p.m.

Public Safety received a call concerning a forged check that an unidentified individual attempted to cash at a local bank. A stop payment was issued, and no funds were lost. The investigation is ongoing.

Jan. 30 Martyrs Court 2:30 a.m.

The Security Officer assigned to Jogues Hall reported that two nonresident students were attempting to enter the hall. The Duty Supervisor responded, and the matter will be referred to the Dean of Students.

Follow us on Twitter! @TheFordhamRam

February 2, 2022

Fordham CCEL Offers New Engaged Leaders Fellowship for Students

By MICHELA FAHY

By EMMA KIM CONTRIBUTING WRITER ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR The university’s Center for Community Engaged Learning, known as CCEL, is offering a new student fellowship, Engaged Leaders Fellowship (ELF), which started in the 2020-21 academic year. The fellowship “encourages students to apply research methods to deepen their commitment to community engagement.”

The fellowship consists of cohorts, which each have 12 interdisciplinary students. The cohorts meet biweekly to discuss ways to bring “epistemic justice to our campus.” To become part of the fellowship, students must be nominated by someone in the Fordham community and interview with CCEL for a spot.

The cohorts “engage in conversations about the history of New York, the history of community organizing and advocacy [...] they then ideate practical community-based research questions and form projects to address those questions from a reciprocal, community-driven lens.”

“Taking the epistemological roots of our Jesuit education that really seeks to excavate truth as an avenue of the aim of education,” said Vanessa Rotondo, the assistant director of immersions and student leadership. “Because we primarily work in our immediate communities, we really want to create a space to demystify some of the stigma about our immediate community and provide data that is informed by the research projects our students do.”

For the 2021-22 academic year, there are currently three cohorts of Engaged Leaders. One cohort is working on collecting data about COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women in the Bronx. The second cohort is working on the social stigma of the experience of housing. Another group is working on an internal evaluation of Fordham’s college access programs.

In the previous academic year, which was the first year of the fellowship, two cohorts produced eight projects. “One cohort was really Fordham University focused, and one cohort was New York-based.

One project from the university was the socialization of college students through Ignatian activism,” said Rotondo. “They did a number of different faculty, staff, administrator and student interviews to understand how people consume Jesuit/Ignatian pedagogy paradigms

in their own lives and take that into either activism, the classroom, extracurriculars, things like that” Rotondo said the interview produced interesting results: “On the one hand, some people do it unconsciously, and they do not think what they are doing is Ignatian, but in turn, by being able to provide that language, they have a stronger affinity to mission. And you have the other end of it where people do it intentionally to help proliferate the mission, and there were people who did not know what the mission was, so being able to fill that gap.” The other New York based project examined the residence hall cultures at three Catholic colleges in New York: St. John’s, Manhattan College and Fordham.

Christopher Kerrane, GSB ’22, who is a fellow from the previous year, researched housing insecurity in New York City, focusing on the effects after the COVID-19 pandemic. Kerrane spoke with the Bronx Community Board and Part of the Solution (POTS) to get a sense of how housing insecurity changed during the pandemic.

“There have been a lot more issues since the pandemic began, due to unemployment, the ever-increasing cost of living in the city and various other factors. Also that, given the nature of the pandemic, that it was harder for organizations like POTS to give services to individuals facing housing insecurity because, for example, they offer services like showers and hot food and that became more difficult, especially in the spring of 2020 when the restrictions were at their height, and there was so much uncertainty. So really taking a look at how, specifically the pandemic, but how that impacted the houseless population and how organizations are responding to that.”

Kerrane, who was not used to this specific research, found that he was able to connect with new students.

“It was very interesting for me to have this avenue and space to do this research with fellow students who I would not have met otherwise, and I think it was important too because during the COVID-19 pandemic we are living in something so transformative in our society, and we don’t really recognize all the things that have changed yet,” said Kerrane.

Allie Klapak, FCRH ’22, is a current ELF fellow, and is studying the efficacy of the CCEL’s academic partnerships with the individual community and organizations.

“I have been gaining a greater sense of community through being involved with the Engaged Leaders

COURTESY OF VANESSA ROTONDO FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

The twelve students above are part of this years Engaged Leaders Fellowship.

COURTESY OF CCEL FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

The fellowship is a part of CCEL, Fordham’s community outreach center.

Fellowship. It has been great to get to know everyone in the cohort and see how they apply their different interests and skill sets to their projects.

I have also been gaining more insight into the connections that exist between CCEL and the community that may not be so visible to those not involved in CCEL,” said Klapak.

Klapak explained that their project aims to strengthen the academic partnerships CCEL forges with community schools and organizations.

Through better understanding the needs and goals of partner students and ministrations, their connections can be shaped to best fulfill these needs, “we are hoping to use our data to design partnerships that are directly informed and shaped by the voices of the community.”

“Everyone should check out the CCEL blog if they are interested in supporting these academic partnerships and community students through tutoring and mentoring

roles,” she added.

All of the groups will present at the Undergraduate Research Symposium on May 4 at Rose Hill. According to Rotondo, “they present there, and then looking forward, the center is really putting a priority toward student-driven research, and I personally think, having gone here too as an undergrad, I think being able to create this new experience of community-based research is another step in us being a more active community members in New York.”

“In this Ignatian year, it is really important for our students to be aware of our mission and understand how we as citizens of the Bronx and Jesuit-educated students really bear the responsibility to use our education for an avenue of the common good, and this is one opportunity I am grateful to be a part of and be able to see that done tangibly,” added Rotondo.

This Week at Fordham Wednesday Feb. 2

Thursday Feb. 3

Friday Feb. 4

Saturday Feb. 5

Sunday Feb. 6

USG Welcome Back Tabling

Mimes and Mummers Open Tap Class

Experimental Theatre Poetry Performance Collins Hall 8 p.m. –9 p.m.

Iconography Workshop

Rose Hill Commons 235 & 236 12:30 p.m. –4:30 p.m.

CAB: Valentine’s Week Bingo

Keating 1st Auditorium 8 p.m. –9 p.m.

In celebration of the spring semester, United Student Government is tabling in the main lobby of McGinley. Stop by for information on how to make a difference at the university through USG’s many committees.

The Mimes and Mummers, the university’s main theatre group, will be hosting an open intermediate and advanced tap class in the dance studio of Keating. Tag along to learn a few moves and bring your dancing shoes!

Fordham Experimental Theatre is hosting a poetry group performance this Friday and Saturday at the Blackbox Theatre in Collins Hall. Those creatively-inclined should stop by to experience and encourage fellow artists and poets. Admission is free.

Fordham’s Orthodox Christian Fellowship, a “pan-Orthodox organization of college students,” will be holding an iconography workshop this Saturday, teaching about different forms of iconography in Christianity.

CAB will be hosting a Valentine’s week bingo in Keating 1st sure to rouse the competitive spirit of dozens of Fordham students.

Previous bingos have indicated that there will be prizes galore, so make sure to get there and win!

McGinley Main Lobby 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

Keating Hall Basement 3 p.m.–5 p.m.

NEWS

February 2, 2022

Page 3

Administration Changes Dining During COVID-19 FROM DINING, PAGE 1

dining in the Marketplace, “except for certain times during the week, the line itself, having to present the ID and then checking in keeps the population at the tables fairly well social distanced, or people eating with their “campus family group.”

There hasn’t been a problem where it has been so overcrowded that we need to worry about it or slow it down. The tables and chairs are set up for group social distancing with friends who know each other and are around each other more,” said Yaun.

Olivia Griffin, FCRH ’25, said she does not find the protocols effective, “I agree with the decision to cancel indoor seating at Così because the space is so limited to begin with. However, the cafeteria should have kept the previous amount of tables and seats. Recently, the cafeteria has been overcrowded, and students are squished into the space — this was not the case when we had more seating options.”

While the university has not expanded the use of any indoor spaces for casual dining, “students are still free to eat in the lounges and any other open spaces on campus”, said Yaun.

Andy Diaz, FCRH ’25, does not feel like students are being properly informed. “Right now, students feel there is a lack of transparency and communication from the Fordham administration. Many students arrived

COURTESY OF NICK DESILVA / THE FORDHAM RAM

The omicron variant spike of COVID-19 caused Fordham to implement revised safety protocols for the spring 2022 semester, including indoor dining availability.

after break under the impression that social distancing within food locations on campus would be even more enforced due to the omicron rise. Students also believed that to-go options would be readily available,” Diaz said.

The student continued, stating, “spacing between tables in the caf has decreased, and few students are aware that to-go boxes are available. Many students, including myself, are somewhat comforted by the continued sense of ‘normalcy’ on campus. However,

this lack of communication leads to further confusion, and that confusion leads to frustration.”

Diaz thought about how COVID-19 responses across the university did not share similar values as many of its students. “A similar example is the reopening of the gym and the frustration felt by many students because of the lack of communication and vagueness around the reasoning for its postponement,” Diaz said.

“At the core of these issues is simply transparency; students

want to know what’s happening at their school,” said Diaz.

In addition to the new protocols, there are COVID-19 guidelines for university dining that are still in place from the previous semester, some regulating the staff.

Yaun also described some of the continuing protocols: “The staff is socially distanced apart [at] the station[s]. There is one person per station in the preparation area, where, in the past, there might have been three

or four [people]. Their schedules are spread out through later hours so that whatever preparation can be done with social distance maintained while the operation is closed. Those employee or staffing protocols are in place and have not changed,” said Yaun.

“For the foreseeable future, these protocols will remain in place,” said Yaun.

“Since March of 2020, whatever happens next is what we have to arrange for,” Yaun said.

Health and Wellness Club Focuses On Mental Health

By LUCY PETERSON

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This semester, Fordham welcomed a new club focused on students’ wellbeing. Vanessa Marku, GSB ’23, and Nicoletta Loukas, GSB ’22, felt that creating the Health and Wellness club would be “a good response to the rigid constrictions of health depicted on media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.” “We wanted to make health and wellness a part of a college student’s life in a way that’s accessible,” Marku said. The Health and Wellness club strives to both address unhealthy diet culture and counter the prioritization of physical appearance over mental and emotional wellness. “Health and wellness is something I’ve been passionate about for a few years. It’s not an all-or-nothing approach,” Loukas said.

This all-or-nothing mentality is also known as cognitive distortions.

This type of thinking can be extremely disruptive to life. This mentality can be described as people who believe that anything less than 100% is 0%. In diet culture experts have found that this thinking comes out in binges and periods of extreme limitations.

Experts have found that this type of eating and lifestyle is not conducive to overall life of health.

An article by DoSomething, a nonprofit aimed at creating social change, revealed that “58% of collegeaged girls feel pressured to be a certain weight” and that “95% of people who suffer from eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25.”

Marku and Loukas hope to impact these statistics and change how college students approach

their health on social media, primarily through the construction of the Fordham Health and Wellness Blog. The blog will allow members to write about their own self-care routines and healthy habits.

Offering a more positive social media platform aims to provide students with a space to share moments of inspiration and wellness that they’ve found in their college community. It will be “a ground for people to spread their positive change on campus,” Loukas said.

In addition to its focus on social media platforms such as Instagram and blog posts, the Health and Wellness Club will host in-person events, including group workout sessions, guest speakers and visits to the local farmers market at the New York Botanical Garden.

One of the club’s main focuses will be creating dialogue to hold one another accountable to their goals.

“College, and life in general, is chaotic, whether it’s busy schedules, deadlines or searching for jobs. We want everyone to be able to find peace and meaningfulness in a healthy way,” Marku said. In recent years, mental health issues among college students have been prevelant.

In 2020, almost half of all college students presented some psychiatric disorder. Additionally, almost 80% reported being anxious or overwhelemed by their workload.

Experts have found that decreasing social media usage as well as refocusing one’s mind can help decrease things like stress, anxiety, and sadness to a certain extent. Clubs like Fordham Health and Wellness Club, may be able to help Fordham students recenter and decrease some

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

“We are so excited to introduce Fordham's first Health and Wellness Club!” reads the club's first Instagram post. of those issues.

In addition to its focus on the university's students, the club hopes to reach beyond Fordham’s borders to address concerns related to health and wellness in the local Bronx community as well.

According to a CityLimits article

by Janaki Chandha and Ruth Ford, “43% of residents in the Bronx live under the Federal Poverty Level” due to issues that include lack of affordable housing, joblessness and lack of affordable and nutritious foods.

Marku and Loukas hope to use their club to make an impact on these issues. “We definitely hope to help the Bronx community,” Loukas said.

“We have access to workout gear and nutritious foods that members of the local community do not.” The club plans to explore different ways it can extend resources to aid members of the local Bronx community.

Beyond advocating for the Bronx community, Marku and Loukas also hope to create a positive space for students of all gender identities. “We are extremely inclusive and are in no way a club just for students who identify as women,” Marku said.

Students who are interested in following the Health and Wellness club should visit the new blog page or the club’s Instagram account @fordhamwellness. On its

Instagram page, the club posts motivational tips promoting wellness and proviging monthly book recommendations from the club's e-board members. The page's first post states, “a healthy college lifestyle is attainable by all ... it does not have to be intense and rigid.”

“This club is all about exploring, so I’m excited to explore other ways students find this balance between academic work and physical wellbeing,” Loukas said.

During COVID-19, the Health and Wellness club stands out as one way that Fordham students can help foster a community centered around both mental and physical wellbeing.

NEWS Fordham Libraries Digital Collection Receives Grant

February 2, 2022

Page 4

FROM LIBRARY, PAGE 1

knew should be documented,” said Lewis.

Lewis explained that they began to compile the university’s COVID-19 response by observing how individual university departments acted during the coronavirus outbreak. The team then began to collect correspondence received from the administration.

Additionally, the team started saving and looking for pieces of media that helps demonstrate what life was like for the Fordham community.

“Fordham community organizations like The Observer and the Ram very quickly became places we looked for pandemic-related content. Certain faculty members were on top of creating new projects in response to the pandemic and our collecting only grew from there,” said Lewis. “It was so early in the pandemic that doing more outreach for things like interviews was not necessarily a priority — people were still trying to figure out how to proceed in the pandemic landscape. While we worked with some of the student community in the early days, we really wanted them to focus on both the sudden transition and the shock of the pandemic.”

The archive focuses on the Twice Over Podcast, created by Steve D’Agustino, Fordham’s director of

online learning, and Anne Fernald, Fordham’s special advisor to the provost for faculty development and co-chair of the university council on diversity, equity and inclusion. The podcast, which was created at the initial switch to online learning, is aimed at helping faculty make that transition when it comes to teaching.

The archive also focuses on the Bronx COVID-19 Oral History project. This initiative, led by a team of Fordham students and faculty, is dedicated to capturing the essence of the Bronx and how the community was affected by COVID-19. The site includes interviews, artists’ profiles and business highlights. It aims to show how the Bronx, a borough highly affected by COVID-19, dealt with all the challenges the pandemic brought.

After the initial outbreak of the pandemic, the project’s attention shifted from focusing on the immediate response to how people were being continuously affected.

“Once the Fordham community seemed to have settled into the new pandemic routine, the outreach requesting permission to include the content and requesting interviews and additional content began. We have kept going since then, working to expand our connections with the Fordham community to find additional

COURTESY OF NICK DESILVA / THE FORDHAM

The Fordham Libraries Digital Collections team has been compiling a COVID-19 archive since the pandemic started.

related records or experiences,” said Lewis.

This year, the Libraries Digital Collection team wants to continue to focus on interviewing the Fordham community about their experiences dealing with the pandemic. While they will continue to scan documents and what they have been doing, there will be an emphasis placed on video interviews. The grant will allow them to purchase equipment to record the interviews.

“We applied for funding for additional scanners, as well as

video recording equipment. Our goal this year is to get as many video interviews as possible into the archive, thereby allowing the entire Fordham community to tell us what their experiences were with COVID-19 in terms of Fordham and their lives. We will also continue scanning any and all hard copy COVID-19 documents and photographs that we have amassed since 2020,” said LoSchiavo.

Creating an archive to document COVID-19 practices is important. According to LoSchiavo,

having a comprehensive understanding of the way that Fordham University handled the pandemic is especially important. “I really thought this was a way to show future historians how lives changed under the duress of a pandemic. If enough schools do this, it’ll be a way to compare and contrast how public institutions handled it, how private institutions handled it, and how as a large Catholic, Jesuit university in the middle of New York City, the epicenter of the pandemic, it affected our students’ lives,” LoSchiavo told Fordham Library News.

Fordham University Stays Silent on AAPI Hate and Violence FROM AAPI, PAGE 1

hate crimes overall. The numbers have risen dramatically because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, and subsequently ravaged the world.

Western media, especially American media, quickly blamed China for this mass illness and death. Ever since COVID-19 was given the misnomer “China flu” or “Wuhan virus,” Asian Americans of all ethnicities have carried the burden of this character assassination.

In early 2021, the slogan “Stop Asian Hate” began to garner media attention as discrimination against Asian Americans continued to rise.

The campaign sprouted from a number of different attacks against Asians, but particularly the death of Thai

man Vicha Ratanapakdee, who was pushed to death in broad daylight, and the shootings at three Atlanta spas, which resulted in the death of seven Asian women. CNN reported that the former was provoked by race and the latter, although not officially named a hate crime, featured the attacker stating he wanted to “kill all Asians.”

Since their last statement, Fordham has not spoken publicly on the continued rise of anti-Asian sentiment. The new year brought the tragic death of Michelle Go, an Asian woman who was pushed in front of a train in the Times Square subway station, resulting in her death. Go’s death has sent new shockwaves throughout the Asian community, particularly in

New York, where the wound remains raw and reality is harsh: persecution against Asian Americans is not stopping any time soon.

When asked to comment, Robert Fitzer, director of public safety, spoke on the matter, stating that “there is no place for any kind of hate at Fordham University,” reinforcing the president’s previous statement.

Unfortunately, reports to the university have shown that over the timeline of the pandemic, seven individuals who identify as Asian have reported crimes against them, both at Rose Hill and Lincoln Center.

Arthur Ze An Liu, FCRH ’23, president of Ascend and Asian Cultural Exchange, and a Cultural Programming Coordinator of Rose

Hill’s AAPI Committee, spoke on the issue. “These continued acts of violence stoke fear and anxiety in the entire New York City Asian community, not just Fordham,” said Liu. “However, Fordham is a PWI with a relatively small Asian and AAPI population, which means that members of the Asian community might be less likely to find sympathy … with their non-Asian peers.”

Though the university has prioritized diversity and most recently published statistics stating an 19% increase in Asian students offered admission, Fordham’s position as a predominantly white institution in a low-income community has always placed it at a disadvantage. This has been exacerbated by its smaller AAPI

student population in which Liu describes “almost all club members have experienced some form of racism … on or off-campus.”

Although the pandemic can be blamed for the rise in overt racism and violence, studies show that much of it can be attributed to “long-standing anti-Asian biases in U.S. society,” as per NBC News.

Fordham has a responsibility to prevent these long-standing biases from permeating the university’s gates and “conversations like these are the first step to tackling the problem,” said Liu. “Conversations allow people from all backgrounds to provide their unique insights into the issue” and, hopefully, will raise awareness for an issue that too many are guilty of ignoring.

COURTESY OF UNSPLASH

COURTESY OF UNSPLASH

"#StopAsianHate" is a hashtag used to spread awareness across social media.

Demonstrations across the U.S. have strengthened the movement against anti-Asian American hate crimes.

NEWS

February 2, 2022

Page 5

Schmeltzer Offers Halal Food

PHOTO COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS

The Fordham Law School, located on the Lincoln Center campus, now offers halal dining options for Muslim students alongside recent policies related to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion movement.

FROM HALAL, PAGE 1

According to Yuan, there were many factors that went into making the decision to bring halal food to campus. Mainly, it is meant to honor and give Fordham’s Muslim community more options for dining.

“We have a population [of Muslim people]. We have the population of the students that are here. I think it makes a statement of welcoming, and we found someone who could do it from an authentic point of view,” said Yuan.

Bringing halal food to campus means a lot to Fordham’s Muslim student population.

“It is important for Fordham to have halal dining options because as a Jesuit university that has a mission that respects religions, cares for the whole person and values diversity, it is important to accommodate all students,” said Naimal Chisti, FCLC ’23, chair of Fordham Lincoln Center’s

Muslim Student Association. “As years have progressed, Fordham is becoming more diverse and has had an increase of Muslim students every academic year. With the increase of Muslim students, it is important for Fordham to properly provide accommodations to their students who entrust Fordham with their college education and experience. It not only supports Fordham’s mission of inclusivity but also listens to the voices of its students. Additionally, halal food tends to be regarded as healthier than many other options.”

“The students we talked to say it’s on-trend. [Halal food is] healthy, it’s more plant-based. Almost any food item can be halal, but the items on the menu [at Schmeltzer] are in line with what people are perceiving as what is healthy today,” said Yuan.

Before the addition of halal food to Schmeltzer, it was difficult for students who kept a halal diet to eat on

campus. According to Chisti, before halal food was widely avaiable on campus, most Muslim students had to keep a vegetarain diet out of circumstance.

“I know some students who would want to eat but would not have time to go outside to get halal food, because of classes or assignments. It was inconvenient for Muslim students to keep going outside of Fordham when they really didn’t have the opportunity to leave,” said Chisti.

Schmeltzer Dining Room began serving halal food in fall of 2021; however, the location did not receive the customer traffic that Yuan thought would happen.

“I was of the mindset that people would come because that’s what happened at other schools I was involved with before Fordham, but we had put it in spaces that were already popular,” said Yuan. “I’m

not really sure how many students knew that Schmeltzer was there.

Anyone on a meal plan could go over to Schmeltzer and use their swipes or declining balance, as well as any other tender.”

In order to increase its popularity, Fordham Dining has partnered with the Fordham Lincoln Center Muslim Student Association (MSA). This partnership is aimed to help bring attention to the halal options on campus. According to Yuan, the reason halal food ended up in Schmeltzer was simply due to immediate availability. The food vendor that had been there previously was no longer there, making it easy for a halal station to open. Despite that, there are still plans for more halal food to come to the Rose Hill campus. According to Yuan, there are plans to have an even more robust halal station in the renovated McGinley Marketplace.

“Lincoln Center was easier because

we already had a counter there. At Rose Hill, we don’t have an empty space that's immediately apparent.

However, in the renovation plans for the McGinley Marketplace, [which] renovation should start around March in 2023, in the plans for that is a 100% halal location.

[The location will be] supported with halal production and we could probably offer more variety of halal items there,” said Yuan.

However, Yuan noted that in the more immediate future, there are still plans to try and open up a second halal station at Rose Hill. “In the meantime, now that the partner has expressed they want to go to Rose Hill, we’re looking for a place to put it in. There just isn’t space immediately available, but we are looking,” said Yuan.

Fordham’s Rose Hill Muslim Student Association did not respond to requests for interviews.

Fordham Basketball Enjoys New Guest Policy

COURTESY OF NICK DESILVA / THE FORDHAM RAM

COVID-19 protocols had stunted the size of audiences for Fordham athletic events, prohibiting external guests.

FROM EVENTS, PAGE 1

the only people present at games are the coaches, athletes, officials and essential administrators.

“The University will lift these

restrictions when it is deemed safe to do so (there is no single factor that will determine the threshold, but certainly a lower

infection rate in New York City is a prerequisite),” explained Bob Howe, assistant vice president for communications.

The restrictions on spectators were lifted on Feb. 1. As of Feb.1, New York’s COVID-19 numbers are steadily decreasing. Additionally there are only 35 active COVID-19 cases at the Rose Hill campus. However, even though the restrictions on fans attending games are now lifted, many athletes felt that having to play with no viewers affected their performance negatively.

Sports fans are typically familiar with the idea of the home-court advantage. Some of this comes from familiarity with the court and the comfort of your own domain, but it can also be attributed to the increase in support that the team feels when stands are filled with those rooting for them.

“This is a very resilient group that has been through a lot the past two years. They won’t let this stand in the way of our goals. We hope that it gets resolved soon.

The home-court should be an advantage and we really need it!” said women’s basketball coach, Stephanie Gaitley, in response to the no spectator policy.

With COVID-19 cases beginning to decline, many anticipated that the university would slowly begin to lift some of their current

restrictions. Before the Feb. 1 announcement, many studentathletes and sports fans were hopeful that the spectators’ return was not far off. Some athletes noticed a difference and felt affected when playing without fans.

“Having no fans has been a very difficult challenge for our team. We have missed having our family and friends being able to come support us, and we hope in the near future we will be able to have our Ramily back in the stands,” said Anna Dewolfe, FCRH ’23.

Fordham Athletics stated that visitor policies will be evaluated on a continuous basis and that any updates will be available on the Visitor/Fans Regulations page of the athletics site.

There are still a number of games remaining for both the men’s and women’s teams, allowing ample opportunity for students and spectators to return to the stands.

There are also still several other ways to stay up to date with the Fordham teams and enjoy their games. They are available to watch on ESPN+ and to listen to on WFUV.

NEWS

Page 6

February 2, 2022

New Grant Funds Undergraduate Research

By PAOLO GALIANO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

For the first time this year, Fordham University is offering the Len Blavatnik STEM Research Fellowship, which will help to support undergraduate research in numerous STEM fields.

The Blavatnik Family Foundation’s generous grant will allow Fordham to present five awards of $2,500 each to support and cultivate undergraduate research. Dedicated to a mission of “supporting scientists in early state research and discovery,” the Blavatnik Foundation recognizes the promise and unlimited potential for change that young researchers display.

Len Blavatnik is a global philanthropist who prioritizes scientific research and discovery as well as higher education. Supporting his mission of advancing higher education, scientific discoveries and the arts through charitable giving, his foundation has contributed over $900 million to hundreds of charitable institutions globally. With a love of universities and institutions of higher educa-

tion, Blavatnik believes that “funding young scientists at premier universities and scientific research centers will more quickly advance research and transform discovery into practical applications to improve human health.”

Giving a historical donation of $200 million to Harvard Medical School and $65 million for the Harvard Business School to be used for other research initiatives, the Blavatnik Foundation certainly does not shy away from its goal of funding undergraduate researchers. The donations from the Blavatnik Foundation aim to alleviate one aspect of beginning a research endeavor — funding.

What is it about young researchers? Not only do they have a drive and ambition to make the world better than they found it, but they are committed to seeing their goals through. Blavatnik’s foundation offers a chance for these researchers to get their projects off the ground and into practice experiments with tangible benefits and effects. As seen in Blavatnik’s 2007 creation of the Blavatnik Awards for Young

Scientists, in accordance with the New York Academy of Sciences, this esteemed panel evaluates applicants and awards promising scientists during the early stages of their career, “at a point in scientific discovery when seed funding can most significantly accelerate breakthrough research.”

With applicants enrolled in STEM fields at Fordham College Rose Hill or Lincoln Center such as biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering physics, environmental science, general science and so many more, this grant will cultivate research in numerous fields of study. According to Dean Rachel Annunziato, it is extremely important for students to participate in undergraduate research at Fordham University, but challenges usually stop students from doing so.

“Often research supplies are very costly, and we are so grateful that the Blavatnik funds will offer a chance for our students to think big and boldly. We envision that these funds will set the stage for high-impact, foun-

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The new STEM Research Fellowship encourages research among undergrads.

dational work and a tremendous opportunity to deepen students’ involvement in undergraduate research,” said Annunziato.

Blavatnik’s grant will be immeasurably important to those who see their research making a difference in the world, but do not have the materials or funds to begin.

The Len Blavatnik Fellowship not only provides the startup material for these projects, but also supports them.

With a clear message that emphasizes its commitment to the cultivation of undergraduate research, this grant supports young researchers’ big dreams.

CCEL Offers Students Winter Experiences Abroad

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

Over winter break, the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) sent students on Global Outreach (GO!) trips. Students traveled to Puerto Rico and the Canada-New York border. At both locations, students engaged in academic, service and cultural activities, which all aimed to teach the students about the reality of life in the local communities.

“Our winter cycle was Puerto Rico, Kino Border Initiative and the New York-Canada borders project; they were focused on immigration and migration realities,” said Vanessa Rotondo, assistant director of immersions and senior advisor on Ignatian leadership.

As a program, GO! aims to help connect students with communities and cultures they may not have been exposed to before. While GO! projects may have service elements, they differ from traditional service trips.

Instead of solely focusing on providing service to a community, these trips aim to help students become immersed and understand other people’s lives.

“Rather than just going in and doing a tangible direct service and then going on your way, we really work to create these opportunities of direct encounter of humanity,” said Rotondo. “Students typically spend a good deal of time getting to know our partner, getting to know partner organizations from our partner and really having the opportunity to interact and interface with people in the community. [Students spend time] getting to know the lived realities [of people in the community].

There are service components for sure, [GO! trips] are rooted in community service at the end of the day.”

Global Outreach trips are also student-led. The trips will usually have a student leading the trip and a chaperone. According to Rotondo, the student leadership and engagement aspect of Global Outreach contributes to GO!’s unique learning experience.

“It’s a really great way to experi-

ence a different kind of education. It’s student facilitated, and so it breaks down the barrier of having a professor talking at you. Not that our faculty talk at you, but it brings [a] different level of education,” said Rotondo.

Students spent months preparing before they left for Puerto Rico and the New York-Canada border.

According to Mari Teli, FCRH ’22, the student leader of the New YorkCanada trip, the group focused on working with its partners — New York Immigration Coalition, Alianza Agricola and the Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services — to understand the immigration that happens in upstate New York.

“We learned about the history of migration in upstate as well as immigration policies in New York. We were also able to learn about the refugee and asylee population in upstate and the work the refugee resettlement services do. In addition, we were able to visit Niagara Falls and learn about different murals in the upstate region,” said Teli.

The group on the GO! trip to Puerto Rico also did activities to immerse themselves in the Puerto Rican community that they were visiting.

“They were doing everything from a park cleanup, to cleaning up the community center, to really getting to know the people that would be using that park and community center. [They were able to see] how that work relates to the different environmental advocacy realities of Puerto Rico,” said Rotondo. “After that, they would go out into the city of San Juan. They did a walking tour, saw a few different cultural highlights and learned about them. Then they did historical walking tours too.”

In addition to those initatvives, students on the Global Outreach trip to Puerto Rico had direct engagement with the community when it came to their theme topic, migration.

“We spoke with migrants, spending time with them and hearing their stories of what led them to the Kino Border Initiative shelter in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. We also listened to border patrol agents, ranchers

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The Center for Community Engaged Learning gives students the opportunity to go abroad during breaks.

who live along the border in Arivaca, Arizona, and even the Pima County Medical Examiner, who receives remains of undocumented migrants that die in the desert, and does the work to find their identities and notify their families when possible. The goal of the trip was to understand the realities of life on the border from all different perspectives,” said Lauren Pecora, FCRH ’22, Leader of GO! Puerto Rico.

Global Outreach trips are unique because they take learning outside the classroom, which helps build communities that last for a long time after the trip. “[I went on my first GO! Trip] when I had just graduated undergrad and when

I was doing my masters. That community still talks; there are groups of people who are friends because of their Global Outreach experience,” said Rotondo.

One of the main parts of the GO! program is learning how to take tools acquired on the trip back to life at Fordham.

“Our student leaders are trained to see what [Global Outreach] means in the immediate New York community and then integrate that into your lives at Fordham.

I’m mindful that you’ll spend the semester in formation; you will go on your immersion and then you come back. There [are] only so many things you can do to stay engaged,” said Rotondo.

“Our student leaders do a good job

starting the conversations with our students during formation about ways to stay involved with these social justice topics after the immersion.”

Teli found that learning about how immigration works in New York was influential on the New York-Canada trip.

“My team even got to meet with Assemblywoman Karines Reyes, who worked on passing the Hero Act. I think being informed about immigration policies, especially in the state I go to school in, is important since I believe everyone should be more educated about the things happening in their area and how we as students can spread information that isn’t necessarily often talked about,” said Teli.

OPINION

February 2, 2022

Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918

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

Website TheFordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu

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

Editorial Page Policy The Fordham Ram’s editorial is selected on a weekly basis and reflects the editorial board’s view on a campus issue.

Opinions Policy Send Fordham Ram submissions to fordhamramopinions@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.

From the Desk | Amanda Yarolin

Page 7

Music: A Connecting and Stabilizing Force Am I the only one that can’t do a simple task without listening to music? Whether cleaning, doing homework, driving to school or cooking dinner, listening to music is the only way my brain can function. Even writing this article, my earbuds are in, and the world around me is shut out. Music is a safe space that allows me to focus on the task at hand, and I don’t think I’m alone when I say that. Anywhere you look, a member of a younger generation likely has music playing, allowing the world to keep revolving as they zone out to their favorite song. A person’s favorite songs tell a story of who they are, and I believe it is one of the purest ways to connect on a human level. Music is an art that deserves to be interpreted by each mind that listens to it, and these interpretations bring us closer together.

More often than not, my mother will ask “How can you listen to music while doing homework?” or “Why is the TV on when you’re not even watching it?” Many believe music can distract from any task at hand.

I disagree with them. To be honest, I need the background noise to keep my attention rather than distract it. Music relieves the pressures of challenging tasks, tuning into the part of the

brain on the brink of overload.

The flexibility of music is what makes it all the more valuable. We can create playlists curated for different moods and intensities of the situations we find ourselves in. For example, when I took an art history course in my freshman year, I tended to listen to classical music while doing homework; the artwork inspired me to be in touch with a classical ambiance. When I’m cleaning or cooking, I’ll blast rap or hiphop to keep the energy high and the mundane task fun.

However, this is all subjective, and I think it’s fascinating learning about the ways people use different kinds of music to cope with their everyday challenges.

Music also connects us. The ability to share and stream songs to virtually anyone in the world plays into this factor. The music reviews you see in the Culture section of this paper are my favorite; the choice of music and how the writer analyzes it speaks volumes about that person’s character.

When meeting someone new, one of my favorite talking points is our favorite kinds of music (my usual response is “anything but country”). Music then becomes an identifier for an individual; you can learn a lot about a

person when they discuss a specially curated playlist they made. The moment when you realize someone else listens to an artist or song you love is full of excitement. What’s even better is allowing someone else to develop your taste, introducing you to new genres and artists. By doing so, you are allowing that person into the story of your life, influencing what you listen to and how you will appreciate it.

As far as my Spotify goes, it’s all over the place. However, I’m still proud of the library I’ve created for myself.

A majority of the music I still

Editorial | Fordham Presidential Priorities

listen to comes from the people I have surrounded myself with, and everytime I listen to that music a small part of me is reminded of them. The love song from an ex-boyfriend, the club music that gets me excited for a night out and the ’80s music I’ve listened to my entire life because of my parents, all took part in forming who I choose to identify as, and how to go day to day appreciating it.

I want to end off by saying: never be ashamed of your taste in music, it’s a beautiful part of who you are. And, if you ever see me around, tell me your favorite song!

Next Fordham President Will Not Be a Jesuit As most members of the Fordham community will note, on Friday, Jan. 21, the Office of the University Secretary made an announcement regarding the search committee’s success in “attracting a diverse, talented and accomplished pool of leadership candidates.” One area in which the candidates have not been diverse: their membership in the Society of Jesus. That’s right, the Jesuit University of New York will not be having a Jesuit serving as its next president.

Taking this into account, we at The Fordham Ram have put some thought into what we hope for most from the future presidential candidate, and how a layperson’s presidency affects that.

A layperson taking on the role opens up many possibilities for the president’s background that otherwise would be extremely unlikely. This may lead to a period of great change for Fordham University, another end of an era combined with the natural “fresh start” of a new president. For example, this opens up the possibility of a female president. This may be surprising considering the demographics of leadership roles, but women make up 50% of the world’s

population. Isn’t it about time half the world’s population, and, incidentally, 65% of the Class of 2025, see themselves represented in Fordham’s leadership?

Further, we welcome the possibility of a president with professional experience outside of academia, as we at The Fordham Ram value nothing more than a diversity of opinion, and are intrigued by the possible new ideas that could be gained from a president with past experiences in other professional fields.

However, these are all largely incidental compared to what we hope for most from the new president.

The first priority — and what we believe would be the greatest benefit for the university — is a president who is accessible to the student population. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a younger candidate, as we are well aware of the breadth of personal and professional experience necessary for the responsibilities of the position. What truly matters for accessibility is a candidate in alignment with not only the values of the Jesuit mission but the values of the student population. We at the Ram believe it is vital for the

future president to be tolerant, accepting and willing to engage with the perspectives of Fordham’s remarkably diverse student body.

Beyond the population of Fordham’s students, we are anxious to learn whether the 33rd president will be a native New Yorker, or even a native of the Bronx.

It’s important to us that our next president embody the ideals of service to the community and social justice, and a president that is engaged with and cares for Fordham’s surrounding community would be a large part of that. It has been reiterated by many in the Fordham community that

Rose Hill should not be an island in the Bronx. The slogan “New York is my Campus” applies just as much to those of us with a sizable campus in Rose Hill as it does to our Lincoln Center cousins in the thick of Manhattan.

Though we have full faith in the wisdom of the search committee and the Board of Trustees to bring on the presidential candidate best-suited to serve Fordham University’s interests, we have written here what we hope to see in a layperson president. Therefore, we, and hopefully the rest of the student body, await anxiously to hear of more news from the committee.

OPINION

Page 8

February 2, 2022

Price Fixing: the Latest College Admissions Scandal

some of the universities did practice need-blind admissions, others did not and actively favored wealthier students.

With price fixing, students are no longer being judged on a criteria of merit but rather on their ability to finance their education.

Though it is the parents who are creating this amoral loophole in the college admissions process, it is the universities that are exploiting the parents’ desperation by allowing these wealthy but under-qualified students to join the ranks of the elite.

The idea of a fair, meritocratic college admissions system has essentially been thrown out the window with this recent revelation. Students that have worked incredibly hard and given more than their fair share of time and effort into preparing themselves to be a strong admissions candidate are now overshadowed by

their rich counterparts.

Furthermore, it is incredibly frustrating to know that merit is no longer a deciding factor since that is one of the few pieces of an application that students have complete control over. A student can study harder, take on more responsibility and volunteer in their community to elevate their applications. These same hardworking students, however, cannot magically procure hundreds of thousands of additional dollars to throw at an already vastly overpriced education. Most importantly, these students have no control over whether or not their parents are millionaires.

They cannot suddenly come into the amount of money that is needed for them to stand a chance against these already incredibly wealthy families.

Even more importantly, wealth is not by any means an accurate

measure of intelligence or academic aptitude. The amount of money one possesses does not determine how intelligent he or she will be, nor does it determine how hard he or she will work. In fact, students of a lower socioeconomic standing need to work even harder than wealthier students just to be considered in the applicant pool. Poorer students are already at a disadvantage by not having access to better school systems and private tutors, so the fact that universities are denying entrance to these students based on their ability to pay is reprehensible.

In light of the Lori Loughlin scandal, I cannot say that the news of this recent lawsuit shocked me. I, like many otherss, grew up hearing urban legends about just how wonderful universities like Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania were. In fact, my mother attended the University of Pennsylvania, and I always grew up believing that her success was a direct result of her attending this prestigious university. This translated to me and many other kids my age falling victim to the fallacy that anyone attending a rigorous school would be guaranteed a successful future. But as I grew older, I discovered that she was often at a disadvantage during her education because she was not only

ficers be held accountable for Lofton’s death, as they put him in the position that killed him, but the Kansas self-defense laws must be reviewed for excessive leniency.

On Sept. 24, Cedric was taken into custody for “exhibiting erratic and aggressive behavior” towards his foster family. He was taken to a juvenile center and fought with the correctional officers holding him. He was restrained by the ankles, flipped onto his stomach and restrained by his wrists behind his back.

He went unconscious, and a few minutes later, officers were unable to find a pulse. He was pronounced dead in the hospital two days later. The autopsy reported the cause of death as “complications of cardiopulmonary arrest sustained after physical struggle while restrained in the prone position.”

Andrew Stroth, the attorney representing Lofton’s biological family, said that the “prone” position officers put Lofton in “basically took Cedric’s breath away and killed him.” Bennett argued that the officers acted in selfdefense by restraining Lofton in this way, but Stroth argued that Lofton could not have been a true threat to the officers: he was unarmed and only 135 pounds compared to several larger, older, armed officers, and could not have reasonably hurt them in the way they did him.

Kansas state law outlines the permission to use deadly force in self-defense for a law enforcement officer as follows: “such officer is justified in using deadly force only when such officer reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to such officer or another person.”

Under this law, Lofton would have needed to be such a threat that the officers believed they would’ve sustained great bodily harm, would have needed to try to escape, would have needed to have committed a felony involving death or great bodily harm and would have had to indicate that he would endanger human

life. The officers could not have reasonably believed that they would’ve sustained great bodily harm from a much smaller, unarmed teenager. Lofton did fight with the officers, like many do during arrest, so the officers could have believed he was trying to escape.

However, while Lofton exhibited “aggressive” behavior towards his foster family, there was no mention of a deadly weapon nor potential to cause death or bodily harm, and it is unlikely he could have indicated that he could reasonably endanger the lives of the officers when put in such a prone position. Under these conditions, the officers could be held responsible for Lofton’s death.

Officers’ jobs are to handle these kinds of situations, and they should expect some resistance during arrest. Another issue in this situation is that the officers should have been trained to control the situation in a safe manner; either the officers were not trained to do so or impulsively restrained Lofton in a dangerous way. At the very least, the officers should be charged with endangerment which is outlined in Kansas as “recklessly exposing another person to a danger of great bodily harm or death.”

Lofton’s autopsy explained that it was the “prone position” that induced cardiac arrest. While it is subjective whether or not the officers meet the conditions for using deadly force in self-defense, it is clear that they put him in the position that killed him.

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The admissions process sets students up for failure based on parents socioeconomic status.

By CAROLYN BRANIGAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As the years go on, college admissions to top universities are only becoming more and more challenging, and parents and students are desperate to secure their spots in these universities — by whatever means necessary.

Even the students that manage to ace the SATs, volunteer in their communities and actively participate in extracurriculars are not guaranteed admission to top schools. Still, parents and students are hoping to attend these universities, even if it means crossing some ethical boundaries.

Price fixing is the latest college admissions scandal. The lawsuit alleges that 16 prestigious universities engaged in price fixing to limit the amount of financial aid they offered students. While

at a lower socioeconomic status than the majority of her peers, but she was one of only two Mexican students in her entire graduating class, an ironic fact considering prestigious universities often pride themselves on their diverse student body. As a result of these factors, my mother was forced to work twice as hard as her peers and ended up not enjoying her time at such a renowned school.

This lawsuit, along with stories like this, is now one of the many reasons that I, along with countless others, no longer believe in the Ivy League myth.

The admissions process sets students up for failure based on nothing more than their parents’ socioeconomic status.

These universities are deplorable; they promise all students a fair and equal chance of success while only catering to a select few. Thankfully, however, many other universities in existence today do offer admissions based on merit and give generous financial aid. While those universities may not be as prestigious in name as universities like the University of Pennsylvania, they will undoubtedly produce driven and well-rounded students.

Therefore, they exposed Lofton to death and should be charged with endangerment.

In looking into Kansas’ self-defense laws, I found that the conditions necessary to use deadly force in defense are very limited.

For example, a civilian is allowed to use deadly force in self-defense “if such person reasonably believes that such use of deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to such person or a third person.” The conditions for law enforcement to use deadly force in self-defense include some objective requirements, like if the person has committed a felony involving death or great bodily harm. However, the requirements for civilians to be permitted to use deadly force free from prosecution are solely subjective as the law states they must “reasonably believe” that the use of deadly force is necessary. What “reasonable” means varies from person to person and judge to judge, allowing for people to get hurt or even killed because of what one person deems reasonable. Not to mention, racial and other biases may play into one’s fear of death or great bodily harm and, therefore, affect their self-defense method. Ultimately, Kansas law needs to be revised to have more objective markers upon which to decide whether someone can be charged for hurting someone in self-defense.

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

No Charges to be Filed for Cedric Lofton’s Death

By AVA KNIGHT

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Sept. 26, 2021, Cedric Lofton died after being restrained by correctional officers in a juvenile detention center in Wichita, Kansas. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett refrained from filing charges against the officers involved, as they were acting in “self-defense” and were immune to prosecution under Kansas’ stand-your-ground laws. Not only should the of-

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Kansas law needs to be revised to include more objective markers.

Ava Knight, FCRH ’25, is a neuroscience major from Seattle, Wash.

OPINION

February 2, 2022

Page 9

West Elm Caleb and TikTok’s Obsessive Parasocial Tendencies

By SAMANTHA SCOTT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

If you’re like me, your TikTok For You page might have been filled this past week with videos talking about the infamous New York City dater, “West Elm Caleb.” For those of you whose TikTok page isn’t like mine and you haven’t seen the videos, West Elm Caleb is a furniture designer for West Elm (hence the name) and has seemingly matched with every woman that is on a dating app in New York City.

Each woman has roughly the same story: romantic dates, active texting and playlists made just for them. However, in every story, West Elm Caleb becomes distant and eventually ghosts them.

Many of these women, and the people watching their videos, have connected the accounts to create a very messy timeline in which West Elm Caleb was dating many of these women simultaneously.

Naturally, the story went viral on TikTok, with many viewers accusing him of love bombing, narcissistic behavior and diagnosing him with mental disorders without ever being personally involved with him.

While the whole thing can be entertaining to watch, we also need to consider the fact that West Elm Caleb is still a person; he’s a private figure who is now being subjected to thousands of accusations and harassment solely because someone made a TikTok. Is West Elm Caleb’s dating behavior wrong? Yes. Does his behavior warrant users diving into his life and harassing

him to this extent? No. West Elm Caleb has engaged in some incredibly terrible behavior. His serial dating, ghosting and manipulation are issues that he faces, ingrained in the culture of these dating apps. The issues brought up with West Elm Caleb are common dating issues, whether we like it or not. The term “ghosting” is now a well-known phenomenon that almost everyone on dating apps experiences, in which someone cuts off all communication with a person without explanation. A simple Google search of the term brings up hundreds of articles on ghosting, its meaning and how to deal with it. Even if we view it as an unacceptable dating practice, it has become a widespread and almost normalized issue, in which the person ghosted receives no closure and often a fair amount of insecurity.

Women who also interacted with West Elm Caleb use the term “love bombing” to describe his behavior. Love bombing, a form of manipulation that attempts to influence a person by frequent demonstrations of attention and affection, is identified by psychologists as a part of the cycle of abuse and a sign of narcissism.

Is West Elm Caleb all of these things? I don’t know, and that’s because I was never personally involved with West Elm Caleb. Yes, West Elm Caleb’s behavior is terrible, but does that grant people on TikTok who don’t have personal experience with the man to harass him? There’s

a clear difference between talking about one’s personal experience with ghosting, love bombing or the issues in dating culture and creating a search for West Elm Caleb (exposing his profile, last name, phone number and address), as well as calling for him to be fired from his job.

A mob of TikTok users have descended on this man, many being uninvolved in the situation, simply looking for views.

There is a clear line drawn at harassing someone you have never had personal experience with. We can talk about the issues prevalent in the story of West Elm Caleb without harassing him off of the internet.

This manhunt isn’t the first time that a story involving someone’s personal life has been blown out of control through TikTok’s algorithm.

Think back to the beginning of the fall semester, when Couch Guy was all over people’s TikTok For You pages; people would analyze his body language, diagnose him with various mental illnesses and even led some people at his college to try to interact with him solely for TikTok content.

People spent so much time invading his dating life and personal history to prove if he was cheating. Just like in the story of Couch Guy, TikTok exacerbated the problem of West Elm Caleb. These women wouldn’t have started sharing their stories about West Elm Caleb in the first place, until they saw others talking about it on TikTok. The person who made the initial TikTok wasn’t referencing West Elm Caleb

Congregation Beth Israel for 11 hours are still unclear. After the hostages escaped, FBI agents killed Akram while securing the area. Akram’s brother could not shed any more light on his reasons, only saying that “it’s well known, everybody in the town knows, he has mental health issues,” and that Akram’s “mental state had further deteriorated” after the death of one of their brothers.

Akram is only the latest in a string of attackers to have their mental state cited as a reason, if not a defense, for their violent actions.

The same day as the hostage situation in Texas, Michelle Go was shoved to her death in front of a New York City subway car.

Her murderer, Simon Martial, is “undergoing a psychiatric evaluation at Bellevue Hospital, … but he is expected to be arraigned on murder charges,” law enforcement officials said. In 2019, he was charged with drug possession, but “the case was dismissed because of his mental state.”

Tying a person’s violent and horrific actions to their mental state has harmful ramifications for those with mental illness.

From a journalistic standpoint, a subject’s mental state can help establish the 5Ws. But when so little is known about the subject and their motivations, solely commenting on their “mental health issues” can lead to a dangerous assumption that everyone with a mental illness will perpetrate violent acts.

I am not suggesting that these news stories are wrong, nor am I questioning the validity of the mental health issues faced by Akram or Martial. I am saying that the media’s suggestion that Akram and Martial’s threats and murder, respectively, resulted from their mental health issues perpetuates negative stigma around mental illness. An article from the National Institutes of Health called “Trends In News

when talking about her dating experience. Still, the comments led to the issue to be more thoroughly examined by her and many other internet sleuths.

TikTok’s algorithm also promotes and amplifies stories that can snowball and become problematic. West Elm Caleb went viral for the same reason that Couch Guy and countless others did: people relate to it. TikTok puts videos on your For You page using an algorithm to ensure that you receive content that will make you want to stay on the app longer. It’s incredibly personalized; no one sees the same content when they go on TikTok, and that’s a part of why it has become so prevalent and the most visited site on the internet. People who are seeing videos about West Elm Caleb probably relate to the issues that these women are facing with this serial dat-

er. In this way, West Elm Caleb has become a figurehead for people’s issues with dating apps and their dating experiences.

People would never say what they have said about West Elm Caleb if they saw him on the streets of New York. TikTok users feel comfortable investigating and commenting on the situation because they don’t have to face the person that they are investigating. The story of West Elm Caleb brings up a variety of points about dating apps and dating red flags that should be discussed in a larger context. Yes, West Elm Caleb’s story and his terrible dating actions have gone viral, but that doesn’t mean that people should engage in a witch hunt.

Samantha Scott, FCRH ’24, is an international political economy major from Columbus, Ohio.

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West Elm Caleb’s story and his terrible dating actions have gone viral.

The Problem with Linking Mental Health to Violence

By NICOLE BRAUN OPINION EDITOR

Two weeks ago, like most, I watched the hostage situation at a Texas synagogue unfold with horror and sadness, but not shock.

In America, we’re accustomed to hearing stories of interpersonal violence, like what happened in the Texas synagogue on Jan. 14, the two police officers killed two weeks ago or even seeing teachers on TikTok share their “hacks” in the all-too-likely event of a school shooting. But something that has been bothering me lately is how we talk about the perpetrators of those violent acts. The motivations that led Malik Faisal Akram to hold four people hostage in

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Simon Martial, Michelle Go’s murder, is seen being arrested by the NYPD.

Media Coverage Of Mental Illness In The United States: 1995– 2014” found that in news stories regarding mental health, “overall, the most frequently mentioned topics pertained to interpersonal violence, suicide and treatment of mental illness.” In other words, news stories overwhelmingly focus on the negative aspects of mental health issues (i.e., violence, though rare) instead of positive stories (i.e., education, treatment reform).

Furthermore, a study conducted by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) titled “Mental Illness and Violence: Is There a Link?” found that “in a randomly selected sample of 400 U.S. news stories about mental illness from 1995-2014, over half discussed mental illness and violence together and were more likely to focus on interpersonal violence, not suicide or self-harm.”

Using a poor mental state as justification or some explanation for why a violent event occurred is a cop-out, and only serves to disempower the people struggling with mental health issues who do not hurt anyone. In reality, people with mental health issues are more often the victims

of violent crimes than the perpetrators, according to an article from MentalHealth.gov.

“The vast majority of people with mental health problems are no more likely to be violent than anyone else. Most people with mental illness are not violent, and only 3% to 5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a serious mental illness,” the article goes on to say.

If a very small minority of violent acts are caused by people with a serious mental illness, why do the majority of mental health stories harp on their violence? And why is the coverage of two of the biggest, most violent breaking events of the year so far focusing on the perpetrators’ mental health issues?

The media and the general public must change how they think about people who cause such violence and terror. Writing off their behavior as effects of mental illness does not justify their actions and only stigmatizes people with mental illness who don’t terrorize others.

Nicole Braun, FCRH ’24, is an English major from Saddle River, N.J.

OPINION

Page 10

February 2, 2022

Royal Family Strips Favored Prince Andrew of Titles

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This prodigal son finds no open arms at Buckingham Palace following his recent sexual assault allegations.

By BIANCA PARINELLO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, son of Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other commonwealth realms, has been stripped of his official titles, military ranks, charities and patronages in the face of a sex-abuse suit brought against him by Virginia Giuffre. He retains the title of “Prince” and the peerage of Duke of York. In short, he’s been fired, and it’s about time.

Concerning talk around disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the Prince’s relationship dates back to March 2011.

However, widespread media attention wasn’t garnered until after Prince Andrew sat down for a troubling interview with the BBC’s Newsnight to defend his “relationship” with Epstein, denying any al-

legations of sexual abuse and of ever meeting his accuser.

Fast-forward to 2022, with Epstein dead by apparent suicide and Ghislaine Maxwell — Epstein’s sometimes girlfriend, sometimes pimp in custody — Prince Andrew’s reckoning has finally come.

So, what does this mean for the Queen’s “favorite” child?

In the 21st century, to wield the words prince, duke, queen, realm, etc., almost seems superfluous and irrelevant; yet we can’t deny they hold significance. It was not too long ago that such titles represented the epitome of human power, but the monarchy is not the same as it used to be. While their titles and palaces remain, their indisputable importance has gone.

The Queen and her family’s existence are essentially a formality, a remembrance of the past. Yet, monarchy is still something intrinsic to the

British identity — it cannot be denied that monarchy is still something inherent. That is precisely why their position is so fragile. Their power is sustained both literally and metaphorically by taxpayer dollars because they are afforded their status based on public opinion. Nowadays, sexual abuse is, finally, something that many find detestable.

“The firm” — as it was allegedly coined by Queen Elizabeth’s father King George VI when he declared that “We’re not a family. We’re a firm.”

— must survive at all costs.

Modern-day documentaries and shows like “The Crown” and interviews by on-the-outs royals like Diana, princess of Wales, and Meghan, duchess of Sussex, have turned to implore “the firm” when alluding to the shady doings of the royal family. So, if we must look at the latest development

in the Prince’s saga in terms of the “firm” or a business, then the Windsors, the family name of the Queen, are merely custodians to some more significant entity. The Queen is the boss, and her underlings (her now-deceased husband, siblings, children, grandchildren, servants, advisers, gardeners and cooks) all work for and towards a more substantial idea of which the Queen represents. Andrew and his debauchery endangered this, so he needed to be sacrificed.

The Windsors have been tasked with a solemn duty during an unprecedented turn of events that have followed since the turn of the 20th century, that has seen the monarchy just barely survive. Like any other business machine, the firm of the royal family employs titles, none more critical than “HRH,” “His or Her Royal Highness.”

These titles are extensions of the Queen as a customary title that means they represent her. Like in any workplace, someone accused of a heinous crime such as sexual assault should have their titles and responsibilities taken away.

The fact that it even took this long is concerning enough, but essentially, it brings us back to understand that this situation is unlike others wherein, in the end, his boss is his mother, and his job is tied to his whole existence.

In a letter from the antimonarchy campaign group Republic, in which they asked the Queen to strip Andrew of his military ranks, they addressed this apparent conflict by saying: “We understand that he is your son… [but] these steps could have been taken at any time in the past eleven years. Please do not leave it any longer.”

In the same statement from Buckingham Palace that announced the essential severing of ties with Andrew, it

was stated that he would now go to trial as a private citizen.

While I do not think this will take away curiosity in the case, it will lessen the blow he and the family would have taken had he been tried as a senior British royal whose defense would have been funded by the public. As a private citizen, he is tasked with paying for his defense, and it is reported that he is to sell his Swiss Ski Chalet to pay for his expenses and security. How sad!

As of right now, it is unknown if the case will go to trial or if he will opt to settle for an undisclosed amount, but as it is a civil lawsuit, it is not expected that he should serve any jail time if he is found guilty.

Proceeding to trial may prove more detrimental to the Prince as it would call for evidence to be produced and depositions, but if he hopes to clear his name, this would seem to be his chance, despite the Palace stating his titles will not be returned to him.

Either way, no matter how trivial a title like “His Royal Highness” seems to those never endowed with it, we can expect that this recent development is one of the most significant consequences someone of his status, someone who is in essence generated by status, can receive.

Still, we can hope that he will have his day in court to face the courageous Giuffre, who was just 17 at the time of the alleged assault. Time will tell, but one thing is for sure, we are no longer in an age where princes and financiers alike can be saved by the discrepancy of fearful “commoners.” This prodigal son finds no open arms at Buckingham Palace.

Bianca Parrinello, FCRH ’23, is a history and political science major from Queens, N.Y.

CULTURE

February 2, 2022

Page 11

Ram’s Review Books | Paola Galiano

“The Maid”: A Fresh Twist on Murder Mystery

By PAOLA GALIANO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“I am your maid. I know so much about you. But when it comes down to it: what is it that you know about me?”

Molly Grey has borne the criticisms of others her entire life — she’s been called a robot, a clean freak and a weirdo more times than she can count. A 25-year-old maid at the Regency Grand Hotel,

Molly is exactly where she wants to be. She returns rooms to “a state of perfection,” adheres to a stringent routine and is quite happy with her simple life — until now. After the death of her Gran, Molly’s life is thrown off balance. We see how Molly clings to both her routine and almost emotionless state in order to grieve the death of her Gran, a woman who always helped Molly understand the

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“The Maid” boasts a spot on The New York Times best-seller list.

norms of society and nuances that she could never easily pick up on.

Nita Prose’s debut novel, “The Maid,” begins by showing us how Molly deals with life’s complexities all by herself.

She lives by her Gran’s words, clinging to codified advice that allows Molly to exist in the same reality as those around her. It’s why she loves her job at the Regency Grand Hotel. “The world that turns Technicolor bright,” the Regency Grand offers her stability quite like her Gran did: there’s a code of conduct that Molly can study and adopt in order to interact with coworkers and guests. Nevertheless, the world’s cruelty and bad intentions often target Molly because she consistently fails to pick up on them.

She is even aware she is set apart from others. Constantly defending herself to her audience, she almost breaks the fourth wall with her seemingly blasé and stark approach to her life and circumstances.

When Molly finds the infamous Charles Black dead in his hotel room, she truly learns how cruel the world can be to those who do not fit into society’s mold. Molly cannot help

but be left incredibly confused when she’s taken as the prime suspect. Taken advantage of at every turn, it is easy to sympathize with Molly’s confusion.

Those whom she thought were friends completely mislead and stab her in the back.

Prose even throws us back in time to flashbacks on Molly’s past, where those closest to her almost ruined her life. Tired of the world beating her down, she feels like she is “floating on air” with every trace of kindness she receives from people who are not kind in the slightest.

Although a very lovable character, there are times when it is incredibly easy to get frustrated with Molly. She ignores good advice, holds secrets and lies. But that is what makes “The Maid” a novel that can resonate with many people in society today. Molly is not above criticism because she is different. Like every human on the planet, she is flawed — something that Prose makes incredibly apparent.

Molly’s narrative is refreshing as she does not use outrageous vocabulary or narrate inane descriptions of landscapes. Instead, she describes

how she overthinks interactions with people, how she always thinks people are laughing at instead of with her, and how she likes hearty muffins because she is always hungry.

While sometimes a bit boring and slower to get through, the advice that Prose includes in her novel is extremely moving.

Whether in the form of Gran’s codified rules or Molly’s astute observations about the world, these words apply to everyone. Prose then offers Molly as an archetype of a girl who never fits in but desperately wants to. She’s happy with her life, yet simultaneously dissatisfied. Watching Molly grow to understand the world around her and realize the importance of good friends is incredibly satisfying. When at first she sees truths and justice through a lens of black and white, Molly comes to learn that “the world is a better place seen through a prism of colors.”

Overall, the novel lacks suspense, but serves as a fascinating character study that develops over an informative plot; there is a reason “The Maid” sits on The New York Times Bestseller List.

were thrown away.

This waste builds up, and when the discarded textiles are made from synthetic rather than organic materials, they leach plastic particles into the environment. “A lot of this is polyester, for example,” said Chen. “You put it in the wash and millions of particles of microplastics will eventually end up in our ecosystem. That’ll affect the aquatic organisms, and that’ll affect us when we eat seafood.”

The Fordham Flea provides an outlet for students to disengage from this toxic industry. The Instagram account (@fordham.flea) is modeled after websites like Depop and Poshmark, so that students can sell their old clothes directly to other members of the Fordham community. The USG’s Sustainability Committee Instagram (@usgsustainability) posts about the in-person pop-ups that it hosts. They have also installed donation boxes in 10 dorms, where students can drop off old clothes for the Fordham Flea pop-ups and donate them to people in need.

Fordham students don’t have to stay on campus or online in order to take part in sustainable shopping. The Fordham Flea (@fordhamflea) takes place in Fordham Plaza on Sunday afternoons, and there are plenty more flea markets and thrift stores all throughout the city. Rust recommended Buffalo Exchange and

L-Train Vintage, while Chen confessed that her favorite was the Goodwill in Queens because they “shuffle out bins every hour” that are full of new finds. Chen does ask, however, that we keep the original intent of places like Goodwill in mind while thrifting: “It’s designated for the less fortunate and us college students are taking advantage of that. So, only buy what you need.”

Fast fashion preys on young people’s thinner bank accounts and need to visually define their ever-evolving identities. To free ourselves of fast-fashion and the horrific impact that it has on our

world, we need a cultural shift. Instead of trying to be “in” and “that girl,” we need to embrace who we are and the power we hold.

Rust urges, “Develop your wardrobe and sense of style, because if you establish that for yourself then you can build a core wardrobe where you wear pieces that are more versatile. You’ll have a smaller closet, and you won’t need to buy as much or as often ... Be really disciplined on where you choose to spend your money. As consumers, we have more power than these companies, because we’re the ones with the buying power.”

Fordham Flea Defeats Fast Fashion

By KARI WHITE CULTURE EDITOR

Fast fashion is the infamous term currently plastered all across social media.

Videos on TikTok and posts on Instagram warn about the detrimental effects fast fashion has on the environment, placed right before an influencer’s haul. Below that waits an ad for sustainably produced tshirts that cost $30 each. Yet, the debate over fast fashion does not have to be black and white: cheap and irresponsibly produced or ethically created and inordinately expensive. Fordham’s sustainability committee, a facet of the United Students Government, brings sustainable fashion to the Rose Hill campus through Fordham Flea.

Fordham Flea, a subcommittee within the United Student Government’s Sustainability Committee, organizes in-person flea markets on campus with items under $5. It also runs an Instagram account (@fordham.flea) that connects students interested in selling old clothes with those looking to buy sustainably. While the Instagram page is only a few years old, the in-person flea market has been around for longer than both the Vice President of the Sustainability Committee, Liz Chen, FCRH ’23, and the Fordham Flea liaison, Sophia Rust, FCRH ’22, can recall.

Yet, the on-campus market is even more important today than it was at its inception,

as social media’s influence has increased the pace of fashion fads.

“Fast-fashion really emerged with social media … trends used to last a whole year, but now they’re lasting three to four months. Because of social media, people don’t want to wear the same outfit twice, they just want to expand their wardrobe as much as they can as cheaply as they can,” said Chen.

With the dawn of TikTok, some trends don’t even last three months. “Some only last a few weeks,” an article published on StyleCaster explained, “but don’t let that stop you from giving them a try if you find one that really speaks to your style.” This quickening of trends increases the pace of the fast-fashion behemoth, meaning that more clothes will be produced, unsold clothes will be thrown away and people will fill their closets with low-quality items they may never wear again. These discarded clothes have severe impacts on the environment. According to a study published by the Global Fashion Agenda and Boston Consulting Group, “Pulse of the Fashion Industry,” 62 million tons of clothes were produced in 2015. This required 79 billion cubic meters of water and 1,715 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. All of these resources were spent producing a huge amount of clothes, while an even larger amount — 92 million tons —

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Fordham Flea brings sustainable fashion to Rose Hill online and in-person.

CULTURE

Page 12

February 2, 2022

True Crime| Vanessa DeJesús

The Mysterious Death of Alexander Maxwell Grant

By VANESSA DEJESÚS PRODUCTION EDITOR

Alexander Maxwell Grant was born in Lake Forest, Illinois and grew up in Briarcliff, a small town in upstate New York. He graduated with high honors from Briarcliff Manor High School in 2009. While attending, he was a member of the international TriM Musical honors society, and also won the regional prize for Mathematics in the nationwide Intel Science and Talent Search.

Grant enrolled at Boston College as an economics major and secured a three-year internship at Risk Resources, LLC, a financial advisory company in New York City. He was also involved in what appears to be the master list of good charities: City Meals on Wheels, the Robin Hood Foundation, Doctors without Borders, and Friends of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve. Somehow, because I’m pretty sure this kid didn’t sleep, he found time to play in a band called the Jays that performed in venues in and around New York City. So, by all accounts, Grant was a high-achieving student who excelled both in and outside of the classroom. His family described him as a person of great promise, humor, warmth and sensitivity.

All of his accomplishments underscore how deeply out of character the nature of events leading up to and including his untimely death were.

Grant was last seen on March 5, 2011, visiting a friend at Skidmore College.

Grant, who was on spring break, attended a massive Project X style house party that took place at two different locations: 146 and 150 Church Street in Saratoga Springs, New York.

There were over 300 people in attendance. Grant’s friends at the party confirm he arrived at about 11 p.m. and left around 11:30 p.m. His friends were not clear where he was headed.

At around noon on the day after the party, Saratoga Springs Police Department (SSPD) officers responded to a call about a break-in at a medical office building at 3 Care Lane. When police arrived, they found a broken window and a significant amount of blood inside the office, but nothing had been disturbed (apart from the window) or stolen.

A surveillance tape showed that at 1:15 a.m. that same morning, a young white male (later identified as Grant) broke into the office building by kicking his foot through a window.

The footage showed the young man—wearing a pair of boxers, a white long-sleeved shirt and one sock—kicking the window, sustaining a significant cut on his foot in the process and proceeding to climb through it. The young man stayed in the lobby for approximately 45 minutes and did not try to enter the offices. He left the building at 2 a.m.

This behavior implies a level of disorientation that is difficult

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Alexander Maxwell Grant was found on March 8, 2011 in Saratoga Springs.

to reach after 30 minutes at a college party. When he arrived at the medical office, after busting through the window, he just sort of hung out in the lobby for 45 minutes. That amount of time, now almost three hours after he stopped drinking, is enough time to sober up somewhat.

At about 5 p.m., eighteen hours after Grant had left the party, three of Grant’s friends arrived at the SSPD to report him missing. The description they gave of Grant matched the individual in the surveillance video from 3 Care Lane.

Saratoga Springs police and fire department personnel then returned to the medical building and began a search of the surrounding area. One sock and a pair of pants were discovered about 150 feet from the building. The pants contained identification belonging to Grant— still missing were his shoes, cell phone and Grant himself.

While there was blood inside the medical office building, heavy rain had fallen for several hours before the break-in was discovered, so any blood trail, which there would have been, was washed away well before police arrived.

On the evening of March 6, soon after authorities learned that Grant was missing, search crews began combing a wooded area north of Church Street along nearby railroad tracks.

The search was conducted both on foot and on ATVs. Thermal imaging equipment was used without success.

According to a Saratoga Springs Police press release, “some footprints in the snow were noticed by searchers in the wooded area Sunday night; however, snow had begun falling so rapidly that the tracks were soon covered over by fresh snow.”

On March 7, nearly 50 emergency personnel from several different agencies looked for Grant from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through the fresh twelve inches of snow that blanketed the area. Attempts to locate Grant using tracking dogs and a state police helicopter were to no avail. The police even tried to ping the GPS on Grant’s cell phone but could not get a hit.

On Tuesday, March 8 at 11 a.m., firefighters found Grant’s body at a sharp bend in Putnam

Creek about 300 yards north of Sunnyside Gardens off Route 9 North. The body was entangled in the underbrush and submerged in about four feet of open water under an ice shelf. The location was about a mile away from the medical building where he was last seen. Due to the recent downpours and snowmelt, Putnam Creek was more hostile than usual and had a swift current at the time of the discovery. However, they did not suspect foul play when authorities arrived on the scene.

About two dozen members of the city police, firefighters, state forest rangers and state police were at the scene. At 12:28 p.m., city firefighters wearing special cold-weather gear recovered the body, clad in only shorts, a shirt and one sock (exactly what Grant was last seen in on the surveillance footage at the medical office). The body was taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital, where a forensic pathologist performed an autopsy.

The autopsy determined Grant died early on Sunday morning from drowning with hypothermia. When Grant left the party, the temperature outside was between 28 and 30 degrees.

Saratoga County coroner John DeMartino told The Daily Gazette that while Grant had lost quite a bit of blood at the medical office,

it would not have been enough to cause his death, and “His disorientation would be more from hypothermia, or if he was taking drugs and alcohol.”

The assumption that law enforcement, the coroner, and likely anyone reading this made is that Grant must have taken something that impaired him and sustained that level of disorientation for hours. So they did a toxicology screening, and it showed no indication of narcotics in Grant’s system. The coroner did not believe the results the first time, so he ran them again. Both tests yielded negative results.

This doesn’t mean that Grant was sober, though; the final autopsy showed that he had a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of 0.16 at the time of his death.

While that is pretty drunk, pretty much everyone involved in his case agrees that it’s not wander-away-from-a-party-andkick-through-a-window-in-yourbare-feet drunk.

The short but frustrating answer to just how drunk Grant was depended on how frequently he drank. Your alcohol tolerance measures how many drinks it takes you to get to a certain point. Your blood alcohol tolerance determines what happens when you hit a certain point — an extremely inexperienced drinker will blackout at a blood alcohol content of 0.15. The average person starts to be very seriously intoxicated at 0.2, and alcohol poisoning sets in at 0.35.

So with all that in mind, it is difficult to know if reaching a BAC of 0.16 indicated a wild night for Alexander or if that was a catastrophic black-out night for him.

Given that Grant had nothing in his system other than alcohol, authorities are still investigating what affected his body or led to the circumstances of his death.

Police estimate that Grant died a few hours after he was seen on the surveillance video. They believe Grant was walking some-

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Grant was found dead in Putnam Creek, three days after he had disappeared.

where upstream when he fell into the water upstream from where he was found while walking in the dark in knee-deep snow. His body then got tangled in underbrush beneath the waterline and got stuck at the river bend. To this day, no one is certain about what Grant did or where he was for the two hours between when he left the party and when he broke into the office.

Officially, Grant’s death has been ruled an accident. Still, there is no clear explanation for why a high achieving young kid with great social support systems, lots of friends, with no history of mental illness, no record of behavioral problems with no drugs in his system and a not catastrophic BAC decided to leave a party, take his pants off, decided to break into a medical office and then fall into a creek.

Authorities believed that Grant removed his shoes, pants and a single sock because of a phenomenon called paradoxical undressing, which is a symptom of late-stage hypothermia. If you become cold enough, for long enough, your brain starts to short circuit and tell your body that you’re not cold; actually, you’re hot.

So hot that the victim begins to strip their clothes. Thus further exposing the individual and making it more likely to succumb to the elements. As I said, late sage.

But that doesn’t explain it because he left two locations with heat; one of them was full of his friends. The Grant family said in a statement that his death was a tragic accident.

The Saratoga County District Attorney’s office is investigating whether anyone at the party had served alcohol to Grant. They may be charged with unlawful dealing or endangering the welfare of a child; both are misdemeanor offenses that carry punishments of up to one year in jail.

In addition, the Grant family filed a lawsuit against nine individuals who hosted the party in hopes that it would force them to come forward with any information they might have been withholding. However, the charges were dropped after it became clear that none of the accused had any additional information into the death of Grant.

Some people attribute Grant’s death to the Smiley Face Killer, which is a theory that retired law enforcement officials have floated. As the theory goes, since 1997, dozens of collegeage men have died in undetermined or accidental drownings across 25 cities in 11 states.

Former NYPD detectives Kevin Gannon, Michael Donovan, Anthony Duarte and professor of criminal justice Dr. Lee Gilbertson believe these drownings were homicides committed by a gang of serial murderers.

The Saratoga Springs Police Department has not commented on this theory.

CULTURE

February 2, 2022

Page 13

Dancing and Crying to Mitski’s “Love Me More”

BY GRACE ROBINSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In her newest single release “Love Me More” off her forthcoming album “Laurel Hell,” Mitski hits the mark in employing all the elements of her lonely love song, generated from her soft vocals, catchy melody and dark lyrics. There’s the classic love song — and then there’s the Mitski love song, which looks past the superficial idolization of love by defining it through her own unique identity.

As with many of her other songs, “Love Me More” has

an upbeat-pop rhythm with lyrics that make you want to dance and cry at the same time. The song’s chorus is especially reminiscent of an ’80s top-charter, and I found it nostalgic to “Take on Me”

by A-ha or “Maniac” by Michael Sembello. Yet, unlike most ’80s beats, the lyrics of this new release are quick to contradict the cheerful melody.

“Love Me More,” is not one of Mitski’s most lyrically complex songs as many of the lines are repetitive.

But, with lyrics like “Here’s my hand, There’s the itch,

But I’m not supposed to scratch,” and “If I keep myself at home, I won’t make the same mistake, That I made for fifteen years,” she favorably conveys themes of loneliness and struggle.

Then we’re brought back to the repetitive chorus: “I need you to love me more.”

Mitski is known for using repetition to her benefit, and I was one of the many hooked on “Nobody,” which uses the word itself to create an entire chorus. However, “Love Me More,” is less successful in using repetition to make for an interest-

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Mitski’s new single reveals her strengths as a writer and singer. Fans are excited for her evolution as an artist.

ing and catchy chorus.

Mitski notes the lyrics were written pre-pandemic and says, “lyrics like ‘If I keep myself at home’ had different meanings than what they would now, but I kept them on the album because I found that some of the sentiments not only remained the same but were accentuated by the lockdown.’”

Mitski’s lyrics that amplify feelings of containment and isolation truly do create a stronger meaning during a time of quarantine. The pandemic has only heightened the tension we feel navigating our relationships, and Mitski’s sense of confinement and dissatisfaction revealed through this song easily reflect much of what we’ve felt these last two years.

The single was dropped alongside a fittingly bizarre and beautiful music video, directed by Christopher Good. According to Coup de Main Magazine, “Love Me More” claims to draw inspiration from “The Exorcist,” which becomes apparent through the video’s horrorinfluenced depictions of Mitski interacting with a mysterious doll-like version of herself. The doll is one of many repetitive elements in the video pointing towards Mitski’s path of self-realization as she develops an ominous, competitive relationship with

the doll.

Additionally, Mitski often appears fighting for control and struggling in c o n f i n e m e n t , re p re s e n te d through a full-bodied cast she is seen wearing in the hospital room followed by a scene in which she struggles to fit the shapes of silhouettes displayed throughout a small room.

“Love Me More” follows three previously released singles in Mitski’s ultimate release of “Laurel Hell,”which premieres Feb. 4. The song has continued to circle my mind this past week, but sadly falls low on my list of favorite Mitski songs.

I’ve found her other recent singles more approachable, such as “Heat Lightning,” whose lyrics are slightly more interesting and melody less pop driven.

Mitski fans have enjoyed watching her evolution as an artist as she has grown over the past couple of years. Each single seems to reflect Mitski’s classic love for a sad song, though this release’s upbeat beginning sounds more like something to dance to and gave initial hope that she wouldn’t leave us in tears this time.

Regardless, Mitski is a multitalented artist who has surpassed expectations with her latest release. “Love Me More” ties the four singles together and definitely raises my anticipation for her new album’s release.

City” — that the writers were deliberately trying to separate “And Just Like That…” from the glamour and fairy-tale endings and take it in a new direction — but the reality is that it is extremely difficult to revive a show that was popular because of its insight into Manhattan’s sexual and social scene from 1998 to 2004 and expect it to have the same punch two decades later. The writers, actors and producers have simply lost their touch, something that has been obvious since 2010 with the release of “Sex and the City 2.” With widespread criticism for bad writing, problematic scenes and a dismal 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this movie should

have ended the franchise for good.

A far cry from the powerful, confident women this series once celebrated, “And Just Like That…” focuses on Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte dealing with their obsolescence. But women don’t shrink and crumble with age the way the “Sex and the City” franchise has.

Although “And Just Like That…” may offer fans closure that the last movie didn’t provide, it’s a rather bleak look into the lives of women that were once known for their fabulous lives and unshakable confidence. It’s about time for the writers to stop beating this dead horse and with a 2.4 star audience rating, it seems like viewers are mostly in agreement.

Another “Sex and the City” Reboot No One Asked For

BY ELISABETH MURRAY CULTURE EDITOR

*SPOLERS AHEAD* And just like that, Michael Patrick King and Darren Star missed the mark in their attempt to revive the “Sex and the City” franchise with the release of their latest reboot series.

“And Just Like That…,” another spin-off of “Sex and the City,” began airing on HBOMax in Dec. 2021. The ongoing series follows the beloved trio as they transition into their 50s and continue to navigate friendship, romance and post-pandemic New York City. In the two-episode premiere, the audience is reintroduced to Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte — no Samantha — having lunch together as per usual. Charlotte lives with her husband and two daughters in an enviable Park Avenue apartment, Miranda has left her corporate law career and has enrolled in Columbia University in order to pursue a master’s degree in human rights and Carrie finally has it all — happily married to the man of her dreams, Mr. Big, and living in a gorgeous apartment while she expands her fruitful writing career. Things are looking good for the ladies; however, the series quickly escalates and turns from a light-hearted

dramedy into a questionable, confusing rollercoaster riddled with loss, awkwardness and futile attempts at being “woke.”

The downward spiral starts with the death of Mr. Big at the end of the first episode and by the middle of the series life for all three women has changed completely. Carrie is a widow, Miranda is an alcoholic and Charlotte is a struggling parent.

Carrie’s new boss, Che Diaz — a queer non-binary Mexican-Irish diva — tells her that she needs to work on her content and be more explicit in order to keep her podcast gig. Miranda scrambles to get through her new class with her younger classmates, anxiously spewing microaggressions and failing to connect with her Black professor through wildly uncomfortable overtures.

Charlotte learns to navigate raising her transgender child, Rock, as they go through middle school while struggling to help her older daughter, Lily, as she deals with all the drama that comes with being a teenage girl.

The inclusion of this new, diverse cast of characters could have been beneficial and interesting if it wasn’t so obvious that they were just tokens meant to aid the main character’s developments — or to bring on their

downfalls. Instead of appropriately integrating issues of gender and race, the writing in this series trivializes it with insensitive distillations.

The series is full of risks, which is good if executed correctly.

However, the inevitable chaos laid out by this plot first comes to a head by the fifth episode. Carrie is laid up in bed after hip surgery, depressed over the loss of her husband and her career struggles as Miranda and Charlotte take turns watching over her.

At this point, Miranda is dependent on alcohol to cope with her midlife crisis, something that is exacerbated by the social rejection she faces and her lackluster marriage. Carrie is napping while Miranda is watching her and Che stops by with a bottle of tequila. Miranda and Che start taking shots in the kitchen, then drinking leads to smoking, which then leads to a steamy sex scene between the two. While Miranda was having her mid-life crisis sexual awakening, Carrie pees the bed because she is unable to make it to the bathroom by herself.

“Sex and the City” is a lot like COVID-19. Once you think it’s finally going away for good, it comes back and gets worse. It could be argued that there’s a reason this series isn’t called “Sex and the

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Kim Cattrall does not join the rest of the cast in the Sex and the City” reboot.

CULTURE

Page 14

February 2, 2022

Who’s That Kid| Aidan St. Germaine, FCRH ’24

Sophomore Explores Passion for Environmentalism

By DANIELLA TERILLI

ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR

I had the pleasure of meeting Aidan St. Germaine, FCRH’24, affectionately known as ”ASG”, at a mutual friend’s Walsh apartment before Thanksgiving break. We were all measuring our heights on a wall, and ASG’s pencil marking showed him to be 6’1. He seemed to be taller than this, and when I asked him about it, he attributed it to his long neck.

ASG is a sophomore hailing from Mendham, New Jersey.

Born in California, he moved to the East Coast as an infant.

Growing up, he spent his summers at his grandparents’ house on the Jersey Shore. There, he learned how to surf at the age of seven, one of his biggest passions to this day. In the winter, he loves to snowboard, especially in the Poconos. ASG comes from a “big hockey family” — claiming he learned to walk and skate simultaneously. But, when he was diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder in elementary school, he was forced to quit playing. At this point, ASG started to dabble in other sports like gymnastics and Aikido. ASG didn’t mind this; he’s a self-described “go with the flow type person.” And hockey didn’t disappear from his life altogether; he continued to play casually with friends (like on winter days when ponds would freeze over), and in high school, he played floor hockey in gym class. “It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but

Like a true Libra, St. Germaine has a “go with the flow” attitude which makes it easy for him to adapt to new situations and major life changes.

they treated it like the NHL,” he explained. “The guy who ran it, he had a whole bracket, he told everyone ‘only sign up for floor hockey if you’re gonna take it seriously.’ He filmed the games and would post the scores. And I had the title of the best floor hockey player in the school.”

He never knew what career he wanted to pursue. However, with a CFO dad, one brother at Royal Bank of Canada and the other in commercial bank lending, he asked himself one question: “Well, why don’t I go into business?”. ASG figured out that he wanted to pursue a degree in marketing after taking some of the core classes in the Gabelli School of Business and attend-

ing seminars. There was one other component to his decision: his curiosity for “picking people’s minds and learning about what reaches people.” His mother is a psychologist, but he says he’d find listening to people talk about their problems all day difficult or emotionally draining.

ASG is also passionate about marine biology. But one of his co-workers worked as a marine biologist full-time, and ASG realized that the job involved more paperwork and behind-the-scenes research than scuba diving and exploration. This wasn’t appealing to ASG, but he is now contemplating declaring a minor in envi-

Editors Pick | Film

ronmental science in order to explore that passion. ASG was recently elected as a leader of the Fordham Climate Impact Initiative after one semester of being involved with the organization. ASG also worked with the Community Service Agriculture team to set up a program that allowed people to sign up for biweekly fresh produce deliveries at Fordham. His official title is Climate Impact Fellow of the Social Innovation Collaboratory, and he is beyond excited to continue working to increase sustainability on campus.

Outside of his commendable environmental work, ASG can be found gaming with his home friends or decorating his

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

room with bananas. Yes, ASG and his roommate, Quinn, literally decided on a banana-themed room in their Walsh apartment. “He said, ‘Why not bananas?’ and I thought, ‘You got a good point; bananas are pretty cool.’” So the pair took it upon themselves to buy banana string lights, a banana neon lamp and an 8x11 artwork of a banana to complete the project. This story is just one more instance of proof of ASG’s flexibility. He doesn’t really believe in astrology, but I think his easy going nature can be attributed to the fact that he’s a Libra.

Two things are for sure when it comes to ASG: he will be successful no matter where he ends up, and his ability to turn his passions into accomplishments is a true asset.

Spend a Romantic Night in Vienna with “Before Sunrise”

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR

I wouldn’t consider myself a romantic person, but there is something about “Before Sunrise” that hits me just the right way. The film, directed and cowritten by Richard Linklater, follows Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) after they meet on a train in Europe.

The two instantly connect and decide to spend the night together wandering around the streets of Vienna, Austria.

That’s really all the film is — two romantics in their early 20s exploring a city together. While some movies need a grand supervillain or an unexpected twist, “Before Sunrise” simply does not. The movie’s plot is in its dialogue following Jesse and Celine in their conversations about life, love and much more as they get to know each other.

Their conversations are nothing short of enthralling.

Linklater’s use of long, uninterrupted steadicam shots makes it feel like you are in Vienna with Jesse and Celine. There is no fancy camera work or cinematography. The movie is shot in an incredibly simple way, which allows the viewer to fully focus on the re-

lationship between Jesse and Celine.

“Before Sunrise” has so many things going for it. For one, the on-screen chemistry between Hawke and Delpy is maybe the best I have ever seen. They are lovably awkward as strangers in the beginning, before transforming into two people with genuine chemistry. Linklater and Kim Krizan’s screenplay is electric. In order for dialogue to carry an entire movie, it has to be really good.

The writing is exactly that.

To me though, the best part of “Before Sunrise” is the overall atmosphere that Linklater creates. I wanted to be able to live in this movie. It takes place on a perfect June evening in a city that is both relaxing and bustling in culture. The tone of the movie is incredibly chill and laid back. Not once is there a hint of serious conflict. If there ever was a perfect “comfort movie,” this is it.

At no point does the movie cut away from the two love interests. Their budding re-

lationship is the entire story.

There is no comic relief or funny quips from side characters.

Just Jesse and Celine, who are young, confused and in love in the best way. When you spend an entire movie watching just two people, you get to know them on a level that goes beyond the typical movie. The good, the bad and the ugly of both characters are on full display. But that’s what makes “Before Sunrise” more grounded than most romance movies.

These are characters who are

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Although the plot is simple, “Before Sunrise” is filled with beautiful simplicity and enthralling dialogue between Jesse and Celine

whole and fully developed.

Jesse and Celine perfectly embody the beauty of human connection. When two young people who are full of ideas and instantly “click,” the result is magnificent. That’s what “Before Sunrise” is at its core.

Genuine human connection is a rare thing. Getting to see it play out so perfectly over the course of an entire movie is one of the best watching experiences you can have.

While I will always be a sucker for a good romantic comedy like “Notting Hill” or “10 Things I Hate About You,” “Before Sunrise” is by far my favorite romance movie of all time. In fact, the only movies that come close are its two sequels, “Before Sunset” (2004) and “Before Midnight” (2013).

These movies are equally as magical as the first and pick up with Jesse and Celine nine and 18 years after their first meeting. In fact, I believe the so-called “Before Trilogy” deserves to be in the same conversation as “The Godfather” or “The Lord of the Rings” as the best trilogy of all time. If you’re looking for something to watch on a rainy day, I can’t recommend “Before Sunrise” enough.

CULTURE

February 2, 2022

Page 15

No Satisfaction in “Spider-Man: No Way Home”

By KASSITY GARRETT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Despite the return of beloved characters and the compelling inclusion of the Marvel multiverse, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” misses out on its full potential. While the film carries a well-developed plot, it falls victim to its extremely high expectations. “No Way Home” captures the audience with signature Marvel action, yet lacks engaging dialogue, especially that of characters returning from other Marvel universes.

The return of past Peter Parkers — Tobey Maguire who starred in Sam Raimi’s films and Andrew Garfield, the star of Marc Webb’s “The Amazing Spider-Man”— brought many generations of Spider-Man fans back to theaters in December.

Along with the inclusion of past villains such as Doc Ock, Green Goblin, Electro, Lizard and Sandman, these nostalgic characters brought in viewers with high expectations for the expected masterpiece that was to unfold. The nostalgia from the previous films allows this modern-day Spider-Man ad-

aptation to be enjoyed without too much criticism.

Yet there was something off about these characters.

The way they behaved and interacted with each other was unusual compared to their portrayals in their own films. Most people who love Spider-Man tend to have a favorite film franchise. Whether you love the shy innocence and charming geekiness of

Maguire, the cool nerdy portrayal by Garfield or the GenZ goofiness of Holland, each film showcases a unique Peter portrayal. Each film franchise varies as well. The inclusion of these universes coming together in “No Way Home” felt less like having the worlds interact organically, but rather like the forced integration of characters from the previous films to conform to the vibe of

the new Spider-Man films.

While we see a small glimpse into the lives of each Peter as we watch Tom Holland’s Peter try to rectify the issue of MJ and Ned’s college admissions, the audience does not receive enough of an update into the current lives of the past Peters. Maguire’s character speaks vaguely on his current life, leaving the audience questioning whether or

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM.

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” was released on Dec. 17, 2021 and grossed $1.79 billion at the box office.

not he is now happily with Kirsten Dunst’s MJ, while Garfield’s character reveals his heartbreak over not being able to save Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy. Whether this was done purposefully or not, the viewers do not receive full satisfaction, especially those who watched for the purpose of seeing past characters. In terms of the villains, it is interesting to see the interaction of Norman Osborne and Doctor Octavius, since their characters had never interacted on screen before despite being described as old friends. While many of the villain interactions seem to give off a sense of comic relief, it felt as though these villains lost some of the intensity of their individual personalities again, as if trying to conform to the format of the newer films.

Since the film’s plot, action and nostalgia elements remain compelling, it definitely is worth the watch. Though the makers of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” could have focused more on the actual characters themselves rather than only relying on the idea of bringing these characters together, it is still a definite must see and will leave the viewer mostly satisfied.

SPORTS

Page 16

Swimming and Diving teams Sweeps Meet Against Iona

Let Big Papi Have His Day

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR

The Fordham Swimming and Diving team continued its season last Wednesday with a comprehensive sweep over Iona College. The men’s team improved to 3-3 on the year, winning by a total score of 152-118. The women’s team added another win to their perfect season thus far, taking their record to 6-0 in team competition. They won by a score of 180-107.

Multiple Rams had big days on the men’s side of the pool. Senior Spencer Clarke won both the 100 and 200 freestyle with times of 46.69 and 1:42.96, respectively.

Clarke’s day didn’t end there, as he was a part of both victorious relay teams, as well. Clarke and junior Nicholas Chao competed with freshmen Kevin Zahariev and Vitalis Onu to win the 200 medley relay at 1:35.59. A similar lineup of Clarke, Chao, Onu and freshman Alexander Shah came out on top in the 400 freestyle relay at 3:07.46, making it four first place finishes on the day for Clarke.

Sophomore Alex Wilhelm similarly had a day to remember, winning three individual events. The 100 and 200 backstroke both belonged to Wilhelm, as he posted a time of 51.41 in the 100 and 1:54.74 in the 200. He also won the 200 individual medley at 1:54.89. The final men’s winners were Shah in the 50 freestyle at 21.53, freshman Daniel Langlois in the 200 breaststroke at 2:10.03 and sophomore John Kresl in the 1m dive with a score of 195.75.

The women’s side of the competition saw just as much success for the Rams. The Fordham women had a diverse list of event victories from a wide variety of different contributors. Junior Audrey Tirrell won the 500 freestyle at 5:10.18, and freshman Jessica Zebrowski came out on top in the 100 freestyle at 52.98.

The Rams also found success in the 1000 and 200 freestyle events, where sophomore Ellen Brooks and freshman Emilie Krog finished at

the top of the podium. In the 200 breaststroke, freshman Leire Martin finished first with a time of 2:22.46.

The big winner for the Fordham women was Leire’s sister, freshman Ainhoa Martin. A. Martin won both the 200 butterfly and 200 breaststroke, and was a key member of the 200 medley relay team and the 400 freestyle relay team that both took first place.

Freshman Madeline Bergin was a part of both the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay wins. She also took home first in the 50 freestyle at 24.70. The reigning A-10 co-performer of the week, graduate student Becky Kamau, similarly had three wins to her name as a member of the aforementioned relay teams, along with a solo triumph in the 100 butterfly.

The diving competitions were kind to the Rams as well. Senior Natalie Ortoff finished first in the 1m dive with a score of 278.10, and freshman Molly Farell won the 3m dive with a tally of 256.35.

Fordham was supposed to be back in action this past Saturday against Massachusetts, but the winter storm that hit the New York City area caused the meet to be canceled. The Rams will be back again on Wednesday, Feb. 2, competing against St. Francis of Brooklyn.

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Swimming and Diving had a strong week across the boards (courtesy of Fordham Athletics

Athletes of the Week

Ainhoa Martin Freshman Swimming and Diving

Martin dominated in the Rams’ sweep of Iona College last Wednesday. The freshman won the 200m butterfly with a time of 2:04.67, and the 200m backstroke at 2:07.73. Her success carried over to the relay events, where Martin was part of the victorious 200m medley relay and the 400m freestyle relay, giving her a total of four first place finishes on the day.

By COLIN LOUGHRAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Late innings, down by a run or two, runners on base. The imposing presence steps away from the on-deck circle and toward the batter’s box. He places his bat under his arm, spits on his gloves and claps his hands forcefully. The batter finally comes into his stance and looks to send the crowd into a frenzy.

An entire generation of New England sports fans was privileged to see this very image for 14 magnificent seasons. That image, of course, is of newly elected Hall of Famer and Boston Red Sox David ‘Big Papi’ Ortiz. This past week, his election into the Hall came with a great deal of controversy.

In 2003, Ortiz was among a group of players who tested positive for an unknown substance. While the specific substance has never been released, it is widely believed to have been a kind of performanceenhancing drug (PED).

Many have critically and perhaps rightfully stated that Ortiz’s election highlights all the inconsist spots of all the voting criteria. The thinking here is that many writers voted for Ortiz because he has always had a rather jovial disposition. In other words, his willingness to maintain a clean image and hold a steady relationship with the media has helped him dodge PED accusations. Additionally, these same voices claim that writers have been less receptive to other potential and known PED users because of their respective personalities.

Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, and Barry Bonds have all had chances to make the Hall of Fame but were rejected by the voters. All four of these players have had great playing days and may even have had maybe more statistical give than Ortiz. Needless to say, there has been much debate over whether or not these men should eventually be inducted, especially given the fact that Bonds, Sosa and Clemens have now fallen off the ballot. Unfortunately, the chaos has seemed to outshine the man of the hour,

Ortiz. Regardless of what he may or may not have taken, his career has left an indelible mark on Major League Baseball that should be celebrated.

Since Ortiz spent the majority of his career in Boston, it is important to view his career through the lens of Red Sox history. Both statistically and culturally, his importance cannot be overstated. In terms of Red Sox career statistics, Ortiz is fifth in WAR, fourth in slugging percentage, second in home runs and third in runs batted. These rankings are incredible when considering the few names that Ortiz is trailing in these categories.

Indeed the likes of players like, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Wade Boggs had more appealing regular-season numbers for the Sox. However, Ortiz was able to do something that none of these men could: break the curse of the Bambino and deliver Boston’s first World Series championship in 86 years. In 2004, the Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series fairly easily, but the road to that series was far from a cakewalk. In that postseason’s ALCS, the Sox fell behind three games to none against the New York Yankees and were “destined” to lose.

Game four went into extra innings and it was none other than Ortiz who delivered the knockout punch and kept Boston alive. His walk-off two-run home run was

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Wednesday Feb. 2

Men’s Basketball

URI 7 p.m.

Thursday Feb. 3

Friday Feb. 4

Saturday Feb 5.

Sunday Feb 6.

St. Joseph’s 1 p.m.

Monday Feb 7.

Tuesday Feb 8.

St. Bonaventure 7 p.m.

Dusquesne 2 p.m.

Cornell Club

Cornell Club & Colgate & Colgate 3:30 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Squash

3:30 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Men’s Tennis

Boston College & Northeastern 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.

Quinnipiac 4 p.m.

Farleigh Dickinson 4 p.m.

Women’s Tennis Metropolitan

Men’s Track & Field

Championship 10 a.m.

Metropolitan

Women’s Track & Field

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

just what the doctor had ordered.

David Ortiz was also the walk-off hero in game five and certainly provided a spark as the club rallied toward New York. The Red Sox went on to stageone of baseball’s greatest comeback and win the series in seven hard games. The 2004 run was one of three championship teams that “Big Papi” was a part of.

He certainly made his mark on each team, and in 2013 his presence was felt by the entire city of Boston. After the tragic marathon bombings, “Big Papi” lived up to his nickname and provided a comforting fatherly presence during a time of mourning. His speech days after the atrocity are still widely remembered by New England sports fans as that season’s turning point.

Those same Sox went on to win the 2013 World Series against the familiar Cardinals.

This is the kind of player Ortiz was. He showed up when it really mattered. His career .289 batting average and 71 home runs in the postseason show the numerical side of what can only be explained by those who lived to witness his greatness. Are there definetly players with better statistics? Yes. However, one would be hard-pressed to find a player who excited a fanbase and consistently fought for a city.

David Ortiz was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Women’s Basketball

Last season’s outdoor team MVP was the Rams’ only first place finisher at the Great Dane Invitational last Friday in Staten Island. Nelson, a senior, won the 800m run, posting a career best time of 1:50.99.

Zalen Nelson Senior Track and Field

February 2, 2022

Championship 10 a.m.

Men’s Swim & Dive

St. Francis 5 p.m.

Women’s Swim & Dive

St. Francis 5 p.m.

Dr. Sander Invitational 10 a.m.

Connecticut College 7 p.m.

SPORTS

February 2, 2022

Page 17

Overtime: The End of an Era for the NFL

By THOMAS AIELLO

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The indomitable records in sports will perhaps stand the test of time. Barry Bonds’ homerun record, Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game and Ladainian Tomlinson’s single season touchdown record all come to mind.

One stands above all the rest: Father Time’s undefeated streak, which began with the creation of life on Earth.

Once again, he proclaims three victories in the form of potential NFL retirements in the forms of Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers: three very iconic quarterbacks who have left massive impacts in the NFL with their respective franchises. While Roethlisberger and Brady are the only confirmed retirees as of now, Rodgers has given mixed signals as to his plans beyond the 2022 season.

One thing has come to the center of attention: an entire era is starting to ride off into the sunset.

Growing up in the 2010s, the staple NFL quarterbacks were Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Ben “Big Ben” Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Eli and Peyton Manning, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco.

This select group has major significance on those who were kids in the 2010s, long before they began their transitions into adulthood. Many of those who are in

college now see their childhoods becoming obsolete, but with these three signal callers perhaps reaching the end, how will they be remembered?

Many will look back on the exciting times that they had with their friends and family watching these great players perform week in and week out on Sundays. Attempting to collect as many of their jerseys as possible was a common pastime for young fans. In those times, every child fanatic had an affinity for one of these guys.

There were some great matchups, most of them from the Super Bowl, that created epic memories for a lifetime. Some of the most notable include Rodgers taking on Roethlisberger, Eli downing Brady (not once but twice), Brady erasing Matt Ryan in one of the greatest Super Bowl comebacks in history and generating an NFL dynasty. Additional notable plays and games include Peyton vs.

Brees, Peyton vs. Wilson, Flacco meeting Peyton in multiple AFC playoff games and Peyton taking down Big Ben, Brady and MVP Cam Newton to win a ring in his final game.

Now that the dust has cleared for Roethlisberger, Rodgers and Brady on their 2022 campaigns, their immediate futures are either in doubt or have already been decided. But the question remains: how will this new group be remembered as players in the NFL?

Brady Officially Retires After Speculation

By RYAN OLSON

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Saturday, rumors rapidly circulated that Tom Brady’s illustrious career had come to an end. This news sent shockwaves throughout the world, as Brady seemed to be getting better with age. The 44-year-old is coming off a season in which he threw for 5,300 yards and 43 TDS. Though, every good thing has to come to an end.

Just a few short hours following the retirement reports, a story broke that Brady had informed the Buccaneers that he is nowhere close to making a decision regarding his future. Furthermore, Brady’s family came out and stated that a decision had not been made and if one was, his family would be the first to know.

This sent the media and sports fans across the globe into a frenzy.

The brouhaha regarding Brady’s future began following a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional round last week. After the loss, Brady left the door open for his retirement.

The legendary field general has completed 22 seasons on the turf, all of which will go down in history. In these 22 years, football has been the center of his family’s life, and is well aware of it. He has admitted that his decision is not about what he wants, it’s ultimately about what his family wants.

Then, on Tuesday, Brady officially decided to call it quits. Sunday games will never be the same.

Better yet, the NFL will never be the same. Watching this quarterback under center all this time has

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Brady retires after 22 great seasons.

been nothing short of remarkable.

With seven Lombardi Trophies, he has more Super Bowl victories than any other NFL franchise. He has the most playoff wins by than any other quarterback with 35, as well as the highest winning percentage by a quarterback with over 200 games played.

The list goes on for Brady who has defied insurmountable odds after being drafted 199th overall in 2000.

Brady’s commitment to consistency and his hunger for victories is unmatched, something that I am very familiar with growing up as a Jets fan. To this day, I have always rooted against Brady for the years of heartbreak he has caused for Gang Green.

Despite the countless defeats, I am so happy and lucky to have to watch Brady perform each Sunday.

I have so much respect for this man because of the way he carries himself and the fierce intensity he brings to the gridiron time and time again.

A NFL without Brady will never be the same regardless of if you loved him or hated him. He is a champion among champions. He is a legend. He set the bar higher than anyone, and may never be touched again. He is the greatest player to ever put on the uniform.

Roethlisberger had won a ring in just his second year. Barring the motorcycle crash and a loss to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in 2011, he could have had plenty more. “Big Ben” also never had a losing season, reigned supreme in the AFC North for essentially his entire Steelers tenure and is fifth all time in passing yards and has six Pro Bowls to his name spending all 18 years in Pittsburgh.

However, in addition to his motorcycle accident in 2006, he faced two sexual assult accusations in the early 2000s. The NFL took action, initially suspending him without pay for six weeks, a sentence later reduced to four. These offenses have hung over his head ever since.

On the field, there is no question that he would make the Football Hall of Fame, but the assault accusations could likely hold him back significantly.

Aaron Rodgers has been widely regarded as a transcending thrower in the football world, as he holds a unique ability to fit passes into places that only he can. Three MVPs, four all-pros, a Super Bowl Ring, Super Bowl MVP and 10 Pro Bowls later, Rodgers is still playing at an

elite level. Though his playoff success does leave things to be desired, there is no doubt that he is one of the all time greatest football players of the 2010s and a sure-fire hall of famer.

His diva-like personality does play a role in how people will look back at Rodgers as a person, between his feud with former Packer head coach Mike McCarthy and the Packers organization, to his COVID-19 antics and his personal life.

With recent news of Packers offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, leaving to become the head coach in Denver, there is much speculation that Rodgers will leave for the Mile High City. Retirement also hasn’t been ruled out, but only Rodgers really knows what he will do. He just isn’t saying what it is.

Finally, we get to the great one: Tom Brady. As much as it pains most NFL fans to admit, Brady is the undisputed G.O.A.T. (“Greatest of All Time”) of football, whether everyone agrees or not. His individual accolades are otherworldly and may never be touched again. Six rings in New

England and another in Tampa Bay push him over the edge of any other player.

There isn’t much to say that hasn’t already been said about Tom Brady, but following the Buccaneers almost miraculous comeback against the LA Rams, Brady has officially hung the boots up for the final time.

Regardless of what happens in the coming days of the offseason, these legends have made their marks on the NFL as otherworldly talents. Some have issues elsewhere, but nonetheless, a generation of football fans will look back on what this group has generated for years to come. Especially now that the G.O.A.T. is retired, a new wave of NFL stars are set to take over and illuminate the next generation.

It’s just wild to think that your childhood has officially come to a close, and its most memorable names are fading into the sunset.

Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson will now look to push the next regime of NFL quaterbacks, and entertain a brand new generation of fans.

Nadal Reigns Supreme at the Australian Open

By MICHAEL HERNANDEZ

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS

The 2022 tennis year kicked off with the first Grand Slam in the form of the Australian Open.

There was controversy even before a ball was served with men’s tennis star Novak Djokovic. Djokovic has never confirmed that he has been vaccinated against COVID-19. The Australian Open announced that everyone planning to attend the tournament would have to be vaccinated against the virus, including all of the players. Djokovic then announced on Jan. 4, that he was going to play at the tournament and that he had received an exemption from the Australian government to travel, which was met with immediate backlash in Australia.

When the world’s leading player landed, he was detained by the border force and was notified of Australia’s intention to remove him from the country. It was later revealed that the exemption was granted because the tennis star tested positive for the coronavirus in mid-December. Then, a judge reversed the government’s decision to cancel his visa, letting Djokovic enter the country. The Australian Immigration Minister, Alexander Hawke, said that he might use his office’s discretionary powers to decide whether or not to allow Djokovic to stay in Australia, which he ultimately did. Djokovic appealed the decision on Jan. 16, but Australian judges upheld the decision to cancel his visa.

This ended his hopes of winning his 10th Australian Open and his 21st Grand Slam title. He currently has 20 Grand Slam titles, an all time record shared with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The “big three,” as they are called, have dominated tennis for the past 15 or so years, with a combined 60 Grand Slam

Nadal continues to be a constant threat on the world tour at the age 35.

titles among them. Federer, despite being vaccinated, announced that he would not partake in the open while recovering from a knee operation. This meant that Nadal was the only member out of the three that was still going to play.

Nadal started off the tournament well and breezed through the competition, not dropping a set until the third round. He then won all three sets in the fourth round before having a five set match against Denis Shapovalov in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, he beat Berrettini in four sets to make it to the final where he would face Daniil Medvedev. Medvedev is the reigning U.S. Open champion after he beat Djokovic in straight sets back in September, which at the time stopped Djokovic from securing not only his 21st Grand Slam, but completing the calendar grand slam.

Medvedev started off the match just like he did in September and dominated the first set, winning it 6-2. Nadal started to fight back in the second set and at one point was leading it 5-3, but was unable to get that pivotal sixth game with Medvedev fighting back to make it 5-5. Then, both players won their serve games to make it 6-6 before Medvedev won the tiebreaker 7-5, making the score two sets to none and putting himself one set away from winning his second Grand

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Slam title in a row, as well as again denying a 21st Grand Slam win.

Nadal wasn’t going down without a fight. He is well known for his determination and his dedication to his game. Nadal won the third set 6-4 to force a fourth set where the former world number one player showed why he is one of the greatest tennis players ever, winning the fourth set 6-4 to force a final fifth set. The last time that Nadal won a match from two sets down in a Grand Slam was back in 2007 in the fourth round of the Wimbledon Championships.

Nadal now had the momentum and the crowd behind him. He kept the pressure on Medvedev and eventually broke him to make it 5-3, one game away from making history. However, just like the second set, Medvedev fought back to make it 5-5 in the final set. Nadal finally put his foot down and made it 6-5, allowing him to serve for the championship.

Four points later, game over.

Nadal beat Medvedev 2-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 to win the 2022 Australian Open and winning his 21st Grand Slam title, breaking the tie among himself, Djokovic and Federer.

What a way to make history coming from two sets down. When his back was against the wall and when he was on the brink of defeat, “Rafa” Nadal showed the world why he is one of the greatest ever.

Page 18

News & Notes Anna DeWolf Named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week

Fordham Women’s Basketball continues to make headlines across the league for their talent and one Ram, in particular, received an award for it this week. Junior guard Anna DeWolfe has been named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week, her third time receiving the weekly award. During her freshman season, DeWolf also received three Rookie of the Week honors. DeWolfe played a critical role in the Rams’ two victories this past week, averaging 21.0 points. DeWolfe is also the reigning A-10 Co-Player of the Year, leading the conference and ranked 25th nationally in scoring. She cemented herself in Fordham’s record books as she became the 24th Ram and the fourthfastest to reach 1,000 career points and currently stands at 13th in program history at a total of 1,178 points. DeWolfe is closing in on breaking even more records for the Rams, and with her talent, she is surely on her way to becoming one of the best in Fordham history.

SPORTS Varsity Scores & Stats Women’s Basketball Fordham Saint Joseph’s A. DeWolfe: 22 PTS Fordham St. Bonaventure A. Dingle: 14 PTS

February 2, 2022

55 35

Women’s Track & Field John Terrier Classic Individual Scoring

Women’s Swim & Dive Fordham 180 Iona 107 A. Tirrell: 500 FREE (5:10.18)

62 54

Milrose Games 4x400 Team

Men’s Swim & Dive Fordham 152 Iona 118 S. Clarke: 100 FREE (46:69) A. Wilhem: 100 BACK (51:41)

2nd Place

Men’s Basketball Fordham 55 George Washington 64 D. Quisenberry: 15 PTS

Men’s Track & Field Great Dane Invitational Individual Scoring

with the swirling tempests, unbelievable depths of doubt, through a treacherous tsunamis of pain and ridiculous riptides of rage wrapped up in our very human bodies. 15 million blood cells are destroyed in that body every second. Your left lung was made smaller than your right just so you have room for your heart. Your skin stretches 25 feet.

You are a physical masterpiece that is brimming with inexplicable, yet quite understandable, emotions and desires that seem to contradict each other, but that’s the point.

All of the cliches, (“darkness can’t exist without light,” etc.) exist for a reason. These adages add up to create that red thread of humanity that stretches throughout all of us.

I hope you’re still with me.

What I am trying to say is that the snow melts. Days become warmer, the sun shines a little bit brighter, or, if that seems like too many months away and you can’t escape the snow, make a masterpiece of it. Build a snowman. Sled with a friend. Pack a snowball with any negative feelings you might have and throw it as hard as you can in the distance. Have fun with life.

That is the action I mentioned in the first sentence.

All of the heaviness, all of the pain and all of the frigid feelings that can’t seem to melt away will.

How do I know? Why should you listen to me? I live it every day. 365 days a year, I remind myself of the beauty and amazing joy I have been fortunate enough to experience in my life. I see it everywhere now.

At a difficult softball practice, on a cold day, when I find myself in a whirlpool of metaphysical doubt, when nothing seems to be going right with my friends and family and any other problem that might arise.

If you are reading this, you are alive. And you can read. You are already winning. To go a step further, you have some sort of technology that allows you to access the knowledge, or if you are clever enough to

–Compiled by Maddie Bimonte

Cross Country Earns All-Academic Accolades from USTFCCCA After a successful individual weekend for the Men’s and Women’s Track & Field team, they go on to record another accolade, this time in the form of academics. The U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association, or called USTFCCCA, awarded the Rams a 2021 Division 1 All-Academic Honors as a result of their average team GPA being 3.00 or higher. The women posted a 3.68 GPA while the men recorded a 3.59. This marks the ninth straight year of the men and women’s teams winning the award, proving excellence not only on the track but off.

Mark Powell Named Defensive Coordinator for Fordham Football The Fordham Rams Football team added Mark Powell to their coaching staff this week as the new defensive coordinator. Powell just came off a three-year stint at Austin Peay, coaching seven AllOVC honorees. Under his tenure, Austin Peay ranked 12th among all FCS programs in total defense, permitting only 307.5 yards per game. On the running side, the Governors ranked eighth nationally in shutting down teams allowing only 104.1 yards per game. Powell is no stranger to the Patriot League, which is where he began his career as a student assistant coach at Lafayette. With such a great coaching career, the Rams should expect success with Powell.

–Compiled by Maddie Bimonte

How The Snow Melts

By GIGI SPEER STAFF WRITER

This article is going to start really heavy and will end with action.

I have been through some really dark times. Growing up in a singleparent household, the money was scarce, winters were cold and the emotions were bleak.

From a young age, I learned about the hardships of the world.

I knew what the word “depression” was at seven years old, lost one of my childhood friend to suicide and had been to more funerals than I could count.

Today, I live every day in a global pandemic, have absolutely no clue how I will make ends meet once I graduate and struggle with the many demons of my past.

Okay, now that the dark, gloomy and moody stage is set, I’d like to paint a picture for you, dear reader.

It is dusk on a cripplingly cold day, wind whistles with piercing pain, the world is quiet with the occasional sound of feet crunching in inches of snow.

Street lights glow with the wisdom of nascent nightfall; some wild beasts roam around with only athletic shorts covering their legs and trees are bare.

Are you sad yet? No? Maybe these familiar sights and foreign-ish stories bring up negative emotions in you, making the world seem like a half-empty glass.

Maybe you are reminded of a bitter

reality that awaits you outside the four walls of your home. Maybe, just maybe, you can relate to the very personal things I have thrown out onto a Google Doc, and you are wondering how this melancholy article will end in action.

It does, yet we will not leave the miserable winterlandschaft I have laid out so far to get there.

In the midst of these dreary winter evenings and wretched memories, there is so much beauty. Pain, trauma and sadness are the darkest emotions and colors in the painting of my life. They melt together in a confusing mixture with some of the happiest, brightest, most uplifting emotions in the world to form a never-before-seen, relatable, laughable, cryable, joyful, sad, plus many magnificent stories and lessons.

On this woeful evening, I write to you after a terrible, no-good, awful softball practice where I did quite literally every drill I did bad at. I bobbled balls, mis-hit pitches and felt physically exhausted, but I had a blast.

I laughed with teammates, talked with coaches and watched in awe at the majestic movement of the team. As a senior, I am reminded every day of the ticking clock that counts down the days until I hang up my cleats forever, until I find myself sucked up by some sort of a beer league.

Now we’re getting to the action part. We all have darkness inside and around us. We all are filled

pick up a hard copy of this paper in a building on a college campus.

You are really winning. Times may be tough, winter may be long and you may be dealing with things you don’t think anyone else can understand. But, from me to you, from human to human, keep going. Take action that ignites a fire within you, warm enough to melt any snow that might be keeping you down.

Keep going, the snow melts.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Winter can be tough for students. Just know you are not alone.

Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports

SPORTS

February 2, 2022

Page 19

New York Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist Has Number Retired

By ALLIE COPPOLA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Friday night, the Rangers’ hosted their legendary franchise goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to have his jersey number retired at Madison Square Garden in front of a sold-out crowd, including his friends and family.

Throughout the entire day, Lundqvist participated in press conferences and interviews, including one with Jimmy Fallon.

He also spoke to former teammates and staff members during the day. Mats Zuccarello of the Minnesota Wild, a former teammate and good friend, was able to watch the proceedings from the opposing team’s bench.

Affectionately known as “the King” among the Blueshirts’ fanbase, Lundqvist becomes the 11th former member of the team to have his number raised to the rafters. He began his NHL career on Oct. 8th, 2005 and earned his first win five days later. Lundqvist was nominated for the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded to the year’s most outstanding goaltender in the NHL, a total of five times and won in 2012. By the end of

his illustrious career, he won 459 games with the Rangers, cementing a franchise record and sitting at sixth place all-time in the NHL. Rangers fans all over the world have been waiting for this night, especially because Lundqvist was never given closure as a Ranger.

He was never able to give a proper goodbye to fans in the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. His Rangers tenure ended after the 2019-2020 season, when the Rangers lost to the Carolina Hurricanes on Aug. 3 in the modified playoffs, resulting from the emergence of COVID-19. In the offseason, he was signed by the Washington Capitals but was never able to play for them due to a heart condition.

Fans watched Lundqvist dominate on the Rangers for 15 years, which included an impressive 12 playoff runs. In the 2013-2014 season, “Hank” led the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they ultimately lost to the Los Angeles Kings. He is succeeded by Igor Shesterkin, who remains the most valuable player to the Rangers so far this season. Lundqvist’s leadership undoubtedly contributed to the smooth transition of goaltenders.

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Fordham finished the regular season with a win

Lundqvist, who retired in 2021, goes down in Rangers team history as one of the best goaltenders ever.

During the proceedings on the ice, Lundqvist gave an incredible speech showing his appreciation for the city of New York and his fans’ support for his 15 years as a Ranger. He spoke between the constant chants of his name by the crowd, as he couldn’t go more than a few seconds without a “HEN-RIK” erupting from the stands. For anyone watching, his legacy as one of the most beloved players in franchise history was evident on Friday night.

As his number was getting lifted

Rams Rack Up Season Best Times

By MADDIE BIMONTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

This weekend, the Fordham Men’s and Women’s Track & Field squads split up to deliver impressive performances for the Rams.

The men’s team traveled to Staten Island for the Great Dane Invitational, while the women’s team traveled a little farther to Boston for the John Thomas Terrier Classic. Rounding out the weekend, the women’s 4x400 relay team got the chance to compete in the Millrose Games, even amidst all the snowy weather.

The men’s team put up impressive numbers in the 800m run. Senior Zalen Nelson took home first, recording a careerbest time of 1:50.99. Other racers for the Rams included senior Jeremiah LaDuca and junior Erik Brown, who finishe fifth and 28th, respectively.

Junior Samuel Wilcox also finished fifth, this time in the 1000m, coming in at a time of 2:31.99. Additionally, Wilcox teamed up with Nelson, La Duca and Brown, competing in the 4x400 relay, in which the quartet finished eighth with a time of 3:24.31.

Adding two more fifth-place finishes, sophomore Steve Zucca and senior Brandon Hall

to the rafters, Lundqvist stood beside his wife and two daughters, whom he continually lauded as his biggest supporters throughout his career. Former teammate Kevin Weekes gave a moving tribute to Lundqvist and his impact on the community of New York City and highlighted his contributions to the Garden of Dreams Charity. As Weekes so accurately put it, Lundqvist was an inspiration off the ice as much as he was on the ice.

Number 30 will hang alongside the numbers of Rangers legends

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Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Mike Richter and Adam Graves, all of whom were in attendance for this special night. They joined Lundqvist for a picture after his number was immortalized in Rangers history.

The Blueshirts all wore his jersey for warmups in anticipation of their matchup against the Minnesota Wild, a team they have not faced since February of 2020.

“The King” of New York’s jersey was worn on the ice for one final time as his former team beautifully honored his legacy.

Men’s Tennis falls at Cornell

By MILES GROSSMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

also brought in a pair of seasonbest times, with Zucca recording a time of 15:05.46 in the 5000m and Hall recording a time of 8:24.10 in the 3000m.

Two Rams recorded seasonbest distances in both weight throw and high jump in the field. Senior Alec Wargo had a season-best performance in the weight throw, throwing a distance of 14.57m. Graduate student Andrew Ramsammy tied a season-best height in the high jump at 1.90m. Lastly, sophomore Justin Rhee impressively finished 15th in the triple jump event, with a mark of 12.84m.

Wrapping it up on the men’s side, freshman distance runner Rodolfo Sanchez took home eighth in the mile run with a season-best time of 4:14.67, and freshman Nathan Bezuneh took home 16th with a mark of 4:20.35.

For the Women’s Track & Field, graduate student Kathryn Kelly racked up three top-five finishes for the Rams this past weekend. In the 60m dash, Kelly and junior Kyla Hill both qualified to finish fourth at 7.67 seconds – a season-best time – and fifth at 7.77 seconds, respectively. Kelly also recorded fifth in the

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Many Rams posted career best times this past weekend.

200m, recording a season-best time of 24.75 seconds and took home fourth in the long jump event with a mark of 5.48m.

Other season-best performances came across multiple events for the Rams. Senior Dominique Valentine recorded hers in the 400m with a time of 58.32. Finishing 19th in the 1000-meter event was junior Taylor Mascetta, recording a time of 2:58.28. The 800m run allowed senior Helen Connolly to post her season-best time of 2:14.99, and lastly, graduate student Germaine Harbaugh secured her season-best time of 10:23.34 in the 3000m.

The women’s team also saw placements from junior Nicoleta Papavasilakis and sophomore Marin Bogulski in the 1000m event finishing 35th and 37th, respectively. Mascetta, Bogulski, Papavasilakis, and senior Jade Dyer-Kennedy joined efforts for the 4x400, placing 19th overall. Senior Jilli Jones and junior Mary Kathryn Underwood finished 28th and 34th respectively in the 800m. In contrast, senior Casey Metzler ranked 17th in the weight throw event for the field side, and Dyer-Kennedy placed 14th in her field event, the triple jump.

Rounding out the weekend, the women’s 4x400 relay team consisting of Hill, Valentine, Kelly and junior Ruby Avila traveled to the Armory Track and Field Center to compete in the Millrose Games. They finished second in the event, bringing home another season-best time to the long list this weekend.

Both the men’s and women’s teams now have their sights set on the upcoming Metropolitan Championship in Staten Island on Feb. 4th, where they hope to rack up not only individual victories, but a team victory as well.

The Fordham men’s tennis team started its spring season in a less than stellar fashion last Saturday, in Ithaca, NY, after getting defeated by Cornell University by a score of 7–0. The site of this loss was at Cornell’s home, the Reis Tennis Center, where the Rams played their first match since late October of last year. Not only was this the inaugural tilt of Fordham’s spring season, but it also marked the debut of head coach, Nelson Peña.

Peña, an alumni of Fordham Men’s Tennis, had the pleasure of playing under legendary head coach Bob Hawthorn.

Hawthorn was recently honored by having his name attached to the Hawthorn-Rooney outdoor tennis facility at Rose Hill.

Peña couldn’t have been pleased with the 7–0 sweep at Cornell, even though he was fully aware

of how skilled the Ivy League teams have become over the past few years. Road matches in frigid January temperatures are never easy, and when they are competing against formidable opponents like Cornell, mid-majors such as Fordham can only hope to match up, as they have little realistic chance of actually winning. While getting swept was always a possibility for the Rams, being unable to notch a single set in neither doubles nor singles plays was disheartening. The Rams were set to get back on track at Dartmouth over the weekend, but the match was canceled due to the ongoing Nor’easter.

Their next match is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 5, in Harrison, New York against the Quinnipiac University Bobcats.

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The Men’s Tennis team was shut out last weekend against Cornell.

SPORTS

Page 20

February 2 , 2022

The Fordham Ram

Men’s Basketball Stumbles At Dayton, George Washington

By ALEX WOLZ

SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS

Basketball is often defined as a game of runs, and Fordham’s latest stretch is no exception. That is not only true of the games themselves — two losses that followed a similar trend of falling behind early and catching up late — but the team’s broader streak as well.

Fordham is currently navigating the waters of five straight losses in the Atlantic 10, now sitting with a 2–5 record in conference. It’s an unfamiliar place for this roster, specifically, as they approach an apex in the season with just one month remaining. They have floated from the magical view at the top down to a familiar 11th place.

Word choice is important here, though. Fordham has certainly not collapsed nor disappointed by any stretch. In fact, they have played some of their most impressive basketball against the A-10’s best. And in a conference where each game is won at the margins, the last two losses are games that Fordham will certainly want back.

First, Fordham headed west to one of the nation’s most historic venues, UD Arena, in Dayton, Ohio. The series history could not be more in favor of the University of Dayton, leading the all-time series that began back in 1952-53 32-6 and winning 16 of the last 17 games.

However, that one outlier happened to be the most recent meeting. Fordham beat the Flyers 55-54 nearly one year ago at Rose Hill. A change of scenery and a number of new faces for one of the conference’s youngest rosters meant a new result, though, as Dayton fended off a late burst by the Rams to hold on for a 68-61 victory.

Yet again, Fordham was forced to play without the services of

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The Rams have lost five consecutive games in A-10 conference play.

graduate forward Chuba Ohams, who later returned against George Washington University from a nagging knee injury. They felt the blow of a lack of size too, getting outscored by a whopping 32-14 in the paint and a clean 12-0 sweep in second chance points. Fordham only converted seven free throws too in comparison to Dayton’s 17.

Fordham knew that shooting from range was its only hope of a response. And in the first half, it did not work in their favor, shooting just 28% from deep and 32% overall from the field. Those numbers put the Rams into a 12 point deficit that a blazing second half could not overcome.

There, Fordham flipped the script to shoot 8-17 from the perimeter, cutting a Dayton lead that sat at 13 with three minutes remaining down to just six. As has been the story multiple times, that late burst of energy brought the score no closer than that.

The reigning A-10 Player of the Week, graduate guard Darius Quisenberry, scored a team-high 17 with friends and family in attendance from his nearby hometown Springfield, Ohio. That number does not reflect his shooting woes

on the night at 4-16 from the field.

Sophomore Antrell Charlton had similar luck at 2-13, despite impacting the game in other ways with five assists and rebounds each.

Talented graduate guard Josh Colon-Navarro did his part to fill that void, dropping in 15 and shooting an efficient 60%. Sophomore Kyle Rose continued his hot shooting run by knocking down another three triples for a total of 15 points, continuing a stretch in which he has shot 11-15 from deep over his last five games.

The final score will certainly frustrate Fordham; however, it came against an opponent picked to finish near the top of the A-10. Dayton has proven it in the season’s early going, since defeating the similarly well-regarded University of Rhode Island to improve to 6-2 in the A-10, thanks in part to A-10 Co-Rookie of the Week DaRon Holmes.

On paper, the same praise cannot be bestowed upon George Washington University. However, the Colonials have surpassed their place in the conference’s preseason poll, sitting just one spot ahead of Fordham at the bottom. In a surprise to some, both teams entered Sunday’s contest vying for sole

possession of eighth in the A-10.

George Washington took that honor in the nation’s capital with a 6455 victory over the Rams.

George Washington has been a difficult team to predict throughout conference play. On one hand, they have faltered against juggernauts like Dayton and Virginia Commonwealth University, losing to both by a combined 52 points. However, they also pulled out a nail-biting victory over George Mason and a shocking win over the Rhodies.

Unfortunately for Fordham, the team that showed up on Sunday looked much more of the latter.

George Washington blazed out of the gates in its first game with fans back in the Charles E. Smith Center to fend off another late Fordham attack and preserve a 64-55 victory.

Things started off fairly even until George Washington broke loose with a 14-3 run to jut ahead in the first half. Fordham succeeded in making things manageable within the final minutes, carrying that momentum into a much-improved second half. There, Fordham pressed on the defensive end to make the Colonials uncomfortable, trimming the lead down to single digits and eventually seizing it by five around the six minute mark.

Just as everything looked to be heading in Fordham’s favor, the Coloniols responded with a resounding 12-0 run that the Rams simply could not contain, resulting in the final scoreline.

The A-10’s fourth best scorer, James Bishop, scored eight of those 12 as part of a game-high 25 points to be the difference-maker for the Colonials. Quisenberry paved the way for Fordham with 15 points, Rose hit double figures and Ohams notched another double double with 13 points and ten rebounds in

his return to the lineup.

It was a difficult night for Ohams, limping throughout much of the game, but forced to play 32 minutes across short bursts to provide the Rams with the inside threat they needed against a physical team in George Washington.

In fact, much of the Fordham lineup was called into action on Sunday. Freshman Ahmad Harrison subbed in during key defensive moments as New Zealand product Zach Riley hit his first collegiate basket on a corner three in the first quarter. That is a good sign for a team facing depth concerns earlier in the year, yet neither Harrison nor Tsimbila managed a single point across their 26 minutes of action.

Numbers like that are a sign of the fact that Fordham’s head coach Kyle Neptune is still figuring out the pieces in front of him. Ohams and Quisenberry have cemented themselves as the primary scoring options, but where will the points come beyond there?

That question still lingers, but one thing is for sure, this Fordham team will continue to fight for a full 40 minutes. They showed just that attitude against Dayton and George Washington. Now, they can only hope to put together that same effort across a full 40 minutes.

The next opportunity to do that will be a big one as they welcome Rhode Island on Wednesday night — the first game where students will be allowed back into the Rose Hill Gym — before heading on a key three game road trip against Saint Joseph’s University, St. Bonaventure University and finally Duquesne University. They hope a rematch with the last team they defeated will rekindle some winning fever for the remaining ten games of the A-10 conference schedule.

Women’s Basketball Powers Through a Long Stretch of Games

By KALEY BELL

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR EMERITAS

Less than a month to go before the Atlantic 10 Championship, and the women’s basketball team continues to play like winners. Coming off a road loss against the University of Dayton, Fordham played two home games this past week, winning both and defending the home court.

Their opponents, Saint Joseph’s University and St. Bonaventure, faced the Rams after a tough playing schedule. Fordham had not gone three days without playing a game since the start of the month. Head coach, Stephanie Gaitley, noted just how tired the team was and even mentioned giving them a day off prior to the St. Bonaventure game.

On the Fordham Women’s Basketball Twitter account, Gaitley said, “I know I have some tired kids. I’m super proud of the effort.”

It wasn’t easy to continue playing for such a long stretch of time, but the Rams made it look like a walk in the park. The team was all smiles on the bench as they got ready to face the Saint Joseph’s Hawks. Even

though the Hawks started off with the lead, Fordham made sure that it did not last for long, going on a huge run at the end of the first half.

It wasn’t just scoring that counted for this win. Rebounds, steals and blocks all combined for a major success for the Rams. Junior guard Anna DeWolfe contributed to a lot of the scoring, and senior forward Megan Jonassen had seven rebounds, adding to many of the second chance opportunities that the Rams had. On top of this, Jonassen had four points in her 19 minutes of game play. It was senior guard Asiah Dingle who had the next highest amount of rebounds, accounting for six of the team’s overall 32. Dingle also had four steals out of the team’s overall 11. She showed how versatile she can be on both sides of the court, but it does not stop for Dingle there.

She also had nine points and five assists, proving she is not lacking in ways to contribute. Senior forward Kaitlyn Downey had the second highest number of rebounds for the team, with four overall, contributing

eight points as well.

Despite a successful game, the team had quite a few turnovers.

These turnovers, 19 in total, allowed the Hawks to play catch up against the Rams. The team also shot just 15.4% from three-point range. Similarly, field goal percentage was struggling as the team was successful in 28.3% of the shots attempted.

While the game ultimately ended 55-35 in favor of Fordham, the Rams had quite a few offensive things to work on and knew this going into the next game against the Bonnies.

Coach Gaitley had given the team a break two days before the game, something that she usually does not like to do. As mentioned earlier, Gaitley noticed that her team was tired and gave them a well-deserved break. When they returned, the Rams secured the win by a final of 62-54.

During the first half of the game, Fordham held on to a narrow lead, only outscoring the Bonnies by four points. St. Bonaventure put up a hard battle, doing what it could to

stick with the Rams. With six second chance points and 13 points off of turnovers, Fordham changed the story in this game, as their field goal percentage was 42.9%, a large increase from the previous game.

Jonassen helped out once again, exploding for 12 rebounds and eight points in her 26 minutes of game play. Graduate guard Kendell Heremaia had eight rebounds and

four points. Dingle had three steals along with her 14 points and five rebounds. Overall, the team had a strong defensive performance that pushed the team up to 15-5 on the season.

The Rams have a one-week break before their next game on Saturday, Feb. 5 against Duquesne. The team travels to Pittsburgh this weekend and begins their long stretch of road games in the month of February.

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Following a long stretch of games, the women’s team gets a well deserved break.