The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 104, Issue 3
TheFordhamRam.com
February 9, 2022
Black History Month Begins
OMA Hosts Lunar New Year
By ANNA COCOROS
By ISABEL DANZIS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
NEWS EDITOR
As students return to class and begin to settle into the spring semester, Fordham’s Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses are planning to host several events to celebrate Black History Month. Fordham, a university that values its diversity and inclusion, is giving students the opportunity to learn more about the accomplishments of Black Americans and celebrate their historical achievements that have helped shape our nation’s rich history. In the coming weeks, students should be on the lookout for several programs and events, hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Black History Month Committee, that look to celebrate and encourage diversity in and outside of the classroom. Throughout the month of February, WFUV will feature young emerging artists who will explain the “Five Essential Albums” that have inspired their own journeys. Each week will focus on a different genre. Week one is Jazz and Hip Hop, week two is Blues, Rock and Country, week three is Funk, Soul and R&B and week four
On Feb. 1, 2022, Lunar New Year was celebrated across many different Asian cultures. Fordham’s Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) hosted events to commemorate and celebrate this important holiday throughout the week. “Lunar New Year is such a grand celebration of the first new moon of the lunar calendar. Many Asian countries celebrate in many different ways, but the ultimate significance is new beginnings, bringing in the good, honoring ancestors, and being hopeful for a good harvest,” said Marie Castro, graduate intern in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. This event marks the passing from the year of the Ox to the year of the Tiger. Lunar New Year holds great significance to many Asian countries and cultures. OMA has found that honoring holidays like this at Fordham holds great meaning to students who celebrate them. “A lot of the Asian countries celebrate the holiday, [so] tradition is so vital to carry on. This celebration brings together families and friends and a lot of specific customs are followed in hope to start the new year right and with an abundance of luck,” said Castro. According to Arthur Ze An Liu, FCRH ’23, cultural programming coordinator of the Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) committee at Rose Hill, president of ACE and Ascend, Lunar New Year is very important to the cultures that celebrate it. “Lunar New Year is perhaps the most significant cultural event or holiday for the cultures that celebrate it. Its importance can be compared to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays for Americans,” said Liu. OMA has worked closely with its AAPI committee to plan this week of events. The week of celebration began with the committee hosting a tabling event in McGinley lobby, where they passed out chocolate
SEE HISTORY, PAGE 3
COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM
Students get the oppertunity to meet New York Giants alum following a service project to aide Tremont fire relief.
Fordham’s CCEL Partners with New York Giants for Fire Relief By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR
On Feb. 8, Fordham's Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) partnered with players from the New York Giants to host a day of action to help with fire relief in the wake of a deadly apartment fire in Tremont. Students who participated
in this day of action got the opportunity to meet New York Giants alumni Plaxico Burress, David Tyree, Shaun O’Hara and Kerry Wynn. On Jan. 9, a tragic fire occurred in the Twin Parks North West apartment building in the Tremont section of the Bronx. The fire took place merely 20 minutes from the Rose Hill Campus and claimed 17 lives, in
addition to leaving 63 people injured. The fire in the Twin Parks North West building is thought to have been caused by a defective space heater. The fire was the deadliest in New York City in this decade. The objective of Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged SEE GIANTS, PAGE 4
New Ram Fit Center: Open By SOFIA DONOHUE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
COURTESY OF NICK DESILVA/ THE FORDHAM RAM
The new student center provides an updated space for communting students to study and relax during the day.
Commuter Students Weigh in on New Student Center
By SAMANTHA MINEAR ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
The new commuter student lounge in the renovated campus center was the subject of much discussion and excitement leading up to the building’s opening.
The previous commuter lounge, located in the basement of McGinley, has been criticized in the past for its lack of updates, both in size and modernity. The commuter student population at the Rose Hill campus has grown significantly in recent
years, prompting the university to create a new, updated space. When renovations for the new campus center began in 2020, a new commuter student lounge was a top priority. According to Fordham’s website, “approximately 40% of the SEE COMMUTER, PAGE 5
Upon returning from winter break, Fordham adjusted its COVID-19 protocols due to the level of infections in New York City and across the country. One of these precautions was the closure of all campus fitness centers until Jan. 31. The implementation immediately faced pushback from students, including a petition which harnessed 750 signatures. Despite students’ dissatisfaction with the closure, Fordham did not reconsider its decision to close the gym. Nearly two weeks after students’ return from winter break, on Jan. 28, the McGinley Ram Fit Center reopened. The first floor of the new campus center was also open to students. With the reopening of the Ram Fit Center, students assumed that the new SEE GYM, PAGE 5
SEE LUNAR, PAGE 4
in this issue
Opinion
Page 8
Changes in SCOTUS Reflect Court's Partianship
Sports
Page 15
Softball Preview
Culture
Page 10
Unconventional Catholicism Presented in Warhol's ‘Revelation’
NEWS
Page 2
PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS Feb. 1 Faber Hall 5:15 p.m. A Facilities plumber reported the theft of a retractable “Closed for Maintenance” sign ($150 dollar value), which was displayed between the door jambs of the men’s bathroom on the second floor of Faber Hall at 4 p.m. He noticed the sign was gone at 5 p.m. He conducted a canvas of the floor which yielded no results. Feb. 2 Fordham Road & Webster Ave 10:15 a.m. A professor reported that an individual who was involved in a verbal dispute with three others verbally harassed him on the corner of Webster and Fordham stating, “What are you looking at? I will knock your glasses off.” The professor did not file a police report. Feb. 2 183rd Street Station 3:40 p.m. A student reported that, while on the 4 train just north of the 183rd Street Station, a male asked him why he was standing so close to him. He then yelled racial slurs at him and shoved him to the ground unprovoked. The man exited the train. Public Safety responded to the location, picked up the student and escorted him to his destination. Detectives from Transit District #11 are following up with the student. Feb. 4 University Church 1:00 a.m. FDNY and supervisors from Public Safety responded to the university church on a 911 call of an apparent fire. Public Safety, along with members from FDNY, determined the call was a false alarm.
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February 9, 2022
Nikole Hannah-Jones and Fordham Team for “Speaking Truth to Power” By MICHELA FAHY By PAOLA GALIANO CONTRIBUTING WRITER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
For Fordham Law School’s Inaugural Eunice Carter Lecture, author Nikole Hannah-Jones was selected to speak on her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The 1619 Project: A New Origin.” In his opening remarks, Fordham Law Dean Matthew Diller spoke about the impact of “The 1619 Project,” regarding the collection of essays as “a source of inspiration to continue the fight for human dignity.” Moving the Black experience to the floor, Dean Diller made it clear that “there’s no other book that shows the sheer power of history to make a difference in our experience and in our thinking.” This conversation of speaking truth to power is in memory of Fordham Law School class of 1932 alumna, Eunice Carter. Leah Carter said that her great grandmother, “blazed trails and broke glass ceilings, and like so many others who do, gained power and influence within deeply imperfect institutions” as one of New York’s first female African American lawyers. Like Eunice Carter, Hannah-Jones dedicated her entire journalistic career to writing about racial inequality, the history behind systemic racism as well as the fight for the entire picture of history — how Black Americans had a larger part than once written. Building on historic and lasting arguments of the likes of Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Dubois, Hannah-Jones said she “built history into my journalism,” realizing that history likes to pick and choose what parts should be written down, often neglecting to grant the entire picture. Beginning with the inspiration behind the first essay in “The 1619 Project,” Hannah-Jones explores the relationship between her proud American father — a military man — and today’s culture of patriotism. She explores the concept of unique patriotism by explaining how her military father grew up in apartheid Mississippi but flew an American flag in his backyard. “I just didn’t understand how he could exhibit this outward patriotism in a country that had treated him so poorly and continue[d] to treat Black people so poorly,” says Hannah-Jones. Later into adulthood, HannahJones realized her father wasn’t
claiming the patriotism that many think of. Instead, he was claiming a unique patriotism that says, “our patriotism is one that calls this country to its highest ideals, that expands democracy, that believes that all men and women are created equal.” Hannah-Jones draws attention to the founding of this country, emphasizing the heart of America in Virginia. It was where the father of Bill of Rights, the writer of the U.S. Constitution, former president and former slave owner Thomas Jefferson lived. While it is easy to list all of Jefferson’s accomplishments in helping to create a country that did not bow to a foreign power, Hannah-Jones speaks of the utmost importance of not looking at this picture of history in isolation. There is simply no way to forget the role of Black Americans in how America came to be. This history cannot be pushed aside in order to save face. Culture in the form of music, literature and tradition, all have roots in the people that made this country, as “the first original American songs were the songs that became Gospel,” and the “first original American literature were the slave narratives.” History should never forget that with all of the good Jefferson did, he was still a slave owner. According to Professor Catherine Powell, Fordham Law decided to have Hannah-Jones as the Eunice Carter speaker because of how her work resonates with so many today, even amidst its great controversy. “I proposed Nikole HannahJones for the first Eunice Carter lecture because of the ways her ‘1619 Project’ reveals invisible truths
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Hannah-Jones, pictured above, is an award-winning journalist and author.
underlying the American experience,” said Powell. Building upon Hannah-Jones’ career goals of writing about systemic inequality as trailblazed by some of the Civil Rights Movement’s most prominent figures, Professor Powell said that, as Martin Luther King realized, “bending the arc toward justice is hard work and often times, that work is at enormous personal cost.” Speaking about Hannah-Jones’ stripped tenure at UNC and the media attention surrounding her novel — the banning of this text in multiple places across the country, the popularity of “The 1619 Project” and its resonation today — has vindicated Hannah-
Jones with a spot on the New York Times Bestseller list, as well as receiving a Pulitzer Prize. To kick off Black History Month, “The 1619 Project” explores elements of the past that many would rather forget as Hannah-Jones emphasizes the critical need for a reconciliation between our history and our future. There is no way to separate this country’s history with Black Americans — not when slavery shaped the country that we live in now in ways that so many choose to brush aside for the more picturesque view of history. “The past is shaping our society,” says HannahJones, and “it’s shaping it whether we acknowledge it or not.”
COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS
The Fordham Law School, situated on the Lincoln Center campus, hosted its first ever Eunice Carter Lecture.
This Week at Fordham Wednesday Feb. 9
Wednesday Feb. 9
Thursday Feb. 10
Friday Feb. 11
Sunday Feb. 12
Discussing Diversity with Dr. Cornel West
Film Club Screening: “Parasite” Freeman Hall 105 8 p.m.– 10:30 p.m.
USG Senate Meeting
Bepler Commons & Faber Hall 5:30 p.m. –7:30 p.m.
USG Presents McGinley Art Show McGinley Campus Center 3 p.m. –10 p.m.
FET Sketch Group “Free Pizza” Show
Blackbox Theatre, Collins Hall 9 p.m. –10 p.m.
ASILI, the Black Student Alliance, presents the keynote speaker for Black History Month, Dr. Cornel West, for a webinar entitled “Conversations that Count: Discussing Diversity.” Dr. West is a prominent intellectual in theological and philosophical academic fields.
Fordham Film Club presents “Parasite,” the 2019 film directed by Bong Joon-Ho. “Parasite,” touching on universal themes of class struggle and wealth disparity under global capitalism, won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2020.
Fordham United Student Government is holding it’s weekly meeting in Bepler Commons. All Fordham students are welcome to make an appearance and voice their opinions. The meeting will last two hours on Thursday night.
The USG Student Experience Committee is holding an art show in McGinley to showcase artwork produced by student artists on campus. Featured art will focus on reflections of growth, experience and new beginnings post-COVID-19.
Fordham Experimental Theater’s very own sketch comedy group, “Free Pizza,” is presenting sketch comedy on Friday, Feb. 11 and Saturday, Feb. 12 in FET’s usual haunt: the Blackbox Theater at Collins Hall.
Zoom Webinar 7 p.m.
NEWS
February 9, 2022
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Black History Begins the First Week of February FROM HISTORY, PAGE 1
is Pop. Last week, guest speaker Moses Harper kicked off the first event of the month where she held a conversation about Black History Month. On Feb. 3, Professor Tina Campt of Brown University discussed her new book, “A Black Gaze: Artists Changing How We See” at its Annual Black History Month Lecture. The Office of Multicultural Affairs also hosted a trivia night, where participants tested their knowledge of Black history and were awarded prizes. On Wednesday, Feb. 9, a Black
Culture Celebration will be held at the Lincoln Center campus, where there will be an “open stage” for any budding actors, singers and performers who want to showcase their talents. If students are interested in learning about the history of Black beauty and wellness, Yuko Miki will be speaking with historian and Black feminist Giovana Xavier via Zoom on Thursday, Feb. 10. Students can pre-register online and will have the opportunity to comment and ask questions during this virtual event. The Lincoln Center campus will screen “Black Panther” at 6
p.m. on Feb. 15 in the student lounge. On Friday, Feb. 18, another Black History Month Trivia will be hosted from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Lincoln Center’s McNally Hall. Finally, the month will wrap up with some fun interactive events called the “Love Your Hair” Panel and Expo, which will be held on Feb. 24. Then, on Feb. 28, there will be a Black History Month panel discussion hosted by Career Services. For more information on any of the above events, students can visit Fordham’s news website at the URL
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The Fordham community comes together to celebrate Black history all month.
Students Voice Concerns About Food Provider, Aramark By RUMSHA AQIL
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Rams Against Aramark has continued their fight against the food provider Aramark for the 2021-22 academic school year. According to an Instagram post, Rams Against Aramark is a coalition of Fordham students who are advocating for the university to cut ties with Aramark due to the company’s labor practices, its ties to the prison systems and lack of environmental awareness. The coalition first made their appearance on social media with a post on March 4, 2021, announcing their creation and goals. As written on their first Instagram post, “Rams Against Aramark is a group organized by the Social Innovation Collaboratory. Our mission is complete severance between Fordham University and Aramark Food Services on moral and ethical grounds.” Fordham University’s relationship with Aramark began in 2016 after students petitioned against Sodexo, Fordham’s previous food provider. Aramark currently partners with more than 400 colleges and universities. However, due to allegations of misconduct against Aramark, many schools, including New York University and Barnard College, decided to end their partnerships with the food provider. Rams Against Aramark calls on
Fordham to do the same and argues that Fordham’s partnership with Aramark does not uphold the university’s values. According to the the university's Mission Statement, “Fordham is committed to research and education that assist in the alleviation of poverty, the promotion of justice, the protection of human rights and respect for the environment. Jesuit education is cosmopolitan education.” Rams Against Aramark argues that Aramark violates human rights and respect for the environment by engaging in predatory contracts, refusing to pay a living wage, using prison labor, having contaminated groundwater and resisting environmental policy reforms. Rams Against Aramark wants to “sustain and advocate the university’s mission statement,” thus their first step is calling Fordham to cut ties with Aramark. Fordham University is, in fact, aware of both of these allegations and the coalition advocating for the end of the university’s partnership with the food provider. Fordham University’s Dining Services contract liaison, Deming Yuan, responded to the allegations against Aramark. According to Yuan, Aramark is one of the only food providers that is able to fill Fordham’s needs. “It is challenging to find organizations that are large enough to handle us,” said Yuan. According to Yuan, Fordham
news.fordham.edu. url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Ff o r d h a m r a m . com%2F2016%2F05%2F04%2Fthe-grille-out-urban-kitchen-in-rebranding-under-aramark%2F&psig=AOvVa w 3 _ H A H q n 4 8 S A f - N T-
COURTESY OF THE RAM ARCHIVES
Aramark, the food provider for Fordham University, has been the center of concern for many students.
Dining Services provides 40,000 meals a week, in addition to 5,000 catering events a year and summer conferences. In response to the Aramark’s service in prisons, Yuan says that when Fordham started the request for proposals (RFP) process after ending their partnership with Sodexo, three food provider companies were willing to handle Fordham’s Dining Services. “All of [those providers] have segments in their corporations that provide services to prisons, there is not one of them that does not,” said Yuan. Although Aramark profits off the prison industrial complex, Yuan claims that the company has prison reform programs in place that help incarcerated people, including culinary and hospitality programs that provide skills for eli-
gible prisoners and college credit to prisoners funded by Aramark. During the 2018-2019 academic school year, Fordham administration, along with students advocating against Aramark, met with company executives for a prison segment. “There is a prison business, the prison mishaps seem like singular mishaps that on sight managements at the prison may have had, but Aramark took care of them, they resolved it,” said Yuan. Fordham administrators were left satisfied with this meeting. According to Yuan, Aramark is not responsible for any “mishaps” that occur in prisons. “The prison system has added layers where Aramark is beholden to the specifications of the prison that the prison systems set,” said Yuan.
Another reason why Fordham continues to work with Aramark is because of employee benefits.“Part of the RFP process was that unionized employees at Fordham were facing a lot of challenges with their benefits, particularly around retirement benefits. Aramark was the only company to come in and face that head on, resolve the issue and offer employees a better retirement package,” said Yuan Aramark also provides capital for investments at Fordham University, which means that many of the new installations at Fordham would not be possible without Aramark. Yuan claims that Fordham believes Aramark is a caring and ethical company and will continue to work with the company despite allegations of misconduct.
The Mott Haven Fridge Partners with CEIP By EMMA KIM
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Fordham's Cultural Engagement Internships program, which was launched in 2020, gives Fordham students the opportunity to have a paid internship with a local nonprofit or cultural organization. The program aims to help students gain firsthand experience, broaden their networks and set Jesuit values into action by “partnering with our local community in their educational, cultural, anti-racist, social justice and other important endeavors.” The program is open to all Rose Hill and Lincoln Center students, and is paid for by Fordham. There are multiple institutions participating, such as New-York Historical Society, Art on the Ave and Bronx County Historical Society.
While the program originally started with a few organizations, the number has risen to 30, according to Desirae Colvin, director of administration, communication and strategic initiatives at Fordham College at Lincoln Center. The newest organization to join that list is Mott Haven Fridge Network. The Bronx-based organization works to bring fresh food to underserved communities, which is delivered via hyper-local hubs. On Saturdays, its volunteer drivers move an average of 6,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. The program started in the summer of 2020 under the leadership of Laura Auricchio, Ph.D., dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center and Maura Mast, Ph.D., dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill. “The goal is partly to provide
support for organizations, like the Mott Haven Fridge Network, by providing internships where the stipends come from us [Fordham] rather than organizations,” said Colvin. Another goal is to provide students with equal access to opportunities: “A lot of times, internships come through organic connections that not really every student might have. It really starts to open that door and provide equitable access to these opportunities. For instance, the program stipulates that it is limited to Fordham College at Rose Hill and Fordham College at Lincoln Center. The program stipulates when an organization puts out an internship posting, it is open to all of the students at those two colleges. It is not limited by major or class year. It really is an
opportunity that all the students can seek,” said Colvin. Kiana Lai, FCRH ’22, has been an intern for The New York Hall of Science since August 2021. “As an institutional development intern, I'm learning a lot about the behind-the-scenes planning and efforts that contribute to making a non-profit institution like The New York Hall of Science successful. Being able to see the positive impact this institution has on its community due to the great efforts and hard work of the development team is extremely rewarding,” said Lai. Lai explained that cultural engagement programs help students gain real-world experience and cultural immersion, make connections and have newfound appreciation in unfamiliar fields. “These programs can also spark
new interests and passions in young adults who may not necessarily know what they want to do after college,” said Lai. Since the program’s launch during the pandemic, it has evolved. Although it carries the same values and mission, the program has broadened with new types of organizations, said Colvin. The Mott Haven Fridge Network is one example of a new organization, in addition to the cultural institutions the program already collaborates with. “One thing that we are all very appreciative of is that it really does enable Fordham students to engage with what the university sees as its mission, which is to engage with society and seek knowledge and education in the pursuit of making things better outside of it,” said director Desirae Colvin.
NEWS Fordham’s AAPI Committee Plans for Lunar New Year
February 9, 2022
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FROM LUNAR, PAGE 1
coins in red envelopes. On Tuesday, they hosted a lantern-making and goldfish ornament folding event. The committee organized the showing of the movie, “The Joy Luck Club” (1993). The film documents four Chinese-American women’s journeys with their daughters. On Friday, the AAPI committee intended to conclude their week with a trip to the New World Mall food court in Flushings, Queens. However, because of Fordham’s emergency campus closure due to weather circumstances on Feb. 4, the committee plans to reschedule the excursion. In addition to the in-person events, the AAPI committee was active on its social media. It helped spread information to students about Lunar New Year and its significance. The committee posted on Instagram detailing what Lunar New Year is and its importance. The AAPI committee also informed students about traditional clothing worn by people in different countries during the Lunar New Year celebrations. After the week of
Lunar New Year celebrations had been concluded, AAPI posted information about what type of celebrations would be considered appreciation of the culture and which would be considered appropriation. OMA found that hosting these events and celebrating the Lunar New Year in this fashion has been highly impactful to Fordham’s Asian student community. “The Lunar New Year programming we host with our AAPI committee has allowed students to feel seen. For students who are away from home, celebrating among friends and people with similar identities to them creates a sense of belonging and a home away from home,” said Castro. According to Liu, celebrating with the Fordham community brings him joy despite being unable to celebrate with his family at home. “At Fordham, I enjoyed tabling events for the AAPI committee and hosting a Lunar New Year meeting for Asian Cultural Exchange (ACE). These events allow me to share and celebrate my cultural traditions with the greater Fordham
community, which brings me great joy and satisfaction. If I cannot be at home with my family, I might as well try to share my happiness with my Fordham peers,” said Liu. Liu grew up in Hong Kong and is half-Malaysian Chinese and halfHong Kongese. According to Liu, in Hong Kong, there were many Lunar New Year celebrations that he looked forward to every year. “When I was still living with my family in Hong Kong, I always looked forward to the family reunion dinner which would occur on Lunar New Year’s Eve. I also enjoyed watching the Lion Dance and setting off firecrackers, both of which are supposed to ward off evil spirits and bring you luck,” said Liu. OMA invites students of all backgrounds to celebrate and learn about the Lunar New Year. “If you share an identity outside of AAPI, you can still participate in the fun and education of these programs. So much of these traditions and celebrations can resonate with people of other cultures and identities, and it’s a great way to learn something new,” said Castro.
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OMA works with the AAPI committee to host a week of celebration events.
The New York Giants Join Fordham Students in Fire Relief FROM GIANTS, PAGE 1
Learning day of action is to help provide affected children with school supplies. “One ongoing unmet need is educational supplies for impacted children: school supplies, backpacks, tablets and laptops, as well as games, toys, mindfulness and stress management activities.” In addition, impacted families are in need of tutors and mentors for impacted children, many of whom are experiencing the ongoing effects of the traumatic event,” said the CCEL in an email sent to the Fordham community on Feb. 4. According to Julie Gafney, executive director of CCEL, Fordham has worked closely with the New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS) and National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) to organize fire relief. Those organizations are in constant communication with BronxWorks, which directly handles the casework for affected families. CCEL held donation events on campus the week of Jan. 31- Feb. 4 to
garner school supplies for this project. According to Gafney, CCEL has numerous community partners to help acquire supplies for the affected families. “Our partners at AT&T have provided discounted tablets toward the effort, and partners at the Bronx Zoo, the Botanical Gardens and Chocolate Cortez are providing additional items to distribute to the impacted children. We are working to be as inclusive as possible in our distribution efforts, since impacted families include both leaseholders as well as other families and individuals living with friends and relatives in the apartments,” said Gafney. Students involved in the day of action will help fill backpacks with supplies for children affected by the fire. After the service, those students will get the opportunity to participate in a meet-and-greet with The New York Giants alumni. On the afternoon of Feb. 8, select students will join The New York Giants alumni at Monroe College, which will serve as a distribution
site to help them give the supplies to the community. Monroe College previously served as the Bronx Service Center for relief efforts. Plaxico Burress, David Tyree, Shaun O’Hara and Kerry Wynn are involved in ongoing work regarding spreading community and policy awareness about fire safety. Fordham secured a partnership with The New York Giants through previous interactions. According to Gafney, Fordham is The New York Giants partner university. “As part of that relationship, we have committed to partnering on annual community engagement projects like this one. We are really excited to have these special guests join us in our efforts and raise awareness of relief and recovery efforts and of ongoing work around fire and home safety in the Bronx. We believe that partnering with the Giants will help us highlight the importance of community-based work to the Fordham community,” said Gafney. This is not the first fire relief effort that the university has participated
in. After the fire occurred, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, sent an email to the community announcing the tragedy. On Jan. 10, McShane sent another email advising Fordham’s community members who wanted to help in relief efforts to donate to Catholic Charities. According to McShane’s Jan. 10 email, Catholic Charities “already has a sizeable footprint in the community, and a low overhead, [ensuring] that your aid goes to those in need. This is a method fully supported by Father Cecero and the Division of Mission Integration he leads.” Besides relief efforts organized by the university administration, there have been student-led relief efforts. Fordham’s Satin Dolls and Ramblers, two of the university’s a cappella groups, partnered to raise money for fire relief through an Instagram campaign, which raised $920. All of the money generated through their fundraising efforts was donated to The Mayor’s Fund Bronx Fire Relief Fund. Through this fund, New York
City distributed $2,250 to each household affected by the fire. According to Gafney, the Fordham community has an obligation to help the local Bronx community, especially when it comes to necessary tragedy relief. “It is Fordham’s responsibility to partner with its surrounding neighborhoods and communities to work toward solutions together, and this responsibility is particularly clear when any of our neighbors faces a tragic or traumatic event that requires immediate relief and response. We believe that community engagement must begin with solidarity, mutual respect, trust and asset-sharing,” said Gafney. Gafney continued, “the Center for Community Engaged Learning was formed to serve as a connector or bridge between Fordham and community organizations, so we take it as our particular charge to support Fordham in the work of social responsibility and to engage every member of the Fordham community in that work.”
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Fordham students work with the New York Giants at the distribution site.
Affected families and students come to Monore College to get backpacks filled with school supplies and activites.
NEWS
February 9, 2022
Page 5
Commuting Students Start to Use New Student Lounge FROM COMMUTER, PAGE 1
full-time, undergraduate students at Rose Hill are commuters,” emphasizing the need to establish a new, fresh space for them to go between classes and to meet other commuters. The student lounge is also in use by Fordham’s Commuter Student Association, a club known for its fun and engaging programming that attracts both commuters and residents alike. The new campus center now accommodates the university’s larger commuter student population through its convenience and comfort; it is overall “very modern,” said commuter Yu Jin In, FCRH ’24. “It’s just very aesthetically pleasing to walk into,” she explained, “and the seatings are so comfortable” and “there are so many to choose from” such as the conference rooms, which are a “good choice” for privacy. Unlike the previous commuter student lounge, the new lounge has a number of different options for seating and rooms, such as the aforementioned conference rooms and larger lounging areas. Fordham's Commuter Student Association, known best for its yearly “Thanks-Give-Away,” has yet to hold any of its events in the new lounge, instead electing for a random classroom in McGinley. However, it is expected that the association will hold a number of its programs in the lounge, as they did with the old one. The new campus center has given commuter students autonomy, as many of them felt cramped and shelved by the previous commuter lounge. The population outgrew the space, and the new lounge represents a plethora of new possibilities for existing and future commuter students. Moreover, the old commuter
lounge is being renovated by the university, though the plans for it remain unknown. It is most likely that the lounge is being reconfigured into a different type of space, such as an office, rather than remodeled as a second commuter lounge. Regardless, the new lounge is well-loved by the commuter population and has become the “go-to place at Fordham” for commuters, said In. It is the university’s ultimate goal that commuters feel embraced by the renovations and potentially encourage more commuters in the future. As a part of Fordham’s diversity initiative, the school is committed to “broadening the diversity of [its] students,” of which commuters constitute a large majority. Commuters are historically the backbone of the university; decades ago, it was Irish and Italian New Yorkers bringing fresh perspectives to the Bronx campus. Now, it is mostly people of color from the five boroughs. Dean of Students Christopher Rodgers once called commuters, formerly known as “day-hoppers,” “woven into the tradition of Fordham.” Now that commuter students are finally receiving the attention they deserve, the new lounge is an opportunity to foster their growth and encourage their personal and academic success. It represents the strengthening of a bridge between commuters and resident students, which has been extended through the Commuter Student Association and Fordham’s Campus Activities Board. As the semesters go on and the new center becomes a campus staple, the new campus center will become a collaborative fishbowl of bright young minds.
COURTESY OF NICK DESILVA/ THE FORDHAM RAM
The rennovated student center offer copious amount of space for students to work, relax and socialize during the day.
COURTESY OF NICK DESILVA/ THE FORDHAM RAM
Many communter students note that the new student center is much more modern than the old commuter center.
Students Begin Using the Renovated Ram Fit Center
NICK DESILVA / THE FORDHAM RAM
After student center renovations, Fordham's new Ram Fit center now hosts an extended conditioning center. FROM GYM, PAGE 1
building’s fitness center would also be open. However, the new Ram Fit Center remained closed due to the pending final permits. Carley Walker, FCRH ’25, understands the logistics behind the continued closure of the new fitness center, “I was a little surprised the new addition to Ram Fit wasn’t open, but I understand why. I had a feeling Fordham would want to open everything up slowly, especially with the rising omicron COVID-19 cases. I know that Fordham and Public Safety was doing what they thought would be best for students to miti-
gate COVID-19 cases as we get situated back on campus,” said Walker. Anticipation rose as students wondered when the new Ram Fit Center would open. After nearly two years since the beginning of its construction, the new Ram Fit Center opened its doors to Fordham students on Feb. 2. The new Ram Fit Center is 20,000 square feet. Through new additions, Fordham Athletics gained 16,000 square feet of space, 10,000 of which will be dedicated to a new conditioning center. The rest of the space will be dedicated to office spaces, meeting spaces and
places for student athletes to recharge. Students were able to get a sneak preview of the gym back in December when Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, led students in a blessing of the new campus center. Walker was one of the students who attended the blessing: “I visited the gym before winter break. I thought the gym looked really nice with a lot of clean new equipment. My friends and I noticed the TVs were playing 'Breaking Dawn - Part One' throughout the gym, which was
pretty funny. With the new gym opening up, I think it’ll encourage all students to workout and be more active because of the ambiance in the gym.” For students who did not attend the early visit, this past week was their first time inside the new Ram Fit Center. In order to workout in the Ram Fit Center, students are required to make a reservation for a one and a half-hour session on the IMLeagues app. Reservations open an hour in advance and slots are limited. With the recent opening of the new Ram Fit Center, the number of available slots has increased from 50 students to 100. However, with all 100 slots filling within minutes, reservations remain difficult to obtain due to the popularity of the new Ram Fit Center. Students can no longer choose to go to the gym whenever they want and instead have to anticipate the opening of reservations, refreshing the IMLeagues app the minute reservations become available in hopes of claiming a slot. Maggie Sheridan, FCRH ’25, commented on the COVID-19 precautions and the gym’s required reservations, “I appreciate the school taking the steps to clean the gym and reducing capacity in hopes of reducing the spread of COVID-19.
However, slots go so fast that if [registration] opens while I’m in class, by the time I get out it will be full and then I am unable to go to the gym and exercise. For me, exercise is a great way to help me relax after being in class all day.” Once the hour and a half is over, students must promptly leave the facility and wipe down any equipment they used. The strict enforcement of time limits allows staff to sanitize equipment before the next time slot. Additionally, face mask usage will continue to be strictly enforced. According to an email from the Athletics Department, “those who do not comply with keeping a mask on that covers your nose and mouth during your workout will be asked to leave the facility for the day. Those who continue to disregard this policy will lose privileges for the semester.” Fitness classes will also resume on Feb. 7. Available classes include kickboxing, yoga, spin and a new body weight training class. After much anticipation, the grand opening of the new Ram Fit Center has prompted students to flock to the new gym. There is no doubt that the new Ram Fit Center will be enjoyed by Fordham students for years to come.
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OPINION
From the Desk | Samantha Minear
February 9, 2022
My Testament For Those with Impostor Syndrome Going into my first year at Fordham University, I knew I had to be one of the stupidest admits. I scored a composite 29 on my ACT and ranked just over the 25% percentile of standardized testing for the university. While I should have been happy to be offered a place, instead, I was filled with fear: how was I going to match up to everyone else? How could I be sure I wasn’t going to completely fail? Of course, I had no idea what my time at Fordham was going to be like, so I had no choice but to go $30,000 in debt trying to find out. I come from a low-income, Hispanic-majority seaside town in New Jersey, where the beach is the only thing that isn’t underserved. The coast is covered with million-dollar beach homes owned by New Yorkers and the inner city is held together by pieces of tape. I love my city and, growing up, I saw nothing wrong with it. When I came to Fordham, I thought I had a working class childhood; my new classmates showed me that, in fact, I basically lived in abject poverty. Culture shock wasn’t the word — I was surrounded by girls donning Cartier bracelets and Montcler jackets, boys with Rolex watches and a strict diet of Polo Ralph Lauren. The first time I thought about dropping out was during orientation week. It became very easy to think little of myself. With my first two semesters on Zoom, I spent a lot of time in my own head, convincing myself that I wasn’t doing or being enough. When I completed my first round of finals in college, I remember being clouded with disappointment in myself, a feel-
ing I know I would have felt regardless of how I performed. Nonetheless, my grades were less than my high-school-usual of straight As, and I had to put on a painted face as if it didn’t absolutely cripple me. I came back the following semester and accomplished even less, struggling with a myriad of problems in my personal life. Nothing felt real. I over-burdened myself with an internship and felt even more like a disappointment because I couldn’t force myself to do what my brain wanted. I was exhausted. I made arrangements to transfer, whether it be to a lower-ranked school or in a completely different country, where I didn’t know anyone. An identity change is what I wanted, so I could pretend that everything I did in my previous year at Fordham never actually happened, and I wouldn’t have to claim responsibility for it. A dean reached out to me, seeking to discuss why I wanted to leave the university. When I agreed, they never followed up. In short, I felt abandoned and alone. Abandoned because I felt like none of the resources at the university could make me feel better, and alone because my friend group was small and restricted by the pandemic. I sought to be known, to be truly understood, to meet someone like me: smart but not virtuous, plagued by similar financial anxiety and insecurity. I was worried that these shortcomings started to define me, as I would slip them jokingly into conversation as a way to cope and make them seem less scary. When I looked at myself, I saw what I thought everyone else did: the girl too dumb and
too poor to attend Fordham. Summer was transformative for me. I was accepted as a resident assistant — then halting my transfer plans —and escaped a toxic, terrorizing friendship, which prompted me to start therapy. While it was not one quick fix, I began viewing everything in a different light. I got high grades in my two summer courses and it was the first time I was proud of my academic achievement in years. I worked 28 hour weeks on top of my classes to give myself a sense of financial stability. When I returned this past fall as an RA and a member of the pep band, which began to meet in-person, I started to feel like I was a part of something again. I started to feel like I belonged. I eased into our latest fall semester with some apprehension, but it exceeded all of my expectations. I became closer than anticipated with my building staff, started to sincerely enjoy being a musician again and didn’t feel completely burnt out from all of my classes — except for Spanish. I felt as though I was coming back to life and I was excited for subsequent days and weeks of what the school had to offer me, which I never thought would happen. I don’t know what would have happened if I transferred to somewhere else in the country,
Editorial | Reflecting on the Bronx Fire
moved overseas or dropped out entirely. I can’t say if I would be better off than I am now. But I know now, in a spring semester where I have tacked on the responsibilities and found microcosms of community in every one, I am thankful. The insecurity has not disappeared, but I have been able to push it to the backburner. I still have painful flare-ups of shame when I think about my spring GPA of 2.9 or the fact that I have two C+s and a W on my transcript. I fear for the future, whether I choose graduate or law school, how that may go over with admissions officers or how I may handle the debt. I am writing this because I know I am not the only person wondering if things would have been better had they never stepped foot in The Bronx. I am writing this in the hopes that it serves as some kind of encouragement, solidarity and act of faith. I have so many people to thank for helping me feel at home, but I mostly have to thank myself for being able to quiet that little voice in my head and push forward. To the person reading this, if you’re feeling kinship with my freshman self, I hope you know that it does not feel like that forever. There is more to life than the titles you impose on yourself and there is still greatness unforged.
The Bronx Is Burning: A Legacy of Neglect
The families of the victims of the Jan 9. Twin Parks apartment fire have recently filed lawsuits against the owners of the building, accusing them of allowing numerous safety violations to go uncorrected in the building. This is a reflection of the horrendous state of tenant rights in the Bronx. It is believed that the cause of the fire was a resident’s space heater left on for multiple days at a time, a heater that would not have had to be used if the owners of the apartment building hadn’t left the heat on during the coldest period of the month. Negligent landlords and the fires they cause are, unfortunately, not new to this borough. The ’70s were characterized by a rash of fires spreading throughout the South Bronx as the unprofitability of properties made repairs more expensive for landlords than abandonment, and the city defunded numerous fire posts in the area.
There was arson, yes, in cases where owners would rather take the insurance money than have to deal with the money sink that a property in the South Bronx could be at the time, but a large portion of the fires were caused by the simple fact that nobody cared about these buildings. Even when those buildings were home to people who had spent their whole lives in the neighborhood. The spread of fires in the Bronx is, at its core, an issue of poverty. As an area stops bringing in money for investors, it doesn’t get as much government funding. Which, naturally, makes it less likely to bring in money from investors, who don’t want to put their money where the city won’t put its budget. But the poorest residents of the city are those most likely to be essential workers during the pandemic. These people spend their days in danger of constant exposure to the virus, and then come home to
a building where they face a landlord who won’t respond to complaints about code violations. Further, the Bronx is home to an increasing number of immigrants, a population that, especially when considering the proportion of undocumented immigrants that the city’s economy would collapse without, is particularly affected by poverty. New York City, the cultural melting pot, seems to be telling its most vulnerable populations that they just can’t make it here. History is repeating itself — the Bronx is still an afterthought to the New York gov-
ernment. Why is it not getting any better? If you went back in time 50 years and told an inhabitant of the Bronx about January’s fire, you’d be lucky to even get a raised eyebrow. Go on to tell them about the lack of heating in the building — how residents had to keep space heaters running indefinitely in the coldest month of the year — and you wouldn’t even see them blink. At what point does stagnation become neglect? And when does neglect turn into malice? It’s been half a century, and the Bronx is still burning.
OPINION
February 9, 2022
Page 7
How Media Manipulates Anti-Asian Hate Crimes By BRIAN PFAIL
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
New York City had the largest increase in reported anti-Asian hate crimes last year. Incidents targeting the Asian community rose by 343% in 2021. Last March, four teenage girls assaulted a 52-year-old Asian woman on a bus in the Bronx. Just this year, a 40-year-old Asian woman was shoved onto the subway tracks to her death, and more recently, a 23-yearold Thai model was beaten and robbed. Many of these hate crimes occur in low-income areas, causing some to defer responsibility to socioeconomic inequalities rather than the individual. Allowing an individual to be free from accountability destabilizes functioning societies. Corporate media actively manipulates the current anti-Asian hate crime wave in pursuit of perceived social justice. NBC recently described the hate crime wave as being predominantly at the hands of white men. The source of this delusion was the University of Michigan’s Virulent Hate Project. The report, Anti-Asian Racism in 2020, reviewed 4,337 news articles published between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2020, reporting 1,023 incidents. Only 112 incidents involved physical harassment and violence. 16 examples explicitly identified the offenders, with three perpetrators identified as Black men. This one example debunks the study with ease: in 2020, six Black men were arrested and charged with hate crimes and other counts related to over 70 incidents of robbery, burglary and theft targeting Asian Americans. The group was ultimately linked to 177 robberies target-
ing almost all women of Asian descent. The perpetrators used ethnic slurs to refer to their victims, making the motivation apparent. The Virulent Hate Project’s study must have missed that story and its 177 confirmed biased incidents — that is excluding the cases still being investigated. This, and the three New York incidents previously mentioned, make one wonder the genuine efficacy of the study. A simple Google search will easily match at least four incidents with Black perpetrators, and yet this study could only find three. Russell Jeung, a co-founder of the hate incident reporting forum Stop A API Hate, warned not to jump to conclusions regarding racial motivations: “The anti-China rhetoric, the white supremacy — that does inf luence all sectors of society,” said Jeung. Jeung is one of many who implicitly advocates for less, if not any, criminal accountability. In an NBC article, Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder of A API Data, a company that does demographic research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, thinks that prejudice between Asian Americans and Black people could contribute to the belief that most anti-Asian attacks have been committed by Black people. Ramakrishnan is quoted as saying that “whatever aspect of anti-Black racism or racial prejudice that some Asian Americans might have will also matter, in terms of what ends up being more prominent.” Others in corporate media like NBC’s Kimmy Yam reference hate crime studies from older data between 1992 and 2014. In a Newsweek Opinion article, Craig Harvey, a Black man, said that recent policies have been designed to drive a “racial wedge” between Asian and African Americans surrounding the
People gather to express concerns and seek justice for rising anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S.
affirmative action issue. To Harvey, it’s the conservatives’ fault. He, like Yam, references data from the previous decade. President of the ChineseAmerican Planning Council, Wayne Ho, told The New York Times many of his Asian colleagues were verbally harassed during the pandemic but chose not to contact law enforcement. He stated they worried the criminals could be mistreated by the police. Ho’s associate Alice Wong echoed a similar sentiment, asking herself, “Do I want this person in jail?” Some, like Chris Kwok, an attorney and board director of the Asian American Bar Association of New York, have called for lowering the bar for hate-crime crimes and toughening those penalties. New York State law already permits certain offenses to be upgraded to hate crimes, increasing the prison sentence. In February of last year, former Mayor Bill de Blasio sent 500 officers to patrol the subway system. Within a few months, he sent an additional 250. De Blasio
also created the Partner Against the Hate FORWARD initiative to help fund and support six nonprofits. The program will distribute grants between $5,000 and $20,000. The initiative is said to encourage individuals, organizations and academic institutions to develop projects to reduce hate violence. Another bill is in the works to standardize systems for New York courts, police and prosecutors in reporting hate crime incidents. Centralized systems may be an efficient way to handle these particular crimes. President Joe Biden signed into law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. It is intended to speed up the review of “pandemic-related hate crimes” and provide grants to local law enforcement to improve reporting of bias-driven incidents. It also directs the Justice Department to assign a “point person” to help review “COVID-19 hate crimes.” Public education campaigns will also be implemented to “curb racially discriminatory language in describing the pandemic.” The Biden administration
COURTESY OF TWITTER
uses careful language in addressing the anti-Asian hate crimes. It is the purposeful denial of the crimes and accountability of offenders. What is a COVID-19 hate crime, anyway? Why not just call it what it is — an antiAsian hate crime? Manhattan doesn’t have the time for these semantics or other failed initiatives like the “war on drugs” or the “war on poverty.” Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul plan to work frequent and regular sweeps of the subway system. The boots-onthe-ground method will secure areas, raising the quality of life and ultimately reducing crimes — order must be re-established. Establishing accountability through prosecuting DAs and stronger disincentives will help curb crime. Police should continue to walk the subways with a higher presence in crime-ridden areas. Politicians and corporate media need to stand back and let law enforcement do their job.
Brian Pfail, FCLC ’22, is a communications major from Ronkonkoma, N.Y.
OPINION
Page 8
February 9, 2022
Spotify Controversy Shows Money’s Influence
COURTESY OF TWITTER
Rogan removed his music from Spotify because of COVID-19 misinformation.
By ERICA WEIDNER
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR EMERITA
Last December, Joe Rogan had Dr. Robert Malone as a guest on his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience.” On the show, Malone proceeded to spread false information about the COVID-19 vaccines and compared the current situation to Nazi Germany. There was the typical outcry from the medical community, but this time, an unexpected challenger appeared: Neil Young called on Spotify to either remove his content or remove Rogan’s podcast. “They can have Rogan or Young.
Not both,” he said. Evidently, Spotify chose Rogan, and Young’s music disappeared from the streaming service. The only songs currently on his Spotify page are live performances, features and songs written for movie soundtracks. In the days since, multiple other artists have asked their music be removed in solidarity with Young. In terms of the central controversy, neither party is blameless. Young’s assertion that Rogan’s listeners are “24 years old, impressionable and easy to swing to the wrong side of the truth” is also problematic. My generation is not
a pawn passed off between musicians, podcasters and other internet celebrities. I am 21 years old, I am fully vaccinated and I am able to call out disinformation when I see it. However, “The Joe Rogan Experience” fully deserves the criticism it’s receiving. Rogan is in the wrong for inviting an antivaccine advocate onto his show as a guest. The information peddled by anti-vaccine folks is inaccurate and ought to be called such. This rhetoric can be damaging, especially in the midst of a pandemic where vaccines offer critical protection. Criticism of “The Joe Rogan Experience” shouldn’t end with vaccine disinformation, either. In the days since Young’s ultimatum, new information has come to light about Rogan’s use of racial slurs. As showdowns go, this is an odd one: an aging folk-rock musician calls out a divisive right-wing podcaster over vaccine disinformation on a music streaming service. This controversy deserves our attention as a classic case of free speech on the internet, but at its core, the real issue is money. While it can be worthwhile to consider how platforms handle disinformation, it is important to recognize that, at its core, those platforms do not see this as a moral issue.
This is easy to lose sight of when you pay $4.99 per month for your student plan, but Spotify is a multi-billion-dollar company. It does not exist for the benefit of promoting accurate information or for the sake of an individual vibing with their earbuds in; it exists to make money. “The Joe Rogan Experience” helps Spotify do exactly that. It is Spotify’s most popular podcast, with around 11 million listeners each episode (consider that there were 14 episodes released last month). Prior to the controversy, Young had around 5.7 million listeners on Spotify each month. “The Joe Rogan Experience” far outstrips him in the number of listeners. More listeners means more revenue for Spotify. In light of these numbers, it’s hard to believe that Young thought he even had a chance in de-platforming Rogan. Spotify also holds exclusive rights to “The Joe Rogan Experience,” which means every fan of the show needs a Spotify account to listen. The truth is that the podcast is Spotify’s cash cow, and the streaming company is reluctant to give up the steady stream of income. It’s worth noting that Spotify has removed COVID-19 vaccine disinformation before. Since the pandemic began, the streaming
platform has taken down “more than 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID-19.” None of those episodes belong to “The Joe Rogan Experience.” From the headlines, you may think that Spotify has come around; the platform will now have “content advisories” for podcasts that discuss COVID-19. However, this half-baked countermeasure was not the result of Spotify developing a moral compass: the company’s market value tanked by $4 billion last week. The “content advisory” is Spotify’s desperate attempt to save face as it tries to bring back investors and prevent subscription cancellations. Truly, canceling your subscription is the only power you have over streaming companies. Your monthly $4.99 may not seem like much, but with Spotify’s millions of listeners, those subscriptions add up. Many users have threatened to delete Spotify if this issue is not resolved soon; perhaps a mass exodus could pressure Spotify to take action. It’s unfortunate that our power is equivalent to our money, but it’s important to exercise the power we can.
Erica Weidner, FCRH ’22, is an English major from Phoenixville, Penn.
Changes in SCOTUS Reflect Court’s Partisanship By SAMANTHA SCOTT CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Supreme Court has been through many changes in the last decade. The loss of beloved Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the appointment of three new justices, all of which were appointed and confirmed under one presidency and a new supermajority of six right-leaning Supreme Court Justices are just a few of the monumental changes. In one decade, the dynamic on the Supreme Court bench has entirely shifted, and now it’s about
to change again. Justice Stephen Breyer has announced his retirement, and now President Joe Biden has said he will name his nominee to replace him by the end of February. In Breyer’s resignation, Biden will now have the chance to appoint someone who will serve for decades and shape America’s legal landscape for years to come. It also brings to mind one of his campaign promises: nominate a Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Whomever Biden chooses will be the first Black woman to serve on the Court; the occasion is mo-
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Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring, opening a seat on the Supreme Court.
mentous and historical. The process to appoint and confirm a Supreme Court Justice is filled with partisan motivations and has led to the incredibly partisan shift on the Court. Still, it’s not entirely indicative of the Court being biased to one political party or other. On both sides of the bench, justices have commented on the partisanship of the Supreme Court. Justices Barrett and Breyer claim that the Court isn’t partisan, but rather that the public opinion is. They also posit that judicial philosophies are different and don’t align with political parties. Though this may be true, political parties will want different judicial philosophies that confirm or favor their stance, even if they don’t directly align with parties. Breyer has said that his retirement decision has no partisan motivation, but should we believe that? Even if the judges don’t believe the Court is partisan, the process that puts them on the bench certainly is. The last three judge appointments alone are enough to show the political process and issues that arise in the selection and confirmation of Supreme Court justices. Donald Trump appointed Neil Gorsuch after the Republicanled Senate denied doing a hearing or voting on Merrick Garland (Obama’s nominee to the bench) due to the upcoming election; this ultimately led to a 14-month vacancy on the Supreme Court. Brett Kavanaugh had an incred-
ibly contentious and publicized confirmation after accusations of sexual assault, even though the Senate eventually confirmed him. The last justice to be confirmed, Barrett, showed the total hypocrisy of the Republican-led Senate as they pushed through her appointment and confirmation process weeks before the election after claiming a Garland appointment was too close to the election. There is a level of hypocrisy and bias in appointing and confirming Supreme Court nominees that is entirely dependent on who holds power in the Senate. Even Breyer’s choice to retire has partisan implications as well. It is practiced and encouraged for Supreme Court justices to retire when a president who shares their values is in office to nominate someone and ensure that the legacy continues. In an interview with the New York Times, Breyer essentially confirms that this is part of his thinking on when to retire. In the interview, he speaks about advice that Justice Antonin Scalia gave him, saying, “[Justice Scalia] said, ‘I don’t want somebody to be appointed who will just reverse everything I’ve done for the last 25 years … That will inevitably be in the psychology [of the decision].’” Breyer is choosing to retire because he knows that the Democratic Party will appoint someone who will continue his legacy and holds a similar judicial philosophy. Even if they are different, the actions of an individual judge can have partisan implications. He’s
chosen this time because it gives Biden and the Democratic-led Senate ample time to find a nominee and confirm them before the midterm elections in the fall. Currently, the Democratic majority is razor-thin, with Vice President Kamala Harris coming in to break the tie between the two sides. The midterm elections have left an air of uncertainty around who will lead the legislative branch, making now the best time to confirm a Supreme Court Justice, and Breyer knows it. His choice to retire is an inherently partisan act. Our Constitution is set up with checks and balances. Yes, the Supreme Court having life appointments alleviates justices from worrying about having political or public favor, but the people who appoint them do. It’s rare to have so much change in the Court in such a short span of time; it’s understandable to feel like the Court has become partisan as three judges get appointed under the same president with similar judicial philosophies. However, the process of appointing a justice and the justice being on the bench are entirely different. Let’s keep that in mind as we look to the Court as they review major cases and consider their decisions in this light, but also look at the Supreme Court nominee and their confirmation process.
Samantha Scott, FCRH ’24, is an international political economy major from Columbus, Ohio.
February 9, 2022
CULTURE
Page 9
Ram’s Review Books | Julianna Morales
“Every Last Word:” Coming of Age with OCD By JULIANNA MORALES CONTRIBUTING WRITER
“You look around at the people in your life, one by one, choosing to hold on to the ones who make you stronger and better, and letting go of the ones who don’t.” Samantha McAllister, Sam, is a high school junior suffering
from purely-obsessional OCD. Going into the start of the school year, she grieves the persona of “Summer Sam,” a confident, carefree version of herself that she believes can only exist in the absence of school. Despite having been a part of her friend group, the Crazy Eights, since kindergarten, she feels incredibly isolated and as
COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM
“Every Last Word” explores the struggle of having mental illness in high school.
though she has no one to turn to about her struggles. Then she meets Caroline Madsen. Caroline is kind, understanding, reserved and unbothered by the concept of popularity: the polar opposite of Sam’s friends. Within a matter of minutes, Sam finds herself opening up to Caroline. The trust that she has with her is so unfamiliar that it staggers her initially, but Sam starts to lean into it. Caroline provides her with a safe space and a deep personal connection. As the Crazy Eights continuously show Sam that she is their lowest priority in the group, she begins to migrate towards Caroline. One day, Caroline instructs Sam to follow her into a new area of the school. Caroline’s lack of details makes Sam skeptical but she gives in. A mysterious set of stairs leads them to a dark gray hallway with a singular room. Caroline tells Sam that she will be by her side but instructs her to do all the talking. Sam knocks on the door and is greeted by a group of students inside. However, one boy, claiming to know her, says that Sam isn’t welcome, and that although she can stay for the
Editor’s Pick | Television
day, she must then forget she ever found them. Sam sits and watches as the group shares poetry with one another, gluing writings to the walls after they’re heard. She is left in awe of the group revealed to be the Poet’s Corner. As she gets to know the members of the Poet’s Corner, Sam is forced to confront bridges she hadn’t even realized she’d burned. Along the way she meets friends who embrace her for who she is and learns to express herself. At the same time, Sam navigates her first true romance. However, just when everything seems to be going perfectly, Sam tackles a realization that shakes her whole world and sends her into a new round of struggles. Stone then hits the reader with a twist that I could not in good conscience divulge to any potential audience. She starts a spiral of questioning and admiration of the power of one’s own mind. The language used in the novel is very approachable, but this is not to say that the story is not interesting for an older crowd. It handles friendship problems, relationships, mental health,
and therapy. Books representing stigmatized illnesses are always a little concerning. Will they feed into that stigma or provide insight into the condition? Stone tackles the symptoms and treatments of OCD with surprising levels of accuracy. Both the debilitation and potential subtly of the disorder are shown. However, Stone did receive some backlash over the appearance of love or a relationship alleviating symptoms. Though it may not have been her intention to do so, it is harmful when mental illnesses are minimized or romanticized. Despite this error, the themes of mental health are overall well developed. They are important to the plot and play a pivotal role, but the characters are not defined by this singular trait. “Every Last Word” is an inspiring story of personal growth and of not letting yourself settle for less than you deserve. It isn’t perfect, nor would it likely be considered a classic at any point, but it is a worthwhile read. Stone knows how to take the reader through a whirlwind of emotions and you truly do feel every last word.
“New Girl:” The Ultimate Comfort Show By PIA FISCHETTI
MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR
*SPOILERS AHEAD* Everyone has that one television show that they consider a guaranteed mood-booster. A show that they can always rely on to lift their spirits, no matter how many times they have watched it. For me, that show is “New Girl.” The seventh and final season of “New Girl” aired on Fox nearly four years ago. Its Netflix presence and dedicated fanbase have worked to keep the series somewhat relevant, but the show has become less prevalent in today’s mainstream media. However, just last month, I was blessed with the news that three of the show’s main cast members, Zooey Deschanel, Hannah Simone and Lamorne Morris, will be hosting a podcast in which they rewatch “New Girl” and share never before told stories from their time on the show. Therefore, I feel that now is as good a time as any to share my high praise for the series and why I believe it has all the qualities of a great comfort show. For those who are unfamiliar with the series, the sitcom follows four roommates in their early thirties struggling to navigate the complex world of adulthood. Jess is a quirky, upbeat grade school teacher whose optimistic outlook is constantly challenged by the people and obstacles in her
life. Nick is a bartender with big ideas but little determination to see them through. In contrast, Schmidt is an ambitious marketing associate and self-proclaimed ladies’ man who strives to reach the top of the social and corporate ladder. Last, but certainly not least, is Winston, a former professional athlete who has trouble adjusting to a new career after leaving his basketball team in Latvia. Though they often find themselves in ridiculous or stressful situations, these characters are always there to support each other with relationship troubles, career decisions and anything else life throws at them. This type of storytelling is a key element of comfort television. The characters may experience some obstacles, but
the audience is secure in the fact that the conflict will be resolved. For example (warning: spoilers ahead), Jess and Nick break up, threatening the group dynamic as the two feel that they need some time apart. However, three episodes and one literal cruise ship disaster later, the friendship between the two characters is restored and the gang returns to its usual antics. The use of simplistic and formulaic narrative structure can be seen in almost every sitcom. Thus, its use in “New Girl” does not make the series stand out in any way. What does distinguish the show from its sitcom counterparts is its characters. Whether it’s their personality, their principles or how they treat others, each member of the ensemble
cast possesses certain qualities that I either relate to or aspire to adopt. Even Jess, a character who is not a typical favorite among fans, has her moments of admirability. I’ll admit that her eccentric behavior can feel a little off-putting at times, but one aspect of Jess’ character that deserves praise is her unwavering selfconfidence. One of the hardest obstacles many people face in life is learning how to feel secure in who they are and not letting other people dictate their actions and interests. Jess constantly interacts with people who reject her optimistic perspectives or unique style, yet she never lets that rejection affect her on a personal level, a skill that most, if not all, people are still trying to perfect.
COURTESY OF TWITTER
Even though “New Girl” finished airing in 2018, it remains one of the most popular sitcoms today.
As I adjust to adulthood myself, one element of the show that I have increasingly come to appreciate is the way that the writers depict the characters’ professional lives. Each character’s story covers a common struggle that people often face when entering the workforce. Jess and Schmidt represent those who heard their professional calling early in life, and while they may grapple with unfavorable work environments, they rarely doubt that they have found their passion. Nick’s story, on the other hand, speaks to those who choose to change career paths to pursue their passion, even if their new profession is not as socially respectable as the previous one. Winston’s character also recognizes the need for a career change, but must undergo several different professions before finding his match. No matter which character’s journey they relate to the most, audiences can take comfort in seeing that choosing a career is not always as simple as people make it out to be. So what are you waiting for? Go watch “New Girl,” currently available to stream on Netflix, and experience its feel-good effects for yourself. If you have already completed and enjoyed all seven seasons, I suggest you give it a rewatch. It will only enhance your appreciation for the wonderful characters, wholesome relationships and ridiculous humor.
CULTURE
Page 10
February 9, 2022
Who’s That Kid | Mark Nicolosi, FCRH ’24
Sophomore Entrepreneur is Hungry for Innovation By MICHAEL SLUCK PRODUCTION EDITOR
Google was founded by a college student. So was Facebook. So were Microsoft, FedEx, Reddit, WordPress and Time Magazine. Sitting across from Mark Nicolosi, GSB ’24, as he explained his new business, Racoon Delivery, to me, I had to wonder if I was looking at one of America’s future billionaires. Nicolosi comes from a family of go-getters. His grandfather worked at the Argentinian World Trade Center and had such a passion for finance and business that it inspired Nicolosi to follow in his footsteps. Another one of his primary influences, his mother, immigrated from Argentina to the United States to begin her own dental practice. Nicolosi describes both of them as some of his major influences in life, having instilled in him both a love of business and a strong set of principles. Nicolosi’s passion for business and finance, however, does not come from any sense of greed. His interest in the stock market is an academic one; a perpetual learner, he loves monitoring financial markets and studying the impacts they have on the world. The seed for his ambitions was originally planted on his first trip to the Bronx, when he toured Fordham for
the first time. He vividly remembers being struck by the homelessness in the area, a degree to which he had never seen in his hometown in Colorado. As he explored the area just outside of Fordham’s gates, he immediately knew that he wanted to give back to the community. While he toyed around with some different ideas his freshman year, it wasn’t until fall 2021 that Nicolosi and his friends came up with the idea for Raccoon Delivery. Raccoon, put simply, is a food-delivery service that caters exclusively to Fordham students. Unlike other conventional delivery services, which cannot enter Fordham’s campus and force students to make the trek to the gate to meet their food, couriers can bring orders right to students’ doorsteps. In the future, Nicolosi hopes to expand this, so each dorm on campus has its own specific delivery people, meaning food can be brought up directly to a customer’s room. Nicolosi’s main goal in creating Raccoon is not profit. His priority is giving back to the Bronx community with the money he makes from the company. He has been in conversation with several Bronx-based organizations dedicated to helping the homeless, and he intends to donate a portion of Raccoon’s
profits to these groups. In his eyes, the issue with many modern corporations is that they often fail to abide by any sort of moral standards. His goal is to create a company with strong ethical principles , one that is driven more by a desire to aid people than by profit. However, creating Raccoon, was no easy task. The most difficult part, according to its founder, was overcoming his own doubts in himself and having faith that things would work out. As someone who likes taking action, it was very difficult for him to be patient and spend time planning for the future. According to Nicolosi, it would have been impossible to create Raccoon without help from the other
beyond what meets the eye. “Revelation” highlights how faith and sexuality, women’s issues, power dynamics and immigrant roots have influenced his art. When you first walk in, the entrance to the “Revelation” exhibit instantly highlights Warhol’s faith — an initial explanation of Byzantine Catholicism greets museumgoers as they first enter the exhibit, priming viewers for a faith-based view of Warhol’s most complex, yet occasionally overlooked, pieces. The exhibit displays Warhol’s humanity through his presentation as a man of religion. Warhol was Byzantine Catholic and frequented St. John Chrysostom
Byzantine Catholic Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Byzantine Church emphasizes Eastern European traditions, including the veneration of icons and following the Julian calendar (in which Christmas is celebrated Jan. 7). Chanting, consecration of bread and wine and use of incense are commonplace during services. Warhol’s faith continued through his move to New York City in 1949. He attended three different parishes: St. Vincent Ferrer Roman Catholic Church in Lenox Hill, St. Mary’s Catholic Church of the Byzantine Slavonic rite in Gramercy Park and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Morningside Heights. Throughout his life, Warhol’s faith remained central to his identity and he was honored with a traditional Byzantine Catholic funeral service in his hometown of Pittsburgh. Despite his commitment to his faith, Warhol also lived proudly as a gay man during the AIDS crisis. He was entangled within the era of “sex, drugs and rock and roll.” Many of Warhol’s pieces display the inner struggle faced by those who identify as LGBTQ+ and coexist as a part of the Catholic Church. Warhol’s commentary on faith and his complicated, yet pas-
founders of the app: Olivia Walker, GSB ’24, Phil Jaskavici, GSB ’24 and Alejandro Celi, GSB ’24. They also received advice and aid from Fordham professors, as well as the Fordham Foundry, on how to best get their project off the ground. While the company had previously been in beta testing for the past couple of months, it officially launched on Saturday, Feb. 5. Nicolosi said the opening went “super well,” and that the company did over $200 in sales. Nicolosi is not one to rest on his laurels, however. Now that the company is open, there is discussion about expansion, including possibly starting similar companies at different campuses.
He has reached out to both Cornell and the University of Colorado-Boulder about expanding the business. In the future, he wants to leave a lasting legacy on Fordham’s campus and he hopes that Raccoon continues to be a presence at Fordham after he graduates. Business, though, is not Nicolosi’s only passion. In his spare time, he’s a voracious reader, having only recently finished both Dostovesky’s “Crime and Punishment” and Vonnegut’s “SlaughterhouseFive.” One of his dreams, he says, is to one day publish a novel, specifically in his favorite genre of realistic fiction. He also works for Fordham, both as a tutor and as a part of the sports broadcasting team.
COURTESY OF NICOLETA PAPAVASILAKIS/THE FORDHAM RAM
Nicolosi created Raccoon Delivery, a Fordham-specific food delivery service, with his friends in fall 2021.
Unconventional Catholicism Presented in Warhol’s “Revelation” By CAROLINE DURKIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
As the king of pop art during the vivid and vibrant ’60s and ’70s, Andy Warhol’s legacy extends beyond his notorious prints which is highlighted in “Andy Warhol: Revelation” — Brooklyn Museum’s homage and love letter to Warhol’s works and his humanity. Warhol is typically thought of as the larger-than-life artist behind the notorious pop art prints of “Shot Marilyn,” “Campbell’s Soup Cans” and “Banana.” His more mainstream works are seemingly playful and, at times, read as surface level. Brooklyn Museum’s “Revelation” presents Warhol’s complexities
COURTESY OF CAROLINE DURKIN/THE FORDHAM RAM
The Last Supper” is Warhol’s rendition of Leonardo DaVinci’s original painting.
sionate, relationship with it is a consistent theme throughout the exhibit. Most specifically, “Revelation” highlights Warhol’s emphasis on and the celebration of the Catholic body and human form. Between depiction of the Crucifix and embraces of the Virgin Mary, Warhol pays homage to the Catholic body through many of his works. Blurring the lines between the out-of-body experience that is spirituality and the physicality of Catholicism, Warhol’s series “The Last Supper” is a combination of high and low art putting physical touch and its relationship to Catholicism under the spotlight. “The Last Supper” series is a collection of over 100 pieces reworking aspects of Leonardo da Vinci’s high Renaissance mural depicting Christ and the Apostles. Warhol’s emphasis on the Catholic body can easily be identified as a product of his perception of his own body and its vulnerability. As explained in the exhibit, Warhol became obsessed with his body and wellness, which resulted from his attempted murder and the AIDS epidemic. His experience as a gay man in the early years of the HIV/AIDS crisis clearly haunted him. While his Catholic faith has been described as his source of personal strength, it
is — quite literally — shown as a double-edged sword. In a collection of works depicting crosses side by side with knives, we can see the complications of his identity. Veneration of the male nude combined with hands clasped in prayer work serves as imagery demonstrating the complex intertwinings of queerness and Catholicism. Warhol is one of the most celebrated and timeless artists of the postmodern art era. His work is a celebration of his humanity, vulnerability, faith and sexuality. “Andy Warhol: Revelation’’ highlights the complexities of Warhol’s life beyond his playful identity as “the king of pop art.” Emphasis on Catholic iconography and the human body depict Warhols presentation as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a man dedicated to his faith. His work acts as a timeless reminder that identity is in the eye of the beholder, even in the case of conflicting moral values. In Warhol’s case, this is his queer identity and dedication to the Catholic church, which typically is unaccepting of pride in both human sexuality and homosexuality. Brooklyn Museum’s “Revelation” is a celebration of Andy Warhol and a commemoration of individuality.
CULTURE
February 9, 2022
Page 11
Fourth Season of “Ozark” Goes Beyond Expectations By COLM O’CONNOR CONTRIBUTING WRITER
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
Everybody’s favorite money-laundering family is back for an action-packed first half to the final season of Netflix thriller “Ozark.” Just when you thought the cartel could not put the Byrdes in more of a crunch, they must deal with their most impossible task yet: help the world’s
most infamous cartel leader walk away without consequence, or face the same fate as many of their coworkers. Part one delivers plenty of backstabbing, gun fights and other elements that have hooked viewers, all while setting things up for a likely epic yet ill-fated conclusion to the series. The latest plot developments will have you yelling with excitement and simultaneously wanting to divert
COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM
The series returned on Jan. 21 keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.
your eyes. Part one serves as a harrowing portrait of what the Byrdes have become since their innocent start in Chicago, which alone makes this season worth the watch. The first part introduces a wealth of new characters, as well as many familiar faces up to their usual antics. Private investigator Mel Sattam is introduced, whose task is to figure out the whereabouts of Helen Pierce, although pissing off the Byrdes seems like more of his focus. Helen Pierce was a lawyer and affiliate of the cartel who met her end after pursuing an angle contrary to the Navarros’ interest. The season begins with the Byrdes washing her remains out of their hair, which serves as a reminder of just how high the stakes are for the Byrdes. Besides some dirt that reveals his questionable past as a cop, and gaining steam on the case through eavesdropping on the Byrde kids, not much is brewing for Mel this season, which only means one thing: it’s about to go down! Another notable character new to “Ozark” is Omar Navarro’s nephew Javi, who quickly turns from Omar’s afterthought to the Byrdes’ biggest problem. Through a series of botched maneuvers by Marty and Omar, Javi is quickly put into the driver’s seat heading into part two. Female characters continue to motor the storyline, par-
ticularly the notorious Ruth Langmore who comes to terms with the heartbreaking loss of her lover, Ben, at the hands of Wendy, and Darlene Snell who continues her fullfledged heroine operation. The two join forces to pedal heroine, and Darlene’s rash actions get them into hot water. Ruth has cut ties to the Byrdes for obvious reasons, but has taken what Marty has taught her and continues to be the savvy business woman she is. Her character arc is astonishing, from a novice crook to making business plays with mobs and cartels acting solo, she is easily the most wellwritten character. Not only does season four show just how far Ruth has come, but it is a depiction of the Byrde family in their final diabolical form. What once seemed like a tight-knit family forced against their morals to get out of a bind with the cartel, is now an irrefutably evil band of independent actors. Wendy, the most wicked of them all, pedals heroine and orders hits like they are errands to do before driving the kids to soccer practice. Her inherent wickedness is masked by smiles and sweet-talking. She is matched with the deceptively reserved Marty, and their competition of undermining one another usually results in some dire situation they somehow always get out of.
Their children really come into their own, each one taking after the parent of their respective gender. Charlotte, who is now all in on team Byrde, has many of her mom’s mannerisms, and has taken to her ability to gaslight. Jonah, disgusted by Wendy’s hand in Ben’s murder, resents the family, yet still runs his own money laundering operation for Ruth like her dad. What started as a good intention, laundering money through a bar and strip club to fund a nonprofit to do good things, has turned into something far from it. It is now obvious that the Byrdes only act if it serves themselves, such as laundering drug money for the Navarro cartel through multiple casinos, pedaling heroin with the KC Mob, amongst other things. As time goes by, Wendy’s attempts to rectify her situation by doing good in the nonprofit space through her political campaign just seem more deluded and vain. It is a Sisyphean task, being that for a while now, the Byrdes have been utterly irredeemable. The days of rooting for Wendy and the Byrdes are long gone. Although it is hard to imagine a good ending for them, there is plenty that is yet to unravel as the series hurtles to an eerie end. As it never fails to do, once you watch this season of “Ozark,” you will be begging for a second part.
Lana Del Rey Returns with Song “Watercolor Eyes” in “Euphoria” By PENELOPE CESPEDES CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In the second season of “Euphoria,” Lana Del Rey debuts her dreamy new single, “Watercolor Eyes,” dropping her first song of 2022. Del Rey’s ethereal voice fits perfectly with the aesthetically dreamy atmosphere created by HBO’s Euphoria. “Euphoria” is centered around its unreliable narrator Rue, a teenage drug addict. With a mix of different characters dealing with their own vices, the series is full of scenes involving heartbreak, drugs, love and tons of drama. Getting Del Rey to create a song for the soundtrack could not be a better fit. If anyone understands melodrama, it would be Del Rey, as her music tackles the same issues presented in the series. The hype of the song first came when a Twitter account posted “Lana fans can start getting excited about this new ‘Euphoria’ season,” on Jan. 10. This resulted in many believing that Del Rey would make an appearance on the latest season. Del Rey fans did not stop following the news, and on Jan. 15, a fan found
out that Del Rey’s “Watercolor Eyes” had been officially registered. On Jan. 19, it was announced that a new Del Rey single would be on the “Euphoria” soundtrack and would premier on the third episode of the newest season. Del Rey is joining many other artists in the soundtrack, including Labyrinth who scored the soundtrack of the first season which aired in 2020. Musically, the song is gentle and has a slow melody. Along with the music, her voice brings a refreshing melancholy tone that sways the listener into a dreamlike state. In the lyrics Del Rey references many different aspects of the show, as well as specific plot points. The title of the song itself, “Watercolor Eyes,” could be seen as a reference to the glitter eye makeup worn by many of the main characters like Rue and Jules. Going more in depth with the lyrics on the track, the listener can break down the many themes of the song and how it coincides with the show. The first lines begin by mentioning the toxic relationship exhibited by main characters Nate and Maddy.
“Breakin’ up with me, then makin’ up” From the very first season of “Euphoria,” the story follows the ever-toxic relationship shared between Nate Jacobs and Maddy Perez. Their relationship is plagued by cheating, abuse and jealousy. While Maddy and Nate have recently broken things off, they always seem to end up running back to each other anyway. Following the first verse, the pre-chorus changes the subject to making references to drugs and drug use. “I think that you taste like rock candy … Wild horses can’t keep us together.” Rock candy can be used as a figurative phrase to mean methamphetamine.The themes of drugs and addiction in Del Rey’s songs are recurring, and are used here to coincide with the addiction Rue Bennett is facing in “Euphoria.” Lines such as: “Young love don’t always last forever … Your love stings like blood and a lemon” are again referencing the relationships that are portrayed in the show. Every relationship in the show has a cloud of toxicity looming over it. The characters
COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM
Lana Del Rey joins Labrinth on “Euphoria”’s soundtrack for the second season.
in the HBO show are high schoolers. At this age, they are navigating complicated relationships and friendships for the first time which does not come easy, as the characters experiences continue to reveal. This line conveys the idea that love in high school will not last forever, even if it feels like it will. The blood and lemon in the next line embrace the toxic nature of many of these relationships. In a sense, the pain of hav-
ing a lemon squeezed over an open wound gives the listener a feel for how painful truly loving someone can be. In all, Fordham alumni Lana Del Rey is having a refreshing and exciting resurgence with her newest track and I hope to see more from her. The writers and producers of “Euphoria” seem to know who their audience is and what artists fit their aesthetic and the soundtrack never fails to be perfectly matched.
SPORTS Varsity Scores & Stats
February 9, 2022
Page 12
News & Notes Fordham Honors Lombardi with NFTs Perhaps one of the most famous alumni from Fordham, Vincent Lombardi, is receiving another special recognition — this time in the form of an NFT. With the help of the infastructure company Crescite Innovation Corporation, Fordham is offering multiple NFTs for purchase. Some of the images include Lombardi’s Hall of Fame Induction plaque and a digital version of his Fordham Varsity sweater. This recognition looks to honor his legacy as a Fordham alumnus. Lombardi is known for his involvement as a right guard on the famous “Seven Blocks of Granite” offensive line as well as his later famous coaching history with the Green Bay Packers, winning five Super Bowl trophies.
Two-Time All-American to Join Water Polo Roster After a strong season for the Fordham men’s water polo team, the talent is anticipated to grow, featuring a new addition in the form of two-time All American Nir Gross to the roster. Gross is a transfer from UC Davis, who played three seasons and racked up 147 goals and 18 assists. He was named 2021 WWPA Player of the Year after recording 54 goals and seven assists during last season. Gross lifted his team to the semifinals of the NCAA Championship, and while the team fell short, he was named to the NCAA All-Championship Team. In the classroom, he does not disappoint, receiving ACWPC and WWPA All-Academic Honors during his time at UC Davis. –Compiled by Maddie Bimonte
Mens Basketball Fordham Rhode Island C. Ohms, 14 PTS
61 55
Fordham St. Joseph’s D. Quisenberry, 19 PTS
69 72
Fordham St. Bonaventure A. Charlton, 14 PTS
51 76
Women’s Basketball Duquesne Fordham A. Dingle, 24 PTS
Women’s Tennis Farleigh Dickinson Fordham
1 6
Squash Northeastern Round Robin Cornell Club 7 Fordham 2 Northeastern Round Robin Northeastern 8 Fordham 1
52 59
Northeastern Round Robin Boston College 4 Fordham 5
Men’s Swimming & Diving St. Francis 80 Fordham 137
Northeastern Round Robin Boston University 3 Fordham 6
Wagner Fordham Men’s Tennis Fordham Quinnipiac
Athletes of the Week
28 173
Connecticut College Fordham
8 1
6 1
Asiah Dingle Senior Women’s Basketball
Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge 9th Place Z. Nelson: 1st (1:53.09) 8 mile Women’s Track & Field Metropolitan Championships 1st/10 teams (153 PTS) J. Mascetta: 1st (5:11.21) 1 mile Women’s Swimming & Diving St. Francis 72 Fordham 164
–Compiled by Maddie Bimonte
Clarke made it a senior night to remember on Saturday, winning two individual events and one relay event in the Rams’ victory over Wagner College. He won the 50 freestyle at 21.39, the 100 freestyle at 46.36 and was a part of the victorious 200 medley relay squad.
Dingle dropped a team-high 24 points in the Rams 59-52 victory of Duquesne on Saturday. The senior added eight rebounds, three assists and three steals, sparking the Rams to a scrappy win. She was also the only player on the team to play all 40 minutes.
Each week, The Fordham Ram’s Sports section honors two athletes for their on-field performances as their “Athletes of the Week.”
Men’s Track & Field Metropolitan Championships 2nd/9 teams (105 PTS) B. Hall: 1st (14:42.41) 5000m run
Spencer Clarke Senior Men’s Swimming & Diving
Student Athlete Column: Let’s Cover All Athletes By KALEY BELL ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR EMERITAS
Fordham has talked about building up the athletic community for quite some time, but time and time again has failed. So many athletes have been left unseen and unheard throughout our community, and it needs to get better. During the pandemic, at the very end of 2020, when classes were online, a group called The Herd was created in order to connect students at Fordham with the athletes. Its goal was to ensure that the student body was kept up to date with the current status of all the teams. This included the games, scores and any stand out players who were doing extraordinarily well. Along with an increase in social media presence, this group would accompany the administration-structured account called @fordhamathletics on Instagram. As we approach championship season, there have been many stellar performances by our winter teams. Women’s and men’s basketball continue to play hard through their long seasons. The Track & Field have just competed in the Metropolitan Championship: the women placed first and the men placed second. The Swimming and Diving team finished their regular season meets and are looking forward to the Atlantic 10 Championships in less than 10 days. The squash team only has a few more
matches until it approaches championship games at the end of the month. Both the men and women’s tennis teams have started their seasons off strong. The question is: would you be able to tell all of this information by looking at the Fordham Athletics Instagram page? Taking a look at The Herd’s page, would you know the status of the squash team? At first glance, the Fordham Athletics Instagram page notes the importance of Black History Month. With these infographics there is also a lot of information about giveaways and events that occur during the basketball games. A quick scan of a majority of the posts reveal that a lot of emphasis is placed on the basketball and football teams. There are a couple mentions of both the men and women soccer teams, but there does not seem to be much about the swim and dive team, the squash team, the tennis team and the sole post of the women’s track team’s first Metropolitan Championship win. Earlier on Sunday morning, this same page posted a screenshot of a picture from The Herd’s Instagram page. This picture had notable information about the swim team and its most recent accomplishments. After a few people had reached out to The Herd’s account, the owners created an infographic with this important information. This post had two pictures in it.
One picture congratulated all the seniors, and the second picture listed facts about the team. Some additional facts included senior diver Natalie Ortof’s qualification for NCAA Zone Diving (this had happened during the first few meets of the season), graduate student Becky Kamau’s new program record in the 200 yard breaststroke and senior Spencer Clarke’s second fastest time in the 100 yard freestyle in program history. If these details are examined more closely, it becomes clear that these are not entirely recent accomplishments. It seems like The Herd wanted to quickly cover something in order to quell the complaints of athletes who felt ignored. A day after The Herd had posted this picture, the Fordham Athletics Instagram page screenshotted the picture with this information and reposted it. It was clear in the post
that this picture was taken from The Herd’s account. You could see the headline of where the picture was coming from. The very top, it said “theherdrh,” indicating that whoever posted the picture tried to put in little effort in order to “cover” the swim and dive team. This is just one example of how these accounts have failed to recognize the successes that happen so frequently within the program. As a track athlete, I have noticed that The Herd did not cover multiple events; for example, the women’s track team’s win in the Metropolitan Championship. I could have accidentally missed the 24-hour Instagram story of it, but I know that a championship win is still something notable. When the men’s water polo team won the Mid-Atlantic Conference, it was posted about on the Instagram page. For the first time in women’s
track and field history, we won the Mets, a big deal for a program that is more than 100 years old. With so many teams doing many different things, it is understandable that it is complicated to cover everyone. That being said, it would be fair to note that it is important to cover every sport equally, treating all sports teams with the same recognition and praise when they win. Quite a few athletes have noticed the imbalance on these pages and have been vocal about it. In support of all athletes, some have commented on these pictures and sent messages to these accounts, letting them know where they have dropped the ball. I am also writing to let the administrators of these accounts know that it is time that we cover all athletes.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
While not a perfect product, Fordham Athletics can do a better job of covering all sports.
SPORTS
February 9, 2022
Squash Returns To Action After Long Layoff By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR
Fordham Squash returned to the court this week for the first time since Dec. 4 at the Northeastern Round Robin in Boston. The Rams were originally scheduled to play last weekend, but the winter storm in the New York area forced those matches to be canceled. Fordham had opened up against Northeastern in the Round Robin on Saturday with a match against the Cornell Club team by a score of 7-2. Despite the loss, the Rams got victories from seniors Patrick Rodden and Dylan Panichello. Rodden defeated Daanyal Agboatwalla at first position in three games, 11-8, 11-2, and 11-2. Panichello got the better of Cornell’s Noah Liao at seventh position in five games, 9-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-9 this match Later that day, the Rams looked to rebound against Northeastern in their second match of the Round Robin. Unfortunately, Northeastern got the better of Fordham, winning 8-1. Fordham’s lone victory in the match came from sophomore Henry Frawley, who defeated Alexander Swenson at second position in four games, 12-10, 11-4, 4-11, 11-4. After the disappointing results on Saturday, Fordham had a chance to get back on track on Sunday with matches against Boston College and Boston University. The Rams opened the day in just the right way, defeating the Eagles in a narrow 5-4 victory. Impressively, all five of
Fordham’s wins came in three game sweeps. Frawley got things going for the Rams at second position, defeating Brendan Wise, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6. The Rams then got victories from senior Winthrop Reed, freshman Sofia Arseniev, Panichello and junior Caleb Schumacher. The Rams built on their momentum from this win in their second match on Sunday against Boston University, winning 6-3. Between Frawley, Reed, Arseniev, Panichello and Schumacher, they all earned their second victories of the day, with sophomore Nicholas Choo also contributing a win for the Rams. Choo defeated Jason Gao at sixth position in four games, 12-14, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7. After a slow start on Saturday, the Rams were able to rebound the next day to finish at 2-2. On Tuesday night, the Rams continued their stretch of games as they traveled to Connecticut College to face the Camels. Fordham suffered a tough road loss, losing to the Camels by a score of 8-1. The Rams lone victory came from senior Dylan Panichello, who beat Mike Achatz in four games, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5 and 11-7. Fordham will be back in action on Saturday with matches against Bucknell University and Princeton Club team at the Lombardi Center’s Squash Courts with start times of 4 p.m.
Page 13
Fordham Women Race to First Place at Metropolitan Championship
By MADDIE BIMONTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Another race, another successful weekend for Fordham Track & Field as the women’s team secured first place at the Metropolitan Championship on Staten Island. Not only did the women put up great scores, but the men’s team finished second out of nine teams at the Metropolitan Championship as well, followed by senior Zalen Nelson’s ninth-place finish at the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge. The win on Saturday marked the women’s program’s first-ever victory at the Metropolitan Championship, finishing with a total of 153 points — a whopping 52 points above the second-place finisher. Starting off with the mile run, the women nearly swept the competition away, with seven Rams finishing in the top eight. Junior Taylor Mascetta led the pack in first place with a time of 5:11.21. Close behind her was fellow junior Alexandra Thomas in third, freshman Madeleine Ryan and sophomore Clodagh McGroary took fourth and fifth respectively. Junior Nicoleta Papavasilakis, sophomore Marin Bogulski and freshman Caitrina Barton locked down sixth, seventh and eighth place. In the 500m, the Fordham women took home another first-place victory, this time with the help of junior Mary Kathryn Underwood, recording a season-best time of 1:17.36. However, she did not race alone, as senior teammate Jilli Jones finished in fourth place with a time of 1:20.09. Four women went on to compete in the 1000m race, with senior Helen Connolly leading the charge for first place with her season-best time of
2:57.56. Senior Bridget Alex and sophomores Abigail Llach and Mady Kopec brought home placements in the top ten as well, finishing second, fourth and sixth, respectively. Jones, Underwood, Connolly and Mascetta joined efforts to wrap up the last of the first-place victories for the Rams in the 4x800 relay, accumulating a time of 9:36.61. Not only did the women dominate on the track, but they also delivered in the field events. Graduate student Kathryn Kelly and sophomore Skylar Harris lent their talents in the long jump, finishing second and third, respectively, with Kelly recording a season-best score of 5.61m. Junior Amanda Gurth delivered a seasonbest distance in the shot put and a sixth overall finish in the event. Sophomore Tara Coyne vaulted her way to a seventh-place finish in the pole vault event while senior Casey Metzler once again showed massive strength with a fourth-place tally in the weight throw event. However, it was not only the women that took home accolades at the Metropolitan Championship, as the men’s side recorded a plethora of top ten finishes. The team tied its best-ever finish at the event, coming in second overall. Senior Brandon Hall led the charge, bringing home the men’s first victory in the 5000m run. Hall recorded a season-best time of 14:42.41. Going on to the 1000m event, the Rams swept the top three spots with senior Jeremiah LaDuca taking the top spot, followed by fellow senior Patrick Tuohy in second. Freshman Rodolfo Sanchez held his own amid the pack of upperclassmen, finishing in third behind his Ram teammates.
The men shined in the relay events in which the Rams took home two first-place victories, in the distance medley relay and in the 4x800. The distance medley team, consisting of freshman Nathan Bezuneh, sophomore Justin Lombardi, sophomore Daniel Asher and junior Colin Flood finished in a season-best time of 10:27.64, locking down another firstplace finish. Junior Erik Brown went on to add his skills to the 4x800 relay team, consisting of himself, Sanchez, Tuohy and LaDuca. The team not only won, but set a season-best time of 7:51.43. In the field, sophomore Justin Rhee added more points to the men’s team, placing fourth in both the long jump and triple jump events. Rhee marked another season-best performance in the long jump, with a distance of 6.59m. Senior Alex Wargo brought home not only a fifth-place finish for the weight throw, but a season best mark of 14.69m as well. The Metropolitan Championship was not the only thing going on for Fordham Track & Field this week. Senior Zalen Nelson put his skills to the test in the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge, competing in the 800m run. Finishing ninth in the 42-runner field, Nelson recorded a time of 1:53.09. As runners continue to rack up season-best times and first place finishes, the Rams are setting their sights on this coming weekend’s events. The teams will split their focus between the Rutgers Indoor Invitational as well as the Boston University Valentine Invitational. Expect the Rams to run their best as they gear up for the Atlantic 10 Championship.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Fordham Squash lost three out of five matches in the last week.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
It was a very successful weekend for both the men’s and women’s track & field.
Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY
Wednesday Feb. 9
Thursday Feb. 10
Friday Feb. 11
Men’s Tennis
Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports
Women’s Tennis
Saturday Feb. 12
Sunday Feb. 13
Brown 4 p.m. LIU 4 p.m.
St. Francis Brooklyn
Bucknell/Princeton
Squash
11 a.m./7 p.m.
Monday Feb. 14
Tuesday Feb. 15
3 p.m. St. Francis Brooklyn 3 p.m.
Lehigh/Conn. 9 a.m./11 a.m.
Swim & Dive
Softball Women’s Track & Field
Men’s Track & Field
Webber St. / Webber St. / Grand Canyon Kansas 3 p.m./10:15 p.m. 12:30 p.m./5 p.m. BU Inv./Rutgers
10 a.m./10:30 a.m.
Rutgers Inv. BU Inv./Rutgers 10 a.m. 9 a.m./10 a.m. Rhode Island 1 p.m.
Women’s Basketball Men’s Basketball
N. Colorado 11 a.m.
Duquesne 5:30 p.m.
Virginia Common. 7 p.m.
SPORTS
Page 14
February 9, 2022
Overtime: Three Strikes You’re Out By MADDIE BIMONTE
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
February is an exciting time for baseball fans. It marks the beginning of Spring Training and the end of the winter baseball drought. However, this year, in particular, fans are waiting with anticipation as negotiations between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) unfold. As it nears two months since the lockout, things are looking bleak for the fate of MLB. The ongoing conflict between the union and the league is a thing of history, with the last strike occurring back in the 1994 season. Once again, fans are left in the dark as owners and players struggle to agree on finances and a fundamental framework for the game. The players union made a few specific demands as negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) began. First, it hopes to put more money in the pockets of younger players. Throughout the past few years, the talent of young players in
MLB has been undeniable. Stars like Juan Soto, Vladimir Gurrero Jr. and Shohei Ohtani propelled the game and made it extremely marketable; however, they will only earn a fraction of what they should be making. An example of this is New York Mets player Pete Alonso, who broke the home run record and won the Home Run Derby. His prize winnings from that event alone surpassed his current salary. In order to keep costs low with these players, many teams will keep young stars in the minors for as long as possible. This service time manipulation drives away young stars from even wanting to enter baseball. Facing an uphill battle, the players union has been unsuccessful against MLB on two of its most important issues: revenue sharing amongst teams and arbitration. The MLBPA hoped
to improve the likelihood of smallmarket teams making a splash in the regular season if the amount of revenue-sharing money was adjusted. When these small-market teams are not making the playoffs year in and year out, there is less of an incentive for them to reinvest their money into player payrolls. Therefore, teams will refuse to spend more money to acquire talent even if they are on a losing streak because they will still get a guaranteed amount of money via revenue sharing. This can be seen in teams like the Miami Marlins, Oakland Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates. In turn, many large market teams also refuse to spend. With fear of the luxury tax and already dividing their revenue to the smaller market teams, they are far less likely to spend and attempt to improve. On the board for the players union
Mets To Retire Number of Team Legend Keith Hernandez By NICHOLAS RAPTIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The New York Mets announced earlier this month that they would be retiring Keith Hernandez’s number 17 jersey during a game against the Marlins on July 9. Hernandez is not only one of the most accomplished players in franchise history, but also one of the most beloved. Although he spent less than half of his career in New York (only seven of his 17 total seasons), his impact was undeniable. Hernandez won the Golden Glove Award a record 11 times for a first baseman, five of those awards coming during his time with the Mets. Besides being an impressive fielder, he was also a clutch hitter for the team. In New York, he recorded 80 home runs and 468 RBIs, earning him a Silver Slugger award in 1984. Hernandez was also an integral part of the last Mets team to win a World Series in 1986. These impressive performances made him the first player to be named captain in Mets team history. Hernandez began his career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1974. After a falling out with the manager, Hernandez was traded to the Mets. He was famously unhappy about coming to New York and joining a team which was perennially at the bottom of the NL East. However,
the Mets had a lot of young talent and just needed a few more pieces to end their misery. Hernandez proved to be what they needed, leading them to a World Series victory in 1986. Although the Mets had mixed success in the years following, Hernandez cemented himself as a star on one of the most special (and infamous) teams in MLB history. Historically, the Mets have reserved number retirements for players that have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Currently, only three other players have had their numbers retired by the team. Number 41 is retired for Tom Seaver, 31 is retired for Mike Piazza and 36 is retired for Jerry Koosman. Numbers 14 and 37 are also retired for managers Gil Hodges and Casey Stengel. Koosman was the first player to have his number retired by the Mets that was not also inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. It seems the organization is stepping away from this tradition after deciding to also retire Hernandez’s number. It is possible we may see other great Mets players like David Wright or Darryl Strawberry have their numbers retired too, despite not yet reaching the Hall of Fame. Although he retired from playing, Hernandez is still actively involved with the Mets organization. Since
2006, he has worked as a broadcaster to provide color commentary for Mets games. He is joined in the booth by former teammate Ron Darling, who was a pitcher for the Mets when they won in ’86. Gary Cohen is the third member of the crew and provides the play-byplay calls. Cohen and Darling both shared messages of congratulations when news about the number retirement broke. The trio are widely regarded as one of the best broadcasting teams in sports. They have great chemistry and work well together, consistently providing an enjoyable listening experience. The positive impact of Cohen is certainly being felt as he enters his second season as owner of the team. Several massive signings in the offseason, including star pitcher Max Scherzer, show that the Mets may be headed in the right direction. The retirement of Hernandez’s number is a great move by the team, and could not go to someone more deserving. His role in the 1986 championship run cannot be understated, and even postretirement he has continually worked for the organization. Hernandez is an all-time Mets great, and hopefully he stays involved with the team as a broadcaster for years to come.
COURTESY OF TWITTER
Legendary Mets first basemen Keith Hernandez will have his number retired at Citi Field this summer.
is Max Scherzer, who, just prior to the lockout, made the jump from the Dodgers to the Mets. In a statement on Twitter, Scherzer addressed the proposal made by the union, saying they hope to eliminate service time manipulation and eliminate “tanking” as a way for teams to get more money. Tanking is a common strategy used not only in baseball but across other major sports, where a team purposely loses games in hopes of gaining a high draft pick. After three different proposals made by MLB regarding the issues addressed, the MLBPA refuses to budge on its demands. Trying to negotiate money with millionaire and billionaire owners, however, has proved to be wildly difficult. Tensions rose so high recently that MLB hoped to involve a federal mediator to help negotiations move along be-
tween both sides, something that was swiftly rejected by the players union. In the past few meetings, compromises were made; however, the larger picture of the future of baseball’s economics is up in the air. The league and union have agreed upon a draft lottery, a bonus pool to help pay pre-arbitration players who perform exceptionally well and a plan to eliminate service time manipulation. Instead of focusing on what the players want, owners would rather see the playoffs expanded from 10 teams to 14, most likely in hopes of more television and ticket revenue. Yet, it will not be possible to even have those games if the players cannot get a fair share of the money. The original timetable for the 2022 season saw pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training sites on Feb. 16; however, that no longer seems to be the case. Players may not be able to take the field in their home stadiums until mid-May at the earliest. The players union knows it is facing a huge opponent, and one can only hope it does not go down swinging in these negotiations.
Men’s Tennis Defeats Quinnipiac By MILES GROSSMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
New head coach Nelson Peña notched his first win at the helm of the Fordham men’s tennis program over the weekend in Harrison, N.Y., as his talented squad trounced Quinnipiac 6-1. Coming off a discouraging performance last week at Cornell, the group dominated the Bobcats at the Life Time Athletic Club. Fordham Athletics has rented the indoor tennis facility, just south of Manhattanville College in Harrison, for all of the Rams home matches through March 13. In mid-March, the Rams will play two consecutive road matches before returning to their true home, Rose Hill, on April 9 against Lafayette College. Last season, the Rams had the pleasure of playing the majority of their home matches at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. While virtually no tennis facility can measure up to the site of the U.S. Open, the cozy indoor courts of the Life Time Athletic Club will have to suffice through the winter. The Rams came extremely close to getting the sweep on Saturday. Senior Juan Paredes dropped a heart wrenching 42-point tie breaker to Quinnipiac’s sophomore number one Ayato Arakaki, being the only lost point of the entire day. Outside of Paredes’ loss, the Rams played nearly flawless tennis, including junior Giorgio Soemarno not losing a single game over two sets in the six spot to
Quinnipiac senior Bryan Schick. On the doubles side, the Rams were equally as dominant, winning all three doubles sets with relative ease. The Rams now move to 3-1 overall in the season and 1-1 in the spring semester. Peña’s Rams will look to build some momentum from this dominant performance while heading into another intimdating road match at an Ivy League school. This upcoming Saturday, the Rams will take one of their lengthier road trips of the season to Providence, Rhode Island, to face yet another formidable opponent in the Brown University Bears. Although Ivy League Conference play has yet to begin, the Bears have had an impressive start to the year, notching five wins while only dropping one match. The Bears have also won their last four matches. Considering the road environment as well as the quality of their competition, defeating Brown would be a noteworthy accomplishment for Fordham. Looking even further ahead, the Rams are seeking to improve on their 6-6 record from last season under a new head coach. With a strong foundation being laid in the fall, Fordham has a long spring season of both conference and non-conference play ahead of them before the Atlantic 10 Championship arrives at the end of April. The frequency matches will begin to pick up in the coming weeks as the Rams look to build a successful season.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Jofre Segarra and the men’s tennis team rebounded against Qunnipiac.
SPORTS
February 9, 2022
Page 15
The Season for Sarah: Fordham Softball Looks to Rally for an A-10 Crown By THOMAS AIELLO
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Despite last season’s stop and start nature due to the pandemic, the Fordham Softball team is ready to get back into action and compete for the Atlantic 10 title. The Rams will return a mostly similar team this season, but just lost a major piece in the nowgraduated Madie Aughinbaugh. She finished third in program history in strikeouts (482), shutouts (14) and eighth in career ERA with a 2.59 mark over four years. A future Fordham Hall of Famer is no easy player to replace, but the Rams seem to have more than enough firepower to push the next regime. Junior Devon Miller will be handling a majority of the pitching duties following her first team All-Conference and A-10 Rookie of the Year campaign, finally getting a full season under her belt. With a 1.61 ERA last season in 22 games, which also included 16 complete games plus 11 shutouts, Miller will for sure be gunning for A-10 Player of the Year honors. Behind Miller is a strong support of pitchers that include a senior in Makenzie McGrath, sophomore utility player Bailey Enoch,
and the freshman Emilee Watkins. McGrath will be the senior leader and in the circle when Miller isn’t pitching. Enoch was limited in her opportunities last season to pitch, only pitching in 10 games due to the fact that she also played in the field. However, this season Enoch will receive more chances to pitch with the young Watkins taking on more of a reliever role. The catcher’s rapport is also critical to the success of pitching; junior Amanda Carey will be doing most of the work behind the dish due to her experience. Freshman Sydney Wells, named a top 25 prospect by USA Preps, will also be getting some burn behind the dish. Fordham’s offense will look to maintain itself following the success of last season, where they finished second in the A-10 in total runs (281), doubles (64), home runs (51) and RBIs (254). They also stole 72 bases last year, the most in the conference. There will be no shortage of juice on the offensive side for the Rams. The outfield will be entering their third season together and will be one of the better trios in the A-10. Graduate students Brianna Pinto and Kelly Bright will round out that outfield with junior southpaw Michaela Carter. Senior Gigi
Speer will also be in the outfield rotation along with freshmen Mallory McClellan and Mary Grace O’Neil. Pinto returns coming off an all-conference second team selection, where she hit .431 for the entire season, a new program single season record. Bright adds a solid glove to the mix as well as the experience of being a fifth year player. Add that to the rising Carter, plus a strong support behind them, and the recipe for success is there. Keep an eye out for the designated player spot which will have a rotating platoon between quite a few people. Miller, Enoch, sophomore Julia Petrovich and Wells will look to play into that mix. Rounding out the infield is a variety of mix and match players who can be put into multiple spots and succeed. Enoch will be in this mix along with former All-Rookie selection Bella Ayala, senior extra base hit machine Julia Martine, the hard-hitting redshirt senior Rachel Hubertus, and freshman Allie Clark. It’s worth noting that senior infielder Taffet will be easing herself back into the regular mix following heart surgery last fall. Now, of course, the fall season had brought an event that was so extraordinary it sent a shockwave around New York and Fordham. Taffet was
Women’s Tennis to Build off Successful 2021 By LOU ORLANDO CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Spring has all the makings of an exciting and promising season for Fordham Women’s Tennis. With former Fordham Men’s Tennis head coach Michael Sowter at the helm for his first season, expectations are high. Sowter led the men’s team to a 69-38 record over six seasons, never enduring a losing season. His squad earned a sixth seed in the 2021 Atlantic 10 championship, the highest in program history, and he’ll look to carry over that success to the women’s team. Sowter will take on a women’s team that entered the Atlantic 10 Women’s Championship as the fifth seed last season. They went on to defeat the twelfth seed Saint Joseph’s Hawks in the first round, all before dropping to a fourth seeded George Washington team in an important match that could have sent them to the Final Four. A three-game losing streak to end the regular season took some luster away from what was otherwise a terrific year, but don’t give
that skid too much thought. They got off to a red hot 5-1 start last year, an excellent indicator of this team’s capabilities. Fordham was dominant for a large portion of last year, and is certainly capable of being a top team in the A-10. If last year is any indication, they are on the doorstep of some major playoff success. Fordham’s big 6-1 win over Wagner back in October gave Sowter his first win in an abbreviated fall season, and left the team at 1-0 heading into the spring. This past Sunday, the spring season began on just the right foot, with the Rams defeating Fairleigh Dickinson 6-1 in their season opener. Next, Fordham will host Long Island University on Feb. 12. This season will not come without adversity as the Rams will have a lot of traveling to do with 12 of their 17 spring games on the road. Only one of their five home games is scheduled to be held at the Hawthorne/Rooney Tennis Courts on the Rose Hill campus, so they’ll have to travel up to the
Life Time Athletic Club to play in Harrison, New York for their other four home games. Unfortunately, the Rams will also be without last year’s star Arina Taluyenko, who graduated after a spectacular season as a graduate student. There’s no need to fret too much, as Fordham can lean back on a very experienced core. Returning is Grad student Carlota Casasampere-Escoda plus seniors Nicole Li, Valeriya Deminova and one Genevieve Quenville will look to take over alongside a talented mix of three juniors, one sophomore, Eleni Fasoula, and freshman, Lorraine Bergmann. Last match Casasampere-Escoda, Li, Deminova, and juniors Avery Aude and Rachel Yang were major contributors to the 6-1 win over Wagner in the fall, and Eleni Fasoula impressed, winning both her doubles and singles matchup. It’s certainly likely to expect big things from this Fordham squad. They will be looking to build off of last year’s success and become a true threat in the A10.
sent into cardiac arrest following a tag to the chest. Since that day, the team has used that incident as a rallying cry to come together. After heart surgery and some time away from the game, Taffet is finally back practicing and working out with the team. Her middle infield role is still there, and Taffet is back with the team. Her miraculous and quick turnaround
should serve as an inspiration to all and is one of the main motivations for the team this season. The Rams bringing essentially everyone back is momentus. Adding very productive freshmen and sophomores that are ready to make the jump to the next level, plus the motivation to play for Sarah, makes the Rams a force within the A-10 and a threat for the title.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Fordham Softball squad returns with one subtraction and major additions.
Swimming and Diving Ends Regular Season With a Sweep By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR
The Fordham Swimming and Diving concluded its regular season last Wednesday with a dual meet sweep at the Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center this week. The women defeated St. Francis Brooklyn 164-72 to complete the undefeated regular season, while the men topped Wagner College 173-28 to improve to 5-3 on senior night. Senior Natalie Ortof led the way for the Rams with two first place finishes in the diving events. She claimed first in the one-meter dive with a score of 278.77 and the 3m dive with a score of 250.73. Other winners on the women’s side for the Rams included freshman Emilie Krog, who won both the 500 freestyle and the 1000 freestyle with times of 5:04.50 and 10:26.95, respectively. Freshman Ainhoa Martin came out on top in the 100 butterfly at 56.07 and the 200 individual medley at 2:03.88. Graduate student Vaula Vekkeli won the 100 freestyle at 53.73, senior Becky Kamau stole the 100 breaststroke at 1:04.30 and freshman Leire Martin finished first in the 100 backstroke at 57.14. The final individual event winners for the Rams were freshman Madeline Bergin and junior Clare Culver, who won the 50 and 200 freestyle, respectively. In relays, the women had two
winning squads. Culver, Bergin, combined with senior Victoria Navarro and freshman Jessica Zebrowski to conquer the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:37.54, while L. Martin, Kamau, Navarro and Bergin won the 200 medley relay at 1:46.97. Over to the men’s action, senior Spencer Clark and sophomore Alex Wilhelm set the pace. Clark won both the 50 freestyle at 21.39 and the 100 freestyle at 46.36. Wilhelm was also victorious in two individual events, coming out on top in the 200 freestyle at 1:44.83 and the 100 backstroke at 52.23. The Rams also secured victories in three additional individual events. Senior Diego Perez finished first in the 1m dive with a score of 238.35, freshman Vitalis Onu took the 100 butterfly crown at 50.69 and freshman Daniel Langlois won the 200 individual medley at 1:56.90. The men enjoyed success in the relay events. Clarke, Onu, freshman Kevin Zahariev and junior Nicholas Chao made up the winning squad in the 200 medley relay, finishing in 1:34.72. The Rams also won the 200 freestyle relay, with Wilhelm, Onu, Chao and freshman Stan Stevens combining for a time of 1:25.16. With the regular season finished, the Rams turn to the A-10 Championships, begins on Feb. 16 in Geneva, Ohio.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
The Fordham Tennis team looks to build off their already solid foundation set in 2021.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Both Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Teams ended on a high note.
SPORTS
Page 16
February 9 , 2022
Rams Rebound Against Rhode Island, Drop Two to Saint Joe’s & Bonaventure By ALEXANDER WOLZ SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS
The 2021-22 Fordham Men’s Basketball season has been marked by a continually evolving barometer of success. Analyzed collectively, the 7-5 non-conference record could be considered exactly that: a success. That momentum carried through the first 2-0 start in the team’s Atlantic 10 history, clearly another success. Even in the losses — five straight from Jan. 15 to the month’s end — came with a shade of optimism. Fordham fell in each of those games, yet competed against some of the top competition in the conference. It felt like a matter of time before those efforts were reflected in the final score, and that time came against the University of Rhode Island. Then, on Feb. 2, the Rams overcame their eponymous opponent with a 61-55 victory. Those in attendance, with this game being the first that students were allowed into the Rose Hill Gym will know that the play-by-play tells a bit of a different story. Fordham had one of its most productive halves of the season on both ends of the floor leading 36-19 after the first. The shooting numbers did not fly off the chart — just 41.38% overall and 35.71% from deep — but Fordham received scoring contributions from a number of different names, accumulating 16 total points off the bench in the half. The only thing better than a start like that could have been an even stronger finish. As has been the case for much of the season, a complete 40 minutes continued to evade Fordham. Rhode Island responded with a stellar second half, matching those 36 points and rattling off a 10-0 run to tie things up with just over five minutes to go. Fordham scored 12 points during
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
The Rams have lost two straight games after a big home win against Rhode Island.
those first 15 minutes, but more importantly, finished with 13 during the final five to secure the six point victory. As was stated in the postgame press conference, Fordham would traditionally lose a game like this, but that was not the case here. Instead, its resiliency in the final moments resonates more than the lead that vanished. “These are games you need,” said head coach Kyle Neptune. “We’ve undergone kind of a transformation this last, you know, two, three weeks. We’ve really been looking to find ourselves. I think we found ourselves in that game.” Graduate guard Darius Quisenberry again led the way with 15 while graduate forward Chuba Ohams added a 15 point, 13 rebound double-double. That may sound familiar but Fordham also received a dozen points from graduate guard Josh Colon-Navarro and a determined effort on the boards, with all but one player contributing to Fordham’s 40-38 win in the rebounding battle. The success partly stemmed from starting sophomore forward Abdou Tsimbila, who Neptune referred to as a “physical freak.” He later added, “He hurts our guys in practice, literally.” Such an impact was especially valuable as Ohams
continues to battle lingering injury concerns, with Neptune saying, “He’s given us everything he can possibly give us.” It’s an attitude emblematic of the Fordham team as a whole. “I think it’s our guys’ DNA. They play hard.” Neptune later added, “We feel like we can play against anyone in the country if we play harder than them.” The next challenge came against Saint Joseph’s University, the first of a three-game road trip. Proving just how much that effort matters, the Rams will likely still feel they should have walked out of Philadelphia with a win on a night when they shot just 14% from deep (321), rather than a narrow 72-69 defeat. Saturday afternoon’s contest followed a similar pattern of a strong Fordham start followed by an equally dissatisfying conclusion. The Rams jumped out of the gates to an early 2112 lead but St. Joe’s responded with a run of its own, seizing a one-point lead at the halftime break. The Hawks then gained just the bit of separation they needed with a quick second half burst, matching each of Fordham’s runs to lead by nine with three minutes to go. In
typical Fordham fashion, the Rams had just a bit more drama left in them late, but it was not enough. Quisenberry paced the Rams with 19 while Ohams delivered a measly 12 points and six boards. This time, though, junior Kyle Rose made his mark with 15 more, despite shooting just 1-4 from deep. Even more encouragingly, Fordham continued its bench production with 15, a stunning outlier to the Hawks’ zero. In fact, a number of statistical categories favored Fordham in a big way, including points off turnovers, second chance points and points in the paint. Add in the fact that Fordham held the Hawks’ leading scorer Taylor Funk to just seven points. Because of that, even such a poor shooting night left Fordham with a sour taste in its mouth. It’s tough to pinpoint just what exactly went wrong, but as was the case against George Washington and many games before, it seems that an inability to capitalize on open opportunities and inconsistent late game decision-making may be the culprit. There was no such opportunity for those choices against Fordham’s next opponent, Saint Bonaventure. A respectable first half in Olean opened up to a second half beatdown and a 76-51 final outcome that can be described as the Rams’ first clear mismatch of the season. It was only a five-point game at the halftime break, with Fordham being led by an unlikely source in sophomore Antrell Charlton, who finished with 14 to lead the Rams in scoring for the first time this year. However, an experienced Bonnies squad capitalized off of Fordham’s second half mistakes, converting 14 points off turnovers and another 12 rebounds on the offensive glass. The shooting numbers continue
to loom large, tallying up as 31.7% overall, 21.9% from three and 40% (6-15) at the charity stripe. Fortunately, bench pieces such as sophomores Pat Kelly and Rostyslav Novitskyi again gave the Rams valuable minutes. Junior Kam’Ron Cunningham contributed 11 minutes after not taking the floor since Jan. 25 in Dayton. All of these players will become even more significant in light of Fordham’s newest challenge. The Rams’ star guard, Quisenberry, went down with a second half injury and did not return, finishing with just nine points. It’s the last thing that a team yet to fully heal its wounds needs. As has been the case all year, though, it will have to be just another test for Fordham to overcome. Ultimately, that is how much of Fordham’s recent stretch has begun to feel: one play, one run, one break short of a different outcome. There is nothing that can be done to change that rather than to reflect and move forward. Fordham will aim to do just that in the last stop on its road trip, Pittsburgh, for a rematch against a Duquesne University team they previously beat. Following that came three games at the Rose Hill Gym, with hopes to flip the script on a 1-7 stretch that has left the team at 10-12. As Neptune said following the win against Rhode Island, “Just having your friends behind you definitely helps.” Fordham needs that now more than ever, both in the gym and those seeing through the current cloud and to the rest of the season ahead.
Women’s Basketball: Another Win in the Books By KALEY BELL
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR EMERITAS
This past Saturday, the women’s basketball team traveled to Pittsburgh, to face the Duquesne University Dukes. This game was a tight one with Fordham only winning 59-52 against a team that is ranked eighth in the Atlantic 10. With the whole active roster touching the court, the Rams were able to shut out the Dukes in the last five minutes of gameplay. This secured the Rams’ third straight win, showing why they are ranked third in the A-10. Duquesne started off strong. The team was able to beat out Fordham within the first five minutes of the game, taking their largest lead by 11 points. They scored 18 points, and Fordham was having a tough time keeping up. Graduate student Kendell Heremaia was able to answer back later in the first half, scoring a late three-pointer. This closed the gap as Duquesne led by just eight points after 10 minutes of gameplay. Unfortunately, the Rams struggled to maintain this momentum throughout
the whole game. Fordham continued to find difficulty connecting with points in the first half. Senior Asiah Dingle and junior Anna DeWolfe each had nine points. Dingle was only 3-10 on field goal attempts, but she had help from Heremaia with eight. Together, the three accounted for all of the 26 points the Rams had during the first half. Dingle and Heremaia each had four rebounds in the first half, doing what they could to minimize the second chance points for the Dukes. Junior Sarah Karpell had three rebounds, contributing to the team’s 18 first half rebounds. Duquesne also had 18 rebounds, but scored at a much higher rate. The story changed in the second half when Fordham was able to get ahead of Duquesne’s efforts to stay in the lead. Dingle exploded for a double digit half, scoring 15 points. Heremaia and DeWolfe helped her out, with Heremaia scoring seven points, and DeWolfe scoring four. Senior Kaitlyn Downey also contributed with five points on her end. Duquesne shot better than
Fordham with 50% field goal success. However, the team had a large amount of turnovers that allowed for the game to flip. Fordham took advantage of this and scored 18 points. This, combined with the 15 rebounds for the half, eight offensive and seven defensive, contributed to the win. Dingle stood out again this game with the team’s most points, rebounds and assists. Heremaia was right behind her with 15 points and five rebounds. The team’s eight steals showed its defensive commitment. Dingle had three and Heremaia and DeWolfe each had two, while sophomore Matilda Flood had the last steal in her 12 minutes of play. Numerically, it’s not hard to see how and why Fordham won. This was not the whole story, though. While the game wasn’t solely based on points, the team had to come together and work as a cohesive unit. This meant looking at teammates for second opportunities and paying attention to how to stop the opposing team’s offense. Defense was
a key factor in this hard fought win. Head coach Stephanie Gaitley noted this as well. She said, “We showed super toughness against a very good Duquesne team. We gutted it out and were able to show our best defense in the fourth quarter. [It] was a step in the right direction.” The Rams have about a month left in the season with only five
more games of regular season conference play. As they look ahead toward the end of the year, there is hope that the A-10 championship playoffs will go well this year. The team’s next game is this Wednesday, Feb.16 when they will play host to the Explorers of La Salle University at the Rose Hill Gym at 7:00 p.m.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Following a long stretch of games, the women’s team gets a well deserved break.