The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 103, Issue 8
TheFordhamRam.com
April 14, 2021
In-Person Campus Visits Resume
Fordham CSM Hosts “Week of Action”
By BROOKE DANIELS
By SARAH HUFFMAN
Since the COVID-19 pandemic reached New York City last spring, Fordham has restricted access to campus for prospective students, hosting online events to replace traditional campus visits. However, the university recently announced in an email to the Fordham community that it will provide new accommodations for visiting prospective students. John Carroll, associate vice president of Fordham Public Safety, wrote that as of April 7, incoming students are able to attend in-person guided tours on campus once again. Visits will be offered Mondays through Saturdays. “The University will invite only admitted students who have not previously visited campus, and will initially prioritize visitors from the local metropolitan area: students who attend our
The Committee on Sexual Misconduct (CSM) hosted its semesterly Week of Action from March 29 through April 2. This semester’s programming consisted of five events held throughout the week that brought attention to sexual assault and created a space for survivors. The first event of the week was The Clothesline Project, an event where survivors and those supporting survivors can write messages related to sexual assault on t-shirts. The t-shirts were hung on the fence around Edward’s Parade for the entire week for passersby to look at. This semester, people were able to get involved virtually by submitting messages of support to CSM’s Instagram. Lindsey Sullivan, FCRH ’21, chairperson of CSM and United Student Government (USG) vice president of Health and Security, said CSM holds The Clothesline Project every semester because it’s a visible and accessible event. “We think it’s a great way for Fordham to show its support for survivors of sexual assault and also for survivors to have a chance to reclaim their voice and their power,” she said. Another event CSM does every year is a Speakout Against Sexual Assault with Women’s Empowerment. While this event is normally held as an open mic event in Rodrigue’s Coffee House, this year it took place on Walsh Library lawn. Alex Shaw, FCRH ’21, vice chair of CSM, said attendees sat in a circle and shared their experiences, creating an intimate healing circle. Women’s Empowerment said this year’s format was more like a discussion but still fostered a safe, confidential environment for survivors to share their stories.
NEWS EDITOR EMERITA
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
SEE TOURS, PAGE 3
COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM
Fordham students and parents face another move-in process under the university's continued COVID-19 guidelines.
Off-Campus Social Scene Thrives Despite COVID-19 Pandemic By SEBASTIAN DIAZ
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
After a severe coronavirus outbreak on campus that affected over 239 people, an email sent by COVID-19 Coordinator Marco Valera on March 3 stated that “indoor, inperson social gatherings — espe-
cially those in which attendees are eating and drinking, and are not socially distanced — are the most likely way to [contract COVID-19].” Despite this warning and a current positive test rate of 1.36% at Rose Hill, off-campus restaurants, bars and parties seem to be thriving. Last semester, the popular sites for
Fordham students to gather and eat or drink, barring private residences, seemed to be Barnyard BBQ and Howl at the Moon. This semester, students seem to prefer the company of Clinton Hall and Last Call. However, Barnyard remains on SEE BARS, PAGE 3
International Students Talk Bridging the Cultural Gap Between Asia and the U.S.
ARTHUR LIU/THE RAM
Arthur Liu, FCRH ’23, says Americans need to understand Chinese history before they try to engage in Chinese politics.
By ABBEY DELK NEWS EDITOR
In the last year, the United States has seen an increase in anti-Asian violence and racism as people search for somewhere to place the blame following the devastation of the COVID-19
pandemic. Politicians and pundits, most notably former President Donald Trump, have spread harmful and unproven rhetoric suggesting that China purposefully unleashed the deadly virus on the rest of the world. The result has been a rising tide of prejudice and mistrust that has had severe
consequences for Asian Americans across the country. Of course, anti-Asian racism existed long before the arrival of the COVID-19 virus in the United States. A lack of understanding of Chinese and other East Asian nations’ cultures has often colored how Americans view immigrants and travelers
from those countries. Tina Zou, FCRH ’23, and Arthur Liu, FCRH ’23, are both international students from East Asia who have observed this lack of understanding of Chinese history and culture firsthand. “It has always been difficult and intimidating on a dayto-day basis,” said Zou. “The [common conception] of how Asians are like does not change because of the coronavirus. If anything, it only adds on to what people already think of Asians.” Neither Zou nor Liu had lived in a place where they were part of a racial minority before they relocated to the United States for school, though both were familiar with Western culture before they moved to America. Liu’s father grew up in Malaysia and his mother is from Hong Kong, and Liu is a dual citizen of both Malaysia and Hong Kong. His family is Han Chinese, and he grew up in Hong Kong, where the overwhelming majority of the population is also Han Chinese. He attended private school there until his college SEE ASIA, PAGE 4
SEE CSM, PAGE 4
in this issue
Opinion
Page 9
Panel on Gender-Based Violence
Sports
Page 10
Men's Soccer Earns Spot in Atlantic 10 Championship
Culture
Page 7
Diversity in Politics