Issue 9, Volume 100

The Fordham Ram Volume 100, Issue 9

Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 FordhamRam.com

See centennial spread, pages 12-13.

April 18, 2018

RFL Puts on Display

GSB Students Research

By ELISE REICHARD

By JOE RGEN OSTENSEN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“The whole point of it is to just talk,” Colette Lanzon, FCRH ’19, said Monday afternoon at the rainy Respect For Life: When Should Human Life Begin demonstration on the McGinley walkway.

Fordham’s Respect for Life (RFL) club kicked off their annual Respect For Life week by displaying posters that members said promoted discussion. The posters included a timeline of events in a person’s life from embryo to fetus, and students were asked to vote when they believe human life begins via sticky notes.

Emily Sayegh, FCRH ’19, an e-board member of the RFL, said the group wanted to create a dialogue rather than just push RFL’s views.

“Our posters do not actually have our convictions on them because we want people to come up to us and question what they believe and then vote,” she said.

The posters were provided by Students For Life of America, a national organization that is not directly affiliated with Fordham’s Respect For Life club but provides RFL with resources for meetings or demonstrations.

Members of the club were quick to explain that RFL is not just a club about abortion. The group also advocates for the rights of refugees and mental health patients, while having an anti-death penalty and euthanasia stance.

“Respect for Life focuses on maintaining human dignity from conception to natural death,” Sayegh said.

Sayegh said since Donald Trump has been elected president, RFL has felt the need to speak up about all of the facets of the club, especially the refugee crisis and the death penalty.

“Trump isn’t pro-life based on anything he has advocated for,” Sayegh said.

Sayegh said Fordham RFL is trying to stray away from other pro-life movements that only proSEE RFL, PAGE 3

in this issue

Opinion

Page 7 “Back Down the Rabbit: America’s Next Intervention

Sports

Page 24

Baseball Improves to 6-0 in Three-Game Series

Culture Page 14

Leslie Odom Jr. Talks New Memoir With The Fordham Ram

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

TAYLOR SHAW/THE FORDHAM RAM

Connor Sullivan, FCRH ‘19, and Kaylee Wong, GSB ‘19, were the elected executive ticket for the coming USG.

Sullivan and Wong Elected USG President and Vice President

By THERESA SCHLIEP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Connor Sullivan, FCRH ’19, and Kaylee Wong, GSB ’18, were elected executive president and vice president, respectively, of United Student Government (USG) in this year’s elections. Sullivan and Wong ran uncontested and received 493 votes

from the student body.

Sullivan and Wong said they are aware of the importance of their positions on campus as representatives of the student body.

“Kaylee and I understand the gravity of our positions and will strive to listen to our peers on the issues we take on to improve student life,” Sullivan said in an email

statement to The Fordham Ram. There were just two contested elections for senate and executive board positions. Ashley Qamar, GSB ’20, was elected vice president of student life, and Gabrielle Perez, FCRH ’21, was elected vice president of sustainability.

SEE USG, PAGE 5

Students from the Gabelli School of Business (GSB) Honors Thesis Program and Global Business Honors Program presented their independent research at the Gabelli Undergraduate Research Business Conference.

There were 20 presentations that showcased the work of GSB seniors. Brian Dunn, GSB’s assistant dean for Honors Opportunities and Dual Degree Programs, said the event was meant to help enrich the community by giving students the chance to share their work. “[The event was] a way for them to share their research findings and the new knowledge that they’ve developed in a way that goes beyond them sitting with their thesis advisor,” he said.

He said the students were given the freedom to study a wide berth of topics in order to give them the opportunity to study something that mattered to them. That made the presentations more compelling, according to Dunn.

SEE GSB, PAGE 6

UTT Goes to ’80s Miami

By AISLINN KEELY NEWS EDITOR

Prince’s 1984 hit “Let’s Go Crazy” played in the background of the Residence Halls Association’s (RHA) release video for this year’s Under the Tent theme. It unveiled “Ocean Drive ’85,” a theme based around ’80s hallmarks like neon and pastel colors with added elements of Miami living. Ticket sales for the event start today.

Annina Saccomano, GSB ’18, executive programmer of RHA, said the colorful ’80s theme originated after a family trip to Miami.

“I fell in love with the colors, architecture and history of the city,” she said.

“In addition, many RHA members proposed an eighties themed dance and the two concepts fit perfectly together.”

To reflect the theme, decorations will draw on both eighties culture and the port town of Miami, according to Saccomano.

“The decorations will be bright, fun and will marry cultural aspects of the eighties with physical aspects of the city of Miami,” she said.

Sara Chesnos, GSB ’19, executive president of RHA, said she recommends wearing bright colors and pastels to get SEE UTT, PAGE 3

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM RAM

Members of the Student Life Council, pictured above, discuss CAB’s proposal to move to departmental status.

CAB Proposal Fails, Tabled Until Next SLC

By HANNAH GONZALEZ ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

At the Student Life Council (SLC) meeting this Wednesday, Campus Activities Board (CAB) unveiled the final draft of its proposal to move to departmental status. The resolution failed to garner enough votes to be approved, and was tabled until next month’s SLC meeting.

Maxson Thomas, FCRH ‘19, CAB president, presented the updated proposal. Unlike previous versions, the new resolution included a section detailing a possible Year In Review process. At the end of each academic year, the CAB president would be required to demonstrate the breakdown of the annual budget based on percentage allocated to each commit-

tee.

This presentation would be accompanied by time for questions and commentary from the SLC board and the audience. The feedback CAB receives from the board and the student body would be taken into consideration for the planning of the next year’s events. Additionally, the report would include student body attendance to a miniSEE CAB, PAGE 5

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

Jumpstart Works To Close Education Gap

April 10 Larkin hall 1:30 p.m.

A truck making a delivery on campus struck a lamppost and knocked it over. There were no injuries. The driver remained on the scene and the incident was documented.

April 11 Tierney Hall 11:15 a.m.

A student reported that the extension cord in Tierney Hall that a vacuum was plugged into caught fire. The fire did not spread and the smoke alarm did not go off.

April 12 Walsh Hall 1:30 p.m.

A fire alarm was activated in Walsh Hall. The residents needed to be evacuated. The alarm was set off by a burnt grilled cheese. The FDNY responded and the building was ventilated. There were no injuries.

April 14 Fordham Road Station 4:45 p.m.

A guest of a Fordham student reported that she was the victim of a pickpocketing incident. When she exited the subway station, a passerby informed her that her backpack was unzipped. She discovered that her wallet was missing. NYPD was notified and is investigating the incident.

April 7 Walsh Library 10:15 p.m.

A student reported that her vehicle was broken into in the vicinity of 189th and Arthur Ave. Personal items and clothing were removed from the vehicle. NYPD responded and filed a complaint report.

-Compiled by Joergen Ostensen

Suggest story ideas: fordhamram. com

@TheFordhamRam

April 18, 2018

JOERGEN OSTENSEN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Jumpstart is working to improve literacy and social skills for preschoolers.

By JOERGEN OSTENSEN ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Kristina*, a preschool student at Community School 92 in the Bronx, practiced her letters by looking at pictures from the movie Frozen. She saw the letter J on a card next to the word “jump” and began jumping up and down with a big smile on her face.

“J is for jump!” she said. “Jump, jump, jump.”

Kristina is a part of a classroom that receives volunteers twice a week from Fordham’s Jumpstart site, a nationwide program that helps assist under-resourced schools to teach preschoolers how to read.

Emily Paddon, FCRH'19, the team leader of this classroom’s Jumpstart team, said that schools like this are in serious need of help, as educational opportunities are limited for people in lower socioeconomic positions.

“There’s a huge gap in readiness for kindergarten that exists between communities that have resources and [those that] don’t,” she said.

On Tuesday, the students in class were reading a book called “Dear Juno” by Soyung Pak, which is about a grandmother writing letters to her grandson.

The letters in the story set the tone for the rest of the day. Later, the students were each given a card with a letter on it from the word “MAIL” and crowded around Paddon. She held in her hand a poster with paper flaps covering each of the letters.

“If you have the letter M, hold it

up,” Paddon said as she opened the first flap.

As she opened each flap, the students whose letters corresponded screamed with excitement, waving their letters in the air.

Paddon said the goal of activities like this is to integrate books they read into fun activities that make the kids excited about learning.

Later, the students broke into group activities like playing with Legos and making necklaces out of beads and string. While that was going on, some of the preschoolers delivered letters from Paddon to the students. The deliverers of the letters wore mailman hats that the Jumpstart volunteers had brought with them.

“It makes me so happy when you are a good listener in circle time,” one of the letters said.

Paddon said she loves volunteering with Jumpstart and is pursuing a career as teacher in a school like CS 92. She said one of her favorite parts about the work is watching the improvement of a student she reads with one on one, who has particular trouble focusing.

“I figured out ways to engage him in the story,” she said. “The most rewarding thing is when he is engaged and does well. You can see that he is actually having fun learning.”

Caitlin Calio, FCRH ’18, of Jumpstart corps memb er, said her favorite thing about Jumpstart is the development of a relationship with a particularly shy student.

Calio said that in the beginning, this student was reluctant to engage with the class, despite knowing all the letters of the alphabet. Now that has

changed.

“Now she actually does seem to be engaged and she does seem to have a good time. She’ll even ask me about my own life,” she said.

Jumpstart provides the opportunity for the whole class to get one-onone exposure in the classroom. Tamara Vega, who has been the teacher in this classroom for the last two years, said that would not be possible without them. There are currently 16 four- and five-year-olds in the class.

“Jumpstart is very effective. I see kids get excited. They build relationships with the young adults that come in,” Vega said.

Vega said that the school’s neighborhood is one of the poorest in the Bronx and in the state. She said her students face many obstacles.

“We have kids that are in shelters currently, kids that are in the foster system, so many different external things,” she said.

According to Vega, school is one of the few constants in the lives of these children.

“This is where they feel safe. This is the only place where they can build those relationships [with adults],” she said. “Their lives change, and they’re only four years old and it changes faster than many of our lives change.”

Teigen Voetberg, the site manager of Jumpstart Bronx at Fordham University, said it is specifically important to help kids before they reach kindergarten age.

“When you seek to close the gap earlier on in Pre-K, then it is much more likely that child is going to go to succeed,” she said.

Calio said that the work is challenging but that makes the experience more meaningful.

“It also makes it so much more rewarding because these kids really need this extra help learning their letters and getting ready for kindergarten,” she said.

Calio said only doing Jumpstart for one year is her biggest regret of her time at Fordham.

Vega said Jumpstart is a constant presence for the students to look forward to every week despite the volatile situations some may experience outside of school.

“It’s something that has been there from the beginning of the school year,” she said. “They have had something to hold onto, whereas their life outside is not like that.”

One of the teachers told Voetberg that students were upset when the Jumpstart volunteers were away for spring break.

“When the students were on spring break, the teacher told me the kids would not stop asking: ‘Where’s

our Jumpstart?’” Voetberg said.

When Jumpstart volunteers are in the classroom, they try to help the preschoolers learn to write letters.

One student, Michael, knew how to write all the letters in his own name but struggled with others.

Michael* could not write the letter “Y” despite his efforts. One of the volunteers helped him by drawing dotted line in the shape of a Y for him to trace. Michael filled a whole sheet of paper with "Ys" and scribbles.

Michael was allowed to play with Silly Putty to help him calm down while he worked on his “Ys.” When he was done practicing his letters, he rolled the Silly Putty into a ball and began to play catch with the volunteers.

Michael was very enthusiastic about the game, although he had trouble catching some throws at first. When the ball hit the ground, it would bounce chaotically and roll around the room. Michael dove like he was recovering a fumble to retrieve the ball.

As time went on, Michael got better at catching the ball and began to orchestrate his own game. He would tell whose turn it was to receive the ball and later called over his friend Manuel to join in.

Paddon said that her goal this year is to get the students to develop better social skills, as over the course of the year she has noticed a decrease in the number of tantrums.

Paddon said she has a special connection to this school and wanted to work there after her graduation. Unfortunately, she said the school will be shutting down at the end of this school year because it was deemed to have lacked necessary improvements.

The students will most likely find their way into other public schools according to Paddon, which she said is an issue.

“That just overcrowds nearby schools,” she said.

Paddon said she has learned a lot about the Bronx through her two and a half years with Jumpstart. She encouraged other Fordham students to make an effort to engage with a program like this which serves the surrounding community.

“I think Fordham can’t exist in a bubble,” she said.

Paddon told her students there will be five more sessions, which was met with loud applause. When it was time for the Jumpstart volunteers to leave CS 92, the students gave them all hugs. *Names were changed to protect the identities of young children in the Jumpstart Program.

This Week at Fordham Thursday April 19

Friday April 20

New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute Trip

Jetés Spring Showcase: Black and White Ballets

247 East 82nd Street 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Collins Hall 7p.m. - 8 p.m.

Blackbox Theatre 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.

McGinley 234, 235, 236 1p.m. - 6 p.m.

The Psychology Club is organizing a trip to The New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute, one of the leading psychotherapy education organizations in the U.S. The trip will be open to all students.

The Jetés will be putting on their spring showcase, the final performance of the year, on Friday and Saturday. The show features both classical ballet pieces and original choreography by their members.

This Friday and Saturday, Free Pizza sketch comedy and Stranded in Pittsburgh improv will be putting on their last comedy show of the semester. Each group will be honoring their seniors. Doors open at 7:30.

Contemporary Science Fiction will be putting on a Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Tournament in collaboration with Gamers United. The top three winners will receive Amazon gift cards .

Friday April 20 FET Sketch and Improv Show

Saturday April 21

Sunday April 22

CSF Super Smash Bros.

Tournament

Fordham Flava Showcase Rose Hill Gym 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Fordham Flava will be putting on their 14th annual Spring Showcase, “Watch Me Cook.” Tickets will be $3, and will be available at the door or in McGinley during the week leading up to the performance.

NEWS

April 18, 2018

UTT Theme Unveiled FROM UTT, PAGE 1

into the spirit of the theme.

“I found a lot of inspiration from eighties movies and even Dua Lipa’s ‘New Rules’ music video,” said Chesnos.

Planning for this year’s Under the Tent began after winter break, according to Saccomano. Ideas from the theme are sourced from RHA’s general and executive boards, as well as the student body. The general board then votes on the most frequently mentioned pitches. Past themes have included 2016’s futuristic “Caught in the Cosmos” and 2017’s Mediterranean “Cerulean Seas.”

Chesnos said RHA takes every Under the Tent as a learning experience for planning the following year.

“We try our best to listen to what the student body would like to see in the future,” she said. “For example, last year, we increased the size of the dance floor and the tent itself, which was received very well among attendees.”

Ticket sales open on Wednesday at noon, with the line traditionally snaking across campus, according to Chesnos.

“Every year, students line up very early in the morning and the line wraps around Fordham Prep by 10:00 a.m.,” she said.

The consistently high demand for tickets launched this year’s pre-sale initiative, where RHA sold 300 tickets through its Facebook event. For an extra five dollars, bringing the cost up to $35, students could skip the line and buy online. Regular sale tickets will be $30.

Chesnos said she hopes the presale event will lead to similar initiatives in the future.

“Hopefully, this will be the pilot to rolling out more efficient ticket sale systems in the future,” she said.

Page 3

Revision of Honors Program Awaits Approval

By ERICA SCALISE

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

A proposal to revise the Fordham Honors Program curriculum is currently awaiting approval from the College Council, the Core Curriculum Committee and the Arts & Sciences Council.

Eve Keller, director of the Fordham College Honors Program at Rose Hill, said that the process of changing the curriculum began when she convened a committee comprised of faculty and students during the fall of 2017.

“We spent the year working on the project of assessing and revising the program. In May of last year, we submitted a proposal to Dean Mast,” said Keller.

Though students are satisfied

with the rigorous course load and structure of the Honors Program, several students are looking forward to the program’s potential changes: specifically, changes aiming to add more diversity to the program’s curriculum.

“I hope they make the program more flexible, so students can really take advantage of the liberal arts style of education [and] hope they make it less Western-centric,” said Joshua O’Dell, FCRH ’21. “The honors core is grounded heavily in western thought; the furthest east we go is the Near East, and the furthest south is Egypt and North Africa.”

David Sellers, FCRH ’20, agrees with O’Dell. He said he would like to see the curriculum shift to a more wide-range, varied coverage of core subjects, as well

as less of a Eurocentric focus.

The program’s curriculum is currently designed so that material from various classes is buildable and able to connect from class to class, according to O’Dell.

“We take ancient classes first semester, medieval classes, early modern classes and then contemporary classes,” he said. “The benefit of this is that what I study in history and philosophy provides the context for the pieces I’m reading in lit, which is illustrated by what I’m studying in art. The way all the classes work together is really remarkable.”

Emma Maliborski, FCRH ’20, like Sellers, hopes that the curriculum changes will create a more inclusive program that applies to students’ studies outside of the program.

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM RAM

Students in the Honors Program have access to the Alpha House, pictured above, where they have core classes.

“As a sophomore in my last semester in the chronological part of the program, I’ve only had two classes that placed emphasis on works and developments from outside the Western world,” said Maliborski. “It would be exciting to see the core focus of the program remain the same, while allowing students to have more freedom as they explore both the honors curriculum and their majors.”

Katherine DeFonzo, FCRH ’18, said she also values the honors program’s commitment to cultivativating a cohesive curriculum, but finds it difficult to foresee these changes, given that she is graduating next month.

However, she said she has suggestions for the program’s changes.

“I hope that the Student Advisory Council that was formed by Dr. Keller will continue to find new ways to plan honors-wide events that take into account the interests of students and allow them to explore and engage with the local Bronx community,” said De Fonzo.

Sellers anticipates that some of the concerns he holds about the honors program will be minimized by these potential curriculum changes and will create a more inclusive feel for those not in the program.

“I have found that the Honors Program is viewed as exclusive and elitist from my interactions with people outside the program,” said Sellers. “I think the fact that our building, though I love it dearly, is named Alpha House, contributes to a perception of the program as elitist.”

Keller said she suspects the decision from the College Council, the Core Curriculum Committee and the Arts & Sciences Council on the proposed revisions will be completed, at the earliest, by the end of the month.

Respect for Life Holds Annual Demonstration FROM RFL, PAGE 1

test at abortion clinics.

The demographics of the club are fairly diverse, made up of both women and men, with secular and religious students participating.

Fiona Chen, FCRH ’20, has been involved with the Respect for Life movement since her days at a Catholic high school. While Chen said she was exposed to the right for life movement through a religious lens, she said she believes a person doesn’t have to be religious to be a member of the movement.

“I think that the pro-life issue is not just a religious issue. All human life has value,” Chen said. “It’s not just because I’m Catholic and I have been pro-life.”

While members of the club said they have been pro-life for a variety of situations, previous RFL demonstrations at Fordham have focused on the issue of abortion. Until 2016, Respect for Life week included a memorial for aborted babies on McGinley lawn, dubbed by many students as the “Baby Graveyard.”

Sayegh said RFL decided to discontinue the memorial two years

ago because it did not illicit the discussion RFL wanted and upset many pro-choice as well as pro-life students.

Previously, Fordham SAGES (Students For Sex and Gender Equity & Safety) and the Women’s Empowerment club have protested Respect for Life events involving abortion. But this year, members said they were unable to create an official protest in time.

Claire Del Sorbo, FCRH ’19, Women’s Empowerment and SAGES member, gave a statement to the Ram in response to the RFL display, saying she understood that RFL members came from a well-intentioned place, but that she has grievances with the display every year.

“Their choice to align with antichoice policy makers and religious leaders renders any support they claim to have for women who’ve had abortions invalid,” Del Sorbo said. “Whether or not you think abortion is morally correct, taking away resources like the ones that Planned Parenthood provides accomplishes nothing and ultimately results in more botched procedures

and deaths.”

Becca Erwin, FCRH ’18, Women’s Empowerment and SAGES member, has protested the event since they have been at Fordham.

Erwin reflected on a conversation they had with a RFL member last year at a protest. A Respect For Life member argued that they were a feminist club because they were fighting for equality and demanded adequate resources for pregnant people so people would never feel pressured to terminate a pregnancy.

Erwin disagreed.

“If we are still at a point in society where women aren’t adequately supported to have a child, then someone shouldn’t be advocating for women to still have a child when society hasn’t caught up yet,” Erwin responded.

Ryan Wolf, FCRH ’19, and RFL e-board member said the main purpose of the demonstration was to fight for the dignity of all human life.

“What we’re trying to show is that humanhood equals personhood.

Human dignity comes from that moment [conception], and it doesn’t change regardless of development,

age, race or anything. We wanted to show that everyone’s equal and everyone has the right to life, and it all starts here,” Wolf said.

As the demonstration went on, through rain and shine, one male student eagerly voted and joked that he wished there were more bloody fetuses on the posters. Members of RFL said that Fordham only allowed for certain posters with approved images to be displayed. About half-

way through the demonstration, nearly all of the votes cast declared that human life begins at conception.

Respect For Life week will continue with speaker Kristen Hawkins on Tuesday, a refugee awareness campaign on Wednesday, a “Nukes are Not Pro-Life” display on Thursday and a volunteer trip downtown to Avail, a haven for people who are dealing with “crisis pregnancies” on Friday.

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM RAM

The RFL display advocates for unborn children in McGinley Lobby.

NEWS

Page 4

April 18, 2018

Research Spotlight

USG Column

Students Present Research at Symposium Undergraduates Share Findings

FVA Gains Delegate Position

By SARAH HUFFMAN STAFF WRITER

By JULIA RIST STAFF WRITER

Fordham University held its 11th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in the McGinley Ballroom, where more than 300 students and 75 faculty members attended to present their findings. Maura Mast, Ph.D., dean of Fordham College of Rose Hill (FCRH), said this event has come quite a long way since the Research Symposium first started in 2007.

“It’s been 11 years of amazing growth in research at the Fordham College of Rose Hill,” Mast said. “Eleven years ago, the college funded a handful of students pretty much just in the sciences to conduct summer research. At the first research symposium, only 36 students presented their work.”

Mast said that research at Fordham has grown tremendously since then. Now, research is not limited to physical sciences, but encompasses a vast array of disciplines from psychology to marketing.

“As in the past, students are presenting their work from biology, chemistry, mathematics,” said Mast. “They’re also presenting their findings in psychology, modern languages, visual arts and sociology. We’ve expanded undergraduate research in every way we can.”

Mast said that (FCRH) has awarded around two million dollars to support students’ research grants.

For many students, this research presentation was not their first. Dozens of students have presented their research at national and international conferences.

Photo of the Week:

COURTESY OF DOMINIQUE CALANDRILLO

Dominique Calandrillo, FCRH ’18, stands next to a board detailing her research project at the symposium.

Fordham students have been coauthors on 100 publications, and they have been either first or second authors on 150 external research presentations, according to Mast.

Christina Sheedy, FCRH ’18, worked with a team of her peers in an effort to make different copper cyanide polymers. For their research, each member worked with a different chemical base to create mixed-valence polymers.

Sheedy said that the task of conducting the tests of this project was a lengthy one.

“The first thing we usually do is after we do the prep, and get a crystal from that prep, is we do an infrared spectroscopy, so that we can see what’s going on,” Sheedy said. “After that, we use X-Ray powder diffraction to identify the

structure. Then, we use thermal gravimetric analysis and electronic spin resonance.”

Sheedy worked with a group of five fellow students and one professor to complete this research project. Sheedy said the goal for the project was to create a six-coordinate copper cyanide polymer.

“It’s very difficult to make, and there are some out there. We’re just trying to add as many as we can and try to create new things,” Sheedy said.

Dominique Calandrillo, FCRH ’18, researched medication nonadherence in liver transplants of child patients from the perspective of the caregiver. To do so, her research team looked to see if liver transplant patients were taking the correct doses of their medication or if they were taking their

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM RAM

Jeffrey Pelayo, FCRH ’21, poses at the Fashion for Philanthropy fashion show. Pelayo sported white overalls and black slip on shoes for his walk down the runway.

prescribed medications at all.

Calandrillo studied 31 patients who were being treated at Mount Sinai Hospital. She said 27 of the patients were classified as nonadherent. Calandrillo and her team gave the patients’ families eight separate questionnaires to arrive at this conclusion. “[The nonadherence] was correlated with lower child involvement and less knowledge about the illness,” Calandrillo said. “We concluded that we should have more child knowledge and responsibility within their self-regimen.

Even though they are young now, it could help with adherence now and in the future.”

She said that children should be given more responsibility when it comes to taking care of themselves and knowing about their illness.

“This is contrary to what other findings have said,” said Calandrillo. “They say that because these children are so young, if we place the burden of having a child medically manage themselves it could lead to poor outcomes. We’re saying the complete opposite.”

Nicole Into, FCRH ’18, tried to better understand the effectiveness of digital marketing on college students. Into is part of Fordham Marketing Association, and this year, the club went to the American Marketing Association’s International Collegiate Conference to present its findings.

Into asked dozens of Fordham students which social media platform they find the least intrusive out of Snapchat, Twitter, Email, Instagram and Facebook. Snapchat, Twitter and email were both considered the least intrusive among Fordham students.

“We found that Instagram, Snapchat and email were the most effective way of reaching them,” Into said. “We also found email, Snapchat and Twitter the least intrusive.”

The Fordham Undergraduate Research Symposium also coincides with the Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal’s (FURJ) eighth edition, which features work from a number of the presenters.

FVA The United Student Government (USG) meeting this past Thursday marked the first meeting attended by the newly implemented Fordham Veterans Association (FVA) delegate. Wesley Wilson, PCS, the new president of FVA, spoke to the Senate. He said there are currently about 450 veterans attending Fordham University, but they do not feel integrated into the traditional student population. Wilson also said most veterans are in the School of Professional and Continuing Studies (PCS), but a lot of them want to join clubs and get involved on campus.

Wilson spoke about getting veterans to pay student activity fees so they could have the opportunity to participate in clubs.

The fee is included in undergraduate tuition, but not in some graduate schools. Currently, Senator Patrick Fox, FCRH ’20, is working on an initiative to help process veterans’ student activity fees. Wilson said that hopefully, the new amendment for an FVA delegate will help improve the lives of veterans.

“We hope to foster an environment that removes the major stressors of transitioning out of the service, get service members where they want to be professionally and simply make the lives of our veterans better,” said Wilson.

“That starts with veterans having access to all of the same services, and being fully integrated with our traditional student counterparts.”

Spikeball Club USG approved a new Spikeball Club. Two leaders of the club presented their concept to the Senate, saying that a Spikeball Club would provide an outlet from the daily grind of work. They said spikeball is an up-and-coming pastime and they know there is interest in the club. Funding will be used to purchase equipment.

Aramark The meeting was also attended by representatives from Aramark who presented the idea for a new dining establishment on campus.

The possible new partner is Sambazon, a company that makes acai bowls. Its product is vegan, gluten free and fair trade, according to the representatives. They also passed out samples of the product for the Senate to taste test.

Executive Update In the Executive President update, Executive President Brian Reardon, FCRH ’18, mentioned Campus Activity Board’s (CAB) ongoing campaign to gain departmental status. He presented CAB’s departmental status proposal to the Senate, also saying that a representative from CAB would hopefully attend next week’s meeting to go through the proposed guidelines.

NEWS

April 18, 2018

CAB Proposal Blocked at SLC FROM CAB, PAGE 1

mum three events per committee.

Thomas described the Year In Review as “in the tradition of student body oversight.”

The new resolution also established CAB’s inability to apply for ad hoc appeals from the USG Budget Committee. Ad hoc appeals enable clubs under the jurisdiction of USG to apply for additional funding through the Budget Committee.

However, should CAB departmentalize, its access to this source of funding would be lost. Instead, additional funding would be negotiated from the Office of Student Involvement (OSI), as part of the partnership between the two departments.

After presenting the additions to the proposal, Thomas fielded questions from council and audience members. Concerns ranged from the question of student oversight to the process of negotiating additional funding.

Kaylee Wong, FCRH ‘20, vice president of finance for United Student Government (USG), said she was unwilling to vote on a proposal which had not yet been presented to and discussed in the Budget Com-

mittee.

“It would have been inappropriate to vote on behalf of the body I represent without them seeing a physical copy of the final proposal,” said Wong. “There was not enough time to show it to the committee and to understand their thoughts and I know the same concerns apply to the USG Senate as a whole.”

Thomas’s motion to approve the new resolution did not receive the simple majority necessary to ratify it.

Brian Reardon, FCRH ‘18, president of USG, then motioned to table the proposal for a vote at the SLC meeting on May 2. This motion was approved by the council.

It will grant CAB additional time to present their proposal at both USG Senate meetings and Budget Committee meetings. From there, USG members will discuss the implications of CAB’s change in status for USG as a whole.

“USG will gather a consensus of opinions, and vote in a way that represents them,” said Wong.

The CAB presentation for Budget Committee will take place on Wednesday, April 18.

Page 5

2018-2019 USG Senate, Executive Board Elected FROM USG, PAGE 1

Qamar said she hopes to change some elements of the House Committee to improve its work with student clubs. She also said she hopes to use her position to work on transparency.

“I hope to continue work to to make Fordham a more diverse and inclusive environment through my involvement in USG,” said Qamar.

Sullivan and Wong hope to improve transparency on USG, as well as spearhead initiatives encouraging voter participation, both locally and nationally. They also want to work towards making Fordham a more inclusive environment, especially for the LGBTQ+ community. They hope to do so through co-programming and the Diversity Action Coalition (DAC).

Sullivan said he and Wong believe future USG elections should have more competition. They hope to encourage participation in future elections through increased transparency, a part of their platform they emphasized in conversations with The Fordham Ram.

Sullivan and Wong said they hope to improve transparency through town halls, transparency hours and the creation of a permanent Marketing and Communications Committee.

“We believe that by making USG more transparent and visible, more people will know about USG and its functions here on campus,” said Sullivan. “This can result in more participation both in running for position and voting.”

Brian Reardon, FCRH ’18, current executive president of USG, said the number of uncontested positions this year is not unusual in comparison with prior years.

He said he hopes students in the future further involve themselves on campus.

“I hope that the student body believes in the work that USG and all other clubs do, and that, in the coming years, they reinvigorate their on campus passion,” said Reardon.

This year’s election departs from last year’s in voter turnout, although the election for the 2017-2018 election was unusual

in its own right. Over 1,700 people voted for the contested executive election last year after an involved and heated campaign, concluding with a busy Meet the Candidates night.

The newly elected executive president and vice president also hope to improve club functions.

One initiative they plan to implement is a senator-club liaison, with which USG would assign club members with senate liaisons who they can use as a point of contact in student government.

Some senator positions remain unfilled. Reardon said USG will host special elections, like in years past, to fill those seats.

Like Sullivan and Wong, Brian Daaleman, FCRH ’19, USG senate, wants to work on improving inclusivity on campus. He said he wants to work with orientation coordinators over the summer to improve Fordham’s relationship with the Bronx. He also wants to implement an initiative that allows transgender or gender nonconforming students to change to their preferred names on all nonlegal documents at Fordham.

Know Your Rights Forum Address Legal Tactics

By LUIS GOMEZ

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The second Know Your Rights forum discussing immigration rights and legal defense brought together a group of activists, lawyers and concerned members of the Fordham community to address the recent uptick in Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.

The event, hosted in the Flom Auditorium in Walsh Library on Monday night, was jointly sponsored by Fordham’s Bronx African American History Project and Urban Studies Program.

Speakers from the CUNY CLEAR Project, Bronx Defenders and the Muslim Social Justice Initiative discussed organizing, activism and legal tactics to help community members understand their rights, as well as potential civil disobedience tactics to prevent ICE agents from detaining undocumented immigrants.

As the Trump administration changes federal priorities regarding deportation and local prosecutors increase their scrutiny towards undocumented immigrants, the forum discussed legal strategies for avoiding or combating ICE’s tactics.

Naz Ahmad, staff attorney at the CLEAR Project, an organization that provides legal services to communities that face national law enforcement scrutiny, described how ICE agents often show up unannounced, fail or refuse to identify themselves and try to enter a home by lying to residents. She also performed a demonstration with a volunteer after describing what to do if confronted by federal law enforcement.

“I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I think [people] find [the demos] fairly effective,” said Ah-

mad. “We often get clients because they were at our workshops, or they watched our workshops online and a month or two months later they called us and were like ‘oh, I was at your workshop, and the FBI came to my door and I knew exactly what to do.’”

Nabila Taj, staff attorney at Brooklyn Defender, said that one of the biggest challenges in navigating immigration law is the legal complexities of the system.

“It’s a behemoth of laws, and they’re constantly changing, sometimes in our favor, often not,” said Taj. The event essentially took the form of a long question-and-answer session, with speakers and organizers asking questions of one another, searching for the most effective way to aid undocumented immigrants.

Katherine DeFonzo, FCRH ’18, said she hoped those in attendance would be better informed to find the best way to continue the conversation surrounding immigrant rights.

“More than anything, I hope that students recognize the importance of asking questions about issues surrounding immigration and are never afraid to have an open and honest dialogue with one another about these issues,” she said.

Mark Naison, Ph.D, professor of African and African American Studies and founder of the Bronx African American History Project, said that the next step was to tap the university’s resources to help the larger community.

“We are going to create a Fordham Rose Hill Immigrant Defense Network to bring together people at Fordham working on immigration issues and to make what resources we have at the university available to people outside of Fordham, especially people in the

Bronx who need our help,” said Naison.

Annika Hinze, director of Fordham’s Urban Studies Program, cautioned that more information and connective resources via programs like Naison’s proposed defense network are key to supporting undocumented students. She said the concept of sanctuary campuses neglect the larger legal issues in protecting students.

“...Universities are also severely limited in what it is they can do to actually protect - again, this is where this whole term ‘sanctuary’ is quite misleading because a university can’t really protect students, they can’t prevent law enforcement coming on campus and arresting someone,” she said.

“What they can do is provide legal advice, social advice, counseling, things like that.”

For Ahmad, universities can create supportive environments that help undocumented students find the resources they need.

“Knowing that there are people around you on campus who want to make sure that you can access those resources – I think that’s a big thing because some resources that you need are out there,” said Ahmad. “It’s just a matter of finding them.”

LUIS GOMEZ FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Three panelists discuss tactics in response to the increase in Immigration & Customs Enforcement raids.

NEWS

Page 6

April 18, 2018

Business Students Present Undergrad Research FROM GSB, PAGE 1

“They’re doing some really great and interesting things,” he said.

Dunn said the presentations are challenging for students because they require them to take the work they have been doing over the course of three semesters and condense it into a 12 - 15 minute presentation.

Dunn said he was impressed with the range of topics at this year’s event, which extended beyond the scope of Wall Street and Madison Avenue.

This was the seventh annual symposium. Dunn said they continue to be a testament to the hard work of GSB students.

“Each year, the quality of the work and the relevancy is top notch,” he said.

This year, the event extended beyond GSB and included a student from New York University (NYU). Raghav Saraogi of NYU presented on how mortgages are given out in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

William Cheng, GSB ’18, presented on Hollywood accounting. He said the term refers to the inflation of expenses by film studios to limit the reported net profits so they can avoid fulfilling royalty and net profit agreements tied to production.

Cheng said he is interested in creative accounting and wanted to study its application to the entertainment industry because the focus is on people instead of companies. He said Hollywood accounting is something that can be advantageous to actors on all levels.

Cheng said this presentation gave him the opportunity to explore something he really cared about.

“The entertainment industry is something I’ve always just been fascinated by,” he said.

Shannon Coffey, GSB ’19, said the election of Donald Trump and his campaign promise to put America first and bring companies back to the United States influenced her choice of topic.

Coffey examined the question of what makes a brand American, whether it is the country where the brand is based or where its products are manufactured. As an example, she compared Ford cars built in Mexico to Toyota cars built in Detroit to highlight the distinction of these two types of brands.

In her study of 376 responses, Coffey differentiated between integrity beliefs, which represent the relationship between the moral values of the customer and company, and ability beliefs, which in-

dicate the level of trust the customer has in the brand’s ability to create quality products.

She found that ability belief has a moderating effect on country of manufacturing and integrity belief has a moderating effect on country of origin. Coffey said this distinction could potentially be useful to advertisers who are trying to decide what to emphasize about a particular brand.

Cheng said he was impressed by the work the other students presented because it extended beyond what gets discussed in class.

“It’s interesting to see what your classmates can come up with,” he said. “It shows what Fordham students are capable of.”

Coffey said the event is representative of GSB’s commitment to providing resources to students.

“It’s really great that they give students the resources to study things that are not only interesting to them, but timely and relevant and what’s going on in the world today,” she said.

Dunn said he hopes that some of the work presented is submitted to research journals, so that topics can be peer reviewed, further engaged with by students and enriching to the community.

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Gabelli School of Business provides reasearch opportunities for students to pursue what interests them.

Changing Lives Through Education Registration for Summer classes has begun Westchester Community College can set students on a path to personal success. Earn transferable credits close to home this summer. Discover how the most affordable college in Westchester County changes lives through education.

SUMMER CLASSES BEGIN May 14 & 21, June 25 & July 30

sunywcc.edu/summer 914-606-6735

OPINION

April 18, 2018

Page 7

The Fordham Ram

Unpaid Internships: Do (NOT) Apply Now

By DOMINIC ARENAS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As a motivated and bright college student, you decide to spend your afternoon on LinkedIn or Handshake to peruse potential internships. In your hunt, there is one posting that stands out amongst the others. You meet all the criteria for applying: you are over 18, have great communication skills, are proficient in Microsoft Office and thrive in collaborative environments. Right before you click, “Apply Now,” you happen to see in all caps: “THIS IS AN UNPAID INTERNSHIP.” Do not apply.

Today, it is common for students to intern while pursuing a bachelor’s degree. In order to prepare for the “real world,” college students need internships. Though courses can provide individuals with the proper knowledge and mindset for a professional environment, nothing beats an opportunity to work alongside industry professionals.

Prior to questioning the morality of unpaid internships, let us examine the facts.

In the case of Walling v. Portland Terminal Co., the Supreme Court looked to five criteria in deciding whether an internship/ work/trainee program was for the intern’s own educational benefit or the advantage of the employer.

SPENCER GABOR/THE FORDHAM RAM

Unpaid internships are unfair and make working much more costly due to the commuting fees and other expenses.

The Court decided on five factors that must be met for an unpaid internship to be lawful.

1. The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment.

2. The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern.

3. The intern does not displace regular employees, but works un-

der close supervision of existing staff.

4. The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship.

5. The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.

During my time as an undergraduate, I’ve had unpaid, stipend and paid internships. Additionally, I have lived off campus for

three years. Though living in the city has its perks, the financial burden it creates is intimidating.

Rent, wi-fi bills, grocery shopping, Metrocard refills and laundry are just a few expenses that commuters and off-campus students face.

In the fall semester of 2017, I accepted an internship at a digital lifestyle magazine. The company consisted of one Editor in Chief/ CEO and seven interns.

In order to keep the company afloat, interns were tasked to work on the backend of the magazine’s website, update social media, represent the brand at PR events and create articles.

For my former co-intern, Alek Vuitapadadorn, it is important that prospective interns understand the opportunities of an unpaid internship.

“In my experience as working as an unpaid intern, I’ve learned that it’s important to pinpoint what exactly the opportunities are available before and after,” said Vutipadadorn. “What’s expected from unpaid internships is sometimes outside of the range of unpaid work.”

If a college student is working more than 15 to 20 hours a week for an employer, they should be monetarily compensated.

The notion that companies with unpaid internship opportunities are “paying to provide experience” is faulty. If students and/ or their parents pay thousands of dollars to take specialized classes in college, these employers offering unpaid internships are disguising free labor and exploiting these harnessed skills.

Dominic Arenas, FCRH ’18, is a digital technologies and emerging media major from San Francisco, California.

Back Down the Rabbit Hole: America’s Next Intervention

By COLLIN BONNELL STAFF WRITER

On April 10, President Donald Trump vowed to overwhelm the Syrian Government with missiles in retaliation for an alleged gas attack and to enforce the arbitrary “red line” he has drawn.

Additionally, the president called upon the leaders of France and the United Kingdom to support American military action against Assad’s regime.

In response to the prospect of an American attack, Assad’s Russian allies pledged to intercept any missiles launched into Syria and implied that the Russian military would launch its own strikes at the sources of American missiles.

Despite this threat by a nucleararmed power, Trump went forward with the strikes three days later, leveling three sites connected to the manufacturing of chemical weapons outside of the Syrian cities of Homs and Damascus.

Just a few minutes spent consulting online media outlets can give you a general idea of how our involvement in Syria could rapidly escalate.

Fox News ran a story about members of the Syrian opposition who spread “we love you” Trump memes, concluding the article with the implication that Trump may one day fulfill the Syrian people’s “hope for U.S.

intervention.” Bloomberg, usually a reliable source, ran an article explaining how the American military has learned the “wrong lessons” from the Iraq War and needs to launch further interventions abroad in order to maintain global order.

The Bloomberg article goes as far as to hail the American military as a stabilizing force in Iraq, and claims that our military adventure in the country was justified.

Furthermore, the article repeatedly condemns those who spread the “foolish” notion that military adventurism is detrimental to the stability of the Middle East and concludes that, if the American military does not intervene in Syria, a regional conflict between Israel and Syria will break out.

While these articles are diverse in their viewpoints, most share the claim that American involvement in a shooting war is necessary in order to uphold our diplomatic integrity; yet, many do not acknowledge the far-reaching implications that further American military action in Syria could have.

A major complication could occur as a result of Russia’s presence in the region. Russia has an unknown number of troops stationed throughout Syria. If a single Russian is killed by future American military action, then a shooting war between two great powers becomes possible.

Furthermore, if we consider that Russia may very well act upon its pledge to use deadly force against the sources of American missiles after a future strike, it is easy to imagine a day when American troops will be killed

by Russian hands. Which action would be the proper one to uphold America’s “integrity” then?

In the eyes of American politicians, the answer could be the filling of Russian caskets to match those filled by Americans.

When we look back on history, we find that some wars were unavoidable. The Second World War, for example, would have been delayed if Britain had allowed Poland to fall, but the armies of Hitler’s Germany and the Western Powers were destined to clash eventually.

We deem these unavoidable wards “just” and reconcile with their ramifications. Thousands of lives are lost, yet we ultimately admit that there was nothing we could have done to prevent the clash and go on with our lives as if nothing had happened.

If this war occurs, our children will question our motives and will enter the hall of shame, a space in which only the conflicts in Vietnam and Iraq currently occupy.

While American intervention can enhance our prestige globally, the cost will be thousands of American lives. Yet, even if this cost is deemed worth it, we should anticipate the day

when we wake up to find that much of the world will have been slowly reduced to rubble. And dominion over that rubble necessitates constant conflict.

Wars of prestige are wars of eternity. One day, we must concede that we have done too much in the Middle East and make a serious change in the way in which we uphold global order. We need to figure out how

we can exit the Middle East without causing its collapse, rather than focus on augmenting our involvement.

I believe that after seventeen years of American crusade in the Middle East, that day may be upon us.

Collin Bonnell, FCRH ’21, is a history and political science major from Hingham, Massachusetts.

SPENCER GABOR/THE FORDHAM RAM

America must not repeat the same mistake of unecessary violence in the Middle East.

OPINION

Page 8

R

Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918 The Fordham Ram is the university journal of record. The mission of The Fordham Ram is to provide a forum for the free and open exchange of ideas in service to the community and to act as a student advocate. The Fordham Ram is published and distributed free of charge every Wednesday during the academic year to the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses with a readership of over 12,000 and a web readership of over 300,000. The Fordham Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.

Website FordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu

Editor-in-Chief Theresa Schliep Managing Editor Taylor Shaw Business Director James Haranzo Operations Director Jack McLoone Editorial and Multimedia Director Bailey Hosfelt Copy Chief Lindsay Grippo Assistant Copy Chief Colette Nolan Assistant Business Director Daniel Coleman News Editor Aislinn Keely Assistant News Editors Erica Scalise Hannah Gonzalez Joergen Ostensen Features Editors Helen Stevenson Joseph Esposito Opinion Editors Briana Scalia Christopher Canadeo Culture Editors Isha Khawaja Ryan Di Corpo Sports Editor Jack McLoone Assistant Sports Editors Emmanuel Berbari Jimmy Sullivan Multimedia Producers Charlie Maisano Tom Terzulli Digital Producers Kristen Egan Erin Clewell Photo Editors Julia Comerford Kevin Stoltenborg Faculty Advisor Beth Knobel Editorial Page Policy The Fordham Ram’s editorial is selected on a weekly basis and reflects the editorial board’s view on a campus issue.

Opinions Policy The Fordham Ram appreciates submissions to fordhamramopinions@ gmail.com. Commentaries are printed on a space available basis. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Fordham Ram .

The Fordham Ram reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions in The Fordham Ram ’s editorials are those of the editorial board; those expressed in articles, letters, commentaries, cartoons or graphics are those of the individual author. No part of The Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

April 18, 2018

From the Desk | Kristen Egan

John Mulaney: Comedian of a Generation This past weekend John Mulaney returned to “Saturday Night Live” to host. This is a tremendous honor for all celebrities, but particularly special for Mulaney, who worked for the show for five years as a writer. Since leaving “SNL,” John Mulaney has proven himself as a comedian and is reaching for the title of best comedian of our generation.

After creating one of the most iconic characters in the show’s history, Stefon, the writer moved on to other projects including “Mulaney,” “Documentary Now!” “Oh, Hello on Broadway” and, most famously, his stand up comedy specials. John Mulaney has worked behind the scenes of some of the funniest material on television.

John Mulaney has gained a large audience since his Comedy Central special New in Town was added to Netflix and since his Netflix special The Comeback Kid was released. In his specials, John Mulaney presents himself as a meek man-boy incapable of driving and making decisions for himself as he recounts his life with stories from when Bill

Clinton flirted with his mother in front of him to the time that his boss quacked at him.

With his third Netflix special, Kid Gorgeous, approaching release on May 1st, John Mulaney will likely soon accumulate a larger fan base. In March, Mulaney managed a seven-show run at Rockefeller Center where the special was recorded.

The rising popularity of Mulaney is indisputable after continuously selling out the shows in his home city.

While still less popular than comedians such as Amy Schumer, John Mulaney’s audience is growing at a fast and inclusive rate.

Mulaney’s jokes are ones you can listen to with your whole family without burrowing your head in a pillow with embarrassment.

He balances self-deprecation with real life accounts and meshes them in a way that you won’t be able not to laugh at. John Mulaney’s career is just getting started and will boom even more once his second Netflix special is released on May 1.

John Mulaney is refreshing in a sea of comedians who go for the

cheap jokes of crude language and themes.

In our current climate, 2018 does not and should not have room for offensive jokes of any kind in mainstream comedy.

Comedians with mass following have to understand that even though jokes are jokes, they do impact society.

Unlike comedians such as Daniel Tosh, who in 2012 was under fire for jokes about rape, the extent of depiction in his own comedy is to himself.

Mulaney keeps this in mind with his mostly family friendly routines and saves his more “inappropriate” jokes for other special projects outside of stand-up.

There needs to be more standup comedians like John Mulaney— ones who don’t make everything political or everything disgusting.

Comedy nowadays is so filled with misogyny, perversions and politics that it appears like Mulaney is holding a light of hope amid the rest of the darkness.

“SNL” has received many criticisms that it has strayed too far away from its comedic origins and is now too crude for its initial

audiences to fully enjoy it. When John Mulaney went back this past weekend to host the show he served in John Mulaney fashion, acting in two sketches that he wrote for the show but had never made it to air. Both sketches emulate the comedy that John Mulaney does best - clean.

There is nothing wrong with clean humor and there isn’t anything particularly wrong about dirty humor either.

Comedy is different to everyone and would be nothing without preferences. John Mulaney is a current rising preference and intends to rise to the top.

Editorial | Communication and Media Studies

Communication and Media Studies Deserves More Resources With the recent return of Fordham Student Television, the editorial board of The Fordham Ram has spent some time thinking about the Communication and Media Studies (CMS) department, specifically the academic weight it carries on our campus and whether it gets the required resources it needs to properly flourish.

First, we’d like to commend the students and faculty for Fordham Student Television’s resurgence.

Students rely on resources like Fordham Student TV to gain real world experience right on campus.

There is also no denying that, as a collegiate newspaper, we both value and rely upon CMS. Many students who make up our editorial staff are involved with the department in one way or another, giving us an insider’s perspective on complications experienced by those in this area of study.

Whether through a major, minor or merely an association with CMS, many students have experienced first-hand the hurdles the department faces and some of the hoops through which its programs must continue to jump.

These shortcomings are not only frustrating on a structural or administrative level, but also a personal and professional one.

It goes without saying that students come to Fordham to study communications for the department, its competitive location and countless internship opportunities.

We asked undergraduates within CMS what drew them in, and many told us that the advantages

outside of the classroom helped them make the ultimate decision to attend.

When the department completely overhauled its curriculum in 2016 from five concentrations to four new majors – journalism, digital technologies and emerging media, film and television and communication and culture – as well as a minor in sports journalism, it became apparent that CMS wanted to offer its students with a more specialized academic experience.

The editorial board of The Fordham Ram continues to be grateful for this change. There is no doubt that it better equips students with the skills needed to enter an increasingly competitive industry after graduation.

However, we are troubled with the lack of administrative oversight that allowed crucial handson programming like Fordham Nightly News (FNN) to fall through the cracks and continues to overlook shortcomings in resources available to its student body. The makeshift studio space for Fordham Student Television is one example.

Right now, Fordham Student TV is sharing the dance studio in Keating as its broadcasting location.

Students involved in Fordham Student TV expressed their frustration at this situation. All of the equipment must be set up only to soon after be dismantled, with the process repeated soon after.

This hinders the amount of time Fordham Student Television has in the studio and limits the amount of material they can produce as a result.

Although it is understandable that the dancers’ schedule takes priority, seeing as they were there first, it is unfair for these CMS students to be forced to accept this insufficient space.

The manner in which FNN folded and lost its studio space illuminates the lack of administrative oversight.

We are optimistic that Fordham Student Television will thrive under the auspices of the CMS department. Nevertheless, it is inexcusable for the department itself to be taxed with picking up the slack, especially because it seems the university does not regard CMS as a continued priority.

The CMS department should not have to invest over $25,000 to outfit a temporary broadcast space when a formerly functional one is collecting dust in the basement of the library.

The editorial board of The Fordham Ram would like to see the university prioritize a department that brings a wealth of students to this institution, year after year, and make long-lasting investments.

According to collegefactual. com, a website that provides data on institutions of higher learning across the nation, Fordham saw 265 students graduate with CMS majors in 2016.

Trailing close behind was business administration with 225 students, a major within an undergraduate program that we feel receives a disproportionate amount of resources at Rose Hill.

The university should ensure that other resources, like the Walsh Media Lab, are outfitted with upto-date programs. Furthermore, the Walsh Media Lab should have

hours that accomodate a student’s schedule. Students who need specific technical equipment to finish a class project should be met with an open, rather than closed, door.

The CMS department has constantly proved it’s a force to be reckoned with, both nationally and regionally. College Factual ranked Fordham’s CMS program 33 out of 537 nationwide in 2017, improving 11 places from the previous year.

As of 2018, Fordham ranked fifth out of New York colleges’ CMS programs.

These rankings demonstrate that the department is not only nationally recognized but also a force to be reckoned with in the local area.

The Communication and Media Studies department at Fordham helped mold Michael Kay and Thomas Maier, Loretta Tofani and Alice Gainer, and so many more industry makers.

It is about time that the university acknowledges the potential of its current undergraduate students, as well as the generations that will follow, and gives them the critical tools to match.

The university needs to strategize to ensure the department recieves adequate funding to ensure that students not only survive, but thrive. This means students interested in television broadcasting should have access to a permanent, state-of-the-art studio to pursue their interests. We recognize the university has many investments to carefully make.

However, we do ask the university to consider putting some money into media programs on campus, both for the short and long term.

OPINION

April 18, 2018

Page 9

Is Snap Inc. Still Worth Chatting About?

COURTESY OF JULIA COMEFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Snapchat’s new interface is very unpopular amongst long-time users as it is too complex and not chronological.

By DANIEL SALVIO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I would bet close to every single one of you reading this right now have this app on your phone.

It is the No. 2 free application on the iTunes app store.

It has been around since Sept.

2011, and personally is one of the most-used apps that I own: Snapchat.

The social media giant Snapchat has recently made a variety of questionable and very noticeable updates to the app that leave many members of the user base with a bad taste in their mouths.

The new update has integrated a new interface for viewing friends’ stories, sending messages, adding new users and has added a noticeable amount of advertisements to draw up additional revenue.

However, the biggest outrage comes from a change in the order of friends’ stories.

In past versions of the app, stories were listed in chronological order with the first story being most recent, until the oldest story that was posted by a friend within the last 24 hours.

Now they are posted on your feed based on who you talked to

most recently or frequently, making it difficult and frankly annoying to view stories of people you keep in contact with less.

Not many people were fond of this. These changes received so much negative feedback that a petition was started on Change. org to have Snapchat revert the app back to its previous version.

The petition is still open and currently sits at 367,420 out of 500,000 of its goal for signatures.

So with such an overwhelming amount of disdain from users towards this “new and improved” Snapchat, many are asking, “Why did they do this?”

The simple answer is money.

The new design of the application has lead to a spike in new accounts being created for Snapchat, and makes it easier for said users to get involved and benefit from posting often.

It also combines the celebrity stories and advertisements into one entire section of its own, which has shown a boost in ad revenue and views for the featured celebrities.

In light of this data, the redesign seems like a complete nobrainer for Snapchat, but they have not ignored the pleas for turning back time and going back to their previous format.

Within the past few months they released an update for specific users who complained about the changes as a gesture of good faith, and to test both models at the same time.

However, I think that the solution might lie somewhere in the middle.

If they were to revert the stories back to chronological order while keeping the design and layout style of the current latest update, they can possibly get the best of both worlds for ad revenue and user happiness.

The smooth new layout of the app and the combination of celebrity posts with new advertisements in the Discover section of Snapchat will still be appealing to both old users and newcomers, while the new (old) story layout

will no doubt please the majority of users and, most importantly, keep the veteran users of the application happy and coming back again and again for new updates, no longer worried that each new one will throw a curveball at them and they will regret its existence in the first place.

As of now though, change does not seem to be coming quickly.

After Snapchat made slight changes in February to make the layout slightly easier to use, it has not addressed or made any promises to look into any other of the multiple complaints about the current setup.

In fact, in February of 2018 the company released a statement saying they they were taking their time with responding to complaints in an expectation that users would “get used to” the new setup.

It is now two months later and as many of you can tell, we have not gotten used to it. Hopefully Snapchat will once again respond to user feedback and possibly make the changes I’ve suggested above, or something remotely close to it.

If they don’t, they may receive harsher backlash that they expect, and the app that many of us grew up with may not last much longer.

Daniel Salvio, FCRH ’19, is an economics major from Shelton, Connecticut.

Tino’s Takes | Faustino Galante

Was Zuckerburg’s About-Face Effective?

Last week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent his Tuesday and Wednesday on Capitol Hill. The 33-year old billionaire was asked to testify before congress amid public outrage in regards to recent issues involving his social media platform.

Facebook has received heavy criticism lately for its failure to adequately clear “fake news” from the newsfeeds of its users. The website’s reputation was further tarnished after reports surfaced that the private information of 87 million of its users was wrongly shared with Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm known for participating in data

mining.

This information was allegedly shared during the 2016 United States presidential election. It is important to note that Cambridge Analytica worked for President Donald Trump’s campaign.

Fortunately, Facebook’s sketchy antics have not gone unnoticed.

The accusations against the company are no joking matter. Congress made this clear by questioning Zuckerberg for several hours Tuesday and Wednesday.

Despite receiving unending bipartisan disapproval last week, Facebook has not done much to solve their various and significant issues. Instead of simply repri-

manding Zuckerberg for his website’s slipups, the federal government must ensure that Facebook will make adequate changes in order to improve its security and overall content.

To help the company “clean up its act,” Congress must punish Facebook for taking advantage of helpless users and must force the website to take steps to circulate more credible information.

The most pressing allegation against Facebook is that it has routinely violated a 2011 “consent decree” with the Federal Trade Commission. This decree was established after the FTC went after Zuckerberg for having, “deceived

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Facebook Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerburg answered questions for two days ranging from personal privacy to data security issues.

consumers by telling them they could keep their information on Facebook private, and then repeatedly allowing it to be shared and made public.”

Essentially, the settlement stated that Facebook would no longer make deceptive privacy claims and that it would give its users “clear and prominent notice” before sharing their information. It is obvious that Zuckerberg failed to obey the stipulations of this specific 2011 settlement.

The government gave Facebook a second chance in 2011. Unfortunately, Mark Zuckerberg took it for granted. The federal government must stop appeasing Facebook’s CEO and will force it to make appropriate changes regarding the sharing of its users’ data.

Facebook must understand that maintaining a degree of ethicality is essential. The website should work to cater more towards its customers and must notify them about whether their personal data is indeed safe or not.

It is misleading and unfair to tell a Facebook user that their information is “private” when it is shared to various companies, such as advertisers, on a daily basis.

As aforementioned, Facebook has not only seen issues regarding the privacy of its users, but has also been disparaged for failing to weed out fake and often polarizing news stories. The phrase “fake news” has become a hallmark in modern day

America. Facebook is one of the main means by which Americans keep up with current events. The website, however, is riddled with fabricated news stories created by shady organizations.

Facebook cannot deny it suffers a content issue. Mark Zuckerberg should acknowledge the fact that “fake news” is rampant on the social media platform and should do all he can to expel it.

This could be done by limiting the amount of automated accounts on the platform and by taking various measures to ensure that the major political accounts on the site are credible.

The fact that the Russian government allegedly used Facebook to interfere with the 2016 Presidential elections is alarming. Facebook must better protect itself and its users from having to deal with the devious publishing of fictitious information.

Facebook must be penalized for its recent actions (or lack thereof).

While many argue that limiting Facebook may infringe on first amendment rights, individuals must keep in mind how powerful Facebook is and how great of an influence it has over various users worldwide.

Congress must find a way to punish Mark Zuckerberg and hold him accountable for his mistakes.

It is imperative that we stop appeasing this morally lackadaisical company.

OPINION

Page 10

April 18, 2018

Brothers in Arms? Macron and Trump’s Growing Alliance Following Syrian Attack

By JACK FITZGERALD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

United States President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron thus far have had a more stable relationship than can typically be expected in administrations where instability is the name of the game. The two leaders have been on the same page about raising their nation’s respective involvement in the Syrian conflict. Both are confident beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Bashar al-Assad regime has used chemical agents on its own citizens, resulting in at least 42 Syrian deaths this past week.

Videos showing families and children frantically using a water hose in an effort to prevent further harm have gone viral as the attack has garnered worldwide attention A paramedic in the city spoke of treating victims who were suffocating and foaming at the mouth—telltale signs of chlorine gas exposure.

The chemical weapons attack was preceded by a Syrian airstrike on the

city’s largest hospital, making treatment of the victims all the more difficult for the Syrian medical staff.

In response to this, France, the United Kingdom and the United States orchestrated an attack against the Syrian government, targeting a research facility that specialized in arming missiles with chemical agents, a chemical storage facility and a bunker that the U.S. has claimed held further chemical weapon storage.

While the United Kingdom has an important role in the military alliance, the most attention has been paid to the apparently strengthening ties between Macron and Trump.

The relationship initially burgeoned when Trump first visited France near the beginning of his presidency but has now blossomed into France becoming one of Trump’s most trusted allies.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump expressed his hesitancy towards visiting France due to international outrage over his election, but Macron convinced Trump that

he was more than welcome to come visit and take part in Bastille Day celebrations in France. Macron is also credited for convincing Trump to change his mind on skipping the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Macron’s sway with the president flows from Trump’s respect for the his ideals as well as their collective vision towards handling the Syrian Crisis . A White House official quoted in the Wall Street Journal said of the leaders, “You have to look the part, and act the part for Trump.

Trudeau and Macron are both good looking, and have strong visions for their country.”

The president doesn’t like lukewarm; he likes charisma and vitality and strength.” But President Trump has extended correspondence with President Macron frequently compared to that of other world leaders.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “U.S. officials credit Mr. Macron for investing time with Mr. Trump. He is among the most frequent callers to the White House.”

While the legitimacy of Macron’s

COURTESY OF FLICKR

President Emmanuel Macron shares Trump’s interest in handing Syrian conflict.

claims of past influence can be questioned, what is undeniable is that Macron will be the first formal international visitor to the White House later this month, which seems to

indicate that the presidential friendship is alive and well.

Jack Fitzgerald, FCRH ’19, is a political science major from Brewster, New York.

Disagree with our opinions?

Write in to us at fordhamramopinions@gmail.com!

Panel Discussion & Networking

Getting the Job: Careers in Media Tuesday, May 8, 6:30 p.m., program at 7:00 p.m.

McMahon Hall Lounge, Fordham Lincoln Center, 1st Floor, 155 West 60th Street, New York, NY 10023 $10 for students, $20 for alumni. Includes hors d'oeuvres and beverages.

Panelists – all Fordham grads - are:  Ed Caggianelli, Associate Director/Producer, MSG Networks, FCRH ‘82  Jennifer Filippazzo, Freelance Video Producer, FCRH ‘01  Mike Hogan, Digital Director, Vanity Fair, FCRH ’96  Brendan McDonald, executive producer & co-creator, WTF Podcast with Marc Maron, FCRH ’01  Terry Sheridan, Managing Editor, WSHU Public Radio & former reporter, 1010 WINS Radio, FCRH ‘83  Kate Wiggin, Deputy Video Director, T Brand Studio, The New York Times, FCRH ‘10  Anne Zafian, Deputy Publisher at Simon & Schuster, FCRH ‘82  Moderator: Debra Caruso Marrone, President/Owner, DJC Communications, FCRH ‘81

Ed Caggianelli

Mike Hogan

Brendan McDonald

Terry Sheridan

Kate Wiggin

Anne Zafian

To reserve a seat, visit https://goo.gl/UEekn1 or https://www.facebook.com/FordhamCollegeAlumniAssociation/ Space is limited. Reserve early.

April 18, 2018

ADVERTISEMENTS

Page 11

Page 12

CENTENNIAL

Many articles in The Fordham Ram note the cruel and unfortunate deaths of the series of rams that were held as mascots on campus (Vol. 64, Issue 22).

April 18, 2018

CENTENNIAL

April 18, 2018

Page 13

Ramses was a wandering soul . . . perhaps not by choice, but nonetheless (Vol. 41, Issue 14 & Vol. 47, Issue 19).

Ramses in The Ram Over the Years

By THE FORDHAM RAM STAFF In an effort to commemorate 100 years of student journalism on campus, The Fordham Ram will be including moments in history through its archives each week. This week, we decided that it was time to draw attention to a thread that weaves its way through Fordham’s history, a piece of history near and dear to our hearts: the ram.

From 1925 to 1978, Fordham housed a series of 28 live rams, each claiming the title of Ramses, according to the Fordham University Library. Although often inhumane to the extreme, housing a live mascot on campus was a tradition treasured by the students of Fordham.

In our glance through history, we found that, more often than not, Ramses’s most newsworthy moments were his deaths, kidnappings by rival schools and sporadic escapes.

Above (Vol. 47, Issue 16; Vol. 41, Issue 1).

Below, an anniversary issue (Vol. 75, Issue 11).

Luxury housing for a ram: electric lights and running water (Vol. 37, Issue 5).

The final Ramses reign at Fordham ended in 1978 (Vol. 60, Issue 19).

The above column is continued from page 12, next to headlines from both original and throwback articles (Vol. 64, Issue 22; Volume 60, Issue 9; Vol. 47, Issue 16; Vol. 68, Issue 25; Vol. 37, Issue1).

CULTURE

Page 14

April 18, 2018

Leslie Odom Jr. Talks New Memoir with The Fordham Ram

By RYAN DI CORPO CULTURE EDITOR

If it’s 1983, Lionel Richie can’t slow down. If it’s today, neither can Leslie Odom Jr. In 2015, Odom starred as Aaron Burr in “Hamilton: An American Musical” at The Public Theater.

Odom then portrayed the same role on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, a performance which won him the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

During his Broadway run, Odom recorded a revised version of his first album Leslie Odom Jr., which debuted at number one on Billboard Jazz.

This past March, Odom released a memoir entitled “Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning.”

And now, Leslie Odom Jr. is walking with his daughter as he speaks to student journalists from The Fordham Ram, The Torch of St. John’s University and The Tartan of Carnegie Mellon University.

The conversation, which was held via conference call on April 2, focused mainly on Odom’s new book, an intimate work which explores his early life and his more recent endeavors. In it, Odom comments on performance, dis-

cipline and the setbacks and successes which have marked his life thus far.

Mr. Odom is not an old man or a decades-worn veteran of the American stage who is just now finding the time to write his life.

Odom is 36 years old; so it is curious that he would write what is essentially an autobiography at this point in his career.

For reference, Walter Cronkite’s “A Reporter’s Life” was first published when Cronkite was 75.

Katharine Graham released her “Personal History” at 80.

The Fordham Ram asked Odom what motivated his writing.

“The short answer is a publicist came and asked me to do it,” said Odom. “I thought it would be ludicrous to write a book at this point.”

Odom drew on his recent years doing speaking engagements at colleges and universities and aimed to write his book “in the form of a commencement address.”

When beginning to write, Odom identified his intended audience as “the next generation” and sought to show how college graduation does not mark an end, but rather “the beginning of something.”

In the book, Odom characterizes his childhood self as unruly and

ill-disciplined. “I was a handful and […] I didn’t know how not to be,” he told The Fordham Ram. However, Odom does not believe that such self-criticism is necessarily inhibiting.

“I think you do need to be able to look critically at your work,” said Odom. Yet, Odom stresses “balance” in this self-criticism, stating that, “You also need to be an advocate for yourself.”

Of course, a new book is not the only project on which Odom has been working. In New York City in December, he took part in a concert performance recorded for PBS’ Emmy-winning series “Live from Lincoln Center.” Odom gave The Fordham Ram a preview of what to expect.

“It was kind of like half diary/ journal entry, half concert,” explained Odom.

Further, he stated that he tried to “marry the music and the song choices” with an illustration of “what life has been like for me over the past year since the “Hamilton” phenomenon.”

Said Odom, “I’m really proud of it.”

Odom’s “Live from Lincoln Center” special, his first televised concert, airs next Friday, April 27 on PBS.

COURTESY OF LESLIE ODOM JR.

Leslie Odom Jr. released his new book, “Failing Upwards: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning,” on March 27.

Is It Better Than Good Will Hunting? | Tim Mountain and Kevin O’Malley

Ram’s Deli Plus Hashtag vs. Good Will Hunting Welcome to the first edition of Is It Better Than Good Will Hunting?, the new, weekly culture review column where Kevin O’Malley and Tim Mountain compare food, media, experiences and more against the world of art that produced Oscar-winning film Good Will Hunting.

For our first edition, we have decided to compare a Fordham favorite: Ram’s Deli Plus’ “Hashtag.”

Some background info: Good Will Hunting is a 1997 coming-ofage drama starring Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck and Minnie Driver. It was directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Damon and Affleck.

The film takes place in Boston and Cambridge, Mass., where Damon’s character, 21-year-old Will Hunting, works as a janitor

at MIT. When it is discovered that he has mathematical abilities that rival those of any MIT professor, he begins a journey, during which he confronts the fact that his enemies are not external, but rather are rooted internally in his troubled past.

Good Will Hunting (GWH) was nominated for nine Oscars, winning two: Best Supporting Actor (Williams) and Best Original Screenplay (Damon and Affleck).

It is now considered to be one of the finest films of all time, and currently holds a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The “Hashtag” is a sandwich at Ram’s Deli Plus (RDP) on Fordham Rd. and is priced at $6.50.

It is — usually — served on a round roll and has bacon, egg, cheese, chicken cutlet and hash

browns.

Kevin: Well Tim, I’m excited to get started here with this column and, particularly, to talk about two of my favorite things!

Tim: Kevin, I have to say, I’m probably even more excited than you are. GWH has been one of our favorite films for years, and I’m glad to finally have a forum where we write about it.

K: Definitely. I don’t want to waste time beating around the bush here, so let’s sink our teeth into this “Hashtag” discussion!

T: Let’s get to it. The “Hashtag” is one of RDP’s marquee sandwiches. It’s no mystery why.

Served hot, quickly and on a soft poppy seed roll, the “Hashtag” is a friend to early-morning carbfiends and late-night munchers alike.

K: As a late-night muncher and

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Good Will Hunting was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning for Best Supporting Actor and Best Screenplay in 1998.

breakfast sandwich connoisseur, I have to say, I think the “Hashtag” does it right. Even though it keeps with the classic bacon, egg and cheese combination, RDP takes it to the next level by incorporating breaded chicken cutlet and the bonus hash browns to top it off.

T: And take it to the next level it does.

Chicken, bacon and egg, the stars of this sandwich, are immediately evident, and their performances are Oscar-worthy themselves.

The chicken cutlet is made of the juiciest white meat, the eggs are scrambled and seasoned to perfection and the bacon is crispy for that all-too-necessary crunch.

The cheese and hash brown, in their supporting roles — or should I say, rolls — perform excellently as well, bringing out the vibrancy of the other flavors.

K: While the “Hashtag” is stacked with several ingredients, I will say the sandwich lacks in flavor diversity.

If ordering, I would suggest adding ketchup, but even then, you’re probably in store for a bite that leaves the separate pieces of this sandwich almost indistinguishable from one another.

T: I have to agree. This sandwich is delicious, filling and cheap, but lacks the “flavor diversity” that you mentioned. It’s also not very healthy, as it’s pretty saturated with oils and sodium.

The “Hashtag” won’t make you feel good about yourself, but it’s delicious as a once-in-a-while

treat.

K: GWH, on the other hand, is a one-time, expiration-free purchase that can bring you endless joy, without the negative health benefits.

T: I’m inclined to agree, Kev. The values and lessons derived from GWH last a lifetime.

While the Hashtag is filling, it certainly won’t give you an insightful look into a young man’s coming to terms with his past misfortunes and trust issues, set against the backdrop of class struggle between blue-collar South Boston and MIT’s and Harvard’s academic elite.

K: And sure, while GWH won’t satisfy your belly, it will certainly fill holes in your heart that no sandwich ever could.

The way you feel when Williams’ character, Sean Maguire, touches on the difference between learning about love and truly experiencing it, could hardly be matched by an egg-based meal.

Tim, I think I’m going to pick Good Will Hunting here.

T: I think we’re on the same side this time, my close, good friend Kevin O’Malley. If I were to give the “Hashtag” a Rotten Tomatoes score, it’d probably be a 73%. Not too bad, but certainly not GWH caliber.

K: Let’s just say that if you plan on ordering the “Hashtag” at Ram’s Deli Plus, I strongly recommend getting ketchup, or an Oscar-winning performance by Robin Williams, with your sandwich.

CULTURE

April 18, 2018

Playlistism | Elizabeth Nealon

Future New Music Fridays New Music Fridays have become a cultural staple, even for those of us who don’t necessarily identify as major music buffs.

There’s something so exciting about scrolling through the week’s new releases, especially when you discover the surprise return of some of your old favorites. We have already had some pretty remarkable comebacks so far this year, and rumor has it there’s even more to look forward to from those few artists who like to remain elusive between albums (I’m looking at you, Arctic Monkeys). Keep your eyes peeled for these highly-anticipated new music drops on the next few Fridays – they won’t disappoint.

1.“Sky Full of Song” – Florence + the Machine Spring is finally here, the time for growth and renewal, and who better to ring in the season than Florence Welch, the millennial Stevie Nicks? In standard Florence + the Machine fashion, “Sky

Full of Song” leaves you feeling like your world is drenched in a celestial pink haze. It is somehow haunting and hopeful. The single dropped as a special Record Store Day release, but all signs point to a full-length follow-up to 2015’s How Big , How Blue, How Beautiful in our futures very soon.

2.“Us” – James Bay James Bay came back from his hiatus ready to break hearts.

With a fresh haircut and a more adventurous sound, the U.K. singer-songwriter is proving he’s not just another lanky white boy with an acoustic guitar. Though his previous two singles are more electro-inspired, “Us” offers up the type of sultry, introspective storytelling that made James Bay a mainstream name. Electric Light is out this May and is sure to be full of more raw emotions and soft melodies.

3.“Softens” – Wet Brooklyn-based indie trio Wet made their debut quietly in 2016

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

U.K singer, James Bay, will release his album Electric Light this May.

with a Banks-meets-The Japanese House sound. With a newly-announced headlining tour and two chilling singles, anticipation for their sophomore record is building quickly. Singer Kelly Zutrau found inspiration for “Softens” in an unexpected place – the chorus was drawn from the slogan of a funeral home in Harlem. This is “curl up in a ball on the floor and cry” music, a sprawling six-minute ballad that softens the tough edges of reality.

4.“A Boat to an Island on the Wall” – Ben Howard Four years ago, Ben Howard released one of the most stunning records of the decade. The British folk singer excels at building lush and dramatic orchestrations, as demonstrated in his first single for Noonday Dream, out this May. “A Boat to an Island on the Wall” is complex and devastating, constructed around a steady backbeat and hushed vocals. The warbling effect of the guitar evokes the sense of being underwater, as if Howard is throwing it back to his pre-musician surfer days.

5.‘Til It’s Over” – Anderson .Paak Anderson .Paak may be best known for his features with Chance the Rapper and Dr. Dre, but he truly shines in his solo work. The two-time Grammy nominee channels his California roots in his first new song since 2016. It’s an ode to living in the moment, chock full of sunny synths and vibrant beats. Through his raspy vocals, .Paak pokes fun at the monotonous, disposable nature of today’s culture: “Don’t all this new music sound the same? / Yeah, we must be getting old and gray.” Even though there’s no official confirmation of an upcoming album, "Til It’s Over" gives us a little preview of what to expect from the L.A. dreamer this year.

Page 15

Invasion of Privacy Fuses the Old with the New

By CHRISTIAN HALL

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Belcalis Almanzar, “Bardi,” the Bronx’s “Binderella,” the “Gangster in a Dress” or, as most people know her, Cardi B, dropped her 2018 debut album Invasion of Privacy two weeks ago… and it is phenomenal.

After gaining popularity in the summer of 2017 with her Kodak Blackinspired single “Bodak Yellow”, Cardi has since been featured on hit tracks with artists like Bruno Mars, Migos and Juicy J, not to mention her bold 2017 collaboration with 21 Savage, “Bartier Cardi”, that landed her in the Billboard Top 20.

On Invasion of Privacy, Cardi perfectly fuses the singles that brought her stardom with a fresh, unexplored sound. Tracks like “I Like It,” featuring the Puerto Rican icon Bad Bunny and Colombian reggaeton star J Balvin, let Cardi flex the versatility of her flow which adopted a Latin Trap style on her verse. Similarly, on the R&B single “Be Careful”, we hear Cardi using a more mellow flow, describing a cheating relationship with her partner; “my heart is like a package with a fragile label on it / Be careful with me,” she sings, channeling her vulnerability in every lyric.

This is not to say Cardi has lost her sound in the turmoil of studio pressure, fame and a growing fan base; if

anything, she has sharpened it on Invasion. Hits like “Bickenhead” show Cardi flourishing on her home turf; a slow New York beat and hard hitting annunciation reminds us why we fell in love with her in the first place.

Her unapologetic verses on “I Do,” featuring the lovely voice of SZA on the hook, and “Drip,” summoning the talent of Migos for three Atlanta Trap-fueled verses, are reminiscent of New York '90s rappers of the likes of Lil Kim or The Notorious B.I.G. Even with all of her talent on each individual song, I was most impressed by the way Cardi assembled such a precise, clean album. Far too often we see rappers moving from mixtapes to their debut studio album, using their singles as crutches to hold up the rest of their project, but Cardi was able to break this trend. Not only did she deliver a 13-track album, with each song contributing equally to the character of the whole project, but Cardi strategically placed her singles on Invasion in a manner that made me hear “Bodak Yellow” and “Bartier Cardi,” songs that have been out for months, in an entirely new way.

With an impressive mix of old and new sound, and Cardi’s intoxicating enthusiasm flowing through every track, Invasion of Privacy will leave you wanting that iconic Cardi accent long after the last track ends.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Bronx native Cardi B released her album Invasion of Privacy in April.

Boogie Down Bites | Elizabeth Nealon

Moss Café Sources Farm Fresh Ingredients As finals near, students do not find themselves with an abundance of free time and are growing more and more tired of the on-campus and neighborhood food offerings.

To escape the same-old same-old, students typically assume the only options are to go into Manhattan or go upstate for food. But, in the Riverdale neighborhood, a rare café, brunch, lunch and dinner spot with modern industrial décor and a mission to foster conscious consumption awaits.

Moss Café, a farm-to-table coffee and espresso bar in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, offers a fresher selection than that of other Bronx food establishments. Moss has an ever-changing food and drink menu as they strive to serve the freshest in-season local fare available. They source all of their produce from farms in New York.

The café sources their produce from Paisley Farms, which, like Moss Café, was founded in the interest of providing New Yorkers with fresh, locally grown produce. Moss gets their eggs from Feather Ridge

Farm, which prides itself on producing eggs from hens who eat Feather Ridge Farm-milled whole grain feed and are raised cage, antibiotic and hormone-free.

The team smoothly running Moss Café smoothly does not spare any effort when it comes to sourcing, cooking and serving the freshest foods.

They adjust their menu constantly to stay in step with the harvests and the availability of their produce; the things that they can’t get locally such as avocados and lemons, they still hold to the highest standards for source and quality.

Their constantly-evolving menu has featured the likes of gluten-free and vegan blood orange muffins, saffron spinach risotto and pan-seared trout with roasted zucchini and béchamel purée topped with warm walnut vinaigrette and spring green salad.

The dishes at Moss are kosher under Riverdale Vaad and fully pescatarian with many vegetarian and vegan options available. The accommodating staff makes dietary restrictions seem like a non-issue in a time

when meat and dairy-free options often feel like inconveniences. Many of their menu options already are or can easily be made vegetarian or vegan.

Moss Café is, according to their website, “committed to community, sustainability, quality and creativity”, which is manifested in all of their dishes. In the quite stagnant foodscape of Riverdale, and the larger Bronx area, the crew at Moss is constantly churning out new dishes and experimenting with recipes that push the boundary of what is commonly expected in the vegetarian and pescatarian food scenes.

What on the weekends is a lively brunch scene, during the week is a dream spot for doing some studying.

Before five o’clock when the dinner rush starts, Moss Café is a laidback coffee shop that proudly serves Stumptown Coffee and lavishes in its double life. Owner Emily Weisberg’s passion for farm fresh fare is matched only by her interest in coffee. She became so interested in coffee grown in Latin America that she worked and lived in Peru for some time.

The versatility of Moss Café is just

another thing to love about it. Who can resist a café that serves great coffee, tea and adventurous pastries in the morning and creates daring din-

ners that evening? The coffee shop by day, lively restaurant by night is rare for the Bronx and definitely a welcomed addition.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

The farm-to-table coffee shop and espresso bar is located in Riverdale.

CULTURE

Page 16

April 18, 2018

Editor’s Pick | Music

Revolver: Underrated Poetry from The Beatles

By JOERGEN OSTENSEN ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The Beatles deserve to be in the running for the title of greatest band of all time. In their time, they were a craze, and they rivaled the popularity of any band in history.

John Lennon, singer and songwriter for The Beatles, even compared The Beatles’ popularity to Jesus Christ more than one time. Now, almost 50 years after their breakup, they continue to be influential and beloved by listeners spanning multiple generations. Obviously, they produced a litany of fantastic singles and albums, but perhaps their finest work came in the 1966 album Revolver.

Revolver was the last album that the Fab Four produced while touring, and it marked their transition from songs meant to fill up stadiums and make girls scream to the pensive poetry of the studio years.

This is an album that is meant to make you cry while you contemplate society and your own life, as goose bumps form on your spine and your hair begins to stand on its end.

It is one of the easiest Beatles albums to listen to, with each song feeding off the last, devoid of the interludes of insanity seen in their later albums, where they

took advantage of their hostage audience and passed off “Revolution 9” and “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?” as art. It is also a far cry from the internal strife that plagued the group in the later years. Revolver is an album that was created to be listened to in its entirety, unlike Let It Be, which was essentially an assortment of individual hits. Revolver is a testament to The Beatles trying to create something that was simply beautiful together.

That is not to underestimate the brilliance of individual songs within the album. “Eleanor Rigby” deserves to be considered an all-time great Beatles song. It is both a contemplation and a lament about the state of religion in modern times and the isolation caused by our society. They are asking the listener to question the facades they wear on their faces with these haunting lines: “[Eleanor Rigby] waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in the jar by the door/ Who is it for?”. “For No One” also sticks out as a truly beautiful song, sharing in the universal narrative of unrequited love. This is Paul McCartney the poet at his finest and he accomplishes more here than anyone could in a novel. The lines “And in her eyes you see nothing/ no sign of love behind the tears” are particularly poignant and point out

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

The Bealtes released their classic album Revolver on August 5, 1966.

the tragedy of accepting reality.

The songs in Revolver build off one another and work synergistically to create a masterful album that asks to be experienced in its entirety. In this era of Spotify and customizable playlists, we are able

to customize the moods we create from our listening experience. In some ways, we have replaced the artists as the arrangers of music.

The Beatles were undeniably musical geniuses, who were able to capture beautifully poetic themes

with the totality of albums like Revolver. So, the next time the Beatles capture your imagination, try listening to the complete album the way the songs were intended to be experienced.

FET Stages Production of "Rhinoceros"

By RYAN DI CORPO CULTURE EDITOR

In his 1936 autobiography “For My Legionaries,” Romanian fascist politician Corneliu Zelea Cordreanu sought to “solve the Jewish problem” through the formation of “the new man.” What he got were rhinoceroses.

It was the rise of anti-Semitic rhetoric and formation of the ultra-right Iron Guard in Romania which led playwright Eugène Ionesco to pen “Rhinoceros,” performed this past Saturday at Collins Auditorium by Fordham Experimental Theatre.

The play, written in 1959, is often characterized as a key work of

the “Theatre of the Absurd,” a term used by dramatist Martin Esslin to describe works which “shock[ed] its audience out of complacency” in the aftermath of World War II. Seminal absurdist works such as Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot,” also recently performed at Fordham, and Harold Pinter’s “The Caretaker” question the purpose of existence and provide unafraid commentary on religion, society and in the words of Esslin, “the harsh facts of the human situation.”

By the time Ionesco wrote “Rhinoceros,” he was sufficiently concerned about the human situation in his native Romania.

The plot of the play, at surface level, is fairly direct: an unkempt, al-

coholic-in-denial named Bérenger watches in horror as each of his friends and his love interest forsake their prior moral convictions and turn into rhinoceroses. By the end of the play, only Bérenger, in this production “Berry,” declares his firm intention to stand against this bizarre, growing trend.

Bérenger can be read as a standin for Ionesco, who watched with similar horror in the late 1920s as “professors, students [and] intellectuals” became rhinoceroses by joining the Iron Guard.

Also known as the Legion of the Archangel Michael, the Guard advocated for a national return to Orthodox Christian morality, a rejection of capitalism and a viru-

COURTESY OF MICHAEL RINALDI

Director Rita Padden, FCRH '18, and assistant director Hillary Bosch, FCRH '19, presented the play at Collins Auditorium.

lent campaign of violence against Romanian Jews. In July 1940, the Guard-led Dorohoi program saw Jewish people raped, tortured and subsequently murdered in a mass effort involving members of the Romanian military.

“Rhinoceros” does not portray such extreme physical violence, but rather an ideological violence. Ionesco chooses to focus on the phenomenon by which man is swept up by the times, abandoning his own humanity to take part in an animal crusade of hatred and murder.

In Fordham’s new production, Daniel Camou, FCLC ’20, is excellent as Berry, alternating at a moment’s notice between self-deprecation and righteous self-assurance. He does not succumb to college theatre overacting, which is usually marked by shouting every line and a general reliance on histrionics.

Colleen Granberg, FCRH '18 delivers a convincing performance as a woman who not only accepts her transformation into a rhinoceros, but comes to embrace it with full-throated resolve. She skillfully moves her character from confident and level-headed to blind in her devotion to her fellow rhinoceroses.

Zoe Petrak, FCRH '19 is immediately likeable as Daisy, with whom Berry is in love. It is Petrak’s portrayal of Daisy and her being seemingly impervious to the chaos forming around which makes her descent into a rhinoceros even more disturbing.

The production itself, staged in Collins’ Blackbox Theatre, makes

good use of lighting to illustrate the contrast between the bright normality of the scenes in an office or an apartment, and the dark, brooding absurdity brought on by the appearance of the titular animal. The small-scale theatre works in favor with the play, fostering an unsettling yet appropriate intimacy between the actors and the spectators.

Each rhinoceros is simply dressed in black pants and shoes, a white shirt and a light attached to each animal’s head which functions as a horn.

Fordham Experimental Theatre should be applauded for tackling this intellectually complex show and delivering.

But why perform “Rhinoceros” today? What does now, at a Jesuit university in New York City, have to do with the early 20th century in Romania?

In their program note, director Rita Padden, FCRH '18, and assistant director Hillary Bosch, FCRH ’19, state that our current society is distinguished by “abnormal events that are shocking and violent.”

Padden and Bosch hope that their production of “Rhinoceros” will show that if “we wait to act until crises [...] affect us directly, then we have waited too long.”

As theatre exists in the present, Ionesco’s play is more than a snapshot of history gone by: it is a warning for now. So take heed if you hear that low, soft rumble in distance: rhinoceroses love parades.

April 18, 2018

CULTURE

Page 17

Who’s That Kid? | Joe Zoyhofski, GSB ‘21

Freshman Creates Community Through Cooking

By LINDSAY GRIPPO COPY CHIEF

An ambitious accounting major from Buffalo, NY, Joe Zoyhofksi, GSB ’21, finds himself enthralled with sustainable entrepreneurship.

He is involved with Social Innovation Collaboratory, Fordham Foundry and Social Impact 360, clubs and organizations on campus that center around socially-conscious business and helping society in ways that are greater and more meaningful than profit.

Zoyhofski’s main endeavor on campus so far has been creating What’s Cooking, a company aimed at connecting people through home cooking.

“I wanted to create What’s Cooking both as a way for people to have a home-cooked meal, but also more so as a way for people to come together over something,” said Zoyhofski.

“There is nothing quite like a home-cooked meal that brings people together.”

Individuals can sign up to either host or attend a meal through the company’s website, whatscookingfordham.com.

Zoyhofski began the business with Alex TenBarge, GSB ’21, and Liam Scott, FCRH ’21. The friendsturned-business partners met through Loyola housing and have been working together since the onset of the project.

Zoyhofski’s idea for the company came from the nostalgia he has for his regular family dinners back in Buffalo.

“Honestly, there’s nothing I miss more about Buffalo than homecooking,” he said. “I miss coming home from school at the end of the day and getting around in the kitchen with my family and making paella or making pork-loin or whatever it happened to be, and then just sitting at the table and talking about our day, and that was usually the one time all day that my family would be together.”

His appreciation for these cherished family moments is what inspired him to create an outlet for other students looking to find a similar sense of community at school.

Looking to the future, Zoyhofski plans to continue generating interest in What’s Cooking at Fordham and to expand the platform to other colleges.

Eventually, he hopes the company will become accessible to the general public, citing businesses like AirBnb and Uber as corporations with similar business models.

“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us,” said Zoyhofski. “But hopefully, if we stay committed to it, if people can keep showing interest in it and keep wanting to come together over a home-cooked meal, we can continue to expand.”

Outside of What’s Cooking, he aims to stay involved with sustainable business and to find a career in the area.

Zoyhofski is also preparing to be an Urban Plunge assistant this upcoming fall. His own positive experience with the program as an incoming freshman inspired him to

help others become acquainted with all that Fordham and the Bronx have to offer.

His first impressions of his new home came from this time.

“It was a really cool opportunity, not only to move in early and meet a couple people before orientation chaos but also to get introduced to the city, to get introduced to the Bronx and learn more about this community that I was about to become a part of,” Zoyhofsk said.

Fordham has brought Zoyhofski his first tastes of the Big Apple, as well. He describes his initial experiences in Manhattan as overwhelming – in the best ways possible.

“It was intense. I love New York and my favorite part about it, both in Manhattan and in general, but specifically, the entire city is that there is just so much,” Zoyhofski said.

“I still believe this now, having been here for a year, that it is impossible to be bored as a college student

in New York.”

Community is important for Zoyhofski; making connections through home-cooked meals is just one way he hopes to further that sense of community for students here on Fordham’s campus.

A motivated individual with enthusiasm and zest, Zoyhofski is breaking into the sustainable entrepreneurial scene and bringing people together, one story and one meal at a time.

COURTESY OF JOE ZOYHOFSKI

Joe Zoyhofski, in center, is a freshman Gabelli student who operates What’s Cooking, a organization providing cooked meals.

The Fordham Ram Crossword: Ramily Values Across 1. Dubstep beat 4. Flo Rida hit featuring T-Pain 7. Walking sticks 9. Operatic solos 12. Valuable thing 13. Fran Drescher or McPhee 14. Rub of clothing against your body during a workout 15. Wedding site 16. Sends a ball in a direction on the diamond 18. How children acquire and apply knowledge (Psych) 19. Engu, Nigeria airport 20. Video file type 22. Rangiora, New Zealand air-

port 24. Steve Carrell in “Despicable Me” 26. Lightly sprayed with a squirt bottle 28. Hide, or a synonym for 7-Down (and a rhyme) 30. White or loud 31. Fordham doesn’t seem to mind he transferred in 1966 (abbv.)

32. Major Indian spice 33. Commercial star Shaquille 34. Build 35. Puts on baseball’s injury list 36. Type of triangle where all of the angles are unknown

ANSWERS IN ISSUE 11 CREATED CLAIRE POLACHEK & JACK MCLOONE

Down

ANSWERS IN ISSUE 9

1. Herman Boone, Malcolm X and Troy Maxson (1977) 2. Good fats 3. Tupac vs. Biggie and Jay-Z vs.

Nas, e.g.

4. Singer dealing with Summertime Sadness (2008) 5. Spoken final exams

6. From December 21 to March 20 and also just whenever its cold 7. Where your browser data is stored 8. Sign your water is boiling 10. Advil and Tylenol, for example 11. The Orange, on ESPN 17. Voldemort’s first name

21. Super Bowl trophy namesake (1937) 23. Document given to TSA, police officer or bartender, briefly 25. Conventional 27. Gin and whiskey drinks 28. Music streaming service, briefly 29. High School Longitudinal Study (abbv.)

CULTURE

Page 18

April 18, 2018

Rigoberto González Reflects Upon His Writing Process and Identity By : TAYLOR SHAW MANAGING EDITOR

On Monday, April 15, 2018, Fordham’s English department hosted its annual Reid Family Writers of Color Reading. This year’s event featured Rigoberto González, author of multiple full-length poetry books, bilingual children’s books, novels and memoirs. At the event, he read aloud one short poem, “Witch” and a longer piece, “Adelina.”

In preparation for the event, the English department encouraged professors to incorporate his work into their curriculum and students to read one of his works: “Autobiography of My Hungers”. The electronic version of this book is available on the Fordham University Library website.

“Autobiography of My Hungers” is a non-fiction account of González’s experiences and struggles with childhood poverty, hunger, sexual orientation, mental illness and much more. It is written in a series of poems and prose. The Fordham Ram had the opportunity to interview him prior to the event and discuss this work. Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and brevity.

Check out the full interview on our website.

The Fordham Ram: This work is such a unique collaboration of structures and styles, melding poetry with autobiography, balancing

and exploring a variety of emotions and experiences. How would you describe your writing process in approaching this book, stylistically, emotionally, practically?

Rigoberto González: This was a decision that I made after 20 years.

I knew that I was eventually going to write about dealing with childhood hunger. I didn’t write about it in my first memoir, “Butterfly Boy.” I needed time because whenever I tried to write that, it was too painful; I’d freeze, I’d cry and I thought, ‘This is not healthy. I have to wait until I’m a little more mature, build that resistance to pain.’ Finally, I got to that moment, and even then it was hard. So I thought, ‘I can’t really write these long extended essays. It takes a lot of energy. What if I do it piecemeal, little by little, piece by piece, bit by bit?... What if I write these pieces that are no more than 300 words each? That’ll make them bite sized—pun intended– but it will also allow me to control it, instead of having these traumas control me or overwhelm me. It’s manageable; I can manage it on the page.’ So, I wrote the prose first… the headings were in alphabetical order, and there wasn’t really a story or a narrative. It was kind of jumping from place to place so I wondered what would happen if I actually placed them chronologically. And all of a sudden, the story came through.

TFR: In this book, you reflect upon your experiences with your

sexuality, with childhood poverty, mental illness, immigration, your nationality—even your experience as an artist. In another interview, you mentioned that you grew up as an activist. How have the current administration and today’s sociopolitical climate influenced or affected you personally, as well as your writing?

RG: Well, I’ve always been a very political writer myself. I’ve always thought of myself as very politicized. I come from generations of union workers and migrant farm workers…What is maybe a little stronger, a little more amplified, is that I feel a greater sense of purpose to get these stories into the world in order to resist the narratives being told by the media, even by our own president. Those cannot dominate the community’s or the public’s understanding of who Mexicans are, who gay people are, who immigrants are. The more of us that are pushing back by showing our humanity, by showing individual stories, the less likely it is for people to believe that there’s only one kind of immigrant, one kind Mexican or one kind of queer person. So that’s really a bigger sense of purpose: getting my voice out there, joined by other voices so that together we show the scope of our experiences.

TFR: Your many travels are catalogued in this work, and with that, a search for home. Has this changed since you published this book. Do you consider New York City home?

Get down to business this summer!

Special-topic business classes, open to all majors: • Team Dynamics, Session I, hybrid, RH (MGBU 3451) • Business and Ethics of Sports, Session II, LC (BLBU 4436) • Consulting Project, Session II, RH (MKBU 4457)

Or choose from more than 200 other classes!

Learn more at fordham.edu/summer

SUMMER SESSION 2018

RG: New York City is where I live now, but it’s not my home. I learned to come to terms with the fact that home is memory. That’s where it is. Wherever I go, I will always carry my home with me. Like a turtle, my home is on my back. It’s in my memory, it’s in my imagination. I lost the home of my childhood; I moved around so much that I know that I’ve inhabited different houses, different spaces, but home I’ve brought with me everywhere.

So currently…home is wherever

I’m sitting at the moment, remembering, thinking back and building new memories. This home is expanding wherever I go. But, I miss Mexico. I miss the Southwest—because of the desert, the sky, the sun, the light—that is a different kind of pleasure for me, so I go back as often as I can… So, even though the landscape of the Southwest and Mexico continues to inhabit my work, I’m comfortable with living here. I don’t feel like I don’t belong here because I carry everything with me.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Author Rigoberto González spoke at Reid Family Writers of Color Reading.

SPORTS

April 18, 2018

Page 19

Women’s Tennis Wins Twice to Improve to 7-8

EMILY SAYEGH/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Women’s Tennis improved to 7-8 after wins over Queens College and Stony Brook last week.

By CHARLIE MAISANO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

This past week was a bounceback week for the Fordham Women’s Tennis team. Coming off a week where they split games against A-10 opponents, the Rams wanted to gain some momentum before playing two more conference opponents in the last two games of the season. The women were able to stay home for their first game of the week-

end on Friday and then headed out to Long Island for their match on Saturday.

Fordham hosted the Queens College Knights at Rose Hill for an afternoon showdown on the Hawthorn/Rooney Tennis Courts. The Knights entered the contest with a 10-3 record, while the Rams were 5-8 (2-2 A-10).

This game had a different feeling compared to the other games played here in New York considering it was the first time all season that the weather actually felt

like spring. By the time the game started, the weather had reached well above the 70-degree mark.

Between the beautiful weather and a strong outing from the entire team, the Rams dethroned the Knights, 5-2. The game started off on the wrong foot for Fordham, as senior Estelle Wong and junior Whitney Weisburg were shut out

by Emy Alplund and Louisa Brunetti, 6-0. Following that loss, Fordham came storming back to take the doubles point courtesy of sophomore Maia Balce’s and

junior Gianna Insogna’s win over Laura Ortega Jover and Reehan Rashad, 6-3, along with another win from junior Tatiana Grigoryan and senior Carolina Sa. They defeated Araceli Bel Aleixendri and Line Sorsdahl Aasen, 6-2.

In singles, the Rams were victorious in four of the six matches, which sealed their victory. In all four victories, it took each woman two sets to beat her opponent.

Grigoryan in first singles beat Rashad, 6-1, 6-4. Wong got the win against Louisa Brunetti, 6-4, 6-3.

Balce took down Alpund, 6-3, 6-0 and Insogna easily handled Bel Aleixendri, 6-2, 6-0.

The Rams couldn’t celebrate the win for too long because they had to get ready for their second game of the weekend against the Stony Brook Seawolves. Stony Brook has been a formidable team this season. Before the game against Fordham, the Seawolves were riding a five game winning streak, were undefeated at home (5-0) and had a 9-6 record.

It looked like Stony Brook would easily handle the Rams early on in the matchup. The Seawolves had the momentum right off the bat by winning the doubles point. The only Fordham team to win their doubles match was Grigoryan and Sa, as they defeated Maria Pinto Ribeiro and Amanda Foo, 6-1.

Grigoryan and Sa won both of their games last weekend and are 4-1 as a pair this season. Head Coach Bette-Ann Liguori credits their success to the tremendous chemistry they have together.

“A major element of doubles is having team chemistry. I believe Carolina and Tatiana are a great example of that,” said Liguori.

Already down entering singles, the Rams needed to win at least

four of the six matches to comeback and win the game. That was exactly what they got with Balce, Insogna, Weisburg and Wong all picking up wins against their opponents.

Fordham’s win ended the Seawolves five game winning streak, added a loss to their previouslyundefeated home record, and brought Stony Brook’s overall record down to 9-7.

“Beating Queens, at home was a confidence booster for us but Stony Brook was just a tremendous,” said Liguori. “Just this past week Stony Brook beat LIU, and us having lost to LIU in March, made this win significant. Seeing us come together as a team, where everyone played great tennis, made it the best win of our season.”

With the A-10 Tournament only two weeks away, the Rams will have to finish their season against conference foes before they can head to Florida. On Friday April 20, Fordham will face Duquesne in Pittsburgh at noon.

They will return home on Saturday for Senior Day to battle with La Salle in their final regular season game of the season at 11 a.m.

Right now, the Rams are 7-8 and need to win to beat both of these teams to lock up a higher seed in the A-10 Tournament.

Liguori knows just how important these last games are and expects the best from her squad.

“Playing these teams, especially Duquesne is pivotal before going to conference. We should beat La Salle, but Duquesne should be very close and if we beat them, then we are guaranteed a sixth seed.”

Golf Struggles at Yale, Rhode Island Invitationals

By JIMMY SULLIVAN

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Men’s Golf has had a long week.

After last week’s Wildcat Invitational on Monday and Tuesday, in which the Rams finished ninth, Fordham traveled to New Haven, Conn. to participate in the oneday, 36-hole Yale Spring Invitational. Fordham struggled at the same course in the fall, finishing twelfth of 14 teams at the Macdonald Invitational from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1.

The Rams would fare slightly better on Saturday, but not nearly well enough to compete for a victory.

Under evolving, dampening and deteriorating conditions, Fordham finished ninth out of 16 teams on Saturday at the Course at Yale. The Rams started off the day strong and were tied for sixth after 18 holes with a 15-over 295 team round.

The leaders in the clubhouse after one round were seniors James Mongey and Joseph Trim, who shot 73 and 70, respectively. Also competing for Fordham were senior Matt Schiller and sophomore Tomas Nieves, both of whom shot a 76 in the first round. Also playing individually for the Rams were juniors Josh Madarang, who shot a first-round 77, and Tommy Hayes, who shot an 80. The Rams were

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Golf finished in the middle of the pack at two tournaments this past week.

playing solid golf after round one, but could they sustain their solid start?

The answer was no.

Fordham fell off in round two and pulled in with a tied-for-ninth finish. Trim struggled in his final 18 holes, and his 70 was followed by an eight-over 78. Mongey shot a second-round 75 and Schiller fired an 81. The only Ram competing on the team level to improve on his round one performance was Nieves, who finished the tournament at ten-over after shooting a 74 in the final round. Madarang and Hayes shot 85 and 82, respec-

tively. Tennessee University ultimately won the tournament; the Volunteers took the championship by 11 strokes over second-place and host school Yale University.

Next, the Rams moved on to the Rhode Island Invitational on Monday and Tuesday. Monday’s round was cancelled due to the day’s generally wicked weather, and the tournament was reduced to 36 holes on Tuesday. This time, Fordham got off to a slow start but improved in the second round. The team shot a 304 in the first round, and Schiller found himself second on the individual leaderboard with

a first-round 72. “I went back to the basics this week,” Schiller said.

“I had a rough weekend at Yale, so I just made sure I was getting set up correctly before shots and putts.

It made a world of difference.”

Trim and Madarang both shot 78s, while Mongey finished his first round with a 76. Nieves and Hayes competed as individuals; the former shot a 79 while the latter shot a 78. In the second round, the team fared slightly better.

Schiller finished his strong 36hole showing with a 74, and his two-round 146 tied him for 5th on the individual leaderboard. Trim

followed his 78 with a 73, Madarang shot 75 and Mongey finished his day with a 79. Nieves shot 76 and Hayes fired a 75 as individuals. Fordham finished the Rhode Island Invitational in seventh place and Rhode Island University, the host school, tied for the tournament victory with Rollins College.

Fordham finished 17 strokes off the leaders.

Fordham’s regular season is now complete; they will compete at the Atlantic 10 Championships in Orlando, Florida from April 27 to 29.

“The best way for us to succeed is to just go for it,” Schiller said.

“We’ve been a little underrated in the projected finishes over the past few years, and we take a lot of motivation from that. We’re also a group of guys that weren’t heavily recruited either, so that underdog mentality can really drive our play.

We don’t have anything to lose, so I think we can really shock some people in a couple weeks.”

Fordham finished seventh among the 11 teams that competed in the Atlantic 10 Tournament last season. The Rams are looking to do better than that this season, but they will need to improve upon their performances from this weekend if they want to make serious noise in Orlando.

SPORTS

Page 20

April 18, 2018

Grebe, Fisher and Kutch Win Individual Events, Team Shines at Metropolitan Championships

By EMMANUEL BERBARI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

No task has been too tall, no lights too bright or event too challenging for Fordham Track and Field this Spring.

As a result, the Rams entered the Metropolitan Championship at Rutgers University as a group on a mission.

They certainly had much to be proud of by the end of competition on Saturday.

Fordham collected four total victories, two for the men’s team and two for the women’s team and between Friday and Saturday, scored in more than 20 events.

While the collective teams were stellar on the big stage, with the men tying for third and the women slotting third out of 12 schools, three individuals stole the show.

Juniors Angelina Grebe and Laurel Fisher and sophomore Ryan Kutch distinguished themselves from the pack, winning respective events and significantly aiding Fordham’s overall score.

“The team really put in the extra effort and we saw everyone go out and compete their hardest,” said Grebe. “There was good competition across the board and everyone contributed greatly to our success.”

Grebe finished first in the 10,000 meter run on Friday in an outstanding 39:43.75, while Fisher took the victory in the 3,000 meter steeplechase on the same day in 11:02.26, ensuring that the Rams would make

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Ryan Kutch cruised to a first-place finish in the 5,000 meter, finishing with a time of 15:02.17.

a statement on day one. Kutch made his noise on Saturday, cruising to a victory in the 5,000 meter run in 15:02.17.

“It’s an incredible feeling being able to win a race at the collegiate,” said Fisher. “Finishing first meant that I scored as many points as I could to help the team, which was my main goal.”

On the women’s side, five others scored on Friday, including sophomore Sydney Snow (third in 11:12.36), senior Stephanie Leo (12:24.88), who also posted a high score in the steeplechase and juniors Abigail Taylor (third in 40:36.42), Kelsey Coppinger (fifth in 41:10.90) and Kieran Hanrahan (10th in 43:41.77) in the 10K.

“Many of our runners doubled back for second events in order to try and score points for our team,” said Grebe. “We needed [that] to snag the third place finish.”

The men had four such feats, as sophomore Patrick Donahue registered a second-place 3,000 meter steeplechase time of 10:19.24, sophomore Matthew Roma and freshman Nicholas Raefski finished the 10K in second and fourth-pace in 34:27.37 and 34:52.80, respectively and senior Ryan Riviere cleared 10’ 5.25” in the pole vault, which was good enough for a fourthplace nod.

In the 4x400 relays, they won a team event on Saturday, com-

bining for a first-place time of 3:18.70.

Of the 12 events the Rams scored in on day two, all of the times were notably impressive.

On the men’s side, junior Jared Benn and freshman Arthur Gooden Jr. finished the 400 meter dash in 49.45 and 49.48 seconds, respectively, and were credited with fourth and fifth place rankings. Freshman Christopher Strzelinski ran to a sixthplace time of 1:54.84 in the 800 meter, senior Fritz Heinrich’s 15:34.86 in the 5,000 meter run was eighth-best and freshman Nikolas Reardon made a statement in the high jump (5th – 6’ 3.5”) and long jump (4th – 22’ 8”) events.

Check out the Ramcast, the official podcast of The Fordham Ram, on SoundCloud!

New episodes every other week

“The success of our team this weekend was a testament to how hard everyone has been working all year long,” said Fisher.

The women’s additional top-10 efforts featured sophomore Katarzyna Krzyzanowski (fourth in 4:40.98), senior Brynna Harum (sixth in 4:41.37) and junior Laurel Fisher’s (eighth in 4:43.57) prowess in the 1,500 meter run, fellow junior Mary Kate Kenny (second in 12.14) and freshman Kathryn Kelly’s (third in 12.28) pace in the 100 meter dash, senior Merissa Wright (third in 2:15.56) and junior Aidan Moroz’s (fourth in 2:15.72) top-five prestige in the 800 meter run, senior Jennifer Boerke’s (fourth in 1:05.07) standout in the 400 meter hurdles, Kenny’s (fourth in 25.69) race to the 200 meter finish line and Grebe’s (third – 18:17.07) and freshman Germaine Harbaugh’s (fourth – 18:19.01) and Taylor’s (18:25.25) achievements in the 5,000 meter.

“We could do even better than we did this weekend,” said Fisher. “I’m excited to watch these girls step up again for the A-10 meet, I think we’re all very ready to do big things at George Mason.”

Fordham will have a few meets to attend before then, including a quick turnaround this Friday, April 20, when they look to build on the encouraging performance at the Larry Ellis Invitational, which will be held in Princeton, New Jersey.

April 18, 2018

Anthony Cardone X’d Out of Dallas On Friday morning, Dez Bryant was released by the Dallas Cowboys. Spending his eight-year career so far in Dallas, Bryant was an icon to the team, but not worth his contracted $16.5 million.

In the past few years, Bryant has shown signs of injuries and missed multiple games, which has caused his numbers to plummet from his previous Pro Bowl-caliber season.

Only scoring 17 touchdowns in the last three seasons isn’t going to cut it after having scored 41 touchdowns in the three before that.

Bryant has been a fan favorite for the Cowboys, with his signature move of throwing up his arms to form an X whenever he scores a touchdown. Now, they’ve x’ed him out to save almost S17 million in cap space, but that doesn’t rule out the chance that he could re-sign.

Over the years, Bryant has been the deemed a “Hot Head.” Whether it was altercations with referees, Head Coach Jason Garrett or even owner Jerry Jones, Bryant always seemed to be on the wrong side of things.

And even though it doesn’t fall in the same category, he is also at the center of one of the more brutal losses in Cowboys’ history. Everyone remembers the game against the Packers in 2014, where it was controversially ruled that Bryant dropped what appeared to be a crucial touchdown. Now known as “Dez caught it,” he’s almost more identifiable as a walking meme than a Pro Bowl wide receiver.

So, what’s next for Dallas? What’s next for Bryant? He reportedly said he would love to be in the same division as the Cowboys.

“It’s a sure possibility.” said Bryant. He hasn’t named any teams, but he wants to play Dallas twice a year, which would certainly be intriguing revenge games. The team that seems to be the best fit right now in that division is Washington.

Washington has a new quarterback in Alex Smith, and a top receiver like Bryant could help the team make some noise in a crowded division after finishing third last year.

The Giants are dealing with their own receiver drama with Odell Beckham Jr., seemingly making them a bad fit for Bryant. Add having all that money with Bryant, Beckham and the pricey Brandon Marshall and it would be too much.

The Eagles are second then — in the NFC East at least — by default.

Its intriguing to think about Bryant paired up with Alshon Jeffrey and Nelson Agholor.

On the Dallas side, the question is whether the team tries to replace Bryant immediately in the draft.

They currently hold the 19th pick in the draft, and there are a number of solid options, like Calvin Ridley from Alabama. As of now, their receivers are Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley Ryan Switzer and newlysigned former Jaguar Allen Hurns.

Honestly, the Cowboys could use Bryant back on the team, just at a discount. But would he want to come back or start fresh and get his revenge?

SPORTS

Rowing Bounces Back at Kerr Cup

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Rams on the water at the Kerr Cup in Philadelphia.

By MARIA TRIVELPIECE STAFF WRITER

The Fordham University women’s rowing team always carries themselves to the highest of standards, making the Varsity 8+’s sixth place finish in its qualifying heat and the JV 8+’s sixthplace finish in its grand final at the Cooper Cup Invitational two weeks ago disappointing. The finishes had an added sting when you consider the Rams had been coming off being named Atlantic 10 Boat of the Week.

Looking for redemption, the Rams headed to the Kerr Cup in Philadelphia this past Saturday, where they enjoyed a solid bounce back.

In its first heat of the day, the Varsity 8+ snagged first place with a time of 7:24.82. Senior Caroline Hamann said that both Varsity 8+ and JV 8+ boats focused on being more “humble and hungry” going into races af-

ter initially posting fast times. She said that the boats “need to enter finals races with as much aggression as the heats.” This strategy seemed to work, as the Fordham Varsity 8+ would then go on to compete in the grand final, where it took third overall with a time of 7:22.16. That finish placed Fordham behind Drexel and A-10 foe Rhode Island.

The JV 8+ also finished third overall in its grand final with a time of 7:36.43 (also behind Rhode Island and Drexel). The team reached the grand final by finishing second in its qualifying heat with a time of 7:42.53.

The Rams did not stop here, with three total boats racing at the 4+ level. In Varsity 4+ A, the Rams finished fourth in their qualifier with a time of 9:11.13, which kept them from qualifying for the grand final.

In Varsity 4+ B, however, the Rams had much more success.

The Rams had two boats, and

each took second in their respective heats with times of 9:28.38 and 8:50.16. Fordham 4+ B won the grand final with a time of 8:47.33, and Team A finished fourth with a time of 9:23.75.

From the beginning of the season, the goal for the Rams has been to bring home the Atlantic 10 Championship. However, in order to do so, sophomore Erika Selakowski says that it is crucial for each team to “mesh as boats.”

After the showing this weekend at the Kerr Cup, it seems as though this collaboration is happening even quicker than hoped for.

Next weekend, the Fordham University women’s rowing team will head to Cherry Hill, New Jersey where it will compete in the Cherry Hill Invitational. The Rams will look to snag some more victories and continue on their quest to the Atlantic 10 Championship and beyond.

Men’s Tennis Shuts Out St. Francis Brooklyn

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Lutwin de Macar hits a forehand. He won his singles match 4-6, 6-4, 10-5, but lost his doubles match 3-6.

By ALEXANDRIA SEDLAK STAFF WRITER

This past weekend, Fordham’s men’s collegiate tennis team had one sole match to play. This match took place on Sunday, against St. Francis College Brooklyn at Fordham’s home courts.

The Rams swept the Terriers, taking all six singles points and the doubles points for good measure, giving them a sweep.

Fordham won two out of the three doubles matches. The first doubles match was dropped by freshman Lutwin de Macar and sophomore Fabian Mauritzson against their opponents Javier Navarro and Pablo Blasco-Torres,

3-6. The next two doubles teams redeemed this loss with two wins.

In the second doubles position, sophomores Finn Kemper and Jeremy Chung won their match 6-4 against Guillermo Artiz and Daniel Blasco. Sophomore Allen Thornes and freshman Max Green grabbed the third doubles match with a score of 6-0 against Tim Cecere and Josh Halperin, scoring Fordham the doubles point.

The singles matches all went to Fordham. De Macar had a long but triumphant match in the first singles position with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 10-5. Green took the second singles match against Guillermo Artiz with a score of 6-2, 6-0.

Following this win, Mauritzson won his third singles match 6-1, 6-2 against Pablo Blasco-Torres. Both Kemper, who played fourth singles, and freshman Alex Makatsaria, who played fifth singles, won their matches 6-1, 6-3, against Stefan Gmijovic and Daniel Blasco, repsectively. Finally, Chung claimed the sixth singles match against Michael Sparacino with a score of 6-1, 6-0.

With the success in their sole match of the weekend are moving forward to win their upcoming matches.

The Rams will be back in action Sunday, April 22 against Baruch College at Fordham’s Hawthorn/Rooney Tennis Courts.

Page 21

Liam McKeone

Pacers Poised to Bump Off Cavs

Nobody around the NBA really thought that the Pacers could come out on top when they were matched with the Cavs for the opening round of the playoffs. Sure, the Pacers were this year’s surprise team, with sudden star Victor Oladipo, a practical guarantee for Most Improved Player of the year, leading them to 48 wins on the season. Depending on the matchup, maybe Indiana could sneak into the second round.

Then, the Cavs ended up falling to the fourth seed and got paired with the Pacers. This ended the chance (in everyone outside of Indiana’s mind) that the Pacers would be anything more than a remarkable young team in the way of Playoff LeBron.

But after a dominating Game 1 performance that saw the Cavs lose by nearly 20, questions naturally started to arise: do the Pacers actually have a chance to pull off this upset?

As was the case all year, Oladipo has to continue to be spectacular.

He is the engine that runs this team, and he showed it with a 32/6/6 line, with four steals to boot. He shot 1119, which seems unsustainable, but he can still do what he wants with a Cavs defense that has looked atrocious all year. Throwing LeBron on Oladipo would certainly slow him down, but it would create size mismatches elsewhere, and if the Cavs can scrape by without LeBron having to guard the other team’s best player until the Finals, they’ll do it. It’ll take a concentrated team defensive effort to slow down the electric Oladipo, and Clevleand hasn’t shown signs of life on that end of the floor all season.

Defensively, the Pacers lack what every team that managed to beat LeBron in the recent past had: a true defensive stopper that can stick with the King for the entire game.

Of course, these types of defenders aren’t exactly a dime a dozen, so the Pacers make do by creating a lineup of big, quick players who could stick with LeBron for a possession or two if they absolutely had to.

Myles Turner is the key to this puzzle. He’s been inconsistent all year, but has the measurables and the past stats to show that he can be an elite rim defender. He had a good showing in Game One, but he’ll have to elevate his play to the next level if the Pacers want a good chance of pulling this defensive scheme off. Having someone as good as Turner in the paint to challenge every single LeBron drive is how the Pacers originally almost beat LeBron back in the Heat days, where Roy Hibbert was the wall that stood between LeBron and his next title.

Ultimately, the Pacers could play to perfection and still lose if the Cavaliers suddenly remember they’ve been to the Finals for three years straight. LeBron is entirely capable of going Super Saiyan and dropping 40-point triple doubles for every game the rest of the series, and his teammates just need to be average for them to advance if he does.

The Pacers already handed LeBron his first first-round playoff loss in three years. They may just do what no team has ever done before: defeat LeBron James in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

SPORTS

Page 22

April 18, 2018

The End of the Ronald Messi Debate?

By ANDREW POSADAS STAFF WRITER

Ronaldo or Messi? We’ve been debating who’s better for more than a decade, losing our voices and splitting hairs over the accolades of both footballers. It’s no secret that I myself am a full-time member of Team CR7.

Ronaldo is the best player of his era and the best of my generation. To me, there is no debate or discussion.

Ronaldo is the better player. Period.

The critics hate his attitude. He’s too cocky. He has a “diva” personality. My response to that is simple: so what? If you could do an eighth of what Ronaldo makes look effortless on the pitch, you’d have the same mentality too.

Don’t get me wrong. I have immense respect for Messi. He is everything you want in a superstar: a confident but humble player who prefers to do the talking on the field.

You won’t hear about Messi driving fancy cars or promoting his brand like Ronaldo does. It’s commendable and sincere. I’m never surprised when people tell me they’d choose Leo over Cristiano.

Those people are wrong, but their hearts are in the right place.

This is what makes the argument about who’s better such a conundrum. Two generational players, equal in skill and accumulating similar accolades.

At this point, what can be used to spice up this deliberation that isn’t so banal?

Watching them both in their second leg quarterfinal games for the Champions League brought me to a certain cogitation. What was it, you ask? One word: intangibles.

In sports, intangibles are defined as the un-teachable qualities that players possess. My favorite intangible is something all great players bear: the clutch factor.

Both Messi and Ronaldo had massive leads going into their second legs. Messi and company held a 4-1 advantage on aggregate, while Ronaldo and Madrid carried a 3-0 lead.

Then it happened. Barcelona gave up three goals against Roma of Italy. Roma showed great resolve and

complete control, refusing to quit in front of their fans at home. Although the aggregate was tied 4-4, the tiebreaker is decided by which club has scored more away goals. Roma was drubbed in Spain by Barcelona.

However, they did come away with one goal. This leads me to Messi. All you needed was one goal. Just one.

How hard could that be? Clearly too hard for Barcelona to achieve.

I don’t want to blame Messi in particular for this collapse, but this game warrants criticism on his part. Messi had numerous chances to get his team that one goal to send them into the semifinals. He even had a free kick from 25 yards out, a distance he loves and frequently converts into an ESPN Top Ten nominee. But he didn’t.

As for Ronaldo, he and Madrid would also see their huge lead evaporate before their very eyes. They too were matched up with an Italian team, facing Juventus (the team that eliminated Barcelona in last year’s Champions League).

Tied at 3-3 on aggregate, neither team scored an away goal, leaving the door open for extra time and the possibility of penalty kicks to determine who’d advance to the semifinals. Ronaldo wasn’t lacking in scoring opportunities, barely missing out on a goal with five minutes left in the game. Then, with seconds left to spare, a cross into the box headed Ronaldo’s way. He could’ve been greedy and tried a header for a goal.

Instead, he headed the ball back to his teammate for a perfect scoring chance. This led to a controversial penalty kick in Madrid’s favor, which Ronaldo put in the back of the net, ensuring Madrid’s place in the semifinals.

I know, I know: this one game shouldn’t be my main argument to thinking Ronaldo is the better player over Messi, but it is telling. In the biggest club soccer tournament in the world, the two icons faced the same amount of adversity. Now, one of them is going home. The other is on his way to winning a third straight UCL tournament. You tell me: who would you rather have with the game on the line?

By EMMANUEL BERBARI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Contrary to everyone’s preseason predictions, the New York Mets are the talk of the town.

Despite all of the hype surrounding their crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees, entering the season midway through April, every positive headline is centered around Flushing.

Off to the best start in franchise history, the team labeled “little brother” currently holds the second-best record in baseball.

Under first-year manager Mickey Callaway, the Metropolitans have taken baseball by storm with an infusion of veteran leadership and exciting youth, a well-balanced lineup, a potent starting rotation and an unexpectedly lethal bullpen.

Simply put, there is a newfound identity for a team that—with nearly identical roster construction—was lost just a season ago.

However, claims pertaining to flukiness, a small sample size and a season running its course will continue to persist.

After all, given previous indications, every New York fan seems to believe that this group cannot possibly remain healthy.

Let’s hold off on the assumptions for a brief moment.

Granted, health is never a guarantee, but the current NL East leaders haven’t even come close to their ceiling.

Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom – the two anchors of the starting staff – have been underwhelming in the early going. Thor has yet to go deep into games and was less than stellar prior to his most recent 10-strikeout performance. DeGrom, on the other hand, has been solid, but far from the perennial frontline starter he has molded himself into these past few years.

Yoenis Cespedes, who was labeled as one of the lineup’s few bright spots going into the season, is batting a feeble .208 and averaging almost two strikeouts per game.

Jay Bruce, the team’s top power hitter a season ago, has only left

the park once.

This all overlooks the fact that the Mets accomplished the frontend winning without one of the games brightest youngest stars, Michael Conforto, who was sidelined due to injury.

As a team, they’re hitting a subpar .235 and are only sporting a less-than-promising .392 slugging percentage. So how are they winning games left and right?

Identity can only tell you so much. The same can be said about a general vibe.

Statistics tell another story.

New York is fourth in the National League in on-base percentage, is first in stolen bases, have the second-best defensive efficiency rating and lead three major pitching categories.

Getting on base frequently, stealing close to a prolific amount of bags, playing sound defense and showcasing an elite pitching staff are all traits that had nothing to do with the 2017 Mets.

This year, Callaway’s squad is playing clean, fundamentally sound baseball, and—perhaps most importantly—is fun to watch again. This will make 2018 a fun ride regardless of the ultimate outcome. The unit is taking the field every night believing it can get the job done.

The offseason signing of Todd Frazier has paid immediate divi-

dends, as the third baseman is not only sparking life into a clubhouse that was lifeless a year ago, but also ensuring stability and production on both sides of the ball.

Shifting Robert Gsellman to the bullpen has made a tremendous difference, as the combination of his 1.08 ERA and 14 punch outs in 8.1 innings and Seth Lugo’s comparable 1.13 ERA has shortened games for a workin-progress starting rotation. The ‘pen is deeper than it has been in some time, and has refound its hammer in Jeurys Familia, whose seven saves, 13 strikeouts and no runs allowed over 10 innings indicate that a closer-by-committee situation will not be in the cards during this campaign.

The roster is by no means starstudded, but it is deep. It is not flashy, but it possesses a winning formula. There might be no better example than Wilmer Flores’s walk-off homer on Sunday.

Obviously, this roster will not stay its current 138-win pace.

The team will not even stay on a 95-win pace.

However, the Mets are a force to be reckoned with, and it’s safe to say that they will not be leaving the playoff picture at any point this season.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Wilmer Flores gets doused with Gatorade following his walkoff homer on Sunday.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports

Thursday Apr. 19

Friday Apr. 20

Saturday Apr. 21

Sunday Apr. 22

Monday Apr. 23

Tuesday Apr. 24

Wednesday Apr. 25

Baseball

George George George Washington Washington Washington 6 p.m.

2 p.m.

12 p.m.

Yale 3:30 p.m.

Softball

St. Louis 12/2:30 p.m.

Delaware 2/5 p.m.

Baruch 12 p.m.

Men’s Tennis Women’s Tennis Rowing

Track

St. Louis 12 p.m.

Duquesne 12 p.m.

La Salle 11 a.m.

Cherry Hill Invitational TBD Larry Ellis Wolfie Invitational Invitational 4 p.m.

10 a.m.

A-10 Championships 12 p.m.

SPORTS

April 18, 2018

Alvin Halimwidjaya

Father Prime vs.

Father Time For the last few days, people have been raving about the Philadelphia 76ers as a rising contender to win the East. However, the Miami Heat came into Wells Fargo Center after a Game 1 loss to the Sixers and tied the series with a 113-103 win. Leading the way was Dwyane Wade, who continues to build his legacy as a Miami sports icon and the mayor of Wade County.

Wade scored 28 points in 26 minutes, with 21 of them coming in the first half. The Heat were dead in the water offensively following the drought they went through in the series opener, but Wade’s veteran presence was exactly why they snagged him in January. Well, that and the Heat realized they made a huge mistake in letting him go in the first place. Especially against a team with bright, young talent like the Sixers, that kind of poise and shot-creating ability is crucial in the playoffs and the slower pace teams end up playing at.

For the past couple of years, Wade’s role and perceived value had undergone a drastic change; after leaving Miami, he made quick pit stops in Chicago and Cleveland before returning to sunny South Beach.

However, he’s gone from the star to a calming presence off the bench, as players like Josh Richardson, Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside have taken the reins for the Heat. Regardless, Wade still has some tricks up his sleeve, and will continue to contribute with huge playoff moments as he has done for the entirety of his career.

When Wade was young, critics were worried about how well his game would age. “Flash” was taking no prisoners with his athletic slams and swats, but he was just as much of a danger to his own health. Wade would pinball into the lane and draw contact with no concern for his health; eventually, that recklessness came back to haunt him, as he started to decline earlier than anyone would have liked.

However, Wade has proven all the haters wrong by transforming himself into the player with the best “old man” game on the older side of LeBron James. His pump fake ensnares many a young buck, and Wade has developed a deadly post game, showing off a turnaround fadeaway jumper that would make Kobe Bryant proud. His innate sense of timing still allows him to block shots with aplomb, and most importantly, his clutch factor is a force to be reckoned with.

Wade might need to be preserved for the end of the game, but that’s because he’s usually the best option in crunch time. With the Heat up six at the end of the game, Wade waved away his teammates for an isolation play against Ben Simmons. Despite the potential Rookie of the Year having a six-inch advantage, Wade simply stepped to the side and drained a jumper over Simmons’ outstretched arms. He then proceeded to stare down Kevin Hart sitting courtside while Sixers legend Allen Iverson yelled in the background, calling him a bad… um, man. Wade’s career might be coming to a close, but he’s showing that Father Prime still has a little “Flash” left in him.

Page 23

Varsity Scores & Stats Men's Track Metropolitan Championship (FOR) Kutch: 1st in 5000m (15:02.17)

Baseball Fordham 5 Fairfield 4 (FOR) Bardwell: 1-1, 2B, RBI

Women's Track Metropolitan Championship (FOR) Grebe: 1st in 10000m (39:43.75) (FOR) Fisher: 1st in 3000m (11:02.26)

La Salle Fordham

8 12

La Salle 3 Fordham 4 (FOR) Greenberg: (W) 7 IP, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

Men's Tennis Fordham St. Francis Brooklyn

7 0

La Salle Fordham

Women's Tennis Fordham Queens

5 2

Stony Brook Fordham

3 4

Rowing Kerr Cup Regatta V8+: 3rd in Grand Final (7:22.16)

6 5

JV8+: 3rd in Grand Final (7:36.43)

Softball Rhode Island 0 Fordham 10 (FOR) Rauch: 3-3, 3 R, HR, 3B, 4 RBI (FOR) Shaw: 1-2, HR, 4 RBI Rhode Island 0 Fordham 7 (FOR) Rauch: (W) 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K (FOR) Skrepenak: 1-3, HR, 3 RBI Golf Rhode Island Invitational (FOR) Schiller: T-5th with 72 in Rd 1, 74 in Rd 2 Yale Spring Invitational (FOR) Mongey: 73 in Rd 1, 75 in Rd 2

Athletes of the Week Jake MacKenzie

Paige Rauch

Freshman

Freshman

Baseball

Softball

The rookie phenom secured his second consecutive Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week, hitting .450 during the span, including three homers and six RBIs in the team's weekend series victory at La Salle. He now sits at .299 for the season with a team-leading 34 RBIs and 20-for-23 on stolen bases.

The versatile threat continued her outstanding freshman season, slashing .667/.833/2.500 en route to another A-10 Rookie of the Week honor. Oh, and in her lone pitching appearance, she hurled a onehit shutout. Her season slash is now .327/.476/.761 and ERA a filthy 1.49.

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

News & Notes • G'mrice Davis WNBA Bound Fordham Women's Basketball had reason to

celebrate on Monday, as one of its legends, forward G'mrice Davis, signed a training camp deal with the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA. The reigning WNBA champions will bring 18 players to camp, and the A-10 Defensive Player of the Year is now in that mix. Davis ranked third in the nation in rebounds during her season and became the second player in program history to score 1,000 career points and collect 1,000 career rebounds--finishing with 1,497 points and 1,199 boards, good enough for fourth and second, respectively, in school history.

• MacKenzie Earns A-10 Award

Another week, another Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week for Fordham Baseball's freshman standout, Jake MacKenzie. During the week span, the five-tool asset went 9-for-20 (.450) with three home runs, 10 runs batted in and four stolen bases. With two more stolen bases yesterday against Fairfield, the rookie now leads the team with 20 swiped bags. He started off Fordham's series at La Salle in style, belting two home runs and recording a season-high five RBIs. MacKenzie went on to hit third home run of the series in game two.

• Rauch Collects Conference Honor

For the third time in 2018 and second time in as many weeks, Softball's Paige Rauch took home the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week award. The standout enjoyed a superb week on both sides of the ball, batting a tremendous .667 and throwing a one-hit shutout. Rauch's season slash line improved to .327/.476/.761 in the process, while her ERA dropped to 1.49.

Her 12 home runs, 43 runs scored, 34 RBIs, 31 walks and five triples--which is tied for first in the A-10--currently lead the team. A tremendous two-way option, the Rams have much to be excited about with Rauch in the maroon and white moving forward.

• Football Players Named to Honor Society

Football senior defensive lineman Jonathan Dimon, senior linebacker Vincent Sansone and senior quarterback Clayton Welsh were named to the 2018 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society. The criteria was a cumulative 3.2 GPA, and they were three of 27 Patriot League players to earn a spot on the team.

-Compiled by Emmanuel Berbari

Peter Valentino

The Tavares Sweepstakes Every offseason, there is one star player who goes into free agency that attracts the eyes of the hockey world. A few years ago it was Steven Stamkos, and last year it was Kevin Shattenkirk. This year, it will be center John Tavares from the Islanders, and with the situation they are in, it is uncertain whether he will be back or not. The Islanders probably will not be getting a hometown discount for Tavares, yet their new arena will make the team more appealing, but the team needs defense and can afford to lose him with the rise of Matthew Barzal. Here are five other teams that will be interested in the center.

Montreal: A lot of cynical Islanders fans already think it is predestined that he ends up here. With the massive amount of cap space they have, as well as their need for scoring, Tavares could definitely end up there. However, there will be talk within Tavares’s circle about whether or not this team can compete anymore, and they probably can. Bergevin has handled the rebuild about as poorly as he can (Subban for Weber, anyone?) and they are one of those teams who can compete just on their goaltender alone with Price.

Add a scorer and Montreal is back to the playoffs, but can they compete for the Cup? This may make Tavares feel like he’s returning to Brooklyn.

Buffalo: If Okposo can leave Long Island for Buffalo, why can’t Tavares? The team is looking for a kickstarter to a young, underdeveloped and undisciplined team. With Tavares, the Sabres would have a leader that could groom their young core. It’s a longshot considering where this team is, and could change depending on draft position, but Tavares could be a huge and immediate boon for a team in desperate need of a winning season.

Carolina: Tampa has Steven Stamkos as their star and leader in a southern hockey franchise, as do the Stars with Jamie Benn. Add Tavares into the Hurricanes’ lineup, and the team could have the star that not only can keep them in the playoffs for the next five years, but can also help them compete for a cup as well.

While the team still needs to figure out their goaltender situation, their cap is still very low and indicates that they are waiting to sign someone. The Hurricanes ending up with Tavares not only would mean a lot to the team, but would give the organization a star – and ticket-seller – for the future.

New York Rangers: I would not have believed this a few years ago, but the team is shedding salaries like crazy after falling off a cliff this season. The team is young and inexperienced on defense and has a gaping hole at center that was not filled after the Stepan trade this offseason. They aren’t frontrunners by any stretch, but the team is desperate to try to get Henrik a cup before his contract is up in a few years. Keep an eye on them come July 1.

St. Louis: The team came to the last day of the season before getting bounced, and quite frankly, they probably didn’t want to be in the playoffs after trading away Paul Stastny to a division rival. But that move did open up the door for them to take on a large contract like Tavares’s will be. I expect them to try to compete for Tavares this offseason.

SPORTS

Page 24

April 18, 2018

The Fordham Ram

Baseball Improves to 6-0 in Three-Game Series

By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

Winning every series you play, like Fordham Baseball has so far this season, is a great way to have a good record. The Rams took two of three from the La Salle Explorers this weekend, meaning they have won all six of their three-game series this season, including three over Atlantic 10 opponents. They are 21-11-1 and 6-3 in-conference, putting them in third place about halfway through A-10 play.

Like any coach, however, Fordham head coach Kevin Leighton is not content with taking two of three.

“Every game counts, and winning series is good, but you can’t be satisfied with winning [two of three]. The mentality is to go 1-0,” said Leighton.

In that regard, the trip to Philadelphia to play La Salle started off poorly, with the Rams spoiling a couple of incredible performances late in the game. After leading by as much as 5-1, the Explorers came back in the eighth and won 6-5.

The first incredible performance of the game came courtesy of freshman Jake MacKenzie. He started the scoring in the top of the third inning with a three-run home run to put Fordham up 3-0. His very next time up, in the top of the fifth with the Rams leading 3-1, he put another one out, this time a two-run shot to give Fordham that 5-1 lead.

MacKenzie also hit a solo home run the next day, giving him three for the trip and six for the season, which leads the team. He went 4-13 over the series, good for a .307 average, bumping his season average to .301 and extending his hitting streak to nine.

He also scored five runs, drove in six and stole two bases. His .593 slugging percentage leads the team, as do his 18 stolen bases. He’s good, folks. For

his efforts, he was recognized as A-10 Rookie of the Week.

“He ran into a streak of making some hard outs, but that’s baseball,” said Leighton. “I think recently when he’s been getting a good pitch to hit he hasn’t missed it.”

The other strong performance came courtesy of junior starting pitcher Reiss Knehr. He worked his way in and out of trouble over six innings of work, giving up just one run despite walking six and hitting another, alongside allowing three hits. He also struck out six.

Despite leaving with a four-run lead after six, the Rams’ usually solid bullpen gave up five runs and the lead. Freshman John Stankiewicz got the first batter he faced in the seventh to ground out, but a single, two-run homer and walk ended his day at just a third of an inning.

Sophomore Alvin Melendez came in to try and salvage the inning but was clearly still struggling with his hamstring injury. He walked the first batter he faced, then hit the next two, the second pushing in Stankiewicz’s third earned run of the day.

Melendez finished the inning and came back out to start the eighth, but was pulled after giving up a leadoff triple.

“He is still trying to come back from his hamstring, and hopefully things will continue to progress,” said Leighton.

The runner on third scored off of sophomore Kyle Martin, tying the game at five in the bottom of the eighth. Martin gave up one more, giving the Explorers the 6-5 final score.

The Rams played the last two games of the series on Saturday as a doubleheader, and there fared much better.

They opened Saturday with a 4-3 victory. Senior starting pitcher Ben Greenberg got to pitch with a lead

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Baseball is 21-11-1 and still has not lost any three-game series it has played in this season.

immediately, as a sacrifice fly by sophomore Matt Tarabek and run on a wild pitch scored by MacKenzie gave him a 2-0 lead when he first stepped on the mound.

Greenberg cruised through the first five innings with little to no blemishes, and got some more run support in the way of MacKenzie’s solo home run in the third and another from freshman C.J. Vasquez in the fourth.

With the 4-0 lead in the sixth, Greenberg was touched up for two runs, making the score 4-2. However, he knuckled back down for another 1.2 innings before getting pulled after giving up another run to make it 4-3.

He handed the ball to Martin, who this time locked it down, working a mostly clean inning and a third to lock down his fifth save of the season.

Over his 7.2 innings, Greenberg worked around nine hits, three hit batters and a walk by striking out six and forcing nine ground outs.

If Greenberg worked with a nice

cushion in the first half of the doubleheader, that was nothing compared to the seven-run first inning cushion the Rams gave junior starter Anthony DiMeglio. A leadoff homer from sophomore Billy Godrick and a grand slam for Knehr were the big players in the seven spot.

With the big lead, DiMeglio was able to settle in a groove early, to the tune of 10 strikeouts, one walk and three earned runs (six total) over 6.2 innings.

DiMeglio got into a spot of trouble in the seventh inning. Up 11-2, he struck out the leadoff batter. However, the next man up hit a triple and scored on an error by MacKenzie— because baseball is the cruelest game where nothing is actually good— and then another triple. A groundout drove in another run to make it 11-5, and DiMeglio’s lone walk to the next batter ended his day.

“Anthony has done a nice job all year,” said Leighton. “He is able to mix all of his pitches and has plus stuff

which can make it very difficult to hit if he’s ahead in the count. I thought against LaSalle he got on a roll with his changeup.”

Despite a couple of blips, the Rams held on to win 12-8.

While the Rams are in a good spot now, as mentioned at the top of this article, Leighton is not content.

“I think we are in a good spot right now, but you have one bad weekend in this league and you fall out of the mix,” said Leighton. “We need to compete, stay focused and stay hungry. There are a lot of games left, and we need to focus on each, one at a time.”

They will hope to remain focused when they travel to Columbia on Wednesday and then welcome in George Washington for a three-game A-10 set starting Friday.

Editor’s note: Fordham defeated Fairfield 4-3 on Tuesday afternoon after the filing of this article.

Rauch Does It All in Softball Doubleheader Sweep

By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

It was a short but successful weekend for Fordham Softball, which traveled up to Rhode Island for what they expected to be a three-game series. Instead, it was shortened into just a doubleheader on Saturday. The Rams weren’t complaining, however, as they left Rhode Island without giving up a run. They extended their winning streak to seven in a row, improving their record to 22-17, and 10-1 in Atlantic 10 play. That puts Fordham in second, just behind the undefeated UMass.

Sophomore pitcher and outfielder Madie Auginbaugh started in the circle for the Rams in game one and continued her stellar season. She faced just two batters over the minimum in the fiveinning game, allowing one hit and walking one to go along with her six strikeouts.

While the point here is not to belittle Auginbaugh’s achievements, her success in the circle is mostly routine. The real story of the day was freshman second baseman Paige Rauch. Starting off the day with a leadoff home

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Paige Rauch starred at the plate and in the circle for Fordham in a doubleheader sweep of Rhode Island on Saturday.,

run is pretty good. Following that up with a two-run shot in the fourth is pretty solid too. Capping off your day with an RBI triple is icing on the cake. Rauch finished the day 3-3, working in a walk as well. She wasn’t done, but that’s a story for later in this article.

The Rams had big fourth and fifth innings to cement the runsrule victory. Rauch’s homer in the fourth kicked off a four-run rally, supported by an RBI single from sophomore third baseman Skylar Johnston and then a walked-in

run.

In the fifth, senior Madi Shaw followed up Racuh’s RBI triple by launching a grand slam to put Fordham up 10-0. Auginbaugh slammed the door shut, hurling two strikeouts in the bottom of the fifth.

Game two on the day started exactly like the first. I am not exaggerating, though I’m sure Rhode Island wishes I was. In the first at-bat of game two, Rauch hit a solo home run, making that three on the day. That was enough

for Rhode Island, as she walked in her other three at-bats.

Not to be outdone by herself, Rauch was equally dominant in the circle for Fordham in game two, tossing a complete game one-hitter. She also walked one and struck out five. All in all, Rhode Island had just four baserunners on Saturday.

For her overwhelming efforts, Rauch was named A-10 Rookie of the Week.

Often you’ll find that a strong pitching performance can lull an

offense into complacency and a low-scoring game. Not this Fordham team, as head coach Brigdet Orchard always has them keeping the pressure on.

Up 1-0 in the third, junior Chelsea Skrepenak drove home a run with a sacrifice fly. She did herself one better in her next atbat in the fifth inning by hitting a two-run home run to put Fordham up 4-0.

Junior Molly Roark got in on the fun in the sixth, hitting a solo shot of her own to give Fordham a 5-0 lead. The Rams tacked on two more after that, walking one run in and scoring another on a fielding error.

Over the two games, the Rams scored 17 runs on 19 hits, nine of which went for extra bases.

Five of those extra-base hits were home runs. They also showed plate discipline, walking 14 times compared to striking out 13.

The Rams will look to push their winning streak to doubledigits starting with a rare in-conference midweek doubleheader against St. Bonaventure on Wednesday. They’ll follow that up by traveling to play another A-10 foe, St. Louis, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday.