the Fordham Ram Volume 99 Issue 1

Students For Justice In Palestine Study Abroad South Africa Protest University Ban Suspended

VICTOR ORDONEZ/THE FORDHAMRAM

By THERESA SCHLIEP NEWS EDITOR

Students in support of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus protested on Monday, after Keith Eldredge, dean of students at Lincoln Center vetoed United Student Government’s decision to

approve the club.

SJP has chapters at schools across the country, including Columbia University and Boston College. The club is “centered on advocating for the rights of Palestinians,” according to Sapphira Lurie, FCLC ’17 who had planned on joining the club.

Students presented a list of de-

mands for the university that derive from a Palestine Legal letter to the university, according to Lurie.

The demands are that the university approve SJP as a club, the university issues a public written apology directed to SJP club members “for oppressing our SEE PALESTINE, PAGE 6

Set Records

By THERESA SCHLIEP

By ERIN SHANAHAN

The Fordham University Ubuntu Program, a study abroad service experience based at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, has been suspended for the Spring 2017 semester, according to Maura Mast, dean of Fordham College Rose Hill.

This suspension is due to the safety concerns of studying in South Africa as well as over the quality of the experience, according to Mast. South Africa has been immersed in protests against increasing tuition prices and other problems in higher education.

Some universities in South Africa have closed temporarily, and University of Pretoria has prohibited some student involvement in these protests from registering.

Mast said Fordham’s decision was greatly influenced by safety concerns. However, the academic experience was also taken into consideration.

“There is concern that the protests will continue this Spring and that they may be violent,” said Mast in an email interview with The Fordham Ram. “We were con-

Fordham University received 19,859 applications in the first round of admissions for Fordham University’s class of 2021. This number marks the largest early applicant pool in university History.

According to Dr. Patricia Peek, director of Undergraduate Admissions, this trend was anticipated.

Fordham’s applicant pool has been increasing for the past 25 years.

“An increase in the early pool is not unforeseen for several reasons. But, it is also not surprising because the FASFA filing date is now earlier than in years past,” said Peek.

As of this year, families can apply for FASFA earlier on Oct. 1 rather than on Jan. 1. As a result of this change, Peek speculates that many students may have decided to apply to schools earlier as well.

Last year, a total of 19,077 Early Action applications and 293 Early Decision applications were received by Fordham’s Office of Admissions. This year’s Early Action applicant pool increased by 2 percent while this year’s Early De-

SEE ABROAD, PAGE 5

SEE RANKINGS, PAGE 6

NEWS EDITOR

Students protest university ban on Students For Justice In Palestine at the Lincoln Center campus.

Early Action Applications EDITOR IN CHIEF

Jewish Studies Expands Opportunities

By AISLINN KEELY

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

As Fordham makes strides to become more research-oriented, a smaller program within the university is answering the call by building ties and creating opportunities within New York City. This minor currently has no plans to become a major, but rather focuses on research opportunities and courses designed to enrich other majors.

Fordham’s Jewish Studies program has grown since the 2013 establishment of the Eugene Shvidler Chair of Judaic Studies in the History Department and the installation of Professor Magda Teter, Ph.D., in the position. In

in this issue

Opinion Page 9 Conspiracy:“The Wage Gap”Edition

Culture

Page 16 Novel Ideas for Cold Weather Reading

Sports Page 24 Rams Win Nail-Biter vs. VCU, UMass

2017, the increase in research, dialogue events, internship opportunities and early plans for the introduction of modern Hebrew will further the ties between the program and the whole of Fordham as well as the university in the context of New York City.

Teter said they will be bringing scholars as fellows to Fordham. In late December, the department announced this joint post-doctoral fellowship program with Columbia University’s Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies for the 2017-2018 academic year, according to News Fordham.

In addition to the joint fellowship relationship with Columbia, there are plans for research in the social sciences, connecting scholars at Fordham with others of similar research backgrounds and interests.

“We’ll be announcing soon a small cohort of a first fellowship that is related to the social scientific study group … that is studying Jewish Orthodoxy,” said Teter.

“That’s a group of scholars who are coming to Fordham to discuss newest research in social sciences on Jewish orthodoxy in different ways.”

Teter also said the program is SEE STUDIES, PAGE 3

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Several Fordham students marched in the Women’s March on New York City against President Trump and his policies.

Fordham Students Turn Out for Women’s March

By ERIN CABREY

ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

March organizers estimated that a crowd of more than 470,000 took to the streets with pink hats and handmade signs to protest issues ranging from reproductive rights to the re-

peal of Affordable Care Act to the supposed Muslim registry. The marchers came in waves, beginning around 11 a.m. at the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza and continuing to Trump Tower well into the night hours.

Though Fifth Avenue was sufficiently dominated by cat imag-

ery, it certainly was not short of Rams. Tierney Resident Assistant Kathryn Porter, FCRH ’17, led a program for the event, and provided her residents with free MetroCards and materials to make signs for the march. They arrived in the morning to a Grand Central SEE WOMEN, PAGE 7

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

Journal From Abroad

London Reacts to President Trump

By KELSEY MICKLAS

Jan. 11 Dealy Hall 3 p.m.

Custodial workers reported a missing vacuum from a storage closet in Dealy Hall. The vacuum was last seen on Jan. 6. Public Safety is currently investigating the incident.

Jan. 17 Walsh Gate 3 a.m.

An individual was caught on camera climbing over the fence nearest Walsh Gate. The individual was soon caught by Public Safety and was identified as a resident student. The issue was handed off to residential life.

Jan. 18 Hoffman Ave. 7 p.m.

A student reported being robbed while in the bathroom of his or her off-campus apartment. The student exited the bathroom upon hearing the front door slam closed. The student’s wallet and phone were reported missing. Public Safety and NYPD were notified shortly after. The investigation is ongoing.

Jan. 18 189th and Hughes Ave. 8 p.m.

A student reported being followed from their home on Arthur Ave. while on the way to a local grocery store.

The suspect approached the student and proceeded to make comments that made the student uncomfortable. The student entered the nearest building and phoned Public Safety.

Public Safety canvased the area but did not locate the suspect.

Jaunary 25, 2017

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Like many American students studying abroad, I get asked “What happened with Trump?” daily.

Quite frankly, I hate this question. It is almost an impossible question to answer. There were so many different factors that went into Trump’s success in the 2016 election that it is almost impossible to sum it up over the course of a 20 minute Uber ride or on line for a coffee.

On Friday, I watched the Inauguration from my London flat, but I did not feel like I was over 3,000 miles from home. Feelings of uneasiness and concern for the future have crossed the Atlantic. I watched BBC coverage of the inauguration, and the overall tone seemed to be one of concern and worry for what a Trump presidency will bring for the world.

After the Brexit referendum, the British people were already afraid about their economy. Now, with a Trump presidency, there is an added level of uncertainty about what the future holds. The British – and the rest of the world – feel a deep sense of unease about how the Trump presidency will affect

them.

London is a city of immigrants. People from every part of the world live here, and speak hundreds of different languages.

Trump’s views on immigration are a cause for concern for many here, especially those whohope to come to the United States.

“I applied for a study visa and it already got denied” said Nathan, an Australian bartender in the trendy Camden district. He wanted to go to the U.S. to study aviation, but he says the U.S. is not approving any visas if the person does not have a job with a steady income. “I blame Trump,” he said.

Nathan is not the only Brit worried about President Trump. On Friday, over 1,000 demonstrators protested Trump’s inauguration outside of the United States Embassy, and a huge banner reading “Build Bridges not Walls” was hung over the iconic Tower Bridge.

The United States is the most powerful nation in the world. And the president does not only serve the United States, but many countries around the world look to America. By making his policies revolve around “America First”, Trump implies that he will only make decisions benefitting the

KELSEY MICKLAS FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Westminster Abbey in London incuded a prayer for President Donald Trump

U.S., and that he is willing to step on rest of the world to put the U.S. ahead.

At Sunday service at Westminster Abbey, the “Prayer for the People” included President Trump and the American population. The congregation prayed for

the success of the new president, in hopes that he will attempt to unify America.

People here want to see President Trump succeed because if he succeeds, America succeeds and remains the global powerhouse it has been for decades.

Jan. 21 O’Hare Hall 4 p.m.

Two students notified Public Safety when they found themselves stuck in elevator two of O’Hare Hall. Public Safety responded and proceeded to notify elevator maintenance. The students were freed shortly after.

— Compiled by Victor Ordonez

Follow us on Twitter! @TheFordhamRam

OWEN CORRIGAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Photo of the Week

Owen Corrigan, photo editor of The Fordham Ram, took this photo of the Macrodactyla doreensis while diving in Australia. This species of sea anenome goes by names like the Long Tentacle Anenome and the Corkscrew anenome.

This Week at Fordham Thursday Jan. 26

Friday Jan. 27

Kindertransport Auditions

Mental Fresh-Check Day

Fordham’s Theatrical Outreach Program (TOP) will be holding auditions for the spring slot 1 production of Diane Samuels’ Kindertransport.

McGinley 2nd 7:30 p.m. — 9:30 p.m.

Monday Jan. 30

Monday Jan. 30

McGinley 2nd 2 p.m — 6 p.m.

FET Blackbox Stand-Up Show

The Blackbox Theater 8 p.m. — 9:30 p.m.

Fordham Dance Marathon Tabling

Diversity Action Meeting Meeting

Created by the Jordan Porco Foundation, this mental health awareness day will feature interactive food, booths, entertainment and giveaway to spark dialogue on mental health.

Fordham Experimental Theater’s Fordham Stand-Up opens the spring semester with its Friday and Saturday shows in the Blackbox Theater located in the back of Collins.

Monday begins the Resident Housing Associations fundraising for FDM , which will continue through Feb.11. Fundraising is said to include raffles for tickets to FDM, B+ merchandise, FDM shirts and stickers.

The Diversity Action Coalition, a subcommittee of USG focused on diversity-related initiatives, invites students to join its weekly meeting.

Friday Jan. 27

McGinley 2nd 9 a.m. — 8 p.m.

McGinley 234 9 p.m. — 10:30 p.m.

NEWS

January 25, 2017

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Fordham IT steps up log-in security which now requires users to sign in on a separate device when when prompted.

Fordham IT Increases Log-In Security

By ROBERT PALAZZOLO STAFF WRITER

Cybersecurity — or, the lack thereof — is all over the headlines these days, prompting governments, businesses, universities and even individuals to bolster their electronic defenses.

Fordham is no exception. Starting this semester, Fordham IT will introduce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to all active university-affiliated online accounts. For students, this means that a username and password

will not be enough. Soon, there will be a third action to complete in order to login to the Fordham network. “[Cyber] Attackers get more sophisticated every day,” said Elizabeth Cornell, PhD. director of IT Communications. “Experts agree this is one of the best ways to prevent any kind of malicious attack.”

The system will work like this: first, type in a username and password, as usual. Right afterwards, students use their phones to confirm their identities and complete

the login.

There are a few different ways to complete the last step of confirming the student’s identity on a phone. One is via the Duo Mobile MFA app (which is available for Apple, Android and Windows phones). After the student enters the username and password, the app will immediately send a push notification with options to either approve or deny the login. Once the student taps “approve,” the login is successful.

Through the same app, users can also receive a one-time,

Page 3 unique password to confirm their identity and login. Duo can also text users the one-time passcode or send an automated call, if preferred.

That identity confirmation will be remembered for thirty days — meaning if users use the same device and browser, they will only need their username and password to login for the next thirty days. And when checking email on a mobile device, users will only be prompted to use the MFA system when setting up access to email on that device or changing a password. Therefore, students will not need to authenticate every time they check their Fordham email on their phones.

Duo Security, Inc. will be the provider of Fordham’s new MFA system. Their website lists Facebook, NASA, Toyota, Twitter and others as clients.

A Fordham IT blog post also lists Columbia, Harvard, MIT and NYU as universities which utilize Duo’s MFA system.

Cornell said that MFA technology is common, and fast becoming a vital defense.

“People should be questioning any institution that isn’t providing this extra layer of security,” Cornell said. “It’s just so important — and you have it at your bank, you have it in your credit cards,” she added.

According to NBC News, 550 universities reported some kind of data breach between 2006 to 2013. A significant cyberattack on Penn State’s systems in 2015 resulted in the compromise of many student usernames and passwords. In 2014, the University of Maryland and North Dakota University suffered similar breaches. Cornell said that de-

spite the added inconvenience of MFA, the growing threat that these other attacks demonstrate means that Fordham IT has had to be proactive.

“It’s a very, very real threat, and we take it very seriously,” she said.

Student reactions to the added security measures ranged from somewhat positive to more skeptical.

“I think it’s a good thing,” said Frank Sikorski, FCRH ’17.

“Seems to be a mild inconvenience, but more cybersecurity is better.”

“I wonder why it’s necessary,” said Margaret Sullivan, FCRH ’17. “But I don’t think it would be too bothersome,” adding that the existing WiFi compliance security check means that she is already used to following IT-mandated security procedures once a month.

So far, the amount of student feedback reaching Fordham IT has been relatively small. But that is likely to change when IT begins their education campaign to try and get students ready for the new system. The only marker of coming change has been a small box on the my.Fordham login page that alerts students that the MFA system is coming. But Cornell says IT will be sending a barrage of informational emails to students, as well as hosting a series of informational sessions in each residence hall.

To ensure students are aware of the change in plenty of time, Cornell said they are holding out on setting a hard deadline for the switch until they feel confident students are going to be ready.

“We want it to be as smooth as possible, for everyone,” Cornell said.

Jewish Studies Grows Opportunities In New York FROM STUDIES, PAGE 1

currently fostering a relationship with Yeshiva University, as well as starting internship programs for students with New York institutions such as the Museum for Jewish Heritage.

Karina Martin Hogan, professor of biblical studies and Ancient Judaism, believes the new program will develop Fordham’s undergraduate research capabilities.

“Although the Jewish Studies program at Fordham is very new, I expect that it will contribute to the culture of undergraduate research that is developing here,” said Hogan.

However, in all the plans for the growth of the program, there are no plans for a major. Teter said only allowing a minor allows students to pursue interest outside of their career path and also opens up the study to all schools.

“One of the ways students choose majors is when they look at careers, whereas minors give them substance and follow interests. Also, a minor makes it accessible to all schools. For example, Gabelli students cannot have a double major, but they can have a minor,” said Teter.

The research and dialogue component of the minor put more focus on creating an environment that produces well-rounded students rather than training for specific career tracks within Jewish studies, according to Teter.

Middle eastern Studies major Mustafa Kilicarslan, FCRH ’19, said his studies gave him a greater

comprehension of the world’s religions.

“I was always curious about Jews and Christians because Qu’ran accepts them. Taking those classes enriched my vision about life,” said Kilicarslan. “I have tried to understand for the first time, in a scientific and objective manner, a different religion and many cultures related to this religion.”

Michelle Chen, FCLC ‘17, a history major minoring in middle eastern studies and Mandarin said classes within the Jewish Studies program benefited her.

“Having taken these courses, I feel that I can better understand the Middle East conflict as I have pieces of both sides of the story,” said Chen. “As of now, my goal is to attend law school in fall 2018, and I feel like the skills that I’ve gotten out of Jewish studies, especially analyzing primary sources, will greatly help me tackle those difficult law school textbooks.”

The program even reaches as far as those difficult textbooks, as Fordham Law School offers a course in Jewish Law each semester.

Fordham Law School allowed undergraduates to enroll in the Jewish Law course for the first time last year. This opportunity allows students to establish relationships within the law school through this challenging and specialized course according to Teter.

“We are forging these kind of ties between different schools, not just with the colleges on campus,” said Teter on the law school relation-

ship.

Future events co-sponsored by the law school and the Jewish Studies Program include the annual Jewish lecture with the Shvidler Chair and efforts to emulate the Natural Law Colloquium in developing a community of interested scholars. “For the law school, the great contribution of the Jewish Studies Program is that it provides us with a way to draw upon the extraordinary resources of Prof.

Teter and other faculty outside the law school and to join in building a community at the University of faculty with an interest in Jewish

studies,” said Law Professor Russell Pearce.

The program also functions as a dialogue of faiths within Fordham, exposing students to traditions separate from its Jesuit Catholic identity. “Obviously as a Jesuit institution many aspects of Fordham are going to be bent towards Christian culture, but sometimes it seems to the point where class subjects or even professors themselves barely acknowledge that there are other faiths, except when they want to throw in the ‘but we’re very accepting and diverse’ card,” said Angela He, FCRH ’19.

“Courses such as these offered by the department offer a remedy to ignorance and a broadening of perspectives, which as a student on the prelaw track with an interest in social justice and politics is very important to me.”

Reaching further than the Fordham community, the program sponsors and co-sponsors In Dialogue events, which brings scholars in different areas together to give different perspectives within lectures on similar topics.

For many of these events, the opportunity to attend is open to the public.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Jewish Studies plans to introduce modern Hebrew to the Jewish Studies program, amongst other endeavors.

NEWS

Page 4

January 25, 2017

USG Approves Three New Clubs

By ERIN SHANAHAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

United Student Government at Fordham Rose Hill approved three more student clubs while tabling the approval of a fourth club, Rose Hill Film Society, at its first public meeting of the semester this past Tuesday.

The three approved clubs include Comedy for a Cause, Albanian Society and the Philosopher’s Society Club.

Vice President of Operations, Doug Spring, FCRH ’17, presented The Rose Hill Film Society to the senate because the club’s members were unable to send a representative to attend the USG meeting. According to the club’s constitution, “The Rose Hill Film Society encourages a greater appreciation of the social, cultural and intellectual importance of cinema through the examination and discussion of cinematic works.” The club also plans to provide a forum for students to write, direct and produce their own original films.

However, there was no representative from the Rose Hill Film Society to field the senate’s questions. These questions mostly dealt with the club’s similarities to two pre-existing clubs: Images and Reach to Film. As a result of these unanswered questions, Senator Christine Phelan, FCRH ‘18, made a motion to table the vote.

This was seconded by Vice President Brian Reardon, FCRH ’18.

Comedy for a Cause was presented to the senate by President Jack Byram, FCRH ’17. According to Byram, the club intends to use stand-up comedy to raise money for a charity of its choice through open-mics and other events. In addition, Comedy for a Cause will also try to hold larger events where professional comedians will be invited to perform.

“While there are other groups on campus that allow students an outlet to express their creativity, this club’s ultimate goal is to donate to organizations in need,” Byram said.

USG senate members asked the club to consider giving back to the local Bronx community through not only monetary means, but also through free entertainment in our neighborhood’s schools and parks.

Ultimately, the senate motioned and

approved the club. Only two senators opposed the motion and one senator abstained.

The Albanian Club at Fordham University was approved by the senate this past Thursday as well. According to its constitution, this club aims to promote an awareness and appreciation of Albanian culture by means of events that explore the social and cultural aspects of the Albanian heritage. The club strives to provide opportunities for others to learn about the historical and intellectual pursuits of Albanians through social events, networking opportunities and guest speakers. Specifically, the club plans to hold events to celebrate the independence days of Albania and Kosovo.

“Since there is a large Albanian population in the Bronx, our club aims to encourage community engagement amongst its members and the rest of the Fordham community.”

Anna Passero-Koennecke, FCRH ’18, presented the Philosopher’s Society for USG approval. According to its constitution, “The Philosophers’ Society is a group of concerned citizens who are dedicated to understanding the workings of the world, especially through the analysis of current events from a philosophical perspective.”

Passero-Koennecke explained that the main purpose of the club is to encourage students to integrate philosophical thought into students daily lives when considering current events, everyday situations and moral dilemmas. According to PasseroKoennecke, 33 people showed interest in coming to the next meeting.

The club was approved by the senate unanimously. USG will be holding special elections at their next meeting. It hopes to fill two seats: Gabelli School of Business Senator for the class of 2017 and Fordham College Rose Hill Senator for the class of 2017.

USG will also be participating in Fresh Check Day. Vice President of Health and Security, Catherine Maccaro, spearheaded this event. Fresh Check Day is a program that was created by the Jordan Porco Foundation, in order to bring awareness to mental health resources on campuses. The event will be held on Friday,

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Bathroom facilities located around Rose Hill Campus are now accessible for all Fordham students, regardless of gender.

Gender Signs Removed from Single-Occupancy Bathrooms

By VICTOR ORDONEZ

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Gender signs have been removed and replaced from 56 single-occupancy bathrooms on Fordham’s Rose Hill Campus, making them gender-neutral. These bathrooms are now “accessible to any member of the Fordham community”, according to Christopher Rodgers, dean of students.

According to Rodgers said a formal list of the new facilities and their locations would be made available online.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for members of our community to find these new facilities,” said Rodgers “The list will go to student leaders and onto Fordham’s website.”

Of the 56 gender-neutral bathrooms listed, 12 are located off campus. These single-occupancy restrooms are accessible to offcampus residents in their respective Fordham housing. Housing

on Hughes Avenue alone saw eight converted bathrooms.

The McGinley Center is listed to have two completely accessible bathrooms on the second floor in room 237. Walsh Library is listed to have a converted bathroom as well, located behind the Electronic Information Center in the basement.

Multiple on-campus dormitories will also house converted restrooms, including Alumni Court South, Loschert Hall, O’Hare Hall and Campbell Hall.

However, Tierney Hall and Queens Court remain off the list of buildings that will be provided with converted restrooms. These dormitories do not offer single-occupancy restrooms to students, but rather offer community restrooms located on each respective floor.

Each of these restrooms are gender specific.

“We have shared a helpful list with various members of the University community,” said Rodgers.

Members of the PRIDE alliance were pleased by the University’s decision to add these bathrooms.

PRIDE e-board member Claire Del Sorbo, FCRH ’19, found the new facilities to be a step in the right direction for Fordham’s campus.

“While it’s a start to have the single-occupancy bathrooms made gender-neutral, it is important that people who don’t necessarily align with a traditional gender binary have a safe place to exercise their bodily functions,” said Del Sorbo.

Other PRIDE members echoed Del Sorbo’s comment. Eileen McLean, FCRH ’18, found that the changes to the listed bathrooms shared a message with the Fordham community.

“It’s not like they weren’t accessible,” said McLean, “but the message that they are now genderinclusive is more reassuring to genderqueer and nonbinary students who felt like they didn’t have anywhere to go before then.”

Campus Briefs & Bites School of Education Announces Online Master’s

Fordham Law Alumnus Makes Gift For Students

Graduate School Searches for New Dean

New Interim Dean Appointed to GSAS

Fordham Graduate School of Education (GSE) announced the launch of a 30 credit, fully online master’s degree program in Catholic Educational Leadership. The coursework ranges from management and strategic planning to ethics and technology, all designed to educate empathetic and globally-minded Catholic or faith-based educators. Furthermore, it will require 440 hours of fieldwork in educational settings.

The program is geared towards educators with a focus on leadership or hoping to engage in administrative roles. Those already employed at religious schools may qualify for a 40 percent scholarship. The program is centered around the Catholic mission to produce educational leaders engaged in social justice and equity of education, and aims to meet a need for streamlined leadership from Catholic dioceses that span the country expressed by parochial school superintendents.

George Olsen, Fordham Law School ’85 donated $600,000 to be used for debt relief of accepted Fordham Law students.

The gift will take effect this fall, and will provide financial aid to three or four students each year. Olsen is currently the co-founder and managing principal of the New York City Regional Center, but before his success he was the first of his family to attend college and later attended Fordham Law at age 35. His distinguished service in the Marine Corps and experience with urban development secured his acceptance, an endeavor that would later take him eight years to pay off despite it being an interest-free loan. This gift follows a $150,000 donation for diversity scholarships made last year. Olsen hopes this latest gift will also help the diversity efforts of Fordham Law and the entirety of the law profession through lightening the burden of education loans on aspiring lawyers.

The Fordham Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education is seeking a new dean. On Tuesday, Jan. 17, an email was sent to faculty and students thanking former Dean Anderson for his services. Dr. Anderson will step down from his position as dean at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year and become an active member of the GRE faculty, according to the email. The email also provided information on how to nominate a potential candidate. The committee responsible for finding a replacement to Anderson was listed as well. Dr. James McCartin, associate professor of theology and Director of the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture, will lead the search committee.

McCartin will be accompanied in his search by Francis McAloon, S.J., associate professor of Christian spirituality, Harold Horell, assistant professor of religious education, Bryan Massingale, professor of theology and Mary Beth Werdel, associate professor of pastoral care and counseling.

The Office of the Provost announced the change of Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Associate Vice President for Arts and Sciences Education in an email this Tuesday. Dr. Harrington will step down after serving in these posts since 2009. He will cultivate the London programs as academic dean of the Fordham University London Centre in 2017-2018.

There, he will work closely with Father Richard Salmi, S.J., Head of the Centre, in further developing the London programs with the same dedication he brought to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Eva Badowska will fill the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences posts as Interim Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Interim Associate Vice President for Arts and Sciences Education beginning summer 2017. She will continue as dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in addition to her new posts.

NEWS

January 25, 2017

Page 5

Students React to Study Abroad Suspension FROM ABROAD, PAGE 1

cerned about safety and were also concerned that if the university closed for an extended period of time, then the academic experience for our students might be disrupted or compromised.”

Students were informed of the decision on Nov. 14, according to Hannah Ervin, FCRH ’18, who planned to study abroad in South Africa this semester.

The preparation for the trip was going smoothly, Ervin said, and there was no impression that anything was wrong. She said the university had not communicated with students about the situation in South Africa, which has not been covered much by western media.

“We didn’t know they weren’t in classes,” said Ervin. “That was never disclosed to us.”

Ervin said they had about four days to decide on their plans for the semester. Ervin, seeking an untraditional study abroad experience, decided to stay at Rose Hill for the semester.

Mast said that the Study Abroad office worked with students to determine their plans for Spring 2017. Some decided to stay at Rose Hill, while others decided to “transfer to another Fordham program (such as the Fordham London Centre) or to other programs such as the Casa Bayanihan community-based learning program offered by the University of San Francisco.”

The decision did not come easy, said Mast.

“It was a difficult decision, but we could not guarantee that the academic portion of the program

would be delivered without significant disruption, which might impact the students’ experience or the quality of the program,” said Mast.

Annie David, FCRH ’18, was also supposed to go to South Africa for the semester. Ultimately, she chose to go to the Philippines as a part of the Casa Bayanihan community-based learning program, but she said she was disappointed by the suspension and how the university handled the situation.

“We were not given any forewarning that the program wasn’t a sure thing,” said David in an email interview with The Fordham Ram. However, she is happy with her decision to go to the Philippines.

“I am currently in the Philippines and am very happy I decided to do Casa,” said David. “It is a service-learning and immersion study abroad experience based in Ignation tradition. It is one of the best decisions I have made.”

Mast acknowledged the suspension was upsetting, but that the Study Abroad office worked with students to find alternative plans for the semester.

“I know it must have been very disappointing for the students who were planning to go to South Africa,” said Mast. “The students were notified as soon as possible once the decision was made. As I noted earlier, Joe Rienti met with them as a group and then worked closely with each student to explore alternatives.”

Mast said the program is currently under review to return Spring 2018.

FROM FACILITIES, PAGE 1

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Protests across South Africa, including at the University of Pretora, resulted in the suspension of the Ubuntu program.

VICTOR ORDONEZ FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham students dig through trash in an effort to analyze New york City’s underground market.

Fordham Students Research Underground Market Will Present to NYC Department of Health

By VICTOR ORDONEZ ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

New York City’s underground market economy was analyzed by Fordham students who collected primary data through dumpster diving and witnessing illicit activities this past August.

Starting late August 2016, 20 students participated in a program provided by Fordham’s own sociology department as part of a study on the underground market in New York City.

The project analyzes the underground economy by collecting primary data throughout the city.

This primary data consists of discarded litter as well as “systematic social observations.” According to the project’s field manual, these social observations include any illicit activities students could possibly witness.

Marin Kurti, a sociology professor, led the expedition through New York City’s underground market. Kurti said the New York City’s history allows for research efforts like this.

“New York City is the ideal place to study underground markets, given its long history of vice, growing income inequality and the capital of the American Dream,” said Kurti.

Professor Kurti and his team have not yet completed their data analysis. However, the final goal of the project is to present their findings to public health agencies such as the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in the later half of the spring semester.

According to the project’s field manual, research students were prepared to encounter vials, glassine envelopes, marijuana, syringes

and other illicit materials as part of their collecting of litter. Some of the students reported other risk and dangers they experienced while exploring the underground market.

Kurti’s team randomly selected 127 blocks that approximate neighborhoods in New York City.

“Our sample is quite heterogeneous in terms of demographics and land use characteristics,” said Kurti. “It is a representative sample of New York City.”

Richard Chow, FCRH ’19, is an active participant in Kurti’s underground market project. He said the group’s research would provide credible statistics thanks to the project’s two-wave system.

The first wave had students walk in pairs on opposite sides of the street where they collected litter and any objects that could have been used illicitly. This information provides Kurti’s team with an accurate depiction of how many cigarettes are bootlegged from other states or the prevalence of illegal substances in given areas based on materials left behind.

“But we didn’t just collect trash,” said Chow. “We counted the number of underground markets. We counted the number of unprofessional businesses.”

Wave two required that students walk through the same areas and record any signs of informal or illegal activity that implied “offthe-books” transactions. These activities included cars-for-sale signs, drug dealing, drug use, garage sales and gambling, according to Kurti.

The project’s field manual also requires that students document situations that hint to prostitution, the unlicensed selling of goods on the street or the preva-

lence of panhandlers.

Students spoke about the risk that comes with exploring uncharted territory in New York. For instance, Chow has encountered syringes in his field research, and carefully followed procedure to document such illicit substances.

Robert Lis, FCRH ’19, is a Bronx native and a member of Kurti’s research team. Lis recalled an instance in downtown Brooklyn in which he and a friend encountered a group that began to shout at them while waiting for the bus.

“There were definitely some moments that made me feel uneasy” said Lis. “They yelled things like ‘hey white boys’, but Professor Kurti requires we walk with a partner so I never felt like I was in immediate danger.”

Kurti’s team is currently analyzing the data collected by both waves. Wave one’s data will inform government programs regarding public health policy.

“When bootlegged cigarettes appear on the illicit market they may have deleterious impacts on the health of neighborhoods,” said Kurti. “The tax incentives to quit smoking may not be there.”

Kurti added that, according to economic research, a 10 percent increase in cigarette taxes decrease consumption of such substances by roughly four percent.

Although the project is not yet complete, the data collected by the research team will be available and presented to the necessary parties later this spring. Once the analysis is completed, organizations will be presented with an accurate representation of the underground economy thanks to Professor Kurti and his team of student researchers.

NEWS

Page 6

January 25, 2017

LC Dean of Students Vetoes SJP, Sparks Protest FROM PALESTINE, PAGE 1

right to free speech and our right for advocacy on campus, issue a written apology committing to free speech on campus and issue a public statement committing to protection to all students regardless of national origin,” said Lurie.

Eldredge provided the University’s official statement to The Fordham Ram, but declined further comment due to possible litigation.

“Fordham has no registered student clubs the sole focus of which is the political agenda of one nation against another nation.

For the University’s purposes, the country of origin of the student organizers is irrelevant, as is their particular political stance. The narrowness of Students for Justice in Palestine’s political focus makes it more akin to a lobbying group than a student club. Regardless of the club’s status, students, faculty, and staff are of course free to voice their opinions on Palestine, or any other issue.”

On Jan. 17, Palestine Legal published the aforementioned letter, addressed to Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J. president of the university. It included correspondences between various parties, including but not limited to Eldredge, Ahmad Awad, FCLC ’16 who sought to be president of SJP, Glenn Hender, English professor and almostadvisor of SJP and United Student Government.

In an email sent by Eldredge, according to Palestine Legal, Eldredge said that he cannot pledge support to this club because it advocates for a political purpose at the expense of the state of Israel.

“While students are encouraged

to promote diverse political points of view, and we encourage conversation and date on all topics, I cannot support an organization whose sole purpose is advocating political goals of a specific group and against a specific country,” said Eldredge in the email.

Awad said he was shocked at the dean’s decision to veto. What particularly shocked Awad, he said, was the language used by the dean.

Awad finds that Eldredge, advocating for Fordham’s openness to discussing new ideas and prohibition of the club, is a contradiction.

“I was absolutely shocked- especially by some of the language that Dean Eldredge used,” said Awad.

“When he stated that even though Fordham promotes human rights and looks to broaden discussion and dialogue on different topics, we won’t allow SJP… my jaw dropped.”

What specifically “presents a barrier to open dialogue and mutual understanding and respect,” Eldredge wrote, is the club’s support for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) of Israel.

Awad disagrees.

“Boycott movements have been one of the most successful and peaceful non-violent ways of bringing social and political change throughout the world in the 20th century,” said Awad.

Leighton Magoon, FCLC ’17, president of United Student Government Lincoln Center, said the student governmental body stands by its initial vote of approval. He provided USGLC’s official statement to The Fordham Ram. “After careful deliberation, United Student Government has faith that this chapter of Students for

Justice in Palestine at Fordham and its members will positively contribute to the Fordham community in such a way that is sensitive to all students on campus.

United Student Government is dedicated to the safety of all students and has faith that Students for Justice in Palestine can function on campus respectfully. This chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine at Fordham fulfills a need for open discussion and demonstrates that Fordham is a place that exemplifies diversity of thought. Their presence will help to create a space for academic discussion and promote intellectual rigor on campus. We

do not believe that the presence of Students for Justice in Palestine will take away from efforts to promote a safe environment on our campus.”

Lurie said in an email interview with The Fordham Ram that the club submitted its original club application on Nov. 19, 2015. She said that the club “received no administrative response to our application until we reached out again on April 5th of 2016.”

After a meeting on April 26th, 2016 and several more in Fall 2017, USG approved the club on November 17, 2016, according to Lurie. On December 12, 2016, Dean Eldredge met with SJP

members for more questions, and on December 22, 2016, Eldredge decided to veto the club request.

Since the veto, various petitions have circulated online, among both students and faculty, and Awad published an Op-Ed with the New York Daily News.

Awad said students are going to remain active.

“We have to remain active, we have to remain committed to this cause,” said Awad. “If we cave in under the administrative pressure, this is all going to go to waste, so we’re refusing to let this go to waste, push over and die out. We’re going to continue to garner support and push moving forward.”

VICTOR ORDONEZ/THE FORDHAMRAM

Students protest dean of students veto regarding Students For Justice In Palestine at the LC campus.

Early Action Applications Set Record for Another Year Standardized Test Scores Remain Constant FROM ACTION, PAGE 1

cision applicant pool increased by 10.5 percent.

Of these total 19,859 early applications, 9,812 students were admitted to Fordham through non-binding Early Action and 156 were admitted through binding Early Decision. These students have until May 1 to deposit.

Currently, Fordham has received about 24,800 applications for Regular Decision. As a result, a total of 44,683 applications have arrived at the Office of Admissions as of Jan. 18. Peek predicts that the number will increase to over 44,700 by the end of this admissions cycle.

This year’s total applicants, as of Jan. 18, scored an average high score of 1299 out of 1600 on the SAT. This score is just barely higher than last year’s average high score of 1297.

The average high score of students who are already admitted to Fordham for the Fall of 2017 is 1392. This is just slightly lower than last year’s admitted student’s score (1394). In addition, the mean GPA of admitted students this year is a 3.8. Last year’s admitted students held the same 3.8 mean GPA as well.

Of all applicants, 35 percent

represent ethnic/racial diversity.

An additional 14 percent of the applications come from international

students. More than 50 different countries are represented in the applicant pool, the majority hail-

ing from China, India, South Korea and Taiwan.

This year, Fordham has re-

OWEN CORRIGAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Early Action applications broke a record for another year in a row, and SAT scores remained constant.

ceived at least one application from every state including Washington D.C. Outside of the tri-state, Fordham has consistently received a majority of applications from MA, CA, PA, FL, IL and TX. In recent years, the geographic diversity of the applicant pool has been similar.

The remainder of the decisions will be sent out to students no later than April 1.

“I am very pleased with the applicant pool as a whole,” Peek said. “What you do not see from statistics alone is that in addition to being an academically very strong applicant pool, the students themselves, as individuals are impressive — many are leaders, performers and/or are committed to service.”

Peek attributes the growth of the application pool to several factors including various annual outreach campaigns, over 500 visits to both national and international secondary schools and early communication with potential students.

“Our work in building a strong applicant pool is not limited to just one year,” Peek said. “We start communicating with students as early as their sophomore year in high school.”

NEWS

January 25, 2017

Page 7

College Democrats, Other Fordham Students March Women’s March Sees Over 400,000 FROM WOMEN, PAGE 1

packed with people primed for the protest. Together the group braved the dense and often unmoving crowd with a homemade sign stating “Women’s Right are Human Rights”, a popular saying reiterated at the march which was first uttered by Hillary Clinton in 1995.

One of Porter’s residents, Robin Happel, FCRH ’16, marched against Trump’s attack on disability rights, an issue that hit close to home. “Repealing the ACA’s anti-discrimination laws would be disastrous for my mom, a close high school friend and other folks with congenital heart defects, not

to mention other types of preexisting conditions, like being a woman or a survivor of gender violence,” said Happel, who carried a handmade sign stating “‘Trump called disabled vets a ‘detriment’ to his ‘tax-paying’ business” during the march.

For marcher Helen Ziminsky, FCRH ’17, the Women’s March was a family affair. “I’m one of five sisters who each participated in a march, three of us in New York, one in San Francisco, and the other in Washington DC. We’re marching across the country in support of each other and all women,” said Ziminsky, using a feminist newspaper entitled

Resist handed to her by a fellow marcher as an impromptu protest sign.

The Fordham College Democrats also sent a group of 20 down to the event later in the afternoon.

“The reason we are marching is to show solidarity as a club for equality and civil rights for everyone.

President Trump’s rhetoric and policy proposals have been frightening to many Americans, particularly women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. This march serves as a symbol of unity and a reminder that Americans will stand together to protect civil rights, even if the new President won’t,” said the club’s president,

Thomas Palumbo.

As the marchers made their way from the United Nations Headquarters to Trump Tower, they were rarely silent. Fordham students participated in chants such as “my body, my choice” and “this is what democracy looks like.” The march ended at Trump Tower where protesters turned their efforts directly at Trump, chanting “hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go!” and “racist, sexist, anti-gay, Donald Trump should go away.”

The protests, overall, were peaceful. While inauguration protests saw more than 200 arrests, neither the Women’s march on

Washington nor its sister March in NYC yielded a single arrest, according to CNN. Although the New York protesters, who took over streets that were not originally blocked off for the march because of the crowd size, no altercations arose.

For Fordham College Democrats, the work of the Women’s March is not over.

“I have stressed to the club that yesterday’s march was simply a first step in fighting inequality and from here we have a lot of work to do to truly ensure civil rights and equality for everyone in the country,” Palumbo said.

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

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January 25, 2016

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January 25, 2017

OPINION

Page 9

The Fordham Ram

Conspiracy: The “Gender Wage Gap” Edition

By BRIANNA LYMAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The wage gap is a divisive issue that has become one of the most heated topics in the last few years.

Also referred to as the “equal work, equal pay” movement, the fight to end the women’s wage gap has gained considerable momentum, generating movements across the country as men and women fight to end the “80 cents to a dollar” paycheck.

I concur completely with those who fight to end such a gap. However, it is impossible to remain silent in the wake of a movement with a plethora of inconsistencies The analysis of wage gap statistics must not be misleading, no matter how catchy the slogan is.

The most important — and most overlooked — component of the gender wage gap movement is where these numbers are derived from. Despite the belief that in any given career a woman is bound to make 20 cents less than her male counterpart, the truth remains that in many careers, women are making the exact same hourly paycheck as their male co-worker.

According to The Washington Post, “….economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis surveyed economic literature and concluded that research suggests that the actual gender wage gap (when female workers are compared with male workers who have similar characteristics) is much lower than the raw wage gap.”

That being said, how do we

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A closer look into the gender wage gap shows that factual inconsistencies lead to damaging misconceptions.

come to the conclusion that there is a 20 cent discrepancy between men and women? The Census Bureau is responsible for computing the difference in earnings of men and women and then distributing that information as they see fit.

Simply put, the “wage gap” is a “ratio of the difference between women’s median earnings and men’s median earnings,” which is how we come to the conclusion of an approximate 20 cent wage gap.

However, the Census Bureau fails to differentiate between job type and the number of working

hours and job tenure. Logically, when comparing the earnings of a female high school teacher to a male lawyer, of course the median earnings of the lawyer will be much greater than that of the teacher.

In general, women work fewer hours than men over the course of a year, so the statistics that the White House, as well as other organizations, use when fighting for the Paycheck Fairness Act are less reliable when taking the factors above into consideration.

Annual wages do not factor in the types of jobs being compared to each another, working hours

and most importantly, which types of benefits given with said job.

When factored in, this may actually show that some workers earn more given the fact that insurance plans, amongst other things, are benefits of a job that would otherwise have to be paid for out of pocket.

Another key factor to look at is that highest earning jobs are predominantly filled by men, as shown by a Georgetown University survey, while jobs that tend to pay less are typically filled by women.

Also, women who marry and

have children typically take unpaid time off of work or cut back their hours to care for their kids, further widening the difference between their median earnings to those of men.

Still, I will not dispute that there is a wage gap. However, the wage gap is dramatically smaller than that of what the media propagates. Many Americans do not have the time, nor the resources, to fact check news. Because of this, many Americans remain in the dark on from where statistics are derived.

It is important for both our media and our politicians to be honest with us.

Former President Barack Obama received criticism in regards to wage gap comments made at his State of the Union address, as well as during his 2012 campaign.

In order to show a more accurate “wage gap,” we must look at weekly earnings while also making sure we are comparing the same jobs.

It is also important for activists groups to make sure that they are not spreading a statistic on little factual standing, something done all too much in recent years.

Despite it all, we will eventually come to the day when the wage gap is obsolete, but we may only do so after making sure we know and understand all the given information.

Brianna Lyman, FCRH ’20, is an international political economy major from Dobbs Ferry, New York.

The Problem with Participation Trophies

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Participation trophies are becoming a major problem because they are handed out based on attendance, not achievement.

By CHRISTOPHER CANADEO OPINION EDITOR

Imagine you are a proud parent whose child is participating in his or her first ever soccer tournament. Your child is around eight years old and is so excited to play well and win first prize. Medals go to the top three teams in the tournament with the best team receiving the most cherished medal.

After a long day on the soccer field, your child’s team, unfortunately, comes in fifth place. However, at the end of the tournament, every

player who was not part of the top three teams receives a participation trophy for their hard work on the field. When you get in the car to drive home, your child is smiling in the back of the car, holding up the participation trophy he won. But, is he a winner?

The answer is no. Participation trophies are toxic to our youth because they inhibit children from realizing the true value of winning. We value trophies because they are rare and special. Receiving a gold medal in the Olym-

pics means you are the very best in that event. If everybody at the Olympics received a medal for participating in the event, why would they even bother to train? The participation trophy is a symbol of mediocrity and sends kids the wrong message.

Even at a young age, kids should aim high and understand that losing is a part of life. Not everybody can be a winner, and not everybody should be a winner.

Giving an award to a child just for showing up invites laziness and

perhaps even encourages a losing attitude. Teachers do not give A’s on exams to every child in the classroom who shows up for the test, and frankly, they don’t give a passing grade either. Achievement must be earned, and thus, is much more rewarding to the individual when they achieve something worthy of legitimate praise.

I understand that losing can sometimes be hard, and that watching a child cope with that loss is not fun for any parent, but it is a part of growing up and progressing as a human being. Parents cannot be fearful of how their child will feel after they do not get what they want. Although no one likes to see a kid cry, creating an award to give to children who did not succeed is not a sufficient method for wiping away tears. Showing kids support and affection should not come at the expense of reality. Losing can teach a child lessons, and through those lessons a child can grow up and learn to work hard and succeed in whatever they would like to accomplish.

The bigger picture here is that as great as winning is, learning how to lose is just as important. There is value in losing because it motivates a child to work harder and hopefully do better. This desire to

do better is healthy for the child and can push them to surpass their own expectations as to what they thought they were capable of. If you remove this idea of losing, you may also take away these precious motivational factors that push a child to success.

I also understand that the year is 2017, a year that has already seen violence in response to the inauguration of our president and mass protests or “marches” due to loss of a certain political candidate and the win of another, but perhaps if more people learned the right way to lose, this could all be avoided.

Coddling children (and adults) is, and always will be, a poor response to losing in anything and is only useful in covering up reality.

Losing is hard, and nobody likes to lose. However, nobody wins at everything. Learning the right and respectful way to lose, not only in athletics, but in other facets of life is crucial to growing as a human being. For children, this sense of losing, which correlates to true pride in winning, may only be achieved through the abolition of meaningless participation trophies.

Christopher Canadeo, GSB ’19, is a marketing major from Long Island, New York.

OPINION

Page 10

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 readershipi 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 Mailing Address Fordham University - Station 37 Box B Bronx, NY 10458 Editor-in-Chief Erin Shanahan Managing Editor Margarita Artoglou Business Director Matthew Schiller Operations Director Andrea Garcia Copy Chief Liz Doty Editorial Director Catherine Swindal Assistant Business Director Tyler Dikun Assistant Copy Chief Taylor Shaw News Editor Theresa Schliep Assistant News Editors Aislin Keely Victor Ordonez Opinion Editors Christopher Canadeo Briana Scalia Culture Editors Bailey Hosfelt Libby Smislova Erin Cabrey Sports Editor Jack McLoone Assistant Sports Editors Alvin Halimwidjaya Tom Terzulli Photo Editors Julia Comerford Owen Corrigan Layout Editor Delaney Leiter Digital Team Mario Nicastro Nick Wetzel Faculty Advisor Beth Knobel Editorial Page Policy The Fordham Ram ’s editorial and ramblings topics are selected on a weekly basis and reflect 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.

January 25, 2017

From the Desk | Bailey Hosfelt

Third Wave Feminism Thrives Four-hundred seventy thousand people.

That was the estimated number of individuals who participated in the Women’s March on Washington this past Saturday, an amount that overwhelmingly exceeded the organizers’ expected headcount by more than double.

With offshoots coined “sister marches” sprawled about hundreds of cities across the country and many matching the energy abroad, Jan. 21 sent a message loud and clear: third wave feminism is alive and here to stay.

As I marched throughout our nation’s capital, standing in solidarity with my fellow Americans, I reflected on the statement we were making. That, although vulnerable, we will remain vigilant to the rhetoric and action that surrounds us, silences us, scares us.

I was proud that I could scan the crowd, studying the throngs of people walking on each and every side of me, and have anything but a white-washed swarm looking back — a common critique of feminism in the 21st century.

The Women’s March on Washington was not like the women’s movement of decades past that excluded people based on skin color, education level or socioeconomic status, but rather an inclusive gathering of all races, genders, ages, sexual orientations and backgrounds: a snapshot of true intersectional feminism.

This was not like the National Organization for Women meetings of the 1960s and ’70s where upperclass, white women came together

without paying any attention to the voices of minorities, but rather a gathering that welcomed everyone from all walks of life. As stated in the event’s mission and vision statement and upheld by the diversity among marchers, “We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us.” Daughters sat atop fathers’ shoulders. Mothers pushed their sons in strollers. Couples embraced each other holding matching signs.

Friends harmonized while singing to “This Land Is Your Land.”

Feminism has an incredibly complex history, one that I realize is not free of flaws, but at its core, the movement simply strives to attain the political, social and economic equality of the sexes, an idea that I believe every individual should stand behind.

Too often I find that people extrapolate something much more complicated from the definition, which turns them off from the movement altogether. Whether it is the result of misinformation, preconceived stereotypes or internal prejudices, many are wary of the validity of feminism and discredit the work it does.

Listening to the Women’s March on Washington reduced to nothing but an anti-Trump protest overshadows the marginalized communities and oppressed individuals that it supported, discrediting the validity of those who publicly vocalized their concerns.

The negativity and stigma surrounding feminism is prevalent and pervasive. Feminists are by and large

met with criticism, how they choose to organize often being at the forefront of such criticisms.

No activism or person is perfect, but I would rather participate, acknowledge my privilege and establish a precedent to stand together with my peers rather than remain stagnant and silent.

It took me years to identify as a feminist despite believing in everything the word stands for (likely due to the close-mindedness I was surrounded by), but after I finally embraced the label, I never looked back.

Whether it has been intentional or the result of blind luck, I have found myself surrounded by strong feminists who I call upon every day. When I want a second opinion about an important decision, need another voice to quiet the one inside my own mind, to share a creative space or simply send along a reassuring text, I know that I can always count on these people to be on the other end of the conversation.

Together, we have created a ragtag coalition with a raging albeit slightly aggressive spirit that empathizes, understands and, most importantly, empowers.

I like to picture us as the key players whose faces are thumb-tacked onto the suspect board in an episode of crime television, intersectional feminism the common thread linking us all: From my sister who stood two steps ahead of me on Election Day, leading the way to our Brooklyn polling place, to my roommate who matched my feeling of sheer exhaus-

tion as they announced the 45th president at three in the morning; from the 23-year-old two subway rides away who won’t apologize for sharing her opinion to my mother whose wisdom never ceases to give me the strength to speak mine.

There are countless examples of people fighting for equality in both drastic and everyday measures: A friend a Fordham campus away engaging in thought-provoking conversations; another across the Atlantic, studying in a country that already welcomed its first female leader with open arms; a hookup who upheld the truth that men too can be feminists in a time when I needed reassurance the most and a male peer who, despite having different political leanings, understands that we will not succeed as a society until both sexes are equal.

While the 2016 election result left millions of Americans at a loss for words, I, along with all of my fellow marchers, were able to find more than enough to say this weekend.

Although the next four years remain unknown, the Women’s March on Washington affirmed, in the form of direct action by hundreds of thousands of feminists that, as Hillary Clinton declared over 20 years ago, “women’s rights are human rights.”

Editorial | The Women’s March of 2017

A Step in the Right Direction An estimated 470,000 people attended The Women’s March on Washington, D.C. this past Saturday. Sister marches, including one in New York City, gathered around 4 million people worldwide, including many Fordham students.

Although these popular protests were mostly viewed as a powerful call for equality and unity, some criticised the protest methods used and the message as a whole for not including the experiences of nonwhite, non-cisgender women.

USA Today defines intersectional feminism as “the understanding of how women’s overlapping identities — including race, class, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation — impact the way they experience oppression and discrimination.” In other words, a black woman has a much different

experience than a white woman, and a transgender woman will have a very different experience than a cisgendered woman. It is essentially the idea that feminism should not just include rights that involve strictly being a woman, but must include issues that affect other intersecting identities.

As early as the inception of the march, some people expressed concern on its Facebook events pages that it would emphasize the issues held important by those in positions of privilege — namely, upper-class white women. For generations, the feminist movement was exclusive to only white, straight and cisgendered women.

And while feminism as a whole has been receiving a lot more popularity and media coverage, it is mainly white feminists who are in the

spotlight. Though the intention of the women’s march was to unite women and protest the actions of President Trump and his administration, the march also highlighted the importance of intersectional feminism and why we as a nation must pay more attention to every kind of feminist.

This march was the most diverse of feminist history for a reason.

Many people of color who did decide to attend the march took the opportunity to publicize the lack of intersectionality and address the importance of race within the fight for women’s rights. A photo of black feminist Angela Peoples holding a sign that read, “Don’t forget: White women voted for Trump” standing in front of three white women taking selfies went viral over the weekend, and

served as a reminder of the racial tensions surrounding our current political climate, feminists movements and the march itself.

This acknowledgement of the lack of intersectional feminism at the marches across the country this past Saturday is not in any way trying to undermine the march. It was in turn a great opportunity to bring this issue with mainstream feminism to light. For the past months, intersectional feminism has been discussed over social media in an unprecedented way. It serves, as UCLA’s Grace Hong told NPR, “so that you can have the tough conversations.” The marches this past weekend have for sure opened that door, a door that should remain open, both for those who marched and those who did not.

Disagree with our editorial?

Let us know!

Send your letters to the editor to fordhamramopinions@gmail.com!

OPINION

January 25, 2017

Page 11

Trump’s Not-So-Star-Studded Inauguration Concert

By JOHN CHRISTEN STAFF WRITER

President Donald J. Trump’s preinauguration concert, the “Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration,” blessed the ears of hardworking Americans on Thursday, Jan. 19. The aural pleasure-fest beautifully melded the “A-list” musical voices that best represent the lawabiding, (Christian) God-fearing citizens that make up this great nation.

The event moved swaths of audience-members to tears, all of whom could only produce one thought: God bless our president-elect.

My apologies! I was writing about the event using “alternative facts” as a reference. Let me adjust my account of the concert while simultaneously referencing the truth.

Factually speaking, Trump’s inauguration planning team faced more rejection from popular music artists than any other president. Several high-profile artists, such as Elton John, Céline Dion, Garth Brooks, KISS, Moby, David Foster, Rebecca Ferguson and Charlotte Church turned down the offer. Even the Bruce Springsteen cover-band, The B-Street Band, backed out weeks before the event.

Traditionally, performing at the president-elect’s inaugural proceedings is considered an incredible honor, despite each artist’s individual political beliefs. Perhaps, for this reason, past president-elects have experienced negligible difficulty in securing performers for pre-inaugural festivities.

Trump responded to criticism of his booking difficulties by instructing his team to issue a brief, cordial statement that asked Americans to focus on the issues that matter, like restructuring the Affordable Care Act and examining U.S. relations with Russia.

Kidding. Actually, on Dec. 22, he sent an innocuous and false tweet to his followers to end the debate over whether or not he is, in fact,

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Several notable artists refused President Trump’s invitation to perform, but 3 Doors Down accepted his offer.

thin-skinned: “The so-called ‘A’ list celebrities are all wanting tixs to the inauguration, but look what they did for Hillary, NOTHING. I want the PEOPLE!” I buy that. Trump wants to avoid “A-list” celebrities, since most of them oppose him. Plus, that attitude plays into his rhetoric about representing the unheard, i.e. the people. Unfortunately, his team requested that several “A-list” celebrities perform at the preinauguration bash. His tweet carries relatively little meaning, other than telegraphing his post-rejection discontent to the country.

Perhaps Trump was unable to successfully secure performances by high-profile artists because popular, non-ignorant U.S. culture has almost unilaterally decided that he poses a serious threat to national security, economic prosperity, the healthcare of more than 18 million Americans, first-amendment religious and free-speech rights, minority and LGBTQ civil liberties and the hardfought rebranding of what it means to be a woman in this country. Does anybody remember that President Trump was accused by almost 20 women of sexual assault during his presidential campaign? Bobby Bush sure does.

Or, maybe the honor of perform-

ing for the soon-to-be leader of the free world pales in comparison to the honor of fighting against re-normalizing the mistreatment of women, religious and racial minorities, immigrants and those in the LGBTQ community.

For the record, those who performed at the “Make America Great Again! Welcome Concert” included: Jackie Evancho, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, The Rockettes, 3 Doors Down, Toby Keith, Sam Moore, Lee Greenwood, Chrisette Michele, The Piano Guys, DJ Ravidrums, The Frontmen of Country, Travis Greene, Tony Orlando and Tim Rushlow.

These artists, plus many high school and college marching bands made up the program at Trump’s pre-inauguration bonanza.

So yes, Trump’s “Make America Great Again! Welcome Concert” lineup might not attract the same attention as Firefly, Governor’s Ball or Coachella, but does it matter?

Well, yes and no.

When reflected upon out of context, a reasonable person might explain how people have the freedom to express personal music preferences, so it carries little importance. Furthermore, pre-inaugural music acts are not germane to the effectiveness of a future president.

What is significant, however, is the overall level of disdain the music community feels toward Donald Trump. These — not all — artists’ disdain indicates a tangible ideological split between one United States and another. Politics and ideologies aside, these “A-list” celebrities’ refusals to perform at Trump’s inauguration illustrates a real division between popular and suppressed traditional cultures. Their refusal becomes a reinforcement of one of Trump’s key themes, paraphrased here: popular culture ignores Americans that live in rural “flyover” areas and espouses coastal, urban lifestyles, so who needs them when you have nostalgia and Trump?

The most popular music tends to be music that attempts to break boundaries, challenge norms, express emotions and tell stories in a new way. It empathetically captures the imagination and unites us in one resounding effort to express humanity.

Is it really any surprise that President Trump was unable to secure the best that the American music community has to offer?

erendum proposes “…a radical plan to pay every single adult a guaranteed income of 425 pounds a week,” roughly 1,700 pounds a month. If Switzerland is able to follow through on this plan, it could become the first country in the world to pay each of its citizens a monthly income, whether or not they are employed. Unfortunately, the plan would cost the federal government a total of 208 billion francs, or 143 billion pounds, a year.

If the plan were to make it through the Swiss government successfully, most of the funds would have to be levied from taxes and the rest from social insurance and social assistance spending.

Interestingly enough, a survey given to most Swiss residents asked questions about what life could possibly look like if the referendum were to pass. A majority of participants, including employees from a wide array of careers, stated that if the plan were to go through, they would con-

tinue to work. Many were shocked to hear later in the survey that one third of participants believed that others would take advantage of the system and stop working. Also, more than half believe that the referendum will never pass.

While the idea of living in a utopia where no citizen would have to work to earn a living wage is not impossible, I do not believe it could be achieved in the foreseeable future. In order for this system to work, there would have to be a large number of citizens who still willingly work.

This is not dissimilar to the idea of universal health care, where funds are taken from the wealthier population’s wages to support the health care for those less fortunate. There is also the matter of trust between citizens: the trust that those who are not working and contributing to the economy have valid reasons and are not simply being lazy. Already the survey given to Swiss citizens proves that people

have a difficult time trusting one another, especially those they have never met.

There are many pros and cons to living in a world that functions without all citizens contributing to the economy. Many of the benefits, of course, involve humanitarian concerns, such as being able to financially support people in need.

However, the drawbacks of this kind of economy are already evident in society today, whether it be the struggle universal health care places on the middle class or the differing opinions on what a utopia would actually be like.

Overall, while the idea is progressive, inventive and empathetic to the plight of the less fortunate, it does not have a strong enough foundation to be available in our lifetime.

John Christen, FCRH ’19, is an international political economy major from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Utopia of Tomorrow?

By BRIANA SCALIA OPINION EDITOR

While human civilization continues to make tremendous progress in technology and standards of living over the past decades, one aspect that has not been questioned over the past years is the idea of earning a living. While aspects like wages, hours and benefits are constantly being discussed around the world, most people know that in order to live in this world you need to be employed at some kind of job. However, there are some people who feel that a perfect world would not require any of its citizens to work for a living and instead be able to coexist without the worrying about money. Now, this so -called utopia exists in the not-so distant future.

According to The Daily Mail, residents of Switzerland are planning to vote on a countrywide referendum to try and achieve this goal. The ref-

Briana Scalia, FCRH ’20, is a journalism major from Long Island, New York.

Kathryn Wolper The Price of a College Degree The Washington Post reports that consumers over 60 now hold $66.7 billion in student loan debt. This figure has grown from $8.2 billion in 2005. Seventy-five percent of this debt was incurred on behalf of children or grandchildren. This report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau demonstrates that the rising cost of college education and the hurting job market affect both recent college graduates as well as the adults who support them financially.

One can imagine that, going forward, the effects of student loan debt on the economy will be compounded as educational costs continue to increase. If a recent college graduate struggles to pay off his or her own loans and is then burdened with the cost of his or her children’s education, the luxury economy will suffer.

Vacations, meals out and entertainment may drift out of reach for many consumers.

Necessities, in addition to luxuries, are also threatened by these large amounts of student loan debt. The Washington Post reports that many older people with student loan debt frequently miss important doctor’s appointments due to affordability issues or do not receive Social Security payments due to outstanding debts.

This burden threatens the health and livelihood of older Americans. Debt serves as an economic tranquilizer, reducing both spending and opportunity for older Americans, many of whom are typical participants in the leisure economy.

Although student loan debt is generally considered to be a young person’s issue, this report shows that the effects of costly education transcend generations and have a broader impact on the economy than anticipated. This issue is not short lived, either; unless education becomes more affordable, or jobs become more plentiful and lucrative, debt will continue to rise and the range of young people who can feasibly afford a college education will narrow.

Unless the American outlook on higher education radically changes, a college education itself may rise to luxury status. High school graduates must consider their higher education plans practically instead of choosing a prestigious four-year university based on its name. Students will be compelled to consider scholarships, grants and alternative educational options like trade schools or Associate’s Degree programs with the goal of jobs in either service sectors or manufacturing sectors.

One potential pitfall in fewer students attending college is a decrease in highly trained professionals in a variety of fields. Fewer doctors, for example, could cause healthcare costs to skyrocket. While many of these potential fixes for rising debt and their repercussions are hypothetical, they are worth considering as student loan debt approaches a critical tipping point for people of all ages.

Surely, the landscape of higher education and the demand for it will radically change if its cost continues to rise disproportionately to its value for young job seekers.

OPINION

Page 12

Joe Moresky The Routine Miracle Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of Inauguration Day were Senator Roy Blunt’s opening remarks. Looking back at the observations President Ronald Reagan made at his own inaugural ceremony in 1981, Blunt reminded spectators and viewers alike that what America has witnessed was nothing short of a routine wonder. Reagan had christened our nation’s quadrennial display of the peaceful transition of power a “commonplace miracle:” commonplace in that Americans have become accustomed to this transition, miraculous in that it consistently occurs.

This isn’t always the case. Even in our modern age, the kind of democratic moment witnessed last Friday is still a rarity in some parts of the globe.

In what BBC News christened “one of the biggest election upsets West Africa has ever seen”, Adama Barrow emerged victorious in The Islamic Republic of The Gambia’s presidential election. He had defeated longtime incumbent Yahya Jammeh, who had been ruling The Gambia since a coup d’etat in 1994, by a popular vote margin of 3.7 percentage points. Jammeh consequently conceded electoral defeat on Dec. 2, 2016. It was the first time the transfer of power in The Gambia had been decided by a democratic election since the nation’s 1965 referendum for independence from the United Kingdom.

But then something changed.

Several days after the election had concluded, Jammeh began asserting that there had been an unacceptable amount of electoral irregularities. Rejecting the outcome of the contest, he called for a renewed vote. This decision to desperately cling onto power was widely decried by both internal Gambian institutions and external entities.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) began applying diplomatic pressure in an attempt to convince Jammeh to recognize the results of the election.

After those efforts failed, ECOWAS and the African Union petitioned the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to authorize a military intervention in support of the legitimacy of Adama Barrow’s victory.

Gambian citizens began fleeing the country, seeking safety in neighboring Senegal. By Jan. 19, Jammeh remained defiant and unwilling to step down. The UNSC authorized intervention and Senegalese troops entered Gambian territory.

Finally, on Jan. 21, Jammeh relinquished power and pledged to abide by an ECOWAS-arranged exile. The Gambia’s national nightmare was not quite over. As Jammeh left the beleaguered country, he took with him over 11 million dollars—virtually draining state coffers.

As we reflect on our own country’s tumultuous presidential election, we must take pride in the fact that our electoral institutions remain stalwart.

Even in the face of division and protest, we can revel in our shared ownership of the strongest bastion of liberty to ever grace this Earth.

We can look past our differences to find solidarity in being American.

January 25, 2017

Trump Challenges CNN’s “Fake News”

By PARKER ORTOLANI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

President Trump called CNN “fake news” at his press conference last week after they reported on a leaked component of an intelligence briefing containing damning accusations of Trump participating in tasteless acts with prostitutes in Russia. It was quite a spectacle, considering this entire debacle feels abnormal and unprecedented. As journalist Jim Acosta stood up to ask the then president-elect a question, Trump shut him down and then declared his employer, CNN, a bearer of “fake news.”

This piece is not necessarily a criticism of Donald Trump, but rather an examination of his goals.

He is clearly not fond of the press and when news outlets publish something that he deems inappropriate, he punishes them publicly. Donald Trump laid down his law during this rare appearance, asserting himself as the iron-fisted leader he has promised to be throughout the campaign. This was about him setting a precedent that, while dangerous, is not surprising.

There are several pieces to this grossly confusing puzzle. The first is that CNN had every right to report on those documents as they were a part of a national intelligence briefing, whether they are accurate or not.

If these documents are deemed important enough for a presidential briefing, then the public deserves to know about them too.

The incredibly popular website Buzzfeed also published the entire 35 page document detailing the event. Trump later declared Buzzfeed a “failing pile of garbage” during his press conference.

I will defend Buzzfeed for the same reasons that I defended CNN. Yes, Trump reserves the right to call them left-leaning organizations just as these news outlets reserve the right to call out Donald Trump for any unsavory facts they find on him.

This event is seemingly less about CNN and more about Donald Trump. He obviously prefers to have a direct line to his constituents rather than having outlets put their own spin on his announcements and achieve-

COURTESY OF FLICKR

President Trump calls out both Buzzfeed and CNN for reporting supposed “fake news” that lacks factual standing.

ments.

This is why the President uses Twitter to communicate with his fans. He wants people to pay attention to him, not CNN and the news media. He wants us to believe everything he says and tweets.

President Trump is simply trying to remove the fact-checking component that is so crucial to keeping the executive branch in check.

My biggest concern with all of this is that people will fall for Trump’s act. As he earned tens of millions of votes, there certainly are many people who do not care that he is a serial liar or that he has claimed on video that he can sexually assault women because of his fame. Many of those same people, Trump supporters, now have healthcare thanks to the Affordable Care Act. It does not make any sense why these people voted for a candidate who vows to remove the healthcare plan that has supported them. They voted for him without ever hearing a proposed

plan to replace the Affordable Care Act, and not just repeal it.

His supporters are willing to see past his lies, inappropriate behavior and crudeness because of his bombast.

Our fear should not be that CNN and Buzzfeed are reporting news with bias; rather, it should be that Trump will overshadow reputable news outlets. We cannot let him forgo the press that is supposed to keep an eye on him.

This should be troubling for both Democrats and Republicans, this is not a partisan issue.

Both sides reserve the right to disagree with reporting that is biased against their beliefs. They both have every right to share their opinions.

We should be worried about fake news on social media. Both parties should fear Trump going after the press. Freedom of the press is a staple of our democracy and no president should be allowed to tamper with it.

All of this is troubling because Donald Trump is not only new to government, but seems to have a

radically wrong idea of how government actually works.

Many people keep saying that we need to give Trump a chance.

Those same people were the ones who refused to give Barack Obama a chance eight years ago.

No one will deny that Trump is a very different kind of president, one that we have not really seen before. The closest comparison I can make is to Richard Nixon, and we all know how that turned out.

Something that appears to be one of Trump’s top priorities is to expose the inner workings of a media the public distrusts. At his first press conference of the year as president, he has already attacked two media giants. His reaction to this event gave us a preview of the kind of president he plans to be.

Whether you like it or not, Donald Trump is the President of the United States now.

Parker Ortolani, FCRH ’20, is a communication and media studies major from Buffalo, New York.

Disagree with these opinions?

Have your own hot take?

Write to us!

Email us at fordhamramopinions@gmail.com!

January 25, 2016

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Page 13

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The Ram

Meet The Staff

Page 14 Editor-In-Chief

BUSINESS DIRECTOR

Editorial Director

Erin Shanahan is currently a junior at Fordham College Rose Hill from Warwick, NY majoring in psychology with a minor in classical civilizations. In addition to being the Editor-in-Chief of The Fordham Ram, Erin works as a Resident Assistant in Walsh Hall, researches Non-Suicidal Self Injury with Professor Andover of the psychology department and gets served in intramural basketball. Erin has previously served as the managing editor for The Ram and as Laura Sanicola’s favorite child. In her free time, Erin often bakes cookies for mostly herself and sometimes her friends.

Matthew Schiller is a junior at the Gabelli School of Business with a major in marketing and an intended minor in communications. He hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, making him fluent in the languages of chili over spaghetti, the Big Red Machine and losing playoff games in the most heartcrushing fashions. Ask him what he’s doing, and you’ll usually get a mix of playing golf for the Rams, pestering alumni for money and wrangling the Business Staff to meet all their deadlines. When he isn’t balancing these endeavors, he enjoys being exceptionally bad at video games, scarfing down sandwiches for every meal and dancing flamboyantly with his eyes closed.

Cat Swindal is currently a sophomore at Fordham College Rose Hill from Pittsburgh,PA majoring in philosophy and Spanish. On campus, Cat is the Editorial Director of The Fordham Ram and a member of the Campus Ministry community, serving in both the Gloria Dei Choir and the Praise and Worship band. In her free time, Cat likes to watch any Netflix comedy and quote “The Office” (preferably while watching it).

Assistant copy chief

Taylor Shaw is a currently a sophomore at Fordham College Rose Hill, majoring in English and minoring in marketing, despite the fact that she’s taken no marketing classes prior to this semester! In addition to attempting to catch mistakes and correcting friends’ grammar (who doesn’t love that?), she’s also a part of Black Sheep, the performance poetry group on campus. She can often be found reading, writing or listening to super sappy poetry like the hopeless romantic she is, or stressing with other fun folks in the windowless resource room of OSI, planning for New Student Orientation.

Assistant News Editor

Victor Ordonez is a junior at Fordham College Rose Hill, majoring in journalism with a minor in political science.

He is from Long Island, New York, which you could likely tell from his accent. As assistant News Editor for The Fordham Ram, he has a passion for writing news. Victor is often stressed from constant reminders of impending student loans and crippling debt. In such desperate times, he enjoys the comfort of a good book. Some of his favorite authors include Ray Bradbury and Chuck Palahniuk.

Opinion Editor

Briana Scalia is currently a freshman at Fordham College Rose Hill from Long Island, New York majoring in broadcast journalism/media studies with a minor in marketing.

When she’s not working at the Fordham Ram, the paper, Mode magazine, or any other Fordham publication, she can be found dissecting plot points and criticizing casting choices of the latest movies. Fun fact: she sang the National Anthem at a Long Island Ducks baseball game when she was seven (just google “Our Sports Central” and her name). You can tell she’s hungry if she’s stalking the @ curlyfriesoffordham instagram page.

Managing Editor

Operations Manager

Copy Chief

News Editor

January 25, 2017 Margarita Artoglou is a junior at Fordham College Rose Hill. Hailing from Queens, New York, she lovingly refers to herself as “the flashy girl from Flushing.” She is a communication and media studies major and is still considering her options when it comes to a minor. Prior to her promotion to Managing Editor of The Fordham Ram, Margarita spent two years as Opinion Editor, so she basically lives in the Ram office. She also served as the office’s unofficial DJ and supplied a constant stream of 80’s throwback playlists. Her hobbies include pointing out dogs on the street, staying up to date on memes, and mouthing the lyrics to Missy Elliot’s “Work It” on the elliptical.

Andrea Garcia is a sophomore at Fordham College Rose Hill from West Milford, New Jersey majoring in political science and communications on a pre-law track. In addition to being Operations Manager of The Fordham Ram, she is a member of the Women’s Rowing team and an Operations Intern for the Football Team. She’s also a member of the Business of Sports Society, Rose Hill Society and the West Wing ILC. Off campus, she is a Contributing Writer and Photographer for the Digest and VUE Magazines in Hoboken. Chances are, she’s holding at least one cup of coffee, but is often found with her sketchbook, a musical instrument or beloved camera.

Liz Doty is a sophomore at Fordham College Rose Hill majoring in history with a minor in bioethics, on the prelaw track. In addition to being the Copy Chief of The Fordham Ram, Liz plays on the Women’s Club Squash team. When she is not hitting around on the squash courts or correcting your grammar, Liz can be found interning at the National MS Society and clutching her Starbucks cup on the first floor of the Walsh Library. If you can’t find Liz in her free time, there is a good chance that either her phone is dead or she is lost somewhere in a museum.

Theresa Schliep is a sophomore at Fordham College Rose Hill, double-majoring in history and English. She is from the exotic land of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, and prides herself off being on the boardwalk at the same times as Snooki and J-Woww. While not taking the train to Woodlawn to write a last-minute story, attending USG meetings or running around campus trying to do all-things news editor, Theresa works for WFUV. Her interests include reading, missing her cat and wondering if people actually think her jokes are funny or if they are only laughing because they feel bad.

Assistant news editor

Aislinn Keely is a freshman at Fordham College Rose Hill and Assistant News Editor for the Fordham Ram. She would like you to know that her name is pronounced Ash-lyn, and understands your concern of her name’s defiance of phonetics. When Aislinn is not fretting over a major and overarching sense of purpose, she is tutoring sophomores at a local high school, distance running and reading works that don’t pertain to her coursework.

opinion editor

Christopher Canadeo is currently a sophomore at the Gabelli School of Business, majoring in marketing with a concentration in bad decision making. He is from Long Island, New York (a more attractive New Jersey) and is the Opinion Editor of The Fordham Ram. A former ping pong prodigy, Canadeo can be found buying cannolis on Arthur Avenue almost as frequently as he is found reading the news. Some say Canadeo founded The Fordham Ram 99 years ago, but no factual evidence of this notion has ever surfaced. Canadeo is excited to edit/provide the hottest takes on campus and to continue the standard and excellence of this cherished paper.

January 25, 2017 culture editor

culture editor

culture editor

photo editor

Volume 99 Libby Smislova is a junior at Fordham College Rose Hill majoring in English and minoring in American Catholic studies. In addition to being a returning culture editor of The Fordham Ram, she works as the web and media associate of the Curran Center and is an SAT tutor for low income schools in the city. Libby is also a stereotypical girl from Maryland with her avid love for crabs, saltwater, the Orioles and anything with Old Bay.

Bailey Hosfelt is a sophomore at Fordham College Rose Hill, majoring in journalism with a tentative double minor in creative writing and theology. She is from Wheeling in the misunderstood state of West Virginia due to rumors of incest, that one season of Buckwild and some residents sporting an egregious amount of camouflage apparel. The staff remains divided on whether or not she has style, but Bailey thinks third person is fun just like her outfits. When she’s not beefing with Jack McLoone while selling her soul as Culture Editor of The Fordham Ram, Bailey can be found missing her subway stop on account of not being awake, sleeping through her alarms or complaining that she hasn’t slept in two days.

Erin Cabrey is a junior at Fordham College at Rose Hill from Greenland, NH majoring in journalism and double minoring in film & television and women’s studies.

In addition to being a Culture Editor for the Fordham Ram, she works at the Administration Office in the Walsh Library. You can usually find her watching old episodes of “Degrassi” or lining up insanely early to be in the front row at a concert.

Julia Comerford is a freshman at Fordham College Rose

Page 15

sports editor

Asst. sports editor

Jack McLoone is a sophomore at Fordham College Rose Hill, majoring in journalism. He’s from Little Silver in everyone’s favorite state of New Jersey. Outside of exerting his will as the Sports Editor for The Fordham Ram, he also comes as close as possible to being kicked off the air without actually crossing the line in the sports department at WFUV. When not doing these things, he is aggressively plugging his Twitter account (@ jfmclooney please follow him) to promote his personal #brand, listening to an uncomfortable amount of rap music for a kid from suburbia and taking just enough pictures of his dog to make it awkward for everyone.

Alvin Halimwidjaya is a junior at Fordham College Rose Hill from Jakarta, Indonesia majoring in journalism. In addition to being assistant sports editor on the Ram, he works for WFUV Sports and is a member of University Choir. When he’s not trying to stop referring to himself in the third person, Alvin will probably be frustrating everyone with his constant puns. He is in a band called 5AM Fridays, and he also thinks he would be a great Spiderman.

Asst. sports editor Tom Terzulli is a sophomore at Fordham College

Rose Hill, majoring in journalism. The Staten Island, NY native considers himself one of the most tortured fans in sports being a Knicks AND Jets fan.

He’s also a big fan of Boxing and MMA. In addition to his work at the Ram, Tom does all things on-air for WFUV Sports. If you’re looking for someone who will constantly complain about his team’s losing or try to convince you that boxing isn’t a dying sport, he’s your guy! And yes…..Staten Island is a real borough I promise.

DIGITAL editor

Hill intending to major in visual arts with a minor in marketing. Not only is Julia photo editor of The Fordham Ram, but she also rows for the Fordham Women’s Varsity Crew Team. When she’s not rowing, Julia can be found taking photos of anything and everything on and off campus.

Mario Nicastro is a sophomore at Rose Hill College at Fordham University Rose Hill. He never really understood how to say that correctly. Mario majors in communications and plans to minor in marketing. Although he enjoys spending time in McGinley basement at The Ram, he often finds himself in the basement of Keating. For him, there’s just something special about a basement. At other times, Mario works for WFUV in the sports, news, and music departments and is an occasional volunteer for Campus Ministry.

web editor photo editor

DIGITAL editor

Owen Corrigan is currently a freshman at the Gabelli School of Business with an intended major in marketing. While also a Photo Editor at The Fordham Ram, he is an accomplished scuba diver with hundreds of dives ranging from the waters of New Jersey to the reefs of Fiji.

Owen also has a passion for anything automotive and loves music.

Nick Wetzel is currently a sophomore majoring in finance at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business. On campus, Nick is the web editor of The Fordham Ram, a fixed income researcher at the Alternative Investments Club, a member of Fordham’s Investment Banking Society and a major foodie. If he’s not searching for the best dim sum place in the city, Nick can probably be found climbing or sailing.

Layout designer

Delaney Leiter is a freshman at Fordham College Rose Hill from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is planning to major in visual arts with a minor in architecture or graphic design. On campus, Delaney is the Layout Designer and Assistant Photo Editor of The Fordham Ram. Delaney loves to spend her free time running in the New York Botanical Garden and exploring the neighborhoods of Manhattan.

Do you like correcting people’s grammar? Writing? Taking photos?

WANT TO JOIN OUR STAFF? Email fordhamramonline@gmail.com for more information.

CULTURE

Page 16

January 25, 2017

The Fordham Ram

Novel Ideas For Cold Weather Reading

By JAMIE HASHEM

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The New Year has arrived along with plunging temperatures. While your favorite warm-weather fashion choices may no longer be practical and outdoor sports too frigid to bear thinking about, it is never too frosty to pick up good book.

So without further ado, here are nine books to read when you are curled up, huddled under a heap of blankets watching the snow fall with a cup of something steaming hot.

1. “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley Enter a gripping story about Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who uses arcane experimentation to create a terrifying monster and then engages in a life-long struggle with his creation. Fans of horror will certainly enjoy this classic, but the aura of mystery, deep philosophical quandaries and dramatic settings are sure to enthrall even non-horror readers.

2. “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë The eponymous character, Jane Eyre, becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall, the home of the inscrutable Mr. Rochester. You will be sucked in by the twists and turns as a romance begins to bloom between the memorable main characters and you will be delighted by its Gothic take on descriptions of nature and the feelings of the protagonists.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Stay out of the cold and cuddle up with some recommended classics to beat the winter blues.

3. “The Snow Queen and Other Winter Tales” by Various Authors This book, in contrast to the previous two entries on this list, is a collection of fairy tales and short stories having to do with or set during winter time. Prepare to be enthralled by all the classic fairy tale tropes: curses, royalty, romance, adventure and cleverly hidden moral lessons. At the same time, this collection might just make you remember how magical the winter snow and the frosty air can be.

4. “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak This masterfully written story is about the life of a young girl named

Liesel Meminger, whose adopted family is hiding a Jewish man in their basement in World War II Nazi Germany. Whimsically narrated by Death, this book is sure to satisfy lovers of historical fiction, comingof-age stories and those who just cannot get enough of good writing.

5. “Anne of Green Gables” by L. M. Montgomery Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan, is mistakenly adopted by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Once they decide she can stay at Green Gables, hilarity ensues as Anne manages to get herself into all sorts of innocent, youthful scrapes. You will be charmed and captivated by this

plucky heroine and her hometown of Avonlea, Prince Edward Island.

6. “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett Mary Lennox, recently orphaned in India, is returning to Britain to live with her uncle in Misselthwaite Manor. Ignored by her uncle and most of the staff, a robin leads her to uncover a secret garden, untended since the death of her aunt. Mary, along with her friends Dickon and Colin, undertakes the restoration of the secret garden, and, along the way, discovers the key to a healthy body and an optimistic heart. This is the perfect book to remind you that spring is just around the corner.

7. “Little House on the Prairie”

by Laura Ingalls Wilder This popular book series chronicles the life of pioneer Laura Ingalls Wilder as she moves from Wisconsin to Kansas, Minnesota and South Dakota. Any one of the eight novels completed by Wilder is sure to delight, with recollections of pioneer activities like gathering maple sap or churning butter that will transport your imagination to simpler times.

8. “The Greatest Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Calling all lovers of puzzles and thrillers, this collection of stories about the famous detective of 221B Baker Street will not disappoint.

With four novels and 44 shorter tales, this assemblage of mysteries has something for everyone. Prepare to be stumped by mind-bending puzzles that perplex all but the undefeatable Sherlock Holmes.

9. “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis Finishing this list is C.S. Lewis’ allegory featuring the four Penvensie children who travel through a magic wardrobe into the land of Narnia.

Once there, they must team up with a faun, a couple of beavers and a lion named Aslan to defeat the White Witch, the evil queen who casts a spell trapping Narnia in eternal winter. Magic abounds in this tale of good triumphing over evil, where even eternal winter cannot last forever.

Professor Succeeds at Storytelling on Twitter

By BAILEY HOSFELT CULTURE EDITOR

Robert K. Blechman teaches introductory and social media courses in the department of communications and media studies at Fordham University. However, he has taken his understanding of one online platform a step further with his latest project.

Beginning in 2009, Blechman began live-tweeting twitstery twilogy (Twitter mystery trilogy), creating three full books which follow protagonist Police Detective Arkaby, an investigator who, in addition to doing things by the book, also tweets every step of his investigations.

Blechman released his third book in the series, “I Tweet, Therefore I Am” as an Amazon eBook on Jan. 16. Blechman spoke to The Fordham Ram in a phone interview about his idea to take to Twitter for storytelling, his creative process and his projects to come.

The Fordham Ram: Did you get any outside inspiration to start live-tweeting your books or was it something you pioneered yourself ?

Robert Blechman: I started in 2009, so I was among the first to try to tweet an actual story.

There are several attempts to take existing texts and just post them as Twitter accounts in 140 characters at a time. But mine was, I think, the first live-tweeted book.

TFR: What did the timeline look like when tweeting?

RB: I started out with some ideas in mind, no real idea where I was going with the story. I set up a premise for myself and had a general story arch, but I just let the story take me where it would over the course of 15 months. I tweeted twice a day. I used the metaphor of the newspaper comic strip where you have three to four panels of storyline per day.

TFR: Did you always have the intent to make it a trilogy?

RB: I hadn’t thought about pursuing it further, but I did get a lot of positive feedback on the first book and also a lot of questions. People asked me about some issues that I brought up in the first book that hadn’t resolved, so I thought, “Let me see if there was more story here.”

TFR: Do you have a favorite of the three?

RB: When I wrote the first book, I was really being succinct, telling it in a minimalist sense.

How little could I actually post and still create the narrative? I let it go further in the second two books. I didn’t have a deadline I had to meet. I didn’t have any commitment to a publisher.

I was able to write at a more leisurely pace. The first book might be more of a pure Twitter novel in that it’s really trying to get the point across in the least amount of space as possible. In the second and third books, I was play-

ing around with different ideas.

TFR: Did not having deadlines help the creative process?

RB: A lot of the material we consume is on a time clock, but I could sit back and say, “I don’t have to worry about getting this done by Thursday. I can let this go as long as it takes to tell the story.”

But on the other hand, I was under a rigorous schedule. I posted for the newer books three times a day and the deadlines to post a book were 9 a.m., noon and 9 p.m. I did that rain or shine. Sick or healthy.

TFR: Now the three stories are available online. What was the process like transitioning them from Twitter to eBooks?

RB: When I first started tweeting in 2009 I didn’t intend to bring it out as a book. I was just testing if it could be done. Can I maintain a narrative? I was about halfway through the current book story when I got an email [from a publisher] that said, “I’ve been following you on Twitter, and I like what you’re doing. Are you going to bring it out in print?” And I thought he was kidding because it hadn’t occurred to me to publish what I was tweeting. But he responded that he’d like to publish my story. He was from Neopoisis Press, took the tweets as they appeared on my account and brought them out in book form.

TFR: Do you have any plans in the future to start another series on Twitter or in a more traditional form of storytelling?

RB: I have notebooks that I kept as a college student, and I haven’t looked at them in 40 years. I’m going to start going through them now. I always thought there was a kind of message that I was writing to my older self. If I think there’s material to fictionalize in that, that would be my next work. But I’m just at the beginning of that.

TFR: Have you given any insight to your students regarding how to kick-start a creative project on social media?

RB: I haven’t heard back from

them that I inspired them to be an author, but one thing I tried to express to my students was that I was consistently surprising myself. I would start writing something and one of my characters would go off on a tangent or the narrative would go in a direction I hadn’t intended. They talked about how the ancients were inspired by muses. And sometimes I really felt that. I would look at what I just tweeted and look at it like, “Where did that come from?”

I enjoyed continuously surprising myself.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Professor Blechman poses with the last book in his trilogy, “I Tweet, Therefore I Am.”

CULTURE

January 25, 2017

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Tara’s Travels | Tara Martinelli

Review | Television

From the BX to the UK: A Student Abroad “The Crown”

Where in the world is Tara? Don’t make fun of me, but answering this question is harder than it sounds. I have been in London for about two weeks and I still don’t know for sure what darn country I’m in. Before judging me, I swear, not a single person I have asked has been able to give me a straight answer. Is the country England or the United Kingdom? Is it neither? Is it both? What even is “Great Britain?” And yes, it matters to me! Foreigners and Londoners alike can’t give me an answer and I’m sure really want me to stop asking.

I have spent the past two weeks getting to know this city that will be my home base for the next four months. Before leaving Connecticut, many people, in order to calm my overdramatic nerves, told me that London is just a cleaner version of

New York. So what does that mean?

No rat friends to keep me company on the subway platforms? I’m out.

As a Fordham student, I am fairly certain that I’ve been mysteriously drugged on a regular basis for the last three years (my guess: it’s in Pugsley’s garlic knots) to the point where I truly believe that New York is the capital of the world and that no city can compare. So upon hearing that London is just a cleaner version of the capital of the world, I didn’t have much choice other than to constantly compare and contrast the two cities.

There are a few obvious similarities between New York and London.

They both are major business hubs, they both have English as the predominant language and they both have very strong feelings towards President Donald Trump. The only

thing anyone was reading about on the tube in the days leading up to Jan. 20 was the inauguration and Trump.

Yes, this does mean that I was looking over many people’s shoulders and no, I don’t think they appreciated it.

Other than driving on the wrong side of the road (that’s right, I said “wrong” side of the road) and the square shaped toilets which I still haven’t gotten used to, the less obvious but even greater difference between the two cities is the pace at which life moves.

We all know how fast paced life is for a New Yorker. Your time is more important than anyone else’s and you don’t care whose cup of coffee you have to knock over to get where you need to be. Life moves a little bit slower here in ole London town. I have yet to see someone run to catch the tube or a waiter rush a table of people by bringing the check too early. In fact, if you don’t ask for the check, they will never give it to you!

They’ll just let you sit there and finish the last sips of your prosecco (my new favorite thing in the whole world) and chat with your friends for as long as you want. I was having tea with a friend, trying to blend in and all, and was curious about the closing time of the café. Upon asking the waiter, he informed me that the café had actually closed 30 minutes ago. I would have never guessed.

However, something that Brit-

ish people definitely take seriously is queueing. Didn’t know that queue was a verb? I didn’t either. If I could assign a golden rule to people coming to London, I would say it’s simple: respect the queue.

When you are waiting in line, you are really waiting in that line. Before anyone says anything, yes, here, we wait in line. My friend had to step out of line for a moment to pick up a coin that he dropped that rolled away (coins can be worth a lot here). When he returned to the line, the women standing behind us was screaming at everyone to rally together to kick us out of the line. When I tried to politely explain the situation she yelled, “Shut up, Americans! It’s a joke!”

Update: she most certainly was not kidding.

As I mentioned, London is going to be my home base for the semester.

Although I love this city so dearly already, there are many others across Europe that are eagerly awaiting my arrival. Anyone can pick up a travel guide that will tell me to go to Big Ben and the House of Parliament or Buckingham Palace but only upon visiting and experiencing the cities will I be able to really understand the people, the vibes and the plumbing.

And that’s what my goal is: to find the weird and less obvious characteristics of a city that make it unique.

I’ll take London as my first city as a huge win.

Cheers!

By NICOLE FIORICA STAFF WRITER

Several weeks ago at the Golden Globes, the new Netflix series “The Crown” picked up two Golden Globes for best TV Drama and best actress in a TV Drama. Though not as widely followed as fellow nominees like “Game of Thrones” or “Stranger Things,” the series, which depicts the early years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth (Claire Foy), is no less impressive with regard to its huge production value and fantastic acting.

“The Crown” is a bit like a combination of “Downton Abbey” and “House of Cards,” in the sense that it is very British, very beautifully shot and very focused on the highest tier of society and at the heart of what should or could be a political drama, it is actually an examination of a marriage.

The series begins with Elizabeth’s marriage to Philip Mountbatten (Matt Smith, “Doctor Who”), Duke of Edinburgh. While they are constant partners throughout the series, they are also often at odds as Philip struggles to be second to his wife, the queen. After a certain point, the viewer wants to shake Philip for his constant moping and obliviousness.

For a drama that takes place in the 50s, it is interesting to see the show COURTESY OF TARA MARTINELLI take this conflict by the horns and London proves to be an exciting place for any Fordham ram. work through what their unconventional relationship might have been like.

Emma’s Eats | Emma Fingleton This is not all to say that there are no politics in “The Crown.” Featuring Golden Globe-nominee John Lithgow as Prime Minister Winston 2016 was full of many events to the brand’s vegan bakery, Sweets Churchill, the show explores the which could only induce comfort

by Chloe, next door to the original post-war political interests of the eating. These events included a crazy Greenwich Village location. They British government and how those election season, a rash of celebrity offer an expanded selection of the interests conflict with the Queen’s. deaths and too many terror attacks to cupcakes, ice cream, cookies and This exploration reveals one of the count. After a holiday season marked breakfast pastries offered at the resshow’s weaker points: that British by indulging, you may be like me and taurants’ counters. Look out for the sovereigns simply do not have a lot want to try to clean up your diet. Or upcoming Rockefeller Plaza location of power to do almost anything of at least pretend to for the first few only blocks away from Grand Cenimportance except vaguely influence weeks of school until you’re drowntral. public and government opinion. ing in deadlines and only a penne Recommended: Air-fried sweet So when Churchill and Elizabeth vodka slice or two can power you potato fries, guac burger, avocado are at odds, the show is often about through a study session. toast, Green Day and Purple Rain matters that can appear trivial at COURTESY OF EMMA FINGLETON So maybe you want to stick to smoothies, Spicy Thai salad, shiibest. Much of Elizabeth’s personal Two Hands offers a laid back option for healthy eating and Instagram pictures. your health-kick resolution, but the take mac and cheese, quinoa hash story is about figuring out what her word “healthy” conjures images of browns, cinnamon rolls. job actually entails and how to wield boring salads and dry grilled chicken.

Locations: Greenwich Village, from hemp and chia seeds to granola from its longtime Soho location. the power she does have, instead of Banish that idea from your head Flatiron, Soho to fresh fruit and nut butter (which The menu clearly indicates glutenpretending that it really matters to and consult this list of healthy op2. Two Hands may be the best part). free and vegan-friendly options. The the audience whether or not Prince tions in Manhattan if you want to eat Australian-accented servers, a I have included two of my favorite usual pastas, burgers and sandwiches Philip is allowed to take flying lesdelicious, good-for-you food that will trendy yet welcoming vibe and a spots, chosen because of their deare offered alongside healthy choices sons. probably also make you look cool simple, delicious menu: Two Hands pendable consistencies (some acai such as huge salads, stir fry and Asian “The Crown” shines most when it when you inevitably add a picture of is an all-day cafe with great options bowls from other juice bars I have and Mediterranean influenced startdetails events that may not be wellyour acai or grain bowl to your snap for a light, healthy meal. Perfect not been to have sold me icy or tooers. known to the (American) viewer. story. only for a chill coffee date or laid back thin bowls), interesting flavor comRecommended: Mediterranean By far one of the strongest episodes 1. By Chloe brunch and Instagram photoshoot binations and generous toppings. antipasto, spring rolls, caprese toast of the series, “Act of God,” depicts High-quality fast-casual food with with friends, the cafe’s food is actuBoth also offer cold-pressed juices, Location: Nolita a smog that consumes London for an innovative menu and and Instaally well-prepared with high-quality smoothies and to-go options like 5. Ellary’s Greens several days, bringing daily life to a gram-generation targeted aesthetic: ingredients, which is important bechia pudding from their grab-and-go Brunch is based on the pillars of halt and causing thousands of deaths welcome to By Chloe, a mini-chain cause the menu features simply prestorefront. eggs, bacon and gluten-heavy carbs, from smoke inhalation and traffic acthat is slowly taking over the city with pared dishes. They also have healthy i. Agavi East Village making it near impossible to find a cidents. As Churchill fails to realize its colorful and delicious twists on market plates with selection of salads, Recommended: Lil Greeny and spot that caters to both vegans and the gravity of the situation, Elizabeth veganized fast food. Any eatery that veggies and gluten free banana bread PB&J acai bowls celiacs. Definitely not a highlight of is forced to consider asking him to includes avocado in almost half their Recommended: avocado toast Location: East Village this round up in terms of offering step down. options is an instant favorite. I have (highly recommend), acai bowl, flat ii. Pure Green memorable dishes, but worth menIf you, like me, are not an Annever liked veggie burgers before I white.

Recommended: Mixed Berry and tioning if you need a brunch spot that glophile, you may find yourself tried Chloe’s exceptional guac burgLocations: cafe in Nolita, restauAlmond Butter Hemp acai bowls caters to special diets or are craving a Googling all sorts of people and er, a sweet potato and black bean rant in Tribeca Locations: Midtown, Union lighter meal. To be fair, the space itevents as they unfold over the course patty topped with tons of amazing 3. Smoothies, juices and acai Square self is beautiful and airy on a picturof the series, and my most frequent toppings such as fresh guac, tortilla bowls 4. Spring Street Natural esque Village street. They are very thought as I watched was, “Did this strips and a chipotle aioli.

Acai bowls are great not only do With lots of options for omnivores, sensitive about cross-contamination really happen?” As with any historiDo not skip their breakfast offeryou feel like a smug healthy person vegans, and everyone in between, and do take reservations. cal drama, it is best to assume that ings or their colorful vitamin-packed after eating one because you just Spring Street Natural operates out Recommended: (Vegan and GF) creative license was taken in many smoothies. If you need to reward consumed pureed super foods, they of an airy, natural light-filled space Waffle with coconut whipped cream respects, but that does not make it yourself for eating vegetables, head also come with a variety of toppings, that recently reopened after a move Location: Greenwich Village any less entertaining to watch it play

Healthy Eating Made Easy in the New Year

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January 25, 2017

Sweet ‘n’ Sour | Patrick Hood and Caitlyn Letterii

Out of the Comfort Zone: My Dinner with Pugsley’s Join Caitlyn Letterii, who is very rude, and Patrick Hood, who tragically died in 2016, as they explore and critique the cheap eats available around the Bronx and Rose Hill campus.

We heard it time and time again, from sea to shining sea, “Hey Sweet ‘n’ Sour, why don’t you bums ever review a pizza place?” It’s 2017 and our resolution is to defer to others. So to appease all our loyal and pushy readers we decided to check out a secret favorite amongst students at Fordham: Pugsley’s Pizza.

CL: I don’t leave my house much and actively avoid social interaction so I have never heard of Pugsley’s, but it came highly recommended, so I was excited to see what it had to offer.

PH: Right away we could see why this place is so unknown. Tucked away on a side street, just a hop, skip and a jump away from the hustle and bustle of Fordham Street is Pugsley’s Pizza, a sleepy little bistro which is so authentic you can taste the Ellis Island on each slice.

CL: As a proper Italian woman, I typically only order pizza from Michigan’s own Domino’s Pizza Inc. But I

tried to look at this bougie spot with an open mind and an open heart. We were met by a friendly man who, for some reason, just immediately struck me as someone who could run a really eclectic Instagram account. Did you get that vibe, Patrick?

PH: I did. I mean, I’ve never seen this man in my life but one look and I knew. Other than that, the atmosphere in Pugsley’s was full of school spirit. Everywhere I looked contained posters or memorabilia about Fordham, from a picture of the school football team, the Fordham Goats, to a poster which read: “Newark is your Campus, Fordham is your college.”

CL: After carefully reviewing a rather extensive menu, I decided to order a Penne Vodka Slice. I had never heard of such a thing! I mean, pasta? On a piece of pizza? I could not wait to see what kind of crazy dish the food scientists at this restaurant came up with.

PH: In order to get a more authentic college experience, I decided to try one of the many specials like I was a pledge at one of the many Fordham fraternities. I like to think I’m an educated man, so I figured the Professor

Special was the special for me.

CL: What’s in that special, huh?

Some sort of book pizza?

PH: Ha ha ha classic Caitlyn. No, it was a delicious serving of baked ziti with chicken cutlet mixed in and a side of freshly baked Pugsley ‘s bread.

CL: That sounds delicious, but that sure would make me thirsty!

PH: Don’t even worry about it!

The special also comes with a bottled water or a soda of your choice.

CL: I gotta say from the get-go, this Pugsley’s joint was really wowing me. Upon receiving my penne slice I was totally floored. I didn’t think it was even possible but the ziti on top of pizza was really delicious! Just the right amount of flavor, sauce and love packed into one generously portioned slice. Who thinks this stuff up, Patrick?

PH: I assume one of the aforementioned food scientists, and I sure am grateful for their sacrifices. My pasta dish was quite the zesty little number. The baked ziti was much like a foal walking for the first time, both unstable and proud. Packed with savory flavor, the sauce was

Editor’s Pick | Television

“A Series of Unfortunate Events”

By BRIANA SCALIA OPINION EDITOR

There is only one word that perfectly encapsulates the plot of the new Netflix original series, “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events,” and it is “unfortunate.” However, no viewer can say they were tricked into watching the show based off its bright color palette and campy humor, as Lemony Snicket himself begins every episode discouraging anyone from watching the show. The show pays the books a great amount of adulation, not only sticking closely to the source material, but also breathing life into the characters of the Baudelaire children, Klaus, Violet and Sunny; and the villain, Count Olaf.

One major complaint about the Netflix show is that it is rather depressing, which many critics seem to think contradicts the set and costume design of the show. Similar to the novels, the show does an excellent job of keeping the audience confused as to which time period the show is set. Due to this seemingly “alternate” timeline of Snicket’s, most of the clothes and sets on the show have a bright and colorful appeal to them, and are all highly stylized.

While the show appears to be a sweet and child-friendly comedy, it instead features dark and often macabre themes. Mirroring the books, though the villains of the show are often portrayed in a silly and theatrical light, the scenes presents a very real danger to the main characters of the show, the Baudelaire children. The show can be disturbing, dealing with the highly mature themes of loss and pain.

Speaking of Lemony Snicket, the narrator and pseudonymous author of the original novels is expertly played by Patrick Warburton, who often toes the line between deadpan and dark humor.

While he speaks of the Baudelaire children with a sense of detachment, viewers can tell that he is truly invested in their well-being.

Like his book counterpart, Snicket interrupts the narrative to provide his own perspective on the current situation quite often, but it is never an unwelcome addition to the episode.

The next major role is the children’s distant relative Count Olaf, who is played with both a hysterical and threatening treatment by Neil Patrick Harris. It is amazing to see Harris play a character who is attempting to disguise himself throughout the show, albeit poorly.

The Baudelaire children, Klaus (Louis Hynes), Violet (Malina Weissman),and infant Sunny (Presley Smith), also do a wonderful job of making their characters feel both whimsical and sympathetic in their plight, while still expressing the realistic maturity levels of children.

At one point, after their third new home falls to some “unfortunate events,” Violet reminds her younger brother that he should not

complain about their new living situation, to which he simply responds, “I know…I want to complain anyway.” This is not only incredibly relatable, but reminds the audience that despite how mature these children may seem, they are ultimately still children.

I cannot give this show enough praise. The actors do a fantastic job of portraying their characters, the set and costume design is refreshingly cheerful, yet the plot and undertones of the show are incredibly thought provoking and mature.

Snicket did a marvelous job in both the book and the show in expressing how frustrating it can be for children when their concerns are not addressed simply because of their age.

I say Snicket because not only did Lemony Snicket write the novels, but Daniel Handler, the author’s real name, penned the show’s screenplay. While the first episode errs on the side of spectacle and less on the side of tragic, I highly recommend finishing this show.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Colorful costume and set design bring the Lemony Snicket books to life.

the true lifeblood of the dish, as is the case with most pasta-based life forms.

CL: That seems like an exaggeration but as our not-young pope likes to say, “Who am I to judge?” Here at Pugsley’s, it’s a judgement-free zone. So what do you say Pat? Is it about time to give our Sweet ‘n’ Sour rating and actively engage in judgement?

PH: This is an easy one, Caitlyn.

The atmosphere was second-tonone, the food was plentiful and you cannot believe how much of a kick it was to see the local celebrity and proprietor Sal Pugsley play the jazz clarinet. For all this spirit and the food to match, Pugsley’s Pizza

earns a five stars out of five from me.

CL: I could not agree more. The specials! The gong! The Food Network on two TVs! This place had everything. I give it an enthusiastic five out of five Sweet rating. Fordham students really ought to be checking this place out. I’m still a really big Domino’s fan though, don’t worry.

Overall Recommendations: You should try a special or two!

Great bang for your buck.

You should pass on being judgy!

That vibe is not welcome here.

Info: Pugsley Pizza Address: 590 E 191st St, Bronx, NY 10458 Phone number: (718) 365-0327 Price: Cheap

COURTESY OF CAITLYN LETTERII

Caitlyn Letterii enjoys her slice of the newfound pizza place, Pugsleys.

Review | Film

Live by Night

By GREG MYSOGLAND STAFF WRITER

Although he has only directed four films, most film experts would agree that Ben Affleck is a very talented director (even more so than he is as an actor). His first three films, Gone Baby Gone, The Town and Argo all received nearly unanimous praise, with Argo winning an Academy Award for Best Picture.

However, even the world’s greatest directors have a film or two that are not masterpieces. Affleck’s latest directorial effort, 1920’s gangster epic Live by Night (based on a Dennis Lehane novel of the same name), proves this theory with a film that, while highly entertaining, does not meet the standard set by Affleck’s past works.

Live by Night follows Joe Coughlin (with Affleck taking the starring role in his own film, as he often does), who, following traumatic experiences as a soldier in the pointlessly horrific World War I, has sworn never to follow orders again, leading him to become a small-time bank robber before becoming a powerful gangster. This fairly original motivation is the first element of Coughlin’s character to frame him as unique among cinematic gangsters.

Unfortunately, the film as a whole is nowhere near this original, often seeming to be more so Affleck’s homage to classic gangster films like The Godfather than a fresh vision (The Town is a much more unique crime thriller). Affleck does seem to be at least somewhat conscious of this however, with certain techniques (such as less extreme close-ups and more limited numbers of cuts) emulating the classic films Affleck seems to be inspired by while not becoming completely foreign to modern audiences.

This unique blend of old and new is one of the film’s stronger elements and is illustrated by various

aspects of the film.

In addition to his endearing motivation, Coughlin is probably the most socially progressive criminal in cinematic history, at points defending the value of immigrants to the American economy and raining violent retribution against the KKK. Affleck’s classical inspirations resurface in his wonderfully simple action sequences that differ in style to modern blockbusters. Two of the film’s first-act bank robberies are shot in single continuous takes that contrast the quick cuts found in most action films these days.

Aside from these technical strengths, Live by Night also features a talented supporting cast, with Sienna Miller, Elle Fanning and Chris Messina making particularly strong impressions. Unfortunately, the film’s script lets both cast and crew down, and is the root cause of most of the film’s problems. In addition to directing, starring in and co-producing the film, Affleck wrote Live

by Night’s screenplay and it seems as if the quartet of responsibilities may have simply been too much, with the film’s story suffering in place of Affleck’s direction or performance.

Live by Night establishes very interesting characters but does not explore them with great depth.

Coughlin’s thoughts and feelings are portrayed by frequent voiceovers, which is problematic being that his actions do not always coincide with what the narration tells us he is feeling. Fanning’s character is the only one who has a refined, focused arc that naturally follows its trajectory, but her part in the story is too small to become the heart the film needs.

Ultimately Live by Night is an enjoyable, if somewhat disappointing film. However, Affleck and company should be praised for making an oldfashioned blockbuster that is not a sequel or remake. Hollywood needs to make more of these kinds of films.

Let us just hope its successors are executed better.

CULTURE

January 25, 2017

Page 19

Who’s That Kid? | Victor Rodriguez, FCRH ’19

Rose Hill Sophomore Learns Languages to Provide a Voice

By ALVIN HALIMWIDJAYA SPORTS EDITOR

“There’s so much. There’s too much.”

Although he is talking about Beyoncé, the same sentiment can be applied to Victor Rodriguez, FCRH ’19, and the various organizations he’s involved in. A former RHA secretary in Queen’s Court, Rodriguez is currently an e-board member of University Choir and a tour guide for Rose Hill Society. He also works for the Ram Line, which deals with alumni outreach.

Though his family recently moved to Woodbridge, Conn., Rodriguez was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Rodriguez’s background provided him with an interesting perspective coming into the Bronx.

“Coming here, I felt like it [New York] was not like it’s been painted on TV,” he said. “It’s its own kind of world… it’s a very big blend of everything, and there’s no one particular way to be Puerto Rican in the Bronx.

There are so many different ways we grew up and relate to our culture, but we can all still identify as the same,

which is mind-blowing.”

A double major in comparative literature and French with a minor in linguistics, Rodriguez wants to work his way into a position where he can give marginalized groups a voice.

Fordham provided an ideal environment for him to gain the skills and knowledge he needs. “I came here [to Fordham] to learn,” he said. “In doing something like comparative literature or linguistics, I wanted to learn the academic intricacies involved so I can project that artistically or interpret other people’s artistry.”

Rodriguez has also had several opportunities to represent Fordham University. Not only has he been in Fordham commercials for companies like United Airlines, but he was also the winner of the Prix D’Eloquence, a French oratory competition, as well as a member of a panel discussing the second presidential debate on Good Day New York.

When it comes to inspiration, Beyoncé remains his most prominent role model. He’s a huge fan of not only her music but her brand in gen-

eral, as he feels that Beyoncé uses her influence to impact society, pointing to the spoken word poets used in Lemonade as a specific example.

“The thing I most admire about her is that she recognizes how much influence she has, and she’s very deliberate about the kinds of things she does and produces,” said Rodriguez.

When he’s on campus, a lot of Rodriguez’s time is spent as an e-board member of University Choir. He is a librarian, and deals with the distribution of all the sheet music used by choir. “It’s always exciting when you get to make something with your friends,” Rodriguez said. He explained that because most of choir is student driven, “it’s a real team effort to make sure that things run smoothly and we make an impact.” He also emphasized that one of the most important parts of choir is developing a strong sense of community.

As a tour guide for Rose Hill Society, Rodriguez also recognizes the importance of showing prospective students what Fordham can do for them. “I feel very lucky to be at Fordham, so being able to represent

COURTESY OF VICTOR RODRIGUEZ

Victor Rodriguez is an active member of the Fordham community.

it means a lot to me,” he said. “It’s a platform for me to share my experiences Fordham has helped me with, and I just want to help other kids find the same opportunities I have.”

The rest of Rodriguez’s time consists of working shifts for the Ram Line. The Ram Line calls alumni and asks for donations, and he hopes to become a supervisor in the near future.

One particular art form that Ro-

driguez takes great interest in is drag performance. At some point, Rodriguez hopes to start a drag show at Rodrigue’s. He explained that the concept of subversive groups using the creative outlets New York offers draws him to drag, saying, “When I think about the LGBTQ community, I relate that to artistry and expression, because that’s where you can get the message out from these marginalized communities.”

Must-See Television Series This Winter New York is My Campus

By MEGAN BRONNER

Kerry James Marshall’s Mastry Through Jan. 29 Met Breuer, 945 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10021

STAFF WRITER

A new year and semester also brings new TV shows either worth binging all in one day or becoming a committed weekly watcher. Be prepared for eight new ways to procrastinate. These shows require your full attention which should not be hard to give as they are sure to pique your interest from the first episode.

“Victoria” If you’ve watched “The Crown” and “Downton Abbey” and are looking for something similar, this historical drama is sure to do the trick. This show is about the early life of Queen Victoria. From her accession to the throne at the young age of 18 through her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert, this show promises the intrigue and drama that everyone is looking for.

“The Young Pope” In this new series Jude Law plays Pope Pius XIII, the first American pope in history. The show follows his mysterious and somewhat controversial time as pope.

While church leaders expected him to be a friendly figure during the pop culture era, the show reveals the resistance of Pope Pius XIII towards the Vatican Stewards and he instead makes Sister Mary, a nun from the U.S. his top advisor and seeks to push a message of spiritual struggle and exclusivity. There is also the plus that Fordham provides HBO Go accounts for free for students.

“Big Little Lies” Based on a novel by Liane Moriarty, this seven-part limited series tells the story of three mothers played by Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley, whose seemingly perfect lives start to violently unravel. This highly-anticipated show of the spring should be at

The Met Breuer, an offshoot of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, features the largest retrospective of artist Kerry James Marshall’s work thus far. Through 80 pieces of art, Mastry chronicles the African American experience, countering the stereotypical depictions of black people. Stop by before it is too late to take in what The Guardian called “a stone-cold stunner.”

Brooklyn Flea + Smorgaburg Winter Market Through March 2017, Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

1 Hanson Place, Brooklyn, NY 11243

The winter weather cannot stop 25 fan favorites from Smorgasburg and 75 vintage flea vendors from giving the people what they want: the best of weekend shopping and snacking in one place. Last year’s festivities have moved from Industry City to Skylight One Hanson, a historic Fort Greene space with a mosaic-tiled ceiling 63-feet above shoppers’ heads.

Entry is $1 for this indoor market experience.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Shailene Woodley stars in HBO’s new seven-part limited series “Big Little Lies.”

the top of your must-watch list.

“Iron Fist” Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the show shares continuity with the films of the franchise and is the fourth in a series of Marvel shows, like “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones.” “Iron Fist” takes place in New York’s seedy underbelly, and follows Danny Rand (played by Finn Jones known for playing Ser Loras Tyrell on “Game of Thrones”) as he tries to fight crimes which are taking over the city.

“Doubt” Former “Grey’s Anatomy” star Katherine Heigl is back on your TV screen. She plays an attorney, Sadie, who falls for her charming client. However, her client, a pediatric surgeon, is accused of murdering his girlfriend nearly 25 years ago. Sadie’s decision to become involved with her client could put her career and her happiness at risk if her client is found guilty, giving her all the more rea-

son to work hard to prove reasonable doubt. The show also follows the other attorneys at the practice.

“Taken” Long before finding his wife and daughter, a young Bryan Mills helped others locate their lost loved ones. Clive Standen stars as a young Liam Neeson who helps other people get back their kidnapped children in the prequel series of the film franchise.

You should expect guns and tearful parents in this intense drama.

“The Blacklist: Redemption” The “Blacklist” spin-off follows Tom Keen as he goes to work for a group of mercenaries led by his mother, Scottie Hargave, at her company Halcyon Aegis, a private military enterprise with teams of corporate operatives. As of now, it’s unclear what will pull Tom away from his wife and daughter on the main series, but executive producer Jon Bokencamp indicates that that Tom and Liz will likely continue to be seen on each other’s shows.

NYC Restaurant Week Through Feb. 10 Participating restaurants

The city’s semiannual celebration of fine dining at a cheaper price is back and better than ever. Grab some friends and an empty stomach to enjoy a three-course prix-fixe menu at hundreds of participating restaurants.

Make sure to check out OpenTable, the program’s reservation sponsor, to snag a table and skip the lines.

Central Park’s Winter Jam Jan. 28, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Central Park Bandshell, enter at 72nd St and Central Park West

Despite the lack of snow, Central Park’s Winter Jam returns to the bandshell this Saturday. New Yorkers and tourists alike can play flag football and arctic golf or watch live ice sculpting and sip on a hot beverage from the event’s warming hut. This free festival is sure to provide outdoor fun.

International Tribute to Elie Wiesel: A Community Night of Reading Jan. 29, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, New York, NY 10280

Join a night of reading with community leaders and performers at the Museum of Jewish Heritage this Sunday. The event honors the late Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Elie Wiesel and his prolific book, “Night.” The event is free of charge, but tickets must be pre-requested through the museum’s website. If they sell out, there is a live stream available online.

SPORTS

Page 20

Tennis Plays at NJIT Invitational

By AlVIN HALIMWIDJAYA ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Women’s Tennis returned from a three-month hiatus, as the team traveled to Newark to participate in the NJIT Winter Invitational. Unlike many collegiate sports, there is no one true season for tennis. They open play in the fall with mainly non-team scoring matches and then take a threemonth break in the end of October. The schedule following the hiatus is much more conventional and longer. The Rams played just one team-scoring match in the fall portion, taking down Seton Hall 6-1 at home on Oct. 15.

The Rams joined NJIT, Seton Hall and Army at West Point at the Naimol Family Athletic and Recreational Facility from Jan. 21-22 to kick off the second portion of their season with a nonteam scoring tune-up.

Fordham started off 2017 with a mixed bag of results, with the team experiencing both victory and defeat.

The Rams started out the first day of the tournament with two wins in singles play, boding well for the rest of the invitational. In round one, sophomore Gianna Insogna bested NJIT’s Ines Vujkovac 6-1, 6-1. Sophomore Carina Ma followed Insogna’s victory by beating NJIT’s Rafaella Sampaio 6-2, 7-5 (10-7).

However, Fordham’s luck then took a turn for the worst, as the Rams’ singles play ended with two losses. Junior Estelle Wong lost to NJIT’s Nathalie Habegger 7-6 (6), 6-2. Freshman Maia Balce also fell to NJIT’s Natacha Minc 6-3, 4-6 (10-7) in the second round.

The Rams’ doubles play on the first day did not fare as well as singles had. The only doubles team to play Day One was the duo of senior Mayu Sato and sophomore

Alexis Zobeideh. They dropped their match to the NJIT pair of Sampaio and Minc 7-6 (0).

The Rams fared better on the second day of the invitational, pulling out three wins in three matches. The doubles play was much improved, with Ma and Wong winning their match against the NJIT duo of Habegger and Alba Rosas 6-1 in round two, followed by the Fordham pair of Insogna and Balce overcoming NJIT’s Ines Vujkovac and Natalija Tasovac 6-1 in round three. Sato bounced back from her loss the previous day, defeating NJIT’s Alba Ross in singles play 7-5, 6-4.

“I definitely do think the [three] month layoff was cause for some of the rust we saw early on [Saturday] with the doubles,” said assistant coach Frank Russo. “That said, I think we settled down well and went 10-3 in singles in the afternoon and I thought we brought that into Sunday’s matches. The doubles was much better on Sunday and the singles was good, again.”

The Rams are hoping that the invitational will get them ready for the coming season. “Truth be told, there’s not much we can do about rust after the layoff,” said Russo. “Obviously everyone practices as much as possible but to be match tough is a different story. That’s why we play this Invitational – to get match tough for [Wednesday, against Drexel] and the upcoming conference play.”

The Rams continue competition in 2017 on Jan. 25, as they travel to Philadelphia to face Drexel in their first team-scoring match of the year.

January 25, 2017

Track’s Kenny Sets School Record at NYC Gotham Invatational

By TOM TERZULLI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

It is not often that an athlete gets a chance to etch their name in the history books. Thousands upon thousand of talented sprinters have run the 200m dash as a Fordham Ram, but only two can be the school record holders. And at Friday’s NYC Gotham Invitational, sophomore Mary Kate Kenny captured that elusive distinction. “This ranks in the top three proudest moments in my track career,” she said. “Each race I hope to break my best time in the race but breaking the school record isn’t on my mind. It is a very exciting and motivating moment in my collegiate career.”

The Garden City native finished her historic run in 25.09 seconds, good for fifth place in the event.

“When I was coming through the line, I didn’t initially think I had the record but I knew I was close from my previous races, but it was a nice surprise.”

Junior Nkeka Pinheiro almost joined the record breaking club herself, crossing the line in 25.38, right behind Kenny. The pair piled on the solid day, with top 15 finishes in another short distance contest. In the 60m sprint, Kelnny finished 11th with a time of 7.84, while Canada’s Pinherio placed a few spots behind in 15th (7.93).

Junior Laura Jaeger also ran in the event, finishing 45th (8.29).

The other big finishers in singles competition were headlined by a pair of Massachusetts natives, junior Merissa Wright and freshman Sydney Snow. Wright, of Ocean Bluff, finished in eighth place in the 400m dash, posting a time of 58.03. And representing Holliston, Snow raced to a 10th place finish in the 1,000m, cruising to a season-best time of 2:58.66.

Sophomor Blake Elwood, made it two season bests in the 1,000m, when she finished eight spots behind in 18th (3:06.83). Fellow sophomores, Laurel Fisher’s 17th place finish in the 800m (2:23.22) and Abigail Taylor’s 18th place finish in the mile (5:24.10) rounded out the women’s individual sprinting.

In field events, freshman Gabriella Gavalas and Mary Kate Caucci paced the high jump, finishing 24th (15’ 11.5”) and 31st (15’ 3.25”) respectively. Gavalas also won her section, en route to finishing ninth in the Triple Jump

THE FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVE

Jared Benn paced the 1st place indivudual medely relay team.

with a jump of 36’ 7.5”. In 23rd place was first year jumper Alina Kwiatkowski (34’ 0”), who joined Caucci (32nd, 32’ 11.25”) in the top 35.

On the men’s side, it was the relays that took center stage.

The foursome of freshman Michael Petersen, sophomore Jared Benn, and juniors Brian Cook and Thomas Slattery secured the distance medley with a time of 10:00.10. That was good for the second fastest time for that event in the country for the week of Jan 16-22.

The freshman sensation Peterson rolled into the singles events.

The Toronto native racked up sixth place in the 400m dash.

Sophomore Eddie Dehais was the only other Ram finisher at 57th (51.88).

One of the squad’s few seniors, Jake Duckworth, had the top

single’s finish on the day, taking 3rd in the 5,000 meter run (15:09.72). In the mile, freshman Ryan Kutch finished in seventh(4:22.59).Additionally, junior Nik O’Brien was a 12th place finisher in the 3,000 meter run, crossing the line in a time of 8:47.41. Also in action was Benn in the 200m (17th – 22.48) and junior Michael Campbell in the 800m (45th – 2:04.54).

Finally, on the field, junior Ryan Riviere lit up the pole vault, finishing ninth overall with a jump of 13’ 9.25”. In addition, freshman Andrew Byrne secured 18th in the high jump at 6’ 0.05”.

Next up for the Rams is a trip to Beantown for the annual Terrier Classic at Boston University.

They hit the track Friday, Jan. 27.

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Become a writer!

Email: fordhamramsports@gmail.com ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Women’s Team returned from a three month hiatus.

SPORTS

January 25, 2017

Pat Costello The Dark Nets Rising The buzz surrounding the New York Knicks coming into this season was at an incredible level. The newly acquired Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah were going to be the saviors of basketball in the Big Apple. Chicago’s Batman and Robin were finally coming to Gotham. Yet, their time here has been marred by the turbulent relationship between Phil Jackson and the players as well as the group’s inability to win meaningful games.

This iteration of the Knicks is more like 1997’s Batman and Robin than anything else.

However, in Brooklyn, the Dark Knight rises in the form of the Nets.

Although they are still recovering from what can only be described as the worst trade deal in basketball history, which saw them give up multiple first round picks for two aging superstars, the Nets are headed in the right direction. Granted, they have the worst record in basketball right now and the Celtics hold the rights to their first round pick in the upcoming draft, but that is small potatoes when you look at the big picture.

Currently, the Nets have a plethora of young talent, mixed with veteran talent. Rookie Caris LeVert has shown tremendous upside in his first month on the hardwood. The Michigan graduate may have shown up to the combine on crutches, but was spot on in his letter to NBA teams saying that he would make a full recovery. He’s currently averaging about seven points per game, but has a tremendous scoring ability.

Isaiah Whitehead, a Brooklyn native, has also shown that he has a chance to be a tremendous pro. Although he is raw compared to LeVert, he has shown a propensity to be a dynamic talent. Some of his instincts offensively aren’t exactly what one might want to see from a guard and his defense is lackadaisical at times, but with the right guidance those aspects of his game can be honed and tightened.

The veteran leadership brought to the team by guys like seven-time AllStar Brook Lopez and double-double machine Trevor Booker has been instrumental in molding this team so far. They are able to keep the locker room motivated and excited about every game, which shows on the court. They’ve lost 23 games by 10 or fewer points, and another three by 12. The Nets are a very competitive team, even if their 9-34 record would not lead you to believe so.

The Nets have a high ceiling, despite the fact that the aforementioned draft pick catastrophe seems like a daunting barrier. They have guys that could potentially be moved for picks in the future, such as Lopez, Jeremy Lin or Bojan Bogdanovic. Teams will be looking to beef up their rosters to make a post-season run and if the Nets upper management is smart, anyone over the age of 25 will be available.

Good basketball in Brooklyn is something that Nets fans have been yearning for since they arrived half a decade ago, but the current team is not quite ready to take them to the promised land yet. In other words: they are the team Brooklyn deserves, just not the one they need right now.

Page 21

Swimming Returns From Break Against Richmond, La Salle

By ANDREA GARCIA

59 Isn’t What It Used to Be

OPERATIONS MANAGER

During the winter break hiatus, both men’s and women’s swimming and diving took their first strokes of 2017 at their annual week-long training camp. “Training camp was the best work I’ve seen our team do,” said junior distance swimmer Erin McBride. “I 100 percent believe that our performances are a reflection of our team’s attitude and work ethic.”

This past Saturday, the Rams’ work was displayed in the city of brotherly love against Atlantic 10 rivals the University of Richmond Spiders and the La Salle Explorers.

The women topped the competition, crushing the Spiders 153-146 and shutting out the Explorers 199-100. However, the Explorers defeated the Fordham Men 212-86.

Women’s Swimming had notable performances by four notable athletes. McBride edged out her competitors in both the 1000m freestyle and 500m freestyle. In the 1000m event, she clocked in at her season-best of 10:43.03, just more than four seconds ahead of Spider Nicole Piercy’s 10:38.54.

The first-place finish in the 100m and 200m butterfly events were earned by freshman Mia Bullock, with times of 56.79 and 2:04.51, respectively. Sophomore sprinter Tara Brunner also showed strength in the 100m free, securing her win with a time of 53.15.

On the diving board, junior Wendy Espina-Esquivel dove into

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Rams started off 2017 on the right stroke in Philadelphia.

the top of the scoreboard with the highest individual performance on the 1m and 3m dives, posting scores of 262.40 and 277.05.

Fordham also dominated the 200m medley relay, with the team of Morgan Fairclough, Gabrielle Celia, Mia Bullock and Theresa Mullen pulling a time of 1:48.31 and shutting out Richmond’s time of 1:49.84. The women also challenged the other teams in the 400m free relay with a time of 3:32.87 with the combined efforts of Brunner, Kalena Laurent, McBride and Mullen.

On the men’s side, freshman Joe Vizza fought for two first place appearances in the 200m and 100m freestyle, clocking in at 1:42.87 and 47.52. In distance action, Liam Semple endured through the 500m freestyle with a winning time of

4:39.96. Semple fell short of first place in the 1000m freestyle, with a second place finish at 9:45.61 behind LaSalle competitor Mattias Glenesk’s 9:35.15. Sophomore Isiah Magsino posted a second place finish in the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 52.36, 2.04 second behind LaSalle’s Fabian Bergman. Greg Lombana was bested by LaSalle’s Jakub Bartosiewicz in the 200 yard butterfly, 1:53.97 to a first place finish of 1:53.69, a mere 0.28 seconds.

The Rams will travel again on Wednesday, Jan. 25 to challenge Iona College at 5 p.m and then return home to face UMass on Saturday, Jan. 27.

After these next two meets, both the men’s and women’s squads will be sending individual athletes to the Atlantic 10 Conference championships.

‘Bocker Bulletin: Melo Holds All The Knicks’ Cards

By GRANT HILL

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It’s that time of year again at 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, better known as Madison Square Garden. It happens around this time almost every year.

The ceiling is caving in, the team is in disarray and people are running around pointing fingers, blaming everyone from the front office to the people working at the concession stands.

The past week for the New York Knicks has kicked open the door to a bevy of issues concerning both the team’s current and future plans.

Between the handful of heartbreaking last minute losses, multiple social media mishaps from team members and a dreadful record of 3-12 to begin 2017, the biggest headline has involved star forward Carmelo Anthony.

In past years, rumors of the Knicks potentially moving on from Anthony have always managed to surface at some point or another, only to be shot down by the fact that Anthony’s contract includes a no-trade clause.

However, this time around, it seems that both sides (Knicks management and Anthony himself) are beginning to take this idea seriously.

Recently, Anthony made comments to Al Iannazzone of Newsday about a potential break-up from New York: “I think it will be more on the front office. I have the power, but still I would talk to them,” said Anthony.

“We would be in communication if

Sam Belden

they feel like they want to go in a different direction, they want to start rebuilding for the future. If they tell me they want to scrap this whole thing, yeah, I have to consider it.”

The key comment to take away from this statement is when Anthony says, “I have the power.” According to ESPN’s Ian Begley, league sources have confirmed that a number of the organization’s members believe it’s time that they end this relationship.

However, there is very little that those members, including team president Phil Jackson, can do to actually make that happen. It all rest in the hands of Carmelo Anthony, which should scare both management and the fan base.

To begin with, when Phil Jackson resigned Carmelo Anthony in the summer of 2014, he included a no-trade clause within Anthony’s $124 million contract. This allows Anthony to veto any possible trades that he doesn’t want to be included in. Recently, members of the media have reported that Anthony has only a few destinations in mind, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Clippers. If Anthony decides to waive his no-trade clause, Knicks management will have very little wiggle room to work with, seeing as Anthony likely only wants to play for a handful of other teams.

With Anthony holding the power to pick where he can be traded, this in turn effects the package the Knicks can receive back for him. For example: a small market, mediocre team could offer a great package for Antho-

ny, including some good draft picks and maybe a solid player or two, but Anthony will more than likely shoot it down. He wants to go to a competitive, big market team. Another example: Let’s say, hypothetically, that the Clippers want to make deal with the Knicks for the star forward. The Clippers and Knicks front office talk, and they agree on a Blake GriffinCarmelo Anthony swap (not likely, but just go with it). The Knicks come back to Anthony with this trade proposal that they believe will make him happy because it’s a team he wants to go to. But Anthony responded, “I want to go to LA and play with Blake Griffin, no deal.” What this means is that if the Knicks are able to trade Anthony, there is the possibility that they will receive very little in return.

Lastly, Anthony’s skill set has diminished from what it was in years past. Along with that, he has an outrageously large contract that includes a 15 percent kicker if he does decide to waive his no-trade clause. Once again, this gives the Knicks very little room to work with. Not many teams are going to want to take on a player with that kind of contract who is clearly past his prime.

Carmelo Anthony has found himself in a peculiar situation. He stands as one of the most powerful players in the NBA. Not because of his skills on the court, but because he has positioned himself to be able to set up his future exactly how he wants it to go.

As any weekend warrior will tell you, golf is still plenty difficult, but for the game’s top pros, it keeps getting easier and easier. Don’t believe me? Just take a look at all the sub-60 rounds that have been popping up over the past year.

First, there was Stephan Jaeger of Germany, who fired an opening 58 to go wire-to-wire at the Web.com Tour’s Ellie Mae Classic last July.

Less than a month later, Jim Furyk, already with a 59 on his resume, made history for a second time. On a hot day at TPC River Highlands, the Pennsylvania native outdid himself, shooting the first 58 in PGA Tour history and rocketing into fifth place for the week.

As if that wasn’t enough, the 2016-17 season has only yielded more of these dynamite scores. Two weeks ago, budding superstar Justin Thomas uncorked a magical 59 during the opening round of the Sony Open in Hawaii. He chased it with a 64 and two weekend 65s to cruise to a seven-stroke victory. Then, just last week, Canada’s Adam Hadwin enjoyed the round of his life at the appropriately named CareerBuilder Challenge, circling 13 birdies to post a 59 of his own. He closed with a 70 and ended up in second place, just one stroke behind winner Hudson Swafford.

At this rate, two out of every three PGA Tour events in 2017 will feature a round of 59. That’s obviously not going to happen, but it serves as an illustration of just how much more frequently occurring these uber-low scores have become.

This is significant because shooting a round of 59 used to be one of the rarest achievements in all of golf — no, really, it’s true. Prior to 2010, only three players had ever posted one in an official PGA Tour event: Al Geiberger in 1977, Chip Beck in 1991 and David Duval in 1999. That number has more than doubled in the past seven years, however — first with Paul Goydos and Stuart Appleby in 2010, then with Furyk, Thomas and Hadwin in the ensuing seasons.

Note the diversity of the players mentioned above, especially the most recent ones. Thomas is a terrific overall player, but he’s at his most menacing with a driver in his hands. Furyk makes the bulk of his money with his irons, while Hadwin is a short game specialist.

All of this suggests that the game is changing, and not for the better.

Equipment has long been referred to as golf’s great equalizer, but how much innovation is too much innovation? When pros light up easy courses for 59s, then they light up major courses for 63s — which is exactly what we saw at The Open Championship at Royal Troon last summer. I’m all for birdies, but when the game’s most prestigious tournaments no longer truly challenge the players, then there’s a problem.

It’s not just that the bombers are taking over the game — Hadwin and Furyk’s sub-60 scores show that with the help of modern equipment, anyone can be long enough to torch a course. These rounds are incredible to watch, but make no mistake — they are the symptom of a growing issue in the game of golf.

SPORTS

Page 22

January 25, 2017

Mayweather-McGregor: Good For Boxing?

By TOM TERZULLI

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Ali vs. Frazier, Leonard vs. Duran, Holyfield vs. Tyson. These are just a few examples of what the sport of boxing used to be in its golden years: legitimate super fights that transcended the sport itself in popularity and intrigue.

There was a time when a big time prize fight was on television, the entire sports world stopped and took notice.

After years of declining interest and the failure of the Pacquiao-Mayweather “Fight of The Century,” boxing is in a pretty dark place. No, it’s not because of a lack of talent. In the first major fight of 2017, Badou Jack and James Degale put on a great bout in their 12 round majority draw to unify the Super Middleweight Titles. Aside from that, there are plenty of exciting, talented fighters to watch in 2017.

No, boxing does not have a talent problem: it has a star problem. All those great fighters lack the most important factor in being a legitimate box office hit: marketability. It’s incredibly difficult to build a brand without superstars. Imagine the NFL witha bunch of talented players but no real mega-star. The league would unequivocally be less popular than it is now. That’s the problem that’s facing boxing: the casual public and the media simply don’t care anymore.

The epidemic has become so bad that a potential Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor bout is the only story related to boxing that draws any coverage by the ESPN’s of the world.

A near 40-year old and twiceretired boxer taking on an MMA fighter who has never stepped inside a boxing ring in his life.

That is the fight that people care about. The years of failing to create new stars has finally caught up to the sport in a big way.

Unbelievably, last year’s Segrey Kovalev-Andre Ward bout,

which was legitimately the sport’s biggest event of the year, failed to break 200,000 buys on pay-per-view. Yet the meeting of the two loudmouth champions is expected to break the record for the most watched pay-per-view event ever. This not a super fight.

This is not the best fighting the best.

But maybe that’s just the negative view. Maybe all this interest is good for the sport. People are at least talking about the sweet science again. The matchup could bring the most pay-perview eyes on boxing than ever before. Those are both facts, but at what cost?

This is a side show, a novelty act that is using boxing as a back drop. Mayweather, for better or for worse, is one of the better defensive fighters the sport has ever seen. If he has made some of the greats look silly inside the squared circle, what chance does Conor McGregor have? Sure, the majority of the media knows this and claims they’ll watch any way.

But, now that you have this huge audience, what do you treat them too?

Apparently not only a huge mismatch, but a mismatch where the dominant fighter doesn’t possess an entertaining style.

Mayweather is a defensive master but that’s not exactly easy on the eyes.

We’ve seen this before with the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight.

The public response was almost overwhelmingly negative. They brought a huge audience in and turned off almost every single one.

With Mayweather-McGregor, we’re going through the exact same process again, but this time on an even grander scale. The fans will turn up for one night, find nothing that would make them want to stay, and boxing will take its place right back in the shadows of the sports world.

By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

In a time where many feel like democracy is failing – Russell Westbrook is not starting the All-Star Game, “Good job Jack” beat out “You’re bad at tweets” in my poll about my Twitter account and there was some other election thing – one voting body finally got it right: on Wednesday, Tim Raines was finally elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

This is not another article shouting into the void about why Raines deserves his spot in the Hall. Jonah Keri, Ryan Spaeder and plenty of others have done so more effectively than I ever could, and there’s no real reason to belabor the point anymore.

I don’t need to tell you about how Raines’s rate stats outstrip Hall of Famer Lou Brock’s across the board, or about how his on-base percentage is only 0.003 lower than Tony Gwynn’s or about how he is one of only five players with over 800 steals and was a more efficient base-stealer than Rickey Henderson. Rock is in, with an Expos hat on to boot.

The “Get Tim Raines Elected” movement was one of the most pervasive storylines of this year’s Hall of Fame balloting, right alongside how Bud Selig’s enshrinement and an influx of new voters would affect Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens (9.8 and 8.9 percent jumps, respectively) and how Curt Schilling being a racebaiting and journalist-hating slice of pizza on the ground of the E. Fordham Road subway platform would hurt his candidacy (he dropped 7.3 percent).

The amount of time and effort over the past two years to push Raines into the Hall of Fame is unlike any other player’s candidacy. Sure, Bert Blyleven got a little bit of a push from the sabermetric community, but nothing on the scale of Raines, who jumped from 24.3 percent in his first year on the ballot to 55 percent in 2015, 69.8 percent in 2016 and finally 86 percent this year. So, with the sabermetric community and fans of the dearly departed Montreal Expos franchise having their biggest Hall of Fame victory to date, what does that mean?

For one thing, the statheads will most likely turn their eyes to another

underappreciated yet transcendent talent: Edgar Martinez. Spaeder has already made it clear that he is going to make the extra effort for Martinez in his last two years of eligibility. This year he came in at 58.6 percent, just 16.4 percent below the requisite 75. If half the weight put behind the Raines campaign makes the transition to the Edgar camp, his induction should be all but guaranteed.

However, the ripples of the big splash of Raines in the Hall of Fame don’t stop at “the next man up.” For one thing, I’m not entirely sure what Jonah Keri is going to do with himself now. He committed so much of his time over the past two years to trying to get his childhood heroes into the Hall, and unlike those of us who set goals like “maybe eat less garbage” or “become a better writer,” he actually achieved it. But now that that’s done, what new goal will he set for himself?

Will he put his weight behind another former Expo, Larry Walker? Or will he become an advocate for the last player in the majors to play for the Expos, who may deserve more of a spot in Ripley’s than Cooperstown: Bartolo Colon? Another possible outcome could be that he overdoses on poutine and Cinquante at the Induction Ceremony after party in Cooperstown in July, which would be unfortunate but fitting.

A more understated outcome of

the Raines election, however, could be the revival of Major League Baseball in Montreal. There’s probably no cooler retro sports franchise right now than the Expos (outside of the New Jersey Swamp Dragons), and commissioner Rob Manfred is reportedly considering expansion, with Montreal on the short list. The Blue Jays and Red Sox played an exhibition game in old Olympic Stadium before last season to large crowds.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre is leading a push to bring baseball back to Montreal as well.

But the final lunge could be the success of the Raines campaign. A big reason for the Expos failure and, by proxy, the underappreciation of Raines, was the relative obscurity of baseball in Montreal to the rest of the league. As more and more people looked into Raines and discovered the Expos’ intriguing history(many through Keri’s book) more and more people have become interested in the return of Major League Baseball there. With the internet and streaming, the Expos would not fade into obscurity.

And a transcendent player like Tim Raines wouldn’t have to be willed into the Hall of Fame. Everyone would realize right away that the next great Expo was someone worth enshrining.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Raines spent most of his prime in Montreal, which hurt his candidacy.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports

Thursday Jan. 26

Friday Jan. 27

Saturday Jan. 28

Men’s Basketball

Davidson 12 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

St. Louis 7 p.m.

Men’s Tennis

Davidson 6 p.m.

Swimming

UMass 1 p.m.

Track Squash

Sunday Jan. 29

Tuesday Jan. 31

Wednesday Feb. 1

Dayton 9 p.m.

George Washington 12 p.m.

Terrier Classic Lehigh/ Miami TBA

Monday Jan. 30

Penn St/ Denison TBA

SPORTS

January 25, 2017

Varsity Scores & Stats

Evan Biancardi

Falcons Headed to Super Bowl The National Football Conference has had multiple front-runners throughout the postseason. The Giants were only four-and-a-half point underdogs at Green Bay, but many bet on the Packers to pull off the upset in the Divisional Round, even though the Cowboys were the top seed in the conference. On the other side of the draw, the Falcons were only five point favorites over a Seahawks team that entered the game 3-3 in its last six games of the regular season. Although the Falcons were the second-best team in the conference, many didn’t have them going very far.

Atlanta went 11-5 this season and entered Sunday’s game having won five in a row and eight of its last 10, including a one-point loss to the Chiefs in early December.

So why is this Falcons’ run to the Super Bowl surprising to so many?

Nobody doubts just how good the Falcons’ offense is. It was second in the league in offensive yards this season and led the league with 540 points, 71 more than the next-best scoring team.

Much of the doubt surrounding the Falcons is a result of Matt Ryan’s inconsistent career. Ryan is in the conversation for the league’s Most Valuable Player, but many people don’t realize just how effective he’s been throughout much of his career. Ryan has had over 4,000 yards in each of the last six seasons and has been in the top five in passing yards every year since 2012. His critics will give all of the credit to Julio Jones, but why should Ryan be treated differently than any other elite quarterback with great receivers? Yes, he has thrown his fair share of interceptions, but his completion percentage has been well above average throughout most of his career.

His league-best 83.3 quarterback rating and 38 touchdowns this season cannot go unnoticed. There is a reason why he is called “Matty Ice.” The Falcons have also been criticized for their defense. Though the Falcons finished the regular season 25th in the league in total yards against and gave up just over 25 points per game, the Falcons were fourth in the league in point differential behind the Chiefs, Raiders and Patriots. This is a fancy way of saying that they take care of the football. They’re a mediocre team when it comes to forcing turnovers, but when it comes to taking care of the football on offense, they’re the best in the league.

Considering all of this, it’s confusing to hear people still questioning the Falcons’ chances. Sure, the defense may not have the star power that Kansas City or Seattle has, but Atlanta’s defense is still relatively young. And when it comes to Ryan and the offense, there shouldn’t be any uncertainty. If the Falcons can control the football on offense and force turnovers like they did against the Packers, do not be surprised to see the Falcons walk away Super Bowl LI champions.

Page 23

Men’s Basketball Fordham VCU

69 67 68 71

UMass

Fordham

Women’s Basketball St. Bonaventure Fordham

44 60

St. Joseph’s Fordham

44 47

Fordham VCU

Squash

Women’s Swimming Fordham 153 Richmond 146

Fordham 199 La Salle 100

58 61

Fordham Bucknell

3 6

Fordham Bard College

6 3

Men’s Track NYC Gotham Cup 400m Run (FOR) Petersen 6th- 49:22

100m Butterfly (FOR) Bullock 1st- 56.79

5000m Run (FOR) Duckworth 3rd15:09.72

1000m Freestyle (FOR) McBride 1st- 10:34.03

Mile Run (FOR) Kutch 7th- 4:22.59

Men’s Swimming Fordham La Salle

Women’s Track NYC Gotham Cup

86 212

100m Freestyle (FOR) Vizza 3rd- 47.53 500m freestyle (FOR) Semple 1st- 4:39.96

200m Dash (FOR) Kenny 5th - 25.09 (FOR) Pinheiro 6th- 25.38 1000m Run (FOR) Snow 10th- 2:58.66 (FOR) Elwood 18th- 3:06.83

Athletes of the Week Antwoine Anderson

Mary Kate Kenny

Junior

Sophomore

Basketball

Track

Anderson knocked down the gamewinning jumper against VCU on Wednesday to beat the buzzer. He poured in 15 points to go along with three rebounds, three assists and only one turnover in over 40 minutes of action. This is the second gamewinner he has made in two years.

On Friday, Kenny broke the Fordham record in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.09 seconds at the NYC Gotham Cup, held at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, N.Y. She garnered a fifth place finish in the event.

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 • Javontae Hawkins Named Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week Graduate forward Javontae Hawkins was

named the Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week on Monday, sharing the honor with George Mason guard Marquis Moore.

Hawkins was instrumental in Fordham’s two wins during the week, averaging 20 points and five rebounds along with three assists and two steals. He shot 58 percent from the field and 42 percent from three.

The Rams beat VCU at home and UMass on the road. Hawkins notched 22 points against VCU and poured in 18 points against UMass.

• Squash Ends Their Homestand in a Split The squash team fell to Bucknell 6-3, but bounced back with a 6-3 win against Bard College. The team now has a record of 4-7 for the year. The squash team’s next competition takes place on Jan. 28-29, as it heads to Maryland to participate in the Johns Hopkins Round Robin. These two games end Fordham’s slate of home games for the 2016-17 season.

• Darryl Brown and Dr. Mary Ann Bilotti Named A-10 Legends Darryl Brown, FCRH ‘75 and Dr. Mary

Ann Bilotti, FCRH ‘89 were named to the 2017 Atlantic 10 Legends Class. The program, started in 2013, includes Basketball Hall of Famers, professional and Olympic basketball players. Brown holds the seventh-place spot on the all-time scoring list in Fordham men’s basketball history with 1,233 points, and Bilotti is second in Fordham University women’s basketball history with 1,164 points.

• Hannah Missry Honored for Scoring 1000th Point Last Sunday against VCU, Hannah Missry

was honored for becoming the 19th player to score 1,000 points. Missry also moved up to 17th place on the all-time scoring list in program history, passing Stacey Paukovitz with 1,056 points. She is seven points shy of the next position held by former teammate Erin Rooney. In addition, she passed Amy Waugh of Xavier for sixth place in A-10 history.

-Compiled by Alvin Halimwidjaya

Brendan O’Connell

R-E-L-A-X About Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has it all. He is as physically gifted as any player I have seen at the position. He can scramble out of the pocket to throw 40 yards down field across his body and he can sit back in the pocket and make “Hail Mary” pass conversions look routine.

Rodgers has a star-studded offensive line that can protect him for upwards of eight seconds – an eternity in the National Football League. He often makes something out of nothing, turning average receivers into effective players. He is a nightmare to defend when he is on a hot streak.

Despite not much of a running attack and a banged-up, mediocre defense, he managed to lead his team to an NFC North division title and defeat two elite squads in the postseason: the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys.

However, can we please take it easy with the unabashed praise of Green Bay’s Number 12?

Since Rodgers stated that he thought his team could “run the table” after starting the season 4-6, he became the media’s darling. During the team’s ensuing eight-game winning streak, every commentator and analyst fell over themselves to hyperbolize his play and deem him worthy of any and all accolades.

Last week, all I heard from anyone talking about the NFL playoffs was that Aaron Rodgers could not be stopped. People said Green Bay would go on and win it all.

People proclaimed Aaron Rodgers as the greatest quarterback of all-time. While Rodgers had a tremendous eight-game stretch, including two big playoff victories, everyone seemingly forgot he could be stopped.

In the final game at the Georgia Dome, the Falcons demolished A-Rod and the Pack 44-21 to reach Super Bowl LI. Rodgers went 27 of 45 for 287 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and two sacks, but he did not live up to the hype by any means.

Rodgers had a lot of trouble in the first half of the NFC Championship game against a weak Falcons defense, managing only 119 passing yards and a quarterback rating of 65.5 while throwing one pick and scoring zero points. The score was 24-0 at the half and the game was all but over.

Let’s not forget that the Packers were a 4-seed, barely squeaking into the playoffs, largely due to a poor 4-6 start with many pundits questioning if Aaron Rodgers was beginning to decline.

He bounced back admirably and proved he is still a top-notch QB in the NFL, but Rodgers was average at best during the first 10 games of the season.

While Rodgers possesses the ability to dissect the defense and drive down the field with surgical precision, his desire to make the flashy play caused him to be impatient, and the resulting brokenplay style of offense that results simply is not sustainable.

While the Packers go back to the drawing board, let us take heed of another one of Rodgers’ famous post-game remarks and R-E-L-A-X.

SPORTS

Page 24

January 25,2017

The Fordham Ram

Women Fall in Two Close A-10 Contests

By SAM BELDEN STAFF WRITER

Syllabus week is usually an exciting time for college students, but for the Fordham women’s basketball team, the first week of the new semester was not a positive one. The Rams lost back-to-back close games against Saint Joseph’s and Virginia Commonwealth University, ending their conference winning streak at five games and falling to 15-7 on the season.

The Rams kicked off their week with a Wednesday road game at Saint Joseph’s. Entering as the Atlantic 10’s top team, they struggled to make shots and narrowly lost what ended up being a slow-burning defensive battle.

“When you start conference play off [undefeated], everybody’s coming after you. We had the early win against Duquesne, we started off 5-0, and then you become the hunted,” said head coach Stephanie Gaitley. “With that just comes a target on your back. I don’t feel that there was complete focus at practice, and I think that showed up at Saint Joe’s.”

The scoring was sluggish out of the gate, and with four minutes gone in the first quarter, the score was just 2-2.

From there, the offensive pace somehow grew even slower — neither side made another field goal for the rest of the period. The Rams led 4-3 at quarter’s end.

The scoring picked up in the second quarter. The two sides traded buckets for the first few minutes, but Saint Joseph’s soon went on an 8-2 run, picking up a five-point lead with six minutes left in the half. Scores from Missry and Davis on the Rams’ ensu-

ing possessions kept them close, but as time began to dwindle, so too did their offense. Fordham was held scoreless over the final three-and-a-half minutes, while Saint Joseph’s scored four unanswered points to finish out the half with a six-point lead.

The Fordham offense continued to struggle at the outset of the third, but began to find their rhythm towards the end, winding up trailing by just two at the buzzer.

The Rams started off the final quarter with a huge team effort to knot the score. Senior forward Danielle Burns artfully stole the ball from Fioravanti, and after missing a jumper, Davis was able to convert on the put back. However, the Hawks regained the lead on their next possession and never relinquished it, going on a 6-1 run that gave them a sizable lead with time winding down. Fordham’s defense soon began to stir, but the offense had reverted to its early-game productivity level, leaving the period scoreless for nearly two minutes.

With just under four minutes remaining, a pair of free throws from Davis cut the Saint Joseph’s lead to four, but a three-point play on the next possession left Fordham with some work left to be done. The Hawks missed several important free throws down the stretch, but the Rams lacked the time to make a successful comeback.

The game ended with a 47-44 win for the home team.

Despite the Fordham loss, Davis delivered the performance of the game, scoring 22 points along with 19 rebounds. Through Tuesday, Davis’ 12.5 rebounds per game ranks second in the country.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Anna Kelly drives to the basket. She had 16 points in the loss to VCU.

Gaitley was effusive in her praise of Davis. “She’s grown up a lot, she’s maturing, and she’s become a better leader,” she said. “I think all those things that have helped her personal self is really reflected on the court, as well. I think she takes pride in being one of the nation’s best rebounders.

That’s something she goes into every game knowing and feeling very passionate about.”

The Rams returned to Rose Hill looking to rebound from the tough loss, but they instead ran into a tough VCU squad in Saturday’s game. Fordham out played the Rams of VCU for much of the contest, but a big 3rd quarter VCU to take a narrow victory.

After going up 9-8 early, the Rams caught fire towards the end of the first quarter, finishing on an 8-1 run to take an early 17-9 lead.

The second was a tale of two runs.

The first was another impressive run for the Rams, who extended their lead to the double digits thanks to a Missry three-pointer, eventually holding a 3216 lead with just under three minutes left in the half. However, VCU soon

turned on the gas, finishing the quarter on an 8-0 run to make the halftime score 32-24.

The second half was already shaping up to be a competitive one, but no one could have predicted what VCU did next. They were hot out of the gate in the third quarter, forcing multiple turnovers while converting on almost all offensive opportunities. By the time the dust had settled, VCU’s run stood at 24-2, stretching all the way back to the second quarter. Leading 40-34 midway through the third, VCU allowed Fordham to inch back a bit, finishing the period up 46-43.

For the second time in a week, Fordham started off the fourth quarter with a bucket to tie the game — this one a three-pointer from Burns. Solid shooting by Davis and a three-point play by freshman guard Anna Kelly helped the Rams stretch their lead to four with 4:26 remaining. However, they failed to convert on their next two possessions, allowing VCU guard Isis Thorpe to cut the lead to one with a three pointer. The two sides then traded layups, keeping the margin to a

single point.

Thorpe fouled out on Fordham’s next possession, sending Davis to the line. She missed the back end and VCU’s Bria Gibson grabbed the rebound. After another trip to the line, VCU grabbed the lead thanks to a timely layup from forward Curteeona Brelove. Kelly kept Fordham in it with a basket of her own, but the Rams were shut out from there. VCU pulled off a hard-fought win, 61-58.

Fordham turned in an improved shooting performance, but they also allowed VCU to shoot 45.1 percent from the field. The visitors went 9-for12 in the third quarter. Fordham also committed 17 turnovers in the loss.

Kelly led the Rams scoring with 16 points. Davis and Burns chipped in with 12 apiece. She is also in a tie for fifth for most three-pointers in A-10 history.

Fordham’s next game is on the road against the preseason favorite Saint Louis Billikens, who sit just half a game behind Fordham in the A-10.

Tipoff is set for this Saturday at 7 p.m.

Rams Win Nail-biters vs VCU,UMass

ANDREA GARCIA /THE FORDHAM RA,M

Antwoine Anderson hit the overtime game winner to secure a 69-67 Fordham upset victory.

By TYLER FREIRE STAFF WRITER

After starting conference play 0-3, the Fordham Men’s Basketball has won two straight games, including a thrilling buzzer beater victory in overtime against one of the A10’s best teams, Virginia Commonwealth.

Fordham opened the game on an 11-2 run thanks to three pointers from graduate student guard Javonte Hawkins, sophomore guard Joseph Chartouny and junior forward Christian Sengfelder, and ended the period on an 11-4 spurt, taking a 32-20 lead heading into halftime.

However, VCU did not go away, chipping away at Fordham’s lead and getting it down to 51-50 with 3:33 left in the game.

Hawkins put Fordham back up three 16 seconds later, but on the

other end VCU nailed a jumper with 1:15 remaining for the game’s first tie.

Chartouny then sank a three with just under a minute left, giving Fordham a 56-53 lead. The teams traded buckets as VCU’s Justin Tillman completed a three-point play, knotting the game at 56 with 41 seconds left in regulation.

A layup from senior guard Antwoine Anderson with 21 seconds left gave Fordham a short-lived lead, but VCU tied it again when Mo Alie-Cox hit two free throws with 14 seconds remaining, sending the game to overtime.

VCU took a five-point lead a minute in on Tilman’s midrange jumper and 36 seconds later, a Tillman threepoint play gave VCU a 63-58 lead.

Two trips to the free throw line from Hawkins and a lay-in for Chartouny then gave Fordham a one-point lead

with just 2:04 left.

Fordham held a 67-65 lead with under a minute left following a contested layup from Anderson. The Rams had a chance to extend their lead a few seconds later but could not convert on the charity stripe.

VCU rebounded the missed free throw and put the ball in the hands of their best play maker, Tilman. He got fouled on the made layup, giving VCU the chance to go up one with just 15 seconds remaining.

Tilman missed the go-ahead free throw, leaving the game tied at 67, which gave Fordham the chance to end the game at the buzzer.

Chartouny rebounded the miss and got it to Anderson. He took care of the rest as he drove to the top of the key and nailed a shot at the buzzer.

Fordham’s bench stormed the court, mobbing their overtime hero.

The Rams out-rebounded VCU 37-30, and are now 5-1 when they out-rebound their opponent. The Rams also recorded double digit steals for the 13th time in 19 games this year behind NCAA steal leader Chartouny, who swiped six in the contest, just one shy of his career high.

Hawkins finished the game with 22 points and six rebounds, and Chartouny added 15 points along with six assists and six steals.

“This is as proud I am about any win I’ve been in my twelve years of coaching,” said head coach Jeff Neubauer.

Fordham could not enjoy it for long as the Rams continued their conference schedule by traveling to Amherst, Massachusetts over the weekend to face UMass.

It started as a back and forth affair, which has been a trend for Fordham this year. Fordham held a 67-66 lead with just three minutes left in the game. Both teams went scoreless over the next two minutes until Anderson missed a jumper with the shot clock running down. Luckily for the Rams, sophomore forward Prokop Slanina was there to tip in the miss.

Slanina’s basket gave Fordham a 69-66 lead with just 46 seconds remaining in the game, but a pair of free throws from UMass moments later made it a one-point game once again, 69-68.

On the next possession, the Rams worked the shot clock down before Anderson drove and put up a layup

attempt that missed. The Minutemen then drove the ball down the court and missed a layup themselves, but the ball was out off of Fordham, giving UMass another shot to win the game with just five seconds left.

UMass could not get a good look and missed a shot that was rebounded by Sengfelder, who then iced the game with a pair of free throws for a game-high 20 points. UMass got one more shot with three second left, but their desperation three at the buzzer bounced off the backboard, giving the Rams 71-68 victory in the Mullis Center.

Fordham grabbed a season-high 15 offensive rebounds and have recorded double-digit offensive rebounds in six straight games. The Rams also tallied 14 steals, which is just one shy of Fordham’s season-high.

“This win is a credit to our team, not one individual,” said Neubauer.

“The fact that we are still competing and playing so hard is a credit to our team. For us to fight after going through such a hard time, I’m really impressed with our guys.”

With the back-to-back wins – and third in its past four games – the Rams improve to 9-11 overall, 3-4 in the Atlantic 10. The Rams return to action next Saturday, Jan. 28, as they host the conference rival Davidson Wildcats at the Rose Hill Gym at 12:00 p.m.

The game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network.