Issue 3, Volume 100

The Fordham Ram Volume 100, Issue 3

Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 FordhamRam.com

February 7, 2018

Fordham Flu Cases Increase

1968 Saw Fordham Change

By JOERGEN OSTENSEN

By JOERGEN OSTENSEN

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

In 1968, the United States experienced a year of tumult and change. It saw the assassinations of both Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. Tensions surrounding the Vietnam War also increased after the deadly Tet Offensive and the My Lai Massacre.

Fordham saw tension as well.

A significant financial crisis and a new state law almost changed Fordham’s relationship with the Jesuits.

The Fordham Ram reported one of the major causes for the financial crisis was the construction of the Lincoln Center campus, which cost the university $25,000,000.

On April 26, 1968 The Fordham Ram printed a headline quoting Thomas Kaiser, then the chairmen of the Board of Lay Trustees. “Fordham has a critical need for immediate financial support in amounts never before obtained...we have now reached a moment of truth.”

In May of 1968, the New York state legislature passed State Education law A-7087, which authorized state support of private colleges and universities. Fordham, in hopes of alleviating some of the financial pressure, planned to apply for $1,000,000 of annual assistance, according to the The Fordham Ram. However, as a Jesuit institution directly affiliated with the Catholic Church, Fordham was not able to receive this aid.

Fordham commissioned a report by Columbia Law School’s Walter Gellhorn. The goal was to answer the question, “What must Fordham do to achieve parity before the law with other private universities?” Paid for by the Gerli foundation and headed by Francis M. Gerli, the Lay Board of Trustees, the report cost $45,000.

The Gellhorn report sparked

SEE 1968, PAGE 6

in this issue

Opinion

Page 8 Donald Trump is Not a Feminist (and that’s OK)

Sports

Page 21

Putting the ML in MLS

Culture Page 15 Dropping Your Ego with Beatrice Hazlelhurst

KEVIN STOLTENBERG/THE FORDHAM RAM

Being Black at Fordham panelists, pictured above, reflected on their experiences as people of color on campus.

Panel Discusses Race on Fordham’s Campus

By SURESH HANUBEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The “Being Black at Fordham” panel, held Feb. 2, tackled issues of race, income and socioeconomic status during its two hour runtime.

The forum began with an introduction of its panelists, who were, from left to right, Kendall Lewis, FCRH ’11, Chris Ander-

son, FCRH ’18, Anike Tella-Martins, FCRH ’20, Manny Adeyeye, FCRH’17, Finlay RD Tychelle Graham and Carl Jean-Pierre, GSB ’20. Immediately after introductions, the panel delved into the issues that affect Fordham’s black student population on a daily basis.

The panelists compared their experiences at Fordham to their en-

counters in other white majority spaces, including UPenn, boarding school or high school in the suburbs.

“The experience has been eyeopening, and I’ve learned just how important representation is,” Jean-Pierre said.

Chris Anderson, FCRH ‘18,said spaces for black stu-

SEE BBAF, PAGE 3

The Fordham community is experiencing a significant increase in cases of the flu this semester, compared to past years. According to Maureen Keown, assistant director of University Health Services (UHS), there have been 65 confirmed cases of the flu this semester, as opposed to 14 cases in the same period of time last year.

As a result of the uptick in cases of the flu, Public Safety sent out a letter from Kathleen M. Malara, the executive director of UHC. “Fordham University has seen a significant increase over last season in cases of influenza (flu) among students, mirroring the increase in cases nationwide,” Malara said in the letter.

Keown said that the most common type of flu that UHS has seen this semester is Influenza A. Students who are experiencing symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headSEE FLU, PAGE 5

Coleman Leaves Title IX

By AISLINN KEELY NEWS EDITOR

A national search will begin next week to replace Title IX Coordinator Anastasia Coleman as she leaves the post to return to the public sector. Patricia Scaglione, an investigator at Fordham’s Department of Public Safety, has been appointed the interim Title IX coordinator and director of the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance for the duration of the search, according to a university-wide email from the Office of the Vice President of Administration.

According to the email, Scaglione will start in the new role on Feb. 5, reporting to Tom Dunne, Vice President of administration.

Dunne appointed Scaglione to the position.

The email said that an announcement on the forthcoming search committee to find a permanent replacement for Coleman will follow next week.

The director of the Office of SEE IX, PAGE 5

KEVIN STOLTENBERG/THE FORDHAM RAM

A petition gathering signatures amongst the student body calls for an update to the McGinley Center, pictured above.

McGinley Petition Circulates on Campus

By AISLINN KEELY NEWS EDITOR

A petition circulating around campus is requesting a new student center to be the next capital project undertaken by Fordham, updating the current McGinley Center.

Though it is still gathering signatures, the petition was given to the Board of Trustees during its December meeting, according to Jef-

frey Gray, senior vice president for student affairs.

The petition addressed problems surrounding the McGinley center, focusing on a lack of space for all the activities it houses.

“Resolved: We, the students of Fordham University, hold that all members of the community should have comfortable and accessible places to congregate outside of the residence halls, easy ac-

cess to food at mealtimes, adequate fitness facilities, as well as multiple well-furnished spaces for clubs to meet,” it read.

The petition breaks down each of these grievances in succinct points beneath the initial resolve. It has gathered 100 signatures thus far with an internet campaign and tabling on the horizon, according to Erin Shanahan, FCRH ’18, co-writer of the SEE MCGINLEY, PAGE 3

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS Jan. 31 Hughes House 8 a.m.

February 7, 2018

Money Matters

Interest in Crypto Grows at Fordham Students Invest, Established Network

A student reported that a Bissell vacuum was stolen from Hughes House. The student claimed that the vacuum was taken from the second floor hallway. The incident is under investigation, but the NYPD was not notified.

Jan. 31 Loschert Hall 2 p.m.

A smoke detector triggered a fire alarm in Loschert Hall. The alarm may have been set off by the use of a vacuum that was stirring up dust.

The FDNY was not called.

Feb. 1 Terra Nova House 6:47 p.m.

A fire alarm went off in Terra Nova House. The alarm went off because of a condition caused by cooking. FDNY responded to the scene and the apartment was ventilated. The fire alarm was reset.

Feb. 1 Hughes House 8 p.m.

The fire alarm went off at Hughes House because someone accidentally pulled the fire alarm. FDNY responded to the scene.

Feb. 4 3:05 a.m.

An individual who was not a student attempted to enter campus using a student ID card. The security officer realized that the individual was not the same person depicted on the card and confiscated the card from the individual. It was later determined that the ID card belonged to a friend of the individual.

- Compiled by Joergen Ostensen

ANDREW CHEN (THE FORDHAM RAM))

A panelist addresses his audience at the event Innovation in FinTech: Payments and Blockchain.

By AISLINN KEELY NEWS EDITOR

A growing interest in cryptocurrency has led to a sharp increase in the financial technology (FinTech) market, with currencies like Bitcoin and its counterparts seeing significant peaks and valleys each week. At Fordham there is a growing number of students, to match the growing market insterested in FinTech.

With the marriage of two disciplines, computer science and finance, students across colleges have shown interest in learning more about the market, joining Fordham’s new FinTech Network as well as pursuing FinTech projects through the Fordham Foundry and personal ventures.

Benjamin Cole, associate professor of strategy and statistics and William J. Loschert endowed chair in Entrepreneurship, has been a resource for students taking an interest in the market. However, his interest is primarily personal, conducting his research outside of Fordham.

Cole explained that in order to understand the world of cryptocurrency, it is important to understand the basics of blockchain, the building blocks of cryptocurrencies. Blockchain acts as an ongoing document that anyone can view and add to, but no one can delete from. It is an

ongoing ledger, proving transactions between buyers and sellers as well as creating the building blocks for currencies, according to Cole.

The transactions are facilitated through mining, a process done by highly-effective computers rigged to cycle through algorithms that can prove the buyer has currency to pay with, prove the seller has a way to accept the currency and then move the currency from buyer to seller.

Miners, people who have ‘rigs’ to facilitate these transactions, are incentivized to do so by receiving ‘mined’ currency for their work. Cole used the analogy of miners racing one another to find a code that can facilitate a transaction, thus winning a payout of the currency.

“The coins are being generated by the system ready to reward people waiting to do work,” said Cole. “It’s really quite an elegant solution.”

Miners need only set up a rig to begin their work and join in. Marcin Walski, GSB ’18, is the holder of a six-figure crypto fund, but his next venture is building a mining rig with his friend, Adam Leesman, FCRH ’18. Leesman, a computer science major, is helping Walski build the hardware necessary to complete the transactions.

While some undertake building a mining rig for the potential payout, Leesman said he joined the project

because he had always enjoyed computer hardware, and the opportunity to set up a mining rig seemed fun.

“It’s kind of a challenge,” he said.

However, mining does not generate new currency. In the case of bitcoin, there are a finite number that can be mined, about 21 million, according to Cole. Cole explained that with every 210,000 bitcoins mined, the payout for mining halves beginning at 50 bitcoin. Over 16 million bitcoin have already been mined.

“It’s built in that it’s supposed to be deflationary by nature,” said Cole.

Eventually, when the 21 million bitcoins allocated to mining are exhausted, miners will receive a payout from those engaging in the transaction, much like a transaction unrelated to cryptocurrency.

This type of system is revolutionary for financial industries, according to Walski.

“I believe this will replace a lot of redundancies," he said. "This basically automates financial service industry."

Walski got in on the ground floor of the cryptocurrency market, getting involved in all aspects the market had to offer. In addition to his fund and plans to mine, Walski is also developing his own whitepaper, or paper explaining how to build his own currency on blockchain. He has holdings in over 15 cryptocurren-

cies.

“I guess we’re the whole package, we do everything you can possibly do within crypto,” said Walski.

However, some students are involved in cryptocurrency to a lesser degree. Daniel Joseph, FCRH ’20, bought bitcoin in December, when it started to see a rise.

“I decided to say why not, I felt like there was enough real capital and real organizations that I wasn’t going to get my money stolen instantly, which didn’t happen,” he said.

Since then, Joseph has increased his holdings in crypto.

“I think it will change the world eventually, like block-chain technology has the potential to disrupt everything and change the way the world works,” he said.

The Fordham FinTech Network is preparing for these changes by creating a support system between Fordham campuses on the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as with professionals and faculty, according to Carina Oriel, GSB ’20, president of the network.

“It’s a completely full blown network that works together in all aspects and ages,” said Oriel.

The group puts together events and panels to educate people on the nature and direction of cryptocurrency, according to Oriel. She said interest is growing – she usually receives 15 emails a week asking to be added to the group’s email list.

The Network’s next project is creating a research team to collect data on cryptocurrency and its direction.

“Because the FinTech industry is happening now, we don’t have a lot of research about that past,” said Oriel. She said FinTech hopes to fill that gap of knowledge.

Walski cited the danger of investing in crypto without sufficient knowledge of the system. He said investments made due to the current craze could lead to losing it all.

“That’s actually a scary thought because a lot of people are investing in something they don’t understand,” he said. “If you’re investing in something, you should know everything about it.”

FinTech will also serve as an educational network as industries turn towards crypto, which Cole said is the trajectory businesses will take.

“There are a lot of industries that are going to change because of this technology, even in the next five years,” said Cole.

This Week at Fordham Thursday Feb. 8

Friday Feb. 9

Friday Feb. 9

Sunday Feb. 11

Hidden in Plain Sight: A Walking Tour

Performance Group Benefit Concert

Black Sheep Performance Poetry Shows

Ignation Week Escape the Room

McGinley Lobby 1 p.m.

McGinley Ballroom 7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

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

Ignatius Loyola Room 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Rodrigue's Coffee House 8 p.m. -11 p.m

As a part of Ignatian Week, Campus Ministry is offering a campus tour centering on the Jesuit presence at Fordham. Pre-registration encouraged. Participants receive two raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes.

The Satin Dolls have organized a concert to raise money for those affected by the Bronx fires. The benefit concert will feature Fordham’s dance and acapella groups. Suggested donation is $5.

Fordham Experimental Theatre is putting on its first poetry shows of the semester. Shows will be at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9 and Saturday, Feb. 10. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and admission is free.

Campus Ministry has organized a Jesuit-themed Escape the Room adventure. Teams of four to six will work together to solve puzzles and crack clues. Group pre-registration encouraged.

Rodrigue’s Coffee House is hosting an open mic in honor of the Valentine’s Day blues. Come share your breakup stories, sing sad songs and commiserate. Admission is free.

Tuesday Feb. 13 Broken Hearted Open Mic

NEWS

February 7, 2018

Page 3

Panel Discusses Issues of Race on Campus FROM BBAF, PAGE 1

dents are important.

“It’s always nice to find a space to be able to express yourself with people who look and have had similar experiences to you,” said Anderson.

Mark Naison, Ph.D., professor of History and African-American Studies, also discussed how Bronx residents view Fordham. He said some residents view the campus as a “Forbidden City:” a place surrounded by tall gates, filled with students of mostly higher socioeconomic status and inaccessible to the local community.

After the panelists spoke about their own experiences, the floor was opened for questions. The discussion addressed the difference between white friends and white allies, with the panelists elaborating on the distinction between the two.

“Only four white friends I know would actually help me due to the their white privilege,” said TellaMartins.

This willingness to use white privilege to actively promote equality separates friends from allies, according to the panelists.

The panel also addressed the experiences of black people conversing about race at Fordham.

Tella-Martins talked about her experience befriending a group of white students during her freshman year that consistently used derogatory slang, specifically the n-word. She said they would ignore her protests against their usage of the word.

“My race is not something that you can choose to ignore,” said Tella-Martins.

She also spoke on her experience in her residence hall the day after the 2016 Presidential Election, when people made racially charged comments such as, “if you don’t like it [the election result], why don’t you go back?”

Graham said that she noticed similar racial insensitivity in a program held after the 2016 election.

“I’ve never seen so much tribalism,” she said.

Audience member Jordan Dabney, FCRH ’21, asked panelists about the expectations associated with their race.

Adeyeye said white people have addressed him with certain topics based on his race.

“A lot of white people will come

up to me and talk about a certain mixtape that just dropped,” he said. “You cannot address me a certain way, just because of how I look.”

The panel also discussed ways in which Fordham can address the aforementioned issues that people of color face.

“The school needs to make a stronger effort to reach out to minority communities,” said Jean-

Pierre.

Moderator Dr. Naison agreed, noting that the Freshman class at Fordham has only 64 Black students out of a total class size of 2,238. He said that much of this may be due to the United States News and World Report college rankings that push colleges such as Fordham to accept kids with high standardized test scores in order to improve their rankings, to the det-

riment of diversity.

After the panel concluded, Nia Johnson, FCRH ’21, said that she expected insensitive comments directed towards the panel but was pleasantly surprised when this did not occur.

Sarah James, FCRH ’21, said she found the panel informative and that more events like it should be held in order to continue to raise awareness about these issues.

KEVIN STOLTENBERG/THE FORDHAM RAM

Panelists from left to right: Lewish, Anderson, Tella-Martins, Adeyeye, Graham, Jean-Pierre and moderator Naison.

McGinley Petition Circulates on Campus FROM MCGINLEY, PAGE 1

petition.

Shanahan and Peter Vergara, FCRH ’18, wrote the petition in response to a discussion with Gray about the process of approval for capital projects. The members of Fordham Club, a council of students chosen to put forth initiatives for the Fordham community, decided to draft a petition to show student support for the prioritization of a new student center, according to Shanahan. She and Vergara drafted the petition at the end of last semester.

This semester, Shanahan said she hopes it gains even more signatures with the upcoming campaigns.

“We want to get it in the hands of more club leaders on campus… especially clubs that are in McGinley and have to deal with the facilities,” said Shanahan.

Once drafted, the Fordham Club submitted the petition to Gray through his Advisory Council, a group of students who represent different areas of the community.

Gray said that many petitions come across his desk, but this was the first addressing a need for a new student center.

“I thought it was well done, said Gray. “I think it represents in a limited way the interests and the voices of students who are here now.”

However, Gray said this is not the first discussion of a new student center. He said he has spoken extensively with students about the importance of the capital project.

There have also been design concepts drawn up for possible student centers.

“This is certainly not the first time we’ve had conversation about this,” he said.

According to Christopher Rodgers, assistant vice president and dean of students, the appreciation of McGinley’s past will not stand in the way of an update the facility.

“It’s abundantly clear that our student population, our clubs and organizations and our staff and faculty— this bustling culture at Rose Hill, in other words—has grown out of our circa 1950s campus center,” he said.

“Though many of us have grown to appreciate McGinley over the years, we’ve been planning for several on how best to grow, researching other similar campus facilities across the country, and talking with many of our students about their ideas.”

Gray said that the Fordham community has outgrown the current McGinley Center, with a growing need for club and programming space in addition to communal spaces.

KEVIN STOLTENBERG/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Commuter Student Lounge, pictured above, is located in the basement of the McGinley Center.

“There’s a bit of a shortage of all of that on the campus,” said Gray.

Some clubs have felt the lack of space more acutely. Nemesis Dipre, FCRH ’18, president of the Commuter Student Association (CSA), said CSA fully supports the initiative and she herself has signed the petition.

“Currently, McGinley Center isn’t big enough for everything students want to accomplish on campus,” she said. “As a student of color and a commuter at Fordham, I would love to see more space on campus for all students to socialize.”

Dipre said a new center would create space for collaboration between residents and commuters.

“Commuters, residents and even faculty and administration always talk about bridging the gap between residents and commuters, but this is quite difficult when there are barely any physical spaces for this to happen,” she said. “With these new renovations, McGinley could provide future students with these spaces.”

Brian Reardon, FCRH ’18, president of United Student Government (USG), said students have been receptive towards the petition partly because of lacking experiences in the current center.

“Personally I believe that a new student center means the ability for clubs to do the substantive work that many are lacking the space to do,” said Reardon.

USG has given its full support of the petition and has worked to widen its distribution, according to Reardon.

“USG’s thought is that a new student center would mean adequate space for all members of the Fordham community. That is something that we all ran on, finding ways in which we can somehow negotiate with the administration of Fordham to help as many students as possible,” he said.

However, capital projects with a large price tag face a long process, according to Gray.

“There are competing interests and competing projects for limited resources,” he said.

These competing projects include a new science center, a convocation center that would double as a basketball arena and a recreation center.

The large scale nature of these projects lead to collaborative decisions, according to Gray.

“It’s not possible to do all those projects, so you have to make decisions on which projects get prioritized,” he said.

There have been discussions of combining a student center with a recreation center, according to Gray.

He said that, second to a stand-alone student center, students have also expressed interest in a combined facility on surveys.

Currently, Gray said there are preliminary conversations surrounding design concepts and funding models for a new center. Cost will be determined as the process continues.

The next step will be to finalize a design and funding model, and then create a timeline for the project.

“It seems to be moving in a good direction,” said Gray.

However, as the project moves on, problems regarding operation will have to be addressed. Keeping necessary spaces, such as dining, in operation during a renovation pose a challenge, according to Gray.

“This is a fairly complicated project,” he said. “It’s a complicated phasing to figure out how to add on while keeping spaces in operation.”

Gray said he will continue to lobby for a student center due to the research he has conducted and conversations he has had with students.

He said when prioritizing capital projects, he looks for the greatest impact to the greatest number of people.

NEWS

Page 4

February 7, 2018

Research Spotlight

USG Column

USG Hosts Inaugural Research Reception

ASHLEY KATUSA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Research reception panelists, pictured above, spoke on how students can find research projects on campus.

By ASHLEY KATUSA STAFF WRITER

As students make the decision to get involved in research, some may find it difficult to approach professors or even narrow down what kind of research they would like to do. United Student Government (USG) FCRH Dean’s Council presented its Inaugural Research Reception to address these possible concerns.

Approximately 25 students attended the research luncheon, along with the three panel speakers and several representatives from different departments. The event was comprised of an hour-long panel discussion followed by a Q&A. Attendees were then invited to eat lunch with representatives from different departments to facilitate a roundtable discussion about research, potential majors and navigating through the two.

Nathaniel Singh, FCRH ’20, said the event provided insight regarding approaching professors showcased the large variety of research offered at Fordham with different aspects and focuses.

“I attended the research luncheon in order to get some advice on how to find research and meet professors who could determine whether research is really something I want to do,” said Singh.

The panel speakers were from different departments within Fordham and spoke on their projects, the projects of their students and how to go about finding research projects at Fordham.

All three of the panelists suggested reaching out to professors or even just popping into a professor’s office to inquire if they have any research that they need help with. They said professors can be overwhelmed with class, grading, committee meetings, et cetera; research sometimes gets pushed to the back burner. Due to this, help from students is frequently needed, appreciated and rewarding for both the mentor and the student.

Panelist Sophie Mitra, Ph.D.,

from the Economics department is working on projects surrounding the conceptual economic influences surrounding well-being, disability, health and inequality, as well as research into how international development can be measured through economic growth. Mitra is also working on a project regarding horizontal inequality, how different groups are in different positions on the income scale and what may contribute to that, such as culture and ethnicity.

Mitra discussed the importance of trying to plan ahead, but also says that she was not aware she would wind up in the research field at first.

Panelist Amy Roy, Ph.D., from the Psychology department is currently working on a study of adolescents. The department has previously worked on a study of five to nine year olds who suffer from severe temper tantrums; they carried out diagnostic interviews and examined functional

Photo of the Week:

MRI data from these children.

Roy and the department are trying to bring back the children who were previously interviewed to examine them again with hopes of gauging where the trajectory of their behavior is going. She is also working on a continuing study, bringing in five to nine year olds with severe temper tantrums or ADHD to conduct diagnostic interviews and examine other methods of emotional regulation.

In addition to this, Roy is working on a collaborative project with Gary Weiss from the Computer Science department in which they are trying to determine if there is a way to use motion sensors in a cushion as well as on certain points on the patient’s body to predict whether a child has ADHD. Although psychology research can be more time-sensitive and thus harder to schedule for students according to Roy, she said she is happy to get emails from students

inquiring about research.

Panelist Thaier Hayajneh, Ph.D., from the Computer Science department is conducting personal research focusing on system security for different forms of technology, specifically remote patient monitoring systems (insulin pumps, EEGs, pacemakers). He is analyzing the growing potential for hacking these devices; he explains how there have already been accounts of pacemakers being hacked successfully.

These electronic devices are hackable due to their technological advancements and connectivity to the cloud, so it is the job of the cyber security experts to keep up with this growing technology. Hayajneh is working with Columbia University to engage blockchain technology into securing the remote patient monitoring devices.

Last year, Hayajneh and his students published 18 papers; this year, they have undertaken 10-20 papers so far. There are many projects in the works, ranging from single-student to group projects. Hayajneh spoke on the 1.8 million jobs that need to be filled in cyber security, so it may be an appealing choice to students who are unsure what they would like to do.

One of the planners of this event was Patrick Fox, FCRH ’20. He serves as a USG Senator, and is on the FCRH Dean’s Council. The event was initially intended to be a mixer for underclassmen who were not positive what they wanted to do during and after college to discuss potential majors over lunch.

The Dean’s Council thought it would benefit students to have this event also promote and clarify research, so the project became a hybrid. Fox said he believes that the project was a huge success.

“We saw people actively engaging with faculty members during and after the reception talking about both academic studies and potential research opportunities,” he said.

The project had been in the works prior to Fox’s involvement with the Dean’s Council, but he and fellow USG member Elizabeth Crennan, FCRH ’19, facilitated most of the planning for the Research Reception. Those involved in the organization and planning of this event hope it will be a recurring annual event.

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM

Keating Hall, an iconic building on the Rose Hill campus, holds classes on all levels for the university as well as practice space for some performance clubs. The gothic building overlooks Edward’s Parade and Lombardi Feild.

Qamar Elected USG Senator

By SARAH HUFFMAN COLUMNIST

This week United Student Government (USG) held another special election for an open GSB 2020 Senator position. The winner was Ashley Qamar, GSB ’20. She said that during her time on the Senate, she would like to work on integrating commuter students into more activities and start up a USG newsletter.

“I am so genuinely grateful to have the opportunity to sit on this Senate,” Qamar said. “I want to thank all of the current, and especially past members of USG who have continued to support me in achieving change. As a senator I hope to continue to be a voice for Fordham students.”

The Senate approved two new clubs during the course of its meeting.

Purple Society, one of the newly approved clubs, seeks to create an alternative bipartisan political debate club, according to representatives present at the Senate meeting.

They said they have already reached out to College Democrats and College Republicans to to start an engaging conversation by bringing together people from opposite sides of the political spectrum.

Interfaith Encounter, which seeks to create a platform where students interested in interfaith activities can share and educate each other about different faiths and traditions, was also approved.

Representatives from Career Services came to speak to the Senate as well. At the first meeting of the year, Executive President Brian Reardon, FCRH ’18, had said he would like to work more to let students know about this resource.

Director of Career Services Annette McLaughlin spoke to the Senate about visibility for the services their office offers. She spoke about how Handshake, a new online service utilized by Career Services, works.

Representatives from Alumni Affiliations expressed to the Senate that they want to do more work with students in order to help more with the transition from student to alumni, when the time comes. They also mentioned opportunities such as the Young Alumni association, and various Affinity Chapters that allow alumni to stay involved even after they graduate.

The USG Senate also chose their club of the month and senator of the month.

The club of the month for January is Global Outreach. The sophomore senate members nominated GO! for its members’ work of integrating themselves into whatever setting they are in. Senators said that GO!’s El Salvador trip this past month was extremely successful.

The Senator of the Month was Selin Berberoglu, FCRH ’19. The Senate honored her for her great work concerning commuters. Reardon said she has been a voice for the commuters of Fordham.

NEWS

February 7, 2018

Page 5

Fordham Celebrates Black History Month

By HANNAH GONZALEZ ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

This February, departments and student groups across the university are putting on events in celebration of Black History Month. On campus, programmers include the Black Student Alliance (ASILI), the African-American Studies department, the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) and the athletics department.

Associate athletics director Joel Lawson said he hopes the partnership between the athletics department and ASILI will bring the celebration of Black History Month to a wider audience.

“Especially at Fordham, where such a small percentage of students and faculty are of African descent, the event is a great opportunity for education,” Lawson said.

On Feb. 7, the athletics department will put on the “Hoops and Heritage” Black History Month basketball game. Lawson hopes the game will be the first step in an annual tradition of bringing Black History Month education to game attendants.

“It’s bigger than Fordham,” said Lawson. “It’s about educating those who never had the opportunity or the interest in learning more about the culture.”

ASILI members will be passing out t-shirts and providing a slideshow of African American Fordham alumni to be played at the game. The Southeast Bronx Neighborhood Centers (SEBNC) Clovers, a local dance team, will also perform during halftime. Their routine will center on education about gun violence which has historically affected many young members of the African American community, according to Lawson.

The partnership with the athletics department is one of ASILI’s many contributions to Black His-

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

ASILI said it is trying to increase its presence on campus. The Taste Of The World event, above, was Oct. of last semester.

tory Month, according to Charlotte Hakikson, FCRH ’19, executive club secretary of ASILI. The first ASILI event of the month was the Being Black at Fordham panel on Feb. 2.

Upcoming programming includes a lecture by Na’Im Najieb, the author of “Love is not a Game,” on Feb. 7, streaming and discussion of James Baldwin film I Am Not Your Negro on Feb. 9, a fashion show to showcase local artists of color on Feb. 21 and, on Feb. 28, an open mic night in Rodrigue’s Coffee House to shed light on the creativity and passion of overlooked artists.

“Major themes we’re going for with our programming are love, unity and bridging gaps,” said Hakikson. “Our events allow for people to speak their minds, while also ensuring they’ll be heard.”

Additional programs throughout the month will be supported by partnerships with the Dorothy Day Center, OMA, Aramark and Cam-

Coleman Leaves Title IX Position FROM IX, PAGE 1

Institutional Equity and Compliance acts as the university’s Office for Cases of Discrimination. The director also serves in the role of Title IX coordinator. Coleman’s transition and Scaglione’s appointment come in the wake of changes to Title IX guidance from the Department of Education (DOE) and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The DOE released interim guidance in 2017.

Prior to receiving the interim position, Scaglione investigated allegations of Title IX violations and violations of the University Code of Conduct at Fordham.

Prior to her arrival at Fordham in 2015, she served in the New York City Police Department as a patrol officer, police officer/attorney, patrol sergeant and sergeant/ attorney. Scaglione spent 20 years with the NYPD. During her time with the NYPD legal bureau, Scaglione represented the police department in hearings, settlements and trials.

She also acted as assistant deputy

managing attorney for the department’s Vehicle Seizure Unit.

Christopher Rodgers, dean of students at Rose Hill, has worked with Scaglione in the past. Rodgers is the deputy Title IX coordinator.

“Having worked with Ms. Scaglione on a number of complex incidents, I know and respect her as a remarkably incisive investigator and a trusted colleague. Her experience will no doubt make for a very smooth transition,” he said.

Christopher Clark, FCRH ’14, staff assistant in the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance, will assist Scaglione in her new role, according to the email.

Clark has conducted university policy, Title IX and sexual misconduct trainings, as well as investigated on issues of discrimination. The email also cited his work in the development of initiatives regarding diversity and hiring practices. Clark is currently enrolled in the evening division of Fordham Law.

pus Ministry. According to Hakikson, one of the club’s primary goals this year is to make their role on campus more prominent.

“We want the Fordham community to know who and what ASILI is, and know that we are here for them,” Hakikson said.

Departments such as AfricanAmerican Studies are also contributing to the month’s celebrations. One of the major departmental events is Blending Scholarship and Activism: Race, Politics, Religion and Social Justice. This panel discussion will take place at Lincoln Center on Feb. 23 and will feature Rev. Bryan Massingale, S.T.D., professor of theology, Mark Chapman, Ph.D., associate professor of African and AfricanAmerican studies and Brandy MonkPayton, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication and media studies.

Mark Naison, Ph.D., professor of History and African-American Studies, said the department intends to include the Bronx community in

Black History Month on campus. He said the separation between Fordham and community was artificial, and had spoken to Public Safety in order to allow Bronx residents on campus for the department’s events.

“Our goal as a department is to make Bronx residents feel welcome, and to make Fordham students appreciate the culture of the Bronx,” said Naison.

Naison has helped to organize the Afro-Latinx Forum on Feb. 12 featuring Felipe Luciano, original member of the Last Poets and co-founder of the New York branch of the Young Lords, as well as bomba drummers from the Bronx. The forum will tackle the problem of the artificial separation between people of African and Latinx heritage.

“You have a historic silence about the African component of culture of countries like the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, and this conversation opens it up,” said Naison.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs

(OMA) has several events planned for the month. On Feb. 5, the OMA hosted jazz musician Galen AbdurRazzaq for the “Notes at Noon” performance in the Rose Hill Marketplace. A partnership with Aramark also enabled them to feature cajun dining to complement the theme.

Women’s Empowerment will also host a Black History Month-themed meeting entitled, “People Left Out of Your Textbooks.” The group plans to discuss important figures in the black community at the Feb. 6 meeting.

The Racial Solidarity Network, a training course first introduced in the fall, began on Feb. 6 at Rose Hill and was intentionally scheduled for the month of February. According to Juan-Carlos Matos, assistant vice president for student affairs for diversity and inclusion, the training will allow students, faculty and staff to engage in conversations about race during Black History Month.

“We talk about what sort of ways we as a community can think about race and ethnicity with regards to the campus,” said Matos.

The Racial Solidarity Network was also put on at Lincoln Center.

There, OMA is also putting on a Colorism program which, according to Matos, will tackle the subject of how internalized racism is reproduced in communities of color.

“It’s going to be dialogue-based,” said Matos. “We’re bringing people together and having them talk about their experiences with that topic.”

Matos expressed his desire for the appreciation of black history to become part of the campus culture outside of the month of February.

“Yes, this is a time to celebrate it, yes, this is a time to highlight it,” said Matos. “But it shouldn’t be the only time the Fordham community is thinking about the importance and contribution of black and AfricanAmerican people.”

Fordham Flu Cases Increase FROM FLU, PAGE 1

ache or fatigue may have the flu, according to Keown.

More students can be affected by the flu virus.

“Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses.

It can cause mild to severe illness and usually comes on suddenly,” Keown said.

Keown said students who are experiencing symptoms of the flu can make an appointment at UHS. She urged people at high risk of complications to make an appointment as soon as possible if they experience symptoms.

“High risk people include young children, adults 65 years of age and older, pregnant women, and people with certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease,” she said.

UHS has antiviral medications that can be given out within two days of the symptoms starting, according to Keown.

“These medications can help shorten the duration of the illness by a couple of days,” she said.

Keown gave instructions for students with the flu.

“Students with the flu are encouraged to rest, stay home and avoid spreading it to others,” she said. “Most healthy people will get

better on their own.”

Medical attention may be required if students experience difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain, sudden dizziness, confusion, severe or persistent vomiting or flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever or worse cough, according to Keown.

Students can help to prevent the spread of the flu.

“Students should cover their

mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing to prevent the spread of germs. Everyone should wash their hands frequently or use hand sanitizers and keep their hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth,” said Keown. “This may help reduce your risk of infection,” said Keown.

A healthy lifestyle also can help to prevent contraction of the flu.

“Getting enough sleep and eating healthy are ways to help boost your immune system too,” she said.

KEVIN STOLTENBERG/THE FORDHAM RAM

Tissues and cough drops are becoming a lifeline for students this flu season.

NEWS

Page 6

February 7, 2018

Entertainment and Media Offerings Grow Interest At Law

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham’s Law School hosted the House Judiciary Committee ‘s hearing for copyright and entertainment law.

By HELEN STEVENSON FEATURES EDITOR

Growing offerings in entertainment and media law have led Fordham Law to become a name for those interested in the field as well as a place for conversation. The House Judiciary Committee held its field hearing for copyright and entertainment law at the school this past January, and in 2017, Billboard Magazine named it a top music law school.

Fordham’s offerings in media and entertainment law make it worthy of these recognitions, according to Darien Schwartz, Fordham Law ’18 and president of The Fordham Media & Entertainment Law Society.

“This is not a coincidence,” said Schwartz. “Fordham Law is one of the foremost producers of entertainment lawyers in the world.”

In the evolving music industry,

entertainment lawyers serve as advocates for artists and songwriters. Their legal expertise extends to issues of contract law, intellectual property in the digital age and social justice in entertainment.

The university has a wide range of offerings related to the entertainment industry and a highly involved alumni network whose members are passionate about giving back to the school in any way that they can, according to Schwartz.

Graduates from the university include the COO of Capitol Music Group, Michelle Jubelirer, and Executive VP of Warner Music Group, Paul Robinson.

In terms of course offerings, Fordham Law provides classes related to general entertainment law, entertainment drafting and media drafting. These classes offer opportunities for law students to gain the

practical knowledge required for music or entertainment law.

Schwartz said that the experience and knowledge available to Fordham students is extremely valuable to aspiring entertainment lawyers.

“Entertainment lawyers are really a breed of their own and it requires a lot of industry-specific knowledge,” he said. “If you aren’t familiar with industry standards, these contracts are daunting and, frankly, they don’t make sense ... To gain that knowledge before graduating law school is invaluable.”

Outside of the classroom, the university has the Fordham Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal (IPLJ), a yearly publication composed of four books related to all areas of intellectual property law, in discussion with relevant issues in the entertainment industry.

The Media & Entertainment Law Society (MELS), a student-run organization led by Schwartz, is another opportunity for students interested in entertainment law. The group supports students interested in areas of the law relating to film, music, publishing, art, theater, the Internet, technology and mass media.

“We host on a number of panels with prominent entertainment lawyers who come in and speak on pertinent issues within the entertainment industry,” said Schwartz.

In March, the Society will host its fourth annual symposium dedicated to entertainment and law. Established practitioners from all disciplines in entertainment will speak on different issues related to their various expertise. At the moment, the society is in the process of securing a keynote speaker.

“Last year we had Horatio Gutierrez,” said Schwartz. “He is the head lawyer in Spotify. He was just named as one of the people on the Power 100 Billboards list.”

Interest in the field is growing, particularly at Fordham, according to Schwartz. He said he hopes that the growing interest will lead to growth in curriculum and entertainment-related courses.

“There are so many students that are interested in entertainment…

[The] society that I run has hundreds of members and grows every year,” said Schwartz. “In the past, we offered a specific music licensing class and I am hoping that we can get that back.”

On Friday, Jan. 26, Fordham University hosted a House Judiciary Committee field hearing related to entertainment law and copyright

system in the United States. Despite polarization on other issues, copyright legislation has become a bipartisan issue. House members from both the left and right were in attendance, as were members of the entertainment industry, such as Grammy Chief Neil Portnow.

Schwartz said that copyright laws need to be updated.

“As they argue, and it’s true, the copyright legislation in the United States is antiquated,” said Schwartz.

“It’s based on a copyright law that was drafted in the 1970s. At that time, as you can imagine, it was a little bit different than the Spotify age we have today. It’s extremely complicated and its music licensing is fragmented.”

Many aim to reform the copyright law to be more simple, concise and transparent for entertainment lawyers and by extension, their clients, according to Schwartz.

At the hearing, Congress members and renowned musicians (including Aloe Blacc, Booker T. Jones, and Dionne Warwick) gave testimonies related to music legislation reform. Testimonies focused on songs recorded before 1972, which online streaming services do not pay to play because they are not covered by federal copyright law.

Schwartz said the differences in the industry today give copyright law greater importance.

“What artists wanted in the 1970s is not the same thing as what artists want today. Knowing the industry, being able to advocate for artists is extremely important,” said Schwartz.

“It’s an exciting time. Right now is, more than ever, and amazing time to get into entertainment law.”

1968 Saw Financial Crises and Change for Fordham FROM 1968, PAGE 1

debate on campus before its contents were made public.

On Sept. 24, Gellhorn visited the Rose Hill campus to discuss a draft of his report with the Board of Trustees. Despite requests representatives from United Student Government (USG) were not allowed to be present at the meeting.

Fifty people attended a protest organized by USG and supported by Fordham’s chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) against secret board meetings.

Fordham took steps to make themselves eligible for the aid.

In place of the nine Jesuits who made up the Board of Trustees there would be 31 members, a majority of which were lay-people according to The Ram. Michael C. McCarthy, SJ, the current vice president for Mission Integration and Planning and the presidential assistant for Planning said the move to expand the board was a positive step for a greater sense of diversity at Fordham.

“One of the advantages of [the board of trustees] not being nine Jesuits is that there is at least the potential for more diversity of opinions in the governing body that is making important decisions for the university,” he said.

According to a New York Times story from October of 1968, the move to expand the

board of trustees made Fordham the first Jesuit institution of higher learning to have a lay majority make policy decisions.

Israel Shenker, writing for The Times in December of 1968, offered his opinion as to what the change meant for Fordham.

“Traditionally a center for preserving the faith as it came from Rome, Fordham U. is becoming more and more like the Holy Roman Empire--neither holy nor Roman. Less and less does it resemble the stereotype Catholic school,” he wrote.

According to The New York Times, the Gellhorn Report, “[urged Fordham] to increase non-Jesuit control and to make itself more hospitable to nonCatholics.”

Shenker wrote in The Times that the Gellhorn report, the findings of which would become Fordham’s policy, was telling Fordham that in order to receive state funding they would need to distance themselves from the church.

McCarthy, reflecting 50 years later, said that the university did not became non-sectarian in 1968.

“Part of the mission and understanding [of the board of trustees] is to promote Fordham University as a Jesuit Catholic institution.

That’s why I would never say it’s non-sectarian.”

Changes could have included a non-Jesuit president.

In 1968, The Times quoted Robert Kildera, then the

vice president for university relations.“The time may come when the best man for the job may happen to be a layman.”

Since 1968, Fordham’s presidents have all been Jesuit.

According to McCarthy, the bylaws of the university do not preclude non-Jesuits from the presidency. However, he said that the president of Fordham always has the same responisbility to promote a Jesuit Catholic mission.

“One does not need to be a Jesuit in order to do that,” he said.

McCarthy said that a conversation about a non-Jesuit president could occur in the not to distant future.

“When [McShane] comes to the end of his term. I think it will be a real, honest question,” said McCarthy. “Does the next president of the university have to be a Jesuit or not.”

After the Gellhorn report was made public on Oct. 18, groups of students and faculty made an effort to expand the restructuring of the university.

According to The Times, Student-Faculty Coalition for a Restructured University charged the administration with institutional racism, poor financial management and having an autocratic administration.

The Coalition supported a board of trustees that had both student and faculty representatives.

McCarthy did not dismiss the potential future consideration of that proposal. However, he said that would present potential problems.

“I tend to favor [the current model] because I think the potential for conflicts of interests are real,” said McCarthy. “That doesn’t mean that the idea is not legitimate.”

The Coalition was also concerned with racism at Fordham, whose student body was only one percent black and Puerto Rican.It engaged in several forms of civil disobedience and presented a petition with 1,200 signatures.

Weissman said the new board was a positive step. “The insensitivity [about racism] is partly due to the fact that those that run the university are white and Jesuit.”

The university leadership did not equate the changes recommended by the Gellhorn report with secularization.

The Philosophy Chair, Rev. Quentin Lauer, also opposed secularizing Fordham. “[Such efforts are a] denial of all Fordham has been for 128 years,” he said for The Ram. Weissman’s response was a rhetorical question. “The university is more than courses. Isn’t there a virtue in having a greater diversity of people or backgrounds?”

According to Shenker, the Gellhorn report answered Weiss-

man’s question.

“The Gellhorn report has suggested that Fordham’s search for greatness would leave everyone empty handed unless it provoked greater diversity,” wrote Shenker.

Fifty years later diversity is still an issue at Fordham.

While the percentage of underrepresented population has since increased, the increase is just a 3.4 percent increase from 1968.

McCarthy said that diversity is an issue at Fordham.

“I would not say we’ve attained [an ideal level of diversity] by any means,” he said.

He said Fordham is not alone in that regard.

“We still must move to have greater diversity at the university at all levels,” he said. “Fordham University is like the rest of the country.”

McCarthy said that he did not think the current structure of the university is fundamentally flawed, but he said an openness for change is necessary.

“I have to presume that five years, ten years, fifteen years down the line we will realize that we need to do things differently,” he said.

Diversity needs to be a part of future improvements, according to McCarthy.

“A more robust experience and sense of diversity and structures that are more diverse [are part of the changes that need to come to the university],” he said.

NEWS

February 7, 2018

Page 7

Demand for Mental Health Services Increases

By JOE ESPOSITO FEATURES EDITOR

Fordham has seen an increase in demand for mental health services over the past five years, according to Doctor Jeffrey Ng, Psy.D., director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS).

Ng said CPS has seen this trend across both campuses.

“We have seen steady increases in demand, interest and utilization of counseling services on both campuses over the past five to seven years,” said Ng. According to Ng, this is in line with national trends, as reported by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health. Inside Higher Education also reported a nationwide increase in utilization of mental health services.

Ng said the top four problems most commonly presented, in order, are anxiety, depression, academic concerns and relationship problems.

Last academic year, Counseling and Psychological Services provided 917 more routine clinical appointments than in the 2012-2013 academic year. This is a 13 percent increase from the 2016-2017 academic year.

Furthermore, last academic year the CPS saw 295 more students overall than it did in the 2012-2013 academic year, about a 23 percent increase.

In response to the increase, Ng

said CPS has increased its offerings.

“CPS has increased its staffing and training program in the last 5 years to accommodate the increase in service utilization,” said Ng. The staff at CPS currently includes nine full time clinical staff, four post-doctoral fellows who are full time clinicians, three part-time clinical staff members, a part-time psychiatrist, psychiatric residents and numerous mental health graduate student interns and externs.

Despite the increase in resources, CPS still has a waitlist.

“This speaks to the increase in demand for services,” said Ng. Students on the waitlist have received initial evaluations and, if urgent care is needed, are provided for right away, according to Ng. According to Ng, the increase in utilization is due to a variety of factors. Ng said one such reason is social media and technology.

“Social media and technology has contributed to student’s anxieties in at least three ways,” said Ng. Negative news, the glamour of other people’s social media profiles and less in person interaction have had an effect on some students’ mental health, according to Ng. Other factors contributing to the increase include increased efforts on the part of schools to de-stigmatize mental health and encourage students to seek help. Increased pressures and demands including, cost of education, academic pressures and socio-political/ecological

stressors also contribute, according to Ng. Some students benefit from longer-term treatment, according to Ng. “When we are able to come to that conclusion on the front-end, we feel like it is ethical and clinically indicated to make that recommendation to our students,” he said.

In an effort to serve everyone most effectively, CPS may facilitate an off-campus referral if it becomes clear a student needs longer-term care, according to Ng. “Our referral database has hundreds of providers and clinics in the NYC metro area,” said Ng. “We try

to do what will be best for our students in the long run.”

There are sometimes challenges to securing providers off-campus, according to Ng. These may include navigating cost, insurance and transportation.

Students may also seek emotional support outside of CPS. Fr. José Luis Salazar, S.J., Ph.D., director of campus ministry, said that some students turn to campus ministry.

“When students feel great distress and anxiety, they may run to a campus minister first,” said Salazar. “But we also know when they need the kind of professional care and atten-

tion that only our colleagues in the Counseling & Psychological Services can provide. In those cases, campus ministers refer students to CPS.” Ng said seeking emotional support and utilizing mental health resources is a sign of strength and maturity.

“I think it is really important that, as much as possible, students understand and recognize that seeking help for mental health or emotional distress is a sign of strength,” said Ng. “Being able to recognize our vulnerabilities and challenges is an indication of maturity,” he said.

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OPINION

Page 8

February 7, 2018

The Fordham Ram

Donald Trump is Not a Feminist (and that’s OK)

By EMILY THOMPSON STAFF WRITER

When we think of “feminists,” who do we think of? The first names that come to my mind are Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai, Olympe de Gouges, Emily Dickinson... Sadly, none of which are men.

This past week, Donald Trump stated that he was not a feminist, stating in an interview with Piers Morgan, “I’m for women. I’m for men. I’m for everyone.” I don’t disagree. All people deserve to be treated equally and have their rights fought for, but it is obvious to me that he is missing what is at the root of the feminist movement: social equality.

When I saw the headline of Donald Trump claiming to not be a “beacon of light” in the patriarchy, I was not at all surprised. He did not even need to come out and say it. I do not care if you are the President of the United States or a business owner or whatever profession: treating people correctly is necessary and respectful.

Sadly, he gets more attention due to his status as our President.

His past comments about women have been objectifying and misogynistic. According to Time, in an interview to Billy Bush in 2005 he included that “ ...when you’re a star, they let you do it, you can do anything…” We feminists knew what we were in for when he entered office.

But what I think is more alarming is that he is just one person, a wellknown one, who at his core believes that women are not to be taken seriously; and I think that this stems not

Although Trump admitted that he is not a feminist, that should stop the movement’s momentum.

only from a more conservative point of view, but also a misinterpretation of feminism.

To take a quote from Malala Yousafzai, “...there’s nothing wrong with calling yourself a feminist. I am a feminist and you’re truly feminist, because feminism is another word for equality.” Trump made it clear in his interview that calling himself a feminist was “going too far.”

Too far towards what exactly?

I would say that the beauty of the feminist movement is fighting for the social justice that women have craved for centuries, despite the fact that they did not have an outlet to express their frustration. So, when I hear that supporting feminism is going “too far” for Trump, I get the sense that he and many others fear the “Modern Woman.”

To me, the best way to define feminism is to look at the women who inspire me. I think most girls

have a point in their life where someone talks to them in a degrading way or makes hints to how their gender may limit their abilities. I have always found books very helpful in this area.

I grew up reading Harry Potter, and had Hermione as a role model.

She was brave, confident and not afraid to be a warrior. It just so happens that Emma Watson, who portrayed Hermione in the Harry Potter film franchise, is the U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador. She is a graduate of Brown University.

She started the organization HeForShe, which aims to get men to support the feminist movement. She is the perfect definition of a role model for girls of all ages, whether as a fictional heroine or a real one.

Feminism is not about women trying to be superior to men. This is not some sort of dystopian-overhaul. Feminism is allowing women to flourish and bloom in a world that

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has always told them to be inferior.

It embraces women who are strong, who will no longer be pushed aside and who want more from life than traditional expectations.

It is a new chapter of stories and opinions that have historically been hushed. It’s about changing people’s minds, so, for our President to come out explicitly against this concept is frankly insulting. He is missing the point.

I believe Trump represents a demographic of Americans, many of which are men, who cannot accept that a category of people they have always thought inferior to them are capable.

Somehow in the fight for justice, it seems that the movement for women’s equality has been skewed, probably by the minds who want the movement to disintegrate altogether. Emma Watson states that “...I have realized that fighting for wom-

en’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating.”

It seems to be a common misconception that in order to be a feminist, one must be female. But there have been many important figureheads who have come out in support of women’s rights, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former U.S. President Barack Obama. A New York Times piece reacting to Obama’s article addressing feminism in Glamour Magazine states “The President said that it was important to his daughters that he be a feminist, ‘because now that’s what they expect of all men.’”

Trump wants to argue that his inability to support the feminist movement is because he wants equality for everyone. Fine. So support the Black Lives Matter Movement, the Gay Rights Movement AND the Feminist Movement—and whichever others aim to better the lives of the people he represents. Embracing feminism isn’t leaving people out, it is acknowledgment that women are a cause worth fighting for.

In a political climate oozing with scandal, the #MeToo movement and the recent atrocities committed by Larry Nassar, it is time for everyone to stand up for women’s rights. So, Donald Trump is not a feminist. In a time when we need to hear women’s voices more than ever, I feel invigorated by his ignorance and hope that others do as well. Sorry President Trump, but you are doing feminism a favor.

Emily Thompson, FCRH ‘21, is an art history major from Norwalk, Connecticut.

USOC Should be Held Accountable for Nassar

By JULIA RIST

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

265. The number of gymnasts that Larry Nassar sexually abused has risen to 265 young women. Nassar’s abuse has gone unchecked for more than 30 years. That’s simply unacceptable. It’s time for the governing organizations to take some responsibility for the culture they’ve created within the gymnastics community.

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Gymnastics (USAG) and even the FBI had all received reports of Nassar’s abuse, some as early as 1997. They all bear some responsibility for enabling Nassar to continue working as a licensed physician for as long as he did.

A serious reckoning is on the horizon. After Márta Károlyi retired following the 2016 Olympics, the president of a USAG and the entire executive board tenured their resignation. Both Béla and Márta Károlyi had overseen the U.S. women’s gymnastics program for 19 years. At this point, no one can argue the fact that the Károlyis didn’t know exactly what was going on. Nassar had been a USAG approved doctor since 1996.

The Károlyis were either complicit or stupid. Knowing that they had the knowledge and the acumen to navigate the politics of the sport and turn

the United States into a powerhouse country for gymnastics, my vote rests firmly for the former.

The president of Michigan State and several gymnastic coaches at the university resigned after mounting pressure to do so from the university.

Michigan State was where Nassar started his career.

There is no question as to whether or not USOC knew that Nassar was a problem. They enabled him. There are several reports that show that USOC had dismissed several gymnasts who came forward to report Nassar. USOC did what is, in my mind, the worst thing that you can possibly do to a victim of abuse. They protected the girls’ abuser.

This speaks to the culture of fear that seems to permeate U.S. women’s gymnastics. Gymnastics, as a sport, is inherently competitive. Girls are constantly trying to get to the top of the podium. This time, it turned out that this competitive mindset came at the expense of their well-being.

In this sport, girls usually peak at the age of 17; therefore, the most basic of choices aren’t left to them.

Gymnasts’ careers are relatively short; most gymnasts retire in their early twenties. The sport rewards difficulty; so, it follows that the more difficult the skill, the greater your chances of getting injured. Longev-

ity in this sport isn’t something that’s expected, especially when younger gymnasts who are coming into the senior ranks can jump higher and tumble faster. A gymnast’s career is completely dependent on her health.

That’s another reason why what Larry Nassar did was so despicable. He held a gymnast’s career in his hands.

Nassar chose to take advantage of his position of authority and the implicit trust that all doctors are given. He abused gymnasts when they were at their most vulnerable.

USOC has no excuses. If winning is that important that they felt justified in sacrificing the health and well-being of the athlete, why even pretend to care about anything else?

Nassar isn’t the only one that’s gotten through the system.

Nassar’s abuse isn’t the only type of abuse that’s present in gymnastics.

The Károlyis were known for putting extreme demands and pressures on their gymnasts. It certainly isn’t a coincidence that gymnastics has one of the highest number of athletes with eating disorders. This type of disorder isn’t developed just because there’s pressure to stay small. It’s also about the psychological repercussions of being abused, whether that be physically or sexually, and having to see your abuser; sometimes on a daily basis.

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The USOC should not distance itself from the corruption in Michigan State.

Márta Károlyi gave Nassar unlimited access to the girls. These are the same girls who were brought up in the culture of gymnastics, in which there is another girl to replace you if you step out of line. They were conditioned to listen. To follow. They were taught not to question adults because, if you did, the repercussions would be severe. In the end, this type of culture played a large part in why it took so long to bring Nassar to justice.

Larry Nassar has been sentenced three separate times now for charges of child pornography and molestation. He will be spending 40 to 175

years in prison. Each judge made it very clear that his or her verdict is essentially a life sentence for Nassar. No one thinks he can be reformed.

The USOC needs to clean house.

This is the same organization that played a major role in enabling Nassar to continue to abuse gymnasts.

USOC is fundamentally flawed, and the only way to change it is to rebuild it from the ground up.

Julia Rist, FCRH ’20, is a political science major from Danbury, Connecticut.

OPINION

February 7, 2018

Page 9

U.K. Headed in the Right Direction on Homelessness

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Homelessness still remains a major issue in the United Kingdom and requires action by all parts of the government.

By JACK McCLATCHY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This week, British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a BBC interview that if elected, he would direct an “immediate purchase of 8,000 properties across the country to give immediate housing to those people who are currently homeless” to combat the rise of homelessness in the UK. This may seem like a simplistic and obvious solution for homelessness, but it is really the only effective strategy in combatting the issue and has seen success in other parts of the world.

First, we should see how exactly the Labour Party would facilitate the actual purchase of these 8,000 properties. Corbyn said he would

target residences that have been intentionally left vacant, of which there are more than 11,000 left vacant for more than a decade and 216,000 for more than six months, according to research done by the Liberal Democratic Party.

At the same time, homelessness rose in the UK to around 9,000 “rough sleepers,” or people who sleep on the streets, and over 78,000 families living in temporary housing such as hostels or bed and breakfasts.

There are also over 120,000 children living in temporary housing, according to a Public Accounts Committee report released in Dec. 2017.

At the same time, housing prices in the UK have soared to more than seven times the average salary, the highest since the financial crash of 2008, according to British newspa-

per Metro.

So, there are more than enough vacant properties in the UK to house the homeless, but would this policy be successful?

The British Government in 2016 – run by the Conservative Party, which is important to note given that Labour is the Opposition Party – noted that this approach, called a “Housing First” policy, has seen success in Finland.

The report cites an international review of the program, which states: “By investing in prevention, and in housing guidance in particular, it has been possible to prevent approximately 200 inhabitants per year from becoming homeless. Most importantly, long-term homelessness has decreased by approximately 1,200 persons from 2008 to 2014, and

homelessness continues to decrease.”

Housing First originated in the United States, which seeks to place the homeless in a permanent dwelling, and then to deal with any outstanding mental, substance abuse or other issues later according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. This is different from conventional anti-homelessness programs, which work the other way around.

Those who are helped by a Housing First program are said to save emergency services over $30,000 a year per person, according to the same report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

In the United States, the state of Utah put in place a Housing First policy, which reduced the number of “chronically homeless” (those who have been homeless for more than a year with a diagnosable disability) by 91 percent from 2005 to 2015.

While this is a small group of homeless people in Utah and there is confusion as to what these figures actually mean, there is a model of success for this in one of the United States’ most conservative states, showing this kind of program is not an ideological issue.

The one point of objection that those in the Conservative Party may have to Corbyn’s new policy is the act of seizing vacant property and giving it to the homeless. Surely this must be a radical leftist policy with no precedent in the UK, right?

You’d be wrong in thinking that.

In the UK, local government known as councils have a policy procedure for doing just that. It is called an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO), which allows for the local government to seize properties that have been vacant for more than six months given certain conditions, according to the Exeter Council website.

In the Liberal Democrat report on the number of homelessness in the UK, they found that only 19 of the 247 English and Welsh councils have utilized EDMOs since 2012 (there is no such policy in Scotland or Northern Ireland).

Given the Liberal Democrat numbers on vacant properties in the UK, there are more than enough properties to ensure all in England and Wales to have a permanent dwelling today.

Jeremy Corbyn’s program may seem radical and untested, but it is the only program that has shown substantial success in reducing the number of people sleeping on the streets.

Homelessness has been rising in the United Kingdom since the financial crash due to a multitude of reasons, and it’s a breath of fresh air to actually see a party willing to work to solve this issue instead of shrugging their shoulders.

Jack McClatchy, FCRH ’21, is a political science major from Wayne, Pennsylvania.

Tino’s Takes | Faustino Galante

A Revamped XFL: McMahon Can Get It Right This past Sunday, football fans were treated to one of the most exhilarating games of all time. Super Bowl LII, in which the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the defending champions, the New England Patriots, was as entertaining as an NFL game could possibly be. High scores, electrifying offensive plays, dramatic story lines, a great halftime show and an underdog victory managed to make this Super Bowl an unforgettable one.

Despite the game’s successes, the Super Bowl proved somewhat lackluster in terms of viewership. According to ESPN, Sunday night’s game, which averaged 103.4 million viewers, maintained the lowest viewership average since Super Bowl XLIII in 2009.

This lack of views should cause some degree of concern among NFL executives. Why is it that a game, that in 2015 was the most watched sporting event in history, has lost so many viewers?

The answer is simple: people have become increasingly frustrated with the NFL. Obscure rules as to what constitutes as a catch, politically charged in-game controversies, early retirements, gestapo-esque referees and career ending injuries are just some of the issues that have managed to turn off individuals from the NFL. While it would be erroneous to claim that the NFL is failing as an organization, it should be noted that it in recent times it has become subject to a rising degree of popular criticism.

Many have noticed this growing distaste for the NFL, including President Donald Trump.

On Jan. 25, WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon made references to the various frustrations many NFL fans have showcased in recent months. He subsequently decided in his press conference to announce the relaunch of his 2001 American football league, the XFL. McMahon claimed that, “the new

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Vince McMahon must make XFL entertaining without being too dangerous.

XFL will kick off in 2020” and that he plans to “give the game of football back to fans.”

The legend of the XFL is a somewhat bizarre one. With a lifespan of only one year, the league had eight teams and prided itself in fostering rougher play and fewer rules than the NFL. While it sounded terrific on paper, the XFL experienced extremely low viewership ratings due to the fact that it became a league of amateurs who proved talentless and unfit to play the game of football. It is virtually impossible to compete against the National Football League while suffering through these circumstances.

Despite its past failures, the XFL has the potential to experience great successes in 2020. If the right changes are made, McMahon’s football league could theoretically become even more of a success than his WWE. In the following few paragraphs I will put forth certain measures which I believe would lead the XFL to triumph in 2020.

To prevent another trainwreck from ensuing, the XFL should focus on competing with college football instead of the NFL, work to establish measures which entice both young studs and seasoned veterans to become part of their league and tweak its rulebook to specifically counteract preposterous rules which have infuriated NFL fans.

While the NFL has experienced various issues in recent times, the organization is an inexorable one. If McMahon is under the impression that he can compete directly against

the NFL, he is delusional.

That being said, I am still a believer that McMahon can learn from the NFL’s mistakes in order to make his organization a more viewer-friendly one. In his press conference, McMahon seemed to indirectly allude to the fact that he desired to undermine the NFL. In reality, it would make more sense if McMahon focused less on competing against the NFL and more on rivaling college football.

Nowadays, college football has essentially become the NFL’s “minor league.” While other sports leagues such as the NHL and MLB have distinct minor leagues, the NFL lacks one. The XFL should work to become the NFL’s key minor league.

To do so, the XFL must attract football players who are either still in college or fresh out of college and not yet equipped or talented enough to be in the NFL. This setup could have worked very well for NFL busts such as RGIII, Johnny Manziel and Trent Richardson. Having played for some time in the XFL may have helped them prepare for the NFL and potentially find success in their careers.

Young talent would certainly help the XFL avoid failure. Recruiting seasoned veterans would do the same. Being that many XFL viewers would comprise of NFL viewers, having former NFL players join the league would give viewers a sense of familiarity with the XFL. Seeing your favorite player’s career tank in the NFL as a result of declining skill level is never easy. Giving these veterans the chance to keep

playing football late in their careers would satisfy both football audiences and players themselves. Imagine if Tim Tebow, Vince Young and Chad Ochocinco played in the same league following the decline of their NFL careers.

Though it would be wrong for the XFL to compete directly against the NFL, McMahon should nonetheless pay close attention to what enrages fans most about the NFL rulebook and make changes accordingly. This past season, for example, the NFL has been subject to intense controversy resulting from its extremely ambiguous rules regarding what should be counted as a catch.

An absurd amount of catches have been overturned this year due to minuscule rulebook clauses. Fans have vented their frustrations on social media by repeatedly condemning the league for not knowing what a catch is anymore. McMahon would be remiss to not simplify the “catch rules” in his league. Many fans could potentially find greater satisfaction in watching football with a more simplified and easy to follow set of rules.

As Vince McMahon stated in his press conference, the only way for the XFL to succeed is if the league gives “the game of football back to fans.”

In the next two years, McMahon should do his research. He should look into a solid group of players to recruit to the league and must take into account the NFL rules that frustrate fans the most.

To prevent another debacle from occurring, McMahon must work hard to please football fans.

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 readership of over 300,000. The Fordham Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.

Website FordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu

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

February 7, 2018

From the Desk | Aislinn Keely

Adding Balance to Genius When we think of genius, associated words like madness, eccentricity and extremism spring to mind, yet ‘healthy’ is nowhere near these synonyms.

In an age where the wellness market has boomed, and in many ways was pioneered by ‘geniuses,’ we still romanticize an unhealthy idea of success. We have an image of a caffeine-laden man or woman at a laptop, someone whose lack of sleep has lead to an abundance of eureka moments in their field. We use cups of coffee consumed and hours of sleep lost as small brags to each other, concealed in complaints of fatigue and busy day.

This culture of grinding towards success has left behind what makes most ‘geniuses’ across fields truly successful – health.

Writing is perhaps considered one of the most unhealthy professions. We think of writers smoking cigarettes, drinking in excess and suffering through mental illness as a sign of commitment to their craft, but some of the most successful modern writers show this isn’t the case.

Haruki Murakami is the famed author of over 20 books including “IQ84,” “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” and “Kafka on the Shore.” He has been heralded as one of the most important

Japanese writers in the 20th century and a contemporary literary force. In his memoir “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running,” Murakami discusses the positive impact that his distance running hobby had on his career.

Murakami has participated in marathons, swimming competitions and triathlons to ground his writing. If writing is an unhealthy profession, Murakami points out the importance of a healthy lifestyle in his memoir, writing, “an unhealthy soul requires a healthy body.”

As it turns out, genius needs routine, and the routine needs exercise.

It is impossible to sustain work at a high caliber if one’s day to day is an obsessive mess. Murakami likens this lesson to running, writing, “to keep on going, you have to keep up the rhythm.”

It’s this rhythm that we seem to have lost sight of, particularly in college, a time of late nights that bleed into early mornings, dietary choices made out of convenience and a baseline of elevated stress.

Over time, these choices aren’t sustainable. They become a chaos of daily catch-ups, when it is rhythm that is so crucial to a life well lived, and in turn, personal success.

Furthermore, sleep often becomes the most negotiable thing

about our day. We romanticize dark circles and venti coffee cups, believing those hours of rest lost will lead to years of success down the line.

In reality, sleep deprivation will only lead to long term consequences, and ‘happiness down the line’ is more likely to turn into mental health problems and neurological disorders.

The truth is, genius needs rest.

Max Deutsch, an entrepreneur, a technologist and ‘extreme learner’ was profiled by the Wall Street Journal for his “Month to Master” project of completing advanced tasks with a novice’s knowledge and a month’s preparation.

Deutsch achieved feats like having a conversation on the future of technology entirely in Hebrew, solving a Rubik’s cube in record time and completing a standing backflip, with each skill prepared over 30 days while working a regular job. He even challenged world chess champion Magnus Carlsen to a chess match and held his own for the first half of the game.

Deutsch is the kind of person we would think of as a modern genius. He can pick up any skill in a matter of days. When the Journal asked Deutsch about his process, he highlighted his commitment to sleep as leading to his ability to hyper-focus on tasks.

He called his nightly eight hours ‘non-negotiable.’

The idea of exercising and sleeping being intrinsic to people who seem so far ahead of the rest of us seems anticlimactic. Balance in its purest form isn’t sexy.

Health that readies the mind lies somewhere in between doing daily yoga and an entirely vegan diet; Red-Bull soaked all nighters.

The capacity to make something great starts with a degree of balance. A rested mind and wellfed body brings the average person closer to the prodigy than an all-nighter ever will. Amidst a culture of multitasking and quickfixes, well-rested mindfulness will ultimately solve tasks more effectively.

Before the next big project, sweat it out and sleep on it.

Editorial | Black History Month

University Support of Minority Students Should Not Limit Itself to February This February, Fordham joins the national conversation in celebrating Black History Month with on-campus programming at both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), Department of African and African American Studies, Bronx African American History Project and ASILI are among those sponsoring an array of events, ranging from panel discussions and lecture series to movie screenings and racial solidarity training sessions.

While it is imperative to highlight the contributions of African American individuals, engage in conversations about race in our current society and support the voices of marginalized communities during the month of February, Fordham must grapple with its diversity problem in a real way that looks to find institutional results and is not only relegated to a one twelfth of the calendar year.

In 1968, one percent of Fordham’s 6,000 undergraduate stu-

dents was African American. Fifty years later, this number has barely grown.

According to the Fall 2016 census on undergraduate enrollment, which accounts for Fordham College at Rose Hill, Fordham College Lincoln Center, Gabelli School of Business and the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, 406 of the 9,798 students in the most recent demographic profile were African American. That amounts to four percent.

The university website waxes poetic about how the Class of 2021 is among the most geographically diverse in Fordham’s history. It shouts out states from which more than 20 students are enrolled such as tristate regulars New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as well as others like California and Florida.

This year’s freshman class contains 225 international students, representing countries such as China, Malaysia and Nigeria. While Fordham’s commitment to mak-

ing its face known on a global scale is noble, geographic diversity does not make up for glaring disparities in ethnic and racial diversity.

Fifty-eight percent of the Class of 2021 is white while three percent is black.

Admissions maintains that they are committed to representing New York City, with 17 percent of undergraduate students coming from the five boroughs. However, Fordham’s lack of ethnic diversity undercuts this effort, considering the aforementioned racial breakdown.

A university that calls NYC’s least-white borough, The Bronx, home must do more to include people of color within its student body.

At Fordham, we cannot make claims of on-campus diversity until the statistics truly match the sentiment.

In this regard, the Black History Month programming at Fordham taking place throughout February is central to sparking racial conversation and bridging gaps between communities on our campus. But

one month will never be enough.

For this reason, the editorial staff of The Fordham Ram encourages students and faculty members alike to not only attend events, but to critically engage with them in a capacity that continues to foster dialogue moving forward.

Ultimately, the responsibility to shed light and start campus discussion should not fall exclusively on students and faculty members who represent minority organizations, initiatives or academic departments.

Rather, it must be something that everyone individual seeks to consistently address regardless of his or her race, whether it is Black History Month or not.

There is more our university can do to improve diversity in not just numbers, but understanding and inclusivity as well. Issues surrounding race continue to impact our society and university regardless of the month on the calendar. And at Fordham, support must come in a year-round form.

Disagree with our opinions?

Send your thoughts to fordhamramopinions@gmail.com

OPINION

February 7, 2018

Page 11

Don’t Blame Minnesotans for Refusing to House Wild Eagles

By BRIAN MA

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Watching sports is exhilarating. The electricity that flows through our bodies, the intensity, anxiety, hatred, love and sense of solidarity and loyalty all come as a package within a game of football. There are die-hard fans, loyal to a hometown or specific team through the thick and thin, but there are also bandwagoners.

However, in this case, I am talking specifically about fans who are petty toward other fans.

This year’s 52nd Super Bowl, arguably one of the most highly anticipated events in America, centered around two great teams, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. Before the two aforementioned teams were announced to fight on the field for the coveted Super Bowl title, the Minnesota Vikings played against the Eagles for the NFL Conference Championships; in fact, they got wiped out 38-7.

Since the Super Bowl was held at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Eagles fans who wanted to travel and stay for the Super Bowl were restricted from renting out Airbnb places owned

by Minneapolis natives. The reason behind this restriction was that Eagles fans were disrespectful towards Vikings fans from Minneapolis According to Reddit some Airbnb renters in Minneapolis were ordered not to rent to Eagles fans for Super Bowl LII because of “concerns from the post game

violence and vandalism” after the championship game.

Some Eagles fans who found a place to stay in the Vikings’ homeland paid a historically high amount of money for rental.

According to AirbnbWATCH, a three night stay in Minneapolis went up to $15,000 during Superbowl weekend compared to the normal rate of $311. Some Eagles fans had to pay thousands of dollars for living space.

Although watching the game at home was a valid option, there were still fans who wished to experience the Super Bowl firsthand in Minneapolis. Philly fans had discriminated, vandalized and elicited violence after the NFL Championship game.

The acts of making fun of the other team and expressing one’s passion for the game are legal.

However, I do not condone raucous and vicious behavior, such as harming each other to the point of near death.

The act of disallowing the rude Eagles fans from finding a place to stay in Vikings territory is considerable. In fact, Airbnb owners ultimately control who can and cannot occupy their rooms and housing.

For example, my friend owns an apartment space in Boston. He has the authority to rent out the rooms to certain people based on several factors; from finances to tenant preference, the owner has the choice to rent the place or not. In Minneapolis, those who usually rent out their rooms were boycotting Eagles fans, since they

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As seen on Sunday, Philidelphia Eagles fans have a reputation of being rowdy and often destructive when celebrating.

were rude to Vikings fans after the championship game.

It makes sense to hate the opposite side of fans for their unsportsmanship and savage tendencies. Since the acts were way over the “uncivilized” degree, I understand that Vikings Airbnb owners were furious and petty.

It may seem ridiculous to disallow people the right to find a place to stay for a few nights but the owner of the place definitely has the ultimate say.

Is discrimination based on a team allowed? In my opinion, discrimination should be allowed to a certain degree. This is a heavily nuanced topic, and there will be countless contrasting opinions regarding what discrimination

is, and if it is allowed, to what degree. Everyone has their own unique stance towards an issue.

Especially in sports, winning is an ultimate goal of teams.

Fans have the power to promote their teams through constant support and loyalty. Players and coaches work alongside each other to figure out ways to win over their opponents.

When a rule or action is completed immorally, there should be repercussions. It is important to keep anyone in check whenever his or her behavior exhibits violence and immorality.

Therefore, because a handful of Eagles fans treated the Vikings fans with unsportsmanlike conduct, the Airbnb folks in Min-

neapolis had the chance to screw over Philly fans who wish to watch the game and have boarding. As a result, Airbnb officials should not have stepped into this matter.

Three whole reasons: Airbnb owners have the right to do what they wish with their property, the discrimination is based on behavior—not race or gender—and Eagles fans should be taught a lesson.

Overall, Minneapolis Airbnb users are anti-Eagles fans, and they have the right to not rent their places to the Philly fan base.

Brian Ma, FCRH ’20, is a digital tech and emerging media major from Fort Lee, New Jersey.

Apple HomePod is in its Own Neighborhood

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The Apple HomePod is more expensive than the Amazon Echo, but claims to have the better sound quality of the two.

By DANIEL SALVIO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In a world dominated by technology, the brand Apple has become synonymous with sleek designs, intuitive engineering and top of the line quality. In their company’s history, Apple is typically the first or among the first to develop an original take on a product, such as their lines of iPhones, iPad tablets and Mac computers.

However, Apple’s newest

product, the Apple HomePod, is relatively late to the game in comparison to the company’s usual standards. It is available for shipping as soon as Feb. 9.

Meanwhile, the Amazon Echo has been available to consumers for close to three years. The HomePod is the apple equivalent of the Amazon Echo or Google Home products. It is a smart speaker that responds to prompts and is designed to make everyday life easier and more streamlined.

When the HomePod hits stores

early this month, it will boast a hefty $349 price tag, whereas the Echo Dot by Amazon can be acquired for as little as $50 and the Google Home Mini for $39. So is this seven-time mark-up worth it? Apple certainly seems to think so. Based off of the initial reports and specs provided by Apple, the HomePod will have an impressive speaker that is capable of changing its sound levels based on the environment it is placed in.

In a recent review of the three smart speakers (Cortana, Siri and

Alexa), Newsweek has noted that the Google Assistant scored best in a general knowledge quiz, with Siri performing the worst. With the power of Google’s search engine behind it, it isn’t all that surprising to see Google Home and Cortana win. Also, considering all of the road bumps and issues Apple has had with Siri across all of the iPhone models, it is somewhat expected that she came in last.

Until they are tested and reviewed widely and open to the general public to make their own decisions however, it will be difficult to tell if it really measures up to the other smart speakers or falls flat like Newsweek claims.

Another obstacle that the HomePod will have to overcome if it truly wants to succeed against its massive competitors is its marketing.

Personally, I had not seen a single commercial or advertisement for the Apple smart speaker until a few days ago when looking for an Amazon Echo Dot online.

The Echo is well known for both its voice and its intelligence.

Alexa has been in dozens of wellknown commercials, including one this past weekend during the Super Bowl. When the general public isn’t well-informed on the

existence of your product, it is going to be difficult to turn it into a success even with a brand name as big as Apple.

One positive thing that the HomePod has that the others do not is a built-in feature to be directly compatible with a subscription to Apple Music for $9.99 a month, that includes up to 45 million different tracks to listen from.

As someone who listens to new music almost daily, this would be somewhat enticing because the other premiere speakers on the market are not made to work with a specific service.

But in the end, I do not think that the almost $350 dollar payment for the HomePod is something that I, or many others in the smart speaker market, arwe willing to comply with for something as simple as Apple Music compatibility or a slightly better speaker.

When you can get a comparable product that costs 85 percent less that the HomePod, it becomes very difficult to justify splurging simply because of the Apple logo on the side or the slight advantages it claims to have.

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

Page 12

CENTENNIAL

In the top left column, The Fordham Ram discusses The New Deal and its effects on Fordham’s alumni (Vol. 16, Issue 6).

February 7, 2018

February 7, 2018

CENTENNIAL

Page 13

The Fordham Ram in the Great Depression

By THE FORDHAM RAM STAFF In an effort to commemorate 100 years of student journalism on campus, The Fordham Ram will be including moments in history through its archives each week. This week’s selections highlight the era of the Great Depression, specifically focusing on the early 1930s, following the stock market crash of 1929.

Though The Fordham Ram did not write explicitly about the stock market crash, the aftereffects be-

come clear in the volumes and issues that follow. Advertisements change as companies adjust their marketing strategies, and columns follow suit.

In the decade following, The Fordham Ram covers a variety of national current events, but much of this material comes in the form of Fordham event coverage. The articles lining the bottom of this page provide a glimpse into the era, but through the eyes of the students dealing with these topics on the collegiate level.

Although WWI had ended, the nation faced new challenges (Vol. 12, Issue 13).

It’s no iPhone X... (Vol. 11, Issue 14).

The advertisements in The Fordham Ram began to change during The Great Depression, catering to the shifting economic status of many (Vol 12, Issue 1; Vol. 11, Issue 12).

The Fordham Ram covered the political happenings of the era within the context of university students (respectively: Vol. 11, Issue 12; Vol. 15, Issue 18; Vol. 11, Issue 12; Vol. 15, Issue 21; Vol. 15, Issue 21).

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Recycle The Ram

February 7, 2018

February 7, 2018

CULTURE

Page 15

The Fordham Ram

Dropping Your Ego with Beatrice Hazlelhurst

By ISIAH MAGSINO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In the very beginning, I almost forgot that I wasn’t actually speaking to Lana Del Rey. As associate editor of PAPER Magazine, Beatrice Hazlehurst emits an incredible Lolita-esque, cool presence throughout the atmosphere of the fashion magazine’s sleek office. PAPER Magazine is known for pushing the limits through their celebrity covers and have had major figures like Naomi Campbell, Duckie Thot and Kim Kardashian grace the magazine.

With all the prestige surrounding the publication, there I was (luckily), sitting down with the New Zealand native discussing not only the responsibilities journalism has with the public, but also speaking on the sexual misconduct allegations surrounding Mario Testino and Bruce Weber.

Recently, two of the most renowned photographers in the fashion industry joined the pack of powerful men that have been exposed for their sexual misconduct within the workplace. Mario Testino and Bruce Weber have had countless models and assistants come forth into the public light and reveal events that cast the two into the boat of other men that have abused their power by exploiting those around them to forced sexual activity.

Hazlehurst obviously shares many people’s disdain for the acts and believes that no sort of forced action should be tolerated, but as our conversation progresses, Hazlehurst shares with me the gray area major publications face

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Isiah Magsino FCRH ‘19 interviews PAPER Magazine’s Beatrice Hazlelhurst.

when dealing with figures that have contributed to their success.

Sure, Weber and Testino have faced an incredible backlash from powerhouse magazines such as Vogue, but what exactly is the line that editors must draw when considering the magnitude of ridiculing people that have contributed countless productions for their label?

“On Twitter, and in public, people can say what they want”, Hazlehurst begins, “but the internet is forever.” The gray area entails that editors have to ultimately be careful with the way and how “hard” they decide to uphold figures to their mistakes

due to the fact that their relationships are at stake. It’s surely an interesting, maybe even questionable, perspective on the relationship between economics and morale, but luckily editors at Vogue and PAPER seem to have taken a strong stance on remaining intolerant of such actions.

Hazlehurst makes it clear that she, personally, perpetuates this notion of intolerance through her own coverage of the allegations.

She even discusses that “PAPER never forgets” and goes on by ensuring that many of PAPER’s produced editorials capture the essence of the continuation of holding pop culture icons respon-

sible for their past actions.

Focusing more on the Trump administration and its effect on journalism, Hazlehurst shares an interesting point on foreign and immigrant journalists in the United States. Hazlehurst is precautious with her language as she resides in NYC on a green card. Having an influential voice through PAPER, she claims that sometimes she “has to be careful with what is said” as a piece that may ridicule on the President or Trump administration could potentially lead to the possibility of immigration services getting involved. Although such an event can be considered extreme,

her caution on what she decides to publish arguably dips into the idea of censorship in the media.

In the shift of conversation, Hazlehurst offers incredible advice and insight to aspiring journalists. Journalism has an incredible responsibility to the public.

In the day of the Trump Administration, where the press is seemingly always under attack, Hazlehurst solidifies that despite the tug-of-war with our political leaders, journalists have to “keep doing [their] job” by exercising the democratic values of free speech and free press.

For young journalists, she advises to “drop your ego” and “decide if you want to be the talent or if you want to be talking with the talent,” as many young journalists get wrapped around the idea of being famous and being on camera. Hazlelhurst’s most notable advice to young people, specifically in the fashion industry, focuses on the pitfalls of fame, which can result in hollow and meaningless work.

Through the seemingly complicated subjects about Mario Testino, the power of press and responsibility of journalism, Hazlehurst ends the conversation with a simple suggestion: talk to your friends. In this day and age “friends are such a powerful source of news.” In fact, Hazlehurst’s story on the prime minister’s son that got her national recognition in New Zealand began as a conversation with her friend.

“It should scare you. If it scares you, you’re on the right track,” she said.

Uptown Artists of the Resistance

By ISHA KHAWAJA CULTURE EDITOR

Hydr0punk and Blue Machine Records presented their second annual Art Exposition this past weekend. What looked like a large warehouse in the East Bronx was revealed to be a haven for the uptown artists of the resistance.

The exhibition was massive.

Tapestries labeled “The Duty of Youth is to Challenge Corruption” sewn beside a raised, clenched fist pinned against the wall and five metallic balloons spelling out “Bronx” floated behind the stage of punk bands like Da Pop and The Plasmids. The Bronx Art Exposition is a place where these artists can display their passions, meet like-minded individuals and even get a flash tattoo of a pair of Timbs.

The exposition was filled with 20-somethings wearing fresh flowers in their ears and green glittered Basquiat earrings, resembling a 2018 version of Prince.

Hydr0punk is an art collective missioned at creating an artistcentered movement and empowering marginalized young talents from the Bronx and uptown Manhattan. Their journey began

on Instagram. Here, the young generation release zines about Red Lining, mosh to punk music and express what it is like to be a “Weirdo of Color” to initiate their art career and help establish their small businesses.

The diversity in the Bronx inevitably seeps into the Bronx Art Exposition. A majority of the venue consists of Latin American and African American artists who create their work as a means of resistance against President Trump and, most notably, his administration’s rhetoric against immigrants. This anti-Trump opposition has become a platform for these young artists to advocate their views and experiences.

While circling the venue looking for the nearest bathroom line that was not 10 people long, I could not help but attribute Trump’s election to this production. The more young people are silenced, the greater they will push back - especially in their artistic pursuits.

Emerald Pellot, founder of Grl Trbl, began to design pins to demonstrate her opposition to Trump’s inauguration.

“Since Trump was elected, I felt

so angry I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “So I started to design pins to express how I felt.”

Pellot created her first pin to represent intersectional feminism.

The pin’s design comprised of three fists: one white, one brown and one black raised up in a triangular fashion to express that every woman of every ethnicity should have an equal opportunity to have their opinions heard.

Some artists’ work was not connected to any political sentiment. A Mexican-American artist, Christian Dova, actually avoided the current political climate when creating her bright and vibrant paintings since it tended to distract her more than inspire her. When speaking to her, Dova’s eyes saturated with intense passion, her hands smothered in blue paint as if she was just putting some final touches on a painting.

“My work is a product of people telling me no and from being put down for my emotions and my sexuality,” said Dova. The only place she can find self-expression is when she is painting.

Whether these artists are creating to protest the current political administration or to discover selfexpression, the act of organizing

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Hydr0punk presents its second annual art exposition in the Bronx.

together all through Instagram is revolutionary in and of itself.

While some can get lost in Instagram’s self-obsessed algorithm,

these uptown artists use this social media app as a tool to express their political beliefs and display their passions.

CULTURE

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February 7, 2018

Kiarostami Takes a Final Bow with 24 Frames

By RYAN DI CORPO CULTURE EDITOR

The famed French auteur Jean-Luc Godard once declared that “[c]inema starts with D.W. Griffith and ends with Abbas Kiarostami.” The latter gentleman — an Iranian-born director, poet and photographer who consistently challenged film form and narrative — released his first feature film, The Report, in 1977.

Over the next four decades, Mr. Kiarostami, who died in 2016, would become internationally lauded for a diverse body of work addressing the issues of identity (Close-Up), the anticipation of death (Taste of Cherry; Life, and Nothing More…) and human relationships (Certified Copy). His repeated use of the long-take and his visual imaginings of Persian poetic texts have become trademarks of his cinematic style.

His final film, 24 Frames, is pure Kiarostami. The film is comprised of 24 long, expertly composed shots which eschew the linear narrative form and comment on the relationship between photography and the cinema.

Each of the 24 frames in the film are presented in visual isolation from each other, with a fade to black and then fade in technique used to transition from shot to shot. The shots, some of which are photographs taken by Mr. Kiarostami, are mainly still images.

Mr. Kiarostami attempts to recreate what is not seen in the frame — that is, the reality that occurred sometime before or sometime after the shot was captured. For example, the viewer is presented with a still shot of an artfully lit dual-pane window that is suddenly given life when a bird flies into frame.

The opening image of the film, the image of the 1565 painting The Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, comes alive as birds begin to chirp in the trees and a wandering dog enters the snowy landscape from off-screen left.

Many shots in the film depict different animals — deer, horses, lions — living, dying, and in one scene, copulating on different landscapes — in the snow, in the desert, on the beach. Cows meander on a shoreline, a dog barks in the snow, and an unwitting bird is shot dead out of the sky — Mr. Kiarostami here continues his longtime examination of, and artistic rumination on, the nature of life and death.

The final shot of the film depicts a person sleeping, it seems, at a desk while the ending scene of The Best Years of Our Lives plays in slow-motion on a computer screen. The shot is highly affecting, as it showcases human emotion after a film mainly focused on the movement of animals and nature.

The words “THE END,” seen on the computer screen, carry a double meaning: both the film and Mr. Kiarostami’s remarkable career have come to an end.

Writing for The Atlantic, culture writer David Sims refers to viewing 24 Frames as the best way “to say goodbye to a great artist […] even if you take a nap in the middle.”

The film is slow-paced: each shot clocks in at around four minutes. This may explain why at least one person was audibly asleep at my 8:45pm screening.

But, like in Taste of Cherry, Mr. Kiarostami uses a slower pace to a greater effect. He allows the images to breathe, and he allows the viewer’s eye to wander about the frame.

Each shot is stunning, and ought to be given ample time for the viewer to simply gaze in awe of Mr. Kiarostami’s artistry. As the film has no real story or plot, it perhaps functions more as a gallery installation than a modern motion picture.

But who isn’t at least somewhat tired of the “modern” motion picture? For those looking for something outside of the box, 24 Frames is that refreshing work of art which could only have been created at the hands of a venerable master of his form.

24 Frames plays through Feb. 15 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, 144 W. 65th St.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

24 Frames is the final film from Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami

Boogie Down Bites | Elizabeth Nealon

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

History and Kosher Eats at Liebman’s Deli The glowing neon sign in the front window is the first clue of how “old school” Liebman’s Deli is, though it is not a well-kept secret. The Liebman family prides themselves on its ability to remain true to its recipes and an atmosphere that resembles what the deli looked like when it first opened 65 years ago.

Other than Loeser’s Kosher Deli & Caterer, Liebman’s Deli is now just one of two Jewish delis left in the Bronx.

The small Riverdale deli is known for its fluffy matzo ball soup and, of course, its melt-inyour-mouth pastrami. The fact that Liebman’s is kosher means that dairy is not served with meat,

but the sandwiches are hardly lacking—they are over-stuffed to perfection. The fresh coleslaw has customers entranced and ordering pounds at a time.

In today’s age of Instagram “foodie” trends, Liebman’s owner Yuval Dekel believes that the deli’s refusal to change is its greatest achievement.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Liebman’s Deli, which offers catering services, is located at 552 W. 235 St. and Johnson Ave. in the Bronx.

“Time kind of stands still here.

The menu, it isn’t seasonal by any means,” Dekel laughed. “You can get the same bowl of soup that warms you up in January and will make you sweat in July. And we’re proud of that, actually.” Though many restauranteurs cater to the fads of the foodie movements, Dekel knows that comfort foods don’t need to indulge the food bloggers; with enough sense, they will value the reminiscent eateries which serve as the foundation for modern New York food culture.

Raised in the Bronx, Dekel was baking bread and pursuing his career as a drummer in a heavy metal band when his father, Joseph, passed away in 2002. Since then, he has faithfully led the family business. Though it opened in 1953, it was 1980 when Dekel’s father purchased the deli.

The previous owners had taught a man named Marcello all their cherished recipes to maintain the business’ good name.

Marcello is now head chef at Liebman’s and has honored those recipes all 38 years since he began.

Some of the waiters at the deli have been working there for over 20 years, and some regulars have been going to Liebman’s for their whole lives. Off to the side of the counter, strollers and walkers await their dining owners.

They serve as a five-star recommendation for the passers-by who

are ignorant to the bliss that is Liebman’s Kosher Deli. Families gather inside the deli and enthusiastically enjoy their lunches while many customers pick up large orders.

Employees wear t-shirts boasting about their home in the Bronx and of the deli’s impressive history. In the predominately-Jewish neighborhood of Riverdale, it is not shocking today to think of Liebman’s success, but when the deli first opened, it was competing with over 100 other Jewish delis in the Bronx.

Dekel notes, “As the [ Jewish] population decreased, delis sort of disappeared.”

Liebman’s maintains the old New York deli while simultaneously abandoning the idea of delis as a male dominated industry.

“This is such a male-dominated type of business. It’s kind of ridiculous,” Dekel said.

With two female managers, Dekel hopes that other delis will follow suit and create more equal work opportunities than what have previously been available.

This type of change seems quite welcome.

It is so rare to see this progression in a place so tied to tradition, but luckily Dekel and the rest of the staff have a keen sense of what the times call for—comfort food and social awareness.

CULTURE

February 7, 2018

Page 17

Review | Film

Playlistism | Meredith Nardino

When Music Meets Protest I, Tonya Takes the All sides of the entertainment industry are facing intense scrutiny for decades of systematic misconduct, yet the music industry has somehow managed to avoid the conversation. Last weekend, the Grammy Awards had the opportunity to address some of these social issues, but massively missed the mark. Kesha and Kendrick Lamar attempted to bring that poignant dialogue to the Grammys, but these moments took a backseat to revelations of the Recording Academy’s misogynistic and racial biases.

Despite the disappointing lack of socially-conscious commentary at the Grammys, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley complained that the telecast was too political. The critique came wildly unprovoked and remains inconceivable when you consider the historic relationship between music and protest.

Music has always been and will remain to be a political form of art.

Haley may argue some people enjoy their music without any hint of politics thrown in, but those people just aren’t listening closely enough. Below are five songs by musicians using their art to make political statements.

1. “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” U2 U2 has never shied away from making a statement. For 40 years, the band has been churning out anthems crying for love, peace and unity. Its most recent live tours have been a culmination of its liberal stance, combining visual art and

music in the most powerful way.

The gut-wrenching lyrics and militaristic drumbeat of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” allude to Northern Ireland’s Bloody Sunday massacre, where British troops shot unarmed civil rights protesters in the street.

The song was released in 1983 but still holds an eerie relevance to modern political strife.

2. “What’s Going On,” Marvin Gaye It does not take much to recognize the social commentary in this soulful Motown classic. Influenced by countless events of police brutality, Gaye and songwriter Obie Benson faced backlash from studio heads who thought recording a protest song would alienate listeners.

The laidback, emotional delivery of “What’s Going On” makes it one of the most significant and personal songs in Gaye’s repertoire. It’s a plea for love and understanding during one of the most divided eras of our nation’s history.

3. “Respect,” Aretha Franklin Aretha Franklin isn’t asking for your respect – she’s demanding it.

The queen of soul alters the entire meaning of Otis Redding’s original version, flipping the gender pronouns to create the empowering anthem we all know by heart.

It may have been released during the height of the civil rights and feminist movements, but “Respect” speaks volumes to anyone feeling marginalized or disadvantaged by social conventions. Feminism has been misappropriated by celebrities and recording artists for decades,

but when Aretha speaks up for women’s rights, you listen.

4. “Young Americans,” David Bowie This mid-70s soul tribute, responsible for Bowie’s breakthrough, offers one of the most cynical takes on the American Dream to exist before millennial culture allegedly killed it. Referencing McCarthyism, President Nixon, racial inequality and the Beatles, Bowie playfully critiques the hypocritical and idealistic image of the American experience as it is projected to the rest of the world.

Surprisingly, “Young Americans” is responsible for Bowie’s breakthrough in the States, but maybe we can attribute that to the not-sosubtle Beatles sample in the fourth verse.

5. “Alright,” Kendrick Lamar The Obama era brought some of the most diverse, introspective and liberal music to the forefront of popular culture. This president changed the face of politics and inspired legions of young people of color to dream big and be themselves.

Kendrick Lamar’s legacy indelibly intertwines with Obama’s and that of the Black Lives Matter movement. “Alright” has become the unofficial theme song of the modern fight against racial injustice of black people in America.

Kendrick has recognized the power of this song, saying that even though it has not been all over the radio, it is infiltrating our lives with its powerful and personal message.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

U2’s Bono performs at the now-Johan Cruyff Arena on July 29, 2017 during U2’s The Joshua Tree Tour 2017.

Gold

By JOSEPH FELIX

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I am pleased to announce that figure skating, as documented through the lens of Craig Gillespie, is not the glossy-coated, sparkly sport we know it as — it is completely badass. The gritty I, Tonya throws away the perfect protagonist in favor of a redneck underdog with a supporting cast that comes to compete.

The Academy Award-nominated biopic follows Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) and the subsequent trials she undergoes to become a world-class figure skater.

This includes enduring the verbal abuse of her mother LaVona Fay Golden (Allison Janney), the physical abuse of her ex-husband Jeff Gilooly (Sebastian Stan) and the “white trash” perception others have of her on and off the ice.

With the 1992 Winter Olympics fast approaching, Harding hatches a plan to derail her opponent that goes hilariously and dangerously awry.

Harding is most associated with the infamous attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan at the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. The attack, which Harding and her associates were accused of orchestrating, propelled Harding to international infamy and painted her as a violent, unhinged competitor who would do anything to win the gold.

She was, however, far from an untalented rookie looking to incapacitate a much stronger, well-heeled opponent. Harding received the silver medal for her performance at the 1991 World Figure Skating Championships in Munich, where she also became the first American woman to complete the triple axel at an international skating competition.

Further, she placed fourth at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. However, it was the Kerrigan attack which has continued to define and haunt Harding’s

public image.

In I, Tonya, Margot Robbie refuses to shy away from completely inhabiting Harding, giving the most convincing performance of her career since playing Naomi Lapaglia, the Brooklyn bombshell in The Wolf of Wall Street.

Her smack-talking, messy haired persona can seem larger than life: a detriment when overemphasized. But Janney, who masters the cold-hearted mother, reels her back in, justifying every misstep with a stony look of disapproval.

Stan shares an amusing onscreen chemistry with Paul Hauser, Stan’s idiot cohort who breaks the more serious scenes of the film and insists it should be considered a dark comedy.

I, Tonya is an underdog film that flips the script on its protagonist.

You want to sympathize with the main character, who asks that her odds be evened, her childhood be corrected, her life be better, but all without reason.

Harding, similar to her philosophy about truth, knows there “is no reality but your own reality.” She smiles through the pain, skates to ZZ Top, takes whatever praise she can and carries on.

Since the release of I, Tonya, Harding has not been afraid to address her past controversies.

In a January 2018 article by The New York Times entitled “Tonya Harding Would Like Her Apology Now,” writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner details that, in terms of Harding’s story, “[t]here are facts, and then there is the truth.”

Throughout the interview, Harding recalls her version of her life’s events.

But despite Harding’s willingness, perhaps desire, to speak to the press, Brodesser-Akner asserts that much “of what [Harding] said wasn’t true.” Here lies the question at the heart of I, Tonya: what is the nature of truth? And if you happen to stumble across it, does it matter?

Editor’s Pick | Film

Jumanji Is a Wild Ride Worth Taking

By CHRISTOPHER CANADEO OPINION EDITOR

The year 2018 is set to be one of the all-time greatest years for movie production. With blockbuster films such as Avengers: Infinity War, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Black Panther, it is hard to imagine that any other films would take the spotlight.

However, released on Dec. 20 and still being shown in theatres, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has been an early candidate for most popular and highly grossing film of the year by adding a unique spin to an old time classic.

Although many consider Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart to be two of the biggest draws in Hollywood, they have

never seen success in a joint film like this before. Both actors previously teamed up to bring comedy lovers Central Intelligence in 2016, which fared well in total viewership, but was not nearly as great as this latest attempt.

For measure, Central Intelligence racked up just over $200 million in box office sales, while Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has quadrupled that, grossing over $800 million to date — and is still in theatres.

The massive success of this movie credits the producers for not only remaking an old classic, but also for adding an exciting twist to the plot, all while still keeping the audience in awe of the wonders of Jumanji. The film features a starstudded cast, including names such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson,

Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black. These actors are all well established and blended well together in this production.

Each star was given their own comedic stand-out scenes and respective one-liners, all of which greatly contributed to the overall engaging and funny nature of the film.

The movie starts out with four high school kids from different clubs and friend groups all being punished by cleaning a massively dirty room. It is here where one of them discovers a game like no other. The four of them decide to try out this game to see what it is about; they immediately get transported to the wonderful world of Jumanji, which offers these four players “an escape from reality.”

However, rather than the game

transporting the high school characters themselves, they are placed into new avatars, all with unique attributes that help the team win the board game.

A majority of the jokes in the movie stem from the fact that the main actors are not playing themselves, but are placed into bodies of a different height, race and gender.

This adds a new dynamic to not just the objective of the game, but also how the characters interact with each other, the surrounding environment and even themselves.

The scenery throughout the film is beautiful and really adds to the wonder and excitement of being part of the Jumanji video game. The land has so many different aspects from forests to lava pits, which makes winning the game and mak-

ing it out alive even more difficult.

The animals present during the game are also beautifully animated and help the viewer get the feeling that they themselves are immersed in the game as well. The whole point of the game is not just to win, but to win with teamwork by casting aside differences and joining together to end the game.

It is for this reason that viewers are not only pleased with the end result, but also with the internal journey the characters undergo.

Jumanji has been such a success that directors and producers plan to make a sequel that hopes to have all of the cast members return. As a fan of the first film, I would certainly like to see this talented nucleus in another crazy adventure like Jumanji.

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February 7, 2018

CULTURE

Who’s That Kid? | Danielle Cammarosano GSB ’19

Cammarosano Creates Best Buddies Chapter

By BRIANA SCALIA OPINION EDITOR

It is no coincidence that Danielle Cammarosano, GSB ’19 chose Fordham University. Both her father, Joseph Cammarosano Jr., FCRH ’78, and her aunt, Nancy Hartzband, FCRH ’77, attended Fordham, at the undergraduate level and for law school. Her grandfather, Dr. Joseph Cammarosano, FCRH ’47, has been teaching economics at Fordham University for over 65 years and serves as one of her most influential role models.

Following in her grandfather’s footsteps, Danielle is majoring in finance and minoring in economics, making her a third-generation Ram. With guidance from her brother and grandfather, she is excited to begin her career at HSBC this summer as a CMB analyst.

However, she would argue that her most crucial role on campus is not only leading, but also founding Fordham’s own chapter of international organization Best Buddies.

She explains that Best Buddies is a volunteer group formed to maintain one-to-one friendships with young adults from the Bronx with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (I.D.D.). However, Best Buddies was not her first interaction with those with I.D.D. When she was about 14, Danielle applied to Camp Anchor, a program dedicated to helping both children and adults with special needs. She worked alongside other volunteers for three summers before being promoted to a paid position at the camp. She worked two

years as paid staff before retiring to pursue her career in finance.

“It was an amazing experience,” Danielle said, detailing how her time spent at Camp Anchor not only helped to shape her as a person, but also made her realize how fortunate she was.

Flash forward to her first year at Fordham, where she and her three friends Rachel Recker, Allison Bloss and Andrew Seger — all FCRH ’19 — were forming plans to start their own club: a chapter for Best Buddies. Unfortunately, the group had not realized how monumental of a task they were undertaking.

“We needed to find a site to host meetings for the group,” said Danielle. “We needed to fill out paperwork for the initial approval.”

She was already finishing her sophomore year when the club was finally approved, and by then, she and her three friends had discussed their plans to study abroad for the next semester.

“They helped as much as they could, but it was difficult to delegate with so much distance separating us,” Danielle said.

Luckily, she managed to find some indispensable aid in getting the club off the ground. In her junior year, Sean McLaughlin, GSB ’19, and Bella Adams, FCRH ’19, joined the e-board of Best Buddies, helping to pick up whatever slack they could.

“By the time the club was approved we had already missed the Fall Club Fair, so it was difficult to recruit new members.” The trio did whatever they could to get the word out — talking to RA’s, hosting ta-

bles and talking about it whenever possible.

“Excitement is contagious, and we were so proud of what we had made, of course we wanted to tell everyone we could!” Danielle said.

Fordham’s Best Buddies not only brings awareness to those living in the Bronx with I.D.D., but encourages strong relationships between them and the students in the club.

“We aren’t baby sitters,” she said. “Club members have organic friendships with their buddy, just trying to help them lead a more normal life.”

As president of the club, Danielle and her fellow e-board members have several responsibilities. They

host the club for two kinds of members: the associate members who provide general help at events and peer members in the ‘peer-buddy system.’ After meeting the teenagers with I.D.D., these members are paired up with a buddy, who they then keep in contact with on a weekly basis.

The events Danielle and her board host are planned well in advance and provide funding for not only Fordham’s chapter, but for the entire Best Buddies organization.

Currently they have two events coming up: a Valentine’s day basketball mixer and a baseball scrimmage and game in late April.

When she left for college, Dani-

elle missed the sense of community she had gotten familiar with during her time at Camp Anchor. Instead of seeking out that feeling for herself, she and her friends created another opportunity for Fordham students to experience lives different than their own, and provided a wonderful service for the young adults the chapter works with.

“It’s a way to let your humanity come through, to step outside of your bubble,” she said.

To anyone looking to start their own club at Fordham, she offers this advice: “Keep pushing.”

Email bestbuddies@fordham. edu or dcammarosano@fordham. edu if you’re interested in joining.

COURTESY OF DANIELLE CAMMAROSANO

President of Best Buddies helps teenagers with Intellectual Development Disabilities.

The Ram Culture crossword: M.D.s to Be ACROSS 1. “There’s nothing happening _____” (an insult on someone’s intelligence) 6. Response to a subtweet (with “next time”) 10. Troy Bolton’s secret passion 11. An elemental study, briefly 12. To discourage from action 13. Bakes in the sun 14. A person who works at 9-Down 15. College level reading 18. ___ Speedwagon 19. Rival of the badger, serpent and eagle 20. Solar Dynamics Observatory 21. Where you might find some 2-Downs 22. The study of life, briefly 25. An optometrist’s prescription 26. Doctor concerned with your sinuses, briefly 27. Honda or Palm

REQUIRED READING ANSWERS

28. Pillars of Creation photographer, abbv.

29. Study quickly 31. Make happy 33. 11-Across with Carbon, briefly 34. Classic dog name 35. George Washington Carver found many for peanuts 36. FitBit measurements DOWN 1. Milk source 2. A student taking 11-, 22- and 33-Across (and you’ll hear about it) 3. Tuff City purchase 4. Alaskan airport code 5. All of the down clues, geometrically 6. A muscle filament paired with Myosin, taught in 22-Across 7. “Who’s ___ Kid?” It’s Danielle Cammarosano, page 18!

8. The pride of the patriarchy 9. Fordham’s primarily runs on 2-Down volunteers 16. Keyed instrument 17. Rachel and Ross?

22. Parent’s demand 23. Keeping pace with 24. Water pups 25. A fleet at prom 27. A doctor’s alert 29. “Neck” in Paris 30. The expensive set of four in Monopoly, briefly 32. Parcel of land in a city

CREATED BY CLAIRE POLACHECK AND JACK MCLOONE ANSWERS IN ISSUE 4

C

February 7, 2018

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Men’s Tennis Gets First Win of Season

By ALEXANDRIA SEDLAK ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The Fordham Men’s Tennis team defeated Siena 6-1 over the weekend, giving the team its first win of the new season and making it hopeful for the rest of the season.

The team started the night off against Siena by winning the doubles slate and went on to win five of the six singles matches. The Rams were scheduled to face Monmouth University on Sunday, Feb. 4, but the match was postponed.

For its match against Siena, Fordham started off strong. Freshman Lutwin de Macar and sophomore Fabian Mauritzson won the first doubles position with a set score of 6-4. Freshman Max Green and sophomore Allen Thornes, who played third doubles for the Rams, secured a victory with a score of 6-2. The second doubles match, played by sophomore Finn Kemper and sophomore Jeremy Chung, was left unfinished after

the first two doubles wins.

The Rams came out on top for the singles matches, as well. In the first singles position, freshman Macar defeated his opponent 6-1, 7-5. His classmate Green, who played second singles, won his match in a well-earned three sets, closing the match with a score of 2-6, 6-4, 10-6. The third singles position, played by sophomore Mauritzson, went to Fordham as well, with a score of 7-6, 6-2.

Sophomore Kemper took the fifth singles match with a score of 6-2, 6-2. Finally, freshman Alex Makatsaria played the sixth singles position and won his match 6-1, 6-0.

The Rams will be back in action this weekend with two matches lined up. The first is against Hofstra University on Friday, Feb. 9. The team will be travelling to Bethpage, New York to face Hofstra. The second match is against La Salle University on Saturday, Feb. 10. The Rams will return to their indoor home courts in Harrison, NY, to face La Salle.

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

The men’s tennis team started its season with a win over Siena last weekend.

SPORTS

February 7, 2018

Women’s Tennis Off to a Great Start

By CHARLIE MAISANO MULTIMEDIA PRODUCER

The Fordham women’s tennis team is off to an outstanding start to the 2017-2018 campaign following a season for the history books.

The Rams had one of the best, if not the best, season in school history last season. They finished with a 20-4 record (3-1 in the A-10), they were undefeated at Rose Hill (6-0) and were 8-1 at neutral sites.

The winning didn’t stop for the Rams in the regular season, as it carried over into the A-10 tournament in Orlando, Florida. They easily handled La Salle and Rhode Island, sweeping them both 4-0.

With the momentum riding high and the Rams needing only one win to make the A-10 Championship Game, the team’s championship dreams were crushed. The eventual A-10 Champions, the UMass Minutewomen, gave the Rams a taste of their own medicine, sweeping them 4-0.

Head Coach Bette-Ann Liguori was proud of the team’s performance last year and is now focused on one goal - winning the A-10.

“Although tennis is a team sport, it is truly a head to head sport. We were the second-best women’s team on campus last year with a semifinal finish at the conference,” said Liguori.

“Unlike other sports, we don’t have a conference schedule, so the correct seeding is crucial to having a chance in winning the championship.”

While the team did lose two players to graduation, they welcomed a new teammate to the Bronx. Tatiana Grigoryan is a junior transfer from the University of Portland and grew up in Moscow, Russia. In two seasons at Portland, Tatiana went 2725 in singles matches, mostly in the fourth singles position.

Aside from the addition of Tatiana, all of the players from last year’s team have returned for this season.

That includes junior Carina Ma, who looks to continue her strong play from a year ago. After transferring

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

The women’s tennis team picked up from where it left off in 2017.

from Pittsburgh last season, Ma went 23-7 in singles matches and was a team best 6-1 in conference play. Her first season at Fordham was topped off when she was named to both the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and First Team All-Conference.

“Carina is a very disciplined player and makes the team better by leading by example,” said Liguori.

Ma has done that so far this season, leading the Rams to a 2-0 start to the season. The women won backto-back road games, as they defeated Seton Hall 5-2 on Jan. 27th and Quinnipiac 6-1 this past Saturday.

Ma won both her singles matches in each contest, while also winning both doubles matches with her partner, senior Estelle Wong. Wong along with junior Gianna Insogna won both of their singles matches each week.

In doubles matches, the second and third teams alternated victories.

The second team, Grigoryan and junior Alexis Zobeideh, defeated Michal Matson and Melody Taal

of Seton Hall 6-2, but fell to Quinnipiac’s Scarlett Blydenburgh and Proyfon Lohaphaisan 6-4. As for the third team, Insogna and sophomore Maia Balce came up short to Anicka Fajnorova and Katie Kim of Seton Hall 7-6. The following week, they avenged their loss in New Jersey by defeating Payton Bradley and Layla Rodriguez of Quinnipiac 6-3 in Connecticut.

Liguori sees these wins as positive and is happy with the way her team has begun the spring season.

“We are very much team oriented and we already have gotten off to a good start as a team this year,” said Liguori.

The Rams conclude their threegame road trip to start the season in New Jersey where they take on NJIT on Friday at 5 p.m.

This season could very well be just as magical as last year’s for the women’s tennis team. The Rams will have to take it one game at a time in order to return to the A-10 Tournament and win it all this time.

Track Impresses at Metropolitan Championship

By EMMANUEL BERBARI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Track and Field put together an impressive showing at the 2018 Metropolitan Championship, with the men placing third and the women ranking sixth at Staten Island’s Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.

On the women’s side, junior Mary Kate Kenny broke a school record once again—yes, it was her own— racing to a fourth-place finish in the 60-meter dash in 7.68 seconds, a tenth of a second ahead of her previous best.

Impressive individual performances for the men included sophomore Ryan Kutch’s gap-widening time of 14:31.76 in the 5,000-meter run, senior Brian Cook’s stellar 4:12.60 mile time, senior Louis Santelli’s victory in the 1,000-meter run in 2:27.65 and senior Thomas Slattery’s dominant win in the 3,000-meter run in 8:25.65. All four marks were IC4A championship-qualifying.

“Brian, Louis and Tom can always be counted on and are crucial to the backbone of the team,” said Kutch.

“All three of them are natural leaders

and work as hard as possible. This is clear to anyone who sees their superior work ethic.”

Other top five finishes included freshman Anthony Misko’s fourthplace finish in the 500-meter run (1:05.50), junior Sean Phillips’ fourth-place clip in the 1,000-meter run (2:29.19), senior Ryan Riviere’s third-place result in the pole vault (4.40m), sophomore Andrew Byrne’s fifth-place standing in the high jump (1.94m) and sophomore Jeremy Milite’s fifth-place finish in the heptathlon (3,327 points).

“Upperclassmen on the team have been the main factor [in] getting results,” said Kutch. “This is due to how hard they train in practice and their leadership roles, including the captain Michael Campbell.”

The Rams came away winners in the 4x800 relay, as a team of Cook, Santelli, Phillips and senior Fritz Heinrich posted an IC4A-qualifying time of 7:44.47.

For the women, senior Merissa Wright, junior Aidan Moroz, junior Laurel Fisher and junior Angelina Grebe registered a three-peat, as the team its 4x800 relay title for a third

straight year in an ECAC-qualifying time of 9:21.13.

Additionally, Grebe (17.44:58) and junior Abigail Taylor (17:55.25) recorded third and fourth-place finishes, respectively. In the 5,000-meter run, junior Kate McCormack (2:57.88) and Fisher (2:58.89) stacked up third and fifth, respectively.

In the 1,000-meter run, Kate Kenny (25.28) earned fifth in the 200-meter dash and Taylor (10:17.04) impressed to the tune of a fourth-place nod in the 3,000-meter run.

Collectively, Rutgers cruised in the men’s competitions with a stellar score of 163.5, with Manhattan (140.5), Fordham (91), Stony Brook (66.5) and Columbia (58) finishing within the top five.

Rutgers came out victorious in the women’s competitions with a score of 171. St. John’s (139.5), Columbia (103), Stony Brook (73) and Manhattan (67.5) came up short, with Fordham (67) racking up a respectable mark as well.

Fordham will be back in action this weekend for the Valentine’s Day Classic, which will be held on Friday and Saturday at Boston University.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Track and Field competed at 2018 Metropolitan Championship this past weekend.

February 7, 2018

Alvin Halimwidjaya

SPORTS

Putting the ML in MLS

Page 21

Liam McKeone

Wizards Winning Without Wall

Pistons and Griffin Timing Perfect

The Washington Wizards are impossible to predict. Everyone’s expectations of them have flitted back and forth, from finals contenders to first-round fodder for a playoff powerhouse. Despite their struggles with consistency the past few seasons, they’re currently fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 31-22 record, nipping at the Cleveland Cavaliers’ heels for the third spot more than halfway into the season. What’s even more surprising is that they’re on a five-game winning streak despite losing John Wall to injury before their recent tear. The star point guard will miss six to eight weeks to recover from minor surgery on his knee, but the Wizards seem to be doing fine without him. They’ve led the league in assist rate in Wall’s absence, pulling out big wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Toronto Raptors.

Washington still needs to hold the fort before Wall returns, but they’re currently proving all their critics wrong and thriving in the top half of the standings.

After the Wizards beat the Raptors, backcourt stud Bradley Beal commented “everyone eats” in an offense with great ball movement. Though he cleared the air and insisted it was not a shot at Wall, the uncomfortable truth is that there is significance to that statement. In their most recent win against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night, the Wizards piled up 29 assists, making it four of the last five games where Washington has recorded top-10 team totals in dimes this season.

In an injury-riddled season for John Wall, he’s only played 37 games, coughing up the ball with 3.6 turnovers per game and shooting the ball at a frigid rate with 34 percent from the field this year. As Wall’s struggles persist, the Wizards’ offense seems to breathe in the new space their improved ball movement has provided.

Perimeter shooters like Otto Porter Jr. and Kelly Oubre Jr. benefit off the open looks that Wall usually provides, but getting the shot off swinging the rock instead of an isolation dime provides a more sufficient and efficient source of offense for the team’s role players on the perimeter.

Make no mistake; I’m not saying that the Wizards are better without Wall. Despite averaging his lowest assists per game total in four years, just over nine helpers per contest is nothing to sneeze at. John Wall at his best is one of the most dynamic players in the league and an elite point guard on both sides of the ball, not to mention Dwyane Wade’s successor for fiercest shot blocker at the guard positions.

With Wall’s struggles on the court and off the court with injury, it would do well for the Wizards to learn to cope sans Wall and actually implement an offense that can run regardless of whatever key cog Washington is missing (as it happens way more than the Wizards would like it to).

As long as John Wall is ready for Kyrie Irving, Lebron James and DeMar DeRozan in the playoffs, the Wizards are only improving when they learn to play without their star point guard.

The Pistons shook up their team and surprised just about everyone in the NBA when they traded for Blake Griffin last week. Detroit has turned into a smaller basketball market after their run of success in the early 2000s, meaning they aren’t exactly a highly-sought free-agent destination; it makes a lot of sense, especially for a team that is trying to reestablish itself in downtown Detroit, to trade for an exciting and marketable player in Griffin. He didn’t come cheap, however. Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovich and a 2018 firstround pick was the cost to bring Griffin and a pair of back-ups to Motown.

The Pistons got off to a roaring start this year largely thanks to Harris’s improved scoring and Bradley’s presence on the defensive end. However, they faltered down the stretch, and before the Griffin trade, were in the middle of an eight-game losing streak and sitting well below five hundred.

The biggest thing the Pistons gave up for Griffin was Harris’s spacing.

While Griffin is a more established and consistent scorer than Harris, Harris was in the midst of a career year from deep, shooting 41 percent on about six attempts per game and preventing the paint from getting clogged up on offense when playing with Drummond, who can’t shoot outside of ten feet. Griffin is shooting 34 percent on the same amount of shot attempts as Harris, so the dropoff there is unmistakable. However, Griffin is a much more respected scorer than Harris; this has been Harris’s breakout year, but everyone knows the damage Griffin can do when he gets going. No defender is going to stray very far from Griffin to help with Drummond down in the post, no matter what his three-point percentage is on the year.

Otherwise, it won’t be too hard for SVG to integrate Griffin into the team’s offensive scheme. Griffin played with a center like Drummond in DeAndre Jordan, so the blueprint is there. The biggest difference Griffin will see lies within Drummond’s passing. Unlike Jordan, Drummond is a skilled passer from the high post, and SVG has run the offense through him on occasion this year, especially with Reggie Jackson in and out of the lineup with various injuries.

With Bradley gone and Jackson’s status of perpetually banged up, this team will be heavily relying on their two big men to drive them to victory.

So far, it’s been working out pretty well; since the trade on the 29th, the Pistons have rattled off three straight wins, and Griffin has seemed to settle in nicely, averaging 20 points, 9.5 rebounds, and six assists over that time span. They haven’t exactly been spectacular defensively, but that will get better once everyone gets adjusted to the new scheme and the guys around them.

Ultimately, this may be the trade that brings the Pistons back to relevance. The East has never looked more vulnerable, and a team with a superstar catching fire at the right time could make a shocking deep playoff run. Detroit didn’t have that superstar variable until the Griffin trade. Injuries may derail this hype train, but the Pistons are a team to watch heading into the break.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Matthew Lewis was a standout for Fordham this season - and his entire career. He parlayed that into an MLS contract.

By ALVIN HALIMWIDJAYA STAFF WRITER

Matthew Lewis still jokes with Zach Wright about their Elite 8 matchup.

“Only a few times. And I say that in a joking fashion because we’ve talked about it quite a few times, actually,” said Lewis.

A defender for four years on the Fordham’s men’s soccer team, Lewis proved himself as an integral part of the program, most recently helping lead the Rams in an unprecedented NCAA tournament run.

Fordham played the part of Cinderella with aplomb, reaching the Elite 8 before falling to #3 UNC. After graduating in the fall, Lewis is now playing in MLS after being signed by Sporting Kansas City as a homegrown player right after they scooped up UNC forward Wright.

“They had respect for our team and we had respect for their team, which is cool to hear because that’s a top program and an elite program in college soccer, so hearing his side of the story and his version, and hearing the respect they had for us this is pretty cool. Obviously it’s unfortunate that we didn’t get the result. He got to go on to Philly. But nah, it’s all lighthearted here; we’ve kind of moved past that. We’re teammates now.”

Despite not reaching the Final Four in Philly, the reputation of the Fordham men’s soccer program has grown exponentially in the last four years, winning two A-10 championships and creating a culture of inconference dominance. Lewis’s career has been at the forefront of this success. Starting all 84 games in his college career, Lewis anchored Fordham’s formidable backline for all four years; as goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu arrived in Lewis’ second year and proved to be elite the team’s defensive ceiling soared, and it was never more apparent than this year.

“Once you get past those first couple of games, you know there wasn’t anything to convince the guys to play for. It was kind of already written out there for everybody, and we knew what our staple was, which was defending hard, being a unit, sitting in pretty deep and then looking for opportunities to counter, and so everybody was on the same page. Late in the run

it was not too difficult for me and Rashid; we just had to stay organized, communicate with the guys in front of us and tell them what to do. But you know all the guys were working their hardest. We had everybody’s 100 percent towards the end of the season there, which was really cool.”

Although Lewis is known for his defensive prowess, he’s come through in the clutch with some timely goals throughout his career.

He’s scored three regular-season game winners throughout his career, in addition to his penalty kick against VCU that clinched the 2016 A-10 Championship for the Rams.

This year, Lewis came through in an incredible opening-round matchup against St. Francis Brooklyn, scoring on a header in the 81st minute in front of a rabid Fordham home crowd to tie the game up at two goals apiece before sophomore defender Joergen Oland booted the game-winning goal in extra time.

“I remember that moment like it was yesterday, actually. When I saw the ball go in the net I was so pumped, and I looked over to the stands. I knew I wanted to celebrate with the fans a little bit, you know, give them their moment. And I just remember looking up in the stands and everybody was going nuts and I was just, I was just breathing it in, taking it all in and seeing it all for what it was. And then the team rushed over so it was a really cool moment for us. So I was just pumped about that. I was just so stoked to get a goal to tie it up and give us a chance to potentially win the game.”

Now Lewis enters a rising program where he has the chance to grow and have the same impact he had on the Rams. Sporting KC boast a seven-year run of playoff appearances, as well as three Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup wins in six seasons, with their latest cup win coming this past 2017 season.

In addition, Lewis has a chance to learn from some of the best in MLS, as center backs Ike Opara and Matt Besler headline a strong defensive unit. Opara won MLS Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, while Besler is currently the captain of Sporting KC. “Ike’s been with the national team, so I haven’t been able to meet or learn from him quite yet. But I

also have had the opportunity to learn from Matt Besler, who is also one of the best in the position in the league, so it’s just it’s a cool learning experience for myself. Being able to see them at training every day and see the level that they’re at, it’s easy for myself to set goals to tell myself where I need to be where I should be and where I want to be. So it’s a cool experience and I don’t take it for granted.”

Coming into training camp, Lewis has gone through the usual difficulties and struggles a college player has when adjusting to the level of play in MLS. “Actually, one of the biggest challenges coming in as a young player at the pro level is just getting used to the pace; it’s much faster than the college game and much more technical. So you’ve got to adjust and you’ve got to adjust quickly; it’s just the level that I’ve been working to get to for a long time, and to be able to see it and play it and live it is a cool experience. It’s going well, you know, I think I’m still trying to catch up a little bit in some areas, but for the most part I don’t feel too out of place, which is a good sign early on.”

After a college career filled with achievements and superlatives, including A-10 Defensive Player of the Year in his final campaign Lewis looks to a similar level of success in MLS, even though it might take him a little longer to get there.

“First and foremost, one of my goals is to work my way into the team and find myself a role and get a role defined, and then from there try to work myself up as far as I can.

You know it’s going to be tough because like you said, already there’s some elite players at my position, so it’s kind of knowing your role once you have one and trying to work up.

Obviously, if you’re an athlete, you want to work up as high as you can.

Eventually you want to get on the field. And so, just — you know — trying to do the best I can each day in training, show myself in a good fashion so maybe it’s not this season, maybe next season you know, trying to get a look as many as often as I can.”

SPORTS

Page 22

February 7, 2018

Beckham’s Miami Team Could Attract Messi

By ANDREW POSADAS STAFF WRITER

The Miami Dolphins. The Miami Heat. The Miami Marlins (thanks again for Giancarlo Stanton, Derek Jeter). Now, Miami can call itself a soccer city.

Since 2014, David Beckham has been on a mission to bring a soccer team to South Beach. In that four-year period, he saw the MLS award teams to New York, Atlanta, Minnesota and neighboring city Orlando. With confirmation on Monday, Beckham and the rest of the ownership group celebrated an emotional victory in downtown Miami.

Beckham told the Miami Herald, “Luckily, this four years of pain, at times, has taught me that sometimes you go through certain moments where it’s difficult.”

Given the news, it’s safe to say David Beckham is now unequivocally the most popular owner in the MLS (also, the most handsome owner, but that’s a given).

The amount of support for a soccer team in Miami was endless. From Tom Brady to Jennifer Lopez, Beckham and ownership weren’t short of star power in their pursuit of a franchise. However, there is one congratulatory message which catches the intrigue of soccer fans.

Lionel Messi.

The 30-year old Argentinian striker took to social media, sending his best wishes to David Beckham and the city of Miami for their new squad. At the end of the video, Messi can be heard saying, “And who knows? Maybe in a few years you can give me a call.”

Could those words be a jest?

Something for a laugh? Perhaps.

Unfortunately, thinking in this manner isn’t any fun. What if we take those words seriously? Is it possible Lionel Messi may entertain the thought of playing in Miami? I come back to the same answer: Perhaps.

The stars may align perfectly for a potential Messi-Miami soccer marriage. For starters, the team won’t begin MLS play until 2020. They won’t move into a permanent stadium until the following year, 2021. Why is this important? Yes, Messi signed a new contract with FC Barcelona this past September but…his contract ends in 2020-2021.

Messi will be 32 to 33 years old around this time. Every soccer fan knows even the greatest of footballers begin a steady decline in talent after the age of 30. Messi is still arguably the best soccer player in the world; but for how much longer? If Messi starts to drop off in production, he seriously considers the move to the MLS after his contract expires.

His impact on the MLS would be, dare I say, of biblical proportions. Messi can omnipotently change the landscape of professional soccer in the United States.

He’d put the MLS on the map, no longer being a “second-rate” league in the eyes of the rest of the world. Obviously, he’d be the highest paid MLS player of all time, which would set a precedent for other MLS stars to be paid higher. Most importantly, other skillful players from Europe would be more enticed to play here. Seeing a generational player come to the states may start a domino effect of better talent funneling through the MLS. I know what you’re thinking: too good to be true. Maybe it is.

But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense for all parties involved. I’ll leave you with this: there are also rumblings Cristiano Ronaldo has interest in joining Beckham in Miami.

Messi and Ronaldo in Miami?

Sign me up.

By EMMANUEL BERBARI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

For one night, we could all sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Super Bowl LII provided the common American with an opportunity to unite with family and friends, not worry about anything else and watch a tremendous sport without any unnecessary connections, a unique occurrence these days.

There was no kneeling, no political anger and certainly no onsite demonstrations.

It was just a game.

For one night, everyone could block out the nonsensical chatter that occurs on a daily basis, and the hatred and disgust that goes back and forth in public and on the internet and the politicizing of sports.

On Sunday night, your race, gender, social status or political leanings did not matter.

All that truly mattered was who you were pulling for in the big game, the people you were with and the spread of food on the table.

For the 60 minutes of game action, complemented by a phenomenal halftime performance, there was no reason to leave your couch, grow dissatisfied or think about anything else.

The whole show, from start to finish, was an example of why we love sports, exemplifying football and the common fan’s leisure at its finest.

As for the game, it left no susceptibility to other, less peaceful, mind-clouding thoughts.

For a sports fan, particularly a football diehard, it was a touchdown in every sense of the word.

The Patriots accumulated 613 total yards of offense and lost a Super Bowl. Tom Brady passed for 505 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions and came up short to Nick Foles.

All of the experts that counted the Eagles out after Week 14 were proven wrong. It was a perfect example of “why we play the games.”

The game was incredibly unpredictable during a time in which the four major sports con-

tinually showcase a tiring lack of parity.

Brady had a chance to drive and win the game with a touchdown … and fumbled. New England regained possession within a touchdown, but failed to muster anything more than a last-second heave.

The “hot” takes were pouring in across social media, the “we have seen this story before…” tweets.

Ultimately, Foles won the Super Bowl MVP (I still cannot believe I typed that sentence during my lifetime).

The game served as a beautiful distraction, something that is rare yet wildly necessary in today’s world.

No sideshow antics, fuss or an-

ger.

Just football.

For one night, men and women, people of all races and colors, the right and the left had equal voices in the game—and it is what they were focused on. The television producers, stadium and NFL employees, league officials and players must have felt the same.

The Super Bowl did not consist of sports and theatre as separate identities. Everyone involved let the sport turn itself into theatre in the final minutes of a thrilling matchup.

For one night, it was just about the main event.

And when push comes to shove, isn’t that all a real sports fan can ask for?

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Nick Foles and the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory gave the country a respite.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports

Thursday Feb. 8

Friday Feb. 9

Saturday Feb. 10

Men’s Basketball

Duquense 12 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

Davidson 2 p.m.

Men’s Tennis

Hofstra 8:15 p.m.

Women’s Tennis

NJIT 5 p.m.

Sunday Feb. 11

Track

Tuesday Feb. 13

Wednesday Feb. 14

Saint Joe’s 7 p.m.

La Salle 7 p.m.

A-10 Championships 7 p.m.

Swimming Squash

Monday Feb. 12

Northeastern Brandeis/BC Boston U 6:30 p.m. 2:30/6:30 p.m. 10:30 a.m Valentine’s Day Classic 2 p.m.

SPORTS

February 7, 2018

Marc Anthony Costanza

Cavs' Defensive Woes Continue In Saturday night’s 120-88 loss against the Houston Rockets, the Cleveland Cavaliers displayed, on national television, the defensive issues that have been haunting them since December.

The Rockets were simply embarrassing the Cavs, hitting three-pointers at will (19 to be exact), scoring in transition and seemingly always able to find a man wide open. If you were to show that Cavaliers performance to someone who has never watched a NBA game in their life and told them that team has been to the Finals the past three years, they would think you were a bigger liar than Charles Ponzi.

Cleveland’s defensive woes aren't something that should be much of a surprise. Since its championship season in 2016, the team’s defense rating has spiraled. In 2016, the Cavaliers allowed 102.3 points per 100 possessions, ranking them 10th in defensive rating. Last season, they were 22nd, allowing 108 points per 100 possessions. This season, after being blown out by Houston, they are ranked 28th with 109.4 points allowed per 100 possessions.

Who is to blame for this? Is it head coach Tyronn Lue for not getting his team fired up and motivated to play hard off the ball? Or is it the players that seem to be extremely lazy when it comes to the defensive side of things?

I think it’s fair to pass the blame around to both.

Let’s start with Tyronn Lue. First off, is Tyronn Lue actually running the team? Or is it LeBron? This is something that has always been speculated by fans, pundits and other NBA experts. It’s not much of a secret that James isn't shy in taking the spotlight when it comes to getting his teammates fired up or even giving orders.

This was most recently seen in the Cavaliers’ 133-99 loss to the Toronto Raptors, where James was yelling at the entire team, both players and coaches, during a timeout.

James’ actions leave people wondering where Lue is in all of this controversy. As the head coach, shouldn’t he be the one taking control of the bench instead of letting one of his players essentially do his job? I believe this has been one of the reasons the Cavs have struggled defensively. Tyronn Lue hasn’t been able to take control of his players and motivate them to play hard on both sides of the ball for the full four quarters.

Now this brings me to the players.

While Tyronn Lue hasn't been ideal in inspiring the team, the players have to take the blame as well, including LeBron. That game against the Rockets exhibited how lazy the Cavs players can get. They were awful in transition.

Right from the beginning of the game off a made basket by Isaiah Thomas, the Cavs were incredibly slow to get back on defense. You could see James and JR Smith nonchalantly jogging backwards, while Mbah a Moute blew right past them for a wide open layup.

Allowing that to happen is just careless, and will continually cost Cleveland games going forward this season.

Even though the defensive struggles are evident, the Cleveland Cavaliers will still almost undoubtedly make the playoffs this year. However, if they have any desire to make it to the finals and win, they need to take massive steps in cleaning their game up.

Page 23

Evan Biancardi

Varsity Scores & Stats Women's Basketball Saint Louis 91 Fordham 85 (2OT) (FOR) Cavanaugh: 37 Pts, 5-8 3pt, 8-8 FT (FOR) Goulding: 18 Pts, 11 Rebs Fordham 76 Rhode Island 64 (FOR) Davis: 22 Pts, 15 Rebs (FOR) Cavanaugh: 20 Pts, 7 Stls (URI) Jorgensen: 35 pts, 7 Rebs, 17-22 FG Men's Basketball Saint Louis 73 Fordham 50 (FOR) Chartouny: 11 Pts, 3 Rebs (FOR) Raut: 9 Pts, 8 Rebs

Men's Track Metropolitan Championship

Men's Tennis Siena Fordham

1000m run (FOR) Santelli 1st - 2:27.65

de Macar (FOR) def. Torres (SIENA) 6-1, 7-5

5000m run (FOR) Kutch 1st - 14:31.76

Kemper (FOR) def. Bellino (SIENA) 6-2, 6-2

Women's Track Metropolitan Championship

Makatsaria (FOR) def. Giannakitsidis (SIENA) 6-1, 6-0

60m dash (FOR) Kenny 4th - 7.68 1000m run (FOR) McCormack 3rd 2:57.88 4x800m relay (FOR) 'A' 1st - 9:21.13

Women's Tennis Quinnipiac Fordham Wong (FOR) def. Lu (QU) 6-4, 6-1 Grigoryan (FOR) def. Bradley (QU) 6-2, 6-2

Athletes of the Week Ryan Kutch

Mary Kate Kenny

Sophomore

Junior

Men's Track

Women's Track

Kutch turned in an impressive performance at the Metropolitan Championship on Staten Island, winning the 5000-meter run in 14:31.76. "This has been a goal of mine," Kutch, a sophomore, said. "I was fortunate to have the base from cross country and supportive teammates to do this."

Kenny claims her third consecutive women's Athlete of the Week recognition due to her third straight record-setting performance. At the Metropolitan Championship on Staten Island, she bested her own school record in the 60-meter dash yet again, crossing in 7.68 seconds.

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 • Misko Award

Earns

Weekly

Freshman Anthony Misko was named men’s Rookie of the Week in this week’s Atlantic 10 Conference Track & Field awards. This is the first time that Misko has earned a weekly award, and it is the men’s team’s fourth collectively this season. Misko made a tremendous impact at the Metropolitan Championship this past weekend, finishing fourth in the 500-meter dash in a stellar time of 1:05.50.

• Water Polo Shines in the Classroom 10 Fordham Water Polo players were tabbed by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches for All-Academic awards.

With the GPA standard set at 3.2 or higher, graduate student Massimiliano Mirarchi earned “Outstanding” status, sophomore Joseph Agabs and freshmen Phillip Wang and August Weyandt worked their way to “Superior” status and six players—including sophomore Yuki Saito, junior Ian Watson, senior Ethan Vandeventer, junior Will Smoot, freshman Sam Wheeler and junior Cole Donnelly—were categorized under “Excellent” status. With a 3.18 team GPA, Fordham also cracked the top 10 nationally.

• Cavanaugh Honored for Dominant Week Redshirt freshman Bre Cavanaugh domi-

nated for women’s basketball this week, earning her fourth Rookie of the Week award of the 2017-18 season. She averaged 28.5 points over Fordham’s two games this past week, including a careerhigh and Atlantic 10 season-high 37 points at Saint Louis. Cavanaugh shot 12-for-30 from the field, 5-for-8 from three-point range and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line in that doubleovertime loss, becoming just the fourth freshman to tally multiple 30-point performances as a rookie. The other three currently sit in the Fordham Hall of Fame. Cavanaugh added a 20-point performance in a home win over Rhode Island on Sunday and now stands one Rookie of the Week honor away from Samantha Clark’s record for most in a freshman season (2012-13).

-Compiled by Emmanuel Berbari

1 6

1 6

Landing Spots for Yu and J.D. There are over 100 free agents still waiting to sign with clubs for the 2018 season, and with pitchers and catchers set to report next week, it’s fair to assume that at least a few players will come off the board sooner rather than later.

Yu Darvish will sign with Cubs for 5 years/$120 million Darvish has been linked to multiple teams, including the Astros, Brewers, Dodgers, Phillies, Rangers, Twins and Yankees. However, as the offseason has progressed many of these teams have seemingly closed the door on the possibility of signing the Japan native. Unless the Yankees can move Jacoby Ellsbury’s contract and the Dodgers can find a taker for Matt Kemp, it doesn’t seem likely that they’ll be in the mix to lend out big money. Meanwhile, the Astros have addressed their pitching concerns by acquiring Garrett Cole from the Pirates. While the Phillies are on the cusp of contention and are no strangers to awarding big contracts, it doesn’t appear as though they’re a fit either. It has also been reported that the Rangers are out on Darvish.

This leaves the Brewers, Cubs and Twins. Milwaukee is certainly all-in at the moment, but its surplus of outfielders opens up the trade market for them, and it may be more realistic for the team to sign Lynn or Cobb, or maybe even Arietta, to a shortertermed deal. The same can be said for the Twins. For a team that historically doesn’t have deep pockets, it makes more sense to sign one of the other more cost-effective top free agent starters. Ultimately, Darvish’s fate is in the hands of the Cubs. Chicago is probably the most willing to spend, and Darvish seems to have mutual interest in the 2016 champs. Earlier in the offseason, Darvish reportedly asked for seven years and approximately $175 million. Ultimately, the Cubs will be able to take advantage of the slow market and acquire the righty for below market value.

J.D. Martinez will sign with Red Sox for 6 years/$144 million This one is perhaps more obvious because, as of now, Martinez seemingly has no other options. However, the Red Sox will give into Boras’ demands. J.D. will get his sixth year, but he’ll be forced to settle for less annually. This is the only possible way that I can see a deal working out for both sides. Otherwise, the stalemate between the two parties might continue well into spring training. This move would put Boston well above the $197 million threshold for 2018, but Martinez is a bat they desperately need in order to compete with the division-rival Yankees.

As far as the rest of the free agent class, it’s tough to predict exactly where some players will land until their counterparts find a home. A few unique cases include those of Eric Hosmer, Greg Holland and Jonathan Lucroy. All three are the best available players at their respective positions; yet, it seems like there hasn’t been much chatter about them as of late.

Hosmer may ultimately be forced to resign with his former club due to a lack of demand, and despite practically every other reliever signing early in the offseason, Holland is still without a taker. The Cardinals seem to be the best fit at the moment. And as far as Lucroy, he shouldn’t be around much longer. Talks appear to have stalled, but there are definitely plenty of teams in need of a veteran backstop.

SPORTS

Page 24

February 7, 2018

The Fordham Ram

Women’s Basketball Splits Against Saint Louis and Rhode Island

By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

Winning on the road is difficult.

Winning without your best player is difficult. Doing both in the Atlantic 10 is a big ask, yet Fordham Women’s Basketball almost answered the call, falling just short in a 91-85 double-overtime loss on Wednesday. The Rams bounced right back when they returned home and senior forward G’mrice Davis rejoined the lineup with a 76-64 win over Rhode Island.

The Rams are now 18-6 and 9-2 in A-10 play, putting them in third place in the conference.

Without Davis, an already-thin Rams team got that much thinner.

Four Rams players average over 30 minutes per game, and Davis is third at 37.1 minutes per game.

Freshmen Johanna Klug and Zara Jillings clock in around 20, while fellow freshmen Kendell Heremaia and Halei Gillis are in the 12 to 15 range. For the most part, this is a team built on their starters, so losing one - especially in a doubleOT game - is tough.

Without Davis on the court, Jillings stepped into the starting lineup and played 40 minutes, a full regulation game. The fewest minutes played by a starter were Klug, who still logged 35. Senior point guard Lauren Holden, who leads the team in playing time at 39.4 minutes per game, played all 50 minutes. She played all 50 in the Rams other double-overtime game this season, a 67-64 road win against St. John’s.

As evidenced by the final score, overtime allows for some scores you don’t usually see in women’s basketball. Redshirt freshman guard Bre Cavanaugh took full ad-

vantage of her 48 minutes on the court, pouring in 37 points on 1230 (40 percent) shooting, including 5-8 (62.5 percent) from deep.

Those 37 points are a record for a freshman at Fordham, and it is the most points scored by anyone in the A-10 this season.

Fordham won all but one of the regulation quarters. Problem is, that third quarter loss was a 28-12 difference. The Rams were up 15 heading into that quarter, but the Billikens knocked down five threes in the quarter, which allowed them to summit that difference and head to the fourth quarter with a 55-53 lead.

The fourth quarter and first overtime were obviously very even. This even stretched to the final overtime, where the Billikens failed to score on only one possession, while the Rams came up empty on four trips in the five minutes.

“I was extremely proud of the effort at St Louis, in spite of the outcome,” said head coach Stephanie Gaitley. “I really do believe we took a few steps forward as a program.”

One has to wonder what that game would have looked like with Davis active, but there is no way to tell.

In the way any Gaitley coached team has, but particularly this year, the Rams were able to shake off the loss immediately. The only back-to-back losses the Rams have this year came on back-to-back road games at Albany and Boston College. They did not break that streak on Sunday, winning one of the many A-10 Battle of the Rams against URI, 76-64.

Davis returned to the starting lineup, picking up her custom-

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Mary Goulding (above) makes a move in the post. Fordham Women’s Basketball is now 18-6 on the season. ary double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds. She mixed it up a little bit this time, pulling down seven on the offensive glass, tying her season high.

Fordham came out invigorated in the first quarter, flipping URI with a 31-13 lead. Fordham went up 11 at 15-4 with 5:54 left in the first quarter, and the lead never dropped below 10 after that.

“I think everyone was anxious to get back to our winning ways and we were focused on both ends of the court,” said Gaitley of the performance.

The home Rams were able to come away with the victory despite a 35-point performance from Nicole Jorgensen by only letting one other Rhody score double

digits. Meanwhile, four of the five Fordham starters registered double digits: Davis, Cavanaugh with 20, Holden with 16 and junior Mary Goulding with 12.

A new look for the Rams involved Gillis and Klug, who pretty much split time - Klug started as she has most of the season and logged 15 minutes, while Gilis played for 10. Gillis played a lot more early in the season, but missed some time with a concussion and has only started to pick back up her playing time.

“We are basically using [Klug] and [Gillis] as one player right now. A lot of it depends on matchups. Halei is more physical and Joey is more finesse, so they compliment each other well,” said

Gaitley of the rotation.

While the Rams led by doubledigits the whole way, Gaitley was not satisfied with the whole 40 minutes.

“I think it is always difficult to sustain a large lead,” she said. “I think we got comfortable and relaxed. I challenged them after the game that we need to put teams away as the road is getting tougher.”

With a firm grip on third place in the A-10, the Rams have just five regular season games remaining. They travel to Davidson on Saturday, Feb. 10 for a 2 p.m. game before returning home to host the La Salle Explorers on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.

Men’s Basketball Stumbles Again at Saint Louis

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Perris Hicks (above) dribbles up the floor. The Fordham men’s basketball team is now 7-15 on the season.

By ALVIN HALIMWIDJAYA STAFF WRITER

After Fordham’s much-needed victory over Massachusetts, the men’s basketball team fell back into the loss column with a blowout 73-50 loss to the St. Louis Billikens. The Rams are now last in

the A-10 at 2-8 and 7-15 overall, and St. Louis broke past .500 inconference, now sporting a 6-5 record.

Fordham’s lineup has been decimated by injuries, and the wear and tear of the season has taken its toll on the team’s perfor-

mance. The team shot 34 percent from the field and 29 percent from beyond the arc, while St. Louis ended up shooting 45.5 percent from long distance and attempting 33 free throws. Junior guard Joseph Chartouny led the team in scoring with 11 points; however,

he had no assists and no steals for the first time in his career. Sophomore guard Cavit Havsa chipped in with 10 points and four assists, while freshman forward Ivan Raut and junior forward Prokop Slanina had nine points each as well as eight and five rebounds, respectively.

Senior guard Will Tavares had an uncharacteristically frigid night shooting the ball, only scoring six points to go with eight rebounds and not making any of his six free throw attempts. Senior guard Perris Hicks was also caught up in the slump, missing all of his six shots from the field, including four from three-point range. Junior walk-on forward Chris Downing played a career-high 14 minutes and scored four points.

On the Billikens’ side, swingman Javon Bess scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, forward Jalen Johnson scored 14 points and forward Hasahn French added 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The Rams hung tough early in the game, keeping the margin close and eventually cutting it to four with 5:40 left in the first half, courtesy of a Downing putback basket. However, St. Louis went

on a 15-0 tear and ended the first period with a comfortable 3718 lead. Fordham tried to start a run in the second half, cutting the lead down to 12 with a threepointer from Raut and making it 47-35 with 11:45 remaining in the contest. However, the Billikens pushed the lead back to 20 before Fordham would score again with 7:48, effectively ending the game.

Despite this beatdown, the Rams remain optimistic and are choosing to move on and look towards their next game.

“I think the best way to move on is to just stick together,” Havsa said. “Each game is a new game, and we will fight the best we can in each one. It is important after a tough loss to keep working harder and stay positive. Every day is a new opportunity… in the game coming up, we are definitely focusing on defense, rebounding, transition offense, and not turning the ball over.”

Fordham’s next matchup comes against the George Mason University Patriots at home in the Rose Hill Gym. The two A-10 teams will face off on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 7:00 p.m.