Issue 7, Volume 100

The Fordham Ram Volume 100, Issue 7

Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 FordhamRam.com

See centennial spread, pages 12-13.

April 4, 2018

GSS Expands Masters Program

CSA Hosts Commuter Week

By JOE ESPOSITO

By ERICA SCALISE

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Last week, students celebrated the Commuting Student Association’s (CSA) annual Commuter Week. The week long program of events was open to both commuters and residents under the theme of “Fordham-Opoly,” a play on the popular game Monopoly.

This year saw a turn out from students who received raffle prizes, such as Starbucks and Amazon gift cards, as well as free shirts, food and entertainment. The events provided opportunity for both commuters and residents to socialize at commuter-friendly times.

Kaidya Adames, FCRH ’20, sophomore board president of CSA, said the organization made an effort to have all of its events at commuter-friendly times to encourage involvement.

“We tried to make all of our events at commuter-friendly times because other events on campus can go really late sometimes,” said Adames. “I know myself that I’ve wanted to get more involved on campus but it’s hard, as a commuter, when meeting times are so late.”

Last Thursday’s Big-Top Carnival had a mix of both student commuters and residents participating in various activities.

Students mingled as they entered raffles and danced to music in the McGinley Ballroom for one of six events hosted by CSA for Commuter Week.

The carnival was equipped with a cotton candy machine, bounce house, a make-your-own sand jar table and a cartoonist drawing student caricatures.

Other events included “A Blast from the Past,” a night filled with life-sized games and childhood throwbacks as well as “Ram’s Got Talent,” a showcase of ten acts selected through a prior audition process.

Nemesis Dipre, FCRH ’18, e-board president of CSA, said SEE CSA, PAGE 5

in this issue

Opinion

Page 7 How To Fix The Failing Subway System

Sports

Page 24

Baseball Improves to 15-81 After Strong Spring Break

Culture Page 16 Looking Back at University Reaction to MLK’s Death

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM RAM

Collins Hall, pictured above, was built in 1904 and continues to be inaccessible to students in wheelchairs.

Rose Hill Works Toward Wheelchair Accessibility

By JOERGEN OSTENSEN ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Renovations to Collins Hall to allow for wheelchair access will be completed before the end of 2018, according to Marco Valera, vice president of Facilities Management.

Valera said the university is investing between three and four million dollars in the renovations to Collins, showing a commitment to accessibility. “[The university is] dedicating almost four million dollars to one issue of accessibility which demonstrates that it is committed,” he

said.

Collins is currently inaccessible to students in wheelchairs, which means that those students face challenges when attending shows in the theatre. Valera said the plan is to replace one of the two main stairwells with an elevator over SEE COLLINS, PAGE 5

Fordham’s Graduate School of Social Service (GSS) is enhancing its masters program by making two major additions to the program, with a revised curriculum and modified online course experience.

GSS will make the changes in fall 2018, according to Patricia Heard, senior director of online education at the Graduate School of Social Service.

Debra McPhee, Ph.D., dean of GSS, said the new curriculum will make it a stand-out program.

“When we launch the new curriculum in fall 2018, Fordham will have one of the most skill-based, unique and student-friendly social work programs in the country,” said McPhee.

This new curriculum will be available across all three modalities of study: on-campus, hybrid and fully online. It will allow for an effective response to an evolving field, according to Kathleen Rund, LCSW, the assistant program director for the online master’s in social work program.

SEE GSS, PAGE 3

Union Talks Continue

By AISLINN KEELY NEWS EDITOR

Since last year’s agreement between the university and the SEIU, Fordham’s contingent faculty union and university administrators have met to negotiate terms of upcoming contracts for adjuncts and lecturers. The third round of negotiations were completed this past week, and a number of meeting dates are set to go through the end of the semester, according to Bob Howe, director of communications for the university.

After this past round, Diane George, an adjunct professor of anthropology and member of Fordham’s contingent faculty union, said the negotiations have been generally positive.

“We’re at the table, we’re working.

There is discussion,” she said.

Howe said the negotiations have made progress towards the agreements.

“The parties have made substantial progress toward reaching final agreements covering full-time and part-time faculty represented by the Union, and have additional bargaining sessions scheduled for April, May SEE UNION, PAGE 3

COURTESY OF FLICKR

CAB unveiled Tig Notaro as this year’s Spring Weekend comedian in a YouTube video announcement on Tuesday.

CAB Announces Spring Weekend Comedian

By AISLINN KEELY NEWS EDITOR

Campus Activities Board (CAB) welcomed students back after the combined spring and Easter break with the announcement of this year’s Spring Weekend Comedian, deadpan comic Tig Notaro.

CAB’s Spring Weekend Comedy Committee, co-chaired by

Kathryn Teany, GSB ’19, and CJ McKay, FCRH ’20, said it chose Notaro for her experience on and off the stage.

“We thought that Tig was an absolutely hysterical option for this year’s Spring Weekend Comedian,” said Teany and McKay. “We wanted a person who has had a lot of unique experience both in life and comedy. Tig is

a veteran performer who is very well respected.”

Notaro famously discussed her cancer diagnosis in a live set at Largo in Los Angeles, which was later released as an audio download with the help of Louis C.K. The comedy committee said this set is legendary within the comedy world.

SEE COMEDIAN, PAGE 3

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS March 17 188th and Hoffman 1:30 p.m.

A student reported that she was struck by a bottle thrown by an unknown individual. The student was hit by the flying glass and suffered a minor injury. She was treated at the scene.

March 18 Cambell Hall 3:40 p.m.

A smoke alarm was activated in Cambell Hall. It was caused by cooking in one of the rooms.

FDNY responded, the building was ventilated, and the students returned. There were no injuries.

March 23 Loschert Hall 12 p.m.

There was a flood in Loschert Hall B21. A heating pipe broke creating a flooding condition. The university maintenance employees responded and stopped the leak.

April 4, 2018

Students Walk Out For Gun Reform USG Co-Sponsors Protest

By ERIN SHANAHAN

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EMERITUS

Fordham students and faculty walked out of class on March 14, and joined thousands of other students across the nation protesting gun violence. It was both a tribute to the victims of the Parkland, Florida shooting and a protest of current gun regulations.

Rose Hill students gathered on Edward’s Parade in an event sponsored by United Student Government (USG). Neil Joyce, FCRH ’19, organized Rose Hill’s walkout. He said it was essential for Fordham to stand with other schools.

“It was essential that we show solidarity with high schools and colleges across the nation and bring the issue to the view of students, faculty and administration at Fordham,” said Joyce.

The Rose Hill walkout took shape after Eliza Putnam, FCLC ’18, a Lincoln Center student organizer, approached Joyce about a cross-school effort. Joyce said he

contacted Christopher Rodgers, dean of students; Jeffrey Gray, vice president of student life; Brian Reardon, FCRH ’18, president of USG and Abigail Kedik, FCRH ’18, vice president of USG to organize the effort.

The walkout spanned the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, with students from Fordham College Rose Hill, Fordham College Lincoln Center and Fordham Law coming together to plan the demonstration.

About 100 students gathered together on Edward’s Parade at 10 a.m. to memorialize fallen students and demand stricter gun laws in America. At 10:10 a.m., they observed 17 minutes of silence, in commemoration of the 17 students and teachers killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. For each minute that passed, Reardon and Kedik rang the victory bell in front of the Rose Hill Gym. “I hope that more people are motivated to work for just gun reform and that this is only the

beginning for us as students of Fordham to motivate citizens and policymakers to advocate and enact gun reform that ensures the safety of all Americans,” said Joyce.

The walkout followed a statement released by Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., President of the university supporting demonstrations against gun violence.

“The leadership of Fordham University, and indeed all people of good will, are horrified by the losses of innocent lives in the Parkland shooting, as well as the many other school shootings that have occurred in recent years,” McShane wrote to the student body.

“The University stands with Fordham students who demonstrate against this horrific violence, as do so many students across the country.”

Prior to the walkout, USG released a statement. It said it was inspired by Fordham’s Jesuit tradition and motivated by the student activists Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

“We would like to stand in soli-

darity and take up responsibility as changemakers that this world needs,” said the statement.

Kedik said she viewed assisting advocacy as a responsibility of USG. “Gun violence has been an issue in the U.S. for a very long time,” said Kedik. “As USG, it’s our responsibility to give the people who want to advocate for others and advocate for the greater good a space to do so. It was important that we listened to the student body and helped students to take a stand against this.”

Declan Murphy, FCRH ’18, a student who participated in the walkout, said he felt the biggest problem facing gun law reform is apathy and inaction on social and political levels.

“We see people who are are willing to do little more than talk safe thoughts and prayers and to not make substantive change happen, and this has been going on for too long for it to say to stay the same status quo,” he said. “We’re really at a breaking point here.”

March 22 O'Hare Hall 11:40 a.m.

A university vehicle was involved in a motor vehicle accident and struck a loading dock gate at O'Hare Hall. There was minor damage to the gate and the vehicle.

There were no injuries.

April 1 Arthur Avenue 8:35 p.m.

There was a smoke alarm activated by a student cooking in the first floor apartment. FDNY responded and ventilated the apartment. There were no injuries.

- Compiled by Joergen Ostensen

Suggest story ideas fordhamram. com

@TheFordhamRam

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM RAM

Students gathered on Edward's Parade in a university-wide walkout to bring attention to gun reform in the wake of the Parkland, Florida shooting.

This Week at Fordham Thursday April 5

Friday April 6

Monday April 9

Monday April 9

Tuesday April 10

Armenian Society Bake Sale

Black Sheep Poetry Performance

The Fordham Ram Presents: Loretta Tofani

David Axelrod Speaking Event

Meet the Candidates and USG Debate

McGinley Center 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Blackbox Theatre 8-9 p.m.

McGinley 237 7-8 p.m.

Keating Third 8-9 p.m.

The Armenian Society is hosting a bake sale of various Armenian sweets, cookies and brownies. All of the proceeds from the bake sale will be donated to a school in Armenia for children with disabilities.

Fordham Experimental Theatre will be putting on a Black Sheep poetry performance for one night only.

Doors open at 7:30. Admission is free. Seating is limited, so get there early.

The Ram will be hosting Fordham alumna Loretta Tofani, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. She will be speaking on her career and the lasting effects of a Jesuit education in McGinley 237.

The College Democrats will be hosting David Axelrod as their speaker for the semester. He willl discuss his work on the Obama campaign and as President Obama's senior advisor.

McGinley 237 7-8 p.m.

At the debate, the student body will be able to meet the candidates for the 2018-19 United Student Government. More election information can be found on the USG website.

NEWS

April 4, 2018

Page 3

CAB Books Comedian Notaro GSS Goes Digital FROM COMEDIAN, PAGE 1

In addition to her battle with cancer, which she has since won, the committee said Notaro is a unique voice to speak to the Fordham community.

“We felt like she could provide Fordham with takes that we’ve never seen before: she’s a 47-yearold, mother of two, breast cancer and C-diff survivor, a pretty unique voice if you ask us,” said the co-chairs.

In addition to her experience, Teany and McKay said Notaro represents its efforts to diversify the voices it brings to campus.

Last year’s Spring Weekend comedian, “Saturday Night Live” comic Colin Jost, and last semester’s Welcome Week comedian,

Chris Gethard, showcased different styles of comedy, according to the co-chairs.

“As Comedy Chairs, we have been trying to diversify our repertoire of comedians in order to reflect the comedy scene as a whole,” said Teany and McKay. “We have been trying to use the fact that we are a large school in New York City in order to draw larger comedic names.”

Teany and McKay said they feel Notaro furthers the committee’s work to diversify the comedic style of performers.

The work of booking the Spring Weekend Comedian began last November, according to Teany and McKay. At that time, they reached out to their agent to

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Tig Notaro, pictured above, performs a deadpan style of comedy.

begin the proposal process. They said this year’s process did not deviate from normal procedure.

“Typically, our agent provides us with a list of comedians within our price range which we review and, from that list, create proposals for our top choices,” they said.

These proposals are forwarded to CAB’s adviser and the Assistant Dean for Student Involvement, and consist of a biography and summary of the comedic style, as well as links to online performances, according to McKay and Teany. Once approved, CAB places official offers through its agent.

Teany and McKay said the only constraint they face while choosing comedic performers is the issue of inclusion.

“The only issue is if the comedian has gone against our Fordham values and specifically the mission of inclusion,” they said.

“We wouldn’t want to bring a comedian that makes any one group feel uncomfortable.”

After the initial offer is made and accepted, contract negotiations begin. These are handled

by CAB’s adviser and the agent of the comedian, according to Teany and McKay. Teany and McKay said it is excited for the community to see Notaro’s performance.

“We’re really excited about this comedian, and we truly believe that the Fordham student’s will love their performance,” they said.

Notaro has been credited on numerous movies, television shows and stand-up performances. In addition to her work in stand-up, she also works as a writer, radio contributor, podcast host and actress. She will perform Sunday, April 29 at 6 p.m. in Leonard Theater.

FROM GSS, PAGE 1

“Dean McPhee and the faculty are the driving forces behind this new curriculum,” said Rund.

The second addition coming in the fall is a new technology and innovative course design for the fully online modality, according to Heard. By partnering with 2U, an educational technology company, students will be able to experience the curriculum in a new way, according to Heard.

The course design brings with it many positive components, according to Rund.

“The course design focuses on the competencies needed for the Master’s degree in an innovative way. It is very practical, skills focused and theoretical so that students have a real-world experience in education,” she said.

This course design will be a great benefit to students, according to Heard.

“Students will be able to apply those skills into their field placement and post-graduate careers,” she said.

McPhee said they have modified the online program to keep in pace with changes in the field.

“Like many professional industries, the field of social work has evolved significantly, and we’ve modernized our online MSW program to prepare social work professionals

for practice in today’s challenging social climate while promoting human rights, social justice and social change,” said McPhee.

The structure of the online program consists of two eight-week sessions that fit within one semester, according to Heard.

Students will be able to interact with various content, faculty members and other students, according to Heard. In-person field placement across the country will also continue.

After the success of an earlier program, this new modernized version will attempt to support the needs of current students and their learning styles.

This will greatly expand opportunity, according to Rund. The new technology, coupled with additional administrative resources, allows for a national reach, according to Rund.

“While before we were only regional, we now have nationally submitted applications,” she said.

Placement has been expanded to 48 states, such as California, according to Heard.

“Through the technology and resources, we are able to support the national market,” she said.

“The reach of 2U will make it possible for students nationwide to access quality MSW education from Fordham,” said McPhee.

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM RAM

GSS has expanded online offerings for students, partnering with 2U.

Union Negotiations Reach Tentative Agreements FROM UNIONS, PAGE 1

and June,” said Howe.

Thus far, the administration and the union have reached tentative agreements on three fronts, according to George.

The two groups have agreed on some level of paid leave for full time faculty, according to George. They are still negotiating the number.

Lecturers that teach four courses are considered full time faculty. However, they retain semester to semester contracts with the university.

“If they need to take a leave for whatever reason, professional development or personal reasons, they’re not paid and they don’t know that their jobs are going to be there when they come back,” said George.

She said this is a positive development for the negotiations, and that, though other provisions may be small, they represent something bigger.

“The other provisions may seem minor, but they’re actually kind of indicative of the fact that we’re working towards progress, we are making progress,” she said. “We’re working towards the bigger things.”

These bigger things could include compensation, which has not yet been addressed in the negotiations, according to Ashar Foley, a full time lecturer of communications and media studies.

In addition to paid leave, the negotiations have led to tentative agreements on union involvement in new faculty orientation. George said this will make the union visible to new faculty.

“We think it’s obviously really important that the union has a place at the new faculty orientation so that new faculty members know that they are covered by a union, that they have rights, what the union entails,” she said.

In an effort to include contingent faculty in the broader faculty community, George said they have also reached a tentative agreement on contingent faculty inclusion at department meetings.

“So obviously we’re not going to have the same kind of voice in policy decisions, but it’s a step toward making us part of the broader faculty community,” said George.

The next round will include discussion on the possibility of Faculty Senate representation for contingent faculty, according to George.

In addition to the tentative agreements, there is still a lack of agreement on some key issues, according to George. These include terms of appointment for contingent faculty.

Adjuncts are permitted to teach up to two courses per semester and lecturers are capped at four. Both adjuncts and lecturers work on a semester by

semester contract, which creates a level of insecurity for faculty, according to George.

“As adjuncts, we have semester to semester appointments, which is a really, very unstable way for us to work, it’s unstable for the students,” she said.

Foley explained this in relation to the “Gig Economy” which sees a shift of workers taking on short term ‘gigs’ rather than long term jobs. She said the union is working to create greater security for those engaged in short term contractual work.

“What’s happened in this transition to shorter term economy is lesser job security, and so what a union does is it shores up that gap by making these contractual jobs more secure,” she said.

Foley previously worked as an adjunct at Fordham since 2015, before being tapped for a lecturer position.

The transition to full time at one university, rather than splitting her time as an adjunct between two institutions, meant she had an office and did not need to take the train to two separate places.

“All the logistics suddenly became easier,” she said.

Foley said longer term contracts are an important issue for the union, since short-term contracts force adjuncts to constantly search for their next contract.

“To be honest, being an adjunct

feels no different in that respect to being a grad student, having no sense of six months down the line where your paychecks are going to come from,” she said.

As of now, the agreement made between the union and the university prior to the union elections provided for two contracts – one addressing lecturers and the other addressing adjuncts. However, George said the union hopes the university will be swayed to formalize one contract, since it feels lecturers and adjuncts are united.

“We are hoping that as the negotiations go on, they’ll see it’s more efficient and effective to have one contract,” she said.

The university currently hopes to have the negotiations completed by June, according to Foley and George.

Both said the time frame seemed optimistic, but they were pleased the

university wanted to finalize things quickly.

“The university is hoping to come to an agreement by June. We would love to have that happen, but there are basic things we believe we need to achieve,” said George.

“I’m glad that we’re all around the bargaining table, and I like that they want to get it done in two months.

If what we want can be addressed within that time frame, that’s great,” said Foley.

Howe did not confirm the hope for a June conclusion, but said the university is confident the groups will reach an agreement.

“The University is confident that through the efforts of the two bargaining teams, the University and the Union will reach agreements on mutually acceptable terms covering these important members of the faculty,” he said.

VICTOR ORDONEZ/THE FORDHAM RAM

A 2016 protest outside of Cunniffe advocated for adjunct unionization.

NEWS

Page 4

April 4, 2018

Research Spotlight

USG Column

Student Studies Refugee Medical Access Researches Experience of Karen People

USG Issues Apology in Meeting

By SARAH HUFFMAN STAFF WRITER

By JULIA RIST STAFF WRITER

As the refugee crisis continues to be a hot button issue, Natalie Wodniak, FCRH ’18, is researching medical experiences that Burmese refugees of the Karen ethnic groups have in America.

Thousands of people are displaced from their homes everyday out of fear for their safety, according to Wodniak.

Wodniak, an environmental studies and humanitarian studies double major with a minor in Biology, said a large part of why she picked this topic was because it seemed to fit all areas of interest.

“I was thinking of a way to combine my interests in the environment with humanitarian issues,” Wodniak said. “I had done some previous research on traditional medicine, so I decided to combine that with a study of refugees in the United States.”

People who are of the Karen ethnic groups speak Sino-Tibetan languages, but not all people who call themselves Karens share commonalities in language and culture, according to Wodniak.

The Karen people make up the second-largest nationality in Mynamar and have faced conflict since 1949. They have been subject to one of the longest-running civil wars.

Over the summer of 2017, Wodniak went to three different U.S. cities to conduct her research. She traveled to Fort Wayne, IN, Amarillo, TX and Buffalo, NY so she could study the medical experiences of these

Photo of the Week:

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Wodniak studies the medical experiences of Karen refugees. A historical image of the Karen people is pictured above.

refugees. Wodniak said it is unbelievable to hear what these people gone through to get to where they are now.

“One woman told me that she was pregnant when the military burned down her village, and after she fled, she had her baby alone in the jungle, with no medical assistance whatsoever,” Wodniak said. “She told me of the fear and the pain she remembers so vividly.”

Wodniak said the woman’s story moved her.

“When I heard this story in person, I was taken aback by the strength she must have had to keep fighting for her own life, as well as her child’s, amidst traumatic experiences,” she said.

She interviewed 39 people about their experiences with the American health care system. She said while some refugees reported having a good experience, hospi-

KAYLEE KURKIEREWICZ/THE FORDHAM RAM

Located outside Hughes Hall, the statue of the university mascot is a popular landmark where students and visitors pose for pictures.

tals could be doing more to help ease their transition.

“Multiple refugees I interviewed asked me if I could help them get medical insurance again, which tells me that information about insurance is not readily available for non-English speaking populations,” Wodniak said. “Another concern is the significant decline in the use of traditional medicine once refugees come to the United States.”

Wodniak said that if our healthcare system was more pluralistic, perhaps refugee health would improve.

Her research consisted of asking refugees a specific set of questions, which she would record and transcribe. Then, once she had finished all of the interviews, she would look for specific trends across the data she obtained.

Wodniak said that the most common trait she saw among these people was resilience. She said it was amazing to see the kind of communities that they have built for themselves.

“The community of refugees in each city was strong, and many [people] lived in the same housing complexes and attended the same church services,” said Wodniak.

Wodniak said she hopes her research will raise awareness about the refugee crisis. She said that it is not only important to understand the experiences that refugees face abroad, but also how they are transitioning into their new living environments.

“A goal for my research has been to spark conversations about refugee crises and the importance of monitoring the extent of their medical care before, during and after the transition to the U.S.,” she said.

Wodniak will present her findings on April 11 at the Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Apology This past week, Executive President Brian Reardon, FCRH ’18, issued an apology on behalf of the United Student Government (USG) based on USG’s inclusion of the Women’s March’s website in their walkout letter. Reardon said a student reached out because they felt Women’s March’s slowness to respond to Louis Farrakhan’s antisemitic comments was indefensible.

“The student saw that our use of the website in the letter was a direct endorsement of the entire organization and that we should not be endorsing such anti-semitic comments,” said Reardon. He said USG had no idea this was going on and its intention was for the website to be a resource for people, but he felt the issue still needed to be addressed.

“Even if this was going on without our knowing, it is important that we address this considering the fact that we all aim for a united community and statements like Farrakhan’s only lead to division, fear and hate.” said Reardon.

FUEMS Presentation Fordham University Emergency Medical Services (FUEMS) presented to USG on the misconceptions surrounding FUEMS. Director-elect, Alexis Verwoert, FCRH ’19, presented to the group, explaining that FUEMS is a completely student run group that consists of certified EMTs. She said FUEMS does not create the medical amnesty policy and that its first concern is the safety and health of the students.

She said only one third of its calls are for intoxicated students and that the other two thirds are for sick and injured faculty and students.

Verwoert said FUEMS is seeking to clarify any misconceptions surrounding its reputation.

“This year, we are hoping to improve our reputation on campus by showing students that we have their best interest at heart,” she said.

Collins Auditorium Meeting Vice President of Student Life, Christine Phelan, GSB ’18, spoke about her meeting with performance groups that use Collins Auditorium, like Mimes and Mummers. She said that in the meeting, they discussed safety guidelines.

Also, the space will hopefully become wheelchair-accessible sometime in the future with the addition of an elevator and ramps, according to Phelan.

Senate Budget The Senate discussed its new budget for fall 2018. Vice President of Finance Kaylee Wong, GSB ’20, presented the budget to the group.

She said that it is very similar to last year’s budget. A few suggestions were made for changes and the Senate approved the budget pending those changes.

NEWS

April 4, 2018

Page 5

Commuter Week Brings Students Together Residents and Students Win Prizes

KEVIN STOLTENBORK/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Commuter Student Association tries to help intergrate commuter students into the Fordham community.

FROM CSA, PAGE 1

Commuter Week is CSA’s biggest spring event and took months of preparation.

“For the past academic year, Commuter Week has been either

directly or indirectly on CSA’s mind,” said Dipre. “We started thinking of ideas for a theme in the fall and how we could execute that theme in a week. We have been in contact with vendors

since February and have been designing our t-shirts since January.”

Along with each grade’s board and the e-board of CSA, Commuter Week 2018 was organized with help from the Office for

Student Involvement (OSI). This includes Liaison and Assistant Director for leadership and commuter student services Monique Dumaine, Reservations Coordinator Cathy Gonzalez and Assistant Director for campus center operations Stephen Clarke. The campus center operations team as well as Fordham IT also worked to make the week of events possible.

Each of the events worked around the central message of making commuters feel at home at Fordham, according to Dipre.

“Any commuter will tell you about the divide between commuters and residents and the commuter culture,” said Dipre.

“This year my goal was to begin to end all of that talk and have everyone see commuters as an important community.”

Both Dipre and Adames, who commute from the Bronx, were pleased to see residents and commuters brought together by the Commuter Week events.

“The majority of the people attending are commuters but I’ve seen some residents, too, and that makes me really happy,” said Adames. “There’s a gap between commuters and residents, so it’s good that we have events where we can all come together and just have fun together.”

Dipre said her vision for Commuter Week was exceeded when she watched residents and commuters come together at “A Blast from the Past” game night.

“The best way to create a community is to break bread together and to enjoy the small things together,” said Dipre. “I love when I see people from all over the Fordham community come together at our events.”

In addition to major events such as Commuter Week, Adames said CSA continues to work on policies to improve everyday commuter and campus life through the Commuter Life Committee.

“The event turnout has been good this week,” said Adames.

“We want commuters to have a good time at these events and feel supported every day at Fordham, not just this week.”

Dipre said for her, CSA is more than just another form of student government at Fordham. She said it is the only organization that continuously and consistently works to ensure commuters feel included on Fordham’s campus.

“We are 20 percent of the population and we are a diverse population,” said Dipre. “That alone should let commuters know they’re a vibrant and essential part of Fordham’s overall community.”

Collins To Be Wheelchair Accessible By Year’s End FROM COLLINS, PAGE 1

the course of the summer.

The lack of accessibility to Collins has presented challenges to people in wheelchairs.

Katie Dolan, FCRH ’18, the vice president of Mimes and Mummers in 2016, suffered injuries to her legs that required the use of a wheelchair and crutches for nearly five months in 2016.

She found accessing Collins Hall, which she had to do almost everyday, to be the greatest challenge she faced.

“In order to get in, I would climb out of my wheelchair and scoot up the steps to the foot of the building,” she said. “I would then wait for someone to bring my wheelchair to me, and wheel into the building where I would once again get out and scoot up to the second floor.”

After she no longer needed a wheelchair, she continued to have issues accessing Collins.

“Even when I was out of my wheelchair and using a cane, Collins Hall was a challenge to get into and maneuver in due to steep stairs,” she said.

Dolan said that she had mixed results trying to access other buildings on campus.

“Fordham’s accessibility suffers from a severe lack of uniformity,” she said. “Some of the buildings and areas of campus are easily accessed while others prove quite difficult.”

Valera said he believes Fordham is currently “average-to-good” with respect to its wheelchair accessibility and that it will address the

major issue with its plans to renovate Collins.

“I have not had any direct requests, with the exception of Collins Hall, which we put in our pipeline,” he said.

Dolan said that Collins was not the only issue she faced. She said that many of the sidewalks were inaccessible to her and some of the ramps were too steep for her to navigate.

Mary E. Byrnes, the director of the Office of Disability Services (ODS), said she notifies Facilities of any issues her office comes across. In the last few years it has added hands-free buttons that open doors in multiple buildings.

She said those were particularly useful in O’Hare, where ODS is located.

Brynes also said ODS and Facilities worked to provide ramps at graduation for students in wheelchairs.

The university takes into account wheelchair accessibility when planning renovations or new buildings, citing the fully accessible Starbucks that was added to Dealy Hall last semester, according to Valera.

“When we renovate spaces, everything is brought up to full accessibility,” he said.

This accessibility makes the university compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which makes it illegal for buildings to be inaccessible to the disabled. Collins Hall, which was built in 1904, was not subject to those regulations.

Valera said further improve-

ments to the accessibility will come with time.

“You can’t renovate every building every day, so there are some buildings that will take some time,” he said.

The issue of Collins not being accessible was raised by United Student Government in 2013 and again in 2015.

Valera said that Cunniffe House needs an elevator as well. He also

said the plans to renovate McGinley Center will take into account improving access for people in wheelchairs. The McGinley Center plan is still awaiting approval from the Board of Trustees.

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

The steep stairs in Collins can make accessing the building difficult even for people who are not in wheelchairs.

NEWS

Page 6

April 4, 2018

Students Sanctioned After Rod’s Altercation

By JAKE SHORE STAFF WRITER

The university’s investigation into a “free-speech exercise” at Rodrigue’s Coffee Shop last December reached its conclusion earlier this month, resulting in conduct sanctions for at least three students involved.

Last year’s incident, where several members of College Republicans went into Rodrigue’s wearing “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hats and other apparel in an attempt to provoke a confrontation, prompted national media to take notice. Rev. Joseph McShane, S.J., president of the university thereafter released a statement and the university opened an investigation.

In a recent interview with The Fordham Ram, McShane said he did not consider the incident at the coffee shop to be demonstration. On campus demonstrations require administrative approval 48 hours in advance. No members involved in the incident at Rodrigue’s applied for approval.

“I never thought of what happened at Rodrigue’s as a demonstration,” said McShane.

Following the incident last year, university investigators interviewed students featured in the viral video, in which Rodrigue’s Co-President Kristal Ho, FCRH ’18, asked members of College Republicans to leave for violating the coffee shop’s “Safer Space” policy.

Once the conduct process was

completed, Kristal Ho received sanctions against her along with at least two members of College Republicans at the time.

In a tweet, Ho posted the sanctions she received for two violations of the university’s Code of Conduct, including “Disorderly Conduct” and “engaging in or inciting others to engage in conduct… which prevents or limits the free expression of the ideas of others.”

Ho did not respond to requests for comment.

Former member of College Republicans Sebastian Balasov, GSB ’18, also received sanctions and a punishment from the university. Balasov has a “suspension of privileges” from the university, which prevents him from going to Rodrigue’s or events organized by them. He also has a “contact restriction” from Kristal Ho, which requires he stay away from her, according to an email.

Balasov said he received a sanction for recording and disseminating the video of the altercation occurring between Ho and members of College Republicans.

The university’s Code of Conduct forbids “publication, distribution, or posting of recordings of members of the Fordham University community and/or any persons on Fordham University property online or via social media,” unless consent is given by all parties involved.

Balasov said he did not release the video to Campus Reform, the conservative outlet to first post the

video.

Campus Reform bills itself as an outlet that “exposes the liberal bias and abuse against conservatives on America’s colleges and universities.” The writer who first published the Campus Reform video and article on the Rodrigue’s incident declined to reveal who sent her the video.

Both Balasov and Ho mustwrite apology letters regarding their roles in the incident.

Additionally, Jacob Floam, FCRH ’20, a member of College Republicans, was pictured in the video and also received sanctions from the university for his role in the incident. Floam declined to be interview by The Fordham Ram on his sanctions, but he said they do not affect his “standing as a Fordham student” and that nothing will appear on his record.

The event was portrayed on national media outlets as a meeting over coffee turned ugly. The Ram reported in December that some members of College Republicans planned the confrontation as an exercise in free speech.

Another member of College Republicans, Aaron Spring, GSB ’19, appeared on three separate Fox News segments and spoke to the New York Post after the altercation, defending the position of the College Republicans involved.

Spring, who was named as a “CampusReform.org Correspondent” on all three Fox News broadcasts, denied sending the video to Campus Reform. He also said he

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received no sanctions.

Michael Esposito, FCRH ’19, member of College Republicans, can be seen in the video arguing with Ho over whether she has the authority to force those in MAGA hats to leave the premises. Esposito also said he did not receive any sanctions for his role in the altercation.

Esposito said that since the video went viral, which he said he did not know was being recorded at the time, he was forced to delete his “political views Twitter” because of “death threats” he received. Esposito also said his professors now treat him differently since he was featured in the video.

While being investigated for the altercation at Rodrigue’s, two members of College Republicans at the time pictured in the video were questioned by university investigators about the circumstances behind a circulating photo of them online, picturing them posing with an alt-right flag.

Christopher Rodgers, Rose Hill dean of students, had previously declined to comment on the steps taken with students affiliated with both the Rodrigue’s incident and the alt-right flag photograph following the investigation’s conclusion.

He declined to comment on the findings of the investigation into the Rodrigue’s incident.

Though the incident happened last year during the time that students take their finals, the investigation did not wrap up until March of the following year.

“The fact that it happened at the

end of the term during finals led to a slowing down of the disciplinary process, which was a frustration for everyone,” said McShane, in an interview last week. “I wanted this addressed, taken seriously, taken to heart and taken care of so that students and the whole university community didn’t live in a sense of uncertainty.”

After the media coverage of the Rodrigue’s altercation, McShane sent out a university-wide statement last December. He said there is no campus safe space policy and that the Fordham community should do better in respectfully expressing free speech.

“Having said that, I must say that I believe that Fordham itself should be a safe space—safe in the sense that it is and must remain a place where all of the members of the University community are free to share their opinions, and to have those opinions respectfully tested by their peers,” said McShane in a statement.

At a Student Life Council meeting last week, Dean Rodgers confirmed that no safe space policy seems to exist in the club charters of either Campus Activities Board or United Student Government. Rodgers opened the door to future discussions about a safe space policy but reaffirmed the university’s position on the Rodrigues incident.

“The safe space policy on this campus . . . simply can’t verge into removing people from university spaces based on viewpoint,” said Rodgers.

April 4, 2018

OPINION

Page 7

The Fordham Ram

How To Fix The Failing Subway System projects more efficiently, communicating and coordinating between separate contractors to keep costs under control. That way, it could actually make the upgrades (like CBTC) to the system that it needs without breaking the bank. This can only be accomplished in one way:

By SEAN FRANKLIN STAFF WRITER

If Manhattan is New York City’s heart, then the subway is its arteries. It keeps the city’s blood flowing, moving people from home to work to school to the store and back again. It is absolutely essential in keeping New York functioning. But if you’ve ridden the subway recently, you probably know that it is not in good shape. Decades of mismanagement and poor maintenance have put the subway on its last legs, even as the city grows and its economy booms. Fixing the subways should be one of the city’s top priorities – if the subway stops functioning, then the city will as well.

1. Upgrade the signaling system.

Signals are, in a simple sense, the traffic lights of the subway. They prevent the trains from crashing into each other, keeping passengers safe. But they haven’t been upgraded since the 1930s. Because of that, they break. A lot. If a signal breaks, train service grinds to a halt and a maintenance crew has to come down and fix the signal before traffic can start moving again. This is a process that can take hours, and it ripples outward along the line, like a traffic jam on a crowded highway. If you check the MTA’s service status website, you will notice that the most common cause of delays is “signal problems.”

The subway system is painfully outdated, and maintenance on it is difficult because a lot of its parts are not

3. A change in management.

COURTESY OF JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

The New York subway system is a vital part of daily life, therefore it should be refurbished.

even manufactured anymore. The MTA should upgrade to a Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system, as many subway systems around the world, from London to Paris to Tokyo, have already done.

Instead of separating the track into blocks, like the current system, the system equips all the trains and the tracks with equipment that allows them to communicate with a central control center. This tells the control center where each train is at any time and automatically adjusts its speed accordingly. It would significantly reduce delays and allow the MTA to run more trains (something that, given the recent spate of overcrowding, it desperately needs). This technology works – it’s already in operation on the L line and is scheduled to debut on the 7 line in 2019. However,

these projects have taken years and been plagued with cost overruns.

2. Reduce costs.

The first phase of the Second Avenue Subway opened in 2017, at a cost of $2.5 billion per mile. In contrast, in Paris, the extension of Metro Line 14 cost only $450 million per mile. The MTA pays a patently ludicrous amount for its capital projects.

There are a myriad of reasons for this, but by far the most salient are corruption and lack of competition.

The MTA received only two bids from companies to build the Second Avenue Subway tunnels. The Paris project, by comparison, received at least half a dozen bids for every part of the project. Notably, companies that are rewarded MTA contracts are almost always the ones that donate

millions of dollars to state politicians.

When construction companies don’t have competition, and when they have the Albany politicians in their pocket, they don’t have any incentive to reduce costs. Therefore, costs balloon. Workers are paid to do nothing. Contractors hire hundreds of outside consultants for dubious reasons. The MTA, with its opaque, intractable bureaucracy, does not help the situation. Sometimes it will change its plans in the middle of a project. It struggles to coordinate between contractors. Projects aren’t managed efficiently, and costs go up.

The MTA should do two things.

First, it should encourage more competition among contractors for projects and try to attract bids from companies beyond its usual pool of two or three donor-heavy firms. Second, it should manage

Contrary to popular belief, the subway system is not actually run by the city. The MTA is run by state government, particularly Governor Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo has consistently shown that he is more interested in using the subway to score political points than he is interested in fixing it.

Cuomo once infamously used $5 million of MTA money to bail out ski resorts upstate. He is more interested in flashy new technology than making sure the subway actually functions properly. Under his leadership, the system has installed Wi-Fi and USB ports in stations that have track signals dating back to the Hoover administration.

Control of the subway should be turned over to the city. That way, the only government accountable for the system’s functioning is the one that its riders elect. Things need to change, and the only way the MTA will get its act together is if the government holds it accountable.

Sean Franklin, FCRH ’21, is an urban studies major from Alexandria, Virginia.

Sister Jean: The Face of an Underdog

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Sister Jean was indeed a contributing factor to the successful March Madness run of Loyola-Chicago University.

By FAUSTINO GALANTE STAFF WRITER

On Saturday, March 31, 11 seed underdog Loyola-Chicago was defeated by Michigan in the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament Final Four 69-57. Loyola’s run to the semi-finals was an improbable one.

College basketball fans throughout the United States were stupefied and captivated by the “ramblers’” successes in March Madness. While Loyola’s team as a whole was undeniably venerated by spectators, an unlikely figure came to represent the team’s triumphs: Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM. The 98-year old sister of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin

Mary went above and beyond her role as Loyola’s team chaplain. Following Loyola’s last-second upset victory in the first round against the University of Miami, news outlets across the U.S. referenced the sister in their headlines. By participating in numerous press conferences and interviews after the first round, Sister Jean quickly became a staple of this year’s tournament.

While many have approached Sister Jean’s role as a mere gimmick, it is important to note how vital she truly was for Loyola University Chicago.

Sister Jean’s presence on Loyola’s bench helped diminish much of the pressure that players typically undergo during the tournament, allowed the team to gain extra media-atten-

tion and popularity, and managed to develop a profound chemistry rooted in the university’s Jesuit values.

During March Madness, fans typically seem to disregard the fact that the players participating are incredibly young to be performing in such high-stakes competitions. Recently, many have come to argue that because these players generate such great revenue for the NCAA, they should be paid. Essentially, a great deal of people now consider college basketball players to be semi-professional athletes. Media-outlets do the same. Sports journalists ruthlessly blast young athletes and point out their flaws. NCAA athletes unfortunately are subject to a seriously cutthroat culture. A great example of this

is Duke senior Grayson Allen. The minute Allen walks onto the court, he is greeted with a great deal of heckling and booing. Furthermore, his antics are constantly ridiculed by news-outlets such as ESPN and Barstool Sports.

Players on the Loyola Chicago basketball team, however, were perceived in a holistic fashion. Instead of having various players singled out by fans and the media, Loyola was considered a united entity. Sister Jean helped the team achieve this.

Because she took control of the spotlight, Sister Jean allowed Loyola’s players to focus on basketball, not the irrelevant publicity that comes with it.

Through Sister Jean, fans had a personality to focus on when rooting for or against Loyola. Instead of forcing a player on the team to take this role, Sister Jean used her charm to become the team’s bridge to the non-basketball aspect of the NCAA tournament.

Compared to many underdogs, Loyola was also able to gain a great deal of national attention. While the team’s Cinderella-story journey to the semi-finals undeniably helped them attract college basketball fans, Sister Jean served as “the cherry on top.” The idea of a 98-year old nun being so invested in a basketball team and having so much knowledge about the game intrigued audiences.

When asked what she gave up for Lent, without any hesitation she answered, “losing.”

When it comes to athletics and academics, the underlying Jesuit principles that serve as a backbone to schools like these are placed on the back-burner. People simply forget or fail to focus on this aspect. In the case of Loyola-Chicago’s basketball team, this was obviously not the case.

People were fully aware of Loyola’s Roman Catholic and Jesuit identity because of Sister Jean. While many Catholic schools also manage this through their team chaplains, Sister Jean allowed Loyola to take it an extra step. Fans not only acknowledge the school’s Jesuit identity, but they embrace it. Sister Jean made the idea of a school backed by Jesuit values popular and entertaining.

Though Loyola Chicago was defeated on Saturday night, neither the team’s legacy nor that of Sister Jean will be forgotten. Other college programs will learn from Loyola’s adoption of Sister Jean and will take similar measures to find someone to place in the national spotlight and to take pressure off of their players.

However, it is without a doubt, that no one will ever manage to outclass the mythic figure Sister Jean.

Faustino Galante, FCRH ’20, is a psychology major from Buffalo, New York.

OPINION

Page 8

R

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

Website FordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu

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

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

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

April 4, 2018

From the Desk | Helen Stevenson

Celebrate Cinema Writers The perfectly timed joke on your favorite comedy show, the chase scene that had you on the edge of your seat, the scene in that one movie that made you cry for hours – almost every one of those moments started with a screenplay. And every one of those screenplays started with a writer.

But no one really cares. I have never heard any one say, “Oh, I heard that movie was good – who is the screenwriter again?” “Who’s in it?” Sure. “Who directs it?” Maybe.

But who wrote the screenplay is completely irrelevant to the average person.

And I get it - I really do. Hollywood is all about the glamour. It’s about red carpets, expensive dresses and beautiful people. Not many viewers want to spend time wondering about a writer hunched over their computer, creating the magical worlds on TV and in movies.

They want the story told from the perspective of the actors they know and love. They want to see these worlds as an experience of the characters, not the fantasies of a writer.

But screenplays are so interest-

ing. For me, at least, reading the screenplay of a movie makes me feel closer to the plot. It’s like reading the book after you see the movie, only better – you catch on to things you never noticed before. You can understand what actions were purposely placed in the movie and what actions were improvised on set. You can see how the movie or television show grew from pieces of paper to an elaborate production.

But the most important thing, to me, is the way you can read the intended feeling of a scene that actors may have missed the mark on.

Writing is a beautiful thing. All you need is an idea and something to write with and you can create an entirely new world. You can see the raw emotion of a piece as it is in its simplest form – without elaborate CGI or grand explosions – broken down into setting, action, expression and dialogue. You can see the perspective of the writer and his or her interpretation of their work.

This year, 2018, was a big year for screenwriters. The front-runner nominees for Best Original Screenplay at the 2018 Oscars were Greta

Gerwig and Jordan Peele for Lady Bird and Get Out, respectively. Jordan Peele rightfully took home the Oscar that night for his work, a piece that managed to be comedic, terrifying and impactful all at the same time.

Both of the nominees had amazing screenplays, obviously. In the screenplay for Lady Bird, you can read the relatable anguish of a teenage girl during her senior year of high school and notice the subtle nuances of the 2000s-era America in the script that made their way to the big screen. In the screenplay for Get Out, Jordan Peele captured the fear of his protagonist and outlined intentional themes throughout the piece that add to the message of his movie. In the script, he includes details that might be overlooked in the movie otherwise.

Like her protagonist Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig graduated from Sacramento High School in 2002. As a black man in America, Jordan Peele has gone through similar situations that his protagonist Chris Washington experiences. This is no coincidence. These stories are great

because they are honest, and they are relatable because they are true.

Seeing the written work of these writers allows you a direct line to the thoughts and intentions of Gerwig and Peele during production.

It is the blueprint of their creation.

I can honestly say that reading the two screenplays gave me a greater appreciation for two films that I already loved.

Just look up the screenwriter to your favorite movie and appreciate them. Or at least try to at least remember their name. They created a world you have come to love.

Editorial | Wheelchair Accessibility

Accessibility Should be a Priority For the majority of Fordham students, wheelchair accessibility is not something that requires much – perhaps any – thought. But for students with physical disabilities that alter the way in which they navigate our campus, infrastructural shortcomings cannot go unnoticed.

According to the university website, Fordham provides accessible buildings on all of its campuses for students with disabilities. However, when looking at the breakdown of the Rose Hill campus, it becomes apparent that some locations are simply not wheelchair accessible.

Whether this inaccessibility exists in a full or partial capacity, it creates a schism on campus between those who are able-bodied and those who are wheelchair-bound.

Most notably, Collins Hall is a location on campus that currently has zero accessibility. The lack of access leaves students in wheelchairs unable to participate in the multiple student organizations that take place within the building.

A prospective student with a physical disability learning that he or she cannot access the building that houses Mimes and Mummers, Theatrical Outreach Program and Fordham Experimental Theatre – popular organizations that provide a sense of collegiate community at Fordham – may decide to attend a different institution altogether.

In addition to not being able to see or directly involve themselves in theater productions once on campus, students with physical disabilities cannot access the many professors whose offices are located in the basement of the building, which incites an unnecessary academic hurdle.

Thankfully, Facilities Management has now acknowledged United Student Government requests from both 2013 and 2015 to address the physical limitations in Collins Hall.

A plan has been put into motion to renovate the building, and it should

be fully accessible by the end of 2018 as a result.

The university investing between three and four million dollars to make Collins Hall accessible does speak volumes to its devotion to making Fordham a more inclusive environment.

The editorial board of The Fordham Ram would like to applaud the university for making this crucial adjustment that is long overdue. That being said, we hope this effort toward full accessibility does not stand alone.

We understand that breaking ground on construction projects like this is often a slow process riddled with red tape. For buildings like Collins Hall that are much older, it is difficult and costly to update to fully accessible standards.

As outlined in the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, there are standards for new construction efforts, which require barrier-free designs to make buildings fully accessible. But buildings erected before 1992 are only required by law to be made accessible to people with disabilities to the most feasible extent.

Although there are logistical and financial hurdles, it is not impossible.

Collins Hall was built in 1904 and will finally receive a renovation over 100 years later. We at The Fordham Ram would like this reconstruction effort to serve as a university-wide watershed moment in terms of making our community fully accessible in the near future.

The university must prioritize its older buildings as it brings modern additions to campus, considering whether or not it is possible to update those locations that have been historically closed off to part of the Fordham population.

The editorial board of The Fordham Ram spoke to a few students who use wheelchairs and deal with these challenges first-hand when maneuvering our campus. In these dis-

cussions, each student underscored that the topic is historically disregarded and, as a result, something that deserves increased awareness from both the administration and student body.

Cunniffe House does not have an elevator and neither does Tierney Hall, Queen’s Court or Martyrs’ Court.

Due to extremely narrow hallways in Martyrs’ Court, it is unlikely that the building could ever be accessible in a full capacity, but we would like to see the university strongly consider the possibility of updating these locations.

In doing so, the university must also confront discrepancies in functionality between different buildings’ accessibility. For example, the McGinley Center has an elevator.

However, it sometimes does not come level with the floor and the door closes very fast, demonstrating that a major location of student life currently has a faulty system in place.

The push buttons outside of the McGinley Center and Keating Hall’s side entrance are reportedly finicky.

Cars and delivery trucks often block the area where the curb drops in front of McGinley Center. The ramp that leads to Career Services has been described as a dangerous joke for those who rely on it.

Keating Hall only has one handicapped bathroom stall in the entire building, which is occupied a majority of the time. The planters outside of Hughes Hall leave little space at the top of the ramp. O’Hare Hall could use a partial renovation for entering and exiting the building on the dorm side.

Ultimately, this process will take time and increased consideration.

A new construction project cannot be completed overnight, but that does not mean there are not tangible things that Fordham students who may not consider accessibility on a day-to-day basis can do.

If it is not necessary to take an elevator, do not do so. If other bathroom stalls are open, do not use the handicapped stall, especially in a building where it may be the only available option for those students with a physical disability. If you are near a curb drop, do not choose that exact location to congregate with friends.

If you are planning a club meeting or on-campus event, work to secure it in a location that is accessible to all students – not just those who are able-bodied. Although many of us are not personally affected by issues of accessibility, we must make it a universal concern.

We at The Fordham Ram would like to see the entire university raise its level of awareness and common courtesy in order to meet the needs of a community that is all too often ignored.

A disability awareness club would be a great resource for students, whether able-bodied or not, to start a dialogue about how to best service each other at Fordham.

When spotlighting exemplary men and women for others during on-campus events or on bulletins in residential buildings, we must remember that the voices of the people with disabilities must be amplified, as well.

This accessibility problem is not unique to Fordham. Rather, ableism is a systemic issue that affects all facets of society. According to NPR, only a quarter of the city’s subway stations are accessible. If New York City is our campus, and Fordham is our school, we must work together to eradicate the systematic trend of exclusion of those who rely on wheelchairs for transportation.

Accessibility is something that continues to fall through the cracks due to lack of exposure or public outcry. We at The Fordham Ram would like to see our community prioritize this change.

OPINION

April 4, 2018

Page 9

A 128 Team Tournament is Too Much Madness

By ANDREA GARCIA

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Final Four, the Elite Eight and the Sweet Sixteen. The last stages of March Madness, as in any other tournament, promote a level of exclusivity that rewards teams. Making it that far in a postseason tournament is a special moment that teams cherish, and it validates student-athletes that work hard on and off the court.

Teams head into March Madness with the goal of winning it all. But it’s still an honor for a team to make the tournament.

This privilege is extended to 64 teams each year, so what could be wrong about extending the tournament by another round, starting with 128 teams competing to make it to the next round of 64?

If the NCAA tournament were extended by another round, it would not be the first time that the tournament changed formats.

Most recently, the tournament was extended from a 32-team format to a 64-team format in 1985.

While people were unsure about that expansion, I feel safe saying that in 2018 there’s just more March Madness for

people to obsess over, in the most casual sense of obsession.

However, I would not predict the same for a tournament with 128 teams.

I dare say it almost welcomes too many teams into what is otherwise considered a selective tournament. I love basketball and March Madness, but too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

The expansion could not conceivably add teams of higher caliber; those teams have already earned their respective playoff appearances. Rather, it would add more teams to the lower

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More teams in March Madness could lead to more drastic upsets, but will make the tournament far less prestigious.

end of the seedings. As standard, the lower-seeded teams will get matched with the higher-seeded teams in order to weed out the perceived weak.

You’ll have the top seeded, historically-successful programs facing off against 32-seed teams.

Even typing “32-seed” doesn’t sit well with me.

I’ll admit that an expansion would give another shot to teams that just missed the selection cut, but this would be only a handful of teams from the 64 teams added by introducing a 128-game format.

Granted there might be some close action in close-seeded games toward the middle of each regional bracket, but the addition of a first round of 128, which also does not bode well while typing, would waste players’ energy that would otherwise be conserved for higher-profile games that actually matter.

It’s unimaginable that the majority of the 64 additional teams will stand a chance in the long run.

Arguably, witnessing Cinderella outcomes make March Madness worth watching, and I’ll point anyone who disagrees with me to this past week’s UMBC-UVA game. But, if it has taken eight NCAA tournaments for a 16-seed to beat a 1-seed since the 2011 reformatting, then how long will it take for a 32-seed to truly challenge a 1-seed?

I won’t make that prediction unless this 128-game format is

introduced, but I will be quick to say that the outcomes from the first round of such a tournament would be easily-predicted.

I imagine that most, if not all, games would favor the higherseeded teams, almost too easily.

If this format is introduced, then March Madness would follow 127 total games, as opposed to 63 games under the current tournament structure.

That’s a little more than twice the basketball we’re already processing. And given the addition of lower-ranked teams, I have to question how many of those games would even be worth watching.

I personally would choose higher-quality games rather than more games overall. Easy wins for successful teams aren’t quality games that people enjoy watching.

It would make sense to add more teams and allow them to take the spotlight, until you realize that the 128-team expansion would not add any teams that are likely to take home the trophy.

Adding another round of March Madness just adds an exhausting hoop for the teams that are more likely to win, thus tiring out teams more in the long run. The result of adding an extra first round of 128 teams would be pure madness.

Andrea Garcia, FCRH ‘18, is a political science and journalism major from West Milford, New Jersey.

Keep Diverse Heroes Shining in Hollywood

By BRIANA SCALIA OPINION EDITOR

“Black Lightning,” the first superhero television show with an African American protagonist, premiered as CW’s highest-rating series of last week with 2.31 million viewers, according to Forbes.

The same publication also announced that Black Panther, Marvel’s first movie heavily featuring African culture, has entered the top 10 highest grossing movies of all time.

Factor in the skyrocketing popularity of African American characters in other media, such as “The Flash,” “Luke Cage” and even Justice League, and the trend becomes more than evident. Audiences gravitate to fleshed out, three dimensional African American characters, and they do so even more when those characters are shown to be altruistic and heroic.

Representation is vital to the self-esteem of children throughout the world. Young boys and girls cannot go through life with only their mothers and fathers as their role models. It is not simply important, but vital for these children to be able to look up to others as they grow.

One major source of role models is the media, specifically the films and television shows we watch at the most impressionable times of our life. Therefore, it is

important that the fictional media the American youth consumes does not always feature the same average white male protagonist.

Films and shows like “Black Lightning,” Black Panther and “Luke Cage” have not only provided several outstanding role models for the country’s black youth, they do so while tackling issues unique to those communities.

Unlike other media featuring black protagonists, films and shows in the superhero genre have the luxury of appealing to a wide demographic.

These stories, while tailored to the average African American viewer, are meant to be seen by people of all races and ethnicities.

This not only helps to educate white Americans about the privilege they so often hold over other minorities, but ultimately boosts the popularity of the media by widening their audience.

Protagonist Jefferson Pierce, who goes by Black Lightning during his vigilante hours, spends his days as a public high school principal, while also taking care of his two teenage daughters.

Already this is a major step up from the typical portrayal of African American men, who are commonly misrepresented in the media to be at best irresponsible, and at worst criminal.

Major arcs and plot points of the show center around the stereotypes Jefferson and his family

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It is imperative for superheroes of color to remain on the big screen so others may be inspired by their heroics.

face.

One such incident includes when Jefferson is pulled over by a white cop for seemingly no reason other than the cop’s prejudiced outlook. But rather than show Pierce expressing his frustration to the cops in a physical manner, and explains to the officers why he should not have been pulled over.

It is easy to create a character who is jaded by the world, no matter how rightfully so, but to see a character overcome the unfairness of the world, in a heroic way nonetheless, is inspiring.

To say that the time of racist

media has come to an end would not only be false, but it would be incredibly irresponsible. As long as there are creators, and also said creators continue to be human beings, there will be media that will be racist, sexist, etc.

But it would be impossible not to acknowledge the recent increase in African American positive media. Treating these characters as people with dreams, hopes and fears grounds the characters, making them more relatable to not only the whole audience, but black people specifically.

As a young girl, I had idolized

most heroes, but the female heroes always resonated with me more than the average male ones.

The black youth of America deserve their own relatable heroes.

It is imperative that this uptick in black superheroes continues, not only for our society as a whole, but also for the black boys and girls that will grow up watching them.

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

OPINION

Page 10

April 4, 2018

Putin Should be Punished for Taking Out Kremlin Critics

By COLLIN BONNELL STAFF WRITER

On March 4, Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy who was living in exile in Britain, and his daughter Yulia were mysteriously poisoned in a Salisbury Cafe. Just over a week later, on March 12, another Russian exile, Nikolai Glushkov, was found dead in his London home. The Metropolitan Police Service later released a statement attributing the death to severe “compression of the neck.”

These events are just two of dozens of suspicious deaths or injuries suffered by Russian exiles living in the United Kingdom since the 2006 assassination of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian ex-spy who defected from the Federal Security Service (FSB) in 2000.

Since the death of Litvinenko from polonium-210-poisoning, a suspiciously high number of Russian exiles living in Britain have died under strange circumstances.

In 2013, Boris Berezovsky, an exiled Russian oligarch and close associate of both Litvinenko and Glushkov, was found hanging in his home in Berkshire.

Other Russian critics of Putin’s regime have been shot, poisoned or found having allegedly killed themselves. Most of these cases appear isolated, but they all share a common thread: past criticism of the Kremlin.

Whereas early instances of these attacks, such as the killing of Lit-

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Russia’s assassination of exiled Russian critics on foreign soil has rarely led to any diplomatic consequences for Putin.

vinenko, were carried out with surgical precision and done in a fashion that would maintain plausible deniability, recent cases have become increasingly more brazen.

For example, political activist and Putin critique Boris Nemtsov was shot four times in full view of the Kremlin. The British government found that the chemical agent used in the attempted assassination of Skripal and his daughter was Novichok, a highly toxic and rare nerve agent manufactured exclusively by the Soviet and later Russian governments.

Russia’s apparent use of Novichok forfeits any possibility of plausible deniability on behalf of

the Kremlin. It also sends a message to Russian exiles living in Britain that Putin is no longer afraid of the diplomatic consequences of killing his critics outside of Russia.

Being an exiled critic of Putin’s regime has now become one of the most dangerous occupations in Europe.

Although Russia’s past use of deniable assassination of exiled critics on foreign soil has rarely led to any diplomatic consequences for Putin, Theresa May’s government promised a direct retaliation against the Kremlin. Yet, the ultimate action taken by May, the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats, is insufficient to dispel future attacks.

May’s lackluster reaction to Putin’s blatant violation of foreign sovereignty shows why the Russian tyrant is so willing to commit political assassinations outside of Russia.

Instead of taking the reserved approach implemented so far, the United Kingdom and the governments of Western Europe must issue a blanket moratorium on travel within Europe of all officials linked to the Russian government and expel those already in Europe.

Furthermore, to stem Russian aggression in other European spheres of diplomacy, NATO should also dramatically increase its troop numbers stationed in the Baltic states and show Putin that

the alliance is willing to pursue brinkmanship in order to contain his expansion.

Internally, they ought to clamp down on their former allies which have warmed up to Putin’s authoritarianism, including the governments of Hungary, Turkey, Poland and, most recently, Slovakia, where an investigative journalist was recently killed under mysterious circumstances, provoking massive anti-government protests and the resignation of the Slovakian Prime Minister.

NATO’s response to the newest wave of authoritarian political impulses championed by Putin has so far proven inept, short-sighted and overly cautious. Rather than treat Russia as a possible friend and limit our response to basic economic and diplomatic sanctions, NATO must instead stand united in defense of Europe’s current liberal democratic order and in opposition to those who would like to see its succession by autocracy.

If the democracies of Eastern Europe are allowed to slowly erode, we may find that the struggles of the Cold War never really subsided, but rather took a brief hiatus. In time, we may also find that all democracies­--even those long assumed invincible--are vulnerable to a populist wave of au-

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

America: Give Chess a Chance

By CHRISTOPHER CANADEO OPINION EDITOR

Chess is a big deal. It can galvanize countries to root for certain players, inspire individuals to be creative and even teach players how to concentrate and think critically in pressure situations. Chess is also a universal language, as every country uses the same board, pieces and rules to play the game.

Chess is also no nonsense in that outside elements, such as referees and officials, are not present and therefore cannot tamper with the outcome of a game. If a player wins or loses a game, it can not be attributed or excused by a poor call or a bogus rule. The rules of chess are also rather simple to learn, but a true mastery of the game can take a lifetime to achieve.

The benefits and beauty of chess often get lost when projected to the American public at large. Sure, it may not be as appealing to watch as a windmill slam dunk or a 450foot home run at first glance, but playing the right chess moves under certain circumstances can be just as difficult and awe inspiring for those who know and appreciate the game.

It is for this reason that the savants of Chess should not only be further celebrated, but more Americans should at least know the rules of the game and give it a chance.

Since 2013, the chess world has been ruled by Magnus Carlsen, a 27 year old from Norway who is the youngest player ever to be ranked number one in the world and earn the title of World Champion.

Carlsen’s reign has elevated him to

be of the most popular figures in his home country and a recognizable name throughout Europe.

This is because other countries, such as Norway and China, take youth chess much more seriously and make it a sizeable component of elementary learning—something that the United States has pulled back on in recent years. Chess camps and high school chess teams have dramatically faded in the United States as the country, specifically the youth, has lost interest.

As a fan of both athletics and chess, it is easy to see why chess is losing popularity amongst younger Americans. Not much physical activity is required, and brilliance taking form in great chess moves can often be overlooked and underappreciated by those who do not fully understand the game.

It is clear that great chess players are not valued in American society as athletes are in major sports. Though chess may never be as prevalent in schools as sports programs, the academic benefits of teaching the game on a large scale are apparent and significant.

In a 1992 study in New Brunswick, nearly 450 fifth-grade students were split into three groups. Group A was the control group and went through a traditional math curriculum. Group B supplemented the math with chess instruction after first grade, and Group C began strictly chess in first grade. On a standardized test, Group C’s grades went up to 81.2 percent from 62 percent outpacing Group A by 21.46 percent.

Could chess be the reason why

Chess is an important game to learn and should be taught in more school across the United States .

countries such as Norway and China continuously outrank the United States in math and science? Possibly.

But what is certain is that learning the game of chess at an early age has been proven to increase cognitive skills and performance in areas such as math and science.

Even beyond the elementary level, after-school chess programs have had a positive and statistically significant impact on student mathematics outcomes, according to The Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. Ideally, students should be introduced to the game at an early age and choose what afterschool activity they would like to engage in. Even if the student decides to pursue something other than chess, being familiarized with the game gives it a chance to grow and live on.

For potential players of all ages, now is as good a time as ever to fa-

miliarize yourself with the game of chess because it is worth understanding.

This past week, American Fabiano Caruana was declared winner of the 2018 Candidates Tournament and will be the first American player to challenge for the title of World Champion in over 40 years. This is the rough equivalent of the U.S. Men’s Soccer team being one match away from winning the World Cup or Michael Phelps getting in the pool for his gold medal race.

Chess will never be as sexy or lucrative as other sports or athletic activities, and after all, why should it be? Parents don’t take their kids into stadiums to see chess matches and buy them jerseys with their favorite chess players on them—those don’t even exist. However, that does not mean that America cannot reap the benefits of learning this special game.

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We celebrate sports because, relatively speaking, the highlights are easy to appreciate and understand, since we compare the athletic abilities of the athletes to ourselves when performing unprecedented feats. If we could do the same for chess on an intellectual scale, America may become a major chess and even mathematics powerhouse.

At the very least, this upcoming World Chess Championship match should be covered and televised by major sports networks such as NBC, FSN or ESPN. Hopefully, Americans viewers can appreciate the brilliance of the American contender, but more importantly, whet an appetite for chess and a desire to learn the game and all of its glory.

Christopher Canadeo, GSB’19, is a marketing major from Oyster Bay, New York.

April 4, 2018

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CENTENNIAL

The post-war era forced Fordham to converse about the destruction of the atom bomb, changes in Fordham’s curriculum and ethics in war (Vol. 25, Issue 2).

April 4, 2018

CENTENNIAL

April 4, 2018

As with any other transition from a war-time nation to a post-war nation, the advertisements of the time transitioned in manner and content as well (Vol. 25, Issues 3 & 4).

Fordham in the Wake of World War II

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 selection consists of opinion and news articles from The Fordham Ram following the conclusion of World War II, in late 1945.

On a global scale, the aftermath of WWII left the world trying to answer the questions of the atomic bomb—questions of destruction at a magnitude which had never before necessitated consideration. On campus, the months following the war created conversations about peace, changes in programming, altered advertisements, returning student and much more.

According to Fordham University Church records, approximately 230 Fordham men lost their lives in this war.

Following World War II, Fordham celebrated returning veterans and memorialized the end of the war (Vol. 25, Issues 2, 4, 5 & 6).

Page 13

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Take an all-new course this summer: • Sports Broadcasting (JOUR 2789) • Dante and His Translators (MLAL 3203) • ST: Team Dynamics (MGBU 3451) • T&C: Witches and Britches (ENGL 2000)

Or choose from more than 200 other available courses!

Session I: May 29–June 28 Session II: July 5–August 6

Learn more at fordham.edu/summer

SUMMER SESSION 2018

Recycle The Ram

April 4, 2018

CULTURE

April 4, 2018

Page 15

Review | Film

Love, Simon Conforms to Rom Com Conventions

By RYAN DI CORPO CULTURE EDITOR

A brief perusal through the history of LGBT cinema, particularly within in the United States, would likely reveal landmark titles such as The Boys in the Band, Philadelphia and Brokeback Mountain. More recently, we have seen a slate of boundary-pushing and challenging LGBT films both domestically and abroad, including BPM (Beats per minute), Moonlight and Call Me by Your Name.

Despite the narrative diversity of the aforementioned titles, all of these films share a similar trait: the mark of tragedy. In a 2010 article for The Guardian, writer Dee Rudebeck asks: “Why aren’t there more feelgood gay films?”

It seems that Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger asked themselves the same question while writing the screenplay for Love, Simon, a new gay teen romantic comedy released in the U.S. on March 16.

Distributed by 20th Century Fox, Love, Simon is an adaptation of the young adult fiction novel “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli. The film, prior to its release, was met with effusive interest and high enthusiasm as the film is “the first mainstream studio romantic comedy told from the perspective of a gay teen,” according to Variety.

The basic plot of the film concerns Simon (Nick Robinson), a closeted gay high school student who, in the film’s opening min-

utes, tries to make the case that he is “just like you.”

He has a core group of friends with whom he carpools to school in the morning while they drink large iced coffees. He has a liberal family with a nice younger sister, an ex-high school football quarterback father and an ex-high school valedictorian mother who also happens to be Jennifer Garner.

After learning of the existence of another closeted gay teen at his school, Simon begins an anonymous correspondence with his new mystery friend. Once Simon’s messages are discovered by the conniving, socially absurd Martin, Simon is blackmailed into helping Martin to date one of Simon’s friends. This plan fails, however, and Martin outs Simon online, leading to teen rom com drama par excellence.

But never fear — everything does work out in the end, except for Martin. There’s even a carnival scene.

Reviews for the film have been mainly positive, even excessively so. Benjamin Lee of The Guardian hails the film as “a landmark teen classic.” Colin Covert of The Star Tribune labels it “a coming-of-age charmer of the highest order.”

And echoing Lee’s sentiment, Molly Freeman of Screen Rant describes the film as “a modern classic for today’s generation.”

Now let’s breathe for a moment.

I like Love, Simon. It is a good movie which has achieved a rather lofty position in film history. Yet,

it is important to not allow the importance of the film to cloud one’s judgement of its overall quality.

There can be no doubt that cinema is long overdue for positive, non-tragic portrayals of LGBT persons and relationships. Actress Alexandra Shipp stated her belief that Love, Simon is “going to save lives and create allies.” Let’s hope so.

However, it is necessary that films which seek to portray LGBT experience in a positive manner do not simply fly into utopia in the last 10 to 15 minutes.

Despite the tragedy of films like Moonlight and Call Me by Your Name, they present a certain realism which both represents and respects the possible lived experiences of actual persons. While

Love, Simon certainly respects its title character, it pushes his life into a fantasy realm that does not reflect the reality of many LGBT persons’ lives.

Simon’s parents are open-minded, politically progressive and ultimately accepting of their son’s sexuality. Simon’s friends, despite being used and hurt by him, all reconcile with him and resume their idyllic carpool. Simon meets his closeted gay mystery friend, whom Simon has fallen in love with, and they are perfect for each other. They have flirty banter and kiss on a Ferris wheel.

Now, these events could happen, and Simon’s life is certainly not bereft of real struggle. Yet the conclusion of the film seems to place greater emphasis on a

bright, cinematic love-crescendo than on the enduring difficulties which Simon no doubt will face.

I will admit I harbor a general aversion to the conventions of the romantic comedy genre, conventions which tend to eschew provocative portrayals of human struggle to instead gorge them with snappy dialogue and saccharine perfection to the point of artistic nausea.

Love, Simon does not go that far, and for that it has escaped the wrath I reserve for films like, and I do apologize, Love, Actually.

However, it is the film’s committal to the conventions of a Hollywood romantic comedy which ultimately rob Love, Simon of a greater maturity which I believe would not alienate its audience.

COURTESY OF AP

Love, Simon is notable as the first mainstream studio film concerning a gay teenage central character.

Review | Film

Take Your Pills Denounces Amphetamine Medications

By ISHA KHAWAJA CULTURE EDITOR

“Adderall, side effects may include being awesome at everything.” The Netflix original documentary Take Your Pills looks at the nonchalant attitude towards prescription stimulants such as Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin and other amphetamine based medication while examining its ethical questions.

In this epoch of amphetamines, at what cost do we take these pre-

scription drugs?

This documentary portrays the negative aspects of prescription drugs through the personal testimonies of college students, a software engineer in San Francisco and many more individuals.

Students in college and coders in the tech community share a common goal in attaining the effects of productivity: to fulfill an archetype that does not exist.

For college students, Adderall and Instagram make up the essence of a perfect student, testi-

fies one student. The pill gives laser like focus and allows students to focus on their tasks at hand so intensely that they forget the whole world outside of the tasks, while Instagram portrays the social life that students want their friends to see.

A college student is under pressure to not only get perfect grades, but also to have a vibrant social life.

Nathanael, a software engineer, describes an archetype in the coding industry as someone who

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Netflix’s documentary Take Your Pills, directed by Alison Klayman, portrays the negative aspects of perscription drug use.

works 16 consecutive hours a day, each day creating flawless code.

Everybody wants to be a person who can ‘do it all’, and Adderall helps him achieve that model in his career.

Performance enhancers allow people to fill that archetype and be their best selves. It is easier for a B+ student to reach to a A+ grades by taking a blue magic pill, and the pill gives coders the focus and energy they need to code for long hours in a day.

Many individuals’ reliance on Adderall expresses an unsaid expectation to perform at the highest capacity at everything you do in order to come out on top.

This unsaid expectation is even imposed on kids before they are born, and “everyone is required to understand themselves as a little bit of human capital,” says Dr. Wendy Brown, a political theorist at University of California at Berkeley.

The surge of anxiety over the human capital value leads parents to ensure that their kids go to the best preschools and have to bear the burden of the competition of standardized testing.

This underlying expectation leads to an insecurity of success in this generation of the workforce.

Dependence on Adderall makes people better capitalists. It allows people to see with tunnel vision into a task without taking a step

back to realize it is a never-ending competition.

If a student feels like they need Adderall to keep up in school, that person is likely to take it when entering the workforce to keep up with the demands of their job.

The documentary softly suggested that viewers look at the underlying reason on why they are taking the pill, but should have been more explicit about the systematic distribution and usage of the pill in the United States.

The documentary was also weak in expressing the insecurity of success in this generation of the workforce. People feel like they need to be their better selves, but the film failed to acknowledge how success is defined.

It commented on Adderall and the freehand use of prescription drugs in a negative light without offering a drug-free solution or alternative.

Moreover, there is an agency to produce by any means necessary in a hypercompetitive nation.

Taking the pills submits to the short-term satisfaction of completing your work, and makes it easy to forget about the big picture when you are living from one assignment to the next.

Adderall encourages people to do whatever it takes to do their job better - even if that means sacrificing one’s mental and physical health.

CULTURE

Page 16

April 4, 2018

Season 2 of "Jessica Jones" Underperforms

By BRIANA SCALIA OPINION EDITOR

The second season of “Jessica Jones,” while not unwatchable, is certainly not as enjoyable as its initial season. The most recent of Marvel’s batch of Netflix shows, “Jessica Jones” defines the feminist superhero. And while I still found myself anticipating each episode, it lacks both the breakneck pace and the brutal messages of the first season.

To start with the positives, the acting is as superb as ever. Krysten Ritter plays the show’s protagonist and super-heroine with ease, transitioning from Jones’ witty one-liners to emotionally impactful dialogue with other characters. Jones is not a simple character, and she is not played nor written as one. Audiences cannot help but feel for the titular character, even though she is not the most likable of people.

Others worth mentioning include Rachael Taylor, playing Patricia “Trish” Walker. Over the course of the season, Walker undergoes a tragic yet organic arc dealing with her past drug addiction, leading her to make decisions she might not have in the first season. Though many viewers found this arc to make the character unlikeable, I would argue that this is exactly the point of it.

People that suffer from addiction, especially an addiction to a harmful substance like drugs, often do not act like themselves while under the influence, or even when they are undergoing with-

drawal. That Rachael Taylor was willing to take her character to this point of unlikeability is amazing and should be commended.

Eka Darville, playing Jones’ assistant Malcolm, also has an interesting arc of self-realization.

After being used by both Jones’ and Walker throughout the season, he ends his arc realizing his true worth.

However, the true standout of the season was Carrie-Anne Moss, playing the cutthroat lawyer Jeri Hogarth. Rather than abandon the character to the show’s overlapping plot lines, Moss takes advantage of her character’s powerful narrative of trying to overcome sickness and proves that her character is integral to the show.

The overall themes of the season can be boiled down to the relationships we have with others and how we often take advantage of those relationships. Characters use other characters to further their goals, with little concern for where it leaves the other. Malcolm uses Jones as a distraction for his addictive behavior, Walker uses Malcolm to further her career goals and the toxic cycle continues on.

Unfortunately, the latter theme does not resonate quite as strongly as the first.

Season one of the show had a blunt, brutal message concerning sexual assault. After exploring characters who overcome demons last season, “Jessica Jones”

now chooses to focus on the relationships between parents and their children, or in Jones’ case, the relationship between mother and daughter. Janet McTeer does a wonderful job playing Alisa Jones, Jessica’s biological mother. McTeer and Ritter have great chemistry, and the show really picks up once the plot shifts focus towards Alisa.

However, several times in the show, main and side characters alike impart the idea that one should do their best to maintain a relationship with their parents, no matter how they have behaved or treated their children. Phrases like “you only get one mother” are tossed around carelessly between scenes of Alisa acting truly

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Carrie-Anne Moss plays Jeri Hogarth a high powered attorney on the Netflix’s original series “Jessica Jones."

selfish.

This is a huge missed opportunity for the writers to explore the relationship between abusive parents and their children, specifically how children can overcome these relationships by seeking out other role models. Rather than insisting that toxic relationships should be salvaged, shows like “Jessica Jones” should instead focus on the importance of chosen family.

Another major flaw of this season was the pacing. Season one had the audience on the edge of their seat, theorizing about the mysteries the show presented while fearing the next appearance of Purple Man, one of Marvel’s most menacing antagonists.

Before the appearance of Jones’ mother, the pace of this season was incredibly slow, and the first five episodes sometimes felt like a chore to watch. Characters were strolling through their plots, almost waiting for their individual catalysts.

I also cannot help but note the lack of reference to the formation of the Defenders team. Dearest Marvel, if you want crossovers in all of your platforms, you have to be prepared to address those crossovers in later seasons. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

These issues, while not groundbreaking, are just simply disappointing, especially in comparison to season one of “Jessica Jones.” Hopefully, next season will feature a stronger antagonist, a clearer message and a return to revealing, brutal truths.

The Fordham Ram Looks Back at the Death of Dr. King

By RYAN DI CORPO CULTURE EDITOR

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

Dr. King’s violent death added a match to the raging cultural inferno of anti-war activism and civil unrest that defined 1968 in America. In the aftermath of the killing, riots broke out in major cities across the United States, including Baltimore, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Others marched peacefully, mirroring Dr. King’s fervent commitment to nonviolent action. In memory of Dr. King and his message of racial unity and Christian pacifism, The Fordham Ram looks back at oncampus reactions to his death.

According to the April 11, 1968 issue of The Fordham Ram, Rev. Leo P. McLaughlin, S.J., then president of the University, concelebrated a mass with 13 other priests in honor of Dr. King. In his homily, the Rev. Robert McNamara (not that Robert McNamara) remarked upon Dr. King’s “essential Christianity,” which led him to a message of love and acceptance.

University chaplain Rev. Edward F. Clark referred to the reaction to Dr. King’s death as the most significant “since the death of Kennedy.”

Furthermore, Fr. McLaughlin released a statement to the University

addressing the assassination.

The statement reads, in part: “[Dr. King] revealed himself as the brother of all men and, as a result, his loss diminishes each one of us.

Each one of us is less today than we were yesterday, but we can all serve his memory best by living together and striving to achieve the dream he had of America.”

Student reactions commented on the hope individuals had for persistence of nonviolence in the face of

injustice. Robert Bennett, a student member of Fordham’s Society for Afro-American Advancement, stated that the success or failure of nonviolence was linked to “white America’s response to Dr. King’s death.”

Student Sharyn Russell, also of the society, felt that the death of Dr. King could function to “strengthen the nonviolent movement if people pay attention to […] his life.”

In a statement by The Fordham Ram in the same issue, the paper

accused the United States as guilty of “the crime of indifference” for allowing “poverty, ignorance and bigotry to grow like a cancer in the guts of America.” The statement continues that Dr. King “stood for something bigger than just the interests of any one group,” contributing the immense loss which his death represents. The Fordham Ram also takes a critical stance towards the construction of monuments to Dr. King instead of individuals in-

volving themselves “on a grass roots level in politics and social action.”

Five decades after his death, Dr. King's place in American history is secure. Just ask the massive memorial built in his honor in Washington, D.C. In celebration of his life, activists and political leaders such as Suzan Johnson Cook and Adam Clayton Powell IV will gather tonight at the Riverside Church to keep alive Dr. King's ever-relevant mission of justice.

COURTESY OF THE FORDHAM RAM

University clergy and student members of Fordham's Society for Afro-American Advancement responded to the assassination of Dr. King.

CULTURE

April 4, 2018

Page 17

Editor’s Pick | Music

The Best Songs are Really Long

By JACK MCLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

I’ve always been a fan of long books. When I was in second grade, I started reading "Harry Potter" (at least, what was released by then) for the first time. The only book I read for pleasure my freshman year at Fordham was the unedited version of Stephen King’s "The Stand", which clocks in at well over 1000 pages. By seemingly lasting forever, I don’t have to leave those worlds that sucked me in.

In the same way, I’m not sure there’s much better than a wellcrafted long song. But like a Stephen King book, it needs to be long for the right reasons – I’m looking at you, "11/22/63." A long song needs to have interconnected movements and to be more than just a couple of songs mashed together as one track for whatever reason, or just one with an overly long outro. The worst outro offender is Kanye West’s “Runaway,” which is a great song, but the full auto-tune outro lasts about two minutes too long.

My first time loving a long song was “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst,” the closing track from Kendrick Lamar’s good kidd, m.A.A.d. city. The whole concept of the song, like the album itself, is telling the story of people lost to the Compton streets. In the first por-

tion of the song, he tells the story of a man who shot and killed a prostitute and then himself. In the second half – the “Dying of Thirst” portion – he posits that religion could be the way out for people trapped in the eternal loop of his portrayal of Compton. While these could be two separate songs, they need to play in immediate succession, because the latter is the answer for the former.

And by stretching the song to over 12 minutes long, Kendrick walks around in this story, wrapping up the album with the help of a closing skit featuring Maya Angelou. By going that long, you get one last look at Kendrick’s Compton, one last window into what shaped him and the cycle he hopes to help break.

Another plus of living in long songs is when the evolution over the seven plus minutes are as much the point as the lyrics and notes themselves. Take “Atrophy” by The Antlers off their album Hospice. Part of the longer concept of the album, the song itself slowly atrophies until distorting heavily around the midway point, symbolizing the mental break of the protagonist of the album. It lasts for a couple minutes before breaking into a haunting acoustic guitar-accompanied epilogue, showing that he has snapped as well.

It’s an emotional high point of an already emotional album, so poignant that it has a role in the reprise at the end.

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American indie rock band, The Antlers, released their album Hospice in March 2009.

While “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” may have been my first long song love, and “Atrophy” one of the cooler ones, my absolute favorite is Television’s “Marquee Moon” off the album of the same name.

I’ll be completely honest, I was ignorant of Television until the spring of last year, when I saw a long conversation on Twitter about how the album might be one of the best rock albums of all time. I was skeptical, and after listening it

turned out I was wrong to be skeptical.

Around the 4:30 mark, a guitardriven instrumental starts. Around either seven hours or five minutes or never later, it ends with the lead singer, Tom Verlaine, singing “I remember how the darkness doubled.” That is what the proceeding five minutes consisted of, but not in a negative way. It was a welcoming darkness, the kind of darkness you get at night when it’s more freeing than claustrophobic, where

you allow yourself five minutes to just feel about.

That’s what happens when you push past the maybe five-minute boundary of song length. It’s where you get sonic journeys like “Marquee Moon” and Frank Ocean’s “Pyramids,” the emotion of “Atrophy” and Manchester Orchestra’s “Leaky Breaks” or the story-telling of “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” and Telethon’s “Wrung.”

Long live long songs and the long stories they tell.

Boogie Down Bites| Elizabeth Nealon

Authentic Trinidadian Treats at Ali's Roti Shop At Ali’s Trinidad Roti Shop, a first-time customer may be hesitant to believe the hype. The counter is about one-foot-deep before a window of Plexiglass with a small opening for transactions.

This cash-only joint — only 10 minutes away via the Metro-North

— does not advertise any reviews raving of its success and popularity on any of its outside signage. However, on the inside counter window it’s obvious that Ali’s is not to be brushed aside. There are only three stickers that mark the otherwise immaculate window, reading Zagat

2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively.

Ali’s has been rated by the Zagat for the past three years and currently has a rating of 4.4 on its 5-point rating system. Zagat claims to “cut through the clutter of available dining choices and guide you to the best places, wherever you are,” so don’t just take

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

A sampling of chana masala on double rotis at Ali’s Trinidad Roti Shop, which serves a variety of Caribbean dishes.

my word for it, the food does not disappoint. The humility of the low-key restaurant joined with the ease with which the staff will befriend any and every customer makes Ali’s worth noting and worth a return visit.

For a first-timer to Caribbean cuisine, the menu could be a bit intimidating, with options ranging from pholulorie to oxtail stew roti, but the staff is overwhelmingly kind and eager to tell you about the offerings. Just don’t hold up a long line, because Ali’s customers are just as eager to get their hands on the soft and pillowy doubles that they sell.

Roti is a type of flatbread with a varying recipe depending from where in the West Indies the recipe originated; doubles are a Trinidadian street food of curried chickpeas, or channa, sandwiched between two fried flatbreads.

The heaping portions that are wrapped in roti are definitely enough for a meal and the leftovers for a snack later in the day. But if you plan to sit at the street-facing counter to eat, pace yourself so that you can pick up some candy or a piece of fruit from the street carts on your way back to the MetroNorth.

If you’re willing to take the Metro-North three stops northbound to the Woodlawn stop (which is way faster than going into the city for a casual meal),

you will be delighted by the affordability and tastiness of Ali’s Trinidad Roti Shop.

The décor of Ali’s is nothing exciting, and from the outside it is quite unassuming. But the inside is clean and tidy, and the aromas that bombard your nostrils are enough to keep you busy for a few minutes before you order.

The only actual decorations are the large menu boards and signs that advertise the specials. The ambiance of the restaurant, or lack thereof, is not a huge loss as the shop is small enough for customers to keep busy with all the Trinidadian treats and delicacies in the case below the counter.

Cans of Irish moss drink, caramel wafers and various packages of curry line the shelves.

The friendliness with which each customer is greeted is surprising considering the thick Plexiglas that separates the kitchen from the lobby. One may expect the staff to encourage customers to come in, buy their food and leave, but the lovely ladies at Ali’s seem to really enjoy their work and greet everyone with a “Hi, honey!” or “What can I get you, baby?”

If the line is long enough, as it is apt to be on a busy weekend afternoon, the banter between loyal customers and the women who cook and work the counter are likely to keep any visitor busy and laughing. Be sure to be polite, and you may end up with an extra treat in your bag.

CULTURE

Page 18

April 4, 2018

Who’s That Kid? | It’s Kylie Frink, FCRH ’19

Junior Advocates for Inclusion in Fashion Industry

By AISLINN KEELY NEWS EDITOR

Kylie Frink, FCRH ’19, is working to make the creative industries more inclusive from the inside out.

Though Frink herself has worked on “Project Runway,” walked in New York’s Fashion Week and modeled with agency Wilhelmina Models, her focus is on creating a platform for others: the recently relaunched publication Soul.

The international political economy major is a co-founder and producer of the online publication with its Editor-in-Chief Isiah Magsino, FCRH ’19. Its editorials have gained notice since its launch last September and has even been featured in Vogue Italia.

Soul grew out of Frink’s experience as a model in the fashion industry. After being scouted at 14 in her hometown of Colchester, Connecticut, Frink took a break to pursue sports.

She returned to the industry when she came to Fordham, this time as a curve model, which is a more inclusive form of modeling, according to Frink.

Through Soul, Frink uses her connections in the industry to help aspiring creatives build their own voice and platform.

“What we are trying to do is showcase new people in a fashion or music or design industry that are really interested in creating a name for themselves but don’t necessarily have the platform to,” said Frink.

The idea for the publication came from Frink’s own negative experiences of being controlled by an agency.

“It kind of came from a very uncomfortable part of this industry,” she said.

After being unexpectedly dropped by her previous agency, Frink wanted to find a way to increase the representation of those breaking into the industry, like herself.

“That kind of struck me,” she said. “I’ve had an agency control so many aspects of my career in modeling, and to be like they can just take something away like that and have zero representation, just take away your platform and your credibility.”

The night her agency dropped her, Frink approached Magsino about what later became Soul.

Frink now models with Wilhelmina models, and has since worked on the fall season of “Project Runway.” “‘Project Runway’ was probably my biggest project to date,” said Frink.

The season she was involved in focused on body image and inclusivity. Models of all shapes and sizes were encouraged to give their input in how they felt on the designs, according to Frink.

“We worked with the array of designers and week after week, obviously do the whole show, the whole process of it, but it was all on the consensus that we got a voice doing

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Kylie Frink, a junior at Fordham College Rose Hill, is the co-founder of the online fashion magazine Soul.

it,” she said.

Many designers only know how to work with body sizes zero and two, according to Frink. She said this is not a reflection of society.

“This is the first season where they [“Project Runway”] kind of made a stance against that, which was really cool to be a part of,” said Frink. “It was like all heights, all sizes, all ages. It was awesome.”

Frink worked with designer Kentaro, who went on to win the competition. From her connection to Kentaro, she walked in his New York Fashion Week show.

However, Frink spends just as much time working behind the camera. At Soul, she creates editorials, connects talent with relevant contacts and even shoots music videos. She works closely with the hip-hop group Hippie Tribe, as well.

Soul’s message is focused on inclusivity and representing the creative diversity of society, according to Frink. She uses her platform to build the platform of others.

“I’ve been modeling for two years, so I’ve used my connections there to try to benefit other people

trying to break in to different sectors of the industry, and using me kind of as a third party to do so,” she said.

Through Soul, Frink said she and Magsino have created a network of designers and talent by giving people the resources they need.

Rather than focusing on building her own platform, Frink said she hopes to continue building a community through her work.

“It’s more about building a community of people who like people can look up to one day,” she said.

The Fordham Ram Crossword: A Bronx Tale Across 1. Simple 6. A snitch 9. Longtime Phillies third base coach and former manager Larry 13. Length of time passing that the Keating bells denote 15. Recede, like the tides 16. Manning and Whitney 17. Arcades in the 80s and coffeeshops with Wifi now 19. Multiple guffaws, in texts 20. Fairy (Sp.) 21. Fraternity: frat :: Sorority: _____ 22. More than enough 23. “GoT” author

24. Vandalizes a house with rolls 25. They can be wide-shouldered and shared 26. Reaction to a really good joke 29. New Orleans team, when they play in Mexico 30. Day after Mon. 31. One’s responsibility 33. Old style of TV 34. Asner, Harris and Sheeran 35. Road that cuts through 1-, 9-, 18- and 27-Down 37. “Obamacare,” briefly 40. Workplace on “Chicago Fire” 41. Bottom of your foot

42. Throw up, when time is of the essence 43. Developed into 46. Kid’s least favorite and adult’s favorite part of the day 48. Resort island featured in “Kokomo” 49. What a kid might do at 46-Across 51. Completely fascinated, usually followed by “attention” 52. Batman’s sidekick 53. Short video 55. “_-___-Rah,” - Cheer at the University of Wisconsin 56. Thor’s father 57. Mythical creature who pays you for losing things 59. WWE wrestler Tony ____ 60. Mascot for UMBC, Butler or Gonzaga 61. Receivers of donations 62. Inits following the number in a six-point football play 63. CIA employee, maybe 64. The positions of Lane Johnson, Malcolm Jenkins and Fletcher Cox, respectively Down 1. Door to a tub, say 2. What might fall out while listening to music 3. “He washes, ___ _____” 4. Iodine, Oxygen, Sodium and Magnesium, for short 5. Measuring unit in the kitchen 6. Summary 7. Aids and ____ 8. Conan channel 9. Triple Crown Stakes in New York

CREATED BY CLAIRE POLACHEK & JACK MCLOONE ANSWERS IN ISSUE 8

10. Big name in prescription eye drops 11. “I’ll start on that right away” 12. Judge, evaluate 14. Restless Leg Syndrome 18. PBS show character known for his fist 22. Frightened or surprised 27. Phillip Seymour of The Hunger Games 28. Half of a diode 29. Weight Watchers measuring tool 32. Not HDs 36. Race of Frodo or Bilbo

37. Bird homes 38. Price-checked, e.g.

39. February birthstone 40. Confined in a fever-inducing small space 43. Lands owned by the Von Trapps 44. Gradually wore down 45. Picasso, for example 47. One playing hooky 49. The dish (or cone) 50. “The study of ” suffix 54. The other kind of doctor 57. Many banks on the East Coast 58. One of the FANBOYS

April 4, 2018

Men’s Tennis Splits Four Matches Over Break

By ALEXANDRIA SEDLAK STAFF WRITER

The Fordham men’s tennis team had a busy spring break, with two home matches and two away matches; the Rams won their first two matches and lost their second two matches. Fordham swept Yeshiva University with a score of 7-0 and Saint Peter’s University with a score of 5-2. They went on to lose against Quinnipiac University with a score of 2-5 and Boston University with a score of 1-6.

Fordham played against Yeshiva on Friday, March 23. The Rams won two out of the three doubles matches.

The first doubles match went to Yeshiva with a score of 7-6. Fordham won the next two doubles matches.

Freshman Alex Makatsaria and sophomore Steven Duka won the second doubles match with a score of 6-0, while seniors Cameron Posillico and Harris Durkovic won the third doubles match 6-4. Thus, Fordham gained the doubles point. The Rams went on to win all six of the singles matches. Most were quick wins for Fordham. The one close match was the sixth singles match played by Posillico. He fought hard and won his match in two tight sets, 7-6, 7-5.

On Saturday, March 24, Fordham played Saint Peter’s. The Rams won all three of the doubles matches. In the first doubles position, freshman Lutwin de Macar and sophomore Fabian Mauritzson won 7-5.

Sophomores Finn Kemper and Jeremy Chung won the second doubles match with a score of 6-4. Finally, freshman Max Green and sophomore Allen Thornes won the third doubles position with a score of 6-2, earning Fordham the doubles point.

The Rams went on to win four out

of the six singles matches. De Macar won his first singles match with a score of 6-4, 6-3, while Mauritzson won the fourth singles match 6-3, 6-4.

In the fifth singles position, Kemper defeated his opponent 6-1, 6-1. In sixth singles, Makatsaria won his match with a score of 6-1, 6-3.

The tennis team played again on Sunday, March 25 against Quinnipiac. Fordham lost the first, second and third doubles matches with scores of 4-6, 2-6 and 6-7, respectively. This gave Quinnipiac the doubles point. Fordham was able to gain more games and wins in the singles matches, winning two out of the six matches. Green claimed the first win in the second singles position with a score of 6-3, 6-1. Mauritzson also gained a win for Fordham in the third singles position with a closer score of 7-5, 6-1. Kemper, in the fifth singles position, played a long tough match against his opponent, but ultimately dropped the match in three sets, 6-7, 6-0, 2-6.

The final match Fordham played over break was against Boston on Saturday, March 31. The doubles matches were close, but the final doubles point went to Boston, who won two out of the three doubles matches with scores of 7-6 and 6-1. Fordham won the third doubles match with a score of 7-6. The Rams fought even harder in the singles matches, with many three setters and close sets. Thornes claimed the sole win for Fordham in the fifth singles position, defeating his opponent in three sets, 6-1, 1-6, 6-2.

The Rams will be back in action this weekend at their home courts on the Rose Hill campus. They will play Saint Joseph’s on Saturday and Navy on Sunday.

SPORTS

Page 19

Struggles Continue for Women’s Tennis in Florida

By CHARLIE MAISANO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

While most of the students at Fordham were off for Spring Break, the Fordham Women’s Tennis team continued to play on. Prior to the break, the Rams were in the midst of a two-game losing streak and had a record below .500, 4-5, for the first time all season. To get their season back on track, the women had to play two road games against formidable opponents.

The Rams were able to escape the cold, snowy weather here in New York and head down to Daytona Beach, Florida for their first game.

They faced off against BethuneCookman University, who entered the contest on a five game winning streak after starting the season 0-5.

Fordham was already at a disadvantage to start the game with the absence of their number-one singles and number-one doubles player, junior Carina Ma. Ma missed Fordham’s loss to Temple on March 9 due to an undisclosed reason and remained out in March.

The Wildcats came out and played aggressively against the Rams, which led to their 5-2 victory. Fordham struggled early on and dropped the doubles point. Senior Estelle Wong and junior Tatiana Grigoryan fell to freshman Rehaana Butt and senior Matea Roki, 2-6. Junior Gianna Insogna and senior Carolina Sa put up a fight against senior Alejandra Vidal and junior Karen Romero, but were unable to close out a victory with a 6-7 loss. The one doubles victory the Rams earned was due to the lack of players for the Wildcats. Therefore, junior Whitney Weisburg and sophomore Maia Balce won their match by

EMILY SAYEGH/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Women’s Tennis is struggling to this point in the season.

forfeit.

In singles, Fordham didn’t have much success either. Insogna and Weisburg were the only Rams to win their matches. Insogna defeated sophomore Phatsimo Ruele in two sets, 6-1, 6-3. Weisburg won her match by forfeit once again due to the lack of players for the Wildcats.

With their record at 4-6 and their losing streak at three games, the Rams had to buckle down and prepare for their second A-10 matchup of the season against the George Washington Colonials. In their previous game, the Colonials had a rough outing as they were demolished by the James Madison Dukes, 7-0. With both teams coming off crushing losses, a win was necessary in order to get back on track and finish spring break on a positive note.

Unlike the Colonials, the Rams were unable to bounce back from their previous loss and continued to play out of sorts. George Washington swept all three doubles matches and won all but one singles match to cruise to a 6-1 victory. The closest doubles match for the Rams came from the two players who have

stepped up in big moments all season for the team, Balce and Insogna. They battled and fought for two sets with George Washington freshman Julia Herlogsson and junior Sara Grubac, but eventually lost, 6-7, 5-7.

In singles, Insogna was the outlier for the second straight game. She picked up the lone win for the team against sophomore Diana Kussainova, 6-2, 7-6.

There are still five games remaining in the regular season before the women head to Florida once again for the A-10 Tournament. If there is a time for the team to turn the season around, end their four game losing streak, and try to fix their 4-8 record, it is this weekend. The Rams face two more A-10 opponents in the Bronx, the Saint Joseph’s Hawks and the UMass Minutewomen.

This weekend will be do or die time for the Rams. With its opportunities numbered, the team will have to stay confident and play like they played the first three games of the season. If the Rams don’t, they will be in serious jeopardy of not making the deep run in the A-10 tournament they so desperately coveted.

Track and Field Kicks Off Spring Season Over Break

By EMMANUEL BERBARI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Abnormally frigid late-Marchinto-early April temperatures and unanticipated snowfall in New York lined up with the start of Fordham’s outdoor spring Track and Field season. Fortunately for the Rams, a division of each team escaped the weather trap to compete at the Raleigh Relays and the Rider Invite this past weekend.

On an even better note, the season got off to a promising start.

Two school records were taken down and five individuals posted ECAC/IC4A-qualifying times in Raleigh, while the Rams registered two event wins at Rider.

Freshman Kathryn Kelly excelled in the 100-meter dash down south, crossing in 12.28 seconds to best the previous school mark of 12.33 seconds, set by teammate Mary Kate Kenny last year. Junior Laurel Fisher similarly cemented her name, finishing the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 10:54.43, .06 seconds ahead of Brianna Tevnan’s record back in 2015.

Meanwhile, senior Brian Cook (21st – 9:14.82) and freshman Antony Misko (14th – 48.96) achieved ECAC/IC4A qualification in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, while sophomore Ryan Kutch (35th – 29:58.32) did the same in the 10,000 meter run.

Over in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Laura Jaeger’s first-place finish in the 200-meter dash (25.77 sec-

Both Fordham track and field teams competed in Raleigh and Rider over Spring Break.

onds) and Brynna Harum’s victory in the 800-meter run (2:17.46) ensured that Fordham would have a fine day at the office.

The notable performances did not stop there.

Back in North Carolina, junior Jared Benn (26th – 49.64) and freshman Christopher Strzelinski (55th – 51.65) stood out in the 400 meter dash, while seniors Fritz Heinrich (64th – 3:59.89) and Louis Santelli (113th – 4:05.44) crossed in respectable 1,500 meter times.

On the women’s side, junior Mary Kate Kenny (37th – 12.51)

was no slouch in the 100 meter dash, senior Merissa Wright (18th – 57.53) and junior Aidan Moroz (37th – 58.63) proved extremely competitive in 400 meter dash and junior Angelina Grebe (38th – 17:39.84) cracked top-40 in the 5,000 meter run.

During day two, the Rams took second in the women’s 4x800 relay in an ECAC-qualifying 9:02.07 and sixth in the identical men’s event in 7:43.23.

The additional contributions continued at the Rider Invite, as senior Laura Jaeger (100-meter, fourth – 12.69), sophomore Emily

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Silfies (200-meter, ninth – 28.17), junior Leah Hickey (400-meter, sixth – 1:01.68), sophomore Katarzyna Krzyzanowski (1,500-meter, fifth – 4:44.61), senior Stephanie Leo (ninth – 4:46,68), freshman Germaine Harbaugh (tenth – 4:57.06), juniors Kieran Hanrahan (3,000-meter, ninth – 11:27.23), Silfies (100-meter hurdle, eighth – 16.99) and Morgan Menzzasalma (10th – 19.60), senior Jennifer Boerke (400-meter hurdle, fifth – 1:06.52), junior Neve Devine (High Jump, third – 1.55m) in the high jump and sophomore Alina Kwiatkowski (Triple Jump, 10th

– 10.11m) all made the top 10 in their respective events.

On the men’s side, an onslaught of stellar finishes highlighted the day as well. Junior Andre Guthrie Jr. (fifth – 11.54) and freshman Nikolas Reardon (tenth – 11.81) thrived in the 100 meter dash, freshman Nicholas Raefski’s (seventhth – 8:50.41) time stacked up well in the 3,000 meter run, freshman Eric Cao (fifth – 17.70), Reardon (sixth – 18.52), sophomore Jeremy Milite (eighth – 19.61) and sophomore Andrew Byrne (ninth – 19.76) were successful in the 100 meter hurdles, Reardon (second – 1.99m) and Byrne (sixth – 1.79m) came through in high jump, freshman Kyle Mack (third – 57.86) strongly represented the maroon and white 400 meter hurdles, Henry Nouss (3.95m) and Byrne (3.50m) were within the top five of the pole vault results, freshman Ryan McGraw (third – 12.14m) nearly took home the triple jump win, Reardon (fifth – 6.48m) delivered once again in the long jump, and senior Ryan Riviere (second –48.11m) was the runner-up in the javelin throw.

In the 4x400 relays, the ‘A’ team for the men and women earned fourth (3:25.75) and fifth-place (4:04.93) finishes, respectively.

Looking to build on these encouraging developments, Fordham will be back in action this Friday, April 6, in Williamsburg, Virginia for the Colonial Relays.

Page 20

SPORTS

April 4, 2018

G’mrice Davis’, Women’s Basketball’s Final Stanza

By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

Senior forward G’mrice Davis is going to finish atop of a number of Fordham Women’s Basketball leaderboards. She finishes her career as one of the most dominant post players in Fordham history: second in rebounds (1,190) and rebounding average (9.6 per game) and fourth in points (1,497), field goals (589) and free throws (319). She also has two top-five single-season rebounding performances.

Davis played her final game in a Ram uniform in Fordham’s 81-50 loss to Virginia Tech in the Sweet Sixteen of the WNIT. It was the furthest the Rams had gotten into postseason play since reaching the same round in the 2012-13 season. However, this iteration of the Rams was never supposed to be this successful.

The Rams’ 31-point loss to Virginia Tech was not indicative of their overall performance this year, but I do have to spend at least a little time recapping it.

Similar to their games against Drexel in the second round and even Harvard in the opening round - though to a much lesser degree - the Rams got off to a slow start. For the second game in a row, they scored single digits points in the first quarter, getting doubled up by the Hokies 14-7.

“I think our slow start was due to some defensive breakdowns and not making shots,” said head coach Stephanie Gaitley. “They were long and athletic and we had trouble scoring.”

However, things fell apart in the second quarter, when the Hokies outscored the Rams 31-17, with both teams running up and down the court.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

G’mrice Davis ends her Fordham career as one of the best players in school history as a force in the paint.

After that, the Rams went into the half down 21, 45-24, and there was no coming back against such a highpowered offense. Gaitley did not think her team was intimidated by facing a major conference opponent.

“I don’t think there was any intimidation factor - our schedule prepared us for this opportunity - they brought their A game and we didn’t,” said Gaitley.

The second half was mostly more of the same - though without the extremes - with the Rams being outscored to the tune of 45-26 and the 81-50 final. Davis capped off her illustrious career with a 12-point, nine-rebound performance.

“I didn’t really think about [Virginia Tech] being G’s last game until it was over. We were playing in the moment. Once it was over we were able to acknowledge G in the locker room and it was a special occasion,” said Gaitley. “She showed our freshmen that if you work hard you can achieve your goals and dreams.”

One last time, let’s look back at the season, particularly that freshman class.

Heading into the season, Gaitley already knew she was losing backup point guard Anna Kelly to transfer.

What she didn’t know was that the blossoming starting forward alongside Davis, Kate Kreslina, would choose to stay at home in Latvia to pursue professional opportunities.

And then, the only other senior on the team, guard Asnate Fomina, sustained a concussion that she never returned from.

All of a sudden, Gaitley was facing the hardest out-of-conference schedule she had ever faced in her 34 years of head coaching (don’t tell her I told you how many years) and doing so with a roster of one active senior, two scholarship juniors and eight freshmen.

“We dont worry about anyone’s expectations other than our own,” said Gaitley. “We have goals and expect to compete at the highest level every year.”

While Davis was unquestionably the center of this team, none of the Rams’ success comes without the play of breakout redshirt freshman Bre Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh, who sat

out last season after transferring from Cal, led the team with 17 points per game. Her 578 points were eighthmost for a Fordham player all-time.

She almost single-handedly pushed the team through the WNIT especially, scoring 26 against Harvard and 32 against Drexel.

The other freshman in the starting lineup was forward Johanna Klug, who struggled offensively this season but was clearly comfortable on defense, which kept her in the lineup all season long.

The other two starters were the juniors who will be looked to as senior leaders next year: guard Lauren Holden and forward Mary Goulding.

Holden, with a lot of the scoring weight taken off her shoulders, was able to settle into a role similar to Hannah Missry’s from a year ago, aka made a lot three-pointers. Her 71 three-pointers tied her for fifth-most all-time.

Goulding dealt with injuries again this season, but that comes with the territory when you play all out like she does (I promise next season we

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

New episodes every other week

will finally enact the “How Many Times Has Mary Goulding Hit the Floor?” counter). She has a different skill set than Davis, since she is capable of stepping out and hitting from three, and she is going to have to make use of all of that next year when she tries to fill Davis’s role.

The other two main contributors for the Rams were, obviously, freshmen as well, in guards Zara Jillings and Kendell Heremaia. The two were basically opposite players, with Jillings serving as the Rams’ primary defensive substitution and Heremaia - whose minutes fluctuated all season - serving as the Rams’ offensive threat off the bench.

Gaitley praised the preseason foreign tour in Italy one last time as the reason why the Rams were capable of succeeding against the odds like they did this season. How well the team got along was a common refrain, whether it was the enthusiasm and sometimes telepathic passing that happened on the court or hanging out off the court and rumored games of Uno. “I think the team’s chemistry had a lot to do with our success. The foreign tour played a huge part in helping us jump start this cohesion,” said Gaitley. “Every time we have gone on a foreign tour it, has resulted in a postseason bid. Wish we could do them every year!”

When asked to rank this team among all her seasons at the helm, Gaitley, like any coach, didn’t give a straight answer. However, that doesn’t mean she won’t remember this team fondly.

“This team will always be special because I really do believe we got everything out of them,” she said.

“There were highs and lows but the highs far outweighed the lows and raised the bar for the future.”

SPORTS

April 4, 2018

Alvin Halimwidjaya Fool’s Gold in Denver Last season, the Denver Nuggets surprised a lot of casual fans, coming in only a game behind the final playoff spot after giving the eighth-seeded Portland Trailblazers a run for their money down the stretch. However, even after nabbing Paul Millsap in free agency over the summer and an added year for the Nuggets’ core to grow, Denver is still on the outside looking in, as they are a game out of the eighth spot once again with a difficult schedule; their final five games are against teams still fighting for playoff seeding. In order to fulfill expectations and avoid disappointment, the Nuggets need to stop focusing on their flashy offense and work on their defensive flaws.

When it comes to Denver’s onesided approach, no one is a better example than Nikola Jokic. After moving big man Jusuf Nurkic to the Blazers in a midseason trade in 2017, the Nuggets found a star in their Serbian center. With more freedom in the post, Jokic proved his worth, averaging 17.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists through the final 28 games of the season. His repertoire of nolook passes and laser dimes unlocked a new gear in Denver’s offense, allowing players like Will Barton and Gary Harris to blossom into key complementary pieces for the Nuggets going forward.

However, Jokic remains a sieve on defense due to his lack of athleticism and verticality; consequently, Denver remains stuck in a pattern of constantly trying to outscore their opponents instead of stopping them on the other end of the floor.

Despite the Nuggets’ holes on defense, their situation is made worse by the injury bug that has haunted the team throughout the season.

Swingman Gary Harris, who is their best perimeter defender and was a 42 percent shooter from beyond the arc last season, has been out since March 15 and might not return for the remainder of the regular season.

In addition, Paul Millsap spent a large chunk of time on the bench due to injury earlier in the season, and he’s their best defender in general.

Without the ability to integrate Millsap into their system, the Nuggets have been forced into the awkward situation of planning for an approach without their second-best player for a good quarter of the season. Because of this uncertainty, players have been struggling to gel on both sides of the court, and, as a result, Denver has been unable to evolve into their final form.

The Nuggets still have plenty of positives from this season; they got rid of a redundant point guard in Emmanuel Mudiay, and Jamal Murray’s continued growth has boosted both his play and Jokic’s ability in the pick and roll. However, if Denver wants to keep their trajectory on target and make it to the playoffs this season, they need to get Millsap acclimated to their system and lock down on defense. With games against the Blazers, the Minnesota Timberwolves and a fellow eighth-seed contender in the Los Angeles Clippers, the Nuggets are about to face their final test and find out if they’re a legitimate playoff team or not.

Page 21

Senior Profile | Madi Shaw

By BRENDAN O’CONNELL STAFF WRITER

Fordham Softball hosted the Fordham Tournament this past weekend at the university’s Rose Hill campus, wrapping up the team’s preseason tournament stretch. As the Rams head into Atlantic-10 conference play, they will rely heavily on such leaders like Madison Shaw, a senior infielder from Raynham, Massachusetts. Last season, Shaw set the program single-season record for runs batted in (74), and she currently ranks in the top 10 all-time in career batting average (fourth, at .347), home runs (ninth, with 28), on-base percentage (third, at .439) and slugging percentage (second, at .624).

The Fordham Ram: Let’s take it back to the beginning. How did you get into softball?

Madi Shaw: I started playing softball when I was eight years old. My mom loved to play in high school, and she was the first one to teach me how to swing a bat and throw a ball. My funniest memory from youth softball was my first year playing softball, when my dad put me in to pitch. I walked four batters in a row, and I felt so terribly for letting a run score that I started bawling my eyes out. That was the beginning and ending of my pitching career.

TFR: As you approached your college years, you experienced incredible success in high school, as an All-American and state champion, among other accomplishments. What was your recruiting experience like and what made you choose Fordham?

MS: My junior fall was a whirlwind in regards to recruitment. I had just finished my fall season with a new travel team. I remember being in Orlando and hitting a home run on one of the main fields, and that’s when I got approached by Fordham and about four other schools. Fordham’s campus and their tough, competitive schedule were the two main reasons I chose Fordham. I ended up verbally committing to Fordham in December of my junior year.

TFR: What is one of your best memories from early in your Fordham career?

MS: One of my favorite memories comes from our first spring game in 2015 against Nevada. It was my first collegiate start, and in my first at bat I hit a single that scored two runs. We lost that game, but I’ll never forget the joy of getting my first official hit.

TFR: You had a really solid freshman campaign in 2015, but you played a smaller role than you did in your last couple years of high school, partially due to injury. What was that high-schoolto-college transition like for you?

MS: Coming to college was certainly an eye opener in regards to the speed of the game. The competition is increased and the

players are much faster and smarter than some that you face in high school.

TFR: What were your injury issues that year and what did you learn from dealing with them?

MS: My first injury freshman year was a bad hamstring strain that happened in our third game of the season. That strain set me back a little over a month. I played sporadically after that in a few games, but then I got injured again at the end of March against Northwestern. This time, I was playing first base and had a collision with a runner. She sliced my ankle open which resulted in a deep cut that required eight stitches, putting me back a week and a half. After that, I never really saw the field again my freshman season. That was a really hard time for me, having to adjust to helping the team from the bench instead of on the field, but I learned just how important every person’s role is to a team’s success.

TFR: Your role has seemingly increased each year, to the point where last season, you set the program record with 74 RBIs, among several other staggering statistics.

How have you been able to succeed year after year?

MS: Honestly, I wouldn’t have most of my accolades – especially the RBI statistic – if it weren’t for my teammates doing their job by getting on base. If my teammates weren’t on base my hits wouldn’t mean as much, because they wouldn’t be scoring as many runs.

Every year, I’ve just asked myself “what can you do to help the team win?” and for me, what I can do is hit the ball far so that my teammates have enough time to score.

TFR: How do you sustain such a high level of success and continue to hit so consistently? What is your approach at the plate?

MS: It takes a lot of mental preparedness more so than the physical stuff. Personally, I go up to the plate and think “I am better than you” – “you” being the pitcher. Of course, when we play teams such as UCLA and Alabama you have to respect their talents, but I don’t go up to the plate scared. I try to go up confident every single at bat.

TFR: You hit for great power and great average, but you’re also a versatile fielder as you have played a number of positions in both the infield and outfield over the years.

What is your favorite position and how do you approach each play?

MS: I would say my favorite position is third base, but currently I am playing more at shortstop. I love the speed of third base, how fielding the ball is more of a reaction. At shortstop you have more time to approach the ball, and that’s certainly been an adjustment for me. Each play, I’m telling myself where I could go to get an out depending on where the ball is hit.

TFR: As a team co-captain this season, what has been your role?

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Liam McKeone Philadelphia in Playoffs

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

MS: I am a pretty vocal leader so my role has been to make sure everyone is still talking and cheering even when we’re losing a game. I’ve always been a loud kid on the field, so it hasn’t drastically changed my approach to this season.

TFR: According to the softball website you are a Communications major. What drew you to follow this path?

MS: I first entered Fordham as a Biology major, but I struggled with the work load and realized that I didn’t love biology as much as I originally thought. My advisor set me up in a Communications class for my spring semester, and I knew I found what I wanted to learn about for my collegiate career. I have also added on a Marketing minor.

TFR: Besides softball, what are your other interests?

MS: Like any other college kid, I love Netflix and napping. I’m constantly binge watching my favorite shows, such as “The Office,” “Parks and Rec” and “New Girl.”

TFR: You have experienced a lot of success with this coaching regime. How has [head] coach [Bridget] Orchard helped you on and off the field?

MS: Coach Orchard has taught me how to roll with the punches, and that in softball – and life – we have to be able to control what we can control.

TFR: Let’s turn toward the future. What is in store for you? Do you have any post-Fordham plans lined up?

MS: I will be going back home to Massachusetts. I got accepted into Bentley University’s Emerging Leaders’ MBA program, and I will be a graduate assistant coach for the school’s softball team.

TFR: What life lessons has softball taught you?

MS: Don’t be afraid to fail because failure is inevitable. The most important thing is that you learn from your mistakes, and make the proper adjustments for the future.

TFR: What about your Fordham experience are you most grateful for?

MS: I am most grateful for the people I have met during my four years here at Fordham, from my teammates, to the training staff, and the sports information staff.

I’ve made friends that will last a lifetime.

It’s been a long, long road, but the end is finally near: the Sixers, tanking kings of the decade, have clinched a playoff spot.

This doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention this season. But to have it actually happen, though, after years of ridicule and controversy is vindication for all of the suffering their fans have gone through (even if the architect himself, Sam Hinkie, isn’t around to enjoy that success). Now that the playoffs are finally coming back to the city of Brotherly Love, can their two best players step it up to make a deep run?

Much of their hopes rest on the back of forward Ben Simmons.

Center Joel Embiid, in the most Sixers thing to ever happen, is going to miss at least one game of the playoffs after guard Markelle Fultz head-butted him in one of his first games back after missing most of the season with a mysterious injury. Even if he does only miss a single game, it may take him a game or two to get back into the flow of things after missing nearly all of the last month of the season. Simmons has to step up and be the man for this team, something he’s shown to be quite comfortable with over the last few games. Simmons is the team’s best playmaker, and playing him as a point guard gives them a big size advantage on both sides of the ball.

The problem, of course, is that Simmons has made exactly one three-pointer since he left high school and generally can’t shoot outside of 15 feet. The team has made it work this season with the help of Embiid’s three-point shooting, but defense gets tighter and coaches become bold come playoff time. They’re going to pack the paint and force Simmons to either try to start making his jumpshots or barrel through three defenders down low to score. It’s going to be difficult, but Simmons is so talented at affecting the game in other ways that, even if he can’t score, the team still has a chance. The triple-double machine is averaging eight assists with only three turnovers per game and has made some truly astounding passes for any player, much less a rookie. If he can continue to produce those numbers under the bright lights and physical defense of the playoffs, Sixers fans have reason to be optimistic.

Of course, the difference between Philly being a good team and a great team lies with one man: Twitter god Joel Embiid.

The problem is, he’s hurt once again.

Defensively, Embiid is the centerpiece. He’s been the league’s premier rim protector all season with Rudy Gobert missing time to injury and has a decent case for Defensive Player of the Year, averaging nearly two blocks a game and transforming the team’s defense while on the floor. Embiid was always the key to this team, and now his injury has once again thrown a promising season into flux.

SPORTS

Page 22

April 4, 2018

Golf Finishes Sixth at Lehigh Valley Invitational

By JIMMY SULLIVAN

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The Fordham men’s golf team finished in a tie for sixth place at the Albarta Coca-Cola Lehigh Valley Collegiate Invite on Easter Sunday.

The event was the first of the spring season for the Rams after a fall season that saw the team win one tournament and finish in the top three in two others.

The event was originally scheduled for Sunday and Monday, but Monday’s snow storm forced all 36 holes of the tournament to be moved up to Sunday.

Leading the way for the Rams over the weekend was senior Matt Schiller, who finished with a 75 and a 72; his 147 finish over two rounds gave him the Rams’ best individual score and tied him for 11th on the Tournament leaderboard.

“I was really proud of the way I stayed patient,” Schiller said. “The course was tough because it was coming fresh off a lot of melted snow, so guys caught a lot of bad breaks out there, especially on the greens. I knew that if I stayed in it and even had a sense of humor about the conditions, I would continue to play well.”

The next best player for the Rams on Sunday was junior Josh Madarang, who entered the clubhouse with a 149 after shooting rounds of 74 and 75. The performance of the Chester Springs, Pennsylvania native is particularly promising for Fordham because Madarang was a full two strokes below his 18-hole fall semester average of 76.5. His finish was the other top-20 showing for Fordham on the day, as he tied for 19th among individual players.

Also competing for the Rams on Sunday was senior James Mongey, who finished with a final-round 74 after a 79 in his first 18 holes.

Sophomore and Miami native Tomas Nieves shot rounds of 76 and 78, respectively and senior Joseph

Trim shot a 155 with rounds of 78 and 77 on Sunday. Finally, freshman Mithran Denbow competed as an individual and had rounds of 77 and 83; those figures did not count towards Fordham’s team figure on the afternoon.

As a team, the Rams came in sixth at the Lehigh Valley Collegiate Invite.

The tournament was won by Rhode Island University, who won the event by two strokes over second-place finisher and host school Lehigh. Also playing at the invitational were the following schools, listed in the order in which they finished: Robert Morris University, Connecticut University, Villanova University, College of the Holy Cross, Ottawa University, Binghamton University, Siena College, Bryant University, Monmouth University, Lafayette College, Rider University, Hofstra University and Niagara University.

Next up for the Fordham men’s golf team is the Wildcat Invitational April 9-10 in Malvern, Pennsylvania; the event will be hosted by Villanova.

After that, the team travels to New Haven, Connecticut to take part in the Yale Invitational on April 14. The Rams last played on the course at Yale in October, when they finished 12th out of 14 teams at the MacDonald Invitational on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 of 2017. After that, Fordham has a quick turnaround and takes part in the Rhode Island Invitational on April 16-17. With all that, the Rams are set to play 90 holes of golf in just four days. Fordham finished third in the Rhode Island Invitational a season ago.

“Our mental toughness drives how far we can go as a team,” Schiller said. “We all hit great shots, we can all make putts and we all can post red numbers on any given day. If we build on the conditions we faced this week and just have that same mentality of grinding through whatever the day throws at us, we’ll be a really tough team to beat the rest of the season.”

By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

I’m going to start this with a quick note about my fantasy baseball team.

I promise this isn’t a fantasy baseball article, and that this is just a short note. In fact, this disclaimer is longer than the actual note. Well, anyway, let’s get started.

After a recent fantasy baseball draft, I got one of those computergenerated recaps that, for once, actually gave me some interesting information. According to their numbers, I had drafted the youngest team in the league, and that was without being able to grab either Ronald Acuna or Ozzie Albies like I wanted.

I decided to bank on youth for a couple reasons: one, I filled positions with younger guys in order to bank on upside and hope that they play above their draft slot. But also, young guys are just more fun and unpredictable, and being a part of their success can make you feel all warm and good inside, like a proud parent.

The reason we love prospects and young stars is the same reason why the NBA season is really just the holding pattern between drafts for a lot of fans and why we keep listening to Elon Musk talk about Mars: the future is always more fun.

That’s essentially what Sam Presti used to sell The Process to 76er fans and what the Marlins are failing to do post-Jeter fire sale. No matter how good your team is right now, the allure of the future is always better.

When the Cubs broke their World Series curse, the conversation immediately pivoted to how many more they would win as their young core continued to break out.

Youth is always fun, and in baseball it’s practically intoxicating. In no other sport is there such a disconnect between the draft and immediate impact, as sometimes a team’s first overall pick won’t sniff the majors for three years at the least. Instead of dampening interest, it instead intensifies it, because we get to spend those three years projecting. How many more home runs will Vladimir Gurrero Jr. hit than his father?

Will A.J. Puk be the lefty Noah Syndergaard? How quickly will Ronald Acuna unseat Mike Trout as the best player in baseball? When will we start referring to Babe Ruth as the

antique version of Shohei Ohtani?

Sure, every year we get burned by these hopes. Lucas Giolito looks like he’ll be a reliever now. Daiskue Matsuzaka was never the mythical beast he was supposed to be. Maikel Franco is looking more like bargainbin Todd Frazier than Josh Donaldson. But that doesn’t stop us from dreaming.

Major League Baseball knows this. It knows that we love nothing more than to believe that, if our team is scuffling, the farm system can come save us. Or, if your team is successful, that the young guys will prolong that success.

However, Major League Baseball has taken advantage of this love of young players in mostly-anonymous development, and it’s frankly disgusting.

Minor league baseball players, those guys you can’t wait to see help your team in the majors, are essentially considered “seasonal interns” by the league and, by extension, the federal government. Yes, your favorite first-round draft picks make money, but the unheralded rookies clawing their way to the top do not. A first-year minor league player’s salary is capped at just $1,100 and is paid only in-season. That’s, uh, ridiculous.

MLB claims that they cannot afford to pay higher salaries; that, if they did, you would lose out on waiting for the young cavalry to support the major league club. This is complete and utter garbage, considering

the current TV deals that are killing any concept of a “small-market team.”

This is reflected in the contracts for young guys even in the majors, who are over a barrel for five years thanks to arbitration. Most players don’t get to test free agency until their age-27 or age-28 seasons, if not later, and teams are more and more unlikely to pay for those declining years, as evidenced by this offseason.

So, the young, exciting players are also the worst paid. The reason a lot of people obsess about the sport year-round is one of its damning flaws. How do we balance that?

Well, I’m not going to tell you to stop loving young players, especially because I’m never going to stop loving them. But maybe go to your local minor league park more.

For one, you can say you got to see those players before they hit it big (I was way ahead on the Sixto Sanchez bandwagon thanks my job with the Lakewood Blueclaws last summer).

But also, you can maybe help convince clubs that yes, you love these players, and that these games are not only development but are also entertainment. You can help convince clubs to pay these players more.

Are there bigger problems plaguing the world? Of course. But in our corner of the sports world, it’s still a travesty. Love your young players, and pay them too.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Vladimir Gurrero Jr. is another in a long line of prospects we can’t help but love.

Varsity Calendar HOME

Friday Apr. 6

Saturday Apr. 7

Sunday Apr. 8

Rhode Island 3 p.m.

Rhode Island 2 p.m.

George Mason 12/2:30 p.m.

Rhode Island 12 p.m.

George Mason 1 p.m.

Men’s Tennis

St. Joseph’s 11 a.m.

Navy 3:30 p.m.

Women’s Tennis

St. Joseph’s TBD

UMass TBD

AWAY

Thursday Apr. 5

Baseball Softball

Binghamton 7 p.m.

Cooper Cup TBD

Rowing

Wildcat Invitational All-day

Golf

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Matthew Schilller lines up a putt. He finished with a 147, which led the Rams.

Track

Monday Apr. 9

Colonial Relays 5 p.m.

Tuesday Apr. 10

Wednesday Apr. 11

Siena 3/6 p.m.

Iona 3 p.m.

SPORTS

April 4, 2018

Anthony Cardone

O Don't Do That Giants wide receiver and star player Odell Beckham Jr. has been one of the most talented and fun players to watch on the field in the NFL. Off the field, Beckham has been nothing but a nightmare. His immaturity and bad behavior have become nothing but annoying and embarrassing to the Giants organization.

Whether it’s the temper tantrums or fighting with other players on the field, Beckham has been a significant distraction to this team. For example, who could forget the Josh Norman/Odell game or throwing a fit with the kicking net on the sideline? The latter made him a laughingstock, since the kicking net won after it fought back and hit him in the head.

These may be in the past now, but things seem to be progressively getting worse. Beckham is a free agent-to-be and would like a contract extension, even quoting “I will not step on the field without an extension from the Giants.” He has already said he will not be playing in the preseason, mostly due to last season’s injury problems that started with an ankle injury in the preseason. But Beckham’s behavior problems seem to be making the Giants question whether they will pay or not.

A video was released a couple weeks ago that appeared to show Beckham on a bed with a supermodel, along with what looked like multiple drugs on the bed.

Some reports say it was a mixture of cocaine and marijuana. It wasn’t confirmed Beckham was taking the drug, but it isn’t a scene you want to be in, especially when you’re looking to get paid. Another video was released of Beckham in a club getting into a fist fight and getting hit in the head by another person.

Beckham’s anger issues are not just apparent on the field, but seem to follow wherever he goes.

There are now rumors that the Giants are looking at offers for the wide receiver. Reports say the team is looking for at least two first-round picks for Beckham. A few teams have reportedly offered for Beckham, including the Rams, Colts and Browns. Cleveland in particular is somewhat interesting, as they have two first-round picks and just acquired Jarvis Landry, Beckham’s old teammate at LSU. Is it worth it for the Giants to trade Beckham? Most likely, the Giants would try and use those picks to draft a top-flight quarterback and also get the consensus most-talented player in the draft, Penn State running back Saquon Barkley.

Some Giants fans have already gotten it in their heads that it’s time to trade Beckham, but, in reality, they’re not going to trade a top guy like Beckham. The talent is too strong to just trade him away.

His contract might be deducted a couple of millions of dollars, maybe a suspension if he keeps acting this way, but Beckham needs to get his act together. If he wants his new contract, to keep fans on his side and maybe even to just stay on the field, it may be the only way.

Page 23

PeterValentino

Varsity Scores & Stats Men's Track Raleigh Relays (FOR) Cook: 21st in 3000m steeplechase - 9:14.82 Rider Invite (FOR) Guthrie Jr. - 5th in 100m - 11.54s

Softball Hofstra 2 Fordham 3 (FOR) Rauch (W): 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (FOR) Skrepenak: 1-3, R, HR, RBI

0 2

Saint Joseph's 0 Fordham 4 (FOR) Aughinbaugh (W): 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K (FOR) Rauch: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 3B

Fordham Manhattan

Women's Track Raleigh Relays (FOR) Kelly: 28th in 100m 12.28s

Fordham 9 Manhattan 1 (FOR) DiMeglio (W): 7 IP. 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K (FOR) Tarabek: 2-4, R, 2 RBI

Rider Invite (FOR) Jaeger: 1st in 200m 25.77s Women's & Men's Tennis George Washington 6 Fordham 1

Fordham Boston University

Baseball Fordham 8 Manhattan 3 (FOR) Knehr (W): 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (FOR) Melendez: 3-3. 2 R, RBI, 2B, 3B, SB

1 6

Golf Lehigh Valley Collegiate Invite (FOR) Schiller: T-11th - 75 in Rd 1, 72 in Rd 2

Saint Joseph's 2 Fordham 11 (FOR) Shaw: 2-2, 3 R, HR, RBI (FOR) Rauch (W) : 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K Saint Joseph's Fordham

Athletes of the Week Matt Tarabek

Madie Aughinbaugh

Sophomore

Sophomore

Baseball

Softball

The shortstop contributed greatly to both of baseball's wins over Manhattan, collecting two hits and an RBI in Friday's 8-3 victory, before delivering another two-hit performance and driving in two runs in a 9-1 trouncing. The sophomore has solidified himself in the middle of the order.

Aughinbaugh continues to be a force in the circle and the batter's box. She hurled a five-hit shutout at Saint Joseph's, delivered a 3.1-inning, onerun performance the following day and consistently produced offensively in the process. The sophomore has been a weapon for a thriving unit.

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 • Football Announces 2018 Schedule

First-year head coach Joe Conlin enters the 2018 season looking to reach new heights with the football program, and now he has a schedule to scout and look ahead to with his team. The 11-game slate features six games at Jack Coffey Field in the Bronx, which hosts the storied program's 118th season. The Rams open the season on Saturday, Sept. 1, traveling to North Carolina to face the Charlotte 49ers. Patriot League play begins a month and five days later, when Georgetown comes to New York.

The campaign will end in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, when they face Bucknell on Nov. 17.

• Davis Earns WBCA All-America Honorable Mention Women's Basketball received its first

non-academic All-America selection, as G'mrice Davis was announced as a WBCA All-America Honorable Mention recipient. The senior forward was the nation's second-leading defensive rebounder this past season, and the only Atlantic 10 representative. Davis will finish tied for the most active career double-doubles, collecting 57 throughout her illustrious tenure in the maroon and white.

• Fordham Night at Yankee Stadium Will Return this Fall For the second straight season, the Fordham University Athletic Department will work in conjunction with the New York Yankees to create a student-friendly night at the stadium. For Sept. 14's Yankees-Blue Jays 7:05 p.m. matchup, Ram fans will have the opportunity to receive 50 percent off tickets by using a link available at fordhamsports.com. In addition, the first 1,000 fans to use the link to purchase a ticket will be gifted a co-branded Yankees-Fordham hat.

• Volleyball to Host Summer Camps

Volleyball and its head coach, Ian Choi, will be holding three summer camps, consisting of two All Skills programs and one Elite Prospect variation. The camps will be held between July 9 and 15 on the Rose Hill campus. Per fordhamsports.com, "This camp is designed for players who are between the ages of 13-18. It is recommended that interested participants have at least one year of high school or club experience."

-Compiled by Emmanuel Berbari

4 1

Who Takes the Hardware?

Since we have a week to go until the playoffs begin, and it’s still pretty hard to see who is going to be in and out (especially out west), I’ll choose to go with the individual awards at the end of the year.

Art Ross (Most Points) Barring a hot streak from Nikita Kucherov, Connor McDavid should finish the year with this award. In an ultimately disappointing season for Edmonton, McDavid is quickly seizing the crown of best player in the NHL from Ovechkin and Crosby. Another Ross trophy can’t hurt that pursuit.

Calder (Best Rookie) This award is basically locked up by Islanders Centre Mathew Barzal. The Devils' Nico Hischier has had a great first year, but Barzal has started the conversation within the Isles organization as the man who can replace John Tavares, who is expected to leave in free agency. This kid is the real deal. Expect Clayton Keller’s name to be thrown around as well.

Richard (Most Goals) Ovechkin should take this award home again, adding to his trophy case. The real question is, will he get to 50 by the end of this week? He is at 45 as of Sunday with four games left. I wouldn’t put it past him.

Vezina (Best Goalie) This race has been pretty volatile for most of the year. It started with Vasilevskiy in Tampa, then shifted to Tuukka Rask in Boston, and now it seems that Pekka Rinne has the lead in Nashville.

Generally, I think it should go to Rinne, as the offense has carried the Lightning and the Bruins at certain points in the season. Connor Hellebuyck out of Winnipeg will also get some buzz.

Jack Adams (Best Coach) This one should go to Gerard Gallant out of Vegas. The inaugural season records being broken are incredible, and the credit should go to the coach. Expect Paul Maurice and Peter Laviolette to get some looks too.

Norris (Best Defenseman) Drew Doughty has had a fantastic season, and PK Subban showed that last year’s run was no fluke for the Preds, but Victor Hedman should bring this one home. 60 points out of a defenseman is remarkable, and he should get rewarded for it. Expect John Klingberg from Dallas to get some attention for his offensive production as well.

Hart (MVP) This is an odd race. What started at the beginning of the year as a McDavid-Crosby race has turned into a Mackinnon-Hall race. Nathan Mackinnon and Taylor Hall have led their teams from abysmal 2017 campaigns to the playoff races in 2018. This one is wide open, as Blake Wheeler from Winnipeg and Aleksander Barkov from Florida will get some votes. This one is going to be fun to watch come June.

While a lot of races are locked up, a few of the most important are still to be decided. Who will put their name in history?

SPORTS

Page 24

April 4, 2018

The Fordham Ram Baseball Improves to 15-8-1 After Strong Spring Break Performance

By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

While Fordham Baseball was snowed out like the rest of the school on Wednesday, March 21, that didn’t keep it from getting hot; over the seven games the Rams played over spring break, they won five, including taking two of three in their first Atlantic 10 series at Davidson. The Rams’ record is now 15-8-1.

“It’s always good to win! We’ve done a good job of finding different ways to win which is a positive sign,” said head coach Kevin Leighton.

“I think the important thing is that we continue to focus on the current practice or game and not feel too good or bad about the past.”

The Rams showed off their ability to win in close games on the backs of strong pitching in North Carolina against Davidson.

In game one, on Friday, March 23, the Rams lost 5-4, but were just a couple breaks away. While junior starting pitcher Reiss Knehr struck out Davidson batters eight times, he also gave up nine hits, three walks and a hit batsman. In all, he gave up all five runs, all earned.

Knehr started the game with a 2-0 lead by virtue of a two-run home run by sophomore shortstop Matt Tarabek, who got increasingly hot over the break, despite the fluctuating temperatures. Over the seven games, he went 11 for 25 (.440), with seven RBIs, four runs scored and three stolen bases.

Leighton believes Tarabek’s recent success is pretty easy to explain.

“I think Matt has been a bit more aggressive and when he’s gotten a good pitch to hit he hasn’t missed it very often,” he said.

Just as impressive as his batting numbers, if not more so, is Tarabek’s improvement in the field. In his first

24 games, Tarabek committed seven errors, an unseemly number for anyone but particularly a shortstop.

However, over the hot streak he has only committed one.

Whether the offense is helping the defense or vice versa is a chicken or the egg scenario, and Leighton has chalked it up to Tarabek “settling in and being comfortable.”

Tarabek showed just how comfortable he was feeling at the plate in game two, going 4-4 for his first time with the Rams in their 5-2 win.

The Wildcats got on the board first in the bottom of the second. With a runner on first and two outs, an error by freshman third baseman C.J. Vasquez extended the inning. A walk and a single later, the Rams and senior starting pitcher Ben Greenberg were behind 2-0.

Greenberg was solid the rest of the way, going seven innings and striking out three and allowing just the two unearned runs.

The Rams took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth off of an RBI single by freshman first baseman Nick Labella and a two-RBI triple by second baseman Jake MacKenzie, and they never looked back.

Sophomore Alvin Melendez continued his on-base stylings in this game, going 0-2 with three walks, three runs scored, a stolen base and taking home on a wild pitch in the ninth that brought that game to its 5-2 final.

Game three of the series was the inverse of the first, with the Rams winning 5-4 to take the series. Up 1-0 in the fifth inning, junior starting pitcher Anthony DiMeglio hit a wall, giving up four runs in the inning, including walking in one.

However, the bats picked him up in the top of the eighth, scoring three to tie the game at 4. The Rams won it on an RBI squeeze bunt by sopho-

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Baseball won five of its seven contests over spring break, including two out of three over rival Manhattan.

more outfielder Jake Baker, which brought Vasquez in to score.

After a successful foray down south, the Rams returned to the expansive confines of Houlihan Park to face the St. Peter’s Peacocks. And much like the “support peacock’ that wasn’t allowed to board a plane, St. Peter’s was prevented from scoring, tallying just one hit. It was the Rams’ second one-hit shutout of the season.

Meanwhile, the Fordham offense poured on 18 runs for an 18-0 victory.

It was a bullpen game for the Rams, with freshman pitcher Joseph Quintal making his first start and giving up just one walk over four innings of work. Freshman pitcher Matt Mikulski continued the no-hitter through the fifth. It was freshman reliever Brandon Nance who gave up the lone hit, a double to center with one out in the sixth. Junior Mike Cowell, sophomore Brandon Martin and junior Anthony Zimmerman finished things up on the mound.

In the first four innings, the Rams scored at least one run in each frame, including five in the third.

The Rams wrapped up their spring break by taking two of three from Manhattan to win the annual Battle

of the Bronx.

Knehr was his usual strong self in the first game on March 30, giving the Rams six innings of two-hit ball while the offense staked out to an 8-0 lead. Melendez finished a homer short of the cycle. It was a second dominant performance in a row and their fourth straight win.

However, they came back down to earth in the front half of the doubleheader they played on Saturday, March 31 to avoid playing on Easter Sunday.

Greenberg continued his strong pitching, but was the tough-luck loser in a 2-0 affair. He fell victim to small ball in the fourth inning. A walk, a bunt single and a sacrifice fly put runners on the corners with two outs, with a run coming in on a single.

The Ram bats were mostly silent, missing out on a number of opportunities with runners in scoring position, particularly a bases-loaded, one out chance in the first inning. They ended up with only six hits.

However, they woke up one last time in the back half of the doubleheader, where the Rams cruised to a 9-1 win. DiMeglio had his best start of the season so far, going seven in-

nings and giving up just one run on two hits and collecting eight strikeouts and no walks.

The Rams only had six hits in this game as well, but they were much more timely, including taking advantage of an error for a four-run sixth.

The key to the Rams this year has been Ben Greenberg and the pitching staff. Their team ERA of 3.29 is 38th in the country. Leighton credits the senior for a lot of the success, with his steady hand able to grind out a workman five to six innings every start with little to no damage.

Offensively, the Rams have finally shown some improvement. Their collective .261 batting average and .362 on-base percentage are about middle of the road in all of Division I baseball, a drastic change from their recent cellar-dweller status. Melendez has been a key to the offense, according to Leighton, since he can get on base in a variety of ways and steal both second and third once on base.

The Rams will look to stay hot and for better weather when they play St. Peter’s again on Wednesday, April 4 at 3:30 p.m. at home and then welcome in Rhode Island for their first home A-10 series of the season.

Softball Takes Six of Seven Games Over Spring Break

By BRENDAN O’CONNELL STAFF WRITER

As many Fordham students traveled for vacation with friends and holidays with families over spring break the past two weeks, Bridget Orchard’s softball squad traveled with a goal in mind: managing a seven-game road trip.

After postponing their game against Stony Brook on March 22, the Rams began conference play in full bloom by sweeping a threegame set against Dayton.

On March 23, the Rams won both games by scores of 2-0 and 6-4.

In the first tilt, sophomore righty Madie Aughinbaugh pitched seven innings of three-hit shutout ball, and junior Chelsea Skrepenak drove in the only two runs of the game on a clutch seventh-inning single. In the nightcap, Aughinbaugh earned another win by tossing three solid innings in relief of freshman starter Paige Rauch, who limited Dayton to three runs over four innings of work. Skrepenak hit a home run, senior Madi Shaw poked two solo shots of her own, and juniors Jordy Storm and Maria Trivelpiece gathered RBIs of their own to power the Rams’ offense. That Sunday, Fordham brought the brooms out and

earned its third W of the weekend in Ohio, defeating Dayton 16-5 in just five innings, behind yet another Aughinbaugh win (in relief of Lauren Quense) and monster offensive games from most of the lineup – including Skrepenak, Aughinbaugh, Rauch, junior Deanna Burbridge (2 RBIs each) and Trivelpiece, who drove in a career-high six runs.

On March 28, the Rams visited Hempstead, NY to take on RV/

RV Hofstra (in a make-up of their matchup originally scheduled for March 14), and held on to win 3-2.

Despite stranding runners in scoring position in the first and second innings, Fordham took advantage of a catcher’s interference ruling in the third, scoring two unearned runs with two outs on an Aughinbaugh double and Trivelpiece single. In the fourth, Skrepenak continued her torrid pace with her third homer in

as many games, which proved to be the difference despite Hofstra scoring a run in both the sixth and seventh innings. Rauch pitched all seven frames and worked out of a few jams to move to 6-1 on the mound this season.

This past weekend, the Rams faced off against Saint Joseph’s in Philadelphia, where they took two out of three contests to close out the month of March on a high note.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Softball won five of six games over spring break, and the snow and cold did not cool down the Rams.

In the early game, Aughinbaugh twirled another masterful game, spreading five hits over seven shutout innings in a 4-0 victory. Rauch scored twice and knocked in two runs with a seventh-inning triple to provide some late insurance. In the afternoon, the Rams downed Saint Joseph’s 11-2, thanks to a combined pitching effort from Aughinbaugh and Rauch, who went 3.1 and 3.2 innings allowing one earned and one unearned run respectively. At the plate, juniors Molly Roark and Kylie Michael delivered crucial hits to fuel the blowout, as the former crushed a grand slam in the second inning and the latter smacked a bases-clearing double in the seventh. In the late game the Rams lost 4-1, despite freshman Anne Marie Prentiss providing 2.1 innings of one-run relief on the mound and an RBI double with her bat. Quense took the loss after allowing three runs over 3.2 (all in the fourth inning), dropping her record to 1-9 on the year.

The Rams now hold a 15-16 overall record on the season. With a 5-1 Atlantic 10 record and 3-1 record at Bahoshy Field, they will return home to the Bronx for matchups with Binghamton, Lehigh and conference foe George Mason this week.