Issue 10, Volume 100

The Fordham Ram Volume 100, Issue 10

Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 FordhamRam.com

See centennial spread, pages 12-13.

April 25, 2018

Solar Panels Coming

Students Line up for UTT

By HANNAH GONZALEZ

By JOE RGEN OSTENSEN

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The university will install solar panels on top of the parking garage and Campbell Hall this summer. This step towards sustainability is a result of both the sustainable energy initiative passed down by Governor Cuomo’s office and the crowdfunding efforts of Fordham alumni.

Marc Valera, vice president for facilities management, highlighted the financial incentives provided by Governor Cuomo’s administration as a motivating factor in the installation of the panels on the garage. The school will receive credit on the electrical bills for its adoption of the panels, and will save $200,000 a year over the panel’s predicted life-span of 25 years.

“We get financial credit, $100,000 a year, and we can share about 40 percent of the power with the community,” said Valera.

The school is currently working to identify nonprofits which can receive the energy from the.

Every year, the ticket line for Residence Halls Association’s (RHA) Under the Tent (UTT) event stretches well past the doors of McGinley, with some students waiting hours to purchase tickets.

This year, RHA debuted an online pre-sale opportunity in an effort to make the line shorter and more convenient for students, according to Sara Chesnos, FCRH ’18, executive president of the RHA. Annina Saccomano, GSB ’18, the executive programer of RHA said 300 tickets were made available online prior to the usual day of ticket sales. RHA sold out in two minutes.

Saccomano said the goal was to give more people the opportunity to get tickets, even if they were unable to wait in the line.

“We want to give people the most opportunities to get tickets,” she said.

Chesnos said the online sales were also effective in shortening the line. According to her the line went by in record time this year.

“It definitely cut down the line a lot,” she said.

Students who wait in the line for UTT tickets can wait for several hours. Olivia Dixon, FCRH ’20, said she and her friends waited in shifts for three hours on this year’s ticket sale day. She said she thought the wait was worth it but the system could be improved.

“I think there’s definitely a better way to do it, without people waiting outside for hours,” she said.

Victoria Becker, FCRH ‘20, arrived at the line at 9:30 a.m. despite the fact that the sale began at noon.

She said being in line with friends helped to pass the time.

“If you’re with friends, talking, it’s not too bad,” she said. “A lot of people brought chairs and were doing homework.”

Saccomano said there were some complaints about the line being too long in previous years, which was part of the reason they

SEE SOLAR, PAGE 3

NATALIE WODNIAK/THE FORDHAM RAM

Local Bronx performers offer samplings of Afro-Dominican jazz and Mexican folk dance at Bronx Celebration Day.

Fordham and Bronx Communities Unite for Celebration Day

By ERICA SCALISE

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Live music, food, art vendors and local community organizers united the Fordham and Bronx communities this past Saturday at the second annual Bronx Celebration Day. Natalie Wodniak, committee

chair of Bronx collaboration committee, Rafael Zapata, Fordham’s chief diversity officer, Public Safety and the Office of Student Involvement (OSI) worked closely together to organize the afternoon’s festivities.

The Commuting Students Association also provided 60 feet of sandwiches from Barino’s Market,

which attendees ate alongside ice cream cones from a truck parked outside of Walsh Hall.

The event was headlined by Grupo Bámbula, Yasser Tejada & Palotré, Bodoma Garífuna Cultural Band, Alessandra Belloni and other local Bronx performers. Vocal and instrumental SEE BRONX, PAGE 5

Trump’s Time at Fordham

By JAKE SHORE STAFF WRITER

states and Washington, D.C. Peek said the increase in Early Action applicants could be attributed to a new policy that allows families to file the FAFSA in October using Prior-Prior Year data.

“We started to see some additional shifting to our Early Action/Decision program during

A common anecdote comes to the minds of President Donald Trump’s former classmates when asked about their interactions with him during his time at Fordham University. A commuting student for two years, Trump would later transfer to the University of Pennsylvania to finish his degree.

When students commuted to school together from Queens to Fordham’s Bronx campus in 1965, the custom was to take turns paying the $0.25 toll across the Triboro Bridge, according to two alumni. At Fordham, Roger Gedgard was the closest friend of Donald Trump, the Queensnative and son of real estate magnate. The two often commuted together, according to John Malnati, GSB ’68.

Malnati knew Trump well via Gedgard, as a group of them used to get lunch every day. The punchline of Gedgard’s weekly commutes with Trump was how Gedgard, from a working class

SEE APPS, PAGE 7

SEE TRUMP, PAGE 6

KEVIN STOLTENBERG/THE FORDHAM

Fordham’s application pool has seen a yearly increase for the past 27 years. The class of ’22 reflects this trend.

Increase of Accepted Students for Class of ‘22

By KATIE DEFONZO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With the May 1 commitment deadline looming for the Class of 2022, the data on accepted students reveals a larger pool than previous years. Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Patricia Peek said much of this year’s application increase was

seen during the Early Action admission period.

During this admission cycle, Fordham received more than 46,100 applications for the incoming class of 2022. This number represents an increase of nearly 300 from the previous year. This year’s acceptance rate was 46 percent. The university received applications from all 50

SEE UTT, PAGE 7

in this issue

Opinion

Page11 Take Interest in Your USG Budget Committee

Sports

Page 24

Softball Wins Five Against St. Bonaventure and Saint Louis

Culture Page 15 Grace Jones Discusses New Film at Lincoln Center

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

April 25, 2018

First Earth Week Promotes Sustainability SEAJ Increases Presence in Community

By AISLINN KEELY NEWS EDITOR

April 1 Mugz Bar and Grille 2:15 a.m.

Public Safety responded to a verbal dispute inside Mugz. The matter is currently under investigation by Public Safety.

April 19 Campbell Hall 8:15 p.m.

At Campbell Tower One, the elevator was stuck with one person in it. The elevator mechanic responded and fixed the situation. The elevator was taken out of service and then repaired.

There were no injuries.

April 23 2478 Arthur Ave. 7:00 p.m.

The fire alarm was activated at Arthur 2 by someone cooking on the stove. The FDNY responded and the apartment was evacuated.

There were no injuries and no property was damaged.

-Compiled by Joergen Ostensen

Follow us on Twitter! @TheFordhamRam

Suggest story ideas: fordhamram. com

@TheFordhamRam

Environmental issues and social justice issues go hand in hand, according to Lillian Round, FCRH ’20, co-president of Students for Environmental Awareness and Justice (SEAJ). The group aims to educate and empower the community to enact environmental reform, most recently by holding Fordham’s first Earth Week in the lead-up to Earth Day, celebrating the planet and shedding light on environmental and social justice issues.

The week addressed a wide range of issues, from responsible fashion to fossil fuel divestment.

Events spanned the campus and the community, with campus-centric events like the pop-up thrift store Fordham Flea making sales in McGinley Lobby on Friday and a documentary screening in Rodrigue’s Coffee House on Thursday, to a Pelham Bay Park restoration trip on Tuesday and Prospect Park field trip to celebrate Earth Day itself.

The biggest event of the week was the club’s Earth Fair, which brought together Fordham clubs and community partners to educate students on sustainability issues. Initially, the club meant to hold the event on Edward’s Parade, but the rain forced them to move to the McGinley Ballroom. There, groups like Outdoors Club, Spes Nova and Food and Water Watch worked to educate students on different causes.

Gabrielle Perez, FCRH ’21, USG vice president elect of sustainability and member of SEAJ, said the week was a jumping off point to forming more community relationships. The club has plans to continue volunteering at Pelham Bay Park after seeing the community need.

“We’re planning on doing a lot more work with that park because Pelham Bay Park is the biggest park in the entire city, but they have one guy who is in charge of maintaining the grounds...so he really relies on volunteers,” she said.

SEAJ also plans to form a stronger relationship with Food and Water Watch, a group that advocates for clean food and water for all. Food and Water Watch is particularly focused on fossil fuel divestment, according to Round.

They host “Call Cuomo Mondays,”

COURTESY OF SEAJ

Students for Environmental Awareness and Justice host a potluck in St. Rose's Garden during Earth Week festivities.

a text service that reminds participants to call New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to advocate for fossil fuel divestment every Monday.

“It’s cool to see them getting stuff done and they definitely expressed interest in working more with SEAJ,” said Round.

Earth Week was a big step for the group, according to Round, in part because the event was entirely coordinated by underclassmen.

“None of us have ever organized anything like this,” she said. “It was cool to see a group of underclassmen doing our thing.”

SEAJ has been an active club for years, but with Earth Week, the club is building momentum towards greater action on and around campus.

“SEAJ has been a thing for a while, but it really picked up this year I think,” said Round.

Arielle Brender, FCRH ’18, copresident of SEAJ, said the club has grown in the past year thanks to the new, younger faces.

“A new life has been breathed into SEAJ this year, and it’s more active than it’s ever been,” said

Brender.

Round also said the club hopes to increase its visibility with Earth Week.

“People on campus are super apathetic to these issues and really don’t know about them, so we wanted Earth Week to be a presence and get people involved, get people to know what SEAJ is,” she said.

SEAJ itself is separate from United Student Government’s (USG) Sustainability Committee, although many students like Perez participate in both. The Sustainability Committee puts greater emphasis on Fordham-based initiatives, while SEAJ’s mission centers on education and cooperation with the community.

“The Sustainability Committee is part of the student government and we work with administrators to help Fordham implement more environmentally friendly, more sustainable practices and policies, and SEAJ is more focused on raising awareness in general of these issues among the student population," said Perez. "So they have different purposes, kind of, but we

work closely together.”

“But it’s also focused on educating the student body and getting the student body engaged with the Bronx, so it’s more of an environmental justice movement,” added Round.

SEAJ’s meetings give members a primer on a wide range of sustainability issues, with members signing up to educate the group on a different topic every week.

This year’s topics have included mountain-top removal, a practice of removing mountain peaks to extract coal, plastic recycling and even zoochosis, the insanity-inducing effect of zoos on captive animals.

With the growing efforts of the new members, Brender said she is excited to see what the club brings to the Fordham community in the coming years.

“The Earth Week and Fordham Flea teams have really proven that all it takes to make a change is the assumption of responsibility,” she said. “Their efforts have been the impetus of a huge wave of change. I am really looking forward to checking up on their impact in the years to come.”

This Week at Fordham Thursday April 26

Friday April 27

Saturday April 28

Sunday April 29

Sunday April 29

Spring Weekend Speaker: Josh Peck

Ramblers Spring Weekend Concert

Spring Weekend Concert

Hot Notes Spring Concert

CAB Comedy Presents: Tig Notaro

Leonard Prep Theatre 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Keating First 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Martyrs’ Lawn 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Collins Auditorium 3p.m. - 4 p.m.

Rose Hill Gym 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Come out to see Josh Peck, star of the hit TV series "Drake and Josh" and current Vine sensation speak in the Leonard Theatre at Fordham Prep. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.

The Ramblers will host their semester concert this Friday showcasing an entire set list, and is open to all who wish to attend. Kick off the weekend by coming out to show your support. Admission is free.

CAB is hosting its annual Spring Weekend concert on Martyrs’ Lawn this Saturday. The concert will include artists T-Pain and Audien, as well as showcases from student bands. Admission is free.

The Hot Notes will host their endof-semester concert to debut an hour of new arrangements they’ve been working on this past semester.

Come out to support the graduating seniors. Admission is free.

Come out to see comedian Tig Notaro perform at Leonard Prep Theater in Fordham Prep to end Spring Weekend. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show begins at 6 p.m.

Fordham ID is required for entry.

NEWS

April 25, 2018

Page 3

Student Engineers Design Fish Farm to Help Uganda

By ERICA SCALISE

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

This past March, Fordham’s Engineers Without Borders (EWB) chapter hit a milestone when its students’ first fish farm began servicing families of the Omorio Village in Uganda.

Fordham’s chapter of EWB is working to meet technical design and funding requirements to implement its second fish farm. The club hopes to build the farm for the Kaloaki Village in Uganda by this August.

Vanessa Gutierrez, FCRH ’18, co-president of the club, became involved with EWB during her freshman year at Fordham.

Building one of these farms costs approximately $40,000.

These high costs are a result of the need to meet sustainability and U.S. engineering requirements, according to Gutierrez.

These fish farms provide additional food sources to the community and work to provide economic stimulation via the income earned from selling harvests. Families often use the income from these harvests to pay school fees for their children. “[These] are going to have a life changing impact on real families,” said Gutierrez. “The real world experience our students get out of a project like [this] is both incredibly valuable and rewarding.”

Fordham’s EWB chapter is one of many chapters within EWB USA, a national nonprofit organization consisting of professional and student chapters. The chapters partner with communities lacking basic resources that can be provided via an engineering solution.

These needs can range from water purification, electricity, educational structures and agricultural advancements.

Founded in 2013, Fordham’s EWB adopted its first project to implement a hatchery and farms for villages in the Serere District of Uganda. Students and faculty have been committed to furthering this project for years despite encountering difficulties along the way.

Dean of Fordham College Rose Hill Maura Mast, who has worked with EWB since her first year at Fordham in 2015, has watched the club make ongoing strides to adopt these projects.

“I worked closely with them in spring 2016 when they needed a letter of support from the university because Uganda was under a U.S. State Department travel alert,” said Mast. “I was then, and still am, very impressed with how organized and intentional the group is about their work.”

Gutierrez said that students are responsible for every aspect of these projects.

“We create the fish farm engineering designs approved by U.S. professional engineers, maintain the business plan, budgeting and accounting responsibilities,” said Gutierrez. “We also fundraise 95 percent of the project costs and travel to Uganda yearly with a professional mentor to conduct on site technical evaluations and oversee successful project completion.”

Gutierrez said this experience can help students like her gain qualitative experience in marketing, accounting, budgeting, fundraising, grant writing and devel-

oping technical designs from their conception to construction.

“Students develop qualitative skills like working on a team, delegating responsibilities and communicating effectively with a variety of stakeholders [such as] university students, faculty, administration, alumni, engineering professionals, donors and reps that partner with NGO,” said Gutierrez.

Ryan Riviere, FCRH ‘18, engineering and design lead, said

Gutierrez reached out to him and pushed him to start attending meetings this year. The result has been a positive experience, according to Riviere.

“Although I haven’t been fully involved from the start, this last year alone has been super rewarding,” said Riviere. “On top of knowing that I am using my knowledge of engineering to benefit people, I have also made a lot of connections and friends through EWB.”

Mast expressed admiration for the students conducting this work and currently oversees the chapter’s work each semester.

“Through their experiences both in New York and in Uganda, these students are developing strong global competencies and culturally diverse perspectives,” said Mast. “The EWB students are living the mission of Fordham.

They are putting their knowledge and their education to work to solve real problems in the world.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF DELANEY COVENO

Students built a $40,000 fish farm to stimulate economic growth in a village in rural Uganda.

New Solar Panels to be Installed on Campus FROM SOLAR, PAGE 1

This solar panel installation will be the largest of any New York City school, according to Valera.

The solar panels on Campbell were crowdfunded by a group of young alumni known as Rams for Innovation and Social Enterprise (RISE). According to alumnus Rebecca McSween, FCRH ’16, this project was a way to communicate the group’s commitment to sustainability, and capitalize on the members relevant experience as alumni.

“We were brainstorming ways

that we could crystallize and communicate that sustainability on campus was important to us,” said McSween.

The group of alumni who took the lead in this project is comprised of Ross Garlick, GSB ’15, Jennifer Mongiori, GSB ’16, KC Schmitz, GSB ’15, Sean Sullivan, GSB ’16 and McSween. As undergraduates, many members had been involved with the Social Innovation Collaboratory. McSween was a member of the Sustainability Committee of the United Student Government (USG)

during her time at Fordham.

“For us, it was about the strength of our commitment to sustainability that we had explored as undergraduates,” said McSween.

RISE was bolstered by the support of the Social Innovation Collaboratory and Development and University Relations (DAUR). By working with DAUR and reaching out to members’ own personal networks, the group managed to raise $30,910 over the late spring and summer of 2017.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR

Fordham is taking steps to ensure its solar panels on top of Campbell are more economical than Walsh’s panels.

The energy from the solar panels on Campbell Hall will be used to directly offset the energy in the building, according to Valera. The installation of the panels on both the residence hall and garage will be undertaken by a third party provider over the summer.

Large solar panels such as those which will be installed on the garage are of greater financial benefit than smaller panels, according to Valera.

“The larger ones are financially viable; the smaller ones are not,” said Valera.

Previous ventures into solar energy have not yielded favorable results for the university.

The solar installation on the roof of Walsh Library was installed in 2010. Since then, it has not paid for itself, as its life is shorter than the years it would take to save an equivalent amount of money.

Valera said monetary loss was an indication that that other energysaving measures might be worth pursuing.

“There are other, better energyreducing measures,” said Valera.

According to Valera, the replacement of Walsh Library’s lamps with LED bulbs reduced energy consumption by 30 percent. Going forward, facilities will be replacing all bulbs on campus with LED lights.

“We are looking at other locations for panels, but it’s not viable

financially for us,” said Valera.

“It’s better looking at other projects.”

Arielle Brender, FCRH ’18, vice president of sustainability, sees the solar panels as a positive move toward sustainability. However, she also stated that there is significantly more work to be done on the fronts of Fordham’s environmental and community impact.

“The implementation of this sizeable solar array is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, but it’s still just one step,” said Brender. “I’m looking forward to visiting the university five or 10 years from now to see a 100 percent solar-run campus, zero investment in fossil fuels, a recycling diversion rate above 70 percent and, perhaps above all, authentic and loving integration with its surrounding Bronx community.”

Brender also stated that, on the basis of the university’s Jesuit values, she doesn’t believe financial factors should constrain the university’s commitment to sustainability.

“The pervasive presence of oil in our economy, and America’s role in its extraction and burning, is responsible for immense conflict, violence and suffering throughout the world,” said Brender. “To ignore this truth in favor of economic convenience is for Fordham to actively refuse to put its money where its Jesuit values

NEWS

Page 4

April 25, 2018

Research Spotlight

USG Column

Student Surveys to Protect Ecosystem Educates Community on Dune Building

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Cochran’s research began after Sandy affected her coastal community.

By HANNAH GONZALEZ ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Growing up on the barrier islands of the Jersey Shore, Colleen Cochran, FCRH ’21, had always loved the beach. But when she was in eighth grade, her coastal community was greatly impacted by Hurricane Sandy. In the face of this devastation, Cochran dedicated herself to improving the coast and public perception of beach maintenance.

Cochran, an environmental studies major, worked for three years on a project titled “What We Know and What We Think We Know: Common Coastal Management Facts and Misconceptions.” The study looks at public understanding of the coast, and its findings show a need for greater educational initiatives to promote local protection of the shore. Cochran said her work can help inform future practices.

“The study will help pave the way for future management practices, and illuminate the misconceptions that are preventing proper coastal management,” said Cochran.

Cochran’s research into coastal management began after the hurricane, when the dunes in her neighborhood had become completely engulfed by the ocean. Her community was tasked with rebuilding these protective structures.

“In the wake of that, I became really inspired to help my community,” she said.

As a freshman in high school, she began developing a research project on building dunes, using fencing to trap the sand.

“That’s how dunes grow and become great ecosystems and protective barriers,” said Cochran.

“From there, I started this research journey where I was really interested in dune ecology.”

As a sophomore in high school, she met her mentor, Bianca Charbonneau, a student at the University of Pennsylvania. They discussed the politicizing of coastal management in the aftermath of Sandy, and together decided to look at the community’s relationship with the coast from the perspective of locals.

“We thought it would be really

great to take a social science study where we asked beachgoers, long term residents and oceanfront homeowners what they thought,” said Cochran.

They partnered with Christine Avenarius, an anthropology professor at East Carolina University, for help in conducting surveys.

For the following two summers, Cochran walked beaches, malls and festivals for the input of locals in Ocean and Monmouth Counties. In the first phase, she explored the perspectives of beachgoers on the Jersey Shore, amassing the opinions of 48 participants from 20 open-ended questions. The second summer, Cochran went to festivals, fairs and malls for a diverse array of community participants.

In this phase, 300 participants responded to 16 agree/disagree questions.

Cochran said approaching beachgoers could be difficult, as many did not want to stop to take a survey. However, she emphasized the significance of hearing

open-ended feedback, as opposed to the limitations of online surveying.

“I was going along the beach and having interviews with people, and actually being able to get their open-ended responses, which is what I was able to analyze last semester,” said Cochran. “I was able to really see how they convey their opinions, what language they use, because that’s so important to understand.”

Cochran entered Fordham as a freshman that fall. At the encouragement of Professor John van Buren of the environmental studies department, she applied for and received a grant through Fordham to continue her research.

Last semester, Cochran developed a word features algorithm in Python to look at the opinions and word choice of survey participants in response to different coastal issues, as well as potential areas of miscommunication. With this information, she was able to identify gaps in education with regards to coastal management.

“One of our biggest findings was that, although we have so many residents who are in support of coastal management and the construction and maintenance of dunes, they don’t know a lot about the processes that go into that,” said Cochran.

There was a general lack of participant knowledge in the role of fencing and vegetation on dune maintenance. Many favored beach replenishment, a costly method of restoring beaches which actually causes dunes to erode more quickly. To Cochran and her team, this pointed to the educational gaps currently present in public understanding of dunes.

“We’re trying to, with all this data, develop educational messages to persuade them more toward a living shoreline,” said Cochran.

CAB Presents Proposal

By SARAH HUFFMAN

“Especially since a lot of participants preferred natural beaches, which showed that there’s room for persuasion and education.”

Cochran’s Python program helped her develop messages which would help educate the public about sustainable methods of coastal maintenance. She hopes for change in education at a township level, where residents can make informed decisions about how to manage their own beaches.

“It’d be very influential for actual coastal managers to have this information and be able to pass it on to residents, as they are so interested but don’t really have the knowledge,” said Cochran.

Since the completion of the project, Cochran has presented at Fordham’s Undergraduate Research Colloquium in December. She gave talks at the Undergraduate Research Symposium and the Research Preview Night last week. In two weeks, she will present at the Fordham/ Columbia/NYU Sustainable Cities Conference.

Next, Cochran and her colleagues will submit their work to the Journal of Coastal Management for publication.

“Hopefully it will be very helpful to a lot of policymakers, and really helpful for coastal management as a whole,” said Cochran.

Going forward, Cochran will be working with Steven Franks, Ph.D., of the biology department to research the photosynthesis of American beachgrass, a key management species for dune structures. She has received a grant for this project, which she will be working on over the summer.

“It’s really important to understand the eco-geo-physiological features going on in the dunes for resource flux and invasibility when considering maintenance practices as well,” said Cochran.

STAFF WRITER

CAB This past Thursday, the Campus Activities Board (CAB) presented to United Student Government (USG) concerning their desire for departmental status.

CAB president Maxson Thomas, FCRH ’19, presented the CAB Departmental Organization Resolution, which outlines information about the organization gaining departmental status.

Vice President of Finance, Kaylee Wong, GSB ’20, explained the different levels of funding to the Senate. The first level is a standard funded club who has to submit a full budget packet and provide an itemized list asking for all funding. Next, there is a block-funded club which must describe generally where their funding will go, but does not have to provide an itemized list.

The next level is permanent allocation, CAB’s current status and the highest level is departmental status. Thomas previously said CAB was a block funded club, but last year they became a permanently allocated club and now they are seeking departmental status.

Thomas said that having the status of permanent allocation has helped them build their relationship with the Office of Student Involvement (OSI) and becoming departmental would solidify that relationship. He explained that they currently work with OSI to organize universitymandated events such as Family Weekend and Spring Weekend.

Departmental status would benefit their organization because they would bypass the budget committee and work closely with OSI said Thomas.

He said that as an organization with departmental status, they would present at an Student Life Council (SLC) meeting at the end of the year with each committee’s full spending percentages for the whole year. If approved, CAB will officially be under departmental status in the spring of 2019.

Art History Club Two representatives from the art history club’s e-board also presented to the Senate. The club’s past events have been sponsored by the art history department, according to the representative. In addition to this, they said the club has already held three meetings where they held e-board elections and talked about the logistics of their club. If they receive funding, they plan to use it for transportation.

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Photo of the Week:

Yankee Stadium, located at 161st Street, has been home to the New York Yankees since 2009. The Yankees have garnered 27 World Series since their establishment in 1903.

Email Vote Executive President Brian Reardon, FCRH ’18, informed the senate at this meeting that they could not vote for anything because none of the Gabelli School of Business (GSB) senior senators were present. None of the presentations at this meetings were voted on, and instead an email vote was conducted.

NEWS

April 25, 2018

Page 5

Bronx Celebration Day Brings Community Together FROM BRONX, PAGE 1

performers offered a sampling of Afro-Dominican jazz, local hip hop and Mexican folkloric dance.

Local vendors sold original art and community organizations such as Run 4 Fun and the Bronx Children’s Museum were in attendance, informing students of the many ways they can get involved outside of campus.

Also performing was Tammy Lopez, a Dominican writer and spoken word poet from Brooklyn.

Lopez, who has won a number of different poetry competitions in New York, stirred an emotional response from the crowd, who listened to her recite poems about familial conflicts and the struggles she experienced growing up as a Dominican woman.

Wodniak was pleased with the event’s turnout, which she said was made possible by the support of Dean Maura Mast. She said planning the event has taken months of preparation.

“Starting in January, we began contacting Bronx-based organizations to see if they would be interested in participating. We acquired a lot of our contacts from last year’s list of vendors, as well as recommendations from Dr. Mark Naison,” said Wodniak.

Among those in attendance was Nicoletta Nerangis, GSS ’08. Five years after graduation, Nerangis started Run 4 Fun, a running program that supports youth across the city in 10 different schools, including the Bronx.

“I wanted to volunteer with kids because I saw kids who had anxiety and kids who needed guidance. This is why I started my own program in 2013,” said Nerangis. “We started out with seven kids and then became a non-profit and gradually started growing from there.”

According to Nerangis, Run 4 Fun is currently waiting on grants to expand its program to two more schools in the Bronx. She also said this year will be the organization’s third year that its members will have the opportunity to travel internationally to Greece for running.

“I’m working to promote wellness and improve self-esteem,” said Nerangis. “Kids will do better in school if they are active and have an outlet like running so we’re really working to expand education and overall wellness through this as well.”

Hoay Smith, Art Director at Bronx Narratives, an online and print publication designed to depict the beauty of the Bronx and free the borough from its negative stigmas, also attended the celebration.

“Our goal at Bronx Narrative is to change the perspective and reinvent the story of our borough,” said Smith.

Smith said all of the work done at Bronx Narratives is sourced by local creatives.

“Dondre, our founder, started Bronx Narratives when trying to explore his borough. Once he had

the idea, he recruited other young people interested in cultivating art from the community,” said Smith.

Independent vendors, such as Cathy Beauchamp, were also present. Beauchamp, born in Utuado, Puerto Rico, immigrated to New York City and has lived in the Bronx since 1969. After Cathy retired as a detective from the New York City Police Department, she began making jewelry as a hobby in August 2015.

“I made my first piece for $29.00 and sold that same piece for $70.00. This is when I realized I wanted to start doing this and teaching other women in the Bronx how to make jewelry so that

they could profit from this beautiful hobby,” said Beauchamp.

Beauchamp currently teaches jewelry-making classes to women throughout the Bronx, including free classes at the Morris Park Branch Library.

Several students and Bronxites said they enjoyed the day’s festivities.

Molly Brodowski, FCRH ‘20, said the celebration far exceeded her expectations.

“I am such a huge fan of art and jewelry so the fact that there was so much of that here today was really amazing,” said Brodowski.

Brodowski also stressed the importance and responsibility of

the Fordham community to host events such as Bronx Celebration Day. “A lot of students really don’t know much about the Bronx so it’s really eye opening to see all that it can offer,” said Brodowski.

“It’s important that Fordham gets involved with the Bronx and sponsors local creatives beyond days like today so that we can ultimately help integrate the two communities into one.”

Wodniak said that the Bronx Celebration Day is not going anywhere and hopes the event will grow each year and become one that both the Fordham and Bronx community can look forward to.

ERICA SCALISE/THE FORDHAM RAM

Community members came together to share culture, art and music on Fordham’s campus at the celebration.

Pre-Med and Pre-Health Numbers On the Rise

By JOE ESPOSITO FEATURES EDITOR

From Spring 2017 to Spring 2018, there has been growth in the pre-med/pre-health program at the Fordham University School of Professional and Continuing Studies (PCS), according to Laura Bigaouette, the director of the program. This is approximately a 30 percent increase, according to Nicole Bryan, associate dean for Fordham PCS. Biggaouette said the growth in the program correlates with an overall growth in the industry.

“There is general growth in the entire healthcare industry,” she said.

Biggaouette attributed this growth to an aging baby boomer population and the fact that people are living longer. The population as a whole is also growing, and there is growth in immigration, according to Biggaouette.

Because of these changes, students are seeking to become patient-advocates, according to Biggaouette.

A growing need for people in healthcare has caused communities to become more sensitive to the need for service, according to Bryan. These factors have contributed to the consistent growth in the program.

Biggaouette has served as the director for the pre-med/prehealth program since September of 2017. She had previously

worked at Manhattanville College, where she was also a program director and oversaw two programs.

Undergraduate programs are seeing similar changes, according to Ellen Watts, the assistant dean for pre-health advising for Fordham College at Rose Hill. Over the last five to six years, the prehealth undergraduate program at Fordham College Rose Hill has grown, according to Watts. Last fall, there were approximately 245 pre-health students as a part

of the first-year cohort. That number has increased; in 2011, that number was 125 students.

Furthermore, more students are staying in the program, according to Watts.

Also, for the last two years, acceptance rates of students applying to professional schools has been over 80 percent, according to Watts. In the past, fewer students followed through with the process, with around 25 or 30 students applying. Now, around 90 students apply, according to

Watts.

Bigaouette also attributed the growth of PCS’s program to prospective students’ recognition of what Fordham has to offer.

“It’s the Fordham reputation, the Fordham philosophy around education, the Jesuit tradition that really runs very profoundly through a lot of the candidates with whom I speak,” she said.

The Fordham ideal of ‘Cura Personalis’ is instilled into programs at Fordham PCS, including pre-med/pre-health, according

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM RAM

A growing need for people in healthcare has contributed to the consistent growth of Fordham’s pre-health programs.

to Bigaouette. Personalized care and giving time and dedication to individual students is a feature of the program that helps them stand out from others, according to Biggaouette.

“This is a unique and strong characteristic of our program.

Students who do want that type of advising and help and support come here for that,” she said.

Another component that makes the Fordham program attractive and has contributed to its growth is its small class sizes, according to Biggaouette. Size ranges from around 15 to 25 students a class, much smaller than some larger university settings, according to Biggaouette. This allows for a more intimate learning experience, according to Biggaouette.

“They get that personalized focus and attention from their faculty, as well as from us at PCS,” she said.

The unique structure of Fordham’s program has also contributed to its growth, according to Bryan. She said the pre-med/ pre-health program is tailored to people working full time and who need to attend classes during the evening and on the weekend.

This program, focused on people who are changing careers, allows them to get the science background they need to make that change into or within the healthcare field. With the structure of the program, they are able to do so in a flexible manner, according to Bryan.

NEWS

Page 6

April 25, 2018

1968 Alumni Discuss Trump’s Fordham Years Trump “A Bit of a Loner” Before Transferring FROM TRUMP, PAGE 1

background, always seemed to foot the bridge toll for the millionaire’s son.

“They’d go across the bridge, and Roger paid the toll everyday,” said Malnati.

Another alumnus and Queens commuter, Raymond Lustig, FCRH ’68, knew that story. He said Trump did the same thing with other students he would commute with.

“Whenever they got to the toll booth . . . Trump would rattle his pockets and then claim not to have the necessary $0.25,” Lustig said.

President Donald J. Trump has come a long way from his commuting days in Queens. As a presidential candidate—and now as commander-in-chief of the United States—Trump often touted his standing as a business graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school, in 1968, but usually omits his first two years studying economics at Fordham’s Rose Hill campus.

In interviews with more than 60 alumni, a picture emerges of what the current president was like during his time at Fordham.

Of those interviewed, many remembered him fondly and many more did not remember him at all.

The consensus among friends, acquaintances and observers of Donald Trump described him as an athletic and affable young man, even if he did keep his distance from other students. Most knew “the Donald” from classes, playing golf or other sports with him or commuting to school. Few could be considered a close friend of his at Fordham other than Gedgard, who is since deceased.

Brian Fitzgibbon, GSB ’68, said he was friendly but not friends with Trump. They both commuted from the same area, and they would say hello whenever they bumped into one another.

“He was a bit of a loner all those years ago and I really can’t recall his being close with anyone,” said Fitzgibbon. “He complained to me on one of our rides to school that there were too many Italian and Irish students at Fordham.

He wanted me to know that I was excluded from that comment.”

A number of alumni admired Trump’s abilities in sports. Trump was on the squash team during his freshman year, according to interviews with alumni and a 1965 copy of the Maroon Yearbook.

Alumni also said he was a force to be reckoned with in intramural football, but he never played for the school’s team.

Bob McMahon, GSB ’68, considered himself a friend of Trump’s as they both commuted from Queens. He told a story about how stunned he was when he and his friends first asked Trump to play football on Edward’s parade with them, and he was able to punt the ball “fifty yards in the air while wearing loafers.”

“We were always begging Donald to play with us,” said McMahon.

McMahon said Trump also got

his first taste for the game of golf while attending Fordham, claiming he was with the future-president when he made his first hole-in-one.

During Trump’s time at both Fordham and UPenn, young men were drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, with exceptions for students and the injured. Trump was not conscripted into the military in order to continue his education, a normal deferment for college students at the time. He also avoided the draft after graduating college because of “bone spurs” in his heels.

Before arriving at Fordham, Trump attended New York Military Academy where he was named a captain in his senior year. He continued his military streak by joining ROTC during his freshman year, according to Malnati.

Malnati said Trump enjoyed ROTC at Fordham during his freshman year but quit during his sophomore year. How memorable Trump’s time in ROTC was remains a question.

Samuel Mok, GSB ’68, participated in ROTC all throughout college and served in the army for five years after. Mok said he had “no recollection of Donald Trump being part of it at all,” but he also said that might have had to do with the fact that he was “the only nonwhite cadet then and all other guys look quite the same.”

By their second year, members of Fordham’s ROTC club must commit at least two years to mili-

tary service after graduation, according to Mok, something Malnati said Trump did not want to do.

“All he said was, ‘I decided to leave,’” said Malnati. “He knew that all of those guys in ROTC would end up over there [in Vietnam].”

Malnati, a friend of Trump’s, said he was not surprised that Trump opted out of military service but understood why he did it. An unpopular war and mandatory service meant a lot of students were looking for a way out. In 1966, 382,010 men were drafted into the Army, which was the highest number at any point of the Vietnam war, according to the U.S. Selective Service System.

Trump had strong opinions in class and was never afraid to speak up, according to many of his acquaintances.

“My recollection is that Donald was a bright student and one who did not hesitate giving his opinion,” said David Coldrick, GSB ’68, who had class and played golf with Trump often.

Stephen Bishop, GSB ’68, said he was impressed by Trump’s classroom presence. He said Trump’s attire often sharply contrasted with other students, even though all male students at the time were required to wear a collared shirt, jacket and tie.

“He always wore a suit,” said Bishop. Another former class-

mate, Bob Sirhal, GSB ’68, remembered how “he wore ‘slick’ suits.”

Despite his trappings and background in the wealth of New York real estate, many alumni said Trump was easy to relate to. They said Trump’s relationship with Gedgard, a man from a workingclass background, was a testament to his affability.

“Roger Gedgard . . . frequently carried on conversations with Donald about sports,” said James Short, GSB ’68. “Roger was a very enthusiastic sports fan —just a regular guy, from modest means like many of us. Yet, Donald was very engaging and enjoyed those conversations —no airs about him.”

Trump did not seem to make much of a foothold at the school or in the memories of alumni, despite his golf outings, involvement in school sports and trips commuting with other students.

Many alumni said it was difficult to accurately remember a twoyear student from nearly 50 years ago, or that they had only heard he attended Fordham once he announced his candidacy for president in 2015.

But after sending out more than 150 emails to alumni who attended Fordham at the same time as Trump, many alumni took efforts to convince The Ram that Trump did not even attend the school (he did).

Trump was unsatisfied with

his time at Fordham, according to some of his former classmates.

Many said Trump wanted to pursue a real estate program, which Fordham did not offer at the time.

Moreover, they said Trump’s mind was on bigger and better things.

“I think Donald wanted to say he went to an Ivy league school,” said Malnati.

Trump’s grades were about in the “C+” range, according to Malnati, who said they all shared their report cards with one another, including Trump’s.

McMahon, another Trump friend, said he was in the “B” range.

In a book on the Trump family, biographer Gwenda Blair wrote that Donald Trump may have received admission into the University of Pennsylvania by having a family connection to the admissions officer. Interviewed alumni said his departure from Fordham was unannounced and unremarkable.

“Donald was not overly friendly or should we say . . . he had other things on his mind,” said Malnati.

“Matter of fact, he never told anybody that he was transferring to Penn.”

Winning the presidency was just as surprising as his departure to some.

“I never expected Trump to become president,” said McMahon.

“I never expected anyone from Fordham to become president.”

JAKE SHORE/THE FORDHAM RAM

On this page of an archived Maroon yearbook, a young Donald Trump stands second from the right in a Fordham lockeroom with his squash teammates.

NEWS

April 25, 2018

Applications Increase, Continue Trend FROM APPS, PAGE 1

that time... This is a nationwide trend that we expect will continue,” said Peek.

This years’ admitted student pool shows academic records and standardized test scores similar to those from previous years.

The average high school GPA of those admitted was 3.75, about the same as the last two years.

The average High Score (ACT/ SAT) of this years’ group of admitted students has increased to 1398, 18 points more than last year’s pool.

Peek said the pool of applicants considered for the Class of 2022 was exceptionally talented both in and out of the classroom.

The students had diverse experiences and talents, according to Peak. She said they were leaders, entrepreneurs, global citizens, dancers, actors, visual artists, researchers and members of their communities committed to service.

Peek said that some universities in the United States have received fewer applicants from international students this year, and she acknowledged that the decisions of these students can be impacted by “global changes in the political landscape.”

However, Peak said Fordham continues to welcome international students. She cited the overall increase in the number of accepted international students.

Peek said that the admissions staff feels very positive about this year’s pool on the international front. Students applied from more than 100 different countries from around the world, which remains consistent with the continued increase in the number of international applicants to Fordham in recent years. Thirteen percent of those admitted to the Class of 2022 will come from other countries.

The applications received from American students also show an increase in diversity.

Thirty-seven percent of those admitted identify as multicultural, representing a two percent increase from the past year.

At this point in the college application cycle, Fordham has received deposits from approximately 35 to 40 percent of the incoming class. Peek said this is typical since many students wait to commit to their school of choice until as late as May 1, the national deposit deadline.

There is still one last Admitted Students Day this Friday, April 27.

Page 7

RHA Rolls Out Online Presale FROM UTT, PAGE 1

implemented the online sales.

Chesnos said concerns that the system would crash kept them from selling more tickets online. She said a goal for the future is for the tickets to be more accessible to students.

“We’re just working to find a system that will hopefully support a mass [amount] of online ticket sales at once,” she said.

Chesnos said they are working on that system in conjunction with the Office of Student Involvement, which is experiencing similar issues with Senior Week ticket sales.

In addition to the limited number of presale tickets that were available, students had the option to pay members of ROTC to wait in line for them, according to Saccomano. She said that and the presale indicate that the tickets are available to those who are unable to wait in the line.

“Overall I think there are opportunities for getting tickets even if you’re unable to wait on line,” she said.

Saccomano said that the new RHA board next year may make changes in an effort to improve the system of ticket sales. However, she said the system worked fine this year.

“I believe this method worked for what our needs were,” she said.

Despite the perennially long line, students are willing to wait for tickets every year. Some said the wait is ultimately not that bad, and UTT is worth the trouble.

Becker said she did not mind waiting and was prepared to spend her time on the line.

“I wanted to go, and I had time to wait,” she said.

Even though it was a little cold

on Wednesday, she said it did not deter her from waiting.

“If you dressed warm enough, you were okay to sit there for awhile,” she said.

Patrick Infurna, FCRH ’20, waited on the line for three hours, but he said UTT is worth the wait.

“It’ll definitely be worth it; last year UTT was a lot of fun,” he said.

TIMOTHY UY FOR THE FORHDAM RAM

Students line up outside of McGinley to buy Under the Tent tickets.

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OPINION

Page 8

April 25, 2018

The Fordham Ram

The Retail-pocalypse is Not the End of the World

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Decline in major retail chains signals inevitable evolution that large brick-and-mortar stores can no longer compete with.

By ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Walking into a Target store is like coming home. I can spot an Xhilaration (a Target brand, for those who don’t know) sundress from a mile away, and my Target shirt is one of my most prized possessions.

I don’t just work at Target; being a Target employee is part of my identity. I’m a softlines sales associate, so the market that I work in (retail) is the one that you hear of closings in everyday.

I know that working at Target won’t be my life’s work. The job won’t be my career, but for many of my co-workers, it may well be. But, as of today, Amazon is buying out several chains like Target, leading to

a proclaimed “retail apocalypse.”

So, is the coming “retail-pocalypse” a good thing or a bad thing?

Just last month, Toys-R-Us announced it was going the way of Blockbuster and closing all its U.S. stores. Abercrombie and Fitch, Payless and Macy’s have all announced store closings, and the jewelry store Claire’s has declared bankruptcy.

Brick-and-mortar stores are becoming a thing of the past, and closures have increased in the past few years. These stores seem to be disappearing about as quickly as the number of Amazon packages arriving at my doorstep is increasing. The stock market tells the story in black and white; most retail stocks are in a seemingly endless decline, while Amazon’s stock soars.

The news isn’t all bad, though.

Many companies now have to get creative to get customers through their doors. This attraction can be done through promotions and sales both in-store and online.

New stores online mean more merchandise to choose from. Stores operating solely online (like ASOS and Tobi) have become personal favorites. Because they don’t have to run a traditional brick-and-mortar store, their businesses can often offer higher quality products for less.

There is always a risk, however, in trying a new store. One sees endless articles and threads online filled with tales of shopping mishaps that range anywhere from mini-furniture to prom dresses that look nothing like the picture promised.

Personally, I decided to take the plunge and order my senior year prom dress from PromDressShop. com. It was not the most promising URL, but the leap of faith paid off.

For plenty of other people, though, it doesn’t.

Another thing I love about internet shopping on sites like Amazon is the convenience of ordering a new pair of shoes without ever leaving the couch.

I have to admit, my beloved Target’s website pales in comparison.

No company can beat the convenience of one-click ordering and free two-day shipping through Amazon Prime.

It’s no wonder that nearly half of all U.S. e-commerce comes from Amazon, or that those numbers are growing. On the other hand, there’s a lot to love about physically going to a store. I like to try on the shoes I’m about to buy and feel the fabric on each shirt.

Amazon has not caused all these problems the retail sector is grappling with. Many stores that are closing have major debt problems. One example of this that springs to mind is H&M. The retail giant has over $4.3 billion worth of unsold clothes, and their plan to relieve the surplus is to increase their online presence and slash prices.

Obviously, when brands have to slash prices, they lose money and go down a slippery slope. The whole retail model is difficult. Each store has

to have multiple sizes of every item on hand and they have to pay leases and mortgages on their space.

They have to pay sales associates, cashiers and stockroom workers, just to name a few expenses. They have to take losses from damaged products and theft, so the price of each item is carefully calibrated to include all of this. They expect some items to be marked down, but not $4.3 billion worth of retail.

Despite the majority of this discussion centering around clothing retail, the digital move doesn’t only apply to that market sector. Everything from cars to sports equipment and even food has made its way online. Overall, hope for the traditional storefront now seems pretty dismal.

Will traditional stores ever fully go away? Of course not. But they’ll certainly continue to downsize and change their business models while online stores grow and thrive.

There’s no need to panic; the marketplace is an ever-changing entity.

People are calling theses changes a “retail apocalypse,” but I don’t see it that way: let’s call it a “retail revolution.” Despite various closings and changes to the marketplace, let’s not panic. It’s just normal fluctuation.

Change isn’t necessarily bad, especially when it serves consumers like you and me.

Eliot Schiaparelli, FCRH ’21, is a journalism major from Cincinnati, Ohio.

T-Pain’s Performance Can Break Barriers

By DOMINIC ARENAS STAFF WRITER

If you combined the total number of hit songs by Timeflies, Matt and Kim, Twenty One Pilots, Cold War Kids, Andy Grammer and Grouplove, you still would not scratch the surface of T-Pain’s discography.

After repeatedly choosing TPain in CAB’s survey of potential Spring Weekend acts, the student body’s wishes have come true.

We are finally getting a black hiphop artist for Spring Weekend.

T-Pain, aka “rapper ternt sanga” and the “Late 2000s Feature King,” is finally headlining Spring Weekend. Any and all songs that played at middle school dances, minivans and malls featured TPain.

This man is as much as a part of childhood as Gushers, Lunchables and Fruit by the Foot. From 2006-2010, T-Pain was featured on more than 50 chart topping singles.

Name 50 songs by the headlining acts from the past five years.

How many of those songs hit number one or went platinum?

The reason Auto-Tune is prevalent throughout the music industry and artists: T-Pain. Admit it, you probably had the “I am T-

COURTESY OF FLICKR

A succesful performance by T-Pain can open the gateway for many other popular hip-hop artists to perform at Fordham University.

Pain” app, said “Wiscansin” and pushed your heads and chest like T-Pain does in his videos. His usage of Auto-Tune ushered in a wave of new sounds in hip hop.

Think about any and all Kanye West albums after 808 and Heartbreaks or even Top 40 songs that rely on this quality. Many have utilized the “T-Pain Effect.”

Though T-Pain has [somewhat] retired the Auto-Tune for acoustic arrangements, the man is a respected hip-hop artist and rapper in the music industry.

That is why the announcement of T-Pain headlining Spring Weekend is monumental.

Part of the astonishment stems

from the fact that Fordham is a Jesuit University and T-Pain is, well, T-Pain. Though the artist has certified bangers, he (sometimes) sings about loving strippers and his routine of bringing women home. We, the Fordham student body, “can’t believe it.”

Pun intended.

Students and even Fordham alumni took to Twitter to voice their disbelief. Some tweets following the announcement included, “Finding out T-Pain is coming to Fordham made me forget Trump is president” and “Anyone tryna be a super senior and hit Fordham Spring Weekend for this T-Pain concert?!”

I’ve watched T-Pain before and I put his performance above the times I’ve watched Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar and Elton John.

T-Pain won’t crowd surf, freestyle about Fordham or do covers. The man carries a towel in his back pocket because he puts so much effort in each song.

At one point in his set, T-Pain even stated, “You did not realize how many songs I was in, huh?”

So, let us hope this is a sign that Fordham will be less stringent with performers and speakers.

I do not expect T-Pain to tone down his performance or even filter the content of his lyrics. It will be interesting to hear “I’m In Luv

(With a Stripper),” “Take Your Shirt Off ” and Up Down (Do This All Day)” blast throughout campus.

Another developing interest is how Fordham administration will respond. Imagine the likes of “I’m Sprung,” “Bartender” and “Booty Wurk” penetrating the walls of the Fordham University Church.

As a small Jesuit University, Fordham could never get a headlining act that is currently popular and on top of the charts. We either get acts before they are famous or after their time at the top.

Though T-Pain can be categorized with the latter, his appearance this Spring Weekend is a major victory for the student body. If all goes well, hopefully it will be a win for administration too.

For years, the majority of Spring Weekend attendees have been yearning for an act they can get behind and be hyped up about. T-Pain’s performance will do just that and (hopefully) show the administration that it needs to be more lenient with future performers and speakers.

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

OPINION

April 25, 2018

Page 9

Retreats are Healthy for Everyone

By KATHERINE DeFONZO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This past weekend, Fordham Retreat Ministry gathered to wish the seniors goodbye, as well as welcome the new retreat leaders for the upcoming year.

Although this meeting is always bittersweet, it is also very refreshing. It reminds the ministry group as a whole about the positive impact that retreats can have on all people from different backgrounds.

Retreats can be so valuable for students who do not consider themselves spiritual or religious because such a strong sense of community is formed over the course of the weekend.

Everyone on the retreat begins the experience a bit unsure about what to expect, perhaps a little nervous, but by the end of the weekend, there is a genuine and very unique bond among students who might not have even known each other before.

This comes from an openness

to self-discovery. No two people are looking or hoping for exactly the same thing when they choose to go on a retreat, but there is an understanding that everyone is there to help one another and journey together towards whatever that hope for the weekend might be.

Prayer is often an important part of retreats, especially retreats such as Emmaus which are more focused on spirituality than on community, but retreat leaders encourage those who might not

COURTESY OF FORDHAM CAMPUS MINISTRY

Retreats allow you to attain a greater sense of self-awareness, which can be achieved even if you are not Christian.

be comfortable praying to simply offer up a good thought or intention and to talk about God or the divine as best they understand.

While it might seem like a leap of faith for students who are not Christian or who identify as agnostic or atheist to go on a retreat, I think it is an important part of the college experience to take advantage of such opportunities and to see them as an opportunity for personal growth.

There is so much to be learned from others who might not share your beliefs!

Everyone should do at least one retreat during their time at Fordham because regardless of whether or not you consider yourself to be spiritual or religious, or even if you are still confused about where you stand with your relationship with God or a higher power, retreats allow you to take a step back and reflect on these sorts of important questions.

As college students, it is rare that we get the chance to do this; our schedules are jam-packed from the moment we get up to the moment we go to sleep. We are running from class to a meeting to another meeting, sometimes

barely able to take a moment to sit down and reflect. Retreats give you the unique opportunity to do this.

Even if you know in the back of your mind that you have a lot due in the coming week after the retreat, at the retreat house in Goshen, the only pressure you feel is to allow yourself to set all other worries aside and be present, treasuring every moment as it comes.

There is time for small and large group discussions during retreats that can lead you to important realizations about yourself, your relationship with God, your relationship with your family and friends and your relationship with the world.

The talks given by retreat leaders can also be very valuable.

They remind you that everyone is struggling in some way, and that everyone has their own kind of burden to bear. It is immensely comforting to be reminded that you’re not alone.

Katherine DeFonzo, FCRH ’18, is a history and Spanish literature major from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Tino’s Takes | Faustino Galante

Tenure Can be Toxic for Students On April 17, 2018, former first lady Barbara Bush died at the age of 92. In the wake of her passing, individuals from across the United States paid their respects. One professor from Fresno State, California, had some choice words for the first lady following her death. Just an hour after Barbara Bush’s death on Tuesday, English professor Randa Jarrar tweeted out, “Barbara Bush was a generous and smart and amazing racist who, along with her husband, raised a war criminal. F*** outta here with your nice words.”

She went on to explain that she was “happy the witch is dead” and that she could not wait for “the rest of her family to fall.” Following her comments, many condemned Jarrar and called on California State University, Fresno to fire her. However, the professor was quick to respond to her critics. In another tweet, she explained that she could not be fired due to the fact that she was tenured by the University.

In the context of academics, tenure is essential to promoting job security for teachers across the United States. When a teacher receives academic tenure, they are given an indefinite academic appointment at the institution of which they work.

A tenured educator can only be dismissed from their position under “extraordinary circumstances” such as a program discontinuation or a pressing financial crisis. Essentially, as Jarrar explained, when a professor is tenured, they are there to stay. It is extremely difficult to fire a professor who is tenured.

The case of Randa Jarrar demonstrates the flaws of tenure. Though one might argue that tenure is a “necessary evil” because of the fact that it promotes job security and

academic freedom, one should also recognize its imperfections. The fact that tenured high school teachers and college professors maintain the belief that they “cannot” be fired is ludicrous. Furthermore, tenure presents a hefty financial burden to the institutions that issue it. Finally, tenured professors could possibly demonstrate a lack of motivation due to the fact that they are “untouchable.”

Following the Randa Jarrar situation, Fresno State University published an official announcement making clear that “there are certainly, situations where a tenured faculty person can be fired.” While tenured faculty members can indeed be fired, the process is by no means easy, nor is it cheap.

Firing a tenured teacher is an extensive process that requires a great deal of legal fees. As a result, many educators such as Randa Jarrar maintain the notion that they cannot be fired. In 2008, Fox News published a story which demonstrated how difficult it could be to terminate a tenured educator. In May of that year, a tenured English teacher who belonged to the Long Island district pleaded guilty for her fifth DWI arrest in seven years. Despite being in prison, she nonetheless remained on the school district’s payroll for a great deal of time and earned a staggering annual salary of $113,559.

The school district was required to place the teacher on paid leave despite the fact that she had committed a serious crime.

The article goes on to explain that to fire one tenured teacher in New York City, taxpayers spend, on average, around $250,000. As a result of this egregious expense, tenured teachers are typically not fired.

The fact that tenured teachers can commit crimes and still be paid is preposterous. It is unjust that educators receive such a high degree of job security. It would be wrong to make the claim that job security is not imperative in academia. Tenure, however, gives professors too much liberty and inhibits institutions from holding them accountable for their actions.

Firing tenured educators is clearly a huge financial burden for academic intuitions across the United States. However, keeping them employed is also a financial burden.

Being that tenure can seem like a lifelong contract, universities must allocate enough funds to ensure that it can provide compensation for its tenured professors accordingly.

Academic institutions subsequently lose the ability to downsize if they encounter financial misfortune. In article for The Atlantic entitled “How much does Tenure Cost?” staff writer Meghan Mcardle presents an intriguing analogy. “Imagine I offered you one cell phone contract for two years at $100 a year, and another for 50 years at $90 + inflation,” she writes. “Would you really consider the second contract ‘cheaper’?”

Choosing the second choice would obviously place customers at a disadvantage. What if, for example, after ten years an individual desired a new feature which their cellphone carrier could not provide.

They would be forced to sign with a new carrier on top of their old one.

When a university chooses “the second choice” and decides to tenure a professor, they place themselves at a financial disadvantage.

Adjunct professors are known to be some of the hardest-working fac-

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Incompetent teachers who cannot be removed pose a real threat to students.

ulty members on college campuses.

Because they lack tenure, and therefore lack job security, adjunct faculty members are unfortunately forced to work various jobs and competitively work to make an impression in the hopes of receiving tenure.

Tenure, in the context of adjunct professors, motivates them to work harder. When one receives tenure, they can breathe a sigh of relief.

Sometimes though, this sigh of relief can diminish an educator’s overall job performance and motivation.

In a study for University of California, Berkley entitled “Job Security and Productivity,” William Lueng conducts an economic analysis to find out whether tenure negatively influences a teacher’s overall performance. After sampling 934 academic researchers, Lueng concluded that “evidence indicates productivity drops in the year immediately after tenure.”

He explains that in the year after receiving tenure, professors saw a 9.3 percent drop in productivity.

Their number of days of absence per week also tripled after their probabilities of being fired decreased.

To maximize the productivity of its educators, academic institutions in the United States must revitalize tenure. As mentioned above, tenure obviously makes it harder for high schools and colleges to hold their faculty members accountable for their actions. As a result, teachers become less motivated.

Tenure is a staple of American academic institutions. While the practice does indeed ensure academic freedom and job security for educators, it maintains flaws.

Instead of issuing lifelong contracts through tenure, institutions should consider establishing 5-10 year contracts. Being that tenure provides life long job security, it has the potential to provide professors with too much freedom, serve as a colossal financial burden and diminish faculty productivity. People must take note of the fact that tenure sustains various imperfections.

OPINION

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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 25, 2018

From the Desk | Hannah Gonzalez

The Disneyfication of Polynesian Culture When Disney announced that it was developing a movie steeped in the folklore of the Polynesian Islands, Pacific Islanders and those of Pacific Island descent were ecstatic. Here was finally the opportunity for representation, the chance for our heritage to be put on display.

This Polynesian Disney princess would be one for the world to fall in love with.

Upon its release, Moana seemed to hit all of the checkboxes of a culturally sensitive Disney film. It was based on the Long Pause, an actual episode in Polynesian history. The voice actors were actually of Pacific Island descent. The moving soundtrack and breathtaking animation didn’t disappoint, either.

Yet, despite all this, something about the movie felt off.

Moana espoused a universal message about the importance of knowing who you are, following your dreams and finding the strength to be a leader. These messages aren’t bad by any means, but it wasn’t necessarily the story a Pacific Islander would tell about their heritage. Nor was it really a story about Pacific Islands at all. This film was a Disney story wearing a grass skirt.

On one level, the Disneyfication of island folklore came as no surprise to me. Disney is no bastion of historical authenticity by any means, and it never set out to be. But conversation about the appropriation and commodification of culture remains relevant as Disney continues to roll out culturallythemed movies that center on such nonspecific themes as love, family, friendship and individuality, all neatly packaged in a sterilized, Western-friendly bow.

I wasn’t the only person to question the movie’s apparent appropriation. Vicente Diaz, a scholar of the Pacific Islands, harshly critiqued Disney’s exploitation of native Polynesian culture. He questioned the idea that Disney’s can invoke the “Oceanic Advisory Board” formed for the movie as license to depict an entire region of the world. “... What, exactly does it mean that henceforth it is Disney that now administrates how the rest of the world will get to see and understand Pacific realness,” Diaz asks in his article in the Indian Country Today magazine.

Personally, my problem isn’t that Moana is not wholly factual.

Disney’s stories are, without exception, set in a fantastical realm quite apart from the real world. After all, it’s a children’s movie. Instead, my fear is that the only exposure that the mainstream American audience will ever have to non-American cultures is that of the two-dimensional Disney variety.

I’m not asking for Disney to change its formula. Instead, what I’m calling for is a Hollywood in which the scope of storytelling is far-reaching and diversity is expected rather than exceptional.

Moana did very well in the box office, grossing nearly $250 million domestically. More recently, Coco grossed over $200 million.

It would be easy to attribute these successes to a “Disney effect,” according to which the vast majority of animated Disney movies are doomed to do well. But I for one would like to take this trend as a sign that Americans are not only accepting of cultural stories, but eager to learn more about them. If only there were more filmmakers willing to tell these stories.

How do we reconcile the call for representation in Disney with the inevitable Disneyfication of the cultures it takes on? I see cul-

tural films, and Moana, in particular, as an opportunity to celebrate a strong brown protagonist, even as we critique some of the movie’s more specific cultural failings.

Movies like Moana and Coco serve as a launching point into a broader discussion of the need for more diverse stories and storytellers in Hollywood.

In the future, I want to see a box office that represents cultures from all over the world, from all different perspectives. For now, though, I’ll sing along to “How Far I’ll Go,” and tell anyone who will listen about the historical background glimmering beneath the surface of Moana’s shiny sea.

Editorial | Town Hall

Administration Transparency is Essential for Students New York University (NYU) recently held a public town hall with Andrew D. Hamilton, the university president. He fielded questions from students on a wide range of topics affecting the school, from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement to racism. Those in attendance seized the opportunity.

Unfortunately, this type of onthe-record, open conversation between students and their university president is a foreign concept at Fordham. The editorial board of The Fordham Ram cannot recall the last time (if ever) that Father McShane made himself available to students in this capacity during his time as president.

Many administrators and faculty host town halls at Fordham, for which we applaud them. Individual class deans accept questions on the core curriculum; the Diversity Task Force took heat on, well, diversity at Fordham; even John Carroll, director of Public Safety, received criticisms from students after last year’s protest at Cunniffee.

In an effort to provide increased access to information and true transparency, we would like to see this type of forum between the president and student body instituted at Fordham.

While we do not expect every conversation to be on the books, the editorial board of The Fordham Ram thinks it important that McShane dedicates a specific, discursive space so students can ask him -- on the record -- about issues impacting our campus.

We are surprised that even after the numerous bias incidents

that rattled the Rose Hill campus in 2015, Father McShane did not speak in a town hall capacity open to the student body where he could receive questions from students in an on-the-record format.

We commend the formation of the Diversity Task Force and the tolerant environment it continuously seeks to uphold. However, the editorial board of The Fordham Ram thinks the failure to share a more substantial and open conversation from the top-down continues to be a missed opportunity.

It speaks volumes if a head of a university remains inaccessible to the student body he presides over, leaving students unable to raise their concerns in a public capacity. Fordham has not been free of controversy in recent semesters, and we believe establishing a more direct line of communication could help eradicate distrust in the administration.

For the past two years, Father McShane has met once a semester together with the editor-in-chief and news editor from The Fordham Ram as well as The Observer. This presents a unique opportunity for student journalists to ask important questions to the president that help inform our fellow students.

Although we value this opportunity, we also recognize that it is a privilege afforded to a select group and done so in an extremely insular setting.

Father McShane also holds Pizza with the President, where 12 students are able to share lunch and engage in a casual conversation.

However, this is an off-the-record event that student journalists can-

not report on.

The editorial board of The Fordham Ram appreciates Father McShane’s commitment to conversing with students. However, we do feel that having a similar conversation in an on-the-record setting can inform our reporting and thus, the student body. We strongly believe that these informal meetings present an invaluable opportunity to see how our president interacts with students in a less scripted setting.

Moreover, the restriction student journalists are faced with at Fordham extends outside these informal lunch meetings. The Fordham Ram’s news team covers Faculty Senate meetings but does so with limited access. But that access has been further restricted.

Student journalists do not have access to Father McShane’s address to the Faculty Senate, nor to the subsequent question and answer session. This is an invaluable opportunity to learn about both the faculty and the president that we cannot access.

As the university’s official journal of record, we cannot cover the significant issues facing our institution if our access to information is obstructed in such a capacity.

The editorial board of The Fordham Ram does not want to seem unnecessarily critical of our president. We do acknowledge that the town hall structure is not always the most effective. It can get out of hand quickly should students take an aggressive or accusatory route when asking their questions.

However, we are optimistic that Fordham students, if given the op-

portunity to engage in this type of dialogue, would not squander its ability to reoccur with unruly behavior.

There is a difference between passion and anger. Our student body certainly has an appetite to bring various issues to the president’s attention in an impassioned, public manner. But students’ agitation will only boil over into the latter category if they are not given a place to vocalize their concerns.

With that being said, the editorial board of The Fordham Ram wants our fellow students to advocate for this means of access as well.

It is troubling that student journalists are not experiencing the administrative transparency we would like. But ultimately, we cannot carry this burden alone, and others must also put on the pressure .

In conjunction with the day of action established by editors at the University of Florida’s Independent Florida Alligator to celebrate the importance of student journalism, we want to reiterate that these roadblocks we experience as a collegiate newspaper hinder our ability to report the news in a fully transparent manner.

Through this editorial, we hope that our readers realize this is not just an administrative shortcoming facing student journalists’ access to information but also for everyone on our campus.

A presidential town hall may not become a longstanding tradition on this campus, and that is okay.

But the editorial board of The Fordham Ram refuses to accept that it cannot be done.

April 25, 2018

OPINION

Take Interest In Your USG Budget Committee

By ELIZABETH CRENNAN and BRENDAN BATCHELLER

Elizabeth Crennan, FCRH ’19, and Brendan Batcheller, GSB ’18, both served for three years on the USG Budget Committee. Crennan is a previous Vice President of Finance, while Batcheller was Vice Chair of the Budget Committee. Both Crennan and Batcheller also revised the Student Activities Budget Committee Guidelines.

As past members of the United Student Government Budget Committee, we’ve both spent a great deal of time explaining what the Budget Committee does and what clubs need to do to receive funding.

We’re still explaining how it functions, even though we’ve both left these positions to pursue internship opportunities. USG, the Budget Committee and all the documents, rules and regulations that accompany them are not in the least bit interesting to the majority of students on campus.

On the other hand, we believe that USG is an essential mouthpiece for students to communicate their needs and desires to the administration.

It’s also an important regulatory element for clubs and organizations to receive funding, training and space properly. We’d like to take this opportunity to explain why the Student Activities Fee and the Budget Committee are an essential part of Fordham’s culture.

Over the past few years, there have been many changes on campuses across the country as more student governments have displayed student initiative and action.

Unfortunately, here at Fordham, we have taken a step back.

Students are not interested or involved in our United Student Government, which is understandable given USG’s lack of a meaningful role on campus. As members and

leaders of the Budget Committee, a subsection of United Student Government and the Student Life Council, we constantly fought to change this apathetic view of the committee and student government.

Due to the cyclical nature of universities, there is a constant transition in student leadership and the student body in general.

It is the Office for Student Involvement (OSI)’s responsibility to provide consistent and stable advisors throughout these transitions.

In our three years, we have had a longer active role in the committee than anyone else on campus as five different advisors have filtered through while we served.

We acknowledge that there have been unforeseen transitions within OSI, but throughout this three-year transition, OSI has consistently acted defensively and any issues that arose were blamed on the transition. There was no sense of anyone in the office actively trying to support club leaders through long-term plans, effective communication or clearly set expectations regarding achievable tasks for OSI given the limits of staff and resources.

The Budget Committee manages the Student Activities Fee, a singular fund to which students contribute, allocate and personally spend. The fee is possibly the most important fund for students on our campus.

It is a $135 fee that all undergraduate students pay on a semesterly basis, which is then allocated to various groups like Club Sports, Senior Week and all the clubs and organizations that have requested funding.

The sole purpose of this fund, as listed in the Student Activities Budget Committee Guidelines, is “to provide funding for Fordham clubs and organizations to create events for students with the purpose of developing intellectual

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ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Two former USG members detail their grievances with the Office for Student Involvement.

growth and offering opportunities to develop leadership qualities.”

In light of the vital role that this funding plays, the Budget Committee cannot be understated as it embodies the necessary freedom for students to voice their desired programming on campus by requesting funding for their events and programs from a body of their peers.

Student leaders tend to voice their disappointment with the committee’s decision making process, which is understandable given the limited funds and the Budget Committee’s strict adherence to guidelines, a document that was actually written by the students and approved by students and administrators.

The more recent issue for the Budget Committee is that this negative perception has been further perpetuated by the Office for Student Involvement. The Office for Student Involvement’s role in USG and the Budget Committee

COURTESY OF DANIEL STROIE

If CAB becomes departmental, the Budget Committee will have a much smaller portion of funds to allocate to other clubs.

is to act as advisors to the students by providing mentorship and information about precedent.

Unfortunately, our relationship with our advisors cannot be considered mentorship at all. It was a constant battle to work with them. In many cases, our direct advisors actively worked against the committee by pushing OSI’s agenda instead of providing unbiased background and knowledge for new and potentially unexperienced VPs of Finance or Budget Committee members.

It is important to note that the VP of Finance position receives absolutely no training from the Office for Student Involvement, even though this position is incredibly demanding and timeconsuming.

The VP supervises the allocation of over $1,500,000 annually to over 145 student-run clubs and organizations on campus. This VP also educates club treasurers through training sessions, resources, and one-on-one budget meetings, organizes and facilitates the recruitment and selection of the Budget Committee and monitors the allocation of finances for the United Student Government.

Historically, it is through the mentorship from previous VPs that the incoming VP of Finance is trained. But this system is flawed.

For example, one of the required tasks of the VP of Finance is to present a comprehensive overview of the proposed Student Activities Fee allocations to the Student Life Council in order for them to vote to approve.

In her first semester as VP of Finance, Elizabeth was not informed of this responsibility until the week of the meeting, and she was only notified of this information from the previous VP of Finance, instead of OSI. The entire responsibility was hers, and there was no support or advisement in preparations.

The same goes for the last-minute notice and lack of support in leading training sessions for stu-

dents at the Club Leader Summit.

These issues culminated when we left the Budget Committee midyear to pursue internships, necessitating that people replace us. We had received no previous advisement from OSI and we knew that it would be our responsibility to properly train the incoming VP of Finance.

The United Student Government operates under and is advised by the Office for Student Involvement. As we have detailed, time and again, that office has inadequately supported the students that they advise.

Our student government is not autonomous, and there is no interest in student government because of OSI’s incompetence. The USG/ SLC Budget Committee currently operates as the only group of students within Fordham who are entrusted with the ability to allocate money to different student groups. With this privilege, the Budget Committee acts as an advocate for student groups.

These problems are all the more significant because of the proposal for Campus Activities Board (CAB) to become a departmental organization of OSI next Wednesday. This means CAB’s entire budget – $174,000 per semester, over a third of the Budget Committee funds – will no longer be under the autonomy of the Budget Committee.

Instead, it will be directly overseen by OSI. In the scenario where CAB transitions from a club to a department, the authority of the committee would be further eroded, and its ability to operate as it was originally designed would be violated. This is a direct attack on your student government and will further silence student voices on campus.

This an active call to students and student leaders to take an interest in the authority and autonomy of USG and specifically the integrity of the Budget Committee which is currently being undermined by their direct advisors.

Page 12

CENTENNIAL

In 1952, the potential threat to football made front-page news, calling for a special EXTRA issue. Later, in 1956, the team was shut down and defunded (Vol. 32, Issue 12).

April 25, 2018

CENTENNIAL

April 25, 2018

Page 13

Financially, Fordham Football simply could not be saved (Vol. 34, Issue 11).

Rams On the Field in the 1900s

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.

While The Fordham Ram has now taken nine trips down memory lane, one aspect of the news we have yet to fully explore is our sports coverage.

Although Fordham may not have too much prestige as a sports

school today, at least nation-wide, it used to be a powerhouse. The Rams were particularly strong on the gridiron, including their famous Seven Blocks of Granite offensive lines; the most famous of these lineups was the 1936 iteration, which featured Vince Lombardi. Fordham Football was prestigious enough that its game against Waynesburg in 1939 was the first televised college football game. This esteem made the potential shuttering of the program in 1954 then actual

shut down in 1956 – due to both financial and performance issues – all the more shocking.

The Rams had success in other sporting outlets, however. In 1953, the men’s basketball team made its first-ever NCAA Tournament (the team lost to Lebanon Valley 80-67 in the first round). Previously, in 1947, though neither was famous enough at the time to warrant inclusion in the short write-up, both Vin Scully and George H.W. Bush shared the Yale baseball field.

Above is a history of Fordham Football’s wins and losses (Vol. 34, Issue 11).

Aging newspaper cannot overshadow the great Vince Lombardi’s legacy (Vol. 18, Issue 1).

Fordham’s game against Waynesburg was the first televised college football game (Vol. 20 Issue 2).

In 1953, the Fordham men’s basketball team played in the NCAA tournament (Vol 32, Issue 19).

Sports cartoons once crowded pages of The Fordham Ram (Vol. 32, Issue 12).

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Page 14

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Register now via my.fordham.edu Session I: May 29–June 28 Session II: July 5–August 6

SUMMER SESSION 2018

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New episodes every other week

April 25, 2018

CULTURE

April 25, 2018

Page 15

Vansire Sets High Bar for Summer Dream Pop

By OLIVIA NANGLE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With its soft vocals and sweet synths, Vansire’s sound is something out of a dreamy time loop. The lo-fi dream pop band captures the enchantment and intimate beauty of the Midwest through its melodies and evocative lyrics.

The Minnesota-dwelling duo attends different colleges and describes their project as “a long-distance band relationship” but represents the gold standard of long-distance relationships.

The band members, Josh Augustin and Sam Winemiller, have been working on their full-length album, Angel Youth, for about a year now and it is has come together beautifully.

This weekend, The Fordham Ram had the opportunity to listen to their new album before its April 26 release and got to meet Augustin and Winemiller on a more personal level.

The Fordham Ram (TFR): How did Vansire come to be?

Josh Augustin: It’s been a series of lucky events and Spotify algorithms that turned this bedroom project into a semi-legit thing.

We were friends in high school on drum-line together. One summer we just started recording stuff together and we just kept doing it.

We had some different releases

here and there, and somewhere along the way it just spiked, the Spotify numbers started going up and our music started appearing on different YouTube channels. We’ve somehow amassed a decent following without ever formally touring or anything.

Sam Winemiller: Yeah, it pretty much started in the basement at my place.

TFR: Tell me a little bit about your new album, Angel Youth.

Augustin: Our latest album is our first legitimate project. We’ve been working on it for about a year now and we see it as our first, fully fleshed-out album, though we have two releases out already.

TFR: What’s your favorite song on the new album?

Winemiller: Definitely “About The World”.

Augustin: Probably “Wonderland” with Jeremiah Jay. TFR: What is your songwriting process like?

Augustin: We generally start instrumentally. Usually it begins with a chord progression or a lick that one of us comes up with, and then we just sort of build it into a complete song together and then I add on vocals at the very end as a last step, so it’s a bit of a reverse process.

There are a couple times where that wasn’t the case, like “Eleven Weeks” and “Four Portraits.” I kind

of had some stuff in my head.

Most of the time, one of us will send the other a file and say “oh, this is an interesting lick or progression” and it just spirals from there.

TFR: How does Angel Youth differ from your first couple of releases?

Winemiller: The new album has a lot more synths and some rap features.

Augustin: Yeah, conceptually, the last release we had was very rooted in the place we’re from, the “driftless region” of the Midwest.

It’s a very lo-fi, claustrophobic kind of sound. But now, with this album, it’s like you’re turning to the coast in a way in terms of sonic production, narrative arcs and themes throughout the album.

It’s meant to be more grand and cinematic, but it’s as if you’re still rooted in that perspective. Most of what we do is informed by our landscape of where we’re from in the Midwest.

Now it’s like we’re staring out at Los Angeles, if that makes sense.

TFR: Would you say that where you’re from, specifically the Midwest, is a big influence on your music?

Augustin: Definitely. Our music has always sort of been music to drive to in “the driftless region,” a little slice of the Midwest.

TFR: Josh, I noticed that in December you released an upbeat remix of Vansire’s “Halcyon Age,” on your

personal Spotify. Can your listeners expect any more remixes of your original songs or other artists’ in the future?

Augustin: Oh yeah, I do a fair amount of beat-making, remixing and production-related work. There aren’t really formal plans for more remixes at this time, but I sort of just come to it as I feel like it.

That was a big shift with this album. I used to compartmentalize my projects in different areas, like I make beats as this moniker, I make ambient music under this other name, and Vansire is just dream pop, etc.

But with the new album, we threw those boundaries out of the window, and some songs I sort of approached compositionally the way I would like a beat, per say.

I think the resulting product is a much more honest reflection of who we are as artists, so I’m glad it turned out that way.

TFR: Who would be your dream artists to collab with?

Augustin: MF Doom. I would die happy if I could ever do anything with him. Also, I would love to work with this artist, Kadjah Bonet, who I really admire.

Winemiller: Tyler, the Creator or Dustin from Beach Fossils.

TFR: Is there anything else you want your listeners to know about who you guys are?

Winemiller: [laughing] I’d prob-

ably have to say we’re just two guys keeping it real, making honest music.

Augustin: Yeah, we’re not sure how all of this happened. It’s honestly been kind of a dream getting to work with all these artists we deeply admire and we just feel really good about this album.

This is the first thing we feel totally solid on and we hope people take the time to listen from top to bottom and listen to the work of the people that featured on it. We hope people can connect with it in whatever way works best for them.

Angel Youth reflects the driftlessness of the Midwest found in Vansire’s first release, Reflections and Reveries, but it also embodies a sense of maturity and growth for the band as a whole.

The duo’s latest project demonstrates a willingness to experiment and explore, and it has proved successful for them stretching beyond the Midwest horizon, and into unknown territory.

It encompasses the vastness of Middle America, but also reaches further into the incalculability of the coast. My favorite tracks are “Set Piece,” featuring a rap verse from Ive Soul, and “Nice to See You” with vocals from Floor Cry. Vansire does not have any formal plans to tour right now, but their album Angel Youth releases on April 26, 2018.

Review | Film

Grace Jones Discusses New Film at Lincoln Center

By RYAN DI CORPO CULTURE EDITOR

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Miss Grace Jones.”

Director Sophie Fiennes and her film subject Grace Jones sat down for a conversation moderated by NPR’s Piotr Orlov on April 14 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

The discussion took place following a screening of Fiennes’ new semiconcert documentary, Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami.

The Jamaican-born Jones, now 69, embodies what remains of the vibrant, strobing flamboyance of the 1980s in New York City. She is that inimitable pop personage, Studio 54 incarnate, once dubbed “Queen of the Gay Discos.”

She is that electric creativity unfettered, unrestricted and unafraid who pushed and then redefined and then pushed again the boundaries of music and on-stage performance.

She is high art, high fashion and high heels standing in the public square, in your dreams, in your nightmares and assuring you “I’m just playing around, baby.”

Jones might be playing around, but people are still taking notes. It is important to note that what is written and what is said about Grace Jones can never truly be characterized as hyperbole, for Jones is hyperbole perfected.

Her work in the 1970s with fashion designers Claude Montana and Yves St. Laurent, and now longstanding professional relationship with photographer Jean-Paul Goude, established her as “a muse to channel

fearlessness, androgyny, and raw sex appeal,” according to Vogue.

Her most well-known albums — Warm Leatherette (1980), Nightclubbing (1981) and Slave to the Rhythm (1985) — identified Jones as a musical innovator combining elements of disco, new wave and electric funk.

Yet, Fiennes’ new documentary, which is half-concert and half-personal travelogue, does not focus on the Jones of 40 years ago. It focuses on the Jones of today.

Grace Jones is not a film of talking heads who sit diagonal to the camera and obey the rule of thirds and speak in prepared, measured statements about the creation of Jones’ albums and her “artistic process.”

Grace Jones is a film which takes a few minutes to kill the audio and present us with Jones dancing at a wild party while the club lights flash and the image seems fit to explode.

The film is intensely intimate in humanizing a woman who for so long has been viewed as an unapproachable work of art, a sculpture recherché. In the words of Jones, who brought her own glass of white wine to the after-film discussion, “People think I really come from another planet.”

Yet Fiennes was interested in the person behind the image.

“What kind of a woman is that?” asked a young Fiennes after her first glimpse of the cover art for Island Life, Jones’ 1985 compilation album. The album’s cover, created

by Goude, portrays Jones in an arabesque stance which ignores what is anatomically possible.

This image immediately piqued

Fiennes’ curiosity: who is she?

Fiennes first met Jones around 2003, with Jones stating that Fiennes quickly became “part of the family.”

The production of the film did not follow a strict process, documenting events as they happened.

Jones stressed her desire to simply film her life as it occurred instead of trying to construct a narrative out of pre-determined scenes. Fiennes described Jones as “pure cinema,” due to her “fantastic presence” both on stage and on screen.

The film is striking in its dichotomy, fluctuating between glossy, expertly-shot concert cinematography and low-resolution, handheld camerawork documenting Jones’ private moments and her visit to her family in Jamaica.

We see Jones at the airport, Jones sitting around a dinner table featuring fish and bottles of Pepsi with her family, Jones sitting on the floor playing jacks.

Fiennes was given unprecedented access to bring to the screen a quality never associated with Jones: a stunning normality.

The film also documents Jones in Paris, concert preparations, in-studio recording sessions and a contentious argument over the phone with her longtime musical collaborator and bassist Robbie Shakespeare.

But the most intimate moments stem from Jones’ startling candor regarding the abuse she and her siblings endured at the hands her of stepfather, a man referred to as “Mas P.”

Jones recounts being forced to read passages from Scripture while being whipped by Mas P. In one conversation, Jones explains her “scary” on-stage persona as her performance of the man who tormented her and her family.

“I’m human, man! I’m human,” yells Jones during an argument in the film.

Despite such serious subject matter, the film is anything but solemn.

It is imbued with a unique, infectious energy produced by Jones’ dynamic live performances and quotes such as, “Disco was really like going to church.”

In all, Grace Jones is an uncommon document which not only furthers public interest in Jones, but helps to complete her singular image.

RYAN DI CORPO/THE FORDHAM RAM

From left to right: NPR’s Piotr Orlov, Grace Jones and Sophie Fiennes at the Film Society of Lincoln Center on April 14.

CULTURE

Page 16

April 25, 2018

Caseena Karim Explores Visibility Through Spicy Films

By ISIAH MAGSINO STAFF WRITER

I stood there compelled, watching the screen and listening to Caseena Karim say, “I am too broke to be white. I am too cultured to be white,” over and over again. Placed on the wall of a humble art studio in the South Bronx, Karim’s work projected a screenplay of designer brand Gucci’s all-white website with Karim’s voice in the background.

The art piece was a part of the studio’s ‘For Us’ gallery that took place on March 13. The event was curated specifically for women of color and how they portray their worlds through art. The piece described before is only one example of how Karim, a queer, Muslim artist, draws from her own experience of adversity against her religion, race and sexuality.

Caseena Karim is a native New Yorker and is currently a senior at Parsons School of Design. Aside from being a student, Karim is also the founder of Spi(Cy-Fi)lms which serves as an artistic space and medium for queer people of color to come together. Surprisingly, she is informed me that she’s fairly new to video art and decided to explore the medium during her time at Parsons.

When discussing Karim’s inspi-

rations for her video art, it is clear that her inspirations originate from a darker place. The artist claimed that her art is her method of how to “cope and express” with the adversity she endures.

During the event’s video showings, Karim’s work again made an appearance. In the video, phrases such as “Overreacting: it’s something that’s there and you need some sort of validation” and “Micro-aggression: a constant target on your identity” are said and echoed by Karim. These statements are a direct relation to how society’s criteria of acceptance have worked against her.

Caseena Karim shows her film Spi (Cy-Fi) at the Bronx Art Space in the South Bronx.

“As You Like It” Dazzles

By SHELBY DANIEL STAFF WRITER

The Theatrical Outreach Program (T.O.P.) concluded its 2018 spring season with William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” their second slot show of the semester.

Presenting Shakespeare to a college audience in a conventional and enjoyable way can be difficult task.

However, despite the reputation the Bard often gets for being boring and indecipherable, the cast and crew delivered a phenomenal rendition of the often presented classic.

The show centers around two lovers, Rosalind (Annina Black,

of well-meaning sheep. The play ultimately ends with a wedding - for four separate marriages.

Accompanying the actors and their antics on stage was a small jazz ensemble who played pieces throughout the show, often joined by the singing of one or more of the characters. Songs included classic standards such as “Pennies From Heaven,” “Get Happy” and ended with a fun group rendition of “Cheek to Cheek.”

Directer Katie Dolan, FCRH '18, explored the usually thought to be complex world of Shakespeare by bringing out the nonsensical humor of one of his most popular comedies.

Dolan’s direction made it clear that

MAHLON HANIFIN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Director Katie Dolan, FCRH '18, present 'As You Like It' at Collins Auditorium..

FCRH '19) and Orlando (Patrick Fox, FCRH '20). Banishment and an initially spiteful older brother separately drive the two into the Forest of Arden. Accompanied by her cousin Celia (Alex Mandalakis, FCRH '20), Rosalind stumbles upon some shepherds in the forest. Meanwhile, Orlando manages to find Rosalind’s banished father, Duke Senior (Sean Coffey, FCRH '19).

Naturally, goofiness and misdirection ensue, including but not limited to: cross-dressing, an attack by a lioness, bad poetry hung on trees and lots

There is an increasing market for minorities for companies to display diversity.

In relation to how her identity is continuously affecting her personal life, Karim opened up about her faith. Although the artist claims that she identifies with Islam on more of a cultural level than a religious one, the marginalization she experiences still remains the same.

The situation Karim openly shared, also depicted in her video art, entails the New York Police Department keeping her predominantly Muslim community under daily surveillance. She de-

In today’s world of media, representation often becomes generalized, as outlets will include one or a few marginalized minorities and claim that it’s enough. “I often feel invisible and silenced in my every day,” said Karim. She further claims that any sort of representation in today’s media is only geared towards a select few and that representation of any sort of marginalized person is often capitalized on. Karim claimed that “we are living in a time where marginalized identities are being used for commercial appeal, but their communities are left ignored and issues unchallenged.”

the show was not about a particularly deep message, but rather the sometimes absurd nature of love and what people tend to do to achieve it.

With regards to “As You Like It” being Dolan’s last show with the theater community here at Fordham, Dolan said, “it was a great show to go out on.

The point of the show was to have a lot of fun, and I think we all did.”

The energy and enjoyment the cast had while acting transferred well to the audience. Not only did I have fun, but I also left the show wanting to buy a sheep.

ISHA KHAWAJA/THE FORDHAM RAM

scribed how the surveillance was initially placed upon the neighborhood for security purposes on “punish a Muslim day,” but she questioned the true motives of the NYPD. Karim explained how there was no notification to the people within the neighborhood and that the surveillance remained prominent after. Despite the true intentions of the New York Police Department, the situation is an example of MuslimAmericans' daily difficulties to living in New York City.

There is no question as to the importance of Karim’s work.

Karim authentically keeps her work intersectional, in terms of representation. The young artist understands how important the messages in her work are and describes how she commonly struggles with the decision of sacrificing her work’s gallery exclusivity in order to remain accessible to her audience. Aside from the recent gallery showing, Karim also keeps her video art available on YouTube and Vimeo.

To end the conversation, Karim further reconnects to visibility in her artistic endeavors. “Do I show more visibility?” she questioned.

She answered herself, “however I decide to present myself to the world, I know I am trying my best.”

Study Abroad | Cat Swindal

Reflections on my Semester in Granada

By CAT SWINDAL STAFF WRITER

It’s always weird when things come to an end, even the small routines, like writing a biweekly column for The Fordham Ram. While my friends back home are preparing for finals, Spring Weekend and finally having some good weather for once before the summer begins, I face my last five weeks in Granada.

This time, much more so than an average semester, is beginning to seem precious. I always like reflecting on things when they’re done, but with my junior year coming to an end, I’m starting to think of what I’ve learned while being here.

My last semester spent at Fordham did not serve my luck well. With my chronic anxiety only increasing, I went through a lot of adjustments with my relationships, both with others and with myself. I was unhappy most of the time, and I yearned to come to Granada and leave everything behind, including any problems I may encounter.

Of course, that goal was rather unrealistic. My soul yearned to be happy, but my body was not. I was also unhappy due to an unfortunate event that happened in Morocco that made me seriously uncomfortable with my identity, and I just couldn’t shake it.

I cried a lot and felt like this wasn’t what study abroad was supposed to be for me. I thought I had left the country for a reason. And only new problems were appearing.

One day, in the midst of this, my host mom, Conchi, sat with me in the kitchen and told me something I really needed to hear. She told me that

I am a lucky kid. I have a wonderful family, great friends and a girlfriend whom I love. These are the things that matter, she said. She had a task for me: every day, wake up and remind yourself how lucky you are.

Since following her advice, my luck has only increased. For my final column for The Fordham Ram during my time abroad, I would like to make a small list, in no particular order, of how Granada has taught me how lucky I am.

My time here, despite the daily stress and the language barrier, has been the most relaxed I have ever been.

I have found new friends, whom it took me 4,000 miles away from Fordham to get to know, who are some of the most supportive people I will ever know. My mom is visiting me in Spain in six days. For these things, I am lucky.

My dad uses Facebook Messenger filters when he video chats me that makes him look like a pirate. Each text, Snapchat and FaceTime call from my siblings are now precious gifts to me. I think of my girlfriend every time I smell the daffodils in my favorite park. For these things, I am lucky.

I get to learn another language for what feels like the first time in my life.

I get to walk around ancient cities and see runes older than I can even imagine. For that, I am lucky.

I get to talk to a wonderful host mom who cares about me and also makes me laugh like hell. For these things, I am lucky.

I got to walk 40 minutes in the dark uphill to see the best view of Toledo and pose in a new shirt with Starry

Night on it. For that, I am lucky.

I got to pray to St. Teresa in her church in Avila. I got to sit in the Park of the Jesuits in Salamanca. I got to witness a procession for Semana Santa in Valladolid. For that, I am lucky.

I got to go on a Ferris wheel in la Feria de Abril in Sevilla and scream with delight. For that, I am lucky.

I feel like myself for the first time in a while. For that, I am lucky.

I get to slow down and realize how much bigger the world is than I previously thought. For that, I am lucky.

There are many people that have helped me through this journey of realizing my luck. The Fordham Ram has allowed me to use their publication as a creative outlet has helped me process situations in Granada.

I also want to thank all the people who make me feel lucky every day, those inside and outside of these four months in Spain. Those who give me animo, those who lift me up as a member of the LGBT community and those who have helped me through language barriers or culture barriers: I hold you in my heart, always, just as I will Granada and the country of Spain when I come back to the U.S. I don't know what to expect in these next five weeks. Maybe I'll finally get a tan (chances unlikely).

Maybe I’ll finally see a flamenco show. Things are unclear. But I know that tomorrow and the day after and continuing on, I will always have something to feel lucky for. And that is lucky in itself.

I am so grateful for this time I have had here in Granada, and its beauty, love and ability to instill "lucky-ception" to all who may enter.

CULTURE

April 25, 2018

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Editor’s Pick | Film

The Problematic Boyfriend Narrative of The Devil Wears Prada

By ERIN CLEWELL DIGITAL EDITOR

I recently sat down again to watch one of my favorite guilty pleasures, The Devil Wears Prada, for the 16th time. The 2006 hit dramedy tells the story of an ambitious post-grad, Andrea Sachs, who comes to New York in hopes of becoming a journalist. Instead, she finds herself as assistant to the ruthless Miranda Priestly, editor-in-chief of the high fashion magazine, Runway. She decides to endure Miranda’s venomous comments for a year in order to meet professionals and gain connections for her future endeavors.

Andrea is dowdy and sensible in dress, as opposed to her coworkers, who are clothed in couture head-to-toe. She seems out of place in the office and is ridiculed constantly by Miranda. However, with perseverance, dedication and a whole new wardrobe, Andrea ultimately succeeds in the cut-throat industry.

The film is sensational. Meryl Streep shines as the ultimate ruthless boss, Miranda Priestly. She nails the snarkiest comments and the most judgmental facial expressions. Anne Hathaway is con-

vincing as the strong-willed and independent Andrea who succeeds in the industry despite the odds.

Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt play noteworthy supporting roles as well. With the star-studded cast, the most decadent clothes and an equal mix of comedy and drama, this film knocks it out of the parkexcept for one glaring issue.

Spoiler alert!

The unsupportive boyfriend is so twentieth century! Andrea’s job is obviously intense and timeconsuming. Waking up at dawn, sprinting around the Big Apple and catering to Miranda’s every need becomes part of her daily routine.

She transforms and matures into her position, especially in her appearance and her ability to relate to industry professionals. Despite her dedication to the job, Nate, her longtime boyfriend, decides to walk away from the relationship, adding several rude and degrading comments on his way out. While he is aware, not only of the importance of this position, but also its temporality, Nate cannot handle her drive to do well during the time she is at her job. While Andrea thrives in her career, her relationship does not.

Nate should encourage Andrea to escape her comfort zone and

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The Devil Wears Prada stars Meryl Streep (left) , Emily Blunt (middle) and Anne Hathaway (right).

succeed, yet he takes the cliché route by implying that she has to choose between success and love. In the end, she quits her job and apologizes, even though he was the one who was visceral and overbearing. She also regresses physically; resorting to her past wardrobe and her appearance before the job at

Runway. She relapses to the girl that he originally fell in love with.

While the viewer realizes Andrea’s time at Runway was always going to be short-term, it is disappointing that Andrea is unable to make the decision to leave voluntarily.

The impetus of being with her boyfriend affects her decision to abandon her job.

While The Devil Wears Prada is an overall entertaining film, the misogynistic undertone of Andrea and Nate’s relationship is quite disappointing to the viewer; her newfound autonomy is frustratingly short-lived. Although I always enjoy sitting down to watch the movie, this particular viewing left me a bit discouraged.

Albüm Klüb | Adam Payne-Reichert

Five Albums Worth a Little Extra Effort

By ADAM PAYNE - REICHERT STAFF WRITER

When Spotify first came out, I saw it as a godsend. I could stream almost any music I wanted on demand, download music to my phone for later use, easily create and share playlists and so much more.

Since then, the app’s developers have continued to add original features, and its value has consistently increased.

However, when I read Pitchfork’s article “How to be a Responsible Music Fan in the Age of Streaming,” I felt myself fall a little out of love.

The article demonstrated several real and potential dangers inherent in Spotify and music streaming services, including the lack of diverse musical offerings and the abysmal pay-out rates that these services offer to artists.

Fortunately, the article also highlighted what we can do to ensure that the industry survives and thrives. One such action would be supporting platforms artists via non-Spotify platforms.

With this end in mind, I’ll offer five album recommendations that you can’t find on Spotify or any other streaming service that I’m aware of. In doing so, I’ll be getting as close as I reasonably can to forcing you to support these (and hopefully other) artists through alternative means.

King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson King Here’s a prog rock album that, unlike many of its counterparts, doesn’t feel bloated and excessive.

The opening track of “21st Century Schizoid Man,” bursts onto the scene with a fiery intensity that the group is somehow able to

maintain up throughout the sevenminute-long jam. The album then performs its first of many dramatic shifts, transitioning into the soft, pastoral ballad “I Talk to the Wind.”

The rest of the album is characterized by similar shifts, going, for instance, from the playful, extended improvisation that closes out “Moonchild” to the thundering closer that is “The Court of the Crimson King.” If none of these qualities appeal to you, the album may be worth checking out for another reason; any Kanye fans out there should recognize the debt he owes to “21st Century Schizoid Man” for forming the basis of his hit single, “Power.”

Death Grips: Exmilitary This album is absolutely brutal, and, in that way, it’s like most other Death Grips releases. However, this mixtape, the group’s first release, deserves special attention for a couple of reasons. First, the band is at its most lo-fi here, so anyone who loved the quality of The Money Store’s sound should feel similarly about this one. Second, the band is exploring, lyrically and instrumentally, many of the themes it plunges further into on later releases; consequently, later releases may be a bit easier to “get” if new listeners explore this album first.

Third, this album is made by Death Grips, and I’m a firm believer that that’s reason enough to check anything out.

Joey Bada$$: 1999 One (and probably only one) comparison can be drawn to the Prince album of the same name: both albums were produced by black artists arguably at their creative peak.

Here, Joey Bada$$ nimbly flows through 15 highly varied tracks and sounds like he’s barely trying the

entire time. Bada$$ assembled an all-star team of producers for this album, including the likes of MF DOOM, Statik Selektah and J Dilla, Bada$$’s skillful flow and lyricism proves that he deserves to be surrounded by these greats.

There’s really no wrong spot to start with this album, but my suggestion would be to initiate yourself with the laidback jazziness of “Snakes.”

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band: Trout Mask Replica Fellow Death Grips fans may be surprised to hear me claim that this album is, by far, the most out-

there work included on this list. On this album, we can hear the result of Captain Beefheart energetically giving the middle finger to pretty much every rule that guides the creation of other albums and even music in general. The opening track thrusts the listener into Beefheart’s strange musical world, filled with instruments playing entirely different rhythms in entirely different keys. Though I admit the album might be a bit tough to get through, one has to admire the musicianship and creativity that went into producing this singular masterpiece.

De La Soul: Three Feet High and Rising

Similarly creative and rulebreaking to Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, though in an entirely different fashion, De La Soul’s Three Feet High and Rising is a powerful testament to the freeing, subtly subversive qualities of positive rap. It’s also a strong counterexample to any claims that the sampling process lacks ingenuity; in the beginning track, a Led Zeppelin drum track, a Johnny Cash sample and at least three other songs are repurposed to form a surprisingly cohesive whole. But most importantly, given the much awaited warm weather, this is one that is perfect for summer.

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De la Soul released its album, Three Feet High and Rising on March 3, 1989.

CULTURE

Page 18

April 25, 2018

Who’s That Kid? | Raffaele Elia, FCRH ‘19

Junior Shines in Spotlight at WFUV

By EMMANUEL BERBARI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Raffaele Elia, a soon-to-be senior at Rose Hill, grew up in Yonkers, 20 minutes from the gates of the campus, passionately watching sports. He had a keen interest in what was taking place on the television screen, from the graphics and stats to the announcers.

He lived a typical teenage life, was the valedictorian of his high school and enrolled at Fordham as pre-med.

In two weeks, he will become the student manager of the sports broadcasting powerhouse, WFUV, a public radio station headquartered in the basement of Keating Hall that has produced several million-dollar television and radio careers.

All it took was a mid-semester change of course freshman year and a roll of the dice from the department’s long-time Executive Producer, Bob Ahrens.

“Bob was the only one who got back to me,” said Elia. “He liked my drive. I’m glad he saw something, and it gave him a reason to contact me again. I’m eternally grateful to Bob for that.”

Elia discovered a natural talent, and became the department’s goto producer for the better part of two years.

“It was unexpected,” said Elia.

“The opportunity fell into my lap, and it got me on a path that I don’t regret.”

Elia moved into more of an on-

air role this past year, serving as the lead play-by-play broadcaster for Fordham Women’s Basketball and Men’s and Women’s Soccer, which had always been his goal.

“I always said as a kid that I wanted to be a sports broadcaster,” said Elia. “Talking sports for a living? You can’t beat that.”

Breaking through in the sports media industry is no easy task.

An increasing number of people want to get behind the microphone and burst upon the scene.

This means that there is a highlevel of competition and very few open spots. Elia takes a simple yet effective approach, and lets the rest take care of itself.

“You listen. You never stop listening,” said Elia. “It’s not going to be great when you first do it.

You listen to yourself, the guys better than you and the guys worse than you. You never turn your ears off to the criticisms.”

At WFUV, Raffaele’s rise to the spotlight comes with a great sense of responsibility. The station’s sports department has produced extremely successful sports broadcasters such as Mike Breen, Michael Kay and, more recently, Ryan Ruocco, among others.

“It motivates more than anything, because why not you?” said Elia. “There were guys here 1015 years ago in the same station as you, doing the same things as you, and now they’re living the dream. They were doing your job.”

Elia hopes to continue that lin-

eage once he graduates from Fordham.

“I would love to do play-byplay,” said Elia. “Anything where I can be on-air is my ultimate goal.

In 10 years I hope I can get to that point, but to do that I need to stay in the industry, whether that’s pro-

ducing, engineering, traveling or anything where I’m near the industry.”

Tapped as the next sports manager of WFUV, Raffaele will take over and lead the current staff and incoming group of trainees in 2018–19.

“If I can put people in positions to succeed, I’ve done my job,” said Elia. “I won’t be any different than the rest of the staff, the only difference is people will come to me with questions. I want that responsibility, and I hope they see that if I can get here, they can too.”

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Raffaele Elia, a junior at Fordham College Rose Hill, will be the next sports manager at WFUV, Fordham University’s radio station.

The Fordham Ram Crossword: Sugary Supports Across

®

1. Relative of and © 3. Honeymooner-to-be 10. The best policy 12. Grp. left hanging on “Telephone Line” 13. Reddit user, maybe 14. “__ phone home” (iconic move line) 15. Amtrak service through New York (abbr.)

16. Value of a widely-circulated Washington portrait 17. Spring Weekend 2017 speaker’s “first name” 18. In physics, unit equal to 1.602 x E-19 J

20. Exodus snack 23. Genre where love might be a triangle 27. Popular cinema chain 28. Root for “of or relating to the color blue,” found in printer ink 29. 4G ___ network 30. Ancient name for Sparta 32. Floored at something abhorred 33. Person in your demographic 34. Financial Corporation of America (abbr.)

Down 1. Follower of a lightning bolt

ANSWERS IN ISSUE 11 CREATED BY LEONARD CHIANG | EDITED BY CLAIRE POLACHEK AND JACK MCLOONE

ANSWERS IN ISSUE 9

2. Sulk melodramatically 3. Keanu’s character in the “Matrix” movie franchise 4. These in Spanish 5. Albany’s ABC news affiliate 6. Instrument crafted by Hermes 7. Neighboring keys (as in U and I) spell out this English pronoun

8. Presidential contest (abbr.)

9. Adoringly tend (with “on”) 11. Never, in textspeak 17. Status gained by Greece and Turkey on Oct. 22, 1951 19. Long, adventurous trip 20. Initials of a pop diva with an “Obsessed” fan base 21. Self-referential acronym on American Eagle products

22. Utterance after (and perhaps during) a sermon 24. Papier-___ 25. What a good friend might lend 26. Nominations, as for Oscars 29. Response to a joke that removes u from ur seat 31. Law enforcement org. investigating the Austin bombings

CULTURE

April 25, 2018

Page 19

Review | Film

Isle of Dogs a Lesser Effort in Anderson Canon

By MATTHEW DILLON STAFF WRITER

Isle of Dogs is Wes Anderson’s newest film and while it has the ambition you expect from him, it falls short of the expectations set by his previous works.

The film takes place in a near future, but strangely retro, Japan in which a virulent disease has forced its corrupt government to exile all of its dogs to “Trash Island.”

The son of the man responsible for exiling all the dogs to “Trash Island” journeys there in search of his family pet with five dogs assisting him.

Isle of Dogs is animated in the same stop motion style as Anderson's 2009 film Fantastic Mr. Fox and employs much of the same cast.

The film is easily one of the most impressive I’ve seen in recent memory, as its animation style turns an oversized landfill into a surreal otherworld and hunks of clay and wire convey far more emotion than they have any right to.

The symmetrical camerawork makes it all the more impressive, as Anderson’s clear, perfectionist style avoids most potential shortcuts. Films like Isle of Dogs are a reminder as to why 3D animation hasn’t completely replaced other methods.

The film’s tone and visuals are a product of Anderson’s standard approach, in which storybook whimsy is coupled with unexpectedly adult themes.

Despite ostensibly being a kids film, death and disease are central to Isle of Dogs premise, and it only gets more gruesome from there. It’s also in a strange position where certain elements are too contrived for older audiences and others that are too complex for younger viewers.

Surprisingly, the large amount

of Japanese dialogue is not confusing, thanks to the film’s clever use of narration.

In fact, the attempts to translate it into English are more disruptive than if they had left non-Japanese speaking viewers to parse the meaning from the context.

Admittedly, most of the film’s dialogue comes from the dogs,

who all speak English. Even then, the film’s interesting approach to language is one of its stronger points.

While most Anderson films are carried by their strong, idiosyncratic characters, Isle of Dogs is too reliant on its more visual elements.

The characters, whether they be

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Isle of Dogs won Wes Anderson the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival.

human or canine, are not particularly memorable.

The cast is bolstered by the high-profile actors it employs, including Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson and even Yoko Ono. They were clearly invested in their work, which lends the characters a genuine quality they would have otherwise lacked. The dogs are much more entertaining than the humans, and they manage to wring some emotion out of even the more clichéd aspects of Isle of Dogs.

The eponymous island they live on is also more interesting than the futuristic mainland Japan, though the film spends the majority of time in the latter locale.

While the film begins as a very personal story, it transitions into something closer to an action movie plot by the end. It loses a lot of its charm along the way, as the ever-increasing scope is accompanied by a progressive lack of focus.

Some might also accuse Isle of Dogs of cultural appropriation, considering it is a film by a white director with a primarily white cast. While their film has a very “touristy” mindset throughout, I am not certain whether the film borders on cultural appropriation.

Isle of Dogs clearly comes from a place of affection, though it draws more from a love of Japanese cinema and culture than anything else. Isle of Dogs is by all means a flawed film, but at the very least a very original one.

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

New York City Grid System vs. Good Will Hunting Welcome to the second edition of Is It Better Than Good Will Hunting?, the weekly culture review column where Kevin O’Malley and Tim Mountain compare food, media, experiences and more against the world of art that produced Oscar-winning film Good Will Hunting.

For our second edition, we have decided to compare the New York City grid system.

Some background info: Good Will Hunting is a 1997 coming-of-age drama starring Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck and Minnie Driver. It was directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Damon and Affleck. It is now considered to be one of the finest films of all time, and currently holds a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The New York City grid system is the arrangment by which streets on the Island of Manhattan are named.

Streets (running east-to-west) are numbered starting with First Street farthest south. Avenues are numbered starting with First Ave. farthest east, though the pattern breaks with Lexington, Park and Madison Avenues between Third and Fifth.

Tim: Well, Kevin, we have a heck of a contest here this week. Two giant figures in American culture going head-to-head.

Kevin: Right you are, Tim. I’d say this is New York City’s grid system’s

biggest test since last year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!

T: I think it’s even bigger than that, Kevin. Last I checked, Matt Damon didn’t have a float last year.

K: Right you are. Well then, let’s just float on over to the island of Manhattan to see what this organized grid is all about.

T: Let’s. Having been born and raised in New Jersey, Manhattan’s grid system has always been kind to me. My weekend trips to "The City That Never Sleeps" became more and more frequent in my latter days of high school.

These trips would’ve been nightmares if I didn’t know exactly how many blocks it would take to get me back to Penn Station!

K: I agree, Tim. After I started going to school in New York, I found the streets fairly easy to navigate. I always knew how many blocks away I would be from a certain point, and I’m thankful for that.

Even though Manhattan is not a perfect rectangle itself, it pretty much gets the job done with only a few blemishes.

T: Yeah, I do have a couple criticisms, here. First of all, what the heck is going on with Lexington, Park and Madison Aves.? I often find myself getting lost on the east side.

K: Exactly. And Alphabet City?

Talk about a reach. Not to mention

that you have Broadway, almost compromising the idea behind the grid system almost completely.

T: Also, why aren’t any of the streets numbered south of Houston? Even if there’s a good historical reason for it, they could’ve changed it at some point. Houston should really be called “zero street.”

And to that point, Prince St. should’ve been renamed negativefirst street, Spring St. should’ve been renamed negative-second and so on.

K: And if I get past the Madison, Park and Lexington stuff, then I still have to wrap my head around what’s happening with the transitions from Ninth and Tenth Aves. to Columbus and Amsterdam, respectively. In some places, it’s just a mess.

T: So, how does our city’s cherished grid system stack up against our favorite movie?

K: I’m glad you asked, Tim. As a big fan of the systemic organization of the grid, I don’t think it’s any surprise that I have come to appreciate the beautifully organized screenplay behind GWH. T: You raise an excellent point there, Kev-o. GWH is a piece of art, and I don’t want to paint it as being too cerebral or purely analytical, but its pieces fall into place beautifully by the end.

This is a film that is well-organized and thought out, as evidenced by its

winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Damon and Affleck excel in areas where New York’s early planners fail miserably.

K: That’s the number one thing the Academy looks for: organization. And while GWH interweaves numerous gripping storylines, none of them seem to be out of place, or off the map whatsoever.

Take for example the conflict between Sean Maguire and Professor Gerald Lambeau. Sure, this doesn’t weigh too heavily on the Will’s journey, but without such a dynamic, surely the movie would not be the same.

T: Damon and Affleck never would’ve put something as irresponsible as Alphabet City into their movie.

K: Not counting Cole Hauser of course.

T: Seriously, what is Cole Hauser — or, for that matter, the character Billy — doing in this movie? He adds absolutely nothing.

K: Sure, they needed another body in the film to build the largefamily-picture that is so prevalent in Will’s backstory, but they could’ve given him slightly more depth.

T: At the end of the day, Kevvy, what it comes down to is consistency, and boy is GWH consistent. Like you said, the plotlines are congruent with one another, and every character and event has a purpose. Except

for Billy. Like we both agreed, he has no purpose.

K: I’m gonna give this one to GWH. The grid system is a great idea, and it works excellently on the whole, but too many people got involved, and it contains some of the greatest failures in large-scale urban planning. I give it to GWH by a Boston mile.

T: What’s a Boston mile?

K: 1,760 yahds.

T: Hahahahahaha. But, yeah, I think we’re in agreement yet again, pal. GWH takes it. The grid system is helpful in the span of a couple square miles, but GWH is helpful for the soul--in the span of a lifetime.

K: I’d give the New York City grid system an Oscar, but it would probably be for Best Sound Editing.

This one gets a 65% on Rotten Tomatoes.

T: That’s about where I’d put it.

If you find yourself lost somewhere in Manhattan, don’t bother with a map. The parts of the city that follow the grid are easy enough to navigate without it, and the parts that don’t are so confusing and weird that no map will ever help you.

Instead, we both recommend bringing along a copy of GWH’s screenplay. That way, even if you end up lost in New York, you’ll find yourself in this cinematic masterpiece.

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April 25, 2018

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April 25, 2018

Rowing Struggles at Cherry Hill Invitational

By MARIA TRIVELPIECE STAFF WRITER

The Fordham University women’s rowing team was back in action this weekend at the Cherry Hill Invitational in Pennsauken, New Jersey this weekend. The Rams struggled slightly as the JV 8+ team was the only boat to make its Grand Final. Sophomore Julia Comerford, senior Kristen Shuman, senior Ariene Merkle, senior Maddy Locher, junior Erin Stepka, freshman Sophie Singh, sophomore Erika Selakowski, sophomore Brikena Prendaj and senior Katie Dillion came in third place in their heat with a time of 7:12.64. They then went on to place fourth in the Grand Final with a time of 7:04.62.

The Varsity 8+ heat was faced with a very competitive first heat and fell victim to the skill of the other boats.

Fresham Oliva Herman, sophomore Danae Ohresser-Joumard, junior Erin Parker, junior Cynthia Luz, freshman Aleksa Bjornson, freshman Anna Peterson, junior Caroline Roncinske, sophomore Erin McGreevey and senior Kat Napoli placed sixth in their first heat with a time of 6:58.39.

The boat then went on to compete in the Petite Final in which it placed sec-

ond with a time of 6:53.61.

The Fordham University women’s rowing team also raced in the 4+ events. The first boat of the 4+ lineup finished fifth in its heat and then competed in the petite final. Sophomore Claudia Keech, freshman Samantha Santiago, junior Danielle Kosman, junior Sarah White and sophomore Catherine Perlick took third place in the race with a time of 8:29.83. The second boat of the 4+ lineup also placed fifth in its first heat and then went on to win the petite final. Senior Jackie Heffner, freshman Emma Lipinski, junior Noelle Chaney, freshman Anna Grace Cole and sophomore Grace Little finished with a time of 8:24.49.

The Fordham Fourth Varsity 8+ raced in a final-only event. Sophomore Olivia Ciraulo, freshman Debra Chieco, junior Emma Spoldi, freshman Kylie Elwood, freshman Gabriella Guglielmi, freshman Danielle Moynihan, freshman Lidy Ozcelik, freshman Elizabeth Berejka and junior Jacklyn Regan finished second in their race with a time of 8:02.68.

The Rams will prepare the next two weeks for the Atlantic 10 Championships on May 5 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Rowing will be back in Cherry Hill for the A-10 Tournament in two weeks.

SPORTS

Page 21

Women’s Tennis Closes Regular Season at 8-9

By CHARLIE MAISANO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

The 2018 regular season has come to an end for the Fordham women’s tennis team. It concluded against two A-10 foes, which was the test the Rams needed in advance of the A-10 tournament in Florida this week.

The first opponent of the weekend was the Duquesne Dukes in Philadelphia on Friday. The Dukes entered the contest with a 13-3 record and had a two-game winning streak, courtesy of wins against Saint Bonaventure and Saint Francis University the previous weekend. With a 7-8 record and two previous wins the last weekend as well, the Rams had a lot to play for to make sure they received a good seed in the A-10 Tournament.

Thanks to both the home court advantage and the momentum boost from the two-game winning streak, the Dukes took care of the Rams, 5-2. They won the doubles point to start by winning two out of the three matches. As for doubles, it was the play of sophomore Maria Balce and junior Gianna Insogna that helped the team, even in defeat. They beat Sara Mitrovic and Aishwarya Kona, 6-2.

In singles, Fordham was only able to pick up two wins out of the six matches they played. Balce needed three sets to take down Laurel Shymansky, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

As for Insogna, she needed two hard fought sets to sneak by Maddy Adams, 6-3, 7-5.

With the loss, the Rams fell to 7-9 on the season, and they needed to regroup quickly. They headed back from Philadelphia and faced off against the La Salle Explorers on Saturday at home. Not only was the matchup between the Rams and Explorers the last game of the regular season, but it was also a special day for seniors

EMILY SAYEGH/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Women’s Tennis heads into the Atlantic 10 Tournament with an 8-9 record.

Carolina Sa and Estelle Wong.

It was Senior Day, a time for the Rams to celebrate the accomplishments and the success that these two women have brought to the program over their four years at Fordham.

Before the Rams could get into celebration mode, they had to take care of business. The match did not start the way they planned, as the Explorers came out and stole the doubles point. La Salle took the first two doubles matches, both decided by three points or less. The one win for Fordham came from junior Tatiana Grigoryan and Senior Day honoree, Sa, as they easily handled Alexandra Santarelli and Jayla Smith, 6-1.

While the Explorers had the momentum riding into singles play, the Rams did not quit. They

ended up winning all of the singles matches and won the day 6-1.

Wong, the other Senior Day honoree, Grigoryan, Balce, Insogna and junior Whitney Weisburg defeated their opponents and ended the regular season for the Rams on a very high note.

The Rams officially ended their season with an 8-9 record and finishing eighth in the A-10 conference. As the eight seed, they will face the ninth seeded Saint Louis Billikens on Wednesday at noon down in Orlando, Florida. If they win that match, they will meet the No. 1 seeded VCU Rams. It will be a tough task for Fordham to win the A-10 crown, but, based on last year’s experience and the improved play at the end of schedule, the Rams will have their shot and anything

Men’s Tennis Knocks Off Baruch to Close Regular Season

By ALEXANDRIA SEDLAK STAFF WRITER

Sunday, April 22 was a good day for the Fordham men’s tennis, as the team played its last regular season home match before heading to the A10 Championships next weekend. The Rams defeated Baruch College 5-2, winning the doubles point and four out of six singles points. Baruch also was down a player, causing the team to forfeit both a doubles and a singles match.

Fordham won all three of the doubles matches to secure the doubles point. The first doubles match went to freshman Alex Makatsaria and sophomore Gabriel Mashaal by default. Sophomore Steven Duka and senior Joseph Kavaloski played second doubles and won their match against Baruch’s Leonard Margolis and Clement Lacoudre 6-1.

Seniors Harris Durkovic and Cameron Posillico defeated their opponents Judah Wertenteil and Jeremy Berman in the third doubles position with the same score of 6-1.

In singles play, winning four out of six matches was enough to

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Men’s Tennis completed its regular season in positive fashion by defeating Baruch College on Sunday afternoon.

score Fordham a victory. Posillico, playing first singles, dropped his match 3-6, 3-6 against opponent Leonard Margolis, while Duka lost his second singles match against Marco Gobbato.

Duka played a long match and

fought tirelessly, but ultimately dropped the game by a mere two points, 6-2, 4-6, 8-10.

Then came the wins for Fordham. Durkovic won his third singles match 6-1, 6-3 against Clement Lacoudre. In fourth singles,

Kavaloski defeated his opponent Jeremy Berman 6-1, 6-1. Another sweep came in the fifth singles match. Sophomore Jeremy Chung won his match 6-0, 6-0 against Baruch’s Judah Wertenteil. Finally, Mashaal, lined up for the sixth

singles position, won by default as Baruch was short players. This gave Fordham an additional four points, tallying up a score of 5-2 against Baruch.

It was a great win for the Rams and gives them confidence moving into the Atlantic 10 Championships. April 22 was also Senior Day for the men’s tennis team, with three seniors being honored and recognized for their achievements on the team throughout their four years at Fordham. Captain Harris Durkovic, Joseph Kavaloski and Cameron Posillico were the seniors honored on this day. They each received a bouquet of flowers and a blown-up picture of their forehand swings from head coach Mike Sowter.

The Rams return to action for their final tournament of the season. With the regular season over now, they are moving into the A10 Championships, taking place from Thursday, April 26 to Sunday, April 29. The team will be travelling down to Florida to compete at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.

SPORTS

Page 22

April 25, 2018

Three First-Place Finishes Place Track in Fourth

By EMMANUEL BERBARI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Track and Field needed a tremendous performance to follow-up its Metropolitan Championship display at the Wolfie Invitational this past Saturday on Long Island.

While the teams did not send all of their top competitors, both groups posted respectable performances, as the men and women both finished in fourth place at Stony Brook University’s complex.

“For such a small meet, the competition was fierce,” said freshman Will Whelan. “We put up a great fight. We also had some terrific performances from the women too.”

Individually, three Rams won events at Stony Brook, including junior Mary Kate Kenny’s quick 100-meter dash finish (12.19 seconds), senior Merissa Wright’s stellar showing in the 400 meter dash (57.66 seconds) and freshman Christopher Strzelinski’s 800 meter run victory (1:53.71).

The high-end performances did not stop there, as the women’s squad received major contributions from multiple areas. Freshman Kathryn Kelly placed third in the 100 meter dash (12.46 seconds). Junior Aidan Moroz was close behind Wright in the 400 meter dash (58.03 seconds).

In the 800 meter run, senior Brynna Harum (4th in 2:17.32) and freshman Dana Beggins (8th in 2:20.56) were among the top finishers. Sophomore Katarzyna Krzyzanowski (6th in 10:06.79) and freshman Germaine Harbaugh (9th in 10:33.49) starred in the 3,000 meter run. Senior Jennifer Boerke (3rd in 1:03.96) and sophomore Gabrielle Schreib (6th in 1:08.00) excelled in the 400 meter hurdles.

Out on the field, junior Adrianna Batista threw a 37.38m toss to finish fifth in the hammer and freshman Maeve O’Connor registered 21.90m to place sixth in the javelin.

As a team, the women’s 4x100 relay group was the runner-up in 48.33 seconds, while the 4x400 relays brought along second and ninth-place results in 3:52.09 and 4:11.35, respectively.

The men’s team tacked on more elite individual performances, including Strzelinski’s third-place mark (3:58.74) and junior Patrick Dineen’s eighth-place cross (4:06.08) in the 1,500 meter. Also impressing were Whelan (3rd in 9:03.94), sophomore Matthew Roma (4th in 9:10.14) and freshman Thomas Fitzpatrick (8th in 9:29.98) in the 3,000 meter run.

Freshman Kyle Mack finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles (57.68 seconds) and sophomores Andrew Byrne (6th in 18.05) and Jeremy Milite’s (9th in 20.62) did well in the 110 meter hurdles.

“I was scared yet excited to run in an event so new to me,” said Whelan. “The coaches gave me a quick plan before the race and it obviously worked.”

Freshman Nikolas Reardon set the pace for the Rams in the field events, finishing second in the high jump (1.95m) and long jump (6.50m). Senior Ryan Riviere also recorded a secondplace finish in the javelin throw (47.26m), while Byrne (35.70m) and Milite (30.83m) placed fifth and sixth, respectively.

The men had their own success in the relays, finishing sixth in the 4x100 (44.46 seconds), and third (3:25.15) and sixth (3:31.53) in the 4x400.

Fordham travels to Philadelphia this weekend to compete at the Penn Relays, which will span Thursday to Saturday.

“With A-10s less than two weeks away, it is time to time to tone down the workouts for quality instead of quantity,” said Whelan. “Fortunately for us, the cold weather is slowing going away, meaning no more indoor track workouts.”

As of late, indoor or out, no obstacle has been able to derail the positive progression of these Rams.

By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

Every discussion of early-season baseball is (or at least should be) hounded by one qualifier, in one form or another: “it’s early, so don’t take everything at face value.”

This is especially true in the discussion of any stats, as anyone that has polled ten people about any topic before looking at it more broadly can tell you that small sample sizes are not necessarily indicative of what you see in a larger sample.

Exempt from all rules of small sample size – except for when it makes him look bad – is Shohei Ohtani, who can do no wrong and is only capable of special things.

So, then, the question is what do we consider as a big enough sample?

When can we say that the statistics we are seeing for a player are real and indicative of his true talent level.

There are a few answers to this.

The first is the purely statistician answer: probably three to five seasons. Yes, seasons. In terms of statistical significance, player performance can vary too much year-to-year for just one season to be a fair indicator of one’s skill.

If multiple seasons is one option, then naturally “one full season” is the next option but, again, while statistically significant (and I am here for baseball statistics), it is also baseballboring. (That hyphen is to show that I am not using “baseball” as a synonym for boring, but instead to say that it is boring in the context of baseball.

Please do not twist my sentences, or I will be silently mad online.)

The more conventional thought is “a month or so,” or maybe to the All-Star Break. The “month or so” option makes sense logically, as you can assume that that’s when the rust has worn off, the best players are getting consistent reps and that the weather has warmed up to allow for more normal baseball. However, then you get a season like this year, with April snow canceling numerous games and probably setting that time back that timeline.

Extending that to the All-Star Break still doesn’t solve the problem, as it’s become pretty well known that half a season is not a good sample size either. Take a look at any first half All-

Star, whether its Jason Vargas last year (he was maybe the worst starter in baseball in the second half) or Brandon Inge when he was in the Home Run Derby in 2009 after hitting 15 homers in the first half (he hit none in the second).

If “a month or two” and “give him till the All-Star Break” might be flawed also, then where do we go?

Well, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan of the FanGraphs podcast Effectively Wild have proposed a new standard cutoff point: whenever Mike Trout is on top of both the FanGraphs and Baseball Reference WAR leaderboards. It makes sense; once enough of the noise of early-season rust and hot starts have faded, the best player in baseball (Ohtani is not there… yet) should be on top of the leaderboard.

Well, as of writing, Trout sits on top of the f WAR leaderboards with a 1.7 and bWAR with around 2.0, and has for about a week now. And while Lindbergh and Sullivan mostly use this as a joke, it makes a lot of sense to me. It just needs a little tweaking.

For one, just “whenever Trout is on top” is a little tough, because obviously he is susceptible to hot starts then fading as well. So I think it’s fair to say we have to give it at least three weeks before we can call it a large enough sample.

Second, Trout should stay on top of the leaderboard for at least a week, just to show that it is stable. While that has set the bar now at a month, there’s a little more I want to put in.

The last and final benchmark is that two-thirds of the rest of the top 10 from the season before, barring injuries or retirement, needs to be in

the top ten as well. I think this makes sense, because the feeling of “it’s been long enough” is simply that we are comfortable with the results we are seeing. In other words, that we think they make sense. By having six of the best players in the league the season prior in the top 10 again, that gives us significance in terms of representation.

At the same time, it allows us to say that the new players who have entered the top 10 are for real, and that maybe it is time to worry about the players who dropped out.

With that benchmark set, it is easy to say it is too soon. Of last year’s top 10 (in both f WAR and bWAR), only Aaron Judge, who led it in Trout’s absence due to a thumb injury that sidelined him for a couple months, is back in the top 10.

This is not to say that, for example, Mookie Betts and Didi Gregorious, numbers two and three on the f WAR leaderboards right now, aren’t for real. But I would be willing to bet that it is Too Soon for Jed Lowrie (fourth) and Matt Chapman (fifth) to be actual top-10 players.

So there is your new checklist for “is it still too soon?” 1) Is Mike Trout on top of both f WAR and bWAR leaderboards? 2) Has it been at least three weeks? 3) Has he been on top for at least a week? And 4) Are two thirds of the rest of last season’s top 10 back on top as well?

Of course a stats person would have a stats-based answer to “When is it no longer too soon to pay attention to the stats,” what did you expect? And like most statistics, it’s still too soon to be sure if this makes sense or not.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

When Mike Trout is on top of the WAR leaderboards, the sample size is big enough.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Thursday Apr. 26

Friday Apr. 27

St. Joseph’s 3 p.m.

Baseball

Golf

Track

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Merissa Wright won the 400 meter dash at the Wolfie Invitational in 57.66.

Football

Sunday Apr. 29

St. Joseph’s St. Joseph’s 2 p.m.

1 p.m.

UMass 12/2:30 p.m.

Softball Men’s Tennis

Saturday Apr. 28

UMass 1 p.m.

A-10 Championships 12 p.m.

Atlantic 10 Championships Grand Cypress Golf Club All Day Penn Relays 9 a.m.

Spring Game 7 p.m.

Monday Apr. 30

Tuesday May 1

Wednesday May 2

Hofstra 7 p.m.

St. John’s 3 p.m.

SPORTS

April 25, 2018

Varsity Scores & Stats

Andrew Posadas

A Kawhi-et Storm Brewing Bewildering. Perplexing. Convoluted. All three words describe the enigmatic relationship at present between the San Antonio Spurs and their superstar Kawhi Leonard.

What makes this situation even more confounding is Leonard himself. His quiet and stoic nature has neither confirmed nor contradicted reports of a “deteriorating relationship” between him and Spurs management. This whole season has been cascaded in speculation with one question left to answer: what’s next?

Coach Popovich’s DNA runs through each player who dons a Spurs jersey. San Antonio is known for having guys who play team basketball, putting in work on both offense and defense. Players put their egos aside in pursuit of an NBA championship. Above all, each Spur understands that Popovich will help them realize their potential. David Robinson and Tim Duncan understood this; as did Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. It seemed Leonard would also be part of that mold.

So, what happened? Simply put, a disconnect between the Spurs and Leonard on his right quadriceps tendinopathy. San Antonio’s medical staff cleared the 26-year-old to come back in December. Leonard played sporadically for the next month, only appearing in nine games. From there, the Spurs announced the small forward would be out indefinitely with lingering quad issues.

In the past three months, the cat and mouse game continued. Popovich consistently stated that Leonard had been medically cleared to play ,but the decision was in Leonard’s hands. As for Kawhi, New York has become the epicenter for his rehab.

Nobody knows exactly where in the Big Apple (trust me, I’ve tried), but he’s seeing the best doctors that money can buy.

For those criticizing Leonard in his approach, here’s a few things to consider. He’s seen firsthand on how an injury can be possibly misdiagnosed, costing basketball games as well as big money. Isiah Thomas sustained a significant hip injury in last year’s playoffs with the Boston Celtics. He decided against surgery in the offseason, deeming it unnecessary. After being traded to Cleveland, his lack of quickness and explosiveness upon his return to action was evident. Following a trade to Los Angeles, Thomas finds himself as a free agent with moderate to little value. In about a year, Thomas may have cost himself hundreds of millions of dollars on the free agency market.

Kawhi and his group are cognizant that this summer, he is up for a fiveyear, $200 million dollar “supermax” deal. There is no doubt in my mind he will take the contract extension.

What’s left to the imagination is where he goes from there.

In my opinion, Kawhi Leonard is one of the three best players in the NBA when healthy, alongside LeBron James and Kevin Durant. The best place for him to win isn’t with the Lakers or the Sixers. San Antonio is his team. Popovich and company are lauded for building a title contender year in and year out.

Spurs fans everywhere hope Leonard ultimately uses his voice to reassure them of his commitment to the team.

Me? I’m just wishing him good health. The NBA needs Kawhi Leonard on the court. No talking. Straight balling.

Page 23

Men's Track Wolfie Invitational (FOR) Strzelinski: 1st in 800m (1:53.71)

Baseball Fordham George Washington

Fordham 7 George Washington 2 (FOR) Greenberg (W): 9 IP, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K

Women's Track Wolfie Invitational (FOR) Kenny: 1st in 100m (12.19 seconds) (FOR) Wright: 1st in 400m (57.66 seconds) Men's Tennis Fordham Baruch

3 5

2 7

Fordham George Washington 5 2

Women's Tennis Duquesne Fordham

5 2

La Salle Fordham

6 1

Yale 3 Fordham 4 (FOR) Mikulski (W) : 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Rowing Cherry Hill Invitational V8+: 2nd in Petite Final (6:53.61) JV8+: 4th in Grand Final (7:04.62)

Softball Saint Louis 1 Fordham 4 (FOR) Aughinbaugh (W): 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (FOR) Rauch: 1-2, 2B, RBI Saint Louis 2 Fordham 6 (FOR) Rauch (W): 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (FOR) Shaw: 1-2, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB Saint Louis 5 Fordham 8 (FOR) Rauch (W): 4 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K (FOR) Shaw: 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB

Athletes of the Week Ben Greenberg

Madi Shaw

Senior

Senior

Baseball

Softball

If it was not for the ace's efforts, the Rams would have had a far more forgettable weekend against the Colonials. In the middle game, the righthander hurled a complete game, striking out eight and walking none in a two-run effort. His ERA sits at a miniscule 1.74 ERA with a .196 BAA.

The shortstop had a flat-out dominant week, helping the Rams to a 5-0 stretch and a three-game sweep at Saint Louis. She slashed .500/.684/.1000 with two long balls, five runs batted in and four runs scored, improving her season slugging percentage to .613.

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 • Baseball Tops Yale For the first time in 35 years,

Fordham Baseball traveled to West Haven, Connecticut to take on the Yale Bulldogs, and the team rose to the occasion, earning a 4-3 victory to move back to 10 games over .500. C.J. Vazquez drove in two runs of support for Matt Mikulski, who turned in his best performance of the season. The left-hander allowed only three hits and a run over seven stellar frames. Kyle Martin came on for the final six outs, surrendered two runs, but held on for his seventh save of the season. The Rams will be back in action on Friday, traveling to Philadelphia to start a three-game set against Saint Joseph's.

• Softball Garners Two Individual Awards

Riding high following a 5-0 seven-day stretch, Fordham Softball added to its hardware, as senior Madi Shaw was named the Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week and freshman Paige Rauch rolled to another Rookie of the Week. Shaw's week consisted of a .500/.684/1.000 slash, two home runs, five RBI and four runs scored, while Rauch slashed .294/.400/.529 with a homer and four RBIs, all collected over of the weekend.

• WBB Earns Three AllMetropolitan Honors

The Metropolitan Basketball Writers' Association (MBWA) showed love to Fordham Women's Basketball in its end of season awards, recognizing head coach Stephanie Gaitley, senior G'mrice Davis and redshirt-freshman Bre Cavanaugh.

Gaitley was named the Maggie Dixon Coach of the Year, the second team she's won the award as head coach of the Rams, Davis was selected to the First Team for a second straight season and Cavanaugh earned Second Team and Rookie of the Year honors.

• Rauch Finalist for Rookie Award

Softball freshman Paige Rauch continues to rake, and the nation is starting to take notice. The standout made the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's (NFCA) list of 25 candidates for its Schutt Sports/ NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year, becoming the program's second player to be recognized in this fashion. She has certainly earned it, slashing .317/.461/.725 and pitching to a ridiculous 1.36 ERA over 82.1 innings this season.

-Compiled by Emmanuel Berbari

Alvin Halimwidjaya

The King and No Serfs The NBA playoffs are in full gear, with several first-round series tied at two games apiece. One of the more interesting matchups pits the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers against the upstart Indiana Pacers. Victor Oladipo is leading the offensive charge, Lance Stephenson is living up to his cult hero status and the Pacers’ defense has clamped down on the Cavs, forcing them to 32 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Cleveland remains the favorite in this first-round battle, but Indiana has broken open a spotlight and directed the bare bulb at LeBron James’ supporting cast and, you know, how much it absolutely sucks.

Kyle Korver knocked down two huge three-pointers to save the Cavs from a 3-1 deficit; however, it’s a clear sign of concern when the favorite in the East has to rely on a 37-year-old as their most consistent player after James. Kevin Love’s erratic play has kept Cleveland from keeping Indiana’s defense honest, and without anyone else knocking down their shots (looking at you, J.R. Smith), the Cavs are going to have a hard time fending the Pacers off.

The painful truth is that LeBron is being pushed to his limit with this particular version of the Cavaliers.

They have a weak bench and a coach who hasn’t developed a consistent offensive system in almost three years, meanwhile the Pacers have thrown a plethora of inspired defenders against James, from Thaddeus Young to Bojan Bogdanovic. Myles Turner is growing into an elite rim protector, and Stephenson keeps saving his best and most annoying level of play for the King. Even though the Pacers let Game 4 slip away from them and face the daunting challenge of winning two out of three games against LeBron, the wear and tear on James’ body is a legitimate concern. He played 46(!) minutes in Game 4; is he supposed to just keep lugging Cleveland and its plethora of problems on his back? There is no way LeBron can put up a fight against the Warriors or the Rockets if he’s forced to play 40plus minutes for at least six games for three rounds.

In order to get their title hopes together, the Cavs need to find a way to salvage their offense and defense. You might say that that’s basically their entire gameplan, and I would tell you that you’re right, and that Cleveland is a trash heap with the biggest diamond in the world stuck on top (it’s Lebron, in case you didn’t get it.)

All jokes aside, everyone around LeBron needs to step up because he cannot do everything. Rodney Hood and Jordan Clarkson need to make their shots, someone needs to stop Victor Oladipo at the rim and J.R. Smith needs to stop thinking he can make every single stepback jump shot ever, whether it’s 20 feet or 30 feet away. Lebron might end up dragging the Cavs to an eventual series win over the Pacers, but they’ll need to do much better if they want to go deep into the playoffs and, more importantly, get Lebron to not leave Cleveland a second time.

SPORTS

Page 24

April 25, 2018

The Fordham Ram

Baseball’s Bats Go Quiet Against George Washington

By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

I guess I am a jinx.

After running the headline, “Baseball Improves to 6-0 in Three-Game Series” last week, Fordham Baseball lost two of three to the George Washington Colonials over the weekend (note: that turned out to be incorrect; the Rams lost two of three in an earlyseason series against USF). The Rams dropped Friday’s 11-inning game 5-3 and Sunday’s contest 7-2, but did secure a 7-2 win on Saturday.

The Rams are now 23-14-1 and 7-5 in conference, putting them at fifth in the Atlantic 10.

As was his mantra after the team had won six straight three-game series, Head Coach Kevin Leighton focused after the game on the micro, not the macro.

“We have to play one game at a time and not worry about series, stats, records, etc.,” said Leighton.

“We just want to go 1-0 in the game that we have that day, and I think that’s the best way for us to move forward. Our guys have kept us in just about every game this year and that’s a good sign and all that we can ask of them.”

Friday’s 5-3 loss featured a rare occurrence for Fordham Baseball: the Rams did not steal a single base. As of right now, Fordham Baseball leads the entire country in stolen bases with 122, 20 more than the next closest school, Wofford, and in three fewer games, at that. (I’ve been trying to work in this fact for a while, but have not had the space). But that has been the key to the Rams’ success: getting on-base at about a NCAAaverage clip, but then running aggressively – and successfully.

“We’re always looking to run and be aggressive; unfortunately, we didn’t have many base runners and their pitchers were very quick to the plate,” said Leighton. “It’s definitely a weapon out of our arsenal, but at the end of the day, we need to get on base to score runs regardless.”

Junior starting pitcher Reiss Knehr got off to a slow but not worrisome start when the leadoff batter singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and then third on a sacrifice bunt. That leadoff batter then scored on a groundout, giving the Colonials 1-0 lead.

The next six and a half innings were a stalemate, particularly for the Rams, who did not have a hit through the first six innings. It’s a little hard to steal a base when you don’t have any baserunners.

However, the Rams did take advantage when they finally got on base in the seventh, with two runs scoring on an RBI triple from freshman third baseman C.J. Vazquez, putting the Rams up 2-0.

Knehr came out for one more inning, giving up two runs on a double to give the lead right back to the Colonials in the top of the eighth. It was his most in-control start in a while, walking just two over the career-high eight innings.

He struck out four.

But the Rams showed fight, not going gentle into that good Bronx night, putting up a run in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single from sophomore shortstop Matt Tarabek to tie it at three and send the game to extra innings.

But in the top of the 11th, sophomore Kyle Martin, who had come to relieve Knehr starting in the ninth, was small-balled into giving up another two more runs, giving the Colonials a 5-3 lead. The Rams

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Baseball lost its first series of the season when it dropped two out of three to George Washington.

brought the game-winning run to the plate with one out in the bottom of the frame, but a flyout and strikeout ended the first game.

Game two on Saturday looked a lot more like the Rams we have grown used to, with the team hitting, stealing bases and starting off hot from the mound. The Rams won 7-2.

The starting pitching came in the form of senior starter and cornerstone Ben Greenberg, who tossed his third career complete game, racking up a career-high eight strikeouts in the process. He did not walk any batters and gave up two runs on nine hits. The performance actually raised his ERA to 1.74, showing just how consistently good he has been all season.

It took the Rams a little while – maybe they were in awe of Greenberg’s work on the mound, but eventually the bats woke up. It started in the sixth inning, when

freshman second baseman Jake MacKenzie hit his team-leading seventh home run of the year, a two-run shot. Tarabek scored later in the inning on a Little Leagueesqe pair of throwing errors on the same play, giving Fordham a 3-0 lead.

The Rams tacked on four more in the bottom of the eighth, first on a Tarabek squeeze bunt following a triple by sophomore outfielder Billy Godrick and a walk by MacKenzie.

After the bunt, MacKenzie and Tarabek double stole, allowing them both to score on a single off the bat of junior catcher Justin Bardwell. A double from Vazquez plated two more for the 7-0 lead.

Greenberg gave up two runs as he faded down the stretch, but the Rams prevailed 7-2 In the rubber game on Sunday, Fordham was on the receiving end of the kind of performance they

got out of Greenberg, with George Washington starter Nathan Woods giving up just one run earned run over a complete game, striking out eight.

The Colonials jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning off of junior starter Anthony DiMeglio, though all three runs were scored as unearned due to a fielding error by Tarabek at short. After they added two more in the fifth, there was not much more the Rams could do.

The Rams did scratch across a run in the bottom of the fifth thanks to an RBI single from sophomore outfielder Jake Baker, and Bardwell scored in the sixth on a throwing error. The game ended 7-2.

Fordham will look to get back to its winning ways with a threegame series at A-10 foe St. Joe’s starting on Friday.

Softball Wins Five Against St. Bonaventure and Saint Louis

By BRENDAN O’CONNELL STAFF WRITER

The Rams have been dominant since the regular season began in late March; they have 18 wins in their last 20 games, including 12 straight. Fordham improved its overall record to 27-17 and its Atlantic 10 record to 15-1 this week, with victories at home against St. Bonaventure and on the road against Saint Louis.

On Wednesday, April 18th, Fordham hosted a doubleheader in which they earned two wins over the Bonnies.

In Game one, the Rams’ offense proved to be too overpowering, as they took down their A-10 foe 8-0 in six innings. Junior Kylie Michael drove in two runs, and Fordham capitalized on St. Bonaventure’s miscues to plate three unearned runs on errors, wild pitches and walks. Sophomore Madie Aughinbaugh tossed a complete-game shutout, scattering six strikeouts and five hits over six scoreless frames.

In Game two, Fordham emerged victorious once again, this time by a score of 4-1. Sophomore Skylar Johnston blasted a two-run home run in the third

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Softball is currently at 15-1 in the A-10, and will look for the conference lead when it hosts UMass this weekend.

inning. She and junior Chelsea Skrepenak smacked solo shots in the fifth to support freshman Paige Rauch’s complete game performance.

Over the weekend, the Rams swept the Billikens in a three game set in St. Louis.

Despite falling behind in the first inning of Game one, the Rams tied the game in the fifth, thanks to a bases-loaded walk from senior Madi Shaw. In the

sixth, they rallied to take the lead and they would not give it up again. Junior Deanna Burbridge reached base on a sacrifice bunt fielder’s choice that allowed Aughinbaugh to score. Rauch tagged a double to left field to bring in graduate Lauren Quense, and Burbridge crossed home plate on a sacrifice fly from Skrepenak.

Aughinbaugh held off Saint Louis over the final two frames to earn a 4-1 win and push her record to

12-6 on the season.

Later on Saturday, the Rams won again, downing the hosting Billikens 6-2. Shaw’s firstinning two-run homer to center field and Rauch’s second-inning two-run single to right field gave Fordham a lead it would possess for the entire game. Michael and Quense each added runs with RBI groundouts later in the contest. Rauch pitched all seven innings, allowing seven hits, a walk,

a hit batter and two runs while fanning five hitters.

On Sunday, Fordham brought out the brooms for an 8-5 victory in a back-and-forth affair. Rauch led off the game with a roundtripper to right center field, and Shaw tacked on two more runs three batters later by sending a shot over the wall in center. In the fourth, Skrepenak singled in Quense; in the fifth, junior Jordy Storm delivered a two-run double and in the seventh, freshman Brianna Pinto added two insurance runs on a single to center field. In the circle, Rauch improved her record to 13-1, pitching four scoreless innings in relief of Quense, who gave up five runs in a starting appearance that lasted three innings.

Fordham will host Delaware on Wednesday and Massachusetts this coming weekend. Delaware holds a record of just 11-30 on the season, while UMass holds a 28-12 record and maintains its place atop the A-10 by a miniscule margin over Fordham, with an undefeated 16-0 mark in the conference. The conference lead will be on the line this weekend at Bahoshy Field when the two teams clash.