Issue 11, Volume 100 by The Fordham Ram

The Fordham Ram Volume 100, Issue 11

Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 FordhamRam.com

See centennial spread, pages 12-13. May 2, 2018

2018 Josh Peck Speaker Brings the Announced Laughs By HANNAH GONZALEZ ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

On Thursday, actor Josh Peck of “Drake & Josh” fame took the stage as this year’s Spring Weekend speaker. His visit was put on by the Campus Activities Board (CAB) Speakers Series and moderated by CAB member Kathryn Teaney, FCRH ’19. The Q&A format of the dialogue incorporated studentsubmitted questions and a “word associations” portion. Peck spoke on his path to acting as well as his approach to the craft from the perspective of an artist, opening up about his struggle between moments of confidence and self-doubt. He reflected both on his experiences during “Drake & Josh” and his subsequent experiences working with celebrities. Peck first met Drake Bell during their time on “The Amanda Show,” and Peck remembered that, originally, the now-iconic pair didn’t get along. It wasn’t until Bell asked to hear a joke that the two were able to bond over their shared love of comedy. “I told him a joke, and he laughed like I had never heard anyone laugh before, and all of a sudden he became my biggest fan,” said Peck. “And from there on out, we were just inseparable best friends.” Peck also spoke on the success of “Drake & Josh.” Many attendees of the event came to know Peck through his role on the hit Nickelodeon show, Kaylee Kurkierewicz, FCRH ’20, being one of them. “I have been a huge fan of Josh Peck since “Drake & Josh,” of course,” said Kurkierewicz. “That show was my childhood, so I couldn’t not go and see him.” During the Q&A, Peck acknowledged the widespread influence of “Drake & Josh.” Most recently, while in transit to New York, a TSA agent quoted the show to him. SEE SPEAKER, PAGE 3

in this issue

Opinion

Page7 Hot Take: Fordham is Good to Us

Sports

Page 21

Chase Edmonds Drafted by Arizona Cardinals

Culture Page 15 T-Pain Takes on Spring Weekend

By AISLINN KEELY NEWS EDITOR

Dennis Walcott, president and CEO of Queens Library and former New York City schools chancellor, is slated to deliver the address at Fordham’s 173rd Commencement. The May 19 address will mark a return to Fordham for Walcott, who graduated from the Graduate School of Social Service. In addition to delivering the keynote speech at the proceedings on May 19, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, will also present Walcott with the University’s President’s Medal. McShane said Walcott’s work with public educational institutions made him a good fit to address the class of 2018. “Mr. Walcott’s experience with what are arguably two of the city’s most important and diverse educational institutions – public schools and public libraries – makes him a particularly fitting speaker for Fordham’s Commencement,” he said. “He brings to the ceremony not merely exSEE WALCOTT, PAGE 5

MAHLON HANIFIN/THE FORDHAM RAM

T-Pain performs his Spring Weekend set on Martyr’s Lawn, including hits like “Bartender” and “Kiss Kiss.”

T-Pain Delivers 2018 Spring Weekend Performance

By ISHA KHAWAJA AND RYAN DICORPO “For safety reasons, everyone needs to take three steps back,” announced CAB president Maxson Thomas, FCRH ‘19, to the huddled masses gathered on Martyrs’ Lawn on a sunny Saturday afternoon. The Lawn, decorated with multicolored blankets, bot-

tles of water, the refuse of halfeaten lunches and the anticipation of hundreds upon hundreds of overworked college students, was to become the stuff of legend. It was, in those moments when students packed like sardines at a fish fry attempted to swim just three paces back, to become the field of dreams.

“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is T-Pain.” This announcement, met with wild ebullience and incoherent shouting, tore open the pages of Fordham history, or at least recent history. For years, students had speculated the Spring Weekend appearance of T-Pain, who followed Audien as the headlining act. T-Pain, best SEE TPAIN, PAGE 15

UTT Draws Crowd By JACK REGAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

KEVIN STOLTENBERG/THE FORDHAM

The House of Early Sorrows, by Louise DeSalvo, was published by the Fordham University Press in 2018.

University Press Thrives Amidst Trend of Closures By HANNAH GONZALEZ ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Fordham’s university-affiliated publishing house Fordham University Press has survived the wave of recent closures and financial difficulties assailing the academic publishing industry. Fredric Nachbaur, director of the press, said that the institution will look to future collaborations with university departments,

as well as to books geared toward a wider readership, as it continues to adapt to the changing landscape of the industry. Known for publications in the areas of the humanities and social sciences, the press has garnered awards from associations like the Modern Languages Association, and its published works have been reviewed in mainstream publications including the New York Times

and the London Review of Books. The success of the press serves as a marketing tool for the university, according to Nachbaur. “I think the press is a very strong asset for the university, because we support the mission of the university, and that’s strongly represented by the books that we publish,” said Nachbaur. The press currently publishes SEE PRESS, PAGE 3

A DJ, neon lights and Fordham students dressed in their Saturday night finest can only mean one thing: it’s Under the Tent time. Each year during Spring Weekend, which takes place the weekend prior to the last week of classes, the Fordham Residence Hall Association (RHA) organizes the Under the Tent dance on Martyrs’ Lawn. This year the dance’s theme was “Ocean Drive ’85,” which allowed for many extravagant decorations. The decorations were one of the best elements of the dance along with the music, according to Executive President of RHA Sara Chesnos, GSB ’19. “I think some of the highlights were the neon light boxes surrounding the DJ stage, which highlighted the fun elements of Miami in the 80s,” said Chesnos. “Our DJ himself always loves the event and keeps our dance floor alive.” Chesnos said student attendance at this year’s dance was SEE UTT, PAGE 3

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS April 27 Lombardi Center 6:30 p.m. Public Safety was informed that someone had broken into the men’s locker room at Lombardi Center and removed cell phones and assorted personal property. After canvassing the area, the two non-students were located by Public Safety. The NYPD placed both under arrest and recovered some property. May 1 Campbell Hall 12:04 a.m. There was a fire alarm activation on Campbell Hall on the third floor. FDNY responded and determined that the source of the smoke was a party favor. There were no injuries.

-Compiled by Joergen Ostensen

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May 2, 2018

Vegetarian Options Expand on Campus By JOERGEN OSTENSEN ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The Rose Hill Marketplace has been increasing its vegetarian and vegan options over the course of the 2017-18 academic year, according to Melanie Simeone, Aramark’s registered dietician. The process of adding to the number and variety of vegan and vegetarian options has been a response to a collaboration of student demand and changing menus from the Aramark Corporation, according to Deming Yaun, dining services liaison. Arielle Brender, FCRH ’18, the vice president of Sustainability for United Student Government and the president of Students for Environmental Awareness and Justice, said she worked with Aramark last year through the Sustainable Food Practicum. She said she enjoyed working with them. “They were so excited to work with us,” she said. Brender said she struggled trying to maintain a vegetarian diet when she had a meal plan her freshman year, and the lack of food options played a major role in her decision to move off campus, but she was pleased with the progress Aramark has made this year. “Aramark is actually doing a really good job to increase those options [and] improve them,” she said. Yaun said part of the reason for the changes is an increased aware-

ness of the issue of sustainability and the fact that plant-based products have less of an impact on the environment. However, he said creating attractive food options has been a challenge. “The planet has to make a decision, how are we going to sustain ourselves?” he said. “Collectively we have to move this way, [but] people aren't going to go if it's not appealing.” Aramark hosted a training program last month at the Rose Hill campus where 30 chefs from area universities, including Fordham, learned how to cook vegan products. Yaun said the goal is not to encourage Fordham students to live a different kind of lifestyle. The vegan and vegetarian lifestyle already exists on campus; Aramark is just trying to meet the demand with attractive options, according to Yaun. Hayley Coughlin, FCRH ’19, is a member of United Student Government’s (USG) Sustainability Committee. She said that as a vegan, she has had a hard time finding food to eat on campus. She said said she was not satisfied last year with her meal plan when she lived in O’Hare and had to have one. “There were very few vegan options, it was mostly just salads,” she said. She said that becoming vegan has become more common in recent years due to the issue of sustainability. “A couple years ago, being vegetarian and vegan was because you

cared about animals, it wasn't necessarily because you cared about the environment,” she said. She said that environmental concerns were a big part of why she decided to become vegan. Brender said she became vegan out of a sense of moral responsibility. “The more that I learned about our very corrupt and very broken food system, it became abundantly clear to me that I had a moral obligation, as somebody who cares about justice issues, and who cares about environmental issues, to put my money where my mouth is,” she said. Brender also said veganism has helped her lead a healthier lifestyle. “I became vegan for the environment and for the humanitarian and ethical reasons but I stayed because of the health impact,” she said. The Veg-Out station, which is new to the caf this year, is an example of how Aramark is trying to make vegan options a more mainstream aspect of the dining experience, according to Simeone. She said that part of the goal is to minimize the stigma surrounding vegan food. According to Simeone, the attachment of the word vegan to a product can make it less desirable. “We’re trying to take away that stigma,” she said. Voice of the Consumer Surveys indicate that students are satisfied with the Veg-Out station, according to Simeone. “I think a lot of people just eat at

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Some vegetarian and vegan students resort to shopping off-campus in order to satisfy their dietary needs.

that station because it looks good and it sounds good,” she said. Simeone said that the increased demand for vegan products extends to the corporate level. “More companies are realizing that people are becoming more flexible with their diet,” she said. At first it was a difficult adjustment for the staff because it required them to learn how to use new products, according to Simeone. She said the training program helped make them more comfortable with the additions. “They are becoming more comfortable with that cooking, so the food quality is actually improving quite a bit,” she said. Yaun said the staff will adjust to the positive feedback they have received. “The staff wants to be there with people who are smiling back,” he said. Coughlin said that after she moved out of O’Hare and meal plans were no longer mandatory, she was happy not to have one. “I could not be more excited to get rid of my meal plan because they could not accommodate me,” she said. She said she hopes to work on USG’s sustainability committee to make Aramark aware of what products vegans on campus are interested in. “We just have to let them know,” she said. The system of mandatory meal plans is unfair to students who feel that their diet is not accommodated by Aramark’s food offerings, Coughlin said. “If they are going to have mandatory meal plans, they have to make sure that everybody is accommodated,” she said. Brender said she believes Jesuit values and a plant-based diet are connected, and, consequently, the Jesuit values of protecting the environment and social justice need to be reflected in greater education of students about the issues surrounding the meat industry. “[Fordham] should be the one educating the student body about the horrors of the animal industry and industrialized agriculture,” she said. Fordham should require students to take classes on the impact of humans on ecology, according to Brender. “If [Fordham] were to embrace the really widespread benefits of plant based diets and making that accessible for students it would be effectively putting action where its words are,” she said.

This Week at Fordham Thursday May 3

Thursday May 3

Friday May 4

Fordham-NYPL Lecture Series in Jewish Studies

B-Sides Spring Concert: Bee's Declassified

Quiz Bowl Marvel Trivia

Commuter Appreciation Reception

Class of 2018 Candle Lighting Ceremony

Bateman Room, Fordham Law 6 p.m.

Collins Auditorium 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Keating 3rd 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Bepler Commons 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Edward's Parade 9:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Gil Ribak, a Fordham-NYPL Fellow in Jewish Studies, will discuss the portrayal of African-Americans in the 19th and 20th centuries by Yiddish figures during the overlap of Jewish and African American migrations.

The B-Sides will showcase their efforts at their "Ned’s Declassified"themed Spring Concert. The B-Sides will be offering not only their characteristic acapella jams, but also tips for school survival. Admission is free.

Quiz Bowl will be putting on a Marvel-themed trivia night in honor of Avengers: Infinity War. Games will include two rounds of Jeopardy based on Marvel Comics questions. There will be free pizza and soda.

The Commuting Students Association will be putting on a reception to celebrate commuter leaders across campus. The event will feature a speech by CDO Zapata and present the Exemplary Commuter Awards.

The Senior Week Committee will be holding a candle lighting ceremony in honor of the freshman year orientation ceremony. The event will encourage seniors to "go forth and set the world on fire."

NEWS

May 2, 2018

Page 3

Josh Peck Addresses UTT Attendance High Despite Rain Confidence, Career FROM UTT, PAGE 1

FROM SPEAKER, PAGE 1

“The guy’s checking my ID and my ticket,” Peck said. “He’s like, ‘Alright, bro, you good. Pip pip da doodly doo.’” Peck’s desire to pursue comedy was influenced by his childhood self-doubt. He said that, in his youth, he often used humor to mask his insecurities, making fun of himself before anyone else could. He now wishes he could encourage the younger version of himself with the knowledge he has of his future successes. In more recent years, Peck has taken to the online platforms of

Vine, YouTube and Twitter. He expressed his enjoyment of producing content for fans directly rather than going through the “middle man” of a producer. Kurkierewicz said she appreciated the opportunity to hear Peck’s thoughts on content creation. “I really liked when he was talking about artistry,” said Kurkierewicz. “No matter how much you doubt yourself, the content you create is wanted, and you should never stop yourself from creating. As an aspiring screenwriter, that was awesome to hear.”

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Josh Peck on stage with CAB member Kathryn Teaney, FCRH ’19.

high, regardless of less than ideal conditions. “Over 90 percent of students who bought tickets attended the event, which is consistent with years past in spite of the rain,” said Chesnos. “We are so grateful a lot of students still came out with their umbrellas.” For Shea Williams, FCRH ’18, the tunes at the dance made walking through the rain worth it. “This was my favorite Under the Tent I’ve been to,” said Williams. “The music was great; my friends and I didn’t stop dancing the entire time.” For seniors, this was the last Under the Tent they would attend as students, and, according to Michael Campbell, FCRH ’18, it was a good one to go out on. “Under the Tent is always the highlight of my Spring Weekend, and this year’s Ocean Drive ‘85 dance was a great opportunity to spend quality time with my fellow graduating seniors,” said Campbell. “The ticket collection was efficient, the DJ played all the songs I wanted to hear and the food was a nice touch when my friends and I wanted to take a break from dancing.” Kimona Dussard, FCRH ’20, will be taking the mantle of RHA Executive Programmer next year, which means she will have a large hand in planning the next Under the Tent. She said she is optimis-

tic for coming years. “This year’s Under the Tent was definitely a success, so I can only see it getting better in the years to come,” said Dussard. “For the future of this event, we will continue to use systems that speed up the time people wait in

line, both for ticket sales and entrance to the tent, and generally aim to keep our events fun and efficient in the future.” The next Under the Tent will find students at its usual time and place – Martyr’s Lawn, Spring Weekend 2019.

COURTESY OF RHA

Students dance “under the tent” at Under The Tent on Martyr’s lawn.

Fordham Press Navigates Publishing Industry FROM PRESS, PAGE 1

80 books a year. However, due to the resource intensiveness of this publishing schedule, Nachbaur said the press will cap their publications at 70 a year in the coming seasons. “It’s a lot of resources, both staffing and budget,” said Nachbaur. “So we’re trying to balance a little bit and bring it down to 35 a season, so we could accomplish 70.” The press’s publications are bolstered by the support of departments on campus, a relationship which Nachbaur said he hopes to continue to strengthen going forward. The press currently works on a series with the McGannon Center of communications and media studies, as well as a series on Catholic practice in North America. Recently, the press has also received a National Endowment for the Humanities grant of over $81,000 to digitize hard-to-find American philosophy books. The press will be working with both the library and the philosophy department to compile backlist titles for those of significance to today’s scholarly community. “Those collaborations are ways to cement the Fordham University Press’s place within the institution itself,” said Nachbaur. “I think that’s important.” Nachbaur stated that the recent closures of university presses are unfortunate, as presses not only disseminate scholarship but also help scholars in their applications for tenure-track positions. “Part of our goal is to help young scholars get tenure, and these books published help them during their tenure review,” said Nachbaur. “So, you know, that the less

opportunities that exist for them, it’s a detriment.” Yet, he said the future of the academic press industry is not all “doom and gloom.” Recent openings of presses, such as the University Press of Cincinnati and the changing platforms of publication point to a robust future for publishing. “There is some good news out there as well,” said Nachbaur. “Thinking about how you publish work, being creative. There’s the digital initiatives and open access as well. ” The Fordham Press is strong in the area of digital publishing, as every book is published in both print and digital formats, according to Nachbaur. Open access, on the other hand, while popular in the sciences, can be difficult to apply to the realm of the humanities. Nachbaur stated that publishing a book for free digitally does nothing

to offset the cost of the publication process. “The humanities is trying to figure out how to make it happen, because it’s kind of a difficult situation where there’s a lot of money associated with producing a book,” said Nachbaur. “The e-book sales helped to offset those costs. To make it totally open access, you’re not getting any kind of money for those costs.” The Fordham Press is funded by a combination of its own revenue and financial support from the university. As a privately-funded, notfor-profit organization, the press has avoided the problems that may befall state-funded university presses, like the University of Kentucky press. This state-funded publisher recently received a cut in funding, leaving its future uncertain. “We’re funded by the administration, though we’re a unique operation because we sell our books,” said

Nachbaur. “We cover a lot of the expenses for producing the books.” The economics of university publishing can prove difficult according to Professor Albert Greco, an expert in field of publishing. “For every 10 books published, two break even, seven lose money and one’s a hit,” said Greco. These economic issues are compounded by the underpricing of books by university presses. Presses cut prices in order to promote their mission—the publication and dissemination of scholarly work, according to Greco. Because of this, a book published by a university press is sold for less than an equivalent book by a trade book publisher. “University presses are important in the transmission of ideas and culture,” said Greco. “The problem is it’s a tough economic environment.” Going forward, the Fordham University Press is looking to in-

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM RAM

“The House of Early Sorrows”, written by Louise DeSalvo and published by the Fordham Press in 2018, in Walsh Library.

crease their publication of general interest books to expand readership beyond the scholarly community. The press currently publishes the Empire State Editions Imprint, a line which centers on the history and diversity of New York City. Because books published under this label are sold on Amazon as well as in traditional bookstore, they tend to sell better than the press’s scholarly titles, according to Nachbaur. “We want to make sure we have the right balance,” said Nachbaur. “Not too many narrowly-focused scholarly books that have a limited audience, hence limited sales. We’re trying to get a few more that may branch out of their intended audiences. ” Greco said that he foresees university presses attempting to branch into more mainstream readership with trade books and textbooks, despite competition with large publishing houses like Penguin and Simon & Schuster. “What they’re looking for is something that will have a lot of sales, revenue and backlist sales,” said Greco. The most recent list launched by the Fordham press is Polis, a series in urban studies. The first two books look at the creation of safe spaces in South America and the abandoned imitation-European villages built in China. Nachbaur said the list grew out of a desire for the press to publish books from a more global perspective. “We just launched it, and I’m excited about it,” said Nachbaur. “It also ties in because Fordham has an urban studies program here, so I think it’s another way to mirror the mission of the university.”

NEWS

Page 4

May 2, 2018

Research Spotlight

USG Column

Student Researches Transplant Transitions Searches to streamline process for patients

By SARAH HUFFMAN

By JULIA RIST

STAFF WRITER

Kirk Brouwer, FCRH ’20, is researching whether it is possible to streamline the transition for liver transplant patients who are aging out of pediatric care. Brouwer, a psychology major, is working with the Texas Children’s Hospital to develop a faster and more efficient way to help patients who are going through this process. “This can be a difficult time for patients, so we are looking to make the process as simple and smooth as possible,” Brouwer said. “The first phase of the project was conducting and analyzing pre-transfer interviews to determine how patients felt about the process and what they needed most from their medical team as they changed to new hospitals and providers.” Brouwer said he would often transcribe the pre-transfer interview, so that he could find any possible correlation between the patients’ experience. “The pre-transfer interviews were the primary source for data,” said Brouwer. “We analyzed them to find common themes among the patients including their expectations, worries or degrees of anxiety.” Brouwer works with a team of undergraduate researchers led by Rachel Annunziato, the associate dean for Strategic Initiatives at FCRH. Brouwer said he has been working on this research project since November 2016. “The Texas Children’s Hospital transition was one of the projects to which I was assigned, and we’ve been working on it on and off since then,” Brouwer said.

COURTESY OF RACHEL ANNUNZIATO

Kirk Brouwer, FCRH ’20, (pictured above) presents his project at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.

“Dean Annunziato encouraged me to put a presentation together for the Symposium as we recently completed the first major phase of the study and had implications we could present.” Annunziato is also an associate professor of psychology at Fordham. She said having Brouwer on their research team has been a big help to her and her entire undergraduate research team. “Kirk joined my lab when he was a freshman and has been instrumental in coding the interviews we conducted with Texas Children’s Hospital patients about the perceptions of transitioning,” Annunziato said. “We have completed these assessments and are preparing now to disseminate the

results. Patients will also be contacted for repeat assessments to learn how the transition has gone for them.” Brouwer said the only criteria for this research project was that the subjects of the study had to be liver transplant patients who were receiving care from doctors at the Texas Children’s Hospital. This benchmark left room for several variables in the study, including the patients’ day-to-day lives, according to Brouwer. “The ages ranged from 17-22, so most were in varying degrees of school,” he said. “Some were also going off to college which played a role in the timing of their transition since they wanted to find a hospital convenient to their new

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORHDAM RAM

Photo of the Week:

USG Votes on CAB Proposal

A man does a trick on a motor bike as he rides against traffic in front of Fordham Plaza. The Plaza is located just outside Fordham’s North gate, directly adjacent to the Fordham Road Metro North station.

schools.” Brouwer said there were many things he found surprising from his findings, but one especially troubling commonality between the patients was a lack of self-managed care. “Many of the patients we worked with still relied on parents and healthcare professionals to oversee the daily management of their healthcare needs,” Brouwer said. “This included medication administration, appointment scheduling and lab scheduling. This worried us because typically, in an adultcare unit, although the staff is supportive, patients are expected to be largely self-sufficient.” Brouwer presented his research at the Fordham Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 11, 2018. He said it was a wonderful experience for him to engage with the audience and also to raise awareness about the needs of pediatric patients. “Many of the audience members were unaware of the anxiety that comes with a transition process such as the one we are studying, and to be able to demonstrate this to them with my talk was enjoyable, and reaffirmed my interest in pursuing a career in medical psychology,” Brouwer said. Brouwer said the goal of his research was to improve the transition process between the time when the patient moves from pediatric to adult healthcare of the liver transplant department. “As a team, we hope to eventually develop a streamlined transition process which the Liver Transplant Department, as well as the rest of Texas Children’s Hospital can use to best serve their patients and mitigate the tension that comes along with this process,” he said. Brouwer and his team implemented a similar program at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, and it seems to be working well, according to Brouwer. He said he hopes to adapt this program to the different needs of the patient population at Texas Children’s to see similar success.

CAB Proposal This past Thursday, United Student Government (USG) had its last meeting of the year with the 2017-2018 senate. Because incoming Executive President Connor Sullivan, FCRH ’19, represents USG at Student Life Council (SLC) meetings, the Senate held a vote on how Sullivan should vote on the Campus Activities Board (CAB) proposal for departmental status. Senator Joseph Florio, GSB ’18, spoke on the issue. He said that if CAB receives departmental status, they would circumnavigate the budget committee, which he feels would be dangerous. The Senate held a silent vote concerning the issue, and the majority vote result was nay. Outgoing Vice President of Finance and incoming Executive Vice President, Kaylee Wong, GSB ’20, said the budget committee also decided to vote nay at their own meeting earlier in the week. These votes decide how USG will vote at the SLC meeting, but there are still a number of other votes on the council that will determine the outcome of CAB’s departmentalization proposal. Humanitarian Student Union The Senate approved the Humanitarian Student Union. Its secretary and treasurer said their club was a place for people to come talk and learn about humanitarian issues. They said the funding they receive will be used for transportation to the city to visit museums and participate in other humanitarian activities. Sambazon Senator Domenic Setaro, FCRH ’20, head of the dining committee, confirmed that Sambazon is approved for next year. Sambazon is the acai bowl company that Aramark has been working with and testing this semester. Executive Update Outgoing Executive President Brian Reardon, FCRH ’18, and outgoing Executive Vice President Abigail Kedik, FCRH ’18, presented end of year awards to honor each member of the Senate. The pair reminisced about the past year during their Good of the Order. During his last executive update, Reardon thanked everyone for a great year and reminded the underclassmen to think about what they want to do next year. In an interview after the meeting, Reardon said there are good things to come from the incoming Senate. “It’s been a rollercoaster for the past two years being on USG, especially the past year,” said Reardon. “Honestly, I just want everyone to know that USG is here for you and reflecting your voice. We’re on a trajectory of greatness, and this next senate is exciting me.” The meeting concluded with the old senate stepping away from the table and the new senate taking their new positions. Thursday will be the 2018-2019 Senate’s first meeting with the inauguration of the new senate directly following the meeting.

NEWS

May 2, 2018

Page 5

Racial Solidarity Network Recieves Positive Feedback By JOE ESPOSITO FEATURES EDITOR

After officially launching in the fall of 2017, the Racial Solidarity Network has received positive feedback from participants in its first year. Using the success of the LGBT and Ally Network of Support, a program which began in Spring 2010, the Office of Multicultural Affairs sought to build a program that was similar, but could specifically hone in on race, ethnicity and racial equity, according to Juan Carlos Matos, the assistant vice president for Student Affairs for Diversity and Inclusion. The goal was to pull people together from different identities to talk about racial equity, according to Matos. “This has been a four-year plan in order to get this program up and running in a very intentional and successful way,” said Matos. The entire campus community got an email inviting students to participate in the program which launched last fall, according to Matos. Fifty-seven people participated in the fall program and 61 in the spring for a total of 118 people for the year, according to Matos. These numbers ranged from students, both undergraduate and graduate, to faculty and staff, according to Matos. “That trend continued from the LGBT training, and I thought that was really successful,” he said. Students who filled out a survey after completing the program note

what they found effective about the experience. “The number one thing that people really enjoyed was the TED talk that we showed,” said Matos. Color Brave, the TED talk, got one of the highest rankings in terms of effectiveness. Ninety-five percent of participants agreed the talk was effective, according to the survey. Ninety-three percent of people felt that the “Who’s in the Room” exercise was effective, according to the survey. In this exercise, people would step into a circle based on a prompt regarding identity. There was discussion afterwards, according to Matos Another part of the program that was found to be effective was the discussion on becoming a racial ally, also coming in at 93 percent. This program featured a discussion on how people of various races interact and how one can work to becoming an ally toward racial equity. This segment attempted to illustrate that everyone can be an ally toward racial equity, according to Matos. Participants also had the opportunity to share qualitative responses. People shared that they enjoyed the racial caucusing, the open discussion and the student speakers. Others felt the shared personal experiences was a positive component, according to the survey. Some said they were grateful for such a program existing, noting that it was very comprehensive. Specifically, some students found that the historical component, as

well as the diversity of the participants, allowed for an informative, effective and fruitful experience, according to the survey. One student who participated, Mikaela Brandon, FCLC ’19, said she believes the Racial Solidarity Network is accomplishing its goals. “It succeeds in educating individuals on the intricacies of race, language and culture and encourages participants to be allies and/ or active members of the community,” she said. Matos said he values the positive feedback he has received after the years he has put into the program.

“For me as an administrator and someone whose been working on this for a really long time, to see that the work that we are putting out for the program is being well received by people I think is really important,” he said. The program is successful in the pursuit of its goal of promoting a welcoming environment for all, according to Mario Pineda-Bermudez, GSB ’20, a student participant in the program. “I think the program itself is successful in its pursuit of this goal, covering topics such as intersectionality of identity, microaggressions and mental health as it relates to race,” he said.

People also shared that it was the type of discourse that should happen more often. Participants shared that they hoped for ways and opportunities to get involved after the training program, according to the survey. Matos noted that work is being done to allow for such an experience of an ongoing conversation. Reviving the deeper dialogue series is one possible option, according to Matos. “My hope is that this program should really be seen as one piece of a larger puzzle of how Fordham can aid and improve the racial and ethnic climate of the university,” said Matos.

MAHLON HANIFIN/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Office of Multicultural Affairs, pictured above, organized the Racial Solidarity Network in the fall of 2017.

Petition Circulates in Support of Faculty Walcott to By HELEN STEVENSON FEATURES EDITOR

Fordham’s Undergraduate and Graduate students penned an open letter urging the university’s administration to support its contingent faculty. The letter has over 300 signatures from students and continues to build in support. The letter advises the administration to use tuition revenue and the university’s endowment in order to install multi-year contracts with clear standards for renewal, higher minimum salaries, meaningful promotional paths, improved benefits, professional

development opportunities and greater access to office space and equipment. “We are invested in our professors; they provide so much mental, emotional and physical labor to educate us and help us grow. We call on the Fordham administration to invest in our professors too,” said the letter. The letter addressed what it believes to be an inequity among salaries between the administration and adjunct professors. “These unjust teaching conditions for our non-tenure track faculty strain their ability to provide an excellent education for us

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM RAM

Students penned an open letter in support of contingent faculty.

as students,” said the petition. The students cite the Jesuit values of the university, addressing what they feel is the administration’s responsibility to provide fair benefits and wages to contingent faculty in order to stay true to the Jesuit mission. “Fordham University prides itself as an institution dedicated to excellence in education and social justice,” says the letter. “By paying non-tenure track faculty low wages and providing little in the way of benefits, the Fordham administration is stifling faculty and student potential and contributing to income inequality.” Students also reference their responsibility to write this letter in order to stay true to the messages of the university and the Jesuit mission. According to the letter, students are taught to use their voices to speak up about the injustices they witness, and they find the salary and lack of benefits received by Fordham contingent faculty to be an injustice. “Treating our entire faculty respectfully and equitably will enhance our education and the life of the university. Together, we can and must do better,” the letter says. According to Diane George, an adjunct professor of anthropology and member of Fordham’s contingent faculty union, the letter was created and organized completely by students. “It was written by students and is being circulated by students, I

believe led by Fordham Students United,” she said. “They were tremendously supportive of our efforts to unionize in the first place.” Many professors are happy with the support growing among students. “We’re excited and inspired by their commitment to social justice. We hope this confirms how important we are to the university community,” said George. According to Sarah Lopez, FCRH 2018, the petition has grown in support because it has been shared by students who care about the welfare of their teachers. “[Most of the classes taught at Fordham are by NTT faculty, so the well-being of the teachers is directly related to the quality of education students are able to get,” she said. “Also, it only seems natural to want to ensure that people have job security, a stable income and a living.” Lopez is hopeful that the letter will enact change and help adjunct professors in their negotiations. “If we show solidarity with our teachers, we are showing that the students are not going to sit back and let their teachers be taken advantage of by their employers,” she said. “The letter is a commitment and a sign of the unwavering allegiance of students to justice for faculty. The university might not listen now, but we will make sure they will.”

Speak to Grads

FROM WALCOTT, PAGE 1

pertise and experience, but wisdom and compassion, all of which I believe will serve well the Class of 2018.” Walcott worked in the Bloomberg administration for 12 years, where he led initiatives focused on serving the city’s students, including the expansion of afterschool programs. He assumed the role of deputy mayor in 2002 and later served as chancellor of the city’s public schools from 2011 to 2013. In 2016, he took control of Queens Library. Before his time under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Walcott served as the president and CEO of the New York Urban League, which helps disadvantaged New Yorkers gain equal opportunities for employment and education. Walcott began a career of helping New Yorkers in his home borough of Queens, where he taught kindergarten. Walcott has returned to speak to the Fordham community since his graduation from GSS. He taught in GSS’s Master of Science Nonprofit Leadership program and also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Fordham during the Class of 2015’s commencement.

NEWS

Page 6

May 2, 2018

Campaign Supports Literary Culture of Bronx Kickstarter Brings Book Festival to Borough By THERESA SCHLIEP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When the last general interest bookstore in the Bronx closed in 2016, Saraciea Fennell said she had to do something about it. So Fennell, who was already kicking around the idea of a book festival for the borough known for its literary history, decided to make a Kickstarter campaign. Flash forward to 2018, and Fennell has crowdfunded over $35,000 for The Bronx Book Festival, set to take place May 19. The event, scheduled for 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Fordham Plaza, will feature panels of authors, prose and poetry readings and opportunities to buy books from a soon-to-be independent bookseller, Noëlle Santos. Fennell said she thinks the literary culture in the Bronx does not always get the attention it deserves. “The literary culture is invisible in the Bronx right now,” she said. “I don’t want people to think that it doesn’t exist, because there are tons of people out there doing the work to get the community engaged.” Various panels will be dedicated to children, teens and adults, according to Fennell. The festival will also feature a picture book tent, where children and their families

can working on reading and illustration activities. The Bronx is home to places like the Poe Center and the Bronx Council for the Arts, both of which work to celebrate the vibrant literary culture contained within the borough. Edgar Allen Poe once called a cottage on Kingsbridge Road and Grand Concourse home, and his poem “The Bells” is said to be inspired by the bells on Fordham’s Rose Hill Campus. Other writers from the American literary canon spent time in the northernmost borough. James Baldwin went to high school in Bedford Park, and Mark Twain leased an estate in Riverdale for two years. Despite this history, the laststanding general interest bookstore in the Bronx, a Barnes and Noble in Co-Op City, closed in 2016. Santos is trying to change that with the Lit Bar, an independently-owned bookstore she plans to open. Fennell said Santos will be the primary book seller for the festival. Some Bronx politicians have accused different businesses of refusing to provide certain services to the poor, predominantly black and Latino borough. Back in 2016, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said that Amazon committed “digital redlining” in denying Bronx same-day delivery that wealthier

neighborhoods received. Fennell said the borough’s desire for a bookstore or another literary venue often goes unsatiated. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Bronx has been named the poorest borough in New York State,” she said. “Most of the borough is made up of Title I schools, and their libraries aren’t as well stocked as others.” The weekend will also include school visits by famous authors on May 18. Fennell said authors will visit Title I schools throughout the borough, an opportunity she did not have growing up in the Bronx. “Growing up, I never had an author from any racial background come to my school and visit,” she said. “I never attended a bookstore event with an actual author.” The festival will include panels and readings with different authors and poets. Fennell said representation is important, as publishing tends to be a predominantly white and wealthier industry. “I think one way we can help the publishing industry get there is by doing events like this in a largely diverse community to show them that there are people who write books who look like you,” said Fennell.

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She hopes this will inspire young people to pursue careers in writing and publishing. “Hopefully, it will spark an interest for them to one day write a book or become an illustrator, or to become an editor and work in publishing, become a publicist, or become a marketer, because we need all different types of people with all different types of socioeconomic backgrounds… because that’s how you get a more diverse pool of

books out into the world,” she said. In a video on Twitter, Fennell expressed her appreciation for the support people have shown for the book festival. She was hoping for some sort of response from the publishing community, but said she was floored by the response she received from people on Twitter and beyond. “To have over 630 backers backing this initiative,” she said, “that’s phenomenal.”

KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Bronx Book Festival will bring authors, readings and books for purchase.

OPINION

May 2, 2018

Page 7

The Fordham Ram

Hot Take: Fordham is Good to Us By ALVIN HALIMWIDJAYA STAFF WRITER

Look, hear me out. Fordham University definitely has problems that it needs to deal with. We’re constantly hearing about the administration’s mistakes, everyone hates their freshman dorm unless they’re in Queen’s Court or Loyola and the food is absolutely despicable (that last one is an absolute fact, as our school is consistently at the top of the worst on-campus food rankings). However, that’s not what I’m here to talk about. Students love to nitpick on Fordham’s pitfalls so much that we often forget how much Fordham does for us in the first place. To go to a private university in New York is obviously an immense privilege, but even putting that aside, there’s plenty that Fordham provides for a college student. When I first got to New York in freshman year, I was a little worried. There’s always one thing that just hits you in a new city you’ve just moved to, and for me it was cars blasting music. My first trip to the D train a week or so into Global Transition, cars just kept driving by and blaring hiphop and reggaeton out of their speakers; I was in awe. That’s when living in New York really started for me. I love complaining about Fordham as much as the next student,

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ROSE HILL RHA

Fordham University’s Under the Tent is one example of how Fordham students celebrate their time together.

but I can’t deny that I’ve fit in a lot better here at Rose Hill than I would have anywhere else. When I was a junior in high school, I wanted to go to Syracuse because it was “close to the city,” and “just as cold as anywhere else;” suffice it to say I would not have survived. Before I chose Fordham, I was heavily considering Portland State; if you know me, can you imagine me as a hipster? Walking around campus with a mason jar listening to The Wombats? The point is that Fordham’s done a lot from me; consequently, I came up with my three favorite things about Fordham. The first item on that list is absolutely

going to be the off-campus food we have access to. From living on Pugsley’s wings and penne slices freshman year to living on Kennedy’s Fried Chicken… well, every year, the food I can find five minutes away from Fordham has mostly made up for its terrible cafeteria food (those cardboard pizza slices haunt me to this day). I haven’t even begun to count the number of times that I’ve ordered sushi and met up with the same delivery guy over the past four years. Restaurants in Manhattan definitely provide the classic New York experience, but these three places have made their way into my heart with food that is just as

comforting as it is unhealthy. Next on the list for me is Spring Weekend, specifically freshman year and this year. I can still hear Mr. Teddy Pain himself singing his iconic tune “Buy You a Drank (Shawty Snapping),” and you can still find the YouTube video of my hand slamming into someone’s phone during Twenty One Pilots’ performance of “Migraine.” Those two concerts have bookended a great run of Spring Weekends concerts through my time at Fordham, and honestly, I’m pretty sure that I enjoyed the Timeflies era on Martyr’s Lawn as well. Under the Tent only adds to the weekend’s memories, as I

can’t remember a single time that I did not have fun at Fordham’s marquee Spring Weekend event. Rose Hill always builds up an obnoxious amount of hype leading up to the occasion, but it’s honestly a great time, regardless of which artist we didn’t get or how hard it is to match with Under the Tent’s theme every year. There are definitely a bunch of things that you can appreciate about Fordham, but it really comes down to the people you’re with, and I’ve had the pleasure of spending four years with the right people. Moving to a new country from Indonesia was much easier with the friends I found in Queen’s Court. I would have never had a chance to interview WNBA players at Madison Square Garden and play my favorite songs on live radio without the people at WFUV. Writing and copy editing for The Fordham Ram has given me a chance to work with great content and incredible people (except Jack McLoone, he sucks). I could go on for another entire opinion article listing the people who’ve made Fordham the best time for me, but I would not be where I am at Fordham, nor would I be happy at Fordham, without them.

Alvin Halimwidjaya, FCRH ’18, is a communications major from Jakarta, Indonesia.

Young Fans Will Give Kanye Flack For Tweet By DANIEL SALVIO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Kanye West: he is a music icon, and a clothing mogul, but clearly no politician. From his first incident with his comments regarding George Bush during the Hurricane Katrina relief effort in 2006 to interrupting Taylor Swift at the 2009 Video Music Awards, it seems as though he puts himself in the center of a media frenzy every couple of years. This coverage can be in good fun or extremely controvertial; his favoritism for Trump has proven to be the latter. The most recent occurrence began with the publication of a photo of Kanye wearing a “Make America Great Again” signed red hat in support for our current president. Public outrage escalated when, on April 21 of this year, Kanye tweeted his support for Candace Owens and her way of thinking and has since been spotted meeting with her in Los Angeles. Now, why is this support potentially controversial? Candace Owens is a 28-year-old URI graduate who is well known for her right-wing opinions and tweets regarding a number of ongoing political topics of discussion including the Black Lives Matter Movement and gender dysphoria. She calls herself a reformed

democrat who woke up one day and realized that conservatism is the only way to save black America. While this opinion is not that extreme, the way she goes about “educating” others is. Perhaps her most controversial piece is an essay she wrote where she shares her belief that the disproportionate number of killings of black men by white police officers is not a product of racism in this country. She further states that she is not a ‘stereotypical black girl’: “I don’t have a name that is hard to pronounce and I don’t speak in colloquialisms.” It is because of these controversial statements and beliefs that lead me to believe her newfound association with Kanye West will be detrimental to his music career, at least for the time being. Kanye announced that he will be releasing two brand new albums in the next month. The first is a solo album that will contain seven songs and is scheduled to be released on June 1. The second is a collaboration album with Kid Cudi, scheduled for release a week later on June 8. Many, including myself, are speculating that Kanye’s recent tweets regarding Ms. Owens will have a negative impact on the sales of these upcoming albums. If we look at Kanye’s main fan base demographic, over 70 per-

cent of his fans are between the ages of 17 and 32. Politically speaking, this age group typically leans left. After Kanye’s tweet, countless former allies and fellow entertainers have cut ties with the rap superstar and unfollowed him on Twitter, not to mention the large mass exodus of ordinary people. Stars such as Drake, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj are now distancing themselves from Kanye. This distancing will cause a ripple effect, and fans of these stars may turn on Kanye as well. Most of his fans are young people of color, who will undoubtedly be turned off by his association and support of people like Candace Owens or Donald Trump. Interestingly, many of his fans took to Twitter to call out to be rap star on what they believe is a publicity stunt. They reference the timing of most of Kanye’s less than stellar moments over the past few years, which all seem to coincide with the release of an album, clothing line or other project. His latest actions are a stunt, he is taking a pretty big risk with his fan base. He seems to be taking a cue from the president himself with regard to inciting an uproar on Twitter. If his loss of over a million

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Kanye West is, and will always be, a polarizing figure in American society.

Twitter followers is any indication, these two new albums will not live up to the expectation and precedent set by former albums such as Life of Pablo and Yeezus. I, as a music aficionado, will be listening to his upcoming music. However, there are many in this

country whose political views will “trump” their prior appreciation of Kanye’s music.

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

OPINION

Page 8

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.

May 2, 2018

From the Desk | Kevin Stoltenborg

Heroes Don’t Always Wear Capes

Sometimes it feels like the darkness surrounds us, like a mound of boulders packed so tightly light has vanished. Imagine in this moment a hand busting through the rocks reviving light to your eyes. Grabbing the hand, you rise like gravity no longer exists. Once plunged out of the darkness, you begin to come to your senses. All you have time to notice is a cape flowing in the wind. Then they vanish. What makes a hero? Is it the superhuman strength, tight spandex suits, or something much deeper than external features? It’s a cliché, but heroes are made from the inside out. With the release of Marvel’s third installment of the “Avengers,” Avengers: Infinity War, it’s the perfect time to talk about heroes. Sure, it’s always great to see your favorite Marvel superheroes unite and save the world, but what about the real world? In a time of division like the one we are facing, it is important to take a step back from the screen and see who the true heroes are in the world today.

As a kid, all I dreamed about was having superhuman powers. I would dress up like Spiderman and jump from sofa to sofa fending off evil villains from my family. Wearing a towel as a cape, my dad would lift me to the ceiling as I envisioned asteroids zooming past me. My imagination was my reality. I saw no reason why I could not be a superhero. Then one day things changed. I began to realize no amount of xrays would change my biological composition, and no matter how many spiders bit me, walls were still as hard to climb as the day before. I know what you’re thinking: dream shattered. But, actually the opposite occurred. After realizing I was most likely not going to get super powers, I began understanding what people really loved about superheroes. The fire in their eyes. Their willingness to never give up. Their passion for saving others. I finally understood what made a hero was not what powers they had, but what they were made of on the inside.

Think about someone you consider a hero. Are they a hero because they look a certain way? Or is it because they would go to the end of the earth to accomplish their goal? In sports, there are tons of heroes: people overcoming struggles, working tirelessly on their craft, and giving everything they have for one moment. Athletes like Bethany Hamilton, a surfer with only one arm, inspires millions of people to defy the limits of their bodies. She may not be able to talk to fish like Aquaman, but her impact on the world is all the same. In medicine, doctors see hundreds of patients a day, saving lives with surgical procedures, quick thinking and fast paced action. No super powers were given to these people when they were born, but they continually save lives. I’m sure more than a few people were in awe of the heroes of FUEMS who cared for them this past Spring Weekend. When taking a second look at the world I no longer see a land

filled with your average citizens. I see a world filled with superhuman power. I see a world where people do not need special abilities to be a hero because they already are a hero. Everyone has surely made a positive impact on someone, somewhere in their life. So yes, sometimes it feels like we are surrounded by darkness and need a superhero to come save us. But, remember that just as easily as your hero can pull you out from under the rubble, you can pull someone out too.

Editorial | Contingent Faculty

Cura Personalis Applies to Contingent Faculty As the semester comes to a close and your finals’ work ethic is probably busy celebrating the 80-degree weather with spike ball on Eddie’s, Fordham’s contingent faculty finds itself at the negotiation table yet again. Today marks the second day of the non-tenured track professors’ continued effort for increased job and income security. As Fordham Faculty United presents its proposals on compensation and benefits to the administration, the editorial board of The Fordham Ram would like to emphasize our unwavering support for this university’s contingent faculty. Although we have written two editorials in the past two years dedicated to keeping our institution’s Jesuit values in focus and adhering to our non-tenured faculty, the editorial board felt the need to reestablish our position in what is proving to be an ongoing, uphill fight for adjuncts. At this time, an open letter from Fordham students to administrators that underscores this same message has been circulating online. Currently, it has over 300 signatures from undergraduate

and graduate students alike, many of which added their names along with their majors or master’s programs in support. As this public statement so eloquently put it: “Our professors’ working conditions are our learning conditions.” Educating students on the collegiate level is already a strenuous job. The editorial board of The Fordham Ram pains to see the stress of our adjunct faculty further exacerbated due to continued job insecurity and income inequality. We recognize that Fordham is not unique in this struggle. Rather, this problem is a systemic one affecting colleges and universities across the United States. That being said, we refuse to accept an issue’s pervasiveness as justification for it to be unaddressed by administrations. We are a Jesuit institution; there should be no question that this overarching ideology should dictate the moral compass on our campus. But instead, we all too often see our administration cry cura personalis only when it is most convenient for it. To have an administration say

that “damage billing holds students accountable for their actions as men and women for others” (a direct quote from our prior news reporting and Ignatian underpinning), while simultaneously stifling our contingent faculty’s sense of security is unacceptable. Our April 4 news coverage does demonstrate progress, and the Fordham Faculty United Negotiation Committee posted a Facebook update on April 17, in which the union reiterated our reporting in saying that advancements have been made. However, the post also pointed out that considerable gaps do remain in its push for job reassurance. Most notably, Fordham Faculty United would like the administration offer contingent faculty, whether part-time or full-time, some sense of guarantee regarding future courses, income and employment, as opposed to the current semester-to-semester system. Loyola University Chicago, a fellow Jesuit university, recently saw its non-tenure-track faculty members participate in a one-day strike on April 5, according to Inside Higher Ed reporting. Although Loyola’s faculty members secured

the right to unionize in early 2016, these professors have been facing frustrating negotiations in the two years since. The editorial board of The Fordham Ram is disheartened by the slow negotiation process and lack of fair offers for a first contract that Loyola non-tenure track faculty finds itself facing. We would not like to see a similar situation occur here at Fordham, and we hope that the administration prioritizes sensibly-timed intercessions in coming to an initial agreement. The editorial board of The Fordham Ram remains optimistic that yesterday and today’s negotiations will be a positive step towards real progress. We are unsure if an agreement can be made by June, but find comfort in the fact that both sides now have a seat at the bargaining table. Until then, the editorial board encourages all members of the student body to add their names to the online letter. It is essential for us to support the non-tenure track faculty’s ongoing organizing efforts because, at Fordham, it’s about time that the Gig Economy is up.

Send your ideas to fordhamramopinions@gmail.com

OPINION

May 2, 2018

Page 9

Sprint/T-Mobile Merger Will Keep Companies Relevant By JOSEPH D’AMATO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This past weekend, T-Mobile announced that it intends to merge with Sprint in a $26 billion buyout, after years of failed attempts to do so. The restructured T-Mobile would be run by their current CEO, John Legere, in a market that might be reduced to three players. To put the deal into perspective, Verizon has 116 million wireless customers, AT&T

has 93 million and T-Mobile at 59 million would acquire Sprint’s 41 million customers, should they chose to retain service. The merger would grant T-Mobile the scale and operational prowess to rival AT&T and Verizon, though it is this oligopolistic scenario that may lead regulators to shoot down the proposition. For T-Mobile and Sprint, growth has declined in years past, while AT&T and Verizon have further bolstered their positions

as the market’s preeminent service providers. Now, in a market where nearly everyone owns cellphones and all service providers offer ‘unlimited data’ packages, there are fewer opportunities than before for these service companies to distinguish themselves from each other. The next big transition in the market for telecommunication services is towards 5G connectivity. The application of 5G allows providers, such as AT&T and Verizon, to broker access to

COURTESY OF FLICKR

The merger between Sprint and T-Mobile will keep them competitive with major players, such as Verizon and AT&T.

their networks for the smart tech that needs it. The development of these networks, however, is extremely capital intensive and not something two dwindling companies could afford to compete in on their own. In 2014, Masayoshi Son, the founder of Sprint’s parent company Softbank, refused to relinquish control of Sprint but is said to have since changed his mind because of the pressure to enter the 5G race. In addition to providing the capital and infrastructure to pursue 5G, this merger also allows T-Mobile to cut costs on rent and maintenance by decommissioning over 30,000 transmission sites. Executives at T-Mobile suggest that these synergies could amount to $6 billion in annual savings. The merger is expected to draw a substantial amount of regulatory scrutiny, given that the government rejected the 2011 proposition for AT&T to merge with T-Mobile. Similarly, the Federal Communications Commission reinforced that decision three years later, stating that four services providers were necessary to ensure competition and fair pricing. Times have changed since then and the market in which these service providers compete has gotten

much more complex. These companies no longer have singular lines of business and their offerings will continue to be diversified through 5G. Cable companies such as Comcast have launched wireless services that use Verizon’s network, showing just how overlapping these network services can be. John Legere has echoed this shortsighted view of the market, stating, “This isn’t a case of going from four to three wireless companies—there are now at least seven or eight big competitors in this converging market.” Management from both T-Mobile and Sprint will look to place 5G innovation at the heart of this pitch in hope to remind regulators about the U.S.’s tech race with China. Given that the Trump administration is currently at odds with China over the security of our country’s tech, such a stance may prove advantageous in securing the merger. Additionally, Sprint’s CEO Marcelo Claure stated that this merger would result in the immediate creation of jobs which is atypical of a merger, especially of this size.

Joseph D’Amato, GSB ‘19, is a finance major from Wyckoff, New Jersey

Why Marvel is Healthy for Hollywood By CHRISTOPHER CANADEO OPINION EDITOR

I’m not sure if many have heard, but this past weekend was the release of Marvel’s The Avengers: Infinity War. Comic book nerds and film lovers rejoiced, as this movie was promised to be Marvel’s biggest and brightest production yet, poised to shatter box office sales as well as fan’s perceptions of space and time itself. Marvel fans have been craving this film since the finale of the last “Avengers”movie, as the franchise seems to be on the ascent with this last super hero collaboration marking the final climax. Although the Marvel franchise has experienced unprecedented success, not everyone believes that this many Marvel movies is good for Hollywood. Some critics see the Marvel franchise as hurtful because it demonstrates how easy it is to rearrange the same characters in different settings and spit out dozens of successful movies. The plots are always the same, as the superheroes always come out on top and save the world from utter destruction with a few punches and punchlines thrown in for good measure. This formula has grown tired for some moviegoers, as it seems that the franchise may finally be approaching mediocrity. After viewing Avengers: Infinity War, one Los Angeles Times critic said: “My initial fear was that Avengers: Infinity War would be a hopeless, planet-hopping traffic jam of a movie, a black hole of

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The Marvel movie franchise should be praised for its cinematic complexity and longevity, while not sacrificing quality.

enervating cinematic chaos. The reality may be even more depressing: It works just fine, and that’s all it was ever meant to do. Few of the characters leave us wanting more because there doesn’t, at this late phase, appear to be anything more.” Has Marvel just run out of quality ideas? Of course not. Marvel films have helped out Hollywood more than they have hurt it. While critics may view the repetitive characters and plots as a negative, they fail to recognize that their consitency is what attracts viewers and dedicated fans. Seeing the transformation of your favorite childhood superhero before your eyes on the big screen is a rewarding experience

and one that is unique to Marvel, as no other superhero franchise has developed as many successful and engaging movies before. In fact, many other movie franchises can learn from Marvel’s success in terms of revenue and longevity. It takes real skill and creativity to have a cinematic series that spans over 30 films and a full decade. DC Comics has attempted to follow the same strategy but has stumbled along the way, producing several box office flops such as Batman vs Superman, Suicide Squad and most recently, Justice League. It took the efforts of the great Christopher Nolan for fans to cheer on a DC hero consistently in theaters, and even then,

the joy of watching Batman rescue Gotham only spanned three movies. Knowing what to expect when sitting down at a movie theatre can often be a good thing. Marvel fans know that they are paying to see a film with loads of action, their favorite superheroes and well-crafted humor that is not too political or mature for a wide variety of viewers. Marvel is good for Hollywood because it consistently puts fans in the seats of movie theatres, a trend that has become increasingly difficult, as Americans findtraveling to a movie to be a bigger inconvenience than ever. Dedicated Marvel fans (the likes of which are multiplying with

each movie) are so excited for the upcoming films that they don’t want to wait for the movies to come out on DVD, as great Marvel movies, such as Black Panther, become trends and talking points days after the films hit theatres. Although no Marvel cinematic film has ever won an award for its excellence, accolades should not be the only measure of a film’s success. Growing a dedicated fan base that stands by a franchise and goes to see every movie says more about the brand of Marvel than an Academy Award ever will. Besides, people don’t really watch The Oscars anymore so it’s not that big of a deal. There is a reason why Marvel’s movie formula is so effective. It not only encompasses compelling stories, but more importantly inspires kids to be heroic and teaches them valuable lessons about maturing, teamwork and overcoming conflict. A Marvel-less Hollywood would not only mean fewer people visiting theatres; fewer people inspired not only to conquer their own villains, but perhaps craft a cinematic masterpiece themselves. Rather than criticize Marvel for its voluminous and continuous movie production, we should celebrate the works of Stan Lee and the Russo brothers for showing us that their passion and sustained effort for excellence over time is indeed still super.

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

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May 2, 2018

CULTURE

May 2, 2018

Page 15

Rapper T-Pain Takes on Spring Weekend FROM T-PAIN, PAGE 1

known for his collaborations with Kanye West and Flo Rida and songs such as “I’m Sprung” and “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)”, did not fail to bring entertain the crowd. Opening up for both Audien and T-Pain was Fordham’s twotime consecutive winner of Battle of the Bands, Free Advertising. The funk rock band opened up Spring Weekend performers for the second year in a row with a 20minute set. In terms of student attendance, this Spring Weekend was Fordham University’s version of Coachella, minus the dry, desertlike heat and that jaw-dropping Beyoncé performance. When asked about the concert’s success and increased turnout, Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students at Rose Hill Christopher Rodgers declined to comment onthe record. Regarding security, Fordham’s department of Public Safety takes a preventative approach for large events such as the concert. Associate Vice President of Public Safety John Carroll told The Fordham Ram that, when preparing for Spring Weekend events,

Public Safety is “coordinating with the folks in Student Affairs.” Carroll further said Public Safety called in “30 additional people,” mainly NYPD officers, on Saturday to manage security. Another 20 security personnel were called for Saturday night. According to Carroll, security is focused on the “prevention of problems,” rather than responding to problems already in progress. Referring to what led to this year’s high turnout, Assistant Dean for Student Involvement Cody Arcuri stated, “I think a lot of it has to do with the publicity [..] that CAB put out.” In a joint statement to The Fordham Ram, Campus Activities Board (CAB) Concerts Chairs Mary Munshower, FCRH ‘18, and Ellie Roberts, FCRH ‘18, said: “This year we had a really high caliber opener, Audien, who drew in the largest crowd we’ve ever had for the opening act! T-Pain absolutely KILLED it and the crowd went wild!” Roberts and Munshower further referenced the several food trucks present at the concert, which bettered the event. One of the many long-waited

food trucks was Bona Bona Ice Cream, gourmet quality ice cream and a recurring vendor of the popular outdoor food market in Brooklyn: Smorgasborg. Students lined up to enjoy one

T-Pain performed several of his most memorable songs, including “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’), on April 28.

Review | Speaker

Campus MovieFest Celebrates Student Films STAFF WRITER

Last Wednesday, students assembled in the McGinley Ballroom to see the top 16 short films from this year’s Campus MovieFest, the world’s largest student film festival. Commonly shortened to “CMF,” this year marked the 10-year anniversary of the festival here at Fordham, and the films certainly did not disappoint. Founded in 2001 at Emory, the goal of CMF is to provide students with the resources to create their own short films in a week’s time. This year at Fordham, there was a total of 71 film submissions by students, the most submissions ever to be made here by fellow Rams. The variety of this year’s films was stunning, as students explored a multitude of genres including comedy, horror, dramas and documentaries. Each submitted film is judged by a panel of university faculty, staff and students before moving on to the next part of the competition. The top 16 are showcased during the actual festival, with the top four earning the Jury Award. The Jury Award winning films will go on to screen at TERMINUS Conference + Festival this Summer in Atlanta and will be considered for national award nominations including the chance to screen their films at the

Cannes International Film Festival. Except for the judges, no one knows which films are to be screened at the festival. Audience members and filmmakers alike were at the edges of their seats waiting to see what the next film would be, with cheers filling the air in support of the finalists when they first appeared on screen. One of the four Jury Award winners and a standout showcase due to excessive laughter from the audience was the relatable tale of “Our Picture.” Directed by Stephen Kipp and Erin Kiernan, the film told the story of a couple too scared to ask passersby to take their picture. What was most impressive about the film’s story, though, was that most of it was not even scripted. “Most of it was improvised; we had the basic reaction to each person who would pass by written in notes on a phone,” said Kipp. Differing from this effective improv was the stop motion movie with a message “Plastic World.” Created by Gabrielle Perez using any leftover scrap paper she could find, the film highlighted the dangers of plastic contamination in the ocean. “Any platform I get, I always try to talk about sustainability and environmental issues,” said Perez. Along with a Jury Award, “Plastic World” also won the Audience Choice Award for having

the stage to sing along with T-Pain on his song ‘Can’t Believe It’, had their faces painted by their classmates and munched on toasty sandwiches and ice cream all provided by CAB.

MAHLON HANIFIN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Review | Film

By SHELBY DANIEL

of the vendors’ most unique and popular desserts: an ice cream cone topped with marshmallow that’s been evenly and perfectly toasted by a blow torch. Waves of students crowded by

the most fans in the audience. Taking a sharp turn from sustainability was the horror inspired “The Globe: Part I,” the first of a two-part film saga written and directed by Tom Cobb. The film used impeccable direction and suspenseful script writing to capture the attention of the audience and win the third Jury Award of the night with a story about teleportation and a zombie-like side effect. Rounding out the Jury Award winners was the freshman-written and directed drama “River,” where Nicholas Collette and Sotiris Georgakopolous tell the story of an unlikely and short -lived friendship. The filmmaking duo said that the process of making “River” was “exhilarating” and “just lots of fun.” With its beautiful cinematography and melancholy story line, it definitely earned its win. Additional awards included two Silver Tripod Awards. “Two Surprises, One Afternoon” took home the Tripod for Best Direction. Charlie Murray won the Tripod for Best Performance in “Benji, The Boy Who Has Never Done Anything.” Murray was asked to take part in the film along with Kevin O’Malley and Tim Mountain only an hour before shooting. The spontaneous participation allowed him to capture the overall essence of CMF in the brief experience: “it was a fun time with great friends.”

Josh Peck Speaks at Fordham

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

CAB Comedy Co-Chair Kathryn Teaney moderates a discussion with Josh Peck.

By ALEXANDRA MANDALAKIS STAFF WRITER

Last Thursday, Fordham students rushed to line up for Campus Activities Board’s (CAB) Spring Weekend speaker, actor and comedian Josh Peck. Peck rose to fame through the hit Nickelodeon show “Drake and Josh,” and is also known for his work on “The Amanda Show,” the film “Red Dawn,” and more recently, the series “Grandfathered” with John Stamos. The announcement of Josh Peck’s talk at the Leonard Prep Theatre blew up on social media, as “Drake and Josh” is a show that today’s college students acknowledge as a key television comedy of their childhood. Peck gave a humorous and compelling talk, and touched on his experience growing up in New York, working with Nickelodeon and navigating stardom. Beautifully moderated by CAB Comedy Co-Chair Kathryn Teaney, GSB ’19, Peck answered questions from Fordham students on his favorite memories as a childhood star. Peck began by attributing his success to his single mother, Sharon,

who supported and pushed him to move to LA to jumpstart his acting career. Throughout the talk, Peck humorously shared his favorite moments on “Drake and Josh,” his friendship with co-star Drake Bell and the hilarious ways that fans approach him today. Peck took a few minutes for what he called his “Oprah moment,” emphasizing the importance of creating content and encouraging students to utilize various platforms to post, create and share stories that they find important. As a whole, Peck kept the conversation light and fun, joking with students and laughing his way through his bits. Overall, Josh Peck’s visit was thoroughly enjoyed by the Fordham student body. Peck’s hilarious stories of fan encounters, celebrity run-ins and “Drake and Josh” memories created an inclusive event that concluded with a standing ovation. The event emphasized Fordham’s shared appreciation for a television show and actor that we all know and love.

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May 2, 2018

Who’s That Kid? | It’s Natalie Commesso, FCRH ’21!

Freshman’s Jewelry Line a Diamond in the Rough By KRISTEN EGAN DIGITAL EDITOR

Most college freshmen come into school with hopes and dreams of learning the fundamentals of starting a business; Natalie Commesso, FCRH ’21, entered college as a seasoned entrepreneur. What started off as a simple necklace Natalie made for herself during her sophomore year of high school quickly transformed into Placid Beads, her own jewelry line. Commesso’s journey from selling her necklaces within her allgirls high school to her success now was not easy. As she sold more and more pieces, she was able to extend her market and began to visit the New York City beading district, which increased her business to statement necklaces. After expanding to the digital market, Commesso achieved her first big break after a manager at Calypso. St. Barth took notice of the compliments Natalie received while wearing one of her necklaces in the store. Still in high school, Natalie had already profited extremely well totaling from two trunk shows and an offer to sell at their Palm Beach store. Natalie kept clawing for more opportunities to gain exposure and soon landed herself a stand in Mondo Summit, a store whose “whole philosophy is to help young entrepreneurs start their

businesses, and this made things so much easier for me as I juggled high school.” By this time, Natalie had been accepted to Fordham. Natalie knew that she wanted to study fashion and design along with aspects of business so that she could “get into the economical side of my business and design for the fashion side.” Natalie always knew that New York City was the place for her, but it was her mom that reminded her, “There’s nothing like New York City, so go to New York City.” College hasn’t slowed down Commesso’s hustle at all. Since getting to college she’s started a college ambassador program, where she sends her necklaces to trusted people who sell her products at colleges stretching all across the country and get to keep 10% of the profit. The New Jersey native has made it her purpose to help young entrepreneurs in the same way she received help from the woman at Mondo when she was first getting started. She currently is working with the owner of a beauty line to promote young entrepreneurs by giving them the opportunity to sell some of her necklaces in a similar approach to her college ambassador program. She hopes to guide them through the process and teach them: “As cheesy as it sounds, don’t give up – if you want to do it – do it.”

The line is called Placid Jewelery because placid means peace, and during some of Commesso’s craziest times of balancing school and work she was still able to find her escape and calm herself down every time she returned to jewelry making. Commesso finds no harm in try-

ing new things and has learned a lot along the way towards creating her own start-up. She looks back at the times her ideas have been ripped off by other creators in the jewelry industry and advises people who are looking to join the community to “be careful who you tell what. Always

keep a team you can trust to help you and not start a competitive atmosphere.” Natalie Commesso is just getting started and hopes to one day have her own boutique, but until then you’ll just have to check out @placid_beads on Instagram for more of her updates.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Natalie Commesso, a freshman at Rose Hill, founded her own jewelry line, Placid Beads, while a sophomore in high school.

The Fordham Ram Crossword: Finals Szn Across 1. Military acronym for “totaled” 6. Final _______ - The last little thing that makes you snap 11. Slang for intoxicated popularized by DJ Khaled in 2011 12. Abnormal, fluid-containing growths 13. Team eliminated by Arike Ogunbowale in 1-Down 14. Type of oil or skin tone 15. Favored opponent against a LHP in baseball 16. King Kong or Harambe 17. Android alternative 19. Feedback after an email is

delivered 21. Final ________ - Ba da da da, dadadadada, ba da da da, badadadadadada 24. Mix together 25. Alternative fact 26. Spanish exclamation while playing a card game 27. Society of Broadcast Engineers (Abbv) 29. Last name in tractors 32. High school boy’s excuse to avoid prom? 34. Plastic end to a shoelace (thanks, Disney Channel) 35. Speedy Amtrak train 36. Tina Fey’s pants 37. “Buzz off!”

CROSSWORD BY CLAIRE POLACHEK AND JACK MCLOONE

Down

ANSWERS IN ISSUE 10

1. Final _____ - NCAA basketball semifinals 2. Not fashionable 3. Owies 4. Curry or Coulter, depending on your news outlet 5. MC from NWA 6. Checked out the scene 7. Brand-name fever reducer

8. Summer research program at MIT for high-schoolers (abbv.) 9. Outdoorsy vehicle 10. Compass points, minus N 16. Member of the 2017 World Series winner 18. Stitches, more officially 20. Party game for contortionists 22. Age of someone born in 1928

23. Pillars of Creation, for example 28. Final _____ - A test in May 29. Dance craze that won’t die 30. I, to Freud 31. South African golfer Ernie 32. Jay-Z rap opponent 33. Show of the yelling motorcycle men meme (Abbv.)

CULTURE

May 2, 2018

Page 17

Playlistism| Meredith Nardino

Don't Make Me Grow Up: Songs for New Post-Grads By MEREDITH NARDINO STAFF WRITER

The realization that there are only three weeks left of one’s college career is a harsh one, as I’m sure every senior knows. Part of me is so ready to pack up my things and leave, but the rest of me never wants to be anywhere else. Post-grad life was once fixed; it was so much easier to know where you would be and what you would be doing. For a lot of young people today (myself included), being a college graduate means being in flux. Grappling with this uncertainty and this swarm of emotions has been complicated, but this confusion is not reserved solely for soon-to-be graduates. So much of art hinges on themes of uncertainty, insecurity and reinvention. Listening to tracks like these helps make a bit of the stress melt away. 1.“Foreign Girls” – Bleachers The second album from superstar producer Jack Antonoff and his band

explores all aspects of living in the inbetween. There’s a sense of longing and of loss that bleeds through each track on this record as the narrative comes full circle. “Foreign Girls” feels like starting over or trying to find your way home through unfamiliar faces. It’s about knowing what’s gone and the ways those things made you who you are now. 2.“Ribs” – Lorde There are very few people who fully encapsulate the complexity of growing up like Lorde. She masterfully portrays the sometimes isolating feeling of finding yourself and choosing your own path in combination with the recklessness of youth. Pure Heroine was a cultural staple as my high school years came to an end, and the message this record sends still rings true four years later – “it feels so scary, getting old.” 3. “Dog Years” – Maggie Rogers Maggie Rogers experienced the painful hypotheticals of post-grad life firsthand. It wasn’t until months after

she graduated from NYU in 2016 that her career took shape, making “Dog Years” an anthem of self-reassurance. We each have a general idea of the trajectory of our lives while we’re students, but when that cycle comes to an end, everything becomes unpredictable. “Dog Years” explores that afterlife, convincing us that even though we may feel like we’re drowning in doubts, everything will be alright in the end. 4. “Twentytwo” – Sunflower Bean The latest record from this Brooklyn indie trio is all about growth and self-discovery. “Twentytwo” expresses a certain vulnerability that we often try to hide when we consider ourselves to be independent adults. Julia Cumming floats through the chorus as she breaks down societal expectations placed on young adults to have everything figured out. We’re going to feel confused and lost along the way, but we don’t have to give up on the dreams we’ve always had.

5.“This Was a Home Once” – Bad Suns It isn’t hard to interpret the emotion behind this non-album single from little-known Los Angeles alternative group, Bad Suns. Each lyric builds upon the one before and constructs a powerful message about how

it feels to return to a place you once called home. There are so many memories tied to this space that it becomes hard to separate nostalgia from the present moment. Bad Suns attempt to reconcile the two, despite feeling disconnected from the home the band once knew.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Lorde released her album Pure Heroine in 2013.

Review | Movie

Is It Better Than Good Will Hunting? | Movie

Friendship vs. Good Will Hunting Avengers: Infinity War By KEVIN O'MALLEY AND TIM MOUNTAIN STAFF WRITER

Welcome to the third 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. Good Will Hunting (GWH) is a 1997 coming-of-age drama starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver and Robin Williams. It was directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Damon and Affleck. It currently holds a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This week we will be comparing GWH to Friendship - a state of strong mutual affection between two or more people. Kevin: Well Tim, things are getting personal with this week’s review. Tim: Personal indeed, Kevin. We’re comparing our favorite movie to friendship this week, which is probably my other favorite thing. K: Oh, me too. Friendship is a unique thing that only those lucky enough to experience it can truly speak toward. Not to brag, but I’d say we’re experts. T: And we’re experts because-well, let’s address the elephant in the roomwe’re friends. With each other. K: Every day. T: Friendship is really special. Few things make me feel as happy as friendship does. Making a new friend is a rush of gratifying euphoria, and seeing an old friend is a feeling of fuzzy, comforting warmth. K: Moreover, friends are people who you can consistently rely on for a positive source of company and camaraderie. T: I think this issue may be illuminated by bringing in a case study. I propose that of Erin Kiernan, somebody with whom we are both close friends. K: I think Erin is a good example here. Really a textbook friend. We share common interests, grade level, have comparable attractiveness and have exchanged secrets; so this will

have stakes. T: Erin’s friendship checks all the boxes, but it doesn’t just meet the minimum. You, Erin and I are engaged in a mutual web of support. We are loyal to each other, honest with each other, and our relationship is characterized more by respect than anything else. K: I’d say being friends with someone like Erin is nice. She certainly fits a lot of qualities of a person I would normally categorize as a friend. She is willing to help me out in a variety of both serious and recreational situations, and is certainly capable of making me laugh as well as being responsive to the humor which I project. T: I agree. Being friends with Erin has been nothing short of a joy, but there are material benefits to being her friend, too. For example, sometimes, she takes cool photos of us. K: True. Erin certainly allows for lasting memories of us to exist in photo form. GWH is definitely more of a one-way receptor of media. T: Yeah, Erin is very interactive, and I think that’s true of most friends. You can have a conversation with her, which is more than can be said for GWH. K: Yes, but as someone with a need for consistency and familiarity, sometimes a friendship is too malleable of structure. Sometimes, for example, Erin is not available to hang out with

or talk to because she is in class or asleep. GWH is constantly at the ready on my laptop and a perfect fit for any of my problems or celebrations. T: Not to mention the fact that I can be certain GWH will never betray me. I’m pretty sure Erin will never betray me, but with GWH, it’s impossible. Erin and I have a special bond--a sibling-like one, to be sure--but siblings are less permanent than movies. K: Will Hunting would agree, as someone who grew up with a plethora of “brothers,” but only maintains consistent relations with three of them. T: I’ll be honest, I’m on the fence for this one. K: Not me. I’m going GWH all the way. I definitely rely on friendship for my own well-being and social status, but in a perfect world, none of that would matter and I could be at peace with who I am as an individual. And as an individual, I love this movie. T: Gun to my head, if I had to choose between friendship and GWH, I’d give it to GWH. Friendship provides that human connection that everyone needs in their lives, but ultimately, GWH is always going to be there for me. K: And me! T: All of us. Some people have a tough time making friends, but nobody has a tough time enjoying GWH.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM THEATRE

Tim Mountain (left) and Kevin O'Malley (right) compare friendship to Good Will Hunting.

By SHELBY DANIEL STAFF WRITER

Maintaining audience interest in a continuous narrative for 10 years is not an easy task. Presenting an adaptive narrative to the big screen from an original written source also proves to be difficult. Most of all, though, juggling nearly 20 big-name players from one of the largest franchises in the world in one movie seems nearly impossible. Somehow, Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War did all of the above. This review will be spoiler free, so feel free to safely read ahead if you have not had the chance to watch the movie yet. My dad and I have been following the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the release of Iron Man in 2008 and have volumes of the original "Avengers" comics. As what some would call a reliable authority on the source material, the conclusion to 18 movies worth of build-up and what directors Joe and Anthony Russo have dubbed the “most ambitious crossover event in history” defies expectations. Some talk on social media has labeled Infinity War the MCU’s Empire Strikes Back. The Russo brothers took a similar approach to the narrative construction of the original Star Wars saga, which really paid off by allowing each of the heroes to have at least one shining moment. There were several separate narratives that contributed to one overarching one namely, to take down Thanos before he destroys half of the world's population. This narrative construction was a relief, as going into the film I was concerned that character consistency would be messy and disorganized. However, the Russos did an excellent job highlighting the key characteristics of each hero. Iron Man and Doctor Strange sharing sufficient screen time never felt like an overdose of goateed sarcasm. The Guardians kept all of their classic quips and natural group chemistry. The theater erupted into

cheers when seeing Wakanda and Black Panther again, despite the solo blockbuster coming out only two months prior. Captain America remained as loyal of a leader in the face of adversity. Most importantly though, Thor kept his more jubilant and less brooding characterization from Thor: Ragnarok and got to reunite with the original Avengers for the first time since Avengers: Age of Ultron. My only qualm with the movie was the noticeable absence of the audience’s favorite archer, Hawkeye. Clint Barton was a pivotal part of the original Avengers, and the explanation for his lack of assistance in what was quite literally the impending doom of the entire universe was brief and unsatisfying. Many fans hoped he would show up despite the absence in the promotional material for Infinity War, but were disappointed come viewing the actual film. There were several moments during the movie I shed some tears into my bucket of popcorn, but they were not entirely unexpected. Both Marvel aficionados and simple social media users with no interest in the slew of superhero films that have flooded the market have known for a while that Infinity War was going to provide some gut-wrenching deaths and an unhappy ending. While the movie did stray from previous roots in lacking a victorious ending, it stuck to the use of end credit scenes. The end credit scene appears at the tail end of the official credits and is a massively important indicator of what is to come in Avengers 4, so be sure to stick around for a ray of hope before you leave the theater. The next MCU movie Ant Man and the Wasp is scheduled for release this summer on July 6. The longawaited first solo female hero film produced by Marvel, Captain Marvel, is slated for early March of 2019 and will be followed later in the year by Avengers 4.

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May 2, 2018

Editor’s Pick | Film

A Viewer's Defense of Malick's The Tree of Life By RYAN DI CORPO CULTURE EDITOR

"It had the size, the importance, the intention, [...] that seemed to fit the prize," stated then-Jury President Robert De Niro at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011. The prize in question was Cannes' prestigious Palme d'Or — the equivalent of "Best Picture" — awarded that year to Terrence Malick's mystifying, awe-inspiring The Tree of Life. The film, also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, presents a 1950s Texan family as a vehicle for Malick's musings on death, resurrection and the nature of time itself. The film does not follow a linear narrative, opting instead to draw symbolic connections between the natural and the artificial, glass buildings versus a field of sunflowers. It may seem unnecessary to pen a defense of The Tree of Life, a film which has received much critical acclaim and several notable honors since its original release. Roger Ebert wrote refers to it as a film of "vast ambition and deep humility," while also voting for Tree as one of the greatest films ever made for a 2012 Sight & Sound poll. Pe-

ter Travers of Rolling Stone refers to the film as "a groundbreaker," while A.O. Scott of The New York Times says that the "sheer beauty of [Tree] is almost overwhelming." Yet, the film was also met with its fair share of derision and critical scorn. Sukhdrev Sandhu of The Daily Telegraph calls Tree "selfabsorbed." David Thomson of The New Republic writes that the film "is crammed with capital-letter topics," but fails to leave the audience "moved." However, Tree is just about the complete opposite of “self-absorbed.” The main fault of the film may be that it is too concerned with all of humanity instead of simply developing the story line about the Texan family. Malick attempts to provide a visual representation of not only the dawn of humanity, but also the dawn of life on earth. The film looks both inward at the human spirit and outwards at the majesty of nature and the enduring mysteries of worlds beyond our own. I find Tree, in both its focus on the family but and its genuine attempts to bring all life into a spiritual, metaphysical communion with each other, to be extremely moving. The film itself, as per its visual style,

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

The Tree of Life was awarded the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2011.

is literally always moving, as Malick allows the camera to seemingly float around the characters and the scenery in any given scene. Criticism among casual moviegoers can best be summarized by the name of the following Reddit stream: "Does anyone

else think 'The Tree of Life' [sic] is a pretentious load of crap?" Turns out, a lot of people do. Yet, “pretentious” seems to refer to the film's complexity and lack of clear answers as opposed to insulting its quality. Malick does not provide the audience with a roadmap to understand this film,

thereby allowing viewers to find their own meaning in its beautiful images. Tree is a difficult film which involves considerable work on the part of the viewer. However, the film delivers rich emotional, and perhaps even spiritual, rewards for those willing to put in the effort.

Boogie Down Bites | Elizabeth Nealon

Southern Comfort Bites at Millie Peartree Fish Fry By ELIZABETH NEALON STAFF WRITER

Fried seafood is a great comfort food in the dregs of winter and a perfect seasonal snack during the warmer months, and that is exactly what Millie Peartree Fish Fry and Soul Food (MP) offers. The new (-ish) Southern comfort food joint on Grand Concourse lies just past the D train subway entrance, which makes it a perfect location to stop and grab lunch or dinner on the way home from the city or before heading in. Upon entering MP’s, the smell of Old Bay seasoned fries intoxicates and intrigues, especially those who are new to Southern style cooking. A perfect spring pick-me-up, the fried shrimp and whiting fish are crispy and fresh. MP’s is so heavily visited that ev-

ery dish is essentially made to order five feet from the counter. The perpetual crackle of the fry oil and the odor of the candied yams and Old Bay seasoning mingles in the best way possible. While the space is not big, it allows enough room to hang out while your order is prepared. However, the restaurant is not a sit-down establishment. Instead of looking for a place to sit, Millie Peartree, the owner and operator of Millie Peartree Fish Fry and Soul Food, said, “There’s no pressure, you. You don’t have to have your hair done. It’s a small spot, you can take it home or eat in the car.” The grab-and-go style and low price point of MP Fish Fry and Soul Food makes it the perfect spot for Fordham students trying to escape the regular options. Peartree started her culinary

career as a personal chef before transitioning to the catering business. In an interview with Bridget Shirvell for Edible Bronx, Peartree said, “People have always wanted to try my cuisine, but of course not everybody can afford to do a huge event. So, I always thought that a great next step would be to give everybody access to the food by opening up a restaurant.” Peartree, who has always had a deep concern for others, took on the primary care-giving role in her family after the tragic loss of her mother to colon cancer in 2006. At the time, her younger siblings, two of whom have autism, looked to Peartree for emotional support. “I needed an outlet to cope with our loss,” Peartree said, and so she began to channel her

energy into cooking and baking. What had always been a passion for Peartree became her main source of income after she was laid off from what she called her nine-to-five. Luckily, Peartree had devoted time to building a client base before being laidoff from her former job, and she was able to handle the transition well. Her business savvy charisma goes farther than her brilliant foresight; she managed to save enough money to open Millie Peartree Fish Fry and Soul Food without investors, loans, partners or experience. The passion that Peartree has for her food and for her restaurant shows through her product. Kayla Stacy, FCRH ’20, said, “I would give this place a 10/10.” The fried fish, chicken wings and jumbo shrimp are all popped

SUGARY SUPPORTS ANSWERS

ELIZABETH NEALON/THE FORDHAM RAM

Millie Peartree Fish Fry and Soul Food is located on Grand Concourse near the Fordham Road subway station.

right out of the fryer and onto the plate, so crispiness is guaranteed. The side of mac and cheese and collard greens are perfect complements to the fried options, but the corn muffins steal the show. The tiny, buttery muffins pack a punch with their rich, sweet flavor and moistness. Each order contains enough food for two servings. Her dedication to her restaurant means that Peartree looks for enthusiastic and friendly staff who will represent her brand well. The staff could not be more helpful in helping navigate the extensive menu and answering any questions about the establishment. Great music plays while the fryer works its magic on the fish and shrimp, and the staff makes even the wait pleasant.

SPORTS

May 2, 2018

Golf Comes in Seventh at A10 Tournament By JIMMY SULLIVAN

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The Fordham Men’s Golf team finished in seventh place at the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament at the Grand Cypress Golf Club in Orlando, Fla. this past weekend. Once again, the star for the Rams over the three-day tournament was senior James Mongey, who shot a three-day total of 225 to finish 10th overall among individual players. When asked about his impressive weekend, Mongey pointed to his experience on the course as the biggest reason for his success. “I think having played the course my sophomore year helped a lot,” he said. “I got a feel for how the course plays. It is very difficult and tough to shoot low. You are going to make bogeys and par is always a great score, but I hit the ball great. I think if my short game was a little better, I might have won.” Instead, he finished seven strokes behind tournament champion Mike Blasey of Davidson College. Davidson also won the team tournament by shooting a three-day total of 891; Fordham finished 28 strokes behind that figure with a 919, which placed them seventh out of 11 teams. Senior Joseph Trim and sophomore Tomas Nieves were also impressive for the Rams, as both finished tied for 24th place on the individual leaderboard with a three-day total of 231; Nieves shot a two-under 70 in his final round on Sunday. Senior Matt Schiller shot a 19-over 235 over the three days and junior Josh Madarang finished at 28-over with a 244. Despite finishing seventh in the Atlantic 10 yesterday, this was a historically good Rams team. Schiller and Trim finished their Fordham careers with an 18-hole

scoring average of 75.5, which ties both of them for first all-time among Rams golfers. Mongey’s career ended with a 76.6 average, which puts him in third on the alltime list. Out of the three, Trim played the most career rounds with 95, with Mongey and Schiller close behind with 91 and 88, respectively. “I will look back on my time at Fordham with a lot of great memories,” Mongey said. “I will miss playing for coach (Paul) Dillon. I feel so grateful to have shared these experiences with him. I’ve formed great friendships as well, along the way.” The Rams will lose Mongey, Schiller and Trim to graduation next season and will have to pick up the slack in the absence of, statistically, the three best golfers in the history of the school. Players such as junior Tommy Hayes, freshman Mithran Denbow, Nieves and junior Tommy Hayes, all of whom appeared in minor roles this year, will have to combine to fill the shoes of the departing seniors. Mongey, Schiller and Trim leave an outstanding legacy and their absence will be difficult for the Rams to overcome next season as head coach Paul Dillon heads into his 23rd year at the helm of the program. Even though replacing the departing players will be difficult for the Rams next season, coach Dillon has proven that he develop young talent and will need to do so again if the Rams wish to replicate their success from this season. The improvement of the returning players will be key to Fordham’s success next season and beyond. As for the year that just finished, though, the Rams have no complaints. “I think my game has improved every year,” Mongey said. “I’m optimistic my best is yet to come.”

Page 19

Women’s Tennis Loses to VCU at Atlantic 10 Tournament

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham was eliminated by VCU in the Atlantic 10 Tournament this weekend.

By CHARLIE MAISANO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

After going 8-9 (3-3 A-10) in the regular season, the Fordham women’s tennis team headed down to Orlando, Florida for the much-anticipated Atlantic 10 Championship at the USTA National Campus. Based on their record, the Rams received the eighth seed in the tournament and played their first round game against the ninth seeded Saint Louis Billikens last Wednesday. The previous time these two teams met, Fordham bested Saint Louis, 6-1, on March 2 in Harrison, NY. The Rams may have won their regular season matchup against the Billikens, but come playoff time no team should be overlooked. The Rams followed this mentality and advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-1 win over the Billikens. To start the match, Fordham won the doubles point courtesy of a two game sweep. Junior Tatiana Grigoryan and senior Carolina Sa won the first match as they took down Alana

Bourgeois and Gabriella Papachrisanthou 6-2 in third doubles. In second doubles, sophomore Maia Balce and junior Gianna Insogna defeated Alba Salinas and Ariana Rodriguez 6-3. The first doubles match with senior Estelle Wong and junior Whitney Weisburg went unfinished, so the match did not count. With the doubles point wrapped up, the Rams continued to dominate in singles competition. Balce, Insogna and Weisburg all picked up wins to give the Rams the victory. Grigoryan and Wong were both winning their matches, but like the first doubles match, each game went unfinished. With the win, Fordham advanced past the first round in the A-10 Tournament for the second consecutive season. The next day, the Rams were tasked with facing the number one overall seed in the tournament, the VCU Rams. VCU finished the regular season with a 14-5 record (2-0 A-10) and the team was awarded a first round bye for its stellar year. These two teams did not face off in

the regular season, so there was some unfamiliarity on both sides. Regardless of their experience against the VCU Rams, the Fordham Rams had their hands full going up against arguably the best team they have faced all year. Although they gave it their best effort, Fordham came up short and lost to VCU 4-0 in the Battle of the Rams. The match started with VCU sweeping the doubles point in two games. Balce and Insogna were losing their doubles match to Noumea Witmus and Paola Exposito Diaz-Delgado 5-4 before it was called off with no winner. In singles, the Fordham Rams were once again swept in four matches. Two singles matches were also not finished, but the damage was already done. VCU eliminated Fordham from the tournament and ended its season. In the end, Fordham finished with a record below .500 at 9-10. With the season officially over, Head Coach Bette Ann Liguori looked at the positives of a season that ended in disappointment. “We had a great start of the season, but injuries plagued us after St. John’s match in February,” said Liguori. “However, we had a tremendous win over Stony Brook and advanced to the quarter-finals of the conference tournament.” Coach Liguori will also “miss the laughter and fierce competitiveness” of seniors Estelle Wong and Carolina Sa, who are both graduating at the end of the semester. The 2017-2018 season is now in the past for the Rams and Coach Liguori is looking forward to the future. “We have a very strong recruit coming next semester, Arina Taluyenko, a transfer from Georgia State,” said Liguori. “With Arina and Nicole Li, an incoming freshman, they should have a huge impact on the team. I have four returning seniors and one junior next season and I look forward to them leading the team to what I believe will be our best year ever!”

Kutch Sets Track and Field Record at Penn Relays By EMMANUEL BERBARI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

James Mongey finished 10th among individuals at the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

The Penn Relays were kind to Fordham Track and Field this past weekend, as the thriving unit took a positive step forward as it hits the stretch run. Sophomore standout Ryan Kutch made school history with a win in the 10,000-meter run at Franklin Field, finishing in 29:43.54. “It feels great,” said Kutch, who has been one of Fordham’s breakout performers between cross country and track. “Great supporting teammates and small-time progressions during the season make that possible.” He broke Kevin Giannetti’s previous long-standing mark of 29:56.3, which was set back in 1985. Kutch also became the first Ram in 26 years to record an individual win at the event. On day two, the women’s 4x200 relay team made history of its own, as junior Mary Kate Kenny, seniors Merissa Wright and Laura Jaeger and freshman Kathryn Kelly set a school mark with a sixth-place Eastern final

finish in 1:37.79. “They did amazing this weekend,” said Kutch. “The performances will help the team carry confidence into A10s next week.” Between competition on Friday and Saturday, Fordham added two season-best times, with the 4x100 relay team of Kenny, sophomore Mary Kate Caucci, Jaeger and Kelly finishing in 48.09 seconds, good enough for a 38th-place finish, and the 4x800 squad of junior Aidan Moroz, Wright, junior Kate McCormack and senior Bryanna Harum placing third in 8:59.80, earning ECAC qualification. This meet served as a final tuneup for the Atlantic 10 Championships,

which the Rams have been working towards all season long. “We both feel well prepared for A10s,” said Kutch. “We have had great leadership from captains like Michael Campbell helping keep us confident and ready to go.” The event will take place on May 5 and 6 in Fairfax, Virginia at George Mason University’s complex. “Many stand out performances from early in the season have helped with our confidence,” said Kutch. “I’ve focused on getting ready for the biggest meet [A10s].” His performances have gone a long way to set the pace.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Track and Field impressed at the Penn Relays this weekend.

SPORTS

Page 20

Men’s Tennis Wraps Up Season Early A-10s Exit Against St. Louis

May 2, 2018

By ALEXANDRIA SEDLAK STAFF EDITOR

The Atlantic 10 Championships is an important time of year for sports teams. Most of the competing teams are from the East Coast, with some in the Midwest. For men’s tennis, the A-10s takes place at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida. Fordham’s first and only match was on Thursday, April 26. Fordham entered the tournament as the 10-seed and played against Saint Louis University, who was the sevenseed. Fordham’s match against Saint Louis started off with doubles play and then moved into singles. The format was the same as the regular season matches, with three doubles matches and six singles matches. The one difference was that as soon as one team won the four points necessary to win the whole match, all the other individual matches were stopped immediately. In the end, Fordham lost the doubles point and three singles matches, giving Saint Louis the four points necessary to claim the victory. Senior and captain Harris Durkovic commented on the match, saying, “We were a bit disappointed that we did not make a deeper run into the A-10 tournament, but all of our guys fought hard in their matches.” In doubles play, the Rams lost both the first and second doubles matches. Freshman Lutwin de Macar and sophomore

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Steven Duka uncorks a serve. Fordham Men’s Tennis had a successful season, but ultimately came up short in the A-10s.

Fabian Mauritzson lost the first doubles match 2-6, while sophomores Finn Kemper and Jeremy Chung dropped the second doubles match with a score of 4-6. Freshman Max Green and sophomore Allen Thornes were down 4-5 in the third doubles match when the match was stopped and Saint Louis won the doubles point. For the singles matches, Saint Louis only needed to win three to take the win over Fordham. The first match to finish was the first singles match between De Macar lost the match against his

opponent David Ferragut. De Macar lost with a score of 3-6, 3-6. The third singles match was the next one to finish, and the win also went to Saint Louis. Mauritzson dropped the match against his opponent Juan Calero, 1-6, 2-6. With four singles matches still on the court, it was a race to see who would finish next and who the winner would be. The remaining matches were all long and close, with two matches splitting sets. Ultimately, the next match to come off the court was the fifth sin-

gles match. Thornes fought hard for points, but eventually lost his match against Justin Nogalski with a score of 6(2)7, 3-6. This gave Saint Louis the fourth point that the team needed to complete its win. With the loss against Saint Louis in the A-10s, the Fordham Rams ended their tennis season for this year. It was a promising, successful season overall, with the Rams closing it out with a 14-7 record. This season was one of their best seasons over the past few years, and the team is looking

forward to coming back in the fall to practice hard and have an even better one. Durkovic emphasized this sentiment, saying, “We had some great wins this season, over teams like UConn, St. Joe’s, and Hofstra. We improved our Atlantic 10 Conference ranking as well, and finished the season with a winning record for three years in a row, which hasn’t been done at Fordham in a very long time. Our team’s camaraderie is incredible, and the guys are already excited to bring their high energy into the next season.”

The Fordham Ram Sports Section will need new writers in the fall!

Think you know sports? Want to write about them? Or just like to write and will do it for whoever will take you?

Email: fordhamramsports@gmail.com

May 2, 2018

Anthony Cardone You’re On, Saquon With the second overall pick in the hands of the Giants, Big Blue had many options, but it came down to winning now or looking at the future. Over the last couple of months, so many names, rumors and mock drafts looked at the second overall pick, but no one really knew what would happen until the name was called. Finally, last Thursday, Saquon Barkley’s name was announced and the Giants officially drafted the six-foot running back out of Penn State. Barkley, to some, is the best player in the draft. The Heisman winner, Baker Mayfield, was picked first overall by the Browns. The Giants couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take Barkley, but was it the right choice? The Giants had a number of questions facing them heading into this draft: are any of the available quarterbacks a fit for their future? Will any of them have better value than taking Barkley? What happens after Eli Manning retires? Most Giants fans find it very exciting to have this explosive back to add along with Beckham and Manning, but it puts a different type of pressure on the team to win now. Taking a quarterback would have given the Giants insurance behind Manning for the upcoming future. That insurance is not just in case of an injury for the 37-year old starter, but also if he has as miserable a season as he did last year. If Manning does struggle one or two games in a row, New York is going to have a mental breakdown and you will hear everyone say “We should have drafted a quarterback.” Not to knock Barkley’s talent, but it’s up to him to make sure he meets the hype almost immediately by winning. That’s a lot of pressure on a rookie. As Manning gets older in the upcoming drafts, the Giants will hope to take a quarterback to pair with Barkley. Otherwise, Davis Webb or the quarterback they drafted in the fourth round this year, Kyle Lauletta from Richmond, will have to step up after Manning is gone. Everyone knows a legend can come from any round, like their rival Tom Brady, who was picked 199th overall. The Giants always seem to be in a pressure situation to win, mainly due to being in a big-market city with big-market names. Saquon Barkley seems to have that mentality to be a franchise player that will stay with them for many years. It remains to be seen if Barkley’s talent will be enough. Who knows what Manning will do next year? He could come out on fire and the Giants could win the division. Then, Giants fans would say we didn’t even need a quarterback. Or, it could be like last season and everything would be on general manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Pat Shurmr, who by the way are both in their first seasons. The Big Apple is a tough place to play. Watch out Saquon. You’re on.

SPORTS

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Chase Edmonds Drafted by Arizona Cardinals

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Edmonds breaks the Patriot League rushing record against Holy Cross.

By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

By most projections, former Fordham running back Chase Edmonds was expected to be selected in the 2018 NFL Draft in the later rounds on Saturday, if at all. Instead, as Fordham’s student body prepared for T-Pain, the Arizona Cardinals selected Edmonds in the fourth round with pick 134. It’s safe to say the majority of Fordham’s success over the past four years is due to Chase Edmonds. He is the most prolific rusher in Patriot League history, and would have broken the FCS rushing records if it weren’t for an ankle injury that cost him all or part of seven games last season. He finished his career with 5,862 rushing yards (fifth in FCS history) and 7,374 all-purpose yards (first in Patriot League, 10th in FCS). He also holds basically every rushing record at Fordham. He finished with 67 rushing touchdowns (fourth-best in FCS) and 74 all-purpose touchdowns. He burst on the scene his freshman year, setting the single-season rushing record when he ran for 1,828 yards, when he was named

Patriot League and ECAC Rookie of the Year. He was a second-team All-American in 2015, and first team in 2016, when he was also Patriot League and ECAC Player of the Year as a junior. He also had a school-record 359 yards rushing against Lafayette in 2016. When The Fordham Ram did a Senior Profile on Edmonds, he said that he almost followed his former head coach, Joe Moorhead, to Penn State when the latter became the offensive coordinator in Happy Valley. Moorhead has since moved to Mississippi State to be their head coach, but still had nice words about his first star running back (Saquon Barkley who?). “I am incredibly excited for Chase and his family. He worked very hard for this opportunity, and I’m very proud to see him realize a lifelong dream,” said Moorhead. “Chase was an outstanding representative of Fordham University and our football program. He leaves Rose Hill as one of the most decorated and accomplished players in Fordham history. I’m excited to see him take it to the big stage in the NFL.” Edmonds joins former Rams’ quarterback John Skelton as players from Fordham drafted by the Cardinals. Skelton was a fifth

round selection in the 2010 Draft. Edmonds, who will wear number 29 (I guess he’ll have to change his Twitter handle), will compete to be the backup behind David Johnson with D.J. Foster and T.J. Logan. Johnson also played in the FCS at Northern Iowa. He could also see some special teams duties, something he did at Fordham, though less and less as the coaching staff tried to preserve him. Edmonds made waves at the NFL Combine, when he recorded the fastest times in the shuttle run and three-cone drill among all running backs. He also had a strong Pro Day. Along with the Cardinals, he visited the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots. In a piece published on the Cardinals’ website, general manager Steve Keim spoke glowingly of Edmonds. “We were extremely high on him from the start. He’s tough ... and a guy, production was off the charts,” said Keim. “He visited with [first round selection, quarterback] Josh Rosen, went to dinner with us, and fit in quite well.” Edmonds was pretty reserved in his Senior Profile when asked about his message to teams looking to drafting, as he hadn’t yet finished his Fordham career. “I don’t want to say nothing really right now. Just that I think, to me, time will tell,” he said. “The cream will rise to the top. I think once I get my opportunity, whoever it is – I don’t need all 32 teams to call, just one to believe in Chase, just like there was only one team that believed in Chase coming out of high school. And I’ll seize the opportunity when it comes.” And now he has that chance. Good luck Chase, I’ll be buying an Edmonds 29 jersey (or t-shirt, jerseys are expensive).

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Chase Edmonds goes into the end zone for one of his four touchdowns at Yankee Stadium in 2016.

Think you know sports? Become a writer! Email: fordhamramsports@gmail.com

Peter Valentino Finding AV’s Replacement Earlier this month, the Rangers decided to fire head coach Alain Vigneault, ending a five- year reign behind the bench. His time as head coach was a slow and steady decline from his run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2014 to being eliminated from the playoffs in 2018. Now, the Rangers have a job opening, with the new coach taking control of a very young and underdeveloped team with quite a few holes. So who should they pick? Well, there are a few options. 1. Darryl Sutter: Although he was surprisingly fired for missing the playoffs in 2017, he is by far the most decorated coach on the market. His teams play a tough, physical style of hockey, as the Rangers saw first hand in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs (the name Alec Martinez is banned in my household). The problem with Sutter is that he is, for the most part, more of a finished product coach, rather than a coach for the rebuild. When he was hired by both Calgary and Los Angeles, the teams were starting to come into their own before their Stanley Cup runs. His name will be mentioned, but probably not considered. 2. Dave Tippett: This is the most viable option if you want someone to take over from the former NHL head coaching sphere. This man gave the Coyotes their best season ever, but he was caught in the throes of incompetent ownership. He was one of the shining points of the Arizona hockey experiment. He deserves a second chance, but probably not with the Rangers (Dallas, maybe?). The Rangers are looking for fresh blood for a team that anyone would love to be the coach for. So who are the young guys? 3. Jim Montgomery: An NCAA champion in 2017, Montgomery has a decorated record at the University of Denver. At 48, he played for a few years in the NHL before turning to coaching. The injection of youth and experience would be something that the Rangers could appreciate, especially since the team probably will not be competitive next year. 4. Sheldon Keefe: At 37, the Toronto Marlies coach has made the playoffs two out of the three seasons he has been at the helm. More importantly, he has overseen the development of the Toronto Maple Leafs players who helped make the playoffs for the past two years. He’d be a very interesting pick for the Rangers. 5. Rand Pecknold: The longtime head coach of Quinnipiac has been on many people’s list for many years. He has overseen the building of their program and has gotten a lot out of the team for what they have. If there is one man who deserves to have an NHL job, it’s him. Maybe it is his time with the Rangers. The wild card is Dan Bylsma--not for really any good reason--because he is a big name coach who may help with the star power on the team, as seen with what he did with Pittsburgh. The head coaching search will take time, but they hopefully can find a new face to help with developing the young players.

SPORTS

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May 2, 2018

Has Messi Rebounded From UCL Blunder? By ANDREW POSADAS STAFF WRITER

Barcelona FC spent Monday morning celebrating throughout the streets of the city, as a parade was thrown after clinching the Spanish League title yesterday. The festivities were also in light of Barcelona’s Copa Del Rey title victory last Sunday. In the past two weeks, Lionel Messi and company secured both of Spain’s most prestigious soccer championships. Having cemented itself as the best club in Spain this season, this same squad gave up a huge lead to Roma in the UEFA Champions League and ultimately was eliminated in the quarterfinals a little over three weeks ago. A thought stirred into my mind while watching Barcelona’s parade early Monday morning: Does winning both Spain soccer titles give Messi’s team a pass for bowing out in the Champions League? Taking it a step further, are the La Liga and Copa Del Rey wins of equal value to that of a Champions League title? Messi’s most staunch supporters may likely argue that at least they were able to win multiple league titles this season. Winning as a team is salient among everything else which occurs. The year is an undisputed success for Barcelona. Now, all of those points are factual. Barcelona plays to win La Liga. It plays to win the Copa Del Rey. Having the two trophies this year automatically proclaims it as “the best team in Spain.” Is winning its seventh La Liga title in ten years impressive? Of course. Is winning its fourth consecutive Cop Del Rey trophy remarkable? No doubt about it. However, all domestic accolades aside, I’d argue being the best team in Spain isn’t nearly as important to Barcelona as being the best team in Europe. There must be a part of Leo Messi feeling unfulfilled. Some-

where deep in his craw, frustration lingers in not being able to play in the semifinals of the Champions League, not contending for a third soccer title and missing out on the potential clash with Real Madrid and his biggest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo. The worst part about clinching the Spanish League title now? Barcelona will be playing for virtually nothing for the last four games of the season. The team will be going through the motions, knowing its already clinched with three weeks left. Those games will be absolutely meaningless. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Messi sitting out and taking time for some much-needed rest. La Liga concludes on May 20. You know what game won’t be meaningless? The Champions League final on May 26. Could you imagine what would happen if Barcelona’s sworn enemy, Real Madrid, is in that game? And if the team happens to win that game? Barcelona’s accomplishments would be quickly forgotten by Madrid’s potential threepeat of the UCL. No one would remember the fact that Messi put the Spanish league in a chokehold and that Barcelona ran through Spain for the entire 2017-2018 season. All that would matter is that the team blew a 3-1 lead to Italy’s Roma in the quarterfinals of the most prestigious soccer tournament outside of the World Cup. Messi’s most notable image will be of him and his team walking off the field having lost 3-0, with hopes of a UCL title dashed by a team considered inferior to the Spanish superpower that is Barcelona. No one can deny Messi of his greatness. What we can do is avoid giving him improper recognition. What’s a domestic accomplishment when international distinction alludes you?

By JIMMY SULLIVAN

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

For some, baseball’s minor leagues are a tune-up for a long and successful professional career. For others, it is a constant struggle to be noticed by big-league scouts. And for the rest, the minors are the last stop in a player’s professional career. But they are not, apparently, a lucrative enterprise. A new bill passed in Congress just over a month ago, that includes a provision ironically called the “Save America’s Pastime Act” exempting minor league baseball players from federal labor laws. This means a couple of simple things: 1. Players don’t need to be paid minimum wage. 2. Players don’t need to be compensated for potential overtime wages. You may be thinking that Major League Baseball can’t afford to pay its players adequate wages. After all, many say that the sport is “dying” and things are supposedly on life support don’t pull in a lot of revenue. I am here to tell you that this argument is a load of garbage. Here’s why: last season, the sport whose audience is dying and whose games are way too long, set a record for annual revenue with over $10 billion made last season alone. The sport, at least on a financial level, is growing at a meteoric rate; the league has increased its revenue by roughly $500 million since 2015, and MLB recently sold part of BAMtech, a derivative of its highly-successful MLB Advanced Media venture, for $1.58 billion. If you want an indication of how lucrative the sport is, retired outfielder Bobby Bonilla will rake in $1 million from the Mets every July 1 until 2035. Bobby Bonilla last played for the Mets in 1999. An investigation by Sporting News found that single-A players will be making $1,160 per month this season. Even when spread out over 12 months, that figure comes out to $13,920 per year, which is sub-optimal to say the least. However, full season players only get paid during the year, which lasts only five-and-a-half months. The deal is even worse for short-season single-A players, who only play for three months, at the

most. The math works out as follows: full season players get $6,380 per year while short-season players get $3,480. Players make more money if they get to AA and AAA, but the Sporting News investigation found that a AAA player’s minimum salary per year is just $11,825 per year. Of course, you may think that this isn’t too bad because minor league players get free housing along with their subpar contracts. Unfortunately, I have news for you: they don’t. Some players get signing bonuses when they are drafted or sign with a team out of high school, college or the international market. However, there are many players who don’t, and those people are the reason why baseball should take care of its own and pay its players a livable wage. It’s not just me saying this, either: a 2014 article by Sports Illustrated’s Michael McCann showed that minor league baseball players make less than half the yearly income of fast-food workers. With the amount of money, or lack thereof, that players make, many of them likely need to get offseason jobs just to pay for everyday expenses. This is to say nothing of their offseason training programs and participation in fall and winter leagues. Players are already too busy with these things to have time for other jobs, and they shouldn’t have to take a minimum wage job at a CVS because a multibillion dollar franchise doesn’t want to pay them living wages. And while we’re on that subject,

can we please talk about how exploitative this entire arrangement is? Major League Baseball is awash in money and can absolutely afford to pay the less privileged amongst them the money to get by while they are still in the minor leagues. Rob Manfred is not exactly running a makeshift operation on Park Avenue; if the Marlins can pay Giancarlo Stanton $3 million per year to play against them, there is no reason why the sport can’t pick up the tab to make sure blue-collar minor league players can afford to live a decent life in the minors. Besides all of this, though, why haven’t we decided that paying people a livable wage is a decent idea? There are some small businesses who are short on cash and have to pay employees as little as possible. Despite that, the vast majority of these businesses are ethical and follow the United States’ labor laws on a budget that is approximately 0.0000001 percent that of Major League Baseball’s. That being said, we should seriously evaluate whether or not the sport has the best interests of its least affluent players in mind, as the rich have gotten richer at the highest levels of the game but minor leaguers have not seen any trickle-down effects from baseball’s sustained wealth. The decision should not be hard for Major League Baseball. They should pay livable, lawful and ethical wages to its minor league players. After all, it’s not like they can’t afford to do it.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Minor league players, like those on the Lakewood Blueclaws do not get paid enough.

Varsity Calendar HOME

Friday May 4

Saturday May 5

Sunday May 6

Dayton 3 p.m.

Dayton 2 p.m.

Dayton 1 p.m.

Softball

La Salle 12/2:30 p.m.

La Salle 1 p.m.

Rowing

A-10 Championships TBD

AWAY

Baseball

Track

Thursday May 3

A-10 Championships 9 a.m.

Monday May 7

Tuesday May 8

Wednesday May 9

A-10 Championships TBD

SPORTS

May 2, 2018

As the weather finally starts to heat up after a chilling April, let’s check in on New York baseball. As of Sunday, the Mets stand atop the surprisingly competitive National League East. As for the Yankees, they still trail the Red Sox in the division, but their recent hot stretch has them well within reach of the American League East. Although the Mets have the secondbest record in the National League behind only the Diamondbacks, their cross-town rivals actually have the better record, so it’s only fair to start with the Bronx Bombers. After hovering around .500 for the season’s first few weeks, the Yankees have won nine of their last 10 games, including eight games in a row. Since their last loss on April 20 against the Blue Jays, they’ve powered their way to just under eight runs per game, including a 14-1 victory over the Twins and an 11-1 rout of the Angels. What was the cause of this offensive production? While Stanton and Sanchez have heated up, the key hitters over the course of this streak have been Miguel Andujar and Didi Gregorius. Andujar went through struggles of his own to start his campaign, but his recent tear has boosted his OPS to .935, thanks to 16 of his 24 hits going for extra bases. His hard contact rate and aggressive approach at the plate will make Aaron Boone’s decision quite difficult when Brandon Drury is ready to return to action. Gregorius, on the other hand, has been perhaps the best hitter in baseball to open the season. Leading the league in home runs, runs batted in, slugging and OPS, Sir Didi has paid dividends for the Yankees since being moved ahead of Stanton in the lineup. More impressively, though, was his Los Angeles curtain call after swatting his fifth home run in six games. Injuries have certainly plagued this team, but between their highpowered offense and their top-10 pitching staff, there’s no question that this team has infinite potential if and when everyone is on the field. The same can be said for the Mets, who have lost six of 10 games since winning their first five series of the 2018 season. To make matters worse, over this stretch, the team decided to move Matt Harvey to the bullpen in order to open up a spot for the newly-acquired Jason Vargas, but his abysmal Mets’ debut leaves the back end of the rotation up in the air. The team’s greatest loss, though, has been the injuries of their two catchers, Kevin Plawecki and Travis d’Arnaud. Other than them and relief pitcher Anthony Swarzak, though, the Mets have largely evaded the injury bug. The struggles of Yoenis Cespedes, Michael Conforto and Jay Bruce are certainly puzzling and a major reason why the team has scuffled as of late, but luckily, Asdrubal Cabrera has filled the void. With Noah Syndergaard and Jacob DeGrom pitching as good as it has been advertised, combined with a bullpen that has exceeded expectations, it’s only a matter of time before this team clicks and gets on another hot streak. While the Yankees may be built better for October baseball, the Mets will most definitely be in the thick of things this fall. A midseason acquisition might be necessary for both squads, but both teams have muchneeded depth at almost every position. It could very well be another exciting season for New York baseball.

Alvin Halimwidjaya

Varsity Scores & Stats

Evan Biancardi

WarmingUpWith theWeather

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Men's Track Penn Relays (FOR) Kutch: 1st in 10K (29:43.54)

Baseball Fordham Hofstra 0 FINAL (11 innings)

Women's Track Penn Relays (FOR) 4x200 relay: 6th in 1:37.79 Men's Tennis Atlantic 10 Championship Saint Louis 5 Fordham 2 Women's Tennis Atlantic 10 Championship Saint Louis 4 Fordham 0 VCU Fordham

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Saint Joseph's 1 Fordham 11 (FOR) Tarabek: 3-5, HR, 2 RBI (FOR) Knehr (W): 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K Saint Joseph's 7 Fordham 8 FINAL (11 innings) (FOR) Bardwell: 3-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI Saint Joseph's 1 Fordham 4 (FOR) Bardwell: 4-4, 3 2B, RBI (FOR) DiMeglio (W): 7 IP, 1

Softball Fordham 5 UMASS 9 (FOR) Johnston: 2-3, HR, 2 RBI (FOR) Shaw: 1-3, HR Fordham 2 UMASS 6 (FOR) Shaw: 1-2, HR, 2 RBI Fordham UMASS

Golf Atlantic 10 Championship (FOR) Mongey: T-10th Overall (76, 73, 76: 225) (FOR) Schiller & Trim: T-1st in School History (Lowest Avg. Round: 75.5)

Athletes of the Week Ryan Kutch

Chelsea Skrepenak

Sophomore

Junior

Men's Track

Softball

The distance runner has had a breakout year in 2017-18, and added to his long list of accomplishments with a school record at the Penn Relays. Kutch cruised to a win in the 10,000-meter run in 29:43.54, breaking Kevin Giannetti’s 1985 record of 29:56.3.

In an otherwise down weekend for Fordham Softball, Skrepenak, who has had a terrific season on the field, was honored for her off-the-field ROTC efforts. Before Sunday’s series finale, she was sworn into the United States Army as a 2nd Lieutenant, taking a ceremonial oath of office.

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 • Coyle Signs With NFL Football offensive lineman Anthony

Coyle became the second Ram to make the pros on Saturday night, inking a freeagent deal with the Houston Texans. He capped off a tremendous night for the program, as running back Chase Edmonds was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round. Coyle was a four-year starter and started every game in 2017 at left tackle, earning first team Patriot League honors for the second consecutive year. He also was awarded the Lansing Trophy, given to the team’s most outstanding lineman, for the second straight season. Coyle anchored a front that blocked for a Rams offense that ranked third in the Patriot League with 371.7 yards of total offense per game. A 2018 roster spot is not guaranteed, but if his Fordham tenure proved anything, it is that the Texans are receiving a high-upside player who could make a massive impact on the big stage.

• Bardwell Earns A-10 Honor

Junior Justin Bardwell was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. It was the first career weekly honor for the catcher, who extended his hit streak to 10 games and went 11-for-17 with a .667 onbase percentage over the span. His four games of production included four runs scored, six doubles and six runs batted in. Bardwell is batting .291 on the season with 28 RBIs, and is tied for first in the A-10 with 16 doubles.

• Football Concludes Spring Practices

Fordham Football finished its spring practice schedule on Friday night with its maroon and white game. The offense, wearing white, edged the defense, donning maroon, 92-77 in a game that featured a special, skill-based scoring system, rewarding intangibles such as third and fourth-down conversions, 20-plus yard conversations, defensive interceptions and three-and-out stops.

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-Compiled by Emmanuel Berbari

Buck Stops at Giannis … Not On Saturday night, the Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks in a series-deciding Game 7. With the 122-96 loss comes yet another year where the Bucks underperform and fall in the first-round to a team they should be able to beat. Even though Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are stars in the making and Brad Stevens is arguably the best coach in the NBA, the Celtics were missing their two best players: Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. In case you forgot, Milwaukee also has Giannis Antetokounmpo, a.k.a the Greek Freak, a.k.a the one NBA player who wields the Infinity Gauntlet without anybody realizing, a.k.a… well, you get it. The series went very predictably, with each team winning their respective home games. Another mediocre season makes it pretty clear that Antetokounmpo needs some help in Milwaukee. In the backcourt, Kris Middleton is a great third fiddle who’s been forced into the role of second fiddle, while Malcolm Brogdon is an excellent role player who shouldn’t be asked to run an offense in the starting lineup. Up front, Thon Maker is still a couple years away from being the best he can be, and Jabari Parker is a little too undersized and injury-prone. Everyone else should be expendable, from the slightly roasted Eric Bledsoe, courtesy of Celtics guard Terry Rozier, to Matthew Dellavedova, best known as the Aussie personification of a mosquito on the court. Suffice it to say that any team that has Jason Terry in their rotation should raise both of your eyebrows. With Jason Kidd out of the picture and Joe Prunty doing an intensely average job, the Bucks should be looking to score some big names all throughout the organization. With Giannis’ free agency looming, Milwaukee needs to keep him happy before he decides to bolt for greener pastures. Even though Wisconsin is known for its cheese, a fat paycheck isn’t going to have the same allure as the prospect of a championship other teams can offer. To be clear, by “looming free agency,” I mean the summer of 2021. However, with a generational talent like Antetokounmpo in their grasp, Milwaukee can’t afford to take their time and let their guard down. They need to find reliable shooters to space around Giannis, and with players like Avery Bradley, J.J. Redick and Trevor Ariza available this summer in free agency, the Bucks need to start aggressively moving towards becoming a truly substantial contender. Even reaching out feelers towards players like the Timberwolves’ Andrew Wiggins, the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic and the Magic’s Aaron Gordon could possibly be worth their time. The Bucks are stuck in the position the New Orleans Pelicans were in with Anthony Davis; the Easy City went out and got DeMarcus Cousins and Jrue Holiday, and now they’re in the second round of the playoffs in the Western Conference. If Milwaukee really wants to develop a real threat to the Sixers, the Celtics and whatever team LeBron ends up on, they need to stop taking easy dunks and start shooting their shot.

SPORTS

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May 2, 2018

The Fordham Ram

Baseball Sweeps Road Series Against St. Joseph’s By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

Well, that’s certainly one way to bounce back from your first Atlantic 10 series loss of the season. After dropping two of three to George Washington, Fordham Baseball outscored St. Joseph’s 23-9 on the road over the threegame series sweep. Including a Tuesday win over Yale, the Rams are now 27-14-1 and 10-5 in A-10 play. “This was a big weekend for us and it was great to see us fight back on Saturday to get that win,” said head coach Kevin Leighton. “Taking three last weekend puts us in a good spot but again, we can’t be satisfied and we need to keep working hard to improve.” I think it’s time to stop asking Leighton about the impact of wins. The Rams cruised through Game one on Friday to an 11-1 victory. Junior catcher Justin Bardwell’s RBI double and junior first baseman Brian Goulard’s RBI single in the first staked the Rams out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. They never relinquished it. Sophomore Matt Tarabek and Goulard hit a solo and two-run home run, respectively, in the rout. Freshman Alvin Melendez went 1-4 with a double and a stolen base, showing all signs that he is over the hamstring injury that limited him over the last couple of weeks. Bardwell finished the day 3-5 at the plate with two RBIs. On the mound, junior Reiss Knehr had one of his best starts of the season, going seven strong

innings and giving up the sole run. He struck out six and walked three. Freshman John Stankiewicz pitched a clean eighth, and then Melendez closed the game, fully proving he is back from the injury. The Saturday game that Leighton mentioned was not nearly as smooth. It started much the same way, with Goulard staking the Rams out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. But then the usually-solid senior starter Ben Greenberg struggled. In the second inning, the Hawks were able to link a few hits up and score three off him to make it 3-1. A solo homer in the fifth and two more runs in the sixth ended Greenberg’s day with six earned runs over 5.2 innings. He struck out just three but didn’t walk any. “I thought they did a nice job against him. Ben made a couple mistakes over the middle and they didn’t miss them,” said Leighton of the Hawks’ batters. “Sometimes those are outs and sometimes they are doubles. He will bounce back and be ready to go this weekend.” However, as Leighton mentioned, the Rams did not give in, even down 6-1 after six innings. Freshman third baseman CJ Vazquez started chipping away in the seventh with an RBI single, but it was the eighth where the Rams broke through. Bardwell came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out and promptly cleared them with a double, bringing the Rams within one, 6-5. They were not done there. A sacrifice fly by Kne-

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Justin Bardwell earned Atlantic 10 Player of the Week honors for his 10-for-14 performance from the plate this weekend.

hr drove in Bardwell, who had moved to third on a wild pitch, tying the game at six. And then the Rams took a 7-6 lead when sophomore outfielder Billy Godrick drew a bases-loaded walk. Up 7-6, the Rams brought in sophomore Kyle Martin in the eighth, who struck out the side. But things did not go as well in the top of the ninth, as the Hawks led the inning off with a homer to tie the game at seven. The Rams prevailed in extras, however, when MacKenzie hit a two-out solo home run in the top of the 11th to give them an 8-7 lead. Junior Mike Cowell came on in relief and got his first save by striking out the side, giving Fordham the win in 11. During the game, Melendez stole his 20th base of the season,

joining Godrick and MacKenzie at the milestone, marking the fourth time - and first time since 2008 - that the Rams had three players with 20 or more steals. The Rams still lead all of college baseball in steals with 134. The next closest, Wofford, is at 119. On Sunday, the Rams continued their usual routine of “ride a solid start from junior Anthony DiMeglio to a relaxed victory.” DiMeglio was tagged with a run first in the second inning, but was mostly blemish-free beyond then, striking out six over his seven innings. After adding tying the game in the fourth on a Tarabek double, Godrick singled in a run in the fifth to give the Rams a 2-1 lead. An RBI single from sophomore Jake Baker in the seventh and an RBI double from Bardwell

in the eighth brought the game to its final score of 4-1. The Rams out-hit the Hawks 40-26 over the weekend. “It was a solid weekend for our hitters,” said Leighton. “I just thought we had really good atbats and were able to capitalize on some of their mistakes.” The chief provider of hits was Bardwell, who went 10-14 with six doubles and six RBIs. His efforts earned him Atlantic 10 Player of the Week honors. “Bardwell had a great weekend and not only had a lot of hits but had some really clutch hits,” said Leighton. The Rams will hope to carry these strong performances into their next A-10 series at home against Dayton on Friday, May 4 at 6 p.m.

Softball’s Hot Streak Comes to a Halt Against UMass By BRENDAN O’CONNELL STAFF WRITER

After winning 18 of 20 games (including 12 straight), Fordham’s torrid streak came to an end this weekend at the hands of Massachusetts, losing all three games of the series to fall to 27-20 on the year. The Rams were slated to host Delaware last Wednesday, but the doubleheader was cancelled due to inclement weather. No makeup date is scheduled at this time. Over the weekend, Fordham fell to Atlantic 10 foe UMass in three consecutive contests – the first time an opponent swept the Rams at home since 2002. On Saturday, Fordham lost both games of the doubleheader. In the matinée, the Minutewomen defeated the Rams, 9-5, despite home runs from sophomore Skylar Johnston, senior Madi Shaw and junior Chelsea Skrepenak. Freshman Paige Rauch dropped to 13-2 after her start lasted just four innings in which she allowed seven runs – only three of them earned. Freshman Anne Marie Prentiss allowed two runs over three innings of relief. In the latter half of the doubleheader, Massachusetts held on for a 6-2 victory. Graduate Lauren Quense took the loss in the circle for the Rams,

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Softball was 15-1 in Atlantic 10 play before this weekend, but a sweep to UMass has dropped them in the A10 standings.

pitching a complete game but falling to 2-10 in the process, yielding six runs – only three of them earned. Shaw provided the Rams’ only offense, blasting a two-run homer in the sixth inning. Finally, on Sunday, UMass used a five-run fifth-inning rally to fuel their 5-3 comeback win. The Rams built a three-run lead in the first four innings on small ball, with bases loaded walks, infield singles and wild pitches bringing runs across the plate. Sophomore Madie Aughinbaugh went all seven frames for Fordham but allowed five runs to cross in the

fifth with a home run, error, walk, singles and sacrifice hits pushing across a handful of tallies for the Minutewomen. The Rams could not muster any more offense, and as a result, fell to 15-4 in A-10 conference play, thus dropping further behind UMass 19-0 in the standings. Nonetheless, there were some positives and memorable moments to take from a disappointing weekend. Prior to the final game of the series on Sunday, Skrepenak was sworn in to the US Army. Skrepenak is in the midst of a

remarkable junior year on the diamond, as she has set career highs already in hits (44), runs (34), home runs (six), RBIs (29) and stolen bases (eight). She leads the team in batting average (.336) and has played terrific defense in center field, with a .945 fielding percentage and just four errors in 45 games played. In her third year as a starter, she has played in 157 of a potential 170 matches in her Fordham career. A cadet the past two years in the Fordham ROTC program, Skrepenak took the ceremonial oath of office in a pregame cer-

emony that moved her father to tears, and she hopes to one day become a JAG officer. She will become 2nd Lieutenant upon graduating next year. In an interview with Fordham Athletics, Skrepenak said, “Sunday was obviously a step towards my future career and it also helped me realize how many lives I’ve affected. Watching my teammates get emotional after I took my oath really opened my eyes about how much they care about me and how I am doing something bigger than myself. If anything, it helped solidify the decision I have made, knowing that I have such a solid support system behind me. We have each other’s backs on the field but they are my sisters for life. [Head Coach] Bridget [Orchard] has allowed me to participate in ROTC by missing practice and other things for training. It feels really good to know that she is not only concerned with my performance on the field but also my career.” The Rams will travel to Queens, NY to take on St. John’s on Wednesday before facing La Salle at Bahoshy Field in a threegame series to close out the regular season.