Fordham University 173rd Commencement
The Fordham Ram May 19, 2018
COMMENCEMENT
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May 19, 2018
Brittany Mimi Sillings: Valedictorian Gilmartin: Gabelli of Fordham College Valedictorian By ERIN SHANAHAN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EMERITUS
Mimi Sillings found excellence at Fordham, and has the perfect transcript to prove it. She is the valedictorian for the class of 2018. Sillings is from Pleasantville, New York and attended Pleasantville High School. At Fordham, she majored in psychology and participated as an Advising Student Assistant and as a Commuter Assistant through Commuter Student Services. Sillings has also been inducted into several honors societies while at Fordham including Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Sigma Nu, Psi Chi and Phi Beta Phi. In addition, she was a member of Fordham Club and worked on the Bronx Collaboration Committee. Finally, Sillings has participated in Miss Italia USA Scholarship Pageants during her time as a student. Post graduation, Sillings will attend New York Medical College (NYMC) to earn her Master's of Science degree in SpeechLanguage Pathology (S-LP). Sillings decided to pursue this degree post graduation after she got into a high-speed car accident with a drunk driver while commuting home from Fordham in the fall of her junior year. Since then, Sillings has struggled with tinnitus (i.e., ringing in the ears). “At first, tinnitus seemed like a curse: I could no longer bear silence and, in certain contexts, my hearing was not as sharp as it once was,” Sillings said. “Tinnitus, however, introduced me to audiology and communicative disorders, and, more generally, to hidden disabilities.” Through her experiences with tinnitus, Sillings decided that she wanted to work with others who possess hidden disabilities. She believes that her courses at Fordham, such as Cognitive Neuroscience, Multicultural Issues, Aging and Society and Human Biology, have provided her a strong foundation in the health sciences (which will serve her well in NYMC's medically-oriented S-LP program). “Most of all, the Jesuit tenet
of cura personalis -- which I believe Fordham's faculty members and students truly embody -- has prepared me to care for my future patients with the empathy and respect that they deserve,” Sillings said. Before Sillings starts to acquire her Master's of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), she plans to pursue her love of traveling this summer. She will be visiting Switzerland, Germany, France and Budapest. However, Sillings said her favorite place to visit will always be Ireland. In addition to traveling, Sillings also enjoy seeing plays, musicals and concerts in New York City and knitting, embroidering, printmaking, painting and cooking while at home. She also has a passion for learning new languages and she has been taking American Sign Language lessons for the past year. “I often joke that my goal is to be a Renaissance woman,” Sillings said. Mimi reflected on her time at Fordham. She recalled that firstsemester freshman year was a tough time for her. She was taking five courses (two with labs), adjusting to a three-hour daily commute and trying to form new friendships. “After growing up in a small town where I was known as the field hockey player, the honorroll student, the daughter of the Italian teacher, it was difficult to transition to Fordham and start from scratch,” Sillings said. “I felt like I had to prove myself all over again. I felt lost and I did not know who I should be/who I should strive to become.” At one point, Sillings felt like there was no way that she could even make it through the semester. However, Mimi thanks her mother for helping her through those first few months. “She would bring me tea late at night while I struggled to comprehend the APA-style of my first Introductory Psychology lab reports.," said Sillings. "She would send me messages of encouragement before exams and quizzes. And she told me that eventually
things would get easier; I would find my passion and my place at Fordham." And clearly she was right. Her daughter soon found her circle of friends, as well as a love of, and appreciation for, Fordham. Despite all her recognitions and accomplishments, Sillings believes that her work as a FASA has been her most rewarding experience while at Fordham. She was thrilled when she learned a few weeks ago that a student who was in her first freshmen core advising group was now a FASA herself. “Beyond helping students arrange their schedules and navigate the core curriculum, I never considered that I would have this this type of positive impact on my advisees,” Sillings said. “One day, I hope she inspires one of her advisees to become a FASA and champion first-year students.” Sillings said that she hopes that after she leaves, Fordham will strive to become a more commuter-friendly institution. She mentioned some difficulties she experienced as a commuter, such as making late night club meetings and being excluded from some learning communities. “As a soon-to-be Fordham alumnus,” Sillings said. “I hope that Fordham better accommodates its commuting student population so that commuting students may enjoy the full intellectual, social and spiritual benefits of a Fordham education.” Sillings believes that Fordham’s strongest attribute is it faculty body. She described Fordham faculty members as accomplished, erudite, personal and caring. In her experiences, faculty members have always seemed to make time for and take a personal interest in the individual student. “In taking a personal interest in me (and my aspirations, interests, hopes), my Fordham professors helped me become the woman I am now,” Sillings said. “Since my first day on campus, my professors have helped me come into my own. I leave Fordham feeling more capable, more inquisitive and more discerning than I was four years ago.”
KEVIN STOLTENBORG/THE FORDHAM RAM
By THERESA SCHLIEP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Brittany Gilmartin, GSB ’18, is this year’s Gabelli School of Business (GSB) valedictorian. Gilmartin studied accounting and involved herself in extracurriculars like Beta Alpha Psi and Smart Woman Securities. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Gilmartin knew Fordham’s campus well as her father, aunt and uncle attended the school. Other parts of her experience at the university felt like a natural fit, too. Gilmartin knew she wanted to go into the business school, and decided on majoring in accounting because she felt it fit her personality type and enjoyed some of the classes she had taken. “It just felt like a natural fit for me,” she said. “I enjoyed talking with accounting firms when they came on campus. I felt they’re very humble, nice, and likable people, and that I’d fit in well with that work culture.” Gilmartin has plans to work with Deloitte after graduation, but her higher education plans do not stop at her B.A. She plans on getting her Masters of Science in Taxation and pursue a career in international tax. Gilmartin said that though the field is constantly changing and can thus be challenging, it combines all of her interests. “It involves law and business, and it’s very analytical with a lot of math and quantitative reasoning,” she said. “Everything came together.” Gilmartin found a community of supportive and like-minded women with Smart Woman Securities. The club focuses on investment education for young women, and has one numerous national competitions and awards during Gilmartin’s time
at Fordham. She said that business used to be a man’s world. “Women supporting women has always been important [to me,]” she said. “It’s a great way for us to share experiences and opportunities with each other. I’ve made friends and have gotten to hear about other girls’ experiences.” Gilmartin said she has always been driven and determined, and she is her own fiercest competitor. She said ultimately, she excelled to show her parents how much they appreciate their support and encouragement. “They’ve been so supportive of me and I wanted to do something to show how much I appreciate them and how their support and encouragement helped me become the person I am now,” she said. Gilmartin said Fordham has a hardworking student population and plenty of career opportunities for students. She said in hindsight, she would not change anything about her college experience. “There have definitely been ups and downs, but I know it was the absolute best place I could have spent the last few years,” she said. “It’s a community of people who are driven and hard workers that have such an urgency to succeed. But they’re also very likable, humble people who do not have any entitlement or think they deserve this because they go here. They are willing to put their nose down and study hard and be good, diligent workers.” Gilmartin said she wants to thank her family and friends for their support over the last four years. “My family has always had my back and I know they always will,” she said.
Congratulations to all 2018 Seniors!
COMMENCEMENT
May 19, 2018
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Loebe, Davis, Others Honored at Block F By JIMMY SULLIVAN
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The 84th annual Fordham Block F Awards, an event honoring the athletic achievements of the Fordham community, were held this past Wednesday at the historic Rose Hill Gym. The headlining award-winners of the night were Fordham Women’s Basketball star G’Mrice Davis and Fordham Men’s Soccer standout Jannik Loebe, who were awarded the Claire and Jack Hobbs Award and the Vincent T. Lombardi Award, respectively, as the women’s and men’s athletes of the year. Loebe was an integral part of Fordham’s Cinderella run to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament this year, as he scored nine goals on the year and recorded four assists as well. Fordham won a school-record 14 games last fall and came within three games of a national championship; Loebe scored a goal in the team’s 2-1 NCAA Tournament loss against North Carolina. He finished his career in the top ten among Fordham players in games played, games started, points and goals. “I feel really honored and happy [to win the award],” Loebe said. “I think it shows how great soccer developed over the past years at Ford-
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
ham and what kind of reputation we have now.” Davis won the Claire and Jack Hobbs Award for the second straight season following another marvelous year. Davis averaged a double-double for the second straight season, with 16.5 points per game and 13.4 rebounds per contest, the latter of which was good for third in the nation in that category. Davis also came in 35th in the country in minutes played. While Loebe was present to accept the award on Wednesday, Davis is currently in training camp with the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx and was therefore unable to attend.
Dennis Walcott To Deliver Keynote Address At 173rd
While Loebe and Davis were the stars of the evening, there were also other big winners on the night. Staying with the Fordham Soccer theme, head coach Jim McElderry received the Iron Major award as the school’s best coach for this past season. McElderry led the Rams to their third NCAA Tournament appearance in four years and their farthest Tournament run in school history. Another Fordham Men’s Soccer player to come out with a major award was senior defenseman Chris Bazzini, who won the school’s O’Donnell Award for sportsmanship. “Chris exemplifies what I see as
the perfect student-athlete,” coach McElderry told Fordham Athletics. “He leads his peers on the field, in the classroom and in social environments.” Other winners on the night included assistant athletic trainer Erin Cameron, who won the Jack Coffey Award; women’s tennis’ Carolina Sa, who won the Hughes Award, which is given to the Gabelli School of Business student who has made significant academic and athletic contributions; rowing’s Kat Napoli, who won the Kieran Award for academic and athletic contributions; and women’s track and field’s Merissa Wright, who took home the Kiwanis Community Service Award. However, the athletes were not the only ones honored; television and radio broadcasters of Fordham Athletics were also honored at the Block F Dinner. The Marty Glickman Award, which is presented to the top WFUV broadcaster, was given to senior Matt Murphy, who served as the lead announcer for Fordham Men’s Basketball this season. Also honored at the dinner was senior David Bernard Santana, who has served as a director and producer of many of the school’s streaming broadcasts on the Atlantic 10 Digital Network. He was given the Patrick Kenneally Award, which is annually
given to a student who serves the athletic community in ways other than athletic participation. Finally, each team, with the exception of men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, named its MVPs for the 2017-18 season. They are listed below: Baseball: Ben Greenberg Men's Basketball: Prokop Slanina Women's Basketball: G'mrice Davis Cheerleading: Melanie Taylor Men's Cross Country: Thomas Slattery Women's Cross Country: Angelina Grebe Football: Dylan Mabin Golf: Joseph Trim Rowing: Kristen Shuman Men's Soccer: Jannik Loebe Women's Soccer: Brooke Salmon Softball: Madie Aughinbaugh Squash: Griffin Fitzgerald Men's Swimming & Diving: Joe Mercurio Women's Swimming & Diving: Amelia Bullock Men's Tennis: Max Green Women's Tennis: Gianna Insogna Men's Indoor Track & Field: Thomas Slattery Women's Indoor Track & Field: Mary Kate Kenny Volleyball: Morgan Williams Water Polo: Jake Miller-Tolt
Congratulations to the
By AISLINN KEELY NEWS EDITOR
Dennis Walcott, president and CEO of Queens Library and former New York City Schools Chancellor, will deliver the address at Fordham’s 173rd Commencement. The address will mark a return to Fordham for Walcott, who graduated from the Graduate School of Social Service in 1980. In addition to delivering the keynote speech at the proceedings on Saturday, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, will also present Walcott with the university’s President’s Medal, the highest honor at Fordham. 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 education 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 expertise and experience, but wisdom and compassion, all of which I believe will serve well the Class of 2018.” A Queens native, Walcott attended Francis Lewis High School and earned a bachelor's and a master’s degree from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. He began his career as a kindergarten teacher, and eventu-
ally became chief executive of the New York City Urban League for 12 years (NYUL). The NYUL helps disadvantaged New Yorkers find employment and education, as well as provide financial and technological literacy. Walcott also served as the Deputy Mayor of New York City for Education from 2002 to 2011. During the Bloomberg administration, Walcott led initiatives focused on serving the city’s students, including the expansion of after-school programs. As schools chancellor, he helped transition many half-time prekindergarten seats to full-time prekindergarten seats. He was responsible for over one million students in almost two thousand schools throughout the city. In 2016, Walcott was selected as president and CEO of Queens Library. In his tenure, he has overseen the start of a new library, the Queens Library at Hunters Point, a $38 million project. This is not Walcott’s first appearance at Fordham 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. Some students are looking forward to the speech. “He’s a dedicated civil servant. Hardest job in the world,” said Edward Morris, FCRH ’18. “I’m glad Fordham picked him.”
Class of 2018! The Office of Alumni Relations would like to recognize the recipients of this year’s Alumni Chair Award LINCOLN CENTER
Emily Lindo, GABELLI ’18 Joseph Gorman, GABELLI ’18 ROSE HILL
Erin Shanahan, FCRH ’18 Amanda Vopat, GABELLI ’18
Stay connected at forever.fordham.edu
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COMMENCEMENT
May 19, 2018
Senior Leadership Awards Abigail Kedik
Abigail Kedik is a political science and American studies double major, as well as a French minor. She served as Vice President for the United Student Government for Rose Hill during 2017-2018 academic year. She’s been everywhere on campus and in New York: as a Resident Assistant in Loyola and Campbell Hall, an intern for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s New York City office, and a political intern for Councilman Ritchie Torres’ office. She was also an intern for the Clinton Foundation. Back on campus, Abigail was a Jumpstart corps member her freshman year. She’s currently an intern for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
Claire Siegrist Claire Siegrist is an information systems major and a French minor. Claire worked for Fordham IT, first as a Resident Technology Consultant and then as an intern in the Project Management office. Claire was also in the Social Innovation Collaboratory for three years, and lead a team of undergraduates in the Food Impact Investing Practicum, a project that created a rating system of sustainable food businesses. For the Concourse Group, Claire was co-director and worked to recruit and train students.
Monica Olveira Monica Olveira is an international relations major. Her involvement at Fordham began her freshman year, when she served on Queen’s Court’s Residence Hall Association board. Thereafter, she became a New Student Orientation leader, serving for three years. Monica also worked in the West Wing ILC during her sophomore year, and returned to serve as the West Wing intern and teaching assistant. Monica founded Fordham’s UNICEF chapter, and was elected to UNICEF USA as one of six college National Council members. She has also interned with Pencils of Promise and the Mission of Honduras to the UN.
Amanda Vopat
Amanda Vopat is a business administration major with a minor in philosophy. Amanda started the Our Story program, a live-storytelling event that promotes empathy, diversity, solidarity, and listening. She has also served as the marketing chair of the Student Philanthropy Committee this year, as well as the vice president of FlipSide for the past two years. Amanda is an Academic Advising Assistant to freshmen in the Gabelli School of Business. In April, Amanda and a colleague won second place in the International Business Ethics Case Competition in the 10 minute and 90 second divisions.
Fitzpatrick Award Siobhan Loughran
Siobhan Loughran is a double major in sociology and Latin American and Latino studies. She’s been dedicated to the retreat program through Campus Ministry, and served as a student director for several retreats. Siobhan is on Campus Ministry’s leadership board as well. Siobhan was a leader for incoming international students in the Global Transitions program, and participated in the Ignatian Teach In in Washington, D.C., a two day conference involving workshops and advocacy for issues like immigration and racial justice. Siobhan has been on numerous Global Outreach teams, and this year is leading the GO! Navajo team.
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Award Recipients 2018
Martine De Matteo
Martine De Matteo is an anthropology major. Much of her involvement at Fordham has been centered around commuter life and services, as well as new student orientation. Martine was a Commuter Assistant for three years, and was on New Student Orientation (NSO) for three years as well. She was first a leader, then coordinator, then captain for NSO. Martine is also on the Senior Week Committee this year as the Transitions Coordinator. She is involved through many facets of campus life, including with the Retreat Team for Campus Ministry.
Peter Vergara
Peter Vergara is an art history and philosophy double major with political science and Latin American studies minors. Peter has been all over campus, involving himself in different sports teams as well as club activities. He was a resident assistant for three years, starting in Loyola Hall and then moving onto Walsh Hall. Peter was also on United Student Government, serving first as a senator and house committee member, then as the vice president of student life and chair of the house committee. For all four years, Peter has been a Spanish tutor for the Modern Languages and Literature department. He also played varsity squash and was on the Fordham Men’s Club Soccer team.
Nemesis Dipré Nemesis Dipre has a double major in psychology and sociology. Nemesis has been an advocate for the commuting student body on campus, involving herself with the Commuting Students’ Association, ultimately becoming its president. Nemesis is also on the Fordham Social Innovation Collaboratory, where she joined a Diversity and Inclusion roundtable to discuss the divisions between certain groups of people at Fordham. Nemesis was in the Global Outreach community, recently serving as a leader go GO! Johannesburg.
Peacemaker Award Megan Townsend
Megan Townsend is the recipient of the Peacemaker Award for Leadership in Social Action. Megan participated in Urban Plunge as a freshman, eventually becoming an Urban Plunge Assistant. She lead the Pedro Arrupe Volunteer Community for Faith and Justice, and has spent many Saturdays volunteering in the Creston Ave Baptist Church’s Soup kitchen. She’s been advocate for criminal justice reform, and immigrant and refugee rights. Megan also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity after Hurricane Sandy. She committed herself to the Catholic Worker Houses of Hospitality, and lived and served full time at St. Joseph House in Manhattan.
Congratulations to all winners and nominees!
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May 19, 2018
2018 Honorary Degree Recipients
COURTESY OF WIKICOMMONS
His Eminence Joseph William Cardinal Tobin
Louise Mirrer
COURTESY OF GAWKER
COURTESY OF DIANA RINGO
Patricia Clarkson
William S. Stavropoulos
His Eminence Joseph William Cardinal Tobin
His Eminence Joseph William Cardinal Tobin, C.Ss.R., was a member of the Redemptorist order before his ordination in 1978. His first assignment was a home parish in Detroit, where he saw refugees seeking asylum and founded an agency for them to find new homes. In 2016, Pope Francis promoted Tobin to cardinal, and he is currently the archbishop of Newark, New Jersey. He has been active in working towards tolerant dialogue on controversial subjects such as the role of women in the church. In 2017, Tobin welcomed several LGBTQ Catholics to Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, while in 2015, as the archbishop of Indianapolis, he instructed Catholic Charities of Indianapolis to resettle a Syrian refugee family in the Archdiocese in spite of the wishes of current Vice President Mike Pence, who was governor of Indiana at the time.
Marianne Kraft
Marianne Kraft started out as a member of the religious order Sisters of Charity before moving to the South Bronx from Mount Kisco in 1972 to teach English and art. She has been the principal of St. Athanasius School since 1989, and plans to retire this year. She helped St. Athanasius become a part of The Partnership for Inner-City Education in 2013. The network consists of six schools throughout the Bronx and Harlem, and was created through the efforts of the New York Archdiocese and an independent nonprofit group. As soon as St. Athanasius became a charter school in 2014-15, 2,100 students made year-over-year gains on New York state ELA and math tests, also outperforming other public schools in the vicinity. Thanks to Kraft, St. Athanasius has become one of the beneficiaries of $10 million in student scholarships, building renovations and improvements in both curriculum and staff.
William S. Stavropoulos
COURTESY OF SCIENCE HISTORY INSTITUTE
William S. Stavropoulos, Ph.D., PHA ’61, is board chairman emeritus of the Dow Chemical Company. Stavropoulos earned his B.S. in pharmaceutical chemistry from Fordham and a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from the University of Washington. Stavropoulos’ resume is rich and varied, and his career with the Dow Chemical Company spanned 39 years, serving in positions from research to general management. He was chief executive officer and president at the Dow Chemical Company from 1993-1995, president and CEO from 1995-2000, chairman and CEO from 2002-2004, and chairman from 2000-2006. He first joined the company in 1967 as a research chemist in pharmaceutical research. He has been president and Founder of the Michigan Baseball Foundation, the Great Lakes Loons since 2007. Stavropoulos has been a chairman on a variety of councils, like the American Chemistry Council and the Society of Chemical Industry. He is also a past Board member of Maersk Inc and Tyco Inc.
COURTESY OF ST. ATHANASIUS SCHOOL
Marianne Kraft
COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS
Peter B. Vaughan
Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Clarkson, FCLC ’82, boasts an impressive resume in both TV and film as an accomplished character actor. Her performance in Pieces of April earned her a Golden Globe award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2003, while her recurring role in “Six Feet Under” won her two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. She was also nominated for a Tony Award in 2015 for her work in The Elephant Man. Other notable works she has been in are “Parks and Recreation”, “House of Cards”, The Station Agent, Easy A and The Green Mile. She has also starred in Shutter Island and a number of comedy skits on Saturday Night Live. Clarkson studied speech pathology at Louisiana State University before transferring to Fordham University and graduating summa cum laude from the Fordham Theatre program. She earned her M.F.A. at the Yale School of Drama.
Louise Mirrer
Louise Mirrer, Ph.D., is a president and CEO of the New-York Historical Society. She earned a Ph.D. in the Spanish language and in the humanities from Stanford, and was the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the City University of New York. She started her tenure as president and CEO of the New-York Historical Society in 2004, and has launched a variety of exhibitions, like Slavery in New York, Nueva York, Chinese American: Inclusion/Exclusion and The Vietnam War 1945-1975. In 2017, she oversaw the inauguration of the first Center for Women’s History in an American museum. Mirrer has been a professor of medieval studies at Fordham, as well as at University of California Los Angeles, University of Minnesota Twin Cities and the CUNY Graduate Center. She has published a number of books and articles. Her most recent book is Women, Muslims, and Jews in the Texts of Reconquest Castile.
Peter B. Vaughan
Peter B. Vaughan, Ph.D., is dean emeritus of the Graduate School of Social Service (GSS). Vaughan is likely familiar to many at Fordham, serving as the dean of the graduate school from 2000-2013. Under his leadership, GSS was one of Fordham’s most prestigious schools and was ranked 11th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. GSS is and was well-known throughout New York City and the country for graduating excellent and prepared students. Vaughan earned his Ph.D. in social work and psychology from the University of Michigan and was a professor and dean at the University of Pennsylvania. Vaughan served in the Vietnam War as a social worker in an infantry division and then as a clinical social worker in a mental hygiene detachment attached to an evacuation hospital. In 2013, Vaughan received Fordham’s highest honor, the President’s Medal.
COMMENCEMENT
May 19, 2018
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Sister Elizabeth Johnson, Esteemed Theologian, Retires From Teaching By KELSEY MICKLAS STAFF WRITER
Many of Fordham’s professors are distinguished in their field. But none may be quite as prominent as Sister Elizabeth Johnson, distinguished professor of theology at the Rose Hill campus. Over her career, she has written 10 books and over a hundred essays on a variety of topics, with a particular focus in feminist theology and the role of women in the Catholic Church. Johnson’s prominence in the field is evidenced by the 15 honorary doctoral degrees she has received. Johnson was the first woman to receive a doctorate in Theology from Catholic University of America in 1981. While there, she noticed the curriculum was entirely masculine. There were no women teachers and none of her readings were by women theologians. Even her dissertation was on a male theologian. “I didn’t go out all a blaze looking for feminist theology,” said Johnson. “I was trying to achieve what I was being taught and learn all that. But simultaneously, the feminist movement was beginning in the 1970s. And they kept saying, ‘And men dominate. Women don’t have a voice.’ And all I had to do was think about myself sitting in the classroom.” J. Patrick Hornbeck II, Ph.D., associate professor and chair in Fordham’s Theology Department, said Johnson has one of the most influential voices of feminist theology. “Elizabeth Johnson has been one of the founding mothers of Catholic Feminist Theology,” Hornbeck said. “And I think that when people look back and write the history of
this particular period in Catholic theology, she’s going to be one of the people who will be seen as having placed the question of the absolute equality of men and women on the table as clearly as she did.” In her 27 years at Fordham, Johnson taught a variety of different classes including Feminist Theology, Christ in World Cultures, and Ecological Theology. She said she especially enjoyed teaching freshmen Faith and Critical Reason. “I love introducing theology to 18-year-olds for the first time,” Johnson says. “Even if they went to Catholic school they go, ‘I went to Catholic school all my life, how come I’ve never heard of that?’ Because this is theology, it’s not trying to get you to believe it. It’s trying to get you to think about it.” Hannah Ervin, FCRH ‘18, took Johnson’s Christ in World Cultures class during her sophomore year. She said Johnson’s unique perspective on theology inspired her to declare a major in theology after taking her course. “I saw theology as much more of a justice-making work rather than just a kind of one dimensional, you practice on Sunday and you leave it there,” Ervin said. “And I think theology definitely informed my own personal religion and spirituality. And I just remember being like, there is something to this.” Horneck said Johnson often looks at issues in the Catholic tradition and asks which marginalized voices need to be lifted up, especially female voices. “Beth is a person who made it impossible for Catholic theology to not ask about the equality of women,” Hornbeck says. “She is showing a path of how the Catholic Church can move towards greater
equality of women and men. But there are so many institutional barriers to that, not least of which the fact that Beth Johnson, like every other woman in the Catholic Church, can’t be ordained.” Johnson is an advocate for female ordination. She said that because only men can be ordained, only men can preach and be appointed to decision-making positions in the Catholic Church, the Church’s teachings are one sided. “The teaching of the Church is a male organized teaching and it leaves out women’s experiences completely,” Johnson said. “So half the human race’s concerns are not taken seriously. So women’s ordination would just transform all of that and make it a much better Church.” Lindsey Faust, FCRH ‘18 who majors in theology, said the fact that Johnson herself is a religious woman in the Church making bold claims is what sets her apart from some other theologians. “She really is not afraid to say what she needs to say,” Faust said. “I don’t know if that would be as big of a deal if she was a man, but because she’s a woman, it’s huge to always be willing to say exactly what she feels like she needs to.” In making these bold claims, Johnson has been the center of controversy during her career. In 2011, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) criticized her book Quest for the Living God. According to the Bishops, many of the book’s conclusions were “incompatible with Catholic teaching.” In their statement, the Bishops wrote the book was “misleading, since under the guise of criticizing modern theism she criticizes crucial aspects of patristic and medieval theology, aspects that have become central elements of
Lady of the Manor: Colleen Granberg
By TAYLOR SHAW MANAGING EDITOR
Each year, Fordham selects a member of the graduating class to speak at the Encaenia awards for commencement. The Lady (of Lord) of the Manor is presented with the task of reflecting upon her personal experience through her four years at Fordham--the good, the bad and the ugly. This year's Lady of the Manor is Colleen Granberg, a film and television major from Fairfield, Conn. Colleen has served as an orientation leader, a member of the Mimes and Mummers' executive board and a member of Fordham Experimental Theatre's Free Pizza Sketch Comedy Group. "It's really just an honor to have been chosen for this, I am so thrilled that I get to leave Fordham this way," Granberg said. "It's great to be recognized by the school in this way." Granberg delivered her address at the Encaenia awards on Thursday, May 17. She will graduate with the rest of her class on Saturday.
COURTESY OF COLLEEN GRANBERG
the Catholic theological tradition confirmed by magisterial teaching.” Many theologians from all over the world came to Johnson’s defense, including Fordham Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university. The bishops released a second statement further explaining her writings and repeating their criticisms. “That was another effort to disgrace me, to silence me,” Johnson said, “to keep me from being invited to parishes. In other words, to keep my ideas away from people.” However, the controversy surrounding the book actually made it more popular, and it went to the top of the Amazon list of best sellers in the religion section. Hornbeck said the reason Quest for the Living God received such a harsh criticism from the Bishops is not because of Johnson herself, but rather because it validated a further conversation among other theological thinkers about the language used to talk about God. “It was about the fact that many many theologians have discovered
new language for speaking about God, language that didn’t make very much sense in the past but now makes a ton of sense to people who have experienced marginalization and oppression in whatever way,” Hornbeck said. “And so the priest who wrote the condemnation effectively insisted that there were certain time hollowed ideas that simply cannot be expressed in new terms.” Johnson said she is retiring from teaching at the end of the academic year but not from being a theologian. She plans to continue to write and think on the issues facing the modern Church today. However, she says she will miss the constant, rich exchange with students that often inspired her own research. “I will miss the ongoing conversation for a whole semester for a group of people on a subject of which I am passionately interested and hopefully they get passionately interested if they aren’t already when we begin,” Johnson said. “And it’s this terrific human and intellectual and at times spiritual exchange going on that I’m really going to miss.”
COURTESY OF TWITTER
Sister Johnson said she will stop teaching, but will not stop being a theologian.
Letter to the Editor
To The Fordham Ram editorial board: We are Fordham Faculty United, the union elected by over 94 percent of eligible voting Fordham nontenure track teaching faculty in Fall 2017 to address widespread poverty pay, lack of job security, absence of benefits for adjuncts, and many other issues. We are writing in response to your article “Cura Personalis Applies to Contingent Faculty” on May 2, 2018. We are grateful for your support as we embark on our mission to transform Fordham University for all: faculty, students, alumni and staff. Fordham University prides itself as an institution dedicated to excellence in education and social justice. Yet, Fordham's administration often undermines the university’s mission by treating the vast majority of its teaching faculty with less consideration than its tenure-track faculty. Through substandard wages, the widespread absence of meaningful benefits, and short-term and insecure appointments, the Fordham administration contributes to, rather than eliminates, income inequality on its campuses. These inequitable teaching conditions strain our ability to
provide an excellent education for our students. We are invested in our students, and we are calling on the Fordham administration to invest in us. In our negotiations, we are working toward: · Job security through multi-year contracts with clear standards for renewal · Minimum salaries that provide living wages · Clear, meaningful promotional paths · Improved benefits · Professional development opportunities · Access to office space and equipment Our ultimate goal is a more socially just Fordham that treats its entire faculty respectfully and equitably, thereby enhancing our students’ education and the life of the university. Together, we can do better. View the full version of this letter, including names of hundreds of Fordham non-tenure track teaching faculty who have endorsed this letter here: https://tinyurl.com/yb2j3d9a In solidarity, Fordham Faculty United
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May 19, 2018
Is It Better Than Good Will Hunting? | Tim Mountain and Kevin O'Malley
Commencement vs. Good Will Hunting Welcome to the special graduation 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 graduating--an act of successfully completing or advancing to the next level of a skill, vocation, or pedagogical enrollment. Kevin: Before we get into this one, Tim, I gotta say--it’s good to be back. We had a short hiatus there. Tim: I agree, Kev. It’s been
two long weeks since we saw how the general ideal of friendship held up against our favorite movie--and did so poorly, I might add--but we are back in the fight. K: We should note that neither of us are graduating from college this year; we are both Juniors, but that doesn’t disqualify us from writing about it. In fact, we’ve graduated from many things. For example, in October 2015, I graduated to the “Gold” membership level at Starbucks. K: I recently graduated from using regular olive oil to extra virgin olive oil. T: So we both understand the idea of graduation on a personal level. I will say there are few things as satisfying as passing any milestone. This is especially true of graduating from college. College graduates have endured the stresses of youth and adulthood simultaneously, all while trying to stay afloat in the rigor of academia. K: 100%. And as a friend of many of the students graduating
Fordham this year, I definitely have an appreciation for what they’ve done here to accomplish what “graduation” entails. T: So we agree graduation is really important. But we must ask the most important question; is it better than Good Will Hunting? K: Here’s the thing; I hate endings. Graduation is a mark of finality. Often, it signifies the end of something you’ll never have to--or get to--do again. T: I’m with you, Kevin. Endings are bitter in that sense--but they’re also sweet. Think of when Will Hunting graduated therapy in GWH. It marked a moment of great personal achievement for Will--not to mention the zenith of his relationship with Dr. Sean Maguire, who had become a father figure for him. K: That is true, but I should mention that Will never graduated college, and never needed it. eH never changed the world, but he certainly changed the lives of those close to him. Isn’t there
merit in that? T: Absolutely, but graduating college wasn’t his path to changing the world. For many people, it is, and for some people it’s not. There isn’t one right way to do it. K: I think the right way to do it is to do it with friends. Graduating and GWH, they’re both shared experiences. You and I only became friends because of the circumstance of going to the same college, this great process that will inevitably lead to our own graduation. Likewise, watching and writing about GWH has brought us closer together as friends. T: Aww. That’s really sweet. It sounds like you’re leading up to a big win for graduation here. K: Honestly, no. GWH wins. I respect the hard work that went into the seniors getting to this point, but I am going to be so sad to see them go. GWH doesn’t share the same finality as graduation. You can watch it over and over again. There is no aspect of graduation associated with
watching your favorite movie. If there were, I’d have to wear my cap and gown every time I visit my local Redbox machine. T: Fair points, my friend, but for once, we disagree. In a historic moment, I am picking graduating over Good Will Hunting. K: Really? This is totally unheard of. T: It’s true. In GWH, graduation, personal development and coming of age are central themes. In the end, Will graduates from a life of not wanting to succeed to a life of learning how important it is to try. For so many years, he held himself back from his true potential. What’s most beautiful about this story is that he didn’t do it alone--it took the help of his best friends, his mentor, and the woman he loved. K: Well, two things are certain--the Class of 2018 has a lot to be proud of and will surely be missed, and you can find us curled up on Tim’s couch with all our friends watching GWH in somber silence on Saturday.
Recycle The Ram
May 19, 2018
COMMENCEMENT
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TO THE SENIORS OF
The Ram,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND BEST OF LUCK! Erin Shanahan Meghan Campbell Margarita Artoglou Jake Shore Andrea Garcia Peter Valentino Victor Ordonez Liam McKeone Matthew Schiller Alexandria Sedlak Elizabeth Doty Dominic Arenas Jr. Alvin Halimwidjaya Meredith Nardino Elizabeth Smislova Sophie Ladanyi Zack Miklos Kelsey Micklas Tara Martinelli
WE MISS YOU ALREADY! LOVE, VOLUME 100
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May 19, 2018
After Four Years at Fordham ... FALL 2014 • The class of 2018 is the largest class on record (at the time), necessitating the opening of Belmont Community Housing. • SAGES (Students for Sex & Gender Equality and Safety) begins operating anonymously on campus, sparking a campus debate on contraceptives and free speech. • The Manresa program relocates from Matryrs’ Court Jogues to newly-renovated Loyola Hall. • Fordham Football wins the Patriot League for the first time and goes undefeated in conference play. • New York City’s Freedom Tower is completed on Nov. 3. • Police brutality becomes a national discussion following events in Ferguson, Missouri. • West Africa faces a major outbreak of ebola.
THE RAM ARCHIVES
SPRING 2015 • Director of Campus Ministry Fr. Phillip Florio announces he will be leaving Fordham. • Fordham Faculty Against Torture petitions the university to revoke CIA Director John Brennan’s honorary degree. • Tom Pecora, head coach of the men’s basketball team, is fired. • twenty one pilots plays Spring Weekend, a month before the release of their debut album. • After delays, the new RamFit Center opens in McGinley basement. THE RAM ARCHIVES
FALL 2015
THE RAM ARCHIVES
• Maura Mast, Ph.D., is hired as Dean of Fordham College-Rose Hill. • The Rose Hill bookstore moves from the McGinley Center to O'Keefe Commons. • Fordham Football beats FBS team Army 3735. • Pope Francis visits the United States for the first time. • Hoverboards take Fordham by storm. • The Mets lose to the Royals in the World Series. • ISIS carries out a string of terrorist attacks in Paris. • The Blend, Howl, Mugz's, Blue Goose and Champs all receive sanctions from NYPD and are temporarily shut down.
SPRING 2016 • Fordham bans hoverboards. • President Obama declares a state of emergency in Flint, Mich. due to contaminated water. • Winter Storm Jonas shuts down Fordham and New York City as a whole. • John Kasich and Bernie Sanders dine on Arthur Avenue during their presidential campaigns. • Sodexo is replaced by Aramark as Fordham's food services provider. • Michael C. McCarthy, S.J., joins Fordham as the VP of Mission Integration and Planning. -COMPILED BY JACK MCLOONE
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
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May 19, 2018
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... A Look Back at the Headlines FALL 2016
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
• Football (with new head coach Andrew Breiner) blows out Holy Cross at Yankee Stadium. • Men's Soccer coach Jim McElderry secures his 100th win. • Fordham Faculty Senate files grievances with Fr. McShane, administrators. • Donald Trump is elected President. • Fordham alumnus Michael Kay hosts an episode of "The Michael Kay Show" in Keating First. • Fr. McShane pledges to support undoccumented students in reponse to President Trump's calls to end DACA. • The last general-interest bookstore in the Bronx closes. • The Cubs break their 108-year World Series drought. • The CIA reports that they believe Russia influenced the Presidential Election.
SPRING 2017
THE RAM ARCHIVES
• The Empire State Building is lit up maroon as part of Fordham's dodransbicentennial celebration. • Students for Justice in Palestine protests its ban. • Swimming sets 13 new school records at the A-10 Championships. • Fordham Faculty United delivers a petition and moves to unionize. They also hold a vote of no confidence in Fr. McShane. • Students rush into Cunniffe House during a protest for adjunct faculty. • Softball head coach Bridgit Orchard wins her
FALL 2017 • Fordham's Adoration of the Magi moves to the Met for restoration. • Starbucks opens in Dealy. • Hurricanes Harvey and Irma slam into the southern United States and Puerto Rico. • Fordham announces a union election for most adjunct and full-time, non-tenured track faculty. • Fordham hires its first Chief Diversity Officer, Rafael Zapata. • Roger Stone speaks at Fordham, sparking controversy. • Harvey Weinstein is implicated in a sexual abuse scandal, kicking off the #MeToo movement. • The Federal Communications Commission votes to repeal net neutrality.
COURTESY OF RAFAEL ZAPATA
SPRING 2018 • The Fordham Ram celebrates its 100th anniversary. • Women's Basketball head coach Stephanie Gaitley wins her 600th game. • FUEMS is named EMS Organization of the Year. • Fordham Dance Marathon raises over $101,000 for The Andrew McDonough B+ Foudation. • Chase Edmonds is drafted by the Arizona Cardinals. • T-Pain (finally) performs at Spring Weekend. • Softball wins the A-10 Conference for the sixth straight season.
MAHLON HANIFIN/THE FORDHAM RAM
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COMMENCEMENT
May 19, 2018
2018,
TO THE CLASS OF
THE RAM CONGRATULATES YOU! WE WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN ALL OF YOUR PURSUITS.