The Fordham Ram Volume 101, Issue 15
Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 FordhamRam.com
October 2, 2019
Fordham Mourns Brian Mulkeen
McShane Addresses Clerical Abuse
By HELEN STEVENSON
By ERICA SCALISE and HELEN STEVENSON
NEWS EDITOR
Brian Mulkeen, GSB ’08, was shot and killed in the line of duty as a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer this Saturday, Sept. 28. He was 33. Mulkeen had over six years of service with the NYPD, and was serving as a member of The Bronx Anti-Crime Unit. According to CNN, he and two other officers on duty at the Edenwald Houses on East 229th St. exited their vehicle to question a man. The man subsequently fled, and a struggle ensued. As the officers attempted to apprehend the man, multiple shots were fired. Mulkeen was shot three times. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, said Mulkeen was lost to senseless violence in a statement to the Fordham Ram. "Brian Mulkeen went out into the world to do exactly what we expect of our alumni—be a man for others—and he was slain in service to the local community,” he said. While attending Fordham, Mulkeen was captain of the track-and-field team for two years, competing for weight throw and hammer throw. According to the New York Times, he had recently joined the team as a volunteer coach. Brian Horowitz, Fordham track team coach and Mulkeen's former peer, said he was always cheerful during their time at the university in a statement to The New York Times. McShane said his heart goes out to Brian’s family and loved ones, and to his fellow officers. “I know the Fordham community joins me in prayer for the repose of Brian’s soul, and for his family and loved ones as they mourn his untimely death,” he said.
in this issue
Opinion
Page 8
The Pros of Public Polling Outweigh the Cons
Sports
Page 24
Football Takes Down Richmond
Culture
Page 13
Kanye West: Jesus is King
MEGHAN MCALARY/THE FORDHAM RAM
President Higgins gave an address on “Humanitarianism and the Public Intellectual in Times of Crisis.”
Michael Higgins, President of Ireland, Visits Fordham LC By KATHERINE LEONARD CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Michael D. Higgins, president of Ireland, gave an address on “Humanitarianism and the Public Intellectual in Times of Crisis” at the Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus on Monday, Sept.
30. The talk was part of Fordham’s Humanitarian Lecture Series, a collaboration between the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations and Fordham’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs. Higgins has served as Ireland’s head of state since November of 2011 and was reelected in 2018 to serve another
seven years. He was one of the 40 heads of state and government who attended and spoke at the firstever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May 2016. He also has vocally supported the work of Irish Aid and the LÉ EiSEE IRELAND, PAGE 5
After a series of credible allegations of sexual misconduct against priests who were connected to the Fordham community, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, said he is infuriated and does not want any student to feel they are in a compromised situation because of the university’s proximity to Murray-Weigel Hall. “It would be hard for me to put into words how angry I am that priests, my brothers, used this position of authority and affection to take advantage of the most vulnerable people in their parish communities and of their school communities,” said McShane in an interview with The Fordham Ram. McShane addressed abuse allegations connected to the university, Fordham Preparatory — the Jesuit high school on Rose Hill’s campus — and Murray-Weigel SEE MCSHANE, PAGE 3
Students Discuss Autism Awareness By JOERGEN OSTENSEN STAFF WRITER
Paul Morris started his involvement with Autism Speaks U — Fordham University (ASUFU) in 2013. Now he attends regular club meetings and gives yearly addresses at Light it Up Blue, the club’s spring event which fundraises for Autism Speaks Inc. (ASI). Morris said he was diagnosed with autism when he was two years old and did not speak until after his fifth birthday. According to him, speech therapy, listening and selfadvocacy have helped him gain independence. He graduated College Internship Program (CIP), Berkshire, in 2009. Currently, he works three jobs and has lived alone in White Plains since last summer. He said that being a part of the Fordham community through ASUFU has allowed him to make friends and build a greater sense of common understanding with respect to his autism. “I think we learn a lot and we understand well, because before we had clubs we had no understanding, now we understand,” he said. “It’s
Writers Ford and Oluo Speak at “The Bronx Is Reading” Event
SEE ASUFU, PAGE 6
SEE READING, PAGE 6
ALEXANDER WOLZ/THE FORDHAM RAM
Fordham University hosted “The Bronx is Reading” in Keating First auditorium last Wednesday.
By MAGGIE ROTHFUS COPY CHIEF
On Wednesday, Sept. 25, Fordham University hosted The Bronx Is Reading, sponsor of the Bronx Book Festival, in Keating First auditorium. This is part of the ongoing partnership between the university and the organization and, according to Chief Diversity Officer Rafael Zapata, had been planned two to three months
prior. The event involved a conversation between writers Ashley C. Ford and Ijeoma Oluo, whose memoir, “So You Want to Talk About Race,” was being promoted for its paperback release. The memoir confronts various questions about race Oluo found people constantly asking her and aims to guide people through those conversations.
Ford began the event by asking Oluo discussion questions surrounding herself and her book. Oluo stated that she originally had not wanted to write a book on race because she had been asked to write numerous columns on race already. She said her mind changed once she realized she continued to have conversations with people on race about the pain caused by racism.
NEWS
Page 2
PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS
October 2, 2019
IALC Integrates Interdisciplicary Classes ESL Classes Develop Intercultural Skills By ERICA SCALISE
Sept. 25 Campbell Hall 12:00 p.m. Public Safety recieved a call that property was removed from a room in Campbell Hall. Money, a credit card and Metro-North cards were taken. There were no signs of forced entry. Sept. 27 McGinley Center 8:45 p.m. There was a motor vehicle accident behind McGinley Center on the roadway behind the fieldhouse. The accident resulted in property damage. Sept. 29 Belmont Avenue 6:45 a.m. Public Safety recieved a call about a suspicious person in front of Faculty Memorial Hall. Public Safety responded and the person was identified as an alumnus. Sept. 29 Campbell Hall 11:30 p.m. The Campbell Hall fire alarm was set off. Public Safety and FDNY responded. They found that a steam pipe relief valve broke in a mechanical room in the basement. Sept. 30 Lorillard Place 12:40 a.m. A student who resides in nonFordham housing called Public Safety and stated that his house was burglarized. Public Safety responded and found that someone entered through the basement and removed a laptop, backpack and textbooks from the apartment. NYPD responded and the investigation is continuing.
— Compiled by Sarah Huffman
Follow us on Twitter! @TheFordhamRam
PROJECTS EDITOR
Fordham University’s Institute of American Language and Culture (IALC) program, which provides language and culture, literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for adults, has revised its curriculum over the past three years to include interdisciplinary projectbased courses. These courses are made to help develop intercultural skills that align with international language proficiency standards such as the Common European Framework of Reference, according to James Stabler-Havener, director of IALC. Stabler-Havener said the program is rooted in the belief that multilingualism is a gift and a skill that helps students both in and out of the classroom. “It takes time and effort, but the ability to communicate in multiple languages opens many doors in the mind and in the world,” he said. “In many parts of the USA, if someone has limited English proficiency, it can be an obstacle in her [or] his career and personal life.” According to the university’s website, fall course offerings for the Intensive English Program include varying levels of reading, writing, listening, speaking and grammar classes and electives, such as Presentations & Public Speaking, a course intended to sharpen students’ pronunciation and grammar skills in order to enhance their confidence using English. The revisions are met with increased emphasis on written response papers and in-class presentations. The 11 courses are organized according to the Common European Framework of Reference, an international standard for describing language ability. Launched in 2001, the scale organizes language proficiency into six levels, (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) with A1 for beginners and C2 for those who have mastered the language. The courses can be further grouped into three broad levels: Basic User, Independent User and Proficient User. An adult ESL/literacy class might have a unit focusing on medical care: making appoint-
COURTESY OF RAM ARCHIVES
The Institute of American Language and Culture (IALC) program is located at Fordham College Lincoln Center.
ments, filling out hospital forms, describing symptoms and discovering information about healthcare resources, according to Stabler-Havener. Undergraduate courses may require students to research different cultures in New York City and then write a wellorganized, grammatically correct essay to report their findings. According to Stabler-Havener, the program’s members are working with individuals whose first language is not English to help alleviate linguistic and cultural challenges. “I know experienced professionals — psychologists, nurses and doctors, engineers, etc. — who are not able to practice their profession because of their English proficiency,” he said. “There are also many recent immigrants and refugees who have come to NYC to pursue a better life for their families. We want to work with all of our students to develop the skills to remove those obstacles.” The IALC program also created an online database of organiza-
tions that provide different social services for ESL students to use, according to Jorge Martinez, FCRH ’21, former administrative assistant for the program. “Say, for instance, that one of them needed legal aid because of their immigration status, then they could use the database,” said Martinez. The program also offers academic workshops for grammar and workshops dedicated to preparation for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Stabler-Havener said that for students, difficulty often lies in finding the correct English words to articulate their thoughts. “It is a thrilling and humbling experience,” he said. “We believe it is critical that our courses review and introduce students to academic language, styles and rules they will encounter across various disciplines — sociology, business, history, etc. This means that a language course must relate to the broader themes students will encounter in their fu-
ture studies.” Maria Guzman, former student in the ESL/IALC program, said that she and her husband knew they had a big responsibility to raise their children in the best possible way — by reminding them that “school [is] a priority.” “It is hard to live in this country with a big family like ours, especially if you live in an expensive city as New York. Also, being an immigrant with limited education can make it more difficult,” said Guzman. “Achievements are part of life, but you don’t get them just because you are lucky, you must work hard. ‘It is not easy, but it is not impossible,’ as the saying goes.” According to Guzman, through teamwork, including the financial support of her husband and the help of her children at home, she was able to prioritize her education in the IALC program. “Everything can be possible if you work hard and never give your dreams up.”
This Week at Fordham Thursday Oct. 3
Thursday Oct. 3
Friday Oct. 4
Friday Oct. 4
Sunday Oct. 6
CSA Senior Board Fall Paint and Sip
Speaker Event: DeNora Getachew
Rosh Hashanah Dinner
Flipside Trip to Top of the Rock
Outdoors Club Hike to Minnewaska State Park
The Commuting Students Association (CSA) is hosting a paint and sip event in the McGinley Student Lounge, which is located in McGinley basement. The event is for the senior board. It will be on Thursday, Oct. 3 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The Executive Director of Generation Citizen, DeNora Getachew, is speaking to the Leading Women of Tomorrow club. She will discuss her experience as a female executive in a national organization. The event is from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The Jewish Student Organization is hosting a Rosh Hashanah dinner. This year, Rosh Hashanah started on Sunday, Sept. 29 and ended on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 1. The event will be on Friday, Oct. 4 in McGinley 236.
Fordham Flipside is taking a group of students to the Top of the Rock on Friday, Oct. 4. Top of the Rock is the observation center at the top of Rockefeller Center. The observation deck offers views of the city. The trip will be from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The Outdoors Club is taking a group of students to hike in Minnewaska State Park Preserve. The all-day event will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. including travel time to and from the state park. Join the Outdoors Club for a Sunday hike.
McGinley Student Lounge 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Dealy 115 7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
McGinley 236 6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Rockefeller Center 7:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
Minnewaska State Park 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
NEWS
October 2, 2019
Page 3
McShane Saw Pushback in Fight for Abuser Removal FROM MCSHANE, PAGE 1
Hall, the Jesuit infirmary and retirement home at the university’s campus. He cited the university’s advisory committee as active in publishing the names of all of the priests with credible allegations of sexual misconduct who have been at the university or in its associated ministry. The committee was created in January 2019 by the Board of Trustees to review and analyze allegations of abuse after the Northeast Province released its January 2019 list of priests with credible allegations of sexual misconduct of a minor. According to McShane, the university does not have legal control of Fordham Preparatory or Murray-Weigel but still wants people to report to the university so it can begin to address the process of healing. “The prep was ours until 1970 and then we separated," said McShane. "The two institutions went their separate ways. So whatever happens now or after ’70 is not our legal concern but it’s our moral concern in many ways.” McShane referred to MurrayWeigel as property on land that is immediately adjacent to the university. He said the men living in Murray-Weigel were sent there by the province without conciliation with him or his predecessor. “This was kind of shocking when the list came out and we discovered who was there and there were five guys who were on the list," said McShane. "So we said
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
In an interview with the Fordham Ram, Father McShane commented on abuse allegations connected to Fordham.
they can’t live here. The province said, ‘You know, this is our property.’ I said, ‘It’s your property, you know, but this is my world. This is where my students are.’” According to McShane, the province and the university went back and forth for a little while on the issue. “I said, ‘This is not right.’ They said, ‘What do you mean it’s not right? I have to take care of these guys,’” said McShane, recalling his conversation with the province. “I said, ‘Yeah, but these students are
my concern. And what’s more, they’re my concern because you put me here.’” According to McShane, the province agreed. After the university temporarily barred student volunteering at Murray-Weigel this past January, McShane reversed the bar within less than two weeks based on an agreement between the province and McShane that no restricted Jesuits would be assigned to Murray-Weigel. Michael Gabriele, director of
communications for the Northeast Province, declined to comment on the basis that conversations McShane referred to were between two people. Margaret Monahan, executive director of Murray-Weigel, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. This past August, Rev. William J. O’Malley, former adjunct professor in the School of Professional and Continuing Studies and theology professor at Fordham Preparatory School, was removed from Murray-Weigel after he was
accused of sexual abuse against a minor. O’Malley is one of 11 priests the Ram has tracked who have lived at Murray-Weigel with credible accusations of sexual misconduct of a minor brought against them. McShane cited O’Malley as an example of the agreement between the university and the province. Currently, if an allegation of sexual misconduct of a priest living at Murray-Weigel surfaces, the university and the province notify each other and remove the priest, according to McShane. He said it is horrifying to see fellow Jesuits commit abuse, but his major concern is for the victims. “I am deeply concerned about the people who have suffered,” he said. “You can’t sugarcoat it, it’s suffering. Abuse seems to be so facile a word. But suffering is really what these young women and men have been subjected to.” The Jesuit community is taking strides to ensure incidents of sexual misconduct in the Church come to an end, according to McShane. He named an annual training course required of every Jesuit that covers sexual abuse and how to address and report it in one’s community. “I’m not going to put my head in the sand, and say, ‘Oh no, nothing ever happened.’ These terrible things happened,” said McShane. “Some of the perpetrators were my brothers in the society. And we are going to address it. It’s not easy, but it has to be done.”
PCS Hosts Global Symposium on Sports and Society By SARAH HUFFMAN
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Fordham’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies (PCS) hosted a Global Symposium on Sports and Society, focusing on anti-semitism on Wednesday Sept. 25. The symposium was presented in conjunction with the Chelsea Football Club (CFC) and New England Revolution’s Final “Whistle on Hate,” a joint effort between the teams to fight anti-semitism and discrimination globally. The event presented lecturers and panels discussing sports and the influence that anti-semitism has had on the field. The event was an all day function, starting at 9:00 a.m. and going until 5:00 p.m. It opened with a welcome speech from organizer, Anthony R. Davidson, dean of Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies. Davidson said he felt it was time to start a conversation with people from all over the sports industry, and look at the reality of anti-antisemitism in ports and work on strategies to effect change. “Although there is a lot of divisiveness and quasi-tribalism in sports, I have also experienced personally how sports can act as the great ice-breaker and unifier among people of different cultures, ethnicity, races and religions,” he said. “Fordham, for me, given its commitment to social justice and the genuine concern
ALEXANDER WOLZ/THE FORDHAM RAM
The Global Symposium on Sports and Society at Lincoln Center focused on anti-semitism and discrimination.
of the student body to make positive change, was the natural place to host such an event.” The Symposium was held in conjunction with CFC, and its chairman Bruce Buck gave opening remarks, as well. Following these speeches, there were five sessions of panelists talking about the role anti-semitism has played in the sports industry. The sessions had titles such as “The Impact of Hate on Society” and “The Playbook for Victory: In the Classroom and the Locker Room.” Guest speakers and panelists were a mix of athletes, academics and journalists, including Ross
Greenburg, former president of HBO Sports, Charlie Davies, a New England Revolution Club ambassador and former professional soccer player and Bob Ahrens, a retired WFUV executive sports producer. Davidson said he wanted speakers from all areas of athletics — including executives, media, scholars and athletes. He said they invited people from a variety of sports including football, soccer, rowing, fencing, boxing, horse racing and even a Strongman competitor. “We can all come together no matter what we believe in or what we look like," said Da-
vies during his panel. "We can all come together and promote equality. That’s why I’m very proud to be here and continue to push this initiative." Emmanuel Berbari, FCRH ’21, said he attended the event specifically to see Bob Ahrens. “He’s been a terrific mentor to me for several years, and I’m always captivated by what he has to say,” said Berbari. “Once I got to the event, though, I was struck by the individual battles each speaker had to endure throughout the course of their professional careers.” Berbari said there is plenty of room for improvement in the
field and there is no place for built-in discrimination in any work environment, especially not sports. “I’m glad to have been inspired to assist in this change by hearing about their personal triumphs,” said Berbari. Davidson said he thought the event went very well overall. He said most people could not commit to coming for the entire day, but there were still around 100 people in the room at any given point with a continuous amount of energy. “During the breaks and afterwards there were great discussions going on,” he said. “Most importantly, the feedback from the speakers, panelists and attendees after the event has been nothing short of spectacular. Davidson said people have already asked him when the next symposium is and had offers to sponsor and host a similar event on the West Coast and in London. “I am encouraged by the feedback in which people said they learned a lot, it raised their awareness and that they felt they had some concrete takeaways,” said Davidson. “One of the most satisfying observations was that attendees were focused on the panels and the speakers with very little distraction by technology going on.” Davidson said he hopes this will become an annual event but would like to expand it to other areas of focus, such as women or youth and sports.
NEWS
Page 4
October 2, 2019
Research Spotlight
USG Column
Student Analyzes Student Transition Factors Researches Sleep Patterns and Rumination
USG Elects President Pro Tempore By HASNA CERAN
By SARAH HUFFMAN
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jason Dufour, FCRH ’20, has spent the last year researching how social support, rumination (repetitive negative thought patterns about past or current events), perceived stress and sleep affect young adults’ transition into college. Last September, he started working for Tiffany Yip, Ph.D., in her Youth Development in Diverse Contexts (YDDC) lab. The lab focuses on adolescent development and examines variables such as discrimination, sleep and both emotional and mental well-being throughout high school years. Last year, the lab started a study called the Fordham University Sleep Study (FUSS) that looks at the immediate transition of college freshmen into the college environment. He studied how social support, rumination, perceived stress and sleep could either exacerbate the difficulty of the transition or make it easier. “We all know that the transition into college isn’t easy,” he said. “At one time or another, we all struggle. There’s actually a surprising lacking amount of research in terms of the transition in the context of psychology.” Dufour said the lab used verified, highly-reliable scales to observe the factors including sleep actigraphy watches that measure the participants’ movements and collects data while they sleep. The watches have a protocol to code the data, to see how long it took them to fall asleep, how long they slept for, their quality of sleep and more. They also had the participants fill out surveys and provide biomarkers, such as hair samples. Dufour said the study found that perceived stress and rumination have a positive relationship, meaning as one increases the other also increases. He said that as people feel their perceived stress increasing, their negative
On Thursday, Sept. 26, the United Student Government (USG) elected Sen. Matt Schumacher, FCRH ’20, as president pro tempore. The meeting proceeded with reports from senators from the class of 2020. Sen. Domenic Setaro, FCRH ’20, gave the first report concerning efforts to increase feedback from the student body and the Dining Committee’s goals following its appearance at last week’s Student Life Council meeting. Currently, the Dining Committee is working on a resolution with Aramark following the controversy stemming from Aramark’s decision to confiscate chairs from employees in the Marketplace. Setaro also mentioned that the Dining Committee is still looking for new members. The meetings are Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m., and any student interested in joining can contact Setaro at dsetaro@fordham.edu. Schumacher discussed compiling a resource list of easy ways to find student necessities either on OrgSync or the Fordham website. Sen. Emily Silfies, GSB ’20, introduced an initiative to increase knowledge of how students can utilize mental health resources at Fordham University. This initiative would include a chart with a detailed explanation of what happens when a student goes to Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) to prevent students from feeling intimidated. Another initiative concerned creating an event celebrating LGBTQ+ identities during October for LGBTQ+ History Month and National Coming Out Day. This event would raise awareness of businesses owned by LGBTQ+ individuals in the community, as well as be a space where non-LGBTQ+ students could show support for the community. Sen. Simon Rodriguez, GSB ’20, proposed two initiatives, Deck the Halls and Lingua Franca. The Deck the Halls Initiative is targeted towards students that stay at Fordham over Christmas break, and would establish where they could stay and have a Christmas dinner on campus. The Lingua Franca Initiative focuses on ensuring that international students can communicate comfortably in their native language in counseling services or suggestion boards. Following the senate reports, Vice President of the Finance and Budgets, Elizabeth Bjorkland, FCRH ’21, said the Finance and Budgets Committee had $21,249.71 worth of funding left to allocate to clubs this semester. She also went over the committee’s current goals, which included increasing the efficiency and ease of the funding process, as well as ensuring that the funding given would be as effective as possible. Vice President of GSB Reilly Keane, GSB ’21, provided updates on the Transfer Mentorship Program, where new transfers are paired with upperclassmen in order to ease their integration, and proposed a similar program to give GSB sophomores more support during the cohorts. Students can follow the FCRH Dean’s Council’s Instagram, @fcrhdeanscouncil, for updates on events and opportunities at Rose Hill.
Photo of the Week:
COURTESY OF JASON DUFOUR
Dufour presented his research at last year’s undergraduate Research Symposium and plans to do so again this year.
thought patterns increase. It also found that family social support exacerbates the relationship, worsening stress. Last year, the study had 61 participants, and this year, it will have 65 participants. Dufour said he thought these findings were interesting and wanted to look at them more, so he applied for a summer research grant and decided to do a more qualitative means of collecting data. Dufour set up three focus groups with the intention of exploring this transition in a richer context. “The point of qualitative data collection is to really enrich the research that already exists,” said Dufour. “It’s often used in situations where there’s not much research out there on the topic to begin with because it helps give researchers a better idea of what to target in their future work.” Throughout the summer, Dufour created focus group questions and developed an institutional review board amendment,
which is needed for any human participant research. Dufour said he wanted to collect data from last year’s study participants as a one-year followup about their transitions. He said he wanted to get an idea about what factors were most important in their transitions and which ones did not matter as much. “There’s the saying ‘hindsight is always 20/20,’” he said. “I thought it would be really interesting to get sophomores’ perspective from the data collection that we got from them freshman year. I eventually want to compare the data from the focus groups to the data from last year to kind of get a more longitudinal perspective of their experience and the perceptions of their experiences.” Dufour’s study had three focus groups; one commuter students group, one students of color group and one residential students group. Dufour said published literature suggests that
COLLIN BILLINGS/THE FORDHAM RAM
The New York Jets played the Cleveland Browns two weeks ago on Monday, Sept. 16. The Browns won with a final score of 23–3. They played at the MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, N. J. The Jets’ starting quarterback, Sam Darnold, was out.
focus groups should be made up of homogenous strangers, people who have the same or similar demographic or ethnic makeup, to allow them to feel more comfortable. He said they also do not want the subjects to know each other, removing bias in terms of what they share and do not share. Dufour said he created groupspecific questions to target their unique experiences. He said there was an interesting comparison between commuters and residents because their experiences of integrating themselves into the community were very different, despite both being students at the same university. Dufour conducted the focus groups in mid-September and is now in the process of transcribing all of the data so it can be coded. He applied for a fall research grant to buy software called Invivo, which is used as a means of analyzing qualitative data. He is developing this project into his thesis, and he plans on presenting at the research symposium this spring. Dufour also plans on submitting his preliminary findings for the focus groups and two cohorts of quantitative data collection to the American Psychological Association conference next August. A more concise understanding of the transition to college is really important for the benefit of future college students, according to Dufor. He said that hopefully, administrations around the country will be able to cater to different students’ transitions because of the support of research. “I think it’s really important, because based off of my experience and experience of pretty much every other college student that I’ve talked to about this topic, the transition is difficult for many many reasons,” Dufour said. “But like I was saying earlier, there’s little research to support why it’s so difficult.”
NEWS
October 2, 2019
Page 5
Irish Pres. Michael D. Higgins Visits Fordham LC Speaks on Refugee Crisis and Immigration Reform FROM IRELAND, PAGE 1
thne, an Irish naval vessel that has saved over 2,700 people who have attempted to cross the Mediterranean during the migration crisis. In his introductory speech for Higgins, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, stressed the importance of immigration. “We are great because of immigrants,” he said. “Not in spite of immigrants.” McShane touched upon how embracing immigrants is a central goal of Fordham University and is becoming more pressing as the international refugee crisis grows. In June, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported that the number of displaced people worldwide is 70.8 million, the highest in UNHCR’s history. Higgins dedicated most of his speech to the refugee crisis. “A moment of truth has arrived for all institutions,” he said. He emphasized the plight of refugees and how governments, universities and other establishments are responsible for addressing this issue. Higgins also emphasized the fragile condition of those who are displaced. “The migrant experience is a journey of special vulnerability imposed on top of existing vulnerability,” he explained. “Not only do
refugees lose their homes … they also lose the political framework in which they had the right to have rights.” According to Higgins, this vulnerability is what makes the refugee crisis in need of immediate response. Higgins criticized the lack of success within the current systems that address the crisis of immigration. He vocalized his support for more sustainable and just reform. “I have been arguing for an exit from the old paradigm,” he said. “And towards a new paradigm with a connection of economy, ecology, society and indeed, ethics.” Ireland has begun implementing policies within the country that work to converge these components, including developing a community sponsorship program that hosts refugees arriving in the country. The country has also agreed to accept 4,000 refugees in response to the war in Syria and offered $16.5 million to the UNHCR in 2019. Higgins went on to condemn the lack of empathy for refugees and those in authority who use what he called “toxic language” that alienates those struggling for survival, most specifically the narrative of the “other.” He stated that this culture of indifference helps to uphold neo-nationalism by exploiting fear.
“Stereotypes provide fertile ground for political extremism,” Higgins said. “It must be opposed with courage.” Higgins stated his belief that when people lack solidarity for refugees, they go against what it means to be human. “What is lost in one of the most fundamental tenets of humanity — helping those in need,” he stated. To combat this issue, Higgins urged public intellectuals and universities to lead the dialogue on the refugee crisis. “Public intellectuals have a crucial role to play,” he said. “They can play a critical role in offering the discourse on the humanitarian crisis ... which has too frequently been soured by hatred.” Higgins held universities accountable for their responsibility within the problem. He urged them not to neglect the important role that conversation plays in shaping the response to crises, but concluded on an optimistic note by maintaining that it represents an opportunity to play an important role in the refugee crisis. “Yes, ideas matter,” he stressed, “for bonding and bridge-building.” Higgins’s role is mainly a ceremonial office that transcends party politics, although the office does exercise certain limited powers including signing legislation into law and referring bills to Ireland’s
COURTESY OF FLICKR
President of Ireland spoke at Fordham University Lincoln Center last Monday.
Supreme Court. These responsibilities include being a representative of the country in international visits and public engagements, appointing people to various offices of State and being the supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces. Aside from politics, Higgins is renowned as a published poet and writer. He has helped write various books that deal with Irish political, cultural, sociological and historical life. He worked in a factory and as a clerk before becoming a first-generation college student at the University College Galway, the University of Manchester and Indiana University.
He was a lifelong member of the Labour party in Ireland and has served as a mayor and senator in the Irish parliament and as a minister for culture in the 1990s. Higgins recently spoke at other institutions while in New York before visiting Fordham this Monday. He gave a speech at New York University on Tuesday, Sept. 24, during which he urged the United States to reconsider their withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Higgins also gave an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Sept. 25. He spoke about the need for immediate action in response to climate change.
Computer and Information Science at Fordham
Become competitive in the fast-growing tech industry.
Fordham’s Computer and Information Science Department now offers the following graduate programs:
• M.S. in Computer Science • M.S. in Cybersecurity • M.S. in Data Analytics • Advanced Certificate in Financial Computing • Advanced Certificate in Financial Econometrics and Data Analysis
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October 2, 2019
Fordham Hosts “The Bronx is Reading” in Keating FROM READING, PAGE 1
She wanted to help others find how race has affected their lives. “My margin of success was either: It was going to be people of color who felt like they had better tools to talk about what’s happening in their lives, or they just didn’t have to keep having these conversations with white people,” she said. Oluo further discussed her goals in writing. “Everything I write, at the end of the day, if it’s not helping people of color and particularly black women, I’ve done something wrong,” Oluo said. “That’s the thing that keeps me going.” Ford moved on to say how critically successful the original hardcover release had been and asked Oluo if the response from readers had matched that of the critics, and specifically what readers had to say. “Those have been the most wonderful conversations,” Oluo stated. “The first one that struck me was when my book came out, and I was in the Bay Area. There was a black woman in her late 50s, and … I was signing [books] … and she said, ‘You know, I’m 56 years old, and I never knew that the things that happened to me were worth putting in a book. I never knew it was worth talking about.’” Oluo and Ford then went on to speak about social media, rather than in-person conversations, and its role in conversations concerning race.
JENNIFER HOANG/THE FORDHAM RAM
Fordham University hosted "The Bronx is Reading" with Ashley C. Ford and Ijeoma Oluo last Wednesday.
“I wouldn’t exist without social media,” Oluo said. “I wouldn’t know so many kids’ voices that have educated me. … [It is] one of the biggest things to break down barriers culturally, I think, for marginalized voices, and I think that that’s a part of why social media is attacked.” She also cited the 240-character limit on Twitter has forced her to become a better writer, specifically in cases of race discussion online. “If I can’t say it in the limit it gives me, then I don’t fully understand what I’m trying to say,” she said. Ford posed Oluo a question, then, on education and mentioned the race representation in schools. “The thing about teachers is they don’t realize that if you think you’re
not talking about race, you’re talking about whiteness,” Oluo stated. “And kids know that. Kids of color in particular know that. … When [teachers] ask what to do I say, start saying ‘black.’ Start saying ‘Asian.’ Start saying ‘Latinx.’ … White kids need to know what kids of color can do.” Oluo concluded her talk with Ford by discussing harassment on and offline, stating that someone once had cops raid her home when her son was there alone. “It was just my absolute worst nightmare, and it was a shock, and it was very devastating,” she said. “You’re trying to create a safe space [for your kids], but you don’t have a safe space to be kind
of devastated and scared, and I’m very glad my partner provided that for me. … After a while, I just realized what I’ve always been saying is true, which is I started writing … because it is dangerous to be a black person in this country.” A short Q&A followed the conversation, during which a Fordham graduate student asked how Fordham can have better discussion on race. “You can’t make decisions that are harming students of color,” Oluo said. “That starts by asking students of color, ‘What can we structurally do right now to address that?’ … Wounds heal when [offenses] stop happening. Oftentimes, educational institutions don’t want to put a poli-
cy in place, but you have to.” According to Zapata, the event saw over 120 people in the audience. “It was a good mix of Fordham undergraduate, graduate and professional students, faculty and staff, and Bronx and other local residents,” he said. “My best guess is that about 40%–50% were members of the greater NYC-area and Westchester, but mostly from the Bronx.” When asked what Fordham students should take away from this event, Zapata answered, “That being a good person is important, but not nearly enough. It must be accompanied by proactive steps to unlearn the things that cause barriers to cross-racial engagement, and to develop the tools to thoughtfully do so in a way that doesn't burden the group you're trying to engage. … Your willingness to be vulnerable will determine your ability to learn and grow.” The Bronx is Reading has been in partnership with the university since Zapata’s arrival in the spring of 2018. This event came to fruition when Saraciea Fennell, founder of the Bronx is Reading and the Bronx Book Festival, proposed it to Anne Fernald, special assistant to the provost for Faculty Development and professor of English and women, gender and sexual studies. “We are hoping and expecting to continue to develop this partnership,” said Fernald to The Fordham Ram.
Students Struggle with Controversy Around Autism Speaks FROM ASUFU, PAGE 1
better for us and the members.” ASUFU engages in a combination of fundraising and event programming accessible to people of all abilities, according to the club’s president, Emily Bates, FCRH ’20. Currently, the club is preparing for its annual Halloween party where it sets up about eight different stations and tables for food, crafts and trick-or-treating on Fordham’s campus. Bates said the club reaches out to Bronx community members who have children with autism and invite them onto campus. “Trick-or-treating in the Bronx can be a challenge,” she said. “So if you have a child who doesn’t travel well, that’s an additional challenge but you obviously want them to experience American Halloween.” According to Bates, in addition to the Halloween party, the club also puts on Thanksgiving Bingo and Winter Wonderland which similarly use Fordham’s campus as a safe space for Bronx community members to come together. The club also fundraises for ASI, which, according to Bates, has been criticized in emails, sometimes by individuals who say they are on the autism spectrum. “[The emails say] what we think we’re doing is in good faith but [we’re] doing it wrong,” she said. “This is an organization that doesn’t actually support individuals with autism.” Gina Rizzo, FCRH ’20, events chair at ASUFU said she tells people who criticize ASI that the corporation has changed. According to
her, beginning in 2010, ASI tried to start changing its leadership, a transition that culminated in a new mission statement in 2016. Katelyn Cody, FCRH ’20, said she has not affiliated herself with the club because she does not believe ASI benefits people with autism, although she said the club at Fordham has done some good things. Cody is in Fordham’s five-year special education program and wants to be a special education teacher. She currently spends her Wednesdays as a teacher’s assistant working with children who are on the autism spectrum at the school her mother works at in her Connecticut hometown. She said she objects to ASI’s leadership, which includes only two people with autism on a board of 27 individuals. “I just think that’s really inappropriate for an organization that claims to be advocating for these people,” she said. “It shows that they don’t really have the right priorities in mind.” Forbes quoted John Elder Robinson who is on the autism spectrum and the author of “Look Me In The Eye.” He said he had to stop working with ASI in 2013. “Autism Speaks says it’s the advocacy group for people with autism and their families,” he said. “It’s not, despite having had many chances to become that voice. Autism Speaks is the only major medical or mental health nonprofit whose legitimacy is constantly challenged by a large percentage of the people affected by the condition they target.” Bates said ASI should better represent people on the autism spectrum in its leadership.
“That’s definitely something that needs to be improved upon,” she said. Rizzo said she joined ASUFU because a Fordham friend whose brother is on the autism spectrum asked her to join with them. According to her, knowing someone else who is directly connected to the lived experience of autism was going to be a part of ASUFU was a big deal to her. “To know that someone I know and respect, respects this company and likes the work they do and feels that it’s making a positive contribution to the community that they’re a part of and the people in their lives was important for me going into it,” she said. Linda Yenicag, GSB ’20, ASUFU’s treasurer, said in an email to The Fordham Ram that there is a person on ASUFU’s executive board who is on the autism spectrum. She said the club is also benefited by Morris’s and the executive board member’s presence at their meetings. “The insights shared by the referenced board member and our autism advocate tremendously influence the operations/logistics behind all our events and club decisions made by the executive board,” she said in the email. Cody said she has researched ASI and has come to the conclusion that the organization is mainly focused on finding a cure for autism, which according to her is not what is needed. “I feel like so much of their rhetoric is that autism is a disease and it’s not even close to being
that,” she said. According to ASI’s website, the word ‘cure’ was removed from its mission statement in 2016. Diane Rodriguez, Ph.D., is a Fordham professor whose research focuses on the intersection of special education and bilingual studies. She said she was a special education teacher for 11 years and has been teaching special education and bilingual courses for 25 years. According to Rodriguez, the discourse surrounding autism needs to change. “People have to understand that autism is a developmental disability which affects the processing and integration and organization of information,” she said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that they cannot function in society.” She said autism is not a disease like cancer that is in need of a cure. “It just significantly impacts their [ability to] communicate, or their social interaction, their functional skills or their educational performance,” she said. “So based on that, it’s not that’s it’s a disease, it’s just the ability to do things differently.” Yenicag said she does not think ASI is mainly focused on finding a cure and thus eliminating autism. “Autism Speaks is focused on advocating for individuals with autism and promoting a vast range of solutions/interventions to help individuals cope with/better manage the struggles they face related to their being on the spectrum, not finding a ‘cure,’” Yenicag said in the email. Bates, who works at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in autism research, a place partly funded
Autism Speaks, said she acknowledges there are flaws in ASI, but believes in the work she is doing. “I believe there is enough good in the organization for me to still pursue assisting them and helping them,” she said. “Is it perfect? Not at all. I don’t necessarily look for perfection in everything I do.” Rizzo said Cody and anyone else who similarly has been reticent to get involved should be present at one of ASUFU’s outreach events, which are free to attend and thus separate from ASI. “Come,” she said. “Just see what we’re doing. You don’t have to support the corporation to just come to our events and be a part of our community.” Morris said he is planning to attend this spring’s Light It Up Blue event. “I go to [it] every year,” he said. “[It is an event] which I’m never gonna miss.” At the event, which is intentionally planned during April, autism awareness month, Morris will give a speech as he has in the past. “I speak about what I do and what’s good for presidents and board members and club members to understand autism in the community,” he said. Morris said he hopes he will continue taking the train from White Plains to Fordham for the club meetings and events. “I hope the club keeps it going and I like to oversee the club and I like it very, very much,” he said. “I also want to be a special overseer to this club because it’s good for the charity.”
October 2, 2019
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OPINION
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October 2, 2019
The Fordham Ram
The Pros of Public Polling Outweigh the Cons By JESSICA GRUBOY
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Election Day 2016, I sat in my geopolitics classroom as my teacher walked in with a distraught face. “This is what happens. This is what happens when you make a breed of them. Did everyone get what they wanted?” What he referred to as a “breed” was the creation of the “Trump Supporter,” a character that we’ve crafted in our minds in order to best find ways to demonize supporters of Donald Trump. That is what happened. We were shocked because no one predicted it. More specifically, the polls did not predict it - the polls showed extreme favor in Hillary Clinton’s direction. Just like that, both the country and the entire world were taken by storm, as Donald Trump prepared for his presidential inauguration. The outrage caused by Trump’s election has spurred great controversy surrounding polling as a whole. We can examine the inherent flaws of polling regardless of them being political opinion polls or not. First, the subconscious flaws in polls come into play. Polls and surveys, in general, are not perfect in design, so slight mishaps such as limited time can make a significant impact on the
results of a given poll. Next, let’s dive into political polls specifically. One of the most important flaws in political polling involves “socially desirable responding” (SDR). SDR is the idea that people will respond to a poll in ways that they think is most socially acceptable and “with the times” rather than describing their true opinions or intentions. What does this do? It makes the more socially acceptable presidential candidate (in the case of 2016, Hillary Clinton) seem like the obvious winner while isolating supporters of the other candidate even more. SDR was especially the case in the 2016 election, where the demonization of “Trump Supporters” came into play. Another huge reason why polls are flawed is that they cannot confirm that all poll participants are fully informed on the issues they are being polled on. A lot of citizens are “rationally ignorant,” meaning that they are aware that they are not informed, but the resources required to become informed are not worth it for these people. However, there is an inherent shame in this country that comes with lacking information which leads to embarrassment for these individuals. As a result, when polling groups
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Despite the many flaws public polling presents, Americans should recognize how crucial polls are to elections.
of ill-informed citizens, you will find that they often choose answers that they’ve heard most often. We even see this occurring now in the 2020 election. The polls indicate that Sanders and Warren have high popularity, even though there are more moderate candidates that might be more practical in securing a Democrat president. Something interesting found in the Santa Fe Institute’s Mirta Galesic’s article, “Social Circle Questions May Better Predict Election Outcomes,” is the idea that asking people about the political opinions of their social circles is a more accurate way to understand the political opinions of a given population, and to predict the results of an election.
Why? Well, when people are asked about their own opinions, there is naturally a fear of judgement, but when asked about people other than themselves, this pressure is mostly taken away. Without saying so explicitly, the articles also delves into herd mentality, the tendency for people’s opinions to conform to their own “herd” or group (familial, social, etc.), which pervades American politics. So, do we abandon the polling system? The short answer is no. Polls are important for a number of reasons. Public opinion (provided by polls) is a fundamental part of our country’s democratic system. They stimulate discussion and healthy debate and provide for a more educated popula-
tion. We can see their flaws and imperfections, while also recognizing their importance, in media reporting and for candidates. Polls show the popularity of a candidate before and after their election (if they are elected), which is crucial in examining the social response to one’s presidency, especially for historical purposes. We should not do away with polls. What we can do, as individuals, to decrease the negative effects of polls, is to be more conscious and honest survey-takers and to be more levelheaded in future elections.
Jessica Gruboy, GSB ’23, is an international studies major from Manhattan, NY.
In Polls, The Nation Trusts
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Citizens should feel comfortable putting their trust in political polls and the empirical data they present.
By SEAN FRANKLIN STAFF WRITER
The 2016 presidential election delivered a result that surprised many. People really didn’t believe that Donald Trump could beat Hillary Clinton, and he surprised us all by doing so. A similar thing happened across the pond when the British electorate shocked the world by voting to leave the European Union. A slim majority of 52% voted to leave, with 48% voting to remain. In the wake of these electoral upsets, many were quick to point fingers at the polls, which had suggested the opposite outcome. Since then it has become fashion-
able, both in media circles and in the general public, to bemoan the decreasing quality of polls and lament their inaccuracy. Political polling is going down the tubes, they say, and we have no reason to trust it anymore. This couldn’t be more wrong. Contrary to popular belief, in the developed nations of the world polling is just as accurate as it always has been — which is to say, quite. Since 1968, polls of presidential elections, taken in the last three weeks of the campaign, have been off by an average of only four percentage points. Polls in 2016 were no different — they predicted that Clin-
ton would win the popular vote by three points, and she ended up winning by two. The polls in 2016 were actually more accurate than polls in 2012. Polls predicted that Obama would win the popular vote by 1.2 percentage points, and he ended up winning by 3.7. Why, then, did 2016, rather than 2012, produce hysterical headlines about the demise of polling as a reliable indicator? The key is that, in the 2012 race, the polling error was in the same direction as the result. Polls predicted that Obama would win by a smaller margin than he did, but they still predicted an Obama win. In 2016,
polls predicted a narrow victory for Clinton, and the actual result was a narrow victory for Trump. Statistically, neither result is out of the ordinary — but the 2016 result seemed more shocking to voters because it appeared to be the opposite of what the polls had predicted. And herein lies the real problem with polls — the public does not always interpret them correctly. A poll showing a narrow win for one candidate is often interpreted as an ironclad guarantee of his or her victory, when in reality it means that the race is close to a toss-up. Polls are conducted using a sample of the voting population, which means that there is some uncertainty around the result. Pollsters, and students of statistics, understand this. Samples do not produce a 100% accurate picture of the population. They come close, but they can’t be interpreted as the gospel truth. In close elections, like the 2016 presidential election and the Brexit referendum, this becomes more important to remember. Polls can be off by very little and still incorrectly predict the outcome because the margin is so tight to begin with. That doesn’t mean the polls are inaccurate. In fact, we should take confidence in the fact that they predicted a close result.
Polls of the Brexit referendum taken close to the actual election showed an exceedingly close result, with Remain hovering around a two-point lead over Leave. Leave ended up winning by two points, but that still means the polls were only off by four percentage points, a statistically normal result. The real problem lies with the pundits and journalists who interpreted the narrow lead for Remain as a sure sign that it would win. Despite the fact that the media and public opinion have turned against them (52% of Americans don’t believe polls can be trusted), polls are still a reliable indicator of election results, and remain the best indicator we have. Even if they aren’t correct 100% of the time, they outperform pundits and talking heads by a huge margin. Many political operatives on both sides have taken to pollbashing because it makes whatever narrative they’re trying to push seem more plausible. We, the citizenry, shouldn’t fall for it. Put your trust in the empirical data, not the talking heads blowing hot air. Democracy will thank you for it.
Sean Franklin, FCRH ’21, is an Urban Studies and economics major from Alexandria, Va.
OPINION
October 2, 2019
Page 9
Trump’s Ukraine Controversy Isn’t Treasonous By BRIANNA LYMAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Nancy Pelosi, acting under pressure from her colleagues, announced a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump last week. You could hear cheers of praise erupt for Pelosi across the country, with no regard for the truth. The whistle-blower complaint, which alleged that President Trump threatened to withhold a military aid package to Ukraine unless the Ukrainian president carried out an investigation into Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, swept the nation in what some called “the new Watergate.” Now Democrats are inquiring
into whether the president can be impeached for apparently attempting to coerce Ukraine to investigate a political foe, a move they call “unconstitutional.” Clearly people are jumping to conclusions. The White House released the transcript in question. While the mainstream media said Trump offered quid pro quo military aid in exchange for an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, the transcript shows otherwise. President Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution, and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great.
Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it… it sounds horrible to me.” Trump made a request — not a bribe and certainly not a demand. In 2014, Biden spearheaded American efforts to support the Ukrainian government amid Russian aggression and corruption charges. So, when Hunter Biden joined Ukrainian gas company Burisma, bringing in nearly $50 thousand a month, things became a bit suspicious. The situation turned heads when Biden pressured the Ukrainian government to fire top prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was leading an investigation into Burisma’s owner. Shokin was fired almost immediately. In a recent press conference,
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Though President Trump’s call to the Ukrainian President may have been unethical, they do not qualify as “quid-pro-quo.”
President Trump brought up a letter sent to Ukraine’s prosecutor general by three Democrats in 2018, in which they urged the Ukrainian government to comply with the U.S. during the Mueller investigation. CNN reported on the story. In the article, CNN breaks down the President’s claims. First, they wrote “A request, not a threat,” followed by a sub-headline reading “The 2018 letter from Sens. Patrick Leahy, Dick Durbin and Bob Menendez did not include any threat at all, about U.S. assistance to Ukraine or anything else; it did not even mention U.S. assistance.” Yet, when CNN reported on Trump’s conversation with Ukrainian President Zelensky, Trump’s request turned into a threat to withhold military aid despite no explicit threat in the transcript (again, nowhere to be found in the transcript). CNN ran with this storyline, which was echoed by Democrats across the nation, that suddenly the president’s mere request to investigate a situation in which a former vice president quite clearly abused his political privileges to get someone fired (who also just happened to be investigating his son) was an impeachable defense because of the suggestion that Trump withheld military aid unless Ukraine complied. The whole situation is a mess. Democrats were vying to bring impeachment charges. When
the whistle-blower complaint sounded, Democrats jumped on it, claiming this was clear evidence Trump violated the Constitution by threatening to withhold aid in exchange for a foreign government to spy on a political foe. When the transcript was released, their claim flew out the door as there is no evidence Trump threatened to withhold aid. According to the Constitution, a president can be impeached for cases of “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” So, can Trump still be impeached on the grounds of bribery or treason? No, Trump asking the Ukrainian president to investigate Biden’s son was not bribery or treason, according to the recorded conversation. In what seems to be most damaging to the Democrats’ desperate attempt to paint this scenario as a clearly impeachable offense, Trump did not threaten to withhold foreign aid to Ukraine if they did not investigate Biden, so he did not engage in bribery according to its Constitutional definition. If you want to question the ethics surrounding the President’s request, by all means, knock yourself out. But to turn a question of ethics — if even that — into a definitively impeachable offense is absurd.
Brianna Lyman, FCRH ’20, is an international political economy major from Dobbs Ferry, NY.
Trudeau’s Past Disqualifies Him And So Do His Present Policies By EMMA LIPKIND
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Justin Trudeau has a reputation in America of being the world leader young people want to see: young, attractive and liberal. Labeled the “Instagram Prime Minister” by the New York Times, Trudeau has gained this reputation through his “good looks” and seemingly charming persona. There is no doubt that other people’s views of his policies and success are influenced by his appearance, so when photos recently emerged of him wearing blackface in 2001, the world paused to rethink their opinions. Americans are asking, “How well do we even know this man, prime minister of our northern neighbor?” Trudeau promised environmental protection, yet he authorized the use of pipelines in Alberta, Canada. He promised to create a country that made equality its most important mission, yet he felt entitled to do blackface in the past. And, maybe most suspicious of all of his broken promises and conflicts, he threatened former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould when she attempted to testify against a major corporation. It is safe to say Justin Trudeau has upset not only Canadians but also all Americans who worshiped him for his liberal ideas and promises for an
equal country. By 2001, it was well-established that one could not participate in racist acts such as these and escape without punishment. Excuses society often gives a person of power when they make a mistake, such as “it was common or okay at the time” or “he was young and immature but has grown since then” are not applicable in this case. Not only was it 2001, but he was also 29 at the time. Someone of that age cannot be pardoned for faulting so severely. No matter his current beliefs, the entitlement Trudeau felt to engage in such a degrading act proves he is not who his supporters or his campaign portrayed him to be. There is never a reasonable time to do blackface, as everyone should know, and if Trudeau felt it was appropriate for a Halloween costume, what does that show about his respect for people of color? It’s simple: no matter how much he can change, Trudeau must face the repercussions of his racist actions. Although these events do not necessarily mean Trudeau is racist at his core, it does raise questions about his ability to run a country rooted in equality. Before the scandal — even despite some of his unfulfilled promises — Trudeau was paving the way for a cleaner environment and a more respectful and diverse society. Compared to America, these are revolutionary steps. However, the trust
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Regardless of Prime Minsiter Trudeau’s “rock star status,” Canadians now recognize he is forsaking his policies.
Trudeau was trying to establish with his voters is quickly crumbling. The discovery of his past came as a surprise to many Americans, who — with Donald Trump as president — are yearning for a leader who does not engage in corrupt or wrongful activities. Even in everyday life, it is disappointing when someone does not live up to expectations. In this case, the disappointment shines a light on two ideas. First, there will never be a politician as pure as people desire he or she be. To cope with our complex reality, it is imperative to remember the humanity of our world leaders. Oftentimes, politicians are placed on a pedestal because they are the ones creating direct change, yet they work for the people. It is time for people to
break the notion that politicians are somehow above everyday individuals. In the case of both Trudeau and Trump, we have excused their inexcusable mistakes long enough. Second, this disappointment highlights the responsibility of voters to familiarize themselves with a candidate’s policies before casting a vote for or admiring a candidate. Quite frankly, a candidate’s outward appearance and persona do not determine his or her ability to run a nation. It’s an age-old ideal, yet individuals are still prioritizing looks or charm over policy. We must vote for people who have plans, determination and grit. This way, our nation will be led by a capable leader, rather than someone who won the election because of eloquence or other surface-level factors.
Although not everyone has great access to reliable news sources, it is important for those that have that luxury to inform themselves of elections. In Canada and America alike, it is much too common for voters to cast a ballot for reasons besides policy. As Trudeau said in an interview after the images were released, “actions speak louder than words,” so how can Canadians trust him as a leader who makes claims for equality? His intentions may be noble, but it is difficult to believe he can achieve the equality he speaks of if he felt entitled to do blackface as an adult. Looks are fleeting. Policy matters.
Emma Lipkind, FCRH ’23, is an international political economy major from Holland, Pa.
OPINION
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R
Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918 The Fordham Ram is the university journal of record. The mission of The Fordham Ram is to provide a forum for the free and open exchange of ideas in service to the community and to act as a student advocate. The Fordham Ram is published and distributed free of charge every Wednesday during the academic year to the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses with a readership of over 12,000 and a web readership of over 300,000. The Fordham Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.
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Editor-in-Chief Aislinn Keely Managing Editor Hannah Gonzalez Business Director Donald Dugan Operations Director Briana Scalia Editorial Director Lindsay Grippo Executive Director Colette Nolan Copy Chiefs Vanessa DeJesus Maggie Rothfus News Editor Helen Stevenson Projects Editor Erica Scalise Assistant News Editors Eliot Schiaparelli Sarah Huffman Opinion Editors Briana Scalia Collin Bonnell Culture Editors Rachel Gow Kieran Press-Reynolds Sports Editor Jimmy Sullivan Assistant Sports Editors Andrew Posadas Dylan Balsamo Digital Producers Kristen Egan Katherine Morris Photo Editor Julia Comerford Visual Director Bojeung Leung Faculty Advisor Jessica Baldwin-Philippi Editorial Page Policy
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lected 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.
October 2, 2019
From the Desk | Bojeung Leung
Bringing Meaning to Life
It’s a strange thing to write this senior From the Desk as it seems just yesterday when I had my first experience with the Ram. Our now-editor-in-chief and then-assistant news editor Aislinn and I had a Texts & Contexts class together, where she asked for a statement about the Faculty Senate’s vote of no confidence in McShane. I can’t remember if she ran my quotes, but what I do remember was the senior girl in the class with us who got on my case when I said that I didn’t really care about what happens in the school and that I didn’t read the Ram. Honestly, it was and still is hard to care about this school, because Fordham can be an incredibly isolating and restrictive place. I see this in the treatment of commuter students and how few clubs take them into account in planning their meeting times, in the admission policies, which have brought a disproportionately low black student population, and in how long it takes to enact policy change and actively support marginalized students. All this helps contribute to many Fordham students’ habit of complaining about this school, saying things like, “The school doesn’t listen and it doesn’t really care, so
how can one look at the long list of wrongs at this school and even know where to begin any change?” So we start to get apathetic — the more you know about all that’s wrong, the less you feel about it. It is not that you don’t care. Maybe it’s that you care too much, to the point where you can’t even get any work done. You can get nothing done for yourself, or others, for that matter, because you are so inundated with the wave of problems that you get burned out. Not only this school, but life itself tells you — told me — that in order to stay sane you have to shut yourself off and be small. Just keep on “dealing with” this whole barrage of things that are wrong and follow whatever routine you have. Keep at whatever you are comfortable in, whatever doesn’t push at the system too hard, or else there are negative repercussions. You get the sense that what you want to fix can’t be fixed, that as much as you try to care about something, it doesn’t matter anyway because you can’t actually solve the problem. You are left with very little energy for big change, and maybe find yourself angry over small things because they are in your immediate purview
and control. All of the stress and anxiety contributes to a feeling of loneliness, but it’s not that you’re actually alone. Rather, you feel like you don’t share anything meaningful with anyone. So we come back to me getting asked by some short blonde girl about whether I feel concerned for the future of Fordham at a time when I could not care less about anything, just weeks after losing my best friend in a freak accident. To be honest, I probably would not have responded to Aislinn’s questions in class if that senior didn’t choose to badger us into caring. Of course, I did it because I really wanted to help on some level, and not just because I wanted to show that senior she was wrong and I could actually care about something. I was metaphorically slapped in the face by this senior who told me that having a dream, having something to work for, is what brings meaning to life — that it is not all about having more or doing more, but that having true happiness comes in the form of passion for even just one thing. We’ve been conditioned to not care and not have any dreams. Why? Because having a dream or passion would stir the pot. If we speak about
what we want out of life and how things are wrong, it’s a threat to what keeps us in check. And it is super easy to keep us in a despondent state of mind when we’re led to believe that we have no agency and no voice. But that’s a big fat lie. It wasn’t until I faced myself and looked at how I constantly felt used and hopeless that I realized that I didn’t want that to continue along with that lie. I needed the best of me, and that wasn’t happening because I was so wrapped up in a mind telling me that I didn’t deserve better. My answer came when I stepped away from that voice and screamed what I wanted my life to be.
Editorial | Autism Awareness
Reframe the Discussion of Neurodiversity Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) defines autism as “a neurological variation that occurs in about one percent of the population.” This percentage equates to about one in every 59 children in the United States. Though autism is diagnosed on a spectrum, individuals with the variation experience a few common characteristics: different sensory experiences, non-standard ways of learning and approaching problem-solving, deeply focused thinking and passionate interests in specific subjects, atypical – sometimes repetitive – movement, the need for consistency, routine and order, difficulties in understanding and expressing language as used in conventional communication (both verbal and non-verbal) and difficulties in understanding and expressing conventional social interaction. In short, autism makes people different in certain ways, but this difference is something to be embraced and appreciated, not eradicated or fought against. Individuals with autism, precisely because of their diagnoses, have something unique to add to this world. It is important that we work to reframe our discussion of neurodiversity to reflect the complex ways prior understanding has influenced our judgment of those who are neurologically atypical. Over the years, the well-known autism advocacy organization Autism Speaks has garnered much backlash. The nonprofit’s iconic blue puzzle piece has become synonymous with the general campaign of autism awareness, and yet some of its practices have proved concerning. In 2017, the organization spent only 1.6% of its budget on Family Service grants aimed at funding services for affected families, instead using 32% of its funds to do research that
includes looking for genetic biomarkers of the disorder. Similarly, many make the argument that the group does not consult or give leadership roles to enough individuals with autism. Of its 26-person board of directors, only two members have autism, while the 24 others represent major corporations like current and former CEOs and senior executives of PayPal, Samsung, CBS, Goldman Sachs, White Castle, Viacom, American Express, FX Networks, Virgin Mobile, SiriusXM and Sprint. Perhaps as a direct result of this primarily neurotypical leadership, the organization has continually presented autism as a problem needing to be solved rather than a natural variation in the human genome. The organization’s video released in 2009 and titled “I am Autism” presents the disorder as a guaranteer of divorce, an emotional wall between parent and child and a producer of endless barriers to happiness. Ultimately, the video makes the argument that autism is an antagonistic and menacing force that can ruin lives. These arguments are simply untrue. The misunderstanding of neuro-difference within the linguistic frameworks that Autism Speaks and others have promoted both spreads judgment about those who are not neurotypical and undercuts the real impact these individuals can have on our society. Though a component of autism involves an affected ability to interpret social cues, many individuals on the spectrum have the ability to learn common but non-innate methods of communication. Greta Thunberg, notable climate activist and 16-year-old with Aspergers (a relatively mild form of the variation which falls under the broader term of Autism Spectrum Disorder)
is a profoundly impactful young person in our society today. Though she may experience moments of particular social awkwardness as a result of her disorder, she is thoughtful, wellspoken and incredibly influential. Nonetheless, conservative commentator Michael J. Knowles recently called Greta “mentally ill” in an attempt to argue that the plight for climate change awareness is unfounded and led by those both easily susceptible to manipulation and lacking in critical thought. Perhaps Greta has proved so powerful precisely because she ignores any imposed social expectation that she, and other young people, should “calm down” about our changing climate. She refuses to be convinced her concern about the environment is anything other than legitimate because her primary instinct is to listen to the scientific fact, not social cues that might otherwise police this worry as “hysteria.” That the Fox News commentator would discredit her activism by reducing her mind to one that is somehow lesser for being different exposes the severe misunderstanding of neurodiversity that permeates our society. Individuals with autism can engage in what is defined as camouflaging as a “natural adaptation strategy to navigate reality,” according to Kajsa Igelström, assistant professor of neuroscience at Linköping University in Sweden. Camouflaging is a behavioral pattern in which those with autism mimic the behavior of those not on the spectrum. Doing so can help these individuals maintain jobs and relationships, but it can also take an emotional toll. Camouflaging requires constant and elaborate effort and can induce anxiety whenever one needs to be “on.” Assistant Professor of child and ad-
olescent psychiatry at the University of Toronto Meng-Chuan Lai and his team of researchers released a study in 2016 which found that women with autism camouflage more than men. In a society that positions neurodifference in such an abject light – the way Knowles, perhaps subconsciously, viewed Greta’s Aspergers as a detriment to her rational thought – camouflaging can prove a tactic of a “desperate and sometimes subconscious survival battle,” says Igelström. We must work to shift our perceptions of autism and other manifestations of neurodiversity from being problems to being opportunities for society to embrace the very differences that continually push it to be better. The Ram is working to better represent these voices in our own community through increased news coverage and space in our opinion section. We welcome all feedback on our previous content, as well as op-ed submissions for future publication, and aim to serve as a platform for anyone hoping to recount their experience or uplift their voice. Fordham has its own Autism Speaks chapter at Rose Hill: Autism Speaks U–Fordham University (ASUFU). Some members of the club and those impacted by its work have noted their engagement to be a beneficial experience, while others have chosen different ways to work within the autism community to avoid interacting with the organization. It is a complicated matter to question the morality of supporting a meaningful local branch of a flawed national organization. Regardless, we must all revise the discourse surrounding neurodiversity and work to combat harmful misunderstandings of what it means to be neurologically atypical.
OPINION
October 2, 2019
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Netanyahu and Gantz: Israel Caught Between the Lesser of Two Evils By KYLE CHIN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Observers around the world have been abuzz with the prospect that Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure as Prime Minister of Israel, which recently surpassed that of David BenGurion as the longest in that nation’s history, may potentially be at an end. Neither Netanyahu’s Likud Party nor the recently formed Blue and White Alliance have managed to form a coalition government. Blue and White achieved a plurality in the Knesset but appears reluctant to build a coalition with the far left and the Arab Israeli Joint List Alliance, while Likud’s overtures to the UltraOrthodox and far right have been fruitless. Although Blue and White was founded to oppose Netanyahu, early talks for a unity government have taken place. As of now, the future of the Knesset is unclear. What is clear, is that Benjamin Netanyahu’s firm grasp on the prime minister’s seat is at an end, with the most optimistic outcome for him perhaps being a rotated premiership with Blue and White leader Benny Gantz. In recent years, the Prime Minister has leaned into the rise of authoritarian and nationalist politicians throughout the world, becoming increasingly bold in his violations of international treaties and laws. Netanyahu’s policies have flown in the face of a peaceful two state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
His government has not only defended but actively promoted the spread of Israeli settlements in the West Bank with the intention of annexing said areas, in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. With the support of the U.S. government, Israel also recently reaffirmed its 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights, an area recognized by the UN as Syrian territory. Both in tandem with and separate from the expansion of settlements, the IDF has carried on a policy of demolition of Palestinian homes, ostensibly for the purposes of terrorism deterrence. Whenever tensions have boiled over in recent years, casualties have been heavily tilted toward Palestinians, and overwhelmingly civilians, as was the case in the 2014 unrests. Egregious acts of terrorism have been carried out in the name of Palestinian liberation, there is no doubt, but this is hardly a justification for denial of millions their fundamental rights. Peter Beinart perhaps put it best when he recently stated, “Palestinians don’t have to be saints in order to have the basic rights we all take for granted.” Netanyahu has been less than agreeable in dealing with Israel’s Arab citizens as well, ramping up anti-Arab policy and rhetoric in the leadup to this most recent election. The Prime Minister floated claims of Arab foul play in the electoral process and attempted to push through legislation increasing surveillance of Arab communities. Netanyahu’s official
Facebook page went so far as to declare that “Arabs want to annihilate us all – women, children and men.” There has been a fear among some that an end to the Netanyahu regime will lead to unwarranted celebration from those seeking a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and unfortunately these fears seem warranted. If Netanyahu does in fact lose power and the Blue and White Party is able to assemble a government, it seems that Israeli security and foreign policy will largely remain unchanged. While Benny Gantz holds a vaguely left position on socio-economic issues, he has echoed Netanyahu in regard to the longstanding conflict with Palestine. This is hardly surprising, as Gantz was a career military man and served as Commander-in-Chief of the IDF from 2011 to 2015. Indeed, this was a selling point of his campaign, with jingoistic ads callously touting the number of Palestinian fighters killed during 2014 conflicts and demonstrating how parts of Gaza had been bombed “back to the stone age.” Discussion of this conflict often turns to the question of whether Israel can function as both a Jewish and democratic state. Discussion on this would seem somewhat unnecessary. The Jewish community is one which has been attacked and ostracized throughout history, and it goes without saying that a nation can simultaneously protect a historically vulnerable group
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The Joint List Alliance, a coalition of Arab Israeli parties, could be kingmakers.
while also assuring a free democratic process. A nation cannot at once tout itself as a bastion of liberal democracy while at the same time indefinitely holding millions of people in what are effectively open-air prisons. What is of concern is not so much whether a state can be both Jewish and democratic, but rather the manner in which the Israeli government has approached this balance. Under Netanyahu, government rhetoric and policy has become increasingly exclusionist on ethno-religious bases. Many of the actions of Netanyahu and his ilk seem to suggest that they believe Israel’s identity as a Jewish state means that it is designed solely to service the interests of Jewish people. It is this skewed interpretation that does in fact contravene with the principles of a democratic state. President Reuven Rivlin has called upon Netanyahu to attempt to form a government, but most signs point to his inevitable defeat, all the more
bad news for him as a loss of power could open up Netanyahu to pending corruption indictments. If in the coming weeks both Netanyahu and Gantz fail in this endeavor it well may be that a third round of elections is called to divine a clearer majority. If my voice is in anyway representative of the broader left on Israeli politics, I think I can say with some certainty that Netanyahu will not be missed, and the neutering of his power is a welcome change to the trend of far-right authoritarians finding success around the world. But regardless of who emerges victorious from this messy cycle of elections, it is unlikely that prospects for Palestinians will see significant improvement in the foreseeable future, a reality that all those concerned with the universal protection of human rights should rightfully lament.
Kyle Chin, FCRH ’21, is a political science major from Malverne, New York.
“Tall Girl” Gets Adversity Wrong By EMELY MOJICA
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Though present-day society is flooded with adversity, especially in the face of diversity, a lot of this is due to ignorance. It is crucial to educate others on issues that do not affect them personally. Not only does this acknowledge the struggles of minorities, but it offers representation to groups whose voices and experiences often go unheard and unseen. If you had the chance to offer representation to a group of people, which group would you choose to receive more acknowledgment? Would it be 6’1, fit, white, wealthy teenagers? Well, it seems Netflix would. Netflix’s original film “Tall Girl,” released on Sept. 13, has been highly criticized for its choice of protagonist. Rather than focus on the struggles minority groups face, the movie centers on a young girl who is targeted for being taller than her peers. The film starts with the protagonist Jodi explaining to the audience the challenges her height present, spoken in a tone almost reprimanding to those that think they have it worse. The issue on the table is that if a movie is going to be made about a targeted teenager in today’s society, the product of this project must be more realistic than a white wealthy
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Netflix’s new original film, “Tall Girl,” has drawn criticism for using a tall white girl as the center for a bullying story.
female being bullied because she is tall and therefore not considered pretty. This is just not true. People who tend to get bullied are people of color, people of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, people from poor socioeconomic backgrounds, and those who do not meet the stereotypical super-model standards of beauty. Realistically, it is not likely that Jodi would get bullied because she is not of a minority group, and she fits the beauty standards of a supermodel or an athlete. Jodi is tall, fit and skinny with luscious long hair. Jodi is what society has considered to be a normal teenage girl. As a minority who was bullied
as a child for getting my English and Spanish confused, not owning a phone until high school or an iPhone until college, not knowing a single thing about designer clothes, not being good at sports or math and essentially not sizing up to modern day society’s beauty standards, this movie’s choice of protagonist is all wrong. I always saw tall fit girls being admired and praised, while short chubby girls were humiliated and rejected. The tall girls were never last to get picked on a team during physical education. Being an overweight child from an immigrant and low socioeconomic background in New York
City’s public-school system certainly beats wearing size 13 Nikes, if you ask me. To people with experiences more fitting to the themes presented, this movie feels more like an ignorant shove to the side than a light hearted film I’d want to watch on Netflix. Insecurities blind us all, making us believe that we are flawed. There is no doubt that Jodi was blinded by the insults on her height, but was she so blind that she became ignorant towards everyone else’s insecurities and societal struggles? It is not right to put the spotlight on a privileged person in today’s society and have them point fingers to the rest of the world crying that ev-
eryone else has it easy. It’s not right to avoid the chance to represent people who need representation and instead use the film to make a joke about kicking a foreign exchange student out to show what America is all about. We must be careful about how we present a picture if we’re not going to paint the whole thing. Jodi’s character development was clear by the end where she experiences selflove and picks the boy, she will start a romance with. But so many other important themes in the movie were left untouched and undeveloped. In a movie about insecurities, bullying, and self-acceptance, how do you poke at immigration and assumptions at how easy life can be for a colored person in such a comical and dismissive tone? It’s not right. It’s not fair. It’s a great thing for all kinds of self-love and awareness stories to be told. It’s great to speak out about learning to stand tall. Simply diversify the perspectives in which these teenage acceptance stories are told. Be sure to pass the mic so that everyone’s voices are heard. And when you stand tall, just don’t get in the way of other misrepresented and suffering people who are trying to get through.
Emely Mojica, FCRH ’22, is an English major from Harlem, New York.
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October 2, 2019
Harlem Bodega Really Has The Chops
By CHRIS CAPUANO COLUMIST
The Receipt 1x Chopped Cheese (on a hero): $4.50 1x Lam’s Plantain Chips: $1.00 1x Arizona Iced Tea: $2.00 Total: $7.50 Review In the previous edition of The Under 15 Club, I reviewed Fordham student favorite Rams Deli Plus, a bodega in Belmont. Students and residents alike frequent the location due to its budgetfriendly options and consistently good food. Travel about 80 blocks south of Rams into East Harlem and you’ll find another bodega that is beloved in its own right. Blue Sky Deli, currently amid a name change to Harlem Taste and more commonly known as Hajji’s, is located on the corner of 1st Avenue and 110th Street. Like most bodegas, Hajji’s has dedicated patronsin the community, but what sets it apart is the fact that Hajji’s is widely known as the birthplace of the chopped cheese. The chopped cheese, for the uninitiated, is a sandwich that has
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Hamsa Naji, the chef at Hajji’s, stands outside of the Harlem bodega famous for the invention of the chopped cheese sandwich.
gained widespread recognition in recent years but has been appreciated by residents of Harlem and the Bronx long before it was discussed by Anthony Bourdain in “Parts Unknown.” It is often called New York’s answer to the Philly cheesesteak, but comparisons are unnecessary, each sandwich is iconic for its own reasons. As for the chopped cheese, it generally consists of seasoned beef chopped and grilled with peppers, onions and cheese, then put on a hero and topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup and mayo. As for Hajji’s, where the sand-
wich was originally concocted, I’ll say this: oftentimes, the inventor of a thing is not always the one who perfects the invention. In this case, though, the inventor and the perfector are very much one and the same. Approaching Hajji’s, the unassuming exterior is reminiscent of most bodegas throughout New York — the awning advertising chips, candy, cigarettes and the like is familiar to anyone who has traversed the city. The interior, too, is classic bodega: a counter greeting you when you enter, followed by a grill, both opposite
drink fridges and shelves of snacks. While I’m sure Hajji’s other menu options are delicious, it would’ve been pointless to venture down to Harlem from the Bronx and not get its iconic sandwich. Thus, I ordered the chopped cheese, which can be had on a round roll or a hero for $4.00 or $4.50, respectively. I went with the hero (as everyone should) and added a bag of plantain chips and an Arizona, bringing my total to $7.50. My friend and I exited Hajji’s, sandwiches in hand and mouths watering, and walked a couple of blocks up to Thomas Jef-
ferson Park, where we found a bench on which to sit and eat. On our way, he turned to me and said, “It’s even wrapped well!” Finally, we unwrapped our sandwiches and experienced the original chopped cheese. Mouths full of food, my friend and I wouldn’t have been able to say a word, but we didn’t need to — we looked up at each other and nodded our heads. It was the kind of head nod that expressed more than words could. Indeed, words do not do the Hajji’s chopped cheese justice. All there is to say is thank you to Carlos Soto, the cook credited with creating the sandwich. There is a picture of him behind the counter, and although he is no longer here to see how his creation has spiked in recognition throughout New York and beyond, his legacy lives on with each bite taken out of a Hajji’s chopped cheese every day. Bodegas are so ubiquitous throughout the city that it is easy to lump them all together in your mind. Doing so, however, would be an injustice to the unique appeal of each one, a deliberate ignorance of what sets each one apart from the next. Without slighting the many other bodegas throughout the city, Hajji’s chopped cheese is truly is in a league of its own.
Who’s That Kid? | It’s Mia Beverly, ’20
Senior Showcases Her Art and Celebrates Native Culture By HANNAH GONZALEZ MANAGING EDITOR
In the Painted Leaves Studio in Annapolis, Maryland, visitors can admire the intricate pieces which make up “Zentangling: Art, Dreams, and Mind.” This gallery showcases the work of Mia Beverly, FCRH ’20. But there is more to her work than what meets the eye. The sense of wonder which permeates Beverly’s hand-drawn pieces
expresses itself in detailed patterns as well as in images of faces, flowers and animals, and her art is never separate from her identity as a Native American. “With my artwork, I tend to focus on nature a lot, and that’s definitely part of my identity and spirituality as an indigenous woman,” said Beverly. Beverly combines pointillism, realism, and Zentangling into her work. Since high school, when her mother purchased her a book on Zentangling, this art form has become one
COURTESY OF MIA BEVERLY FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
Mia Beverly, FCRH ’20, works to keep her Native American culture alive.
of her primary modes of expression. “Zentangling is the term for the type of art that I use, which is basically fancy doodles-meets-Zen meditation,” said Beverly. “I started doing it because I wanted to destress, and, eventually, I got better at it. Then I started incorporating it into my actual artwork.” These complex, repetitive designs can take Beverly anywhere from five minutes to three weeks to complete. During the summer, she produced 15 paintings within three months, hunching over her work every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. After surveying the pieces, Beverly’s mother invited her to use her studio space for a show. “I was incredibly flattered, because this woman went to art school and has thrown galleries for professional artists,” Beverly said. “The fact that she was telling me that my artwork was good enough for display—it was such a boost to my ego, I just went ahead with it.” Beverly finds deep meaning in the cohesion of nature, and through depictions of nature, showcases another important component of herself: her native identity. “I have a whole series of Zentangling with animals,” said Beverly. “Some of them are my totem animals, which are like guides or symbols.” Beverly uses deer imagery in her art to express her identity as a member of the deer clan within the Cherokee tribe. She is associated with the Sandhill Band of Cherokee and Lenape, where she serves on the women’s council. “I have these women on the council
COURTESY OF MIA BEVERLY FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
Mia Beverly’s artwork (above) is frequently in the Zentangling style.
constantly in my ear, talking to me about keeping the culture alive, staying in it,” said Beverly. “Coming to Fordham, there’s not a lot of that. As one of the few indigenous students, I really want to push representation here, especially through the Native American History Month Committee.” Beverly currently serves as cultural programming coordinator for this committee. In addition to the annual Native American Festival on Nov. 9, Fordham’s Native American History Month will invite the student body to a host of intersectional events. Two Spirit After Dark, for example, will celebrate LGBTQ+ identities
through a performance at the Lincoln Center campus. “The culture’s really alive,” Beverly said. “We have live performers who are coming in, and this is part of their culture today—they live and breathe it. I live and breathe my culture.” Performance art and her own artistry are just two manifestations of the vibrant culture Beverly aims to share with the larger world. “A lot of people try to brush off you being Indian when you say you’re mixed,” said Beverly. “I really hope that people finally realize that Native Americans are here. They exist. They’re in front of you. They’re among you.”
CULTURE
October 2, 2019
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The Long Road to Kanye West's “Jesus Is King” By ALEXANDRA LANGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The road to Kanye West’s ninth studio album, “Jesus is King,” has been long and eventful. The journey began last September when the rapper tweeted that he would drop a new album, “Yandi,” on Sept. 29, 2018. He said it would coincide with his appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” However, when the day finally came, the album never materialized. Instead, Kanye drew attention on “SNL” for his after-the-credits rant about Donald Trump and his own plans to run for President in 2020, all the while wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat. Although his speech drew criticism from the majority of his fan base, many were still anxious to hear
Kanye’s new music. After first pushing for the album to be released in late November, the native Chicagoan later decided the project was not ready for release. “After performing again, I realize the new album I’ve been working on isn’t ready yet," he tweeted. “I’ll announce the release date once it’s done. Thank you for understanding.” However, much to the chagrin of fans everywhere, “Yandhi” never arrived. Since the downfall of “Yandhi,” Kanye has taken a new direction in his life. Appearing to have a spiritual awakening, the controversial rapper tweeted that the “Holy Bible” was his favorite app and that recording with Chance the Rapper in Chicago restored his faith in Jesus Christ. With this new religious mindset, Kanye launched “Sunday Service” in
January 2019. It is a weekly series featuring a Christian choir that performs live music fusing the sounds of gospel, R&B and hip-hop. After his wife Kim Kardashian shared snippets of these performances, “Sunday Service” went viral and expanded from taking place on the West property or in Calabasas to more wide-scale venues like Coachella, Chicago and Atlanta. In these videos, Kanye appears carefree and joyous, a stark contrast from his angry “SNL" rant a few months prior. As “Sunday Service” grew in popularity, so did speculation about the release of Kanye’s next studio album. On top of previewing new songs at these services, hype for the new album intensified when unfinished versions of “Yandhi” songs leaked online. With features by no-
table artists like Nicki Minaj, Ty Dollar $ign and the late XXXTentacion, fans grew even more anxious. The growing speculation of West’s new project was confirmed in late August when Kim tweeted a photo of the album’s title, tracklist and release date of Sept. 27, 2019. In the days leading up to the release of “Jesus Is King,” rumors circulated that the album was once again delayed. After the project failed to surface on its original release date, fans speculated that Kanye would release it following his “Sunday Service” in Detroit on Friday. However, there were still no signs of “Jesus is King” heading into the weekend. Kanye’s wife Kim appeared to clarify the situation by posting on her Instagram story that Kanye was making a few tweaks to the mixes and would
be holding listening sessions in Chicago and New York over the weekend with the actual drop of the album coming on Sunday, Sept. 29. Fans have grown restless after Kanye’s busy weekend where he seems to have done everything except publicly release his long-awaited album. From dropping “Jesus Is King” merch to the mysterious appearance of “Yandhi” songs on the iTunes store as ringtones, Kanye has left fans only more confused about his upcoming project. It is evident that no time constraints will control Kanye’s vision. He will release the album on his own terms when he feels it is ready. Until then, fans can only wait and follow along on the long road to “Jesus Is King.”
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF TWITTER
Kanye West's "Jesus Is King" still hasn't been publicly released.
Attending Kanye West's Live Listening Session “Jesus Is King” Sounds Euphoric Yet Contained By SAM HADELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Sunday, Sept. 29, I attended the New York City listening session for Kanye West’s new unreleased album, “Jesus Is King,” which apparently now may never be officially dropped. After waiting in line for an hour, I was inside the United Palace theater among a sea of red velvet seats and eager, fanny pack-strapped Kanye West fans. I arrived just as the behind-thescenes cut of his IMAX movie, coming out in October, was starting. West played snippets of the film that are supposed to accompany “Jesus Is King.” The scenes consisted of familiar gospel arrangements from his bi-weekly “Sunday Services” series played over fish-eye lens shots of nature and close ups of different members of the choir, with his children dancing in front of the screen serving as an adorable distraction. That was it. At moments, this was absolutely genius, but at others, it felt drawn out and insubstantial. This
shaky balance was the overall aura of the night. After a surprisingly short speech from West, he finally played “Jesus Is King.” The crowd had been extremely rowdy beforehand, a flurry of “yerrs” circling the theater during the film. Yet when the album began, there was either dead silence or an anarchic roar of cheers. The album had moments where West’s brilliance bled like an open wound, and others where it felt like West had locked himself in a box of musical limitations. By trying to deliver this magnificent project, which obviously wasn’t finished — coupled with the fact that it circles around the topic of religion, which is complicated to talk about in today’s world — there are obvious constraints that West put on himself, which in turn made the art suffer. In my interpretation, West focused on everything save the simple act of making music that will endure. This was evident on the first listen. Sonically, the record had true high moments, where the mixture of gospel and modern day production, as well as West’s vision, came together to
induce spine-tingling euphoria. On the other hand, there was nothing as refreshingly futuristic as in his past projects. Previously, on tracks like “Feedback,” “On Sight” and “Hell of A Life,” West played around with effects and distortion in a way that left me in awe. Those moments were completely absent in this album. There were moments during the listening session that left a sour taste in my mouth. For example, in one song, he made Chick-Fil-A’s opening hours into a hook. There were some specific production choices that made this album stand out, like the lack of drums. West’s drums have always been the mitochondria of his production, so to hear him depend on them less was both rewarding and challenging. The biggest drawback I found was the album’s lyrical content. Though I could not hear every word, it was obvious that religion was the epicenter of West’s focus, and it did not produce very interesting lyrics. While this may arise from my
disconnect from religion and the studies that surround it, I definitely noted that the quick-witted, emotionally-transparent Ye that we’ve come to love over the years was absent on this album. Lyrics should paint a vivid picture and encapsulate the crux of what an artist seeks to relay in an album. All I got from this is that West has found God again, and that Jesus has saved him from the sea of shortcomings he’s experienced in the last few years. While there were moments where his lyrics focused on the plights of African Americans, specifically police car stops and the 13th Amendment, it did not overshadow the other themes that became offensively repetitive. I could be wrong, since I only heard the album once and the teenagers around me were pretty distracting, but that is what I got from it. The highlight of the project came in the final song, which simultaneously featured the reemergence of Clipse, the duo of No Malice and Pusha T and Kenny G and Kanye West’s relationship. Clipse was one of my favorite music groups in college, and to hear
them back together for the first time in a decade was the fanboy moment I needed. Overall, there were moments of brilliance, where his Bible Belt raps came to fruition in wholly (holy) organic ways. It is a testament to his skill that he can create something like this with potentially minimal preparation. And at least in the version of the album that was played in New York, Kanye West was rapping extremely well. He brought out the flows and structures that worked so effortlessly well in songs like “Reborn” on the album “Kids See Ghosts.” While the 16 year-old superfan in me wanted Kanye West to stun the world with a classic after his recent string of cataclysmic public situations — Trump affiliation, delaying the album for a year, etc. — it just wasn’t meant to be. “Jesus Is King” is far from awful, but also equally distant from a masterpiece. The album taught me that I cannot expect anything from the Kanye West of the past. It’s just not the artist he currently is, and that’s okay. Artists age and content changes.
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Of Mice and Men Shred Hard On New Album By NOAH OSBORNE
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
I am going to be very candid with all of those who are reading this right now, my knowledge of Of Mice and Men only spanned as far as the literary classic by John Steinbeck. When I first encountered the band, I thought to myself “ these guys will never be on the same playing field as bands like Metallica, Megadeth or even Three Days Grace for that matter.” However, after giving “EARTHANDSKY” a listen, I realize my dismissal of the band was an egregious error. After my first listen to the album, I found myself perplexed by the fact that “EARTHANDSKY” was the band’s sixth studio album, meaning that they have been flying over my head, or I have been dismissive of them for years. After listening to this album, I can truly say that I am ashamed of my ignorance. Still, the opening track served as a reaffirmation of why I overlooked the band. “ The opening track “Gravedancer,” reminded me of a plague of today’s music world: lack of lyrics. To those who say that isn’t what metal is for, I heartly disagree. Indeed, the guitar riffs were heavy, the drums thunderous and as impactful and swift as lightning,
but lyrically the song is a mess. Mess is putting it lightly; I often found myself lost during the song with the lead singer, Austin Carlile, shouting at the top of his lungs. I understand that this is the nature of metalcore, but I could not decipher a single word that was uttered by Carlile as his vocals harshly assaulted the microphone. However, this changed with outstanding tracks like “As We Suffocate,” “Mushroom Cloud,” and the lead single that was initially released, “Earth & Sky.” “As We Suffocate” is arguably the true highlight
of this album, as it evokes a late ‘90s, early 2000s vibe when metal had undergone a facelift. Nu-metal bands would blast songs about failed relationships, total destruction and everything in between, topics an angsty teenager would listen to when life was just becoming exasperating. I found myself taken aback by many songs in the album, but this one struck me in particular. I felt it to be a message, a calling or even better, a revival. As Carlile sings, “There’s no rebuilding/when the temple comes
crashing down/ It’s your burden to carry and your back to break/ Hollow eyes staring as we suffocate/ We’re drunk on death, and high on fire/ It’s not enough to satiate/ Until the whole world burns away.” These lines in the pre-chorus and chorus are not only provocative but the level of sheer poetry that went into them was enough to make my ears perk up and will be enough to make listeners perk up as well. This song should have been the opening track, as it would have more effectively communicated to
COURTESY OF TWITTER
Of Mice and Men’s sixth studio album, “EARTHANDSKY,” speaks to teenage angst with songs like “As We Suffocate.”
listeners the type of album that is in store for them: something hard, loud and rapid-fire fast, yet poetic, intricate and often-times meaningful. For years I have heard the same thing, and have often made this statement myself — Rock music is dying. Rock music is dead, and hip-hop has killed it. Creativity as we know it is extinct, and if it ever peeks out of the veil of obscurity, it is barely noticed. “EARTHANDSKY” by Of Mice and Men has changed this view for me. “EARTHANDSKY” served as a needed shot in the arm for the metalcore and rock genre. I always believed that bands like Metallica, Megadeth and Korn carried metal on their backs, but I now think that Of Mice and Men deserve to be in the conversation as well. I am confident that “EARTHANDSKY” will go down as a classic for Of Mice and Men, and it will be remembered as a monumental revivalist effort for the band that truly did pay dividends and will pay dividends for a while. “EARTHANDSKY” is the album that told us that Of Mice and Men are neither mice, nor mere men. They are something bigger, and something else entirely. Whatever they are, they will be remembered as something truly provocative and powerful.
The Ram Crossword: Bean There Done That 1. Popular Chipotle legume. 6. Enemy of the taxi. 10. Notoriously smelly legume. 14. A member of the Laan Clan would identify as 15. Individual. 16. Japanese computer giant. 17. Legumes used in a soup. 19. Doctor 20. Reason for cake, for short. 21. Surname of someone who might be a governor in Ireland. 23. Nickname for antarctic bird. 25. “It’s in the game” 26. An RA’s mortal enemy, for
ANSWERS TO ISSUE 13
short. 28. Letters before “Friday’s” 29. Little Rascals lead 35. Popular place for a ring, in 2001 36. Home stadium of the Phila delphia Eagles, for short 37. “ _____ Prince of Bel Air” 39. Fergie, Taboo, will.i.am, and apl.de.ap 45. Actress Keaton 46. With, in French 48. Identities 51. Complying with 54. Elephant’s blue enemy 55. Mercury or Mars 58. A goat-like antelope SAIGA 60. Neighborly TV host
66. Certified Alcohol and Drug Counseling, abbr. 67. Dorm cop 69. Intimidate 70. Hearty brew 71. Knuckleheads 73. Jurassic Park bioengineer ing company 74. Bloom 76. A solemn promise 77. Brew that’s cold as the rockies Down 1. Skin healer 2. A fundamental form of en ergy observable in positive and negative forms, abbr.. 3. The last Airbender. 4. Post WW2 defense alliance. 5. Whine like a weakling. 6. Cold war participant. 7. Famous comedian Burnham. 8. Source of shade. 9. Edit for publication. 10. Take one of these when you’re going to lose. 11. A deep rich blue-ish color and a popular chain of Cana dian Bookstore. 12. “Hey Panini, don’t you be a...” 13. Abbr. for Atlantic City Air port. 18. NYC parks logo. 20. Friend of Beavis. 22. An informal rejection. 27. The stuff of legends. 29. Scarface’s first name. 30. Where you go to study. 31. TV Series about a high. school football team in the fic tional town of Dillon, abbr.
CREATED BY KEVIN DINEEN & TAYLOR MASCETTA
Across
ANSWERS IN ISSUE 16
32. Associated with College. and learning. 37. An American chain of enter tainment retail stores focused on CD’s, electronics and mer chandise. 38. How a crossword editor. might abbreviate spelling 41. Aussie hopper 42. Mr. Ferrari 43. Flying start? 44. “Spirited Away” main char acter 47. Pictures and films created entirely by computers, abbr. 48. Important source of media revenue 49. Impressive way for a foot
baller to score 52. First word of two Springs teen albums 53. Widely recognized 56. Slide into these to shoot your shot. 59. Same as 24d. 61. How to get into a frat. 62. Football quarterback. Smith, formerly of the NY Jets and Giants. 63. Hence. 64. One who stays in a Win nebago. 65. Elected workers in D.C., abbr. 66. Car for hire. 68. Small battery. 72. Video phone call, abbr.
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October 2, 2019
Food at Fordham —Easy Ways to Eat Right
By TAYLOR MASCETTA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Maintaining a healthy diet is a struggle all college students face. Beloved home-cooked meals and easily accessible grocery stores are suddenly replaced with mountains of fast food and limited healthy dining options. The cafeteria may be reliable for a quick bite to eat, but it isn’t enough to sustain a healthy diet. The endless buffet and the incredible dessert section serve as both a blessing and a curse. Arthur Avenue or a quick stop in Manhattan provide nutritious meals, but burn a hole in student wallets. There’s also challenges presented by specialized diets. Many students at Fordham abstain from meat or dairy products and follow either a vegetarian or vegan diet. Allergies are also a serious concern — students with nut, gluten or dairy sensitivities often run into trouble. A lack of proper nutritional skills can lead to sickness, exhaustion and the dreaded “Freshman Fifteen.” However, there is a simple solution to all of these problems — a kitchen. This commodity is a reason many Fordham students move off campus. The kitchen is a source of endless edible possibilities. Unfortunately, classes and extracurriculars fill up students’ schedules; leaving most without enough time to whip up complicated meals. Luckily, there are many quick and easy options. Stocking the pantry with essential groceries is the perfect place to start. Most college-friendly recipes share a similar list of ingredients. Finding affordable prices in the city can be a challenge, but there are still grocery stores that provide many options. The Lincoln Center campus is
five minutes away from Whole Foods, where students can score discounts with an Amazon Prime account. Farmer’s markets are also a great source — they pop up everywhere, and have affordable gems underneath their tents. The Botanical Gardens has one every Wednesday morning through the end of October. Every student needs to have some sort of fruit or vegetable in their apartment. Bananas are a godsend, and are found practically everywhere on campus. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are sold in POD and are essentials for smoothies, oatmeals and fruit salads. Potatoes, dates, oranges, carrots and spinach are also recommended. Nut butters, including peanut, almond and cashew, are rich with vitamins and minerals. Anyone with a nut allergy can substitute these for sunflower butter. Salt and pepper, along with spices such as cinnamon, turmeric, thyme, nutmeg or chili powder, can heighten the flavor of anything. Whole milk is high in calcium, but vegan alternatives include almond, soy or oat milk. Oats, which are available gluten free, are great for a quick and easy breakfast. Other healthy options include chia seeds, hemp seed hearts, matcha powder, honey and mixed nuts/seeds. Breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day, but many students often skip it due to time constraints. However, there are hundreds of quick and easy possibilities. Overnight oats are a nutritious and easy option — oats, yogurt, your preferred choice of milk and a mason jar are all that’s required. Common toppings include fruit, cinnamon, chia seeds, nut butter and
honey. Once everything is mixed together you pop it into the fridge at night and it will solidify by morning. Chia seed pudding is another effortless recipe. Chia seeds are considered the “food of warriors,” due to their high levels of antioxidants and fiber. When mixed with milk, the seeds form a sweet “pudding” after being left in the fridge for about an hour. For a protein packed bowl, add blueberries, almond butter, shaved almonds, coconut and honey. Another version has matcha powder mixed with the milk, topped with cherries, coconut and honey — this is loaded with energy and antioxidants. Most college students have a varying degree of a caffeine addiction, but one of the easiest ways to stay awake is to mix up some energy bites in a blender. Peanut butter bites are a great option, and only require half a cup of rolled oats, a third of a cup of peanut butter, honey
and chocolate chips. Dates are also a great source of energy — blend them with dried cherries, hemp seed hearts, cacao powder, almond butter, coffee grounds and shredded coconut for a quick pick-me-up. Snacking is a way of life in college. There are many healthier alternatives compared to candy bars and never-ending spoonfuls of Nutella. Yogurt dips, which are a combination of Greek yogurt, honey, vanilla extract and lemon zest, are delicious with pretzels or chips and take less than five minutes to make. Grona and trail mix are also endlessly customizable. At the end of the day, students are often swamped with homework and club meetings, so cooking a full meal proves to be difficult. However, in this situation, a microwave becomes a student’s best friend. The possibilities are endless — you can make macaroni and cheese with some water, macaroni, cheese and salt in-
stead of relying on Kraft. Crack an egg into a mug, add some seasoning, and you’ve got yourself an omelette. Baking potatoes is also very easy — prick one with a fork and pop it into the microwave for 10 to 15 minutes. There are thousands of other recipes that are available online and beyond. YouTube is a great source, especially the Buzzfeed-Tasty channel. Cookbooks that are directed towards college students, such as “The Five Ingredient College Cookbook” by Pamela Ellgen, are also popular. No matter what, eating well is crucial for success in not just school, but in life. The nutrients fuel your body and provide you with the energy you need to get through the day. Also, eating well makes you feel good. Whether you’re using your own off campus kitchen, one of the dorms’ cooking areas or even the microwave in the cafeteria, making your own meals is definitely a self confidence boost.
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Farmer’s Markets are great resources for students who want to cook nutritious and balanced meals without breaking the bank.
Careless Comedy Can Affect Mental Health
The way we talk about mental health is constantly changing. In the past decade, there have been massive strides in improving the awareness and compassion shown toward subjects related to mental health. The language that we use to discuss such topics plays an incredibly important role. With the advent of the internet, things have changed even further. This new medium allows people to express thoughts openly, and recent trends have shown us that the future of mental health awareness is incredibly promising. If you have used Twitter or Instagram in the past few months, chances are you have seen a meme or joke about talking to therapists. These aren’t the types of jokes that you may have seen in the past, often mocking those who choose to go to therapy. In-
stead, they normalize the practice. The jokes generally follow a similar structure, usually involving the individual going against the advice of the therapist, poking fun at their own behavior and thoughts. For example, comedian Conan O’Brien tweeted, “I told my therapist about my constant need to be liked and he said we can discuss it on the jet ski I bought him.” The punchline is O’Brien’s own behavior and people-pleasing tendencies. The fact that the context is therapy is merely a setup for the joke, and the listener is not meant to question it or laugh at it. While these tweets may seem like another trivial internet trend, they represent an important change in the way we look at mental health. It is essential to the promo-
tion of mental well-being that we view therapy as a helpful means of looking after oneself, not much different from going to a doctor for physical health concerns. The popularity of these memes highlights a promising trend amidst troubling times: Rates of seeking help for mental health are increasing. This change has been occurring for the last few years, especially among young adults. The American Psychological Association reported a 30% increase in student appointments at college counseling centers between 2009 and 2015, despite just a 5% increase in student enrollment. The stigma often attached to going to therapy is decreasing, and college students are being encouraged to take advantage of the mental health resources available at their own campuses. College students represent an important group in regard to mental health due to the high rates of anxiety and depression that they report. In addition, positive change in the younger generations is usually a signal of a positive future. Another aspect of mental health awareness is the language that we employ on a daily basis. This is generally done subcon-
sciously, without thinking about what it may mean on a broader level. Often, when we are stressed, we may say things like “I’m so depressed,” or jokingly threaten suicide. “KMS” is even a common texting acronym that stands for “kill myself” and is prevalent throughout the Internet. Suicide is perhaps the most devastating consequence of mental illness, and it should not be used as an expression of frustration. While this is generally intended as a harmless expression of stress, the constant use of such language can contribute to a minimization of the severity of mental illness. The way that mental health language has shifted parallels the shift toward the trend of therapy jokes online. We are now more aware of mental illnesses and the stigma often attached to them. Language is one of the most effective ways to ensure that people are not defined by their mental illnesses. Problematic language can contribute to the idea that an individual is completely defined by their mental illness. We so often say things like “he’s a lunatic” or “she was being psychotic” without thinking about the literal meaning.
Of course, positive change does not necessitate a complete censorship of this kind of language. Instead, it requires a bit more awareness of what we are saying as opposed to what we mean. So much of our language is used without realizing where the terms or phrases originate. Take the word “hysteria” as an example: It originated with the Greek term for uterus because it was believed that the uncontrolled emotions that define the modern term were due to feminine biology. The internet has many pros and cons, but this recent trend of mental health memes shows a positive rise in mental illness acceptance and awareness. Therapy is being seen more and more as a good thing, and not as a sign of weakness. Hopefully, as the years go on, we can continue to strive for increased mental health awareness. If you are struggling with mental health issues, do not hesitate to contact the following resources: Fordham University Counseling and Psychological Services (RH): 718-817-3725 Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Textline: text START to 741-741
CULTURE
October 2, 2019
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Editor’s Pick | Television
“Breaking Bad” Cooks Up Good Content By TREY DUGAN
BUSINESS DIRECTOR
It was a common theme throughout my youth: hearing about certain shows I neglected to watch or was unable to view as a result of strict parental guidance. I never really paid much attention, though, until I grew older and my parents gave me more freedom. I became accustomed to zeitgeist-defining shows such as “Game of Thrones” and “Stranger Things.” It wasn’t until recently, however, that I decided to indulge in another timeless show, “Breaking Bad.” The pilot episode starts at a rapid pace, with the main character, Walter White, racing through the desert in his RV. He records a distraught and desperate message directed at his family, seemingly hinting at his demise. The episode then immediately cuts to Walter back at home in a completely contradictory setting. It continues showing his slow, ordi-
nary and, at times, frustrating life. It is not until Walter is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer that he begins to adapt his tolerance to other characters, such as the bullies who terrorize his son, his assertive brother-in-law and his demanding boss. There is a clear turning point in Walter’s decision-making process which spirals into his interest in cooking methamphetamines. The show takes a drastic turn after its slow start when Walter reunites with his old student, Jesse Pinkman, and creates his first batch of meth. The plot accelerates as Walter and Jesse begin their partnership and dive into the underground drug world. It escalates to the point where Walter is forced to kill two rival dealers who threaten to take his recipes. While the plot proved to be gripping, there were countless underlying themes that I was able to analyze, such as submissiveness and complacency. It allowed me to continue my interaction with the show even after the episode had finished. These themes
were put on display in many different parts of the episode, from Walter’s marital struggles to his son being bullied for his disability. I continued to look for ways to explore these thematic trends, speaking with my roommate with whom I had watched the episode. I hadn’t realized the depth and community that accompanied this show until I began to ask around for opinions. Not only were the reactions astonishingly positive, but the amount of people who could carry a conversation about this show was staggering. Even after completing a single episode, people were excited to hear my opinion and predictions for the rest of it. It created an additional layer to the show, increasing my excitement for the coming episodes and plot developments. The themes I had so profoundly interacted with during the episode became a part of each conversation I had. The community around “Breaking Bad” quickly became a source of enjoyment that rivaled the quality of the show itself.
COURTESY OF FACEBOOK
"Breaking Bad" is a story about a teacher who begins to manufacture drugs.
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October 2, 2019
Brooklyn Historical Society's “Muslims in Brooklyn” Supporting Diversity in the Wake of Islamophobia By TEREZA SHKURTAJ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
For over a century, Brooklyn has been home to one of New York City’s largest growing Muslim populations — a place where people from a variety of identities, who share the same religion, can come together as one. Muslim Brooklynites are composed of varying ethnicities, cultures and nationalities. They have created businesses, built mosques and altered school curriculums to include Muslim histories. It is this diversity of personal stories that has helped mold life in Brooklyn. Kameelah Janan Rasheed shares
one of these stories through her audio and visual installation — “An Opening.” On Saturday, Sept. 7, she welcomed visitors into the multifaceted world of Muslim Brooklynites. Rasheed’s artwork was inspired by the Brooklyn Historical Society's (BHS) “Muslims In Brooklyn” project, initially launched in 2017. With the collection of over 50 oral histories, Zaheer Ali, the project’s director, sought to preserve and document the histories of Muslims in Brooklyn. In collaboration with Ali and other project members, Rasheed was able to select 11 unique narratives that would inspire her artwork. Rasheed’s installation is ultimately an artistic response to the oral histories collected by BHS historians. Showcased in a singular room, Rasheed’s artwork stands out against the bright blue painted walls. Visitors are provided with a headphone
set and an iPod Touch which helps guide them through the exhibition. The iPod recognizes the artwork in front of the individual and easily fades in and out of the respective artworks' narratives, making the experience less formal and more experimental in nature. “I really like how Rasheed only utilizes black and white colors in her art,” Edona Dauti, FCRH ’21, said. “It helps draw focus to the meaning of her work, especially with the usage of few words.” Sporadically placed between her artwork are words, phrases and sentences glued onto the walls. Fragments taken from the artist’s childhood books, textbooks and pamphlets make the entire room feel like part of the installation. “A large part of my practice is sort of going through, creating my own texts or looking for a particu-
lar word in another text that can be used because it has a different typeface or appearance,” said Rasheed. “That sort of creates some texture for the exhibit.” As visitors silently navigate through the room, they are, in a way, challenged to listen closely and watch mindfully. Almost all of Rasheed’s pieces are accompanied by a particular narration meant to add a sense of intimacy to the visual display. “We’re messy…some of us don’t practice, some of us practice, some of us eat bacon…And some of us have complicated relationships with Islam, some of us fast, some of us don’t…” In the case of her piece, “Manage History,” Mohammed Fayaz’s narrative perfectly compliments Rasheed’s artwork — alluding to the incredibly complex expressions of faith that can be found within the
lives of different individuals practicing the same religion. Faisal Elali, FCRH ’21, a residential student from Brooklyn said that the audio brought back happy moments. “It reminded me that, though I may not practice Islam strictly, I still find myself spiritually attached to its culture.” With the often narrow conception of Muslim identity, Elali said Rasheed’s artwork is highly relevant for its time — highlighting the many ethnicities, cultures, and nationalities encompassed by Muslims around the world. “Islam is not a box that you put people in," said Ali in an interview with BKLYNER. “It is a box that people stand on.” Rasheed’s “An Opening” is an artistic conversation on religious diversity using oral histories indicative of those that Muslims experienced in the Brooklyn borough.
TEREZA SHKURTAJ FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
Brooklyn Historical Society's "Muslims in Brooklyn" exhibition originally launched in 2017.
DaBaby Graduates From Kindergarten on “KIRK” By SAM HADELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
This past Thursday, 2019’s hottest rapper, DaBaby, dropped his highly-anticipated record “KIRK.” DaBaby has been on a complete tear since early 2018, with smash hits like “Next Song,” “Blank Blank” and “Walker Texas Ranger.” With his Missy Elliot-style music videos and braggadocios demeanor comparable to Cam’ron or Nelly, DaBaby is a model for conventional rap. In an era where septum piercings, elaborate face tattoos and colored hair reign supreme, DaBaby is in a lane of his own. He represents the classic style of rap that previous generations have hailed, with quick-paced rhymes and a mafioso persona. DaBaby has been grinding for years, and early on in his career he was partially known for his antics off-the-mic. At SXSW, he paraded around in a diaper while promoting his then-underground music. Following that, DaBaby had a string of incidents in his life that would only add to his musical persona, like getting in fights. In a world where rappers are publicly announcing that the lifestyles they live are curated and fake — for example, Tekashi 6ix9ine
— the fact that there is direct evidence of DaBaby living out his raps makes him resonate more with fans. Though off-mic antics shouldn’t be the marker for longevity in hip-hop, authenticity breeds success and DaBaby is a prime example. Early on, DaBaby stuck to a specific vocal formula, which is an art in itself. The criticism that “all his songs sound the same” always seemed off base. I would rather an artist perfect their sound than try to recreate themselves into an image they are clearly not. That said, the question that “KIRK” answers is whether DaBaby can build on his established sound and create something beyond the bounds of “Baby on Baby” and “Blank Blank,” which were both phenomenal, but predictable, projects. “KIRK” shows a side of DaBaby that is more sentimental in nature than his previous raps, which consisted of bragging about his sexual exploits in foreign locations and the car he’s driving that day. This sentimentality is a doubleedged sword: while it shows a dif-
ferent side of his personality, it makes clear that he is at his most concise and appealing when talking about the more R-rated aspects of his life. DaBaby does a great job balancing high-caliber rapping over stellar production from Kenny Beats and jetsonmade while making music that is accessible to the
masses. This is an art that few artists have truly mastered in today’s world. Keeping your city’s sound — which is North Carolina for DaBaby — while trying to communicate it to the rest of America is a difficult task. The album plays directly to DaBaby’s strengths with fast-paced beats and complementary features. I was really nervous for the track “GOSPEL” with Chance the Rapper, Gucci Mane and YK Osiris, since the recent output of all these artists wouldn’t seem to flatter DaBaby’s style. However, it comes together well. Gucci Mane and YK Osiris carry the track while Chance stays consistent with his mid-life crisis raps, which we were subjected to on his lackluster debut “The Big Day.”
TEMPLATE COURTESY OF FACEBOOK GRAPHIC BY KIERAN PRESS-REYNOLDS/THE FORDHAM RAM
One of 2019's hottest rappers, DaBaby, just released his new album "KIRK."
DaBaby shines on songs with Kevin Gates, who has also made a career of authenticity and transparency. My favorite moments on the whole album came on two tracks: “TOES” and “REALLY.” On the latter, DaBaby emanates magnetic energy with fellow label-mate Stunna 4 Vegas that is reminiscent of hip-hop’s best recent duos, like Gunna & Lil Baby. They both bring out something in each other that makes you forget that DaBaby is the biggest new rapper in the business; it brings the roots out, displaying the talent that brought him this far. As for “TOES,” DaBaby clicks extremely well with Lil Baby and Moneybagg Yo, two rappers who similarly rely heavily on specific vocal formulas for their success. The production from Kenny Beats lends itself fruitful for DaBaby’s punchline-heavy flow. Though I do not think this is the best project that DaBaby could produce, it was a great reminder of how talented and necessary he is in today’s music world. With “KIRK” predicted to sell 150,000 records in its first week, it is easy to say that DaBaby has sped up his journey to rap superstardom.
October 2, 2019
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SPORTS
October 2, 2019
Beyond the Scoreboard: Plenty in the Tank When Talking About Baseball By ANDREW POSADAS
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The ultimate distinguisher between the “haves” and “have-nots” in baseball — the playoffs — will have started by the time you read this. Ten teams — the Nationals, Brewers, Rays, Athletics, Cardinals, Braves, Dodgers, Yankees, Twins and Astros — will compete for a championship on the national stage. Four of those ten teams won 100 games, a number that was traditionally considered a high-water mark for greatness over a six-month season. Houston and Los Angeles, in another harbinger of their dominance, won their respective divisions by ten or more games. However, when you see such dominant play on the top end of the spectrum, you know that equal futility exists on the opposite end of the spectrum. Baseball is no different. We say this because, for the four teams that won over 100 games, four others — the Orioles, Tigers, Royals and Marlins — lost over 100. For its part, Major League Baseball has tried to take steps to discourage “tanking,” which, in sports parlance, has come to mean the systematic or intentional losing of games in order to benefit a team’s chances of winning in the future. One of these steps is the socalled “luxury tax,” which severely penalizes teams for spending lavishly on their players. MLB’s luxury tax threshold will climb to $210 million in 2021. Moreover, this luxury tax has absolutely no effect on the four teams I just mentioned because they possess an average payroll of just over $75 million. But here’s the real problem with tanking: when done right, it works. One of 2019’s 100-win teams, the Astros, lost an average of 108
games from 2011-13. The team was, to put it politely, an embarrassment. However, Houston’s saving grace during this period was having a top-two pick for five straight drafts, a feat that even the Cleveland Browns would be proud of. With these selections, Houston chose players such as Carlos Correa, George Springer and Alex Bregman. Bregman and Springer are both in the American League MVP discussion after having career years. Other assets from outside the organization include pitchers Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, both of whom were acquired with assets the Astros picked up in the time period in which they were tanking. One of the two right-handed hurlers will win the 2019 American League Cy Young Award. Point being, without one of the worst three-year stretches in the history of sports, the Astros would not have put themselves in position to win their second championship in three years. Of course, we’ve also seen tanking go wrong — just look at the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, who may not win a game this season and whose best players reportedly want out of “the process.” Why, however, would you have such a moral aversion to tanking when you see its potential? It likely traces back to our upbringings. Whether you played a sport or not, you were always taught that winning was good and losing was bad. An “A” on your next test far exceeded an “F.” Doing a good job was always better than doing a bad one. All of these things are true, but as we grew up, we found out that things weren’t so black and white. Ironically, the clarity between winning and losing, succeeding and failing, is a big reason why so many people, including myself, love sports. The scoreboard never, ever lies. But sometimes in life, you have
to go down to shoot back up. You have to hit rock bottom before you can hit new heights. Sports is the same way, but watching your team lose for years on end as ownership tells you to “be patient” and “look to the future” is painful. That’s why we don’t like tanking, even though it can work. Let’s stay in baseball for another example. At the MLB trade deadline, the Arizona Diamondbacks, despite dealing star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to the St. Louis Cardinals in the offseason, were just 3.5 games out of a playoff spot at an astonishingly average 54–55. Instead of loading up for a possible run to a playoff spot, Arizona traded the hottest commodity on the market, starter Zack Greinke, to the Astros for four prospects. Arizona’s general manager, Mike Hazen, said that his team wasn’t in a great position to win the World Series, with a 10-team playoff format, a wild card game to get through and a tough Dodgers team waiting on the other side of the one-game playoff. On the other hand, my beloved New York Mets were behind Arizona in the standings and went in the other direction, trading two highly-regarded prospects for Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman. Are the Mets definitively betterpositioned for the future than the Diamondbacks? They may be, but neither made the playoffs. Only one team “tried,” but both teams achieved the same result and Arizona finished just one game behind New York. And the Diamondbacks have four prospects to show for it while the Mets have a depleted farm system from a calendar year’s worth of pushing their chips to the center of baseball’s table. So if your team is tanking, don’t sweat it. There’s a method to the madness, born out of precedent and probabilities, making it more likely that the process will pay off.
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Tanking in Baseball may be frowned upon, but there seems to be a method to the madness.
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Fordham Women’s Soccer Drops Two Games Over the Weekend By CHARLIE MAISANO STAFF WRITER
After starting Atlantic 10 play on a high note, the Fordham women’s soccer team struggled to keep up their momentum against their fellow conference opponents. They began their two-game week in our nation’s capital, as they faced the George Washington Colonials last Thursday night. For only the second time this season, the Rams scored the first goal of the game and went into halftime with a lead. In the 40th minute, freshman midfielder Danielle Etienne sent a long ball into the box, which was deflected off the head of a Colonial defender. Right there to pick up the pieces was junior Crea Baker-Durante, who proceeded to put the ball in the back of the net for her second goal of the season. Fordham’s one goal lead didn’t last long after the halftime break, as George Washington came storming back. The team’s second leading goal scorer, senior Megan McCormick, punched in her third goal of the year with a header, thanks to a perfect cross by her teammate Sammy Neyman in the 54th minute. Both squads continued the pressure for the rest of the second half, but when the regulation whistle blew, the game was still knotted at one. Six minutes into overtime, the Colonials capitalized on a corner kick opportunity. Neyman took the kick and finished the night with her second assist of the contest after Madi Coyne smashed a header past Rams goalie Kelly LaMorte for the 2-1 game-winner. In the losing effort, LaMorte continued to write her name in the Fordham Women’s Soccer history books. She made a career-high 14 saves, eight of them in the second half, which was the most by a Rams goalie in over 20 years. “Kelly’s been playing well, and so has our backline,” said head coach Jessica Clinton. “They aren’t giving the opponent great looks at the goal and Kelly’s done well handling the tough ones too.”
The Rams had to regroup quickly and head back on the road for their fifth road game in six matchups against the improved Richmond Spiders. The Spiders finished in the bottom four of the conference last season with only two wins, but already doubled their win total prior to the start of the game on Sunday. Only six minutes into the ballgame, the Spiders scored on one of their two shots on goal throughout the entire contest. Senior Brooke Beam received a forward pass from teammate T.J. Anderson, cut back and shot the ball inside the right post to give Richmond the early lead. That goal would loom large for Fordham, as the Spiders would put on a defensive stand to beat them 1-0. Although they weren’t able to get the victory, the Rams had plenty of chances throughout the game. They outshot the Spiders 15-8 (4-2 on goal) and took eight corner kicks compared to their opponent’s three. “The Richmond goalkeepers did well making saves,” said Clinton. “We had some terrific looks on goal and they came up with at least three big saves. It’s composure in the final moments and it’s technique. We had two shots that were well hit and had a dip to them. If it were on frame, they would have went in.” The Rams sit at 2-8-2 (1-2 in conference play) coming into this week and will have a chance to right the ship against George Mason at home on Thursday and VCU on the road on Sunday. For Clinton, the task at hand is pretty simple. “Our soccer playing, commitment and work rate [are] there,” she said. “The ball just didn’t go in the back of the net at Richmond. No pun intended, but our goal is to score goals and earn points relative to A-10 play.” After these two games, there will only be five games left before the A-10 Tournament in November. Essentially, the time is now for the Fordham Rams and they need to get their kinks worked out before it’s too late.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Fordham Women’s Soccer needs to get back on track coming into October.
SPORTS
Page 21
Women’s Tennis Has Doubles Success at Army Invitational By MATT WEST
Volleyball Drops Five-Set Battle to Rhode Island By GIGI SPEER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
With the fall season underway, the Fordham Women’s Tennis squad is building momentum and finding its stride at the perfect time. Sophomore Valeryia Deminova and freshman Avery Aude are setting winning examples that are resulting in great performances from other teammates such as sophomores Nicole Li and Genevieve Quenville. The Rams made their way up north to compete in the Army Invitational at West Point, N.Y. Fordham opened up with doubles play by their two stars, Deminova and Aude, dictating the tempo of the match with a 6–3 win over Seton Hall University’s Regina Pitts and Minja Gligic. The two stars rode that momentum into their second match where they had a dominating victory over Binghamton University’s Michelle Eisenberg and Samara Eisenberg 6–0. As they advanced to the quarterfinals, the dynamic duo defeated Army’s Hannah Boubel and Sasha Inchauset 6-3 to move on to the semifinals where they cruised to victory over Air Force’s Nadeen Liberman and Ashleigh Harvey. In the finals, Deminova and Aude won due to an injury withdraw from Syracuse University’s Sofya Tresgcheva and Kim Hansen. In B doubles play, Li and Quenville opened focused and efficient, mimicking Deminova and Avery Aude with a 6–1 win over Bryant University’s Megan Tan and Aleksi Gottlieb. In their next match, the duo faced off against St. Francis University’s Jean-Na Koo and Gayathri Rajesh where they won in a convincing 6-0 victory. In the quarterfinals, Li and Quenville upset the top-seeded Air Force duo Veluvolu and Fuen-
October 2, 2019
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Fordham Women’s Tennis found some wins in doubles play this past weekend.
tes 6–3. In the semifinals, things did not go Li and Quenville’s way, as they could not handle the speed of Air Force’s Abby Warren and Sydney Fitch. In singles play, the Rams’ magic ran out as they were defeated handily in their first match. Deminova lost to Drexel’s Ghita Benhadi 6–3 and 6–4. Aude was dominated in her match by Drexel University’s Salma Ziouti 6–4, 6–3 and 10–4. Deminova came back in the consolation bracket, defeating Fairleigh Dickerson University’s Shreya Guila 8–0 and Army’s Paola Bou 8–4 before losing an 8–3 decision to Rutgers University’s Sydney Kaplan in the semifinals. Aude did not fare so well either in her consolation match as she fell to NJIT’s Mouna
Bouzgaaou 8–3 in her first consolation match. Nicole Li and freshman Rachelle Yang would not have any luck either in their singles matches. Li lost in dominating fashion to Rutgers Kristiana Zahare 6–3, 6–1. Yang had a similar loss where she was knocked off 6–0, 6–4. In the consolation B singles, Li fell to Lehigh University’s Ella Imhof, 8–4, while Yang lost to Bryant’s Ada Boru, 8–7. The Fordham Women’s Tennis Team has a lot of positives to take with them into next weekend’s tournament at the Hidden Duel at the University of Pennsylvania. With a week of practice ahead of them, look for the Rams to come out ready and focused to bring home some hardware.
At the start of Atlantic 10 play, Fordham Volleyball matches its record of 7–6 at this time last year after falling to Rhode Island 2–3 on Saturday, Sept. 28 in South Kingstown. Both teams finished the 2018 season with a .214 win percentage, and the match on Saturday was close — 25–27, 27–25, 25– 20, 22–25, 18–20 — across five sets. With a 2–1 lead going into the fourth, the Rams fell only three points shy to propel them into a nail-biting fifth, which Rhode Island took by two points. “The game was a tough loss, but I think it’s going to fuel us to work even harder as the season progresses,” said sophomore Bella Urena, who finished the match with nine kills and two blocks. “I’m super excited to see what the future has in store for us,” she continued, alluding to the many season highs they notched this match: 64 kills, 106 digs, 60 assists and 15.5 total blocks. In addition, senior libero Morgan Williams set another personal record: her 40 digs breaking Maria Rodenberg’s record of 38
in 2013, and coming just shy of her own best of 42 achieved two weeks ago at Dartmouth. Each of the starting setters achieved double-doubles: freshman setter Megan Brzozowski finished with 36 assists and 14 digs and sophomore Makaela Tanaka with 18 assists and 15 digs. Junior McKenna Lahr led the offensive force once again with 20 kills at a .263 percentage, and also managed three blocks, 17 digs and an ace. Freshman Aria De La Rosa had 10 kills over a .391 percentage, and senior Elise Benjamin also finished with 10 kills and managed six blocks. Urena emphasized the closeness of the squad as what sets them apart from previous years: “We’re really excited about moving forward in the conference, and we know what we need to work on in order to succeed. I think that this year our team chemistry is something that’s really going to help us this season.” The Rams will head over to Saint Louis on Friday, Oct. 4 to face the Billikens at 8 p.m., and they will match up against the Dayton Flyers on Oct. 6 at 12 p.m.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
It was a difficult weekend for Fordham Women’s Volleyball, losing a close one.
Golf Stumbles, Places 11th at MacDonald Invitational By CHRIS HENNESSY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Fordham golf team traveled to Yale University over Family Weekend to participate in the MacDonald Invitational. The Rams placed 11th out of 12 participating teams, posting a total of 73-over par for the three rounds and finishing 83 shots back of the winners, the University of Minnesota. The Golden Gophers rolled this weekend, with a comfortable 24-shot cushion over the second-place Princeton University Tigers. The low scorer at the MacDonald for the Rams was freshman Peter O’Rourke (72–72–74 –218, +8). O’Rourke’s play was extremely impressive, and if not for a few blow-up holes, he could have posted an even lower score. A double bogey in round one, a triple to end round two, and a four-hole stretch with three bogeys on the front nine in round three brought him to the eightover mark. The 218 placed him in a tie for 17th in the individual rankings, 14 shots behind individual champion Angus Flanagan from Minnesota. In order to see better team re-
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Fordham Men’s Golf played on the beautiful course of Yale University, participating in their MacDonald Invitational.
sults, the Rams’ depth needs to score much better. Outside of O’Rourke and fellow freshman Nicholas Manning, who placed T37 with a 224, the remaining three players each shot a round in the 80s at one point this weekend. Compare that to Minnesota, who did not have a single round over 76 all weekend from their five players, while Fordham had eight.
Eliminating the big numbers and having players in the fourth and fifth spots scoring well will propel the Rams forward into Atlantic 10 competition. One thing that will help that is the continuing development of sophomore Chan Park, who did not play this week, and is officially listed as having withdrawn from the tournament. The Rams now have time to
regroup, as they have the next two weeks off from competition, returning to action at Lehigh University Oct. 18 and 19. These two weeks will be key to the development of the depth players on the squad, allowing them time to work on their games and cleaning up what has gone wrong early in the season and also get some much-needed rest after playing
three weeks in a row. After Lehigh, they will play their last fall event of the season when they play in the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Championship, hosted by Wagner College. The goal for the Rams fall season is to continue to improve. They did that last week despite their last place finish, shooting the only two sub-300 rounds of the season. This week, they can only claim minimal improvement. Yes, they did not come in last at Yale as they did last season, 14th out of 14 in 2018, but their scores got worse from last week. They posted 300–303–310 for the MacDonald, which is disappointing especially considering all of the high individual scores that pushed them above the 300shot threshold. Without those scores in the high 70s and 80s, they would have been back under that threshold, competing for a higher finish. With the fall season coming to a close, the Rams look to improve. They are not going to compete with teams like Minnesota and Princeton this season, but it is conceivable for them to compete in the Atlantic 10 this spring.
SPORTS
October 2, 2019
Page 22
Water Polo Splits two Matches Over Weekend By SABRINA BOYD CONTRIBUTING WRITER
It was a solid Saturday in the pool for Fordham Water Polo as they emerged from their doubleheader with one win and one loss. Last week, The Rams earned the rank of #16 in the Men’s Varsity Water Polo National Top 20, as well as the #1 spot in the MAWPC Top 5 poll. In their game against #19 George Washington, Fordham fought in a close contest that ultimately resulted in a 9–8 loss. Their second game turned things around with a 16–11 win over Johns Hopkins. The Rams’ overall season record is now 10–3. The Rams had a tough loss against George Washington, with fantastic play coming from both sides. Fordham retained a slight lead by the half, with the score sitting at 4–2. Senior Jake MillerTolt scored three of the four goals for the Rams in that first half, with senior Oscar Nomura tallying the fourth goal. Fordham came back with a fourgoal third quarter. Miller-Tolt, senior Tristen Knoflick, sophomore Dimitris Koukias and freshman Jason Hiremath each scored, making it an 8–5 game. However, George Washington junior Andras Levai answered with four markers in the fourth quarter, the final of which came with only four minutes left to play. Fordham was unable to score during those final four minutes, with Oscar Nomura’s potential equalizer deflected in the last six seconds, resulting in the one-goal loss. Miller-Tolt finished the game with four goals, two assists and one steal. Nomura
and Dimitris Koukias both scored a goal apiece, with Koukias also tacking on a steal and two blocks. Sophomore Bailey O’Mara had fifteen saves in net, racking up seven saves in the 1st quarter. The final score was 9–8 in favor of George Washington. Fordham evened out the day with a strong win against Johns Hopkins in the second match on Saturday. It was tight throughout the first half, with the score tied up at 7–7 in the early minutes of the third quarter. The Rams offense ignited quickly, scoring four consecutive goals to make it 11–7, before racking up two more by the end of the third quarter. Fordham hung onto the lead throughout the fourth, scoring three more times and cementing the victory. Miller-Tolt had a stellar outing with five goals and two assists. Koukias and junior Wang each scored three, with Wang also coming away with an assist. This game was a real team effort, with the other goal scorers including senior Joseph Agabs, Knoflick, Oscar Nomura, junior Sam Wheeler and freshman Quinn Wagner. Bailey O’Mara came away with 13 saves and two steals. The end result was a 16–11 win for Fordham. Overall, Fordham continued to improve their winning record and show their strength as a team. The Rams prepare for their annual trip to California, beginning with a match against Redlands on Thursday, Oct. 3. The trip includes the Gary Troyer Tournament, which begins on Friday, Oct. 4 with a game against California Baptist.
MACKENZIE CRANNA/THE FORDHAM RAM
Men’s Water Polo moves to 10-3 after splitting two matches over the weekend.
By ANDREW POSADAS ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
On the night of Sept. 19, I found myself in front of my laptop, working somewhat scrupulously on class assignments. Always looking for a reason to procrastinate, I turned my television on. I began by checking in on FOX’s Thursday Night Football between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans. About 12 minutes into watching Jaguars-Titans, I quickly surmised that viewing this penalty-ridden, sloppily played game actually made me want to get my work done. I quickly looked through the menu guide for another sporting event. Fortunately, the New York Yankees were not done playing yet so I tuned in to the top of the 9th inning. They were beating the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim comfortably, 9–1. Yet, closer Aroldis Chapman was on the mound to finish out the Yankees 100th win of the season. Chapman struck out the last Angels batter swinging to seal the win for the Bronx Bombers. Although I am always a Pollyanna for a Yankees win, I found myself feeling empathetic towards that last batter of the game because, at one point, that batter was the best player in baseball and dubbed “The Machine.” That would be first baseman and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols. Watching his steady decline in Los Angeles leaves me pondering the thought that he may be better off retiring after this season than continuing to play baseball. However, Pujols does not agree with my notion of considering possible retirement. Recently, he told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that the passion to play baseball is still there. “I think the way I train and my dedication and my discipline I have in this game, if I am healthy, I can play until I’m 50,” said Pujols. Pujols went on to describe this past season as “the most fun I had because I was healthy and I was able to do things I wasn’t able to do in the past.” After finishing the 2018 season with just 19 home runs and 64 RBI’s, Pujols had what many considered a bounce back season. Pujols hit .245 this past year, along
with 23 home runs and 93 runs batted in (RBI). The problem with this optimism is that it is not warranted if you consider Pujols career since he’s gotten to Los Angeles. In his eight seasons with the Angels, his batting average is .258. Pujols has averaged 26 home runs and 93 RBI’s during that time. Most Major League Baseball players would be happily content to put up numbers like these. But for a player as talented as Pujols, these numbers are pedestrian at best if you consider the numbers he used to put up. Before signing with Los Angeles in 2012, Pujols spent the first 11 years of his career playing for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2001-2011. And in that time, he truly earned the nickname of “The Machine.” Pujols had a stellar .328 batting average with a .617 slugging percentage behind it. Add to that the fact he averaged 40 homers and 121 RBI’s. The man was virtually unstoppable at the plate, able to hit for power and contact. What might be even more impressive is that Pujols only averaged 64 strikeouts in St. Louis, making him one of the hardest outs for opposing pitchers in baseball. Unfortunately, the player I just described in St. Louis is merely a shell of himself now in the City of Angels. While I applaud his desire to continue playing, the reality is, he will be 40 years of age come next season. He still has two years remaining on the 10-year, $240 million contract he signed with the An-
gels in 2011. Pujols has maintained that the money left on his contract is not a motivation for him to keep playing. Honestly, I believe him. In an era where steroids were still running rampant in the early to mid 2000’s, Pujols was never connected or linked to any investigation into steroid use. He has been a consummate professional on and off the field. With all the money Pujols has already made, I highly doubt money is a huge factor for him as his career begins to come to a close. I recall a famous ESPN commercial in which the company employees John Anderson and Steve Levy approach Pujols about his nickname. Pujols came off as not being a fan of being called The Machine, saying at one point, “I’m not a machine, I’m just Albert.” At that time, he was obviously much more machine than man with the three MVP’s and two World Series he won in St. Louis. Now, his words in the commercial ring much louder. He is not a machine anymore. He is just Albert. A sure-fire Hall of Famer whose last years has not been an indication of how great he was once. There is no guarantee Pujols will finish out these last two years on a high note. Recent history tells you he will only continue to diminish in overall production. I truthfully believe he has nothing left to prove. No machine lasts forever. And unfortunately, neither do superstar athletes.
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Is Albert Pujols better off retiring considering his progressive decline in Los Angeles?
Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY Women’s Soccer
Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports
Thursday Oct. 3
Friday Oct. 4
George Mason 7 p.m.
Women’s Tennis Men’s Tennis
Tuesday Oct. 8
Dayton 12 p.m.
Saint Louis 9 p.m. Rhode Island 7 p.m.
Redlands/ Calif. Baptist/ U.C. San Diego/ Mt. San Antonio Occidental Chapman 6:30 p.m./9:30 p.m. 4:40 p.m./8:40 p.m. 2:40 p.m./6:40 p.m.
Softball
Monday Oct. 7
Yale 1 p.m.
Men’s Soccer Water Polo
Sunday Oct. 6 VCU 1 p.m.
Football Volleyball
Saturday Oct. 5
Fairfield/ F. Dickinson (exh.) 12:30 p.m./3 p.m.
Hidden Dual (Penn University) All Day Four-in-the-Fall All Day
Seton Hall 6 p.m.
Wednesday Oct. 9
SPORTS
October 2, 2019
Chris Hennessy NHL Western Conference Preview The NHL season has started. Finally. Today, Oct. 2, the Blues play Washington on opening night, with all three New York teams starting up this week. I have got Tampa in the Cup from the East, and here’s who I think will play them in June. Central Division: So good. There is so much talent in the Central division, and there has been for a few years now. Winnipeg has taken a significant step back, and the Blues have lost some key pieces from the Cup run, leaving this division open for a team like Colorado or Nashville to take the reins. That being said, the Blues could pull the opposite of a Stanley Cup hangover and come out firing. The Central has been hard to predict over the past few seasons. Last year, I had Winnipeg winning the division and representing the West in the Cup. They had a fine season, came in second to Nashville and lost to the Blues in the first round. This year, I have the Jets missing the playoffs. Patrik Laine missed most of camp and Kyle Connor is not on the roster, as they are both restricted free agents and lost their three best defensemen. Tyler Myers left for Vancouver in free agency, Jacob Trouba got traded to the Rangers and Dustin Byfuglien is on leave from camp for personal reasons. The Blues will be back in the playoffs. The goaltending and defense are still there, and even though their depth took a hit by losing Patrick Maroon, they can still score with the best of them. Joining them from the Central will be Colorado, as a full year of Philip Grubauer and that offense will be dynamic, and Nashville will be there, too. Even though the Predators lost P.K Subban, they still have a topflight defensive core and depth scoring. All of the teams in the Central were over .500 last year, and that can be expected again. A talented team like Dallas can miss the playoffs this year, but will certainly make their name known in the wild card race Pacific: I have the same three teams making the playoffs from the Pacific as last year: Calgary, San Jose and Vegas. None of them got a lot better, and only the Sharks lost a really key piece in Joe Pavelski. The rest of the division is decidedly mediocre, with Arizona and Vancouver vying to be players in the wild card race. I really like what Arizona did last year, Antti Raanta is proving to be a solid goalie down there, and they look to improve on 86 points from last season. Vancouver added Tyler Myers and J.T Miller and will look to see improvement from former Hobey Baker winner Adam Gaudette on the offensive end. A full season of defensive stud Quinn Hughes and more ice time for goalie Thatcher Demko will also help the Canucks finally finish the seemingly eternal rebuild since that lone Cup Final appearance in 2011. My eight playoff teams from the West are: Nashville, Colorado, St Louis, Calgary, San Jose, Vegas, Dallas and Vancouver. I will send the Sharks to the final to face Tampa, a supremely talented offensive team, even after losing Joe Pavelski. The Tampa Bay Lightning will win the Cup in six games over the San Jose Sharks. Hold me to it.
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Varsity Scores & Stats Football Richmond 16 Fordham 23 (FOR) Kokosioulis: 9 NO, 45 YDS, 2 TD Women’s Volleyball Fordham 2 Rhode Island 3 (FOR) Lahr: 21 K, Ace, 3 Tot Women’s Tennis Army Invitational Individual Results Only (FOR) Balce: 4-6, 6-2, 10-4
Women’s Soccer Fordham 1 George Washington 2 (FOR) Baker-Durante: G, SH, SOG Fordham 0 Richmond 1 (FOR) Cocozza: 3 SH, 2 SOG Men’s Soccer St. Bonaventure 0 Fordham 1 (FOR) Fava: G, 4 SH, 2 SOG Fordham 0 Stony Brook 1 (FOR) Ricupati: 4 SH, 2 SOG
Men’s Golf Macdonald Cup (FOR) O’Rourke: 218 - +6 - T17 Men’s Water Polo #16 Fordham 8 #19 G. Wash. 9 (FOR) Miller-Tolt: 4 G #16 Fordham 16 Johns Hopkins 11 (FOR) Koukias: 3 G
Athletes of the Week Zach Davis
McKenna Lahr
Junior
Junior
Football
Volleyball
Davis led the way for Fordham on the ground in their Saturday home victory against Richmond. He had his third 100-yard game of 2019, running 13 times for 146 yards and even completing three catches for 17 yards.
While Women’s Volleyball may have lost their matchup with Rhode Island 3-2, Lahr had a standout performance in Saturday’s game as the outside hitter, nailing a season-high 21 kills, 3 blocks and an ace.
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 •
Track Mourns Mulkeen
The Fordham community has been saddened this week to learn of the news that Fordham alumnus and former member of the Track & Field team Brian Mulkeen (GSB 08) passed away early Sunday morning, having been shot in the line of duty as a member of the NYPD’s 47th Precinct. He was 33 years old and a seven-year veteran of New York’s Finest. He had also just recently returned to Fordham as a volunteer throwing coach. Mulkeen’s funeral mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday at the Church of the Sacred Heart at 26 Still Road in Monroe, New York
• 80 Years Since First TV Game
On Sept. 30, Fordham Athletics marked the 80
year anniversary of the first ever football game to be broadcast live on television, a game that the Rams participated in, hosting Waynesberg College at Randall’s Island Stadium to a live crowd of 9,000 fans. It was recorded on two iconoscope cameras and was broadcast on W2XBS (now known as WNBC). The Fordham squad included such players as Len Eshmont, Dominic Principe, Lou DeFilippo, Vince Dennery, John Kuzman, Raymond Riddick, Lawrence Satori and Joe Ungerer, all of whom would go on to play football professionally.
• Football Players Honored Again
The Patriot League’s football awards for De-
fensive and Offensive Players of the Week have been respectively given to sophomore linebacker Ryan Greenhagen and junior running back Zach Davis. While this is Davis’ first honor of the season, this is also Greenhagen’s third consecutive week earning his award. In the Rams’ Saturday game against Richmond, Davis ran 13 times for 146 yards (his fourth career 100-yard game), and Greenhagen (who was also named an Honorable Mention STATS FCS National Player of the Week) led the Fordham defense with 13 tackles, ten solo and a sack.
• Water Polo Enters Rankings This past week, for the first time since 2017,
Fordham Men’s Water Polo entered the National Top 20 poll, cracking the list at #16 in the week three release for the 2019 water polo season. After receiving votes in the poll the week before, the Rams got 20 votes in the poll after having a 4–0 weekend at the Bison Invitational, including an upset over #13 Bucknell. Following this rankings release, Fordham had a split weekend, losing to #19 George Washington and then defeating unranked Johns Hopkins.
–Compiled by Dylan Balsamo
Alex Wolz NYCFC: The Boys in Blue There were 24,290 in attendance. Yankee Stadium. Wednesday Night. But it was not for the Yankees: it was for New York City’s football club, NYCFC. Amidst the tremendous success of the New York Yankees this year, another City team has flown under the radar to the top record in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer and looks toward a successful playoff run of their own. While I am not a Yankees fan, and I prefer soccer over baseball, it is an incredible experience, even for those who are not a fan of the team or the sport itself, as those who joined me to my first NYCFC game will attest. The ease of arriving at Yankee Stadium remains the same, but the crowds are significantly diminished, and entering the stadium is far more seamless than it is for a baseball game. Secondly, the tickets can be more affordable, with field-level seats available for a manageable price, even for those on a college budget. All that aside, what matters is the entertainment, and with soccer, it is something special. While it may not have had the same crowd as a Yankee game, the stadium was buzzing at this Wednesday night showdown against the reigning MLS Cup Champions, Atlanta United. A fan zone that was desolate when we arrived — about thirty minutes before kickoff — did not have one open seat available just a few minutes into the game. The crowd was engaged from kickoff to conclusion, chanting, yelling and dancing throughout the match. After just a few minutes of anticipation, NYCFC scored its first goal of the night. The smokestacks went up, the lights flashed, the celebrations commenced. And then it happened a second time. And a third time. Alexandru Mitrita produced a hat-trick in a 21-minute span, something that does not happen often in professional soccer. It made the experience one of the best I have ever witnessed live. Each team would add a goal in the second half, with Héber delivering the fourth, sending NYCFC faithful home happy and securing the top spot in the Eastern Conference. I use the word “faithful” because there is such a passionate fanbase for NYCFC. There may have been open seats, and half of the city may not even know the team exists, but to the 20,000 in the stadium and the many more watching at home, NYCFC has a very real market — one that is just getting started. When they finally move from a baseball field to their own home stadium, that market will become even greater, and New York may have its next dominant sports power. So while many will surrender hundreds of dollars to attend a Yankees playoff game to hopefully see the Bronx Bombers return to the World Series, I will be following the new Boys in Blue as they search for their first MLS Cup. I highly suggest that you do too.
Page 24
SPORTS
October 2, 2019
The Fordham Ram
Fordham Football Wins Home Matchup Against Richmond By DYLAN BALSAMO
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
As Saturday morning turned into Saturday afternoon, Fordham Football prepared for its home matchup at Jack Coffey Field against the University of Richmond Spiders. Cars full of parents decked head-to-toe in maroon pulled into the parking lot, grilled up some chopped meat and made their way into the bleachers. It was Family Weekend on the Rose Hill campus in the Bronx, and it just so happened to coincide with the Rams’ first home game since their opening night loss to Central Connecticut State, a sting that could still be felt on that afternoon. This time around, however, in a game they were supposed to lose by a fair margin, Fordham walked off Jack Coffey victorious, holding off the Spiders and earning its second win of the season by a score of 23–16. This was the Rams’ second consecutive week taking on an opponent from the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). After the previous Saturday’s 45–10 loss on the road to Stony Brook, the one-score victory against Richmond not only put Fordham at 2–3 but it also put them back on the right track. After about 20 minutes of play in the Bronx on Saturday, it seemed as if Richmond would take care of business as it was expected to and make very light work of Fordham. The only scoring in the first quarter came in the form a Jake Larson 37-yard field
goal to give the Spiders a 3–0 lead and put the finishing touch of a gritty, five minute, 11-play drive. Having possession again five or so minutes into the second quarter, the Spiders got the job done again, this time in the form of a touchdown. Richmond starting Quarterback Beau English hit receiver Charlie Fessler with a 10-yard pass to score and bring the score to 10–0. But once Fordham found its footing in the second quarter, the Rams gained control of the game. Three minutes after the Spiders had extended their lead, Fordham junior kicker Andrew Mevis continued his outstanding season, hitting a 24-yarder good for three points. Before halftime hit, the Rams completed a five minute, 14play drive, good for 69 yards when sophomore quarterback Tim DeMorat hit his fellow sophomore — wide receiver Fotis Kokosoulis — for a 12-yard pass and evened the score at 10–10 as the squads went to the locker rooms for halftime. In the third quarter, after almost 12 minutes of back-and-forth unsuccessful drives, Richmond grabbed back the lead. Larson kicked another field goal, this one for 32 yards, bringing the score to 13–10 in favor of the Spiders. However, in the final five minutes of the quarter, the Rams were in control, scoring two touchdowns: the first a one-yard pass to Kokosoulis and the second a 3-yard run from DeMorat himself. Those two scoring drives resulted in 13 points, the first touchdown saw Mevis miss the extra
point attempt for his first failed kick of the season, and lifted the Rams to a 10-point lead at 23–13. Early in the fourth quarter, Richmond got itself on the board again. Larson, nailing his third field goal of the game, kicked his longest threepointer of the afternoon, scoring from 41 yards out and bringing the game within one possession at 23–16. It was after that play that the Fordham defense locked in and took the game into its own hands. As has been the usual, that defense was led by sophomore linebacker Ryan Greenhagen. He has been the Patriot League’s Defensive Player of the Week for the past two weeks, and on Saturday, he made his best case for a third. With 14 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and a sack, he led a Fordham force that kept the Spiders to just 65 yards on the ground and stopped them from both of their attempts at fourth down conversions. “I’m proud of the way our defense played,” remarked Fordham Football head coach Joe Conlin. “Holding those guys to 65 yards rushing was pretty special.” It was extra special considering this was a Richmond team that was expected to knock the Rams’ socks off on their turf. Richmond would have two more possessions before the final whistle sounded, both of which ended in turnovers. The latter came in the final minute when the Spiders were just a few yards away from the end zone and seemingly about to tie the game. It was during a throw by Eng-
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
A stellar performance on defense earned Fordham its 2nd win this year.
lish into the Rams’ end zone that the junior defensive back Dervin Hylton Jr. picked off the potential game-tying pass, kept the affair from heading into overtime and sealed the deal on a Rams victory with under a minute left to play. In a game that ended up being surprisingly evenly-matched, Kokosoulis was a clear standout on the field: With his two touchdowns, he ended up with nine catches that were good for 45 yards. His quarterback, DeMorat, threw for 142 yards in his 20 completed passes. “I thought Timmy [DeMorat] played his best game,” Conlin continued. “He got the ball out quick, made some decisions and did damage with his legs.” Those legs are what put the Rams’ last touchdown into the end zone and gave them the score that would eventually prove itself to be the game-winner.
Collectively, the strongest offensive point for Fordham was its running game, which finished with a total of 191 rushing yards that game. Junior running back Zach Davis had an exemplary day, leading the charge with his 146 yards on 13 carries of the ball. But the team that was supposed to be so good — Richmond — now falls to 1–3, as the Spiders continue to lose ground in the CAA. As for Fordham, its 2–3 record is a means for celebration. Up next for the Rams: a two-game road trip that begins with next Saturday’s matchup, a little bit up north, against the Yale Bulldogs in a 1 p.m. game in New Haven, Conn. It will be the 10th ever football meeting between Fordham and Yale, the program where Conlin once served as offensive coordinator. For these Rams, the dog days of the season may be just beginning.
Fordham Men’s Soccer Beat Themselves in Loss to Stony Brook By ANDREW POSADAS ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Coming into Tuesday’s matchup with Stony Brook University, the Rams were riding high after a dramatic Atlantic 10 Conference game at home to St. Bonaventure University. A tightly contested game between the Rams and Bonnies saw Fordham have to go into its fourth consecutive overtime. With just 4.1 seconds left to spare in the second overtime period, junior defender Luka Fava headed home the golden goal to lift Fordham to its 3rd win of the season. This week, the Rams began a four-match road swing, starting on Tuesday evening against Stony Brook University. Last year, the Rams and the Seawolves played to a draw. It seemed like Fordham was in prime position for a road win, considering Stony Brook came into Tuesday’s game losers of three straight matches. Fordham found itself in another defensive battle early on in the first half. Both squads were able to contain the opposing offenses, with just seven shots between the two teams. Fordham held a slight advantage at 4–3, but neither team was able to capitalize in the final third of play. At the half, the match remained scoreless and yet again, it looked as if the Rams may be destined to
go to overtime for a fifth straight outing. Naturally, Fordham started the second half aggressively on offense. Junior midfielder Jacob Bohm took a shot on goal from 10 yards out in the 45th minute, but was denied by Seawolves goalkeeper Edmond Kaiser. Just three minutes later, Stony Brook went on the offensive and put a dangerous ball into the 18-yard box. Senior defender and captain Joergen Oland attempted to clear the ball to safety, but a bad touch sent the ball inside the right post, resulting in a Fordham own goal. It is the Rams first own goal of the season and a costly error for Oland, normally the surest defender on the squad. Fordham continued amping up the offensive attack, as graduate student forward Filippo Ricupati had three scoring chances in a sevenminute span. Unfortunately, Kaiser was the best player on the field for the Seawolves, making save after save throughout the match. Then, in the eighty-third minute, sophomore midfielder paul Makaj had perhaps Fordham’s best opportunity to tie. Makaj ripped a one-timer from 12 yards out. Yet, as was the case all night, Kaiser made a diving save to preserve Stony Brook’s lead. Despite outshooting the Seawolves on the night, 12–5, the
MACKENZIE CRANNA/THE FORDHAM RAM
An own goal by Fordham Men’s Soccer was the difference in a match that the Rams ultimately should have won.
final horn went off to end regulation and the scoreboard read 1–0 in favor of the home team. The loss drops Fordham to 3–6–1 on the season, with all five losses coming out of conference. With all the overtime games the Rams
have played so far, it looks as if attrition will be the teams biggest obstacle moving forward. Fordham Men’s Soccer is back in action this Saturday, where they jump right back into A-10 conference play. Fordham will
take the relatively short trip up to Rhode Island to renew its rivalry, described as “the 27th meeting between Fordham and Rhode Island. The Battle of the Rams.” Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+.