Volume 101 Issue 6

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 101, Issue 6

FordhamRam.com

March 6, 2019

Women's Basketball Shares A-10 Title

Fordham Releases Climate Plan

By HELEN STEVENSON

By JACK MCLOONE

NEWS EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS

For years now, Fordham Women’s Basketball has consistently been the best team on campus, playing its way into the postseason more often than not. Despite all that success, one thing continued to evade the team: an Atlantic 10 regular season title. While the Rams have to settle for a share of the title with the Rams of Virginia Commonwealth University, they can finally cross that achievement off the list by closing the regular season on a nine-game winning streak.

“To win the regular season just speaks volumes about the kids’ resiliency and toughness during a long season that offers highs and lows,” said head coach Stephanie Gaitley.

“With the regular season title and 13 conference wins, this team has now etched their place in Fordham Women’s Basketball history.”

The Rams finished the regular season 22-8 and 13-3 in conference play. It was their best regular-season SEE WBB, PAGE 24

JOE BYRNES/THE FORDHAM RAM

On Sunday, March 3, the Special Olympics Club hosted their fourth annual "Red-Out" fashion show.

Special Olympics Club Hosts Red-Out Fashion Show

By SARAH HUFFMAN

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

On Sunday, March 3, the Special Olympics Club at Fordham (SO Fordham) hosted their fourth annual Red Out Fashion Show in the McGinley ballroom.

The fashion show was a redthemed evening to raise awareness and bring communities together, according to SO Fordham Presi-

dent, Katelyn Sommers, GSB ’19.

To celebrate, club members wore red and the venue was decorated with red tablecloths, streamers, balloons and even red raffle tickets and red velvet cake.

The first hour of the event was a reception, silent auction and raffle.

Some silent auction items included NYC ballet tickets, Yankees tickets, an unlimited monthly membership to Rent the Runway and a $100

Amazon gift card.

Some raffle items included two tickets to Live with Kelly and Ryan, a love pie date and a Pugsley's t-shirt and hat and a $40 gift card to Ann and Tony’s. Raffle and Silent auction winners were announced later in the evening throughout the fashion show.

The actual fashion show ocSEE RED OUT, PAGE 3

Vehicle Chase Ends at Martyr's

By SARAH HUFFMAN

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

present, including City Council Member Ritchie Torres and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, spoke about programs that have been put in place since Guzman-Feliz’s death and asked that the community never forget him.

“Today is about pivoting and

On Friday, March 1, a vehicle being pursued by officers from the NYPD’s 52nd Precinct drove onto the Rose Hill campus at the Southern Boulevard entrance. The three men in the car were all taken into custody by officers shortly after, and no one was injured.

The 52nd precinct patrol officers observed a vehicle in the vicinity of a known drug location. When they approached the vehicle, the vehicle fled the scene and committed several traffic infractions.

NYPD officers followed the vehicle and unsuccessfully attempted to pull it over. During the process, the vehicle turned onto Fordham's campus with police in pursuit.

“Once it came onto campus the security officer assigned to the main entrance alerted us over the radio what was occuring,” said Public Safety Supervisor Micheal McGinn. “At

SEE JUNIOR, PAGE 6

SEE CAR CHASE, PAGE 5

MIA TOMMINS/THE FORDHAM RAM

City officials and Guzman-Feliz's family hold the new street signs honoring the teen at the naming ceremony.

Bronx Renames Street For Lesandro Guzman-Feliz

By ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Less than a year after the death of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, the street where he died was co-named to honor him. Guzman-Feliz was killed in June 2018 by the

Trinitario gang in a case of mistaken identity. His death created a national outcry and the hashtag #JusticeforJunior.

Since his death, countless memorials have been held and New York state has dedicated $18 million toward fighting gang violence. The city officials

The university’s office of the vice president for facilities management and sustainability released the Climate Action Plan: 2018 Annual Executive Update. The 18-page report reestablishes the university’s current commitment to sustainability and reaffirms its goal of achieving 40 percent emissions reduction by 2030.

In 2007, Fordham University joined the New York City Carbon Challenge and committed to reducing its greenhouse emissions by 30 percent by 2017. Although the university did not meet its goal, it reduced emissions by 24.6 percent and has every intention of reaching its 40 percent goal by 2030.

“Fordham will continue to evaluate its current list of potential projects and to identify new projects in order to achieve this goal by 2030,” the report reads. “Fordham’s decisions regarding which projects to implement will be based on our capital budget an the payback of project investments.”

Gabby Perez, FCRH ’21 and cochair of sustainability committee said the 40 percent goal is encouraging, but the university could do more to reduce its carbon footprint.

“While I applaud the university for being on track to meet the 40% carbon emission reduction goal by 2030, meeting this goal is the bare minimum,” she said. “I am even wondering why the university does not strive for the 50 percent by 2025 goal.”

Lauren Beglin, FCRH ’19, Perez’s co-chair of sustainability committee, agreed with her sentiments.

However, she said that although she thinks meeting energy reduction goals is critical, she thinks the transition to 100 percent renewable energy is just as important, if not more.

“I was surprised that no mention was made of converting Fordham to 100 percent renewable energy by 2040 given Governor Cuomo's pledge to transition the state as such, SEE CAP, PAGE 6

in this issue

Opinion

Page 8

Friendly Fire in Queens Should Serve as a Wake-up Call

Sports

Page 22

Baseball wins Weekend Series

Culture

Page 16

Mimes and Mummers Thrills with "Into the Woods"

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

March 6, 2019

Davis Speaks on Race, Feminism, Authority Hundreds Turn Out For BHM Event

By ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Feb. 20 Goupil Hall 9:10 p.m.

A fire alarm went off in Goupil Hall. It resulted in the evacuation of Martyrs' Court. The alarm was triggered because of an empty box of hot pockets in the microwave.

Feb. 24 Walsh Hall 1:15 p.m.

An elevator in Walsh Hall was stuck with four students inside.

An elevator mechanic responded and safely freed the students.

Feb. 24 Terra Nova House 7:15 p.m.

FDNY responded to a smoke condition at Terra Nova House.

It was determined that the cause of the smoke was food in the oven. The food was removed and the alarms were reset.

Feb. 26 Southern Boulevard 4:15 p.m.

A student reported that his vehicle was broken into while parked on the street on Southern Boulevard by the rear of the Lombardi Center. The perpetrator broke a window and removed personal belongings. A police report was filed.

Activist Angela Davis spoke to a packed room in McGinley second at Fordham University on Feb. 25. Despite having midterms, hundreds of students showed up to see the activist and hear her talk about her life and work.

The Black Student Alliance at Fordham (ASILI) organized the event. According to Anya Patterson, FCRH '19, president of ASILI, they started planning for this year’s Black History Month speakers at least a year in advance.

However, they did not receive funding to have Davis speak, until January of this year. Patterson said she felt the university needed to hear from someone like Angela Davis.

Students also may have noticed that the event, which had roughly 700 students in attendance according to Patterson, was a bit crowded. Patterson said this was because they had trouble securing space for the event.

“I was determined that we would have this event and it would not just benefit my club but the whole school community,” said Patterson. “Whenever we were told no, we said who else can we talk to?”

Davis is a political activist, writer and scholar. Over the course of her career, she has gone from a fugitive on the FBI’s most

ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI/THE FORDHAM RAM

Angela Davis talks to members of the Fordham Community. Hundreds of students filled McGinley Second to hear her.

wanted list to writing indictments of the prison system after being acquitted. She is also well-known for being a feminist and a member of the communist party. Patterson, who said she has read all of Davis’ books and quoted her in many papers, called her a trailblazer and walking history.

“It was amazing,” said Patterson. “I feel like it was a once-in-a-

March 1 Martyrs Circle 12:12 p.m.

A vehicle being pursued by NYPD officers drove onto Fordham's campus at the Southern boulevard entrance. The three men got out of the car at Martyrs' Circle. They were all taken into custody by officers. No one was injured.

-Compiled by Eliot Schiaparelli

Follow us on Twitter! @TheFordhamRam

RAM ARCHIVES

Students from ASILI pose at one of their earlier Black History Month events.

lifetime thing especially with the issues she spoke on.”

Davis spoke on a range of issues, from Black History Month, to feminism, to Islamophobia and to intersectionality.

On the topic of Black History Month she talked about early treatment of indigenous people in America to great cheers from the audience.

“The United States was founded on the notion that it was the very best incarnation of democracy that the world had ever seen, but it was a flawed conception of democracy," she said. "It did not represent justice, equality and freedom for all. As a matter of fact, this flawed democracy was created on the violent suppression of others.”

She went on to say more about how black history is connected to the history of indigenous people.

She also said that early democracy excluded working class people, women and African Americans.

She pointed out connections, both positive and negative, recent and long ago, between black history and the larger histories of America.

Davis also referenced President Donald Trump, calling him “the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.” Throughout

her speech, Davis continued to question the status quo, including addressing the death penalty as a racist institution.

“Perhaps the world needs to be rearranged,” said Davis. She later continued, “We have work to do and we’re just beginning to do the work that should have been done in the aftermath of slavery.”

On the topic of feminism, she identified different types from “bourgeois white feminism” to “abolition feminism” to “carceral feminism.”

“All feminisms are not created equal,” said Davis.

The crowded room gave Davis multiple long standing ovations at the beginning and end of her speech. She concluded with advice for the audience.

“Whenever you are offered a simple solution, question it,” said Davis. “You can’t have inclusion without transformation and diversity without justice.”

In the future, Patterson said she hopes the university will continue to bring speakers like Davis.

“I hope they bring meaningful and challenging speakers,” she said, “who will force students to think critically about issues and provide them with different perspectives than they currently have.”

This Week at Fordham Wednesday March 6

Friday March 8

Saturday March 9

Saturday March 9

Sunday March 10

Rolling Rams Boogie Night

Fordham Dance Marathon

Stranded in Pittsburgh Improv Show

Steel Magnolias

Bibbity Boppity Brunch

Rolling Rams Boogie Night is hosted

by Commuter Student Association's freshman board. Join them at a roller rink in the McGinley Second lounge for a '70s themed disco celebration.

The event will occur from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

This is Fordham Dance Marathon's sixth annual dance marathon. Join FDM and their B+ heroes for their biggest event of the year, a 10-hour dance marathon. There will be food and entertainment. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

Fordham Experimental Theater presents Stranded in Pittsburgh Improv.

The theme of the show is "Stranded in Pittsburgh's Dodranbicentennial."

The show is in the Blackbox Theater.

Enter through the back of Collins Hall. The line starts at 7:30p.m.

Theatrical Outreach Program presents "Steel Magnolias." Written by Robert Harling, "Steel Magnolias" takes place in a hair salon and tells the story of six southern women, including a mother, M'Lynn, and her daughter, Shelby. Admission is free.

This event is hosted by Moment of Magic. This brunch will promote pediatric cancer awareness and raise money for creative programming.

It will allow students to relax and have a fun morning filled with food, raffles, fun and magic.

McGinley Second 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Lombardi Fieldhouse 2:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Blackbox Theater 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Collins Auditorium 8:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Bepler Commons 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

NEWS

March 6, 2019

Page 3

Fashion Show Raises Money for Special Olympics FROM RED OUT, PAGE 1

curred during the second half of the event. Special Olympics athletes and Fordham athletes walked the runway together, modeling uniform outfits, casual outfits and formal outfits.

The Special Olympians that walked the runway included Alicia Melendez, Peter Thomas, Erica “Louise” Razor, Shannon Menzzasalma, Christopher Greif and Rodney Hankins.

Cheerleader Corinne Vient, FCRH ’21, said she is on the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and that SO Fordham reached out and asked for athletes to walk in the fashion show.

“I heard of it in the beginning of the year and I knew it was something I wanted to do, so I signed up through [SAAC],” said Vient. “A friend of mine is on the e-board and really passionate about it. It just felt like it was a good thing to do to make that connection between this club and athletics.”

SO Fordham was supported by various other Fordham clubs.

The B-Sides and the Ramblers performed during the fashion show and some of the Moment of Magic characters were present. Belle walked the runway with one of the Special Olympians.

SO Fordham e-board member, Olivia Kililea, FCRH ’20, said that the fashion show was really cute, and it was great to see how excited the athletes were.

She said it felt like a real fashion show but it was low stress and a fun time.

Sommers said the money raised during the event goes to both Special Olympics New York and Special Olympics Club at Fordham.

According to Sommers, the Red Out Fashion show was the kickoff event for SO Fordham when the club started four years ago. It is a national Special Olympics event and Fordham’s club decided to take it on – it has grown bigger and bigger every year since then.

According to Sommers, the mission of the event is to fundraise and to host a night for Special Olympics and Fordham athletes.

“It’s really a way to bring local Special Olympics athletes and the Fordham community together,” said Sommers. “The Special Olympics athletes love it. They have so much fun on stage and seeing the smiles on their faces is why I wanted to run this event and this organization.”

Sommers said they start planning the event around January and use the time to train their

SARAH HUFFMAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Fordham Special Olympics hosted their annual fundraiser, the Red Out Fashion Show, this past Sunday.

new executive board. She said the planning includes organizing lighting, ordering food and reaching out to Fordham athletics and Special Olympics community.

Special Olympics is about inclusion in athletics. The organization provides Olympic style sports training and athletic competition for people with special needs and disabilities. The Special Olympics

club at Fordham seeks to engage the Fordham community in Special Olympics events throughout New York City and spread its value of acceptance, respect, support and compassion around campus.

“I think it’s really important for the Fordham community to have a bond with the local community in general, and the Special Olympics athletes especially want to feel like

they’re on an even playing field with people their own age,” said Sommers.

Sommers said SO Fordham has a lot of college-age Special Olympics athletes at their event.

According to Sommers, it was awesome for people to see Special Olympics athletes and Fordham athletes walking together and to see that they are one and the same.

Fordham IIHA and JRS Hosts Mireille Twayigira

By KATHRYN SCHULTE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Thursday, Feb. 28, Fordham’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) and the Jesuit Relief Services (JRS) hosted activist Mireille Twayigira, Ph.D., at Lincoln Center for an event titled “Full of Hope: One Refugee’s Journey of Survival, Resilience, and Education.”

Brendan Cahill, Executive Director of IIHA, opened the event. He has worked with JRS for almost 20 years and said he wanted to shift the conversation about the refugee crisis from negative to optimistic.

“We live in a world where there are so many negative stories that confront us on a regular basis, and yet here there is a remarkable beauty in the determination and character of Dr. Mireille Twayigira,” he said.

“She overcame obstacle after obstacle and yet never lost her sense of thanks or service.”

Cahill began with an introduction of Twayigira and welcomed the representatives that accompanied her from JRS. “Tonight, what we are doing is celebrating. We are celebrating Mireille’s emergence and her remarkable story,” said Cahill. “She is with us tonight to tell her story and it’s an exceptional one but it shouldn’t be so exceptional: education is a human right, education is here for all of us.”

Twayigira said that her journey is one of love, of God, of hope and of resilience.

“I just came here to share my personal journey as a young refugee and how education transformed that journey from tragic to hope,” she said.

The speaker event was interactive, in which Twayigira posed sev-

KATHRYN SCHULTE/THE FORDHAM RAM

On Thursday, Feb. 23, IIHA and JRS hosted activist Mireille Twayigira, Ph.D., at Lincoln Center.

eral questions to the audience. In response, the audience could submit words from their phones, which popped up on the screen for her to read and discuss.

For her first question, Twayigira asked what words came to mind when the audience hears the word refugee. Common words were oppression, hunger, war and resilience.

She said that of the 25.4 million refugees, more than half are children. According to Twayigira, the crisis has become more long-term, with children now being born as refugees and spending their formative years without basic needs such as education.

Twayigira then asked the audience, “What do you think needs of refugees are?”

“Education” was a popular submission. Twayigira went on to explain that 23 percent of refugees have access to secondary school

and only one percent have access to university.

“I was lucky enough to be a part of that one percent,” she said.

Since becoming an advocate with JRS, she said she has travelled to several different countries including Spain, Italy and Chad. In Chad, she said she met teenage girls that had hopes of becoming doctors so they could support their families and communities.

For her next question, Twayigira asked, “What do you think will become of these individuals if nothing changes?” Among the answers were poverty, sex trafficking and illness.

“There’s so much potential in these individuals which can become lost, but I’m here to share with you hope, using my story to show that all these can be avoided if given a chance,” she said.

Twayigira began to share her personal story as a refugee. Her journey began in Rwanda.

Since 1994, she travelled from the Congo, Angola, Zambia and then Malawi. She described the struggles of displacement: no shoes, stealing food at times and dealing with the loss of her immediate family. She became an orphan at four years old, and her grandfather raised her until his passing in 2007.

In Zambia, her grandfather contacted a friend who had connections to education opportunities for young Twayigira. She helped the two financially and they were able to move to Malawi in 2000, where 10-year-old Twayigira enrolled in primary school run by JRS. Even as a young girl, she knew that school was the only hope. She said young girls are disproportionally affected by displacement, and often denied access to rights such as education.

“Despite our past, education holds our only future,” she said.

Twayigira maintained her rank

at the top of her class throughout school. She went on to an all-girls boarding school for her secondary education. She was one of six girls and the only refugee of five Malawians. She scored the highest on the final examination.

“Now there was a chance for me,” she said.

She was awarded a scholarship to a medical university in China, however, she did not have a passport, as a result of her refugee status. Despite challenges, she was awarded Malawian citizenship and went to medical school in 2010. Medical school came with its own challenges, one being that she had to learn a new language for her studies.

She concludes her personal story by saying she realized her purpose while at university. She said her story is something she wishes to share with others, to urge young refugees that hope is still alive as long as they are.

“I had begun to see hope in my own story, because up until that time I had only seen tragedy,” she said.

In speaking at Fordham, Twayigira said she hopes people will see that JRS’ Global Education Initiative is worth their time and resources. Education allows people to be self-reliant and not dependent entirely on aid. Only two percent of all humanitarian aid goes to education, and her goal is to change that number for the coming generations.

Twayigira ended her lecture with statement of unity and a call to action.

“We share one humanity, we are all one human race,” she said. “We share suffering, we share joy, we share everything […] One question remains. Are you with me?”

NEWS

Page 4

March 6, 2019

Research Spotlight

USG Column

Senior Researches Glucose Sensors for Diabetics SWS is USG Club of the Project Takes on a Global Outreach Perspective Month

By ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI

By KRISTEN MCNERNEY

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Brett Musialowicz, FCRH ’19, is part of a team working in the Nanotechnology and Renewable Energy Lab under Christopher Koenigsmann, Ph.D., on a project trying to create a new catalyst for glucose sensors.

The team is trying to create longer-lasting glucose sensors for people with diabetes in less developed countries. Musialowicz said an organic material called glucose oxidase is currently used in the sensors that only lasts a few weeks without refrigeration.

They are using nanowires to create a metal catalyst that will last longer than the organic material. The new catalyst will make the sensors more durable, less expensive and widely available.

The idea of creating a usable device that could help people is what appeals to Musialowicz.

“That’s really how I got hooked,” he said. “ It was more so we’re going to be working on these projects and putting this time in for something applicable and something we could work toward rolling out and making it available for people who are less fortunate than us.”

Before he began his work on glucose sensors, Musialowicz worked on a solar cell project in the same lab. The project was nanotechnology based, similar to the rest of those in Koennigsmann’s lab. The team was trying to create a solar energy fuel cell for cars.

Due to an interest in medicine, he transitioned to the glucose sensor project two years ago. When he started, Musialowicz took over the project from a graduating senior.

At that point they were looking at how to make nanowires. Currently, he and the rest of the team are testing the sensor in the lab and looking to publish toward the end of the summer.

Musialowicz said his research mentor, Koenigsmann, came up with the idea for the project while doing postdoctoral research.

Photo of the Week:

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF BRETT MUSIALOWICZ

Musialowicz’s glucose sensor project sits in the Nanotechnology and Renewable Energy Lab at Fordham University.

“This is his grand plan and we came up with the procedure of how we can accomplish that goal,” Musialowicz said.

Once they publish their scientific research, the project could be picked up by a bigger company, and the device they created could be tested on people.

For almost his entire college career, Musialowicz has spent eight to 10 hours a week on research. As he heads toward medical school next year, he plans to continue researching from a global outreach perspective.

“It’s taught me to think in a completely different way,” he said.

“It’s really taught me to think step by step and the constant thing

with research is even if the next step isn’t the success of what you initially planned, you’re learning a lot about what you’re doing so following the direction of your research. It’s ok to not get what you want and follow it down a different path.”

Musialowicz has long been involved with Fordham research.

He contributed to the creation of research colloquiums and provided advice and feedback for the research seminars that started this semester.

Musialowicz has also helped the next wave of Fordham undergraduate researchers by giving them advice. He said the one big piece of advice he has for students inter-

ested in doing research is to reach out to their professors.

He said not enough people know about the great research being done. He also said students should not be afraid to ask questions and create direct conversations with their professors.

“I found it freshman year because I took his class first semester and I literally walked up to him and went through the whole page of what everyone was doing.

I was just curious,” he said. “So I started going through the list and I was like wow that is such a great thing I could add value to. I really support the idea and I thought it would be really encouraging to be a part of it.”

PATRICK SAWYER/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Empire State Building stands above its peers in this New York City skyline. The building is 102 stories tall and stands at 1,454 feet tall. It is designed in the Art Deco style. Tours can be taken to the builidng’s observatory.

United Student Government (USG) senators discussed upcoming events at the last two meetings on Feb. 21 and Feb. 28.

USG President Connor Sullivan, FCRH ’19, said a senate meeting about the new USG constitution will be held on March 7.

Two clubs received senate approval on Feb. 28. The first was Club Golf, an intramural sport that does not fall under the Athletics Department.

A representative for the club said it would be open to both men and women and would involve meetings and outings to golf courses.

The second club was Blockchain Club, an organization that seeks to teach students about the company that created Bitcoin.

The club hopes to hold bi-weekly meetings, attend Blockchain events in NYC, form partnerships with companies and seek guest speakers through the organization. The senate agreed that although the club could be a sub-group of already existing clubs, a multitude of students would benefit from learning about blockchain specifically.

Senator Brian Daaleman, FCRH ’19, presented his Diversity and Inclusion Campus Survey for approval. It asks students to identify themselves in a multitude of ways and asks them questions about how they feel their identities are treated in the Fordham community.

Daaleman also said that Bronx Celebration Day will be held on Saturday, April 6 from 12-4 p.m. on campus and will feature music, food and businesses of the Bronx.

Vanessa Reyes, FCRH ’19, Commuting Student Association Delegate, announced Commuter Week’s theme is time travel.

Throughout this week, March 4-9, there will be tons of food and free t-shirt giveaways, she said. She also said that the commuter assistance application is now available.

Senator David D’Onofrio, FCRH ’22, announced that he is working on improving the Queens Court produce market to add more variety.

The senate voted to award Smart Women Securities (SWS) with club of the month. Senator Dean Corrado, GSB ’19, said SWS is an outlet for women passionate about business that feel less comfortable in other male-dominated business clubs.

From the Dining Committee, Senator Maggie Rothfus, FCRH, ’20, said that Queen’s Court will have straw cleaners available for reusable straws.

Vice President of Sustainability Gabby Perez, FCRH ’21, said that the committee raised $600 for a Bronx sustainability initiative.

Senator Devin D’Agostino, FCRH ’20, said that Earth Hour will be happening on March 30 from 8:30-9:30 p.m. on Keating steps. He said Keating Hall will turn off all lights to save electricity and is hoping to secure bands to entertain students during the event.

Senator Margaret Tattersfield, FCRH ’22, said that girl scouts will be selling cookies in McGinley from 1 to 4p.m. on March 30 and 31 and April 7 and 13.

NEWS

March 6, 2019

Page 5

Public Safety Apprehends Car Chase Suspects FROM CAR CHASE, PAGE 1

that point, the supervisors, patrol vehicles, as well as the office staff here, responded out in the field to the location. A few minutes later we found out the vehicle had been abandoned at the Lalande Circle and one of the occupants was apprehended by one of the officers at the scene.”

McGinn said the other two men in the vehicle fled towards Martyrs Lawn. Public Safety officers assisted NYPD officers with a search of the area and discovered one of the individuals in the Lalande lounge and the other in front of Martyrs Court Lalande.

Both individuals were taken into custody without further incident, and they were turned over to the NYPD who then removed them and the vehicle from campus.

During the course of these events, an emergency text was sent out to members of the community alerting them about the situation.

“RH campus NYPD in pursuit of two males in vicinity of Martyrs Court, one male bald/ one male in camouflage," read the text.

Once the situation was resolved, another text was sent out alerting the community that it was safe.

“NYPD has apprehended all males at the RH campus. No further safety concern," it said.

The Department of Public Safety also sent an email inform-

COURTESY OF THE RAM ARCHIVES

Public safety officers assisted NYPD officers in locating and apprehending the three suspects involved in the car chase.

ing the university community about the situation. The email said the three suspects were captured by Public Safety supervisors and handed over to the NYPD. It also reported the NYPD recovered two knives and 20 bags of heroin from the suspects and that Public Safety supervisors searched the area to ensure no contraband was dropped on campus.

Some students in the area

watched the events unfold. Camryn Pecyno, GSB ’22, lives in Martyrs Court Goupil and witnessed the incident.

“When I arrived at Martyrs, there were multiple NYPD vehicles surrounding a navy or black Audi,” she said. “As I was walking into the building, Public Safety was walking out with one of the suspects. NYPD patted him down, then handcuffed him. Then the second suspect was brought

over to the Audi where he was also patted down and put into the back of the squad car.”

There was also a tour group standing in Lalande Circle at the time of the incident. A video was posted on Barstool Fordham Instagram account of the incident that made fun of the fact that the arrest occurred around prospective students.

The video zooms in on one of the men being arrested on the

steps in front of Alumni Court South and then pans over to the tour group near them. The video is captioned saying, “Not the best look to be preaching about how safe Fordham is to a tour of incoming freshmen with this going on in the background.”

McGinn said Public Safety spoke with admissions afterwards and told the people on the tour that they were more than welcome to come speak with Public Safety or that they would come speak with them.

“I would think they saw how quickly it was resolved and the fact that the situation was taken under control,” said McGinn.

“This is the safest 90 acres you’re gonna find in the Bronx. We put a tremendous amount of resources and effort into making sure it stays safe on and off campus.”

McGinn said the Department of Public Safety was pleased with how the whole situation played out.

“Everything went very very well from our perspective,” said McGinn. “There were no injuries, no one got hurt. Public Safety responded to their jobs the way they were supposed to and the way they were trained to. We were very satisfied with the response and the fact that they were taken into custody so quickly.”

McGinn said no one should be concerned and that Public Safety's statistics, security presence and how they operate should alleviate any present fears.

Master of Arts in

Urban Studies • Using New York City as your classroom, study urban life in a program shaped by your own interests.

Learn to tackle the challenges facing modern cities in Fordham’s 16-month master’s program.

• Engage in fieldwork and build a strong foundation of applied research in contemporary urban issues.

• Explore research, work, and study abroad opportunities with our international partner universities.

• Gain practical experience with public agencies, community nonprofits, museums, architectural firms, economic development firms, and more.

Courses offered at Lincoln Center and Rose Hill in the evening to accommodate fieldwork.

Accelerated master’s available for Fordham juniors with a GPA of 3.2 or higher.

Visit fordham.edu/urbanstudiesma to learn more.

Page 6

Climate Action Plan Sets Goals FROM CAP, PAGE 1

and think that the University needs to consider ways they can achieve this goal and begin their implementation,” she said.

In order to reduce energy usage in a cost-effective manner moving forward, the university will pursue “alternative energy strategies” using new technology.

“The University completed two strategic LED relamping initiatives on both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center Campuses in 2015 which will help the University conserve annually 712,000 kWh of energy,” the report states.

The initiatives are underway in 11 buildings on the Rose Hill campus and will continue to be adjusted.

A uniform recycling program was installed at Lincoln Center and Rose Hill to manage waste, recycling and minimization.

“Ongoing educational efforts involving students, faculty and staff as well as more and revised placement of recycling bins throughout all campus buildings, both residential and academic have improved this initiative,” reads the report.

All new buildings on campus will be designed to ensure environmental responsibility, as established in this report. In addition, the university dedicated Campbell and Salice-Conley Hall as the first green building built on campus, and it was awarded a LEED Gold Certification.

The university’s department of university transportation also con-

NEWS

March 6, 2019

verted its 38 “Ram Vans” to biodieselcapable vehicles in order to reduce annual CO2 emissions by 31 percent.

The report emphasizes the importance of meaningful curriculum and academic programs. The Gabelli School of Business offers a four-day intensive master class that focuses on sustainable business ventures, and the environmental studies department has been offered at the university since 2002.

Beglin said the educational initiatives are among the biggest improvements in the 2018 plan.

“The University has definitely made tangible progress toward making sustainable knowledge more accessible through [education]…but I think expanding the reach of this information is very much possible and necessary,” she said.

Beyond the plans outlined in the report, Perez said that there is much more Fordham could do to be a leader in sustainability.

“For example, the university could look into joining the 21 other New York colleges and universities in a renewable energy purchasing consortium, or install more solar panels on or off campus at the site in Staten Island, or look into divesting from fossil fuels,” she said.

Perez said that knowledge of climate change has increased since 2008 when these goals were initially made.

“I urge Fordham to push their goals further and become a real sustainability leader for other school's in New York and other Jesuit universities across the nation,” she said.

Bronx Representatives Name Street After "Junior" Bronx Remembers Teen After His Muurder FROM JUNIOR, PAGE 1

transitioning,” said Diaz. “So that now we celebrate the life of Junior. So that we never ever forget what happens here and everybody realizes that we all have a collective responsibility to work together and make

sure that this doesn’t happen again, and the way that we do that is by ensuring that his legacy moves on.”

Both Torres and Diaz spoke highly of a summer camp that will be named Camp Junior in upstate New York. The camp,

ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI/THE FORDHAM RAM

The bodega on 183rd/Bathgate was turned into a "Safe Haven" bodega.

which is specifically for Bronx teens, will open this summer.

“Junior’s impact will last as his spirit lives on,” Torres said. “We should remember Junior not only for the tragic loss of his life in an unspeakable act of violence. We should remember him for the lives he has saved and the lives he will save because of the legacy he leaves behind.”

The co-naming event took place in front of the bodega where Guzman-Feliz looked for help just before was killed on the corner of 183rd street and Belmont Avenue. The bodega is now the first safe haven bodega in New York City.

On it was a mural that was the backdrop for the event, with the quote “Love is the answer.”

While Guzman-Feliz’s family, teacher and city officials spoke to the assembled community members, his classmates and members of the NYPD explorers program stood behind them.

After each of the officials and Junior's family spoke, the new sign was unveiled, co-naming Belmont Avenue “Lesandro 'Junior' GuzmanFeliz Way," and GuzmanFeliz’s parents were given copies of the sign. The street

ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI/ THE FORDHAM RAM

A Bronx street, blocks from the university, was named after Guzman-Feliz.

co-naming fell on Guzman Feliz’s mother’s birthday. The crowd sang happy birthday to Leandra Feliz shortly after the unveiling.

Feliz addressed the crowd mostly in Spanish but said in

English that she was thankful for their support.

“I want to say thank you God for all that is happening right now,” she said. “No one wants to see the tragedy of any kid."

NEWS

March 6, 2019

Page 7

University Confirms: Cohen Threatened Legal Action Should Trump's Records Be Released

By HELEN STEVENSON NEWS EDITOR

Michael Cohen, former lawyer and longtime advisor of President Donald Trump, alleged the president instructed him to write letters to his former high school, colleges and The College Board in his testimony before the House Oversight committee today. The documents Cohen submitted to Congress include a 2015 letter addressed to Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, indicating legal action would be taken should the president’s academic records be released.

According to Bob Howe, director of communications for the university, Fordham first received a call from someone on the Trump campaign as he was preparing his run for president.

“We told the caller that Fordham is bound by federal law, and that we could not/ would not reveal/share any records (as we would not reveal any student records) with anyone except Mr. Trump himself, or any recipi-

ent he designated, in writing,” Howe said.

President Trump attended Fordham for his first two years of college before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania to finish his degree.

After the call, Howe said McShane received a letter from Cohen reaffirming their requests and threatening to take legal action if they were not followed.

“Fordham received a follow-up letter from one of Mr. Trump’s attorneys summarizing the call and reminding us that they would take action against the University if we did, in fact, release Mr. Trump’s records,” he said.

In the letter, Cohen cited the Family Education and Privacy Act which prevents the release or disclosure of academic records without the student’s written authorization.

Cohen told the university that Trump did not consent to the release or disclosure of his academic records and any violation of such law could result in substantial fines, penalties and the potential loss of oth-

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Michael Cohen testified to threatening legal action against Fordham should Trump's academic records be released.

er government aid and other funding. He said the criminality would “lead to jail time.” “[If] in the event any of his records are released or otherwise disclosed without his prior written consent, we will

hold your institution liable to the fullest extent of the law including damages and criminality,” Cohen wrote.

Howe said the university’s stance remains the same and it will not disclose any private

records.

“We obey federal law and don’t release student records to anyone but the student/ graduate or anyone that the student designates, in writing,” he said.

Bobby Sanabria Gives Performance and Lecture Speaks on the Cultural Importance of Latin-Jazz

By RACHEL GOW CULTURE EDITOR

On Friday, Feb. 22, Bobby Sanabria, a seven-time Grammy-nominated drummer, percussionist, composer and Bronx Walk of Fame inductee performed for Fordham students in McGinley 2nd.

The two-part event is part of a new series of collaborations between the Latin American and Latino Studies, Art History and Music departments. Sara Lehman, Ph.D., director of the Latin American and Latino American Studies department, Eric Bianchi, Ph.D., associate chair and director of Music, Nathan Lincoln-DeCusatis, assistant professor of music, and Mark Naison, Ph.D., a history professor at Fordham, organized the event. Sanabria’s visit included a morning lecture in the McGinley band room followed by a concert in the ballroom upstairs later in the day.

Sanabria is of Puerto Rican descent and was born and raised in the South Bronx, referring to himself as an “S.O.B,” or “son of the Bronx.” He said he credits his upbringing, defined in part by cultural conflict, planned shrinkage, and the destruction of low-income housing brought about by Robert Moses and the Cross Bronx Expressway, as one of the inspirations for his music.

“I’m a product of all that,” he said during the morning lecture, and “this” – pointing to

RACHEL GOW/THE FORDHAM RAM

Bobby Sanabria visited the university to perform latin-jazz and give a lecture on its cultural importance.

the array of congas, cymbals and a drum set — “this is what kept me alive.”

Sanabria expressed a big part of his childhood in his latest work, “West Side Story Reimagined.”

The album puts an Afro-Latin spin on Leonard Bernstein’s classic soundtrack and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album. During the lecture, Sanabria told the story of its conception. He described walking down the street in a predominantly Italian neighborhood and being yelled at for his

Puerto Rican background. Later, he said he watched “West Side Story” at a Bronx theater with his parents. Sanabria said not only did he fall in love with the films music and themes of cultural transcendence but also thought, “Oh my god this is my life.”

Sanabria said the album allowed him to reclaim “West Side Story” and celebrate the contributions Latin American countries have made to modern music.

“Latin America has influenced all American music,”

he said. “Listen to the ‘Rolling Stones,’ it’s there.”

When asked if recreating the soundtrack was a difficult task Sanabria said it was not.

“That was an easy thing,” he said, “because the story is not told through lyrics, it is told through rhythm.”

The Fordham community was able to experience these lively rhythms later in the evening.

Around 200 members of the Fordham community attended to hear Sanabria play with his band, “Bobby Sanabria & Ascensión.”

Lehman introduced Sanabria,

reciting his impressive list of accolades.

“There’s so much more I could say but how about we let the music speak for itself?” she said.

Sanabria had faculty and students alike up and dancing, even providing a short merengue lesson to the crowd.

“Watch my hand—the thumb is the most important part of your hand,” he said. “When I wrap my thumb around her hand she knows ‘oh he’s going to pull me.’ — when I open my thumb like this [she knows] ‘he’s going to push me.’”

Sanabria said that he was a part of the last generation in the Bronx that really knew how to dance.

“I’m not talking about breakdancing,” he said. “How are you going to ask some lady, ‘hey would you like to spin on your head with me?’”

He said that dancing is more than a way to pass the time: its effects break barriers within the culture of the United States. “[Dancing] is what broke the barriers between bigotry, racism, cultural insensitivity, all that stuff [and] negative energy,” he said.

Naison said that Sanabria’s performance brought light to the Bronx and university community.

“For one day at least, Bobby Sanabria turned Fordham into an extension of the Bronx,” he said.

“Fear was replaced with joy, indifference was replaced with enlightenment, a new community was built, and memories were created which may last a lifetime.”

Page 8

OPINION

March 6, 2019

The Fordham Ram

Friendly Fire in Queens Should Serve as a Wake-up Call

By NICHOLAS ZAROMATIDIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Detective Brian Simonsen of the 102nd Precinct, in Richmond Hills, Queens, was fatally shot in a friendly fire incident on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

The 19-year veteran of the NYPD responded to a report of armed robbery at a T-Mobile store on 120th Street. Simonsen and his partner, Sergeant Matthew Gorman, fired at the suspect and then left the store.

Upon exiting, both detectives were shot by fellow NYPD officers.

Detective Simonsen was rushed to Jamaica Hospital where he died that evening. Sergeant Gorman was also taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he is currently in stable condition.

On Feb. 17, a prayer vigil was held in Detective Simonsen’s honor. There, President of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association Patrick Lynch said that the friendly fire incident was due to “the mopes that caused this,” referring to Jagger Freeman, who was arraigned on charges of murder, robbery and assault. Christopher Ransom, the individual holding the suspected firearm, was also charged with murder.

Although it is true that the incident would not have occurred if these two criminals had not robbed the T-Mobile store, the logic is flawed. The facts are that two individuals decided to rob a store and the friendly fire incident was preventable; the criminal act does not

necessitate a friendly fire incident.

Placing blame on the criminals for the murder of a police officer is egregious. Friendly fire incidents should not be occur given the amount of training police officers receive.

“Since 1981, some 26 police officers across the United States have been shot and killed by fellow police officers who have mistaken them for dangerous criminals,” states the 2009 Report of the Task Force on Police -on-­Police Shootings .

Friendly fire shootings are extremely unfortunate events that can happen to even the best of police officers. However, to eliminate this statistic all together, police departments must identify the root cause of friendly fire shootings.

Friendly fire shootings are classified in three general situations: errors of position, errors of identification and errors of response inhibition. Errors of position typically occur in close combat and have been mitigated in recent years as weapons have become more accurate and technology has enhanced GPS systems. An error in identification can be quite common, especially when plain-clothed police officers are involved in the situation.

If an officer is not in their uniform, their badge should be noticeably present.

Nevertheless, it has been proven that people typically look at the face first when in a high stress

COURTESY OF FLICKR

The New York Police Department’s use of excessive force contributes to the chances of deadly incidents of friendly fire.

situation. This makes presenting a police badge and verbally announcing the presence of a police officer extremely important in high stress situations. Lastly, errors of response inhibition are natural in the position of being a police officer. Response inhibition derives from being in unknown territory and not knowing what is behind each door when an officer knocks.

Police officers are tasked with one of the most high-stress jobs and we must also take into consideration the charged and polarized political climate that exists today in the United States.

According to Pix11 news, “Simonsen’s partner was also injured in a tragic case of friendly fire as responding officers fired 42 rounds during the 11-second confrontation.” This seems excessive, but the

Internal Affairs department has not yet had the opportunity to conduct a full investigation regarding the circumstances, positioning of officers and other variables that must be taken into careful consideration.

Looking forward, topics of friendly fire must be more adequately addressed in professional development courses for police departments. It seems that it always takes an unfortunate accident to occur for people to take action.

De-escalation tactics, proper techniques in identifying officers versus perpetrators and navigating unfamiliar terrains are crucial skills for police officers that should be constantly reinforced throughout their law enforcement career.

Tragedies like the death of Detective Simonsen should not be taken lightly. Hopefully this can act

as a wake-up call to all of our local, city and state police departments.

Our police officers cannot survive with only their initial training.

The application of excessive force like 42 gun shots in 11 seconds should be deemed a crime in and of itself, but we shouldn’t jump to conclusions yet. As previously mentioned, Internal Affairs has not completed a full investigation.

Our police officers should be focused on defusing and de-escalating situations, rather than adding more fire power to an already heated situation, and they should receive the training that empowers them to do so.

Nick Zaromatidis, GSB ’21, is an applied accounting and finance major from Franklin Square, New York.

Congestion Pricing is Regressive

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Congestion pricing will do little to actually reduce street congestion and will hurt low-income workers.

By PATRICK SLUTTER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The other week The Ram ran an opinion article entitled “The Promise of Congestion Pricing.” This promise is a false one.

Nevertheless, on Feb. 26, Gov. Cuomo and Mayor De Blasio announced their 10-point plan to save the MTA and win the hearts and minds of progressive New Yorkers. The plan calls for long overdue practices such as MTA board term limits and an independent audit, but the crown jewel of their plan is congestion pricing south of 60th

Street.

At long last the mayor and governor agree on transit. Motorists will pay the real cost of their driving, and the car free city is triumphant, or so it seems.

To be clear, I want a lot more bike lanes, fewer cars in the city and better subway and bus service, but a congestion fee for entering the lower half of Manhattan is not the remedy for the city’s transportation woes. Congestion pricing is regressive, and whether it is tolled or not, this road paved with good intentions goes to hell.

First and foremost, congestion

pricing is the Manhattanites’ revenge on the bridge and tunnel people. The bulk of the city’s wealthiest residents already live, work and play in the area below 60th Street and they will rarely face the $12 or more (the exact price remains elusive) proposed by the governor and mayor.

This is a policy that primarily benefits those already in the city center but is paid for by people living in the city’s periphery.

The Jane Jacobs of 2019 choose to believe that the costs will be born by executives’ Bentleys coming down from Rye, but they’ve

forgotten about the costs to plumbers’ vans coming in from Queens.

Flatrate use fees, like this congestion pricing, are borne inordinately by working class people. Simply put, this pricing mechanism won’t change the amount of people driving into the city, it will only change who can afford to drive into the city.

The poorest in New York and other cities are increasingly being pushed out of the urban core and into the outer edges of cities, away from mass transit systems.

Congestion pricing puts the cost of rebuilding the MTA disproportionately on the backs of working class New Yorkers like cabbies (Yellow, Uber or otherwise), tradesmen and healthcare providers.

These are the same forces that engendered France’s gilets jaunes, which began with additional fuel taxes. Residents of Paris and New York’s metropolitan core are glad to call for taxes they will not pay.

These city and state transit policies add insult to injury for neighborhoods like Belmont and Tremont. The city and state tore down the Third Avenue El and built expressways that sapped neighborhoods of their property value and social capital but, at least, gave the promise of quick access to the city center by car.

Now these residents are being

punished again for being creatures of the transit ecosystem the city and state built.

There is a near one-to-one ratio for demand of roadways to drive on.

This is why adding lanes and auxiliary roads does little to relieve traffic.

If you build it, they will come. If the end goal is less cars in Manhattan, the policy must address the supply, not the demand. This means restricting streets and parking access rather than charging for it.

Ceding car traffic to bike lanes and pedestrian plazas already has proven to be a winning model to reduce car traffic. Moreover, the city should step up enforcement of non-moving violations, like double parking or blocking bus lanes, that exacerbate congestion.

The proposed congestion pricing scheme does nothing to lead the city away from cars and towards mass transit. Having congestion fees underwrite the MTA’s new projects will ironically make mass transit dependent on a consistent revenue stream drivers.

This program will do little to reduce congestion, it only add another burden to outer borough New Yorkers.

Patrick Slutter is in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences from Long Island, New York..

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R

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

Website FordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu Editor-in-Chief Aislinn Keely Managing Editor Hannah Gonzalez Business Director Donald Dugan Operations Director Briana Scalia Editorial Director Lindsay Grippo Executive Director Colette Nolan Copy Chief 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 Beth Knobel Editorial Page Policy

The Fordham Ram’s editorial and

ramblings topics are selected on a weekly basis and reflect 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.

March 6, 2019

From the Desk | Sarah Huffman

Do We Need Art in Our Lives?

The summer before I started college, I decided that I was done with theater. It took over my whole life in high school, and I knew I didn’t want to pursue it as a career, so continuing to put so much time and effort towards it seemed like a waste.

Fast forward a year and a half, and I am not only a member of all three theater groups on campus, but I can confidently say I don’t know where I would be without those clubs. In fact, I am writing this article while sitting in a lighting booth.

I am grateful every day that I succumbed to peer pressure the first week of freshman year and went with my roommate to the first Mimes and Mummers interest meeting. Being part of this community has made me realize that even though I don’t want to pursue an arts career, there is still so much I can learn from the arts that I can apply to whatever I decided to do one day.

Most people are forced to take a few art and music classes throughout grade school as a way of being exposed to the arts, but very few students take them seriously. In my experience, people take art and music classes to get through the requirement, but don’t think any further

about what they’re learning.

The core subjects of science, math, history and language arts are always labelled as the most important — and don’t get me wrong, they are important — and the arts always seem to be an afterthought and something that schools want to incorporate, but don’t emphasize.

Oftentimes, art is written off because becoming a successful musician or actor is so rare. People assume that you’ll never make it if you want to be an artist.

I understand that there is a select group that want to pursue a career in a performing or visual arts field, but that does not mean continued exposure is not important for everyone.

The lack of emphasis can be seen best when compared to other fields.

For example, athletes are celebrated for doing what they love and even people who are not interested in sports are encouraged to participate.

Most people recognize the physical and mental benefits of participating in a sport, but the same is not done for the arts.

There are so many benefits to participating in an artistic activity.

According to PBS, decision making, self-esteem, inventiveness and

cultural awareness are just a few of the benefits of exposure and regular practice of arts activities.

It is unpopular for people to avoid partaking in sports culture, but it is socially acceptable for someone to avoid partaking in arts culture.

People recognize that it is hard to become a professional athlete but they are still encouraged to play sports and pursue something they love as a hobby.

The same needs to be done for the arts. There are so many benefits people can reap from both the performing and visual arts even if they don’t wish to pursue it professionally. The popular opinion that arts are not worth it needs to change.

Being an artist requires discipline and patience to learn your craft and learn it well. It is not easy to learn how to play an instrument or learn painting techniques.

Participating in theater allows one to work on their team building skills as part of a cast and crew and requires creative thinking.

The practical and creative skills that are exercised through art can also benefit people in the “real world.” It is valuable to be a creative thinker, to be persistent and to be a

team player in a professional work environment.

I have learned so much through my time in theater including practical technical skills and creative problem solving.

I am so grateful for everything I have learned through my experiences with performing arts. Thank you to my theater families of the past and present; I would not be who I am today without you all and the experiences we have shared.

The importance of art for people’s development and well-being should be emphasized more than it usually is because there are so many benefits people can reap from the arts.

Editorial | Implicit Bias

Bias, Banter and the Bronx

On Friday, members of the Fordham community received a series of notifications from the university detailing the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) pursuit and ultimate apprehension of two males on Rose Hill campus.

The response to the incident by some within the campus gates is evident of a broader problem of discrimination towards the surrounding area, one that plagues our campus and contributes to the divide between the two communities.

Many of us at Fordham are temporary residents of the Bronx. We choose to spend several months of several years here. We take advantage of its rich food, cultural opportunities and varied resources, and our campus should be in partnership with this community rather than a semi-permeable subset of it.

Prejudices need not be intentional to be harmful, and we should not harbor any bias against the full time residents that make the area what it is.

A popular Instagram account among students known as Barstool Fordham posted a video of the two men being pinned down by NYPD officers in front of a group of prospective students with the caption “Not the best look to be preaching about how safe fordham is to a tour of incoming freshman with this going on in the background.”

Several students commented on the post implying that such incidents are a regular occurrence.

“Woah. Hom[i]cide?” “business as usual here in the bronx” and “wanna come visit me yet” were just a few of the remarks left under the video.

The implication of such language is that the university is an unsafe place because of constant and dangerous threats from Bronx residents.

These attitudes – held by some students, parents and friends – perpetuate a false narrative of the surrounding area that is both harmful and unjust, and it is shameful that people would take such a blasé, sarcastic and demeaning tone towards a community they should be actively maintaining a positive relationship with.

The Ram notes the irony of NYPD having a physical altercation with criminals at the precise time a tour group happens to walk by, and recognizes the post and its comments were meant to be harmless jokes.

Nonetheless, we ask you to consider why jokes about the Bronx’s supposedly characteristic criminality are made by university students in the first place and why they are found to be humorous.

We ask you to examine the perspective that allows one to view the arrest of two individuals potentially suffering from drug addictions through a comedic lens.

The men who found their way onto campus with 20 bags of heroin and two knives presented a threat to Fordham students.

The university took proper care in alerting those on Rose Hill’s campus through its messaging system, both while the pursuit was taking place and after the threat had been resolved.

However, to make the assumption that crime, drug use and other risks are inherently and uniquely characteristic to the Bronx – and, even worse, that Fordham students are both especially endangered by and otherwise immune to these blights personally – is misguided and offensive, even if meant in jest.

The Bronx did experience a period of instability and heightenedcrime beginning in the 1970s, as

seemingly endless fires ravaged the borough and abandonment and flames seriously deteriorated infrastructure.

However, crime rates in the Bronx have hit record lows during recent years.

While Fordham students must maintain the same baseline level of awareness, caution and street smarts when navigating the Bronx required in Manhattan or any other metropolitan neighborhood, students are not constantly subjected to incidents like the one that occurred this past Friday.

Incidents that involve the safety of students are responded to, addressed and investigated adequately

by Public Safety or the NYPD. Many assumptions of heightened danger in the area stem from a place of racist or classist prejudice, whether intentional or subconscious, rather than fact or lived experience.

These preconceptions must change.

It is important that we are conscious of and continually question even our most subtle implicit biases so that we may work past them.

The “us versus them” mentality held by some within Fordham’s gates, and also by some without, is one we should be actively working to fix.

Many individuals acknowledge the divide between the two communities and are committed to ending it. Fordham provides various opportunities for students to get involved in and appreciate the richness of the surrounding area and contribute to it in return.

Urban Plunge is a pre-orientation program for first-year undergraduates that allows students the ability to “see New York in a way that even native New Yorkers do not often get to experience” through service projects, explorations of local art and in-

depth reflection of group activities.

Bronx Celebration Day is an annual celebration in April that aims to unite the Fordham and Bronx communities through music, food and art.

Many students take advantage of these opportunities and create others, passionately engaging with the area and its residents and cultivating sustainable relationships through mutual respect.

However the university and surrounding area cannot achieve a fully symbiotic relationship if any member of our Fordham community continues to discriminate against or feel superior to the borough and its residents even in smaller, unintentional ways like creating social media posts that retrogress the conversation.

It is worth noting that Barstool Sports has sold and continues to sell tee shirts that proudly display the phrase “Saturday is for the Bronx.”

There are many ways to positively interact with the Bronx. Inserting oneself into the community, profiting off of an ethos of inclusion and then ridiculing the area for being unsafe, inferior or unfit to live in is not one of them.

The Ram asks all Fordham students to rethink their attitudes towards the local community. We ask you to question what grounds your current assumptions rest on and find ways, no matter how small, to improve them.

We ask you to examine your implicit biases and the sense of humor they inspire. We ask you to not laugh at the Bronx’s expense .

We ask you to discover what you might unknowingly be harboring and what might be holding you back from establishing a better relationship with the larger community you are presently a member of.

OPINION

March 6, 2019

Page 11

Netanhayu’s Actions Reflect Bigotry

By TOMMY TEDESCO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Feb. 20, in a move to rally the right before an important snap election on Apr. 9, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finalized alliance negotiations between far-right parties Otzma Yehudit and Jewish Home.

The two parties will now join a list for the upcoming election along with the far-right Tkuma party. Netanyahu’s move to incorporate Otzma Yehudit, translated as “Jewish Power,” into the right-wing bloc in the Knesset has unusually come under fire from a number of pro-Israel PACs and Rabbis.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC),

America’s most influential Israeli lobbying group, endorsed a statement by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) that read, “The views of Otzma Yehudit are reprehensible. They do not reflect the core values that are the very foundation of the State of Israel.”

Members of Torat Chayim, an association of modern Orthodox Zionist Rabbis, issued the following statement: “Otzma is a racist, violently nationalist party, which justifies terrorist activity by Jews, is anti-democratic, preaches hatred toward other Jews and Arabs and glorifies Baruch Goldstein, a mass murderer of Arabs. Its program violates all the true values of Zionism.”

Whether or not the values of

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Prime Minister Netanyahu has been condemned for recent political moves.

SUMMER SESSION 2019

Zionism, in practice, are truly at odds with those held by Otzma Yehudit, or whether “true values” of such a generalized ideology can even be isolated from their real-world implementation, Otzma Yehudit has more than earned its criticism.

Often applied to the far-right, ultranationalist party’s ideology is the term “Kahanist,” which refers to the late Zionist Rabbi Meir Kahane, who faced personal accusations of links to terrorist organizations in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Kahane founded the Kach party in 1971, which has been banned from participating in Knesset elections since 1988 and labeled as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department since 1994.

Although Kahane was assassinated in 1990, he has left a legacy of hatred. Anti-Arab terrorist operations, dubbed “low-level attacks,” continued in his name well into the 2000s, according to an annual U.S. State Department report on terrorist organizations.

The fact that Prime Minister Netanyahu is promoting ties with the ideological successor to a racist, ultranationalist terrorist leader of the late 20th century should not go unnoticed by the American public.

It goes to show that Netanyahu will do anything to keep a rightwing voting bloc in power; even if that means he must, as Rabbis

Asher Lopatin and Yitz Greenburg wrote in an online statement, “give a black eye to Israel and its standing in the world as a moral and democratic state.”

The flaw with the popular attacks on Netanyahu’s decision, is that they place emphasis on the PR loss rather than the moral loss. The real issue, they assert, is that this is a major propaganda victory for Israel’s critics.

This line of thinking is obviously absurd. Those who stand to lose the most from a Likud victory, which Netanyahu promises will yield Otzma Yehudit two cabinet positions, are the Arab citizens of Israel and the Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Territories.

The party’s official platform includes such promises of violence as: “war against the enemies of Israel will be total, without negotiations, without concessions and without compromises.”

Otzma Yehudit talks of population removal of Arabs and full integration of the West Bank and Gaza into the State of Israel, and somehow the real loss is the legitimacy of the State of Israel.

Perhaps if the government of Israel cannot promise a strong, unified condemnation of the brand of Zionism purported by Otzma Yehudit, it deserves to have its legitimacy questioned.

Still, there is hope for the more moderate wing of the Knesset.

Recent criminal charges against Netanyahu have seriously hurt his credibility, and an alliance of Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and ex-Army Chief Benny Gatz recaently took the majority of seats in pre-election polls.

In this context, Netanyahu’s negotiations with bad actors of the far right can be seen as the cries of a cornered animal.

Even a centrist victory in the Knesset will not transform Israel overnight. In Israel, like in the U.S., the mainstream political parties unfortunately think alike on a number of issues.

If this is a victory for critics of Israeli segregationist and settler policy, it is a small one. The important thing is that this exposes Netanyahu for who he really is the racist, bloodthirsty face of the Israeli right wing.

Netanyahu erred in a major way by exposing his true face to the Jewish world. On Feb. 20, he revealed (yet again) that his love of power far outweighs his dedication to the principles of Judaism, the welfare of his people or whatever other hollow line his government spits out to justify their hatred.

The Jewish world took note.

Hopefully, the rest of the world did too.

Tommy Tedesco, FCRH ’22, is undeclared and from Westwood, New Jersey.

Catch up or get ahead this summer!

• Online classes are available.

• All advising and financial holds are removed.

• Register on March 25.

Session I: May 28–June 27 Session II: July 2–August 6 Choose from more than 200 available courses!

Learn more at fordham.edu/summer.

FORDHAM LOOKS FORWARD

Page 12

March 6, 2019

Career Services Supports Students at Every Stage

By HANNAH GONZALEZ MANAGING EDITOR

In this week’s Fordham Looks Forward, Annette McLaughlin, director of the Office of Career Services, sat down to discuss her goals for the department as well as her hopes for student utilization of its resources. The office’s many upcoming events will provide opportunities and support for students who may be anxious about taking the next step in their career.

Hannah Gonzalez: So, first, what’s coming up in the next few months or so for Career Services?

Annette McLaughlin: So, here at Career Services, we have almost 84 events coming up between now and the end of the semester.

Some of our key events coming up: on March 7, we have our Advancing Women in the Workplace panel. This is part of our Global Diversity and Inclusion initiatives. We have four programs throughout the year to bring employers in to talk about what’s going on in the workforce. On April 3, we’ll have our conference as well as our banquet where employers come and sit with students. Our conference has themes based on what the students want, and employers come in and talk about that in the workplace.

One of the things that’s really important is that our office looks at all of the majors and works very closely with the academic departments to know what students are learning, and then we try to connect those dots to the employers. I recommend students go on Handshake and look at the events, because they’re constantly being updated.

We also have Career Views coming up. We do about 20 to 30 of those a year, where we take 10 to 30 students to employers so they get that informal networking, to see on-site the different types of environments. And, once again, we look at all industries, all functions so that we’re covering the entire Fordham community.

HG: Is partnering with departments something that you’ve been working on for a while?

AM: I have a team of 14 people and we all have liaisons with departments. Our Employer Relations group is done by industry function. So we have an industrybased model, and they connect directly with the department chairs for specific industries. We’ve been working very hard the last few years on really building up those partnerships with liberal arts and STEM, in particular, because that’s such a growth field.

What’s important for all students to understand is that the Fordham core curriculum and academics provide the exact skills that every employer is looking for in today’s workforce. That’s the problem-solving, verbal and written communication, teamwork and all of the other eight core competencies.

So, yes, we are building better relationships and getting a lot of support from academics. What students are doing in the classroom, in volunteering, if they’re in sports, whatever it is, our office can help the students connect and articulate the value to an employer.

HG: Is Career Services also

helping students investigate alternative pathways after college?

AM: Absolutely. We try and figure out what all the different options are. Each student is unique and has their own talents, and there’s not one right path for anyone. By exposing our students to more opportunities, that “a-ha” moment will eventually come up.

HG: Thinking longer term, what are some of the programs or initiatives you’re working on? Are there any areas you’ve noticed a gap that you’re working to rectify?

AM: One of the things I’ve done is restructured the office so that we’re in three teams. We all work together, but we have our Student Engagement team, where we’re trying to meet the students where they are and trying to get the communication out. Then we have our Employer Relations team, and they’re on the forefront of bringing in the employers.

Then we have our Strategic Initiatives: Global Diversity and Inclusion, alumni, the future of career services. We ask, “What’s out there? What can we do? What’s different?”

I think our challenge is that students’ time is very valuable and they have many things that they can do. My goal is to have a

360-degree view so that everything we do is involving a faculty member, an academic department, student clubs, employers and alumni. If we can all work together and do more powerful and impactful events, then I think that’s really going to help all of us.

HG: Forming those connections to different groups seems like it would be really helpful as you’re trying to connect with as many students as possible.

AM: We’re trying to. We’ve done a couple of club breakfasts with the club leaders to find out what they want. We’re also looking to either videotape or otherwise capture content to make sure that even those events that are not well attended can provide students with information. Student attendance is our biggest challenge because we’re competing against so many other priorities and interests.

HG: Is there anything else you wanted to talk about, in terms of what’s upcoming?

AM: We have ongoing workshops. Before every career fair we’re going to have a Resume Rush and career fair prep. That’s our standard core programming before every career fair. We also have walk-in hours every day from

1 p.m. to 3 p.m., so students can always come in.

I just encourage people to come in and get to know us. We’re looking to build a state-of-the-art Career Services Center that’s fully integrated into all areas of the university, so that we’re really looked at as a resource to help the students, help the faculty and help the administration.

We’re building a cura personalis, care for the whole person, and part of that is how you support yourself post-graduation. By coming to any of our networking events, you’re building connections that are going to help you.

The whole reason the Fordham Handshake portal was built is so that it’s a community. Students can enter in their experiences, you can review your internships and then other students can look at that and connect with you. We really want that community, and we want to make it fun.

The job search doesn’t have to be this huge obstacle. It’s a process and a journey, but we’ve got a lot of resources, and they’re available 24/7. You can do interviews online, you can schedule appointments online—everything other than individual counseling is available online.

One of the other things to remember is that our office reaches out to every single student to find out where you’re going to be. Fordham has a 98 percent knowledge rate, which means we know where 98 percent of all of our students end up six months after graduation. The norm is 65 percent.

Our whole office takes a caseload of students and we follow you every single month until you tell us you found a job or you’re going to graduate school or you don’t need our help anymore. We take it very seriously. We want you to take what you’ve learned here to the workplace because it’s such a valuable education you’re getting at Fordham. We follow each student to make sure that they get what they need.

So, if you haven’t landed in the fall, come back to our career fairs.

We provide lifelong career counseling for all alumni, as well as reciprocity for students who aren’t in the New York area. We have relationships with the 27 other Jesuit schools and we can help connect you to those schools, so you can utilize their services as well.

This interview has been edited for space and clarity.

COURTESY OF CAREER SERVICES

The Office of Career Services works to inform students of the opportunities available to them, both through in-person networking and the Handshake portal.

March 6, 2019

FORDHAM LOOKS FORWARD

Page 13

COURTESY OF CAREER SERVICES

Career Services offers panels, career views and career fairs for students to network and learn more about their fields of interest. The staff also offers one-on-one preparation for job hunting and interviews.

March 6, 2019

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CULTURE

March 5, 2019

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Who’s That Kid? | Robert Ylagan, FCRH ’19

RHA President Leads With a Greeting

By AISLINN KEELY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

If you see Robert Ylagan, FCRH ’19, around campus, he will likely give you more than smile. He will stop, take a moment to say hello and ask how your day is going before he continues about his own. Ylagan said he thrives on this kind of personal connection, and it has marked his time at Fordham.

While it may seem like a quaint practice, Ylagan said actively greeting people is an integral part of who he is and how he operates within the world.

“That’s an integral part of me I think, that I thrive off of positive social interaction with people,” he said.

“I like to make new friends, I like to get to know new people.”

As Executive President of Residence Halls Association (RHA), Ylagan has spent much of this academic year cultivating new relationships. For that reason, he said so far, the experience has been incredibly rewarding.

“The best part about being president and being on RHA is the faces I get to see,” said Ylagan.

“That’s my favorite part about RHA, the relationships I get to build,” he said.

But Ylagan said he did not initially intend to step into the role.

“If you asked me my freshman year coming into RHA that I was going to be executive president, I would tell them, ‘Absolutely not,’” he said.

He entered RHA halfway through his freshman year and spent three election cycles running for executive board before winning the communications director position on his third attempt. Originally, he planned to leave his experience at that and dial back his commitments in his senior year. Instead, he did the opposite.

He said his work as communications director helped him realize how passionate he was about meeting new people.

“I love what I do and I love what RHA has given me,” said Ylagan.

It has given him far more than a multitude of new relationships. Ylagan said his work in RHA has changed his leadership style. It drove him from a more eccentric mode of operation to more careful organization.

He said his work with RHA has also helped him conquer public speaking anxiety. Part of the role of Executive President includes addressing a 70 person board on a regular basis. Ylagan said this was once a daunting task.

“Now it doesn’t faze me,” he said.

But before RHA, Ylagan learned leadership skills as the president of his high school’s orchestra. He was a passionate cellist, and while he said

he has not kept up with it in college, he still listens to much of the classical music that inspired him.

Ylagan said Schostakovich remains a favorite. He loves the drive the composer brought to his music despite his struggle with depression.

“You can tell that he was still passionate about writing music through that,” said Ylagan.

Ylagan said his passion for developing relationships with people extends to his psychology major. Like his interest in what drove Schostakovich’s to overcome his struggles, he said he continues to find people’s motivations and inner workings fascinating.

“The reason why I’m a psychology major is because I love learning how people think and I love learning the reasons behind people’s actions, or the reason why people act the way they do or make the decisions that they do,” he said.

It goes hand in hand with Ylagan’s genuine interest in everyone he comes into contact with. He said it is part of what drew him to New York City from his native San Antonio, Texas.

“Everyone’s moving and everyone’s doing things, and I like to be doing things,” said Ylagan. “Also the fact that there’s such a diverse population…I love getting to know people from all walks of life.”

COURTESY OF ROBERT YLAGAN

Ylagan’s time on RHA has helped him develop leadership and public speaking skills.

Fans of “Game of Thrones” Gear up for the Final Season

By STEPHANIE GENTLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

***SPOILER ALERT*** Winter.

Is. Here. After a nearly two-year hiatus, the long-awaited eighth season of “Game of Thrones” (“GOT”) will air April 14 on HBO. Everyone wants to know how the final season will end and more importantly, who will win the Iron Throne when all is said and done. Season seven, while shorter than anticipated, was full of both revelations and unanswered questions: Jon Snow isn’t actually a bastard! He and Daenerys are related? Will Cersei ever find her chill?

The teasers HBO has released for the upcoming season left much to be desired, but despite this, “GOT” fans everywhere have taken it upon themselves to predict who will rule Westeros once and for all.

One teaser shows Arya, Sansa and Jon in the crypts of Winterfell, looking at their own tombs while the icy breeze of the White Walker army descends upon them. The White Walkers have figured out how to conquer The Wall thanks to Viserion, their new ice dragon.

Obviously, the White Walkers will attempt to overtake Westeros in the eighth season. But what do the tombs of the very much alive Stark children mean?

Does it mean Jon still doesn’t know his true heritage? Are the tombs a hint that the remaining Starks aren’t long for this world?

Gaby Ginn, FCRH ’20, believes this teaser supports her theory that Jon Snow will win the Iron Throne.

“His statue in the crypts is an older looking version of him, which shows that he survives the wars to come

and will probably end up as King,” she said.

While this is a valid theory, it is hard to believe that the Lannisters (specifically Cersei) will allow Jon to live unless he wins the throne. Cersei is definitely not the most lovable character on the show. However, she always keeps viewers on their toes and undoubtedly will keep stirring the pot throughout season eight. Her pregnancy was one of the biggest shocks of the past season; after all, a witch once prophesized that she would only have three children and that they would all end up dead.

While witches don’t have the best track record on “GOT,” I believe that Cersei’s prophecy will still turn out to be true even if the prophecy is self-fulfilled. Throughout the show, Cersei’s impulsive and spite-

ful decisions have repeatedly put not only her family, but also the entire kingdom in danger. I find it hard to believe that her betrayal of Daenerys’ truce will be the last of her bad choices. I also believe that Jaime will end up killing his sister in order to save Westeros. He may be a Lannister, but Jaime is one of the most honorable and intelligent characters on the show.

I predict that in season eight, Cersei will do something so horrible that even Jaime cannot stand by her and will end up killing her (and in turn, their unborn child). Cersei has survived a lot, but I do not think she will survive this last season of “GOT.” Jon Snow and Daenerys finally hooking up would have been so much more satisfying if viewers weren’t simultaneously finding out

that the pair are related. Bran’s flashback revealed more than just that, though: Robert’s Rebellion was formed on a complete lie; Lyanna Stark was never a prisoner, and Daenerys isn’t the one true heir to the Iron Throne Jon is.

These revelations will certainly affect Jon and Dany’s newfound partnership. After all, Daenerys is her father’s daughter; she has a temper and is adamant on ruling the Seven Kingdoms at nearly any cost. She does care about Jon, but that won’t be enough to stop her from potentially breaking their alliance and fighting him for the kingdoms.

Many viewers predict either Jon or Daenerys will be victorious at the end of the Great War. Jon and Dany are two extremely similar characters who have both proven to be more

JULIA CORBETT FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

After running for seven seasons, “Game of Thrones” will conclude in its eighth season, premiering April 14 on HBO.

than capable of ruling. In an ideal world, the two would be able to rule in harmony; after all, incest is relatively normalized in Westeros.

The “GOT” universe is not an ideal world however, and the writers of the show likely won’t give us a neat and happy ending. I predict that Daenerys will win the Iron Throne and Jon will end up sacrificing himself for the greater good of humanity.

Additionally, there’s been much talk about Dany’s fertility in the past season. I think this hints to the possibility of Jon impregnating Dany, which would give her an heir to the throne if she does rule.

While Bran may not get much screen time, he has played a massive role in the past several seasons.

A popular fan theory is that Bran is actually the Night King; fans believe that a future Bran went back in time to when the first White Walker was created, got stuck in his body and has been living a kind of dual life as both himself and the Night King.

While I am not totally on board with this theory, it does make some sense and could explain why the Night King didn’t kill Jon when he had the chance in season five.

One way or another, I predict the Night King’s identity will be revealed in season eight and it will somehow tie into the lives of the show’s current characters. Season eight is only a short five weeks away, and it is sure to be the wildest season viewers have seen yet.

There will undoubtedly be heartwrenching deaths, gruesome battles and enough sex to last a lifetime. In just a few short months, viewers will finally know who wins the game of thrones, once and for all.

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March 6, 2019

Tips to Get You Through Midterms and Finals

By MIA TOMMINS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Midterms season crept up on Fordham students in the middle of this semester. While exams come at the same time every year, the testing periods take some students by surprise. Instead of feeling anger and denial, here are some tips to keep cool while acing your exams.

1. Start with something fun.

Not everything about studying has to be horrible. Why not start with doing something enjoyable, like making a playlist? Get together some of your favorite songs to remind yourself that it was not all so bad at some point in time.

Listening to your favorite tunes on your way to the library or back to your dorm before bed will put you in a better spot and get you ready to study or calm down.

Music can be such an effective way to handle stress, and it will boost your mood after a few hours of cabin fever in Walsh Library.

2. Do not go through it alone.

Tasks always seem more overwhelming when you are trying to tackle them alone. Reach out to someone in your class to set up a study session. Studying with others is not only helpful but it is also effective because someone may catch something you did not. It is a great way to meet people as well.

Even if you do not know anyone in your class, do not be afraid to reach out and ask someone if they want to study before the exam.

Chances are that that person will be more than thankful that you asked. Going over the material with someone is always more helpful when it comes to memorizing the information, too.

3. Find a new study spot.

Why not switch it up a little? Exams offer an opportunity to explore campus and find a new study spot you did not know existed. Instead of heading right to Walsh Library, maybe explore some other buildings on and off campus.

Perhaps grab a coffee and sit in Starbucks, or head right next door to Duane.

Grab a friend or classmate and talk school over a great lunch at Tino’s Delicatessen, or eat a scrumptious dessert at Prince Coffee House. It is exam season after all, you deserve to treat yourself.

4. Plan it out.

Making a to-do list and a calendar for midterms and finals really helps out. Knowing what you have to do on what date, and what you need to do everyday to prepare for it, is a great way to keep yourself on track. Plus, checking stuff off the to-do list everyday feels incredibly rewarding!

5. Do not leave it all for the night before.

One of the worst things you could do during exams is leaving your studying for the last minute.

Midterms and finals are meant to be big exams, so it is too overwhelming to study six chapters in one night.

Planning things out beforehand and tackling a chapter every day might seem tedious. However, when the night before the exam comes and all you need to do is review what you already studied, it feels good. It may take a little extra kick of motivation, but putting in an hour every day beats trying to study everything in one night.

6. Put your phone away.

Phones are probably the most

WILL JONES FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Research shows that taking effective breaks for activities like meditation and exercise help improve focus.

distracting thing when it comes to studying. If you turn your phone off and put it in your desk for an hour or so, you can get so much more work done than if it were right next to you.

Your focus will improve, and you will not be tempted to think about whom that last snapchat was from.

Your phone will be there when you are done, and the world will not have gone crazy in the meantime.

7. Move your body.

Working out during midterms season or just taking a 15 to 30 minute walk will help you perform better. Exercise reduces stress. Improving blood flow and giving your mind a rest will not only help you perform better on exams, but it will also refresh you.

It may not be your best workout week ever, but finding the time to give your mind a break and fit in those workouts will be worth it.

8. Take breaks.

Taking breaks while studying is one of the best tips out there.

Studies show that taking breaks while studying will help improve your attention.

Listen to your inner self and take the break.

However, what you do during that break is as important as the break itself. It is important to choose the right respite so that you can return to your books feeling refreshed and focused and not worse than you did before you took the break.

Some positive study break activities include walking, stretching, showering, tidying up, cooking a healthy meal, talking on the phone with a friend or family member or meditating. Be smart with your break.

9. Get sleep.

This should be a top priority.

A study from the University of Georgia has found that “sleep is important for a number of reasons. It restores our energy, fights

off illness and fatigue by strengthening our immune system, helps us think more clearly and creatively, strengthens memory and produces a more positive mood and better performance throughout the day … it is an active and dynamic process vital for normal motor and cognitive function.”

College students should get at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night, which most do not.

10. Practice self-love.

Nobody is perfect. An exam does not define you. If you can say you did your best, there is nothing more to it. Be kind to yourself during midterms and finals season.

It is a very stressful time, and a lot of people forget that in the grand scheme of things, this one exam does not define your path in life.

Be sure to check in with yourself and make sure you are not beating yourself up, but rather building yourself up and giving yourself credit for all the hard work you are putting in.

Mimes and Mummers Thrills with "Into the Woods"

By KATHERINE TIMOFEYEV CONTRIBUTING WRITER

After spending countless days and nights rehearsing since the beginning of this semester, the Fordham Mimes and Mummers finally got to showcase all of its hard work.

“Into the Woods” played four nights two weeks ago in Collins Hall Auditorium and offered Fordham students free admission to the first showing.

Mimes and Mummers is one of the

oldest clubs at Fordham, dating back to 1855. The club encourages students of all class years to participate in multiple shows throughout the year and allows them to pursue acting, singing and stage production as well as gain leadership experience.

Even freshmen have the opportunity not only to take part in their shows but also hold a position on the club’s board. In addition to taking the stage, students can also direct many departments backstage such as lighting, sound or costumes, and many choose

to do both. No matter how a student chooses to take part in shows, each one is given an opportunity to have first-hand experience with professional equipment and practices. For each show, the club hires professional directors to work with the students.

“Into the Woods” is a musical made widely popular by the 2014 Disney film adaptation, telling the story of a baker and his wife as they travel through the woods in search of four magical items. The couple

needs to obtain these items for a witch so she may grant them a child, which they desperately desire.

Along their search, they encounter many familiar fairytale characters, including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel.

Together, these characters face various obstacles that they must overcome in order to achieve their respective fairy-tale happy endings.

Fordham’s production of “Into the Woods” spanned from Feb. 21

DYLAN BALSAMO/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham’s production of “Into the Woods” spanned from Feb. 21 through Feb. 24, and the students involved had prepared the piece since January.

through Feb. 24, and the students involved had been working hard since January. In just about a month and a half, they managed to put together a wonderful show that entertained an audience filled with students and parents alike.

As the show brought in a full house every night, it is safe to say it was a major success. Sitting in the audience, it was easy to feel as though you were watching the musical right on a Broadway stage.

Each song was sung with a perfect balance of raw talent and thorough rehearsal. The passion and professionalism of the students was evident throughout the entire production.

It was clear that they had wanted the production to draw the viewer into the world, allowing graduating seniors one last show to pour their hearts into. It was both polished and intimate.

As the actors took their final bows, audience members stood and clapped in awe of the marvelous work they had just watched. For students, the show was a perfect break from midterms and surpassed all expectations. The Fordham community should look forward to what Mimes and Mummers puts on next.

CULTURE

March 6, 2019

Page 17

Editor's Pick | Bingeing

Great Shows Are Worth More Than Just a Binge

By JIMMY SULLIVAN SPORTS EDITOR

About two months ago, I started watching the HBO hit series, “The Sopranos.” After being inundated with social media posts around the show’s 20th anniversary, I finally caved and decided to give it a shot. It is a really good show and one that I would recommend.

The show follows Tony Soprano (the late James Gandolfini) on his “familial” mob adventures. Of course, there is much more to the show than the formulaic “conflict, mobster gets mad and guy gets killed” order of things. What makes the show tick is the emphasis on personal relationships and character development.

In fact, the first scene of the show depicts Tony in the office of Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), his psychiatrist. The relationship between the two gets progressively weirder as season one progresses, but the show deftly handles Tony’s issues with anxiety. This revolves around the dysfunctional relationship between him and his rapidly-fading mother (Nancy Marchand), who is suffer-

ing from dementia and seems to hate everyone on the planet, including her own family.

Hearing me say all this, you may think that I am already done with the show. You may be very surprised to hear, then, that as of writing this, I have only started season two.

Many of my friends, and perhaps a lot of people generally, like to “bingewatch” shows, which is watching several episodes in succession. The benefits of this are obvious: you watch a lot of said show at once, you do not forget important storylines and you can block off a large chunk of time to watch as many episodes as possible.

It sounds like it would be a lot of fun, and I say it “sounds like” fun because I have never actually done that.

My cultural illiteracy is one of the main reasons why I do not binge. I am always the guy that gets caught behind significant cultural trends.

I was late to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and I created a Snapchat last weekend (save your jokes for later). But the point is this: I am not the traditional Generation Z-er that spends a lot of time binge-watching Netflix. That is not to brag, but it is just the way I have always been.

Back to the original theme: another show I recently finished is NBC’s “The West Wing.” Part of why my experience watching that show was so enjoyable, I believe, was that I started it as a senior in high school and finished it as a sophomore in college.

In particular, the first three seasons of the show were incredible, and I wanted to savor them as much as possible. When I realized the final four seasons were not going to match the level the previous three had cumulatively achieved, I kicked it into high gear and finished them in a quick (at least for me) six months.

Now, you can make fun of me for working slowly. That is very fair.

However, I genuinely believe we have lost something with the ability to watch anything at anytime with streaming services such as Hulu and Netflix. Hear me out on this one, and indulge me in my old, geezer ways for just a little while longer.

I am just old enough to remember watching shows on television, leaving the room during a commercial break and hearing the scream of “it’s back” from the other room.

This is not to say that this method is better than just opening your com-

“Umbrella Academy” Excels

By MATTHEW DILLON STAFF WRITER

The new Netflix original, “Umbrella Academy,” is an adaptation of the comic series of the same name.

The 10-episode first season follows seven children with superpowers, raised by a talking chimpanzee, a robotic housewife and a billionaire that is as cold as he is brilliant. Driven apart by their adopted father’s callousness, the now-estranged siblings reunite after he dies under mysterious circumstances. They only stick together after learning they have several days before the world ends.

Using this as a foundation, the show creates a time-travel-centric superpowered family drama that somehow still manages to feel genuine. It has a few tired storytelling tropes and makes some questionable decisions, but “Umbrella Academy” brings it all together by the time it reaches its inconclusive yet satisfying ending.

As interesting as the main plot may be, the show’s strength lies in effective character-building moments and memorable action sequences. It is one of the few shows to rely heavily on flashbacks without distracting too much from the main narrative. The show’s careful use of these scenes manages to develop nearly everyone in its large cast.

“Umbrella Academy” also has a surprising emotional range. Its bleak sense of humor underlies almost the entirety of the plot, but it still manages to present serious and heartwarming moments without seeming too contrived.

Most of the actors give strong performances, particularly Aidan Gallagher as the teleporting, doomsaying Number Five. The mature, responsible and intense character is a fairly-tired archetype at this point, but Gallagher steals every scene with his character’s confrontational personality and surprising complexity. The show takes obvious storytelling beats and puts them in a new, interesting context that is strange but not totally unrelatable.

“Umbrella Academy” does not make everything work, and that is particularly evident in Ellen Page’s role as Vanya, the apparently powerless black sheep of the family. While not bad, her performance does not have the same impact as her previous roles. This partly rests on the scripting, which deprives Vanya of the agency and personality she had in the comic. There are similar issues with other characters, notably the drug-addicted, overdramatic medium, Klaus (Robert Sheehan), but they at least get more meaningful development as the season goes on.

Aside from that, the only other issues with “Umbrella Academy”

are some of the technical elements.

Most of the fight scenes are accompanied by famous songs, though their use fits well with the tone of the show and what is happening onscreen. However, the sometimespoor sound mixing becomes very apparent when the show practically mutes the music so that the audience can hear the characters speak.

More forgivable are the clumsy visual effects. The CGI may look awkward, but “Umbrella Academy” is a lot more ambitious than most Neftlix productions. The competent and, at times, inspired camerawork also helps make up for it.

Additionally, the eclectic but memorable aesthetic makes it hard to call anything out of place. The show’s realism rests solely in the characters’ interactions, so it is easy to overlook some subpar CGI. While it takes necessary liberties, “Umbrella Academy” remains fairly close to the source material. Choosing to merge two separate plotlines into one, the end result is surprisingly coherent. The choice to develop time-traveling hitmen Cha-Cha (Mary J. Blige) and Hazel (Cameron Britton) into something more substantial than their comic book counterparts rounds out the story.

“Umbrella Academy” is one of the more memorable and enjoyable Netflix original series to come out in recent time.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Netflix's latest release, "Umbrella Academy," released its 10-episode first season on Feb.15, 2019 to critical acclaim.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

The HBO series "The Sopranos" had its 20-year anniversary recently.

puter and getting what you want, but there is something nostalgic about those days when I think about it now. A tweet from October by a user named @FlossAus essentially said the same thing, and that tweet has now reached a million likes.

I am not sure if there is a lesson to be learned here. Honestly, part of the point of this article is me pining for the good old days. And I am not saying that Netflix, Hulu or any other streaming service is bad.

However, I do believe that you lose

something when you fly through a great show. You may also subconsciously feel pressure from others to finish a show quickly if two or more of you are watching it at the same time.

So the next time you want to pick up a new show, remember that your enjoyment of it is not a race to the finish line. Slow down, take your time and see how much you enjoy it.

As for me, I will continue to work at my pace. By the time I graduate, I may finish “The Sopranos” after all.

Fashion Column | Isiah Magsino

Oscars Red Carpet Despite fashion month nearing its end with the opening of Paris Fashion Week, America’s fashion moments have yet to subside. The Oscars happened in the city of broken dreams, Los Angeles, California.

If the runway shows seen during fashion month are considered art, then the Oscars’ red carpet should be considered entertainment. Corny?

Maybe. What is not entertaining about the Oscars is the anticipation of whether your favorite actors and actresses will make successful fashion statements or go down in history as fashion faux pas.

This year’s red carpet proved that 2019 is destined to be a good year.

I was prepared to have my snarky phrases and negative feedback aimed and fired at the stars’ decisions for the evening, but I was taken aback. The majority of stars and their stylists seemed capable of pulling off good ensembles.

Similar to New York Fashion Week, this year’s Oscars red carpet consisted of stars from polar opposite sides of the spectrum. These sides being either traditional (staying away from any sort of prints or flashy fabrics) or eccentric (making an it-statement).

Beginning with the latter side of the spectrum, Gemma Chan and Kacey Musgraves embodied a pinkprincess statement. I have always been a fan of large gowns that make someone look like they reside in a French Chateau surrounded by Renaissance paintings and red roses.

This fantastical setting is most fitting to both Chan, who arrived in a pink Valentino couture dress detailed with Bulgari jewelry, and Musgraves, who wore a pink Giambattista organza-silk gown.

However, Chan and Musgraves were not the only stars spotted wearing playful colors on the red carpet.

It seemed as though pink was the

color of choice for the event as several other stars, such as Sarah Paulson from “American Horror Story” and Jason Momoa from “Aquaman,” who also appeared in variations of the color.

Speaking of Jason Momoa and the men of the night, men’s fashion seemed to be going in full throttle.

Though many stars were not as daring as Chadwick Boseman (who played off of his regal “Black Panther” character accurately), it was exciting to see many men stray away from the boring black-and-white tux.

Don’t get me wrong, a black-andwhite tux is not necessarily the end of the world. But as a celebrity? You are famous. You have money. Hire a stylist, or invest in Givenchy.

Anyway, men seemed to have found color, as stars such as Chris Evans, Michael B. Jordan and Paul Rudd appeared in colors other than black and white. Ultimately, David Oyelowo took the night in his custom-made, red-velvet Etro tuxedo.

There is no doubt in my mind that he was breaking a sweat in that outfit.

But all for a good cause, right?

My only disappointment, aside from whatever Pharrell Williams was wearing, was Rami Malek. The heartthrob did not look bad, but he played it safe, appearing in the disdainfully aforementioned black-andwhite tux.

I was hoping audiences would get to see the version of Malek from the 2017 Met Gala, when the actor showed up in an all-red tuxedo ensemble. There is always next year, though.

Overall, I did not know who was nominated for what or any of that part of the evening. But it was incredible to see this year’s red carpet fashion moving harmoniously in the right direction. Bravo to the stars, and a bigger bravo to the stylists behind the scenes.

Page 18

CULTURE

March 6, 2019

Mental Health Column | Kelly Christ

A Spotlight on Collegiate Mental Health Initiatives Over the past decade, there has been a monumental shift in the way colleges and universities deal with mental health issues on campus. This progress has been incredibly beneficial in regards to providing both better options for counseling as well as promoting awareness and understanding of the subject.

These changes often have been in the form of campus-wide initiatives that combine the abilities of multiple departments and areas in order to assist the university community in the realm of mental health needs better.

I recently met with Fordham’s own Jeffrey Ng, Psy.D who is a licensed clinical psychologist and the director of the university’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) to discuss the changes Fordham University and universities across the country have instituted to improve the handling of issues of mental health on campus.

One of the primary factors Ng pointed out was the increased demand for mental health resources. One survey by the American Psychological Association noted that 95 percent of counseling center directors indicated the mental health of students is a growing concern.

However, this increased demand is also likely a result of heightened awareness and empathy towards the topic of mental illness as a whole. Fordham University, and as many other institutions across America, has made a campus-wide investment into a

variety of programs and initiatives to help the community improve and manage its mental health.

Many institutions including Fordham University, have emphasized the need to train all university faculty members that maintain contact with students to notice the signs of mental illness.

This includes professors, teaching assistants, resident assistants, resident directors and more. The main goal here is prevention; if the mental illness can be addressed sooner, the student will be able to learn how to manage it, improve their mental health and prevent detrimental effects on their academic performance, social life, etc.

With intervention, an individual who is struggling will be able to learn coping skills they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.

At Fordham University, many professors include information about CPS and other mental health resources on their class syllabi.

This may seem small, but it allows students to have this crucial contact information on hand. If they are too shy to ask anyone for help directly, these resources allow them to access the resources in a more comfortable manner.

Ng emphasized that Fordham University is dedicated to normalizing help-seeking so that students are not afraid to ask for the help that they need. CPS offers a wide array of options for addressing issues of mental health, including both individual and group therapy

services, referrals for long-term psychiatry, consultations about students of concern and wellness workshops.

In April of 2007, a devastating tragedy changed the landscape of how colleges monitor the mental health of students. The mass shooting by a student at Virginia Tech led to the horrific deaths of 32 students and faculty members.

Colleges and universities changed many protocols practically overnight to prevent a similar tragedy from ever occurring again.

While many of these involved a massive overhaul of emergency response measures, they also involved new changes to how they report the mental health of students that warrant concern for both their own mental well-beings as well as the safety of the larger community.

This largely resulted from the discovery that the shooter had been declared mentally ill by a judge two years before the tragedy.

One aspect of this overhaul was the creation of a committee for students of concern, comprised of individuals from departments across all aspects of collegiate life.

As a result, colleges make it a priority to pay attention to any potential threats and to take mental health issues seriously.

The Office of Residential Life at Fordham trains all the staff members to look for signs that students are potentially struggling, as well as knowing how to intervene should the situation require it. The resident assistants

at Fordham University receive training on how to spot and assist students struggling with mental illnesses such as eating disorders, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorders.

All resident assistants are also QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) certified, which is a suicide prevention technique.

The goal of Fordham University’sCPS faculty is ultimately to provide whatever help it can to members of the community that are struggling. Mental health is just as important as

physical health, and it should be looked after with the same level of care. The resources are available whether your struggles are mild or severe.

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

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Colleges have been working harder in response to mental health demands.

The Fordham Ram Crossword: Side Pieces 1. Postage unit 6. Tear partner 10. “Knock it off!”

14. What 17-, 32-, 46-, and 63-Across share 15. Great lake 16. For (Sp.) 17. “Monster’s Ball” actress that said, “This moment is so much bigger than me.”

19. Easy as 123s 20. Like contacts 21. Type of cone 23. Back musc.

24. Musically improvs 27. Fairytale start 29. Chopper attack from water, abbv.

32. “The Dark Knight” actor

ANSWERS TO ISSUE 5

whose sister said, “We proudly accept this award on behalf of your beautiful Matilda.”

36. Hangover feeling 38. Customary, for short 39. Berlin pastime 40. “ANTI” pop star nickname 41. Directioners, eg.

42. Yemen, Saudi Arabia and UAE neighbor 43. K-Pop boy-band 44. Mother Goose’s native t ongue?

45. Modify the record 46. “Jerry Maguire” actor who said, “I love you! Everybody who’s involved with this! I love you!”

49. Snake’s native tongue?

50. Silk purse source

51. Senegalese group 53. Write quickly 55. Linebacker Manti famous for having a fake girlfriend 57. Matt Smith or Millie Bobbie Brown breakout role 61. Absolute ___ (round boi) 63. “West Side Story” actress who said, “I can’t believe it.

Good lord. I leave you with that.”

66. Like Mickey and Minnie 67. “Can I get you anything ____?”

68. Reuss and Dogg.

69. Shellshock 70. Put lemon juice in hair 71. Garden fixture

CREATED BY CLAIRE POLACHECK & JACK MCLOONE & GABBY GILLESPIE

Across

Down 1. Lower Manhattan neighbor hood 2. NAIA conference that shut tered in 2013 3. Pro bono case workers 4. Suburban agora 5. Like some acceptance speech es 6. Pinky toe’s cry 7. Screw up 8. Put on ____ (acted fancy) 9. 1998 Boogie Night nominee Burt 10. Sauna place 11. Craps and Poker, eg.

12. Free Willy, Shamu, etc.

13. Time before now 18. A steep Scottish bank

22. The loneliest number 25. Jordin Sparks 2007 hit single 26. Individual hairs 28. Walkman insert 29. “Hey now, you’re an all star” or “Hey ya!”, e.g.

30. Three-line poem 31. Cirque du Soleil specialties 33. Noserag, informally 34. The Avengers’ Chris 35. Tears apart 37. Sea urchins 41. Rained down on 45. Having existed for an ex

tended period of time 47. HBO show that comes back April 14 48. Dreamless sleep 52. Did a race over again 53. “____ Around” 54. “I’ll do that now!”

56. Slick 58. Presidential refutation 59. High school exam in Brazil, 60.

Sniffer 62. Danson or Williams 64. Astana International Air port code 65. Heart-restarter

SPORTS

March 6, 2019

Fordham Men’s Tennis Drops Close Match Against Navy

By DYLAN BALSAMO

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

This past Sunday at the Tose Family Tennis Center, Fordham Men’s Tennis found itself defeated 4-3 by a strong Navy side.

The Rams opened strong by winning two of the three doubles matches to take the doubles point. While junior Steven Duka and freshman Jofre Segarra dropped third doubles to Cameron Kirkpatrick and Sam Vagner 6-0, Fordham already had the first two doubles in the bag after a 6-2 win by sophomore Max Green and junior Finn Kemper over

Jack Dabek and Andrew Hicks. In addition, Fordham got a 6-4 victory from sophomore Lutwin de Macar and junior Fabian Hansch Mauritzson over Matthew Lee and Conners O’Brien.

There were also some bright spots in singles play for Fordham, as de Macar beat Peter Lohrbach 6-2, 6-3 and sophomore Alex Makatsaria beat Kirkpatrick 6-4, 6-4, but the rest of singles play was bleak for the Rams. Green dropped a battle with Derrick Thompson 6-3, 6-2, Mauritzson lost 6-0, 6-4 to Andrew Ton, Kemper was defeated in a close match with Greg Durham 6-1,

6(7)-7(9), 6-3 and junior Jeremy Chung lost to Vagner 6-4, 6-4.

Mauritzson said of the loss this weekend that the members of the team “have all been extremely good competitors,” but noted that “there are some things that we need to work on. We need to trust our game moving forward, and we will achieve that with more hard work.”

Saturday, March 9 will see the Rams back in action for their next match, playing host to Boston University at Life Time Athletic in Harrison, NY at 6 p.m.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Despite a hot start, Men’s Tennis still has much to learn after narrowly losing to Navy 4-3 over the weekend.

Women’s Tennis Fall at Home to George Washington University

By GIGI SPEER STAFF WRITER

On Friday, the Fordham Women’s Tennis Team lost to George Washington University 5-2 at the Cary Leeds Center in the Bronx.

On Saturday, over at Life Time Athletic, the Rams lost by the same score to Temple University.

Despite the tough losses, there were some highlights from the weekend. After losing first and second doubles, the team bounced back for a win at third doubles by senior-freshman combination Gianna Insogna and Genevieve Quenville. The pair bested the Colonials 6-4 on Friday.

In singles, sophomore Arina Taluyenko got a well-deserved win over the reigning Atlantic 10 performer of the year, Maria Siopacha. Taluyenko claimed the first singles victory 6-3, 6-3.

In sixth singles, freshman Nicole Li won in straight sets 6-2, 6-2.

The following day, the Rams still could not find success in doubles, despite Taluyenko’s and senior Tatiana Grigoryan’s victory at first doubles 6-2.

Grigoryan continued her success in singles, winning 6-3 and 6-2 at third singles.

Insogna also picked up a point

for the Rams, winning in fourth singles 6-4, 6-1.

Despite the difficult weekend, the Women’s Tennis Team will be

ready to get back into action this Wednesday, March 6. They will be traveling to Philadelphia to face Drexel at noon.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Women’s Tennis stands at 3-6 this season after its second straight loss.

Page 19

Beyond the Scoreboard: Who Runs the World of Baseball? Pitchers

By DYLAN BALSAMO

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

American organized sports have become like factories. From a very young age, certain talented young men and women are spotted for their abilities in the games they play and nurtured by coaches and parents alike.

Athletes work as tirelessly as any successful person does. By the time they reach the high school level, every person around them is doing everything possible to protect them from anything that could harm their physical capabilities and keep them from pursuing their sport. That is the basis for the absolute worst cases of “soccer moms” and “daddy ball.”

Most of these young people go to play the sport in college. Even if they are beginning to feel burnt out after devoting their entire lives to the sport, a college degree is becoming more and more expensive, and most parents would consider it crazy to turn down a scholarship. The best of the best from the backyard get to this point, and from there, the absolute best at the collegiate level are given special attention and catered to until they can declare for the professional drafts.

Such is the American way.

That is not to say the shaping of young athletes is not happening all over the world. Lionel Messi was 13 when he left his home in Argentina to join a youth club all the way in Barcelona. However, a story like LeBron James’s son being scouted by John Calipari at the age of 9 would not make most of us bat an eye.

There are even certain positions that get more attention than others. For the last two decades, the position of quarterback has been emphasized by football coaches across all levels. It has gotten to the point that in the NFL there are enough strong quarterbacks to almost even the playing field.

Young baseball stars are watched closely too, but the position that is given the most attention is, of course, pitcher.

As a position that in the beginning of the game’s history had almost the sole purpose of getting the batter to put the ball in play, the modern pitcher is put under much pressure to strike out batters using multiple types of pitches. He is given special care by coaches on every Little League bench in America.

Kids who show a particular talent for throwing at a young age usually begin to see private pitching coaches and are encouraged by their parents and coaches to

rest and ice their arm as much as possible on days when they are not scheduled to throw.

Little leagues emphasize a limit on pitch count to help this problem, but even so, the best will continue to pitch hard. The result is that the pitcher becomes isolated from the rest of the team. A second baseman, a center fielder and a catcher are all position players.

The pitcher is not considered a position player and an equivalent to his teammates. Baseball has allowed the pitcher to be above the rest of the team, like a deity worthy of the utmost praise.

Glorification of the pitcher over time has allowed us to soften what it is that we ask of this armed god who dwells among us. In his final season in 1927, Walter Johnson threw seven complete games.

In 2018, the most in the league was two. Last season, the Mets started out with 12 pitchers on their 25-man roster. 12 men to fill one position. Seven of those 12 were relievers, not uncommon in the current state of baseball where some pitchers are left on a roster specifically to face one batter an outing.

In January, Mariano Rivera, a closing pitcher whose longest outings lasted three innings, became the first unanimous election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Pitchers are given far too much special treatment, and the treatment at the major league level is clearly having an effect on pitchers well before that point.

It has become common practice for a pitcher to get Tommy John surgery in high school. Not only is that oversensitive, that is unhealthy.

A perfect example of pitchers receiving too much leniency is the designated hitter, a position instituted into the American League in 1973 to take the pitcher’s spot in the batting order. Pitchers are treated so sensitively, half of the league’s pitchers only have to bat once or twice a year during interleague games.

This year, the Major League Baseball Players Association has been pushing for the National League to make the DH universal across the MLB, and nearly completely eliminate pitchers’ plate appearances.

While such a proposal faces clear opposition, it does not take a Ken Rosenthal to presume this change will be made in the near future. And when that happens, baseball will officially reach a point of no return: allowing one position to completely rule the game.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

The pitcher position has evolved and taken over Major League Baseball.

SPORTS

Page 20

Women’s Basketball’s “Iron Ram” Winds Down a Record-Breaking Career

March 6, 2019

Swimming Finishes Competition at A-10s

By JACK McLOONE

By DOMINIC CAPONE

SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS

STAFF WRITER

“Lauren is an ‘Iron Ram,’” said Fordham Women’s Basketball head coach Stephanie Gaitley after the Rams’ 58-42 win over Davidson College on Feb. 13. In that game, senior point guard Lauren Holden played 39 minutes, giving her the record for most career minutes played. She is now up to 4,345 minutes for her career after Saturday’s win over St. Joseph’s University, which clinched a share of Fordham’s first-ever Atlantic 10 regular season title.

Holden made her decision to commit to Fordham quickly and easily. She attended a camp hosted by Gaitley at Fordham the summer after her sophomore year in high school. At that camp, the Fordham coach pulled Holden aside and offered her a scholarship on the roster after one of the days.

“I remember driving back home with my dad, and my dad and I were just talking about it, and we’re like, ‘This is a perfect fit,’” said Holden during an interview with The Fordham Ram. “So I literally called on the way home and committed right away.”

Playing in Holden’s favor was one of her high school teachers, who also happened to be Gaitley’s sister.

“My sister doesn’t know much about basketball, but she said Lauren was an awesome person and for me that’s where it all starts. She also said she had a terrific work ethic both on and off the court,” said Gaitley. “So when she came to camp that summer of her sophomore year, I loved her defense, but more importantly I really liked her as a person.”

Holden’s work ethic got put to the test almost immediately in her freshman year. Senior Khadijah Gibson was expected to be the team’s starting point guard but suffered a preseason injury that ultimately ended her season.

For the beginning portion of the season, Aaliyah Jones and Asnate Fomina split starts at point guard, though Holden still picked up double-digit minutes in most of the games, sometimes more than the starter.

After playing 32 minutes and leading the team in scoring with 14 points off the bench against Duquesne on Jan. 10, 2016, Holden made her first career start in her next game on Jan. 13. She scored just five points, but impressed Gaitley enough to start every game over the rest of the season, often playing almost every minute.

“There was a lack of chemistry both on and off the court, and at the end of the day I had to make some tough decisions to get rid of a few players,” said Gaitley of Holden’s freshman year. “During that time there was really no one who stood out. I tried a bunch of different players at her position, but it wasn’t until the second semester that Lauren turned the corner.”

“I was kind of just like thrown into the fire but, you know, you learn stuff,” said Holden. “I guess you just like pick up on stuff like as you go along.”

The Atlantic 10 Championship is over at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio. The Fordham men’s swimming and diving team came in last place, finishing eighth out of the eight teams that competed.

The women, on the other hand, finished third out of eleven teams.

The men, despite the poor overall effort, put up season-best performances throughout the tournament.

Sophomore Danny McGowan raced a season-best time of 16:02.32, finishing 11th in the 1650 freestyle, while junior Christopher Sleutjes finished in 13th at 16:07.78 Sophomore Scott Stern placed 16th overall in his season-best time of 1:51.93 in the 200m backstroke, good enough to make the “B” final.

Junior swimmer Joseph Vizza won the “B” final in the 100-freestyle with a season best time of 45.08. Vizza was also a part of the the 400-freestyle relay team with senior Travis Monahan, freshman Spencer Clarke and freshman A.J Frakes. The four teammates took eighth place in 3:03.26.

On the women’s side, after day one they were in second place before dropping to fourth on day two. Finally, they settled in third, where they would remain the final two days.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Lauren Holden (above) is looking to end her Fordham career with an A-10 title.

She credits assistant coach Val Nainima with helping her adjust to the college game and rigors of being an NCAA point guard.

“I just remember she kind of took me in under her wing when I was a freshman, and when I was thrown into that role, she was one who really would sit me down and help me with that,” said Holden.

Those 16 straight starts to close the 2015-16 season rolled into a total that, as of Sunday, is at 111 straight. She has started and played the majority of every game that she was able to (she missed one game due to illness her sophomore year) since that Jan. 13 game in 2016.

Holden felt much more confident as the team’s starting point guard, and it showed in her stats.

Her points per game went up from 6.3 to 8.5, and she committed 14 fewer turnovers despite playing more than 300 more minutes.

Holden does not think she does that much different when it comes to training; she is just capable of playing every minute and has been doing so since high school. She does not even do anything particularly special to recover, sticking with foam rollers and ice baths as her primary recovery tools.

Any hesitance she had her freshman year has been wiped away completely, as Holden has stepped up not just her play, but in her natural role as a leader as the starting point guard. She has been a captain for the last two seasons for the Rams and helped foster a tight-knit team dynamic that she sees as key to the Rams’ recent success.

“I think a lot has to do with the team chemistry, and I think that

all of us care about each other on and off the court, and I think that really helps,” said Holden. “You just want to win in such a familyoriented program.”

“Lauren demands great respect from both her teammates and coaches because she is consistently the hardest working player in the gym,” said Gaitley. “She had been a captain the past two years and has gained great confidence in demanding of others because she demands of herself first. She always puts the ‘we’ before the ‘me.’”

Holden’s senior year got off to a rough start, as she was posting some of her worst shooting numbers since her freshman year.

She’s bounced back a bit lately, however, something Gaitley sees as indicative of the kind of player — and person — Holden is.

“I think a moment that stands out for me is this year, when Lauren was struggling with her game early on. We sat and talked about it, and she took the constructive instruction and ran with it.

She had to use what made her successful all along — her work ethic,” said Gaitley. “I told her, ‘You wouldn’t go into a final without studying, so you can’t go into a game without getting a lot of reps.’ Once she put the time, in the results came.”

That just about sums up Holden’s career as a Ram: she has maybe the most profound work ethic on the team, which can be translated statistically into all those minutes on the court.

“I would just want to be remembered as someone who cared about others and was a good person and worked as hard as I could in everything I did,” Holden says.

Fordham just finished in third place, holding off Richmond by two and a half points.

Sophomore Bayley Frierson took fifth place in the 1650 freestyle, with a season-best time of 16.53.52, while sophomore Kate Magill took 11th in 17:12.50.

Junior Paulina Watson and junior Cat Alabanza continued the scoring for Fordham, coming in fourth and 11th with times of 1:59.45 and 2:03.00, respectively.

The women earned quite a few awards on the year, starting with First team All-Atlantic 10 consisting of sophomore Caitlin McNary in the 500 freestyle, graduate student Milly Furneaux 100 breaststroke, and sophomore Michelle Martin, freshman Kiara Noris, senior Tara Brunner along with Furneaux in the 200 medley relay.

For the Second Team All-Atlantic 10, Brunner made it in the 50 and 100 freestyle along with the 100 butterfly. Brunner also was a part of two relay teams honored.

Michelle Martin, sophomore Caitlyn McNary and junior Theresa Mullen for the 200 freestyle relay and the same group for the 400 freestyle relay.

Throughout the season, the women broke a few school records as well. Tara Brunner broke the school record for the 50 freestyle with a time of 22.97 while also breaking the record for the 100 freestyle in 49.74.

SPORTS

March 6, 2019

Page 21

Track Closes Indoor Season in Boston

By EMMANUEL BERBARI STAFF WRITER

Fordham Track & Field concluded its indoor season in Boston this past weekend at the 2019 ECAC/ IC4A Indoor Track & Field Championship, hosted by Boston University.

There were 11 events on Saturday that resulted in four championship appearances on Sunday as the Rams made their mark ahead of the outdoor slate.

Junior Ryan Kutch was the only Ram to score on Sunday, placing fourth overall in the 5,000 meter in a season-best of 14:13.04.

Sophomore Nikolas Reardon came close to a second scoring effort, but finished ninth in the long jump (22’ 6 ¼”). Sophomore Kathryn Kelly, senior Aidan Moroz and sophomore Arthur Gooden Jr., joined by the men’s 4x800 relay team, all qualified for Sunday finals in the preliminary races.

Kelly qualified fourth in the 200 meter dash, making school history in a speedy 24.25 seconds. She topped senior teammate Mary Kate Kenny’s previous record from earlier this season.

Moroz clocked in at 1:14.32 in the 500 meter, a season best performance, qualifying fifth in a small field. On the men’s side of the 500, Gooden also dashed to his best run of the season (1:03.71), qualifying third for Sunday’s finals.

The men’s 4x800 relay capped off

the Sunday qualifiers, as freshman Zalen Nelson, sophomore Christopher Strzelinski, Gooden and junior Sean Sullivan qualified sixth in 7:37.38.

On Sunday, Fordham translated Saturday’s preliminary efforts into a 16th-place women’s finish and 17thplace men’s ranking.

The women’s distance medley relay team — consisting of seniors Laurel Fisher and Aidan Moroz, sophomore Sarinnagh Budris and junior Katarzyna Krzyzanowski — stole the show, edging Elon University by 1.43 seconds to win the ECAC title in 11:44.19.

Kelly, who placed third in the 200 meter in a school-record time 24.23, also scored for the women’s side, breaking her one-day-old record. Moroz also competed in the 500 meter to finish off her weekend, stacking up eighth in 1:14.70.

For the men’s team, Gooden Jr.’s season-best 1:03.51 in the 500 meter was good enough for third place, a mere 0.19 off the pace set by the University of Connecticut’s Colt Nichols.

On a longer scale, Nicholas Raefski placed 16th in the 3,000 meter (8:21.15).

The 4x800 team of Nelson, Strzelinski, Sullivan and freshman Jeremiah LaDuca mustered 7:37.15, ranking seventh among the crowd.

Fordham will turn its focus to the outdoor season, with hopes of growth from a season with flashes of excellence.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Fordham Indoor Track season concluded this past weekend in Boston.

spent last summer signing free agents like Rajon Rondo, Javale McGee and Lance Stephenson, all of whom are not considered good outside shooters by any stretch of the imagination. Johnson and Pelinka also did the team no justice when they made it abundantly clear that everyone except LeBron was expendable.

Once initial reports surfaced that New Orleans superstar forward Anthony Davis requested a trade, the Lakers were rumored to be at the top of his wishlist. Davis also recently signed with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports Group, the same agency that represents LeBron James. The writing was plastered all over the wall: Anthony Davis was going to Los Angeles.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Lakers strongest offer for Davis included as many as six players, which spanned veterans like Rondo and Stephenson to the Lakers’ best young assets in Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma.

Unfortunately, the trade talks were one-sided: New Orleans was never truly interested in an offer for Davis before the trade deadline. Seemingly, the Pelicans plan to wait for more trade partners come NBA Draft time or in free agency this July.

What came out of that situation fatally wounded the Lakers moving forward. A group of players

By ANDREW POSADAS ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

A grim reality is beginning to cascade over Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James: he may be sitting at home with the rest of us when the NBA playoffs begin next month.

The Lakers have now lost three straight games following Monday night’s 113-105 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers. 18 games remain in the regular season and the Lakers are on the outside looking in. A mediocre 30-34 record has L.A. five and a half games behind for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Per ESPN, the Lakers currently have a one percent chance to make the playoffs.

However, the prospect of missing this year’s playoffs may in fact be good for LeBron James.

For starters, there is one thing that LeBron has been lacking for the better part of a decade: rest.

Coming into this season, he has been to nine consecutive NBA Finals. While most players see their seasons end in April and May, LeBron is consistently playing into the month of June. In those nine years, LeBron has racked up 168 games via postseason.

Essentially, that is the equivalent of playing two extra full regular seasons. While LeBron is in his 16th season, he has technically played 18 NBA seasons. As much as we praise him for being like Iron Man in terms of durability, LeBron is not omnipotently immune to Father Time. The greatest athletes ultimately fall victim to attrition. One could even surmise that his groin injury earlier this season was inevitable.

Missing the playoffs gives LeBron an extra couple of months to get his body right and rested. He has already missed the most games of his career this season due to injury. What sense does it make to keep playing him under these circumstances? Especially when you take the team constructed around LeBron into account.

President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and General Manager Rob Pelinka failed to put a suitable team around LeBron.

Instead of placing knockdown shooters around him, the duo

who initially believed their time was up as LeBron’s teammates were staying put. There is no doubt the locker room chemistry has not recovered since and is a driving force in the Lakers’ disastrous season.

Let’s say in a perfect world, LeBron somehow manages to carry this team into the playoffs.

Is it worth it if the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors are there to greet him? In his postseason career, LeBron is undefeated in first-round playoff series. Not only would he lose to the Warriors in the first round, but he potentially risks getting swept in the process.

Will it be shocking to experience an NBA playoffs without LeBron James? Absolutely. For the last decade, all NBA fans, whether they hate or love LeBron, have know one thing: teams led

by LeBron James go to the Finals.

But do not get it twisted: seeing the King drag an eighth-seeded Lakers to an early first-round exit would be excruciatingly painful to “witness.”

Missing out on the playoffs this season does not make or break LeBron’s hall of fame career. He will still go down as the second greatest NBA player ever behind Michael Jordan.

Lebron, do us all a favor and get some much needed rest. You deserve it.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

LeBron James’ s Lakers are out of the playoff picture, but that may not be a bad thing.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports

Thursday Mar. 7

Friday Mar. 8

Saturday Mar. 9

Sunday Mar. 10

Women’s Basketball

Atlantic 10 Tournament (Pittsburgh, PA) TBD (Fri.: 4:30 p.m. vs. Massachusetts)

Men’s Basketball

La Salle 4 p.m.

Men’s Tennis

Boston 6 p.m.

Women’s Tennis

Monday Mar. 11

Tuesday Mar. 12

Wednesday Mar. 13

Davidson 7 p.m.

A-10 Tournament (Brooklyn, NY) TBD

Queens College 11:00 a.m.

Softball Swimming Baseball

NYU Invite TBD

Hofstra/ Iona/Hofstra Iona 11 a.m. 11 a.m./3 p.m.

Hofstra 12 p.m.

Sacred Heart 3 p.m.

Wagner 3 p.m.

SPORTS

Page 22

Softball Loses Three of Four in I-75 Challenge

March 6, 2019

Baseball Takes Three of Four Against Maryland Eastern Shore

By JACK McLOONE

SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Teams like Georgia Tech have had their way with Fordham Softball so far this season.

By EMMANUEL BERBARI STAFF WRITER

Playing at a high-level outof-conference competition has come at a cost for Fordham Softball. Head coach Melissa Inouye’s squad split a doubleheader at Georgia State on Saturday to snap a six-game losing streak that stretched into the weekend’s I-75 Challenge.

It took a seventh-inning rally from both sides to notch a win, as the Rams and Panthers split 5-4 decisions.

In game one, the Rams were held scoreless for six innings by Georgia State redshirt-freshman Savannah Freeman and trailed 4-0 through six.

Plain and simple, the seventh inning proved to be a different story.

Sophomore infielder Gianna Ranieri worked a leadoff walk to end Freeman’s day. Georgia State redshirt-sophomore pitcher Emily Soles took over and allowed a single to senior infielder Molly Roark, who was replaced by freshman pinch-runner Gigi Speer.

Ranieri and Speer moved to second and third, respectively, on an ensuing groundout to put senior outfielder Maria Trivelpiece in a position to put Fordham on the board.

She delivered, knocking a tworun single to left to pull the Rams within two.

Later in the inning, Soles was replaced in the circle by senior Mandy Chance to face senior Chelsea Skrepenak with two on.

Promptly, Skrepenak drilled a three-run homer to give the Rams the lead.

Fordham’s most dramatic rally of the season was capped off by a timely homer, providing junior pitcher Madie Aughinbaugh with an opportunity to earn her third victory of the season. With a hohum seventh inning, the Rams snapped their skid in improbable fashion. Aughinbaugh’s seven strikeouts in an otherwise gritty

three-hit, four-run, five-walk effort, were a season-high.

Fordham looked to turn its losing streak into a winning streak in game two, but the tables turned upside down.

The Rams jumped to an early lead but squandered it to a seventh-inning Panthers rally. Sophomore third baseman Rachel Hubertus cracked her fourth home run of the season; Trivelpiece collected her second and third runscoring singles of the day to pad the Ram lead to three in the sixth inning.

Freshman Makenzie McGrath nearly surrendered the lead in the sixth but was able to escape any further trouble. Aughinbaugh came back in looking to finish a perfect day in the seventh and finish her second save of the year, but the Panthers spoiled what would have been a feel-good sweep. Senior Remington Hasty and redshirt-sophomore Caitlin Ray, who had both homered earlier in the game, contributed back-to-back one-out RBI singles to propel the Panthers to a walk-off win.

Sophomore pitcher Anne Marie Prentiss scattered three hits over four innings of one-run ball, striking out three but did not factor into the decision. Aughinbaugh’s blown save followed her brilliant effort in game one, as her record dropped to 3-8 on the season.

Fordham was set to wrap up the I-75 challenge at Kennesaw State on Sunday at noon, but the getaway clash was cancelled due to weather. This Wednesday’s scheduled 3 p.m. home opener against Lafayette has also been altered, as the matchup will be postponed to a later date.

As a result, the Rams have a stretch of 12 days off before returning to action Friday, March 15 against Cleveland State and Connecticut in Macon, Georgia for the Mercer Bears Classic. Fordham will not open up at home until April 6 for a doubleheader against Dayton in the thick of Atlantic 10 play.

Although Fordham Baseball did not find necessarily warmer weather in their final venture south to play the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the Rams did find their most success thus far, winning three of their four games against the Hawks. The Rams are now 5-6 overall.

The Rams won the first game on Friday with a resounding 7-2, their biggest win of the season. They did so in the same way they won so many games last season: stealing bases. Fordham baserunners stole six bases on the day, with five of them coming in the fifth inning. To continue the trend of fives, all five of those base-stealers came around to score thanks to moving up a base, whether it was scoring on a single or a passed ball.

The other stolen base, freshman right fielder Jake Guercio’s second of the game, also resulted in a run in the seventh.

Even the Rams’ seventh run of the game was in part thanks to a steal, as when sophomore shortstop Jake MacKenzie was caught stealing at second, sophomore second baseman Justin Machado scored from third.

On the pitching side, junior Alvin Melendez made another start, staying in for a season-high four innings while giving up two runs on three hits and a walk. He struck out four.

He was relieved in the start of the fifth inning by freshman pitcher Gabriel Karslo, who navigated around five hits and a walk to work five scoreless frames. He also had five strikeouts. Additionally, he was also incredibly efficient, throwing just 52 pitches.

The Rams once again played a doubleheader on Saturday, which they split with the Hawks. Both halves were made into seven-inning games.

The Rams scored first after a single from senior catcher Justin Bardwell allowed MacKenzie to score after the shortstop had stolen both second and third.

However, sophomore starter Matt Mikulski had a rough go of it, however. After falling victim to an unearned run in the first, he was touched up for four more very much earned ones in the second, despite getting the first two batters out. He hit a batter, gave up a single and double, walked a batter, threw a wild pitch and gave up another two-RBI single before being pulled for redshirt junior Mike Cowell, who eventually put out the fire and ended the inning with the

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Baseball took three out of four games against Maryland Eastern Shore.

Rams down 5-1.

Trailing 6-2 in the sixth, the Rams had a bit of a rally, linking together a few singles and taking advantage of a passed ball to bring the tying run to the plate, which head coach Kevin Leighton decided to make Melendez, pinch-hitting for Guercio with a runner on third and two outs. However, Melendez struck out, ending the threat, and they went down meekly in the top of the seventh. They lost 6-4.

Luckily for the Rams, they did not have long to wallow in defeat nor did they. They struck in the top of the first once again thanks to basestealing, and once again in a different way. This time, it was Bardwell of all people stealing third when the throw went into left field, allowing him to scamper home for the first run. They tacked on two more in the third, with one coming thanks in part to a MacKenzie stolen base.

Sophomore starter Joseph Quintal was mostly on-point, striking out nine over six innings.

However, he did allow seven hits, two walks and threw two wild pitches, though he held the Hawks to just one run.

The Rams added one run in the fourth and junior pitcher Kyle Martin came in to earn his second save by slamming the door, giving the Rams the 4-1 win.

In the rubber match of the se-

ries on Sunday, sophomore hurler John Stankiewicz took the mound and pitched a gem, throwing seven innings of one-run ball, striking out nine while allowing just three hits and one walk. The one run came in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly. He retired the next 12 batters after that, including striking out the side in both the second and third.

The Rams tied it up in the fourth thanks to, what else, a steal. Melendez stole second after being hit by a pitch before scoring on a Bardwell single. They pushed the game-winning run across in the top of the seventh after a sacrifice bunt from Machado scored junior centerfielder Billy Godrick from third. Of course, he also reached third by stealing it.

Freshman reliever Cory Wall and then Kyle Martin combined to work the final two frames, retiring each batter they faced with the slim margin to preserve the 2-1 win.

Martin picked up his third save.

The Rams will finally get a chance to play a slate of home games this weekend in the Fordham Round Robin. They will play a doubleheader on Friday, March 8, starting with Iona at noon and then Hofstra with a scheduled 4 p.m. start. They will play two more games on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. and another on Sunday again at noon.

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SPORTS

March 6, 2019

Anthony Cardone The Lazy 300 Million Dollar Man: Manny Machado Lands Contract with the San Diego Padres It has been a long offseason for free agents looking for a new home this winter, especially for infielder Manny Machado. Machado played his first six years for the Baltimore Orioles and spent half of last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, collecting four All-Stars and two Gold Gloves in his career.

On Feb. 21, Machado finally landed his name on a contract. He signed the largest free agent contract in sports history, at the time surpassing Alex Rodriguez’s $275 million contract with a $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres.

For the Padres, this was a huge day in their history. With a club that has one of the best farm systems in all of the sport, the future in San Diego is very bright. The team just added one of the best players in the league into the depth chart.

But was Manny Machado worth $300 million?

If any of you have forgotten, Machado isn’t the type of player to give you 100 percent every time he’s up to the plate. If you remember in the postseason last year, he would, for the most part, jog to first base or not go for a ball at his hardest, and it hurt the Dodgers many times throughout the playoffs.

He would play very dirty toward other players, stepping on the ankles of first basemen and always getting into fights with pitchers. It’s not really the type of attitude you want in the clubhouse.

Of course, you want a player who plays hard, but where do you draw the line? When asked why he didn’t hustle down the first base line in one of the playoff games, he even responded, “That’s not my cup of tea.”

“Obviously, I’m not going to change,” Machado said. “I’m not the type of player that’s going to be ‘Johnny Hustle,’ and run down the line and slide to first base and … you know, whatever can happen. That’s just not my personality, that’s not who I am.”

Is that the type of player you give $300 million to? I sure as heck wouldn’t. Maybe that’s why his market was so slow and no one wanted to give him that type of money. Who knows, this could turn out to be the worst contract in sports history if this guy doesn’t try in the next 10 years out west.

Manny Machado better fix his act, or Padres fans will quickly turn on him. It will even affect his game—that’s what happened to the Dodgers. He didn’t show up in the playoffs, batting .218 overall and just .182 in the World Series. The Dodgers gave up quite a lot to get Machado, and now he’s under contract for the next decade?

Doesn’t seem like it was the smartest move on the Padres’ part. We’ll see if Johnny Hustle starts to care in the near future.

Page 23

Chris Hennessy

Varsity Scores & Stats Men’s Basketball Saint Joseph’s Fordham

(FOR) Perry: 12 PTS, 4 3PT

66 52

Fordham

Davidson

(FOR) Honor: 17 PTS, 6 FG, 4 FT

52 77

Women’s Basketball Dayton 48 Fordham

57 (FOR) Goulding: 24 PTS (7-14 FG), 4 3PT, 12 RBD, 3 AST Fordham

51 Saint Joseph’s 41 (FOR) Cavanaugh: 26 PTS, 8 FG, 5 3PT Men’s Tennis Fordham

Delaware

(FOR) de Macar: 6-1, 6-2 Fordham Navy (FOR) Makatsaria: 6-4, 6-4

4 2 3 4

Women’s Tennis George Washington Fordham (FOR) Li: 6-2, 6-2

5 2

Softball Fordham Georgia Tech W: Bruce (5-1) L: Aughinbaugh (2-7) (FOR) Trivelpiece: 1-2

0 1

Fordham Georgia Tech W: Johns (5-4) L: McGrath (1-2) (FOR) Burbridge: 3-3, 2B, R, RBI

3 4

Fordham Georgia State W: Aughinbaugh (3-7) L: Chance (0-7) (FOR) Skrepenak: 2-3, HR, 3 RBI

5 4

Men’s Track & Field ECAC/IC4A Championships (Individual Results Only) (FOR) Gooden Jr.: 500m - 1:03.51 - 3rd

Women’s Track & Field ECAC/IC4A Championships (Individual Results Only) (FOR) Kelly: 200m - 24.23 - 3rd Baseball Fordham

UMES W: Karslo (1-0) L: Walston (0-2) (FOR) Guercio: 3-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 SB

4 6

Fordham

UMES W: Quintal (1-0) L: Tolson (0-3) S: Martin (2) (FOR) Mackenzie: 1-3, RBI, SB

4 1

Fordham

UMES W: Stankiewicz (2-0) L: Sanders (0-2) S: Martin (3) (FOR) Bardwell: 2-4, 2B, RBI

2 1

Lutwin de Macar

Kathryn Kelly

Sophomore

Sophomore

Men’s Tennis

Women’s Track Kelly was the shining star of Track & Field at the ECAC/IC4A Championships this weekend. On Saturday, she set the school record in the 200m with a time of 24.25 and then surpassed the record, finishing at a time of 24.23 the next day.

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 •

Women’s Hoops Clinch

After clinching a first-round bye in the Atlantic 10 tournament earlier in the week, Fordham Women’s Basketball clinched a share of the A-10 regular season championship with their win over Saint Joseph’s on Saturday. Not only was this the team’s ninth straight win, but it was also a program record 13th conference victory of the season. The Rams have a record of 22-8 on the season overall and are 13-3 inside the A-10 conference. Head Coach Stephanie Gaitley said of her team “I’m so very happy and proud of them. This team will be a part of Fordham women’s history!”

• Douglass Represents at CSA

Squash standout William Douglass was invited

to and participated in the 2019 CSA Individual Championship in Providence, Rhode Island on the campus of Brown University. Douglass walked in a title-winner, having, along with his Fordham teammates, took home the Chaffee Cup at the CSA Team Championship a few weeks earlier. Playing in the Molly Cup’s West Division bracket, he lost his opening match, getting swept

by Bransten Ming of Drexel 11-4, 11-4, 11-2. In the consolation bracket, he was eliminated after dropping a matchup with Amherst’s Terrence Wang 11-9, 11-8, 11-5.

• Goulding Honored Again

The Atlantic 10 announced on Monday that

for the third time this season, women’s basketball senior Mary Goulding has been named the conference’s Player of the Week. Goulding was an enormous part of the Rams’ two wins and conference clinching this week, averaging 20.0 points and 12.5 rebounds, shooting 58.3% from the floor, 66.7% from beyond the arc, and 88.9% from the free throw line. She finishes conference play this season with an average of 13.4 points and 9.4 rebounds while having overall team highs of 50 assists and 24 steals.

• Kelly Breaks Record Twice

At the 2019 ECAC/IC4A Championships this

weekend at Boston University, Women’s Track & Field star Kathryn Kelly participated in the 200m on both Saturday and Sunday and opened eyes on both days, entering the Fordham history books in the process. Saturday saw Kelly come in fourth at the event with a time of 24.25, breaking the school record Mary Kate Kenny had set earlier in the year. On Sunday, while placing third in the 200m, she finished at 24.23, besting her own record from the day before.

7 2

Fordham

UMES W: Marshall (2-1) L: Mikulski (0-2) S: Poulsen (1) (FOR) Bardwell: 1-2, SF, 2 RBI

Athletes of the Week

Men’s Tennis had a busy weekend, and de Macar rose to the ocassion, winning his singles match 6-1, 6-2 against Delaware on Saturday, then winning a doubles match with Fabian Mauritzson 6-4 and taking another singles match 6-2, 6-3 against Navy on Sunday.

Why Thursday Mattered

– Compiled by Dylan Balsamo

Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019 was a date circled on the calendars of Islander fans since July 1. On that fateful summer day, the Captain, John Tavares, left the Islanders to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. This came after multiple interviews where Tavares said that he had never thought about leaving Long Island and wanted to remain an Islander. Well, he lied. Feb. 28 has come and gone, and it was quite the spectacle. From chants to signs to the occasional plastic snake, JT was faithfully welcomed home by Long Island.

The game was originally scheduled to be played at the Barclays Center, but this season they split the home games between Atlantic Ave and their true home, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. When the game was switched to the Coliseum due to scheduling issues in October, Islanders fans were ecstatic.

Ticket prices soared and the building sold out in minutes. Leading up to the game, the Islanders have had a season no one expected. They sit atop the division in a playoff spot that didn’t seem plausible after JT’s departure. The emotion of the game truly meant something for both teams in the playoff hunt and gave it an atmosphere unlike any other regular season contest.

The morning of the game, I was a little nostalgic, watching some JT-era Islander playoff games (there weren’t many) to remember all the great things that he did for the organization. Then I turned to Twitter, where the now infamous video of him in a media scrum in Montreal came up plenty of times. “I want to stay on Long Island,” he said.

People who attended the game prepared by tailgating for hours in the Coliseum parking lot, a tradition truly unlike any other. The doors to the Coliseum opened and the people flooded to their seats, donning custom 91 jerseys with name plates such as “liar,” “snake,” “pajama boy” (long story, look him up on Instagram) and “traitor.” He was booed loudly from the second he stepped on the ice in warmups to the final horn.

I won’t lie, warmups were a rough look for Islander fans. Two plastic snakes and a jersey were thrown at Tavares at various points during the pregame period. This stopped once the puck was dropped; but the chants continued and grew even louder when he stepped on the ice for the first time. Then the tribute video was played. I have no idea why they played a tribute video, but there it was, getting drowned out by booing the entire time. Tavares skated to center ice and saluted a crowd that was using his name in vain repeatedly.

After the tribute video, the fans were fine — passionate, but fine. The chants toward the former captain continued to rain down as the Islanders poured in the goals, totaling six behind Leafs goalie Garret Sparks.

This was a good thing for Islander fans. This was the relief they needed. The fun police were in full force on Twitter in the form of Leafs and Rangers fans, as they would not let a fanbase who hadn’t seen a Stanley Cup since the ‘80s have too good of a time. Sean Avery, as the epitome of class, came out and bashed the Islander fans. Oh, well. It’s over now.

SPORTS

Page 24

March 6, 2019

The Fordham Ram

Women’s Basketball Wins Share of First Regular Season A-10 Title FROM WBB, PAGE 1

performance since the 2013-14 season, when they won the A-10 Championship.

“From day one, I have spoken about this team’s chemistry,” said Gaitley when asked what set this team apart from others. “They are a selfless group that embodies the ‘we’ before the ‘me.’ They have been a pleasure to coach every day.”

The Rams wrapped up their regular season on the road with a 51-41 win over St. Joseph’s University. They entered the game playing just for the title, having already clinched a bye through the first round.

But the title, plus their continued success, was enough motivation.

The majority of the scoring was an amplified version of the final stretch of the season for the Rams, but magnified. Senior forward Mary Goulding and redshirt sophomore guard Bre Cavanaugh outscored the Hawks on their own, tallying a combined 42 points.

“Bre and Mary have been critical pieces to our success,” said Gaitley. “Mary has been a model of consistency across the board.

With the exception of scoring, she leads us in every category.

As far as Bre, she singlehandedly kept us in the St Joe’s game.

It’s exciting to think how good we will be with all the players contributing offensively.”

The Rams got off to a slow start, failing to get on the board until Cavanaugh hit two free throws with 7:28 remaining in the first quarter. The defense had been playing

MACKENZIE CRANNA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Women’s Basketball made history by securing a share of its first ever Atlantic 10 regular season title. well. However, those points tied the game at two. The offense took a bit to click, as the Rams were trailing 7-4 a little over halfway through the quarter. But over the final 4:30 of the quarter, Fordham outscored St. Joseph’s 15-8 to take a 19-15 lead at the break.

In the opening quarter, all but two points (the Rams’ first made basket, a jumper from sophomore guard Kendell Heremaia) were scored

by Cavanaugh and Goulding.

The second quarter was a lot

slower for the Rams. Cavanaugh opened the quarter with a three on their first possession, but they didn’t score again until she hit another with 6:41 left to play in the quarter. It was the Rams’ final made baskets of the half (Heremaia hit a single free throw) and the Rams were outscored 12-7 on the quarter. After leading by as much as eight in the quarter, the Rams entered halftime down one, 27-26.

Like they have all season long, the Rams refocused on defense

in the second half to grind out another win to end their season.

St. Joseph’s was unable to break double digits in either of the final two quarters, held to just six in the third and eight in the fourth.

Meanwhile, the Rams scored 10 and 15, respectively. A jumper in the paint by senior point guard Lauren Holden gave the Rams a two-point lead, which they held onto through the rest of the game.

Cavanaugh finished with 26 points on 8-17 shooting, including a deadly 5-8 from three

(she also hit 5-8 free throws).

Goulding picked up a doubledouble, her ninth of the season, with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

The Rams will play their first game of the A-10 Championships on Friday, March 8 at 4:30 p.m. They will face the University of Massachusetts, who defeated George Mason in double overtime on Tuesday. The Rams beat both of those teams by doubledigits in the regular season: the Patriots 64-53 on Feb. 10 and the Minutemen 76-64 on Feb. 24.

Men’s Basketball Routed by Davidson University Over the Weekend

By ANDREW POSADAS

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Offensive struggles plagued Fordham Men’s Basketball in its road loss Saturday afternoon to Davidson College, 77-52.

At this point, the season can’t end soon enough for a Rams team still looking to build an identity.

Fordham came stumbling into Saturday’s matchup on a threegame losing skid, headlined by a demoralizing home loss against Saint Joseph’s University at home, during which Fordham blew a 16-point lead in a second-half collapse.

The Rams were heavy underdogs for a possible upset road win against one of the better conference teams. Early on, Davidson quickly flexed their muscles in front of their home crowd. The Wildcats jumped out to an early 11-2 lead, including nine quick points from forward Luka Brajkovic.

Freshman guard Nick Honor scored seven of Fordham’s first nine points. Unfortunately, the rest of the Rams could not find the rim as frequently as he did.

Davidson’s lead would balloon to 16 after a fastbreak dunk by guard Kellen Grady put the Wildcats up 25-9 at the six-minute mark. A timeout by head coach Jeff Neubauer after Grady’s dunk gave the feeling this game was already out

MACKENZIE CRANNA/THE FORDHAM RAM

The season can’t end soon enough for Fordham Men’s Basketball after its fourth straight loss in a row. of reach.

Although it took Fordham nearly 14 minutes to break double-digits on the scoreboard, the Rams offense finally showed signs of life. Fluid offensive sets led to open layups and three-point shots. Junior forward Chuba Ohams’s layup with over a minute remaining capped off a 13-4 run following the timeout. Both

teams exchanged baskets in the final minute, yet Davidson held a 10-point lead at halftime, 34-24.

Fordham’s stretch of good offense looked as if it may carry over into the second half. Unfortunately, Davidson would have no such optimism. Fordham would be hit with a haymaker in the form of a 15-2 Wildcats run in the first five minutes. In the blink

of an eye, Fordham’s offense had vanished and was down by 23 points.

The rest of the game was a formality for those in the John M. Belk Arena. Davidson went on to outscore Fordham 43-28 in the second half. Kellen Grady, the Wildcats’ star player, led all scorers with 25 points. Ironically, Davidson would ultimately end up

winning by a margin of 25 points.

As for the Rams, Honor finished with a team-high 17 points.

It is the 26th time Honor has scored in double digits this season. Ohams came one rebound shy of a double-double, grabbing nine rebounds and scoring 12 points. The loss drops Fordham to 11-18 overall and 2-14 in the Atlantic 10 conference.

In their current four-game losing streak, Fordham is shooting a lowly 35 percent from the floor as a team. While Honor has been the bright spot on offense, one man cannot change a program overnight. Players like junior guard Antwon Portley and freshman guard Jalen Cobb must step up to become focal points in the offense moving forward.

It isn’t solely on the players, either. Coach Neubauer will need to adjust his offense to involve others besides Honor. Far too many possessions this season have seen Honor in a basic pick and roll that turns into a lastsecond point guard isolation play.

What worked on offense against lesser non-conference opponents hasn’t translated against superior talent in the Atlantic 10.

Men’s Basketball will be back in action tonight at 7 p.m. in the historic Rose Hill Gymnasium against George Washington University.