The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 101, Issue 7
March 13, 2019
FordhamRam.com
Fordham Celebrates Women’s History
Access to List of Jesuits Prohibited
By SARAH HUFFMAN
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
By ERICA SCALISE PROJECTS EDITOR
After The Ram previously reported a collection of catalogs of Jesuits in residence at MurrayWeigel was available to the Fordham community in Walsh Library, the Northeast Province of the Society of Jesus prohibited access to the catalogs on the basis of copyright law. After access was revoked, three more previous residents of Murray-Weigel with credible abuse allegations have come to light. On Feb. 27, The Ram scheduled an appointment in the Special Collections department of the Walsh Library to view the catalogs. Following the scheduling of the appointment, The Ram was informed by Bob Howe, director of communications for the university, and Vivian Shen, library liaison for the department of Archives & Special Collections, that access had been prohibited. In an email on Feb. 27, Shen referred The Ram to contact the Northeast Province to seek permission for access to the catalogs. Shen said she received an email from Development about use of the directory. Howe reached out to The Ram after reporters attempted to make an appointment to review the catalogs and referred them to the Northeast Province. “The Northeast Province of The Society of Jesus has recently invoked its legal rights under copyright law to prohibit access by non-Provence members to the Catalog – a list of Jesuits and where they reside,” said Howe. “In order to comply with the Province’s copyright, the university will maintain the catalogs in our libraries, but require interested parties seeking access to contact the Province.” Howe referred The Ram to Michael Berandino, criminal defense attorney representing the ProvSEE LIST, PAGE 3
in this issue
Opinion Page 9 Release Names or Close Murray-Weigel
Sports
Page 20
Fordham Women's Basketball Wins A-10 Tournament
Culture
Page 14
Fordham's Thriving YouTuber Community
HELEN STEVENSON/THE FORDHAM RAM
On Friday, March 8, FDM hosted its annual dance marathon to support the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation.
Fordham Dance Marathon Breaks Donation Record By HELEN STEVENSON NEWS EDITOR
Fordham Dance Marathon (FDM) raised a total of $121,364.88 for its sixth annual dance marathon this Friday, March 8 to support the Andrew
McDonough Be Positive (B+) Foundation. The student-run organization raised $15,000 during the event itself, bringing in over 12 percent of its total fundraising. According to Jacklyn Onody, GSB ’20, and FDM co-director Kimona Dussard, FCRH ’20, or-
ganizers chose to keep their fundraising goal a secret this year to build more excitement about the reveal. Although the organization has decided to maintain the secret even post-marathon, Onody and SEE FDM, PAGE 3
March is Women’s History Month, and many departments and organizations at Fordham have several events planned to celebrate women’s history. Smart Women’s Securities (SWS) is a nonprofit organization focused on financial investment education for undergraduate women. The organization seeks to provide undergraduate women with the skills necessary to make decisions regarding investments. SWS is hosting many events this month. So far it has hosted a New York Stock Exchange corporate visit, an AMG Funds seminar and a JP Morgan Asset Management corporate visit. On Thursday, March 14 they will be having a RBC seminar and on Thursday, March 28 they are hosting a Fortress seminar. Additionally, their main event of the semester is the Women in Leadership Conference on Thursday, April 11. This event will have SEE WHM, PAGE 6
MTA to Add Stops at Fordham Rd. By ERICA SCALISE
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Following New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s push to end an agreement that prohibits passengers in the Bronx from boarding certain trains heading into Grand Central Terminal, Metro-North announced it is opening New Haven Line trains for travel between Fordham and Manhattan, effective April 14. According to a Feb. 25 press release by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), the change means railroad customers will be able to access an additional 96 weekday trains for travel between Fordham and Manhattan that previously had been off-limits, more than doubling existing service of 93 daily Harlem Line trains. Metro North President Catherine Rinaldi said it was long past time for the elimination of what she referred to as a customer-unfriendly rule. “The rule about boarding at Fordham had a long history, but that’s no reason for us to continue SEE MTA, PAGE 6
KYLIE ELWOOD/THE FORDHAM RAM
Students attended the Rolling Rams Boogie Night and had the opportunity to rollerskate in McGinley Second.
CSA Hosts “Time Travel” Commuter Student's Week By ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
The Commuter Student Association (CSA) held its annual Commuter Student Week last week. The week had eight events for commuter students and residents alike surrounding the theme
of time travel. The week’s festivities were supposed to kick off Monday, March 4, but due to a snow day, the stone-age event was postponed for a week. The first event ended up being a Rockin’ Dinner in Dagger John’s with a jukebox
and milkshakes on Tuesday. It was followed by a roller rink in McGinley Second titled “Rolling Rams Boogie Night” and a '90s fitness event on Wednesday. On Thursday, March 7, they held a Year 3000 party with laser tag and glow in the dark paintSEE CSA, PAGE 6
NEWS
Page 2
PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS
March 13, 2019
Incoming Provost Talks Goals and Plans Dennis Jacobs, Ph.D., to Take Up Post By SARAH HUFFMAN
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
March 5 Salice-Conley Hall 11:41 p.m. Students notified Public Safety that they were trapped in elevator two in tower four of SaliceConley Hall. Public Safety and an elevator tech responded and the students were released without incident or injury. March 6 Faculty Memorial Hall 3:00 p.m. Public Safety was notified about damage to three toilet paper dispensers in the third floor men's room. It appeared they had been kicked off of the wall. March 8 Archer Drive 2:05 p.m. On the road behind SaliceConley Hall and Campbell Hall, a minor accident occured between a non-Fordham vehicle, a Mercedes, and a campus shuttle. The shuttle was stationary and the non-Fordham vehicle backed into it. A scratch was left on the front bumper of the shuttle. March 9 189th Street 2:00 a.m. A student reported that their jacket, containing a Louis Vuitton wallet, debit cards and government ID, went missing at Howl at the Moon. They placed the items behind the DJ for safekeeping and when they came back at 4:00 a.m., they were gone. The incident was reported on Monday, March 11.
On Jan. 14, 2019, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, announced that Dennis Jacobs, Ph.D., would take over as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs on July 1, 2019. Jacobs served as provost for Santa Clara University for eight years before joining Fordham. During his time at Santa Clara, Jacobs helped develop and implement a strategic plan for the institution that draws on both Santa Clara's location in the Silicon Valley and Jesuit values. During his time there, he said Santa Clara added new degree programs, constructed new art, law, engineering and science facilities, increased faculty and student diversity and increased its graduation rate. The search for provost began after Fordham’s last provost, Stephen Freeman, Ph.D., passed away suddenly last July. Virginia Roach, dean of the Graduate School of Education, was part of the committee that selected a new provost. She said the committee developed a leadership profile and job description, then advertised the position widely. Roach said everyone who sent along a resume and interest letter was considered in an initial pool of applicants. The pool was narrowed down to a short list and
COURTESY OF DENNIS JACOBS
Dennis Jacobs was named as provost on Jan. 14, 2019. He previously served as provost at Santa Clara University.
then McShane, with the advice and consent from the Board of Trustees, chose the new provost. Jacobs said the job of provost means he is the chief academic officer who oversees all undergraduate and graduate education and academic support programs. “The provost works with the deans to enhance the intellectual vibrancy of the faculty, student body and staff by providing leadership in matters related to academic and faculty affairs,” he said. Jacobs was encouraged to ap-
ply for the position last fall. He said he went through interviews at both Lincoln Center and Rose Hill and had extensive conversations with McShane, senior administrative leaders, deans and faculty. According to Roach, Jacobs was chosen because he is thoughtful, reflective, a good listener and has an analytic mind, among other positive qualities. “Provost Jacobs has a deep sense of Jesuit education and has been a highly successful provost
March 10 Campbell Hall 11:55 p.m. An alarm in a student's room in Campbell Hall went off. Public Safety responded. A student stated she was cooking with oil. The student extinguished it with a fire extinguisher and opened the windows. FDNY did not need to respond.
-Compiled by Eliot Schiaparelli COURTESY OF RAM ARCHIVES
The office of the provost is located in Cunniffe House (pictured above). Jacobs will start as provost on July 1, 2019.
in his current position,” said Roach. “While he respects tradition, he is highly entrepreneurial and looks to regional and community partners to help build his vision for the academic future of the university.” Roach said Jacobs’s past experience will help develop the new academic center in London and expand programs such as the Social Innovation Collaboratory and online programming. According to Roach, Jacobs will “help to position Fordham as a world-renowned institution known for its stellar research, teaching and innovation.” Jacobs said in the coming year he wants to focus on getting to know the people and goals of Fordham. “This will inform Fordham's strategic plan that aims to identify how Fordham can be both excellent and distinctive,” said Jacobs. “Fordham has a vital mission of offering a transformative Jesuit education in the global city of New York.” As provost, Jacobs said he would like to see Fordham’s undergraduate retention and graduation rates improve. He said he wants to better integrate academic programs and communities across the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses in addition to his goals of ncreasing enrollment in graduate programs and expanding research.
This Week at Fordham Wednesday March 13
Wednesday March 13
Hijab Day
Smog Wars
Thursday March 14
Thursday March 14
Friday March 15
McGinley Lobby 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Dealy 307 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Campbell Multipurpose Room 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
CPR Class
A Quiet Place Showing
Indoor Rock Climbing
Muslim Student Association members will drape scarves on those who wish to experience wearing the hijab and give out pamphlets. This event is meant to encourage women of all faiths and backgrounds to understand the hijabi experience.
The Polish American Social Exchange and Students for Environmental Awareness and Justice (SEAJ) are meeting to discuss the issue of pollution in Poland and what can be done about it. The meeting will occur in Dealy 307.
FUEMS will host an American Heart Association (AHA) CPR certification class for Fordham students. The class will be on Wednesday, March 14 in the Campbell Multipurpose Room. It will occur from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The Deaf Awareness Club will be showing the movie "A Quiet Place." This movie features ASL and a deaf actress. The movie will be shown in McGinley Ballroom. The event will occur on Thursday, March 14 from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Join the Outdoors Club for rock climbing at the Rock Club in New Rochelle. Students can meet up with an e-board member at the Metro North station, and they will leave on the 7:04 p.m. train to New Rochelle.
McGinley Ballroom 8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
The Rock Club 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
NEWS
March 13, 2019
Page 3
FDM Passes Fundraising Goal During Marathon FROM FDM, PAGE 1
Dussard said FDM succeeded in surpassing their goal. “It was an amazing feeling watching the reveal this year and knowing that we are going to help so many families as a result of all
of our hard work,” they said. Onody and Dussard said that what really helped make this year successful was the number of people we had involved in FDM this year. “We had an amazing team be-
COURTESY OF RAM ARCHIVES
FDM hosted a number of events throughout the year to raise money for B+.
hind us on both Committee and Subcommittee and we would not have been able to pull this off without their support and added manpower,” they said. This year, Sammy Adams headlined the event. It was his first performance since the rapper broke his neck in September 2018. Adams said he was happy to perform for such an amazing cause. “My dad has leukemia so this is a big deal to me,” he said. “It’s impeded my family’s life for a long time and it is an honor to be here for such an awesome cause.” Adams performed three unreleased songs during his set. “I’m not allowed to do this but I’m going to do this anyhow,” he said. “It is a hundred percent unreleased and I am going to get killed by my management.” A number of student groups also performed throughout the day, including Satin Dolls, Expressions, the Ramblers and Fordham Flava. Jeffrey Pelayo, FCRH ’21, performed with Flava and said the marathon was an amazing experience. “I appreciate when Flava is asked to perform at these fundraisers because in a way, I feel like I’m killing two birds with one stone by getting the opportunity to dance and raise awareness for
COURTESY OF KRISTEN EGAN
B+ Heroes attended the event to play with FDM organizers and volunteers.
pediatric cancer at the same time.” The event lasted throughout the day, from 2 p.m. until 12 a.m., and FDM hosted various activities to participate in: including a 3v3 basketball tournament, Erg races, relay races and other small fundraising activities. Several B+ “Heroes,” children
battling pediatric cancer, also attended the event earlier in the day to play with FDM organizers and Fordham athletes during the activities. Onody and Dussard said FDM is still accepting donations at www.fordhamdancemarathon. org.
List of Jesuit Priests No Longer Available in Walsh Jesuit Province Denies Access on Copyright Grounds FROM LIST, PAGE 1
ince. Berandino informed the university about the copyright issues the Province wanted to enforce, according to Howe. Berandino declined to comment and directed The Ram to the Northeast Province’s public relations office. The Northeast Province did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication. According to a previous statement by the Northeast Province, the information in the catalogs is private. According to the Jesuit order, these catalogs are published and mailed to each Jesuit yearly and contain lists of Jesuits divided geographically by province, house, residence or college. They also contain each Jesuit’s date of birth, year of entry into the Society of Jesus and year for final vows. The catalogs are compiled for individual provinces. After access to these catalogs was denied on grounds of copyright law, The Ram found three additional priests credibly accused of sexual abuse who once lived in Murray-Weigel. Rev. John J. Gallen, S.J., was the subject of an investigation during the 1990s that confirmed allegations that he sexually abused minors throughout the 1970s and 1980s according to the Northeast Province’s Jan. 15 list of Jesuits with credible allegations of sexual abuse. According to the list, during this period, Gallen was stationed at
JULIA CORBETT/THE FORDHAM RAM
The list of priests in residence at Murray-Weigel Hall is no longer available to the public in Walsh Library
Woodstock College in Maryland, the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, St. Ignatius Parish in New York City and Corpus Christi Center in Phoenix. The Jesuits impeded Gallen in 2001, and in 2008 he was moved to MurrayWeigel where he died in 2011, according to a Minnesota law firm. John M. Doolan, S.J., admitted
in 1999 to abusing minors during the 1960s and 1970s, a period during which he was stationed at Xavier High School and Chuuk Parish in Micronesia, St. Thomas More Parish in New York City and Martyrs’ Shrine Retreats in Auriesville, New York according to the Northeast Province’s list. In 2002, Doolan was sent to
Murray-Weigel, according to Catholic New York. The Jesuits impeded Doolan in 2006, and he died while residing at MurrayWeigel in 2008. John L. Farrand, S.J., was accused of abusing minors while at Regis High School in New York City in 1961 according to Bishop Accountability, a website
that tracks and records credible incidents of clergy abuse. Farrand was moved to Brooklyn Prep High School in Brooklyn soon afterwards, where he continued to teach until 1972, when he was moved to Ecole de Provence in France. In 1974, Farrand left France for Colegio San Ignacio in Puerto Rico and returned to New York City in 1976, where he taught at Loyola School according to the Northeast Province’s list. Farrand resided at Murray-Weigel according to a Jesuit newsletter that refers to Murray-Weigel as “the New York Province Infirmary” — the same name given to Murray-Weigel on the university’s website. Farrand died at the Bronx's Our Lady of Mercy Hospital in 2003. Bob Howe, director of communications for the university, referred The Ram to the university’s Feb. 12 statement. He said the situation has been corrected. “Was the university as rigorous as it should have been in tracking who was housed in MurrayWeigel, and of their histories? Unfortunately, we were not, and we are horrified that Jesuits against whom there are credible allegations of abuse were in such close proximity to our students,” said Howe in the Feb. 12 statement. Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, said there are no longer any "restricted" Jesuits living in Murray-Weigel, and those living there now are therefore completely free and innocent of any accusations of abuse.
NEWS
Page 4
March 13, 2019
Research Spotlight
USG Column
Alumna Discusses Child Development Research Studies the Effect of a Mother’s Working Status
USG Approves CRS
By SARAH HUFFMAN
By KRISTEN MCNERNEY
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Fordham alumna, Dalaney Vonderahe, FCRH ’18, received a Fordham research grant to study whether a difference exists between children of part-time working, full-time working and stay-athome mothers. The specific factors Vonderahe looked at were resilience, selfworth, career aspirations and academic motivation in young adulthood. She hypothesized that young adults who had a part-time working mother throughout their childhoods would have the highest scores for these variables. She measured the variables with the brief resilience scale, the self-perception profile for college students, the career aspiration scale and the academic motivation scale. She said she also made an online survey that had all of these measures and a demographic scale. Vonderahe said she conducted further research that looked into whether a mother’s feelings concerning her role would be associated with the scores on these measures. She hypothesized that mothers with positive feelings about their roles would correlate with higher scores on the scales she was testing. Her first study found that there was no significant difference in resilience, self-worth, career aspirations or academic motivation in young adult offspring of mothers who worked full-time, part-time or stayed at home. However, those who had parttime working mothers had the highest scores of all the conditions. She said her second study regarding a mother’s feelings about her role also found no differences. Vonderahe said she came up with the idea because during college she was surrounded by career -driven women who often spoke about their families and motherhood. She said she is interested
USG voted to approve Catholic Relief Services (CRS), an organization operating at Fordham under the Curran Center and the graduate program of International Political and Economic Development, at its Senate meeting on March 7. Noah Sherer, FCRH ’21, who serves as vice president of the organization, and Lillian Crain, FCRH ’21, who serves as secretary and treasurer, presented at the meeting. They said by receiving club status, they hope to involve more undergraduate Rose Hill students in the mission of CRS. “We serve to encourage students to fulfill their roles as citizens and participants in politics on a local and national level for the betterment of all,” Sherer said. Sherer and Crain explained the four campaigns the organization focuses on: climate change, migration, human trafficking and global hunger, with one campaign per semester. They said that CRS is non-discriminatory, and students do not have to be Catholic to join. Vice President of Student Life, Ashley Qamar, GSB ’20, presented the Beacon Exemplar Award nomination form for students to nominate a faculty or staff member at Rose Hill who demonstrates exemplary work on campus. The form requires students who nominate someone to list the nominee’s name and campus department as well as an explanation for why this person is worthy of the award. According to Qamar, nominees will be able to attend the Beacon Exemplar Gala. Executive President Connor Sullivan, FCRH ’19, presented Senator Kevin McSorley, GSB ’20, with Senator of the Month. Sullivan said McSorley has been working hard and humbly on a multitude of initiatives. Senator David D’Onofrio, FCRH ’22, said that strawberries and blueberries are now being sold at Provisions on Demand (POD). Senator Margaret Rothfus, FCRH ’20, said that POD is also selling reusable items such as mugs, cups and bags. They are set to start selling reusable straws the week of March 11. Ram Express in Keating and the cafeteria are also selling reusable items. Rothfus said she was informed that the cafeteria renovation will have an estimated completion date of fall 2022. “It’s exciting that Aramark is implementing these changes,” said Rothfus. “Sustainability committee sold the straws last semester and they did such a good job with it that Aramark decided to start selling them so it was a collaborative effort.” Vice President of GSB, Amanda D’Antone, GSB ’19, said the academic survey for Gabelli students is still out. Vice President of Finance, Elizabeth Bjorklund, FCRH ’21, said that club suite packets are due April 1. Assistant Dean for Student Involvement Cody Arcuri reminded senators that tickets are still available for Senior Ball.
Photo of the Week:
COURTESY OF DALANEY VONDERAHE
Vonderahe presents her research on child development of children with working and stay at home mothers.
in developmental psychology and she wanted to research a relevant topic. “I feel that mothers are still judged concerning their choices to stay at home or work full or parttime,” said Vonderahe. “For the most part, I feel that mothers want to do what is best for their children and these judgments are not coming from scientific research but rather opinion. I wanted to provide some scientific answers to these criticisms.” Vonderahe’s research sheds light on the debate of whether a mother should work or stay at home and it supports that one type of mother is no better or worse for
child development than the other in terms of working or staying at home. “This is especially comforting, given that many women do not have the choice concerning whether they can work or stay at home,” said Vonderahe. “I think it is important to conduct research like this because it can debunk these criticisms that women are up against.” She said her research is retrospective because it asks young adults about their childhood, rather than just studying children like previous research she examined. Vonderahe said her research experience at Fordham was very
MACKENZIE CRANNA /THE FORDHAM RAM
A view from the Nomo Soho Hotel. captures the skyling. The luxury hotel is a mile from the Brooklyn Bridge and three miles from MOMA and the Statue of Liberty.
positive and she learned a lot. Her direct mentor was Busch Rossnagel, Ph.D. She said Rossnagel was a wonderful guide throughout the process and that she was supportive but also challenging. She also said Associate dean of Strategic Initiatives Rachel Annunziato, Ph.D., was also extremely supportive and gave her the foundation to complete a thesis and apply for a research grant. She said Annunziato’s confidence in her helped her to pursue her research goals. “I learned so much and was very focused on it [the project] even though it was hard to juggle amidst all of my classes,” she said. “I think it was easy to stay so focused on the project because I was very interested in the results and had a mentor who was also interested.” Vonderahe said she ultimately wants people to take away the idea that her research supports that one type of mother (working or not) is no better or worse than another in regard to her child’s development. According to Vonderahe, people should stop criticizing mothers based on their choices to stay home or work. She said much of the research that prefers one type of mother is conflicting and dated. She also mentioned that even though her second study examining a mother’s feelings about her role did not have any significant findings, past literature on a similar topic found that a mother’s happiness about working or staying at home is positively correlated with her child’s development. “I think that this is a better way to look at the work or stay at home debate,” said Vonderahe.
NEWS
March 13, 2019
Page 5
Commuters at Fordham Rd. Gain Access to 96 Trains SEE MTA, PAGE 1
to uphold it,” said Rinaldi. In a Feb. 26 press release by Stringer, the comptroller referred to the policy as an important step, but only a first step. “The Harlem-125th, Melrose, Tremont, Botanical Garden, Williams Bridge, and Woodlawn stations continue to be bypassed by New Haven line trains—leaving Bronx and Manhattan residents with inadequate service,” said Stringer. “For real transit equity, we need to lower in-city MetroNorth and LIRR fares to the $2.75 price of a MetroCard swipe and establish free subway and bus transfers so that New Yorkers aren’t effectively locked out of the 41 commuter rail stations within the five boroughs." The comptroller also called on the MTA to make improvements in order for passengers with mobility impairment to travel efficiently. The MTA did not respond to inquiries about Stringer’s statement in time for publication. Previously, customers at Fordham who sought travel to Grand Central or Harlem-125th Street, as well as customers at those two stations seeking to travel to Fordham, were directed to Harlem Line trains. Southbound New Haven Line trains stopped at Fordham to discharge passengers only, and northbound New Haven Line trains stopped at Fordham only to
JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM
Students often take the southbound Metro-North Railroad train from Fordham Station to Grand Central Station.
receive passengers. Stringer referred to this policy as an “exclusionary practice” in a press release dated on Oct. 19. Sandra Chavez, longtime resident of the Bronx and frequent Metro-North rider, referred to the previous policy as unfair but not surprising. “I grew up here, and I honestly don’t think I’ve even questioned not being able to get on these trains, you know, because you’re so used to it,” said Chavez. “The conductors are always shooing
SUMMER SESSION 2019
people away, and it’s been like that forever so I never really questioned it. That doesn’t mean I don’t love this new idea though. Clearly it’s been a long time coming.” According to the MTA, 67 New Haven Line trains will now be available on Saturdays for such travel, increasing the existing 83 Harlem Line trains. On Sundays, the railroad is adding access to 65 New Haven Line trains to the existing 63 Harlem Line trains. Chavez said the additional trains will help her commute, especially
during wintertime. “Sometimes I’m running late and I just miss my train by a couple of minutes and one of these other trains will go by but I can’t get on it,” said Chavez. “I’m stuck standing there in the cold if the station is crowded. That’s just really inconvenient.” During off-peak times, when waits can be longest, the changes mean service between Fordham and Manhattan will operate roughly four times an hour instead of twice an hour.
Liam Siegal, GSB '21, frequents the Metro-North, relying on it for his commute from home to school and school to work. He said this will make his daily rides run at a smoother rate. “I usually take the Metro-North three to five times per week, so when I originally found out this information, I couldn’t believe it,” said Siegal. “It’s been really annoying because the New Haven line has been going straight down to the city this entire time, not to mention the ticket prices aren’t any different either.” In the east Bronx, the MTA is currently planning to build four New Haven Line stations in the East Bronx along the rail line to Penn Station. As a result of the policy change, revenue from the sale of train tickets between Fordham and Manhattan, which previously had gone entirely to Metro-North, will now be split between Metro-North and the State of Connecticut, according to the MTA. Chavez said she believes the decision was likely a business deal that revolved around money, rather than care for the Bronx community. “It really all comes down to money in New York City,” said Chavez. “Growing up in the Bronx, you’re so used to seeing these types of disadvantages daily that it almost forces you to not even think about it anymore. Either way, I’m just glad the MTA made this change, even if it has been too long.”
Catch up or get ahead this summer! • Online classes 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.
NEWS
Page 6
March 13, 2019
CSA Hosts Annual Commuter Student Week Eight Events Follow "Time Travel" Theme FROM CSA, PAGE 1
ing. Vanessa Reyes, FCRH ’19, CSA executive president, said the Year 3000 party was her favorite event and that the week overall was a huge success. “It definitely was one of the best Commuter Weeks here at Fordham for me,” she said. “I think we went over and beyond
this year. We said, 'Let’s do as much as we can.'” The week culminated with the annual talent show Ram’s Got Talent on Friday and El Grito de Lares’s Under the Sea Latin Gala on Saturday. Reyes said the week’s events were a great way to unwind right around midterms. They offered free food and shirts.
ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI/THE FORDHAM RAM
Student attended the events during Commuter Students' Week to support CSA.
All the events were held at commuter-friendly times but were open to everyone. Reyes also said CSA made an effort to include members of the Bronx community by distributing fliers off campus and had a few parents show up as well. Planning started last semester with discussions about themes and shirt designs. They also tried to use their entire budget to have as big of a celebration as possible, according to Reyes. “We’re getting our name out there,” she said. “We’re making sure people know that commuter students are very much alive on this campus and we do have a voice and a lot things going on.” This year's CSA executive board wanted a theme that could cover a large number of events. Past themes have included Fordham-opoly, Through the Decades and Broadway. Reyes said the point of Commuter Week is to make everyone feel included. Usually, she said, university events occur later in the evening, so many commuter students are not able to attend. “Just because we want events to happen earlier in the day, that isn’t a crime,” Reyes said. “We just want residents to take
KYLIE ELWOODI/THE FORDHAM RAM
Rolling Rams Boogie Night paid homage to the 1980s last Wednesday.
commuters into consideration when making certain events because it feels like we’re the ones who invite them to a bunch of things but we don’t always get that same relationship back.” She said Commuter Week is a way to lessen the divide between
commuting students and students who live on campus. “We’re trying to bridge that gap between residents and commuters and also in event planning making sure everyone is invited and being thought of,” she said.
Students and Faculty Celebrate Women's History Events Seek to Empower Women on Campus FROM WHM, PAGE 1
a young alumni panel, keynote speaker and networking hour. Spire Fordham is not personally hosting any events this month due to midterm exams and spring break, but the president of Spire Fordham, Vienna Terrell, FCRH ’19, said the club likes to keep its members informed about various events going on around campus in celebration of women’s history. She said they also try to keep their members updated about events throughout the city, such as feminist art exhibits. Throughout March, Spire also aims to highlight important women in the media and on or around campus on their Instagram page, said Terrell. “Though Women's History Month is specifically tied to March, we generally like to treat every month like Women's History Month,” said Terrell. Spire hosts events for women both on and off campus all year long that range from making Women’s March posters in January to Under The Tent dress shopping in April. The Office of the Chief Diversity Officer is having its inaugural celebration of women of color, Visionary Women Building Strong Communities Art Reception. This event is on Tuesday, March 26 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Camp-
JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM
Student groups and faculty departments are hosting a number events this month to empower women on campus.
bell Multipurpose Room. This event will celebrate Women’s History Month by honoring students, staff and faculty members who self-identify as women of color. It will feature artwork from the Fordham and greater
Bronx community. “This event seeks to create a safe space for women of color to share their experiences and have conversations about empowerment, community, and agency,” said the Office of
the Chief Diversity Officer in an email. Career Services held an Advancing Women Leaders Seminar on Thursday, March 7. The event consisted of a panel of female professionals including Alanna
Nolan, former dean for student leadership and community development, Maureen Graney from the consulting company Linkage, Kay Turner, vice president for human resources and Annette McLaughlin, director of Career Services. The panel was moderated by Maria Aponte, diversity initiatives coordinator for Career Services. Graney presented on the book “Mastering Your Inner Critic” by Susan Mackenty Brady, which discusses the seven hurdles that women face and how to overcome those hurdles. According to McLaughlin, the panelists talked about their experiences and their personal career mentors who helped them get to where they are today. Aponte asked the panelists how they dealt with a specific hurdle or challenge in their lives and how they felt about their decision. “It became very organic. Everyone started telling their stories with the perspective of where they started, the choices they made, and how they moved forward to be where they are today,” said Aponte. “I was very proud that we were able to offer something like this to our female students.” She said it was inspiring to watch the attendees' faces and see how interested and engaged they were during the panel.
NEWS
March 13, 2019
Page 7
Study Finds College Students Drawn to FastFood: Fordham Dining Aims to Offer Healthy Options By HANNA DECKER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Based on a 2015 study by Food Distribution Research Society, more than 70 percent of college students eat fast food at least once a day. Deming Yaun, the university dining contract liaison, said the amount of Fordham students who eat fast food on a daily basis is lower than the national statistic. “Maybe half of the students here at Fordham follow that same trend,” he said. Yaun said that although this is less than what is seen across the country, there is still a large number of students that display this habit. Many colleges throughout the nation have chosen to install various fast food franchises on campus due to student interest. Yaun said that if there were to be a fast food option on campus, it would be extremely popular among students. “If a Chick-fil-A or something similar was on campus, it would instantly be the most popular food option,” he said. According to Yaun, there are various reasons that this trend takes place, the foremost being convenience: when students head off to college they are greeted with a new level of independence that requires them to make many of their own decisions. “Students should have an
idea of what they should eat based on their 18 years with parents and education,” he said. According to off-campus student Anna Peterson, FCRH ’21, students often choose where to eat as a matter of convenience. “Time is often the biggest factor in my food choices,” she said. “Students have increasingly hectic schedules and will choose the food option that is most convenient to them, whether it is healthy or not.” According to Blake Elwood, GSB ’19, students do want healthier options. She said that although fast food may be the most convenient at times, students would easily opt for healthier food if it was made accessible to them. “I would definitely prefer a healthier option,” Elwood said. “I would love somewhere other than the Grille or Cosi to get a salad or healthier wrap.” Yaun said that a few years ago, the university was given the option to have a Chickfil-A installed in the cafeteria at Lincoln Center. However, the brand did not have many non-meat options, so he chose a fresh food service that had both vegan and vegetarian options. “There is a definite trend towards vegan and vegetarian options as they are becoming more mainstream,” said Yaun.
COURTESY OF RAM ARCHIVES
Students often struggle to maintain healthy eating habits on campus, despite the lack of fast food options.
In April 2017, The Observer reported that the proposal to bring Chick-fil-A to Lincoln Center was shut down by LGBTQ advocacy groups on campus. Students want to eat healthier but are not often given the opportunity, according to Elwood. She stated that she finds it harder for her to maintain healthy eating habits at school. “I try to eat healthier at school but it’s hard without time to make food myself,” she said. “At home I typically eat healthier.”
She said that if there were more healthy options around campus it would be much easier to maintain this healthy lifestyle. Yaun said that he is open to the possibility of a fast-food option on campus. “If given the opportunity to have a Chick-fil-A on campus along with a healthy food option, I definitely would not hesitate to get one established,” he said. Fordham Dining relies on revenue brought in by students dining on campus. Yaun
said brands like Chick-fil-A have proven to be very profitable on college campuses and are an almost guaranteed source of revenue. Yaun said that if healthier options are what students really want, then they have to make it known so actions can be taken to make those dreams a reality. “Fordham Dining takes student opinions very seriously and many of the changes that have taken place over the years have been a result of input from students,” he said.
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OPINION
Page 8
March 13, 2019
The Fordham Ram
Spielberg’s Crusade Against Netflix By EDWARD SHEEHAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Recently, Steven Spielberg, director of “Jaws,” “Indiana Jones,” “Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan” and many more, expressed his desire to impose new restrictions on the Academy Awards that would prevent streaming services from entering their films into the race. This isn’t the first time Spielberg has bashed streaming services; he has been very vocal over the years in his belief that Netflix is killing traditional, theaterbased movie viewing. But this time around there has been some degree of furor over Spielberg’s statements. I think it is unfair to dismiss Spielberg as a hypocrite, as some of his critics have done. However, I also think Spielberg is overlooking the recent shift in how we consume entertainment. In Spielberg’s defense, a lot of the criticism against him has been unfair and mostly incorrect. First, many outlets have given the impression that Spielberg is leading this campaign. In actuality, Spielberg has simply picked a side in an existing battle between Netflix (and other streaming
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Many modern film critics find Spielberg’s proposal to ban streaming service films from the Oscars hypocritical and unfair.
services) and “traditional Hollywood” (one that arguably denied the film “Roma” the Best Picture award at the most recent Oscars). To the shock of no one, the man picked the system that made him into one of the most beloved directors currently working. Additionally, a narrative has arisen
from some progressive-minded outlets, aided by Netflix themselves, that the service has made a point to promote content for and by those marginalized by Hollywood. Netflix is a corporation, not a social cause. But, Spielberg’s analysis is still pretty seriously flawed, clouded by nostalgia both
personal and professional. The fact is, since the beginning of cinema and the record, only a little over a century ago, the way we receive our entertainment has drastically shifted on several occasions. The advent of the radio, movies with sound, the television, home video and cable TV all made the landscape sig-
nificantly different from the way it had been just a generation before. And the rise of streaming is just another instance of that. The current business structure of the industry has made it difficult for passion projects of Spielberg, like the 2012 film “Lincoln,” to be made. Nevertheless, to act as though streaming services are destroying film as we know it is not fair. In a world where huge action epics and existing intellectual properties are dominating the industry, Netflix and its counterpoints have given a home to more mid-budget films. Spielberg makes his films for the theater, and that’s wonderful for him. But I believe it’s unjust of him to try to keep a newer form of the medium away from industry recognition. After all, Spielberg rose by breaking the bonds of what had been old Hollywood when he was young, and made some of the most beloved movies of our time. It would be wrong for him to deny the next generation the same opportunity.
Edward Sheehan, FCRH ’22, is a history major from Needham, Massachusetts.
Hollywood’s Stake in the Debate of Spielberg and Netflix By CHRIS DiMIERI
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A well-known titan of the film industry recently made controversial comments during this past Oscar season. Steven Spielberg, one of the biggest names in cinema, brought up a point that made some on the internet, and fans of Netflix, fire into a defensive uproar. An individual on Spielberg’s team has come out and said that “Steven feels strongly about the difference between the streaming and theatrical situation,” which opened up a dialogue on the future of the filmmaking award process. Netflix caught wind of Spielberg’s comments and posted a tweet that stated: “We love cinema. Here are some things we also love: Access for people who can’t always afford, or live in towns without, theaters. Letting everyone, everywhere enjoy releases at the same time. Giving filmmakers more ways to share art. These things are not mutually exclusive.” Condemning a film because of its outlet is inexcusable for anyone within the industry. To understand what it takes to produce a film and be knowledgeable about the effort that goes into the craft and still criticize a work because of the platform it is pro-
duced on. Steven Spielberg is a legend and one of my personal idols when it comes to art. Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” is my favorite film to date and is a film I have rewatched countless times throughout my life. He has five Oscars and is held to the highest prestige about any of his comments regarding the industry. This controversy came after the film “Roma” by Alfonso Cuarón took home three Oscars at the 91st Academy Awards, being a huge name at the distinguished award show. It appears that Spielberg believes Netflix movies should be nominated for Emmys instead of Oscars, which just doesn’t hold ground. Many Twitter users clapped back at Spielberg and Netflix set the tone with their passive-aggressive tweet. To me, it seems that this situation highlights a deeper issue regarding the industry. It demonstrates how industrial heads are scared. With modern technology and services like the streaming industry, it appears more and more that the classic movie experience of theaters is becoming obsolete, or at least is feared to be. I believe that that streaming a film and going to the moves are different experiences and that movie theaters still have a huge
place in viewing cinema, and will never go away. But I do not believe streaming services products should be discredited from awards, and especially not the Oscars. Netflix does nothing but give art a platform, and to consider that art different from that in a theater is wrong. If one were to take the movie “Roma” and put it on the big
screen, it would still be the same movie as the one on a living room television. Any artistic work should not be discredited because it is more accessible and accessibility should not be condemned. As the price of movies increases many people find themselves staying in, putting on their favorite streaming service and enjoying
their night without the trip to the cinema. If that streaming service contains content that is substantially better than what is on the big screen, I do not see a reason why it should not be victorious over its rivaling motion pictures.
Chris DiMieri, FCRH ’20, is an English and psychology major from Manhassset, New York.
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Streaming service films like “Roma” should not be held back from the Oscar, regardless of Spielberg’s opinions.
OPINION
March 13, 2019
Page 9
As Debt Ceiling Looms, U.S. Should Spend Less
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Rather than have Congress vote to raise the debt ceiling again, America should try to reduce government spending.
By DANE SALMON
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The U.S. government is once again on track to hit the debt ceiling, the fairly arbitrary limit put on federal borrowing by Congress. They rarely abide by it and wield it more as a political weapon than as a tool for responsible federal credit. The debt ceiling was established in 1939 as the Second World War was on the horizon, and it was peacefully and consistently raised as the Federal Government continued to spend more than it received in tax revenue.
This trend continued with bipartisan support until 1953, when Congress attempted to stop President Eisenhower’s federal highway initiative over budget concerns, though the initiative ultimately passed. The issue was raised again in the 1960s over concerns about the federal expenditure required for President Johnson’s Great Society program, the Vietnam War and, most recently in 2011, during a spat between Republican-controlled Congress and President Obama over federal expenditure. Last year, Congress voted to suspend the debt ceiling entirely instead
of raising it, but that suspension ran out this month, fixing the federal debt at its current level — about $22 trillion dollars. This number is a record high, of course, as the debt has not decreased since the Coolidge administration. Congress will either raise the debt ceiling or suspend it entirely again, as both sides of the aisle have grown used to the safety of relying on money they do not have. The national debt is a pressing issue that everyone loves to ignore, politician or not, but it has a real effect on the average person’s life. As the federal deficit increases, so
does the interest on it, which leads to potential tax hikes and higher interest rates. While higher interest rates do incentivize saving, the increase in private spending would hardly offset the massive amount of federal borrowing — a trend that has proven true. While national debt does stimulate growth in the short term, the trend is unsustainable and destructive in the long term. Building a high national credit rating is very important — we do that by taking on and paying off debt. Our national credit rating is still in the highest category, but we have hardly made any progress towards paying off the national debt — as I said, the national debt has not decreased for 90 years. The national debt stood at 104.15 percent of GDP in the third quarter of 2018, a reduction of about 1 percent from the first quarter of 2018, but it has likely only increased since then. Nevertheless, we owe more money than we produce in a year as a nation. Now, the question of who owns the national debt is also very important. The debt is classified into two sections: public debt and intragovernmental debt. The largest creditor in this category is the Social Security Administration, which is owed roughly $2.8 trillion by the Department of the Treasury.
Public debt, the remaining 72 percent of the national debt, is owed to banks, the Federal Reserve, mutual funds, state and local governments, private individuals, and foreign governments. The largest creditor of this category is foreign governments, which make up 30 percent of public debt. China, of course, is the largest foreign creditor, owning $1.8 trillion in national debt. The second largest is Japan, which owns $1.03 trillion of the national debt. The Federal Reserve is owed $2.46 trillion, mutual funds own $1.8 trillion and the rest of the public creditors of various shape and size are owed the remaining $5 trillion. Immense debt to foreign countries is a dangerous game. It may be used to manipulate currency, artificially decreasing the price of goods imported to the United States, or to cripple the American economy when it is called in and the government’s coffers are empty. America simply must reduce government spending to manageable levels and begin to pay off the national debt for the betterment of all Americans.
Dane Salmon, FCRH ’21, is an economics and philosophy major from Coppell, Texas.
Release Names or Close Murray-Weigel By COLLIN BONNELL OPINION EDITOR
In mid-January I wrote an op-ed concerning Fordham’s links to the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal over the past eight decades. At the time I wrote the article, Fordham had released the names of nine Jesuits connected to the Fordham community. While the list was incomplete — excluding any mention of Rev. Cornelius Carr, S.J., or the lay Fordham Prep religious teacher Fernand Beck — I trusted that Fordham University and Reverend Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, would follow through with their promises of transparency. I was mistaken. In the two months since I wrote the article, Fordham University, MurrayWeigel Hall and the Northeast Province of Jesuits have been dishonest with the public and neglected their duty to be transparent with the Fordham community. The result of this dishonesty has been that the Church has forfeited its legitimacy as a moral authority on campus and that some, including myself, have lost their faith.
This pattern of dishonesty began on Jan. 29, when, in response to the growing crisis, the university barred Fordham students from entering Murray-Weigel and banned MurrayWeigel residents from entering Fordham’s campus — without notifying Fordham students or members of Loyola Hall’s Manresa program who were scheduled to volunteer at Murray-Weigel the next day. The only way members of the Fordham community were informed of the ban was through an article published in The Ram. Fordham reversed this ban on Feb. 11, and this time Father McShane issued a formal statement to members of the Fordham community — confusing many who had never been informed they were barred from Murray-Weigel in the first place. Fordham University, Murray-Weigel and the Northeast Province were also dishonest in their statements concerning the existence of a list of Murray-Weigel residents. When the Northeast Province of Jesuits released the list of priests credibly accused of sexually abusing minors, Murray-Weigel Hall claimed it could not provide a list of residents,
COLLIN BONNELL/THE FORDHAM RAM
Murray-Weigel Hall has housed multiple Jesuits accused of sexual abuse.
stating that the Northeast Province had this information. The Northeast Province, in turn, claimed the information was not open to the public. On Feb. 6, three weeks after Murray-Weigel claimed it could not provide a list of former residents, The Ram discovered a list containing the names, dates of birth and death, dates of entering and leaving the Society of Jesus and locations of residence of Jesuits dating back to the 18th century. While Murray-Weigel Hall had said no such list existed and the Northeast Province claimed the information was not public, the list was found in Walsh Library’s Special Collections, where it had always been kept open to the public. Soon after Fr. McShane restored unlimited access to Fordham’s campus, The Ram discovered the names of three priests found guilty of sexually abusing minors who had lived in Murray-Weigel Hall during 2018. These priests were Rev. Thomas Denny, S.J., Rev. James C. Gould, S.J., and Rev. William Scanlon, S.J., who served as chaplain of Murray-Weigel. Soon after these names were discovered, the Northeast Province of Jesuits secretly pulled the list of current and former Murray-Weigel residents from public access without informing the public of this action. In the time since the province pulled the list, the names of three more former Murray-Weigel residents credibly accused of sexually abusing minors have been uncovered. Rev. John J. Gallen, S.J., was the subject of an investigation during the 1990s that confirmed allegations that he sexually abused minors throughout the 1970s and 80s. The Jesuits impeded Fr. Gallen in 2001, and in 2008 he was moved to Murray-Weigel, where he died in 2011. Murray-Weigel’s decision to accept Fr. Gallen as a resident after he had been impeded for sexually abusing minors is questionable, especially
since the campus he was moved to also happens to house a high school, Fordham Prep, and is adjacent to several public schools. Rev. John M. Doolan admitted in 1999 to abusing minors during the 1960s and 70s. In 2002, Fr. Doolan was sent to Murray-Weigel. The Jesuits impeded Fr. Doolan in 2006, and he died while residing at MurrayWeigel in 2008. Rev. John L. Farrand was accused of abusing minors while at Regis High School in New York City in 1961 and admitted to the allegations that same year. After Fr. Farrand admitted to abusing minors, the Jesuits saw it fit to assign him to multiple high schools before he was moved to “the New York Province Infirmary” in 1997 — located on the grounds of MurrayWeigel — where he died in 2003. Fr. Farrand was never penalized for his actions, and he went on to have an extensive career in teaching after admitting to sexually abusing minors in 1961. Meanwhile, the use of the euphemism “New York Provence Infirmary” for Murray-Weigel Hall itself ought to raise further questions about transparency. Furthermore, while the Jesuit newsletter mentioning Farrand’s residence at Murray-Weigel was dedicated to the Church’s fight to combat the sex abuse crisis, it omits any mention of the accusations against Farrand — instead praising him as a model teacher and member of the community. This honorable mention ought to tell us something about the seriousness of the Church’s claim to discipline priests who sexually abuse children. The number of priests now known to be connected to Fordham who have sexually abused minors has now risen to 15. If you include Beck, the number of adults linked to Fordham who have abused minors jumps to 16. While high, this number is almost certainly incomplete, and the Ford-
ham community has a right to know if other priests accused of abusing minors have lived on Fordham’s campus. The university has an obligation to provide us with this information. In 2017, a Gallup Poll found 49 percent of American Catholics said they trusted the Church. When Gallup asked the same question in 2018, after a series of sex abuse crises involving the Church broke out across the U.S., only 31 percent said they trusted the institution. When I began following Fordham’s role in the sex abuse crisis in January, I was a proud Catholic who looked up to the Church as a champion of social justice. In the two months since, I have lost my faith. Now, when people ask me what my religion is, I say I’m agnostic. I no longer pray. Last Wednesday I didn’t receive my ashes. I am not alone in losing my faith after this crisis. While the Church’s urge to save its image is understandable, it is imperative that it confront its past and be honest about its wrongdoings while it still has a congregation to address. For Fordham University, this means it must immediately release the names of all residents of MurrayWeigel, past and present, accused of sexually abusing minors. If Fordham fails to take this action, it is up to the Fordham community to demand the immediate and indefinite closure of Murray-Weigel Hall. Fordham University, Murray-Weigel Hall and the Northeast Province of Jesuits have proved through their actions over the past eight decades that they cannot be trusted to handle the current crisis. Indeed, their continued dishonesty implies guilt. If they fail to take this small step towards transparency, it is our duty to take action.
Collin Bonnell, FCRH ‘21, is a history and theology major from Hingham, Massachussetts.
OPINION
Page 10
R
Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918 The Fordham Ram is the university journal of record. The mission of The Fordham Ram is to provide a forum for the free and open exchange of ideas in service to the community and to act as a student advocate. The Fordham Ram is published and distributed free of charge every Wednesday during the academic year to the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses with a readership of over 12,000 and a web readership of over 300,000. The Fordham Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.
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Editor-in-Chief Aislinn Keely Managing Editor Hannah Gonzalez Business Director Donald Dugan Operations Director Briana Scalia Editorial Director Lindsay Grippo Executive Director Colette Nolan Copy 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 Jack McLoone 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
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lected on a weekly basis and reflects the editorial board’s view on a campus issue. Opinions Policy The Fordham Ram accepts 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 13, 2019
From the Desk | Vanessa DeJesus
Act Your Age, Read Your Age I have always been an avid reader, and, as I mature, I find my taste in books matures with me. Upon rereading young adult books that once struck me as profound and beautiful, I have come to find most of them trivial, pandering and, on the whole, poorly written. However, when I look around I see fully grown adults swearing by John Green, Veronica Roth and the like, my gut reaction is why do you feel the need to pick up a book written for developing minds? The typical YA book is written in the first person and contains a protagonist that is between the ages of 12 and 18. The plot includes problems relative to the age of the protagonist. These problems, meant to allow the young reader to identify with the characters and story, are, in turn, immature and inappropriate for an adult readership. Most YA novels stick to, or at the very least incorporate, three main tropes. First, there is the chosen one, the protagonist that is destined to save their world from some fated doom. It creates the idea that every other character in the story who is not chosen is expendable. From sidekicks to storylines that move the chosen one along the plot and teach them something about the world they are meant to save. It is not fair, or frankly good, writing to throw all your eggs in one basket. The idea of the chosen one can be easily misconstrued by a young reader who does not feel that they have found their purpose yet and not everyone can save the world.
Next, there is the love triangle, which consists of one love interest (usually a girl and often the protagonist) who has two other characters (usually males) competing for her affections. This dynamic introduces the idea that love is a competition, which is not exactly the message we should be sending to young readers. Lastly, there is the problematic favorite: the outcast — which generally involves the protagonist emphatically claiming that he or she is “not like the other girls/boys.” This usually exceedingly angsty individual is often the love interest of the story, thus painting aloof, mysterious individuals in a desirable light. The suggestion being that this individual is somehow more suited for a relationship or to be the object of affection because they have a secret. Romanticizing teen angst can become incredibly problematic in a work meant for young adults who are just learning what love really is, or should be. As someone outside of the YA target audience, I understand the feelings of nostalgia that can come from a coming of age story. But we have to draw the line; we cannot keep indulging ourselves in novels constructed around the teenage experience. Nostalgia, in any form, can be detrimental in excess. It prevents you from moving forward, and if you do not look in the direction you are headed, you will fall. Adult fiction consists of books usually centered around characters aged upward of 20 and focus on
lyrical rather than plot driven prose. (Though, this is not always the case.) Some adult fiction writers make use of an omnipresent narrator, while others employ a first-person narration, in which the main character has already lived through the events they describe and are reflecting as they recollect these events. Either use can elicit a more profound reading and move the reader to further thought in a way that the cut-and-dry plot focused style of YA simply cannot. Aside from the overtly trashy and shallow works of “Divergent,” “Twilight” and “The Fault in Our Stars,” there are some examples of YA that have contributed greatly to the literary canon. These important works include Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton, “A Separate Peace” by John Knowles and the “Harry Potter” series by J. K. Rowling. These works are well-crafted and do well to serve their purpose in literary canon: to teach young adults not only about their subject matter but about the joys of reading. These books are ones that are regarded as pivotal works of literature every budding reader should dive into. However, some YA is not written with the purpose of contributing to developing the mental maturity of a fully grown adult. The less acclaimed works of young adult fiction credited to Jenny Han, Veronica Roth and Stephanie Meyers are poorly written ploys with obvious intent on landing
a lucrative movie deal. Some estimate that over 70 percent of YA is consumed by adults aged 18-64, and as a result book sales of adult fiction are down 16 percent since 2013. These statistics are incredibly alarming. Adults are reading, though, and that’s all fine and well — but their choice in books are crippling the market for adult fiction. As an aspiring writer, this is the audience I must cater to: adults who refuse to let go of the past. Those who would rather relive the trials and tribulations of high school than read about adults finding adult solutions to adult problems. In this age of social media, the average reader’s attention span is similar to that of a goldfish. There must be a point where one needs to grow up and pick up a novel by Margaret Atwood, Yann Martel or Agatha Christie to start; Charles Dickens or one of the Brontë sisters if you are feeling bold.
Editorial | Student Journalism
Giving Voice Through the Editorial Process During a time when all journalistic endeavors are undeniably struggling, The Ram champions the inception of any outlet available to the Fordham community that can elevate conversation. We would like to welcome The Pamphlet to the diverse group of publications on Fordham’s Rose Hill campus. We hope it has success in its goal of providing a platform for views outside of the mainstream. That being said, we do not agree that these voices have been stifled by The Ram. As Fordham’s journal of record, The Ram looks to reflect the opinions of the Fordham community, including voices outside of the mainstream. Our coverage includes hard news, sports, culture and opinion pieces from all corners of the political and intellectual spectrum. We believe our platform to be credible, effective and far-reaching for any voice that wishes to be heard. However, we prioritize well-researched and well-argued claims, as all journalistic outlets should. No article is ever rejected for publication based on the ethos of its contents. In no circumstance would an opinion article be cut because an editor disagrees with the opinion being argued. Rather, we choose not to publish articles that contain weak theses, cite poor evidence or are deemed not up to par with the standards upheld by our century-long tradition. A publication that hopes to establish a credible presence on our cam-
pus should follow these same journalistic practices. Creating a hub for alternative thought on campus is a positive thing. Insinuating that this hub is necessary because its voices have been underserved by The Ram is not. The Pamphlet identifies itself as a conservative publication, as well as a “student-run news outlet” and “opinion-based paper.” Distinguishing between objective news coverage and opinion/advocacy coverage is essential in serving a readership. Advocacy journalism and opinion journalism are integral parts of the fabric of our modern media landscape. When abundantly clear in their leanings, outlets of this genre can greatly benefit the communities they serve. However, ethical dilemmas arise when publications with leanings present themselves as unbiased news sources. We urge those at The Pamphlet to be conscious of the perspectives they maintain and clearly differentiate their opinion-based work from any news coverage they pursue. We see these perspectives as an opportunity for the outlet to develop a more specialized and honed function on our campus, but only if they are presented responsibly. In its first issue, The Pamphlet printed a falsehood about The Ram’s coverage that we would like to take a moment to address, regarding a free speech altercation involving the Fordham College Republicans and members of Rodrigue’s Club. The Pamphlet article claimed that
we at The Ram “steered clear of the [Rodrigue’s] altercation altogether” and “were too afraid to even enter the debate.” The statement is factually inaccurate, as we published two news articles on the event and briefly touched upon it in an episode of Ramcast, our podcast. We communicated the correction to editors at The Pamphlet, and they provided us with the below statement to be printed in this issue: “On Monday March 11th, we proudly distributed our first edition of The Pamphlet. Later that day, we became aware that our editorial board made an error in our opening article titled “What is the Pamphlet?” In discussing on-campus coverage of the infamous Rod’s cafe incident from last year, we wrote that ‘the paper and The Fordham Ram steered clear of the altercation altogether.’ “We were mistaken in using this specific phrase. Our intention was not to make the claim that these publications failed to provide any coverage of the incident or to condemn them in any way. Instead, our point was to demonstrate that Fordham lacks opinion-based coverage of controversial on-campus issues. “One of the many reasons we created The Pamphlet was to fill this void. If we could rephrase the sentence, we would say, ‘neither the paper nor The Fordham Ram published any opinion pieces about the Rod’s altercation.’ This revision would render the sentence true. We urge our readers to consider this correction as they engage with our opening article. We
sincerely apologize for our error and would like to make clear that we have the utmost respect for the paper and The Fordham Ram.” We appreciate the transparency and willingness from The Pamphlet in rectifying the mistake. We recognize that there is nothing worse than working hard on a piece with the best of intentions and then finding an error after you go to print. The Ram would also like to acknowledge the particular incident and its lack of op-ed coverage is an unfair representation of the quality and breadth of our standard opinion reporting. Because the event occurred in early December, The Ram’s printing schedule was out of session for the semester and finals were in full swing. We published no articles – opinion or otherwise – during this time, the only exception being news pieces in circumstances that warranted breaking coverage. By the time our printing schedule began again in January after the winter break, the incident had lost much of its initial traction. The event was no longer timely to comment on and op-eds were difficult to solicit. We reject the claim that we avoid entering any discourse out of fear, neglect or anything other than the practical realities of student journalism. We reiterate our welcome to those at The Pamphlet and appreciate their willingness to join the cause we unfailingly dedicate ourselves to week after week. The ongoing dialogue will benefit from your perspectives, if they are presented with care.
CULTURE
March 13, 2018
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Weezer’s “Black Album” May Be Riskiest Yet By TOMMY TEDESCO CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Weezer, the rock group whose droning guitar riffs and unique lyrical style carved out a distinctive niche in the ’90s alternative scene, is back with another album. Continuing in the tradition of self-titled studio releases distinguished by case color, Weezer released “Weezer (Black Album)” Friday, Mar. 1. Those familiar with Weezer’s critically-acclaimed “Blue Album” or cult classic “Pinkerton” may be disappointed that “Black Album” embarks on a new musical path. However, most fans expected as much; frontman Rivers Cuomo has been throwing curveballs since the “Green Album,” so longtime fans are no strangers to taking the good with the bad. The question of whether Weezer’s new album is worth a listen must be dealt with in two separate categories. If you have never listened to Weezer before in your life, or if you love their recent material, you should absolutely listen to this album. As a fan of early ’90s Weezer, however, I will be writing this review from the perspective of someone who did not really like most of what post”Green” Weezer had to offer. The album opens with a jivey guitar riff over a shuffling beat on “Can’t Knock the Hustle.” The mix of Latin melodies in the trumpet, guitar, funk
bass and rock beat create a texture that almost transcends genres, which is something seen on Weezer’s recent “Teal Album.” The new Weezer sound established from the onset of this album mixes alternative rock with seemingly anything that works, from pop electronica to progressive jazz to Latin folk. While the usual lyrical issues persist and believe me, I did not enjoy hearing a 48-year-old Rivers Cuomo say “don’t step to me, b---h” —“Can’t Knock the Hustle” represents the “Black Album” at its best: experimental and fun. The next track, “Zombie Bastards,” is much less interesting. Rather than continue the risk-taking that made the first track odd yet entertaining, Weezer opts for a very safe, modern pop sound. I have never been a fan of crowd noises (“ayys” and “oohs”) injected into choruses, and Cuomo does not change my mind here. Like most of late Weezer, it contains a catchy melody, but there is a great distance between catchy and good. Weezer slows it down a bit on “High as a Kite,” falling back on some old sounds, much to my appreciation. This track is no instant classic, but I could see it as a weak entry on “White Album,” and that is certainly something. If you are a fan of the old Weezer sound — those droning guitars filling in all the empty space while Cuomo belts out a melody —
then you will find something to enjoy in this track. “Piece of Cake” has all the “doodoos” and choral repetition you would expect from some garbage instant-hit on 92.3 FM. I like how Cuomo chose to fill in the bridge and chorus with sustained synth chords, but I do not like how I have to hear one of Weezer’s worst lines in history over it, repeated ad nauseum: “she cut me like a piece of cake,” over and over in that nasally, boyish delivery that can only be Rivers Cuomo. Man, sometimes it is okay to hire a ghostwriter. “I’m Just Being Honest” sounds like a late 2000s emo-pop hit. I really like it. It captures the same feeling the All-American Rejects do on “When The World Comes Down.” It is fun, singable and a little nostalgic. In “The Prince Who Wanted Everything,” Cuomo tells a story. Sustained synth chords (a staple of this album) supplement a simple, repetitive guitar riff, but all the focus is on Cuomo’s voice. There is nothing too fancy in the drums, just a boom-chick with a strong backbeat calling back to Tears for Fears. The simple execution and lyrical style introduces a mix of pop-rock and folk storytelling, and it comes together quite nicely on this track. A song I cannot figure out is “California Snow.” On one hand, the transition from the upbeat “Byzantine” to the dark mood, droning synth and
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Weezer recently released the “Black Album,” which experiments with genre.
echoey vocals of “California Snow” work as a sort of callback to “Pinkerton,” Weezer’s darkest album. On the other hand, Weezer throws in some staples of modern pop, which work as well as they always do in Weezer songs: not at all. The rap sections, for instance, performed by Cuomo, simply cannot be unheard (believe me, I have tried). The last 20 instrumental seconds of the track is where it really shines, and it completes the album on a dark, pondering note. It is fun to jeer at new, strange sounds, but much more can be learned by picking out what works and what does not. As a fan of old
Weezer, it took me a few listens to tune my ear to the new sound, but I think there is something enjoyable here. There is a lot that does not work at all, too, and I would never claim that Weezer should be applauded simply for the act of risk-taking in itself. Still, Weezer’s search for a new sound is admirable, and they stumble across some memorable moments along the way. If nothing else, this album effectively communicates its central message: Weezer is going to keep making whatever music they want, and if old fans take issue, they are having too much fun to care.
Mental Health Column| Kelly Christ
The Drawbracks of Modern Dating Applications The world of relationships and dating has changed drastically in the digital age. In many ways, the accessibility of dating apps and matchmaking websites for every group of people may seem like a great new advantage. There are endless options. Keep swiping to find your perfect match, or so the algorithm says. However, in order to participate, we must put ourselves on the line. A few pictures and a short biography are the deciding factors in potential mates contacting us. It is no surprise that this leads to a deep sense of vulnerability; users often base their confidence on the number of likes,
matches or messages they receive on a given app or website. How does this impact the mental health of users? Are we improving our odds of finding a healthy, mutual relationship, or are we setting ourselves up for disappointment? From Christian Mingle to FarmersOnly.com, there is a dating app for just about anyone. Many applications provide an easy way for members of certain social groups to meet people with similar interests. These include apps made specifically for the LGBTQ+ community or for followers of certain religions. Technology has made it easier
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Dating apps, like Tinder, can negativley impact the mental health of users.
than ever for us to find our “happily ever after,” but are we risking our mental health in the process? One of the most popular dating apps today is Tinder. It was one of the first apps to use a “swipe” algorithm, where users simply swipe right or left on their screen to accept or reject a potential partner. Tinder is geographically focused and emphasizes the high-speed capabilities of technology; we often value convenience over quality as a trade-off. When bombarded with hundreds of potential options, it feels like we need to keep swiping to make sure we do not miss our potential Prince Charming. Dating has turned into something of a slot machine: we are on a constant quest for the elusive win in exchange for our own selfesteem. There is no doubt that chatting someone up in person is incredibly nerve-wracking. We put ourselves out there for either acceptance or rejection. While rejection always hurts, people often try to sugarcoat their answers and let their approacher down easily. With dating apps, users are able to hide behind screens. They do not even need to respond to suitors. As with cyberbullying, the anonymity of the web often gives users a sense of courage that comes from not facing the immediate repercussions of hurting another person’s feelings. Psychology Today noted that the concept of “human disposability” can be promoted by such apps. With millions of users often messaging multiple individuals at once, it is easy to forget that every picture belongs to a real person.
As one BBC article explains, many users go on dating apps merely to pass time, swiping left or right on potential options and messaging with others without the intention to meet or engage in any kind of real-life relationship with the other user. Unsurprisingly, reducing yourself to a profile picture and a short biography has been proven to impact selfesteem negatively, an effect strongly supported by a multitude of studies, in addition to the self-reports of hundreds of users. The consensus seems to show that anxiety and depression, as well as low self-esteem, are prominently linked to these apps. Users have noted how they felt using the apps. In the Center for Humane Technology’s app ratings report, the dating app Grindr, which utilizes a grid algorithm organizing users by geographic proximity, ranked number one on the “unhappiness” ratings, with a score of 77 percent. Tinder was not far behind. It is also worth noting that Snapchat and Instagram both made the unhappiness list. The algorithms utilized by these dating apps likely contribute to the negative repercussions. Apps like Tinder and Grindr which use geographic proximity as a leading factor for matches insinuate a hookup-oriented goal. By swiping through options, the humanity and complexity of each individual are often lost, thus having even more damaging results for the user’s emotional well-being. Tinder quite literally quantifies its users with a rating system based on responses one has gotten. The app will only let you interact with users of similar ratings.
Other dating services such as Match.com, Hinge and OkCupid use a longer process that emphasizes long-term relationships and conversation. Focusing more on the personal information and interests of each potential match, users may feel more validated and appreciated for aspects other than physical apperance. Technology has a significant impact on the mental health of almost everyone. Dating apps, in a similar manner to social media, can have positive effects on their users. The key is being aware of the mental health effects. Knowing when to log off or even uninstall is essential. Disconnecting can have a restorative effect on your mental health. Just as there are precautions to take for one’s physical safety when pursuing an online relationship, it is imperative users acknowledge when the apps have gone too far for them. Once it is past the point of enjoyable communication with potential partners and enters the realm of a discouraging or even depressing interaction, it is time to quit. Remember that the best relationships are often unexpected. Sometimes, we find the best love when we are not looking for it. 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
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March 13, 2019
Celebrity Status Intersects with Human Rights: JUST WATER By KATHRYN SCHULTE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Ivana's Is a Mixed Bag This review will be tough. Everything about Ivana’s as an establishment was great. The employees were friendly, the place was clean, and it is located perfectly on Arthur Avenue. However, I hated the pizza. Ivana’s is a classic slice shop with a no-frills vibe. Located just south of 187th Street, the blueand-white awning with “Ivana’s Pizzeria and Restaurant” lettering stands out. The place tends to be pretty busy and there are usually a few people standing outside or walking in to grab something to eat. When you go in, you will see that the place is small but not cramped. On your left will be a counter to order with the typical display of pizza and garlic knots. On the right is seating, which is sparse, consisting of four simple booths. The shop does not have a ton of options, but they serve the basics. Slices include cheese, veggie, sicilian, pepperoni, meat lovers and white. There is a pretty large selection of calzones, heroes and pasta to choose from too — and for a reasonable price — if that is your thing. Everything sounds great so far, right? Whenever I stop by a shop, I am always expecting a good slice, which gave me high expectations for Ivana’s when I first stepped in. The problem with the
slice was, quite honestly, everything. It was a little big and too doughy. The crust had no flavor and no crunch. The consistency of the crust was closer to undercooked bread than a good pizza crust. This was especially disappointing since the crust overwhelmed the rest of the slice. There was barely any sauce on the slice, which kept me from tasting any of it in contrast to the crust. There was not necessarily too much cheese, but with so little sauce, it felt like it was yet another part of the slice that did not work. The cheese was also a little burnt, which took away from the flavor and texture and left a dry quality to the slice that complimented the dry crust, I guess — but not in a good way. Dry, doughy crust, too little sauce and burnt, flavorless cheese is a slice gone wrong. With all this said and done, I do not want to deter people from going to Ivana’s. There are a lot of other things on the menu that I have never tried, and there are many other great aspects to the shop. Good location and friendly people make a difference no matter where you go. If you are looking for a hero or a plate of pasta for a reasonable price in a friendly shop, Ivana’s would be a solid choice. Just do not order a slice.
On March 1, 2019, Jaden Smith’s water foundation, JUST WATER, announced a partnership with First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Flint, Mich. that would help end the ongoing water crisis. Together, the organizations set up a water filtration system, called “The Water Box,” to remove harmful contaminants, especially lead. It debuted on March 7, 2019, with volunteers at the church filling up five-gallon jugs for residents. The water crisis began in 2014 when the city announced a new pipeline to bring water from the Detroit River to Flint. As a result of economic reasons, the city turned to the Flint River as its main resource. Residents noticed that the water tasted and looked different. After further complaints, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tested the river in 2015 and found dangerous levels of lead and bacteria in the residents’ water. Months after resistance from local and state authorities, the city finally declared a state of emergency. In Jan. 2016, the Michigan National Guard was ordered to distribute bottled water to affected residents. By 2018, several court cases were filed against city officials, and a few were charged with felonies, as they were accused of knowing the risk they imposed on the residents. Among the legal troubles, people were still suffering from the lack of clean, accessible water. De-
spite this, the free bottled water program in Flint ended on Apr. 6, 2018, because the government claimed the quality was restored. Residents, however, remain skeptical, especially in light of the previous neglect from the government. Without the aforementioned program, clean water would have become less accessible. Clean water is available in an underground aquifer just two hours away in Evart, Michigan, but Nestlé has a plant there. The company pays $200 a year to pump out 150 gallons per minute, while some Michigan residents pay $200 a month for water utilities they do not and cannot use. This makes outside organizations such as the First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church and JUST WATER necessary for the health and well-being of the residents. JUST WATER was born out of Smith’s love for the environment. The company is eco-friendly and was co-founded by the young rapper and his father, Will Smith. Will Smith spoke to The Associated Press about the launch of the company in 2018. He said, “This was a company born out of a child’s love for the ocean … we did not want this to be a celebrity brand." Jaden wishes to spread his passion for the environment through his company. Among JUST WATER’s other initiatives is manufacturing furniture with used plastic water bottles. Jaden also speaks at schools to help raise awareness for climate change. In such cases as this crisis, the celebrity status that the Smiths wanted to distance themselves
from is helpful in promoting awareness of such causes. Environmental problems directly affect people’s daily lives, but without attention from the government, the Flint crisis can easily be lost in the 24-hour news cycle. Celebrity status for Flint is vital to the welfare of those living there. Ari Shapiro from NPR interviewed one of Flint’s residents, Jeneyah McDonald. They spoke about how the town is predominantly black, which fueled the neglect from the predominantly white government. “On one level, this story in Flint is about water. But on another level, it’s about trust in government, feeling like your voice matters and that elected leaders care about you,” Shapiro said in the story. Celebrities, like the government, build up public trust. In demonstrating his concern through both words and actions, Jaden has done this. Trust creates a following, allowing Jaden to reach people around the world that may also want to donate time and resources to the causes he supports. Celebrity status is what makes his announcement to help Flint a headline; the local church he collaborated with, which has donated five million water bottles already, was not famous enough to draw attention on its own. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Access to water is a human right. Unfortunately, celebrities’ influence is needed as a reminder of this basic necessity.
“Woman at War” Delves into Complexities of Climate Change By MATTHEW DILLON STAFF WRITER
The 2018 Icelandic film, “Woman at War,” follows Halla (Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir) on her lone quest to sabotage an aluminum plant. She sees the facility as an attack on the ecosystem and destroys transmission towers dotting the Icelandic highlands in hopes of bringing production to a halt. But as Halla’s plans near completion, a fortunate yet unexpected turn of events forces her to choose between her mission and her other aspirations. “Woman at War” is a unique mix of action, drama and comedy driven by believable characters. More notably, the movie provides an effective environmental narrative, something that is sorely lacking in cinema as well as other media. “Woman at War” examines the complex issues surrounding climate change, not at the expense of its story, but to its benefit. The film has a strong foundation in its themes, in contrast with the long tradition of subpar movies that co-opt important issues to appear meaningful. This is most evident in the handling of the protagonist and her personal journey. Halla amounts to more than just her green ideals, though they form a core part of her identity. The film
presents her as a human being rather than a flawless paragon. We see Halla’s brilliance and determination not only through her successes, but also through her quick solutions to mistakes. Geirharðsdóttir gives the character a complexity matching the issues the film highlights. Her work is even more impressive in a scene when she literally argues with herself, as the actress who plays Halla also plays her detached guru sister, Asa. That small bit of movie magic is sold by Geirharðsdóttir’s superb acting, rather than by special effects. The film’s promotion of the importance of climate change works mainly because it is delivered through such a well-rounded character. “Woman at War” thankfully has strengths outside of its effective protagonist. Instead of idly villainizing Halla’s largely unseen industrial adversaries, the film prioritizes showing what she is striving to protect. The drawn-out chases and espionage occur in the Icelandic highlands, which “Woman at War” presents as both beautiful and foreboding. The film uses Iceland’s scenery to its fullest, not just as a visual element, but to tie in to its environmental themes. The action scenes that take place there are just as well done as
the funny and intense moments are exciting, without clashing with the film’s otherwise grounded tone. “Woman at War” lacks the violence, big set pieces and choppy editing that define the modern thriller genre. In its place is genuine intelligence that makes the film much better than if it had followed the usual path. Despite this, the film loses a bit of momentum towards the end, as the climax feels a little contrived. The film’s sense of comedy primarily relies on irony, coincidence and a certain subdued absurdity. The latter quality is best shown by the band that provides the
soundtrack. They go almost completely unacknowledged by the characters, despite their obvious presence. Even with the tone established by such elements, the ending stretches believability. It at least brings the characters’ development arcs to a satisfying close. While not perfect, the film’s resolution touches on the core issue most face in the fight against climate change. At a certain point, one has to choose between the life they want and the future of the world they live in. It also reminds the viewer that a global crisis cannot be fixed by a single person and that no one can
ignore these problems. Regardless of its slightly weak ending, “Woman at War” is a refreshingly complete and important movie. The worsening state of the environment is a paralyzing, unavoidable problem. It often seems like very few people are willing to talk about climate change, much less a possible solution. “Woman at War” delves into the complexities of this vital issue without diminishing its importance. The movie’s strong production reminds us that nothing in our world exists in a vacuum, in addition to telling a fulfilling story. “Woman at War” is currently playing at the IFC Center.
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“Woman at War,” directed by Benedikt Erlingsson, stars Icelandic actress Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir as Halla.
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Editor’s Pick | Books
Chernow’s Washington Bio is Fit for a President By ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
After learning in a podcast, or maybe The New York Times, that former President George W. Bush was an avid reader of U.S. presidential biographies, I decided to embark on my own quest to read at least one biography of each U.S. president. I consider myself a bit of a history buff, with a particular interest in the presidency. That said, I tend be more interested in fiction for my pleasure reading, and I also have a bit of a Netflix addiction. I tend to listen to a wide variety of podcasts to learn about current and past events. Between schoolwork, The Ram and other activities, I rarely find time to sit down and read for pleasure, but I figured if a president can do it, then so can I. Unfortunately, I was quite mistaken and didn’t even embark on my quest until Christmas break of 2018. Starting chronologically, I Googled a list of the “best George Washington biographies” and found plenty of praise for Ron Chernow’s “Washington: A Life.” Instead of sitting down and reading the famously lengthy account, I took the easy way out and downloaded it on Audible. With a daunting 42-plus hours of narration ahead of me (that’s 900 pages, for those keeping count), I started the recording on my flight home to meet my family in Florida. It took me about three weeks — the entire break — to finish the entire audiobook. In his introduction, Chernow says his goal was to paint a complete
picture of Washington’s life in one volume, and he does so masterfully. As I learned, it is hard to write a biography of Washington because so much content already exists about him. In fact, many works about him take up multiple volumes. In addition, Washington’s own writings and those of his peers were meticulously preserved due to the fame he had already accrued. Washington himself was also extremely concerned with his legacy. For this reason, he kept great track of his papers. Chernow’s book creates a clear image of the “revolutionary” times, in which Washington lived and how calculated he had to be. It goes into great depth about his controversial and sometimes conflicting views on slavery as well as how he treated some of his slaves. For instance, he inherited 10 slaves when he was just 11 years old, and owned over 120 by the time of his death. Many consider this a disturbing legacy for someone who believed so deeply in freedom and liberty. Chernow goes deeply into Washington’s personal relationships: from how he and his mother seldom got along, to his relationship with his wife, Martha, who was a mother and a widow when she took Washington as her second husband. Chernow also describes the close, platonic relationship Washington had with Elizabeth Powel that could have easily blossomed into much more. Among the more intriguing parts of Chernow’s account of Washington’s life are some of the details on how deliberate Washington was in
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Ron Chernow’s autobiography of George Washington, “Washington: A Life,” presents a compelling narrative.
crafting his own image for future generations. For instance, Chernow relates that Washington wanted to be remembered for his military exploits. During his lifetime, a statue was commissioned for the Virginia State Capitol building. Considering his legacy, Washington decided that the artist should portray him dressed in military garb, rather than a toga as was common
at the time. Chernow compellingly weaves together Washington’s role in momentous historical events with seemingly minor, though telling, personal anecdotes to depict George Washington — farmer, husband, politician and general; fighter for liberty and owner of slaves. While the sheer length of the work may be intimidating, Cher-
now manages to keep it interesting and engaging. It is, in my opinion, a masterpiece. Try reading a biography, whether it is of your favorite painter, a comedian or even a businessperson. You might learn something. So far, I have also loved “Becoming” by Michelle Obama and Trevor Noah’s “Born a Crime.” As for my presidential biography goal, I’m taking recommendations for John Adams.
Lil Pump Humiliates Himself on “Harverd Dropout” By KIERAN PRESS-REYNOLDS CULTURE EDITOR
Historic colleges call for historic albums. Who could do Harvard better than Lil Pump? Lil Pump rose to fame in 2017 for his breakout hit, “Gucci Gang,” which peaked at number three on
the Billboard chart. “Gucci Gang” and Lil Pump, who was 17 at the time, became emblematic of a new rap movement. Proudly calling themselves “ignorant” and fighting against mainstream norms, these rappers make intense songs with mantra-like lyrics designed to rile up pre-teens.
It is counterculture for Fornite players. Lil Pump immediately drew a polarised reception. Half the world saw him as an entrepreneurial genius, symbolic of a new generation of listeners. The other half denigrated him no end, identifying in Lil Pump
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Lil Pump's sophomore album "Harverd Dropout" proves that he does not have what it takes to make good music.
nothing but commercialized soullessness. His self-titled debut album, released in 2017 and containing “Gucci Gang,” was a mixed bag: largely crammed with low-quality, low-effort club bangers, it had just enough good songs, like “D Rose,” to keep listeners anticipating the human Doodlebob’s next move. Pump’s latest release, “Harverd Dropout,” is something of a litmus test: is he more than just a fad? The album begins with “Drop Out,” Lil Pump’s introspective life story. “Dropped out, then I got rich,” he explains. He spares us the details. The biggest motif running through the album is that Lil Pump has, indeed, dropped out. He hammers the point home with song titles like “Vroom Vroom Vroom,” which summons the image of a sixyear-old playing with Hot Wheels and lines like “I piss on these racks on the floor.” Lil Pump is a hashtag rebel, and he wants you to know it loud and clear (he dropped out of school, by the way). Lil Pump flexes his hatred of education like it is a point of pride, but there are downsides to illiteracy. For example, he has boxed himself in vocabulary-wise — there are entire songs where he never breaks the three-syllable barrier. Some of the choruses are so
simplistic they verge on the surreal, like he is parodying himself — on “Off White,” Pump chants “Off-White, alright,” over and over. File under bedtime rhymes. The production is even worse than Lil Pump’s rapping. More often than not, it sounds like DJ Snake or The Chainsmokers hopped on the track. The mix between South Florida trap and Mountain Dew commercial EDM sounds like how Four Loko tastes: sugary, full of chemicals and pungent in the worst way. The only song worth talking about is the Lil Wayne-assisted “Be Like Me,” which has a catchy beat and a few fun vocal turns. “I’m a millionaire, but I don’t know how to read” is pretty iconic and “I take drugs like it’s vitamin C” is a spicy bar. He actually sounds like he is trying on this song — switching up the flow here and there — which is nice. Otherwise, Lil Pump is a caricature — literally a stick figure of a rapper. “Dropout” is too innocent an adjective to characterize Lil Pump. This album merits an indefinite suspension from musicmaking. A good album makes you yearn to hear more from its maker. “Harverd Dropout” made me wish to never hear it, or Pump, again. From fad to sad in less than 18 months.
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March 13, 2019
Feature | Kieran Press-Reynolds and Rachel Gow
Rose Hill Vloggers Talk College Content YouTubers Inform Prospective Students j0hnfilms For incoming students, John Ross, FCRH '21, is more than just an orientation leader. “This year, my whole group knew about my YouTube channel, which was kind of funny,” Ross says. Ross has been doing YouTube for a while. “Back in fifth grade, me and my friends would make little movies on Windows Movie Maker,” he explained. “I found my way from there.” His account, j0hnfilms, has over 6,000 subscribers. His most popular video has over 200,000 views. The channel is a mix between general college material, like reacting to college decisions and explaining the thought process behind choosing a college, and Fordham-related content. The through line is himself, as he
Kaela Kilfoil Dorm tour videos made by Kaela Kilfoil, GSB ’21, have become somewhat of a rite of passage for incoming freshmen at Fordham, especially girls. The marketing major from Oyster Bay, New York, has over 4,000 subscribers. While she began her channel in high school making beauty tutorials, it was only after Kilfoil posted her first dorm video that she began garnering attention. “When I first made my dorm tour, that kind of blew up a lot,” Kilfoil explains. “A lot of people want to see a dorm and what it looks like when they go to school.” By a lot of people, she means the 90,000 views for her freshman dorm tour and over 100,000 views on the one she posted this year. Because of the popularity of her
Dani Tour Danielle Tourloukis, GSB '22, posts a variety of content on her YouTube channel, but she said her channel does have something of a theme. “Honestly, I think mine is just super extra," she said. Her account, Dani Tour, currently has over 11,000 subscribers. The freshman from Rockland County, New York posts various types of videos, including makeup tutorials, storytime videos about meeting celebrities and most recently, vlogs about life at Fordham. “The main angle and purpose I have for my channel right now is more lifestyle,” Tourloukis explains. Inspired by YouTube sensation Bethany Mota in seventh grade, Tourloukis initially focused her channel on beauty-related content. “While I still like fashion and beauty, as I’ve gotten older, it’s
films every video in the vlog format, which features him talking to the camera. Describing the purpose of the channel, he has many answers. “I like recording what happens throughout my life, so I can remember it later,” he says. He also acknowledges that many people look up videos on the colleges they plan to attend, so part of his intention in designing the channel is to serve potential new students. One of his videos, “Feeling Lonely in College,” made back during Ross’ first semester of his freshman year, features a particularly raw discussion on how college may not initially be the fun ride you expected it to be. “I almost transferred out of Fordham, actually,” he said. “I thought, I should just make a video about how I am feeling, because I know I am not the only one.” For Ross, part of the fun in YouTube has always been the opportunity
to help others. He still gets messages from viewers responding to the video and asking him for advice. While he said he could never make a career out of it, he says that YouTube has been extremely beneficial for his portfolio. “It started out as a fun thing and transformed into something I could actually use.” In the age of digital media, YouTube is seen as an influential tool. “I have gotten internship interviews where that is the reason they wanted to interview me, because of the YouTube channel,” Ross said. His dream jobs include working for the Today Show or Good Morning America. Over all, Ross said YouTube is a great outlet. It has helped him meet more people and express his thoughts. He also said he likes getting recognized out on the weekends.
John Ross’ YouTube account, j0hnfilms, has over 6,000 subscribers.
videos, Kilfoil is sometimes recognized on campus. The first time it happened she was in Cosi, late at night in her pajamas. “This girl came up to me and was like, ‘I watch your videos, I didn't know if I should say anything because it's weird.’ I told her I didn't think it was weird, I like when people say something,” Kilfoil said. She said she gets the most recognition at the beginning of the year, when new students arrive. “All the new students are on campus for the first week, and they see me and I’m a face they know when they don't know anybody yet.” While the videos Kilfoil posted during her first semester of freshman year were more geared towards college and Fordham, she now feels like that was a phase that faded after she adjusted to college life. “I don't want my channel to just be a Fordham channel,” she explains. “There are other things going on in my life that are way more
prominent. I have others thing to talk about.” Kilfoil finds that these sorts of transitions happen naturally as she undergoes life changes. “It kind of just evolves over time, basically," she siad. "The channel grows with me as I grow.” Currently, this means Kilfoil posts more travel vlogs, as she is currently studying abroad at Fordham’s London campus. She described these videos as more cinematographic and said they take the longest to edit. “I have to think about a concept and what I am trying to show," said Kilfoil. "It is almost like I am making a movie in my head." In the future, Kilfoil said she hopes to combine her passion for film and marketing to create her own business. Until then, she will continue to make videos she describes as “random, fun and living.”
Kaela Kilfoil's sophomore dorm tour garnered over 100,000 views.
been more about what I’m doing. I just want to show people what’s going on in my daily life, and allow the fashion to come through that.” Vlogging is a fun way for Tourloukis to document her life and look back on what she described as some embarrassing memories. She also said she believes it helps others, especially high schoolers struggling to choose a college. “Having that whole YouTube background there for people is amazing, because you need to visually see the school.” Recently, she extended this passion of assisting high school seniors in making college decisions by applying to be a campus ambassador with Campus Reel. The digital platform pays students to make videos about their lives at different colleges, including virtual campus and dorm tours. “It’s great," she said of her position. "You get paid, it is for a good cause and it is great to put on a resume."
However, she said she does not plan on making YouTube or film a career. “I enjoy filming and I love my cameras and editing, but I do not think it would be a profession for me,” Tourloukis says. “I am more interested in social media and the process of branding myself. I think I have a marketing type of personality and I want to explore that.” Her personality comes across well on-screen, which helps for vlogging. She said she feels comfortable filming around campus. “Honestly, I have a big personality so I really don’t mind. I surround myself with people who are super loud, so they usually don't get nervous either.” Tourloukis advised other students wanting to start YouTube to go for it. “People may think it is weird, but who cares? At the end of the day, it is what makes you happy that counts.”
COURTESY OF JOHN ROSS FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
COURTESY OF KAELA KILFOIL
COURTESY OF DANIELLE TOURLOUKIS FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
Danielle Tourloukis uses her videos to help others make their college decisions.
March 13, 2019
CULTURE
Page 15
Who’s That Kid? | Camille de Carbonnel, FCRH ’22
Freshman Strings Her Way to a Stigma-Free World By RACHEL GOW CULTURE EDITOR
Many college students have neglected their friendship bracelets, leaving them to fray in the bottom of drawers buried under old summer camp photos and American Girl doll instruction manuals. For Camille de Carbonnel, FRCH ’22, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The tri-lingual humanitarian studies major from Sharon, Mass., runs the Instagram account @mindfulstring. Here, she displays the intricate threaded bracelets she makes and links a Google Form where people can order their own. The bracelets cost between five and 10 dollars, and all of the proceeds are donated to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The bracelets have grown in populatity on campus, with the majority of de Carbonnel’s friends sporting at least one of her designs. The freshman explained that she began to string for far more personal reasons. De Carbonnel was hospitalized her senior year of high school in a psychiatric clinic, and it was here that her passion for making bracelets took shape. She explains that the hospital encouraged art therapy and that string became a way for her to manage mental health
struggles. “While in the hospital I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and acute anxiety disorder,” she said. “It was a little bit of a hard time for me… and so [with] the hospital kind of helping me cope with that, I started making bracelets.” Like many kids, she learned basic friendship bracelet designs in summer camps while growing up but started learning far more complex stitches as time went on. While some might assume that simpler bracelets are better forstress relief, de Carbonnel explains that for her this is not the case. “I started getting more and more into intricate and complicated designs because the more complicated, the more focus it took for me and the better it was for me to calm down,” she said. It did not occur to de Carbonnel to sell the bracelets until later on in high school when people started offering her money for them. She contributed all the funds to mental health organizations. “I think it just kind of came naturally to donate the money to charity because of the nature of why I started making bracelets,” de Carbonnel said. “I wanted to give back and raise awareness and do what I could to help a community I felt really connected [to] and passionate about.”
De Carbonnel was introduced to the nonprofit organization NAMI, now the recipient of her bracelet earnings, while in the hospital. She decided to donate to it because of its commitment to battling mental health stigma. “Their motto is ‘Stigma Free’ so they’re very much aligned with the philosophy I feel strongly about [which is] fostering a society and world that views mental health struggles as seriously as physical ones,” de Carbonnel said. De Carbonnel used diabetes as an example to simplify the similarities between mental and physical ailments. She said that just as someone with diabetes needs to take insulin to function, someone with a mental illness may require medication or other forms of treatment to operate day to day. “The goal is to avoid people being shamed or feeling shame within themselves for asking for help,” she said. While de Carbonnel plans to continue making bracelets for people into the foreseeable future, she does not allow it to interfere with her school work. “My philosophy is that I don’t let people pay me for the bracelets until I’ve made it for them because I don’t want to feel like I owe them anything,” de Carbonnel said. “Then it just becomes a stressor and it’s the opposite of what it’s sup-
Camille de Carbonnel, FCRH ’22, shows off some of her friendship bracelets. COURTESY OF CAMILLE DE CARBONNEL FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
posed to be.” As much as the bracelet business has assisted others, it has also helped de Carbonnel decide what she wants to do with her life. Her dream job after college is to be a United Nations ambassador, ap-
plying the same passion for humanitarian work that started @ mindfulstring on a national scale. Until then, she continues to string along, always sporting a bright smile and at least four friendship bracelets on each wrist.
Across 1. Like an envious person 6. Irish bread type 10. “___ me with a spoon” 13. Marilyn’s real first name 14. Main element in Earth’s core 15. Indian bison 16. Likely story, maybe 17. The street that runs through Disneyland 18. Butt in Britain 19. To have (Sp.) 20. Chain of beauty stores that also feature salons 21. “Time” that Stephen Col bert is on
22. A Russian one nests 24. Put in your username and password 25. Make a hole 28. Necklace or braid adorn ment 30. Police car noisemaker 31. Hospital ward for critical pa tients. (Abbv.) 32. Sits on to hatch 34. Ice-based “Overwatch” char acter 35. St. Patrick’s Day color 36. Nile snake 39. Like someone watching old home videos 43. Warm, action-oriented per son, according to the stars
44. Place for non-starters 45. Central woman of the Rama yana 46. Consume 47. Hold or understand 48. Local provider of low-cost en ergy (Abbv.) 50. Green for a Granny Smith, but not for a Gala 51. Full extent 54. High school events often predicated by proposals 58. Change 59. Famous meme’d man Nico las 60. Permeate, like with strength 61. Things sat on, as in 32-Across 62. PC brand 63. Gallows rope 64. Original console for “Super Mario Bros.” and The Legend of Zelda 65. Team for Joey Votto and Yas iel Puig 66. Putting place Down
ANSWERS IN ISSUE 8
1. Tiny, annoying bug 2. Actor’s part 3. Sideline reporter Andrews 4. Insert a tweet into an article 5. Kenyan capital 6. “_______ and Simulation,” philosophical inspiration for “The Matrix” 7. Spoken exam 8. “Just ______” 9. Elsa’s sister 10. Way to get rid of junk for money
CREATED BY: CLAIRE POLACHECK, GABBY GILLESPIE & JACK MCLOONE
The Fordham Ram Crossword: St. Patrick’s Day
ANSWERS IN ISSUE 8
11. Place locals want to keep “ weird” 12. Like the thumb of a gar dener 15. “I’ve got whosits and whats its ______” 23. Area component 24. Contemporary equivalent to “rad” 25. Dumb 26. NHL necessity 27. Lab rat alternatives 29. Face-offs in “Hamilton” 30. Opposite of lunacy 33. Amateurs 37. Red or Black, maybe 38. Dated marijuana slang 40. Starts
41. Fictional urban myth foun da tion 42. Cutting off at 44. George Washington or Hen ry Hudson 47. Bruce Banner, when he’s an gry 49. Knightwear 51. Disney’s evil uncle 52. Five-minute mile, say 53. Like wine or some cheese 55. Double reed instrument 56. “Uprising” and “Supermas sive Black Hole” band 57. What children should be, as opposed to heard
SPORTS
Page 16
Men’s Tennis Comes Back at Home Against Boston University By DYLAN BALSAMO
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Fordham Men’s Tennis has a long way to go before next month’s Atlantic 10 Tournament in Orlando. For now, their priority for improvement continues to be consistency as a team. Now at 7-3 after this weekend, the squad has not seen two straight wins since midFebruary, with wins at home over Sacred Heart and Hofstra, which were separated by 12 days of rest. Staying on track remains an issue on the court. This week found the team back on their home campus, facing the Boston University Terriers on Saturday, and the results were enough to keep prospects high in the dog days of tennis season. The afternoon did not start off strong for the Rams as they quick-
ly dropped the doubles point. Sophomore Max Green and junior Finn Kemper lost their bout with Owen Lu and David Bogatin 6-3, and sophomore Alex Makatsaria and junior Allen Thornes were defeated by Ethan Kolsky and Max Stehling 6-2, leaving junior Fabian Hansch Mauritzson and sophomore Lutwin de Macar’s match with J.P. Avila and Mar Hartenstein unfinished and giving BU the early lead. The Terriers made that lead 2-0 after Lu took down Mauritzson 6-4, 6-0 in first singles. From there, Fordham took control. Second singles saw Green beat David Bogatin 6-3, 7(7)-6(4). After that, Kemper took three sets to take down Pete Siozios 6-2, 0-6, 6-4, de Macar held off Stehling 6-3, 7(7)-6(3), and Makatsaria beat Mar Martenstein 6-3, 7(7)-6(5).
Junior Jeremy Chung was defeated in sixth singles by Pedro Gutierrez 6-1, 6-3, but nevertheless, the Rams walked off of the court with a win over BU 4-3. “We were quite slow out of the gates and lost the doubles point after an underwhelming performance,” said Mauritzson, losing in doubles himself. “However, we managed to come out strong in the singles and got an early set lead on all but one court. This removed a lot of pressure, and with that, we could play more relaxed and win quite comfortably in the end.” The Rams will have had 13 days off the time by they play again, that next meet being another one at home on March 22, this time against Duquesne. Fordham has another win under its belt. The next question is whether or not it can keep going.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Men’s Tennis now have almost two weeks off to recover after their close 4-3 match win over Boston University.
Women’s Tennis Wins Two Straight Matches in 48 Hours By GIGI SPEER STAFF WRITER
Travelling from Philadelphia back to New York, the Fordham Women’s Tennis notched two straight wins. On Wednesday, it defeated Drexel 4-3 at the Hecht/ Hamlin Center before coming back north to conquer Queen’s College 6-1 at the Queens College Tennis Center. After the team lost the doubles point, senior Tatiana Grigoryan started the resurgence in singles, winning 6-1, 6-1 in the third position before sophomore Gianna Insogna took the fourth singles point with a 7-5, 6-3 win. Continuing the team’s success, freshman Nicole Li won at fifth singles 6-1, 7-5, and sophomore Arina Taluyenko rounded out the victory with her 6-4 win in the first set of first singles, coming back from a 1-6 loss in the second set to take the third 6-4. With the win under their belts, the Rams faced Queens College on Friday, with impressive performances across the board. Learning from their last game, the squad took the doubles point in a tremendous three-match sweep. Taluyenko and Grigoryan won
6-4 in first doubles, freshmen Li and Genevieve Quenville won 6-3 in second doubles, and seniors Alexis Zobeideh and Whitney Weisberg clinched a sweep with a 6-2 victory in the third position. They almost swept all six singles matches, with Taluyenko continuing to dominate in the first position as she won 6-2, 6-1. In second singles, Grigoryan won in three
sets 6-2, 4-6 and 6-3 while Li won 6-4, 6-3 in third singles. Quenville continued the success with her 6-3, 6-2 win at fourth singles. Weisberg finished the day for the Rams with a 7-5, 6-0 sixth singles slam. The Rams will travel to sunny Orlando, Fla. to face Oral Roberts University next Monday, March 18.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Women’s Tennis is finding its stride after winning two straight matches.
March 13, 2019
Beyond the Scoreboard: A Thin Line Between Heckling and Incivility By ANDREW POSADAS
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Over the weekend, I decided to attend the New York Catholic High School Athletic Association Basketball Playoff final between Archbishop Stepinac and Christ the King. Christ the King’s center Moussa Cisse is projected to be a top-10 recruit in ESPN’s Class of 2021 rankings. The tallest player on the court at all times, it became evident early his height would be the subject of heckling for Stepinac fans. Sitting right by Stepinac’s bench, certain fans made it their mission to ridicule Cisse throughout. After a missed free throw from Cisse, a young Stepinac fan proceeded to shout, “He can’t f--king shoot. Keep taking it to his b----h a-- all day!” In any sporting event, there is always that one fan. The person whose pestering gets progressively more personal throughout a game. Someone who begins by taking shots at your game and the way you play. All of a sudden, they start criticizing your character while superfluously bringing up your loved ones like family and friends to psych you out. So what happens when harmless taunting turns into flat-out disrespect? Why do fans believe paying for a game ticket suddenly grants them full immunity to say anything? More importantly: how are athletes supposed to react under the circumstances? On Monday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Utah Jazz on the road, 98-89. A huge win in March as teams continue battling for playoff position in the Western Conference. All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook was efficient in the win, messing around and almost getting himself a triple-double. Unfortunately, Westbrook’s statistical performance in a win wasn’t the major story. Early in the second quarter, the 30-year-old former NBA MVP found himself in a verbal altercation with a Jazz fan and his wife. A reporter with The Deseret News recorded part of the altercation which shows Westbrook clearly distraught. In the video, Westbrook makes one thing abundantly clear to security in regards to the heckling fan, saying, “I’ll f--k him up.” Westbrook is heard repeatedly yelling the phrases “I promise you” and “I swear to God” afterwards to reinforce his position. Then, he makes his biggest threat when he looks towards the fans’ direction and boldly states, “You and your wife. I’ll f--k you up.” In the locker room postgame, the Oklahoma City guard explained to reporters what the fan said that ultimately set him off. Allegedly, Westbrook was told by the fan while icing his knees on the bench to “get down on my knees like you used to.”
This same comment was then repeated by the fan’s wife. For Westbrook, the comment had a racial undertone to it, which ignited his profanity-laced response on video. He believes there is no protection for the NBA players from certain fans who only come to “say disrespectful things about me, my family.” The Utah Jazz released a statement after the game in which they said an investigation will be done on the situation. Utah also added that “multiple warning cards” were given out to fans by area security. One of those warning cards were issued to the fan in question, Shane Keisel. Keisel explained his side of the story to local Utah station KSL 5 TV. Keisel believes he and Westbrook were “just having fun to be honest,” stating Westbrook was even smiling at one point. However, Keisel is adamant he and his wife said no curse words toward Westbrook. He did describe Westbrook’s action as “classless.” What Keisel forgot to consider was the effect his altercation with Westbrook would have on social media. The following morning, multiple old tweets from Keisel’s past were showcased on Twitter. On April 28th of last year, Keisel sent out a tweet (now deleted) in which he wrote, “Westbrook is a piece of classless s--t. somebody needs to kick his a--.” This obviously does not sound like a man who was just there to watch the game with his wife. The only thing on his side in this altercation is that there is no video on what exactly he said to Westbrook. Luckily, social media has helped us paint a picture of a man who has clearly attacked the All-Star before and came into Monday’s game looking to do so again. As a result of the altercation, Westbrook has been fined $25,000 dollars for “directing profanity and threatening language to a fan.” Do not believe that Westbrook’s fine absolves Keisel from culpability in the altercation and gives him a happy ending. After its investigation, The Utah Jazz announced Tuesday they have banned Keisel from attending games for the rest of his life. Disrespect should never be tolerated by an athlete. Fans feel a false entitlement after purchasing an expensive NBA game ticket, as if it is a golden ticket to say and do whatever you want. Do not get it twisted: no heckler wants any real smoke from a basketball player. Sooner or later, something such as “the Malice at the Palace” may happen again. Research it on YouTube. Then, tell me if you want to go to an NBA game and blatantly disrespect a player.
COURTESY OF FLICKR
The relationship between fans and athletes continues to be tumultuous.
SPORTS
March 13, 2019
Page 17
Student-Athlete Column: A Much-Needed Break By KALEY BELL
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
I was so proud of my track and field teammates when I saw that we competed well in the A-10 conference meet in Virginia and the ECAC/IC4A championships in Boston. The women placed 9th in the A-10s, and the men placed 8th. In the ECAC/IC4A meet, the women placed 16th, and the men placed 17th. I saw how many individuals also performed very well. The outstanding performances of a select few allowed for the team to perform at their best ability. Seeing your teammates do well always makes you want to do well, too. After the success of the team, we were granted a week off. We called it our “NARP week” because it was the only time of the year that we were able to act like NARPs, or Non Athletic Regular People. Instead of waking up for practice everyday, we were able to sleep in like the rest of campus does. Unfortunately for me, I was sick during this week, but I was still able to take advantage of the opportunity to let my muscles relax. During my NARP week, I took a lot of naps. I went home for the weekend, and I was able to enjoy some much-needed rest and relaxation. Even while I was home, I still
had thoughts about the upcoming season. I was looking forward to beginning workouts again and seeing what I could accomplish in my first collegiate outdoor season. When I came back from my NARP break, it was back to the grind. We started up again with our hard Monday workouts, and ever since we have been bringing back the workouts full force. Our head coach Thomas Dewey had us set goals for this upcoming season. Instead of us simply stating our goals, he had us write them down, a task I thought would be very helpful. In order for a goal to be reached, we have to speak it into being, a process that includes writing the goal down and working hard to achieve it. Writing down my goals encouraged me, and seeing them on paper helps me envision their achievement. I know that it takes time for our goals to be met, but it also takes work, and I plan to work hard to achieve these goals. Coming back from my sickness, it took a lot more for me to train hard, and some days I felt really weak. I knew I had to push through because I am determined to be better this season. Even while I was a NARP, I still had the athlete in me saying that I must get better. I guess there really is no difference between a NARP and an athlete after all.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Spring came early this year for many of Fordham’s track and field athletes.
By JIMMY SULLIVAN SPORTS EDITOR
“Parity” is a word that often gets tossed around in sports. Many people use it, but not everyone knows what it means or if they want it. Many people, though, know that sports don’t have a ton of it, and this is particularly true of college athletics. College football has seen this firsthand over the past few seasons, with 128 Division I teams frantically following the dust trail left by Clemson and Alabama. In college basketball, for all of its March Madness upsets and mid-major Cinderella stories, there is a certain level of order that comprises the sport. To a certain extent, you know that the sport’s best teams–Duke, North Carolina, Villanova, Michigan State and Kentucky, among others–will have a chance to win it all at the end of the season. But all of those teams have peaks and valleys which include seasons even the best coaches in the country would like to have back. That makes what happened last week all the more notable. Take yourself back to March of 2004. No matter where you were or what you were doing, you can appreciate that the world was an extremely different place. Facebook was a month old. Twitter was over two years away. The iPhone was in the infancy of its development. The No. 1 song in America was “Yeah!” by Usher, Lil Jon and Ludacris. The Marlins were the defending World Series champions. Oklahoma State won the Big 12’s college basketball regular-season title. March 2004 was a very long time ago. It was also the last time the University of Kansas was not atop the Big 12 until last week. Texas Tech and Kansas State will be sharing the Big 12 regular season title this season, with both teams finishing at 14-4 in conference play. Kansas was eliminated from regular season title contention with a loss last Tuesday to Oklahoma, which came at the end of a very uncharacteristic season for head coach Bill Self’s team. The Jayhawks dropped winnable games to Kansas State, Texas and West Virginia, and the death knell may have been a 29-point drubbing at the hands of Texas Tech on Feb. 23. So, for the
first time in 15 years, there will be a team besides Kansas atop the Big 12 conference tournament bracket when it starts today. The program’s success over the past 15 years–this one included–has been astounding, and more than anything, should serve as a testament to the man in charge of it. Bill Self took over as Kansas’s head coach in 2003, immediately after Roy Williams led the Jayhawks to a loss in the national championship game and promptly ditched the program to take over at the University of North Carolina. Under the cloud of nearly impossible expectations, Self led Kansas to an Elite 8 finish in his first season, the last one before Kansas started its streak of 14 straight Big 12 regular season titles. It took Self just one year to reload his roster, and once he did, Kansas never looked back; the team has won 30 or more games in nine of the past 12 seasons, including each of the last three years, where Kansas has reached the Elite Eight twice and the Final Four once. Ironically, the main criticism of Self has been his inability to win big games. Aside from the team’s national championship victory in 2008, Self hasn’t been able to reach the top of the sport. Of course, this opinion reveals just how hard it is to win a national championship and how much luck goes into winning just one title. This is something Kansas knows first-hand after win-
ning its most recent title on Mario Chalmers’s miracle three-pointer to force overtime with, and ultimately defeat, the University of Memphis. Unfortunately, this says more about us as critical fans than it says about Kansas or Self. While Kansas has not been a great tournament team in recent years, their overall success and sustained run of excellence should say more about the program than a few losses at the end of the season. In a sport where teams overhaul entire rosters from season to season, Kansas has stayed consistent, and the Jayhawks have not done so in a weak conference. In fact, the Big 12 consistently has been one of the best conferences in the country over the past 15 years or so, with several programs rising to the top and falling back to the bottom. Case in point is one of the teams Kansas lost to this year: Texas Tech. The Red Raiders, in the span of Kansas’s Big 12 supremacy, have finished as high as second and as low as 11th in the conference, all while cycling through six coaches in those 14 years. Many teams are capable of stringing together an excellent season or two, as teams like Texas Tech have the past couple of seasons. Few teams can string together 14 straight years of winning a conference. That’s what Kansas did, and those 14 titles should outweigh their big-game failures and late-season disappointments.
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Kansas didn’t win the Big 12 this year, but head coach Bill Self’s streak is still legendary.
Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY
Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports
Thursday Mar. 14
Friday Mar. 15
Saturday Mar. 16
Sunday Mar. 17
Swimming
CSCAA National Invitational Championship (Cleveland, OH); TBD
Men’s Basketball
Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament (Brooklyn, NY) TBD; Wed. 3/13 vs. Richmond @ 3:30 p.m.
Women’s Basketball
Wednesday Mar. 20 NCAA Championship (Austin, Tex.)
Preseason Spring Training Trip TBD
Cleveland St./ Ball State/ UConn South Dakota 9 a.m./11:15 a.m. 6 p.m./8:15 p.m.
Stony Brook 1 p.m. Oral Roberts TBD
Women’s Tennis Baseball
Tuesday Mar. 19
ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
Rowing Softball
Monday Mar. 18
Towson 3 p.m.
Cornell 10:30 a.m.
Towson 2:30 p.m.
Manhattan 3 p.m.
SPORTS
March 13, 2019
Baseball Sweeps in First Weekend in the Bronx
Page 18
Islanders Regress After Trade Deadline
By JACK McLOONE
By CHRIS HENNESSY
Fordham Baseball’s first home stand may not have brought warm weather, but it did bring warm feelings, with the Rams sweeping the Fordham Round Robin. After the four wins and a win on Tuesday against Sacred Heart, the Rams are now 10-6, having won six in a row. Fordham’s two foes in the Fordham Round Robin were Iona and Hofstra, each of whom the Rams played twice. In the first game against Iona on Friday morning, the Rams took the lead early, going up 2-0 on an RBI triple from sophomore shortstop Jake MacKenzie and then an RBI groundout by senior catcher Justin Bardwell to score him. They never let up, adding two big innings late to win 9-2. Junior Alvin Melendez once again made a short start for the Rams, going two innings. He struck out the side in the second but also gave up a run on a pair of singles and a balk. The Rams singled their way to three more runs in the fifth—all five of their hits in the inning were singles. They added four more in the seventh, first, a bases-loaded double for MacKenzie, followed by a two-run groundout by junior third baseman Matt Tarabek. If Melendez were an “opener,” sophomore Matt Mikulski would be the “follower,” giving up one run over six innings of work, striking out four and walking one. MacKenzie had a huge game, going 4-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. While he’s leading the team in strikeouts—as of writing he has 16—he’s also leading the team with 19 hits (a .317 batting average) and still has an on-base percentage of .349. Saturday featured a doubleheader split between a second game with Iona and a matchup with Hofstra, with the Rams winning the first 5-1 and the second 4-3. Fordham starter sophomore John Stankiewicz had his second straight seven-inning, one-run game in the start against Iona. He struck out seven while walking just one. He was pitching in a scoreless game until the bottom of the fourth, when freshman outfielder Nick Guercio drove in Tarabek and Bardwell with a single. Guercio came around to score on another single from Melendez. The three runs were enough, but sophomore C.J. Vazquez tacked on two insurance runs
R.I.P. to the era of the First Place New York Islanders, Jan. 18 through March 1, 2019. What a time it was. Now the Islanders are back to their losing ways to which I, along with every Islander fan in the world, have become so accustomed. I said that the run they were on was unsustainable and knew that they were not as talented as Washington and Pittsburgh, but it was nice to think for a little while that they were. But I just wrote about how they were going to the playoffs, what went wrong? Come on this terrible, awful, nogood journey with me, won’t you? It started on Feb. 25, the trade deadline. New general manager Lou Lamoriello failed epically by making zero moves at the deadline. Multiple top-six goal scoring wingers changed hands, and that is exactly the kind of player that the Islanders need. Ever since the trade deadline, the Islanders have won three games: John Tavares’ return and two games against lowly Ottawa. They have been outscored 25-21 in those seven games (through Saturday’s game) and have been held under two goals in four of the games. Brutal. They cannot buy a goal right now. Josh Ho-Sang continues to waste away in the AHL while the talent-lacking roster employs the likes of Andrew Ladd, Tom Kühnhackl and Leo Komarov. Additionally, the goaltending has come back down to Earth. Robin Lehner and Thomas Griess have still been great, but they have fallen off the astronomical pace that they were at in the early stages of the season. The defense in front
SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Fordham Baseball has won five in a row, including four wins last weekend.
with his first home run of the season in the bottom of the eighth. The first game lasted just two hours and five minutes, giving the team enough time to rest before playing Hofstra at 3 p.m. Like his fellow sophomore Stankiewicz, starter Joseph Quintal had a steady hand through seven innings, striking out nine and walking none while allowing just two runs. Unlike Stankiewicz, he didn’t have the run support early. Hofstra scored one run in the second and another in the fifth— a home run—before the Rams finally got on the scoreboard, thanks to a throwing error. He didn’t get any credit for the end result, because pitching wins are bad, but that’s another conversation. The Rams took the lead in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to a very shaky performance for Hofstra reliever Mark Faello. After striking out Coules to start the seventh, he hit two batters (both times with two strikes), threw three wild pitches and balked once while also allowing a stolen base. All of those gaffs resulted in two runs for the Rams without recording a hit, as they scored on a sacrifice fly from Melendez and one of the wild pitches. Freshman Gabe Karslo struggled in the top of the eighth, recording just one out while giving up a run that allowed Hofstra to tie the game at three. But junior high-leverage reliever Kyle Martin was ready to put out the fire and stop the bleeding there. In the
bottom half, junior speedster Jake Baker pinch ran for Bardwell after the catcher hit a leadoff single and used his speed to score the eventual winning run from first on a double from Tarabek. The final game of the fourgame opening home weekend finished with the same 4-3 score in favor of the Rams. Freshman Cory Wall was serviceable in his first career start, giving up three runs over five innings on six hits. He struck out four and walked two. All three of them came in the second inning on a three-run home run, which put Fordham in an early 3-1 hole against Hofstra. The Rams were able to chip away, first with an RBI single from MacKenzie in the third that scored Vazquez, who had stolen second, one of three Ram stolen bases. In the fifth, the Rams first tied Hofstra then took the lead, the former another RBI from MacKenzie, this time a double, and the latter on a sacrifice fly by Bardwell. Martin came in for the top of the ninth to slam the door on the weekend sweep, setting down Hofstra in order while striking out two for his fourth save of the season. The Rams have two midweek games at home; the team started the week by beating Sacred Heart 12-3 on Tuesday. The Rams’ second game is on Wednesday against Wagner before heading to the Towson Round Robin this weekend.
of them has not helped, however. The Johnny Boychuck – Nick Leddy pairing was brutal in the game on March 3 against Philadelphia and was promptly spilt up a few days later. However, Devon Toews joined Johnny Boychuck for another rough game on the 9th against those same Flyers. Boychuck is a seasoned veteran, and his legs are starting to give out late in the season. The Islanders currently have seven healthy defensemen with Thomas Hickey back from injury, and I would not be opposed to Hickey replacing Boychuck for a few games while he rests. This has been Boychuck’s best season in a while, but he needs a breather, and he should get it now as opposed to after the season. As for the rest of the season, the Islanders have big games against Boston, Winnipeg, Philadelphia, Toronto and Washington left before the end of the regular season without a lot of time off between games. The Isles needed to use the two games against Ottawa last week as “get-well” games, but, of course, they did not. They don’t have much time to get everything figured out, but they need to figure it out because they might fall out of the playoffs. They are currently in second place, but Carolina, Pittsburgh and Columbus all can pick up games and jump over the Islanders in the standings. I don’t think it will happen, mostly because it would be a collapse for the ages, but it is certainly possible. The Islanders have provided their fans with few good moments in their recent history, but a Metropolitan Division championship would have been one of them for sure. Oh well. The Islanders stink.
COURTESY OF FLICKR
The Islanders started out strong, but the team has since taken a step back.
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SPORTS
March 13, 2019
Anthony Cardone Severi-Oh-No Opening day for the Yankees is less than three weeks away and news struck them this past week that could shake up some things going into the season. Their ace Luis Severino, who was just signed to a four year contract extension, got an MRI that showed he has rotator cuff soreness and could be out for an extended period of time in the beginning of the year. The reports and Severino say that he will pitch sooner than later and its “nothing to worry about,” but it is still a scare. The Yankees are trying to win every game they can in a very highly competitive division. Manager Aaron Boone has named Masahiro Tanaka as the opening day starter against the Orioles on March 28 to begin the year. So what does this mean for the Yankees moving forward? Well, since the offseason has been very slow, some key pitchers are still on the market, including Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez. But is it worth to sign another pitcher of the same calibar? They probably won’t be asking for short-term cheap contracts. The rotation as of right now is made up of Tanaka, Paxton, Happ, Sabathia (who will miss the beginning of the year as well) and either Domingo German or Luis Cessa. Towards the back end of that rotation, so it’s not very trustworthy. Since the market is so slow, the Yankees can offer one of these pitchers a one year deal, sort of like a “prove me” year for next year’s offseason market, which can help the Yankees short term because the pitchers in next years offseason class are even better. Yankees don’t have to spend the money this year on back of the rotation guys. Instead, they can use it next year on possible guys like Gerrit Cole or Chris Sale. So maybe it’s a good idea to hold off on these pitchers if the asking price is still high and use the younger players for depth. Players that could step up this year are guys like Domingo German and Luis Cessa, but other include Jonathan Loaisiga, Chance Adams and Stephen Tarpley. All are young assets that now have an opportunity to prove themselves, while more experienced players are injured. Remember also, Jordan Montgomery is coming back in the middle of the year after his Tommy John Surgery, who was very productive before getting hurt last season. So being that this could have been a lot worse for the bombers, I’d say they dodged a bullet. They have many options to plug into guys that get hurt this year, and there always are, this time it came a little early, but spending money on free agents is probably not the best path to take. Yankees are a little banged up right now heading into 2019: Didi, Ellsbury, CC, Sevy and Montgomery just to name a few. It could be a long year for the fellas in the Bronx.
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Andrew Becker
Varsity Scores & Stats Women’s Basketball Massachusetts 62 Fordham 73 (FOR) Cavanaugh: 29 PTS, 12 FG, 4 3FG ATLANTIC 10 TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS Duquesne 34 Fordham 76 (FOR) Goulding: 19 PTS, 8 FG, 3 3PT ATLANTIC 10 TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS Fordham 62 VCU 47 (FOR) Cavanaugh: 22 PTS, 4 FG, 13 FT ATLANTIC 10 TOURNAMENT FINAL
Men’s Basketball George Washington Fordham (FOR) Cobb: 15 PTS, 3 3PT Fordham La Salle (FOR) Ohams: 13 PTS, 5 FG Women’s Tennis Fordham Drexel (FOR) Li: 6-1, 7-5
56 67 57 72
4 3
Fordham Queens (FOR) Weisberg: 7-5, 6-0
6 1
Men’s Tennis BU 3 Fordham 4 (FOR) Makatsaria: 6-3, 7(7)-6(5)
Baseball Iona 2 Fordham 9 W: Mikulski (1-2) L: Hansen (0-2) (FOR) MacKenzie: 4-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 2 SB, 4 RBI Iona Fordham W: Stankiewicz (3-0) L: Sibley (0-2) S: Simmerman (1) (FOR) Vazquez: 3-4, HR, RBI
1 5
Hofstra Fordham W: Martin (1-1) L: Mirando (0-1) (FOR) Melendez: 1-3, SF, RBI
3 4
Hofstra Fordham W: Wall (1-0) L: Murray (1-1) S: Martin (4) (FOR) MacKenzie: 2-4, 2B, SB, 2 RBI
3 4
Sacred Heart Fordham W: Melendez (1-0) L: Jordan (0-2) (FOR) Bardwell: 2-4, 3 RBI
Athletes of the Week Jake MacKenzie
Mary Goulding
Sophomore
Senior
Baseball
Women’s Basketball Goulding was not only named to the All-Tournament Team after the Rams’ A-10 title, but she was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament, including 19 points, 4 steals and 3 threepointers in the clinching game against VCU.
Mackenzie had an outstanding week, batting .524 and 3 of his 10 hits being for extra bases. Not only did he drive in 6 runs, but on the basepaths, he was also 3-3 in stolen base attempts. He had his career game on Saturday against Iona, going 4-4 with 4 RBI and 2 runs scored.
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 Takes Title
Women’s Basketball took home the 2019 Atlantic 10 Championship after winning the Conference Tournament. In the Tournament, they defeated sides from UMass, Duquesne and finally VCU on Sunday. Coach Stephanie Gaitley said of Sunday’s win, “We stayed together through their runs and we were patient on offense. I’m especially happy for Mary and Lauren, our seniors, because they gave it their all and really wanted this for themselves and their teammates. There’s still more work to be done!” The Rams have now clinched a spot in the NCAA Tournament, for which the bracket will be announced on Monday March 18.
• Softball Postponed
Fordham Softball was scheduled to play their
home opener on the afternoon of March 6 at Murphy Field against Lafayette, but the game was postponed due to the inclement weather. No potential make up dates have been announced at this point. While the Rams will now not play their first home game until April 6 when they host a doubleheader with Dayton, their next matchups come on March 15, the beginning of the Mercer Bears Classic, against Cleveland State and Connecticut.
• Football Starts Practices
Second-year Football head coach Joe Conlin
• Women’s Rowing Names Assistant
opened the book on his sophomore season at Fordham, as the Rams held their first spring practice on Thursday March 7 on Murphy Field. Both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball return six starters, with the defense highlighted by All-American Glenn Cunningham and Freshman All-American Ryan Greenhagen and the offense returning Second Team All-Patriot lineman Nick Zakelj. The Rams will hold 13 more spring practices before their annual Spring Game on April 13.
On Thursday March 7, Women’s Rowing head
coach Ted Bonanno named Jenn Thomas as the team’s newest assistant coach. After spending the fall of 2018 as the head coach of the squad at Franklin & Marshall College, Thomas came to the Rams volunteering as an assistant in December of 2018 and had been serving in that role until the announcement on Thursday. Thomas’s other experience includes positions at Cambridge Ringe & Latin School, RowAmerica and Boston University Rec Rowing.
– Compiled by Dylan Balsamo
3 12
The Islanders’ Tough Stretch There’s no doubt that lately, the Islanders aren’t playing the brand of hockey we have become accustomed to this season. Unfortunately for them, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Right now is the final stretch of the season, and the Islanders had what seemed like an easier schedule this week, before heading into some crucial games against divisional foes next week. While the Islanders came away with two narrow victories against the last place Ottowa Senators Tuesday and Thursday, these victories were sandwiched in between two embarrassing losses on home ice to the Philadelphia Flyers, who are also outside of a playoff spot. It seems as though the Flyers have had the Islanders’ number the second half of the season, as they have scored a multitude of goals with limited shots, and stole wins from the Isles despite being outplayed in their own end. Nevertheless, this week has many questioning their poor performance, and even looking back at the trade deadline disgruntled. So what’s going on with the Islanders? The team has been forced to make several minor adjustments, which may explain the lack of urgency in its game. On Sunday, the Islanders came off a huge victory in the return of John Tavares, only to give up an ironically more important game the next night, which saw them hand over first place of the Metropolitan Division to the Washington Capitals. From there the team looked to rebound against the resurging Flyers, but to no avail. It’s almost as if the Islanders have been on such a tight, condensed run that they have been emotionally drained. Since that game in Toronto, the team just hasn’t been able to put it together. The goal scoring shut off until the Ottawa game, and even worse, they couldn’t keep the puck out of the net, which was the biggest surprise considering the play of both Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner, not to mention that defense has been the Isles’ biggest strength all year. Now with Lehner’s injury, Greiss will take on a bigger workload for a while and Saturday was not a great way to start it off, as he allowed five goals on the first 12 shots. A lot of fans on Twitter feel a tad shambled and think the current situation expresses the latter. The truth of the matter is that it’s just so hard to tell. The team had played great, and for me, I think Lou Lamoriello truly believed in his squad and would have tried to make something happen for the right price, but the asking price on the trade market was just too much. Regardless, the Islanders must turn it around, because the Metro is heading right down to the wire. They have important games coming up, starting off with the Blue Jackets and the Canadians this week. Let’s see how this one plays out.
Page 20
SPORTS
March 13, 2019
The Fordham Ram
Fordham Women’s Basketball are the A-10 Conference Champs By JACK MCLOONE
SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS
Senior forward Mary Goulding was crying. She had just fouled out with a minute left in the Atlantic 10 Championship—up until this point, the peak of her career. These were not the tears of a player who had fouled out with her team on the brink of elimination. No, the Rams of Fordham were up 56-43 in the final minute of the game. They were going to win their first A-10 Championship since the 2013-14 season and head to the NCAA Tournament. “This team was able to achieve this accomplishment because no one cares who got the credit,” said head coach Stephanie Gaitley. “I’ve said all along this is the best chemistry we have had since I have been at Fordham. They have been a joy to coach!” To some degree, this felt inevitable. The Rams did win a share of the regular season A-10 title and boast two players on the All-Conference team: Goulding and redshirt sophomore guard Bre Cavanaugh. So, it was not wholly surprising that this team won it all, too, after topping the Rams of Virginia Commonwealth University, 62-47. The Fordham Rams, as I wrote just two days ago, are about as hot as anyone, having now won 12 games straight after burning through everyone in their sights. But things didn’t always look this good. After a strong start to conference play, the Rams dropped back-to-back games, including blowing a 13-point lead against the same VCU Rams and then losing by 22 in their next game against Dayton. After a loss to Davidson on Jan. 27, their third in four games, the
Rams turned it around, starting a winning streak that will now extend into the NCAA Tournament. As they have done all season, the Rams succeeded through their defense. The ninth-ranked scoring defense held VCU in check over and over again, including two separate droughts without a field goal for over five minutes apiece. Fordham forced 18 turnovers, while committing just eight, which scored them 16 points. “I think the turning point for us was our game at Davidson. That’s when we kicked it to another gear. Our kids realized that defense could get us to the next level,” said Gaitley. “I’ve said all year that if we were able to shoot the ball well we would be a really tough team to beat.” Fordham actually started the game down 4-0 after a pair of free throws and a basket for VCU. Cavanaugh got them on the scoreboard with a three, her only make from beyond the arc on the day, and then Goulding hit a layup with 6:11 left to put Fordham up 5-4. While the game remained tightly contested for almost the rest of play, Fordham never trailed again. Things seemed a little dire toward the end of the first half, however. The VCU Rams were starting to wake up, narrowing the Fordham Rams’ lead down all the way to just two. But a three from freshman forward Kaitlyn Downey and a pair of free throws from Cavanaugh pushed the lead up to seven before the half. The third quarter was a classic adjustment stalemate, with neither side getting much done offensively. Both teams came out of the quarter having scored just eight points each to enter the fourth quarter with Fordham up 38-31. As they have for the major-
COURTESY OF A-10 CONFERENCE FACEBOOK
Women’s Basketball won its first A-10 Championship in five years after beating VCU, 62-47. ity of their stretch of success, the Rams were able to rely on Goulding and Cavanaugh. They combined for 20 of Fordham’s 24 fourth-quarter points to put away VCU and claim the crown. The two all-conference players scored 41 of the Rams’ 62 points, Cavanaugh with 22 and Goulding with 19, for the second time in a row. Goulding had even more to be happy about. After compiling easily the finest season of her career, despite often being derailed by injury, she flipped the switch in the Rams’ three postseason games, averaging 20.7 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game. She did so incredibly efficiently, shooting 57.5 percent from the field, including 56 percent from three, and hitting all of her free throws, plus, the trademark Mary Goulding’s tough effort
on defense. For all of that, she was named the A-10 Championship’s Most Outstanding Player. “It has been amazing to see Mary’s growth over her three years,” said Gaitley. “She started to come into her own last year and this year’s team was one she could really embrace and be totally herself. She not only grew into a fantastic player but an outstanding leader as well.” Cavanaugh also had the honor of being named to the Atlantic 10’s All-Tournament team. Also worth mentioning from the game is sophomore guard Kendell Heremaia’s defense, one of the best defensive performances of her career on her biggest stage yet. Head coach Stephanie Gaitley and company have spent a lot of time working on her much-beleaguered defense in her two years at Rose
Hill, and it all showed today. For Goulding and fellow senior Lauren Holden, this is another peak in careers that have made the Rams make the postseason three seasons straight. This will be Fordham Women’s Basketball’s third trip to the NCAA Tournament, and the second under Gaitely. It’s been an amazing road for this Fordham women’s basketball team, and it still has at least one more step. According to ESPN bracketologist Chris Creme, the Rams can, as of this writing, expect a 15 seed and a trip to Iowa City, though they will have to wait a week until the selection show on Monday, March 18 to find out for sure. All that matters is that they know they are in. The rest will come later. Now and forever, the Fordham Rams are A-10 Champions.
Fordham Men’s Basketball Splits Two Games to End Regular Season By ANDREW POSADAS
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Fordham Men’s Basketball wrapped up its regular season this past week by winning its final home game on Senior Day and losing in its season finale on the road. It’s hard to believe the Rams boasted a 9-4 record in December after the struggles Fordham has endured in the last two months. Coming into last Wednesday’s game against George Washington University, the Rams faced a different type of adversity. Last Monday, news surfaced that senior forward Jesse Bunting suffered a minor stroke. Fordham head coach Jeff Neubauer confirmed the report and stated Bunting would miss the remainder of the season. In his honor, the Rams wore special “Play for Jesse” t-shirts pregame while the Colonials wore red shoelaces in a nod of support for Bunting. Junior guard Antwon Portley was also unavailable to play due to illness. Despite the circumstances, Fordham played an inspired game throughout. An effi-
cient first half saw the Rams make seven three-pointers, including four from Sophomore forward Ivan Raut. A high-powered offensive attack gave Fordham a 43-28 lead at halftime. George Washington opened the second half on a 17-3 run, ultimately cutting Fordham’s lead down to one at the 12-minute mark. Nevertheless, the Rams were not going to be denied a win on Senior Day. Nursing a two-point lead with six minutes remaining in regulation, freshman guard Jalen Cobb hit two three-pointers to help power an 11-0 Fordham run. The Colonials would not recover. Playing their most spirited basketball of the season, the Rams would win their final home game of the season, 67-56. Cobb led Fordham with a team-high 15 points while freshman guard Nick Honor added 10 points and six assists. Neubauer praised his team postgame for its collective effort. He went on to say, “Our hearts and minds were with Jesse, and we performed for him tonight.” Unfortunately, the season did not end after last Wednesday’s
inspirational win. The Rams’ regular-season finale came this past weekend at LaSalle University. Its first half performance against the Explorers looked nothing like what Fordham did against the Colonials. The Rams shot less than 25 percent from the field and could not develop a rhythm. Three-pointers that were falling in the previous game were not dropping on Saturday. LaSalle, not playing much better themselves, were able to take advantage and secure a 30-18 lead at halftime. Fordham’s offense eventually woke up in the second half, accounting for 39 points in the second half. It would not matter as the Explorers stayed hot on the offensive end. LaSalle shot over 50 percent in the second half and added eight more three-pointers. An efficient, methodical performance kept La Salle’s lead in double-digits and without doubt. Fordham fought back, but it was for naught. The Rams ended their regular season with a 72-57 loss to the Explorers. Standout performances for Fordham include junior forward
MACKENZIE CRANNA/THE FORDHAM RAM
Men’s Basketball has suffered a rollercoaster regular season this year. Chuba Ohams earning a doubledouble with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Cobb and fellow freshman guard Ty Perry also contributed with 10 points each. The loss finalizes Fordham’s regular-season record at 12-19 overall, and 3-15 in the Atlantic 10.
Now, Men’s Basketball will focus its attention on the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament. The Rams are locked in as the 14thseed and will face 11th-seeded Richmond. The Rams kick off first round play from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn this afternoon at 3:30 p.m.