Volume 98 issue 5

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham dh University Community Since 1918 Volume 98, Issue 5

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Fordham Supports Sanders and Rubio: Poll

By ERIN SHANAHAN NEWS EDITOR

More than half, or 58 percent, of Fordham’s democratic students are in favor of candidate Bernie Sanders while 63 percent of Fordham Republicans support Marco Rubio, according to a joint poll conducted by United Student Government (USG), Fordham Political Review, Fordham University College Republicans and

College Democrats. In total, the results of the poll suggest that 29 percent of the total campus supports Sanders while 28 percent supports Rubio.

To assess the current political climate of Fordham students at Rose Hill, the four political organizations collaborated for Voter Education Week.

USG members, College Democrats and College Republicans polled random students walking

SOURCE: SALVATORE COCCHIARO/USG GRAPHS BY CATE CARREJO/FORDHAM RAM

Students show a strong preference for Rubio, compared to national polls.

University Backs Sodexo Employees

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

To express solidarity with Sodexo employees, Fordham Students United held a teach-in in Flom Auditorium on Wednesday.

Sodexo employees are not guaranteed to be rehired if Fordham chooses to forgo Sodexo’s current food services contract and instead accepts the bid of one of the three other companies involved in the request for proposal (RFP) process. These companies include Aramark, Compass Group and Culinart.

“We want to make sure that it’s clear that students support our food service workers since they invest so much time in making sure that they provide the best services they can,” said Mohan Seshadri,

SOURCE SALVATORE COCCHIARO/USG GRAPHS BY CATE CARREJO/FORDHAM RAM

Most Fordham students seem to support Sanders and Rubio.

cess across the board with millennial voters,” Cocchiaro said. The results of the poll suggest that about 29 percent of the campus supports Sanders.

However, republican candidate Marco Rubio comes in as a close second. The data suggests that about 28 percent of the campus supports Rubio.

“On the surface, Rubio separated from Sanders in second by a razor-thin percentage may seem to be unusual for a college campus,” Cocchiaro said. “But when

Ram Van Adds Tech Improvements Van Safety Questions Persist

By AARON DeVERA

By THERESA SCHLIEP

into the McGinley Center this past Monday. In addition, an online survey was sent to “The Big Four” student organizations on campus (Residence Hall Association, Commuter Student Alliance, Campus Activities Board and United Student Government) as well as the College Democrats and College Republicans.

USG’s Vice President of Gabelli School of Business, Salvatore Cocchiaro, GSB ’17, was unsurprised by the students’ varied responses after collecting and analyzing the data. “[The results] really shine a light on multitude of opinions and beliefs that we have as a community here at Fordham University.”

Responses indicated a relatively even mix of candidate support, with the exception of republican candidate Ted Cruz.

Only about seven percent of Fordham’s Republican voters support Cruz, contrary to RealClearPolitics (RCP) average poll from the last two weeks of February which predicts Cruz winning 20 percent of the national Grand Old Party vote.

“Obviously, the bulk of our students ‘Feel The Bern,’ which is expected given Bernie’s suc-

March 9, 2016

Students eligible for free Ram Van passes this fall were the first to use a new automated ticketing system, the latest technology Ram Van has adopted in a push to make the intercampus shuttle service safer and more efficient. But in a series of interviews with several current and former Ram Van drivers, employees are split on the technology’s effectiveness when it comes to passenger safety.

“It’s added an incredible amount of efficiency to the process,” said Alex Gaylord, FCRH ’15, a graduate employed as a Ram Van driver

during the 2015 calendar year.

“The ability to pull people from other drivers’ lists is incredibly helpful for drivers, and allows for flexibility for the passengers.”

Ram Van operations rely on backend technology services such as Podio, a workplace communication service, to manage and monitor data on van maintenance, driver background and readiness and accounting.

According to Marc Canton, the director of intercampus transportation who oversees all Ram Van operations, these backend services combine “all the various processes into one

spot,” generating reports that enable drivers, dispatchers, maintenance coordinators and administrators to better do their job.

The soft ware stack utilized by Ram Van obtains input from GPSchipped vans, live traffic monitoring, radio communication between drivers and other elements added by employees. The data is fused together by the Podio software, which can create new insights and influence operations and policies.

“It’s not something you see at other universities,” said Joe Delgrande, GSB ‘16, who works as a maintenance coordinator at Ram Van. “The organization is made of peers.

SEE RAM VAN, PAGE 5

SEE SODEXO, PAGE 5

in this issue

Opinion Page 9

Fordham Events Calendar Is Sorely Lacking

Culture Page 10 Racial Tensions Take Center Stage At Oscars

Sports Page 24 Men Win Thriller on Senior Day.

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Although Ram Van has been improving its technology, its safety is still being questioned by students.

you factor in the Gabelli School of Business and its presumably republican-leaning base, it isn’t all that surprising.”

Cocchiaro found that the larger number of republican students here at Fordham is due to the school’s Catholic, Jesuit tradition and large business student population.

Among university democrats, Sanders holds 58 percent of Fordham’s democratic vote while the remaining 42 percent support SEE POLL, PAGE 3

Professor Leads Major Abortion Case

By THERESA SCHLIEP ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

A Fordham alum and adjunct professor of Fordham Law School, Stephanie Toti, FCRH ’00, recently challenged two Texas laws restricting abortions in one of the most significant abortion cases to reach the supreme court.

Toti, and the lead counsel for the plaintiff in Whole Woman’s Health v.

Cole, argued against a pair of laws in front of the Supreme Court on Wed. March 2. The case challenges several Texas laws that Toti argued would result in the closure of about 30 abortion facilities in Texas, decreasing the number of functioning facilities to nine or 10.

Toti, a practicing Catholic, does not regard her influence in this case as a conflict with her position as a Fordham faculty member.

“I think the university values academic freedom,” she said.

The university denied to comment on Toti’s position in this case.

Toti is attempting to repeal a pair of laws passed in 2013. The laws require that abortion facilities be ambulatory surgical centers and that doctors performing abortions have admitting privileges.

She argued that these regulations place an undue burden on women seeking abortions. According to Bloomberg Politics, the law’s oppo nents contend that the regulation’s true goal is to close down three-quarters of the state’s clinics and reduce SEE LAW, PAGE 2

NEWS

Page 2

March 9, 2016

Grad Argues Supreme Court Case

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

FROM LAW, PAGE 1

Feb. 25 Southern Boulevard 9:15 p.m.

A student was walking southbound on Southern Boulevard behind the Lombardi Center when two teenage males approached him, one waering a mask. One of the perpetrators demanded the student give him his wallet and cell phone while the other assailant held a blunt object to the student’s back. The student complied and reported the incident to NYPD. Feb. 25 East 183rd Street 7 p.m.

A student boarded a northbound subway on the 4 line. On the train, stop she was jostled by a man who appeared to put something into his bag after. He exited the subway, and she realized that the zipper on her shoulder bag was open and her wallet was missing. She notified the police and filed a complaint.

March 1 Faculty Memorial Hall 5:15 p.m.

A student rode his longboard to class on the third floor. After leaving the building, he realized that he left the longboard in room 315. When he returned he was unable to find it.

The longboard was a 42 inch “Loaded Dervish” with red wheels.

March 6 Loyola Hall 9 a.m.

Residential Life reported vandalism found in the bathroom. The perpetrators broke the soap dispenser off the wall and stuffed all the toilet paper into the toilets. Public Safety is investigating the incident.

March 7 O’Hare Hall 12:20 a.m.

A fire alarm was set off by food cooking at The Grille. The FDNY responded and the alarm was reset. No damage was done.

— Compiled by Michael Byrne

MARIANYS MARTE/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Marianys Marte explores how Seville, Spain’s history has impacted culture in the Greco Roman city.

Journal From Abroad

España Es Un Mosaico An Immersion in the History and Culture of Seville, Spain

By MARIANYS MARTE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

SEVILLE — Studying abroad has always been my dream, and now that I’ve been in Spain for almost two months, that dream has become a reality. My desire to spend a semester abroad brought me to the city of Seville in southern Spain.

During my first two weeks here, I learned more about the history of this country than I ever expected to through my cultural history of Spain class. As part of my program, Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) Seville, I had to take an intensive session course. The class was half lecture and half field trips around the city. As a Communications major, I have been taught that everywhere you look there is a story to tell. In Seville, there are hundreds of stories. On the first day of class, I visited Roman ruins that are down the street from our classroom. As I was face to face with the remains of a Roman temple, I could only imagine the stories it would

tell.

Through this class, I was able to see Spain for what it is. Its plural identity is determined by different historical circumstances, making it is a beautiful and complex mosaic of cultures. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans were all attracted to Spain for different reasons, and they left their marks on the society. On my walk to class, I pass by numerous churches that were once mosques. After my class, I can see how the minarets were turned into bell towers and how columns were integrated into these magnificent structures.

The purpose of this class was to help international students understand the historical evolution of Spain. The chronological analysis of the culture led us to explore the most important moments in this country’s history, which provided me with a certain global vision of the events that marked the evolution of Spain. It was the perfect class to take while I was settling into a new place.

As part of the class, we also had

outside visits that we needed to do on our own time. This was the perfect excuse to learn how to navigate the city. I was assigned to visit the Basilica of la Macarena, which is a place I would not have found had it not been for this class. To this day, it is one of my favorite places in Seville. I was able to study the architecture of the building and after my visit, to present my findings to the class.

Thanks to this course, I learned how to distinguish each building in Seville and pick out which ones belonged to which culture.

My professor has been teaching at CIEE for over a decade, yet still has a passion for teaching and acts like it’s his first year on the job. He is a top-notch historian who answered any questions I had about the history of Spain. Through Professor de Quinta I was able to learn things that most Spaniards do not even know about their own history. He gave me an inside look on the culture and made the assimilation process much smoother during those crucial first two weeks.

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Are you studying abroad this semester?

abortions. In addition, it is fairly uncommon for doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges in nearby hospitals, and for abortion facilities to have ambulatory surgical centers.

Hospitals are not required by law to give admitting privileges.

“These hospitals essentially have veto power over whether or not a doctor can provide abortions,” Toti said.

Additionally, Toti argued that the ambulatory surgical center requirement is unnecessary as abortions are “already a very safe procedure.”

According to Toti, the requirements from the ambulatory surgery center calls for all abortion procedures be performed in very expensive surgery centers. However, Toti’s feels that his is unnecessary. “Comparable procedures are typically performed in doctors offices and in clinics,” said Toti.

The restrictions these laws enforce would allow about nine or ten to remain open, which Toti believed places this undue burden on women in Texas.

“The law creates these substantial obstacles for women that aren’t medically justified because these requirements will not enhance the safety of abortion. Leading national medical associations, including the American Medical Association, have confirmed to the Supreme Court that these laws aren’t medically necessary,” said Toti.

Tori argued these laws not only fail to improve the safety of abortions, but endanger the health of women seeking abortions.

“Women will be delayed in accessing abortions, and later abortion procedures are more complex and entail higher risk than earlier abortions,” she said.

Toti argued that the purpose of these laws is not to ensure the safety of abortion procedures, but rather to prevent abortions from occurring.

“The purpose is to close abortion clinics and to try and prevent women from having abortions,” said Toti.

Toti is an adjunct professor in reproductive rights and legal writing at Fordham Law School. She graduated from Fordham University with undergraduate degrees in political science and mathematics, and obtained her law degree from New York University School of Law. She is also a Senior Counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights.

This Week at Fordham Thursday March 10

Thursday March 10

Irish Cultural Night McGinley Ballroom 6 p.m. — 10 p.m.

Fordham Irish Dance and Gaelic Society is hosting an Irish Cultural Night. There will be performances by Fordham Irish Dance, the McLean Avenue Band, Fordham a capella groups and the Narrowbacks. There will be food, music and dancing.

Friday March 11

Monday March 14

Tuesday March 15

Grito Art Show

Antigone

USG Information Session

Bollywood Movie Night

McGinley 234 5 p.m. — 6:30 p.m.

Collins Auditorium 7:30 p.m. — 10:30 p.m.

McGinley 234 8 p.m. — 9 p.m.

McGinley 236 5:30 p.m. — 9:30 p.m.

El Grito de Lares will be hosting an art show showcasing Fordham’s art culture. Students are welcome to contribute their work or attend the event and admire the art work. The show will include paintings, photography and illustration.

The Theatrical Outreach Program is presenting Sophocles’ “Antigone” as their Slot one show. Christiana Shovlin is the director and Keighly Baron is the assistant director. Admission to the show is free.

United Student Government will be hosting an information session for prospective candidates interested in positions in the governmental body. Attending one information session is necessary for anyone who will be pursuing office.

The Fordham University South Asian Entity will be hosting its first Bollywood Movie Night of the semester. It will be screening the film My Name Is Khan, a film that illustrates life for Muslim and American families after the September 11th terrorist attacks.

NEWS

March 9, 2016

Page 3

Poll Shows Students’ Candidate Preferences FROM POLL, PAGE 1

candidate Hillary Clinton. These numbers are actually more Clinton-favorable than in the RealClearPolitics national poll, which found Clinton holding about 50 percent of the national democratic vote. In addition, the support for Sanders here on campus bests his 40 percent supportors nationwide according to the RCP. Among Fordham republicans, Rubio outshined his polling numbers with 63 percent of Grand Old Party support at Rose Hill.

This is in great opposition to the nationwide poll according to the RCP, where Rubio is in at just 17 percent.

“It appears to me that his youth and demeanor, relative to his peers, resonates better with our group of students,” Cocchiaro said.

Donald Trump and Ted Cruz underperformed at Rose Hill, receiving only 30 percent and seven percent of the campus republicans’ support, respectively.

National polling averages predict these two candidates performing strongly, winning 36 percent and 20 percent of that national vote, respectively.

John Kasich was not included in this analysis due to his relative unpopularity nationally at the time of the poll’s creation. However, the four political groups on campus now seem to regret not having included this candidate.

“I wish we would have included John Kasich because of his recent surge in the poll and his rising popularity among Fordham students,” said Sebastian Albrecht, FCRH ‘17, president of Fordham’s College Republicans and a USG senator. “But the poll was created before this ‘#Kasmentum.’”

The two parts of the poll, which was comprised of 357 results across the online poll and in-person survey, seemed to be consistent with one another for the most part.

“The biggest differences between the two would have to be in terms of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton,” Cocchiaro said.

Clinton’s share of the in-person vote was 15 percent, whereas online she captured 23 percent of

the vote. On the contrary, Donald Trump fared much better in-person. In person, Trump received 18 percent of the vote, but online his numbers fell to 11 percent.

The club leaders who organized the poll applauded the result of their relatively unprecedented collaboration.

“It was great to see both political clubs work together to get Fordham students interested in the 2016 election,” Albrecht said.

“I am proud of the great working relationship between College Republicans and College Democrats, especially in comparison to the great divide between both parties on the national level.

The voter’s education week was a great first step into getting students excited for this presidential election.”

In addition to polling, Voter Education Week consisted of several other events. These events included “An Evening with Rob Astorino,” “Super Tuesday Watch Party,” as well as three different voter registration drives. This voter registration drive was inspired by millennials low voter turnout but large political outcry, according to Matthew. J Santucci, FCRH ‘18, president of the College Democrats of Fordham University.

“The purpose of the voter registration event was to gauge and galvanize political involvement on campus,” said Santucci. “Despite having helped 25 students register, many students displayed a general indifference towards the political process. It’s our hope that students do realize that voting isn’t arbitrary and that their vote does hold weight.”

Cocchiaro agreed. “You matter.

Your opinion matters. Your vote matters,” he said. “Go out there, learn about the problems we face, make an educated vote and encourage others around you to do the same.”

Out-of-state students are able to vote in their home states’ primaries through absentee voting. rules regarding absentee voting.

New York students are to register before March 25 in order to participate in the primary on April 19.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Astorino discusses Republican ideals and the upcoming presidential election with Fordham students.

Astorino Talks Party Politics At College Republicans Event

By GREGORY WAGNER STAFF WRITER

The Fordham College Republicans kicked off Voter Education Week on Monday with an event featuring Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino, FCRH ‘89.

Astorino addressed the audience with a quip about his history in the political sphere.

“I’ve known Donald Trump for 15 years now,” Astorino said in Flom Auditorium. “He called me down to his office one day and asked, ‘If I were to buy Playland, would I be able to name it Trumpland and build the biggest roller coaster in the world there?’” Astorino said.

Astorino has been the Westchester County Executive since 2009 and he was a New York gubernatorial candidate in 2014. He is also one of the founders of the 1050 AM ESPN Radio in NYC, he was the Executive Producer of The Michael Kay Show, and he was also a television host on the MSG Network.

According to Astorino, the two

most important things for republicans to do in the current political environment is to stay true to their principles and never change their message.

But that is no excuse to not leave one’s comfort zone, he argued. “[In a] deep blue New York, if you do not get out of your comfort zone, then you will not win, and you will not expand your base,” he said. “You must build coalitions and go politically where you might not be comfortable going,” he said.

The President of the Fordham College Republicans, Sebastian Albrecht, FRCH ’17, first heard Rob Astorino speak at New York University in 2014 when Astorino was running for New York governor.

“I was deeply impressed by his speech and his call to go to the places where it hurts,” Albrecht said.

Astorino switched gears to discuss what he said are the two issues facing New York: failing business and the untapped potential of natural gas.

According to Crain’s New York Business, New York is currently

one of the worst states to do business, in part due to extensive business regulations that serve as road blocks.

“New York is a terrible state to do business in, but it can be fixed,” he said. “The economy will begin to get better, and people will begin to invest again.”

He spoke on behalf of implementing sensible regulations in terms of harnessing natural energy and bringing resources back to the private sector, so long as both moves preserve prosperous jobs.

Astorino left the stage after giving insight on the 2016 presidential election, urging the Republican Party to change its tone.

“Americans are sick and tired of the political atmosphere, republican and democrat alike,” he said. “[Donald] Trump has tapped into this discontent.”

He advised the Republican Party to disengage from hateful rhetoric and become more welcoming.

“We have a lot to be proud of, but we are always playing defense — we must play offense,” he said. “We cannot let the democrats portray a picture that is not true.”

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COURTESY OF SALVATORE COCCHIARO

Fordham Democrates and Republicans unite for Voter Education Week.

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NEWS

Page 4

March 9, 2016

Fordham In The Bronx

MICHAEL DOBUSKI/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Tony and Tina’s, a local restaurant, which sells traditional Albanian food on Arthur Avenue , represents the growing Albanian presence in the Bronx.

The Status of Organized Crime in the Bronx

By MICHAEL DOBUSKI BRONX CORRESPONDENT

Being a hitman for the mob is just not what it used to be.

The 2014 sentencing of Bajram Lajqi, a known member of the Albanian mob, brought the world of organized crime in New York back to the forefront of popular consciousness. According to a report from the Department of Justice, Lajqi was sentenced to six years in federal prison on charges of drug trafficking and firearm use in connection with an incident that took place at the Tosca Cafe in 2011 on Tremont Ave. Lajqi, with the help of a partner, allegedly shot and injured a rival narcotics trafficker, who was attempting to flee the restaurant after Lajqi punched him in the face and slashed the tires on his car.

In 1931, the infamous “Five Families” of New York organized crime were established on 187th and Washington Ave. in the Bronx.

The meeting was intended to address the power vacuum left by the recently murdered “Boss of all Bosses,” Salvatore Maranzano, following the brutal Castellammarese War of 1929. There, the five major Italian-American mob families established “The Commission.” In essence, The Commission divided the city and surrounding suburbs into territories controlled by the

Lucchese, Genovese, Gambino, Bonnano and Colombo crime families, all of whom operate within the Bronx in some capacity.

The move was intended to cut down on violence between gangs while allowing them all to still function. For the most part, this strategy was successful. The “Five Families” still operate today, as evidenced by the ongoing Manhattan trial of 73-year-old Nicholas Santoraan, an aging boss in the Bonanno family.

Recently, an elusive sixth family has entered the Bronx’s organized crime scene. The Rudaj Organization, or “The Corporation” as it’s known on the street, is an Albanian-run mob family that traces its origins back to the mid-eighties.

Back in the 1980s, a group of mob members attacked a rival gang at the Westchester County Fair.

Through the end of the decade and into the 90s, the Rudaj Organization was associated with extreme levels of violence in relation to their involvement in the drug and firearm trade. For example, police report that they were involved in a standoff with the Gambino family at a gas station in New Jersey. They have paid off NYPD officers regularly, shot up strip clubs, possessed rocket launchers and allegedly put a hit out on former Mayor of New York City Rudolph Giuliani,

according to the New York Times.

Today they even get a shout out in “Grand Theft Auto.”

The supposed head of the Rudaj Organization, Plaurent “Lenti” Dervishaj, is not only on New York City’s most wanted list but is also the most wanted fugitive in his home country, Albania. The government in Albania is considered by many to be deeply corrupt. According to the CIA, much of this corrup-

tion is due part to the country’s role in the heroin trade. Albania sits at a prime location between Afghanistan, where the vast majority of the product comes from, and Central Europe, one of the world’s biggest drug markets.

The political instability of Albania is part of the reason why the population of Albanian-Americans in New York is higher than anywhere else in the country. Albanians first began

arriving in the Bronx in the 1960s and 1970s, filling in for the disappearing Jewish and Italian populations. Specifically, they settled around Pelham Parkway, Morris Park and Belmont. Lydig Avenue in Morris Park is now even referred to as “Little Albania.” They have made a name for themselves as ambitious self-starters. Through their ownership of a variety of businesses, they offer Bronx residents a taste of their native country. Tony and Tina’s, on the corner of 187th and Arthur Ave., is a prime example of Albanian business ownership. The store sells authentic Albanian cuisine such as burek and sudjuk and is owned by the same family that runs Simon’s Deli, Michelangelo’s, Howl at the Moon and Blue Goose.

Charlie Shea, FCRH ‘18, worked at Simon’s Deli this past summer.

“Simon and his family have reached into every part of Belmont, and the Bronx. They represent a pretty physical manifestation of the American dream.”

The ongoing influx of Albanians in the Bronx has, to some degree, led to a strengthening of the local economy.But the lack of affordable housing in the borough has increased tensions among Albanians on both sides of the law. The Rudaj Organization was said to have disbanded in 2004 following an NYPD sting operation that ended in over 20 arrests. But recent incidents, such as the altercation at Tosca Cafe, lead many to believe that the Albanian mob is still alive and well.

JACK BRENNAN/ THE FORDHAM RAM

JACK BRENNAN/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Down by the Bay The water in Bay Point Harbour reflects the dock lights in this shot from Bay Head, New Jersey.

Campus Briefs & Bites Fordham Holds Annual Convocation

Conference to Focus on Multiple Generations

Fordham University held its annual convocation to honor its longest-serving employees.

Fordham gave out the Bene Merenti medal and the Archbishop Hughes medal to employees who have held jobs at Fordham for 20 and 40 years, respectively. Family and friends of the various honored employees were on hand to watch the ceremony. Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, spoke at the event, asking the families of those honored to stand and clap in recognition of their achievements. Joseph R. Cammarosano, Ph.D., was unique in that he was the only employee at the service to be recognized for 60 years of service. He is only the second person in Fordham’s history to be given the Bene Merenti medal, which is given to an employee for every 20 years of their service, three times. The Sursum Corda award was also given to employees who have made outstanding contributions to the university.

An event entitled “Practice Across the Lifespan: Intergenerational Work in Action” will be held at Fordham’s Westchester campus on Wed., March 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m..

The conference plans to merge the goals of two groups — Children FIRST, aiming to help children, and Ravazzin Center on Aging, aiming to help the elderly. The conference will discuss national policy and new methods for combining efforts. Janna Heyman, Ph.D., director of the Ravazzin Center, stated that many studies have shown that it is mutually beneficial for children and older adults to work together on different activities, such as arts and crafts, story times and play. “Many retirees find it extremely beneficial to help students with their reading and some of the youth help the adults become computer literate,” Heyman said. “But while there may be savings in cost, more importantly, there is the value of enriching lives.”

IIHA and Red Cross Come Together Fordham University’s International Institute for Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IRFC) are now in a formal partnership. The two groups will now be able to work together on distance learning, joint training programs, symposia, research and publications. Brendan Cahill, IIHA executive director, signed a memorandum of agreement with IIHA Secretary-General Elhadj As Sy on Feb. 25 at a ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland. The university has taken part in an informal partnership with the IFRC in the past. Many students have gained employment with the non-governmental organization. In the past, IIHA has sponsored various IFRC events, such as training personnel for major natural disasters in 2010.

Law School Launches Center on Justice On Feb. 29, Fordham Law School announced the opening of the Center on Race, Law and Justice. Professors from the university gave presentations. The keynote speaker was Debo Adegbile, a civil rights lawyer who was previously acting president and counsel director at the AACP Legal Defense Fund, but now is a partner at WilmerHale in New York. The center encourages interdisciplinary scholarship on race, as well as structural inequality and racial justice tools. It will focus on how law is often both the problem and solution in inequality. The center will explore inequality locally, nationally and globally. Fordham Law professor Tanya Hernandez will lead global and comparative law programs and initiatives, while Fordham Law professor Kimani Paul-Emile will lead international programs and initiatives.

NEWS

March 9, 2016

Page 5

FSU Holds Teach-In To Support Sodexo Employees FROM SODEXO, PAGE 1

FCRH ’16, one of the founders of Fordham Students United and organizers of the teach-in.

Both the 2012 and the 2015 RFPs say that vendors are not required to retain current food service employees. However, according to information provided

by Vice President of Student Affairs Jeffrey Gray, vendors are encouraged to interview and retain employees of good standing. Both RFPs acknowledge that the vendor is responsible for all employment matters.

At the teach-in, Sodexo employees in attendance discussed their employment histories with the food service provider. Sandy Pope, representing the Sodexo workers in the Teamsters 810 union, was also in attendance.

Concerns of the employees included losing pensions, family health care, wage decreases and loss of employment.

“I have seen so many graduations come and go that if I did not see another I would be lost in life,” said Irma Mahbir, one of the employees in attendance.

Mahbir commutes for two and a half hours from her residence in Queens to the Rose Hill Campus.

Mahbir has been employed for 36 years in Fordham dining facilities.

She also discussed her involvement in obtaining benefits.

“The pension that we get was not easy,” said Mahabir. “We fought for years and years to get that pension.”

In an email forwarded to several university faculty members and staff, Gray stipulated that the potential vendors understand they must treat all current employees with respect, dignity and fairness, and that all current employees should be given reasonable opportunities to retain their positions.

“All of the potential vendors also understand the nature, mission, and values of the Fordham University community, and the expectation that they will engage in reasonable and good faith negotiations with a union on behalf of the represented employees,” he noted.

Still, some at the teach-in echoed the sentiment that Fordham’s potential termination of Sodexo’s contract and subsequent dismissal of the food services employees contradicts Fordham’s Jesuit tradition.

“I find it antithetical to our values as a Jesuit institution,” said Seshardi.

“Not guaranteeing pensions and health care is antithetical to our Jesuit values,” reiterated Monica Joy, FCRH ’16 and a Fordham Students United founder.

Additionally, the employees said that the relationship between Fordham students and dining services faculty was a mutually beneficial relationship.

“We are here to serve each other,” said Efrain Diaz, a three year Sodexo employee at Fordham.

Some students expressed con-

COURTESY OF SANDY POPE

Students and faculty express solidarity with Sodexo employees as their contracts are in negotiation.

cerns that even if Fordham does terminate its contract with Sodexo, employees face aforementioned repercussions, but there would be little improvement in food quality.

In a 2014 Food Management list of “Leading Management Companies Ranked by Revenue,” Sodexo is ranked third, Aramark second and Compass Group first.

Dr. Mark Naison, professor of African American studies and history at Fordham University, commented that he was concerned about the companies involved in the RFP process.

“I am very suspicious,” said Naison in a phone interview.

“A number of large corporations involved in contracting services are trying to switch workers

from full time to part time in order to cut health care costs.”

He said that Aramark has a reputation for maximizing the number of part time workers order to minimize health care costs.

Pope reiterated this concern at the teach in.

“60 percent of Aramark’s work force is part time,” said the union president.

Administration Upgrades Intercampus Shuttle Service, Though Some Student Drivers Remain Concerned FROM RAM VAN, PAGE 1

Drivers and dispatchers work and coordinate while admins push responsibility and tweak processes.”

Canton agreed that the automation of many operational elements directs his attention to more pressing issues: “these services allow me to better leverage skills of our student employees.”

Some drivers have seriously questioned the realistic usefulness of these technologies in keeping both drivers and passengers safe.

“The reporting system was only as effective as those working with it,” commented Brian Knuth, FCRH ’15, who drove Ram Vans in the fall of 2014 and became a dispatcher in the spring of 2015. “Reports went in, results came out.

But there was no one to ensure the best results or to make sure that all the issues were resolved before a van returned into service.”

Knuth also commented on the dilapidated state of some of the vans he drove while employed.

“I drove vans whose seat belts did not work, where the seats were not properly bolted to the floor, sections of the floor had rotted out, pieces of the ceiling would fall, the engine would stall, the brakes would give out, vans overheated, and even once someone had a window shatter while they were driving the van,” he said. According to Knuth, the technology Ram Van utilized in daily operations didn’t prevent these mechanical problems from persisting.

Insufficient driver training is also a concern for some employees.

“Since new hires don’t get paid for training, most drivers want to start working instead,” said one Ram Van employee. Another employee speculated that some drivers “would have no idea what to do in the event of a mechanical failure,” due to shorter training regimens provided by Ram Van. Ram Van’s frequently fluctuating staff is partially responsible for the need to shorten training

time for new drivers.

“We’re training more people, and I can’t speed that up by much,” said Canton. The intercampus shuttle service does experience high turnover, which Canton attributes to pressure on upperclassmen drivers to seek internships rather than work Ram Van shifts.

“Turnover is not desirable, but Ram Van is somewhat designed around turnover. Since our drivers are students, there is going to be a natural high level of turnover, so we try to work with that in mind.”

These issues do not concern all drivers, however. Many Ram Van employees noted that the technology deployed to the shuttle services’ operations have certainly increased efficiency and driver responsibility. “All of the drivers I know are very cautious and follow safe driving protocol,” said one Ram Van driver. “And drivers are held accountable for speeding and other driving offenses.” Another driver added that they are “always watching their speed,” due to the sensors in the van that report data

AARON DEVERA/FORDHAM RAM

Operations at the Ram Van office have been enhanced, but some think more needs to be done.

back to headquarters.

New ideas and fi xes for the services largely come from the Fordham community, many of whom write into the Ram Van through an annual survey every April. But many new initiatives begin internally, and rely on collaboration with administrators, drivers and Fordham IT staff. “We have been toying with our charter service, thinking of ideas that could take students to new destinations.” Much of the automation behind the Ram Van’s ticketing and booking systems rely on apps programmed and maintained by Fordham IT’s specials projects teams, who Canton sees as an invaluable partner to future Ram Van operations.

“It feels like dominoes,” said Canton about the online reservation system, whose implementation was followed by the digital boarding and automated ticketing systems. “Putting in the first system made it easier to implement the next.”

Since his tenure as Director of Intercampus Transportation started in 2005, Canton has been a principal behind initiatives to automate Ram Van booking services, reduce the vans’ carbon footprint and create policies that maximize the shuttle services’ convenience. Canton’s approach to progressing Ram Van involves testing, collaboration and feedback to ensure that the “juice is worth the squeeze”.

NEWS

Page 6

March 9, 2016

Diversity Task Holds A Series of Town Hall Meetings

FORHDAM RAM ARCHIVES

Chair of the task force, Peter Vaughan, Ph.D., hopes that the Diversity Task Force will help Fordham.

By KENNETH ISEHART III STAFF WRITER

A task force established to assess race relations on campus is holding community meetings open to the Fordham student body. The Diversity Task Force is to discuss its purpose, explain future plans to enact its goals and address student testimony on campus climate, according to a university-wide email inviting stu-

dents to attend the meetings. Two meetings will be held at the Rose Hill campus and two will be held at the Lincoln Center campus.

Rev. Joseph M. McShane S.J., president of the university, called for the creation of the Diversity Task Force to study the climate of the university in response response to bias incidents committed on the campus earlier that fall.

Its purpose is to identify and gath-

er information about existing efforts in the university to enhance and affirm a ‘catholic culture’ at Fordham and to develop recommendations for the president and the cabinet that will help them address the obstacles that impede our university’s ability to live up the Jesuit ideals, according to chair of the task force Peter Vaughan, Ph.D. and dean emeritus of the graduate school of social service.

One way the group plans to gauge the social climate of Fordham is by fielding questions and listening to the concerns of Fordham students at the community meetings.

“I hope that the community meetings will provide the forum for an honest dialogue and expression of opinion and the presentation of factual information and collection of that information by members to the Task Force,” Vaughan said.

TJ Strazzeri, GSB ’18, a student representative on the Task Force, shared a similar sentiment. “I hope to see great turn out so we can truly gauge where the community climate is,” Strazzeri said.

Students on the task force assist the group with research as well as providing an undergraduate’s perspective on campus life. In the email sent from the office of the president explained that the twenty-one students, faculty and administration of the Task Force were chosen “for their judgment, experience and ability to advocate for marginalized members of the university community.”

In addition to using student testimonial, the Diversity Task Force has been gathering information by using documents from committees within the university as well as reports and comments pertinent to studying the social climate at Fordham.

All the information gathered will be synthesized into a report with an expected completion date of June 30, 2016. It will contain recommendations for improving campus culture and making it more aligned with Jesuit ideals.

However, the Diversity Task Force is still in the earlier stages of its development.

“To date the task force has not made any recommendations to improve the current climate of diversity at Fordham, and it will be unable to make any until data are gathered,”

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said Vaughan.

According to Vaughan, the task force will not comment on the current race relations at Fordham as it is not yet in a position to discuss the climate at this time.

This is not the first time Fordham has used a task force to counter bias incidents. Fordham released a “University Report on Diversity and Anti-Bias Education” in response to bias incidents in Spring 2012.

Some of its general initiatives were to review university protocols regarding response to bias incidents and to create a way for students to confidentially report non-emergency bias incidents online. Other initiatives aimed at faculty, including workshops and training for administrators and staff, as well as greater availability of anti-bias materials at faculty orientation.

Many other colleges across the country have also implemented similar diversity task forces. Although there is no information available yet about what recommendations Fordham’s Task Force will make, reports from other schools give an idea as to what might be expected.

Other universities with diversity task forces are the State University of New York at Potsdam, Northern Illinois University, James Madison University and Duke University.

The most common initiatives found in these reports were the revision of hiring processes to increase staff from underrepresented groups, and the training of current staff on issues of diversity. Some of the schools aimed to expand the curriculum to include diversity courses.

For now, the Diversity Task Force must gather information before it can make any recommendations, and the community meetings will play an important role in doing that.

“The Task Force wants and welcomes [the students’] participation in this process,” said Vaughan.

NEWS

March 9, 2016

Page 7

USG Announces Shooting Protection Initiative

By ROBERT PALAZZOLO STAFF WRITER

As the national conversation moves forward on how to prevent and mitigate mass-casualty shooting sprees, especially on college campuses, Fordham Public Safety and United Student Government (USG) have joined together to prepare for the worst case happening at Rose Hill. The School Shooting Protection Initiative was introduced in USG’s midyear report this past month.

USG Vice President of Health and Security Brianna Cali, FCRH ‘16, said USG took interest in the topic after hearing of a series of statistics and recommendations put out by the federal government. These recommendations were made to reduce the damage caused by mass shooting incidents. As a result of this information, Cali began the School Shooting Protection Initiative through USG. “The initiative is focusing on raising that awareness among the student body so that they know that there are things that they can do for themselves, in the interval before help arrives,” explained Cali.

Cali and John Carroll Associate Vice President of Public Safety identified other areas where Fordham should take additional steps for security. “We decided locks and window shades would be the most effective right now, for students,” said Cali.

Carroll negotiated with the administration and secured funding to replace all the classroom locks on campus. The new ones, in addition to being strengthened, can now be opened by a master key only in the possession of Public Safety.

Carroll said this measure is in place to avoid students falling into a potential trap.

“If you were secured inside a room, and all of a sudden you heard outside ‘this is the police, this is security, this is public safety, come on out now,’ you open the door and come out and it’s the bad guy still out there… so rather than you come running out, we’ll come and say when it’s all clear,” said Carroll.

The upgrades to locks and window shades are reported to be completed soon, though Carroll declined to give an exact date.

Central to the campaign is a video produced by the Department of Homeland Security called “Run. Hide. Fight. Surviving and Active Shooter Event.” The title explains the basic instructions. In the event of a mass shooting, Homeland Security recommends the following: first, try to run away. Second, find a safe and secure place to hide if running away is impossible. And third, if all else fails, fight for your life.

Cali said that instructions like the ones contained in the video can save the lives of those waiting for help to arrive.

“In that time interval, once — God forbid — the first shot is fired, you need to have that time to be able to reduce your panic, stay calm and think ‘What have I been prepared to do? What am I aware of?’” said Cali.

As part of the Protection Initiative, Cali and other members of USG consulted with Carroll. They found that many of the recommendations the federal government has given recently have already been made policy at Fordham — and had been policy, in some cases, for years.

First of all, the aforementioned “Run. Hide. Fight.” video has been posted on Public Safety’s website.

Carroll detailed Public Safety’s procedures for the response to any potential shooter entering campus.

AP IMAGES/ED ANDRIESKI

Fordham hopes to prevent the horrible school shootings seen at other universities around the country.

The priority would be informing the students of the shooter’s presence.

“The first thing we’d do would probably [be] a public address system announcement,” explained Carroll.

The bright yellow emergency phones with blue lights also serve as a public announcement system. “We have an ability here at this office to speak to the entire 85 acres,” he said.

Public Safety’s plan also includes simultaneously sending out an emergency text to all phones on campus, continuing to send updates as the situation progresses and cutting into all TVs on campus, to broadcast the initial alert and updates.

“Right down to bullhorns, if that’s what we need to do,” said Carroll.

Within Public Safety, there are always at least two supervisors that have over two decades of NYPD experience. The supervisors are armed and have bulletproof vests. In the event of a shooting, the supervisors, possibly including Carroll himself, would be the ones running towards the shooter.

If Carroll left to supervise the scene, Senior Director of Commu-

United Student Government Updates Club of the Month USG honored The Special Olympics Club at Fordham (SO Fordham) after they held their first Red Out, a fashion show featuring Special Olympic and Fordham athletes.

Senator of the Month USG honored Senator Darcy McGuire as Senator of the Month.

Upcoming Events USG is taking donations for a book drive at Montea more active role in cancer prevention. They are gofiore Children’s Hospital. ing to be handing out sunscreen, promoting cancer preventing foods and starting a new advertisment Votes Colleges Against Cancer sought support from USG campaign to stop students from smoking. USG voted for their anti-smoking campaign. The club is taking to endorse the campaign.

USG Announces Meal Pan Donation Intiative

By MARGARET FAHEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The United Student Government (USG) Fall Report outlined an initiative called The Meal Swipe Donation Plan (MSDP). If implemented, this program would allow students to donate their idle swipes or declining cash balance (DCB) to help feed the hungry at the end of the academic year.

At the moment, this program cannot be put into practice on campus due to a number of factors, the most pressing of which is Fordham’s new consideration to change the current meal contract.

The arrival of the MSDP to Fordham is contingent upon the university’s dining service provider. At the moment, Fordham is in the midst of reviewing companies who have bid on the uni-

versity’s contract. This process of review is called Request for Proposal (RFP) and will determine whether or not Fordham’s current provider, Sodexo, will remain on campus. Once the RFP process is complete, it can be determined if the MSDP is feasible, according to USG. During this process, the MSDP has not been swept under the rug, according to Senator Sara Brown, FCRH ‘19.

nications Bob Howe would take over the alarms and communications systems.

The supervisors would attempt to contain the shooter until the police arrived. If need be, they would open fire.

“The whole goal here is to prevent any loss of life,” said Carroll.

According to Cali, USG is largely satisfied with Public Safety’s long time emergency response plan for a campus shooter. Questions still lingered, however, over whether an organized shooter drill would be a good idea for preparing students for the worst-case scenario.

“We could do that,” said Carroll.

“But I don’t know if that’s productive at this moment.”

Cali said she has been looking at alternative methods, acknowledging the complexity of holding a drill over 85 acres.

“So some schools do it completely voluntarily, they’ll close off a part of their campus, whoever wants to participate is totally welcome to,” Cali said. “And there’s other schools that do a one-hour lockdown—they require everybody to watch the video,

and then they have discussions afterwards about that.”

Whether or not a student is involved, active shooter drill ever occurs, Public Safety and USG agreed that student awareness of safety procedures is key, but awareness has been lacking. Cali said that even she herself was unaware of the “Run. Hide. Fight.” video at first, despite the fact that the video is posted on Public Safety’s webpage.

“Since I was interested in this topic and I still didn’t even know about it, I was very concerned about the rest of the student body, because it’s not something that everyone is aware of,” said Cali.

Cali said there is a Homeland Security program that makes walletsized cards with emergency procedures printed on them, which could be an option. She also said there will likely be more posts on the USG website, and that more emails detailing emergency procedures are coming.

“Run, hide, fight — it’s three words, and at the end of the day, it could make a huge difference,” she said.

“All of the companies have to provide a clause in their proposals about their donation plans, and most are open to expanding on them.” Despite the elements out of USG’s control, they are working to ensure that this program is brought to life soon.

This week, Brown met with Fordham Dining’s liaison, Deming Yaun, to discuss the progress of the MSDP. “Fordham Dining does not have a meal plan swipe donation program,” Yaun said.

However, the possibility is being explored. “When the RFP for dining was released in December, a meal swipe donation was not included,” he said. “But the program is something that may be considered as the selection of a vendor continues.”

Sodexo is only able to make limited amount of donations, according to Yaun. This limit is intended to prevent the food for which students are paying from being compromised, which occurred in the past due to Sodexo’s liberal donations.

As Fordham has been featured on the “Princeton Review’s Worst Food List,” in an effort to prevent the university’s presence on this list in the future, Fordham limited the amount of donations that Sodexo could make in order to concentrate their efforts on pleasing the students.

When review process takes place, the MSDP will be dis-

cussed with the bidding companies. But the MSDP cannot be implemented until the completion of the RFP. According to Brown, there are several options for the program.

“Guest meal swipes could be donated, or an X number of swipes from plans that aren’t unlimited could be donated,” Brown said, “or, which I hope for the most, declining dollars could be donated.”

A successful MSDP has taken place at Concordia University in Wisconsin. “For every swipe donated by faculty and students, Sodexo, who is also [Concorida’s present] dining services provider- will provide a box lunch to a local homeless shelter,” Brown said. The MSDP’s adaptability on other campuses illustrates that it has potential to be successful under any service provider here at Fordham.

The reception of this program on campus is positive overall. “ If students are not going to use their meal swipes, they should have the power to put them to good use,” said Erin Stepka, GSB ‘19. “This program sounds like a great way for the Fordham community to reach out and make an impact.” The project’s timeline is still rough, though the intiative is giving hope to students who want to see the program in action. “[I] would like to see this program on campus in the near future,” Brown said.

NEWS

Page 8

March 9, 2016

RHA Raises Over $60 Thousand for Childhood Cancer

JACK BRENNAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

The total amount raised for the B+ Foundation was revealed at the Fordham Dance Marathon.

By ERIN SHANAHAN NEWS EDITOR

Fordham Residents Hall Association (RHA) raised over $60 thousand for the B+ Foundation at the Fordham Dance Marathon (FDM) Saturday, Feb. 27. The amount is approximately $20 thousand more than was raised in 2015 and $30 thousand more than what was earned in 2014.

FDM concluded RHA’s philanthropy month, in which RHA

held four separate events to raise money for the organization.

The twelve hour marathon began at 11 a.m., and consisted of food, dancing and performances.

This was the third annual dance marathon held by Fordham to support B+, an organization that raises money to provide support to families of children with cancer nationwide and fund childhood cancer research.

RHA reached its $50 thousand fundraising goal of raising $50 thousand on Friday morning,

more than a day before the marathon began.

O’Hare, South and Loyola Halls donated the most to the organization in comparison to the other residence halls. The top donating team, O’Hare Hall, raised over $8,600 for the B+ Foundation.

“In the last couple hours of FDM, our O’Hare RHA Board realized that O’Hare may have a chance of being the top fundraising team, so we rallied,” said O’Hare’s Vice President, Kelly Sullivan, FCRH ’18. “We are so excited

about the total fundraising amount this year and how it will directly help the kids.”

The top five individual donors from Fordham were Troy Hansen, FCRH ’19, Parker O’Shea, FCRH’ 19, David Fiume, FCRH ‘17, Annina Saccomano FCRH ‘18 and Justin Loughlin, FCRH ‘19. Hansen, a resident of Jogues Hall, raised $1,876.

“I was really motivated to fundraise coming into the last week, because we were so far from our goal,” Hanson said. “I felt driven to fundraise for the foundation, because I love helping other people, especially kids. I just thought that if I really made a push, that everyone else would too.”

Before the fundraiser reveal, Carly Bergstein, program director at The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation, spoke to the event attendees.

“What’s super important is that we never lose sight of why we are doing this,” Bergstein said. “While you guys were here dancing today, 46 kids in this country were diagnosed with childhood cancer, but they are going to get some hope because of each and every one of you. We are going to be able to help over one hundred families because of you guys here in this room.”

This year, the dance marathon was the final event in the philanthropy series consisting of the Silent Benefit Auction, the Philan-

thropy Fair and the Beer Tasting Event. Funds raised from those events were all included in the final sum revealed at FDM. The marathon took place in the McGinley Ballroom rather than in O’Keefe Commons. “Overall, this is a much more central location, so the turnout was better,” said Executive Vice President of RHA, Emma Bausert.

Several on-campus musical groups attended and performed at the event such as Satin Dolls, B-Sides, 5 AM Fridays, Hot Notes and a special guest, Dime A Dozen from American University. In addition to the acapella groups, the dance troupes Expressions and Slainte performed at FDM. “We love performing every year for FDM,” said Rocelyn Darce, FCRH ’17, from Slainte. “It’s for such a great cause and we always have so much fun before, during, and after our performance.”

Philanthropy month came to a close with the reveal of the total amount. The top donors as well as RHA executive board members held up the grand total of $61,320.

For Bausert, FDM is the culmination of months of effort.

“It all makes such a difference,” she said. “I want everyone to know that all their efforts — every hour they spent, every email that they sent — is recognized and is appreciated. We could not have done this without them.”

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March 9, 2016

OPINION

Page 9

The Fordham Ram

OrgSync Events Calendar l d Leaves L Much M to Be Desired

By REBECCA McSWEEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It is frustrating to find out about an event days after it has occurred. In the past year, a host of high-profile speakers have visited Fordham: Katie Couric, Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York and Sven Beckert, Harvard Professor and Pulitzer Prize finalist.

In each case I have heard friends and professors say: “What? They were here? How did I not know!?”

The answer is simple. Despite the abundance of great events at Fordham, members of our community do not currently have access to a comprehensive listing of happenings throughout the university. Though frustrating, this problem is fixable.

Out of 75 universities ranked

by U.S. News, Fordham is one of five without a centralized events calendar. There are currently multiple event calendars at Fordham, including OrgSync, Alumni Relations’ Calendar, Gabelli Connect and the Law School’s online listings. Fordham also announces select events through emails called “Today at Fordham Spotlight.”

However, all have their flaws, particularly that they are incomplete and inaccessible to some members of the community. For example, important constituents, including prospective students and donors, cannot get a sense of the wealth of activities offered by the university. A search for “events” on Fordham’s website currently leads to several different web pages, none of which are comprehensive. Other insti-

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Fordham has several inadequate event calendars, including OrgSync, Alumni Relations’ Calendar and Gabelli Connect.

tutions that use 25Live — the university’s space reservation program — such as George Mason University and Chapman University, host university-wide calendars on their websites.

Fortunately, there is a straightforward solution to this issue.

University administrators say that creating a university-wide calendar is possible using one of Fordham’s existing calendar systems.

Platforms such as Publisher, 25Live calendar software, are already in use and can be configured to list events on a web page.

Each time someone reserves a room using 25Live, he or she has the option to “publish” the event to a university calendar. How-

ever, Fordham’s website does not currently host a version of this published calendar on the website.

There is precedent for publishing events to the Fordham website, using 25Live. According to Fordham’s website, the McGinley Center website hosts a list of selected events happening on the Rose Hill campus using the software.

The calendar I am proposing would use the same software, but it would also be easy to find on Fordham’s home page and feature events throughout the university.

The page “events.Fordham.edu” is not currently in use, for example, and events could be viewed on this page in a list or monthly view.

Furthermore, events could utilize specific tags, such as “Athletics” and “Arts,” which would enable members of the community to locate opportunities of interest to them.

The event postings could also name the groups involved, as well listing any fees associated with attending. Moreover, administrators have mentioned that the calendar could highlight a small number of featured events or could be synchronized with personal calendars hosted on Google and other services. Such a calendar would be a great asset to the Fordham community.

I understand that some have presented alternatives to a centralized events calendar. The

Deans’ Councils of Fordham College at Rose Hill and Gabelli School of Business have been working on a platform to aggregate events occurring on campus using social media.

However, in creating a completely new infrastructure, the councils face an uphill battle. I do hope that their initiatives succeed, yet there is also an important step that the Fordham administration can take now.

The administration should link our 25Live calendar system with a page on the Fordham University website so that Fordham can have an all-inclusive events calendar as our peer institutions do. This project is worth prioritizing, although I recognize that Fordham IT and the Office of Communications and Marketing have scarce time and many responsibilities.

Having a single university-wide calendar would reduce the need for individual academic divisions or units within Fordham to keep their own calendars.

Most importantly, this technological upgrade would allow members of the community to engage in events across Fordham’s divisions that are intellectually stimulating and in service of others. By shedding light on this myriad of events, we would underscore the transformative power of a Fordham education to current and future Rams, and no one will miss the next great lecture.

Rebecca McSween, FCRH ‘16, is an economics major from New York, New York.

NY Sexual Assault Policies Set Example for Nation

By JACLYN WEINER STAFF WRITER

Since the introduction of the most recent New York state sexual assault policies, the number of reported offenses has risen exponentially. CBS New York reported that the number of schools that are under federal investigation for handling sexual assault has increased from four to 25.

Since the Advocacy Center for Sexual Violence opened in 2014 at SUNY Albany, the number of alleged victims seeking support increased from 23 to 150.

Many experts have said that this increase is due to more victims reporting sexual assault, rather than an increase in sexual assaults on college campuses. So far, New York’s new sexual assault policies seem to be benefiting victims positively by encouraging victims to come forward and continuing to support them.

In July, 2015, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed “Enough is Enough,” a sexual assault policy for public universities in New York into law. The law provides a universal definition of consent and incorporates a “yes means yes” policy, as opposed to promoting the common “no means no” adage.

It defines what is regarded as

affirmative consent and what is not, including silence and lack of resistance. The increase in the number of reported sexual assaults is a clear victory for these laws in their infancy.

In response to this current success, efforts need to be made to push legislation of a similar nature to a national level.

Bills defining affirmative consent have been introduced in 16 states, but only passed in California, Illinois and New York, according to a National Association of Students Personal Administrators (NASPA) and Education Commission of the States (ECS) report. A few state legislations are still pending, but many affirmative consent policy legislations have died.

While it is a positive sign that sexual assault policies have been brought forth, it is troubling that a considerable amount of those legislations have been rejected or have died in Congress.

In addition, it is concerning that there are so many differences between sexual assault policies on college campuses across the country. Consent laws and consent definitions cannot differ between states if they are ever to be understood and taken seriously.

Under the New York legislation, alleged victims and bystand-

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New York state recently changed their sexual assault policies in schools to better define affirmative consent.

ers are protected by a policy that provides amnesty for violating an institution’s drug and alcohol policy. Additionally, the law allows for confidentiality disclosure. It requires campuses to conduct assessments and ongoing student education, report aggregate data and information about reports and protect the privacy of reporting individuals.

It establishes and funds new Sexual Victims Units within the Division of State Police, appro-

priates $4.5 million to rape crisis centers and one million dollars for college campuses to support training and other expenses related to this legislation.

Annual reports and increased funding demonstrate that New York is capable of fixing flawed sexual assault policies that plague schools across the country. Annual reports can also help identify where policies need to be changed and how we can further help deter sexual assault from occurring.

Proper education further teaches students to identify the “blurry” line between consensual sex and rape. These new policies can help change this attitude surrounding sexual assault.

Other states should look towards New York and make similar policy changes in order to make schools safer for students.

Jaclyn Weiner, FCRH ’18, is a communication and media studies major from Wantagh, New York.

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 readershipi of over 300,000. The Fordham Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.

Website FordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu Mailing Address Fordham University - Station 37 Box B Bronx, NY 10458 Editor-in-Chief Laura Sanicola Managing Editor Drew Casey Business Director Zack Miklos Copy Chief Tara Martinelli Editorial Director Amanda Giglio Assistant Business Director Tyler Dikun Assistant Copy Chief Amanda Maile News Editor Erin Shanahan Assistant News Editors Mike Byrne Theresa Schliep Opinion Editors Margarita Artoglou Kristen Santer Culture Editors Bailey Hosfelt Libby Smislova Sports Editor Sam Belden Assistant Sports Editors Pat Costello Jack McLoone Features Editor Cate Carrejo Photo Editors Jack Brennan Andrea Garcia Kate Mackie Digital Team Ellie Bruckner Meghan Campbell Anna Carey Faculty Advisor Beth Knobel Editorial Page Policy The Fordham Ram’s editorial and ramblings topics are selected on a weekly basis and reflect the editorial board’s view on a campus issue.

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March 9, 2016

From the Desk | Elizabeth Smislova

Escaping Trump’s Predicted Reign Across the Pond Now that Donald Trump is dangerously close to a seat in the Oval Office come November, I am left with the very real possibility that I will have to fulfill the promise I made to myself when Trump began his campaign. If he wins, I will move to Europe. I am from Washington D.C. and love everything about America, but there is only so much I can take of Trump — even for this incredible country.

En lieu of Trump’s recent successes, I have begun to lay out my “escape plan” over the pond. What I found, though, is pretty wonderful. Life in Europe is beautiful, and its residents have more time to enjoy it than Americans: The United States is 34th on the World Health Organization’s ranking of countries’ life expectancies. The majority of the countries preceding ours are European.

Furthermore, the state with the highest life expectancy is Hawaii.

If that does not say something about the need to slow down and smell the roses in order to live longer, I do not know what will.

Personally, I also firmly believe in eating well and naturally. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a strong correlation between the obesity rate and the life expectancy ranking. Just think of all the amazing food in France, Italy and Spain — that alone is reason enough to move abroad upon the Trump invasion.

Just because people live longer in other countries does not necessarily mean that their lives are better, but it could point to certain aspects of life in the U.S. that are not as good for the individual person as we think. The United States is the only economically advanced country that does not legally require any days off for employees. Internationally, European countries are the most generous in the amount of paid leave days they offer (the average is about 30 days). Even before entering the workforce, Europeans do not have the same stress of paying obscene amounts for higher education — colleges and universities are incredibly inexpensive,

sometimes even free. That being said, Trump surprisingly supports the reduction of student debt, but has yet to give a plan of action. So, either put your trust in Trump’s forgiving nature, or go to college for free, where you can use your tuition money to buy a croissant next to the Seine on your paid day off. Tough decision, right?

Europe also surpasses us in its safety, both medically and physically. The United States still lacks universal health care (though the government has made improvements), something all European countries already have. Our country also has an average 4.8 murders per 100,000 citizens, compared to Britain (deemed the most dangerous European country) that has 1.2.

While I think it would be great to live longer and not be too worried about being robbed on a daily basis, I most want to move to Europe for the ability to travel. Having paid leave, less student debt and universal health care means traveling can become an actuality

instead of a dream. It also helps that the countries are closer together, so trains and buses can replace expensive plane tickets. My Pinterest is filled with pictures of Rome, Barcelona, Paris, Vienna, Prague, Brussels and the list goes on. There are open borders and acceptance among Europeans, qualities Trump detests. The wanderlust is real, but the East Coast of the United States is home.

Though, I am not sure if that would be enough to stay if Trump is president.

Editorial | Networking

Fordham Should Improve Its Networking Services Last month, The Fordham Ram reported that more than 10 percent of graduates from the class of 2015 were still unemployed. It is hard to fathom that for many of our classmate it will take almost a year or longer to find a job after graduation. As a New York City school, Fordham does not lack alumni or adjunct professors in the tri-state area with which to connect for jobs and internships.

Fordham acknowledges the importance of networking as students attempt to navigate an overcrowded workforce. The university website states that “80 percent of people find their jobs or internships by networking.” To acknowledge the importance of networking for students searching for employment but to bury the information about the few networking opportunities available for Fordham students is contradictory. Yet this is the approach Fordham currently takes.

Alumni networking panels are promoted rather clumsily on the university’s website. Despite the fact that networking events are for students, the listing for the 2016 is located as an “Alumni event” under the Alumni tab on a page that redirects to Fordham’s website pre2014 update. On the new website, the networking tab is buried on the main website under Resources —> Career Resources —>Career Services —>Services —> Networking Opportunities —>Networking Panels.

Once the networking panel page is finally located, not a single link to a networking event is listed.

In reference to networking opportunities available for Rose Hill students, the Gabelli School of Business appears to have grasped the importance of networking better than the liberal arts school has. As early as a student’s freshman year, concentrations in the Gabelli school promote mandatory networking events for its students. In Febru-

ary, freshmen and sophomores attended a mandatory networking carnival for accounting, finance and information systems hosted by Beta Alpha Psi. Students are contacted every week about networking opportunities and at the mandatory freshmen advising meetings, academic advisors invite speakers from various companies to speak to students. Clubs like the Alumni/Student Supper club, in which small groups of students go out on networking dinners with alumni in their business field of interest, are devoted specifically to networking

hosted on Fordham’s website. This is a little known and underutilized, albeit structurally flawed, asset to the university. Career services also tracks recent alumni employment and makes the information accessible to the public.

However, the current system of networking, especially at Rose Hill, is too centralized to be effective.

Individual departments must reach out to its students for networking opportunities with greater frequency. Though many departments send out frequent emails about events and internships, opportunities to

Networking is buried on the main website under “Resources —> Career Resources —>Career Services —> Services —> Networking Opportunities —>Networking Panels.” with alumni. Gabelli also holds a fall and spring “Networking Night,” in which students are selected to attend an all-alumni networking event in Manhattan and a Mentoring Program for undergraduates.

We believe that Rose Hill students would benefit from more professor involvement in the networking process. Our highly talented and well-connected professors should reach out to students about opportunities they are directly aware of.

Professors with connections in a given industry are in a better position to connect students with leads directly, leading to a higher chance that a student’s resume will land on the desk of an employer than submitting it through an internet blackhole.

The problem is not a lack of university resources. Contact information for tens of thousands of alumni are available in the alumni directory

connect with alumni are far less frequent Impersonal emails from Career Services often go undetected, even ending up in the spam folder of some email accounts.

We at The Fordham Ram would like alumni relations to be fostered within each department. Fordham produces many graduates who become high ranking leaders of industry and award winning professionals, but most students are unaware of the success stories that came before them.

If a department or career services is relying solely on mass emails or buried internet pages information promoting vague networking events for “fashion,” “media and communications” “and more!” then it is not ensuring that students are adequately connected to networking opportunities. Networking requires a personalized approached to serve its purpose.

It is true that students should also be forging professional connections on their own. In the digital age, there is no excuse for not utilizing all available resources possible.

Making connections through different work and internship experiences are often be more worthwhile than forced networking events.

However, students enroll at universities with the expectation that they will receive guidance from professors who have experience and contacts in their fields.

Fordham always touts its wellconnected and experienced faculty, and most live up to the hype, but we find that many of those faculty members do not make an effort to connect their students to opportunities outside the classroom.

While some students are fortunate to network through well-connected family members, many do not have that opportunity. It is difficult for a student to seriously network on his or her own when finding a place to start is a task in and of itself.

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OPINION

March 9, 2016

Page 11

No Laughing Matter : Comedy Trivializes Politics

By SAMUEL FARNUM STAFF WRITER

Ventures into comedy for presidential hopefuls have become increasingly common since the 2008 election. In that year, the American public would see Barack Obama running a circuit of late night appearances, as well as John McCain and Sarah Palin appearing on “Saturday Night Live.”

As we continue slogging through the election of 2016, it seems as though candidates increasingly look to comedy as a means to boost perceptions of relatability to voters. Earlier this month, Bernie Sanders made his own appearance on SNL, and Hilary Clinton lent her presence to the show just weeks before that. With most serious candidates giving these comedic strategies a try, it seems reasonable to ask whether or not it is actually a good plan for presidential hopefuls to make fun of themselves. Does it make them seem more approachable or is it a disgraceful attempt to seem relatable?

Whether or not these comedic strategies work completely depends on each individual candidate’s approach to comedy. “With Harry Shearer retiring, I’m auditioning for any part I can get in ‘The Simpsons,’”

a glassy-eyed Ted Cruz said to the camera that had somehow appeared before him.

Cruz then hissed a drawn out “excellent,” simultaneously solidifying the beginning of his audition and two minutes of agonizing discomfort for over 800,000 YouTube viewers.

“Oak-aly-dok-aly neighbor-ino!” He yelled as though he was alone, possibly in front of a mirror. Though it was tempting to yell a warning of some sort — to alert Senator Cruz about the presence of a hidden a camera — he would have been not able to hear, as he could not even hear the stream of digital commenters echoing the same sentiment, and so it continued.

The lines were all correct but something was wrong. Like a method actor who spent years studying the wrong part, Cruz delivered his split monologue in the spirit of a resurrected televangelist. At that point, any viewer with a conscience began feeling a sense of responsibility to do something, anything, to stop what was taking place. You found Cruz’s senate office contact number through a quick Google search and, running out of the room in search of a phone, missed the conclusion of the video but began your long, uphill journey back to sound mental standing.

Cruz’s video seemed like it was

secretly recorded in his family bathroom. However, the video was the result of a planned production between Buzzfeed and the Cruz campaign. So why did it come off so poorly? It all boiled down to a simple concept: authentic representation. Laughing at oneself can be a great way to show genuine qualities in the political sphere, but only when a candidate approaches comedy in an honest way.

With the exception of Senator Al Franken with a writing tenure on “SNL,” politicians are not comedians, and the American public realizes this. To honestly participate in comedic discourses, candidates must approach comedy from an outsider’s perspective, or else risk seeming insincere. When candidates perform comedic routines, such as the one Ted Cruz displayed in his YouTube short, they adopt a role like an actor.

In this sense, politicians play comedians instead of themselves. If politicians separate from their own identity in the midst of a comedy routine, then there is nothing for voters to relate to.

From an outsider’s perspective, however, candidates can avoid the problematic aspects of comedic acting. Using this strategy, comedy is not derived from a routine that the candidate performs, but rather from the

Trump Mobilizes Minority Voters

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candidate playing him or herself in the unfamiliar context of a comedic situation. Bernie Sanders remained Bernie Sanders, the politician, during his “SNL” appearance, but retaining his identity juxtaposed with a comedic sketch produced a comedic effect.

And social media chatter following the appearance suggested viewers thought it worked well. Comedy in politics looks like it is here to stay.

Within a few decades, a late night run or an “SNL” cameo will probably be listed with other presidential requirements like age and origin of birth. If politicians want to keep getting votes, they need to stop acting funny and start being themselves.

Samuel Farnum, FCRH ’16, is an English and music studies major from Ranchester, Wyoming.

No Candidate Triggers Gun Control Discourse

By MATT CALHOUN STAFF WRITER

It is only early March, yet 2016 has been one of the most politically and emotionally charged presidential races the United States has ever seen.

Candidates, both left and right, have been fiercely arguing over many positions. However, one topic unique to this country has not made a huge splash on the debate floors: gun violence.

Since 2000, the U.S. has seen more than 137 mass shootings, the highest of any developed nation. Next on the list is Germany, with only six mass shootings since 2000. Coincidentally, 42 percent of the world’s privatelyowned firearms are in the United States, making up for less than five percent of the world’s population, according to Vox. Seeing as the U.S. is clearly a standalone amongst developed nations, one would think candidates would be intensely debating the issue. Sadly, it appears that we could not be further from finding a solution on the campaign trail. In fact, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the only candidate who has published literature on her online campaign website supporting tougher gun control and acknowledging that the U.S. has a gun problem.

Clinton’s last fellow Democrat remaining in the race, Senator Bernie Sanders, supports tightening gun control, but is not interested in making it a centerpiece of his platform.

He instead prioritizes regulating Wall Street, expanding government social programs and combatting wealth inequality.

On the Republican side, all four remaining candidates promise to repeal President Obama’s executive orders that increased gun control and expanded background checks. The two more moderate Republicans on the issue — Governor John Kasich

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Despite the many debates, candidates have hardly talked about gun control.

and Donald Trump — only support expanding concealed carry policies nationwide. The two are also the only Republicans in the race supporting an expansion of mental health resources, noting a link between psychological conditions and shootings. In 2015, Kasich helped push bills through Ohio’s legislature that expanded concealed carry rights in places such as schools, daycares and airports. Last week, Ohio saw its second school shooting under Kasich’s governorship in which a 14-year-old boy shot four of his classmates in Middletown, Ohio. The previous incident occurred during Kasich’s second year as governor in Chardon, Ohio where six students were shot and three were killed.

The other two GOP candidates have been more outspoken on their positions to defend gun rights. Senator Marco Rubio has vowed to “protect the sacred rights of American gun owners.” Senator Ted Cruz believes that “as radical Islamic terrorists seek to attack Americans on our own soil, Americans’ right to protect our families and communities is all the more critical to our safety and freedom.” Both senators have an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association and are gun owners.

GOP front-runners, as well as Senator Sanders, see protecting the right

to bear arms as a defense of the Constitution. However, there are far deeper problems with defending a Constitution that guarantees the right to life, liberty and property while simultaneously granting the right to bear arms.

To start, when the founding fathers drew out the Constitution, the most advanced firearms at the time would not even kill someone with one shot at point-blank, a far cry from today’s automatic assault rifles that can end a life in milliseconds.

The fact is that only one remaining candidate in the presidential race has promised to tighten gun control measures and not weaken them. Meanwhile, state by state, it seems that there is a clear correlation between the amount of guns in the state and the number of gun deaths. States with more guns circulating, such as Mississippi and Louisiana, also see the most gun-related deaths. Even RustBelt states like Illinois, Michigan and Ohio, which have been scrutinized for inner-city gang violence contributing to gun violence, have much lower rates of gun deaths than states with the loosest gun laws and more guns circulating the population. In fact, when Missouri loosened its gun control laws in 2007, the homicide rate in the state jumped 25 percent the following year, with shootings being the leading cause of homicide. No

Marcelle Meyer

matter how you organize the facts, access to guns is America’s unique flaw that has attributed to its horrifically high rate of gun deaths. Evidently, there are still far too many loopholes around the system, and access to guns in America is already out of control. As of 2015, there is almost one gun, excluding military and police weapons, per every one person in the United States.

America’s gun crisis is not something we can keep sweeping under the rug. While mass shootings and racial bias shootings often stir up national awareness about America’s gun issue, attention often dwindles away in a matter of weeks. The lack of legislation is why mass shootings occur more and more often, and why they no longer bring the same shock value they did in 1999, when two school shooters in Columbine, Colorado brought our entire nation to its knees.

It is not an understatement to say that guns will most likely kill more than 40,000 Americans on our own soil this year. In the words of President Obama, “our thoughts and prayers for the victims are not enough.” It is clear now more than ever that something must be done — time is running out.

Matt Calhoun, GSB ’17, is a finance major from Cicinnati, Ohio.

Every news headline today seems to be lambasting Donald Trump as the deterioration of American politics and the single worst thing that could happen to this country. There is no reason to deny that Trump’s policies and statements are generally racist, sexist and aggressive toward other candidates. However, some good might come out of the strange phenomenon that is Trump after all. While Trump is mobilizing much of the once-hidden Republican Party, succeeding in many states, he is also creating a new enemy for himself — the rest of the American people.

According to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, minority groups are statistically less likely to vote in the United States. This is the result of a combination of socioeconomic barriers. Minority groups tend to have lower incomes and have a more difficult time taking time off of work to vote, along with accessing voting stations in a political climate that does not truly address the needs of these diverse populations.

However, with Trump threatening to deport Mexican immigrants and build his signature wall, it appears that he may have unintentionally included those he works against into the political process.

The New York Times reported that naturalization applications among Hispanic immigrants have risen more than they normally do in election years. Additionally, many immigrant communities are mobilizing to vote against Trump within both parties. Taking this into consideration, should Trump win the nomination, the democratic nominee will have the votes of not only Democrats and moderates, but also the often-forgotten minority groups.

It appears as though Trump’s victories are digging his own political grave. Even republicans are aggressively fighting against a Trump victory in the primary, so there is an additional chance that Republican voter turnout will be low if he runs in the general election.

From a political standpoint, for those seeking to “make Donald Drumpf again,” his victories may be the best solution to their problems. But the additional advantage here is a more long-term, social implication. This abnormally contentious election season is bringing forward the voices of people so often left out of the political process. It has ignited a fierce opposition to a very real threat from minority groups, and these groups are beginning to participate in a way they have not before.

The Democratic Party, normally supported by racial minorities more so than the Republican Party, has been trying to appeal to this voter base for decades. The shocking truth is that, perhaps, America needed the exact opposite.

OPINION

Page 12

March 9, 2016

Ex-Con, Ex-Alcoholic: A Ram’s Tale

By ANONYMOUS On Feb. 27, 2011, I was called into the dean of student’s office at a Catholic university in Connecticut. The dean’s office had become a familiar place and my visits had become a bi-weekly affair. Based on the events of the previous six months, I knew that reality was finally about to hit me square in the face. Though I knew I would ultimately face the consequences of my destructive decisions, I did not truly grasp the gravity of my situation until then. After breaking just about every rule in the book throughout my short tenure in college, my luck had run out. I was expelled.

In October of that same year, I received an e-mail followed by a phone call from the same university dean who had expelled me. I was surprised when I returned the call to find out that I was being invited back to my former university and give a lecture to at-risk students. Many of these students were in the exact same position I had been in several years before.

By the time I received the call and e-mail, my life was very different. I was a student at Fordham University and in a 12-step program. My grade point average was a perfect 4.0 and I had become an active student on campus. You may be asking, what happened? What changed?

Here is my story.

I was born into an upper-middle class family in the suburbs. I was one of seven children. My parents were high school sweethearts and married shortly after their college graduations.

But my world changed when my father was killed — I was nine years old at the time.

In the years following, I was brought up to think that his death gave me a license to drink and do

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Many Americans participate in Alcoholics Anonymous meetings nationwide.

drugs to escape my feelings. Many others — including my other family members — suffered the same experience and did not become drug addicts or alcoholics. But I did.

At age 12, I had my first drink at a neighbor’s Independence Day party.

It never occurred to me that night, or in the nights that followed, that I was headed down a slippery slope to the edge of despair and personal destruction.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would possibly grow up and become an alcoholic. Yet, that is exactly what happened. After beer blasts following football games, to having the occasional joint or line, by the time I was 17 years old I was a full-blown alcoholic. I could not imagine doing anything without the crutch of drugs or alcohol. Not only did this cause my family heartache, it also frequently disgusted the very people whose approval I sought — my friends. I quickly learned that vomiting from alcohol on the first date usually does not lead to a second.

By the time I was 19 years old, I had been arrested nine times, nearly kicked out of high school, was suc-

cessfully kicked out of college, stolen obscene amounts of money (totaling around six figures) and lost friendships and the respect of family members. The situations that most people do not face in their lifetimes had happened before I turned 20. I was expelled from my first college for being intoxicated in public, fighting, destroying property and possessing marijuana and other narcotics. I had accumulated three felony charges — not the imagined path for an uppermiddle class prep school boy from the suburbs. For most people, looking at the wreckage of such a past would presumably have been reason to, at the very least, change direction. Not for me. After having been expelled, I went back home relieved that “I did not need to worry anymore.” That is when the wheels really came off.

With no classes to attend and no job to show up for, I thought I had permission to party all night, every night.

In March 2011, in order to avoid being sent to jail, I went to rehab. I did not think, nor did anyone else believe, that simply getting in a car and disappearing into the beautiful woods of the Berkshires would make

freight-train of a campaign from succeeding. Just this past Thursday (March 3), Mitt Romney delivered a speech with the intent of discrediting Trump, citing Trump’s numerous incidents of racist, misogynistic, xenophobic and bigoted rhetoric and behavior. After his impassioned tirade against the Republican frontrunner, Romney correctly predicted that Trump would respond swiftly, and crassly, to his remarks.

One could cite the disgusting, immature language of Trump in an attempt to convince his dedicated supporters to see reason, yet his suggestive wording falls towards the bottom of my concerns. Not only did Trump avoid any attempt to defend himself against Romney’s claims, but he also failed to even mention them at his Portland, Maine rally on Thursday or the Fox Republican debate that night. Trump has silently acknowledged the inherent truth of Romney and other members of the newly founded Trump-opposition’s allegations. This is seriously alarming.

Even more alarming is the public’s ignorance of the gravity of Trump’s rhetoric.

His fellow Republican candidates, notably Rubio and Cruz, tag-teamed in a Trump-style, low-blow moment during the debate that hardly touched his momentum. In a way only he could, Trump was able to allude to the size of his genitals in a response to Rubio’s hilariously unprofessional jab

at Trump’s hand-size. The Republican candidates, besides John Kasich, all looked unprofessional, immature and unfit to perform the duties of any public office.

Trump’s main supporters are the people that feel they have lost their political voice. Many of these people want Trump because he says what others will not say, and because they believe he intends to radically change the political system that has taken their voice away. Trump supporters are angry. They like the fact that Trump is scapegoating minorities and justifying xenophobic tendencies. According to the Atlantic, many of his supporters are people without a college education, feel as though their voice is lost, intend to wage internal war against immigrants and live in parts of the country with racial resentment. This is not to say that this defines any one Trump supporter, but it definitely says something about those to whom he appeals.

The registered voters of the United States of America need to do some serious self-reflection. Do we want a president who won the 2016 election by capitalizing on the most animalistic, impulsive tendencies of the American public and bullying other candidates out of the race? Do we want a president who advocates for the murder of terrorists’ families, reluctantly disavows former Ku Klux Klan grand wizards and fully supports Vladimir Putin, the Russian

one iota of difference in the horror story that was my life — yet it did.

I arrived at rehab, sullen, sick, hungover and withdrawing from drugs.

I thought to myself that as long as everyone leaves me alone, I will be able to tough it out for the next 28 days. But they did not leave me alone, and much to my surprise, I did not need to “tough it out.” In fact, after 28 days, I thought it would be nice to stay for the next 28 years. I went back home and started to do what my counselors had told me would be the only thing that could save me from relapsing into the same old patterns that had brought me to this bottom.

I reluctantly agreed to attend 12-step meetings. When I left the meeting after I got home that I knew would come back the next day. And so I did, the day after, and the day after that, and the day after that. Days became weeks, weeks became months and months became years.

Many of you may know me around campus, but few of you know my story. You do not know that I have spent my Wednesday nights in Keating Hall B16 at 8 p.m. for the last two years as Fordham Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

I have not had a drink or a drug in over four years. I leave Fordham shortly with a dream job lined up.

Little does the world know that when this ex-con, drug addict and alcoholic puts on his suit and walks into the world he so desperately tried to hide from, it is all because of a simple program for complicated people.

Editors’ note: It is the policy of the Ram not to publish anonymous articles or op-eds. An exception has been made for this writer due to the personal nature of the content. The editors are aware of the writer’s identify and vouch for the truthfulness of the story.

The Understandable Appeal of Donald Trump

By JOHN CHRISTEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jeb Bush dropped out of — or should I say, was bullied out of — the presidential race on Feb. 20. Despite having raised over $100 million in super-PAC funds as the inevitable nominee a year ago, Bush submitted to the rancorous verbal stoning of his former Floridian protege, Marco Rubio, as well as America’s favorite bigot, Donald Trump. Maybe Bush could not stand being called “a disgrace to his family” or “the little sheep” of the Republican race again by Trump any longer. Or, perhaps Bush sensed the indubitable success of the embarrassingly underqualified, yet appealing real-estate mogul.

Four Republican presidential candidates are left, and to some, Trump’s nomination is inevitable. As of March 6, he has the largest number of delegates won in the 2016 Republican primaries. This coming week will feature some of the largest singlestate primary delegate contests, with standouts like Rubio’s home state on March 15.

Trump has the edge. He has an undeniably concrete advantage over his rivals in the primaries so far. Though lately, it seems that the entire educated community of traditional conservatives has decided to revolt.

The establishment Republican members are doing everything in their power to prevent Trump’s

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President whose regime has killed thousands more Syrian civilians and Kurdish rebels than members of ISIS in its 2016 bombing campaign? Maybe we want a president who will single-handedly dismantle the political system of the most successful democracy on the planet. If you find yourself desiring one or more of these things, then please, vote for Donald Trump.

John Christen, FCRH ’19, is undeclared in his major from Philadelphia, Pennslyvania.

Kathryn Wolper Emojis in Advertising As the popularity of ad blockers increases, advertisers must find new and creative ways to reach consumers on the platforms in which they interact the most. Recently, brands have begun designing custom emojis that are only accessible when Twitter users employ the hashtags associated with the emojis, according to the New York Times. Recent iterations of this type of advertising include the emoji form of the Beatles, which Spotify launched last year along with the hashtag #BeatlesSpotify to accompany the release of the Beatles’ entire discography on many streaming services.

The custom emoji featured the heads of John, Paul, George and Ringo. The only way Twitter users could accessorize their tweets with the faces of the Fab Four was to use the branded hashtag that mentioned Spotify.

Spotify harnessed the tendency of social media users to utilize emojis to express their interests, emotions and, in this case, enthusiasm for the arrival of the Beatles’ discography on streaming services.

Spotify wasn’t the only streaming service to bring the Beatles to its listeners, but because of its advertising campaign via Twitter, it was surely one of the most talked about.

Branded emojis are not lost in a sea of emoji speak. Twitter users recognize the standard emojis that are part of their keyboards and notice when a tweet contains a special emoji. Even if the brand that the emoji is advertising is not immediately recognizable, the difference leads users to look for more context clues that might indicate the occasion for the special emojis.

That users recognize emojis and deviations from the standard set of emojis is indicative of the emergence of emoji as a viable advertising and marketing language.

The symbols engage consumers in innovative ways and allow them to engage with brands creatively.

In their everyday encounters, emoji users utilize the symbols to convey innuendo, emotional reactions or coded language. If advertisers can latch onto this nuanced use of language the way many users have, they will be able to create a dialogue that is meaningful in terms of advertising and brand recognition.

Brands like Taco Bell and Domino’s Pizza have already harnessed the loyalty of their customers through emoji campaigns, while other companies’ attempts have fallen flat, according to a New York Times opinion article that suggested and implied the idea.

If a brand’s use of emojis seems inauthentic or forced, users, especially younger ones, will not respond well to the attempts. As social media becomes more nuanced, so too must advertisers’ engagements on social media platforms if they wish to keep up with consumers.

March 9, 2016

CULTURE

Page 13

The Fordham Ram

Professor’s Book Examines Syrian Church

By MARK MCNULTY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Dura-Europo, an ancient city which once served as a buffer between the innermost lands of the Roman empire and the far-flung armies which threatened it, sits above the sunken banks of the Euphrates River in the eastern portion of a crumbling Syrian nation.

There, amidst looting pits which produce revenue for the Islamic State by way of ancient artifacts, is the world’s oldest Christian building.

Built around 250 A.D. and uncovered by archaeologists in 1932, this house-church and the faded paintings which adorn it are the subject of Fordham professor Dr. Michael Peppard’s new book, “The World’s Oldest Church: Bible, Art and Ritual at DuraEuropos, Syria.”

Peppard is a young, hip associate professor of the New Testament and Early Christian Religions. Beneath voluminous bookshelves in his Duane Library office, he mentioned music, coffee and his home state of Colorado before discussing the five years of research he poured into “The World’s Oldest Church.”

“It’s selling pretty well for an academic book,” he said. “Syria is considered the “cradle of Christianity.” The Gospels of Luke and Matthew were both composed there. It was at Antioch in Syria that followers of Jesus

FORDHAM ARCHIVES

David Peppard challenges traditional views about Christian rituals in his new book.

were first called “Christians.” It was on the road to Damascus, today only a shell of a city after ISIS bombings, that Saint Paul converted to Christianity. It is fitting that the world’s oldest Christian building was excavated from Syrian sand. The church’s paintings are housed at Yale University, but Peppard wanted to make a “personal pilgrimage” to Dura-Europos. Yet not long after he started his research in 2010, a civil war broke out in Syria. Though he said it did not seem like a big deal at first, in 2013 two deadly explosions rocked the University of Aleppo, the school where Peppard would have studied if he made his pilgrimage.

Professor Peppard’s research was

interdisciplinary. He collaborated with art historians, medieval studies scholars and theologians all over the world to investigate paintings which depicted traditional scenes from the New Testament. He sourced illuminated manuscripts and Syriac (the ancient Syrian language) Bibles from across the United States and Europe using Fordham’s interlibrary loan program. Using Fordham research grants, he often traveled to discuss his research with experts in Europe. Peppard ultimately found that traditional interpretations of the commonplace images from Dura-Europos may be flawed, which led him to reinterpret early Christian ritual altogether.

“I was worried that I was overstep-

ping or that I had wishful thinking,” he admitted of his reinterpretation of an image of a woman standing over a well. Scholars said it depicted the New Testament story in which Jesus spoke to a Samarian woman over a well and sparked her conversion.

Yet unlike other graphic representations of this scene, Jesus is nowhere to be found in the Dura-Europos painting. In the context of Peppard’s research, the scene made no sense.

He knew early Christian texts from Middle Eastern nations set the Virgin Mary beside a water source during her Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel told her she will bare the Son of God. After corroborating his ideas with more research and the expertise of others, Peppard concluded that the woman over the well is the first known depiction of the Virgin Mary.

Peppard pitched this idea to a New York Times editor who, amazed but abashed, asked the professor if he was insane. “I mean you’re saying this is the oldest image of the Virgin Mary, and it’s just, like, hanging out at Yale?” said Peppard, imitating the editor. The professor responded that he had presented the same research to crowds at Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Heidelberg and McGill. That put the editor’s disconcertment to rest, and the Times ran the story. “That was probably the coolest idea I’ll ever have,” Peppard said. Another painting from Dura-Europos depicts women wear-

ing white veils and carrying torches.

Scholars have interpreted this painting as an image of Easter morning, when women arrived at the tomb of Jesus to find his body missing. Thus the image is a prototypical representation of Jesus’s death and resurrection. Peppard doubted this, and brought his research to Professor Jessica Udell, the curator of university art at Fordham who authored a dissertation on graphic representations of weddings in the ancient world. The two found a massive amount of corroborating evidence which suggested that the image was representing an early Christian wedding ritual, and not the Resurrection.

“The emphasis of the ritual for these early Christians was probably not calling to mind death and resurrection when they were initiated [baptized].” said Peppard. “They probably did not experience their own initiation as a dying and a rising, but rather something akin to a marriage covenant and a new birth.” These discoveries may seem only novel to some readers.

Yet with the vast symbolic difference between life and death, the weight of Dr. Peppard’s claims, may begin to sink in. Peppard had no such conception of the weight of his research when it began. “I don’t think scholars usually know how their work will be beneficial when it begins. We don’t exactly know what the outcome is. But I’m a strong believer in following instincts”, he said.

Session I: May 31–June 30 Session II: July 5–August 4

Why wait until fall? ࠮ -iniZh yVuY lanNuaNL YLXuiYLTLnt ࠮ WVYR Vn WYL TLK WYL YLXZ ࠮ ;aRL thL aJJVuntinN ZLXuLnJL 6Y JhVVZL fYVT a]ailaIlL JVuYZLZ

SUMMER SESSION 2016

Learn more at fordham.edu/summer eeo

CULTURE

Page 14

Sweet ‘N’ Sour | Caitlyn Letterii and Patrick Hood

Merryland Buffet Join Caitlyn Letterii, resident vegetarian and self-proclaimed picky eater, and Patrick Hood, a man who will try anything at least twice, as they explore and critique the cheap eats available around the Bronx and Rose Hill campus.

Merryland Buffet: The American Dream Incarnate This little hole in the wall is an oftoverlooked dining spot, most wellknown for its speaker that blares out a spooky child voice telling you to come check it out like some sort of after-school cautionary tale. However, what it is not well-known for is its surprisingly okay food.

CL: Upon entering the establishment, I knew immediately that this was the place for me because in addition to an all-you-can-eat international-style buffet, you can also purchase socks, toys and small statues of Buddha!

PH: I was mostly perplexed with the strange little monitors around the room that displayed prices of merchandise and assured me that the aforementioned Buddha statues would help me win the lottery. I remain unconvinced.

CL: We had to wait approximately five minutes to be seated, which was a small price to pay for the comfort we found at our home for the next hour: Table B4. To this day, I still look back fondly on my time spent there living in decadent gluttony.

PH: Merryland has one central buffet lined with spitguards, which brought much comfort to me over the dark days to come. My pass through the line yielded a great bounty of food from a confusing amount of cultures. The eclectic offerings included rather mundane chicken nuggets, something that I think was breaded chicken, a suspicious but alluring crab salad, a much too chewy beef(?) dumpling and “teriyaki” chicken that can only be described as radioactive.

CL: My first round was delightful.

I don’t know what buffet you were at, Patrick, but my Merryland experience was a dream. I put the green beans on my plate along with some passable yellow rice, slightly charred lo mein and some of the best fried plantains I have eaten in my entire life. Admittedly, I have not eaten many fried plantains in my years, but nevertheless, I enjoyed them to the fullest.

PH: The food was not bad and some of it, like the wontons and fried chicken was actually tasty. If the appearance of food matters to you, then you might want to go somewhere else. I cannot stress how unnervingly red the chicken teriyaki was. Imagine my horror when I cut into it to discover that the unnatural redness carried all the way through the meat.

Picture a lump of chicken that has been bombarded with some sort of

gamma radiation to the point of turning a ruby-red color that almost glows like cartoon uranium.

CL: One interesting aspect of the meal was the beverage pairing. The buffet comes with a cup that can be filled with any number of six drink options. We both went with a non-brand Fruit Punch that was as disgusting as it was intriguing. I couldn’t stop drinking it, even though it did not taste that good. For dessert, I went with a tasty sugary pastry concoction that was playful, but did not reveal too much.

PH: Instead of a playful pastry, I unwisely chose cherry jello cubes and pineapple for my dessert, because apparently I had not eaten enough artificially red food that day. They tasted exactly like jello and canned pineapple, so I guess it meets its expectations.

CL: So Patrick, are you Sweet or Sour on Merryland? I am a hard sweet because it is family friendly, the fried plantains were delicious and due to the empowering nature of a buffet environment, the consumer has the agency to serve his or herself. That is the America I believe in, and I think I found it at Merryland Buffet. That’s why I’m giving it a Sweet Rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.

PH: I too found echoes of America in my dining experience. In the numerous ethnic cuisines offered, from Italian to American to Chinese, I found a melting pot representative of America’s immigrant background.

While I sat and ate entirely too much food in an environment that can only be described as the lovechild of a bodega and the mess hall on a midtwentieth century battleship, I realized I had found a perfect reflection of modern America. Something that provides the basics, sometimes surprises you with unexpected quality, but overall leaves a lot of room for improvement. Upon serious reflection, I have to give Merryland a Sour Rating of 2 out of 5 stars for food quality, but 5 out of 5 stars for teaching me more about myself than I ever intended to know.

Overall Recommendations: You should try the fried plantains, the fried chicken and the fruit punch (if only so you can understand how bizarrely addictive it is).

You should pass on the salad, the dumplings, and the chicken “teriyaki” unless you want to kill whatever fear is still left inside of you.

Info: Merryland Buffet Address: 2496 Elm Place, Bronx, NY (Three blocks from the Fordham Road D Train Stop) Hours: Weekdays: 10:30 a.m.

- 10:30 p.m.

Weekends 10:30 a.m.

- 11:00 p.m.

Price: Cheap

COURTESY OF CAITYLN LETTERII AND PATRICK HOOD

The food critic duo displays their favorite forkfuls from Merryland Buffet.

March 9, 2016

The Oscars in Review: Red Carpets and Racial Tensions

By KATHERINE KELLY STAFF WRITER

While many Hollywood royals were busy glamming for their big night, other industry veterans ridiculed and protested the 88th Academy Awards for the lack of diversity in nominees. Racial tensions in America are at the forefront of sociopolitical discussion, most recently sparking criticism of Hollywood as “racist” and a “white boys club.”

To calm tensions as best as he could, host Chris Rock opened the show with a comedic monologue that humorously addressed racism in the film industry. Rock sarcastically suggested having separate categories for blacks as essentially the same as having separate categories for acting for men and women. He also poked fun at his friend Kevin Hart, who always seems to be making movies despite the lack of opportunities for black actors. Given the circumstances, Rock made the most of a controversial issue and set the stage for a spectacular evening.

The theme of social awareness continued throughout the night as perhaps the most political public figure of the night took the stage: Vice President Joe Biden. Biden received a standing ovation from the audience, applauding him for his remarks on the violent rape culture in America. The second-in-command of our nation combined with the presence of Hollywood created a powerful and unified viewing experience.

Following the vice president, Lady Gaga used talent to address the issue of rape with her song “Til It Happens To You.” Beside her on stage stood rape victims who joined hands in solidarity at the end of the performance. Hollywood demonstrated its support for the victims and call for action as they stood in applause. The camera cut to several actors with tears in their eyes and open arms.

JORDAN STRAUSS /AP

The winning actors pose with their Oscars at the 88th Academy Awards.

Such an emotional segment created a somber tone in the room, sharply contrasting the laughs that opened the night.

In a moment long awaited, the build up to Leonardo DiCaprio’s win created countless memes circulating on social media. DiCaprio won his first best actor award for his performance in The Revenant after years of falling short of the honor. He received a standing ovation from fellow acting elites, followed by hugs and kisses from old friend and Titanic costar Kate Winslet.

Social media had a field day with the adorable photos of the two, as well as pictures of the victorious DiCaprio. His win generated even more meme creations – this time featuring his golden statue. To complement his picture perfect looks and talent, he delivered an eloquent speech that addressed environmental concerns, a notable passion of his.

Excitement was in store for the mastermind behind The Revenant as well. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu won best director for the second year in a row, an accolade that he shares with few others. Many anticipated this victory and were eager to congratulate the director for being the first to win the best director for two consecutive years since Joseph L. Mankiewicz in 1950 and 1951.

Best actress went to newcomer at the Academy, Brie Larson, for her role in Room. But the real star of the show was her co-star, the adorable Jacob Tremblay. Tremblay strutted the red carpet like a seasoned professional and stopped to show off his Star Wars socks.

Best picture, arguably the biggest honor and last award of the night, went to Spotlight. Spotlight’s victory was a nice change of pace from the majorly Mad Max: Fury Road dominated ceremony. Mad Max picked up the honors in several categories, making audience members who have not seen the film now feel compelled to do so.

As the night came to a very late end, Chris Rock laughed off the fact that the ceremony was continuing significantly over time.

Rock’s daughters sold Girl Scout cookies to audience members as he teased that the actors had plenty of money to spare. Hollywood’s richest waved bills in the air, eager to help out Rock’s daughters, and, of course, to munch on some of America’s favorite cookies.

The cookie craze sparked more material for social media buzz.

This years’ extensive social media coverage of the Oscars made the funniest, most exciting and most interesting moments of the ceremony circulate on the Internet for days following. The biggest night in Hollywood extends to a weeklong saga, with the glitz and gossip lingering on the world stage.

Review | Music

Cornrow Kenny Can Do No Wrong

By JACK MCLOONE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

No one saw Kendrick Lamar’s newest EP, untitled unmastered. coming. Dropping at 11 p.m. on a Thursday was disruptive enough to be memorable, even if the album is just lackluster.

But it is most certainly not lackluster in any sense of the word. untitled unmastered. is a collection of eight untitled tracks, initially performed live and newly recorded in the studio. They remain unnamed on the EP, with all song titles being just the track number and the date it was performed.

One of the more recognizable tracks is “untitled 03”, which he performed on the final episode of “The Colbert Report” in 2014.

It features a major To Pimp a But-

terfly influence, as do many of the songs on the album, with a funky baseline and continuing the race relations theme of the album. It’s some of K Dot’s smoothest work, and his performance on Colbert was one of the driving forces behind the desire for this album.

The album as a whole wouldn’t have fit on TPAB, not because the tracks are not equal in quality (definitely not that), but because they generally defy the particular sound of the album. Rather than feeling like music cut from TPAB, it feels like a teaser for what the next full Kendrick project will sound like.

Many of the cuts, especially “untitled 02” and “untitled 07,” are a synthesis of TPAB and Kendrick’s breakout album good kid, m.A.A.d. city. They feature the heavy beats and aggressive

flow of the latter, but also the clear jazz influences and general themes of TPAB, along with a focus on a more melodic delivery. This project is the next step of Kendrick’s growth as an artist.

Is untitled unmastered. Kendrick’s best work? No, but considering it is a collection of essentially demo tracks, it is incredible in its own right. It was jarring enough to pause my studying for a midterm until 2 a.m. the night before the test. And the guerilla-style release distinguished it from the other similarly disjointed The Life of Pablo.

If you embrace untitled unmastered. for what it is, you will not be disappointed, but enraptured with a glimpse into “secret” tracks. Any new music from Cornrow Kenny is good music. Therefore, untitled unmastered. is good music. It is that simple.

CULTURE

March 9, 2016

Woman of the Hour| Erin Cabrey

Rachel Antonoff Fashion designer and Fordham alum Rachel Antonoff ’s fiercely feminist New York Fashion Week show, complete with a gender-reversed musical production, swapped the typical runway formula in favor of a girl power infused performance that transcended trendy couture.

Fashion Meets Feminism Fashion Week shows seem to follow the same template: skinny, exotic models with skyscraper legs and clad in outfits that no mere civilian would dare try to pull off, who strut down a sleek runway to a flawlessly-mixed techno beat. That isn’t, nor has it ever been, the style of Rachel Antonoff.

Her NYFW show, that unveiled her Fall/Winter 2016 collection, was anything but ordinary. With a secretary theme, Antonoff ’s models performed a gender-swapped version of “A Secretary is Not a Toy” from “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” a typically male-dominated show. The models weren’t the average fare either. They were a diverse selection of Broadway dancers. The lead was played by Ali Stroker, Antonoff ’s childhood friend whose role in the revival of “Spring Awakening” marked the first time a Broadway show featured an actor in a wheelchair. To top it off, Antonoff ’s brother, Jack, who is the lead singer of Bleachers and the guitarist for Fun., played the object of the female workers’ objectification. He was clad in a Rachel Antonoff graphic tee which read “Equal Pay Now” in the brand’s signature cursive font.

The designs were whimsical, fun and, most importantly, something that people could actually wear. A prominent motif was lipstick, with dresses featuring swipes of all different shades and collars embellished with lipstick tubes. Other designs featured checkered pants and 70s-inspired denim skirts. One t-shirt, my personal favorite, featured the phrase “I’ll be right on that, Rose,” paying homage to Christina Applegate’s Sue Ellen Crandell in the movie Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead. Playful, candy-colored and just a little bit raunchy, this Rachel Antonoff presentation is perhaps leading us into a new feminist fashion frontier.

Rachel’s Resume Rachel Antonoff is no stranger to the Fordham community. She was a member of the FCLC Class of 2003. In fact, a little digging led me to a front page article in the April 24, 2003 edition of The Observer in which she and her brother were both interviewed regarding the loss of their cousin, a Marine in the Iraq War. A grainy photo depicted Antonoff with her cousin and brother, who she cited as her best friend and muse.

Antonoff was born and raised in suburban New Jersey. During high school, she commuted to the Upper West Side to study theater at

the Professional Children’s School, where Scarlett Johansson once studied. Antonoff graduated with a degree in Communications and worked as a writer for various publications including Nylon and Teen Vogue. She co-founded the short-lived clothing line Mooka Kinney in 2007 before her self-titled label in Spring 2009.

Since then her designs have been featured in magazines like Vogue, ELLE and InStyle. Her collections have been modeled by actresses like Aubrey Plaza, Mae Whitman and Jenny Slate, and her looks have been rocked by everyone from Hailee Steinfeld to Lena Dunham.

Antonoff also works with The Ally Coalition, an organization she cofounded with the members of Fun. The organization works within the entertainment industry to support LGBTQ equality. In December, she hosted the second annual TAC Talent Show, which featured an array of performances by celebrities, like Sara Bareilles and Fred Armisen, to benefit and support homeless LGBTQ youth in New York City.

The Every Girl Antonoff ’s unique voice and vision sets her work apart from the rest. She uses her designs to make waves and strong statements. Recent graphics include tees saying “Feminist” and “You Don’t Own Me” in the classic Rachel Antonoff font. But her most prominent work was the Female Reproduction Sweater from her Fall 2015 collection. Her website shows the look modeled by her mother, and it’s been worn by celebrities like Rowan Blanchard and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Fallopian tubes never looked so cool.

This New York Fashion Week was dominated by buzz around Kanye West’s latest Yeezy designs but, while those looks might not look quite as good on people who aren’t members of the Kardashian clan, Rachel Antonoff ’s pieces are for everyone.

“I think she’s kind of an ‘every’ girl. I really like that my mom, my grandmother and my 13-year-old cousin can wear my clothes,” she told Elle.

“But definitely, she’s silly—she doesn’t take herself or her fashion too seriously. She’s not afraid to get her clothes dirty.”

Now, it seems, her work has extended beyond just women. Her designs are modeled by men, babies and even dogs, making Antonoff ’s vision one of the fashion industry’s freshest. It’s inclusive and real. Its purpose isn’t to make women value beauty standards and high fashion looks that are both unattainable and unrealistic. Its purpose isn’t to construct an image, but to reflect one.

Rachel Antonoff is our designer.

She helps us feel confident enough to sport a lipstick frock or a science fair-inspired tee and reminds women to take pride in who we are. Rachel Antonoff encourages us to wear our ovaries on our sleeves. Literally.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Rachel Antonoff is a Fordham graduate and successful clothing designer.

Page 15

Editor’s Pick| Lady Gaga “’Til It Happens To You”

Strong Performance, Shoddy Lyrics

By CATE CARREJO FEATURES EDITOR

Social issues took center stage at last Sunday’s Oscars, with Chris Rock’s harsh criticism of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ treatment of black actors in Hollywood, as well as Sam Smith’s erroneous, but well-intentioned, shout out to the LGBTQ community. However, the most emotional moment of the night was Lady Gaga’s impassioned performance of her song “’Til It Happens To You,” when she was joined onstage by dozens of fellow survivors to raise awareness for sexual assault.

As a sexual assault survivor myself, I understand the sentiment behind Lady Gaga’s song, and it is very powerful. You do feel isolated and misunderstood in the wake of a sexual assault, and it is true that no one can possibly understand what it feels like to have the sense of personal security and physical dignity taken away in that manner until they have lived through it.

However, even as I watched her incredible performance and connected with the song, I knew that the message was the wrong one.

The lyrics essentially discourage people from being allies and offering support for friends and family who have suffered from sexual assault. “Till you’re standing in my shoes, I don’t wanna hear a thing from you” even seems to advocate silence about sexual assault unless you are a survivor.

The reality is, as it is with racism, everyone should be speaking out against sexual assault until it is

CHRIS PIZZELLO/AP

The lyrics in Lady Gaga’s “Til It Happens To You” leave something to be desired.

eradicated. Even if you have never suffered from sexual assault, you have the right and the obligation to denounce rape culture whenever you encounter it because we all suffer from its effects, such as toxic masculinity and the normalization of violence towards women. You should never hesitate to be there for loved ones who need your help, even if you can’t fully sympathize with their experiences.

That is not to say that Lady Gaga didn’t accomplish something amazing by performing her song for nearly a billion people around the world.

Sexual assault is too often discussed in hushed tones and private forums, and Gaga openly defied the culture of silence around sexual assault, both by sharing her story and communicating it in such a powerful way. Yet underneath the optics, the lyrics tell a different story.

“Till it happens to you, you won’t know, it won’t be real,” Lady Gaga sang onstage, surrounded by her fellow survivors. But it is real. It is real for every girl who has sat with a sobbing friend the next morning, and it is real

for people who have listened with tears in their own eyes while their partners recounted their stories.

An assault is like an earthquake. At the epicenter is the survivor, the most directly affected and most impacted.

But the ground underneath those closest to the survivor shakes too. The emotional ramifications obviously are not the same for the others as they are for the survivor, but that does not mean that they do not exist and that there is no place in the conversation for non-survivors. Wanting justice for a friend or wanting to create a better world for a younger sibling is more than enough incentive and reason to speak out.

Lady Gaga’s message, while surely not intended, is an insidious warning against supporting sexual assault survivors. We all have the right to live in a world without sexual assault, which means we all have the right to combat a culture that tacitly allows it to go on.

Even if you have never suffered from an assault, the reality of rape culture means you have the right to speak out too.

Playlistism| Meredith Nardino

Classic Throwbacks Take the Cake Despite how much the music world advances, there are obvious patterns of sounds and moods from decade to decade. I’ve always loved returning to some of these classics to find the connections between then and now. Listening to songs as pivotal as the following can transform the way in which you view the evolution of popular music and the concept of genre altogether.

1. “Rebel Rebel” - David Bowie When word of David Bowie’s passing first made headlines, it seemed as though time froze.

Every prominent artist, past and present, has paid tribute to the fashion icon and musical trendsetter. “Rebel Rebel” features a distinct guitar riff and gender-bending lyrics that were likely controversial when the song debuted in 1974. There are few alternative musicians who have not been influenced by Bowie in some way, and this song is a prime example of the power of Bowie.

2. “Beast of Burden” - The Rolling Stones Since most of the verse lyrics were improvised, this song feels more like it could be the work of a local band jamming in a garage rather than one of the most legendary rock bands of all time.

One of the greatest parts of this

song is the fluid guitar solo, when the blues influences truly shine.

Even almost forty years after its release, this song still feels modern.

Its sound paves the way for current stars like Alabama Shakes and Gary Clark Jr. 3.“Just Like Heaven” - The Cure If life was a Cameron Crowe romantic comedy, this song would play as the credits roll over the freeze-frame ending. “Just Like Heaven” helped the Cure break into American mainstream in 1987 and is a definitive representation of the brilliance of 80s New Wave. The sounds in the song are filled with effervescence. The spacey guitar and clean drums offer a faultless backdrop for the almost sickly sweet lyrics.

4.“Where is My Mind?” - Pixies The Pixies are an often-underrated band vital to the progression of the alternative-grunge sound.

“Where is My Mind” is by far one of their most notable tunes, and seems to be a staple for all rebellious teens.

The grimy guitar is supplemented brilliantly by Black Francis’ bizarre vocal range. This song screams lateeighties, yet its influence and vision are unchanging.

5.“Rhiannon”- Fleetwood Mac Nobody defines folk-rock better than Fleetwood Mac. Almost every popular artist today uses this renowned band as inspiration, from

the Lumineers to One Direction.

“Rhiannon” comes from the group’s tenth album, released at the height of their popularity in 1975. Stevie Nicks has one of the most beautiful and haunting voices, which is showcased flawlessly on this track.

Fleetwood Mac’s history is complex and dramatic, but their work is consistently groundbreaking.

6.“Pale Blue Eyes” - The Velvet Underground For many, it’s hard to discuss classic rock without mentioning the Velvet Underground and Lou Reed. Simplicity is a beautiful thing, and this 1969 song demonstrates that perfectly. “Pale Blue Eyes” feels more like poetry than rock and roll. Against the faint sounds of a tambourine and a gentle bass line, the vulnerability in Reed’s voice presents itself with stunning clarity.

Even after his death, Reed remains a New York City icon and it’s easy to tell why when listening to this work of art.

7.“Red Hill Mining Town” - U2 In my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful songs ever produced.

It is quintessentially U2 – the soft drums and Bono’s desperate vocals are calming, yet heartbreaking. The artistry of this Irish four piece is unmatched by any band. There is a seamless unity of music and politics in their work that still surprises me after every listen.

CULTURE

Page 16

March 9, 2016

Who’s That Kid? | It’s Max Lynch, GSB ‘19

Gabelli Freshman Gets Involved on Campus

By ERIN SHANAHAN NEWS EDITOR

“I came here and I made it my goal to get as involved as possible,” said Maxwell Lynch, GSB ’19. And in just over one semester here, Max Lynch has certainly gotten “involved,” to say the least. This outgoing and passionate freshman is on his way to becoming an incredibly influential leader here at Fordham.

You can find Max all over campus organizing RHA events for Queen’s Court, studying sustainable business and finance in Hughes Hall or working with Compass Fellowship and the Fordham Social Innovation Collaboratory around campus.

Max’s passion and excitement for his education, extracurriculars and goals speaks volumes about his character and future here.

Max was inspired to attend Fordham University by his older brother, Tim Lynch, GSB’13. His brother’s positive experience here at Fordham encouraged Max to apply. In addition, Max really appreciates the Jesuit values of the university.

Max studies applied accounting and finance in the Gabelli School of Business. In addition, Max plans to minor in sustainable business. “I really like math and working with money,” he said. “However, I’m really passionate about combining business with purpose and I’d like to work in a field that combines those things.” It is this passion that has inspired Max to minor in sustainable business.

COURTESY OF MAX LYNCH

Max Lynch has a passion for sustainable buisness, but still finds time to get involved with other activities, like cycling.

Max’s love for sustainability stems from his upbringing in Saratoga Springs, NY. This picturesque upstate New York city, located in the southern region of the Adirondack Mountains, is known to be a hotspot for outdoors enthusiasts. Growing up in this environment, Max has developed a deep appreciation for nature and the environment.

“I’ve been skiing and hiking since I was four years old, so I really grew to appreciate the mountains and the land that surrounded me. When I was younger, my family and I hiked the 46 high peaks and we spent a lot of time at Saratoga Lake. My appreciation for nature and the environment was really instilled in me as a

kid,” Max said. “Now, I want to take care of the environment and find opportunities where I can incorporate both sustainability and business.”

With this goal in mind, Max came to Fordham with the hopes of pursuing his passions for sustainability, learning how to make it in the business world and developing his leadership abilities. As a result, Max ran for Resident Hall Association president of Queen’s Court and won.

Recently, he was accepted to Compass Fellowship, the social entrepreneurship group on campus.

Max is also a member of the Fordham Social Innovation Collaboratory, a network that combines students and faculty with social innovation

opportunities on campus. Finally, Max is a part of the Fordham University Emerging Leaders (F.U.E.L.) program.

Leadership weekend was a highlight for Max during his freshman year. “That weekend I got to meet and be close with some of the amazing leaders here at Fordham,” Max said. “It was so nice to meet and learn from such amazing people who make a difference here.”

Besides hoping to pursue his passion for leadership, sustainable business and environmentalism, Max has another goal for his future. “Eventually, I really want to be an excellent father who does something meaningful and purposeful for the world,”

Max said.

In his free time, (which is very limited) Max likes to work out, hike, row and ski. Max is also a music enthusiast. He especially likes electronic music and recently saw the artist Kygo live.

Before he realized his passion for sustainable business, Max actually dreamt of being in the circus. As a result, he has several hidden talents.

Max learned how to ride a unicycle, juggle and slack-line with the hopes of being a performer. Unfortunately however, or maybe fortunately, those dreams never came true for Max. “I now use what I have learned about balance from those skills as a metaphor for life,” Max said. “I always strive to have balance in all aspects of my life, in a way that I don’t think I would have if I never had those circus dreams.” So if you ever see a guy unicycling around campus late at night, according to Max, it’s probably him.

Next year, Max has been awarded the position of Assistant to Fordham Sustainability Coordinator, Carey Weiss, for the Fordham Social Innovation Collaboratory. In addition, he has many other plans and goals for the coming years.

“I’m looking forward to promoting social innovation on our campus here in my future time at Fordham,” Max said, “I think a lot of other people here on campus are interested in social innovation as well and I’m looking forward to helping them get involved and providing them with opportunities.”

Review | Television

Review | Food

“Fuller House”

Brunch at Anthony David’s

By KATHERINE MOBILIA STAFF WRITER

When I first found out that “Full House” was returning with a new show, cleverly and appropriately titled “Fuller House,” I was excited and curious to see how Netflix would pull this off. Once it was released, I sat down and was transported back in time to my childhood mornings of watching the show before school.

Netflix stayed true to the original show’s theme song, scenery in San Francisco and characters we know and love. All of the original cast, from Jesse to Stephanie, are often compared to their younger selves featured on the original show. This is one of the many ways Netflix pulled the heartstrings of its “Full House”loving fans.

Throughout the first episode, each character — with the exception of the Olsen twins not featured in the reboot — made an entrance and received applause. Some iconic scenes were identically duplicated from the original show, including the cast singing “We’re the Flint-

stone’s” to DJ’s new baby just as they once sang it to Michelle.

While the first episode of “Fuller House” succeeded in making its audience feel nostalgic about the original show, this new version shifted focus. Instead of focusing on Danny Tanner, his best friends and little girls, the show is now focused on DJ, a single mom with three kids.

She lives with Stephanie, a worldtraveling disc jockey and Kimmy, her childhood friend who has remained true to her original character. These three ladies and their children all live in the same house on that famous San Francisco street, mirroring the original series with a new twist.

Although the original cast is featured throughout the entire season, the first episode is by far the most entertaining and nostalgic. The show should be rewarded for staying incredibly true to the original characters and for quality acting, even as a sequel sitcom. Ultimately, “Fuller House” is a new show full of old, cherished memories that is sure to captivate viewers.

JORDAN STRAUSS/AP

Fuller House keeps some favorite characters, like Jesse and Danny, as guest stars.

By NOELLE KHAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Young women in leather jackets, velvet black hats and perfectly polished nails pose with large white mugs filled with piping hot lattes.

Among the loud chatter, little children sip on freshly squeezed orange juice while licking maple syrup off their stack of warm, sticky coconut French toast. Hoboken’s Anthony David’s in the perfect brunch spot for trendy women in their twenties looking to snap a few artsy pictures of their eggs. It is also home to young families looking to keep their young children occupied with ice-cold chocolate milk and sweet breakfast treats.

Brunch at Anthony David’s is a seven day occurrence, but there is something comforting about eating a perfectly cooked omelette and sipping on a warm cup of coffee on a chilly Sunday morning. Brunch runs from the early hours of 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. I opted to hit the snooze button three times until I remembered the warm beignets doused in powdered sugar that were waiting for me.

When I entered Anthony David’s at 11 a.m., I was met by a friendly hostess and a short 15-minute wait.

The restaurant was bustling with sounds of laughter and it smelled like roasted coffee beans and sizzling bacon — an aroma that screamed brunch.

I started my meal off with a warm, creamy vanilla latte that was perfect-

COURTESY OF NOELLE KHAN

Anthony David’s offers a classy brunch and is worth the trek to New Jersey.

ly sweetened. My sister demanded we split the beignets and french toast petite liberally doused in warm coconut butter. Our meal was not carb friendly, but who cares about calories on a Sunday, especially when fried dough is in involved.

The beignets were balls of warm fluff y fried dough covered in powdered sugar and stacked on top of a simple white plate. The french toast consisted of super sweet, sticky challah bread buried under the right amount of golden syrup, shaved coconut flakes and a side of gooey coconut butter. Having dessert for breakfast felt sinful but I would be making up for it with my order of the southwestern omelette chock full of veggies. I opted for no ham,

egg whites, a side of multigrain toast, breakfast potatoes, fresh avocado slices and sharp cheddar cheese. My sister ordered the crab cake sandwich on a soft and buttery brioche roll, with a tangy lemon aioli and a side salad.

I left Anthony David’s Sunday morning with a food baby and I definitely wasn not complaining. The brunch menu may lack traditional breakfast favorites like pancakes and waffles, but it includes refreshing takes on the breakfast foods we will always love. If I had to rate this lowkey brunch spot I would give it ten beignets out of ten. Trust me, you will not regret making the trip from the Bronx to Jersey for what might be the best brunch meal ever.

March 9, 2016

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March 9, 2016

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SPORTS

March 9, 2016

Softball Struggles Again

By PAT COSTELLO ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

One step forward, two steps back. Two weekends ago, Softball Fordham seemingly came into its own, winning four out of five games. The impressive turnaround got the Rams headed in the right direction, but was short lived. This past weekend they dropped four straight, before finally managing to win their fifth.

They seemed to struggle early in the weekend, but played much better in their last few games.

The first two games were a rough patch on the weekend. The Rams gave up 20 runs, while only managing to plate three of their own. The first game they played was against the Boston College Eagles. The Eagles managed to hit three home runs off of pitcher Rachel Gillen. The grad student was knocked out after only throwing a third of an inning, giving up six runs on five hits. Junior pitcher Lauren Quesne finished the game in the circle, allowing three runs on five hits. On the other side, the Rams only garnered two hits in the game. Gillen tallied one, with the other coming off of the bat of sophomore infielder Madison Shaw. The game was called in the fifth due to the runs rule.

The second game of the day was more of the same for the Rams, although they did see their bats start to heat up a bit. Trailing Iowa State 3-0 in the second, Shaw stepped to the plate and put the Rams on the board with a solo homerun to right field. Two innings later, junior outfielder Sydney Canessa continued her hot streak by doubling home two runs, tying the score. That would cap the scoring for the Rams, but the Cyclones were only getting started. They tacked on three in the fourth and five in the sixth, running away with the victory late in the game.

The following day the Rams faced off against the Mercer Bears. Mercer jumped out to an early lead in the first two innings by accumulating three runs on two home runs. They tacked on two more in the fifth and one in the sixth to take the victory. The Rams never managed to get a runner past second base and only managed three hits on the game.

Gillen tossed another complete game, giving up six runs on eight

hits while taking the loss.

The Rams came to blows with Boston College yet again, but refused to suffer the same fate as the first game. The Eagles jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but the Rams stormed back with four runs in the top of the third. Timely hitting and a couple of miscues allowed the Rams to take their first lead of the entire weekend, although it would be short lived.

Boston College hit two solo home runs in the bottom of the frame to tie the game. The deep ball would continue to hurt the Rams, as a third solo homerun in the fourth proved to be the game winning run. The Rams left a runner in scoring position in the sixth and would never threaten again.

Quesne (2-5) was dealt her fifth loss of the season, as she allowed five earned runs on eight hits in four innings.

The bright spot of the weekend came on the final day when they again faced the Iowa State Cyclones again. After trailing 1-0 early, Gillen helped her own cause, crushing the first pitch of her at-bat over the right field fence. The three run homerun vaulted the Rams into the lead in the fourth, and although the Cyclones managed to add one more in the fifth, it was not enough.

The Rams went on to add another pair of runs to close the game.

Gillen (5-8) tossed another complete game, picking up her fifth win of the season. She gave up two earned runs on five scattered hits with two walks.

Continued success at the plate for Canessa is something that the Rams will need going forward.

After highly successful freshman and sophomore campaigns, Canessa is primed for a big year. “[She] has made the move to the three spot in the hitting order and has risen to the occasion time and time again,” coach Bridget Orchard said. “She has had to develop into more of an RBI hitter for us. With the work she has put in during the off season and with Josh Greer in the weight room she really has picked up her power numbers and has been clutch with key hits when needed.”

Canessa and the Rams will look to turn things around when they return home for five games this weekend, starting with Providence on March 12.

Page 19

Baseball Falls to #5 LSU

By MATTHEW MICHAELS STAFF WRITER

The Fordham baseball team had its hands full this weekend as it faced national powerhouse LSU down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Tigers spent the week ranked in the top 10 in multiple polls and Fordham coach Kevin Leighton called them a “tough opponent.”

The Rams finished the weekend winless, returning to New York with a 3-7 record on the season.

Friday’s game started off with a pitcher’s duel supported by tight defense. The scoreless matchup did not last long though, as the Tigers were able to get to junior starter Greg Weissert. Michael Papierski popped a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to serve as the catalyst for LSU’s scoring. An additional run in the inning was just the start as a pair of Fordham relievers allowed five runs while securing just one out in the sixth inning.

In the seventh inning, a wild pitch by sophomore Jake Bernardo uncorked and a throwing error by junior catcher Pat Gardner allowed a pair of runs to score on a single play. Down 11-0, senior Joseph DeVito knocked in Fordham’s only run with his second single of the day. Jordan Romero tagged freshman Ryan Davis with a pinch-hit home run, nullifying the effects of Fordham’s run. All told, LSU came out of the first game with a 12-1 victory. Jared Poche pitched seven shutout innings for the Tigers but allowed eight of the Rams’ 10 hits.

The first game of Saturday’s double header was just as agonizing for the Rams. Senior Joseph Serrapica was handed his third loss of the season, as Fordham’s starter pitched four innings and watched six Tigers cross the plate.

Fordham only managed three hits in the early game, all against starter John Valek III. Three LSU batters rounded the bases, including one who hit an inside-the-park home run. The Tigers scored in six frames and managed multiple runs in five of those. With minimal offense and suspect pitching, Fordham lost the second game to LSU 15-1.

The third and final game of the weekend was the most competitive, but the Rams still fell short of a win. Senior Jimmy Murphy was ineffective and allowed three runs before he was taken out after the second inning. Sophomore Ben Greenberg stopped the bleeding as he shut down LSU over the next couple of innings.

Meanwhile, Fordham was putting together a comeback on offense.

In the top of the third, the Rams began their scoring when DeVito crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Baseball was unable to shock #5 LSU in their final trip down south.

DeVito then led off the fifth with a single, followed by a free pass issued to junior Jason Lundy.

With two outs, the Rams connected for three consecutive singles to take a 4-3 lead. The RBIs were attributed to graduate student Ryan McNally and juniors Matthew Kozuch and Mark Donadio.

McNally has a hit in all 10 games played this season, giving him a .364 batting average.

Junior Luke Stampfl led off the sixth with a single and came around to score one of Fordham’s two runs in the inning. In the seventh inning, Stampfl laced another single, this one to score Kozuch and put the Rams on top 7-3. All of their work came apart in the bottom of the frame as the Tigers scorched four doubles and a triple. LSU put up a crooked seven in the seventh inning to retake the lead for good. Fordham threatened again in the ninth by getting the tying run to the plate, but a game-ending double play extinguished the threat.

Three pitchers gave up runs to the Tigers in the seventh, but

it was sophomore David Manasek who was hung with the loss.

LSU outhit Fordham 15-12 and outscored them 10-7 in the final game of the weekend.

While the Rams lost by large margins, Leighton was pleased to see some positive signs from his players. “Some of the guys that have gotten off to a tough start with the bat started to show some signs of breaking out, and to do that against LSU is a good sign,” he said. “Playing in that environment was incredible and I’m sure our guys will always remember that and benefit from it.”

Fordham plays its first home game of the season on Wednesday against Manhattan College and hosts three more games against different teams over the weekend. After a tough stretch of road games, the Rams will look forward to playing on familiar turf.

“The rivalry is important to us,” said Leighton. “I expect our guys to be fired up to play.”

Think you know grammar?

Become a copy editor!

Stop by McGinley B-52 next Monday, 8 p.m.

We’ll show you the ropes.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Rams were unable to keep up their momentum this past weekend.

SPORTS

Page 20

March 9, 2016

Jack McLoone

Stephen Fragano

With Chapman, MLB Sets Precedent

NYCFC Kicks Off New Season

While the NFL has been the organization taking most of the hits in terms of domestic violence in sports, the focus has recently shifted to MLB, specifically the case of Aroldis Chapman, a relief pitcher for the New York Yankees. The case is the first test of MLB’s new domestic violence regulations.

Last October, Chapman allegedly attacked his girlfriend and fired his gun in his garage eight times.

However, there was no case made against Chapman due to a lack of substantial evidence, and all charges were dropped.

The Yankees traded for Chapman — who is on the last year of his contract — at a significantly discounted price in December due to the expected suspension. MLB faced a Sophie’s Choice of sorts: they could set the precedent that domestic violence, regardless of charges, would not be tolerated in the MLB and suspend Chapman for a long period of time (perhaps like the 80 games a player gets for his first positive PED test) or make sure the Yankees didn’t get an incredible deal on Chapman, as being suspended for more than 45 games would push his free agency back a year. In other words, the Yankees would have his rights for the 2017 season as well.

In the end, commissioner Rob Manfred worked with the MLB Players’ Association to negotiate a 30 game suspension for Chapman, on the grounds that he admits to firing his weapon – but, interestingly, not to attacking his girlfriend – and also waive his right to appeal.

By negotiating this settlement, the MLB has ensured that a player suspected of domestic violence can be suspended 30 games without any sort of charges.

There is no real right answer to this conundrum of how MLB should have handled this case. On one side, a 30 game suspension without charges is certainly hefty, and an impressive showing by Manfred. On the other, taking into account the free agency of the guy you’re supposed to be punishing doesn’t look too great.

I lean more towards taking free agency into account. Outside of the punishment precedent, it is up to MLB to make the precedent that acquiring players with domestic violence problems on the cheap isn’t a worthwhile business practice.

This is the best outcome for MLB. It has to be remembered that this suspension comes with zero charges of domestic violence being pressed against Chapman. If he had been suspended longer, would there have been an outcry that it was too long for someone without charges?

Possibly. If the Yankees managed to get an incredible bargain, trading four middling prospects for a season and change of control of the hardest throwing pitcher in history, that outcry would have been there as well, and justifiably so.

MLB juggled two equally important responsibilities in this case, setting precedents for both the players and front offices of MLB. For now, MLB arguably did the best it could with the hand it was dealt, and the hand wasn’t great.

New York City FC opened up its second season this past Sunday, March 6, in Chicago. The team took on the Chicago Fire and claimed its first victory of the campaign with a 4-3 win.

While maintaining big signings of last year such as Andrea Pirlo, David Villa Sanchez, and Frank Lampard, NYCFC made some acquisitions in the offseason to bolster its roster in its newest chapter. One of the most important acquisitions is new head coach Patrick Vieira. The Frenchman of Senegalese origins had an illustrious career as a French international and with acclaimed clubs like Cannes, A.C. Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester City and Arsenal.

The club also continues to attract international players, signing Federico Bravo and Diego Martinez of Argentina, Costa Rican international Ronald Matarrita and Frederic Brillant of France.

The goals in Sunday’s opening day victory came from four different players. West Nyack’s Tommy McNamara, Tony Taylor, Khiry Shelton and Mix Diskerud all got on the score sheet. Diskerud had the game winning goal, allowing his team to extinguish the Fire who had three goals.

A win is a great way to start a season, especially when on the road.

However, is the score worthy of praise? A win is a win, yet the Fire is a struggling team. A 4-3 win is not as comfortable a win as one might want against a team who finished dead last in all of Major League Soccer. Their record to end 2015 was 8-20-6 with a goal differential of -15.

Coach Vieira does not seem too worried about the score, though. In a postgame Q&A session with fans via Twitter, Vieira commended his players and their efforts. He recognized that the outcome may not have been perfect, but it is a small step toward what they want to achieve.

Vieira hopes to fine-tune the defense, but also said giving up goals will be a product of the style of play he wants his team to execute. Apparently, Vieira’s style of play is a highpaced, offensive game. A team needs goals to win, and Vieira seems to risk allowing goals in order to score them.

This struck me as unorthodox.

Usually, a coach wants all fronts to be running optimally. It is interesting that a coach would open up a season with a very specific, offense-minded strategy.

Perhaps that is what the team needs. Sometimes a team needs to change its mentality in order to jump start itself. The New York City front office wanted someone different than Jason Kreiss, and Vieira appears to be providing that alternative view.

Fans will have to keep an eye on this new strategy. If the last place team in all of Major League Soccer was able to score three goals, it may pose a problem for NYCFC when playing perennial favorites like the L.A. Galaxy, the Columbus Crew and the 2015 MLS Champion Portland Timbers.

The Blues of the Bronx are still a young team. There were growing pains in the first season, and it is unrealistic to think that the troubles are over. Vieira has the experience to lead the team with a new, fresh mentality in its second chapter.

THE RAM ARCHIVES

The track and field team enjoyed a satisfying finish to the indoor season.

Track Thrives at Weekend Meet

By ALEXANDRIA SEDLAK STAFF WRITER

This past weekend, the Fordham track and field teams competed in the ECAC/IC4A Indoor Championships. It was a two day event held at Boston University’s Track and Tennis Center. There were some great performances among the relay teams, as well as more season best times. Two relay teams made the qualifying time for the finals on Sunday. At the end of the meet, all eight athletes earned special recognition.

On the men’s side, the 4x800 relay team, consisting of sophomores Fritz Heinrich, Brian Cook and Louis Santelli and freshman Sean Phillips, finished first in their heat and second overall with a time of 7:35.64. This finish qualified them for the finals on Sunday. Next, the distance medley relay team, consisting of sophomore Nik O’Brien, freshman Jared Benn, junior Ryan McGann and sophomore Thomas Slattery, finished in 10th place with a time of 10:03.54. This was just two seconds shy of qualifying for the finals on Sunday. Finally, Benn competed in the 400m run and came in 20th with a new personal record time of 48.97, which was

.86 seconds away from the school record.

For the women, there was only one 4x800 relay team competing, and they showed great success. The team consisted of sophomore Merissa Wright, freshman Kate McCormack, junior Shanna Heaney and senior Danielle Rowe, who have competed in all indoor 4x800 relays this season. They finished fifth overall with a time of 8:35.75, which qualified them for the finals on Sunday.

Only the two 4x800 relay teams, one on the men’s side and one on the women’s side, qualified for the finals. Both teams finished well and qualified for the outdoor events in a few months. The men’s team of Heinrich, Cook, Santelli and Phillips finished seventh overall with a time of 7:35.46, almost exactly the same as their time in the preliminaries the day before. The women’s team of Wright, McCormack, Heaney and Rowe finished in third place with a time of 8:46.54. This finish was seven seconds faster than their time in the preliminaries the day before and came close to setting a new school record. Currently, the 2015 team holds the record with a time of 8:45.02.

Overall, the Rams had a successful meet and a great end to the indoor season. Not only did two teams compete in the finals of the ECAC/IC4A Indoor Championships, but all eight of those runners were recognized for their outstanding performances in the finals and were named to the AllEast teams.

Wright reflected on the success of the weekend, saying, “This weekend was a really great way to end the season. Both the men’s and women’s teams ran their hearts out on the track for the last races of the season. I was lucky enough to be on the placing 4x800 team which represented each year of school, freshman, sophomore, junior and senior. Everyone ran their strongest. [We set so many personal records] and everyone showed what the past months of grueling workouts and mileage was for. I could not be happier and I am very excited for outdoor to start in two weeks.”

The teams have a few weeks off until the start of their outdoor season. Their next meet will be the Fred Hardy Invitational, which takes place in Richmond, Virginia, on March 25 and 26.

Tennis Struggles with New Format

By TOM TERZULLI STAFF WRITER

Men’s Tennis may be much improved over last year’s squad, but there is still some work to be done.

The Rams sit at 4-5 and are beating some of the other middling teams that they are “supposed to beat.”

However, it might be a while before Fordham is able to compete with the upper echelon teams in the country. The Rams were overmatched on Sunday, losing 6-1 to a 10-2 Saint Louis Billikens squad.

The Rams faced a challenge before they even took the court against Saint Louis: a change in format. After playing their last four matches under the 4+1 format, Fordham made the switch to the standard 6+3 format on Sunday.

Head coach Michael Sowter believed the transition hurt his team’s performance. “I think it contributed to the way we played,” he said.

“We played much better in the beginning and were leading at both No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, but after we lost the point, the guys were definitely flat for singles.”

The format may have changed, but the same struggles in the double’s game, which defined this season for the Rams, persisted.

Freshman Victor Li and senior

ALLY WHITE/THE FORDHAM RAM

Men’s Tennis fell to the Saint Louis Billikens last Sunday.

Nick Borak were up 5-3 on Juan Calero and John Nogalski before succumbing 7-6. The duo of junior Tomas Cosmai and sophomore Joseph Kavaloski had that same 5-3 lead on the team of David Farragut and Charlie Perry, but lost 7-6.

It was not nearly as close for the first-time combination of sophomores Cameron Posillico and Harris Durkovic in 6-0 sweep courtesy of Paarth Dodhiawala and Miguel Flores.

Despite dropping all three matches, Coach Sowter did see some improvement, saying, “A month ago we weren’t competing well in doubles. Yesterday, we were up 5-3 on the top two courts with opportunities to serve out the match so we’re continuing to

improve and I’m sure the guys see that as well.”

Singles action, typically the bright spot for Fordham, was equally as desolate as the doubles.

The Rams’ lone point came from Li in a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Nogalski.

Senior Pedro Alonso, kept out of doubles action because of a cold, took Juan Calero to three sets in a 6-1, 7-6, 7-2 loss. It took just as many sets for Ferragut to top Cosmai 7-6, 7-2, 7-5. The other defeats came from Kavaloski, Posillico and Nick Borak, all in straight sets.

With the loss, the Rams have dropped five out of their last six.

They make the short trip to Long Island, New York to take on the undefeated Hofstra Pride on Sunday at 3 p.m.

SPORTS

March 9, 2016

Page 21

Making Sense of the NL West

By PETER VALENTINO STAFF WRITER

The first line in the theme song to “Full House,” set in San Francisco, California, is “Whatever happened to predictability?” Well, predictability seems to have found its way to the San Francisco Giants organization.

The Giants have taken over the role of baseball’s dynasty that was previously held by the Yankees of the late 1990’s, and there is a good chance that they will keep it going this year.

There is no reason to believe they have dropped off yet, but there are two other teams in the NL West that will have something to say about the whole “even year” theory.

One of those teams is the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that has matured very quickly. The team drafted first overall in June of last year and are now seen as World Series contenders, thanks to the signing of Zack Greinke and trades for Shelby Miller and Jean Segura. By making so many aggressive moves, General Manager Dave Stewart has proven that now is the time to win for the Diamondbacks. They have an MVP candidate in Paul Goldschmidt and an above average lineup. After Greinke and Miller, Patrick Corbin is a solid third starter, and Rubby De La Rosa led in many pitching categories for the team in 2015. While the team is not stacked per se, this team is definitely all in. Look for them to be buyers at the trade deadline, because the Diamondbacks are going for it this year.

While the Los Angeles Dodgers are headed downhill, they are still a good team. They have intriguing prospects in Joc Pederson, Corey Seager and Julio Urias, but they will not be able to retain them because of their absurdly high payroll. Although its decline is coming, the team can still win the division, largely because of a great rotation featuring Clayton Kershaw, Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda and Hyun-jin Ryu. Yasiel Puig will have to play like the star he was intended to be, and the recently re-signed Howie Kendrick will need

to step up as well. However, the division could come down to the final series of the season versus the Giants.

This team has one or two years of good baseball left, but the impending downfall will be harsh.

I am going to group the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies into one, because both teams are stuck in limbo. The teams cannot commit to a total rebuild, but they also cannot go all in and win now. The Padres tried the “win now” plan in an epic trade with Atlanta right before the 2015 season, but that backfired tremendously. The team refused to sell its parts at last year’s trade deadline, leaving it with no present and a bleak future. It has a few young players, such as Colin Rea and Cory Spangenberg, but it is not enough.

The Rockies are another anomaly.

They have made some trades, giving away Troy Tulowitzki and Corey Dickerson, but neither one brought back a great return. Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez will still mash the ball out of Coors Field, and Jon Gray looks like an ace in the making, but this team still seems stuck in the mud. Although the Rockies’ firepower is fun to watch, it may be a while before this team is competitive.

All of these facts point to the possible continuation of the Giants’ dynasty. This team is not only elite, but also fully restocked. In addition to their core of Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner, they signed Jeff Samardzija, Johnny Cueto and Denard Span this offseason. They also have lots of young talent in Matt Duff y, Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik and Brandon Belt. This team is battletested and knows how to win in the playoffs. This Giants team just might keep the “even year” trend going.

While the D-Backs and the Dodgers are both very good teams who are in “win-now” mode, the Giants seem primed to win it all again. They have the pitching, the hitting and the mindset of a winning team. So rev up the “even year” talk again, because it looks like the Giants are ready for another title run.

By PAT COSTELLO ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The NCAA tournament is right around the corner. Every season, fans get excited for their teams to compete for a national championship. There is nothing more exciting than the first round, when 64 teams battle it out to see who will “survive and advance.” Every season, there are questions as to whether a 16-seed will finally knock off a No. 1. It has never happened in the history of the tournament, although there are many reasons to believe that this could be the year. Before we get into that, let’s take a look at a few examples of a low seed playing a high seed.

In 1989, the No. 16 Princeton Tigers were matched up against the powerhouse Georgetown Hoyas.

Nobody in his or her right mind gave Princeton a chance to even compete. Dick Vitale promised to wear a Princeton cheerleading uniform if they managed to pull of the upset. But to everyone’s surprise, the Tigers managed to outplay the Hoyas in the first half, leading by a score of 29-21. Georgetown’s mindset was completely different in the second half, but the Tigers did not waver. Princeton was trailing 50-49 with only a few seconds left when guard Bob Scrabis pulled up from the top of the key. He was sure his shot was pure, but Alonzo Mourning had a different idea and blocked the shot by a fingernail.

Although Princeton did not win that day, they changed people’s mindset about the 16-seed and made everybody think, “Could this actually be done?”

It wasn’t until 2013 that we saw a low ranked team play better than the big dogs. The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, or “Dunk City” as they were later dubbed, shocked everyone when they made an incredible run into the Sweet Sixteen. Their path brought them up against the number two and seven teams, both of whom they beat.

It had been so long since Princeton-Georgetown, so nobody really thought a 15 could beat a two, but they had. They hadn’t done it by some fluke luck either, as they proved by winning their Round of

32 game as well. This brought up a new question for people to debate; “if a 15 can beat a two, then why couldn’t a 16 beat a one?”

I know it seems unlikely that this could happen. I’m sure you’re reading this and wondering, “If it hasn’t happened before, then what makes you think it will happen now?” Here’s my thinking: this is the weakest set of No. 1 seeds that we have seen in a long time, while the 16’s only seem to be getting stronger. Most of this will be speculative as we do not yet know the final bracket, but based on bracketology predictions, we have a decent idea of who will be where Florida Gulf Coast is back in the tournament and will most likely end up as a 16. They will likely face Kansas, who is by far the best team in the country. However, they lack the star power that they typically have. They’ve won 10 inconference games by 10 points or less, and have the tendency to be streaky shooters, which is something that will weigh heavily on them under the bright lights of the NCAA Tournament. FGCU comes in as a team that has something to prove and that nobody expects to be competitive. Look out for this one.

USA Today also predicts that Wagner will face off against Vir-

ginia in the first round. Wagner’s downfall will be their youth and inexperience while facing the Cavaliers, who also boast the ACC Player of the Year in Malcolm Brogdon. If Wagner can figure out a way to keep Virginia under 60 points and lower than 35 percent from three, they will have a good chance at victory.

The Villanova Wildcats are an intriguing candidate due to their uncanny ability to lose when it matters. They could be coming into the tournament with only four losses and a fair amount of momentum. They will most likely face off against Lehigh, according to USA Today. The Mountain Hawks will need to smother the transition offense from the Wildcats, while also limiting the scoring from Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins. Easier said than done, but definitely within the realm of possibility.

Finally, we will most likely see Hampton match up against Oklahoma. I put this game last because I think it is the least likely to feature an upset, but the lack of buzz around Hampton may just give them the energy they need to win. This game is the essence of a 16-1 matchup. Nobody believes in Hampton, just as nobody believed in Princeton, but it only takes one spectacular performance to prove everyone wrong.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Villanova will be a No. 1 seed this year, but they appear somewhat vulnerable.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY Men’s Basketball

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Led by Buster Posey, the San Francisco Giants have World Series hopes in 2016.

Thursday March 10

Friday March 11

Saturday March 12

Sunday March 13

Monday March 14

Tuesday March 15

A-10 CHAMPIONSHIP

Baseball

VILLANOVA 3 P.M.

SAINT PETER’S 1 P.M.

STONY BROOK 1 P.M.

Softball

PROVIDENCE 12 P.M., 2 P.M.

SAINT PETER’S 2 P.M.

SAINT PETER’S 12 P.M.

Men’s Tennis

HOFSTRA 3 P.M.

Women’s Tennis

BINGHAMTON 1 P.M.

SACRED HEART 3 P.M.

Wednesday March 16

SPORTS

Page 22

Anthony Pucik Watch For North American Team Last week, countries began releasing their preliminary rosters for the World Cup of Hockey, taking place north of the border in Toronto this upcoming September. While there is still plenty to be decided, here’s a look at how the teams are shaping up.

As it stands now, the favorite to win the World Cup looks like Team Sweden. Its defense is deep both offensively and defensively. The pairing of Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman from the Tampa Bay Lightning will cause headaches for opposing scorers, while Ottawa Senators blueliner Erik Karlson and Coyotes D-man Oliver Ekman-Larsson will provide an offensive element that not many other teams can match.

Sweden’s forwards are even more impressive, bolstered with veterans like the Sedin twins from the Vancouver Canucks and Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg and coupled with young up and coming talent like Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators and Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog. Pair that with goaltending from one of the NHL’s best, Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers, and Sweden will undoubtedly be one of the top teams at the World Cup. While Team Canada and Team USA were expected to put together strong teams as they do every time the Olympics come around, two team rosters I was interested to see were Team Europe and Team North America. Team Europe was composed of players from the rest of the European countries not included in the World Cup already: basically an All Star team that wasn’t Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic and Russia, while Team North America is made up of American and Canadian players that are under the age of 24. Team Europe’s roster was filled with talent, but Team North America is the team that intrigues me the most.

Team North America has the potential to be a dark horse in the World Cup. On defense, they have the Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad, the Blue Jackets’ Seth Jones and Ryan Murray, Toronto’s Morgan Rielly and Sean Couturier of Philadelphia, all up and coming stars in the NHL on their respective teams. While the team doesn’t have lockdown defensemen on the roster as of now, young, quick offensive weapons like Ekblad and Jones could lead to matchup problems for older teams like Russia. They also have yet to add American blueliner Shane Gostisbehere of the Philadelphia Flyers, who now holds the record for most consecutive games with a point by a rookie defenseman with 15.

Team North America has a lot of depth at forward. Connor McDavid (EDM), Dylan Larkin (DET), Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan (CGY) and Jack Eichel (BUF) are just a few of the names that pack the North American forward lines, with Anthony Duclair and Max Domi (ARI) not even on the roster yet. North America might run into a problem at goaltender, with John Gibson of the Ducks being its only one with long-term NHL experience; however, their preliminary roster looks extremely impressive and I wouldn’t count them out of a possible top four finish at the World Cup.

March 9, 2016

Varsity Scores & Stats Softball Boston College 9 Fordham 0 (FOR) Shaw 1-2, single (BC) Cortez 1-2, HR(6), 3 RBI Iowa State 11 Fordham 3 (FOR) Canessa 1-2, 2 RBI Mercer Fordham (FOR) Mayer 1-2, walk (MER) Mauga 1-3, HR(1)

6 0

Boston College Fordham (FOR) Hughes 2-4, run

5 4

Iowa State 5 Fordham 2 (FOR) Canessa 1-4, HR(5)

Men’s Basketball Fordham Duquesne Fordham Rhode Island

78 69

Baseball LSU Fordham

12 1

64 61

LSU Fordham

15 1

LSU Fordham

10 7

Fordham Manhattan

12 3

Women’s Basketball Fordham UMass

73 62

Duquesne Fordham

70 65

Men’s Tennis Saint Louis Fordham

6 1

Women’s Dive NCAA Zone “A” Diving (FOR) Esquivel- 37th

Men’s Track ECAC/IC4A Champs 40th 4x800 meter relay Fordham- 7th 7:35.46 Women’s Track ECAC/IC4A Champs 34th 4x800 meter relay Fordham- 3rd 8:46.54

Athletes of the Week Ryan Rhoomes

Sydney Canessa

Senior

Junior

Men’s Basketball

Softball

Rhoomes ended his regular season career with back-to-back doubledoubles. He scored 15 points against Duquesne while also grabbing 17 rebounds, tying his career high. He followed that performance by scoring a career-high 27 points and grabbing 11 boards.

Canessa continued her dominance at the plate. She is currently hitting .357 with 15 RBIs. This past weekend Canessa hit her fifth home run of the year, a solo shot against Iowa State, which helped the Rams to a 5-2 victory.

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 • Baseball Cruises to Victory

• Three Ram’s Basketball Players Garner Atlantic 10 Honors Freshman guard Jo-

baseball team had an impressive first home game, beating the rival Jaspers of Manhattan College. The Rams scored one in the 1st, two in the 3rd and four in the 4th to put themselves well ahead. Manhattan put up one run in the 5th before Fordham put the game away in the 6th. Junior infielder Luke Stampfl put an exclamation mark on the game by hitting a grand slam to deep left center field, sealing the first home victory of the year.

seph Chartony was recently named A-10 Rookie of the Year. The freshman averaged 11 points and six assists a game this season. Senior power forward Ryan Rhoomes was named Third Team All-Atlantic 10.

Rhoomes had 11 double-doubles on the season and nearly averaged that for the year. He averaged 14 points and nine rebounds per game. Finally, sophomore forward Chirs Sengfelder was named to the All-Academic team.

against Manhattan in First Home Game of the Year The

• Fordham Athletics’ Frank McLaughlin Selected For ECAC Hall of Fame McLaughlin, a Fordham graduate, returned to serve his alma mater in 1985 as the Athletic Director. During his tenure the Rams won 26 conference championships, while also maintaining a fantastic academic standing. His students-athletes consistently ended up on the Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

The Eastern College Athletic Conference selected McLuaghlin to its second Hall of Fame class due to his outstanding achievements, service, dedication, commitment and contributions.

•

Alvin Halimwidjaya

Senior Samantha Clark Earns All-Atlantic 10 Honors Clark’s incredible season was rewarded by being named Second Team All-Atlantic 10 as well as Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team. Clark averaged 12 points and nine rebounds a game. She started all 29 games this season, averaging a conference-best 37.3 minutes per game. Clark ended her career with over 1,200 points and 900 rebounds, one of only three players to achieve such a feat in her career.

– Compiled by Pat Costello

The Resurgence of Joe Johnson Joe Johnson has always been a scorer. From his time on the Suns with Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire to leading the Hawks to multiple second round berths in the playoffs, Joe Johnson was always renowned for his ability to put up points. When he failed to lead Brooklyn to the same success, people started to criticize him for not creating enough offense.

Why? Because for better or for worse, people eventually expected Johnson to carry most of his team’s offensive load on his shoulders. He averaged 20 points per game for five seasons with the Hawks and earned the reputation as a clutch shooter. Even in Brooklyn, he had an impressive portfolio of game-winning shots, but as his career lengthened and he began to age, people began to consider him overrated.

Naysayers claimed that Johnson didn’t play enough defense, took too many shots and wasn’t enough of a facilitator. As he struggled in the apathy the Nets provided, his critics grew both in confidence and number.

Brooklyn fell in the standings, and Joe Johnson gained the reputation of an underperformer with a $120 million albatross contract. Since his buyout and subsequent signing by the Miami Heat however, Johnson seems comfortable. He has thrived in a lesser role and has become an important role player for the Heat in the wake of Chris Bosh’s injury issues.

In five games with the Heat, Johnson netted 14 points per game on 60 percent shooting from the field on just under 10 field goal attempts per game. He hasn’t taken this few attempts since his second year in the league with the Suns. Though this is a very small sample size, it’s promising to see that the Heat have gone undefeated since Johnson joined the team.

Without the burden of being the goto guy, Johnson has been able to pick and choose his shots, either getting spot-up opportunities or posting up smaller guards. He also has the freedom to drive into the lane and put up floaters and runners over the defense, not unlike Dwyane Wade’s style of play as both players grow older.

Johnson really does seem at home in Miami. He came to the Heat after being wooed by Dwyane Wade and Amare Stoudemire, passing up offers from several other teams, including Lebron James and the Cavaliers.

Since his signing, Johnson has said positive things about the culture and the professionalism of the Heat, and it shows in his willingness to adapt and cooperate. Despite being more of an isolation player in Atlanta and Brooklyn, Johnson has made an effort to join the team-wide initiative to push the pace in recent games, which leans more towards the Suns team he used to play for. This example illustrates just how well Joe Johnson has fit in with the Heat.

At the end of the day, Joe Johnson is probably not the missing piece that suddenly propels the Heat to the NBA Finals. The best-case scenario is they put up a fight against the Cavs and make the series interesting. However, this addition bodes well for the Heat’s short-term future. It extends Miami’s reputation of coming in and snatching big names off the market.

Most importantly, Joe Johnson has a chance to restore his reputation, thrive in a system and simply settle down and focus on what he does best: score.

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March 9, 2016

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Page 23

SPORTS

Page 24

March 9, 2016

The Fordham Ram

Men’s Basketball Wins Fourth Straight

By JACK McLOONE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

A sellout crowd at the historic Rose Hill Gymnasium honored senior forward Ryan Rhoomes, senior guard Mandell Thomas and graduate student forward Ryan Canty in their last home game as Fordham Rams.

This Senior Day matchup was against the University of Rhode Island and, thanks to a career day from Rhoomes and last second heroics from sophomore guard Antwoine Anderson, the Rams were able to secure a 64-61 victory.

Neither team was able to take a large lead in the first half or hold one for very long. It was a battle of good defense paired with an equally good offense breaking down the defense.

At the end of the half, URI led 32-29.

The Rams had problems containing the URI backcourt of Jarvis Garrett and Four McGlynn. Despite aggressive tactics from head coach Jeff Neubauer, Garrett was able to drive to the paint and facilitate the offense, and McGlynn went 3-3 from deep, adding another basket for 11 first half points.

For Fordham, it was all Rhoomes.

While he had trouble early on with URI center Earl Watson, his opponent picked up two quick fouls and was replaced by Andre Berry.

Berry was unable to keep up with Rhoomes’s quick feet, allowing the

ANDREW ESOLDI/THE FORDHAM RAM

Rhoomes, Thomas and Canty were all honored on Saturday afternoon, but the Rams are not done yet.

senior to easily get to the rim for 12 points.

The second half unsurprisngly opened with a Rhoomes bucket, but then URI went on a 13-2 run to make the score 45-33. However, Fordham refused to lie down, and a layup from Rhoomes and a three from Thomas (his only points of the day) sparked a 14-2 run that tied it up just three minutes later.

The back and forth play from the first half resumed, leading to a hectic closing minute. Fordham had a chance to keep URI from winning with one shot, up 59-58 with 1:04 left. That possibility seemed to overwhelm Chartouny, who overthrew Rhoomes down low. However, Wat-

son pushed Rhoomes when the pass was en route, sending him to the line, nullifying the turnover and bailing out the Rams. Rhoomes hit both free throws, making it 61-58.

After a long possession, a touch foul was called while McGlynn tried to cut to the basket. McGlynn did not realize that this foul reset the shot clock, so he rushed and missed a fade away three from the corner. Naturally, Rhoomes pulled it down.

However, a turnover again almost threatened to bury Fordham. URI pressured Anderson and Chartouny in the backcourt leading to a backcourt violation and giving URI another shot to tie the game. With 20 seconds left, McGlynn — who had

not made a three in the second half — hit one from two feet behind the three-point line to tie the game.

Anderson got the inbounds, and waited for his moment to strike. With five seconds on the clock, he drove to the basket, spun in the paint, flipped up a layup and sunk it while being fouled with three seconds left. The sold out Rose Hill Gym erupted. After Anderson hit his free throw, the best URI could do was tie the game.

“This is what a college basketball environment should be like,” said Neubauer after the game.

A desperation half-court heave from McGlynn hit back iron and was no good. Fordham had won its most exciting game of the season — an in-

credible send off for the seniors.

“This group of seniors really has been a terrific group to coach,” said Neubauer. “These guys have been really eager this season to go out on top, to be winners, to be the group that turns this program around. Ryan Rhoomes exemplifies what we’ve been trying to accomplish.”

Rhoomes scored 27 points, a career high, and also nabbed 11 rebounds. This was his 11th doubledouble of the season, and his third in a row. He was clearly emotional at the end of the game, crying after the final whistle.

“I didn’t really sleep last night so I didn’t know how I was going to play,” said Rhoomes. “I just wanted to go out there and win. I didn’t really care if I did well or not. I was a little nervous. I’ve never been through anything like this before. My emotions just spurred at the end of the game.”

Fordham has hit its stride as of late, winning four in a row, which has coincided with the Thomas’s return.

Fordham will miss its seniors, but the season is not done yet. When asked about whether a 17-win season was expected, Rhoomes had only one word: “More.” Neubauer elaborated, “We’re not finished.”

The Rams are hot at the right time.

They play their first game in the A-10 Championship Tournament at noon on Thursday, March 10 in Brooklyn.

Women Fall in Second Round of A-10’s

By SAM BELDEN SPORTS EDITOR

After a pair of hotly contested games at the Atlantic 10 Championship, the Fordham Women’s Basketball season finally came to an end last week. Playing in the Richmond Coliseum in Virginia, the Rams pulled off an overtime win over Massachusetts on Thursday before dropping a close one to Duquesne on Friday, spelling the end of their run. They finished their season with a 14-16 overall record.

While Fordham failed to advance past the quarterfinals, the team delivered some strong individual performances. Senior forward Samantha Clark and junior forward Danielle Burns were both in fine form, making a big impression on the rest of the conference, despite the Rams’ early exit.

Fordham’s win over Massachusetts ended with a final score of 73-62.

Clark found herself in foul trouble near the end of the game, but other Rams picked up the slack. Burns scored 28 points, while junior forward Danielle Padovano added nine points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

The game was an extremely even one, with the score tied at the end of each half. Sophomore guard Asnate Fomina hit a three-pointer at the start of the second quarter to give the Rams a four-point lead, a margin that neither team would surpass until the second half. The Minutewomen eventually tied it up, and the halftime score was 25-25.

In the third quarter, the scales began to tip in the Rams’ favor, however slightly. A Burns jumper with 5:49

KATE MACKIE/THE FORDHAM RAM

Women’s Basketball traveled down to Richmond for the A-10 Championship Tournament.

remaining pushed Fordham’s lead to five, and three minutes later, Fomina buried another from beyond the arc to make it six. Massachusetts recovered somewhat, but the Rams were still able to carry a four-point advantage into the game’s final period.

The last quarter was a thriller. The Rams led by eight with just 2:46 remaining in the game, but the Minutewomen battled their way back, going on a 9-1 run to end the game. Fordham’s failure to make free throws ended up making the difference — the Rams converted on just one attempt in regulation. With just 26 seconds remaining, Clark missed one that would have been decisive and given Fordham the victory. Instead, the two teams headed to overtime with the score knotted at 52.

Clark fouled out with 3:17 remaining in overtime and Fordham leading by two, but the Rams were able to adjust. They finished the game on a 15-6 run to win by a margin of 11 and

advance to the next round. The win was a true team effort with Burns, Fomina and freshman guard Lauren Holden all contributing significantly after Clark’s exit.

“We knew it was going to take a heroic effort tonight,” head coach Stephanie Gaitley said of the game.

“We’re a different team when Sam is off the court. The kids aren’t used to it, so we had to keep it fun and just say let’s play.”

The next night, Fordham faced the Duquesne Dukes. It was another close game, but this time, the Rams fell short, losing 70-65.

In its early stages, the game was one-sided. Duquesne opened the first quarter by going on a 9-0 run, putting the Rams at an immediate disadvantage. At its conclusion, the Rams still trailed by 10. The tide began to turn in the second quarter, as the Rams started it off with their own 9-0 run to pull within one. However, they could not maintain their spirited

play for the remainder of the half and fell behind once again. At halftime, Duquesne led by a score of 31-22.

It was in the third quarter that the Rams finally made their move.

Trailing by 10 with 6:24 remaining in the period, junior guard Hannah Missry made a three-pointer that ended up sparking a 15-6 run. In just over three minutes, Fordham had cut Duquesne’s once-daunting lead to one point. The rest of the quarter went back and forth, with Clark and Padovano providing the offense for the Rams. Heading into the final quarter, the score was 51-50 with Duquesne leading.

The score remained relatively even for much of the fourth quarter. A three-pointer from Burns gave Fordham its first lead of the game, but Duquesne quickly took it back and remained in the driver’s seat for the next four minutes. With 2:55 remaining, Clark converted on a three-point play to give the Rams a two-point

lead, but back-to-back turnovers doomed them, as they watched the Dukes go on a 6-0 run to go up by four. Fordham tried to battle back, but it was too late. The Dukes put the game away with their free throw shooting, winning by a final score of 70-65.

In her final game as a Fordham Ram, Clark put up a memorable performance, scoring 20 points to go along with 12 rebounds. It was her 14th double-double of the season.

“I think we gave Duquesne everything we possibly could. We put the effort on Sam’s shoulders, and I couldn’t be more proud of her,” Gaitley said. “We faced so much adversity this season, and to stay tough down the stretch speaks volumes of Sam and our team.”

Holden also thrived in the spotlight, adding 15 points to go along with five assists. Burns and Missry contributed 11 points each.

While they could not repeat the conference-winning performance displayed in 2014, it was still a productive season for the Rams. Clark made the most of her final go-round, while Burns and Missry also made important contributions. Underclassmen Holden, Fomina and forward G’mrice Davis logged plenty of meaningful minutes, pointing to a bright future for the program.

The team’s two seniors, Clark and guard Khadijah Gibson, will graduate this spring. Clark will leave with the second-most rebounds and seventhmost points in Fordham history. Gibson did not play this season, but her presence on the team will surely be missed.